erinaellis

Hey there blog, it's been a while.

2012-01-02T15:12:00.000-08:00

Hello and Happy New Year! December was a busy busy month. I was a guest artist at the Button Factory Open Studios in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. I'm happy to report that it was a success! A big thank you to everyone who came!

Here i am, proudly displaying my goods.

Thanks to the Button Factory, i got two pet portrait orders. It was tough, but i got them both done in time for Christmas. Meet Larry and Zoe!

That's all for now folks, hopefully i will have more to report soon!

Open Studio

2011-11-29T20:13:00.001-08:00

Thanks to everyone who came to the Open Studios this year!

Please come this weekend to see me at the Button Factory studios where i will be a guest artist. Fun times are sure to be had by all!

I kind of forgot i had a blog

2011-11-17T18:43:00.001-08:00

It's been a while, but here i am. Come see me this weekend at the Salmon Falls Mills Open Studios in Rollinsford, NH! It will be a grand time for sure. Get your Christmas shopping done early!

Knit SImple!

2011-10-19T16:35:00.000-07:00

Drop everything and run out and buy the holiday issue of Knit Simple - my knitting cards are featured on page 8! You can even WIN a set! What are you waiting for? GO GO GO!

Cute Cat Pic of the Week

2011-09-16T22:06:00.001-07:00

Photo taken by Kristyn Collins.

chubbikins clowning around in Canandaigua

2011-08-25T21:02:00.000-07:00

navy blue striped sock monster

2011-08-18T06:39:00.000-07:00

"Saw a monster in the mirror when i woke today..."

Anyone else suddenly have "Monster in the Mirror" (sung by Grover on Sesame Street, of course), pop in their head? No? Just me? Okay, moving on.

Just wanted to let you know that there is a new sock monster in my shop! The handsome fellow you see above. Take a look!

new harry potter prints!

2011-07-31T17:41:00.000-07:00

NEW!!! Harry Potter prints are available in MY SHOP, one for each house. Naturally, i did a raven illustration for the Ravenclaw house. It wasn't until after i finished that i realized the Ravenclaw house symbol is an eagle - in the books at least. So, you will find the eagle print in my shop. If you are a Ravenclaw and prefer the raven, i can easily make prints of the raven illustration.

cute cat pic of the week

2011-07-17T17:00:00.000-07:00

It's been pretty hot here lately.

Bunnyman Restoration

2011-06-26T08:09:00.000-07:00

Meet Bunnyman.

Between being old and going through several moves, Bunnyman is looking rough. Patches of paint have chipped off, holes have appeared, his nose is half gone...

But his spirit remains strong. I could see this quality in him. So, it was time. Time for a makeover.

He could hardly contain his excitement.

A little paint here...and a little paint there...wow, he has a nose again!

I can see the change in his attitude - there's a spring in his step.

Look out world, here comes Bunnyman.

custom print

2011-06-24T07:43:00.000-07:00

I finally did something artsy! Wow. A Fennec Fox print by request. I think it came out pretty nice.

2011-06-14T19:03:00.000-07:00

My guinea pig print was in a blog! And a super cute one at that. The Guinea Pig Daily is exactly what it sounds like - your daily dose of guinea pigs! It really makes me want a guinea pig...but i should probably wait until i have more space. Sigh.

moved to MA this past weekend

2011-06-08T16:35:00.000-07:00

It's true, i did. As you can probably guess, i haven't been doing much artsy things lately. Lots of unpacking though. Whee!

I've been mentioned in Finch Found!

2011-05-28T16:18:00.000-07:00

My hedgehog has been featured on a blog! It's a fun blog called Finch Found. Not only do they review children's books and cute kid's items, but they also have fun giveaways! Take a look at the post with my hedgehog HERE.

cute cat pic of the week

2011-05-24T07:59:00.000-07:00

Well, it's been a while since i updated. Sorry about that. Between an unsuccessful Open Studios, a trip to NYC, and trying to pack up my life to move to Boston, i've been uninspired and busy. So here's a cat picture! I did put up some pictures of my Royal Romance paper dolls on my website, so please take a look.

spring open studios!

2011-05-06T18:46:00.000-07:00

Come see me tomorrow at the Salmon Falls Mill open studios! I'll be a guest artist in my mom's studio and we'll be selling all kinds of fun stuff. Perfect for a last minute Mother's Day gift!

Wedding Fever

2011-05-04T08:53:00.000-07:00

Anyone sick of the Royal Wedding yet? No? Good. Because i finally finished my Wills and Kate paper dolls! Soon they'll be up on my website and you'll be able to see them. If you're interested in purchasing them, please contact me!

