Trollface Stickers galore

Behold... my homemade trollface stickers!

U mad bro?

I made them over the weekend after a sudden strike of inspiration. I don't know why I didn't get to this idea sooner. The Trollface meme is at the height of its popularity, and I for one still find it hilarious. Obviously, I didn't create these characters, but my process on making them into stickers is completely my own. Besides...wouldn't it be cool to be a troll IRL sometimes?

I made a few various styles of these stickers. I added a few Me Gusta and Forever Alone into the bunch, as well as 2 different sizes of "classic" troll faces.

I chose not to use printable adhesive labels/paper to make these stickers. Instead, I opted for putting industrial double stick tape on the back of each print. It takes a little longer, and probably costs a bit more, but I really like how the double stick tape works for stickers. Previous test stickers I've made with this stuff were definitely not easy to peel off of surfaces. The trollfaces will be no exception- They're pretty much impossible to be completely removed from something once they're stuck down. Trololol!

There was one more thing I had to do with this project before I could be satisfied. These trolls need a fancy place to be kept while they await use, so I went ahead and made special tiny troll envelopes. I printed them out and assembled each individually by hand. They turned out really great, and definitely add value to the stickers over all. In fact, I think I ended up liking the envelopes more than the stickers themselves!

 

 

These guys turned out being a hit at a recent birthday party I attended. As a result, my first batch of stickers was pretty much depleted in one night! Fortunately they're super fun to make so I won't have any problem generating more. My next batch will be improved- I'm adding the "Y U NO?" character in the bunch.






Get a pack for yourself! This pack includes 3 medium classics, 5 small classics, 1 forever alone, 1 y u no and 1 me gusta. But we can mix and match if you'd prefer. Feel free to contact me with any questions or requests.

$5.00

Deliciously cute cookie pops for Yule

Happy new years everyone! I'm feeling especially festive today. To celebrate the holiday seasons, I made some cute cookie pops for everyone to enjoy during my family's little yule-tide festivites. They're really simple to make, so as a little gift from me to you, I'm gonna share the recipe for these artsy treats:

 Ingredients-

1. Cookie Dough (pre-cut squares will work the best)
2. Vanilla frosting
3. Popsicle sticks
4. Food coloring
5. Sprinkles and other edible embellishments (optional)

All you need to do is insert a popsicle stick horizontally (not sticking straight up) in the cookie dough, pointing towards the middle of the cookie. Arrange them on a pan like normal, except try to keep the cookies and sticks from touching each other. Bake the cookies by the directions of their regular recipe. While they're baking, the sticks shouldn't burn in the oven, but it's probably a good idea to check on them now and then anyways.

How to make a lollypop cookie...

 The decorating is the fun part. This is where you can be creative. All you need is some vanilla frosting and your favorite color food dye. I was lazy and just used a butter knife and a paper plate to mix and decorate my cookies. I finished them off by putting some colorful sprinkles on top. You can use just about any edible topping as an embellishment to your cookie. The options are endless.. you can use granulated sugar sprinkles, m&m's, chocolate chips, or even jelly beans. It's up for you to decide.

By the way these, were a hit at all the family get-together's this year. I think people enjoyed the creative twist on such a holiday classic. It's such a simple thing to do, there's no reason you shouldn't give it a try one day! These would be perfect for events besides Christmas. Give them out at kid's parties or as birthday presents. They'd probably sell out at bake sales if packaged nicely.

My mom helped me set up this impromptu Christmas scene featuring Santa towels and our awesome cookie pops.

If anyone tries out this idea leave me a comment! Preferably with some cute pics of the results. I just love this idea, I cant get enough of it :P

The skeleton man

Skeleton Man- India ink

I did this piece a while back but I'm still pretty attached to it. You can imagine why, since it has all of my favorite obsessions wrapped up into one package. Naturally, the things you feel passionately about always inspire more intriguing works of art. For me, was skeletons, sunglasses, and Ralph Steadman. If you haven't heard of this guy before, he's an incredible political cartoonist that did most of the illustrations for Hunter S Thompson. He was called to my attention when I watched Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas on DVD. On the menu screen it shows a clip of him scrawling out the title of the movie with pen and ink. He's completely mastered the skill of haphazardly slinging ink everywhere. After seeing this video, I had to try it for myself.

