Humongo print

You can see the kitchen progress has been stagnant for a bit. Figuring out the new counter tops put a damper on things then along came round 2 of the stomach flu (this time C had it) and colds for the rest of us. Lucky C followed up the stomach bug with a head cold...so yeah, not much is happening with that.

I did, however, FINALLY get the O'Keefe inspired drawing printed in a humongo size (24" x 36") and framed in a basic walnut frame. I haven't had time to get nice shots of it, but I'm so excited (and dare I say enamored) with it, that I want to show it off. A lot.

A Big Shop Announcement

I've been debating over whether I want to reopen the shop, deciding how to balance all of my interests without falling prey to the need to constantly update the shop and maintain competitiveness of mainstream consumerism. (Anyone else feel like etsy no longer sets an independent pace but pushes shop keepers to stay ahead of the retail curve?) I don't have the drive to make items based on holiday themes, nor do I have the time.

All rants aside, when the shop reopens, I'm going to have a different structure and a different process: I will just offer 1 print at a time in very limited editions. The paper, the size and the time of availability will vary, but my goal is to have a new design every 2 months. If an edition doesn't sell out, I'll still pull it from the shop.

It's a way for me to keep pushing myself, stay outside that retail rush, and feel passionate about my product.

This print is nearly finished, and will be the first available in a 16 x 22" poster as an edition of 10 ($75). Smaller prints (8 x 10", edition of 20, $30) will be available through the fine retailers that carry Wolfie and the Sneak wares.

Under $50

I've been asking around on Twitter and Facebook a fun question just in time for the holidays:
If you bought yourself a handmade gift for under $50, what would it be? Here are a few answers so far:

POAST house wanted by Toil and Trouble (Ana) 
Suite One Studio bowls wanted by Made in Lowell (Liz)
Stone and Honey tiny triangle rings (2 at $20 each) wanted by Megan Charland 
Forged Copper Gingko Leaf wanted by  Trowel and Paintbrush (Kathleen)
Bird Brain Tile by Rob Ryan wanted by Bugs and Fishes (Laura)

So, how about you? If you bought yourself a handmade gift for under $50, what would it be? Leave a comment and include a link!

The 3 day intensive potty training approach was a little more stress than we were prepared for (M included!) so we did a little more of a casual take and had one total success! We'll get there, but just take our time with it and try not to cause any toilet traumas in the meantime.

C took off for the morning on Saturday to go bass fishing. He came home with a cooler full of fish. As he scaled and filleted them I asked if he felt more manly*. He wasn't sure he did, but while we were eating the tasty dinner of fish tacos he made, he said, "Yeah. I feel pretty manly." Without turning this into a sexist conversation about macho behavior, I'd like to state for the record I would feel pretty *strong, self-confident, and proud if I'd provided such a feast for the family, too, and I just might proclaim, "I feel pretty womanly."

I had a few free moments (that's how I work these days, in free moments) to print up an alphabet poster I made from cutting and pasting hand drawn fonts from other projects. The world may not need another alphabet poster, but Mabel needs one, so why not share, right?

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.

 Maybe some new prints heading to the shop? . . . I don't know. I'm feeling kinda wishy-washy about adding them to the shop. Maybe I need a break. Maybe I should try making them into PDFs. What do you think?

{eta: I've made the houseplants drawing into a desktop wallpaper, available for download here!}

Then there is the other business at hand. . . 

we have a winner! I should've closed the comments Monday morning but was lazy. If you tried to leave a comment after the deadline I didn't publish it. I'm sorry, we already had a winner all picked out! And, without further ado, the winner is: Melissa!

Everyone tell Melissa CONGRATULATIONS!

She loves me knots

I'm not much on talking about my process--it's kinda boring. I'll start learning about something and think, "OH! That would be fun to record as a drawing" so I start drawing. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. The past week or so I've been drawing rope and knots. {. . .Actually longer, but the past week is about how long I've been thinking of a knot poster.}
So it starts with pages of drawings, some that make it into the final poster, some that don't. They're scanned in as jpgs and the original drawings then go into a big disorganized drawer file.
On this particular one I also scanned in kraft paper (aka a grocery bag) for texture.

