Small Fabric Paintings

I have been wanting to do some smaller fabric paintings for a while and have been gathering frames from yard sales and from store sales. Friday I got out my sissors and thread. This is what happened.

Bunny Bright-Eye

What's up Baby Deer?

Cyclops Blue Bird

Jenny Owl Grade 1

"Hi Bird" said lady

Miss Popular Blue Bird Grade 6

Mother Knows Best

Website Update

The website has been updated! (a little) I updated all of my shop links and added new balloon vases to this page:

http://www.thefamilychicken.net/thefamilychicken.net-Ballo.html

An example of some of the new work.

More updates to come soon.

Ice-Atlanta...In the Park.

Come see me in Atlanta on June 2nd. This will be my second Ice Show and I can't wait to see everyone again. It will be my first time selling outside and thusly my first experience with a tent. I will have to do some practice runs setting up because it will also be the first time David won't be there to help me get settled in. You may be able to spot me easy, I might be the one standing by the tent pile. Selling my stuff out of boxes. (Like the people at the flea market.) : ) Nah, I will be fine. I have a month to get ready. Plenty of time to get some extra stuff done. I want to make a banner, print some t-shirts, make smaller fabric paintings, and paint a cow. That should be easy enough. I better get a move on though.

New Buisness Cards

Front

Back

That's Clever!

It has been a week since the "That's Clever" film crew taped my segment. I haven't really known what to do with myself since then. Their visit consumed my life for the past two months, getting all my steps ready and fixing up the barn. Now it is over and I have to wait until next year before it airs on HGTV. Until then here are some pictures from the new and improved barn/studio before the shoot.

These are the two projects they filmed. Balloon Vase and Geet.

These are all the vases I had to have ready at various stages.

These are the geets at various stages.

This is the new and improved barn.

A BIG Huge thinks to my parents for coming to help get the barn ready! and for the peanut butter balls. And a special thanks to April for coming to sit with me during the shoot while David was away.

I think things went great (they may say otherwise). If anything I decided I will not be persuing my dreams of becoming an actress. : ) I found out I freeze on camera, in front of those lights and forget everything (Where am I?). Oh no, it wasn't that bad, but at times it felt that way. At least the guys were super nice and patient. I can't wait to see how it turns out after it is all edited.

Filming In Progress.

I set a goal this new year to do one fabric painting a month. These will fill April and May's quota. I went ahead and planned them out before I have to put all my fabric away for the film crew. Yes, Film Crew!!! I have been chosen to be filmed for a segment of "That's Clever" on HGTV. I am excited and the preperation has kept me busy. I have to say I have been more productive within the past month than I have since the new year started. They are going to film me making an oblong balloon vase and a geet. Specifically these:

In progress Fabric paintings and other various pictures:

Possum heart tree (i was inspired by out new backyard friends)

Vulture and Bunny (we don't have vultures or bunnys in the backyard)

Underglazed balloon vases.

I have alot of cleaning to do. (notice the table David and his dad built for me to work on. You will have to just imagine its awsomeness since it is covered with mess.

And the Bass in the background David is teaching me to play. )

The barn has been over taken by all my practice pieces. 50 balloons later, I think I have the process down now.

Playin' Possum

We caught our backyard possem in the act last night. I went out the back door and he jumped up on the fence. I am not sure what he was up to, but he sure looks guilty of something. Several weeks ago this and one of its buddys started hanging around looking for grubs and what-not. Maybe they will run off the moles.

The Meek.

"blessed are the meek"

The Fawn.

The Bunny.

Ana's Vase

A vase commissioned for a wedding present.

A New Batch.

Going back home.

This is the new fabric painting. Bird, birdhouse, and fox. I gave it the working title going back home but titles always seem so contrived to me. I wanted to mention that I scan these before they have been streched into their frame. So... the wrinkles will not be visible in the final presentation. I just wanted to share this new work with you. I have also made some improvements on the Walrus and owl, "Death to wisdom", and should take some pictures of it. Let me know what you think. I am on a roll with these now. I would like to have compleated 12 by the end of the year but at this rate i may up that total.

