Why unboxing this YouTube Award makes me want to beat the algorithm even more

Leaf gelliprint replay

Thank you Gerard Byrne [https://substack.com/profile/242311096-gerard-byrne], Deb Emerson [https://substack.com/profile/23895049-deb-emerson], Marci Hays [https://substack.com/profile/3280414-marci-hays], Karen [https://substack.com/profile/24568702-karen], and many others for tuning into my live video! Join me for my next live video in the app. Supplies: Supplies: Gel Press Gelli plate, 5x7 BLICK [https://bit.ly/48k2kve] | AMZ [https://amzn.to/3MdgZQn] | JACKSONS [https://tidd.ly/48xU3Tb] Richeson Printmaking Paper BLICK [https://bit.ly/45GoiGU] | AMZ [https://amzn.to/45b0ECk] Speedball soft rubber brayers BLICK [https://bit.ly/4obviC2] | AMZ [https://amzn.to/47U4D7Z] | JACKSONS [https://tidd.ly/485IEK8] Amsterdam or other heavy body paints BLICK [https://bit.ly/48rj8jM] | AMZ [https://amzn.to/48xTvwB] Interested in more gelli printing fun? Try the Gelli Plate Therapy class! Tomorrow’s watercolor livestream, 8am PDT Saturday’s a-coming, and instead of a prerecorded video on SandyPaints, I’ll be going live! You can head over now and find out what time it’ll be in your zone: Sad news: I couldn’t figure out the tulip photo in the poll this week - those flowers kicked my behind! I need more practice before I can paint that one. So I picked the second place photo, the vase of flowers. And I’ve adapted it from there to simplify the window a lot, so I could keep the painting to about an hour. This is my practice painting: Here’s the sketch and photo so you can get ready: Colors for the window: Cobalt Teal Blue or whatever blue you like for a sky, any mix of greens and yellow, and Paynes Blue Gray for the surrounding dark window. Colors for the vase: Cobalt Teal Blue, French Ultramarine, Paynes Blue Gray. Colors for flowers: Imperial Purple (or Carbazole Violet), Yellow Ochre, Sap Green, Hansa Yellow, any of the greens you have. After the livestream is over I’ll create a post here on Substack - with more info about it as usual. :) Sandy's ArtStack is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit sandyallnock.substack.com/subscribe [https://sandyallnock.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_2]

The Bookmark Project

At long last, an overdue update to The Bookmark Project! This July, I’ll be attending the big event in DC called the World Children’s Festival! (I’ve mentioned July 4th as the weekend it happens but on the website it now says July 25 to Monday, July 27, 2026, so I’ll confirm!) I’ve been fundraising for the International Child Art Foundation (ICAF) for years now, and this is a natural next step for our community to get involved hands-on! The Bookmark Guidelines Let’s make the children served by ICAF at the festival this summer feel SPECIAL. Imagine owning your first piece of real ART from a grownup artist at the age of 8-12! So...with that, some guidelines for the bookmarks: Handmade. It would be so lovely for each one to be lovingly created by hand, unique. Any medium is fine. No storebought, no digital prints of your art. Themes. While they can be childlike (recipients are age 8-12), think about creating something that can still be inspirational when they’re 15, 20, or 30 - encouragement for even later in their lives! No religious or political themes, please. Do your best. Nothing’s perfect, and kids need to know that - but let’s use our good materials for them and take our time. Quality over quantity! Size. Your bookmark measurement is 2-1/8 x 6.5, I’ll slip it into a plastic sleeve and add a ribbon. Sleeves are already purchased so please don’t buy more; I’ll have ones that all match. Nothing bulky. Paper layers can be fine, but limit thick embellishing. Write an encouraging message to the child artist on the back of the bookmark in clear PRINTING, not cursive. No religious or political messages, please. Sign it with your first name and hometown only. See samples on the next page. Postmark by Feb 28, 2026. I’ll assemble a big box to send to ICAF with everything at once. Download the instructional PDF [http://art-classes.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/2026-Art-Classes-ICAF-Bookmark-Instructions.pdf] This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit sandyallnock.substack.com/subscribe [https://sandyallnock.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_2]

