Just wanted to pop in and say a great big HELLO to you all.
Here is Wollongong, Australia we’re in the middle of a two week lockdown. I think it’s safe to say that my 5 year old is all ‘arted out’ lol. Our days have been filled with LOTS of art and craft, aswell as games, puzzles, card games and walking the dogs!
Being at home more has given me the chance to finish off a few paintings that I’ll be putting in my Etsy Shop this week. Excited to say that I’ll be making some prints for a more affordable option aswell.
I hope you’re all happy and healthy in your part of the world. If you’re stuck in lockdown and need some colour to brighten your day then please head on over to my Etsy shop and checkout of my recent creations.
In this video I show the beginner dot mandala artist everything they need to know about supplies including; paints, moulds, stencils, tools and varnish. I give brief explanations on what my favourite supplies are and show examples of rocks and moulds for the viewer has all the information they need to make their own choices where they want to start. I also speak about resin and why I love it so much showing what can go wrong when using it on a dotted love heart stone.
With the new year comes the new me! Or the old me…. not quite sure which lol. What I am sure of is that the dark cloud I’ve had above my head these past 5 years is finally lifting and I’m beginning to see the FULL sky… and it is sunny, and bright, and beautiful!
For those of you that don’t know, I’ve suffered from depression for a few years now. Mental health should always be at the top of our list for keeping in check and when I became a mother I put myself at the bottom of that list. So much so that I was even willing to try and work things out when I found out my fiance was cheating on me. Thank the gods it only took him a few weeks to move in with someone else lol the complete opposite to me – the final straw from which we could never return.
Parenthood wasn’t at all what it cracked up to be. I had always assumed I’d be an absolute natural at motherhood. I loved cooking, I loved cleaning, I loved kids! I was in my 30’s and most of my friends had kids so I was no stranger to babies. I had a time frame, I had an ‘image’ in my mind of the things I wanted to achieve which I carefully ticked off my list throughout my years of travelling and serving my country in the Navy. I WAS READY. What I would soon realise is that the reality of being a parent 24/7 is VERY different than being a playmate for a few hours or a night to your friends children. Looking after a life, surviving on ZERO sleep, recovering from an emergency C-Section (after 26 hours of labor might I add!), WAS NOT FUN. And I chose to do it with a partner who did not by all means bring out the best in me. He managed to keep his priorities in check no problems – enough said.
Getting over a broken heart is hard enough when all you have to think about is yourself. Add in a baby, postnatal depression due to the shock of pregnancy, labor and motherhood…. and a partner that did not support me in the ways that I needed. I’m so grateful that I’ve had such amazing help from my parents – without them I don’t know how I would have survived. My dad has been my saving grace! There are some good men in this world lol.
Now – 4 years on…. I find myself feeling like ME again. Dressing like ME again. Putting effort into the way I look, the way I speak and having energy to actually do those simple things I couldn’t do for so long! Living in a dark hole wanting to bury yourself is a horrid thing to experience. I can understand why people turn to drugs and alcohol to cope with life… I’m so grateful that my choice of poison to cope is ART!
I never realised that in motherhood I would learn more about myself than anything else. How much I could keep going even though I didn’t want to. How much I could handle constant repetitive LOUD screaming, crying and whinging ALL NIGHT LONG for years. And most of all how I could do it ALL ON MY OWN!
Now it’s time to rebuild myself, my life, and turn into the mother I always wanted to be. After all it’s in the darkness that we grow the most!
So watch out world…. HERE I COME!
Regards,
Jessy.
Thank you for taking the time to read and sharing in my journey. Below is afew links to some YouTube tutorials I’ve been working on lately. You can also connect with me on FB, Instagram and Tik Tok.
✨🍷 For anyone interested in dotting some of your own wine glasses….. hope this helps! 🍷✨
I use FolkArt and DecoArt multisurface paints. I purchased them from Amazon. You just need to make sure you get ‘multisurface’ paints…. I made the mistake of getting Craftsmart acrylic paints thinking it would do the job and it’s the wrong kind! I also think you can use an enamel paint, but haven’t tried this myself.
As far as I’m aware any glassware is suitable. I did quite afew practice pieces I found at my local op shop before I started selling. Op shops usually have really cheap glassware but you can also find great sales at Harris Scarf, Kmart and Target. The stemless wine glasses seem to be most popular FYI 😉
I give my glasses a wipe down with a wet cloth first and let it dry completely before I dot. I use dotting tools and clean them with a wet baby wipe. If you’re going to use a paint brush for dotting or mixing any colours together, be sure NOT to let any water get into your paint as this will stop it from sticking. This means you shouldn’t mix any medium with the paints to change the consistency for dotting like you would on canvas or rocks. You need to keep the paint as it is or it will interfere with the drying and curing process. This can be an adjustment but trust me, no one else will notice if the dots aren’t perfect!
I cure my glasses at a temp of 130 degrees for 30 minutes. Be sure to check the back of the paints you get for instructions as each brand might be slightly different. MAKE SURE you put the glasses in the oven when it’s COLD and remove the glasses from the oven once it has cooled down again. Otherwise the sudden change in temp might cause them to break/shatter.
I don’t put anything over the top to seal. Curing them in the oven is enough.
I only recommend my clients wash their glasses by hand with a soft cloth. Even though they’re meant to be top shelf dishwasher safe, I don’t recommend it.
Does anyone else have any tips to add?
Have you tried enamel paints? If so, which brand and where did you purchase it from?
JessyD Designs 