Personality

Art class is so much fun for me. I love to feel free to be a little weird or crazy. That is what art is about.


This is the cube. This cube is supposed to represent me in someway using shapes and colours and stuff.


Theres something about drawing tentacles or weird little monsters that makes me happy.

soomo (not sumo)

is driving me crazy! Its a fake name of a fake energy drink and we are supposed to do designs for it. Keep in mind that its not about sumo wrestlers. That took a while to get out of my head. Its apparently a natural energy drink with electrolytes in it.



I dont feel creative and yet I have to crank out more stuff for it. Le sigh. Maybe I need to get away from the disaster area that is my desk and go have a coffee (or tea), or peppermint mocha! :O I feel a field trip coming on!



Anyways, this is the stuff I am doing for school, I will have my other art stuff from my other class up next.



These kind of remind me of the I spy books only less clutter than that. Some days it feels like that much clutter. I wonder why I put the remote on my desk.

to clear up some confusion...

I've been telling people that I am going to BCIT cause its a little easier to explain. I tell them I am taking courses for graphic design. The confusing part is that my program is partnered with Emily Carr so I am also taking classes there. Its a nice mix of technical stuff at BCIT and art stuff at Emily Carr. I haven't ever been to Emily Carr before this week, so I took a trip to Granville Island before my first day and it wasn't too hard to find, yay!

So at BCIT I am learning how to use a mac more effectively for my graphic design stuff, which is awesome cause I know that even though I own a mac, I need to better my skills with it. I was using PCs almost exclusively before that (except elementary school lol). Also learning the programs like InDesign which is proving to be quite the challenge (well mostly the first class, but hopefully it gets better).

So its been fun, I've loved buying new art supplies. New paintbrushes are my favourites so far, as well as the new sketch book.

Its really nice outside, so I think a walk to Starbucks for something decaffeinated is in order. I miss Timmy hos so much. If they had one near my house, I think this Starbucks thing would stop.

Tony is feeling a little down about not being in school yet, I feel bad for him too, cause I know he would love to be back again.

I also totally forgot that thanksgiving is next weekend, and I am thinking about making a smallish turkey. I love turkey soup and left overs and without making my own turkey, I don't get that awesome stuff.

New Robots wanting love

New Robots wanting love
Originally uploaded by jamesblonde85

This is my very different robot mug. I like this one lots better. He was harder to do, but was worth it. I am gonna make more of him I think. We shall see how fast he sells.

Its nice outside today. My tomatoes are all little and green. I am waiting for them to ripen, cause I am dying to try them in salad.

Fat yellow cat grasping at mouse

Fat yellow cat grasping at mouse
Originally uploaded by jamesblonde85

another mug I've done today. This cat is grasping at a mouse, but I am sure it really wants a big mac instead. Time for strawberries!

Robots in love

Robots in love
Originally uploaded by jamesblonde85

Found a bunch of mugs at the thirft store! Perfect ones for my fat cat mug, but today I decided to do a robot because they tend to sell fast.

Grr I forgot, my mission was also to find tea cups...hmmm I guess I can do that tomorrow or later

Baby Penguins on a mug

The latest thing in the making. Almost done, one more coat of black paint for the other little guys on the opposite side of the mug. They don't look that bad I think. They are the first time that I did baby penguins.

So today was especially boring. Work was the same stuff, kinda lame. I just want to get out of there. Its near the end, only 14 more days of work before left. I have a countdown to help. I am being laid off and then off for a couple months till school starts and the end of September. Its not the end of the world, I am getting severance that will cover that time of me being away.

Saw Harry Potter this weekend. It wasn't bad. I enjoyed that book way more than the movie though. I think that's the case with most of them, except the Prisoner of Azkaban. That one I really liked as a movie. This recent one was a little too happy for me. I was hoping it would be a little more darker. Oh well.

Next movie on my list of ones to see is Funny People. It looks very good, and I like Seth Rogan.

Anyways, I am off to read for a bit.

burning up

Oh my goodness its hot out. Went to visit Tony at work for lunch. It was a defiantly a day to get a frosty. Having that in a nice air conditioned Wendys was perfect for 30 min. Then it was back to the heat to look for odds and ends.

