activities

I Wanna Be a Puppeteer!

| marandarussell

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Lately I’ve been really into puppets (thank you TikTok), so I bought this adorable Wizard puppet (please pardon the askew glasses) and am looking into taking local classes or workshops in puppetry. It is something I’m really excited about right now. I always loved puppets, but TikTok is really breathing new life into the old artform!

Do you like puppets? Have you picked up any new quarantine hobbies?

A Few Random Life Thoughts/Happenings

| marandarussell

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  • The grief from losing my kitty is starting to ease a little bit. Still a big loss, but I’m trying to focus on the future and how to bring more good things into my life right now because it feels like I could really use some good things.
  • Tonight I’m attending a poetry class at the library. The idea of the class is to use everyday castoff materials (like old ads, receipts, junk mail, etc.) as inspiration to create poetry. Thought it sounded fun and I could use the social connections right now.
  • I’m seriously thinking about auditioning for a part in a local theatre production soon. It makes me nervous as I haven’t done anything like that since school, but I feel I need to grow and add a little excitement to my life. I don’t even want a big role or anything, I just want to be a part of something fun and creative.
  • Just a thought, but I noticed something recently I wanted to share. It seems to me that when people share their darker thoughts and feelings straight out in essay form, prose, or spoken word, they are often sort of subtly shamed and told to cheer up in one way or another, which I find interesting, because when those same dark thoughts/feelings are shared in artistic forms like poetry/art, I’ve never seen people react in the same way by telling them to simply focus on the positive or cheer up. It makes me think that our darker thoughts and feelings are only really acceptable to many when slightly masked in some sort of art form. Why is that?

I Froze My Butt Off at a Christmas Theme Park!

| marandarussell

I’m feeling rough tonight, maybe because last night I went to a little Christmas-themed park and got really cold, which often tends to aggravate my CFS, Fibromyalgia, and Ehlers Danlos joint issues. I had a great time though and wanted to share a few fun pics of the night.

Here is me getting cozy with the Gingerbread Man:

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Who doesn’t love a big fire pit when it’s cold out?

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Here is some crazy guy climbing the giant Christmas tree (I’m guessing he wasn’t supposed to be doing that):

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Is it just me, or are these trees a bit spooky?

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Pretty lights on the water:

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Crap Art Turned into Abstract Collages

| marandarussell

I made some crap art last night lol, so I decided to just tear it up and make a few little weird collages out of it. I haven’t been in the mood to collage for well over a year, but I guess I was getting bored with drawing, painting, and adult coloring books, so was looking for a different way to express myself. These collages look very child-like, which is a style of art I actually tend to love:

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These artworks (and many others) are currently for sale on my Ebay store, so check it out!

Adult Coloring Book Art – Coffee Break and Winter Witch

| marandarussell

I’m still on an adult coloring book kick. Here are a couple recent finished pieces. First, we have a coffee/snack inspired picture:

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This second image was actually one that I cut out of a paper from my House of Rituals pagan subscription box. Personally, I think the star and the reindeer antlers make her look like a winter witch, although the flowers point more to a springtime feeling, so who knows?

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Both of these are currently up for sale on my Ebay store, so if you like them, check it out!

New ACEO Sticker Collages! Lisa Frank, Disney Tsum Tsum, Monster High

| marandarussell

Here are a few new ACEO sticker collage art trading cards I have made! I have been very surprised at how quickly the Lisa Frank ones sell on my Ebay store! I guess Lisa Frank is still very popular!

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These collages are certainly easy to make, but it is a fun way to combine my love for all things cute and toy-related with my love of creating art.