#WithDraw2020 Day 2: Wash

Today is St. Patrick’s Day. LCBO and Beer Stores are open for business. #priorities
Things are becoming more expensive. Even Super Saver yarn is being sold online for double the price you pay in-store. I have enough to finish my latest plush, it would still be nice to have enough yarn to keep occupied. I will make my way to the local crafts store before they shut down as well.
Which reminds me: stores are closing! Restaurants are offering takeout only, and even clothing retailers are closing up shop until further notice. I worry for employees at grocery stores and restaurants, who are being called in to work regardless.
Starting tomorrow, my school will be restricted to limited access. I’m fortunate to be able to work from home, though not all my friends and classmates are so lucky. Yesterday was spent switching between group chats, making sure everyone’s okay and offering alternative software solutions.

It’s okay to be afraid, and to stay home. It’s also okay to take advantage of this temporary free time. Go outside and get some fresh air, just remember to practice physical distancing. Outside is safe; this isn’t the movie Bird Box!

Now, on to the drawing prompt: Wash.

Kenny doesn’t remember anything before coming to the orphanage. He remembers playing with his big sister, Kiri, and spending weeks in the infirmary during the spring months. Kiri taught him to wash his hands and brush his teeth, two things that were necessary when he was quarantined away from the other children. Kenny’s last memory of the orphanage was kneeling with his sister by a river bank. She was frantically scrubbing his hands and looking panicked. She scrubbed so hard that his arm went numb, and then…black.

Click image for original source

The above is the image I used for reference. It’s been a bit of a day today… No-Face has lost hair from the backs of both ears, and they have developed some gross crust around the inner edges. Applying his medicine while Sootsprite tries to swat his tail, has been a bit of a struggle. But hopefully if we follow the vet’s instructions, No-Face will be rid of whatever this condition is. I’ll be in Wonderland for a bit longer than anticipated, to make sure Nofie is okay, and to give Hatter some human contact during his work from home.

From here on, I expect to update Instagram way more often than this blog, or even Facebook. I have been working on a new plush, and expect to post about some of my in-progress animation work. Let’s all keep busy during this quarantine, and continue making the world plush as best we can.

Pika, so happy~

#WITHDRAW2020 Day 1: Home

*knock knock*
Who’s there?
COVID-19.
COVID-19 who?

Hopefully soon, the punchline will be, “Exactly!”

We’re all aware of the current state of the world. Mass panic, not a person to be seen in the streets, nor toilet paper rolls in the stores.

After taking the past several months to concentrate on finishing my final year of college, the publicly-funded school closures have forced me to take a break. So hello again. I’m Pika in a Bag, and we’re doing the WithDraw 2020 art challenge. My goal to be an animator, and create my own series, will not be stopped just because there’s an outbreak. If anything, this situation has only strengthened my resolve. Now I can work on my own things! It feels like forever since I got this chance.

This challenge was created by Simcha Fisher, over at simchafisher.com. I don’t know her personally, but we do have a few mutual friends. She’s definitely a clever person, to have thought of this challenge when literally the entire world will be bored at home. So hello Simcha! Challenge accepted!

Today’s prompt is Home. I drew a concept sketch of my main character’s room, in her home.

Sammi is a high school senior living in Ru Meilieu, Herota. Her only plan after graduation is to find the island of Larimar: an island that only exists in stories. But Sammi knows the island is real. It has to be, how else could someone like her exist? She wants answers, and someone — or something — is determined to keep her from finding them.

Sammi can often be found hunched at her desk, studying her world history books or scribbling secret letters to her friends. She will then roll up the latter, attach it to her faithful pet owl Hibou, and send him off to the recipient. She drew the mountains and trees on the wall when she was little, after reading that Larimar had beautiful mountains amid a vast forests. Papa wasn’t happy about it.

I was going to add one of those hanging lamps above her bed, with a pull-cord. That way Sammi could read in bed late at night. Also, scatter some papers and books on the desk. Because “tidy desks are for people with tidy lives.”

For the full challenge, and to see more of Ms. Simcha Fisher, you can follow her links:
simchafisher.com
Facebook

And that’s day 1 of the challenge. Tune in next time for the next day!

Pika, so happy~

Octopus – Amigurumi #44

Me, last summer: “I was invited to a baby shower. What do you do at baby showers?”
Shoonie: “Uh…you give presents, play games, and pat the baby. :D”

But what if the baby isn’t born yet?