So, this piece is definitely channeling Steadman. It was also one of my very first experiences using india ink, so it was nice getting to be so loose and reckless with my pen strokes.  To keep motivated in learning this new media (which is now one of my strongest and most favorite to work with) I kept a quote from my newly favorite artist in mind:

Concept sketches surrounded by doodles.

By Ralph Steadman

"There's a saying: 'In art there is no such thing as a mistake -- a mistake is an excuse to do something else. That's how I feel about drawing and writing. I couldn't draw very well. I kept blotting things by accident, so I decided to make mistakes part of my work."

  Some artists (especially me) always strive for perfection in their work. Tiny stray lines, smeared colors, a crinkle in the paper spells failure in the eyes of some. But who's to say that these mistakes cant be embraced? After many projects where I tried to be perfect, this idea was exciting to me. I allowed myself to make mistakes as I carved out the Skeleton Man in ink. It was very freeing. And of course, you can't really pinpoint any of the areas I messed up, can you?

An eerie closeup of his bony face...

Salt used on india ink

Another cool trick I experimented with in this work was using table salt on the wet inks. Allowing salt to dry on newly applied paint will absorb some of the moisture and pigment, leaving a beautifully speckled design on your piece.
For my skeleton man, I think it's the specks that really bring the whole piece together. It gives an extra sense of color and textured in areas that otherwise would've been plain.





Since this piece was featured in a local art show, it's already professionally matted and ready to hang. If you're interested in buying the original, contact me for a negotiation of price.

Prints are also available. Each print is signed personally by me and come in a clear plastic sheet protector.

$10.00

By the way, Skeleton Man returns in my other infamous piece, Death's Designer Shoes. I can't get enough of this kid.

Makin' skeletons for the Christmas party

 So I've just been busy the past week or so whipping up a new project for the local comic shop's Christmas get-together. They always hold a massive auction of all sorts of oddities, this time including my cool skull art! I'm anxious to see how much my work will bid up to. The proceeds from some of the pieces will go towards buying my mom "The Walking Dead" comic series for Christmas. She loves the TV show and said she wanted to eventually read the real story. So hopefully, I'll make some money off of the whole thing. Here's what I'm entering:

This is what I like to call my disco skull. It's been floating around since last year's Christmas, when I made it for a charity art show ran by so called "local punk artists."  Unfortunately, they didn't appreciate my donation enough to even schedule a pick up, so consequently it was never sold. However, this year it's going off to a good home  and I'll (hopefully) never have to see it again!

It's actually a pretty interesting piece because it's purely pieced together with fabric and thread but it isn't soft or "quilty" at all; the whole thing was mounted to a tiny scrap of wooden board.

For the eyes, nose and mouth I got to use one of my favorite techniques, which is reverse applique. I discovered this method when a fellow artist introduced me to the Mola art form, done by Kuna women in Panama City.

I could never quite pull off the same intricate details that they do in a real mola, but I like to think that this piece was inspired by the style. The top fabric is cut away to reveal my shiny sequin fabric remnant (which just so happened to be the exact perfect size for this piece, go figure!)


The other item I'm putting into the auction is this cool little bag I've styled. Yes, I did use a blank tote bag instead of making my own, but I feel like I added at least some value to to it because I bedazzled the crap out of it. Well, technically, they aren't bedazzles, they're studs. Much cooler looking. 

I also had some extra big pyramid studs left over from an old belt, which are always a nice touch to an otherwise boring accessory.

The hands were done with gesso, which ensures that the print will not fade or degrade much over time. I also really like how gesso is such a strong white color. It doesn't take many layers at all to get a nice bright coat, especially against dark colors.

To bring the whole bag together (literally!) I added a closure made of ribbon, beads and elastic. I also added a little tag with my contact information and a message to the new owner:

The tag doesn't lie. This bag is going towards a genuine walking dead charity.. also don't be shy, if you're the owner of this bag leave me a comment and tell me what you think!

