Hello, All! Long time, no post! Life has been pretty busy (as usual). I wish I could say that it was due to me actually having a social life but uh...no. Haha. Basically, if I'm not working or at derby practice, I'm probably working on artwork and designing--More often than not for derby!
Anyway, I haven't been at work for the last few days. I took time off for a wisdom tooth extraction. However, I've been hard at work putting together a Cafepress shop for the The DuPage Derby Dames!
You can already order T-shirts and track jackets via the DDD's home website, as well as Wicked Skatewear, but there is an incredible amount of variety available on Cafepress. In addition to regular T-shirts (for women, men, children AND even dogs!), we have V-necks, raglans/baseball tees, hoodies, shot glasses, beer steins, mugs, buttons, bags, buttons, stickers...even iphone cases!
And just so y'all know, every single dollar earned from merch sales will go towards benefiting community organizations, charities and costs for hosting our home roller derby bouts! Being non-profit, The Dames couldn't exist without continued support from our fans, so please go check it out!
Sunday, February 5, 2012
Monday, December 26, 2011
A Very Bloomie Christmas
Merry Christmas, Everyone! And for those who do not celebrate Christmas, I wish you a Happy Hanukkah, Kwanza, Festivus, Sunday, etc.! Basically, no matter what is contained in your faith, belief system, or heart (even if that means nothing at all), I hope that at the very least this day brought you joy and love.
...And maybe a gift or two :P
On that note, my most recent project was a bunch of little gifts for The Bloomies! They're admittedly not all that eye-catching--their value lies in an inside joke--but I thought I'd share anyway!
If you looked at the photo and simply scratched your head (or chin or whatever else you might scratch when in a state of confusion), I can't say that I blame you. But if you will, allow me to explain!
Whenever one of us is sick or injured in some way, you can count on our manager to dispense his sagely medical advice. And that advice? Rub some dirt on it! :)
Seriously. When I took that hard fall from skating and came in with a mangled leg---"Rub some dirt on it!"
When I was complaining about a sore throat--"Rub some dirt on it!"
Me: "But...it's in my throat, not on my neck..."
Him: "Rub some dirt in it!"
When that sore throat developed into a full-on, nasty cold/flu--"Did you rub dirt on it? You should have rubbed dirt on it!"
The joke spread out among us at work, but amusingly enough, I've begun to hear it more frequently from other people as well. Even so, the first person I think about when I hear that phrase is the Boss Man! So there you are! Little glass bottles filled with miracle dirt for The Bloomies :)
And just so it's clear, the bottles are not filled with actual dirt! On the off chance that someone was going to get a bit too curious, I decided it was best to fill them with hot chocolate mix, hahaha!
ART NOTES:
Considering the absurdity of the joke itself, I thought it'd be a fun idea to make the gift look like an old-fashioned, cure-all remedy like the kinds snake-oil salesmen of the days of old used to peddle.
Er...well I suppose there are still snake-oil salesmen nowadays (iRenew bracelets, anyone?).
Anyway, I started off looking for glass containers at the craft store. My first idea was to buy a bunch of mini mason jars (the kind with the glass tops/lids with the metal latches), but I couldn't find any. That's when I opted for the cork-topped glass bottles that looked like they could have contained a bunch of strange potions and curios. Ideally I would have wanted to use the same type of bottle for everyone, but the need for 21 bottles coupled with a dwindling stock meant that I ultimately had to compromise with 2 different types: A circular, "flat" flask, and a globe-like potion-style bottle.
After I got all of my supplies home, I quickly designed an old-fashioned looking label. If I had enough time, I would have added more graphics (like a drawing of a clump of dirt or some botanical scrolling). Because I was working on these the night before Christmas Eve, however, I had to limit the design to text only. The rounded proportions of the bottles also meant that I had to resort to creating tag labels for them instead of sticker labels. Without a truly flat surface, the stickers wouldn't have adhered without some wrinkling.
The labels were printed on white card stock, so I printed the old, tanned paper texture on both sides to make it look a little more "authentic."
While I put everything together myself, the idea for the gifts themselves was more of a conceptual collaboration between Bloomie Megan and me. Gotta give credit where credit is due!
Happy Holidays!
