I have been quite busy the past while with some really fun and interesting projects.  I know I haven't been keeping up with my blog posts but I simply haven't been feeling the greatest.  I have always said I did not want cancer to be the focus of my blog or my art, but having cancer of the blood really has affected how I feel and my energy level is not what is should be.  I am going to really try to post more often.

One painting I did want to share is an abstract, mixed media painting I created for my town's Art in Public Places 2015 submissions.  I wanted to enter this contest because I really believe in supporting our local artists and I honestly can not think of a better way to contribute to my community.

This painting was created using watercolour, acrylic paint, various acrylic mediums, and other various mediums.  I added Zentangle inspired elements, as well.

 

10 Lip Smacking, Easy D.I.Y. Lip Balm Recipes

I live in Alberta, Canada.  Summer season is short here and winter seems to never end!  It's only the beginning of September and we are already cooling down and the pending doom of winter can be felt in the air.  Our winters are long, very cold and super dry!  Lip balm is not an option here, it is a must!

I have a few favourite brands of lip balm.  Burt's Bees and Baby Lips are just a couple that I love to wear and use.  But, as a die hard crafter and D.I.Y. enthusiast, I have decided to try and make my own!  

Below is a list of handmade lip balm recipes that I found on the wild web.  I am looking forward to trying a few of them out!  Hopefully, you will find one or two recipes that you will like too!

1.  Beautylish has a great recipe for a peppermint and bees wax lip balm in a recycled Altoids tin!  I know where I live in Canada, Altiods are not easy to find.  Another alternative for the Altoids tin could be a Tic Tac container or Ice Breakers Sour Mints container.  You would need to be a bit cautious because the containers are made from plastic, but, I think with a little care and caution, they could be a great alternative!

2.  Gingerlymade has a super easy and super yummy recipe for Kool-Aid Lip Balm!  Who can resist the yummy flavours of Kool-Aid?  Another alternative would be to use other drink powders, such as Crystal Light or Jolly Ranchers!  

3.   Food + Words has come up with a Chocolate Mint Lip Gloss!  How super yummy!  This recipe uses real chocolate chips!  So, it is like a dessert on your lips!  All the glorious sweet taste of Chocolate Mint, minus the calories on the hips!

4.  Enjoying This Journey has created a dreamy Dreamcicle lip balm recipe that is sure to please!  It sounds absolutely dreamy!  Looking for containers to keep your handmade lip balm in?  Try checking out the dollar store!  They often have packages of small plastic containers to keep seed beads in!

5.  Beautylish has made the list again!  I love the idea of using a locket to hold your handmade lip balm!  This might be a great idea for Etsy sellers!  Or to make and sell at craft fairs!  This particular recipe uses coconut oil and grated lip stick for added tint!  

6.  The Happier Homemaker has posted a lovely recipe for a Lavendar Lip Balm.  I love Lavendar and I think this would make a very lovely, relaxing lip balm.  If you have anxiety, try dabbing some of this balm on your lips, and let the beauty of lavendar calm you!  And, as an added bonus, there are free, printable labels!

7.  Nerds and Nomsense offers an interesting recipe for their "Good Night Kiss" lip balm.  Some of the flavours included in this recipe are mango, cinnamon, vanilla, honey and more!  I am very excited about this recipe because it sounds super yummy and is quite different from the other recipes!

8.  Hello Natural has posted a Pumpkin Spice lip balm recipe that is simply lip smacking yummy!  Who can resist pumpkin spice?  I know I can't! This lip balm sounds so delicious and it's the perfect time of year for anything pumpkin!

9.   Happy Money Saver has a great copycat recipe for one of my favorite commercial lip balms!  Burt's Bees!  

10.  This last post is for D.I.Y. Baby lips lip balm!  

5 Easy D.I.Y. Watercolour Paint Recipes!

I love paint!  As a mixed media artist, I am always on the hunt for awesome paints to try out and experiment with.  And, even though I absolutely love my artist quality paint palettes ( I love M. Graham's watercolour), sometimes it's fun to play around with different paints! I've collected 5 awesomely super simple watercolour recipes from around the web. Each of these 5 posts will provide you with the directions on how to make your own watercolour paints from simple ingredients that you probably already have laying around the house!

 

 

 

 

1.  designsponge.com has a great tutorial on how to make make pan style watercolour using an ice cube tray!

 

 

 

2.  stirthewonder.com will show you how to create easy to make liquid watercolours!  I love the colours!

 

 

3. growingajeweledrose.com  will provide you with the perfect recipe for creating washable liquid watercolours from kid's watercolour pallets!  Crayola never looked better!

 

 

 

 

 4.  craftingagreenworld.com will show you how to use markers to create unique liquid watercolours!  Now you can repurpose those dried out water based markers and create beautiful art!

 

5.   tinkerlab.com has a fantastic post on how to create squeezable, dimensional paint made from flour and salt!  Great idea for both kids and adults alike!  

If you have any other cool homemade watercolour recipes, please feel free to leave a link in the comments below!  Homemade paints are not only fun to make, but fun to use and a project the whole family can really enjoy!

Commision Elephant Mommy and Baby

I recently recieved a commision request for a mother and baby elephant.  I created this painting using watercolour and ink.  I normally work exclusively on 140lb cold press watercolour paper, but the lighting in this photo does not show the texture of the paper well.  I am not traditionally a realist painter.  I love whimsical paintings that are filled with imagination and loads of colour and shapes.  But, on occasion, I enjoy the challenge of more realistic renders.  

I have found a printer that will be doing all my giclee reprints!  I am excited!  And they drop ship too!  So I expect to have my etsy store up and running sometime soon!

If I Were an Elephant

If I were an elephant, how lucky I would be!  Actually, with my luck, I would get a peanut stuck in my long nose and choke to death!

I love elephants!  My latest paintings and drawings seem to be focused on the beauty of the elephant. I have been experimenting with combining watercolor, ink, pencil crayon and graphite together.  I love the effect I have been getting and it seemed so very suited for the textured skin of the elephant.

This painting is a work in progress.  I started it a couple of weeks ago and have been slowly working on it.  I saw a photo on Pinterest of an elephant face and was mesmerized by the beauty of shadow and texture.  Deep lines that seem to tell an ancient story engraved deeply into an almost knowing face.  Beautiful and breath taking are two words I would use to describe it.  I wanted to capture the depth of the shadow but all also focus on the texture of the skin.  I did a rough sketch and used my Sakura Pigma Micron pen in Black size 02 to outline the comtours of the face.  Then, I used my Sakura Brush pen in black to establish deep shadow.  Using my watercolor paint, I added an under painting of deep blue and grey, building the colour through multiple layers of watery paint.  I am at the stage where I am ready to add pencil crayon in a slate grey.  So far, it is working out as planned!  I will update with the final results soon.