MoiraCoon's Shinies

Back!

2012-02-18T08:41:00.001-06:00

I have neglected this page for a few weeks with getting ready for CapriCon and other matters. To update: All is good, the convention went well, I have a few potential commissions to do and the possibility of some writing work. Tomorrow, I'm going to a small bead show. WHEEE!

Super Bowls!

2012-01-30T20:39:00.003-06:00

This week's treasury is all about the bowl game.

*in her best Emily Litella voice*

"I'm so happy that people are getting excited about bowls. Here are some really super ones..."

WisCon call to artists

2012-01-29T22:32:00.000-06:00

Please note some date corrections to this post:

Wiscon or WisCon, is often called the world's leadingfeminist-oriented science fiction convention and conference. It was first heldin Madison, Wisconsin in February 1977, and is heldannually throughout the four day weekend of Memorial Day. Sponsored by theSociety for the Furtherance and Study of Fantasy and Science Fiction or (SF)³,WisCon gathers together women and men: fans, writers, editors, publishers,scholars and artists from around the world to discuss science fiction and fantasy,with emphasis on issues of feminism, gender, race, and class.

Per the art show page on WisCon's website:

We believe that Art is an important aspect of SF, and that an exciting Art Show is an important part of any convention. We strive to make the WisCon Art Show a continuing success by integrating the art show with the rest of the convention.

We are doing things a little different this year. In order to include more new artists, we are requiring all artists to submit an application and photos of their work to the Art Show Staff by February 29 of this year. We will start sorting through the applications then and will notify the applicants of their status around Match 18.

The Art Show Application page may be found at http://www.wiscon.info/artshow.php .

Art show focus:

Work by women artists
Work by regional artists
Work with feminist themes, whatever that may be

We don't plan to define feminist themes. That's up to you. We do, though, plan to continue to have popular awards for the Most Feminist and Most Outrageous items in the Art Show, as have for the past several years. We are interested in original work by the artist, which may include one copy of limited edition reproductions. For additional print sales, you are welcome to participate in the WisCon Dealers Room, or make an arrangement with one of the dealers. We also have a small print shop for items with fixed sale prices; let us know if you are interested in participating, since space will be limited.

Milwaukee ReStore 2012 Recycled Art Contest

2012-01-29T22:10:00.000-06:00

The 2012 Recycled Art Contest, hosted by the Milwaukee ReStore, is officially open for entries! This is the third annual contest that challenges community members to take repurposed material from the ReStore and turn it into recycled art. The entries will be displayed in the ReStore and online for customers to vote on. The top five vote-getters will receive fabulous prizes. The sky is the limit as to what you can design. From welding a dog together from tools, to redesigning a piece of furniture, to painting a window...IT'S COMPLETELY UP TO YOU! The only limit to this competition is that the materials used have to be from the ReStore. The only outside materials that may be used are adhesives. So, come down to the ReStore and put on your creative thinking caps! Entries are due by March 24th.

Prizes:
1st Prize - $150
2nd Prize - $100
3rd Prize - $50
4th Prize - $25
5th Prize - ReStore T-shirt & Water Bottle
(Prize Money Awarded In The Form Of ReStore Gift Certificates)

A special "Kid's Bonus" will be awarded to any winners under the age of 15. In addition to the Gift Certificate, winners under the age of 15 will be awarded a mystery basket of goodies just for them!

Rules:
-Create a work of art made entirely from repurposed materials at the ReStore! (adhesives excluded) All ages welcome! There is no limit to the amount of entries one can submit.

-Entries must be submitted to the ReStore by Saturday, March 24th. They will then be displayed in the store and voted on by customers. Winners will be announced on Earth Day, April 21st!

-Artists will retain ownership of all entries at the conclusion of the contest. However, all entries will be included in a silent auction while on display. Bids will be relayed to the artists who have the decision to ACCEPT OR NOT ACCEPT ANY BID. A minimum of 20% of any accepted bid must be donated to Milwaukee's Habitat for Humanity. Artists may allocate more of a percentage if they wish.

-Upon submission, all approved entries will receive a $25 gift certificate to the ReStore to compensate for materials.

-Submit Art Projects by Saturday, March 24th to:
Milwaukee ReStore - 3015 N. 114th, Wauwatosa

For more information contact Jake Brandt:
jbrandt@milwaukeerestore.org - 414.257.9078 ex. 13

Treasuries from January 22nd through 28th, 2012

2012-01-29T22:02:00.000-06:00

A big thank-you to fluffstuffandpuff,BaublesAndWhatnots,LizzysFancies, thecrochetloft, piratesb00ty,PluffMudDesigns,ZuTuTu, and CASESPLUS forincluding my work in treasuries that they had created this past week!

Felt Up

2012-01-25T22:45:00.000-06:00

Considering I've been seeing a bajillion smooshy-smooshy Valentine's Day postings AND I've been looking at a lot of needle felting lately, this week's currated treasury is all about getting "felt up". Enjoy!

---------------
Update 1/27: I love the fact that three of the items in this treasury sold in the past 2 days!

She's a scrappy gal, she is...

2012-01-25T21:57:00.000-06:00

During my undergrad years, I used to frequent The Scrap Box in Ann Arbor. It was a fantastic place where manufacturers would donate their (clean) scrap items from their factory processes to be sold to the community. There would be bins of such things as little plastic rectangles, one inch foam circles, and orange widgety bits with peel-off adhesive backs. Most items were sold by the mix and match fill-it-yourself bag with some items (like sheets of vinyl) sold separately. It was always a great source for cool/cheap/odd art supplies for the kids at the shelter where I worked and I’d also go looking for materials for curriculum/creative projects with friends who were occupational therapy, art, or education majors.

Since it had been several years since I’d visited The Scrap Box, I wondered if it still operated and I also wondered if there was a similar program in the Milwaukee area. The good news is that, yes, the Scrap Box is still running strong:

(Incidentally, The Scrap Box also has a blog over at WordPress)

Alas, there’s not a similar program in Milwaukee…or at least none that I could find…that offers post-industrial materials in a user-friendly setting for artists and crafters (though we DO have American Science and Surplus, which is a different flavor of awesome). There is also a Scrap Box-type program in Chicago (The Creative Reuse Warehouse via the Resource Center Chicago), which I’ll have to check out when I’m down that way.

While Milwaukee currently lacks this sort of recycling program, I found a TON of similar programs throughout North America. Obviously what each center has can vary by region and even day-by-day, but I sure that they’re all well worth checking out for great repurposable art parts.

ALABAMA

Mobile

-GRCMA-The Resource Place

ARIZONA

Tempe

-Treasures for Teachers

BRITISH COLUMBIA
Vancouver
-Urban Source

CALIFORNIA

Long Beach

-Long Beach Depot for Creative Reuse

Los Angeles

-reDiscover atSmart Space

-Trash forTeaching, Inc

Mountain View

-FabMo

Oakland

-East Bay Depot for Creative Reuse

Palo Alto

-The ReARt Store at Whole House Building Supply
Redwood City
-RAFT--Main2

Riverside

-Riverside Arts and ReUse Exchange
Roseville
-ReCREATE

Sacramento

-RAFT--Sacramento

San Francisco

-SCRAP (Scrounger'sCenter for Reusable Art Parts)
San Jose

-ResourceArea For Teaching (RAFT)--Main 1
Santa Barbara

-Art from Scrap
Vacaville

-Center for Imaginative Reuse

COLORADO

Boulder

-ArtParts Creative Reuse Center
-Centerfor Creative Reuse
Colorado Springs

-SCRAPUP
Denver

-RAFT--Colorado

CONNECTICUT

Bristol

-Imagine That! at the Imagine Nation Children'sMuseum
Hartford

-Scrap-it, A Creative Reuse Center

D.C

Washington, DC

-SCRAP-DC

FLORIDA

Ft. Lauderdale

-Kids in Need Resource Center
-Trash toTreasure
Melbourne Beach

-Reusable Resources Adventure Center

North Miami

-Ocean Bank Center for Eduational Materials

-Teacher's Universe

GEORGIA

Atlanta

-WonderRoot Creative Reuse
Carrollton

-TheScrap Bin

IDAHO

Boise

-The ReUse Market

ILLINOIS

Champaign

-The I.D.E.A. Store

Chicago

-Creative Reuse Warehouse

INDIANA

Bloomington

-Materialsfor the Arts Program

Franklin

-Creative ReSources
Hammond

-Hammond Recycling’s Art & Crafts ReUz Station
Indianapolis

-Teacher's Treasures

IOWA

LeClaire

-Reusable Usables Creative Arts Center

KANSAS

Kansas City

-Recycled Materials Center, Children's Museum of Kansas

LOUISIANA

New Orleans

-Recycle for the Arts, a program of The Green Project

MAINE

Auburn

-SHAREcenter
Farmington

-Everyone's Resource Depot

Scarborough

-Ruth'sReusable Resources

MANITOBA
Winnipeg
-ArtJunktion

MASSACHUSETTS

Boston

-Recycle Shop, Boston Children's Museum
Cambridge

-Extras for Creative Learning (EXCL)

MICHIGAN

Ann Arbor

-TheScrap Box
Detroit

-Arts & Scraps

Grand Rapids

-Learning from Scratch

Lansing

-Creation Station

Traverse City

-SCRAP--Traverse City

MINNESOTA

Mankato

-Art Bin at the Children's Museum of Southern Minnesota
St.Paul

-Artscrap Resource Center (Art Start)

MISSOURI

Bridgeton

-Kidsmart

Crestwood

-St. Louis Teachers Recycle Center
St. Louis

-TheUpcycle Exchange {Materials Market}

NORTH CAROLINA

Asheville

-Trash , Inc.
Cary

-Cary Creative Center
Durham

-The Scrap Exchange
Hickory

-Resource Warehouse & Gallery

NEW MEXICO

Albuquerque

-Wemagination

NEW YORK

New York

-SHHHH Salvage Projects
Queens

-Materialsfor the Arts

OHIO

Cincinnati

-Crayons to Computers
Columbus

-Waste Not Center
Toledo

-Scrap4Art

OKLAHOMA

Oklahoma City

-Save it for Art

OREGON

Eugene

-MECCA

Portland

-SCRAP:The School and Community Reuse Action Project

PENNSYLVANIA

Lancaster

-Lancaster Creative Reuse
Philadelphia

-The Resource Exchange
Pittsburgh

-PittsburghCenter for Creative Reuse

RHODE ISLAND

Providence

-Resourcesfor RI Education

TENNESSEE

Nashville

-Turnip Green Creative Reuse

TEXAS

Austin

-Austin Creative Reuse
Denton

-SCRAP Denton
Houston

-Texas Art Asylum

VIRGINIA

Richmond

-Stuff, Inc.

WASHINGTON

Lynnwood

-Creation Station

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Support your community’s art and recycling movement!

(As always, linking to this post is more than permissible.)

Treasuries from January 15th through 21st, 2012

2012-01-24T16:42:00.000-06:00

Copious thank-yous to the following Etsians that included my work in treasuries January 15th through January 21st: GalleyWestStudio,recreated1, DreamJewelry17,FrouFrouFelt,Obsidianrain,JudithGayleDesigns,WoodlandTrinkets,MaybeMedieval,twistedpixelstudio,engineerandthegypsy, Modred12, VisualEyesCosmetics, AccessoryShowcaseNY, VirtuosoVintage,BelovedU, roagui, M1dnightDreary,vintagestampjewels,cecrafts, Marie Francoise Gironnet,realfaery, moschapeau, Nezihe1, alleya, and KaleidoscopeHearts.

