Author: plyders

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So I have a confession to make.  I don’t always feel creative.  And even when I do make something, my inner critic can devalue my efforts fairly easily.  So I decided to give this voice a name and a face so I could overcome it, or at least confront it.  Goon.  That’s the first name that came to mind.  She is small, brown and furry, with a very long pokey nose. Oh, and she is sticking out her tongue. She is meant to be worn around my neck.  (Metaphor intended.)  I didn’t spend a lot of time designing or making Goon.  Rather, I cobbled the creature together with leftover bits. The craftsmanship is shoddy and the thing will likely fall apart in a short time. But that is intentional too.  Say goodbye to the inner critic.

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When I first drove across country to Los Angeles over ten years ago, my first glimpse of the Pacific ocean was looking west down Pico Blvd. Clear blue skies mirrored in rolling waves. Everything seemed brighter, warmer, healthier, and even happier. I was inspired by the beaches, and would make collages on old business cards. Back then, the ocean was huge; the defining feature of the city.  Urban life and traffic congestion has left me weary, and I admit I hardly notice the ocean now, even though I live just blocks from the sandy shore.

When I leave this place one day, I will look back at these little pieces of art and again remember what it felt like to see the Pacific ocean for the first time.

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The early years of elementary school are all about loosing baby teeth.  My own daughter has lost a couple while at school – never to be found again.  She was devastated and worried that the tooth fairy would not visit her without a tooth to trade.  I convinced her that the tooth fairy is very clever and never makes a mistake.  None-the-less, I am also kind of disappointed when a tooth goes missing, so I decided to create a tooth saver bag to give to teachers.  Entirely hand sewn, the brightly hued bags are made from recycled t-shirts, felt, and ribbon.  Kids proudly wear them during the day at school, keeping their tooth safe until they can bring it home and deposit it under their pillow.

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In celebration of Earth Day and Easter, my daughter and I made a basket of (yes, again) fused plastic.  1/2" strips are woven in and out of a slitted, 5-sided box base.  Extra strips are used to fill the basket like grass. One more strip becomes the handle.  I folded a few leftover squares into a hopping frog, a crane, and a butterfly.  Did I ever mention how much I love origami?

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I’m still fascinated by all the creative possibilities for fused plastic.  I have collected more plastic bags than I could ever use.  And I have found that not all bags fuse well.  Simple grocery bags are best.  But thicker, more graphic, plastic bags from retail stores provide more color and design possibilities.  Don’t mix plastics, or the fusing will be very wrinkled or bubbled as various thicknesses of plastic melt differently.  And some inks for graphics can hinder the fusing process as well.  In case you missed this link in a previous post, here is a “how to” for fusing plastic yourself.

This project is a simple folded box based upon a design from Fozzils.  I’ve also tried making the spoon, but my fused plastic is too flimsy, no matter how many layers of bags fuse together.  Obviously the high quality, food grade, polypropylene used to make Fozzils is superior in stiffness to high density polyethylene (HDPE) from which most shopping bags are made.  My box is still useful as an drawer organizer or even a tabletop decoration. 

| plyders

I’ve been working on an idea for a reversible bear for awhile now.  This is my first prototype, made entirely by hand because I could not figure out how to sew it on my machine.  I bought a rainbow assortment of t-shirts from Goodwill.  Complementary colors, green and red, heighten the contrast between the awake bear and the asleep bear. As with all prototypes, there are several things that I would do differently next time. But for now, my 10 month old loves playing with this one.

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With my first child entering kindergarten, I thought it was time to reenter the workforce. A regular schedule and a steady paycheck was really appealing. In an effort to stand out among applicants, I designed and handmade a portfolio presentation to send to prospective employers. Everything was customized to demonstrate my love of design and attention to detail. Unfortunately I couldn’t accept any offers because I subsequently conceived my second child.  Oh well, more time for making and blogging.

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I absolutely love the originality and quirkiness of John Murphy’s Stupid Sock Creatures.  These two crazy figures are made with Red Heel socks and are based on “Red Wetty” and “Estelle” found in Murphy’s book called, of course, Stupid Sock Creatures.