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The Art Supply Thrift Store

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The Art Supply Thrift Store

I have a love/hate relationship with thrift store shopping. It's always a thrill when you find a great item for a low price. And you can feel good about not contributing to the many (many) problems associated with the fast fashion industry. But if you're looking for something specific, even a certain color, it can be very frustrating. I also dislike how much trash I have to sort through before I find the occasional treasure. But in Kansas City we have one thrift store that's always exciting to visit: ScrapsKC!  ScrapsKC is an art supply thrift store. They also have a...

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Happy Accidents

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Happy Accidents

I'm continuously surprised by how much I enjoy watercolor. It has a mind of its own, and I'm a total control freak in the rest of my life! I like to think that painting in my studio is the one place I feel totally free to make all the mistakes, and really, truly let go.A few weeks ago I got an extreme reminder that I am not in control--I dropped a big ole drop of water in the bottom left corner of this painting, right about the time I thought I was done. Cue major internal screaming and panic!! Mistakes...

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Spreading happiness & positivity

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Spreading happiness & positivity

I have a love/hate relationship with outdoor art events. I love that they're my best sales, and I love seeing how people react to my art. But I hate that they're so hot in KC in the summer, and that the weather is so temperamental and sometimes ruins the events. My coach challenged me to come up with a way to make them fun this year. Together we came up with the idea to give out free stickers. I decided to create stickers for kids & adults, in order to spread happiness & positivity. The kid friendly stickers are colorful circles...

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Ooh so shiny!

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Ooh so shiny!

Black watercolor paper--heard of it? Tried it? I have some (because I have an art supply addiction, you see) but I've struggled to use it over the past year or so I've owned it.  Recently I found a way to use both my black watercolor paper and another supply that was gathering dust: my mica powders. I mixed up a small batch of 5 different interference mica powders with gum arabic to make my own custom watercolor paint that looks great on black paper! Interference paint changes colors as you move it around in light. It's another unusual supply that's...

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The Life Changing Magic of Unexpected Detours

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The Life Changing Magic of Unexpected Detours

Last month my husband and I spent 10 days in Florida. It was our first big vacation in about two years, and it was greatly needed. It had a rocky start & end (airline travel is THE WORST) but overall was an amazing experience.Visiting the Florida Keys has been on my wish list for a while. And while on our final drive back towards Miami, my husband humored my impromptu and last minute requests to stop in a couple local art galleries. When we travel we make a point to focus on local--local bars, restaurants, and souvenirs--so local art galleries...

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