Poison Pumpkins, Oh My!

Poison Pumpkins!

So, recently I took part in a swap challenge to make a Halloween/Fall related embroidered felt ornament. I thought for awhile & wasn't sure what to make, but after a bit of thought about Halloween & fall, pumpkins & apples, skeletons & skulls I came up with the idea of a 'poison pumpkin' & today, I thought I'd share how you can make one, too :)

Wool felt (stem), wool yarn scrap (for hanging the ornament), pumpkin orange felt fabric (found at  a local Goodwill, stuffing, scrap of vintage fabric, embroidery thread in candy corn colors, sugar skull embroidery pattern from Sublime Stitching (awesome pattern or you can draw your own)

What you will need:
Felt in orange & green
Yarn or Ribbon
Plain Fabric (light colors or white work best)
Thread in candy corn colors
Stuffing for plushies
Embroidery Pattern for skull (this one is from Sublime Stitching there are others or you can draw your own
Bowl (mine was about 6" across) & pencil for tracing
Scissors, pins

Step one: Iron your skull design onto the plain fabric, according to package directions, or draw your own. Embroider in your choice of colors & stitches (I liked the idea of candy corn colors on a sugar skull. My son once made a sugar skull with candy corn colors at a local event & I thought of this as I worked). Cut around the design. I used pinking sheers (some my grandmother had) to prevent fraying of the raw edges.

Step two: Cut two circles out of the orange felt. I used a bowl, large enough to accommodate the sugar skull design, plus enough for a small seam allowance & extra so the pumpkin wouldn't be completely covered by the design, to trace the circles onto the felt.

Step three: Cut out one stem piece. I just free-formed the shape, from some memory. You could make it less curved, as some pumpkins have more of a stump than an actual stem. Leave enough at the bottom for a small 1/4" seam or so.

Step four: Stitch the sugar skull embroidered piece onto one of your felt circles. I hand stitched everything, but you could also machine stitch your pumpkin.

Step five: Cut shallow ) ( into the top & bottom of your pumpkin pieces. These don't have to be perfect, but they should be the same on both pieces, so do both pieces at the same time.

Step six: Sew your stem piece to the top of one of the pumpkin pieces. Mine is sewn to the inside of the ) with a 1/4" seam, leaving most of the stem sticking out. Add a piece of yarn or ribbon for hanging.

Step seven: Sew the 'circles' together, using a 1/4" seam, leaving an inch or so left open to add the stuffing. I've simply left the edges showing, so there is no need for turning & the sugar skull is already on the outside.

Step eight: Add the stuffing. I've stuffed this loosely, for a lighter & more 'squishy' feel, but you can add more, if you want more a 'stuffie' kind of thing. Sew the opening together.

Step nine:  Add hand stitched curved lines, for a pumpkin effect. I've pulled my stitches a bit, to make the sections created by the lines puff out, like on a pumpkin. If you leave out the stitching, you get more of an apple shape, than a pumpkin (which would be cute in red felt, for a poison apple ;)

Have fun! Come back & show us what you've made. SAM

Challenges, Trades & Random Ideas

Challenges, trades & random ideas, a few things I've worked on recently:

Travelling Art journal pages, by me: Doodle theme, vintage (70's) algebra book page, acrylic paint doodles, black pencil doodles, black pen doodles, scrapbook paper piece, for a journal swap on Swap-Bot

Music challenge: Based on "Nothing compares 2U" the Sinead O'Connor version, acrylic paint, pencil, black pen, colored pencil, embroidery thread, for a Sketchbook Project challenge, Songs to Draw From, to create an original 4X6 piece based on a Spotify playlist (& for a chance to be published in Diner magazine)

Necklace for Swap Bot Summer Scavenger Hunt Swap: Wood from my yard, chain from Goodwill, owls from another swap, glass beads (from an EtsyRain stash swap), porcelain beads, vintage wood beads (from an 80's bracelet), gemstone diamond shape beads (from an EtsyRain local group stash swap), copper bead, hand crochet fiber 'chain,' gold color wire, purchased pearl look findings

