Monday, November 12, 2012

Craft Time: Honey Bear Vase


First off this little project is a rip off of a very popular, hipster yuppie, blog...... I thought it was cool nonetheless, and because I have recently (over the past couple months) started using honey as a sweetener and drinking shit loads of tea, I am beginning to acquire honey bear containers. So I thought, I should make these into cute little vases like those hipsters. However, in that blog, which shall remain nameless, they used gold leaf. Now I don't know about you, but I do not have gold leaf laying around, I am not that kinda girl, I do however have spray paint, cherry red spray paint, so that's how I am starting this little project. I also used my cell phone to take the photos in the demo, so they are really shitty quality (my real camera was dead) sorry....





 OK first off remove that eye sore cork screw top. If you cut it off right above the large rim, it will come off so perfectly that it will have a nice lip and no need to sand it down. I did this with a serrated knife. First I tried a x-acto knife, but those bears are thick. So, I moved on to my husbands fancy cutlery.
(what he doesn't know won't hurt him....or his cutlery)











Now, break out that spray paint, and lightly spray that honey bear down. I left it at one coat so its still kind of opaque and his cute little eyes and nose show through.









Fill it up with stuff....















 Honey bear don't care...

Friday, October 26, 2012

Craft Time: Upcycling with Decoupage

I friend gave me this rack of jars, I thought they would be awesome to use for my art/sewing supplies. They were glazed pottery, so I decided the best bet, DECOUPAGE the shit outta them. It's so easy, and quick, and the results can be quite drastic. Here's how I tuned redneck country into artsy eclectic







First, make sure the item to be decoupaged is clean, also figure out the best way to approach the "covering" stage. I decided to keep the lip with green glaze exposed, as well as the green rim on the top. Also because of the shape, and because I wanted to cover the whole surface, not just slap on a cutout image, I decided to use hand torn strips to create more abstract images and patterns.






 I use Mod Podge. Now this is only the second time I've decoupaged something. I have only used Mod Podge, there may be something better to use, or a better way to do it....but this is how I am doing it!!!!! Also use a cheapo brush to apply it, it will make the brush tacky forever, so just keep this as your decoupage brush.







OK, So take an image, here I am using vintage map book pages. I roughly ripped the paper into strips, thick ones and thinner ones, good to have variety for use later.






Brush on a nice layer of the Mod Podge onto the back of the strip of paper.










Flip it over and place it where you want it to stay, and brush on a nice coat of Mod Podge over the front. Using your finger, smooth out the edges, u may have to do some sliding around and creasing to match the contours of the object.








I wanted the bottoms of the jars to not be covered, so I turned them over to dry, then went back while still a little tacky, and cut the excess paper off around the bottom edge with scissors and a razor blade.






 


To finish them, I also decorated the lids, I cut out little images for each one, and did the same thing, coat the back...

Coat the front...and DONE!!!!










I decoupaged each jar with a different image, this one is alligator skin, ripped from a old reptile field guide...














This one is text and illustrations from a vintage Art book. This book is also where I got all the cool images for the tops. This helped to tie them all in too.














This one's my favorite, its a picture of organ slides from a medical journal. Note the abscess.
















The black and white flight pattern map of the US from the Demo...
A cool picture from a gamer magazine...

















And.....the last one, vintage, pastel colored, geography map!!! (my second favorite)













To finish them off, I wrapped some hemp cord around the necks, to cover the uneven edges of the paper. Now, I just have to figure out what to do with that plain wooden rack they sit in.....
SPRAY PAINT IT RED!!!!!


Wednesday, October 10, 2012

SlutWalk Norfolk 2012



 This past Saturday I attended the SlutWalk in Norfolk.  I had been waiting for months after first hearing about it coming to Norfolk, and was so excited to march with my fellow “sluts”. 
See the news story here

SlutWalk began in Toronto in 2011, in response to a remark made by a representative of the Toronto police stating: “women should avoid dressing like sluts in order not to be victimized”.  In this one statement the Toronto police:  

