Kawaii Kitties

I was enamored with this drawing workbook called Kawaii Kitties. I couldn't resist. 

I have slowly been working through the tutorials.

I've had some fun drawing little kitties. 

They are delightful!

How fun is this little guy?

They may not qualify as grand art but they make me happy. 

Buy your own (affiliate links):

Apple iPad Mini (Wi-Fi, 64GB) - Space Gray
Apple Pencil
Fintie Case with Pencil Holder for iPad Mini 5
Kawaii Kitties: Learn How to Draw 75 Cats in All Their Glory

Bullet Journal

I had a crazy idea I should start a bullet journal. I'm not sure why. I ordered some notebooks, some stencils, and watched a bunch of YouTube videos on the subject. I'll go over the tools I'm using (and include links if you want to check them out). The disclaimer: As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. If you use one of these links and actually buy something (it doesn't even have to be the thing I'm linking to) I get a small commission from Amazon. In a good month, I make enough for a cup of fancy coffee. Most of the time I'm drinking coffee I make at home. 

I wanted a couple things in my notebook. First, I wanted the dot grid so I could keep things neat and tidy. Second, I wanted a comb binding so it would open up and be flat for use. I'm not sure this is perfect notebook for me but I'm pretty pleased with it as a start. Notebook and page marks are in the links at the bottom of the post. 

I've only done a couple monthly spreads. I think this is the basic format for me. Of course I had to add the pumpkin. 

I'm still trying out weekly spreads. I haven't decided which one will really work for how my brain works. There are so many bullet journal videos on YouTube. Just do a search and see if any strike your fancy. You're sure to find something that suits your tastes and needs. 

I've been filling my blank space with drawings of Pokémon. Here is happy little Chikorita. 

Then we have dapper little Oddish. I'm not sure who will be next. 

Have you tried bullet journaling? Do you just like to journal and be artistic with it? Are you minimalist and all about the lists? 

Tools and supplies (Affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.):

Notebook: Dotted Bullet Grid Journal A5 - this is a three-pack, but you can buy only one but the price is better if you get three, if you are note-taker this shouldn't be a deal-breaker

Crayola Erasable Colored Pencils - I had these from when I thought I would try out colored pencils

Crayola Ultra-Washable Markers - I had these for fabric marking but they work great in your journal

Crayola 8 Ct Bold Broad-Line Washable Markers (not show above) - add bigger splashes of color

Journal Stencils: 20 piece Plastic Set - starter set to see if they something you like

8" Ruler, pack of 12 - my darling husband gave me one of his spares

Arrow Shaped Magnetic Bookmark - way more than you need

Paper Mate Clearpoint 0.5mm Mechanical Pencils, Pack of 2 - I really like this mechanical pencil

Bic White-Out Pen - we all make mistakes

Pentel Clic Eraser, Pack of 3 - sometimes we can erase those mistakes

Sakura Gelly Roll Classic 10 Bold Point Pen - sometimes you want a highlight

Sharpie Plastic Point Stick Permanent Water Resistant Pen - I love all the Sharpies but this one doesn't bleed

PILOT G2 Premium Refillable & Retractable Rolling Ball Gel Pens, Fine Point, Black Ink - these are my everyday pens, for work, or play

Odds and Ends

I'm still working on my crochet hexagons. 

I've been reading. This was when I was finishing the Wheel of Time (affiliate link) series. I'm so excited about the Prime series that's coming out next month. 

I went looking through my notebooks and found the delightful little sea creature hiding in the pages. Sometimes I'm surprised by my own creations. 

Tools and supplies (affiliate links):

Crochet hooks: Clover Crochet Hook Set (10 hooks)

Stitch markers: CLOVER Lock Ring Markers 20/pkg 

31 Days of Digital Art

Even though the month of October is over I haven't stopped doing digital art following the great video tutorials offered by BeeJayDel. Sometimes I followed the tutorial very closely, other times I used different pose references or went a different direction. Can you spot the differences? 

I am so much more confident with Procreate but I have yet to find my own style. I'll keep working on it. 

Buy your own (affiliate links):

Apple iPad Mini (Wi-Fi, 64GB) - Space Gray
Apple Pencil
Fintie Case with Pencil Holder for iPad Mini 5

31 Days of Digital Art

You may have stumbled upon a thing called Inktober, or Drawtober, on social media this month. New art, like fall, is in the air. I love it. I've been following tutorials by BeeJayDel on YouTube and have been getting amazing results. 

He is presenting a new video every day in October. 

So many fun characters!

I'm learning how to use both Procreate and my Apple Pencil. 

Practice is how you get better. I'm getting better every drawing. And I'm loving the Halloween theme! Expect more of these before the month is out. Hopefully, long after that. 

Buy your own (affiliate links):

Apple iPad Mini (Wi-Fi, 64GB) - Space Gray
Apple Pencil
Fintie Case with Pencil Holder for iPad Mini 5

October Art

October is Inktober. While I'm not much of a pencil or pen artist, I am a big fan of digital art. I love my undo. Layers are also a super-handy feature. With paper and pen you only get the one chance. Based on tutorial by Art with Flo.  

