hello, my name is jessica.

(secret sale)

2010-01-16T23:53:00.005-06:00

it feels like the right time to do a little spring cleaning, so i have made a gigantic sale section of jewelry in the online shop. everything there is 50% off regular price. the sale runs till Tuesday, at which time most of the items will return to their normal prices. there are a couple amazing vintage rhinestone necklaces in there, as well as several pieces i only have one of. so, you snooze you lose!

did you miss me?

2010-01-13T20:13:00.006-06:00

welcome to the resurrection of my blog. it's been quite awhile. i've never been fully comfortable with blogging. i'm inarticulate, use incorrect punctuation, rarely use caps, question my interestingness, and i don't always have much to say besides random rants mixed with strings of expletives. but i've kind of missed it.

you may have noticed the blank etsy boxes off to the side. i'll tidy those up eventually (when i damn well feel like it), but you can still buy my stuff online here. it's a bit sparse on applique right now, but i'll soon remedy that as well.

thanks to Artfire's awesome stats, i can see some of the funny things people google to find me. well, not to find me, but they do:

blood applique

kawaii gore

mature pee pee (gross!)

siver sissor neclace

i have lots of new designs to share with you, like this mouse skirt, and these guys, but it's the nicest day we've had in at least a month so i have to go cure my cabin fever.

oh, and sorry about the annoying mish-mash of fonts, text size, colors, etc. my keyboard is effed and i give up. now, having said that, i may have fixe some of it.
you can find those paper airplane earrings here.

2009-12-16T11:10:00.000-06:00

should i start blogging again? it's been a long time.

hellaweave

2009-01-31T02:44:00.002-06:00

yesterday i saw a weave getting dragged down the street by a car bumper.

YES WE CAN do whatever the fuck we want, we're "artists"

2009-01-17T05:06:00.008-06:00

or "crafters", whatever.

i was just reading about shepard fairey's iconic image of barack obama being in the smithsonian. i have mixed feelings about his art, but that's sort of beside the point (once i get there). and congrats to him, seriously. it will surely be his most historic work. i think as an artist these days one is about more than you can hope for. ah, hope...

anyway! i have seen this image ALL OVER etsy for months now. mostly as scrabble tile pendants (go figure)- yet not one person has mentioned faireys name. oh, i wonder why?
maybe because that would equate admitting you are not selling your art, you are not really supporting the cause-sorry, your paypal account doesn't count- and because it is full admittance that all you did was steal someone elses graphic.
maybe because shepard fairey offered it as a free download people thought that meant "take and do whatever you want with it, that's cool"...
so. does shrinking it down and having the creativity to put it on a pendant constitute enough of a "change" (heh) to call it your own work of art? does running it through photoshop and giving it a weathered look make it your own?
um.

more importantly, if you bought any of that stuff, the odds of a single penny of your money actually supporting obama's campaign- slim to none. they were/are just cashing in on your ideology. i did see one listing mention portions of the cost going to the campaign. but the campaign trail ended a few months ago and the listing is brand new. where does the money go now?
there is little if any difference between these sellers and the random street vendors who set up a tent with their democrat/republican, doesn't matter/choose your own adventure merchandise on the street corner, doesn't matter anyway they got them wholesale from overseas/doesn't matter they'll be gone in a few days laughing all the way to the bank/hey, did they even vote?
bummer.
think about what you buy.

and now for something fun.

i've been eyeballing this shirt for a few months, but as much as i love it i just can't bring myself to buy it. i think the true humor of it would (for lack of a better term) turn frat when worn on a bodacious rack. and by bodacious i mean big.
or maybe don't think too hard about *some* of the things you buy.

vagina

2009-01-09T02:28:00.002-06:00

why are there so many vagina items on etsy?
you're proud of your pussy. that's rad. but come on?!

it's funny but weird. but funny.
but weird.

babble and whine

2008-12-29T13:19:00.004-06:00

i haven't been around much lately. anywhere. the holiday season hit me like a ton of bricks and i haven't quite dug myself out yet. don't get me wrong- it was GREAT, but i feel like i haven't had time to just breathe in a few months. i'm on a fake vacation right now (fakation/facation?) but i think i'm going to need a real vacation after my fakation. (i wish made up words looked better in print.)

i'm so incredibly thankful for all the business that came my way this year. but for as prepared as i thought i was about a month ago, well, i wasn't. i fucked up a couple orders, i shipped slowly, i missed a few local deadlines (zach, i don't know if those onesies will be ready tomorrow)... it was kind of a one-armed juggling act. i'm the sort of person who likes to do everything myself. i learned that for the next holiday season i absolutely have to have help. i basically have 3 businesses and it was simply overwhelming. getting a cold that kicked my ass didn't help either.

anyway! my holiday rush will all be over after this textile art show i'm in on january 2nd.

i was asked to be in it pretty last minute but i'm flattered just the same. and the gallery is conveniently located about 10 feet from my store, so how could i say no? i keep guilting myself about how simple the work i'll be showing will be, that it isn't really art. i insist on making new stuff for it and i haven't actually sewn ANY of it yet.
t.i.m.e.
need more.
i must subconsciously like pressure. here is a little preview of a half finished squid cape-

that squid is freaking huge! i think mary pattavina will be showing squid fascinators- that's very exciting. i don't know what the other ladies are showing but i am thrilled to see all of it. and now i should be sewing instead of babbling and whining.

oh yeah

2008-12-15T20:34:00.003-06:00

in the hustle and bustle of a chaotic holiday season i keep forgetting something- something pretty thrilling- so why not blog about it. someone bought cuff links from me to gift to one of their 'high end clients' barack obama. i'm over the moon about it yet i keep forgetting because i've been so busy. i hope blogging about it isn't tacky. i'm not a braggart, just psyched. anyway, yay. :)

greetings and salutations, december

2008-12-01T05:26:00.011-06:00

i thought a good way to start the 2nd busiest month of my year would be to catch up on ye olde blog. so, uh woohoo cyber monday! yeah, i hate that term as much as the next gal (i roll my eyes every time i hear it) BUT i found something you should buy.

fail blog, one of the few (2?) blogs i faithfully follow has something we all need- stamps.
sprint sending junk mail to my correct address but not my bills. FAIL.
pizza hut not delivering to my neighborhood anymore because they've been robbed too many times. FAIL.
the note i found at the grocery store on turkey eve that read "WY TURKEY WY TURKEY WY WY??". WIN!

speaking of stupid cyber monday, i do have some sales going on. the aorta shop has free shipping (worldwide!) on select items. that includes all ties and scarves and some other random things. l(et's face it, some clothes are too heavy.)

the automaton shop not only has a ton of cool new stuff but every single thing has free shipping to anywhere on the planet. there is also a section of goodies that will only be on sale today. some of them are even fairly popular sellers or one of a kind. what can i say, i'm feeling generous.

here are a few of my personal favorites in the jewelry shop right now-

have a great week!

you win!

2008-11-08T16:28:00.002-06:00

i have pulled a winning name from the hat. big, huge thanks to everyone who participated and congrats to the winner, 3moonbabies!

sneak peek

2008-11-06T18:40:00.006-06:00

although i have been relatively absent from ye olde etsy shop i have been sewing away. i plan to start listing a ton of stuff next week and thought i would offer a little (big) preview. don't let the model fool you, the sizes do vary.

this jellyfish skirt is about a size 10 with an elastic waistband.

tubesoctopus. this dress is an 8 or 10. it's a very summery dress, but it was the best i had for this new design.

this octopus dress is adorable. it's also a slightly bigger size -14/16.

i think this kitty skirt is about a 4. i'm not near any of these at the moment, which is why i'm guessing.

lined wool lion skirt. approximately a 4 or 6.

this loud octopus skirt is an 8 or 10.

my personal favorite octopus right now, it's about an 8.

mushroom bunny!

this lion skirt is a 12 or 14. roar.

scroll down about 2 posts and sign up for the 34 giveaway. there's only about 1 day left to enter.
and don't be afraid to wish me a happy birthday tomorrow!

bangle lust

2008-10-14T20:24:00.007-06:00

omg, i want it so bad. from in-bloom.

a bug lover must-have. i have one -it's gigantic and beautiful. and could probably be used as a weapon. from kolos designs. ps: they also make bug cuff links.

made from old skate decks. and only 10 bucks. radical. from get decked out.

it's.made.of.stingray.skin. from unearthed.

this one sort of taps into my love of blondie mahogany, except it's prettier. and their prices are a friggin' steal. from custom bangles.

can't forget the knitwit bangles. i love things that used to be other things. from liana kabel.

if this blog post was sex, this bangle would be the orgasm. from see jayne knit yarns.

and remember, bangles -especially bakelite- should be stacked. from american made jewelry.

