Found this huge rusty and crusty nut at the waters edge at the public way to the river while I went for my walk today. Shirt walk since it was rainy out. But the public way/ waters edge is full of welding slag what a mess. But I snagged this nut. Might use it in a still life. It's interesting. #walkformyhealth #rustandcrust I wonder if I can print it....

via Instagram https://instagr.am/p/Cm2q6hUsTGK/

Pen friends will recognize this extremely well loved pen. I saw it on the ground when I was out for my Dr. Prescribed walk and had to pick it up.i was hoping it was the fountain pen version alas it is the gel pen version. With a half full refill too. Scrubbed it down with some hand sani and here it is. This thing had gotten some loooove. That said if it is yours and you were one of the kids drinking in the cemetery last night, stop being a cliche and hit my DMs with the original pattern on the grip and I'll give it back to you with a better refill fitted. #beverlyma #beverlymassachusetts

via Instagram https://instagr.am/p/CmzjtqNPT1e/

Nice work with your crew @mudeyepuppets

via Instagram https://instagr.am/p/CmuoOOnvQpp/

Skeletoooooon print made @thebrickyardcollaborative in Lynn fun. Gotta explore this more.

via Instagram https://instagr.am/p/CmudxyqPQuQ/

2 gallon ketchup tub full of.... Bacon fat. #weirdshitiseeonmywalks

via Instagram https://instagr.am/p/Cmr7AKCvZoZ/

Ugh it is miserable out

via Instagram https://instagr.am/p/CmPBf59vO-W/

:) these were sent to me so I could review them. Whaaaat?!?!?!? I've got some sketching to do. Thanks for this @misssylulu !!!!

via Instagram https://instagr.am/p/CmNcluLDdw0/

Whaaaaatttt?!? Many many thanks @missssylulu I have the best community around me. I rarely say this but I'm pretty blessed. This will help organize all the video files I'm generating and make sure I have records of everything. This will also keep the old laptop running smoothly for longer. THANKS AGAIN!!! I'M processing an art journaling video now!!!

via Instagram https://instagr.am/p/CmKvZvgPRUw/

I am having the kids make trophies for themselves, here are a few of my examples- the first is a finished silver trophy for making mountains out of mole hills... You make a basic form out of tin foil, then layer it with strips of masking tape then gesso then finally paint. They are simple a easy to make and could be used with sculpy over the top. Or even an air dry clay. Just keep the sculpy thin. Anyway. The next nearly complete figure is for taking a first step, the next for being a good artist and finally for being an exceptional coffee drinker. These are so inexpensive and fun I've been having a great time making them with the kids. If you could give yourself a trophy for anything what would it be for?

via Instagram https://instagr.am/p/CmKAqCpJOHD/

I'm not usually a big fan of sending folx out to the Dollar Tree but their skimpy little sunglasses cases are bomb for organizing art supplies. This thing holds 9 molotow markers a sharpie.and a pen. That's more than what I need for daily sketching. Am I putting fancy fountain pens in there no. But am I slamming that thing full of supplies? Damn right. Also, good for cords and cables.

via Instagram https://instagr.am/p/CmIZEZ4jSGj/

Made myself another cappuccino this one with eggnog ish spices. My milk foaming looks better before the photos I swear.

via Instagram https://instagr.am/p/CmC2fqDP0Gb/

If you take a picture of your ginormous monitor up close it looks like this. Also... That $10 homodespot gift card I was randomly gifted? It was actually for $25. That dude paid for most of my heat this week. Awesome

via Instagram https://instagr.am/p/CmCxfK2v9U1/

I promised myself a good cup of coffee at the end of my walk. That was 4 hours ago. So this decaf cappuccino will do. Pretty happy with my milk steaming these days. This one is cinnamon. Tasty af.

via Instagram https://instagr.am/p/CmAc-h1Pe_r/

Not bad. Not good. Would probably be improved with the addition of some bourbon or whiskey of some sort. It's highly bitter but not totally unpleasant. Tastes like someone tried to make an affogato with a creamsicle. Bizzaaahhhh.

via Instagram https://instagr.am/p/Cl-hds-MH2L/

I bought a battery replacement kit for the old iPh0nie. Was pretty easy to follow the online instructions. Had a close call with he glue holding in the old battery pack and poking a hole in the old battery... Uh but the new one went in easy and is charging up now and the phone isn't hot as hell. So a pretty easy if fiddly fix for an old phone. Also it cost $21 for the whole kit. Worth it.

via Instagram https://instagr.am/p/Cl5DnE3jz9U/

I have looked for these headphones in every bag I own, including this one. I ripped apart my desk and my art area. No joy. I was lol king for my pencil in my bag and guess where I found them... In the large pocket of my edc backpack. Damn it.