I'm pretty much complete rubbish with following prompts for these sorts of things so I just do what makes me happy. This was done following a tutorial by Art with Flo. If you're new to digital art and Procreate I recommend checking YouTube for some tutorials to help you through some creations. Tutorials are a great way to learn the tool even if you don't want to do the same kind of art. 

Sometimes what I come up with is really just tracing a photo and adding my own touches. I follow several Instagram cats and Curious Zelda is one of my favorites. When I saw the inspiration photo for this one I knew exactly what I wanted to do. Very minimal drawing and colors and I love the result. 

Some are better than others but they are steps along the path to getting better at digital art. Besides, once you get the tools you can create again and again and use very few resources. 

Follow my Instagram (@beccascrazyprojects) to see these as I complete them. Because I'm me, you will see sewing, quilting, digital art, and sometimes photos of my dog. 

Buy your own (affiliate links):

Apple iPad Mini (Wi-Fi, 64GB) - Space Gray
Apple Pencil
Fintie Case with Pencil Holder for iPad Mini 5

New iPad and Procreate

Somehow I managed to own this iPad mini for about five years and never dropped it hard enough to crack the screen and then, in one day I dropped it twice in about 10 minutes and this is what I ended up with. I decided it was time to buy a new iPad. 

If you already have an iPad setting up your new one is a snap. It is as simple as turning them both on and following the on-screen prompts. I was up and running in about 10 minutes. All my apps and files were copied over so the transition was painless.  

I picked up a case that I liked. These come in many different styles but this one was my favorite. 

I really splurged and also bought the Apple Pencil. I'd seen them and really wanted to give it a try. I also downloaded the art program Procreate because I have seen so many artists use it. I've been doing tutorials to learn the tools. Procreate is very powerful and you can get amazing results. 

Here is the second drawing I completed using a tutorial by Art with Flo. Flo makes learning the tool fun and you get to complete something without feeling like you're just learning the ins and outs of Procreate. I've done several of her tutorials and I've learned something new each time. The finished drawings show up in my Instagram feed as I finish them if you want to see more. 

Buy your own (affiliate links):

Apple iPad Mini (Wi-Fi, 64GB) - Space Gray
Apple Pencil
Fintie Case with Pencil Holder for iPad Mini 5

So Many Sharpies

I have been using the super-classy gallon-size ZipLock bag to hold a bunch of Sharpies. I know it isn't fancy, but it works. I wanted to get something to hold all those markers and make it easy to see what colors I had. Fishing around in that plastic bag wasn't conducive to creativity, so I ended up dumping them all out onto my desk and that wasn't much better. 

I did some poking around on Amazon until I found one that was well reviewed and would suit my needs. The Marbrasse Wooden Desk Organizer (affiliate link) was what I settled on. This comes in a flat box and requires some simple assembly. All you really need is a cross-tip screwdriver. An extra set of hands might make assembly easier, but is not required. One caveat: the name says wood, but this is really thin MDF (Medium-density fibreboard). The resemblance to wood is limited. That isn't a recommendation against it. 

After I put the markers from my plastic bag in it, I had room for these other packs I received for my birthday. 

Overall, I'm really pleased with this purchase. How do you stay organized?

Supplies (affiliate links):
Marbrasse Wooden Desk Organizer
Ultra Fine Point Sharpies
Sharpie Electro Pop Permanent Markers, Ultra Fine Point
Sharpie Permanent Markers, Ultra Fine Point, Cosmic Color
Sharpie Permanent Markers, Fine Point, 80s Glam Colors
Fine Point Sharpies
Sharpie Color Burst Permanent Markers, Fine Point
Sharpie Permanent Markers, Fine Point, Cosmic Color
Sharpie Permanent Markers, Fine Point, 80s Glam Colors

Odds and Ends

Sometimes I get a crazy idea to watch some YouTube videos and do something new. I sort of put that on its head with this one. I watched this video from Rachel's Rocks and instead of breaking out the paints I used the tutorial to draw this gnome. He isn't high art, but I made a thing. 

While piecing Star Storm, I made some little four-patches to fit in when I needed to piece the strips. 

And my current knitting project is going along quite nicely.

Have you tried something new?

Tools and supplies (affiliate links):
Moleskine Cahier Journal, Soft Cover, Large (5" x 8.25")
Sharpie Electro Pop Permanent Markers, Fine Point, Assorted Colors, 24 Count
Creative Grids 6.5" x 24.5" Rectangle
Fiskars Rotary Cutter
Fiskars Self Healing Rotary Cutting Mat
Grabbit Magnetic Pin Cushion
Fiskars 8-inch scissors
Juki TL-2010Q
BLACK+DECKER Classic Steam Iron
Knit Picks Options Wood Interchangeable Knitting Needles Set
Addi Turbo Interchangeable Knitting Needles