the Crocorator

From the very depths of our studio swamp, the Crocorator was born. And this weekend, he was finally put to the ultimate test.

We're talking the annual Cub Scout Pinewood Derby. This is where the cub scout fashions a racing car of his choosing from a kit containing a block of wood, wheels and axles. (In some cases the scout is given two kits when Dad cuts crocodile teeth too deep into the axle joints, but I digress...)

Brendan's crocodile car design was once again inspired from the pages of Ed Emberley (an all time favorite around here.) After Dad cut the wood to match our scout's rough sketch, Brendan and I held a creative meeting. My cub scout wanted the eyes to stick up like headlights so we used clay to fashion the eyes and nostrils. After the clay pieces were baked, Brendan attached them with adhesive. Then, I showed him how to use a few different colors of paint to create a leathery gator skin. I loved seeing that spark when Brendan noticed how the layers and different colors of paint added an interesting dimension. He was sooooo proud of the final piece. And while this reptile didn't end up being the fastest croc in the swamp...

...he did win a trophy for design which was carried around the rest of the day. There's absolutely nothing like a trophy smile : )

Eye-catching Ice Cream Cone Cupcakes

We have another big birthday coming up around here. Miss Nora will be turning five in a couple of days. We've already sat down together for the official birthday cake consultation. Along with that important decision (that changes daily), we sorted out exactly what kind of treat she will bring to celebrate at preschool. Cupcakes were a nobrainer, but the type of cupcake was another story. It had to be different and in Nora's wiser-than-age-four voice, "It had to catch the eye" (yeah, she really said that.) This ice cream cone cupcake won in a close battle with caterpillar cupcakes. I found the basic idea for these in a Good Housekeeping article saved from several years back.

After baking up 24 or so vanilla cupcakes, I gathered two types of frosting, Redhots, non-pareils and vanilla wafer cookies. I cut the vanilla wafers in half and then trimmed each half into a triangle shape.

Next, I frosted each cupcake with chocolate icing and added a triangular vanilla wafer for the cone.

Then using a large star decorating tip, I generously piped on the lavender icing for the ice cream.

I finished each cupcake with a Redhot for the cherry and non-pareils for the sprinkles. They turned out so cute and came together way faster than those reindeer. I made a few extra to taste-test after which my client gave her final seal of approval. Nora is *very* excited to come to school tomorrow with her special birthday treats. Now to narrow down that cake.

*find more recipe ideas over here (one of my favorite blogs.)

Brave

This weeks topic over at Illustration Friday is Brave. I've had this idea in my head for a couple weeks so that prompt finally encouraged me to get it on canvas. Here's a courageous bird sailing out to sea on the very top of the boat.

The more I thought about 'brave" I came to the realization that putting yourself out there is one thing. However, the true test of bravery is the ability to keep your spirits and your head held high even when those unexplored waters turn rough.

Prints of "Brave bird" are now available for sale in my etsy shop.

Adventures in print

I am honored once again to be included in the latest issue of one of my very favorite magazines, Cloth Paper Scissors.

My article is about the making of a mixed media series featuring superheroes or to be more exact: Women superheroes. I had so much fun creating these pieces. They made me feel like that 7-year-old girl who...

...adored/idolized Wonder Woman. I recall crafting WW bracelets and tiaras out of paper and wearing them everywhere. I *believed* if I spun around really, really fast in a circle, I'd actually become her. Needless to say, I never could spin fast enough. However, seeing these pieces in print inspired by my idol was pretty satisfying just the same.

I had a limited number of magnets printed up of "I Wear my Cape." They're for sale over in my etsy shop. These look especially cool on a black or stainless steel fridge. The juxtaposition of the 50's housewife in her apron and heels with a modern mixed treatment framed on a steel fridge...totally love that.

Now getting back to my little world of capes, tiaras and a bird or two...I have to paint today. It's been over a week and my hands are starting to twitch. Time to save my world with dioxazine purple and quinacridone gold.

Art & Soul in Vegas?!

I realize that retreating in Vegas (with two fabulous girlfriends) sounds slightly suspicious. If you happen to be sitting there with a smirk muttering "yeah right" (like practically ever person who listened to me try to explain VegasArtRetreat) here's posted proof that art was indeed made.

Mind you, the art came after breakfast. We LOVED this particular Paris buffet so much that we dined here every single morning. I can't think of any breakfast favs that couldn't be found on one of the many bountiful buffet lines along with the delightful waitress and new friend, Debbie. After a delicious breakfast topped off with a made-to-order crepe we were pretty much (minus girl scout cookie breaks) set until dinner.

