Auld Lang Syne

In about 7 hours here in Loveland, we'll be ringing in the new year. And we finally got some real snow on the ground too. In honor of the coming new year, I pieced together a meme from good ol' deviant art that summarizes my art through this past year. It was fun to think about. I did more traditional work than ever before I think because I was so technologically cut off, and have horrible representations of it because of my lack of scanner for awhile. Two pieces are lost to the world somewhere. I hope someone kept them, or found them so they can be enjoyed and aren't getting mashed into nothing in a landfill somewhere.

My resolutions for the year are to eat better, lose weight (like everyone on earth except my boyfriend with his freak metabolism), run the Boulder Boulder and the Philadelphia 8K in the fall, and be an established tattoo artist by next year as well as a more established freelance illustrator. And finish my murder mystery comic. It's going to be good if I ever finish beyond the first page -.-;

I hope all of you have great new year's resolutions with the intentions on keeping them, high hopes for improvement across the U.S, especially economically, and for a better state of the world in every coming year. Enjoy your parties, I'll be drinking some homemade martinis and hot chocolate, enjoying the snow and evening with my family.

Happy New Year!

Dumb like a Moose, Dib! Dumb like a Moose!

This project has allowed me way too many opportunities to quote invader zim. I just sent this guy off to the AD for review. I'm pretty happy with it, plus it's a very appropriate subject for my new landscape. I don't think I draw enough animals in my life. It also helped me discover that I really need to start working at a desk. I have a side cramp...seriously. I'm just glad to be picking up work again now that I'm out here.

What is Narg Up To?

I hope everyone's holiday was great and wonderful. I received a sewing machine and pasta maker along with a cupcake recipe book so i can become the room mother I've always been meant to be when I have kids.

The end of this year is proving to be quite busy. I am working with a new design firm called design moose and they want their logo/branding design ready for production by the first of the year. There's also a bike website I'm in the running for doing and my mock up needs to be in by the 7th. Dead Men Walking is set to be relaunched with my art work (which is not quite done yet) by the 6th I believe, plus I have an interview coming up in the next week or two....and i need to finish my new portfolio for that right now. Phew! I guess when it rains it pours, but I'm not complaining. I'm glad I haven't had a deadline laid on me for the fitness trainer site yet, but the business hasn't really decided what they want to do with it, just that they want me to do it.

I just sent my sketches out for Design Moose so I'm ready to start working on my next project in the interm, but someone got me a puzzle for christmas as well which I became addicted to immediately. I love puzzles...and it's of candy...o.o
For now though, I need to hit the gym for an hour to make sure all those delicious cookies I made don't make my new year a fat one.

Happy Solstice to All!

Also Merry Christmas, again.

So I just finished another creative christmas project. I worked on some coasters, a set of 9, for my aunt's boyfriend as a christmas present. I'm pretty ok with how they turned out, especially the recipe sides. I was surprised about which ones I liked the best we all was said and done. I've got some pictures if the whole set as well as the three I liked the best in detail.




That means I'm freed up to concentrate on redesigning that blog and some other projects. Also, having my sweet new set up means I can revamp my website pretty soon and my twitter, which I'm pretty psyched on.

I also added some links in the side bar of other places around ye olde internet where you can find me, such as facebook, deviantart and twitter. I would like it very much if you followed me in every single one of those places. I demand followers.

I had my first stand up bass lesson today as well. Super fun. I slap some bass big time.

Merry Christmas, Bitches!

Tis the Season and all that. Above you will see my design for the christmas card I'm sending out this year. Definitely feeling a little homesick for philadelphia out here in colorado. It's also the first picture I've ever done completely digitally. Full digital painting in photoshop cs5 with my little bamboo tablet. I did it totally professionally too, with a bleed and everything. Like a real adult artist!

Here's how it works all laid out like a card:
I like it quite a bit.

As for my professional life as an artist, I'm still mainly doing personal stuff. I'm working on my portfolio, a new promo card, and some story ideas. Plus I have a creative project for christmas. I'm making coasters for my aunt's boyfriend. I got the idea from an assignment the design track had to do when I was in college for illustration. I was in the digital track so I only saw the end results but everybody here likes to drink, in the way of being really into wine or whiskey like people are into coffee. The idea is illustrate the drink on one side and give instructions on the back. I have ten drinks and I'm doing pretty basic color schemes so hopefully I'm not killing myself doing it.

