A family member had a couple of huge ferns that needed somewhere indoors to over winter. I offered to house them in the art studio this year. The ferns are turning out to be a lot of fun so far....
Showing posts with label Random Life Update. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Random Life Update. Show all posts
Saturday, October 22, 2016
Tuesday, September 20, 2016
Hermit Crabs
Funny story, a few months ago I randomly and quite suddenly ended up with a hermit crab. This is Harold;
Now that my hermit crab community is a little more established they're all mellowed out and fallen into their own little hermit crab routines. A couple of them molted, Tabitha's molt had me thinking she was dead for a weekend, Gus's molt went just fine. Occasionally I take what I believe to be a cute photo and share it with my friends - My friends either think I'm nuts or are enjoying the pics, I can never tell.
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I do enjoy these animals, and so much more than I thought I would. Granted there are lists of reasons not to have hermit crabs, but I was given Harold, and the rest are the happy healthy crew I brought together. Part of me wants to recommend them as delightful pets, part of me didn't even want to share this experience out of concern that it will result in several misguided attempts at pet ownership as soon as someone reads this. So what I am going to do is end this with some solid advice: IF YOU REALLY WANT A PET HERMIT CRAB - Do some research first. Make sure you can take care of them. Make sure you don't just put one alone in a tank (they need buddies). Make sure you actually want/can afford/have the time to take care of your pet. AND understand that as amused as I am by these little guys - They sleep most of the day, and have quite a few boring moments.
Possibly more pics of hermit crab adventures to come, so stay tuned. ^_^
Before anyone lectures me about the red sand and painted shell, keep reading...
Harold's original owner had a cat and they weren't getting along with Harold, and I previously had a few hermit crabs (when I was 8 or 9), so now Harold is my buddy. Of course, the reason it has been decades since my last hermit crab buddies is because they didn't seem to move much, and then they'd die after a month or two. Tons of reasons for this - I was a little kid, I was relying on the brightly colored things that the hermit crab came with at the pet store, I didn't have the internet back then,...but now I am an adult, with the ability to buy whatever/whenever, I can google how to properly care for a hermit crab (in theory), and I had a real desire to care of what (who) is now a part of my life.
Got Harold out of the dyed red sand, got him a decent habitat, shared some grapes with him;
Harold really seems to enjoy grapes
Since hermit crabs are actually social creatures, I brought home Tabitha,
who got along great with Harold;
In my spare time I've been trying to create a fun and sustainable habitat. This first version was all about triangle huts, which worked great as huts if you're Tabitha, and after hearing a repetitive *thud* sound every few minutes coming from the tank I found out that Harold enjoyed climbing to the top and then letting go, crashing into whatever was below - The triangles were later cut down into trapezoids and Harold would just [safely] chill on top.
Late night adventuring, with Harold
Once I was positive that Harold and Tabitha had had the basics well managed, I got a little more into the hermit crab thing. Upped the size of the tank so there was room for a salt water bath and more hermit crabs. Then came Gus;
Gus tightrope walking across a Popsicle stick for no apparent reason,
I was impressed
Spend the night running marathons through the tank, spend the day cuddle napping
After watching every single crab reject the one spare shell that was sent along with Harold, and knowing that shells are kind of import to these little guys, I went back to Google to figure out how to guess what a nice shell looks like.
Calling it, "Shell Christmas", every crab was given one or two shells that I thought they might want to move into. Harold finally ditched that [possibly toxic] painted blue shell.
Tabitha actually picked two new shells, and kept her original shell (she switched daily until she molted). Gus just likes the shell he came with, and that's cool too. (be who you wanna be, live in what you wanna live in).
One evening, I realized that they watched me watching T.V.
Had a big enough tank for 5 hermit crabs, so I tried introducing two more - This is where things got complicated.
Big Louise;
Don't get me wrong, Big Louise is a very nice and beautiful hermit crab. The day I brought home Gus, she was at the pet store and I would have brought her home then, but she just seemed too big to safely move into my tank. The next time I went to buy a crab though, the guy at the store commented that this one was the only one left in the tank, and he did that whole "Trust me", thing - had me believing that she would get along with everybody just fine....About an hour into meeting the others she tried to rip Harold out of his shell. >< I immediately got her into a separate tank and did some reading - Given more time she might have been able to fit in, but seeing as Harold is the whole reason this adventure started, I couldn't risk him being hurt. I did the responsible pet owner thing and found another
enthusiastic pet owner to be friends with her. I get updates on how
she's doing...I sort of have a hermit crab pen pal now. She's doing well.