Day one class was "Perching Pixies" taught by the fabulous Stephanie Rubiano. Stephanie's wry sense of humor was a good match for the three of us as she showed us the ways of a jewelers saw and bench block. I happened to be extremely skilled in securing my bench block to the table. In fact, it took all four of us to get it off the conference room table at the end of the day.

Here we are with the freed bench block and one of my favorite instructors : )

I completed my little Nora pixie (now a sturdy wooden cutout) in class. Isn't she a cutie sitting in great Aunt Ev's china tea cup? Heather freaked out *quite a bit* that I had the nerve to glue a pixie to one of great-Aunt-Ev's-china-teacups, but what's the point of having heirlooms all stashed away? Pointless I say. Besides I have 11 more...plenty for a proper tea.

Day two was "Gridlocked" with Lisa Kaus. I loved this class and Lisa...an organized, professional and helpful instructor. This piece, painted and built on a wooden block surface, is all about my family of five and the sweetness of home. I had so much fun attaching little bits of this and that including an original doorknob from our house.

On day three, we explored the feminine icon with Katie Kendrick. Katie is the warmest soul and a patient teacher. I painted this forlorn gal, who refuses to give up on love. I'm not quite sure were she came from...I kept thinking how she looked a little KellyRaeRobertsish (another artist whom I deeply admire.) Whatever the case, this girl doesn't feel completely mine, which isn't necessarily the point when taking classes. By repeating what's learned in a class, eventually art that's unique to the artist will surface. The whole point of classes and workshops is taking in new techniques, being open to experimentation and not stressing so much about the end result. Plenty of time for stressing back in Kansas (or Cincinnati.)

On the very last retreat day, we made dolls from clay with Jan Harris (Judy Wise's stand-in.) Judy couldn't attend due to health issues and even though she was deeply missed, Jan did a great job of instructing the class. For whatever reason, Heather and I chose to make extremely large dolls (see doll head in oven compared to rest of the class! yikes.) The Vegas air (bigger is better, more is more) must have been starting to rub off or something. Here we were, all intent on getting these girls done, so what do we do? Well...make the biggest versions possible of course. Completely logical. The right brain had clearly taken over.

Here's an in progress shot...mine is the doll on the left. And as you may have guessed she did NOT get finished that day, but hopefully very soon. I'll be sure to post the end results when she's complete. This was such a fun class...kindof makes me want to get a pasta machine and toaster oven all my own to devote entirely to clay. hmmmmmmmm.

So that wraps up my five incredible and inspirational days with proof that art can be made in this sleep deprived city. The fun part, involving stomach-hurting-laughter, was a given with Heather and Claire. I'm soooo looking forward to the next "retreat"...right after I recover from this one. ; )

A deal for those of us who didn't win big in Vegas

I'm finally back. My sincerest apologies for being gone so long. Sandwiched between today and valentines day, I was retreating in Vegas for 5 fantastic art-filled days. A retreat that took 5 days prior to prepare and 5 days after to recover. So I agree "retreat" is hardly the word especially when combined with "vegas", but on paper it did say Art and Soul Retreat. More on that coming soon. In the meantime, I thought I'd share this find (If you use cheapy craft paint with as much joy as me) that I stumbled upon over the weekend at Michaels. Americana paints (reg. $1.19) are on sale for 69 cents through March 6th. If that wasn't good enough, there's a rebate out for $5 back on ten (form found hanging on the paint shelf at my store.) This makes paint as low as 19 cents per bottle! What a great excuse to try out some funky new shades (regardless of how the slots and the tables...eh hem...treated you.)

I'm still muddling through catch up work (and unnecessary trips to craft stores), but I'll be back in a day or so *promise* with a complete retreat recap.

Happy Valentines

Despite deadlines and a towering laundry pile, I'm reminding myself that today is special. A taking-time-kind-of-date reserved for coloring, crafting, puzzle-making, Wii challenging, baking (with chocolate and heart sprinkles), Lego building, reading-out-loud, talking and listening, board game playing and finally later, movie and popcorn sharing.

Hope your day is filled.

Meet Picasso

Introducing our new two-year-old, bellyrubloving, laid back, tabby boy Picasso. This cat business all started after years of constant kid-pet-pleading resulting in little Penny last May. Shortly after Penny came to live with us, I couldn't help but get Mary Beth's words out of my head...how two cats together were so much better than one. Errrrr....thanks Mary Beth. So after mulling that over for several months, we all decided it was time Penny had a special friend of her own. This past weekend, we drove to the animal shelter and spent a good two hours looking for a young cat that might be a good fit for all of us. Mind you, this new cat would have to pass the "Nora test." A test so difficult and grueling that only one cat (out of 50+) would still be purring at the end. Picasso, you are a *very* special cat.

