"Live blogging" (otherwise known as totally random thoughts)

While I'm waiting for folks to show up to the Art Crawl, I thought I'd take the opportunity to blog since I fell behind on it on Wednesday and know I need to try to keep my schedule as much as possible or I'll let the whole thing slide.

Hopefully I get to see more folks this evening...it hasn't started raining yet! But unfortunately it's on its way. :( I'm dangerously close to the bowl with the Dove chocolate in it. This can only lead to unneeded chocolate consumption.

Just added a link to my Facebook fan page, so come on by and become a fan!

I'm VERY VERY excited to go to an artist's workshop in Colorado next weekend, held by Alyson Stanfield. I believe that she last tweeted that there were still spaces available, so if you're interested in learning more about how to utilize the web as an artist, SIGN UP!

Okay, back to being attentive to my studio, though there's still no one in it! Hrm.

Patience is a virtue that I don't have very often

I'm VERY excited about my new vintage ad art pendants. I've posted my vintage ad art on Etsy, and when my pendants are done curing (more on that in a bit), I'll have those up for sale there as well. They'll of course be available at my studio during the Saint Paul Art Crawl, and I've started contacting several retail locations as well!

Now, as far as the curing goes, I wanted to make resin jewelry. I heard that resin was messy, smelly and difficult to use. So instead, I thought I'd go for the "glass-like" glue. Except at about 1/8" thick, it's not so glass-like. It's more like you poured a bunch of watered down Elmer's on your image. Then I read in order for it to work, you have to do it in layers. Put down a bit, wait for it to dry, put down more, wait, lather, rinse, repeat. 

Here's the thing: I hate repetitive multiple steps. I hated putting 2 coats of paint on my walls. It's like, "I did it once, it should be FINISHED." So I knew this multiple coats of glue garbage wouldn't work for me. Plus, I'm selling them. I don't want to sell glue pendants, I want to sell nice looking resin pendants.

So I exchanged the one bottle of glue that I didn't use for a box of resin. I bought all the necessary materials from the dollar store (score!): 2 measuring cups (that now I have to throw away...even at a dollar a piece, that's just wasteful. I tried to clean them, but it just made a big mess), wax paper, toothpicks (for poking at bubbles) and a huge bag of plastic gloves (that will also work with hair dye! yay!!).

So the resin comes in 4 oz bottles, which makes 8 oz. overall. That's a lot of resin for 10 pendants that each only need about 1/8" filled. So I decided I would make 2 oz. It was still WAY more than I needed, but I had no idea. Trial and error. So I got all the pendants ready, laid them out, and started to pour my VERY bubbly resin. Not cool. Naturally, started freaking out. It said that as it starts to set, the bubbles rise to the top. But, to force this, blow a HAIRDRYER on it. Okay.....

So I got out the hairdryer and started passing it over one of the pendants. pop! pop pop pop! All the bubbles started rising to the surface! Who knew? Instructions actually know something. :)

So after futzing with them for way too long, and agonizing over the little imperfections (they're handmade...gotta learn to let it go...), I made a little wax paper tent (to protect them from dog fur and other dust) and will wait for them to set! (24 hours for a soft cure, 72 for a hard cure)

And here are my pendants, waiting for their tent:

Once again, missed Monday....

For some reason my blogging head isn't together on Mondays and despite getting 3 reminders of it during the day, I can't seem to always get it done. And I had stuff to announce as well! I'm so excited about it that I'd probably tweet about it today as well, so that's my rationalization for not having blogged on Monday. :)

Added to my Etsy account on Sunday, these new pieces are a result of my obsession with 1950s and 1960s design. Using images from various magazines from those time periods, I combined them with some handwriting, drawing and other clip art. While I was going to stop at 3, I was having so much fun I made a 4th and have more in the works. I just bought some more magazines and am thrilled to go through them!!

You can find the new artwork here at my Etsy site. For all of you in MN, they will all be available during the Saint Paul Art Crawl. You can get the dates/times and address from my website.

And of course I can't just blog about it and not toss up a picture!

Once again, no big news

Still working on solidifying my art fair schedule for the season, and the Saint Paul Art Crawl will be upon me sooner than I'm prepared for!

Getting started on new work and keeping up with custom collage business.

Speaking of custom collages....Mother's Day is coming up!

Consider giving your Mom the gift of memories with a custom collage. Go to www.customcollagesbyinkblots.com to find out more info. :)

Next up....art crawl!!

I love the Saint Paul Art Crawl because I get to show off my cool space (the downside is I have to clean it....) and I get to sell my art without having to leave home. :)

I'm always trying to think of something fun to do especially for the folks that come out for the art crawl and this year I stumbled upon a great idea!

I was digging through one of my drawers and happened up on a little lime green gift bag about 4" high that someone had given to me. I thought it would be great to give out little gift bags at the art crawl but struggled with what to put inside of them as fun promotional/giveaway gift.

So I saw that you can get scratch off stickers to put on cards, so I've decided upon a scratch off giveaway of my artwork. I'm still working out the idea, but this is what I've come up with so far:

1 in 5 cards will be good for a collage card

1 in 20 will be good for a poster

1 in 50 will be good for an 11 x 14 matted print

and 1 in 100 will be good for an 16 x 20 matted print

You have to stop in to my studio to eligible!

I'm also considering printing the location collages on magnets!! I'm still in the hunt for a magnet printer, so it might be a little while before they're available.

Arts at the Oval was a good turn out! Excited for the upcoming art fair season!