First Tattoo Design!

I recently received my first real request for a tattoo design from 2 of my derby league-mates.  Don't get me wrong, I've had people ask me about tattoo designs before, but most of those people were either indecisive or merely entertaining the idea--Few were seriously considering permanently inking their skin.  This was the first time that someone (well, 2 someones) actually went through with it!

And what was the design of?

A saucy pin-up girl?
A fire-breathing dragon wrassling a panther?
An ode to the memory of a loved one?

NAY!

'Twas 2 high-fiving cartoon cats, bahaha!

Magical things happen when those paws touch

I offered to draw something a little more realistic, but this is what they wanted :)  And apparently the actual tattoo artist just happened to be one of the Chicago Bruise Brothers. Oh derby, the strange ways you bring people together. 

I think my next tattoo design should be a lemur eating a doughnut with sprinkles.

This also needs to be added to my resume:  Artist.  Illustrator.  Derby Skater.  Tattoo Designer.

Baked Pineapple

--Begin requisite "Oh my I haven't posted here in quite a while"-comment--

Ah ha!  Haven't used this blog in a long while!  Since more or less everything creative that I've worked on has been roller derby related, I've mainly been posting over on my derby art blog.  But I admit I'm still behind there as well.  I've managed to post all the work from the 2012 season, but nothing from 2013 yet...and it's JUNE!  Good God, the year is already almost half-over!  Sick!

--End manic blabbering--

Anyway, normally on Wednesday nights I'd be skating like a sweaty beast at derby practice.  However, tonight's practice was cancelled due to a huge storm that's more or less engulfed the whole of Illinois (and several bordering states).  So far the storm has been pretty lackluster--at least in my immediate vicinity. Yes it was raining at some point, and yes it got ominously dark this afternoon, but that's about it.  Kinda disappointed.  If it was going to be bad enough that we had to cancel practice, I was hoping that the storm would have been a little more exciting 'round these parts.

Nope.

So instead I decided to finally try out this baked pineapple recipe that I found in a book at work.  I had never heard of much less tasted this dish before, but being a pineapple-loving fiend, I was eager to give it a go.

Ordinarily I'll tweak a recipe as I go to suit my tastes, but having no idea what to expect from this, I followed it to a T.  Well, sorta.  I did have to substitute some brown sugar when I ran out of regular sugar, and I used almond milk in place of the water.  But other than that, I followed the recipe exactly.

The recipe itself is super simple.  Even the ingredient list is pretty minimal (a can of crushed pineapple, eggs, sugar, corn starch, cinnamon etc.).  Here's how it turned out:
 

The texture isn't unlike applesauce, though it is less grainy and more creamy.  It is a bit too sweet for me (this surprises no one, I know), and even though I wasn't familiar with the dessert to begin with (according to this recipe it's big in Pennsylvania??), I think I was hoping for something with just a little more bounce like a custard, flan or panna cotta.  So, next time I plan on cutting back on the sugar, and adding more eggs and such.

Still, the baked pineapple is really flavorful--like pineapple compote!  I think it'd go really well on top of a scoop of vanilla ice cream or tart frozen yogurt.  Or better yet, cottage cheese. Something cool and fresh to help cut through all the sweetness :)

Plus fruit and cheese...c'mon, one of life's best combinations!

In case anyone else would like to try their hand at baked pineapple, I'll post the recipe!

Ingredients:

• 20-oz can of crushed pineapple (do not drain)
• 1/4 cup of water (I used almond milk)
• 2 tablespoons of cornstarch
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup of sugar
• 2 tablespoons of butter
• Cinnamon to taste

Directions:

1. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees
2. Poor pineapple into a 2-quart baking dish; set aside
3. Combine water and cornstarch; pour over pineapple
4. Whisk eggs and sugar together; pour over pineapple mixture and stir
5. Dot with butter and then sprinkle with cinnamon
6. Bake for 1 hour

Simple enough, no?

Psss---Don't worry, Bloomies...I'm bringing most of it to work for you guys to try :)

  

  

Knuckle Down Derby Art

*Sigh*  I should be ashamed at how long it's been since I've last updated here.  Actually, I am.  But in my defense, I have since launched a separate, derby-specific art blog.  Because the vast majority of the art I've been working on has been for my roller derby league, I thought it best to keep it in a separate art blog.  I didn't want to inundate this one with it.  I'll post some of my roller derby art on this blog here and there, but there are more posters more detailed descriptions to read there. 