Then I start in on the layout, moving things around in Photoshop until I like the way it flows visually. Next comes color. Sometimes the color makes me rethink the layout, sometimes it clicks and I am happily, miraculously, fantastically in love with the image before me and I know I'm done. Usually, though, it's a process of playing around, then printing the possibly-finished-piece, taping it to the wall and staring at it. I'll get up, move around, lose myself in the internet, sneak a look over my shoulder and see if the satisfied feeling sinks in. If it doesn't, I sit down and make the changes I think will make it work. Print them up, distract myself for a bit, sneak a look. . . and so on. This dance can go on for days. At some point the image feels done but hopefully not overdone. Then I unveil it to the world wide web.

If you want to read the illustration about the process, click on the image or clicky clicky here.



If you love this print and want to purchase it, go check it out in my big cartel shop! This is the August Summer Camp image and, just like the badminton print, only 10 will be available until the end of the month. Then they'll vanish into thin air!

Life around Sweet Haven

The evolution of our bedroom.
Although we're still working out how the room functions with a king bed in it.
See the full image of the new (new-to-us thanks to Craigslist) bed here.

Everything is a lot brighter after the rain.

We finally got some of the rain to clean the air and brighten the world. These are the overgrown fig bushes that cover the window to one of the second story bathrooms. Although I love the view, I would also like to get the figs off them, so they may get trimmed back soon enough.

The rain barrel on the gutter filled up rather quickly, and yesterday we emptied it into one closer to the garden (you can barely see it in the photo below on the right) so that if it rained again we would get more water to store.
As we transferred the water from one barrel to the other we played splashed and rinsed our hands in the cold clear water. That, in itself, was so revitalizing, reminiscent of filling up those cheap, blue plastic wading pools from childhood.

Sadly, it probably only makes up for the water used by one of out neighbors that washed his car in between thunderstorms.

{making monday wonderful}

Altruism in the Morning

Sia Grafica (especially loved seeing the interview with Erin Lang Norris of Yellow Canoe)

Jill Bliss and Saelee Oh have made the most beautiful calendar, available via Little Paper Planes.

Sometimes funny, sometimes brilliant shameless self promotion.

Which is a great lead in for my own shameless self promotion:
The calendars are designed and printed and I've got 40 left of the 100!

If you want to support 2 indie shops at once, you can order your calendar through both Modishoppe and the IndieFixx Shop, both places are terrific resources for buying outside the box, so at each place, you're helping the shop keeper as well as Wolfie and the Sneak. Buying from indie shops is like a terrific back rub for your ethos!

white out and winter dreams

several hours after I ordered the boots, I received notification they were already sold out. so no boots for me. but I had my heart set on a new pair of winter shoes (a little variation in the day to day never hurts, right?) so I went on over to the Lebo's site. Are Lebo's just a regional retailer or are they all over? That's where I got my last pair, so I figured it couldn't hurt, right? Guess what? Same boots, lower price! $124.90! Ding ding ding! We have a winner!

I loved all the vegetarian comments. . .I was vegan for 10+ years and lapsed when the now-mister and I got serious. Not because he asked me to, but because another person makes life a little more complicated, and I had to give up something to maintain balanced complexities. It wasn't so easy a process to describe then, but in hindsight I think that's what happened. For the past 2 summers I've been wearing my red rubber garden clogs (Sloggers) and have quite literally worn them out. The time is quickly approaching for them to find their second life in another form, and so far the only life I see ahead of them is in the landfill. I hate the thought of that.

Perhaps all this guilt of disposable living is what has given me such an attraction to natural , renewable resources in the home? Well, the branch pillar candle holder isn't renewable (it's resin) but it reflects the desire and trend I'm leaning towards. But the likelihood of me ever having a white/neutral based home is nonexistent with 2 cats, 2 dogs, and a man with an unquenchable adventurous spirit! Combine that with my magnetic ability to cover myself in wet paint and we have quite the non-neutral home!

I can still dream, though, right? Of a seaside cottage in the early winter with snow falling all around, cuddled up with my honey in a white cotton quilt, and a furry little dog on my lap?

East Coast Tour Update!

2 shows down, 3 to go!

