tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-83848996707457563742024-03-12T23:53:04.611-04:00Dust Bunnies by Amanda Louise SpaydFine art creatures in cloth and clay. Cute and creepy, soft and snaggletoothed. Made with love.Amanda Louise Spaydhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17745146845879367082noreply@blogger.comBlogger86125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8384899670745756374.post-2924708360537403122016-03-23T15:41:00.001-04:002016-04-07T06:06:45.089-04:00Sale Preview: March 24, 2016Spring Sale!<br />
THURSDAY, March 24, 2016, at 3:00pm EDT<br />
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The shop is here: <a href="https://amanda-louise-spayd.myshopify.com/" target="_blank"> </a><a href="http://www.bindlewood.com/">www.bindlewood.com</a><br />
Note - The items will not appear in the shop until the time of the sale.<br />
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Not sure what time this is in your time zone? Try this site with a handy time zone calculator. I am located in Ohio, USA, which has the same time zone as New York City: <a href="http://www.timeanddate.com/worldclock/converter.html">http://www.timeanddate.com/worldclock/converter.html</a><br />
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These are the items that will be in the sale:<br />
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Yellow Hand Painted Pipsqueak in egg with nest. Pipsqueak can be removed and displayed separately. Egg is hand painted by the artist, and has a solid, felt-covered area inside for Pipsqueak to sit on.<br />
$100 each (3 available)<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEig0mPaqB3mhMFQ2FHTm7FQU1baewZj1gJG3kwHqZr-WNN-0mpyYBslMdvxvPWE7otmT-PcB2oxqE2xJPQvrPkMrHlitzcfmtn7B0_42rlIb-TeGGn4YivVPUIWD05nS8ZaQhKmpAstlBU-/s1600/IMG_2396.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEig0mPaqB3mhMFQ2FHTm7FQU1baewZj1gJG3kwHqZr-WNN-0mpyYBslMdvxvPWE7otmT-PcB2oxqE2xJPQvrPkMrHlitzcfmtn7B0_42rlIb-TeGGn4YivVPUIWD05nS8ZaQhKmpAstlBU-/s640/IMG_2396.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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Pink Hand Painted Pipsqueak in egg with nest. Pipsqueak can be removed and displayed separately. Egg is hand painted by the artist, and has a solid, felt-covered area inside for Pipsqueak to sit on.<br />
$100 each (3 available)<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjJne0iDAh9G-5m8jLjrVSQ5s_eCtuc6b18CG4ChelMLbGJWOBzVNbsOovxtMbxbaSaI4AUjQlWmO4o5hFPjZejwSJ1JEk41XzP3BjBnO-7Yf1GnOyJw7dvSELvOmAdYYU5Du76yHOA49x/s1600/IMG_2414.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjJne0iDAh9G-5m8jLjrVSQ5s_eCtuc6b18CG4ChelMLbGJWOBzVNbsOovxtMbxbaSaI4AUjQlWmO4o5hFPjZejwSJ1JEk41XzP3BjBnO-7Yf1GnOyJw7dvSELvOmAdYYU5Du76yHOA49x/s640/IMG_2414.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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Green Hand Painted Pipsqueak in egg with nest. Pipsqueak can be removed and displayed separately. Egg is hand painted by the artist, and has a solid, felt-covered area inside for Pipsqueak to sit on.<br />
$100 each (3 available)<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXe3PC9iBPpvyDDe11-yA7uaubR5DKkyoma_t6eJxGW9ARO3z4dEOc0sEY7KNAziaU0eKptXW_ht6MjVVdkIYqq5r24s7tiw1IwUvtaQNMberT-_-kq5agPIlTXlbOsePZAsBvVk7ZGT9V/s1600/IMG_2423.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXe3PC9iBPpvyDDe11-yA7uaubR5DKkyoma_t6eJxGW9ARO3z4dEOc0sEY7KNAziaU0eKptXW_ht6MjVVdkIYqq5r24s7tiw1IwUvtaQNMberT-_-kq5agPIlTXlbOsePZAsBvVk7ZGT9V/s640/IMG_2423.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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Blue Hand Painted Pipsqueak in egg with nest. Pipsqueak can be removed and displayed separately. Egg is hand painted by the artist, and has a solid, felt-covered area inside for Pipsqueak to sit on.<br />
$100 each (3 available)<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgi_3kpRFZjCR1NKa3kK4lr4GKmq7fFE5QRIhFPAe7f-9BzSkMJmGC_RYm1mZoB6j1-VU5Ws2MenUzo8Feww92lEE70ldhuapevYMXfO0MFg-Xa4PN4I6lBm_ZyLkSyB5CuLMyBrhf1aq-Q/s1600/IMG_2426.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgi_3kpRFZjCR1NKa3kK4lr4GKmq7fFE5QRIhFPAe7f-9BzSkMJmGC_RYm1mZoB6j1-VU5Ws2MenUzo8Feww92lEE70ldhuapevYMXfO0MFg-Xa4PN4I6lBm_ZyLkSyB5CuLMyBrhf1aq-Q/s640/IMG_2426.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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Safety Yellow Belfry</div>
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2.25" tall (approximately). Solid yellow resin with acrylic eyes. Bagged with printed header card.</div>
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$18 each (limit one per household please) </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhanm2Z8FdkRL35Q9WdZMnifdfj0PqEZHbTJK3oQC0kVIf9H96P3jDKPCLiq3WkKQ-ADYTWTNtYco-b_j-5L1e3CEXFh8yNchHBOugvEirN3WKsnQhUzhlYw_c3PA9Fvl4JPah8ytzaTSdi/s1600/IMG_2456.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhanm2Z8FdkRL35Q9WdZMnifdfj0PqEZHbTJK3oQC0kVIf9H96P3jDKPCLiq3WkKQ-ADYTWTNtYco-b_j-5L1e3CEXFh8yNchHBOugvEirN3WKsnQhUzhlYw_c3PA9Fvl4JPah8ytzaTSdi/s640/IMG_2456.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Strawberry Milk Pipsqueak</div>
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2.25" tall (approximately). Solid yellow resin with acrylic eyes. Bagged with printed header card.</div>
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$18 each (limit one per household please)</div>
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Amanda Louise Spaydhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17745146845879367082noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8384899670745756374.post-5765586129468810132015-10-15T19:15:00.003-04:002015-10-15T19:17:00.322-04:00Big Halloween Sale Preview!Big Halloween Sale<br />
THURSDAY, October 15, at 10:00pm EST<br />
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The shop is here: <a href="https://amanda-louise-spayd.myshopify.com/" target="_blank"> </a><a href="http://www.bindlewood.com/">www.bindlewood.com</a><br />
Note - The items will not appear in the shop until the time of the sale.<br />
<br />
Not sure what time this is in your time zone? Try this site with a handy time zone calculator. I am located in Ohio, USA, which has the same time zone as New York City: <a href="http://www.timeanddate.com/worldclock/converter.html">http://www.timeanddate.com/worldclock/converter.html</a><br />
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These are the items that will be in the sale:<br />
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Halloween Edition toss cushion (two sizes)</div>
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Small (Approx. 10") $35</div>
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Large (Approx. 15") $55</div>
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Cushions are designed by the artist, and professionally printed on linen-cotton canvas. Appliqued onto black wool/rayon felt, and stuffed with natural cotton for a dense, weighty feel.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAEQ5kCVd9A6zk2nKQBtV2HVocYf0_BsGfhgXeow4pRmJ67ZyZNkHU5iNAQ7WytTN8sDcjBSv1soXjA-r1Xeisy3tvaLEvNAY_SwWiPJyl-AfBcbUVfUfQNRTin_osT5jzlBFoDVkUBVsS/s1600/12079609_10156212920470515_54606471652156934_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAEQ5kCVd9A6zk2nKQBtV2HVocYf0_BsGfhgXeow4pRmJ67ZyZNkHU5iNAQ7WytTN8sDcjBSv1soXjA-r1Xeisy3tvaLEvNAY_SwWiPJyl-AfBcbUVfUfQNRTin_osT5jzlBFoDVkUBVsS/s640/12079609_10156212920470515_54606471652156934_n.jpg" width="637" /></a></div>
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Smokey Quartz Belfry</div>
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$18 each (limit one per household please)</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIiLPCdzhYALxoGBP9QJajsjKjT5xEJWyZXj3f49B9psV9r37BvHY-9ylkdX7_dKMtEdYvu7UQsImi5gCINKEXx5iT_cDCPC4hXlSE07LAjXS-pB0_FwdJChdm7-EKSWuFIMrQ8sb5ngRC/s1600/IMG_9426_1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIiLPCdzhYALxoGBP9QJajsjKjT5xEJWyZXj3f49B9psV9r37BvHY-9ylkdX7_dKMtEdYvu7UQsImi5gCINKEXx5iT_cDCPC4hXlSE07LAjXS-pB0_FwdJChdm7-EKSWuFIMrQ8sb5ngRC/s640/IMG_9426_1.jpg" width="639" /></a></div>
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GLOW in the dark Pipsqueak</div>
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Raw glow color with silver micro glitter. Glows in dark and under blacklight.</div>
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$18 each (limit one per household, please)</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQu8JJ3sfX2e-oa9jy0IcNTGZqrw5GZU3WCnEFhv-U-N7Kr7tITKEMjMcQxdyfwfJc2YRcGVoa321rSThcY4DIXZX8nUy4lql-5VfZEAoOGGk_dacuJun0S6-1apEsoCJu4WfKpnX_CZTg/s1600/IMG_9465_1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQu8JJ3sfX2e-oa9jy0IcNTGZqrw5GZU3WCnEFhv-U-N7Kr7tITKEMjMcQxdyfwfJc2YRcGVoa321rSThcY4DIXZX8nUy4lql-5VfZEAoOGGk_dacuJun0S6-1apEsoCJu4WfKpnX_CZTg/s640/IMG_9465_1.jpg" width="639" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtTbD27qsPwEuVmksz7JWgqtbsAm9IThwBjmUlWxHygiZMlTtbKK_0yR8LBoN_xUCt7XypTi57-pfOEZtuU5NTMANmqoCUcvsa6kTivwvh_g7xnf-ZnItRW1eOi5nVRZoPvEjNQ7bmY_Eg/s1600/IMG_9511_1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtTbD27qsPwEuVmksz7JWgqtbsAm9IThwBjmUlWxHygiZMlTtbKK_0yR8LBoN_xUCt7XypTi57-pfOEZtuU5NTMANmqoCUcvsa6kTivwvh_g7xnf-ZnItRW1eOi5nVRZoPvEjNQ7bmY_Eg/s640/IMG_9511_1.jpg" width="639" /></a></div>
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Smokey Belfry and Glow in the Dark Pipsqueak two-pack.</div>
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$36 (limit one please)</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCElYZlkfL753uOImjzVdseJh8sWIfiwsNjcvm2xvTRtZOrxNV2bvTRB8qXDJDxmeoSPh1F0Zc8axTTqGgr2FFwECFKBGEKAMdePcwqGfDzeerTLuWAX4kOqT4CiH9vwTSyVyVcnNf4WHh/s1600/IMG_9495_1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCElYZlkfL753uOImjzVdseJh8sWIfiwsNjcvm2xvTRtZOrxNV2bvTRB8qXDJDxmeoSPh1F0Zc8axTTqGgr2FFwECFKBGEKAMdePcwqGfDzeerTLuWAX4kOqT4CiH9vwTSyVyVcnNf4WHh/s640/IMG_9495_1.jpg" width="639" /></a></div>
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Hand Painted Belfry with custom wooden coffin storage/display box.<br />
Gray, 4 available.<br />
$100 each<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3mCtgA2kNYWYdu-dvq8FjnRmiRastjMg3pean6ewm1IRqKtkKbEWeduquSUs0OhjqEL9dplOD79ftgRgOGOAFBZTYTZy4NgXIRPFEXCrpIKRap_DYbwgk4RIX5mrbFN_FIsKHjUkN0FfA/s1600/IMG_9526_1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3mCtgA2kNYWYdu-dvq8FjnRmiRastjMg3pean6ewm1IRqKtkKbEWeduquSUs0OhjqEL9dplOD79ftgRgOGOAFBZTYTZy4NgXIRPFEXCrpIKRap_DYbwgk4RIX5mrbFN_FIsKHjUkN0FfA/s640/IMG_9526_1.jpg" width="639" /></a></div>
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Hand Painted Belfry with custom wooden coffin storage/display box.<br />
Purple, 5 available.<br />
$100 each<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj81ExXEXDZsWRKkcMAfYCVJUrl7m5XAfSOuaVxhGMCX5e6uUB_VVNKNFflHaKzDGetS7MIYLGdggURg0agfksiHoMxrFzLkdyUYLxHS34VBlcNRtL3aweux3Sff_DreKQRMGQTzVYb4Yoy/s1600/IMG_9535_1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj81ExXEXDZsWRKkcMAfYCVJUrl7m5XAfSOuaVxhGMCX5e6uUB_VVNKNFflHaKzDGetS7MIYLGdggURg0agfksiHoMxrFzLkdyUYLxHS34VBlcNRtL3aweux3Sff_DreKQRMGQTzVYb4Yoy/s640/IMG_9535_1.jpg" width="639" /></a></div>
<br />Amanda Louise Spaydhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17745146845879367082noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8384899670745756374.post-13428886689609932702015-09-23T22:46:00.000-04:002015-09-23T22:46:28.870-04:00AsiaPop Comiccon Manila 2015<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTiBY8HSHxVtjxihFOhFniCjxVFnt2c6unHFCvWGIPcjAVEIs07ca9LltpSMCYb4nKxejFU3Oc7jpH3dgfgTyVrhWB-qht8u62cQUumPnoei8XOS2LkHzY8GTgjADu_O5Jo_8WgK-OI3wg/s1600/IMG_9105+copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTiBY8HSHxVtjxihFOhFniCjxVFnt2c6unHFCvWGIPcjAVEIs07ca9LltpSMCYb4nKxejFU3Oc7jpH3dgfgTyVrhWB-qht8u62cQUumPnoei8XOS2LkHzY8GTgjADu_O5Jo_8WgK-OI3wg/s640/IMG_9105+copy.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The stage area was like something from Mtv!</td></tr>
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This past week, Chris Ryniak and I joined thousands upon thousands of
comic, art, and movie fans in Manila for AsiaPop ComicCon. This event
was not only the inaugural AsiaPop ComicCon, but also one of the biggest
events of this type ever held in Manila! One thing I really love about my job is that it takes me to so many new places - many of which I would probably never get the opportunity to travel to for any other reason. <br />
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I love traveling, however some places are easier to travel to than others. Manila is far away from me...like FAR FAR away! It took a total of about 19 hours of flying (not including time spent in 4 different airports) to get there. That's a pretty intense amount of travel, but I suppose the idea that you can literally go to the opposite side of the entire world in less than a day is fairly amazing. Plus, I got to catch up on a lot of movies while in the air.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPvOOLgfbtNZUlGQ9xlQPDGEQI2mpyZqT_WHtsoCYTLzMXBC0Z44U3RRY9PrJZODgK6QoEiRirXTJsED93juyBe8I4lKoBqkLKHjBsIwqfO_DJPNx5bUlVdBVtUcN0PdH-HUgr9ISEeW9o/s1600/IMG_2179.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPvOOLgfbtNZUlGQ9xlQPDGEQI2mpyZqT_WHtsoCYTLzMXBC0Z44U3RRY9PrJZODgK6QoEiRirXTJsED93juyBe8I4lKoBqkLKHjBsIwqfO_DJPNx5bUlVdBVtUcN0PdH-HUgr9ISEeW9o/s640/IMG_2179.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We signed so many Thimblestump butts!</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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The major caveat to traveling across the globe for events like conventions is that you actually don't get to see very much of the surrounding country. The more of these things I am fortunate enough to do, the more I feel that I'm getting a small glimpse into what a lot of celebrities (not that I am one, not even close) have to do all the time. You're shuttled from the hotel to the convention center for a whirlwind experience, and after it's done you leave. It is actually very un-glamorous for the most part!<br />
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I shared a booth with Chris Ryniak in the "Guest Area", a large expanse of black carpet toward the back of the convention hall that was lined with booths around its perimeter. In our area we had artists, YouTube personalities, models, and cosplayers. From the time we got to the convention center in the morning to the time it closed every day at 8 pm we were <i>busy.</i> Our table was rarely without people in front of it, and at times we were five people deep with folks waiting to purchase or have their program signed. It was intense! With no exaggeration, I'd not be surprised to find out that I signed well over 1000 things over the course of the convention - it was that crazy!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlRHLRmBkXoijSUotTFwtJTpXAyGKkUexsJx5lVyagF3XVuanvRzpV5YRtbriVBdvuRau9IQZIhbT6bJTnJFAgMkIQXKwsYk-Nvl8VJbg6oUGGHyK86saf-R0gHx9jv_3CAFlUpd2J_a3x/s1600/IMG_2230.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlRHLRmBkXoijSUotTFwtJTpXAyGKkUexsJx5lVyagF3XVuanvRzpV5YRtbriVBdvuRau9IQZIhbT6bJTnJFAgMkIQXKwsYk-Nvl8VJbg6oUGGHyK86saf-R0gHx9jv_3CAFlUpd2J_a3x/s640/IMG_2230.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The "Independent Toy Production" panel, with me, <a href="http://www.chrisryniak.com/" target="_blank">Chris Ryniak</a>, <a href="http://j-ryu.com/#blog" target="_blank">JRyu</a>, and Simone Legno from <a href="http://www.tokidoki.it/" target="_blank">Tokidoki</a>.</td></tr>
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One major thing I learned about The Philippines? The people there are some of the nicest, warmest, and friendliest people I have ever met. Everybody wanted to say hello, and people were so excited we were there - it was really an incredibly welcoming feeling! Here in the States I think we take a lot for granted; we have big Comic-Cons in almost every big city, and we have access to so much of the entertainment industry. It's easy to assume that it's like that for everyone, but it's not. This was the first convention of its kind in Manila, and everybody was very excited to be there. And they totally deserve more of it - that enthusiastic and positive energy was just so tangible and electric. It was a really fun show!<br />
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Things I learned while in Manila:<br />
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1) Los Angeles traffic, even at its worst, has NOTHING on Manila traffic. It's amazing, and somehow, people still get where they are going.<br />
