Check it out!

Peeps! Check out what the main page for google is right now! No clue why its like this - but totally my fave.

Inspirations

 What are some of your inspirations? Here are just a few of mine - pictures, songs and sites.

Polyvore




(my sister's photo)

Promise

(I can't get enough of this picture - it is my account button on my computer. So alive!)

Nothing Else Matters

Electirc Romeo



(Most awesome picture ever - it's my wallpaper on my computer account)



Wipe Out =)

 Slow Fade

The Breaths You Take

California sunrise. I took this two years ago while in Dinuba CA, it so much more beautiful at the time - this picture does not give it justice.

Drum Duets

Fireflies (the song and video - but this is the only song I like by him)

"Are you from Canada?" "...no..."

I totally know this is true, becasue I have been asked before if I'm from Canada (and Wisconsin...).
Fun.

What American accent do you have? Your Result: North Central "North Central" is what professional linguists call the Minnesota accent. If you saw "Fargo" you probably didn't think the characters sounded very out of the ordinary. Outsiders probably mistake you for a Canadian a lot.
The West
The Midland
Boston
The Inland North
Philadelphia
The South
The Northeast
What American accent do you have? Quiz Created on GoToQuiz

Step by step: Watercolor life-like Pine Cone

(please forgive me of my blurry photography - I am not my talented sister ;)

A step by step guide... for who ever would ever like to sketch and watercolor a (sugar) pine cone. This project took me about 35 minutes.


First off, the materials. Watercolor card or watercolor paper (your choice - I'm using watercolor paper that I've folded into a card size), favorite pencil (pencil sharpener), kneaded eraser, watercolors, paint brushes, and a jug of water.

Create a rough sketch of said pine cone, something similar to picture on the left. Nothing fancy as you can see. Next, you need to start creating random third dimensional points, don't worry about grouping them together too closely - you need that space between them (better yet - find a pine cone on your land or at the park or even buy some) to give depth.

This is what you should be trying to get (click to zoom). Random and fun.

Once finished, clean up around the pine cone with your eraser (kneading it into points to get into the small openings around the pine cone). Now it's the fun part - pull out your paints. I use watercolors - they are the easiest for me. Either using tubes or a watercolor pan like my pocket/travel size.

With watercolors, you start with the lightest color you will be needing, and then build up on that with dark and darker colors until finished. Here I start with a dark tan or goldish yellow and focus on the side that is highlighted (the part not colored in yet will be in shadow = darker)

Picture on left: Have filled in most of the points - but not the in between yet. Added some brown to the gold to make it darker on the shadow side. Let dry.

Picture on right: Start filling in between with brown and a little rust color red. Go with just under the points at first, (let dry) and then carefully out line them them. After you have done that, and let it mostly dry. mix your brown/rust color with some black (remember! Even a little black can over power a large portion) to do under and to the side of shadowing of the points.

Make any adjustments that you think are needed, more gold or black as you see fit. Each pine cone will be different.

And you are finished! I finished mine off with Pinus Lambertiana scribed in small type around the bottom and created it into a card (which I hope to sell at my local Farmers Market).

This is mostly just for fun - and to see if anyone really even wants step by steps or just the show.
Thanks all for dealing with me. =)

Edit

(the header was made from items from Polyvore - and assembled on Paint.net)

EDIT2:

Yes - I keep on adding more feathers to it... there is no such thing as too many. There.