"Kid's Stuff"- 80's Kids Playground Swap Treasury & Sweets

I felt like making another treasury yesterday but wanted it to be different from the others, less frill more silly (even though I love frill).
It started out as a Mario theme, then evolved into Nintendo, then I got into a colorful vibe and found a lot of things that would've had a lot of "street value" in the schoolyard and a few listings later, "80's Kids Playground Swap" was born.



80's Kids Playground Swap Treasury
Now I don't mean to be trite but what a walk down memory lane! I was pretty young during the era so it's centered around the more juvenile.
Also, I know the storm cloud says it was adapted by the Wii version so the theme is "80's & 80's related" :p


I also made cupcakes this weekend for my boyfriend's sister, Jess (Happy Birthday!)
These were what was left the next day, I finished them late at night and was in a rush to get them over so I don't have pictures of everything. There were some dark+milk(mixed) gem covered cupcakes but those went first.


I made them from scratch and they definitely trump the box cake I've gotten in the past (more accustomed to baking breads and cookies). I'll have to experiment with frosting types in the future but this one seemed to go over well with everyone.
I molded chocolate gems from Ghirardelli white chocolate chips and despite other things you might read on the Net, you CAN use baker's chocolate AND food coloring for molded chocolate (pale colors at least).
I need to work on my icing application but I just picked up a nice Ateco tip set and there are lots of occasions coming up for practice. :)

Artist: Julius Von Bismarck

It's not all about me here, sometimes (:p) there are strikingly interesting artists that I am impressed and inspired by:




While most artists impress us by creating an image, Julius Von Bismarck uses his technological skill to create machines that alter our perception of imagery (recording and also review (and thereby re-view)). His inventions work to remove boundaries between lived moments and the sort of cold, removed methods through which we normally "re-see" an experience.
It questions the way that we have become accustomed to filming, taking photographs, watching videos, remembering memories.
It's definitely worth viewing and thinking about.

Crowned Bird

Here is the re-shoot of the crowned bird:



This one won't be listed, instead it will be sent directly to the lovely Victoria Buckley Jewellery in Australia, this will be in the first parcel I'll be sending to retail in their shop. ((Exciting!))

Two Wildly Different Listings

Etsy Listing for Customized Wedding Topper -decided I needed to make adjustments to the bottom of this one.




Mario & Princess Peach Etsy Listing

East River Park

Whenever I say, "I live near the East River", people give me this look and I can tell episodes of SVU pop into their heads but it's really a beautiful view (despite the old oil spill and the accusations of brain cancer).


I finally got to do a re-shoot of my two toppers and bird doll. The weather was beautiful (after several rainy days) and there was no outdoor venue to cockblock this time.


Sunset was a good time to get the shots I needed. Probably for them too.

I've been editing the photos and they'll be up soon (when I make listings) but in the mean time- if any one can tell me how I can make a seamless transition into tumblr without losing my blogger reading lists, I'd greatly appreciate it.

MOVING OVER TO TUMBLR

Too tired to make a complete move right now but it really looks like it's the way to go in terms of accessibility.
sacrificialrabbits.tumblr.com

Finished projects and Attempted Photoshoot

I was on a real spree this morning (trying to finish projects) but by the time I was able to head out, the day was getting gloomy so I got all of 5 shots in before the park closed and I got kicked out. I definitely have to reshoot now. I didn't even get any good Mario & Princess Peach shots which was my primary goal for this outing. Ugh. I did scout a funny location for them that I will use.

The few shots I got in:

On my way to the park, it's like a cross between abandoned factory and abandoned amusement park fairytale village.


Planted "wild flowers" at East River Park.



Finally sewn in place (this morning).




But I realized I'll have to sew down his right wing (see the way it's raised in the picture >:( It kinda looks like he's leaning against that tree- but not in a good way) . I also have to finish the inside base.
What is shown is *almost* it's completed state since the addition is not visible on the outside.




Wooo, look at them! Get a room, guys.



Here is a bird I started the other day and finished this morning as well. No "real" shots but as I was passing (before rain drops began to fall), I couldn't pass up the horse head.

Labor Day Weekend & Work In Progress: Mermaid

Look closely at the birdcage below...


The door is open and it is filled with bread. It might be the laziest OR most creative bird feeder for wild birds, I haven't decided. There are also floating pigs below it.
I like this house.

And here, a rainbow in McGorlick Park:


Not a double rainbow but still filled with colorful goodness. Maybe there's a height requirement for rainbows that have gold?


Annnnddd a mermaid I'm making:


As a child I LOVED mermaids. I always meant to make one and finally started. Her tail isn't finished yet (to show you would be obscene).
Normally I wouldn't start dressing or beading until after the form was finished but it was her eyes. They said, "Forget the arms, cover me in jewels!"
I think she has one of the prettiest face I've made yet. I meant for her to be a Siren, she has a bit of a mysterious look to her. When I finish, I'll have to take some better detail shots. I really like how the beading turned out (is turning out? not sure if it's finished) and you can't tell so much here but there are bigger beads along her spine, kind of nice in a bone/textural sort of way.

Some possibilities are brewing but more on that later in it's more finalized state.:)

Work In Progress- POV + bear biscuits

I made some biscuits from a recipe from a "blue ribbon winning" cook I found online. I didn't have biscuit cutters and was not about to run to a baker's store (I'm in Greenpoint, Brooklyn where I'd have to take subway to one) to find some so I cut them with the biggest cookie cutters I had- bears. Bear biscuits!

After a taste of the first batch, I decided they could use some cheese (actually they needed salt but I didn't want to over knead them). Can you believe both of those sets pictured are from the same batch of dough?
The second batch had cheese-garlic havarti (I know, not usual to bake with), they were much better but overall, both could still use butter or jam. Not the best recipe I've ever tried but the store was closed and I replaced buttermilk with cream so that might have something to do with it. I think the person providing the recipe forgot to include the salt, buttermilk still wouldn't provide the amount of salt needed. Oh well, they're disappearing anyway. Will ate the head of that bear.


In other news, I made a tree. A "misunderstood" tree that I wanted to incorporate into my gnome animation. I realized after I made it that I would need to show it with another expression. One that would show his emotion after he was "understood" so I made another, a happy version of the tree. Of course then, I came up with another project for myself (my ideas grow like branches- very separated branches that require separate care and effort like an entirely different plant). It started out as an idea for a simple story (one the animation would compliment) but morphed into a pictorial series on points of view.
So, the above is the happy tree and the mean & angry tree and below is a snapshot of the idea brewing in my head.



Plus a bunch of other projects.>_<

Gnomes

I ended up changing ideas for my mushroom.
I made a gnome to compliment it (I love gnomes!) and I'm very pleased with how he came out. I took him outside for a shoot and ended up doing a little play on the Amelie/ Travelocity gnome afterward. That "postcard" is one of those snapshots.

Going to animate the formal shoot I did (or re-shoot) but finally glad to be done-enough on one project to start formal shooting. :)