$34. another giveaway.

2008-10-13T12:39:00.002-06:00

there should be an award for flaky bloggers. maybe i'd win.

i'm doing another giveaway. you can win $34 worth of loot from my jewelry shop. anything your little heart desires. this giveaway is open to anyone anywhere. if you live on the moon, you can still win.
i know $34 is a random number, but that's how old i will be on november 7th. for those of you here in lincoln, this is also a hint at the massive sale i will be having on that first friday.

to enter, all you have to do is post a comment on this blog entry. i'll put all the names in a hat and on november 8th i'll draw a winner. that's it. if your comment doesn't have a link back to you make sure to check back here on the 8th. you should all do so anyway to wish me a happy post-birthday hangover because i can pretty much guarantee i'll have one.

you can see my last giveaway here. the same i-promise-not-to-peek-at-names-or-cheat rules still apply.
thanks!

and the winner is...

2008-09-02T16:58:00.004-06:00

i've selected a winner of the squid tie giveaway. well, technically my roommate pulled the winning name from the hat.

a huge thank you to all who entered and remember i will do this again. i promise.
okay, the winner is...

i will contact you shortly to let you pick a tie. congrats!

x,
jessica

wanna win a free squid tie?

2008-08-24T20:58:00.002-06:00

this offer is open to anyone anywhere. simply leave a comment on this blog entry and i will write your name on a piece of paper, crumple it up, toss it into a hat and next tuesday (september 2nd) i will pick a winner. i promise not to peek at the names or do any cheating or rigging of any sort. anyone who has ever played cards, checkers or monopoly with me knows i think cheating is lame.

anywho, the winner will get to select the tie of their choice from my etsy shop - there are no strings attached. i will even pay to ship it.

i've never done a contest before but it's something i would like to start doing on a somewhat regular basis. oh, and since i've never done this before, let me know if i left out any information.

you have until tuesday (9/2/08) morning to enter. i'm not putting a time because most of you probably wake up before i do. go!

built by wendy sale!

2008-08-20T01:51:00.004-06:00

all the bad news bears tees, the one of Kristy McNichol drinking and smoking, and the be all you can be shirt are only $18.

filler/fluff

2008-08-16T21:35:00.002-06:00

what does it say about me that i care far more about the bigfoot "discovery" than the olympics?

hopefully that i'm awesome!

stuff you should buy, stuff you should watch. a blog entry of longwinded-ness in which i cuss a few times.

2008-08-12T03:11:00.009-06:00

earlier today i was in the bathroom washing a piece of brass i wanted to patina when all of a sudden there's a huge wasp right in front of my face. i'm pretty afraid of flying things trapped in small spaces with me, and especially flying things that sting. i've never been stung before and i also have no known allergies. YET (although i suspect i'm allergic to vinegar). so my fear is that i'll get stung and that's when i'll find out that it's the very thing i'm allergic to.

so, no big deal- i went through this exact same scenario last week. [why wasps like our bathroom or how they even get there, i dunno.] i simply shut the door so i could deal with it later and hoped it would die in the meantime. several hours later i decide that i absolutely had to brush my teeth- had to. i opened the door slowly, cautiously looking around for the wasp... when a giant fucking bat flies at me.
i let out a scream as i backed out of the room trying to slam the door, which doesn't ever close all the way. as i'm fiddling with the door to try to get it to shut i keep catching glimpses of fluttering bat wings just on the other side of the door. as i'm getting the door to stay shut i notice the gap under the door is big enough for a bat to crawl through. well, i thought of it earlier when i was dealing with the wasp.
just as i come back from my bedroom with a towel to jam under the door, the bat has its face sticking out from under the door at me. it was like the little fucker read my mind. anyway, it backed up and i threw the towel down, did a half-assed job of securing it and ran to call someone to help me. my friend patrick came over but he couldn't find the bat. maybe it got away. maybe it's waiting for me to have to pee bad enough to venture in there.
oh, he killed the wasp though.

short story long, i've been hunkered down in my bedroom with my dog and internet shopping with all the lights on. here's some great stuff i've found.

if you're not sick of steampunk yet, Sock Dreams has these gorgeous arm warmers.

i suggest not buying the black ones if you don't want to look overly dressed for a Victorian funeral. Because you'll probably want these too, and the best color choice is so obviously black!

If you've never purchased from Sock Dreams before, I highly recommend them- free speedy shipping and they're really good at accurately describing their merchandise.
Okay, on to something cute. I was doing my usual ebay hunt for the (MY) holy grail of shoes
(except i'd prefer black, of course) when i found the cutest freakin kids shoes ever-

speaking of cute, modcloth.com has 2 different colors of flats with the little prince on them. they have some great clothes, too. um, if you're tiny, maybe. or these saved by the bell sneakers. or these ever so 80's splatter paint kicks.
and speaking of 80's splatter, some of my favorite movies, you might need one of these shirts from T-Rex-

i know i did. it's been a long day/night of hiding in my room from a bat that may or may not still be in the house. to cap it off, my current favorite thing to watch over and over and over. i highly recommend 'the gang dances their asses off.'

you gotta break me off a piece of that exoskeleton!

time killer

2008-08-05T03:16:00.004-06:00

this website is a completely quality way to kill some time. i highly recommend 1982.

summer makes me lazy.

2008-08-04T00:22:00.003-06:00

jeez louise, i can't believe my (almost) last blog was about my bike accident. usually, when i know exactly what i want to blog about i'm too tired or nowhere near my computer to do it.
and my blog voice doesn't match my real life voice, which bothers me, so sometimes i just deliberately don't blog.

so much is new in the land of aorta... wholly smokes my brick & mortar store is open! here are a few pictures-

you can see more pictures in this flickr set or you can take a virtual tour here. if you're local to lincoln, nebraska you can stop by at 1416 'O' street, 2nd floor.

in online news, tomorrow i'll have a necklace featured on a certain well known magazines blog. i don't want to spill the beans before it's up though.
i've been appliqueing lots of new stuff but haven't listed much of it in my aorta etsy shop. i'll try to be better about at least posting pictures of the new goodies to flickr. summer makes me lazy.

2008-06-17T16:54:00.000-06:00

i've noticed i blog the least when i have the most to say.
i should work on that.

this is good.

2008-05-19T22:33:00.003-06:00

i was flattered as heck recently when a teacher asked me if she could use one of my designs to teach her 6 year old students how to sew. just go here to see and read more. i knew i should have blogged about it the moment i saw the picture. i had so many gushy things to say. they are SO freaking cute! but right now i'm a little out of it from taking pain pills for a little bicycle accident i had a few days ago. i'm fine though, really. even the ER doctor was surprised i was okay. here i am 5 minutes ago.
pretty, huh? luckily it seems to be healing quickly.

mikey!

2008-05-09T19:17:00.002-06:00

miss me?

2008-04-30T16:00:00.002-06:00

i haven't been around much lately, so if you've missed me here's a little interview i did with CROQ the other day-
croq.livejournal.com

and if you're still bored, here's a book i recommend. okay, technically it's a graphic novel. it's about the awkwardness of adolescence. who can't relate?

and a record i recommend-

owl refunding.

2008-04-21T13:38:00.004-06:00

i feel like i've posted this owl video everywhere already, but i'm still in love with it. on saturday this owl hung out in my backyard all day, just a few feet away from my bedroom window. i took about 50 (seriously) pictures of it and several videos, but this one is my favorite. i don't think i've ever seen an owl in real life and i have certainly never seen one chuck their pellets, so enjoy.
ps- it's less than 1.5 minutes, so you won't be here all day watching it.

in other news, my shop sales have stalled out at 666. ha.

KLAUS!

