Kitten Breath Musings

Lily, Rosemary, and the Jack of Hearts

2008-07-19T11:54:55Z

I did this paper cut the other day based off of the song by Bob Dylan. I normally don't add other bits of color into a paper cut, but I think this one really needed the bits of red in it. As usual, you can find it in my etsy store!

Yikes, is it almost August already?

2008-07-17T12:49:15Z

So much has been going on these last few weeks, it truly feels insane! Let's see...I am now doing freelance pattern design for Cinnamon Joe Studios (which is something I love to do...I'm so much better at it than logo design). Don't think I should show any of those patterns, not yet anyway!

I have done quite a few paper cuts lately, too. I even wrote up a little tutorial showing how I do my stuff at www.crafttutorials.net, so check that bad boy out. An old tutorial I put on there (the piano hinge book) is going to be put on The Leaky Cauldron site because it was about making my "Monster book of Monsters" book. My hubby thinks I should continue working on that idea to maybe publish is (with a different title, of course) so that's on my back burner list of projects.

And of course there are many new paper cut art pieces in my etsy store. I did a series of three commemorating "Pulp Fiction," one of my all-time favorite movies...another Beatles piece...and a couple more personal ones. Here's a little something for your viewing pleasure:

Recent Work and Tackiness

2008-06-13T12:47:16Z

I have really been neglecting this blog! To tell you the truth, I spend a lot of time on Flickr and I also blab about my personal life on my Myspace blog (both are linked here to the left if anyone really wants to take a gander). I've been trying to keep myself busy this summer and have a few things that I need to upload.

This first pic is of some princess sticker designs that I did for an Etsy seller. I think they will be used as labels for bath scents or something of that sort. I really like they way they turned out, and so did the client. It's too hard to see in the small version, but the violet one has freckles. I think she is my favorite.

This next one is just a personal thing I did for fun. Doing the "Queen of the Double Wide Trailer" paper cut out (I think that was two or three blog posts ago) really inspired me to do more along this theme of nostalgic tacky decor. I added the happy face to the deer to really accent how excited everyone is for the wood paneling! Mixed media scanned into Photoshop and messed with.

Next in line with this theme will be some paper cut outs of state spoons!!

Illustration Friday--Forgotten

2008-06-11T09:17:08Z

Don't you just hate having this nightmare?

Drawing Day 2008

2008-06-07T12:17:35Z

Well, today is Drawing Day 2008. So I started out the day by sketching a few random thoughts. I think they ended up being pretty funny in a vague inside joke kind of way. Maybe I should try doing an occasional comic style journal entry with those, kind of like Local Girl's Day in Pictures. I love her site, it's one that I go to every morning when I drink my coffee and procrastinate all the stuff I should be doing. Don't think I could be nearly as funny as her, and I doubt I could do it daily. Hell, I know I couldn't do it daily...I don't do well sticking to schedules. Anyhoo, here they are:

And yes, my dachshund really is addicted to dryer sheets. It's quite sad, actually. It's destroying our family, and I really think it is time for an intervention.

Illustration Friday--Wide and Worry

2008-05-29T11:00:52Z

Took me awhile to get to this, but last week when I saw the topic, the first thing to pop into my head was the song "Queen of my Double Wide Trailer" by Sammy Kershaw. I love that song but haven't heard it forever, so I don't know why it occurred to me. Must be all the episodes of "Big Redneck Wedding" I've been watching lately (serious guilty pleasure!). And of course I missed the "wide" week, but this still fits into the topic "worry" and here's why:

I hope nobody thinks I'm poking fun at people who live in trailers because that's not the intention. I've lived in a trailer. My mom's lived in one. My brother owns one. And as for the tacky decor, growing up in the rural midwest, you see it everywhere so it's more nostalgic than anything. After all, there's a place about five blocks from me that has a leaning cowboy. My mom would kill for the owl lamp. Sexy lady mudflaps are still seen occasionally (as are the Yosemite Sam mudflaps). When I was in college, I wanted to steal one of the old lady gardening butts, but always lost the nerve. Buying one was not an option; only in theft would it be cool to dorm room dwellers, just like stolen stop signs and construction cones. And I hate to say it, but my husband does own a set of deer antlers (he didn't shoot it, but thought it would be funny to have a set).

So, here it is in all its glory (oh, and it will be at www.lisaloo77.etsy.com):

The Bug's Picnic is Takin' Over North America!!