Go on. Have yourself a gander :)

Hopefully I'll be able to update with more stuff pretty soon.  I'll have a couple of cooking related blog entries to post as well.  I've been sitting on once since this summer, and I'm in the middle of another one right as I type this.  So stay tuned!

DuPage Derby Dames Roller Derby Merch on Cafepress!

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!

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!

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!

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!

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.

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!

And don't forget!  The day after the food drive is our recruitment night!  Whether you're dying to strap on skates or you're merely curious about the world of roller derby, you should come on by!  No experience needed!  We'll teach you everything you need to know! 

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 :)

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...

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):

1. Watch (nothing super nice--something plastic that can take quite a beating at work.  Bonus if it's cute, funky and brightly colored)
2. Converse Chuck Taylor All-Stars (Hi-Tops) in Women's Size 8 (in Green, Orange, Yellow, Purple, Turquoise or any other bold color)
3. Sneakers (as much as I love my Chucks, they're not the greatest for exercise)
4. New wheels (and bearings) for my quad/roller skates (something just a little harder, as the ones I have are pretty grippy)
5. Normandy Crew Tee (LOVE the design!) (in XXL -- Apparently BioWare's Ts run kinda small)
6. N7 Armour Stripe Hoody (in L) (I have the men's, but this is the women's :P)
7. N7 Thermal Hoody (in XXL)
8. 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.  
9. Mass Effect 3 (The game doesn't come out until March 2012, so it'd be a pre-order)
10. Threadless gift card (I love their designs but somehow have never managed to buy anything :(  )
11. Hilarious, quirky, nerdy or well-designed T-shirts (like the ones @ Threadless :P  )
12. Joann Fabrics gift card (Seriously.  Cosplay is an expensive hobby...)
13. Target gift card
14. Copic Markers (Sketch, Set A, 72 pc set)  I obviously do not actually expect anyone to drop this kind of dough on me. 
15. Pre-Registration for ACen (with badge shipping)
16. 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!).
17. Funky/cute mugs
18. Cute/Funky small umbrella (the kind that can fit inside a bag--mine broke)
19. Regular Show Girls T-shirt  in XXL (freaking Juniors' sizing...)
20. Regular Show "Oooooooh!" T-shirt in Medium
21. 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!
1. Adventure Time Grass T-shirt  in Medium
2. Adventure Time Girls T-shirt (white w/ shoulder stripes) in 2X or 3X...  SO CUTE!
22. Sailor Moon Raglan T-shirt in 2X or 3X
23. Sailor Moon and Sailor Senshi Black T-shirt in 2X or 3X
24. Super Mario Bros. Green Turtle Shell Plushie (with sound!)
25. Super Mario Bros. Star T-shirt in Medium
26. 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! 

We're looking for referees, non-skating officials (NSOs) and bout volunteers in addition to skaters, so men are welcome to attend as well! No prior experience is required. Feel free to ask if you have any questions!

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.

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:

1. 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)
2. 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).
3. 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 >;)
4. Stir until evenly mixed, add salt and pepper to taste.
5. 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 :)
6. 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.

Homemade Candy Skulls!

The DuPage Derby Dames Halloween Bowl-A-Rama Fundraiser is this Sunday night!  My original plan was to contribute to both the craft table and the bake sale, but because of family-related insanity, I'm afraid I only had enough time to commit to one :(  I already bought all of my supplies for making Halloween-themed chocolate-covered pretzel rods, so the bake sale won out.

I'll be spending all day tomorrow making the pretzel rods and some chocolate lollies, but I spent the last couple of nights making another ghoulish-looking treat to accompany them:  Candy skulls!

Deliciously Gruesome!

1 white (vanilla), 1 red (also vanilla) and 1 chocolate!

Each skull is about the size of a baseball, if not a little larger.

The skulls are completely 3-dimensional and entirely edible.  And, if you crack the skulls open, you'll find that their brain cavities are infested with gummy worms.  Bwah ha ha ha!  >:P

I may or may not be a disturbed individual...

In case anyone is wondering about the process, I basically just partially filled a store-bought mold with enough Wilton's brand candy melts to coat the surface of the mold--I didn't want to fill the mold entirely because I wanted to have a hollow cavity to fill with gummy worms.  After the skull "shells" hardened in the freezer, I punched holes in the eye sockets and slipped a gummy worm through.  I crammed a fist full of worms in one of the skull halves and then used more melted candy to cement the front and back halves of the skulls together.

At this point, the skulls were really smooth and shiny (except for around the "seam").  It was pretty, but I wanted the skulls to have more of an aged or antiqued look to them.  In order to achieve this, I smeared small amounts of the chocolate melts all over the skulls to emulate the look of dirt and decay. 

