What a Wednesday!

I should probably wait on this, but it just didn't feel right heading off to a show (actually, two this weekend) without mentioning the May Chickenpants Limited...and a little something extra.
Ok, so first off- the Chickenpants Limited for May 2008 is called "Chocolat De Chickenpants". You may recognize it as one of the Chickenpants in France series.
I really adore this photograph.


One is in the shop right now, but there are the usual 30 available. Actually, no wait, 29. Never mind.
Also: here is something a bit odd. I printed two different shots from the Kitchen Adventure shoot. One of them wound up being "To The Moon" and the other one wound up on a shelf, after some went out in The Sampler. It got scooped in with the rest, and some of them sold at various shows, and long story short: there are only five of these left. And I really love them. But, there aren't enough of them left to be a whole month anymore- so we're going to call it an alternate. Thus:
"Lending A Spoon"- the Chickenpants Limited Spring 2008 alternate.


I've listed one in the shop today, but if it should disappear or you'd like more than one, feel free to contact me by leaving a message here or on Etsy or anywhere, really. (Can't list my email address any more, alas. I receive over 300 pieces of spam a day, no exaggeration!)

peep, peep

little bleats from absolutely small

• 16:12 I remember when tomatoes from the grocery store tasted. You whippersnappers with your tasteless produce!

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little bleats from absolutely small

• 08:44 Today is the big taking-graduation-photo-shoot for a friend. (I'm taking the photos) Mah tummy hurts. Heeeelp!
• 21:01 Photoshoot was going really good till I threw up in her yard.
• 00:54 Finally looked at my table assignment for Bazaar Bizarre- I'm 61! Not sure if that's good or not...

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Summer Chickenpants

Here she is- the first one with a tan!

Introducing Kyo!

A name has been settled upon- so this makes him an official member of the family. Albeit the only one who thinks pant legs are trees and feet are toys.


So, you may be asking yourself, why Kyo?
Well- it's short, and therefore easy to yell. Very important. Also, it's a character from Fruits Basket who happens to turn into a cat when hugged by girls. Our Kyo turns into a brat when hugged by anyone. Coincidence?

(image from Wikipedia)

*special note! He is NOT allowed in the studio or around any of the plushies/ art. So no worries of kitty contamination. Also, he'll be an outside cat, just as soon as he's ready.*

Mmmmmentions!

I feel bad for not mentioning the people who have been so kind as to mention me on their blogs! Things have been crazy, but what sort of excuse is that?
Anyway, here's the roundup of thank yous!

Ishi, from Things I Make, Things I Love - thank you for posting my Chickenpants Adventure movie!

Tina Seamonster, from the Crafty Bastards Blog- thank you for posting about the new Chickenpants Adventure short!

Liberty Post- thank you for all the kind words!

Thanks a bunch, everyone! Kind words make me feel all fuzzy. In a good way.

peep, peep

little bleats from absolutely small

• 12:57 Possible new kitten names: Jemaine, Spike, Vash the Stampede, Wolverine, Basquiat.

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Why am I posting Outback Steakhouse commercials? Jemaine Clement.

Here's something NON-CHICKENPANTS related! I haven't had tv reception in years and years, so I totally missed these commercials. Also, I've never been to an Outback Steakhouse. Doesn't seem like a terribly vegetarian friendly sort of place, somehow.





He's a Chickenman!


Most possible name for the new kitten: Jemaine.

peep, peep

little bleats from absolutely small

• 15:08 I'm bringing sweaty back.

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Coolest commission ever?

It's certainly in the running. The fabulous proprietress of Shop 66 had me custom make two Chickenpants...for her ferrets.

Words cannot express how tickled I am about this.
Anyway, here's a clip of a convo with her- I think it is awesome.
"...they are precious and hidden!! I am not to touch them!! And they are stealing them from each other!!! I see little fuzzies go by like rockets with glimpses of chickenpants...And they are ferret proof because though they have had tons of fangs in their bodies they appear to still look perfect."
How cool is that?

peep, peep

little bleats from absolutely small

• 08:17 Just woke up from a dream that I was a slave in a basement Tide smuggling ring. Naked.

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So...where is the Chickenpants Limited for April?

Oh, I seem to have lost- I MEAN IT IS RIGHT HERE!
(sorry- new kitten is forcing me TO MAKE MY SENTENCES MORE EXCITING!)

Right. So. It's just a wee bit late this month, but it is still April, so ha. I think it was worth the wait.
The Chickepants Limited for April is called "Chickenpants Picnic". One lucky guy and three lovely ladies munching on Re-Ment sweets in the tall grass.

Why not snag one now? No reason AT ALL!

