Carthedral's 10th Anniversary!

It's hard to believe it has been 10 years since Carthedral first took to the roads back in 2000!

I started the creation of Carthedral in October of 1999 but it wasn't road worthy until early 2000. Carthedral's first trip was to the wine country in Northern California where we were invited to the Di Rosa preserve along with several other art cars.

So much has happened over the last decade it seems like lifetimes have passed. And they have. One of the art car artist friends at the Di Rosa that first time out has since passed, as have others in the art car community... as well as my beloved canine companion Bella.

R.I.P. comrades.

Carthedral took me all the way to Seattle to the north, Houston to the east, and many places in between. She drove to the Nevada desert for the burning man festival at least six times over the span of a decade. I lost a wheel going down the freeway at 60 mph and lived to tell the tale. I was pulled over by the police only twice. I was called a satanist, a goth, a witch, Rob Zombie, and a sicko among other things. I've been spit at, bowed to, applauded, and booed. I met a couple celebrities, I've been asked for my autograph and gotten rock star parking... Most of the time, however, parking was a problem. hehe.

I've lived in the boonies, inside Carthedral, in San Francisco, on a boat, in the suburbs, a cottage, a warehouse, a condo, an apartment, and a loft.

I've been depressed, deeply hurt, ecstatic, and in love!

Over the last decade I've fallen in and out of love a couple times. I finally fell in love again and got married, and happily so! 2010 will be our 5th anniversary. David and I were married on 5.5.05 We adopted three awesome little doggies.

In 2006 Carthedral was retired to the Art Car World museum in Douglas, Arizona.

However, last year I started a new art car: The Witchmobile!!! a smaller, more humble art car but nonetheless freaky and fun!

I plan to visit Carthedral this year some time. Maybe in May. Seems appropriate as that will be the month we went to the Di Rosa ten years ago on our Maiden voyage.

I'm very grateful for all the support I've had over the years from friends and family...who never thought I was insane...at least...if they did they kept it to themselves! I was always encouraged to manifest my crazy dreams, as absurd as they were...like building a Cathedral on a hearse.

Thank you. :o)

R.I.P.

Tom Kennedy (topsy turvy bus)

and Marilyn Dreampeace (come play with me)

Joy Hat Club!

I have good news! My hat maker friend Joy finally joined the Etsy community! I'm so happy for her because it's the perfect place for her wonderful one of a kind handmade hats! Now people have access to her hats all the time all over the world, not just out of the back of my car or random local craft fairs!

whimsical! fun! and one of a kind! just like you!!!

Every time I wear one of her hats out in the world, I get loads of compliments and inquiries and now finally I can direct people to her store so they can get the perfect one for themselves. yay! So check out her store JoyHatClub and pass it on! Thanks!!!

Her store is new new new so check back often to see more hats!

By the way, the painting in the background is by another friend of mine Scott Hove. You can see more of his incredible art at his website!

Poppets Aplenty

"What's this???" said Andrew

A candid photo capturing an initial reaction to my poppets

As you may or may not know...I've been making these little canvas and muslin things I like to call poppets-- and slowly but surely they have been making their way in to peoples homes across the bay area and beyond. I've had the most luck placing them with people at small events where I've been able to share some vendor space or bring in a few to sell or trade. This is ideal because part of the charm of the poppet is their distinct but subtle odor. They are also very soft and squishy. Don't squeeze too hard though... the smell gets overwhelming.

a basket of poppets on a table

Recently, I was at such an event and luckily I had my camera handy so I was able to catch the whole process of how these poppets get homes. Above you can see Andrew, who, after the initial shock and horror of seeing the poppets, was then easily seduced by the charms (and possibly the smell) of the zombie poppet.

Andrew's choice

I quickly learned that Andrew (aka The Slow Poisoner) was a kooky, crafty, and creative person as well, and we decided to trade stuffs. He got the zombie poppet (pictured above) and I got all kinds of goodies! You can learn about Andrew too by checking out his site. He is a multi-talented guy!

The End.

Wait! I almost forgot! I have one zombie poppet left and I'm going to sell him at my Etsy store. I've lowered the price to $15 (plus a buck for shipping)
He's the one in the left. Check him out here!