And then there's this cutie (Morpheus);
He saw Harold's old shell and got excited, because, shell! ^_^
This is Morpheus, the tinniest member of my hermit crab community. Kind of thought he was dead at the pet store (I was assured that he was just really pale and probably asleep), I found him while the pet store guy was telling me that Big Louise was the only crab in the tank. Didn't want to ditch either lone crab, so I brought this little one home too and gave him a big name like Morpheus. Fed him and stuff, gave him a salt water bath and he brightened right up. He's very much alive and healthy, and really cute too. Plus the other crabs accepted him immediately, which is always nice to see. My only complaint is that he refuses to be photographed, runs off and blurs every time. ><Now that my hermit crab community is a little more established they're all mellowed out and fallen into their own little hermit crab routines. A couple of them molted, Tabitha's molt had me thinking she was dead for a weekend, Gus's molt went just fine. Occasionally I take what I believe to be a cute photo and share it with my friends - My friends either think I'm nuts or are enjoying the pics, I can never tell.
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I do enjoy these animals, and so much more than I thought I would. Granted there are lists of reasons not to have hermit crabs, but I was given Harold, and the rest are the happy healthy crew I brought together. Part of me wants to recommend them as delightful pets, part of me didn't even want to share this experience out of concern that it will result in several misguided attempts at pet ownership as soon as someone reads this. So what I am going to do is end this with some solid advice: IF YOU REALLY WANT A PET HERMIT CRAB - Do some research first. Make sure you can take care of them. Make sure you don't just put one alone in a tank (they need buddies). Make sure you actually want/can afford/have the time to take care of your pet. AND understand that as amused as I am by these little guys - They sleep most of the day, and have quite a few boring moments.
Possibly more pics of hermit crab adventures to come, so stay tuned. ^_^
Saturday, October 31, 2015
Magical Miniatures and Halloween Fun
So this isn't a place where I typically brag about my vacations, but I did go to Disney World a couple weeks ago, had some Halloween fun at the Magic Kingdom (my mom and I trick or treated like sophisticated adults: hit every spot in the park, and ended up with a ridiculous amount of candy), AND during one of the days at the parks I saw something worth blogging about.
A couple years ago I passed along a neat article about Walt Disney and how, like many creative individuals, he had a thing for working in miniature. After that blog post I had people in the comments asking me if I had any pictures/if I knew where to find images of Disney's miniature collection. And the answer is still No. And I've never been to Disneyland, so if the collection is there/still there, I haven't seen it. However, if you go to Walt Disney World, you may cross paths with some models and some miniature scenes, some of which were made by Walt Disney himself.
And I did take some pictures. Of course, this is not my work, I am posting it specifically for discussion purposes, and thanks to the lighting + display case you are definitely much better off seeing this in person. Until you book your Disney trip though, here are some shots of a tiny set Walt Disney made back in the 40's, "Granny's Cabin";
That hat is pretty much a replacement for a similar one I've been wearing for the last decade or so, the purse I plan to start using soon, and the figurines - well my mom's guess was that they'd end up in a miniature scene - Yep, she was right;
A couple years ago I passed along a neat article about Walt Disney and how, like many creative individuals, he had a thing for working in miniature. After that blog post I had people in the comments asking me if I had any pictures/if I knew where to find images of Disney's miniature collection. And the answer is still No. And I've never been to Disneyland, so if the collection is there/still there, I haven't seen it. However, if you go to Walt Disney World, you may cross paths with some models and some miniature scenes, some of which were made by Walt Disney himself.
And I did take some pictures. Of course, this is not my work, I am posting it specifically for discussion purposes, and thanks to the lighting + display case you are definitely much better off seeing this in person. Until you book your Disney trip though, here are some shots of a tiny set Walt Disney made back in the 40's, "Granny's Cabin";
And if you noticed in the placard,
working on this miniature scene indirectly led to the planning of Disneyland. How cool is that?
So there you go, miniature work, by Walt Disney.
