somethin' stupid.

June was a rather great month and I'm sorry to see it go.

July didn't start off too bad; I bought this red cape from the Brisbane Suitcase Rummage, and I love it.  I wore it on the way home and it was delicious. 

I also won a copy of Jane Webster's French Ties, which was absolutely thrilling, since I'd been eyeing the book up in Collins' but was unwilling to pay the $59 they wanted for it.  It is a beautiful book, though I was a little hum-ho about the way that Ms. Webster writes about her French home.  It is a beautiful château, and Lord knows I would be an arrogant wanker if I ever owned one (Lord knows I would be an arrogant wanker if I ever lived in France full stop), but reading about it is different from living it, and it makes me hum, especially since was meant to be a recipe book, but there you have it.  I still love it, and I'm so pleased I won it.

I went ice-skating, too, the same weekend of the rummage. That was fun, even though most of the time (all of the time) I kept carefully to the wall. And then fell on my big butt, but there you have it, I wouldn't have changed it.  I wish we had the weather to enjoy ice-skating here every winter.

Since the last suitcase market I did, I've been really wanting to do another public gig; there was a "I Made It" Market at a local school (thing), but they were long out of spaces before I'd even heard of it, and what a pity! The smallness is a comfort, I think, but at any rate, I bit the bullet and applied for a space in the suitcase rummage down in Brisbane.

They've been doing these things regularly, and even though it was like, $25 a spot, I wanted to do it.  Though when I went last Sunday to scope it, I felt a bit nervous - most of the crowd (both sellers and shoppers) are trendy, into fashion and cheap vintage clothes.  I do not want to be that odd one out who sits there, bored out of her mind, but at the same time I really want to give it a try.  Since the crowd is generally younger (or would that be older?) than my target audience, I'm thinking I might take alone some of my older girls for sale; do something pretty, whimsical, and just see how that goes.  I have a friend that wants me to paint vampires which I never did because I'm not sure how you can reconcile vampires with nursery art, but I might for this suitcase sale.  Or at least one picture where someone's kissing, I love pictures where people kiss, maybe someone else will love it too.

I'm thinking, take maybe two copies of each print; one large, one small. I'm not sure, I don't want to overestimate, but at the same time, who knows what could happen? I know what my most popular pictures are... we'll see.

The other thing is, I sort of didn't want to do this one only because it's the day after someone very special to me's birthday, and it seems like a drag to have him come along and spend an afternoon in the city, sitting by a suitcase where the poor bloke can't smoke, or swear, or... do anything, hahaha!  But he is sweet, and says he's happy too, so while I'm still a little unhappy about making him do that on his birthday weekend, maybe we can do something to make up for it?  He's a 4x4ing kind of guy, so hopefully we can do that on the Saturday, and on Sunday I'll just pack him a nice lunch of iced tea, sandwiches and chocolate biscuits. :P  Maybe get him a colouring book too, hahahahahahaha. (Get me one as well, by the looks of it. I don't want to sit there with a nasty bored look on my face like I've seen on some vendors!)

It's in August, but I've been working on some new art already. I also need to get some packaging supplies and my bloody I.D., which I have retardedly LOST.  I have about 12 prints already; I'm working on another two now, and want a least two more kid-themed ones.  I have a sketch for a more grown-up one, and hopefully I can crank out that kissing one I want before the end of the month.

There is another project I'm working on, which is making me worry... if I finish it it'll be one hell of an accomplishment for myself, but if not... well.

Lately I've been really slack. I've stopped working out, first because I was away from my machine, then because I got sick, and now it's just... there's no excuse. I've been eating well-ish, but without that sweat on the machine it's useless.  I can't remember my motivation for getting on it in the first place any more. Being fat is not enough, it's gotten too comfortable again.

The flat-screen is broken, too, which is so frustrating. 52" inches, gone. The screen inside is like a spiderweb. It is such a first-world problem, but we'd be scratching to buy a 42" inch, and since dad's retired the TV has been his best friend. I'm wondering if we can get it fixed; I hope we can get it fixed. It was such a beautiful TV.

