Hello Quirky Crochets

I learned how to crochet/knit in the early 2000's. I had just moved to Lubbock and going to Barnes & Noble was one of my favorite things to do. Now this was when my local B&N was a few doors down from Michael's, which made it easy to gather supplies. Now that B&N is a mattress store and I'd have to go to the mall to get my B&N fix....I just don't go anymore...sad, I know.

Moving on...

This was my first ever knitting book. I still have it and it may be falling apart a bit, but I learned so much. I also learned that knitting takes forever! Seriously I'm still knitting my oldest daughters baby blanket (that I started when I was pregnant) and she's 7 years old!

I had dreams of crocheting a granny square afghan...but I had no idea how to crochet. My husband actually sat down with this book

and taught himself, and then tried to teach me. It didn't take. Not until I jumped on YouTube around 2014 and the rest is history. Crochet is a lifesaver, it helps me decompress and make something at the same time.

You may be wondering why I'm waxing poetic about knitting and crochet, and that would be because I'm following my passion for crochet and will soon be offering crocheted goodies in my shop. That doesn't mean I won't be doing illustration work, I am still working on fabric patterns, but my shop will be textile focused.

I was worried about selling the items I've crocheted because I don't want to loose my love for something that means so much to me...but there's only so many things I can keep for myself and gift to friends and family. I hope that you will continue to follow along and support my art in all its many forms.

A Kawaii Christmas: 2019 Gift Guide

It's that time of the year, to get a jump start on your holiday shopping. I love supporting small shops and buying handmade for my family and friends. It makes gift giving a bit more special. Here's a round up of 10 kawaii gifts for the cute curator in your life.

1. Pikachu Poppet Hanger by Freak and Pocky

Add a little spark to your tree with this Pikachu Ornament! The kawaii vibe of this Pokemon will make your holiday even cuter!

2. Chubby Unicorn Earrings by Dorky Dino

Kawaii and full of magic and cupcakes, these will make the perfect gift for the unicorn lover in your life...or buy them for yourself ( I won't tell).

3. Bone Daddy & Ghost Puppy Blockheads by AlterEgo Designs

The Pumpkin King loves Christmas and will make the perfect kawaii gift for that person on your list who loves Halloween all year round!

4. Star Finger-less Gloves by Sew Geek

A spatter of stars will upgrade any kawaii winter outfit and these finger-less gloves are the perfect gift.

5. Horny Unicorn Mug by Wilde Designs

Nothing is more kawaii than unicorns, but add in a little humor and it's a double whammy gift! 

6. Animal Crossing Vinyl Stickers by Hello Quirky

Nothing more kawaii than the cutest of cute video games. Perfect gift for that kawaii gamer on your list.

7. Studio Ghibli Wood Standees by Song Bird Pixel Art

For the hardcore kawaii lovers on your list, pick up these amazing Studio Ghibli wooden cutouts. 

8. Kianor Hand Sculpted Dragon with Egg by Wicked Winglings

These kawaii pink sculpted dragons are perfect for the fantasy lover on your list. The attention to detail is out of this world!

9. Chibi Things T-shirt by Freak and Pocky

Creepy cute? Spoopy? or just plain kawaii?! I know someone on my list this is perfect for!!

10. Pastel Pink Cupcakes Print by Dorky Dino

Nothing makes me happier than eating cupcakes, and I'm sure nothing could make my house cuter than a picture of kawaii cupcakes.

Let me know what handmade shops are on your Christmas shopping radar, I'd love to check them out!

Read With HQ

Last month, for my laid back book club (party of 1) I chose to read "Find Your Artistic Voice" by Lisa Congdon. I'm a big fan of Lisa's art, and I've read several of her other books.

It took me a little over a month to read it, even though it probably would've been a quick read if I had some uninterrupted time. It would make a good book to take on a trip.

My favorite part of the book was the interviews and nuggets of wisdom. I loved getting the perspective of other artists on what they think the artistic voice is, and hearing about their journey to finding their own. The illustrations of each artist done by Lisa were so whimsical and charming!

All in all, this book was like getting a pep talk from your best friend, inspirational, and the quick boost I needed. The breakdown of the artistic voice gave me a lot to think about. I would definitely recommend this book to any creative who might be struggling (like I have recently).

I use Goodreads to keep up with the books I'm reading (because it's usually 5 at the same time), and decided to start a read with HQ book club. Right now I've been picking books about creativity, but I may get bored in the future and pick a just for fun book. I'd love to have discussions about books with other creatives, so feel free to join. It is super laid back, since I'm busy and a mom it takes me a bit longer than a month to finish a book.

This month I am reading:

Felicia Day is one of my favorite geeky people! I loved her last book and can't wait to dive in to this one! I hope you'll join my laid back book club and read along. I'll post my thoughts once I finish. Happy Reading!

Inktober 2019 Supplies and Prompts

It's my favorite time of the year...fall! And October is the best month of all! The weather is changing, pumpkins are everywhere, Halloween, and of course INKTOBER! But let's be honest, I start Inktober every year, but I've never completed it. I am keeping my fingers crossed that this is my year.

PS If you are not familiar with Inktober you can read about it on the official page here.