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Now, did I mention that I had some Halloween fun while I was on this trip? Yes, well Halloween also means it's the time of year where you can find all things, "The Nightmare Before Christmas", and since that's a movie I have cherished since I saw it in the movie theater, when I was only 4, you can imagine my delight anytime that movie or those characters popped up in the parks. I ended up bringing some things home with me;
That hat is pretty much a replacement for a similar one I've been wearing for the last decade or so, the purse I plan to start using soon, and the figurines - well my mom's guess was that they'd end up in a miniature scene - Yep, she was right;
(Several Fall's worth of tiny leaves, made by me)
So in conclusion to what I'm hoping is a cohesive post, despite being swamped with work and so busy you'd think I couldn't possible have time for fun or Halloween, it turns out I can/I did. And hey, look I even had a second to make a quick scene and blog. Hooray - And Happy Halloween Everyone! ^_^
Thursday, October 8, 2015
A New Place To Work, A New Place To Work On
Time to catch up on blogging - Where to Start?...Ok, first some big news - I have an art studio to work in now. ^_^ ^_^ ^_^
A few friends and I are sharing the space, so it's both huge and affordable. We started renting the place in August and plan on being there for at least the next year.
Part of me wants to post photos of what it looks like right now, but right now it's a mess and my friends and I are still working on hanging artwork/etc., so for now, I'll just show you what the place looked like the day I picked up my keys.
A few friends and I are sharing the space, so it's both huge and affordable. We started renting the place in August and plan on being there for at least the next year.
Part of me wants to post photos of what it looks like right now, but right now it's a mess and my friends and I are still working on hanging artwork/etc., so for now, I'll just show you what the place looked like the day I picked up my keys.
It's part of a much, much bigger art building in Lockport, and I will post more about it once I'm better set up to let in visitors.
Finding this space when I did turned out to be such great timing too because the week after I signed the lease, I crossed paths with a cool dollhouse at a rummage sale. Without the studio I would've had to pass, no room at home for another big (tiny) house, but with the studio I had the space for it - Hooray;
It's a Country Manor Dollhouse kit by Skil-Craft, catalog # 688. Thank you too Kelly and the rest of the Greenleaf Forum community for solving that mystery for me. ^_^
This house was so well put together, and so well kept over the years (no idea when it was assembled, but the kit is from the 70's). Damage-wise, I need to fix some railings and the window "glass" is yellowed/cracked/covered in stickers. Compared to all my troubles with the Van Buren, this is going to be such an easy project.
Since it's living in the studio, the plan is to restore it and then use it as a tiny showroom for at least some of the miniatures I have for sale. It also gives me an opportunity to do more with mini furniture vs. the 'everything except furniture' I usually sell.
Already got started, and even with the crazy schedule I have right now, I'm slowly making progress on everything. So more updates should be on the way soon.
Finding this space when I did turned out to be such great timing too because the week after I signed the lease, I crossed paths with a cool dollhouse at a rummage sale. Without the studio I would've had to pass, no room at home for another big (tiny) house, but with the studio I had the space for it - Hooray;
(It barely fit in the back of the car, but chillin' in the studio it looks so small)
It's a Country Manor Dollhouse kit by Skil-Craft, catalog # 688. Thank you too Kelly and the rest of the Greenleaf Forum community for solving that mystery for me. ^_^
This house was so well put together, and so well kept over the years (no idea when it was assembled, but the kit is from the 70's). Damage-wise, I need to fix some railings and the window "glass" is yellowed/cracked/covered in stickers. Compared to all my troubles with the Van Buren, this is going to be such an easy project.
Since it's living in the studio, the plan is to restore it and then use it as a tiny showroom for at least some of the miniatures I have for sale. It also gives me an opportunity to do more with mini furniture vs. the 'everything except furniture' I usually sell.
Already got started, and even with the crazy schedule I have right now, I'm slowly making progress on everything. So more updates should be on the way soon.
Thursday, August 27, 2015
Ahhhh! It’s been so long since I’ve posted anything.
Ahhhh! It’s been so long since I’ve posted anything. I’ve been
working nonstop for weeks, but online it looks like I just dropped off
the face of the earth. I have been so busy this summer with so many
potential plans just sort of up in the air. Couldn’t post any updates
for a while, hopefully that will change soon now that I have some of the
major stuff worked out.
