tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-175348232024-03-07T02:01:28.326-07:00Teardrops and Tiger StripesTeardrops and Tiger Stripes is a blog written by Denise Cold of Painted Party to share her adventures in face painting with her fellow artists.Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger61125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17534823.post-90937232275380370132016-07-05T16:01:00.000-07:002016-07-05T16:01:08.415-07:00Fairy Inspiration<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjI99FJAGnSjfzaW1qf-NKtfRT-6xdUY9aLC5VcjB9-EEAtRU823pMT7_-daf4v0sdgG58_0fCB_2u6n2fSpzlUGjyAuUJ0qp2fURAh3XC03fRJaZcb2gNLmLl5aklK4O31wepz/s1600/fairy_inspiration.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjI99FJAGnSjfzaW1qf-NKtfRT-6xdUY9aLC5VcjB9-EEAtRU823pMT7_-daf4v0sdgG58_0fCB_2u6n2fSpzlUGjyAuUJ0qp2fURAh3XC03fRJaZcb2gNLmLl5aklK4O31wepz/s400/fairy_inspiration.jpg" width="398" height="400" /></a><br>
Feeling a little sentimental (read hormonal) today and saw the fairy design on Pinterest that I think we all have in our folders (have we figured out who painted it yet?) and I remember my struggles to paint that design at my first festival/gig. Tonight at the restaurant, I'm going to get asked tonight "How did you get so good? Were you an artist before?" Sometimes, when I'm really honest, I tell them "No, I struggled over every brush stroke!" because I did! I'm very proud of my work now, not because it's better than others...but because I worked so hard to get it there. And I got a lot of help too. I've been to tons of classes and workshops and each time I pick up something, even if it's just adding more water to the paint...but it's the quiet AM with brush, paint and arm that make all the difference.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17534823.post-13441951512152754402016-02-18T03:18:00.002-07:002016-02-18T03:42:44.587-07:00The Simplest and Most Complex Question in Face Painting<div class="_1mf _1mj" data-offset-key="eps8m-0-0" style="direction: ltr; position: relative;">
<span data-offset-key="eps8m-0-0">I consider this a follow-up to my <a href="http://denisecold.blogspot.com/2016/02/what-kind-of-painter-are-you.html" target="_blank">"What kind of painter are you?"</a> essay that I wrote years ago and I've just republished. This is to answer probably the most asked question of overwhelmed new painters. <i>What kind of paint should I buy? Which paint is the best? What paint should I use for line work?</i> It's the question that makes every experienced painter cringe because the answer is complex. There is no BEST PAINT. They all have different attributes and every painter will have a different response for the question. Here is mine...</span></div>
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<span data-offset-key="6imnj-0-0">First, you need to ask yourself, "What do I want to do with my paints?" Are you applying a base color? Do you want crisp line work? Doing One-stroke designs?</span></div>
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<span data-offset-key="6rh32-0-0"><b>Line Work Paints</b></span></div>
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<span data-offset-key="aualk-0-0">These are what I consider line work paints that work best with a brush but I consider a little too thick to sponge..YOU CAN sponge them, but it's almost like wearing a mask for the client. Those would be Wolfe, Dfx, Cameleon, TAG, Party Xplosion and regular Kryvaline. These kind of paints are very pigmented and flow well off a brush. Some of the paints are TOO pigmented and tend to stain like Lt. Green, Teal, Dark Blue. </span>If you do use them for large areas of base work, I would suggest using them thinly like the Wolfe Brothers do. You can see that they put it on rather wet and then smooth and pat it with the back of their sponge. It's a well establish "rumor" that they are all created, with slight color variations in the same plant in China and so are called "China Paints" by some.</div>
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It is hard to blend these types of paint into each other because they dry so quickly, that's why they are actually better in pre-made rainbows or loaded in segments on a damp sponge and blended on the face. If you try to put them on the face separately, you will get lap lines where the colors meet. The pearl/metallics are a little more forgiving and can be blended a little easier without overlap.</div>
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One-strokes made of these kinds of paints are actually pretty good because they are bright and thick so it's easy to layer them over the top of bases. I generally don't like metallic/pearl one-strokes. They don't have the white base like the regular colors so are hard to get intense enough to show...same with the neons. You really have to work up the paint.</div>
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It's easy to make your own splits, one-strokes and rainbows out of these because they have almost a clay texture. The metallics, however, are soft or crumbly so take a little more work.</div>
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<i>Interesting note, I don't use line work paints for lips because I've found that they make my own lips tingle and go numb and it happens often to children. I use Paradise or Global on lips. Paradise tastes the best.</i></div>
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<span data-offset-key="9caei-0-0">These are soft glycerin based paints that are best sponged. They are usually more "oily" feeling so they keep "open" for longer and so can be blended with each other more easily without overlapping. These would be Paradise, Kryolan, Snazaroo and FAB/Superstar Shimmers. </span></div>
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<span data-offset-key="9caei-0-0">I haven't used Kryolan but from what I've seen from Ronnie Mena and Jocelyn, it's intended to be sponged on thinly and they like it's blendablity and that almost translucent look. They have a sponge per color and apply the colors separately and they seemlessly blend with each other. That also means that they need Mehron liquid paint added to them for line work. I tried a Kryolan neon rainbow once (the only kind of Kryolan rainbow I've seen) and hated it. I probably used way too much water for a glycerin paint and it didn't dry enough for me to put line work over. I really think it's meant to be a potted color and patted on and blended thinly. </span></div>
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<span data-offset-key="9caei-0-0">Paradise is creamy to touch, even when dry and blends well with itself so you can apply it separately too. The colors are a little more muted and soft. They have rainbows called Prisma that you can use as one-strokes, but they are very creamy so it's hard for newbies to have good water control with them. Paradise Prisma cakes last a really long time a lot of people love them for sponged rainbows because of the blendabilty. I like using Paradise for lips, eyes and for dragged lines (like skulls and the Joker) It smells almost like cocoa butter suntan lotion so I also like having some white for muzzles so it's pleasant for the client unlike the China paints that have a fishy smell.</span></div>
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<span data-offset-key="9caei-0-0">Snazaroo gets a lot of guff but I think it's for a couple of reasons. You CAN'T do line work with them. Some good painters have mastered them, but I find that this is the single biggest reason new painters give up on Snaz. If they would just buy some black and white in a line work paint, they would be much happier. They also tend to dry matte so they don't seem as vibrant as other brands. I have made splits with Snaz WHEN IT'S FRESH but it tends to dry out and get crumbly over time so make your splits immediately if you are planning on it. Big bonus for Snaz is the availability. You can get it in craft stores and in most countries.</span></div>
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<span data-offset-key="9caei-0-0"><i>Tip: Stencils are so much easier to get right with base paints. They don't require as much water and they are creamy so they don't seep under stencils like China paints do.</i></span></div>
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<span data-offset-key="9caei-0-0"><b>HYBRID</b></span></div>
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Hybrid is probably an overused word but to me it means that a paint can be both a line work paint and makes a good base. I've actually been majorly happy with FAB/Superstar regular colors in this regard. I didn't try the rest of the FAB line for a long time because I was having a really hard time using gold and silver shimmers with a brush (they've since improved a bit) but they tended to stick in my brush and not flow like TAG or Wolfe. However, when I gave up trying to use the Shimmers as line work paints, I've fallen in love with them because they are so smooth and easy to work with with a SPONGE. I have a whole rainbow of shimmers now and LOVE them. </div>
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Then, when I was at a workshop at the Art Factory, I got to try the regular FAB paint colors and was blown away because they were creamy, but were doing great as a line work paint. What this means is that they stay open and travel better so you can literally get more paint out of the brush and onto the client before it dries. AND...and you can blend them. Not quite as good as Paradise, but pretty close. I now have a whole set of about 30+ colors of FAB. I've also learned to mix a regular color (or Global) with a shimmer if I want to do shimmery line work. I'm considering playing with FAB for custom one-strokes. I've really liked Silly Farm's Rose and Ruby Sky and I think they are made from FAB. There are a couple of pinks that stain, but I've heard they are fixing them...and ironically, the color that stain in most other brands...the blues...don't stain. (You must get Ziva Blue)</div>
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Global is another that I would consider hybrid paint but for a different reason. Global is very hard...almost TOO hard when you first try it. It seems like it will never work up! However, this attribute also makes Global a great paint in the heat. It can take a licking (and a lot of water) and not turn into mush. I consider it a hybrid because when you do finally get it worked up, it has a creaminess to it like Paradise and so it stays open longer so you can get a lot more line work done or more one-stroke. Global Funstrokes are my favorite brand of one-strokes right now because the cakes last FOREVER! It doesn't get soft and wet like the other paints, so you aren't digging too much paint out and that also means it stays flatter on top. I am finding that I have to make my own combos though, because I only have a few of the pre-made ones that I love.</div>
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The thing I love best about Global is that they use mica powders to color the paints so they DON'T stain and most come off with a cloth and water. This means that I don't have to feel guilty when I put a green snake or a Batman on a boy or a Frozen crown on a girl. This has given me a lot of freedom that I didn't have before and almost all of my rainbows and one-strokes are Global. I have all of the dark Global colors in my kit now and they are great for line work, double dipping and the Magenta is my go-to for lips. The neons are really nice and bright and actually pretty opaque when worked up properly.</div>
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<i>Hint: Kryvaline has a "creamy" line of paints which I was told is the same as Global. </i></div>
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That is my summation and opinion of the major brands on the market. I'm going to put in a separate post the kit I would make for myself, knowing what I know now.</div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17534823.post-7424368012028801642016-02-18T03:17:00.000-07:002016-02-18T03:52:24.845-07:00What Kind of Painter Are You?<i><b>This was first posted on the Face Paint Forum and I've since edited it a few times to add instructors and paint brands...</b></i><br />
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"This ended up being an essay...sorry it's so long but I hope it helps you decide what type of painter you are and then you can buy paints that match your style...I often give the advice that find your favorite painter and buy the kind of paints that they use. That will be a great start and guide you in the direction you should go so you don't waste a lot of money trying everything.
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kerry Ann DePetro's Fabulous Line Work</td></tr>
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<b>Sponge and Line</b><br />
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From what I've seen at conferences and online is there are basically two types of painters. The first type are sponge and #4 round brush painters/instructors: Pashur, Wolfe Brothers, Mark Reid, Kerry Ann DePetro, Christina Davison, Ronnie Mena, Jay Bautista, Jocelyn Casdorph, etc. and they have the basic 12 single pots of colors (or monochromatic splits like Wolfe Brothers), a good black and white (usually Wolfe) and they have a limited amount of brushes...maybe 5...that they use TOTAL.
These type of painters are VERY good at line work. They are able to sponge on blobs on the face and then make them look ABSOLUTELY FABULOUS with their finishing line work. These types of painters usually like to use glycerine base colors that blend because they blend the sponge work right on the face. They have a sponge for every color and use the edges of the sponges to map out a design and the backs of the sponges to blend. They rarely use any split cakes.<br />
If you are that type of painter you will want to use Kryolan, Paradise and FAB and other softer glycerine based paints and Wolfe or DFX black and white for line work and highlights and will have a limited brush collection.
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jenny Saunders Layered Work</td></tr>
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<b>Layering and Embellishments</b><br />
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The second type of painter/instructors are teaching a combination of sponging and one-stroke brush techniques. The instructors that teach this style are Heather Green (from Silly Farm), Marcela Murad, Lisa Joy Young, Cameron Garret, Karen Harvey, Jenny Saunders, Laura Oliver, myself and I'll count Lynne Jamison in this group.
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These types of painters will use rainbow cakes and one-stroke in combination with either brush or sponge base work to get a multi-layered type look. The actual blending comes in the sponge, not on the face. The line work in this type of painting is a supplement to the design, not necessary for the design, and in most cases you could actually stop before the line work and still have a workable product.
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The advantage to this type of painting is sponging is kept to a minimum and there is less artistic ability required. You can add trendy things like "sparkle powders", gem clusters, liquid bling, and glitters to the designs without ruining the integrity of the design because they become part of the layering process.
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Because the blending is "in the sponge" or on a brush using one-stroke cakes, new color combos and making your own cakes is part of the fun. You can have cakes for different holidays or different designs (like a dolphin cake). You can use daubers or stencils to create new shapes or add texture.
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The disadvantage to this type of painting is that you, in all practicality, need a monster tool box to hold all the stuff! Instead of 12 pots of paint, sponges and a few brushes that can fit in a small bag, you have many different rainbow cakes, one-stroke cakes, stencils, glitters, jewels, and probably tons of brushes: angles, flats, filberts, round, rake, petal, flora and in a bunch of sizes too.<br />
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<b>Best Kind?</b><br />
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So, if you are very artistic and love to draw in real life, I see distinct advantages to the 12 color/sponge/round brush method. It's easy to pack your materials, it's low cost, you aren't trying to keep up with trends in materials and it's easy for you to paint-to-order...if you see a picture, you can duplicate it.
If you find it hard to draw "on-the-spot" but can make a fantastic one-stroke flower and beautiful teardrops and swirls, then the layering style is good because the rainbow cakes and one-stroke are really impressive at parties and fairs. You can learn designs that can be replicated over and over again (like a butterfly) and make them different by using a different rainbow cake. You can get really fast with your designs and can make a full face tiger in just 3-5 minutes. It's also easier to work with an assistant with this style because the assistant can put in the base layer and you can add in the finishing layers without having to train them. There are also a lot of painters coming up with new ways of using one-stroke and rainbows in their designs so it evolves a little quicker than the other method.
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17534823.post-45901237625934872492015-04-28T21:42:00.001-07:002015-04-28T21:42:41.034-07:00Don't Just Pin Inspiration...Paint it!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSECj-de-rIWEv9k1vyzhjjunuivm5UUtKme8kQPvYJHQbkMLqIplZPSi7zJByvfPsbu_VIVibvkxPoY-1ncuEcb5HySPP4jayFMekOvH5kjjrHg2quCN2ePGfS0EPRxsfU0vX/s1600/pin_inspiration.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSECj-de-rIWEv9k1vyzhjjunuivm5UUtKme8kQPvYJHQbkMLqIplZPSi7zJByvfPsbu_VIVibvkxPoY-1ncuEcb5HySPP4jayFMekOvH5kjjrHg2quCN2ePGfS0EPRxsfU0vX/s1600/pin_inspiration.jpg" height="400" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">I guess I'm feeling a little nostalgic about my face painting journey so I'll share this memory with you. Katherine ask on Facebook, "please could you share 3 things that you've done in your career that has taken your painting to another level?" I actually remember that time extremely well. </span><br />
<br />
About six months after I started my face painting business I was getting really discouraged. I seem STUCK in my same bad habits, my work wasn't improving much and I was ready to quit. One night browsing, I came across this Christina Davison cat design on Facebook and instantly fell in love and had to try it.<br />
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It's obvious there were a lot of techniques I wasn't doing properly when I painted my version but it was the first time a work of mine resembled a painter's that I really admired. This made me feel that...someday...I would paint as well as she and Mark Reid and Marcela and other face painting heroes of mine.<br />
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FABAtv has since come out and you can actually watch Christina paint this beautiful design and learn it for yourself. I highly recommend her <a href="http://fabatv.com/artist/41/christina-davison" target="_blank">"All About the Animals"</a> class where it is featured. I, myself, actually went to Amarillo Texas and studied with Christina. She really helped me with my teardrops, my butterfly line work, my animals...basically filled huge gaps in my techniques. I could finally do a real tiger stripe!<br />
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So, if you feel like you are in a slump and don't like your work...take on the work of another inspiring artist...even if you haven't taken a class from them, even if it looks nothing like the original, even if you aren't sure what paints they used or brush....just do it. You may find that EVENTUALLY, it will become one of your most popular designs....something you never thought you'd be able to paint.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEPjuYbx7z5Wuhyphenhyphen_ihHa45G08u3kqO-pWTkIsOBlP23dhLyM-8Nbg5Qdplyonq6WoRDb8uT4F5H239YGr0Gv2fmztWv9m4IvKHOVRBWAwBko3gF_ZOhztfzPQGGlWDo0jzQGoO/s1600/striped_kitty_logo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEPjuYbx7z5Wuhyphenhyphen_ihHa45G08u3kqO-pWTkIsOBlP23dhLyM-8Nbg5Qdplyonq6WoRDb8uT4F5H239YGr0Gv2fmztWv9m4IvKHOVRBWAwBko3gF_ZOhztfzPQGGlWDo0jzQGoO/s1600/striped_kitty_logo.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17534823.post-35010386121252325552015-04-28T00:42:00.004-07:002015-04-28T00:42:53.464-07:00Back to My FutureI got my first face paints from a local face painter on December 31st...just before 2010 turned to 2011. You can see what I got in the photo of the receipt. It was a 90 gm white, 90 gm black and a tiny regular rainbow one-stroke cake, a small glitter and some hydra sponges. It came in a brown paper bag like a pint of whiskey and we met in the parking lot and did the "exchange" before she went in for her New Year's Eve gig. I took a double look inside...can this tiny bag possibly be holding $56.54 worth of product?<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUws_xc9OzKq61WKE2aWk5BzHVYNx7HQDqqMzpjfuuJ0PRuk_Y-4TieKRmuWSmiofi50SPTqLgKTHgCUy3OAj9sUrpb1qiadDqjURWLqHHhXnSprvDlccYURi_iY_pYwP0x8H3/s1600/first_order.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUws_xc9OzKq61WKE2aWk5BzHVYNx7HQDqqMzpjfuuJ0PRuk_Y-4TieKRmuWSmiofi50SPTqLgKTHgCUy3OAj9sUrpb1qiadDqjURWLqHHhXnSprvDlccYURi_iY_pYwP0x8H3/s1600/first_order.jpg" height="188" width="400" /></a></div>
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Since that fateful night, I've spent THOUSANDS & THOUSANDS of dollars on supplies and tried many new trends in the body art market. I've bought lots of different bags and cases. Tried almost every kind of brush and applicator I could find. I've bought powders and gems, glitters and glues, shirts and wings, gels and cleaners; cameras and a laminator. I've been to conferences and workshops; subscribed to FABAtv and bought magazines and books. Watched ALL THE YOUTUBES and been on forums and Facebook.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKm18oBkPDkCpPF7AxgQXZpHNqrqHyund9c5tRtarkYv_yLWGEUtGelPTPG8gsYonOXUYfu-R_KCnC05qaHly9wIX8G9e0UCH757oSOfgA-rs-xdfFtfOnks-Xa1GFTONkbZIv/s1600/Lone_Pine_Mall.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKm18oBkPDkCpPF7AxgQXZpHNqrqHyund9c5tRtarkYv_yLWGEUtGelPTPG8gsYonOXUYfu-R_KCnC05qaHly9wIX8G9e0UCH757oSOfgA-rs-xdfFtfOnks-Xa1GFTONkbZIv/s1600/Lone_Pine_Mall.jpg" height="260" width="320" /></a></div>
