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)
  

Here Fishy, Fishy, Fishy!

Since Krissi is painting the day away, I went browsing on the interwebs and found these cute "Holy Mackerel" earrings by Anthropologie.com:

Cute, huh?  At $178, these critters are a little out of this kitty cat's price range, though.  Well now look at these fishbone earrings at a teensy fraction of the price in Arindelle's shop on Etsy.

Of course, I was looking for a snack, not earrings, but I figured y'all might think these were cute.

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.

New SKSoA Recipients!

Every now and then while I'm perusing the interwebs, something sparkly catches my little Skelekitty-eye and I purr with delight. Whenever this happens, I try to give recognition in the form of a link to said shiny thing and award the creator with the Skelekitty Stamp of Approval. Any blog or company who receives this ... err ... "award" is entitled to add the stamp to their website and they are added to my list of favorite sites.(actual cash value of SKSoA equal to less than 1/100th of a cent).


Today's inductees include Patrick Murillo, someone whose Day of the Dead paintings I've long admired and whom I was able to meet about a year ago. Since then, I am (and Krissi is too) proud to have him listed among our friends. Patrick just started an awesome new site called Mantastic Crafts which he describes as McGuyer-meets-Batman-meets-Survivor Man with a shot of Inspector Gadget. And yeah, even Gilligan pops up every now and then. Be sure to link over and bookmark it!

I was looking through my links to make sure my favorites were listed and realized today that, while I awarded an SKSoA to the Santa Clarita Craft Lab recently, I hadn't added them to my list. BAD KITTY! I'm fixing that today.

So, what I'm saying is .... stalk my friends (but do it nicely).

Skele-rubs,

SK

SK at the Santa Clarita Craft Lab Marketplace!

Sorry it's been so long since I blogged.

As you know, Krissi took me along with her on the 2009 Crafty Chica creativity cruise and we had a blast! She officially sold out of the supply of rubber stamps she had featuring yours truly, so I'm hoping she'll be reordering soon.... She also premiered her new line of Loteria cards (embellished with glitter and plain), which were a HUGE hit!


After the cruise, we stayed three extra days in beautiful San Diego with Fearless and Shuka and their people, Alisa and Ann, where, thanks mostly to the prodding of Ann and Alisa, Krissi pimped out my stamps to a few cool scrapbooking stores. She even carried on with the retail store pimpage once she got home, and we shall see what comes of it....


Then just the other day, she heard from our pal Cyndi of the Santa Clarita Craft Lab asking about carrying the Skelekitty stamps in her new "Market Place!" She wants to start bringing in some unique kits and supplies from indie crafters (no finished projects at this point) and I jumped all over it like ... well, like a skelecat on a skelemouse! Besides, we certainly fit the bill - you don't get much more "indie" than a girl with a sewing machine, a laptop and a skeleton cat.




For those of you who don't know about the Santa Clarita Craft Lab, it's an AWESOME place! They offer some fun mixed media classes that you just can't really find anywhere else. Take, for example, this class on embellishments called Counting Crows:

All of the classes there are taught by seriously creative and fun folks and it's amazing to see what the students create. Check out their current classes here.


So maybe you aren't into group classes and just need some time away from the house? You can rent some space and craft a Wednesday or Thursday away for only $15 (and that includes use of their ample collection of tools)! Here's a sampling of just some of what they have on hand:

• Cricut Expression Die Cut Machine
• Cuttlebug Die Cut Machine
• Sizzix Sidekick Die Cut Machine
• An Assortment of Dies
• 2 Sewing Machines
• Sewing Notions, Iron & Board
• Pasta Machine
• PolyClay/Craft Oven & Tools
• Xyron Sticker Maker
• Zutter "Bind-It-All" Binding System
• Heat Gun, Glue Guns, Fiskar Hand Drill
• Woodburning Tool
• Soldering Tools & Temp Control
• Paper Trimmers with Designer Blades
• An Assortment of Other Hand Held Tools
• Assortment of Punches
• The "Power Punch" Tool
• PLUS adhesives, papers, doo dads, embellishments, buttons, brads, eyelets, beads, ribbons, fibers, yarns, lace, trims, card stock, rubber stamps, inks, paints,brushes, & more!

In addition to all the cool toys ... err, I mean TOOLS, they also have a knitting/crochet lounge. DUDE, SERIOUSLY! A KNITTING/CROCHET LOUNGE!


Just look at all that hot pink.... Yummy.

Here's another idea: why not let Santa Clarita Craft Lab host your next birthday, mothers' (or fathers') day, graduation or office party? You bring the cake and the guests, and they take care of the private studio space & instruction, all crafting supplies, plates/forks/napkins, and soft drinks/juice/water.




If you're like me and live too far away for a regular visit, you can drop by the official blog and keep up to date on all the crafty news that's fit to print.

Of course, I'll let you know the very SECOND that Cyndi has the shelves stocked with the red rubber representations of my cute image. Until then, stay cool and skele-crafty!

SK

Oh, and YES, Cyndi and the Santa Clarita Craft Lab have DEFINITELY earned a Skelekitty Stamp of Approval for this one!

Blackmail

OK gang, so Krissi and I are off to San Diego for the Crafty Chica art cruise and then for a few extra days in the S.D. with some artsy friends Alisa and Ann.  That means I probably won't be posting much, if at all, until after the 22nd, but Krissi will Tweet from the ship for sure!  Until then, please enjoy some blackmail photos from Krissi's past - she refused to pack my catnip, so I'm making her "pay."

These photos also serve to answer the age-old question, why doesn't Krissi ever want to go out? (A: She used up all of her partying in her teens and twenties.)



P.S. Note to self: Yoli got flagged and searched by airport security for the "suspicious embellishments" in her carry-on; I'll be sure that Krissi packs the glitter in checked luggage.

Skelekitty Altered Domino Necklaces For Everyone

Howdy skelecats and skelekittens. Remember my recent post about the way cool altered domino necklace with my puss stamped on it that Krissi received from her pal Bekah?


Krissi's been wearing it just about everywhere and receiving tons o' compliments. Not only are folks admiring it, they're asking where they can get one of their own. Not wanting to disappoint, Bekah immediately whipped up about twenty more (with my skele-blessing in the form of a handshake license) and is in the process of listing them in her Etsy shop, Under The Tuscan Zen (it's free to shop!).  As of this writing, four of the pieces below are listed, but the rest will be up soon.

Prices range from $30 to just over $40, depending on whether you choose a hand-beaded necklace or a ribbon pendant.  All pieces are hand stamped, colored using high quality paints and inks and then sealed. I also happen to know that she will happily accept custom orders, so if you want the stamp from one necklace, with the colors from another and you want it with a pin-back, all you have to do is ask!

While you're over there, be sure to check out some of Bekah's other awesome pieces featuring hand stamped dominos, dichroic glass beads and wire work.