Cart Before The Horse

Today's Table

2012-01-27T08:43:00.000-08:00

Made some headway on Alice and company over the past couple of days.

It's always fun to work on something new!

These wolfy twins are well on their separate ways now, one to nearby Washington and one to faraway Finland. I couldn't help but snap a picture of them before sending them along though. Little Red's gonna miss them. She had them quite well trained. I think she has some sort of super treats in that basket of hers.

Today's Table

2012-01-25T14:21:00.000-08:00

Here are some snaps from this morning's worktable. Cirque kitty is heading to Detroit today. The wolfy twins are drawn but waiting on paint, and the owl is painted but waiting on shading (and feet and wings, of course). As soon as they're done I get to (finally) turn my attention back to the cast of Wonderland! That bowling pin looking thing will become the queen. I know she looks rather unintimidating in her undies, but she'll be a real handful by the time she's done.

What silliness are you up to today?

Free Fat Quarter Blog Hop

2012-01-24T00:11:00.000-08:00

Yay for new fabric!

Lynn over at Fibra Artysta is hosting a little blog hop this week

and she's giving away fat quarters of her newly-designed fabric at every stop.

Lynn says:

"I never feel more connected to my art then when I print my own fabric. The only down side to it is that I often find myself wishing I had the space to print yardage and to duplicate the ones that I fall madly in love with. Now with Spoonflower I can! And not only that, I can make it available for anyone else who finds it interesting and inspiring! There’s no better way to celebrate the opening of a new shop then to do a giveaway and not only ONE giveaway but FIVE!"

So go visit Lynn's new Spoonflower shop and pick out which print you like best, then leave a comment on this blog post and you’ll be in the running to win a free fat quarter of your choice. Easy!

(And make sure you visit all the blogs on the blog hop for a better chance to win.)

Monday's blog is Lynn Krawczyk's.

Tuesday's blog is. . . this one!

Wednesday's blog is Kelli Nina Perkins's.

Thursday's blog is Judy Coates Perez's.

Friday's blog is Judi Hurwitt's.

I'll draw a random winner on February 1st.

Good luck!

Today's Table (In the Works)

2012-01-23T12:48:00.000-08:00

These started projects became finished over the weekend.

This particular batch is heading to Germany.

Spaß haben, little beasties.

Today I'm making a little robot like this one-

First I have to paper mache her boxy costume. I already cut and assembled the cardboard bits, and now I'll cover it in several layers of paper towels painted with white glue. Not any ole paper towels will do though. I specifically like the scratchy brown ones that you might find in elementary schools. I had a big stash of them that lasted for years that I had gotten from the university I went to. When I started running low I was known to load up on long sheets whenever I'd come across them at gas stations and the like, but hadn't found a place to get entire rolls. Then one lucky day I spotted them at a restaurant supply store while preparing for a party. I was way too excited to find them!

Speaking of paper mache projects, have you seen this amazing one?

It was made by Kim Graham and 25 voluteers in Seattle.

You can see in-progress pictures on her website here.

A New Toy

2012-01-21T10:00:00.000-08:00

Figured out how to work my new button/badge/pin maker! It was actually really easy (except that I'm having to cut those tiny circles out with scissors because the circle cutter is super spendy). I spent way too long figuring out how to do the graphics though. I miss my old program. It was a casualty of the computer crash. We tried to re-install it on the new computer, but it wasn't compatible. So we got the new version of the same program, only it's completely different and doesn't do a lot of the things that I want it to. Grrr! So I'm trying to learn my way around yet another new thing. I keep telling myself that it's good to learn new things. Right? Must be good, because those buttons are just the cutest little things!

We have a winner. . .

2012-01-20T14:44:00.000-08:00

. . . and another winner! And another winner!

These three got picked random-like from all the entries to win Tiny Alice. So three tiny Alices are underway. Thanks to everyone for playing, and a big thank you for all the sweetness!

Today's Table (In the Works)

2012-01-19T07:42:00.000-08:00

Lots of wings. And other things.

Two more days. . .

2012-01-18T10:53:00.000-08:00

Play here.

Today's Table

2012-01-17T14:13:00.000-08:00

Amidst the chaos that is Today's Table, this merry group waits to be packed up. Yesterday was a postal holiday, so we got to spend an extra day playing together.

There was a bit of an impromptu parade for the benefit of Little Red, who was in an uncharacteristically bad mood. And while this particular Little Red is never exactly ebullient, she was nevertheless amused. (That pouty little cloud is another story altogether. Nothing cheers him up.)

Speaking of grumpy clouds, we actually got some snow here this morning! It was pretty and fluffy and silent. But now it's raining again, and the prettiness has become somewhat mud-caked. Hopefully Mother Nature will give a nod to all those kids praying for a snow day and bring back the flakes.

Today's Table (In the Works)

2012-01-13T10:48:00.000-08:00

Those three over on the left look a little too conspiratorial for my comfort. Good thing they're flying out of here today. One of those three is the second-to-last Cielo Bird. The very last one of the series of 9 is right behind him (her?) on the table in a less dignified state of doneness. Naturally I'll have to design a new baby-faced birdy. Or two. Two sounds better. Everybody needs a friend.

What colors should the next ones be?

More stuff?

2012-01-11T23:08:00.000-08:00

Hooray, I got a new toy! Can you guess what it is? I'll give you a hint:

With this, I can make super cool itty bitty things like some of my favorite Etsy people.

Like Ckuhwald-

Or ilovegreyskies-

Or PearsonMaron-

I'm resisting playing with it until everything is checked off my current list though.

How totally mature of me, right?

Today's Table (In the Works)

2012-01-09T09:14:00.000-08:00

Here's a little peak at what's on today's table.

This batch will get their arms and wings and be on their way this afternoon. Dylan and I are both really surprised (but happy) that people are still wanting Santas and Christmas ornaments.

That didn't happen last year.

I thought it would be fun to snap pictures of a week's worth of tables. The following pictures are of the tables that greeted me in the morning every day this week (besides Friday and Saturday on account of I took those days off).

Monday

Tuesday

Wednesday

Thursday

Sunday

Monday (today)

Now I have to put Alice and friends aside for a little while I finish a batch of made-to-order stuff.

A big batch of stuff. A dauntingly big batch of stuff. Wish me luck!