Crazed week...

2012-01-16T22:09:00.000-06:00

I'm going to take a break for a a few days from Etsy/blogging, likely until next Sunday or Monday. I have a few things on my plate right now (in no particular order):

-My partner's ex died last Monday and, while I'm not directly involved, my partner had power of attorney and has coordinated tomorrow's funeral/taking care of her estate. He's understandably a bit worn right now.

-I'm in last minute freaking-out headspace before this weekend's convention.

-Changes at my day job, which means adapting to new structures.

-Trying not to give in to the creeping crud flu that everyone seems to be coming down with. Alas, I cannot work in a hazmat suit.

I will be back. There will be wit. There will be shinies. There will be treasuries. Really.

A couple of quick and inexpensive salvaged fixture rehabs

2012-01-15T06:01:00.001-06:00

As I've previously mentioned, I'm vending at Midwinter Gaming Convention next weekend. In preparation for this, I'm doing an assessment of the booth fixtures I have and figuring out how to display everything.

I'm always looking for objects that I can repurpose, not only for my shinies, but also for use in displays. While I do have a few of the standard black velvet-covered-intended-for-jewelry-display geegaws, most of my fixtures are found items. (Technically, a few of the velvet bits are salvage too, since I bought them at a mall jewelry store's going out of business sale.)

A while back, I found this clippy stand that I believe was originally intended for pictures. It's a bit over 2 1/2 feet tall (depending on how the wire tentacles are arranged) and I snagged it from my local Goodwill for $2.99.

While the chrome finish wasn't bad, I wanted it to look a bit more steamish/vintage laboratory. I painted the base and wire arm socket a matte black and wrapped the upward shaft in a coil of 18 gauge copper wire (Since I knew this was going to take a lot of wire, I used the inexpensive $2.99 for 25 feet wire from Menards. I'm glad I did, since it used precisely the whole package.). I think I might also add either an etched brass plate on the base or use a metal label frame to give it even more faux science flair. It'll make a great holder for some of my X-ray image necklaces.

Remember a few weeks ago when I wrote about hitting the after-Holiday clearance sales for recyclable items? These enameled metal cans were among this year's spoils. They're about 12 inches tall and were $2 each after an 80% markdown.

I'd bought them to serve as stanchions/pillars to elevate part of one of my displays closer to eye-level. While the "before" picture shows them upside down, they're very sturdy right side up too, so I decided to decorate them that way. I still had quite a few of the medical quackery ads left over from my torso project, so I decopaged the cans with the paper scraps, then added a layer of sealant.

They're also a great size for packing smaller items into/creating protected sections in my big tote boxes when transporting everything to and from events.

Treasuries from January 8th through 14th, 2012

2012-01-15T04:21:00.000-06:00

Much gratitude to HeymesBaltic Amber, Engineer and The Gypsy, DoSymphony, ThisTime Next Tuesday, Hannah Ash, Steampunk Surplus, Silver Lining Kreation, DreamJewelry17,DoBatsEatCats,KeinSchmetterling, Aseyeseeitlal, BragginRightsBath,GourmetHandbags, RainyDazeDesigns,Nightsvision,Arlene’sBoutique, lannarfelt,Bonnie’sSew Crazy, newDawncreations, Kasandra'sDesigns, CarolToepke, IdyllWyse, BlackAnt Beads, p1xie, Eden Gallery, Etchythings, Virtulyglass,Madefor Me by Oaklie and Leslie Rhoadesfor including my work in the terrific Etsy treasuries that they had curated this week!

Walken in a Winter Wonderland

2012-01-09T07:00:00.000-06:00

It's Monday. I'm awake. I just created an Etsy treasury about Christopher Walken. What else do you need to know?

Treasuries from January 1st through 7th, 2012

2012-01-08T07:19:00.001-06:00

A big thanks to Inbar Jewelry, Lean Dog Pottery, The Old Barn Door, Lilac Cottage Cards, Fleur De Lis Jewelry, Ed Kidera, Jodi's Craft Emporium, Will Rockwell, Keys To The Kingdom, Roagui, The Green Haven, JetTat Designs, Engineer and The Gypsy,Double A Stitching, Shoesstring Cottage, Sibel Jewelry Design, Heyme'sBaltic Amber, Jude's Hand Spun Yarn, VonlenskaVintage,ByBlackbird Designs, Ottoline’sOddities, Fringe and Flourish, Polyester 10,Erelivent, Art by Liz KZook, and LaMuerte Dulce for including my work in the Etsy treasuries that they hadcreated this week.

I used the CraftCult treasury widgetcreator to make clickable snapshots links of each of the 29 (!) treasuriesbelow. (The widgets are usable on a variety of different blog platforms andwebsites, and are a great way of sharing treasuries that you've created or beenincluded in.)

Goals for the year

2012-01-02T23:23:00.000-06:00

-Do 10 events/shows in 2012. Every year, I try to branch outof my comfort zone just a little bit more with showing off my work. In 2010,this was participating in an artist alley at a convention and competing at thestate fair. In 2011, this was doing panel discussions at a convention, vendingat a convention, and vending at a mainstream show. My goals for this year are to do an art showat a convention that requires more than just an hour or two of travel (Convergence in Minneapolis) and the art show at World Con (ChiCon in Chicago).

-Really learn PhotoShop. I know how to do some photoediting, but I really want to learn more. I have grand ideas…but I need tofigure out how to make these happen.

-Blog at least once a week. This will not be hard. I have alist of about 20 topics at the moment that I’d like to write a post about andthis list will just increase as the year goes by. I just need to make time todo so, because I actually really enjoy blogging.

-Complete at least one Etsy treasury a week. I reallyslacked on this in 2011. I had good intentions and even tried to do a treasury a dayin March, but the time and motivation sort of faded away. I’m even more dolefulthat I didn’t keep up with the treasuries that I was included in. I wasincluded in literally hundreds of treasuries last year and am ashamed to say thatI fell short on cross-promoting these or sometimes even properly thanking the otherartists that created them.

Here's my entry for this week. Now I just need to get it together 51+ more times this year...

-Post in and maintain my other shop, MoiraCoonRedux. I havestuff in the shop, but not much and I seldom even mention that I have thisshop. I have many-many things that I really need to sell off, both supplies andvintage bits, so I need to get off my duff and get them posted/promoted.

-Play with my blowtorch more. Enough said.

-Increase my blog circulation to 500 followers and myFacebook fan page count to 2000 fans. I know that I could always go the “add meand I’ll add you” route to make these numbers happen, but I’d rather have readerswho actually like my work and writing. I’ll have the blog posts and I’ll stay activeon FB anyway, so I’m going to do more submitting to craft sites and posting inFB groups under my fan page to attract more readers.

-Stop procrastinating about posting items on Etsy. Did youknow that I have dozens of pieces that I’d made for events this past autumnthat I STILL have not posted? I’m justifying this right now since I want stockfor a show in a few weeks, but really…that’s a poor excuse. After MidwinterGaming Convention, I need to take the time to photograph and write copy for EVERYTHING.

-------------------------------------------------

What are your goals and objectives for 2012?

Midwinter Gaming Convention

2011-12-30T09:45:00.000-06:00

This weekend is a 4 day holiday from the office, so my plan is to work on preparing stuff for my booth at Midwinter Gaming Convention next month.

I'm really excited about the 2012 convention, since it has now moved to a much larger venue (The downtown Hyatt...fondly remembered by many from the days of GenCon being in Milwaukee at the MECCA/MEC). This will be my second year of vending at this convention, so I have a pretty good idea of what to expect. MGC was one of my best events of 2011, with a terrific con com and awesome attendees.

This year's convention programming includes a few different steampunk/dieselpunk LARPs, film screenings, various panels, TONS of gaming of various flavours, and more. (FYI: to keep up with new additions and conversation about the con, join the MGC page on Facebook) While I'll be missing a good portion of the daytime events because I'll be busy shilling my wares in the ~~goblin's market~~...er...dealers' room, this doesn't mean you have to (The discounted pre-registration rate for the weekend is still valid through midnight 12/31, BTW). I'm still going to have fun again in my booth, nattering with my fellow geekfolk, and I can go play in the evening.

Oh...I should also mention that MGC is doing a clothing drive for St. Vincent De Paul Society at the con. Toss an extra garment in your suitcase while packing for the convention and support a good cause!

(design by Lucas Schultz)

The Repurposing of December 26th

2011-12-24T17:15:00.012-06:00

I am a clearance rack scrounger, an archaeologist of the scratch-and-dent aisle, always looking for a way to reuse some 80% off castoff into something nifty. Natually...I love after-Christmas decoration sales.

The other day, I happened upon a blog post detailing an awesome tutorial for using shatterproof tree balls to make Victorian hot air balloon decorations.

Clever idea and, considering come Monday, the main component of this project will be on deep discount, it's a really inexpensive one too! I can just imagine one of these dangling in a bell jar (or in one of those 1990s glass candles holders turned upside down. These seem to pop up with some regularity at my local thrifts) as a steampunk decoration on a shelf.

Martha over at Ornamento also posted some ideas for combining glass balls with polymer clay, fibers, and other items to create not-necessarily-Holiday ornaments.

Goodbye snowman! Hello posh frippery!

Skitzo Leezra Studio posted a few years ago about transforming a estate sale find tree skirt into a circle skirt for a child (which looks like it would be easily transferrable for a shorter skirt for an adult)

Jumping completely away from the Christmas look is this white flower lantern tutorial from CraftyNest. What a clever re-use of a fake pointsetta garland!

This started me thinking about what sort of repurposeable bits I look for when hitting the post-Holiday clearance section.

-Ribbon: Admittedly, the Christmas red plastic-backed "velvet" outdoor stuff is of limited use, but better made ribbon is a good find. I usually look for dark jewel tones or ivory, but non-Christmas-y shades of Holiday colors like deep burgundy or olive/forest tones work.

-White Lace: Whether paper, fabric, or tatted-looking, I consider whether I can cut it apart for usable portions and whether it will take a tea/coffee bath for a more antiqued shade.

-Decorations That Can Be Deconstructed: Can beads or glass cabochons be removed to use in other projects? If the starburst was clipped off with wire cutters and repainted, would it look midcentury modern?

-Broken Things: Is there anything usable/salvageable about the item if you look beyond it's original purpose? The porcelain angel may have a cracked head, but could the repaired head/limbs be used in an assemblage piece? The embroidered table runner may be stained, but does the remaining undamaged fabric justify the $5 price tag?

-Metal trays: Repainted or decoupaged with a hanger mounted on the back, these make great magnetic memo boards. Paint the inside surface of a deeper tray with chalkboard paint for a writeable board (the wall of the tray makes a good chalk rest).

-Holiday Paper Products: Sometimes just the 20 high quality envelopes are well worth the 90% off price of Christmas cards in January. Also, I look at wrapping paper and paper napkins as potential papercraft materials (For example, Hobby Lobby had some nifty black on black swirly design paper this year). While bright gold foiled paper might look pretty Holiday-specific, it would look less so if sponged with brown alcohol ink to mottle it (Same for silver foil and grey ink). Tissue paper is also high on my snag-able list for countless reasons.