How did you celebrate the Royal Wedding? I celebrated by wearing a paper crown and drinking mimosas. I also had a miniature commemorative plate to help get me in the mood.

My Loch Ness Chubbikin was featured on a blog! It was in a post with some very cute Loch Ness items. Check it out HERE. Also, take a look at aqariann's shop for lovely fantasy drawings!

new cards available!

2011-04-27T16:38:00.000-07:00

Knitting cards are now available! Well, so far i've only listed the set of four and the individual meerkat card. But check for the rest of the individual card listings in the next few days! Take a look HERE.

cute cat pic of the week

2011-04-13T17:04:00.000-07:00

I'm feeling nostalgic today. Here is Russ, shortly after he was adopted, drinking milk out of my glass. I don't think he can fit his head in those glasses anymore.

NEW Prints!

2011-03-30T15:13:00.000-07:00

Now available in my Etsy shop: new prints! Check out my knitting series today!

Happy 4th Birthday Russell!

2011-03-27T15:49:00.001-07:00

Happy birthday to my darling baby, Russell!! He is 4 years old today. It seems like only yesterday he was being brought home in his cardboard box from the animal shelter...

And now he's all grown up! Aww...

website update!

2011-03-23T13:59:00.000-07:00

Big news! My website has FINALLY been updated! Whoohoo! After much blood, sweat, and tears, i finally managed to upload it today (although if you asked me how i did it, i probably couldn't tell you). Also, putting this site together has made me realize i really need to do some new work. SO. Please check out my new website!

In other news, i was featured in a blog! The lovely Miss Elizabeth featured me in a post about finding the perfect gift for pet people. My Gus portrait is in very good company! I especially like the needle felted pet sculptures and the mosaic glass tile portraits(!). You can take a look at it HERE. Elizabeth also has a super cute shop where she sells floofball bobby pins. Take a look!

cute cat pic of the week

2011-03-15T09:03:00.000-07:00

Custom Cat Toys by fing

2011-03-03T16:10:00.000-08:00

Hey y'all. I was browsing around some of my favorite Etsy shops yesterday, and stumbled upon fing's new custom art toy listings. I requested a custom toy a few years ago of my dear Russell, which i just love! The eye color is perfect, and she managed to capture Russ' worried expression. Anyway, she used her picture of the Russell toy and the one i sent her of the two Russells together in her listing! My baby is famous. I highly recommend you take a look at fing's shop, for incredible felted adorableness.

latest pet portrait

2011-03-02T12:23:00.000-08:00

Here is my newest pet portrait of Cooper. I panicked when i saw those pom-poms on his collar, but i think it came out pretty nice.

a shout out to a fellow Etsian

2011-02-27T12:18:00.000-08:00

This year, Valentine's Day was just an excuse to eat a lot of chocolate (it is every year, but being single this time around meant eating lots of chocolate was the only way i celebrated). Anyway, i just so happened to get the coolest piece of chocolate ever: Han S'mor-lo! Not only was it super awesome, it was delicious too. It was a chocolate, graham cracker and marshmallow-filled candy bar. I could have eaten about 12 more. And as you can see, my Princess Leia figure took a liking to the chocolate as well. Check out Empira's shop here!

2011-02-18T08:21:00.000-08:00

I don't think i mentioned this, but Chubbikin Sock Monsters are now for sale in my shop! I have two up right now, and more to come. Ch-ch-check 'em out!

I was mentioned in a blog! Read about it right HERE. I'm one of conduitpress' favorite Etsy sellers!

2011-02-14T07:31:00.001-08:00

2011-02-07T13:36:00.000-08:00

I've been a fan of Tyler Stout's work ever since i saw a few of his posters in a friend of mine's apartment. Just check out his Flight of the Conchords poster - so awesome! You can imagine how excited i was when i discovered he had some Star Wars posters. They're incredible and i'm crazy about them. Of course, they're sold out - they've been out for quite a while now. Next stop: Ebay, where i quickly found out that i will never own these posters, as i do not have an extra $999.99 lying around. Well, i can dream...

Check out the other Star Wars posters and other awesomeness (including Lost and Robocop!) at his website.

cute cat pic of the week

2011-02-03T12:22:00.000-08:00

Russ has discovered the upstairs hall closet.

Baxter

2011-02-02T11:49:00.000-08:00

I finished another pet portrait yesterday, of the adorable Baxter. Honestly, this one gave me a lot of trouble and i was very discouraged while working on it. But, now that it's finished and i can actually bring myself to look at it, i think it might be the best one yet!

prince baby underpainting

2011-01-27T15:36:00.001-08:00

jack and rita

2011-01-20T08:22:00.000-08:00

I did these back in December. I never know how these portraits are going to look until the end. It's just hard to see how all those tiny pieces of paper can come together to be anything. But, so far, i've been happy with the results.