What I can post about right now though is this;
1. I am working on more mini patchwork dragons ^_^ (once I’m done beading, this will be #21 in the series, with 2 more also in the works) If you want to see the whole series so far, they’re all in my DeviantArt gallery (click on the photo to go there)
2. If you’re one of my customers/followers that have contacted me asking when I will be restocking certain things in my shops - I made a list and am working on making more of everything that was asked for.
The new dragons will eventually be up for auction on eBay; http://stores.ebay.com/Kyle-Lefort
Everthing else, I will try to split my inventory between eBay and Etsy; https://www.etsy.com/shop/KyleLefort
3. And if anyone was wondering - Yes I will have a table at the WNY Miniature Enthusiasts show this year; http://stepoutbuffalo.com/events/wny-miniature-enthusiasts-35th-annual-dollhouse-show-sale/
I am scrambling to get everything on my to-do list crossed off by the end of summer, but by this fall I should have a lot of fun things to share, so stay tuned. ^_^
What I can post about right now though is this;
1. I am working on more mini patchwork dragons ^_^ (once I’m done beading, this will be #21 in the series, with 2 more also in the works) If you want to see the whole series so far, they’re all in my DeviantArt gallery (click on the photo to go there)
2. If you’re one of my customers/followers that have contacted me asking when I will be restocking certain things in my shops - I made a list and am working on making more of everything that was asked for.
The new dragons will eventually be up for auction on eBay; http://stores.ebay.com/Kyle-Lefort
Everthing else, I will try to split my inventory between eBay and Etsy; https://www.etsy.com/shop/KyleLefort
3. And if anyone was wondering - Yes I will have a table at the WNY Miniature Enthusiasts show this year; http://stepoutbuffalo.com/events/wny-miniature-enthusiasts-35th-annual-dollhouse-show-sale/
I am scrambling to get everything on my to-do list crossed off by the end of summer, but by this fall I should have a lot of fun things to share, so stay tuned. ^_^
Monday, June 8, 2015
The Reptile Show
Sorry about having to take a month to post this, work + a small business + life = The blog takes the back seat a lot, but I get to it when I can.
While I'm at it: I would like to thank everyone who's left nice comments under my blog posts - I read all of them, but lately I've been so busy I just can't respond to every comment I receive. I do appreciate all of them though. I love it when someone takes the time to let me know I'm not just talking to myself here. XD
Ok, so now the much delayed post about the reptile show
- The Buffalo Niagara Reptile Expo!
- It was interesting. (I mean that in a good way)
First the setup;
As I said earlier, I was really at this show to help out Nate. I did bring some of my own art/mini work, but it was off to the side and I forgot to photograph it once that portion of the table was set up (oops). Look how many displays this kid made though.
I don't really have much to write or say (other than recommend you go to the one next fall, you will see some some cool stuff, I promise ^_^ ), so here are just some of the odd/fun highlights I managed to also take pictures of;
The table right next to me was a case full of pythons. The people running the table had no problems letting you hold these guys.
Some of the friendliest snakes ever, I've been told. Actually, I've held these kind of snakes before, didn't have any problems. But still, table full of snakes 2 feet away from me all day. I did not hold any snakes at this show (just because), but my mom did,
which is a big deal for her since she doesn't like snakes at all.
There was this guy;
I would've tried to get clearer photos, but despite being in this building for hours, after this turtle person walked by once, I never saw them again...
And one thing that I really wanted to bring home with me (but sadly didn't),
While I'm at it: I would like to thank everyone who's left nice comments under my blog posts - I read all of them, but lately I've been so busy I just can't respond to every comment I receive. I do appreciate all of them though. I love it when someone takes the time to let me know I'm not just talking to myself here. XD
Ok, so now the much delayed post about the reptile show
- The Buffalo Niagara Reptile Expo!
- It was interesting. (I mean that in a good way)
First the setup;
I don't really have much to write or say (other than recommend you go to the one next fall, you will see some some cool stuff, I promise ^_^ ), so here are just some of the odd/fun highlights I managed to also take pictures of;
The table right next to me was a case full of pythons. The people running the table had no problems letting you hold these guys.
There was this guy;
And one thing that I really wanted to bring home with me (but sadly didn't),
Baby Tortoises!
