Red Marionette

It made me smile...

2009-11-10T09:21:00.002-05:00

Today I was stuck in some serious traffic on the way to work. Ticked that I will be late to work from going 2 miles in half an hour.
I look behind me with my rear view mirror and see an elderly couple in their car.
The wife says something and they both giggle manically.
It made me smile.
Giggling old people.

Tee hee!

Good Morning World.

Shopping

2009-11-09T22:42:00.003-05:00

I am doin a bit of shopping. Things that are kinda long overdue... I wasnt super productive tonight for Red Marionette so I figured I would be productive in personal stuff.

We found out quite a while ago that Mr. RedMarionette is allergic to his tungsten wedding band so I just recently purchased a stainless steel hypoallergenic surgical grade ring from this seller: Divine3Designs

I cant wait to get it and I know he will be excited to be able to wear a wedding band everyday. :)

I am also looking for a pair of Red, blue or black fingerless gloves. My hands get chilly from working so much on hand sewing (especially when Mr. RedMarionette loves to have the windows open and the 60 degree breeze coming in) id love to be able to keep my hands warm and not have them stiffen up. Any suggestions? Id love to shop from an etsy person, not sure if I need little ones that stop at my wrist or ones that go all the way up my forearm a bit. Id love to see listings if you all have suggestions!
Thanks much and happy shopping to us all!

8 Layers of Fluffy Felt Horror

2009-11-07T19:16:00.003-05:00

I realized tonight that I have a tired little sewing machine. It has served me well but I have discovered its limit.
Its a singer sewing machine I picked up at a rummage sale for $20.00
That in itself makes me very happy. An unwanted item from someone became an extremely useful tool for me.
I am guessing it is about 15 to 20 years old. Metal. Heavy. Durable.

For the tree skirts I am making this season, I have four layers of felt across the front for the snowbanks, base and front. When that is stitched and turned in to topstitch, it becomes 8 amazing fluffy layers of horror for my machine.
It cannot maintain the pressure on the presser foot with that many layers (the foot that holds down the fabric) so it knots up the thread into horrible rats nests that I have to rip out.
I have managed to finish 5 skirts. The last two today have had a lot of extra work put in to them ripping back out and then trying to get a good seam.....
Tonight it let me know it is done.
Rats nests galore so I called it quits.....for now.

I have a backup coming from Mr. Red Marionettes family that is an OLD heavy duty gear driven sewing machine. (Thank you Grandma!) I get it. In three weeks.
Until then I will do everything up to that last little top stitching.
So dont fret! Production doesnt stop, I will have more soon!

Atomic Holiday Bazaar interview!

2009-11-06T15:36:00.003-05:00

http://atomicholidaybazaar.blogspot.com/2009/11/red-marionette-interview-for-atomic.html

TA DA! You can cut and paste the link into your web browser or follow the link here: Red Marionette Interview

I am super excited and honored to have Adrien write up a little doodad about me!
Heck yeah!
It is also being featured on Creative Loafings blog here:
http://www.sarasotaspeaks.com/node/52778
Creative loafing is a regional publication which covers various areas in the US for the do-it-yourself and artsy scene.

On another note my beautiful purple wreath sold last night. It is going to a wonderful home and Mr. Red Marionette is starting on yarn wrapping another one today. :)

Productivity and exciting times!
Happy Friday!

Somebody likes me!

2009-11-05T21:30:00.003-05:00

I was on the front page again!

The item had over 1000 views in the half hour it was on the front page!

It is the green wreath in the top right corner!

The odd thing was it was under an Etsy search term "Swedish"

Am I missing something and swedish includes green items? :)

I am ever grateful to the support from friends, family, bloggy stalkers and everyone that loves Etsy.

Thank you all again and have a wonderful evening!

Party Owl

2009-11-04T07:36:00.004-05:00

Last night we had a printing party. When I say we I mean Mr. Red Marionette and I.
This is the new card I am releasing this week.
I am having a lonesome cutting party today to cut out all of the cards and later in the week I will even embellish some of my holiday ones with a tiny splash of glitter in a few of the snowy areas.

