Kitty Paintings on SALE and T-Shirt Announcement

Personally, I think Krissi has lost her mind.  Maybe it's just the fumes from the spray-fixative, but she has reduced the price of every single mixed-media painting in her shop.  I'm not kidding, even the larger paintings of ME, and she never puts these on sale!

Now she's telling me that she's STILL giving a free print with each of these pieces too!  *sigh*  Whatever.  I suppose if she wants to give away the store, I'm no-one to stand in the way.


Siren Song NOW ONLY $114.49
11x14x.75" pyrography, acrylic and mixed-media on cradled hardwood artist panel 
price reduced by $50 (was $164.49)

The 3/4" thick edges are painted gold and have lines from Alfred Lord Tennyson's poem "The Mermaid" transferred on them: "And if I should carol aloud, from aloft / All things that are forked, and horned, and soft / Would lean out from the hollow sphere of the sea, / All looking down for the love of me"



And these pieces spent the month of December in The Claude Gallery in New York! How exciting!

The Two Sides of Skelekitty NOW ONLY $224.49 for the pair
11x14x.75" pyrography, acrylic and mixed-media on cradled hardwood artist panels 
price reduced by $75 (was $299.49) & you get 2 free prints


The "angel" painting features images of stars & winged locks, and the swirling clouds and her wings are highlighted with ultra-fine archival iridescent art glitter. The "devil" painting has images of keys rising in the hellfire, which has been detailed with three colors (yellow, orange and red) of ultra-fine archival art glitter.



Now, at long last, we have enough kibble stashed away in the piggy bank to begin the great T-shirt adventure!

Krissi just needs to pull together the art and get worked into the schedule of the local artist/musician who will be burning the screens and making the shirts.  We should have pre-orders up in our shop within a week for those who want to be sure to get the size they want.  Keep an eye out for announcements!

A Great 2009 & More Kitty in 2010!

Thanks to the wonderful and inspirational San Smith and her posts on creating visual lists, Krissi did both a 2009 year-in-review and created goals for the coming year.   As you can see, I show up at the top of both lists.

ACCOMPLISHMENTS

1. broadened network and Skelekitty fan-base (facebook fan page, twitter, etc)
   
2. skelekitty.com (up and running)!
3. improved art techniques with practice
4. gallery shows outside of Sacramento and California
5. taught first classes (mixed-media classes at Santa Clarita Craft Lab)
6. helped build Abby's confidence (OK, so its not really a career accomplishment, but if you'd met this dog when we found her, you'd agree that this is worth noting)
7. Artfire.com shop open (Skelekitty & Friends)
8. accepted commissions (from friends)
9. accepted custom orders (from anyone)
10. took portrait class

• BONUS: STARTED MY ART JOURNAL

GOALS (the blank page is for our mid-year evaluation & reassessment)


Again, I'm right at the top of the list, but most importantly, with a recent gift and a sale today, Krissi is very close to accomplishing goal #2!

1. new Skelekitty rubber stamps 
2. (Skelekitty) tee shirts, make 'em, sell 'em
3. 3rd Saturday vendor show (with Juli Nocita - stamps, shirts, prints)
   
4. take figure drawing and/or additional portrait class
5. teach mixed-media at VOX Sacramento
6. get (art) into 3 or more new galleries
7. re-create www.krissisandvik.com
8. paint, sketch or write DAILY
9. make artfire.com shop self-sustaining
10. create on a larger scale (more paintings, larger sizes)

So.

What are YOUR accomplishments and goals?

Why, That Looks Just Like Me!

Remember my pal, Santana, who dressed up as Skelekitty for Halloween this year?

Look what she made for Krissi - it's ME, all decked out with some holiday spirit!  And let me say again, this little figurine was hand sculpted and hand painted by Santana herself.  Now THAT, my friends, is what we mean when we say "GIVE HANDMADE" for the holidays! 


She even hand delivered it in this super cool hand decorated, glittery (yay!) mini-tote. It's just the right size for a kitty toy and some catnip (just for medicinal purposes only, you know).



As always, if you have some Skelekitty fan art to share, please send pics and I'll post it.

Much Skele-love,

SK

Last Skelekitty Stamp of Approval of 2009

Anything I say about my final SKSoA recipient of the year will only dilute her awesomeness, so just check her out the super cute, Jack Russell Terror loving, pink wearing, B-Movie watching, tiki cocktail drinking, subversive embroidering, retro, craftiness of Pam Pedersen yourself.

