:: giddy crafts by giddy girlie ::

new iPhone case

2011-12-08T22:10:00.001-08:00

A few months ago at a tradeshow, I was given a rubber iPhone case. I've been using it because it's practical but I wasn't thrilled about the logo. So boring! I stumbled across a few different versions of puffy painted iPhone cases (like the one Crafty Chica made, below) and inspiration hit!

So I took up my logo'd case...

And used some acetone to remove the logo. I used acetone made for nail salons (pure acetone, not drugstore-type nail polish remover, although that might have worked too) and a Q-tip and started rubbing.

The acetone loosened the screenprinted logo pretty easily and little scrubbing circles with the Q-tip removed it completely in about 10 minutes.

After it was totally clean, I got to work! Using my theory of "anything that holds still is an art table" I pulled a piece of saran wrap around a cat food box and set to work. I decided to use a bright blue because it makes me happy and I used my dot painting technique to create a circle pattern. I used a glossy acrylic craft paint which I already had on-hand. If you needed to purchase some from Michaels, you'd pay about $1 for the 2oz. bottle.

It all came together pretty quick. From start to finish, I was done in less than one episode of 3rd Rock from the Sun (recommend TV viewing while painting!).

Ta da! For a total cost of nothing and under 30 minutes of work, I completely customized my phone case. Now it looks like MY PHONE and has a bright burst of happy color!

My two cents: I really like the outcome of the craft paint vs. puffy paint. Puffy paint leaves a peaked "kiss" on the surface which gives more texture but because I stuff my phone into a zipper pouch in my purse, I was afraid they'd snag and lift off or the peaks would tear. The acrylic gloss holds a textured dot but it's flatter and there are no "kisses", so it has a decent texture for gripping (on the arm of the couch, say) but won't snag on my zipper pouch.

I should probably stick to knitting

2011-12-07T18:11:00.001-08:00

A while back, I decided to finally get down to learning crochet. I bought a book, watched some YouTube videos and trawled the internet for project ideas. I became enamored with granny square quilts. They're so ubiquitous that it seems every house in America has one. At some point your great aunt Ruthie sent one to the family and it's just been sitting in a linen cupboard somewhere, right?

I figured it couldn't be too hard, so I jumped in with both feet. An ambitious outlook to complete my own lap quilt (8 rows of 12 squares). I gathered up my supplies and got to hooking!

My first attempts were pretty loose and bumpy, but I figured once I got the hang of it, it would be no sweat! The two above each took 3 hours. No exaggeration. How does any grandma find the time for an entire quilt?!

The more I practiced, the quicker the squares came together. Still, I was averaging about 30 minutes per piece, but these things are a labor of love, right? I dragged my yarn bag and hook with me across the country while traveling for work and would hook up a few more squares every day while watching TV in my hotel room.

About 4 months later, I had enough to start assembling! Over the course of the last two weeks, I sewed together all of my squares and last night finished the last one. HUZZAH!

Only... they were still pretty loose and bumpy. I thought that it was acceptable for a beginner's project and since I was keeping it myself I could overlook the bumps. I also was hoping that a hot water wash and hot-hot dryer would help felt it all together.

It did... sorta.

About 30% of my squares started to unravel. I guess I didn't finish all of the squares the same (honestly, I was winging it since I didn't REALLY know what I was doing). Toward the end, I had started tying the loose strings into knots and then weaving in the tails. It seems to have worked. Except for when it didn't.

I wouldn't say it's garbage-worthy just yet. I could still sew together some patches and probably fix a lot of it. But it's going to be MORE WORK. Either that, or the cat just got a new blankie!

I still don't know how grannies for centuries have managed to build these quilts. I have one that was given to me as a gift for my birthday and I marvel at it daily. The consistent stitches! The lovely scalloped edge! The even sewing! So at least I have one beautiful blanket to look at while I'm patching up my own quilt that looks like rats chewed it!

glitter painted coffee table

2011-11-29T17:46:00.001-08:00

My friend, Brad, is a store designer. A couple of years ago, he was working for Urban Outfitters (Ryan's old job) and they had a store plan to decorate with a bunch of tables. Which meant that he had to make a bunch of tables. What most people don't think about with store design elements is that they're only used for a limited time and then they're disposed of. So after this particular display was done, Brad had about 15 tables that he couldn't bear to part with -- they were a lot of hard work to make by hand! -- so he asked us if we wanted to take any of them. I snapped up this (handmade) coffee table that was painted in matte lime green.

For the past couple of years, I had intended to repaint it. I love the lime green, but it needed some freshening up. I had been debating forever what and how to paint it... glossy green? More matte? Maybe a brighter green or add a harlequin print to it? After stalling for a REALLY long time, I saw that Krylon started making some really great glitter spray paints. After seeing some projects pop up here and there online, I thought THIS IS IT! I'll glitter paint my table!

I decided to stick with the lime green color palette that I already had on the table and chose the Citrus Dream type, which is mostly lime greens with a hint of golds and yellows. The can says that it will cover a 5x5 foot square area, so I picked up two cans thinking it would be more than enough for my 2x4" table.

My first test was on a plain, balsa wood embroidery hoop. One quick spritz did a pretty good job of covering, so I thought this would be a cake walk. The directions say that the paint dries in 20 minutes and can be handled in 24 hours. I figured within an hour, I'd have it totally painted and ready to gloss coat the top...

So, I set up shop on the lawn. I got a big drop cloth to protect the grass, which was a REALLY good call because the glitter flies EVERYWHERE. My table was pretty scruffy and had cup rings and even a pink patch where some felt got stuck to it (don't ask) but after a quick wipe down, it was ready to start. I figured that the glitter would cover the imperfections, like the cup rings, so I didn't repaint the table first.

Immediately, the paint was disappointing. Firstly, it's EXTREMELY fickle coming out of the tube (which I have since read is common for this paint). When you press the trigger, sometimes you'll get a blast of glitter and sometimes you get a blast of the clear adhesive. Mostly the adhesive. I found that the best thing to do was to shake for at least 60 seconds between sprays, but still you're glitter/adhesive ratio is spotty. The picture below shows the table after two cans of paint. As you can see, there are a lot of uneven patches, where the glitter would rush out suddenly -- even in the steady hand of a pro (my husband, Ryan), there was no amount of "smooth, sweeping motions" that could make it look any better. It's a bit hard to tell in this photo that after 2 cans of paint there was virtually no coverage of the tabletop below. Yes, it's sparkly but it's not GLITTERY and also you can see the cup rings and scuffs that were there to start with. If we had primed the table top white, I think it would have looked a hundred times worse.

Another paint can note: the can frequently jams and won't STOP spraying. This, too, seems to be common and there's no real solution for it. Unfortunately, it also wastes a lot of paint in the process. We would just point it at the table when ever it happened, but it was a sputtering stream and probably added more to the splotches.

Another view of the "patches" of glitter below.

After letting it dry for a couple of hours, we did a touch test of one of the spotty areas and to our complete surprise, it came completely off. Because the glitter/adhesive mixture is so fickle, sometimes it is literally just spraying a pile of glitter so that any breeze would take it away. The drop cloth was a mess, which you can kind of see. I could pinch up piles of loose glitter. We were afraid to touch anywhere else because it left a gaping hole - straight down to the table top - where we'd lightly touched. Which then required MORE paint.

The picture above shows the table about 30 minutes after spraying a 5th coat. It should be dry, but you can clearly see dark streaks running across which we were hoping was wetness. It may have been, but it mostly seemed to be an uneven distribution of the glitter itself.

Below is where we decided to stop. This is 7 coats of glitter paint as even as we could possibly get it. LOTS of delicate touch ups to get the glitter where we wanted/needed it to be, including sprinkling the loose glitter from the drop cloth onto the table top.

This is what it looks like now. We're going to go overboard on the sealant (which, by the way, the paint can does not mention or recommend but is made by Krylon and available with the glitter paint) to hold in as much glitter as possible. I would recommend that anyone using this really load up on the sealant, otherwise the first handling of your object will totally wipe it away. Not to mention get it all over (our house has glittery footprints everywhere and my bathtub will have green sparkles for the next 10 years).

I'm reasonably happy with it, although this took 2 days instead of 1 hour, and about 8 cans of glitter paint plus 2 cans of sealant to get it this far. It's still VERY imperfect and there are spots where the dings and scratches show through (could have been prevented with a fresh base coat of green). I like it, but I'm not willing to invest any more time or money in it. What I had envisioned being a quick project for under $20 has now been a significant pain in the neck. If it had turned out better, I would epoxy coat the top so that it would last forever, but since it's still not quite right I'll make do with shellac and sealant coats.

In the end, I would NOT recommend this paint to someone wanting to take on a major project. It might be fine for small pieces or ceramic or something, but it is such a pain in the neck to even just get it to spray out of the can, that I probably would recommend a paint instead. In fact, on our 4th trip to the craft store for MORE PAINT I found a Martha Stewart craft paint in Golden Beryl that is the exact same color and is touted to have the same overall effect. The bottles are small, sure, but they're $2 so... yeah. You could probably pull off this whole table (legs included) for around $20.

Takeaways:

your base coat/primer WILL show through, so a complimentary color is recommended
you will use more than expected; don't buy based on can's recommendations
a sealant is 100% necessary to prevent the glitter from wiping off when you're done - DON'T touch it before you seal it
you will make a gigantic mess - be prepared to have glitter in your hair, clothes, food, and pets for a good long while. Because it's microglitter, it's nearly impossible to vacuum or even wash off and it will turn up everywhere. Trust me.

Slimer

2011-05-11T00:01:00.000-07:00

This one is a bit different. I used a jack o'lantern stencil to paint it, so there's a lot more negative space, which I think looks interesting.

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Interested in owning a piece like this? Check out my Etsy shop or email me for a custom order!. : * ~ * : . _ . : * ~ * : . _ . : * ~ * : .

Harley Quinn

2011-05-09T12:01:00.000-07:00

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Interested in owning a piece like this? Check out my Etsy shop or email me for a custom order!. : * ~ * : . _ . : * ~ * : . _ . : * ~ * : .

Homer

2011-05-05T12:00:00.000-07:00

New House Sampler - only 2 years late!

2011-05-03T17:48:00.000-07:00

Some friends of ours bought a house in 2009 and invited us over to see it. It's a fantastic old house, a certified "historic house" that has finally found its final resting place (read on for more). Anyway, the friends that we were visiting [names withheld, since they may not want people figuring out exactly where they live] are also artists and they have a marvelous studio space that is... like my dream studio. I want to just sit there and stare at stuff all day. I should ask if I can buy a ticket to do that... hmm... After spending an evening there and talking shop, Ryan and I were both ultra inspired to get home and "art" (we use 'art' as a verb). We'd been talking about the movie The 7 Faces of Dr Lao and how much everyone loved it, which inspired Ryan to create a colored pencil piece of Dr Lao. I was inspired by their new house and wanted to make them a "welcome home" craft piece.

