Craftzine.com blog: October 2006 Archive

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Archives: October 2006

October 31, 2006

Knitzilla! - Knitting for a cause

Knitzilla! is an all-ages, all-genders group of yarn addicts who believe in supporting their worldwide community, often through craft. Knitzilla!'s have supported hurricane Katrina survivors, Asian tsunami survivors and others around the world who could use a little warmth in their lives. The first picture above is a child's sweater created by an LA knitter named Ans (her own design) with cotton yarn donated by Edna Hart , and some mind-boggling seaming by Katherine. Knitzilla auctioned the sweater on E-bay and the money supported www.tsunamivolunteer.net, which is working with tsunami survivors in Khao Lak, Thailand. Currently Knitzilla! is knitting and crocheting Rad Bad Beanies for urban teens in outdoor mentoring programs through Big City Mountaineers as can be seen in the second photo. The two brown hats (in upper right hand corner) donated by Carol from Hawaii and the remaining four are knitted by Whitney from LA with yarn donated by The Knitter's Studio. Each year they salute these community givers by raffling donated items to those who have given back. If you believe in supporting your worldwide neighborhood through knit and crochet fiber art, join Knitzilla! online. Or if you happen to be in the Los Angeles area, come out and meet the group at a Silverlake knit night! Link.

Sublime Stitching Gothic Grandeur

Don't miss the 50% off Gothic Grandeur embroidery patterns by Jenny Hart of Sublime Stitching. (That means it's only $1.50) Sale ends tonight at midnight! Link.

Refashioned wedding dress

Stacia at Wardrobe Refashion '06 took her wedding dress and refashioned it into a dress that she can wear again. She also used some of the leftover sheer fabric to make lavender sachets! Simply beautiful work! Link.

Amigurumi Dudes

Kim Werker from Crochet Me magazine has a cool pattern on how to make your own amigurumi dudes as shown here. There's even a flickr group where you can add a snapshot of your finished friend. Link.

Sewing zippers

twelve22 shows you how to sew the perfect zipper on a pouch! Sometimes these things can be tricky and the photos here are fantastic. [ via ] Link.

Blender pen

We had no idea one little pen could do so much. Thanks to Photojojo, we're introduced to the $4 wonder, the Blender pen which can transfer photo works onto fabric, paper, tile, wood, copper, linoleum and more. Don't miss all the examples of the pen in action. Link.

HOW TO - Make your own self striping yarn

Eunny Jang used Knitty's Kool-Aid dyeing guide to make her own self striping yarn shown above. It's really cool to see her yarn all hung up to dry! Link.

Katamari Damancy Halloween

Just so awesome! Presenting the Katamari King and Queen of all Cosmos costumes entered into our MAKE & CRAFT Halloween Contest. [ via ] Link.

Related:
Keep the entries coming for the MAKE & CRAFT Halloween Contest! - Link.

October 30, 2006

HOW TO - Make cascading earrings

Linques Design Speaks has a tutorial up on making some great cascading earrings. This easy technique can be used on a multitude of beads to create some great looking earrings. Link.

HOW TO - Make your own buttons for a bracelet

Creative Kismet has a tutorial on how to make your own buttons with polymer clay to create your own button bracelet. Link.

CRAFT L.A. Launch Party Recap

By Carla Sinclair

The CRAFT launch party was a high-energy success. The space at Machine Project was packed with crafters who experimented with our Gocco machine, won door prizes, ate pizza and "CRAFT"-topped cupcakes (thanks to Cathy of California), and some who even brought their own crafts - like felted skulls, mini quilts, and lamps made from vintage soda bottles - to share with us. A special thanks to Jenny Ryan of Felt Club who organized the event and kept the party a-rollin'.

Flickr Photos by Mark Frauenfelder - Link.
Flickr Photos by Jenny Ryan- Link.
Susan Beal's West Coast Crafty Write up - Link.

Where's Craftie?

This week, our dear mascot Craftie is in Ypsilanti, MI visiting crafter Melissa Dettloff and trying to screen print some stickers over at VGKids. Link.

Related:
Frapper map: Check back on the Frapper map to see where Craftie goes next! - Link.

Cast-On Knitting Podcast

Tonia says, "Cast-On: A podcast for knitters is one year old. Brenda is back for her fourth season of the popular podcast. The theme for this series is open culture. In this weeks epidode Brenda is encourages knitters to contribute their knowledge to wikipedia. There is also a halloween poem from the fabulous Franklin Habit of http://the-panopticon.blogspot.com." Link.

