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A preview of more Backyard Critters
I just wanted to show you a sneak preview of some long promised backyard critters. They've been sitting on the back burner for a bit too long and know a bunch of you have been waiting to get your hands on the badger, wolf and bat.
The mouse and mallard duck are a part of Backyard Critters, Volume 7, which also includes a European badger (not shown).
The bat and wolf are a part of Backyard Critters, Volume 8, which will also include a snake!
These should be going through the proofing and test knitting process soon and will be available soon after!
The lonely box of unfinished things.
Last year, I realized I had started on some holiday patterns too late. I had all of my sketches done, the knitting roughed out on paper. It was early October 2007 and I would have had time to get them done except for the fact that in mid-October I flew to Athens, Georgia to sign a lease on a house (with a landlady I could not recommend to my worst enemy) and visit my mom in Florida for the rest of the weekend. I didn't bring my knitting because I really didn't want the airlines to take my knitting needles.
My lease in NJ was up on the 31st of October (which ruined my Halloween, really.) and all I had knit up was a Christmas tree. He was cute, but kinda lonely. I moved into my parents house in NJ for part of November and ended up helping my dad with an estate sale so the house would be nice and empty to go on the market. And I will never do an estate sale again. Everyone wanted something for nothing, broke things, stole things. I'd rather give the stuff away than deal with that again. I did, however, manage to knit up a Santa between the estate sale and Thanksgiving, but unlike the Christmas tree, Santa never made it into the felting jacuzzi.
When I finally arrived in Athens, four days later my cow was featured on Grumperina's blog and I hadn't even gotten the cable hooked up. Santa and the Christmas tree were put in the lonely box of unfinished things while I scurried to fill orders and make more cow kits.
This year, I thought I had enough time to get some patterns done. In fact, I almost finished up a jack-o-lantern, a witch, a ghost and a piece of candy corn. They're actually felted and just waiting on faces. And now I'm wondering if it's too late to finish up my thanksgiving ones. I still need to make three hats, two collars, one beak and one body before I put them in the felting jacuzzi or if I should continue on with my Christmassy and wintery ones and put the turkey day ones in the lonely box of unfinished things until next year.
Gnome if You Want To, Gnome Around the World.
Oh, Gno! Gnomes and Shroomy Felted Knit Pattern Oops! Sorry for the delay - I was really eager to get this pattern finished and accidentally deleted the cover file.
Well it is definitely time to hang with some of my gnomies! This pattern, besides introducing my first whack at people and things, also introduces a brand new layout, new logo, metric conversions and our new mascot alien, Wasabi! It's available now in the store and in our Etsy shop. I ran into a last minute problem with the gnome beards (as sometimes when we felt, it just doesn't turn out as expected) and redid them. It's that perfectionist part of me. ; )
A few kits are out of stock in our store and we're working hard to get restocked. We'll have new clam kits as soon as possible - we found a replacement yarn for our clam and gnome faces. A bunch of yarn has arrived, which means all kits should be back in stock and two new seasonal patterns will be available soon!
If you haven't found us on Twitter.com, follow us here to know up-to-the-minute announcements, hints on upcoming patterns or just simply what is going on at the Crafty Alien studio.
Sneak Peak!
Just a quick sneak peak of tomorrow's upcoming pattern. I ran into a few problems while trying to get some pictures. Who knew that cats loved gnomes too? After wrangling up some kitties with the crack of canned food opening, I was free to photograph these guys without pause. After some final proofing from me while enjoying a cup or ten of tea with Vanilla Chai coffee-mate (yum, I'm so glad I found some more at the store. I always thought I'd have to mourn the loss of my budget chai!) and a look over by my test-knitter Grace, the pattern should make its debut late tomorrow afternoon.
And now back to the show!
Ready for felting!
I hate when I've neglected the blog. I had every intention to keep coming back to show you what I've been up to, but that didn't happen... well, until today! The website has been revamped with the new Crafty Alien logo, the blog has a new look too. Our Crafty Alien mascot is brand new and he has a name - Wasabi! He's going to be making an appearance in many places, so keep an eye out.