Answer: You give the mum-to-be an octopus!

Inspired by the preemie octopus, this was a present to the Mad Hatter’s other sister, Jo. She wanted a colourful octopus for baby to be, and I happened to find some rainbow “baby yarn” in my stash. I didn’t make it to the actual baby shower, so I gave it to her when I saw her prior. Jo looked very happy, and let me pat her belly. ❤

It’s nice to finally have color on this blog.

This octopus was made with a now discontinued yarn, called Bernat Candyland. (Click the name for link) It has a boucle texture, which means it adds a bumpy texture to the finished fabric. I made a scarf using the green, white, and purple yarn, pictured on the same page.

Washed and ready to wrap!

The octopus’ legs are crocheted directly to the body, so they wouldn’t come apart once baby gets to the grabbing/pulling phase. Once I finished making the octopus, I stuffed it into an old stocking and washed it. Octopus became socktopus, and then washtopus. It’s important to wash knitted and crocheted items before giving them to a newborn. Especially if you’re using yarn that’s been sitting in storage for a long time.

And if you desire, this octopus can also be… a hat.

• 

  Help.

• 

  I’M BLIND! AAAAAH!

Please join me in wishing Baby Izzy a very warm welcome. Hello Izzy! I hope you’ve enjoyed your first 6 months on Earth! When you grow bigger I’ll make you snacks. Trust me, they’ll be even tastier than my finger!

• 

• 

As fate should have it, I got Jo in the Secret Santa draw. Among the other things, I gave her this birth announcement. I really just wanted to experiment colouring with colored pencils. Unfortunately I didn’t scan or take a photo of the final product, but the photo on the right is the rough draft. I’m happy that Jo is happy.

• 

  The lovely new mum

• 

  Click for full view

As I mentioned at the beginning, this octopus was inspired by the octopus toys made to comfort premature babies. I’m sure even non-preemies would love to have a dangly friend to cling onto. Izzy wasn’t a preemie, but she certainly enjoys her octopus! If you would like to contribute an octopus, visit the “octopus for a preemie” website or one of their Facebook pages. (Click the blue texts to follow through)

What other baby toys should appear on the blog? Do the octopus’ colors turn your cats into rock-toed pusses? Know any better octopus puns? Comment below!

Pika, so happy~

30 Day Drawing Challenge: Part 3 of 3

Probably should’ve done 10 days per post. But what fun is that?

Day 24 – Polygon Art

Now you’re probably wondering, “isn’t all art polygon art?” Or maybe you’re not, I can’t tell you what to wonder. Anyway, let’s draw something using only polygons. I drew Hatsune Miku, because why not. This is how I mock up plushies, to determine what shapes are required. The hair would just be yarn hair, instead of actually shaped.

Know what would be interesting to make? A stop motion animation of plushies… Until I have access to more powerful animation software, we’ll just have to make do with what’s available. That’s how South Park got their start: they just used paper cutouts. Today, episodes are made using 3D software, but shaded in such a way that stays true to the old art style.

Day 25 – Mandala

Mandalas are drawn as part of Zen. They are soothing to draw, and soothing to look at, as well. In real life, mandalas are drawn over a period of several days, using coloured sand. And then they are blown away, to symbolize that nothing is permanent. To me, it symbolizes that all good things must come to an end. That’s why I drew pizza, and garlic dipping sauce. Pizza is good, but pizza doesn’t last forever.

I don’t like how toys and fun things have to be labelled as “adult.” Who says you have to be a kid, to enjoy colouring? My challenge for you, is to pick up a colouring book, and colour a few mandalas for yourself.

Day 26 – Galaxy

Continuing on with the food theme, my galaxy is a literal milky way. You know when you were a kid, and just getting the hang of drawing tools? Yeah, I regressed to that stage when drawing this. It was fun to play with the filters and brush tools again, because it gave a sense of creating something amazing with only the push of a button, or click of the mouse. If only everything in life were that simple. ;w;

When your box of Planet Pops doesn’t scan, does the cashier have to key in the cereal number?