An unfortunate thing happened on sunday. My dear Russell was sitting on my lap. I had a sketchbook balanced on the arm of the couch, and my computer was on the couch next to me. Well, the sketchbook slipped into my lap next to Russ. He FLIPPED out and went charging across the edge of my computer into the next room, tearing the Return key and the Shift key off my keyboard in his escape. I sat there stunned for a good five minutes, trying to process what just happened. I've never had to put keys back on my computer before. After some research and many unsuccessful attempts, i managed to get the return key back on. When i tried the shift key, i realized that the plastic part under the key had been broken and would not snap back on. So, now i have no shift key on the right side of my computer. It's very strange typing without one. Sigh.

cute cat pic of the week

2011-01-17T09:20:00.000-08:00

2011-01-10T12:09:00.000-08:00

Here's a pet portrait i just finished of the lovely Marmalade. Her eyes gave me some trouble, but in the end i think it came out very well.

new year means it's make over time!

2011-01-05T07:40:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year to all! I don't know about you, but i for one am pleased to see 2010 finally be over with. For me, last year was just a series of unfortunate events, one after the other. But, that was last year - onward and upward! (Don't you love my positive attitude? We'll see how long this actually lasts...)

I'm starting this year off with productivity. As you can see, my blog has received a make over. I think it looks swell. The header still needs adjusting (for one thing, it's not wide enough!), but hopefully i'll get on that soon. I am reluctant to do computer work since my office/work space is the couch - it's hard to use a mouse to do fine photoshopping skills when you're on a couch. But anyway, that's one thing that's on the agenda. The next is my real website, which needs a major overhaul. It probably hasn't been updated in at least a year, and really it's become an eyesore to me. But this will take time, so i've been putting it off. Also on the list: pet portraits, a knitting print series, sock chubbikin buddies, new cards on etsy....sounds like i'll be busy for a while!

Here is a portrait i did in november of the lovely Tober. More to come!

cute cat pic of the week

2010-12-30T10:20:00.000-08:00

Here's Russ playing with his new catnip mustache. As you can see, he likes it very much. In fact, he liked it so much, that he ripped it open this morning and left piles of catnip all over the carpet. He can be rough on his toys. Both russell and tom loved their mustaches - maybe your cat will too! You can buy them HERE.

2010-12-24T07:53:00.000-08:00

I hope everyone has a happy christmas!

2010-12-21T15:48:00.000-08:00

Well, my last craft fair of the year took place this past saturday in Biddeford, ME. I shared the table with my mom, and as you can see, it was a very crowded table! We had a lot of fun and the mimosas were delicious.

Now i can concentrate on getting things done for christmas - only 4 days away. AGH

last craft fair of the year

2010-12-16T20:33:00.000-08:00

Come see me this saturday at The Oak + the Ax in biddeford, ME! My mom and i will be sharing an overly crowded table, so stop on by and say hello!

cute cat pic of the week

2010-12-14T07:23:00.000-08:00

Russ and Jake get cozy on the couch.

I haven't posted in a while, so i have a few things to say. Christmas is coming and the goose is getting fat! But really, it is coming and i don't know how it snuck up me. I think i finally have everyone's christmas presents bought/ordered, so no one will get them in time for christmas (since they're all shipping to my house instead of the recipient's). I haven't even picked out christmas cookie recipes! Sheesh. But, today we are getting the tree, so that's a move in the right direction.

The bazaar bizarre was a success! And a lot of fun too. Everyone was super nice and i was excited to see people showing interest in my pet portraits. I'd also like to give a shout out to the lovely couple manning the Figs and Ginger booth across the row from me. I had a great time in our faux dance off!

I have one more craft fair in Biddeford, ME this saturday. I'd love it if you stopped by! You can check out their blog HERE.

That's all for now folks. Time to get the christmas tree!

Bazaar Bizarre

2010-12-03T10:46:00.001-08:00

Come see me this Sunday (Dec. 5th) at the Bazaar Bizarre in Boston! There will be great artists/crafters there, food, music, fun, and merriment! So be there or be square! (Could i fit any more exclamation points in this post? YES!!!!!!!!!)

cute cat pic of the week

2010-12-01T13:25:00.001-08:00

seal baby

2010-11-27T09:49:00.000-08:00

Seal baby is done and scanned in to my computer, ready to be fixed up and printed out just in time for the bazaar! Don't forget: if you're in the Boston area on sunday dec. 4th, come to Cyclorama and say hello! You can get more information HERE.

open studios

2010-11-22T08:52:00.000-08:00

Open studios was a success! I made back the entry fee (which is really all i can ever hope for in these things). Thank you to everyone who came out to see us!

open studios this weekend!

