Sketchbook Practice: Drawing Fantasy Trees

As I've mentioned before, I keep a sketchbook and an art journal where I practice my art. 

I once was so overwhelmed by the scary blank page. What will I draw? How can I fill the whole page? What if what I make turns out terrible? 

So much negative self talk. 

Over the years, I've learned to treat every page as practice. Just practice. Nobody needs to see it. I don't have to post it anywhere. I'm just playing. It doesn't have to be perfect.

These are some of the learnings I picked up from Sketchbook Revival, an online workshop taught by very talented artists. I've been attending for several years now and if you'd like to participate, get on the list for details and updates.  

One of the artists is Este MacLeod, a surface pattern designer and teacher. In her workshop, she taught us fun approaches to create trees in watercolor. 

Above are Este MacLeod's drawings and here are her tips:

• Create interesting tree-like shapes just by writing down and combining the numbers 0, 1, 2, 3.
• Use a cardboard roll stamp or handmade stencils to form the tree.
•  Make a multitude of effects through layering of color, lines, and marks.

Her trees really look whimsical, don't they?

Let me try out Este's techniques in my art journal (an old book). 

First, I covered the pages in gesso. It's really a surface primer to make the paint grip better, but I also like it because it tones down the text and drawings on the page. You still see a hint of them but they just add dimension, not distraction. 

While I let the gesso dry, I find an empty paper towel roll and cut it into smaller circles.

I put some green acrylic paint on a flat surface (yogurt container lid) and used the cardboard circle as a stamp: dip it in the paint and stamp it on the paper. I made different circles and slightly pinched the cardboard circle to make oblong shapes, too.

With a paintbrush and the same acrylic paint, I filled the circles/oblongs with patterns like stripes, dots, lines and curves. I put this aside to dry. 

I added color to each circle/oblong using crayons, colored pencils and collage...TADA!

I added the tree trunks using another cardboard circle (pinched to form a rectangle), filled it in with brown paint, and let it dry. 

I just added some background color (ex. blue sky, green grass) and there you have it, my fantasy trees!

And that is how a transformed a blank page from blah to TADA!

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In My Crafter's Tool Box: Modeling Paste

Howdy creative people!

Are you familiar with modeling paste? I've never heard of it before until I read this book:

"Get Messy Art" is a book about art journaling and is written by the talented Caylee Grey, a South African artist. She pioneered the "Get Messy" community and I admire her approach to making art: "My art journaling adventure began as a way for me to get messy, ditch perfectionism, stay accountable, and consistently create art." 

In the book, Caylee describes modeling paste as "an acrylic medium that feels like thick cake frosting. Pair it with a stencil to create an image that has dimension or mix it with acrylic paint to add texture. Smearing it onto the page really is like putting the frosting on the (art) cake." 

She had me a cake frosting! 

So I went off and bought myself some modeling paste so I could try it out.

One of the projects in the book is a demonstration on how to use modeling paste. As you can see, it does give an embossed finish to the flower...TADA! 

I'm excited to experiment!

To start, we will need the following materials: acrylic paint, modeling paste, and a palette knife

We will also need stencils, low-tack removable tape (like washi tape), and paper. 

Step 1: Make sure you cover your surface with scrap paper. Decide on which part of the paper you want to place the stencil image. Using washi tape, attach the stencil to the paper to keep it in place as you apply the modeling paste. 

Step 2: In a shallow dish, take some modeling paste. This is about 1/2 teaspoon worth.

Add some acrylic paint. This is around the equivalent of 1/8 teaspoon.

Use a palette knife to mix the modeling paste and acrylic paint together until well blended and no streaks are visible. 

Step 3: With the aid of the palette knife, spread the mixture on top of the stencil. Spread this evenly and make sure all gaps are covered. Remove any excess mixture with the palette knife.

Step 4: While the mixture is still wet, carefully peel off the stencil from the paper. Make sure the stencil pattern on the paper is not disturbed and that no part of the paper tears. 

Immediately submerge the stencil in a container of warm water so the modeling paste doesn't permanently harden on the stencil (you will no longer be able to use the stencil if this happens). Caylee's tip: You can place the stencil between two baby wipes to keep it moist until you're able to clean it. 

Step 5: If there is any leftover mixture, don't let it go to waste. Make ephemera with other stencils and sheets of paper and use these for scrapbooking, card making, collage, and more art journaling. 

Playing with modeling paste is so much fun! It takes some practice to get an even coat but the imperfections add to the handmade look.

It helped me turn all my paper remnants from blah to TADA! 

By the way, if you are interested in collage and all things paper, Strawberry Moon Magazine might be right up your alley. Issue 10 is all about collage (tips from A to Z) and there are free collage papers included. 

I also wrote an article (collage organization). If you are curious to know more or would like to purchase a copy (print or digital), you can visit Strawberry Moon Magazine.

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Tote Bag Stories: DIY Closure for Bags without Zippers

I love all kinds of tote bags! They're inexpensive, sturdy, and can easily be thrown into the washing machine (I prefer to air dry because they can shrink in the dryer).

