Cones: A brief tale

A new drawing borne from a walk-turned-collecting opportunity, a newish pack of markers begging to be used, and a subconscious palette inspiration.

Giving back ownership

Still researching these weird, cheap, "artsy" pillows that are made overseas and sold all over the internet. I feel like I'm writing a thesis on design theft. I don't know how many people I've emailed asking if their designs are being used legitimately.

In an attempt to start looking for solutions (I really get sucked into the matching game of artist to design), I decided to look at one shop on etsy. I compiled an image of all the pillows they offer and I blacked out the designs of artists who I suspect didn't license their designs to be sold on these pillows.That's not to say all of the other pillows are legit, there are some that are from books, others that are from major brands like Tannoka and Paul Frank, and those I couldn't place with a simple reverse image search. The shop owner probably doesn't know they're selling counterfeit goods, but odds are good they know they're not within etsy selling guidelines.

Below are the artists whom I've been able to assert design credit. The ones in bold are the artists I've confirmed did not license their design for use on these pillows being sold.

Dario Albini, Sanna Annukka (3 listings), Amy Blackwell (5 listings),  Faye Bradley (2 listings), Helen Dardik, Maria Diamantes, Fréya Eté, Philip Giordano, Jazzberry Blue (8 listings), Blanca Gomez, Chase Kunz, Oliver Lake (4 listings), Jude Landry, Daniel Mackey (6 listings),  Iain Macarthur (3 listings), Dushan Milic, Vasare Nar, Rhys Owens aka Hidden Moves, Ashley Percival (4 listings),  Poppy and Red (2 listings), Andreas Preis, Allan Sanders, Roberto Salvador (removed as of 4/29/14), Steve Simpson, Lizzy Stewart, Lim Heng Swee aka I love doodle (4 listings), Nate Williams (5 listings), Olimpia Zagnoli, Geninne Zlatkis (2 listings)

When work is slow I can draw in a relatively distraction-free zone for hours at a time, provided I don't hop on twitter or facebook... Those are my happiest days, the ones where I work the day job (which means we have health care coverage for our family) but I also get to have a creative field day. Yes, I do know how fortunate I am!

A couple of those kinds of days plus a few good afternoon naps for Mabel so I can scan, color everything in, and make the drawings into repeats and I actually get stuff done!
I ordered 2 yards of each on organic cotton sateen. These will become tea towels. (Of course, that's as soon as I have another good nap day with Mabel...amazing the things I can get done when she takes an afternoon nap.)
 

If you like these, check out my other fabric patterns on Spoonflower.

On being a fan of Weeds

Hey look! You can download this image here

As I've been reading up on herbs and their uses, I've realized just how many weedy plants in the yard are actually medicinal.  After the initial feeling of astonishment passes, the same thought runs through my head each time, "They're weeds only if you don't know how to use them." That one thought and a little series of drawings was born.

Practicing Clutter Bug Restraint

Remember this drawing? I turned it into a repeat pattern and sent it off to Spoonflower to have fabric printed. I had an idea that if it turned out OK I'd use it in the laundry room as a curtain. I picked the cotton voile and ordered 2 yards. It's sheer enough to diffuse bright light, while opaque enough to maintain a good amount of privacy.

There are still a few touch ups left to make the laundry room finished, but I'm so happy with it. I've done my best to keep the clutter to a minimum, which is not a strong point for me. This particular nook of the house gets a good amount of sun, making it a favorite napping spot for 2 little kitties, but it also heats up pretty quickly in the summer. The sheers will diffuse that heat while allowing the natural light in. Plus I think the oranges in the curtains tie the weird orange rug into the room design; it might just stay after all!

The sewing table is covered in a tan cow hide, leftovers from a reupholster project. The brown laminate top was just too industrial for the space. Leather, fortunately grips to the table so the sewing machines don't dance around while in use.


That blank wall is tempting me to hang some art, but I'm holding out, waiting on some extra funds to properly frame a photo by Abby Powell. Since we usually take on an anything goes attitude with decorating, I feel like this is the closest room I'll ever have to a Mossy Shed.

There you have it: the quietest, sunniest room in the house. Inspiring space for folding laundry or blah-blah-yawnsville?

