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HI there Bloggy Darlings!!

I'm super excited to be blogging again so soon....with new fun things to share!
Yesterday was a good day.
A really good day....and I'll tell you why...

I know I've mention Amy before.  She is just a really cool person, spreading art love everywhere she goes, coming up with great ideas for collaborative projects, and is offering LIVE online classes......for FREE!  Absolutely free....she invites everyone to attend...

Anyhoo...yesterday was the first time my schedule allowed me to sit in...
It was a lot of fun!  More on what we did in a sec....

Yesterday was also a good day, because Geri nominated me:

You are supposed to share 7 things about yourself that you don't think your Blog Friends know...

Hmmm...okay...let's DO this!!

So for the class, Amy showed us how to attach fabric to paper using a sewing machine.

I used muslin fabric, watercolor paper underneath and black thread...because that's what was in there already.  Here's the back of my piece to show you the randomness of my stitches.

That leads me to my first thing...

1. I'm lazy...I don't like to put too much effort into certain things, like my appearance (jeans and a t-shirt EVERYDAY....splash my face with water and now that my hair is short...a few finger rakes...and I'm fine).

...or having my home be spotless...I'll clean like a fiend when company comes over, but push the mess aside otherwise.

....or in this case, changing thread colors....I'm going to just say, I thought black would look cool instead of that I hate winding those bobbin thingys and figuring out how to rethread my needle ;P

2.  An exception to the above is a bit of craziness in me  that makes me empty out every box in the garage or hunt the aisles of a million stores.... just to find and create some  vision in my head.  I don't understand where that drive comes from....but it is exhausting, and sometimes, just not worth it in the end.  Here's an example:

I was looking for something to use in my Mad Sea Party Post

Nothing I already had would do...

...went to 5 stores looking for just the right thing

...found this mermaid

...put her in a dozen places til I settled on this candleholder perch

...took the picture

...and returned her the next day. 

Why?

Craziness, I tell you...

She's not even that cute.

Back to the class, so after we did the sewing, we started drawing....she was showing us how she paints her cats.  They are more simplistic...more stylized...I have trouble with that.

I started to sketch this guy out. 

I sewed two 5 x 7 inch pieces....so thought, to be fair to her teachings, I would try to do something looser...and not be so serious :)

3. I find it funny, that even though I like to paint fantasy and whimsy, I have such a hard time letting loose.  I tend to lose the playful quality I want to convey...and instead, get hung up on details and minutia...

So I drew out another cat...and started applying the paint until I got this little guy...

Can you see the wonderful texture of the fabric?  Amy was right...it is really, really cool!  I'm sorry these pics are a bit blurry.  It's actually raining today!  I love the rain....but, it makes the lighting not so good for photo taking :)

4. I never use an umbrella.  I don't like trying to hold them steady when the wind catches them, I don't like the fuss of having to angle it just right or walking slower so others can share it.  I think I get just as wet trying to close the thing up as I do just going where I need to go.  Besides I don't mind a little water on my face...I don't have to worry about running mascara or messing up my hair...haha!  ;P

At first, I picked browns and creams....cuz that what colors cats are, right?!  Sheesh, I'm just so darn literal!  So when Amy made hers blue...I went and grabbed some, too...and some fuschia for good measure.

Fabric really soaks up the paint, so I learned that I could use a ton of water to move the paint around.  If I used plain water on my brush, I could almost erase parts of it and add subtle highlights.

I mixed fuschia and cream for the background and enjoyed how it gave me a mottled effect :)

This class was soooo much fun!  The girls across the pond were sipping wine...and I was jonesing for one myself, but it was noon here, and I had to drive to pick up my daughter from school not long after.

5.  I am a total light weight when it comes to drinking now.  When I do drink wine, I use one of those small juice glasses..and only fill it half way.  This is enough to make me "happy"....heehee.

I used to be able to drink all my dates under the table *sigh* good times...haha!

6.  I like being good at stuff.  Not that drinking is something one should excel at....but I like surprising people by being able to do/be more than what they expect.  I'm pretty unassuming when you look at me....so I guess I leave room for lots of surprises!

I had to miss the part where she showed us how to cover it all in beeswax :(

I've seen her do it before though, she has a tutorial here...

Besides, I don't have wax or a warmer anyways..

7.  I'm a boring artist.  I use the same short list of supplies all the time.  Of course, now that I'm not working, I can't afford new ones....but, even if I had the money, probably wouldn't get anything new.  It takes me a while to venture out of my bubble and do what the other kids are doing.

Which is why I'm so glad I could be a part of this class!  I woulda never tried or even have thought of this on my own.  So thank you, Amy, for helping me to branch out a bit :D

Thanks, to Geri, too...for the award :)  I'm supposed to nominate 15 other Bloggers now...but, I'm lazy, remember, so I'm going to break the rules.  But, feel free to grab the button and share 7 things abut you if you like!

...And, of course, thank all of you for making this creative journey of mine so much more worthwhile....it is always more fun to travel with friends! 

Just, as I'm finishing this, the rain has stopped...and the clouds are parting...

That's California for ya'....see, no need to get the umbrellas out ;P

Hope your weekend is a great one!

Much paint covered love,

Cameron