Funky, Punky, and Plump

Filling in the blanks

2011-11-25T13:52:00.001-05:00

I've seen this floating around so I thought I'd give it a shot, too! :)

I am weird because...

I make sprinkles dance on a plate to rave music in my head
I only eat one food at a time from my plate
I will not eat blue food or candy and drink blue drinks
I have to sit in a booth or with my back to a wall in a restaurant
I rarely wear socks because when I do, I lose them in various rooms around the house and not realize it
I always take my shoes off at my desk at work

I am a good friend because...

I listen without judging or giving advice (unless asked)
I don't tell others anything you told me
If you are feeling down, I will make you laugh
If you aren't feeling down, I will make you laugh
I am always available to lend an ear or shoulder
I'm willing to go on most adventures

I am a bad friend because...

I am bad at keeping in touch for fear I am intruding on your life
I am not always available for the adventures you dream up
If all you have to offer me is stress and drama, I will eventually end the friendship
I don't always share my personal feelings unless they are positive ones but I am learning to open up more

I am sad because...

I do not get to see my sister and her family more often
Someone I care about is dying and wants nothing to do with me
People can be so closed minded

I am happy because...

I am. :)
I spent a wonderful day with friends yesterday
I just watched Glee
I have pink stars all around me
I realized I have nothing planned for Saturday
The tater tots were fresh at lunch
I just got a custom group order from 3 people in Austria
The Smurf movie comes out on DVD Dec. 2
The Muppet movie just came out in theatres
The neckline of my shirt makes me feel like a ballerina
I have a rave beat going on in my head
My co-worker's heated up leftovers smell really good
I am a unicorn
I could go on and on and on and on and... well, you get the idea :) A lot of things make me happy.

I am excited for...

Meeting a friend at my favorite coffee shop after work and having a banana smoothie
Having a day of relaxation for a change on Saturday
Seeing another group of friends for games and Chinese food on Sunday
My husband's birthday
The holiday season this year
Seeing what 2012 holds in store

Thick Threads/Fat Girl Art Giveaway!

2011-11-16T12:21:00.001-05:00

Omg...omg...omg... I was asked to co-host a giveaway over at the Thick Threads blog. Go visit this awesome blog and follow the instructions to get something free from me! :)

http://thickthreads.blogspot.com/2011/11/blogaversary-giveaway-with-fat-girl.html

You will get your choice of one of the following designs as either a ring or necklace.

I support MiniGasms

2011-10-22T12:31:00.000-04:00

Hey, all! I know it's been a while since the last post. Things were just so busy with RevFest and my sister's wedding that I just haven't had much to post about.

However, I thought I would help a friend out by telling you about a project she is working on called MiniGasms. :) I love being able to support artists in anyway I can and with Kickstarter, even $1 helps. She has just 39 days left to raise $3933 more dollars for this to go through.

Here is more information in her own words:

The Concept:

Adult Fiction in a Flash - A collection of super short erotic tales that lets you get right into the action.
Well written Adult Fiction that will keep you entertained without insulting your intelligence.
Topics that are varied, diverse and sometimes taboo to keep things fresh, new and exciting.
Several contributing authors who are just coming out. They are full of ideas and raring to show off their talent.

The Format:

25 adult themed stories.
Each story will have 1000 words or less giving you a concise, but well written scene.
Each story will have a tasteful drawing to help you set the mood.

Book Information:

Release date is scheduled for January 2012.
To be released in both print and Ebook formats.

MiniGasms Needs YOU!

Funding for this project will run now through November 2011!
Through Kickstarter you can join this project for as little as $1 and get something for your money (Books, T-Shirts, Naughty Cards and so much more) – Plus, you'll be part of a climactic new beginning!
Kickstarter is all or nothing so if the funding goal is not met then MiniGasms gets nothing!… MiniGasms is too good of an idea to lie flaccid –

With your help, MiniGasms will go to press!

You can get more information by going to MiniGasms.com or to Kickstarter.com to lend your support right away. There is also a sample story there! A good story. ;)

And please feel free to repost/reblog this if you think it is a good idea. :)

8 years and counting...

2011-09-27T12:15:00.001-04:00

8 years ago today, I promised to love my best friend forever and he returned that promise. I am so lucky to have found him and I tell him every day that I love him but it never feels like enough. It amazes me that anyone would want to be with me for that long or be able to put up with me. :)

Our wedding reception 9/27/2003

He still finds my eccentricities and neuroses to be cute and endearing rather than annoying or troublesome.

I still make him giggle with my random silliness that sometimes just sort of spews out of my head. But he's just as silly as I am. :)

He's a mad scientist!

We can have an entire conversation using just the word "Rawr" and know exactly what the other one is saying.

He still laughs at the unique ways I seem to find to hurt myself... and then feels bad.

He worries about me a lot more than he lets on and I can feel it.

I go to bed before him usually so he always lays in bed with me for a few minutes and then tucks me in by flipping my blanket over me like the ladies in fabric softener commericals do with their sheets. I don't know why but it makes me so happy and he humors me with it. :)

I am like a little kid when it comes to objects that make fun noises. He'll ask me if he can see and then takes it away from me. LOL

Little Sashi loves Hubbyman, too!

He still laughs at my weird little songs I make up and sing, even though they are usually to same tune.

Even when he doesn't understand why I feel or react the way I do to things, he accepts it and doesn't hold it against me.

He supports my decisions and endeavours but also plays the devil's advocate to help keep me based in reality. I would not be able to do the art fairs if he was not so willing to help be my pack mule and keep me company.

We still end phone calls the exact same way we did the very first time we talked on the phone.
Him: "Are you ready?"
Me: "Um... okay!"
Him: "Okay, here we go!"
Both: "Aaaaaaah!"
Then he hangs up first. :)

"Hey! Pay attention to meeeee..."

He still has almost everything I have ever made him and most of the silly little random gifts I have given him are within his line of sight of his chair in the living room.

He has seen me change from a somewhat shy 25-year-old who tried so hard to not really be noticed into a 37-year-old who doesn't really care if you notice me or not.

It's because of him that I've learned to embrace who I am and not be scared of not fitting in. He has loved me and accepted me no matter what.

Of course we've had our rough patches and bad days, like everyone does, but he still makes me so incredibly happy and I would not trade him for all the pizza and art supplies in the whole world.

Happy Anniversary, Doodle*! I love you!

Kissy kissy!

*"Doodle" is short for Wichard Dichard Diddle Doodle Pants which is his official full name. ;)

I doodled my Doodle!

Caffeine-induced verbal spewing, my Gramma, and owls

2011-09-22T14:19:00.000-04:00

I go through bouts of not wanting to sleep. It's not insomnia because it's not that I *can't* sleep; I just don't want to. I can't explain why but it's been like this since I was old enough to start remembering things.

I am going through that right now.

The big downside to that is I am REALLY tired during the day. So, to combat that, I take a vitamin with an energy supplement built it, drink either a Lo Carb Monster or a Pepsi Max, and a lot of Diet Coke. A lot. I mean, A LOT. The end result is a Sashi who talks and walks like a drunk squirrel. Okay, maybe not that bad, but it feels like it sometimes.

My poor co-workers. :)

One thing that has given me a little focus over the past 2 days is working on an invitation for one of said co-workers. She and her sister are throwing a baby shower for their sister-in-law and brother. The SIL is decorating her daughter's nursery in a pink and green owl theme so Nancy, my coworker, wanted to get invitations in that theme as well.

She found these online at tinyprints.com ...

...and asked me if that was a good price or not. Nearly $60 for 40??? Um... no. Not a good price.

So I convinced her to let me try making my take on that design for her since I can get them for her at half that...including shipping. Here is what I came up with:

She and her sister and SIL love it, thankfully, so she will be ordering these from me instead of a boutique site. My husband, of course, thinks I charge for this but since she's a good friend, I am only charging what the cost to me will be to get them printed.

With the success of this and the invitations I did for my sister's wedding* and engagement party, I am seriously considering coming up with more designs and posting them in my Etsy shop.

What do you think?

*Dude, I totally forgot to post the wedding invitation! I need to fix that. Later. ;)

Did you know that I love bingo? I do. A LOT. When I was really little, I used to go to bingo halls with my gramma. I wasn't allowed to play, of course, since I was just a kid but I was well-behaved and cute so no one ever made me leave. Plus, my gramma was a tough lady and she probably would have beat up whoever said I had to leave. (*giggle*)

image source

As an adult, I don't get to play bingo nearly as much as I would like to but that is for 2 reasons: I can't find a place to play and I don't know anyone in my area who would go with me.

My gramma had a brain aneurysm the day after my 15th birthday and, surprisingly, survived it. For 4 days, my mom fought with her siblings and the doctor's to do surgery before they finally did. Because of the blood build up, Gramma had some brain damage that presented itself in interesting ways. For instance, she thought she was blind. She wasn't. She had better eyesight than me (which isn't saying much) but she insisted she was blind.

When I was 16, I was allowed to go with her and her long-time boyfriend on outings to the bingo hall and play her cards for her. She would split the winnings with me if "she" won. :)

image source

Gramma passed about a month after I turned 27 and one of my favorite things I got of hers was her lucky bingo charm. It's packed away but this is really close to what it looks like.

image source

Last week, I got to play bar bingo! LOL I was so freakishly excited and still am... even a week later. :) Every other week, Hubbyman and I meet with our friend Ned at a little hole-in-the-wall called Doc's but we occasionally mix it up and go to a place called Varner's. As it turns out, Varner's has bar bingo at 10pm every Wednesday. Yay for me! So, of course, I played and even won twice! That's $10 total of Varner's cash, baby! Oh, yeah! It's the big time!

Want to know what our friend Ned is like? Just look up "Foamy the Squirrel" on YouTube. :)

Okay, just one last piece of randomness which, as it turns out, is also related to my Gramma.

Buddha statue at my favorite Chinese buffet
taken with my phone's camera

I know. You are wondering what Buddha or Chinese food have to do with my Gramma. Well, you see those machines behind him with the plastic bubbles full of cheap toys? These are called "lottery machines" because sometimes, you don't actually win anything. I am addicted to those machines. Quarters are never safe when those things are around. It's an addiction that my Gramma started by giving me quarters whenever we went to Kmart or Red Owl. :)

Here is a picture of my Gramma taken while she was pregnant with my Mom. She was 37... my age!

