Nice Things

It's been 9 days since I was so curtly informed that I am violating my rental lease by having 3 cats, and will have to leave within 60 days. At first, I was really mad and overwhelmed by the obnoxious truth that I have once again been outright lied to and taken advantage of by people who are supposed to be somewhat professional at what they do. These idiots signed a lease with me 2 years ago, and I paid my 3 pet deposits for 3 cats. They know it, and I know it. But now, for some reason, they are suddenly insisting that they never allowed more than one cat, & that I must be mistaken, & that my deposits were all for one cat. Really? Did we not have the conversations that I remember? Of course, the cuckoo who walked me through the paperwork & arranged for the pet deposits to be paid over 3 months has been fired from the company, so there goes my alibi, & I have nothing in writing. How convenient. And, according to one eyewitness hallucination, 6 cats have been seen in my apartment recently. Wow! I guess I sort of starting mocking the situation at that point, since it was definitely veering off into Absurdism. (And this was also the precise moment when I knew that they were worthless sacks of poo. Such class.) Like I said, it was just a lot to deal with so abruptly. There I was, hopelessly arguing with a dip-shit on the phone, knowing that they knew that I knew that they knew... LIARS! But, it seems that I have become my own sort of professional at dealing with this kind of commonplace B.S., because here it is, just a wink later & Ed & I have just signed a lease on a fantastic house! Take that! Hmph! Now we'll both have our own studio, a library, & a really beautiful backyard in which we plan to host many moonlight gatherings. We CAN have nice things.

Poetry I Made

So, I spend a lot of time looking at words. This is not necessarily reading. Mostly, I'm looking for images to use in collages, & the words just happen to be lurking around in my peripheral vision. Sometimes, with all of this rapid paging, a short story forms. The words often come from several different books, so the subject dances around like that. I'll eventually get the words together, & make cut-up poetry. Would you like to read a few?

1

indoor rubber plant greenery
blossomed and such exotic scented
dolls
became popular for their poisonous
forget-me-not shades and designs
and They sugared them in Their gardens
with the painted roses,
and heaped flowers
onto Their once loved daughters
to see who spotted good
snakes
and who did not

2

He carries his tail behind him
Like the cape of Dracula

3

He reverses the fortunes
of lions for his pleasure
and is lulled to sleep by
a thunderbolt

4

The very winding path
took them to the
many different colours
each one Fair and sweet

5

he rubs himself
like a voodoo worshiper
with vaudeville baboon fingers
magic is a slow part-time job
prophetic at best
his spent ghost
stained the floor

6

I wished, as a bandit,
in an inhuman, shepherd tongue
my blood evil and wild
I desired to be holy again.
imprisoned in a night spirit
of discord and fury
my ladders against the earth
i put up the signs of Death.

Making A Doll >.< Part Two

I didn't get that much done on the doll today, but I do work at a snail's pace, so that's to be expected with me. I tend to piddle. Plus, I had to better organize my work space. That takes time.

Today I enlarged the pattern from the book. This book was originally written in 1949 or so, and they actually suggested that I enlarge the pattern by hand-copying the pattern onto another piece of paper square by square, only on a larger scale, kind of like I did in some art classes when I was in middle school. Primitive! I used the photocopier, of course. I enlarged the pattern to 123% after I had made some basic notes on it, to remind myself where NOT to stitch, so I could add stuffing or beans or whatever later.



The book suggested that I transfer the pattern onto sturdier paper, such as construction paper or cardboard, but I chose to use this CANVA-PAPER. It's like canvas. How modern! I had to cut it down to 8.5 x 11 inches, and change the Paper Type setting on my copier, but it worked wonderfully. Now my pattern should last a nice, long while.



It did need to dry for a moment before I could cut the pattern out. Notice the smeared ink on the face there. That happened right when I took it from the copier. No biggie.

I also cut out my two fabric panels from the front of the blouse. I chose to use the front because that will leave the whole back, which is enough to make another doll if this goes well. And, the second doll can be taller.



I put my cutting mat in there because I would likely forget my head and cut right through both the front and back.



So I have my two panels, about the same size. No need to be perfect about it, because I'm just going to be cutting them more specifically.

Now, my blouse looks like this:


Tons of material left!

Then, I cut out the pattern.


