i like to make lists while i doodle.

It all started with a large bunch of cilantro. I'm addicted! But it was starting to wilt faster than I could consume it, so I looked up a recipe on my favorite cooking website (which can be found here) and whiped up one delicious meal for Lou and I..Tequila Shrimp! I substituated half of the tequila for Corona and added some chopped tomatoes, onion and red pepper. And the juice of one lime at the end. MMM. The lime really gave it a nice punch. Next time instead of putting it over angel hair pasta I think I'll try rolling it up in tortillas. The mixture was good, but not as saucy as I thought it was going to be to cover pasta.


I didn't end up making guacamole like my list might lead you to believe. (hence the question mark..) I forgot to grab some avocados while I was at the store. Ah well..next time.

I'll probably be working on expanding the idea on that sketch I made for the rest of today. And then tomorrow work on some more Plini creations. What's next on the list of series? I'll give you a hint...it starts with a P and rhymes with Guy Mices.

avoidance is my middle name.

I'll admit it...I've been avoiding my blog for quite some time now. It's like a nagging parent reminding you that you have to clean your room. Or that book report that you have to write on that book you haven't read that's due on Monday. Basically I've been in turmoil over coming up with a new name for my Lil Dumplins. That, and I'm also moving at the end of the month. Ah yes, and the end of the month is in ONE WEEK. Lots of swirly craziness has ensued these past few weeks since my last post. Who has the time to document it all as it happens? Am I right?
My apartment is in disarray and I think it's clouding my crafting gene. I have a problem with clutter. If I see clutter, I can't think. And if I can't think, I surely can't paint cutesy tiny miniature faces on cutesy tiny figurines. So for that, I'm glad I only have a week left before the move. Then I can get back to the good stuff.
Most of my craft supplies are packed and ready to go. I didn't realize I had so much! Yarn, papers, clay, paints, boxes, ribbons, markers, pens, pencils, beads, scissors, stickers. Shall I go on? Dear lord, just thinking about moving all of this is tiring me out.

On to good things! I'm excited to report that I've chosen a name for my new figurines. Plini's. It's a spin-off of the word dumplins. They're slightly larger than the originals (for better detail!) and each one will be part of a series. Some of the series that I have brewing are the cupcake series, breakfast series, bird series and mushroom series. Each figurine will have an engraved symbol on the bottom along with my initials signifying which series they are a part of. Totally cute and totally fun! And I'll still be accepting custom orders because those are the best kind of orders!

I've also been working on a bit of a wedding present for my friends Yesenia and Neil(former roommates who moved out..which is why Lou and I are moving) who are getting married June 13th (Friday the 13th!)

I also made a second set to sell in my shop. The green accents match their wedding theme color. And I also tried to loosely base them on their actual appearance while still keeping the general style. It's been hard hiding it from them as I've been painting these little figures in the living room. But they're officially done and I can wrap them up until the wedding!

And there you have it. An update on the wonderful world of Plinis, moving and a wedding.

I expect to list my first wave of Plinis the first week of June after I've moved into my new apartment. So keep your eyeballs peeled!

this, that and the other thing.

I've been eating, breathing and sleeping crafts. There's paint splatters "permanently" on my elbows and the knees of my pants. I have at least five coffee cups (at any given time..) with one or two sips of old coffee left in each mug scattered all over my crafting space. The poor cat is feeling neglected because I can't bear to pick her up and get covered in cat hair mid-craft session. She reaches up to me like a little kid with her paw while I'm sitting, with these eyes that say "pay attention to me!" and I feel terrible when I tell her I'm busy. There's tubes of paint on my nightstand (although I can't figure out how they got there). And now I've somehow managed to take over the entire dining room table with my crafting migration. I get lonely in my bedroom. I can't help it!

But of course, to keep things interesting, while I'm busy, Barbados insists on being a pest.

I caught him red-handed in the shelf of my desk! I'm so disappointed that the picture came out blurry. But it's so classic, I can't resist sharing.



So I gave him a higher view of things. I'd like to think that if I was a cat, I would like to see things from other vantage points that I couldn't get to myself. [The ceiling is only a couple of inches from where the picture is cut off]



I took the metal dividers out and, of course, that made for a content Barbados.




Despite the playing around that appears to be...I actually did finish a lot of stuff the past few days. But unfortunately I can't do anything with most of "them" until I can settle on a name! And even more unfortunate is I had planned on picking a name this past weekend, but I'm having trouble. ugh. I'm very undecided. But I'm writing it in stone now - I will choose a name by next weekend. No...matter...what.
You heard it here folks. By this time next weekend I'll be able to talk about "them". Whoever "them" is. Do you know? Who knows? Does anyone?

bedtime.