The knitting needles have been going 'round the clock lately, and there will be many new patterns making their debut in the next few days. I am finishing up one more beard for the Oh, Gno! felted knitting pattern and it will be available at CraftyAlien.com as well as in our Etsy shop for you. We ran into a snag with one of yarn suppliers early last week - the yarn we use for the gnome faces and many upcoming designs, as well as our bull and clam kit, was discontinued. (We're working on a solution, which probably means hand-dyed yarns from our studio with colors available in our online store.)
Off to felt I go!
Take the A Train
While I work on redesigning how the patterns look and feel (I'm introducing my NYC subway system for identifying patterns and related steps and diagrams with color-coding and lettering.) and finish up "Oh Gno!" (A super cute collection of felted knit gnomies and a shroomy) I'd like to share two more paintings!
A few new prints snuck into the store last week with little fanfare. I was having internet issues here (as I do pretty much every day, thank you, Charter Cable!) and by the time I got them up in the store, I felt a bit antisocial and hungry. It's been hot here the whole week and about 90 degrees inside my house because I have windows in the kitchen and living room that don't open and the fans don't seem to move the cooler air out of the bedroom. I had to disassemble one of the windows in the living room to put in an air conditioner. Luckily, ONE window was redone with wood so I could pop the trim off and suck the Plexiglas out with a plunger (yup, a stinky bowl plunger!) Now I can have friends over again without having to peel their melted bodies from the floor.
So I'd like to formally introduce a few paintings:
"Taking it to the Bank"
8" x 10" acrylic on canvas
"Lady in Red" 8" x 10" acrylic on canvas
Prints are available in the store now. I'm going to start selling the actual paintings soon, a la blackapple style, I just don't seem to have the heart to part with many of them now. Or put nails in the wall. Go figure.
Cheating is a Ciné
I had the opportunity to shoot a great picture two days ago. Unfortunately, while I did have my camera, I was also on the highway traveling 60mph and would not be able to catch the same shot at the next exit. Picked up my camera and held it near the window without looking and snapped the image. A few seconds later the clouds separated and an opportunity for a second shot was gone. I luv photography.
The film I saw at Ciné was produced by Ashley Epting of Athens, Georgia. Honestly, I went in with low expectations and came out surprised. It was shot in and around Athens, with Kathleen Richardson of "90210" fame and Sara Rue from "Less Than Perfect" (side note: yummy Less Than Perfect's Kip, aka Chuck's Zachary Levi, who I have a thang for.) The film was still in a rough cut, but they did have a montage near the end that was perfectly scored with an REM song that I do hope they get to keep. The film's working title was "The Hill" but has unfortunately been renamed to a sappy "Not Since You" which doesn't have anything to do with the film. At least "The Hill" references the setting for the film. Pre-9/11 NYU alumni reunite for a wedding in Georgia and have issues to work out, including one dealing with 9/11, best friends fighting over the "stolen" girlfriend and a married woman and her husband facing the boyfriend who abandoned her for Europe. A few parts dragged a bit, hopefully those will be fixed in the editing.
Big Cosmo Phó
I got a bit nostalgic for Manhattan on Friday night. I saw Sex and the City with some friends after having some tasty Vietnamese food at Just Phó. No one opted for the phó, but who really wanted soup after spending the day in a hot kitchen? My dish of choice is eggrolls on rice vermicelli with yummy fish sauce, cilantro and peanuts, which followed my Vietnamese watermelon bubble slushy.
Yummy Vietnamese food!
Needless to say, the theater was full of women, with a few men scattered in (the ones dragged in by their girlfriends kicking and screaming and those who know a Prada bag from a Louis Vuitton). I did get a little teary eyed in a few scenes, but that was mostly from laughing. I'm a fan of bodily function and Freudian slip jokes, so if you've seen the movie, you know what I am talking about. SJP looks so much better with dark brown hair. Funny, I too would look so much better with dark brown hair that I will be dying my hair when my scalp isn't burnt anymore.
Have I mentioned that I am peeling? Like a fruit, perhaps an orange but less tasty!
Gawker Stalker, Athens-Style.
Last week I went to Ciné in Athens to screen a film. On the way there, I caught a glimpse of the elusive Emily Martin (aka the Black Apple) and her beau going into a local downtown eatery for lunch. Had I known it was really her at the time, I might have stopped in to say "hi" or I might not have, seeing as how I am still half chicken. For some reason, I thought Martha Stewart was tall (Emily appeared on the Martha Stewart Show earlier this year). She let me know it was indeed her, and if we cross paths before she migrates to Portland, I will definitely introduce myself!
