Feel Good Friday!

You can purchase this beautiful print at 3LambGraphics.

Ah Friday-how I miss you. It seems like forever since we last saw eachother. You bring such joy to my life. Mmmmm...you make me happy! Now that I'm in a good mood so early in the morning-let's see what I can do for you.

I have the worst sweet tooth. I have not met a cupcake that I do love. Throw some candy my way and I will be your best friend for life. When my friend Kelsey showed me Bakerella, I felt like  died and went to heaven. It's like this website was made for me. Red Velvet cupcake pops-are you kidding me? I HAVE to make them or better yet,have someone make them for me. Her recipes are simple and easy to follow and yet look professional and I'm sure taste divine.

 

I love the swing of her bag and her shoes are so cute. Laura Amiss is so talented. 

Usually I try to stay away from big stores or corporations. I've tried but I could never give up Target, I've tried and it just doesn't work-don't judge. That being said, William Sonoma has the most darling cookie cutters that I can't pass up and as and added bonus-they are fairly cheap. I love that I can make my sweetie an personal message with the letters. It's like a big conversation heart. 

I love disapproving bunnies.

Okay all you wonderful readers! Go forth and enjoy your weekend! You've got blogs to read, cupcakes to cook, cookies to decorate and bunnies that disapprove! Enjoy!

If you are not happy here and now, you never will be.  ~Taisen Deshimaru

Puppers!

I could not resist these cute little guys! They are just too adorable. 

 

  

 

Hanging Out with a Misfit

When I first met digital misfit, she pm'd me on Crafster about offering up some of my embroidery for a charity quilt. I couldn't refuse to help out a fellow Craftster and friendship soon ensued. This girl has got some moxy! I love her quick wit! I know when I see a pm or email from her I will be rolling off my chair laughing.


Who is digital misfit and what is she all about?
Digital Misfit is someone different every day (or sometimes many times in one day).  She ... ahhh screw it, I can't talk about myself in the thrid person.  Too weird.
I am just ordinary, with all of the strange little idiosyncrasies that all ordinary people have.  I swing back and forth between right brain and left brain, so one day I may be having a creative burst and craft like mad, and then I will be Ms. Logical and try to organize my supplies because I am uninspired.
I am a hermit.  No, really.  I am a bona fide agoraphobe who rarely leaves the house.  On the bright side, I have plenty of time for crafting, surfing Craftster, and I can shop on Etsy.  Plus people expect artsy types to be a bit nutty.

You work in so many different mediums, what's your favorite?
I don't have a favorite craft medium.  I CAN'T stick with one type of craft.  I become bored and distracted.  Each medium has its advantages and disadvantages for my AADD (art attention deficit disorder).
Embroidery rocks because I can do it in bed or while watching tv.  Changing the style of a pattern by choosing offbeat threads makes it interesting.  Plus the design possibilities are infinite.
Papercrafting/mixed media assemblage art rocks because I get to pull out ALL the junk and just have at it.  I have a constant ring of gesso and/or ink around my cuticles from fingerpainting and stamping.
Dollmaking...well...the fun part od dollmaking is the planning and finished product.  I really hate stuffing and jointing dolls, and some of the other mundane tasks that go along with them.
I would love to learn to spin yarn, knit /crochet, and sew clothing.

What kind of advice would you give the masses?
Don't be afraid to try new things.  Sucking at a new craft is not so bad.  It can be intimidating to see so many amazing projects posted online. Just try. My first attempts at many crafts were BAD (some still are), but I was able to get a feel for it, and decide if it is something I want to pursue further.  Some of my embroidered pieces look like a cat puked up a hairball on the back.  Others are neat as a pin. I am still learning, but hey, it's art, not science.  I do it my way :P

What inspires you?
As an artist, I am always inspired by the work shown in my fave online communities (Craftster, Etsy, Mr. X-Stitch, Feeling Stitchy, CraftGossip, etc etc etc).  I am inspired by work that shows that the artist truly loves what they do.
I love having crafty friends online from whom I can bounce ideas and get creative input. I don't think I have made a single project in over a year without passing WIP pics over to Deana (aka AlwaysInspired).  I don't have any crafty people in my offline life, so this kind of support and friendship is invaluable and so appreciated.
As a person, I am inspired by stories of people overcoming adversity, communities reaching out to help others, and the simple beauty of nature.

 What's your next adventure?
More of the same, but in different flavors!
Plus I need to figure out how to alter my newest family member.  She is a 5'11" beauty with legs a mile long (makes up for not having arms).  I am 5'4", so I already think she is a bit of a bitch. She is tough as nails (and made of the same stuff as them too!). I think she is going to be a political art piece in support of women, though I may still dress her up from time to time.