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2) The fruit. Oh my gosh, the fruit. I ate so many mangoes. I think it may have been the first time I have ever eaten a truly ripe mango, and it was glorious. Every day I stuffed my face with mangoes, pineapple, dragonfruit, mangosteen, and coconut. Here in the northern U.S. we have some choice fruits that we're proud of (cherries, strawberries, apples), but when your growing season is pretty much all year long, you're blessed with an abundance of amazing produce!<br />
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3) The heat is no joke. I wondered why the air conditioning was so blasted cold in all of the buildings - I was about freezing to death the first day of the convention - until we had to walk to a nearby mall (less than a mile away, in mostly shade) and were sweating profusely and thought I was going to die..... at 9:00 am.<br />
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4) The cookies are all made of dust. We were gifted a lot of snacks, and it seemed like every cookie or candy that I had <i>looked</i> like it was solid, but when it got in my mouth it just sort of dissolved into a powder and coated the entire inside of my mouth. They taste awesome, but you really have to be careful not to inhale at all while you're eating it (learn from my mistakes)!<br />
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5) The raindrops are the size of ping-pong balls, or larger. When it rains in the Philippines, it's serious business. Don't look up, or you might drown. I suggest ducking into the nearest shopping mall, which is itself the size of a small city.<br />
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6) 4,164,912 Philippine pesos equal 1 US Dollar. Well not really, but it felt that way when handling all of those bills with so many zeroes!<br />
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Thank you to everyone who came by our table to say hello, and to everyone who was so helpful and warm and welcoming. I sincerely mean it when I say it was one of the friendliest places I've ever been, and though we sold stuff and did our jobs there, the people are definitely what I'd go back for. I truly hope there is a next time!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Clover LOVES Halo-Halo (and so do I!)</td></tr>
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<br />Amanda Louise Spaydhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17745146845879367082noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8384899670745756374.post-43027387096909580562015-07-22T22:09:00.001-04:002015-07-23T13:25:37.678-04:00Creative Mornings, Cleveland Edition<br />
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Last Friday, <a href="http://www.chrisryniak.com/" target="_blank">Chris</a> and I spoke at the Cleveland chapter of <a href="http://www.creativemornings.com/" target="_blank">Creative Mornings</a>. Creative mornings is a breakfast and lecture series held in cities worldwide, where creative professionals (or anyone interested in creative or artistic ventures) can go to meet other creative folks, have a locally catered breakfast and coffee, and enjoy a short lecture from someone in the creative community.<br />
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Chris and I are wanting to be more involved in our city, as both of us have lived in Cuyahoga county for some time, but aren't incredibly active artistically here. We want to meet some new people here. Despite what a lot of out-of-towners think Cleveland is like, there is a lot of great stuff here. I mean, yeah, it's a small city on a huge lake, we have brutal and depressing winters, and our river <i>did </i>catch on fire that one time. But Cleveland also has an amazing emergent food scene, tons of incredible historic architecture, close proximity to beautiful natural parks, and some really unique neighborhoods. It's a place I've lived for a long time, but now I really want to get to know it better.<br />
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And what better way to get to know a place than to get to talk to a bunch of its resident creative professionals in a great space, over <a href="http://www.phoenixcoffee.com/" target="_blank">amazing coffee</a> and good food?<br />
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The theme for this month's lecture was "Collaboration", which, conveniently, is something Chris and I know a lot about. We spent some time talking about Thimblestump Forest, which being our most recent collaborative project, was easy to use as an object lesson.<br />
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We had over 100 guests in attendance, and really enjoyed getting to know everybody we talked with. It was a great experience and I'm really glad we made the time to prepare for it! <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A small display of our toys as visual aids.</td></tr>
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There will be a video of the talk released soon, and I'll make sure to post it up here so those who couldn't attend can see the talk too - just pour some coffee and make yourself breakfast and it will be just like you were there ;)<br />
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Special thanks to Thomas Fox for organizing the event, and Rosetta Agency for hosting us in your beautiful space. All photos are by Aaron Erb.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Topics of our talk included "Trust", "Communication", and "Making Lemons into Lemonade"</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Thomas Fox (organizer at Creative Mornings CLE), with me and Chris.</td></tr>
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<br />Amanda Louise Spaydhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17745146845879367082noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8384899670745756374.post-39351928091757175492015-07-16T16:05:00.000-04:002015-07-16T16:05:42.255-04:00Comic Con Reflections<br />
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<a href="http://www.chrisryniak.com/" target="_blank">Chris</a> and I went to San Diego Comic-Con last weekend to promote and celebrate the debut of our collaborative vinyl blind box toy series, "Thimblestump Hollow", produced by <a href="http://www.cardboardspaceshiptoys.com/" target="_blank">Cardboard Spaceship</a>. We were only there for about 2.5 days, and it was a whirlwind trip. In fact, it was such a whirlwind trip, I actually don't have much in the way of photo documentation of my experiences, as I was much to busy actually <i>having</i> the experiences to take pictures of anything!<br />
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I came away from the con with a lot of thoughts and feelings. The first of which was a profound sense of gratitude toward all of the people who made, and are making, my first experience in mass-produced vinyl an amazing one. The team at Cardboard Spaceship, who spearheaded and handled the logistics of this whole thing are amazing guys, and without their interest in our artwork, and their trust in us, as well as their confidence that it would be a success, it would never, ever have come about. Secondly, the collectors - both experienced and brand new - who purchased anywhere from one figure to five cases of figures, made both of us feel incredibly humbled and very grateful.<br />
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On both Friday and Saturday, Chris and I were stationed in our booth and available for signings, chatting, and doodles. And that is what we did, for upwards of four hours straight at a time. I spend most of my time in my studio working, and I don't get out much. The number of people I interact with on a weekly basis is low enough that i can probably count it on my fingers, so to have so many people waiting in line so patiently to come back and get toys signed and hang out with us was just so, so amazing. To all of you, thank you from the bottom of my heart. Your passion and enthusiasm for this weird little art form we love is the only reason we can all do what we do, and it's recognized and appreciated more than you know!<br />
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I think Thimblestump Hollow is doing really well - we had a lot of really positive input from a huge array of different people, and it was great to meet folks who had never even seen a blind-box toy before, let alone get excited about buying one. I think that kind of transcendence of "scene borders" is something Chris and I were striving for in this series. These guys are all weird little creatures - they don't know what's cool or what isn't. They have no clue about pop culture. They just exist in their own plane, and are way stupid cute, and I think they're something that everybody can like. That's not a marketing thing, either; it's kind of how I like to fit into my own world.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="310" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2PUqAUvvEYFbRxIgOutKW74KshcogWNBHaTSXcS7Zs-qf5lsyfMInqOY1zuCsdvAW4dO_PnV7ekTw6JaPm7PdloZ2woSNGQf3em0ezwGWb3aTYlkPLwg3Ix5zYXhAdjmTjVVNbMdKOj2Q/s640/Untitled-1.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="640" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Chris and I and Adam Savage at the Tested party, and me drawing <br />in a sketchbook in the Cardboard Spaceship booth.</td></tr>
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Another thing I was thinking about the whole time I was there is just how strange and lucky and fortunate and amazing it is that I am able to do a whole bunch of cool stuff just because I <i>make things</i>. I mean, seriously! In the next year, I will be traveling to 3 different countries to do art-related things. I've had the privilege of visiting major movie studios, and have been able to meet and talk to so many amazingly talented and fascinating people in the arts and entertainment industry (just this last trip I was fortunate enough to meet both Frank Ippolito and Adam Savage at the Tested party), and this is all because I come up with dumb scenarios in my head and find ways to use my hands to get them out into the world. Trust me, I am as surprised as you are that this works!</div>
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When I go to conventions and art/entertainment related get togethers, one thing I always notice is that no matter how high their professional station, people who are "makers" of one thing or another always like to meet others like them. Put a bunch of working creatives in a room together and just watch how fast they start to talk shop, even if they've never met each other. Passionate and creative people love to talk about their passions. The more influential people I meet, the more I see this to be true, and that is most likely a key part of what makes them so influential and successful. They have an incredibly infectious sort of passion for what they do that people around them can't help but feel it too. It's a totally passive sort of influence. It's awesome.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">How I try to live my life.</td></tr>
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More than anything, these kinds of events, because they are so dramatically different from my day to day reality (get up, coffee, work on stuff, wine, go to bed) make me think and plan at a frantic pace. Opportunities can be difficult to come by in the art world, so I'm trying to capitalize on them as much as my body and mind will allow me to. I'm not in my twenties anymore, so my days of coffee-fueled all-nighters are over, but I'm trying to keep my mind clear, my body healthy, and my production schedule full and exciting. There are so many amazing things on the horizon, and I'll never not be truly thankful for them.<br />
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PS: super mega-thanks to Jamey, Nick, and Derek from Cardboard Spaceship for all your hard work to make Thimblestump Hollow what it is, Chris for being my partner and putting up with my crises, Frank Ippolito for bringing us to the Tested party, Ayleen and George Gaspar for inviting us to be a part of the Independent Toy Design panel, and every single person who stopped by to pick up a figure or just say hello while we were at SDCC. It was so nice to meet you all - hope to see you again soon! <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivcPDGZCFOgYHYAIo2bNDbeCopz1BR2AFNfAkx4cp0LhuH_etTIPfpZpz6DOZGmiV2-psmL7t9Lqz2wrS-k3cH9_ZkPLWN6mUg5Pq30xvOCfnJSmB13cLvql5qpF2jwNzmh65G3BYqD-QM/s1600/IMG_8563.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivcPDGZCFOgYHYAIo2bNDbeCopz1BR2AFNfAkx4cp0LhuH_etTIPfpZpz6DOZGmiV2-psmL7t9Lqz2wrS-k3cH9_ZkPLWN6mUg5Pq30xvOCfnJSmB13cLvql5qpF2jwNzmh65G3BYqD-QM/s640/IMG_8563.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEfGkWDLtjAnX-xW4OMpY3Rg-MdZwREwN2dxg5TMcHJ179H8qOEjQX4gDH9VDDpuh9NYg1kPUf97kSTcwBNEVJA2AWNHe07Fv9SCkjjTk7NIq2nsMnWlEG6UDjFWYVGxstvkYC6gwieYOY/s1600/IMG_8651.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEfGkWDLtjAnX-xW4OMpY3Rg-MdZwREwN2dxg5TMcHJ179H8qOEjQX4gDH9VDDpuh9NYg1kPUf97kSTcwBNEVJA2AWNHe07Fv9SCkjjTk7NIq2nsMnWlEG6UDjFWYVGxstvkYC6gwieYOY/s640/IMG_8651.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />Amanda Louise Spaydhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17745146845879367082noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8384899670745756374.post-30700356739799590352015-07-05T00:27:00.000-04:002015-07-05T00:27:00.215-04:00The not-so-smooth part of sales...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8woRgWX6XT5bJuvdk725b4AAf0yTCM_WPSu3z42GUTg-PgAzFFpfeP4N670YB7KxphdLCLcc03SrX4ixb78Q-aFA2a3_XtwJbdX36pTepLVhrQGkVa6BD_-__VGoao_CZcSngiz7y3wZk/s1600/Smoke2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8woRgWX6XT5bJuvdk725b4AAf0yTCM_WPSu3z42GUTg-PgAzFFpfeP4N670YB7KxphdLCLcc03SrX4ixb78Q-aFA2a3_XtwJbdX36pTepLVhrQGkVa6BD_-__VGoao_CZcSngiz7y3wZk/s320/Smoke2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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So, yesterday, I hosted a sale in my webstore. Usually things go pretty smoothly, but this time was plagued with technical hiccups (some of which I need to follow up with Shopify to resolve). Some people were able to see all the products listed, while other people didn't. I want to take this opportunity to apologize for those issues, and let everybody know that I take this seriously, and I very much want to make the buying process as painless and fair as it can possibly be.<br />
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The sheer volume of people who visit my shop and try to buy items all at one time can often create some frustrating situations, like carts getting emptied, or trying to buy something only to be told that it's sold out. I know this can be super aggravating, and I'm often thinking about how to better approach this issue. <br />
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What it comes down to is this - there just isn't a perfect way. Any commerce service I use will have its own set of problems (I've tried a few), and the fact that I'm very specifically <i>not</i> factory-producing my resin figures means that their numbers will always be limited, and there will most likely be more people wanting one, than there are to go around.<br />
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To this point, I will offer this - this month's Belfry edition was only the first one. There will be 11 more colors that will be released throughout the year, and the same goes for the Pipsqueaks (and I am not even done with the Pipsqueak releases from last year, honestly). So, I've still got plenty to offer!<br />
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I'll try my best to make sure that the glitches that happened with this particular sale don't happen again, and I'll keep trying ways to make it a more comfortable experience for everybody. I really, really, really appreciate everybody who spends their hard-earned money on my stuff. I can't emphasize that enough; you guys are literally the entire reason I can do what I do. You have many options for what you do with your money, and you choose to support me, and I am forever humbled by that, and grateful.<br />
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I want to do more, I want to make more available, and I want to increase the scope of the different products that I offer. I've gained a lot of traction and experience over the past few years, and that's bound to have some growing pains as things change. It isn't always a linear process, and as I'm just a human with a messy human life, I appreciate everybody's willingness to stay with me as it happens!<br />