Of course I added a few "oldies but goodies" into the mix. Also up for sale are my fishy, mustaches and skulls keychains. I'm hoping that they'll bring in a few last minute impulse buys at the checkout aisle. Speaking of which, if you're interested in purchasing an awesome keychain for yourself, be sure to check out my craft shop! ;)





The auction is tomorrow, and I'll post my results then. I hope I make something off all my hard work! For the record, I'm starting my auctions for the disco skull and bag at $5 a piece. Wish me luck. It's gonna be a gruesome Christmas.

On my own two feet

"My own two feet" - Acrylics on burlap

This piece really has a presence in real life. It's modeled directly from observation of my own feet and was done with acrylics and india ink. My favorite part is the harsh texture of the surface. I achieved this by piecing burlap scraps onto particle board.

Also, the board is a somewhat unusual shape. It's not perfectly square around the sides but instead crooked and frayed. I wanted the work to mimic an old weathered scrap of fabric, while the inside details looked more like patchwork.
Another special thing about this piece is that it can be turned any which way and still "work." It all depends on your personal preference which direction you want the feet to be facing,



This piece was also featured in my post about getting art supplies on a budget. I can proudly say everything besides the paint and glue is a recycled material!

If you're interested in buying the original, contact me for a negotiation of price.
Prints are also available. Each print is signed personally by me and come in a clear plastic sheet protector.

 $10.00

Death's Designer Shoes

I will admit that this is one of my favorite artworks I have ever done. There's just something about it that seems to speak to me. I think I relate to it... perhaps it's even a self portrait?
When I designed it I imagined an trendy "modern kid" lurking in his favorite indie coffee shop, doing what they do best ( which is drinking over priced lattes and chain smoking). And of course since this guy is malnourished and "dead inside," I made him a skeleton.

The lines were done with india ink, and I believe the browns and red are watercolor pigment. The whole thing was done on a tiny piece of scrapped wood that was likely a piece of a cabinet or furniture at one point.

I guess this is a "successful" piece because it was stolen from me shortly after it was created. Naively, I allowed it to be displayed on the wall during a school function, and the day after that it was gone. Whoever has the original, I hope you're enjoying it! The funny thing is, I probably would've made them something equally as good and free of charge just so that they wouldn't have taken this piece.

The concept sketch behind the coffee shop skeleton.

Even so, I still wonder about who has the original. I would love to meet this person. I'm not even mad, I take it as a compliment! I just wanna know what happened to it, where did it end up? Is it in a college dorm room now?  Was it a gift to an ironic hipster who has it hanging on the wall in his living room? Is it in the city dump? One day I hope this person is brave enough to step forward and admit that they liked my work so much they stole it straight off a wall. I would be tickled pink.





This piece was also featured in my post about getting art supplies on a budget because of my awesome scrapped wood find.


High resolution 8 1/2 x 11" glossy prints are available. Contact me for more details if you'd like a larger size.

$10.00

Revamping a raggedy pillow (Harry Potter edition!)

I would say that most people have a favorite pillow. Imagine yours..It's the comfiest to sit on, it gets you to sleep at night, and its probably the best food tray you've ever used. And like most of our favorite things, it's immortal. Well, so we'd like to assume at least. Unfortunately, years of wear and tear will eventually deteriorate any item you use every day, even old faithful pillows. So what happens then? Do you dare throw out your tattered but uber comfy pillow? Don't do it! That would be a waste of a wonderful opportunity to give your loyal friend a brand new makeover. All you need is a seam ripper and a little bit of sewing magic and your pillow will keep kickin' for another 10 years or more.

 My mom inspired me to do this project when she pointed out that our living room pillow was in bad shape. And honestly, that was an understatement. Firstly, I must say it's the raddest of pillows..(Geek out time!) It's an exclusive and official Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone pillow, one you can only order from those "fancy pants" magazines. It features a very young Harry Potter, right when his zany wizardy adventure was just starting. We acquired this in the heat of the first Harry Potter craze, nearly 14 years ago. This thing has history attatched to it, so there's certainly no way we were getting rid of it!