Simple Mod Paper Mobile

2012-01-07T12:50:00.000-08:00

I'm forever redecorating my mantle. It's a super quick fix to changing the look of the room, and it satisfies some sort of home-designing need in me without costing me too much time or money. And once the Christmas mantle was put away I had to fill that space with something, right? So I borrowed our Cart sign from the studio, slapped some white paint on that big househead sculpture that I made in college that has been living in the closet, and found a place for my new ukulele. But is still was lacking something. I was thinking that maybe something hanging from the ceiling would be nice. So I got to tinkering and came up with this--

All I did was take a bunch of my cardstock scraps and cut them into a variety of strips. Then I glued them to embroidery floss with white glue, and glued another little bit of paper on top. Like so--

Then I made more and let them dry overnight.

This morning, I tied a heavy beads to the bottoms to give them a bit of weight, and I was done. I just pinned them to the ceiling using clear push pins.

I like them! And they spin prettily with any breeze.

Draw Some Birds

2012-01-04T09:35:00.000-08:00

**Images via The Graphics Fairy**

Can't draw? Sure you can!

I like to try at least one new thing every day. Sometimes it's a new food or recipe. Sometimes a new technique or tool. A new chord on my new ukulele. Or maybe it's a new route when I walk the dogs. Today it's a different scented candle than I usually pick (which is vanilla). It's the little things.

What new thing will you try today?

Today's Table (In the Works)

2012-01-03T15:37:00.000-08:00

Our latest cast of Wonderland characters is in the works. There's a queen around here somewhere too, but she's waiting for Dylan to give her a bottom. They obviously still have a long way to go. And I've yet to begin tackling the Mad Hatter's hat. I'll let you know how it goes.

Hope your new year is off to a good start!

Hello, 2012. It's a Give-Away!

2012-01-01T09:38:00.000-08:00

I was trying to think of a nice way to kick off the New Year, and giving something away seemed like just the thing. And as I'm currently elbow deep in creating a new cast of Wonderland characters, and I'm hoping 2012 is a Wonder-full year, Alice seemed a fitting candidate. So we're giving away a hand-painted Alice dolly that can be a necklace or an ornament.

And since giving something away seemed good,

giving away three somethings seemed even better!

3 chances. 3 winners. 3 tiny Alice dollies.

Just leave a comment for a chance to win your very own handpainted Alice.

If you spread the word (blog/twitter/facebook/whatever) leave another comment for another chance.

If you're a follower (or become one) leave another comment for another chance.

We'll randomly pick 3 winners on Friday, January 20.

Good luck!

May the new year bring
The warmth of home and hearth to you,
The cheer and goodwill of friends to you,
And the delight of a childlike heart to you.

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

All done now.

And the winners are here.

Thank you all for playing!

So long, 2011.

2011-12-31T11:41:00.000-08:00

I can't tell you what naked anthropomorphic pigs and a little mushroom house

have to do with the New Year, but how could I resist their undeniable charms?

Don't forget to kiss your sweetheart at Midnight.

If you have no sweetheart, kiss yourself.

Christmas, Time, and Goodbyes

2011-12-30T15:12:00.000-08:00

It feels like it's been a month since I last visited this here blog space. This past week just slipped away. So much has been going on. Christmas morning came and went, as Christmases always do.

Unfortunately, there was a certain sadness that hung over the festivities. I've debated whether or not to share this with you all because I try to keep this blog arty and happy and positive, but in the interest of reality I'm sharing anyway. We had to say a very sudden and unexpected goodbye to one of Boy Kid's oldest and dearest friends.

When College Girl found out that Joe had died she was as shocked as the rest of us and pretty much summed it up when she said, "But he was the best one!" He was such a nice kid. We've had the pleasure of knowing him since the boys were eight years old, and he always had a certain peace about him, an old soul kind of thing. I was remembering Boy Kid's 11th birthday party. It was a camp out. Campfire, tents, lots of running around getting dirty and whatnot. Joe was there along with maybe 10 other boys. Boys + Vast Quantities of Sugar + Fire tends to easily turn crazy, and sure enough chaos was beginning reign. I distinctly remember being all parent-like and thinking I'd better do something to diffuse the situation before it got completely Lord of the Flies when I looked over at Joe who was standing just outside the shenanigans looking quite amused. He looked back at me and shook his head, smiling, in a distinctly "boys will be boys" sort of way. He looked downright wise. Such a funny look from a little kid. We miss him already. And as we say goodbye to 2011, we say goodbye to Joe.

Getting Ready

2011-12-19T18:04:00.000-08:00

I used the tutorial for this wreath here. . .

. . .to make some holiday cheer for my previously naked front door. I used fatter strips and went with a more traditional color palette, and while my version isn't as cool as the original, I still like it. And it's just made with a paper bag, so yay for free! (I actually used 2 bags, and had so many strips left over that I made a paper chain too.)

I used the bag handles to fashion a bow.

Almost ready for the jolly guy's visit.

Time Off

2011-12-16T08:08:00.000-08:00

The last of the orders will go out today, and then we'll officially be on vacation! I've been collecting tutorials here and there in anticipation of having a little time to play.

Today I'll be making a wreath for my naked front door like this one here. . .

And I'm pretty sure I need to raid my scrap bin in order

to make some reusable bows for presents, like these. . .

And this is just too darn clever not to make. . .

And some eyeball juggling balls for stocking stuffers? Yes please!

So I don't exactly need more ornaments, but who could resits the cuteness of this?

And cuteness that inspires extra kissing?? Oh yes.

I actually already made these. . .

I hung mine all snowball-like in a neglected corner.

And they weren't terribly hard to figure out.

Right now I'm cutting paper snowflakes for the front windows. I got it in my head that if I covered them front and back with clear contact paper I could use them year after year, and after much trial and even more error I seem to have it figured out. (Apparently, sticking two really long sheets of contact paper together in an attempt to be efficient only results in frustration, torn snowflakes, and curse words.)

Whee!

Last Day. Today.

2011-12-15T00:01:00.000-08:00

Our shop will be open for one last day, today,

and then we'll be taking a break until after Christmas.

We're already not taking on any more made-to-order stuff, but there are still lots of ornaments, paper dolls, garlands, patterns, and a handful of hand-painted things left too.

I seriously cannot remember when I had more than 2 days off in a row. It has been years. Years! And as much as I enjoy my work (and I really really do), I'm doing silly little time-off dances in between filling the last of the orders. Oh yes, there is much shaking of the booty.

Our shop will close today at Midnight (EST).

Get 'em while the gettin's good!