I have two jobs right now working freelance. I'm designing a website for a fitness trainer and I'm helping to illustrate an up and coming blog. The blog is in the blog fiction genre and it's about the zombie apocolypse and takes place in philadelphia. Here's a link to it's current state: zombie blog I'll repost the link when it's relaunched with my art, which it desperately needs. But both projects are going to take place after the holidays most likely. Right now it's just me and whatever I want....and also wrapping presents until I die.

At Last My Hand is Complete!

So, I know I -just- updated, BUT i just finished my latest piece. I think I'm going to use it as my frontis piece for my tattoo portfolio. And I'm a pretty big fan of the texture I put on the roses.

Now I mentioned that I just got my tablet....like 14 hours ago...but I finally feel like a human being again. I'm doing art the way I want to be doing it and it feels amazing. It makes me feel more positively about everything. I know how sweeny todd felt about his barber blade thing. I've got the new bamboo pen and I'm using CS5 photoshop. I've got the trial version for the next 26 days but my christmas gift from my loving family is going to be the software I need to be the awesome artist I am meant to be. Hopefully I can talk them into the design premium CS set up as opposed to just photoshop so I can do all my web design and graphic design projects I want to do along with a flash animation I've had rolling around in my head for months.

I still haven't slept since last entry but I want to keep working. It's like I've been in a desert and now I have water to drink and I can't help but drink myself to death. Except less dramatic. PLUS I can finish my strength card...FINALLY!!!! I intend to take an epic nap later though....like an intense nap

Oh Stomach, You Cruel Master

Hello Blogger,

I can't sleep. I have a lot on my mind. Nothing bad just lots of things. I'm a thinker, plus my stomach decided to really really hate me. So i figured rather than lying around being sick and awake, I should sip a fizzy steaz energy, get some pep and get things done.

I just picked up some new tattoo mags and I've been flipping through them. My favorite bartender from philly was featured in Skin and Ink this month so I wanted to check out her pictures from the NYC convention. They look awesome Faith! That got me browsing artists so for the last hour I've been finding internet-y ways of following a few. Tara McPherson was featured in Skin and Ink as well and I have to say she's one of my new favorite artists. She's not a tattoo artist but is still an extremely talented illustrator and a pretty savy business woman it appears. I'm pretty sure I want to be her to like a T. Not in artistic style but she basically has all the things I want save the successful tattoo artist part in addition to being a kick ass illustrator.

I finally bought a tablet today. It's the new bamboo pen. It's alright but I prefer the former gen, especially since I can't flip the pen and get an eraser. Though I'm thankful to FINALLY have a tablet again at all. I'm pumped to get some work done. I'll make this upset stomach pay off if it's the last thing I do! I hope to post new art soon.

Today was a day of lots of thinking. I laid out my plans and goals to my boyfriend (over drinks, it was our miniversary today). He already knows them all but its good to talk about it. I'm really driven right now. I need to make it happen, i don't think I can settle for less or even almost. It's good to feel that motivation though I'm scared of self sabatoge. Being human can really kick you in the ass with all the complication of having a huge brain.

Here's to being unable to sleep causing me to work harder

New Art

Hello friends.
Here's a little update. I think I mentioned before that I'm working on a portfolio just for tattoo design. This is one of my classic gypsy designs with my friends name. I'm working with out a tablet but on CS5 so i've been able to do some cool things, though i still miss having a tablet. All in good time I guess. I've gotten a couple call back about some graphic design gigs here in loveland but so far nothing has panned out. Though this town does have some great galleries to get involved in as well as a big bronze sculpture community. I hear there's some major players out here. I also had a pretty good experience at a tattoo shop in Greeley. I might have a spot there in time, so keep your fingers cross for me.

On a side note I'm a little miffed about somethings, and have been for awhile. I used to be involved in a society of sorts and by involved I mean i was a member without any perks for being a member. No one in charge even communicated with me when I tried to contact them about things. I was only able to submit to one show because a friend was kind enough to tell me about it. When I mentioned this to those in charge, that I and other members were never let in on show dates and deadlines, instead of a response I got booted from the community. This really perturbed me. I am a good artist and it was really insulting to be treated that way. At least I could have been given a response or a reason. Recently they put on a Sailor Jerry show. When I was apprenticing I had to do a lot of research on Sailor Jerry and I know a whole lot of the guy. Most of the work I saw that was submitted seems to have no idea who he was or what he was about other than he was called a sailor and therefore must be really involved in mermaids. It just irked me beyond belief because this is a huge part of my life and something that I really hold close to my heart artistically but some dude decided I wasn't good enough to be part of a community with no notice what so ever, but its fine for people to have no clue about subject to submit to any show they want as long as they meet some unspoken standard. Maybe I'm bitter or maybe I think it's just not ok to be jerks.