TIME TRAVELER...<br />
So, if I could travel back in time and do a Marty McFly and stop myself in that parking lot and give me advice on what NOT to buy or do, this is what I would tell myself...<br />
<br />
<b><i>"You cannot save money by spending money."</i></b><br />
You know those fabulous craft store coupons that beckon you to spend simply because they exist? How can you resist their siren song? DO NOT go to Michaels and Hobby Lobby and Joanns (all within a mile of your home) and browse and feel compelled to buy, only buy if you need something and even then...do you really NEED it?<br />
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<b><i>"You are not a fairy or a princess."</i></b><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXGR-qJThl4QpxLmrSNzkOzFjeFnCktOL8U01ArDC46NTQpQqNwuHHedXjcTyLipYutMRIEKWwyOfYYDEmfRe6HsbkleL_qElDE36chxdjjDMp4LnNq1W9XUoksXtAUhtprINW/s1600/P1270026.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXGR-qJThl4QpxLmrSNzkOzFjeFnCktOL8U01ArDC46NTQpQqNwuHHedXjcTyLipYutMRIEKWwyOfYYDEmfRe6HsbkleL_qElDE36chxdjjDMp4LnNq1W9XUoksXtAUhtprINW/s1600/P1270026.JPG" height="200" width="150" /></a>Play to your strengths. Just because someone else is having great success wearing a costume, wig or wings does not mean that you will. I know they are pretty and sparkly and fun but they just aren't for you.<br />
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<b><i>"Do more marketing and follow-up and a little less practicing."</i></b><br />
I want you to know that skill alone will not get you jobs so take some of that time you spend doing swirls and curls and market yourself. Marketing is what makes your phone ring, your skill is what makes them pick up your card, followup is what makes them a repeat client year after year.<br />
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<b><i>"Don't buy a Fat Max or other heavy kit containers."</i></b><br />
There are many painters that have great success with large kits because they work fairs or large events and can wheel right up and start painting. You, however, only do one fair a year and every weekend have to go up and down front stairs, down to the basements, and into back yards. One time you had to go to the top of an amphitheater. Keep your kit as simple and compact as possible.<br />
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<b><i>"You can live without Glitter Tattoos."</i></b><br />
Oh, how you will love glitter tattoos from the moment you see them. So sparkly, so fun and they last days and days. Your clients will actually like them as much as face painting at gigs. BUT...they are expensive, sticky, messy, time consuming and your daughter is going to start college soon and won't be around to help you any more.<br />
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<b><i>"Don't buy cheap brushes or multiples of every brush."</i></b><br />
Don't buy 4 of every brush. You will end up with CUPS AND CUPS of used brushes that you don't use any more because you bought too many (and HAD to use the craft store coupon!) Buy a few GREAT brushes recommended by the pros and protect them from water damage and clean them properly. Good brushes will absolutely make your work look better.<br />
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<b><i>"You don't have to body paint."</i></b><br />
You've taken several classes on body painting. You bought an airbrush system because you felt that you had to body paint and didn't enjoy using it. There isn't really a market in Utah for it and there is a lot of other awesome artists you can refer gigs to. You are not a failure if you don't want to body paint.<br />
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<b><i>"Good Henna takes time and practice."</i></b><br />
Henna is a great business model. It's cheap, easy to pack around, fairly easy to mix up, great profit margin....BUT takes just as much time as face painting to learn properly. You don't have the time to do both well. If you are going to stain someone for two weeks, you really should know how to do it right.<br />
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<i><b>"You don't have time for extra services."</b></i><br />
You barely have time to stick a little gem on a face paint. Your fantasy of offering pamper parties with hair foils, foil jewelry, hair chalking and painted nails is just that...fantasy. Having these items in stock for the off chance that you will be called for that type of party is indulgent. You know you are just a crow and want the shiny things...RESIST!<br />
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<i><b>"A camera left at home, no matter how good, cannot capture the moment."</b></i><br />
You will love the pictures you get with your really good camera but I wish you had bought a higher end point and shoot because bringing the big, nice one along is difficult.<br />
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<b><i>"Be more picky when picking pay-per-face events."</i></b><br />
<br />
You've spent so many miserable afternoons paying to paint and not making any money. The tent takes a while to set up and tear down. It's usually hot and lacks shade. You need to follow your gut and only do PPF when<br /><ol>
<li>It's cheap or nearly free to rent the booth space </li>
<li>There is a carnival planned or other entertainment that people expect to pay for </li>
<li>They aren't greedy organizers and letting just anybody buy booth space </li>
<li>People are expecting a face painter to be there. </li>
<li>The expected attendance is 10,000 people per day.</li>
</ol>
<br />
<i><b>"Stop being late!"</b></i><br />
Check on google maps and see how long it will take you to get there and then LEAVE ON TIME! You can stay an extra half hour to make up for it; but, chances are they will only remember that you were late.<br />
<br />
I would give myself a big hug, tell myself "You will LOVE face painting!" and invite myself to dinner so I could tell me all the RIGHT stuff to buy and do right off the bat...but that might cause a rip in the time space continuum....so, maybe just dinner and no hug.<br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17534823.post-79636153283566247902014-12-09T03:26:00.000-07:002014-12-09T03:40:36.723-07:00Breaking my Bad Olaf<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjj6AozlOudXSTbtp3mwW8eOaWoUJWie-DYHnkbDDlQwfZPOUJcrcLdd-Wd9_g7ozGOkDk9Vx9GSyT3-Mmde9auVP-dIyu_ZWuBixTtVQk47IcxauDl3yFdVsPCBl9q7heE2GmH/s1600/Breaking_Olaf.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjj6AozlOudXSTbtp3mwW8eOaWoUJWie-DYHnkbDDlQwfZPOUJcrcLdd-Wd9_g7ozGOkDk9Vx9GSyT3-Mmde9auVP-dIyu_ZWuBixTtVQk47IcxauDl3yFdVsPCBl9q7heE2GmH/s1600/Breaking_Olaf.jpg" height="271" width="400" /></a></div>
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I got a request for Olaf this weekend and literally failed miserably. I wiped off the first one and then at the suggestion of Lizz Daley, tried just the face and when I showed the girl in the mirror I got THAT face...the one that let's you know the child is disappointed...arrow to the heart. [thwap]<br />
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Tonight it took me until 3:00 am but I think I have a passable Olaf now and kind of discovered a cool way to do him in graffiti. I started with Youtube drawing tutorials and found a couple of good ones. This one from Disney Animation Academy is good because it shows placement with structure lines:<br />
<a href="http://youtu.be/lQ9Bmzw3ims" target="_blank">How to Draw Olaf from Disney's Frozen</a><br />
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This one is probably my most favorite from Doodle, Draw, Art because it's faster and simpler...not so artsy: <a href="http://youtu.be/4e_UINPfywM" target="_blank">Drawing: How to Draw Olaf</a> I like the dynamic shape of it for using in face painting. It's the same shape as the one Ronnie Mena did in his cool Olaf Design.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_aB-WUAfiCLcuZkf79ErWP-rGGJyBGe-4i1Xrm1SW043f_kd-q0FVrv21hYIRP-Txk1ax-BC0OkIkraIb6EreYGWv9Iwuc8_cHOoZISsExyv7DRxsiIDnIEAxYaIGxLJ1nBTt/s1600/ronnie_mena_olaf.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_aB-WUAfiCLcuZkf79ErWP-rGGJyBGe-4i1Xrm1SW043f_kd-q0FVrv21hYIRP-Txk1ax-BC0OkIkraIb6EreYGWv9Iwuc8_cHOoZISsExyv7DRxsiIDnIEAxYaIGxLJ1nBTt/s1600/ronnie_mena_olaf.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ronnie Mena's Olaf face painting</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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What really helped push me through and get the proportions better was printing off a <a href="http://family.disney.com/activities/olafs-summer-coloring-page" target="_blank">Disney Coloring Page</a> and putting in a clear sheet protector and painting over it so I could get the "feel" and muscle memory of the shapes.<br />
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I finally did a nice face and then decided the round shape could actually be the "O" in Olaf so I added the rest of the letters and I love it! I can't wait to try Lea Selley's graffiti stencils with it...too hard on my own arm. :)<br />
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I WILL CONQUER YOU OLAF!<br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17534823.post-49478641493420804742014-05-15T23:26:00.001-07:002014-05-15T23:26:30.146-07:00Day Seven - Ladies Day Out<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGSpHqX1AEvB_RUCwCCzTVLBU1GeLxun_s9_TJOYo28xUgrYXgken1Wt6aXeE5J6WuLsHeyIh_Bh01mEKzVc66drSODrE1npCKgW2T-adZS4ZHLXi-hCmKgJAnq7AxQt1QJ9ec/s1600/baby_emma.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGSpHqX1AEvB_RUCwCCzTVLBU1GeLxun_s9_TJOYo28xUgrYXgken1Wt6aXeE5J6WuLsHeyIh_Bh01mEKzVc66drSODrE1npCKgW2T-adZS4ZHLXi-hCmKgJAnq7AxQt1QJ9ec/s1600/baby_emma.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Baby Bink & Baby Emma</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMeiVKN4HATEQs6b2ynZqlEjYNKQINF900sKGa-H1Sp3taO_NcQYTojccRlKf41Ze_bjKGl6ddcNy88L0vdC5zjwa-4R3ROmxPMmNBVaOPKiDfh9bkV-gTeBaHHKG-ZXep8Kt6/s1600/water_everywhere.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMeiVKN4HATEQs6b2ynZqlEjYNKQINF900sKGa-H1Sp3taO_NcQYTojccRlKf41Ze_bjKGl6ddcNy88L0vdC5zjwa-4R3ROmxPMmNBVaOPKiDfh9bkV-gTeBaHHKG-ZXep8Kt6/s1600/water_everywhere.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a>One of my guilty pleasure movies (I feel guilty because it is so dumb) is Baby's Day Out. It came out about the time Emma was just a baby and Baby Bink was just like my little Emma, crawling around having all sorts of adventures. Emma was child #4 and so was right in the thick of all the fun like the dirt piles, crayons, dogs...and loving every minute. She was a very happy child and I honestly don't remember her ever having a tantrum. (Yes, this is an thinly guised excuse to show you darling baby pictures of Emma.) I call this post "Ladies Day Out" in honor of our big adventure being out and about; first to the sea and then the city, that was filled with sea shells and buses, coffee and vistas, pizza and pigeons, boats and LOTS of gift shops!<br />
<br />
Our hosts for the day were Saskia de Graaf & Chris Meerburg-Wijgand. We decided we go to the sea first because it was so close to the hotel. I LOVE the sea so, for the second time, I got to take off my shoes and enjoy the cool sand between my toes and crunchy little shells under my feet. Of course, I was cleaning sand from between my toes the rest of the day...but I loved it.<br />
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One thing I love about Holland is the water everywhere. It's a normal part of the landscape. There were canals and bridges and lots of bike paths along the waterways. One thing about those bike paths that almost gave me a heart attack, though, is people will ride right up to the roadway on their bikes and every time we'd zoom right by I thought we would have a collision, but that is the way in Holland. The pedestrians and bikes stop for cars instead of the other way around. Makes sense when you think about it, which is easier...stopping a 4,000 lb car or stepping off your bike for a bit?...but it takes some getting used to. There were fields of green and flowers and Christina managed to snap a pic of a windmill out the window as we zoomed by on our way to Amsterdam.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHVr0QXwkCQvtmyv5zc_zs7U8wqL2U2LzZMAlltl1vdEEx5IL0ddTJUeSH2mxJug_YrpAoYhesWJ5csaXIzZmJnCDqVMQkAZ-wC6ZO6OFO-OLJ9goq7ie7-ARawgerb2XlAusi/s1600/gvb_buss.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHVr0QXwkCQvtmyv5zc_zs7U8wqL2U2LzZMAlltl1vdEEx5IL0ddTJUeSH2mxJug_YrpAoYhesWJ5csaXIzZmJnCDqVMQkAZ-wC6ZO6OFO-OLJ9goq7ie7-ARawgerb2XlAusi/s1600/gvb_buss.JPG" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The GVB</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Saskia thought it would be easier to take a bus ride into the heart of the city so we parked at a parking station and got tickets to park and ride downtown. There was a neat little tent market set up at the station with fresh vegetables, clothes, curtains, spices...a little bit of everything. It took a bit to find where we were supposed to stand for the bus but we caught it and were headed to town. The first thing you could see from the drop off was a three story bike park. There must have been a thousand bikes just in that structure. Another thing you'd never see in America.<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjELBWj0hPl0dnAtZQNC4ecHnBWyiNmi97myJfVXUVI52QyhXLnEeMIehqdfegt8U8zqQ2J0wfNHO5be7XGLM7LjzF_3jhleEtOEE4TRwFKo_8fu-evGXjP2G3V8oM7J6fLPaVJ/s1600/coffee_collage.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjELBWj0hPl0dnAtZQNC4ecHnBWyiNmi97myJfVXUVI52QyhXLnEeMIehqdfegt8U8zqQ2J0wfNHO5be7XGLM7LjzF_3jhleEtOEE4TRwFKo_8fu-evGXjP2G3V8oM7J6fLPaVJ/s1600/coffee_collage.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">SkyLounge Amsterdam</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Our first stop downtown was a really fancy outdoor patio called the <a href="http://doubletree3.hilton.com/en/hotels/netherlands/doubletree-by-hilton-hotel-amsterdam-centraal-station-AMSCSDI/dining/skylounge.html" target="_blank">Sky Lounge</a> on top of the Double Tree Hotel not far from the bus drop off. Saskia said it was a little expensive, but was worth it. Well, it was! What a view and all for the price of a gorgeous little platter of treats and really good coffee or tea. There was a little block of divinity, a crispy cookie, truffle all on a little white tray. The tea was presented in a lined box and you could choose your favorite and then a personal tea pot was brought with hot water...all brought by a very cute waiter I must add.<br />
<br />
While we were there I brought out my new friend Tulip. I've always loved stuffed animals and she was trying to get my attention in the hotel every time I passed the gift shop so I finally gave in and adopted her. I brought her along in my white crocheted sling purse and had to bring her out to enjoy the view. I think I will be bringing her along on my adventures in face painting. She's a good companion...quiet and doesn't take up much room.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hop On Hop Off Tour</td></tr>
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We decided to do a combo "<a href="http://tours.amsterdamcitytours.com/?search_for=hop+on+hop+off&gclid=COu-kqPLr74CFYlhfgodXCcA1Q" target="_blank">Hop On, Hop Off</a>" package where we could ride the bus around the city and see the sights and then do a tour by boat. There was a recording in different languages that would talk about the highlights of the city. Our first stop was at the Royal Palace Square. We were getting hungry and so we went to a pizza place right off the square. They did the pizza in an odd way. Instead of mixing all the toppings together all over the pizza, they put the ingredients in wedges. Christina figured out a way to split ours so we'd each get a taste of all the different ones. I saved my crust and we went out to try and feed the pigeons. I guess you aren't supposed to feed the pigeons bread because they'll keel over...or that was just a tale told to Svetlana from a guy selling bird seed, I'm not sure which....but it was fun! Christina was the bird whisperer in the bunch and had a good conversation with one particular very brave fat pigeon.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJBEBoVIsUgFC-yi1UrNtasLO-V2aCws8AlnRlteQ4rm5Bir4JkVOm7ClhjHCtx1mw5ylSVOv9J6ZdohWRlpby4KgaRohSVDfoiiRhlkBv7beR_d7hYQULs-EktM_dB340YLcF/s1600/pizza_pidgeons.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJBEBoVIsUgFC-yi1UrNtasLO-V2aCws8AlnRlteQ4rm5Bir4JkVOm7ClhjHCtx1mw5ylSVOv9J6ZdohWRlpby4KgaRohSVDfoiiRhlkBv7beR_d7hYQULs-EktM_dB340YLcF/s1600/pizza_pidgeons.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pizza, pigeons and Indonesian</td></tr>
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We got on the bus and did the rest of the city, the only problem was, the pizza was the first bread I'd had in long while and with the cool breeze coming in and sitting down listening to the narration, I was having a hard time staying awake!<br />
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We hopped on the boat portion of our excursion and they took us all around Amsterdam through the canals. It was amazing <a href="http://www.holland.com/us/tourism/article/houseboats-in-the-amsterdam-canals.htm" target="_blank">how many houseboats</a> there were. The recording said that there were 2500 docked permanently throughout the city. Some had gardens growing on top. I saw one that had been turned into a tiny cafe. Another entrepreneur had posted a sign "See a real houseboat" and was selling tours of his boat.<br />
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The old world look of Amsterdam is like nothing I've seen in America. I'm from the west and everything is relatively new here. It's so fairy tale that there was even a "<a href="http://www.poetryfoundation.org/poem/176324" target="_blank">crooked house</a>" from the Mother Goose rhyme. I guess older Amsterdam is built on wooden piles driven into the ground because the earth is not stable so you don't see buildings more than 3 stories high and some of the older ones are sagging. But everything is beautiful in a way. Even new construction matches the old world feel of Amsterdam. We did finally find some tulips in bloom as we got off the boat and had some girls take our picture, my favorite picture of the day, the one with us all peeking over the flowers. We had to say goodbye at this point to Sylvie because Saskia had to get her to the airport to catch her flight.<br />
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Well, the rest of the day was spent ducking into gift shops, trying to find the perfect gift for family. (Be warned, regular stores close at 6:00 pm, even in a tourist town like Amsterdam.) I wanted some more of the seashell type candy that Ferry had gifted we instructors. Chris was a good detective and finally found me some in a little grocery store downtown. We did find a little shop that was different from the rest and had interesting imports like seashell necklaces and blown glass and skeleton art. I ended up getting a tiny glass cow for myself and a sea shell hair comb for Emma.<br />
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Christina had mentioned that she had wanted to try Indonesian food earlier and we finally found an Asian restaurant that served it. It was called <a href="http://www.mandarijnrokin.nl/" target="_blank">Restaurant Mandarijn</a>. It was on the second story and small but nicely decorated in black lacquer and Asian prints. We noticed that a lot of locals were there having dinner and animated conversation which we took as a good sign. I was brave and shared an Indonesian dinner with Christina. It wasn't bad but I was jealous of Svetlana's stirfry. The waiter didn't even know the term "stirfry" but we described it to him and he came back with a great dish for her. We got some ice cream with our dinner and even that was pretty with cream and caramel drizzle.<br />
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Before we left for the night to go back to our hotel, Svetlana treated us to admission to a very interesting museum that you would only find in Amsterdam. Let's just say that I have now had the full Amsterdam experience!<br />
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I can truly say that this whole EFABE experience was one of the best of my life. To be able to mix my love of face painting with such a beautiful place and make friends with such wonderful people as the organizers and the instructors and students...it still fills me with sunshine to think of it to this day.<br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17534823.post-90993335384028957432014-05-05T01:19:00.000-07:002014-05-05T01:19:39.544-07:00Muse of the Week - My Little EstherI was invited to paint at a Jewish Community Center for Israel Independence Day this Sunday and as my time there was winding down, husband put bracelets on the last remaining children in line to be painted.<br />
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I soon heard a commotion. A father was INSISTING that his daughter come out of the line because they were going home. She protested. She had been waiting at least the 15 minutes since my husband put the bracelets on and was only one or two away from getting to the painter. He insisted again and said they were going right now. She stuck to her guns and wouldn't budge. I offered to paint on her arm because he kept mentioning how he didn't want it on her face, but she shook her head at me. He now said "I don't LIKE face painting, let's go!" She resisted...only one more before her!<br />
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I continued painting and didn't really get involved but didn't know whether to be shocked or amused (but did turn around for sure) when Dad said "Face painting is against the TORAH!"...now mind you, I was HIRED by the community center. He was not attired as an Hasidic Jew and I KNOW there are many a talented face painters in Israel who paint for Jewish holidays....so.....<br />
