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    holiday garland is nearly done and painting progress

    diy diyholiday paintingprogress doodles

    Happy Tuesday <3

    glad to be back! 

    The fabric garland I was working on is now hanging in my dining room <3 It’s not completely finished yet but I like the idea of adding pieces perpetually. There’s still room on the string for plenty more. I’ll probably find a good stopping point this week and keep it up throughout the holidays. 

    I also spent time on a few canvases. I have a better idea of how I want “Semi-real” (first picture) to turn out. I’m still figuring out placement and will work on it more this upcoming week.



    I’m a little stuck on the untitled unicorn/red bull piece, but will work on it more too.


    Finally, I decided I wanted to re-work the face in my untitled sunscreen painting. 

    between the bigger projects i did a little drawing as well.

    

    i need to practice on realism with more reference pictures, but i love drawing whatever i want most of all.

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    Lastly, I stamped this headband with the new letter stamps I got from the thrift store :D I love the font and think it’d be cute to color In the letters. 

    ᵗʰⁱˢ ʷᵉᵉᵏ: 

    𝖼𝗋𝖺𝖿𝗍: 𝖿𝗂𝗇𝗂𝗌𝗁 𝖺𝖽𝖽𝗂𝗇𝗀 𝗍𝗈 𝗀𝖺𝗋𝗅𝖺𝗇𝖽 𝖿𝗈𝗋 𝗍𝗁𝖾 𝗒𝖾𝖺𝗋 

    𝗉𝖺𝗂𝗇𝗍𝗂𝗇𝗀𝗌: “𝖲𝖾𝗆𝗂-𝗋𝖾𝖺𝗅” , “𝗎𝗇𝗍𝗂𝗍𝗅𝖾𝖽 𝗎𝗇𝗂𝖼𝗈𝗋𝗇” , “𝗎𝗇𝗍𝗂𝗍𝗅𝖾𝖽 𝗌𝗎𝗇𝗌𝖼𝗋𝖾𝖾𝗇”, 𝗁𝗈𝗉𝖾𝖿𝗎𝗅𝗅𝗒 “𝖭𝗂𝗉𝗁𝖾𝗍𝗈𝗌”


    between putting more time into the canvases, I really hope to do more drawing- I think it needs to be an everyday thing.

     

    Wish me luck

     

    Thank you for stopping by

    I hope you and yours have a very lovely holiday ♡


    Xxoxoxoxoxoxox


    benzie

  • Published on

    Garland progress, more tall can flowers, and finished decals

    tallcanart diy diyholiday collage

    ha p py n ew we e k!

    Big strides with the handmade garlands!

    I still need to sew up the fabric stars and add a little plush stuffing, but other than that, the only thing left to do is to combine all the elements ^^


    These garlands are a combination of scrap fabric, ribbon, buttons, and string- sourced from old pajamas, scrunchies, pillow cases, etc. The cute little line art drawings of the girls are courtesy of an old tee shirt I’ve been cutting up and using for pieces. I should look into who the artist/brand is. I feel like I found out in the past, but don’t remember who it was.

    I really like how this is coming out :) I love the colors and textures - they feel like the holidays to me. I also got to incorporate some super cute accessories from Megan :]

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    The fabric stars i cut out are kind of small so I’m not sure how visible the details will be once it’s hung on the wall. I wouldn’t mind cutting bigger pieces and re-working if I felt like it later on. So far, i love it though :-)


    I also made more tall can flowers this week! <3 

    These have been so fun to make and are more doable than ever since I got my hands on some cut gloves. The edges of the aluminum can be tedious. I work so much quicker without risking my fingers. 

    Lastly, I wiped out the pile of collage projects for good!

    Finally added the finishing touches to these plaques I’ve been working on. At long last removing them the WIP pile because they feel complete. 

    ᵀʰⁱˢ ʷᵉᵉᵏ: 

    craft: Chuck E Cheese project

    canvases: Niphetos & [untitled unicorn project]

    I think I may want to work on crafty stuff during the week and paint through the weekend? I want to carve out some time to revisit the canvases. I would also really love to pick up watercolors again. 

    I will make time to do all of these things


    thanks for coming with me

    also thank you for stopping by

    ♥x♥o♥x♥o♥x♥o♥x♥


    - 𝖪𝖾𝗇𝗓𝗂𝖾

  • Published on

    holiday garland progress & future plans

    diy diyart crafts

    happy December ! I’m glad to see you

    Let me show you some of the little bits of the paper garlands I started on :)

    I started on the “Stew”, “Swan”, and “Apples” pieces. I need to make a few more apples, and I thought about adding some chicken, a potato, garlic and some bay leaves for the stew. I also want to add more accents to the swan piece too so it’s nice and long and I can hang it across a wall in my living room. To make the elements, I’ve been using oil pastels on chipboard and cardstock scraps. To hang the pieces, I’m just using a string from a spool. 


