Niki Jin Crafts

Creative challenges are all over social media these days. The basic concept is this: You create a collection of work with a running theme over the course of a set period of time. For example, every October artists create and share ink drawings each day for that month in the Inktober challenge. The 100 Day Project encourages creators to come up with their own project and contribute to it consistently for (you guessed it) 100 days. Every February 2 is Hourly Comic Day, where artists create a comic for every hour they are awake. The lettering challenge 36 Days of Type , which is going on now, has designers go through each letter of the alphabet and numbers and interpret in their unique style. Note: This post contains affiliate links, meaning I may be compensated if you click or buy. It does not affect how much you pay, but it is one way to support this blog! As you can see, these challenges vary widely in theme and time interval. They can be great for getting your artwork seen and build

Yes, I know Easter has already come and gone. But personally, I could make and look at Easter eggs all year long. I always try to make at least a few each year. (Go to THIS POST for more on my past Easter eggs.) Some of my past Easter eggs Note: This post contains affiliate links, meaning I may be compensated if you click or buy. It does not affect how much you pay, but it is one way to support this blog! I have used blown out real egg shells in the past, but lately I've resorted to fake craft eggs, which are more durable. My medium of choice is usually markers. Occasionally I will use paint, but markers are quick, easy, and not as messy. That's what I used this year. I have a set of brush markers that I love to use for all sorts of drawing, lettering, and crafts. They worked well on the craft eggs, and I like that they are easy to blend and shade with. The only thing you need to watch out for is to make sure you don't touch with wet hands, or you can smudge it (because the

I have a confession. I am cheap. I love a good bargain and hate to splurge on expensive, full price items.  $20 for a pack of cardstock? Nope.  $6 for one roll of washi tape. Uh uh.  Yarn for over $10 a skein? Yikes.   My husband suggested I try Copic markers and I balked at the $8-10 price per marker. You get the idea. Of course, much of this stems from the fact that, frankly, I’m not rich. I get by and I’m blessed to have what I have, but I watch what I spend. I have bills to pay like everyone else. I know that with using the cheap stuff, there will be compromises and that you get what you pay for much of the time. I absolutely admire and covet high end items. I’ll invest in quality when it’s warranted and it’s within my budget. Sometimes I'm lucky to receive them as gifts. But I also do OK with a pack of kids' markers, 50 cent craft paint, and my $3 bargain journal. Note: This post contains affiliate links, meaning I may be compensated if you click or buy. It does not affec