The Pumpkin Tower is Spreading

Yesterday I showed my neighbor my Pumpkin tower. She loved it! We made a run to the dollar store, grabbed some supplies and headed back to her house. I told her how to construct it and came back home. A few hours later she called me over to show me her beautiful tower. She went with a black pot which I think makes hers way more elegant. She even made a mini tower with some tiny pumpkins she found at the dollar store. I think I may make another one. This time I think I'll go more Halloweenish, my son really wants monsters to "work" in the tower. How cute would that be, a pumpkin highrise with little monsters around it.
Here is a picture of my neighbors creation. If you make your own tower I'd love to see your pictures.

It's The Great Pumpkin Tower Charlie Brown!

It's Summer in Texas still :( I feel like it's been summer for the past 9 months. I decided to do my own sort of rain dance, to bring on the Fall weather. I started my Fall / Halloween crafting  and decorating a whole month earlier than normal.

Yesterday I set out with a mission. I needed Fall craft supplies. I also needed some padded envelopes, so my first stop was the Dollar Tree. That's where I found a large box full of fake pumpkins that could be carved. I bought a few with the intention to paint them. Then I saw the crows, cute little black crows. I needed them, not sure why but I knew I needed them. Rounding the corner on the way to the register I found a large felt pumpkin, fall wired ribbon, and fall shaped doilies. I added them to my cart and paid. I ran home to drop off my finds and then headed back out to lunch with the hubby.

On the way to lunch inspiration hit. I knew what I was making with my finds. The felt pumpkin needed to be monogrammed with a large sequined L, and hung with the pretty Fall ribbon, on my front door in place of a traditional wreath. 

I also knew what I wanted to do with my pumpkins and crows. I decided to make a tower with them. I sat down at lunch and sketched out my idea. I needed a few things, a pot, a dowel rod, and flower lots of flowers. I showed the hubby my sketch and decided that I needed some small lights on the tower. I told him my plans and that's when I hear the most amazing words ever out of his mouth "You should cover them in glitter, that would be pretty." Okay so he's said some more amazing words before but those were music to my ears. He really get me :) 

I finished my lunch and headed back out on my mission. I grabbed the rest of my supplies, pick up the kiddos from school and headed into the studio. A few hours later I was finished. I had my new "wreath" and my pumpkin tower. 

I even used the doilies. I strung them with twine and hung them around the living room like bunting. I'm no where near done with my decorating, but I love how it's coming along. The best part is, by going for more of a Fall look rather than a Halloween look, I can keep up my pretty decorations all the way until Thanksgiving.

Winner Winner Chicken Dinner

And the winners are:
Tisha
Amy
Naomi
& Jessie

If you've won please message me your shipping address and I'll mail your prize to you. Thanks for entering :)

Giveaway Time!

Today I'm doing a little bit of inventory and I've decided to have a giveaway. I pulled a few items that are now up for grabs.

 

Win one of 2 Lucha Mask pillows.

 

or a pair of Funky Chica sunglasses

 

a Frida pendant necklace  and moon earrings

In total I will be choosing 4 winners.  You can enter multiple times.

How to enter:

 (1)Share this link on your Facebook or Twitter page, then comment to let us know you shared.

(2) Refer 2 friends to our Facebook page and have them tell us you sent them.

(3) Follow our blog (already a follower, then just leave a comment.)

(4) Refer a friend to our blog.

Winners will be chosen at random and announced Friday, Sept. 7, 2012.

Good Luck!

 

Tutorial: Sequined Sugar Skull Hairclip/ Pin

 

 It's been a while since I've written a tutorial, but I thought with Dia de los Muertos right around the corner now was a good time. I LOVE shiny, sparkly things. Sequins is #1 on my list of favorite sparkly objects. Growing up my mom use to make sequined pins for every holiday. I loved to watch her make the pins. Every now and then she let me help out. I must say I've improved over the years. (Last year I made 2 giant sequined pieces.) Once you've gotten past the first few sequins it gets super easy, you can zone out in front of the tv for a while and just keep going.

 To make your own sequined hairclip/ pin you'll need the following:

White pre stiffened felt

Black sticker felt

Extra fine beading needles

Clear seed beads

Thread- black & white

Ball point pen

Scissors

Pin back

Hair clip

Sequins- 

8mm white

8mm black

5mm black

5mm purple

5mm teal

5mm orange

Glue gun

Pattern

 Step 1: Draw the image onto white felt with a ball point pen. (Ball point pens are best for drawing on felt because they write smoothly and do not bleed.)

I Love Comic Books!

I know it's probably something you don't hear girls say very often, but it's true. When I was younger my dad would buy me comic books. I'd look through them amazed with the illustrations, truthfully I didn't always read them , I just LOVED the illustrations. I'm a fan of both DC and Marvel comics but Superman has always had my heart. When I was in high school I would practice my drawing skills by drawing the images from my comic books.
This summer I took my kids to the comic book shop for the first time. I think I enjoyed it more than they did. I'm actually looking forward to them going back to school so I can head over there and really look around. I didn't purchase any comics, I went on a mission to find a Munny figure, which I did.
Back on track, comic books, I love them. I MADE ONE! Two actually. My mom had been telling me that I should write a book about my Cucuy characters. I had a few customers mention how cool a comic about my characters would be. I finally sat down and started drawing. At first I was going for a children's book, building off the story line my mom had in mind. I just wasn't feeling the story book format. That's when I decided I had to turn the story into a comic book.

It's not a full size comic book, but a cute little mini comic book. I've decided I'm going to make it a monthly series. I have two completed as of this week. Issue #1 has been for sale in my shop for a few weeks. Issue #2 will be for sale September 1st.

I'm growing addicted to creating them. I have the story line for Issue #3 in my head. I hope to have a chance to draw it out this weekend. I also have a few other series in my head, I think  Luchamals (masked wrestling animals) will be next.

Meet Mr. Longoria

I've been very busy the past few weeks. Jumping from one project to another gets exhausting. I plan on sharing some pictures of the work I've been doing but I thought that today I would share something else. Today I want to tell you about Mr. Longoria, aka the other half of Studio Longoria, aka Aaron.
He has been very busy lately too. Aaron does woodwork. He started a few years ago making small items, mostly crosses. Really beautiful crosses.

 

Recently he has started working on a larger scale. Last week he made this awesome cabinet for my studio. It holds all my paints, brushed, pencils and other supplies, it also doubles as a table.

 Today he finished up restoring this cool sewing table, turning it into an accent table. It's so pretty, I'm sad that I have no room for it in my studio or I'd keep it for myself.

Here are a few more pieces he's made recently. 

A hair on hide bench for his mom.

 

 A book shelf to replace the book shelf that mysteriously fell over and broke when no one was around (except the kids.)

 I've got to give it to him, for someone who is self taught, he's doing an awesome job. He has more projects planned. I can't wait to see what else he come up with. 

Fingers crossed it's a new kitchen table.