I have quite a number of tote bags and use them as an everyday bag or for something more dedicated like a wine tote bag, even a tote bag that I decorated myself and gifted to a friend. 

This tote bag is a souvenir from a trip to London many years ago. I got it from Marks & Spencer Food Hall. The canvas material is thick and there's no branding, just the word organic. In this context, it refers to farming methods that does not use pesticides, but it can also mean "natural development." Clean and natural, I like that.  

Inside the tote bag is a pocket to keep my water bottle standing upright...TADA! If used as a grocery bag, this is the spot to put bottles (ex. wine, olive oil, vinegar, etc.) so they don't tip over. 

The tote bag is very roomy! But since I plan to use this as an everyday bag, I want to add a mechanism that will allow it to close like a button or ribbon-like ties that I can knot together. 

I found these in my recycling stash: a strip of twill tape and a lanyard once used for IDs/nametags.  

Don't you think these can be used as a closure mechanism?

I cut the twill tape in half. I sewed (hand sewing) one at the center of the tote bag. On the opposite side, I sewed the other piece but also included the hook portion of the lanyard...TADA!

I found a simple and easy way to close my tote bag...TADA!

I had some extra twill tape that I also sewed on one end of the tote bag -- a place to hook small items (ex. keys or hand sanitizer) that can easily get lost at the bottom of the bag...TADA!

And that is how I updated a tote bag from blah to TADA!

On another creative note, I'm excited about this Notebook Project that I am a part of. It's like a penpal exchange, except that it's among seven people living across the United States. We pass around this beautiful notebook, fill it with words, photos, and tokens of joy (ex. stickers, collage, artwork) and get to know each other in a rather old fashioned way. I'll write more about it in a future post, but this idea may inspire you and your community, and turn ordinary days from blah to TADA!

*****

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DIY Mailing Envelopes

What a pleasure to see you!

If you receive packages in the mail, you're left with empty mailing envelopes such as these:

Instead of tossing them out, let's turn them from blah to TADA!

via Traveler's Company

I'm taking inspiration from these kraft envelopes with a button and string closure made by Traveler's Company. 

Just by cutting, folding, and gluing the sides of the used mailing envelopes, I've come up with these:

Smaller mailing envelopes with a red stitching detail...TADA! 

I used travel-themed rubber stamps and an ink pad to add some whimsy to the envelopes.

One the flip side, I also stamped on this stylized rectangle where I can write the recipient's name and address.

I made faux button and string closures using cardboard circles and embroidery thread.

For the little envelope, I literally used buttons and thread from my sewing kit to make the closure. Isn't it adorable?

And that is how I turned used mailing envelopes from blah to TADA! If you'd like to make letter envelopes using a brown paper bag, there's a tutorial here. 

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Three Things for March

Happy new month lovelies!

March is such an in-between month, teetering on the edge of winter, waiting patiently for the spring. There is a promise of buds forming on the trees and yet there is still the threat of snow. We're ready to put away the coats and scarves, but know well enough that we still need them. 

Because of this uncertainty, here's how I turn blah to TADA!

A walk in the park for some sunshine and to feel the cool air against my skin. This is one of the things that makes me feel alive. I know in a few weeks, new leaves will color this season's somber palette. 

Staying indoors for cozy activities. Making soup, baking cookies, brewing some English Breakfast tea. Reading, writing letters, listening to records...the whole hyyge experience!

Visiting my "happy places." The stationery shop. The craft store. The bookstore. Because they always make my heart soar.

Little rituals like these and the promise of warmer weather turns blah to TADA! 

*****

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A Watercolor Painting Collab

My friend Terri proudly announced that she was starting a new hobby--watercolor! I only had encouraging words because making art is a good alternative to scrolling on your phone, it promotes mindfulness and creativity, and has been healing for me, personally.

To support and enable her, I suggested a collaboration. I call it Claire x Terri Creative Collab.  

On postcard-size watercolor paper, I made these painting on one side:

Spring Blossoms

Frozen Desserts

Under the Sea Creatures

I left the other side of the page for Terri's own watercolor paintings using the prompts I started.

I mailed these to her (she lives in Canada) with the hope that she gets excited about our team project.

However, these postcards never made it to her. Sigh.

So I sent her a new batch (praying with all my might that they would get to Terri this time around):

Then she sent me a message that the envelope arrived...TADA! She was also excited to start. 

On the left side is my fish.

And on the right side, Terri added her octopus. Isn't he cute? We call this piece, "Keep Swimming."

On the left side are a few flowers I drew.

And on the right side, Terri added more blooms. We call this piece, "Secret Garden."

On the left side, I painted an ice cream cone and a soft serve cone. 

And on the right side, Terri painted some lollipops. We call this one, "Sweet Treats."

She even said, "Thank you for coming up with this idea. I enjoyed it so much! We definitely have to keep this going." We're planning to do doodles next. 

If you have an artsy pal, why not try it out?

And that is how we turned some blank pages from blah to TADA!

*****

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