Skeleton Cameo Wedding Jewelry

2011-09-20T10:02:00.001-04:00

My sister is getting married in just a few weeks...I can't believe how time flies! Originally she had wanted a sort of elegant Gothic wedding but decided to get married on a Vista Harbor Cruise ship where they take care of a majority of the details for her. Being that she and her fiance just a baby in May, this was definitely a good way to go! Because of that, though, their aesthetic is a little harder to get across but I think they are both managing to do it in a wonderful yet subtle way.

One way that I got to help with this is she let me design and make her necklace. :) Of course, if I was making one for her, I had to make one for me which meant I had to make one for our mother. (*giggle*)

My sister's necklace

It only took me 7 tries to get this just right. :) I've never done a multistrand necklace quite like this before now so it was a fun challenge. I made it so it will fit her like a choker but there is a 2" extender with a dangling skull charm on the back if she wants to wear it a little longer. Her dress is strapless white with a black sash that ties around the waist and she's going to wear a long sleeved lace bolero style jack over that for that elegant Goth look. I also broke the bail off one of the skully cameos and glued it onto a black bar hairclip for her.

My necklace

I wanted my necklace to tie in with my sister's but be a simpler design. This was seriously and sadly the best picture I took of mine. :(

Mom's necklace

I wanted to keep our Mom's necklace even simpler yet but still pretty. I made this slightly longer than a choker but also added the 2" extender with a skull charm in case she wants to lengthen it.

Since I had 2 skully cameos left over from making the wedding jewelry, I made myself a couple more things. ;)

Everyday necklace

My personal daily aesthetic consists of fun pendants on black cords so this is a necklace I can wear everyday. :)

Ring

I broke the bail off another of the cameo settings and glued it onto one of my adjustable ring bases. I love these bases. They comfortably adjust up to a size 10.5/11 so I can wear it on my middle finger. Hubbyman has a pizza ring he wears on his size 12 finger by just slightly parting the back of the ring. This is much better than the typical adjustable rings which really aren't meant for a finger larger than a size 7/8.

That's obviously my wedding set in the picture as well. Isn't it dainty and pretty? We got at at Sears for 50% off back in 2003 just before we got married. Woohoo! (*laugh*) It was exactly what I wanted, though, and I love telling those with...um... more refined tastes... where I got it. :)

I got the Skeleton Cameos & Cabachon Settings from a shop on Etsy called Cathy's Jewels. There are so many places to choose from for these supplies that I just went with the first one that seemed like the best deal. I got the beads, skull charms and findings from Fire Mountain Gems. I just used good old E6000 glue to glue the cameos to their settings and those to the ring and unpictured hairclip.
Now I just need to tackle my maid of honor dress!

Ten Rules for Fat Girls (ALL girls, really)

2011-09-19T11:13:00.000-04:00

In my blog adventures today, I came across this post by the CrazyBeautiful Dianne Sylvan thanks, once again, to Stacey. :) (I am seriously developing a blog crush on this girl.)

I am not going to repost what Dianne has to say as I think it's better to go see for yourself. Instead, here are her rules with my own commentary/experiences. I honestly think, though, that 9 out of 10 of these rules applies to all women and just those of us who have more fleshy areas. :)

1. You are not obligated to be thin, healthy, or pretty.
I am really glad she put this one first as I think it really is the first step in being comfortable with who you are. Even when I was at my lowest adult weight, I was still not thin and hated myself for it. Once I realized #1, I became a much, much happier person. She does go on to say in her post that people seem to assume skinny = healthy which most people know is not a given.

2. Don’t talk shit about your body.
This is really one of my biggest pet peeves and I hear it from all my female friends of any size. I admit I make jokes about my weight but they are truths that I make light of. For instance, I was talking with a friend about painted toe nails (yeah, I know) amd I said that I never paint my own, I let someone else do it for me because I have too much middle and it's not worth not being able to breathe. While kinda funny, it's true. :)

3. Don’t talk shit about other people’s bodies.
This is right up there with #2 for me. When someone says "That girl needs a sandwich," I think of a girl I used to work with who could not gain weight no matter what she did and it pained her to no end. She and I had a weird camaraderie because of this. Yeah, she only weighed 98 pounds but we had a lot of similar issues, just opposite ends of the same spectrum.

4. Wear clothes that fit.
For me, this isn't just about the sausage roll muffin tops but also the women that insist on wearing tents. I am guilty of the latter myself. I have a tendency to buy the largest size possible, even though it is way too big for me. I am seriously trying to work on this and making clothes that fit and flatter.

5. Demand better treatment from healthcare professionals.
When Hubbyman and I first moved to Georgia and found a doctor close by under his health plan, I made an appointment for one reason or another. As soon as the nurse practitioner walked in, she looked at me and asked if I would consider bariatric surgery. This is without knowing a single thing about me other than my name and the fact that I am a fat girl. Now, people who know me know I am *not* one for confrontation. I tend to laugh things off or just walk away. This, however, struck me the wrong way. I told her that she should get to know me before making ignorant and rude judgements and asked if this was the sort of treatment I could expect from the rest of the staff so I could look for another doctor's office before wasting my time. I am sure it is unrelated but she wasn't there anymore after my next few visits.

6. Find a way to move.
Regardless of size, it is necessary to move a little throughout the day. I have a tough time with this myself because I have a desk job and sedentary interests but I try to remember to do little things like parking a further way than I could in the parking ramp and taking the scenic route to lunch in the building.

7. Stand up for yourself.
I am actually pretty fortunate in that I don't encounter much size-hate in my day-to-day life but there is the occasional asshat out there who makes a comment. Most of the time, it is "well-meaning strangers" who have had bariatric surgery so think that because they are happier now that I MUST be unhappy with my current size. I usually just tell them that I hope that they can find their inner happiness regardless of what they look like because I already have and walk away.

8. Deal with your fat.
Wash it and treat it with love. Now that I live in the South, this is a little bit of a struggle for me because it is so fricking hot and I work with a bunch of Southern girls who are ALWAYS cold. Even though they keep the temperature in my building at work at 74-degrees, these girls still have their heaters running under their desks! I am constantly giving myself the smell test throughout the day and my fan runs almost non-stop.

9. There are worse things in the world than being fat.
What? You didn't know that? You poor, poor soul. It's true. Just watch the news.

10. Don’t expect to feel awesome about yourself every single day forever.
People can tell when I am feeling fabulous because I come to work dressed up with my hair styled and wearing make up. Most days, though, I couldn't give a fig so just wear something comfy and clean and not a stitch of make up or hair product. Of course, a huge part of *that* is my feelings toward being a member of the corporate soul-sucking world and nothing to do with my size. :)

A little A-to-Z about me

2011-09-15T13:31:00.000-04:00

I have shamelessly stolen this from the ever lovely Stacey* who stole it from someone else who stole it from someone else who... you get the idea. :)

A. Age: 37 which is my favorite number so woohoo! In February, I will be 37 with 1 year of experience. :)

B. Bed size: Queen. I'd love a King so there'd be more room to stretch when we're both sleeping.

C. Chore that you hate: If it's a chore, I hate it. (*laugh*) Seriously, I am a slob which is why I don't often invite people over to my house.

D. Dogs: We had dogs when I was growing up who were, of course, wonderful! I'm really more of a cat person in my adult life but mostly because they are easier to take care of. And don't bark.

E. Essential start to your day: Eggs. Some people need coffee. I need eggs.

F. Favorite color: Even though I wear 99% black with the occasional splash of another color, dark pink is actually my favorite. Though I have a great fondness for yellow, red, and purple as well.

G. Gold or Silver: Mostly silver. My wedding set is gold and is the only gold I wear which makes it extra special. :)

H. Height: Just shy of 5'7"... too short to be tall and too tall to be average

I. Instruments you play: I'm not musically inclined as I lack coordination and have hearing issues.

J. Job title: Merchant Assistant by day, Artist by night

K. Kids: I'd love to have kids and think I would make an awesome Mom but it's just not in the divine plan someone has laid out for me.

L. Live: Yes, I do. Everyday, in fact. Well, MOST days, anyway. Sometimes I am too lazy.

M. Mother’s name: Mom

N. Nicknames: Sashi, obviously. LOL My husband calls me "Swa" as a cute shortening of my name but only he is allowed to call me that.

O. Overnight hospital stays: tonsils out at age 12, appendix out at age 16, blood clots in my lungs at 29. I am finishing up antibiotics (today, in fact) for an infection in my leg. If it comes back, I will have a 4th stay in my future. :P

P. Pet peeves: My 2 biggest ones are people who are mean in traffic and bag boys at the grocery store who have no common sense (as in, most of them)

Q. Quote from a movie: My favoritest one ever is "All right! I AM the messiah! Now, f*ck off!" from The Life of Brian

R. Right or left handed: Right handed. I used to be able to do more with my left hand but have nerve damage from a compound fracture in my left collar bone when I was in the 4th grade.

S. Siblings: One sister who is 1200 miles away :(

T. Time you wake up: During the work week, 6:30am. On the weekends I try to be up by noon at the latest.

U. Underwear: Most of the time. LOL I like cute but comfy. :)

V. Vegetable you hate: Lima beans, asparagus, and squeaky green beans

W. What makes you run late: I oversleep.

X. X-Rays you’ve had: I've literally been x-rayed from head-to-toe over the course of my life. Being majorly accident prone is fun. :-|

Y. Yummy food that you make: Hmm... most of the food I make is yummy. My most requested food item is a spinach salad which has been dubbed "infamous". (*giggles*)

Z. Zoo animal: the prairie dogs were always my favorite when I was a kid because of the way they pop up.

*Her blog is so inspiring to me. If you are feeling down about yourself, I definitely recommend checking her out. You will leave feeling uplifted. :)

Where the heck is Lincolnton?

