Embroidery - Mermanicorn!
I’m really happy with this!
Several years back, I did a doodle of this guy sitting at the college cafeteria. He had these real prominent features, a Jay Leno chin and a caveman-like brow. Well, before I could finish drawing him, he left. So, my mind wandered and this sketch is what came about. I’ve always thought about him as an impotent merman with an over-compensation complex. He has no arms or male genitalia, but he has a big, bright, hard, horn. 
Another one of my incongruous associations I guess.
Here is the finished embroidery next to the original doodle from my sketch book.
Here is the start of it. You can see were I traced the drawing onto paper both directions. I wasn’t sure which transfer method I would use. I ended up using a gray chalk pencil to outline the drawing and then flip it over and rub it onto the canvas material. Then I went over it again with lead pencil which would stay a little better.
A few detail shots. My favorite aspects of this embroidery is the chest hair and his bloody stump.
Two-colored stenciled onesie (older project).
Several years ago, for a baby gift, I stenciled some friends on a onesie for their baby to wear proudly. I can’t believe how small I made it! Talk about some cross-eyed, cramped, box-cutter handy work.
For this, and all my fabric stencils, I mixed half regular acrylic with half fabric medium to make my paint. Then I would let it dry for a day or so, iron it or throw it in the dryer, and viola!
You can search for fabric stenciling for more info on this technique.
I’ll post some closer detail shots once I find the rest of my old project files.
Mouth watering cupcakes! Bangerang Bake Shop on Etsy.
While browsing Etsy today I found this seller (Bangerang Bake Shop) and Holy creamy chocolate Batman those look so freakin’ good! Who would have thought of selling cupcakes on Etsy? Not me, but damn, I’m going to have to order one sometime, or hint to the appropriate people near holidays.
All her cupcakes are baked in jars! This is the first one I would try. It’s called The Nut Job™ and the description says, “pure peanut butter and fudge bliss!”
Oh my gosh that chocolate looks awesome.
Yum, *Homer Simpson drool* just read those ingredients:
Scharffen Berger chocolate is the only chocolate you’ll find in my little lovelies. I make my own vanilla sugar with real Madagascar vanilla beans and bake with organic eggs and King Arthur unbleached flour. All my ingredients are of the highest quality.
Make sure to check in on Tuesdays for new stock:
All of our cupcakes can be ordered on a first come first serve basis. We restock the shop every Tuesday unless otherwise stated. At this time I will only be listing cupcakes on TUESDAYS in amounts of what I can comfortably bake during my pregnancy. Please do not hesitate to purchase what you see listed, if a listing is sold out it will *not* be reposted until the following Tuesday.
So, if you’re hankering for some sweet cupcake goodness but don’t want to bother with it yourself, check out the Bangerang Bake Shop (formerly Fat Daddy Bake Shop). Ok, I can tell that I’m hungry. *tummy growl*
forkinthetoaster.etsy.com
I recently created an etsy account and plan on selling original art, prints and some vintage, thrifted finds. I’m excited to see how this pans out! So, check out my store forkinthetoaster.etsy.com soon and see what I have for sale.
I’ll be listing these little guys, they’re so cute but I just don’t have room.
Two more Rockin’ Quilts I admire
I love seeing people take old-fashioned ideas and crafts and re-vamping them to fit current generations. Debbie Stoller has done it with knitting, Jenny Hart has done it with embroidery, and this chick, Boo Davis is doing it with quilting! All you crafty ladies inspire me!
Sweetest Quilt Ever! Tetris Quilt!
If I ever get around to learning how to sew, other than my pillowcases and tote-bags, this is what I would make!
I found this sweet quilt over on a girl’s blog called rabbitstylenews.com
My brother Shane and I use to play Tetris all the time. We’d sit on the floor, in front of our dinky tv, and play Tetris for hours on our old Nintendo. Recently, I tried to play at a friend’s house on their Xbox, or was it a Playstation2, either way I was left unfulfilled. I’m jones-ing for some old-school gaming with a flat, rectangular controller!
“A bird does not sing because it has an answer…”
…it sings because it has a song.” -Maya Angelou
I finished this small painting not too long ago. I was in a mood to paint something small, on a small canvas, and so I chose a small bird. I love the textures in the paint. Most of my oil paintings, thus far, have been lacking in texture, I’m working on it.
oil painting on 4×6 canvas
Closer detail
Embroidered tea towels
I’ve been married for a little over four years now.
All of us siblings are/or have been married, my three older brothers and I. For each wedding my mom embroidered tea towels, for each day of the week. I think the day-of-the-week designations are to remind us to do our laundry. I still have a problem with that.
Anyway, I believe my two oldest brothers got the standard old-school embroidered towels. You know, like the patterns you find at the craft store. My last brother is really into Winny the Pooh so all his towels featured those characters. I really wanted something from sublimestitching.com but those patterns were a little too progressive from my mom. So, we went with some convenient patterns found in Readymade Magazine (which, by the way, is now offering a free online edition!). I love them. I still have a hard time using them because I want them to stay nice, but they’re one of my favorite gifts from my d.i.y. mother.
I think I’ll start a category for stuff my Mom has made me! Keep a lookout for it.
An oldie but a goodie (figure drawing)
This is a charcoal drawing from a figure drawing class a few years ago. I was in a position to focus closely on something of this male figure…I chose to concentrate on his foot. I always had a tough time drawing feet until this class, now I’m a little better at it.
Recent portrait.
I painted this for a co-worker. She is a beautiful half-Egyptian with wonderfully thick eyelashes. So pretty.
My initial start on this painting looks nothing like the final product. I had such a hard time with the slight tilt of her face and the angle of her eyes. I’m learning more through each painting though, so that is good. I’ve taken many fine art classes over the years, but only one oil painting class, I wonder if I should take another sometime. Maybe.
Oil painting on 8×10 canvas board