e-t-s-y

My etsy store, glitzed, is back with a vengeance. Oh, and I design knitting patterns now. Say what?

Yep it's true. It all started when I decided to dress up as The Bus for Halloween (he is sitting on my lap as I type this). I made up my own pattern for a kitty ear hat and paw-like fingerless mitts. One of my co-workers who runs Knit Picks IDP program loved my costume and asked if I wanted to publish it. I was beyond flattered.

You can download that pattern here for $1.99.

My next foray into pattern designing was inspired by November Pain. When I heard there was a little Pain on the way, I knew she desperately needed her own little jammer and pivot caps to keep her toasty.

I published these on Knit Picks too (after I knit a custom set in Heather's colors for Tequilya to give Ruby Bruiseday), and I decided while I was at it, I'd use it as an opportunity to resurrect my etsy shop too. It's been so much fun getting reacquainted with etsy. It seems so much more interactive now, and I've gotten an amazing response to my stuff. Of course, I haven't actually sold any yet, but Derby Little Secrets loved my patterns and contacted me to see if I'd sell them whole sale. Heck yeah, I will! They're up there now.

I was also contacted by Derby Girls Blog about an interview and a blog giveaway, that should be going up soon.

And my Madonna painting was included in the "Feeling the 80's Blues" treasury by TheMuppettoy.

Thanks for all the etsy love everybody! And stay tuned to glitzed for more items soon, I'm having so much fun with it that I keep coming up for new ideas for projects and patterns I want to offer!

etsy love

I just got a note from bipolarbettygoods that she featured my bearing rings in a roller derby treasury on etsy! I feel very special. You can check it out for yourself if you click this link before Halloween.

Thanks Bipolar Betty!

I've actually sold about 10 rings in the last couple weeks, it's been awesome. I'm almost out of bearings, so I've decided that if you send me a set of your old, crappy used bearings, I'll send you a ring for free. I'd rather use recycled bearings from derby girls than keep buying new ones, that just seems silly.

I used the cash from my sales to buy tickets to the Rose City Rollers' Nightmare on Burnside Halloween party this weekend. It's going to be a blast!

sneak peek

I'm almost ready for the Skating With Scissors craft bazaar tomorrow:

Bearing rings in RCR team colors? Check!

Everything priced and ready to display? Check!

New glitter painting completed of the Wheels of Justice logo for the auction? Double check!!

Here's a sneak peek of the painting I just finished last night.

The money from the auction is going straight to the Rose City Rollers' league, so you should come on down to the hangar at Oaks Park tomorrow between 10am and 7pm, bid on something pretty, and check out the amazing wares of all the vendors (derby girls and non-derby girls).

So what's left to do? Well, I'm collaborating on a new set of paintings with one of our league photographers, Mr. Masonite Burn, and I'm hoping to get the first of the series done in time for tomorrow. I'm pretty excited about it. But that's all I'm saying for now, you'll just have to wait and see...

Hey, that's my cupcake!!

A couple weeks ago I took a class at Collage/DIY Lounge on mosaics. I'm thinking about doing some mosaic work in the basement and wanted a quick lesson on how to do it right. The class was tons of fun. I highly recommend it.

This morning, I opened up the DIY Lounge e-newsletter, and look what I saw:
***
In Progress...


This is a work in progress from Megan Klepp's Beginning Mosaic class.
Visit the DIY Lounge blog to see more photos from Klepp's mosaic classes.

That's my cupcake! I'll post more photos after I've grouted it.

Smile pretty!

I forgot to report on one very important and exciting development this weekend-- I got a new camera.

I liked my old one, I got it by trading two paintings for one used Craigslist camera, which was a great deal. But I needed one that takes better close ups for my etsy shop.

Taking pictures with a new camera is lots of fun!!
broccoli and kale:

Analog in the great outdoors!

raspberries

Eek! Where has the week gone?

How is it the end of the day on Thursday already? What happened to Cute Stuff Wednesday? And what do you mean GnR is scrimmaging Puget Sound TOMORROW? This week is flying by!

How does Cute Stuff Thursday sound?

Here's a peek into what I've been checking out on Etsy lately. Any guesses what I'm making next?


Speaking of etsy, did you see that my glittery Audrey Hepburn is for sale? This is gonna be a tough one for me to part with, I've got such a crush on her!

I do my little turn on the catwalk.

Yeah, I'm a model now. Maybe you've seen me in Interweave Knits. You don't recognize me? Oh wait, let me turn around so you can see my butt. Now do you recognize me? :)

And just think, before I started roller derby I didn't even have a butt!

A couple months ago we needed a last minute model at Knit Picks for a print ad, so I agreed to do it. Of course, the real star of the ad is the Montavilla Market Tote, so I'm just a prop really. Kerry, our in-house photographer, did an amazing job. These are some of the out takes.

I was wearing the rose wrapped wire ring that's for sale in my etsy shop, in hopes of getting glitzed a little teeny tiny bit of exposure, but I don't think it made it into any of the final shots.