 

And lastly, a preview of a piece that I'm working on for Seattle Handmade's Tiny Tales & Small Stories show at the Stunningly Strange Gallery: Vintage Frames, repurposed images from a Leadbelly (Huddie Ledbetter) postcard by Pomegranate Publications, Hand embroidered with handspun silk & wool embroidery thread by Dragonfly Lotus Designs, Copper Wire

I've been enjoying these little challenges & working in new ways. Have you been working on anything lately?

Fun Summer Stuff...

Some of the new things I've been making lately :)

Hand Crocheted Skinny Festival Scarves in Silk. I've made different colors & used two different types of silk ribbon. This one is silk sari ribbon, made from remnants of the garment industry that are pieced together by women in India & Nepal, repurposing materials that would otherwise be lost & providing employment for the women of the area. This is black & I've made two other silk sari scarves, one in an ombre red ribbon & one in an ombre lavender ribbon.  Available samsstuff Etsy

This is one of the Silk Chiffon Skinny Scarves, in an orange color. Also made from remnants of the garment industry. These can be wrapped in lots of different ways, made great Hippie Style or Double Wrapped Belts & dramatic head wraps. I like to think of them as free-form necklaces & accessories. These are in an number of different colors, a retro pink, a turquoise or sky blue, a great retro chartreuse green & could be made in others not mentioned... Available samsstuff Etsy

Envelope: Hand embroidered, image from a vintage cookbook, vintage lace & seam binding, hand stamped lips

Front of envelope showing the floral print paper & another lip stamp (made for a Swap Bot Swap)

Two new bracelets: one hand embroidered (hand spun thread from dragonflylotus designs) & metallic look swavorski crystals, the other hand crocheted alpaca/silk yarn (from Firwood Farm Alpacas in Fife, WA Belle & Bella, to be exact) in a great retro blueish green shade & faceted gemstone beads. Available soon samsstuff etsy

How about you? What have you been busy creating lately? SAM

Challenges...

Life has been full of challenges lately, small & large. It's always great, when the challenge is over & we can feel a sense of relief or even better, accomplishment...

Handmade 'Book' Postcard made for a Swap-Bot challenge: Pieces of a vintage (1975) Algebra  textbook, cardboard re-purposed (for a second time) from an envelope, sent in a previous swap, hand stitching, velum style paper scrap & a little, hand drawn border. This had to be taped over (with clear packing tape) for mailing.

Fabric Scrap Earrings for a 'What can you make with fabric scraps' challenge on Swap-bot: Fabric re-purposed from a vintage (but un-wearable) Esprit blouse, mother of pearl chips, green glass, silver plated sun/moons, clear glass.

Custom order camera bag: Cotton yarn in a buttery yellow, hand embroidered button on vintage fabric, vintage lace, hand stitched

Lined in an organic, floral fabric. There was a custom laptop cover, as well.  Custom listings for both  available, samsstuff Etsy

Custom Laptop Cover

Sometimes, making it through the smaller challenges makes going through the larger ones a bit easier, giving us a sense of accomplishment, boosting our self esteem...The beauty is in the details & the small stuff can have as much value as the big. I hope you're enjoying the small stuff as much as I am. SAM

What Makes a Shop Memorable?

Hand embroidered on vintage Western fabric, vintage lace & paper, hand stamped Chinese coin. made for Phat Quarter embroidery swap on Flickr
WB version of Lobo

ComedyXTragedy=Love shellseye Etsy
Hand embroidered on vintage fabric, wool felt, paper, found frames

Recently I was recognized by someone who used to shop at a little comic book store I once worked in. This probably doesn't seem too unusual until I tell you that its been about 15 or 16 years since I worked in this store, the store itself has been closed for probably 14 years & this isn't the first time someone has remembered me or that store, years later.