...And maybe a gift or two :P
On that note, my most recent project was a bunch of little gifts for The Bloomies! They're admittedly not all that eye-catching--their value lies in an inside joke--but I thought I'd share anyway!
 |
| Doc Schaber's Delectable Incredible Revitalizing Treatment (D.I.R.T.) |
If you looked at the photo and simply scratched your head (or chin or whatever else you might scratch when in a state of confusion), I can't say that I blame you. But if you will, allow me to explain!
Whenever one of us is sick or injured in some way, you can count on our manager to dispense his sagely medical advice. And that advice? Rub some dirt on it! :)
Seriously. When I took that hard fall from skating and came in with a mangled leg---"Rub some dirt on it!"
When I was complaining about a sore throat--"Rub some dirt on it!"
Me: "But...it's in my throat, not on my neck..."
Him: "Rub some dirt in it!"
When that sore throat developed into a full-on, nasty cold/flu--"Did you rub dirt on it? You should have rubbed dirt on it!"
The joke spread out among us at work, but amusingly enough, I've begun to hear it more frequently from other people as well. Even so, the first person I think about when I hear that phrase is the Boss Man! So there you are! Little glass bottles filled with miracle dirt for The Bloomies :)
And just so it's clear, the bottles are not filled with actual dirt! On the off chance that someone was going to get a bit too curious, I decided it was best to fill them with hot chocolate mix, hahaha!
ART NOTES:
Considering the absurdity of the joke itself, I thought it'd be a fun idea to make the gift look like an old-fashioned, cure-all remedy like the kinds snake-oil salesmen of the days of old used to peddle.
Er...well I suppose there are still snake-oil salesmen nowadays (iRenew bracelets, anyone?).
Anyway, I started off looking for glass containers at the craft store. My first idea was to buy a bunch of mini mason jars (the kind with the glass tops/lids with the metal latches), but I couldn't find any. That's when I opted for the cork-topped glass bottles that looked like they could have contained a bunch of strange potions and curios. Ideally I would have wanted to use the same type of bottle for everyone, but the need for 21 bottles coupled with a dwindling stock meant that I ultimately had to compromise with 2 different types: A circular, "flat" flask, and a globe-like potion-style bottle.
After I got all of my supplies home, I quickly designed an old-fashioned looking label. If I had enough time, I would have added more graphics (like a drawing of a clump of dirt or some botanical scrolling). Because I was working on these the night before Christmas Eve, however, I had to limit the design to text only. The rounded proportions of the bottles also meant that I had to resort to creating tag labels for them instead of sticker labels. Without a truly flat surface, the stickers wouldn't have adhered without some wrinkling.
 |
| Here's the label. But in case you can't read it, here's the text: DOC SCHABER'S Delectable Incredible Revitalizing Treatment Cures all ailments--Guaranteed! When you're run-down, don't dare submit! Follow The Doc's orders and... ...Rub some D.I.R.T. on it! |
The labels were printed on white card stock, so I printed the old, tanned paper texture on both sides to make it look a little more "authentic."
 |
| All of my supplies! Hot Chocolate mix, glass bottles, card stock labels, ribbons and some sweet sweet caffeine to keep me going |
 |
| I filled each bottle with about 4 tablespoons (2 servings) of hot chocolate mix. |
 |
| I actually ran out of hot chocolate mix... Eeeep! 2 of those bottles are instead filled with flavored cappuccino mix! The light gray-ish colored one is pumpkin spice cappuccino, and the one to the right of it is mocha mint! |
 | ||
| Tying on the labels--The flask-style bottles had red ribbons, the potion-style bottles had green! |
 |
| 21 finished bottles of Doc Schaber's D.I.R.T.! |
While I put everything together myself, the idea for the gifts themselves was more of a conceptual collaboration between Bloomie Megan and me. Gotta give credit where credit is due!
Happy Holidays!
Tuesday, December 13, 2011
The Infamous Jungle Room Brawl
It's finally here! The DuPage Derby Dames will finally have their first, home bouting season! To kick it off in style, we'll be hosting an exhibition bout in honor of Elvis Presley's 76th birthday January 7th! In addition to a bunch of lovely ladies on skates, there will also be an Elvis impersonator entertaining the masses, so come one, come all! Seriously! Bring everyone you know and cheer on your favorite Derby Dame! (Me. I meant me. :P)
Aaaaaand just so you knooooow, a portion of the proceeds from the night will benefit Gigi's Playhouse Down Syndrome Awareness Center! That's right. As bad-arse as derby girls are, we all have hearts of gold!