I have been on the hunt for little clips that hook to the back of a picture so I can hang them. Apparently nobody had what I want. Stupid Ikea frames! Time to go to the maker and see if Ikeas parts dept has these guys.

I also went to the hippy Whole foods store. It was kinda fun. So many things that I have been getting on eBay I could have gotten there. Well, at least I know now. Essential oils for bath bombs and soap and things and they were even on sale today! yay! I bought peppermint, tea tree and lemon grass I think. They smell so good.

Things are slowing getting together for the big soap making day. I have coconut oil too, so now its the equipment. Goggles, gloves and a big pot. Pot shouldnt be too hard, sally anne should have one thats cheap.

More things for sale:



Angry clouds again! I couldnt think of anything that better suited the mugs. But now I am gonna try a penguin mug. Those guys are so awesome.

Ahoy its an Octopus!

Figured I would do something different. I am curious if this will be something trendy that someone on etsy will like. Right now everyone likes the tea and cup painting and the robot and bunny mugs. The painting hasn't sold yet, time to reduce the price I think, or have a sale.


My favorite part was the tentacles, they were the most fun to do, oh and the bubbles.


I am going to be off to visit Tony at work today. He seems real excited to show me where he works. Hes working at a genome research type place. Hes really liking it, and that makes me happy.


While I am down there, I shall visit the store and get some coconut oil for a new craft. I cant wait to see how it turns out. Its a secret craft cause its for presents, and some readers will not be suprised.

going going gone!

Its been nice to have little things to sell on etsy. Been making little bits of money here and there. I always get excited when something sells.

Lately its been bunnies, bunnies and more bunnies, but yesterday someone loved my robot. :) Must do some more, as my store is looking pretty bare.

The only scary thing about selling online is calculating shipping costs. I thought my shipping was too high, and sold 2 mugs for shipping that basically cut out all the profits for them. Never will do that again. What I have set now, especially for the USA is on the dot. I am now using the scale at work for as long as I can (before I am laid off). It has helped a lot.

I am gonna be getting a scale for measuring soap ingredients, so it will work out quite well for shipping and soaping.

Oh soap, the next great summer adventure. I have read 2 books (skimmed one and read another cover to cover). Very informative books, lots of good ideas and tester recipes. I'm not attempting to do the melt and pour soaps, I feel that this is kinda a cop out because anyone can get a brick of glycerin and make a soap, but it will take some skill and guts to make real soap using lye and oils. I am very ready for this adventure. Slowly getting all my supplies in gear using my etsy money.

Other projects are also in the works, I like to do this all now in the summer. I am thinking if all works well, there will be crafts for Christmas presents.

kinda of off topic, but I am watching a cake competition on the food network and some idiot covered her cake in sugar, and then tried to make a Bacardi candle with sugar and the cake was set on fire. HAHAHAHAHAHAHA loser!

Enlisting Tonys help

Apparently I was "doing it all wrong". So he took over my art project. Apparently this was the only thing he was able to do well in art class at school. He carved a bird in his print. Figures.


He learned from my first picture that I am spying on him. He then threatened not to do my work for me so that was it after that. I am finishing the details on this robot as I wont trust anyone else but me.

Printing my own wrapping paper and things

A couple weeks ago I went down to the art supply store and found myself some linoleum blocks, ink, and a carving tool and went back in time to art 11. Oh what a fun time warp it was. I spent most of my Saturday carving my bunny out of linoleum.



Started out by using red permanent marker to draw my bunny, but as it turns out, it wasnt that permanent as I started getting ink all over my hands.


It was a lot of work doing that and it made tons of mess that the bird tried throwing off my desk.


Almost done, had to carefully carve out the middle parts of him and that's where things got a little crazy.



My art class had little wooden things that grippd the edge of the desk so that you didnt need to hold the linoleum while you carved. I didnt have that wonderful tool and so I was stuck using my hand. My stupid finger tips got in the way. Cut my middle finger twice, more like carved into it twice. Took 2 bandaids to keep it from bleeding through. It also didnt help that I was using that hand to keep my linoleum still and was pressing my bloody finger into it. There was blood on my art, but it was well worth it.

So now this is the almost final result. I originally made the carving to do business cards, but its too hard to make it as small as that, so this guy is for decorating wrapping paper, boxes and so on.