Blah, July. Prove to me that you're not just gonna kick my ass.

toucha-toucha-touch me.

On Saturday I attended my first ever market as a seller.  

It was a "suitcase market", at the local art gallery.  When I was in highschool, I'd walk to the gallery and just wonder around, smirk at the paintings, thunder up and down the stairs.  My best friend came with me most of the times and it was, really, just a way for us to fill our Saturdays.  

The ceramic course I did a couple of years later was filled with members of the art group that met at the library - Friends of the Gallery.  I have always wanted to get into something like, a group, or something, anything - anything to just do something with my scribbling.  But I don't know.  It has always been a private amusement, my drawing.  A way to express ideas, half-formed stories and people.  My etsy is the first time I've ever been... proactive about the things I can do, and even then that's still sort of safe; I can quietly, happily plod along in my tiny corner of the internet and never really get a instant reaction to what I can do.

When I saw the suitcase market advert on the Gallery website, I just... wanted to do it.  It was at the Gallery, where selling art wouldn't seem so stupid in comparison to spare car parts and dirt-cheap books;  My weekends are quiet, and it would be a fun day outside of the house; I'd seen pictures of the suitcase rummage in Brisbane and it all looked very trendy, and you know, if everyone jumped off a bridge...

There was also the added bonuses of:

a)  I didn't have to set up a table, or have the stock to fill it.  A small suitcase (or picnic basket in my case, which I found at St. Vinnie's for $3) would look nice, with the right props.

and b) It was only $5 a spot. 

I rang the following lunchtime and managed to get the last spot, apparently.  Not bad considering this was three days before the actual event. ;)

On Friday, Dad and I went out and got all the little things I needed; a suitcase, for one (the aforementioned picnic basket); something to drape/line it with, which I got in the form of a couple of pretty pillowcases; a small glass jar and lastly, some flowers, to brighten and soften the entire look. 

That night I stayed up 'til 2 a.m., watching the Rocky Horror Picture Show and putting the finishing touches on everything: cutting and sizing the prints (which takes longer than you'd think), embellishing the wrapping, making the paper bunting flags (from pretty wrapping paper I had and doilies).  Then there was finishing a painting, which was silly of me, but I really wanted it there. 

The end result looked something like this:

Ta-da!

A close-up! Moira up the front went to a new home, as did my only copy of The Rose Swing. :)

The set-up time was 7:30; I arrived at like, 7:53. I was so worried and tight that morning, trying to eat the breakfast Dad had made; my lack of sleep didn't help either, but that was my own fault.  Now, I'm not entirely sure what I was so frightened of.  That everyone would be Big Serious Artistes, I suppose.  People who had done proper markets, who knew what kind of change/float you needed, who had more impressive things.  And everyone's things really were beautiful, and eclectic; vintage wares, sew bunnies, carefully made jewellery. Movie memorabilia with a V mask.   Bunting flags, which I love more than anything.   It didn't help, being late; everyone had set up in full regalia, and there I was, some overgrown kid with a round face, carrying this tiny wicker case and a jar of flowers.  When I was directed upstairs the first thing that anyone said to me was, "That's a little suitcase, isn't it?" which made me awkward, though I managed to get out that small was what I wanted.

The co-ordinator seemed a little surprised, too; again, I suppose coming late didn't help.  I was really self-conscious by this point, and meekly set up in the corner I was put in.

The gratitfing part was peoples reactions, though, after I pulled everything out.  The co-ordinator came along and after cooing over my display, moved me to the brick wall, which I liked very much - I could sit in the alcove of the side door, and have my suitcase in it's bright little corner. As this corner was by one of the side steps, one of the first things people saw was my little set up, and I got a lot of charmed smiles, more cooing.  The funniest thing were the kids, the little ones that liked the bright colours.