 

Day 27 – Greatest Fear

As we got closer to Halloween, the theme grew spooky. My greatest fear is the uncertainty that the future holds. The light behind the curtain is not white, but a muddy yellow, because I do not yet know what the future looks like. They say as long as you plan ahead and stay in school and all that jazz, you’ll be fine. Well, I did stay in school. I did go to University. I did everything as I was told. Yet it wasn’t enough. After 25 (!) years of following someone else’s plans, it’s time to follow my own dreams. But the naysayers have clouded my mind with thoughts of how what I want is wrong, and that their ways are right. Hopefully we can get through those voices, and do what is right for us.

Day 28 – Self portrait

C’est moi, the most terrifying thing you’ll see in this post. In real life, that blue shirt is bigger, and blue plaid. And the black shirt has a graphic on the front.

Have you noticed that successful people tend to wear the same thing every day? Steve Jobs, Mark Zuckerberg, and even Barack Obama wore the same outfits every day. Now if you saw a stick figure, you can look at them and go, “oh hey, that’s _____!” I used to wear a bright blue coat. Eventually, it wore out and my new coat was a standard dark blue. My friend had a hard time finding me, and she said, “I was looking for a blue coat… XP; ”

Day 29 – Bone Art

Time for some spoopy skeletal stuff. While browsing for ideas, I happened upon this interesting bracelet. At least, I thought it was a bracelet. It’s kind of odd to look at, because it looks like your bones are on the outside of your hands. It’s also a clever idea for an adornment. Inspired by this, I created a foot equivalent. Perhaps boots could be created, with a shinbone attachment?

 

Day 30 – Final Redraw: Heroine

Time to redraw your hero one last time, and see how much you’ve improved since day 1. This time, I’ve attempted to pose her in something a little more action-y. And for the most part, it worked! Pose reference is courtesy of faestock on deviantART.

Something I’ve learned in this challenge, is to not be afraid to reference other people’s work. If you ever see a drawing and think, “that looks like it could be used for…” then go ahead and use it as a reference for your own art. Don’t forget to give credit where credit is due!

Another thing I’ve learned is to work smarter, not harder. Sure, you can spend hours getting every last detail just right, that would show just how much you want it to look good. But if you were working for an animation company that puts out a new episode every week, you need to be quick. That’s how I learned to draw in such a way that the point still gets across.

 

**BONUS: HALLOWEEN SPECIAL**

By the time you read this, you’ll be seeing Christmas decorations up and about. But after 30 days of drawing, this challenge was too good to pass up. Considering that I finished this in an hour, why not show it off? I present to you: kuchisake-onna, or slit-mouth woman. Don’t worry, this one won’t ask you if she’s pretty.

At long last, we’ve gotten through the 30 Day Drawing Challenge! I now feel more confident in my abilities. Seeing as December is not too far off, perhaps we should aim to do a craft challenge next. Who’s with me? (^_^)/

Have you enjoyed the 30 day challenge? Will you join in the challenge in December? Comment below!

Pika, so happy~

30 Day Drawing Challenge: Part 2 of 3

On Sunday, I broke the month long silence and told you what was up. Today, we’re going to continue on, since I have much more to say about the second half of the challenge.

From Day 15 onward, the challenge took a turn. We were no long warming up: we were getting real.

 

Day 16 – Scribblenauts

For this challenge, you have to draw a scribble, and use that scribble to form a tangible drawing. Mine looked like the dummy from Undertale wearing a grass skirt.

8-bit characters look very different when drawn with solid lines. This drawing was finished by 2:00 pm, making it the earliest completed challenge to date. Which is good, because it meant having a lot of time in the evening to sit with Top Hat and chat about life. You know, changing the art style isn’t the only way to make something different. Maybe it’s just drawn in a different setting, like in a meadow, or another place that is free of stress. Or maybe it just looks different, like when you draw an American cartoon character in anime style. Or maybe you just get to know it on a more personal level, like when you finish a series finale, and then relive the series again starting from episode 1. Back when you first started, who knew that you’d grow attached to the characters, or that you’d come to identify with them on such a level?

Okay, enough pseudo-poetry.

 

Day 17 – Pixel art

After waking up to a new beginning, it was time to tackle the next project: pixel art! After studying game development for so many years, you’d think this was a no brainer for me.

Quite the opposite, actually. The better you get at something, the more critical you become of yourself. Why do you think it takes so long for new plushies to appear? You end up starting new shapes, only to rip them out and start over, and so on so forth. I intended to draw something cool, but it wasn’t working, and I got frustrated. Top Hat suggested drawing a cat. And why not, after being surrounded by cats for two days straight.

