Thursday/Friday

Last week I didn't do a weekly vlog. I did a 'video an hour' video on the Friday but had also filmed some bits on the Thursday so I gave them a video of their own too.

Thursday 29th June



I remember feeling really, really down on Thursday, especially at the end of the day (after I filmed these bits). I think it was a long time coming, a lot of bad thoughts built up and peaked, like a thunderstorm after humid weather. But this week I've been feeling really motivated. I'm fed up of not seeing myself in a good light and I'm working to rectify that. More structure, more belief in myself as a professional artist (/designer/crafter/handmade maker person, I still haven't figured out my job title lol).

Friday 30th June



I also recently came across furrylittlepeach's studio vlogs on youtube and they made me feel pretty inspired. I guess it's similar to how some people need to share a studio with other people to feel motivated and like they're 'at work', I enjoy watching videos by art folks while I work (or even while I'm not working, the good feelings carry over) even though I wouldn't be able to work with loads of people actually in the room.

I find it pretty impossible to come across new channels I want to watch through youtube though (e.g. I watched 1 min of that 20 min video why are you now only recommending that person's videos!!) (I know it's because of greedy google and their need for ad revenue but come on!) so if you know of any arty people that vlog I'd love to know about them. I find they don't even have to make work that is to my taste but if they come across as hard working and friendly and make things then it's good watching.
And seeing as I'm asking for recommendations....
Audra Auclair is great. Her work is beautiful but I really love how while talking about art things she also talks about other things she cares about. For example I found it refreshing to hear someone mention being uneasy about the amount plastic they were having to use in pen refills even though it might be an art material you really love. (Why don't more people care about how evil plastic is!!!!, but that's a different rant lol)
Frannerd. Oh Fran, how I love thee. She comes across as such a friendly person, I love her work and she's so willing to share information that traditionally people think you should keep to yourself. Let's just all share everything and be helpful to each other yeah?
Furrylittlepeach. As I already mentioned, Sha'an's vlogs got me feeling super motivated this past week.
Nerdburger isn't an art channel but it's still all about things I love and I also love Cazz so much. Her joy for all things comics, toys, horror films, colour and outdated tech is contagious. I mean I'm already highly infected with a love for all of those things but oh my gosh Cazz, I love her. Her and Liam are a pair of real good eggs.
The Sad Ghost Club. I really enjoyed having their sketchbook club videos on while I worked in my sketchbook, it's so weird that having a video on can make you feel less lonely at your desk. I hope they do more of them.

Please share any arty types you watch on youtube! I don't care if they have a huge following or a small following, if they can help inspire me to stay as upbeat about work as I have this week then I'll drink them right up ^_^

InstaSnowLineStoryApp #12

These feel really old. I obviously am not taking enough app based photos. I'll work on it.

tiny drawings and not tiny drawings

I did some tiny drawings ^_^ I have a few keyring blanks and although I'm not sure if it's something people actually want to buy I thought a little original drawing in a keyring was pretty cute. I only have four but I did a lot of little drawings and then I'll pick the "best" ones to use. I really want some holographic paper to use for the back but I can't find any in the city. I thought it'd be a staple part of any kids art section but apparently not. I'll have to find some though because now the idea is in my head I can't imagine finishing these off any other way.



I can't always add drawings/hand written notes to packages but when I can I really like to. This package was someones third order from me which makes me feel all fuzzy and stuff (´ ∀ ` *)



I finished a sketchbook! This is the first time I think I've finished a sketchbook and not been totally fed up with it so I filmed a flip through. There's only one page edited out because I'd written on it some stuff that ain't for your eyes but I didn't want to take out anything because even though some of it is horrible and some of it I love I think the internet and how people present themselves can be so unnecessarily polished. I'm ok with you knowing sometimes I draw horribly. A lot of people would probably think my drawings are bad anyway so it doesn't even matter!



Actual shorts weather! I like wearing shorts but am actually not that fond of the weather that makes it necessary (＞﹏＜) // This little ball of destruction gets away with a lot of book nibbling because it's just too cute // sorting out my damn roots




Having finished that super long sketchbook there are now loads of little drawings in my life that I think should be worked up into big fancy drawings so this week I got two new designs sorted and listed in my Redbubble and Society6.