SIDE NOTE: This evening I might be hiding. Weird things happen to me on Friday the 13th.
Cha-Ching, My Huckleberry Friend
Saturday, I traveled to Cashiers, North Carolina to tend bar at a wedding. I left at 11 a.m. on Saturday afternoon and returned to my house at almost 5 a.m. on Sunday morning. Cashiers is SUPPOSED to be a lot cooler than Athens, Georgia, but is currently having a heat wave of its own. The roads leading to Cashiers resemble a slalom, with steep drops on either side. While it was a fun trip up (only one person in the car I was driving wanted to yak when we got there), I had to hitch a ride with one of our large trucks on the way back, so it was a SLOW trip back (because who really wants to take a plunge off a mountain in a refrigerator truck full of stuff?) and I didn't have satellite radio, which is my new best friend.
Sampling the Grasshopper
My discovery of the night was 44° North Huckleberry infused vodka, made in Idaho, with the Idaho potato stamp of approval. It was a hit among the peeps doing shots, which did not include poor me. I did sample a small bit of Grasshopper, but that was because the bartender didn't realize he was using a huckleberry-flavored vodka in a minty drink.
It's NOT the Bee's Knees.
I took a job with a catering company a few months ago, pretty much just to meet people since I'm somewhat of a homebody. I relocated to Athens, Georgia without knowing a soul here and also wanted to get to know the lay of the land. It's actually led to a lot of new friends and journeys. Last Monday, I took part in a kayaking trip down the Broad River. We got to the water after noon and spent the next seven hours on the water, with stops every so often to take in the scenery and tasty cold beverages. Lesson learned here: Bring the sunscreen with you in the kayak, don't leave it in the car. I got sunburn on my lower back and KNEES. If anyone knows how to even out a really awkward and spotty tan, let me know. I'd like to wear shorts again but I look like I got beat up. The kayaking was fun, I went over a small waterfall, and got a craving for bigger rapids in poor dehydrated Georgia.
Time to hit the parched rapids
NEXT TIME: Waterproof bag, cooler with water and food, hat, sunglasses on a strap, and watch out for that dang rock under the bridge.
Foxy Lady, Here I Come!
I've been thinking for a while about reformatting the "Life of the Alien" blog and making it more of a daily journal of things that have been occupying my time, of course, still mentioning all of the things that I've been doing in the Crafty Alien studio as well as the things that I enjoy outside of the studio. I'll be making a separate blog for CraftyAlien.com, which will just keep everything business, like new products and such. Well, I will as soon as Blogger.com plays well with my web server, which it is refusing to do. You can check out either blog for the latest on CraftyAlien.com, but this blog will be for the blog readers!
A fellow Ravelry.com member (emjayknits) is sending her little "travel bug" fox around the world from yarn store to yarn store. Right now I believe this little cutie is in Florida. You can pick him up and take him to a new location if you'd like to participate. It's a new trend called geo-caching. Usually, people use GPS systems to locate a cache listed on the website, which they then remove the contents and replace with something new, and relocate the cache to somewhere new. It's an internet treasure hunt and treasure hunts are cool! So if you're in Florida, get this guy on the road to California!
Don't run in the forest...
...because you might trip on a mushroom.
After working on animals that you find in some backyards, I can across gnomes. Mine aren't the exploding kind - they're just your run of the mill "I have no arms or legs, so I tend to fall over and sleep right there" kind of gnomes. And you can't have a gnome without a toadstool with eyes and a conscience. Shroomy doesn't need arms or legs because his roots are firmly planted in slightly damp and shady soil. He's the guru of the forest, sitting in the little ray of light pondering the age old question "If a tree falls in the forest, will I sprout legs and be able to move out of its way?"
I still wonder what gnomes do for a living, defend gardens or pester home owners? It is a secret little world those little guys have, with their funny little clothes and beards, hiding behind trees as you walk by. I'd keep an eye out for these guys.
Toadally kewl, really dude.
Where and when did I pick up the word "dude" because I'd like to go back and smack those people. "Dude" is not an appropriate term to call a female. I hate when I find that I've caught myself saying that. Yes, I can clean the foul words from my vocab, but I can't de-dude the dang brain. Dude, I hate that.