It’s a calico cat. This challenge would make an excellent graph for a pixel blanket. This project was created by Sarah from Repeat Crafter Me, and was featured on Moogly’s Facebook page, and it was just too cute! Now, if only I could find the patience and motivation to make all those squares. I’d really like a Majora’s Mask throw, just to decorate my bed. (That Harry Potter blanket is ancient, and getting a little stale)

Did you know there was a time, when good yarn was only $2.59 a skein?! At least, according to the labels in Mother Top Hat’s stash. I now possess a skein of black yarn, which will be useful for finer embroidery. It could also be useful to make a new mini shrug. (I’ve underestimated how much I’ve grown since high school) If this kitty was covered in more, darker spots, it could almost look like Cheery the cat.

 

Day 18 – Rocks and Trees and Trees and Rocks and Rocks and Trees and Trees and Rocks

And water.

That’s what we have, here in Canada. Oh, and those horrible flying monkeys from Wizard of Oz, that we refer to as our geese. Thankfully, there were none of those this time around.

This was a bittersweet day, because it meant having to leave Top Hat and come home. Sigh. But hopefully there will be many more times together.

This challenge was inspired by a picture I took at Rock Dunder. It encompasses the best that Canada has to offer, in terms of rocks and trees and trees and rocks, and rocks and trees and trees and rocks, and rocks and trees and trees and rocks, and rocks and trees and trees and rocks, and waterrrr~

I’m okay with how the rocks turned out, but hesitated too much with the colour in the trees. As usual, photos and drawings don’t do the scenery justice.

 

Day 19 – Still life

Remember when you took an art class, and the teacher made you draw a bowl of fruit? That’s what this challenge was about. I drew yarn. Incidentally, out of all the 30 day submissions, this one received the most +favs. It is now the featured deviation on my deviantART.

 

Day 20 – 22: Fun with Markers

Time to bust out the traditional art tools! Although day 20 was drawn digitally, these three days could be considered the minimalist days. Calligraphy challenges remind me of the time we went to the kitty cafe, and Kitty commented on how the cashier/barista had really sexy handwriting.

Day 20’s challenge was to design a tattoo. These words have significance to me, and they’re words that one should always remember. Ever heard the song, No one Likes you when you’re 23? Well, as a matter of fact… I started this blog at age 23. That was two years ago. Back then, this blog was all I had. And right now, I’m working a crummy job, saving money to go back to college, making crafts, and an old friend has become my sweet, supportive boyfriend. I’m okay. And if I can be okay, you will be okay, too.

Day 21 was a calligraphy challenge. But let’s be real, it was a continuation of yesterday’s challenge. I reused the “swoop,” which looks a lot better when you use the shaped calligraphy brush. These look like simple words, but in truth, it took several tries to get the words aligned just right. The finished product is now plastered on my door. This way, the words can be seen every day, every morning when leaving the room to face the world, and every evening when lying in bed and pondering life.

Finally, we just draw stuff with markers. I was going for a flower or something, but it ended up as this butterfly-like abomination. I call it, “Queen Jellyfish.”

Day 23 – Brained Food

“Bring your favourite food to life,” they said.

With the cold weather coming on, there’s nothing more satisfying than a hot bowl of creamy chicken soup. But why stop there? How about some dumplings?

I drew some friends as dumplings. I’m in the very center, and Top Hat is beside me with the carrot top hat. Shoonie is below, though I forgot to add a handle to the celery shoon. Tabbs is the big one, next to the mini kitten dumpling. And of course, Kitty and Bear are at the top, with a hearty (pun intended) carrot. The others are Cassie, Huggie Buddy, Alburr, and Ginger. Ginger has carrot hair. I ran out of space to include Nerdbra, Lawraffe, and Melon. Hopefully they can appear in another post. :O

For those girls who say they only hang out with guys, because girls cause too much drama: well, maybe you just need to find more girls like my girls.

Yikes, this post got long. We’ll have to make this a three-parter!

Are you eager to see the conclusion to this challenge? Are you just eager, because once the challenge is over, it will mean back to plushies? Comment below!

Pika, so happy~

30 Day Drawing Challenge: Part 1 of 2

So this is what I’ve been doing all month. And holy sheep, I actually finished it. Why not recap the experiences with the 30 day drawing challenge?

