Today's Table

We've got all the paper dolls out and spread across the table so we can take their official pictures and get them ready to sell. But I couldn't resist playing with them a bit in the meantime.

They're enjoying each other's company, making new friends. . .

. . .and sharing their toys.

We're hoping to make them available over the next couple of days

so you can play too.

A is for Alice

Yesterday proved to be a very productive day!

First, we found someone to print our paper dolls all professional-like and gorgeous. Hopefully we'll be picked up the first batch today and be able to show them to you soon. And I made great progress on my latest big idea, which is an alphabet project in which we'll be making a creation (or 2) for every letter. I have 24 designed so far! The first will be an Alligator with an Accordion. Followed by Bunnies in a Boat. Had a heck of a time coming up with stuff for I, and X /Y will be combined into one piece featuring a Yeti with a xylophone. Also, we got our latest fabric from Spoonflower and Dylan made up some tiny Alice necklaces, and some less-tiny Alice ornaments too! Aren't they sweet? 

here

here

Don't ya just love 

checking things off your To-Do list?

Happy Easter!

We made pretty eggs.

(They may be pretty, but they still smell farty.)

Befores and Afters

A new improved creative space, hooray hooray!

My studio serves several purposes. On top of being where I paint/sew/draw/create, it's also a family room where we watch movies or play Wii, an extended dining room when we have company, and where we take all the pictures of our art. It's not a room that has a door, and it's just off our kitchen and leads to the back door. It's in the center of things, and that's how I like it. However, it has to stay tidy or the whole house looks like a wreck. 

Here are some before-and-afters for those of you like me who enjoy such things.

(You can click on them to see bigger images.)

Before 

After 

. . .

Before
(This area drove me clutter crazy!)

After
(I LOVE my new shelves, still have to paint them though. Thought I'd live with them for awhile before deciding on a color.)

. . .

Before

After

. . .

Before

After
. . .

Before
(Those wonky old particle board shelves were melting I think.)

After
(I wish I has taken before pics of this little cabinet. It was truly ugly. Now I love it!)

. . .

Before

After

. . .

What I bought:

-a big fat wonderful solid oak table from Craigslist. $80

-a new smaller futon, 2 frames, and a lamp from Target. $230

-shelves. I went back and forth on whether to buy the Martha Stewart collection shelves from Home Depot which would have been only $160 but made of crappy particle board and laminate, or gorgeous handmade shelves from Naked Pine Furniture for $370. That's a lot for us, but I just had to go with the handmade. And I'm so glad I did! Not only are they beautifully made they're guaranteed for a lifetime, not destined to become landfill. Plus, FREE shipping and they came fully assembled. And I can repaint them as many times as my fickle heart desires. I went over budget with the shelves, so everything else I made or repurposed from elsewhere in the house. Which was fun.

I'm very happy with my new improved space!

Now I have to get back to it and finish today's list.

Today's Table and a Pillow

Elephants and fish and angels, oh my!

Here are some of my next batch of goodies laying in their naked state-

Also. . .

I'm expecting my new studio shelves to come today. Hooray! They are the final piece in the studio upgrade. Well, they're the final big piece (and the budget-breaker). I'll still have to assemble and paint them and fill them in an organized and aesthetically pleasing manner. In the meantime, I made a couple of little paintings for the wall. And some frames for them.

And a big fat pillow. 

All with things I already had. Bonus!

Today's Table and Hot Air

A pretty little winged scene sits on today's worktable.

...........................................

My sweet Dylan's birthday is tomorrow. He's been loving cut paper silhouettes lately, so I wanted to make him one. Using this gorgeous image. . .

. . .I was inspired to make this for him.

J ♥ D

I still have to frame it up today. (I hope he'll like it.) 

For his extra special birthday dinner he wants chipped beef on biscuits. 

He's an odd hobo of a man.

Taking Stock

Still organizing and editing in all my spare moments. Today it was paint inventory. I must've thrown away half of these because they were either empty or really old. And seriously, I had 11 bottles of my favorite shade of red, and 9 bottles of turquoise. Apparently I pick one up every time I go out just in case I'm running low. I've gotta get a better system.

And finished a little something I made for Dylan's birthday coming up in a couple of days. But I can't show you yet, just in case he peeks. So I'll show you College Girl's latest artiness instead. . .

Spring Cleaning and a Retirement Party

One of the joys of Spring is the annual clearing out of the past year's accumulations. It's a time to not only tackle the dust bunnies that have bred all rabbit-like in every forgotten nook and cranny, but to edit and organize. To put wayward piles of photos in albums. To address the messy pile of ephemera that seems to be growing on the kitchen counter. To alphabetize and label (or is that just me?) I like to stay pretty organized as a general rule (at least in my artist life), but my studio upgrade-in-progress has me doing an extra thorough editing of all the arty going-ons. What do I use on a daily basis? Why are there pipe cleaners in 10 different places? What's with all the pipe cleaners anyway? Do I really need to have a whole box dedicated to 7 thumb tacks, a bit of glitter, and a Pez dispenser?? What is this thing and why do I have it?

It's also a time for redecorating. wheeee! Not necessarily anything too spendy or time consuming, just a shifting around of the objects that become an expression of Home. Are you surrounded by objects that reflect who inhabits your space? I mean, that was awful nice of Aunt Suzy to knit you a zig-zaggy afghan in all the colors of beef stew, but do you really want it front and center? Or maybe it should retire, tucked away in a nice closet to be pulled out when Aunt Suzy visits, and be replaced with that gorgeous quilt you've had your eye on. 

And so. . .

I thought Spring, 

in all it's editorial gloriousness,

might just be the perfect time to retire some of last year's pieces.

Retiring April 30

If you've had you eye on any of these objects, get it while the gettin's good. Because after April 30th we're putting them out to pasture. We put them in their own section of our Etsy shop here.

Previously Unfinished Objects

Made the first batch of new stuff on the new table! And what better way to break in a new table than with an old project? Started this one a long time ago (like more than a year), and finally finished it. One less UFO (Un-Finished Object) cluttering up the place.

I like it!

I know just where it'll go in my new improved studio space.

The studio upgrade is chugging along. I'm just waiting on my shelves to come so I can paint them, so I can fill them with stuff, so I can be done. In the meantime I'm amusing myself with other things. I did remember to take before pictures, but I'm holding on to them until the big reveal.

Woohoo!

Hey, guess what? We're in the latest issue of Prims Magazine!

As a contributing editor, Jen O'Connor over at Earth Angels Toys got us in there. There are actually a lot of my cyber buddies in there too, which was a lovely surprise! 

And in other exciting news, the dreamed-of studio re-do is becoming a reality! 

We just got a big ole solid oak art table for me (my current table is too low and my back is suffering for it) PLUS four chairs for the dinner table on Craig's List for $80.  Now there are chairs everywhere! The old rickety ones will go. And the new ones will definitely need to be reupholstered. I'll try to do before-and-after pics. I don't know about you, but I love before-and-after pics. 

Speaking of before pictures, here's the last of the silliness-in-progress from my too-short table.

Gotta go finish them now so I can switch the tables out.

Today

Just playing with the latest Little Robot before shipping her off. . .

. . .and making plans for a studio make-over. 

On a starving-artist budget. 

I'll let you know how it goes.

What are you dreaming of today?

Assembly Required

Undone-

Done-

OK, so I'm still not done-done. I have to do all the picture taking and computer stuff still. And find someone to print them all professional-like. But I'm getting warmer. The taxes are done-done though, so yay for that!

Today I'll be making a robot while watching Farscape.

My job is funny.

The "T" Word

It's that time of year again. . .

Uncle Sam, please be kind.