2010-11-20T16:24:00.000-08:00

It's half over already, but come see me Sunday the 21st at the Salmon Falls Mills Open Studios in Rollinsford, NH! I'd love to see you!

monkey baby

2010-11-09T07:39:00.000-08:00

I'm a little behind on my baby portraits here. So here's my cherubic little monkey baby!

2010-11-03T11:02:00.000-07:00

I took this picture a while ago. This little owl was missing a foot when i found him. So i went out and made him a little crutch. He is doing quite well these days, leaning on his crutch up on my dresser.

2010-10-30T20:00:00.001-07:00

2010-10-27T07:47:00.000-07:00

I meant to post this a while ago. There was a strange fungus growing up through a crack in the driveway. It got run over and looked like this.

lettuce baby

2010-10-14T14:58:00.000-07:00

It's been a while since my last post. Whoopsie. Reaching my goal of posting more frequently is obviously not going so well. Anyway, here is a picture of my lettuce baby painting.

cute cat pic of the week

2010-09-29T10:48:00.000-07:00

2010-09-22T07:48:00.000-07:00

My dear sweet potato baby portrait is finished. I think he has sort of a wistful, dreamy expression on his face. One of these days, i'll finally get my act together and scan these portraits so i can sell them as prints!

I did some Mad Men paper doll samples recently as well. I think Joan came out pretty well, but Don has some problems. And as you can see, i decided not to post him.

Even though i don't have a lot of new work, i've decided to stop using that as an excuse and just go ahead and try to update my website. It's kind of a mess.

sweet potato baby

2010-09-17T08:11:00.000-07:00

I actually finished this painting a while ago, but haven't uploaded the pictures onto my computer yet. Obviously i am bad at keeping up this blog.

cute cat pic of the week

2010-09-03T08:38:00.000-07:00

lion baby

2010-08-27T08:14:00.000-07:00

Lion baby under painting.

ALSO, i got into the Bazaar Bizarre Winter fair! Yaaaaay. Here's hoping i make my deposit back!

cute cat pic of the week

2010-08-24T08:18:00.000-07:00

Oh my goodness he used to be so tiny!

In other news, i have been featured on a blog! It's a really cool blog for kid stuff. You can check out the post i'm in, and the rest of the awesome site HERE.

cow baby

2010-08-17T15:02:00.000-07:00

Cow baby finished.

Cow baby underpainting.

cute cat pic of the week

2010-08-05T09:09:00.001-07:00

Russell sure does enjoy lounging on those armrests.

melon baby progress

2010-08-03T07:41:00.001-07:00

Here is my melon baby with some color in his cheeks! (and body, melon hat, etc.). He looks a little ghostly now, but i'm thinking once i add the right eye color and such, it will look better. I'm hoping to finish him tomorrow. Yaay!

first baby portrait

2010-07-29T17:10:00.000-07:00

Yes, it's been a while since my last post. Sorry about that. I'll really try to be better about it. But anyway, i've finally started my first pig baby portrait! Yes, it's a melon baby, but pig baby is code for all these babies. SO, watermelon baby is first because it was one of the first babies i ever got. And i think it's coming along pretty well. I started adding color today, and though i think it looks good, i'll probably look at it tomorrow and want to change the whole thing. We'll see.

These are pictures of the underpainting. Enjoy!

wow it's been a while

2010-07-14T18:54:00.000-07:00

Well! I am back, finally. With moving, fighting cats, and a new job, i've been busy. I promise to get back to it though! Bigger and better, hopefully. But for now, i just want t say that starting tomorrow (july 15th) through july 25th, i will be joining the Etsy Christmas in July sale! Buy any one regular sized chubbikin and receive a FREE chubbikin finger puppet! Also, buy any two 8x10 prints and receive the third one FREE! Yippee!

your cuteness for the day

2010-06-22T07:10:00.000-07:00

I found this picture when i was looking for reference pictures for a new threadless design i'm working on. Of course this is our favorite piano playing dog, Rowlf, with a small friend on the muppet show. I just had to share and spread the cuteness!

more pet portraits

2010-06-12T08:43:00.000-07:00

Here is another example of the pet portraits i have done. They are now all up in my etsy shop, so please take a look!

pet portraits!