2011-09-14T12:53:00.001-04:00

Right next to Washington, of course! :)

Once every couple of months or so, Hubbyman and I decide to go on a random roadtrip. We look at the Atlas to find a town with a cool or funny or odd sounding name then figure out a back road way of getting there. We have seen a good portion of GA and parts of the surrounding states by doing this and have found wonderful treasures like Finster's Garden, Pasaquan, and the Smiling Peanut! Granted, most of the "destinations" end up being nothing special but that's really not the point of the trips. It's just the 2 of us in a car without any other distractions. We don't even turn on the radio.

This past weekend we decided to go to Lincolnton, GA because...well...it's right next to Washington and that made us a giggle. Yes, Hubbyman giggles but don't tell him I told you. ;)

We do take quite a few pictures. His tend to be more scenic while mine are usually more silly. This time I used my juice box camera, though, so I need to get the film developed before I can post them.

But, for now, here are a few pics I snapped with my phone. :)

We're on the road! (I *really* need a haircut)

This keeps Hubbyman fueled for the trip. His car gets much better mileage than my minivan (yes, I drive a minivan) but it's a stick which I can't get the hang of driving so he does all the driving most of the time.

Pretty green...even if it is kudzu. :)

I had my phone in the B&W setting and managed to get this picture out the open window as we drove by.

He gets grumpy when I take his picture while he's driving but he looks so cute in his road trip uniform: driving hat and camera. :)

One of my favorite bloggers went on a road trip this weekend as well! You can check out Meg's pictures here!

A hearse! A hearse! My queendom for a hearse!

2011-09-12T12:15:00.003-04:00

My dream car would seriously be an old hearse, painted bubble gum pink and detailed with dark pink and black cute skulls. Yeah... that'd be sweet! Since that is not likely to happen any time soon, I have this hearse dress I made for my sister's engagement party. I was feeling kinda saucy so wore it to work today. :)

Sorry for the blurry/bad pic. I wish I knew how to get better pics of myself other than in the full length mirror at work. The skirt and sleeves of the dress are from another dress I had but never wore. The back of the bodice is from an old t-shirt and the front of the bodice is from J & O Fabric. I love reusing clothing this way.... plus it saves me the pain of having to hem. :D (My hair is getting long but I am getting it cut on Saturday! *dances*)

Here's a close up of the bodice. I love the little coffin falling out the back of one of the green hearses. :) Wow, my neck looks uberskinny from this angle!

This is a bad pic of the sleeve detailing and the back of the bodice. The sleeves from the old dress were a tad large so I pleated the top to make them slightly poofy. I love the way they turned out!

I have a bit to do for my sister's wedding in a month, such as making my Maid of Honor dress, a couple simple evening bags and a wad of jewelry. My motivation to get it done is this CUTE Skelanimal fabric I got recently from J & O Fabric. :) I got 2 yards which should be enough to make another skirt like my Skulls and Roses skirt and a bodice for a shirt or dress like the one above. J & O has quite a few Skelanimal designs so I know I will be buying more!

Horror-movie Themed Engagement Party

2011-08-30T11:43:00.013-04:00

Well, it finally happened. The engagement party. A month and half of work, 2 days of non-stop preparation after travelling 1200 miles and it lasted all of 3 hours. (*laugh*) But the happiness on my sister's face made the whole thing more than worth while. :)

I was too busy to stop and take pictures so here are a few she sent me. (Thank you, seester!)

Eric had drawn the skull images as possible images for their wedding invitations. They went a different route for the invites so I blew them up and put them on a banner for them.

As guests approached the house, they were greeted by this little tongue in cheek homage to the ending of "Carrie."

I printed poster images of some of their favorite horror movies...

...and we taped them around my mom's dining room...

...right above her scary wall border. LOL

This is an above shot of the coffee table in the living room. A friend and I had spent an evening cutting out pictures of women which I then "decorated" with a Sharpie. Yes, those are Barbie parts in the candy dish. :)

My sister said she wanted to use the napkins as wallpaper. :)

Here is the buffet table set up on the dining room table. Starting in the bottom right, we have Baby Arms in Tomato Sauce (more about those in a bit), Uncle Sal's Meat Head, my "infamous" spinach salad, a super yummy Asian-inspired noodle salad, ham and pickle roll-ups, turkey and green onion roll-ups, red pepper dip, ranch dip, guacamole and a variety of vegetable and chips.

Inside the jars were real edible things. I got the Zombie Jerky from ThinkGeek.com, the maggots, drunk albino eyes and ear wax are all candies from OrientalTrading.com.

I don't think "Uncle Sal" enjoyed the party as much as the rest of us did.

Mom had pointed out that the red Swiss chard looked like it had blood veins so we chose that as the garnish. :)

Mmm.... Baby Arms in Tomato Sauce.... I got the skeleton arm picks from OrientalTrading.com and they were the perfect size for these fully cooked chicken Italian-style sausages. I put raw spaghetti noodles in the sausages then boiled them until the noodles were tender to look like tendons or ligaments. After tossing them with tomato sauce, I stuck the arm picks in for a tasty treat. My 8-year-old nephew said these were his favorite!

The flesh wound cupcakes were a hit! The looks on everyone's faces when they reached the blood clot surprise inside (a cherry from pie filling) was pretty hilarious. I was really happy with how the flesh tone turned out. I just mixed 4 drops of yellow food coloring with 3 drops of red and 1 drop green before mixing it with the white frosting. I tripled the amount for the white cake mix for the same effect. I got the candy meat cleavers from PartyCity.com.

Rainee and Eric chose to eat their first initials. :)

I made fake labels for the soda bottles and them printed on the large window decals from Vistaprint.com. I could fit 4 to a sheet and just cut them apart. On the back of the label, I left a spot for the actual contents so people could tell what they were really drinking.

The punch is called Dragon's Blood Punch which is a recipe I got from Sandra Lee on the Food Network. It was beyond amazing and there was none left at the end of the night!

And here is poor Uncle Sal before he got covered in cheese and cooked. :)

Revamped site and Etsy shop FINALLY open!

2011-08-15T14:33:00.010-04:00

I revamped my website which can be found ~~~HERE~~~! It's still a work in progress but I am definitely pleased with the results so far. :)

I also finally got my FatGirlArt Etsy shop open. Yayayayay! (*dances*)

Here's a sneak peek of a few of the goodies! :)

Engagement Party: Bring in the troops!

2011-08-10T11:17:00.007-04:00

I have been having fun coming up with fun creepy decorations for my sister's horror moved themed engagement party. So when I saw THIS, I figured I could use a similar technique to make a wall plaque.

I got about 50 plastic Army guys and arranged them in a glass pie plate:

I "baked" them at 350 and kept checking them every 5-10 minutes until they were melted together but still recognizable. These ones took about 35-40 minutes because they were a really hard plastic.
This just delights the evil sadistic child in me so I may do this again but in a bigger scale. :) One thing I failed to do was open a window so my kitchen smelled of poisionous plastic fumes until I realized I needed to pop one open.

I will take a picture of the whole plaque at the party in a couple weeks. :)

Engagement Party: Zombie Bride

2011-08-02T08:41:00.006-04:00

I wish I would have remembered to take a picture of the dolly before I repainted her. But just imagine a cherubic face and a clean dress. :D I got her at a thrift store for only $2.48! She's got to be worth at least $2.50 with my improvements. ;)

Engagement Party: The Invitation

2011-08-01T12:26:00.008-04:00

Now that the invitations have been sent out and received, I can finally share this with you. :) It's the invitation to my sister's engagement party! (*dances*) I am so happy with the way this turned out! I wanted it to look like a horror movie poster.

That is NOT my sister and her fiance in the picture. I tried to zombify them for this but nothing I did looked right. So I found an amazing photograph* online which I played with and tweaked to get a sort of posterized look to it. I even have me as the director and me and my mom as the producers. :)

The back of the invitations says:

Because they love a good scare
And they're fond of a fright
Let's celebrate their engagement
And start them off right!

Please join us for a frighteningly good time
at an Engagement Party
honoring

RAINEE JOHNSON & ERIC BUSCKO

Saturday, August 27, 2011 at 7pm
(My parents' address)

We will have soda, food, munchies and mayhem
Feel free to BYOB
Bring Your Own Beverage/Beer/Booze/Blood/Brains

I am REALLY proud of how this turned out, especially considering the fact that I do not have Photoshop or any other fancy-schmancy graphic software. I just used a free little program called Paint.NET.

*http://estudiolapiz.blogspot.com/2010/11/zombie-wedding-de-helena-robles.html

My Dinner Guest

2011-07-16T12:42:00.003-04:00

I had a wonderful guest for dinner last night. His name was Henry and he was delicious! (*evil grin*)

I had no idea that sculpting with meat could actually be fun! I started with 5 pounds of ground beef mixed with 4 cups of diced onion, 10 oz roasted garlic bread crumbs, 4 eggs, 1/4 cup tomato sauce, salt, pepper, and garlic powder. I put a roasted onion inside his cranium as filler/a brain and used raw onion for his eyes and teeth.

I actually kind of grossed myself out when I covered him with tomato sauce. LOL

Next was a nice layer of provolone cheese slices. I ended up putting a few toothpicks in the side pieces before cooking to help hold the cheese in place over the tomato sauce.

He was roasted at 350-degrees for 100 minutes.

I had to hack off his chin for my piece. I *had* to.... I'm not sure what that says about me but yeah. I had to. :)

I did learn a couple of things for when I make this in August.** I need to pack the meat a lot tighter and mince the onion instead of chopping it. I am also going to make the "eye sockets" smaller and I am eliminating the brain. It really wasn't needed and the loaf fell apart around it.

The whole thing was magnificently macabre but tasted really good. I was in a meat coma for the rest of the night. :)

**I am throwing an engagement party for my sister and her fiance in Minnesota in August. They are both huge horror movie fanatics so that's the theme of the party. I want to make sure the party doesn't come across as too Halloween-ish so I've been having fun coming up props/decorations from horror movies. A meat head as part of the buffet just seems appropriate but I definitely needed a test run. I have a few more ideas that I will be testing in the next few weeks as well. :)

Opinion Needed: Matron of Honor dress

2011-07-15T09:47:00.009-04:00

I am so excited! My little sister is getting married in October and I get to be her matron-of-honor for the wedding. :) They are having a small ceremony and she wants a Gothic feel to her wedding so she told me to just get a dress that fits that theme. Heh heh... I can do that! I originally ordered this dress from Roaman's:

I thought it was pretty, simple, could easily be "gothed up" and, best of all, it was on sale AND I had a 40% coupon so I got a good deal on it. When I received it, the seams were extremely puckered and the pleating across the bodice hung in a horrible, unflattering way. And it wasn't from me not filling it out! The lining was rather snug across the boobages.

