2012/365 - Day 182

the transfers for this set are done!

Today and tonight I finished off the last 60 transfers of my characters to MDF blocks for my DIY edition of "Penciled In" for Art-o-mat.  That is a LOT of tracing!!!

Next up -- all of the paper parts...labels, info inserts, making little envelopes for the little colored pencils...all that stuff...then putting the stickers on the boxes...then...then...still lots to do before these are ready to ship out.

2012/365 - Day 181

work progresses on Penciled In - DIY edition

Today has been another day of cutting and transfers.

Ten designs times ten cards each equals three hundred little cards...plus the overage ones.

I had to listen to my hand...it kept cramping...so this job took most of the day.  I only got a small amount of these done last night.

And the transfers take a lot of hand power, too.  I have to push pretty hard with the pencil to get the carbon paper to make a mark on the MDF blocks. 

I did three characters tonight...ten of each design.

Tonight I transferred the young panda, the young giraffe, and young Wolfy (he can also be colored as a young fox if people prefer).

I did the young bear last night.

So there are 40 out of 100 done -- yay!

Still a LOT to do to put this all together.

2012/365 - Day 180

in production -- and it's about time!

Tonight I am working on two parts of the items that go into my DIY version of my Art-o-mat series "Penciled In".

I will include 3 blank coloring cards in each artpack.

I already printed these a while back...now I just need to cut out 300 of them...I am doing an edition of 100 this time.

I need to make transfers of my characters onto MDF blocks.  These are smaller and thinner than the full-size Art-o-mat blocks because these fit inside of the Arto-boxes.

I am doing ten designs with ten of each in the series for a total of 100.

Okay -- back to work!

2012/365 - Day 179

a very art-full day

This morning was a glorious reunion of Wednesday Morning at Joan's...and we had a special guest -- Joan's mom, Frana.

What a lovely surprise that Frana joined us this morning!

She was excited to show us her beautiful mosaic ball.

And rightfully, so -- it is just incredible -- and Frana hasn't done mosaic work before.  Man!

Look at the wonderful little red flower and the gorgeous deep blue one...and the yellow one with the square middle.  I love the grouting, too.

Fantastic!

And then Leann arrived!

Frana took this photo -- I love it.

Leann shared the alphabet(s) she carved.

I am so envious of Leann's carving -- and she does it ALL with an X-ACTO knife! 

I am really horrible at carving letters -- Leann is exceptionally gifted at it.

Scout is posing for today's portrait.

There is Joan's mosaic ball near the hammock.

Wow.  That is all I have to say -- wow!

Leann gave Joan that nipple you see as the center of the yellow flower.

I really want to try doing one of these.

Look at the colors and patterns on the mosaic ball when Joan brought it over to the table under the red umbrella.

Yum!

Leann worked on another carving.

 

Could this be a partridge?

We sat outside this morning -- something I would not normally do -- but it was just so pleasant and lovely to be with my friends.  Joan smashed up another piece of pottery and started to lay out a design for another mosaic ball.  Leann worked on her carving.  I sat and soaked it all up.

Later on I went to the Northville Art House to collect art from the show that recently closed -- West of Center.  I brought home my Baby Beast and also Jon and Juana's pieces.

Baby Beast is back at home with the Cat-Creature and Chime Cat.

And when I checked the mail -- I found TWO boxes of art waiting for me!

I LOVE getting stuff in the mail -- especially art!

I purchased two sweet lolamade monsters from her Etsy shop.

These are by artist Laura Holewa.

And this one glows in the dark -- BONUS!!!

I wish I knew how to take photos of glow-in-the-dark stuff...this guy glows really bright.

And...all of this Topher-y goodness was in the other box!

This is what I won on eBay.

An etched Jack Daniels bottle...the whiskey having been personally finished off by the artist, Topher Crowder.

close up of etching

closer

another close up

You really need to see this etched bottle in person to appreciate the details and the work...it is just fabulous.

That wacky Topher...this was what the bottle was wrapped in.

And this was yet another bonus in the box -- I can't recall what these little creations are called...small plastic boxes with cool artifacts inside.

I first saw the boxes at Topher's show at the Northville Art House in January.  It was called "Etch, Sketch, & Stilettos:  the work of Topher Crowder".  Here is a link to the MotorCityBlog post about it.

I am still getting used to my new medication today.  For most of the day I have felt like I was wrapped in cotton batting and that my head might float off on its own.  Not a horrible feeling, I must admit, but not a good thing if you need to drive or do anything productive.  Hopefully I will adjust quickly and get some work done. (I don't know why Blogger has decided to make my lines double-spaced for the second half of this post...I can't figure out how to fix it.  Oh well.)

2012/365 - Day 178

time for William to go

Wow -- time really flew!  I can't believe William has been here for almost a whole week.  Tonight William leaves for Maine via Canada. 

Today I got to see the Miniature Art Hunt table murals before I gave them to Joan for the Art House...I hadn't unrolled them until today.  These are some of my favorite parts:

 Also today William finished up the first 50 (of 100) of the "Penciled In" mini portraits we are collaborating on for Art-o-mat.

 Later...William gave me some specific pointers for adding shadow to the two collages I am working on...to show me how to (hopefully, if I can pull it off) make the creatures look like they are popping more on the canvas.

And then...after dinner we played a few more hands of Magic: the Gathering.

LOL -- William used some of my decks and with this one, the card he was waiting for was the very last card on the bottom of the deck.  (Which happens to me all the time...LOL)

Well -- it has been a great week, but it really really went quickly.  Hopefully William will have some time to visit again when he makes his way back from Maine to Minnesota later in the year...if he does, we hope to do a semi-big Arto-Session with Juana and other local Art-o-mat artists.

2012/365 - Day 177

visiting with Andi and Punkin while William works on blocks

This morning my sister Sue, Andi, Punkin, William, and I all had lunch at Tuscan Cafe.  It was great.

Later Andi and Punkin came over and hung out for a while while William worked on his part of our collaboration series for Art-o-mat.  Andi gave my little plaster cloth guy a "mini manicure" and Punkin drew and colored some blocks of her own.

 Punkin watching William color my characters for our collaboration.

Andi and I tried out the colors of nail polish.

"Well, here...let me hold it like this if you want it to look real."

I'm thinking Andi didn't use to turn her former clients sideways to do their nails.

Freshly colored blocks by William.

Punkin really enjoyed stacking and counting the blocks that William still needs to work on.

Andi was showing me stuff on her phone -- including Punk as a Leprechaun...

...a bit later...

Punkin stacking the uncolored blocks while William stretches across the table for...

...color-changing nail polish!

Hard to tell here, but it really does change colors.

...seeeeee?  Pretty cool!

Punkin with a couple of the fabulous blocks she did based on my characters.

Punkin blew catnip bubbles for Twink.

The little guy's claws are dry!

How the coloring is stacking up.

Two of my favorites -- although they are ALL actually my favorites!