2010-06-07T07:34:00.000-07:00

NEW!!! Custom pet portraits are now available in my Etsy shop! They are made out of cut color-aid pieces and painstakingly collaged together for beautiful results! All pet types welcome, except for spiders of course. I will be posting two other listings for the portraits featuring other animals i've done. I'll let you know when they're up!

cute cat pic of the week

2010-06-04T15:11:00.000-07:00

new month, new chubbikin

2010-06-03T07:58:00.000-07:00

I present to you, my newest Chubbikin: the Jackalope. Coming soon to an Etsy near you!

sowa open market

2010-05-27T08:53:00.000-07:00

I'm happy to say that the SOWA Open Market was a success! It was a lot of fun, even though our set up time was 6:30 AM. Ugh! It was a very long day (especially since the Lost series finale was that night and went until 11:30). The weather held up and was only a little windy, which was a lot better than it could have been.

Anne's owls were a big hit! I think they'll be up on Etsy soon...

sowa open market

2010-05-21T09:06:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone! Come see me at the Sowa Open Market this sunday in boston. I will be joining Anne Tochka in the most awesomest booth there. So come say hello!

new chubbikin pictures

2010-05-18T13:42:00.000-07:00

Some of my chubbikins took part of a much needed photoshoot last week and you can see the results in my etsy shop. There will have to be another photoshoot soon, since some of my chubbikins weren't photo ready.

cute cat pic of the week

2010-05-14T08:20:00.001-07:00

I'm starting to forget what cat pictures i've posted and which ones i haven't. So if there's ever a repeat, please forgive me.

I hadn't planned on doing the SOWA market next weekend until a few days ago. Which means i have to get sewing! I don't think there's too much to do to get ready for it, but i feel very unprepared. Better get cracking i guess.

pig baby

2010-05-10T13:45:00.000-07:00

Here is my pig baby portrait. It was a birthday gift for my sister and it's made out of color aid. Since she just got it, it's safe to post it now.

Pig baby, Pig baby

likes to dance

Pig baby, Pig baby

wears no pants

new prints

2010-05-06T08:23:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone, new prints are now available in my shop. Please take a look.

2010-04-30T19:39:00.000-07:00

So here's what i've been working on lately. Fellow ICM volunteer sarah and i have been making a (nearly) life-sized replica of the minnesota iceman. It's going well! Here is a photo of what he looked like a few days ago.

His body is a combination of chicken wire, plastic bags, twist ties, wooden dowels, plaster, and this dry clay stuff that you mix with water and it turns into a substance similar to squelchy wet cookie dough. Sarah holds his head, which will be attached later.

I got to take home the hands and feet to work on. The skin tone i was trying to achieve was mummy-like. I think it came out to be more moldy-like. But he's supposed to have been stuck in a block of ice for some time, so i figure that's okay.

The most recent photos: Feet and one hand attached, as well as the head. Yes, his crotch looks pretty damp - i know what you're thinking, and no, he didn't pee himself. The clay isn't dry yet. Sheesh.

Face close up: i think sarah did a great job! Especially with the pig nose. One of the many features that makes the iceman unique. Soon he'll be covered in hair and his eyeball will be hanging out of his empty socket. More pictures soon.

In other news, it's official: voting has ended and the results are in. Thank you to everyone who voted on my shirt! Over 500 of you! My final score is a 2.15, which unfortunately, probably isn't high enough to be in the running. But who knows, maybe every shirt submitted this month had a low score and i'm still in the running (wishful thinking). We'll see. Although after having 30 chubbikins returned to me today that never got sold, i was hoping for a high threadless that score would cheer me up. I'm tempted to just bury my face in my pillow and not come out, but i won't! I'm just stuffing my face full of ice cream instead. Much better.

cute cat pic of the week

2010-04-29T07:32:00.000-07:00

An oldie, but a goodie.

Well! I have been busy actually. I'm almost done with my new set of prints - just one more to ink and then add some color to all of them. I'll let you know when they're done and up in my shop! I finished my secret color aid project. It won't have to be a secret for much longer. I think it came out pretty nice, but of course, it looks better from far away. But as my mom pointed out, so does a lot of art. So true.

Unfortunately, you won't be able to find my chubbikins at Summer Island Studio in Brunswick. All the chubbikins that didn't get sold will be sent back to me. So if you want to buy them, you'll have to get them through me! It's depressing, but i understand. They just weren't a good fit. But if you're in brunswick, you should still stop by the store - there was lots of nice things there.

Alright kids, only one day left to vote for my tshirt design on threadless! If you haven't done so already, please vote for my shirt. Or if you have vote already, you could make another account and vote again! Too much? Oh fine... The link is HERE!!!!!!!!

threadless submission

2010-04-24T07:13:00.000-07:00

Please vote for my design! I think it's pretty nifty. The concept of the shirt is the definition of Cryptozoology, which is the study of hidden animals. What if these animals are closer than we think? But really, my first thought was that i want to put Bigfoot on a shirt.

