this week in unfinished projects

My process so far is starting things, then while the paint dries, starting something else.

I haven't been finishing things. Just covering new surfaces.  There is just so much to paint! There is so much left over from my brick-and-mortar store days, pre-Etsy, when I would pick up any piece of unfinished wood on any figment of a whim and decide that I wanted to paint it.  I accepted every donation from anyone who had something to give away.

There was so much potential. And then I stopped selling at the stores (they both closed), did a few craft fairs, and kept the rest boxed up for the past few years while I focused on jewelry and mixed media.

I'm really enjoying this. I like the feeling of letting go of what I had left unfinished. I like that I am not overthinking things and keeping patterns mostly simple.



I started a few small canvases, too...just for variety, but I'm not sure if I'll include many of them.  It wasn't really my goal to put a lot of canvases in the booth.  And I don't want to feel like I'm forcing them or rushing through them.



I am still fighting the urge to buy new things to add to the fair.  I did buy a few chip board fleur-de-lis to collage.  This is the symbol of Lutheran High School, where the fair will be held.  It's an awesome school, and I just felt like these needed to be in my booth.  There is so much more I didn't buy, though...chipboard peace signs, canvas circle banners, more papier-mache boxes, Christmas ornaments...I have enough to paint right now, I remind myself constantly.



One craft I have always wanted to try is embedding things in resin.  I've always been a little fearful of resin though - mixing, pouring, avoiding fumes and bubbles has always seemed a bit too labor intensive for me.  The bobby pins above are made with a form of Mod Podge that mimics resin, and was incredibly easy and fun.  I decided to try this yesterday, and will definitely be including these in my booth.  It was a simple, fun project that probably merits its own post.  And, they are the only things I have truly finished.

I will keep moving forward.