Day 1 – Super You!

The first challenge was to draw yourself as a super hero. This is Shay Crowe, alter ego: Crocheria. (Working name) She has the ability to bring the plushies she makes to life, or simply wrap her magical yarn around her body, and use it as leverage to grapple. Think of her as “yarn spodermin.”

If you’ve perused Tumblr, you’ve likely happened upon The Knitter. Consider this his nemisis. I took way too long to finish this, and it looks like something I would’ve drawn in high school. There is a long way to go…

The design was inspired off Pascal from Tales of Graces, and… I dunno…Harley Quinn? I would like to wear long, thigh high socks with garters. As for the boots, not even I remember if they’re supposed to be boots, or thicker socks.

Days 2 – 7: Basic Anatomy blaster

These days were the most tedious. Although the point of this week was to help improve your ability to draw basic anatomy, they were very tedious. Hands are forever my nemesis, though day 6 was the day I learned to use shadows to indicate depth. Legs and feet were fun to draw, and yes, I used Spiderman as a reference for the leaping pose. The eyes and basic poses were drawn on the same sheet, and I didn’t feel like separating them in the dA submission.

 

Days 8 – 14: Concept art, and a doggy

Finally, a chance to draw concept art for other projects! These are plans for things that appear in my next project, a NaNoWriMo novel. It would be nice if the dream home became real one day. And the doggy is just a doggy, because doxies are cute.

The owl is Hibou, the main character’s pet owl. He is a cute, loyal companion for the most part. However, he also has the ability to turn his head upside down and emit a horrid screech, when he is upset or provoked.

The grey chain link on the right hand side is a sort of mind-controlled weapon. At least, that’s the best way to put it. The blue chain on the left is an alternate version of the weapon, after a certain point in the story.

Lac Gaawel (Mirror Lake) is a spring located on a mountain summit. They say the water here is so pure, that if you gaze upon it, you will see your true reflection. This means that you will see yourself as you naturally are, without makeup, masks, or transformative magic.

This armour is initially worn by a character who appears much later in the story, but is significant nonetheless.

 

Days 15: Hero Revisited

We’re at the halfway mark, which means it’s time to revisit that character you brain-farted out on day 1. You must place them in an action pose. This is where I settled on this style of using polygons, rather than drawing lineart and colouring in. (Translation: I couldn’t be arsed to put effort into lineart)

I do like the way the hair turned out, and it felt refreshing to draw something besides the usual 3/4 view static pose.

Incidentally, day 15 was also Keedee and Bear’s wedding day! I was unable to attend, so I wrote a simple prayer for the two of them on Facebook. Remember folks, true love is not letting them put green peas in their mac and cheese.

It’s safe to say day 15, was the start of a time of changes for my close friends and I. Kitty got married to a cute bear. Tabbs found and adopted a kitten companion. And me? Well, you’ll have to find out next time!

Have you tried a 30 day challenge before? If so, what were they, and have you finished? Are you participating in this month’s NaNoWriMo challenge? Comment below!

Pika, so happy~

 

30 Day Drawing Challenge: Day 3 – Favourite Food

Most people associate soup with cold winter days. But I believe there’s never a wrong time for a nice bowl of soup. Thick soups make for filling meals, and noodle soups are great light snacks. Out of potato chips? Just shake up a bag of raw Mr. Noodles and the soup stock! But don’t tell mother Raichu I said that.

Also viewed at: http://pikainabag.deviantart.com/art/30-Day-Art-Challenge-Day-3-Favourite-Food-622123028

As you can probably tell, this particular drawing was inspired off the ramen Sosuke’s mum made in the movie, Ponyo (on the Cliff by the Sea). The trick is to close your eyes and wait three minutes. It doesn’t work if you peek!

The truth is, I still haven’t seen Ponyo. After delving deeper into the wonderful world of interactive entertainment known as “vidya gaims,” it has become harder to sit idle and watch movies, in which the characters follow a straight path, upon which you have no influence. Even if the video game is linear, you have the feeling of knowing the story cannot progress until you do something to help them along.

The most fascinating part of Miyazaki’s films were the little details that make things feel so much more three dimentional. From Chihiro tapping her shoes in Spirited Away, to Pazu licking his lips before playing his trumpet in Castle in the Sky, these little details stay true to real life, and make the movies feel like both fantasy and reality rolled into one. In Ponyo, it’s the inclusion of this very simple trick you can do for kids. And for yourself, on those days when you also want tea.