via Instagram https://instagr.am/p/Cl4VoN0vhpz/

The unreal becomes real. Duh duh duuuhhhnnn zombie popsicles from @mollycat21

via Instagram https://instagr.am/p/Cly09HivFq-/

Transformed a writing notebook into an art journal and a sketchbook into my own. I took video of the process. It will be up on YouTube at comfortableshoesstudio this week. Pretty stoked at the skulls and brains @reddoggirl67 sent me (I think it was you?) Killer stuff.

via Instagram https://instagr.am/p/ClxOTD2InOa/

So I was in home Depot, a man and his daughters were around the same areas as I had been and at one point one of his kiddies was wailing and he was super kind and patient with her. Later I was going in the opposite direction in a crowded area and I let them pass. He stopped and the girl mumbled something and tried to hand me something, dad said, say it louder honey, she she said merry Christmas and handed me a home Depot card. I thanked them and said this.is a.nice surprise. No name on it just $10. So that was really cool.

via Instagram https://instagr.am/p/CltqKkHpb42/

Decaf cold brew... Which I might attempt to carbonate... We'll see.

via Instagram https://instagr.am/p/CloML77rL8t/

So I've followed @sbrebrown for many years. His posts and videos on fountain pens have a certain wit that I enjoy. But this was pure fire. Personally, as a queer person on the internet I rather like it when the phones show their full ass so I can block and report them for hate speech. I have a lot more respect for Stephen after this. His insta is worth a follow, even if you aren't into fountain pens.

via Instagram https://instagr.am/p/Clkn8V4MrTj/

I make small kits to hold tools and materials for customizing things, or small repairs. I like those plastic gum containers and glucose strip containers for storage. These 2 "kits" show why you need to properly prepare plastics for paint markers. The black container was scuffed up and degreased I did not scuff or degrease the white camera customizer kit. My bad. The paint marker is all flaking off. Annoying. This weekend I'll clean off the paint and scuff it up and properly degrease it. I use isopropyl alc to degrease. The spray hand sani works well. But avoid the stuff with aloe. #makergonnaupcycle #makersgonnamake

via Instagram https://instagr.am/p/Clkg29EDFu5/

Last night here. Taking the dog out and it's dark before 6pm. Jeebis chrisco it's cold.

via Instagram https://instagr.am/p/ClXHLaOv-Tw/

I come by my penchant for repair honestly. This is an old comforter my mom repaired a small hole with stitching.

via Instagram https://instagr.am/p/ClTgzhfLpIl/

Shooting a time lapse of the trip. One shot every 5 minutes... Should result in a short video about 5 minutes long... Neat. the last time I did this was on my canon elph... S1100? It wasn't hd but still really cool.

via Instagram https://instagr.am/p/ClRB4LGr7kU/

That coffee is just so photogenic. Foamed milk and a decaf espresso.

via Instagram https://instagr.am/p/ClNPdUIjDW7/

Look at this lovely little stainless steel double wall insulated mug. It was sad lonely and disgusting lly caked with old coffee grime. I snagged it from the "is this yours?" pile at work and did a thorough cleaning. First with soap and water on the inside and then my usual denture cleaner and boiling water soak. (Seriously denture cleaner is cheap, smells nice and is food safe. It is designed to get stains out of porcelain and plastic and stainless steel. Get some at the dollar store to clean your mugs and water bottles.) Inside is spotless. The lid needed... Special care. Disassembly required a drill. I had to drill out the plastic pins that held the 2 halves of the slider in place. One broke off. I'd intended to use a stainless screw to hold it together. Instead I drilled a hole and used a M4 bolt, a few washers and a nut all stainless, to hold the slider together. Before assembly I had to give the slider a complete clean. This thing was nasty. I mean proper gagging gross. Now it's got a cute little M4 hex bolt on the top and a little nut on the bottom. Too cool. I might need to art up the sides. Not sure with what though. #makersgonnamake #makergonnaupcycle #fixdamagedthings

via Instagram https://instagr.am/p/ClNE97jjWg_/

Made it mine with some jb steel weld and @sharpie oil based markers. Hot hot 🔥🔥🔥 orange, pink and a hint of purple. The old canon 330hs that I bought years ago is now on fire and shot some great video today. #makersgonnamake #makeitmine #forgottorecordit #betterthennew

via Instagram https://instagr.am/p/ClJpg_RJCCC/

See those blue feet? They are pretty strongly magnetic. I stuffed the whole camera in my pocket and left those feet sticking out... Just above my key card. Guess what? My key card stopped working... Whoops.