-Random Tchotchkes: Often I look at the basic shape of things and figure out whether a good coat of paint (or sometimes stripping of paint) could un-Holiday them. If I unscrewed the hooks from the bottom of those cast iron fleur-de-lis stocking hangers and painted them black, I could have bookends! Stars and birds are frequently-used holiday decoration shapes and de-hollyfied, can be used year-round.

My best finds from last year were a few very nice Baroque-looking glass and silverplate cross ornaments that were marked down to 1/10th their original price. I combined these with my holy water and wolfsbane potion charms and "silver bullet" charms on a long silver-finish chain to make vampire and werewolf protection talismans for a local LARP convention.

How have you recycled something "Holiday" into art supplies? Please share!

Starting the next generation right

2011-12-18T19:54:00.002-06:00

As some of you know, I'm kidless (except for cats and, since I can't use them as tax deductions, I reluctantly admit that they are not "actual children"). I do, however, have a 2 year old niece of awesomeness. As clever and quirky as her parents... she rocks. As auntie, I feel that it's necessary to encourage her on the proud geekgrrl path.

This Christmas, I will be gifting her with various toy tools, including a battery operated cordless screwdriver...aaaaannnnnnndddd a satin and net tutu (made by a fellow Etsian).

Because, really, what more does a preschool girl need but play powertools and something pretty?

Finely aged Wisconsin cheese

2011-12-18T10:21:00.008-06:00

I really need to get in gear and prepare for vending at Midwinter Gaming Convention next month. Sooo...of course...I'm not. Instead, I'm goofing around on the web (I'm also actively procrastinating about cleaning my apartment).

In my procrastinatrix wanderings online today, I found this: Vintage Wisconsin Dells, a growing archive of photos and other images from the village of the tourist trap.

Right now, there's about 3100 images in the archive and they're actively soliciting more submissions via the site. I am a HUGE fan of vintage amusement memorabilia...and antique photos...and Midwestern regional history...and kitsch, so I've really enjoyed poking though the archive. Looking forward to seeing more images as this grows!

The CapriCon deadline fast approaches!

2011-11-27T09:47:00.003-06:00

The reservation applications for CapriCon's art show are due this Thursday (December 1st)!

http://capricon.org/capricon32/art-show/call-for-artists/

Are you a Displaced Victorian?

2011-11-07T19:24:00.004-06:00

...or would you like to be?

I just volunteered to be one of the team leaders on the Home For Displaced Victorians Etsy Team. Per the team description:

This team is for etsy members who love all things Victorian. From clothing to literature, this team is really for everyone who appreciates the Victorian Era. Displaced Victorians welcomes sellers and buyers!! So if you feel like you're living in the wrong century...hop on board!! The train to 1890 is boarding now!!

So...Poe fans?...Dickensian carolers?...Steamy sky captains? I know I count your ranks among my readers. Come on along!

How to make moss graffiti

2011-11-06T08:35:00.003-06:00

Although this isn't weather-appropriate in my neck of the woods this time of the year (the span between Chicago and Milwaukee in November), it is a nifty project for those in more hospitable climates.

(I'm also pretty sure that my landlord would be a bit befuddled to find this on the brick wall of our complex's communal garage)

How To Make Moss Graffiti by LadyBird @ Instructables

(Image above by Anna Garforth. Check out more of her moss artwork at http://crosshatchling.co.uk/Sporeborne.html)

New discount art supply site

2011-11-05T11:27:00.002-05:00

I just received an e-mail this morning about a new discount art/craft supply site in the vein of Groupon: Blitsy . They're just getting started, but it might be worth signing up for updates.

Hey fellow Etsians!

2011-10-31T21:15:00.006-05:00

It appears that I've unexpectedly inherited the captain's post for two Etsy teams. Please take a peek at the below team pages and, if you're so inclined, join up!

Archaeological Find Jewelry (http://www.etsy.com/teams/10810/archaeological-find-jewelry)

For those who create or appreciate adornments of an ancient flair. Whether historically accurate (artifacts) or fictionalized (art-of-fakes), all are welcome.

Midwest Street Team (http://www.etsy.com/teams/9874/midwest-street-team)

Open to any artisan residing in the Midwestern US. All media accepted. Supportive, encouraging, non-competitive.

Online art marketing resources

2011-10-29T06:58:00.026-05:00

Next month, I'm going to be a part of a panel discussion at WindyCon (http://www.windycon.org) regarding online marketing for artists and crafters. Since I'll be sharing the following resource list with panel attendees, I thought it might be of interest to my blog readers too:

************

I've broken the list entries into their best-defined categories, but as you're browsing, you'll notice that many of the sites linked will overlap categories. Some of the marketplaces will have social media elements, some galleries will allow sales, etc.

Marketplaces

Fees on these sites will vary from a flat dollar rate per month, to a percentage of each sale, to a combination of both. A few are even fee free. All have their pros and cons. A big site may have a lot of traffic, but your work might get lost in a sea of similar items of that genre, whereas your work might shine in a smaller marketplace...but that might not matter if the site has low traffic.

Art By Us http://www.artbyus.com/

Art Garage Sale http://www.artgaragesale.com

ArtFire http://www.artfire.com

Artful Home http://www.artfulhome.com/

Artful Explorer http://artfulexplorer.com/

Artid http://artid.com/

Artist Rising http://www.artistrising.com/

ArtQuid http://www.artquid.com/

Artsefest http://www.artsefest.com

Beetlebird http://www.beetlebird.com/

Big Cartel http://www.bigcartel.com/

BluJay http://blujay.com/
Bonanza http://www.bonanza.com/

Bouf http://www.bouf.com /

Cargoh http://www.cargoh.com/

Copious http://www.copious.com

Coriandr http://www.coriandr.com/

Cosa Verde http://cosaverde.com/

Craigslist http://www.craigslist.org
CraftIsArt http://www.craftisart.com/

D'Art http://www.fine-art.com

Daisy Craft http://daisycraft.com/
DaWanda http://en.dawanda.com/

eBay http://www.ebay.com

eCrater http://www.ecrater.com/

Erayo http://www.erayo.com/

Etsy http://www.etsy.com

Farm Made http://farmmade.com/

Felt http://felt.co.nz/

Felt & Wire http://feltandwireshop.com/

Fiverr http://fiverr.com/
Folksy http://www.folksy.com/

FondeliFair http://fondelifair.com/
Found Myself http://www.foundmyself.com/

Frozen Ember http://www.frozenember.com/

Funky Finds http://funkyfinds.com/

FuzzB http://fuzzb.com/

Handmade Artists Shop http://handmadeartistsshop.com/

Handmade Catalog http://www.handmadecatalog.com/

Hyena Cart http://hyenacart.com/

Icraft http://icraft.ca/

Indie Made http://www.indiemade.com/

Krrb http://krrb.com/

Luulla http://www.luulla.com/

Made It http://www.madeit.com.au/

Made It Myself http://www.madeitmyself.com/

Meylah http://meylah.com/

MISI http://www.misi.co.uk/

My Best Canvas http://www.mybestcanvas.com/

Myriad Galleries http://www.myriadgalleries.com/

PoppyTalk http://www.poppytalkhandmade.com/

Ruby Lane http://www.rubylane.com/

Seesle http://www.seesle.com/

Sell-Arts http://www.sell-arts.com/

Shop Handmade http://www.shophandmade.com/

Shopify http://www.shopify.com/

Shoply http://www.shoply.com

Silk Fair http://www.silkfair.com/

Smashing Darling http://www.smashingdarling.com/

Smashion http://smashion.com/
StoreEnvy http://www.storenvy.com/

Supermarket http://supermarkethq.com

The Craft Shopper http://www.thecraftshopper.com/
TopHatter http://tophatter.com
Trendy Indie http://trendyindie.com/

Trunkt http://www.trunkt.com/

Ugallery http://www.ugallery.com/

Ushops http://www.ushops.com/

Volusion http://www.volusion.com

Yessy http://www.yessy.com/

YokaBoo http://yokaboo.com/

YouCraft http://youcraft.org/
Zatista http://www.zatista.com/

Zhibit http://www.zhibit.org/

Zibbet http://www.zibbet.com/

Fulfillment Sites

These sites enable you to sell your 2-D art images...in print form or applied to other objects (wearables, household items, etc)...as produced by the online retailer. In most cases, the artist receives only a portion of the sale price or a flat payment, but does not have to worry about stock overhead or shipping items.

Cafe Press http://www.cafepress.com

Design By Humans http://www.designbyhumans.com/

Envelop http://www.envelop.eu/

Image Kind http://www.imagekind.com/

Fine Art America http://fineartamerica.com/

FotoMoto http://www.fotomoto.com/

Printfection http://www.printfection.com/

Pure Photo http://www.purephoto.com/

Red Bubble http://www.redbubble.com/

Shirt Woot http://shirt.woot.com/

Society6 http://society6.com/

Spreadshirt http://www.spreadshirt.com/

TeeFury http://www.teefury.com/

The Untapped Source http://www.theuntappedsource.com

Thumbtack Press http://www.thumbtackpress.com

Zazzle http://www.zazzle.com/

Zenfolio http://www.zenfolio.com/

Social Networks

Most...if not all...are free to use. These can be invaluable for driving traffic to your marketplace and as well as providing networking opportunities.

A Singular Creation http://www.asingularcreation.com/

Art Chain http://www.artchain.com/

Art Cloud http://www.artcloud.com

Art Fair Insiders http://www.artfairinsiders.com/

Art Rise http://www.artrise.com/

Art Slant http://www.artslant.com/

Art Span http://www.artspan.com

Art Wanted http://www.artwanted.com

Artaculous http://artaculous.com/

Artisans/Jewelry Designers http://artisanjewelrydesigners.ning.com/

Artist a Day http://www.artistaday.com/

Artist Search http://www.artistsearch.net

Artists.me http://www.artists.me/

Artition http://www.artition.com/

ArtsCollab http://www.artscollab.com
Artselector http://www.artselector.com/

Artween http://www.artween.com/

Attack of The Craft http://www.attackofthecraft.com

Behance http://www.behance.net/

Blue Canvas http://www.bluecanvas.com/

Brass Goggles http://brassgoggles.co.uk
Café Handmade http://cafehandmade.ning.com/

Craft Forum http://www.craftforum.com

Craft Haus http://crafthaus.ning.com/

Craft Juice http://www.craftjuice.com/
Craftplace http://www.craftplace.org
Craftster http://www.craftster.org/

Craftzine http://craftzine.com
Create Culture http://www.createculture.org/

Creating The Hive http://creatingthehive.com/
Cut Out And Keep http://www.cutoutandkeep.net/
Designs To Love http://www.designstolove.com/
Deviant Art http://www.deviantart.com/

Do You Etsy http://www.doyouetsy.com/

EBSQ http://www.ebsqart.com/

Elfwood http://www.elfwood.com/

Etsy Love http://etsylove.ning.com/
Etsyprenuer http://www.etsypreneur.com

Everything Etsy Directory http://directory.everythingetsy.com/

Facebook http://www.facebook.com

Get Crafty http://www.getcrafty.com/

Google+ http://plus.google.com/

Gothise http://www.gothise.com
Handmade Spark http://www.handmadespark.com
Humble Voice http://www.humblevoice.com/

