Quiet Little Collages

I am really having a nice time with these collages.  They whisper to me and ask me to play with them when I should be packing up my house for our cross country move in a little over a month (can you hear my heart palpitations?).  I like to suggest the tiniest, most quiet narrative with these little friends.  I like how in photoshop things can move so quickly.  Did you notice that the melancholy polar bear is actually little bear boy's bff?  I just shrank him down and whisked him into the bear boy's world.  I think it's good, his facial expression suggests that he needs a friend.

We just started watching season 4 of True Blood over here (while the kid's asleep, of course).  I always have to skip the opening credits because it grosses me out.  But, I really love the show.  It is the campiest, trashiest, vampiest thing ever, and I am surprised that I like it so much.  But, it is just tons of fun.  It takes place in Louisiana, which is where we are moving to, so it's nice to try to imagine if the town of Sookie Stackhouse is going to be much like our new town.  I guess it's not too nice since a lot of the town is pretty frightening and most of the people do things that I wouldn't want my neighbors to be doing, but the scenery looks lovely.  This season is especially fun because someone I was friends with in high school is in the cast.  It sort of takes me out of the plot a bit when she is on the screen.  I have to stop myself from exclaiming, "Hey!  Put your cloths back on and get to Geometry class!".  Not really. 

Anyway, I will be ready to offer these prints in my Etsy shop next week!  I have been testing out different printing options and I have settled on one that I find really lovely.  They are not going to be giclee prints, as I originally wanted.  I am not sure why I was set on selling "giclees", maybe because the word is so delightful to say, but these fabric collages are more like photographs than illustrations, so they look much nicer as lustre photo inkjet prints.  They are still going to be archival and also the paper has a nice feel to it. 

Have a wonderful Monday.

A Blossoming Romance

Photoshop and I have started hanging out.  I've always wondered if we could get along, but I thought maybe Photoshop was too cool for me, like those people who know a lot about underground music and eat obscure grains like kasha.  But, we've been on a few dates, mainly during my son's nap-time, and I am finally beginning to understand him and see past his hip facade.  I just smile and nod when he uses lingo that I don't understand ("rasterize?" is he Jamaican?), but I think this is the beginning of a beautiful relationship.

Soon, after I get a collection together, I am going to start selling giclee prints of fabric collages.  I am so excited about them, that I can't seem to turn my mind off.  I find myself stopping dead in my tracks, and then walking over to my fabric collection and staring like some sort of zombie.  I am imagining the potential of all those patterns. 

I turned 32 the other day.  I realized on my birthday that I am past the age that I used to fantasize about.  I was that girl on New Year's Eve that, while intoxicated, would desperately want everyone to sit down and talk about their feelings.  Or "feeeeeeeeeeeelings" as I probably pronounced it after too many Woodchucks.  We would talk about where we would want to be in 5 or 10 years, and for some reason those visions never really aged past 32.  That's okay.  Don't worry 32, even though I never dreamed of you I will love you anyway. 

Mr. Mustache On a Windy Day is my first collaboration with Photoshop.  By the way, I am learning how to do things by watching instructional videos on YouTube.  What a resource!  I am not sure why there is so much free and useful information out there.  Why do these people post these videos?  Are they just super nice?  They are to me.  I could just hug them for unlocking the mysteries of Photoshop to me. 

Mr. Mustache on a Windy Day

Congratulations Ruby Reese!

Ruby!  Please email me your shipping info!  My email is nicholbrinkman(at)gmail.com!  Sorry to everyone who didn't win :(.  The book is available for pre-order on Amazon and will be in bookstores by June 6th.  Thanks for entering!  I have lots to update soon, so I'll see you later in the week!

A Giveaway!

Giveaway is now closed, good luck to the contestants!

I am really excited to show you We Make Dolls!  A new book coming out featuring 10 doll makers and some of their patterns!  I am in it, and I have three patterns in there:  Mr. Grumpy in a Frog Suit, Super Girl and Mr. Strong.  It's a super sweet book, cheerful and well designed with nice interviews of creative ladies.  The patterns aren't fussy (no enlarging on the xerox machine!) and there is a huge range to choose from, or if you make all of them, you will be the master of many different techniques!  I am thrilled to be a part of it.  I used to go to Barnes and Noble, order a latte and then sit on one of their comfortable chairs with a big stack of doll making books to peruse, this is especially true when I just started sewing.  I never imagined I would be in one of these books, and in such great company (Hi Mimi!).  It will be available in bookstores in a week or so, and is currently available for pre-order on Amazon, but if you are feeling lucky you can simply try to win one right here and now!