*tick tock*

The Dark Side of Christmas

2011-12-11T14:51:00.000-08:00

Around here, worst case scenario, naughty children can expect a lump of coal in their stockings in lieu of presents. Santa's kind of a pushover like that. Not so for children expecting a visit from Saint Nicholas. Apparently, traditionally speaking, Good Saint Nick has a rather nasty sidekick, Krampus.

Krampus is a sort of anti-Santa, a demon who comes to punish children who misbehave during the year. Krampus Night is celebrated on the eve of St. Nicholas Day in Europe, particularly in Austria. NPR's Peter Crimmins writes, "The Krampus is a character from European Alpine folklore, common in Austria and Switzerland. The creature stands on two hooves and has horns growing out of its skull. An extremely long tongue hangs out of its mouth, and it carries a basket to haul away naughty children. For hundreds of years, the Krampus and Saint Nicholas have worked a kind of good cop-bad cop routine. Saint Nick rewards the good children; Krampus terrorizes the bad. "

Yikes!

How would you like to go to this cheery parade on Christmas Eve?

Oh Santa, say it ain't so!

2011-12-08T22:55:00.000-08:00

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

Okay fine Santa-dear,

drink and smoke if you must. . .

. . .but if you bring me an ironing board for Christmas, we're through!

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas!

2011-12-06T13:55:00.000-08:00

It's looking mighty holly and jolly, merry and bright, joyful and triumphant around here.

Our tree is still naked though. Apparently my lights were having their own party whilst tucked away in their box because most of them have somehow managed to burn themselves out. Curious.

Hope you're all having a joy-full day.

Or at least a day that contains a little bit of joy.

If not, here, you can have some of mine.

(It's the kind of thing that gets bigger as you give it away.)

Something-New Sunday

2011-12-04T04:06:00.000-08:00

Ta-dah!

here

I had all these designs that I had originally made to be printed onto cloth and made into little stuffed ornaments (which we did), but I was looking at them and thinking what cool garlands they'd make so we got them printed up on some good cardstock too (that's what yesterday's pictures were of). Snip, snip, snip, thread them on some skinny ribbon, and voila-- garlandic goodness! Those last Santas are currently adorning our living room curtains. Those crazy skellies might have to stay up all year in the studio.

What do you think? Do you have a favorite?

Almost. . .

2011-12-03T08:35:00.000-08:00

Looks like we'll have a Something-New Sunday tomorrow!

Here's a peek at what I've been up to. . .

What am I doing with all these pages?

I'll show you later.

Little Gift Tags for You

2011-12-01T10:42:00.000-08:00

I had planned to ring in the new month in style.* I wanted to have my mantle decorated all merry-like and share the happy pictures. However, yesterday was one of those days. You know the ones. The kind of day that really should just be spent napping, snacking, and watching old movies. But I ignored the day's obvious destiny, and mistakenly got out of bed. Bad move. Every little thing went wrong, the culmination of which was when the fully decorated mantle came crashing to the tile floor. There wasn't even any cussing left in me by that point. I just sighed, drooped my shoulders, and began cleaning up all the very many tiny bits of shattered glass. I know, pitiful.

But today is new day! And I have a feeling its gonna be a good one. The fact that the sun is shining beautifully is icing on what's sure to be good-day cake. And what better way to celebrate a good day than with presents? And you're surely gonna need some adorable gift tags for those presents,

so here you go. . .

I like to print them on adhesive paper so I can use them like stickers.

I hope none of you are having one of those days.

And if you are, I hope tomorrow is better.

*If you wanna make God laugh, tell Him your plans.

Scenes from Today's Table. . .

2011-11-28T11:14:00.000-08:00

Everything was all sunshine and roses 'til the alligator got his accordion back.

Today's Table (In the Works)

2011-11-26T10:12:00.000-08:00

It's looking mighty buggy on the table today.

There's a bat, an alligator, and donkey in there too.

Zoee Bug is sold out now. . .

. . .and so is her friend Zora.

I'm still happy to make them similar-but-different for you, with changes in coloring. (I think they'd look especially merry with peppermint-striped horns.) I always like it when people request color changes to existing designs, then I get to see what they'd look like too. And sometimes I get to do

something I'd not normally do (like use purple).

We've had company for the past week, and amidst existing orders and general merriment have been too busy to finish any new designs. We do have some in the works though. Speaking of which, I'd better get back to it. I tried leaving everything out on the table last night, all Elves and the Shoemaker like, but they were still all here in varying states of undoneness when I got up this morning.
I guess elves don't like mince meat pie any more than I do.

Happy Thanksgiving!

2011-11-23T15:20:00.000-08:00

We're cooking up a storm! Pies have been cooking all day. Two pumpkins and a mince meat (whatever that is). The rutabagas are done. I'll be chopping up a bunch of mushrooms in a minute and sauteing them ahead of time for tomorrow's gravy and green bean casserole. Our refrigerator has never been so full! It's confused. Oh yes, there are lists. All the grandparents, half the aunts and uncles, and College Girl's beau will be here for dinner. I love a full table!

I hope you're all finding plenty to be thankful for this weekend.

One of the things I'm thankful for is you. Thanks!

Scenes from Today's Table

2011-11-21T13:34:00.000-08:00

So we got a new computer, hooray! So far we've been available to retrieve absolutely nothing from the old one, boo! So we're daily discovering what we no longer have, which isn't as fun as it sounds. We're slowly getting there though with a lot of help from College Girl, yay!

Meanwhile, we're in full swing here on the ole Cart. Feels like Santa's workshop. With pumpkins.

Of course we'll be taking a couple of days off to enjoy Thanksgiving with the family.

We have lots to be grateful for.

Bummer

2011-11-17T08:07:00.000-08:00

We're having some technical difficulties here on the ol' Cart. Apparently, our computer dropped dead -- completely and undeniably dead -- a couple of days ago. Dead dead. Like they can't retrieve anything off of it dead. No art, no pictures, no itunes, no Dylan's videos, no the-thing-that-makes-me-be-able-to-get pictures-off-my-camera, no pdf quilt patterns that I just bought, no anything.

Døde, мертвый, νεκρός, muerto, dead.

sigh.

Just Plain Ol' Sunday

2011-11-13T21:13:00.000-08:00

Been too busy this week to finish anything new for Something-New Sunday, but we finished lots of other stuff. Dylan has been especially busy! He's in charge of making all our little printed-and-stuffed-stuff. They've been flying out the door! This is just (a photoshopped version of) the past couple of days' bounty. (Minus the little fish on top, they belong to unseen foxes.)

Dylan could use an elf or two.

We've got a couple of new pieces in the works though.

