Monday, April 26, 2010

A big puppet siiiiigghhh

It was bound to happen, friends. This is live entertainment and sometimes things happen like this - my little hand puppets were cut from the show. Check out her tiny knitting, though! This guy, however, isn't going anywhere! I added some paint to his face and a nice little yarny sash to his tunic. The cast and crew love him and have named him "Elton."

Ps. The production photographer is coming on Tuesday, so you will get real pictures soon.

Saturday, April 24, 2010

Puppets, Part 2

Thanks for all the feedback on my stick puppets! They were made using cardboard which is mounted on a wooden stick (scrap wood). Above you can see a puppet in progress. I start with a base form and then layer some elements over it, like the vest and hair above. Then I give it a base coat of white gesso, and then paint over it.
For the Narrator, I was going for more of a muppet-style. Above is his head before adding facial elements, and below is after.
Everything is pinned into place until I get director approval. I must admit I had a pretty hard time with this guy - I have never done anything like this before - and I had to rebuild his entire head after I realized it was too large and skeletal-looking.
These cuties, however, are coming along nicely! Ok, so they're naked now, but I swear they will have clothes soon. These small hand puppets will be used at the beginning of Act 2.

I will update with more shots as I get them - including shots from them in use at the show - Sticky Forest, Part 1.

Thursday, April 22, 2010

On puppets, Part 1

I made a good amount of progress on the puppets last night, so I thought I'd share two of them today. These are going to be used in an opening sequence that tells the backstory of the evil witch. So they are meant to be held in the hand so they are mounted on handles.

First up, the "Tears of the King":
Meant to be held like a monocle:
Then a basket of bread, baked to perfection:
And the witch's bread, completely burnt:
The bread is two-sided, with the different paint job on either side.

Wish me luck - I have many more puppets to make before Saturday.

Wednesday, April 21, 2010

Circle of Art

I've been busy! In addition to my usual crafty pursuits, I trying something new. I am making puppets for Brain Surgeon Theater's upcoming production of "The Sticky Forest, Part 1." For those of you who don't know, I am a company member with BST, and that is where the majority of my time and talent is spent in Chicago.

So much of my evenings for the past week have been made up of watching movies from Netflix via the Wii and making puppets. It's been interesting. I'll try to take some pictures tonight. Some "progress shots," if you will.

One project I was able to sneak in last week:

A Violet Wind, 1

A Violet Wind, 2
If you are thinking that these look like the same piece, you are not far off. I created these two for the "Circle of Art" even in my hometown of Saline, Michigan. The event is pretty great - local artists donate two pieces of art, and then they have a big party with an auction, and all proceeds go to a local food bank.

I decided to embroider two pieces that would be a matching pair, but could also be fun on their own. Although it's hard to see from these pictures (it was very cloudy), the top piece - or 1 - is done in shades of grey and purple, and the bottom piece - 2 - is sort of denim. Although I like them both, I am very fond of the purple one. I hope they find a good home.

Thursday, April 15, 2010

Off again!

Chris (the boyfriend) and I are off! Back to Michigan for the weekend to visit Chris' brand new nephew. I made a pair of baby booties for the occasion:
The pattern is one of my old favorites from this box, with a little felt embellishment.

I am almost ready to officially open my etsy shop! Let's shoot for next week, ok?

Sunday, April 11, 2010

And now for the pictures


My mom, my sister - Meghan, and me at Seaworld. (Yup, the one where the trainer was killed)

My mom and my brother - Patrick - at the Magic Kingdom

Me with the puppies at Magic Kingdom

Me, Patrick, Meghan and the illusive Madigan, my niece, who is almost 3. You can just see her arm and leg.

Meghan and me at the Magic Kingdom in front of Cinderella's castle. A good "sisters" shot, eh?

Saturday, April 10, 2010

Huzzah!

I'm back!
That's me, my dad and my little brother, Patrick, by Cinderella's castle at the Magic Kingdom. Although I brought my digital camera, I only ended up using 10 of my Fuji Instax photos. I'll share those with you tomorrow.

When I came back on Wednesday afternoon, the weather was absolutely terrible. I went from 80 degrees and sun in Florida to 40 degrees and rain in Chicago. However, today it is absolutely beautiful out, so I took the opportunity to take a lovely outdoor photo of my travel project:
Doesn't this little pin cushion look so spring-y in the grass? I have seen this design all over the web, and Leanda from One Loop Short has a version for sale. I must admit, however, that I did not buy it. It is simply 8 of my favorite hexagon motifs, crocheted with a 1.25mm hook and DMC Perle Cotton thread, and then joined together in a creative way. I stuffed it with some leftover white muslin, since the holes are pretty big, and I wanted it to have some weight. It was so easy to travel with, and I had half of it done after the first day of travel. On the way to Orlando, I sat next to a very friendly Southwest pilot who said "That is the smallest knitting I have ever seen!"

Ok, hopefully I'm off for a bike ride!