temper-temper-temperature

I found a sketchbook and started working in it again a few weeks ago. The cover says "Peeves" and it's made out of the Perspectives magazine. (Thanks, Ringling!) I never notice my dependency on the color yellow until it's staring me right in the face. It's a sunny color. Very apt for a California winter, I guess.

Figure drawings from work (which has been suspended until 2012), and the text in the third is from A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius, which I completely ripped apart for an altered book only because it was thick and had a long title. Pieces of it's insides will show up now and again in lots of things. There's also weird diagrams and things inside, which I collect all magpie-like.

But I'll tell you, dear reader, it sure feels good to be working again. There were weeks (months?) that I was writing a lot, a lot, but not drawing, or making monsters, or doing anything with my hands other than typing on the ol' computer. Now I'm trying to balance things again, but who knows how long that will last, since winter is always that part of the year I hate the most and have a tendency to drop off the side of the world.

In an unrelated note: Did you know Iggy Pop does the backing vocals in Rolodex Propaganda? Go listen to it. I'll wait. ............Yeah! That's totally him! He's amazing! Don't you just want to high five that dude? Yeah, I know! Me, too! Iggy Pop is the coolest. Remember when he was on Pete & Pete? Crazy.

love a good ramble in the morning

Ha! So! I look very tired, no? It's because (sadly? Not sadly? I honestly cannot tell if this is sad or totally normal) I've been staying up late (for me that's around midnight-1am) to play Dragon Age. To play through it. Okay, twice. Because it's awesome. If you haven't played it, it's awesome. Typical fantasy RPG killing-is-totes-hip-guys type murder spree with lots of chatty-chat. And because I wanted to be Queen, and you can't do that if you're an Elf because everyone is RACIST in the game, I had to re-play as a human. SO, 70+ hours later, here I am. Tired. But very satisfied. And about 4 hours into the expansion because I just cannot help myself. Also, QUEEN.

But you might be wondering: why does she look like a ghoul if she's just getting 5-6 hours of sleep a night? BECAUSE I AM PART BEAR, MY FRIEND. Fun fact: My mother was a grizzly bear that escaped Yellowstone National Park in spring of 1983. She met my father, who is human, I assure you, and fell in love (YES BEARS CAN DO THAT) and two years later they had me. I totally look human, but I require 9-10 hours of solid sleep per day, otherwise my load bar simply does not load. It's like 70%, and you're tapping the computer and going "why in the hell won't Hot Tub Time Machine fucking work. This is shit."

So, in conclusion, this could basically be a snapshot of me today. (My shirt is even green.) But it isn't, BECAUSE I DREW IT. Mmhmm. Yes.

monsters in your pocket

These are some monster designs I've done recently for these needle-felted monsters (see below) I'm making for Patchwork in Long Beach next month and Comic-Con in July. I think they're pretty great, and they make me so happy I want to clap my hands. Yes! So, if you're at either of those conventions, you should purchase one of my fellas. BECAUSE THEY'RE AWESOME. (In my opinion.)



Fun fact: "Holla" is a frequently used label for my posts. Yes.

self-potrait style

I've been doodling self-portraits in between projects at work, so here's a few. And by few, I mean 2.

felt fud free-for-all

After a long busy period, and a long dormant I-just-want-to-watch-tv-when-I-get-home-damnit period, I'm back to making new stuff for the shop! Check out Super Happy Breakfast Set, My Bestest Donut Friend, and Carrot Friends in Felt right around here somewhere.

Also! If you so desire, you may use this coupon code "JUSTCUZ" in my shop, and save 10% on everything! Just enter JUSTCUZ when you checkout, and bam, saving money, because you know, the economy and blah blah.

LAS VEGAS and Calico Ghost Town

Las Vegas is basically a big gift shop that lights up. It's fun, but intense. Unless you plan on getting drunk, gambling, or seeing one of the 50 friggin' Cirque Du So-laaaay shows they have there, it's just... a lot of walking and a lot of people DOING the above things. And the food is expensive.







The Luxor is pretty cool, and despite it's tackiness, Excaliber has just about everything (except snow globes. Ahem.) Basically if you want any sort of souvenir, go to New York New York. They also have a really fun, but super janky (and also expensive) roller coaster outside.



----
Calico, on the other hand, is the exact opposite. It's slow paced... There's not a lot of people running around boozing it up... It's a ghost town. A few hundred years ago, Calico was home to over 80 families, and a thriving silver mine. Now 8 people live there full time.

Walter Knott, of Knott's Berry Farm fame, bought the town a few decades ago, fixed it up, and turned it into a tourist trap, but a surprisingly fun one. (It's now owned by the city of Yermo, I believe, who has the most incompetant firefighters I've ever encountered in my life. THEY DON'T CARRY BAND-AIDS. ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!)

Anywho. Here's some of our finer (mis)adventures there.




They also had a sweet gift shop filled with dinosaur stuff. I thought Justin was going to freak out.


Like old-timey photobooths, automated fortune tellers are a big weakness of mine. I know they're totally goofy, but I cannot seem to help myself. Plus, it's only 25 cents! And he talks!



This is the creepiest photo I've ever had taken. I think I'm gonna make it my facebook picture.




Nearing the end of our time at Calico, I fell down a hill and scraped up my arm pretty bad. You can't tell here because it's both covered in hill dust, and the scratches haven't scabbed up yet. The firefighters/first aid people gave me some wet gauze because "it wasn't that bad"- IT STILL HASN'T FULLY HEALED 3 WEEKS LATER. Ugh. Yermo sucks.

But anyway, after Calico we came home to Culver, and since have had many more adventures. Pictures from those soon, and a new deer girl, and a new bunny girl, too! I've been busy!

super owly mania + More to Love

All three of these super plushie pals are up in the store, so check 'em out! First is Pug, then Bim, and then the fabulous Pumpkin!





Also, is anyone watching More to Love? Because it's awesome in it's complete horrible-ness! I know that's mean, but whatever. Some of these girls are turbo pathetic, and it has nothing to do with their weight. Also, she's a model. Right.

crammed weekend for plush making

These are my entries for the show in June, since I'm sending them off pretty soon. That's a cat sidekick, bear hero, princess bunny, and EVIL UNICORN. I like his pants. I'm sending along some stickers and business cards they can pop into goody bags, and use for promotion. I can't wait to see the show, it's going to be a bonanza'o'awesome. (I included the last picture to show scale- these are a bit bigger than my usual fare. Plus, this is my first successful pair of pants.)