  1.   Showed their serious lack of knowledge (most convicted rapists admit they don’t remember what the victim was wearing, actually they mostly look at the shoes of the victim to determine the ability to run away or fight back (break out those steel toed docs ladies!!!! )
  2. Blamed the victim, it is such bullshit that the POLICE would create a situation where they are telling women if they get rapped it may be because of something SHE did. Fuck, it is ridiculous how many sexual assault stories I have heard from women where the first thing they were asked by their “loved ones” after telling them they were assaulted were things like “well, what were you wearing” or “did you lead him on” or “you should have….(insert things such as fight back, got away, not been there, not been alone, not have blah blah blah blah) all that shit is victim blaming. They are taking someone who has just had a horrible thing happen to them by some fucking asshole and instead of comforting them, they are blaming them. When will people understand it is not our fault! It is NEVER OUR FAULT!!! Don’t fucking act like or insinuate I asked for what was done to me, or I wanted it.
  3. Shamed women’s sexuality, bodies, and choice to wear what the hell ever we want. Slut shaming needs to end. A woman’s sexual promiscuity is no one’s business and does not warrant a sexual assault against them. The term slut itself carries a negative connotation, used as an insult, aimed predominantly AT WOMEN! Why should a women be judged by how often or infrequent she has sex, or by how many lovers she chooses to take or not to take. It is a personal choice. Sexual pleasure should not be shameful nor should it have negative cogitations associated with it. Women have lived with that shit for millennium, it needs to stop.
So, I just showed what the Toronto police insinuated, however, I also showed what society at large believes and feels. This is why SlutWalks are taking place all over the world, from New York to London to India. If you area a survivor ask yourself, were you made to feel shame, in any way in the wake of your assault, or now, even if it has been decades, do you still feel ashamed or at fault? Why do you feel that? What made you/who made you feel that way? If you are not a survivor, is your friend, your family member, your partner? How did you react when they told you? How did others react? Do you find your answers startling? Insightful? Eye opening?




At the SlutWalk on Saturday, I showed up wearing what some would consider slutty attire, though it really wasn’t much different then what I would normally wear on a night out. I had my sign, spray painted with lyrics from bikini kill and 7 year bitch, I had my best slut friend by my side, and we marched with other liked minded individuals, of all ages, races, gender expressions and orientations. We chanted and screamed and paraded, and then we shared our stories. Well, I didn’t share mine, I couldn’t bring myself to stand in front of so many people and tell my stories. But other women came forward and they were the most heart wrenching things imaginable. There was this one young woman who came forward, and in her I saw myself. Like me her innocence and child hood was taken from her early on. Like me, she became a hollow shell of herself, like me she blamed and physically punished herself. Like me she still has all those scars. I cried for her, and all those other women, and for myself and my friends. And looked around to see the circle of people surrounding me, all with tears and anger and relief in their eyes, it was an experience like no other. It was possibly one of the single most moving experiences in my life.



One a lighter note, we also got to witness Ramon Colorado of "Norfolk Dirt" get arrested. Now don’t judge me, cause ya know I have no respect for pigs, but man seeing that dumb ass get arrested was so fucking AWESOME. Long story short, this dumb ass, well known for his anti PETA antics, decided to take a personal stand against SlutWalk. He did this by insults, propaganda, harassment, and showing up to the walk with his little notebook filming his exploits, all the while having a warrant out for his arrest. So the cops snagged him. You can see his video shenanigans here. I especially liked the fact that he ignores and does not reply to the questions asked by the woman he encounters at the back of the line, then prompts her to “keep speaking” to get her message out, while she patiently waits for his explanations. What a scum bag.

update!!!! The "scum bag" is dead!!! He was shot and killed in a drug store, allegedly he cut in line, acted like an asshole, peppered spray the guy then pulled his gun. Having seen how arrogant, confrontational, and unstable this dude was, I totally believe this guys story, and his self defense plea. The guy is out on bail, read about it here.

Wednesday, June 27, 2012

Art?: New Emroideries

For the past couple weeks I have been working on a new series of embroideries. Designs include wolves, organs, body parts, a cat, bugs, and these two cuties:

Sunday, June 17, 2012

Art?: Head Embroidery

My most recent embroidery I made as a present for my nieces wedding present.

Thursday, May 24, 2012

Love: Evil Party Trick

This is a little something my dad showed me as a kid. It's a great party trick, and can be used to creep out unsuspecting Christians.



All you need is a piece of paper and some scissors.










first thing, take your paper and fold the corner down, like so







 



Then fold the other corner down, like making a paper airplane









and just like a paper airplane, fold it in half








Now, we are goign to cut it into thirds, first the top of the "wings" get cut off









The cut whats left in half









This gives u three sections









Now, take the bottom piece, the one to the left, and put it aside, just focusing on the first two piles we made, unfold these





We end up with this, these will form letters!






