Croshame

A Match Maker’ed in Heaven

croshame — Fri, 25 May 2012 20:23:42 +0000

As most of you may already be aware due to my multiple recent “reminders,” I spent last weekend selling Croshame products at the Bazaar Bizarre tent at the Bay Area Maker Faire.

Now that the Faire is over and I’ve (somewhat) recovered from the excitement, it’s time to blog all about it!From the first moment the Faire opened, I had a lot of passers-by who were interested in my stuff…so that was encouraging. I would often see people far out on the fairgrounds crack an “OMG” face in my general direction and make a beeline for my booth. Some folks even recognized the Krampus and Exorcist displays, which were set out above the other shelves of stock.

The beautiful wooden displays and hat rack were handcrafted by my wonderfully talented husband Chuck, who was also a booth assistant extraordinaire that weekend!

Being at Indie Mart last year had prepared me for the likelihood of an onslaught of small children coming to the booth, so I “cleaned up” some of my more saucy pieces a little bit: “Goatse Cheese” was turned into the innocuous “Goat Cheese” (“-se” no evil!), Cairo Sheraton‘s peek-a-boo skirt was only lifted in front of two curious (adult) ladies by request after learning she was “anatomically correct,” and I placed my more PG-rated pieces towards the bottom of the displays and the naughtier ones higher up and out of the reach of small hands.

My prior “kid-friendly” assumptions were proven correct — my booth was a big draw for the wee ones. While a few parents steered their young’uns away once they realized most of my crochet was on the darker side, the majority of parents got the general humor and feel of I was going for and were genuinely supportive.

One Rad Dad even gave me a hug after his little daughter fell in love with her pink She-Wolfy purchase; she had to be one of my favorite pint-sized patrons from the weekend!

I had some new products for sale, like “The Anton Crochet” devil caps I made, which were sold out by the end of the faire.

This guy looked perfectly dapper in his devil cap, like a little brainy Beelzebub.

A lot of people snapped photos of me as I “happily” crocheted away behind my booth. Good thing I kept that lipstick-covered archaic smile plastered on my face.

Photo of Croshame at Maker Faire by Jordan Townsend of EuroVision (facebook.com/jtownsends.art)

I was even interviewed a couple of times for various video projects, which only seemed to prove that I turn into a blathering, incomprehensible cross between Corey Haim on painkillers and Sarah Palin when I’m asked to speak in front of a camera.

There were lots of talented people selling their wares alongside me in the Bazaar Bizarre tent. Our booth was stationed next to the gifted ceramicist Linda Fahey, and over the course of the Faire I got to meet and talk shop with fellow crocheters Narumi Ogawa from Mr. Funky and Steph from Nerd Jerk, who was also a guest juror for the Bazaar Bizarre panel.

I also met the fantastic artist Bill Robinson from Flimflammery, who bought one of my Wolfy pieces. I made sure to get myself one of his fabulous prints as well!

Professor Schnauzer print by Bill Robinson. Available for sale here: http://www.etsy.com/listing/60469896/professor-schnauzer-medium-print

The two days seemed to draw pretty different crowds. Saturday was filled with happy attendees, curious children, and lots of sexy steampunks in leather-tooled top hats, while earlier on Sunday there seemed to be a lot more looky-loos, lollygaggers, and a couple of “I’m too-cool for this” teenagers – although the turnout definitely got a bit more lively towards afternoon time with lots of Utilikilts, more sexy steampunks and Rad Dads. Marvelous Makers were everywhere on both days, of course!

Things got especially exciting near the end of Sunday, when I was presented with an “Editors’ Choice” ribbon from MAKE magazine photo editor Gregory Hayes. SWOON!

I’m so very proud of my ribbon. You like me! You REALLY like me!

The whole shebang concluded with the solar eclipse at the end of the day. (Chuck and I almost resisted singing Klaus Nomi‘s ”Total Eclipse” in high pitched voices, but failed miserably.) Besides an actual observatory, what better place to see an eclipse than Maker Faire, surrounded by robotics geeks, crafty bastards, and real-life science enthusiasts?

One important business lesson was definitely learned, though… next time I’ll probably get (or preferably borrow) some kind of newfangled electronic device to help me accept credit card payments, because — just as the great prophet Huey Lewis predicted — in the 21st century it’s apparently hip to be Square.

All in all, it was great fun and a big success. I got to share my work with a whole new audience, ran into some old friends, and met many fascinating people. And even if I did only get a chance to walk around Maker Faire a little bit (and most of that “little bit” was angrily spent trying to find the frizz-a-frackin’ bathrooms), I also got to see a lot of crazily fantastic projects and displays. I mean, really… where else are you going to see motorized muffins, Super Awesome Sylvia, and needle felted handguns all in the same venue?