I didn't really loosen up until about an hour and half, maybe two hours in.  And whenever someone directly complimented the prints, my thank-yous came out in this awful, horrible whisper that makes me sound five.  I had bought Frankie along, to read; that got a couple of comments too, hahaha, but it's an effective trick for looking busy.  It was a little lonely where I was; the couple with me had this neat set-up of bric-a-brac and handmade things, and where very popular.  They were also clever enough to prop up their suitcases to a better height for people too look in.  A trick I might adopt, if there's another one. I ended up talking with them a little, though like I said they were very popular, and had evidently done things like this a lot; they knew a lot of people, and were always talking with someone.  I bought a little glass perfume bottle, though, which I love.  Then after that I spilt chai tea on a wooden display as I was talking to the husband about how often they do these things, which was embarrassing with me trying to wipe it, but the gentleman didn't seem to care.

Do I think I would have talked more to others, had I set up somewhere else?  Maybe. I must of looked like one of those stall holders that I always feel sorry for, the bored ones that sit alone. But Frankie was with me, at least. I spent the first hour and a half solid just reading. Slowly. We got very well acquainted indeed (ha!).  And when I got a little more sure of myself, I went walkabout, talked with a few people, met some lovely ladies.

Did I mention I had chai tea? It smelt amazing, and felt amazing to hold, though it turns out I'm not much of a tea fan without copious amounts of sugar.  There were the poppyseed & orange muffins, which were amazing.  It was weather for hot tea and muffins, that was sure.  My dad ended up returning like, an hour after dropping me off, to give me my coat and even then I ended up just hugging myself (later on, my cough/flu got worse and I still really haven't shaken it, though now I have a very impressive rattling cough).

Strangely, if people had one question it was: "Do you do these yourself, do you copy them from another picture?" which was funny.  People also seemed to think I was selling cards, too; next time, though, I know what to do, what signs I should have, so all that was good for the learning curve.

I did have fun though.  It was quiet excitement, really - excitement I was doing something like this. Being trendy.  And though I was torn between being unsure I would sell anything, and hoping like hell everything would go, I was so, so pleased when I sold!

Two prints, to two different people; a younger women, like me, who looked then came back to buy The Rose Swing.  And then an older lady who seemed charmed; she bought Only A Dream.

It was so satisfying, seeing them go.  Selling online, you never get that, the face-to-face interaction that shows you what you're doing right.

I'm excited to do another one, now I know what I need.

breakthrough.

So,  I finally re-did my Moon Girl and resolved the printer issue, I'm pleased enough with the results.

May I introduce Moira, revisited in Only A Dream:

She is the first in a few new pictures. I'm slowly but surely adding to the stockpile.  I have missed painting, it feels like I have been too distracted and too tired for too long.

The music I hear whenever I envision her wistful, moonlit face:

undisclosed desires.

I have hit a proverbial wall today - yesterday, I had finished and tidied the print with the little girl and all the blue I'd been working on, and posted it, but... I don't know. It felt wrong and it looked wrong though I couldn't name it.

Added to that, my printer keeps printing the thing out with blacker darks than I show... so I tinkered around and made the whites really white, which now washes out the whole scene. My dad loved it, but thinks the girl's white nightgown needs colour, like pink, but... I don't know. I didn't want an obvious pink like that in this one, I wanted it to be very blue and white and it is, but too much so. I might redraw it. I really don't want to. But I think to be completely happy, I'm going to have to redraw and repaint that sucker.

I hate how I do that. Get a niggling feeling, or so, like some small, annoying tic and then BAM! Congratulations mofo, you're gonna be completely restless (and unhappy) with this one, tiny thing that you cannot even name.

Ugh.

Plus, the printer issue is annoying. It's not bad, like, ugly or anything - it just seems to be a few select colours that come out darker than they are and... I don't like it. They're too strong, and I don't know how to set the printer to print exactly what I'm asking to. sdfjkhjsdhfkjshdfkjh. (< that's me "angry mindless typing", by the way)

To get my mind off it, and so I can come back too the blue/white pic refreshed, I'm working on another picture, a simpler one, and then I might do the bookclub Chocolat one that I was meant to before Feb ended (dskjfhsdkjfhjksdhfk <more angry mindless typing).

I don't know. I do not know. Sigh.

you know i'm no good.

