OLIVESELKIE

2011-12-19T08:42:00.000-08:00

Hey everyone!
Sorry it been a while without an update. The Holiday season at work is pretty crazy every year and I havent had a minute to sit and eat let alone be in the internet.

As a result though I'll have a bunch of new work images to put up as soon as I have a free second to sort through them (which according to my calendar is in like, April 2012).

Here's a dog to make up for it!

It's so amazing to see all the followers I've picked up lately! Thanks to everyone for reading!
That being said I wanted to poll you guys and see if anyone out there has an opinion on Tumblr. I've been using it a lot lately for personal research and I love the way you can share things on it. The re-posting feature is really cool. I've got an account so I can keep track of my favorites over there but I wanted to see how many of you use Tumblr and would want to follow me there if I moved?

Beading

2011-11-10T12:12:00.000-08:00

Netflix has Deep Space Nine on instant play now so I've been watching one or five episodes when I get home since Andrew has been on set for the last two weeks and I'm too tired to go out and do stuff. I'm trying to broaden my "sitting down activities" this week so I've started working on the bottom embroidery of my Katherine Balckmoore skirt again.

The embroidery is hardly ever seen of course. It's on the bottom edge of the inside of the skirt. I've always been a fan of secret designs.

More painting!

2011-11-08T12:05:00.000-08:00

Tired!

2011-11-06T12:04:00.000-08:00

Holiday prep is so busy at the store that I usually don't have energy to do much that involves standing up by the time I get home. So when I'm not dragging my exhaused self to a League of S.T.E.A.M. meeting or show I've been settling in to paint a little.
I'm still using those Pelikan Opaque paints which are still pretty magical.

Good Eyes

2011-10-30T18:34:00.000-07:00

Andrew is amazing! We were driving around in Eagle Rock last week and he spotted this industrial sewing machine on the side of the road so I took our friend Nick and his big car back to snag it. The man getting rid of it was moving and said that the motor was new. We plugged it in yesterday and it purrs! I just need to take the head in to get cleaned and it's ready to go!

Honestly

2011-10-28T18:24:00.000-07:00

I don't have a clue where I'm going to wear this.

Birthday Dog!

2011-10-26T18:09:00.000-07:00

New Hat

2011-10-24T18:02:00.000-07:00

Not that Andrew and I needed more hats in our life. I'd say we have around 20 hats carefully balanced on our bookshelf right now. I think we might need a hatstand.

Dead?

2011-10-22T17:56:00.000-07:00

Normally I'd come back on here after so long proclaiming that "I'm not dead!" but I guess according to these photos I'd be lying. League of S.T.E.A.M. preformed at the 2011 Best of Passadena event a couple of weeks ago where they had this awesome (and free) photo booth. The Ghost (me! ) was pretty popular and our very own Zed (zombie man-servant) managed to snag a snapshot with some giggling ladies.

Jersey Dress

2011-08-31T17:21:00.000-07:00

I made a dress! Also it is not the same dress I always make which is pretty exciting. I was just trying out this pattern I made off an old Anthro shirt I've got although it changed a lot while I was fiddling with it. I can't say it resembles the shirt at all now.
The top portion is a bit of old upholstery fabric I made a skirt out of a while ago and the bottom is a gathered length of jersey. I got the belt from Anthropologie a while ago and haven't had anything to wear it with yet.
I think I've discovered that the reason I haven't been wearing any fancy belts is that I've never had the right kind of dress to wear belts with.

Filler Sketch!

2011-08-25T20:09:00.001-07:00

Sketching during one of our many LOS meetings this week.

- Kate

Space Helmet

2011-08-14T11:10:00.000-07:00

Recently a friend and past fellow Display Coordintor asked me if I wanted to be a part of a show she was putting together called GRAVITY.
I had hoped to make a full Victorian styled space suit but of course time gets away so quickly these days.
I used an older dress as the base and made a helmet and an air container bustle (I didn't manage to get a picture of the bustle yet).

The helmet is made of chipboard, an Ikea salad bowl, beads, some leftover foam, a bit of quilted fabric, plastic tubing, small Ikea dipping bowls, an old number plaque I had from some antique chairs, some plexi from an old work project, a bike spoke from an old work project, some paper-mache and a bunch of metal paint (that is amazing in that it actually corrodes like metal when you patina it). And there are a couple of small Ikea lights stuck in there too.

Oh and these funny things from an electronics scrap yard and a couple of elbow joints and a whole lotta hot glue.