2008-04-11T15:52:00.002-06:00

i have this idea for a klaus nomi shirt. it's a really (seemingly) obvious idea so i did a search on etsy to see if it already exists there. it doesn't, so i may have to talk one of my screen printing friends into making it happen. anyway, there are only 3 klaus nomi items on etsy...
behold, klaus on a mirror from nouveaumotley-

"the most idiotic artistic medium on earth: plastic canvas" from tinyrat. remember the old zine thrift score? that was tinyrat! a highly recommended seller, i might add.

and OMFG, earrings! from nouveaumotley again.

and in try-to-get-you-to-buy-something-from-me news, i've added a ton of new stuff to the shop lately. there are several new tote bags, one from scratch and some store bought ones i appliqued.

there are also some great new skirts, jackets, a mens ribcage buttondown shirt... i've been in overdrive lately, putting new stuff in the store. i've also had a flurry of new ideas and not enough time to execute half of them. i'm freaking out at the thought of not being on etsy every day once my store opens. it's just about that time.
i have never been more excited about anything in my life. at the same time etsy has pretty much been my life for the past few years, and pretty much my only income for the past 6 months, but it won't be anymore. i wouldn't be where i am right now without etsy, so it's just strange to think about. i'll still list stuff, but not nearly as often. i think this is where i remind you to get it while you can. and where i apologize for saying "pretty much" too often.
so, that's pretty much it for now.

5 things i would buy right this second.

2008-04-10T13:48:00.002-06:00

...if i could. but i can't.
i pretty much love everything from luchaworkshop. someday i need to own this shirt.

i can only imagine how horribly wrong this would look on my voluptuousness, but it's one of those items i like so much i think about it when i'm sitting in traffic. curse you, stray dog vintage!

someday i'll probably buy this TJ Spanky card for my mom. she's afraid of nuns so i like to torment her with nun themed cards. she takes it well.

i NEED a sneaker bag, okay?! studioxtine's looks so much sturdier than those 70's ones.

i've always wanted a hat reminiscent of the one tatum o'neal wore in paper moon. this one from liza rietz fits the bill pretty well.

oh, shopping. how i miss thee.

sick.

2008-03-29T16:54:00.005-06:00

i'm sick and i'm miserable. i've been in bed for a few days with no energy to do anything but snuggle under blankets. last night i did managed to make this pea pod tie-

it took far longer than it should have. i'm not totally in love with it yet- it needs some tweaking. i want to scatter some buttons around it but i don't know if i'll get the time. i have so many other things i should be doing to get my store ready to open. but for now, i need a nap.

busy me and a bad joke at the end.

2008-03-23T22:26:00.007-06:00

hey remember me? i'm here!
i've been trying to get all the loose ends tied up for my b&m and finish up custom orders and keep new stuff in the etsy shop... it's been hard! for all the times i've said my store will be open in about a month, this time i mean it. the floor will be done by the end of the week and then there are just a few minor details to take care of.
in retrospect, i'm glad it has taken almost 2 years to get the store open. i feel so much more focused on what i want it to be now than i was before. my own designs have come a long way and i have a ton of fresh ideas i'm excited to implement. although i do also feel like i've forgotten some of the business aspects of being in local retail, i'm sure it will all come back to me. it's like riding a bike, right?

i saw a great idea on flickr for your etsy shop. it would be much easier for a new seller to start than someone who already has many sales under their belt, but i still like it. it would be very interesting to be able to just look at a map (rather than boring paper work) to see where your stuff travels to. friends often ask me where my clothes go the most. truth is, i'm not quite sure. all over the world, lots to australia, europe... it seems to be a pretty fair split between domestic and international.

i just changed my shop banner to something more appropriate for how i've been feeling lately. some people place so much importance on what's 'in' this season, trends, blah, blah, blah. popular opinion this, popular opinion that. i'm admittedly very obsessed with clothing- love people watching, love shopping- all that. but i don't give an eff what gwen stefani or whatever the celebuturd-of-the-week is wearing.

i recently made this dress for a show a friend put together. he likes the obnoxious as much as i do, so a dick dress was perfect for the event.

i listed it on etsy and it got way more attention than i expected. lots of "where would you wear that?", "who would wear that?" questions that i find rather boring. who would wear it? someone more adventurous than you. where would they wear it? wherever they want! it's too bad the etsy view counter exploded. that dress had almost 2,000 views in just a few days. oh, and it might be in a summer issue of Playgirl magazine. i'm afraid i'll jinx myself if i say it definitely is.

i'm excited to say that i have been asked to submit a project for a book. it's the authors second book and i'm thrilled she asked me. i don't know exactly when the book will be finished, but i'll have everything ready for her soon- i'm doing a little tutorial. yay!

i've been sewing my butt off lately. i've been working on a new series of jellyfish. there's only one left in my shop right now, but i should have more soon. i also started doing some smaller octopi so they'll fit on more clothes.

you can see that shirt here. i was working on a commission project (yes, another project) but all my appliques are too big for it, so i came to terms with the fact that i should be doing a few smaller, more versatile appliques. which is also sort of how the bouffant girl came about. but back to octopi. i was watching The Blue Planet and about flipped when i saw the Dumbo octopus. here it is looking like some freak combo of a vintage squeaky toy and Robert Crumb's "keep on truckin' guy" with the exaggerated shoe. when it flapped it's ears to glide away i was prompted to make this-

yeah, yeah, Dumbo was an elephant and this is a bunny. let's not split hares.
sorry, i had to. g'nite!

easy sew in labels.

2008-02-25T17:51:00.005-06:00

i've blogged about these before, but i'm doing it again. i want to eventually start using nice woven tags on my items (like these), but i'm indecisive. i can't decide on a font, color, etc... so i don't want to spend the money yet.
simonstamp.com offers customizable stamps that are waterproof and intended for fabric. you can find them at the bottom of the "custom made rubber stamps" page. they're only about $22 after shipping and you can put nearly anything on it, as long as it's basic enough to still be legible when it's small.
the last time i bought one i went with a little anatomical heart and "aorta". it looked nice, but the heart stamped blotchy sometimes, so this time i went simpler. you can stamp them directly on a garment, but i like to use them on ribbon and sew the ribbon to my clothes.
maybe i wasn't storing it correctly but eventually (a few months) my first stamper dried out. i had a hard time finding the replacement ink pad for it. i thought i found some on ebay, but what i bought turned out to not be waterproof.
this time i went ahead and stamped as much ribbon as i had on hand. if you go this route just remember to leave enough room between the stamps for cutting, folding over, stitch line, etc.
they look pretty nice. and the ink truly is waterproof.

you'll dance to anything

2008-02-20T12:15:00.002-06:00

in 1994 i was living in des moines, iowa. i didn't like it there, hated my roommate and i had about 2 friends the whole time i was there, but i got to see a lot of great bands at a little dive bar called hairy mary's. before slipknot owned it, thank you.
one of the bands i was fortunate enough to see there was the dead milkmen. i went to the show alone and stood around forever waiting for the bands to start. a little guy walked passed me and gave me a goofy grin and complimented my shirt. i about crapped my pants- the hottie from the dead milkmen hit on me!
i was on cloud 9 for weeks. then i did my laundry. (yes, it took me weeks to do my laundry.)
i didn't even realize i had worn a shirt that said 'art fag' really big across the back to the show. that hottie from the dead milkmen wasn't hitting on me at all- he thought i was wearing the shirt as an homage to one of their best songs ever. so my bubble was burst and i felt like an idiot for far longer than cloud 9 lasted.
the end. i'm a dork.

tubeway panties

2008-02-19T04:14:00.004-06:00

i like etsy's current featured seller's shop, but out of all the times i've browsed her shop i haven't seen any undies for those us with some junk in our trunk. so i grabbed the nearest somewhat stretchy fabric i could find and made my own. humorously, that slightly stretchy fabric i grabbed was an old gary numan t-shirt. it had paint stains and some tiny holes so i had recently donated it to my scrap stack.
i did a bit of a sloppy job with the stitching- i was SO excited at the thought of gary numan panties. i just dissected a pair of well fitting underwear and copied that shape with room for a seam allowance where needed. i was too lazy to hem the waist (plus it was lower than i wanted) and leg holes so i added some other goodies that were within ams reach. the waistband is from a funny 70's (adult) polyester jumper.
and victory, they fit!

i would still like to buy a pair from that shop, but until my butt shrinks, i guess gary's got me covered.

mine!