Everywhere Are Signs

I've done a little bit of hand lettering for signs in the past, but the most recent one was also the most fun. Now I'm thinking I want to brush up on my skills and do a few more! Maybe we need some hand lettered signs around our place. Hmmmm.

Fishing, Barbie, and GMOs

Wikipedia image by Michael Maggs

Lately there's been a lot of talk about fly fishing around the ol' homestead.  We've done a little fishing lately (Charlie much more than I), and the idea of fly fishing seems much more entertaining than sitting around with a string in a lake.

From The Essential Fly: Anatomy of a salmon fly

The flies themselves are works of art. There's a whole culture based around tying flies, and while I'm sure the people that tie them wouldn't liken themselves to the comparison, fly tying seems a lot like playing with a Barbie Styling Head.

Wikipedia image by Michael Maggs

Not that I think we'll go salmon fishing anytime in the near future, but I've been especially intrigued with salmon flies.  Partly it's the actual flies, partly it's because I've been thinking about what a GMO salmon fly would look like. Let's just file that under "inspiration marinade" for a while.

And yep, I mentioned Barbie, fly tying, and GMO in the same post.

Early spring flowers are already peeking up through the soil. I read an old bit of farm lore yesterday: When you see daffodils starting to bloom, it's time to sow your peas. I'm still wary of the 2 months of frost we have, but maybe I'll try it out.
{And yes, I'm aware there isn't a daffodil to be seen in this drawing, but I thought it was spring-y.}

Not a lot to say this morning, the weekend was fun and {as always} too short. We need more play time around our house. But after a weekend of renewed interest in the work we do, I have a brief thought to start your week:

Do what you believe, believe what you do, and maintain a natural curiosity all the while. 

Do you take this approach to life? How so?

two turkey tales

We're suddenly smack dab in the middle of sling your wares, make some money, it's that Holly Jolly Holiday buying time of year! As such, Wolfie & the Sneak are getting ready for 2 upcoming craft shows. They've also figured out a way to part the whirling seas (aka giant chasm) of time, somehow creating room for more time and the opportunity to get around to a few ideas that have been mulling around in our brains. Exhibit A? Hand Turkey place mats! I mean really, what's more fun than doodling over dinner?

Next up is a new print from an original drawing based on this photo by talented photographer Don Blecha. It's a Florida wild turkey (also know as Osceola wild turkey). I started drawing this piece and it ended up much more like the original than I'd expected. Although I took some liberties with the feathers and didn't try to do a photo-realistic bird, the further into the process I got, the more C and I felt like we needed to get an okay from the photographer to ever sell a print based on his original. I sent a quick email to Don and got a speedy response. We came to an agreement, finished the print and put it in the shop!

There you have it: 2 turkeys, 2 tales and a whole lotta fowl.

new stuff!

We have a few new little goodies in the shop! A correspondence set to make the combination of thank you notes + kids a lot easier on their parents this holiday season. {Actually, who am I kidding? I need a lot of help getting my own thank you notes out the door!} The other correspondence set is a set of 6 Color it Yourself bears with scented markers. Sound familiar? These guys are a variation on one of our first products, and we're so excited to have them back!

Knit Picker

One of the first craft pieces I fell in love with on the internet {when it still seemed so new! 2006, anyone?} was a knitware piece by Alyssa Ettinger. When her milk bottles and Ball jar lanterns came out, they were so original yet nostalgic, the delicate use of porcelain amazed me and stuck with me.

Around the same time, Annette Bugansky was developing a similarly themed line.

Annette Bugansky {1}, Reshape Studio {2}, Leigh Radford {3}, Forest Clearing {4}

Since then I've seen a few other knitted ceramic pieces. Anyone else out there picking up on the growing knitwear knit ware trend?

Behind the scenes

The holiday season offers us crafters endless opportunities to push our wares on the masses.It can get tricky figuring out which show is when, the word on the street about which shows to do (good organizers, bad organizers, buying crowd, I-can-do-that crowd), and just how much driving is too much.

Some consideration even goes into which areas of the country dig what you're selling. We have had one good show here in Charlotte...the holiday one we organized several years ago. Just a short 3 1/2 hour drive to Raleigh and we've had some of the best shows we've ever done.

Some winter shows have already closed the application process (The Handmade Market in Raleigh and Boston Bizarre Bazaar are 2 examples) while some are still open (Baltimore Holiday Heap and Richmond Handmade Holiday are but 2).