Here's the final ad. It will also be in Creative Knitting and Knit N Style. My butt is pretty pleased.

...to be your unlawfully wedded derby wife...

I've gotten a few odd comments and raised eyebrows since I posted a new item in the glitzed etsy shop this week- an engagement ring for your derby wife!

Maybe an explanation is in order. Many derby girls have a "derby wife" (or two or three!). Your derby wife is like your partner in crime. She gives you pep talks or puts in extra practice with you if you're down, tells you if the back of your skirt is tucked into your fishnets, and generally watches out for you. She's the one who is riding in the ambulance with you if you break a bone. Sometimes, she even gives you presents.

It's even possible to publicly declare your undying love at RollerCon by getting "married".

So with that in mind, what derby wife wouldn't want an engagement ring made out of a bearing? It makes sense to me!

My first First Thursday

Check-Ya, a Betties alumni, recently contacted me to see if I'd want to bring my glitter paintings down to the frame shop where she works and be one of their featured artists for a bit. Heck yeah!

I dropped off 8 glitter paintings last night, and they should be up in time for First Thursday this evening. So if you're in the Pearl District anytime soon, stop by Frame Central on the corner of NW Davis and 13th and have a looksey.

How the heck?

I've been playing around with Picnik this week.

I made a new banner for my etsy shop.

I made a fancy banner for my blog too, but for some reason every time I upload it, it shows up sideways, like this.

Any ideas on what I'm doing wrong here? I've tried rotating it every which way before I upload it, but it hasn't worked yet.

Moshi Moshi update

The art show last Thursday was a blast. The cupcakes were all gone within an hour, and the cream soda and root beer flowed.

The buds had a good time flyering and trying to convince strangers to come check out their show.

Susan B made a lamp out of skates and a helmet that really works.

Can you see the amazing bow Duckie made out of duct tape? The flowers took her two weeks. Incredible!

Here's my contribution:


Braidy Punch, who is really into chickens (why yes, she did make that painting of a chicken on skates chasing a taco, how did you guess?), was thrilled when Bitter presented her with this giant, pink, paper machie reproduction.


There are a lot more photos of the show and the bud's shenanigans on their Flickr page.
The show is up until February 13th, so if you're downtown, stop by and take a peek. Most of the work is still for sale. You can also pick up original art by the Rosebuds at www.rosebudspdx.etsy.com.

Moshi Moshi art show tonight

Tonight the Rosebuds are having an First Thursday opening reception at Moshi Moshi for their art show. The show is a benefit for the Buds and all the money we raise will go towards uniforms and gear for the girls. It's from 6-9pm at 916 W Burnside.

I made this glitter painting of their logo for the cause.

I also used this opportunity to make a tutorial on how to make a glitter painting, but that will have to come later. I have a lot of photos to clean up first. It turns out it is hard to take photos of yourself with one hand while you paint with the other hand in a poorly lit room. Who would have thought?

I also made vegan cupcakes for the art show reception. Now I think I know what it feels like when you have a kid who comes home and informs you that she needs 2 dozen cupcakes for the school bake sale tomorrow. I think these turned out pretty well though.

I used recipes from Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World (Basic Chocolate and Golden Vanilla with chocolate chips mixed in), and then I decorated them in the Rosebuds' team colors-orange and purple- with "cream cheese" flavored Pillsbury frosting (which is weirdly vegan), colored sugar, and marzipan rosebuds that I sculpted myself. Yep, I spent Sunday afternoon before practice dying marzipan with food coloring and sculpting it into little flowers while Analog and B looked on. Sometimes they gave each other looks which I chose to interpret as "My, aren't those edible roses lovely? What a creative and talented lady she is!"

I hope they taste as good as they look!

I'm a vendor at the Hip Happening craft sale tomorrow

I haven't done a craft show since right after I made fresh meat, but now I'm ganging up with some of my crafty derby cohorts to set up shop at Hip Happening in Sellwood, near the hangar where we practice.

Skinned Knee Lauper, Mick, Scrappy, and I will be selling paintings, prints, jewelry, and other odds and ends tomorrow afternoon. Skinned Knee Lauper has these great wine charm/bracelet sets for any one who has ever had one too many and forgotten which charm is theirs. So clever!

Hip Happening
Historic Sellwood Masonic Lodge
7126 SE Milwaukie Ave.
Saturday, Dec. 13th, 11am-6pm

Just look for the Rose City Rollers signs at our booth. Or you can follow the trail of glitter. I was working on a custom painting last night, and even though I took a shower and changed my clothes, I'm still finding glitter on my face and arms today.

Big things are brewing...

I've been dabbling in glitter painting and jewelry production again, and my co-worker is helping me get my Etsy shop back online by taking photos for me. She is extremely talented. When I take photos of my work, they look like this:

When she takes them, they look like this:


Amazing! Here she is in action at our glitter photo shoot last week.




I'll give a shout when my shop is up and ready. Right now there's only one item in it!