Why didn't anyone tell me that I can never escape a bedtime no matter how old I get? Whether I'm told to, like when I was younger, or nowadays when my body literally starts shutting down like a computer. Programs start shutting down, hard drives start powering off, the monitor shuts off. It's ridiculous. I'm almost 25 and I'm passing out at 10 o'clock. How am I supposed to get anything done in a day when my body wants to spend at least half of it sleeping? My body and I aren't really on the same page.

This past weekend I heard the birds chirping and I wrote it down to remember to document it later because it was so funny. "pretty pretty prit prit prit prit" Imagine that in a chirpy bird voice, because that's what it sounded like for hours. I always imagine the birds are saying actual words...it's kind of annoying. They sound desperate, searching for a mate the length of the day. My mind tends to wander also, and I imagine a boy bird, lonely, searching for a girl bird and all the other birds are paired off and he's sitting there all alone chirping..saying the same phrase over and over, hoping someone will pay attention to him. I know, I'm crazy.

I chopped off my hair yesterday. I don't know what's wrong with me and my hair. I'm never satisfied with it. I always want to change it. Whether it's by dyeing or styling, it never ends. I tried to dye it platinum today as well. I'll take pictures tomorrow. It's not quite as light as I wanted, but it's an awesome shade of ash blonde, so I'm happy. ....for now...maybe.

As for a bit of crafty business, I've had my hands full with custom orders. It's been tough trying to work on my "series" of Lil Dumplins and the customs at the same time. But I will prevail! I'm still very hesitant to settle on a new name for the Lil Dumplins. Mainly because once I choose, then that's it, I'm not changing it again. I also realized I'm a moron and the business cards that I recently ordered say "Lil Dumplins, Art and Accessories". Not exactly the best time to be renaming my Lil Dumplins, now is it. But that's alright, I'll work it out.

Oh! And I came across an awesome website chock full of how-to's for jewelry, housewares, food and who knows what else (i haven't done a thorough investigation just yet..). Real people upload their tutorials and a lot of them have pictures and diagrams. I think it's really great that people are willing to share their skills with others. Maybe I'll add something one day...if I ever have the time! I love to be helpful when I can. Cut Out + Keep

snack foods...my second inanimate love

I haven't been crafting lately. As can been seen from my random posts about toilet seats and bobbleheads. With Easter this past weekend and my new "8 to 5" job, I haven't had a lot of time or energy left to devote to craftyness. But wait..you must be thinking...how do I have enough time to blog then? Tis what I do on my lunch break. It's an HOUR long. I've never in the history of forever had an hour lunch break from my job. It's a really strange thing. And I'm in love with it. In the same sense, I'd love to have no break and leave at 4, or come in at 9. But that's another story.

I may have no time to craft, but I always manage to find time to eat. It's interesting how these things occur. The other day I happened upon the most delicious of nuts, in..I'm going to say..the world. They're Blue Diamond almonds with wasabi & soy sauce seasoning. Imagine a medly of salty spicy tangy nuttyness. mmm. They were only $2.50 at Acme, which I find amazing because of the typical price of nuts. I can't seem to understand why the price of nuts is so high. Also, is it possible to grow nuts yourself? God forbid I want to make chocolate macadamia nut biscotti (which I did make yesterday actually..). A half a cup is the price of a hatchback (the standard model, of course). I've never heard of nut gardens, but I imagine it would be nice. Pecan pie for everybody! And who wants some oatmeal walnut cookies?

But back to my original thoughts. Seriously, these almonds, delish.

Hopefully by this weekend I'll have more time which will equal less posts about nuts.

dumplin production.

Keep on the lookout in my shop (probably by Monday) for five new Lil Dumplins I've been working on allllll weekend. Ever since I picked up this new "9 to 5" job I haven't had much time to work on the fun things. My Dumplin collection has been dwindling down. I think I have two listed..? Plus a custom reserved one. Something like that. Wait...six..I'll actually have six done. I have them scattered all over my desk in different stages of completion. Eh, I'm an artist, not a math teacher. hehe.
I've also been trying to work on my new "series" of dumplins. They're slightly bigger in size than the original Lil Dumplin. There's some other creative aspects that make them special, but I'll leave that for later. It's tough because I want to get the original dumplins made and listed, but I also want to develop the new dumplins. There's never enough time!
And on top of that I have Lou looking whiny and attention-deprived all the time because I'm cooped up in my craft corner for days. I keep assuring him that when I'm a millionaire (hah..) he'll be thanking me for my lack of hanging out with him 24/7.
But is it so much to ask for him to put his dirty dishes in the dishwasher? I can't do everything around here.