Windows!

2011-07-20T19:36:00.000-07:00

A new set of windows at Anthro. These guys are made out of painted canvas.

We hand cut these with razor blades. It was a crazy, sore finger kind of week.
The blisters I got just went away.

Panic!

2011-07-11T18:48:00.001-07:00

A while back LOS Productions was part of a music video for the band Panic! at the Disco
We were called in to consult on the project and to use our props, costumes and people in the video.
They liked us so much that they hired us on to make the stage props/set for their next tour!

Andrew designed and headed up the build.
Here are a few photos of them before they were shipped out to the band.

This went in front of the drummer's stage and the green tubes are filled with UV reactive liquid so that they glow under blacklights.

The lights on these guys blink to the beat of the music.

A pipe for a hidden blacklight.

And these fake steam powered pipe organ are what I mostly worked on.
They shoot smoke/steam from their top pipes and the grates at the bottom have a flicker light effect to look like burning coals.

Paper Love Birds

2011-07-01T16:47:00.000-07:00

Made these cute guys for a wedding promo at work. They're just paper and a little bit of watercolor.

Bedroom

2011-06-30T16:08:00.000-07:00

Our second bedroom concept. I really love how this one came out. It's 1x2's fabric and glue.

Bedroom!

2011-06-29T19:53:00.000-07:00

This was one of our bedroom concepts. We made a fake Murphy bed and a bunch of chair shelves.

Kitchen!

2011-06-27T19:26:00.000-07:00

Our kitchen concept.

Paper Crafts

2011-06-26T19:18:00.000-07:00

A couple of paper, plywood and burlap props I made for the Pasadena store.
An stove.

A mixer.

And a concept for Simi Valley.

Bonnets!

2011-06-25T19:47:00.000-07:00

Are really weird. It works with the dress but I feel like a horse with blinders on. The dress just needs button holes and the bonnet needs to be stitched together which I can't do until I have the lights. Andrew is going to pick them up on Tuesday and then it's a mad dash to have it all done by Friday!

Flowers!

2011-06-21T19:11:00.000-07:00

Simi Valley store. The flowers are made out of watercolor paper Styrofoam and beads with a little bit of spray paint.

Display!

2011-06-20T18:53:00.000-07:00

The cardboard lamps are product. We made the large wood lamp in the center.

This wall display is made of lightly stained 1x2s.

Happy Father's Day

2011-06-19T10:34:00.000-07:00

Dresses!

2011-06-18T18:51:00.000-07:00

Dresses made from Tyvek and clothespins.

The Ghost is Back

2011-06-17T11:27:00.000-07:00

I'm trying to get her all done for the Labyrinth Masquerade in July. The League will be preforming on Friday night so if you're in the area you should get tickets now!

She needs a collar, buttons, the under layer with lighting, her petticoat and a bonnet.
Aaaaaand I've got two other dresses in the works.

Holiday 2011 Details!

2011-06-16T18:20:00.000-07:00

Our windows were a stump forest with little homes in them.

The front of store was a tree farm.

This is Frederick our holiday deer.

More little birds!

A wreath and a scarf made of mittens.

These little gingerbread guys are actually made our of Masonite and handpainted.

Fake bread!

Our painters studio all dressed up for the holidays.

Thousand Oaks Workshop and Details

2011-06-14T12:43:00.000-07:00

A few details from another CA store and the store opening in OK.

I made a few fountains for the Thousand Oaks store.
One in this tub.

One in this zinc bucket.

The beginning of our holiday display tarted with me making a number of small stuffed birds.

Windows in the Simi Valley store. Made from cake rounds painted and stapled into a 2x4 structure.

Oars!

2011-06-13T00:59:00.000-07:00

I have a bunch more Anthro displays to post from the last year and also some new windows.

These were by far my favorite windows I have ever done with this company. The oars were made from shingles, dowels, and paint. The buoys are paper mache.

Bedroom!

2011-06-07T20:16:00.000-07:00

This concept starts off my California Anthro work. It involved mostly making hanging shelves and burlap straps to place bedding merchandise in and creating a patchwork canopy on one wall.

Vintage Kate Anthro 4

2011-06-04T20:07:00.000-07:00

Our hanging boat for a bedding concept.

Signage!

Summer seaside concept. Fabrics and died watercolor paper.

Vintage Kate Anthro 3

2011-06-02T19:57:00.000-07:00

We had a dining concept based mainly around white and plaster. I built a picture frame around some pre-existing shelves, and we draped a canvas over our large table and painted in white so it would hold it's form. The lights are made from plant hangers and pantyhose and cheesecloth fabrics.

