Don't Do As I Do!

If ever I could offer my best crafting advice it would be this : Please, be kind to your materials and don't do as I do!  

I justify my bad habits by saying that creating mixed media art can be rough on art supplies...all  that switching from one medium to another and back again, drawing over, painting over and writing over what's already down on the paper or canvas...tough stuff!

But, actually, it's me and I know it.   My studio holds untold numbers of brushes with stiffened, dyed and splayed bristles because I can't reliably keep a water bin nearby (the cats will inevitably knock it over, try to drink it, no matter how nasty...(Or, my personal favorite, they'll knock it over while TRYING to drink it!)

Joining the banged- up brush brigade are a host of funky crusty-topped tubes of glue, improperly opened paint bottles, dried out markers, over-worked pens and inky sprays with missing covers...

But nothing takes the abuse quite like my non-stick craft mat.

What a mess!  Well, it's where the real work is done....stands to reason it would take a licking.....but no mat should be subjected to the dreaded CRAFT KNIFE!  (Kitty knows there is a separate special surface just for slicing and dicing things.....)

So why am I such a master of disaster? I like to think it's because I'm so focused on creating that I push aside things like organization and clean-up.   And that may be partially true. I do get into "the zone" and just keep working on a project without caring about where I put the cover to that black marker or if the lime green glitter glue container is missing it's cover.

But part of it is just I'm a disorganized, messy kinda person.   DON'T be like me!

1) Clean your brushes!!  (No water?  Clean them with a baby wipe and/or wrap them in one until you can get to the water.)

2) Wipe the glue from around the edges of the tube...You'll be much happier when you go to use it next time and can get the top off AND find the glue isn't all dried out!

3) Open the paint, gesso, matte medium containers properly and wipe their rims after using.  Nothing is harder to open than a gesso container or paint bottle that has been sealed shut due to lack of proper care.

4) Corral your covers!  If the cover for an item doesn't fit on the other end....set aside a special container for storing the cover while the supply is in use.  Much nicer than stepping on a pen cap at 3am because the cat swiped it from under the studio table...

5) USE the lids, covers and tops that belong on the supply!  Think of what you can buy with the money you'll save not having to replace that pricey name-brand alcohol ink marker...

6) If all else fails, try to salvage what you can from the fray.  A big-headed hat-pin can keep your glitter-glue from drying up for example and even that battered non-stick craft mat can be put to good use!

I  cleaned it (scrubbed!) it with the ever-present baby wipes, then sliced out the piece that was damaged. Now I have two smaller, but still very useful pieces to use for smaller projects!

I'm hopeful that I can take my own advice and be neater in my studio.  You just never know!

Smiles!
Kitty!