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 :-)

What's Your Poison?

I'm not really into licensing out my little kitty face that much, not because I don't want to ('cause we know how self-centered I am - I'm a CAT after all!), but because the "big" thing hasn't really come along yet. However, I do like to get involved with the handmade community whenever I can - hence the licensing of my cute little mug to Stampa Fe for rubber stamps. But did you know that I also have agreements in place with a few of my favorite artists, allowing them to make and sell official Skelekitty merchandise? Yep. It is the truth.

I'm very excited to tell you about a brand spanking new joint venture with the lovely and gifted Kit Cameo, blogger, writer, cat-lover, geekery aficionado artist and friend.

We've collaborated on a project / product that involves this image of me, some bar ware and Kit's not inconsiderable gift for etching, all of which resulted in "Skelekitty Poison Shot Glasses."

Now you can "name your poison" and drink it too (silly kitty).

7/30/09 - UPDATE!! Well, the first two etched shot glasses have been sold! However, if you're dying to have one (or more), contact Kit.  You should also check out her other wares in her ArtFire studio and Etsy shop.

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!)

"Poison" is finished!

Skelekitty "Poison" is finished!
Originally uploaded by Skelekitty (Krissi Sandvik)

It's an 8x10 acrylic on wood with a high gloss finish (satin finish on skull/bones).

It's not perfectly dry yet, so the transparency will improve a bit - better photo coming in a day or two.

Promise

Another Store With Skelekitty Stamps!

While Krissi and Ron were away on their semi-working trip / vacation, they stopped into the rubber stamp store called "Paws on Main" in Cambria, CA (famous for its location just south of Hearst Castle and for being the town where Arachnaphobia was filmed). Krissi came home with quite a few new stampy goodies and replenished her almost-empty Stickles in "Orange Peel" while she was at it.



While Krissi was all deer-in-the-headlights at the stamps, inks and other good stuff, Ron, as usual, was talking me up to the owner of the store. Karen (that's the owner) immediately got excited upon hearing that rubber stamps of a retro-ish Day of the Dead kitty cat (1) actually existed and (2) could be ordered wholesale for her shop. About 2 days later, I received an e-mail from Lee at Stampa Fe telling me that she was packing up an order to go out to Paws on Main! WOO HOO!

So, if you're on California's central coast, stop by Cambria and tell Karen at Paws on Main howdy (she's super nice) and help keep this kitty in skele-kibble by getting yourself AT LEAST one of those rubber stamps, would ya?

All of the above goes DOUBLE for Cyndi of Santa Clarita Craft Lab who was the very first small business to carry my stamps.

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!