day one hundred and ninety three

well, this isn't very birthday themed...but neither was my day. haha. i babysat, ran errands & then was in charge of a church activity, i'm exhausted! my family is getting together tomorrow night for my birthday 'party'...i will have a birthday themed snail tomorrow. today? a bead/wire snail.

day one hundred and ninety two

just peachy snail. this peach was getting old in my fridge and so i decided to make it useful. i just used a small knife and carved it out. tomorrow is my birthday so i was going to do something birthday themed...but that will have to wait until tomorrow. today was too crazy!

day one hundred and ninety one

i've always wanted to this ABC gum snail but didn't have a prompt that fit...but now i don't need one! haha. i chewed up some super bubble pieces and used a toothpick to help me lay it out on the paper.

day one hundred and ninety

iphone app snail. i was falling asleep watching tv and was too lazy to get up so i downloaded an app called 'draw' on my phone and scribbled this little dude up. so lazy!

day one hundred and eighty nine

cuticle remover snail! i was giving myself a manicure & thought this bright green slime would make a good snail. simple, quick & easy!

day one hundred and eighty eight

i have my ears gauged to a zero & over the years i have collected many gauges. i took them over a year ago and recently decided to put them back in so i was switch my 2's to my "1" gauge so i can get back to a 0. i thought this would be a colorful snail.

one hundred and eighty seven

i was asked to make some felt owls for a friends sisters baby shower. i made 50 smaller ones with the boy owl in the belly of the purple one for the invitations. these are 3D ones are for table decorations. so i finished them and thought i would use them for today's snail. they turned out super cute!

day one hundred and eighty six

pill snail.

i just bought some aleve & tums so i knew i had quite a few pills or variations of pills on hand...this was more colorful in purpose but i had to use the flash which drowned the colors out. i realized after it makes me kind of look like some kind of addict!

day one hundred and eighty five

nail snail!

i did this before but it was too thick to dry...and it was too thick to dry this time too. i ended up smudging it soon after it wiped it off. i wish i got a picture of that though...because it took off the lime green color underneath so i had the outline of it with my natural nail showing through. someday i will find a technique that works!

day one hundred and eighty four

i'm back.

so...i went camping and failed to make snails while i was gone. when i got home i felt like a complete loser. i can't believe how busy i am, even while i'm not working. stuff just keeps coming up. every day i didn't make a snail i felt more and more bad about it. so i talked to my mom and husband and decided to continue the project but not constrict myself to following the book prompts. some days it was just too hard to find one that fit into my day. so i'm back for good...or at least until i hit day 365.

this snail is made by pot sticker dipping sauce & a fork.

day one hundred and eighty three: 222

'make something appetizing seem unappetizing.'

one of my favorite movies is baby mama with tina fey & amy poehler, and one of the best lines is "is it poop, or chocolate?" hahaha. so this is inspired by that part of the movie. if you haven't seen it...go rent it!

one hundred and eighty two: 343

'make something boring seem exciting.'

what's more boring than cardboard? well, except golf. hahaha. and i actually don't think cardboard is very boring, but i think it's a common thing that is considered boring! my husband has been doing a lot of shipping from ebay sales so there was tons laying around, it was easy to grab and work with!

day one hundred and eighty one: 310

'work only with items that would be found in a hardware store today.'

again, i doubled up on this one and didn't realize it. i need to write in my book so i remember! lately i've been super busy and rush to get my snails done. i am going camping this weekend so i will have to make sure i don't do the same ones again.

day one hundred and eighty: 246

'use a sewing machine or a needle and thread. if you've sewn before, try a new technique. if you've never sewn before, don't be daunted-it's not hard to do a basic running stitch.'

well after i did my snail yesterday i flipped it over and saw the back...so this time i did the same thing pretty much and this is the reverse side. i used felt to sew on. i like the way this looks a lot more!

day one hundred and seventy nine: 207

'use paper like it was fabric. you can weave it, or sew on it-what else?'

i've always wanted to do this and i bought some blank note cards so i decided to practice on an envelope before i put it on the card. i really like how it turned out so i think i might make some cute thank you cards or something.