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My Little "Esther" insisted that Father go get her Mother. Now she was right behind me and I was finishing the last child before it was her turn. Mother was trying, but I could tell she was softening...so I turned and said "She has been waiting for quite awhile." She relented and said "Now you will enjoy this all day, right?" and the girl nodded and got in my chair.<br />
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She wanted a tiger eye I had on my eye design board, only on two eyes...and maybe a black nose. What a great choice for such a fierce opponent. Well, I got out my brilliant bling cake and I was determined that this little queen was going to get the best face painting of the day. I said "Good thing there is a long history of strong Jewish women in history." and smiled.<br />
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I started hearing "Oh, that's really good" from adults who I soon realized were none other than the parents. "That's really first class face painting!" Dad said. "Wow!...oh, you look so beautiful!" I did my pointiest tiger lines, added dots, a nose and then to finish it off brought out the gold bling (the only time that day) and added it in celebration of her victory.<br />
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She was already smiling from all of the comments she was hearing and gasps from the little audience left in line. She was thrilled when I showed her in the mirror. I almost cried when I realized that Jeff had captured this moment for me...her peaceful, proud, pleased smile as she received her well deserved prize. Priceless.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjz7rQXuquxaWOBxulNFGKwt2Py8LBzd9AkE_2wMSLbzaS7R3QojUe3KOjsm5myKVR6AGc2rYO-FRiW7QUhI_QfbkvYN0oT9DHyWLMOTrwcGDjSr2QJJZLgLFhwnSRe-PPBh-AG/s1600/little_esther.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjz7rQXuquxaWOBxulNFGKwt2Py8LBzd9AkE_2wMSLbzaS7R3QojUe3KOjsm5myKVR6AGc2rYO-FRiW7QUhI_QfbkvYN0oT9DHyWLMOTrwcGDjSr2QJJZLgLFhwnSRe-PPBh-AG/s1600/little_esther.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Little Esther</td></tr>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17534823.post-8818751433372924492014-04-28T15:59:00.000-07:002014-04-28T14:59:56.344-07:00Day Six - Playing PrincessI wasn't able to arrange any post classes so Tuesday was a free day for me as the other instructors were hauled to different locations and classes around the area. I felt very spoiled because it was an opportunity to enjoy my beautiful surroundings; both the hotel and the acres of flowers in bloom.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaSKtca8omcCxsv4CpodQ7O4OJwoqhYi9dx3uonRbcTzHizbBSDDPqsed7f7L6mIEZrEiYiR2diXk_mo5_GkrKR8ZoO7Z98fGiEKcvp5oZcxbU1_Sr36grR5u9UGW3fxTcPI7I/s1600/denise_grandmas.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaSKtca8omcCxsv4CpodQ7O4OJwoqhYi9dx3uonRbcTzHizbBSDDPqsed7f7L6mIEZrEiYiR2diXk_mo5_GkrKR8ZoO7Z98fGiEKcvp5oZcxbU1_Sr36grR5u9UGW3fxTcPI7I/s1600/denise_grandmas.jpg" height="153" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I had a country grandma & a city grandma</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiA2q8bRqZKP4Hb6I7a2J3C2yumKRcZMWbp2Nep4E3EXb_I2wJ4euG8mapeI0n2H-vkDU5TSdh-kA2nVnoCh5okxtqTRnHZ_3-Q02CJmDwemw_mR5jxQyyWbMxP7b_i_p7O_pFh/s1600/holly_hock_dancer.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiA2q8bRqZKP4Hb6I7a2J3C2yumKRcZMWbp2Nep4E3EXb_I2wJ4euG8mapeI0n2H-vkDU5TSdh-kA2nVnoCh5okxtqTRnHZ_3-Q02CJmDwemw_mR5jxQyyWbMxP7b_i_p7O_pFh/s1600/holly_hock_dancer.jpg" height="200" width="150" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hollyhock ballerina</td></tr>
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I grew up as the only girl with two brothers 9 & 7 years older and a younger brother 7 years younger so I used to spend a lot of time playing alone in one grandmother's big old house with all sorts of cubbies, closets and extra rooms and the other grandmother's ditches, fields and pastures. I would spend hours pretending to iron washcloths with one of those old irons (that were really iron) my city grandma kept by the fireplace, swinging on the swing set or lining up nicknacks on the shelf. At my country grandmas I would be picking mint by the ditch for mint tea or rubbing the noses of the horses or making holly hock ballerinas. I feel lucky that, as a child, I got to enjoy the wonder of being present in the moment and experiencing "old fashioned" entertainment that seems to be extinct in these days of video games and 24 hour television programming.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkIeMwE0Sw_4ai1kTai2kgHlLHv_jFfGpgjSrtZvvRF_MrX5bTsRDTJNgpUdxuFZxpeS4glxEN4vNcKKWcdqGWBjh96T4wQ4y0_H9m94SBz6OwNe5z4i70HdsTggx-7eRzMc_l/s1600/nh_NOORDWIJKERHOUT.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkIeMwE0Sw_4ai1kTai2kgHlLHv_jFfGpgjSrtZvvRF_MrX5bTsRDTJNgpUdxuFZxpeS4glxEN4vNcKKWcdqGWBjh96T4wQ4y0_H9m94SBz6OwNe5z4i70HdsTggx-7eRzMc_l/s1600/nh_NOORDWIJKERHOUT.jpg" height="320" width="274" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Beautiful NH_Leeuwenhorst</td></tr>
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This day of my EFABE experience was a gift for me that made me feel a child again; completely relaxed with no time table. I woke up JUST in time for breakfast and while I ate I read emails and saw in my inbox that Kerry Ann DePetro had uploaded a new <a href="https://www.facebook.com/thefpp" target="_blank">Face Paint Podcast</a>. I went back up to the room and packed my swimming suit and changed into my workout clothes and went to the exercise room and listened to her interview the crazy good <a href="http://facepaintpodcast.podomatic.com/entry/2014-03-27T10_42_34-07_00" target="_blank">Ezia Leach about her experience at LaFete</a> while I did the elliptical machine and lifted weights.<br />
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I went in the locker room and changed into my swimming suit and went to the pool where they were holding an in-pool exercise class. I decided to check out Facebook while they were finishing and found a pool-side chair. I guess I was there too long because long after the class left, a young man decided I'd surfed the internet long enough so he got of out the pool and chastised me in Dutch, and then English when he realized I didn't understand, for being at a pool and not getting in the water. He was right, in a way, although his companions apologized for him...but it got me in the water. I got in the spa and someone took mercy on me and turned on the bubbles (I couldn't find the switch and couldn't read the signs) The spa was actually only lukewarm but it was good because American spas are so hot that you can only stay 15 minutes...so I had a good time floating around in the bubbles for a long time.<br />
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I went up to the room and showered and, like our <a href="http://knowledgenuts.com/2014/01/07/benjamin-franklin-liked-to-take-air-baths/" target="_blank">American forefather Ben Franklin</a>, took an airbath in the cool air coming in through my hotel window that was open to the nature surrounding the hotel. I could hear the birds singing and a few trucks coming and going but the cool sheets and sounds soon had me fast asleep. I had a big breakfast so there was no need for lunch so when I woke up in the late afternoon I checked with Saskia Timmermans to see if they happened to be coming back to the hotel for dinner or would be dining out. She texted back that she didn't think they were going to make it back but I might check with Pashur and Sean who were coming back to the hotel. I tried to text Pashur but I guess they were working on a body paint so I decided that I should go explore the hedgerow around the hotel before I got dark. I could always eat later...sooo glad I did!<br />
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As I rounded the corner of the hotel the smell of hyacinths was heavy all around. It was dusk and the warmth of the earth was helping the flowers release a strong fragrance into the air. I followed the paths around the hotel and there were acres and acres of daffodils and hyacinths before me....right behind the hotel! I could see a plowed field from my hotel window but I hadn't seen these fields on the other side. The sun was just setting and giving the flowers a halo of light and enhancing the colors and it was beautiful! I took pictures to remember but I know that a picture won't express the whole experience of colors, smells and peace. Even the weeds had crowns of purple. There were volunteer bulbs everywhere sprouting along roadsides and ditches.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAQxumZC0qrVsXZ0Kv3a1lm-keSd4rzHciNwjrphpA3Z29QNlzteuUxAg2gQdytbGYIHVoTyLiP3TpOh1bYsZpV2NVeHluurG_HuP06v2BvWfZsN3Qo2-qUvPsqh99WxsmAPLa/s1600/hedgerow.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAQxumZC0qrVsXZ0Kv3a1lm-keSd4rzHciNwjrphpA3Z29QNlzteuUxAg2gQdytbGYIHVoTyLiP3TpOh1bYsZpV2NVeHluurG_HuP06v2BvWfZsN3Qo2-qUvPsqh99WxsmAPLa/s1600/hedgerow.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a></div>
Before I lost the last of the evening light I came back to the footpath and walked around the hotel. There were benches and little viewing areas scattered all through the hedgerow but I bet that only a handful of the occupants of the hotel would ever come out here. They would be too busy studying graphs and charts and getting coffee to look. I know I would have missed it and only had my view from the window to remember if I hadn't had my "Princess" day.<br />
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After my walk I went back to the buffet and had a great Asian dinner accompanied by my husband as we text back and forth across thousands of miles about our individual days; he at home fixing dinner and doing a few loads of laundry and finishing the last tasks of his university classes, me...playing princess. I still owe him many homemade meals!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg219dEfMmD-mvp-QQEN-Cg2bX5OpiNez21PXOnW8kjls53203l3MHtjOUKpSgS8SOqCR9E6IsSe-iBxRZ_hUDacoVp0ZaNVbKf2MjyJOHSQzIigwF92apAvX_2ewTd1jCDO9Fr/s1600/saskia_youri.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg219dEfMmD-mvp-QQEN-Cg2bX5OpiNez21PXOnW8kjls53203l3MHtjOUKpSgS8SOqCR9E6IsSe-iBxRZ_hUDacoVp0ZaNVbKf2MjyJOHSQzIigwF92apAvX_2ewTd1jCDO9Fr/s1600/saskia_youri.jpg" height="189" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Saskia & Youri</td></tr>
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I made my way to the bar at 8:00 waiting for the other instructors to make it back from their adventures. Saskia de Graaf came along and I told her about my day of playing princess and how grateful I was for my time there. I told her about Lissette and my classes, how fun the jam was...things I've talked about here on T&TS. I was nice to have some quiet time with her before everyone arrived. I didn't know until then that her son was the handsome young man, Youri, that had helped me earlier at the Mehron booth!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdyy6DNIYaLSmxvs5W2XNP4TmXTGZuAYWR4I2D28_ssOiKcWnjsxXQURGAHNInMbquc_4xuDuLQRG6VbmsUJq4hjXsOCxkhuDr6gmQLb3A9o9U5Eo8ITpw62KdGjNHHBBd2eha/s1600/body_paint_seanpashur.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdyy6DNIYaLSmxvs5W2XNP4TmXTGZuAYWR4I2D28_ssOiKcWnjsxXQURGAHNInMbquc_4xuDuLQRG6VbmsUJq4hjXsOCxkhuDr6gmQLb3A9o9U5Eo8ITpw62KdGjNHHBBd2eha/s1600/body_paint_seanpashur.jpg" height="200" width="150" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Colab body paint with <br />
Pashur, Sean & Richard</td></tr>
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When everyone got there we gathered at the big table near the bar and chatted. I noticed that something was off with Pashur and even Sean seemed a little down. Well, it turns out that they hadn't eaten yet because of the body painting and were both running on fumes, ARTISTS! :) Saskia caught the kitchen before they closed and ordered them a pizza and poor Sean waited at the busy bar for a long while trying to get a drink and gave up. So while they were eating, I bought those poor guys something to drink. Between a little food and something to drink they were feeling better in no time and we were all snapping selfies and joking and enjoying the rest of our evening. We had to say goodbyes to some that were going back home or to other places to teach and this would be last day we were all together. Lots of hugs and kisses on the cheeks for all.<br />
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I retired around 11:30, a modern day Cinderella leaving the ball before midnight to Skype her prince of a husband back home.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjctAOs1PF6y1X00WCKhzIZwCi1Sx3XGLlMAqCe6A303qnL5DTfZV8I2SvLBbMvtwpRPU8EbWzHUjppLlUvRQIB7l4PLxKQWLzjkqIz6lTpUoeOjiwbC9_kptJhQq6EXykGJFCS/s1600/1921174_10152440627616833_697024269_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjctAOs1PF6y1X00WCKhzIZwCi1Sx3XGLlMAqCe6A303qnL5DTfZV8I2SvLBbMvtwpRPU8EbWzHUjppLlUvRQIB7l4PLxKQWLzjkqIz6lTpUoeOjiwbC9_kptJhQq6EXykGJFCS/s1600/1921174_10152440627616833_697024269_o.jpg" height="150" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Christina & Denise making<br />
a Sean sandwich</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7f-m-Qs5DM9XTKSfJi2Yhh3W6OP8sbdVHpp2vDzDAkn3NZxs46VCQpzTkHryzEmNpIzGIqlUeOaNwu-7lFwjFHMeVGa9u3JzLwirJwD9frm123ZOsFrdciZLXGAbtT8pwdI6k/s1600/1184948_10152371481550229_1462472089_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7f-m-Qs5DM9XTKSfJi2Yhh3W6OP8sbdVHpp2vDzDAkn3NZxs46VCQpzTkHryzEmNpIzGIqlUeOaNwu-7lFwjFHMeVGa9u3JzLwirJwD9frm123ZOsFrdciZLXGAbtT8pwdI6k/s1600/1184948_10152371481550229_1462472089_n.jpg" height="150" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">How does she do it? We're all in the shot!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgb_zA2lYTRdUosdZ2P4sIoQwRXruYyZKmJVKA6_Bsq50GcQIcvp06kx_rY_OB5w6gNKVnjYXoNPMCxIj2tL3JlynOTIT7L5buVkuc2bhrPxuX2ltfL4OjxsUTuw3c5CwoS0pdB/s1600/10155418_10152371478880229_1514352531_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgb_zA2lYTRdUosdZ2P4sIoQwRXruYyZKmJVKA6_Bsq50GcQIcvp06kx_rY_OB5w6gNKVnjYXoNPMCxIj2tL3JlynOTIT7L5buVkuc2bhrPxuX2ltfL4OjxsUTuw3c5CwoS0pdB/s1600/10155418_10152371478880229_1514352531_n.jpg" height="150" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lea broke the previous record of the <br />
most people in an EFABE selfie.</td></tr>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17534823.post-61232470825042990522014-04-28T14:58:00.002-07:002014-04-28T14:58:47.725-07:00Day Five - The Most Fan-tabulous, Fraîche Face Painting DayThis day couldn't have been any better if I'd made a dream board and tried to apply <a href="http://thesecret.tv/living.html" target="_blank">"The Secret"</a> to brew up the best painting day of my life. I was just expecting a workshop with Mark Reid...what I got was a fabulous experience that I will never forget. It was like all three years of my face painting life coalesced into the manifestation of this...the perfect day. Perfect class, perfect venue, perfect hostess, perfect chef, perfect painter, perfect city....JUST....<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgP1hAFSrGLoLX_lgz0Ctg08UxVn5L9DdRGzaKmUT2mXJ0bzzjkVQOZc6PyhbGqGEqo2bcRrjdA4maE2vX21DcVFzXwQBtP2WA8IRg_EfdIbmmIG8TfUzZk_7qZBK2xQWk-BFb_/s1600/pink_inspiration_reid.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgP1hAFSrGLoLX_lgz0Ctg08UxVn5L9DdRGzaKmUT2mXJ0bzzjkVQOZc6PyhbGqGEqo2bcRrjdA4maE2vX21DcVFzXwQBtP2WA8IRg_EfdIbmmIG8TfUzZk_7qZBK2xQWk-BFb_/s1600/pink_inspiration_reid.jpg" height="150" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Inspiration of Mark Reid</td></tr>
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Anyone that knows me knows me well knows that I am a huge fan of Mark Reid's art. I've joked often that I'm not in competition with my local artists, I'm in "competition" with Mark Reid because his work is the perfection that I strive for in face painting. I love that he and his Texas State Fair partner Christina Davison (another of my favorite painters) work together create face painting designs are are simple yet perfect; I don't know how else to describe them (Brace yourself, I'll be using that word a lot!) Perfect placement, perfect thick to thin line work, flattering to the wearer and quick enough that I have used many of the designs in my business to wow my clients. When I found out that I wouldn't be teaching Monday, I jumped at the opportunity to take an intensive workshop with Mr. Reid while I was there in Holland. I honestly didn't know how perfect my day would turn out.<br />
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We met down at the breakfast room of the hotel before heading out and Richard Nijboer was going to take myself, Mark & Sylvie Ghidalia to class. When I got in the car I was a bit worried because there were no seatbelts in the back my Mark assured me that Richard had driven him all over Europe safely. It was a little bit of a drive to Amsterdam but it was fun to listen to Mark's painting adventures...one even temporarily landed him in jail! He's so full of fun an humor that I could listen and laugh with him all day!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglysIuxNiTytFphnEPpQ8SfwcoXO1lcYYjDz_qfO7nFO78d0APR_i5YN8T7Bdle0iuGlb-xuuuQJ2mKV7UxHBaPhZ6Mc5v062C1qZgqBg9sj_jEhkF9WWiPw1D3tO7J-xJvRYS/s1600/Fraiche2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglysIuxNiTytFphnEPpQ8SfwcoXO1lcYYjDz_qfO7nFO78d0APR_i5YN8T7Bdle0iuGlb-xuuuQJ2mKV7UxHBaPhZ6Mc5v062C1qZgqBg9sj_jEhkF9WWiPw1D3tO7J-xJvRYS/s1600/Fraiche2.jpg" height="150" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Restuarant Fraîche in Amsterdam</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFgt-bxoMi7MqoJlbGgFZnUdymgGzjUNvNsaBIpTisYsWIO1lJ6UJfi-hqACfk_M5f0QapPKrXpm7xmATh0hqDeYnAwEvuknn0jaURp2SuMn_L7U8YUwHLUt0-oFenwzbSj37I/s1600/1656080_10203679117438985_1983301772_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFgt-bxoMi7MqoJlbGgFZnUdymgGzjUNvNsaBIpTisYsWIO1lJ6UJfi-hqACfk_M5f0QapPKrXpm7xmATh0hqDeYnAwEvuknn0jaURp2SuMn_L7U8YUwHLUt0-oFenwzbSj37I/s1600/1656080_10203679117438985_1983301772_n.jpg" height="200" width="112" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our hostess Jon</td></tr>
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We made it to Amsterdam and found this darling restaurant where the class was to be held. It was called <a href="http://restaurantfraiche.nl/" target="_blank">Fraîche</a>. It was super small compared to the large chain restaurants you see here in America, but it was very quaint...nah, that's not a good word for it, it's cooler than that. It was like you were being invited into the very large cozy kitchen of a friend who happened to be a fabulous chef! There was Jon (pronounced Yon) of <a href="http://www.facepaintstuff.com/" target="_blank">Face Paint Stuff</a> to greet us. She had introduced herself to me in the hallway at the hotel a few days before and told me she was hosting the Mark Reid workshop and she also attended my class so it was nice to see a familiar face there. What I hadn't realized before is that her husband, Tony, was the owner/chef of Fraîche. She was the perfect hostess. She made sure that everyone had tea or coffee or whatever they needed and that we were all settled in.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD89fnEEgjZR_S137mgdxOH7LphIHsyTJpRyT9xBMkp_q13q6NH-4u9QfBm6oAibtOWQpbVksStJX1bZWsbeBg4Y7KJX1fF6mlhO-a0cwUIwfcRGSj40Ascj5LCk6EeI8A9EGj/s1600/P1330719.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD89fnEEgjZR_S137mgdxOH7LphIHsyTJpRyT9xBMkp_q13q6NH-4u9QfBm6oAibtOWQpbVksStJX1bZWsbeBg4Y7KJX1fF6mlhO-a0cwUIwfcRGSj40Ascj5LCk6EeI8A9EGj/s1600/P1330719.JPG" height="200" width="150" /></a></div>
Class was really fun for me. I'd never taken an official hands-on workshop from Mark...only quick classes at conference, FABAtv and he'd come through Utah for a demo class...but I'd never painted and been critiqued by him before. I believe that criticism is always better than praise if you are trying to learn a craft. We covered painting the perfect teardrops (of course!) and flames so that it would help us understand the blending we would be doing later. Then we got into the good girly stuff! We started with a simple butterfly and then Mark showed us how to pump it up by adding shading and bling.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8k-VvJBj0Ph094JRmRha_LAdsLhYYWNXdr4-sjWDkm5wdOqPQAGTFuzQlXpltBxrwa43Q3rfeAdxZjijQ3XdtLWpE0nmUH_J-jrVIi9sIeaQlXUVFxBZmCI0mH7n3fUy0ghbI/s1600/P1330738.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8k-VvJBj0Ph094JRmRha_LAdsLhYYWNXdr4-sjWDkm5wdOqPQAGTFuzQlXpltBxrwa43Q3rfeAdxZjijQ3XdtLWpE0nmUH_J-jrVIi9sIeaQlXUVFxBZmCI0mH7n3fUy0ghbI/s1600/P1330738.JPG" height="200" width="150" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jon & I painted cats</td></tr>
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He did a darling quick tiger cat type design that I plan on adding to my boards this year. Then he did a Bat Mask on Richard but instead of tear drops added a Glittermark filigree. (I actually ended up painting that on myself for Comic Con.) He challenged us to paint one of those designs on each other. This is Jon & I in our attempts to paint the kitty design...needs a bit of practice to match his perfect line work.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUFnVqopSixzCvAzS1oLouSDeelxtjjlsHTWcIYSQZOp61U77jJDNzue9eyhjivLFX1mqsR7yXnyI0zHxTcejy2cXY1nIEKblFekPspjEy3oSvUD82yJJXyeVla6SpZQromwfU/s1600/10150690_10203678302258606_2144777999_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUFnVqopSixzCvAzS1oLouSDeelxtjjlsHTWcIYSQZOp61U77jJDNzue9eyhjivLFX1mqsR7yXnyI0zHxTcejy2cXY1nIEKblFekPspjEy3oSvUD82yJJXyeVla6SpZQromwfU/s1600/10150690_10203678302258606_2144777999_n.jpg" height="112" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The freshest ingredients cooked perfectly</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3qWA8LV8qfPAwQjvqWs2MAjR9jcIJYHbGVmDEsEQjYb-lITgArJ1Ohsp26BZw5PfZgNTZ00aZE80nvroDAxL42xi_alVTAW8UZdkhNIhKAijeirbMb1ZMlnEH7846mpmsA6T6/s1600/1970818_10203678302898622_799150991_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3qWA8LV8qfPAwQjvqWs2MAjR9jcIJYHbGVmDEsEQjYb-lITgArJ1Ohsp26BZw5PfZgNTZ00aZE80nvroDAxL42xi_alVTAW8UZdkhNIhKAijeirbMb1ZMlnEH7846mpmsA6T6/s1600/1970818_10203678302898622_799150991_n.jpg" height="200" width="112" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Beautiful table setting</td></tr>