via Instagram https://instagr.am/p/ClHRAYqPONc/

Sometime you can save a thing from the trash with about 3 bucks in parts from homodespot. This little tripod only costs about 15 bucks but that's 15 bucks I can spend on other things. Anyway, loving that I fixed this. #diyordie #makersgonnamake #trashfind

via Instagram https://instagr.am/p/ClC6oD8DnDW/

I needed a simple easy to draw calendar solution. First pic is the scribbling ideas (should have turned on the camera) and 2nd pic is a rough version. This'll do for now

via Instagram https://instagr.am/p/Ck9Ekn5vuAT/

One for the haters. If you get it you get it. And yeah I shot a little video. Came to work 20 min early for that good light for shooting. A little 🍆 for the jerks who post hateful comments. Might pick up some tube to decorate for the Ko-fi site. #makersgonnamake #makeitmine #customizeyourstuff #customizetheworld #art #artist

via Instagram https://instagr.am/p/Ckv1fgtJU18/

Voted. Hope you did too.

via Instagram https://instagr.am/p/CkuML0UDLJC/

Do I have better things to do than make all my inconsequential things 100% mine? Maybe, but why not spend a few minutes scuffing up some plastic and then decorating my tubes of chapstick? In progress braaaaiiiinnnnzzzzzz. #makersgonnamake #customizeyourstuff #makeitmine #lifewithpersonality #whylivewithboring

via Instagram https://instagr.am/p/CktnF60PhVg/

Make stuff 001 will be up tomorrow. I'm really trying to turn the camera on when I make and do stuff. But it is hard to remember to do. This is a useful thing to make. I ended up with a selfie stick AND 2 monopods from one broken tripod. #makersgonnamake #upcycle I think I have another broken tripod too.

via Instagram https://instagr.am/p/Ckrvky1jeWG/

Reppin @pencilution on my bike helmet. Had to apply a layer of paint pen to make that sticker POP off the helmet. Love the sticker!!! #makeitmine #maker #customizetheworld

via Instagram https://instagr.am/p/CkminDxDiHE/

Next Make it Mine will be up.on YouTube on Monday. I continue to set up my next sketchbook. I add an elastic and ribbons then number the pages.

via Instagram https://instagr.am/p/CklfrCYL4sR/

Preview of tomorrow's yt video. Working on a series about customization of things. #makersgonnamake #learningrush #art #artist #customizeyourstuff

via Instagram https://instagr.am/p/CkhnPqmjXoS/

People are awful. I loaded a short little clip of my sanding the labels off a chapstick tube, which I then decorated to "make it mine" and withing an hour had a nasty comment. YouTube is the worst. I blocked and reported but not until after I gave a pithy response. Ugh. Anyway. I made the chapstick tube mine with some sanding and adding of doodles to the tube with paint markers. I like it. I don't care if you don't. Have fun and enjoy life. #makersgonnamake #make #makeitmine #simple #art

via Instagram https://instagr.am/p/CkbJP-BO2y4/

People don't usually take their kids out for trick or treat in my neighborhood. But I almost always hang a bucket of candy on the door until 9pm. I used to leave it out overnight for teens but a couple of years back the little shits stole the pumpkin and my carabineer! I didn't hang anything during the thick of the pandemic but figured Id do something this year. I realized after we got back from our walk that I didn't have a bucket. So I grabbed my @krinknyc black ink and slapped a ghost face onto a recycled protein shake tub and wrapped some rope around the top. Tomorrow night this puppy will hang off my door. Glad to get back to it.

via Instagram https://instagr.am/p/CkW_cALD1Jj/

One of these things is noooooooo like the otherrrrrrrr. Sometimes when working with middle schoolers you make earrings in group as an example of if you have the right tools you can make anything including tiny rubber chicken earrings that make the kids laugh and laugh and laugh but also shows them that with a will, a power drill, and some jewelry findings and of course miniature rubber chickens you can easily make a pair of hilarious earrings. #makersgonnamake #maker #rubberchickensarefunny #whyarerubberchickensfunny #arttherapy #hilarious #art

via Instagram https://instagr.am/p/CkLSJzKLGK4/

Examplesssssss brainzzzzzz

via Instagram https://instagr.am/p/CkJWMk4JuUn/

The most purple of purples. The dark blue purple of the frame makes the magenta purple POP. I gotta say this feels like it might be a touch overboard but I want this to be over the top with anodized purple and shades of purple. I gotta see what else I can get with purple. Not that the front is done I'm thinking about the drive train. I think I want to go 2x9 or 2x10. #pedalpower #makersgonnamake #bikelife #makeitmine #purplebike #saveoldbikes #retrorestoration #retromod

via Instagram https://instagr.am/p/CkCuDdbDYjj/

I took these off and put the purples on and ... Then cleaned and shined these up... Then put them right back on the bike. The v brakes just don't look good on the bike. Not sure if it's the purple or what but I just didn't like them. So these went back on. I need to get some fresh koolstop for them. Wonder if I can get those in purple? I'll get pics of the delightfully purple handlebar. It is tooooooo perfectly purple. It's so extra and I love it. Picked up some grips for the short term. But the rubber on my retro gripshifts is rotted out. So I looked for replacement rubber and the are OG gripshifts and replacement rubber doesn't exist. You can get replacement rubber for sram gripshifts... Sram also makes high-end grip shifts... I'm debating if I want to keep the gripshifts on here or go for trigger shifting. I haven't decided yet. #maker #bikelike #pedalpower #retrobuild #restorationbike also I kinda love the look of the cantilever brakes.