Indiepublic http://www.indiepublic.com/

Jewelry Geeks http://www.jewelrygeeks.com/

LinkedIn http://www.linkedin.com/

Meetup http://www.meetup.com

Milliande Art Community http://milliande.ning.com
My Art Plot http://www.myartplot.com/

My Art Space http://www.myartspace.com/

My Craft http://www.mycraft.com/

My Craft Corner http://www.mycraftcorner.com/

My Handmade Registry http://www.myhandmaderegistry.com/

MySpace http://www.myspace.com/

Pearl Trees http://www.pearltrees.com/
Pintrest http://pinterest.com/

Plum Drop http://plumdrop.com/

Ravelry http://www.ravelry.com

Renderosity http://www.renderosity.com/

Ryze http://www.ryze.com/
Sheezy Art http://sheezyart.com/

Squidoo http://www.squidoo.com/

StumbleUpon http://www.stumbleupon.com/

TalTopia http://www.taltopia.com/

The Art Source http://www.theartsource.com

The Find http://www.thefind.com/
The Handmade Cafe http://thehandmadecafe.com/
The Steampunk Empire http://www.thesteampunkempire.com/

Things People Make http://www.thingspeoplemake.com/
Twitter http://twitter.com

Unanimous Craft http://www.unanimouscraft.com/
Unthink http://unthink.com

Wanelo http://www.wanelo.com

Wet Canvas http://www.wetcanvas.com/

Virtual Galleries

Online portfolios are great for showing your range and a convenient way to showcase your art. Many of the previously mentioned social network spaces and marketplaces also offer gallery spaces, but those below focus primarily on this function.

Absolute Arts http://www.absolutearts.com/

Art 3000 http://www.art-3000.com/

Art Bistro http://artbistro.monster.com/

Art Bracket http://www.artbracket.com/

Art Break http://www.artbreak.com/

Art Online http://www.buy-and-sell-art.com/

Art Wall Online http://www.artwallonline.com/

Artabus http://www.artabus.com/

ArTatoO http://www.artatoo.com

ArtFolios http://www.artfolios.org/

Artist Portfolio http://www.artistportfolio.net/

Artist Sites http://www.artistsites.org/

Artlog http://artlog.com/

ArtMajeur http://www.artmajeur.com/

ArtQ http://www.artq.net

Blue Zeppelin http://bluezeppelin.com/

Concept Art http://www.conceptart.org

Creativestem http://www.creativestem.com/

Digital Consciousness http://digitalconsciousness.com/

Epilogue http://www.epilogue.net

Fanart Central http://www.fanart-central.net/

Fantasy Artists http://www.fantasyartists.org/

Flickr http://www.flickr.com

Free Crafty Links http://www.freecraftylinks.com
Galleries Online http://www.galleries-online.co.uk/

Gallery Box http://www.gallerybox.com/

isendyouthis http://www.isendyouthis.com

Masters of The Arts http://www.mastersofthearts.com/

No Bull Art http://www.nobullart.com/

Papernstitch http://papernstitch.com/

Photobucket http://www.photobucket.com/

Seeking Designers http://www.seekingdesigners.com/

Shadowness http://shadowness.com/

Showoff Art http://www.showoffart.com/

The Art Box http://www.theartbox.com.au/

Viewbook http://www.viewbook.com

Voodoo Chilli http://www.voodoochilli.net/

Blogging

Whether you're writing in your own blog or contributing to a larger collective blog space, the key to getting noticed is to pique the interest of your readership. Talking up your own work is fine, but ad copy can get tedious after a while. Tutorials, stories, useful tools (er...you know...like a list of resources...) and other nifty bits keep people reading and SHARING, which in turn gets you and your art more exposure. Some examples of blogging spaces include:

Blog http://www.blog.com

Blogetry http://blogetery.com/

Blogger http://www.blogger.com

Blogsome http://www.blogsome.com/

CraftGawker http://craftgawker.com/

CraftGossip http://craftgossip.com/

Craft Stylish http://www.craftstylish.com/

Creativity Portal http://www.creativity-portal.com/

Geek Crafts http://geekcrafts.com/
Heart Handmade http://www.hearthandmadeblog.com
Indie Fixx http://indiefixx.com/
LiveJournal http://www.livejournal.com

Tumblr http://www.tumblr.com/

TypePad http://www.typepad.com/

WordPress http://www.wordpress.org

Xanga http://www.xanga.com

Simply Paid Advertising

While this can be costly, a well-placed ad can send a ton of potential buyers your way. Many of the marketplaces, galleries, social networks, and such above offer ad space, but research and choose carefully. Make sure you're not throwing money into an ultimately fruitless shotgun spray approach. The sites below offer numerous options that can be targeted to the audience you wish to reach and your budget, but there are obviously countless other avenues all over the web that offer paid ad space.

BlogAds http://web.blogads.com/

Craft Cult http://www.craftcult.com/

Craftopolis http://craftopolis.com
Handmade Craft Show http://handmadecraftshow.com/

Indie Collective http://www.indiecollective.net/

Indie Designer Labels http://www.indiedesignerlabels.com/

Project Wonderful http://www.projectwonderful.com/

The Handmade Directory http://thehandmadedirectory.com
Unique Indie Shops http://www.uniqueindieshops.com/

Coupons/Discount Sites

Personally, I have mixed feelings about marketing via coupons and discount programs being applied to handmade goods and art. I think that a lot of consumers have been conditioned by large retail outlets to EXPECT everything to be discounted in some way as a part of our mass-produced disposable culture. IMHO, this devalues handcrafted goods to judge them on the same pricing standard of big box retail stock (and yes...technically...the sweatshop-made goods that are found at MegaSavLoMacroMart are oft handcrafted too.). That said...coupons and discount sites DO exist for the handmade market and some artisans have found benefit using such tools.

Etsy Coupon Code http://etsycouponcode.com/

Etsy Secrets http://etsysecrets.blogspot.com/

Heartsy http://www.heartsy.me

Kewtsy http://kewtsy.com/

Quite Unique http://www.quiteunique.com

Thrifty Seeker http://www.thriftyseeker.com

Other Ideas

-Donate a piece of your work to an online charitable event such as a website-based silent auction fundraiser. Most charities are more than happy to include a link to the donor's online shop/site in the donation description. Not only does this get your work/name in front of people who might not otherwise encounter your work, you're helping a cause you believe in/the donation is tax-deductable.

-Post video or text tutorials on Instuctables (http://www.instructables.com/), craft websites (ex: http://www.craftytips.com), YouTube (http://www.youtube.com/), etc. Obviously, you don't want to explain how to copy your work, but as an artist, you likely have a lot of nifty skills that you can show off and help others in the process. Know how to seamlessly blend Copic marker coloring in illustrations? Be the reference that others link to!

-Utilize Amazon wish list (http://www.amazon.com/wishlist/vendor-button) and other wish list site links on your gallery/marketplace listings.

-Offer gift certificates via emailed PDF for last minute shoppers (Keep track of numbers on certificates to ensure that they are only redeemed once.)

-Banner swapping with other blogs/online shops

-Get involved in the online presence of local/regional community-based craft groups/art collectives/maker spaces (websites, blogs, etc)

************

Obviously, the above isn't meant to serve as a comprehensive list and I anticipate that there will be further additions after the convention panel. If you'd like to contribute your own links and ideas to this post, please do!

Tattoo Tights!

2011-09-25T16:59:00.004-05:00

One of my Facebook friends just shared this nifty tattoo design tights project from Urban Threads and I figured I'd pass it on.

Now I just need to figure out what I want to make. There's a temptation to use Hirschfeld's drawing of Groucho Marx, so I could have my not-so-sekret crush stealing a peek up my skirt. *laughs*

Another round of treasury inclusions!

2011-09-10T19:15:00.012-05:00

I wish that I had more time to make Etsy treasuries. I was able to do a whole lot more when I was out of work last winter, but my time gets eaten up quickly these day. I am incredibly grateful to those folks who do find the time to do treasuries and are kind enough to include my work, though.

Here are some of the awesome treasuries that I've been included in over the last few weeks:

*******************************

-Penny Farthing, Penny For Your Thoughts

-Keats' Nightingale

-Danger!

-Timeless Ruffles and Ribbons

-Fire Burn and Cauldron Bubble

-Zombies and Creatures From The Grave

-Scary Fairy Tales Part 2

-Words Words Words

-Horror Gorgeous Take 2

-Gnarled Pink Sunset

-Don't Make Me Go All Caps on You

-Science Rules

-Collection of Curiousities

-Winter Memories on Forest Walks

-Pumpkin Time Is Coming

-Purple Tones, A Goth Rainbow

-Strange Brew

-And Now…Your Black and White TeamApril Treasury

-Lovesick for Tales

-Funky Freaky Fabulous

-Gothic Beauties

-Oooh La La

-Here There Be Dragons

-Dusky Twilight

-Sapphire Picks From Team WIST

-Creeeepy!

-I Don’t Like Mondays

-Batty For Fu Fu

-Autumnal Goth

-What Would You Like? I have Wine, Tea, or Gothic…

-Green and Black is For Zombies, Dragons, Goths…Gardens?

-Etsy Buddies Treasury

-Wings Rings and Things

-Feminists of Etsy Earrings

-Double Double Toil and Trouble

-Dem Bones Dem Bones Dem Dry Bones

-Spooktacular Spring

-Arsenic and Old Lace

-Red Black and Goth All Over

-Eccentric Eclectic and Elegant

-Goth and Gorgeous

-Tell Tale Hearts

-Something Wicked This Way Comes

-Sparkles in Silver

-Waking From A Dream

-My Dark Victorian Passion

-Quacking

-Shades of Autumn

-Zombies and Vampires and Werewolves and…a Jackalope? Oh My.

-Simply Red

-Glamour Vintage Glamour

-Tremor of Dark Beauty

-Cellblock Tango Six

-Pretty Pretty Paris

-On The Good Ship Lollypop

-Pick Your Poison

-Poisoned

-If I Were An Animal, Would I Want To Travel The World

-Cool Things Come in Small Packages

-Thigh Bone Connected to Da Knee Bone

-Cabinet of Curiousities

-Time is Fleeting!

-Honey Yellow

-Clue

-Wednesday’s Creative Friends

-The Time Traveler’s Handbag

-When I Am Old, I Shall Wear Purple

Holy Hill Art and Farm Market

2011-09-08T17:58:00.018-05:00

A couple of weeks ago, I had the opportunity to visit with Kristine Jacklin at her family’s homestead farm in Hubertus, Wisconsin and I have to say…it’s a REALLY lovely spot. The 160 year old Loosen family farm will be the site of the inaugural year of the Holy Hill Art and Farm Market on the weekends of September 17^th-18^th and October 15^th -16^th.

I won’t be vending at the September event, but I’ll be coming up to check out the market. I’m SO excited about vending at the October market! I have all sorts of morbid little treasures, just in time for Halloween.

Kris asked me to share the message below about the market weekends with all of you:

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Hi All!

Our super short summer was wonderful, sorry to see it go! But, with the cooler weather and fall season, there are so many beautiful days and nature’s gifts yet to be enjoyed! And with the cooler weather, Fall events are in full swing. Here is one I’d like to share.

