Shop Update: Pin Cushions!

Shop Update: Pin Cusions! {an Art School Dropout's life}

This has been an idea I have had in my head for almost a year! It just took me awhile to perfect it.

Let me introduce to you the exclusive Art School Dropout Pin Cushion! 

The bottom part is made just like a lot of my jewelry over the years. It is a lightweight hand cast plastic that was made using molds I created. Each one is one of a kind since I mix the pigments myself and the fillers. The inside of the pin cushion is a felted wool and is very dense. It will grab on to your pins and keep them super snug until you need them.

Shop Update: Pin Cusions! {an Art School Dropout's life}

For this specific update I only added a small handful of variations. I didn’t want to overwhelm myself with shipping. I’m holding on to the second batch of these for a shop update in April!

Shop Update: Pin Cusions! {an Art School Dropout's life}

 

Shop Update: Pin Cusions! {an Art School Dropout's life}

You can find all of these pin cushions plus other awesome sewing notions in the shop.

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I’ve Decided to Make Jewelry Again…

As the title said, I am making jewelry again! I just couldn’t stay away. I’ve been posting video to my IG stories of the process (the new snapchat feature they added) and I’ve been posting photos of some of the new pieces coming soon.

I figured I’d share a few here too…

I've Decided to Make Jewelry Again... {an Art School Dropout's life} Hexagon JewelryI've Decided to Make Jewelry Again... {an Art School Dropout's life} Hexagon JewelryI've Decided to Make Jewelry Again... {an Art School Dropout's life} Hexagon JewelryI've Decided to Make Jewelry Again... {an Art School Dropout's life} Hexagon JewelryI've Decided to Make Jewelry Again... {an Art School Dropout's life} Hexagon JewelryI've Decided to Make Jewelry Again... {an Art School Dropout's life} Hexagon JewelryI've Decided to Make Jewelry Again... {an Art School Dropout's life} Hexagon JewelryI’ve been pretty busy working on lots of Quilt Market goodies and these new jewelry pieces, so I don’t have much to share other than this. I’m hoping to change that up soon enough. As for a shop update, I’m shooting for the second week of October. So if you were interested, keep an eye on my blog, IG account or new shop.

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Shop Update: Zipper Pouches and Hanging Swallows

Shop Update: Art School Dropout The shop has been updated and is open again! I’ll leave it open a bit longer this time, so everyone has a chance to snag something. This update included a few Quilted Pouches, Embroidered Vinyl Pouches, and some hand cast plastic Swallow Wall Hangings.

You see it all here

Shop Update: Art School Dropout Shop Update: Art School Dropout Shop Update: Art School DropoutI’ve been enjoying sewing pouches again, plus I found a bunch of almost finished embroidered pieces from way back when, so expect updates like these a little more often!

 

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Adventures in Casting: Soot Sprites

Adventures in Casting: Soot Sprites {an Art School Dropout's life} #totoro #spiritedawayI talked a bunch about quilt swaps lately, and just how much I love them. I also commented on applying to be part of a few more!

Well, above you can see a piece I made for the Studio Ghibli Craft Swap I’m in. It’s a swap purely dedicated to everything Studio Ghibli (think Totoro, Spirited Away, Ponyo, Castle in the Sky, Kiki’s Delivery Service, etc etc) and can be any type of handmade project! My partner likes Totoro A LOT! So I sculpted, made a mold of, cast and then painted this little dude. I think I’m going to make him into either a brooch or a needle minder.

Adventures in Casting: Soot Sprites {an Art School Dropout's life} #totoro #spiritedawayThe piece measures almost 2″ wide and is about a half inch thick. I cast a few in a black with a little added glitter to make it fancy. The mold had a few bubbles (I Think something was wrong with the sealant I used on the clay) but I decided it added to the texture of the whole thing and didn’t make a second mold.

Adventures in Casting: Soot Sprites {an Art School Dropout's life} #totoro #spiritedawayI really hope my partner likes it. It was a fun item to make and it’s got me itching to sculpt again. I have soooooo many toy ideas. SO MANY!

P.S.: I won’t be making any to sell, but I am up for using them in trades. Like “I’ll swap you some fabric, thread, toys, etc for a brooch” type of thing. 

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Adventures in Casting: Quilty Necklaces

IN about 10 days I will be boarding a plane all by myself, and flying to Austin, TX for this years QuiltCon. The last two years I did BlytheCon (I STILL need to blog about that experience), and this year I decided to mix it up a bit and go the quilt route.

Adventures in Casting: Quilty Necklaces {an Art School Dropout's life} #quilt #necklkace #patchwork #jewelry

I had this brilliant idea to pull out some of my old molds and make a few quilt inspired necklaces for myself, my hotel roomie and a handful of friends. I posted a teaser on Instagram and they were a big hit. So of course I went overboard as usual and cast a bunch more!!