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Amanda Louise Spaydhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17745146845879367082noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8384899670745756374.post-19553931083554302402015-05-21T16:02:00.000-04:002015-05-21T16:02:04.720-04:00Preview: May 22 Sale!Friday, May 22th, 2015, at 4:00pm, EST, my shop will open for a
small sale. <br />
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The shop is here: <a href="https://amanda-louise-spayd.myshopify.com/" target="_blank"> https://amanda-louise-spayd.myshopify.com/</a><br />
Note - The items will not appear in the shop until the time of the sale. <br />
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Not sure what time this is in your time zone? Try this site with a handy
time zone calculator. I am located in Ohio, USA, which has the same
time zone as New York City: <a href="http://www.timeanddate.com/worldclock/converter.html">http://www.timeanddate.com/worldclock/converter.html</a><br />
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These are the items that will be in the sale:<br />
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<b>Nursery Pipsqueaks: High Chair - $100 each </b><br />
TWO available in each color: Blue, Pink, and Yellow. Limit one per customer please.<br />
Pipsqueak is approximately 2.5" tall, and handpainted with glass eyes. Signed by the artist. High chair is about 3" tall.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg50BB-WnL2SbIntl03vw1BWsvbaJMFAvmsPlVWjvHOlrZG7rKy4ZPxSje6Oc2N78sYHj6VaWxXO9ltFujtmvX6uK55zu-kHksRYoe_LiyBMpIQi1aRFauGRUK0QXliXDDrfDKGHL6yZiz_/s1600/IMG_1197.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="456" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg50BB-WnL2SbIntl03vw1BWsvbaJMFAvmsPlVWjvHOlrZG7rKy4ZPxSje6Oc2N78sYHj6VaWxXO9ltFujtmvX6uK55zu-kHksRYoe_LiyBMpIQi1aRFauGRUK0QXliXDDrfDKGHL6yZiz_/s640/IMG_1197.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nursery Pipsqueaks in hand-painted and antiqued wooden highchairs.</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5SyhPOMuWW2uzp7AbwhRunaqgf3NahfnictrPqvp8x73b0AHtVt2cAyYUOPkzJGmqq1KdKyQbG7c01s-d-QZO5-7Wo4W2h2BLOgMyVQuQslLrRrqSbdsqkqKVchyzu83BPHDOAprCtr8P/s1600/IMG_1248.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="456" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5SyhPOMuWW2uzp7AbwhRunaqgf3NahfnictrPqvp8x73b0AHtVt2cAyYUOPkzJGmqq1KdKyQbG7c01s-d-QZO5-7Wo4W2h2BLOgMyVQuQslLrRrqSbdsqkqKVchyzu83BPHDOAprCtr8P/s640/IMG_1248.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The front and back are adorned with vintage decals.</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizMYOaezapiW99ZUyJUwJoeNe8IKEhXSfYoScOA3jS9h-LelXrWbFbw6q9Zt7HnFvT-Sfy06dzW4jCzlvPo5Z6gdMpC2lsQxGeSvx8ohl3cKAt7BhwvoY6Oaz_gdOaXxHosmEYYgLsdRR2/s1600/IMG_1191.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="456" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizMYOaezapiW99ZUyJUwJoeNe8IKEhXSfYoScOA3jS9h-LelXrWbFbw6q9Zt7HnFvT-Sfy06dzW4jCzlvPo5Z6gdMpC2lsQxGeSvx8ohl3cKAt7BhwvoY6Oaz_gdOaXxHosmEYYgLsdRR2/s640/IMG_1191.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pipsqueaks can be displayed in or out of the chairs.</td></tr>
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<b>Nursery Pipsqueaks: Crib - $100 each</b><br />
TWO available in each color: Blue, Pink, and Yellow. Limit one per customer please.<br />
Pipsqueak is approximately 2.5" tall, and handpainted with glass eyes. Signed by the artist. Crib is about 2.25" high and 3" long.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4Kih20NEvu0EP47jBdQZg56ManeLzZld2BjlVDVpByPO6ENA18ZVdke44n8B62entmlZ3Doe4tM959MNrVI4vexCP59eWPgx5wLduTCpYRaG5diOYsNlO4CtUjtGPK-unV7Y29PR-NRfQ/s1600/IMG_1217.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="456" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4Kih20NEvu0EP47jBdQZg56ManeLzZld2BjlVDVpByPO6ENA18ZVdke44n8B62entmlZ3Doe4tM959MNrVI4vexCP59eWPgx5wLduTCpYRaG5diOYsNlO4CtUjtGPK-unV7Y29PR-NRfQ/s640/IMG_1217.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Baby Pipsqueaks all ready for naptime....or maybe not.</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimrchasA-EiWaJAuW5tbNuCJF3BsM4LiovNP3uclcfWqMexdf4o-1XyDQQVlZfsizBLmywK5xIP6QH4vTdORCn6mGpW0qx4VGhSP0N6VwqwfsjRh130VtUhh2owqdmOJ8FHDDihwxDLzvR/s1600/IMG_1206.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="456" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimrchasA-EiWaJAuW5tbNuCJF3BsM4LiovNP3uclcfWqMexdf4o-1XyDQQVlZfsizBLmywK5xIP6QH4vTdORCn6mGpW0qx4VGhSP0N6VwqwfsjRh130VtUhh2owqdmOJ8FHDDihwxDLzvR/s640/IMG_1206.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pipsqueak can be displayed either in or out of crib.</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEir8jPuo4ou9x7NoMOWzInNk6s8OUxfO308WznY1kUtzgeIJZJdgrScJcjXRVE9TVW2tm8u4u2VD4Lj0bdv_-sE3kysBddhR5Rx0c55H7j-2MwVLSMeDzYUfJYzcju1dsXSZT_vJTRFVSEU/s1600/IMG_1227.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="456" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEir8jPuo4ou9x7NoMOWzInNk6s8OUxfO308WznY1kUtzgeIJZJdgrScJcjXRVE9TVW2tm8u4u2VD4Lj0bdv_-sE3kysBddhR5Rx0c55H7j-2MwVLSMeDzYUfJYzcju1dsXSZT_vJTRFVSEU/s640/IMG_1227.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cribs have vintage decals on ends, and a weathered fabric cushion inside.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<b>Pistachio Pipsqueak: $18 each </b><br />
50 available. Unpainted green urethane resin with black plastic eyes. Limit one per customer please. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKBV726OQizisse-TUOJtkDZY8Tdzf_WpvpCMzBcLHHG2weByEiuDuoFelf4tAR8pGhEOd_zummzkUOpm6AQxqlmdqovIbct3OAGRCDnBH3p7XvAoOno2jEUsWmPZyoHJ5wdlJqPrgQvd4/s1600/IMG_1269.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="456" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKBV726OQizisse-TUOJtkDZY8Tdzf_WpvpCMzBcLHHG2weByEiuDuoFelf4tAR8pGhEOd_zummzkUOpm6AQxqlmdqovIbct3OAGRCDnBH3p7XvAoOno2jEUsWmPZyoHJ5wdlJqPrgQvd4/s640/IMG_1269.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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See you at the sale!<br />
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Amanda Louise Spaydhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17745146845879367082noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8384899670745756374.post-13240816173219131232015-04-21T22:37:00.001-04:002015-04-21T22:37:26.781-04:00(very belated) Week in Photos: April 21, 2015Hey everybody,<br />
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It's been a long, long time since I've been here, I know - I'm so sorry! I've really gotten behind with Safe Harbor prep (recap post coming soon), tax season (ugh), and other life stuff, but I'm working on getting it up and going again.<br />
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Last Friday I attended one of the monthly breakfast-lectures put on by the <a href="http://creativemornings.com/cities/cle" target="_blank">Cleveland chapter of Creative Mornings</a>. Every month, a different venue in the city hosts a Friday-morning breakfast (delicious goods donated by local establishments) and short talk by someone in a creative field. Creative Mornings has chapters all over the United States and the world - check out their website and see if there is a chapter near you!<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhLRMBMktQS4_Abw08yPjIUMe6uIA7Jj5OlUNEdPUiKRO_yduU20uyN3mKd5LdVUfElpNukGLcQePbGxgEg0mCBTB26k0wsYx4HfeEoShmbTsOgUU5MCxlLQxW46GLXYzs69OwOVHScz4R/s1600/CleLibraryLamp.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhLRMBMktQS4_Abw08yPjIUMe6uIA7Jj5OlUNEdPUiKRO_yduU20uyN3mKd5LdVUfElpNukGLcQePbGxgEg0mCBTB26k0wsYx4HfeEoShmbTsOgUU5MCxlLQxW46GLXYzs69OwOVHScz4R/s1600/CleLibraryLamp.jpg" height="640" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This month's lecture was at the Cleveland Public Library - here's a view of one of the amazing painted ceilings.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnkmAfHZVi_kHPxCpaMdF1esWOe9xhal13XNxNfuqXzVsHYZTRGAE5CccG-36xR_YIJSyuIl6BGunybLv_lpT_JCSR62yiYi9a0veQxNSA8ihZPiUrt-Dh6u0ZmG8WE3Rx6BmuKrQbk8p7/s1600/CleTerminalTower.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnkmAfHZVi_kHPxCpaMdF1esWOe9xhal13XNxNfuqXzVsHYZTRGAE5CccG-36xR_YIJSyuIl6BGunybLv_lpT_JCSR62yiYi9a0veQxNSA8ihZPiUrt-Dh6u0ZmG8WE3Rx6BmuKrQbk8p7/s1600/CleTerminalTower.jpg" height="640" width="456" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The morning of the lecture was super foggy downtown, lending quite the eerie feel to the whole city. Terminal Tower rose through the mist like a gothic castle. Apologies for the low quality photo, this was taken at a distance with my iPhone.</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuCYCd7g-X6gKCm-Il4yineV-0g7ESH4VPBgbsfYire8oE5oXeWRXRuaYscp6D8_XogXikGBWqJssQ_dYCWDTlz6jUAK_EDpRPqEFEel9ef8no2bdcc02q-GYok_9avVM8xOODdgALihtn/s1600/Granola.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuCYCd7g-X6gKCm-Il4yineV-0g7ESH4VPBgbsfYire8oE5oXeWRXRuaYscp6D8_XogXikGBWqJssQ_dYCWDTlz6jUAK_EDpRPqEFEel9ef8no2bdcc02q-GYok_9avVM8xOODdgALihtn/s1600/Granola.jpg" height="456" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Amazingly delicious granola and unique quickbreads were provided for the event by <a href="http://www.theaccle.com/" target="_blank">The Agrarian Collective.</a></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_EwA2p4eTYEvhTsynYFv6K6_FeoWFHo0fDOZwb8aWLlsFe-z5aG1fj0PVDtL8PoDx_sN-49p9v6ezzsOwFJLDrM7Zomidu_Ffkh53X-NivgBP6WyJaaJU0ZH0elPO15o-pcvSxQ0gVYVk/s1600/PipMochi.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_EwA2p4eTYEvhTsynYFv6K6_FeoWFHo0fDOZwb8aWLlsFe-z5aG1fj0PVDtL8PoDx_sN-49p9v6ezzsOwFJLDrM7Zomidu_Ffkh53X-NivgBP6WyJaaJU0ZH0elPO15o-pcvSxQ0gVYVk/s1600/PipMochi.jpg" height="456" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pipsqueak poses next to one of my favorite treats (and perennial acquisition from the local Asian foods market), taro filled mochi.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjWtDrXYyRiM6aIGqC1MKLmiEb2fwf33SyDnYKIRS6kNVEkAVBkFF3oJeYYekkDvtdEznWTeY5bbviMMvhzavugOWko1gDXY30mYQPz7wDiQdEq0mx2oAVOGt7KlmHixhW54wv6oDP2rIU/s1600/SunFlowers.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjWtDrXYyRiM6aIGqC1MKLmiEb2fwf33SyDnYKIRS6kNVEkAVBkFF3oJeYYekkDvtdEznWTeY5bbviMMvhzavugOWko1gDXY30mYQPz7wDiQdEq0mx2oAVOGt7KlmHixhW54wv6oDP2rIU/s1600/SunFlowers.jpg" height="456" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I don't want to speak too early, but...I think winter is finally over! The trees are still bare and the air is chilly, but flowers are starting to bloom, birds are beginning to sing, and everybody is starting to feel hopeful for the coming warm days.</td></tr>
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<br />Amanda Louise Spaydhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17745146845879367082noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8384899670745756374.post-22607641826314558212015-02-24T21:04:00.001-05:002015-02-24T21:04:31.439-05:00February 25th sale: Preview and InformationWednesday, February 25th, 2015, at 10:00am, EST, my shop will open for a
small sale. <br />
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The shop is here: <a href="https://amanda-louise-spayd.myshopify.com/" target="_blank"> https://amanda-louise-spayd.myshopify.com/</a><br />
Note - The items will not appear in the shop until the time of the sale. <br />
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Not sure what time this is in your time zone? Try this site with a handy
time zone calculator. I am located in Ohio, USA, which has the same
time zone as New York City: <a href="http://www.timeanddate.com/worldclock/converter.html">http://www.timeanddate.com/worldclock/converter.html</a><br />
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These are the items that will be in the sale:<br />
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<b>Vintage Lavender Pipsqueak: $18 (50 available), one per customer please.</b><br />
Grey-purple semitranslucent resin with black eyes and silver glitter.<br />
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<b>Antique Spool Pipsqueak, 3 colors: $100 (6 available), one per customer please.</b><br />Handpainted Pipsqueak with handpainted glass eyes. Comes with "antique" spool with custom Dust Bunny label and stained thread. Pipsqueak is 2 1/4" tall, and can be displayed next to, or on top of, the spool. There are 2 each of pink, grey, and green.<br />
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<b>Assorted 5x7 drawings</b>, <b>$45-$65</b><br />Colored pencil drawings on toned paper. Watermark is not on actual drawing. <br />
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Amanda Louise Spaydhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17745146845879367082noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8384899670745756374.post-25301788459018697162015-02-20T17:04:00.001-05:002015-02-20T17:05:36.744-05:00Paper Fragments of Time and Place<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8MoCdh6vO2IIP7OW-mKXmAb2VdhopemEuJR_8y2j6M76N5sdY5VbjnvdG5qK37uMG4cIvYARte9Rz0duJOeqwdpgfBcieEMIVSQCYUg01PTqAbDofbhQvNce1pP4sD9KH28SaMJAclpgb/s1600/IMG_1897.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Old booklets and paper ephemera" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8MoCdh6vO2IIP7OW-mKXmAb2VdhopemEuJR_8y2j6M76N5sdY5VbjnvdG5qK37uMG4cIvYARte9Rz0duJOeqwdpgfBcieEMIVSQCYUg01PTqAbDofbhQvNce1pP4sD9KH28SaMJAclpgb/s1600/IMG_1897.jpg" height="456" title="" width="640" /></a></div>
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One of my hobbies is antique collecting, but I often gravitate toward collecting pretty specific things. One of those collections, which continues to grow and grow, is that of paper ephemera from times past. Specifically of interest to me are pieces that hold handwriting; human evidence of the daily, the banal, and the easily forgotten. When a lot of people talk about really being into antiques, they often talk about the really rare things, items that are historically important, or fetch a high price or are very sought after. Those are almost at the exact opposite side of the spectrum from what I collect. I very often am drawn toward household items; things of little monetary value, but objects that were touched, written in, read, and engaged in day-to-day life. <br />
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Recently I acquired a "Pocket Diary", which was a promotional booklet from a Washington D.C. Patent Attorney's office, that once belonged to a Fred Coleman, who at the time of writing (1907), lived on South Freedom Street in Alliance, Ohio. I have no idea how old Fred was when he started this daily journal. He was obviously a boy, and as the first page of writing states, he was 3'6" tall and weighed 70 lbs.<br />
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He kept up with daily entries pretty well until about April, when he stopped writing. At the beginning, we get some facts and figures about him, and for four months we can read an extremely abbreviated collection of moments from his life. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi68Vk5EX509TFxDmK2nUzECsLxIloQMHJi8UiSKlMmedUuIE2VpL5fyc1MiJYFhtANxTHn1vGrhEiC2Q9JsVdkHfX2InTJSsPKh_gbyL0SOUMDyyPdYMJ4Zwi9T9-t10-pNSUaB_qsdodF/s1600/IMG_1884.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi68Vk5EX509TFxDmK2nUzECsLxIloQMHJi8UiSKlMmedUuIE2VpL5fyc1MiJYFhtANxTHn1vGrhEiC2Q9JsVdkHfX2InTJSsPKh_gbyL0SOUMDyyPdYMJ4Zwi9T9-t10-pNSUaB_qsdodF/s1600/IMG_1884.jpg" height="456" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fred Coleman's Pocket Diary.</td></tr>
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January 1: Oats horse dropped dead. Looks like rain.<br />
January 2: Homer came over in the forenoon. A horse got stuck in the mud.<br />
January 3: I got a calendar with a sailor boy on it.<br />
January 4: It snowed a little. We went down to grandmas.<br />
January 5: It is a fine day.<br />
January 6: A cat came to our house this morning.<br />
January 7: I average 88 on my report card. I started to school after a two weeks vacation.<br />
January 8: I went over to Homer's.<br />
January 9: I went down town after a calendar.<br />
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...and so on. In the four months that are documented, we see that someone in Fred's circle/family died and had a funeral, he played with his sled, his household got another telephone with a party line, he saw a picture show, hopped bobs, ice skated, the groundhog saw its shadow that year, his dad caught a wild rabbit and they ate it, flew a kite, and earned $0.82 in the month of January. <br />