Bonus Question!
You just got a new mannequin, have you named her yet?
As much as I wanted to name her Otrera, after the first Amazon queen, she has insisted that her name is Lola.  After some research turned up that Lola means "strong woman", I have had to agree.
So Lola it is.  She is standing tall next to me now, wearing my sunglasses, hat, and a hot pink tape measure around her neck.

Isn't digial misfit great? She can put a smile on my face and have me cackling in a matter of minutes. She has got mad skills no matter what she tries and really is a true inspriration to those around her.

Tie One On Tuesday

Now is the time when I normally give you awesome recipes for your drinking pleasure but tonight I have a different idea up my sleeve. Let's say you're out with your friends, wanting to have a little drinky drink and you ask the bartender for three dots and a dash. He looks at you like you've just grown another head. Well, today is for you! Here are a few drinks that you can order that are tasty, don't take a lot of effort and make you look like you know what you are talking about (even when you don't)

First up is a favorite of OMP's, it's the Sidecar and it is delicious! This is the original recipe from Harry's in Paris.

1 1⁄2 oz.  cognac
3⁄4 oz. Cointreau
3⁄4 oz. fresh lemon juice

Shake all ingredients with ice and strain into a chilled cocktail glass with a sugared rim.
Garnish with an orange peel.

Next up on the drink menu is a Manhattan. Interesting island, but a better drink.

1 1/2 oz. Bourbon - Maker's Mark will do
1/4 oz. Sweet Vermouth
dash Angostura Bitters

Combine all ingredients in cocktail shaker filled with ice. Shake well and strain into a Cocktail glass. Garnish with a Maraschino Cherry

This last beverage is a favorite of mine, that I always seem forget when I have been drinking. It is SOOO tasty! Plus, the name is really fun to say - Singapore Sling

1 1/2oz. Gin
3/4 oz. Cherry Liqueur or Cherry Brandy
1/2 oz. Lemon Juice
Club Soda
Sugar

Combine gin, lemon juice, and sugar in a shaker with ice.
Shake well until sugar is disolved. Strain into a chilled Collins glass filled with ice.
Fill with soda and float the cherry liqueur/brandy on top.

So TOOT fans, there are a few drinky drinks to impress your friends on your next outing. They are classic cocktails that  will make you look suave and sophisticated-even when you're wearing your flipflops, tank top and cut offs! Bottoms UP!  

There's No Place Like Home

I have been traveling a lot in the past two months. Just this weekend I was in Anaheim, California for the CHA show. It was so much fun meeting everyone but nothing beats home. Now, don't get me wrong, I love visiting places and meeting new people but rainy, gray Oregon is my home and I'm always happy to get back to the this drizzly state. So,today's movies are in honor of my adopted state (I'm really a southern girl at heart, but that's a whole other story).

An all time classic that I think any red blooded American male can quote is Animal House. This movie was filmed in Eugene Oregon. I have to admit, I really love this movie. John Belushi was at his best and yes, the jokes are crass, juvenile and just plain low grade but I can't not help laughing every time I see it. Dean Wormer tries to expel the Delta Tau Chi Fraternity but they have other plans for him and for the college. Hijinx ensue and you will be laughing even though you know you shouldn't.

Okay, tell me how great this is-Lee Marvin,Clint Eastwood, Jean Seberg AND SINGING? I'm talking about a little movie called Paint Your Wagon. Oh yeah, you heard me right. Paint Your Wagon. This fun little 1969 musical about the gold rush was filmed in Oregon. This movie was nominated for best musical and with good reason-HELLO! Lee Marvin singing! It's a silly musical about the gold rush, gambling and a little bit of drinking-this might be a normal Tuesday night in Portland.

A hidden gem that I found completely by accident while search for a film noir movie is Portland Expose. It is suppose to be a film noir mystery  but the corny lines and silly storyline make it more kitschy than anything else. It is really great to watch this 1957 movie and see landmarks that are still around. The story involves a tavern owner trying to make a legitimate living but is bullied by mob gangs to bring in illegal gambling via pinball. Isn't it crazy that pinball use to be illegal, anyhoo....the tavern owner is saved by honest union men (this is Portland after all) and all ends well, or does it?

There are so many more excellent movies that were filmed in Oregon. Here is just a small sampling-
Drug Store Cowboy
The Goonies
One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
Apple Dumpling Gang
The Simpson's Movie (it wasn't FILMED here but Matt Groening is from here and all the characters are named after streets in Portland)
Point Break
Stand By Me
The Shining (the outside of the hotel is Timberline Lodge at Mt. Hood-yes, it still counts)
Maverick
Twilight (Sorry, I know, I know-I said I was sorry! )

So, if you really want to feel like a Portlander, the next time it rains and it's 30 degrees. Throw on those shorts, toss that umbrella and  bike on down to the nearest independent video store. You'll feel like you're in Stumptown in a matter of minutes.