They can be seen here without glitter:
Phillip
Bobby Joe, Bobby Ray and Bobby Steve
Ned

I am excited to be releasing these and particularly excited to be sending some to family who have never seen these before. It has been cooler weather here as well so it definitely is getting me in the mood for the Holiday rush!

Coffee and Sleep

2009-11-03T07:37:00.002-05:00

I have discovered that coffee and sleep are the two most important things I have to have when doing a TON of crafting. The season has officially launched and I am getting a little less sleep and having a little more coffee. The ratio will eventually slope further as the season goes on.

Let the games begin! :)

Happy Halloween and a feature!

2009-10-31T13:05:00.005-04:00

Ive been Featured on DIY Addicted
You can click on the text or cut and paste this into your browser:
http://diyaddicted.blogspot.com/2009/10/friday-featured-artist-red-marionette.html

She has picked some awesome product photos and it is a nice feature! Check it out and comment!

Also, Happy Halloween to those of you who celebrate it! I am making a rice krispie treat graveyard this year.
The base is a rice krispie treat just how its made on the box. I toasted coconut and added green food coloring. I crushed up oreos for the dirt. I iced vienna finger cookies for the headstones and the skull and bones is a sweet tart halloween candy.
Its quick and fun to make!

Stay busy and have a wonderful day!

Well, would you look at that?!

2009-10-29T21:40:00.004-04:00

I was on the front page of Etsy this morning for the first time! It was up for over 30 minutes! 7am Eastern time!
Hooray!

I found out because www.statsy.org emailed me letting me know! Its a nifty feature they have on there.

My tree skirt is dead center in the second row down.
I snapped a screen shot and didnt know how else to get a shot of it.

YAY!
Hope this is the beginning of good things to come!

Tree Skirt Stack

2009-10-26T21:24:00.002-04:00

This is the stack of ten tree skirts I am working on tonight. Totally unassembled and about to get the little critters matched to them tonight. These are the 36" diameter ones. I am only making two large ones as of right now. Just too darn big.
Thanksgiving is creeping up rather quickly and that is the last weekend I will have anything major to work on. Mr. RedMarionettes parents are coming in to town so I will have to clean up my messes. :)

Short post for tonight, but a sneak peek cell phone photo for you all!
Nighty night!

Weekend update.

2009-10-25T22:35:00.003-04:00

Time sure does fly!
I got a ton of work done on Friday Night and Saturday but today was weekend chore day and not a lot was accomplished. Paying bills, laundry, crockpot calico beans, grocery shopping, cleaning... Yeah.

Friday night I created a pink and lime wreath called Funky Christmas and it can be found here: Funky Christmas
I also made a Red and Green traditional colored wreath called Christmastown and the one you see further below called Woodland Christmas.

I felt it was very productive. I did have one of the Christmastown wreaths purchased early Saturday morning so a second one was made and listed tonight. Yay!

Saturday I spent making more owls and critters for wreaths as well as the multicolor "discs" you see on the wreaths. It does take a bit of time to sew them.

I also cut out ten new tree skirts. They are the 3' diameter size. I am excited about finishing them up as I have some new color combinations I am using...just let me say Yellow felt!
I also sewed 8 new stockings. I wanted to do a pirate theme one last year and never got around to it but yesterday I finally did! Its a black stocking with pirate pattern fabric for the cuff and white pom poms! Exactly what little boys would like!
I feel like my Holiday rush in my store has already begun which is a wonderful feeling. I seem to keep more motivated when I have sales, but who doesnt?
I am getting more and more excited as time ticks closer to the Handmade Holiday Bazaar and the Atomic Holiday Bazaar.
I love setting up the tent and displaying my critters in a little environment. The fun circuslike tent I have really makes all of the colors pop. Here are some photos from last year: Red Marionette Booth

Exciting times! Have a good Sunday Night all!