A real life Chickenpants Adventure!

A little while back I posted a post about Pete Chickenpants (Also known as George) going to France. Well, he's back now, with photos!

View the set! Enjoy!

peep, peep

little bleats from absolutely small

• 09:23 New kitten thinks nothing of climbing me like a tree. Is painful! Help!

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Animal Update!

Many thanks to everyone who left comments on the last post! I really appreciate it. Words cannot accurately express the feeling you get from internet based concern, so instead I present to you this emoticon: ^-^
Things have changed since yesterday.
Change #1: I took Topanga to have her nails trimmed. She has naturally really, really long nails, and a hatred of having her feet touched, so getting professionals to do it is worth every cent. However, we put it off a little longer than usual this time. Anyway: voila! Nails trimmed, happy smiling dog on couch again! She leapt from couch to couch entirely of her own volition. It was beautiful! So: Topanga's depression: pedicure related. There you go.
Change #2: Living in the country as I do, a cat to help keep down local varmints is essential. Word was put out a few months ago: WE ARE NOW LOOKING FOR A KITTEN! NO, NOT A CAT, A KITTEN! (Why? Out last cat was 15 years old when we got her. We felt we were due.) Anyway, nothing really happened for awhile until one of the folks who remembered our kitten call said the other day, "Hey. My friend is holding one last kitten for you. You'd better call her." Thus, I did, even though the timing could be said to be less than ideal.
So:

Nameless! Kitten!

Sorry about the crummy photos- he has not been trained to pose for the camera like Topanga yet. We'll work on that.
In the meantime- any ideas for names? He has a penchant for perching on one's shoulders like a pirate's bird, so we're thinking maybe a pirate name. Or a hobo name. Because hoboes have great names. Anyway, please leave some name ideas. ^-^

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little bleats from absolutely small

• 14:42 Waiting to meet a kitten- because life is just not crazy enough right now.

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Doggy bounce? Please?

Today is a good day. Topanga is actually laying on the couch like a normal pug.
Why is this remarkable? Let me back up.
Ever since we bought the giant new bookshelf, Topanga has basically boycotted the living room. Barely has she touched tush to once coveted cushions. Instead, she's taken to lying on the floor next to our bed, or, for a change of pace, actually on her own bed.
Notice I did not say "on" our bed. That used to be another coveted spot. Nope. Jumping up has suddenly just become too much work.
When we watch a movie or otherwise desire her presence on the sofa, we have to physically remove her from the bedroom and place her on the couch. She'll stay there for maybe 15 minutes, and then we have to go get her out of the bedroom again.
What has happened here?
Depression was the first thing that shot through my mind. Do dogs get depressed?
It seems like she can still jump just fine- she can still jump on the bed or couch whenever she wants. She much prefers to be lifted, though.
Last night, Dan brought up a scary thought: "Maybe she's just becoming an old dog."
An old dog? Old. She's not old! She's...six. Practically still a puppy! (Here you see me willfully ignoring the bags of "senior" dog food. Those say seven...and UP.)
"Noooo. Can't be that she's getting to be old."
"Middle aged, then."
"Maybe. I can deal with middle aged. In the dog, anyway."
Anyway...anyone know of anything that perks up middle aged/possibly depressed dogs?

peep, peep

little bleats from absolutely small

• 09:13 Dan gave me a great gift- 1500 ladybugs!

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little bleats from absolutely small

• 10:43 Slept in. Feel crappy about it now, felt great at the time.
• 14:24 3.79 a gallon. For the cheapest gas in town. That is all.

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Da da da, da da da da DA!

(imagine that is fanfare)
And now, because I simply cannot stop myself from making zero-budget stop motion filmlets:

THE FOURTH CHICKENPANTS ADVENTURE!
Enjoy!
(music is by A Band of Bees- I love, love, love that song, and have been dying to use it for a CP movie. A Band of Bees, if you are seeing this- please don't sue me. I love you.)
(Incidentally, this video is also on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ixJwhVOvoOU.
It looks a little grainier there, I think.)

The softies awards approacheth

And I was mentioned in a Softies central blog post!
http://softiescentral.typepad.com/blog/2008/04/softies.htmlHooray, and thank you!
Tomorrow's the deadline for entering...fingers are crossed tight over here!
I remember last year's Softie Awards really fondly. I had just started sharing my plush creatures with the world, and I wasn't too confident about them yet. Both making softies and sharing my work were totally new to me. I timidly entered two guys into the Softie Awards. I was so nervous!

Chicken bandit softie
Originally uploaded by absolutely small

Thanks to that, I was mentioned on a blog for the first time: Softies Central! And it really made my whole week. More than that, it really boosted my confidence that I was making something good. It's so wonderful to be validated.
So, thank you, Softies Central!