2008-02-09T20:20:00.000-06:00

i shouldn't be spending money. but how could i resist this beatnik doxie print from rubenaker?
i couldn't.

a little complaining. just a little.

2008-02-06T21:15:00.002-06:00

today kind of sucked. it was one of those days where no matter how much you smile, how nice you are to others, no matter how good your mood is, things just go all wrong. for the sake of putting it all behind me, i'll only gripe about 1 thing. our mailman called animal control on me. supposedly my dog was running loose in the yard. um, yeah. i let my 15 lb. dachshund run around loose in an unfenced yard in 30 degree weather. yeah. i already have several beefs with the post office, so lets just keep the best dog ever out of it, shall we, USPS?

i started painting today. i should have started days ago, but um, i didn't. here's a peek.

i'm using a paint gun, but i had some trouble with it today, so i had to roll a lot of paint. my wrists are killing me. hopefully tomorrow i'll get the gun running again.

and now the fun part. i loathe mannequins. i loathe their gaunt, transsexual faces. i loathe the way a wig never fits them right. i super loathe their bad make-up. (i know there are some cool mannequins, but i don't have those.) i've been racking my brain for quite a awhile now, wondering how i could remedy my fugly mannequin dilemma. obviously i need the mannequins, but how to make them fit the aorta aesthetic... then last week, in the midst of an ugly hangover, the most obvious solution hit me. animal masks! duh!
most of the ones i bought arrived today (not from my regular mailman, by the way) and they're exactly as i imagined. and best of all, they made my crappy day end on a decent note.

oh, wyclef

2008-02-04T22:10:00.000-06:00

if it weren't for my favorite, trashiest guilty pleasure, TMZ, i would have never known that Wyclef Jean was a fatty hater. and an asshole.
http://link.brightcove.com/services/link/bcpid353549946/bctid1400566463
i think it's complete bullshit.
so, i'll just refer to the fat rant.

scaling back

2008-01-30T16:29:00.000-06:00

i have these vague messages in both my etsy shop announcements about "scaling back" so i thought i'd elaborate here. the brick and mortar aorta is almost open. it feels unreal, but it's true. it's been in the works for almost 2 years now and repeated delays have been beyond my control- but no more! i'm not going to have as much etsy time for a while, i imagine. i'll have even less time for sewing, too. with the sewing time that i do get in, well, my b&m will be a higher priority than etsy, of course. so, when i say "get it while you can" i truly mean just that.
i have no intention of leaving etsy, but it's hard to say how much time i'll have for it. i might also close the automaton shop altogether. you've been warned.

oh, while i'm here- i made another drinkinest octopus skirt. i like it better than the last one, but that's just my opinion. i need to make one for myself.

props

2008-01-21T04:59:00.000-06:00

i've purchased more than i care to admit on etsy and have pretty much loved every single thing. but here are 3 i am particularly fond of right now.

1. the best hat EVER!!!! i get a ton of compliments on it. one night at the grocery store i overheard a drunk girl say, "i gotta get me a hat like that." um, good luck because it's one of a kind!
but there is a downside to wearing it. everyone thinks i made it. it gets worse. you can actually see the disappointment on their face when i tell them i didn't. it's very annoying. so, maybe some day i'll applique as awesome as unordinary, who made it.

2. if i could have a crush on a smell, it would be that of fresh peaches. so i got some perfume samples from oui marie and immediately had to buy the bigger bottles. everything i tried was great, but the peach...oh, the peach... every time i put it on i take a giant whiff of myself and grin. really, i do- i'm a big dork. and i'm always asked where i got it- at which time i whip out my bottle and make that person put some on. first they giggle at the name (in a good way) then they take a giant whiff of themselves and grin.
sadly, her shop is closed right now. hopefully only temporarily. i was just about to buy a ton of stuff from her for my mom, my 3 sisters, my fathers wife, a few friends...

3. i own a lot (A LOT) of jewelry, but this necklace from (the oft imitated but unbeatable) t8designs is a staple. the only way it could better suit me is if it were spelled the other way. but isn't that a bit wry in itself?

now that i've gotten all testimonial on you, some fun facts: i photoshopped the heck outta my face on that last picture- i was pretty blotchy that day. and the dress i was wearing didn't even fit me by about 4 sizes. it was skin tight and unzipped in the back. i like giving unnecessary details.

the difference IS real!

2008-01-19T21:46:00.000-06:00

Dear Runza,
I wanted to blog about you today. I wanted to tell everyone how much I love your cabbagey 'ovenstuff'd' goodness, how perfect your french fries are even though I don't really eat french fries anymore. I WAS GONNA TAKE A FREAKIN' PICTURE. But then you forgot to give me my ding dang Miller & Paine cinnamon roll! The wedding is off. I hate you.

Your FORMER Runzatic (which by the way is stupid and should be Runzanatic),
Jessica

hi.

2008-01-19T12:31:00.000-06:00

the smartest thing i asked for for christmas was an electric blanket. my bedroom gets zero heat- none. there's no vent. it got so cold last night i was able to write in the ice on the inside of my window. now i'm just wondering why i didn't think of an electric blanket sooner.

i went thrifting yesterday, on a mission for hanging lamps. no luck. but i scored these glasses. i already had a red one but somewhere through the years it was rendered useless by a not so hair-line crack. now i have a set.

i'm not tristan tzara.

2008-01-06T02:14:00.000-06:00

i have been interviewed what seems to be quite a bit lately and i've noticed i'm not very good at it. really, i'm not very good at public speaking. i'm a pretty quiet person unless i'm ranting or joking about something that annoys me. or if i've been drinking. the very thought of being interviewed makes me stutter and sweat. i often have a difficult time answering questions because i don't know how to relate to them. how do you answer questions you can't relate to?

(this may or may not be a good time to mention that in high school i went to speech class once and never returned. i almost flunked a grade because the thought of setting foot in that room again and delivering (gulp) a speech was so unbearable. i successfully graduated high school without learning how to speak publicly. and now i need it!)

i was recently asked about crafting and it's relation to female empowerment. i had never thought about it. i like to make stuff. i'm just a girl (cripes, i mean woman!) in a little room making stuff. i can identify with how it has empowered me personally but i can't take it to the broader scope of womankind.
another interviewer asked me what the mission of my store is. um... aorta's mission... i dunno?... i suppose i have a mission. i'm a woman on a mission. a mission to be me, do what i want and make a living at it. my mission is to express myself creatively and succeed. but i never really thought of that as a mission.

i'm not trying to look a gift interview in the mouth or say these are bad questions, just ones that never occurred to me so i don't know how to approach them. part of my problem is that i need to come out of my shell more and be myself in interviews rather than try to say what i think they want to hear or search for the smartest answer. it's an honest struggle for me. what i really want is to answer like a dadaist.
"what's aorta's mission?"
"fish."

but i suppose i would never get another interview again.

boring gushing about vintage ties.

2008-01-04T13:02:00.000-06:00

lately i've been having the worst luck finding ties to applique. i compromised my style on my last buying trip and bought several ties that i might call the equivalent of cosby sweaters. they're not terrible but they're not my style either. so i took a chance and bought a bunch on ebay. as a thrifting addict i felt deprived of the high i get when i score amazing stuff- but they came today and i scored some amazing stuff!
i got these all from the same seller. they had one tiny picture of all 14 ties and it was a blurry picture to boot. aside from some cat hair and a couple of minor, repairable issues on 2 of them, i'm really impressed.

um, yeah. i won't be appliqueing the pegasus tie. it's just too awesome to mess with.

all i have to do is put on pants.