Here are the supplies I will be using this year, which are mostly my usual supplies. In years past, I've tried out new supplies, like copic markers, liquid watercolor, regular old map pencils...you get the idea. This year I plan to push myself artistically by working on landscapes/backgrounds and on occasion maybe drawing boys. These are two things I'm not confident in.

 

But back to the supplies...I've tried picking a color palette to work with, so I will only be using a small number of colors from my watercolor palette. I'm also using various watercolor pencils in the same color families. Along with my trusty  Aquash Water Brush from Pentel,  I'll be testing out this Mossery Co sketchbook that I've been hoarding for about a year now.

I was actually inspired to use my Mossery sketchbook when I saw their prompt list for Inktober. (Pretty much there are a million different prompt lists out there along with the official list.) My theme for this Inktober is "Everyday Witch" which came to me when I saw a picture of someone walking their dog wearing a witch hat.

I'm hoping to work on landscapes and backgrounds, because I've never tried much before and I'd like to eventually illustrate my own children's books. I'm hoping with this daily practice to learn, improve, and develop my style/voice in this area.

Are you participating in Inktober? What prompts are you following?

Project 333 Fall Edition

Disclaimer: I know this post isn't art related, but minimalism is something I read and think a lot about. We are in the process of moving into a minimalist way of life that works for our family. :)

I've been a little obsessed with capsule wardrobes for the past couple of years. I'm that person who has a closet bursting at the seams, but never has anything to wear. I fell into the trap of de-cluttering my closet, only to listen to all those minimalist fashion bloggers who said I needed to buy these things to have the perfect capsule wardrobe. Of course now I have a closet bursting at the seams with more things I don't wear. Seems silly.
I stumbled upon Project 333 and read the rules and decided this was something do-able for me. I don't have to buy anything. I don't even have to technically get rid of anything. This experiment will help me hone my style (which is all over the place right now), give me structure and a time limit. Essentially, I pick 33 items and wear those items for 3 months. You just pack away the rest of your closet. Easy.
I wanted to share my 33-ish items to keep myself accountable. I plan to start my Project 333 on September 1st. I use the Cladwell app to keep my closet organized, on my phone at least.





I technically have 34 items since one of the t-shirts I only wear on Fridays to my daughters homeschool co-op. I like bright colors and fun patterns, but I actually had more neutral colored things than I thought. I'm hoping I stick with this experiment and I will do another post in 3 months to tell you my findings.
PS I sell some of my new/gently worn items on Poshmark. I also try to buy things used on Poshmark too these days. So I won't be linking my items since many are old or used.
Are you into minimalism? Capsule wardrobes? Let me know in the comments!

HQ Book Club- Find Your Artistic Voice by Lisa Congdon

I decided to start my own little book club, right now party of one, but feel free to join in. This month I am reading "Find Your Artistic Voice" by Lisa Congdon. I've been a huge fan of Lisa's work and read several of her other books and taken a few of her online courses. She's such a huge inspiration on following your dreams, no matter the circumstances.

Please let me know if you read along and we can have a discussion on social media. I'll be doing another blog post to let you know my thoughts too!
PS Let me know what books you'd like us to read together! xx

Current Art Supplies

I don't know about you, but as an artist I'm always interested in art supplies and what supplies other artists use. It's always nice to try new things, but at the same time you have your tried and true favorites. 

• Last year I went through a watercolor pencil phase and ordered several different types of watercolor pencils. I realized I needed a nice pencil sharpener and ordered this one from Faber-Castell, bonus points that it's cute!
• Washi tape is always in my pencil pouch. I don't have a light board, so I use my backdoor window. I just make a copy (on my printer) of the page from my sketchbook, tape it to the window and then tape my watercolor paper on top of it to trace my image for inking. Also, sometimes I rip pages out of my sketchbook or use small scraps and need to tape them back in. Pink washi can be found here and the white washi was a gift from a friend who went to Japan.
• I'm a big fan of Sakura products in general. They're easy for me to find and the quality is just what I need. I've been using them from the beginning and always feel bad/regret when I try a new ink pen. I've tried every size of the Micron pen and 5 is my number. I actually bought a box of 14 of these on Amazon so I wouldn't run out for a while (I'm pretty hard on my pens). 
• I've tried a ton of sketchbooks and I keep coming back to Moleskine. The size and paper are just right for my needs. This is always a personal preference and it just takes a lot of trial and error to find your dream sketchbook. I like to decorate mine with stickers.
• My best friend got me a whole set of these Prismacolor Col-Erase pencils for my birthday a few years ago (and that's why she's my BFF, she is just the best). These are the most amazing pencils for sketching! I actually learned about these from watching Frannerd YouTube videos. These are the 2 colors I use the most right now, and they are my 'lucky' pencils. 
• I used to paint with several brushes, and saw this Aquash Water Brush from Pentel on a YouTube video and ordered a set on Amazon and it was a life changer. This is the ONLY brush I use, and it's stayed in amazing condition. Also, it's a snap to put away when the baby wakes from her nap suddenly. 
• I only use mechanical pencils to trace my work onto watercolor paper. These 2 are my favorites and I usually loose one, but it turns up eventually. 
• Pentel Techniclick
• Sakura127

Let me know some of your favorite supplies, I'd love to try them!