Something-New Sunday

Tall, orange, and handsome!

At 26 inches tall, Octavio is a big guy. A green-eyed hunk of tentacular gorgeousness! He's jointed all over the place-- shoulders, elbows, wrists, hips, knees, and ankles-- and we have been having too much fun playing with him. 

You can see more of Octavio here.

Sneaky Peeky

Here's a little peek of tomorrow's Something-New.

Have you hugged your skeleton today?

A handful of Halloween!

Too soon? Who says skeletons and pumpkin heads belong exclusively to October? Halloweeny stuff is probably our favorite to work on. It's just such a friendly holiday, with just a little touch of creepiness. A chance to take candy from strangers and say thank you. And skeletons don't really seem exclusively Autumnal at all. I mean, everybody is walking around with one in them right this minute.

Inspired by the traditional Dia de los Muertos candies, I did my own version of some sugar skulls this week. They're made of wood, with little paper clay noses. I hadn't tried sculpting paper clay right on wood before, but it worked like a charm!

Francesca and Ferdinand

Humphrey and Molly

Hope you're all having a friendly day.

Tuesday's Artist: Kelly Puissegur

In order to keep my creative tank chugging along I like to fill it with all sorts of visual fuel. This "Tuesday's Artist" thing is my way of sharing some of the artists that inspire and delight me. I asked them to do a little finish-this-sentence sort of mini-interview so we might get to know them a little better.

This week's spotlight is shining on Kelly Puissegur. I really like her less-than-pretty but oh-so-fun work. Love her gritty layered textures, limited palette, and her childlike sense of proportion.

Kelly says:

If I wasn't an artist maybe I'd be a writer or gardener. 

Today, I'm listening to The Duchess and The Duke, Lou Reed, Lil Wayne, Alex Turner, The Rolling Stones.

I'm really good at lying. 

I'd like to be better at making decisions. 

When I was a kid I was very dirty. I hated to take baths and brush my teeth. 

I hate it when I'm wrong. 

My workspace is not too neat and not too messy but just right to spark creativity (or so I tell myself). 

Right now, I'm really into the movie Adaptation and the book Submarine by Joe Dunthorne. 

I hope that my art gets better so that one day I'll be satisfied. 

You can see more of Kelly's work here or here.

Tentacles, Skelly Heads, and Wee Dollies

Here's what's on the drying rack today-

And a tiny peek at my pink-polka-dotted tootsies. 

My hands are all arty scruffiness, but my toes are super girly.

Been doing some sculpting. Got a bunch of smiling skelly heads in the works. (Yes, I know that skulls don't have noses, but I'm a rebel like that.) Trying out a new technique of building up the paperclay over a roughly-carved wooden armature. I think it's gonna work out nicely. I'm hoping to get our tentacled beastie done today. I really like how he's turning out so far.

Today's Table (In the Works)

Here's what today's table looked like at some point today-

Now it's more colorful on account of I've started to paint Dylan's tentacled beast. (No, that's not a euphemism for something naughty.) Started on the first of this year's Halloween offerings too. (I do get a bit ahead of myself.) Making some itty bitty punkinheads and skellies. And designed some other stuff too. Right now I'm really into skeletons, punkinheads, and monsters. I love design days! 

What are your favorite Halloween icons?

Friends

Just finished a couple of friends for long tall Little Red.

They look mighty sweet sitting on my mantel while they're here.

They look sweet just hanging around too.

I think I probably used 36 different fabrics on their skirts.

Here. And here. And here.

Something-New Sunday

We've got Little Red Riding Hood on the brain today.

First, there's this long tall beauty carrying around her wee little wolf-

She a one-of-a-kind and can be found here.

Also, another something new, Dylan just finished his latest bit of silliness in the form of an animation using a couple of our paper dolls. WARNING: Dylan has a wicked sense of humor so this probably isn't appropriate for little kids. 

(Just click on the picture to watch the video.)

Today's Table and Robin Hood

Here's a peek at this morning's table. Those three girls are coming along. Their stripy skirts are sewn. One will make her debut tomorrow ( for Something-New Sunday). Also, Dylan's latest science experiment is coming to life. And hungry.

Only one girl will be ready by tomorrow on account of I took part of the day off to accompany Boy Kid to our town's annual Robin Hood Festival. It's kind renaissance-festival-ish, only it really isn't.  There were knights though. Here's one talking on ye olde cell phone.

And there were dragons-

And castles. Kids built them. I love kid art!

This one was the winner, it was in a fish tank-

And there were beautiful white steeds.

And a panda.

And fuzzy monster bags.

Because when I think of Robin Hood,

I think of pandas and fuzzy orange monster bags.

------------------------------------------------------------

May all your monsters 

be of the soft and cuddly variety.

Computery Stuff and Tentacles

I've spent way too much time on the computer the last few days. One project always seems to turn into another. I'm slowly but surely and not so surely learning my way around Photoshop. It holds so many possibilities! One of today's projects was designing our next stuff to be printed onto fabric, which we'll then turn into little stuffed ornaments. We love Spoonflower!

Also got an arctic fox painted today, which I'll still work on some more this evening. And now I'm off to sew stripes together so I can finish Something-New Sunday's something new. 

Meanwhile, Dylan has been in mad-scientist mode all day. He's attempting to make some sort of tentacled creature. It just keeps getting bigger and bigger. I'll show pictures later (if it doesn't escape and eat us all).

Tuesday's Artist: Kim Hambric

In order to keep my creative tank chugging along I like to fill it with all sorts of visual fuel. This "Tuesday's Artist" thing is my way of sharing some of the artists that inspire and delight me. I asked them to do a little finish-this-sentence sort of mini-interview so we might get to know them a little better.

