Summertime in the Studio

Hi kids! It's been busy at the studio these days. Last week was the Soulard Market Park Arts & Crafts fair as well as my television debut on Fox. Autographs anyone? :)

I was actually petrified. The task was to go promote the show on behalf of Paste and I was elected from the 3 organizers because I was the least likely to throw up on t.v. Katie got a funny color just talking about it, then Bobbi cheated and had a motorcycle accident (she's ok!) and got banged up pretty good. So, there ya go. That's my secret for how to get on t.v.!

The peeps at Fox were super nice. A cutie-patootie intern was assigned to keep me company when I arrived and helped me get set up. I was really glad to have someone to chat with and stuff to arrange so I could forget that I was about to be on live t.v. My primary goals included: say something about the fair, don't pass out, and don't cuss. I had a brief moment a few seconds before we went on air that I felt a little shaky and woozy, but I managed to stay upright the whole time. I just got to see the segment for the first time yesterday and overall I was pleased, but standing next to Teresa Woodard, the world's tiniest newscaster ever, made me look a bit like a tubby amazon. She's pocket-sized and positively adorable. Her side-kick Andy Banker was very nice and quite the goofball. They did a great job making me feel comfortable when I wanted to run for the hills! Thanks Fox 2 for a great opportunity to promote the fair, it was a total success!

This weekend I'll be at Tower Grove Farmer's Market from 8:30 - 12:30 with my trusty sidekicks, Bobbi of DownZipper and Rachel of Sew Good & Trendy. Hope to see you there!

Craft Hope - Gulf Oil Spill

I love animals and the thought of them suffering in the mucky waters created by the oil spill is almost too much for this delicate flower to bear.

Fortunately, Craft Hope has sprung in to action and gives us crafty folks with a soft spot for critters a way to help.

"For Project 8 we will be partnering with The Institute for Marine Mammal Studies, theAudubon Nature Institute, and the Mississippi Sandhill Crane National Wildlife Refuge to assist them in their efforts in caring for and cleaning oiled marine mammals, mostly dolphins, other marine mammals, birds, and sea turtles."

"This is a photo of the oil covered turtles when The Institute for Marine Mammal Studies rescues them. So heartbreaking. Underneath the turtles are the towels used to transport the turtles and you can see they are incredibly dirty. Do not worry about the appearances of your towels and rags. They do not have to be pretty, they are saving the lives of dolphins and turtles and appearances do not matter."

If you visit the Craft Hope website you will find instructions for sending handmade washcloths and hand towels (preferably cotton). Handmade can be as simple as cotton sheeting cut in to 10 x 10 squares. I have a bunch of cotton t-shirts in my upcycling pile that I plan to cut up and send in addition to whatever else I can craft up in the near future. Please visit the Craft Hope website to learn more about this wonderful project.

The cuteness, I can't stand it!

I found a new (to me) tool online at www.bighugelabs.com that makes cute photo mosaics of flickr images. Here's one I made of some of my vintage finds. Isn't it nifty? They have a bunch of other tools I want to try out too. I'll keep you posted ;)

Vintage-palooza!

Here's a sneak peak at what's headed to my Etsy shop. Except maybe that pink vase...

Mascots

If you aren't already aware, the studio is chock full of fuzzy mascots.

Mackie, my Border Collie mix, is a wonderful companion with the sweetest disposition imaginable. Theoretically, being a herding breed he's a high-energy doggy. It's hard to tell though. Mostly he naps, changing locations every hour or so. I suppose he's just conserving energy since he's an avid fan of car rides and if he sees a leash there is much rejoycing. He's an excellent supervisor and will appoint himself anytime a task needs to be completed. His post is usually on top of my feet if I'm sitting or there's food involved.

Bad Cat is the youngest in the crew. Being a barn cat rescue, his hunter instincts are top-notch and keeping him contained in the house is impossible. He spends most of his time slinking around the garden chasing bugs, but once in a while, the scent of baby bunnies lures him away. Hence, the name Bad Cat. Sorry bunnies! Fortunately, he doesn't seem to want to hurt them, just relocate them to our yard. I don't think they appreciate it one bit though.

Bad Cat's time indoors is usually spent in a window watching the birds or napping on the back of the couch. He's a pretty kitty, but he's not really in to socializing and he'll let you know by giving you a swat once he's decided you've pet him quite enough. Petting is a privilege, duh!

Then, there's Mr. Wobbles. He's by far the most vocal and the biggest pain in the butt. It's hard to get too peeved since he's 100% lover, but man, is he ever bossy. The other day, I was having a little chat with Wobbles, mostly about how it's HOT and a fuzzy cat perched on my shoulder like a bluebird is a little suffocating in the summer heat. He disagreed and muttered something about being the one with fur. When I mentioned that his constant kneading was a little uncomfortable, again, he muttered something under his breath. This time I think I heard wussy. Mr. Wobbles gets away with murder mostly because he's extra-special, with only 3 teeth, a wicked lisp (think Sylvester) and the complete inability to walk a straight line; he has a rough go of things, although he doesn't seem to notice.

In general, Mr. Wobbles does all the normal cat stuff, except he can't get up on the counters and grace is something that eludes him always. He chases bugs, plays with crinkly paper, loves to be hugged like a teddy bear (so much that his motorboat purr triples with a gentle squeeze), and nobody loves to eat more than Wobbles. In fact, if you're within a mile radius of his food dish he'll start meowing at the top of his lungs for a refill, "Hey, lady! Top off my food would ya? Lady! HEY, FOOD LADY! HEY! HEY! HEY! REFILL PLEASE! CAN I GET SOME SERVICE OVER HERE?"

Subtle? Not so much. Almost as subtle as when he decides he wants to be held so you can pet him. Sometimes there's a flying leap involved -- a straight jump in the air, arms outstretched like Superman as he flings himself forward in hopes he lands where he wants. No worries, if he's close, he'll just stick his claws out and hook in to whatever he can grab. Something in your hands? On your lap? Not his concern.

As you can see, it can be quite a challenge to get anything done around here, between the demands for food, bunny rescue missions and petting, it's a miracle anything gets done at all!

My Vintage Addiction

Thanks a heap for the feature!