Adventures in Casting: Quilty Necklaces {an Art School Dropout's life} #quilt #necklkace #patchwork #jewelry Adventures in Casting: Quilty Necklaces {an Art School Dropout's life} #quilt #necklkace #patchwork #jewelry Adventures in Casting: Quilty Necklaces {an Art School Dropout's life} #quilt #necklkace #patchwork #jewelry

Any that aren’t already spoken for will go up in my etsy shop Late Feb/Early March once I get back from my upcoming trips. I’m also working on a few other block designs for fun, and I’m totally up for suggestions!!

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10 Year Anniversary + A Giveaway: Week Two

10year_giveaway002_001Today I will continue on with the 10 year anniversary “festivities”! When planning this I wanted to kinda have a theme with the giveaways. Last weeks was a Garden Necklace which showed the true start to Art School Dropout as a business and not just a hobby. This week I wanted to showcase the next step in my creative endeavours, which was hand cast plastic.

I started making my own plastic pieces sorta by accident. I HAD been researching ways to reproduce some of the plastic flowers and such that I used in my necklaces. Demand was greater than supply at the time (this was before I started buying vintage pieces in super bulk). I could never find a way that would work for me, and there were loads of options. I just happened to be browsing one of the art stores in Baltimore while waiting for a ride (I believe it was my sisters birthday and she wanted to show off her new car) when I came across plastic casting supplies. They had everything you needed to make the mold and cast a bit of plastic. I bought some rubber, some plastic and three different pigments to try out. I was excited! I LOVE trying new things! The idea of adding a new skill to my list just  makes me so happy.

Casting plastic was seriously love at first pour. It was great. It felt just like making creepy crawlers as a kid. Which was something I did a LOT. (I still compare it the same way today when asked) Depending on what plastic I used it was almost instant gratification. My love of mixing and matching colors was also utilized, different drops or squirts of pigments produced different shades, and then different plastic reacted different to those shades, so the possibilities were endless. To this day, casting plastic is still my favorite craft to do. It’s been almost 8 years and I’m still not bored.

Business wise it was awesome too! I was able to reproduce a bunch of vintage pieces in new vibrant, colorful forms. I could make a neon pink fly to go in your hair, or a lime green octopus to hang around your neck or a tan camera to wear on your finger. It was a lot fun, and I’m so glad my sister was late picking me up that day, otherwise I may not have stumbled on this awesomeness!

10year_giveaway002_001 10year_giveaway002_002So, to go along with the giveaway theme, I am giving away all the hand cast plastic pieces pictured above! (In the blue and yellow photo, I couldn’t fit it all nicely in one photo!) I tried to pick and choose as many different pieces as possible without going TOO overboard!!

Here’s an actual list of the prizes:

  • little bee earrings in lime green
  • bow hairpin in dark gra
  • large hanging wing earrings in vibrant blue
  • rounded crest earrings in wasabi mustard
  • acorn hairpin set in tan
  • swooping swallow necklace in vibrant pink
  • cougar head earrings in brown
  • roller derby hairpin in dark pink
  • flower plaque hanging earrings in lilac
  • house silhouette necklace in orange
  • treble clef necklace in vibrant blue
  • deer head necklace in white (with gold specks)
  • soaring swan necklace in white
  • horse head ring in lime green
  • swooping swallow hairpin in bubblegum pink
  • bow hairpin in light gray
  • bumble bee hair clip in mauve
  • single bee hairpin in neon pink
  • swirly crest hairpin in white
  • flowy plaque necklace in dark gray
  • camera necklace in yellow
  • fox head necklace in cream
  • octopus necklace in bright pink

Woah, I feel crazy after listing it all off!!

Now Here are the rules:

This giveaway is for ALL of the cast plastic pieces shown in the above two photos, there will be no substitutions. The contest starts right this second and ends Friday, May 17 at 11 p.m. EST when comments will be closed. At which time Rafflecopter will choose a random winner. The winner’s name will be added to this blog post soon after. Winner(s) will be contacted by email 48 hours after the giveaway ends If the first winner does not reply back to an email sent out within 24 hours, a second winner will be chosen. So please make sure to give your correct email address! Each giveaway item will be shipped out the day the next giveaway starts until the fourth week when it will be shipped out three days later.

This weeks giveaway is open to international readers (upcoming weeks may not be due to the size of the prize, so please keep that in mind)

To enter all you have to do is comment below letting me know

What is your favorite blog to read daily? Or if you’d like just link me to your own!

If you don’t comment, your rafflecopter entry is invalid!!!

This week we are going to try out Rafflecopter to help with the giveaway. It’s an awesome little widget that keeps track of everything and makes it easier to add us on such platforms as facebook and twitter. Make sure to log your comment in the widget, and if you would like you can earn more entries by adding us on Facebook, Twitter or tweeting about the giveaway.

If you have any questions or concerns about this new process, please let me know!

Also good luck to everyone that enters!!! I am excited to send these pieces to go to a great new home.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

This giveaway is closed and our winner is Lauren C!

We also did a second place winner who will receive 10 items similar to some of those pictured above. Our second place winner is Erin H.

Thank you everyone who entered! Keep an eye out for our next giveaway!! (which will be posted on Tuesday due to a slight set back)

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