When I finish certain pieces I'll make sure to post them so keep watching

Where Are We Now?

So if you've been keeping up on my twitter, you may have read that I had been traveling across the country. I've reached my new settlement here in Loveland, CO. Not the best place for the illustration biz but a good place to catch my breath. And the whole trip was great inspiration. Also while I'm here I can focus solely on my career. I can finally finish stuff and I'm close than ever to the computer set up I desperately need. It's exciting.

I'm also working on a brand new portfolio dedicated to tattoo design to be paired with my regular portfolio. I'm hoping to make that my day job, as impractical as that may seem. I'm hoping to have better luck find a place to hone my craft here in Loveland. Philly is not the most friendly to the up and coming in the tattoo biz. Wish me luck. When I'm done more of my designs I'll post a taste of my new portfolio. I'm unrealistically hoping for next week for that. I just really want to get out and into some shops sooner rather than later.

Some Hearts

So that's a really fast scan I did at kinkos of my latest commission. It's another tattoo design. See...people love having me design their tattoos...so why won't tattoo shops allow me to do them as well? It makes sense to me. The design is actually for two tattoos that go together. Each figure is to go on a foot with the banner above it by the ankle. The banners say "some hearts learned to love, my heart learned to kill" It's done with a combination of paint, inks and markers. I added the blue background and a border you can't really see just so he could have a cool piece of art to hang on the wall as well. The scanner at kinkos isn't very large and they charge by the minute so I just did a really quick scan to show it off.

Well I've applied for more jobs than I can remember. I went out for a textile job, a job for a parenting handbook, gay mascots for t-shirts, graphic novel artist, teaching digital art at a charter school, jewelry illustrator, tattoo apprenticeships....everything you can think of and I still haven't found anything. Sigh. I'm heading out of philadelphia in October though, which is a big deal. I'm moving to Colorado for awhile to try to get a better handle on my finances and maybe get a leg into the art industry some how....maybe even the apprenticeship I've so been seeking. We'll see. But I'm still doing art no matter what right now. A few commissions here and there, lots of personal projects. It's not so bad. I'll keep you posted and hopefully post a photo of when that design gets tattooed proper on some feet.

Back from the dead

Well it's been a while.

I have been working I swear. I was out at the computer camp for a month doing some funny things with kids and photoshop and it was a lot of fun. Right now I'm still trying to amp up my portfolio, do a bit of a redesign on some things and get my resume looking sharp. I was also trying to get a few more promo pieces together but I need to get a tablet first and maybe a decent computer of my own -.-

I wanted to use my Joanna image as a promo card but i haven't finished it. I was trying tonight but using a mouse just is not going to work. It's like a completely different artist did it when I switch to the mouse. It's weird to think I ever worked entirely with the device. I'll load up my progress because I'm quite proud.




I really want to finish it soon. Let's hope i get some equipment soon!

Busy Busy Busy

Well I have been very busy and again I've made a change in address. I'm now living in a lovely apartment on 4th and south with my very lovely boyfriend. Currently the above picture is where I'm doing my work for the time being. I desperately miss my tablet and computer and photoshop! But working traditionally isn't so bad. Though I do miss my scanner even more because then I could actually showcase my work at some form of decent quality instead of cell phone photographs.

The 90's Show for the autumn society opens this friday at Brave New Worlds Comics at 45 N 2nd st, philadelphia, PA from 6-9pm. The show will run until the 30th and yours truly has a piece in it. I encourage you all to come down and have a look at all the wonderful art...especially mine. Here's a photo of my piece in case you can't make it. But you're missing out on it looking all nice and framed and your ability to buy it.



I also donated a piece to Philly AIDS Thrift for a silent auction during their Summer of Love Benefit at Philadelphia's Magic Garden located at 1020 South St, philadelphia, PA. The event will be on Friday June 11th from 5-9pm featuring food, refreshments, cash bar, the silent auction, DJ TransAm spinning and live music by Dangerous Ponies. General tickets are $25 and VIP are $50. All proceeds are going toward Philly AIDs Thrift, a non-profit set up to sell donated items and distribute the proceeds to local HIV/AIDs service organizations. This cause is very close to my heart as I have lost people to HIV and AIDS, and know people fighting the disease now.

