It was so awesome!

I needed some new kit organization after Face Painting for 9 weekends at the Maryland Renaissance Festival.

Here are some pictures of my new set up:

Here is what I changed:

1. 1. I bought a rockin’ new Black Case that I love to pieces.  It is a lot lighter and less bulky than the ubiquitous metal tool box from Home Depot/Silly Farm.  Plus it lays open almost completely flat so I don’t have to transfer stuff from the case to the table or worry about the thing shutting or falling.  It has a nice handle and I can also add a shoulder strap.
   2. I got a “Professional Face Painter” tote as a Free Gift from Metina’s Face Paint Forum Shop.  Weeee!  It would be worth the $10 anyway – it has a nice flat bottom and wide shoulder strap.  I do wish the bottom was reinforced with a stiffy (that’s what she said!) but it is lovely so far  (NOTE: Metina let me know that there is a stiffy included with the bags!  I just misplaced mine.  I found it and tried it all together and there is no sagging.  Wee!!).  Into my tote goes everything I can’t fit into my Black Case.
   3. I have all my TAG Body Art palettes organized by color on the left side of the Black Case when open.  The palettes get closed up when they are in the case so they don’t shift around or fall out.
   4. On the right side of the open Black Case I have my few pots of Kryolan, Snaz, and Paradise plus my Black and White and Rainbow cakes and my water containers + wipes.
   5. I also changed out my water containers – I need a wide shallow one for my sponges and a tall narrow one for my brush water.  I bought the brush one (dark plastic rectangular box) at the Container Store.
   6. I bought one of those Lipstick holders to keep my glitter, fan, and Green Marble handy.
   7. For my clean sponges, I switched out using a HUUUUUUUUGE mesh bag and now I’m keeping 26 sponges in a mesh collapsible cube. The dirty ones still go into a mesh laundry bag on the side.
   8. I decided to try out using my new TAG One Stroke Split Cakes with my regular kit to see how I like them.  They are in a 3 drawer acrylic thingy. I tried to take pictures to show how the cakes fit nicely into the drawers.
   9. I’m keeping a few of my self sticky rhinestones in the bottom drawer.
   10. The rest of my loose jewels are inside/under my Brush Easel.

So there it is.

I timed myself unpacking and then repacking and I finished in under 2 minutes both times.

My next step is to get my picture display easier to carry, then my table, then my chair…. then the WORLD!!!  Muahahahahahahahhahahahaaaaaa… ahem.

The Container Store Product Descriptions and Codes:

17″ x 14″ x 4-1/2″ h Commercial-Grade Case Black
Item # 10014001

Acrylic Lipstick & Pencil Cube Clear
Item # 854100

Small 3-Drawer Acrylic Box Clear
Item # 388350

5-1/2″ Folding Mesh Cube Black
Item # 10005355

Amac Box Turquoise: 1-3/16″ sq. x 2-7/16″ h
Item # 10022858

So, Sunday was… how should I put this…

AWESOME!!

Awesome to the max.  Here are some pictures of all the fun you missed:

Jody is a patient teacher and glitter tat vendor…

Everyone gave her their rapt attention… well almost everyone  ^

Irene brought her bebe – so smooshy!

Jody and Jenny show off the “Kharma Jar.”

Here is almost everyone who stayed to make their own “Liquid Bling”.  If you do this please please please use plastic table covers and tape those suckers down!  It saved us a ton of apologizing to the management at Fuddruckers.

Poor Brad.  Don’t try to squeeze super hard when you get a clog- straight pins are your friends!   Lesson learned, kiddo.

Karen is seen here “Blingifying” me.

And Irene makes the same funny face while I go for a Bling-er-fly on her.

Ivonne showed us a fast one-stroke half butterfly.  See??  We painted!  At a Face Painting Jam.  How original!

And then my crazy girls inducted me into their “Wild Face Painters” group.  I think they were just trying to make me cry.  Silly ladies.  I love ‘em.

Alright- now don’t let another month slip by without coming to jam with us in Columbia.  Fourth Sunday of the month (except May – I’ll be in Florida for FABAIC!!!!!) I was wrong – the fourth Sunday of May is the 23.  I’ll be gone on the 30th.

And I just want to say it is AWESOME!

I’ll post pictures and a tutorial later.

Much thanks to D.J. Ehlert and his restaurant program that got me thinking outside the box.