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One of the things that made this day so perfect was the food we were served for lunch. I'm glad Mark took photos so I could show you here. Just as the restaurant says, everything was FRESH! We had arugula salad (my personal favorite), beet salad, pea pods with baby green beans, sliced prosciutto, tomatoes with fennel (or some licorice type herb), crispy fried potatoes that were fluffy as clouds on the inside, homemade bread...Tony even took time to de-bone the chicken before frying it so it was all meat and juicy and tender. I guess they have a pretty famous Sunday brunch that I wish I could go to every Sunday. They buy food in season and modify their menu to reflect the produce and meats they are able to get fresh. We are a culinary family of sorts and my son, Adam, is chef at <a href="http://www.fromscratchslc.com/" target="_blank">From Scratch</a> in Salt Lake City; so I appreciate the talent that goes into having these perfect ingredients AND cooking them in such a way to enhance the flavor and not cover it up.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUoryS_VPWTXJv5BVG9dLEk9sFzYwCkJih4QRlavaQYv3ARqE24zB7nffJurv1MzSiEePgeeQztTpzbgAvJ6IXx_CeomrZf7mWEpKakvgXq7lTIh8u9EBgJhX8BPNV0ExoBXYr/s1600/denise_getting+painted.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUoryS_VPWTXJv5BVG9dLEk9sFzYwCkJih4QRlavaQYv3ARqE24zB7nffJurv1MzSiEePgeeQztTpzbgAvJ6IXx_CeomrZf7mWEpKakvgXq7lTIh8u9EBgJhX8BPNV0ExoBXYr/s1600/denise_getting+painted.jpg" height="112" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Getting painted in class</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKDloBtumwKtrzxG_PXP7Sp2teSFGrgp8We2a4nOAGJraHq1iVYwwXgo3XszTcnABU6YN_hqrL-17pemVZ90Wug9qNMhTAQNhbYbXAnHz2TFu0WZez913q56wgzNy4AfE4k6Rb/s1600/P1330750.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKDloBtumwKtrzxG_PXP7Sp2teSFGrgp8We2a4nOAGJraHq1iVYwwXgo3XszTcnABU6YN_hqrL-17pemVZ90Wug9qNMhTAQNhbYbXAnHz2TFu0WZez913q56wgzNy4AfE4k6Rb/s1600/P1330750.JPG" height="200" width="150" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Perfect Model</td></tr>
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I was so thrilled that I got to model for Mark as he demonstrated a gorgeous half butterfly design. He attempted to have all in the class, if we wanted, to leave with a design on our faces. It's amazing to watch how he can take a little pat of paint, some glitter & a liner brush and make these fabulous designs. A little after 5:00 pm Tony brought their beautiful children to the restaurant. Mark painted Jon's little girl and she looked amazing. What was cute is she KNEW she looked beautiful and was posing like a professional in no time. Around 5:30 pm it was getting time for Tony to close up shop. Everyone had to go their separate ways except our little group that we had started the day with. I wish they had stayed and gone to dinner with us because they would have experienced the adventure that Sylvie and I got to have.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXFUVi2PPpZN0kIVAzpAPwJB7LShAz9sN3n2m9TkTAHc8yJdWlYeCEfQLggt87A5HMIVD7Jp8ebn152PC8r7f-N42rhahTtMrXZnsgYC55mBwsnx25Df5bkRs3RcUuB5KicZYY/s1600/2014-03-31+18.45.55.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXFUVi2PPpZN0kIVAzpAPwJB7LShAz9sN3n2m9TkTAHc8yJdWlYeCEfQLggt87A5HMIVD7Jp8ebn152PC8r7f-N42rhahTtMrXZnsgYC55mBwsnx25Df5bkRs3RcUuB5KicZYY/s1600/2014-03-31+18.45.55.jpg" height="320" width="180" /></a>It took us quite awhile to park, walk and try and find somewhere to get a drink and something to eat. As we were walking the streets of Amsterdam, people would notice my fabulous face painting and one time even got stopped for pictures. It was such a treat to be walking along the streets of Amsterdam with one of my face painting heroes, wearing his creation and I felt beautiful and sooo lucky to be there in that moment.<br />
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We had packed a bit of paint in the white Mehron bag I had with me and had plans to paint Sylvie because we ran out of time at Fraîche. We finally hit upon a pub that had umbrella tables on the sidewalk and so we plopped down and got some drinks. I felt badly for Mark because he's been on his feet all day painting and we'd just been sitting in class.<br />
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As tired as he was, he set up the paints right there and started painting a gorgeous eye design set on Sylvie. If you thought walking down the street got attention, you should have seen the people stopping to watch the actual painting happening! I recorded the whole thing on Sylvie's phone so she'd have proof that it actually happened. We were losing light and so Mark took us both across the street and used his photography posing magic to take a picture of us. I'm happy just thinking about it. You can just tell by watching Mark paint and take photos that he LOVES his craft and making his subjects as beautiful as they can be.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkFJSI5arKH3JfhRPjdrwF29hMHJEqrAGjtestRz-nyJwyUZd0_Ew-rmKnGB_BJbGkK9iiCrHvyOi91QkbMFj6frFp9SxDXqBhcD3ZRT_C1C-urrFyI07CsgGqELX194B3_2w3/s1600/1012909_10203681146449709_1407977903_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkFJSI5arKH3JfhRPjdrwF29hMHJEqrAGjtestRz-nyJwyUZd0_Ew-rmKnGB_BJbGkK9iiCrHvyOi91QkbMFj6frFp9SxDXqBhcD3ZRT_C1C-urrFyI07CsgGqELX194B3_2w3/s1600/1012909_10203681146449709_1407977903_n.jpg" height="222" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sylvie & Denise on the streets of Amsterdam</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjATr69Jc_luzLX3uuZk10ZCuBAOhe_1KQsAO_StCvXIeqh19du_Xnb_0M1o-P4kNFXx_9FPiM6mg4XTVkvKCFZ2uJCszB_yM7pvhqFsvnCIa76icdNOrOiXgeP-YHhJo1lt8En/s1600/2014-03-31+20.02.57.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjATr69Jc_luzLX3uuZk10ZCuBAOhe_1KQsAO_StCvXIeqh19du_Xnb_0M1o-P4kNFXx_9FPiM6mg4XTVkvKCFZ2uJCszB_yM7pvhqFsvnCIa76icdNOrOiXgeP-YHhJo1lt8En/s1600/2014-03-31+20.02.57.jpg" height="320" width="179" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mark painting Richard at the pub</td></tr>
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We decided that Richard needed something to match us now so in the last minutes of light Mark painted Richard with a flame & tribal design that swooped across his entire head. I think Richard got stopped for his design even more than we did!<br />
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We were all starting to get tired and hungry. We left the pub to find somewhere to eat and stopped at a little corner pizza shop. It was surprisingly pretty good and I definitely felt re-charged after that.<br />
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Richard was our tour guide and took us for a walk around the city on our way back to the car. The city is interesting and eclectic. There are some weird places like smoking shops and sex toy shops and yes, we did a quick tour of the Red Light district but what struck me was the age of everything. It was an interesting juxtaposition of beautiful old architecture and modern age marketing.<br />
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We ran into a bit of trouble when our cola hit our bladders and it was getting late and places were closed. Luckily, we found this little closet of an English pub on a corner and the bar keep was nice enough to let me use his restroom. One of my mottos, from when I had kids and as I've gotten older, is "never pass up a perfectly good bathroom"...I was so grateful for that tiny little WC in the middle of Amsterdam. I wish I'd had some change to put in his jar but all I had was 100 euro note and even though I was grateful, wasn't quite THAT grateful so I just had to thank him enthusiastically.<br />
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In addition to Mark being a great painter, he's also a gentleman. He told me not to tell anyone this because they might get the wrong impression of him! LOL! He was making sure that we all traveled together and he and Richard were making sure that we didn't fall into the canal or step in horse droppings. He carried my little Mehron bag for me and in general, just made sure that we were taken care of. It was very nice, especially walking in the dark in a strange and foreign land.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghMWh9kkfBpXy0t3a9l8B10eV2gDUDVaYSqPcY6kJ0fuLSLZf8HjvSZRYI6bSxOpNUGtYDi26VneHM-H79gkbzOM1je5qZKzAL9N73_9faevXJrIPfdhf-l1W8gkGJlaVGvhhB/s1600/view+of+amsterdam.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghMWh9kkfBpXy0t3a9l8B10eV2gDUDVaYSqPcY6kJ0fuLSLZf8HjvSZRYI6bSxOpNUGtYDi26VneHM-H79gkbzOM1je5qZKzAL9N73_9faevXJrIPfdhf-l1W8gkGJlaVGvhhB/s1600/view+of+amsterdam.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Amsterdam at Night</td></tr>
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The city was just beautiful at night. Twinkling lights falling on the canal and lighted buildings made it seem more magical that ever before. I snagged this photo from Sylvie's facebook. We were passing a canal and trying to take photos of the beautiful scene and she handed the camera to Mark and he snapped a really nice photo for her. Doesn't it look just like a painting?<br />
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We made it to the car and Richard drove us home in the dark. After a full day of teaching, painting and walking all over Amsterdam, Mark was so tired he was falling asleep on the way. We were all worn out and as soon as we got back I hugged everyone and made my way up to my hotel room and Skyped my husband about my fabulous day. I had just as hard of a time expressing how cool it was as I am you now. I just kept saying "Hun, it was perfect" and it was!<br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17534823.post-82188016393914398592014-04-22T15:51:00.000-07:002014-04-22T15:51:51.036-07:00Day Four - Mobster and McDonald'sI decided that I was going to go to one of my fellow teacher's classes and I had never trained with Svetlana Keller, so I quickly ate breakfast and went to her class. It was very full and I sat toward the back near Tineke Cloet, a Face Paint Forum friend.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Svetlana Keller</td></tr>
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I have to describe Svetlana a bit, she is very, VERY pretty and very petite and has this soft Disney Princess voice with a wonderful accent. I just loved listening to her speak...it's like her whole demeanor compels you to want to hug her. But she's not a softy though, she also likes organization and order so her class was given that way, which I actually appreciate. It's one of the things I love about Pashur's classes...we get a lot done because there aren't so many distractions because they both maintain order.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Class Demo</td></tr>
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Another thing you should know about her is she is a photographer, a good one. If you look at her gallery on her <a href="http://www.kinderschminken.li/Sparkling_Faces_by_Svetlana/Willkommen.html" target="_blank">Kinderschminken</a> website, you'll see her handiwork. Very bright and beautiful pictures. She took a photography course and it shows. Makes me want to take one. But what was cute about that is she knew how to POSE for the camera also. It was darling and we all got a good laugh in class because whenever a cameraman would approach her, she would adopt this serene smiling pose (like the one to the left) that was beautiful and could be in a magazine! I'm sure her "on-the-job" teaching photos are going to be fantastic! The class was good. We learn three designs and I picked up some really good ideas. I loved that she added some texture stenciling to her zombie face. She used crystals on her girl designs that really looked super and I love her use of color.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Innocent Mobster Shonna at lucheon.</td></tr>
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After class we instructors went to lunch and there was a beautiful buffet with salmon and curry, which were great together. I sat by Christina and Shonna was across the way. Well, I mentioned that hardly any vendors were taking cards and there were so many paints that I wanted to try. Shonna said she had lots of euros that I could borrow but then she got this really serious face on and said "but if you don't pay me back I'll have to kill you." Well, I started laughing and that just got her going...she was telling me how she was going to chop me up and feed me to the gators where she lived...mobster style. She had all sorts of creative ways of exacting revenge..."No, Denise...I'm not kidding!" LOL! I'm sure the wait staff thought I was crazy! She had me laughing so much I had to put my face up to the ceiling to laugh out loud! Then Christina sweetly offered some euros to me. I know that Christina lives in Amarillo, Texas so I teased her that she would tie me to an anthill and pour honey on me if I didn't pay her back! I was laughing so hard! What fun company I get to keep! Needless to say...I never did borrow any euros!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Arjan the Zombie</td></tr>
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My two classes went well. We had a lot of fun breaking up Starblends and repotting them. I had been painted by a student in the first class so I sprayed my face to show that the Starblend sticks even when the paint washes off. Made a mess of my face I'm sure!<br />
<br />I painted piggies and tigers this time on the models instead of traditional boy designs and in the second class, an EFABE helper Arjan had come to class to be a model for one of the students. I grabbed him and turned him into a zombie to show custom Starblend colors (I make Brownple and Ivory so I can do quick zombies.) He heard me bragging on how Starblends holds up to sweating and heat so he told me after class that he was going to put the Starblend to the test and work in the vendor room. I thought that was a great idea. I know they work pretty well because I've worked in the yard in them for a <a href="http://youtu.be/djWB_YLSY-g" target="_blank">video tutorial </a>I made.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Denise & Nathalie Cloet</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEincCntli05m0RL2Dzez-eBrYAIrKRbj5P8AiAjngOms-DOW-JE9rp-me06-H9DmYVpPOyZknSRuk4nvn1IIw57ns8Pk52N90p9g7yVhssfMjKoS-ayVf2L0BgYkx5PN5klwhBs/s1600/10153696_10200931082038114_900478429_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; display: inline !important; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEincCntli05m0RL2Dzez-eBrYAIrKRbj5P8AiAjngOms-DOW-JE9rp-me06-H9DmYVpPOyZknSRuk4nvn1IIw57ns8Pk52N90p9g7yVhssfMjKoS-ayVf2L0BgYkx5PN5klwhBs/s1600/10153696_10200931082038114_900478429_n.jpg" height="200" width="120" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Denise & Gonny</td></tr>
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I let the students try the Starblends and they did great. I was painted as a Wolf in the first class by the darling Nathalie Cloet. Michelle Triepels-Verkaart did a really cute tiger on me and a nice skull on Gonny Kokee, first time using Starblend and she really seemed to get it and did great blending on the skull.<br />
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I hope that everyone in the class learned something about Starblends and tried them. I wanted the students to get a chance to see that you can get good results and even better results for some things than you can with traditional paints.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3P5lhQGRiIci8YuSXDQIHgnL29eEUfmsIZjCraGa8pNUXhMwZkQzfmZIx_C8KN-xjpidpcnS5Q6cbLGuxY2Fl4mxAc9c_cvqxhWmTlgMurKOnxcZxx36Ahord0rJbor6_dCSl/s1600/1909289_720142231351183_745282086_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3P5lhQGRiIci8YuSXDQIHgnL29eEUfmsIZjCraGa8pNUXhMwZkQzfmZIx_C8KN-xjpidpcnS5Q6cbLGuxY2Fl4mxAc9c_cvqxhWmTlgMurKOnxcZxx36Ahord0rJbor6_dCSl/s1600/1909289_720142231351183_745282086_o.jpg" height="133" width="200" /></a>We took a break to clean up the classrooms and put together a small kit for the last activity of the day. It was actually really fun and turned out better than I thought it would. We were tasked, as instructors, to demo for the students for 15 minutes in teams of two. I was paired with Christina Davison. That was fun for me because I'm a huge fan of her work. We did the traveling instead of the students moving from class to class. I decided to do one-stroke roses like I had at the jam the night before so I used that grey and teal combo that looked so pretty on Elke so I only needed the two one-stroke cakes, white and black and of course...BLING! Christina did a cute heart tiger the first class and then her signature horsey design in the other classes. We were a little behind on the first class, figuring out our groove, but then in the following classes we got too fast and had to fill in the time a bit! It was fun to paint full speed and not do much talking...more like a gig and the students would clap at the end...much better than a gig!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpZgQ47-pI3sFdxKYI-fp6BH4_bdwmxE0PDAxOrxtXQQQB3iiFjMLcQ6joGK_PjQQf8Dr5KbeqATeeaXo3yjMQzv-YOovUKANGQxkH01iwt-2jVK5_8sX6aLEkUMybsdZ9HN5S/s1600/1980102_720141958017877_1128333156_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpZgQ47-pI3sFdxKYI-fp6BH4_bdwmxE0PDAxOrxtXQQQB3iiFjMLcQ6joGK_PjQQf8Dr5KbeqATeeaXo3yjMQzv-YOovUKANGQxkH01iwt-2jVK5_8sX6aLEkUMybsdZ9HN5S/s1600/1980102_720141958017877_1128333156_o.jpg" height="133" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Shonna and Mark crackin' up!</td></tr>
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It was funny because the courtyard doors behind us were opened and we kept hearing this uproar at the beginning of each class and laughter coming from another classroom. We were pretty sure it was Mark but we weren't sure what he was up to. Turns out that he and Shonna were just having a blast being silly with the students. I guess at some point Shonna was making sexy balloons??? Is this true? LOL! Lucky students! I would have loved to have watched that!<br />
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After class everyone changed and we were going to meet and go somewhere for dinner. I met Pashur and Sean waiting downstairs. I still had drink tokens left because I hadn't had any adult beverages all week so I thought I would try something. I pled with Pashur to help me because I didn't know "how to" drink. I've had a few drinks of wine at a friends, a plum Saki with my sushi at Red Rock and one super strong martini that I couldn't even finish but I had never ordered something from a bar. So he recommended a cider called Strongbow. It was actually good. It reminded me of Martinelli's that is a Cold family tradition at New Years but just a hard cider version. It was so nice to sit with those two wonderful guys and enjoy the last of the golden sun of the day.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Stopping at the beautiful Hyacinth fields</td></tr>
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We didn't officially plan on dinner as a group because the conference was technically over but the EFABE team was nice enough to take us to McDonalds near the hotel. I know it doesn't sound like much but it was one of my most memorable meals of my life. We piled in a car and I had Mark, Sean, Pashur & Christina in there and me. I guess we were quite the sight when we saw a hyacinth field and pulled over to the shoulder and piled out clown-car style, like the tourists we are, and took photos of the beautiful field of flowers. Brenda Rosendahl caught this photo of us...I think there is even a video floating around somewhere of the spectacle!<br />
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When we first got there at McDonald's we weren't sure what to do so Pashur told me I could go first so I started ordering and was right in the process of paying and Saskia de Graff dove after me and stopped me. The reason we were waiting was to gather everyone together before we ordered. I teased Pashur that he was punking the newbie and he swears he wasn't! I think many of us got the "traditional" Big Mac and fries and because they were busy the fries were nice and hot. My zombie, Arjan, showed up and looked as gruesome as ever! The paint ran a little but the Starblends tolerated the heat and worked well. He tried to get the McDonald's clerk to react by ordering BRAINS...but I guess she was too professional.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOwxEqrGiJ7NcfzTp5fNeXLvkw9tnu9fmxpp4MTzQJ9ewGeLlOQ5LMHjiyiC2piQrZ4CVbqcNb4mfP1nWI8qhfz-KtcjaxnyBmkkNCj0iYQ5IFzkjQF_MOuQOsGLn-wsCgKetM/s1600/1982173_10153931500825134_46322632_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOwxEqrGiJ7NcfzTp5fNeXLvkw9tnu9fmxpp4MTzQJ9ewGeLlOQ5LMHjiyiC2piQrZ4CVbqcNb4mfP1nWI8qhfz-KtcjaxnyBmkkNCj0iYQ5IFzkjQF_MOuQOsGLn-wsCgKetM/s1600/1982173_10153931500825134_46322632_n.jpg" height="180" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sean Avram captured one of my best meals ever!</td></tr>
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I can't tell you how happy this evening made me. I got to sit at the table with all of these great painters and instructors. Even the silver haired man across from me is <a href="http://www.ferryzeeman.nl/" target="_blank">Ferry Zeeman</a>, a body painting pioneer in the the Netherlands. We were talking about Ferry's beautiful landscaping, Sean's funny kids, crazy stories from the trenches of face and body painting and one particular crazy story about Wiser's narrow escape from a dark "snake" infested bar in Key West! They weren't really snakes... but he'd have to tell you that story himself! I love that everyone loves to laugh as much as I do. It was also a little sentimental because the conference was over and I didn't want the fun to end. Little did I know that the next three days would be just as fabulous.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17534823.post-62136077036868627252014-04-14T20:32:00.000-07:002014-04-14T20:32:29.838-07:00Léa Selley - Muse of the Week<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjHdotQmHLu0z6HzQdP737BONQSYn4m_7ttMrZcvB5LZkkfOpiIFgmyM9UuijhhZoffyj9m-s-xZThpvogORGv-fBrHftjaTNlde3Z6qauselaQCCzVEOnQkMMY2dlEYoBA0M6/s1600/lea_happy+client.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjHdotQmHLu0z6HzQdP737BONQSYn4m_7ttMrZcvB5LZkkfOpiIFgmyM9UuijhhZoffyj9m-s-xZThpvogORGv-fBrHftjaTNlde3Z6qauselaQCCzVEOnQkMMY2dlEYoBA0M6/s1600/lea_happy+client.jpg" height="200" width="195" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lea with a happy customer</td></tr>