Maybe next Sunday. . .

Today's Table (In the Works)

2011-11-10T22:50:00.000-08:00

A fleet of foxes, among other things, in the works-

Making a wooden mess too.

Hoping to get some new designs underway tomorrow.

Maybe even something merry and bright.

Any suggestions??

Driven to Distraction

2011-11-09T09:14:00.000-08:00

Num nums?

Got a bunch of orders for tiny skellies this past week. The last of the limited editions, and some custom ones too. I'm always happy to customize our existing designs. I think these skelly couples would make the cutest wedding cake toppers, don't you? Well, if they had toothpicks tied to their feet or something.

While making all their little skirts, I couldn't help but play with them.

Sometimes I get distracted by my own silliness.

Just Playing

2011-11-08T08:03:00.000-08:00

Finding my way around Photoshop.

Tuzy and Lulu

This is what my dogs would look like if they had people bodies.

And they lived a long time ago. And they liked to wear clothes.

Something-New Sunday

2011-11-06T19:09:00.000-08:00

Remember this post?

Well, these papery thingys. . .

. . .got printed up on cloth, sewn, stuffed, and became these ornaments!

We made bunches of little stuffed ornaments from cloth we had printed up.

We made oval portrait-style ones too.

Also finished all those owls I've been working on.

Here are the wintery white ones-

Aiden, Albany, and Avery

And here are the moonlit night ones-

Harlequin, Hadley, and Hamlet

And here they're all looking over the living room intently, having taken over my little shelves.

You can find all the ornaments and all the owls

(as well as lots and lots of other stuff) in our Etsy shop here.

Now I'm off to finish editing all the listings that Dylan spent all day making. It seems like no matter how done something seems, there's always more to do.

Owls, Silly Words, and Persistence

2011-11-05T12:10:00.000-07:00

Today I'm working on finishing up this group of owls in time for Something-New Sunday. Did you know that a group of owls is called a parliament? I have a deeply nerd-like love of old fashioned collective nouns. Most animals are represented, and lots of birds. There are the commonly known ones, like a group of crows is a murder or geese hang out in a gaggle, but there are all sorts of silly words for animalistic gatherings. Like a pandemonium of parrots, and array of hedgehogs, or (one of my favorites) a smack of jellyfish. Who says this isn't an educational blog?

The newest owly additions to The Cart were inspired by the little owl painting I made for

My Owl Barn's calendar project.

Some days the designs fly fast and furious, right on the mark. But other days, erasers are my best friends. And yesterday was one of those eraser-friendly days. I must've drawn and erased those owls' details 50 times before finally painting them in. There was a fair amount of repainting going on as well. I'm finally happy with the results though. I'm nothing if not persistent.

Today's Table (Everybody's Waiting)

2011-11-02T16:06:00.000-07:00

Deers are waiting for their photo shoot.

A bunch of printed-and-stuffed stuff is waiting for me to figure out how I want to hang them.

The last moose is waiting for paint. . .

. . . and so are a bunch of owls, while a star and a strange creature wait for details.

Everybody is waiting on me.

(But not the good kind of "waiting on me" that's usually followed by "hand and foot.")

Trick-or-Treat!

2011-10-31T00:41:00.000-07:00

Kindergarten Pumpkins from Deep Space Sparkle

Happy Halloween!

Getting in the Mood

2011-10-29T21:19:00.000-07:00

Took our annual trip to the pumpkin patch today, woohoo!

So many pumpkins to choose from. . .

. . . but I went with good ole orange. Three of 'em! And I carved them up, stuck in some stick arms and a carrot nose. . . and voila, it's a Pumpkinman! I haven't bought any little candles yet, so for now Pumpkinman is empty inside. So sad.

Got the house's outsides ready for attracting trick-or-treaters too.

A plastic tablecloth + scissors + tape = cheap and easy Halloweeny windows.

Busted out my favorite non-perishable pumpkins (and a crow) today too, so the mantle is adequately festive. (That paper cut thingy was done by College Girl for Dylan's last birthday. She's so cool.)

Even Lulu and Tuzy are getting into the spirit.

(Not really. Really, I'm just a dork with access to Photoshop.)

Hope I get lots of trick-or-treaters!

But not sooo many so that I run out of candy and end up having to give some disappointed kid something lame like. . .oh, I dunno. . . canned soup?

Have any of you ever run out of candy? What does one do in such a situation?

Turn out all the lights and hide?

Daytrippin'

2011-10-27T12:10:00.001-07:00

We took a day trip to see College Girl on Sunday.

10 hours roundtrip for a 6-hour vist. Totally worth it. Love that girl!

Owl Make My Own Calendar

2011-10-25T11:04:00.000-07:00

Shivani over at My Owl Barn has put together a cool project for you to play with. It's a collaborative effort between My Owl Barn and 45 different artists. You get to pick your favorites and print out a little calendar. Or make lots of little calendars. You could also make them into owlicious cards or gift tags, circling the date of the gifting occasion. Lots of possibilities! I printed my selections on regular computer paper and then cut them out and glued them to pretty cardstock, rounding the corners. These are the ones I picked: (Yes, I included my own owls. Is that lame?)

January, February, March. . .

April, May, June. . .

July, August, September. . .

October, November, December. . .

The October one would make great invitations

to a Halloween party, don't you think?

Plus, My Owl Barn is having a give-away! Go here to enter.

Something-New Sunday

2011-10-23T08:55:00.000-07:00

Here. . .

. . .here. . .

. . .and here.

Two new one-of-a-kinds and a one-of-nine.

I am having way too much fun over here!

Sneaky Peeky

2011-10-22T20:16:00.000-07:00

Here's a little sneak peek at tomorrow's Something-New(s).

I wholeheartedly embraced my own silliness this week.

(As opposed to all those other weeks. Oh, wait. . .)

Thinking Pink

2011-10-21T10:47:00.000-07:00

It's Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

Let's all pay some attention to our boobies.

An Uncharacteristically Wordy Post

2011-10-19T14:40:00.000-07:00

I received the following email a couple days ago. We get asked variations of this question often enough that I wanted to share.

Hi Jo of Dylan & Jo,

First let me say I LOVE your creature creations. I follow your Blog and have you as a friend on Facebook, your artist page too "Cart Before The Horse."

I was recently given a sign ***let's say*** that it's time to kick start my artist life into full gear (by way of a lay-off) but I've been unhappy for some time just too afraid to make the leap. I'm a commercial interior designer by trade but an artist all my life. I must say you really inspire me and I hope I'm not being too forward -- I'd love to ask a question ???

