Frankenscarf Winner Announced -- -

A couple of weeks back, I posted a new product idea -- Franken-scarves -- and to get some feedback about pricing, I asked folks to post a comment saying how much they thought I should charge for them. I picked a number out of a hat and that person won their very own Franken-scarf. The winning number was 13. And http://rekojrants.blogspot.com/ posted the 13th comment on my blog. Check out her Etsy Shop. Congratulations! Enjoy your Frankenscarf!

What the heck is a Franken-scarf? Well, you take some old t-shirts, or a jersey top sheet and you sew them into strips. Then you free-motion embroider the heck out of it and a Franken-scarf is born.

Here's another one:

2008 Glitter-Off Championship

I got into a glitter-war with this woman. I thought I would have a chance since most of my Shower Arts use glitter. I was wrong. Competing in the Glitter-Off was a huge mistake for three reasons: #1 Rebecca is an artist who has experience with glitter. #2 Rebecca was recovering from surgery and had huge amounts of free time to devise a plan. #3 Rebecca is evil. In the beginning, it was a passing comment during an email exchange about a bARTer Sauce trade -- I don't even remember exactly what -- but something about how we should have some sort of glitter-off competition. I immediately forgot about it. But Doug was soon reminded....when he went to get the mail and there was a huge envelope just full of glitter that was getting all over everything. Well done, Rebecca, well done. I thought forever about how to get her back but came up with nothing. So I made her a trophy and mailed it to her. I admit defeat in the 2008 Glitter-Off Championship. That does not however, mean that I give up my right for revenge. Now, go watch Rebecca glittering up a pig.

I'm SICK -- but Look What I Got

I sneezed yesterday at work and all of a sudden, I'm completely sick. It was weird. For the past few days, I've felt like I was fighting something off and I think that sneeze was my last chance to rid my body of whatever was trying to get in. My body lost and now I'm in my jammies doped up on all kinds of decongestant and cough syrup. I apologize in advance if this blog is "wackier" than normal. And now...the bARTer Sauce update:

bARTer Sauce is an experiment in trading for art and odd objects. The basic idea: whatever I get, I trade for something else. And then I trade that thing for something else again. And on and on. The only rule: everyone who trades with me has to tell me a story. About anything. Just a story.

First Jen -- I call her Jen Snuffalupagus because she has a really long last name and I can't pronounce it. She traded me these two pieces for a giant painting of a pigface.

Here's us making the trade at my studio: Then Tara traded me one of the Twisted Tree t-shirts that she designs and screen prints for a painting of a two headed boy. Here's us making the trade at the EtsyRAIN show in Kenmore.

And finally, the vintage, tattooed farting duck that I got from Nik for a Red Screamer. Here's the awesome farting duckie:

Heck yeah! If you want to trade for anything you saw here, visit bARTer Sauce, create an account and send me a trade offer. There's more available for trade than just what you see here. Check out the full list.

Franken-scarf -- Rahr!

So I'm making a new thing now. Something OTHER than Shower Art -- I know, crazy! A few months ago I became obsessed with making Franken-scarves. They are scarves made out of upcycled t-shirts and jersey top sheets. I do free-hand machine embroidery all over them and they are reversible.

(keep reading to find out how you can win your own Franken-scarf!) Here's the first one I ever made:

And ....a close up....

Franken-scarf #2

#2 Close up

So....my question is: What would you pay for a Franken-scarf?

They take about three hours to make but the supplies are relatively inexpensive. The t-shirts are free or almost free so far. I have to buy embroidery stabilizer ($1 per scarf), sewing machine needles ($1 per scarf) and thread ($7 per scarf).

Post a comment on this blog with the amount you think I should charge for each Franken-scarf and I'll do a random drawing in two weeks to see who wins their very own Franken-scarf.

I had this idea months ago and dragged out my old sewing machine that I haven't used in about ten years. It kept eating the bobbin thread and sewing in big, crazy annoying stitches so after I took it apart to "fix" it -- I ended up throwing it away.

Which necessitated a trip to Michaels to buy a new sewing machine. I found one that has pre-programmed embroidery patters in it and lets you do free-hand embroidery as well. And it just so happened that I could buy the floor model at a huge discount.

So...

I did.

It's been true love ever since.

Craft Show Sunday

You know you want to go.

I know you want to go.

My cat, Karma, knows you want to go.

Why don't you just go?

The first 50 people in line get a super fantastic swag bag FILLED with great stuff. And I DO mean great stuff -- I do not mean stacks of business cards -- I mean awesome stuff that would probably take care of lots of your holiday shopping.

And in other news...the viaduct just fell on my studio...

There was a car accident on the viaduct right above my studio. Luckily, the car was just barely stopped by the guard rail but it could have come smashing right down onto the sidewalk in front of my shop. Or in it. All the debris fell on my A-frame sign which is now surrounded by police tape. Eeeeeek! I hope everyone is okay!

First Thursday - The Boofday Edition

What a nice pre-birthday celebration. Seriously, I posted a little blurb on the bottom of my bARTer Sauce newsletter last week that if thy wanted to hang out with me on my birthday they could come by on First Thursday during the Art Walk. And people showed up. Some with CAKE! Kelly Lyles baked me a german chocolate cake that we ate all of even though we had no forks! I should have taken a picture but I was too engrossed in CAKE! She put a little mutant baby on the top. It was super-duper good. My cute studio partner, Kimberly, made me a Happy Birthday Rosalie sign on our chalkboard. Super cute. I got the most evil looking teddy bear lamp as a bARTer Sauce trade from Emmett (now he and Kate are contractually obligated to make art projects with me & Doug next week). Brit (the creator of the paper bag puppet costume that Emmett got for the bear lamp) even stopped by long enough to see the trade happen in person.

Here's a close-up of the Evil Teddy Lamp:

I got the best belt ever made by the woman who made the best skirt ever, Betsy. I'm wearing it today and two guys stopped me on the street to tell me how much they liked it. Guys. And I don't think they were being smarmy...I think they actually just liked it. I got to visit my friend Sara at her art show down the street at 619 Western and deliver her Shower Art I promised her ages ago. Tim & Veronica brought me Betty Boop paraphenalia and an awesome ring that will totally come in handy if I ever get into a fight. They're awesome! And Doug, the best husband ever, surprised me with a skirt I fell in love with about 9 months ago in Les Amis. He's been carrying it around in his car for 9 months waiting for surprise me. It worked! Sorry Betsy -- I think I'm going to have to relegate your skirt to number two best skirt in the world. Don't be sad though -- that's still pretty good. The night was a little bit of a blur -- in part because of the level of activity -- and in part because of the red wine.

MMmmmmmmmm....

Thanks everyone!