Their "new" old house (built in 1890) is in a historic home district of Anaheim, which is delightfully close to Disneyland. They have an unfettered view of the fireworks show (every night at 9:30!) so I knew I wanted to include the fireworks into this somewhat traditional sampler. There's always a Mickey shaped firework during the show, so I added that, too. I was originally thinking that I'd use a very traditional sampler approach, chock full of icons of their life but the "little" piece that I'd decided to make was already getting too large. But I did include their kitty and their blossoming orange tree.

I finished it somewhat quickly - thanks to the great folks in the Phat Quarter who all sent me scraps of sparkle thread (so I didn't have to buy skeins of metallic threads that I probably would never use again) - and I intended to send it right away. Um, yeah. I delivered it a year and a half later. Oops!

I was particularly proud of my half-stitches, so I took a picture. Of course, you can't see them in the finished piece, but I know they're under there, looking good!

I was on the fence about the outlining of the windows and doors. It worked, but looked kind of "loose" so in the end, I tore it all out and stitched one square at a time. It doesn't have the same straight-line look, but I like it better.

The original house, built in 1890. It has been moved several times in its life, as the city keeps expanding.

Below is a photo of the house being moved in the middle of the night to it's new (and hopefully final) location.

And here's what it looks like today. It's such an adorable home and I love the trim details (which were too detailed to capture in a cross stitch). Also, I think that I heard that this was originally the rear of the house, which now faces the street. The "back" of the house has the kitchen, which I believe used to be the entry point. But I kind of like it this way!

Fry

2011-05-02T11:59:00.000-07:00

Conan O'Brien's head

2011-04-27T11:57:00.000-07:00

Based on Conan's guest star appearance on Futurama, as a head in a jar.

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Interested in owning a piece like this? Check out my Etsy shop or email me for a custom order!. : * ~ * : . _ . : * ~ * : . _ . : * ~ * : .

Leela

2011-04-25T11:57:00.000-07:00

Quagmire

2011-04-22T11:56:00.000-07:00

new Ghostbusters peg people

2011-04-20T11:53:00.000-07:00

I had a couple of ideas for new peg people.

Tiny Slimer is painted on a "baby" peg person form. He's less than 2 inches tall.

Stay Puft is actually a BIG peg person form. He's nearly 4 inches tall.

This is what they look like, all together.
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Interested in owning a piece like this? Check out my Etsy shop or email me for a custom order!. : * ~ * : . _ . : * ~ * : . _ . : * ~ * : .

Mary Poppins

2011-04-18T11:51:00.000-07:00

Playing with my new peg person forms with bowler hats

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Interested in owning a piece like this? Check out my Etsy shop or email me for a custom order!. : * ~ * : . _ . : * ~ * : . _ . : * ~ * : .

Hand Embroidered Easter Egg

2011-04-16T10:55:00.000-07:00

New! I took jumbo sized plastic Easter eggs and added a hand-embroidered touch. Inside is an extra prize for your favorite stitcher. Add these to your Easter basket for a personal touch.

Each egg comes with an embroidery hoop and inside is aida cloth, various patterns with coordinated floss, and a needle. While everyone else is hunting for eggs in the tall grass, you can be stitching a lasting memory!

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Interested in owning a piece like this? Check out my Etsy shop or email me for a custom order!. : * ~ * : . _ . : * ~ * : . _ . : * ~ * : .

Hand Embroidered Easter Egg

2011-04-14T11:02:00.000-07:00

New! I took jumbo sized plastic Easter eggs and added a hand-embroidered touch. Inside is an extra prize for your favorite stitcher. Add these to your Easter basket for a personal touch.

Clockwork Orange, Alex

2011-04-13T11:50:00.000-07:00

Playing with this new peg person form with a bowler hat.

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Interested in owning a piece like this? Check out my Etsy shop or email me for a custom order!. : * ~ * : . _ . : * ~ * : . _ . : * ~ * : .

Hand Embroidered Easter Egg

2011-04-12T11:05:00.000-07:00

New! I took jumbo sized plastic Easter eggs and added a hand-embroidered touch. Inside is an extra prize for your favorite stitcher. Add these to your Easter basket for a personal touch.

Each egg comes with an embroidery hoop and inside is aida cloth, various patterns with coordinated floss, and a needle. While everyone else is hunting for eggs in the tall grass, you can be stitching a lasting memory!

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Interested in owning a piece like this? Check out my Etsy shop or email me for a custom order!. : * ~ * : . _ . : * ~ * : . _ . : * ~ * : .

Dr. Henry Killinger

2011-04-11T11:48:00.000-07:00

New to my Venture Brothers collection, it's Dr. Henry Killinger.

"Compromise, my friend, is the essence of diplomacy and diplomacy is the cornerstone of love"

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Interested in owning a piece like this? Check out my Etsy shop or email me for a custom order!. : * ~ * : . _ . : * ~ * : . _ . : * ~ * : .

Hand Embroidered Easter Egg

2011-04-09T11:06:00.000-07:00

Hand Embroidered Easter Egg

2011-04-07T11:07:00.000-07:00

baby Superman

2011-04-06T11:47:00.000-07:00

A little girl advised me that I should make baby superheroes. So I did. These little figures are 1 3/16 inch tall!

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Interested in owning a piece like this? Check out my Etsy shop or email me for a custom order!. : * ~ * : . _ . : * ~ * : . _ . : * ~ * : .

Hand Embroidered Easter Egg

2011-04-05T11:03:00.000-07:00

baby Robin

2011-04-04T11:46:00.000-07:00

baby Spiderman

2011-03-31T11:44:00.000-07:00

Pupae Twins

2011-03-29T11:42:00.000-07:00

Tim Tom and Kevin, the Murderous Moppets of Dr. Girlfriend don new costumes in the Venture Brothers and become the Pupae Twins!

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Interested in owning a piece like this? Check out my Etsy shop or email me for a custom order!. : * ~ * : . _ . : * ~ * : . _ . : * ~ * : .

This is Handmade

2011-01-24T10:47:00.000-08:00

My latest contribution to the This is Handmade project. It's 5 minutes of me painting. It's not meant to be a how-to or in any way instructional (there's not even any audio). Just a real-time depiction on what it takes to create one of my dot paintings.

The Dude

2011-01-21T06:37:00.000-08:00

6x8" canvas board. Painted with high-gloss acrylic paints.

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Interested in owning a piece like this? Check out my Etsy shop or email me for a custom order!. : * ~ * : . _ . : * ~ * : . _ . : * ~ * : .

Kermit

2011-01-19T06:35:00.000-08:00

6x8" canvas board. Painted with high-gloss acrylics.

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Interested in owning a piece like this? Check out my Etsy shop or email me for a custom order!. : * ~ * : . _ . : * ~ * : . _ . : * ~ * : .

The Count

2011-01-17T06:33:00.000-08:00

6x8" canvas board. Painted with high-gloss acrylic paints.

. : * ~ * : . _ . : * ~ * : . _ . : * ~ * : .Interested in owning a piece like this? Check out my Etsy shop or email me for a custom order!. : * ~ * : . _ . : * ~ * : . _ . : * ~ * : .

Harley Quinn

2011-01-14T06:33:00.000-08:00

8x10" canvas board painted with high-gloss acrylic paint.

. : * ~ * : . _ . : * ~ * : . _ . : * ~ * : .Interested in owning a piece like this? Check out my Etsy shop or email me for a custom order!. : * ~ * : . _ . : * ~ * : . _ . : * ~ * : .

Phat Quarter Swap

2011-01-12T18:27:00.000-08:00

The last round of the Phat Quarter embroidery swap was a mash-up "OMG The Horror" of horror related items. My partner, Taff1973, made this AMAZING cross stitch of Nosferatu quoting Jack Nicholson in the Shining.

I don't even know what the stitch count is, but the weave of the fabric is TINY and the aida cloth is hand-dyed a gorgeous red/maroon (the flash makes it look brighter and pinker than it is in person). It's so lovely and the tooled leather frame is really the cherry on top. I love it so much!

hitchhiking ghost embroideries

2010-12-29T18:42:00.000-08:00

I get asked pretty frequently about my hitchhiking ghost embroideries and if I sell a pattern. I don't sell a pattern, but that's because I don't have one. As you can see below, I start with a light pencil outline that is the "skeleton" of each image and then I embroider it from there. All the stitching is done by me, from memory so there isn't anything to sell!

. : * ~ * : . _ . : * ~ * : . _ . : * ~ * : .Interested in owning a piece like this? Check out my Etsy shopor email me for a custom order!. : * ~ * : . _ . : * ~ * : . _ . : * ~ * : .

semi-home made for the holidays

2010-12-22T18:13:00.000-08:00

Remember all those great "read along" books from your childhood? Back when I was young, the audio was on a record and I'd lay on the floor next to my record player and flip through the pages, waiting for the pixie dust sound, when it was time to turn the page. So great!

My 5 year old nephew now has the more modern version: read along books on CD and MP3 which got me to thinking...

Christmas is here again and I have it on good authority that Santa is going to be delivering toys aplenty so I decided to give him gifts that AREN'T toys, but books! And to increase the fun quotient, I've decided to read the books aloud and record them on CD to include with the books. The idea is to give a bit more of a personal touch to these store bought gifts and, hopefully, encourage him to listen to them more -- what's better than a book read by Tia Mia? (don't answer that!)

I have an external microphone for my computer that I'm using and capturing the audio can be done in LOTS of simple ways. I am using Camtasia, because it's software that I am familiar with and is dead simple to use (there's also a free 30 day trial, if you want to test it yourself). I've also found a "pixie dust sound" to insert when it's time to turn the page (this particular one cost $1 to license and came with 2 sound effects). There are oodles of free audio software (and mp3 sounds!) available out there and they're all made 'for dummies' so it's really easy to create your own recordings.

After they're done (I'll post pictures when everything is complete), I'll burn each story on to it's own CD and print a full-face label that matches the book so that it's easy to see which CD goes with which story (he's an early reader, so these visual cues are helpful, but if you have an older child you can probably just write the book name on the disc).

This gift is fun for kids of all ages! Think of how much the toddlers on your list would like hearing you read them a story! Even teens and tweens will think it's cool -- especially if you get creative and do "voices" while you're reading. Imagine Twilight narrated by grumpy uncle Ryan! Such fun! Your files will be digital already, so you can even send by email rather than by disc, and they'll be ready to download onto iPods and taken everywhere.

As you can see, this is a quick, fun and inexpensive way to personalize your holiday gift giving.