This was a tropical bedding concept. The leaves are cardboard and pipe and over-dyed fabrics.

Plant design windows with latex paints and a whole lotta contact paper and exacto blades.

Vintage Kate Anthro 2

2011-05-31T19:46:00.000-07:00

These are a few images from some of the projects I designed and worked on while in Burlington, MA.
These were our Earth Day windows which were made from plastic water and soda bottles cut open and spray painted bright colors.

We wired them up and attached them to old rusty bike wheels.

This guy is made from chicken-wire and dead moss. There's a big 2x4 structure under there as well.

I used some of the leftover bike wheel spokes as weird little plants.

The first successful fountain I made.

Some small simple signage for bracelets.

Vintage Kate Anthro

2011-05-29T19:46:00.000-07:00

I don't have whole lot of good photos of the art I made while I was a Visual Sales in the New England District. I made this right before I got promoted to the Burlington, MA store.

It's made of birch, driftwood, and natural cotton.

Finally!

2011-05-14T08:04:00.000-07:00

So I am finally allowed to post pictures of my day job on the internet. Anthro has decided that due to social media being so popular that we can post anything that the customer can already see. This means no back of store or in progress photos, but at least I can show you the finished product!

I'll probably be backtracking a little so I can post some of the older work but these are the most recent windows that I finished in the Glendale, CA store.

The top of the windows is paint and the bottoms are large planters covered in thousands of wine corks.
These are our Earth Day windows so we used corks since they are a recyclable source.

We also have a standalone window out on the street that gives us a chance to design something different from the front windows. Our intern designed these and we both put them together.

I had just gotten to Glendale when these windows needed to go up so the basic design was already planned and I had a bit of help from one of our sister stores to finish them up on time.
I really like the way these came out and I wish they could stay up for a longer while but we're already working on the next window designs!

Lunch Two

2011-05-13T19:26:00.001-07:00

- Kate

Lunch

2011-05-11T15:05:00.000-07:00

Not finished yet. Hopefully next lunch.

Lunch

2011-05-03T14:57:00.001-07:00

It's been a little harder to paint during lunch. I'm in a new store and people here actually socialize and take the same lunch hour that I do.
It was kind of quiet today though.

- Kate

New Patterns

2011-04-23T21:23:00.000-07:00

Not that I've got the free time lying around but I've been sketching up some new ideas to use a little of the fabric I've got stashed in the garage. I'll have to make a new pattern for the jacket and adjust the skirt pattern a little to make this. I haven't decided whether to make the long sleeves a part of the jacket or to make a whole separate shirt to go underneath.

I also have to finish designing the headdress and mask portion. I'm going to get Andrew to help me make a full bust cast of my head and shoulders so that I can use it to sculpt masks and headdresses off of.

I've had the fabrics for a little while. The green came from my mother and is probably just enough to get a very small jacket out of. We'll see. The yellow came from a pair of pirate pants that I made last summer. I tend to over buy fabrics just in case I need to make something matching later on (also in case I really mess something up). The black and gold fabric is a dutch wax African fabric that I bought without purpose.

I got the gold buttons in downtown LA, the green beads from the FIDM student store ( bag of 1500 for 4 bucks!), and the jewel beetle wings from ebay after I read about the really neat antique Lady Macbeth Jewel Beetle Dress.

Reliquary for an unnamed Saint

2011-04-20T16:32:00.000-07:00

There was recently a fundraiser for a good friend RJ Parsons who has had some medical troubles this year and The League made up a basket of Monster hunting/defense goodies to auction off! My submission was a reliquary that I made with some sculpy, a chicken bone, a bottle, and a bit of sand and paper. Andrew also gave me a little of his amazing paints to work with.

Practicing Obsessive Compulsive-ness

2011-03-27T20:26:00.001-07:00

Scratchboard and ink.

Also Andrew has been away all weekend and we haven't had Internet since Thursday night.
Aka I really needed something to keep me busy.
- Kate

Monday Monday

2011-03-21T21:04:00.001-07:00

Everyone is still sick so I'm still eating oranges. Also, the only milk we have at work is leftover from ST Patties Day and dyed green so all our tea/coffee/oatmeal is looking a little funny this week.

