Showing posts with label kids. Show all posts
Showing posts with label kids. Show all posts

Sunday, November 9, 2014

Still alive

It's been ages since I wrote on my blog. Not that I wanted to neglect this spot but somehow I did. Since I'm back on Facebook I find myself posting more stuff there then here.
I feel bad for neglecting my blog but I will try to take care of it better in future.

As I wrote in my last post, I still find it hard to work in my studio. I can't concentrate on stuff long enough to really get anything done and it's really frustrating. I have a head full of ideas that want to come out but I don't seem to have enough time to make it happen. And while business on Etsy is really slow, I didn't have to think twice when more work hours were available at my current job.
I apllied for them knowing that it would give me less studio time but also less stress and frustration since I don't get anything done and have time nor energy to promote and sell my work on line.

It's a bit of a turning point for me. What once made me happy and changed my life completely is now giving lots of stress. I don't find it easy to cope with the pressure of having to make, create and promote my work anymore. Since Julie came into our lives, lots has changed. Positive changes.
It's hard work raising a child but it is also very rewarding and fun. And we sure do have fun.

I just want to spend as much time as I can with her while she is still little.
I want to giggle, read books, craft, jump in puddles and have teaparties with my little, sweet girl. She is the best that ever happened to me and I don't want to miss this precious time in her life while everything is still new and wonderful. When I look through her eyes, I learn a lot again of what I lost while growing up. It's making me happy and content to spend time with her.
So that's what I do now. Anything else can wait because it's not important for me now.
My studio won't run away and my clay is not going anywhere either. Time will come again that I will get my hands dirty and my ideas into 3D.



Today we got our hands dirty, although that wasn't the plan. But hey, it's more exciting to change plans than to stick to them. I made potato stamps and wanted to make some simple cards but that seemed a bit too hard because Julie liked to stamp all over the card. She just rubbed the potato over the entire card and made a huge mess of them.

Then I changed the plan and drew a large penguin and made her color it.
 First with paintbrushes but that didn't last long: she just decided that fingerpainting is more fun. She's right: making mess is fun!



Friday, July 1, 2011

Happy summer

image by *Seth

Today is the first day of summer holiday here.
If I were a kid, I would have 2 months of carefree gallivanting around.
Sometimes, I just want to go back to being a kid and live my life like there is no tomorrow...
I would jump on the swing and swing my heart out...
Fearlessly.
I think that I have to add a bit more swinging to my life this summer.
This means that I'll be taking a little blog break.
I'll be posting the Flickr Favorites on Tuesday's and perhaps show some work in progress if I have any.
But hey, I might be too busy swinging too...

Happy summer everyone! :)
(or winter for those in the southern hemisphere)

Saturday, May 16, 2009

How to make a scratch off lottery ticket?

You probably know the scratch off lottery tickets? Ever wondered how to make them? Well, they are very fun & easy to make.
I used to make greeting cards from them but now I'm going to use this technique as a promotional tool.
I made 25 scratch off tickets and will include 1 ticket with every order I ship.
On one of those tickets, there is a coupon code and a value of 25 dollars to spend in my shop on Etsy. Waaaahhh, exciting! :)

Here is what you need:
cardboard, a print-out of your lottery ticket, glue stick, sticky back plastic (contact paper), metallic acrylic paint (preferably silver) and washing liquid.
I prepared the paper cutting beforehand so I'll skip that part in the tutorial. :)
Beforehand you print out a design that you want to be on the scratch off lottery tickets.
If your printer can take thick paper you can print it directly on the cardboard and skip this part. If you do it in two steps, it is nice to get a fun color background paper and glue the design onto the card.
Then you take a piece of sticky back plastic and put it onto the design.
Mix some metallic acrylic paint with washing liquid. Try to use 1 part washing liquid and 2 parts of paint. Mix the substance.
Paint the plastic part on the ticket and let it dry.
Make sure that the picture underneath the paint is hidden. Add another layer if this is not the case.And then... scratch! Oops, no luck for me! :(
But you can certainly win a 25 dollar certificate if you are one of my next 25 customers in my Etsy shop. Happy shopping! :)