Supplies:

* audio software (many free versions available online) - cost: $0

* microphone (many laptops have them built-in, but you can find them online for as low as $0.01!) - cost: $0+

* CD (depending on number purchased, the cost goes way down. I have even seen small spindles available at the dollar store) - cost $1+

* book - cost varies

more light boxes!

2010-12-03T23:33:00.000-08:00

I just read another great idea for a light box (unfortunately, the article isn't online so I can't link to it - but it's the Dec/Jan 2011 issue of Family Fun Magazine) that I thought I'd share with you!

You might even already have these things around your house!

Materials needed:
Fluorescent light (or other bright lamp - the link is for an Ikea lamp ($9.99 USD)
Clear plastic storage container (larger than your light fixture)

Simply turn the plastic container upside down, put the light inside and viola! You're done!

Tips:

Your container doesn't have to be completely "clear" - you could even use a colored container, as long as it is transparent enough to let the light out!
Most plastic storage containers are flat on the bottom (and lid) to allow them to easily stack, so you should be able to work right on the container
If you find that you need more/brighter light, you can use a shallow box OR simply stack up some books and put your light fixture on top

Light Bright!

2010-11-17T19:29:00.000-08:00

For my embroideries, I prefer to use pencil rather than carbon paper for transferring designs to fabric. One of my most useful tools is a light box. They can be really spendy, but don't be discouraged!

Ryan had an old home made version that his father made that was crafted from leftover particle board that worked great, but weighed a ton, so we decided that we'd invest in a light weight/easy to store light box. Lucky for us, the prices are Amazon are really fair! This one, for example, is a 10x12" light box for only $26.54.

Even if the price sounds a bit steep, think of it long-term. We've had ours about 4 years and Ryan uses it a LOT (ours is actually one of the slightly larger model, since he works on 11x17" paper) and we've never had to replace the lightbulb. And I use it nearly every time I transfer a pattern for embroidery, so in that sense, we've gotten our money's worth for sure.

But if you'd prefer to do it yourself, you can make one for just a few dollars and probably using stuff you already have around the house. This tutorial shows how simple it really is, although I'd substitute plexiglas for actual glass if you can (glass is heavy! And more prone to scratches). In a pinch, you could even prop glass across something elevated, like a stack of books with a desk lamp pointed directly underneath with a piece of glass (an empty picture frame?) laid across the books. Or, the old standard: the window when the sun is bright outside.

My other lighting must-have is an Ott light. If you're not familiar, an Ott bulb gives "true" light - like sunlight - so your colors are more exact and it's a GODSEND for saving your eyes. I have this small model that frequently is on sale at Joann's or Michael's for around $30-$40. It's a desktop lamp, that allows you to adjust the light fixture up and down and gives off a powerful, bright light (that doesn't strain your eyes - which is weird for such a bright bulb). I set mine on a TV tray and aim it toward myself when stitching on the couch (it's especially great on the desk when I'm painting).

Hope these tricks and tips help you too!

Kate made this video of my peg people

2010-10-13T18:12:00.000-07:00

I love it, of course! And it's an excellent demonstration of what can be done with my silly little peg people!

Dr Zoidberg embroidery now in my etsy shop

2010-10-12T10:15:00.000-07:00

Hooray! Someone is paying attention to Dr. Zoidberg!!

Through 10/17 I am donating 100% of my etsy sales to Childrens Hospital of Orange County (CHOC) to support their annual fundraiser, the CHOC Walk in the Park. Each sale will be credited on my fundraising page at http://chocwalk.net/giddygirlie

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Get 2 Birds Stoned at Once cross stitch

2010-10-11T07:54:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite "Rickyisms" from the TV show Trailer Park Boys.

100% of my etsy proceeds will be used toward my fundraising for Childrens Hospital of Orange County. Or you can donate directly: http://chocwalk.net/giddygirlie

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Giddy Giveaway - we have a winner!

2010-10-08T18:41:00.000-07:00

THANK YOU to everyone who entered the first (of many!) Giddy Giveaway! You all are so much fun, I wish that I could come to your house and carve pumpkins with you! Hey! Maybe that should have been the prize! The winner gets to host ME for the weekend while I watch you carve pumpkins! ;)

I took the number of comments (8) and plugged them into the Random Number Generator at random.org

And it randomly selected #4...
...which belonged to kittykill!

And although this was truly random and totally impartial, I'm so glad to be giving a little something back to kittykill, who gives us all so much! If you don't know her already, start at her darling blog and then head over to Craftster, where she is a moderator and all-around craftspiration! I'm currently gaga over her sugar skull video tutorial as part of the Craftster Quickies videos.

Congratulations, kittykill - and thanks again to everyone who entered! I'll be doing this again for sure!

Tiki Parrot prototype - now available in my etsy shop!

2010-10-08T10:11:00.000-07:00

Inspired by the precocious little parrots of the Enchanted Tiki Room at Disneyland. Hoop is 2.5" and holds a unique parrot made from felt, then appliqued with hand-embroidery. Please note that this piece was a prototype and used as a test, so the others will look slightly different and this exact design will not be repeated.

Through 10/17 I am donating 100% of my etsy sales to Childrens Hospital of Orange County (CHOC) to support their annual fundraiser, the CHOC Walk in the Park. Each sale will be credited on my fundraising page at http://chocwalk.net/giddygirlie

. : * ~ * : . _ . : * ~ * : . _ . : * ~ * : .Interested in owning a piece like this? Check out my Etsy shopor email me for a custom order!. : * ~ * : . _ . : * ~ * : . _ . : * ~ * : .

Tiki Parrot #3 - now available in my etsy shop!

2010-10-07T10:09:00.000-07:00

Inspired by the precocious little parrots of the Enchanted Tiki Room at Disneyland. Hoop is 2.5" and holds a unique parrot made from felt, then appliqued with hand-embroidery.

Through 10/17 I am donating 100% of my etsy sales to Childrens Hospital of Orange County (CHOC) to support their annual fundraiser, the CHOC Walk in the Park. Each sale will be credited on my fundraising page at http://chocwalk.net/giddygirlie

. : * ~ * : . _ . : * ~ * : . _ . : * ~ * : .Interested in owning a piece like this? Check out my Etsy shopor email me for a custom order!. : * ~ * : . _ . : * ~ * : . _ . : * ~ * : .

Craft Time

2010-10-06T11:08:00.000-07:00

watch image via handmadeforyoushop.com but site does not seem to function properly. Buy.com has a similar watch for sale, if you're interested. I know I am!

When I tell people that I craft daily, or they check out my shop or my Flickr and see how prolific I am (I can say this without any sense of bragging. I usually complete 5-10 projects per week. I think that's pretty dang good!) they invariably ask me where I "find the time." Because of that, I am very interested in how/when other crafters "find the time" to work on stuff. What's your schedule like?

My response is typically this: Firstly, crafting is like anything else that you like to do -- you make time for it. If you're a Bejeweled junkie or a fan of reality TV or running enthusiast, you work out a way to fit it into your life. Secondly, the projects that I work on are, in truth, not that time consuming. They might take several hours stretched over multiple days, but I choose my projects based on the amount of time they take, which is my preference. I don't have the patience for projects that take months or years to finish, I need quick satisfaction! A lot of the things that I made take an hour or two to complete. Which also ties in with the materials I usually work with. Projects like embroidery are easy to pick up/put down when time allows. It's not like oil painting which requires mixtures and tinctures and blended colors that you get just right and then - whoops! Time's up! Go to bed now! Finally, I multi-task. Since I started crafting more in the past couple of years I have completely destroyed my attention span. Now if my hands are idle for more than 10 minutes I start to fidget. Going to a movie in a theater is nearly torture - 2 hours with nothing to do! (I need to learn to crochet in the dark or finger knit or something) At home, I watch TV, listen to podcasts, listen to music, converse with my cats (Aw, shut up! You know you do it too!), and craft at the same time.

Basically, while you're watching 30 Rock and eating popcorn, I am watching 30 Rock and stitching popcorn.

A typical day for me:
8am: get ready, get set, go! (to work)
9am-6pm: work day
6pm-7pm: play "crazy time" with Rocket (his preference)
7pm-8pm: dinner
8pm-10:45pm: watch movies/TV, work on crafts
10:45pm-11:45pm: bath time (doubles as "reading time"; I generally read one book per week in the bathtub)
12am: get in bed, sometimes continue reading
1-2am: fall asleep (I'm not good at falling asleep)

I'm very lucky that my husband works at home and has a creative job, so generally after dinner, he's at his art desk and I'm on the couch and we're both crafting away, which gives the whole house really good energy. Our living room/dining room area is our studio space, and his desk is about 15 feet away from where I work, so we're near to each other and can be social, so it's actually really fun.

Tiki Parrot #2 - now available in my etsy shop!

2010-10-06T10:08:00.000-07:00

Tiki Parrot #1 - now available in my etsy shop!

2010-10-05T10:01:00.000-07:00

Chewie is that you? Now in my etsy shop!

2010-10-04T07:52:00.000-07:00

Chewbacca wookie! Now in my etsy shop! 100% of my etsy proceeds will be used toward my fundraising for Childrens Hospital of Orange County. Or you can donate directly: http://chocwalk.net/giddygirlie

. : * ~ * : . _ . : * ~ * : . _ . : * ~ * : .Interested in owning a piece like this? Check out my Etsy shopor email me for a custom order!. : * ~ * : . _ . : * ~ * : . _ . : * ~ * : .

Star Trek peg people! Wesley & Geordi - in my etsy shop

2010-10-01T07:50:00.000-07:00

Now available!

. : * ~ * : . _ . : * ~ * : . _ . : * ~ * : .Interested in owning a piece like this? Check out my Etsy shopor email me for a custom order!. : * ~ * : . _ . : * ~ * : . _ . : * ~ * : .

H.I. from Raising Arizona - swap piece

2010-09-30T00:37:00.000-07:00

This was the piece that I sent to my swap partner for a recent Phat Quarter swap, themed "movies." My partner - the illustrious Mafiosagrrl - told me that she likes the Coen Brothers movies, so I picked a favorite and got to work.

I love the scene in Raising Arizona when H.I. is robbing the convenience store with pantyhose on his head and stealing Huggies. Things go awry and he has to hijack a car and the driver tells him "son, you've got a panty on your head" in a thick southern drawl and it just cracks me up every. single. time.

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Interested in owning a piece like this? Check out my Etsy shopor email me for a custom order!. : * ~ * : . _ . : * ~ * : . _ . : * ~ * : .

Fartist

2010-09-29T09:16:00.000-07:00

We use the term "artist" and "fartist" interchangably and so it made me giggle when I noticed that in the final episode of season three of Mad Men, the art department door was festooned with a big F. Yay for the Fart Department!