Kate

Blue Dog

2011-03-19T09:06:00.000-07:00

I'm trying to get back in the habit of doodle painting again.
Actually I'm really just trying to get back into the habit of doing 2D work in any capacity.
Between the League's costume work, Anthro's building work and paperwork my illustration/painting desk has been lonely.

Opaque watercolors on crappy sketchbook paper.

Dog in Blue, Red and Green

2011-03-17T20:39:00.000-07:00

More painting! I've been dragging my watercolors to work with me so that I can paint during my lunch break (while watching DS9).

The oranges are because EVeryone I know is sick right now and it's kinda sorta freaking me out. Luckily our window washers like to bring us fruit for some reason and left a humongous bag of oranges this week. I am determined to eat most, if not all, of them. I ate 3 today.

Pupdog still needs a bodycolor.

Jerry Abaun is Amazing

2011-03-15T20:21:00.000-07:00

Seriously, I spent basically the whole con at the merch booth, helping out with a panel, or sitting down and drinking water. Andrew, Claire and I had about 20 minutes during our lunch where we were able to nab Jerry and get him to take some photos for us. It was rushed and hot and super crazy sunny out. I can't believe that these came out so good given the circumstances. Although Jerry is amazing so I shouldn't have been surprised.

Look at that handsome man! And the mountains!

This is my favorite. I really, really want a nice print of this.

Aaaand if you're a fan of Red Dead Redemption then Claire's getup is amazing. It's also amazing even if you don't know anything about Red Dead Redemption.

Thank you Jerry!

And We're Home

2011-03-12T18:24:00.000-08:00

Well we've been home for a while really but we've been busy! AND now I have photos!

The Wild Wild West Convention in Tucson, AZ was fantastic.
See here the town center with the courthouse they gave us to takeover.

And here with the merch booth setup outside.

The rest of Old Tucson Studios is pretty scenic as well.

Andrew made a NOTICE! poster all about League of S.T.E.A.M events during the con which fit in perfectly with all the other old wanted posters and such.

And at least once a day we got to watch a staged gunfight across the square from us.

I spent most of my time at Old Tucson working the merch booth.

The Russian demonstrating our Mini Punchy Fists. Handcrafted by League members.

Coyote hawking our various panels and equipment demos.

J.R. manning the equipment.

Sir Conrad, The Russian, and Jasper looking awesome.

Claire looking awesome.

Zed terrifying the photographer...

Crackitus shooting the t-shirt cannon in the best fuzzy pants ever. I want a pair of those chaps.

The boys wrangling the ghost monkey back into it's cage.

Coyote and Jasper chillin with the net gun.

The League looking classy.

The League looking a little less classy...

DO be sure to check out Jerry Abuan's site. He is a sweetheart and takes the best photos.
I've got some great photos he took of Andrew, Claire and I up next.

Off to Wild Wild West Con!

2011-03-03T20:37:00.000-08:00

I got home from work yesterday at 4, packed at home until 8, packed at our loading zone until 12 and then slept until 3:45 at which point we all got up and started our caravan to Tucson, AZ!

W.A.T.C.H. Liaison

2011-03-02T20:35:00.000-08:00

Coyote Copperbottom - W.A.T.C.H. Liaison

In 1889, Coyote Copperbottom and his wife Ellie noticed an increase in paranormal activity throughout the world. In order to assist their neighbors, League of S.T.E.A.M., they created a global information network, the Worldwide Alliance for the Tracking of Creatures and Haunts. The Jr. League W.A.T.C.H. is a monster and paranormal entity prevention program which enlists the active participation of citizens to track supernatural threats worldwide.

W.A.T.C.H. Liaison

2011-02-28T20:34:00.000-08:00

Ellie Copperbottom - W.A.T.C.H. Liaison

In 1889, Ellie Copperbottom and her husband Coyote noticed an increase in paranormal activity throughout the world. In order to assist their neighbors, League of S.T.E.A.M., they created a global information network, the Worldwide Alliance for the Tracking of Creatures and Haunts. The Jr. League W.A.T.C.H. is a monster and paranormal entity prevention program which enlists the active participation of citizens to track supernatural threats worldwide.

Apparition Tracker

2011-02-22T20:31:00.000-08:00

JayAre - Apparition Tracker

Recently a disciple of Thomas Edison, this chap who goes simply by JR joined the League following his turbulent downfall with Edison Industries. Serving as tracking expert for the team, JR excels in monitoring electronic voice phenomena and other supernatural evidence.