You might recall a previous post, in which we tried the 3-minute ramen recipe. If you want a more vegetarian-friendly recipe, skip the ham and eggs, and add a spoonful of organic peanut butter. It tastes like pad Thai. Don’t forget the 4068!* (You know you’ve been working at the grocery store too long when…)

And thus concludes another brief post about the drawing challenge. We’re nearly at the next plushie post! What could it be?! Here’s a hint:

Going back to where it all began…

How do you like your instant noodles? Comment below!

Pika, so happy~

*That’s the PLU for green onions, by the way.

30 Day Drawing Challenge: Day 2 – Favourite Animal

Truth be told, I like all kinds of animals. But being a dog person in particular, this funny little guy came to mind:

Daschunds combine two of my favourite things: doggies, and food. Ta-da! Sausage dog! As you can see, I had improved somewhat in my colouring techniques. One of the best tips is to not be afraid to press harder when colouring. Also, try using the very tip of the pencil, rather than laying it on its side.

I went back and touched up this doggy, after realizing the shading on its back leg was actually not too bad. You know, I never liked when people took pictures of their drawings, because they would hold the drawing (creating an obvious dent in the page) or turn on flash. (Seriously bro, what is your life about?) But after seeing what scanning does to pencil drawings, taking pictures may not be a bad idea. Now, if I could just get the lighting right…

And now, some sausage dog stories. Because everyone likes dogs, right?

Percy the Dog

I once went with M to his friend’s birthday party, and the friend had two doggies: a white dog (Maltese, I think?) called Sophie, and a sausage called Percy. When I tried to pet Sophie, Percy came, shoved her out of the way, and put his snout in my hand. Later, when I was sitting on the porch step, he squeezed himself under my legs, and he felt like a squishy pillow. When M came outside, Percy ran away, and I was upset with M for scaring him away. M was forgiven after he gave me a drink. 😛 Percy was also staring at me while we were eating dinner. I think he was confused as to why I was eating a sausage. His eyes looked like he was saying, “but… I thought you loved me!”

You might also remember Edgar, a long-haired daschund from doggy days a couple years back. I sang him a song called, “I’m so Edgar” by Doggy Azalea. It went as follows:

I’m so Edgar,
you already know,
I’m in the Edgar,
from Edgar to Edgar land. (8)

He had a bit of small dog syndrome: when Abby the big rottweiler came, he started barking at her. XP; Here is a video of me feeding him doggy snacks. (Warning: Vertical video incoming)

Finally, Top Hat drew this for me, for my birthday. Now, I just need to find the right frame. (Click for original link)

Doggies are great, aren’t they? I often wish I had one for companionship, but too many factors stop me from getting one. Oh well… hopefully one day I can post about doggy DIYs. Other girls my age are all, “OMG LOOK AT MAH NEW BABEH” while posting pictures of their, well, human babies. I’ll be that one lady who’s 30, wears dresses from Hot Topic, and when I say “new baby,” I’ll mean furry baby, as seen above.

And that wraps up this week’s post. Tune in next time when — gasp! — a new ami will appear!

What is your favourite kind of dog? Or do you prefer cats? Have you attempted the 30 day drawing challenge, as well? Comment below!

Pika, so happy~

Red Fairy Survival Guide (With pictures!)

Gentlemen, don’t click away! It’s extremely attractive when a guy knows how to help a girl on her period. 😛

This is also my excuse this week for not having a craft-related post. It seems whenever I try to make something, it just fails and I get upset. D: Also I have a habit of slouching while working, which we’ll get into.

I love my gaim doev boys. But let’s face it, there are some inescapable differences they simply would not understand. *cough cough* If you’re in a similar situation, do not fear! I have some tips to share with you. They’ve worked in the past, so if you haven’t already, try them out. This will also be an opportunity for me to use my poor, neglected drawing tablet.

*DISCLAIMER: These are only what have worked for me personally, and are not guaranteed to work for everyone. If none of these work for you, try alternate methods, or see a doctor for professional advice.