I only made 4 for the fundraiser (and one of them might be raffled off as a prize).  So, if you want to get your hands on one, you'll have to stop by!

Or you can always commission one from me...  But you really ought to come to the fundraiser, too! ;)

DuPage Derby Dames Halloween Bowl-A-Rama Fundraiser (*gaspsforair*)

I was tasked with working on a flyer for The DuPage Derby Dames Halloween Bowl-A-Rama Fundraiser.  Not having a lot of hi-res photos to work with, my natural inclination was to make a drawing for it.

And so I did :)

Remember, she's holding a bowling ball because the fundraiser is a bowling event!
There are no balls in roller derby otherwise...unless you're a coach or ref...HAHAHA
(Oh yeah, totally went there) :P

As you can see, this is merely the girl I drew for the flyer.  If you want to see the flyer itself, stop on by the DuPage Derby Dames website or check out the Facebook page!

2 More Photomatics - Goodbye and Good Luck!

Here are the second and third in the MS-SOS mixer photomatic series.  Once again, these feature photographs taken by Bruce "McMoosie" Berna.  

She's got a thunderous roar and speed like lightning!
#92 - It's Stormin' Stella!

She's so dangerous even her name is a weapon >:D
#27 - Lady Arsenal!

Unfortunately for us, Stella, Lady Arsenal and Legal Tenderizer all had to make the decision to leave The Dames recently.  I hope these photomatics will be considered appropriate parting gifts!  Ladies, I'm glad that I had the chance to skate by your side (or against you, as the case was at the mixer :P).  Good luck in all that you do!  You all be missed!

Legal Tenderizer Photomatic

Remember how I said I had more derby-related projects I wanted to work on?  Well, here's one of them!
 

If she doesn't get you in the courtroom, she'll get you on the track!
Skating as #55, it's Legal Tenderizer!

This is the first in a small series of relatively simple photomatics I'm putting together using McMoosie's photos from the MS-SOS mixer.  It's basically just an animated GIF with a slightly snazzier sounding name :)  

More to come!

Roller Derby Ninja Costume - Photos!

As hectic as last week was, I miraculously managed to finish my ninja costume for the roller derby mixer event hosted by the Mid-State Sisters of Skate (MS-SOS) of Stevens Point, WI.  The overall design took a different direction than what I originally intended, and it turned out a little rushed and sloppy.  If anything, it was at least good practice for making another, better version.  A girl can never have too many ninja costumes!

Anyway, I thought I'd go ahead and blog about the process of making the costume.  I'm going to try to be as informative as possible without going into too many details, so this is going to be a pretty long entry, I'm sure.  Well, let's get started!

First of all, all of the participating skaters were mixed into different teams (I was on Team Ninja Kittens) and were responsible for providing their own appropriately colored "jerseys."  A plain T-shirt with a skater's derby number written in marker would have been enough, but costumes were encouraged as well.  

Um.  Costumes?  YES, PLEASE!  Being a cosplayer and all, I just couldn't pass up the excuse opportunity to make a ninja costume :P

My team was naturally assigned black as their team color, so I chose to work with black interlock fabric (a knitted T-shirt-like fabric) because it's soft, relatively cheap and offers a decent amount of stretch--an important factor when sewing activewear.  As a nod to my home derby league, The DuPage Derby Dames (whose colors are black and green), I opted to use green as a contrasting color as well.  

In case you're wondering what materials I used...Black and green interlock fabric, interfacing (to stiffen the collar), black and green all-purpose thread, opaque white fabric ink, measuring tape, pins, marking pens, ruler, paintbrush, 30-60-90 triangle, sheet of acetate, ex-acto knife (not pictured) and my trusty singer sewing machine! 

Not having a pattern to work off of, I used this great site as a reference for how to construct a basic kosode (the double-breasted kimono top/robe, whatever you'd like to call it).  I traced, cut out and sewed the pieces as per the directions, though I did modify the measurements a bit.  I just wanted to streamline the design to flatter my body as much as possible (no easy task, let me tell you).  I also didn't bother making the sleeves, and added two little ties to the inside as an extra precaution to ensure that the kosode wouldn't fly open on me.

Seriously, nobody needs to see that... 

The basic kosode left open to show the interior ties

Close-up!

And closed!

The directions on that site were very clear for the most part, but I did have a little bit of trouble figuring out how to cut the neckline.  That particular section was a little bit confusing so I'm not really sure if I ever did it correctly.  Even so, it still looked okay.