Anyways, this pillow had seen its better days. Here are the pics from right after I gutted it. It was seriously this bad before I even opened it up:

As you can see, the cool Harry Potter print is still in amazing quality but the back is dry rotten and full of holes

The corners and edges were completely shredded. 

Holes where the print was poking through the back! The horror..

 So, clearly I had to start from scratch when it came to the back of the pillow. Fortunately, the gorgeously weaved Harry Potter print on the front was still in really great shape, so I didn't have to worry about repairing it. All I needed to do was separate the trashy back fabric from the print.

I used my little tool called the Seam Ripper to do this. You could easily just use scissors and cut away the edging to your pillow, but carefully ripping out the thread seams improves the likelihood that your print wouldn't be damaged or cut off in any way.

Admittedly, I am still somewhat a novice at sewing and only recently discovered the seam ripper.

My trusty mini seam ripper.

 How did I ever possibly undo stitches without one before?  Oh right, usually I just tried to rip out the unwanted stitches by hand, tore my project and had to start over. The seam ripper has saved me many of times now since I "discovered" it. It would've been especially useful when I first started machine sewing and was constantly having zany mishaps. If you're just starting out sewing, I definitely recommend keeping one of these near by. If you don't already have one lying around, you can get them from any craft store, wal-mart or even a decent dollar store.

With my seam ripper, separating the pillow was a piece of cake.

After that, it was simply a matter of selecting some new fabrics for the back and putting it together.

That, and of course ironing.

Personally, it isn't my favorite thing to do, but ironing out the wrinkles in your fabrics before you sew them onto your project will make a world of difference in the quality of your work.
The iron is beneficial in many ways. For example, if you added any dyes or paint, it will permanently heat set it and make it washer machine friendly. Using an iron will also improve the neatness of your sewing. You can achieve nice flat and crisp seams and a professional finish to your work. Some of my projects require me to iron at least 3 or 4 different times to get the look I want... It's a pain, but it's totally worth it.

 Once ironing is complete, all you have to do is cut out the new fabric in the size you want and assemble your brand new pillow. All that technical stuff will have to wait for another blog post... In the mean time I'm assuming all of you already know how to sew together a pillow. I would strongly recommend using a sewing machine to do this kind of project. In fact, a project like this would be perfect for practicing your sewing machine skills if you're still a beginner. Sewing machines provide faster and stronger stitch work. A project like this, which would take hours to hand sew, took me only 45 minutes or so with the machine to completely finish the sewing process.  If you don't know how to use a sewing machine yet, it's never too late to learn! It may seem like a daunting task but it isn't as hard to learn as you might think. It's a skill you can use for the rest of your life.

Anyways, here are the finished results, in all their Harry Potter Glory:

GET THE SNITCH HARRY!! (front)

I had a lot of this fabric and it goes perfect with the print. (back)

Look out for that demonic beast!!

I think it looks much more neater and clean with the make over! My family members agreed that it was an improvement.  In fact, they can attest to you how comfy it is now....


As always, if you did this project for yourself, I want to see the results!

Fake Blood Recipe and Halloween makeup tips!

Happy holidays everyone! It's that time of year again... that's right. HALLOWEEN.
It's my most favorite of all favorite holidays and I'm so psyched that it's finally here! I've been very busy this month with ghoulishy fun things to do, including party for my 20th birthday. More importantly the Charleston Zombie Walk was this month! I'm so thrilled to have something like this finally in my neck of South Carolina, I've been both years so far and it's a blast. If there's a local zombie walk you can go to, make sure to go out and see! It's a unique, life long memory.

In celebration of Zombie walk and bloody Halloween people everywhere, I've decided to share with you my perfect blood recipes! I was frustrated by the amount of searching I had to do in order to find these recipes. It was insane to me how quickly "how to" sites suggested you resort to using disgusting food items including applesauce, chocolate and even (gulp) ketchup. So needless to say, I'm against using gross and disgustingly sticky food items on your skin. I'm also against using the flimsy "store brand" of blood that they try to sell you. It's nearly 3 dollars an ounce, and the stuff doesn't even look slightly convincing.