Looks like I'm good to go!

Grandma Vivian's scissors are a natural fit for my hand, though I know my hands are much bigger than hers were. I love working with them. They feel like an old friend already.

Well, that's all for today.

Part Three coming soon!

Making A Doll

I am going to make a doll out of a blouse I recently found at a rummage sale. The blouse looks all kinds of wrong on me. Still, I find it charming. Just not to wear. And, I have to make a handmade doll for an upcoming art show anyways, so this project is how I will hone my skills. Oddly enough, I haven't made many dolls. Paper dolls, yes. Fabric dolls are a whole new adventure.

Here is the blouse.



Last week, Ed and I went to visit my parents for the day. We went to the thrift store with my mother in the afternoon to look for treasures. I found this book. It is published by Dover, which is a main squeeze of mine. It was only $1.



The very first pattern in the book is for a simple cloth doll. I think I'm just going to start here. See what happens.



And, I will use my grandma's scissors for crafty guidance. This will be our first project together.



Stay tuned!

Althea

Althea illustration

Owlthea

Owlthea illustration

S N I P S

BEWARE!

I have a new zine, it's called S N I P S

snip ~ To cut or clip with short, quick strokes. 1. A small cut made with scissors or shears. 2. A small piece clipped off.

I did a zine called Tightrope Laboratory in 2003-4. I did 3 issues, pretty quickly, but then it faded into the background, never to return. There were a lot of transitions happening in my life at the time, and honestly I should have just kept making the zine rather than fruitlessly bothering with anything else. With the story writing and photo essaying, I knew myself best. When I was doing it, I worked on it always. I always had something to do. I never left home without at least 2 cameras, 1 voice recorder, 19 ideas. You just never know when you might stumble upon a parking lot carnival, or a scary abandoned aquarium.

S N I P S is for me now. I have so many snips. They're all over the place. But I can gather them here.

Trading Cards With Alyssa Reich

Alyssa is one of my favorite artists. It is so uncanny that she & Ed are old friends from Ohio, yet somehow I don't find this so strange at all. Earlier today I chatted her up about doing this trading cards project with me. Here are my first 4. I wonder what she will make of them.

Card Making

I believe I have finally decided on what I want to be, as in what I desire to do with my skills. I want to design cards. It is one of my truest passions, & I'm always happy doing it. I think those are important qualities for a job to have, don't you? The canvas is small, which is perfect for my miniaturist ways. I don't know what it is, but ever since my grandmother passed away in June, I have been contemplating which of my artistic avenues that I want to venture the furthest down... Here are some of the cards I have sold on Etsy this past year, & some that I have sold at craft fairs.

The Haunted Farm

This is a themed collage book that I am working on. My focus is on those who are being held captive, against their will. It sometimes seems as though I can hear them out there, wishing & hoping for release. I really wish I could help. I am not a psychic. But I do hear & feel some things. Definitely.

Her Hex

Her Hex

Jeg elsker deg

A few months ago I was commissioned to make an original piece for a very special occasion, a post-wedding garden party. The banner says "jeg elsker deg", a Norwegian way of saying "I love you", but not the kind of love you might have for a parent or friend.

I made the boy, girl, owls, dogs and cupcake out of heavy card stock. The trees are made from cardboard that I painted. The moss I found at a hobby store, along with the berries and shimmery silver string. The banner is textured colorful card stock that I cut.

That first pic is of the finished shadowbox. A few of the pics that follow are 'work in progress' moments. I would send these to the girl, just to make sure I was on the right track. I was always very excited to hear back from her that yes, yes I was. Then I would get back to work on the piece. It was always such an inspired feeling: I was making something special for their wedding party, where their friends would see it, and then it would go in their home. This kind of work is an honor.

Secret Playground

Festivities Ahead!!!

Ed and I have started an art collective called Secret Playground. Our first event is coming up pretty soon, on Mon., Sept. 19th. It will be an all handmade collage show featuring 7 local artists (that includes Ed and I). So far, I have 5 collages finished, and one in the drawer waiting to be glued together.







Then, on Fri., Sept. 23rd, we are hosting a craft fair///fashion show/parade///art supply swap. I'm manifesting a costume for the fashion parade. It comes to me bit by bit. The outfit itself is the haziest detail.