What a Year!

 So it's been a little over a year since I posted! I wanted to post so much more, but alas, life had other plans!
I have been working on my art journey a lot the last year and even did another Acrylic April! I have even done videos on my YouTube Channel (2 31 day challenges!) Subscribe to my YouTube Channel and help me grow!
My Channel

This summer I'm working on my art even more and trying to do videos for my channel, and I'm doing my Kids Summer Art Camp for the 4th year and I can't wait!

Register HERE!

I'm also doing Friday Summer Paint Parties in June and July!  

Register HERE!

Every month I have been teaching adults at a local PTs Gold in town. We have the best time! Tomorrow is another one in fact! Every 4 months I teach an Acrylic Pour and tomorrow I'm teaching how to paint this fun beach pour!

The next 4 months are planned out as well! I'm so excited to explore different types of paintings at PTs. We have a great group of regulars and new comers every week! It's one of my favorite nights of the month! And I am in LOVE with their food! lol

My summer is pretty busy with Art Camp, Paint Parties and of course my own children. And I love every minute of it! I hope to book more private paint parties and teach an adult Art Camp in the fall! 

Last year I wanted to post on my blog more often as a kind of journal. I still would love to do that. I will continue to work on posting more!

Until then if you are on social media you can follow me on 

Facebook and Instagram

31 Day Acrylic Pour Challenge

I decided to participate in Cinnamon Coony AKA The Art Sherpa's Acrylic April this year. I've been watching her videos over the last couple years, and I finally decided I wanted to improve my skills, so I did it. 30 paintings in the month of April.

It was a challenge for sure, but so worth it! 

She has a group page for this who participate in the challenge and one of those members asked if she could do an Acrylic Pour for the challenge. Cinnamon has word prompts is you don't want to do her paintings, so I guess you could, but I started thinking, "challenge accepted." May would be my challenge month to do an Acrylic Pour a day. 

*Side note - I am selling the ones I made at my events coming up 

Once I decided to do the challenge,  I started listing all the types of pours I could think of. I listed over 25! I got excited and started thinking that I could do a DIFFERENT Pour every day! As the days went on, I researched, and added to the list and got over 30! I still keep finding more!

So, after I finished my 30 paintings in April, I started my 31 paintings May 1st! Not only that, but I decided to film them and post them to my YouTube Channel called Crafty Artist . 

I wanted to do live videos, but if you want to do a mobile video you have to have 1000 subscribers. I definitely do not. Yet.  So, I film them and post them. Some I have to film ahead of time because of things happening, like events or holidays, but I post them every day! I post sneak peaks on my Instagram and Facebook. I even

Here's some from the first 6 days. 

Hopefully someday I will grow my YouTube. I would love to do so more tutorials of all kinds of art. So we'll see what happens! 

Sin City Vendors

A few years ago (September 2018 to be more precise), I found out about a local event that I decided in which to participate. It was in the north part of town, quite far from where I usually did events, but it was free and I wanted to get more involved with events. 

It was in this nice woman's home. She opened up her nice huge home, inside and out, to over 20 vendors, at no charge, just because she wanted to help other women and their small businesses. Her name is Michelle Hare. 

Michelle was so nice and personable. And she instantly became one of my favorite people. 

I did a few more events there, first it was my crafts and my books (Usborne Books & More), then I added in my chocolates. 

Then she had to move and there was a pause in events. But she's such a determined go-getter and she finds a way! 

We had an event at her business location in Summerlin.

She then moved to a different location in Henderson, which, for the the last year 1/2 and a half, have been doing events. She had to start charging so she could advertise and get the word out. But still charged less than most, by a long shot. 

I enjoyed that location and we got a great following, and great successes. But in December someone called to shut us down for bogus reasons. I'm not here to name names, but I will tell you, that there are some people that don't want others to succeed. It's very sad. We were able to do a couple more events there, but selfish people persevered and we needed to look elsewhere. 

In January we went to a different location and had successes and frustrations, depending on who you talked to. Going forward with that space rental, they decided to raise the price and it wasn't fair or feasible. 

Michelle decided it was time to create a name for ourselves. So now we are

 

Sin City Vendors.

She went into business for herself click  HERE for her Facebook page. So we shared to look for new locations. 

In April we did an event at a location that was nice, but very out of the way, and it was not as successful, to no fault of anyone. It's hard to find locations that don't cost a lot here in Las Vegas! 

This month and next month we will be doing events at a co-working space called Bottega Exchange. Click HERE for their website. 

We are all excited to see how these events will go. This event space will help advertise and is accommodating. I have done an event here under a different event coordinator and enjoyed the space. We have a lot of great vendors and can't wait! 

Click HERE for our event page on Facebook

I've been in charge social media, graphic design, and helping with location search. I want our group to succeed, even more so, now that there are people out there who are trying to shut us down. 

So I've been the one who posts on our Facebook and Instagram. And I've been the one who designed our logo and designs the cool flyers & graphics. It's been a fun change to do different things and use my art skills in other ways. 

Below is our June 26th event. We will have more info on that after our MAY 22nd event. 

So if you aren't already, folliw us on our social media to find out when and where SIN CITY VENDORS will be next! 

Follow us on FACEBOOK

Follow us on INSTAGRAM

Stronger

I have discovered over the last few years how strong a woman I am. I have been through trials that I wouldn't wish on my worst enemy. They could have broken me. Almost did, but I wouldn't let them and neither would my Savior. He had to carry me through some of the worst, and for that I understand and appreciate the Atonement more than a lot of people.