Baby tortoises are so cute because they act like big old tortoises, while still being adorably small. And I do like great big tortoises too, so please no comments about how irresponsible it is to buy a pet when it's a cute baby and forgetting that it will grow. :P Maybe someday when I can afford one I will add a new reptile to the family....
And there you have it, The Buffalo Niagara Reptile Expo!
Honestly, I don't know what else to say - If you live in the area, I recommend you check it out next time, and if you don't live nearby go to the reptile house in your nearest zoo or something - Go see some cool snakes/turtles/lizards and such. Maybe there is even a show like this near you. ^_^
And there you have it, The Buffalo Niagara Reptile Expo!
Honestly, I don't know what else to say - If you live in the area, I recommend you check it out next time, and if you don't live nearby go to the reptile house in your nearest zoo or something - Go see some cool snakes/turtles/lizards and such. Maybe there is even a show like this near you. ^_^
Saturday, May 2, 2015
Not So Much Blogging, Very Much Busy Working
Packing things up for the Buffalo Niagara Reptile Expo (May 3rd, 9:00am - 3:30pm); https://www.facebook.com/events/723840184374069/
My main purpose for attending this show is to help out Nathan Lefort ( https://www.facebook.com/pages/Nathan-Lefort/667222623368680?fref=ts ) so if you like riker mounts/display domes/pretty butterflies/creepy bugs (and you're in the WNY area) - Stop by my table.
Along with Nate's work, I will also be bringing this pile of handmade miniature riker mounts, mini hedgehogs, what's currently available from my Mini Patchwork Dragon Series, a few assorted mini plushies, art postcards, and every metallic art print I have in stock - Including the [finally available in print] Yellow Spotted Salamander illustration I've had floating around online for the past couple years. ~ I have a long day ahead of me, should be fun though. Might take pictures, so stay tuned.
My main purpose for attending this show is to help out Nathan Lefort ( https://www.facebook.com/pages/Nathan-Lefort/667222623368680?fref=ts ) so if you like riker mounts/display domes/pretty butterflies/creepy bugs (and you're in the WNY area) - Stop by my table.
Along with Nate's work, I will also be bringing this pile of handmade miniature riker mounts, mini hedgehogs, what's currently available from my Mini Patchwork Dragon Series, a few assorted mini plushies, art postcards, and every metallic art print I have in stock - Including the [finally available in print] Yellow Spotted Salamander illustration I've had floating around online for the past couple years. ~ I have a long day ahead of me, should be fun though. Might take pictures, so stay tuned.
Sunday, January 18, 2015
Wrapping Things Up and Starting the New Year
Hello blog readers! How are you?
So, it's been a while. I don't think I ever mentioned it, but I picked up a side job. It's not related to art/design, but the extra paycheck is significantly helping to wipe out what's left of my student loans (hooray!). The set hours also has me sleeping like a normal person for once. My family thinks that's great, I think it's weird. I never realized how much times zones factor into talking to customers online until I stopped being available to talk whenever. It's safe to say between that and the holiday rush, I've been adjusting. Understandably I've fallen behind on things like blogging, but now that it's January - I'm reorganizing and catching up.
As is tradition, I spent some of the holidays making gifts for friends and family, and as is tradition, I waited until January to post photos of these gifts on the blog. Apologies for the not so great lighting, it gets dark really early here in Nov./Dec.
So, it's been a while. I don't think I ever mentioned it, but I picked up a side job. It's not related to art/design, but the extra paycheck is significantly helping to wipe out what's left of my student loans (hooray!). The set hours also has me sleeping like a normal person for once. My family thinks that's great, I think it's weird. I never realized how much times zones factor into talking to customers online until I stopped being available to talk whenever. It's safe to say between that and the holiday rush, I've been adjusting. Understandably I've fallen behind on things like blogging, but now that it's January - I'm reorganizing and catching up.
As is tradition, I spent some of the holidays making gifts for friends and family, and as is tradition, I waited until January to post photos of these gifts on the blog. Apologies for the not so great lighting, it gets dark really early here in Nov./Dec.
