New Stuffed Drawings

I’ve recently added a couple of new images to my line of stuffed drawings. After having so much fun drawing my Woodstock tribute guitars for the Plush Team’s Plushstock, I drew a cat playing a guitar on a creamy tan cotton fabric.

I enjoyed that project so much that I kept drawing on the same fabric and finally released an image that had been rolling around in my brain for months. My dog Mickey has developed the habit of laying around the house with his paws crossed, as though he were posing for his graduation picture. But when I try to photograph him, he moves.
So I drew him.

I plan on adding different fabric versions of these drawings to my shop in the coming weeks. These two are currently available there. I hope you enjoy my little stuffed drawings.

Busy Weekend

If you’re in Dallas to visit or you’re lucky enough to live here, let me recommend a couple of fun events you ought to check out this weekend.

Friday night, my guitar hero husband will be playing in two bands: The Big Guns and Bag O’ Wire, at the Lakewood Theater for Live At The Hot Klub, a punk rock club reunion type gig featuring reunited punk bands of course. If you’re a Facebook user, check this link to view a promotional video for the event.

Then, early Saturday, from 8am until 1pm I will be selling my critter creations at the White Rock Local Market.

Hope to see you at one or both fun filled events.

Maid of Clay Revisited

You might remember last year when I posted about lusting over Maid of Clay’s fantastic cats. I said I would snag one of her cats and I finally did. Let me introduce you to the cutest grey striped cat rattle on earth.

My cat rattle now sits in a nook by my kitchen sink keeping me company while I clean and cook. And she entertains me as well, all I have to do is pick her up and shake. Felicia, the Maid of Clay herself, provided this photo.

Felicia doesn’t have any cat rattles in the shop right now, but she has lots of other cool kitty stuff. You have to keep an eye over there for rattles, they sell as fast as she makes them. Don’t miss out, be sure to watch her shop for updates

Meow.

Craft In America

PBS will be broadcasting a crafts program on Wednesday, October 7, 2009, from 8-10pm EST. Mark your calendar and check your local listings. Last years’ segments of this program, Craft in America, not only contained gorgeous creations to look at but was also very educational as well. Those of us working in the plush and/or crochet world will probably find the Fiber category most interesting. Although I didn’t notice any plush or crochet makers, the artists working with fiber are very talented and it is inspiring to see their creations. A fellow Etsy member, Jennifer Maestre, is featured in the virtual Emerging Artist gallery. You might recognize her amazing color pencil sculptures. Mark your calendars, you won’t want to miss this. And if you’re wanting to learn more, there is a book available as well as streaming videos on the website.

Craft Gawker

Have you heard of Craft Gawker? It is a very clean, sharp looking site with loads of pictures of crafts and links to the blog or shop from which the picture originates. Lots of crave worthy creations. I have been spending lots of time lusting on Craft Gawker lately. Here’s a few items that have caught my eye:

#4587 maryjudy

#3373 vonchandler

Plushstock

August 15, 2009 is the 40th anniversary of the Woodstock festival and we members of the Etsy Plush Street Team are commemorating the event by creating special plush items.

This is my contribution, the peace guitars. I started to draw acoustic guitars, but then started thinking about all the peace and love and flowers of the time and it all merged together. I had two pieces of fabric I liked equally, so I made two guitars, drawing my design onto both pieces and altering a bit between them.

Keep an eye on the Plush Team blog, soon after August 15 you’ll be able to see all the commemorative creations. Enjoy.

More Mexican Folk Art

A few weeks ago, Mike and I wandered into a local resale/antique mini-mall type store to peruse a friend’s booth of records, cds, etc. Right next to his booth, I spied a multi-colored intriguing large wood panel with what looked to be yarn comprising the imagery. Like my Huichol yarn painting.

So of course I got a little closer to the panel, I actually got real close to the panel to inspect what was indeed a Huichol yarn painting on plywood.

A large panel, it measures 49″ wide by 24″ tall. If you’ve read my blog before, you know I have a thing for Huichol art so you already know that I snapped that painting right up.

I love the imagery, it’s as if the small figures from the yarn painting that I already have have been enlarged onto this painting. I haven’t hung it in the house yet, right now it just sits on an easel in my studio for inspiration.
Enjoy.

Portraits in Yarn

A couple of crochet artists have caught my eye recently, and I know you want to see why. They both create portraits by crocheting. Fascinating.

Jo Hamilton’s portraits are more abstract in color and details, but recognizable as faces none the less. Quite striking, I think. A bit impressionistic as well.

Todd Paschall crochets portraits that are digitized, pixel looking, lots of detail and almost, from a distance, photographic. Based on a grey-scale conversion, the finished crochet portraits are like duo-tone photos, not full color portraiture.  A total different look and feel from Jo Hamilton’s work. Todd offers free patterns and will digitize your photo for you to crochet. What a concept.

While on the subject of crochet artistry,  Xenobia Bailey, artist extraordinaire, has an Etsy shop with fabulous crown-like hats and a blog. Be sure to visit both. Enjoy.

Paint By Phone

I don’t have an iPhone. I don’t want an iPhone. At least, I didn’t think so. Until an artist friend sent me this link to a video about the Brushes application for the iPhone that lets you paint on the phone. Now, I’m conflicted. I think I may want an iPhone. To paint with…

Critter Central

Update: They have decided not to give me a space at August’s market and I was told, all this by email, that  if I was interested, they’d place me on a list to be considered for future markets. I’m not happy, but what can I do? I was there for the first and second market, took a chance on an unknown venture, and now that the crowd has grown and the press has noticed, they don’t want me anymore. Sour grapes, I know. I’m just feeling sorry for myself.

If you have visited my shop on Etsy, you already know that I call it Critter Central. But did you know that Critter Central can be found off line, in person, at White Rock Local Market once a month in Dallas, TX?

Here’s some booth photos from last Saturday. If you are a Facebook member, you can click here and see a bunch of photos from the market on the White Rock Local Market group page.

We all had fun in spite of the 102° heat. The next market is Saturday, August 8. If you live in Dallas or will be here that weekend, try to come by. You’ll be glad you did.