Cutest Little Pattern

I just love this pattern of these cute little senor and senorita. They are just too adorable.

Enjoy! I can't wait to see this all stitched up by you guys!

Feeling Rich in Penny Nickel's World

If you are in the stitching world and haven't heard of Penny Nickels than shame on you! I really don't think there are enough adjectives that can describe the talent this woman has.She has sass and moxy that well, might even put me to shame.

Tell me a little bit about yourself.
I like ELO, Lil Wayne, Bob Fosse, "Jersey Shore", and Werner Herzog. I took chess lessons from the age of 19 to 26. I read a lot. I have several tattoos from my favorite books, including a gigantic illustration from Louis-Ferdinand Céline on my arm. My dad made me read "Willard and His Bowling Trophies" by Richard Brautigan when I was twelve and I believe it may have wrecked my young brain. I also have an extensive comic book collection. Yesterday, I had a hour long conversation with my brother about how amazing the movie Total Recall is. I listened to the song “Peg” by Steely Dan three times today, on purpose. I come from four generations of art fags. My favorite artists are George Grosz, Otto Dix, Max Ernst and Francis Bacon. I sound like an jerk off when I talk about myself, but I'm cool with it.

How long have you been stitching and what or who got you started?
I went to a “Fame” type high school where I studied printmaking, and I continued to do that for about ten years. I worked in mezzotint, aquatint, and relief. Studios and chemicals are hard to come by if you're not in school, and the gouges started to take their toll on my hands. A few years ago I realized that my prints would translate really well into embroidery because of the way they're designed and I started stitching them. It's hilarious because I can't get anyone to look twice at my printmaking, but once it's embroidered people really respond to it. It makes me feel kind of like a huckster. But I do think that embroidery is much more dynamic, it's like working in two and a half dimensions, so maybe that's why it pops. I also spin, knit and weave.

You are absolutely amazing! There are so many pieces I love from you, which is your favorite?
Thanks! *Blushing* Hmmmm... I really like my mythic commemorative stamp series, (Hypaepa, Tritonis, Asterion, Cithaeron) that's mostly me working out emotional baggage so they're really satisfying to stitch on. I'll be doing those forever. :)
I think the piece I like the most right now is the siphonophorae I've been working on. It's been going
on over a hundred hours of stitching, but I'm really impressed with it so far. When I look at it my brain hums.

What kind of advice would you give to the masses?
Be fearless! Be demanding! Don't be scared of sounding like an asshole! No one's going to take your work seriously unless you do! And most importantly, explore making your own patterns!
I have a lot of love for commercial and vintage patterns. Sometimes you see something really great that you wouldn't have thought of. They're also perfect to try out new stitches or a palette you might not normally use. But even if you don't have a drawing/rendering/stick figure bone in your body, it's really easy to snap a photo of something simple that looks neat, load it into the computron, print it black and white and trace it. Volia! You just made your first pattern, and it's all yours. Incidentally, I can only draw successfully from life or photo references, so I look at A LOT of online erotica to find my half naked ladies. But I do it on Johnny Murder's computer so he gets all the gross spam. :)
And if you don't want to make your own patterns but you want something unusual, you can find a ton of copyright free art online that can be used for stitching too. I recently saw some Egon Schiele embroideries that were amazing. I just started stitching a kooky Louis Wain painting that I ripped off the internet. I'm never going to come up with anything half as strange as his stuff.

Do you have a website or any upcoming shows?
I have a blog called Donkeywolf which is named after my favorite animal that I made up. It has interviews with other artists, fiber products and textile book reviews, pieces I'm working on and what they mean. I'm showing at Redux in Portland which opens April 2nd and Big Car Gallery in Indianapolis which opens May 7th. I am also doing a show at Good Gallery in Portland this April.

Bonus Question!
Grits-a food by themselves or a just a vehicle for butter and cheese? 

Grits are a vehicle for everything! I use coarse ground corn grits and I usually cook them with thyme, sauteed mushrooms and cheddar, but this morning I made them with spinach, garlic and Gruyère. It was amazing.


Okay, let's recap the reasons I love Penny. 1-sass and moxy, 2-stitching that is beyond belief beautiful 3- she's a southern girl who loves grits. I can't wait to see her shows and her work close up. I know it's gonna be breathtaking. I'm glad to call her an inspiration and a friend.