This week's spotlight is shining on Kim Hambric. She makes gorgeous fabric and paper collages and art quilts. She definitely has her own visual vocabulary, using familiar motifs over and over again in her work; and a real knack for color combinations. Her compositions are deceptively simple, perfectly balancing symmetry within asymmetry. Plus, I always appreciate a good use of typography.

Mother Faithful Friends

Kim says:

If I wasn't an artist maybe I'd be really, really frustrated. If I had tried harder (a lot harder) in college, I might have become an architect. But at this point in my life, if I quit being an artist, I'd be far too organized (and frustrated).

Today, I'm listening to women who play guitars. Po' Girl, The Wailin' Jennys, Chris Pureka, The Be Good Tanyas, Gillian Welch. These ladies are ALWAYS in rotation in my CD player.

Street Tree

I'm really good at playing with color, reading decorating magazines, buying fabric and making large messes.

I'd like to be better at measuring. Keeping my cool. Drawing.

The Power of Two

When I was a kid I was obsessed with maps and making cities out of anything I could get my hands on, from tinker toys to dominoes.

I hate it when my sewing machine needle breaks and hits me in the face.

Travel Guide

 My workspace is mine, mine mine!!!! And often cluttered.

Right now, I'm really into slapping paint onto boards with old credit cards. Smearing glue with my fingers. Making more messes and mistakes than I used to.

You Are Here II

I hope that my art frees my soul and connects with others.
You can see more of Kim Hambric on her website, her blog, or in her shop.

Something-New Sunday

Grrrr. . .

Finally, Wolfgang von Biggenbad is all done! After much delay, he's in the shop now.

He's an insufferable flirt with perpetual dog breath, 

but he has his sweet qualities as well.

Hope you like him.

We've made a resolution here on The Cart to have at least one something new to offer every Sunday. Starting today, let's see how many Sunday's in a row we can meet our self-imposed goal. 

Today's Table (In the Works)

Finishing up this week's made-to-order stuff today. It's a different mindset than making a new design. More like putting together a puzzle, or solving a really fun math problem, than creating. It must use a different part of the brain. I like it, as long as I can use the making-something-new part of my brain just as much. We just started doing limited editions (for lack of a better term) last year and have had to figure out where that balance lies. I've discovered that, for me, the perfect number of duplicate pieces is nine. Seiko Cat up there is number 8 of 9 (so I'll only make one more), and Hughes (the pilot bird) is number 6. Our older designs (before I discovered the magic number 9) are being done in editions of 25. That Zoee Bug in the works will be number 19. And that Bone Daddy, which is an open edition, is the 22nd of his kind. As soon as this batch is done, I'll be exercising my brain's other bits by doing something brand new. (Gotta finish those long tall girlies I started last week.) 

Nom-nom-nom!

I just wanted to take a minute to say thank you to everybody who leaves such nice comments on this here blog. Working at home has its rewards, but public interaction isn't one of them. Anyway, I made this toothy mouth thing for all you awesome commenters. Thank you!

Tuesday's Artist: Suzanna Scott

In order to keep my creative tank chugging along I like to fill it with all sorts of visual fuel. This "Tuesday's Artist" thing is my way of sharing some of the artists that inspire and delight me. I asked them to do a little finish-this-sentence sort of mini-interview so we might get to know them a little better.

This week's spotlight is shining on Suzanna Scott. She makes wonderful assemblage and collage pieces. Her work is inspired by "all things old, chipped, cracked, worn, dusty, used, found, buried, designed, loved, pieced, intricate, aged and transfigured." I'm a big fan of tiny art (I just think it's more intimate somehow) and Suzanna does tiny very well. She's also quite adept at combining seemingly disparate ingredients in a cohesive way, while still maintaining a definitely playful quality.

She says-

•If I wasn't an artist maybe I'd be a librarian. At least that's what I want to be when I grow up.

•Today, I'm listening to Kansas Public Radio. Classical music is something Lizzie (my 6 year old studio mate) and I can both agree on. 

•I'm really good at thrifting. Practice makes perfect! 

•I'd like to be better at using a sewing machine. I thrifted a vintage Singer sewing machine and I can't seem to find a few quiet hours to get down to business with it. One day soon perhaps. (**sigh**)

•When I was a kid I was a middle child. ('nuff said)

•I hate it when my coffee gets cold before I have a chance to drink it.

•My workspace is always in a state of organized chaos. 

•Right now, I'm really into Instagram. If you have an iPhone you absolutely have to check it out!

•I hope that my art speaks for itself 'cuz I've never been good at talking about my own work.

Suzanna Scott has two shops-- one for her art objects and one for her vintage finds. 

Or you can visit her on her blog, Instagram, or Twitter (@SushipotArt).

Happy Independence Day!

Today's Table (In the Works)

I like to work in threes. Today I'm working on 3 long tall girls, 

each with a little companion that I'll have to make some sort of carrying device for.

Right now I'm getting ready to iron all those strips of fabric that'll be sewn into skirts for them. I always like digging through my fabric stash looking for coordinating colors. I'm happy to say that my stash has gotten significantly smaller than it once was-- I'm down to one and a half bins! No, not giant bins, but regular ole respectable-sized ones. I'm happy too that yesterday I managed to get all that wayward fabric folded and the wee little scrappy bits contained in their own bag. Happy because now my fabric stash looks like it really should be added too, necessitating a trip to any number of online fabric shops.