Tag Archives: art

Creativity, Lost to the Web

craft, Creativity,

I love to craft, and I love to draw. There are a lot of creative endeavors that I like to pursue, and since we have started this blog, I have come to the conclusion that I even might like to write. But there are times when I am surfing on the web and I come across something that is so incredible, that is so creative that I am embarrassed. (For example, look at this Sarah Mensinga website.). Those are the times that I ask myself, “why can’t I do that?” “What am I missing, why can’t I create like that?” As I wallow in my own self pity, saying less than savory things to myself, I decide that I will never make another thing. Forget it. No way. My hands will not touch a paintbrush, a pencil, pliers, you name it. I am finished. I am done with that part of my life that gives me so much pain. As I continue to argue with myself, imagining that I am packing up everything to give it to Goodwill, there is a little part of myself that is saying, “stop being a baby, grow up, how are you going to know if you don’t try, you have faced tougher things than this.” And eventually I have to admit that this little part of me could be right. This part of me could probably be right. This part of me is most likely right. Okay, okay this part is right, and I get back to the part of my that I truly love, besides the wonderful art that people create gives me wonderful images to look at and maybe some ideas to try out myself.

-Cheri

The Link Behind the Cartoon-What a Cat!

Creativity, What a Cat!, ,
Link-What a Cat!
All right! All right! I'll sit for a portrait.

I thought it would be a good idea to let everyone know, that yes, there really is a true Link. Justin brought him home from a summer spent in Indianapolis.  It was only a short time before I attached myself to him too. Link is a one in a million cat. We have six cats and a dog. And I love each of them, but Link has this specialness about him. When he looks at you, you can feel how much he truly loves you. It is like, our house is where he was always meant to be. It is so unusual to have a cat that seems to go out of his way to make you happy. Most of the time a cat demands from you, but he is really not like that. Don’t get me wrong, he does have moments of being contrary, and being a bit of a terror. But all in all he is one awesome cat, and he inspired me enough to draw a cartoon of him each day for a year. What a cat!

-Cheri

OK Corral for Markers

craft, ,

Marker holder
From electronics charger to marker holder

I’m still up to my ears in markers. It turns out that there are all different kinds and I want to try them all. These are permanent markers and I use them a lot with colored pencils. I like to lay down the broad areas with the markers and shade with the pencils.

I was having a hard time finding a suitable place to put them while I was working. The rose bowl vase and BBs work with the longer watercolor markers but the shorter markers are swallowed whole by the vase. Not to mention that I would have to go buy more BBs and that doesn’t fit in with my ‘make do’ doctrine.

I found this charging dock at that great garage sale Cheri and I went to last week. I’ve always wanted one of these for my electronics, but it turns out that nothing I have now really fits very well. I think things are slimmer now, but larger overall.

Since I wasn’t using it for charging, the dock was sitting on my table until I could decide what to do with it. I needed to shift the markers from the side table next to my recliner to the large table in my studio and I shoved them in the dock for temporary transportation. And voila, marker holder extraordinaire! I am able to see the color of the markers and it is easy to take them out and put them back in. The cord port in the back holds the pens I am using the most at the moment and there is still room left to park my phone while I am listening to an audio book.

Back view of the dock charger
The cord corral corrals my most used pens.

I always love those ‘aha moments.’ It’s great how things work some time and it’s even more fun to never know when an idea will come along.

-Lynne