Sunday Slow Down

It's been a week of making, doing, meetings, meetups and now a little Sunday slow down before it starts all over again.

I feel like I have a lot of little pots on the stove and I'm hoping one of them will offer up a tasty stew to feed me.
Sales are slow. But I have decided not to stress or worry over it, merely keep creating and really looking at each new opportunity that presents itself to me as a potential rung on the ladder to something else.
Worked on some mock up "invitations" for one of those potential opportunities and was pleased with how far I've taken my skills as an artisan. I still have some terribly bad photos of the first stuff I posted on Etsy back in 2007. I really don't know how anything sold with those horrible photos!
I was featured in a gorgeous treasury yesterday so that is always a little pick-me-up. Check out The Vintage Gangs treasury GREEN TEA. As with all treasury makers-I will be putting Vintage Gang into a treasury too and also a little blog spotlight this week.

Heres the poster design for THE SHAPES reunion show I did. Looking forward to this and also knowing I need a lot of practice to get my fingers and voice back into shapes for this- no pun intended.
Speaking of shaping up- I lost 3 lbs since I took on the Pilates + Yoga + Running + Biking! I can feel my body getting stronger and I have more energy! It's important for artists who are sedentary by nature to be active. Take time away from your easels and work tables and get outside and get your heart pumping!
It looks like a wash today with rain steady in the forecast. Bread baking day and more studio time for me.
Everyone have a relaxing Sunday!

Rain Puddles

The weather icons on my computer screen show a grey rain cloud and rightly so. It is raining and has been for a few hours. A perfect day for staying in and working on a new project.
Only- I also need to get groceries and this is where it gets complicated. You see, I have no car. Never have. I get my groceries on my bike and well...rain just kinda sucks to do the grocery trip in especially when you add into it that it's 41 degrees. So I'm hoping for a rain reprieve, a raincheck from the rain. Dear Rain, please stop for like...2 hours so I can go get groceries. Please. Thanks.
Yesterday I ran out for supplies, I'm trying my hand at schmancy invitations and had to get nice paper. I also saw this paper punch that I had to have- I tell myself- even though it was out of my budget. So now I feel compelled to punch paper and try to make my money back on it. I'll post pics of my efforts later this weekend.
Thoroughly busy weekend making invitations, new stuff for the shop and a flier for the next gig. Oh yeah, The Shapes are playing a reunion show on Feb. 25th and I gotta get the graphic word out!

This One Goes To 11!

11 Songs of Jangly Rockin' Pop from Deep in the Heart of Texas!
The album sees the light of day today! On sale officially! What a long and winding road to get here. What a struggle! What a fight! And here it is at long last!
So where can you get one? CD BABY for one, just follow that fancy button up there. It will let you preview songs and download the ones you want or buy the whole album and have them send it to you!
It is also on itunes and locally can be snagged at Good Records. So go snag. Or if you're super smart and savvy you can meet us at the Windmill Lounge tonight for the CD RELEASE LISTENING PARTY AND RADIO TAKEOVER! It really couldn't get a longer name.
It's the long awaited (by us) release of our debut album! We'd love to have a drink with you as we share the sounds of our very first full length!
Bring a radio or your favorite boombox and we'll build a mountain of sound! We will be broadcast on the radio (Sonic Assembly Power Hour KNON 89.3) at the Windmill Lounge with entertainment by DJ MR RID who will be playing the whole album for your listening pleasure! Then we'll meet you over there for drinks and fun! The album will be on sale for only $6 at this event only! On site screenprinted shirts will be available for sale by SHIRTS=AWESOME
Shapes stickers will be free for all our guests!
Can't be there in person? Even if you can't be there in person we invite you to tune in as Lance and I will be ON THE AIR!
Listen to KNON 89.3fm or webcast at www.knon.org TUESDAY AUGUST 3RD 10PM
*Thanks To DJ Mark Ridlen and Reid Robinson for not only helping to put this event together but for actually working on the record to make it sound good for your ears!
♥