So, what was so special about this particular store, that people remember it & its employees so many years later? It was a family owned business that catered to niche markets, comic readers & rare book enthusiasts. In the decades that the store was around it became not only a source of used & rare books but grew into one of the largest used comic stores in the nation & was known worldwide. On the book side, the owner would not only search out books that his customers were looking for, catering to their needs, but also had a partial trade system for used paperbacks (rarely valuable) where the customer could bring in used paperbacks & trade them either for store credit or cash, receiving more in credit than in cash. On the comic book side, he created a system of “comic files” where the customer could reserve a list of specific, ongoing titles & pick them up all at once. Customers remember the unique inventory, the innovative systems & the individualized customer service that the employees could provide.

The business ultimately closed, due to other issues, but there are still many things we can learn from its unique business model: lessons about finding & catering to your market, lessons about customer service & lessons in problem solving through innovation.

There are many used book stores out there, most unique in some way, but all cater to the same customers. Innovative systems, personalized customer service & an unusual inventory, not easily found are what made this store memorable.

The used paperback system encouraged a continuous flow of inventory, with little or no cash output. Customers had a continuous source of books to read, with potentially little or no cash output for them. They would often end up browsing the stacks, to end up with more books than they brought in. These could be purchased for cash. For avid readers, this was a great system that kept them coming back for more. They could have purchased their books elsewhere, ending up with less, but they chose our store.

For comic readers & collectors, comic files gave them a reason to come in on a regular basis, browsing both new & used shelves for more to purchase. Not only did he take great care to offer his customers personalized service, but he hired knowledgeable employees, who could take care of the in store customers.

The inventory was diverse & unique, with not only new & used books & comics, but other collectibles, like art, vinyl & games, many of were rare, some generated curiosity, even a very valuable item or two. The owner would personally search out specific items for regular customers. Often, in his searches he would find & acquire things of general interest to his customer base. Often these things would come in the door, unsolicited, sellers knowing that this was a market for their wares. The owner sold what he loved & his customer base was filled with people who loved those same things, so he knew the market well.

This is what made the business & its employees memorable. These are the tools we can use in making our own businesses memorable, stand out in the crowd. First, offer personalized customer service, make your customers feel like you are there for them. Know your customer base & cater to them. Find or make what they are looking for, but make it in your own, unique style. Sell what you love & you will know your market. Second, create a unique inventory, give your customers a reason to purchase from you & not someone else. This is another expression of knowing your customer & catering to them. Make something unique or make something in a unique way, offer a unique service, find a niche. What would you buy & who would you buy it from? Why them & not someone else? Offer exemplary customer service, go out of your way for your customer. One last thing & maybe the most difficult, innovate, think outside the box. Find ways to keep your customer coming back, maybe a coupon with purchase, mix & match items, maybe suggest items that would go with the one that was purchased, offer a subscription or mailing list, find a special vintage piece for a regular customer...

This is what made our store memorable, why customers remember it & us. Find what works for you & your shop & your customers will remember you for it :) SAM

Here There Be Dragons shellseye Etsy
Hand embroidered on felt, hand stamped

Made by You Mondays: Alien Monster, Oh My!

Alien Monster Boy Hangs Out Among the Stars

So, this is a little character I created from a scribble that a friend of mine drew. He's kind of a cute little alien, with a mischievous side ;) I've embroidered him on a few things now, by himself & with another of my creations, Medusa Girl. There's quite a little back story developing & I'm turning it into a written/ embroidered tale, each piece standing on its own & working together. I hoe you enjoyed this little bit of the story...SAM

For other "Made by You Monday" posts, check out Skip to My Lou:

Made by You Mondays: Medusa Girl Bag

This one's a one of a kind, hand embroidered messenger bag, based on my drawing. It's also hand stamped on vintage fabric & has vintage lace, vintage earring & vintage button embellishments