Halloween eggs

Jason Brackins (leff) says, "My girlfriend (rakka) suggested that we make halloween eggs (holiday mashups are a big deal at our house). We made these eggs with acrylic paint, paper, sharpies and in the case of the mummy egg, medical bandages." Link.

Haunted House pincushion

Bella Dia's Cassi Griffith made this cute little Haunted House for a custom order. Check out all the photos. All the details are really fun! Link.

HOW TO - Make marzipan roses for cakes

Here's an Instructables tutorial from the CRAFT group by hobbyman.se on how to make those fancy cool-looking marzipan roses for cakes. Link.

October 29, 2006

The week in MAKE

Here's some of what's been going over on the MAKE blog. Don't forget, there's stuill time to enter the MAKE & CRAFT Halloween Contest so get those entries in!

Tribute to America Halloween Costumes: one family keeps the fun costume themes going year after year - Link.
Old fashioned Victorian Halloween Costumes: A link to Miss Mary's Victorian Halloween site - Link.
The Great Pumpkin mod: Russ' awesome pumpkin PC case - Link.
Magnifying finger attachment: perfect for threading needles - Link.
Weekend Projects: Bre Pettis shows you how to make a spud gun - Link. (Also see the 3D PDF - Link.)

October 28, 2006

Arctic Lace by Donna Druchunas

Arctic Lace - Knitting Projects and Stories Inspired by Alaska's Native Knitters by Donna Druchunas

Book Site - Link.

The new book, "Arctic Lace" by Donna Druchunas is an inspiring history + knitting book documenting the lives of Alaska's Native Knitters. I never knew about the the rich history of knitting that Alaskan women had, until I read this book. As a reader, you are immediately introduced into the world of the Oomingmak Musk Ox Producers' Co-operative in Anchorage, Alaska where kntting traditions and the fibers of the musk ox inspire their lace work. The patterns created by Donna in this book are amazing and were inspired by the the detailed handiwork of the women knitters she met while researching this book in Alaska. Donna's writing style pulls you in and you realize you can't put this book down. No other craft book I've read can touch your heart so deeply as the stories that are in "Arctic Lace".

I got a chance to talk to Donna on her book blog tour to learn more about her experience writing this book and more on her knitting.

Nat: Please tell me a bit about your background.

Donna: I learned to knit from my grandmother when I was four or five years old. Actually, I have no memory of not knowing how to knit and crochet, but I don't remember making any actual projects when I was a child. The only thing I recall knitting is a yellow honeycomb cable swatch. I'm sure I must have practiced knitting quite a bit before I learned cables!

I didn't knit at all in my teens and twenties. After my grandmother died, when I was about 35, a local yarn shop had a going out of business sale and I bought a half-price kit for a mohair cardigan. My mother had to remind me how to cast on, but once I got the stitches on the needles, my hands remembered the rest. I haven't stopped knitting since.

I quit high school in 1980, my senior year, because I was a stupid teenager and my parents were having too many problems of their own to get me to stay in school. I did end up getting a diploma and I started college several times in my twenties and thirties. Each time I got bored and quit again. I have always read a lot on many subjects, however, and I read voraciously about topics that interest me. That's one reason I write: it gives me a good excuse for buying and reading 100 books on a single topic. "It's for research," I can tell my husband, when he gives me that funny look after opening a package and discovering yet another book about my current obsession.

Nat: Please tell me about your new book "Arctic Lace" and the inspiration behind writing this amazing book.

Donna: Arctic lace is the story of the Oomingmak Musk Ox Producers' Co-operative in Anchorage, Alaska. Oomingmak is a crafts co-op owned and operated by around 200 Yup'ik and Inupiat Eskimo women who knit lace using qiviut (kiv'-ee-yoot), the soft undercoat of the musk ox. Most of the knitters in the co-op live in rural villages around the state, and a few live in Anchorage or other cities. I read an article about these amazing women in an issue of Piecework magazine several years ago and I couldn't stop thinking about them. I started buying books about Alaska and searching for information about musk oxen on the internet. I became totally consumed with a desire to discover every detail about the co-op and learning about every aspect of its history. The stories that I discovered in my research form the heart of my book.

