So this is my first attempt at the reductive process in silk screen. Taken from a photo of downtown Tokyo at night, reduced to only the most important colors, I think it turned out really well. Hopefully they will be available for sale at Otakon (in Baltimore) in August. I say "hopefully" because there were some technical difficulties in the registration for tables at the Artist Alley and I don't have a table as of yet. Cross your fingers me!
A dream has been realized. My first batch of paper!
Dick poses with his Triumphant He-Man pillow. After handing it to him he said, "I HAVE THE PILLOW!" lol.
This semester, and last few months for that matter, have gone by so quickly. I've been so busy with school work that I've pretty much ignored all else. Hardly any blogs, and almost zero new listings on my etsy. But the work I've been doing for school has been pretty awesome. My printmaking class has had me turning out some things that I didn't think I was capable of and silkscreen class is still to come!
Crafting wise, recycling has been my big thing as of late. Envelopes out of old magazines and making little paper boxes have been the best! Thanks Etsy! Here's a really cool idea for sellers of little things...
I figured out how to use every part of the PayPal receipt to make a great presentation:
1. cut your awesome cool receipt in half
2. Cut the bottom half in half
3. Follow the great instruction of EtsyLabs to make these two halves into a top and bottom box that fit together
Still no new crafting. School work and the Wii have been monopolizing my time. There's nothing I can do about it really. I did bring home the prints that have been graded tho.
This first one came from a quote about the human brain creating more electrical impulses in a day than all the phones in all the world. Cool idea, not sure if its true, but it makes for a cool linocut. Here is my little robot getting his daily electricity from Brain Crunch, part of a complete breakfast.
This next one is my first attempt at woodcut. It's just a tattoo-like swallow. Everything around the black was carved out. Normally, I like to have everything I do face to the right. It makes me think of moving forward. I forgot to flip this image to reflect that, but then thought that this was better. I was looking back on the life I left behind, knowing that things were finally changing. That's why it's called "Looking Back".
So Tuesdays and Thursdays are pretty full school days. Class from 8am-5pm with a break in between. My boyfriend is class till 8pm which is teh suck. I have work after school tomorrow...double plus suck. So tonight is homework night. Damn you priorities.
Here's some stuff to keep you busy:
The Pink of Perfection is a great how to site that does more that just crafty stuff. I get lost on this site forreal. I think the record into a mail organizer made it on my To-Craft List.
EcoEtsy is a group my cousin-in-law Sarah founded. It helps promote ways to reduce, reuse, and recycle when crafting and shipping. There are some awesome ideas here and as a group is starting pretty strong.
The ever lovely EtsyLabs always has something fun for us to do. The tutorial I linked to is actually really high up on my list. We have accumulated so many plastic bags from grocery shopping and the like...I just hate to throw them away knowing they're just going to sit in a landfill for years to come. This is a perfect way to reuse and repurpose! Do this if you like...if not...send all your plastic bags to meeeeeee ^_^
Also, I'm working on something cool and way hard for school. I'm in a relief printmaking class this semester. We did some woodcut, linocut (my favorite!) and now we're onto wood engraving. It's what they used back in the day to make letters and illustrations for printing presses. It'll make your eyes cross and back hurt, but looks amazing when done right. I'm working on a Singer 201-2. The kind of Singer my Grandmom used. This is the photo being used:
Minus the collectibles type of course >_< Hopefully it'll turn out ok.
Check out what I did today!
Remember those things from the seventies made from yarn using that line art called symmography? I didn't either, it's ok. Mom knew what I was talking about though. I got the idea from my new Adorn magazine. They have a whole write up on seventies crafts which are totally groovy. But I actually put myself to work on this one.
Lowes had great 24"x24" Red Oak (I think >_<) that I sanded and stained with Minwax, Red Mahogany, then Shelac-ed. I'm so happy I own Shelac, you have no idea. Anyway, I followed the directions on the nailing part (after complaining for about 20 minutes that I couldn't find my masking tape and saying I had to go out and get some right then because I need all things completely at once and then finding it right where I left it)...but I had more issues with the stringing. I was making it way too hard for myself, so my boyfriend, the great voice of reason, stepped in after a little mini mental break down from myself >_<. He just read the directions and showed me how to do it lol. That's why I love him! So the end result: 
So I tried something that I've wanted to do for a while now. Making bowls from records. I know it's been done before...a lot...but it's still way fun! Especially since the Salvation Army down the street sells old crappy records for .25. So here's what it did!
I picked an awesome record. How amazingly retro is that label?! Plus My Fair Lady is a great movie. Rent it and educate yourself.
Record went on top of an oven safe pot/bowl and then on a cookie sheet. We turned the pan upside down because the bowl was short and we thought it might melt on the sheet.
Tada! After taking it out, I just put it in another bowl and smoothed it out as best I could. I think it looks pretty kickin for a first attempt. Here are the others:
Hooray!
Definitely fun times if you've got some crappy records and a few minutes to spare. We're getting a lot of ideas from this too, so hopefully I'll get back on the ball with writing often.
So I'm finally all moved in! I'm finishing up my first week back to school and it couldn't be better. My boyfriend and I are Art majors and actually have a couple classes together. It's awesome to the max! I'm taking this kickass printmaking class that is all woodcut...just started my first project...pics to come.
My new apartment is ok. It's like a pseudo dorm like place so I'm not going to crazy. I did take your advice though, with hanging separator thingys (Thanks Sarah! They rock my world) and lots of drawers. Once everything was in, you could tell there was a lot more room. Which is great because of all the art supplies I've had to get...there's giant sheets of paper everywhere! Have some pics:
TaDa! Doesn't it look like fun?! It's not phenomenal (the bed, desk and dresser come with the place...the cubes are mine :) but it's nice. Working on getting a sewing table bought, or made. I haven't made anything in two weeks and I'm getting a little antsy. I've got lots to take pictures of and list on Etsy, just need to make a new make-shift light box and get the show on the road. It's a long weekend, so it'll happen soon.
I'd like to give a little holler to Cally from Cally's Critters. If you look in the background on top of my cubes, you'll see a set of eyeballs that belongs to the most adorably kawaii plushie rice ball you've ever set eyes on! She is AMAZING! It's SO cute!
So yeah...pics of new pocket mirrors and comic buttons are on the way. Gotta get a good night's sleep now. I have class in the morning!