You will SO thank me!


Blog - Faster KittyKill! Blog! Blog!
and
KittyKill's photos on Flickr


I'm giddy just thinking about hitting the "publish post" button.

Oh, and if you have any SKSoA nominees for 2010, please drop me a note and let me know, won't ya?

Friend Prices on Rubber Stamps

Yep, I've completely lost my little kitty mind.

I think that these little red rubber babies will make SUCH great stocking stuffers** that I'm offering "Friend Prices" to everyone on the Skelekitty rubber stamps in stock.  "Friend Prices" means you get 20% off  every single stamp you purchase before midnight on Friday (Krissi usually only offers 10% off when you purchase 4 or more - shhh!  Don't tell!).

Our cyber Monday 20% off deal has also been extended through Friday or until the stamps are gone (and the stock is runnin' mighty low, too)!

Just use coupon code "CYBER09" at checkout, and enjoy your new stamps.

Oh, and don't forget about the Buy-One, Get-One deals on all of my prints through the end of the year!  They're selling like hotcakes, so get 'em while the gettin's good!

** And no, you don't have to give them away - keep them for yourself and make your own unique holiday gift tags!

Holideals on ArtFire

Because I love my fans SO much for the support they've given over the past year, everything in the Skelekitty & Friends shop is a "Holideal" through the end of 2009.

Check out the shop for BOGOs, coupons and free gifts with purchase. Artfire has even flagged our photos so you can spot the deals at a glance.  The details for each "holideal" are in the description of the item - just look for the heading, 
♥ ♥ARTFIRE ♥ LOVE!♥ ♥
in my listings.

And remember, whether your make it yourself or purchase it from another indie vendor, please give something unique, personal and handmade this holiday season.

Too many prints!

That's right kids. Krissi and I have some "extra" prints on hand here at La Casa de Kitty and we just hate to see 'em sitting around without anywhere to be this close to the most skellified holidays of the year!

Therefore, if you buy ANY print from my Artfire store today or tomorrow, you can choose a free print from this pile! Just use the coupon code PRINT2FER at checkout and you'll have two skellicious prints in time to add to your All Hallow's Eve decor or to place on your Dia de los Muertos shrine!

No kidding though - the coupon expires at the end of the day on Saturday!

Skelekitty as a Fitness Model!

My square for Body Tribe - Chalk It Up to Sacramento '09
Originally uploaded by Skelekitty (Krissi Sandvik)

I made my debut as the representative for Body Tribe, Krissi's favorite gym / art gallery / dog park. I had a complete BLAST participating as a chalk artist in my very first Chalk-It-Up to Sacramento fundraiser, a non-profit organization dedicated to funding children's art in our region. Check out the rest of the photos from Saturday.

I had tons of fun, despite Krissi's initial nervousness, having NEVER worked in the "chalk on sidewalk" medium. However, our sidewalk neighbor and new pal, Emily Elders, sure helped to get her drawing and kept us laughing all day long. Thanks to Darby Flynn for all the work she did (and for "volunteering" my services), to Body Tribe for letting us represent them and, most especially, to Krissi's long-suffering husband Ron for shuttling us around and lugging stuff across Fremont park (several times).

Yours Truly on Crafty Chica's Inspiration Friday

Guess WHO was featured on Kathy "Crafty Chica" Cano-Murillo's blog today?? She even "outed" Krissi (about her unnatural relationship with glitter).

Diary of a Crafty Chica: INSPIRATION FRIDAY: Skelekitty!


I've noticed a new kitty on the crafting scene - and she literally is...a kitty! This friendly feline has her own web site, a blog and gobs of personality. I was recently able to grab hold of her and ask her a few questions before she sprang out of my hands to go back to her owner's art room. Can you say finicky? By the way, her owner is the talented Krissi Sandvik.

CraftyChica.com: Tell me how you came to be, Miss Skelekitty? Did you get shortchanged from your nine lives?