Medusa Girl Chases the Aliens Through a Field of Flowers

Detail lower left corner

Get Your Craft On Tuesday

Here are some of my latest creations:

Red Pretty Bird Bracelet
Hand painted glass bead
Vintage red ceramic & black seed beads
green glass seed beads
dark copper color wire
yellow color copper chain
lobster clasps
made in two pieces to mix & match with some of my other bracelet designs

Watch ring
Rose pink watch face
multi color crystal bead
deep red wire
yellow color copper chain

I think this one I will keep, but I'll make others. I also made a little fish ring, but I don't have pictures yet.

Lastly, I made a little hand embroidered drawstring bag, that I didn't take pictures of, before sending it off. It was kind of an experiment & I like the way it turned out, so I'll be making more. I embroidered little lavender flowers on the front (like the ones on this tiny framed embroidery), a simple black line all the way around the middle & hand sewed a little a hand embroidered tag on the back, then added a satin ribbon drawstring.







 So, that's what I've been doing, how about you? SAM

If you want to check what great projects others have been working on/add your own, check out Today's Creative Blog

Little Flower Embroidered Necklace

Hand embroidered
Framed in little wire scallops
Metal chain
Satin ribbon
Front closure, lobster clasp
Vintage Moire ribbon backing

A sweet little flower on rose print fabric, wrapped in gold wire & finished off with satin bows
One of a kind

Women's Work?

I wanted to show you the great Hellboy embroidery I received, from JojoBooster in the Phat Quarter swap, on Flickr:

Yep, you saw that right, Hellboy embroidery. A great example of embroidery that is not all flowers & alphabets. I think we've moved far away from the old school notion of embroidery as women's work & women's subjects (whatever that really means) .
Of course, there's also my own example, that I sent to LisaLady, in the Phat Quarter swap:

Yep, Lobo in embroidery, again not very girly & not a traditional woman's subject.
I read recently, in the comments section of the DonkeyWolf blog, someone who basically believed that embroidery was a woman's endeavor, filled with girly women's subject matter (like we where back in some other era, where women, upper class women, that is, sat in drawing rooms, embroidering, learning obscure languages, waiting to be married off). Now, it's definitely true that the examples I show above where both made by women, but there are plenty of examples out there of manly embroidery (like Johnny Murder or Mr. X Stitch) & I have to say that our subjects here do not fit this antiquated notion...
What do you think? Is embroidery still women's work? Should we, as women, be doing more genteel subjects? Should manbroiderers cut it out & stop embroidering altogether? These seem like rhetorical questions to me. You can't turn back the clock & even if we could, would we really want to?

Congratulations!

So, the first thing that I would like to do today is say congratulations to Debbie of Shanasshop for winning my first ever give away & to thank her for her awesome blog entry.! I had a great time packaging her winnings. If you get a chance, stop by her shop & take a look at all the cool stuff!
I've been busy, mostly with work & haven't had much time for anything fun or interesting.
I have added some fun things to ArtFire:
An Alien Monster Contemplates the Surf A framed, original drawing.
Peace Dots Keepsake Box A tiny embroidery.
Alien Flowers A tiny, framed embroidery.
The King & Queen of Hearts A tiny framed embroidery set.
And some to Etsy:
Vintage Mod Earrings
Feeling Green Bag A hand crocheted, hand stitched bag.
Vintage Fishing Design Cuff Links
I have also added items to "This Next?" Many of them are from Etsy or ArtFire shops, so stop by & take a look! One of your items may be there & while you're there take a look at the awesome finds from site users throughout. It's a great resource for shoppers & trend spotters!
I hope to have a new give away soon, so watch for it & watch for more mentions of other great shops & sites!
Take care,
SAM

Sam's Stuff Giveaway contest!