Here's the flyer with all the info!
You might notice that I didn't redraw the same derby girl that I had used in the last 2 fundraiser posters. This one is actually loosely based on our own Millie Brawl (sans glasses)!
In an attempt to tie The King into the drawing without resorting to a bouffant and rhinestone-studded jumpsuit, I tried to mimic the costume and classic pose of his from Jailhouse Rock. In fact, I printed out the original photograph and then sketched on top of it to get the pose as accurate as possible. I scanned the entire page at 300 dpi, then doubled the size. I used this as my sketch layer and then inked and colored on separate layers in photoshop with the help of my trusty tablet.
Again, I was working on an extremely tight schedule (my brother's wedding is in 2 days) so the drawing here was left at flat colors. I plan on eventually going back in to add shading--perhaps for the bout programs. For the time being, however, this will do.
I'm also thinking that from now on (or at least as often as possible) I might choose actual members of our team to base my future derby girl drawings off of. Would be kind of fun, no? Realistically I don't know that I'd ever be able to draw everybody, so I'll have to come up with a fair system. I'll post about that here once I've figured that out.
Aaaaaand just so you knooooow, a portion of the proceeds from the night will benefit Gigi's Playhouse Down Syndrome Awareness Center! That's right. As bad-arse as derby girls are, we all have hearts of gold!
Here's the flyer with all the info!
 |
| I don't like how you still can't see the full-size image when you click on it :/ If it's too small to see all the details, just right-click and select "view image" to take you to the full-size. |
You might notice that I didn't redraw the same derby girl that I had used in the last 2 fundraiser posters. This one is actually loosely based on our own Millie Brawl (sans glasses)!
 |
| Close-up! |
In an attempt to tie The King into the drawing without resorting to a bouffant and rhinestone-studded jumpsuit, I tried to mimic the costume and classic pose of his from Jailhouse Rock. In fact, I printed out the original photograph and then sketched on top of it to get the pose as accurate as possible. I scanned the entire page at 300 dpi, then doubled the size. I used this as my sketch layer and then inked and colored on separate layers in photoshop with the help of my trusty tablet.
Again, I was working on an extremely tight schedule (my brother's wedding is in 2 days) so the drawing here was left at flat colors. I plan on eventually going back in to add shading--perhaps for the bout programs. For the time being, however, this will do.
I'm also thinking that from now on (or at least as often as possible) I might choose actual members of our team to base my future derby girl drawings off of. Would be kind of fun, no? Realistically I don't know that I'd ever be able to draw everybody, so I'll have to come up with a fair system. I'll post about that here once I've figured that out.
Tuesday, December 6, 2011
DDD Holiday Food Drive & Fundraiser
The DuPage Derby Dames are hosting a holiday food drive & fundraiser! We're collecting non-perishable food items (canned food, cereal, dry pasta, peanut butter etc.) to donate to The People's Resource Center's Food Pantry!
Besides a night of skating with a bunch of bad-arse babes on wheels, we're also offering DDD merch, a bake sale (yes, we bake), craft table (yes, we craft), raffles and a roller derby demonstration (HECK YES, WE DERBY)! Sales proceeds will go towards hosting our first home bout in January (stay tuned for details!). People's Resource will receive a monetary donation as well! The more you give, the more people in need will receive!
So come bring your friends and your family, and help support your community!
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For more info (and the flyer) on recruitment night, check out this previous entry!
Art Notes
If the derby girl on the flyer looks familiar to you, it's because she also graced the flyer for our Halloween fundraiser! I've have very little free time (and much too much to do) this month, so I tried to cut down on production time by recycling the same image--with edits, of course. In the original she was holding a bowling ball (the Halloween fundraiser was at a bowling alley), so I tweaked the forearms/hands and replaced the ball with a big ole Santa-bag full of gifts! Or non-perishable food items, as the case may be :)
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| Close-up detail shot! |
I also added in that cozy scarf she's wearing. To get that knitted texture I used a chain-mail custom brush designed by artist, "Rooster" (or Rooster82, as she's known on deviantART). I actually added the same texture to her socks as well (also spearmint striped!), but as you can see, her legs were cropped out.