Chick softie
Originally uploaded by absolutely small

And if you're a softie/plushie creator, remember to enter the contest!

Introducing Edgar

Thank goodness being pale is fashionable again!

Oh, Edgar. The kids at school called him an egghead, but he did his best to not let it bug him. Just went right on playing D & D, furiously rolling that 12 sided die. He's older now, and geeks are now chic. Edgar's time has come. Now the ladies line right up!


*Now- off to work on THE NEXT CHICKENPANTS MOVIE!*

Mini videos from the show!

Hey, who doesn't love short, narrative-less, low-quality phone videos?
I've got a few here I just uploaded from the Tangent show. (plus one extra of Topanga)

The set up!


Chickenpants!


Pauline inspects another plush!


Topanga!

In Between Show Photos

The show reception is over, and the photos are up. I was really honored to show my work alongside Illyanna Maisonet and Hannah Moore (Sorry...couldn't find your link anywhere!), two very talented artists. I'm really bad at taking photos when I'm in the thick of it, so these ones are all from before the show. Hopefully hopefully someone will post up some more somewhere...because the other artists in the show had such awesome displays! (I didn't want to take shots of their work half hung...some folks don't like that, after all!)
Show set!
Here's a few glimpses, though:



Thanks, Tangent Gallery! It's been fun!

Twit Report

• 16:16 Wearing to the show my Betsy Johnson heels and... that's all I've got so far. Hmmmm.

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Twit Report

• 08:09 How does one even forget to bring the giant Chickenpants plush to the show set up? Gah!!
• 17:44 Coffee- because naps aren't an option today.

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Photo op

Two quick links this morning, both of them from Photojojo:

A really good taking photos for Etsy guide- super easy to follow!

and

Photos from strangers- the adventures of a camera tied to a bench.
What a cool idea!

Twit Report

• 15:52 Note to self: astroturf sheds like mad!

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enjoying...

the longer, brighter days

the Trachtenburg Family Slideshow Players on youtube

the 100 things worth doing posts on Mightygirl

these etsy sellers

almost done with my big creatures for tangent...the feeling of relief!

Peeking at new Chickenpants

Someday, SOMEDAY! I will have actual finished creature photos to share again. Until then, I've got these. I just finished up a batch of Chickenpants that I am very excited about. New Chicken fabric, "new" vintage pants fabric. Yay!

Now, off to finish up some bigguns for the Tangent show and acquire some Astroturf!

Podcasted!

Over on IndieBizChicks.com, a little interview with me was just posted up. I blather on about craft fairs and marketing and how I can't pinpoint where my ideas come from.
Actually, it's really well done and well edited. Crissy is a master editor, let me tell you. ^-^
You can listen online here, or download the podcast here.
Either way, I hope you enjoy it!

Twit Report

• 13:57 I am the sleeping in champion!!! 1:37 PM, y'all. Of course, it probably doesn't count when you go to bed at 5:30.

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It's going to be a busy month...

Here are some sneak peeks of one of the creatures I'm working on for the Tangent Gallery show...

She's about 4 feet tall.

And my foot, while making a foot. IRONY!


And here's a pile of feet...
I've been meaning to post about these shows for a long time! But, working to make creatures for these shows (coupled with the onset of gardening, followed by EXCRUCIATING NECK PAIN!) has kept me from mentioning them. So, here we go:
Upcoming shows you can catch me at:

* Tangent Gallery, Sacramento, CA "In Between" -Opens 4/12

This is going to be a really cool show. It's me and two other female artists, and as we speak I am working on 4 foot tall plush just for this show. Also, astroturf will be involved.

* Sideshow Studios, Sacramento, CA "Taking Textiles Seriously"- Opens 4/11

* Kismet Gallery, Troy, NY "Kismart" - Opens 4/25

Not exactly a show, but it will have an opening. It's basically an art vending machine, and yours truly is working on some pieces for it.

* Bazaar Bizarre, San Mateo, CA- May 3 & 4

* One-of-a-Kind Handmade Craft and Vendor Fair, Folsom, CA- May 4th

Plant addict, not so anonymous

Plants have been sneaking into our yard lately. I haven't had anything at all to do with it, either.

It's starting to turn into a problem: I now have mosquito bites all over my head from planting all these narcissi. They hurt. It's weird.
Topanga observes the damage. Her porch keeps shrinking!
Ahhhhh plants! They make me feel alive!

Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to go plant some morning glories. (Not pictured here...I have eight packets of them on the coffee table.)
I do not have a problem. (Except for the mosquito bites.)