I know I'm not tired of it yet

Cause I just still love Arrested Development. I made this multi-block lino cut.

Buster and Gob Play Chicken

I kind of made this on a whim, and it really reminds me of the work I used to do before I discovered etsy. That place gets into your brain. But anyway, I love how Gob looks like an old school little people sitting there in that front loader. I'm hoping to eventually do this print again in pink or something similar, onto fabric and make a skirt...just to announce to people that I'm still amused by a show that was only on the air for three years.

non-resolution

Find my creativity again...wherever it may happen to be hiding.

We've been invaded

We discovered a pair of communist birds have moved into our home. At first we were mad to have to share our hard-earned shelter with these lazy freeloaders, but they made some really convincing arguments. We decided we had no choice but to let them stay and share our wealth.

Assemblage made by Marcia Wood and Andrew Mertinooke; a communal effort.

Apple Tree Yarn Bomb

I had this idea a couple of years ago and never followed through. I've got some encouragement now so I'm thinking a revival is in order!

My plan is this:
1. Recruit others (and myself) to make knitted/crotchet apple cozies.
2. Collect
3. Wait for apples to grow
4. Find a lovely tree whose apples seem to need a hug
5. Cover as many apples as I can with cozies
6. Take pictures and share
7. ?????
8. Profit

Okay, 7 and 8 aren't really part of it but I felt I couldn't leave them out.
If you're interested, email me at sparegus@yahoo.com

Free cozy patterns:
http://veganlunchbox.blogspot.com/2008/08/apple-cozy-pattern.html
I've used the above before, and it works really well. The large is really large if you use red heart, but that isn't always a bad thing. We get some monster apples here in NH

http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/adorable-apple-cozy
I haven't used this one because I can only crochet squares and rectangles. Anything more complicated comes out a disaster. But I hear it's a good pattern. If you have any other free pattern suggestions, just leave them in the comments.

I can't offer and monetary compensation but everyone who participates will get credit in the final photos.

Here comes the 180

Celebrating our 100th sale was amazing! I'm so happy that so many people participated and that we got to share our tees with more people.
Now comes the hard part. We've had to make a very difficult decision. We've done fairly well for what we've put in to spareGus Ink, but it has come to the point where we had to decide if it is worth continuing. Anybody that knows Andy & I will know that while this business isn't exactly what we planned on, we grew to enjoy it and had some really great times doing this. It is unfortunate that our life situation has taken us to the point where it just isn't feasible. We're planning the close to be in the next 30-60 days, providing we can find a buyer for our equipment. It may be sooner or it may be later, but it is going to happen. We love and appreciate all the support and customers we've had the pleasure to know and sell to.
Thanks again!

Drumroll....

Winner of the shirt from SpareGus Ink is AntB! Congrats! Please convo me on etsy to let me know what you'd like!

Time for a Giveaway!

So I said on the facebook page that I'd do a giveaway when we reached 100 sales on etsy. That moment came yesterday afternoon, so here it is!

This giveaway will be for one shirt, any size, any design available in the shop. The majority of our shirts are organic cotton and all of them are Alternative Apparel. These shirts are soft, stretchy and fashionable, not your regular old tee!

To enter:
1. Follow this blog and comment
2. Follow our facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/spareGus/340797356814 and comment *here*
3. Re-blog, tweet, or facebook post this giveaway (one entry for one or all three) and comment here
4. Favorite SpareGus Ink on etsy - http://sparegusink.etsy.com and comment here

So, four ways to enter. You've got to leave a new comment for each way you enter so that when I use the random number generator thingie you get as many entries as you made. You can enter until 12am Eastern time on Friday July 1st...so that's a whole week! Heck yeah!

Wishing for Creepies

So lately I've been wanting a stash of old porcelain doll pieces. I find them to be wonderfully creepy, but, it's not going to happen. I've never looked for this kind of thing before, but it turns out a lot of people want this kind of stuff. Ebay is full of expensive auctions for these things. Ah well, reference photos will have to do. It is of course, all for possible art creation. Like everything.

I finally finished a handspun that I started sometime this winter. I've been putting it off since it is almost the last of my fiber and I just can't bear to think there isn't more. I just can't let myself buy more when I never make anything with the finished yarn. I just pull it out and drool every once in awhile. Yes, I know it's a problem...

Yep, making out with my drop spindle full of yarn. I like it, but not as much as some others I've done. It kind of reminds me of dust bunnies with lint.