Giddy Giveaway!

2010-09-27T06:51:00.000-07:00

Fall is here and even though the local temperatures are in the 90's, it's time to start thinking about autumn and Halloween is just around the corner! That's why I was inspired to have a Giddy Giveaway!

I'm giving away a hand-embroidered jack-o-lantern, based on vintage clip art. His happy face glows in the dark, so you can see him smiling at you, no matter what time of day it is! This piece comes in the frame shown (faux woodgrain, flex-hoop frame) that is 3.5" tall and approx. 2.5" wide. The fabric has a tone-on-tone white print with leaves -- perfect for Fall! There is also excess fabric around the frame, so that you can remove it or re-frame it, if you'd prefer.

To win:

Leave a comment, letting me know you want it!
Tell me - what's your favorite kind of jack-o-lantern? Do you like "classic faces" or do you prefer to use your pumpkin in a more creative way?
Please note: unless your profile allows for everyone to view your full Google profile and email address, I cannot see it either. If you're unsure, please include your email address in your comment.
I'll draw the name on Friday, October 8th and I'll contact the winner to get their mailing info.

Some photos taken at Disneyland, made by their master pumpkin carvers on display throughout Halloweentime.

thrifted butterfly cross stitch

2010-09-24T11:34:00.000-07:00

I found this beautiful butterfly cross stitch piece at a thrift store and it's one of my prize thrift store finds. Look at the gorgeous detail! It has been custom framed, but there's no indication of who might have made it or where they came from, but I wish I knew so I could thank them personally!

beaded cross stitch

2010-09-22T00:31:00.000-07:00

I made this beaded cross stitch of a popcorn bucket, based on a pattern that I picked up at Designer's Desk. This is the first beaded cross stitch project I have ever done and it's challenging! Slow going but I really like the end effect. It's got a great dimensional quality, plus it sparkles a little!

. : * ~ * : . _ . : * ~ * : . _ . : * ~ * : .Interested in owning a piece like this? Check out my Etsy shopor email me for a custom order!. : * ~ * : . _ . : * ~ * : . _ . : * ~ * : .

There's always money in the banana stand!

2010-09-20T00:30:00.000-07:00

3.5" x 2.5" hand-embroidered banana stand.

. : * ~ * : . _ . : * ~ * : . _ . : * ~ * : .Interested in owning a piece like this? Check out my Etsy shopor email me for a custom order!. : * ~ * : . _ . : * ~ * : . _ . : * ~ * : .

Floss Porn!

2010-09-20T00:28:00.000-07:00

I've been stitching a lot lately so I have some empty slots in my box - time for a refill!

. : * ~ * : . _ . : * ~ * : . _ . : * ~ * : .Interested in owning a piece like this? Check out my Etsy shopor email me for a custom order!. : * ~ * : . _ . : * ~ * : . _ . : * ~ * : .

Fleeting Immersion

2010-09-19T20:44:00.000-07:00

Friday night was the Fleeting Immersion show, which was great! The opening was pretty busy (below is an early photo) and there were lots of folks that I recognized (TV, comedians, etc.) so that was exciting. But the best people that I recognized were people who came to see ME! Lori and her friend came by (and found some must-have items).

Miss Bliss and Kate (the photographer) also came. They're the best!

Ryan and Bliss are as excited as I am to see my art installed (next to Mr Toast!)

And then Giggly Mama and the Family! Her husband and brother-in-law came along too -- a 6 hour drive! I couldn't believe it! So exciting to see them!

I even had the opportunity to meet Chris Hardwick (aka: the Nerdist) who was super warm and charming and pretty much exactly what you'd expect. I think I even cajoled him into letting me make him something so that both members of Hard n'Phirm have a piece of my artwork.
After the show, the group went over to the French Market for a late dinner. Kate and Bliss brought me birthday gifts (!!). Miss Bliss stitched this adorable piece that says "I craft so no one has to die" - so perfect!

And Kate brought me these adorable breakfast keychains! One is French Toast and one is a Happy Waffle - seriously, could these be any cuter??

Me and Shannon after eating our late night breakfast.

The whole group was laughing and chatting. It was so much fun to see everyone!
A HUGE thank you to everyone who came out to the gallery opening! And don't forget that all of the pieces will be available for sale online after the show closes -- go take a peek at the Tinklark Gallery and sign up for the mailing list to be informed when everything is available to buy!

Sunbeam Lion

2010-09-15T00:25:00.000-07:00

Made from a Bee's Knees free embroidery pattern! Get yours here. I created the sunbeams by gathering the fabric on the needle and pulling through once (rather than feeding in/out) which is why they're kinda crooked. I also didn't take enough care in planning out the colors, so there are some "filler" beams that are glow in the dark thread. But all in all, I'm pretty happy with it!

. : * ~ * : . _ . : * ~ * : . _ . : * ~ * : .Interested in owning a piece like this? Check out my Etsy shopor email me for a custom order!. : * ~ * : . _ . : * ~ * : . _ . : * ~ * : .

Mr X Stitch original - just for me!

2010-09-13T00:23:00.000-07:00

Lookie what I got! A MrXStitch original piece!! Squuuuueeeeeee!

Fleeting Immersion

2010-09-10T02:54:00.000-07:00

I'm super excited to share this with all of you. I was invited to participate in the inaugural Fleeting Immersion show! This is going to be a fun and fantastic pop-up gallery in Los Angeles, and I sincerely hope that you'll come! Check out that roster of artists!

From the press release:

FLEETING IMMERSION is a revolutionary pop-up concept shop melding arts, culture and shopping.

Celebrating the handmade in art, and the fusion of concept and commerce, FLEETING IMMERSION was created and developed by actress, comedienne and producer Janet Varney (Entourage; Dinner and a Movie; founder, SF Sketchfest: The San Francisco Comedy Festival); and actress & comedienne Jessica Makinson (Halfway Home; South Park). FLEETING IMMERSION embraces the pop-up concept and runs thematically wild – featuring highly original works of art, furniture, handmade goods, vintage clothing, and accessories, with every element of the show aligned around a unique, ever-changing theme.
For the show and shop’s inaugural, 10-day run in September, 2010, Tinlark Gallery (located in the historic Crossroads of the World complex on Sunset Blvd.) will be transformed into the world of Santa Fe Astronaut, with each artist’s contribution inspired by the unique foundations of the Southwest…and outer space!

I am BEYOND thrilled to be a part of this show! My first-ever art gallery show and to be in such great company... it's a little overwhelming! I've submitted a few pieces based on my original Nosy Spaceman (shown below) who also glows in the dark! Heck yes! Check out this pic of the spaceman glowing in the dark.

Quick & Easy Needlebook

2010-09-08T11:44:00.000-07:00

I like to embroider where ever I go, and recently before I left on a trip I realized that I needed a needle book. I pulled together one out of simple supplies that I already had on-hand. Here's how:

To start with, all you need are a few items: staples, velcro (two pieces - one with the hooks, one with the loops), a piece of felt, and a piece of heavy cardstock (I used a hang-tag from something that I bought) approx. 5 inches long and 2.5 inches wide.

To start, fold the card stock into 3 sections using 2 folds. The first section will be a fold-over "tab" that will seal the needle book closed. The second fold will define the "folder" of the needlebook, where your needles will be kept.

Then, attach the felt and velcro. I used staples to hold mine in place, but if you use self-adhesive velcro you won't need the staples. On the small "tab" on the first fold (shown on the left), use the piece of velcro with the hooks and attach with staples. Then, flip your paper over and attach the velcro (with the loops) on the outside of your folder. On the third section of the inside "folder" attach the felt with staples.

That's all! Now you're done! Add some needles to the felt piece and you're ready to go! Below are photos of my own needle book, which is surprisingly robust and has traveled more than 8,000 miles with me and never broke a sweat!

Please note that in my photos, the fold-over tab is shown on the right side instead of the left, which is essentially "upside down" from the instructions above.

Tiny Mouse Ears - custom embroidery

2010-09-05T00:39:00.000-07:00

My friends were married in July and shortly after came for a trip to Disneyland. As newlyweds, we joked that they should get the bride and groom mouse ears, but the new groom wasn't going for it (it takes a special kind of dude to wear those things all day).

So instead, I found these tiny versions of the mouse ears (originally keychains, but I removed the chain) and customized them as a gift.

I used a dollar bill for scale - plus, it's showing off my immense wealth. Dolla dolla billz, yo!

For the bride's hat, I sewed a veil from white organza and attached it to the crown of the hat. I also added a red bow in classic Minnie Mouse style.

But before I did that, I added the happy couple's names to the hats. Each were hand-embroidered with yellow floss, just like the real hats at Disneyland*. Due to the small size of the hats, I couldn't make it work out to use an elaborate script-font, so I just free-handed the letters in my own handwriting.

For the groom's hat, I added a top hat. The local craft store recently stopped carrying tiny top hats for dolls (the woman said they went on clearance and someone came and bought them all -- there must be a boom for dolls with top hats!), so I made my own out of black felt. Just a simple cylinder attached to a brim and then attached to the crown of the mouse ear hat.

The happy couple even sent me a picture of themselves modeling their new hats!

These were really fun to make and I've been considering adding them to my etsy shop. What do you think?

*Now that the hand-embroidery machines at Disneyland are gone (swapped for computerized models), there are also color options for custom hat embroideries but the original yellow thread-on-black hats will always hold a special place in my heart.

Chicago stitchery meet-up

2010-08-24T21:58:00.000-07:00

A couple of months ago, I heard a rumor that Mr X Stitch was coming to Chicago for a visit. While in town, he was going to be visiting with Beefranck and some other local friends and I'll admit. I got a wee bit jealous. At some point (after endless begging and pleading), the group relented and agreed to let me join them. Huzzah!

Shannon agreed to come with me so I didn't have to fly solo (always smart to bring a baby sitter!), so we booked our airline tickets and started the countdown giddy dance of geeky giddiness.

After a random security check at the airport (seriously dudes?), we were on our way. The flight was easy and we were too excited to sleep. We worked on our embroidery and giggled the whole time. Once in Chicago, we grabbed the el and headed into the city. We took up our embroidery on the train too - WE ARE NERDS.

That night, we had some extra time on our hands, so after eating more burgers than should be legal, we went and saw Scott Pilgrim vs. the World. I'd already seen it but it was super awesome the second time. I recommend it! Go! See it!

The next morning, we slept in (well, relatively speaking. We were in a different time zone, so it wasn't "sleeping in" by Pacific Time Zone standards, but still!) and then headed over to Millenium Park to meet up with everyone at The Bean. It was hot as heck outside and we delicate flowers aren't accustomed to such humidity. So by the time everyone got there, we were super sweaty and stinky. Yay!