Come visit the Holy Hill Art and Farm Market September 17 & 18 and October 15 & 16 - 9 am to 4 pm.

It is easy to get to, just 1.2 miles west of Hwy 164, on Hwy 167 in Hubertus, Wisconsin or 2 miles East of the Holy Hill Basilica.

You will love this 160 year old family homestead with all its beautiful vistas in the heart of very scenic hills and valleys. Come for the Art, stay for the delicious hot foods and fresh farm produce. Enjoy live music and a hot cup of special blend coffee while browsing the grounds.

Sat/Sun Sept 17 & 18

Sat/Sun Oct 15 & 16

9 - 4pm

Paintings~Drawings~Photography~Sculptures~Pottery

~Glass~Wood~Metal~Garden~Jewelry~Fabric~Live Music

Sample produce, products and refreshments prepared by local farmers and bakers.

The possibilities for creativity and healthy simple living ideas are endless here... Join Us!!

Follow us on Facebook!

Holy Hill Art & Farm Market

4958 Holy Hill Road (Hwy 167) Hubertus Wi 53033 - 2 miles East of Holy Hill Basilica

Unique Marketplace Featuring Artists and Farmers Presenting their Goods in a Natural Setting

www.holyhillmarket.com

I look forward to seeing you or hearing from you this fall!

Be Well!

Kris

--------------------------------

Fanboys...sigh

2011-09-05T21:11:00.003-05:00

Unfortunately, I don't know who drew this, but the idea of Jules Verne fanboying Edgar Allan Poe had me in stitches. This needed to be shared. If you know who the artist is, please share and I'll happily credit them.

----------------
Edit: As posted below, this came from the webcomic Hark, A Vagrant.

...and more costuming

2011-08-22T18:53:00.003-05:00

A nifty instructional from Tor.Com's blog regarding how to convert a thrift store double breasted suit coat into a tailcoat (the cropped front really accents a corseted waist, BTW)

A CALL FOR HELP!

2011-08-16T19:46:00.009-05:00

If you’ve been following my blog for a while, you’ve likely seen mentions of Roach (Raechel Henderson) of Idiorythmic Designs and her work. If you’re involved in fandom (sci-fi/fantasy, steampunk, anime, gaming, etc) in the Midwest, you’ve also probably seen her work both in the dealers’ room and on attendees at various conventions and events.

She’s a dear-dear friend and wonderful seamstress, and right now, she is in dire need of help. She’s currently trying to raise funds in order to save her home and avoid a potentially nasty custody battle. If I could, I’d offer her all the funds she needs to solve her dilemma, but I’m not in any financial position to do so. What I CAN do is spread the word about the following:

#1- Currently, she’s offering a special in her Etsy shop on some lovely waspie corsets like the ones pictured above. They’re currently priced $40-$60 off of her regular price for a limited time. She also has trussles/bustles, corset/trussle combos, luxe dice bags, and other wonders in her shop and custom work is her specialty. There’s still time to order new costuming for Halloween, TeslaCon, and other events.

#2- While it’s unlikely that any single one of us could afford to offer her the full amount needed, I’m hoping that the fandom and art community can band together to help. Even small donations (say the price of a single latte) can add up really quickly. In light of the fact that I have nearly 1300 people following my work on Facebook and my partner has well over 3600 followers on his illustration site, we’re challenging our friends and fans to each send a dollar or two Roach’s way via PayPal (username: roach@idiorhythmic.net). Again...we're not asking for huge individual donations, just a rallying of folks each making small gestures of help.

This recession of recent years has been hard on all of us. If someone has offered you a kindness while you were struggling, I ask that you please consider paying this kindness forward and lending a hand to this terrific lady in need.

(Please feel free to share this blog entry with those who may be interested).

This past week's treasuries

2011-08-16T19:16:00.007-05:00

Many thanks to all of my fellow Etsians who included my work in their treasuries in the last week!

A Mid Autumn Night’s Dream

An Old Fashioned Show

Etsy Misfits Shining Through The Nite

That Girl Is Poison

I Want To Tell You A Story

Living Dead Girl

Team Undead Treasury <3

We Love Handmade and Etsy

Friendships That Bound Together

From Etsier With Love

Hit The Target

Let’s Spread A Little Creativity to All

Smokin’ Steampunk

Such Pretty Things

Peek At Some Craft Cult Team Members

The Dance of Amour

Alice Fell Down The Rabbit Hole and Into The Labyrinth

Mix of Oddities

Peridot

Love is Pink and Green

Seeing Red

Pirates Raid The Labryinth

August Peridot Birthdays

Dark Jewelry of The Oubliette

Halloween and The Well-Dressed Wiccan

Let Me Tell You ‘Bout The Birds and The Bees and The Flowers and The Trees....

Fly Wee One Fly

Fun Fabulous Fluffy Flirty Flippy Fedora But No Filet Mignon!

Natural Beauty

Sleep No More

Today's trip to the Elkhorn Antiques Market

2011-08-14T20:51:00.014-05:00

I had nearly forgotten that today was the market out at Elkhorn! It had been a long week with a couple of really sad events for our household, so I was rather distracted. My partner reminded me of the show when he woke up, and we decided that a little roadtrip might be good for both of us.

Our big purchase of the day was a vintage drafting table. My partner is an illustrator, so this will be put to good use (actually, he's at it as I type). That's headless him above with his new treasure. It's adjustable, so it isn't as low as it looks in the shot (we were trying to make it a bit more compact in order to fit in the car).

I'm not quite sure what I'm going to do with a disembodied bisque baby head yet, but he needed a home.

These antique marbles will likely end up being wire wrapped. I love how worn they are.

Hmmm...I think I'll pass on this paint.

What's a day at the antiques market without a disturbing looking clown? Here's today's lucky gent. I'm not sure what's more creepy...the unsavory leer or the unidentified stains down the front of his costume (has he been...FEEDING?!?). Maybe the fact that he has no hands, but does have a conehead?

Wait...no...I think it's the fact that his head is sloppily sewn back on with fine gauge wire. Yep. I think that just makes him just a wee bit more macabre and a fine choice for Horrifying Clown Du Jour.

How SQUARE!

2011-08-12T19:33:00.003-05:00

I just upgraded my phone to an HTC Evo 4G after work today. Yay! I now have all of the bells and whistles that come along with a Android phone.

Naturally, as soon as I got home, I dashed to SquareUp.com to order my magic cube of filthy lucre love and add the app to my spanking new smartphone. Soon, I will have a way of accepting credit cards at events. How spiffy is THAT?

New treasury inclusions!

2011-08-07T19:25:00.006-05:00

Thank you to everyone who included my work in their Etsy treasuries in the last couple of weeks! I was amazed to see that I had FIFTY folks to thank (yes, 50!) for featuring my work.

-Time To Call and Get a Date

-Come Sunday Shopping

-Envy, Absinthe, and Poison

-Toxic

-Earthly Crafter Series 3

-From Our Hands

-In Dreams…I Dream of You

-Deep Blue Sea

-Queueless Saturday Shopping

-Curious Creatures and Curiousities

-I Could Haunt All Day

-Escape and Explore

-Percy Bysshe Shelley

-Love In The Time of Cholera

-Do You Know Who Did It?

-The Situation is Grave

-Warm Autumn Glow

-Shades of Mocha

-Deep Inside Dracula Land

-Mustard and Plum

-There is Always A Silver Lining

-It’s a Beautiful Life

-Starting To Look Like Fall on Etsy

-Blood, Death, and Tears

-Parlez-Vous Francais

-Ablaze

-Around The World In Sixteen Squares

-Dreaming of Fall

-When Colors Fade

-The Pearl of Great Price

-Tattoo Inspired

-The Rustic Beauty of Lacwe

-Arsenic and Old Lace

-My Future Unknown Love

-Seeking the Shade

-Join Me For A Drink?

-An Altered State of Love

-Trust Me, I’m A Doctor

-Evolution of Medicine

Behold…The RENEWED REVITALIZED REPURPOSED Girl! (All Thanks to The Splendiferous Wonders of Snake Oil…)

2011-08-05T18:34:00.009-05:00

A few weeks ago, I was taking my trash out before I headed to the office, when I spotted the below forlorn figure in the dumpster. One of the rear corners of her base had broken off, possibly from having been tossed in the dumpster, and (though it’s hard to really tell in the picture) she was sponge painted which made her look less “antiqued” and more “afflicted with an uncomfortable skin disorder”. Otherwise, she was in pretty good shape and solid plaster. I figured that she’d make a great addition to my jewelry display fixtures for shows and other events, so I decided to rescue her from her landfill fate.

Rather than simply paint the figure (the surface was a bit too uneven, even if I had primed it), I decided to cover her in a collage. Initially, I had thought about images and text reproduced from vintage medical books or corset advertisements. Instead, I decided to use 19^th century-early 20^th century era patent medicine/snake oil/quack cure advertisements.* I printed the images right on plain old recycled bond copy paper since I knew it would stand up to the “aging process” well.

After I had cut out all of the images, I dipped the paper scraps in a mixture of a leftover pot of coffee (recycling, yo!) in which I had steeped a few bags of black tea and added a couple of drops of yellow food coloring. After dipping the papers, I laid them out on a foil lined cookie sheet (and sprinkled them with a bit more of the coffee/tea mix to try to mimic the foxing of old paper) and baked them for 15 minutes at 200 degrees to dry them thoroughly.

I used plain old Modge Podge gloss to adhere the scraps to the plaster body. Since the surface was a bit rough, I didn’t need to prime it and since the figure (theoretically) isn’t likely to get wet, I figured a water-based adhesive would do the duty. I gave her one more all over coat of MP when I was finished, just to make sure the edges were all secure, then gave her a coat of clear spray enamel for good measure.

I think the old gal looks great after her makeover. She's now awaiting her grand debut at my fall shows, where she'll be modeling shinies.

------------------------------------------------------------

*This led to a whole lot of gleefully geeky research and bizarre fact gleaning. I also now have HUNDREDS of more images than I could have ever used on this project (both coffee/tea stained as above and sitting on my hard drive). I’m thinking about starting a tumblr account just to share a “quackery of the day”

More treasuries

2011-07-18T20:25:00.003-05:00

I'm so very flattered when fellow Etsyians put my work in their treasuries. Many-many-many thanks to everyone who put my shinies in the below treasuries in the last two weeks.

Please, dear readers, click and explore!

-Fit Every Occasion
-Swimmingly Beautiful
-Wishing You Peace
-Where The Heart Is
-Almost Green
-Grape Expectations
-Cherry Bomb
-Splash of Autumn
-Formaldehyde
-The Endless Heat of Summer
-Mystery Novel
-A Little Walk In Wonderland
-Pretty In Purple
-Nikola Tesla Birthday
-Pretty In Pink
-Metropolis
-The Right Dose
-Oh Bite Me
-In For The Kill
-Absinthe Amour
-Clickity Clickity Click
-The Sideshow
-Ahh The Magic of Venice
-Dead Men Don't Drink Rum
-Tea Time For Alice
-Keys To The Small and Big Secrets
-Daring

OW!

2011-07-16T07:44:00.004-05:00

I've been MIA for a couple of weeks between the busy season at work and a horrid bout of migraines. I'm better now, though.

