Analog Art Time

I've been hauling a huge piece of uncut illustration board around since college. It has not been very easy to keep and store.

Today, I cut it up into manageable pieces and started prepping it for some good old fashioned, non digital, analog artwork.

I kinda missed doing this (here is a look-see at what I'm working on, by the way).

I do not miss having to store a giant piece of illustration board, however.


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May the Fourth Be With You!

I always tell myself I'll remember to make a special Star Wars post for May the Fourth. You know, because I love Star Wars, and it's kinda become requisite for Star Wars fans to do so.

And I always, without fail, end up forgetting to get one up in a timely manner. That's just how I work.

The Leia of Guadalupe sketches started out as an idea for Star Wars Day (May the Fourth), but I ended up posting it years after I originally thought of it and sketched it out. Procrastination, thy name is Alicia.

But this year, I did it! Hurrah!

I present to you my own version of Boushh Leia. Leia disguised as the bounty hunter, Boushh, was my favorite Leia version when growing up.  I used to pretend I was Leia rescuing Han from his carbonite prison, guiding him through Jabba's palace to safety because he was all blind and helpless. Everyone was threatened by my thermal detonator. It was pretty awesome.

And my Boushh Leia figure was my favorite. First off, it was mine!  Not my brothers'!* Secondly: she had a helmet. And action figures with removable helmets were the best.

So here's to Star Wars! Here's to Leia! And here's to the many merry memories this fairy tale space saga has given all of us! May the force be with you.





* I was born in 1980, so although there was Star Wars stuff present throughout my life, none of it got to be officially mine until Jedi. Before then I was stuck with playing with the toys of my older brothers.
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Tea Party – In Space!

Space tea is probably better than Tang, I'd imagine.

I've been trying to push myself to make some more art. Art, art, art, improve, improve, improve. Time for new stuff, and lots of it. And I came up with this. And I happen to think it's adorable!

My favorite part: How did that cookie get a bite out of it?  Hmmm...

I even made a postcard of it, and had the pleasure of recently doling out those postcards at the SCBWI Houston conference, where I:

• Met awesome, friendly, cool, and incredibly talented writers and illustrators from all around. Seriously wonderful people, they are.

• Won a door prize in the raffle! I never win anything in those things.

• Learned a lot from incredible guest speakers like Peter Brown, Paul Rodeen, and Lucy Ruth Cummins

• And last but certainly not least, I won first place in the illustrator portfolio showcase! Hooray!

I was so shocked and surprised when my name was announced that I actually did the double hands-to-my-face-in-surprise move that everyone uses whilst mocking beauty pageant contestants. It was a totally involuntary reflex, I promise.

All this has added up to lighting a big ol' inspiring fire under my illustratin' behind. Way to inspire, y'all!

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Self Portrait (With Cat)

You know how some artists and illustrators draw cartoony versions of themselves all the time, every livelong day, and it's as effortless as breathing to them because that's just how often they're going around drawing themselves?

Yeah, well, I am not one of those artists. I find it far easier and more entertaining to go about drawing cartoony versions of everyone else in the world.

But this time, I think I finally worked up a self portrait that I actually like!

And of course, the cat made it in there, because at this point, drawing her is as effortless as breathing.
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Cutest Mascot Ever!

Just a quickie post to root for my alma mater, Syracuse University, in their quest for basketball domination.

On a whim, whilst watching the last few minutes of the Louisville V. Wichita State, I decided to make a little felt and clementine Otto the Orange (and then I ran outside to quickly photograph it before the sun was completely down).

Can your team's mascot be easily (and cutely) made from fruit? Probably not.

Therefore, cutest mascot ever goes to Syracuse! Go Orange!

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Post Easter Sugar and Macaron Induced Coma Review

Hello, April! Sorry I missed saying hello to you yesterday. Here is a pretty bouquet of posies for you (in a vase that my grandmother made!) to make up for it.

I was busy crawling out of my Easter induced sugar-coma yesterday, and so any April greetings and Easter reviews had to wait for today.

Besides, yesterday was the much loathed (by me, at least) April Fool's Day, and I try to just overall avoid the internet on a holiday celebrated by lies and pranks for which gullible folks (such as myself) tend to fall.

Anyway, this past Sunday was Easter, so I thought I would recap my creative endeavor for this year's celebration. This year I would try my hand at making macarons for Easter.

Famously finicky, these little baked goods, but oh so cute!  I had to give them a shot, and Easter seemed a good time to make egg-based, pastel-colored pastries.

Overall, I think I did very well for a first attempt. In fact, my final batch might have finally come out right. Who knows?  I certainly don't as I hadn't ever even eaten a macaron until this past weekend, so I have no idea what it should be like. But from what I can tell via internet, they seemed pretty danged close to just right...

