Delightful Sculpture Artist

My dad gets a copy of "Angie's List" every month here in Indianapolis, and I've started saving all of the covers from them because they're made by an amazing artist I had to look up: Red Nose Studios.
Here's a video about how the artist created the scenes for a children's book called Here Comes the Garbage Barge:


The style of his figures knocks my socks off, and I love the enormous amount of creativity involved in all of the elements of his sculptures.

Here's another about his work for "Angie's List." Good advice- "stick to your gut."

Long Time, No Read

I've been away for quite some time. Well, not really away, but I'll spare the details.

I'm deep in my "exploration," to put it cheesily, and I have many new ideas that fill up my mind and also make me overwhelmed. I'm stepping along the stepping stones and this makes me happy and keeps the inspiration level up up up:



(...so much so that I'm actually blogging about it. Things are looking up. No one said it would be easy.)

I like the widespread anonymity that the Internet and blogging provide. I can simultaneously feel as though I'm writing in a diary that no one will read and that I'm writing something anyone in the world can access. Hmm...time to ponder.

Fantastic Mr. Fox in Stop Motion

I already got super excited about this once, but I'm excited all over again after checking out the website for The Fantastic Mr. Fox in stop motion film-form. It's based on Roald Dahl's book (all of which I adored as a kid). I wish I could sit in a theater!! Maybe by next week when it comes out, I'll have some graceful lucky hand make it possible. In the meantime, I don't mind geeking out over the website and watching the little "Featurettes" that show glimpses of the process-- including hand painting, sewing, and sculpting all of the lovely lovely puppets! Their teeny tiny little clothes sure tickle my fancy.

Whole Tree Houses = giddy with awesome-ness

This article in the NY Times about an architect, Roald Gundersen, makes me giddy because it's such a super-eco-friendly-artful-happy idea! Why would you not want to live in a house like this? He built his first house with $15,000 (for plumbing, paid labor, etc.) and uses whole trees instead of treated/cut lumber. The end result is nothing shy of stunning. It's like living in a modern forest house.

This is just one more reason why I wish so badly I could build my own house-- if only I could apprentice with Dan in Huntsville and had a bit of money to do it.

(Make sure to check out the NY Times slideshow!)

Sharing My Nose

This photo leaves much to be desired, but I wanted to share the nose I made out of clay. It was so fun to watch it take shape. It is part of a group of plaques I'm going to make...more on this later. It wouldn't make much sense if I described it now.

Ah, Macabre

I have a strong affinity for the macabre. I have written about my love of Wunderkammern, or Cabinets of Curiosity, and that saga continues on (I'm very intent on making my creations in that realm happen, and they are slowly materializing).

(this is a nest of cube-shaped eggs I've been working on. It is supposed to be rotated the other direction and still needs a shelf for the nest...work in progress.)

It seems that macabre things might even be somewhat trendy right now...maybe just because 'tis the season (Halloween)? This great article is about adding some macabre items to your home to spice it up a bit. I think my issue with "trendiness" is that I like to be surrounded by things I don't often see elsewhere, and it's not just that I want to be "different." Once a trend takes wave, your previously unique, exciting things start to take on a dulled quality. Anyone else with me here? I guess that's what keeps the wheels turning...we can't get too comfortable with a particular style, motif, etc. if we want to continue experimenting and making things "new."

(From NY Times article)

Anyway, macabre is great in my book. And, also speaking of wonderful macabre things, Dan Phillips, the "trash architect" from my film made a wonderful example of a beautifully macabre house, the Bone House. Copies of the documentary will be available soon here.

(brilliant Dan, adding a cattle bone window latch)

Super Cool Video About Fiberglass Chairs...

Found over at Paper and Stitch:

Feathered Friends Wherever You Are

Check out this great birdhouse idea-- it's for people who don't live on ground floors, but still want to enjoy their feathered friends.

It's made by Emilie Cazin and is such a clever design. It's made with a wooden clamp to attach it to any size windowsill or ledge.

