Sketchbook Practice: Paint Blobs to Birds

I'm happy you're here today!

Over the past months, I've shown you pages from my sketchbook where I make art just for myself. I've tried out collage, developing a color story, and drawing everyday objects like fashion accessories. It's a sketchbook practice to exercise my creativity and to make time for mindfulness even on a busy day. 

The empty page is always very daunting, but here's a new way to turn a blank sketchbook page from blah to TADA! I learned it at Sketchbook Revival from visual artist and creative encourager Terry Runyan. Her style is simple: make a blob and turn it into a bird.

On a blank page, Terry makes different blobs using a paintbrush and watercolors.

Then she adds more defined blobs like heads and tails.

Once the paint is dry, she adds more details with a black fineliner pen. She starts with the feet...

Then adds wings, feathers, eyes and beaks...TADA! That wasn't hard at all. Anyone can easily do this.

Below is my attempt:

On a page of my sketchbook, I made a few blobs. I was intentional with the shapes because I wanted to make different kinds of birds.

I added a second layer of paint and slowly, each bird began revealing its character.

I limited my color palette to blue, blue green and purple.

Following Terry's steps, I completed their looks. I used a black pen to draw feet, faces and fashion. Notice that each bird is wearing an accessory? 

Earrings, sneakers, a basket, a choker, a brooch and a scarf for each of these feathered friends.

A printed dress, a bowler hat, crown, sweater, headband, beanie, gold cross on a chain, eye glasses and bow tie combination, and  a pearl necklace...TADA! These birds are the fun and fashionable kind!

I'm proud of this new addition to my sketchbook practice and can't wait to try it out with other animals. I hope you enjoyed this and if you want more crafty ideas delivered to your inbox, please subscribe here.  

Treasures from the Trash: A Coffee Table

I'm delighted that you're here!

In previous posts, I mentioned that I see furniture on the curb ALL.THE.TIME. From benches, to chairs, shelves, more shelves, a side table and doors, they are no longer needed in their homes and are free for the taking. Most of them are still in good shape and if I had a warehouse to store these, I would scoop them up and transform them from blah to TADA! 

Another option, for all of you planning to get rid of furniture, is to donate them to The Salvation Army or Habitat for Humanity ReStore. They have trucks that can pick-up the furniture from your home and they sell these pieces at their thrift stores. The money they raise goes to their different programs helping the underprivileged. Isn't that a thoughtful way to help?  

Here is my latest find:

It's a black, oval coffee table.

Except for a few scuff marks (that some buffing and cleaning can fix), it doesn't look bad at all. Maybe the previous owners wanted something more streamlined?

Anyway, here are a few ways to give it new life:

via Pinterest

Turn the coffee table into an altar, a special area that will both ground and energize you, where you can meditate, practice gratitude and your faith/spirituality. Learn more about creating an altar here and here. 

via Pinterest

Create a lounge area in a corner of a room and push the coffee table against the wall so that it's not in the way.  Use this area to read, listen to music, play your guitar...things to help relax and unwind. Fill the coffee table with a stack of books, plants, scented candles and favorite nibbles and beverages.

via Pinterest

Turn the coffee table into a low dining table. Use ottomans or pillows as your chairs. It's okay if the elements are mismatched -- they give a carefree, bohemian vibe.

via Pinterest

Since the coffee table is low, turn it into a kiddie table by adding small chairs. Assign this as the area for learning and doing arts and crafts.

via Pinterest

How about turning the coffee table into a Lego table? Attach the Lego baseplates on the table's surface and have bins of Lego pieces close by for afternoons of pure building creativity! You can find how to build a Lego table here.

via Pinterest

The coffee table can also be transformed into a jigsaw puzzle station in one area of the family room. No need to remove the jigsaw puzzle while it's being assembled.

via Pinterest

The coffee table can also become an official game table for card and board games. The game boxes can be kept underneath for easy access.

via Pinterest

And finally, extend the life of the coffee table when you have parties outdoors. Use it as a buffet table for snacks and drinks or turn it into a Jenga table for everyone to participate in. 