day one hundred and seventy eight: 136

'create a life-size person using your clothes and/or whatever else you have at hand.'

okay so i tweaked this a bit...i just used my clothes and made it "life-size"...super boring but oh well!

day one hundred and seventy seven: 63

'behind the mask. create a unique mask with whatever materials you like. bonus: document yourself or a friend wearing it.'

or my husband! i was making a bunch of felt owls for a friend and i had some leftover felt so i cut this out real fast and asked my husband to model it for me. he was hesitant at first but since it didn't work on the dog, he said he would do it!

day one hundred and seventy six: 70

'work only with numbers today. you could make an image using numbers, make something into number shapes, do something involving a calculator, or...?'

FAIL! i totally did this prompt already. i'm updating this late and i realized i doubled TWO prompts this past week. soooo lame! ugh. i will now have to catch up and make 3 snails in one day. oh well!

day one hundred and seventy five: 338

'be timely. make something that shows the passage of time using any technique you like.'

i had many ideas for this prompt but the past few days have been busy (making 50 felt owls for a baby shower). i thought of this idea and thought it would be cool to see the colors warp so i drew on a paper towel and tried to take a picture as fast as i could after the water dropped onto it. turned out kind of tie-dye looking.

day one hundred and seventy four: 96

'work backward. work in front of a mirror, looking at what you're creating only in a mirror until you're finished.'

yikes! this was really hard to do. i put the piece of paper on the counter and looked in the mirror until i was done. the writing underneath is "a snail a day", hahaha. i'm better drawing with my toes or completely blind folded!

day one hundred and seventy three: 362

'make a rainbow from everyday objects. they can all be the same item (like book spines) or a collection of random things.'

self explanatory? i mostly used items from my geocaching finds/trinkets and then added some items from around the house.

day one hundred and seventy two: 144

'use your feet as your hands and/or your hands as your feet as part of whatever you do today.'

i drew with my toes...simply put. i wanted to try it again but my foot started cramping, haha. i'm shocked i can read the writing...can you? it's easy to guess.

day one hundred and seventy one: 213

'is there a doctor in the house? use only the things you would find in a first-aid kit (bandages, gauze, burn creams, etc.)'

super boring, hahaha. another late night snail. i apologize! i know lately i haven't been super creative and lagging on my posts. it will get better!

day one hundred and seventy: 188

'make something with your lunch before you eat it.'

so i KIND of cheated. i was super busy all day and when i finally got home i still had a bunch to do. tomorrow i'm going to be hosting a henna party and i needed to make some refreshments. i made salami roll ups with cream cheese and pepperoncini's. so yummy. so technically it was my lunch...just for the next day!

day one hundred and sixty nine: 167

'use only pencils as your material or inspiration today. you can draw with them, or they can be used as construction material, or...?'

boring. only word i have to describe this guy. i was tired and not feeling creative. all this prompt reminded me of are all the stupid times i had to make a 10 block scale from white to black in art classes. bleh!

day one hundred and sixty eight: 340

'work only with what's in your pockets today. don't have any pockets? work with what's in someone else's pockets!'

i NEVER have anything in my pockets so i tweeked this a bit and instead, just used pockets themselves. i just got some new pants and had a few old pairs with holes and whatnot that i was going to toss, so i cut the pockets out and used them for this little guy.

day one hundred and sixty seven: 97

'make an invitation to an everyday event you wouldn't normally invite people to. bonus: actually send them out.'

an idea finally came to me for this prompt. the snail isn't a big part of it, but it's there! i haven't sent this out yet but i plan to send it to some friends and see what they say!

day one hundred and sixty six:199

'make a flag for a new country or a new flag for your current country.'

i just wanted to use the american flag as inspiration. there obviously aren't the correct number of stripes...but then again, there are no snails on the real flag. as long as it was red, white & blue i was happy. i did this guy after coming home from the setting off my towns firework show with my dad & other helpers. happy 4th to everyone!

day one hundred and sixty five: 307

'create something based on the shapes found in a plant in your immediate vicinity.'