The recipes I use are simple and can be made nearly anywhere. I've personally tested these concoctions and used them on other people- all of which seemed impressed by the results. I have the photos to prove it!

Blood results from Z DAY 2010 and 2011!

This artificial blood can be used for a few thoughtful accents, or for a monster hungry for copious amounts of blood. (for example, a Zombie Snookie)

So, how do you make it? 
Firstly, there are two different types of blood you'll probably need, especially if you're doing a zombie costume. There is an edible kind, and one strictly for skin. Here's all the supplies I used to achieve these effects:

I got all my zombie blood making supplies from Wal-Mart and the Dollar Tree. They're all household items, nothing fancy. Of course I got extra things, all you really need is the gelatin, corn syrup, coloring and extract.

Non-sticky blood for skin-

This blood looks amazing and dries solid while still giving the illusion of being wet (see zombie pictures above.) Once it sets on your skin, you won't have to worry about smearing it or sweating it off. It's perfect for giving dimension to your gore and wounds. Clean up for this type of blood is pretty simple, too. It flakes off evenly and is water soluble.  
This recipe has provided enough zombie blood for up to 3 or 4 people, but I always had some left over after using it. Unfortunately it doesn't keep for long (because the gelatin begins to solidify), so it always must be "made to order."

Get it in the baking aisle of a grocery store.

 All you need is:

1. 1/2 a packet of Unflavored Gelatin
2. Red, green and blue food dye
3. Approximately 1/2 Water (varies)
4. (OPTIONAL) tissue paper and corn starch

Start with a half a packet of unflavored gelatin in a cup or container. Add about the same amount of water as the amount of gelatin (just enough to mix the powder together and give it viscosity, don't drown it.)

The exact water amount will vary depending on what affect you're looking for. "Dripping" blood would contain slightly more water, and goopy gore blood would contain slightly less. I suggest gradually adding small amounts of water until you find a consistency you like.

The food coloring can be added next. Begin with adding 10-12 drops red (approximately) to your blood mixture. You won't need the entire bottle, just enough to thuroughly color your mixture. To darken up your blood, thus making it more realistic, slowly add blue and green by 1 or 2 drops at a time. For every 10 drops of red, 1 drops of each dark color will do.

After application, don't disturb the blood and it will dry within minutes.

OPTIONAL: I haven't tried this, but some recipes recommend you mix bits of tissue paper and cornstarch into your blood mixture. Apparently this should make it more chunky and textured, but like I said I don't really know for sure. If you try this let me know how it turned out!

Helpful Tips

I know it's hard, but resit using the blood until all of your facial makeup is done! It will ruin your makeup and blood if you try to put makeup over all of of your freshly applied blood. Your bloodiness will look best if it's the finishing touch to your outfit.

You can get bigger "wounds" if you work in layers. Let the artificial blood dry on your skin before you add more. It should stay mostly where you put it, and not run much at all. Give it 5 to 10 minutes to dry.

Always test your concoctions before the big day! You will have to experiment a few times before you get something you're completely pleased with.

Remember, if the blood seems too watery, wait a few moments for the gelatin to stiffen. Add more gelatin powder sparingly. If there is too much gelatin powder, not only will your blood not dry properly, but your mixture will be grainy and flaky. It may also dry too "tight" and not give as much flexibility on your skin.

Edible Corn Syrup blood- 

Zombie Snookie and Zombie Joker! <3

I know I said I was against sticky food blood, but this is stuff simple and necessary if you need a recipe you could actually eat. For example it went perfect with my with my Zombie Snookie outfit, enabling me to carry around a giant wineglass prop with "blood" inside it instead of wine.
It's useful for Zombies and Vampires because you can get on your teeth and mouth. Try taking a swig of it and letting it gush out your mouth dramatically for a cool effect.