Mom

2009-10-23T07:35:00.002-04:00

I had a good talk with my mother last night.
She is the sweetest, kindest person in the world. Gentle and caring...
She gave me the kick in the pants that I needed.

She is visiting Florida to help out on my December 3rd show. This will be the first Craft show this mother /daughter duo has gotten to do in many years of my mother doing shows and my few years of doing shows. I am super excited.
We were discussing deadlines (like said shows) and I was telling her the quantity I had sold last year, and the quantity I had sold on Etsy as well.
Well it was clear to her I need to get the lead out. So she let me know.
Mr. RedMarionette has begun wielding the drum and whip to get me going, too (at my request). Now is crunch time. I have 5 weekends before family comes to visit for Thanksgiving. Then I have a show the weekend after that... AND Atomic Holiday Bazaar the weekend after that.
Alright, Mom. Ill listen to you. Ill work faster and harder and stay on task.
Sometimes even when you are 29... Moms still need to whip you in to shape. :)

Misfit Toys

2009-10-21T23:09:00.003-04:00

I have been thinking a lot about what to do with older designs and items that weren't stitched quite straight or didnt pass with flying colors through my 190 point quality control inspection. There really is nothing WRONG with them. They are just a little different. Not aesthetically perfect.
It reminded me a lot of the Christmas special Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer that had the Island of Misfit Toys.... they wanted to be loved just like other toys.
A train with square wheels.
A jack in the box named Charlie.
A boat that wont float.

I have decided to make a Basket of Misfit Toys at my shows this season.
Cows that are a little too chubby.
Owls whose eyes are a bit wonky.
Bears who are slightly lopsided.
They will be deeply discounted because they still deserve a home! A chance for someone to love them! I will need to come up with a clever poem about how they are still wonderful, just a little different than the others. :)

Purple!!

2009-10-18T19:51:00.005-04:00

I dont have a fancy name for this one yet. Normally a name is the first thing that comes to mind when I create something.
This name escapes me.

I had a lot of fun creating this one in hues of purple and silver.
The tiny yarn I used took a lot of time to wrap around the wreath! I will have to try to find some more in a nubbier thicker yarn! :)

The feathers are a very deep purple. On my monitor they look black for some reason. Strange!

This one will be for sale on my etsy store very soon. I ordered special shipping boxes for these so they can arrive safely.
The wreath base is 12 inches in diameter.
It has two owls in purple shades. Included in this are pom poms, silver snowflake, silver bells, feather sprays, button picks and silver foliage!

Always a smorgasbord to look at!

P.S. Can you help me with a name? :)

Silent Night Wreath

2009-10-18T03:09:00.004-04:00

I just finished the Silent Night Wreath
This is the small size at 10 inches.
It matches the Silent Night Tree skirt listed in my shop here:
Red Marionette Silent Night Tree Skirt

I am pleased with how this came out! Spencer stands proud in the center and is surrounded by fuzzy pom pom snow, pearlized baubles, silver snowflakes, felt snowflakes, ric rac, blue and silver foliage and a silver bell.
The perfect addition to your front door or to hang indoors to enjoy!

Jerry and Timothy - Peacock Wreath

2009-10-17T21:51:00.003-04:00

My designs have come to life!
In my previous post I had shown sketches of wreaths that I was designing.
This was a design I came up with the day after I posted those drawings.
A peacock inspired wreath.
My friend, Amy, snagged this one for her Christmas gift so it is already taken. However, I did get to snap photos before I took it to her house today!

I got a wire wreath stand to photograph the other wreaths I intend to make! I am so excited about these!

The yarn wrapping on the base is the hard part. Its tedious but so worth it! These are a visual smorgasbord in person! The textures all play together well! Buttons, felt, feathers, pom poms, yarn, glitter foliage...all kinds of things!

More to come soon!

Super Dooper Secret Special Brand New DESIGN!

2009-10-15T20:47:00.004-04:00

I have often said that my ornaments would be cute additions on wreaths.
Well... I finally took my own advice.