Cryptozoologist

2011-02-18T17:41:00.000-08:00

The Russian - Cryptozoologist

The Russian was recruited by the League of STEAM to aid in the hunting and tracking of creatures due to her extensive knowledge of their habits. As a cryptozoologist, she supports the League's general non-lethal means of capture and anticipates the prospect of new creatures to study through working with the League.

Zeddediah and Thaddeus

2011-02-15T17:38:00.000-08:00

Thaddeus - Gentleman's Gentleman

A tireless and dedicated servant, assistant, valet and confidant to Mr. Potts and company, Thaddeus is one half of a dedicated duo. By relieving the League of distracting day-to-day worries and allowing them to focus on their innovations and the containment of supernatural plagues of mankind, Thaddeus and his twin brother Zeddediah have proven to be an integral part of the team.

Zeddediah - Gentleman's Gentleman

A tireless and dedicated servant, assistant, valet and confidant to Mr. Potts and company, Zeddediah is one half of a dedicated duo. By relieving the League of distracting day-to-day worries and allowing them to focus on their innovations and the containment of supernatural plagues of mankind, Zeddediah and his twin brother Thaddeus have proven to be an integral part of the team.

Skirt Details

2011-02-14T17:37:00.000-08:00

The Ghost is on hiatus for now since we had some changes to our next convention scheduling. In the meantime I've got a ton of other small projects that I need to get done.

I made this skirt a while back and have worn it quite a bit since then. The only down side has been that, as with many of my dresses, I adore really lengthy skirts and get stepped on a lot. A LOT. I had to tack the back up after our last outing because it's been so annoying. The fabric is sturdy enough not to get ruined but it is seriously a pain in the butt :).

So I've gone and added some buttons and loops to the back so that I have the option of having it up or down.

I didn't want the loops to show up while the skirt is down so my friend Robin suggested I make flat little pieces of fabric just like belt loops on blue jeans. I also accidentally made them match up which was awesome.

Mondays

2011-02-10T17:12:00.000-08:00

Broke half the handle of my tea mug. Thankfully into shards big enough to tape back together until I can find some superglue.

Between Work and the League (read: also work ;) ) we don't have a lot of down time these days so I'm catching up on all my podcasts while I prep our next installation. The League of S.T.E.A.M just started their own podcast recently called SteamGeeks. You can find it on iTunes!

Baron von Fogel - Zombie Exterminator

2011-02-05T15:51:00.000-08:00

Baron von Fogel is devoted to abolishing the incessant menace of the living dead which plague our society. Armed with his hand-cranked chainsaw and trusty machete, the Baron serves to make the world a better place, one headless zombie at a time.

Ghost Progress

2011-02-04T21:50:00.000-08:00

Big sleeves are awesome!

Undead Pulverizer

2011-02-01T20:39:00.001-08:00

Katherine Blackmore - Undead Pulverizer

Ms. Blackmoore is contracted by the League of STEAM on a regular basis to aid in their efforts to reduce the population of the living dead. An expert with blunt objects, she favors baseball and cricket bats as her primary skull-crushing weapons.

Ghost Progress

2011-01-30T20:53:00.000-08:00

Oh Pleating. Lots of it.
I don't have a real hoop skirt for underneath yet so I'm just using a huge layered ren faire type skirt all pinned up for the largest amount of volume.
Once I have the hoops and puffy underskirt the dress should lay a little flatter and less lump-tastic. The pleats could also stand to be ironed.

Non-Lethal SpecialistNon-Lethal Specialist

2011-01-29T10:51:00.000-08:00

Specializing in non-lethal weapons and equipment, Crackitus Potts' cleverly-engineered gadgets aid him in capturing and incapacitating all manner of supernatural creatures. His arsenal may seem innocuous, but assisted by the tremendous power of steam, electricity, and kinetics, he can be a formidable opponent. Additionally, he utilizes his advanced steam-powered apparition apprehension apparatus to eradicate ectoplasmic entities (after all, it's not lethal if they're already dead)!

Tactical Coordinator

2011-01-26T12:30:00.000-08:00

Lady Ameliorette Potts - Tactical Coordinator

When the League finds itself in a troublesome spot (as is too frequently the case), Lady Potts is undoubtedly the one who will fix the situation!

Ghost

2011-01-25T16:51:00.000-08:00

Started a new project this weekend. One that will be pretty time intensive until March. LOS Productions needs a few more Ghosts for it's performances and I get to make one of them!

The bodice is partially put together. The half sleeves are pinned on for now. This dress is going to take a buttload of hand stitching.

