It’s been an interesting few days. I’ve decided I have to pare down my commitments because frankly one cannot burn the candle at both ends and not expect to burn out. I’m up to my ears in stuff to do and only enough time to complete perhaps up to waist height. It’s frustrating to realize that I CAN’T do everything I want to do and that I #1 must find a pace for it and #2 prioritize so that I can #3 get it all done.  Essentially what I’m doing is spreading out all the things I WANT to do across time. It’s not so much  paring down as a spreading out.

So that being said (written) last night I wrote down all my current commitments and prioritized them, in order of NEED and WANT to get done. As I thought about each item, some moved closer to the top of my list, hello I want/need to do a few journal flip throughs and get them up on YouTube.  But my top 3 commitments that never wavered were as follows: #1 Art Show stuff (get those essays in!) #2 Classes #3 Zine/Aj Ning. Everything else comes slightly behind.

In terms of classes, I have a few announcements. First I’m developing a Old Skool Art: Acrylics 101 class. This is designed to be for art journalers who have never painted before, we’ll talk about paint, mediums, brushes and using acrylic in your art journal and with mixed media. It will be a 6 week class (instead of 8) because I found that after the 4 week mark people were less engaged. So I’ll pack 8 to 10 weeks of solid art instruction into 6 weeks of class. This means longer PDF and going from 1 hour long live classes to 1.5 hour long classes. In all you’ll be getting more bang for your buck and in a more streamlined format. It’s a win all around. This class will rock. I’ve already got the course outline done, materials list and 90% of the class written (longhand) and simply need to type up the many pages of writing. I’m looking at starting registration in February and then starting class in March.

Second on the classes front is a self study program. I’ve decided to open up OSA: Drawing to self study. This means that I’ll open up enrollment for the class and allow people in again. This will start sometimes this month, it would make a fantastic Christmas Gift for yourself; or a great way to ring in the New Year.

Third and finally for this post, I feel that the Old Skool Art series doesn’t encompasss everything I want to do with my classes. It doesn’t leave room for much to do with art journaling, given that it’s all about the basics and learning how to use particular materials. You know what I mean? So I’m developing a series of classes that are all about art journaling and keeping and making an art habit. And I’m calling it that, Art Habit. I’ve got a whole series of writing to go along with this, I may do a book or PDF download of the writing. Anyway Art Habit will be a publication of some nature as well as a related series of art classes centered around art journaling and keeping an art habit alive.

So my next post will deal with my OTHER 9 billion commitments.

I leave for work in about a half hour. I’m stuck in a daylong meeting which will be an overview of stuff I already know. They may reveal some brand new stuff, who knows, I could learn something. I plan on taking notes, and lots of them. I’ve filled my Pelikan Go! pen with Noodler’s bulletproof black, my Platinum Preppy Highlighter with Noodler’s Firefly, and my Pelikano remains inked with the supplied cartridge. I’m quite looking forward to using the Go! as it’s easy to write with, lays down a heavy line of ink and I’m pretty proud of the repair work I did on it this weekend.

During this meeting I’ll break up the boredom with a fantastic (hopefully) bookbinding demonstration. I’m showing off some books I’ve made over the years, talking about how long I’ve been making books and then leading the group in making 2 styles of books- pamphlet and figure-8 stitch. These are 2 easy stitches that beginners can have success with so I’m sticking with those styles.

I’m a little nervous about speaking in front of 50 of my coworkers but it will be good experience for when I go back to teaching live classes. Hopefully my coworkers learn more from me than I will in the 9 to 5 meeting.

More amazing work by Freekhand. I love his use of line. Also check out his blog here.

Each year I struggle with the handmade pledge as I seek the most appropriate gift for the people on my gift giving list. This year I’m trying to take it a bit more seriously as I order items from artfire and yes, even, etsy. In some cases it’s necessary to order an item from a small business. I ordered a gift for my brother from a small online business as well as part of Christie’s gift from another small online vendor. I prefer, as in real life, to purchase from a mom and pop shop than from a big box store. This is my preference, but sometimes it doesn’t work.

Sometimes getting my brother the weirdest gift I can find requires shopping at amazon.com, after all the only place I can get him a back hair groomer is there or Wal-Mart.

Way back in 2009 or even further back I picked up a copy of Make the Cut a fabulous software that let me control my Cricut craft cutter. I was able to cut anything I wanted and items of my own designs. Awesome.