How long did it take you and Dylan to really start seeing that this would be a way for you to have all the fun you're having and "make a living" ? I know it's different for different people.

Thank you for your time!

This is what I replied:

First of all, thank you! I'm thrilled to be of inspiration :)

This is a tricky question! I'll can only share our experiences with "making the leap".

We moved to Oregon from Florida in 2003 with nothing but our stuff. No jobs lined up, no real plan, just the need to make a change. Dylan had always dreamed of making a living from home, but I wanted a steady paycheck, thinking it offered some sort of security. (As anybody who has been laid off can attest, this just isn't true.) I quickly got a couple of jobs, while Dylan stayed at home with the kids. I started making little paintings in my spare time and Dylan figured out how to sell them on ebay. It was a nice little added amount of money, but not significant enough to quit working full time. He chugged away at learning internet stuff and doing his share of helping with the art, while I felt the pressure of being the bread-winner (something he had done for the first ten years of our kids' lives).

Slowly but surely we were finding a niche for ourselves artistically speaking. Chug, chug, chug. . . Fast forward to three years later. . . The arty stuff had evolved and we started to get a following. I was making almost as much with the art as I was working, and work got less and less satisfying on account of I always wanted to be making art instead. It was Dylan who pushed me to quit my day job and pursue art full time. Seriously, he had been working on me for more than a year before I finally caved. It was really scary! But we did it, and continue to make a living doing what we love 5 years later.

The "living" we make isn't particularly grand, and there are always money concerns, but it was like that we were were gainfully employed too. Most of the year we live week-to-week. There is no 401k plan or health insurance. No fancy car or house on the hill. The thing is, it's not so hard being a little poor when you love what you do. I know plenty of miserable rich people. And I wouldn't trade the time I've been able to spend with my kids for anything. Any. Thing. We try to live within our means, recognize the difference between WANTS and NEEDS, and take comfort in the fact that in a couple of years our kids will be grown and we can live like paupers so we can manage to save up some money :)

Dylan recently did an interview for some magazine that really fits this conversation, so I'll just quote him:

He was asked, "What suggestions or words of encouragement do you have for people who want to support themselves with their art or any creative endeavor for that matter?"

And he said, "It's worth it. Even if you never make a lot of money, even if it only provides a supplemental income, it's worth it. Using your talents is rewarding in itself. Suggestions? Work like the devil's chasing you. Work like it's sink or swim. Work, work, work! It doesn't take a certain amount of time to reach your goals, it takes a certain amount of work. Then it's time to set your goals higher and work some more. But if you're doing what you love, it won't feel like work. . .at least most of the time. It's a very rewarding life to see your ideas become reality."

Dylan's good with words. Which, if you knew him, you would find funny on account of he's a really quiet guy.

I hope this helps at all. Best of luck!

Today's Table (In the Works)

2011-10-18T09:56:00.000-07:00

Today's table is all over the place. Kind of like my days lately. This year is going so quickly. It doesn't seem all that long ago that I posted this bony guy. . .

. . .but it was exactly one year ago today.

"Time flies. It's up to you to be the navigator."

-Robert Orben

Something-New Sunday

2011-10-16T15:22:00.000-07:00

Finished up a couple of one-of-a-kind ornaments this week.

They're strawberrylicious!

here

and

here

(I like the pink one best.)

Lots more new designs in the works too,

but we've gotten a bit sidetracked by filling orders.

Hope you're all having a

strawberrylicious Sunday!

Design Day and Down South

2011-10-13T10:26:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was a design day, wheee! Lots of new beasties in the works. Designs start with little sketches, then become templates (like these) which Dylan traces onto fabric. Then he sews, turns, stuffs (while watching some sort of entertainment on the computer), and hands them over to me. Blank and full of possibilities!

In other news. . .

Our goodies will be joining lots of other goodness down South next weekend. So if you're in the Atlanta area you should go and have some fun.

Today's Table (and Today's Shelf)

2011-10-11T13:23:00.000-07:00

Playing with paper and paint again for something to be announced later. . .

And I couldn't help but snap a picture of the now-packed-up beasties as they said their goodbyes to the permanent Cart residents.

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

So, it's halfway through October and I haven't braved the garage (strictly Dylan's domain) to dig out the Halloween box. It's on today's list. And maybe making some big cut-out silhouettes for the windows might be in order. I'll have to think on it. How about you? Any Halloween going-ons at your houses yet?

2-D

2011-10-08T10:00:00.000-07:00

Playing with paper and paint in between making orders. It's always fun to do something different, even though it's not exactly way outta my wheelhouse. These designs are a first step in something new we'll be making.

The rainy season (aka Not Summer) is upon us here in the beautiful Pacific Northwest. The darkened days have me once again dreaming about lamps of all shapes and sizes for the studio.

What are you dreaming about today?

Always Thinkin' Ahead

2011-10-05T02:18:00.000-07:00

Took a little break from Halloweeny stuff today to design something new for next month. We love Spoonflower! Working on some more sew-and-stuff stuff that'll be less oval-shaped too.

Whee!

Tick Tock. . .

2011-10-03T12:21:00.000-07:00

Halloween's just around the corner!

Wait? What?? Halloween's just around the corner? It's October already???

We were super busy this week, making stuff to go here and there. Most of the above goodies are packed up now, but I had to snap a picture of them enjoying each other's company before tucking them into their boxes. They just looked to festive! The big girls were loathe to let go of their tiny wards. There were tears, lots of goodbye hugs, and bribes of cupcakes.

Lots of them (and many more) are headed to New York to accompany Jen O'Connor on her Earth Angels' adventures. If your looking to buy a piece from us that is sold out, Jen's a good one to check with; she just might have it.

Something-New Sunday

2011-10-02T17:16:00.000-07:00

I stepped out of the box a bit this week and made a little box-shaped something new.

I think she looks like a drawing, but she's all paint.

You can see more (or even buy her) here.

Today's Table (In the Works)

2011-09-30T10:30:00.000-07:00

I like this last picture. Looks like Cielo Bird is thinking colorful thoughts.

I think colorful thoughts. A lot. Sometimes words completely fail to capture them.

That's why I do the art thing.

Embroidery Pattern and More Lulu

2011-09-28T20:44:00.000-07:00

Here's another little embroidery pattern for you, chock full of witchy goodness.

(You can click here for a pdf version.)

And here's more Lulu, watching for signs of Autumn.

