Showing posts with label bat. Show all posts
Showing posts with label bat. Show all posts

Friday, June 27, 2014

Papier Mache Bat with Donut

That damn bat just stole my donut.
Papier Mache Bat and Donut (blacklilypie.blogspot.com)
I just finished and listed this papier mache bat with a wire skeleton. The donut (and his feet) are hinged to his body, so it kind of swings back and forth.

Here are some process photos...
My super elaborate idea sketch. Hahaha.

Papier Mache Bat and Donut process shot (blacklilypie.blogspot.com)

I really should have taken one at the skeleton stage, but anyway...Here is his unpainted body when I was adding the feet. I Added another few layers of papier mache and then sanded it.

Papier Mache Bat and Donut painting shot (blacklilypie.blogspot.com)


Base coats.

Papier Mache Bat face painting shot (blacklilypie.blogspot.com)
I drew his face with a pigment liner then put a coat of white overtop for there is just a faint guide to paint from. 

Papier Mache Bat face painting shot (blacklilypie.blogspot.com)

I think this is almost the completed face. I used like, the tiniest brush I had, and then cut most of the bristles off to make it tinier. Then sealed it with varnish before doing the rest of the sculpture. 

bat wing painting resist shot (blacklilypie.blogspot.com)
The wings I gave a weird crack/resist effect. You only get one shot at it! Painting over a wet layer, so it kind of breaks and resists the paint as the bottom layer dries. Also because he is not flat I basically had to do each wing segment at a time so it wouldn't all run everywhere. Lots of interesting imperfections.

papier mache donut (blacklilypie.blogspot.com)

The donut looks pretty good in real life. Adding a few coats of gloss always helps food art. heh heh.

papier mache bat holding donut (blacklilypie.blogspot.com)
He hangs from an invisible wire that attached to his wing tops. I designed him to be viewable from all sides, so you could hang him from a ceiling.

Its always fun to make these papier mache work, but it takes FOREVERRRR because you have to wait for each coat of stuff to dry. Like,  this was hanging around for weeks. Turned out cute in the end though. He is here.

I want a donut.

Wednesday, May 29, 2013

Digital Downloads

I have had a second Etsy shop since 2009, it was a place for my sweeter creations. I sometimes make cute animal things, kid friendly things, and its kind of hard to showcase those type of items in a shop with my regular coffins and vampire items.


This year, I only had a few items in my cute store, so I decided to test out Etsy's new-ish feature that allows you to sell digital items. Like, knitting patterns, design work or printable/digital scrapbook items. I often get messages from people who want to use my work for other purposes (wedding invites, birthday cards, etc) so why not?

DON'T FREAK OUT. This stuff is pretty cutesy. Its just a sideline, its not a total personality shift or something, haha.


So for a few dollars, you can download a ZIP file of a bunch of high quality images for use in any of your personal projects. This was the first one I did. Its the closest to my regular colour preferences...You get a bunch of super clean PNG files with transparent backgrounds, repeating wallpapers, printable posters and also JPEG copies of everything.


I updated this older set of illustrations so they could be blown up large and still be smooth. I want a fox party!



See? Pretty kid friendly stuff. Not that I know anything about kids or being friendly... 


Lastly, I made a printable Bat Garland! 

A few different colour combinations of a nice bat, and printable pages with directions for cutting and stringing them.

Doing digital-only work has been a nice change. I think it gives me space between making physical items to relax and just work without struggling or problem solving too strenuously. 

My next post will have some of my less sweet work I have been updating my Redbubble with.



Thursday, February 4, 2010

Invisible threads

Here are some photos of one of the projects I have been working on lately...

heart mobile 2

Mobile with black sparkle hearts.

I have never had so much trouble photographing something. EVER! I mean, its made from INVISIBLE THREAD. And black sparkles are no picnic to photo either. Plus it spins and sways constantly. YEESH. Even though its terrible to capture, I am actually quite happy with it.  I have a mobile hanging in my kitchen (Its bats, from a Martha Stewart halloween project pattern) and I love it...

heart mobile 1

I haven't listed this in my Etsy shop yet, as I think it needs a new photo session, and I may as well wait until some of the other mobiles I am currently finishing up are ready to be photographed. 