One detail error I noticed much too late was that I messed up the physics of the Santa-bag. It should be pulling much more taught near her hands. The way it is now, it appears as though the contents in the bag are nearly weightless. The perfectionist in me wanted to go back and fix it. The realist in me was too freaking tired :P
2 Flyers done, 1 flyer and 1 banner left to go! This week anyway...
Thursday, December 1, 2011
My Birthday & Christmas Wish List (Updated)
*** (Updated 12/01) ***
Happy December, Everybody. Now I can officially break out my winter coat!
*** (Updated 12/04)***
Added some Adventure Time and Regular show T-shirts! Totally Algebraic! Yeaaahyuuuuh!
***(Updated 12/05)***
Added a couple of Super Mario Bros. items and Sailor Moon T-shirts. Honestly, I don't care for the Sailor Moon designs so much, but nostalgia and fandom compelled me to add them.
***(Updated 12/15)***
Crossed out the items that I received for my birthday!
**********
Before I start to sound too selfish, allow me to insist that I really don't care about receiving gifts. Every time someone gives me a gift, I always say "Oh, you didn't have to get me anything!" And I mean it. I'm not a very materialistic person at all, and I don't care much for accumulating possessions. Big name, status-symbolic brands have absolutely no sway over me. But having said that, I recognize that many people think that I'm difficult to shop for (which is hilarious because I'm easier to please than people think). Plus both my birthday and Christmas are coming up. And so, I've come up with a wish list to ease the burden for those people. Here goes!
(In no particular order):
Honestly, I really didn't want to post a wishlist at all. Generally speaking I'm big on putting a lot of thought into what to give as a gift to someone else--I try to pay a lot of attention (or at least make a mental note) when someone expresses interest in something. I fish for more information, I redirect their attention so they don't catch on etc. I think that the effort I put forth to try and make that person happy is worth just as much as the actual gift itself. Plus, who doesn't like being genuinely surprised when they open up a gift (that they hopefully will enjoy)? Unfortunately for me, it's much more likely for others to just flat out ask me what I want instead of doing the same. And where's the fun in that? And what the heck is the point of wrapping a gift that you already know about?
But the element of surprise aside, there is something else to it that bears much more weight for me. When someone just comes out and asks me what I want, it comes off as though the person is saying that they don't want to put forth the effort or even the thought for me; their gift is one of mere obligation, a task they want to get done and over with as quickly and painlessly as possible. I know that it's not necessarily the case, I really do. Even so, it's hard not to feel somewhat dejected each and every single time someone asks me to make their lives easier by simply telling them what to buy me.
Eh well.
Happy December, Everybody. Now I can officially break out my winter coat!
*** (Updated 12/04)***
Added some Adventure Time and Regular show T-shirts! Totally Algebraic! Yeaaahyuuuuh!
***(Updated 12/05)***
Added a couple of Super Mario Bros. items and Sailor Moon T-shirts. Honestly, I don't care for the Sailor Moon designs so much, but nostalgia and fandom compelled me to add them.
***(Updated 12/15)***
Crossed out the items that I received for my birthday!
**********
Before I start to sound too selfish, allow me to insist that I really don't care about receiving gifts. Every time someone gives me a gift, I always say "Oh, you didn't have to get me anything!" And I mean it. I'm not a very materialistic person at all, and I don't care much for accumulating possessions. Big name, status-symbolic brands have absolutely no sway over me. But having said that, I recognize that many people think that I'm difficult to shop for (which is hilarious because I'm easier to please than people think). Plus both my birthday and Christmas are coming up. And so, I've come up with a wish list to ease the burden for those people. Here goes!