2008-05-27T18:57:39Z

My publisher has just announced that my book will be available at chapters.indigo.ca for folks in Canada! And I have been looking around online to see if it is at any other online stores and it is....Barnes and Noble, Borders, and Amazon. Plus it is still available at www.publishamerica.com for slightly less than the other stores!

I actually got to scrap something!!

2008-05-18T09:56:03Z

My parent's anniversary is next week so I thought I would make a little scrapped triptych of their photos, which I found in my garage for some reason (?) and enhanced to get that aged yellow look out of the photos. Ahhh, 70's fashion, how lovely! All of the products are from the family heritage line I designed back when I worked for Fun Expressions.

And here is the newest paper cut design, already in my Etsy store:

Yay, Moo!

2008-05-14T09:12:02Z

I woke up this morning to an email from the good people at Moo...turns out one of the sticker designs I entered in their laptop sticker book design competition was chosen. So that won me a pro flickr account! Which is great because I already used up the 200 free photo space long ago! Here is a screen shot of some of the winners, mine is the gnomie if you couldn't already tell! hee hee

Wow, I’ve been a tad lazy in my blogging...

2008-05-11T16:46:38Z

Wow, I’ve been a tad lazy in my blogging...

But since Anya is still napping (so is Larry) and Tristan is busy with his friend outside, I get a chance to blog a bit.

I think my re-design of my etsy store was a good move. I've had a lot more interest in my items and made a couple of sales, so if I can keep up that momentum I should have a good thing going on there throughout the summer! I've been doing a lot of not-fun graphic design stuff, like ads, flyers, and business cards. I enjoy doing some logos, and of course illustrations as needed, but the other stuff just seems so dull to me. So I decided that I'm going to apply for a para position at Larry's school for next fall. It will mean a more dependable income than just freelancing, but the hours (and the fact that I don't have to commute) means that I will have time to do only the freelance stuff that I like to do. Larry's para retired, but if I do get the job I doubt they would have me work in his room. That would probably be odd anyway. I mean, I love the guy, but too much Larry time! Plus Anya is getting to the age where she wants to play with someone, and if I'm sitting here on the computer putting together a 2-sided flyer, the last thing I want to do is go play cars or dolls. She'd have a lot more fun at her school.

Happy Mother's Day to all my mom-friends. I'll leave you with a couple of new crafts I did today, one for my mom and the other for me!

Illustration Friday--Seeds

2008-05-02T18:43:49Z

This one was done for Illustration Friday, then put in my etsy shop at www.lisaloo77.etsy.com.

FedEx came yesterday!!

2008-04-29T15:03:22Z

The FedEx guy just dropped off my copy of "The Bug's Picnic" and it rocks! It looks even better than the pdf that they sent for approval because they ended up changing the font to something more fun like I asked. Un-freaking-believable!! Here's a picture of me geeking out over the book:

More cut paper art

2008-05-02T18:45:25Z

Also at my etsy store! www.lisaloo77.etsy.com.

April Showers and all of that stuff.

2008-04-26T15:04:49Z

I got to looking at my Etsy shop (haven't sold too much there yet, but anyway) and my flickr account and noticed that the items that are always SO popular are my paper cut pieces. So why the heck aren't I making like 50 of these a week?

Okay, not that many, but still....So my goal for the weekend is to cut my behind off and restock my Etsy store with new paper cut art pieces. And I'm going to create the patterns digitally so I can make multiple pieces and in different colors, without having to redraw them all by hand first. I may even make a new shop banner for the store and make it a "Grand Re-Opening" or something like it. Anyway, here's the first design I did this morning. Since then I haven't done any new designs, but converted a couple of old ones into patterns so I can make more!

Did anyone else catch the new episode of Doctor Who last night? I need to make myself a plush Adipose monster. I don't care if they were created from blobs of human fat, they were ADORABLE!! And what is up with Rose Tyler coming back? *YAY* (Ooops, my inner nerd is showing!)

Shameless Self Promotion Time!!

2008-04-25T15:20:15Z

My first children's book, The Bug's Picnic, is currently on sale for $9.99 at the publisher's online store. This sale only lasts until 4/28, after that I'm not sure what the price will be. So take advantage and snatch one up, or many if you feel so inclined!!
Get it HERE!

Illustration Friday--Primitive

2008-04-23T07:01:12Z

This one is a bit primitive for me. Meaning...done with markers and NOT a computer (gasp, shock!).

Earlier I mentioned that my Mr. Wolfe illustration would be in the newest issue of Kaleidotrope magazine...the magazine is now available and is very cool. There is a lot of amazing short stories and poems in there, definitely worth checking out! Also, my children's book is available for sale here. It will be at a reduced price until 4/28, after that I'm not sure what price it will be.

