Mammoth on a Gourd

We got two new tips for our woodburning tool. So of course I had to test them out. I wanted to do another wooly mammoth to match the t-shirt I drew for Paleoplanet. So I sketched it with pencil first and then burned over the lines. Then removed the pencil with a soft kneaded eraser. I think I'd like to make a trilobite gourd too, especially since I got invited to join the trilobite group on Flickr. Triblobite group.

Costa Mesa Gem Faire

Beads from the Gem Faire in Cosa Mesa CA

I was working on a wee bit of embroidery when my boyfriend came in and said he wanted to go to the Gem Faire in Costa Mesa, CA. The only bad part is I didn't plan to go and had no money saved up to buy anything. Torture!!! He bought some beads to hang on a quiver. I just fondled the beads longingly and sighed. It's still going on through the weekend and I have a free pass, but unless I find some money laying in the street it won't do me much good. And they did away with their free parking, so I'd have to pay another $5. to park. There were a lot of vendors selling seed beads this time. Sometimes I can't find many. So I was really sad to miss out.

I got to see some trilobite fossils, so that was pretty cool. And they had a giant Ligham stone at the same booth.

When we first got there it wasn't all that crowded, but by the time we left the crowd had at least doubled and those women were former roller derby stars I think. I was happy to escape. The ones with rolling suitcases were particularly dangerous. I had to do some evasive manuevers a few times.

Paleoplanet T-shirt

Yesterday I worked on t-shirt #2. It was a Paleo theme for paleoplanet.net. It was hand drawn with Sharpie markers and a Marks-a-Lot permanent marker. This time I used an older t-shirt that has seen better days to give it some new life. That way it stays out of the landfill, I can still wear it, and I don't have to worry about the drawing not being perfect. Shirts like this are a good choice for parties, where you can hand them around to each other and everyone can add a doodle or two. They are great for going away parties too. Everyone can sign them and add a little art.

I particularly like the way the cave horse and the mammoth came out. Remember to click on photos to see the larger view and details. To make fabric easier to draw on, I put foam core inside (or cardboard) and then secure the shirt in the back with a few rubber bands to hold the surface taut.