That is how we can turn an old coffee table from blah to TADA!

I hope these sparked new uses for the old pieces of furniture you might have. If you want more crafty ideas delivered to your inbox, please subscribe here.  

Handmade Bookmarks for Little Free Libraries

Howdy, I'm happy you stopped by! 

One of things I love to transform from blah to TADA! are cardboard and scrap paper. With some glue and simple craft materials like washi tape, rubber stamps, and yarn, I am able to make different kinds of bookmarks:

Some bookmarks I keep for myself and the others I include in my snail mail as an extra surprise for dear friends. But there will always be extra bookmarks to share. 

So I put a handful of handmade bookmarks inside a deli container, topped it with a lid and a sticker label saying: Free! Take a bookmark. 

If I find a Little Free Library in neighborhoods that I visit, I make sure to leave a container of bookmarks so that whoever takes a book can take a bookmark, too.

Since I always have cardboard and scrap paper, I'll keep making bookmarks that book lovers can freely help themselves to and keep using for every new book they read...TADA!

Don't you just love crafting and reading?

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Five Things for May

 Hey, hey, it's May!

One of the things I look forward to is seeing peonies bloom! Peonies are one of my favorite flowers because they can be as big as cabbages and their colors are vibrant, they unapologetically declare, "Look at me!" When I see them in a neighbor's garden or as bouquets at the supermarket, I really stop and admire them...TADA!

On May 12, we celebrate Mother's Day here in the U.S. Above is quote from the book "The Expatriates" by Janice Y. K. Lee, a book I thoroughly loved reading (and is now a drama series). Doesn't this sentence capture the essence of a mother?

To all mothers and mother-figures, thank you for your deep love and sacrifice! You all deserve a long rest on Mother's Day.

Apart from Mother's Day there are many other occasions in May. Did you know that there is a Lost Sock Day, Paper Airplane Day, and Talk like Yoda Day? You can find the full list of May celebrations here. I wonder who comes up with these? They definitely turn an ordinary day from blah to TADA!

Do you like washi tape? I have a collection and I like using them for my paper crafts. I thought this was a clever idea to keep tape rolls organized (c/o Yoseka Stationery). It's a wooden rack for plates or cooking pan lids but repurposed to house washi tape...TADA!  

Speaking of washi tape, does it ever happen to you that the washi tape has stuck to the roll, the edges are ragged from the effort of detaching, and you don't get a smooth peel? Many of my washi tape rolls suffer this condition and I found out that you can loosen the adhesive with concentrated heat. In this photo, I'm using an embossing heat tool but you can use a hairdryer, too. Apply direct heat to the tape for a few minutes (I hold the washi tape with a pair of tongs so that my fingers don't scorch) and set aside to let it cool. Magically, they heat loosens it up and it will be good as new...TADA!

Wishing you all a memorable May!

Sketchbook Practice: Painting Shoes and Bags

Welcome back to my blog!

Many years ago, I wanted to learn watercolor. I took a class and watched several on-line tutorials. And I practiced. A lot. 

Looking back on my old sketchbooks, I started with flat/one-dimensional sketches and over the years, I think I've improved. I don't consider myself a good watercolor artist but I've been brave enough to show my work. It's proof that I tried and I'll keep trying until I become better. That's why I maintain a sketchbook practice and I fill it with all sorts of things like travel memories and floral sketches.

Sometimes it's hard to know what to put on a blank page. But one day, I was cleaning out some junk mail and came across a shoe catalog. Shoes! That's something I've never painted before. 

Here is my attempt at shoes that got my attention in the catalog, then when I ran out, I looked for inspiration on Pinterest. 

Notice that I've been attempting adding shadows, too.

On another day, I painted bags.

Just one or two sketches a day, until I filled the page...TADA!

