TV Adds 10 pounds (and an Extra Chin): Lessons in Learning to Laugh at Yourself

I've been feeling a bit under the weather since Memorial Day weekend (probably in part because there's been so much bad weather to be under lately, at least here in the great Northwest). I've been getting a lot of art done, as well as a lot of sleeping in, and doing what I can to battle the "blahs."


Let me say here and now that watching yourself on TV is not always the best way to beat the blahs*. I had another crafty appearance on AM Northwest this morning, and I had a good time demonstrating how to make stamps from heat-moldable foam. (There's a whole step-by-step Demo of it here on the blog, and I may even end up doing a demo at the grand opening of the new Collage/DIY Lounge location at 4429 SE Woodstock this weekend). I had a less-than-good time watching the video afterwards . . . at least the first time.


See the extra chins? Nothing deflates the ego like video . . .


I swear to all of you that 1) in spite of appearances, I did brush my hair this morning and . . .


2) I did try to select a "slimming" ensemble. In retrospect, the baggy black cardigan was probably a bad idea, particularly when combined with moments of bad posture.



But the good part about seeing yourself on video is that it gives you plenty of opportunities to laugh at yourself. "Ooo . . . I do love blue foam!"


"Don't press people parts into the hot foam!" And opportunities to wonder if this is how other people really see you . . .

"Instead, mash it into a bunch of pine cones!" And opportunities to wonder if that's why they laugh so much . . . Though I do begin to understand why others see in me a resemblance to Molly Shannon.

Oh, Yeah. I'm a SuperStar!

*Taking shots of stupid stills of yourself on TV, however, is a guaranteed blahs-buster!!

Foreshadowing?

So, yesterday I talked about being at home in my body . . . and today, I'm sick. Nasty little head cold. Yuck. Still managed to draw this while taking in fluids and watching "Ugly Betty," which is actually a much better show than the premise makes it sound like it would be.

Chocolate Cake and its Repercussions

I went to the fancy party to celebrate the union of DIY Lounge and Collage last night, and I dressed in my bumblebee costume.

Really, I just wanted to stay home and watch Season 2 of Project Runway (Which I've been downloading from iTunes, thanks to an innocent comment from Euphrosyne, and am now sadly hooked on. Pathetic. I dislike the egos and the cattiness, but oh, the niftiness they come up with! And the challenges, so fun! And besides, I can't find Craft Corner Deathmatch on iTunes. I guess it was cancelled).

But, I had told Maria (the owner of Collage) that I would come as Crafty Bee to help her celebrate, and I just couldn't let her down . . . and once I got the costume on, I started getting into it. That's me and her in the newly redecorated craft-makin' DIY Lounge in the back room at Collage. Doesn't she look happy? (added: And doesn't the Lounge look AWESOME?! Ok, the parts of it that you can see behind my enormously luscious bee bottom! Wow! And, no, they are not paying me to say this - though I did win a cool prize in the raffle!)


Of course, then I got into the chocolate cake. Which was dense and sugary and made with wheat and sent me off into a weird bumble-bee disco frenzy. Did I mention there was a DJ? Anyway, I didn't touch a drop of alcohol and I still managed to make a complete fool of myself.


Which, frankly, is not that difficult. But, I also ran into Gretchin of Scarlet Star Studios, pictured below with a beam of inspiration pouring into her head and holding the number 2. What does it mean? We may never know . . . Gretchin remains delightfully inscrutable.


And me? I woke up this morning with a chocolate cake hangover. Go figure.

More Cool People on TV!

Maybe it's the fact that it's fall, or that I have a great place to veg out in my new house, but I seem a little TV obsessed lately! My friend Linda Womack (who also had an amazing show at Guardino not too long ago) was on AMNW this morning giving a wax collage (aka, encaustic) demonstration . . . a few simple techniques, some great effects! ERG! I can't get the links to work right now, but when I do, I'll add a link to a video of her spot!

(added later) Ah yes, I was using the Bad Browser Who Shall Remain Nameless - now I'm back in the Mac-friendly/On-line app friendly browser . . . and the links should now work!

Geeks With Superpowers

I was listening to NPR today - I can't remember what program - and a TV critic was on talking about the new crop of fall shows. He said that there seems to be a run on shows about geeks with superpowers. And I had to think, "Wow! Am I the new target demographic or what!?"

I do have a tendency to watch shows for geeks (Star Trek Next Generation, Battlestar Galactica), shows about people with superpowers (Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Medium, Angel, Charmed, The 4400), and shows about geeks and squints (Freaks and Geeks, CSI, Bones, The Closer). Of course, I don't usually watch these shows until they come out on DVD and I can get them from Netflix. Ok, I did break down and watch the premier of Bones Tuesday. (Gift hint: Why, yes, I'd love a Jeffersonian Institute mug!)

I'm not sure what it is about those forensic crime shows - geeky, quirky, socially awkward people in labs fighting evil with their brains . . . ok, well I guess that's it! And too, there's something about the dissections . . . I'm fascinated by anatomy.

And I didn't think of this as having much of a connection to my art until I was looking at some pieces I'm submitting to a Day of the Dead themed show. Skulls, anatomical hearts, bones. The things that are underneath. Evidence and remains.
I guess inspiration is everywhere!

5 of My 15 Minutes - Gone!

So, I used up 5 of my 15 minutes of fame this morning - and it was a lot of fun! If you want to see me in all of my plump-a-licious craft-o-ramic glory - and learn the bare bones basics of Memory Jewelry, check out this link to the video on the KATU "Seen on AM Nortwest" section of their web site . . . Driving home, I was imagining all the possibilities: My own regular segment . . . or maybe a guest appearance on DIY TV . . . or even my own TV show: The Craft-A-Zons, where me and my friends Linda and Kristin and Gretchin get all dressed up in super-hero costumes and save the day with our mega crafty moves! Or maybe we're under-cover crafty spies, sneaking into corporate headquarters around the globe, inspiring people to stitch sock monsters during meetings, thereby releasing tension and increasing humor and creativity in workplaces worldwide! Or maybe we go in to moderate the Middle East crisis by sitting Israel and Palestine down to a good old-fashioned craft-off . . . Ok, a girl can dream, can't she?

I want to make monsters!

So, I'm supposed to go on AM Northwest - a local morning talk show - tomorrow (today?) morning and give a presentation on basic Memory Jewelry techniques - and really all I want to do is make glove monsters! Can't you see these shifted slightly into really cool pincushions?! Sadly, I don't know if I'll be able to make it to Church of Craft on Sunday, October 14th or not - there's a class on surface treatments and fiber transfers at the Contemporary Craft Museum that weekend. Yup, it's fall - there's so many cool classes and arty-crafty goodness going on . . . YUM! The Portland Tribune did a special section today on the Arts in Portland - and some of the artists interviewed wished that Portland would turn its seriousness up a notch. Frankly, I'm glad that Portland has its sense of humor around the arts turned up to 11.