Today, I'm off on a grand adventure that includes an opportunity to see actual Victorian era steam machinery in action (private event) and Art Venture night in Racine. Wheee!

This week in treasuries...

2011-07-02T06:02:00.001-05:00

Many thanks to the lovely Etsyians who included my work in the following treasuries this week:

G is For Green, B is for Brown

Things That Go Bump

Nerds Collect Cool Stuff

Low Key Black and White

Out West

Just a Bite

Queer Without The Rainbow

Nowhere Better Than This Place

My Hearts

Pink...Pay It Forward Team Challenge

Celebrate Nature

Focus Mode

Spread Your Wings And Let The Fairy In You Fly

Sweet Whimsy

Beautiful Misfits

Summer Road Trip

Summer Dreams

Fun and Unique

Beat The Heat...Get In The Water!

When You Got The Blues

The Dark Side of Celt

Return of The Dead

Would You Like Some Absinthe Darling

Dark Elegance

Wood and Rubies

Elkhorn Antique Flea Market

2011-06-28T20:14:00.014-05:00

For non-locals (or for locals not in the know), Elkhorn Antique Flea Market is a HUGE antiques market held four times a year in Elkhorn, Wisconsin. This past Sunday was the second show of the year (with two more held in August and September).

It's a reasonable day trip from Milwaukee or Chicago and absolutely worth the trek. They're not kidding when they say 500+ dealers. Get there early when the gates open and wear comfortable shoes, because you're in for a LOT of walking. I've never managed to see the whole market by the end of day because there's so much to cover.

While I brought my camera, I was too distracted to take many pictures, but here are a couple from the market (as well as a few shots of some of our finds):

I'm not sure precisely what this is and the vendor was busy with actual buyers, so I didn't want to interupt him to ask. I'm calling it the Malevolent Professor Eddingsworth's Amazing Death Ray.

Whatever that is in the previous picture, someone seems a bit worried about it.

I had initially looked at this Mah Jongg set wondering if (in the case that it was incomplete) it might be a good prospect to be repurposed for jewelry components. It was A) not incomplete (and I wouldn't want to break up a complete set) B) from 1923 and C) quickly snagged by my partner for actual play.

I nabbed this vintage tea tin for buck. It's destined to be a part of my display at shows...likely filled with rice and used to contain hair sticks.

Speaking of display doo-dads...check this rotating condiment rack out (Wheel! Of! Olives!). It'll make an interesting fixture for exhibiting trays of earring cards at shows.

I used to have this edition of the Ouija board, but it...er...went elsewhere, so I was happy to snag this one for $2. (I've seen enough horror movies to know the folly of purchasing previously owned devices such as this, but I did it anyway). The lass to the left isn't from this shopping trip. She was found in a shop in Waukesha, but she was already in the space where I wanted to take the picture, so I let her stay in the shot.

--------------------------------------------------
There are several more wonderous finds from Sunday, but most are bits and bobs for projects and you'll see those soon enough!

Fun Shopping!

2011-06-25T08:44:00.005-05:00

I've been chosen as one of the Fun Shops of The Day for today.

Here are some nifty items from the other fun shops chosen today:

From Naama Taubenfeld Designs

From Adornments by Amber

From Hypnoteyezed

From 1000 Miles

...and even MORE treasuries!

2011-06-23T18:37:00.006-05:00

Once again, I have been remiss. Customarily, I post "thank-yous" to everyone who puts my work in a treasury and links to same on my Facebook fan page, but I've had a busy week and...WOW! they mounted up before I noticed. Instead of posting my gratitude on FB, I decided to post here, where I have more space to do so.

Many-many thanks for inclusion in the following Etsy treasuries this week!

-Dark and Unusual by HumanWreck234
-Me You Him Her All Of Us by The Cycling Artist
-Faith Hope Love by Marlene Vergara
-CARNIVAL! by Ephemere
-A Study In Charcoal and Cream by WalrusTusk
-Eclectic Finds of The Anything and Everything Team by Jeannie Richard
-I Got A Bad Owie In My Head! by Emmett53
-Smokey Day by TrueReverie
-EETeam Awesomeness by RosesVintageFinds
-Gift Guide for Shakespeare Fans by ElephantBeads
-Etsy Buddies Pieces by Mingulay
-Black and White (and Green) All Over by CuteAsASilverButton
-Blue Green Bliss by MishaGirl
-This Black Gold by MyGlitterQueen
-You Appeal To My Dark Side by From The Heart By Eva
-A Shaded Place by GarnettJewelry
-I Believe You Can Get Me Through The Night by IndigoObjects
-Some Fun Stuff by RosesVintageFinds
-Beauty in Every Form by YouEnchanced
-What To Wear To Your TrueBlood Premiere Party by TheDollBizarre

Con artists?

2011-06-22T19:57:00.003-05:00

I had been planning on starting an Etsy team for those of us who vend/do art show/participate in the artist alleys at fandom conventions, but the other day, I discovered that PoniesOfDooom had already done so!

Feel free to join us at Convention Artists Team for networking and SMOFing from an art folk bent!

Holy treasuries, Batman!

2011-06-12T20:04:00.002-05:00

Lately I've been posting a link to every Etsy treasury I'm included in (along with a "thank you" to the curator, with a link to their Etsy shop) on my Facebook fan page. I've also been tweeting these. In the last three days though, I'd been so busy with Bead and Button, plus that whole "real job" thing, I hadn't checked to see if I was in any new treasuries.

Well...I was. In several. Several enough to make it awkward to post that many FB entries. In lieu of multiple FB posts, I decided to post one big post here. I know that it's not the same as individual posts and I hope that this mention makes up a bit for my lapse.

-Random Favorites by Capturing Essence
-Some of My Favorites by Kindred Scents
-For The Gemini by Vintage Clothing Store
-Things That Crkdhalo0827 Thinks Are Rad by Crkdhalo0827
-True Colors by Virvatuli
-The Future is Bright by Fibremom
-Life in Black and Brown by Lmadary2
-Science! by Irvingplace
-Hoot A Toot Toot! The Owls Nightly Barn Dance by Rainadelmagick
-Purple Royale by Millesstones
-Gold and Glam by Jordani Sarreal
-I Heart Gray by FriedaSophie
-Black and White by Unnerving Nightmare
-Summer Fashion Finds by Kaitlin and Kylies
-Dark Side Delights by Gypsy Eye
-Great Finds by Poiriers

A HUGE thank you everyone who included my items in treasuries!

MKOTOBOS

2011-06-12T09:39:00.005-05:00

I’m sure that the title of this piece confused a few folks at WisCon’s art show over Memorial Day weekend, with people wondering what the word meant and what language it was. Actually…it’s an acronym. I live with a big Danny Elfman fan and his compositions influenced this piece. Hence, the necklace was dubbed “Mystic Knights of The Oingo Boingo Outragous Shiny” or MKOTOBOS (no official affiliation or endorsement implied, obviously). This piece did sell at the convention.

Five turquoise dyed howlite skulls are combined with black and white swirl lampwork glass coin beads and scarlet resin roses, all linked in a rosary style chain. The piece closes with a silver plate toggle clasp that echoes the raised dot borders of the glass beads.

Mother (Of The Invention)

2011-06-02T18:33:00.007-05:00

Sure...Frankenstein's bride gets all of the attention, but what about his "mother"?

Since Mary Shelley could easily be considered one of the originators of the literary genre of science fiction…and likely the first woman sci-fi writer at that, I thought it was more than fitting to create a jewelry tribute to her to send to WisCon. The piece sold in the convention art show this past weekend.

Mary’s portrait was printed on shrink polymer and fused to sheet copper to create a focal. This pendant was then suspended on a rosary style strand of freshwater pearls and faceted crystal beads and hand linked copper chain. I created a accent piece on one side of the strand using antiqued copper bracket findings and a trio of fuses. The necklace closes with a toggle clasp created from an antique skeleton key and filigree copper ring.

Squeee!

2011-06-01T19:51:00.005-05:00

Just a few more days until Bead and Button Show! I've been a-saving my nickels for this!!! This year I'll be able to go to the registrants only shopping hours on Thursday.

Dusky pearls and cinnabar

2011-05-31T20:52:00.002-05:00

Just posted on Etsy...

A 1 3/4 inch square of black cinnabar hangs from an 18 inch long beaded rosary style chain of black wire, teal glass pearls, and aurora borealis finished crystals. Black enameled toggle closure. I am able to extend the chain by up to 4 inches per buyer's request. Please notify me at the time of the order if this is desired.

Being Koi

2011-05-30T19:31:00.001-05:00

(Sold this weekend at WisCon) I had this black agate carved koi fish for a while, but when I found these white and orange agate beads a few weeks ago, I knew that I had to combine them. Goldfishy-fiffic!

Copper patina (verdigris) recipe

2011-05-29T16:57:00.008-05:00

Want to "age" copper to that great grey-green verdigris patina quickly? Here's a simple recipe:

-2 parts white vinegar
-1 1/2 parts non-detergent ammonia
-1/2 part non-iodized salt.

Clean your copper/remove any lacquer with steel wool and rinse thoroughly with water to remove any residue.

Mix the above ingredients together in a misting bottle.

Lightly, but thoroughly, spray the mixture onto the copper and allow it to dry 1 hour. Reapply to any areas that you may have missed. Allow to sit overnight to develop. Brush a bit to remove loose particles before sealing with clear spray lacquer. If you want a bit of the bright copper to show through, sand raised areas before sealing.

Adjusting the salt ratio in the mixture will affect the shade of the patina. More salt=more boldly green. Less salt= more greyish.

Atropos

2011-05-29T16:43:00.005-05:00

One of the pieces that went off to WisCon.

In Greek mythology, Atropos was the oldest of the Three Fates (or Moirae), and was known as the "inflexible" or "inevitable." It was Atropos who chose the mechanism of death and ended the life of each mortal by cutting their thread with her "abhorred shears." She worked along with her two sisters, Clotho, who spun the thread, and Lachesis, who measured the length.

(Forgive the less-than-stellar photo quality. I just wanted to get a quick shot before the con, should the piece sell this weekend.)

Local (Chi-Waukee-ish) crafty folk!

2011-04-19T17:08:00.004-05:00

Denise from Mouse0403 on Etsy let me know that Pleasant Prairie (first town north of the Cheddar Curtain on I-94) is having a farmer's market/craft fair on Sat July 23rd (Prairie Family Days Market/Fair). The registration before 5/1 for a 10 x 10 booth space is only $10. It is juried and, because it is outdoors, they do stipulate that you must have a 10 x 10 canopy.

I don't know the size/attendance of the event, but since the registration price is so low, it might be a good inexpensive opportunity for crafters to fill out their event schedule this summer or as a first non-Etsy vending foray for someone looking to make the leap to a real live craft show.

New earrings

2011-04-17T18:07:00.004-05:00

Since last night was so rainy and cold, Matt and I stayed in and watched Mel Brooks movies. During Young Frankenstein, I had decided to fiddle around and make some new earrings. Take a peek over in my Etsy for some of the results...

Because gamer grrrls rule

2011-04-13T17:25:00.011-05:00

My charms are going to ChiKalb at the end of the month! Look for them in Rachel Henderson's booth (which is chock-full of her own awesomesauce, BTW) in the dealer's room.