Self-Promotion

I try to avoid posting stuff about my stuff I sell on Etsy here, but I have a new little "line" of products that I just made some packaging/display for. So, I thought I'd share.
Buttons!
And, coming soon-- boo-ttons...

Clever Etsy Seller: Niswander Ceramics

I just saw this seller's stuff the other day-- it's so clever and perfect for the upcoming Halloween (have I mentioned how much I love Halloween?!) Her shop is called Niswander Ceramics.

I'm in love with her "Franken' Stein Green 1" mug/stein...very very clever name and creation. I'd love to have some beer or some tea out of this one.

(Great photo set-up too!)

Check out her "Whimsy Skulls Salt and Pepper Shakers" too. They remind me of Tim Burton. If I had these, I wouldn't be able to put them away after Halloween; they'd be year-round for sure!


Here's her shop again: Niswander Ceramics
Thanks, Laurie! I can't wait to see what else you come up with!

True Blood Homage For the Upcoming Holiday...

Halloween is coming, and it's my favorite holiday! (I hope I'm up on my feet to celebrate by then).
Anyway, I've started watching True Blood Season 1 with my boyfriend, Nick, and, I must say, it's quite good. I haven't finished it yet, so don't give it away :]

MaidOfClay on Etsy has these super fun and creepy (good creepy) True Blood mugs. My favorite is the "I Wanna Be Sookie" one because Sookie is such a silly name. The fang holes and blood paint are such nice touches. Very, very clever.


Thanks, Felicia!

The Return of the Double-Headed Doodle Bird

Yay!! I'm so excited...Sarah over at Ohdeedoh, a blog about "home, design, and children" featured my Double-Headed Doodle Bird! I'm overjoyed and feel quite honored that someone liked my quirky worky (sorry couldn't resist the rhyme).
Here it is: Found! Double-Headed Doodle Bird

My Faux Taxidermy

I finally finished my Double-Headed Doodle Bird. I am quite fond of him (saying this, for me, is a large leap) and do not want to part with him. I do plan on making some more stuff like this for my other Etsy shop though. I will have one shop for wearing and another shop for staring...

Here he is complete with taxidermy fish eyes and real stone crab claw beaks (to which I owe my mom the credit for picking one up and saying, "This would make a good beak").




I find freak show type stuff so amusing and intriguing. I also like the idea of turning the perfection of nature into imperfection through replication. You can't replicate nature by hand, so why not try to express this by creating things that are a little "off?" More on this later...

Yet Another Creative Etsy Seller: siennaorlando

Here's siennaorlando's shop on Etsy. I love her ceramic buttons so much! If you sew or knit, you should stop by her shop...even if you don't sew or knit, you can sew on a button right? Spice up your clothes with her pretty creations!

A few hand-picked favorites of mine:
"Variety Pack Everyday is Your Birthday Special:" Look at all of these amazing ideas! I love the owl.
Also, very very clever-- the "Toast Buttons"The "Fried Egg Button" is silly and wonderful too. It has sold, but you can still see it. If you want one, ask her, and it sounds like she'd be happy to make you another one! Check out her Shop Policies for more details and discounts.
She also has a lot of very pretty decorative buttons with less of a novelty side that are wonderful as well! Go here to look at her other website that I just noticed where she has gorgeous large sculpture pieces.
Thanks so much, Sienna, for letting me share your lovely pieces with others!

Awesome Etsy Sellers: The Features Begin...

I want to show off some of the Etsy sellers that I think are great! The next few posts will be of awesome, creative, unique, inspiring sellers, so if you haven't seen them already, visit their shops, check out these cool photos of their stuff, favorite them on Etsy so you can return to them too!

Here's the first one:

PearsonMaron
(Click on the above link to see their whole wonderful shop)
I love these ceramic heart and cloud factory little sculptures...such an adorable idea! ("Cloud Factory")
I love their Bigfoot Magnets and Green Gnome too...I am quite partial to Bigfoots (Bigfeet?) and gnomes as anyone who knows me can attest. In Florida their version of Bigfoot is called a Skunk Ape or Swamp Ape. I made a short documentary with a friend about these elusive creatures. Check it out: "I Look For It All the Time"