frozen charlotte sometimes

to get over my hump of funk, i created a few happy things this weekend.  i was thinking about the hundreds of frozen charlottes i’ve sold in my shop over the past year or so and the fact that i’ve only created TWO things with those lovely little lassies (and nothing from the charlie lads, yet!).  so i remedied that — because they make me smile and i needed a bit o’ cheer.  of course i had to give them hearts — anatomical art is an alicia thing, ya know.

first, i made a wonky little wishes and dreams tin.  wonky because it doesn’t hang entirely straight.  personally, i think that just adds to the charm, but that is probably not the general consensus.  there are two little scrolls in a pocket, one to write wishes on, the other for dreams.  charlottes are magical girls you know and can make things come true if you share them with her.

detail of her face, heart and one of the scrolls:

side view:

available for purchase in my shop

next i created a small fabric collage: charlotte’s song (i just made that up on the fly).  somehow, while creating her i got “charlotte sometimes” by the cure stuck in my head and here it remains.  how do we remember such things so vividly after 20 odd years?

because of this, i had to add the vintage sheet music to the top:

the bottom (recycled silk ribbon and crocheted bits created by moi), with a tarnished little embellishment:

her crackle cracks me up (no pun intended).  the eye cracks remind me of childhood star-eyed cartoons for some reason.  it just happened that way and was by no means intentional.  because the piece as a whole is so light, i made her heart a bit more dark.

i wish i had a better photo of her as a whole.  i’ll have to snap some new ones tomorrow.

available for purchase in my shop

lastly (though i actually started her second), on a 5″ x 5″ canvas, i created this piece.  it is, as of yet, untitled as she hasn’t told me what she wishes to be called.  maybe just “charlotte sometimes”.  but that is neither here nor there.

the sides of the canvas are covered with painted vintage lace and have taxidermy tacks holding the recycled sari silk ribbon down.  i learned how to use the drill press today.  woohoooo!

at the top of the canvas, it says “monument to the memory of the” (the what?  the charlotte?  the thought?  her head is in the way so that is where that ends — you decide to the memory of what) and in the mid-left, it reads “a harmonising companion – a genial friend.”  i didn’t actually pick any of the verbiage out.  i have more of a propensity to grab and glue.  just so happens that it worked out, at least in my opinion.  i think the sentiment is sweet enough indeed.

this charlotte, as a whole:

from the bottom hangs a pretty and rusted piece i received as a gift during the art exchange last year.  i had it on my new journal that was somehow left outside and fell into the garden bed.  i couldn’t find it for days and when i did, the journal was ruined and the “tassel” was gorgeously aged.  i’ve had it sitting on my desk ever since and while assembling this piece, it got stuck to one of the papers i was using in the collage.  to me, that indicated that it needed to be a part of the piece.

available for purchase in my shop

all three of these are available in my shop.  i’m trying to recoup a bit from last month’s income thieving incident, but i will not complain about that again.  work has been ultra slow since i put three projects off to work on that stupid eco-travel site, so i’ve had lots of time to get organized around here and create.  a clear studio makes for a clearer mind and THAT is worth a lot!

peeks at some of my other week’s creative starts:

tomorrow i’m getting my bum in gear and finishing a bunch of ATCs and ACEOs i’m doing for a swap with the ever so talented miss gaby.  i should have done those this weekend but i was sidetracked with charlottes and family time.

happy week, friends!  i’m off to catch up on YOUR blogs — that is always a highlight for me and the past several weeks have been too crazy for me to do all that i wished.  what a blessing it is to have time to start catching up more.

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2010: 2+0+1+0=3

numerologically, i think that 2010 will be an infinitely better year than 2009.  2009 is a number two:

Number 2 – Duality, Division, Polarity, Choice, Gestation, Cooperation, Service, Support, Waiting, Diplomacy, Patience, Psychic, Intuition, Adaptable, Empathic, Partnership, Mediator, Comparison, Receptive, Helper, Collecting, Reproduction, Balancer of Opposites, Subconscious Memory, Positive and Negative.

reproduction?  must be why i did so many uterine and fetus pieces.

anatomy of motherhood

2010 is a number three:

Number 3 – Trinity, Union of Divine plus Human, Manifestation, Positive, Expression, Subconscious Mind/Imagination, Creative, Optimistic, Enthusiasm, Expressive, Charming, Humour, Fun, Attractive, Friendly.

all in all, i look forward to 2010 being an infinitely better year… and i’m going to focus on making several changes to facilitate that.

the other day, i noticed the dottie angel challenge on jo (of the crow road)’s blog.  i have always been quite mindful of my purchases with the exception of art supplies.  i always, otherwise, buy recycled or post-consumer products, used when i can, or things made from renewable materials. i pack my son’s lunches in reusable containers and send him with bamboo “silverware” and a cloth napkin, etc.  i refuse to buy plastic garbage bags and things like that, will not ever knowingly buy anything from anyone who uses styrofoam, take my own cloth bags when going shopping, recycle EVERYTHING that can no longer be reused, compost, etc.  i love the earth… but i digress.  the dottie angel challenge is a year-long pledge to purchase ONLY handmade or second-hand items.  i am going to do this.  i am a bit scared about the fact that i’m quite low on tacky glue which i’ve started using heaps of since taking KC’s fantastic workshops, black thread and… well, that’s it ’cause i’m a hoarder of things i love to use art-wise.

what is the name of this painting? i call it two hearts. close-up of a fabric/paper collage i finished yesterday.

