The Frugal Crafter Blog

Today we are speaking with Becca Hillburn. She is the author and illustrator of the comic 7" Kara, an art teacher, and art supply reviewer! She attended the NAMTA/Creativation Art Materials Trade Show a couple of weeks ago and is here to update us on new products and trends in the industry. Also, there is a lot of geeking out about art supplies! I hope you enjoy this friendly art chat!

If this 3 hour long podcast has you wanting more check out Becca's Creativation Vlog: https://youtu.be/BHvbBG2gdBs?si=prmnQpCPKaci9aTr Where to find Becca: Natto Soup YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@Nattosoup 7" Kara Watercolor Webcomic 7inchkara.com Patreon patreon.com/nattosoup TikTok tiktok.com/@nattosoup Author site beccahillburn.com Instagram instagram.com/nattosoup Twitter twitter.com/Nattosoup Threads threads.net/@nattosoup Illustration Portfolio nattosoup.artstation.com Shop nattosoup.com/shop Pinterest pinterest.com/nattosoup Facebook facebook.com/nattosoup

Today's conversation with James Gurney is entertaining, thoughtful, and inspiring! We will talk about his art journey from hopping on a train and sketching America to working in animation and illustration to creating the Dinotopia series of books and now influencing new generations of artists through teaching online. This conversation is full of wonderful stories of a life creatively lived. I hope you enjoy the podcast.

Where to find James:

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@JamesGurney

Substack: https://substack.com/@jamesgurney

Website: https://jamesgurney.com/

Gurney Journey Blog: https://gurneyjourney.blogspot.com/

In this podcast, we meet Ivor "Harry" Harrison, the artist behind the Art Gear Guide website and YouTube channel. In this inspirational conversation, we discuss his journey from soldier to art supply reviewer.

Where to find Harry:

The Art Gear Guide Website: https://www.theartgearguide.com/

The Art Gear Guide YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCqp5eHE8m8UlviPD20Ra52w/videos

The Art Gear Guide Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theartgearguide/

The Art Gear Guide Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/theartgearguide

The Art Gear Guide Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theartgearguide/?hl=en

Today I'm talking with Steve Mitchell of The Mind of Watercolor about his journey from commercial artist to YouTube creator.

Where to find Steve: The Mind of Watercolor YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@UCv6GKopxZztw6EqG6OoIGCQ Blog: https://mindofwatercolor.com/ Website: https://stevemitchellstudios.com/ Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/mindofwatercolor Steve's Book Picks: Poetic Woods by Ann Blockly: https://amzn.to/3UEqHND and Experimental Landscapes by Ann Blockly: https://amzn.to/48aPKuN

Today on the Frugal Crafter Blog-cast we talk with the lovely and talented Sarah Burns. We discuss painting outside in the winter, gouache and other favorite supplies. Get cozy and enjoy this friendly art chat!

Bear with me as this is my fist interview and huge thanks to Sarah for being my test subject:)

You can find Sarah Burns on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@SarahBurnsStudio *her video with t he Pilot pen she was talking about is up here: https://youtu.be/AFGUO9drlx0?si=1Xat0YVFE_rbQnx8

Her blog: https://fearlessbrush.com/

The Gouache Database we mentioned: https://fearlessbrush.com/gouache-database/

Sarah's painting lessons on Patreon: https://fearlessbrush.com/premium-painting-classes/patreon-tutorials-by-category/

This is a follow-up to last week's podcast about Art Supply No-Buys. I had a huge response from that episode so this week I thought I would share some tips and tricks to help you curb the urge to spend when you already have supplies you want to use.

Books Mentioned:

The life Changing Magic of Tiding Up and Spark Joy by Marie Kondo

Goodbye Things by Fumio Saski

Research of future self by Joseph Kable

When I asked viewers of my YouTube channel what their goals for 2024 were I had a lot of folks say that they were going to try a "no buy" or "low buy" when it came to art and craft supplies. Today we are going to talk about this and also how we can be more intentional with our purchases and dig into why we want and buy the supplies we do. Are you using the supplies you buy or collecting them? Is your shopping a form of stress relief? Can you use up the supplies before they go bad? Are you tempted by a good deal? We will discuss all of this and more today on the podcast! I'd love to hear what you think as well, we are all in this together!

Has it been a while since you made art? Are you struggling to create? Do you wonder if you even like your hobby anymore? Today we will talk about how to come back to art-making after a long break, why you should, and when to move on from and old hobby and try something new.

Happy New Year! In this episode, we will talk about resetting our studio for the new year and what to hang onto and what to declutter. The past two years have been weird with supply shortages and price increases in all areas of life including art supplies and with recent news of certain paint pigments being in short supply I thought it would be a good time to take inventory and see what e have and might want to hang on to. I hope you enjoy the podcast!

Have you had your creative play today? This week we talk about artistic experimentation and why it is vital to the success and sustainability of your creative pursuits.

In today's rambling episode we will discuss sustainability in the crafting industry and why our crafting might not be as green as it once was. I'm no angel in this department, I get excited about new supplies and probably could create for the rest of my life without having to buy much else and I certainly don't upcycle as much as I used to. Why is that? How can we do better? That's what we will discuss today. I hope you enjoy it!

In today's episode, we will discuss why we don't use our most dear supplies and how we can get over it!

Today on the podcast we're talking about archivability in your art and craftwork. I think people stress, often needlessly, about the longevity of everything they make. Where it does make sense to be mindful of lightfastness and archivablity it should come in the way of experimentation and enjoying the process of art-making. Here is the painting with saltwater article I mentioned. https://thefrugalcrafter.wordpress.com/2018/10/05/artsy-experiment-lets-paint-with-salt-water/

Hi friends,

Have you ever been told, "You should sell those!" when you show someone your art? Today we will talk about whether or not to turn your hobby into a side hustle. 

Hi friends! With the holiday season fast approaching you may be thinking about selling at craft fairs. Today I will share some of the tips I have learned over the years to earn money selling my art and crafts at small, local craft fairs and share how you can do it too. I'll also offer advice on what not to do so your next craft fair will be a success!

In today's episode, we will talk about the creative path and why it's worth it to create (even bad art.)

In this podcast I am reacting to some drama I witnessed online regarding influencers and craft companies.

Hi friends! I recently came across some old tubes of watercolor with the price tags on them that I bought 20 years ago and I realized that the price isn't much different than what we would pay today so I got to thinking about inflations, or maybe lack thereof, in art and craft supplies. How can companies continue to sell paint at the prices we paid 20 years ago when everything else costs more? We will discuss that in today's episode. 

A YouTube viewer asked me about my palette preferences and all I can say is "it's complicated." I have more palettes than any artist needs but they all spark joy as Marie Kondo would say so they remain in my stash. So what do I use on the reg? Find out in today's episode.

Today we are talking about trends in the craft industry and why it's hard to find basic stamps and dies in our local big box craft stores. Have a listen!

In this episode, I will discuss a recent episode of creative burnout and offer strategies so you can avoid one.