It's all too much!

Daily Photo 7.31.07
Originally uploaded by chicken widget.

Ever been cutting a tomato with a large santoku blade, had the knife slip and get your finger instead? Sure, of course you have. And you think to yourself, "Hey, at least it wasn't my drawing hand. Ha! Ha." Then you're at work and you are trying to quietly put your cardboard covered sketchbook quietly into your bag and you re-slice open your once healing cut? Good times!
***
Here's the part of the blog entry where I review two new (to me) Starbucks items:
Raspberry Mocha Frappucino: Yes.
Raspberry White Mocha: No.
Does the Raspberry White Mocha bear a resemblance to Caribou Coffee's Light White Berry: Very much so, but with more fat.
Will you get a headache? Probably.
***
Did I mention I am swinging back and forth between mania and crashing? Guess where we are right now?

The Wedding Guest- Project Plushway

I got involved in a teeny tiny project put on by Plush You with a brilliant premise. A random person sends you a photo, and you make a softie inspired by it.
Here's the photo I was sent:

The inspiration photo for Project Plushway
Originally uploaded by chicken widget.

And here's what I came up with:

Daily Photo 7.30.07
Originally uploaded by chicken widget.

The Wedding Guest- for Project Plushway
Originally uploaded by chicken widget.

The photo was named "Wedding Hydrangea", hence the name of the softie- "The Wedding Guest". Somehow I got into my mind a squirrel lurking beneath the hydrangeas...and the plush just grew from there. I really got into making this little guy. The finishing touch was attaching a small bunch of flowers to his paw.
I just love him, and I hope you do too!

Absolutely elsewhere...

Something Simple Art is participating in Blogathon 2007. She's writng about a different Etsy seller every hour for 24 hours straight! And she's picked me as one of the 24. Here's a link to the post. Please pop on over there and see how she's doing!

Also, there's another Plush Team Treasury going on right now featuring a bunch of the self portraits we've all done. It's got a lot of excellent alternative plush.

Hope you're all having a great weekend!

New Address!

Topanga seed bead 'painting'
Originally uploaded by chicken widget.

Same old content, but you can now type in
**** http://www.absolutelysmall.com ****
and it will take you to this page. All the old bookmarks should still work, too, though. If somehow they're not working, please let me know!
Anyway: The above is a 'painting' I created out of seedbeads and glue and a lot of time. It's even better viewed large. I recently got it out of the box it had been languishing in, and I'm more than a little in love with it again. I also find myself thinking of making more and wishing for more time to do so!

First Plush Team Group Project- Self Portrait

Another shot of the Plush Team group project
Originally uploaded by chicken widget.

Here's my effort for the very first Etsy Plush Team group project. This was something new for me- a self portrait in plush! I've done them before, in paint, pencil, photographs...but never fabric.
I'm pleased with the result, but also a little embarrassed...it feels like I'm exposed!

Plush Team group project: Self Portrait - back detail
Originally uploaded by chicken widget.

This seems a lot more personal than any other self portrait I've ever done. Perhaps because it's not literal, but instead just random bits of the inside of my head. As a result, I've totally neglected putting any explanation into this. And I think it's going to stay that way. So, here it is.
Plush Team group project: Self Portrait- head detail #2
Originally uploaded by chicken widget.

You can click on the photos above to see more, or visit it in the shop.
Oh yes, that was part of the assignment: list it in your shop. I think that has been the hardest part of this project: listing myself for sale. Eeep! I don't like the though of anyone owning something so personal to me...but on the other hand, if no one buys me, that's a little sad, too.

Two heads...

Two-headed fox in the woods
Originally uploaded by chicken widget.

are featured in a very neat treasury right now!

Illustration Friday- Poem

Away in a wooden shoe
Originally uploaded by chicken widget.

I painted this to commemorate our birds, when they were brand new to us.
The first part of the old children's poem:
"Winken and Blinken and Nod
one night
sailed off in a wooden shoe"
had been running around in my mind for days. And for the life of me I couldn't remember how it ended! (Still can't.) I just got the most wonderful mental image from those lines...and here it is.

And for the very first time ever, I actually have it together enough that it is in the shop.
***UPDATE***
This painting is being featured in an Etsy treasury right now, put together by TheBeadedSockLady. Check it out and give her some clicky love, won't you?

On the wall

DSC02303
Originally uploaded by de:generate.

If you look really closely, you'll notice three of my paintings, framed and on the wall.
They're visiting Miami for the Tear/Off show. Hopefully they'll like it so much there that they decide to stay with some nice person.
More photos here!

You can see yet more photos here- these ones feature a lot of the actual art that's there- much less squinting this way!

Gearing up for the next big cycle of creating

Spring chickens
Originally uploaded by chicken widget.