The first gift was for my pint -sized niece. She loves apples, and her grandma has some decorative plush apples that she loves to play with, even though they probably weren't intended to be toys. So I decided to make her a few kid-friendly plush apples for her to enjoy at home. While I was on an online adventure looking for apple inspiration, I came across an assortment of bloggers making happy little PB&J (how cute), and I ended up making some of those too. Everyone thought the toys I made should come in a basket (I agree, apples belong in baskets), but this gift had to be mailed (I feel like baskets don't mail all that well), so I wandered around a few stores until I found the basket-like blue bag everything is sitting on here - worked out really well. My niece loved the red and gold apples, she kept holding them and excitedly talking about Snow White. She also put the two halves of the P&J together and pretended to take a bite. My brother made some comment about how he didn't expect her to get all that excited about some apples, but hey I know my niece.
I ended up free handing my own patterns for these, but did some blog reading to figure out the stems of the apples since the ones I had in real life use cinnamon sticks (not kid-friendly). I you want to give these a try I recommend While Wearing High Heels - Amy has some great patterns/tuts available there. If you do some digging, you should cross paths with some sandwich tuts too.
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Next batch of gifts were for my out of town friends. A little bit of a back story here - I live in Western New York, which means I'm from Buffalo. Funny thing about the city of Buffalo, it wasn't actually named after the animal (check wikipeia - no one is really sure how "Buffalo" happened) and what Americans keep calling "Buffalo" are actually Bison. (go figure) That said, if you ever find yourself in my neck of the woods, there are "Buffalo" statues everywhere. I mean EVERYWHERE. Entire herds of them are set up along the highways and everything. Imagine growing up thinking this was a perfectly normal thing to see everyday, now imagine leaving town and not seeing all the ridiculous Buffalo everywhere anymore. A darn shame, right? Well I thought so. And so I made some Buffalo, and mailed them to my friends.
Made 3 of them, and added some string so they could be ornaments
No links for these, I drew up the patterns myself, based off of a public domain photo of a Bison.
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Last, but not least, a previously mentioned pint -sized niece had a birthday after Christmas. I wanted to make some owls. There you go.
Man, I am getting good at this making my own patterns thing. Aren't they cute? I have no idea if she'll play with them, but they did get a hug, so I think she liked them.
Originally the plan was to make an owl inside of an egg, but then my brother, still being home from school, suggested that I should make a mother and baby set. I liked that idea, so I forgot about the egg and made a baby owl instead.
And there you have it, the handmade gifts of 2014. ^_^
Now what? Well, if you follow me on Facebook or Tumblr, you can probably guess, but if not, I'll be back with another post soon.
Friday, October 31, 2014
Night of The Jack-O-Lanterns
I've received a few messages from people interested in joining my mini Halloween challenge, but between the Greenleaf forum being down for a few days, and everyone being understandably busy - No one is done. Heck, my scene was simple and it still ended up being a last minute project. Anyway, the offer still stands and I will gladly post Halloween scenes all weekend if people get them to me.
Personally speaking, crunched for time, I almost skipped one of my favorite things - Pumpkin carving! But nope, I had to carve at least one pumpkin, just had too. So last night after work I sat at the kitchen table scooping pumpkin guts, weilding a giant knife, and behold - Whatever this thing is supposed to be;
Personally speaking, crunched for time, I almost skipped one of my favorite things - Pumpkin carving! But nope, I had to carve at least one pumpkin, just had too. So last night after work I sat at the kitchen table scooping pumpkin guts, weilding a giant knife, and behold - Whatever this thing is supposed to be;
My jack-o-lanterns are always cute, a little odd, but never scary.
I'm cool with that.
No plan, just carved a face. Sort of reminds me of a bat...with some other things mixed in. Glad I made time for this - It's just not the same without one.
Hope everyone has a great weekend - Happy Halloween!
Tuesday, January 7, 2014
Cute Stuffed Animals For Christmas
Yeah, I just used the word, "Christmas", in the title of a January post.
(Happy New Year, btw).
I mentioned back a month or two ago that I had to cut back on blogging so that I had time for other projects, one of which was a Christmas present for my pint-sized niece. I thought some of you might like to see what I made;
(Happy New Year, btw).
I mentioned back a month or two ago that I had to cut back on blogging so that I had time for other projects, one of which was a Christmas present for my pint-sized niece. I thought some of you might like to see what I made;
Cute aren't they?