Something-New Sunday

2011-09-25T14:21:00.000-07:00

Trickety is the latest something-new.

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

And speaking of something new, The Cart got a new member today!

Hello, Lulu!

The senior management (aka Tuzy the Wonderfluff) isn't quite sure what to make of this new addition yet, but I'm sure they'll be the best of friends in no time.

A Day Off

2011-09-24T21:58:00.000-07:00

Dylan and I haven't had a day off in weeks, so yesterday we loaded up the tent, our dog, and Boy Kid and headed to the coast. We pitched a tent in my folks yard, with not a plan except to make a nice dinner, look at some stars, and take a soak in their hot tub (which we are both now in agreement that we really must have at some future point in our lives). It was heavenly. This morning we woke up late and very leisurely did whatever the heck we wanted. For Boy Kid that meant time with friends, Dylan headed to the beach, and I picked some blackberries with my Papa Steve so that he could turn them into blackberry jam.

This is (part of) my folks' yard. See that hedge-looking thing just beyond the grassy field? Well, those are blackberry bushes. Gazillions of them.

The targets. . .

Papa Steve + a big plank of wood = endless possibilities.

Truth be told, I didn't do a whole lot of berry picking. I pricked my wee little girly fingers one too many times and designated myself as official bucket-carrier. Papa Steve has manly hands hands though. Purple-stained, crooked-pinkied, manly hands.

After a while I wandered off in search of pretty things to snap pictures of. . .

. . . and might have helped myself to some strawberries fresh from the garden.

Wheee!

We're back to The Cart now, and I'm putting the finishing touches on tomorrow's Something-New. What is it, you ask? Well, I'll give you a hint. . .His favorite color is orange, he has long ears, and he only eats candy corn. And no, its' not Dylan. I'll be back tomorrow evening to alleviate what I can only imagine is the pain of suspense.

Scenes From the Studio-- Show and Tell

2011-09-22T13:56:00.000-07:00

Lots of stuff waiting to be finished. This whole batch is headed to NY. And my headphones. If you look very closely you can see where Dylan has screwed them back together, twice, after they've been sat on. Still, I love them. They keep my ears entertained while my hands are otherwise occupied.

Little Red is dubious about the latest batch's intentions.

Cirque Kitty, Paperhand Lincoln, and Tomato Queen keeping watch over the proceedings.

Mooses (moose? meese? moosen?) waiting for paint, and a pretty owl about to be sent to Massachusetts.

Piles of moose antlers, a genetically engineered curiosity, and reference for our next project. (Serious brownie points if you can guess who's next.)

~~Work, work, work.~~ Play, play, play!

Feeling Stitchy

2011-09-21T16:12:00.000-07:00

I'm sort of lusting over all the gorgeous contemporary embroidery out there right now. So different than the kittens grandmothers would embroider on pillow cases (although I love those too). I haven't had time to bust out the embroidery hoop lately (or ever, truth be told. I don't even own and embroidery hoop.) But that doesn't stop me from daydreaming about it. And apparently it doesn't stop me from making a pattern to share. Thought I'd do something a little Halloweeny on account of that's where my brain is at right now. Plus, October is right around the corner.

You can just click and save, or we put it here as a pdf.

And here are some gorgeous examples of stitchery goodness

so that you might join me in my covetous ways. . .

sometimesiswirl, 100Ladies, whimsiology,

Moxiedoll, marysgranddaughter,

GoldFools, rebeccajaynedagger, takofibers.

And speaking of Feeling Stitchy, have you seen very cool blog with that name?

True, I need another medium like I need less hours in a day, but a girl can dream.

What creative thing are you dreaming about having time for?

Something-New Sunday

2011-09-18T16:36:00.000-07:00

Moose!

You can see more of our friendly moose head here.

Moose was Boy Kid's favorite word when he was little. He just liked the way it sounded and used it as an all-purpose sentiment, sort of the way a Californian might use Dude. Got a cool new skateboard? Moose! Scrape your knee on aforementioned skateboard? Moose! Get grounded for not wearing knee pads while skateboarding? Moose.

How about you? Do you have any all-purpose words?

On the Table(s) and Higher Places

2011-09-17T10:23:00.000-07:00

First step is designing. Then sewing, turning, stuffing. Then base painting. That's the stage these are at, getting ready to be stained (step 4). I like to play with all the little bits and pieces at this stage, arranging them all tidy-like. There's something very satisfying about orderly objects. Speaking of which, have you ever seen the site Things Organized Neatly? It's chock full of tidiness of the silliest (and kinda OCD) variety.

I have an extra table full of stuff this month. My brother and his wife, Yellena, and traveling around Europe right now so we're managing their Etsy shop for a little bit. We've got a bunch of their beautiful prints arranged all tidy-like on another table, waiting to be shipped off around the world as they sell. They're really pretty! We have several of Yellena's prints hanging around the house. One of these days I'll do an featured-artist thing about her.

Not everything in the studio is quite so orderly.

There are a couple of bats that are resisting being packed in their shipping boxes.

They were harder to round up than you might think.

Bats, apparently, are not afraid of heights.

Tuesday's Artist: APAK

2011-09-13T14:24:00.000-07:00

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 APAK. Husband and wife, Aaron Piland and Ayumi Kajikawa Piland make up APAK. And you know I love a husband-and-wife art team! Working here in Portland, they create rich and colorful paintings featuring the Utopian lives and adventures of curious little beings living in fantastic environments. Tiny creatures, imagined forest-scapes, camping. . .what's not to love?

Ayumi says:

If I wasn't an artist maybe I'd be. . .

a sea turtle.

Today, I'm listening to the sound of my baby snoozing.

I'm really good at relaxing in the bath.

I'd like to be better at walking and riding a bike.

When I was a kid I was smarter...

I hate it when I open a bad avocado.

My workspace is comfortably messy.

Right now, I'm really into making my 5-month-old son laugh.

I hope that our art makes you smile :)

You can see more of APAK's charming art on their website or in their Etsy shop.

Something-New Sunday

2011-09-11T19:14:00.000-07:00

Lots of new stuff fresh off The Cart on this unusually hot September day. . .

Finally used those skulls I sculpted weeks ago to make a couple of one-of-a-kind skellies, Catrina and Charles. I especially love how Catrina's flowery crown turned out. I used a couple of different flower punches for the petals and just cut little leaf shapes randomly, then folded, glued, and painted them all up.

Lil Top is another one-of-a-kind,

a black cat who I'm not afraid of despite his somewhat clownish outfit.