Wondering:

* Yarn. Where can I get super soft yarn? This special yarn of yours, how much will it fray on the ends? Because I need for it to fray. A lot.
* Wow! Glass eyes! The kind they use for taxidermy! Wow! Who wouldn't want these? They're how much? Ok. Well. I guess I'll take the plastic ones then.
* Where are all the tiny envelopes? The cheap tiny envelopes, I mean. Also: where are the envelopes that I ordered a month ago on Ebay?

In the midst of the chaos...

A mission statement:
***
The purpose of Absolutely Small is to create and distribute approachable, enjoyable, and live-with-able art and art toys. I create in plush because you cannot hug a painting. I create in paint because it can take you places that nothing else can.
Every one should have the option to have original art in their homes- it shouldn't be the exclusive domain of the wealthy. If I can get people to smile or laugh at what I've created, then I've succeeded.
***
That's why I do what I do.

Now featuring...

Custom dog portraits! And other animals, too!
At the craft fair, the most asked question I recieved was "Do you do custom dog portraits?"
That being an idea I've kicked around for quite awhile anyway, I've decided to just go for it. So, here they are!
Now, who wants to be my first victim- er, client?

Finally- a new painting to share

Stummy
Originally uploaded by chicken widget.

Actually, the painting has been done for a few days now. The scanning, resizing, etc- that is what takes forever.
This little guy is on his way to the diy:mia show.

More photos from the Stop Shop and Stroll craft fair

100_0997.JPG
Originally uploaded by sacramentocraftmafia.

Amy of the Sac Craft Mafia was kind enough to post a bunch of shots from the show, including a few of my set up. So if you'd like to see more, go here and click your way through.
There's also a photo of Dan and I manning the table here.

The Craft Fair

Daily Photo 7.14.07
Originally uploaded by chicken widget.

This weekend held the first craft fair type thing I’ve ever vended at. It also held a bunch of nervousness and busyness, naturally. Would I like it? Would I hate the experience? Would people try to haggle with me? Would anyone buy my stuff? Would anyone even show up?
A million what ifs later, I had my answers. I did like it. Very much. People did buy my things, people did show up, and thankfully, no one tried to haggle. This was actually fun.
So if anyone has any leads for more craft fairs in the Northern California-ish area, let me know. I have my giant table cloth and displays and I am ready to roll.

Not at all symbolic of how I feel right now

Brace yourself for linky linky goodness! Prepare your clicking finger...annnnnnnd...go!


Daily photo 7.12.07
Originally uploaded by chicken widget.

The softie in progress above is for a Plush Team project- plush self portraits! I'll keep you posted on that- they should all be up on the 18th.
Also, the darling Marmee Craft has featured one of my paintings. But you shouldn't go to her blog for that; no, you should go because her banner features a rabbit and a squirrel holding hands. I should also mention that she has some truly wonderful things in her shop.
Also also: The ever fascinating Amy of Made in Mississippi has opened an Etsy shop! Please go visit and show her some love- she's got amazing prints there.

Absolutely Small interview!

The Box and I
Originally uploaded by chicken widget.

Over at the Soulful Home blog.
Go and give it some clicks- she makes me sound like such a grown up!
(Yes, I am waist deep into my twenties already- but I don't feel like a grown-up! I am thinking maybe nobody ever really does...)
Again:
http://the-soulful-home.typepad.com

Illustration Friday- Geeky

What a great IF theme! I chose the character Raz, from the video game Psychonauts, becuase I just finished the game and I love the character design. I find this paining geeky on a few levels: 1. Fan art is geeky. 2. You could also say that the character Raz is geeky.
In any case, I adore the geeks. Probably becuase at heart I still am one.

Trial Run

Trial run for my craft fair set up
Originally uploaded by chicken widget.

Ok, just ignore the rest of the clutter in that photo, and focus on the table. This weekend is the Stop, Shop and Stroll craft fair thingy. This is the basic setup, except there will be less wrinkles when we actually set up.
Well, here we go...

Psst....

There's a couple of treasuries up on Etsy right now featuring some really excellent softies...
The fact that a few of my softies happen to be in them as well is just a bonus!
Have a gander:
Plush Team Treasury!
Such cute critters

Why so quiet lately?

Daily Photo 7.02.07
Originally uploaded by chicken widget.

sewing sewing sewing sewing sewing sewing oh look internets checking email nothing sewing sewing sewing sewing hey look a video game must finish sewing sewing sewing ouch sewing sew... nap

List

They sent her away
Originally uploaded by chicken widget.

Sewing machine needles broken in the last 24 hours: 3
Sewing machines needles still intact: 2
Creatures completed: 1
Creatures almost completed: 4
Creatures waiting for eyes, mouths: 4
Paintings waiting to be finished: 2

Absolutely Small paintings out and about in the world!

dear CLAIRE:
Originally uploaded by The Rat Bat.

The lovely Kari over at The Rat Bat posted this little piece of fantasticness on her Flickr page. How awesome is the framing? So awesome.
There also happens to be another painting of mine in it's new home right now. If you hop over to Fluffy Flowers you can not only see it in it's new enviroment but also some deeeelicios photos of peach cobbler(and a recipie!)