Arctic Lace also includes original knitting designs that I created, lessons for new lace knitters, over a dozen projects, and a chapter on designing and charting your own lace patterns.

Nat: Your knitting book is unlike any kind of craft book I've read. It's like reading a documentary. How did it feel to go to Alaska and meet the members of the Oomingmak Co-op and the various small villages to hear their stories in person?

Donna: I felt that I had to tell the story of the women in the co-op to honor them for their unique contributions to the knitting universe. I don't think the book would have been complete if I only including the knitting lessons and patterns. I had read quite a bit about the co-op knitters and about the Yup'ik and Inupiat cultures and history before my trip, but there's nothing like visiting a place in person to truly understand what it is like.

I only got to visit one larger Eskimo village, Unalakleet (yoon'-uh-luh-kleet). Most of the smaller villages have no place for visitors to stay, unless you want to sleep on the school floor. At the time of my visit, Unalakleet had a lodge. The Native Alaskan cultures permeate the air all over Alaska, however. The large cities and small villages are both places where Native Alaskans and newer immigrants live and work together. Because the Europeans went to Alaska so much later than they did the lower 48, the Native cultures survived and are thriving in many places around the state to this day. That's not to say that there was no trouble when explorers and missionaries went to Alaska. But the Eskimo villages were so remote and hard to get to, that the Native people were not forced to leave their homes the way the Native Americans in the lower 48 were moved onto reservations. Although missionaries prohibited some Native traditions, such as dancing and ceremonial celebrations, these traditions are experiencing a revival today. We are so fortunate that people who remember these beautiful dances and ceremonies are still alive.

It's a completely different history and a completely different atmosphere in Alaska than in the lower 48. I don't think it's possible to truly understand it without visiting. I plan to go back as often as I can to learn more and to enjoy the people and the environment.

Nat: The patterns you've created for the book match the detailed way the Oomingmak knitters create their special pieces. Which ones are your favorite?

Donna: My favorite designs from the Oomingmak Co-op are the Harpoon Pattern because it was the very first design created by the co-op, and the Wolverine Mask design from Unalakleet, because I was able to visit that village. I bought a scarf knitted by Fran Degnan, one of the knitters I met on my trip. The qivut is soft and luxurious, but the scarf is even more special to me because of the memories it brings back when I wear it.

Of my own designs, the Skeleton Scarf and Nachaq (hood) design is my favorite. This is the first pattern I designed, and it was inspired by a painted wooden spoon that I saw in a book on Eskimo art in the public library. When I went to Fairbanks to visit the Museum of the North, I stumbled upon this very spoon in their archives. The author of the book had recently donated her entire collection to the museum.

Nat: Sometimes when knitting lace or intricate patterns it's easy to lose your place. Do you have any tips or special techniques for keeping yourself on track as you knit?

Donna: I use a few different techniques to keep my place in my knitting. If I am working on a project where I have trouble remembering which is the right side (front) of my work, I put a safety pin in the knitting on the right side. That way, whenever I see the safety pin, I know I am on the next pattern row. (In Arctic Lace, all of the wrong side rows are plain, making this an easy type of lace for new knitters to learn.)

I use sticky notes to keep my place on charts. I try to find a note that is large enough to cover most of the chart. I put it on the chart above the row I am working on. That way the part of the chart I can see matches what I have already knitted. And the top line that is visible tells me what to knit next. I hide the part that comes later, because I don't have to worry about it yet.

With both of these techniques combined, I find that I don't have to use a row counter.

Nat: What other projects are next for you this fall and winter?

Donna: Right now I am finishing up a book called Kitty Knits that will be published by Lark Books next fall. It is a collection of patterns for and about cats including cat beds, cat toys, sweaters and accessories with cat designs, and home dec items picturing cats. That's due on November 15th, and I hope to get some time to relax and enjoy the holidays after that deadline is past. Every year in November and December, I also try to take some time to rejuvenate and to decide what creative projects I want to focus on in the coming year.

October 27, 2006

HOW TO - Relief printing

The amazing craft blog Tsk Tsk shows the work of Tiel Seivl. Tiel here gives us an in depth tutorial on how to create a relief print on a block. From the site, "Lino or wood block printing falls under the catergory of relief. Basically anything carved away from below the surface of the block won't print." The tutorial is fantastic and Tiel's work is doubly inspiring. Link.