(In no particular order):
Watch (nothing super nice--something plastic that can take quite a beating at work. Bonus if it's cute, funky and brightly colored)- Converse Chuck Taylor All-Stars (Hi-Tops) in Women's Size 8 (in Green, Orange, Yellow, Purple, Turquoise or any other bold color)
Sneakers (as much as I love my Chucks, they're not the greatest for exercise)- New wheels (and bearings) for my quad/roller skates (something just a little harder, as the ones I have are pretty grippy)
- Normandy Crew Tee (LOVE the design!) (in XXL -- Apparently BioWare's Ts run kinda small)
- N7 Armour Stripe Hoody (in L) (I have the men's, but this is the women's :P)
- N7 Thermal Hoody (in XXL)
- N7 Armour Stripe Black Tee (in XXL)
Note: BioWare is currently having a sale. 15% off a purchase of $50 or more when you use the coupon code: JIVETURKEY2. - Mass Effect 3 (The game doesn't come out until March 2012, so it'd be a pre-order)
- Threadless gift card (I love their designs but somehow have never managed to buy anything :( )
- Hilarious, quirky, nerdy or well-designed T-shirts (like the ones @ Threadless :P )
Joann Fabrics gift card (Seriously. Cosplay is an expensive hobby...)- Target gift card
- Copic Markers (Sketch, Set A, 72 pc set) I obviously do not actually expect anyone to drop this kind of dough on me.
- Pre-Registration for ACen (with badge shipping)
Messenger bag or sturdy cross-body bag (nothing too large or too "nice" as this would be something I use everyday to lug all of my crap. Ideally large enough to fit an 8.5x11 sketchbook. Lots of pockets would be great!).Funky/cute mugs- Cute/Funky small umbrella (the kind that can fit inside a bag--mine broke)
- Regular Show Girls T-shirt in XXL (freaking Juniors' sizing...)
- Regular Show "Oooooooh!" T-shirt in Medium
- Adventure Time T-shirts!!! Girls/Juniors shirts should probably be 2X or 3X, guys shirts should be Medium. Any/all of the shirts are super awesome, but here are a couple of specific designs below!
- Adventure Time Grass T-shirt in Medium
- Adventure Time Girls T-shirt (white w/ shoulder stripes) in 2X or 3X... SO CUTE!
- Sailor Moon Raglan T-shirt in 2X or 3X
- Sailor Moon and Sailor Senshi Black T-shirt in 2X or 3X
- Super Mario Bros. Green Turtle Shell Plushie (with sound!)
- Super Mario Bros. Star T-shirt in Medium
A love letter about how freaking awesome I am(haha, just kidding)
If I think of some more, I'll be sure to update the list.
Honestly, I really didn't want to post a wishlist at all. Generally speaking I'm big on putting a lot of thought into what to give as a gift to someone else--I try to pay a lot of attention (or at least make a mental note) when someone expresses interest in something. I fish for more information, I redirect their attention so they don't catch on etc. I think that the effort I put forth to try and make that person happy is worth just as much as the actual gift itself. Plus, who doesn't like being genuinely surprised when they open up a gift (that they hopefully will enjoy)? Unfortunately for me, it's much more likely for others to just flat out ask me what I want instead of doing the same. And where's the fun in that? And what the heck is the point of wrapping a gift that you already know about?
But the element of surprise aside, there is something else to it that bears much more weight for me. When someone just comes out and asks me what I want, it comes off as though the person is saying that they don't want to put forth the effort or even the thought for me; their gift is one of mere obligation, a task they want to get done and over with as quickly and painlessly as possible. I know that it's not necessarily the case, I really do. Even so, it's hard not to feel somewhat dejected each and every single time someone asks me to make their lives easier by simply telling them what to buy me.
Eh well.
Wanna Roll with Us?
Here's one of the flyers I put together for my roller derby league. We're currently recruiting new skaters, so anyone who is intrigued (or even mildly curious) about the bad-arse world of roller derby should come on by Recruitment Night--Skate with us and see what we're all about!
Friday, October 28, 2011
Eatables!
Despite how sore I still am from our last derby practice (I fell on my arse...hard. A lot.), I still managed to make today fairly productive. Part of me regrets it only because I can't remember the last time I just sat around and watched movies all day, haha...
One of the errands I ran this morning included buying ingredients to make cheesecake! A while back, my mom's friends brought back a ton of fruit for us from their trip to Ohio. There was more than we could ever hope to eat before it all spoiled (and it was getting awfully close, believe me), so I was just looking for a means of using it all up.