And then there's cuteness:

Art once more

Lately I've been trying to make art more regularly. It isn't easy for me these days, but I really do try. A whole lot of it turns out like total junk. The work that turns out half decent doesn't always get photographed. It's just like that with me, I'm unorganized or unmotivated or insecure. I've decided to try to force myself to use my old deviantart gallery once again, hoping that filling it up will maybe help me get back into creating.

Shabby Apple Overboard Dress Giveaway

>Shabby Apple Overboard Dress Giveaway

Hello

My name is Ferris. I like to climb on things. Can I have a banana?

giveaway from Poorly Drawn Things

Poorly Drawn Things is having an awesome giveaway:

* Four large Limited Edition giclee prints of the newest paintings: The Scavengers, Masked Mauraders, The Path to Righteousness and The Contortionist
* The Beginning and The End postcard set
* Two sticker sets: The Scavengers sticker set, and retro themed sticker set
* Two surprise gifts from the shop

To Enter: Just reblog this picture, or tweet about it on twitter with the hash tag #poorlydrawnthings. Winner will be announced next Wednesday via tumblr, facebook and twitter.

Check out the blog,too: http://poorlydrawnthings.com/

Such an amazing, talented artist...making me develop a painting inadequacy complex!

Bear Arms

So, this is the only artwork I've done in a while. I haven 't had much time to spend on artistic endeavors but I'm fairly pleased with this one. I was able to work on it while Ferris napped, which is a rare thing to get to do. It's a woodburning with watercolor tinting on a piece of poplar left over from a project. I'm really starting to enjoy making woodburnings with watercolor over the traditional paintings. It started out as a safety thing, less fumes and toxic things around for Ferris to find/consume/breathe, and now it's kind of growing on me.

Insomnia

I get a lot of the insomnia. Ambient light is a problem for me, which is funny since I used to regularly fall asleep with the light on, but that just doesn't happen nowadays. At my rescue is this tutorial:
Goodnight Owl
I love it. Here is my version:



So I made mine with fabric instead of felt only because the meowing creatures in the house will find a way to vomit on everything. It was still easy and simple, though, I was able to put it together during a fairly short Ferris nap. I've already used it and found it so helpful. Ferris also thinks it's hilarious to see it on my face so that's another plus!

Also, I've changed the name of the blog again. Like anybody's watching!

Pretty up your switch plates and outlet covers

Ferris took a long nap this morning so I decided to something I've been meaning to do for ages - make the switch plates and outlet covers pretty. I've done this before with paper from magazines, but the ink just doesn't hold up to sunlight and the fading becomes really obvious...something I wouldn't mind except that it happens more with some colors than others, and it just looks all blotchy. This is much neater and easier to do with fabric anyway.

What you need:
switch plate or outlet cover
piece of fabric at least 4" x 5.5" (or larger if you have a double or triple or whatever)
scissors
Xacto knife
tacky glue (or your other favorite glue...I like tacky, oh yes)
Small paint brush for applying glue

How to:
Take your brush and apply glue fairly liberally to the front of your switch plate or outlet cover.
Place switch plate or outlet cover on your piece of fabric.Like my sketch? I thought so.
Next, clip the corners of your fabric diagonally close to the corners of your switch plate or outlet cover. This will help avoid bulk in the behind of it all.Next, apply glue to the back edges of the switch plate or outlet cover and fold the fabric over and around.
Then use the Xacto to cut some neat lines in your fabric where the switch or outlet would be. Apply glue to the edges around the holes, and pull the fabric over and around.

Let dry. When it's all set, use the Xacto to stab the holes where the screw holds the switch plate or outlet cover into the wall, install and enjoy!Fancy, eh?

Let's See

Many things...

Ferris had his first birthday.


It is amazing to experience the growth of this little being from barely conscious newborn to the little person that he is. I can't think of anything that compares to it. The only thing that could make it better would be a change of scenery. Our apartment just isn't a good fit for our family now, and not just because it's an apartment, but it being in the "city" doesn't help. Manchester is just not really a city anyway as it lacks whatever advantages would usually be found in that type of location and yet has all the disadvantages of living in a suburb to boot. We've hit our saturation point of dealing with all the compromises of living here and just really need to get out.

I've hardly had a chance to draw but I have done some things...