WisCon!

2011-04-11T20:12:00.005-05:00

I found out last night that my application for the art show at WisCon on Memorial Day weekend was accepted.
*******************************************************************************

Wiscon or WisCon, the Wisconsin Science Fiction Convention, is often called the world's leading feminist-oriented science fiction convention and conference. It was first held in Madison, Wisconsin in February 1977, and is held annually throughout the four day weekend of Memorial Day. Sponsored by the Society for the Furtherance and Study of Fantasy and Science Fiction or (SF)³, WisCon gathers together women and men: fans, writers, editors, publishers, scholars and artists from around the world to discuss science fiction and fantasy, with emphasis on issues of feminism, gender, race and class.

Guests of Honor have included Eleanor Arnason, Iain M. Banks, Lois McMaster Bujold, Emma Bull, Pat Cadigan, Avedon Carol, Terry Carr, Suzy McKee Charnas, Buck & Juanita Coulson, Samuel R. Delany, Charles de Lint, Beverly DeWeese, Gardner Dozois, L. Timmel Duchamp, Suzette Haden Elgin, Carol Emshwiller, Karen Joy Fowler, Jeanne Gomoll, Nicola Griffith, Barbara Hambly, David Hartwell, Nina Kiriki Hoffman, Nalo Hopkinson, Ellen Klages, Nancy Kress, Ursula K. Le Guin, Elizabeth A. Lynn, R. A. MacAvoy, Katherine MacLean, George R. R. Martin, Maureen McHugh, Vonda N. McIntyre, Patricia A. McKillip, Judith Merril, China Miéville, Pat Murphy, Trina Robbins, Mary Doria Russell, Geoff Ryman, Jessica Amanda Salmonson, Pamela Sargent, Melissa Scott, Stu Shiffman, Sheri S. Tepper, John Varley, Joan D. Vinge, Elisabeth Vonarburg, Howard Waldrop, Connie Willis, Terri Windling, Don & Elsie Wollheim, Susan Wood, and Chelsea Quinn Yarbro.

The James Tiptree, Jr. Award, an annual literary prize for science fiction or fantasy that expands or explores our understanding of gender, originated in a discussion at a prior WisCon, and the Tiptree Ceremony is often held at WisCon. Broad Universe, an organization with the primary goal of promoting science fiction, fantasy, and horror written by women, also originated in a discussion at a prior WisCon; as did the Carl Brandon Society, which is dedicated to addressing the representation of people of color in science fiction, fantasy and horror.

Front page news!

2011-03-30T21:27:00.001-05:00

Apparently a treasury that I was in made it to the front page of Etsy early this afternoon. Cool beans!

http://www.etsy.com/treasury/4d90d2648d346d91be98259e/uncharted-land?index=7

Etsy Dark Side Team

2011-03-15T11:34:00.002-05:00

I woke up this morning to discover that I'm the Shop of the Week on Etsy's Dark Side Team!

New charm style

2011-03-13T13:50:00.003-05:00

This is the prototype for a new version of the steel and resin charms that I've been making for a while. The square pans that used for the older style were a surplus shop find and were limited in quantity, so I needed to find another solution. (This new 1 inch steel round pan is also a limited-quantity salvage find) I apologize for the odd angle, but I wanted to show a bit of the bail. I should have a few of these in the shops by the end of the week.

Gainfully employed!

2011-03-11T09:52:00.002-06:00

I nearly forgot to mention...I have a new job! (or at least, I will as of 3/21) A liveable wage! Health insurance! A 10 minute commute from my front door! YAY!!!!

March treasury project

2011-03-09T11:16:00.003-06:00

My goal for the month of March was to create an Etsy treasury each day. We're now at the 9th (still need to do today's!) and thusfar, I'm managed to accomplish this. I'm really glad that I decided to take on this project. It's given me a chance to check out a lot of artists that I might not have otherwise run across.

Treasuries to date:

March 1st: Forward MARCH! (An assortment of nifty military and military-inspired bits)
March 2nd: Oh The Places You'll Go (A collection in honor of what would have been Theodor Geisel's 107th birthday)
March 3rd: She Used to Have a Carefree Mind of Her Own, With a Devilish Look in Her Eye (In memorial of my grandmother, Arlene Margaret Gamble)
March 4th: You Make Me Melt... (Everything is thawing out there!)
March 5th: Orange You Glad? (Spring's "hot" color)
March 6th: I Love Mary Jane(s) (Not a gal...and not the ganja...SHOES!)
March 7th: Nawlins (Yes...ANOTHER Mardi Gras treasury, but who could resist?)
March 8th: Thanks For All The Fish (On this date in 1978, BBC 4 broadcast the first episode of The Hitchhiker's Guide to The Galaxy)

Of Another Fashion

2011-03-03T15:54:00.004-06:00

The ever-awesome Raechel Henderson of Idiorhythmic shared a link to a fascinating blog today and I wanted to share it with all of you. Of Another Fashion is "an alternative archive of the not-so-hidden but too often ignored fashion histories of U.S. women of color". It's just chock full of wonderful photos of women, from the Victorian era through the 1970s, in everything from their Sunday best to daily attire in the WWII era internment camps. Even beyond the pictures, the accompanying text brings insight into the lives of the subjects and context to the photos. An interesting site to explore for anyone interested in vintage fashion or the social history of women of color in the U.S.

Howard University chapter of the Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority (1945)

Re:Cap and ESCAPE!

2011-02-28T17:02:00.003-06:00

I’m still catching up after having been sick, so I figured I’d do a bit of Cap recap. While I missed most of the convention due to the start of the epic con crud, I did manage to do my panels and had some pieces in the art show.

This was my first go at the annual artist’s challenge. CapriCon's theme this year was "Escape". Every year, the art show sets up an artist's challenge, where the participating artists have to create a work that includes a goat (the convention mascot) and three of a list of theme-related items. This year's theme led to the following items:

A) A pennyfarthing
B) The Birdman of Alcatraz
C) A straightjacket
D) A tunnel
E) A glider

I picked A, C, and E...along with the requisite goat, and found appropriate vintage images for each. I made poly shrink charms of the images and added these to a copper chain, along with various brass and pewter trinkets that fit the theme, plus various glass and other baubles. While the charm bracelet didn't win the challenge prize, it did find a new home during the art show's silent auction.

2011-02-28T03:52:00.002-06:00

Artfire listings updated! I have a TON of new charm designs! http://www.artfire.com/users/Moiracoon

2011-02-26T21:30:00.002-06:00

I finally got all of those new charms posted on Etsy. I've had the copy and photos done for a couple of weeks, but hadn't had the energy to post them. I'm still really lethargic, but it feels good to have gotten all of these posted. I'll tackle ArtFire tomorrow...

http://moiracoon.etsy.com

Quite ill

2011-02-20T22:08:00.000-06:00

For those of you who don't follow my FB, I figured that I should mention that I've been in the hospital since Tuesday and was just released last evening. I've NEVER had pneumonia this bad. I'm still having moments of suddenly gasping for breath.

I'm reachable...but I'll likely be rather quiet for a bit as I recover and try to get some of my energy back.

Panels at Capricon

2011-02-09T16:26:00.002-06:00

A quick heads-up for those of you who might be attending Capricon this coming weekend. I'll be on two panel discussions regarding being an independent artist.

Using Social Networking to Market Your Art

Time: Thursday - 9:00 PM to 10:30 PM
Category: Panel-Event
Track: Art
Location: Botanic Garden A
Panelists: China Barnes, Deb Kosiba (M), MoiraCoon
Description: How can you effectively use social networking options such as Twitter, Facebook, and blogs to market yourself as an artist?

Selling Your Art Online

Time: Friday - 10:00 AM to 11:30 AM
Category: Panel-Event
Track: Art
Location: Willow
Panelists: Deb Kosiba (M), MoiraCoon, Barb VanTilburg
Description: Etsy. Cafe Press. Your own website. More and more options are appearing for artists who want to sell their art online. Talk with professional artists and learn which choice would be best for you.

More treasuries!

2011-02-07T22:58:00.002-06:00

Wow! I just noticed that my work has been added to a few more treasuries in the last few days. Awesome thanks to my fellow Etsyians!

-Etsy on LiveJournal Team Treasury for February
-For The Girly Girls
-Accessorizing
-When A Team Comes Together
-Night Owls of Etsy-Spring In February
-Sex, Drugs, and Rock & Roll
-Talent, Talent, Talent

Treasurypalooza!

2011-02-05T12:27:00.005-06:00

In the last few weeks, I've been in an explosion of treasuries on Etsy. I'm seriously...wow...amazed and flattered! Here are the ones just since January 18th:

-Shades of Aquarius
-White-Out in Wisconsin
-Summoning Spring
-One Of A Kind Valentine's Love
-Cue The Horns
-Oh The Royalty of Purple
-blue.blue.blue.
-Unconventional Gifts For Unconventional Valentines
-Show Me A Sane Man and I Will Cure Him For You
-Get To Know Us 4
-A Few of My Favorite Steampunk Things
-Glamorous Night Owls
-Be My Valentine
-Maple Syrup Smitten
-Unrequited Love
-Hopeless Romantic Born In The Wrong Century
-Packers vs. Steelers
-Gears of Love
-All You Need Is...
-Valentines In WI
-Victorian Beauty
-Warm Reds
-Looking Good Etsy Oldtimers
-Romance
-Childhood Dreams
-A Rustic Romance
-The Blue Sky...Turns Pink and Purple
-All Is Love
-Victorian Era I Am Stuck In
-Night Owls In Their Natural Colors
-Yuppie Love
-Lookie What I Found
-Shades of Passion
-Lucky In Love
-What Goes Around Comes Around
-I Need A Vacation...So Sick of SNOW
-Tickled Pink
-Gray Today

Hello again!

2011-01-17T23:59:00.002-06:00

I really haven't been doing much with my blog lately, have I? Between the holidays...my partner moving in with me...preparing for Midwinter Gaming Convention (AWESOME vending experience BTW)...and that whole finding-a-day-job thing, I've been slacking a bit on writing. I promise to be better in 2011. Really.

20% off sale on Artfire!

2010-11-23T05:36:00.001-06:00

I've decided to play with Artfire's discount coupons in order to offer a Thanksgiving week sale in my shop.

Now through 11/29/10. take 20% off of any item (or items!) in my Artfire shop.
http://moiracoon.artfire.com

***Use discount code BSNOV2010 at checkout***

2010-11-22T18:27:00.001-06:00

Loverly day

2010-11-08T10:15:00.005-06:00

I had a wonderful day at TeslaCon on Saturday. While I was only there for a few hours (busy-busy prepping for Windy and MFF), it was enjoyable. In addition to getting a taste of the programming, I had a chance to meet a number of other artisans and costumers.

Among these...

~Antoinette's Atelier
~WhiskerWorks
~Magpie's Masquerie
~CrisisWear
~Xcentricities by Ynhared
~Scoundrelle's Keep
~Rosaline/Freak Leather Fashions
~Parasols By Tamie
~Highwind Steamworks
~Singing Lemur
~Ingrid The Crafty
~Ravenworks
~Steampunk Leather
~Blasphemina's Closet
~Apatico
~Bionic Unicorn
~Steampunk Funk

There were some really clever takes on the steam genre by some terrific talented folk!