If you're feeling overwhelmed facing a blank page or starting a project you've always wanted to do, here is a little reminder:  

Keep at it. Show up daily. Try. Fail. Try again. Then applaud your efforts. It's the baby steps that turn the blah to TADA!

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Things To Look Forward To

Hello there!

Today, I'm going to share a book that I absolutely love. It's written by Sophie Blackall who is an Australian author and illustrator based in New York. 

I was first introduced to her work in her book, Missed Connections. She illustrated stories she found in the "Missed Connections" postings on Craigslist. It started out as a blog and then became a book! Here's a sample:

"Owl Lady in the Red Dress: We both purchased owl statues today. 

You are the classy looking dame in a red dress. 

I am the mustachioed gentleman. I think we should meet up and 

discuss further wildlife decor." 

I love how Sophie Blackall drew how these people would have looked in real life. She captured the feelings of attraction, regret, and hope -- maybe, these people would meet again after reading the postings.  Wouldn't that be romantic?

Sophie Blackall wrote and illustrated another book for grown-ups called "Something to Look Forward To."  She worked on it during the pandemic with this premise: Everyone needs things to look forward to -- big things and small things, on good days and on bad days; things that will buoy our spirits and make us laugh and help us feel alive. 

 

I think this is her most personal work yet and here are a few of my favorite things that she mentions in the book:

Item Number 2: Coffee
"When I ask people what they look forward to in life, the answer I hear
more than any other is coffee. Coffee is the boost we need to get going --
and to keep going."

Item No. 4: Baking Something for Someone
"We have carpenters working on our barn, and I look forward to baking
them muffins...I've noticed the muffin days are always more productive.
For me, that is."

Item Number 11: Drawing on Eggs
"If you have an egg in your house, you can draw a face on it.
No one will stop you. Then you will look forward to opening the
fridge. You will amuse yourself no end."

Item Number 12: A Cup Of Tea
"If coffee is the boost that propels you into the day, a cup of tea is
the soft landing when you inevitably come back down. Comforting,
reassuring, procrastinating tea. Sometimes the idea of tea will
suffice; it's enough just to put the kettle on."

Item Number 29: Rereading Favorite Bits of a Favorite Book
"There is enormous comfort in beloved, familiar books.
New books are exciting, but in times of need, I turn to old friends.
They're always there when you need them."

Inspired by these thoughts, I made my own list, too:

I look forward to SPRING FLOWERS

I look forward to GOING TO A BOOKSTORE and browsing
each aisle, with extra time at the magazine section

I look forward to WEEKEND BRUNCH

I look forward to SENDING AND RECEIVING SNAIL MAIL

"Things To Look Forward To" by Sophie Blackall is a feel good read and a thoughtful gift for someone going through some challenges. This book might just turn their day from "blah to TADA!"

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Painting on a Glass Bottle

Howdy folks!

It's been said that to improve your craft, you have to practice. One of my chosen crafts is painting and I like to practice in a sketchbook. But I've tried painting on the cover of notebooks, on greeting cards, and on tin containers, too. 

I attempt to paint on any surface, including this one:

It's a maple syrup bottle. I just love the shape! Once empty, I cleaned it and removed all the sticky labels.

Here's one trick I use to easily get the sticky stuff out: Goo Gone. I apply a small amount on a rag and scrub off the goo on the surface of my bottle. I wash the bottle again with warm soapy water to remove any residue. Then I let it dry.

I drew my design on the surface of the maple syrup bottle using a water-based marker.

Because it's springtime, I'll be including these forsythia blooms...

As well as these cherry blossoms.

I'm using a selection of acrylic paint that I squeezed into a small palette.

I added color on the forsythia and its leaves using a small paintbrush.

Then I free-styled the cherry blossoms.

I let the paint dry and added one or two more coats of paint where I thought needed it. Allow this to completely dry.

A new look for an empty maple syrup bottle...TADA!

Use it in your workspace or surprise a favorite co-worker with some blooms arranged in this DIY vase. It will surely turn her day from "blah to TADA!"

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