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I did some cursory Googling but couldn't find much information about Fred. The address he lived at doesn't seem to exist anymore in Alliance, and I have no way of knowing how long he lived there. The thing is, Fred - who was maybe 7 or 8 years old here - is no longer living. He'd be about 115 years old now. To me, to have this little glimpse into his life, is just so interesting. Even if he were still living - would he remember all of this? Maybe, maybe not. Artifacts like this are just little scraps of a whole life. How many of your scraps would you ever remember? These things were never archival, never protected, never destined for an art museum or the Library of Congress. They're just dingy, water-damaged, bits and pieces of life.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dr. Pierce's Memorandum Book (with pharmaceutical advice) from 1933, Mrs. Winslow's Domestic Receipt Book from 1874. </td></tr>
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I also enjoy almanacs and health-related promotional items, because they almost always have cringe-inducing remedies and suggestions in them. I often pine for simpler times, but I am all-in when it comes to advancements in medicine, technology, and knowledge. Simpler is not always better, especially when it comes to white pills of unknown origin, promising to be a "Golden Liver-Curing Miracle".<br />
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In Mrs. Winslow's Domestic Receipt book, among the recipes for Liquid Glue, Apple Cheesecake, Wash Balls, and directions for how to make hens lay more eggs, are advertisements for Mrs. Winslow's Soothing Syrup, an "Old nurse for children, which regulates the bowels, soothes teething pain, and promotes sleep". It was probably really effective, since it contained 65mg of Morphine Sulfate per fluid ounce. I imagine quite a few adults found it "effective" as well.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dr. Pierce's Golden Medical Discovery will keep young ladies looking exquisite!</td></tr>
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I love coming across old recipes. Some day I am definitely going to try making Aunt Jenny's fried pies, because they sound so good! This recipe, along with recipes for cracker pie and oatmeal cookies, were found in a badly decomposed composition book that once belonged to a Mrs. Adolph Pasternak from Brecksville Ohio. There are also recipes for coconut layer cake, orange nut bread, and caramel fudge. I should make it a goal to try making all of them!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFcp-jlHPuXjxssBFbNeeeEPxRQD-as1TQR6Kz7MbYL0nkbeY-Xr0QY9KC9WqYp1vEaSm1DRmNHnnXLcWAaQhLVH6T4eslFjWK5OzEhY8sKgjsLXDVwZZl6Kc_MJ0LcomF7VLUGI27t76G/s1600/IMG_1914.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFcp-jlHPuXjxssBFbNeeeEPxRQD-as1TQR6Kz7MbYL0nkbeY-Xr0QY9KC9WqYp1vEaSm1DRmNHnnXLcWAaQhLVH6T4eslFjWK5OzEhY8sKgjsLXDVwZZl6Kc_MJ0LcomF7VLUGI27t76G/s1600/IMG_1914.jpg" height="456" width="640" /></a></div>
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I suppose this little obsession of mine is pretty voyeuristic at its core, but truly, I think I just like to see bits and pieces of people's lives. Not famous people or important historical figures, but everyday people, writing about everyday things. And knowing that in a small way, though they may have moved on from this mortal world, something of theirs is living on. I often wonder if any of my work will be found in some dusty antique store someday, dirty and falling apart, waiting for someone like me to scoop it up and wonder about its origins. I like to think so.Amanda Louise Spaydhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17745146845879367082noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8384899670745756374.post-74692160967965399532015-02-14T01:21:00.000-05:002015-02-14T01:24:39.597-05:00Happy Valentine's Day!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfhudUhZVamkGZkgwhW34VKE8dIHkjpdPz8JBMF-kzcthpPD3juGbxtDmoIsOeOqnmeWw3CxkRyqzQBb6dAuorbqy3xLGxEG4UIsKmvVcyK2TViCjIlh1hXj5rBRImT3d0oXXZ0koTBvSi/s1600/BeeValentineSM.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfhudUhZVamkGZkgwhW34VKE8dIHkjpdPz8JBMF-kzcthpPD3juGbxtDmoIsOeOqnmeWw3CxkRyqzQBb6dAuorbqy3xLGxEG4UIsKmvVcyK2TViCjIlh1hXj5rBRImT3d0oXXZ0koTBvSi/s1600/BeeValentineSM.jpg" height="640" width="640" /></a></div>
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Happy day of love to YOU, my online friends! If it weren't for your encouragement, participation, and feedback, my art and my experience with it would not be the same at all. To be honest, I don't know if the Dust Bunnies would have ever gotten to this point without the attention paid to me by people online. So, thank you, and happy hearts day!<br />
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xoxo<br />
AmandaAmanda Louise Spaydhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17745146845879367082noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8384899670745756374.post-52470030443766500162015-02-12T10:22:00.003-05:002015-02-12T10:22:36.894-05:00What are Dust Bunnies?<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNH90dHgt2oGPPwsANbWoX67wtVS3t_cGBytCDcCWyoPA2ieYNmWhUBAc_fJc3OoK2gy7eY0vTUv1XITW6TqoxyNQsZzCHwR0Uu8iMojTN4HR9VflQ5zUqi7vALSLzuT0r3-MogF6wapS-/s1600/Candypile2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="A Dust Bunny sits atop a pile of teeth and candies. Sculpture." border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNH90dHgt2oGPPwsANbWoX67wtVS3t_cGBytCDcCWyoPA2ieYNmWhUBAc_fJc3OoK2gy7eY0vTUv1XITW6TqoxyNQsZzCHwR0Uu8iMojTN4HR9VflQ5zUqi7vALSLzuT0r3-MogF6wapS-/s1600/Candypile2.jpg" height="640" title=""All Mine" by Amanda Louise Spayd" width="456" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This guy doesn't want you to touch his candy and tooth pile.</td></tr>
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On several occasions recently, I've found myself in the position of really exploring what makes my characters who they are, as a whole (What are they? What do they do? How do they feel? Do they feel at all?) ...and I thought it would be a good exercise to try and loosely "define" what makes the Dust Bunnies, the Dust Bunnies. Of course they exist only in the realm of puppets, sculpture, and drawings, but even inanimate objects have a story behind them, and this is what I imagine the character sketch is like. <br />
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So if you've ever wondered just what the heck my intentions are with these creatures from my imagination, here you go.<br />
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<i>First and foremost, Dust Bunnies are not very bright. If they manage to do anything clever or helpful, it's usually either dumb luck, coincidence, or fate. Some of them can draw or read (badly), but that is like genius level for them. </i><br />
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</i> <i>Dust Bunnies are innocent. They are never mean or spiteful. They can get annoyed and super cranky, and may throw tantrums (if you take food/lint/bottle caps away from them), but would never be violent - it's just not in their mental wiring to be mean. </i><br />
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</i> <i>Dust Bunnies are curious about everything. Buttons, boxes, your shoelaces, flowers, used toothpicks, dead bugs, cereal crumbs on the kitchen floor - it's all interesting, and all potential fodder for their habit of integrating their surroundings into their lives. They collect bits and bobs like magpies do, and often adorn themselves in clothing scraps and whatever they've found, mimicking what they see around them. </i><br />
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</i> <i>They can grunt, sniffle, and mumble, but rarely use actual words. Sometimes they mimic, but don't necessarily know the meanings of the words they say.</i><br />
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</i> <i>They are always hungry. Always.</i><br />
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<i>If they were actually alive and you kept them as pets, they would utterly destroy your house. You'd be better off with a family of raccoons.</i><br />
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</i> <i>They make the best of what they have. They have no concept of jealousy or pride. A hat made out of a handkerchief and an old key is every bit as beautiful as a beat-up party hat with a fork tied to it. They don't know they are strange-looking. They exist almost entirely in the present moment. </i><br />
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</i> <i>They don't really get hurt...mostly because I can't bear the thought of it. I think of them like animate bags of flour; they sort of plop and bounce, or tip over, but nothing harms them. </i><br />
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It kind of makes me wonder, too, why I imagine them being this way. I think in a lot of ways, I'm creating objects that are inherently sympathetic, and are designed to coax empathy out of the viewer. I'm an intensely empathetic person (often to my own detriment), and I often have a hard time understanding how a lot of people seem to lack that trait. Perhaps these little lost-looking creatures are an attempt on my part to ignite feelings of empathy and care - you want to take care of them, because they are small, vulnerable, and confused.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEismMNj5u41foci-RacFETDSJbYlA8W8hotLTD5H0idSFWxfkcX-gozo9DGt6yueQrROJEleZ8WjuRCbwXUJaZgxrkrSZxQD67UPni4a_DMnwBhBP0uyU1Mw8IxaNkTcE6uoX6y15PuGkd2/s1600/NightLight2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="A startled yellow and grey Dust Bunny with bright eyes. Sculpture." border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEismMNj5u41foci-RacFETDSJbYlA8W8hotLTD5H0idSFWxfkcX-gozo9DGt6yueQrROJEleZ8WjuRCbwXUJaZgxrkrSZxQD67UPni4a_DMnwBhBP0uyU1Mw8IxaNkTcE6uoX6y15PuGkd2/s1600/NightLight2.jpg" height="456" title=""Night Light" by Amanda Louise Spayd" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wait. What!?</td></tr>
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I like the fact that their faces show very little emotion. They aren't totally blank canvases at all - their emotions are just subtle. There's a lot of difference between them, if you really look. Some look impish, some look like they just did something you will NOT approve of. Some look confused, while others look a little startled or sad. But all of these things can be interpreted different ways, and I want the viewer who sees them to sort of use them as a reflector for their own emotional experiences.<br />
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I've always been a bit of a misfit. It was hard fitting in when I was growing up (I still have a hard time feeling like I'm fitting in, honestly). I liked art, science, fantasy books, and always thought the villains looked WAY cooler than the good guys, in pretty much everything. I wore head-to-toe costumes around the neighborhood and when I got older, dressed in a dark "alternative" fashion. I was the archetype of the "weird kid", but I wasn't rebellious or crass or mean. I just liked what I liked. I think these creatures are kind of autobiographical in a way - they don't do what they do for the satisfaction of others around them, they just like to wear paperclips, or chew on table legs, or wrap themselves in old grocery store receipts like a coat. They are weird because they just are, and though others would see it as creepy or strange, they revel in the fabulous things we discard.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxeO_s7xQWo5vRbvy2bsR4z8XDX45HsBsyRQMfMLsqWyz66M_VZCgU7Axn2m-EFP_M023QqE6YJMJSQvc6XsWDmxEJRoQUxvtyv-cf7TJskVX_Y_nLdDhmGPr89_9tzs_B7V1_XtOex4ud/s1600/IMG_0931.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Two Pipsqueaks play hide and seek in teacups." border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxeO_s7xQWo5vRbvy2bsR4z8XDX45HsBsyRQMfMLsqWyz66M_VZCgU7Axn2m-EFP_M023QqE6YJMJSQvc6XsWDmxEJRoQUxvtyv-cf7TJskVX_Y_nLdDhmGPr89_9tzs_B7V1_XtOex4ud/s1600/IMG_0931.jpg" height="456" title="Pipsqueaks by Amanda Louise Spayd." width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hanging out in a child's tea set.</td></tr>
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I am, at my core, an idealist. I want to see the world as a fascinating, new place, full of possibilities, every day. It's not always possible to do that, but I think my Dust Bunnies can. Sure, they don't have arms and have sawdust for brains, but they're able to take in the world in wide-eyed wonder, one moment at a time without worry of the future, and act on their creative impulses in a way that I only wish I could a lot of the time. They're bumbling, imperfect, dirty, and strange, but they deserve to be loved and understood, just like we all do. <br />
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<br />Amanda Louise Spaydhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17745146845879367082noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8384899670745756374.post-19308963677003355762015-02-09T15:05:00.001-05:002015-02-12T10:26:03.038-05:00Belfry Minifigure, Part OneThe success and demand for my minifigure, "Pipsqueak", who debuted at DesignerCon 2013 made me really want to try my hand at another character. I say that Pipsqueak is "successful", not just in that lots of folks are buying him, but because I am extremely proud of him. I love Pipsqueak. To me, he truly embodies the emotion and "feel" of my characters, and to be honest, I was having trouble getting started on a new character, because I was afraid that I would never even come close to making a character that I felt was as successful as Pipsqueak. In fact, that crippled me from starting, for a long time.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiH1g0xjhvBwjRcP628bsHissmqf_5GXD9NSCoBXHxKW_4cG0GW7tuy-a2Mtn4f-EbmceGACaOD-MxwowwvpUPtdo8nl1pGRSqqM9FBeT_87-Z94ggWGnJX2A2X7b3lA6_aaV6nkSjdzJvD/s1600/bluePips.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="A group of blue Pipsqueaks, staring forward. Cute." border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiH1g0xjhvBwjRcP628bsHissmqf_5GXD9NSCoBXHxKW_4cG0GW7tuy-a2Mtn4f-EbmceGACaOD-MxwowwvpUPtdo8nl1pGRSqqM9FBeT_87-Z94ggWGnJX2A2X7b3lA6_aaV6nkSjdzJvD/s1600/bluePips.jpg" height="456" title="Winter Sky Pipsqueaks by Amanda Louise Spayd" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pipsqueaks, in the "Winter Sky" color.</td></tr>
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I toyed around with a few ideas before really cementing this one in my head. I didn't want to make another bunny character, because it would be difficult to make one in the exact same size of Pipsqueak, and not have them compete with each other. In the end, I drew a little doodle of a bat with large ears and folded wings, and was really happy with the idea. <br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPkHXM9etLWM6Iq5_FmoURPmFC6eihgsHlaAdgFd1sEfdAsQLVLvNHG81It3bA2RgfEczTpjpiFtcnUhsInM14DGd0R6thGH_A4haYopepIoWYsIubkHUkXy2kN5hOIE7oL0I76ElQCVgF/s1600/IMG_1462.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Rough sculpting of a bat character, in clay, with sculpting tools." border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPkHXM9etLWM6Iq5_FmoURPmFC6eihgsHlaAdgFd1sEfdAsQLVLvNHG81It3bA2RgfEczTpjpiFtcnUhsInM14DGd0R6thGH_A4haYopepIoWYsIubkHUkXy2kN5hOIE7oL0I76ElQCVgF/s1600/IMG_1462.jpg" height="456" title="Belfry sculpt by Amanda Louise Spayd." width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Belfry in early stages of sculpting.</td></tr>
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I showed the idea to <a href="http://www.chrisryniak.com/" target="_blank">Chris</a>, and he helped me get started with a very rough sculpt. From his rough shape that defined the height, ear-to-body ratio, and basic shape of the wings, it was up to me to do all of the finishing sculpting. This takes a while, as my technique for this is nearly all reductive; shaving material away using tiny rakes and wire loop tools, and smoothing with a little metal spatula. I finally decided he was "done" when the shape and facial expression matched what I'd visualized in my mind. I always like to leave imperfections in the sculpt, even when making toys that will not be painted. I like to see the marks made by the tools, small nicks and pits, and just a general slight lumpiness that lets everyone see that it was handmade in the beginning stages. I've had toys produced of my characters that, by either digital sculpting or painstaking smoothing before the mold is made, are extremely smooth and perfect. While that's absolutely fine, I prefer the resin figures that I produce to carry some of the same slightly naive, homespun, primitive look that my originals have. <br />
