Monday, June 30, 2008

Art Show and Benefit for the Midwest flood victims

Artists and art collectors, we have an AWESOME event coming up in a few short weeks to benefit the flood victims in the Midwest. Here's a quote from my beloved pal, The Queen of Trash, which got this all started:

FLOODING IN FRANKLIN, INDIANA

On a serious note, I have been very upset about the flooding in Franklin. Mister Lobo and I were in Franklin last year for the B-Movie Celebration. Upon arriving it looked like one of those small towns that only exist in the movies. Now, being that I'm The Queen of Trash, and quite prone to walking around in public in nothing but my corset and underwear, I was honestly expecting the angry mob to attack at any moment--but it never happened. In fact, something far stranger happened. They loved me!

Walking around Franklin on a Sunday morning, the old folks coming home from church waved and said "hello" and that they hoped that the festival was enjoyable. Almost anywhere else in the United States, I would be getting nasty glares, car horns honking, or perhaps even a piping hot cup of Starbucks to the noggin! They smiled and waved and as I got to know them, made me feel like I was part of the family. It boggled me to think that there was so much love and closeness in this community. If it weren't for the Cicadas (I'm terrified of bugs), I would have already packed up my things and settled there.

Now with the flooding, the town has been torn apart. They are bravely pulling together as the strong community that they are, but they need help. At the The B Movie Celebration this year, I will be donating many items to a silent auction, including a one of a kind, never to be made again, life cast of my bust! In the meantime, if you have anything that you can spare, I am asking you to please donate to the relief fund.


To further help with donations, The Q-o-T has rallied her artsy-type pals in Sacramento and elsewhere to donate artwork for a benefit show: The AMAZING COLOSSAL ART SHOW and benefit is a “B-Movie”-themed art sale to benefit the flood victims in Franklin, IN, home of the Midwest’s annual “B-Movie Celebration.” The event will be hosted by Franklin’s adopted daughter and our own local B-Movie goddess herself, The Queen of Trash, with an appearance by Mister Lobo!

Just think: rubber monsters, zombies, go-go girls, Mexican wrestlers, space girls in silver bikinis, paper plate saucers, giant robots, brains in jars, kung fu masters, death cars radioactive insects and, of course, amazing colossal people! Here’s the best part: ALL of the pieces will be very affordable (most under $100) and the majority will be $50 and under! The very air will abound with art, jewelry and trinkets that won’t put a dent in your wallet!

WE STILL NEED DONATIONS! There is still plenty of room for more art donations, so if you're interested, please e-mail me (art@krissisandvik.com) or Her Majesty (queen-of-trash@hotmail.com) and let us know. We are also in the market for a couple of sponsors to offset the venue fee and to provide some snackage, so if you know of some folks, please pass it on.

100% of profits will benefit the Johnson County Flood Relief Fund.*

Saturday, July 19th, 6pm – 10pm
Vox Gallery
Sacramento
Corner of X & 19th
Sacramento

* unsold pieces will be shipped to Franklin, IN to be included in a silent auction in September.

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Up the garden path

Remember my 'farmer's workout' from a couple of weeks back? Here are a few photos of the construction of the brick pathway from our patio to the macaw's aviary. I finally finished so I've posted some photos of the final results:

Brick Pathway
I first had to dig (pickax) down an inch or two into Folsom soil (read as "granite, clay and mining tailings that my tortoise can't even burrow into"), lay a bed of sand, tamp it down, level it, then ...


Brick Pathway
break bricks

Brick Pathway
lay the bricks

Brick Pathway
edge with river rocks (swiped from up against the back fence where I couldn't admire them)

Brick Pathway
add joiner sand, about 6 cubic yards of soil, another row of rock, two pots, my beloved English clay hedgehog (Spiny Norman) and about 60 marigold plants. All that I had to do after that was sit back with a well deserved lemonade (yeah, it's sugar-free of course).

My hubby was good enough to pretty much stay out of my way and make several runs to OSH for sand, soil and flowers. I'm quite proud of this little project, if I do say so myself.
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Sunday, June 29, 2008

Collage Contessa: Studio Organizing Tips

Here's a little goodness from one of my Twitter-pated pals, the Collage Contessa: Studio Organizing Tips. There are tips here to please everyone from the type A clean-freaks (yeah, I meant freaks) to those like me: messy girls. Many photos. An all around GREAT read.

My tip (and personal failure) - put stuff away when you're done with it.
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Big-Ass Announcement for SKELEKITTY Fans!

Skelekitty has goals & that spunky little minx cannot be stopped!

I am very proud to announce that the first Skelekitty rubber stamp is in the works and will soon be available to you.

skelekitty rubber stamp - COMING SOON

"Always Time for Love" is the first of what I hope will be many Skelekitty designs (the next in line, depending on the stampin' public's reaction to "Love" will either be "Welcome Home" or a brand new skelekitty-mermaid design).