Love is in the air...sort of.

I've been trying to capture the love in some of my dolls and poppets in anticipation of the Valentine's Day thing and the upcoming springtime romance and all that silly stuff. Here's a couple things I've come up with in my twisted little studio.

Red Imp

Red Imp started as a vision in my head of an imposing and fearsome red devil. He was to be awesome and intimidating yet charming and seductive. I prepared my workspace with all the right materials and began the process of making. After a frenzy of stitching and cutting and creating (imagine bits of fluff and string flying hither and yon) I looked down to see what I had made and in the place of my fearsome red devil I saw this silly little red imp...I was a tad disappointed to say the least. Yes, he is cute...but he's not the awe-inspiring devil I set out to conjure. ah well....maybe next time.

Bound to Love

Two dirty and distressed poppets are tied with twine to a heart shaped pillow. They are sandwiched by another smaller heart shaped thing with a grimacing face. In this predicament they are bound to love...whether they like it or not.

Valentina Von Vixen

This is Valentina Von Vixen. She loves to dance on stage with her feather hat and boa. She's has a special little routine that she only does once a year on February 14th. You just have to see it! I don't want to ruin it, but she can do things with tassels that you have to see to believe...and she's a contortionist too. She can be very flirtatious though, she winked at my husband several times last year. The little tart...

Valentine Poppet

This poppet was made with a big heart. She has woolly wild hair done up in pig-tails with red yarn. She's tea-stained and painted a dusty pink. She has arms! This is very special because I don't normally allow my poppets to have arms. They get into too much trouble. However, for this poppet I made an exception. I may regret it later...

2010

Happy New Year!

I'm very excited about 2010. Aren't you??? I think it's going to be a good year.
I'm especially excited at the moment because I just made my first Etsy sale! Yay!

Sunny-eye Sue is on her way to Virginia right now!

Sunny-eye Sue

Meet Sunny-eye Sue. She's a little scary at first glance, but she's as sweet as sugar-pie. I understand why people are scared of her though. She does some pretty kooky things. For example, she loves to bake gingerbread men just so she can bite their heads off...then she throws the rest of the cookie away. That's pretty kooky... but I'm not scared.

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In other news, I'm currently working on the trunk lid of the Witchmobile. I actually took the trunk off the car (technically David did it...but I was there...hehe) and we brought it inside where it's warm and I've been working like a mad woman. It's not done yet, but here's a peek:

As you can see, it's a sun and moon. They are details of a larger 'witchboard' theme. It is all fiber collage which I will probably cover in some kind of varnish cocktail of some sort. I'll post more pictures as it comes along.

Here is the trunk before:




Here is the trunk after:

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Another rag doll found a home:

Katrina and the Key
(sold)
This is Katrina. She has the Key. She's a wise old crone who has earned the Key. She guards it with life and limb...literally. She lost both her legs while guarding the Key. Fortunately she was crafty enough to fashion some make do limbs from sticks. She sits a little funny but she's fine. She wears a bell on the top of her pointy hat that acts like an alarm if she should fall asleep while guarding the Key. Her tiny smile despite the hardships guarding the Key is proof that what the Key unlocks is very special indeed. Maybe some day she'll let you know her secrets.

Rag Dolls

Rosamina Ragamuffin

Rosamina Ragamuffin is a raggedy rag doll if there ever was one...either that or she's had one too many glasses of wine. Her head is so large and heavy that her tiny neck cannot support it's weight, so it flops about helplessly. Her neck is more like a dislocated knee...or a noodle. Seriously, this doll is limp. Maybe I should loosen up her choker....? nah.

Hester Heartface
(sold)

This is Hester Heartface. She's holding a little wooden cat very tightly. She's afraid if she loosens her grip and lets the kitty go, she'll fall in to an abyss of darkness where she'll be forever lost and unloved. She's a bit melodramatic. We know that won't happen... But it's no use trying to convince her otherwise. Anyway, she sure does love that wooden cat.