2007-12-18T15:19:00.000-06:00

all i have to do is put on pants (i'm wearing pajamas, not naked!) and wrap a couple things. the envelopes are addressed, the pieces are ready...but i'm burnt out. i'm tired of the christmas rush, so i'm just sitting here clutching my coffee mug and staring at empty mailers. don't get me wrong, the burst of business i have had lately has been wonderful and i'm truly grateful to all my buyers. but i'm exhausted. i've spent more time packing orders than making anything lately and that's where my whining is coming from. i'm not getting to do the fun part. and i've been neglecting my real life. like catching the mouse that has taken up residence somewhere in my sewing room, returning phone calls...
i need the money so i know i need to suck it up. somebody call the waaaambulance.

it's not just for boys but we're taking girls out of the title

2007-12-13T03:23:00.000-06:00

boys town has been around for 90 years. i think it was in the late 90's that they changed the name to boys and girls town to represent that it wasn't just for boys, duh. so today, on their 90th anniversary they are going back to just being called boys town.
they said you can clearly tell they still help boys AND girls, because their new image shows a boy carrying a girl instead of the old boy carrying a boy. it looks the same to me. maybe they gave her pigtails to differentiate. i don't know why i care, but it's left me a little confused.

while i'm at it, father flanagan started boys town with only $90. just so you know the significance of 90.

this is what you get when i blog at 4 in the morning.
(those cute little hoodlums pictured above were the first 5 boys in boys town.)

do nothing day

2007-12-08T18:53:00.000-06:00

i meant to spend today only doing things for myself- no listing on etsy, no answering convos or emails, no packaging orders (sorry buyers!) but all i've really accomplished was pounding a pot of coffee and sewing a patch onto a dog sweater.

my whole life is online right now. it kind of sucks, but i'm working toward a goal -and a vacation that will eventually come. with all this work, both of my etsy shops reached little milestones this week. aorta passed 500 sales and automaton passed 300. not too shabby for one girl in a tiny room. i'd insert links, but that sounds like work.
oh, and i bought a giant bottle of wine in anticipation of a snow storm we're supposed to be getting.

jesus for pagans

2007-12-07T18:00:00.000-06:00

i was never baptized.
but i found some jesus wares on etsy that you don't have to be religious to enjoy.

wallet from Tinymeat. dog collar from Classic Hound. embroidered hanky (yeah!) by Creatrix Jane. superjesus painting from J Calton Watters. greeting card set from The Beehive.

squeeze

2007-11-26T02:54:00.000-06:00

i secretly l-o-v-e the band squeeze. i get this song in my head all the time, although it's not my favorite-

i named an item after it here.
puglyfeet blogged about it here. don't look at her blog if you like shoes. or shopping. or tales of bygone mullets.

the last week felt like 3.

2007-11-16T14:53:00.000-06:00

i'm thinking about joining the human race and buying a computer. it's beyond silly that i don't have one yet. thank you stitch for making it possible.

pre-blog stitch blog

2007-11-15T13:47:00.000-06:00

stitch was great but i'm still trying to catch up on a few things so i don't have time to blog about it. i will say that everyone i met was much shorter than i expected. i'm kicking myself for not taking one single picture.

happy birthday from beyond the grave

2007-11-14T15:58:00.000-06:00

the day before my birthday my mom called to give me well wishes and to tell me not to be mad or freaked out when i received a certain card in the mail. my grandmother died a few months ago and her husband (not my real grandfather) sent me a card signed by both of them. it wasn't that he signed it by a dead woman but the horrible, incredibly endearing misspellings that made me cry.

busy busy

2007-11-02T15:01:00.000-06:00

i've been pretty busy over the last month+, sewing my fingers to the bone trying to get ready for stitch. i've hit several snags and haven't gotten as much done as i'd like, but i'll live.
the most annoying snag is that none of my items will have labels in them. having just hit this bump in the road last night, i think it's too late to do anything about it. i'm aggravated to say the least.
so this is where i change the subject so as not to whine.
i've made some sweet stuff lately that may or may not make it to etsy, depending on if it sells in austin. here a couple things you've never seen in my shop before-

the deer pillow came out even better than i expected. i hope to do lots more of the pillows (in different sizes and designs), but the birdcage, i dunno. i like the way it turned out but unless i can get much faster at making them, i don't see myself doing too many more. not that i prefer designs i can finish quickly, it just took me SO long to make for such a simple design.

and mark your calenders. my birthday is next week. also known as Pump Up the Volume Day. i'll be 33. as a kid and teenager i could never imagine myself at this age. maybe because i only knew 30 somethings who had shitty office jobs, kids- "grown up" stuff, most of which never appealed to me. anyway, i actually look forward to 33.

what should you buy me? well...
this bangle from KolosStudio
and (not or!) these from jmaccknit
and one of these from elloh-
or nothing at all. i won't be offended.

random thought.

2007-10-08T19:47:00.000-06:00

i just looked at some goth boy wearing one of those silly floor length duster jacket coat thingies, and instead of making fun of him to myself (as per usual), i thought, "man, i could applique the hell outta that coat."
maybe i've been working too hard.

shopping!

2007-10-03T13:05:00.000-06:00

2 posts in one day?

i've been trying so hard to not spend money, but 1 etsy item has been haunting me. i think about it when i'm away from the computer and it makes me giggle every time. so i had to buy it. HAD TO.

check out luchaworkshop.etsy for more awesomeness.

oh, yeah- i blog.

2007-10-03T12:24:00.000-06:00

yet again i have completely neglected my blog. oops.
i've been sewing up a storm trying to get ready for stitch. no matter how much i make i feel like it won't be enough. i've been trying to make some things that will appeal to people who don't want clothes (wait- who doesn't want clothes?) or think nothing i make will fit them, so i've been working on some patches and totes. i have some other ideas, too. but there's only so much time in a day.

i have a few new designs lurking around here somewhere, too.

in automaton news, i made some obnoxious halloween jewelry. i realize it takes a special person to wear a gigantic spider on your chest. but they come in 3 colors- red, green and blue.

i have some cockroach earrings ready to list, too.

and now i feel obligated to point out that i also do pretty-

i can't tell if this is pretty or tacky. can it be both?

saturday

2007-09-15T10:54:00.000-06:00

i'm not very awake today and i have little to say. check out zombieboys etsy shop for some great classic horror tees. and his zombie granny.

aorta size chart

2007-09-11T14:25:00.000-06:00

fast blog.

2007-09-07T12:18:00.000-06:00

i've been sick and haven't felt too up to blogging, or much of anything lately. my roommate gave me the flu- gee, thanks!
in brick and mortar news, i might be able to open in a month. i've been waiting so long it doesn't seem real. me, a shop owner? for real? it's going to be so wonderful.
in etsy news, i have some great new stuff to list including a few of my newer designs like the smoking deer and tongue out. the smoking deer went over so well i kind of want to put cigarettes in all my appliques mouthes. don't worry, i won't. but i did make a smoking giraffe that i hope to list today.
i was already feeling a little overwhelmed with too many things on my to-do list, so i added one more big one. i applied to stitch and got accepted. i am so freaking thrilled. i've never done a craft fair. i've never even been to one. i'm pretty nervous, scared and excited. i feel completely unprepared for it. it's 2 months away, but that only feels like about 2 weeks to me.
my friend t8designs pointed out to me that Jennifer Perkins of Naughty Secretary Club used one of my pictures on her blog about stitch. that makes me really happy, i love her stuff. if you click that blog link you can see a list of all the vendors for stitch this year- there are some great ones.

okay, this wasn't fast at all.

(with relaxing image)

2007-08-27T18:11:00.000-06:00

i just stumbled upon Spanish etsy seller opensourcepants and it's love. from their humorous aromatic pillows to their inspirational shop announcement- l.o.v.e. now if only i knew someone named Franco.

size matters. matters of size.

2007-08-25T19:34:00.000-06:00

i'm finally taking the plunge and converting all my items into sizes based on one chart. i've always just used the tag size (if there was one) with measurements that i took. anyway, it's blowing my mind. i did a google search and looked at several different charts to make sure i was using accurate standards. so now, for example, a skirt that was tagged a size 8 is a 16. another that was tagged a 6 is now a 12. the sizes are doubling and it doesn't sound right at all. but i'm using a normal chart, not some bizarro made by a dummy random thing. i know i already said this, but it's mind blowing. and confusing and (as a fatty) kind of discouraging. ugh. rant over. for now.

yes, this is what i am doing on a saturday night.

...