Look, it's me!  Thanks Tall and Small!

To win, please leave a comment on this post (if you are reading this on facebook, you need to leave the comment on my blog).  If you would like one extra chance, give my facebook page a shout-out to your friends, it doesn't have to be much, just a little, "Hey, lookie at this!" sort of thing.  Then, come back and leave an additional comment saying that you helped me spread the word about Pink Cheeks and BAM! extra chance!  I'll close the comments by noon on Friday (Eastern Time) and then announce the winner next week.  Good luck to you!

Press Kit

Look!  I made a press kit!  I actually had so much fun making it that I didn't even recognize myself.  I am telling you, if Photoshop has you scratching your head (or banging it into a wall if you are more of an emotional person, like me), then Pages from iwork is for you.  It's fun!  Really fun!

You can see my full press kit here.

I learned a lot about how to make a press kit from the Design Sponge's post on it.  I also learned a lot from the book Craft, Inc, which is proving to be really useful to me.  I tried to stay true to myself and my work and not get to hung up on the how-to's.  Instead I got maybe too hung up on doing silly little photo collages, but that is okay.  As my own boss, I am being gentle to myself and hopefully the whimsy of this press kit will resonate with some great people.  We'll see. 

This press kit makes me feel like a business super woman.  It makes me feel like I could make a spread sheet!  Of what?!  I don't know, but I could make one, and it would look really professional.

Losing my car keys when I am over an hour away from home with my son does NOT make me feel professional.  Especially when my husband's car at home has a flat tire.  This happened to me a couple of days ago.  It was surprising because, and I am telling the 100% truth here, I have found at least 10 four leaf clovers this summer.  I just seem to spot them.  Four leaf clovers don't make you immune to bad luck, however.  In fact, maybe they make you a bit careless with your keys.  Walter and I had to stay the night in the town we lost the keys in to give hubs a day to sort the tire situation out.  I know I am over-sharing here, but the joke is too good to leave out----Joseph had to walk to a tire place and then carry the new tire home in one of Walter's old baby strollers (so resourceful!).  The clerk told him, as he put the tire in the seat, "That is the ugliest baby I have ever seen," and Joseph said, "I have three just like him at home." (cue drum and symbol).  Anyway, we all survived.  I tried to be cheery and take it as an opportunity to show Walter that you can be optimistic even through completely crappy situations.  Also, ice cream helps.

Business Women's Special

I have been way business-y all last week.  I really want these mobiles to take off because I have so much fun making them and also because this summer is my last attempt at making Pink Cheeks a working business.  If I can't get it to work, then it's back to the daily grind and little man needs to head to day care.  It wouldn't be horrible.  Maybe it would even be okay or nice.  I know Walter would like hanging out with other kids, but it would be a pretty rocky transition for him.  But, I really like our sweet, unfeasible life right now.  Working from home, with little boo right here by me.  Being creative daily.  I quickly become koo-koo crazy beans when I can't work with my hands.   So, the point is, I am really going for it and reading all those "Turn your Craft into a Business" chapters that I skipped over before.  I am making a press kit!  Ooooooh!  And, I am working on making my mobiles more fancy and customizable:

Here is my Mustachioed customizable sheet.  I made it on Pages from iwork.  Do you use that?  I love it.  It flew into my life and saved me from the confusion of photoshop.  It is like a cool high-tech angel with converse sneakers on.  Pages makes me feel in control.  Thank you Pages!

I also designed several cards to be gifted to the wee ones that people buy the mobiles for.  Like little keepsakes for the baby book.  I think they are a good way of showing someone that the mobiles are handmade by one woman artist (and mom).

And, I also finished my mod girl mobile.  They are three mod girls in roller skates.  The listing for it is here.   They were originally going to be "go-go girls" until I did a quick google search for inspiration and discovered that "go-go girls" are just a super cute term for strippers.

Mother's Day was nice yesterday.  Joseph got me an iron skillet and made me dutch baby pancakes.  I can't believe I have been eating regular pancakes throughout my whole life when dutch babies exist.  It is really yummy.  The texture is like a cloud.  A cloud with maple syrup on it.  So delicious.  Then we all went to the zoo, my favorite thing to do.  The best part was seeing this monkey playing with a toy cow.  

Their Love For You is Strong, Baby!

These Strong Men guys are done!  They are available in my Etsy Shop.  Don't forget to use the coupon code RUMPUS to get 20% off (sale ends this Friday).  With the making of mobiles comes the ideas of more and more mobiles.  It's become an addiction.  It is still very fun to me, and I feel excited every time I get to work, which is wonderful.