This is how I feel right now. I have an ear-ache that could crumple a harden vet. I went to a doctor yesterday and he just poked it and then sent me on my way with thing of ear-drops (which smell like dried flowers and burn like all holy hell). I've been eating nurofen like it's going out of fashion - it hasn't helped much, so I switched over to my dad's "don't drive on this stuff" panadine (or something) painkillers and they are nice. They numb everything. Thank God for modern science and mold or whatever they made things things from.

So, mostly, I've been sleeping. I've had this ear infection badly for about... four days now and if I'm not sleeping I'm sitting on my bed holding the side of my head praying for a bolt of lightning to strike me dead or a tree to crash through or that zombie apocalypse to happen (that is, until I got ahold of Daddy's drugs).

I'm sort of hoping this will clear up (or at least be managable) by Monday - I've got to get into town and pay the phone bill. And then get the fornight's groceries. I'm also meant to be working on getting my learner's licence but... I have not. There's a practise test I sometimes look at online, but come crunchtime it's just so... gross. And confusing. Like the question about "Which way do you turn when you're at a four-way intersection and Car B is turning across from you and next to you Car C is turning left, but you're turning right but Car D is coming straight ahead" and it's like, ugh, you know what, when I'm on the road I'll just close my eyes and take my chances (which is my number one reason why I should not be given any sort of driving allowing piece of laminated paper ever).

All this hollering about my ear aside, I haven't painted much (it HURTS!), and I've only just picked up the paintbrush again today. Including the picture I'm working on now, I have about three ideas that I'd like to get up within the next week or so. A friend of mine bought a couple of prints on Tuesday, and mentioned she'd like to see a bit of variety - like, gothic-y things like vampires and goth fairies and whatnot and it's sort of kicked my imagination into overdrive. I'm not sure how I'd make Twilight-esqe vampires work with the whole "children" theme, but I do have a ~gothic-y~ idea that I've been wanting to work with for awhile... something Tim Burton-ish, but inspired by Percy Jackson, that's probably the best example I can give.

Maybe with a bit of Shakespeare too.

My Aunts have suggested a bit more in product variety - like greeting cards. And honestly, I would do it, I would, but I just don't know how to make them look and feel professional. Like, without that creased, gross "this was folded over by a complete newb" look. Plus I'm not sure what kind of paper - or cardboard - to use. Normal cardboard doesn't print the pictures prettily enough, plus is sort of flimsy, whereas the matte photo paper I use for my prints has the prettiness, and the sturdiness, but I just can't fold it nicely.

So, yeah. Not sure what to do. I've read about pre-cut card stock so we'll look into that.

Speaking of Etsy, I was featured in another Treasury - this one was all pink, my absolute favourite colour.

Isn't it pretty?

Ahh dear. My ear is caning again. :(

take me to the riot.

I've been painting (again) and not sleeping (again), which means I have dark bags under my eyes (again - but they're so frequent now I don't even notice).

I've had a good weekend. Yesterday, for example, I bought a couple of books - they were on ~special~, and one was the first in a series I promised myself I'd read this year, and the other the book that a movie I want to see was based on (seeing that movie may or may not be because of the lead actor. He is my Ideal Blond Man - the one all other Blond Men are measured against). Percy Jackson and The Lightning Thief and I Am Number Four. I finished Percy yesterday - the book is sort of thick, but it's a light read, being written for children.

I couldn't resist it, though. My friend loves the series, and I love Greek Mythology, and, suprisingly, I find it a bit sad. There's a lot of death and infidelity, the kind of topics that are glossed over in book but leave a kind of... wait, what? impression afterwards. At least, for me - I'm the kind of reader that over thinks things, though. Riordan versed up nicely on his legends, though I don't believe it's truly Greek until someone unwittingly marries their mother. Still, I love Percy. He's delightfully jerk-y.

I haven't started I Am Number Four yet, though I did peek in it/flip to the end (that is a habit I have had all my life, and I refuse to apologize for it. How else will I know that I'm going to like the story if I don't know the ending?). I like how it's written - short, precise sentences. "I am walking. I see Jane. We say hello, and I think, her sweater is very red." it's like that, only better and more interesting.

