how to make cat ears for halloween costume

i made these for a costume a while back, and in the spirit of halloween (my fav celebration ever!) im posting instructions on how to make these simple and easy kitty ears!

WHAT I USED:

1 black hair band

2 pieces of 18 gauge wire, 7" long

black furry material

black thread

TOOLS:

wire cutters

sewing kit

scissors

marker (metallic or white works great)

TO MAKE THE FRAME:

 
1. Take the wires, and bend each in half. Open it up to a acute triangle, and using your hands to work with the shape, make it into a cone with curved sides.

2. Lay out the wires on a flat surface, and place the headband on top of it for spacing purposes. i suggest about 1-2 inches between the ears, and 3-4 inches extended from the headband. Using your marker, indicate on the wire and on the hairband where the two meets.

3.  At the marked spots, bend each end of wire around the headband, once or twice to secure. Adjust the wire so its in the middle of the width of the hairband. Repeat for each wire end. 

4. Use the wire cutter to cut off any excess wire, and give a couple of good squeezes on the wire & hairband to secure it in place. Now you have the frame ready!

THE FABRIC PART:

1. Take the furry black fabric, and cut out it into 2 4x8 pieces

2.  Fold each piece in half, with the furry side facing in, and backside facing out

3.  Put the ear frames and hairband between the fabric sandwich, open side up. Align it so the hairband matches the bottom edge of the fabric square

4. With your metallic marker outline the ears, using the wired frame as a guide. Generously mark outside the wires, so to leave room for sewing.

5.  Using your scissors, cut along your markings. You should have a 2 petal shaped fabric pieces when they're opened up. We're now ready to assemble!

PUTTING IT TOGETHER!

1.  Sandwich the wire frame in the middle of the petal, with the fuzzy side of the fabric facing out.

2.  Adjust and tug so that the bottom of the fabric is against the hairband, and all fabric is covering the wire. Match up the triangles on both side so that they are flushed against each other.

3.  Using black thread, sew along the edges of the ears, making sure its covering the wire completely. Sometimes it may be helpful in securing the fabric to put a couple of stitches on the inside of the wire.

4.  At the base of the ears, make a couple of wide stitches around the hairband in a spiral pattern. Feel free to go over the stitches with another set in the opposite direction.

TADA! now you have a some awesome handmade cat ears for Halloween!

RAW: On Fire

Back in August, I participated in one of the first shows I've done all year. It was the week right after my freelance design gig ended with me deciding that graphic designing in the corporate world just isn't for me. Thus I kind of see this show as me living into the new life im creating for myself.

The show was produced by an organization called RAW, and the venue was at a swanky place in downtown LA called Elevate. This night featured 5 of us artists, involved a fashion show, and even had a awesome show with a breakdancing crew called B-Bots. In this show I displayed one of my older pieces from last year, the "I Think It Turned Black" Munny, which came out of my art storage for the first time in a while. I also for the very first time debuted a couple of my newer pieces, including the Budweiser Munny i named Bud, and my various 12x12 Black Pink & White canvases. Some of the art is available for sale at superpao.etsy.com, but here are some pics from the show!

The floating stands you see here were of my own concoction. I think I'll write a tutorial on that soon, and also hanging art on the damn glass. What a puzzle and so not what I needed to worry about with an upcoming show. REGARDLESS, the show turned out great, and I'm glad I done it.

Also, one of the cool artists that also showed that night was Ben, check out his work here.

AUTUMN LUV CANDLE GIVEAWAY by KOKOCANDLES

Getting ready for the fall season? Enter now for a chance to win KOKOCANDLES' "Autumn Luv" Candle Giveaway!

One WINNER will receive a

MINI PINK CUPCAKE CANDLE
(from the complete set: Neapolitan Mini Cupcake Candles by KOKOCANDLES)

HOW TO ENTER:

1. Follow @kokocandles on twitter

2. Tweet the complete phrase:   

AUTUMNLUV CANDLE GIVEAWAY! RT to win a PINK MINI CUPCAKE CANDLE from KOKOCANDLES #giveaway #kokocandles http://bit.ly/bZ0k1m

3. Watch twitter to see if you are the lucky winner! Winner will be notified through DM

Contest ends 9/14/2010 11:59 PST. Limit 1 tweet per hour. Contest ends TUE Sept 14, 2010 11:59 PDT. Open to USA, Mexico & Canada

CONGRATS @ThatTweetThing for the winning tweet!

Thanks everyone who participated, and see ya next time for more goodies. Sign up for [KOKOCANDLES] email newsletter receive code for a free gift with any purchase

showing my goods

This post is a bit late, but if not now then when right? I had a couple of pieces in an art show recently, hosted by Daydream Republic. It was the cutest idea ever, all girl artist cast, all girl comedians, topped off with cupcakes & an open bar.

Overall a memorable & fun experience that couldn't have come at a better time. Right before i was contacted, i began painting again. It was a bit scary and I really was hesitant to put my art out. I mean, I don't do shows, I paint to paint, afterall, they're just shapes. It makes me realize tho that sometimes all you have to do is let yourself accept opportunities and KILL THE DOUBT.