After a couple days of isolation, we let these two meet. You are witnessing their first interaction. Just look at that Penny offering a firm handshake and 'how do you do." I wish I could say that we haven't had hissing (or even a little growling) over the past couple of days, but I think that they're doing quite well all things considered.

Here they are sitting down together for a staring contest. Fingers crossed that they become great companions and that I can soon completely agree that two cats really are better.

Snowed in

Sometimes a weekend blanket of snow isn't a bad thing. Especially when you have hours and hours of design work and...

a brand new, fire-engine-red mixer that you were lucky enough to get for Christmas.

Now, I'll be getting back to business. Of course that's right after the cookies. Priorities you know.

Really?!

Pardon the forlorn groundhog/sea lion, but you get the idea. Six more weeks of Winter??! To quote my 4-year-old, "You have got to be kidding me." Not that it matters much. After enjoying a steady, yet unrushed workload (the kind that pays), my inbox has suddenly quadrupled ensuring that I won't be emerging from my hole any time soon. Not that I'm complaining...I knew it was coming and I'm thankful for it. This just means more pizza and less blog.

Also please accept my sincere apologies, if you come back here to check in only to find Mr. Groundhogsealion. I'll try to climb out with an update as soon as possible. Until then, Happy Groundhog Day.

De-Muddling

Maybe it's that time of year or the weather or something, but I've recently caught myself starting to google, half-seriously, "What should I do now?" If only I could bing the Internet to provide a personalized step-by-step artistic path...what to prioritize and/or what to let go. Cold, dreary weather is a creative drain. Fortunately, I was able to snap out of it this weekend to organize my studio. In the process, I realized a thing or two.

I'm pretty sure that one of the best cures for a muddled and disorganized head, is a neat and organized work space. Messiness is distracting.

I marvel at design, craft and sewing books that manage to keep a single focus from beginning to end with beautifully, illustrated step-by-steps along the way. This is not possible in actual life.

I believe in being prepared for any occasion. However, it's also important to be able to see what you already have.

I sorted through overflowing fabric bins and let go of uninspiring pieces. Extra stuff adds weight rather than inspiration.

Now the challenge is to keep things in place while I let go of January. Hello to a clearer, warmer (fingers crossed) and brighter February.

Smart Marks

I have to tell you about the brand new 'art just for fun' that has arrived over in my etsy shop. It's a set of wisely affordable owl bookmarks that I designed using the owls I painted back when.

For the background, I scanned the wise entry from a really old dictionary. Then, I placed the owls in miniature in sequence on top of the entry with a shadow effect (all done in Photoshop.) Wise and Wiser are on the front of the bookmark while Wisest has the back all to herself.

The bookmarks have been offset print (front and back) on a heavy coated stock with rounded edges for extra charm. When they came back from the printer, I hand punched each top and added a cord. These bookmarks are available in sets of four. They're perfect to stick in a card (Valentines maybe?) or enclose with a gifted book. Or maybe you'll want a couple for yourself to mark various places...wise cookbooks, wiser craft magazines or the wisest decadent novel.

I've also made individual 8" x 10" owl prints available if a larger, frameable version is preferred. Fly over to my etsy shop to check out the goods. And as always, thank you for stopping by to see what I've been up to and for supporting my artistic journey. I can't begin to tell you how much I appreciate each and every one of you! I am so grateful for a community that never fails to inspire. Thank you.

How to score points with an 8-year-old

If you asked me to explain Pokemon in 100 words or less it would go something like this: errrr...little alien-like creatures with different powers...ahhhh...expensive trading cards that 7-8 year old boys can't get enough of...some cards having lots of power while others not so much...errrr...battling?...hmmmm. How's that? Yes, my understanding of the world of Pokemon is rather deficient. I did learn just a tiny bit more when I went to research this popular yellow guy for my son's birthday cake. For example, did you know that Pikachus' can shoot electric from their cheeks? me neither.

Here's the plan I came up with to use the majority of two round cakes to build Pikachu. The small striped triangle on cake number two is the only piece not used. It can be thrown to any kitchen intruders to keep them at bay while you're decorating the cake.

I decorate our cakes with butter cream icing mainly for the taste even though fondant would probably be easier. This guy is all icing except for the red cheeks and mouth which happen to be strawberry fruit rollups.