Are you ready to SHOP?!

I have finally got around to adding some items to the shop. Of course there is still more to come.

www.thefamilychicken.etsy.com

Thanks in advance for taking a look.

The walrus and his buddy the owl...

New Fabric Painting in the works.

The shop is open!

I have decided to give Etsy a try. It is a place online for handmade goods of all sorts and I have my own shop. I figured this would be the best way to sell my stuff. They have the money thing all figured out and make it really easy. Plus, everyone's doing it.
visit me at...
http://thefamilychicken.etsy.com/
I only have a couple of things up so far. The Christmas holidays put everything on hold for a while, but I will be adding more soon. Especailly when I start using all my new toys.

Ice- Atlanta

This Saturday David, His parents and I went up to Atlanta so I could participate in Ice the Indie Craft show I have been telling you about. It was alot of fun and a success by my standards. I got to meet up with some old friends and make some new ones. You can see by the pictures we were in a big warehouse, and unfortunatley it was the coldest day of the season yet. In some of the pictures you can see the masses huddled around the heaters. I am glad I wore a big jacket. Unfortunatley, I didn't get very many good pictures to show all the neat stuff that was there. I think it is the biggest show I have been a part of so far. Despite the long drive home, I will surely be involved again next time.

Christmas Cards

I am going to Ice-Atlanta (an independent craft show) this Saturday so I have been busy making Christmas Cards. Snowflakes and Christmas Trees. I have also been working on new balloon vases and worn the kiln out doing so. I hope after a little time off it will be ok.

Info on the Craft Show:
Date: Saturday, December 9th, 2006Time: Noon - 8 PM

Admission: $5 (a portion of the door fee goes towards raising money for Hagar House, a local shelter for women and children)

Location: The B Complex1272 Murphy Ave SWAtlanta, GA 30310

www.ice-atlanta.com
www.thebcomplex.com

Donkey? Yes.

In reply to the mysterious comment I recieved a few posts back. It is funny you ask, I HAVE been doing some research on the subject. Here is a picture I took over Thanksgiving.
I was led into their habitat by one of the finest guides around. Even though my life was in danger I was able to get this shot of them without being spotted. Just look at those beady eyes. That is Jack on the left standing next to his baby girl (Jennie, the mom is in the background).

Craft Shows

I liked Mutation so much that I thought I would participate in some other craft fairs. One is this weekend at a church right down the road from where we live. Another is in Atlanta, GA at the begining of December. You can click on the title above to go to Ice-Atlanta's website. I will be busy getting ready with the new balloon shells and Christmas greeting cards. Sounds like holiday fun to me.

In the Studio.

This weekend I worked on some Balloon Shells and thought I would take the opportunity to share a little about the process through a couple of pictures. (Thanks to David for taking them) They give you a good idea how the studio is set up. What a mess! I installed a pully system so I can dip the balloons, hang them on the line and then rotate the line in preperation for the next one. There is a trough to catch the drips so they can easily be reconstituted back into slip.

I thought this one would be a good example of their size. Any questions? I will be glad to answer them.

Updated Website.

I have been working on improving and updating the website. I have added links to the blog and eventually... A Store. If I can ever figure out how something like that should work. The images are almost up to date. So you can find more ceramic work, more cards, and more fabric paintings. I am just missing a couple of geets. I need to go through and update the things that have been sold and the contact page. Wow, when I write it all down I see there is a lot to get done. Until then... you can click on the title, "Updated Website", and go see the new stuff.

Halloweenee

The monster house. I was afraid no one noticed, but a couple of kiddies offered us kudos while taking some candy. We got a "way cool", "hey, your house looks like a monster house", and my favorite..."your house is SO pretty, I like it, it's like a square."
Yep, "a square", I think that says it all, and with that, I think we made our neighborhood a little bit better place to live this halloween.