CRAFT Pattern Podcast: Bobble Hat by Fable Handmade Goods

Today's CRAFT Pattern Podcast is the Bobble Hat from Fable Handmade Goods. The crafty brains behind the amazing crochet patterns is Jennifer Fletcher. We wanted to introduce CRAFT readers to Jen's cool business so in addition to our regular CRAFT Podcast Pattern, we also have a short interview with Jennifer to find out more about the inspiration behind the Bobble hat and why she loves crafting.

Click here to get the PDF (and other CRAFT content) delivered automatically via iTunes - Link.

Nat: What's your background in crafting?

Jennifer: I've been crafting since I can remember. Like a lot of women in the '70's, my mom dabbled in crochet, embroidery and sewing so I was surrounded by handmade things all the time. Sewing was my first love and I would make dolls, doll clothes and even clothes for myself -- very odd things that I would actually wear! I got into jewelry-making (beading) in junior high and learned to crochet in college. Being creative is a such an integral part of my existence and I don't feel like myself if I can't make something!

Why did you start Fable Handmade Goods?

Jennifer: I started Fable in the fall of 2005. For a long time I wanted to do my own thing, and not punch the clock for the rest of my life. I've always been very independent and crafty, and starting my own business seemed like a logical decision. I had been having a lot of fun with crochet, and because it was hard to find patterns that I liked, I decided to design my own.

Nat: Tell me about the Bobble hat - What was your inspiration for creating it? What kinds of outfits would you wear it with?

Jennifer: The very first Bobble Hat I made was for myself a few years ago. I wanted a hat that looked like an acorn cap so I incorporated a lot of bobbles and a little "stem" at the top. I even crocheted a little acorn and oak leaf to use as decoration, as opposed to a flower. I really like the design, so I made a few revisions, and came up with the Bobble Hat pattern I offer on my site today.

The great thing about the Bobble Hat is that it's a basic shape, without being ordinary. With a pretty ribbon or flower, it's very romantic and can be worn with a complimentary capelet, wrap cardigan or vintage-style dress. I like to wear my Bobble Hat with jeans! The pattern is quick to make up so you could have more than one to go with various outfits.

Nat: What other pattern do you recommend to compliment the Bobble hat?

Jennifer: Probably my Sweet Magnolia Scarflette pattern ($5.25). I designed it while I was living in the South. Magnolias remind me of old oaks trees with Spanish moss, mint juleps, sweltering afternoons and Southern Belles - very romantic!

Click here to get the PDF (and other CRAFT content) delivered automatically via iTunes - Link.

Candy corn rattle

Remember when you were a kid and you could just shovel candy corn into your mouth? CrochetbyFaye pointed us to the cutest crochet version of candy corn as a baby rattle made by Pepperberry Crochet. So cute! Link.

Morphe II Show and online shop

CRAFT friend Lizette Greco pointed us to Morephe II, a soft toy exhibition happening this month in Australia featuring 34 artists and designers from around the world. Now the online shop is open where you'll get a chance to buy some of these cute plushies. You'll also have a chance to vote on the site for the most favorite toy which will grace the future cover of a Morphe booklet. Link.

October 26, 2006

Embroidered poetry

Curiously Crafty Steph has made some awesome embroidered poetry with "The Girl who was pigeon-toed". I also loved her past one of "The Boy who was Afraid of Balls". So fun. Link and Link.

Colander lamp

Spring Maxfield (Little Green) added this photo of her modded colander lamp to the CRAFT Flickr pool. Spring says, "Our whole kitchen is re-used old kitchen stuff, silverware door pulls, etc. The lamp cord and socket were from Ikea for under $3 and the colanders were from a garage sale for 25 cents each. We just drilled though the colander with an 1 1/2 spade bit. On one colander we put a piece of glass under and the other we just used a globe light with a 1/2 chrome blotted out bottom." Link.

Related:
CRAFT, Vol 01, "Switched on Cookware" by Bob Parks - Link.

HOW TO - Make pants from a T-shirt

Who knew you could take a T-shirt and turn it into pants? This tutorial by LJ's bakedinapie covers in depth all the steps to make comfy T-shirt material capri pants. Link.

HOW TO - Prototype your own soft toys

KnitOwl has an excellent and extensive write up on the process of prototyping your own soft toys or plushies. I like how she says to keep all your prototypes even the not perfect ones because they need homes too! Link.

