How Many Licks Does it Take to Get to the Center of a Tootsie Pop?

I have nothing to really say about this post title other than I have wanted to lead with that headline for as long as I have been blogging so I finally decided today was as good as any. Life seems heavy right now and I needed a little childhood skip-ped dee-doo.

I've been dabbling. Stretching. Exxxxxxxpanaaaaading.

The thing that I dislike about trying new things is that I'm not good it, until I am. I won't go into the torrid details but I can tell you that my pencils need sharpening, my middle finger is stained with ink at the nail and top knuckle, there is a 1964 photo on my desk wearing a funny hat, I don't understand noses and I sent Golden an email inquiring about their free lecture demonstrations.


sigh. I'm gonna get better - just you wait and see!

Maggie came by for a little show and tell - she is such a talented woman with the most incredible soul. I am so lucky to share creative passion with her. She was crazy about the book I made in Stephanie's class. I just new she would be. I do believe "Whimsy" is her middle name.




I showed her Paulette Install's classes and she wants to take them too! I have signed up for both. I just can't not take them.

I spoke to Corvus and she is in the midst of an art'ing bonanza. Transfers, gesso, cardboard - oh my! It sounds like she has created some amazing new treasures.

I'm getting the studio ready from summer classes. I have decided to leave the sewing machine up and to put out my painting stash. No point in keeping it out of reach, right?Aidan and I played with packing tape image transfers. He LOVED it! I let him pick out a couple of pictures from daddy's magazine, we put the tape on and he peeled the paper off under water. They turned out great!
I did a sheet of My Minds Eye heavy cardstock and an 8 x8 sheet of girlfriend paper. Rubbing the paper off reminds me of peeling the glue off of my hand when I was a kid (Ok - who are we kidding, I still enjoy doing it!)

Hi Cheryl,

Thanks so much for leaving a comment - . I use Dr. Ph Martin’s Bombay ink. Ali Edwards (sorry for the name drop -) and I chatted about the joy of nibb’ing at Inspired and she said that good ink is essential and that Dr. Martin’s was good. My friend Corvus, just used twinkling H2O’s in her nib (sparkling watercolor paint). She recommends licking the nib before you use it the first time – the acid ph in your mouth makes the ink stick better. Yes, the ink writes over pencil and surprisingly, oil pastels too. Happy Arting!