Skelekitty: Heck no, my nine lives are just beginning! I was introduced to the world in the summer of 2006 when Krissi donated the very first Skelekitty piece a local kitty rescue's annual fundraising auction. Krissi has always loved animals and became fascinated with the Day of the Dead celebration when she lived in San Francisco's Mission District. She thought the spirit of Dia de los Muertos (that is, celebrating the lives of loved ones) fit in perfectly with a kitty adoption organization. Pretty soon, people started asking to see me in more art, so Krissi created a whole line featuring me and my skelecritter pals called Skelekitty and Friends.


Q: And now you are a rockstar kitty - you have a line of stamps in your likeness! Tell me, how did you decide on the poses for the stamps? Did you get final say?

A: Well of COURSE I have final approval on all of my images - I'm a kitty who's definitely not shy about speaking her mind! The stamps were chosen by the nice lady who runs Stampa Fe art stamps in Santa Fe, New Mexico - she picked her four favorites to start off with. The response to the stamps has been so positive, you may be seeing some brand new Skelekitty stamps (and maybe some other skelecritters) soon.


Q: Tell me about your owner, I hear she is very crafty!

A: She sure is - she's always gluing something to something else and started Sacramento's coolest FREE craft night, Scary CRAFT's Night of the Creators. Even her MAIL is crafty! Here is a tutorial!

In addition to her paintings, she makes quilts, reconstructed clothing, shrines, jewelry. Krissi has always loved language and writing and has started to play with photography too! She especially enjoys a challenge where she has create outside of her comfort zone.

Q: How does having a pet helps a person's creativity?

A: Animals are wonderful muses because they are so loving and funny. One of the most popular pieces was inspired by a hungry kitty rubbing against her human's legs when they come home at night.

The antics of Krissi's kitties and dog are often the inspiration for paintings. Anyone who has ever lived with a cat or dog (or small children) will be able to relate to "The Two Sides of Skelekitty."
Q: Will you share your favorite pieces by your owner and how she made them - I'm sure you sat and watched every moment of their creation, right?

A: I imagine everyone expects the portraits of me are my favorites, but they'd be wrong! Like Krissi, my favorite pieces tend to be ones where she experimented by using her favorite imagery within a not-typically-Krissi themes. Painting The Roses Red, which was created for an Alice in Wonderland themed show, is a good example.


I also like the pieces she makes with a real sense of irony, like her "Diet Shrine" art quilt.

Krissi Sandvik. I must share that she told me she never was a fan of glitter until she went on the Crafty Chica cruise and became converted. I think this picture proves that! Krissi is a mixed media artist based out of Sacramento, CA. Visit her blog to see more of her work at http://www.krissisandvik.blogspot.com/

Would you like to submit an article for Inspiration Friday? Click HERE for the guidelines. -SUBMIT your piece with INSPIRATION FRIDAY in the subject line and email to kathy[at]craftychica[dot]com


Peace, love, and glitter!
Kathy :-)

My First Fan Art!

Skelekitty Dharma Station
Originally uploaded by Skelekitty (Krissi Sandvik)

A long-time friend of Krissi's, Denise, who is a fan of both LOST and Skelekitty (that would be me), suggested mixing together images from the show and of me for her next piece of art. Well before even a sketch could be done over here, look what Denise e-mailed us!

Hmmmm....  I wonder what kind of goings-on would happen at The Dharma Initiative's "Skelekitty Station."





This first piece of Skelekitty fan art DEFINITELY earns Denise a Skelekitty Stamp of Approval.


Now I'm just waiting for that first Skelekitty fan tattoo!

Skelekitty & Friends' Shop is Now Open on Etsy

Hey there skelecats and skelekittens - I finally got around to opening up my very own shop on Etsy called "Skelekitty and Friends." Although Krissi will continue to carry prints & merchandise of me and my friends in her store, my online store will be your ultimate one-stop skelecritter shop!

I worked yesterday afternoon to post the most popular skelecritter prints ($16 each), and some are even available with custom hand embellishments ($25 each). Shipping is free on your second print (up to five), and be sure to ask about a discount on multiple print/card purchases, too.

I'm photographing and posting more original art - it just takes me a little more time than it takes you humans on accounta my lack of thumbs. Not only are existing pieces still going up on the site, but Krissi is busy working on two new paintings already - I think she's taking advantage of how fast-drying acrylic paints are in this weather.

HEY KIDS!!!! IT'S A GIVEAWAY!!!!!!!