A Closer Look: Halloween Etsy - Ghostly Halloween Earrings

Ghostly Halloween Earrings

http://www.etsy.com/view_item.php?listing_id=503188
By Arwen O'Reilly

Tammy's Halloween earrings are a fun way to get into the spirit of the season. I love her ghost earrings with their trailing fringe, and the beaded skulls she made are great, too. I also love her attitude--she's a true crafter. As Tammy puts it: "I'm not here to make a fortune with my jewelry, I just enjoy beading and lord knows I can't wear it all." Isn't that just how it is? Check out her other beaded jewelry, from inventive to classic, from chokers and bracelets to beaded pumpkins, at her Etsy shop.

Arwen: Can you tell me about your introduction to crafting and your influences?

Tammy: I started crafting many years ago. My mother was always making something, whether it be crocheting or sewing quilts. And I can even remember she used to sew all of the clothes for my barbie dolls -- I mean 3 piece dress suits, not just a skirt with an elastic waistband. I don't know how she worked with something that small. I could talk all day long about my mother. She is gone now, but she was my biggest influence in life. I'll never forget the day she brought home a bead loom for me. That was over 20yrs ago. And I've been beading ever since. I do a few other crafts too. But beading is my most favorite.

Arwen: How do you feel about Halloween?

Tammy: All holidays are fun for me. We would always get the whole family together when crafting for the upcoming Holidays. We would have so many laughs. My sister and I still get together and craft; what fun we have.

Arwen: Do you have any favorite books, magazines, or websites?

Tammy: My favorite bead magazines are Bead Style and Bead and Button. One of my favorite websites is ETSY of course!

Arwen: I love your ghost earrings--they remind me of pixelated Pac Man ghosts.

Tammy: As for the picture of the earrings, I did not plan for them to look like digital pixels. The delica beads are very uniform in size. And my camera is absolutely wonderful when taking pictures of jewelry. The customers can really get a good look at the bead work itself.

I only have one tip to all the crafters out there. BE HAPPY! HAVE FUN! AND ENJOY LIFE! It will rub off on everyone around you!

Tupperware Art

Tupperware is moving into art now with the Translations in Tupperware art show in New York yesterday where over 25 entries came in from all over the world creating original art with Tupperware. Pictured here is the Tupperware dress. Link.

Related:
NPR Story on Translations in Tupperware - Link.

HOW TO - Sew LEDs into clothing

CRAFT friend, Black Box Nation designer Diana Eng has a tutorial up on Gizmodo on how to sew LED's into your clothing. Link.

Related:
CRAFT vol 1 - "The Electric Tank Top" by Leah Buechley - Link.

Electronic Etherealism event in NY

Giana Gonzalez of the ITP program at NYU gave us a heads up about this event happening this Friday and Saturday in New York. Electronic Etherealism will explore the intersections of fashion, technology, and creativity.

From the site, "The point of departure for Electronic Etherealism and the Digital Perfume project is the bridging of the worlds of fashion and technology. We are interested in locating the juncture between fashion and technology and it is possible that perfume, which is also bottled mythology sitting on the crux of alchemy and science, can prove an effective conduit." For more information on the 2 day event and location logistics, check out the site. Link.

Halloween egg carton spiders

The kids craft side Kiddley has a project inspired by Not Martha, this time paper egg carton spiders that's fun for kids to make. Link.

Halloween crawly cakes

Not Martha has made some cool looking crawly cakes perfect for Halloween. The best part? They are made out of total junk food like twinkies, hostess cakes, ding dongs, and more. mmmm...junk food. Link.

October 25, 2006

CRAFT-O-Lantern

Thanks Benjamin for making a CRAFT-O-Lantern which conveniently is the flip side to the MAKE-O-Lantern! Link.

Thimble's roundup of knit-a-costumes

The craft blog Thimble has a great roundup of costumes you can knit like this kid's pumpkin costume from Berroco. (Why does this kid look so scared?) See all the patterns here. Link.

Related:

Thimble Halloween Projects - Link.
Thimble Halloween Knit and Crochet Patterns - Link.

Enter the MAKE & CRAFT Contests!

Makers and Crafters, it's time to enter our ghoulishly fun Halloween contests! Anyone, anywhere can enter, and depending on what type of maker or crafter you are, you can enter all or just some of the contests - Link.

