Painted Polka Dots

I am forever confused between my plain silver keys. This may sound ridiculous, but I have three of them on my key chain that are similar in size and seldom needed. Whenever I do need one, I have to try 2 or 3 before I find the right one. I thought it might help if they looked slightly different. Today I decided to “upcycle” them into new versions of themselves.

First, I picked out some fun colors of nail polish that I already had on hand:

Then, I painted the keys.

• The green colors needed 2 to 3 coats to show up, but the blue only needed one.
• The lighter colors should be painted on first, because they won’t cover the dark colors as well as the dark colors will cover them!
• Stick with large patterns (like polka dots, or filling in segments of the key) unless you have the designer tip nail polish (I do, but only in the wrong colors!)
• Wait for layers to partially dry before painting new layers on top (about 5-10 minutes)
• Paint one side at a time, waiting for the entire first side to dry before painting the opposite side (about 1 hour)

Here is my result:

I worked on them while doing other projects during the dry times. They didn’t take long at all to paint, but they add an extra bit of personality to my (otherwise boring) key chain!

 

Raindrops on Snapdragons, Stitches in Turquoise

Rainy days. Everything looks more saturated – the greenery becomes greener, flowers stand out as rare pops of color, the tree branches contrast dark against the bright colors.

Raindrops are featured on petals and leaves – shimmering like little starlit orbs.

The sun shining through the grey clouds eliminates strong shadows, and assures no detail will be lost. I couldn’t help myself – I had to get out the camera and take these pictures of my garden today. Thunder and rain only add to the majesty of the plants.

Rain is perfect for a mug of coffee and indoor projects. My Upcycled choice of the day?
My brand new (and very old) sewing machine:
This beauty was a $5 find at a garage sale this weekend.

Works like a charm, and just needed a bit of cleaning. They even included all sorts of extra needles, bobbins, pins, and other helpful supplies. I’m thinking it might be from the 1970’s, but I’m not sure. It’s very heavy – a quality machine made out of all metal.
I’m not sure if I can really express my excitement in finding this.
I can’t wait to start creating all sorts of upcycled works with old fabric finds.

And, of course, I must include some wonderful Etsy Finds:

A Whimsy Little Garden

Here Kitty, Kitty

Today I’m shipping out my upcycled, hand-painted cat mugs to a new owner:

I love them and I’m so glad to know she will love them just as much a I do!
(you can see my blog post about making them Here)

In honor of the kitties, here’s a new Treasury:

Here Kitty, Kitty

And my upcycled find?
Steampunk Kitty Print by collageOrama
A great use for old books that will be thrown away (and something I love to do, myself!)

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Ends May 4th
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Oh, Crafty Little Sparrow

A crafty little sparrow
Came and sat by me
He chatted to the flowers
And warbled to the bee.

He pecked at my bread
And I asked him to stay
But he merely cocked his head
Then flapped and flew away.

Looking up references for my sparrow today:

Little Sparrow

And my super-amazing upcycled pick of the day?
Soup Song
Rustic Gypsy Tin Earrings
by fancifuldevices

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And… don’t forget to ENTER my GIVEAWAY! :)
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FLASH SALE!

So I had a fun idea the other day – why not offer random FLASH SALES on eBay? I already list prints and other things, but I decided to start offering promotional sales. Auctions start at $.01 and only last 24 hours!

If you win the flash sale item, you can add any other item from me for a discount of your total purchase (must be paid for at the same time). Search for “ALMI ART” or click on the pictures below to check it out! (If there are no FLASH SALE auctions running, be sure to check back for the next one!)

 

Etsy Store!

Recently, I’ve been adding new items to my Etsy store. I’ve sold a lot on eBay, and now I’m turning some of my attention to Etsy (I’ve never sold there before), come check it out:

All sorts of new items with fun Spring and Summer Trend colors!

Fashionably Set

So, I had the opportunity to do a piece for a local news story. A friend contacted me to see if I could do this lady’s portrait in a a “fashion illustration style” for a story she is doing for the news. I’m excited to see how it all comes out, but here is the illustration:

And here’s the process:

I’ve never met her before, and I only had one photo to go off of, but they were really excited about it. I hope you enjoyed seeing it!

Fashion illustration always seems to have “intention” to me. So, this is my entry for IF this week.

Happy Summer

So, things have been really busy. My dad says, “When it rains it pours” and he is right! I went from having part-time work and trouble finding what I was looking for, to enough work to keep me busy for ages! It’s great, though, and I’m very excited about everything happening. I plan to keep up on this blog, and I really appreciate all the encouragement. It’s much easier if you know people are interested in looking – otherwise you are typing on a blank page for the empty realms of cyberspace.

I’ll leave you with an image of a piece I did last summer for an Art in the Park event, and leave you with the promise of my new stuff to come.  :)

– crazylady

Aubrey Hepburn, Acrylic