Filed under: Croshame, Events

MAKER FAIRE this weekend!

croshame — Fri, 18 May 2012 00:33:47 +0000

One last reminder to everyone that Croshame will have a booth set up this weekend at the Bazaar Bizarre tent at Maker Faire Bay Area, Saturday May 19th from 10am-8pm and Sunday the 20th from 10am-6pm in the San Mateo County Event Center.

I’ve invested many, many hours over the past month and half getting ready for the big show (with some wonderfully helpful assistance from my husband Chuck), so hopefully everything will go as planned and the weather will be cooperative. There will be some classic Croshame pieces as well as some new previously unreleased stuff, so if you’re planning to attend, please come by and check it out. (My Etsy store will be “on vacation” for a little while but will reopen shortly after.)

See you at the Faire!

Filed under: Croshame, Events

Tinker, Tailor, Felter, Sigh

croshame — Mon, 07 May 2012 20:43:16 +0000

My good friend Sarah Scherer is not only an enormously talented hair stylist, but also a gifted fine artist whose subject matter usually centers around teeth, abstracted female genitalia, and naturalistic tree knot formations.

Photos courtesy http://www.sarahschererart.com

So for Sarah’s birthday this year I thought I’d make her an artsy sculpture out of hair (aka wool roving) using some of the thematic elements she loves so much.

Orificial Artifice

2012

Needle felted Corriedale and Merino wool

Approximately 4.5 x 5 x 3.5″ (?)

———————————-

I spent some time working on the piece with one of my favorite needle felting artists and personalities, Moxie, when she held a needle felting Tinkering Studio session at an event called Open Make at San Francisco’s Exploratorium.

Moxie felting with the masses (Photo courtesy Made By Moxie Flickr page)

I was honored to be felting alongside one of my heroes in the field! Watching Moxie patiently instruct both children and adults on the basics of the craft was really interesting, and everyone seemed to be having a great time stabbing wool into shapes. She even turned me on to her environmentally friendly felting foam (available for sale here), a nice departure from the sticky Clover brush mat I usually employ.

Moxie’s eco-friendly foam. (Courtesy www.etsy.com/shop/hifiberkits)

During the making of Orificial Artifice I found myself working more quickly than I had before, using blending brushes for the first time to mix most of the colors (with the exception of the teeth), and beginning to further explore making wrinkles, nooks and crannies within the sculpture that lent themselves to crisper dimensions.

But, perhaps most importantly… I got to put a smile on someone’s face.

(Frightening photo courtesy Karen Wilkinson/The Exploratorium)

Filed under: Needle Felting

Crochetin’ in Blood

croshame — Sat, 21 Apr 2012 19:07:47 +0000

I think I speak from experience when I say twisted minds sometimes have too much time on their hands… especially if those hands happen to be attached to the arms of a Slayer fan. (NSFW video evidence here!)

Well, you know what they say… if thine arm offends thee, slice it off.

Uhhh… don’t worry dude, I’m pretty sure it’ll grow back!

This once-menacing hand gesture of “HAIL SATAN” has been unfortunately morphed into the ultra lame, mom-like “YAY! THIS ROCKS!” over recent years.

Needle felted arm carving? Those crazy kids! What’ll they think up next?

DAMN! My favorite bracelet! I knew I forgot something at the show last night!

Available here.

Filed under: Antigurumi, Needle Felting

Maker Faire, Maker Faire, Make Me a Match

croshame — Wed, 18 Apr 2012 18:05:36 +0000

So yeah, this blog has been a little neglected over the last couple of weeks… but there’s a good reason why.

I’ve been accepted into the Bay Area Maker Faire Bazaar Bizarre craft show!

Yes, coming up this May 19th & 20th at the San Mateo Event Center, Croshame will have its very own booth in the Bazaar Bizarre tent at Maker Faire. I’ve been busy as a bee on speed working my tendons into pulp to crochet up my old standard pieces as well as designing some new stuff that will be premiered at the Faire!

CRAFTS! INTERACTIVE EXHIBITS! ROBOTS! FIRE BREATHING DRAGONS! ADAM FREAKIN’ SAVAGE! There are going to be so many wonderfully creative and amazing displays, speakers, teachers and projects that there’s sure to be something for everyone. If you live in the Bay Area or Northern California area (or anywhere else in the world, for that matter), I highly encourage you to attend! Discounted ”Early Bird” tickets are now available through the Maker Faire site.