CROQ Issue #6

Have you picked up the latest issue of the 'zine CROQ? This one is jam packed with a 'zine full of crafty goodness. From the site, "CROQ is a crafty zine written by a team of awesome crafty collaborators around the country! Our articles range from DIY projects, vegan recipes, interviews with influential crafters and indie business owners, and calls to craftivism." This issue features an interview with yours truly about CRAFT, the first annual Plummies, Working from Home 101, Naming Your Art or Craft Business, Swap-O-Rama-Rama, and more! Link.

October Ghoulish Giveaway on Modish - only 2 days left!

Our CRAFT friend Jena over at Modish has an amazing giveway that will be drawn this Friday and announced on Halloween. Over $500 worth of indie craft goodies for you to enjoy and all you have to do is sign up for the fabulous Modish newsletter. Find out more! Link.

Where's Craftie?

Craftie, the CRAFT Robot, is visiting crafters and artists around the world. He's made it all the way from San Francisco to his first stop in Austin, TX where he's hanging out with Tina Sparkles of Sparkle Craft and the Austin Craft Mafia.

Tina Sparkles' Flickr photos - Link.

Frapper map: Check back on the Frapper map to see where Craftie goes next! - Link.

A Closer Look: Halloween Etsy - Frankenbride

Frankenbride

http://www.etsy.com/view_item.php?listing_id=486746
By Arwen O'Reilly

Not enough people send Halloween cards, in my opinion, but Lida's hand-drawn, one-of-a-kind cards of "cute and creepy" creatures are a good place to start. (Or you can just frame them and keep all the creepy goodness to yourself.) I love her "mr. hot pants" skeleton, and "frankenbride" seems like the perfect pairing with "bat boy." Check out her shop on Etsy to see her other drawings as well, or see her on Myspace.

Arwen: How did you get involved with crafting?

Lida: I have always made crafts, since I was little (like in elementary school...I think that is when I started cross-stitching). I love working with my hands and am a very visual person. I like how with crafts, each thing is unique and made with care. I found crafting very therapeutic and helpful in focusing my energy. (I am one of those people who can't keep still!)

Arwen How do you feel about Halloween? What gave you the idea for the images on the cards?

Lida: I LOVE Halloween!! Anything creepy, scary, or spooky! I love all sorts of halloween-type art. I really like Tim Burton, so most of my ideas come from him, but then I add my own twist to them. Also my baby gives me ideas (well, her toys). For example, the "mmm carrots" one: she has a toy with carrots in them and I thought it was so cute so I decided to draw a little scary girl with carrots. I found it funny. 'bat boy' is from the off-broadway play 'bat boy.' I saw it a few years ago and decided to make a funny halloween picture of it. Most of the drawings have some funny little humor that goes along with them. So I guess I was going for funny, dorky, Halloween drawings.

Arwen: What's your favorite Halloween story? Or crafting story?

Lida: Last year i was pregnant and my friend had a halloween engagement party. Well, it turned out that she surprised everyone and it was a WEDDING! We were all in costume! So she called up all the people in the bridal party and there I was, one of her maids of honor, almost 8 months pregnant, standing up there in my costume, which was supposed to be one of the 7 dwarves from Snow White. the only thing was that everyone thought I was this roly poly looking gnome. It was quite funny!

Arwen: What are your favorite crafting books/magazines/websites?

Lida: I dont' really have a favorite. I mainly just randomly look at various magazines and books while standing on line or shopping. There are tons of various websites that I go to, but each day it's a different one!

Arwen: What's one tip you'd give to other crafters?

Lida: You can never collect enough stuff...always be on the lookout for cool things to inspire you and to use in your crafts. I am a master junk collector. and also stock up on supplies when they go on sale. You can never have too much stuff!

Arwen: What inspires you?

Lida: I look at so many different things...other artists, cards, stickers, etc...to get ideas. most of my inspiration comes from other artists. I look at other artists mainly online (on their sites) or on myspace. I absolutely love Roman Dirge, Tim Burton (especially Nightmare Before Christmas...that is THE biggest influence on my crafts/art!), and Kathie Olivias...but there are so many other awesome artists I can't even begin to remember them all. When I look at other work I get inspired to make my own creepy creations! My baby also inspires a lot of my drawings. I always, think, what would be cute for her room when she gets a little bigger? I think the more traditional baby/children pictures are nice, but spooky ones are even better! Babies and kids need more spooky pictures and things everyday, not just during Halloween!