Yesterday, I got stuck behind horses. Well, guys dressed up like cowboy dudes with white shirts and cowboy boots and hats. Girls were dressed up in crinolines and pastels, getting situated on a flat-bed of a big rig, sitting pretty on top of bails of hay. It was some sort of Fraternity/Sorority parade of sorts. I'd say it was a mighty-fine welcome to Georgia that ate up about $2.00 in gas while I sat sweaty in my gas-guzzling Jeep with depleted air-conditioner. I hate idling.
Speaking of Idling, um, er, IdOling, why wasn't Miss Cook eliminated last week? Or ten weeks ago. I could have really used a Michael Johns version of a Mariah Carey song. Okay, No. That's a lie. I don't even want to hear a Mariah Carey version of one of her songs. Next album should be "The Elimination of Mimi." How the heck did she end up with the most number one songs? Not on MY charts. People, remember Glitter? Actually, I don't think anyone would. I'll stop now, before I poke my eardrums out.
I have a bunch of critters waiting to hit the jacuzzi, and somehow, while pondering things in your backyard, I came up with a set of back-yard non-critters that'll be released soon. It will be one crowded jacuzzi this weekend, and I'm not invited.
Kits for the latest Backyard Critters will be available beginning next week, including the cougar.
Hey there, nice rack!
"Working ever so swiftly in the background is the alien designer, Lisa, who is still wounded from the very untimely elimination of Aussie rocker, Michael Johns, this past week on that show seemingly directed at the tween girl population. If, by chance a felted knit critter could audition for this particular show, then the Crafty Alien could plot total tween world domination..."
Okay, so I don't write evil plotting thoughts so well. I'm getting old, in fact, I'm 3 x a tweeny bopper.
In all fairness to everyone, I have finished Backyard Critters, Volume 6, which ties into the title of this post... one critter making his debut this week is my personal favorite, a froggy. Also making an appearance are an armadillo and moose with a very large rack! They are available on CraftyAlien.com and in my Etsy pattern store.
I think I lost my password, then my mind...
I hate my neglect my poor blog. I'm not sure what I did when, but I ended up locked out of my blog for two weeks. I may have done it by accident when I was under a tornado warning for most of the Saturday two weeks ago. I was logging into my blog when the wind got all crazy. I didn't get hit by anything more than high winds, blindingly bright hail (it was sunny to the south and it made outside the house look like giant dayglo snow). Half of me was looking out the window at the storm, waiting for something interesting, and the other half was telling me "Girl, you have NO basement and this closet is too small for you, you claustrophic." It was an interesting day in Georgia.
A few weeks ago, I discovered this adorable webcomic, KawaiiNot.com I am in love with the Cheap and Easy t-shirt and may just have to buy me one!
I'm a fan of dark horses
I admit, I've been watching this season of American Idol like no other. It helps that I work from home and have a very light social life because I'm still new to Athens, Georgia. I have an unpopular opinion - I'm not such a fan of David Archuleta. While he can sing, I can't enjoy his singing because I get distracted by his loud inhales. I get so distracted I can't not think of this commercial:
It also doesn't help that he botched lyrics and tried to attempt something that was beyond his skills. It was the first time his age really showed. Honestly, if he won, it's not like I'd go out and buy his album. He's just not my style. I've actually enjoyed David Cook's performances since the first. I love the fact that he really does make a song his own. I don't want a singer to win, I want an artist to win. Speaking of songs I don't like, that new Paula Abdul song makes me want to fall asleep. It's just a bunch of blah. It's not good, dawg, it's just not good. Well, I must return to work... a bunch of orders to fill and a couple of new felted knit critters to finish up on.
Backyard Critters, Vol 5 now available!
Yay! Another pattern done, many more to go! Enjoy the latest backyard critters - cougar, turtle and weasel kits and pattern available on CraftyAlien.com! Now I am off to finished yet another pattern... check out the latest set of Backyard Critter magnets for a hint of what the next animals will be.
Let me eat cake!
Sorry for the pattern delay - I've been fighting a migraine-like headache for the past few days and nothing makes your head hurt worse than staring at a bright computer screen in a dimly lit room. I will try to finish up the proofing today.