Special thanks to Lee Kellogg of Stampa Fe Rubber Stamps for taking Skelekitty on, and to my husband, Ron, for coming up with many of Skelekitty's poses and especially for pimping the idea out to Lee - it didn't take much since, luckily for us, she was looking for a cute kitty muertos image! We met Lee at her AWESOME store, Guadalupe Rubber Stamps in Santa Fe, NM (online shopping is now available folks) during our visit in May, and I've kept quiet on the announcement until now. It's because of these two that I'm able to offer this design to the rubber stamping world!

More special thanks to Kathy Murillo (aka The Crafty Chica) for convincing me I could actually do something like this and to Yoli Manzo (aka Sacred Snatch) for her undying support and willingness to listen.

Stay tuned for more information like Skelekitty's release date, pricing and future designs (which will depend on your reaction to this first stamp image)!
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Wednesday, June 18, 2008

Take It Easy Kid, It's Only a Movie

For my younger friends (or those who weren't watching late night TV on Saturday nights during their youth), who haven't seen Hardware Wars, here you go: This is why those of us in the 35-45 age range get all goofy looking when we actually meet Ernie Fosselius.


HARDWARE WARS (1978), PART 1


HARDWARE WARS, PART 2

Not to mention why Ron and I crack up and shout "Tractor Beam!" every time we see one of these!
'tractor beam'

Oh, he worked on this, too!



Looking around at some of these sites, I see posts like "what's Ernie doing now?" He's working on some amazing little carvings - two were for sale in February at the Scary Art show at Grind & Groove in Sacramento, and we hope to see him at more shows in the future.

More on the wonderful world of Ernie ... NOW:
MAKE interviews Ernie
Ernie on BOING BOING
Fan photos of Ernies recent work
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Saturday, June 14, 2008

Why? Part 2

For part one in the "Why?" series, click here (sorry - it's only on my MySpace blog).

When I tell folks outside of my immediate circle that I train the way I do (i.e., like a powerlifter), I get looks of puzzlement and sometimes well-meaning, but ill-informed advice on watching out so I don't "bulk up" (umm, I've lost several sizes & many inches since starting this regimen). If you don't buy that, have you SEEN my trainer who can outlift and outbench me by several times???

Thanks to the training methods of Chip Conrad at Body Tribe, and the lovely Allyson Goble (aka Seconds)'s seemingly unlimited patience in actually training me (known at the Tribe as "The Grumble Bee"), I was able to do what I've decided to call "Krissi's Up The Garden Path Workout:"

Brick Pathway

- pickax swings (20 lb ax) 100 reps to loosen "soil" (ha! aka clay/granite/mining tailings); take as long as you need to complete all 100 reps - don't cut off your toes
- deadlift warmups, 10 reps: using a pair of vice grips, pull 3" rusted garden 'staples' out of clay
- shoveling wet earth/clay, 100 reps
- sandbag deadlift, toss, deadlift (50 lb bags of paver sand) 6 reps - pick up and toss bags, cut open and deadlift bags to empty
- grip strength/wheelbarrow combo:
- load brick pavers 4 at a time into wheelbarrow
- carry wheelbarrow 20 yards (though obstacle course - don't run over the tortoise) and unload bricks
(this combo can be done with heavy weight and light reps or light weight and more reps. Must move 50 SF of bricks.)
- sandbag deadlift, carry, deadlift (50 lb bags of joiner sand) 5 reps - move bags, position on bricks cut open and lift bag to empty sand
-body squats (planting flowers)


Geez.

Brick Pathway
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Thursday, June 12, 2008

Ima get me a purple suede hat with a pheasant feather

...'cause I'm pimpin' out my fellow artisans so much these days!

Another indie designer you should familiarize yourself with:

Alt Designs


Rikki of Alt Designs hand sculpts all of her charms from fine silver (PMC or precious metal clay for those in the know), so each of her designs is truly one-of-a-kind. I've pictured my three current faves above, but she also has jewelry that would be PERFECT for grammas and also has a line of masculine charms on cords (ahem, Dad's Day is this Sunday folks).

For those of you looking for a not-quite-so-sweet charm, Rikki does custom work (and has a bit of a twisted streak, which makes me love her all the more - heh heh).
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Tuesday, June 10, 2008

Anticipating the launch of two awesome product lines!

PIMPIN' STITCHES:

A few of my pals from the Sacramento Craft Mafia have started a new company, Pimp Stitch! Starting June 25th, they'll be offering original designs for hand embroidery! All eight of the pattern collections are created by the four designers, Tamie Snow (Roxiecraft), Missy Balance (Mohair Circus & Crafty Carnival), Amy Cluck (Peptogirl Industries) and Lauren Brandy (Goody-Goody & Speckled Hen). Each of these very talented ladies brings their own unique style to the mix & .