Busy bsuy busby bysuu

I FINALLY (phew..) finished listing a crap load of destash supplies in my supply shop.Magic Bead Buyer It's all totally cheap. I really just want to get rid of it and make room for more things that I'm currently using. I feel bad for the beads, they look sad and unloved.

I also finished my candy necklace! Let's see now, how long has it taken me? I actually ended up making three of them. And it's listed in my main shop currently..Candy Necklace



Well back to work. I scheduled myself three seconds of breather time to show some blog love.


XO

Dumplin love

Dumplins are going in my Etsy shop like hot cakes and I couldn't be happier! I try to express my excitement for my Lil Dumplins finding new homes to Lou, but he just can't grasp the awesomeness of it all. Typical boy. I just finished two custom dumplins for a customer and I also sold another to a repeat customer today which is so wonderful!
I'm just really happy that other people can appreciate these little ones as much as I do. They're so much fun to personalize and the color combinations are endless.
I also made a final decision on packaging for the Dumplins. I was originally packing them in little white boxes and tying them with bows, but when I went to the store to buy more I saw these really cute mini chinese food boxes. And when I fill it with crinkle paper it looks adorable! The box looks a lot bigger in this picture than it actually seems in person.
I'll be listing most of the Dumplins in the first picture for sale tonight. The smiling aqua cupcake and red mushroom are already reserved!

Finalist!

I entered a photo of one of the scarves I wove in a color contest (You can check out the website here: Polka Dot Creations)and it was a finalist. How exciting is that?



That was some nice icing on the cake of morning.

Unemployed - Day...what day am I on?

I finished another drawing. I've been trying to be a good artist and actually do art everyday. I joined a group on Flickr called 365 Sketch and you're supposed to post a picture of a sketch or something of the like each day to help motivate/inspire you to draw everyday. I'm on day two and I already almost forgot. If it hadn't been for my typing these words in this here blog I would have. I need to make some lists of things to remember. And then some lists of my lists and so on and so forth. I can't even write things to remember on my hands anymore because I forget to look at my hands. Anyways...here is my latest creation...

I'm thinking she needs a proper background. But I don't want to take away from the main subject. I don't know. I need some input. I'm so indecisive. I think I'm becoming a fan of the brown outline though. This is the second one of my drawings where I used brown. It looks a little less harsh, or bold. More natural? I don't know. More soft? I'm not sure how to describe it.

bah.

I went to a temp agency today. Just another reason to be discouraged with my art. I'm a good artist goddammit. I just need to market myself better...or something. I need someone to tell me what to do. I can't live on hopes and dreams forever. So perhaps a temporary job can help keep me floating. I don't want to stay in Delaware forever after all.
I finished a few more Lil Dumplins. I'll probably photograph them all together soon. They look so cute all in a group. I think I might need a shot to show their size better also. The tallest one I've made is less than 2 inches, but you can't really tell from the photos.

My inspiration for this one...christmas. See the little mints on top of her head?

Green treasuries

I love when I'm in a green themed treasury! Well...I love being featured for anything. But a green treasury really makes my day. The curator used one of my green rings. I love the picture of it. Very bright and abstract. You can see it in my etsy shop here

Unemployed - Day 4

I don't want to talk about it.




But I will talk about another drawing I finished. (I actually completed more than one, but I don't feel like uploading them ALL) . Anyways, I'm having trouble deciding if I should stick with digitally coloring my drawings or hand coloring them. I really like the streamlined look of digital, but at the same time I feel like they might look too simple. What constitutes too simple?



This drawing was inspired by my roommate Yesenia's hamster Hammie, who has since passed. He was as big as a guinea pig and loved yogurt drops. He's also known for his huge balls, but I didn't include them on the drawing. I thought they might overpower the drawing...

Lil Dumplins have arrived!

I finally picked my butt off the floor and got to listing my little handpainted figurines. I think it took me so long because I couldn't decide on a name for the "line" and I couldn't decide how I wanted to handle their descriptions. I think it came together nicely.

Lil Dumplins




I did a lot of crafting this weekend with the help of a few pots of coffee. Finishing up painting some lil dumplins and starting some new pieces. They're just about done except for the final clear coating. I really like painting on clay. I feel like it gives me more freedom in choosing what colors go where. If I mess up, I can just paint over it and start fresh. I'm such a perfectionist though, it takes a while to get something just right.