So I returned it in exchange for another. The seams were better but I still had the same issue with the pleating. So I've decided to make my own. Here are my plans. :) And yes, that is indeed TV dinner paper that I wrote on.

If you click here, you will see my wedding dress which uses the same pattern I plan to use for this dress. The dresses on either side of me were made from the same pattern as well. I had 3 dresses in my wedding. :)

The body of the dress is flattering on me, I think. I'm thinking a simple short sleeve would be best so i am going to use the sleeve off an old t-shirt as my pattern. I can add details, if needed, to it later. Here are my conundrums:

Should I leave the bodice plain black like the skirt of the dress?

Or should I break up the plain black a little by either doing a black lace overlay or finding a pretty black brocade?

If I do a plain black bodice, should the sleeves be plain black or lace or some sort of see-through material?

If the bodice is dolled up, what should I do with the sleeves?

I'm just at a loss on what I want to do here and would really appreciate feedback! And, if it helps, below is my sister's dress. Very simple and elegant so I don't want to do anything that could detract from her in anyway. There are no other girls in the wedding party.

(swoon)

2011-07-05T22:32:00.003-04:00

I just got my first order from J and O Fabric and I am in looooooove! And, I happily blame Psycho Sue of Sew Misunderstood. :)

I got the last 1-3/8 yards of this. Jealous? :) I'm not sure what I am going to do with it but I am envisioning either a ruffle at the bottom of a long skirt (like I did here) or the bodice of a cute top.

I got 3 yards of this fun fabric. Again, not entirely sure what will become of this but I fell in love with it when I saw it. :)

I know this is totally not the type of thing I would typically wear but I couldn't pass it up! I have a couple of black tanks that I could use to make baby doll style shirts and this would be fun for the bottom of that. I got just 1 yard of this.

I can't wait! (*wiggles excitedly*)

We have a winner! (dances)

2011-07-02T22:42:00.004-04:00

And the winner of my first giveaway is....

CHRISTINA!!! (*dances)

Christina, please e-mail me at happyartistgirl (at) fatgirlart (dot) com with your address so I can send your bag! Yay!

She upcycles and paints and crochets and makes stuff with skulls and seems like an awesome person all around. AND she's a mom of five kids! :) I definitely recommend checking out her blog: Variform.

I couldn't count the first comment since the person is anonymous and I have no way of contacting them. I also had a few people post something on Facebook and Twitter but they didn't leave comments here (even after I reminded people) so I had no way of counting them here either.

Do people have suggestions on how I could have made the directions more clear? I feel really bad about this....

One day left for the giveaway!

2011-06-30T09:27:00.002-04:00

I've only gotten 1 comment so far so while Mylo may be excited at the odds of winning, you can't make it that easy for him, can you? ;)

My First Giveaway!!!

2011-06-24T00:59:00.004-04:00

When I got my last set of Sharpies, they came with a bonus canvas tote bag that's actually a pretty good size (approx. 15" x 12" x 4.5" with 8" handles). I got bored last night and started this (which I just finished tonight). I used Sharpies and Sharpie Stained pens.

Not to toot my own horn, but the photos do NOT do this bag justice!

The front of the bag
The "Sharpie: Write Out Loud" wording was pre-printed on the bag.

The back

Detail shots of the buds

Would you like to win this bag? Entering is easy and you have 3 ways to enter!

o.o You must be a follower of my blog. Just leave me a comment telling me so and make sure you include your e-mail address so I know how to contact you if you win!

o.o Blog about my giveaway. Again, leave me a comment and be sure to include a link to your posting.

o.o Post a link to my giveaway on Facebook and/or Twitter and, again, leave a comment so I know! (Regardless if you do one or both, it counts as one entry here.)

Please leave a separate comment for each of the above to get 3 chances to win!

I will use random.org to choose the winner on July 1!

(Thank you, Thera... I "stole" the details of my giveaway from the way you do it!)

Metamorphosis

2011-06-17T10:26:00.004-04:00

I love me. I do! Not in a conceited, narcissistic kind of way but in that I am quite happy, for the most part, with WHO I am. I can tell you for a fact, though, that this has only become a fairly recent thing.

Even as a young child, I was "different" from the other kids. Elementary school was not so bad. High school was the worst! The teasing was unbearable sometimes. By the time I was 16, I just didn't want anyone to notice me anymore. I wanted to fade into the background. It was only at home in my room that I felt like it was okay to do the things I wanted to do, like cut out pictures by Rembrandt to put on my walls or to make silly pictures out of construction paper. I was never the girl with all the beefcake and music posters in her room.

This continued through college and most of my adult years. During college, though, I realized that I was a good person. I wasn't quite the freak everyone in high school made me out to be. It was okay to be different and unique and that helped a lot. I felt free to be my silly, colorful self with my friends but worked to blend when out and about. I ended up marrying a guy right out of college who... well... wasn't the right person for me. He was very controlling and emotionally/verbally abusive so I retreated again, and this time even more. In the first year we were married, I gained 150 lbs. Yep. 150 pounds in 12 months. Talk about stress eating!

Eventually, I found my voice and left him and ended up meeting a man who has loved me no matter what. He has seen me go through a lot of changes in our 12+ years together!

This is how I looked when I met him at age 25:

Yes, if you do the math, that means I am 37 right now. ;)

I still had a similar look when we got married 4 years later, in 2003:

We ended up moving to Georgia, away from all of our friends and family in Minnesota, in 2004. For the first 2 years, I just maintained a content but hermitish existence. Same look, same please-don't-notice-me sense of "style". After those 2 years, though, I realized I had no friends outside of work and it bothered me so I joined a few social sites and started going to events where I could meet new people. In one of these groups, several people kept mistaking me at first glance for a woman named "Rosie" who was 20+ years my senior and, honestly, looked it. Facially, we looked nothing alike but we had a similar build and a "comfortable" sense of "style." I was mortified, to say the least.

My first step was to change my hair. I went to the salon and said, "I want something that is flattering, something that is artsy, fun and funky. I don't care about length but it does need to be grabbable at the crown." (Hey, a girl likes what she likes! *winks*) The rest all fell into place after that.

As my external metamorphosis took place, so did my internal. I realized that the only person who could change the things I did not like about myself was me. I started to care less what other people thought about me and forced myself to be more extroverted. It's easier now than it was back then and most people I know would never believe how shy I am at the core. I do still have some issues that I am trying to work on but some are deep-seeded, like my mild ochlophobia.

Here is a short list of things that I have done that the "me" from even 5 years ago would be mortified by:

I wear shirts that accent my cleavage

When it's hot, I wear tank tops and capris

At a particular adult camping event every summer, I go topless

At ths same event, I went down the naked slip and slide... naked**

I am not scared to talk to skinny girls (they have just as many hang-ups as the next person, if not more!)

I hug everyone I meet in a social setting

I host a munch called FLABB (Friends, Lovers, & Admirers of BBWs & BHMs) every month in Atlanta

I openly use the word "fat" to describe myself

I paint my fingernails black, get pedicures in the summer, and wear make-up (though not as often as I maybe should *grin*)

I wouldn't say I am a different person compared to what I was 5 or 6 years ago but I am definitely more "me" than I ever was and I really like me. I am still a work-in-progress as I feel people should always strive at self-improvement but Sashi 2011 is fat, friendly, creative, loving, and a pretty cool chick, I think. :)

**This was probably the most free and liberating thing I have *ever* done in my life. Imagine a 100-foot tarp going down the side of a hill with bumps that make you go air-borne. Imagine a group of people sitting and watching the naked people go down the hill. Imagine my big ol' white arse going up the hill for the whole world to see! On second thought, don't imagine that last part. (*laugh*) I did it, though. It was the first time I ever allowed myself to be completely nude in front of a group of spectators and it was SO MUCH FUN! I had several women come up to me afterward and tell how much of an inspiration it was for them to see me because they could never do it due to their own body issues.

The Love Shirt, exciting and new....

2011-06-15T09:14:00.006-04:00

Last night, I actually found myself at home by myself with no previous plans. That *never* happens! Part of me was relishing being a hermit and holing myself up with a bunch of bad movies on Netflix and making something but another part of me wanted to go to a bi-weekly bar night that I've never gotten to go to with some friends because I usually have something else going on on Tuesdays.

So I decided to leave the decision up to fate, in a way. I gave myself the challenge of refashioning a wearable shirt in 1 hour or less. If it turned out, I would go. If not, I'd stay home. The shirt I had in mind was partly inspired by Psycho Sue and partly by a blouse I had gotten a while back. I loves the top of it and how it fit me but the bottom of it was plain and boxy and I am not built that way. ;)

So I did my favorite hack and sew to make the top of this blouse into a empire-waisted baby doll style shirt with some fabric I am in love with! It needs a little tweaking but it was good enough to wear for a couple hours last night and to work today. :)

Here is a mirror shot in the rest room (since I don't have an accessible full length mirror at home). I am just wearing it with black pants for work but last night I wore it with a pair black denim capris and my skullified shoes.

This is a detail shot of the fabric. Can you see why I love it? :)

Here is a better shot of the blouse top I used. I love the collar and ruffle detail around the button placket!

It is warm in here so ignore my bemused expression and messy hair. :P

I even took some time and accessorized today! This is the zombie pin-up bow I got from Cute and Creepy a while back. I love bows but with my short hair, I always feel weird wearing them, especially to work. But the shirt is making me feel sassy!

The zombie pendant is one of my own creations. As soon as I get my butt in gear, I will be opening up my own Etsy shop. I have the stuff and some okay pictures. But I've been a combination of lazy and overly social as of late. Life could be worse, right? :)

My personal "Show No Fear" Project

2011-06-14T14:17:00.007-04:00

Now, I know this has nothing to do with refashioning or embellishing or anything like that but this is something I am rather proud of and I was asked to post this online so others could see as well. On May 20, I gave myself the challenge of filling a 100-page sketch journal with a minimum of 2 drawings a week which may not seem like much but I also gave myself the restriction that I cannot use pencil and I cannot pre-plan any of the doodles. I can only take marker straight to the page which is a HUGE deal for me. I don't think I am all that good at what I do so I tend to plan and and tweak pretty everything I do before I commit it to something permanent, like Sharpies or paint.