The Shape of Things To Come

Right now our album is being made into little round cd shapes and in 2 weeks we'll have em in our hot little hands! This is just an 11 song debut, a history of all the songs we've written together with our old drummer Chuck Spurlock who is no longer in the band. Putting out this album has taken it's toll to be sure but I think we're ready to move forward up the mountain with our new drummer Guyton and get this record heard. We pressed a small 500 run so if anyones interested in getting this album let me know, we havent even discussed how much we're charging but it won't be expensive.
We had our first practice in 9 months yesterday and it wasn't as catastrophic as I thought it would be. However I did learn two things, one...my fingers ain't what they used to be and two...my guitar needs to go to the hospital finally. Alignment, intonation, the whole 9 yards....poor baby. My gigging amp is blown as well so being in a band ain't cheap! ;-(
Aside from getting this album out I'm juggling the June ART&COFEE show coming up as well as Gingerama in the same weekend. It's a good thing I have vacation next week, I think Im taking 2 solid days to work on record art before pushing it all aside for some R&R. Ok maybe 3 days...I know myself too well.
Remind me to post my hiking adventure here...let's just say it was not my intention to try and kill my boyfriend and there is a magical princess on a dashing steed who makes an appearance as well! Interested in The Shapes? We're linked in the sidebar of my blog!

Studio Life

Clean sweep! Yesterday I tackled my studio and cleaned, straightened, rearranged and organized and I can't tell you how good it feels to walk into a room and feel inspired to create again. My studio is also my dining room but I have made it work for the purpose of a studio-as we broke starving artists must do.
I have my big window back and lots of light streaming in and it really did make me smile when I walked in there this morning. I can start on some projects today feeling like there is one less thing to tackle on my list.
I have decided I need to make a lightbox. It's been a long time coming. I won't get to it today but maybe next week. It makes your photos so much more professional looking.
Today I pass off all the files for The Shapes album. It's hard to believe at long last this thing is finally going to be released. If I think about all that has to be done in that regard I will drive myself crazy so for today just enjoying a day off, working on some more records and hopefully a long gorgeous walk in the Texas sunshine.

oranges and merengue

Finally a day off and the sicky spell I've been under seems to be going away. Woke up today full of creative energy so I think I will tackle my studio today. Sold a L'Orange and have to make another for a customer. I am loving that I now have a working printer to help me with my fonts and designs, the possibilities just grew by leaps and bounds!
Woke up to an email- someone wants to give me a stash of their old records. BY ALL MEANS! Please pawn off your Barry Manilow, Barbra Streisand, Loverboy and Hall and Oates on me..I will turn them into recycled record art and they will be loved once again!
I have also discovered a better way to attach the hangers on the backs of the records. Good ol' glue gun, is there nothing you can't do? So the records are just getting better with time and hopefully I'll have some time to work on a canvas soon. Theres a big juicy blank canvas sitting in my studio and I'm itching for some gallery time.
Speaking of which, I have had the pleasure of meeting up with an Art group in town called ArtLoveMagic that just seems to be doing the most amazing stuff. They throw art, music, live performance shows and they all seem very inclusive and open minded and dedicated to giving opportunities to artists wherever they can. Really?! In Dallas?!
I was fortunate to meet up with one of the founders over a big hunk of Norma's merengue pie and discuss the possibility of collaborating on something. I left with a good feeling in my gut that at long last I have met some people with some common ground after dealing with a lot of negative, pretension and territorialism that seems so rampant in this city. This feels good and I expect some good stuff to arise from this. If anything I definitely left our meeting inspired and hopeful.
Reconnected with an old friend who is helping me get my website back up to speed. So thankful. So thankful for nice friends who pop out of the woodwork with a smile and a helping hand. (Thank you Ryan Simpson!)
Hopefully my next post will find me telling you about The Shapes album thats about to be released. Heres a teaser photo of the cover...I really can't wait to get this thing OUT it's been years working on this thing and it only clocks in at like 31 minutes or something. Just a little heartfelt rock and roll album from a little band in Texas. Thanks for reading and have a great Sunday!

check the sidebar on the left for a link to The Shapes facebook page!

