What’s On Your Desk: first entry for WOYWW

It’s pointless to have a nice clean desk, because it means you’re not doing anything.

Michio Kaku

1. My pink handle paint brushes for watercolours are from Rosemary’s Brushes, and they match the pink tin perfectly – I noticed this just recently when I put them in this particular tin.
2. Iced coffee with reusable straw that I’ve had for years now, decorated with strawberry print that has almost worn off, but I will keep using it anyway.
3. A glass bowl in an unusual shape, now with a candle in it. I brought it home in the beginning of last year from my mom’s mothers apartment after she died. It’s heavy and green-blue and lovely, so I’ve kept it out to look at it.
4. A pink pen pouch where I’m currently keeping a few writing pens (with black ink) to have handy when I’m journaling. I got this one in happy mail many years ago now. I have a whole collection of pen cases for different sets of pens, or for alternating through. But most of them are handmade by either me or mom. Like the second one also on my desk:
5. A patchwork pen case that mom sewed me many years ago. It’s still one of my favorites, because it is big enough for a lot of pens (currently keeping my pitt brush pens in it) and it zips up easily. It’s been decorated with a pizza eating cat (called Pusheen).
6. The notebook is what I’m working on currently, or in. It’s a small blank notebook from Kikki K with 365 pages. I am trying to fill it, and filming the process because I’m stubborn like that. So stubborn!
7. Miscellaneous stuff on my desk includes the necessary glue stick, some faint but pretty highlighters, and big scissors for collage work.
8. The small watercolor set is made by Prima and it’s one of my favorites. I keep it in another pouch that mom made for me.
9. Last but not least, my phone, featuring a lovely Strawberry Shortcake screen that makes me happy.

Here are some details from my desk for a little bit of a close-up:

Filling a notebook slowly

The notebook Kikki K 365 is one that I bought and started doing little daily sketches or exercises in a few years ago. I was diligent in filling it and filming my process doing that for maybe three months. I love those quick compilations so much that I decided to continue working in it until it’s full, but it seams to be taking me for eeever to do so and now when autumn is here and light is scarce I’m not sure I will finish it this year either. But if you are curious of what’s inside you can take a look at the January time-lapse compilation which includes a lot of abstract pages if I remember correctly. February was all about love and hearts and the third video experimental portraits.

They take a long time to film and edit together even if each page is rather quick to do, but in a way that makes it even more satisfying when the video is done. I have a few pages done / time-lapse clips filmed already, so that’s why this notebook is out on the desk again. But I do think I will start publishing that series next year, so make sure you’re subscribed to Studio iHanna on YouTube (with notifications on) if you are interested in that series.

Oh, I also wanted to mention that in the paint brush tin you might be able to spot my rainbow pencil. Here:

I don’t remember if I’ve ever mentioned it before so I’ll do that now. It is fab! I got it as birthday gift and thought it was a quite silly pencil, but when I started using it I found I really like it. I use it to draw multicolored dots and patterns, and the randomness of it makes me happy. So if you haven’t got one, I suggest you try out a rainbow pencil of some kind soon. You might be surprised too. :-)

The Cat theme

I did not “see” it when I took these photos, when I was working by my desk – but now that I’m writing this up I notice a distinct cat theme. Did you spot it? The cat head on a pencil (above) and the small cat patterned pouch for the watercolor set with a round Moo sticker showing my photo of the cutest cat in the entire world: Smilla (RIP). And already mentioned, the pizza eating fat cat Pusheen. I guess I am a cat lady even though I no longer have a cat in my life.

If you are into drawing, painting, mixed media or really any kind of art – don’t miss out on joining the autumn 2024 DIY Postcard Swap – still open for international participants! We’d love to have you join!

BTW, what’s on your desk at the moment? Anything exciting?

What’s On Your Workdesk Wednesday
This blog post is part of a blog link-up that has been going for 15 years called What’s On Your Workdesk Wednesday (WOYWW). I sometimes see these things and think, oh cool, that looks like fun, I’ll do that soon and then time passes and I’m never ready. But hey, never say never! This is my first entry! WOYWW is hosted these days by Sarah Brennan of the blog Sarah’s Craft Shed. I think everyone is welcome to join, so I finally jumped in. This blog post is part of WOYWW 803!

* If you are new to my blog you might also want to check out previous posts about the Kikki K journal that was on my desk today, and maybe a few sightings of my desk from previous years.

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