I had a shout from Will to come downstairs because this little friend had landed on our windowsill! She's so adorable and so fluffy!! I'm pretty sure it's a tortoiseshell butterfly and you can see her clean her tongue and move and stuff in my weekly vlog down at the bottom of this post. It was such a treat to get a really good look, you could even see the stripes on her antenna!



Back to green. I want to try all the colours and I'm sure I'll do something else before too long but I think green is my go to natural colour, I like it. Plus having just one colour makes topping up between bleaches much easier.

wild garden

These weeks are going past way too quickly at the minute. I know it can always feel like that anyway but I've had a bit of a run of bad brain and it's making me really concentrate each week on the feeling of "another week gone and I didn't get anything done". It's not even true but I still feel bad about it which makes me not feel very creative. And the evil circle continues.



Something I did do this week though was get some mini hama beads which I'm very excited about. I'm going to make all sorts of pixel based images for badges and necklaces and earrings and whatever else. I made myself a little rainbow badge to test out glue that would hold to the beads. I've been wearing it for 4 days now and it's still together so I think I might be ready to start making things for the shop. I bought just a 7500 mixed colour bag of beads to get me started so I have some boxes coming soon so I can sort the colours out which will make them much easier to work with. I'm really excited by these ^_^ colours, crafts, pictures, what more could I want?!


I also got a new design listed in my print to order shops. It's the same design that I painted onto a shirt for myself and even though I'm planning on painting shirts for my etsy I thought it would be a good idea to have it up on all the other products too.





Our garden is doing really well at the minute. We basically ignore it and then when it's too overgrown to use we chop it all right back and repeat. The strawberry bush is giving us tasty little strawbs even though it's supposed to be too old for fruit which is lovely and the rose bush is doing so well. I've brought a few flowers inside and they smell amazing.



We've been watching Grace and Frankie on netflix and love it. I didn't think I would get as into it as I am but I'm really enjoying it. It's been good the whole way through, not a recent revelation but more programmes about people outside the young, white, straight, able bodied demographic please. Besides the obvious equality/representation reasons, stories we haven't heard yet are much more likely to be interesting because they aren't over used already.
I also finished reading Sailor Moon this week. It was such a good series, I still really want to see the anime but I'm so glad I've had the chance to read the manga, there's a reason it's so popular ^_^
Aaaaand Haruka Kurebayashi has started a youtube channel and so far it's as colourful and cute as you'd expect. I hope she keeps it up because I'm loving it so far. I'm so glad she's having english subtitles added ^_^

InstaSnowLineStoryApp #11

I couldn't be bothered to edit these together for a while so these are a bit old now, look at ol' Pinhead celebrating Easter! But I still wanted them on my blog and I'm all caught up now, I have another post of these ready to go because otherwise this would have been too long. Not that there's a right length for posts, just feels like a good scrolling amount on this day.

feeling stress but making zines

This week was weird with the stress of the election (and oh my gosh does that whole thing stress me out something rotten) but I got two new zines made and listed and had some good orders (I'm most happy when people buy my drawn stuff) so I can't complain ヽ(・∀・)ﾉ



My face all week // I didn't think our plant would do strawberries this year but it totally did and I'm so proud // my two cuties // hanging out in the library with Jake
I don't really recommend Faith. I feel like it was sold to me as fat, superhero, nerd lady which sounds awesome but then I found the story to be a bit bland. To not totally just be a negative mean pants, I really liked how the fact she was fat wasn't a gimmicky part of the story, she just was a fat person. That was cool.

In other news this week I cried while listening to Kyary Pamyu Pamyu because I so very badly want to go to Japan and it feels like such a super far away if ever kind of dream .･ﾟﾟ･(／ω＼)･ﾟﾟ･.



Let's take a moment to appreciate that thumbnail. Youtube sure gives you good options. It's almost as if it's a punishment for being too lazy to make my own...

new hair, new tough sticker

The week started with us realising we needed to actually take the bank holiday off because we work hard and don't rest enough and then eating an obscene amount of popcorn which is our special power.



Then I cut my hair. I've wanted to shave the side of my head for aaaaaaaaaaaages but we don't have clippers. Or at least we didn't until Tuesday and now my head makes me happy and feel more like myself ^_^
The next day I got a new tattoo. It goes over the side of my elbow and that bend is being horrible. Bending my arm hurts, straightening my arm hurts. So I spent the rest of the week being careful with my arm. Mainly drawing in my sketchbook actually so it worked out alright.