Hurray! I am hosting my very first give away! To enter, go to Sam's Stuff & select your favorite (or not so favorite) listing. Come back here & post your selection. The contest will be open through 6/15/09. on 6/17, I will randomly select a winner from all entries. To receive an extra entry, Tweet this giveaway or blog about it & let me know about the extra entry here, at "Random Stuff by SAM." This contest is open to all. The prize will be a Sam's Stuff headband. The winner can choose from any of the headbands on my site, all are hand crocheted, embroidered & hand stamped on repurposed fabric. This will come packaged with a free gift, just like the items from my shop! Make sure to leave contact info, so I can let you know if you're the winner!
Thanks for entering. I can't wait to hear from you! Have fun & good luck! SAM

How I create...

Describing the way I create is both incredibly simple & hopelessly complex. I'm terrible at documenting any process, mainly because it's all in my head & changes over time, whether I am creating 'art,' writing a story or an 'article' or creating a photo. Each type of work is kind of an evolution of thought & is created in layers, like my favorite childhood collages. The thought process is different for each item & while each piece generally remains true to the original idea, each takes me on an adventure all it's own.
With my jewelry, for example, I start with a piece, something that I've found (literally on the ground, at times) or an antique/vintage item that belonged to someone close & start adding to it's story, the story it dictates & the story that comes to mind in the process of creating. Many of these items have been passed down to me, over the years & are missing pieces. I give them a new story & hopefully a new life. It's the same with the other 'crafts,' like embroidery. I start with something, generally pre-existing & a story, then build until I have something new; told a new story, built on the original.
Photography & writing work in much the same way. I have an original, an idea & I, with the tools & materials at my disposal, layer & add to create something new, with it's own story to tell.I have never tried creating with music or film, but I would love to, someday. I would imagine that once I learned the language of these mediums, that the process, for me, would be the same.
Anyway, in general that is how it works for me. I love hearing & reading how others create, in whatever medium they might use. I have many biographies & books on the creative process, on individual artists, groups & movements. I find these endlessly fascinating. In what ways do you create? I'd love to hear.

"You should be happy..."

Hi again!
How's everyone doing?
I wanted to start off this time by talking about a phrase that I've been hearing a lot lately: "These days (in these economic times, right now...), you should just be happy you have a job, any job." On the surface, it looks like this is meant to encourage us to look on the bright side of things, be happy for what we have, not worry about striving or struggling over how we could be better off. Generally, this is probably how it's meant, by those who utter these types of catch phrases in a well intentioned attempt to make others feel good about themselves. What does this phrase really say to us, though & how does it often end up being used by the not so well intentioned? I have been finding, that all too often, this is a way to keep us from striving for something more. That we shouldn't look beyond where we are & try for something better suited. It is often used by those in charge as a way to keep employees in check. Don't step out of bounds, don't believe yourself worthy of that promotion (or better position elsewhere), don't question the questionable. There are too many others waiting to take your place (seemingly better suited, possibly friends, relatives or acquaintances, that those in charge would rather see succeed) to take the chance. It's too risky for you. Workplace abuse seems to be on the rise & economic fear is used to perpetuate & justify the practice. Employers don't have to be on their best behavior to attract or keep staff members, employees are too abundant. This is a sad & disheartening state of affairs, to me. Like I said above, I don't believe the everyone is this heartless only that this is a too huge of an opportunity for those that are.
So, that is that.
On to happier things...

This week I finished several new items for my shop:
1. a new framed embroidery featuring a dragon, peace symbol & yin yang symbol
2. a hand embroidered 3 button set featuring floral designs on a hand drawn card
3. a new headband featuring a dragon & a heart
4. the softie that I've been working on

I also started on a new messenger bag featuring a new embroidered character, along with the 'aliens' from 2 of my other bags!

The samsstuff sale continues through the end of March, check it out for one of a kinds gifts for yourself (!), friends, family or the home!
Mother's Day is fast approaching...Why not try samsstuff?
http://samsstuff.etsy.com