via Instagram https://instagr.am/p/CkCVNVCDJ27/

All the crud is off them and they polish up nice!!! About to apply grease and oil in the appropriate spots then put them on the bike. Can't wait #pedalpower #bikelife #restomod #restorationbike #makersgonnamake

via Instagram https://instagr.am/p/CkBtvYQPVP1/

I should have posted about this before I did it, but last night I taught a rubberstamp carving workshop at NAGLY in Salem,MA! If I do say so myself it went great a great group of youth carved stamps from erasers. We played Soup, Salad, or Sandwich and it got people talking. Everyone walked away with a few stamps! Also if you live in the north shore... Don't look for large erasers at any Dollar Trees. I cleaned them out. #artist #teachingartist #printplay #arttherapy

via Instagram https://instagr.am/p/Cj-pGi2Lvix/

I knew that the anodized purple was going to be pinkish and not match the purple paint and here is the difference. I think they compliment one another and I suspect that once on the bike it'll be finnneeee. I already slapped the stem on and it looks great buuuutttt the current handle bars aren't 31.8 as expected they are smaller. Soooo the next upgrade is forced to a new set of handle bars. . The rule for this project is that anything added must be purple or silver. Since purple handle bars are pretty much none existent I'm going with silver bars with a rise. I was considering gravel style bars but I don't like bullhorns so nope. I'm a flat or rise bar lover.Im thinking a moto style rise will give my old back the gentle rise I need.so adventure bike for me. #retrorestoration #pedalpower #bikelife #purplepeopleeater #bikelike

via Instagram https://instagr.am/p/Cj6xw_9jT7r/

Daaaamn that purple tho. These brakes will go on the bike. The purple and chrome look great. The @molotowheadquarters chrome paint marker flooded that metal and looks fantastic. I do see a few spots I'll touch up tonight but the colors looked great. I think I need to polish up that aluminum that holds the spring. It's a bit rough feeling and I think a little buffing wheel and compound love will shine it up perfect. I might leave these stealth instead of looking for the logo stickers. Unless @tektro_official can tell me where I can get some labels for them. Anyway, I'm stoked about these and I think I'll pair them with purple or silver cable housing. Not sure which will look the most extra. #makeitmine #makersgonnamake #pedalpower #bikelife #rimbrakesarediscbrakes #mountainbiking

via Instagram https://instagr.am/p/Cj2ytlOLmk6/

A little before and after of these tektro brakes. Basic v brakes. They had a bit of putting and rust, the rust was remover from the brake with Lysol rust and lime toilet cleaner. Worked well. The brakes were then sanded down with some sandpaper. Wiped down with alcohol, then painted... With @sharpie oil paint markers. 2 coats and they look dope. The chrome areas were derusted and coated with some @molotowheadquarters chrome paint pen. Some pics of that tomorrow. But the whole thing looks great. Now I need to find some @tektro_official labels. These are going on the project bike once I get some koolstop pads in my grubby little paws. I am considering if I should spray this with some top coat or not. I probably should for longevity but part of me just wants to get them on the bike... As an aside... The slightly scuffed paint took the paint marker the best the area where I went down to bare metal... Not so much. #makersgonnamake #makeitmine #pedalpower #bikelife #retrorestoration #retrobike #90smountainbike

via Instagram https://instagr.am/p/Cj1omRKjPy6/

Rust removal with Lysol Lime and Rust... Toilet bowl cleaner. I had looked at Evaporust at harbor freight and it was $$$. So I held off and decided to steel wool the rust off the parts with some white vinegar. Then my wife picked up some new toilet cleaner. This is the stuff. It cleaner the rust off but left a golden hue. I'm going to leave the parts that were very rust in here for the day and then scrub them when it get home. If stuff had surface rust or staining, like some of these aluminum parts, it's gone. Also there were.some areas where 2 different metals joined up and it caused a white salty feeling material to appear. That's all gone. Anyway. All of these parts are tektro v brake parts and will go on the project bike. They are going to get scuffed up and smooooothed out then painted purple to match the bike. (There are some bolts to an old stem that I'm going to scuff up and reuse on the saved biked. That's also going to get painted.) #toiletbowlcleaner #makersgonnamake #makergonnatry #pedalpower #makeitmine

via Instagram https://instagr.am/p/Cj0Ev1Gg-EF/