This coming weekend is the relatively short trip to Raleigh, NC to hang out and sell some goods with the Fabulous Handmaidens!

Then back to Matthews for a work week and off to Norfolk!
Do you know about our East Coast Gas Money Fundraiser?

We've made enough in sales to pay for gas to Norfolk and Back (provided we don't get lost!).

Are you up in that area?? Please come by and say hi, Charlie will be there playing Roadie and tour manager. You know we'd love to see you in person!

That's just the beginning, and we'll really need a lot of gas to make it to Boston. . .don't you know someone who'd like a Wolfie and the Sneak original for Christmas??

another superficial post

but since I've been focusing on things I love. . .
I saw some boots I looooved on Urban Outfitters, but they're $268. So I was still wandering around web-land, not really planning on buying new boots, but just kinda browsing, when I saw the same boots on clearance for $120 less at Anthropologie! Well, not exactly the same, a different color, but same style. Out of curiosity, I thought I'd check out Zappos, who also has the same boot, and their's were $254.
So I bought them. . . from Anthropologie. They'll take a week to get here, and are more than I ever needed to spend on shoes, but I've learned to treat shoes as an investment, and I think these are a worthy one, at that.
Just enough ruggedness, sassiness, and I think they'll be perfect with thick, warm tights.
But they're leather, you say? Yes, they are. And yes, I'm a vegetarian, and no, I don't think leather is really the way to go. But when it comes down to it, I haven't found veggie friendly shoes that live up to the staying power of a pair of well-invested leather shoes. I have some birks I've had since my pre-vegetarian days (12 years ago!), and some cowboy boots that are 2 years old and still kickin'. But all the plastic-y fake shoes I've gone through in that same amount of time will be sitting in a land fill for hundreds of years, and that just makes me feel sick.

So how about you? What are some favorite shoe investments? Are you a faux wearer or is leather okie dokie by you?

Have you seen this badge on etsy?

I didn't physically sign up on the list, but I did philosophically make my mind up to follow their creed.

It's a great reminder to check out your faves on etsy. I don't go back very often to remind myself of what I've marked as "check me out when you have expendable income"--something along the lines of knowing your own phone number. The info is there, but how often do you call yourself? So, go check out your faves and let me know a couple shops on your list!

Wolfie and the Sneak are counting sheep?

having trouble sleeping? i hear the girls over at the Sampler have
no problem getting you into bed . . .
with the Sampler Select, that is.
Get your mind out of the gutters, people, and get to gittin' on over there and check it out! A little lost lamb told me they go on sale tomorrow!

{misc}

Just in case you haven't heard (I'm not sure that's possible, though) the poppytalkhandmade market is live as of this morning. I'm in gallery 67 if you want to check it out! Most of you already know what my work is like, though, so I strongly urge you to check out the work there. It blew me away and simultaneously flattered me that I could be a part of such an incredible group of artists and craftpersons.

This print, by Birdie1973, is both adorable and affordable: $20!

Since one of this blogs namesakes is my full-grown puppy, Wolfgang, I feel it would be wrong not to mention Trisha Comb's new shop: Bill Pickles Dog Co.

They sound delicious enough for people to eat (yogurt and carob?!?! YUM!) and the packaging is beautiful! I say, it's about time the canine world had something that tastes good with good design taste!I have serious amounts of pics to upload, but between preparing for shows and, well, preparing for shows, my time has been limited. The house is still on hold, and the mister is being quite patient as I whirl like a creative hurricane through each room, making, making and making more, leaving markers, frayed remnants of fabric, and minuscule paper bits in my path.

I do have (insert drum roll) a sneak peak of the 2008 calendar, though! I'm very excited, so check it out! They are now available for preorder, get on the list today!!

Fall is my season. I love it. Yesterday Fall Fever hit hard (as did the monthly cramps) so I did some playing around on photoshop and made 2 new prints in 3 colors and 2 sizes! You can see them in their full glory on my flickr page. Despite all the hell my printer was giving me yesterday as I prepared my Sampler contribution, the saturation it printed for these renewed my faith in Canon. Some lucky Sampler Media Pack subscribers will be getting one of these prints. Other Sampler subscribers will be receiving an Official Wolfie and the Sneak Pen Pal Kit.
You want one, you say? Subscribe to the newsletter and send your address to nobiting @ gmail . com and we'll send one out to ya! We always always always pinky swear no sharing of your info, and promise not to abuse the power of information.