my dad works for a company that does fireworks shows and i always try to go and help him out. today we went to a show and i couldn't think of a good snail to do. it was SO hot and we were all exhausted. i should have taken a picture of the actual leaf...but it was from the tree we were all under hiding from the sun. the only material i had was cardboard and a pen. not my favorite, but my mom liked it so whatever! she tried to get me to use pieces of fireworks but i couldn't find a prompt that would fit.

day one hundred and sixty four: 244

'get framed. make or buy a frame and use it to showcase something that already exists so people can see it in a new way.'

i feel like i totally cheated today since i actually didn't MAKE a snail, but it is what the prompt said to do! i actually had this sitting somewhere else in my living room but i think i'm going to leave it up like this. i had other pictures up here but i can find other places for them!

day one hundred and sixty three: 54

'connect the dots. make something only using dots. the dots could be stippling from a pen, the circles cut from paper using a hole punch, or even small, round price stickers.'

when i was in high school i took art every year. i had the best teacher ever. the only thing i hated was PEN & INK. i have never really had the patience and after the one pen & ink i liked got ruined by a spilled ink container that someone had forgotten to screw the lid onto, i swore i would never do it again. i have a friend who does amazing pen & inks. i figured i would give it a try. i make it super small so it wouldn't take too long and honestly didn't try my best but he turned out alright.

day one hundred and sixty two: 94

'nuts and bolts. make something with any nuts, bolts, screws, or nails you have lying around. borrow or buy some if you have to.'

my parents house is my go-to supply shop. my mom is crafty and my dad does construction so i can usually find whatever i need there. i filled a cup up with these and bought them home for todays snail.

day one hundred and sixty one: 70

'work only with numbers today. you could make an image using numbers, make something into number shapes, do something involving a calculator, or...?'

i thought about doing an ASCII snail but i've always been fascinated with binary code. it's easy to find a generator online...someday i hope to learn it by heart.

day one hundred and sixty: 85

'work with words. make an image with just words or letters. you can cut them from magazines, draw them yourself, or print out words on a computer to work with.'

i cut out the letters S, N, A, I, and L's from a few magazines and glued them together into a snail shape. it didn't take as long as i thought it would and i had quite a few letters left over so i spelled out snail in the corner.

day one hundred and fifty nine: 23

'waste not. dig in a recycling bin for all of today's materials.'

my cousin and i started collecting tabs over a year ago because we wanted to make something amazing out of them. i dug through my recycling bag and was uninspired so i pulled out my ziplock of tabs and created this snail!

day one hundred and fifty eight: 331

'make a flower or other plant out of everyday objects.'

i struggled with this prompt since it clearly says make a flower, not a snail...so i added a little snail on the 'leaf' of the flower. i tried to use objects i use almost every day.

day one hundred and fifty seven: 11

'work on the other hand. pick a medium you're comfortable with, then work with your nondominant hand - if you usually favor your right then only use your left and vice-versa.'

i'd have to say the most comfortable medium i'm with is just a pen and paper. i doodle a lot so i figured i would try to doodle a snail with my left hand, surprisingly it wasn't bad. i went slow and it seemed to turn out pretty good!

day one hundred and fifty six: 118

'make something out of wood. (any kind will do: twigs, sticks, toothpicks, construction scraps, etc.)'

at camp, there was tons of pieces of wood all over the parking lot. i slept in my car the first night and the next morning while i was walking to the kitchen to help out for breakfast, i thought this would make a perfect snail for the prompt. i think it was all from clearing trees. even though i wanted to use drift wood for this prompt, i think it turned out great.

day one hundred and fifty five: 117

'go out of your way. travel somewhere you wouldn't normally go today specifically to create something inspired by that location.'

i have to be honest in saying i didn't go to this location specifically for this prompt. i went up to a girl's camp for my church and on thursdays they take the older girls for a day on the lake. the camp takes place in sierraville, ca and we go to donner lake for the day. they needed drivers so i went up for the weekend. while i was there i figured it would be fun to make a 'snail lake' for this prompt. i dug it out and filled it up, i had to take the picture quickly since the water soaked into the ground.

