goodbye to what I don't use and won't miss, if I can figure out what those things are

I always forget to use Stumple Upon, which I have had loaded in the toolbar for quite a while. But I'm thinking I will try to use it more often, just to see what random interesting things I find... isn't that the purpose anyway?

Tonight I found this animation, I love how it's set up on the web page.

En Tus Brazos

I'm having a dilemma concerning screenprinting. Well, I have found that I am not using the materials very efficiently. That is, I mixed up a batch of emulsion a while back and told myself to use it before it went bad (like last time) but now again I have no empty screens and I bet it went bad already. Plus, the one screen I prepared I hid to dry in a closet and one day came home and the closet door was wide open, letting the light in (Yes, I blamed Patches). Now I have no idea if that screen is ruined or not. Then, I was going to try it anyway, but now when I try to print out a stencil on transparencies they keep smudging. I think it is the printer I'm using since my last printer broke.

I've been thinking a lot about streamlining my categories of "techniques" (not saying I'm not going to screenprint), but I have too many potential projects and the materials end up squandered or lost in the mess and then I buy more stuff I don't need or I waste time trying to mess with some new process ONLY because I bought something thinking "Oh maybe I'll use this - oh wait, now I have to spend all this time trying to use this."

So, I'm going to go through my supplies and try again to separate them into categories, and get rid of some things, too, probably by "destashing" on etsy. Just because I haven't done something in years (like watercolors for instance) doesn't mean I'm getting rid of all my supplies, because I know I'm likely to want them as soon as they're gone. The trick is identifying those things that I don't use and won't miss.

I'm presently trying to rustle up some things for this Saturday's Bizarre Market which is part of Art 180's Jonny Z Festival to be held on the 200 block of N. Shields (not outside Chop Suey Books this time). So... I'm currently in a muddle deciding what I should concentrate on getting ready now that my screenprinting plans keep getting ruined. I'm working on a few things, but I don't have much time. There'll be an update later this week.

P.s. I feel I should include a photo, since I usually do, so here's one of a bouquet of carrots I took a while back, with Patches lounging in the background.

Being bad at the thrift store, plus begonia, butterfly bush and upcoming catnip franchise

I was bad. I totally broke the rules again. Oh well.



Today I got this big box of sewing stuffs at the thrift store. I feel a little odd splaying its contents all over the place, because I wonder what happened to the original owner... but then I think if for some reason that owner can no longer use sewing supplies, I'm sure she'd want someone to have them and be using them. There was also some papers outlining a sewing class, so maybe this box is the sewing class treasure chest.

I kept going back and rifling through this box trying to convince myself not to buy it. But there was so much crammed in there, I had to buy it.



This includes all sorts of ribbons, elastic, needles, fasteners, tracing papers,and so on and so forth.



Some of the more interesting things are: some kind of handmade double measuring tape contraption attached to a wooden spool with a string coming out the end; a blue thimble from Warrensburg, Mo.; a velvety and lacy brown ribbon; a Sears "gift to you from Kenmore" sewing kit; and a strange plastic squeezy bottle of some liquid substance (what is it!?).

So, I will have to use these products to justify the continued stock piling of craft supplies. I need to make some stuff, or else I really have to stop buying supplies.

* * *

Prior to my thrift store follies, I visited the farmer's market for the first time this year. I got some delicious citrus soy candles from Pure Light Candle Co., coffee, my favorite baked good by the No Wonder bread man, a begonia plant, sage and thyme, a butterfly bush AND a hanging basket of catnip. The hanging basket of catnip is going to be a hit, I'm sure of it. Patches and her suitor who was waiting outside the door already partook this evening. It's a pretty hefty catnip plant, so I'm hoping I can harvest the catnip and expand my cat related products to include sensory delights.

squirrel with gun, discriminating weirdos, thrift store cat and vigorous zucchini

Disclaimer: this post is just going to be a hodge-podge with no particular theme.



In purchase reports, I bought this cute/ not quite scary squirrel with a gun keychain from MonkeyDogStudio AKA OneMansTrash at last Saturday's Bizarre Market. She had some other cool ones too!

I also just won some screen printing supplies on ebay, though I'm pretty sure this breaks my rules about not buying craft supplies when I already have too much. BUT, I have mixed emulsion and need to use it ASAP, so I guess that's an excuse.