So, apart from the new reading material, yesterday was also amazing because I made my first sales. :) My aunts, the sneaky things - they sent me lovely, encouraging little messages too, I just thought, I'm so grateful it was them first. They're loving, amazing people and overly generous, and I love them.

Where am I going with these drawings? I don't know. Starting the store is enough, really, after years of brushing off "you should do something with your art". It was one of my resolutions; you know, those things everyone makes and then never keeps. I don't think I've ever kept mine.

I just want to do more this year. Which is why I'm signing up for netball tomorrow afternoon. At least, I hope I will be - if I can find the court, hahaha. Shedding one or two or five of these spare tyres I have around my waist would be nice - especially since I have two very pretty, very lovely dresses that I would really like to fit into one day. You know, before the world ends in 2012, due to the zombie apocalypse.

What else, what else? I don't think I'm good with shopping online - I'm such an implusive buyer. And on etsy, there's so many pretty things that I see and think, Oh Lordy, give me the strength not to click checkout. It's things like rosaries, brooches of rabbits with wings, lockets with moonstones in the middle, trinket boxes, paper roses. I just need to stay. away. Besides, at the end of the day, the things I do need - my Australian Citizenship, Netball fees, Copic Markers, a bookcase (oh please, I need that 135x135 ikea bookcase, it would fit PERFECTLY in my room) - I need to save up for.

Plus, I keep a wishlist of all the items I'm certain I really, really want (and it's mainly books, books, books). I'd much rather subtract from it, instead of add.

Materialistic shamelessness over, and back to the art. I printed out the pictures bought yesterday, and cut and tidied them all today.

They're printed on matte paper, so that shinniness you see are the bags I bought for them. :) I'm sending them out tomorrow to their new home, so I thought I'd take the picture for pros-ter-it-y. I can't spell that word, but you know. The one that means "growth" and "good fortune" and so on.

The pictures really do come out in milky colours, like the name. I think I may have to mention that in the listings.

I'm working on another painting, one that I'll probably list in the store. This one is dear to my heart because while all my tiny people have stories and names, I have been living with this girl under my skin for a good half year. One day, when I grow up, I'm going to do something real with her - make a comic, write a book, I don't know. Her world is a collaborative effort with my best friends, so, we'll see.

This is her, though, unfinished. She's been aged down for the picture and the White Meadow theme - here she's still a baby, though when the adventure really starts, she's eighteen.

A print from the store was featured in another treasury - this one was scrumptous.

The Secret Garden - Vintage Victorian Themed Gifts, created by mdcreated. I love collections like these; it's so hard to visualize how a piece might look, and things like this just sort of give me a feel for how that stack of books or that locket might end up looking here at home, if I ever bought them.

I should probably sleep. I've been carefully hunching over my sketchbook, though - I know this drive will stay with me until I get somewhere decent. It always does.

purple rain.

This is probably old hat to other Etsy users, but I was featured in my first Treasury today, by JoolsToDroolOver. It was for Internation Team members (which I joined this morning), and had a lovely sort of lilac/mauve theme going.

Here's the link to it.

Unfortunately, I couldn't screencap the entire thing, so there's two rows missing. :( But I really like that headband next to Goodnight - it's the sort of thing that'd look good in my hair, lmao, egotisical I know, but I need to pay the bills tomorrow so no spending, ick. (edit from the future, 15/2; I was linked to a handy widget-making tool that can show the entire treasury, by JDWolfePottery. She's lovely. :) )

I felt inspired today to make a playlist for the theme/feel of White Meadow, but it's sort of hard to pin down songs that I think fit perfectly. That or I just have horrible taste, lmao. Ah dear.

For dinner I ended up "cooking" pizza, fresh from Pizzahut. ;) Theeeen... I sat and watched the new StarTrek movie, all the while constantly asking dad, "Where's Picard, I thought the captain was Picard, What's Jim's last name, Where's the Scottish Guy, Why's Spork or Spoke or Whatever his name is captain, Why is Jim such a jerk," etc, etc.

My dad didn't have a clue,  lmao.