There are sparkles on EVERYTHING!!

Friday, January 29, 2010

Messing around

Decided to start some new little projects today, as I wasn't feeling the paintings I had started.

bat shape

What could this black bat shape be for? hmmm?

I have been off to a slow start this year with completing projects. I start them then I hate them. Its so easy to get distracted. But when I am laying in bed thinking a project, and I can't stop and go to sleep, like I was last night, I know I am on the right track.

Oh, did you see my bobcat print? Its listed at blackforestcake. I think I see many more animal paintings in my future. I want to to do a wolf next. That will be challenging...

But right now, its Friday, and I have to go and play Mini Ninjas. (I spend a lot of time awwing over turning into foxes and raccoon dogs!)

Thursday, September 17, 2009

New black things...

New things in my shop this week...

glitter bat

Glittery bat! A hanging clay bat covered in the finest black glitter. He has little orange glitter eyes too. Black glitter is EVERYWHERE!

glitter coffin

Glittery Coffin! This little clay coffin has both silver and black glitter. Its really quite tiny in real life.


bad cat bookmark

And this new Bad Black Cat Bookmark. I had another black cat bookmark, but since that has been sent off to blackforestcake, I thought I needed another one. This one is a bit more of an evil little black cat. Not that black cats are ever evil. No. Never....

I have a few more things that I am editing photographs for too!

Thursday, September 25, 2008

Self indulgent.

Here is a post of useless things. I can post junk, its my blog.

I gots a cookie

One dorky pose, then its a blur of cookie devouring! Do not get between me and my icing sugar.

My dude likes to buy me presents when I reach milestones. (I know, awesome right?) He bought me the Hells Kitchen DS game so we can make fancy ass food in video game form while eating takeout onion rings.

Oh, so here is some stuff that is awesome.

I buy items.

#1-Martha Stewart. I already like her, but when Halloween comes around, I want her to adopt me. She just does halloween the way I wish the whole world did it. Its scary and elegant. She gets such good people to work at her magazine! The halloween room setups always look like I want my house to look like year round...

Look what I made! Its from the magazine, its a bat-mobile!! (Click for a tutorial) Gawd, I love it, and it was fun to make. I am never taking it down.

#2-Vampire related book. Enough said. Its almost read already, its not challenging reading. *snarf*

#3-AND philosophy The Haunted House set of yummy bath and shower gels!! OH MY FREAKING LORD I LOVE BLACK LICORICE! I died of happiness. Then the smell brought me back to life. I could drink the stuff. Also has a pumpkin spice and a caramel apple. Its really too adorable to exist.

Um, what else.

Oh right. As I stare down at my hot pink hands, I remember that I dyed my hair again, a nice intense fuchsia with a bit of black.

fake double

Its always so awesome the first few days, people stop me on the street to ask me about it, and kids eyeballs pop out. When I stop having pink hair, I know I will miss kids look of amazement when they realize that THEY could have pink hair if they wanted to. Its freaking sweet. And then the moms flash of panic is sweet too. haha.

So, work stuff...

The last page of my 10 page book (booklet?) is complete, and just the cover remains, which I may have professionally printed, we shall see. Its my big project that I pretend to work on when really I am cooking furiously with Gordon Ramsay on my DS. He hasn't even called a donkey yet in the game. I am disappointed. I am sure its coming.

Tuesday, September 16, 2008

Ladies, please stop swooping and biting!

The last of the bats...

Pink Sisters

These two are the last of the little batch of bats I made. I used different eyes than I usually do, and they are cute, but I don't think they are as cute a the smaller ones. It just doesn't fit my style as well. Back to beady eyes!

I have been having a heck of a time photographing things lately. I made a new huge lightbox, and since then I have been struggling. I think it might have to be scrapped. I think it blocks too much light, and then I have to digitally lighten photos to much. Life is so hard.

So now I am free to work on the book again, and also some other secret-y projects. Spray paint some stuff, paint other stuff, NOT sew ANYTHING, and then see Ghost Town this weekend and heart Ricky Gervais. Week is planned out.