In the meantime, head over to Etsy (where it's free to register and shop) and add my shop to your favorites and you will be entered into a drawing to win an embellished print of the Angel Kitty from Love Cats:I'll choose the winner next Friday, July 24th from those who publicly "♥" my shop (yeah, that means you secret admirers won't be entered, so ya gotta 'fess up!).

I hope you've got something hip and cool planned for the upcoming midsummer weekend. I'll probably just put my paws up, grab a cold drink and snooze, occasionally checking into see how many people "love" me! (skele-kidding).

Summer skele-love,

SK

Dirty Dog of A Pirate!

Look!  It's another "jolly roger" inspired painting featuring one of my Skelefriends!  

Krissi painted this little custom acrylic on wood for her friend Hezekiah of his beloved Weimaraner, Logan, complete with "happy ears."

Since she doesn't do as many skele-dog paintings as she does of me (which is exactly as it should be), Krissi has made slightly altered prints that are now available in her Etsy shop.  As with all of her 8x10" prints, you can get them as-is or hand embellished. 

Oh, and speaking of Etsy, I want to open up my own shop over there, but someone who has never had a single has taken my name!  (insert gasp of horror here)   So what do you think I should call my shop?  "Skelekitty N Friends" maybe?  Or do I just give up on Etsy and try another online shopping site?  We'd love to hear your feedback.

We hope you enjoy the new doggie painting.  Who knows what critters or images will show up in the next "jolly roger" painting?

I lied

I lied
Originally uploaded by Skelekitty (Krissi Sandvik)

NOW it's finished.

AND the layers upon layers (upon layers) of gel medium & glazing liquid / paint have dried so the "cloudiness" that was apparent in the in progress photos is finally gone.

"Poison" is an 8x10" acrylic on wood painting and is priced to sell at only $50 (plus CA sales tax - if you're in CA, and $7 shipping/insurance).

I've already had several inquiries, but as of this posting, this lovely little "Jolly Roger" version of your favorite, feisty skeleton kitty is still available.

A little low on scratch? Worry not. Prints are also available for an even better price of $16 each (and if you purchase more than one print, shipping on the rest -up to 5- is FREE!)

In a New Medium: Chalk!

It looks like yours truly will be making her very first skel-appearance at Sacramento's long-running sidewalk chalk art festival, Chalk-It-Up! To Sacramento on Labor Day weekend 2009.  The Chalk-It-Up! To Sacramento festival started 19 years ago, and was one of the very first "Sacramento things" Krissi and Ron did when they moved here in 2000.  Now here we are almost 10 years later and she'll be one of the artists.  Let's not lose focus here, though, since *I* will be the one immortalized in sidewalk chalk. Oh, wait a minute, maybe that's not so immortal after all.....

In any event, Krissi will be representing Body Tribe Fitness and wanted me to ask you what you think I should be doing to best represent this unusual midtown gym and its physical subculture.  All ideas are welcome!

xoxo

SK

Krissi's Mixed-Media Class This Friday

That's right hep cats and kittens!  We're heading southward to teach "Hearts of Fire," a class detailing two of Krissi's favorite mixed-media techniques - color layering and using image transfers - at the Santa Clarita Craft Lab this Friday night, June 19th from 7pm to 10pm.



All supplies are included in the totally affordable $40 class fee, which means you get to use Krissi's own personal (i.e., well loved) stash of paints, pencils, mediums and images.  Of course, all students are encouraged to bring their favorite inkjet/photocopied images, rubber stamps and ephemera.

Two more spots were opened up this week since it was such a popular class!  There are currently three seats available, and I have NO idea when we'll be able to travel down to offer this again. Oh, and did I mention that we're "raffling off" a tote-bag-o-crafting-goodness?  IT'S TRUE!  Krissi has been collecting all kinds of goodies on her travels and decided that it's time to spread the craft wealth.

Just check out all these fun things we've been hoarding!  Now they can be yours (IF you're in the class, that is)!

So if you want to hang out with the cool kids for an evening (there's me, of course - but in addition to the super creative Santa Clarita Craft Lab staff, we have Cesco and Annette Armas joining us!), maybe win some craft supplies, and definitely learn some great art techniques in the process, give Cyndi at Santa Clarita Craft Lab a call at 661-255-7526 and sign up before we fill up!

I'll see you all next week with lots of photos and an update after my whirlwind tour of Southern CA.

Happy skele-creating!

Classy Kitty in So. Cal.