I was looking around the internet for some kind of toy that I could make as a gift, here is the blog where I got the patterns from; http://whatmadeleineloves.blogspot.com/2012/05/felt-project-animals-my-very-first-felt.html
I made some changes, of course. Instead of gluing down little pieces and googly eyes, aka choking hazards, I stitched and embroidered in all of the details. And instead of felt, because I don't have/rarely ever use felt, I used printed cotton fabric and treated each piece like it was a tiny pillow that I was making. In sewing, the blanket stitch is my best friend.
I have no idea how well these will hold up against a toddler and her two little dogs, but every other gift I've made so far was a decoration or something to grow into-It was time for some toys. Anyway, my niece seemed to like them, they got a collective hug as soon as she pulled them all out of the box, and she wouldn't let anyone have them until she was allowed to open another present. Her uncle (one of my brothers) somehow got her to give up the pig so he could get a closer look at how I made them. She realized that he had it and got a little upset (so he gave it back). In closing, I'd say Christmas went well.
Friday, August 9, 2013
Catching Up on Life - And Other Things
In an effort to finally get caught up on blogging, I'm making this one catch-up post about the many of things I feel like I need to blog about, so that I can mention it all and then move on with everything else I should be doing. If you're not into what you're reading, feel free to scroll down until you find something more interesting. ^_^
(I would also like it known that I have just about caught up on my blog reading, but to catch up on my reading-and everything else-I really couldn't leave comments on many of them. I do read them all though)
1. Update on the Market I took my work to;
I'm not saying it went badly, but it could've gone better. Compared to the last time I had a booth somewhere, I think I was more prepared and professional, I even remembered to take photos of my setup this time;
Because I was basically trying to sell my work in the same location as last time, and I already know it's not a great market for my work, I really wasn't expecting much, but the one sale I made more than covered the entrance fee and quite a few people took my business cards, so it wasn't a loss.
Honestly though, I wish I had more of a budget for shows. I'd like to try some outside of Lockport, but I keep picking paying my bills over entry fees and other overhead. Stupid me, right? I dunno, I'm hoping that either I finally snag a long term job in my field or this freelance designer/artist/craft-person thing I do starts getting more regular business. Getting to the point where even a minimum wage job anywhere wouldn't be a terrible option, but it's going to take tons of time away from what I actually want to do, so I keep dragging my feet on that one.
2. Every year my church has this sale called, "Trash and Treasures", which I can only describe as a great way to clear all the junk out of your house(donating it to a church) and a great opportunity to get some neat stuff for dirt cheap (other peoples' junk-that you want), because unlike a garage sale, the church is the seller AND they're in charge of donating/recycling/giving away/throwing out whatever is left when the sale is over.
I love going to Trash and Treasures, but I purposely skipped it this year, waaay to much budget breaking temptation. The sale goes on during a yearly picnic/car show that I volunteer at, which makes avoiding it tricky, and wasting money at the picnic really wasn't any better that spending it at the sale, so instead of what I usually do at this thing, I skipped it and stopped by afterwards to help clean up (which went well with the church people because they have a tough time getting volunteers for that).
Well, my Mother did volunteer during the picnic and she spent some time at the sale, where she found and bought me this;
A year and a half ago I opened my Etsy shop and the first thing I posted for sale were these miniature caramel apples. They sat in the shop, weren't selling, but they got tons of views and brought people to the shop so I kept renewing the listing. They weren't super expensive or anything, more expensive pieces were being bought up, but not theses apples. I guess the right person needed to see them or something, because right before that awful thunderstorm came through a couple weeks ago-someone finally bought them!
Normally wouldn't just post about a sale, but being the first thing I ever tried to sell online, I dunno, It's kind of a bittersweet sign of progress. :)
6. Pumpkins
They're back again. ^_^
(I would also like it known that I have just about caught up on my blog reading, but to catch up on my reading-and everything else-I really couldn't leave comments on many of them. I do read them all though)
1. Update on the Market I took my work to;
I'm not saying it went badly, but it could've gone better. Compared to the last time I had a booth somewhere, I think I was more prepared and professional, I even remembered to take photos of my setup this time;
There was some wind, and the tear down had to happen in the rain,
but it all held together pretty well.