2010-04-23T08:01:00.000-07:00

Wow, look at me blogging twice in one week! Haha. I think this blog needs a makeover. Maybe then i would be more inspired to write.

I've been really messed up with dates recently - i have no idea what day it is! I kept thinking yesterday was friday, and that the SyFy channel original movie Mothman would be on tonight. Sadly, it isn't. I have to keep reminding myself that it's actually on tomorrow night. So what's on tonight? Nothing. Poo.

I've started working on a present for someone - can't say who yet, in the off chance they might read this blog (yeah, right). Anyway, it's a collage and i'm using a paper called Color Aid. I had to buy a huge pack of this stuff freshman year at Pratt for LCD class, (that's light, color, and design for you folks not in the know). My professor LOVED color aid and made us use it whenever she could. She even went around after class and picked up all the tiny scraps that had fallen on the floor and put them in the big folder that she would bring out during critiques. She'd rummage through the folder and find a scrap of a similar color or different tone to one that we had used in our work, and she'd hold it up to the piece and ask how that different shade/tone/color changed our piece. But i digress... I used to be pretty good with it, and i had a ton left over from LCD, (i haven't used it since then), so i thought: what the heck! So i spent most of yesterday cutting out small shapes of paper. The feel and smell of this paper really brings me back. I should also mention that if you use this paper long enough, it can be toxic - i've been washing my hands a lot. If this project works out, i might try doing a portrait of Russell, and then if that works out, i might try doing custom pet portraits to sell on etsy. We'll see.

cute cat pic of the week

2010-04-18T07:29:00.000-07:00

Ok, it's official: i am a terrible blogger. Sorry folks. So, i'm working on a secret project. I'm afraid if i talk about it i'll jinx it and it won't happen. Of course, that will probably happen anyway, whether i talk about it or not. I'm trying not to get too excited about it, but we'll see.

Almost done with my tshirt design. I'm not super happy with it, but maybe that's just me being a crazy artist. I'll let you know when it's up so you can vote for me. Please.

I have a new idea for a chubbikin. I think it'll be pretty fun. I know i shouldn't make more, since no one ever buys them. But i miss sewing.

Also, down to 788 songs to rate in my itunes. Of course, i just got a bunch of new music, so that number will be going up again. Oh dear.

2010-04-07T19:36:00.000-07:00

I've decided to try my hand at children's books again. I was super excited to finally try out my fancy inks (that were backordered for months), and i was hoping to be inspired by them. I was discouraged though, because it didn't come out perfectly the first time i used them. Sigh. Anyway, i won't give up, and i'll try the inks again. Above are some tests i did with various materials/ methods. The first one is ink with a black outline, the second is ink with more detailed brown outlining, the third is watercolor and colored pencil, and the fourth is marker and colored pencil. Of course, they are just tests and not very well done. I'm not sure which one i like best - i don't really like any of them! But like i said before, i won't give up....yet.

happy easter!

2010-04-04T09:02:00.000-07:00

Happy Easter everyone! I hope you're all enjoying your bunny shaped pancakes and easter egg hunts. I've been featured on a blog! Check it out here. Have a nice day!

cat birthday

2010-03-27T07:43:00.001-07:00

Today is a special day indeed. It's Russell's third birthday! Here are just a few pictures of my little guy throughout the years - it was hard to pick just a few. There are so many good ones!

2010-03-17T11:41:00.000-07:00

My Chubbikins are now in the International Cryptozoology Museum! A little sasquatch is on display, while the other cryptids are for sale in the museum shop. If you're in the area, you should stop by! It's a very fun - and educational -museum. Oh, and the sasquatch Chubbikin now has a "donated by Erin Ellis" sign in front of it, instead of the question mark.

You can take a look at the museum website here. Do it. Also, stop by this saturday for Obscura Day! I'm sad i'll miss it and the "treats that will remain a mystery until march 20th." Intriguing! Buy tickets here.

finger puppets!

2010-03-15T08:16:00.000-07:00

I just wanted to let you all know that i now have finger puppets in my etsy shop! These little bunnies are here just in time for Easter. I also have kitties. And at $6.00 they are quite a bargain! Please take a look! There is also a new spring/easter banner in my shop. I got tired of the winter one. Bring in the spring!

cute cat pic of the week

2010-03-13T18:27:00.000-08:00

2010-03-09T07:36:00.000-08:00

Sorry i'm so bad at updating, everyone! Sheesh. Since easter is less than a month away, i put my chicken and bunny prints back up in my shop. I didn't sell any last year, but what the heck. Maybe this is the year.