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I wanted Belfry to be sort of an extension of the Pipsqueak "family", so I kept his face fairly similar. I brought his wings down around his sides for two reasons. The first is that I wanted to keep the "stretched gumdrop" shape of my characters intact, and the other was logistical. When doing these minifigures, it's important that they are not too difficult to cast. This is what keeps the price down for everybody; many can be pulled from the same mold, and the bottoms sanded to finish them off. <br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEje2HuyG0exT12oTuD9-bShivEwsGBzbKp7xaNKtB4tnwonUOp_ETBf8j9LFDnywp9Oa3e7rkzky20cc7TpahdFLU23RPiGW_CnVXyt4MVk49_SzZra0AKVi8Tz3xnQ7eTNE_2OZ6H3V7rt/s1600/IMG_1966.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Unfinished grey resin bat toy prototypes in a group." border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEje2HuyG0exT12oTuD9-bShivEwsGBzbKp7xaNKtB4tnwonUOp_ETBf8j9LFDnywp9Oa3e7rkzky20cc7TpahdFLU23RPiGW_CnVXyt4MVk49_SzZra0AKVi8Tz3xnQ7eTNE_2OZ6H3V7rt/s1600/IMG_1966.jpg" height="458" title="Belfry prototypes by Amanda Louise Spayd" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Belfry prototypes in resin, still attached to the mold bases.</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHO1YUDdtbrSfMFsFU0-zspdf0An1m55AOOotPNyuIuBxkt-k-Aln6eJNbAhNZW-URfOU8-f59Zo0N3mi74o-buPBDBFy-LdGO-PqoD75426-QU1BOk2YitlHQ9zjjrok_aL74f-Ob8ePl/s1600/IMG_1981.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Unfinished grey prototype of the "Belfry" bat character, with black eyes." border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHO1YUDdtbrSfMFsFU0-zspdf0An1m55AOOotPNyuIuBxkt-k-Aln6eJNbAhNZW-URfOU8-f59Zo0N3mi74o-buPBDBFy-LdGO-PqoD75426-QU1BOk2YitlHQ9zjjrok_aL74f-Ob8ePl/s1600/IMG_1981.jpg" height="456" title="Belfry prototype, by Amanda Louise Spayd" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Resin Belfry prototype, with eyes. The base will be sanded off.</td></tr>
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After I get a good finished sculpt, a mold is made out of silicone, so I can get at least one good positive cast from. I will make a bunch of resin casts, and fix them up as much as they need (sanding off the mold base, filling bubbles, sanding or fixing spots that were difficult to fix in the clay, etc.) and coating them with primer spray. Then I'll make a mold that will yield a number of figures in one pour. I'm almost at that stage now - more information as I get closer to the final mold, and eventually, release of Belfry into the world!<br />
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Here's a little video showing some sculpting and how I use a base to sculpt tiny things on so that I don't accidentally squeeze or melt the clay while I'm working on it.<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="338" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/aIQkUVG85o4" width="600"></iframe><br />Amanda Louise Spaydhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17745146845879367082noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8384899670745756374.post-57847655603050580462015-02-07T00:16:00.002-05:002015-02-07T00:16:17.160-05:00Safe Harbor, Part 1: Gathering Story Elements<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwqhS0BAX5go7SrsZzN6-P3F_d02rXOzbk-FD8-scKGZXCpRwW3d-oHLmeAgCjNm9OsnOg22AXa5IQ6cNWFJfq2uWq1r2nhDuWa_pb-NjZNa7rP8CRm82OIqpZ2JVNkt3veDw2V-w93BsA/s1600/IMG_1749.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwqhS0BAX5go7SrsZzN6-P3F_d02rXOzbk-FD8-scKGZXCpRwW3d-oHLmeAgCjNm9OsnOg22AXa5IQ6cNWFJfq2uWq1r2nhDuWa_pb-NjZNa7rP8CRm82OIqpZ2JVNkt3veDw2V-w93BsA/s1600/IMG_1749.jpg" height="228" width="320" /> </a></div>
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This April, <a href="http://www.chrisryniak.com/" target="_blank">Chris Ryniak</a> and I have another two-person show at <a href="http://www.strangerfactory.com/" target="_blank">Stranger Factory</a>. Because we both have a background in design and art direction, we tend to go a little crazy with theming, but I wouldn't have it any other way, honestly. I tend to be extremely thematically-inclined with my own bodies of work, and it's very comfortable to work with another artist who feels the same way.<br />
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The first part of the theme that we come up with is the "story" of it - what will the body of work be about? For this show, we chose the title "Safe Harbor". As you can probably guess, it is nautical in nature. Not even just the sea, but ideas, objects, and history that surrounds it. You can expect to see a lot of marine motifs in my work - shells, crab claws, coral, scales, as well as more dockside elements such as fishhooks, anchors, baitfish, and flags. We're wanting to more or less be able to represent two worlds of the sea; the world underneath the waterline, and the world that sits right on top, relying on the bounty of the ocean for sustenance.<br />
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After we've got our story down, we immediately go into picky designer mode and come up with a color palette that will govern the entire show. If I'm making more than 3 pieces at any given time, I pretty much always choose a palette for the work. I feel so much more comfortable working within color parameters; even if a piece does not specifically fit into the story of the rest of the work, it will visually harmonize if it fits within the color scheme. This is important when we need to fill an entire gallery.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBhVqxXb8RelTevrnb6bcUnyyUTYxQVTFq28LGLV4Y279pyIcpBNWFbryRpf6JNu3Z4N7iWx4vTKEUq32R2TNnobrDMTHSs3coSXTUyZ8U9e3KxLwxDfISGe7AmSY_CCB6AQLDbA5QvnuQ/s1600/IMG_1740.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBhVqxXb8RelTevrnb6bcUnyyUTYxQVTFq28LGLV4Y279pyIcpBNWFbryRpf6JNu3Z4N7iWx4vTKEUq32R2TNnobrDMTHSs3coSXTUyZ8U9e3KxLwxDfISGe7AmSY_CCB6AQLDbA5QvnuQ/s1600/IMG_1740.jpg" height="228" width="320" /> </a></div>
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The palette we came up with is a wash of salt-bleached neutrals bolstered with bright pops of saturated color. Sand, pebbles, driftwood, and worn canvas sails. Peeling yellow paint on a time-tested fishing boat. The brilliant aqua of equatorial seas and the faded blue of storm-greyed skies. Rusty-red coral, nacreous abalone, and patinated copper and brass.<br />
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Now that we've defined these things, it's time to get to work! There are patterns to be cut, faces to be sculpted, and mermaids to design. More sneak peeks to come, as there is so much more left to do! <br />
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<br />Amanda Louise Spaydhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17745146845879367082noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8384899670745756374.post-77981497931323082212015-02-03T10:54:00.000-05:002015-02-03T11:00:00.133-05:00Origin Stories: Mister Rogers' Neighborhood<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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It's pretty amazing how things can be major influences on who you are, and you don't even really think about it. I do sometimes think about what influenced me to not only do what I do, but to make specifically the things that I make. I feel like the art that I create is this kind of chimera made up of different pieces of all the things that have touched me creatively throughout my life. In this post though, I want to talk about the earliest ones - which are, I believe, also the deepest ones, as they were connections made in the honesty of childhood.<br />
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I was born in 1980. I actually feel pretty lucky about when I was born - I'm young enough for computing and network technology to have been a part of my pre-adult life (we got internet when I was in middle school, and my dad was always into computers) enough that I feel proficient using it, but I'm old enough that it wasn't a part of my childhood at all. We didn't have cable TV either, until I was about 8, so my entertainment when I was a child was books, VHS tapes, and whatever came onto the TV across the airwaves. And I feel so lucky to have been a kid when I was, because those shows and movies, without the aid of computer imaging, relied on practical effects, handmade props, and <i>puppets</i>. So many puppets.<br />
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A lot of this nostalgia that I'm having today came from hearing that some original props and puppets from Mr. Roger's Neighborhood have gone up on display in Pittsburgh. And that got me to reminiscing (and searching Youtube) about the show, and just being flooded with memories about it that I didn't even know I had. I must have watched hundreds upon hundreds of episodes of that show when I was little. To modern viewers, I'll admit it must seem really weird and awkward, and possibly even a bit uncomfortable to watch, with Fred Rogers' almost tranquilized, hypnotic speech, and the glacial pacing. But that show was probably one of my earliest television memories, along with Sesame Street, and both featured imaginative characters, puppetry, and adults interacting with kids in an honest, respectful, and non-condescending way. There's a total authenticity about it that I think is something I still strive for in my life and work as an adult. If you go back and look at the puppets in The Land of Make Believe, they are so ratty! They're dirty and worn, and very little effort was made to make them look "real". Because they didn't have to look real - they were real because you <i>believed </i>they were real, and wanted them to be. So they were.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Daniel Striped Tiger. Psychological stand-in for the anxious and emotionally sensitive.</td></tr>
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I think more than anything, that search for authenticity is what stuck with me the most in my journey into adulthood. I know that "authenticity" is kind of a buzzword these days, and about as inauthentic as you can get, but I do mean it very sincerely. I'm a very emotional person, and I always have been. I know from talking to my mom that I had some troubles coping, emotionally and socially, when I was little. Shows like Mister Rogers' Neighborhood was so important, and I suspect this was true for so many other kids, too, because it was a predictable, quiet world, with a small cast of characters and an authority figure whom you actually believed cared about you.<br />
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It's funny that until very recently, if you'd asked me about this show, I'd say "oh yeah, I watched it, it was on TV all the time, remember the episode where he showed how they made crayons?", but the truth is, I think a lot of it stuck, more than I realized. I remember when he talked about death, using a dead fish in his tank as an object lesson. He talked about divorce and body parts and being punished by your parents...all the stuff that was really hard to talk about when you are little. And the puppets like Daniel Tiger - there was an episode where he was scared to go to school because he didn't know his letters and numbers yet, and was flat-out refusing to go. It seems so minor as an adult, but little things create very big and real fears when you're a kid, and I think I was able to turn the tables a bit by rooting for Daniel, not even realizing that he was representing fears and insecurities that I had myself.<br />
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I don't know that I can say my Dust Bunnies do the same work as the residents of the Neighborhood of Make Believe. They're not very animate, and their emotional states are usually in the range of "afraid", "uncertain", "spooked", or "excited". But I like to think that people can insert their own feelings into the narrative, and project emotions onto them. I actually want people to project onto them, because I rarely make them with any specific emotions in mind. If you see an object that you connect to - a painting of a sad looking dog, a figurine of a fat bird, the tiniest grape you've ever seen - and you project emotions onto that thing, you are, in a small way, doing a little bit of psychological work on yourself. You're letting your own thoughts and experiences dictate a "life" that has never existed, and you are telling a story. You're becoming a narrator, even if it is for one or two seconds.<br />
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I want to create characters who may or may not have concrete stories attached to them, because I want others to add to the narrative, and become co-writers with me. It may not appear like this on the surface, but deep down I want everything I make to be as meaningful to somebody as Daniel Tiger, Henrietta Pussycat, and X the Owl were to me.<br />
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<br />Amanda Louise Spaydhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17745146845879367082noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8384899670745756374.post-88352466112343845232014-12-05T15:05:00.000-05:002015-02-12T16:14:58.818-05:00Depression is a Real Thing and I struggle with it<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_wBgyacNdus1NIJv5hKQTiTnaUiK1A3jijdOv63xqlsCTmH1oseSq1wOfjyupfGfVFhhf4hequkfDp3X4o2ig_DgloCK_Nv1zMH1LmWikt-AC3frbqbdX6IXpAgAevBl2mX0F95nLRnUc/s1600/Photo+Dec+05,+2+24+55+PM.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="drawing of a dust bunny surrounded by clear crystals" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_wBgyacNdus1NIJv5hKQTiTnaUiK1A3jijdOv63xqlsCTmH1oseSq1wOfjyupfGfVFhhf4hequkfDp3X4o2ig_DgloCK_Nv1zMH1LmWikt-AC3frbqbdX6IXpAgAevBl2mX0F95nLRnUc/s1600/Photo+Dec+05,+2+24+55+PM.jpg" height="640" title="Bunny drawing by Amanda Louise Spayd" width="558" /></a></div>
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I don't often get terribly personal in my posts here, but today I'm going to. It seems like the universe has converged somehow, and a number of people I respect (both famous and not-so-famous) have been talking about dealing with this kind of thing, and it made me want to add my voice.<br />
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Also, I totally understand that this kind of stuff isn't interesting to everybody, so I'll put a cute picture here the rest of it behind a jump cut. Click below if you'd like to continue!<br />
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<a name='more'></a>I've never really wrote about this before, because honestly I don't know how to. I don't know how to compress a whole life of experience into something even remotely coherent, so if this in any way devolves into rambling or stream-of-consciousness writing, you have my sincere apologies. I'll do my best to edit it into something that makes sense. <br />
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So, I'm 34 years old. I'm a bonafide adult grown-up person with a pretty easy life. I <i>should</i> have my shit together by now, but I feel like I'm permanently stuck in this sort of early-20s struggle to make my life into what I want it to be. But I think I'm getting ahead of myself - let me back up.<br />
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The propensity to be depressed is a ghost that's haunted me my whole life. I honestly think a lot of it comes from a bad case of hopeless idealism, mixed with the inability to reconcile "real life" with "imagined perfection". I remember being a little kid and just crying and crying because I realized that no matter what I did or how I wanted it to be, the world was just what it was, and no amount of trying or wishing could change it into what I wanted it to be - and this was in elementary school. It wasn't that I was "down" or "was just sad"...it's always been more like an inability to cope with feelings and realities in a way that most people can. For a really long time I thought that I was just impossible to satisfy, or someone who, no matter how okay things were, could never be happy. And in a way I think that's probably true - but it's not a matter of me being greedy or picky or having too-high standards. I think it's because, for some reason I can't control, very few things feel "right" in my brain.<br />