Now back to my own work, so I can be ready for the next couple of cons!

Moot political trash (talk)!

2010-11-02T18:14:00.007-05:00

I'm glad that the midterm elections are over...NOT because I'm sick of the (sometimes nasty) campaigning. (OK...maybe a little glad for that part). Rather, I'm excited to put a recycling idea into practice and legally, I couldn't do that until tomorrow.

You know all of those weather-durable plastic campaign signs that are covering the landscape? After today, they're useless to the candidate and they're bound for the landfill. What a waste! I've decided that a few of them need to be rescued and repurposed, so tomorrow evening I'm going to venture out after the good citizens have put out their weekly trash on the curb.

I'm going to make some earring display cards!

Step one: Procure plastic signs. For the purposes of my project, I'm going looking for the hard white 4mm thickness signs. The plastic is usually printed on one side with a second panel on the back if the campaign wants a two sided sign. Sometimes, you can find corrugated signs with printing on both sides, which would also work for this purpose.

Step two: Design paper "card". Using my existing graphic and text files, I'm going to design a paper "face" for the earring card. I also plan to add two dots to show where to punch the holes for the posts/wires. Since a good number of the earrings that I make are dangly, I'm going with a 2 x 3 inch card.

Step three: Cut and adhere pieces. I'll next cut both the paper and plastic to the same size. I'll likely need to use a utility knife/utility scissors to cut the plastic, then I'll adhere the paper to the printed side of the plastic with glue. Once dry, I'll use my mini hole punch to punch two holes for the posts/wires and a larger third hole for the display peg.

Cheaper/more customizable/earth friendlier than buying earring cards via jewelry supply sources.

(Please note: in many juristictions it is illegal to remove posted political yard signs. I'm skirting this a bit under the excuse that if they're out for the trash on the curb, they are no longer "posted". If my local authorities disagree, I'm more than happy to put the signs back where I found them. As always, YMMV. If you're the least bit concerned about the odd chance of having a conversation with a patrol officer about trash picking, let your gut be your guide.)

Creeping deadlines!

2010-10-27T13:04:00.002-05:00

I just realized that I have less than...

~1 1/2 weeks until TeslaCon (not vending, just attending, thank goodness!)

~2 1/2 weeks until WindyCon (need to finish up my art show entries and get other items ready for a friend's booth in the dealers' room)

~3 1/2 weeks until MFF (need to finish art show entries)

EEEP!

Today we're having extremely high winds, so I really can't be working outside with chemicals and such either.

Prayer For A Dying Signal

2010-10-19T14:05:00.001-05:00

I've been playing with tubes again...

Awesome week of Etsy-ness

2010-10-17T07:24:00.002-05:00

I had my BEST week ever on Etsy. Things have really started to pop and my work is getting noticed. Just in the last (less than) 24 hours, I've sold 12 items. Little charm bits mostly, but I'm still thrilled.

I've also been included in several treasuries in the last few days...

Wonderland
Freudian Slip
Absinthe With Sugar
Could You Spare Some Honey, Bee?
The Hedgehog's Apothecary
Elementary, My Dear
Waking...
Quill and Query
Green Envy
Zero Zoom Pizazz
Blissed
Blissful Beginnings

YAY!!!!

Today I...

2010-10-13T18:50:00.003-05:00

-Packed up and shipped this week's orders

-Mailed deposits for my hanging fees for both the WindyCon and CapriCon art shows.

-Worked on designs for a few pieces for the Midwest FurFest art show.

-Sent in my formal registration to vend(!) at Midwinter Gaming Convention.

Ask me if I managed to find a "real" day job yet, though...

2010-10-13T12:07:00.004-05:00

Purple Luna Illustration and Fine Art

I rarely-if-ever do art swaps with people, but I had to make an exception for this artist. Now I just need to figure out what I want to commission from her...

A hail of bullets

2010-10-12T00:51:00.006-05:00

I made a few recycled brass bullet casing and crystal necklaces recently. Thus...I share a specimen with you:

Apparently, they were quite popular at ConClave. I have a few more on hand and they may be found on both my Etsy and ArtFire accounts.

ConClave October 8-10th

2010-10-03T19:41:00.002-05:00

Some of my shinies will be going to ConClave in Michigan next weekend (alas, I will not). The awesome-awesome Rachel (of Idiorythmic) has generously offered to put out some of my work in her booth in the huckster's room. Thank you so much!

2010-10-01T20:15:00.002-05:00

My Artfire has launched! Yay!

http://www.artfire.com/users/Moiracoon

I am amazed at all of the really cool marketing features.

Busy-busy-busy!

2010-10-01T06:18:00.002-05:00

I've been trying to get my shop stocked up for the October/November conventions and the Holidays. Tons of new shinies are on their way!

Artfire?

2010-09-29T23:58:00.001-05:00

For those of you who use Artfire, how do you like it? How does it compare to Etsy? Pros and cons?

Charming bits

2010-09-28T05:18:00.002-05:00

In the last week, I've had 3 Etsy treasury inclusions of my portrait charms. How spiffy!

Odd Splendor
The Picture of Dorian Gray
She Blinded ME! With Science!

Wolf Grrrl Chorus charm bracelet

2010-09-27T08:00:00.004-05:00

This isn't my usual style, but I found a stash of charms and decided to make a fun charm bracelet the other night.

A chorus of five lil' silverplated wolves (or coyotes...I'm not certain which they're supposed to be) howl amid dangling pink faceted glass beads, fuchsia glass pearls, and clear aurora borealis glass beads. The chain measures 8 inches long and closes with a lobster clasp

The original can be found here, but since I've gotten a few requests, I'm also willing to make custom versions in other colors.

Elkhorn, WI

2010-09-26T18:50:00.002-05:00

Great day...but I'm EXHAUSTED! I went to the last antiques flea market of the season in Elkhorn today and there were hundreds of booths. I found some terrific components, though. I'll definitely be back in the Spring!

Nifty new items on Etsy!

2010-09-24T03:27:00.001-05:00

I'm gearing up for the holiday season with new items in my Etsy shop. Please keep an eye out for even more great additions!

Another artist worth sharing: Todd Cameron

2010-07-27T17:16:00.004-05:00

More work can be found at: Threat Level Orange

2010-07-25T21:43:00.002-05:00

While I haven't gotten a ton of my OWN work done lately, I have encountered a number of incredible artists lately. Take for example Kreg Yingst...

Wisconsin State Fair

2010-07-25T21:30:00.002-05:00

I haven't posted in a bit. Probably the biggest art-ish related thing that I have going on is the fact that I'm competing for the first time in a few categories at the Wisconsin State Fair. I wasn't able to be around for the judging on Thursday, so I'll just have to wait for the 5th to find out how I did. I'm not counting on having placed, but I'm just happy to have gotten the courage to compete.

A shout out to Blackberry Beads

2010-06-26T07:07:00.005-05:00

I met Donna of Blackberry Beads at the Bead and Button Show a few weeks ago. Her work is seriously gorgeous, as you can see from the buttons above. In addition to lampwork, she also does metalwork and felting. I love her use of color and organic forms!

The worker raccoon

2010-06-23T19:54:00.001-05:00

I have a new day job, so I've been neglecting the shinies as of late. Just let me get settled in at the new gig and new jewelry will follow!

Bead and Button Show is on!

2010-06-09T11:20:00.006-05:00

So who's going to Bead and Button? Who's already there?

I'll be there lending an hand to my friends at McDuck Creations in the marketplace. Stop on by and check out Mary's terrific lampwork and findings at booth #207.

New items on Etsy

2010-06-03T10:09:00.004-05:00

I just posted a number of steam-ish items that I had made for NakamaCon on my Etsy. It was a great con and there were some terrific artists and costumers at the event. My faux tintype charms went over quite well!

2010-05-16T21:53:00.003-05:00

No new shiny bits are ready to unveil...YET. I did post a pair of wonderful vintage boots to my alternate Etsy account, though.

Nifty over-the-knee boots in a ladies' size 9

Almost there!

2010-05-09T20:37:00.002-05:00

I finally got completely moved in to my new digs a little over a week ago, but between looking for a day job and being unexpectedly sick, I haven't quite gotten up and running with the shinies. Very soon, my sweets. Very soon!

NakamaCon!

2010-04-21T14:33:00.003-05:00

A bit of promo on behalf of Eric, Rebekah, and the rest of the Nakamacon crew

Are you looking for something to do Memorial Day weekend? Do you enjoy steampunk/anthro/anime? Have you heard about Madison's newest fan convention?

Check out NakamaCon!

(I'll be in the artist alley with Mocha, fiddling around with the shinies)

More freebies

2010-04-21T13:22:00.003-05:00

Just a reminder to fellow Etsy-ians, the offer of free business cards (with images from your Etsy shop) via MOO ends on 4/30.

Fabric Free-For-All and other prattle

2010-04-16T12:32:00.004-05:00

I posted this yesterday to the (Etsy) Wisconsin Street Team mailing list, but figured I'd give it a mention here too:

I'm in the process of moving and greatly downsizing. As a result of this, I've come to a conclusion…I really do not need the vast majority of fabric that I've collected. I have several large boxes of fabric…a lot of it kitschy vintage (50s through 80s) and/or salvaged (brocade drapes…ugly dresses made from awesome fabric…etc). I also have a lot of things that I bought with the intention of making garb and other costuming (linen for faire, faux fur for cosplay, etc). This often did not come to pass.

(Seriously…I' m a lazy and mediocre seamstress. I'd rather have folks with that talent do it for me and I'll stick to jewelry. So why do I have all of this fabric?!?!)

My point is, I'd love the fabric to go to folks who are going to appreciate it and use it. Rather than do through the trouble of putting this up as destash on Etsy, I figured that I'd offer it up to fellow WISTies. So, here's the deal:

**Fabric Free-For-All* *

-Monday, April 19th at 6:30 p.m. at my place in Kenosha (Please RSVP for specific address)

-Bring your own bag/box/carrying vessel

-Be nice and don't just snag all that you can. If you're not seriously going to use it, please pass it over to someone who will.

-Much of the fabric has been in storage for a while (and in the case of some of my estate sale finds...a LONG while) so it could use a good laundering. I'm going to be incredibly busy this weekend with the move and might not get to that.

I also have some medium finish oak (was a futon frame) that I wonder if anyone might be interested in. It's too nice for firewood and none of the people who called dibs on this on Freecycle bothered to even return my messages.

Oh…and I have an older (20+ year old) electric kiln that I inherited a few years ago. I never got around to getting it re-wired (there's some considerable wear at the junction of the cord and unit), but the sticker from the Chicago company that last serviced it is still attached. If anyone is interested in it, feel free to join us on Monday and take a look at it. My plan was to photograph it to go on Craigslist next week, but if you're willing to make a reasonable offer on it and take it away, it's yours!

Mother's Day Sale in my shop!

2010-04-15T13:46:00.007-05:00

Call it a Tax Day sale...call it a Mother's Day sale...call it a Thursday sale...

Take 20% off the posted price on all items through May 1st! (Reductions taken at invoice)

http://MoiraCoon.etsy.com

Hums "Popular" from the Wicked soundtrack

2010-04-13T13:45:00.006-05:00

I just hit 400 fans on my Facebook fan page! Revel in my dorkitude!