I'm finally going to install snow leopard and new photoshop on my computer. Eek! But first i'm transferring lots of files onto my old computer, just in case this one goes kerpluey. Also, i have to bring this one in to get the cd burner looked at before my apple care warranty expires in april. Sigh. If it's not one thing, it's another. In the meantime, maybe i'll be able to burn cds from my old computer. I guess we'll see!

The academy awards were on the other night and seeing all those fancy dresses makes me want to draw paper dolls. If only people would be able to see them! Someday... anyway, i would like to get my paper doll portfolio sent out by next week before i go to NY, but i also want to get my taxes done before then. So i should probably do those first. Yuck.

Side note: i made my own coffee this morning and it doesn't taste too bad - perhaps a little watery. But i've made worse. I did, however, burn my finger a little bit on the hot part of the coffee maker.

cute cat pic of the week

2010-03-01T15:38:00.000-08:00

An oldie but a goodie.

Well, i mailed off the convention souvenir paper dolls today. I guess we'll see what happens! Keep your fingers crossed for me. Please.

new chubbikin!

2010-02-23T08:05:00.001-08:00

Yaay new monster chubbikins in my shop! Go check 'em out!

2010-02-18T08:18:00.000-08:00

Whelp, not too much to report. I've been madly working on paper dolls. The fashion ones are pretty much done, so that's exciting. I was looking through some old paper dolls i did to find something to send in for the "all art" issue of my paper doll magazine, and i realized that some of them are pretty bad! Very upsetting. All my spice girls have thick legs, queen amidala's head might be too big, padme's face looks nothing like natalie portman, and there's something off about willow...can't quite figure it out. Buffy is okay though. Anyway, now i want to fix all these, but that would require so much work. If i shrink amidala's head, then i have to go through all the outfits i've done for her and shrink all those crazy headdresses. There's so much detail in those things it would take forever! I looked through some of my tom tierney paper doll books and realized that his aren't perfect - some of the proportions may be off a little, or someone's face doesn't look exactly like the famous person it's supposed to look like. And that was reassuring. Maybe i am being too hyper critical about my paper dolls. I just like everything to be PERFECT. Makes things difficult.

On another note: i can't remember if i mentioned putting up my purple monsters in my shop or not. But they're up! The green monster will be up soon too, and i'll try to remember to let you know when i do that. Also, i made a new banner for my shop. It's wintery outside, so it might as well be wintery in my shop too! (of course, i went outside this morning and it felt like spring! Perhaps i'll make a new banner for every season.)

2010-02-15T08:03:00.000-08:00

I hope everyone had a nice valentines day and ate lots of chocolate.

I'm not really sure why this is underlined, but i can't figure out how to make it go away. Huh.

2010-02-08T07:52:00.000-08:00

I've been working on some paper dolls that will be in the souvenir packages at the paper doll convention in kansas city(!). They are high fashion, or haute couture, if you prefer. I have three outfits drawn and inked. The above outfit took me over three hours to ink, no joke. My fine tip pen is running out now! Yikes. I went to the local art store next to the maine college of art to find one. A lady who worked there who was halfway across the room somehow overheard me saying i needed a copic pen. She says: "Do you mean COPic multiliners?" Me, taken aback: "Yes, actually!" She replies: "we don't have those." Thanks.

chubbikin hearts

2010-02-01T10:36:00.000-08:00

I have a new item in my shop: the personalized Chubbikin heart tag. Pretty cute, huh? You can tell me what you want written on it and i'll make it for you. Wouldn't this make a nice gift for valentine's day? I think so.

crows

2010-01-31T16:53:00.000-08:00

Last night i looked out my window to see the sunset, as i often do, and i was amazed to see hundreds of crows flying around! I didn't even know crows did this. There were so many of them - most of them landed on the roof, but there were a bunch in several trees in the distance. I tried to take a picture of them flying around, but that's hard to do when you don't have the flash on. They reminded me of bats. The way they all landed just outside our window sort of looked like a bad omen of some sort, but i like crows so maybe it's a good omen.

Russell enjoyed the show.

2010-01-23T08:47:00.000-08:00

Looks like i'm actually getting it together! My heart cards are up on etsy, so take a look!

whoops

2010-01-21T07:14:00.000-08:00

I am not doing very well updating my blog in this new year. I have been working on things - it's just that i haven't taken pictures of them yet. Hopefully that will come soon. In the meantime, here's a quick update on what i've been doing.

Chubbikins: Well, i have some new designs to share with you as well as new secret Chubbikin project. I think they're pretty darn cute! I will let you know when those guys are up in my shop.

Paper dolls: I am almost ready to print out my samples and mail them off! I just have to fix a few of them up in photoshop and put together the pages. I'm pretty happy with how they're coming out. Fingers crossed!