2007-08-15T12:21:00.000-06:00

following my own advice is a bitter pill to swallow.

i guess i'll suck it up... if i have to. i listed a foxy shirt yesterday. it's here.

weekend

2007-08-11T22:45:00.000-06:00

although i usually get a lot of sewing done on the weekends i don't get enough time to list stuff. so here are some things i've been working on. some are done, some are not. some have been nearly finished for weeks and i finally added the finishing touches.
(i took these pictures at night, so deal.)
for the tykes-

for the ladies-

for the fellas-

okay, thanks, g'nite.

building a better banner. for dummies.

2007-08-10T10:00:00.001-06:00

recently there was a thread posted in the etsy forums that linked to a fantastic etsylabs tutorial on banner making. i had just finished making new banners for my shops. i'm no graphic designer or anything remotely close, but i was quite pleased with my outcome. but i do wish i had seen that thread earlier when i was struggling and struggling and too stubborn to ask anyone for help.

the title of this blog post isn't meant to say my way is better. it's to say "hey, here's how they did it, here's how i did it-combine the info..." the for dummies part means i tried to make this as easy as absolutely possible, because when it comes to this stuff i am a dummy.

okay, so here goes!

step 1. choosing an image background.
your picture will need to be of excellent quality and a big enough size (760 pixels wide x 100 pixels tall) so it doesn't get stretched out or blurry. i prefer doing mine at double size (1520 x 200) because i use close-up pictures and want to get as much of it as possible into that tiny rectangle . i am going to use a picture that is too small to show you a very simple trick i like.
here is my original image -

step 2. troubleshooting small images. (optional)
right click over the image and hit "copy image". now open up "paint" on your computer and paste the image into it twice. they will be sitting on top of each other, so it will only look like one is there- don't worry. now go the top of that page and click on "image", then "flip/rotate", then flip it horizontally. now drag that image and line it up next to the other one like so-

step 3. adding text.
i'm just going to select a font in "paint". click on the "A" on your left side toolbar. next, with your mouse, make a rectangle where you want the text. make sure it's big so it will fit all your text. if the box you have just made turns white, you'll need to switch it to transparent, which should be at the bottom of your tool bar.-

now type in your text. while your mouse is still in the text box, right click. this will bring up a drop down menu of fonts. keep it simple yet complimentary to your shop and style and, please don't use comic sans. this is where you can also adjust the font size. here's mine -

you can also change the font color. just go to the top, click on "colors" and edit to choose a color. now click on your paint can in the tool bar and click on each letter. again, keep it simple. you want a high contrast so it can be read easily.

okay, now save that to your computer (as a JPEG) because the rest is going to be done at picnik.com. i love this site. it's free and incredibly easy to use. AND you can edit your flickr pix from right there and resave the new version... but i digress.

step 4. cropping/resizing.
go to picnik.com and upload the image you just saved, then go to "edit". time to crop. remember, i'm doing mine at double the banner size, so i'll be cropping to 1520 x 200. you can crop it to 760 x 100 pixels if you like. here's what i have now-

step 5. tweaking and the fun stuff.
if your color still needs a bit of tweaking, stay in edit and experiment with the exposure and color tools. you may need to brighten it, take some blue or yellow tones out- these tools will help you with that.
when you've fixed any color issues, go to "create". this is the fun part. i'm not even kidding.
you could give it a slightly colored matte background with rounded edges...

you could give it a border in complimentary colors...

here's a vignette with slightly rounded corners...

be sure to experiment because whatever you don't like you can undo. please note that some of these effects will alter the size of the image ever so slightly. so before you click to save your final draft, go back to "edit" and "resize" to make sure you still have the correct size.

step 6. you're pretty much done.
save it (make sure it's a JPEG!) so you can upload it to your shop. or anywhere and everywhere.

***

in hindsight i would have used a different picture so i could fit the bird faces in the banner better. my intent was to share what i knew, not to make a new banner, so it'll do. i have never written a tutorial before and i'm not even going to say how long this took me to do.
picnik is also a great site to tweak your item photos if you've had any trouble with that and you don't understand or have photoshop.
if i have omitted something or you have any questions, let me know. i'm happy to help.

today.

2007-08-09T13:31:00.000-06:00

much as summer is my least favorite season, it's a beautiful day.

feel free to fill out the new survey.

ps-
the results are anonymous.

x,
jessica

okay, sorry, i have to.

2007-08-08T12:32:00.000-06:00

quick rant. it's not meant to offend anyone, but it's driving me nuts.
please, please, please- if you are listing iron-on transfered stuff, do not call it screen print. it's so incredibly misleading, especially when it comes down to how they hold up in the wash.

wait. while i'm at it- if you exclusively screen print, please do not put applique in your tags and
titles.

okay, now i'm done.

in the works and in the near future.

2007-08-08T11:59:00.001-06:00

remember these?

maybe not. i haven't made any owl stuffies in over 6 months. i'll be making a few more and listing them in my shop soon.

remember the devo squid?

i'll be doing some ties. they won't say duty now, but he'll still be wearing the hat.

i've also been appliquéing a few kids vintage clothes. these overalls are in my aorta shop now.

out of my love for all things tacky, i will also be making a pair of earrings out of these. they won't be that exact fabric, but you get the idea. i have some ideas for new designs but my brain works much faster than my hands. i wish the opposite were true. i don't always write things down or sketch them out, so sometimes i forget design ideas that i was initially incredibly excited about. i should drink less coffee.

confessional.

2007-08-03T08:17:00.000-06:00

etsy related:
sometimes i neglect my aorta shop because it's SO much easier to take good pictures of jewelry than clothing.
sometimes i list something before it's actually finished.
i'm in the forums more than you know.
i don't like one of my most popular designs.
i occasionally get annoyed with how "cute" all my designs are because, by nature, i have a disgusting and morbid mind.
i secretly compete with another seller.
i loathe a seller i used to adore because of something i read in her blog.

non-etsy related:
i drink juice straight from the carton.
i don't walk my dog every day. sometimes not for several days.
i never ever make my bed.
i only own one bra.
i'll belch anytime, anywhere.
i rarely use an alarm clock and i almost always sleep in.
i don't shave my armpits.
i'll stop what i'm doing just to go look at my hair in a mirror. (this confession is not related to the armpit confession. really.)

sorry, nothing too juicy. i might add more later today.

checking in

2007-08-01T13:03:00.000-06:00

i haven't blogged lately because my mind has been on one track. a track that might be too personal for a blog. nothing horrible at all, just um, rather life changing. i don't know if blogging about it for the world to see would be helpful or hurtful. where is the line between being an open book and giving too much information?
okay i just felt a little like carrie from sex and the city. yuck.

i made new banners for both my etsy shops yesterday. about a week ago i struggled and struggled for hours and ended up with the crappiest banners. then i finally tried again and did a pretty good job in hardly any time at all. i might still change them, but they're better than what i had before.

i added a few new things to my aorta shop over the weekend. an octopus skirt and dress, a few other things and these-

and i cleaned my porch so i won't have dead plants in the background of my product pictures anymore. that was driving me nuts.

ps.- those are NOT my shoes in the background of the last picture. i hate those open heal sneaker things.

okay, okay

2007-07-26T14:43:00.000-06:00

i feel like i haven't blogged in forever. but i haven't had a lot to say. it's hot out.
did you know it's really hot out? i haven't had caffeine in over 48 hours and it feels like i've been kicked in the head.

in b&m news, i talked to the guys who will be putting in my floor and it's not going to cost nearly as much as i expected. this is fantastic because i've been anticipating the floor being my biggest expense. if i can get the rest of the rubble cleaned up (from knocking out plaster to expose brick walls) within the next week, the floor should be done soon. i can't even express how big a relief that will be.

and the personal news! my car has been dead in my driveway since january- i've been biking everywhere and borrowing my roommates car once in a while. i finally got it towed to a mechanic yesterday. i recently realized that a huge source of my stress has been looking at my car every day and not being able to drive it. i love biking ,but it has been so hot and i've had too much to do. i was holding off on doing anything with it until i got some business expenses taken care of. getting an estimate on the floor was close enough. i also wasn't sure if the car was worth fixing. i've already put more into it than it's bluebook value. i'll be getting it back today, which almost doesn't even seem real.

see, everything here is pretty dull. okay, time out for fun.

learn how to tie a tie day.