Vampire Eliminator

2011-01-23T22:52:00.000-08:00

The next installment in the League of S.T.E.A.M's WWWC posters. Photos by Greg De Stefano and graphic design by Andrew Fogel.

Sir Conrad Wright III - Vampire Eliminator

Sir Conrad enjoys long strolls in darkened cemeteries, where he uses his unique assortment of sharp pointy objects to exterminate the Unholy Undead and speed up nature’s process of decomposition. Known to many colleagues simply as “Vampire Hunter C,” Sir Conrad wields a deadly arsenal of weaponry. Beware of his garlic soufflé if you have an aversion to Holy objects or the Sun.

180 Square Feet of Blue Fabric

2011-01-22T21:11:00.001-08:00

I was wearing gloves, but they didn't work.

- Kate

Lycanthrope Hunter

2011-01-19T21:25:00.000-08:00

The League of S.T.E.A.M. has been busy lately prepping for Wild Wild West Con in Tuscon, AZ in March.
We recently had a fantastic photo shoot with photographer Greg de Stefano www.gregdestefano.com where he took a series of photos for the League to use as posters to promote. One or two will be released every week until the convention March 4-6.

First up: Jasper Mooney- Lycanthrope Hunter (A Lycanthrope being a werewolf for those of you without an encyclopedia of monsters and beasts. )

Jasper Mooney is dedicated to an unceasing quest to ferret out and abrogate lycanthropes, and he has honed his seeking, searching, and stalking skills to a keen edge. These uncanny abilities, coupled with advanced steam propulsion theory and cinnabar-driven contrivances, render all lycanthropic entities harmless and hairless.

Little Nose

2010-12-02T12:06:00.001-08:00

We had to go to our favorite scrap yard yesterday. Me for work and Andrew because any excuse is a good one. I got some new jewelry/costume parts and this awesome plane nose piece.

It could be a really epic collar.

It could be some equally epic shoulder armor.

Or it could be a post-apocalyptic baby carrier.

Kate

A Little Painting

2010-11-17T17:19:00.001-08:00

Working on some little junkie sketches after work. It's holiday time at the store (aka crazy deadlines) so I just about have the energy to make a bloody Mary, take off my shoes, load up some Mythbusters, and sit and paint.

- Kate

The Dreaded Pen Tool

2010-11-13T17:55:00.000-08:00

I have always had a kind of hate/hate relationship with programs like Adobe Illustrator. I draw on paper mostly and the idea of making shapes with this here pen tool business has been aggravating. But of course things made in vector look so very cool and retro!

It's a good thing Andrew has this habit of making me try things that I have sworn to hate. As it turns out, just like Mexican food I actually kind of like the pen tool. I can't believe I'm saying that. Honestly I've been against it for so long that I realized I've been simultaneously enjoying the hell out if it and loathing it all afternoon (aka "stupid pen tool! why are you so useful and clever?!") .

Andrew has also been finding me really neat fonts to use that I didn't think I'd like.

We Went to Get a Table

2010-11-09T09:12:00.001-08:00

But we ended up with this.

We also got the table but man, IKEA is a dangerous place.

- Kate

Día de los Muertos

2010-11-08T17:19:00.000-08:00

Saturday night of Halloween weekend we went to the Grimm's Fairytale Ball in downtown LA.
Being the over acheivers that we are we decided to make last minute Dia de los Muertos costumes.
The only things we bought were the flowers, parts for my headdress and some jewelry.

It's good to have a boyfriend with airbrushing and makeup talents :)

Friday Night Vampire

2010-11-03T19:08:00.000-07:00

Last Friday evening the League of S.T.E.A.M made an appearance at The Beacon Arts Building and Andrew gussied me up as a Vampire to I could stalk them all evening.

Gross neck bites.

And the Vampire shoes.

More Practice

2010-11-02T17:36:00.000-07:00

Full Moon Fiasco

2010-10-31T12:06:00.000-07:00

The final League of S.T.E.A.M Volume One webisode is up!
You can click on the League's name and it will take you to their YouTube channel where you can view it in HD and see the rest of their lovely videos.

Halloween Here We Go

2010-10-30T15:40:00.000-07:00

Excuse Me Sir, But Are You A Type A?

2010-10-29T15:30:00.000-07:00

It's terrible.
I had to purchase these lovely little (and I mean seriously I had to get the smallest size) fangs for our League of S.T.E.A.M excursion this evening.
I felt the need to wear them to work and see how long it took my boss to notice (about 20 min and it was because I was slurring my words :) )
Full costume and makeup up soon!