Spider cramps, spider cramps…

1. Take a nap

Stress and lack of sleep make your cramps a lot worse. When sleeping, stretch out on your stomach. Place a heating pad or your hand directly under your tummy, where you’re feeling the cramps. You can also raise one leg. Think of Spiderman climbing a wall. Untz untz.

Wrapping up nice and warm works, too. Keeping with today’s spirit of Wear it Pink, I am wearing a breast cancer-themed pink snuggie. 😛

2. Proper posture

Slouching looks just as bad inside as it does on the outside. When you slouch, you’re putting pressure on your insides, and pressure is the last thing your poor 2nd tummy needs. If you’re sitting against a wall (like I currently am) try leaning back, and place a cushion against your lower back. I find this also helps take pressure off my lower back, which the sharks are apparently trying to eat.

3. Do not stay hungry

You may feel so bloated, just the thought of food will be enough to make you nauseous. Ironically, hunger is one of many things that contributes to cramps. The trick is to find a food that fills you up, but you can save the leftovers for later so that you have something to eat once the nausea goes down. Consider finger foods like chicken nuggets, raw veggies, or cheese and crackers. Also let me stress: no, candy and sugary snackies do not count. Those are dessert foods; dessert foods are meant to end off your meal, not fill you up. Eating sugary snacks on an empty stomach will only result in a nasty stomach ache. And believe me girl, one tummy ache is more than enough.

4. Peppermint Tea for hormonal acne

In my family, the best solution for sickness and pain is a cup of hot tea. Not only is this one of my favourite flavours, but peppermint tea also helps regulate your hormone levels, which go out of whack when you’re on your period. If you tend to break out shortly before your period starts, that’s called hormonal acne. There’s not much you can do to prevent it, since it’s caused by the hormonal changes in your body. What you can do is reduce it: drink a cup of this peppermint tea every day. Gradually, you’ll find your acne clearing up, and your cramps will ease up.

If you’re having trouble keeping food down, slowly sip on a cup of this tea, mixed with a spoonful of honey.

4. Get a massage

Peter being awesome

You don’t have to go to the spa for this. (Though that’s not a bad idea if you have the time and money! I don’t, so anyway… ;w; ) Ask a friend, family member, or your sweetheart. Have them rub gently in circular motions wherever you’re feeling the cramps. If a tummy rub isn’t helping, ask them rub your lower back in the same way. Peter used to rub my lower back whenever it hurt. He was also the only straight guy I trusted to do this without being a creeper. I miss him right now. 😦

5. Ibuprofen

Tylenol is the choice on this end, but Advil’s worked in a pinch. Take one tablet and take a nap as described above. If the cramps are still there when you wake up, take another. Unless prescribed by a doctor, follow the directions on the bottle, and never take more than the recommended dosage. Especially when you’re on your period, and are experiencing enough hormone imbalances as it is. (Hello, BO. -_-; ) If you feel your cramps aren’t responding to regular drug store products, talk to your doctor about alternate methods.

6. Ask your friends if they think you’re pretty

I know this sounds kinda silly, since no one else should be responsible for your confidence besides yourself. But it really does work, especially on those days when you’re feeling fat, sweaty, and just overall gross. Ask your friends or sweetheart if they think you’re pretty. If they say yes, don’t shoot them down with, “no I’m not.” YOU ARE! They wouldn’t be your friends if they didn’t think you were pretty on the inside. And when you’re pretty on the inside, it shows on the outside, whether you believe it or not.

7. MAKE yourself pretty

Tying into the above, you probably feel bloated, sweaty, smelly, and all sorts of other unpleasant-sounding adjectives. Remember how I said no one else should be responsible for your confidence besides yourself? Do it: take a warm bath or shower with those special scrubs you save for special occasions. Put on makeup, even if you don’t plan on going out. Wear that outfit that makes your butt look cute. Now look in the mirror: do you like what you see? You do? Well then, you’ve successfully completed this step!

8. Kill stuff (in video games)

You may feel frustrated or angry. Sadly, there are many laws against violence that can’t be excused by your period. Take out your anger in a violent video game. Name the enemies after people who upset you that day. It’s great stress relief. The bloodier, the better!

And those are my tips. Hope you’ve enjoyed the derpy drawings. It seems I’ve gotten so used to drawing derpy sketches of prospective projects, drawing seriously no longer comes naturally. Oh sigh…

Were these tips useful? What are some of your shark week survival tips? Comment below!

Pika, so happy~