TA DA!
These are the idea that have been rolling around in my head the last week. Once It was in there I havent been able to get it out!
So a trip to the store for supplies is in order and these will be worked on this weekend!

The pencil lines of the larger critters in the center of the wreath is there to show me better proportion if it were a 10" wreath. I sketched the critters too small in all of the images.

Included will be bells, shiny baubles, pom poms, ribbon, poinsettas, holly and other various doodads like buttons, felt and stuff.

The four themes I have come up with are the Holly Jolly (Red and White), Woodland Christmas (The Green and pine), Winter wonderland (Blue with Snowman) and Funky Holidays (Pink, red and Green, not pictured)

The Winter Wonderland will have pom pom trim wrapped around the wreath as well as little snowflakes dotted throughout. White pom poms in small piles will be the "snow banks" in a couple of the wreaths.

I am super excited about getting some of these made to debut by the end of this weekend. What do you all think?

Placing Blame...

2009-10-15T07:08:00.003-04:00

I have found a reason I cant seem to get motivated.
Im not the type to place blame.... but today I am.
The Heat.
We are having hotter temps than we do in August! Outrageous! It has been in the 90's for the last couple of weeks.
So to motivate me and to make me feel a bit better today about my progress not being as fruitful as I would like.... I shall post some motivating pictures for all of us to share.

This is the in-laws house in Wisconsin last Christmas. Pristine white!
I personally like looking from the inside out. Not really interested in getting super cold, just like looking at it!

Even the colorful clothespins have snow!
Amazing!
It kept coming down in beautiful huge flakes and chunks. I hadnt seen snow like that in many years.

Our palm trees last year got a little treat for the Holidays.
Yep, borrowed a friends extendable ladder and got up about 11 feet or so...
We are hoping to do the same this year.

I am rather fond of my light tubes. :)

Twinkly lights and beautiful scenery should be enough to motivate me, right?
Ill report in soon to let you know if it has worked!
Oh, and Mother nature, if you are reading this...Can we please have a little bit of cold down here. Just a wee bit... Thank you.

Its about to get messy....

2009-10-13T23:01:00.002-04:00

Atomic.
The very mention of the name to crafters in Florida send tingles down their spine and curls their toes.
Atomic Holiday Bazaar.
The full name sends my mind whirling.

Atomic is the embodiment and the Mother of all which is crafty. Crafty = handmade and artsy made by individuals who aim to hock their wares at a killer show.
Hundreds apply every year and a select few are allowed to vend.
Adrien (The Atomic Ruler) has done a brilliant job for several years now to attract to the exact demographic and customers that dig what I make.
Oooo...warm fuzzies again.
I will be attending the evening show as well as the Sunday (Family Friendly) show and I have to tell you I am so excited I think I need medication to calm me down.
Seriously, you could say the word "Atomic" and I revert to a six year old seeing Disneyworld for the first time. You wait for my eyes to pop out of my head and you can see the vein in the side of my neck thump with faster blood flow. Where you just count the seconds before you think my head will explode....
Really. Its rather disturbing....So Ive been told. I promise I will take something if I start laughing uncontrollably or develop a nervous tick....
www.atomicholidaybazaar.com
Go look. I promise you will see something you have to have!

Atomic is one of the two shows I am attending this year. Although it is only two shows, on top of that I have my Etsy store. www.redmarionette.com
My Etsy Holiday rush is beginning to flow, a little more than a trickle, a little less than a monsoon.
I have even purchased a little palm sized planner to keep me on track every evening. Its getting down to the wire. I have something like 6 more free weekends before my first show of the season on December 5th.....
Its about to get messy.

Doodlie Day!

2009-10-12T07:11:00.003-04:00

I have been using Watercolor pencils in some of my doodles recently. They work like watercolor paint only the pigment goes down using a colored pencil. They are such fun!
I am aiming to make some Gift Tags with my owls on them. The backgrounds will have coordinating polka dot color schemes to the owls. Before I do a mass run of them I am going to make a prototype run of tags. Ill let you know how they come out!