I've done fairly well so far, I think, and am exceeding my 2-per-week minimum as well. Below are the first 14 drawings, some good, some... notsomuch. I decided to show even the ones I think are utter failures. (Another challenge for me!) These were all drawn and colored freehand which Sharpie markers.

This has actually been fairly liberating for me, to just draw without fuss and not worry about mistakes. I can continue to occasionally post my progress, if people want me to. Just comment below and let me know what you think!

And I apologize in advance for the crappiness in the picture quality. I took these with my camera phone at work since I don't have access until I get home and I wanted to do this while I still had the guts. LOL

Can you tell I have two obsessions: skulls and my Spuddy Buds? :) As for Mr. Watermelon Bunny... I have no idea. It entered my head while I was getting lunch today and it made me giggle. Out loud. In front of people. Yeah, it's a little odd inside my head. :)

I also have some sewing projects going that I will hopefully be posting soon as well. I'm trying to incorporate a little more *gasp* color in my wardrobe. But not too much. LOL

Spuddy Bud Duds... er... Shoes

2011-06-07T11:45:00.008-04:00

Last night, instead of sleep, I decided I needed to decorate a pair of shoes with my last doodle obsession. I call these little guys "Spuddy Buds." :)

I used a combination of Sharpies (for just the outlining) and Sharpie Fabric Stain pens (for filling in the color). I've had a couple people ask me today where I bought my shoes. That is always such a wonderful feeling when I hear that about something I made/decorated myself!

I love how the black turned out looking like black denim! I added the colored hearts on the inside of the shoe because I wanted them to have a touch of coordinating color but not to draw away from the outside of the shoe.

Here's the obligatory mirror shot. :)

This obsession I have with drawing these little people started with a doodle I did on a napkin a few weeks ago. I sent a picture to my mom and she begged that I send the napkin itself to her which I did and she framed it. :) That made me as proud as the times she put my pictures on the fridge in school!

CraftyPirate's Buried Treasure Giveaway

2011-05-16T12:17:00.008-04:00

I know, I know, it's been a while. But to make up for it, here's an AWESOME GIVEAWAY from one of my favorite bloggers that I stalk from afar. :)

If you win, you will receive:

Skull and Roses Wrist Cuff (handmade by her)

Nautical Bling Necklace (handmade by her)

Nautical Star Hair Bow (handmade by her)

13 sheets of stickers

There are 3 ways to enter (for up to 3 entries total) so check out the entry in her blog for more information!

Thera, aka the Crafty Pirate, is a beautiful, creative, talented, STRONG woman who has mad crafting & sewing skills and an awesome sense of style. If I could grow up to be like her, I would in a heartbeat! So besides checking out her giveaway, I suggest following her blog as well. :)

I fell in love today and it's Sew Misunderstood

2011-03-18T12:45:00.002-04:00

I was bouncing around my usual blogs today during lunch and happened across this blog:

I... am in love. I love this lady! She is fat and fabulous and creative and one helluva seamstress! I want to go home and sew, sew, sew! It will have to wait, of course, because I have other irons in the fire. I have been one busy Sashi and have a ton of stuff to show you soon!

But that's for another post since my lunch break is now over. :)

Until later, sweet p'taters!

Glue woes & toast

2011-02-15T09:51:00.004-05:00

Remember how excited I was about the glue that finally worked? Um. Yeah. I was wrong. Sunday night and Monday morning, the rings started falling apart when touched. I tried another glue last night (Gorilla super glue) and it didn't hold, either. So I've tried various super and crazy glues, all stating that that can be used on metal and plastic as well as E6000, Gorilla Glue, and the Scotch Maximum Strength Adhesive. I've even tried various glue dots that claim to be permanent.

I guess I will have to break down and get epoxy. I was trying to avoid the mess of having to mix it but nothing else seems to be working well. But I would rather get this figured out now rather than AFTER I started selling the rings to other people. :)

And now... some happy toast!

Nipples! Pizza! Glue! Oh, my!

2011-02-09T13:02:00.009-05:00

I wore one of my rings last night to test how well the glue would hold. It held up flawlessly. It also made me giggle all night. :)

I wore this one to work today as a day long test of the glue's strength and it's not loosened or budged so I think I finally found an adhesive that works without being difficult to work *with*!

One of the things I love about the Scotch Maximum Strength Adhesive is that it is a thick gel which takes about 30 seconds before it starts setting so I have time to get the pieces positioned correctly before letting it cure. Curing takes about 24 hours and when it does, it seems to be really strong. I've applied a good bit of pressure to the rings and they've not loosened at all so far. :)

Still here :)

2011-02-08T12:15:00.004-05:00

I know I've been silent on this blog lately but I am still around. I've even been making a few things, though none of it really fashion related until now. I've decided to open at Etsy shop which won't be open until I can get a stock of stuff made and pictures of said stuff taken.

Here is just a tiny preview of what I am working on. :)

At the top of the picture are rings which are adjustable from a size 5 to a size 10.5!!! I was so excited when I found those ring blanks since my fingers are too chubby for the usual size 6-8 ring blanks. :)

At the bottom of the picture are some pendants I made. Don't those look like real stones? They're not, though. They are images taken from catalogs before going into the recycle bin and then made into medallions with my button-maker. Some of the rings are made using the same concept but some are designed by me.

There will certainly be more about all of this at a later date. :)

Bow Bracelet and Crafty Pirate's Horrific Giveaway

2010-10-18T11:59:00.005-04:00

I am finding myself fascinated with bows lately. I think I blame Cute and Creepy for that ever since I got that zombie bow that I shared in my last post. hey there are worse things that I could be fascinated with, I guess. I can't think of anything off the top of my head but I know there are worse things out there! ;)

I decided to try my hand at making a bow in a similar fashion as that from Cute and Creepy and I must say, I am pretty please with the result. Here is my first attempt:

I work full-time in the office of a large corproation and, admittedly, push the envelope as far work-appropriateness of my attire. I feel that a funky hair bow may push things over the edge just a little so figured a bow bracelet would be kind of cool yet not at eye level for the business class. :) Plus, I am a bracelet whore so that also makes it a little more fitting.

I made the bow out of a spider web bandana I got on clearance last year. I attached it to a piece of black elastic cut the size of my wrist and then overlapped 1/2" inch to make it fit snuggly. The button/badge/pin is from skulladay.com. (Click here for the Skull-A-Day shop.) I am *REALLY* happy with how this bracelet turned out and will likely make a few more with other pins that I have in my collection. :) Plus, what a great way to use scraps!

If anyone would like a tutorial on this, I can certainly make one.

Also, for 2 more days, Thera the Crafty Pirate is having an uber-awesome giveaway of horrific stuff! Just click on the picture below for details!

Cute and Creepy

2010-09-20T23:27:00.003-04:00

I know I've not been posting much over the last few months but I haven't really been sewing as I've been more in painting mode and lazy mode. (*giggle*) I have still been following a few blogs* which are keeping my interest in refashioning going and I suspect the sewing bug will bite me again pretty soon.

In the meantime, though, I have found an Etsy site that makes me giggle with delight every time I look at my purchases: Cute and Creepy, Inc.

I Love Zombies button - 1"

I Give You My Heart pin

Zombie Girls, Girls, Girls Hair Clip

I can definitely see bouncing by her shop multiple times and placing orders. At some point, I may even buy something for someone else!

* A couple of my new favorite blogs that I visit almost daily are Max California, Crafty Pirate, and most recently The Secret Life of a Retail Assistant. I love the style all three of these lovely ladies have and they've all inspired me in one way or another! In fact, I found the items above thanks to Thera, the Crafty Pirate!

Skullified Shoes

2010-05-17T10:13:00.004-04:00

I don't know why but black shoes with white soles have always bugged me which is why I am not sure why I bought a pair of black fake-Vans for about $10. (Do people really pay over $40 for a pair of black slip-on sneakers just for the name?) I finally decided I needed to do something with them, though, so used a regular white paint pen and skullied these up into something I actually will wear. :)

I just free-handed my design so they are not exactly the same. I like the effect, though, because it shows that these are not a store-bought design.

Top

Top detail

Inside part of shoe

Outside part of shoe

Back

Dia de Los Muertos Sundress

2010-05-06T11:57:00.005-04:00

Because, you know, nothing says "sunshine" like celebrating the dead. :) I made this sundress from scratch without a pattern and actually pretty pleased with the way it turned it out. (And look at how long my hair is! I am getting it cut and colored tonight, thank goodness!)

For the bottom, I sewed 2 panels together at 44" long at and did a double-fold 1" hem. I just used the width of the fabric since I am a big girl and the dimensions are perfect to be loose around my caboose.

For the top, I cut a piece that was 10" long and the width of the fabric. This was my first attempt at shirring/smocking and I was surprised at how easy it actually was! The "toughest" part was winding the bobbins with elastic thread and that was really just time consuming. When I was finished hemming the top of the panel and did the shirring, the panel was 9" long x 26" wide. The back panel is just solid and is 9" x 22". I sewed a couple of straps on the top to roughly cover my bra straps. I am sure that some will notice that the lines in my shirring are not even but I actually did this on purpose since I like the look of a few lines that are closer together mixed throughout the smocking.

I rarely bare my upper arms in public so made the black shrug out of an old black t-shirt by cutting it off just above my natural waist line. I cut about halfway up the center and then cut an upside-down teardrop shape to open the neckline and remove the collar. I put it on and just tied the 2 corners together.

In the top picture, you can see the black patch pocket I added. I used a piece of the t-shirt I had left over from making the shrug but forgot that I tend to carry a lot in my pockets so need to replace it with a pocket that doesn't stretch.

