Marci Senders

Self-Portrait Shrinky Dinks

So sorry that my photography has been awful lately but bad photo and all, I had to show this charm I made. Yes, it is a self-portrait and yes, it is an old-school Shrinky Dink.  I made 18 charms, just like this one, for an anniversary swap for one of the groups I am involved in. Notice all the party hats! I loved the idea of taking a children's product, and seeing what I could do with it as an adult. I am sure there will be much more experimenting with Shrinky Dinks in my future. See here for more inspiration. Here is the group...pre-shrinking.

Good But Stressful

Just a quick update on my life and an exuse for not doing any artwork...
After 4 years of living in NYC, I just checked the box "Will not renew lease" on my lease agreement today. I am going to head to Brooklyn for more space and hopefully slightly cheaper rent. The rent increase for my 300 sq ft apartment just isn't worth it. It is a little scary since I didn't renew my lease and apartments aren't yet available for when I need to move in. There is a sense of possible "homelessness". I am hopeful I am going to find some place great and roomy and inspiring! This will be the fourth time I have moved since I've graduated college so you think I'd be used to moving by now. I actually thought I had another month before I moved but I guess I was just wishful thinking.
When I moved to this apartment I actually downsized. I didn't need extra room for creating art and didn't need storage for my yarn. So I am now Brooklyn bound. Where exactly, we shall see!

Gatsby Pumpkin

Here is a pumpkin that I carved to bring to Amber's Gatsy themed party last night. You may not know what it is at first but the design was inspired by this. That's right, its supposed to by a chandelier. My carving skills are a little out of shape but its close enough and I am OK with people saying its a spider. Had too much fun and forgot to take pics of the pumpkin at the party.

I love making things that have a special bonus.

I toasted the pumpkin seeds was garlic and salt and they were goood!

Buttons!

A little photo essay on fabric covered buttons I made tonight...

The buttons are from yesterday's package and I really, really love this wrap sweater. Unfortunelty, the buttons they came with keep on coming off. It was the perfect marriage. I wear a lot of black so I was going to use a colorful, printed fabric. Very adventurous for me. Then I remembered I had bought this newsprint fabric, it all just came together!

Knowing My Name

As soon as I decided on a name of my very soon-to-be-opened Etsy shop, I ordered these woven labels. Well the time is almost here but I thought I'd show off the labels. I was hoping to get them before I sent out my Back Tack 3 bunny...oh well. I think they will do for now, I hope to make linen labels eventually. I plan on folding them half and sewing them onto the back. Got to get stitching...

Back Tack III is Here!

I woke up bright and early this morning to mail out my Back Tack III project. I know I am a couple of days late. I was waiting for the woven labels I ordered and they never arrived. I ended up embroidering my initials so there was some type of signature and sent it on its way this morning to Pink Chalk Studio.

And karma can move pretty quickly...My package arrived from Blempgorf today. Yeah! Even the box looks amazing! I am so excited to welcome Molly the Bunny into my home!

Thank you, thank you, thank you Jenny! I already have big plans for all the extra goodies you sent me!

***No cats were harmed in the mailing of Back Tack III!***

Home Sweet Home

I thought I'd try something a little differnet then my norn. This is a felt house ornament I made for a carepackage for my friends who moved to Australia...yes that is a Kangaroo in the backyard. I was inspired by this site. I did keep the stitches really simple.
As I hint for my Back Tack 3 project, I think I will be making a lot of pink items to accompany my actual project. I really want to use the package as an excuse to go back to experimental mode with many of my patterns. There are just so many wonderful things out there, I just want them to be even more special. As an update, I am finished with the body and next I am going to wrk on the face. I can't believe I got the body done so quickly.
I started going to An Artist Way group. We are going to meet every other week. I think this will be good for me since I was doing "Week 1" for over three months.

Sampler Slacker

So I feel like a slacker since I haven't posted at all this week. I have been busy...I just haven't made anything. At the last minute, I decided to take a break from work and I took an embroidery workshop at Make. I was really inspired by http://needlebook.blogspot.com/ and a knitted hat she embroidered on. I am working on a crocheted hat and embroider.

Sampler

Here is the sampler I made. I still want to make all the stitches on the handout we were given. I never thought to embroider on gingham, it makes it really easy to embroider a straight line. I also love the pink, put that has nothing to do with anything.
I know I embroider a lot, but I am self taught and lately the hap-hazard quatily isn't cutting it for me anymore. It is good to know technical names and the "correct" way to do things. Since I am such I visual person, I like taking workshops. It is also more fun to learn in a group. We were also given an Aunt Martha pattern to practice on and I just can't wait to embroider this kitty!

Chicken Update

So here is my chicken quilt. I have been working on it for over two years and it is still a work in progress. I did pick it up again a couple of weeks ago and added the border. I felt like I had to show my progress so I have a reminder to myself to finish it. It blows my mind how much I have learned since I started this quilt. I didn't do Altered Books and this is before I learned how to crochet. Well, I finally am in the home stretch.
I also wanted to posted this, other than a request from my friend Amber, since I seem to be in progress with a lot of projects and would not have anything to show otherwise. I took a long weekend basically to get a lot of my personal projects finished and I feel like I started more than I finished but I am glad that I am keeping myself busy.
This is what I am working on: I have a cellphone bag and diaper pouch for my sister that I am procrastinating putting the trim on. I did show her the unfinished pieces today and she liked them which is a HUGE accomplishment in itself. With the leftover wool, I started making a mitered crochet hat. I just wanted to try a hat pattern that was not a beenie...something different. I also have a mini-book that I made out of "Minties" wrappers waiting for me to collage elements onto it. I did wash my floors this weekend!
I did mean to work on the chicken quilt and make a Wee Wonderful pointy kitty. All in all, I think I had a pretty productive long weekend!

Art You Can Eat

OK...I had been practicing all week and I haven't felt this much preasure in a really long time! I was asked to help my sister make two dozen cupcakes into soccerballs for my nephew's 4th birthday party...eeck! Well, after all the sketches, I think they turned out pretty well. My sister did stand over me the entire time. I simplied the design as much as possible to make it easier on myself. And there was one disaster that was distroyed (aka eaten) before the big day. I think the trick was that my sister made the cupcakes early in the morning and the white icing was able to be applied in enough time to harden before I drew the black lines. Well, I must have done OK since they were all eaten. Thankfully, only the kids got the soccer balls, the adults got cupcakes with plain white icing. They actually didn't take that long, I expected to be up all night. I think it took a max of two hour, including putting the frosting on the on the adults' cupcakes. I think my nephew was surprised!
I had to put the Astist's Way on hold for now. I am just not focusing enough on it to get the most out of it right now. I am thinking I will start it up again on my birthday in June. I know that is a long time away but I always have a little more personal time in the summer.