This I came up with for a contest on Spoonflower with the theme of Civil Rights Toile. The civil rights part I have, women's suffrage, the toile not so much. But I like it and have already adapted it for t shirts. It's the closest thing I've done to art recently, anyway, and I'm pleased. Eventually I hope to get the paints out but I fear that once we put up the easel we'll be told to take it down by whoever is trying to sell our apartment. We will see, I can't depend on having the time or inspiration for it anyway.

We've been watching too much tv. It is unfortunately one of the things that calms Ferris. He doesn't watch much but likes the noise. He used to like music more, but I think he likes the sounds of people talking and the things going on. I think I've now seen Toy Story more times than I can count, and what's fun about having stopped my postpartum medication is that I'm a blubbering mess at all the sad parts. In a kids movie! Things are just oh so sad when you're a toy I guess.

Long time....

I've neglected the blog of late, and I can tell you why: my baby does not sleep. I half expected it, I've always been an insomniac, my brothers and I would stay up in our beds long past being tucked in at night. My husband, on the other hand, is a champion sleeper. I'm amazed at the amount of sleep he can rack up in a night, and then take a nap. I had hoped that the two sides would even out in our son, but it just isn't the case. So life in general has been a sleep-deprived haze, and I'm coming to terms with it as something that I'll just have to deal with until he's old enough to at least entertain himself long enough to fall asleep at night.
We've also had so much to get done around the house. Re-arranging, baby-proofing, re-decorating. It's all been stressful but satisfying. The house is just beginning to become what I envisioned six years ago when we decided to buy it, and of course, we are hoping to move within the next couple of years. We want Ferris to have a yard to play in, and there just isn't a satisfying park nearby. At least I'll get to enjoy the results while we wait.

So Ferris had his first Halloween! It was adorable. We had planned on taking him trick-or-treating, but his mood just didn't allow. We got some great pictures, though...



mmm....leafy!

Flags

My current obsession: bunting flags. I think they are just too adorable and fun. I love the triangle ones but also the square ones that are like prayer flags. Earlier this year I made this set for Ferris' room:
I used swatches and scraps to make this one and I love how colorful it is. Turns out it's a little long, but not too bad.
My newest project has become printing flags on the garment printer to be used specifically for making these bunting garlands. Hence, the first example:Gnomes and mushrooms. I am in love with this set. It only has six flags but it's still 4 feet long. I listed it in my etsy shop but I am very tempted to keep it. I suppose if it actually sells I can make another, and for now I can gaze at them all I want!

Also, I'm quite obsessed with all things Montessori right now. I know my guy isn't quite old enough for a lot of it yet, but at the rate I've been getting things done I just might have my research and supplies ready about the time that he will be. I can't wait, I think I'm going to have a lot of fun learning along with him.

Sunday

It was a rainy Sunday yesterday, and it was actually kind of nice to hole up with the family and just do little things around the house. Though some things were not so little, like getting the paint up in Ferris' future room. It's almost there now, I just need to do one more top coat. It's a lovely, buttery light yellow. I can't wait to put up all the cute things for him and make it a nice space for him to spend his time.I came out from painting the room at one point to find this:

so sweet

So I also recently bought this cook book:

Would you even know that I'm trying to diet? I still have pregnancy weight and my little guy is 8 months old! It's probably because I can't stop trying out things like this! There's nothing like a recipe that uses an entire pound of butter to ruin my plans. I love butter. I seriously, seriously love butter.
Anyway...here's my finished product:

zucchini spice cake whoopie pies with honey lemon buttercream

So, yes, they are delicious. The recipe I used for the cake part was actually for pumpkin spice cake, but I had a squash/zucchini thing and and thought, how can I take this healthy, fresh gourd and make something completely unhealthy? They are just lovely to eat, though and they took 2 hours to make, so maybe I can write off some of the time making them as calories burned? Yeah, right.

Re-working

Well, the computer crashed horribly last week. So badly that we had to get another one. During this time I had been very caught up in compter-ized designs for tshirts and fabrics. Nothing wrong with all of that and I get a lot of pleasure from those things, but, those still feel very much like work these days. Not always, sometimes it's a load of fun and it's great for when my brain is just not wandering in the ways that it normally does.
The incident prompted me right back into 'traditional' art again. As traditional as I get, though I doubt I would ever be accepted into any group of artists that would identify themselves with the word. Either way, I feel renewed in a way that I haven't in a long time.
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