fatrockstar

I found this great image over at the Tumblr blog Retrogasm here. I'm not going to hotlink the image, the blog is legit and won't give you cooties if you click on it. It's really quite fascinating and the silhouettes very well done, although I'm not certain of the accuracy of any of the figures after 1985. Go ahead, take a good look at it. I'll wait.

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Since I found this little gem I have been inspired to use the figures in some pendant designs. Around my tenth or twelfth design I got to thinking it would be a really bad idea to sell these without the blessing of the silhouettes' original artist. I mean, these are really nice-looking and classy images. I would hate to have this project turn into the subject of litigation over something as simple as permission. I figured I'd write to the artist, pay what they asked for (within reason), and if it wasn't possible I'd have a lot of holiday gifts ready-to-go.

In my search for the original artist, all roads led back to Retrogasm. Every fashion blog that linked to it found the image either from Retrogasm or each other. When I wrote to the webmaster he was not able to give me any artist information either. It had been long enough ago that the source of the image was lost. Frustrating.

All I have to go on is the title that the original poster provided: A History of Fashion... Silhouette version. The image made big rounds in June of this year (2011). It's not a very big image, but it was enough for me to use on my project.

If you can find its origins, please by all means share your findings with me. I want to give credit where credit is due.

These are the first bunny magnets made from my Craft Night molds. It's closer to the truth to say that these are the original bunny shapes used to make those molds, but why nitpick? The base shapes were baked, embelleshed, then baked again. I think for the next set I will probably only do one bake - working with Bake 'n Bond (say that 3 times fast, then get hungry) is only simple with larger pieces.

Even though I'm not talking much (if at all), my throat is feeling a bit better. I need to be able to not speak, whisper, cough, or clear my throat for an entire day or longer. Easier said than done. Making a doctor appointment is challenging enough!
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I'm still working on the HJR ornament order for the woman in the UK. It's been a year since I added any of these to my inventory, and it shows. I almost forgot how complex the candy canes were! It's still fun, and I'll likely make a bunch more before the month is out. You know, I should just make Christmas shit six months out of the year so I can have a successful shopping season. We'll see.

Melody came by with a project for all her young cousins. She'll fill these goody bags with crayons and small toys to give them when they visit next week. I thought it was pretty cute.

So far, so good. Got some help from Melody on these. Two sets of five dolls to come. Share your favorite Devo songs in the comments.

It seems cliche, but I'm on a clean-out-my-craft-cabinet kick these days (hence the proposed weekly craft nights) and I have two dozen or more of these multicultural clothespin dolls I want to do something with. The time of year and my own lackluster pool of ideas said "witches," and here they are. Thanks to Charlotte & Chaz for convincing me to go through with a little Troublefaker doll instead of a blond one.

a few weeks ago I was wandering the clearance aisle at Michael's and found these blank clothespins I can only describe as "multicultural." Honestly I'm not sure why I bought them - the craft they're intended for is not one of my favorites - I can only guess that I was inspired by the memory of clothespin dolls my mother made when I was little. I remember searching her house high and low for them after she died but not even getting close. My sister was probably hiding them from me.

So I've been sitting on this find and finally got around to figuring out what I want to do with them. I'm hoping to have my first set of four complete and ready to sell by the first of the month. I'm not too thrilled with the crappy selection of holiday fabrics out there, but will make do. So far the prototypes look very good.

Until I have a finished product, this sketch will have to do. Enjoy.
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If you were able to make my show at The Comet, you would have seen my most recent marketing idea in action: Magnets. I can't really afford to give them out for free like I can the occasional CD because in order for these to sell I have to price them at a loss. I'm working on lowering the production costs a bit with face and hair molds. If they turn out to be slow sellers I'll move the inventory to my Etsy shop.

Speaking of Etsy, I really need to list a bunch of new stuff. I'll be the first person to admit my jewelry design needs work, but stranger things have sold there.

Back to the marketing, though: I'm still coming up with more extras for the merchandise table. T-shirts are too obvious -- or are they? I like the folding can cozy screenprinted with the band logo idea, too.

In other news, I have sent enough disks as promo and sold enough that it looks like I'll need to order more soon.

I haven't touched any polymer in over a week. My Etsy sales have slowed enough that I have a handful of expired listings. That last thing doesn't bother me as much because they're seasonal items, but still -- it would have been nice to sell them. I'm thinking it would probably be prudent to re-list the Santas I made individually instead of as a single item.

For now, I will focus on packaging and publicity. I'm a little frustrated because I don't really have a theme for my items, and theme shops do pretty well. Should I add band-themed items? Create a Troublefaker web comic and develop a brand featuring the notorious Wynne C Blue as its protagonist? It can't hurt. I really need to have more faith in my artwork. Art and music are such highly competitive fields, and what makes them good is completely relative. That said, it's too easy to get discouraged. I persevere nonetheless.

My latest project is a series of brooches based on a self-portrait I sketched. It's a little cartoony, not quite Ellen Forney but close, and I figured that I have always enjoyed sculpting faces and the concept of a 3D portrait seems fun, so... why not?

This weekend I will be attempting to rally my muse and make some progress on these brooches. I also need to photograph a couple of items, one of them a hair tie. Any prospective models out there who don't mind having the back of their head photographed, give me a holler.

I don't wear jewelry and it doesn't interest me. A lot of people do, though, so I'm making some. There are eight pieces waiting to be listed. Four are shown below. I have a handful of ideas rolling around in my head I want to try but can't seem to remember to write them down! Very frustrating. I like the black cat theme, and hearts can be fun, too. If you wear jewelry, what do you look for? Color? Shape? Topical? Inquiring minds want to know.

The album is officially e-released, but the hard copy won't be sent out until the 15th. If you must, find me on digistation.com to download it. My favorite track is "Dots."

I ran out of steam before I could post the final bunny magnet. The cat and what he is looking at are still undergoing final touches.

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