Practicing Some New Stuff

2010-10-25T21:44:00.000-07:00

Off to WAR

2010-10-07T15:31:00.001-07:00

We're going pirate camping this weekend.

Naturally I had to make pants.

- Kate

Nom!

2010-09-29T05:14:00.001-07:00

- Kate

Zombie Work

2010-09-24T21:47:00.001-07:00

- Kate

And Back Again

2010-09-21T22:45:00.000-07:00

Dear Travel,
You make me tired and hissy.
Thank you though for the three little black labs in baggage claim.

- Kate

On my way to OK

2010-09-13T11:17:00.001-07:00

First big kid business trip.

- Kate

Three's a Crowd

2010-09-13T10:43:00.000-07:00

I think I'm officially collecting bells now. Andrew's father gave me this one. It's a camel bell.

Now I just need a camel.
- Kate

Now I have to decide where to put it.

2010-09-12T17:23:00.000-07:00

Got this replica boat/industrial light at the PCC Flea and have finally wired it up to work.
The thing about knowing how to make things light up is that once you figure it out you want to make everything into a light. Everything. This guy conveniently came with a bit of pre-wiring but I an considering making a "matching" light out of a masonjar and whatever I can get my hands on.

Or I might get side tracked and just make a whole lot of mason jar lights that I have no place to hang.

Snarling

2010-09-11T09:30:00.000-07:00

Is apparently solved by taking me to a craft store.

Andrew needed to get some special metallic paints and so I ended up buying some bottles and etching cream ( not as effective as sandblasting but better for more delicate glass and does not require a air pump )

Bells

Sequins

And birds

The justification for the birds is that I might make a hat. And that they're cute.
- Kate

He's a Good Boyfriend

2010-09-10T18:18:00.000-07:00

Sometimes in the never ending world of building big stuff for Anthropologie I come across an installation that I can't quite swing by myself.

Thankfully I live with someone who has and can use a chainsaw to help me chop up all my little issues like 80 pound tree segments that I have to install 6 feet off the ground.

Making something big

2010-09-10T11:30:00.001-07:00

- Kate

Do we need this?

2010-09-09T18:06:00.000-07:00

Of course not, but it was super, super cheap. And awesome. And like, 65 pounds and took both Andrew and I to get it in the car.

And it works. Mostly.

I love this thing. It's an old cash register. The whole thing is metal with the outside faux painted to look like wood. It's also huge. It's pretty neat to look at the insides when it's working too. Most of the buttons work and the bell sound when the drawer opens. It's missing it's key but as of now I can't figure what needed to be opened with the key anyways.

I started taking the panels off the minute we got home and consequentially received a nice metal splinter. Good thing my tetanus shots are up to date?
The whole thing still really needs to be cleaned and oiled but it's going to have to wait until after my business trip and after the League's next show for which I am building a few large scale props.

To Do List

2010-09-08T17:59:00.000-07:00

Made a fancy "white" board to do list with a photo printout and a cheapo frame. Much prettier than a white board. Now if I could only actually remember to use it...

Mummies!

2010-08-30T17:34:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago (probably about a month ago by this point) a few friends of ours who run the League of S.T.E.A.M fan group the Junior League W.A.T.C.H (website coming soon!) put on a "Scouting Outing" to the LA Science Museum to see the Mummies of the World exhibit.

Andrew and I had actually been wanting to see the exhibit anyways and so we tagged along with the fashionably dressed group.

Here we have Ella and Coyot, our lovely leaders.

They made up pins, stickers and information guides on how to tell if a mummy was really dead or still un-dead.
They handed out the supplies and then we all went inside and confused the rest of the museum-goers with our large hats and dresses.

Andrew showed up in a semi-official capacity as the Baron jut in case we found any re-animate mummies.

And then we all tromped out to the rose gardens and took some photos.

I wasn't sure how the museum was going to take it all but they seemed to really enjoy the show. There was plenty of real mummy info in our little guided tour as well as the fantastic and despite causing a few traffic jams in the exhibit the first official "Scouting Outing" of the Junior League W.A.T.C.H was a great success!

Indian Prayer Bell

2010-08-18T17:55:00.000-07:00

PCC Flea Market

2010-08-17T17:28:00.000-07:00

Went to the PCC Flea again this month.