Well that was fun, until Provocraft decided they didn’t want third party software controlling their machines. Then sued the makers of Make the Cut. Make the Cut was tied up in court for years. Googling the company shows several lawsuits. Eventually the software was locked down and the code needed to make the software able to work with the cricut was locked out. If you upgraded your copy of make the cut past MTC 4.1.0 it can’t be hacked to work. You also need to install the pccplugin which you have hopefully saved on a thumb drive somewhere.

Make the Cut is now abandonware. The developer has allowed the site to come and go it is currently up and you can download the software, though there are reports in the forum that the new serial numbers no longer work. The forum and site are up now, I was unable to get any assistance from the owner for getting my reg key. I used their automated system and it did not work. I also have not received an answer via their support ticket system. According to several users on the forum, the user has not responded to anything on the forum for over 5 years at this point (writing this 12/2020).

If you have access to the computer you had Make the Cut installed on you can use these instructions to attempt to retrieve the registration code. I was able to successfully reboot my nearly dead old laptop and pull the code out. Then I emailed it to myself AND saved the MTC4.1.0 installer, pccplugin, and reg code to thumb drive. This will get stored in a safe place and I’ll also back these files up to the cloud. And you should to.

I’ll update my old posts about MTC. Apparently now you need to use Sure Cuts a Lot, but I do not think it can be hacked to work with the crapcut. Again I salute Provocrap with a middle finger salute. We should be able to use the Crapcut with any software in the same manner we use a printer.

Use these links at your own risk:

• https://archive.org/details/MakeTheCutVersion4.1.0
• https://diydata.wordpress.com/2011/08/03/cricut-cutter-with-usb-it-can-be-done/
• https://www.dllme.com/dll/files/pccplugin_dll.html

An no I will NOT send you copies of this stuff. I’ve provided the links, follow them.

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Again Freekhand. We call learn athing or two from this guy.

This will be the longest 3 days in the history of my job*. The 3 days before Thanksgiving include long hours, lots of organization, and lots of work. Last year my Mom had open heart surgery and I missed the hub bub of the holidays. The 4 days she spent in the hospital were rough and the weeks immediately after the surgery we even more difficult. It’s hard to believe it’s been a year and she’s doing so well.

Take a page in your art journal and give thanks, a few days early, because we all know on Turkey Day we’ll all be too busy with friends and family to do it right.

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It’s got to be about the passion, the dream, and your end goal. Forget the haters and focus on what you want, not negativity.

That’s been my chorus since the interaction with my unthinking coworker. It’s amazing that one interaction has affected me so much that I’m thinking about it a full 24 hours later. I’m a simple woman who will normally forget an inconsequential interaction moments after it’s over.

This stuck with me, I think mostly because it’s so similar to things I’ve heard in the past and perhaps too close to my internalized fears.

Another part of her comment that I want to explore is her derisive attitude toward the “internet.” If I opened an art studio in my garage (currently filled with bike and moped parts) and held classes I’m sure she would not look down upon my classes. It would look to her like an old fashioned business, something she could understand. When you take stuff to the internet it’s often see as less than the brick and mortar version. Not to be arrogant but take a moment to examine Amazon, eBay or any one of the hundreds of other successful internet ONLY businesses to see that internet businesses work. They are successful.

Will online education be successful? I think it can be, even when it’s not affiliated with a university. For profit education is always suspect when compared to “school based” education but let’s face it most Universities and Colleges are no longer non-profit. When you add to them corporate advertising in foyers, sponsorships of sports, there is a lot of profit in the higher education system. Just because it’s disguised doesn’t mean it’s not there. That being said, inexpensive art classes via the internet draw people into art. People who may have a dormant interest may take an online art class and it may awaken their appreciation of the arts. I think that’s the ultimate goal of online art classes should be to do that. Awaken the artist and awaken the appreciation.

On that note check out this piece on the Boston’ Philharmonic Orchestra’s Benjamin Zucker.

Every time I sit down at my computer I’m intensely aware that on the other side of the information super highway are people who read my blog, take my classes, and are members of artjournaling.ning.com I want to take a moment to say:

Thanks, you rock.

Each and everyone of you inspires me and supports me in what I do.

I am humbled that people want to read/listen to what I have to say. I’m grateful that you are here again and again. I’m in awe of the submissions for my art project. When you comment on the blog I appreciate it more than you know.

Here’s my promise, I won’t get to full of myself and if I do, you can tell me. I like honesty in a relationship, and hope you do too. I like to talk and I’m glad you like to listen and I’ll never take that for granted. I hope to always “keep it real.” If I don’t you know what to do.