The cake ended up being a huge hit with this 7-year-old turned 8. Besides my getting to know that happy little yellow Pikachu better, I even earned a few cool points upping my evolutionary Mom status. Yeah...I'm trying to sound all pokemonish. My apologies to the diehards...I did say "a few" cool points.

A nice reminder to have aRound

"The grass is greener on the other side of the fence" is a timeless proverb. Trying to keep up with the Jones' can leave your head spinning. The phrase happens to be permanently stuck in my head after years of hearing my mom repeat whenever I chose to whine about whatever bugged me about me at the time. Of course I knew the true meaning was that the grass might seem greener for other people, but seldom was greener when you came right down to it.

I've been wanting to paint a circular canvas for awhile. When this idea popped into my head, I knew it was the perfect opportunity to break out of the box : ) I chose a 16" round canvas and started the piece by adhering ripped map pieces along with flowery and grid (fence-like) decorative paper.

I wanted my choices including canvas shape and materials to work with the whimsical nature of the idea. Raffia was a given for the grass. I also happened to have those cool wooden sticks (kids building sticks from back when). And have I mentioned my latest obsession? Much like half of the crafting universe... it's GLITTER! (check out the Martha Stewart vintage line...ahhhhhhh.) The point here is to think creatively when on a mixed media adventure. Sure a fence is simple enough to paint or make with paper...but what about a painted fence from actual wood...hmmmm.

This process shot is a behind-the-scenes as to how I work. A little paint and then a little adhering (with gel medium), then more paint and more adhering, etc. I build up the layers plunging right through that awkward-i hate-this-piece moment that happens at right about the halfway point with every painting I do.

In the end, I'm very happy with how this painting turned out. I'd keep it if I had more wall space. Until I figure out how to get more of that, I've listed the original over in my etsy shop. No prints will be made of this one. It's a circular one-of-a kind.

*bonus points* if you can answer why most paintings are square or rectangular. I really wanna know because circles seem more fun!

Fabric coupon holder tutorial: Buy 1/Make 1 Free

Introducing my fresh, new, handmade coupon holder/organizer created with supplies I already had on hand. Now brace yourself. Below is "the before" that I actually purchased a long time ago...

Admittedly, it was embarrassing to pull this out of my purse. Nothing to do with the coupons themselves (pleeeze!), but just look. I'm not quite sure what I was thinking when I purchased a cow coupon holder, but apparently it was the most appealing fabric (to me) at the time...hmmmm. Along with the questionable fabric, it is showing signs of heavy wear. The point of the before: I based my new and improved coupon holder on the old by taking the cow apart to see how he was made...an inexpensive way to get a pattern for anything you might want to replicate.

The fabric I used was a sample upholstery square purchased at a yard sale over the summer. If you can get your hands on these, they are perfect for smallish projects. If you can't find them by chance at yard sales, befriend an interior designer or upholstery shop for last season's samples.

materials:
heavy fabric (1- 9" x 11" piece; 2- 2-1/2" x 4" pieces)

3/4" wide Velcro (2- 9" pieces)

1/2" wide double fold bias tape in a coordinating color (approx. 47 inches total)

sewing machine

iron

(as usual please refer to pictures if my nontechnical sewing language becomes confusing.)

directions:

1. Attach two 9" pieces of 3/4" wide Velcro to the 9" x 11" piece of fabric. The Velcro will go on the 9" top and bottom with the sticky on the good side of the fabric and the fuzzy on the back side of the fabric. (I used iron on Velcro and followed package directions. I also sewed the Velcro to make sure it was extra secure.) After the Velcro is attached, place this piece aside for a moment.

2. Cut two 2 1/2" x 4" rectangles from fabric for the sides of the coupon holder. Sew double fold bias tape to the 4" top and bottom of each.

3. Starting from the bottom right corner of the Velcroed fabric, sew double fold bias tape (approx. 31" long) to the edge sandwiching in your first side.

3+. See how the sides are getting sandwiched? The top and bottom of the side pieces remain unstitched...only the sides of the sides will be attached to the Velcro rectangle. Sides attach at bottom of Velcroed main piece and then 5 inches in from there.

4. Continue to sew the bias tape up the right side of the main piece, across the top and then back down the left side sandwiching in the second side like the right. The only edge that will not have bias tape is the sticky Velcro-edged front.

And that's it. You should now have a coupon holder that looks sort of like this one and opens and closes like so. Moooove over cow coupon organizer (oh come on...how could I resist??! : )