Where I'm from dosn't define where I'm going

An old friend of mine approached me to design a tattoo for him.  If I had a dollar for every person who asked me to draw a tattoo but never got back with me to disccuse design I'd be much better off than I am now.  But this friend knew exactly what he wanted, he had been thinking about it for awhile and had already decided that he wanted me to draw it. 

I grew up with this friend in Nisqually Valley located just North of Olympia WA.  He had just gotten the Rainier beer logo, essentially a giant red "R" inked on his arm and wanted the Nisqually glaicier side of Mt. Rainier partially wrapped around his arm as the background behind the logo. 

Now Rainier beer is not the best of beers, but it is well know in these parts.  It definitely defines Nisqually and he is after all one of my oldest friends.  So I sat down and completed his image the day before his birthday.  I'd say it was a successful birthday present and am looking forward to seeing the completed tattoo.

My first rough draft looks like a cow

I'm no fool, I put my light table to good use.

Pencil drawing turned into ink drawing.

Ready for the tattoo artist!

What do I do with it now?

Once upon a caffeinated late crafting night just before my wedding last fall, I created a card box that emphasized our desire to have contributions toward fixing up our house instead of typical wedding gifts.  I was very proud of my creation and still am, but now what do I do with it?

What I would love to do with this creation is pass it on to another bride who will use it.  Or possibly a little girl who would use it as a play house.
If you know anyone let me know.  I'm willing to gift this to the right person.
--Laurel--

Home Made Shrinky Dinks!

 This last weekend a group of friends and I had a Shrinky Dink Craft Night.  I've been seeing some awsome jewelry made out of this stuff I use to play with as a kid.  If you have never had the chance I suggest you try it.  It's an excellent activity for all ages and you can ReUse some of your recyclables!

Here is how.
Find any #6 plastics, some examples are fresh berry containers or deli lunch containers.

Cut out the flat bottoms and tops of the containers.

 Rough up the surface with a piece of sandpaper, or you could just rub it on the concrete for a minute.  Your just prepping the surface so it will hold the medium of your choice.

 Apply medium of your choice.  Markers, colored pencils, rubber stamping all works great.  Just keep in mind you color will come out super concentrated as the plastic shrinks, so plan accordingly.

We used a toaster oven which heats up faster than a conventional oven and saves on energy.

There is no specific time for baking the plastic, you have to sit there and watch it, and it goes pretty fast.

 Place your plastic on a piece of baking parchment on a pan and make sure your oven is pre-heated.  Your shrinky  will curl and shrivel and your heart will jump because you think it's ruined!  But fear not.  99% of the time it flattens itself out.  When you take it out of the oven slide the parchment paper off the tray onto a hard flat surface like a counter, and put another piece of parchment on top.   Have a plate, or something hard and flat, and press down on your covered shrinky to flatten it out even more.

You have to be quick when it comes out of the oven because it cools quickly.  You can always put the shrinky back in the oven if you are not satisfied with it's shape.

Baby Shower Card!

Months ago I found a Niki McClure Book Mark for a past show of hers.  The image was perfect for a baby shower card and I knew I would be needing to make one for a friend soon.  So I tucked the bookmark away.
The baby shower was this past weekend and I put this card together last minute after having a laps in memory of where I "tucked it away".  Luckily I found it, and turned it into a beautiful card that got a lot of attention, but not nearly as much attention as my Mothers hand knitted pink baby sweater did.

I'm finding all sorts of uses for my button collection!

 

I don't care who you are that's pretty darn cute!

Believe it or not this form has been sitting on my work bench for months.  I thought up the idea when I did the acorn clock but never got around to finishing the mushroom clock.  I'm already making more.  I just fell in love with the final product.

Cup Cake Clocks Unveiled!

Just finished up the first batch of cupcakes and already had one sold before it even left the work bench!

 

Bonjour Cupcake

I hung a small portion of my work this weekend in a local cup cake shop that just opened.  Bonjour Cupcake.  I am guilty of being very supportive of this shop, I can't help it, they are soooo delicious.  And the shop owner has been kind enough to let me hang a few framed prints on her walls.

Setting up for Baby Shower

The shop is a light airy space with beautiful decor.  When I was there hanging my work on Sunday they were setting up for a baby shower.  It's a perfect place for such an event.

I met the shop owner last November at a holiday bazaar.  She approached me and asked me to do a custom clock for her.  She wanted a cup cake clock for her shop she was setting up.  I was more than happy to accommodate her request.

Original custom clock for Bonjour Cupcake

She opened her shop on Arts Walk at the End of April.  Just before opening she called me up to tell me she already had a number of people commenting on the clock and wanting to know where to get one.  She asked me to make a few more for her to hang.

So I have a few on my work bench that are scheduled to be done by the end of Wednesday this week.  I'm excited to get them to her, mainly so I can get another tasty cupcake!

Sneak Peak at cup cake clocks on my work bench
Yummy texture!

Sneak Peak at Upcoming Clocks

It's nice when I can do my dirty work of cutting and sanding outside in the sunshine.  These upcoming clocks have been inspired by my good friends.  I'm excited to see them transform!  

Monday Treasury

Musical Clocks

  

Every clock I have produced has a story behind it.  Whether it’s from my friend’s famous pies or my mother’s craft room, every idea has an origin.  The guitar pick clocks are no different.  In fact music has been a constant theme in my art.  I have always had a passion for music.  If I did not go the visual artist route I would have ventured into the musician world. 

As is my brother went the musician route.  He played the piano as a kid and latter on picked up the guitar.  It is his outlet and passion.  He studies other artist, mostly rock and roll and country, composes his own songs and will play for almost anyone who will listen.  I use to love sitting around after work and sketching while he played.  A couple of years ago everyone pitched in and got him a drum set for Christmas so he could jam with others.  Since then his music room has grown, earplugs are mandatory, and good friends have started to take drum lessons to accommodate.

When I started thinking about clocks I kept my brother close in my mind.  He is not the kind of person who would shop on Etsy, partially because he is a last minute Christmas Eve mall shopper, if not a giver of cash in a store bought card, but mainly because he doesn’t have a computer.  But if I could create a product he liked, then I would be reaching a target audience.  A musical audience!  So when I came up with the guitar clock I gifted him one of the first I made.  It’s still on his wall, made of wood instead of a vinyl record, and all his buddies love it.

The guitar pick clock has come a long way since my first wood prototypes.  I switched to vinyl when I ran out of the scrap wood I had sitting around my studio.  It was a brilliant choice and is very appropriate especially for my musical orientated clocks.  I have many versions of the guitar picks now and can’t seem to keep enough in stock.

I’m always open to custom orders.  In fact I have an uncle who wants me to take a pick of his with a lot of personal memento and use it on a clock for his music room.  I’m more than happy to accommodate, but first he has to get me the pick! 

I’m always playing with new ideas, and thinking of different people in my life.  I never know who will inspire me next. Maybe it will be you!