i will take this a bit farther, and see about bartering things as i need them if i cannot purchase them used.  so i’ll just put this out there…. anyone want to swap some tacky glue and/or black spools of thread for anything?  i have heaps of things i can trade.  any manner of paper/paper-products, other glues/adhesives, paints, metal/glass/etc. embellishments, etc.  let me know if you do.  other than that, i will have to get QUITE creative as a) our vacuum cleaner belt just broke and b) my husby melted my favorite rubber spatula.  but we shall survive.  i will likely be a horrible person and neglect this pledge for my son’s birthday and next solstice/christmas but otherwise i’m quite on board.

debs, two words for you in response to your post: glad rags. 🙂

second, and just as important to me, is to catch up some of the commitments i’ve made to myself, i.e. finishing projects i’ve started once and for all.  at the same time, i refuse to put myself under the same pressures i found myself under last year even if it was by my own doing — if i don’t like a project or no longer feel connected to it, it goes into my “art recycling pile”.  i’m not going to stress on finishing something i don’t love anymore.  art is fun and i always want to ensure i enjoy myself fully — i had some holiday commissions this year and thought i was going to die trying to keep up with getting them done in an assembly line fashion.  not fun.  so i’m not going to do that anymore.

i made this for my dad for a new year's gift: this is his father who died when he was three. he was so handsome! i look a lot like him. 🙂

at the same time, i’m going to focus on some alicia things i’ve neglected.  i haven’t touched my books i’ve started for myself or my art journals in months.  that ends now and i will commit to taking “me” time — we should all always remember to do this even if it means making less things to sell or skipping a day of blogging, or at least i think so.  in general i’m quite a busy girl with a husband and kiddo, two point five businesses, being a member of the PTA (long story) and the school’s “green team” (i do the monthly newsletters, etc.), school and community volunteering, etc., but i will still take a few minutes per day for myself.

speaking of blogging, i hereby semi-contradict what i just said by putting one additional big expectation upon myself.  i have met so many wonderful and amazing people this last year and formed great friendships and aquaintanceships along the way, gained heaps of inspiration, shared lots of techniques and laughs and did many swaps.  i want to keep this up while trying to spend more time letting the people know that i admire and respect them by taking more time to visit their blogs, etc.  i feel like a shit-head for not keeping up on what everyone has been up to for the past month, though i know i shouldn’t as i have had a lot going on.  i just like and/or love you guys though and want you to know it.  🙂

i’m totally not trying to copy debrina — we just have much in common so it shouldn’t be surprising that some of our lives and interests and desires overlap a bit.  one thing i really want to do this year is get a new bike and ride the hell out of it.  i miss wind and nature and movement.  it’s not that i don’t go outside anymore or anything, but generally when i have “free time” i want to put art first 100% of the time.  i think i’ll just knock that down to 94.7% and get my arse out there a bit more.  drive less and all that.  the grocery store i frequent most is only 4.7 miles.  a nice 9.4 mile round trip.  so, my huge goal is to find one of these used (a tristar trike!):

it’s my dream bike for just puttering around town.  i could easily fit several days’ worth of groceries into the back with a six-pack for the husby.  🙂  or ride to the library and bring home a heap of books.  i love this thing!!  i MUST find one used as i’ve been dreaming of this dang bike for months now… except i want the back chrome fenders and little streamers on the handlebars and a bell.  but shhhhh.

i love the heck out of my new sewing machine and the fact that i haven’t gotten my long locks caught in it like i used to when i attempted machine sewing.  it’s been so much fun!  i’m horrible at it though, still, or at least nowhere near as good as i wish to be, so i vow to keep practicing.  my goal for next year at this time is to be able to make myself a bonnet just like this (copyright gibbous fashions):

the one i really loved and have been spying was removed from the site, sadly, but i adore this one too.  and the roxy bonnet!  oooh… these are handmade!  i can buy one!!  🙂

last but not least, i must get 100% organized.  i will get one room to perfection, and the rest are crap.  then it alternates.  but no more.  this year is a year for removing the old crap and organizing what remains.  i mean seriously, who needs four desks??  three dressers?  so yeps, downgrading and organizing.  love the idea of this and will love it even more when we’ve completed our mission.

i made this for my dad to go with the other one. this is his mum. she was such a pretty lady. had to make this not too fancy 'cause... well, pops doesn't like fancy.

ohoh, this should be 7 but i already said “last but not least” so 6.5: while we are downgrading our home’s interior, we are upgrading the exterior.  in short, converting our garage (which is currently not a garage inside — it is filled in it’s entirity with a skate ramp.  half pipe, really.) to a studio.  inside will be my office for my web design business, outside the art studio.  we are cutting windows into the garage to overlook our gardens, having it wired for internet, etc. so we can have another computer out there (we have lots — not buying one, don’t worry), building work benches down each side with the wood we will recycle from the half pipe, building shelves along the whole back wall, etc.  it’s going to be gorgeous.

as a final note, i want to let you all know how much i have enjoyed meeting you this year and getting to know you.  some of you have become very dear friends.  thank you so much for all of the great inspiration: debrina, lisa j., kim, lisa s., jo and simon, kerin and charlie, seth, jill, donna, patti, all the debbies and debis, rainey, gaby, natasha, kc, johnna, joanna, sam, tracey, laura, etc.  ❤ to you all!  and everyone else (rushing off to make dinner so don’t fret if i didn’t type your name — i’m just flighty and in a rush but i still dig ya!!).

now… go look at the pulp redux blog again… deb’s has posted some magnificent additions to my book!!!!