Everybody but Ol' Scratch insisted on green eyes this week.

He's apparently too full of fire and brimstone.

Except for his green eyes, Cirque Kitty is all in black, white, and gray.

My latest punkinheads posed nicely for a family portrait. There's Papa Portland, Mama Willamette, and little Salem. (All Oregon names, in case you didn't notice.)

And Barkley got a girlfriend too. He was all smiles meeting Bonita. It was love at first sight.

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

The skeletons are out tonight!

They march about the street

With bony bodies, bony heads

Bony hands and feet.

Bony bony bony bones,

With nothing in between,

Up and down and all around

They march on Hallowe'en.

Today's Line-up

2011-09-09T10:18:00.000-07:00

Here's who's greeting me this morning-

Most of them just want final details, but Skelly Lady (who is currently sans head) in the back is insisting upon a bow-tied beau. I'm on track to have them all done by Sunday.

Meanwhile, our car broke (again) and we've finally resigned ourselves to the fact that the old girl has to be put out to pasture. It's not so bad not having a car most days. Dylan rides his electric bike all over the place. But sometimes I'd like to leave the house too. Wish us luck finding a new-to-us set of wheels. We both hate car shopping. It would be much more fun if we were rich instead of so damn good looking ;) So far we haven't found anyone willing to trade a car for pumpkin heads.

Today's Table (In the Works)

2011-09-06T12:03:00.000-07:00

A bunch of ready-to-go stuff is sitting on the table this morning, waiting to be tucked safely into their cardboard vessels and launched out into the world. (They actually have brethren that are already packed away for their voyages, but Dylan ran out of packing supplies so he's at the store right now rounding up some more.)

I've been happily working on a bunch of new designs too.

My brain is kinda all over the place. So many ideas! I keep wanting to start more and more and more. . .but then the whole self-discipline thing kicks in so I make myself finish what I've started before moving on. I have unwritten rules that I try to stick with (like, no more than 10 unfinished new pieces at a time) in order to maintain some sort of control over the creative beast that lives within.

Something-New Sunday

2011-09-04T16:38:00.000-07:00

I've got that Oingo Boingo song from the 80s stuck in my head. Know the one I'm talking about? Anyway, here's why-

It's a toothy rainbow of skellies! We had fabric made from those skelly designs that I made a couple of weeks ago. Then we took that fabric and cut it and sewed it and stuffed it and added arms and legs and a little loop and. . . Ta-dah!

It's a party!

I've been hanging them all over the house. They're quite friendly.

You can get your very own here.

Sneaky Peeky

2011-09-03T19:00:00.000-07:00

Just a little hint of what's in the works for tomorrow's something-new. . .

Which one do you like best?

Big and Small and Back-To-School

2011-08-31T11:31:00.000-07:00

Been playing with proportions. . .

Taking a handful of Zoee Bug. . .

. . .and turning her into an armful.

○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○

Summer break is coming to a close, and Autumn is starting to show itself in the form of cool breezes and morning fog. Boy Kid will be heading back to school next week. But then he's pretty much been at school for the past 3 weeks in the form of Band Camp. 9+ hours a day of drumming. Then he comes home and drums some more. Tap-tap-tappity!! I've been there too for the past few days, helping to fit all the band kids for their uniforms. Several of the boys look like they stepped right out of a Norman Rockwell painting, all knees and elbows.

I always loved back-to-school time when I was a kid! I still get all happy around fresh new school supplies, picking out the perfect pencils and folders and such. College Girl was the same way. Boy Kid, not so much. He sort of just fills the requirements in the shortest possible amount of time. This is what shopping with him goes like. . .

Me: "Really? Pink sparkly pencils?"

Him: *shrug* "They're pencils. I don't care."

Something-New Sunday

2011-08-28T15:13:00.000-07:00

It's another handful of Halloween!

Jackie Hallow, Jack Hallow, Bella Bones, and Sebastian Bones

(Please pardon my forever-paint-stained fingernails.) I'm having too much fun making these itty bitty dollies! (Way more fun than Dylan's having sewing and stuffing those teeny tiny arms.) We made this batch in small limited editions so more people could play along.

Zoee Bug, Magnetic Bums, and a TV-Headed Puppet

2011-08-26T09:13:00.000-07:00

Making a BIG (and a regular-sized) Zoee Bug this week. I'm kinda liking the weird scale. Might have to make some more jumbo versions. Generally speaking, I like little art. There's something sort of intimate about it. It invites you to come closer and have a good look. It whispers rather than yells.

Also finished this commissioned piece earlier this week. I really like how it turned out! There are super strong magnets sewn into the little people's bottoms, and Dylan incorporated a metal plate into the bench seat, so they sit really nicely. He's so clever!

Speaking of how clever Dylan is, he just made another silly video. This one is just a screen test so he could experiment with filming that TV-headed puppet. But of course he had to add a healthy dose of silliness. That song of his has been stuck in my head for days, so I apologize ahead of time if it gets stuck in yours.

Skellies in Party Hats

2011-08-23T16:17:00.000-07:00

Playing around with a new project. . .

It's a party!

(I'll show you what we're making in a week or two.)

Something-New Sunday

2011-08-21T18:20:00.000-07:00

Here's the latest, fresh of The Cart. . .

This odd little beastie is a Masked Pip.

The first punkinhead of the season! She's masked too.

Her name is Eve, and her winged ride is Hallows.

All the political goings-on are being extra ugly and divisive as of late, so we've had friendly elephants and donkeys on the brain. Apparently, even stuffed heads are more capable of respectful discourse than most.

Here, here, here, and here.

Whether you're red or blue or some sort of polka-dotted anomaly,

we'll still probably like you.

Today's Table (In the Works)

2011-08-19T15:08:00.000-07:00

We've been busy this past couple of weeks, and today's worktable has all sorts of beasties clamoring for my attention. Got several new designs in the works, along with a few commissioned pieces and this week's made-to-orders.

Also took a bit of time this week to design a logo for Jim and Amy's (our bestest friends) new food cart that they're making from scratch. Food carts have quite the following here in Portland, and theirs promises to be a good one. If you're interested in the process, you can see their progress on Jim's brand new blog.

They're gonna be serving Amy's unique take on traditional southern

and Cajun cuisine. What your favorite kind of food?

Circle Hunt

2011-08-18T09:55:00.000-07:00

Just running around the house snapping pictures of circles. I was thinking this would be a fun activity to do with my youngest to teach him basic camera use and editing, plus it's always interesting to look at stuff in new ways. And it was interesting to see how many circular things I'm surrounded with. They're everywhere!