My piece for the auction is dedicated to the bike kids and hipsters out there...kind of. The people who really love bicycling for the right reasons and are true to themselves as well as are all around good people. People I think will be involved with this event the most. Riding a bike and sharing cigarettes is a huge part of life in the summer along with drinking early in the morning when concerned with my friends. I based the painting on Austin and I, but tweaked it so we're a little more hipster to relate more to that scene and culture. I like it a lot. And I love tandems. I hope all of you can make it to this event as well.




I'm currently working on a website design for The Bakery creative co-op based out of my old house with Angela Latini and many other local artists of all kinds. So stay tuned for that ladies and gents. It's of course, cake themed. And I will be doing it digitally if it kills me.

I'll also be leaving in a few weeks to teach photoshop art at a summer camp for a month. I love teaching people things and I'm pretty excited. Even more so to have art to be so present in my life again. I feel invigorated. But for now I must meet my other half at work so we can ride home together because we're disgusting like that.

Random Collection of Art-like Things

Oh blog how I neglect you sometimes.

Well I have been very active when it comes to art lately. I'm still sans computer and things so I'm still hurting for that. I finished a few "pieces" recently. The quotations are necessary as they are kind of odd ball projects.

A lot has been happening with me avid followers. Things are all starting a new with new love, new living, new directions. My tattoo set up is nearly complete so I will be back on my game and hopefully making money again, I'll be off at a summer camp in a months time teaching younglings how to be creative via photoshop, I need to get a piece together to submit to a show by the end of this month (eek!) and I want to submit a piece for the 90's Show the Autumn Society is putting on -if- I'm actually welcome to do so. Now to follow: lots of pictures.

Let's start with my latest commission. A guy contacted me to get a tattoo design for a grim reaper chasing uncle sam. Not something I'm super thrilled on but I think I made it look cool. I gave it up really cheap because I knew it was going to be in marker since my computer situation is a bit askew. He was really happy and it felt nice to get kind of art directed again. Enjoy the sideways picture from my phone. It's awesome I know but no scanner=crap.


My next piece is a bit of an installation piece done for the game SF0. If you don't know it look it up, it's incredibly fun to play. I made some shoes to throw over a power line. I put 'don't quit' on the bottom to somehow being inspiring. I saw a sign that said 'you are beautiful' and wanted to do something in that vein. I drew an owl, lady gaga, an octopus and fairy tale princess on respective side of each shoe and threw them up in an alley in front of the front door of a possible new apartment I might be living in later on in life.



My wonderful boyfriend recently turned 21 and I made him a cake. It was rainbow and vegan and delicious. I painted the top in a very "starry theme" He loved it






I made him a gift as well. I feel that a flask is a very appropriate gift for someone who just turned 21. I painted the outside. I've never painted stainless steel before so it was an interesting endeavor and I have no idea how its going to hold up. I used gesso initially then a mix of acrylic, water color, ink and marker then covered it in clear nail polish.



And just to show how in love we are:

Ironman Cake

so....I know I just posted an entry but I just remembered I should post this as well. I made an ironman cake for a friend of mine, which is awesome. Cakes and icing will forever haunt me it seems. It was short notice and if i had better supplies it would have come out better but he was still really happy. We put this sparkly stuff on it to try and make ironman shine. The cake was just a white cake made from scratch. Not really the most common of easter festivities but I guess that's my style








so that's the ironman cake. enjoy it

New Design

I really wish I had my scanner and stuff but I have to deal with my camera phone for a minute. So excuse the overall shittiness of all my posts. So this is a design for a tattoo a friend of mine is getting. She wanted a cupcake with a spatula and whisk crossbones effect and then while drawing we decided to add the banner. When inking it in my sketchbook i accidentally made the "F" into an "E" but that's why planning is important. We also decided to change the black stars to the hallow drawn style star for some and others just to the asterisk twinkle shape. This the first time i really used markers. I did some character sketches once but the paper I used didn't take it that well and I wasn't too familiar with the colors. This time I had more control and I used my inking paper which took the color very well. In the final we want to go a little bit more pastel-y but it gets the point across. My technology situation kind of sucks right now but it will either be resolved sooner or later than expected, but never on time. Just so all of you know though, being struck by a car as a pedestrian really sucks.