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I first met Léa in Las Vegas at my first conference ever, <a href="http://fpbaconvention.com/" target="_blank">FPBA</a>, before I even had my first paid gig. She was the web mistress and had done a great job designing their website. I could appreciate the work she'd done for them because I'd managed websites and programmed them back in the OLD HTML days. She gave a great class on internet marketing and gave us some great ideas on cross marketing with other painters, blogging, linking to other painting content...she had a LOT of great ideas. So she was inspiring me way back when.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhc_Aw9RkRdXlIsI0k7kdBQtX-4DbVzveOJRDShk-NcSu9E7TGukE5E2q8mhGhKtf3N_s1KgRrWYPvS63tV5A4G2haCS5VMXFTWe8WLNmY5zjVEWq1D8smhuJDb7MADvKVjqLJR/s1600/lea_wiser_millen.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhc_Aw9RkRdXlIsI0k7kdBQtX-4DbVzveOJRDShk-NcSu9E7TGukE5E2q8mhGhKtf3N_s1KgRrWYPvS63tV5A4G2haCS5VMXFTWe8WLNmY5zjVEWq1D8smhuJDb7MADvKVjqLJR/s1600/lea_wiser_millen.jpg" height="150" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wiser painting Lea at FPBA<br />Photo: Kim Millen</td></tr>
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Fast forward a couple of years and Léa has put out some AMAZING Youtube tutorials, has taught a great class on FABAtv and is now taking the world by storm teaching her graffiti eyes around the world. Oh, and then there was that marriage thing to <a href="http://www.wiseroner.com/" target="_blank">WISER ONER</a>, the graffiti body painter, in an amazing sugar skull extravaganza at last year's <a href="http://www.fabaic.com/newsite/index.php" target="_blank">FABAIC</a>! Wow! I guess they had met at that same FPBA conference too!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><a href="http://youtu.be/AcNfeCGBcwc" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBlWKHHPOv2DP9_Ntsd8unOFEJkPyVtjYchBMH1sO6cf8JeVqdk5u-nXlmu0OPbCGbFxCtPKcEOK_qz5DWxw7TCjQZ1S2AW5RPEz1BrVWZEtctzEElWkQsoinN9QUOKBVMjAWU/s1600/lea_youtube.jpg" height="200" width="153" /></a></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://youtu.be/AcNfeCGBcwc" target="_blank">Great Youtube Tutorials</a></td></tr>
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Léa is not only a painting muse for me, but she's also an instructor muse. I love her high energy enthusiasm approach to teaching. I also love her Youtube channel and she's given me a high standard to shoot for in the future. She's also come up with a stenciling system that makes her graffiti design style more adaptable to all painters. She's making it easier for painters to get her great design results with her great teaching style and tools.<br />
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She's also got a great personal way about her that exudes peace and love. She seems very comfortable with herself and with others and wants to bring happiness to the world. So in this way, she's also a personal muse. Kerry Ann DePetro just did an interview with Léa on her Face Paint Podcast (and gave me a shout out too!) and I was so taken by her positive attitude about teaching and painting and getting to meet painters from all over. I was thrilled when I got to meet both her and Wiser (again) at EFABE. What a fun couple and great huggers too! Can't wait to see them at FABAIC.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfxpZS3OjXXTRjUubUb9o7TtJ9bdt_clYurXGceoZc5dUDj1izi0ho5pa47XDhC80OBHpKzU9_2qFqrblSNn1RsEZH46_Zp_jgxlg6C9udAnsGq__aLtXsQ8erBT0KkuxHzeBp/s1600/graffiti_eye_superman_frame.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfxpZS3OjXXTRjUubUb9o7TtJ9bdt_clYurXGceoZc5dUDj1izi0ho5pa47XDhC80OBHpKzU9_2qFqrblSNn1RsEZH46_Zp_jgxlg6C9udAnsGq__aLtXsQ8erBT0KkuxHzeBp/s1600/graffiti_eye_superman_frame.jpg" height="400" width="297" /></a></div>
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I just got my Ultimate Graffiti Eyes Stencil Kit in the mail and did my first eye design. I'm getting ready for Comic Con here in Salt Lake City and I'm excited to match graffiti eyes to customer's t-shirts and outfits. I think they will be a great fit for superhero designs. That's one of the beautiful things about graffiti eyes. There are endless combinations of colors and designs that you can do so that each one is unique.<br />
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Here's where to find Léa:<br />
Kerry Ann's interview of Léa : <a href="http://facepaintpodcast.podomatic.com/entry/2014-03-11T10_49_15-07_00" target="_blank">Face Paint Podcast</a><br />
Website: <a href="http://www.thetattooedlady.ca/" target="_blank">TheTattooedLady.ca</a><br />
Blog: <a href="http://www.thetattooedlady.ca/#blog-2" target="_blank">The Tattooed Lady Blog</a><br />
Facebook: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/TheTattooedLadyCA" target="_blank">TheTattooedLadyCA</a><br />
Graffiti Eyes Group: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/graffitieyes/" target="_blank">The Tattoo Lady's Crib</a><br />
Buy the Stencils: <a href="http://www.thetattooedlady.ca/blog/stencils-more-shop-here" target="_blank">Ultimate Graffiti Eyes Stencil Kit</a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17534823.post-66214501604145009562014-04-14T00:40:00.000-07:002014-04-14T00:40:59.998-07:00Day Three - First Class and FlowersSaturday morning after breakfast I went to the classroom area but classes had started at 9:30 am so I just missed them starting. I didn't have to teach my first class until after lunch. I should have gone into Sean's robot class. I was really impressed with the work I saw on his student's arms later. The cyborg design is always a really popular one at parties but I need more depth...maybe I'll pin him down at FABAIC and have him help me out...anyway...<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2oPFE7fs39IxRaOdG6WYR7pHRc9PZ0hMzTHvKzat5KZD8DdSZXSHJAdU7uThlUx9PmT5LJEAdjhnhDYcIdeBtkiV-XeWrPE6rwGi9xIbnus4iPhWLJaKTA-tRx3MIBwUmVcIv/s1600/seans_class.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2oPFE7fs39IxRaOdG6WYR7pHRc9PZ0hMzTHvKzat5KZD8DdSZXSHJAdU7uThlUx9PmT5LJEAdjhnhDYcIdeBtkiV-XeWrPE6rwGi9xIbnus4iPhWLJaKTA-tRx3MIBwUmVcIv/s1600/seans_class.jpg" height="179" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sean Avram student's work</td></tr>
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I say "should" because I ended up going up stairs to my room and made myself nervous. I had to choose the paints and Starblend colors the night before and I had decided, since Saskia had to open the colors, to only use red, white & black for the students to try. Those are the colors that I suggest people buy first to see if they like Starblends so it made sense; but, this meant I started second guessing the designs I had wanted to demo. Should I only demo designs that they can do with these colors? But then I can't show custom color combos. I can demo using white Starblends on top of paint...but then the students would need red paint and I only have black and white. Arrggh. In the end, after sketching and re-planning, I decided to stick with my plan and just demo designs using all of my paint colors and then let students play with the colors provided...but I had kind of scared myself by doing that little flip flop.<br />
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I finished packing everything I needed for the class and headed downstairs at the end of the first session. I started cleaning up and prepping the tables for my class. I had the FAQ about Starblends, three lollipop applicators for the students, little jars to have students experience repotting and each table had a red, white, and black Starblend with a black and white split of Paradise. I was about half-way through and Saskia wanted me to meet the instructors for lunch...you know that feeling before a big gig when you just can't eat? It didn't help that I'd had a good breakfast that was sitting in my stomach still because I was nervous....but I did want to see everyone.<br />
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I went to the lunch area and it was a nice set-up and I even got a plate but only got down a few bites before I couldn't eat anymore. I felt so badly because I filled my plate and had to leave so much of it behind. I mentioned that I was nervous and Svetlana Keller was so sweet and gave me a pep talk about teaching and how everyone that was in my class had requested it and I had something to share that no one else did...it was a very nice gesture and helped quite a bit.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_TpLYj6ea9tPRVuSZfj0n3UWFSYa2Kr-XOmG0NFZz4gL6CxDgmCUAnQJdVmPCf3MXbdpJwqj_zfoxhGvZrVZR9Qytflu21uf3BygYZ202TOuB5rqT2g5SqZZT24vo0zdfc9ox/s1600/1010320_10202658869626210_2035118917_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_TpLYj6ea9tPRVuSZfj0n3UWFSYa2Kr-XOmG0NFZz4gL6CxDgmCUAnQJdVmPCf3MXbdpJwqj_zfoxhGvZrVZR9Qytflu21uf3BygYZ202TOuB5rqT2g5SqZZT24vo0zdfc9ox/s1600/1010320_10202658869626210_2035118917_n.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Demonstrating Spiderman</td></tr>
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I left lunch early and finished setting the tables and setting up my own kit. I wasn't completely ready when everyone started walking in but pretty close. It was funny that, once I started teaching, the stomach problems went away. I was still nervous and probably talking way too fast ( I KNOW I was painting too fast) but I really do enjoy teaching so I actually liked that part. I also helped that Pashur and Sean teased me a bit as they passed by the classroom and got me laughing.<br />
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I did feel sorry for my models though. Here I am painting Spiderman and Hulk on these gorgeous girls. They were probably thinking "I could have been a sugar skull in Mark Reid's class!" What good sports they were. I ended up having them use glycerin, ironically, because they had washed their faces from the previous classes. Usually with teens and adults you don't need glycerin. As I was showing the designs, I talked about the properties of Starblends and the advantages to using them. My favorite is still the piggy design. I talked the model into making grunting noises, she was reluctant but finally gave a little oink and made me so happy.<br />
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I let everyone break up brand new flesh toned Starblend makeup that Saskia had provided and pack them in the little jars. They were take home gifts too. We used these tiny little spoons I "stole" from the coffee station and they worked pretty well. We were chopping and smashing and making little piles of makeup to press. I hope the students had fun doing it.<br />
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At the end of class I encouraged everyone to come look at and test my colors. I also let them look at my birthday book at designs I liked using with powders. Many of us tried designs on each other. I think it was this first class that had two giraffes in it, they looked so cute I think they ended up going to the photographer. I'm hoping that pictures surface from that. I wanted students to try the Starblends because I think that's the biggest barrier for painters to try them. They either don't know what to expect, or when they get them they aren't sure how to get a good result.<br />
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After class was over I cleaned up but I was lucky that I would be coming back to this same classroom the next day so I just packed my kit up and went upstairs, did a little shopping in the vending room and then for a rest and to wash up for dinner.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWwgwcNzsTkqfySLTGE6ehR8uwMm1J2l4tOJPV5uFWiiLiVkU9cbSZkKeK0XCKn96aDCcK0ZQCl-ZRWYuhEMm-OUaiv7hSJPjJE8KVrmNKnmr7jCgs6qmf-kZagDPa04Dgda90/s1600/jam_collage_denise.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWwgwcNzsTkqfySLTGE6ehR8uwMm1J2l4tOJPV5uFWiiLiVkU9cbSZkKeK0XCKn96aDCcK0ZQCl-ZRWYuhEMm-OUaiv7hSJPjJE8KVrmNKnmr7jCgs6qmf-kZagDPa04Dgda90/s1600/jam_collage_denise.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a>That night was the jam. I took my whole kit downstairs. Of course, I took up a whole little table with it so it made it so that no one could set up by me. A bunch of students started getting smart and moving tables close together so we did that too so Sean and I could be together on a table and still have some room for others.<br />
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I had so much fun. It was flattering to meet new people and they wanted to get painted BY ME! What fun to have a bunch of canvases to paint. I ended up doing a bunch of roses and flowers. I don't get to do big full-fledged roses very often because most of my business are children's birthdays so it was a treat. I got to try all different color combos and pull out my bling and make sparkly pretty designs. One darling girl, Marieke, painted the pretty pansies you see on me! After she was done with me, she ended up doing her own demo of the flower.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLnGEP70Rt67AYMxAdLJJWMPO8BTAdCzUIrdFmtIwsrLI3c7-SNMphDpDpUZVMDNneM61rDO8WtC81IeEuGXaSzysWmd8u7U0zm6uNPWL9SbitscQfdfHCVSut3A7mYTOZQOB-/s1600/P1330679.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLnGEP70Rt67AYMxAdLJJWMPO8BTAdCzUIrdFmtIwsrLI3c7-SNMphDpDpUZVMDNneM61rDO8WtC81IeEuGXaSzysWmd8u7U0zm6uNPWL9SbitscQfdfHCVSut3A7mYTOZQOB-/s1600/P1330679.JPG" height="200" width="150" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Graffiti Eye by Lea Selley</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilp3MhC61qmT6jF2e150x64CtZnGIQ7XX7N2wQG7KSfyx3qXsZ36EKCJSk8pT5aPGfxOz-K-lZwYP2e7_qYHTRkS7hvrAwvZh28xjQvn0TuuTISGk7_iZo69aV_4OkdLbAnw_X/s1600/P1330680.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilp3MhC61qmT6jF2e150x64CtZnGIQ7XX7N2wQG7KSfyx3qXsZ36EKCJSk8pT5aPGfxOz-K-lZwYP2e7_qYHTRkS7hvrAwvZh28xjQvn0TuuTISGk7_iZo69aV_4OkdLbAnw_X/s1600/P1330680.JPG" height="200" width="150" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wiser Graffiti</td></tr>
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It was also fun to see what the other instructors were up to. Lea Selley was doing really cool eye designs, my table mate Sean was making these fabulous dragons from serious to the cutest baby dragon ever. Wiser was rocking out graffiti arms and Pashur was making tribals and fabulous glitter decolletage master pieces. I saw this cool free-form tiger design from Christina and Mark was doing beautiful designs...amazing.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFF4odeb-nG1X-YTf0r6kVz0MO4NwDAO7ef7nIvYOAp60Po8IchO-o5mzE8ilzmA5ydwjR_Mrih6dnKSxu7a2jo0r4_XFL0bZayC1-VZR4tHSUhZYUjFlxPCx1aG1C_ll23n_B/s1600/P1330688.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFF4odeb-nG1X-YTf0r6kVz0MO4NwDAO7ef7nIvYOAp60Po8IchO-o5mzE8ilzmA5ydwjR_Mrih6dnKSxu7a2jo0r4_XFL0bZayC1-VZR4tHSUhZYUjFlxPCx1aG1C_ll23n_B/s1600/P1330688.JPG" height="200" width="150" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sean's Baby Dragon</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUu-zGaExrXMrITVIF3oI-JELZY9CopOznaxq0sCD2NBjbEt9ROI5pdNdAJMN3tb_LsXH_B5pbCdMdQ9rLhjX2aGz47yZ3get5Ppt0tR3_HMek0OFAlJyceJMg6DhC45GsYOVU/s1600/P1330685.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUu-zGaExrXMrITVIF3oI-JELZY9CopOznaxq0sCD2NBjbEt9ROI5pdNdAJMN3tb_LsXH_B5pbCdMdQ9rLhjX2aGz47yZ3get5Ppt0tR3_HMek0OFAlJyceJMg6DhC45GsYOVU/s1600/P1330685.JPG" height="200" width="150" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pashur Tribal</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixd9ZE6XsbbrVnw_Alh8BApghp9Ch6k8IjhBUAw8tIJpxfXU4Joc5mq6akdzno2T9_6Lbvmr3zWeXGYhiOSPVIs_rCNcV-DAITyN-Gzn7ANN2uh9nJjg3hdJraZIU12RMZKT1c/s1600/P1330683.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixd9ZE6XsbbrVnw_Alh8BApghp9Ch6k8IjhBUAw8tIJpxfXU4Joc5mq6akdzno2T9_6Lbvmr3zWeXGYhiOSPVIs_rCNcV-DAITyN-Gzn7ANN2uh9nJjg3hdJraZIU12RMZKT1c/s1600/P1330683.JPG" height="200" width="150" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mark Reid Tiger</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9lA-EPENlvT9JCZrwIMiEZT-1_PMMn9Bihl79JzD4fG5Za5nhsE0MiH7BSeg3bbVnhKahE7B-QBRfQg9RADekTpiGHGIAhEhq4gx5ie_3xQg74srTRLXt5iVfFs6NXZ-dxaLW/s1600/P1330684.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9lA-EPENlvT9JCZrwIMiEZT-1_PMMn9Bihl79JzD4fG5Za5nhsE0MiH7BSeg3bbVnhKahE7B-QBRfQg9RADekTpiGHGIAhEhq4gx5ie_3xQg74srTRLXt5iVfFs6NXZ-dxaLW/s1600/P1330684.JPG" height="200" width="150" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Christina's Fantasy Cat</td></tr>
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Something I missed while I was painting was a hilarious boob painting...and not the kind of boobs you think. Richard and Sean have been mistaken for each other on Facebook when they were fully painted, so they were going to get painted the same design for a picture. Saskia even gave them shirts labeled "Not Richard" and "Not Sean" to wear at dinner on Friday as a joke. Well, what Christina ended up painting was a very realistic boob on each shaved head...and then I guess they posed...together...with the artist. LOL! And I missed it! I don't know if THAT picture will ever show up but I'm glad I got to see it later. I was WONDERING what that was on Sean's head when he came back to the table! What a great night.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgocYlkkxqcfytDJjNL_DrqqKf6JeQIa_YGrsNv1CSb11s-HDgIKPT9mfQJdi4KPixvxBTMgBO7YfR-KlgBN1QiILk6JR270dESl3gVXKuFWt2LaFnNVgPesLb-GrY-NyL_RbDL/s1600/moniques_class.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgocYlkkxqcfytDJjNL_DrqqKf6JeQIa_YGrsNv1CSb11s-HDgIKPT9mfQJdi4KPixvxBTMgBO7YfR-KlgBN1QiILk6JR270dESl3gVXKuFWt2LaFnNVgPesLb-GrY-NyL_RbDL/s1600/moniques_class.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Monique's Hairstyling Class</td></tr>
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I would suggest that even if you can't attend the whole EFABE next year, that you come for the jam and see the artists at work...and the workshops were great too. There was a class on free-hand glitter tattoos from Sabine Vogel, Shonna demonstrated balloons, Monique Lily showed how to do party hair, Danielle Visser showed foam latex prosthetics, Frans Hanneman showed airbrush tattoos and Michelle Triepels_Verkaart showed one-stroke designs...see! Now you know why I wanted to go to these!<br />
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I made it upstairs about midnight, just in time for a nightly Skype with hubby but I was so tired I almost fell asleep on the spot. The day started out a little nerve racking but ended up being a lot of fun.<br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17534823.post-67486790279195515592014-04-09T21:48:00.001-07:002014-04-09T21:48:14.126-07:00Day Two - Good Friends and Foul UpsI really wanted to use THE SWEAR WORD for the title but I was afraid of an email from my mom warning me to keep my blog family friendly...so we'll call it "foul up" for now...but that isn't where day two started so let's rewind....to 2012....<br />
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Towards the end of summer of 2012, I received a amazing private message on the Face Paint Forum from Lizzie (Lisette Huinck), the artist behind the wonderful Wuppies below and owner of <a href="http://www.detiskwant.nl/" target="_blank">Kwant Face Painting</a> in the Tegelen. She had won a contest on the forum and was gifting me her $25.00 certificate. She said that the shipping goods to the Netherlands was expensive and she'd rather give it to me so that I could paint, create and share as I had been doing. It was such a touching and kind letter, so typical of Lizzie who is always so positive and upbeat on the forum (I wish I had saved the letter, it evaporated off the server sadly.) But I wasn't prepared for what she shared next. She'd been diagnosed with breast cancer. I was so saddened by the news. She didn't want me to tell anyone yet but I was so touched by her kind note and that she would share the news with me.<br />
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All of us on the forum rooted and cried for Lizzie as she went through the treatment for her cancer. Chemo treatment after chemo treatment was tough on her, as it would be on anyone..but all through it she kept her sense of humor and her trademark positive attitude...and kept making Wuppies for all of us to love. It was the only painting she could do at the time through the treatments.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtHkCt-PxC6qE5bgyL40jhyphenhyphenlB69k5Xuf9tQHqo8LY2M6EudX6kTl5sbVvRgFZhbQ146qfc216yHCJ7fl6X2LHlsvtEdr4v9lB8q4MQq054xZdtpDuGjdsLyIrrBdPnmqTv49rz/s1600/wuppie_collage.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtHkCt-PxC6qE5bgyL40jhyphenhyphenlB69k5Xuf9tQHqo8LY2M6EudX6kTl5sbVvRgFZhbQ146qfc216yHCJ7fl6X2LHlsvtEdr4v9lB8q4MQq054xZdtpDuGjdsLyIrrBdPnmqTv49rz/s1600/wuppie_collage.jpg" height="400" width="365" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Just a small portion of Lizzie's Wonderful Wuppies </td></tr>
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Fast forward to 2014 when I found out that I was going to Holland; I was so excited that I might be close enough to Lisette that she could come to EFABE, or at least the jam, because she was ONLY two hours away (that's a long way in the Netherlands though!) Unfortunately, she discovered that it was the same weekend she was registered for a breast cancer survivor 25 km walk and she couldn't miss that (I just LOVE that she's a survivor!)<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYq8oZ4mj3EKLXZxeYCduTVBgBHgKbHERChNs4f-dJmOTGbFimlp8wqZsL_rkEKsTs9j8_fUjhxfEuPRdRIEKfOQB2FKcufLRZ6hQR8XtI76iC5hLKl_hVhXZ314wSHMkQRw09/s1600/lisette.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYq8oZ4mj3EKLXZxeYCduTVBgBHgKbHERChNs4f-dJmOTGbFimlp8wqZsL_rkEKsTs9j8_fUjhxfEuPRdRIEKfOQB2FKcufLRZ6hQR8XtI76iC5hLKl_hVhXZ314wSHMkQRw09/s1600/lisette.jpg" height="200" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lisette</td></tr>
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We finally found a day that we would both be available, Friday. She asked her husband, Roger, if he would drive down with her and they would come and see me. I was very excited to finally meet my online friend for the first time. She told me she was going to spoil me with Dutch treats...boy did she!<br />