Tuesday's Artist: Laura Lloyd

2011-08-16T01:22:00.000-07:00

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 Laura Lloyd. I'm madly in love with her sculptural pieces! I love everything about them-- their luscious textures, straightforward-but-still-engaging palette, striking expressions, and a healthy dose of humor. I also love how solid they look; there is something very sturdy and still about them. I find their often-exaggerated expressions to be very human and sort of strangely comforting.

Still Standing

Laura says:

If I wasn't an artist maybe I'd be. . .

hmmm, maybe an interior designer? I love those makeover shows.

Giddy-Up

Today, I'm listening to Frank Sinatra.

A Good Head on his Shoulder

I'm really good at getting lots of things started all at once.

Finishing? Well, no comment.

Dog Person

I'd like to be better at focusing on one thing,

seeing projects through to completion without tearing my hair out.

Pinwheel

When I was a kid I was shy.

Goatee

I hate it when I have to write anything.....I really lock up.

Much easier to draw and create.

Training Wheels

My workspace is full of art and pictures I like and lots and lots of ideas for inspiration.

Bookmobile

Right now, I'm really into summertime (mothering 5 kids),

which leave precious little time for artwork.

Strong Man

You can see more of Laura Lloyd's work on her website.

Something-New Sunday

2011-08-14T16:04:00.000-07:00

Here's a little peek at this week's something-new.

You can see more of Devica here. She's a petite 6 inches tall, and I love that itty bitty crow-on-a-stick that Dylan made for her. Her and Devlin are BFF's.

Both of them are perfectly fine on their own, however I wouldn't turn my back on the two of them when they get together.

Random Scenes Around the Studio

2011-08-13T13:13:00.000-07:00

I've been feeling kinda quiet this week (thus the lack of blogging), but I hear that a picture is worth a thousand words. So here's 12,000 words.

I'll be back tomorrow with something new for Something-New Sunday.

Something-New Sunday and a Giveaway

2011-08-07T16:03:00.000-07:00

Here's a peek at this week's newest offerings-

You can see more of them in the shop.

Also, I started an artist page on Facebook a few weeks ago and 500 people have "liked" us so far. Woohoo! 500 seems like a good milestone type of number, so I thought it called for a little giveaway. Come by and join the fun!

We're giving away a bunch of stickers that we just got from Moo. We like to tuck them in with purchases. I'd never gotten anything from them before and they were a bit spendy, but the quality is very good. And everything was really user friendly, which is code for "even this computer dummy can do it." Can't wait to order more!

Today's Table(s)

2011-08-04T11:01:00.000-07:00

Getting ready to stain a bunch of stuff to be finished over the next couple of days.

I keep a stack of paper bowls next to my worktable. They come in handy for all sorts of things. Mostly I use them to keep little bits and pieces organized and not lost. And I think they look yummy in their little bowls.

The in-progress stuff has taken over a second table too.

Don't even get me started on the buckets of UnFinished Objects that are lurking in the sidelines! It's getting a little silly. And then there's the trunk of unfinished quilts that keeps calling my name. Well, they're just gonna have to wait because all things Halloweeny will be monopolizing my attention for the next couple of months.

Tuesday's Artist: Daria Tessler

2011-08-02T18:26:00.000-07:00

This week's spotlight is shining on Daria Tessler. I'm especially taken with her gorgeous multi-layered silkscreen prints. Just the technicality alone is impressive (!) and her images are playful and quirky and often have animals doing people-ish things which (of course) I love. Plus, she seems to have a great sense of humor, which I also love.

Daria says:

If I wasn't an artist maybe I'd be a physicist, librarian or math teacher.

Today, I'm listening to a book-on-tape, a ghost story about an island of enchanted willow trees, and also the history of the byzantine empire, and also a little bit of space disco.

I wish I were better at imagining dinosaurs with useful nose appendages like tapirs. The future of dinosaurs looks funny. I just can't quite catch up with the scientists on that one.

When I was a kid I was into cross-stitching and soap operas. Needless to say I was not voted most popular kid in school.

I hate it when I spill a cup of tea all over a drawing. I do this regularly. I also hate it when my inky silkscreening squeegee flips backward off my screen and creates a windmill ink splatter all the way down to the floor. I also do this regularly.

My workspace is multipurposed, my clothes dresser is also my drawing table. I have outer space illustrations, a roller skating raccoon drawing, a guitar playing frog and a procession of bird monks taped to my wall there.

Right now, I'm really into the medieval concept that elephants had no knees. also the medieval debate as to whether a shrew mated through its ear and gave birth through its mouth or if it mated through its mouth and gave birth through its ear. Also I am really into the idea of using pizza as riot gear clothing. And robot dance parties too.

I hope that my art finds happy homes around the world.

You can see more of Daria's work on her very cool website or her blog.

Something-New Sunday

2011-07-31T09:52:00.000-07:00

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

2011-07-30T10:13:00.000-07:00

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

Have you hugged your skeleton today?

2011-07-27T09:14:00.000-07:00

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

2011-07-26T09:57:00.000-07:00

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

2011-07-25T13:19:00.000-07:00

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)

2011-07-22T19:05:00.000-07:00

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

2011-07-20T16:35:00.000-07:00

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

2011-07-17T10:57:00.000-07:00

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

2011-07-16T22:32:00.001-07:00

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

2011-07-13T18:46:00.000-07:00

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

2011-07-12T07:13:00.000-07:00

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

2011-07-10T00:47:00.000-07:00

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)

2011-07-07T13:10:00.000-07:00

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!

2011-07-06T09:16:00.000-07:00

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

2011-07-05T07:07:00.000-07:00

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!

2011-07-04T11:55:00.000-07:00

Today's Table (In the Works)

2011-07-01T17:33:00.000-07:00

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.

Sock Monkey Make-Over

2011-06-30T16:16:00.000-07:00

Had a rare day off yesterday! It was a lovely day spent hanging out with my brother and sis-in-law (two of my favorite people in the whole world). First we went to the movies (something none of us had done in at least a year) and saw Super 8. We all really enjoyed it. Even had popcorn and soda. And, very happily, there was no one making noise in the theater to ruin it for the rest (woohoo!). Then we had take-out dinner and spent the evening chatting away.

Also, I gave my sock monkey a make-over. Now he has teeth, which he's reasonably happy about. He never gets terribly happy because he's overall a very grumpy monkey.

Hope you're all enjoying a day off,

or at least the anticipation of having one.