Being Silly, Paintballs & A Blast from the Past

I've been seeing these cute finger doodles on Pinterest so I did one on my own fingers.  It's supposed to be me and Russell with our arms around each other.  (In reality he's a lot taller than me). 

I was looking for something in my many still-packed craft boxes and came across this tackle box. There was a time when all my craft supplies fit into it.  Beads, needles, thread, pencils, erasers....this would have been late 1988/early 1989, before I moved to San Francisco.  There's not much in it now, but I hang onto it for posterity.

I laughed when I found this little punky guy inside the tackle box.  I made it out of Fimo clay over at Holly's rental cottage in Pocasset, back in the spring of 1989.  It sure took me back to another time in my life, that's for sure!  Back when my world began to completely revolve around the Grateful Dead and moving west.  I was soooo young...just 24.

I ended up breaking out the paints again this particular day, even though I finally got them neatly put away, because of another craft project I wanted to try, which was dripping paints inside of clear glass ball ornaments, which I just happened to have.

I decided to start with the metallic paints first, but they were really gloppy and I knew I'd never get them to drip and mix in their current state.

I chose to use pink, purple and aqua, and mixed them with enough water to make them drippy.

Using a paintbrush, I dripped the paints inside, then shook the ball rapidly to spread it around.  It took awhile to apply and spread the paint all around the ball.

Since all the colours started to pool and mix together at the bottom, I made sure to keep tipping the ball upside down, and in fact, that's the way I chose to dry it.  First I let it sit upside down to drain on top of paper towels, then I brought it outside to let the sun and wind dry it out.

Some of the paint separated as it dried, but it's still a cool effect.

I'd found my crafting beach glass (bought in Michaels, not found on the beach) and pebbles, and I made a beach-theme ornament too, also using sand and some of the shells Barit brought me back from Sanibel Island.

It also happened to be Pride Weekend, so I dripped rainbow paints inside another ball and shook it around.  These paints proved more problematic because too much mixing can yield an ugly grey/brown colour.

It was drained the same way, upside down on paper towels, then placed outside to dry.

Sadly, while these balls came out really cool the first day, I notice that, over time, the paint is either chipping or pulling away from the surface on the inside, leaving small holes.  I will have to figure out a better way to do this.

It's amazing how many craft supplies I've unearthed....all the stuff I bought, in the off chance that someday I'd have the time to use them.  I forgot all about the sack of large and small smooth rocks and pebbles, purchased lord knows how long ago.  This small bowl was also awaiting use so I made a little candle holder out of all of it.

Finally, my mom unearthed this from her cedar chest.  I had no idea she'd saved it!  This is my very first embroidery project, made when I was still very little.  It was very hard and I hated doing it.  I was forced to finish it and I did so, under protest.  Age '7' was added before it was completed, hence the off-center and badly stitched '8'.  This really was too ambitious a project for a 7 year old and my mom even commented  that, upon seeing it now, she doesn't know why she chose such a complex design for me to do.