EXCEPT! (as you probably can already see)

The danged bottoms of my macarons always were ever so slightly browned! Always! Gaaaaah!

And apparently that is a no-no in macaron world. Even if your macarons have feet, and a smooth top, and no hollows. Sigh!

It did not matter what I did to try to amend the browning bottoms. I varied the temps, the baking times, the cooking surfaces (silpat, and parchment, double parchment, and parchment lined silpat), I nested pans, shielded heat sources with pans, repositioned racks...everything!

And they still browned on the bottom. It was maddening, I tell you.

I have come to the conclusion that I need new baking sheets and/or a new oven.  Guess which one I'm going to give a go for the next round of macaron making?

I used the superb Macaron 101 posts by Not So Humble Pie. They are absolutely helpful and highly recommended (especially the trouble shooting page)!

I made three batches of batter: pink, yellow, and green, split into six baking batches. The pinks had hollows, the yellows were a bit underdone, and the greens were pretty much just right. And they all tasted delicious!

I filled them with a vanilla bean buttercream icing. Super yummy! My husband and I gorged on them along with all of our other Eastery treats (see jelly beans, above, and a basket spread, below).

Hence the sugar coma. Hence the late Easter post. Hence it's already April second.



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Happy Easter!

I hope everyone is having a lovely Easter!

I am too full of celebratory food (namely sugar and chocolate) to write the proper post I had planned for today.

So instead I wish you a happy Easter by sharing with you this year's adorable Easter card hand made by my talented Mama.

Cuteness!

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Bun-Bun Fun

It's Spring time, bun-bun-bunny time, folks!

If you're like me, that means it's time to alter your mouse softie pattern into a bunny pattern and have some fun stitching some buns-buns...

...and some bun-bun bums. They are very cute and fleecey.

These bunnies are about twice as big as the mice, and instead of round ears and a long tail, they have long ears and a round tail. And I think they're cute.

Looks the bun-bun-bunnies arrived just in time to "spring" up the decor of ye olde Alicia Policia homestead for the arrival of Easter Sunday this weekend. Keeee-yoot!*

*That's excited-ese for "cute," y'all.
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Mister Rogers Hand Puppet

It's the last day of my Mister Rogers Week, and so I thought it fitting that today's project be based on the man himself.

I give you the Fred Rogers fleece and felt hand puppet!  Ta-daa! He's just hanging in his television neighbor's garden on this beautiful day in the neighborhood.

He opted to wear one of his older sweaters, from the pre-zipper sweater days (because I did not have any zippers, but I have plenty of buttons!).

I know, I know - I made finger puppets just yesterday.  But I had to make a Mister Rogers hand puppet so I could do this...

So adorable! Puppet Mister Rogers is a puppeteer for finger puppet Henrietta and finger puppet X!

And he is the perfect size to hang out with beloved neighborhood crazy lady and museum owner, Lady Elaine Fairchilde.

Who, by the way, is one weird looking lady, no?  I've always wondered, where on earth did they get her puppet? Or alternatively, who decided that sculpt was the way to go for any puppet, anywhere?

I reckon it worked though, because I love her and the entire crew of the Neighborhood of Make Believe (in part because they are so different from any other puppets I've seen in real life).

But above all the endearing puppets and cast members (Lady Aberlin!) I love my television neighbor, Mister Rogers.

Thank you for planting so much kindness, understanding, fun, music, curiosity, ideas, and learning in the garden of my mind and in countless gardens in countless minds of generations of children and families over the years, Mister Rogers.



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Henrietta Pussycat and X the Owl Finger Puppets

Meow meow introduce meow friends and neighbors meow Henrietta Pussycat meow X the Owl!

Sorry about all the meows, but one cannot resist a chance to use Henrietta Pussycat speak when one has the opportunity.

I LOVE today's entry for Mister Rogers Week, as one can tell by my all caps, bold, italicized, and underlined typing of the word "love."

X and Hen were always my favorite Neighborhood of Make Believe characters. I liked how they would get in fights, but always eventually made up. I liked X's goofy southern accent and Henrietta's somehow understandable meow speak. I liked that they lived in a tree and that they would visit each others houses.

And is there anything on this earth as cool looking as X the Owl? I mean, even his name is cool.

Also, they are an owl and a cat. So of course I automatically loved them at first sight.

I made these adorable little puppets with felt, fabric glue, and a little bit of thread, craft paint, and lace on Henrietta. Once again, I kinda free-handed the designs (whilst looking at my references), so no pattern pieces, sketches, or tutorials this time.

I have to say, I think they may be my favorite thing I've made in recent history. Or as X might say, I sure do think they are nifty galifty!

But again, how could I not love them?  They're X and Henrietta!
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