I primarily went to get dremmel attatchments from this guy who has a booth full of jewelry making tools, dremmel tools and other odd and end tools that I want but don't need. I didn't pick up this set but I will, I will.
This photo kills the colors but if this hadn't been much more than I can spend currently I would have gotten it. It was some great old, hand dyed linen.

This booth also had a bunch of awesome trims.

The boys passed on this the first go round and some other guy bought it later on in the day.

There are always a bunch of good, wantable, random things at this flea. Found this prop replica of an old ship light. It's way way lighter than the real thing and is wired for a normal light bulb. We're definitely going to install it in the house.

Lady Liberty in Action

2010-08-10T17:53:00.000-07:00

Labyrinth Ball 2010
With Kelly Berg, Molly Rodman, and Aubriana Zurilgen.
Comicon 2010

With lovely Shoomlah.

I think this is getting the name "Lady Liberty"

2010-08-08T17:36:00.001-07:00

Since every night I've worn it so far (two) it's been commented on as such numerous times. Perhaps I'm just not all that patriotic since I didn't see the resemblance until afterward.

Simple plastic headband, fabric covered and beaded. Added some sturdy wire, chain and a vintage button from my mother ( who sells them on Etsy now TrimLabDesigns ).

Brass tubes added with a back/top of the head piece as well.

Fully done (for now).

Tubes, wires, bullet shells.

We Had to Pull Over

2010-08-07T18:29:00.001-07:00

When we drove past this guy today. It was a moment of panic while we both tried to park and get out of the car as fast as possible.

I really wanted him for the kitchen right over the stove but he was a little big and a little expensive.
The antique place did have this awesome dog though. He was as tall as my chest ( no joke ) and he tried to follow us back to the car. I so would have taken him :)

- Kate

Oh Man Do I Want This

2010-08-07T17:27:00.000-07:00

Seriously it's super cheap and pretty, pretty, pretty. We just can't fit it in the house right now.

Aquarium!

2010-08-06T13:26:00.000-07:00

A few weeks back our good friend Lia from the Boston area visited us. We decided to go to the Long Beach Aquarium on a whim since they were having a late night discount. Good thing too because they had my absolute favorite animal I can never own!

The Labrador of the Oceans: Harp seals.

I want one.
They also had a bunch of sea lions as well arguing over who was stepping on who's head.

They had rays in a large petting tank. On that note, rays are very very very slimy. Be warned.

They also had a shark petting tank! There are no photos of us petting sharks because Andrew was too busy petting sharks and not dropping the nice camera in the water.

They have a working water demo on the drainage system of LA.

And birds that I want to pet and also make into hats.

Also things I do not want to pet but do want to make into textiles.

This guy was quite large.

And we like this guys little blue hairs.

It was a really nice short and sweet Aquarium visit. I almost made off with a seal but he wasn't going to fit in my bathtub.

July the 4th

2010-08-05T15:59:00.004-07:00

Alright. I'm back-blogging a little here since I've been so bad at keeping up. You'd think the iPhone app would help.....

Andrew and I went to the PCC Flea Market on the morning of the fourth and found all sorts of cool (things I found) and disturbing (things Andrew found) items. Andrew walked away with an old-timey iron apple peeler that he's been looking for for months now. It's being disassembled and reassembled into something really really cool. Pictures to come when it isn't top secret.

I walked away with this really neat looking old bell.

This silver dollar sized Aztec styled pendant.

And these super cool vintage earrings! The only drawback to them is that they're clip-ons. Although they are the sturdiest clip-ons I've ever worn. If the clip part doesn't work out I may just switch them over to studs.

I did not get this really nice sweater clasp seen here in the middle with the four silver circles on each side. It was pretty, but pricey for something that I will inevitably loose somewhere.

And then we went to the beach!

Where I got to boogie-board for an hour or so. Boogie-boarding being one of the best ways to spend time at the beach.
That evening Andrew, his family, and I trekked out to the Costco's parking lot and watched fireworks.

And a few people forgot to turn off their car alarms.

Finally Working in the Barn

2010-07-12T13:31:00.001-07:00

- Kate

Got Bored Minding the Farm

2010-07-10T19:29:00.000-07:00

Andrew went to get a conversion plug to make our garage lights work today and left me in charge of the garage. I re-covered a chair.

I originally wanted to paint it a color but it looks really nice just with the new fabric.

- Kate

Dye Again

2010-07-02T17:32:00.001-07:00

- Kate

Dye

2010-07-02T17:25:00.001-07:00

- Kate

Couch!

2010-06-29T19:16:00.000-07:00