It was a windy day today. In fact in was so windy, it blew my front door wide open. I guess that wouldn't be so bad if I wasn't sleeping on the couch right in front of the door. Of course, I sleep like the dead, so I think it was open for at least an hour before I completely woke up. Thankfully, I had plenty of blanket and jammies and the house is up on a hill - so no one could really see inside the house.
Tonight I made cake from a box. I'm not a cake from a box kind of girl - you can't be when your cake decorating idol is Colette Peters. I like making big crafty sculpture cakes, but I'm not a fan of fondant. It's like too much chewiness. In reality, I think I made the cake just to eat some of the batter, because batter is yummy! Eventually when the rest of my belongings actually get shipped down here from NJ, I'll be back to making artsy cakes and sleeping on a bed away from the front door.
Now off to finish the rest of the batter...
Limbs Not Included
I had this wacky idea to change my tagline from "making things that are out of this world" to "limbs not included" because it's like I've shunned arms and legs! That's just how things ended up when I began designing my little guys back in early 2006. I decided to forgo limbs for a nice, streamlined animal. A lack of limbs does present a problem for a few critters with similar limbless counterparts, such as a lizard and a snake, and I'll have to do a special set of limbed amphibians and reptiles in the style of my Buggin' Out and Surf's Up collection, which also required limbs. Imagine an octopus or ant without legs! I'll admit I've favored my birds by giving them wings - a chicken would still look like a chicken with or without wings.
There is a japanese word which best defines my style, not that I knew before I began. Kokeshi (小芥子) is traditionally a painted wooden doll without arms or legs as seen here.
Stay tuned for tomorrow, when Backyard Critters, Volume 5 is officially released! ,
New pattern preview!
I took a break from working on these little guys to show you their progress. I threw together a little impromptu photo shoot with my ginormous camera. (I really need to pick up a snappy camera that doesn't require all the prep work.) It turned into spring here in Georgia, so I'll probably take some outdoor shots when they're done.
While I was working on these guys, I came up with a whole new series of felted knit thingies, as well as a line of felted knit accessories, so they'll be making their debut sometime later this year, maybe before summer!
Right now I seem to be on a vacuuming kick. Five minutes into it, I hit a snag - Mr. Vacuum seemed to have issues - his bag was full and NO STORE in the Athens area had replacement bags (he's a little old) so I had to hack the bag open, dump it into the trash, wipe all dust off of my pants, and cough up the remaining dust out of my lungs, wipe the dust off the bag with a wet cloth, let the bag dry and then tape the bag back up again. And then I had to vacuum off me and the floor where all the dust spilled. Finally he sucks dirt again!
Birthday goodies for all my Swat Team Kitties!
Yesterday, I got older. Mentally, I'm still 12. My parents sent a Valentine's Day card that arrived after the 14th, so, like the goofball I am, I mistook it for a birthday card. And I sounded like an idiot on the phone with my dad last night. Duh'r!
I decided to make some web goodies for everyone - little Swat Team Kitty banners that let everyone know that you're a cute little limbless kitty!
I have cilantro fingers on Oscar night...
... because it's Rice vs. Lisa II, and LISA WINS!! Thanks to all for the tips! I made rice for my version of Chipolte Grill's burrito. Yummy!
Now they're doing this best picture montage, with music underscoring it, which I happen to know what movie it's from. (I love dramatic music) It's from Dragonheart. I don't really know it from Dragonheart, but I do know it from the trailer for Seven Years in Tibet and Anna and the King (the end of the trailer), as well as others. It's deceptive. I thought I would see it in the movie, but no! The music from the scene in Edward Scissorhands where he's making the ice sculpture also appears in movie trailers, mostly Christmas ones and Big Fish. yes, I am a music nerd too.
Oh, and take a look at this set of magnets... these little cuties are a part of the upcoming NEW backyard critters felted knitting patterns. Take a look:
Why can't I make rice?
Seriously, how do you cook good rice without a rice cooker? I cook according to the instructions and it's mushy on the outside and crunchy on the inside. Blegh! I have no space for a rice cooker, so I'm stuck with the ol' pot with boiling water. I need good rice for my version of Chipolte Grill's burrito (I love cilantro) and I really need good leftovers for fried rice a la wok.
Anyway, now available at the CraftyAlien.com store is this set of adorable glass marble magnets: They can be found here. Check back tomorrow to see what else is new!