It's all a process that basically boils down to two questions for me: Where is the fine line between doing what I love and crossing over into bitter holiday exhaustion? Just how much excitement vs. exhaustion can we lovingly share amongst our little family?

Are you a craft show creeper? How do you plan your show season each year?

I'll mostly let the pictures speak for themselves, but now I have a 

whole wardrobe of clothes in womens sizes 2-6.

What to do with them...

I say it every Monday, and I'll say it again...weekends just aren't long enough. I finished another custom logo and a few garments for an upcoming photoshoot while C played with Mabel. That kid will color all day long if she gets the chance to. We've just got to master the art of keeping the crayon/marker/pencil on paper and not on headboards/body/everywhere else.

It's much too hot to do anything outside, and the snap beans are finito, so there are gaping holes in the garden begging for attention. It'll happen, but in the meantime we're sticking to the air conditioned spaces around Chez Sneak.

How was your weekend? Fun stuff happen?

Visual Diet

I've been working on logos for a couple people {I'll share them after the designs are finalized}, which means intense computer time. When what you do is based entirely on appearance, sometimes you just have to look at something else for a while to come back to the initial project with fresh eyes.

This time around that "looking at something else" turned into a new print of heirloom tomatoes! If you're a tomato junkie, this one is for you: the subtle varieties of reds, black, purple, green and peach tomatoes. Hang it in your kitchen and find a bit of reprieve even on the coldest winter day.

Like a little more variety in your visual diet? Try the Four Seasons poster, the perfect guide to in-season veggies all year long!

Sunshine and honeysuckle

See? I told you I had some drawings in the work--a pretty little bit of California honeysuckle for your Thursday morning? It's a west coast native, our east coast counterpart is coral honeysuckle, but for the purpose of this illustration {and it's other use, a project still in the works} I liked the form of the California flowers better.

Later today the kid and I are going to pick as many green beans as we can. I have a friend who is so tired of green beans he's just abandoned the picking--dilly beans and pressure canning are in my near future.

You know what else is in my near future? Homegrown, fresh field peas. "H" to the ellz yeah!

Wolfie visits Wilderness

Do you know Misti Little? We've internet-known each other for 4 (maybe 5?) years now and that girl is amazing.

Avid hiker, phenomenal photographer, and smart as a whip. So when she asked if I'd take part in her interview series this summer of course I said yes. I like to be associated with smart people, it makes me look smarter. Plus interviews are fun.

So I did. Annnnd it's up for reading today, so go check it out! 

I hope you all had a great weekend. Anyone get to spend some time outdoors playing? Or indoors playing? I managed to get some time in on the sewing machine, but not any pictures. One feat per weekend is enough, I don't want to push my luck.

***BUT YOU SHOULD PUSH YOUR LUCK, I'M HAVING A GIVEAWAY!***

Since I don't really have much to post today, and interview days are fun because it means new people are lurking around, I'm giving away an 8-1/2" x 11" prints to 2 readers! 

Read the interview and comment here with a factoid you didn't know about me if you've been reading this ol' blog a while.  If WatS is new to you and you knew nothing about me then just post anything relevant to the interview and that'll be just fine.  Comment as many times as you'd like between now and 12:00 AM Friday. I'll announce the winners in my post on Friday. Make sure you include an email address either in the comment form (it won't be viewed by the public) or as part of your comment, writing out "dash", "dot" and "at" so robots don't harvest your email address.

Today the Amazing Mister Charlie is finishing up the 2nd batch of wooden pinhole cameras. Each one has it's own special charm and an unfathomable amount of love put into making it. 12 of this style have been made and are all we'll have until next year's edition.
All I can say is, that dude's got skills.

Good times

While I don't recommend coughing up a lung and losing your voice, there are a few good things about getting sick enough to miss a week of work. The most obvious to me is having time to sit still, draw, work on the computer, and generally not feel guilty about taking frequent naps.

Drinking coffee all morning and not getting out of my pjs was a perk, as was not having to answer the phone (no voice!) or answering for telemarketers to make them feel guilty for making me use what little voice I had left. Good times.

I'll be back tomorrow with some garden updates (seeds are going bazonkers!) and other miscellany. Did you have a good weekend?