Artwork Tattooed

My friend Angela has been getting a lot of tattoo work done on her leg inspired by Joanna Newsome. Her latest addition was a tree house, unfortunately she had no drawing ready. She asked me to draw her the tree house so I of course did because Angela is a good friend for mine, as you may know since I mention her a lot. I'm pursuing tattooing myself right now and this is one of the few items I have pictures of that is my work translated into tattoo. I had more photos of work I actually did as tattoos, though none of it my design (mostly flash), but they were lost in rocky separations and a lost camera phone. I'm currently designing a cupcake tattoo that's coming out pretty well. I'll post pictures soon of that one soon, including the actual finish. (hurray!) The artist that did the tree house finish added wood grain to the house proper, which I felt made it too busy originally in my head but it looks good in the finished design. She had to change the hands because they were too small when the design was shrunk to be put on effectively but I'm not really sure I like the solution she came up with. The hands are large enough to take up the whole window and I don't think that makes as much sense or has the effect I think it needs. It looks good in the context none the less. So here it is, my tree house as tattooed by Cindy Vega at No Ka Oi in Philadelphia:

Progress

I haven't been very active recently so I decided to post some progress on a painting I'm working on. It's a traditional piece and its starting to be about loneliness I think. It hasn't really had much of a meaning, just something to keep me busy. She has some flowers in her hair I think I might change to a blue or a pink. i was trying to keep everything as white as possible but I think I need to depart a bit from that so it's not too overwhelming. I'm hoping to finish soon.

Caterpillar

I finished my piece for the sketcholic contest. I'm not sure how I feel about it. I fought with it a lot. I did things a few times and it's not exactly how I pictured it but hopefully it gets noticed. There's a lot of great pieces in the contest and a lot of diversity. We'll see what happens. Remember to vote for me on Thursday at 11:59 pm EST!






seriously.....vote for me

New Projects- In progress

Well I'm actually working on some art for once. Mainly personal pieces. In honor of Alice in Wonderland coming out there have been a lot of contests concerning the theme. I miss the one for the Cheshire cat (which is my favorite character) but I saw the one for the caterpillar and felt it was a good opportunity to do some art. I just have to make it to the studio to color it before the deadline tomorrow -.- Here's the line art for it:
I'm going to ad smoke and stuff from the sketch.
I'm also hoping to color another piece. It's basic theme is the tarot card Strength. I hope to one day illustrate a whole deck. So far I just have the Queen of Swords done. But there's also two other themes to it that I'm keeping a secret until I'm done. Here's the sketch and the line art:




















I'm not too thrilled with her face so I drew another version on tracing paper to add digitally. The left side of the boarder is going to be reflected onto the right side digitally as well.

I'm also hoping to finish the line on an "Adventure Time" piece. Every one on Autumn Society has been drawing one. I'm a member of Autumn Society II so I don't know if that theme is "for" us but I rarely participate in stuff on there so I thought I might for once anyway. I have a thumbnail of what I want to do so I think I'm going to go strait to final from there for time sake. We'll see how that turns out.
I really need to get working on some new comics, especially if I want to apply to SCAD for sequential art. I have two really good ones sketched out I should take to line soon but who knows with my tendency for distraction.

Recent Shenanigans

I've been into a lot of creative endeavors lately. I made a companion cube themed cake for my friend's birthday. I didn't have the best of equipment and I never worked with fondant before so I think it came out ok considering.

I also needed a new sketch book so I just made one instead as per the suggestion of Patrick Theaker. I've done minimal book binding. I made a little poetry book for a friend in the summer using a basic japanese stitch on the end, in the process getting a needle stuck throw a thimble and an inch into my thumb simultaneously. It was sweet. I painted raccoons on the cover. I made a little journal as a valentine's day present as well with the same binding stitch. I painted this girl with severed arms coming around her on it inspired by the National Song "Sons and Daughters of the SoHo Riots." I was kind of going for a screen print look. It kind of worked out I guess. And I could have just screen printed but I'm not really in touch with all my resources at the moment.

The sketch book I made I did a different technique that kind of mimicked normal everyday books. I put old sketch paper I had around, some tracing stuff, my inking paper and some lined paper to do journaling and story ideas in it. I put some extra fabric on the spine and some Mucha prints from a calendar on the front and back. I'm eager to start drawing some ideas in it. I have quite a bit. I'm a little overloaded on projects I want to do.
On top of that stuff I caught wind of a Harry Potter show to which I'm going to submit. I'm thinking like two pieces. I typically do a lot of character sketches when it comes to my fan art (which is some of my most popular stuff on deviant art). I don't know about just submitting just character designs, even though that is what interests me most. Also a lot of my favorite things about Harry Potter are stuff that only kind of exists in my head (like Luna and Neville as a couple) or like images of secondary characters, like the Quidditch team players or Pansy Parkinson. I don't know. I asked for some ideas of what to draw. All the stuff I already have is from a long while ago. It's been awhile since I really got to get down and draw some HP stuff. I need my computer situation up and running before I just forget everything I want to do.