Because I was basically trying to sell my work in the same location as last time, and I already know it's not a great market for my work, I really wasn't expecting much, but the one sale I made more than covered the entrance fee and quite a few people took my business cards, so it wasn't a loss.
Honestly though, I wish I had more of a budget for shows. I'd like to try some outside of Lockport, but I keep picking paying my bills over entry fees and other overhead. Stupid me, right? I dunno, I'm hoping that either I finally snag a long term job in my field or this freelance designer/artist/craft-person thing I do starts getting more regular business. Getting to the point where even a minimum wage job anywhere wouldn't be a terrible option, but it's going to take tons of time away from what I actually want to do, so I keep dragging my feet on that one.
2. Every year my church has this sale called, "Trash and Treasures", which I can only describe as a great way to clear all the junk out of your house(donating it to a church) and a great opportunity to get some neat stuff for dirt cheap (other peoples' junk-that you want), because unlike a garage sale, the church is the seller AND they're in charge of donating/recycling/giving away/throwing out whatever is left when the sale is over.
I love going to Trash and Treasures, but I purposely skipped it this year, waaay to much budget breaking temptation. The sale goes on during a yearly picnic/car show that I volunteer at, which makes avoiding it tricky, and wasting money at the picnic really wasn't any better that spending it at the sale, so instead of what I usually do at this thing, I skipped it and stopped by afterwards to help clean up (which went well with the church people because they have a tough time getting volunteers for that).
Well, my Mother did volunteer during the picnic and she spent some time at the sale, where she found and bought me this;
It's a weird little house! (That blue disk is a turntable/base for the house to sit on) I say it's weird because it's a bird house at the top, the front is one big out of scale tole painting, and it's part lazy Susan. I like it. A week before all this I was looking at the Steampunk House thinking about how much I enjoyed Undersized Urbanite and wishing I had another house on hand because, whether or not that Challenge becomes a yearly thing, bloggers are always coming up with things that a spare house would come in handy for. Now I have one. (Thank you Mom!)
3. Clay-A-Palooza!
This was already a few weeks ago, so I'm going to save some time and direct you to a journal explanation I posted over on DeviantArt >>> Here.
Here's the results;
Miniature Pumpkins,
micro miniature pumpkins,
And micro miniature Penguins!
Out of season stuff, but it's what I felt like making. And look how tiny it all is! It's all up on Etsy now if anyone's interested. (The photos are linked to their listings).
4. After seeing my new micro miniature penguins, someone placed a custom order for some equally tiny charms.
If anyone in the U.S. wants to a custom order of miniatures/jewelry pieces,
Seriously, just ask.
The order was for 4, I ended up making a batch of 7 though. I was planning on posting the extras on Etsy, but the shop's pretty full right now and a friend just reserved one of them. So I guess the 2 left are for sale online by request only.
(2 for $9 USD + shipping, if you're interested-feel free to contact me about them)
5. While I'm talking about Etsy, I'll mention these too;
A year and a half ago I opened my Etsy shop and the first thing I posted for sale were these miniature caramel apples. They sat in the shop, weren't selling, but they got tons of views and brought people to the shop so I kept renewing the listing. They weren't super expensive or anything, more expensive pieces were being bought up, but not theses apples. I guess the right person needed to see them or something, because right before that awful thunderstorm came through a couple weeks ago-someone finally bought them!
Normally wouldn't just post about a sale, but being the first thing I ever tried to sell online, I dunno, It's kind of a bittersweet sign of progress. :)
6. Pumpkins
They're back again. ^_^
Yay, pumpkins!
(I love pumpkins)
Boo, whatever did this! It can have that one,
but I'm hoping this isn't the year of the groundhog all over again.
It even ate the seeds this time.
Bonus photos;
City People: This is a field being harvested
This is a slug,
which of course is crawling across my brother's arm
(Check out that slime trail)
And This...
...was probably a bad idea,
but hanging out with some friends
and figuring out how to use this canoe without paddles was pretty fun.
7. County Fairs
I usually go to two of them. Niagara County (Remember this?), where I mostly just hang out with the 4-H members I know, and Erie County, where I spent all of yesterday enjoying dorky things like the pig races. ("Swifty Swine Racing Pigs")
Winner gets a cookie. They're so cute.
And that my friends, brings us to today. There all caught up, woo-hoo. ^_^
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