Ritzy Space Robot monoprint

Hey friends! I was going to post this on my now-taken-hostage Youtube channel [https://sandyallnock.substack.com/p/my-youtube-channel-was-hacked-grumblegrumble?r=9q974], but since I can’t, it’s here on Substack! Hooray for having alternate places for creative content, right? Sandy's ArtStack is a reader-supported publication. Join up for free, or become a paid sub and get to attend monthly livestreams here! Before I get on to the project info below, let’s get to the URGENT stuff with a deadline: If you’re a lover of gelli plates, mixed media and all that good stuff - today’s your notice that it’s your LAST CHANCE for freebies in the BAD ASS ART JOURNALING Workshop: [https://bit.ly/48k5qiE] * Sign up by January 16, 2026 11:59pm eastern time and join us LIVE via Zoom for a handmade book making session and party. * Workshop officially begins February 2, 2026. (This is when we begin our weekly mixed media lessons.) * Registration closes: February 3, 2026 * Signup HERE [https://bit.ly/48k5qiE] using coupon code SOBAD10 for 20% off! I’ll be a teacher for one of the lessons, and I’ll share a technique I worked up that’s gonna blow your mind…..you might think there’s drawing involved, but I promise you, my Weapons of Mass Creation project is going to be easier than you think! Ok back to our little robot! He’s just a prototype, and I think he’s darned cute for a practice print. Supplies are below. What do you think the robot’s name is?? He might need to become a storybook. Got some plotline ideas? Supplies used: * Gel Press gelli plate, 5x7 BLICK [https://bit.ly/48k2kve] | AMZ [https://amzn.to/49G1OXW] * Amsterdam paints: Black, white, yellow, orange, lavender BLICK [https://bit.ly/48rj8jM] | AMZ [https://amzn.to/45aP3mR] * Speedball brayer BLICK [https://bit.ly/4obviC2] AMZ [https://amzn.to/4qs7zzI] * Ritz Crackers and Cheese snack packs [https://amzn.to/4qkRDyT] * Kirkland Babywipes [https://bit.ly/4qldTc7] * Tonic Nuvo Media Spatulas [https://amzn.to/3Lpq1JX] (silicone palette knives) * Swissper Swabs, can’t find them now! (cheap version [https://amzn.to/3Lpq1JX]) * Richeson Printmaking Paper BLICK [https://bit.ly/45GoiGU] | AMZ [https://amzn.to/45b0ECk] Thanks for watching, for your ideas….and for sharing this with a friend who’d get a kick out of it! For those coming here from the email sent this morning If you’d like more creativity to inspire you, I’d love to have you as part of this growing Substack art community! If you tap to free-subscribe, you’ll get tutorial emails 2x a week, or this week, three times. If that’s more email than you want: first, free-subscribe, then go to the WEB (not the app) and click on https://sandyallnock.substack.com/account [https://sandyallnock.substack.com/account] and you can uncheck everything except the weekly or monthly newsletter. Boom done. Do me a favor and go back to the email I sent, and unsub so I can start killing off that monthly subscription ransom I pay them each month…I appreciate it! Sandy's ArtStack is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit sandyallnock.substack.com/subscribe [https://sandyallnock.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_2]

Why unboxing this YouTube Award makes me want to beat the algorithm even more

In this episode of the monthly podcast: Unboxing the recently-arrived award that YouTube sends to creators as they cross the 100,000 subscriber threshhold. Unless you’re Sandy Allnock, in which case you get it after another 60,000 subscribers. Grrr! I had to do my own legwork to find out what happened. Every few years I got a bee in my bonnet and would try to reach out to them, but to little avail; I was always told there “must have been something wrong with my channel” because the process is automatic. But this fall I found someone willing to escalate it to higher ups, and I received the box in early November. The unboxing was saved til now since I knew I’d be making changes - and looking at the box just made me more mad by the day about how YouTube treats video makers. They want us to jump hoops, yet never tell us when a yawning canyon is opening beneath our feet, filled with alligators. Alas. It’s free, so I guess we don’t get to complain. The list of YouTube channels and social media sites is as follows….you may already be following some of them, as a few are repurposing ones that I hope won’t be adversely affected by zombies! Thank you for not just subscribing, but committing to, at least for a few months, watching videos fully through, and leaving likes and comments. That should get the channels started on a good foot! WATERCOLOR (WET MEDIA): * INSTA @sandyallnockwatercolor [https://www.instagram.com/sandyallnockwatercolor] (my old sandyallnockfineart page) * FACEBOOK SandyAllnockWatercolor [https://www.facebook.com/sandyallnockwatercolor] (my old Art Classes Facebook page) * YOUTUBE Sandy Paints [https://www.youtube.com/@SandyPaints] (new) DRAWING (DRY MEDIA): * YOUTUBE Sandy Draws [https://www.youtube.com/@SandyDraws] (new) * INSTA @sandyallnockdraws [https://www.instagram.com/sandyallnockdraws] (new) * FACEBOOK Sandy Allnock Draws [https://www.facebook.com/sandyallnockdraws/] (new) While you’re here, how about subscribing to Substack too as a free or paid sub? Have a HAPPY and SAFE New Years Celebration!! See you in 2026!!! Sandy This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit sandyallnock.substack.com/subscribe [https://sandyallnock.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_2]

Fly Agaric Mushroom sketch

Thank you to everyone who tuned into my live video! Join me for my next live video in the app. Oh my - this is a poisonous mushroom! Fly Agaric [https://commonbynature.com/2018/09/21/top-10-facts-fly-agaric/] is romanticized in all those “cute” kids book illustrations, tea towels, and more - but don’t go eating it! yikes. Symptoms include “nausea, drowsiness, muscle spasms, low blood pressure, hallucinations and loss of balance. In extreme cases, seizures and coma have been recorded. Symptoms typically appear between 30-90 minutes after consumption and peak within three hours, although many unlucky souls have reported ‘piercing headaches’ for many days after.” New accounts for 2026 If you’d like to give any of these a pre-follow….have at it! I’ll be perhaps changing names on some - depends on how confusing it gets for me to remember what’s what. If there’s content on any of them, feel free to give it a like and a comment too, I’d love to juice the algorithm and see how fast I can get the new channels and pages to grow. * INSTA @sandyallnockwatercolor [https://www.instagram.com/sandyallnockwatercolor] (my old sandyallnockfineart page) * FACEBOOK SandyAllnockWatercolor [https://www.facebook.com/sandyallnockwatercolor] (my old Art Classes Facebook page) * YOUTUBE Sandy Paints [https://www.youtube.com/@SandyPaints] (new) * YOUTUBE Sandy Draws [https://www.youtube.com/@SandyDraws] (new) * INSTA @sandyallnockdraws [https://www.instagram.com/sandyallnockdraws] (new) * FACEBOOK Sandy Allnock Draws [https://www.facebook.com/people/Sandy-Allnock-Draws/61584478875961/] (new) This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit sandyallnock.substack.com/subscribe [https://sandyallnock.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_2]