    I started cutting out shapes for the fabric garland but will follow up with worthwhile progress pictures next week ♡


    I spent some time on the stay a while page this weekend too! It's nearly finished for the holidays. Give it a look if that piques your interest <3

    Next week: all the projects

     

    The other day I was thinking about my recent artistic endeavors. I feel like I’ve had a hard time wrapping up the loose ends on projects. I used to approach planning my week with a bit more structure, but as of late, have been laying out projects pretty loosely. I think I’ll go back to picking a few specific tasks and progress I hope to make will be given a harder deadline.

     

    I’ve moved away from my traditional projects for a bit and now spend more time crafting than anything. I kind of like it during the holidays- I’ve been able to embrace the handmade charm I love about this time of year. Coming up, though, I'd like to revisit some drawings and paintings I haven't made time for in a while.

     

    I think I’ll spend this week and maybe the next after tying up loose ends and clearing out my WIP pile.


    -       More diy holiday décor

    -       Finish all the little details on remaining collages

    -       Personal apparel


    why can't i do everything i want to all the time

    

    More progress next week


    Thanks for stopping by

    Xo

    kenz

    

  • Published on

    diy holidays & upcycled crafts: can art, garlands, etc.

    upcycledart diyart canart

    Hey!!! I missed you ♡ hi again ♡

    My last post wasn’t a typical update, but instead a small tribute to the La Mesa Chuck E cheese location ( if you’re interested c: )

    Aside from that , I did work on some clothes too

    I spent plenty of time adding to the stay a while page too ! It just keeps getting fuller and I love it. I added a craft tutorial for tall can roses to the page if that sounds fun :-) I really like to try and share unique upcycling crafts, and this one is super doable with stuff I just had around the house. 

    Image description
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    On the subject of upcyling, I also got a chance to just touch the surface and brainstorm some fun holiday DIYs for myself <3 I want to make a few cute garlands for the apartment and decided to use some materials I’ve had sitting around. 

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    I plan to make a few from fabric scraps, felt, and thread and the others with chip/cardboard and oil pastels. I don’t want to go overboard and overwhelm myself with a little season side project, but thinking up different themes was pretty fun. They shouldn’t take too long, so I’ll probably finish at least the cardboard ones in the next few days or so. Of course, once I do, you’ll be seeing them. :)

    I didn’t do any painting last week, and haven’t for the past few weeks. I don’t think I’ll force it. It’s not even that I don’t want to, I just feel a little frozen in place when thinking of putting work into a canvas. I hope I thaw out soon. Other stuff ‘til then.

    ᴺᵉˣᵗ ʷᵉᵉᵏ: ᴴᵒˡⁱᵈᵃʸ ᴰᴵʸ & ˢᵗᵃᵐᵖ ᵃᵖᵖᵃʳᵉˡ & ʷʰᵃᵗᵉᵛᵉʳ ᵉˡˢᵉ ᴵ ʰᵃᵛᵉ ᵗⁱᵐᵉ ᶠᵒʳ

    I’ll be doing more holiday stuff this upcoming week J Working on the garlands, and maybe looking into other holiday DIY ideas? I hope to get inspired for new stuff to try, and will probably put together a short little list to add to the stay a while page. I hope you decide to give a few a try this holiday season if you need heartfelt gift ideas <3 or if you decide to take a look at some of the small businesses I have linked there too!

    Additionally, I did lots of drawing on apparel projects, but would like to stamp a small pile of personal pieces when I get the chance.


    As far as personal projects, I also hope to make a trip to the library this week and will see what it would take for me to borrow/ have access to a sewing machine! I think that’d be a really cool resource, and will get back on that. If you don’t already, I highly recommend getting a library card at your public library for a myriad of reasons. As if free access physical media wasn’t enough, a lot offer tools and resources that are also available for free. I’d check the website for yours to see what they have to offer. Library bookstores are also pretty much my go-to for purchasing my books when I decide I’d like to own. With paperbacks starting at 50c, you really can’t beat it. support your local library.

     

    Thank you for stopping by and I hope you have a lovely thanksgiving however you plan to celebrate.


    I’m thankful for my loving partner, Pina (happy 18th birthday!!!!), the roof over my head, and the car I drive. If you are reading this, I am thankful for you too. If you're not, I'm most likely thankful for you anyway, because other people probably are too. I’m a lucky lady. I’m also thankful I have a working body and eyes and the ears I need to hear this holiday classic. 

    Happy days

    Til next time

    X o x o x o

    -       Beanzie greenzie potatenzie tomatenzie 

  • Published on

    Saying my goodbyes to the La Mesa Chuck E Cheese </3

    chuckecheese

    𝘛𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘱𝘰𝘴𝘵 𝘪𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘮𝘦𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘦 𝘮𝘺 𝘵𝘳𝘪𝘱 𝘰𝘯 𝘝𝘢𝘭𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘦'𝘴 𝘥𝘢𝘺 2024 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘓𝘢 𝘔𝘦𝘴𝘢, 𝘊𝘢𝘭𝘪𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘯𝘪𝘢 𝘭𝘰𝘤𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘰𝘧 𝘊𝘩𝘶𝘤𝘬 𝘌 𝘤𝘩𝘦𝘦𝘴𝘦.