Cupcake Locket

I did it! I finally listed my cupcake locket. Eeeeee! The only reason I've waited so long is because I've noticed a lot of copying going on in Etsy. Especially with polymer clay. And I realllllly didn't want this design to get stolen. I'm really proud of it, and I think it's totally original. I'm not saying that every idea I've ever thought of is one of a kind and no one else could've possibly EVER thought of it. I just want to protect my cupcake locket. It's my baby.

Want to buy the cupcake locket?

Little Creatures

As usual, I keep jumping from one interest to the next. What was it...a week and a half ago I was busily working on my candy necklace beads? Have I touched the clay since then? No. But shh..I have been busy making tons of other things and listing tons more in my two Etsy shops, so I don't feel as guilty. I started making a line of little figurines that are slightly different from the "bunny-esque" ones I talked about earlier that I made for my nana and pops. These ones are handpainted and look more like little girls made of dessert. I was thinking that I want to stick to food-related things but I still want to make other things 'besides' just food. Also, I was thinking I want to make sculptures that aren't as delicate. I can picture bunny ear catastrophes happening. But these dessert girls are a little more durable. Sadly, I dropped one I had finished and her icecream top broke off a bit. What's kind of funny is I had painted her with a sad face. Foreshadowing mebbe? I wanted to punch the floor for ruining her, but I knew it wouldn't solve anything. Stupid inanimate objects!!
I need to think of a good name for them now. Something sweet and precious...like Lil' Dumplins. Or Lil' Puddins? Puddin is what my great grandma called me and it would be nice to have a lil bit of meaning behind the name, I think. Or maybe something russian sounding, similar to matryoshka dolls. They sort've look like those anyways. Ah well, something will come to me.

Here's two of the six I have complete. They're about 1 1/2 inches tall.

A day late, but that's ok.

I must admit I give myself more guilt in not finishing something knowing I documented when I planned on finishing said thing. I finished the painting I said I was going to finish.....yesterday. That's pretty damn good for me. Plus I'm almost done with the cupcake painting I mentioned before. I just have to add some background goodness.

So anyways, I was thinking of naming this painting after my friend Ashley because she's all Miss Snowboarder. Not that this character has anything to do with snowboarding, but she is in snow...and that's the first step.

And also, to document another project and give myself grief in not finishing I'm going to be whipping up a big batch of candy necklaces. They seem to be selling well, and with Christmas time approaching at warp speed, it'd probably be best to list some of my favorite items while I can. I don't plan on listing these paintings in my Etsy shop until after the holidays anyways.

Click that to see what the candy necklace looks like -- Candy Necklace

Painty painty..

I finally managed to gather enough energy to start a painting! What's crazy is the sketch started on an 8x5in sized paper and I used the ol' grid technique to enlarge it to 11x9in. Fun times. But it's 12:30 at night and my eyes are shriveling up and trying to pop out of my head. That's what I get for wearing my contacts for days at a time. Hopefully tomorrow I'll be able to finish it and load a nice picture of the finished result.
One thing I failed to take into consideration is just how old my acrylics really are. I haven't really used them since my art classes at rowan two or so years ago. That's really bad, I know. Most of them are squeezing out of the tubes lumpy and separated. I'll have to buy some more tomorrow and see what I can salvage out of what I have now. One day I'll try oils, but I'm really a fan of acrylics. I hear that people love oils because they don't dry fast, so you can play around with the paint getting it just the way you like it. While that sounds all good and great, I actually like that acrylics dry so fast. I'm a fan of layering. Also, what's the deal with turpentine? Sounds messy and flammable. I like that my paint can come off with a bit of soap and water. Nice and simple. I don't have time for crazy.

Peridot Treasury

One of my items was in a treasury today on Etsy. Which is always nice. It's the top left. I LOVE the way that picture came out also. I want to hang the picture on my wall or something. That's how pleased I am with it. Go here to see a better/non-thumbnail version of it.

"Sweet" Paintings

So I was thinking of adding prints/paintings to my repertoire. But it's kind've going slowly. I did manage to finish one painting and start a second. But it's been actively collecting lonliness on my desk. I'd like to finish it on Sunday but I'm not sure what to do with the background. I have a bit of obsessive love for polka dots, but I can't very well have all my paintings with polka dots...can I?

I'm also not sure how I feel about the character's eyes. They're kind of weird. Maybe they should be cuter..? Or maybe that makes it interesting. They're kind of manly eyes, in my opinion, but is that a bad thing? I have no idea.