THE L WORD: season 3

The L Word, why are you getting so bad? i literally cant watch you anymore, i cant even keep you on the background. You started out pertty good in season 1, but its getting a lil ridiculous.

We watch shows and have entertainment so we can be entertained. Not to feel like what the hell is this crap and be mentally dragged down (or to watch a girl on girl sex scene for 5 whole minutes. really is this what your audience wants to see? because its kind of boring and not that hot). The characters has stopped evolving and repeats their own patterns. It seems like all they know how to do is follow their momentary passion/stupidity and fuck, even if they are in a freaking relationship (ie Jenny & Maxx, Bett & Tina, Shane & Carmen). Also, speaking of fuck, your show doesn't instantaneously become edgy when the character's every other word is "fuck" or a variation of it, it just gets kind of annoying and makes me think your writers cant write. Where did the wit and humor go, The L Word? Where did the story line go? Where did your talent go? Your characters are flat, boring, psycho, cheaters, and depressing.

Tattoo Art

a tattoo art i illustrated for someone a while ago

4 annoying things you do on twitter

1. when the last 10 tweets in in my feed row are yours, i WILL stop following you (especially when you are a stranger to me)
2. i really dont like hearing about your pet. it just means that you really dont have a life...or friends
3. sometimes i dont like hearing about your kids too
4. when the only thing you tweet about is your new listing or relisted listing on etsy

CONGRATS @afinegirlyar for the winning tweet!

Thanks everyone who participated, and seee ya next time for some giveaways. Follow @kokocandles for latest contests & updates!

ST PADDY'S DAY CANDLE GIVEAWAY by KOKOCANDLES (me)

Feeling like your lucky day is coming to an end? No worries! Enter now for a chance to win KOKOCANDLES' extended St Paddy's Day Candle Giveaway!

One WINNER will receive a

MINI PINK CUPCAKE CANDLE

HOW TO ENTER:

1. Follow @kokocandles on twitter

2. Tweet the complete phrase:  
Get lucky! RT to win a MINI CUPCAKE CANDLE from #kokocandles #giveaway http://bit.ly/9io1le

3. Watch twitter to see if you are the lucky winner! Winner will be notified through DM

One lucky Twitterer will be selected at random. Contest ends TODAY! March 18, 2010 11:59 PDT. Open to USA, Mexico & Canada

become instantly more likeable in 5 easy steps

just some social observations to increase your likability. i bet you they work, and bet you that you havent even noticed that you may not be a likable human being. your friends just dont have the balls to tell you

1. STOP COMPLAINING. its not that fun for the rest of us. if you dont want to do something, then don't do it. we dont want to hear about how you dont want to do it while you are doing it.

2. STOP THE NEGATIVITY. don't talk about how fat or unkept you are, don't talk about your unshaven legs. in fact, if its anything negative about yourself at all, just keep your mouth shut. its unattractive and you are only attracting attention to something people may not even have noticed or cared. 

3. BE CHARMING dont look like you have a stick up your ass, and dont be afraid to step out of your comfort zone. a smile goes a long way, and charm can often soften people up. it can be the difference between someone likable or not.

4. DONT BE ABRASIVE usually this comes from your personal problems, issues, situation or stresses. don't let that pollute all parts of your life. abrasiveness is very off putting in social interactions, and will push people away

5. LISTEN don't just talk about yourself, don't be self involved. don't just hear what people are saying to you, listen and process what they are actually saying, and respond to that.

im fancy: THE GORBALS

dinner at The Gorbals on a swanky friday night

-cute frindly edgy hostess
-standoffish waitress that didnt seem to want to bother with explaining the menu. then dont ask us if we have questions ok!
-please dont write your specials menu illegibly on a chalkboard door and expect people to read it correctly
-reading the menu was like reading a foreign language. 1 our of 3 words was foreign to me. 
-LOVE the atmosphere & the wooden block "bar stools". nice lighting & great mood
-saw Elia the other chef on TOP CHEF cooking in the kitchen. very cool
-none of the dishes came at the same time, not even close
-seriously? 5 mushy shrimp costs me $12?
-seriously? 4 dinky (although delicious) matzoh balls on a plate? you just look cheap at this point
-goat cheese toast with arugula salad pretty delish, but the toast was slightly burnt. confuses me as to whether this is intentional, then again, is "burnt" ever intentional?
-yummy steak, although a bit on the rare side. good portion
-the damage? $23/person. im almost full

overall experience ★★★ out of 5

restaurant with lots of potential, but sometimes bougie quirky qualities are NOT user friendly.

p.s. i LOVE the logo, not sure what its trying to convey or what mood i get, but its seeeexy ♥ 

redesign & design

my candle site redesign has been placed on the back burner forever. i finally got around to designing a new home page, below is a sneak peak of whats to come

now all that i have to do is code & make it work! which actually, is not the forte of a graphic designer, and thats probably why its taking me so long. also in the works is my new site, www.candle101.com. exciting huh? (not so much yet, i know) its going to be tutorials on how to make candles, and also articles and resources of materials and equipment to start your own candlemaking hobby. am i afraid of competition? nah! why not create and help create?!