All that running and throwing and running and swinging… after the first inning, I am done!  I’m spent.  My legs just give up on me.

My problem?  Oh… I forgot to warm up.

Hey, Michelle, this is a Face Painting Blog… get back on topic!

Ok, ok – I just needed a little sympathy for my aching torso/limbs/entire body.

Getting back to Face Painting, this is an important lesson to remember.  The birthday kid/CEO’s kid/ VIP’s kid is almost always first in my chair.  And I used to get so nervous… where was my warm up face?!

So now I keep some of my almost empty pots of black and white and a rainbow cake aside from my kit and I paint my face right before I head out for gigs.  A few swirls and curls and my warm up is done!

Oh, but in case I’m feeling a little shakey, I paint a few extra spiders, webs, wiggly cracks and squiggles on my legs too.  Good thing I always wear long pants…

We had tons of willing models and almost every single painter got to get their brushes dirty (or they got my brushes dirty- we share here in MD).

Lots of sharing and some new faces too.

Check out the pictures below!  There are TWO pages of pictures there. 

Scroll down and click the green Triangle when you have seen all 20 pictures on this page.

12►

We had fun anyway :)

Here are some pics:

Joes gets Baltimore'd by me (Heff)

Smile Joe!

Do Not Feed the Orioles

I started sketching this half face on Jenny...

... but it didn't turn out so hot. Lesson Learned!

Wendy used the Orioles Split cake we made (and gave away!)

Wendy paints me (Heff)

Heff and Wendy

I painted some non-sports related butterfly arms.

First time jammers!

The April Columbia Jam minutes before the massive downpour outside

I used the Orioles Split cake to paint the "Talking T'Rex" on Jenny's Leg. Tongue courtesy of Jenny!

Stencil Power ! Thanks to Wendy for cutting the "O's" stencil (we gave it away too!).

Everyone won something in the Left Right Left game, including Raven’s Glitter, Orioles Glitter, The “O’s” stencil donated by Wendy, the split cake we made and demoed that night and a brush that Jenny donated.

Michele, our newest jammer, brought up something that no one had ever asked before: “Who pays for the stuff you guys give away?”

Me: “…Jenny and I do.”

Michele: “Umm… why?”

Me: “You know… I’m not sure.”

I guess we give stuff away, and we pay for it ourselves, because it helps illustrate that we aren’t jamming for ulterior motives.  We want people to come out and new jams are sometimes slow to get off the ground.

Oh yeah!  And Marcela sent us FABAIC Bling (Free glitter and sticky jewels) for everyone.  Thank you, Marcella!  We’ll have extras for next month too.

I’ll be setting up my Face Painting booth Saturday, April 24 from 9:00 AM – 3:00 PM in Columbia, MD for our local “Flea Market/Community Yard Sale.”

See you there!

Saturday, April 24 from 9am-3pm at The Hawthorn Center, 6175 Sunny Spring Columbia MD 21044

I would love to invite you all to an April 25, 2010 Face Painting Jam in Columbia, MD from 5:00 PM – 9:00 PM in the Fuddruckers at 6486 Dobbin Center Way, Columbia MD. 
 
Call me or email me if you need directions.

Sports Theme: Wendy will make a simple logo stencil and I’ll make a rainbow cake to go with it for our door prizes that night.  Stay until the end or you’ll miss it!
 
Bring your kits and your business cards – there are lots of fun folks to meet.

See you then!!
~Michelle

P.S. We are going to do a year end raffle as well so every time you come to the jam your name gets put into a hat.  We’ll let you know the Kick Booty prize soon.

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.

I would love to invite you all to a March 28, 2010 Face Painting Jam in Columbia, MD at 5:00 PM in the Fuddruckers at 6486 Dobbin Center Way, Columbia MD.  Call me or email me if you need directions.

Jenny and I have been planning and plotting up some fun ideas for this jam. 

Everyone is going to learn how to make their own Liquid Bling from scratch and you get to make a bottle’s worth and take it home!  Jenny will have the bottles with the metal tips for sale.  Bring a few bucks in cash if you want to buy an empty bottle that night.  Otherwise you are bringing home a baggie full of glitter gel!
 

AND Jody Rodgers from Signature Glitter will be there as our Vendor.  Jody will be demoing Glitter Tattoos and everyone gets a FREE lesson on how to apply them.  Her glitter tattoo kits rock – I bought hers first and I am soooo happy I did.  Along with her Glitter Tat kits and her Glitter Tat stencils, Jody will also bring Bulk Glitter.  Weee!!  Who doesn’t love glitter?

 
Get there by 5:30 because we are going to get started early.
 
Someone is also going to win a Free bottle of Bling in our Left Right Circle game.  So stick around!

Bring your kits and your business cards – there are lots of fun folks to meet : )

We will be in the back at 5:00 PM and we can stay until closing (or until they kick us out!).

See you then!!

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.

Because I make you look smart in front of your friends and family.

• I paint truly amazing designs very quickly so your guests can enjoy the party you planned.

• My setup area is clean and organized and looks excellent in photos.

• I use special, safe products so even the most sensitive guests can have a “little something”.

• I am reliable, punctual, and professionally dressed (polo + dark pants).

You found my website but now you are wavering about calling me for a quote.

Thoughts running through your mind:

“Uh oh – this is going to be expensive…”

“My friend/sister/grandma is an excellent artist – she can handle 25 screaming, sugar crazed moving targets.”

“I don’t need to call.  I’ll just find someone on Craigslist.”

I am a Professional Face Painter.  Please, allow me to address your concerns:

• You will get what you pay for when it comes to face painters.  You can pay a little less and risk the disappointment of your guests or you can pay me and be 100% certain to astonish them.

• Fine arts training does not a Children’s Entertainer make.  Let your friends enjoy the party instead of suffering through a confusing 2 hours of disappointed kids.

• Do you really want a stranger coming into your home when you haven’t even talked with them before?  These people come in very close contact with your children – you should get to know them first.

I am available for those events that you want to be remembered as exceptional.

I am incredible.  I am fast.  I am worth it.

There are only so many years that you will have birthday parties at home.
Enjoy having them while you can – teenager parties are a whole different beast.
But the parties at home… These are the parties they remember.
And I help make them worth remembering.

Call right now to speak with me, Michelle Heffner: 443-878-2654
- Keep a pencil and notepad nearby during the call.
- Expect to spend 15 minutes on the phone discussing the details.
- We’ll also discuss photos and how you can focus on the party instead.
- At the end, we’ll talk about the deposit and how you can pay via PayPal.

But you have to call me.  Now.
Otherwise, some other kid’s mom is going to snag your day.