day one hundred and fifty four: 10

'use only water as your medium/inspiration today.'

i used a straw and dripped water onto my coffee table for my snail today. some of them merged into each other but i didn't bother wiping them up and doing them again. i thought it added to it.

on a side note, i know i was MIA for 10 days or so...i am going camping tomorrow until saturday so i will be MIA again. but i promise to be back on saturday! i already picked out my snails for the time i'll be gone.

day one hundred and fifty three: 280

'work with balloons, inflated or deflated. you could even use one as the base for papier-mache, cover it in glue-coated string (let dry, then pop the balloon), or...?'

i'm a leader in a church group of girls that are 8-11 years old. i plan an activity every 2nd & 4th wednesday and tomorrow i planned some water games involving water balloons. i figured this would be perfect. i didn't want to fill them all up tonight so i just did one. i couldn't find a sharpie so i used just a black marker. it probably would have been darker when filled.

day one hundred and fifty two: 254

'be animal friendly. create something involving, or inspired by, a pet (yours or a friend's0. it could be something for them to wear, a scene for them to appear in, or...?'

i originally wanted to make a dog tag for my beagle toby, but this idea popped into my head - it was late and i needed to do something!

on a side note, i know i hadn't updated my blog for like 8 or 9 days but i plan on keeping up with it all again. just had some super busy days. but i'm back!!!

day one hundred and fifty one: 264

'work only with legos or other building blocks today. if you don't have any on hand, rather than buying them, why not borrow some from a friend with a child? bonus: try collaborating with a kid on this one.'

i don't have any legos of my own but my mom kept all my brothers and keeps them for my niece and nephew to play with. i tried to get my niece to help me but she was totally involved in her own little lego project. i used some leafy legos to make it look like he was crawling along some grass.

day one hundred and fifty: 128

'write a ten-word autobiography. bonus: illustrate it! extra credit: make a six-word version and share it at www.sixwordmemoirs.com'

my ten-word autobiography: january twentieth, snails became my life. some days i go crazy.

my six-word version: january twentieth, snails became my life.

i actually had fun drawing this because lately this is totally how i feel! i spelled snail out in "l337" so it kind of looked like i was screaming a curse or something. some days, i feel like snail is a bad word. haha.

day one hundred and forty nine: 109

'play in the dirt. go outside and create something in or with the first patch of dirt you can find.'

another snail that was a nightmare to photograph, but you can make it out. i used a stick to dig out a snail in a dirt hill by my house. it turned out okay, but not great.

day one hundred and forty eight: 312

'paint it black. work only with black materials today. try working on a black surface for a real challenge.'

pens, 3d glasses, stapler, compact mirror, ink, phone charger, bracelet, spider ring, screw driver, axe hair samples, flashlight, pocket knife, camera battery charger, tweezers, hair bands, chapstick, nail polish and a flash drive.

day one hundred and forty seven: 200

'save the hair from your next haircut and work with it (or get a friend to save you theirs if you're not squeamish0. or, if you have pets, work with the hair they shed.'

i usually cut my hair twice a year and i haven't planned on cutting it anytime soon. but! my husband needed his hair cut so i got out the clippers and swept up his curly locks. he thought i was crazy but oh well, he's just my husband! haha.

day one hundred and forty six: 146

'create a visual definition for a word chosen randomly from a dictionary. try choosing a word you don't already know!'

lancinate: to tear; to lacerate

so i did pick this randomly but it wasn't the first one i came to. it was the first one i could come up with something though. so i just ripped some pages out of a magazine and tore them into the shapes i needed for my snail! also, i think this is the second time the number of day & number of prompt has matched. i did not plan it that way.

day one hundred and forty five: 212

'use the world of fish as your inspiration today.'

GOLDFISH! i went out and bought some goldfish especially for this prompt. enough said.

day one hundred and forty four: 275

'use your pocket change to make something worth more than what you could buy with it.'

so...i originally wanted to hot glue a bunch of coins together but i didn't have access to a hot glue gun. just imagine them glued together!