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Friday Favs, Fodder, and Follows

3/14/2014

Favs: U-Stream & Spreecast Channels

I'm thinking about hosting a few live book making events, so I've started following some folks who are pros at streaming video live. Here's who I'm following and liking a ton:

Barb Owens -- Creating Faces
Julie Fei-Fan Balzer -- Stenciling Live
Prima -- I love the shows with Limor Webber (Limor's Channel)
Journal Artista -- Mixed Media Art Channel
Karen Ellis -- The Art House Studio Channel

Don't worry!! If I decide to stream a live class, you all will be the FIRST to know :-).

Fodder: Stencils

Well anyone who follows me or knows me or makes art with me, knows that I LOVE/ADORE StencilGirl Stencils. I'll do another Friday Fodder on other stencil brands, but I want to share my favorite StencilGirl Stencils for this week. (And FYI, every month my favorite stencils change because the owner, Mary Beth Shaw is constantly adding to the inventory!!). Here are my CURRENT go-to Stencils from StencilGirl:

Compass Rose by Mary C. Nasser
All of the stencils we get in the StencilGirl Stencil Club!! I get three new stencils every month!!!
Circle Rays by Michelle Ward
Warped Holes by Lizzy Mayne
River Rocks by Mary Beth Shaw

Be sure to check out their DEAL OF THE DAY stencils. It changes daily, so visit often :-).
**FYI -- I'm not an affiliate of StencilGirl and I don't get any compensation for promoting their product. I just really do LOVE their stencils. They are high quality and the customer service is above and beyond.

Follows: A few of my creative cohorts

I love building community around art, writing, empowerment and creativity. In doing that, I usually find people who are of like mind in terms of how they show up in the world and how they give back. Here are a few of those fabulous folks. (P.S. You can expect to see this topic show up again as we go forward --I discover new creative cohorts everyday!!!!)

Beth Barany -- Fiction Writer and Writing Coach for Novelists
Susan Stott Miller -- Intuitive Painting and Life Coaching
Helene Rose -- Poet and Workshop Leader
Sharon Tessandori -- Yoga Instructor, Life Coach and Spiritual Hillbilly
Jen Young -- Fitness Educator and Blogger

That's it for this week. I hope you'll share your lists.

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Friday Favs, Fodder, & Follows

3/7/2014

3 Comments

Favs: Marker Sets

I find myself using markers more and more these days. After collecting markers for years, I'm finally finding ways to use them in my art and art journaling. There are a lot of markers out there, so because I'm using them more, I've been paying closer attention to which ones I like best and why. Here's my top 5:

Faber-Castell Pitt Artist Big Brush
I like these because they use India ink and are waterproof. Oh, and they come in lots of colors.
Check out the set of 24 and the set with 15.

Sakura Permapaque Metallics
I like these because they are metallic and they write on everything, you don't have to shake them, they are waterproof, and they write on vellum. I like the fat ones too for the same reasons.

Artline Mutlipen
These write on anything. They come in a lot of colors and they have three line widths in one marker.

Tombow Dual Tip Markers
These are quickly becoming my favorites of the favorites because of the blender marker.

Copic Sketch Markers
I know they are pricey, but if you save up or wait patiently for Joann's or Michael's to have a 50% off coupon, you can get a set of 6 for about $13 - $15 bucks.

Fodder: Tape

Yes, you read that right -- -- tape. With the right piece of tape, you can do wonderful things in your art journal and on canvas. Here are the ones I use most often and why:

Drywall Tape -- I just like the squares -- I use it as background texture as well as for stenciling. It's amazing for both. Make sure you check to see if it is self-adhesive or if it requires water to stick.

Painters Tape -- This tape is so great for masking parts of your canvas or page. I often use it as a background texture to add to the layers. My favorite is the lime green, but it also comes in blue, or a pack with multiple colors (isn't that orange just lovely).

Washi Tape -- there are all kinds of washi tape out there. It's beautiful for the variety of colors and designs you can find and it adds to just about any project in your journal.

Double-sided Tape -- This is an all important material for a book artist (and for scrapbookers). If you care about archival quality, be sure to check that you've got the right thing. My favorite brand is the Scor-Tape because you can tear it easily and it's darn sticky.

Duck (Duct) Tape -- With all the beautiful colors out there, you can make some beautiful handmade journals using this decorative, but sturdy tape. I'm also convinced that you can make or fix just about anything with this tape. The kits and the sheets are nice too.

Follows: Magazines for Art Journalers and Crafters

I am a magazine junkie and a bit of a magazine snob. Here are some of the ones that pull me out of my house and into the bookstore at least once a month.