Ms. Pepperpots (aka Hammerhead Granny)

This is Ms. Pepperpots. Aside from feeding cats, her favorite thing to do is making sock monkeys from old socks. Here she is with yet another sock monkey. It seems sweet enough until you find out where the socks come from. Trust me, it's too awful to say. Here is a letter I sent her last spring:

Dear Ms. Pepperpots, while 'upcycling' is good for the environment, there are limits. Your 'sock monkeys' are surely festering with nastiness. Furthermore you should really consider stuffing your monkeys with something other than your old hankies. You know what I'm talking about...the wadded up ones you store up your sleeve. It's just gross.

Blue Haired Lady

I first saw the blue-haired lady at the corner cafe. She was buying a blueberry muffin. I don't know her name, so I refer to her as the blue-haired lady. Blue-haired lady has bright blue hair and little blue button eyes. She wears a black dress with blue accents. She carries a blue-eyed cat that has a blue fish.

Melody

(sold)

Melody sits in the corner holding her heart. It is obvious from the scars and bruises that her heart has been through some pain and hardships in the past. Life has been a real challenge for Melody. But before you start to feel bad for her, you should know that she has a potion to heal her heart -- she has it in a tiny bottle around her neck. She knows it's there but she stubbornly refuses to take it. She's gotten so used to her painful heart that she's not ready to let the pain go. It's all she knows. Maybe some day she'll use the potion but until then she'll just sit in the corner, stare vacantly into the distance, and hold her painful heart.

Isabelle

Back in the day, Isabelle was a stunning beauty.

Unfortunately, the side effects from all the beauty potions she took over the years to achieve her looks finally caught up to her with a vengeance.

One of the most visible side effects is that half her face seized up in a frown, so instead of having a 'good side' she has a 'not so good side'... and a 'even worse side'.
Even so, she still manages to get herself dolled up every day. Her eyesight is poor so her make-up is a little messy, but she can still dress herself. She wears her favorite lime green faux fur coat with a real fur collar every day. It kinda smells funny. She also wears dazzling rhinestone jewels to sparkle and shine under the flashes of the paparazzi. To top it all off, she wears a purple flower in her delicate nest-like coif. She's a little more expensive because she's saving up to get the hairy mole removed from her nose.

Bartleby

I really don't know much about this crow. He's a very quiet bird. He never eats, but I have seen him with an occasional cigar and snifter of cognac. Although, the other day I heard a small thud and when I looked over I saw that Bartleby had gotten in to the cooking sherry... and I could swear I saw him try to roll an oregano cigarette. So I don't think he's very particular about what he drinks and smokes. I can say, however, that he's prone to fall over. I'm not saying he has a problem, who am I to judge? It could be that he's narcoleptic. I think he also suffers depression.

Bartleby is a one of a kind soft sculpture art doll. He wears a dandy leather top hat with a crimson ribbon and purple feather. He also has a monocle. Bartleby is precariously perched on a stick.

Mangy Boo Boo Kitty

My husband is allergic to cats, so I have to find this one a home pronto. He's a bit grungy and mangy. I tried giving him a bath to freshen him up - bad idea. Most of his fur came off, and I seem to be missing some skin too. Maybe you'll have better luck with this nasty dirty cat.

Feeling Crafty

some of my favorite things!

Wow! Creating my Etsy store has got me totally inspired! and I can't stop tearing through my bins of stuff looking for things to make, finish, dust off or whatever! I'm in a frenzy! I even reorganized my workspace! and I've only had one cup of coffee today! okay, maybe two....weeee!

Meanwhile, I've been thinking about my quiet little blog here. The one I created for the Witchmobile.... And while it's too cold to work on my art car outside, all this poppet madness has got me working on my car in my dreams. So... now I know what I need to do next! And it's something I can do indoors. So that's next on the list of things to do. (this is very exciting!)

For now, I thought I'd keep my blog alive with updates about the things I've listed on my Etsy store....not only to share, but to keep track of and log the characters that are manifesting in my dolls and poppets.

So without further ado, I'd like you to meet

Batilda of the Black Beads
(sold)

This is Batilda. She traded her arms and legs for magic black beads. She's a little grumpy because she's beginning to think the beads might not be magic after all (please don't tell her they're plastic, it will make matters worse). Although Batilda is grumpy, she is perfectly content to sit on a shelf while she waits for her arms and legs to grow back.

They will grow back, right?