Still haven't decided on a Halloween costume. I would say that panic mode is near. Must decide!!

Thursday, September 11, 2008

Dapper little dude.

One bat is ready!

Halloween Bat

He is ready and in the shop.

His brothers and sisters are in various unfinished forms, and he couldn't wait for them.

I think one or two of the other bats will have costumes or some sort of accessories, I'm not really sure until I finish their faces.

Have I mentioned I like Halloween? NO? I do.

Tuesday, May 27, 2008

Matting like Mad

Its really hard to deny that matting things makes them SO much better looking. I matted two tiny little paintings and they came out pretty cute.

Portrait in Purple

A little acrylic painting on watercolour paper. I haven't even listed it on Etsy yet (Update: Now its is)...I hope people out there like the messy acrylic edges as much as I do. Its funny how hard I work on that to make it look so accidental and random.

Batcat and the Night Pond

And a little Batcat painting. Batcat and the Night Pond. I don't know if I would even sell something like this if it wasn't matted. Its really strange how it changes from "Meh, its ok I guess" to "aww, its so cute!" as soon as I pop it in a mat. I might even try and make a print the exact same size to sell later on in the shop.

I still haven't finished photographing all my silk screened stuff. I am such a procrastinator!

Oh, and here is one more little addition to the shop. Its a little bat!
Pink Winged Bat
It was gloomy when I photographed this little guy, so the photos were kind of crappy, but he is really cute in real life. Yes, boy bats can have blush and pink wings. I don't think I will be making any bats for a while. So enjoy this little face while it lasts! :-)

Now, what else can I mat today? *Looks around* haha.

Monday, April 14, 2008

Can there be too much bat stuff?

Wow. I was totally lazy this weekend. I turned into a mushroom and hid from the sunlight.
Lazy Bat
Like this bat that should be out finding bugs to eat and seeing its bat friends, but instead he just hangs around and feels sleepy and bored...

The "in progress" bats were completed a few days ago, and I have been lazily posting them to my Etsy shop.
A lot of Stuffy Bats
Some of them are sold already. Bye!

And one little guy was the first item I added to my brand new iCraft shop! OOOH, new Canadian online craft site. I get so few Canadian buyers, I thought this might help me find a few more. I still wrestle with the term "craft" though. I think it still has a negative connotation to me. As in macaroni art. Also I hate it when people do crafts on TV and exclaim "Its so easy, anyone can do i!" No, only I can do it. WELL. hee hee.

I have one more bat I am working on, and an adventure in silk screening (which I really suck at.) But first I have to redye my hair pink. I have my priorities. haha

Monday, October 29, 2007

FREE for Halloweeeen

I am giving away FREE sets of Halloween pins with Etsy purchases on October 29th,30th and 31st!Head on over to my shop to check it out.

I am destroyed from my weekend of Halloween fun, it was worth it. :-) But even though my party is already over, I want to keep in the Halloween spirit. Boo!

Tuesday, October 23, 2007

I have a plan.

I started early this year working on Holiday season stuff. Its SO hard to not focus on Halloween (Because I love it SO much!) But I have been keeping myself busy planning and gathering and working on holiday stuff so as soon as November hits I am in business for Christmas!

So thats why its a bit quiet around here. I have things I am dying to post about but will have to wait until after Halloween!

For now, I will show you the last of the "Critter Love" sets I have made fro my shop. The bat!This is the fifth "love" set. Fox,rat,squirrel,raccoon and bat pretty much cover it. Why bat is last I will never really understand. it was one of those "DUH!" moments for me. Why wasn't bat FIRST? Ok, maybe second after Fox...

I have a new "Love" series taking shape in my head, and its not animals. OOOh!

Halloweeeen! Yeah! I am like a kid who can hardly wait! I already thought of a costume for next year. Hahaha.


***Post update!***

Ok, I lied. I added something new to the shop after I said I wouldn't...Hee hee. Fruit Bat!
Don't even try and touch that strawberry, he will nip your fingers right off!
Ok, NOW I am not adding anything else I am supposed to be hoarding...
:-)