Fast forward to today. Our world has been turned upside down. Again, I'm not here to talk about politics or data or conspiracy. I'm here to talk about the emotion of it all. The good, the bad, the ugly.

Stress, anxiety, helplessness, fear. But also faith, hope, compassion, charity. I've felt it all in a very short period of time. I'm sure you have too. 

It's easy to get caught up in the panic of it all. What's happening? Is my family safe? Do I have enough food? Do I have a job? Will I have a job when this is over? When will this be over? Am I going to be sane by the time my kids go back to school? 

The problem is we don't any answers to those questions (especially about being sane). 

Instead, let me give you some questions that you can find the answers to. Not only that, but it will help you find peace and a calm during the storm.

Who can I help? What can I do to make my kids happy today? How can I strengthen my family? What can I do to brighten someone's day? How can I use my talents?

What can I do to take care of me? What am I thankful for? How can I serve as my Savior served? How can I get closer to my Savior?

By focusing on these questions we can start to heal. When we step outside of ourselves and focus on others and see others the way Jesus Christ sees others, peace comes. Love comes. It really is amazing how simple, yet complex service can be. More often than not WE are the ones that feel we have benefited more from helping others than the ones we helped.

Strength. We are in a world where we are going to find out how strong we are. Not just physically. Mentally, emotionally, spiritually. We are being tested in a way you could not have imagined. The beautifully thing is, we don't have to be strong by ourselves. We have others in our lives. We have a loving Heavenly Father and Mother. We have a Savior who knows EXACTLY what we have been through, are going through, and will go through. When we are weak, They make us strong. 

You are stronger than you know. 

Paint Parties at PTs!

So last year I started doing Paint Parties at a PTs Gold. I met the awesome Katie at a Kids Paint Party I did in my home in the summer of 2019. She mentioned that she would love to get paint parties set up at her place, as she was one of the managers. It took her a few months to get approval, but finally did 6 months later! 

 The first one was January of 2020. It went wonderfully! 

Right away we planned on a second one in February. That was great too! 

March was in the books, and SHUT DOWN. Big bummer! 

FINALLY after over a year we are at it again! We had a Paint Party in April (the one we had planned for the one last year)  and are gearing up for one in a couple weeks! 

This month we will be diving into the world of acrylic pouring! I cannot wait! 

*side note * I'm in the middle of an Acrylic Pour Challenge on my YouTube channel that you should check out!  https://youtube.com/channel/UCiKuK_-G_JwPUTRfXKm6VNA

So you should join in on the fun! The food is fantastic, I don't personally drink, but it's during happy hour if that's your fancy! And if there's a game on, we watch it while we Paint! It's a win win! Contact me to sign up, or talk to the PTs on Decatur and Post about reserving your spot!

Kids Summer Art Camp 2021!

I. Am. So. Excited! Art camp is coming! 

Yes, for those who know me, I have TONS going on right now. I will post about that soon too. 

But camp deserves its own post! So that's what I'm gonna do! 

Here's the skinny. I offer a week long day camp. Each day is 2 1/2 hours of art fun! I'm offering 2 sessions - one morning and evening. Beginner classes, generally for smaller children in the morning, and intermediate classes for older elementary age and middle school in the afternoon. As of yet, I haven't had high school students participate, but they are absolutely welcome. I have a week in June and a week in July to accommodate different schedules. You do not need to sign up for both weeks (although you certainly can).

Among others, we learn about pencils, colored pencils, oil & chalk pastels, clay, watercolor, and on Friday we have a Paint Party! I do offer snacks part way through (signups have a spot to add any allergies so I can accommodate) and we laugh a lot. You do not have to stay the whole time, but are welcome to if you prefer. I have 3 kids of my own that will join in from time to time (some aren't as in to art as I am 🤦‍♀️😅🤷‍♀️). I do offer multiple children discount and returning artist discounts. I offer summer paint parties on Fridays as well (more below) and there is a discount for any family member (adults can join too) if you have an art camp participant. 

Cost is $150 and includes supplies (most of which your child/ren will come home with on Thursday), snacks and a whole lot of fun.

I will not require masks. Just respect. I only have around 5 spots available for each of my sessions, so social distancing is possible, if necessary at that point. We all need space to do our art, so that hasn't ever been an issue.

HERE is the link to sign up. It has some great info in it as well

Now for the history, if you're interested. 

I started Art Camp in 2019. I taught 14 kids over 4 different sessions 2 different weeks during June and July. It was so much fun and so rewarding! We learned about all sorts of mediums from pencils to watercolor to acrylic paint! every day was a different medium and a fun project. Everyone's favorite is always clay. It is a lot of fun! 

I even did Paint Parties on Fridays for kids and had great success with that. (I will be posting the paintings and dates soon on those!) It even led me to meet a great gal that I now do big adult paint parties with at the PTs she works at! (More on that in a later post!)

Even last year, through covid I did Art Camp. And we had a ton of fun! I had some returning kids, but mostly new kids and it was great! I definitely needed a break from the frustration of what the world was going through, and I'm glad that I had a place for kids to come and have fun too! I didn't have a many sessions, but the ones I had were wonderful! 

This year I'm really excited to get back to full classes and fun times! I have a few spots already filled! I know June and July will get here fast, and I'm ready! 

4 Seasons Series - Part 3 - Spring Dutch Pour 2 in 1! #fluidart #dutchpour

New Blog post! Don't forget to Subscribe and like my videos! <3 I have big plans for this year with my art and my YouTube channel! More to come!