    

    My sweet partner and I visited in the evening and shared a beautiful stuffed-crust cheese pizza together in the presence of the long-standing, iconic animatronics of Munch's Make-Believe band. At the time they did not function or play, but it was cool that the curtains remained open regardless. Seeing the animatronics in all their glory alongside so much the old art and props used around the location gave such a lovely feeling of nostalgia and felt almost like a return to form for the chain. There was so much color and creativity in its presentation- the place was meant for entertainment. Even the outside of the location was adorned with the old chuck logo, font, and sunshade. It was a sight to behold seeing it all lit up in the night when we arrived.


    I’m so happy I got to visit before it was gone. I had such an amazing time and won’t soon forget the excitement from such a lively location. Please, eat a slice of pizza in honor of Munch's Make - Believe band.

    ♡


    The link to this locations page on Cheeseepedia – it’s a bit sparing, but wanted to include it anyway for posterity. 

    * this was the video we just happened to see days before our already planned day-trip for valentines, hence inspiring us to make the second stop (great creator btw) *

    ℝ𝕀ℙ 𝕃𝕒 𝕄𝕖𝕤𝕒 ℂ𝕙𝕦𝕔𝕜 𝔼 𝕔𝕙𝕖𝕖𝕤𝕖 (𝟙𝟡𝟡𝟛-𝟚𝟘𝟚𝟜)

  • Published on

    new clothes and I finished some collages!

    Happy Mondaaaaaaaaaaaaaaayyyyyyyy

    Here’s a look at last week’s project progress c:


     I finally wrapped up a few pieces of clothing I’ve been wanting to finish for a while. The list of personal projects always feels bottomless because there are no deadlines :,) Although, it’s always fun to work on bringing a vision to life that’s meant for yourself. For the first time in a while too, I’m altering some jeans I want to draw on and stamp! I plan to test the bleach payoff and see if I like the results. I’ve also got some shirts I’ve really wants to alter by means of sewing, but wasn’t sure how to go about it initially. I don’t mind sewing by hand but think it also may be time to test my hand at using a sewing machine. I don’t have one personally, but I think some libraries offer one to borrow/use so I may try that as an option. Hoping to make some strides in my apparel process that carry past just my personal projects.

    I also revisited the collages I was working on some months ago. I recently inherited some cute new beads and put some to good use in finishing some of these <3 (present in the first collage :-)

    Outside of my own personal creative projects I also visited the very talented Yako's photography exhibition on Friday at Open Gallery Long Beach. The theme of the night was fleeting memories. I saw so many inspiring pieces honoring the memories that make us who we are. So happy I got to go. Check our this guy's work

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    Ｎｅｘｔ ｗｅｅｋ： ａｎｏｔｈｅｒ ｗｅｅｋ ｏｆ ｅｖｅｒｙｔｈｉｎｇ

    Last week I also spent some time going through projects I used to have listed to my online shop. It made me want to put them out there again (I may have mentioned this previously). Maybe the new year will bring me to new markets and such. In the past, putting focus on the social, monetary, and planning side of things deflated my creativity in a big way, but I’d be lying if I said I didn’t miss it a little. I think in the coming weeks I’ll revisit/refine some existing wearable die laughing projects <3


    I do wanna work on a little of everything this week though. In particular, I’m struggling with an old pair of peeling pleather shoes I’d like to give another chance at life. I’ve tried in the past to adhere the peeling with a layer of top coat and paint, but I don’t think it’s enough- my plan now is to just peel them entirely and go from there? So that’s one thing I’d like to get to the bottom of. 

    I also want to pick up the Niphetos (falling snow) painting again? I’m disappointed that my progress on it has been so lacking. I pick it up, just to put it down again. I feel like I do that with a lot of pieces I find to be a little more ambitious, or involve techniques I haven’t really used yet. I’m simultaneously so excited and overwhelmed I just don’t start. Maybe I’ll re-watch the twilight zone episode that inspired its conception and the motivation will come to me.


    I feel like my creative endeavors are a non-stop flow of interchanging projects. The week after this one I think I’ll embrace the holiday spirit and start on some DIY holiday décor <3 I already plan to make a little star garland with some old fabric scraps and probably some buttons/beads. Another project in rotation I’ll be sure to share with you ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡

    thank you for stopping by - you know i appreciate you

    xoxo

    kenzie <3

    p.s... . . I've been listening to Barbara Dane and the Chambers brothers lately and have been learning a lot about Barbara and her life. She was a passionate musician and activist and my life is better off having known about her dedication.