Again, I do have other projects that I have made since the last post but really need to get pictures of them. I happened to wear this to work today so took pictures of it here. This is another of those items I've made that makes me feel girly. :)

Every Rose Has Its Skull

2010-04-13T12:18:00.010-04:00

I've been making stuff... I swear! I just need to take pictures of everything. :) This was a recent project that I happened to be wearing to work today so I was able to get some okay pics in the restroom.

It was so unbelievably simple, I feel almost feel guilty. Almost. Well, almost almost. Okay, not really.

The top part of the skirt is actually the leftover bottom from a black jersey skirt I cut up to make another skirt (that I still need to gets photographs of). Because I have a lot of junk in the back of my wagon, most skirts tend to be longer in the front than the back so I usually make my skirts about 3" longer in the back. I had cut that basic shape off the top of the waist band of this jersey skirt for the other project so I just flipped the bottom part upside down and turned it around so the hem would act as the waistband and the cut side would fall into the right shape.

I made a small snip inside the skirt in the hem and used the existing hem as the casing tube for the elastic waist.

The skull and roses fabric was from my stash and I had just enough to create a big tube that I gathered and sewed to the bottom after adding a 1" hem. I often don't waste time measuring things so I really lucked out that all the pieces were exactly the right length.

Here are a couple more pics showing the skirt a bit more close up:

Overall, I am really happy with the way this has turned out. In fact today is the 2nd time I've worn it since making it 10 days ago. :)

Taking a bite out of Prom

2010-03-02T12:37:00.008-05:00

I can't believe almost 4 months has lapsed since my last post. I could give you a bunch of excuses but it really just comes down to 2 things: life and laziness. :) When I wasn't busy or sick, I just simply did not feel like making anything. No sewing, no drawing, no painting, no crafts of any kind.

I did make something last month, though it's not very exciting. It's just a top I made to wear to Kinky Prom here in Atlanta.

It's just the top of a dress that never fit me right and the bottom of another thrifted dress sewn together to make an empire waisted top. (And yes, my date was a man dressed like a woman. *grin*)

I was so happy with the way my hair and make-up turned out that night and the fangs just added to the effect, I think. The hairfalls were made by a friend of mine which she put on a crocheted headband that I could tie around my head. That is the only thing I don't like about having a short hair: I can't wear pig tails when the mood strikes me. Except now I can. :) I sewed the crocheted headband onto a plastic one and cut off the ends so it wasn't as obvious that these were not attached to my real hair.

Oh! The collar! I made that, too! It was a belt that I got at the Goodwill which I cut down to be 3 inches longer than my neck. I removed the studs from the end and added the necessary hole for buckling it. In order to protect the end I cut, I covered it with hot pink nailpolish which matched exactly!

I signed up a 6-month pledge at Wardrobe Refashion. I must have been feverish at the time. LOL Hopefully this will force me to sew a little more. :) Especially since it means no NEW clothes for me for 6 months, just thrifted and things I make. I can do it, though. An dI know it will save me money in the long run.

I am also going to an adult camping event called Duckstock the Party in June where I will be presenting a class called "Frugal Fetish reFashioning." I have some pretty fun ideas for this!

DIYWed: Scarfing Round Town the No-Sew Way

2009-11-04T11:26:00.004-05:00

Well, it's finally starting to get cold** here in Atlanta which means I can start rocking my skinny scarves without getting stranger-than-normal looks or a hot neck. I really only have two, though: a pink-and-black striped one and a black-and-white striped one. I am always on the scout for more but am really picky about the ones I'll get. It can't be too thick or scratchy in any way. (I have really sensitive skin which is one reason I wear a lot of jersey knits.)

That's why I got really excited when I saw Missy's tutorial on Cut-Out-and-Keep for making a no-sew circle scarf out of a t-shirt. :)

The only thing I did differently was keep my ends separated and used the sleeves of the shirt to make fringe.

Her tutorial goes into a lot more detail but the gist of it is cutting 1" bands starting with the bottom of the shirt (after cutting off the hem), stretching the bands, looping each band around your hand a few times, then tying the bunched up loops together. It took me about an hour from start to finish which included the time I spent using the cut off hem as a toy for one of my kitties.

**I am from Northern Minnesota. It doesn't get "cold" in Atlanta like it does there but it does still have some pretty chilly days.

DIYWed: Happy Frankenshirt

2009-10-27T22:51:00.004-04:00

This was a really simple refashion. I love how it turned out but it's still a bit... um... happier than I am used to wearing. :)

I started with 2 t-shirts: a plain black one and a pink and white striped one which was much brighter than I used to wearing so I felt very out of place wearing it. Originally, I was going to stencil a black skull on it but I decided this would be better since it'd still be too much brightness for my clothes. :)

I carefully cut the sleeves off the black t-shirt at the seam and used one of them as a pattern to cut new sleeves from the pink and white shirt. I lined the hem of one of the black sleeves up with the bottom hem of the P&W shirt so I didn't have to hem the new sleeves.

After sewing those on, I did a reverse applique of the pink and white striped heart with a black heart regular applique over that.

DIYWed: Beaded Skull Tie (a start)

2009-10-21T08:05:00.004-04:00

I picked up some ties from the Goodwill a few weeks ago with the intent of painting them but then I got the idea to sew a beaded pattern on at least one of them. Honestly, this was a project I thought I could knock out completely in a couple of hours. Shows how little I know. :)

I did get a pretty good start, though, with this little skull which I free-handed with silver-lined clear seed beads.

I also went to see a friend of mine in Augusta, GA this past weekend. I had my pink belt bracelet with me which inspired him to make this for me using an old belt his dad had gotten for him. (His dad did not realize it was a girl's belt. :) )

DIYWed: Out of my Skull

2009-10-15T12:15:00.004-04:00

Did you know that yesterday was Wednesday and not Tuesday? I realized that last night as I was getting ready for bed. Hence the day-lateness of this post.

I would guess that, by the very nature of the peole who tend to visit my little blog, most of you have heard of Skull-a-day.com. Artist Noah Scalin started it June 4, 2007 and made a skull everyday for the following year. The site is still alive and kicking with a couple of co-moderators who make things and also share skulls that others have made. It's a pretty cool site that I have been following pretty much since it's inception.

I was even mentioned on the site once. :)

Not only did Noah post his own artwork, he also made some of his ideas available for others to use, including his stencils he made. (Scroll down the right sidebar of his site to find all of his free stuff... including a connect-the-dot skull!)

At least a couple of these stencils are going to end up on my t-shirts, skirts, and bags, I think.

Click the image to connect to his site with the stencil

I picked up some white fabric spray paint yesterday that I am going to play with for these. Eventually... some day... I will post those results.

On a personal side note, what do you other creative types do when you are in a funk and don't feel like making anything? Do you force yourself to anyway, even if the result is less than optimal? Or do you just wait for the feeling to pass?

DIYWed: Easy Paper Stars... thanks, Betsy!

2009-10-07T12:05:00.007-04:00

I am cheating... again, I know. But my in-laws were in town for the first time in 2.5 years and my favorite uncle passed away which sapped away whatever creative energy I had left this week so I think it is forgiveable. I have a couple of things started so I should certainly have something good to share again next week.

So, instead, I am going to share a wonderful secret with you that I discovered years ago for making perfectly shaped patterns for stars. About.com also has good illustrated instructions here.

It starts with an 8.5" x 10" sheet of paper which produces an ~8" star but you can scale it up or down depending on the size you need. You can also vary how far in you cut as well as the angle to produce all sorts of fun star shapes.

The picture is my proof that it works. :)

About my Uncle Roger:

He had a tough life up until he came back into our lives 20 years ago but he was always in a good mood and was always cracking stupid jokes to make you laugh. He'd do anything in the world for my family and was definitely a part of ours. He was also an extremely creative and talented man. His intricate woodcarvings with inlaid stones from discarded costume jewwelry were not quite my aesthetic but were absolutely awe-inspiring. I think I inherited my love of turning wannabe-trash-to-art from him. :)

My sister and I called him, affectionately, "Unca Snoot" and even had a song about him that we'd sing:

It's Mister Snoot-a-root
He's just a little ol' skinny brute
But you must admit he is kinda cute
'Cause he's Mister Snoot-a-root!
I was 15 and she was 8 when we came up with that. :) It made him chuckle every time which was the important part.

Since I could not make it home for the funeral yesterday, my mom asked me if there was anything special I would like that belonged to her brother. The first and only thing that came to mind was some of his art supplies. The first thing I will do is make something in honor of Uncle Roger.

He's definitely going to be missed.

DIYWed: I {heart} Cut Out & Keep for DIY ideas and tutes!

2009-09-30T12:20:00.006-04:00

One website that I absolutely adore and visit often throughout the day is Cut Out & Keep. It's free to join and members post pictures of really cool things they've made as well as some pretty funky tutorials. If you make a version of something based off someone else's tute, you can link it which I think is a fabulous idea!

You are also able to save projects as favorites so you can come back to when you are ready to either make something or get a little inspiration. I've heard the forums are fabulous, though I have not had the time to peruse them yet.

But there are so many awesome ideas on there! From making jewelry and clothing out of just about anything to a plethora of plushies to recipes for things like rainbow cupcakes and how-to's on making comic shoes. I can guarantee that you will find me making more and more things based on tutorials and other projects here.

Their categories are Accessories, Art & Craft Supplies, Bath & Beauty, Food & Drink, Homeware, Jewelry, Techniques, Toys & Playthings, and Wearables.

I know this post is a little bit of a cop out as I don't have a project of my own to share this week but Hubbyman and I celebrated out 6th wedding anniversary by going to Savannah this past weekend. It was absolutely beautiful though waaaaaay too hot and humid for my still Northern blood. I took a lot of pictures with my Holga and am anxious to get them developed since I've never actually used this camera before.

This picture was taken with my cellphone and is of the driveway leading into Wormsloe Plantation in Savannah.

Below is a picture of Pirates House Restaurant (also taken with my cell) while waiting for our ghost tour bus:
We also visited Ft. Pulaski. I especially loved the funhouse effect of the mirrors in their restroom. :)

I promise that I will have something to post next week for DIY Wednesday!

Until Later, Sweet P'taters!

Sashi

DIYWed: Shirt + Skirt = Um... Another Shirt! (Now with a tutorial!)