The Shape I'm In

Well, I got two gigs with The Shapes...one is tonight at The Lounge on Elm St opening for the Tomorrowpeople and the other is tomorrow night at the Dallas Museum of Art. These should be fun, but I can't help but feel a twinge of apprehension as I am in INJURY mode and will probably have to sit while performing both shows. Blues style!
I know I haven't updated here in awhile but since last I blogged I sustained a back injury that has been very painful and which I'm still suffering through. Physical therapy, meds and the headache of dealing with insurance companies. BLAH! But the show must go on and go on it shall....might be the last shows for awhile though as
a. I need to heal
b. The Shapes need to release this damn album already!
Hopefully see you out and about soon!
9/17- The Lounge on Elm 9:30p we start The Shapes, Stephanies ID, Tomorrowpeople
9/18-Dallas Museum of Art- Late Night at the DMA with the Lolli Dollies, DJ Rid, The Shapes

I SUCK

It's been two years spent in a hot little room with a recording machine, microphones and redoing, redoing, redoing everything we've ever written. A zillion takes later and the cd is getting MASTERED as we speak which left us free to do this thing called PLAYING LIVE SHOWS again. So here we go and I'm totally LAME for not posting this sooner but I think everyone that reads this is in Australia and Timbuktoo anyway so whatever. A little info about the album- it goes to 11. As in it's 11 songs! Pretty much just documented to the best of our ability- all the songs we've written up to this point. We got our friend Mark Ridlen (local badass DJ and musician, read: LITHIUM XMAS, The Klogz, Quad Pi, etc)to help in production and sound layers and we're pleased with the flavor of the album. We've enlisted Reid Robinson (you may know him from the Texotica stuff as well as one of the DJ's for Sonic Assembly Power Hour on KNON)for the fun task of mastering this monster. The album is not out yet but thats not stopping us from our getting our feet wet on the stage again.
Our show is tonight at the Lounge On Elm St. Our first gig in TWO YEARS! And of course we're doing it the night that the DOMA's (big music thing in Dallas)are going on but that's how it rolls. That's how we roll. I'm really curious to see The Flying Eyes who have a bit of a moody Doors-y thing going on....and I'm curious to see who shows up to see us rise from the dead.
Speaking of rising from the dead- HAI! I'm back and I've been busy with art and music, here is the latest piece I've finished

and before that it was this monster

There is word that I'm going to be showing some work at the Capitol One building in Frisco later this month-I'll keep everyone in the loop when I get details. (Really! I will this time!) and aside from all that hooplah just working my 9-5, trying to write some new Shapes songs, dancing with the Lolli Dollies girls and trying not to melt. Hey-it's been like 105 too many times this month. This is Texas summer allright...rather be in Australia! Thanks for reading, I will try to be an active blogger again. Happy Summer to you all!

Snapshot: David Mausey

David Mausey Photography model Melissa Miaow (Lolli Dolly Go Go Dancer)

I am fortunate to be in a strange little vortex where creative and magical people always gravitate. I like to call that vortex "Lollipop Shoppe", since that is how I usually meet all the creative folk in my life...and most of my good friends for that matter. I am lucky enough to sometimes connect those people to other people to help them in their endeavors. The photographer David Mausey is one of the people I wanted to show off and connect you to.
I met David Mausey at one of our Spy Night parties, sneaking around shooting pics. We both laughed that every photo shot of me had me with eyes closed! D'oh! David is fun and easy to chat with and I like that in a photographer- he puts you at ease and so I was delighted when he volunteered to shoot my band The Shapes. We're planning on using some of his stuff for our album. He has a very sexy style that shines through in his pics of the ladies,here are a few of my favorites!






He also does some beautiful wedding portraiture alongside his edgy fashion stuff, check out both his sites and portfolios here:
http://www.mauseyfashion.com/
http://www.mauseyphoto.com
And keep your eye out for our debut album featuring some of his lovely work!

My Life Was Saved By Rock and Roll

photo by David Mausey http://www.mauseyfashion.com/
Does anyone know what a relief it is to release an album? Especially one that shoulda been done and gone like 3 years ago? Well, I can't wait to feel that relief and it's coming soon. We have about 2-3 more sessions at Hai-Tex studio, mixing down this 11 song monster (12 songs? maybe? hmm?)and then we'll be set to master and press. No foolin' this time, it's the really, real deal.
I'm working on artwork, photos, layout and schemes for the rest of the month. The only thing delaying this sucker is cash flow. Thanks economy!
Keep up on the release and future show dates here:
http://www.myspace.com/theshapes
The best thing about releasing this beast? Moving on with 2009 and new songs at long last. Yep!