I get to points where I feel a little stagnant with a design if I never was truly in love with it originally. I LIKE all of my designs, but sometimes I know deep down I can push them further. The Walrus for example. Oswald the Walrus I doodled again because I think I can push him further. I have found of course what always looks good on paper doesnt necessarily look good with felt. So its a doodle to try out eventually. I also would like to try a turtle and a mouse. I had great fun working out ideas on a page that has a chicken a cardinal and a peacock. Trying to come up with more bird options. The peacock would be a lot of sewing but I think could be really worth it!
I will keep you all updated as I get things rolling. More than likely these are sneak peek items for next spring since this Holiday Season is already underway.

Keep crafting everyone!

Its EPIC!

2009-10-09T22:37:00.004-04:00

Dun Dun DUN!!
Its here! The cardboard fireplace I ordered from Bronners.
I will be using this in a craft show display for the two big shows I have coming up this Holiday season. The fireplace will be on the table and have "gifts" (My products) all in a vignette around it.

Before you look at it and wonder why there are strange gaps in the fireplace....we didnt want to snap the cardboard pieces in place until we got them to the shows as it will be harder to take back apart. Hence the gaps at the top where the mantle meets the fireplace and the hearth meets the fireplace.
I decided on the biggest cardboard fireplace I could find (its 40" tall). And will display it on the table so that when people walk up they will feel more child sized. Everyone has some memory from when they were children and the excitement of the Holidays. I will have a decorated Christmas tree and a chair sitting up on the tables too so you feel more childlike when coming into the booth. I am very very excited about my display this year. My Red Marionette logo choo choo train will be on the mantle of the fireplace.
I have never seen anyone do this before so I am claiming it as my original idea right here! Hehe! I nearly asked Mr. RedMarionette to take a photo of me putting it together so you all could see how excited I was!
Now to get back to work on more products!

I love long weekends....

2009-10-08T07:21:00.002-04:00

Today is Thursday. But today technically is my Friday at work. I have tomorrow off as I worked Sunday. I am super excited because normally three day weekends only come on Holidays. I have a nice little un-holiday weekend to work on things! We already have some plans in the evenings organized (Sushi on Friday night and a Cookout with friends on Saturday night) but the days are MINE! I shall be a Red Marionette creating machine.
I have a red and lime tree skirt and a pink and teal tree skirt to finish. I am super excited about them as they are new designs not seen in the store yet.
The potential to get a lot done is definitely there. No holding me back this weekend! Weee!
What are your plans for this weekend?

Goodnight Neverland!

2009-10-03T21:53:00.001-04:00

I went to a beautiful wedding of a friend and coworker tonight. It was wonderful.
I didnt get anything made today. I didnt even pick up a needle and thread. Sometimes I have those days and I have to be okay with it. I have a custom tree skirt I am working on and really need to get the lead out so tomorrow I will be sure to work even more on it. But for now, goodnight Neverland!

This is why I love you guys!

2009-09-30T07:14:00.001-04:00

Exactly this reason.
Patrick the Chipmunk
I was contacted about making a chipmunk! Have I ever thought of making a chipmunk before?
No.
Same thing with Eleanor the Elephant, Eugene the Panda and the Lions....
Many of my animal requests are fueled by a need for them.

That is why I love the creative process, it is ever flowing and changing.

Thank you for pushing me further in my art!

Lloyd the Lion

2009-09-28T07:26:00.003-04:00

I just listed Lloyd here: Lloyd the Lion on Etsy

This is Lloyd.
He is a Lion.
He is Mr. Fix-it around the house.
The Float on your toilet not floating? It would float the titanic now.
The Washing Machine making a thumping noise? It no longer competes with the lowrider down the street.
Your windows leak the hot air? Its like an iron lung in the house now....
Is it bad you have to use a crowbar to open the front door because the weatherstripping is so tight?

Lloyd is named after my Grandfather who was the true Mr. Fix-it...