They are lots of fun to do, and I think that there will be more bunnies in different shapes and poses to come. I also want to do a robot as well, cause I love my robots.

On another note, my sister in law beth's budgie laid an egg. Shes had that bird for forever and we always thought it was a boy, guess we were wrong. That bird has been alive for a couple years now and this is its first egg! I am hoping that we can get our budgies together and have them make some babies! It would be so cute.

Robots in Love mug

Robots in Love mug
Originally uploaded by jamesblonde85

Love received! Mission accomplished! oh robot lurve....

Robots in Love mug

Robots in Love mug
Originally uploaded by jamesblonde85

This robot sends his love. He wants it to be received, but will it?

Attack of the evil killer Bunnies part 2

They come for blood!!! OH NOES!

Just finished this set of 6 plates. It was rather fun making them, listening to the twilight soundtrack...maybe that's why I had fangs on all of them :) hehehe

Off to the store, time to get a box and figure out how much they will cost to ship elsewhere.

making other things

I've been feeling very crafty lately, been reading crafty blogs and getting super cool ideas. My most recent idea was for my patio. The little patio we have is small, has no lights and its got plants and things on it. I should clean it up, remove the dead tree and things. Once its clean, I will light it up.

I found an idea for those little baby lanterns for mini lights. They are like the ones you buy at the store, but you can sit there tediously and make them at home with paper mache and water balloons.

So that's the thing I am working on, but its taking time cause I am having stupid trouble with the water balloons. First, they are hard to blow up, and second, they arent the strongest and if they deflate while the stuff is trying , the lanterns look like withered old prunes instead, and I'm not hanging prunes.

I also found an awesome book for craft ideas, it was Marthas craft book a-z. So many neat things to try. I have made a list of things to do this summer while I am off.

its been so long

I've been reading everyone elses blogs, but not posting anything new on mine for some time, so here we go!

I haven't been doing too much, went to visit the family last weekend. Brought my ingredients for making bath bombs in their little baggies, citric acid is just a white powder crystal like substance. While waiting for hte bus, the guys at greyhound decided that a search of everyones stuff was necessary. AWESOME! It looks like I am carrying cocaine or other drugs in white baggies onto the bus. Well, thank goodness my stuff was in their baggies in a plastic shopping bad, they didnt search that one, but everything else, my makeup bag, wallet, grief! Got on the bus without much hassel and off i went. I was there to teach my momma some mad computer skillz....like spreadsheets and finding clip art. hehe!

Mikaela and I made the bath bombs, they turned out awesome. I saw the recipe on instructables and thought that I had to try it, it was dead easy. The only difficult part was finding citric acid, but I got that on eBay.



It was a lot of fun. We used my moms measuring cups for about 1/4 cup bombs. Satsuma scented bombs (my favourite). I used a little orange and grapefruit zest in the mix and they smell awesome.



So after that weekend I came home and we bbq'ed. I love to bbq now. Tony cooks, I get things ready, and its so tastey. We even did the portabello mushrooms, and I love those so much!


I have more to write, but I will do that tomorrow, pace yourself Miranda!

The robot dishes collection is almost complete!

Needs to be baked and it will be finished!
I really love it, and I wish I kept it, cause its so cute.
I want an army of robots now...

maybe robot mugs for me >:)

Will post pictures tomorrow.

Success!

I woke up this morning and headed off to the computer to veg and play a video game or so.
Upon start up I received an email, it said I sold an item on etsy.
Cool beans! I thought.
Went to my etsy store to see which one (should have read the email durr) found out my store was empty!
:O :O :O
Very excited to see that my 4 items had sold, I hadn't expected any to sell in the first day.
Shipped off my items this afternoon, packed with bubble wrap, tape and packing peanuts.
I hope its packed well enough, I don't want anything to break.
I feel that it should withstand nuclear holocaust, so we shall see...

Off to make blue bunny tea cups. These cups are so dainty and will have ferocious bunnies on them!

more of my stuff

Here are some more robots, they are for my friend Larissa. These robots are in love!


This was a small owl that I painted for Aria for her Christmas Present. There is also a blue owl that I am almost finished.


These were the first plates I made, they were my fall leaves set. I used real leaves and almost couldn't finish all three because all the good leaves were turned to muck. Had to go exploring to find good little guys.