trade secrets

This is: my trade secret.

Well it appears my trade secret is to do everything a day late these days... :) (not intentionally of course).

Gosh, I really don't think I have any trade secrets... here's a few facts:
1. I use a mechanical pencil to draw my illos. I say mechanical pencil, but it's actually a pacer pencil beloved since the late 80's.
2. I use watercolour paints from a tube, and then leave them to dry on my pallets so I can add water and recreate the same colours easily again later on.
3. I never stretch my watercolour paper before painting on it. I'm way too impatient. I spray the back of the paper with a fine mist of water after I've finished the painting, and then press in between layers of a bedsheet, under a very heavy board for 4 days. It works a treat! (Note this only works on good quality cotton-rag paper).

Oh, and a really great tip I picked up off someone else's blog a while back (sorry I can't remember who's tip it originally was), is to use the slim slivers of nearly used up soap bars as tailor's chalk. It gives super sharp lines, slides along a ruler beautifully, washes out, and makes your fabric smell lovely! Try it! I know you'll like it ;)
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Sorry for the late, un-pretty post. I've had a bad day which required neurofen early on, climaxed with a full cup of tea having an intimate meeting with my computer keyboard, followed by all sorts of malfunction and hurried replacements to attempt to get all my work done in time. Then there was a mega head-bang on the freezer door (not the Metallica kind), followed by a lump, and more pills, a phone call from my mum to tell me she's decided not to come and visit after all, and tears of stress at how much stuff I have to get done in the little time that the next two weeks holds. Phew.

Tomorrow will be SO much better. Right?