Pull out the two "L" shapes first....the rest of the shapes with form an "H" and a "E".....now whats that spell???????






HELL!!!!! now take that piece we set aside earlier, can u guess what that unfolds to make????



 



An upside down cross! Isn't it cute....




You Gotta Read It: The Walking Dead...Rise of the Governor





WOW.........

This book was amazing! The book was written by Robert Kirkman (the man, the myth, the legend) and Jay Bonansinga (his debut novel The Black Mariah was a finalist for a Bram Stoker award ooooo..... ahhhhhh) and I read this shit in two sittings, that's how good it was.


Those of you familiar with the Walking Dead comic book series will recognize the "Governor", the crazy, cut throat, torturing rapist, diesal ass mofo in charge of the town of Woodburry. Well, this book is the story of how he becomes the Governor, not just in name but in mind, body, and soul (or the lack there of).


The story chronicles the hardships of four men and a little girl, (well at least that's how many begin the journey) from the very beginning of the plague that turns people into flesh hungry zombies, as the group travels into and out of Atlanta, into the country side for a stay, then off to the discovery of the crumbling town of Woodbury.


It is nonstop action and shows one man's decent into madness, another man's struggle with loyalty and righteousness, and another man's struggle with his own cowardliness and weakness; all the while trying to keep a little girl safe, sane, and feed. Full of gains and losses, bad mistakes and near misses, opportunities and twists of fate, and of course tons of blood, guts, and gore.


This is not a STAND ALONE and it ends with you wanting more! However, the next book in the series; The Walking Dead: The Road to Woodbury is not being released until fucking October. BBLLLLLLAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH

Monday, May 14, 2012

You Gotta See It: The Woman



I watched  this tonight on netflix, and it was so good! I found out after watching it that it's actually a squeal to a movie called Offspring. But I watched "The Woman" and totally enjoyed it without having seen the first one. The movie begins with this creepy dude finding a feral woman in the woods, he captures her, takes her home to his family, ties her up in a shed with the goal of trying to civilize her (or so he clams). Then all hell breaks lose!
The actress who plays the "woman" (Pollyanna McIntosh) embodies the role so freaking well. Her body language, and her facial expressions, everything, is just perfect. She is a amazon of a woman, she is fucking wild!!!! totally in love with her.
The quality of the film is really good too. Who ever was in charge of the lighting, is a fucking genius. There's one scene at the beginning where the woman is in a cave, and only her eyes and the bridge of her nose are visible, its so primal. In another scene, the mother (played by Angela Bettis, you know May!!! love her!!!) anyway in this one scene she kind of slinks up from the back ground into her daughters room and its soooo fucking creepy, just because of the way its lit.
The sound track is weird though, it's one of those movies where the music at first doesn't seem to really match whats going on, but then you realize it makes the scenes even more thrilling by the strange juxtaposition. The ending is pretty fucking classic too, throwing a real twist on everything. Now I have GOT to see the first one, and hope there will be a third!
UPDATE: I turn on Chiller and behold, they are playing Offspring AND the woman, back to back. So I get to watch the offspring, however, it's edited....so all the T&A is blurred out....boooooo.....but it was pretty good, not as good as the sequel, but alright. much more low budget and the cinematography isn't as good, but its got some cool parts.

Saturday, May 5, 2012

You Gotta See It: The Divide

We rented this movie last night from redbox and I thought it was pretty awesome. It's one of those movies where the whole time you're urging the main character to just KILL EVERYONE! The plot of the movie is simple, a nuclear bomb is dropped in a city, a group of strangers end up together in a bomb shelter in the basement of their apartment building, add in some creepy military government plot that causes these people to be locked in, and mofo's start getting crazy and start suffering from fallout, shit gets intense. The movie's point is to show how desperate people will do desperate things, and people will grasp for power and control over others when in a shitty situaton they have no power or control over. Makes you question, were these people crazy to begin with or does their environment make them so? Would you fall in line, bow down, even give your body to those stronger than you, even if its for protection, for food, or for peace. Would you do your share of the dirty work? In the end are you just as self-serving and cutthroat as those you condemn?