2007-07-21T13:32:00.000-06:00

i officially declare today "learn how to tie a tie day" thanks to totieatie.com. this is something i have been procrastinating for a long time. the site seems to have everything i never knew i needed to know about ties. i had no idea there were so many ways to tie a tie. i think first i'll try the pratt knot because one of it's advantages is that "it looks neat". everyone wants to look neat, right?

50% off sale at automaton.etsy today only.

2007-07-16T14:34:00.000-06:00

hello blog readers. i'm having a sale in my jewelry shop, automaton.etsy, but it's today only. 50% off anything and everything. there's some pretty sweet stuff if i do say so myself. wait for a revised invoice before you pay.
thanks!

Etsy
Buy Handmade
automaton

woopsy

2007-07-15T22:35:00.001-06:00

robot laundry? what is it? i don't really know. kind of (lots) like myspace but for creative types is a description i heard that seems pretty accurate. i'd seen the name thrown around here and there so tonight i decided to join. i couldn't really find my way around (i'm slow on the draw sometimes) with the exception of uploading pictures. little did i know i was bumping off other members "artwork" submissions from the homepage. so... SORRY all! i only listed 4 pictures, but apparently that is the exact number that it takes. i'm not an opportunist. i like to share, really i do.
i have a lot of little moments when i feel like a complete jerk even though it was accidental. now that i'm all over the robot laundry homepage, we can add this to the list. slight exaggeration intended.
oh, and if you're on there, could you add me as a friend?

working for the weekend

2007-07-15T18:31:00.001-06:00

i got a lot of sewing done this weekend. i'm picking up some new consignors as well as trying to make some new stuff to sell locally and on etsy. i might be biting off more than i can chew but i have trouble saying no. at first i was being overly anal, wanting to do 3 of each design at a time. yeah, that seldom works for me.

i made 2 new squid ties that i absolutely adore. it'll be hard to use button as eyes again, knowing how they look with googly eyes and creepy doll eyes. and it might just be time for me to learn how to actually tie one. the first one shown is in my aorta.etsy shop.

i wanted to make a bunch of octopus skirts and dresses but i realized i'm out of the right size buttons, so i have some partially finished ones and only 2 completed ones. i have so many buttons, i couldn't believe i had to buy more. fret not, they're on the way.

um, i might have to keep this dress. maybe.

someone sent me a message on myspace about wanting a dancing bunny skirt but that i didn't have one in her size. little did she know i was about to list one in that exact size. great minds...

this is big on me but i'm tempted to keep it. i feel weird patting myself on the back, but it really is that cute. it's already listed in my aorta shop, so i guess time will tell if i get to keep it or not.

so, uh... all this sewing makes it pretty obvious i don't have a social life. :)

i don't have much to say today.

2007-07-12T14:25:00.001-06:00

gravy train were great but it felt like they only played for 10 minutes and i don't know any of their new songs. chunx should reconsider her name because she's not chunky anymore.

it's 5 am.

2007-07-11T03:57:00.000-06:00

i can't sleep because my stomach hurts. waahh.
this is a comic i made when i was around 21. i could draw better at the time, i swear. it just wasn't warranted for this one. it's a verbatim conversation i had with my boss.

recontinued discontinued and tags

2007-07-10T18:05:00.000-06:00

this is an old design from a few years ago when i first started doing applique. i discontinued it because the last time i made it, it was stolen. the cat was lavender polyester on a beautiful yellow Givenchy sweater. i think i even made her a rhinestone collar, or maybe it was a bow. it was my most elaborate applique design at the time. it had been on consignment at a friends shop and one day it just disappeared. it was my first piece to get stolen and i'm still bitter about it. for petes sake, the price was $24 at the most.
this one is in my aorta shop.

oh, and i got a fabric stamp made so i can tag my clothes again. how terrible is it that i haven't put labels in my clothes for over a year? i love the way it turned out so i guess it was worth the wait.

museum of odd. lincoln, nebraska

2007-07-09T18:16:00.000-06:00

it's not pack-ratting, it's a "collection". and apparently if you do enough of it, it then becomes a "museum".
i first heard about this place from a boss who was friends with the curator/collector/packrat, Charlie Johnson. she remarked that he and i had very similar collecting taste. years later someone pointed him out at an estate sale where he had just outbid me on some killer 40's/50's toys. i want to take a tour of the museum but i'll be too jealous of his toys. even though i'm not really the jealous type.

another reason to love helen.

2007-07-07T15:05:00.000-06:00

helen (highlyAtomic) found a way to have active links in etsy listings and profiles. well, if you have firefox. which you really should. go here and install one of the linkifications.
thanks, helen. i'm computer illiterate and would have never known. and it makes me wonder if this is one of those things that nearly everyone in the world but me already knew.
now if only everyone who visited my shops did this...

dsoaper

2007-07-07T12:35:00.000-06:00

my gut and head are killing me from antibiotics, i got a new tattoo but i hate talking about tattoos, it's so friggin hot i dropped my dog off at a friends air conditioned house... so... soap.
my roommate found this awesome new(ish) etsy seller, dsoaper, with amazing soaps and even better prices. they smell divine, lather wonderfully and you get 8 4 oz. bars for $13. and look how pretty they are. we're hooked.

spider bites and material issue

2007-07-04T16:07:00.001-06:00

yesterday i woke up with a crazy big spider bite that has only gotten worse. when i read stuff online it only freaks me out more. according to the mayo clinic site i'm teetering somewhere between taking an antihistamine and seeing a doctor. i hate seeing doctors so i'll probably get beer.
and craig made me a video.

walls out!

2007-07-03T12:19:00.001-06:00

future store. it's bigger in person. this picture only shows 2 rooms, but it's 3. getting the walls cut was what i dreaded the most. so... whew.

the thespos are gone, yay!

2007-07-02T09:47:00.000-06:00

last week was a crazy one and i'm so glad it's over. i still haven't taken full inventory of sold items, but like every year, my birds seemed to be the biggest hit with the thespians. the squid ties also went over pretty well. i put out my 2 dick ties knowing they wouldn't sell but that they'd make for great conversation, and i was right. kids would come back to the shop later with a friend just to show them the "crazy ties".
one boy told me that he now owns about 14 of my appliques. i think it's safe to say that's a slight exaggeration, but it was flattering nonetheless. a girl flipped out over the hand skirt, talking about how bad she "needed" it- until she saw the back. she said, "uh, hands all over my butt? i DON'T think so!" and shoved it back on the rack. :)

last night i started putting stuff back in my aorta.etsy shop and it just doesn't look the same to me. not only do i see that my pictures need some hardcore improvements ( i knew that), but selling online just isn't the same as selling in person. i had forgotten this since i haven't sold locally in a year. i miss the customer interaction. it's not just the compliments, but there's a lot to learn from it. i love seeing my designs on people and seeing that my customers really do come from all walks of life, but it's such a learning experience. it gives me a better grasp of what designs are more popular, popular price points, why an item isn't selling, etc.
for me, selling online and locally are so different from each other. my local demographic is different than my online one, bigger sizes sell better online but locally they just sit on the racks, price points are different, my most popular items online aren't my most popular items locally. my eau d bedroom dancing design is pretty popular online, but i didn't sell a single one last week. they were hardly even looked at, which i found odd since i have some great ones right now.
i guess my point is that if you can sell in a b&M, do it. even if you can't be around to see the customers interact with your work, it's a very different learning experience than selling online.

i'm still wiped out from last week and i want to get back to sewing REALLY bad.

one more thing- giving stuff away.
although giving something away here and there can be great (it makes the give-e happy, in turn making the giver happy, AND works as a promotional tool) it can also backfire. i have now learned not to give too many free things or sweet price breaks to the same person. it can spoil that person so they won't buy anything from you anymore unless they can get a killer deal on it. and worse, they'll tell other people about the sweet deals they've been getting, and why would anyone want to pay full price when they think you're giving stuff away to everyone else? it's bad business and i'm done doing it. (okay, so i already kind of knew this, but it finally came back and bit me in the ass.)

it's not really a vacation.