It was so great to meet everyone in person! Everyone was so warm and sweet - it was instantly like being amongst old friends.

After hanging out at the park for a bit, we headed over to the art museum for a little air conditioning and a cold drink. There's a bridge from the park to the museum and we got stopped and started several times. The security guard at the bridge stopped us at first because someone had a bottle of water "no liquids on the bridge." Uh, ok. So we started again and then she had an issue with Shane's tripod (packed into his camera bag). Such strange, arbitrary rules for an outdoor bridge!

But we did finally make it and everyone got something cold to drink and some fancy food. I had a trio of burgers that were more fancy than they were tasty. Some of the others ordered some artisanal cheeses and we instantly started goofing on the word "artisanal" and decided that someone needs an etsy shop called "Artist's Anal" because we are awesome.

After that, we made our way over to Navy Pier. We walked up Michigan Avenue toward the free trolley stop and passed some human statues who were not too convincing. I took pictures of them counting their cash and talking on their cell phones.

After the trolley was found, we piled in. It was literally elbow to asshole in there. Someone in the back was getting molested. Me? I was with Benjibot and Mr X Stitch up toward the front, so I was ok.

At Navy Pier, there was a giant macaroni noodle - and since we're the cheesiest group of people ever, we HAD to pose with it!

Then we walked down Navy Pier. I bought the best souvenir of the trip: a $1 paper fan. That thing saved my life.

At the end of the pier, we stopped into the Billy Goat Tavern (home of the famous "cheeseborger, cheeseborger" sketch on SNL) for some awful food. I didn't eat there, but did have to suffer with a Pepsi - even though the sketch gag was that the Billy Goat didn't serve Pepsi, only Coke. But whatever. Everyone else tried a burger and said it was terrible, so I'm glad that I didn't eat anything.

After a while longer wandering around, we made our way to the Hancock Building. Along the way, we stopped at 7-11 for cold drinks (apparently, Mr X Stitch couldn't get over the novelty of so many slurpees) and then walked to the Hancock. We went up to the Signature Lounge on the 96th floor for drinks and to watch the sunset/city lights come up. Some of the best views of the city were actually from the ladies restroom.

Everyone ordered their own CRAZY EXPENSIVE drinks and settled in.

After the sun went down, Jamie and I went down to the restaurant level (95th floor) to take some pictures. LOOK AT WHAT A GREAT PHOTOGRAPHER I AM.

The British accent won everyone over, and they all allowed us to butt into their dinners to take pictures. But everyone assumed that we were a married couple, so we had to go along with the ruse to get a better view.

The next day, Shannon and I took the metra train into Geneva to meet up with everyone for birthday brunch to celebrate Bridget (Beefranck) at Nosh. The food was FANTASTIC and hanging out with everyone was even better. Plus, Bridget got some awesome birthday gifts!

How cute are these earrings, seriously??

After lunch, we crossed the street to Designer's Desk which is a phenomenal needlepoint store. I wish that I had more on my list of stuff to buy! Everyone was so sweet and I grabbed a fun little pattern and supplies to make a new needlebook - and everything was on Clearance, so I only spent $8. I wish I would have spent more - keep these dear people in business!!

Downtown Geneva was hosting a classic car show, so we strolled through and gawked at the neat-o old cars.

After a break from the heat in a coffee shop, Shannon and I had to say our goodbyes and catch the train back to Chicago. It was hard to leave! We needed more time! We were having too much fun!

Sunday night we went and got Chicago deep dish pizza (which I don't care for) and then got some souvenirs for the kiddos. We had to get up at the crack of dawn to get back to the airport, but we were too wound up to sleep! We stayed up til about 2am and then had to get up at 5.

Because Chicago traffic is so unpredictable, we wanted to get a cab by 6am to give ourselves enough time to get to the airport by 7. We ended up in a cab at 5:45 and got to the airport in 15 minutes! The cab driver was crazy but man, he was effective! I've spent 2 hours getting to the Chicago airport, I had no idea it was possible to get there in 15 minutes! So we were super early for our flight, which was ok. We just had to stay awake until boarding time.

The flight home was smooth and uneventful and we even got in early - maybe the cab driver was flying the plane too?

It was such a fun weekend that I was sad that it went so fast, but it was nice to be home too.

thanks to Shannon and Vegkat for the loan of photos for this blog post.

Find a friend!

2010-08-24T16:25:00.000-07:00

I was recently in Chicago (more on that later!) to meet up with some awesome like-minded folks that I met over in the Phat Quarter on Flickr. Shannon and I were the only non-locals who showed up, except Mr X Stitch himself who winged it all the way from the UK! While we were there, everyone kept asking "why don't we do this more often?" and it made me think about the stitchers in my area, mainly the fact that I don't know who or where they are!

SO! I have created a Google Map that anyone can contribute to. If you'd be interested in finding some local folks, check the map! Now you've got a one-click resource for local recommendations, meet-ups and more!

Update: I previously forgot to mention that in order to add yourself, you need to log into Google, using your Gmail address. If you don't have one/don't want one, I am happy to add you. Just tell me who and where you are!

View Stitchers! in a larger map

This is Handmade

2010-08-14T19:09:00.000-07:00

Penny Nickels had an idea. Let's show people what goes into the crafts that we make. Not as a tutorial or how-to, in fact let's show what it's REALLY like. Which is to say: boring.

As Penny says:

Have you ever spent 40 hours on a project, only to be offered 20 dollars for all of your hard work?

I think it's because most buyers don't understand how long it takes to make stuff. I think it's because buyers think what we do is "fun", so somehow, we haven't earned a fair hourly wage.

She created a new blog, This is Handmade, where various artisans are sharing 5 minute videos of the work as it is created. This week, I filmed myself and submitted the video. The point is to show the work. It's not fun, necessarily. It's tedious. It's slow work. I don't expect that ANYONE will ever watch the video start to finish, and why should they? There's no big reveal at the end. It may come as a surprise, but I can't complete a project in 5 minutes. I doubt anyone can. And if you base art on a standard wage - say $10 an hour - it can be a little discouraging when a project takes 4 or 5 or 10 or 100 hours and someone only wants to pay you $20.

To be fair, I price my own craft work to sell. My etsy listings reflect what I think is fair for the particular item. And, honestly, it's all underpriced. Regardless of your opinion of my talent or abilities, everything takes time. And materials. And there is a real output of cost on my end that I don't compensate myself for, which is my own choice. However, I still wanted to make a video - to demonstrate why I can't discount the items that I sell. Why I decline requests for custom work at a discounted rate. And why everyone should appreciate - just a little - the technical abilities, skill, talent, and creativity that goes into handmade art.

-gg

Block Party craft fair

2010-07-15T13:44:00.000-07:00

Last weekend was the Block Party craft fair hosted by the Handmade Brigade of Orange County. It was a fun show - lots of vendors and oodles of neat-o stuff! It was a fun crowd and I sent a lot of my crafties home with other people, which is always satisfying. It was busy enough that I totally forgot to take pictures! Luckily, Kate took some!

I am apparently doing a jig!

I do have to mention that Kate and Miss Bliss (and Ryan too) are owed a deep debt of gratitude for coming out and keeping me company. As per usual, I stayed up all night the evening before so I was operating on about 3 hours of sleep so I was pretty loopy! When I'm tired, I vascillate between ridiculous amounts of giddiness and staring into space. I am a very lucky girlie that my friends came out to keep me entertained (and awake!) plus, we got to eat from the Kogi truck!

THANK YOU to everyone who came out to the show and supported all the handmade vendors!

I'll be listing more goodies in my shop soon - if there's anything you're looking for that isn't listed yet, feel free to email me!

Block Party July 10th

2010-06-30T12:13:00.000-07:00

p.s. I super love this image
On Saturday, July 10th I'll be exhibiting at the Handmade Brigade of Orange County's BLOCK PARTY indie craft show. I hope you'll be there too!

What's in it for you:

NO admission fee!
more than 70 vendors for your shopping pleasure!
Kogi BBQ truck! You know you've been wanting to try it - no need to track it on Twitter, they'll be there!
the mobile cupcakery Oh, For Sweet's Sake will be there!
lots of freebies!
I will be there! Heck yeah! You can come see me in my very own little booth!!

wedding cake toppers

2010-06-11T12:00:00.000-07:00

I was recently asked if I made wedding cake toppers out of my peg people. I haven't yet, so I wanted to test out painting a bridal party - just to make sure I've got the Right Stuff. What do you think? Be honest!

I used my sister's recent wedding as the jumping-off point for the attire. Her dress had tone-on-tone embroidery that had small crystal beads stitched into the design, which I replicated by doing a tone-on-tone painted detail and then touched up with irridescent glitter paint for sparkle. Her veil was shoulder-length and was dotted with rhinestone jewels, which I have also included on my tiny bride's veil.

The bridesmaids wore pink sashes that also had an embroidery and crystal detail on them, along with rhinestone barrettes -- I used the same glitter paint on the barrette.

. : * ~ * : . _ . : * ~ * : . _ . : * ~ * : .Interested in owning a piece like this? Check out my Etsy shopor email me for a custom order!. : * ~ * : . _ . : * ~ * : . _ . : * ~ * : .

Phoenix Comicon!

2010-06-04T15:32:00.000-07:00

Last week was bonkers. I spent the first half of the week traveling for business and was in Minnesota and didn't have a chance to get home before the Phoenix Comicon, which meant the burden of not forgetting anything and also getting to the show on time was laid heavy on the shoulders of Ryan and Adam. Ahem.

I flew to Phoenix and arrived with only my dirty laundry and worried that the guys wouldn't show up or get hopelessly lost in the desert. Eventually, the boys DID arrive with all of my stuff (and by "arrive" I mean they roared up in a Volvo c70 convertible, sunburned all to heck) and we set up quick. I snapped a couple of pictures and then totally forgot that I'd dragged a camera all over the place and only took 2 more pictures the whole weekend. C'est la vie!

I decided to only display one example of the peg people on the table -- all the duplicates were under the table. To me, it looks kind of sparse, but there's still quite a lot going on here.

New Star Wars inspired peg people

And Ghostbusters!

Plus, the staff of Sterling Cooper

Santa and his cohorts

Plus the usual arsenal of heroes and villians.

The second story of the house was for animated/cartoony folks...

Including the Futurama set, which was my first attempt at painting these characters and they proved quite popular. Everyone loves Dr. Zoidberg! Hooray!

Thanks to the good citizens of the Phoenix area, a LOT of these peg people went home with someone else. Which is always my goal, obviously, but it made me feel REALLY good to see how some of these goofy little goodies made someone smile.