In the end, I made 2 different kinds of cheesecake: 1 pear, and 1 lime-pawpaw.
I'm not going to post a photo of the lime-pawpaw cheesecake because it looks like crap... :/
Both cheesecakes taste just fine, but they didn't quite set as solidly as I wanted. And this was with me baking it twice as long as the recipe called for (there were even a couple of cracks along the top). I'm going to make the assumption that the fruit puree to cream cheese ratio wasn't quite correct. If only I could find my purple sweet potato cheesecake recipe...
In addition to the cheesecakes, I also made some quinoa! Had some sitting around so I figured, why not?
I've made quinoa a number of times before, but for some weird reason, this batch was the best I've made so far! It was so much more flavorful than others I've made, which I don't entirely understand because I didn't reduce the stock for more concentrated flavor like I normally do. Maybe it was just the different combination of the ingredients that I used this time.
Eh well, if anyone would like the recipe, here it is!
Ingredients:
2 cups uncooked, pre-washed quinoa
1 cup sliced or slivered almonds
4 cups chicken stock
1 large, very ripe tomato, chopped into oblivion
5 large garlic cloves, finely minced (also into oblivion, unlike you like big ole chunks of garlic)
2 cups peas (I used frozen)
4 strips of bacon (chopped into whatever size pieced you'd like)
1 whole serrano chili pepper
Sea salt and black pepper to taste
Directions:
One of the errands I ran this morning included buying ingredients to make cheesecake! A while back, my mom's friends brought back a ton of fruit for us from their trip to Ohio. There was more than we could ever hope to eat before it all spoiled (and it was getting awfully close, believe me), so I was just looking for a means of using it all up.
In the end, I made 2 different kinds of cheesecake: 1 pear, and 1 lime-pawpaw.
 |
| Pear cheesecake with walnuts (on the bottom) |
I'm not going to post a photo of the lime-pawpaw cheesecake because it looks like crap... :/
Both cheesecakes taste just fine, but they didn't quite set as solidly as I wanted. And this was with me baking it twice as long as the recipe called for (there were even a couple of cracks along the top). I'm going to make the assumption that the fruit puree to cream cheese ratio wasn't quite correct. If only I could find my purple sweet potato cheesecake recipe...
In addition to the cheesecakes, I also made some quinoa! Had some sitting around so I figured, why not?
 |
| Quinoa with peas, bacon and sliced almonds |
I've made quinoa a number of times before, but for some weird reason, this batch was the best I've made so far! It was so much more flavorful than others I've made, which I don't entirely understand because I didn't reduce the stock for more concentrated flavor like I normally do. Maybe it was just the different combination of the ingredients that I used this time.
Eh well, if anyone would like the recipe, here it is!
Ingredients:
2 cups uncooked, pre-washed quinoa
1 cup sliced or slivered almonds
4 cups chicken stock
1 large, very ripe tomato, chopped into oblivion
5 large garlic cloves, finely minced (also into oblivion, unlike you like big ole chunks of garlic)
2 cups peas (I used frozen)
4 strips of bacon (chopped into whatever size pieced you'd like)
1 whole serrano chili pepper
Sea salt and black pepper to taste
Directions:
- Combine the quinoa and the almonds in a pan over a low flame. Stir regularly until the almonds and quinoa are slightly browned. Transfer to a pot (or in my case, the rice cooker)
- Cook the chopped bacon in the pan. Once it's done, add the chicken stock to the pan as well. Stir well to make sure you scrape up all the little browned bits (aka the deliciously fatty flavor, bwah ha ha).
- After you've brought the stock to a simmer, combine it with the almonds and quinoa in the pot. Add the tomatoes, garlic, peas and the serrano chili pepper. Don't chop up the serrano chili pepper until you know you can take the heat >;)
- Stir until evenly mixed, add salt and pepper to taste.
- If you're using a rice cooker like I did, just set it like you would for regular, white rice. If you're preparing this on the stove, bring the pot to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Cook until the quinoa is tender, but still "chewy." The little white tendril thingies on the grains should be visible.
Or you can just follow whatever directions are on the quinoa packaging :) - Once the quinoa is done, don't forget to remove the serrano pepper! An unsuspecting diner who bites down on that with either love you or hate you. I'm guessing hate...haha.
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