2007-06-29T21:51:00.001-06:00

my etsy shop has been on vacation since the 15th but i'm not actually on vacation. at all. it's just one of those things where i get too long-winded trying to explain what i'm really doing.
so let's see if i can tackle it.
i've been trying to get a b&m open for the last year. yeah a year. the hold-up is beyond my control- lousy contractors, blah, blah... there is an annual event this week that just happens to be the best retail week of the whole year. so i opened a tiny shop in the basement of another store. this is all in hopes of recouping some of the money i have lost by not selling anything locally in the past year, as that used to be a good source of income for me.

okay, i left out a ton of information. anyway, i've been working 12 hours day there. here are some not very good pictures. i wasn't quite done setting up when i took them, and keep in mind i set the whole shop up in a little less than 3 days all by myself.

mustache

2007-06-22T11:36:00.000-06:00

i think everyone should buy one of these necklaces from jackrabbit.etsy. seriously. NOW.

no, i really don't.

2007-06-21T09:47:00.000-06:00

time machine 2 is my favorite place to be on etsy. there's no bitching like in the forums, it's easier to click past the icky stuff than in the categories, and it's the best way to discover new sellers. oh, and it's where i found this lenticular smoochy lips necklace from clevergirl.

time machine 2 is also the easiest place to find things that look like other things. i saw a ___ that looked like a sudlow, a ___ that looked like a stopsandstarts, i saw another something that looked like a sudlow...

i'm in no way calling anyone a copycat. but what i did notice when making these comparisons is that, although their items looked similar, they looked like things the sellers i named would have made, say, a year ago. my point is that, if you think you're being copied (although you're probably not), you just have to remember that you are one gigantic step ahead of them. you have the imagination and therefore the edge. so rather than letting it bring you down, it's the perfect opportunity to take a long, hard look at what you do and bring it to a new level. the few times i thought another persons work looked a little too like mine, it triggered an evolution in my work. so maybe i do need a copycat.

no i don't.

mott-ly

2007-06-19T11:49:00.000-06:00

mott-ly was a really fucking amazing person and it broke my heart to hear of his recent passing. i don't have much to say aside from that. i don't want to sound like a poser since i wasn't super close to mott- reminiscent of a certain zine shout-out to lux that turned my stomach. and frankly, 4 people who touched my life have died within the last 5 months (5 within the last year), so i've been a little emotionally "off" lately. i know this doesn't make much sense to the 3-ish people who read my blog, since you don't even know me in real life, or these people i'm talking about. but there'll never be another guy like mott-ly, truly. he was incredible. garth's blog about him is very touching. this video of him is perfect.

macraMe

2007-06-18T15:27:00.000-06:00

i am completely in love with macraMe right now. it's not so much that they're owls, it's the macramé. i used to think macramé was to craft, what spam is to meat. okay, that might be taking it a bit far. but i hated it. now i find myself wishing i had just one of those hideous, giant macramé wall hangings i loathed so much as a child. so, to combine my secret love for macramé and my obvious obsession to accessorize- it's perfect. and, omg, for less than $10? yes, please.

oh, the cuteness

2007-06-08T12:07:00.000-06:00

i just saw a baby bunny and a squirrel playing in my yard.
i almost listed this drinky kitty dress today, but then i popped a seam trying to get it off the dress form.
if you haven't seen all the great stuff i listed in my etsy shop recently, you better go look now.

okay, back to neglecting my blog again.

littleput books

2007-05-28T21:08:00.000-06:00

the lovely ryan of littleputbooks.etsy interviewed me for her blog. read it here. then go buy something from her. okay? okay.

of course

2007-05-25T18:18:00.000-06:00

i was at the post office the other day, talking with the clerk about the incredibly annoying new rates. i made a joke about a ring i was mailing overseas and how i should take it apart to ship it and tell the buyer just to glue it back together and save on shipping. so, of course, when it got to the buyer it was broken. i feel bad for her, but it made me laugh when i realized it was the very package i had been talking about. luckily, it's easy to replace.
sometimes i'll avoid making something because i assume i'm the only person on the planet who will like it. that wouldn't matter if i were making it for myself, but if i want to sell it, it does matter. that's exactly how i felt about my new hand skirt. i talked myself out of making it for weeks because the design was too simple, too obvious. now i love it and i want to make a bunch more.

scout finch

2007-05-24T10:25:00.000-06:00

i finally made it! to kill a mockingbird is one my all time favorite books. i had the idea to make this scout finch applique back in february. i drew the design but wasn't sure it would turn out right. now i'm pretty happy with the result. it's available here.

the ankle wing

2007-05-20T20:33:00.000-06:00

last summer i taught my friend pam how to sew. after seeing a picture of one these wings in an old book i had, we developed a pattern for them. she made several and i will be listing them in my automaton shop. they're great for bike rides or jogging or whenever you don't have pockets to stick your keys, money or i.d. in. the pocket is about the size of a small coin purse- just big enough for a few things. they're interfaced so the wing doesn't flop over and the strap is adjustable so they'll fit nearly anyone. and they look really, really cool.

suspect shoppe

2007-05-20T16:51:00.000-06:00

i saw this print on the etsy homepage in early april and absolutely fell in love. it kind of reminds me of something i might make, but a million times cooler. before i saw it i was even planning on doing an animal in underwear applique. anything i were to do now would just pale in comparison. suspectshoppe rules.

marie

2007-05-17T15:06:00.000-06:00

i hadn't painted in a long time (years) so last night i did this tiny painting of a woman. it's loosely based on a photograph of my grandmother when she was about 16. loosely as in, well, she wasn't a cat. and she wasn't really a redhead either. her hair and awkward stance in that picture are wonderful. she didn't look like the grumpy woman i remember. not that she was always grumpy, those moments just stand out more.
i lived with her off and on when i was younger. she had a well in her back yard and when it was bath time i pumped the water myself. she'd get mad at me that i was pumping too much water, it was wasteful. so i'd be sitting in the tub in 1/2 ft of water thinking "sheesh, what's the point?"
she died recently so i've been thinking about her a lot.
this is also my first ACEO. it's hard for me to work so small, but i hope to do more. it's available here.

i can't wait for the weekend.

2007-05-16T21:29:00.000-06:00

have you seen scaredy?

2007-05-15T15:03:00.000-06:00

oh, please buy this before i do! i discovered scaredy.etsy.com a few days ago and i'm completely in love with her bird mobiles. i'd buy this one right now if i weren't on such a tight budget. but if it's still there in a few days i might have to nab it.
x,
jessica

bicycle tote

2007-05-15T13:36:00.000-06:00

i made this bag a few months ago as a prototype for future bags i wanted to make. i had just bought a teflon foot so i could start sewing vinyl and of course i had huge dreams of doing lots of vinyl tote bags. but it turns out that what i would like to do with them is a bit harder than i have the patience for. this was made as a basic, pocketless version of my ideal tote, which i now have no intention of making.
i made it with 2 very important things in mind- it had to have a long enough strap so i could reach into it mid-bike ride (i don't know why, but i seem to dig around in my bag a lot while i'm coasting) and it had to be big enough to hold records. done and done. and of course it had to have one of my signature designs on it. then, because i was so eager to use it i put my favorite patch from etsy seller chaingang on it. i used the bag a few times and it lived up to my standards, but then i found myself using a beat up old tote i made a few years ago more often. maybe because that one matches the 1st jessicoozie i ever made, which i take with me everywhere. the bicycle squid tote can be purchased in my aorta shop.

summer

2007-05-13T15:05:00.000-06:00

as usual, we've skipped right past spring and hit full blown summer weather. it's hot.
spaz alternates between baking in the window and sprawling out on the floor to cool off. she chased a bumble bee earlier, so i listed a bee necklace in my automaton shop. i only have one more and i may have to keep it for myself.
i also listed a sweet little applique squid skirt in my aorta shop. what i really like about this skirt is that it's outside of my usual, much louder, color combinations.
i hope to spend the rest of the day being as lazy as possible.

hello.

2007-05-13T00:13:00.000-06:00

hello, my name is jessica wynne plymate. i know i could just write an "about me", but a small introduction feels like a nice first post. i have been blogging for awhile and, admittedly, i'm not very good at it. but i'd like to be better. i'm quietly abandoning my previous blog, my training wheels, in hope of a fresh start.
i'm sure there will be small (or long) rants about things that annoy me, but i'm obsessed with etsy, sewing and thrifting so i imagine that's going to be all i write about. hello and welcome.
x,
jessica