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She called up to my room and I recognized her voice right away. I rushed down and saw she and Roger in the lobby. She was so tall! She had these fabulous boots on so she seemed to tower over me and she was gorgeous with beautiful blue eyes and chic short hair. I just grabbed her and we had a nice big cuddly hug. What a joy to meet someone for the first time that you know so well! This is what I love about the forum and Facebook and our lovely face painting community. We found a table in the cafe behind the front desk.<br />
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Lisette wasn't kidding about spoiling me! She had made an entire gift bag full of wrapped gifts! Each one with a note attached that explained the meaning behind each gift. There were microfiber cloths because I'd made a removal video that recommended them, there was two bags of wuppie eyes, dutch cookies and treats, bling bling and more bling. It was like Christmas Day! I gave Lisette my crazy Wuppie hat, the one that wore to the airport. She's the reason I had it in Holland. I hope that she'll wear it when she teaches her Wuppie workshops!<br />
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Lisette and Roger were about to leave and I protested. I almost begged them (well, I think I did beg a bit) to take me with them to the beach. I was planning on spending some time with them but they weren't sure I could go with them. Oh, I'm so glad they gave in and took me...what a beautiful afternoon it was!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikRa9JeEsd1omYK-P4YoWROKMVhGH7ogRAFH6lS7AUJqW4X_4QiN2ScbzHW5M5DUmHnNiuIZECLgZK-8o1D_Ip7sLTmwQNMMmKrp7kcPyjYr_8DXgYjarO_0DiqJXhqWyaU-wB/s1600/mermaid_efabe.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikRa9JeEsd1omYK-P4YoWROKMVhGH7ogRAFH6lS7AUJqW4X_4QiN2ScbzHW5M5DUmHnNiuIZECLgZK-8o1D_Ip7sLTmwQNMMmKrp7kcPyjYr_8DXgYjarO_0DiqJXhqWyaU-wB/s1600/mermaid_efabe.jpg" height="200" width="180" /></a></div>
We found a nice parking space near the beach and we immediately saw a mermaid. What a fitting thing for a couple of face painters. We found our way down to the beach and just walked and talked for what seemed like a mile. I commend them for being able to communicate so well with me in English. My family all knows how much I love the beach. I loved crunching the bitty shells littering the beach, hearing about the sand shifting ships, feeling the breeze and soaking up the sun. What a treat!<br />
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We found a restaurant with open air dining and found a table in the sun. I got this amazing salad with a cup of warm, fresh goat cheese in the middle. It was different but very yummy. I insisted that I needed to buy the meal (and I think you will agree with me!) because they had driven TWO HOURS, brought me presents, taken me to the beach AND...let's not forget the $25.00 gift certificate...but they would not hear of it. What a perfect afternoon that they had given me.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEix6deblGoHab-M0_QXOcFQXmwy0vnSb9G89a3ISpbgSO_Rvhmpgb3W0NQJ8OVc2BOhS8cqLfJo5ZZZhqlyOT60CUqexOzUTHtSYYhXYt5E6ptnzUU_nCnE7l2HiwogITXhvySY/s1600/1965576_10203389021748914_1303159785_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEix6deblGoHab-M0_QXOcFQXmwy0vnSb9G89a3ISpbgSO_Rvhmpgb3W0NQJ8OVc2BOhS8cqLfJo5ZZZhqlyOT60CUqexOzUTHtSYYhXYt5E6ptnzUU_nCnE7l2HiwogITXhvySY/s1600/1965576_10203389021748914_1303159785_o.jpg" height="180" width="320" /></a><br />
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There was one last thing that I HAD to impose on Lisette. I wanted her to paint me a wuppie. She and Roger came up to my room when we got back to the hotel and she she painted this sweet EFABE wuppie on my cheek. How cool is that! I was so sorry to see them go. It was getting late and they needed to get back to their family and hopefully avoid traffic! I do hope they get that REAL trip to the beach this summer.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMjTyA0HyEhadcghKiEnIT6cGywxgTGAVKqKjvkufpj0rcF5mcNLijiRoBSD3_jtIdWr1ZO0qL0XCRcFBCPTbl76-cfklXpXTjcArH1j9cil7_cK56KM93ynEipMV4CxFqV1dA/s1600/lizzie_denise_efabe.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMjTyA0HyEhadcghKiEnIT6cGywxgTGAVKqKjvkufpj0rcF5mcNLijiRoBSD3_jtIdWr1ZO0qL0XCRcFBCPTbl76-cfklXpXTjcArH1j9cil7_cK56KM93ynEipMV4CxFqV1dA/s1600/lizzie_denise_efabe.jpg" height="166" width="200" /></a><br />
After waking up all perky at 6:00 am and exercising and then walking the beach, I needed a nap. I set my phone alarm for 4:30 pm and now...THE FOUL UP portion of our story.<br />
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Notice that I DID set my alarm for the proper time. I figured 4:30 was just enough for a good nap and plenty of time to get ready for dinner. I lay down and was soon asleep. The alarm went off and I walked over to the desk and got the agenda that Chris had so thoughtfully provided for us (AND verbally told us the day before when dinner was) and read that dinner was at 18:00 hours....I don't know if I was in a sleepy stupor (I'll blame it on jet lag...yeah, that's it...jet lag) or what but I read 8 O'CLOCK!!!! I mean, people, I SET MY ALARM!!! And guess who worked for police dispatch for almost 4 years total? I pushed the little arrow making the "4" a "7" and lay down and.....<br />
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RING! RING! It was Chris on the phone wondering where I was! Dinner was nearly over and the other instructors were waiting for pictures! Well, I was saying THE SWEAR WORD over and over as I got dressed and rushed downstairs. Poor Chris. She kept her composure as I came to the desk for my shirt (I'm not worthy! I'm not worthy!) and got me my ticket for dinner...I don't know HOW she kept from beaning me with the closest stapler! I went over and apologized to the poor bored instructors (MY FAVORITE INSTRUCTORS ON PLANET EARTH)<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_qkwdXEO10YICUpXA7HJrVypC6OUIy8lb4V1n0UgNle5mBHoQpczq0X-yE-81hEfM1z65uEFV38yN6F-fRr4KdXUBXdZdEUD7efxcIMPPVlIxVceb7EI-g1UsAP06tYOpnvNB/s1600/instructor_photo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_qkwdXEO10YICUpXA7HJrVypC6OUIy8lb4V1n0UgNle5mBHoQpczq0X-yE-81hEfM1z65uEFV38yN6F-fRr4KdXUBXdZdEUD7efxcIMPPVlIxVceb7EI-g1UsAP06tYOpnvNB/s1600/instructor_photo.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">From Mirjam Boxem</td></tr>
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I've got to hand it to them for teasing me because if they hadn't and had given me the silent treatment, I think I would have turned into a puddle of goo on the floor. They were kind enough to let the photographer take a couple of shots with us all together and I'm not sure if there will be an official photo with me in it but THIS will be MY official EFABE photo because it's the true picture of what was happening in the moment. Pashur teasing me, Sean being all nice with the thumbs up, Christina and Mark showing the universal sign of peace (LOL!), Shonna talking, Wiser being cool and Lea checking out all the fun. THIS is the image of my horrible embarrassment and also the beginning of new friendships with these crazy wonderful people.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBS05U93Agx-uRCjgzTuWBPx2DvxWwRzhxJ2FlIITR06vmaUtpMcvqPfvc5QHPnLF8yjt_4JobUDBlVamQ5cjjRf1Hpckqak0WXXlWe_t4L0Z_WCQUZZ3mHKVwyjuQG2gWiDnp/s1600/richard.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBS05U93Agx-uRCjgzTuWBPx2DvxWwRzhxJ2FlIITR06vmaUtpMcvqPfvc5QHPnLF8yjt_4JobUDBlVamQ5cjjRf1Hpckqak0WXXlWe_t4L0Z_WCQUZZ3mHKVwyjuQG2gWiDnp/s1600/richard.jpg" height="200" width="165" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Richard</td></tr>
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I have to thank both Christina Davison and Richard Nijboer. They each came to me that evening; Christina while I was eating the few cold leftovers I was able to snatch from the buffet and giving me her drink token so I could have a little sparkling drink and making me feel not so alone and to Richard giving me a pep talk about getting over the foul up and having fun that night. Just as he finished, Nancy Veefkind, another FPF friend, came over and introduced herself and and we chatted and I felt more at home as we all gathered for the evening meet and greet.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBB4qQjbIH9tWspzSSDpUaitp_UBlqV-142h9TshinlEORS4k74g7e1GR2Eo6D2s9ys2_l8-9Dq-QWyl1WUmQa473DcKYY8G297ZSPCSwpuENwN8g-u9tR07LkcXXPwkzSg3Z-/s1600/2014-03-28+21.17.09.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; display: inline !important; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBB4qQjbIH9tWspzSSDpUaitp_UBlqV-142h9TshinlEORS4k74g7e1GR2Eo6D2s9ys2_l8-9Dq-QWyl1WUmQa473DcKYY8G297ZSPCSwpuENwN8g-u9tR07LkcXXPwkzSg3Z-/s1600/2014-03-28+21.17.09.jpg" height="200" width="112" /></a><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAkk3pXkH-f_leQ3c9N-nHa47W5zB3GQx18T22sjWdK4-pqlUr7nXDUYBX_05twVwdONX2eavO-KuSbrVncRdwyjCXoPqtyfn_viV5OuT-mA_XHJjxoHRna_qgnAVxyPLgPZ5h/s1600/2014-03-28+21.46.38.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAkk3pXkH-f_leQ3c9N-nHa47W5zB3GQx18T22sjWdK4-pqlUr7nXDUYBX_05twVwdONX2eavO-KuSbrVncRdwyjCXoPqtyfn_viV5OuT-mA_XHJjxoHRna_qgnAVxyPLgPZ5h/s1600/2014-03-28+21.46.38.jpg" height="200" width="150" /></a>We went into a large double room where a very enthusiastic and exciting emcee said some very enthusiastic and exciting things....none of which I understood as they were all in Dutch! We were all introduced one-by-one and then they had some giveaways and then Pashur started the painting games. He would give us all a challenge to paint and then a winner from the group was chosen and would come to the front to pick the over-all winner. It was very fun. There was a "draw Richard riding a goat" challenge. My team thought they had missed something in the translation..."No, that's what he said...RIDING a goat." There was octopus in a cage in honor of <a href="http://tancou.tumblr.com/post/28010593923/world-bodypainting-festival-photo-c-2012-tana" target="_blank">Alex Hansen's fabulous body painting</a>, Wiser graffiti challenge, earrings and the last was a tag-team challenge where each painter got a few minutes on the face and had to pass off to the next painter to continue the design. We ended up with three sugar skulls, including my team! It had been a day of ups and a very big downer so I'm glad it ended on such a fun note so I could get some sleep and get ready for my first big day of teaching!<br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17534823.post-68131316322971824202014-04-08T00:12:00.000-07:002014-04-08T00:20:56.828-07:00Day One - Haarlem and HerringI only got about 4 hours sleep the night before I was to leave for Holland. I was making last minute preparations (and of COURSE my printer was giving me fits on the ONE day I needed it most) and so I had to go to Jeff's office and do some printing. I did at least have my suitcase all packed and ready to go from the day before but I needed to get up early to be able to catch the Front Runner train to the airport. For about $6.00, I was able to save the $40.00 parking fee for a week and also save my husband driving up to Salt Lake City at O'dark-thirty. He still had to get up early, but it's only a 5 minute drive to the train station.<br />
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I WAY over-packed. I was really afraid I was going to go overweight...but it ended up being 46 lbs for my large bag. It was funny trying to weigh the suitcase on our tiny bathroom scale. I also packed my ENTIRE kit in a zebra bag...with no rollers...probably weighed 25 lbs itself, and ended up carrying that sucker through 6 airport trips. Why? Why did I do that to myself? Because it's cute!!! YES! I admit it was because it was pink and zebra and has heart-shaped zippers. I paid dearly for my vanity!<br />
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The first jet was one of those tiny two-seater Canadair Regionals so I ended up checking my zebra bag at the end of the ramp. I was lucky and had booked early enough that I was on an exit row and I had lots of leg room. The second flight (the long one) was on a large 777 jet and other than the food was a pretty pleasant flight. Each seat was given a pillow, blanket and had a TV. They had fairly new movies to choose from, music, books on tape. I think I mercifully got some sleep about half-way through Delivery Man.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNkKg0wTIp-wKXFYXyxjCkiF0heDgfR4M6kyZPFyv4oeSyyLAy6xAOqSPs1nr0s1HNktWe1bHuAgTnA5k0bc1KeeZaSrfymGZsQoYoZNB6MvtE_XIlnZlGDDf5JghoP1mj9fkn/s1600/lug_cart.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNkKg0wTIp-wKXFYXyxjCkiF0heDgfR4M6kyZPFyv4oeSyyLAy6xAOqSPs1nr0s1HNktWe1bHuAgTnA5k0bc1KeeZaSrfymGZsQoYoZNB6MvtE_XIlnZlGDDf5JghoP1mj9fkn/s1600/lug_cart.jpg" height="133" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Complimentary carts, what a concept!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
We landed in Amsterdam about 7:00 am local time. I didn't realize until I got CLEAR DOWN to the baggage carousel that the carts that I saw all over the airport were FREE! It was a little funny though because I tried to get a cart out of a stack of them and they are reverse engineered. The brake is always on and you have to press the bar (similar to a modern lawn mower) to make the wheels free. Well, I bet I gave some locals a good chuckle as I tried to make that dang cart roll. I thought it was defective so I wrestled the next one out and it had the same problem. Arggh. Says Denise to herself, "there has to be a break that is locked" and I finally figured it out. I had to remind myself of that fact a couple of times, most notably when we were traveling up a 40 degree flat escalator and the cart (I figured it weighed about 100 lbs loaded) started rolling toward me! I kept fighting it for a bit and then I'm like...let go of the bar dummy. LOL!<br />
<br />
Once I got my luggage on the cart (thank you Amsterdam Airport, you saved my arm!) I saw signs that said "CUSTOMS" and had one side if you didn't have to declare anything and another for declarations. I read some signs about what was allowed and what wasn't and pushed my cart what I thought was customs...and ended up in the airport lobby...Oooops. I by-passed Amsterdam customs...shhhh.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgg0XhsVeRs9eHXrYPJFTyTKveO3KD_VgT3_zng7gtmjuAQGpzztqq_qaDYs9wPlwzUJCjraKaCrw0CyhH9LFwDTZxeGF-7K7Uo4QpFh7zZlFFz4dJNnwpfFOehjMxAd7e4T6Wh/s1600/amsterdam_starbucks.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgg0XhsVeRs9eHXrYPJFTyTKveO3KD_VgT3_zng7gtmjuAQGpzztqq_qaDYs9wPlwzUJCjraKaCrw0CyhH9LFwDTZxeGF-7K7Uo4QpFh7zZlFFz4dJNnwpfFOehjMxAd7e4T6Wh/s1600/amsterdam_starbucks.jpg" height="139" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Airport Starbucks</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
I saw the Starbucks where I was supposed to meet Saskia Timmermans. She'd warned me that she was meeting other artists so I didn't panic when she wasn't there yet. I just wheeled my little cart over in the general area and waited. It wasn't too long before I saw her. I recognized her from pictures and FPBA in Vegas. She was so TALL and kind of like a goddess and I was <br />
very glad to see a familiar face. She soon found Sean Avram and Shonna Flannigan inside the Starbucks area and Richard Nijboer came along shortly. We all sat at the table and I immediately LOVED visiting with everyone. We had some time to kill before Pashur came and it was so fun getting to know them. I found out that Sean and Richard have been mistaken for each other on Facebook which made for a cute gift later I'll tell you about. Of course, Sean came prepared as a good guest should and had these darling maple leaf shaped syrups for Saskia and Richard...showoff! :) I should have brought fry sauce from Utah. It would have come in handy later.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiC1r7gZQ8mQyuvR2-LYAHHgwGHZvC_YJLSjIB4e-B7JqWMru2E2duMr2saVPhpOkRAvKPQ7r6M4a9eF63pev4EW_imZCj8vhTI5SZfGaGHdCYRl7nNmNR4QDlI7g4OI5KaV5xG/s1600/1962846_643934945660904_1578005798_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiC1r7gZQ8mQyuvR2-LYAHHgwGHZvC_YJLSjIB4e-B7JqWMru2E2duMr2saVPhpOkRAvKPQ7r6M4a9eF63pev4EW_imZCj8vhTI5SZfGaGHdCYRl7nNmNR4QDlI7g4OI5KaV5xG/s1600/1962846_643934945660904_1578005798_n.jpg" height="200" width="150" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pashur's Welcome Committee</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
We decided we needed to do something for Pashur's arrival. He was coming in about an hour after we'd arrived. I had brought my Wuppie Monster hat (which was coincidentally Holland orange) and so Shonna got out some balloons and made Sean a tiger crown to match (I think I found a kindred spirit for sure!) and we gave Pashur a standing ovation when he came through the door. I'm sure we looked like a crazy bunch to onlookers.<br />
<br />
We managed to get all of our gear in Saskia's Mehron van and the guys went with Richard in his car and we with the van and took a trip to Haarlem; sounds like Harlem but is NOTHING like it. For me, it was like stepping into a story book town. It was like the real version of a Disneyland street. Bright colors, canal, little bridges, ducks, moss, little shops...really a beautiful introduction to Holland. Every turn and corner brought a new view of a church or beautiful building.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitMTajVmyqMBT0Hkm8j6x16SSluZ3r8WlNhK-2uRQS0dDub5py6q_3EvCEVNb-yTc6N4WYd5ItzpMguAS5u-acb4TtOv0Gc3QXK2THlHhY2ld6OPDnQjWU0Ly3NwimMKe8jpM5/s1600/haarlem_collage.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitMTajVmyqMBT0Hkm8j6x16SSluZ3r8WlNhK-2uRQS0dDub5py6q_3EvCEVNb-yTc6N4WYd5ItzpMguAS5u-acb4TtOv0Gc3QXK2THlHhY2ld6OPDnQjWU0Ly3NwimMKe8jpM5/s1600/haarlem_collage.jpg" height="640" width="515" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Beautiful Haarlem. Every turn a new vista.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirBHQwzXbp9z5859d17HCIvn29FRGjivZKBHYQIXOOkOvspdOBZzlM7PuOjhVTb637-oRD7l-eS6TDvGWYZh4OCx2fiK5NzYft8NU8im_g1LU4m18wOzw0dC3uU7THtDod5GXm/s1600/wooden_shoes.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirBHQwzXbp9z5859d17HCIvn29FRGjivZKBHYQIXOOkOvspdOBZzlM7PuOjhVTb637-oRD7l-eS6TDvGWYZh4OCx2fiK5NzYft8NU8im_g1LU4m18wOzw0dC3uU7THtDod5GXm/s1600/wooden_shoes.jpg" height="234" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dutch tourist traps. Just put them out and you'll capture<br />
a few dozen tourists every day.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Of course one of the first things we come across are a very large pair of wooden clogs and we took the obligatory tourist photo.<br />
<br />
About lunch time Richard asked if we are hungry. The last thing I ate were some marble sized meatballs and a croissant with mustard...or something like that...so I said yes but he had a surprise in store for us, a Dutch treat so to speak.<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGz0nA_ODKD1PKj9EIBAnt-jfDMxV9b65GHugZRMmY_o4ybf8v7gwQ2cXQ_kx-aXz2UVTOGwOARGAZNWMjgjdLFBPcfTqYEaVAu2y4of8JovZgKu30zY6DQGQh4Z1PAxKAJJ3W/s1600/dutch_herring.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGz0nA_ODKD1PKj9EIBAnt-jfDMxV9b65GHugZRMmY_o4ybf8v7gwQ2cXQ_kx-aXz2UVTOGwOARGAZNWMjgjdLFBPcfTqYEaVAu2y4of8JovZgKu30zY6DQGQh4Z1PAxKAJJ3W/s1600/dutch_herring.jpg" height="131" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hollandse Nieuwe</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYXADkRXFrdr52mB74TWB4Sl7hl3Dz0MwxAHvAgN3kyhBtVihdCIA64DVjYLY72vGSMaOL_PCnGWvlCh4MG72FicydsZHu4c5Q6Lx-gDCNc2mfve9ITyOQbkl0RNXSn08pkoxe/s1600/P1330665.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYXADkRXFrdr52mB74TWB4Sl7hl3Dz0MwxAHvAgN3kyhBtVihdCIA64DVjYLY72vGSMaOL_PCnGWvlCh4MG72FicydsZHu4c5Q6Lx-gDCNc2mfve9ITyOQbkl0RNXSn08pkoxe/s1600/P1330665.JPG" height="200" width="150" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Go Shonna!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
We went up to a street vendor, more of an open air deli and I thought he was going to get one for us to taste. I was wrong. He had the nice woman prepare three whole ones for us: me, Shonna and himself. Mine was cut up like the photo. Shonna got a whole one and Richard coached her on the proper way to eat it. I don't think the lady at the counter liked all the fuss we made about eating her well prepared dishes! It wasn't bad tasting but the texture was a little tough for me since the most raw fish I'd ever eaten was about the size of my thumbnail in a sushi roll. I motioned to Pashur for help but he said "Oh, no...that's all on you!" and so I finished most of it, avoiding the onions...for Pashur's sake of course. LOL!<br />
<br />
Our taste exploration didn't end with fish. We stopped at another little shop that was making hot Dutch Fries (not French Fries) called Patat and there were all kinds of toppings and flavorings available. I was thinking that I would be clever and make my own version of Utah fry sauce so I asked for mayo (traditional) AND some ketchup and I thought I could mix them up together. Ooops. They <br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQVhIWsbbDddiInf_9NKUNWIK71z5i16VaT-fm-TvNXhoRlQ9RZ8OMi2Fh_Br0b0Qc8rbAikrqWjyDYtqB8l1t5VrZ3oKCEF82xNk0FKJ7JQGSlMaIhJyBRU0IAQ-qX_5ZSasn/s1600/dutch_fries.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQVhIWsbbDddiInf_9NKUNWIK71z5i16VaT-fm-TvNXhoRlQ9RZ8OMi2Fh_Br0b0Qc8rbAikrqWjyDYtqB8l1t5VrZ3oKCEF82xNk0FKJ7JQGSlMaIhJyBRU0IAQ-qX_5ZSasn/s1600/dutch_fries.jpg" height="200" width="153" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our fries were similar to these</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