I have a new theory that there is a single detail on each one that "sells" people on it. I could watch people look them over and smile and think "that's funny" or whatever and then their eyes would go big and they'd squee over a detail -- the Jawa's yellow eyes or the Ghostbusters' ghost traps or the vampire's little teeth -- and that would be when they'd get a giant smile on their face. I love that look! That look is enough to make me want to paint forever and ever...

Special thanks to the little boy with the missing front tooth who had that magical Disneyland look on his face. YOU MADE MY YEAR.

p.s. my etsy shop has re-opened!

Thank you to the good people of Phoenix!

2010-06-01T18:52:00.000-07:00

The Phoenix Comic Con was extra super fun and I had a wonderful time! And all because of YOU! Such fun people, such fun costumes! And thank you to everyone who gave one of my silly little peg people a new home!

The Monarch plus Henchmen 21 & 24

2010-04-29T09:20:00.000-07:00

The Monarch and his henchmen are back in the shop! Dr. Mrs. The Monarch sold separately!

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Interested in owning a piece like this? Check out my Etsy shopor email me for a custom order!. : * ~ * : . _ . : * ~ * : . _ . : * ~ * : .

Nibbler needle punch

2010-04-28T09:17:00.000-07:00

I've only recently gotten into needle punching and it is SUPER FUN! I decided to try my hand at making Nibbler from Futurama because he's so loveable and cute -- who wouldn't want a 3d depiction of him? He's in a 4" round frame and punched into white aida cloth.

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Totally Gay in a fabulous way

2010-04-27T09:31:00.000-07:00

This tiny lil piece of stitchery is approx 2.5" across and comes inside a plastic silver frame - what more could you ever want? The meaning is subject to numerous interpretations, although every one of them comes with a side dish of snark.

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Interested in owning a piece like this? Check out my Etsy shopor email me for a custom order!. : * ~ * : . _ . : * ~ * : . _ . : * ~ * : .

Scooby Crew peg people

2010-04-26T09:15:00.000-07:00

Scooby Doo - where are you?

Chasing that dang dog around all the time is *really* getting tiresome, so these 4 gidgets are striking out on their own! Imagine what great adventures these guys could go on if they didn't have to constantly track down that scaredy-cat dog of theirs! Snap up this set of 4, now available in my shop.

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Wonder Woman cross stitch

2010-04-23T09:55:00.000-07:00

She's wee, but still just as wonderful! This tiny cross stitch is in a red frame that measures 2.5" across. The stitched part itself stands at just over an inch tall (maybe around 1.25") and is created on top of brilliant aqua blue aida cloth.

Click on the image to see larger on Flickr.

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Interested in owning a piece like this? Check out my Etsy shopor email me for a custom order!. : * ~ * : . _ . : * ~ * : . _ . : * ~ * : .

This one time at band camp...

2010-04-22T09:47:00.000-07:00

Like most people, I fell hook line and sinker for the running gag in the American Pie movie where the sweetly geeky redhead repeatedly tells (otherwise uninteresting) stories from band camp, always prefaced by "this one time, at band camp..." Of course, the big punchline for this joke (video link, 25 sec. - NSFW) comes much later in the film and led me to design this sweet little redhead flautist.

The stitchery itself is on bright lime green aida cloth that has been cut and framed. The cloth piece is approx. 2.5x3.5" and comes inside this scrollwork aqua blue frame. The lettering is done in a rich purple color which really stands off the green fabric. (Click the image to view larger on Flickr)

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Interested in owning a piece like this? Check out my Etsy shopor email me for a custom order!. : * ~ * : . _ . : * ~ * : . _ . : * ~ * : .

Kick-Ass peg people

2010-04-21T09:36:00.000-07:00

Last weekend, we went to see the movie Kick-Ass, and it was so much fun that I came home and immediately whipped up a tiny army of Kick-Ass inspired peg people. (Click any of the images to view larger on Flickr)

First up, Hit Girl. She's only 11, but she's got more skill and bloodlust in her pinky than you do in your entire body. Her purple leather ensemble is accented with a girlie pink utility belt, all custom crafted by her daddy - Big Daddy.

Big Daddy is a rogue militiaman with a bone to pick. He's been training his daughter for the day that they will exact their revenge on those who have wronged them. In addition to extensive weapons training, he has also created himself a "hero" outfit, modeled after Batman, which is called only "Big Daddy."

Sweet little Kick-Ass. Just a high schooler in a wetsuit, he sets out to rid the city of crime, only he can't do it alone!

Red Mist is a fickle hero, more concerned about wealth and power than protecting the citizens. But he does have some awesome gadgets. And that hair!

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Interested in owning a piece like this? Check out my Etsy shopor email me for a custom order!. : * ~ * : . _ . : * ~ * : . _ . : * ~ * : .

Hot Sea Men - take 2!

2010-04-19T17:37:00.000-07:00

I already stitched up a teeny tiny version of this to fit inside a locket, but now I've done it again in a slightly larger size. This hoop is approx. 2.5" across, so while it's still small, it packs a lot of extra Sea Men bang for your buck, as it were.

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Interested in owning a piece like this? Check out my Etsy shopor email me for a custom order!. : * ~ * : . _ . : * ~ * : . _ . : * ~ * : .

bringing down the house at craft fairs

2010-03-25T09:06:00.000-07:00

I admit it: I have a soft spot for miniatures or anything of small scale. What can I say? I'm a goober. Which means that I probably would have bought this crummy old shadowbox-made-to-look-like-a-dollhouse anyway, but fortunately I had justification! Hooray! I needed a good way to display the "gidgets" (peg people) that I've been making when I take them to craft fairs. And what better way is there than a small wooden house? I CAN'T THINK OF ANY!

So, I plunked out a few bucks for this dollhouse shadowbox from a vintage shop and set to work. The structure itself was sound, it just was dirty and looked shabby because the dollhouse wallpapers were crumbling and flaking off and covered in layers of dust and ick in the corners.

But as you can see, someone at one point had put in the cutest dollhouse wallpapers! Look at what's left of the birdie paper. I wish it was still in tact! But alas, it wasn't salvageable at all, so I covered it.

To start with, I painted the walls of the house.

I decided to give each room it's own interior color, while keeping all the exterior walls blue. I used all high-gloss paints in hyper vivid 'candy' colors. Mostly because that's what I am really into right now, but also the bright colors give a nice "pop" to the pieces being displayed.

After everything was painted, I also covered all the surfaces in a high-gloss acrylic sealer. This has a few benefits for me, not just that it looks neat being super shiny, but also it increases durability (this is a display piece that will get toted from show to show) and makes the paint more resiliant to wear. For example, I use a small piece of earthquake putty under each peg when they're set into the house -- a lesson learned the hard way, when the first person bumped my table and they all came tumbling down and rolling across the walkway -- and I use small signs taped to the house to denote prices, make caption bubbles, etc. and the gloss paint releases the tack of the putty and tape without lifting the paint.

Once the gloss coat was dry, I inserted new pieces of wallpaper. I used scrapbook paper that matched the vivid color scheme I was going for. You can't see it in these pictures, but the papers all have irridescent glitter on them and the blue stars (attic) are raised off the paper. In person, it gives some nice dimension and plus: glitter!

Keeping with the house theme, I decided to find a mailbox for my business cards. I found this lime green metal beauty on ebay and snapped it up quick. My standard business cards are just barely too small to fit inside. They fit fine when leaned sideways a bit, but then the mailbox can only hold maybe 25 at a time. This will be fine for smaller craft fairs and such, but at comic conventions, there are thousands of attendees and most of them collect business cards as they go, so it would mean too many "refills" all day long.

What I did instead was had some smaller cards made for big shows, like conventions. Moo cards would fit wonderfully, but were a bit pricey for my needs (I can go through 500 business cards in a day at some of these shows). Instead, I designed half-sized cards. They are printed on standard business card stock and then I cut them in half, lengthwise. Yes, it's a bit extra work for me, BUT the slimmer cards fit in the mailbox.

Last year's Long Beach Comic Con is where it all came together.

Just before that show, I came across this little house with shelves in a thrift store. I took the same tact as before -- I painted and papered it, but went with softer colors to offset some of the lighter-colored peg people (like the princesses). This house isn't nearly as large as the other, but it's the perfect neighbor. This particular show was the weekend before Halloween, so I had some Halloween themed peg people, and used the black wire tree next to the small house as sort of my graveyard area. It was also very well received -- now I need a spring tree!

It's funny, because I thought these dollhouse shelves would make a great display and never considered that other people would agree. Hands-down they are the most popular thing at the table. I've gotten several requests to buy them, including some bartering and requests for commissions! So if you've got some woodworking skills, you might want to reach out to my customers! They're hungry for hot pink dollhouses!

Below is our table at the Long Beach Comic Con 2009. I shared the space with my husband, who was showing his portfolio, signing autographs, giving out sketches, and selling original artwork. We usually split the space, so I have gotten pretty good at cramming a LOT of stuff on 'my side' of an 8 foot table. TEAMWORK!

Dr. Mrs. The Monarch

2010-03-18T16:35:00.000-07:00

Holy smokes - check out this sassy costume! Back before she was Dr. Girlfriend - or even Queen Etherea or Lady Au Pair - this lovely lady (aka: Sheila) had an eye for design. She gave the Monarch the concept for his costume on their first date, so it was only appropriate that after the wedding, she would design a sexy costume for her new role as Dr. Mrs. The Monarch!

This tiny homage to her loveliness can now be yours! To keep! Forever! She makes a great traveling companion or cake topper - what more could you ask for?

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Interested in owning a piece like this? Check out my Etsy shopor email me for a custom order!. : * ~ * : . _ . : * ~ * : . _ . : * ~ * : .

Triana Orpheus

2010-03-17T16:29:00.000-07:00

Sweet Triana Orpheus is one of my favorite minor characters from the Venture Brothers. She can't help it that her dad is a powerful necromancer who is a bit of a ninny and drove her mom away! She just wants to be herself, ya know? She came up with this groovy outfit going for a kind of Adam and the Ants retro-thing, but now she's stuck wearing it every day because her closet is the gateway to the Necropolis and smells like burning band-aids (brimstone). *sigh*

I can totally see why Deanie V. has a major crush on her and why she kind of likes him too. I mean, he's sweet and dresses like Buddy Holly but not really on purpose. Plus, he's got hover boots!

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Interested in owning a piece like this? Check out my Etsy shopor email me for a custom order!. : * ~ * : . _ . : * ~ * : . _ . : * ~ * : .

cross stitch locket: The Monarch & Dr. Girlfriend

2010-03-16T16:18:00.000-07:00

When it comes to romance, you automatically think of cartoons, right? ME TOO! That's what inspired me to make this love-filled locket with teeny cross stitch pictures of The Monarch and Dr. Girlfriend from the Venture Brothers. It's my own charted design and stitched on teeny aida cloth -- I don't even know the thread count because I lost the packaging, but it's small! As you can see by the photos with a quarter in them, the locket itself is barely 2" tall, so it's a delicate little piece of geeky jewelry that can be worn closed and look like a glittering golden pendant or open to reveal your love of top-rate cartoons! Posted for sale in my etsy shop.

