Me? I do some of everything. I actually reined it in early last year, when I realized my dilettante tendencies were keeping me from finishing a single large project. In 2009, I took classes in metalsmithing, lampworking, chainmail, encaustic and acrylic painting, and I’m sure several other things I can’t think of right now. In 2010, I worked on Furlough and finished a scifi novel. And, well, attempted in vain to sort out the rest of my life, but that’s a story for another day.

I’ve made beaded jewelry since I was ten or so, but I’ve only ever sold it individually to friends and, occasionally, on my Etsy page. This weekend, I shared a booth at a local flea and craft market and sold my jewelry in public in an organized way for the first time. Lookit:

Pretty, no? Some of it includes beads I made myself at the torch.

I’ll be selling stuff again at the Punk Rock Flea Market on December 10th. I’ll have all the jewelry pictured plus some, and comics and zines, and my friend (and tablemate) Jenny’s beautiful handmade sketchbooks, and some foodie goodness she and I are going to make.

Because I’m still lucky. Most of my friends are makers of things too. It’s nice this time of year – there’s something about winter that makes me want to tuck into projects. I have about a billion things I want to knit, and I’m about to start on a small zine about my small cat, a companion to my Cat Lady zine. I want to cook a million squash this winter, and maybe knit myself another sweater, and do a ton of sewing.

I’ve also had an idea to make cat sweaters, inspired by a fortuitous visit to the Martha Stewart pets section late this summer. We’ll talk more about that later. It’s seems like a journey to a particular kind of heart of darkness, but I think I have what it takes.

I had a very good time indeed at Short Run. I’ll elaborate soon.

Now, as for me, I’d better get to stapling.

Short Run!

I can be kind of staid with matters like this, and I’ve been considering form more for my next few projects, now that I’m feeling more practiced at creating content. Articles like this get that particular part of my imagination firing.

Step two: sketch arts based on said cards.

…

Step 11,403: profit.

(This will happen 98 years after I am dead. And Bolands are often long-lived.)

I’ll also have art at my drawing group’s annual Halloween show, which will be at Cafe Racer on October 27th. I’ll be telling fortunes too.

In the last month, I’ve gone from two jobs to one job to no jobs, so I’m going to have a lot of time for art (and bloggening) for the next while. Expect to see more, both here and on Tumblr, as I’m going to have a lot of wonderful, long-awaited time on my hands. I’ll have a process post up for the Muppet piece shortly, because I do seem to love showing off my pencils. And once I get any leftover prints from the show, I’ll be selling those on Etsy.

Here’s a glimpse of my piece. I’ll post the whole thing later.

Do DO do-do-do. See you there! I’ll have prints! They’re an open edition, so they will be really rather not expensive. And they may end up on Etsy later on…

The auction is here, and you have just shy of a week left to bid on prints, sketch cards, and other goodies from other artists and writers.

John Allison shows a bit of Jack Cole’s cartooning advice. Solid.

A process post from Lucy Knisley, one of my favorites.

And a roundup of some art from my illustration group’s recent live drawing show. I have a few pieces I still need to scan. That’s not the only post I owe this blog, but it’s one I should really get to in the next few days. Apparently my work looked noticeably different from what people have come to expect from me, which was quite a surprise.

That’s all. I’m occupying myself with small, complete kind of drawings, with the intention of filling up a small, cute notebook I found at my favorite art store recently. Complete drawings, with few faces – that’s the current challenge. I get pleasantly envious of people who have these little books filled completely with their own work, so I’m going to make my own. I do have books filled with my own work – sketchbooks dating back ten years (!) plus 16 years worth of journals (which I’ve dedicated a half-finished post to, on the event of completing another book about me me me – I’ll post it soon, promise). However, they’re for my own use, which is quite different from having a beautiful little art-filled object of your very own.

And that’s that. I owe you many scans and a few stories. They’ll come.

Look! I give you the information in two different forms!

Via the group’s site.

And also via the Facebook, where you can even say if you’re coming so as to make us feel better about ourselves.

I’m probably going to be doing small drawings – the idea is quick art sold inexpensively, and the best way I can do that without feeling like I’m making crap is to work small. So I’ll be doing wee ink and watercolor drawings, along with all the glorious output the rest of the group will be covering the walls with. Come on down! Bring the (well-behaved, funny) kids!