Hi everyone! I wanted to let y'all know that Krissi will be teaching some of the layering, shading and image transfer techniques (as seen in Angel/Devil Skelekitty and "Siren Song" )on June 19th in So. Cal. at the Santa Clarita Craft Lab.

The collage project is a simple stylized heart with wings and a crown, but there are so many different ways to layer the elements that everyone's should look very different!

Here is a picture of the two samples Krissi made using the same box of supplies and identical techniques.  One is brightly colored and the other has a "steampunk" feel to it (complete with a moving spinner).


Wanna sign up?  The class is $40 per student and includes all supplies. Class size is limited to 10 lucky creative-types (and we already have three signed up without listing or advertising yet!).

Go to santaclaritacraftlab.com and sign up for their newsletter to receive the June calendar, or just contact them (Tuesday through Sunday) to reserve your spot today! Be sure to join their facebook page and read their blog for more information too.

Oh, and if you're on facebook, did you know I have my very own page?  Well, I do (so become a fan already!).

Skele-purrs,

SK

New SKSoA Recipient: Oblinaknit!

I became aware of Oblinaknit during late April when Krissi started participating in the facebook DaVinci Mode 30-day creative challenge (thank you Stacy McQueen, THE Craft Whore for starting that challenge!).



Amy's creativity is seemingly unending - she knits, creates beautiful jewelry, sews adorable wristlet pouches and is just a darn funny and mighty supportive chica. Oh, and she loves cats - which is reason enough to award her the coveted (not really) Skelekitty Stamp o' Approval!


I hope you'll check out the various places on the interwebs where you can find Amy, her kitties and her creations.

• Oblinaknit page on facebook
• Oblinaknit Etsy shop
• Oblinaknit blog
• Oblinaknit on Twitter
• and Oblinaknit.com (of course)
  

Skelekitty Uncovered!

This weekend, Krissi's first new depictions of yours truly in almost two years will make their debut at Side Show Studios' "Women Uncovered" show.




These two 11x14" original mixed-media paintings on wood will be going together as a set ($250 for both). However, Side Show Studios will also have some unframed prints of these babies on hand for a mere $15 each.

We hope to see you at the opening reception this Saturday with some Scary-Art Collective favorites like Broken Toyland & Jill Allyn, and crafting pals like Sacred Yoli & Evie's Ark.  However, it's a wonderful chance to see great art by newcomers to the show scene like Emma Rebekah Norris - I've featured her official Skelekitty altered domino jewelry, but just wait until you get a look at her mixed-media and assemblage pieces!This is definitely a must see show.

Opening reception: Saturday, May 9, 2009 from 6-10pm

Our May show focuses on new, rarely shown, and obscure female artists. Never before seen artists will stand side-by-side with well-known, but rarely seen artists to celebrate the strength and power of women. From subtle landscape paintings to bright abstract depictions of life, the works in this
all-female exhibition are as diverse and interesting as the artists themselves. Join us to celebrate the achievements and creativity of today's female artists!

Featured artists include: Alison Monk, Amy Fort, Broken Toyland, Cate Schmiedt, Char Hall, Cy Wylie, Darcy Dick, Dy Martin, Emma Rebekah Norris, errin lacy, Evie Turner, Gem Platte, Jacquelyn Bond, Jenvy Fox, Jill Allyn Stafford, Kanika Marshall, Karin Faringer, Kelly Croisdale, Kim Brownell, Krissi Sandvik, Larissa Tessler, Linda Nunes, Lori Ann Delappe-Grondin, Margaret Teichert, Michelle Cordova, Nicole Fox, Rachel McPherson, Robyn Slakey, Sandra O'Ben Rauch, Silly Girl Design, Summer Maddux, Tiffany Valdez, Yoli Manzo, and many more!

The art will be on display daily from 10am - 10pm through June 6, 2009.

Side Show Studios
5635 Freeport Boulevard, Suite 6, Sacramento, CA 95822
(916) 391-6400
www.sideshowstudios.net
sideshowstudios@yahoo.com

Progress (and a missing detail)

OK!! These two paintings are coming along quite nicely...





But, umm... Krissi? Where is my TAIL?? Get on that, would ya?

Sneak Peek!

Don't forget to link over to Krissi's blog and enter her "How do you break the rules?" contest! You could win a set of six embellished cards - contest ends next week!

That is all.