While attempting to finish the hem, I accidentally cut the the kosode shorter than I originally intended.  I had wanted it to come down like a skirt or dress, similar to Kurotsuchi Nemu from the anime, BLEACH. Though I wasn't happy with the length I simply finished the hem and moved on to the next step because I had little time to waste.  I hand-cut a stencil of my derby name and number out of acetate sheets and painted them onto a large square of black fabric with opaque, white fabric ink.  Then I loosely stitched the square to the back of the kosode like a big patch so that I could remove it easily enough with a seam ripper if I wanted to.  I just didn't want to paint my name and number directly onto the kosode itself because I wasn't sure if I'd want to keep the costume for other uses as well (like Halloween, cosplay or random ninja missions--you know how it goes).

Cutting out all of those infernal letters with an ex-acto knife was
murder on the fingers, let me tell you...

The patch sewn onto the back of the kosode

For the sake of movement ease, I decided not to make a super wide belt (obi) like Nemu's.  Instead I made a long obi similar to the kinds worn with martial arts uniforms, only just a little bit wider (about 3.5" wide).  Without realizing it, I stretched the obi fabric too much when I was sewing it, resulting in irregular, scalloped edges.  Fortunately, the scalloping wasn't really apparent when the obi was tied taut around my waist.

Folded up obi and two armbands marked with my derby number.

Also, if you know what my number is a reference to, you are awesome.

And by "awesome" I mean you're a ginormous dork like me :P

In addition to the back of their shirts, skaters are also required to display their derby numbers on their arms or sleeves as well.  Again, I could have just written the numbers across my arms with marker, but I wanted a more permanent option.  With some leftover green fabric that I had used for the obi, I threw together 2 very sloppy armbands and stenciled my derby number on top.

Here is a photo of the kosode and the obi on the mannequin.  It hangs a little differently on it than on me because the mannequin is about half my size... but you get the general idea.

To complete the outfit, I wore a pair of black soffe shorts and a fishnet body suit underneath that I had worn years back for my Mitarashi Anko (Naruto) costume.  You can see the complete costume in action in the photos below!  All of the following photos were taken by Bruce "McMoosie" Berna.  He has literally thousands of photos he took at the bout posted on his Flickr account, so go give him some love!

Introducing #N7 - Knuckle Sammich!  (aka "Knuckles")

 

 

The obi was tied extra tight for the bout (skaters can pull on their teammates' bodies--this includes belts--to propel themselves forward), hence why it looks so narrow in the photos. 

 Stoic ninja pose?

I would like this photo better if I didn't have the Mouth Guard Puffy-Face going on, haha...

 As sloppy as the whole costume was, I was pleased with the end result.  It received some compliments, it was comfortable and it didn't unravel or open accidentally despite the rough activity and several falls.  And thank goodness for that because God forbid my name and the phrase "wardrobe malfunction" should ever be in the same sentence...Hahaha :P

Until next time!

P.S.  I'm sure everyone is more or less sick of hearing me go on and on about roller derby, but I do have a couple of other derby-related projects in mind... Just thought I'd give fair warning :)

I'm a Ninja Kitten

Next weekend I'll be skating in my first ever roller derby bout (and I'll be working on a new art project in order to prep for it)!  As opposed to a regular "season" bout, it's a mixer where a number of derby leagues are sending up 4 of their players to compete in shuffled teams.  There will be 2 bouts and therefore 4 teams total: 2 A-level teams consisting of more experienced players (The Alley Cats vs. The Junkyard Dogs) and 2 B-teams for beginners like me (Ninja Kittens vs. Pirate Puppies).

I was assigned to the Ninja Kittens team, and I'm kind of excited about it.  I mean, I might be more partial to dogs than cats, but I do loves my ninjas!  And that's where my new project comes in.  Each skater is responsible for providing her own costume or jersey, so as a cosplayer, how can I not try to put together a ninja costume? 

I only have a week (with no days off from work in between), so I'm going to stick with a fairly simple design.  The team color for the Ninja Kittens is black (naturally), so the costume will be a short, black, sleeveless kosode.  It will more or less look similar to the shinigami shihakusho that Nemu from BLEACH wears with some differences.  I'm not going to bother making the white layer under the black kosode, and instead of having a wide obi (belt) like Nemu, it'll be a thinner, red one vaguely similar to what you see on various martial arts uniforms.  The kosode will also be a little longer in length than Nemu's so I don't accidentally put on a show for everyone if you catch my drift.  This will also be why I'll have a pair of shorts on underneath, haha.  For the sake of comfort and ease of movement it will be made from interlock jersey fabric.  When I put the entire costume together, it will also include the fishnet body suit that I used for my Mitarashi Anko costume (Naruto).  I figure that will add a nice finishing touch.  I'd include a headband as well only there's no point in making one since I'll be wearing a helmet.