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For those who have not experienced this particular flavor of mental/emotional malfunction, I'll try to explain what it feels like (for me, at least). I feel like someone else is manning the control panel a lot of the time. As if there's the part of you that knows what you want to do/say/feel - the logical part of you - but another part of you is behind the wheel, and these two parts don't get along.<br />
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Imagine sitting on the couch. Okay. You're comfortable, you're okay right now. But then you start to realize that you need to get up. You need to DO something today so that you don't feel like the waste of space that you felt like yesterday, because you pretty much got nothing done. I mean, you worried and fretted about getting stuff done, but you didn't get anything done. Same as the day before. Same as the day before that. So today is the day. You ARE going to be the person you want to be today! So now it's time to get up and do it. Maybe just do one thing. Make lunch first. Something. Get up. Get up. GET UP!!! But something is holding you back - you KNOW this is stupid. You know, 100% that the only way to get things done is to DO THEM, yet someone else has the controls and your body isn't moving. You give up, give in to weird, repetitive fixations (checking email, looking at Twitter, flipping channels, taking naps, playing Candy Crush, whatever) that give you the illusion that you're "doing something", even though all you're doing is spending every ounce of what's left of your low energy reserves worrying, wasting time, and ensuring that you have even more to feel crappy about tomorrow. It's like you're guaranteeing yourself failure.<br />
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It's stupid. It's so so stupid, it's the stupidest thing ever in the history of stupid things, and YOU KNOW IT, yet you feel utterly powerless to fix it. <br />
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This is what it feels like, a lot, in my world. An endless, relentless cycle of self-sabotage, self-punishment, and self-directed anger. It has what seems to be the easiest solution in the world (just freaking DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT), but it's impossible. This ability to see the problem, and fix the problem using logic, self-control, and a meaningful self-reward and self-esteem cycle is something that most people do every day without much thought, but it's not something I've ever been good at. I just avoid everything and save it for the time when I'm feeling empowered to do it, but that time never happens, and I just fold inward and hide away even more, as the feelings of guilt and shame turn into feelings of self-loathing and anger.<br />
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There are highs and lows. It's not always as extreme as the example above, but there are a lot of times that it totally is. Depression can affect every aspect of your life. It affects my work, my communication, my social life, and most heartbreakingly, my relationships with people I love, and who love me. I know I could make more money if I could get off my ass and get my life together enough to put forth the work and effort required to do so. I know I could have more energy if I went to the gym. I would feel better about myself if I ate three healthy meals a day. I would have more to talk about if I spent more time with friends. I would have a better relationship with my boyfriend if I weren't so disappointing to be around.<br />
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I've been medicated for it in the past, though I am currently not prescribed anything (no insurance currently). I went through a period a few months ago where I was self-medicating with something I found worked (on the short term, anyway) but had undesirable side effects. Also note that I realize that is not good, I do NOT condone it, and have since, for the most part, stopped doing this. Which brings me to the real point of all of this - I am working diligently to lift as much of this emotional burden off of myself (and my loved ones) as I can.<br />
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These are the steps I am taking (and, if you are reading this and the above sounds familiar, perhaps we can do these steps together?)<br />
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I'm trying to get things done in the mornings. I'm not a morning person AT ALL. Like, I can't even stress how much I hate waking up. My natural inclination is to go to bed between 2 and 3 am (I do my best work around midnight and I absolutely love the quiet of the nighttime), and then sleep until about 9 or 10. But the problem with this (for me) is that the people around me, in my life, have already been up and working for hours by the time I make my morning coffee, and given my already-fragile state of self-opinion, that fact makes me feel <i>super</i> crappy. Like I'm starting the race late and I'm utterly overwhelmed by the idea of catching up, and I haven't even started yet. As much as getting up early SUCKS SO BAD OMG, I feel that I actually do feel better when I've accomplished a few things before lunchtime. And that satisfying feeling is really, really nice. I sacrifice my night-owl preferences, but it's worth it for what I gain in terms of feeling "okay" with my progress.<br />
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I'm getting health insurance next year so that I can go to a doctor, get some bloodwork done, and talk about possible medication solutions. If there is better living through chemistry, I'm all for it. Living in the US and being self-employed makes health insurance difficult, but this is important and my future is worth it.<br />
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I'm planning my work ahead, and writing it down. I bought a cheap student planner and have been writing in it every morning while I'm waking up. I bought myself a pretty fountain pen to use, because I love pens, and it makes me want to write in the planner more. <br />
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I'm trying to blog and document my life more. This is the first start to that list. It's hard for me because I'm not a natural documenter, but forcing myself to pay attention to the now, and to the near future, actually seems to help keep my inner noise distracted enough to not take over as much. Keeping mentally busy is something I've found to be really important. I've always been someone who's been "in my head" a lot of the time, and while in good times that just makes me introspective and self-aware, in bad times it can just sort of fester and lead me down emotional paths I don't need to be going. So I've been trying to fill the quiet with coming up with blog topics, ideas for photos and videos, and some passive input like listening to podcasts and catching up on old TV series on Netflix while I'm sewing or painting.<br />
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I'm trying to spend more time talking on the phone with, and visiting, friends, relatives and loved ones. It's very easy to turn inward and focus just on yourself or on one other person (like a significant other), but that's not healthy for you or them. So this forces me to do things like get dressed, drive somewhere, and interact with people. It also makes you a more interesting person when you have multiple incoming sources of conversation and viewpoints. Even if all you want to do is stay at home under a blanket and turn the phone off.<br />
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Obviously these are just a start - I have a lot more goals that include health, fitness, career-oriented things, etc., but I'm just focusing on these for right now.<br />
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SO, that's some stuff I struggle with all the time. I'm very fortunate to have people in my life who love and support me unconditionally, and I have so much to thank them for, especially in the past few years, through my divorce, and through this latest "rough patch".<br />
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If any of this sounds familiar to you, or if you KNOW this is something you deal with, understand that you're not alone. Not alone at all. There are so many people who, diagnosed or not, struggle with depression, anxiety, and other mental/emotional issues. It doesn't make you a lazy person, and it doesn't mean you don't have a bright future ahead of you. It just means you might have to find a way that works for you, that isn't the way life works for other people. It's hard work, and it can be exhausting and deflating. But I've really found that talking it out with people who you trust is incredibly helpful. Try to rise above it with one thing today - one thing that gives you power over the beast. Walk outside and buy yourself a cup of coffee. Put on music and doodle/write on paper for 15 minutes. Call a friend. Write a to-do list that consists of ONE thing and DO IT! If we can get one thing done, that means we can get two things done. And then three, and then four.<br />
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I'm not willing to live the rest of my life feeling like I'm losing a race with myself. It's probably going to be an entire lifetime of learning, but it's time to make a change. I'm tired of not feeling up to the task of just living my life.<br />
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Thank you for reading. I hope that if anything, it was a positive message of solidarity for those who also deal with these problems. Don't let your mind fool you - you deserve to feel okay with yourself.<br />
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love,<br />
AmandaAmanda Louise Spaydhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17745146845879367082noreply@blogger.com44tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8384899670745756374.post-38928473909540808952014-12-05T14:53:00.000-05:002014-12-05T14:53:03.228-05:00Zom-BEESStranger Factory's annual Winter Salon group show was last night, and I just realized I never posted images of what I made for it! I had promised them an exclusive edition of Zombie Bumbles, so that's what I made.<br />
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Bumble: Dead Honey edition had faded, more grungy patterns printed on the fabric, and a sort of pale face with individually applied cracks and scratches, to make every single one unique, despite being part of an edition. The wooden antennae balls have a cracked texture, and I handpainted all of the eyes to have a subtle golden-green shimmer over the black that shows up in direct light. <br />
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They are lightly scented with natural lavender oil.<br />
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There were 22 Bumbles that went to the gallery, and any left over from opening weekend will be available for purchase this coming Monday, December 8th - they have information up on their website, click <a href="http://www.strangerfactory.com/exhibitions-current/">HERE</a>.<br />
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<br />Amanda Louise Spaydhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17745146845879367082noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8384899670745756374.post-7783512469688708932014-11-07T11:20:00.000-05:002014-11-07T11:20:55.312-05:00DesignerCon 2014: Preview and InformationAlmost finished packing up, and ready to board a plane this evening for a trip to sunny California! If you're in the southern California area, I strongly recommend this convention - it's always a blast. It's an inexpensive way to get up and personal with SO MANY talented artists and designers, as well as see exclusive and brand new toys, plush, art, and apparel items.<br />
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Here's more information about DesignerCon: <a href="http://www.designercon.com/">www.designercon.com</a><br />
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You can find me at the Circus Posterus booth (booth #700 on the convention map). I will probably be walking around some of the time (I want to see all the cool stuff too!), but I'll always have the CP booth as my "home base".<br />
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If you are wanting to get any of the Circus Posterus exclusive items (including my stuff), the first day of the convention is always a trainwreck of people trying to get what they want, so the CP staff has implemented a protocol to handle this - see someone at the CP booth and they'll explain how it works! You'll need to get a raffle ticket, and sales will begin 45 minutes after the doors open. This is only for the rush of Saturday morning, any other time is normal.<br />
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<b>SIGNINGS:</b><br />
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Chris Ryniak and I will be doodling and signing together from 12 noon - 1pm Saturday and Sunday.<br />
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<b>STUFF FOR SALE:</b><br />
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This is what I'll have at the table this year:<br />
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<b>Spool Pipsqueaks</b> (6 available, $100 each)<br />
Hand-painted Pipsqueaks with painted glass eyes, sitting atop handmade "antique" thread spools, with custom label. <br />
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<b>Poppyseeds</b> (12 available, 3 colors, $175 each)<br />
My newest resin figure, handpainted with a cute antiqued collar which can be removed. <br />
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<b>One of a Kind Dust Bunnies</b> (3 available, $550 each)<br />
Original, handmade Dust Bunnies. Hand sculpted and painted face with porcelain teeth and glass eyes.<br />
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<b>Clear-bagged Pipsqueaks</b> (50 available, $18 each)<br />
FIFTY Pipsqueaks in clear bags - no surprises, just pick the color you like best!<br />
(Colors shown below are just an example, not the specific colors available) <br />
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<br />Amanda Louise Spaydhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17745146845879367082noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8384899670745756374.post-14624696602105539212014-10-21T11:59:00.000-04:002014-10-21T12:03:16.748-04:00October Online Sale: Information and PreviewWednesday, October 22nd, at 3:00 pm, EST, my shop will open for a
small sale before Designer Con. <br />
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The shop is here: <a href="https://amanda-louise-spayd.myshopify.com/" target="_blank"> https://amanda-louise-spayd.myshopify.com/</a><br />
Note - The items will not appear in the shop until the time of the sale. <br />
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Not sure what time this is in your time zone? Try this site with a handy
time zone calculator. I am located in Ohio, USA, which has the same
time zone as New York City: <a href="http://www.timeanddate.com/worldclock/converter.html">http://www.timeanddate.com/worldclock/converter.html</a><br />
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These are the items that will be in the sale:<br />
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<b>Grape Soda Pipsqueak: $18 (50 available), one per customer please.</b><br />
Clear purple resin with purple glitter.<br />
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<b>Pipsqueak Cauldron 2-pack: $38 (10 available), one per customer please.</b><br />
Contains one Pumpkin Orange Pipsqueak, and one Glow in the Dark Pipsqueak with tinsel glitter. They come in a plastic cauldron with purple paper confetti and wrapped in a gift bag.<br />
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<b>Some sketches and drawings</b> will be available - are all approx. 5" x 7" image size (though sizes of paper may differ), and in the $65 range.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Note that there is a small stain in the upper left corner of this
one...I don't know what it is, and didn't notice it when I was drawing.