* * *

In other news, the discriminating weirdos at Moe Sew Co. had some deep thoughts on some of my embroideries. I'm very flattered by the term wantable weirdness and also the fact that they somehow managed to work a freakish 1970 commercial into the review. Thanks, discriminating weirdos.

* * *

Speaking of weird, here's that framed cat picture I bought last month at a thrift store. It's not totally clear if the maker was entirely pro-cat, but at any rate, I think it's pretty funny and wacked out.


text:

THE CAT IS always greener on the other side of the fence ◘ a rolling cat gathers no moss ◘ just say "no" to cats ◘ read my lips - no new kittens ◘ I left my cat in San Francisco ◘ frankly Scarlet I don't give a cat ◘ able to leap tall counters with a single bound ◘ four score and seven cats ago ◘ a watched cat never boils ◘ if at first you don't succeed, get a cat ◘ a kitten a day keeps the doctor away ◘ give me liberty or give me cats ◘ kittens should be seen and not heard ◘ she'll be carrying six white kittens when she comes ◘ ask not what your kitten can do for you but what you can do for your kitten ◘ my cat runneth over

* * *

And last but not least, some zucchini is really anxious to grow up. One of them (on the left) punched through the soil so vigorously, he's still wearing a little hat made out of a clump of soil.

Alchemy Success part 1: Raccoon Shirt Transformed by Fisheye

Etsy recently reintroduced the Alchemy feature which is used for requesting custom items or bidding to be the person to make the custom items.

I decided to partake so I put out a call to have a shirt altered to fit. As many shirts as I have, I always wanted this shirt to fit, because the fabric is so awesome:



Yes, it is vintage fabric with raccoons. I imagine they are washing apples or some other treasure they scavenged from somewhere. Of course these raccoons remind me of Patches. I have had this shirt since 2002 when I attended the Art-o-Mat 5th Anniversary Swap Meet in Winston-Salem. I grabbed this shirt out of a giant clothing swap mountain at Mary's of Course! Cafe. Finally, some random thing I pick up and hold on to for half a decade has actually become usable.

And all thanks to Fisheye Accessories. fisheye is an etsy seller who makes one-of-a-kind accessories, primarily from recycled or repurposed materials.


One of my favorites is her Apple Tree Cross Stitch clutch, made out of an upcycled kitchen towel.

She did a great job on altering the shirt, which started out way too loose and slouchy on me.

Before:


and

After:


Next Episode: Alchemy Success Part 2: Wherein chicken wire is utilized.

Presidents & Pill Boxes

The other week I spent quite a while sorting through a shoebox and basket full of stamps.  I bought 70 stamps for 5 cents each.  Despite my moratorium on shopping, I allowed this purchase because they don't take up a lot of space... and also I had specific plans for them.



In the piles were some stamps from Helvetia, and while watching Helvetica, the movie I found out that is Switzerland.

So, I used 4 of these stamps and decorated two sets of "pill boxes" (these are the kind I make from empty tape roll "cylinders").  Set one is Abraham Lincoln & Lady Liberty:


Set two is George Washington and Thomas Jefferson:
. 

Both are in my Shoppe for President's day. 

Stay tuned for upcoming news from the flip book factory...

thrift store addiction

I've gotten to the point that I pretty much want to go to a thrift store weekly, if not daily. This is not good for a few reasons. Must of those involve clutter and my fear of earthly possessions accumulating beyond mental capacity.

But it's very good for other reasons.
Like today, when I bought a whole bunch of baggies full of embroidery thread for $1.50. I mean seriously, it's probably about 50 skeins or so. And this is the second time I bought a whole bunch of baggies full of embroidery thread in a couple months' time.

One thing is I need to USE the things I buy. I have come to the conclusion that usable things really are the best things.

Some usable things I need to use are:
countless empty frames
skeins of floss of near infinite number
tons of fabric, including a GIGANTIC bag I bought at the thrift store for $8.00
pipe cleaners
paper scraps and old magazines
paint
boxes

Things I am happy to say I recently put to use:
some of the aforementioned fabric that I sewed into a shirt (well, sort of a shirt)
some other fabric I half made something with
two other thrift store shirts I "altered" to fit
some of the floss
some paper
some paint

Well, that's a start.

In other news, I'm still trying to get a new digital camera.