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Interested in owning a piece like this? Check out my Etsy shopor email me for a custom order!. : * ~ * : . _ . : * ~ * : . _ . : * ~ * : .

Phat Quarter Swap - Comics & Cartoons

2010-03-05T11:15:00.000-08:00

If you're into stitchery, I highly recommend that you join/follow the Phat Quarter group on Flickr. There are some amazing artists that will melt your brains over there! Plus, if you participate in the message boards, you might be able to get yourself in on a litle swappy goodness!

The latest PQ swap was themed around Comics and Cartoons. The swappers were randomly assigned for a 'forward swap' meaning that I made a piece for one person and received a piece from someone else. Which is a fun way to do it, in my opinion!

SO! I asked my recipient if she had any preferences or characters that she particularly liked. She gave me a few and said that Wonder Woman and Snoopy were near the top of her list. So I thought about it for a while and then came up with this: Wonder Woman as a stitcher, embroidering Snoopy!

In her right hand, Wonder Woman holds a silver needle (hard to see in pictures) that is threaded with red thread which leads to the "embroidery hoop" that she is working on and stitching a heart above Snoopy. The "embroidery hoop" is an applique, as is the chair fabric. I was torn on how to handle the chair fabric -- I thought outlining the chair with stitches would muddy the print of the fabric or just make it 'too much' but now that it's gone (to New Zealand!) the rough edges of the fabric stand out to me and I wish I could outline it!!

I also wish I hadn't pulled so hard on her hair. I decided to try a stem stitch for the hair to give it a slight 'curl' although, it puckered the fabric a little around her face. *sigh* Can I have a do-over?!

I received this FABULOUS embroidery piece of The Tick from Pam -- who is clearly a master! I had to ask about the color tinting and she says that it's a standard crayon tint, but that she'd had a piece of stabilizer behind the fabric when she ironed it (which lifts some of the crayon wax) and it caused this dotted texture. I LOVE IT! It makes me think of the old dot printing on comic books -- or Lichtenstein! This is definitely something that I will have to learn how to do!

Until then, behold: the Tick!

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Interested in owning a piece like this? Check out my Etsy shopor email me for a custom order!. : * ~ * : . _ . : * ~ * : . _ . : * ~ * : .

new stuff in my etsy shop

2010-03-01T20:58:00.000-08:00

I had to cancel my first show of 2010, so I've listed some of my pieces in my etsy shop instead! http://giddygirlie.etsy.com It's like a virtual convention! Come by, say hi! Then go buy a $15 hot dog! :)

Convention & Craft Fair Schedule 2010

2010-02-19T22:38:00.000-08:00

So far, I've been able to confirm a few events that I will be exhibiting at in 2010. There are a few more that are pending, but in any case, I've listed the first few so that you can plan in advance to come out and visit me so that I'm not sitting by my lonesome self. *ahem*

Sunday, March 7th
The spring San Diego Quarterly Comic Con (10am-4pm) will be a special event to benefit the Boys & Girls Club -- so it's not just nerdishness! It's nerdishness for a good cause. Free admission for kids 12 & under! And $7 at the door for adults (OR $5 if you print the SDQC homepage OR $4 if you order tickets via will call).

This is my first time going to this show, but I think it should be interesting. It seems more like a "dealer show" like the ones that are at the Shrine Auditorium in LA (mostly giant boxes of comic books, for people looking for rarities) and in the vein of the old school comic conventions. So it might be a good thing to have something a little different from what everyone else is selling.

Friday, April 2- Sunday, April 4
It's Wondercon! Ryan went to this show for the first time ever last year and loved it. It's organized by the same kindly folks (Comic Con International) who throw the big shindig in San Diego (COMIC CON!!!) but it's a much smaller show, and in San Francisco to boot! Lots of indie books, small press, and other local/small-ish artists. Ryan loved everything about it and he decided then and there that we would be back. I'm actually on the wait list for a table, but there's a very good chance that I'll be selling here too! I'll have my stuff in my luggage, just in case. You might even see me hawking it by the subway stop - why not?

Thursday, May 27 - Sunday, May 30 (Memorial Day Weekend)
Back to Phoenix Comic Con! Last year was our first time ever visiting this show and we got an Artist Alley table and loved it. Not just that I sold everything that I brought (thank you, good people of Phoenix!) but all the people were so nice. Lots of young people who were artistic and thoughtful and sweet and would come and chat -- so unlike everywhere else that we've been! The young people of Phoenix (or at least the ones hanging around comic conventions) are super swell. I'm really looking forward to this show. Plus, some of my crafty pals are also coming back for Year Two, although they've upgraded to a full booth (!). So be sure to stop by and see me (ahem) and then check out the Sock Zombie and Puppet Pie booth!

Thursday, July 22 - Sunday, July 25
San Diego Comic Con: the granddaddy of all comic conventions. I don't think I'll actually have a table at this show, but it's possible -- I've got a couple of irons in the fire (wish me luck!). But I may be doing something adjunct to the actual convention floor... I'll keep you posted. Regardless, if you happen to be coming out for this one, keep in touch! We'll meet for snow cones or something!

Friday, October 8 - Sunday, October 10
Our first east coast trip of the year! All the way to New York city for the NY Comic Con! We've attended this lively little convention twice but haven't exhibited yet. I'm excited to see what happens! The show gets bigger every year and you know what they need? DOT PAINTINGS!

Friday, October 29 - Sunday, October 31
Long Beach Comic Con returns! This was a super fun show last year and I am excited to be a part of it again. This show is more of an "artist show" where the artists are on prominent display. Sure, there's toys and collectibles and panel discussions and movie previews - but more than anywhere else, your favorite artists are literally on display! Right there! Just walk up and say hi! I credit this wise artist-centric focus for the general cheeriness of the crowd. Everyone was smiling and excited - which is so much fun for a vendor. I get to talk to happy people! Who then smile at my silly artwork!

There is at least one more show that I am trying to slip into the schedule and possibly return to the Quarterly conventions if it works out well. It's going to be a busy year! But I'm excited to get started! I suppose I should be working on things to sell, eh?

Now accepting credit cards and PayPal at shows and craft fairs

2010-02-19T10:20:00.000-08:00

I guess the title says it all, but the other day I set out, determined to figure out how to accept credit cards at craft fairs and conventions and various other "real world" places that I sell my stuff. A while back, I had applied to be part of the beta test of Square which actually integrates with your cell phone to allow you to swipe credit cards (pretty cool!!), but since they're still in the early phases of testing the system, there's no guarantee (or even speculation) that I will be accepted into the pilot program in time for my selling season. So I needed an alternative.

I considered that at many places, like outdoor craft fairs, I won't have electrical access or usually even wifi, so payments using the computer were out - as were most electronic card readers/scanners. I could purchase one of the old-school capture-your-credit-card-through-the-magic-of-carbon-paper devices, which isn't too expensive, but I'd have to process all the receipts the same day (which can be done online) and in the interim risk that the card would be declined (not a giant gamble for me, since I don't make many million dollar sales, but also a pain in the neck because my items are too "low value" to have recourse if the card declines or is fraudulent). But mainly, it was the processing fees that got me. Many of the services that allow you to process credit transactions charge a monthly and/or annual fee -- which, again, isn't crazy expensive (~$35/mo) but I don't do enough in-person sales to justify it.

So then I explored the various options that are available as iPhone applications. Again: awesome gadgets and slick interfaces, but the fees were too steep for me personally.

And then it came to me: DUH! I already use PayPal for everything (as do a lot of people), so why not just make an easy way for people to pay me via PayPal? PayPal also accepts credit cards for people who don't have PayPal accounts, so that pretty much covers all my bases. Yeah, there's still a per-transaction fee charged, but it's lower than most credit card services and there's no annual fee or monthly fee to use PayPal. Best of all: I already am familiar with PayPal and I know how to transfer my money out of there (or use it to buy more stuff!) - AND there is a PayPal debit card available, so that you can actually spend the money from your PayPal earnings, just like a bank account (I'm deeply interested in this).

My solution: create a page on my website that will coordinate PayPal purchasing AND be mobile-phone friendly! That way, I can offer customers my phone to use or if they have internet access on their phone, they can process the transaction themselves. And if the venue happens to have wifi, then I will provide my laptop for use as well.

Because my inventory changes at every show, it didn't make sense to set up an itemized list with pricing. Plus, I'd have to account for every possible combination of costs or partial cash payments... too much trouble. Instead, I used the PayPal merchant services to create a "donate" button which allows the buyer to specify the exact amount they want to pay.

I went one step further and customized the payment button (instead of the bland, yellow PayPal button) to match my site colors and graphics (I made it myself in Photoshop).

So now at shows, I can offer credit card or PayPal as payment options - at the click of a single button!

See my payment page here: http://www.giddygirlie.com/pay Please note - this is a "live" page so if you complete a transaction, you will actually be sending me money. So don't do that, unless you wanted to buy me lunch today! ;-)

Virgin Mary

2010-02-16T13:13:00.000-08:00

This was a special request - and I'm not sure why I've never made Mary before. She's so cute in her simplistic style.

Her arms are 'dimensional' meaning that I have painted several layers to build up the paint, rather than just paint the outlines. Her robes are edged in gold and covered in a blanket of golden stars. Her hands are held in meditative prayer, and her eyes are softly closed.

This was my first religious icon that I have ever worked with - a wee bit intimidating!

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Interested in owning a piece like this? Check out my Etsy shopor email me for a custom order!. : * ~ * : . _ . : * ~ * : . _ . : * ~ * : .

Han Solo

2010-02-15T13:08:00.000-08:00

My first Star Wars peg person: Han Solo! Han is wearing the pants with the red stripes on the sides, which I have been informed are from the 'best' of the Star Wars movies (I have no opinion, personally).

His belt is decked out with all the requisite gear and his vest has the correct number of pockets - I checked! The pockets are painted on the vest 'dimensionally' by layering the paint, so they're pretty subtle in photos, but I promise, they're there!

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Interested in owning a piece like this?
Check out my Etsy shop or email me for a custom order!. : * ~ * : . _ . : * ~ * : . _ . : * ~ * : .

Dr. House

2010-02-13T13:20:00.000-08:00

Full disclosure: I have never watched "House" so I only had still pictures to work with when creating this wooden version. He's got the typical gloomy face and dressed-down demeanor, complete with wooden cane (not shown in this picture).