It could be easily hidden by using an oval frame.</td></tr>
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<br />Amanda Louise Spaydhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17745146845879367082noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8384899670745756374.post-8562204005155955182014-09-24T09:00:00.000-04:002014-09-24T10:45:07.732-04:00Pocket Sideshow: Development to product release!<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUv-CbEUFLpFQ9W5uhdbt_x0kQLczoEGAFsxx0qggukYtQryYrOdnfonWhv6xBXoaUOe6r_Q6i4uOtNktDq6jxN5JvoRjFyeRqJFVY7vaWh8zifm3NatN9PR90UZGMi_Sj20ZiL1ZAG52S/s1600/IMG_9861.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUv-CbEUFLpFQ9W5uhdbt_x0kQLczoEGAFsxx0qggukYtQryYrOdnfonWhv6xBXoaUOe6r_Q6i4uOtNktDq6jxN5JvoRjFyeRqJFVY7vaWh8zifm3NatN9PR90UZGMi_Sj20ZiL1ZAG52S/s1600/IMG_9861.jpg" height="482" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The first painted colorway of my first sofubi toy, "Snowshoe".</td></tr>
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For nearly a year now, I, along with Circus Posterus artists Chris Ryniak, Kathie Olivas, and Brandt Peters have been working on developing a four-figure sofubi vinyl set with Mr. Shinji Nakako of Tomenosuke-Syoten in Japan.<br />
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The idea behind the figures was to make them "<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chibi_%28term%29" target="_blank">chibi</a>" versions (exaggerated, baby-like proportions) of our characters, at a small size, and the heads can all fit on the all the bodies, so if you'd like, you can have a Dust Bunny head on Kathie's tentacled girl body, or maybe Brandt's Skelve skull on Chris's monster body. Lots of fun.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKm2wJ3_zrbOChspi88qtv3mtyBMnf6W_x88IIOoHnj45q4tmZfTTuhwF0Usl7wV1MEYyQNvq8O4aoghIKAqOR7EI9JhgRJZI2ncSIai17Dqql2ylEfcrcbvAPdbi3wPjAr1qEPsJRalLr/s1600/a0077842_17124146.jpg" height="312" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="640" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Concept turnaround sketches, late 2013.</td></tr>
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We started finalizing drawings in December of 2013. The sketches for mine that you see here are actually the fourth iteration of my character's design. Of all of the characters, mine was actually the most problematic - because the heads had to be swappable, that meant that the neck joint for every figure had to be exactly the same. That was not so difficult to accomplish with the other three figures in the series, but mine caused headaches. The reason for this is the overall shape of my characters - the other characters have a very clear division between head and body, with a specific area that is a "neck", which is something all my characters lack. Dust Bunnies are basically stretched-out gumdrop shapes, and if they have a skull/neck/spine anywhere in their anatomy, it's hidden under many layers of padding and you can't really see it. So the neck size issue was really making mine NOT work at all, which actually almost resulted in it not being produced at all.<br />
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Luckily for me, Chris Ryniak (thank you Chris!!!) stepped up to the plate and offered some different approaches, including the one you see here - a Bunny in a snowsuit with a big parka hood. The oversized hood gave his upper section the right silhouette to balance against the other big-headed characters, and the area where it cinches around him creates a neck joint, while still allowing me to keep the proportions of my Dust Bunny characters. It's a perfect solution! Plus, I get to see what my guys look like when they're all bundled up for winter expeditions - pretty dang cute.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhST6S2qobghJ1LTlmm9gTjOCbMuLfjIdpJ0CLFrVOXYJASSZEnHWGwOmgBZU-eM_gYkH7CV-a62m-216HLE34wNS7PxASNP1Dp1jUs07xE0hvb3peh8OmIrcVedqVYVik1_j71P60S8TYg/s1600/a0077842_18203526.jpg" height="640" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="518" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Youhei Kaneko's final sculpt of my chibi figure, ready to go to the factory.</td></tr>
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After we got all of that sorted out, it was time to get master sculpts finished. Our sculptor for this project was the incredibly talented <a href="http://mirock-toy.com/blog/" target="_blank">Youhei Kaneko</a>. Youhei has a really interesting way of sculpting, which is very different from how I work - it's a mostly reductive process in which he carves the figures from a solid block of rigid material, and then builds back up when needed. He had to do many changes as we went through a nearly three-month revision process. It was a lot of work, but we all wanted to make sure the figures were just right before they went to the factory.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Waxes, made at the factory.</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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After all revisions were done and the sculpting phase was finished, the sculpts went off to the factory for preparations to be made for the molding and casting process. The molds used for these figures are made of metal, which is electroplated around wax versions of the toys. What you see above are the waxes, and the cylindrical shapes on both head and body will allow pour spouts in which liquid vinyl can be poured into the molds, as well as a flange on the head piece, which will fit snugly down into the body and hold it in place.<br />
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The figures will be available soon as a set from <a href="http://www.circusposterus.com/" target="_blank">Circus Posterus.</a> There are lots more colorways to come as well. It's been a really exciting journey from concept to finalization!<br />
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More information and lots more pictures in these blog posts too:<br />
From the Tomenosuke blog - <a href="http://tenshu53.exblog.jp/20193566/" target="_blank">Part 1</a> and <a href="http://tenshu53.exblog.jp/20196366/" target="_blank">Part 2</a>.<br />
From the Circus Posterus blog - <a href="http://www.circusposterus.com/blog/presenting-the-pocket-sideshow/" target="_blank">here</a>.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The final figures, unpainted, in black sofubi vinyl.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Final set in the first colorway.</td></tr>
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<br />Amanda Louise Spaydhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17745146845879367082noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8384899670745756374.post-30217395542191303342014-09-17T14:11:00.003-04:002014-09-17T17:37:14.899-04:00Unseen Forces: Recap<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Well, it's been a week and a half since the opening of my show with <a href="http://www.chrisryniak.com/" target="_blank">Chris Ryniak</a>, titled "Unseen Forces", at S<a href="http://www.strangerfactory.com/" target="_blank">tranger Factory</a> gallery in Albuquerque, New Mexico. I think I've almost had enough time to sort of recuperate from the months of frenzied art-making, packing, shipping, travel, and set-up!<br />
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You can see pictures of every single piece in the show <a href="http://strangerfactory.com/exhibitions-view/62" target="_blank">HERE</a>. (Give it a minute to load, the image density is huge)<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null"> </a><br />
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I feel like after every big show, I say "this was my favorite body of work to date"...and I feel that about this one too. I think that is a good thing! It means that I'm not only pushing myself to make work that continues to inspire me, but also that I have a healthy outlook on my strengths and weaknesses, which is an outlook I struggle to keep up a lot of the time.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqSF7D845qIY_H3XyAVf85jYNIoIMSKCT89bdumc2CtYedgBwIpNzfX1rT-JpzUG-ARBzNYNtE77IHqWe0dumVc3Q4NpbZDeKGKmpqEfr9z6husbVbLBwiBXaeMHScrGmKOI7JfZtdo7kd/s1600/IMG_9196_1.jpg" height="640" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="430" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Amber Pumpernickel, lit from behind.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This guy has horns cast in the same amber color.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMMR7ZOC128KjOF8Mc-DE4jB09E3etM1HNXTiXYGcJRMJWSiXpfTZh9oWrZhgyGdZ45_3ZOT6HXxEVhiYyi4HayoNCaJrb_hVBX3MxrdhiC5AzXMivmizhGVepKP1Fd125d2E55oWKQhg3/s1600/IMG_9452_1.jpg" height="426" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="640" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">His breastplate is cast from a cluster of citrine, and given a rich faux-bronze patina.</td></tr>
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The overall tone of Unseen Forces was that of mysticism and magic - but from a naive and almost childlike perspective. Chris and I often talk about the idea of magic, and how though we're open to the idea of it, we have a hard time believing in supernatural things. But we both love the <i>idea</i> of magic, and wish that it were real. This show was a fun way to explore ideas of ritual, magic, and secret mystical organizations, set against the backdrop of our characters.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Stargazers with constellations inset into their foreheads.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ivory horned bat displaying his bronzed crystals and Eye of Providence.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDnhXepxHQqTPK090yKdkg3H56W7i44o81bHlipm315oQXH-rnhuKZgIumxfz2rBC7RZ3balFDf8aPqtVgpA4Dm8Mo_w-RPUsts3rwPQtIE-yMHXcAp-uz8tCTm-g4PnV2XDatW4TyRZSO/s1600/IMG_9767_1.jpg" height="488" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="640" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This heraldic bat bears the emblem of the Esoteric Tooth Cult on his banner.</td></tr>
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Thematically, most of my pieces involved ideas from Alchemic study, astrology, and gemstones. I also decked out quite a few of my guys in full regalia reminiscent of the various posts in the hierarchies of secret mystical organizations (or my over-romanticized ideas of them, anyway!).<br />
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In terms of their production, this show really challenged me to use some fabrication techniques which were not really new to me, but using them at this scale was. I have never done much transparent resin casting in the past, but since introducing my Pipsqueak minifigures a while back, I've done enough experimentation to feel more comfortable with it. Both Chris and I integrated a lot of transparent effects into our work - many of which were cast-resin crystals, made to look like real quartz. I did use some real crystals in some of the pieces, but soon found that the resin versions were far more versatile to use, since they could be easily sanded, drilled, and worked with, not to mention their superior durability and light weight compared to their geological counterparts. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Lux ex Tenebris", the show's centerpiece is 32" tall!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lots of those faux crystals in action here...</td></tr>
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Chris and I are very big on the idea of unified shows - that in a two-artist show with a central theme, both artists' work should be both their own, but still hold the entire show together. We accomplish this by using a unified color palette (for this show it was mostly blacks, greys, and neutrals, accented by pops of blue, amber, green, and yellow), and similar visual elements. We both used the resin crystals in our pieces, as well as fabric accents (something I do all the time, but Chris does not) for the "secret society" pieces. We also used the same resin horns (cast from the horns of a male dik-dik) in both of our work, to help tie it all together. This created a very unified look to the show as a whole, even though both artists' work could stand alone, which was our goal.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We created a sort of "ritual" on this old trunk, for our characters to conduct. Photo credit Chris Ryniak.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The gallery waiting for guests to arrive! Photo credit Chris Ryniak.</td></tr>
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The show opened, the gallery was absolutely packed, and though I know some people missed the opportunity to purchase the piece they wanted, I think everybody who came by was happy! I am very grateful to EVERYONE involved - from the people who work directly with us, to the people who made the trek (from as far away as Japan!!!), to people fueling my artistic fire by following me online and posting your thoughts and likes. You all keep me going and I am very grateful to have such an awesome art family out there!<br />
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So now I say goodbye to Unseen Forces, but there are big things just around the bend. So, onward!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Taking pictures at over 10,000 ft. elevation, on Sandia Peak. Literally on top of the world! <br />
Photo credit Chris Ryniak.</td></tr>
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<br />Amanda Louise Spaydhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17745146845879367082noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8384899670745756374.post-77105082442082036742014-09-11T14:03:00.001-04:002014-09-11T15:09:35.462-04:00Thank you!<div style="text-align: center;">
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Just wanted to say THANK YOU so much for following my work online! It's a big deal to me that so many of you stick with me to see what I do next. I know everybody's time and attention are limited, so it means a lot to me that you devote your time to my work! My online family means a lot to me, thank you for being a part of what I do! <br />
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xoxo<br />
AmandaAmanda Louise Spaydhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17745146845879367082noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8384899670745756374.post-48876779165649234072014-09-05T12:39:00.001-04:002014-09-05T12:51:55.310-04:00Unseen Forces - opening today!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I've been a little quiet lately, but it's because I've been putting the finishing touches on a huge show with Chris Ryniak, called Unseen forces! I've been talking about it a lot on social media, but have neglected to blog about it, so here are some details.<br />