2009-09-23T12:39:00.006-04:00

I really need to start remembering to take before pictures. So, imagine ~ if you will ~ a black t-shirt that is too tight around the hips and sleeves that are also too short. Imagine as well a red and black paid skirt with a slight A-line shape to it.

That's what I started with for this:

This was actually pretty easy.

UPDATE: Here's an actual tutorial.... drawn in the very high tech MSPaint. :)

(end UPDATE)

Here's a detail of the elastic band on the sleeve:

And here's a detail of the pattern of the skirt I used... complete with cat hair!

It's not perfect, of course, but I really like it! It looks a little like a mini-dress so works really well with leggings and pants that are a bit slim-fitting. :)

Management would like to apologize for previous pictures that were poorly taken. They regret that the artist/blogger has not yet gotten off her lazy butt to make a dress form dummy and is still using her phone camera instead of the good digital camera.

Swim Cap Awesomeness + Polka Dotted Shade

2009-09-20T01:40:00.006-04:00

My hubby and I will be celebrating our 6th wedding anniversary in about a week. Yay! To celebrate, we are going to have a little romantic weekend getaway to Savannah. We found a decent inexpensive hotel with an indoor pool, which is important with my sensitive skin. (Call me weird, but I prefer my natural pinkness instead of the burn I can get with less than 20 minutes of exposure in the sun.)

However, anyone who colors their hair knows that chlorine is the suck so I decided I needed a swim cap. Not just any swim cap, of course, but an awesome swim cap.

And I found one!

Headcovers Unlimited offers this nugget of goodness in 14 different colors:

Of course, I had to get it my colors which also happens to match my swimsuit. I'm thinking I need some waterproof eyeliner and red lipstick to complete this retro look at the pool. What do you think? :)

Since we will be doing some walking around looking for photo opportunities, I decided to splurge by getting myself some portable shade instead of dealing with constant applications of SPF 85.

I got this parasol/umbrella from GreatLookz in black with white polka dots.

I also ordered a pair of regular-sized black and white striped thigh highs which, for my chubby legs, make great knee highs. Since I wear long skirts, stripes up to my knees work just fine.

Both companies were uber-fast with their shipping, too, which is great for this procrastinator! I think I am going to look especially cute for our trip. :)

DIYWed: Cinch it at the Wrist

2009-09-16T09:04:00.007-04:00

After I made Grampa's Punkin' Hat last week, I realized I still had enough of the belt leftover to make this:

Showing y'all some bracelet love!

I just cut the belt to be 3" longer than my wrist, added the metal tip back on the end to keep it from fraying, and that's it.

Probably one of the easiest things I have ever made.

Seriously, I feel like I cheated. :)

But the thing I love best about this bracelet is that it is unique AND fits my wrist! Most cuff bracelets in stores tend to be just a bit too snug.

Deliciously Odd!

2009-09-10T12:39:00.006-04:00

This really has nothing to do with punk fashion or DIY projects but this was just too wonderfully weird to go by without a comment!

They've take 3 frames of various movies and looped them together in sequence for a fun but surreal effect. There is one below but please visit Three Frames for a lot more! Just in case you are looking at this at work or school, there are a couple of clips that show nipplage so make sure to scroll past those quickly. ;)

Until later, sweet p'taters!

Sashi

DIYWed: Grampa's Punkin' Hat

2009-09-09T00:23:00.008-04:00

I just came up with a 9/9/09 resolution. I, Sashi, vow that I will wear more hats out of the house. Cross my heart, hope to get hat hair. I mean, I have several hats floating around the house that will randomly wear... around the house. Occasionally I do venture out with my head covered but usually not. I've always thought my head was too round and small and felt hats accentuated this fact.

But, dammit, I love my hats!

In fact, I refashioned what I call an old man's hat to something a little more fun. I am weird about putting someone else's hat on my head but I found a nice brown one on clearance at KingSizeDirect a while back. (They don't have it anymore, unfortunately.)

This isn't the exact hat but it's close:

The first thing I did is cut the threads inside the hat to remove the brown ribbon. It was glued in a couple of places so I also VERY GENTLY pulled the ribbon and feather off of the felt hat. If you go slowly, you will barely notice where the glue had been.

Once the hat was nekkid, I decided to use a pink belt I had gotten at a thrift store.

I pried the metal clasp off the end of the belt and cut the belt off just past the first set of grommets before wrapping it around the hat to get an idea where I want to cut the belt. I left about a 1/2" allowance which I overlapped with the other end and sewed a running stitch to create a band. I slid it over the hat to make sure it still fit and then cut off the overlap. I used the piece I cut off the original end of the belt to cover my seam. It worked out that the grommets all lined up!

As you can see in the picture above, it also left a nice place to stick one of my Shana Logic buttons. :)

I put the new band on the hat and basted it in place along the top of the band with bright pink thread again.

And here is the finished product!

I love that I can change out the button as the mood strikes me as well.

This pic is just for fun. :P

Hmm... I wonder if I can get away with wearing a hat to work the next time I have a bad hair day...

I {heart} PersephonePlus!

2009-09-06T01:46:00.010-04:00

I first encountered this wonderful lady and her dresses a few years ago when I was looking at dress ideas for my wedding (OMG... I looked so different back then!) and I have been drooling over them ever since! Long, flowing, and beautifully Goth. They almost make me wish I had long hair again. Almost. It definitely appeals more to my girly, romantic side, though!

Jhone at PersephonePlus says this on the main page:

"These clothes are designed with the plus sized woman in mind. They are not just scaled up versions of tiny clothes. They fit gracefully, accentuating your curves, and never bind or pull.

Many of the dresses come in a variety of colors and fabrics, and can be custom altered to suit your taste regarding length and style of sleeve."

While I love velvet, I am so glad you can choose a slinky knit as well. I have 4 cats and, well, there are not enough lint rollers in the world to manage velvet.

Unfortunately, as much as I love, love, LOVE her dresses, they are just a bit out of my price range. But, rather than drool on my keyboard, instant gratification is available!

She has accessories on Etsy! (*does a happy Sashi dance*)

I've already gotten a couple of things from her, actually. In real life, this ring looks just like a plain purple stone unless the light hits it just right and then you see this wonderful surprise.

I also got these super cute earrings. I rarely wear them as they are almost too girly for me but I get to see them every morning and they make me smile. :)

I also got the female mate to my ring for my sister.

There are a lot of wonderful Goth and steam punk accessories at PersephonePlus.etsy.com and she is always adding new things. I'd say it's a definite must for those who have an affinity for the more romantic side of alternative fashion.

DIY Wednesday: Punked Out Badge/ID Holders

2009-09-01T21:43:00.007-04:00

I don't know about you, but I have to work a corporate job. They are fairly lax on the whole dress code thing , fortunately, so I am able to dress the way I want to. Our elevators have a mirror-like finish so I am able to watch people look me up and down behind me. Now, I'm not as outrageous as I could be, but a fat girl with pink and black hair, with visible tattoos and piercings, and wearing all black doesn't exactly scream "corporate."

I can almost hear these observers thinking: "Does she work here? She doesn't look like she works here. Maybe she works in the art department. But that's 2 buildings over unless she's just visiting? Maybe? I wonder if her boss is okay with it. Is it up to the dress code? I wish I could be that brave. Hmm... my daughter would love her watch/bag/etc." (*grins*)

Besides just my usual clothing, I like to veer from the corporate norm with other things as well.

Which brings me to this week's project. (Finally!)

BADGE HOLDERS! :)

Here are three that I made recently. The one with pink hearts is from a little girl's dress I picked up at a garage sale, the red plaid is from a pencil skirt from the Goodwill, and the stripes are from an old t-shirt that I never wore. The black hearts are from black t-shirt scraps. This project is a really good way to use up fabric scraps!

Here are back views, with and without a "badge" :)

HOW TO MAKE A BADGE HOLDER
(Use the photographs above as a reference in conjunction with the steps below.)

Materials Needed

Fabric for the outside (at least 6" x 3")
Fabric for the lining (at least 6" x 3")
Fusible interfacing (if using t-shirt scraps or other thin fabric)
Thin clear plastic (such as from an old report cover or consumer packaging)
30" of double fold bias tape (not the wide kind)
Thread, either matching or contrasting the bias tape
Needle
Scissors

Directions

For the front and back of outside, cut out a piece that is 4.25" x 2.75" with all 4 corners rounded and one that is 0.75" x 2.75" with 2 corners along one long side rounded. (see diagram below)
Do the same with the lining.
If using interfacing, cut out a piece that is 4.25" x 2.75" with all 4 corners rounded. (see diagram below.)
On the plastic, cut out a piece that is 3.625" x 2.75" with 2 corners along one short side rounded. (see diagram below)
Do any applique or decorative sewing on the outside before preceding with the next steps.
Layer the lining and outside pieces of the small back area together, right-sides out.
Cut two 3" pieces from the bias tape.
Sandwich the non-rounded edges of the small back pieces inside one of the pieces bias tape and sew in place with a running stitch. Trim off the excess tape when done.
Do the same with the plastic piece and other strip of bias tape you just cut.
If using interfacing, place the outside fabric face down with the wrong side up, layer the interfacing on top of it and the lining on top of that right-side up. Iron together. Otherwise, just layer the outside and lining pieces, wrong sides together.
You should now have a large front piece, a small back piece trimmed on one side with bias tape, and the plastic piece trimmed on one side with bias tape.
Lay the front piece and small back, lining sides together, tops lined up.
Starting in the center of the top, sandwich the pieces between the bias-tape and sew through all the layers with a running stitch.
Be sure to pleat the tape as you sew it around the corner.
As you get close to the trim of the small back piece, line up the plastic piece so the bottom rounded corners are even with the rounded corners of the main front piece and the trim overlaps the trim of the small back piece.
Continue sewing the tape around the edge of the pieces until all 3 pieces are held together by the tape.
Once you get back to the top, form at least a 4" loop with the bias tape and attach.
Trim off any excess.

Click for larger view

DIY Wednesday: Rockin' the 'hawk... hat-style

2009-08-25T22:37:00.007-04:00

About 3 years ago, I was having an uber-bad day at work so decided to have a little hair therapy to lift my spirits. Plus, as you can see in this old picture, I seriously needed a new hairstyle.