come plopped right on top. I only made it half way through before there was just too much mayo to get my fingers around. I wonder if they can put sauce on the side? They were hot and delicious however and the warmth was welcome as it was getting cold. Fortunately, and I guess unusually, it was the only chilly day the whole trip. We Americans apparently brought the sunshine with us!<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj16tD8SPiCMLVYGzfsg_RdBUyBl5YGNUvMlq72yHrIbe39rRiWuCRcizBUz-oCisWjkvz4MlwBZ7Sjkc3-n7gjJlvEH9nWZxtLuTqYYZr3Dk78DKGerRy3dlAX8YoW27f-diID/s1600/14872_10151953571865443_459502180_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj16tD8SPiCMLVYGzfsg_RdBUyBl5YGNUvMlq72yHrIbe39rRiWuCRcizBUz-oCisWjkvz4MlwBZ7Sjkc3-n7gjJlvEH9nWZxtLuTqYYZr3Dk78DKGerRy3dlAX8YoW27f-diID/s1600/14872_10151953571865443_459502180_n.jpg" height="150" width="200" /></a>We made it back to the hotel but had to wait a bit for our rooms...sitting still was probably a mistake. I think all of us starting getting sleepy from staying up for many hours past our bedtime. I think most of us new arrivals ended up taking a short nap so we could make it through dinner. Pashur snapped this photo while we were waiting to go. Apparently I was the only one that got the memo that we were expressing our lack of sleep in a jet lag selfie. Here we are being photo bombed by perky butts Wiser, Lea & Svetlana. Is Sean making moose antlers on me? Wacky Canadamerican! :) Sweet Svetlana gave us all delicious Swiss chocolate (which I hauled 6,000 miles in a shopping bag just to have my kids polish off in a day! Luckily I got a bit of it.)<br />
<br />
We went to dinner at the casino close by the hotel at the <a href="http://www.orientalnoordwijkerhout.nl/" target="_blank">Flamingo Wok</a>. It was a really nice buffet where you can also make a custom wok stir fry with your favorite marinated meat, fresh veggies, mushrooms, etc. and then you choose your sauce from super mild to spicy. The sushi roll and other dishes were quite good too and they even had homemade ice cream, lemon was my favorite. It was so great to meet all the fabulous instructors. They were so kind to say hello to the newbie and give me a place at the table. What a great end to a very LONG day.<br />
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17534823.post-15877921068581485742014-04-06T06:45:00.000-07:002014-04-06T06:47:22.959-07:00Saying "YES!" My Invitation to EFABE<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrXd_FelqXEzc7RQk2eP09QwPD7wMJJ8XDjul_osero1hf3d-bkt3rWW-pssqVwR7NQ1f7D90856-sM2-QD6q5GYhnHhFn5ZV8QVPumRVVTIastjkdW2snMfyrE5Gv_eB8S0d0/s1600/saskiatimmermans.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrXd_FelqXEzc7RQk2eP09QwPD7wMJJ8XDjul_osero1hf3d-bkt3rWW-pssqVwR7NQ1f7D90856-sM2-QD6q5GYhnHhFn5ZV8QVPumRVVTIastjkdW2snMfyrE5Gv_eB8S0d0/s1600/saskiatimmermans.jpg" height="200" width="153" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Saskia Timmermans</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
I was contacted by Saskia Timmermans, one of the organizers of EFABE (<a href="http://www.eba-foundation.com/" target="_blank">European Face and Body Art Event</a>), in late December to see if I was interested to be a part of the 2014 conference and teach students about Starblend makeup. At first I was hesitant and expressed my worry about my ability to teach among such great artists. I had looked up the artists from last year and the ones that were already signed up to teach this year (read: all of my favorite artists whose work I love and admire deeply!)...but I would be foolish to pass up such an incredible opportunity, right?? So I said "yes"...one of many yeses to come. She told me that they were meeting, as a committee, to finish up the list of artists and would let me know.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUKmVdxpHjYQ0JTEcmo9YOJnUUj_6-pXhnyA9RJibi8Egyd_7uim7v1nqCaYAxL78rd8KvUJrgjhnEHIl27weoaV8q57HULEt8aU5n6Y-3dmO9o6RyPc_QcHcDV-t-GystKVn_/s1600/Leeuwenhorst.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUKmVdxpHjYQ0JTEcmo9YOJnUUj_6-pXhnyA9RJibi8Egyd_7uim7v1nqCaYAxL78rd8KvUJrgjhnEHIl27weoaV8q57HULEt8aU5n6Y-3dmO9o6RyPc_QcHcDV-t-GystKVn_/s1600/Leeuwenhorst.jpg" height="155" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Leeuwenhorst Conference Center</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Soon I received an official invitation by email and at first I couldn't believe it. I called Jeff in to re-read it for me because I thought "I must be wrong!" The more I read through, the more I realized I was invited to Holland to teach at EFABE! (Squeal of delight!) The airfare and hotel were covered and what a lovely hotel they had chosen. <a href="http://www.nh-hotels.nl/nh/nl/hotels/nederland/noordwijkerhout/nh-conference-centre-leeuwenhorst.html" target="_blank">Leeuwenhorst Conference Center</a> They had decide to make the conference more of a special experience for all and hold it in a nice hotel near the sea. I guess last year was held in a school and had special challenges like having to be out by 10:00 pm and transportation. This way, the conference and rooms would be adjacent and we could all relax and have a very special experience.<br />
<br />
EFABE is set up so that the instructors all teach the same class so that all the students have a chance to attend a class from all of the instructors if they choose. I like this system because I've been in that position before where I had to make a choice between two great classes. So we would be asked to teach 3 or 4 classes and then there was a meet-and-greet at the start and a late night jam (my favorite) and then a 15 minute demo on the last day.<br />
<br />
There were also pre and post class opportunities but you needed to find a host and also get enough students and so I wasn't able to generate enough interest in my classes but I understood completely when there were so many good choices of instructors and classes available. In fact, because of this, I was able to attend a Mark Reid workshop and had the BEST DAY EVER...but I'll write more about that later.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQVnYHUkbXGcqzOyvyvwWaI7FP2TBCypcGH3N3kdxCGcWkQ0N3mdw2jSrqhAnuOVZXXuI8LbUMt6RWyUQCbu7FWwZRX9SDnX3rC4L3udsy5jYdP-AUcMf_q1TcpU-RvFGYUcJO/s1600/explorer_card_244x157.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQVnYHUkbXGcqzOyvyvwWaI7FP2TBCypcGH3N3kdxCGcWkQ0N3mdw2jSrqhAnuOVZXXuI8LbUMt6RWyUQCbu7FWwZRX9SDnX3rC4L3udsy5jYdP-AUcMf_q1TcpU-RvFGYUcJO/s1600/explorer_card_244x157.jpg" /></a>My husband is a wiz at getting airline points so he advised me to use a United Mileage Plus credit card to book the flight. It would help me earn some points towards another flight in the future and would also give me the benefit of free baggage. What a great idea that was. I not only received some promotional points for opening the credit line, but I got priority boarding on the plane (which is good when you've packed your entire kit and have to walk the aisle with it!) and I also earned miles for the long, long flight which I've already applied toward my trip to FABAIC!<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5X-1__ChvR1p8cYjfPwUYl2evxXOKuf1IUZ1ksqUB4ei47S11GNWiMKdT2PDxwKR9dMTztw04Un_ixim1hyphenhyphenKkTT_jqKeYGddF0uNS5xSULSYc7wVGkQ9F8pNpolaD_z88ZWTT/s1600/saski_degraaf.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5X-1__ChvR1p8cYjfPwUYl2evxXOKuf1IUZ1ksqUB4ei47S11GNWiMKdT2PDxwKR9dMTztw04Un_ixim1hyphenhyphenKkTT_jqKeYGddF0uNS5xSULSYc7wVGkQ9F8pNpolaD_z88ZWTT/s1600/saski_degraaf.jpg" height="200" width="160" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Saskia de Graaf</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
I mostly worked with Saskia de Graaf through email and made all the arrangements. I couldn't ask enough questions it seemed. She was very patient with me and helped me through the process of getting all of my paperwork in, pictures of my passport (so glad I already had it!), reimbursed for the flight...everything I needed to get ready to go. She was an even more lovely person when I finally got a chance to meet her at the conference, she couldn't have been nicer.<br />
<br />
I purchased a bunch of lollipop sponges from Qosmedix.com for my students before I left because I'd heard they were very hard to get in Europe. I edited my FAQ and planned a bunch of quick designs to show off the properties of Starblends and we even planned on a repotting demonstration to show how you can destroy Starblends and fix them and pot them in smaller containers for on-the-job. I was ready to go.<br />
<br />
I didn't want to jinx the trip and so I waited to announce that I was going like when you don't tell anyone about a pregnancy too early. I put together my flyer for the class and when it appeared on the website, I decide to announce on Facebook and Face Paint Forum that I was going. I was so happy for the congratulations, love and support that I received from everyone! What a fantastic face painting community we have. EFABE 2014!<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbAI1aK-GJ8UFqgbF0x9sBEsDUFIY0GPgmG57ftLYbf3oCAldMCGKRgQSg6IXEQuGiumRYxhQd4X-2s7LKg38hBii7l3rM8NWsR5RHp8ZT65DtWV4m__08Zkok5Iw-6556eLLN/s1600/efabe_logo_400.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbAI1aK-GJ8UFqgbF0x9sBEsDUFIY0GPgmG57ftLYbf3oCAldMCGKRgQSg6IXEQuGiumRYxhQd4X-2s7LKg38hBii7l3rM8NWsR5RHp8ZT65DtWV4m__08Zkok5Iw-6556eLLN/s1600/efabe_logo_400.jpg" height="320" width="231" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">EFABE logo designed by Dutch Bihary</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17534823.post-80656697203123061172014-03-24T14:28:00.001-07:002014-03-24T14:28:33.268-07:00Laura Oliver - Muse of the Week<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTtR29RLkGCc6BubImFlrBzlr0pP_MGqgyXwl9bKRx0VR6BSwG4k-rho4xalUN-ixjkMLj-fkiXdjAawbHgpL2_43tQZyPDGTFSMxqXdhNeuEpTVxIuD_nMCb0OnI9pan_oAYh/s1600/laura.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTtR29RLkGCc6BubImFlrBzlr0pP_MGqgyXwl9bKRx0VR6BSwG4k-rho4xalUN-ixjkMLj-fkiXdjAawbHgpL2_43tQZyPDGTFSMxqXdhNeuEpTVxIuD_nMCb0OnI9pan_oAYh/s1600/laura.jpg" height="200" width="124" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Laura Oliver</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Laura Oliver is known for her elaborate flower designs and they are gorgeous (as you can see!) but I became a huge fan of hers almost two years ago because she was posting these perfect quick designs done with one-stroke cakes. They weren't elaborate, maybe just two loads and some tear drops...but the placement, the fabulous use of color in combos I would never think of and that they were DOABLE got them on my design board. Her simple blossom cluster has been my MOST popular eye design two years running. Another favorite, the rainbow roses crown, makes moms gasp at every party because it's so flattering and darling.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgC23S-xqrxQYnlVCPpuCqWxiCgidfShM_l0-kcyQVH3abSSxA-dLRaVOERdqI5nbGlTCZOl9M17zXNzat-mEPKq6cOC7S0Lov96jquaPZQ9mMb8rmPjXbavpyUPEWucCUkD6Rv/s1600/946917_422996951147505_459356897_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgC23S-xqrxQYnlVCPpuCqWxiCgidfShM_l0-kcyQVH3abSSxA-dLRaVOERdqI5nbGlTCZOl9M17zXNzat-mEPKq6cOC7S0Lov96jquaPZQ9mMb8rmPjXbavpyUPEWucCUkD6Rv/s1600/946917_422996951147505_459356897_n.jpg" height="200" width="149" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Denise & Laura</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
We invited Laura to come and teach in Salt Lake last year and I got to know her even better and what a lovely person she is. She was a generous teacher and very encouraging and kind. She had us all making these elaborate flower designs (even the most ardant "I can't do one-stroke!" painters) and then decorated us with one-of-a-kind eye designs. She got me buying gems again when I'd given up on them and girls love them. She couldn't be a nicer lady, painter and now I consider her a friend and hope we can meet up at some conference again in the future.<br />
<br />
I chose to paint myself with the flower blossoms that I've been painting for two years in different combinations. I'll paint them in a cluster like this or as a crown or even a necklace, as I've seen her do too. They are simple and girls and ladies love them. I stuck on a cluster of Laura's favorite gems from Michaels and added lots of star bursts in her honor.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgZRAQlID9ReEIqvAR-o9HGFvkvc2J2oHnKYXG3q-oMDw8BSE9ZNGTmNEmagl_JWDuEySF_OIpti6t0_nqaS-Pk2soJb4ioYtFeL17WSuHfgPxIu_lw84qJGltgfx62ZTJ1GyY/s1600/denise_laura_oliver.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgZRAQlID9ReEIqvAR-o9HGFvkvc2J2oHnKYXG3q-oMDw8BSE9ZNGTmNEmagl_JWDuEySF_OIpti6t0_nqaS-Pk2soJb4ioYtFeL17WSuHfgPxIu_lw84qJGltgfx62ZTJ1GyY/s1600/denise_laura_oliver.jpg" height="400" width="300" /></a>Here's her website:<br />
<a href="http://www.facefancies.com/" target="_blank">Face Fancies</a> (there's a funny story about her phone and her business name, you'll have to ask her about it.)<br />
<br />
And her Facebook Business page:<br />
<a href="https://www.facebook.com/FaceFanciesFacePainting" target="_blank">FaceFanciesFacePainting</a><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17534823.post-87375169378956217762014-03-18T16:37:00.001-07:002014-03-18T17:03:40.545-07:00My Illusion Article - The Director's Cut!<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilAFAryyBciIVb9pIOG1U1rorSSYls6QbDmqQtuBicQY66WWO79PzFIkCas1rbGXpZdrxkW30bXHJNtp7punteDfPY8naa31w1zosRE616rrQ4GY4xbbPmVtj0zc5w9IYf0gG8/s1600/Illusion_spring_2014.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilAFAryyBciIVb9pIOG1U1rorSSYls6QbDmqQtuBicQY66WWO79PzFIkCas1rbGXpZdrxkW30bXHJNtp7punteDfPY8naa31w1zosRE616rrQ4GY4xbbPmVtj0zc5w9IYf0gG8/s1600/Illusion_spring_2014.jpg" height="200" width="140" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Illusions - Spring 2014</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Earlier this year I submitted an article about Starblend makeup to Claire Guest at Illusion magazine. She loved the article and thought that her readers would too so she agreed to publish it in the Spring issue coming out right now. (Yay!)<br />
<br />
I did have to shorten the article quite a bit for publication so I thought you might like to read the full version here on Teardrops & Tiger Stripes. I also have a bonus EXCLUSIVELY for those that will sign up to receive T&TS by email (fill out that little white box to the left...yeah, that one.) I will send you the step-by-step images of the two designs featured in the article...THAT'S RIGHT! I did step-by-steps for both the flaming skull and the cute leopard, that didn't make it into the issue and I will send them to your email address if you subscribe to my blog. You lucky subscribers you. :)<br />
<br />
You do have to enter your "verified" email address so I'll know where to send them. And don't cheat by asking me on Facebook or by email! I want you to subscribe to the blog because the more subscribers I have, the more fun we can have in the future like contests and drawings, so there is a method to my MADNESS!<br />
<br />
So, here it is, the "Director's Cut" original article written for submission to Illusions Magazine:<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<h4 style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The Star of the Show!</span></b></h4>
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<b><span style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></b></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1RTkUx6BrR4dDs8BKwxB2T03HCR_kizJ_lCocz4I0zT0PuCFV8oDF9IFHdojcr-fJLJMQe59EmAV28MBgJLpO_tKVK4yhEwz27FgRenVcg6JAHY2UaEjvWTUbwsVU67V84D_9/s1600/Denise_EFABE_2014_150.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1RTkUx6BrR4dDs8BKwxB2T03HCR_kizJ_lCocz4I0zT0PuCFV8oDF9IFHdojcr-fJLJMQe59EmAV28MBgJLpO_tKVK4yhEwz27FgRenVcg6JAHY2UaEjvWTUbwsVU67V84D_9/s1600/Denise_EFABE_2014_150.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Denise Cold<br />
PaintedParty.com</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><i>Mehron’s Starblend Makeup is making its way to the top of many
painter’s kits. Why? Denise Cold writes this informative article helping to shed
light on the mystery surrounding this useful face painting product.<o:p></o:p></i></b></div>
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<b><i><br /></i></b></div>
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You may have heard other painters talking about Starblends and
been curious about this new type of face paint. Starblend is actually pressed foundation
powder produced by Mehron. They come in about 56 colors, 14 of which are brightly
colored and can be used as a base for face painting designs.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Starblends work by adhering to the oils (sebum) in your
skin. Because sebum is a natural waterproofing for your epidermis, when the
Starblend adheres to those, they become very water resistant and aren’t easily
washed away with sweat either. This is one of the big advantages of the product
because they can extend your ability to work in extreme conditions such as heat
and cold. </div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg72_Kd3EYtYEwGpx7YmmbRb9trKIYAPZ2Gd8aMUUKPOLze1vkdBwoVy5PATLuCHNbNnJxRhNlLA1MhVKbRdgRrGGYzao_xihOR-hqOkqc1UySOm8Xu_oafq7GaAJdX96U9BlJt/s1600/P1260096.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="font-size: 13px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg72_Kd3EYtYEwGpx7YmmbRb9trKIYAPZ2Gd8aMUUKPOLze1vkdBwoVy5PATLuCHNbNnJxRhNlLA1MhVKbRdgRrGGYzao_xihOR-hqOkqc1UySOm8Xu_oafq7GaAJdX96U9BlJt/s1600/P1260096.JPG" height="150" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Colors in my kit - light green is a blend<br />
of Green & Yellow</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<br /></div>
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For me, however, the biggest advantage is the ability to use
them without water. This makes them easier to use on male clients, particularly
young boys. You don’t have to be a face painter long before you realize that
boys hate to be sponged and brushed with wet paint. At my first fair, I had a
burly young man with tattoos come into my tent. He was being based in white for
a skull and was flinching and was <i>very</i>
uncomfortable. He proclaimed “this is worse than being tattooed!” After I
adopted the use of Starblends for full faces, I had another boy thank me for
using them because he didn’t feel anything as I applied the design.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I started using the product as an alternative to paint but
as I got more colors I realized how much I loved their powder properties that
made it much easier to shade and highlight designs. I started blending on the
face and in the applicator to get different shades and effects. It is almost an
airbrushed look with no streaking or lapping.</div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-NbQ8NMEcW7NZ3FOTkM_ZT9UUp-xyOVaShFEX-Y3twNcBeGCNQZFJdLcCjEfno3C4vi8V9fqKUT191luGgm7IicYnFYZBoqlorAqNEEm_yE-WMV9qblVWBQTPW8XRB4u8IyH-/s1600/leopard_final1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-NbQ8NMEcW7NZ3FOTkM_ZT9UUp-xyOVaShFEX-Y3twNcBeGCNQZFJdLcCjEfno3C4vi8V9fqKUT191luGgm7IicYnFYZBoqlorAqNEEm_yE-WMV9qblVWBQTPW8XRB4u8IyH-/s1600/leopard_final1.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cute Leopard - Model, Emma Cold</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
I’m often asked if I’ve completely replaced my regular
paints with Starblend powders. The simple answer is “no, ” I still have a whole
small palette of paints, rainbows and one-strokes. Most of my full-face
painting designs are completed using Starblends as a base. It has increased my
speed with these faces and has also given me the added benefit of saving me
money.<br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
One 56 gm Starblend cake can paint hundreds of faces. A
whole skull design can be based with one load of a powder puff. There is also
very little waste because there is nothing left behind on the applicator. The
applicator is tapped off back into the cake to remove the excess before
applying. </div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Ah, the excess! One of the biggest complaints I hear from
face painters is about the fall out. This is a makeup term for the powder that
falls on the surface below where you are applying, usually the cheeks or even
clothing. Just as for face paints, there is a learning curve to using them. I
have learned how to let gravity be my friend, rather than my enemy. When I am
applying a section of color, I start at the top (the forehead, above the
eyebrow, on the cheekbone) and the powder will come off the applicator a bit. I
then use that deposit to feed the application of color in the rest of that
section.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Another complaint is the coverage. They’ll show their
practically pink Spiderman designs and ask “what happened?” Starblend isn’t
applied like paints. Many times you can get away with just swiping a filled
sponge over the face. These are powders and need to be applied in a circular
motion as if you are putting foundation powder on. Most of the colors are very
vibrant and photograph well because of the matte finish. There are a few of the
colors that aren’t as opaque and may need a primer to adhere to normal skin.</div>
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<br /></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibmTPQE6eBO61d1bx7-FOPhPbmPsqgs5rfGf22XLFwIy1-neBkMSlK0K5FOdd1Cr0jqPvZrqMABeIkzDo2DlnrdDF0rW2JDJLE_G0v9tseKwOkCWsjzXq465ZV_r24OZWrOAnu/s1600/glycerin.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="font-size: 13px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibmTPQE6eBO61d1bx7-FOPhPbmPsqgs5rfGf22XLFwIy1-neBkMSlK0K5FOdd1Cr0jqPvZrqMABeIkzDo2DlnrdDF0rW2JDJLE_G0v9tseKwOkCWsjzXq465ZV_r24OZWrOAnu/s1600/glycerin.jpg" height="200" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Glycerin can be found in most drug stores<br />
and even craft stores in the baking section.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Normally there are enough oils in the skin that there is no
problem with getting an opaque finish; however, I prefer to use a primer for the
blue, green, and purple colors. Makeup primers are quite expensive but I
stumbled upon a perfect primer that is also very inexpensive, glycerin. It’s labeled
as a “skin protectant” and is often stocked near the bandages in drug stores or
can be purchased online. It’s an ingredient in most face paints and I use it to
soften paints that have hardened. Only a drop is needed, in the hands or rubbed
into a foam makeup sponge, to prime an entire face. Painters worry that having
to apply a primer is going to nullify the positive attributes of Starblend use;
but, I find that few seconds is soon made up by removing water-loading from the
equation.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
You may have heard, from fans of the product, that their
speed has really improved with use. This can be explained by simple mathematics.