I'm sorry to say that I don't have any images to post for you guys just yet.  As soon as I have some, I'll  be sure to post them here!

You Can Call Me Knuckles

The roller derby team I joined this summer had a photographer come in a couple of weeks ago to take group shots and head shots of all my fellow DuPage Derby Dames.  Unfortunately, I missed that practice and thus, have no photos.  I wasn't too disappointed because we'll have more photo shoots in the future, but seeing everyone's head shots did make me feel like I missed out just the tiniest bit.  So, I did the next best thing and drew my own derby shot!

 

I look so much cuter here than in real life, hur hur hur :P

Also, while it will be pending approval, it looks like my official derby name will be Knuckle Sammich.  It was suggested by my future sister-in-law (that is, my brother's fiance).  Honestly, I wasn't 100% sold on the name, so save for a few co-workers and friends, I mostly kept it to myself.  Here's the kicker though, out of no where, the Dames nicknamed me...Knuckles.  Sign from God?  Some would say it is so...

Meet Kiku: My Entry for Anime World Chicago's Mascot Design Contest

Anime World Chicago, a brand-spankin' new anime convention premiering August 19th, held a contest to design the convention's mascot for next year.  This was my entry.  I gave her the name "Kiku," the Japanese word for Chrysanthemum, as it is the official flower of Chicago.  I tried to carry the chrysanthemum motif across in the mini-kimono print, used it to replace the star in the Converse Chuck Taylor All-Star logo, mimicked the shape of the petals in her hair style (evident in the puff/tuft and her bangs), and of course, added the actual flower tucked behind her ear :)

I shortened and stylized the kimono a little bit and added the skinny jeans and Chucks in an attempt to blend together traditional Japanese and modern American styles.  As an additional nod to Chicago, I used the city's flag design in Kiku's obi (the wide belt), and repeated the 6-point stars from the flag in her hair accessories. 

In the end I didn't win.  Honestly, I would have been more surprised if I had.  I really didn't expect to win because I didn't get a chance to work on the design or even come up with a concept until the very last minute.  As in, mere hours before the deadline.  In fact, in order to be able to submit a design at all, I had to send it in unfinished (bleh, I'm embarrassed, hahaha).  The version that the judges received had flat colors.  I only added in the gradients and the shading later on for my own satisfaction, though I am entertaining the idea of further polishing it up just for kicks.

If I had more time to work on the design, I would have come up with a stronger concept and more dynamic pose.  Eh well.  At least I got another drawing done!

Congratulations to the contest winners!

 

Just Another Day at the Bookstore: Based on a True Story

Just so's y'alls knows, this is a reeeally big image.  You'll have to click it to see it at full-size!

If you weren't aware, I work at a used bookstore (the awesomestest one evar!) that sells and buys books and media from the community.  Most of our customers are fabulous people, but every so often we get some who are...significantly less fabulous.  Like the title says, this comic was inspired by true events--Events from just a few weeks ago, actually.  In fact, the conversation is pretty darn close to verbatim of what "Mr. Gray" said to me.

And no, he didn't tell me that I was fat and that he hates me...But he was thinkin' it!  Haha!

Co-starring in this comic is co-worker extraordinaire, Josh!  And yes, he really did give him the stink-eye.  He told me he did anyway :P

Practice Sketch: Josh

Super rough (keyword!) sketch of another one of my

awesome co-workers (and easily the funniest guy I know), Josh!  

Even though I'm still not finished with the big side project I've been working on, I had a little "incident" at work that I feel compelled to illustrate as a comic.  Josh will make an appearance in it, so I started doodling some practice sketches of him.  Despite the look of the sketch, I don't want this comic to be very detailed/realistic, so I'll need to reduce down his features into more generic, cartoony forms than what you see here.  I'm not sure what sort of style I'll be working with just yet though--need to do some more sketches first.

Odd little note:  Even when drawing them as cartoons, I tend to draw real people in different style than if I were to just make someone up.  I figure it's because I try really hard to capture some defining physical characteristics of that person so that even the cartoon versions bare some resemblance to their real-world counterparts (like good caricatures).  Unless I'm going for a very specific visual style, I don't usually draw real people with features so generic they can represent pretty much anyone.