.stumpwork.

Several years ago, a friend got me interested in stumpwork (I saw her doing it, and my brain exploded) and then everything went horribly wrong. Meaning I started doing stumpwork, but not really.
Stumpwork is a old school style of raised embroidery - using cotton padding to make everything 3-D, including fabric applique, beautiful beadwork, and a long tradition of using beetle elytra as decoration. It is totally amazing and beautiful - truly the original 3-D artwork (if you discount sculpture, reliefs and trompe l'oei). But because I am incapable of following directions for anything (also why I cannot bake, knit, or crochet)I immediately tossed the idea of raising embroidery from a background, and gave everything legs so it could stand up on it's own - because the only thing I was "stumping" was beetles.

this is Cedric - the first stumpwork piece I made and sold - rather than gifted

I finished two more pieces last night - two tiny bees with transparent wings - complete with tiny pollen covered legs. Naturally they're on the etsy shop because I need to get these things out of my house.

So cute!

.i made this.

45$ on etsy

40$ on etsy

....things i made because it was snowing and I was waiting for paint to dry.
Or water to evaporate. Which ever way you want to look at it.

As a bonus, everything in my etsy shop is 30% off if you use the coupon code SNOWPLOW - up until March 1st.
Because it's snowing like mad here.

.in progress.

Since we're sort of snowed in.
Sort of.

.sketchbook wednesday.

.and then it was time for bed.

Every so often I have an evening where my brain and my body decide it's bedtime at the same time. Usually it's one of my long days, like today.

I worked my day job, ran to FedEx to mail the painting I need to mail today where I found out it was going to be roughly 100$ to mail because of the size of the box. So I left, stopping at Office Depot and Utrecht for packing tape, a box cutter, and extra cardboard so I could go home and resize my boxing. The change was so dramatic that the FedEx lady (who was so wonderful and helpful I could have hugged her but that probably would have been weird) actually cheered for me as I walked back in over an hour later. Size does matter - at least with shipping - and we got it down to a 30$ ship. Much better. And I got my own FedEx account so I suppose I'm finally a real Grown Up.

Then back home for quick dance practice, after which I finally looked up what was all that smoke over the Plaza I saw on my drive home.
Basically a restaurant exploded, because we can't go more than a year in Kansas City without at least one major fire. Fortunately it doesn't look like there were any fatalities. So I watched that for awhile while I ate dinner.

Then it was filling perfume orders until....about ten minutes ago.
And I varnished the other painting I have to mail this week.
And my cat has been running around yowling the entire time because he can't decide if he wants to be cuddled or murder things.

Bed. Sleep. Now.

.raqs bohéme video - Sail.

.interview.

.sketchbook wednesday.

.post-show.

me, the cat, and the Winchester boys.

.Club Bellydance Video.

I still have things I need to work on for this piece. My timing is a little off for some of the harder hits. I need to find a more better place to put my arms during the layback. And I seriously need to work on the spins, as well as my elevation during the shoulderstand.
And now that I'm no longer distracted by baby goats (except that I am), I can go on to editing the other videos from the night!

.sketchbook wednesday.

and then there were babies!

This past Saturday I spent the afternoon at my bestie's house in the country, mostly playing with baby goats. The whole thing got me itching to sell our city house and find a few acres of our own to plant food and raise goats and chickens on.
The Mister is not having it.
Not that we can sell our current house until we revamp the kitchen anyway.

But here's the best of baby goat maddness:

Sketchbook-y-ness coming soon.

.club bellydance.

Maharet is an awesome photographer currently (but not for much longer) based out of Springfield Missouri. She was at the Club Bellydance show in Springfield this past Wednesday night, and got some beautiful photographs of the evening, including a few of myself.

You can check out her work on her facebook page here, as well as some information about her upcoming travel adventures of awesomeness I'd imagine.

 

.the briny deep.

Available on Society6

Finally got around to finishing something for a Draw Things on Time.
Theme: The Briny Deep
Interpretation: Octopodes love martinis too.

Tonight is the Salon at Bella Studio. I'm very excited to see what everyone brings to the table.