Can't wait for the 25th? Well worry not; there are FREE goodies to be had in the meantime (free is my favorite word)! Just head over to pimpstitch.com, or get all clicky for the newest free pattern, Get Your Party On designed by our own Peptogirl, Amy (featuring, of course, a cupcake)!


And if you haven't done so already, be sure to download Missy's free design, Let's Get This Party Started, or you'll be sorry!


Next week, free embroidery pattern goodness from Lauren! Woo Hoo!


SOON, WE ALL CAN BE CRAFTY CHICAS:


So everyone knows by now how awesome the Crafty Chica Cruise was this March, yes? Well I've been waiting, impatiently at times, since I first heard Kathy Caño-Murillo was working with Duncan Crafts to launch a Crafty Chica product line. Thank the glitter gods (actually, goddesses is probably more accurate) that it's almost here. August first.











Every day during the last week of July, I will probably be lurking outside each morning, awaiting the opening of my local craft store (the one that has a masculine name) so that I can get my butt in there and get all my Crafty Chica glittery, bright and Latin goodness as soon as possible. (Maybe Sacred Snatch and I can team up and divide and conquer.... Hmmm... that's worth considering.) The product line will be in 140+ of these craft stores throughout the western & southwestern US on promotional endcaps. The purchases that we make at this unnamed craft store now will be the deciding factor on what products they decide to carry in their permanent inventory - this product line's future is in OUR paint-spattered hands, fellow craftistas!

Here's just a tiny peek at just a few of the awesome items!


In the meantime, head over to Kathy's website and blog for project ideas. Don't forget to drop in on her Flickr account and choose the "crafty chica" (by Patrick Murillo) that best represents you & put her on your website!
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Thursday, June 5, 2008

This time last year

I started blogging officially in March of 2007 (using Word Press) & then this March, I happily moved my babbling self over here to Blogspot. WordPress is great - don't get me wrong - I just love the ease of comment posting and networking here on Blogspot (plus, it's gotten easier to use since Google took it over).

Here's a blast from the past - a post from June of 2007 when I was still trying to find my style. "Am I a quilter?" "Do I make accessories?"

I was working on my large sacred heart quilt and a decorated "sugar skull" inspired by the fabulous Patrick Murillo. I hope he doesn't secretly want MY skull (on a platter) for abusing his original creation with a bunch of sparkly thread. He and his wife Kathy (aka The Crafty Chica) have both been a huge inspiration to me along the way. It truly was a thrill meeting and crafting with them both on the cruise in March!

K

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June 15, 2007: Mental Fred Flintstone Scramble

I tried to get goin' yesterday, but didn't seem to get anywhere. Today I clearly got some traction and gained momentum.

sacredheart1_ip_350px.jpg

Details:

sacredheart_detail2.jpg sacredheart_detail3.jpg sacredheart_detail1.jpg

(I need to take some better photos of the details, but I still have to bind this one and I think I'm going to add a few beads.)

Next - here is the base for a Mexican sugar skull -- I used a skull mask from Patrick Murillo's Dia de los Muertos "teachers' kit" to get me started. I was going to fuse on the decorations, but I just scored some awesome Ricky Tims sparkly thread, so I think I'll do a little more bobbin work (where you put thread too thick to fit through a needle in your bobbin, then sew from the back of your work).

Skully 1 - green (in progress)


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June 22, 2007: Quick Post on Ricky Tims Razzle Dazzle Threads

Just one word: AWESOME!







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Wednesday, June 4, 2008

"V" is for Victory

for finishing two more custom Vagina purse (aka "coin puss") orders!

two custom jobs

Two more of the limited edition mini-purses (numbered & signed) for fellow crafty womenses.
On the left, #3 for Rain. On the right, #2 with sacred heart lining for Aimee!

I'm working on another custom request (#4) for Sara & that one has proved to be a bit of a challenge as she requested piercings and a .... ummmm ... errrrr... "landing strip." Fear not, Sara - I love the challenge! It keeps me from getting bored!
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Monday, June 2, 2008

Holy Cupcakes, Batman!

Y'know, it's awesome to be featured on someone's blog - especially when it's a really COOL blog and it's not even run by a friend practicing the age old tradition of nepotism.

Wanna know what makes it feel even cooler? When a respected colleague forwards a link info to aforementioned Cool Blog and that's why your stuff is featured.

Case in point: My original quilt, "Sacred Cupcake" (with a mention of and link to my "Cupcake of Guadalupe") is featured on All Things Cupcake!

I have Gothcupcake (creator of my beloved Harry Potter "riddikulus" ring) to thank for putting me on their radar. (You rock!) BTW fellow geeks, I noticed last night that she is now creating 20-sided (and 12, 10, 8, etc.) dice rings - I just might need one with the 20 facing up!
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