I wouldn't suggest ingesting a ton of this stuff, though, because it's really thick and sticky, but it looks convincing and it gets the job done. Don't use this blood on your skin, either. It's mostly syrup, so it can get really messy and sticky fast.


Here's what you need:

1. Light corn syrup
2. Mint or vanilla extract
3. Red, blue and green food dye

Add the syrup to a cup or container (like your prop glass.) Simply add in approximately 10-12 drops of red and 2 drops of blue and green. Once again, the blue and green add some darkness to your blood, making it less cartoon blood and more realistic blood.

After that, just add a flavoring extract to disguise the taste of the corn syrup. My favorite is peppermint, but vanilla extract is also popular. Most grocery stores will have these basic baking items- they're probably even all mostly on the same aisle.

OPTIONAL: I think that adding tiny amounts of water and cornstarch would make this recipe slightly less sticky. This is what I'm trying next year.

Helpful Tips

I've tasted it before, and it actually isn't as horrible as it may seem. The extract completely masks any taste of corn syrup and its strangely tasty after that.

This blood will stay liquid for a while, but you'll need to stir it every now and then to keep it fresh.

If you're taking this blood mixture with you somewhere for some reason, make sure to keep it in a well sealed container. Avoid the disaster I had last year when it got all over my camera and zombie makeup supplies.

This recipie is also actually really funny to use as "punishment" for procrastinating monsters who want to put on blood at the last minute... if they put it all over their face, they'll be sticky the rest of the night >:D

Moar Halloween makeup applying tips!

It surprised me to discover that many of my friends need serious help when it comes to Halloween makeup. It's pretty much the same as painting a canvas, except you're using really crappy materials. Even with that said, I have had a lot of success with the cheap "Wal-mart" brand cream Halloween makeup. Where I live, it's only $1 for an entire tube, and it lasts forever.
The secret to dealing with this junk is that you have to work in layers. Patience is a virtue when it comes to certain mediums in art, and this is definitely one that takes restraint!

Here's what I do to achieve decent Halloween makeup:

Me applying makeup on Charleston's Z-DAY 2010.

1. Work light to dark- Apply the lightest color first, then put the darker ones on top of that.
2. Don't slather it on too thick- Start with 1 layer of your color at a time. You will have to apply more than one small "coat" of the same color to achieve an even tone. If you put too much on at once, you will get a muddy look.
3. Use shading techniques- For example, don't just use black and white if you're going for a pale look. Use an array of different colors all lightly layered on top of each other. Instead of plain black, use black, brown and green in unison. You will be surprised by the effects.
4. Don't forget the cheek bones- For some reason if you add some dark shading to your cheek bones your makeup looks better. I don't know why.
5. Also, don't forget the rest of your body!- Your outfit extends beyond what your face looks like. A little bit of detail on your arms, hands, and even feet will push your look to the next level.
   

You can also get different effects on your makeup depending on what kind of applicators you use. These are all the ones I used this year at zombie walk:

Cotton swabs, a paint brush, makeup wedges and popsicle sticks!

I will admit my favorite applicator is the makeup wedge. They were cheap (only a dollar for an entire pack at the dollar tree) and it applies the cream makeup really nice and smooth. Plus, everyone can have their own personal wedges and not have to dirty up their hands as much.

I also like the cotton balls because they can give an unusual "grainy" texture to the makeup. For zombies, it looked more like decaying flesh than a smooth white face! Q-tips can be used to get tight details and for blending.

The Popsicle sticks are used for stirring the blood recipes and heaping on big layers of the gelatin blood. They're cheap and you can throw them out when you're done!

I stumbled around and yelled "GIAHHNNI!" in my best Zombie Snookie voice.

Everyone got in on the zombie blood this year, from planners to procrastinators.

LOL I loved everyone's zombie outfits this year. Zombie bananas and LMFAO zombies.. brilliant.

Anyways, I hope my tutorials helped! As always drop me a comment if you liked this recipe, or have an even better blood concoction to suggest. I'm always looking for new ways to make blood muahaha.. Happy Halloween everyone!!