Getting Personal: Update #1

So I had a very busy Spring, and we are revisiting some topics from a previous post, 'Getting Personal'. Here's the gist of what went on April, May & June.

• Changes continue at PT Job #1 and I put in my two weeks notice at PT Job #2.
• I'm 25 now and I did get my small tattoo.
• Enjoyed a long, cold, but fun day at the Craftstravaganza Craft Fair.
• My little sister's Bachelorette Party, Bridal Shower, Rehearsal and Wedding all went well with lots on fun and smiles.
  
• Plus my speech was sweet and humorous, considering I wrote it the night before. Not too bad, if I don't say so myself. :-P
  

As far as those short term goals go, let's see where we're at.

• Finish projects that I owe people (Marcy, Karlisha, my sister & my mom).

That didn't happen, maybe some for my sister, but not so much anyone else. Sorry.

• Have a fun (wedding) and profitable (craft fair) Spring.

Very true for both, I already participated in a 2nd craft fair and I got accepted into a 3rd. I'm also applying for 1, if not 2, more.

• Look harder for a FT Job (and if that pans out, move out of my mother's house).

Yea, working 7 days a week for weeks on end, I barely get to sleep. We'll work on this one after I'm finished with PT Job #2.

• And work on myself... This is going to be the hardest... in the short term, losing 20 lbs. for my sister's wedding.

This was actually the easiest one. From March to June I actually lost 40 lbs. That's like an average 5 year old girl, if you need a visual.

Other new things:

• I'm the new Jewelry Instructor at work! If you want to learn some basic Fundamentals or maybe just re-familiarize yourself with them, stop on by my Michaels and sign up! There's also some fun Camp Chic Jewelry Classes this summer. Playing with duck tape, safety pins, leather, etc.
• I will be participating in the 4th Annual Caffetto Craft Fair on July 24th! At Caffetto Coffee Shop, 708 W. 22nd Street, from 11am - 6pm.
  I hope it's a fun and not too hot of a day.
  
• My friend Christina will be visiting from Portland!
• My new pal Lauren, who put together the Unraveled DIY Festival, and I are planning on starting a local craft group. Each month we choose a new craft and we get a whole bunch of people together to learn it! (Costs for materials, but otherwise free tutorials & space.) Let me know if you're interested in participating! Or maybe you have a good name for the group?
• Same old, same old as far as love and personal life goes, but it looks like things are picking up in the right direction.

So we'll see how the next couple months progress and I'll keep everyone posted on new and major events.

Update Via Photos!

New biz cards!!!

Super Large Octopus Plushy!!! More then likely he's going on the MCAD Art Sale! Very exciting!

New set of Dinks! Some fresh Cupcakes Earrings and a whole bunch of new styles!

I made this special for my sisters graduation today! It's styled after the flowers on her biz card that I designed for her.

My little sister is a college grad.

Afterwards we went to Olives in Mankato, MN and this is sober!

I also sent this care package to my friend Christina, cuz she was sick and now she's feeling better (that was more due to the meds, but she's happy enjoying chocolates and such too!)

Last, but not least, I got my 1st check from the Design Collective Mpls! Very exciting for sure and I hope the 1st of many in the future!

Cheap & Dirty Screen Printing Tutorial

Materials needed: A t-shirt, paint brushes, straw - if desired, an embroidery hoop, (bull clip +) card board, screen printing ink (I use Speedball brand), a glue that isn't water-soluble (I use Mod Podge), a sheer netted material/old nylons, and a computer with a printer (or a good hand for drawing things).

Find an image you like and that has good contrast. Print it out so the image is the size you want it on the t-shirt

After pulling the sheer material/old nylons tight across the embroidery hoop (and screwing it shut really good), trace the image onto the material with a pencil with the material close to the paper, not upside down so it's far away. Turn the thing over and with the glue, paint all the "negative space," (all the places you don't want ink to go, the white space). Make sure the material isn't touching whatever surface you're working on otherwise you'll end up gluing the whole thing down.
After the glue dries (I recommend a test print 1st to see if you need to touch up any areas with more glue), center the image on the shirt face down, and I sort of stipple the ink through the material, I used a straw to move drop the ink and then a bull clip + card board to make sure it was fully saturated, but also making sure not to glob it all over the place.
Carefully peel it back, wait for it to dry, and follow the "setting" directions on the ink (mine is to iron it on medium 3 - 5 minutes each side with a piece of cloth/paper between the iron and the ink). Be sure to wash your screen right away, this way you can use it again and again!

And Ta Da!
Photo and example assistance by Christina Beard!

3 Day Weekend!

I had the pleasure of enjoying a 3 day weekend (Thur-Sat)!!! It was packed full of fun and exciting things!!! Thursday: I had a freelance interview and ran into some MCAD friends, Tim and Ash (!). I met up with Brent for a bite at Lions Tap, before going to see COHEED & CAMBRIA!!! I think I orgasmed when they came to play an encore! My high school friends Marisa and her BF, Matt was there too, it was nice running into them. Friday: Early walk with Christina to get groceries that we needed for making cupcakes for Anna's 1st Solo Art Show (during Art-A-Whirl). We made Vegan Chocolate Cupcakes AND Champagne Cupcakes, I'll put both recipes on my baking blog, hbDesigns Cupcakes. Both were a huge hit, I got the Vegan thumbs up from Raighne, one of the owners of 2D Cloud Studio, where Anna's show was being held. After the show's reception, a handful of us grabbed some Japanese food at Kikugawa, near the river. And last, but not least, Christina and I finished off our Friday night by doing some dirty/cheap screen printing. I'll make a tutorial for this in my next blog posting. It was a lot of fun and very worth it for the price of materials. I'm happy to take requests for a reasonable price. Thanks to Christina for putting up with me for over 24 hours!!! And thanks to everyone else for the awesome weekend. Photos, photos, photos to share with you all the fun!!!

Coheed & Cambria Concert!

Anna Bongiovanni's 1st SOLO Art Show

Kikugawa with Mako, Chritina, Alison and Sean.

Dirty/Cheap Screen Printing with Christina!

Now, I know what you're thinking, "Heather, what about Saturday?" I used Saturday for sleeping in, relaxing and enjoying some time to myself. ^_^.