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Interested in owning a piece like this? Check out my Etsy shopor email me for a custom order!. : * ~ * : . _ . : * ~ * : . _ . : * ~ * : .

Wonder Woman

2010-02-12T13:17:00.000-08:00

More super hero goodness - this time in the form of Wonder Woman! She's decked out in her saucy outfit and golden crown and thigh-high boots, ready to kick some serious bad-guy booty!

Not included: invisible plane

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Interested in owning a piece like this? Check out my Etsy shopor email me for a custom order!. : * ~ * : . _ . : * ~ * : . _ . : * ~ * : .

Owl-ways Love You cross stitch locket

2010-02-10T12:16:00.000-08:00

Inspired by a million cheesy valentines comes the "Owl-ways love you" cross stitch locket!

The locket itself is approx. 1.5" wide and 2" tall on the outside and is on a 24" chain. The cross stitch piece inside is ~1" wide and 1.25" tall.The locket is silver metal (not real silver) and has a wonderful owl inset on the front and a diamond pattern on the back. I have included an original cross stitch piece (of a charming Owl, who will owl-ways love you!) on only ONE side of the locket, so that a picture of someone you'll Owl-ways love can be added to the other side.

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Interested in owning a piece like this? Check out my Etsy shopor email me for a custom order!. : * ~ * : . _ . : * ~ * : . _ . : * ~ * : .

Hot Sea Men cross stitch locket

2010-02-10T10:05:00.000-08:00

Based on one of my favorite scenes on Arrested Development (watch the :30 clip here) comes the "Hot Sea Men" cross stitch locket!

This locket is a gold tone metal with a very pretty floral pattern inscribed on the outside, which was just CALLING for something a little risque to go inside. The locket itself is approx. 1.5" tall and 1" wide on the outside and is on a 24" chain. The cross stitch piece inside is ~3/4" wide and 1.25" tall.

These three sailors are decked out in their dress blues and white caps and ready to sail away with you!

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Interested in owning a piece like this? Check out my Etsy shopor email me for a custom order!. : * ~ * : . _ . : * ~ * : . _ . : * ~ * : .

Africa Dot Painting

2010-02-09T12:57:00.000-08:00

Some days I get some incredibly interesting commissions, like this one: my first continent! :-D

The requestor was ordering it for a friend who does a lot of charitable work in Africa and wanted something to commemorate her achievements. I love the sentiment of it - what a thoughtful friend! Both of them!

The heart indicates the area where the charity work has taken place -- and where a little bit of this woman's heart has been given. Isn't that darling?

I was very happy to be a part of this exchange. This piece will always hold a special place in my heart - and I hope it does for them as well!

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Interested in owning a piece like this? Check out my Etsy shopor email me for a custom order!. : * ~ * : . _ . : * ~ * : . _ . : * ~ * : .

Pizza Flavored Ice Cream

2010-02-05T18:43:00.000-08:00

Last night, we went to see one of our favorite comedians, Mike Birbiglia, at the UCB Theatre which was awesome. He did a "light" version of his Sleepwalk With Me show, which was sooo fantastic. (listen to a portion of it on This American Life) I had wanted to go to New York to see his show, but it closed before I could get myself across the country to get there. Boo! So when I saw he was coming to UCB, I snapped up tickets quickly and I have never been more satisfied with anything I have done in my life. Ever.

The show is so moving. It's hilarious, for sure, but it's also just so touching. It's the true story of his sleepwalking disorder, which doesn't sound like great content for comedy, but... it is. And the way he tells it... wow. He is a masterful storyteller, to say the least. We left there just saying "wow" over and over. He had the entire theater eating out of the palm of his hand.

If you're familiar with his style, then you'll know that he's not a "shock" comic, going for big deliveries. Instead, his punchlines are these soft fluffy things that are literally the feather needed to knock you out of your chair. The entire audience had tears in their eyes; first from laughing(the guy behind me literally spit in my hair, laughing so hard) and then from being genuinely touched. Hard to describe, but when he comes to your town DO NOT MISS HIM.

*sigh*

Anyway, one of the jokes that he made was about pizza flavored ice cream (two great things rolled into one!) and for some reason, it just stuck in my brain. So tonight, I made this little mock-up of what pizza flavored ice cream would look like.

Just a bit of silly fun in an homage to someone I respect greatly.

comment updates

2010-01-21T09:45:00.000-08:00

I'm sorry to report that I am getting spammed a TON from this blog lately, so I have to turn on the captcha in the comment form. I hate to have to do it -- one more step to deter people from commenting -- but unfortunately it's the only way to control the spam bots.

I hope we can still be best friends.

Tuxedo Shirt

2010-01-18T23:20:00.000-08:00

I designed a tuxedo shirt! I'm selling it on Spreadshirt (link to my shop) and making it available in grey as an homage to Mr. P.W. Herman, whose show I'm going to see this weekend! Huzzah!

http://giddygirlie.spreadshirt.com/

The design is available in 2 types of grey shirt AND some fun buttons. Whee! Fun Times!

Flight of the Conchords band poster embroidery

2010-01-16T13:21:00.000-08:00

Hand-embroidered Flight of the Conchords image on white fabric with scratchy pattern. 12" blue hoop. Based on this image, which is a poster that Jemaine draws for the band (thus, Bret is just a small footnote in the image).

I did this on a whim while watching the show for the first time and didn't know what to do with it. But luckily, Kim gave it a loving home and made me a sweet set of jewelry as a trade - thanks Kim!

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Interested in owning a piece like this? Check out my Etsy shopor email me for a custom order!. : * ~ * : . _ . : * ~ * : . _ . : * ~ * : .

Link dot painting

2010-01-15T13:03:00.000-08:00

Better than a text link, a hyperlink, or even a reference link: it's Zelda's link. Ok, alright, hold your boos and hisses! I know that was a bad joke! I'm just embracing my inner bad joke teller. So... there.

Anyway, I recently inherited a Nintendo 64 (woot!) and accompanying it was Legend of Zelda, Ocarina of Time. I'm literally partying like it's 1999! Or 1998 or whatever. And I'm slooooooowly figuring it out - and having fun all the while. Which brought to mind my dear hero, Link. I found this simplistic image of him and just loved the big-eyed heroism of it, so I painted it! Link is brought to spotty life on a 6x8" canvas board, so he's smaller than my usual paintings, which makes him extra special.

Coming soon to a comic con near you! I hope comic con folks like video games! (har har)

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Interested in owning a piece like this? Check out my Etsy shopor email me for a custom order!. : * ~ * : . _ . : * ~ * : . _ . : * ~ * : .

Dr. Venture head shot dot painting

2010-01-14T18:46:00.000-08:00

Yet another painting inspired by my real-life affliction/addiction to television. The Venture Brothers ranks high on my list of TV shows that are too smart for their own good. Sure, it's a funny show but the more you watch it, the more you discover. Bless Jackson Publick and Doc Hammer for pulling out all the stops in their brainy little brains and delivering us with a show that is endlessly re-watchable.

Dr. Venture is so delightfully hateful. God bless his prickly little heart.

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Interested in owning a piece like this? Check out my Etsy shopor email me for a custom order!. : * ~ * : . _ . : * ~ * : . _ . : * ~ * : .

Alice dot painting

2010-01-13T00:56:00.000-08:00

Oh, sweet Alice. All the wonderment and mischief in Wonderland couldn't hold a candle to your beauty. I've always loved the design work of Marc Davis and Alice is where it all started for me. Have you seen this movie recently? Take an extra good look at the beauty at the scenery and backdrops - oh my!

Anyhoodle, I whipped up this lovely little lady recently and am quite pleased (although much less so with this picture, taken with my cell phone, which doesn't capture the vibrancy of the colors).

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Interested in owning a piece like this? Check out my Etsy shopor email me for a custom order!. : * ~ * : . _ . : * ~ * : . _ . : * ~ * : .

cross stitch bookmark

2010-01-12T13:11:00.000-08:00

I made this bookmark a while back for a friend's birthday and just realized I never posted it here. Tsk! Tsk! A bookmark doesn't look like much, but I learned a LOT from stitching this piece.

Firstly, don't use the chart on the packaging. I designed the font and placement of the letters based on the chart that was included, which turned out to be woefully inaccurate. And when did I discover that? Oh, you know, when I was nearly done with the second line! D'oh! So the words are very close together, unnecessarily. Whoops!

Secondly, filament thread is a pain in the patootie! Yeah, I said it! Take that filament makers! I had never worked with it before and I wasn't prepared for the snagging (oh, the snagging!) and the unraveling (raveling!) and general disfunction. Fortunately, I had stitched all the black first - because I was afraid the silver would twist too much into the black and wouldn't be visible. So I stitched all the letters and then stitched over those stitches with the silver thread. In the end, it is hard to see and caused my hair to turn grey.

Lastly, I learned that I don't really like stitching without a hoop. Because I don't like to move my work through a hoop (so that the hoop presses on completed stitches -- it's a thing), I like to use a large enough hoop to work in the center and trim the excess. But with a rectangular shape, that's hard to do, so I just held the fabric as I stitched. Too loose.

In the end, it's a janky piece of work that is loose and crowded and the back looks like a nest of tangled vipers, but hey! It's a gift, so no one can complain! bwah ha ha ha!

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Interested in owning a piece like this? Check out my Etsy shopor email me for a custom order!. : * ~ * : . _ . : * ~ * : . _ . : * ~ * : .

Stitch head shot dot painting

2010-01-11T00:51:00.000-08:00

A face so nice, I painted it twice! Inspired by another recent painting of Stitch that I did, I decided to paint him again. This time, it's just a head-shot on a smaller canvas. This is a 6x8" canvas board (the usual size is 8x10") so it's a sweet little Stitch.

I've been painting a lot to create a stockpile for the upcoming conventions and this little Stitch was the first one added to the stash!

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Interested in owning a piece like this? Check out my Etsy shopor email me for a custom order!. : * ~ * : . _ . : * ~ * : . _ . : * ~ * : .

Mr. Bananagrabber dot painting

2010-01-08T18:42:00.000-08:00

I think I might have officially lost my banana-peeling mind. I've been watching Arrested Development like a lady possessed recently and it inspired me to paint up this little number! GOB always lamented giving up animation rights, and as well he should have! Look what it has become!

I'm working on a stockpile of paintings to sell at the various comic conventions that I'll be exhibiting at this year. It's a lot of hard work, but clearly, I don't take myself too seriously. Although, the side effects (lack of social life, frozen banana cravings) are severe, I'm still having fun with it!

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Interested in owning a piece like this? Check out my Etsy shopor email me for a custom order!. : * ~ * : . _ . : * ~ * : . _ . : * ~ * : .