This was me 10 years ago :)

A friend of mine recommended an awesome salon in the area so I made an appointment for after work. The stylist's name was CC and he was awesome! I sat in his chair with my mousy long hair and said "I want you to do whatever you think will look on me. I want something artsy, something fun, something funky and I don't care about length as long as it can still be grabbed at the crown." :D Without batting an eyelash, he said, "We can do that!" He ended up giving me a version of a bob but the back of my head was shaved about halfway up.

My hairstyle has changed a bit since then but I still get the back of my head shaved. I *LOVE* it! After I get my hair cut, I will sit at work and just pet the back of my head. (*grin*) I can't imagine ever going back to having my hair sticking to back of my neck and everything else on these hot Atlanta days. Blech.

Sadly, I doubt I'll ever go to the extreme of getting a mohawk, though. Partly because of my day job but mostly because I look better with hair around my face. Trust me... I do.

HOWEVER

When I happened across project 72 in Megan Nicolay's "Generation T Beyond Fashion," I knew I had to give this a try!

I think it turned out really cute but it came out a bit too small for me which is entirely my own fault. Rather than measuring my head and drawing out the pattern as instructed, I thought I'd be smart and use a winter skull cap I already own. I will be making this hat again and will do it the right way next time. :)

Online Shopping Goodness: Shana Logic

2009-08-21T15:52:00.004-04:00

Indie shops rocks! I have always loved getting things from the "little guys" and supporting artists. Shana Victor at Shana Logic makes it easy as her store carries items from several independent artists!

I have gotten quite a few awesome accessories from here and the prices are pretty decent for indie designs. :)

Here are just a few things I've gotten over the past couple of years:

I could spend so much money here but I just allow myself little treats now and again. I promise I will share whenever I do! Until then, I definitely recommend this online shop!

DIY Wednesday: I {heart} Fabric Bows

2009-08-18T22:25:00.006-04:00

I will be honest: I am not a fan of bows. Even when I had long hair, I did not wear them and if I bought an article of clothing with a bow on it... well, I wouold find a way to remove it without destroying the outfit.

But, for some strange reason, I *L*O*V*E* making these! I found the tutorial for these at Cut Out & Keep and they are are incredibly easy to make. The main difference from the tute and what I did is that these are about half the size.

You may recognize this fabric from the men's polo refashion I posted in my first entry. This isn't the best fabric to use as it is really stretchy and the skulls are a bit too far apart but it was fun to play around with for my first few bows. :)

This one was made using fabric from a size 2 pencil skirt I got from the thrift store for a couple of bucks a while back. :) The ribbon is from one of the many grab bags of ribbon I purchased many years ago and the stud is off of an old belt I recently picked up.

I made a few more than this, experimenting with different fabrics, ribbons, etc. Non-stretchy fabric that can be ironed is the easiest, I think.

I made 2 of the plaid punk bows and am not sure what I am going to do with them. I am thinking at least one will become a necklace of sorts. I have an old black bra strap that I converted into a choker that just may be perfect for this.

I'll post a pic of whatever I decide to do! I may be a bow-lover after all. :)

Online Shopping Goodness: 6dollarshirts.com

2009-08-13T13:54:00.004-04:00

One thing you will quickly learn about me is that I am obsessed with refashioning t-shirts. Which is kind of funny, in a way, considering I rarely wear regular t-shirts. (*smiles and shrugs*)

Anyway...

I happened upon this site a while back and have been enjoying browsing their site. Their t-shirts are... well... $6 each or 10 for $50. However, 2X and 3X are $2 and $3 more, respectively. Ordinarily, this would make me shy away from purchasing anything from them.

BUT... and I do mean to give this a BIG BUT here... they have an offer I could not refuse.

Random t-shirts for $2.95 a piece. If you are willing to take a gamble, this is a really good deal! Even the thrift shop I frequent for my t's charges $2.95 for the semi-decent ones. I also LOVE mystery packages and grab bags so I had to give them a try.

Since they are called 6 Dollar Shirts, I decided to get 6 of them in XL which is the largest you can get before they start tacking on the extra dollars.

Here is what I received and let me just say that I am a happy Sashi. :)

From the tv show "Saved by the Bell"

From the tv show "The Office"

From the movie "Rushmore"

A zombie t-shirt

They call this one "Uncle Corpse"

And, last but not least, the cheat code from the Nintendo game Contra:

I already have plans for a few these. :)

I've also placed another random order, this time for 21 shirts. The reason I went with 21 and not an even 20 is because with that 21st shirt, I got a $10 discount. That's like getting 3 shirts for free!

I thnk I will be good on t-shirts to work with for a while after this. Maybe. ;)

Until later, sweet p'taters!

Sashi

DIY Wednesday: Reverse Applique

2009-08-11T12:36:00.003-04:00

I know, I know! It's not Wednesday yet but I made this last night and am just too excited to wait. :)

This sad fella is made from a piece of ivory lace taken from a little girl's dress that I got at the thrift shop (just for refashioning purposes) and a piece of cloth taken from a tan t-shirt.

On the INSIDE FRONT of my black t-shirt, I centered first the lace and then the tan background so the lace was sandwiched between the t-shirt fabrics.

I drew my skull outline on the back of the tan piece, pinned it and sewed it with my machine. I used a zig-zag stitch around the outside of the skull and a straight stitch around the eyes and nose.

I took out the pins and cut the black t-shirt out of the outline on the front, being careful to not cut into the lace. I left the eyes and nose black

I stitched cording on the front for the mouth.

I am really pleased with the way this turned out for just winging it as I went. I love that he's a little wonky. :)

Sorry for the phone pic. I snapped it quickly at work before someone else entered the restroom. :)

Over the next month or so, I will be putting my sewing room together so I will be able to take better pictures of some of the things plan on making. I'm even enlisting my hubbyman to help me make a custom dress form dummy so I won't have to model things myself. :P

Oh, and I should be getting a wonderful shipment in the mail tonight so come back in a day or two to see what yumminess I got!

Until later, sweet p'tater!
Sashi

Introduction

2009-08-05T17:54:00.003-04:00

Hello and welcome to my new Funky, Punky, and Plump blog!

So, who the heck am I, anyway?

Well, my friends call me Sashi. Find out more about that over to the right somewhere. I am a big girl who has a fairly eclectic style that is somewhere between the punk and Goth label. Or "gunk" as one of my clever friends says.

Now, I don't know about all that but I know I like what I like. I tend to wear a lot of black and accessorize with pink and skulls. I'm like a 14-year-old girl trapped in a large 30-something woman's body... and loving every minute of it!

Well, almost.

It gets frustrating at times because most of the really cool already-made clothes tend to either not fit me or just not fit me well. Fortunately, I can kind of sew and know how to wield a pair of scissors!

As an example, I made this shirt last night from a skull polo shirt I got off of King Size Direct and a plain black t-shirt.

Heh heh... you can see my skull obsession in this pic as well with my necklace, watch, and skulls on the wall behind me on my whiteboard at work. :)

The base for this shirt was one of those fabulous surprise finds on a rather "vanilla" website. I originally got one for my hubby since he likes to wear polo shirts when he goes out and and... well... it had skulls on it which I like. ;) I was jealous, though, so had to get one to girly-up a bit.

Here are my plans for this blog:

Once a week, post a DIY project that is fitting for funky, punky styles and occasionally show my attempts
Post any surprising finds I encounter on mainstream websites (they're there if you are patient and just keep looking)
Once a week, feature other blogs and websites that I think others might enjoy... specifically artist, fashionistas, and indie shops
As I develop a readership following, I am also hoping to prompt positive discussions about being a person of size with punk and Goth aesthetics.

This will definitely be a work a progress, though, and I do hope that you will come back and visit often. Please feel free to comment or contact me with feedback so I can make this a good and useful site.

Until later, sweet p'taters!
Sashi

Funky, Punky, and Plump

Filling in the blanks

Thick Threads/Fat Girl Art Giveaway!

I support MiniGasms

8 years and counting...

Caffeine-induced verbal spewing, my Gramma, and owls

Skeleton Cameo Wedding Jewelry

Ten Rules for Fat Girls (ALL girls, really)

A little A-to-Z about me

Where the heck is Lincolnton?

A hearse! A hearse! My queendom for a hearse!

Horror-movie Themed Engagement Party

Revamped site and Etsy shop FINALLY open!

Engagement Party: Bring in the troops!

Engagement Party: Zombie Bride

Engagement Party: The Invitation

My Dinner Guest

Opinion Needed: Matron of Honor dress

(*swoon*)

We have a winner! (*dances*)

One day left for the giveaway!

My First Giveaway!!!

Metamorphosis

The Love Shirt, exciting and new....

My personal "Show No Fear" Project

Spuddy Bud Duds... er... Shoes

CraftyPirate's Buried Treasure Giveaway

I fell in love today and it's Sew Misunderstood

Glue woes & toast

Nipples! Pizza! Glue! Oh, my!

Still here :)

Bow Bracelet and Crafty Pirate's Horrific Giveaway

Cute and Creepy

Skullified Shoes

Dia de Los Muertos Sundress

Every Rose Has Its Skull

Taking a bite out of Prom

DIYWed: Scarfing Round Town the No-Sew Way

DIYWed: Happy Frankenshirt

DIYWed: Beaded Skull Tie (a start)

DIYWed: Out of my Skull

DIYWed: Easy Paper Stars... thanks, Betsy!

DIYWed: I {heart} Cut Out & Keep for DIY ideas and tutes!

DIYWed: Shirt + Skirt = Um... Another Shirt! (Now with a tutorial!)

Swim Cap Awesomeness + Polka Dotted Shade

DIYWed: Cinch it at the Wrist

Deliciously Odd!

DIYWed: Grampa's Punkin' Hat

I {heart} PersephonePlus!

DIY Wednesday: Punked Out Badge/ID Holders

DIY Wednesday: Rockin' the 'hawk... hat-style

Online Shopping Goodness: Shana Logic

DIY Wednesday: I {heart} Fabric Bows

Online Shopping Goodness: 6dollarshirts.com

DIY Wednesday: Reverse Applique

Introduction

(swoon)

We have a winner! (dances)