The Bug's Picnic is finally here!!!

2008-04-22T15:33:34Z

If you were on my mailing list, you should have received an announcement last weekend about the release of my book, The Bug's Picnic....I wasn't sure if it was actually ready or not, so today I went to the online store at my publisher's site and there it is!! Plus, if you order straight from their store, it is on sale for $7 LESS than the price on the announcement!
Here is the link: http://www.publishamerica.com/shopping/shopdisplayproducts.asp?Search=Yes
If that link isn't working, go to www.publishamerica.com and just search for "The Bug's Picnic."

Forward this to anyone you know that will want a copy!

Crafty stuff

2008-04-16T19:12:46Z

I feel SO productive lately! And it is all due to my new craft room...when we first moved into this house, all of my art and craft stuff was dumped into a partially finished room in the basement. We have made plans on adding a couple of rooms in our huge attic, one of them being a studio for me. But that keeps looking like it won't happen until way later (like months or years from now), so Larry suggested we take some curtains that were here when we moved in, and staple them across the rafters in that room in the basement where all my stuff is piled. We also had an extra throw rug, so we put that down, put in some furniture, and wa-la. One homey little craft room that is all mine. The only thing in there that reminds me I'm in the basement (other than the fact that it doesn't have a real ceiling, just a shear pink curtain ceiling) is the water heater in one corner of the room. So I've actually made quite a few crafts this weekend, and I have ideas for new paintings, and all sorts of stuff.

First, here is a silhouette of Anya. I made this by taking a side photo of her, erasing the background and darkening the image all the way to black, then printing it and cutting it out. Then I just put it on patterned paper and glued it to a wooden panel.

Then I made myself a fabric covered book, and filled it with some parchment paper. So far it hasn't fallen out of the binding yet, but this is the first book I've ever made this way so who knows how long it will last! I found the tutorial here: http://curiouslycrafty.wordpress.com/tutorials/

This last project was actually an idea from Larry (thanks, honey!). I found some little dolls that I gave to Anya, and Larry said they looked like they could be easily made into a craft kit. So I dug into my supplies and found an easy way to make this doll. I've already listed a few of the kits at my Etsy store (all supplies pre-cut, the head will be made by me, and instructions included), and I think I may also sell the pattern for people who already have all of the supplies, but I haven't listed the pattern for sale yet.

Anya actually prefers her to the original ones. She kept thanking me all last night

Illustration Friday--Fail

2008-04-12T11:57:07Z

Ooooh, temptation!! The inspiration for this week's pic came from an invitation to join a flickr group called "We Demand Donuts," on the same day that the IF theme was announced. Naughty donuts, so bad!

Official Press Release for "The Bug's Picnic!"

2008-04-11T07:42:29Z

The official press releases have gone out for my book, "The Bug's Picnic!" I have no idea on what date the book will actually be available, but I'm assuming it must be soon because of this. Here is a copy:

For
Immediate Release

Contact:
Shawn Street Public Relations
pr@publishamerica.com>pr@publishamerica.com
www.publishamerica.com

PublishAmerica Presents The Bug's Picnic by Lisa M. Willis

Frederick, MD April 9, 2008 -- PublishAmerica is
proud to present The Bug's Picnic, a wonderfully
written childrens book by Lisa M. Willis.

What happens when a group of hungry bugs shows up
at a picnic uninvited? Keep your sandwiches safe because here they come!

Lisa Willis was born and raised in Nebraska. Her
interest in art began as a child when she spent
most of her time copying comic books and
eventually covering the walls of her family home
in painted murals. Luckily, her family didn't
mind. After earning her BFA from the University
of Nebraska at Kearney, she worked as a product
designer while creating art in her spare time.
Lisa eventually left the corporate world to focus on her own illustrations.

Lisa currently lives in David City, Nebraska,
with her husband, Larry; her two energetic
children, Tristan and Anya; five cats; and a wiener dog.

PublishAmerica is the home of 30,000 talented
authors. PublishAmerica is a traditional
publishing company whose primary goal is to
encourage and promote the works of new,
previously undiscovered writers. Like more
mainstream publishers, PublishAmerica pays its
authors advances and royalties, makes its books
available in both the United States and Europe
through all bookstores, and never charges any
fees for its services. PublishAmerica offers a
distinctly personal, supportive alternative to
vanity presses and less accessible publishers.