It's hot. 90 degrees today. The last few years Western Pennsylvania seems to have skipped spring all together and gone from the biter cold of winter straight into summer. As much as I love the heat, I have started to miss springtime. Those few lovely weeks of hoodie weather and the slow steady warm up. Now it's coming home to immediately strip off my clothes and put on the bare minimum to manage dinner and errands.

I've been feeling creative lately, one perks of long warm evenings and the house to myself. I completed an 8x10 piece of Jason Voorhees... I'm going to go through some progress shots to show how the pieces develop.





The layout.



White wash background w/ first round shadowing overlay.



Finished pieced.

Then I started the smaller Michael Myers...



The start.



Midway progress.


I use mostly Copic markers for my shading, a watered down acrylic white wash for the base, and Micron pens for detail/outline work. If the Halloween piece comes out as well as I'm feeling it will I'm going to do a whole series. I love horror and want to be able to convey that through my organic sketches.

Oh, so here we are. It's Thursday and I ditched work because of my allergies. I'm in my 30's and this is the first time I've ever had allergies. I don't know how that happens but it's bunk. I'm rocking the itchy eyes, sore tickled throat, and stuffy head.

It's a good look for me. I've spent the majority of my day just like this...

Whatta' waste of a beautiful day. I need a massage and some whiskey to even things out.

I recently got a new position at my health insurance gig. I couldn't be happier. I knew the amount of stress my old position put me under, but I don't think I realized the full extent of the pressure I was under until I was out from under it. I'm happier, less stressed out, and so much more myself again. I missed feeling like Nix.

I'm starting to consider new approaches to making art and sewing. Looking into new ventures to express myself with drawing and fiber art/sewing.



I want to revamp these little plush Zomb-mes as well as working on some bags and skirts to sell.



I'm off to work on a drawing for trade and try not to scratch my eyes out.

I've been absent. I disappeared into a busy few months. Sewing. Work. Hibernation.

This is the long stretch of winter that I hate the most. The novelty of scarves and snow and nights with multiple heavy blankets has long since worn off for me. I'm ready for open windows, cut off jean shorts, and margaritas.

I miss the sun so badly.

New Years came and went in a champagne haze. There is little else I love like drinking it right from the bottle, especially during frenzied dance party. Since then it's the ho-hum of back to work and cold Pittsburgh winter. Icy sidewalks, puffs of exhalation over everyone's bowed heads, and hurried steps. None of the long leisurely walks and laying about outside in the park or by the river that I love so much.

The only perk to the Steel City's long frosty winter is all the sewing I can get done. A blanket across my lap and whatever hand sewing project I'm working on perched on top of it. Right now it's a sexy three way between my little Pierogie-pins up there ^^^^, a pair of Valentine's custom Zomb-me's I sold in my Etsy store, and a badass backpatch I'm embroidering for a denim vest of mine.



It's very very busy in my lap right now. Now if I could not get this lap to be the other kind of busy and I'd be set. Me-ow.

Truth be told, I miss the feeling of a community. I remember in the way back when utilizing websites like Open Diary or Livejournal to write and meeting a community of people from my writing. In the age of the stand alone blog/website and sites like MySpace/Twitter/Facebook that sense of community went away for me. I wasn't really meeting new people and sharing well thought out ideas anymore. It became instant gratification through status updates about what you're having for dinner and 140 characters of complaining about the weather.

I purchased this SG yearly account as a Gift-mas gift for my boyfriend (and myself) as we are both huge fans of beautiful naked women (and I don't think either of us could wait to see Radeo or Phecda and their full sets any longer). I know we'll both have to charge the iPad much much more often now, but I don't think I realized how much of society existed within this Mecca of gorgeous nude women. I've already found groups I'm extremely interested in contributing to and a number of creative, smart, and hilariously like minded people I want to interact with.

I'm thrilled. I'm tickled even. I can feel my creative (and not just the creative) juices flowing already. Thanks for existing, SG.