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Unseen Forces<br />
New works by Chris Ryniak and Amanda Spayd<br />
Opens September 5, 2014, and runs for one month.<br />
Both artists will be attending the opening reception, which is Friday, September 5 at 6pm at <a href="http://www.strangerfactory.com/" target="_blank">Stranger Factory, in Albuquerque, NM. </a><br />
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Information about the preview, sales, and how the show works at the gallery can be found here: <span class="userContent"><a href="http://strangerfactory.com/exhibitions-current" rel="nofollow nofollow" target="_blank">http://strangerfactory.com/exhibitions-current</a></span><br />
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<span class="userContent">I feel like I've grown leaps and bounds with my work in this show....it may not be super evident right now, but in the coming shows, it will be very obvious. I've learned so much more about using different materials, and incorporating different techniques into my work. I've also been learning my new sewing machine's capabilities, experimenting with fabric coloring techniques, and getting my hands dirty with resin and power tools in new ways. It's been frustrating, exciting, exhausting, and amazing all at the same time.</span><br />
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<span class="userContent">Well - have to go finish setting the show up in the gallery today! Maybe I'll see you tonight at the reception? Full photos of the work coming soon. </span><br />
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<span class="userContent"> </span>Amanda Louise Spaydhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17745146845879367082noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8384899670745756374.post-69186133313808293872014-07-24T20:34:00.000-04:002014-07-24T20:36:56.892-04:00July 25th sale: PreviewTomorrow, Friday July 25th, at 3:00 pm, EST, my shop will open for a small sale. This will be the last online sale I will have before my show at Stranger Factory in September; after which I will resume monthly Pipsqueak sales.<br />
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The shop is here: <a href="https://amanda-louise-spayd.myshopify.com/" target="_blank"> https://amanda-louise-spayd.myshopify.com/</a><br />
Note - The items will not appear in the shop until the time of the sale. <br />
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Not sure what time this is in your time zone? Try this site with a handy
time zone calculator. I am located in Ohio, USA, which has the same
time zone as New York City: <a href="http://www.timeanddate.com/worldclock/converter.html">http://www.timeanddate.com/worldclock/converter.html</a><br />
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These are the items that will be in the sale tomorrow:<br />
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<b>Aqua Glitter Pipsqueak: $18 (25 available)</b><br />
Clear aqua resin with aqua glitter. <br />
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<b>Jadeite Pipsqueak: $18 (25 available) </b></div>
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Semi-translucent light green resin with sparse silver glitter.</div>
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<b>Aqua/Jadeite Pipsqueak Two-Pack: $36 (10 available)</b><br />
One Aqua Glitter and one Jadeite Pipsqueak, for those who want both colors.<br />
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<b>Miniature Original drawings: $25 (8 available) </b><br />
Original Dust Bunny portrait drawn on an embossed kraft tag. Sizes vary slightly, but are around 2" tall. Drawn in graphite and colored pencil. "Blind bagged" in kraft envelopes, making each one a surprise. All drawings are slightly different and have different colored eyes, but are all very similar and of consistent detail and quality.<br />
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<br />Amanda Louise Spaydhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17745146845879367082noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8384899670745756374.post-62858622249217790922014-07-19T17:06:00.002-04:002014-07-19T17:12:44.066-04:00Essential Tools: SewingSewing is something I do at least a few times a week now, but it's far from being something that comes to me naturally. Well, let me take that back - sewing by hand, using a needle and thread, comes very naturally to me. It's when you get machines and pattern-drafting into the mix that my head starts to spin a little bit.<br />
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But, since my artwork is 50% fabric, sewing becomes a necessary skill. I've never taken any classes (though I still think I will at some point, as I know I have a lot to learn), so any abilities I have in this arena have been entirely self-taught through trial and much error. It's honestly not a skill I ever thought I would learn, despite being very interested in costuming and fashion in my younger years...I'm still far from the point where I can make clothes for myself, but I can whip up ruffly petticoats and collars for Dust Bunnies, no problem!<br />
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Keep reading below for a quick tour of my sewing tools...this is more of an overview than anything specific - if I were to get into the nitty gritty of all my sewing tools and techniques, it could cover many blog posts!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMbj-Ni6oR5qemci60IXwQUwCt7wu6o5PA62UcMzW0xzW1YuUmZbQsQY1oE2KkKVujbPRA-wBq1GOE5kmHzyUggDjYM0Hj3xMVmfA1EQ9WAJbMb3YKzyz4DPAvWxOWrE-Zzqr52TWwAl0d/s1600/IMG_8398_1.jpg" height="446" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="640" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My Vesta VS III, made in Germany by the L.O. Dietrich company, most likely in the 1920's. </td></tr>
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<b>Machines:</b><br />
I have two sewing machines. The first is a manual, hand-cranked cast-iron beauty from the 1920's. Though it is ornate and decorative, and a lovely addition to my studio decor, it's a workhorse and has seen me through many gallery shows. I have probably stitched hundreds of dolls, ruffles, capes, and accessories on my Vesta III. It's main attraction is the fact that it's entirely mechanical and does not use electricity. And it has an almost magical quality to the way the feed dogs guide the fabric through - one guiding hand is lost to working the crank on the machine, but it allows you to guide the cloth so smoothly and easily with the other hand, sometimes it feels like it instinctively knows which way you want it to go. I think a lot of it is due to how "loose" the machine feels, in both the light touch of the presser foot and how the foot actually can move and flex while sewing. This looseness might not give me the straightest or most perfect stitches, but I do have incredible control and stability with it, and if the electricity goes out or I take it to someplace that doesn't have electricity, I can still use it!<br />
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The Vesta III is one of my most prized possessions, and if at all possible throughout my life, I will never part with it!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkIXZkNd0aTTs_yvHebJs6bpYJLIUOsEdXrBDm18AOfWG9uoVeqNOMML1doGljH_XWg3QwDOJ5Y-6XsDTcL6nV-QqypvrIDfu4k_x3tvYCmQoSnlNXw73qN7GQoNf09QWT1ya9Ywj1ypzk/s1600/IMG_8407_1.jpg" height="426" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="640" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The whole machine is covered in artistic details, from the gold floral motifs on them machine, to<br />
a velvet-covered excelsior pincushion on the toolbox lid, and wooden inlay rulers on the base.</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSOAIAVF_6-J_5-8kxH9MkZxTV3dy3iC0CsT-llaMYGNje7G8RY0TZSNYlR2RXoyN5zLC98_5U_FRKwfFcRcp6XDKGw3bmV2eJiKFaAtP5J6Xpgh2R4cvYSBw0PXs34b-duBKAy4CVl3Q4/s1600/IMG_8359_1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSOAIAVF_6-J_5-8kxH9MkZxTV3dy3iC0CsT-llaMYGNje7G8RY0TZSNYlR2RXoyN5zLC98_5U_FRKwfFcRcp6XDKGw3bmV2eJiKFaAtP5J6Xpgh2R4cvYSBw0PXs34b-duBKAy4CVl3Q4/s1600/IMG_8359_1.jpg" height="442" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Accessories that came with my Vesta - extra presser feet, a bobbin, a bobbin shuttle,<br />
and a wicked pair of little scissors.</td></tr>
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My second machine exists on the opposite side of the spectrum - a fully computerized Singer electronic machine (The Quantum Stylist 9970). In fact, this one is brand new and I'm still getting to know it, but the best way I can describe it is that it's like driving a big Buick sedan; big and ugly, but with every luxury there for your comfort. This thing sews like a dream. Quiet and fast and smooth. And it has a button that you press to <i>cut the thread automatically</i>. That feature alone is amazing to me, after so many years on the Vesta, which has one function: "stitch". And that's before we even talk about all the decorative embroidery functions - this thing is 100% going to revolutionize how I use fabric in my work. It was definitely an investment, but I can already see that it's going to be a constant companion in my work routine.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvUolC7i_UWPJeE-1xv5hIZuNJm-KydN7P41Q1iTRZzFjdXnoVxAvlpO8b_KE3Uj9V59k2gZ40n9F5doP2KI7bP_R-WSqJ9KSCVZ1epOHh-3_jxAOd99_JPgohN4gpdmygaMehwIT0Zvn_/s1600/IMG_8413_1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvUolC7i_UWPJeE-1xv5hIZuNJm-KydN7P41Q1iTRZzFjdXnoVxAvlpO8b_KE3Uj9V59k2gZ40n9F5doP2KI7bP_R-WSqJ9KSCVZ1epOHh-3_jxAOd99_JPgohN4gpdmygaMehwIT0Zvn_/s1600/IMG_8413_1.jpg" height="416" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The future is here, and it is 600 stitches, automatic thread-cutting, and pedal-free stitching.</td></tr>
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<b>Patterns:</b><br />
I hate making patterns. There, I said it. I really only have a few shapes for things that I end up using, because pattern-drafting is such a royal pain to my brain. Once I do figure out a good pattern though, I commit them to plastic (I use transparent quilting mylar) and use them over and over again. Fortunately, I've designed all of my Dust Bunnies to have basically the same overall body shape, so while I can vary ears, arms, and proportions, they can all be in the same shape family. This is definitely a place where I have a lot of room for improvement, and I hope in the future I can muster up the courage to just figure out more shapes!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0w474o4jI7lP0SRGjDBsZlXGqIz60-EA3LbWNnzAnnJvMyYHnJgiWSyeIBB5efYo5z6SkPQFxsJn762cRxchidLHP0pjBI5Fn8OqmmJxxF1F133kxB3IGIjuHAWbxHWWuCbhL4a5wavwi/s1600/IMG_8383_1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0w474o4jI7lP0SRGjDBsZlXGqIz60-EA3LbWNnzAnnJvMyYHnJgiWSyeIBB5efYo5z6SkPQFxsJn762cRxchidLHP0pjBI5Fn8OqmmJxxF1F133kxB3IGIjuHAWbxHWWuCbhL4a5wavwi/s1600/IMG_8383_1.jpg" height="426" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bodies await stuffing, staining, and finishing.</td></tr>
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<b>Fabric:</b><br />
Fabric choice is <i>essential</i> in my work. The right fabric can make a piece amazing, and the wrong fabric can totally undermine what my original goal was with the piece entirely. I've been at this for a while now, so I'm getting pretty good at determining what fabrics work best for me. I almost always use natural fabrics (cotton and linen being my favorites), because they take distressing well, and re-shape nicely when wet. A crucial step in my distressing process is to completely drench the stuffed doll body with a solution of water and pigments, and I've found that linen especially tends to constrict in often very interesting ways when it gets wet, changing the overall shape and posture of the finished piece. Another reason I choose natural fabrics is that they absorb light and aren't shiny or reflective. A huge part of my aesthetic is drawn from my appreciation of folk art and handmade items from times gone by, and including obviously modern, synthetic fabrics in the mix just doesn't look right, doesn't feel right, and doesn't photograph right. I often use vintage fabrics when I can, which is even better, as I am literally sewing a little bit of history into my work!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirWhGPMuVqcJz6yatLCfuF4aoMYYI9j5Y0izdZ5euUjA4NZQnwbtC6RWkB16KD2Vmjo1FCfXRzkp-RBAmt1s2lEbCKQTl1yKHBfD7C9P-I8_93D1qbZI3OL8EJsAqPXanjVZuDwvZKYoGL/s1600/IMG_8389_1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirWhGPMuVqcJz6yatLCfuF4aoMYYI9j5Y0izdZ5euUjA4NZQnwbtC6RWkB16KD2Vmjo1FCfXRzkp-RBAmt1s2lEbCKQTl1yKHBfD7C9P-I8_93D1qbZI3OL8EJsAqPXanjVZuDwvZKYoGL/s1600/IMG_8389_1.jpg" height="426" width="640" /></a></div>
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<b>Hand Tools:</b><br />
I have a number of items in close proximity to my work table, that I reach for every time I sew. I have two pairs of razor-sharp Gingher scissors. I've cut myself with the small ones and didn't even realize it until the blood started flowing! These scissors are reserved for fabric and thread only, so I can preserve their edge between sharpenings. Hemostats/locking forceps are another favorite tool of mine, as they are just so handy for gripping! Every craft studio should have a few pairs of these - I especially like them for turning sewn things right-side-out, and using them as an extra set of hands when I need small things held in place or gripped more tightly than my own hands can handle. The big ones are also great for picking stuff up off the floor when you're feeling too lazy to bend down and get it.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tools of a seamstress or psychotic killer? </td></tr>
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Sewing is definitely an ongoing personal process for me. Every time I make something, I learn how to do it better, and month by month, I'm really increasing my skill level. Despite having made so many dolls, I still don't consider myself a "seamstress" by any stretch of the imagination! Like everything else, there are so many opportunities for improvement, and I'm proud of how far I have come in just a handful of years, being that I started from scratch and taught myself almost everything! I'm not a master yet, and may not ever be, but I've enjoyed getting as far as I have gotten, and look forward to learning still more and more.<br />
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So...what's your favorite sewing tool? Other than the little stuff I left out (thread nippers, seam rippers, needles, etc.), am I totally missing out on anything revolutionary and life-changing??<br />
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<br />Amanda Louise Spaydhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17745146845879367082noreply@blogger.com4