Other: I ordered some new cards that will hopefully get here soon so i can put them up in my shop for Valentine's day (oh boy, that's coming up quick isn't it?). I've decided i'm going to buy some colored inks. I get frustrated painting with watercolors sometimes because the colors get muddy. So i'm going to try to do some paintings and see how that works out. It'll work out fantastically i'm sure! Then, when i have some amazing new paintings, new paper dolls, and whatever else, i can work out a new design for my website. It needs an update! But i don't want to update until i have new work. Haha, so it might be a while before i have a new website. And on an unrelated note, i have at least 900 more songs to rate in my itunes library. Not making much headway with that. Oh well.

That's all for now folks!

cute cat pic of the week

2009-12-31T11:08:00.001-08:00

Looking very dapper for the new year.

I just want to wish everyone a happy new year! Hopefully there will be more work and fun things to show you soon. As for right now, i think i'll make some hot chocolate and watch a movie. Snow day!

2009-12-23T07:59:00.000-08:00

Pictures from the bazaar are up! The professional pictures i mean. You can take a look at them on Flickr here. However, there are no pictures of my booth. I saw the photographer walking around taking pictures, and he seemed to avoid my table. Ah well. I did find some pictures that i am in. I drew arrows so it would be easier to find me.

2009-12-22T06:24:00.000-08:00

Well, i have to say that they taste better than they look. Thank goodness! I always imagine these beautiful christmas cookies with pretty and intricate designs, but somehow they always end up looking like this. Until i have real pastry bags and those metal tip thingys, instead of hannaford brand ziploc bags (which causes the icing to either pop out the sides or ooze out the top, dripping all over the place), the cookies will continue to look like this. By the end i was just dripping icing all over the place!

I think my people look so unhappy because their outfits were not very fashionable, and there was icing everywhere.
They taste good though! I swear. If you'd like a recipe for sugar cookies that aren't super sweet and more on the buttery side, try out this recipe for Soft Christmas Cookies!

cute cat pic of the week

2009-12-19T07:40:00.000-08:00

Triple chins!

2009-12-15T08:28:00.000-08:00

Well, the last craft fair of the season was not such a success. Thank goodness i did the bazaar! Otherwise i would have been a very sad girl indeed. Yours truly made a whole $4 the entire day. Ah well. From now on i am only doing craft fairs that have been around for more than one year.

Now that i'm done with fairs, i've been focusing on getting christmas presents done. I have been very crafty and using my glue gun! Hopefully the ones i have to mail won't disintegrate during shipping. We'll see.

i almost forgot i had a blog...

2009-12-11T07:56:00.000-08:00

Well! It certainly has been a while since my last update, and it certainly has been a busy past few weeks. Getting ready for the Bazaar was tough - but i did it! It was a success (despite getting lost on the streets of boston several times), and i'm glad i did it. I just have one more fair tomorrow in Gorham and then i'll be done. Whew!

Cute cat pic of the last two weeks.

erinaellis

Hey there blog, it's been a while.

Open Studio

I kind of forgot i had a blog

Knit SImple!

Cute Cat Pic of the Week

chubbikins clowning around in Canandaigua

navy blue striped sock monster

new harry potter prints!

cute cat pic of the week

Bunnyman Restoration

custom print

moved to MA this past weekend

I've been mentioned in Finch Found!

cute cat pic of the week

spring open studios!

Wedding Fever

new cards available!

cute cat pic of the week

*NEW* Prints!

Happy 4th Birthday Russell!

website update!

cute cat pic of the week

Custom Cat Toys by fing

latest pet portrait

a shout out to a fellow Etsian

cute cat pic of the week

Baxter

prince baby underpainting

jack and rita

cute cat pic of the week

new year means it's make over time!

cute cat pic of the week

last craft fair of the year

cute cat pic of the week

Bazaar Bizarre

cute cat pic of the week

seal baby

open studios

open studios this weekend!

monkey baby

lettuce baby

cute cat pic of the week

sweet potato baby

cute cat pic of the week

lion baby

cute cat pic of the week

cow baby

cute cat pic of the week

melon baby progress

first baby portrait

wow it's been a while

your cuteness for the day

more pet portraits

pet portraits!

cute cat pic of the week

new month, new chubbikin

sowa open market

sowa open market

new chubbikin pictures

cute cat pic of the week

pig baby

new prints

cute cat pic of the week

threadless submission

cute cat pic of the week

happy easter!

cat birthday

finger puppets!

cute cat pic of the week

cute cat pic of the week

new chubbikin!

chubbikin hearts

crows

whoops

cute cat pic of the week

cute cat pic of the week

i almost forgot i had a blog...

NEW Prints!