Filed under: Croshame, Events

R.I.P. Kurt Cro-bain

croshame — Thu, 05 Apr 2012 18:04:09 +0000

Today marks the 18th anniversary of Nirvana frontman Kurt Cobain’s death.

As an angst-filled teen I was a fan of both his music and lifestyle, so when a customer commissioned me to make a Kurt Cobain figure a few months ago I was pleased to do it.

My first reaction naturally was, ”You want him to be dead, right?”, but the buyer assured me she preferred him alive.

Creepiest. Safety eyes. Ever.

That’s Flipper the San Francisco punk band. Not the dolphin.

Yes, Kurt was left handed. Sinister.

It just wouldn’t be 90′s grunge without holey jeans and Chuck Taylors.

“And I swear that I don’t have a gun / No I don’t have a gun.”

Sure you don’t, Kurt.

If only he could have picked up a better hobby than gun collecting…

R.I.P. 1967-1994

Filed under: Croshame

Bring in the Spring with a Ring!

croshame — Thu, 22 Mar 2012 19:48:10 +0000

Since the Easter/Eostre/Ishtar time festivities are almost upon us, I thought I’d remind “peeps” about the Bunny Ring pattern and tutorial I posted here last year. It’s an easy pattern and very quick to make, so feel free to make a bunch, stick them in those plastic egg thingies and hide them in the grass for all those tiny Easter hunters and gatherers in your life. (Just make sure your pets don’t eat them; trust me, they’ll try.)

Pattern is found here: BUNNY RING

Aaaand the tutorial video is here (WARNING: contains mild expletives, heavy sarcasm, and myriad views of my hideous man-hands):

Filed under: Amigurumi, Patterns, Tutorials (aka 'tude-torials)

They’re all going to laugh at you

croshame — Mon, 19 Mar 2012 22:12:21 +0000

Believe it or not, I never went to my high school prom. Shocking, I know. It wasn’t due to the fact that I didn’t have a date (I didn’t) or couldn’t afford the ticket (I couldn’t), but I was just very skeptical and apathetic toward the whole school dance situation in general. So instead, I stayed home, ordered a large pizza from Round Table, and watched the best movie ever made…

Carrie (1976).

Even though I’m (long) out of school and no longer required to face the terror of teenage dance-angst, I still watch Carrie about twice a year. On my last viewing, as the school gymnasium burst into flames and various high school students were either burnt to a crisp, crushed or drowned, I knew it was that time again — time to crochet a horror movie tribute!

Presenting…

CARRIE BEAR!

Carrie Bear comes with her own sash, rose bouquet, and bucket of spilled pig’s blood; she’s ready to come home with you and telekinetically set fire to your heart.

Available now at the Croshame Etsy store!

Filed under: Antigurumi, Etsy Store

Open up and say “Cheese” (NSFW)

croshame — Sat, 10 Mar 2012 21:03:25 +0000

The internet is a great place for many things: socializing with friends, finding historically inaccurate information, and looking at photos of kittens with infantile quotes written underneath them. But for all the eternal sunshine and endless giggles the information superhighway provides, there are just as many damp, dark, and disturbing corners filled with nightmarish imagery and unsettling ideas.

One such corner discovered and popularized by internet trolls some time ago was a phenomenon called Goatse. WARNING: If you’re unfamiliar with Goatse and have a low tolerance for the utterly repellent, I don’t recommend rushing out and doing a Google image search as it’s probably considered objectionable viewing material to 99.99% of the population.

Mr. Goatse seemed to get a pretty bad reputation fairly quickly, so to lighten up his persona a little, I’ve decided to create my own tribute to the “meme”-ory of this infectious image…

GOATSE CHEESE!

He’s all business in the front…

And all party in the back!

Awwwww… so cute!

Awwww… not so much.

Although I’m not expecting this one to exactly fly off the shelves (“Makes a great Easter or Mother’s Day gift!”), it is available in the Etsy store here.

They don’t call me Croshame for nothing, folks.

Filed under: Antigurumi, Croshame, Etsy Store, Internet Schminternet

Croshame featured in this month’s Simply Knitting!

croshame — Thu, 08 Mar 2012 23:32:47 +0000

My work is featured in the UK magazine Simply Knitting this month!

They’ve put me in their “Knit One, Purl Fun” segment of the magazine that profiles unique and offbeat needlework designers. If you want your own copy and live in the UK, issue 91 is available on newsstands and stores until March 20th; if you live in the U.S. or elsewhere, you can purchase a copy here.

Filed under: Croshame