They may be applied immediately without water management or activation. There is
minimal time spent reloading the applicator, sometimes just a press back on the
cake to pick up product is enough. Switching from one color to the next is not
a problem and colors can be mixed right in the applicator without dirtying the
cake. A stick sponge can be loaded with two colors, fill different areas and be
blended without returning to the pots or colors drying on the applicator. Six
colors can be applied to a design that would take twice as long with regular
paints and best yet, you can immediately start your line work without literally
watching paint dry.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: right;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhe7njZkmTVRcU3qzGNRThDfoX_PMNlz7ckn81HIEY5HLGtqS4mXw-7HV2MQ4jmOnq6Nr-R2rgiVaeG2MNB8svwYbmgLbVyhyhdaqkN5Qj54b03LPB2OC874n-KDWnpAYb-IUjm/s1600/final_1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhe7njZkmTVRcU3qzGNRThDfoX_PMNlz7ckn81HIEY5HLGtqS4mXw-7HV2MQ4jmOnq6Nr-R2rgiVaeG2MNB8svwYbmgLbVyhyhdaqkN5Qj54b03LPB2OC874n-KDWnpAYb-IUjm/s1600/final_1.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Flaming Skull - Model, Taylor Cold</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Painters have been known to like the positives but give up
on using Starblends because they dropped a container and it shattered and they
felt they’d wasted their money. Because there is a pressing medium added to the
powders, they can be repressed and restored. I discovered that this attribute also
means that a small amount of the product can be put into a small sturdy pot and
pressed. This has helped with the frustration of many painters who can now
carry many colors in a quarter section of a laptop case rather than using a
separate container.<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
There are three incidental benefits to repotting Starblend in
addition to the space saving. Many have found that the powders are now more
opaque when applied and I’ve found that new shades can be created or finicky
colors improved by mixing with hardier colors. I’ve replaced my regular green
with “new green” by mixing green and yellow equally. It’s more opaque and
bright and covers much better than green alone. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
You can also create pots of custom colors with just a little
knowledge of color theory and a blender. After watching a class on zombies from
Nick & Brian Wolfe, I made myself little pots of ivory and “brownple” that
are fantastic too for vampires or bruising effects. Other painters have tried raspberry,
teal, light blue, peach and even adding Mehron precious gem powders before
repressing to get different effects. We fans of the product are hoping that
Mehron will expand the color offerings to similar colors to the ones in the Intense
eye shadow palettes.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_jzFVyi5ysZazY3XUrFxvzmMjNCVeynPBDYuG44dGlKCEzZVn50Os_Sd7F565tlAf1xDpDj40mmS_nKx5E52ZnuCySRgDIO3Z6KjFW1CMq6FcMiBUzhbHMSImzB8Ylc3rPqEt/s1600/P1320358.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_jzFVyi5ysZazY3XUrFxvzmMjNCVeynPBDYuG44dGlKCEzZVn50Os_Sd7F565tlAf1xDpDj40mmS_nKx5E52ZnuCySRgDIO3Z6KjFW1CMq6FcMiBUzhbHMSImzB8Ylc3rPqEt/s1600/P1320358.JPG" height="150" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Stick "Lollipop" Sponge Applicators</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Before buying an entire set of Starblends it is a good idea
to start with the most useful colors of white, black and red. White can be used
for tiger eyes and muzzles, kitty designs, skulls, sugar skulls, cows, lambs,
clowns, etc. Black can be used for evil eyes on boy designs, shading, drop
shadows, badgers, dogs, and mixed with white you open the door to all the gray
designs like rotten zombies, gorillas and elephants. Red is very helpful for
pirates, dragons, zombie mouths, and the two of the most intense line work
designs: Spiderman and Darth Maul.</div>
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You may not consider Starblend powders as a replacement for
your regular paints and there is a learning curve in their application; but,
they may allow you to perform in extreme conditions when using face paints may
be nearly impossible. They can keep you productive and making a profit during
the stickiest of situations when regular paints won’t work. They may pay for
themselves in one job that you would have normally declined in the past.</div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17534823.post-27355597566058355362014-03-16T14:59:00.000-07:002014-03-16T14:59:41.684-07:00Marcela Murad - Muse of the WeekI should call her "Muse of the Year!" I've been in love with this painter's work for a very long time. I love that she's able to make little girls more adorable than they already are...you can tell from their expressions that they've never felt more the princess than they do in that moment. A quick look at my <a href="http://www.facebook.com/PaintedParty" target="_blank">Painted Party Facebook</a> page will show her influence on my work.<div>
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Marcela is able to do fabulous detailed portfolio work but what I love the most are the photos of the work she shares from OTJ (on-the-job) gigs. They are as inspiring, if not more, to me because I know that if I practice enough, my quick work can be as fabulous as hers.</div>
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We invited Marcela to Salt Lake last year for the Enchanted Garden class. This butterfly is an homage to that class, even down to the copper Liquid Bling I was given as a take away gift. If you aren't a member of FABAtv you are missing out. Marcela has many classes on there, including the Enchanted Garden class, and I watch her over and over.</div>
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This post is also very appropriate because, quite unexpectedly, I find myself going to FABAIC this May! Marcela has graciously offered to let me demonstrate, along side her, a Starblend design while I'm there. She too is a big fan of the powders.<br /><br />This is an amazing opportunity and I'm so excited to be surrounded by fabulous instructors and painters from around the world. I have a full heart, not only for her generosity but for the wonderful friends and loved ones that made it possible for me to go. Thank you Marcela!</div>
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<a href="http://fabaic.com/" target="_blank">Face & Body Art International Convention</a></div>
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<a href="http://fabatv.com/artist/4/marcela-murad" target="_blank">Marcela's Channel on FABAtv</a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7dulVD8wp3-Fmc9l9y9_CVr8JxxULS3wH8_grMEzBdLXDg1GEzoxLR3n7lj1TEQtySMNvBrVMeTPnOozQZaz9i6YYFNGmbfFvI24x7XtspCE0gBZQ7szGc4kbgPOYhOOv5Ufr/s1600/denise_marcela_challenge.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7dulVD8wp3-Fmc9l9y9_CVr8JxxULS3wH8_grMEzBdLXDg1GEzoxLR3n7lj1TEQtySMNvBrVMeTPnOozQZaz9i6YYFNGmbfFvI24x7XtspCE0gBZQ7szGc4kbgPOYhOOv5Ufr/s1600/denise_marcela_challenge.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17534823.post-44840611944220650622014-03-09T14:34:00.001-07:002014-03-09T14:34:27.706-07:00Naomi Gay - Muse of the WeekYou know those painters that you come across and you have to create a whole new folder for? Naomi Gay (Nam Nam) is one of those painters. If you look on her Facebook business page there are dozens of save-worthy photos of gorgeous and inspirational eye designs. And what's really fabulous about all of them is the uniqueness of them all. Some have feathers, swirls, tribals, roses, zebra stripes, dragon flies....WOW!<br />
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I noticed on her Facebook page that she is offering classes...Shame on you painters in the UK if you don't go. I would be there in a heart beat. Some of you know that my eye design board is my most popular at parties and makes me LOTS AND LOTS of money at fairs. I've even suggested to Marcela that she be invited to FABAIC in the future because I think eye designs are so valuable. They capture a whole market of tweens and adults that might not consider face painting otherwise.<br />
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Here is her professional Facebook page: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/NamNamsFacePainting" target="_blank">NamNamsFacePainting</a><br />
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Here is her website: <a href="http://www.namnams.co.uk/">namnams.co.uk</a><br />
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Here is my <i>attempt</i> at one of her <i>easier</i> eye designs. You'll have to see if you can find it in her Facebook photos. Make sure you like her page while you are there. :) I'm hoping I'll get better and better at the swirls and flairs that are her signature, she makes them look so organic and effortless.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwrw5TpEe0i6TiuBGnNX2T6-oAfc4kN4MAKR-RF5dUNBg9hZWZLb8AbN-CpaO76TiSa_NyDPxiUZGZe0H6RHWfsn-4ApWanA3IicSgTqF2JjdoK4tjCCRb7rJDEDQmrnfsWZ23/s1600/P1330018.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwrw5TpEe0i6TiuBGnNX2T6-oAfc4kN4MAKR-RF5dUNBg9hZWZLb8AbN-CpaO76TiSa_NyDPxiUZGZe0H6RHWfsn-4ApWanA3IicSgTqF2JjdoK4tjCCRb7rJDEDQmrnfsWZ23/s1600/P1330018.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17534823.post-66912802227669247582014-03-07T12:14:00.001-07:002014-03-07T12:16:29.175-07:00Building Fairies for ¿Pintamos? Facepainting EspañaAbout six weeks ago, Pilar of <i>¿Pintamos? Facepainting España </i>contacted me to do another article similar to the Building Christmas Designs article that I had done for the December 2013 issue. I decided to focus on building fairy designs but had a whole page of design possibilities. I decided the narrow it down to three wing types and 6 embellishments and had so much fun creating them that I ended up with a LOT of designs. I didn't know what she was going to do with everything!<br />
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Well, the issue just came out today and I LOVE it. The editors did a fabulous job of combining the step-by-steps I'd sent over with the real life designs I'd painted on the Roberts family. I wasn't sure how they'd pull everything together but it's a lovely article and I hope that it's helpful by showing how easy it is to change up a design and get a totally different look depending on the element and the finishes chosen.<br />
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Check out the rest of the magazine. I know it's in Spanish, but the pictures are worth a thousand words. There are cute little bugs, bunches of butterflies, using stencils, focal points of the face and girl superhero designs. They have an article on Mark Reid, Margi Kanter and Jennifer Parker too.<br />
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Here's the link:<br />
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<a href="http://issuu.com/pintamos/docs/n6_marzo_2014_trazado#" target="_blank">¿Pintamos? Facepainting España</a><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCi4ei5Moq-z2R28ObLJPYITiP4pPgViKdrQj2cqt7OwPeZgiV1yiB60Qi1394tFtXVOKeEAF9Ct9VRHW78g3Hy3GOeDoQZdowK0fVw2Vj8eRRq6ZBmpVHCS10rBiw4CJP1WpX/s1600/fairies_group.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCi4ei5Moq-z2R28ObLJPYITiP4pPgViKdrQj2cqt7OwPeZgiV1yiB60Qi1394tFtXVOKeEAF9Ct9VRHW78g3Hy3GOeDoQZdowK0fVw2Vj8eRRq6ZBmpVHCS10rBiw4CJP1WpX/s1600/fairies_group.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17534823.post-15698662776212807262014-03-02T10:07:00.000-07:002014-03-02T21:27:14.142-07:00Nurit Pilchin - Muse of the WeekI would like to start honoring artists that inspire me to try something new by starting a weekly "Muse of the Week" blog post. These are artists that paint something so inspiring or innovative that I immediately want to pick up my paint brush. Nurit Pilchin is just that person. I've been a big fan for awhile now but she's been posting fabulous photos of butterflies on her daughter so I had to try one. I've used her techniques before on a small scale but I really wanted to go all the way today.<br />
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I used her tutorial slide show of a Bronze Butterfly from Youtube.com: <a href="http://youtu.be/ExMpdUCW8ME">http://youtu.be/ExMpdUCW8ME</a><br />
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And this is what I painted...<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-j0OrMQU10ApVinUC6OrMET0ambUKNBt_pj9UI_RxgDG4ky1kVbbZji-SxJdbAbfUhEUO0vIGkvKw-va3MqpX0O2yaUOTrluPyiVNcG-U7ZizI6XSCAjGqxSdgHp-3uOx1FTs/s1600/P1320909.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-j0OrMQU10ApVinUC6OrMET0ambUKNBt_pj9UI_RxgDG4ky1kVbbZji-SxJdbAbfUhEUO0vIGkvKw-va3MqpX0O2yaUOTrluPyiVNcG-U7ZizI6XSCAjGqxSdgHp-3uOx1FTs/s1600/P1320909.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
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Here is her Facebook business page. Be prepared to be amazed!<br />
https://www.facebook.com/Nurit.Face.painting<br />
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Here is her website. She's a painter from Israel:<br />
http://facepainting.co.il/Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17534823.post-50803053715725306222014-02-20T13:18:00.004-07:002014-02-20T13:18:33.053-07:00Perfect Practice Makes Perfect"Perfect practice makes perfect" - Marcela Murad<br />
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I was putting together some designs for ¿PINTAMOS? Magazine, a spanish-language face painting magazine. I wanted to do several fairy designs and I figured out a great way to practice the standard designs. I sponged on the rainbow base on the face template first, let it dry and THEN put it in report covers (you know, the ones we used to use in school with the plastic spines. I had found a whole box at a thrift store and hadn't used them until now.)<br />
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They are a little easier to use than the sheet protectors because you can open them, but sheet protectors would work great also. And I also found out that you can nest them again (like when I did a fancy stencil and didn't want to have to re-do it) and go over the top of that and I could still see the design to paint. It's fabulous for trying different kinds of line work patterns or trying different paint color combos. It's kind of like those overlays that cartoon illustrators do.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7m0eGUq-WFsCOfy5_sEo1fOhZCupnkgaG2-3QBSkCO67fsmCFpfNKIc_2OBpM4rNoWkcy9l7ztX07sPp6vROXJ3XVWAt4ol7IMsZce11JfiBZLxrjBkYO1K1N4owzmdNrQnli/s1600/practice_perfect_pic.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7m0eGUq-WFsCOfy5_sEo1fOhZCupnkgaG2-3QBSkCO67fsmCFpfNKIc_2OBpM4rNoWkcy9l7ztX07sPp6vROXJ3XVWAt4ol7IMsZce11JfiBZLxrjBkYO1K1N4owzmdNrQnli/s1600/practice_perfect_pic.jpg" height="175" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Using overlays to try different aspects of a design...AND save paint</td></tr>
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I created these blank faces from a template I got in Marcela's class when she came to Salt Lake City. I edited them to have open eyes and closed eyes and have different skin tones. They are available in several face painting Facebook groups like New Face Painters & Face and Body Painters. If you would like a PDF with all of them, email me. It includes a white version if you don't have a color printer, you can it to a copy center and print it on different skin tones. I like having different tones so that I can see my white line work and it makes it seem more realistic.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguYDmubVSe1x3HSkmy7t3ACst8t2ghtkCzQOIa8Bdv8iFMUXx9dH2TPAVJSKL9ig0SzPGvbtRAW_qJu-TL_JpBIxqGFiZ3YiEL4vq2PnNA1Om6oBnQ9mMJ0ATyldMa_d9ZJkw1/s1600/copied_face.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguYDmubVSe1x3HSkmy7t3ACst8t2ghtkCzQOIa8Bdv8iFMUXx9dH2TPAVJSKL9ig0SzPGvbtRAW_qJu-TL_JpBIxqGFiZ3YiEL4vq2PnNA1Om6oBnQ9mMJ0ATyldMa_d9ZJkw1/s1600/copied_face.jpg" height="200" width="160" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Face printed on color paper</td></tr>
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I've also laminated a few faces for quick line work practice. It works surprisingly well if you have your paint consistency right. If you don't, it will bead up if it's too wet and streak if it's too dry so that is helpful too. If you are on a tight budget, you can get a tube of white and black craft paint and cheap paper at the Dollar Tree (or recycle some paper or even magazines) and practice your tear drops, tiger stripes and swirls with that. It's also good for practicing brush calligraphy....BUT NOT FOR REAL FACES!!! You wouldn't do that, now would you. :)<br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17534823.post-45754959747591788532014-02-14T01:44:00.001-07:002014-02-14T01:46:21.311-07:00Stenciled BranchesI got this stencil from a fellow painter who was selling a few things and I hadn't used it. I think it's supposed to be for cracks in skulls. Well, I saw it with new eyes tonight when I was digging through my stencils and realized it looked an awful lot like the branches I make for cherry blossoms. I love the randomness of it and the knots and spiky branches...perfect yin & yang for blossoms.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCWefYg0z7zjLTCHs2bpe6fbeBYGAdGKSlLduP8aqqGHe9SyiiCKLylaXKrKv-PhwcIbWYUDPE5l58YD6LJ2QUnDBlQwHh4esW4caMAewK1R1RAmvyn8DkgFfFIe14t86xV-VD/s1600/BAM+1008.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCWefYg0z7zjLTCHs2bpe6fbeBYGAdGKSlLduP8aqqGHe9SyiiCKLylaXKrKv-PhwcIbWYUDPE5l58YD6LJ2QUnDBlQwHh4esW4caMAewK1R1RAmvyn8DkgFfFIe14t86xV-VD/s1600/BAM+1008.jpg" height="212" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17534823.post-86219626254769859842014-02-11T02:37:00.001-07:002014-02-11T02:42:17.670-07:00Gold Rush!Every painter is on the look out for a good gold face paint. I started with TAG Pearl Gold and it's actually pretty good and I LOVE it mixed with Pearl Copper in a split for leopards and girly tigers. It's only drawback is it seems a little light on the skin because it's a bright gold. I got some Mehron Gold powder after I took Pashur's body painting class, which is amazing mixed with mixing liquid and I used that with my TAG for awhile and liked it. It is a little messy and I'm a little afraid I'm going to dump to much or it will tip over and make a big powdery mess.<br />
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Then I tried the FAB Gold Shimmer because another painter sponged it on my arm and it really shined...however, on the job I've had a really hard time using it with a brush and it seems to have a hard time leaving my sponge...I know, so scientific..but that's what it feels like. I usually end up laying it down and then having to go over it but it is a great shimmer when I finally get there...but it feels tooooo long.<br />
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Recently I'd heard good things about the Paradise new Brilliant line. I loved the silver when Lizz Daley let me try hers at a jam. I wasn't impressed with the Gold...so why did I buy it? PEER PRESSURE! :) I don't think they changed the original recipe from the original. It reminds me of the gold I dug out of the Paradise 30 pot palette I bought. I have to dip my brush about 3 times just to make it liquid enough to use with a brush and then there is too much paint in the brush.<br />
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When I was brushing I tried to stay pretty consistent. I would dip my filbert or round, tap on the towel and load until I got smooth paint. I had a hard time with Paradise and had to add a lot of water and brush a little wetter and goopier than I'm comfortable with. When I added the Mehron powder, I would tap off the wet brush, dip it into the powder to pick up a touch and then work it up as usual. It usually required a little more water. The powder would also give the golds a slight tint so it looked more like Paradise gold.<br />
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So, here are the golds in the pot:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhefRKtLvRpcviWDBb7xAdexQOBQLuiaCm0kc80NrULy_rtl66vrKqDzhgmyvFoagMnnC0qfghTRZY4SPVgwPIVIY5ANmqHFNmdPh4SF-ZKqZPzpZdTgrcoO0cSczVE0LUSByXh/s1600/gold_cakes.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhefRKtLvRpcviWDBb7xAdexQOBQLuiaCm0kc80NrULy_rtl66vrKqDzhgmyvFoagMnnC0qfghTRZY4SPVgwPIVIY5ANmqHFNmdPh4SF-ZKqZPzpZdTgrcoO0cSczVE0LUSByXh/s1600/gold_cakes.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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Here's a collage of the results:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpPp-Fe5UK3F4FpHo8R-eTW-t8AF4rDjAyUTlq0W6A_Y44-UF5056_uXGuTxT9sieW_OxSs9jrxPo5p-rnJMhBOJF4hzJ8Di-nxoOHrJEVv3gIm6wQUce5HZ8lFRNOQGa4P1DJ/s1600/gold_swirls.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpPp-Fe5UK3F4FpHo8R-eTW-t8AF4rDjAyUTlq0W6A_Y44-UF5056_uXGuTxT9sieW_OxSs9jrxPo5p-rnJMhBOJF4hzJ8Di-nxoOHrJEVv3gIm6wQUce5HZ8lFRNOQGa4P1DJ/s1600/gold_swirls.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a></div>
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My Conclusion:</div>
TAG Gold and FAB Shimmer had about the same shine brushed on. TAG is a little easier and smoother when wetted and FAB would poop-out on my brush. The last upper teardrops became almost non-existent. All of the paints were shinier with the Mehron Powder but surprisingly, FAB behaved the best with it added in. It seem to make up for FAB's failings. My wish is that Mehron will do to the gold what they did to the silver which is put the powder in the paint so there is no additive stage.<br />
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D.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0