Bakery Cake

So I really miss having a large format scanner. I took this picture of the final sketch for the bakery website which doesn't do the justice of a large format scanner. One day. one day... But each layer is going to be a link to someone's particular page. The top layer links to a bio about everyone involved and the house and then everyone else has something they're in charge of, like a cooking blog or a dating advice forum. Then there is communal elements, like a collection photos or web comic about cats or who is "swoll faced." There's also an idea of a web series if anyone ever writes the script. My boss/friend from my video editing job wants to shoot it, basically for something to do. I have the very bottom layer for my blog dedicated to one particular comic I'm trying to put out. If i had a better digital camera this also might work better. But alas I am using a cellphone. one day. But I'm getting to the point where I never want to look at a cake again though, between drawing icing so in detail on two projects and working as a pastry chef. I'm at cake capacity.

Tracing

Tracing. I remember being about 9 when I learned it was not appropriate to trace. It was wrong to pull out someone else's photo or drawing and trace it and say change some hair color or whatever and say its your art. For better measure you're not really aloud to look stuff up on google and copy and image freehand and claim it as your own. copyright and all that. Well we all know this little website called etsy.com. I think its a great little store site and I'm thinking of setting up a page to sell some art and crotchet work. A friend of mine commissioned an invitation for a bachelorette party from an artist on the site. She sent her a 1940's style pinup and a picture of her friend to make and invitation. She just got the proof and showed it to me and asked what I thought was wrong with it. The artist took the image traced it with the pen tool, and block shaded acording to the initial piece of art which was not her own. This is how it at least appeared to me. There's a foreshortened arm in the piece that was traced from the original that looks basically like a fin. If you just trace something and don't really know or pay attention or understand how anatomy works you will end up with some screwed up stuff, like a fin arm. I'm angry that this person is out there taking other people's art and tracing it then selling it for money. I spent years of my life learning how to draw with my eye. You can't just sit there and put something like that out there for money without paying rights for the initial piece of art you strait up traced. It also brings all other pieces of art into suspect. Have you traced all your art from copyrighted images? Perhaps just traced them all from whatever you found on google? I thought maybe this person might not have gone to art school and had great teachers to tell her how copyright works, but no, a professional illustrator with a BFA from Herron in Indianapolis. Unacceptable. I guess most of her stuff is from photos she is sent, like of couples so the comissioner has the rights to it but straight up tracing another artists pinup I think is really ridiculous and wrong. I'm not a fan of tracing. I think its cheap. If you go out and stage a photo to take and use that I might accept it, but not just willnilly tracing. I don't know. Rubs me the wrong way

Yarn Bear

Just in case you didn't have enough of my old lady hobbies, my sister in law just sent me a picture of the bear I made my niece for christmas. I think it's pretty awesome personally. I already sent my application in to the yarn shop though and I think if I sent something to them one more time they might go insane but if i get an interview I could bring the photo along. My niece named it Holly immediately

Being the Coolest Granny Ever

I believe I mentioned some knit projects before, and I posted a picture of Angela wearing her hat but I just finished some pot holders and some other things so I figured I'd post some more. I'm hoping to get pictures of some other things too, like my sister's bikini, a baby set I did, a hand bag and a bear I made as well, but this is all I have on hand at the moment. I always use my Granny's knitting needles. My mom doesn't use them since she doesn't really knit. My mom taught me how to crochet when I was about 11. I've mentioned my dad before but my mom and I always had the crafty things between us to bond over. My mom says I have my Granny's fingers but I don't know if that's true. I'm suppose to finish the face of my mom's pig that my Granny was working on before she died. Next time I'm home I suppose I will though it seems odd to me in a way, but special at the same time. I'm working on another shaw since I'm only borrowing the one I made my mom. My sister requested leg warmers and I want a pair too, plus I've been asked for a halter dress that I'm kind of excited about designing. I have a skirt pattern but I have to make up the top. I always want to do a million projects. I'm glad to be finished the pot holders though since we've never had any at the house. No more pulling pans out with wet dish towels or the sham wow, life is good.