Evacuated

Vacation was lovely, though not entire relaxing.
I worked a little more on the bathroom - just a couple paint touch ups and it's done!! (That is, until we do the floor, if we redo the floor!!)

Did 2 freelance jobs, one of which involved hot glue guns in a bar on a Friday night. Oh the stories I could tell. . .

At the end of the week, we went to the beach for 2 days, and though the time there was limited, we caught up with my family (some immediate and some extended) and it was a wonderful opportunity to evacuate my brain of the stresses of daily living.

The trip down and home both include a lot of time driving through rural NC, and some day I would love to take that drive without concern for time, to stop and take pictures or simply absorb the air from soybean, peanut, tobacco and cotton fields. There seemed to be a limitless supply of simple farmhouses, complete with barns, fields of cows and horses, and tractors abandoned in the field after a day of harvest. The drive was just as serene as the time at the beach.

I also opened a sister shop on etsy called Wolfie Digs. It's for the vintage goods I have hoarded for just a little too long, precious little thrift store items that seemed like I just had to have them at the time, but now I feel like someone out there will really appreciate them that much more than I do, so in an effort to make that clear and calm simplicity my own, I am purging (with reasonable prices) through this new shop. It's not so much a venture to make money as it is one to make back what I've put into it. Perhaps you'll find something you love there, too?

get up, stand up! help a sister out

if you're a crafty sort, there's little doubt you've heard of mymy, an indie shopping dream.
perhaps you also keep up with Taryn's blog well enough to know her sister is in the hospital?

as seems to be the too common case, living a passionate existence doesn't seem to coincide with a well-insured one, and Jenifer, a single mother who works 2 jobs AND pitches in over at mymy.

well, the ever-so-lovely Trisha combs has decided to step up and help out; she's looking for goodies to fill a basket for a raffle to benefit Jenifer's hospital bills.

if you have any goodies to give, please contact Trisha at jeniraffle [at] gmail.com
she needs the definites by September 1st!
more info here.

Today: Restitution

Such an incredible lightness in being.
I finished this painting yesterday afternoon.
Last night I had a dream where I was in a court rationalizing the shifts in style (No, I'm no abandoning line drawings and patterns, I just need to focus on the air around me) and I remember saying to those judging me, "It's still about the integrity of a good line. A good line is good for the ego. . ." at this point someone on the jury tried to correct my blanket statement by finishing it as I finished it by stating, "into perpetuity."

No, I don't know what it means, but I don't doubt it has something to do with the thoughts I had while I was painting. I can get really excited about a well-drawn line.

Are you wondering what's going on with the the nesting portion of this program? Well, the bathroom is nearly finished (hooray for me for staying on track!) and I've decided a new shower curtain is in order. I'm thinking seersucker may be what I'm looking for, although it's fairly summery and we'll soon be into fall. I'm kicking out the chrome corner caddy where we keep our 2 bottles of shampoo, 1 bottle of conditioner and 1 bar of soap, and mounting a single glass shelf. 4 shelves for 4 items is really not necessary.
Then I'll move back to the bedroom. I still haven't painted the bed black, though I've been planning to do that for a while. I just might paint it that black chalkboard paint, it would definitely give "doodling in bed" a whole new meaning. I ordered a rug from Sherwin Williams, an 8 x 10 for about $200. It reminds me of Rothko, exactly the calm and serene vibe I want for the bedroom.
My home is, after all, my sanctuary.

Today is the last day of the survey, if you haven't taken it please do! And if you have all of the work of mine you could ever care for, don't forget the holidays are coming up* and a $40 shopping spree just might take care of gifts for those special someones.

*Disclaimer: There is still plenty of time for shopping in my mind, however, I've already seen a change of displays in some stores and we're still well over 2 months till Halloween! Yikes!

For those of you who have taken it, a very huge thank you! I've gotten great constructive feedback, which I definitely need! xoxox