Some Doodles I Done Did.

      I was doing a show at the Oddball Art Hall and so I doodled my heart out the night before to have some drawings to sell along with my handmade jouranls. I am rusty for sure, but was happy to sell all but one of the 4.

The Cat

My husband says that this drawing sums up my feelings on cats fairly accurately. I do love an underbite though. The little yarn ball I drew as an afterthought on another piece of paper and then glued it on.

Peepers

Everybody loves owls and they're somewhat simples to draw if you're not going for accuracy. This little hooter has got some big ol' peepers for staring into your soul.

Not Interested in Mushy Stuff...

I'm not sure where this came from. I'm in Kennett Square, so mushrooms were on the brain and then of course I had to add faces. The one little mushroom isn't interested in familial bonding. He's not being a real fungi... DOUBLE PUN.

The Frog King

The Frog King in his natural habitat. A look at if the Frog Prince had decided that he just liked being amphibious better.

And that's about it. Need to start doodling more often to improve my skills.

What do you do when an item won't sell?: The Woeful Tale of Snargle the Nightmare Snatcher Journal

        No matter what a mother tells you about loving all of her children equally and without reserve, you know she has a favorite, right? You probably also think you're that favorite, but only your mother really knows for sure (pssst... it's probably your younger sister). Well, I'm going to put it right out there, Snargle has always been my favorite. He was in the very first round of Nightmare Snatcher journals I ever designed and I liked the little monster so much that I put him aside before the RISD alumni sale (my first craft show), lest someone feel the same and buy him out form under me.

Snargle in his first incarnation and then his second incarnation with a fluffier fur.

        Of course at that time I did not realize I would be making monster books for a decade thereafter and maybe had I known that, I would have taken the chance at the money instead... but I digress. Though Snargle has always been my favorite, the poor little blighter has not always been the favorite of my buyers, which any mother knows can be quite upsetting. How can my little sweetie not be as universally loved as he should be? Was it the white fur? Perhaps it was because of the difficulty I was having photographing  a white furry book on a white background? Looking back, my photoshopping was appalling. (geez, look at the photo below! Did I have a Wacom tablet then?) I should be ashamed... Was it the five eyes? Such a peculiar amount for a creature makes Snargle more special, doesn't it? Or maybe it was simply that with such an adorable little face, Snargle was just too sweet to be a monster.

I'm sorry Snargle! I don't know what happened!

        I never quite understood why other people didn't love Snargle as well as I did, but the reason for my own favoritism is hard to pinpoint itself. I think in essence, Snargle looks innocent to me. Those 5 shiny little eyes seem to look up to me for approval. When other Nightmare Snatcher journals were flying off the shelves, I felt as though Snargle would look at me for a sign that it would soon be his turn to find a home, and it broke my heart to have to put him away in a cupboard for he would not be sold today or most days. I began to also have trouble finding sources for good white fur. As you can see from the pictures there were 3 different white furs and the last one, pictured just above, I was really not a fan of. For all these reasons despite my personal feelings, I decided to stop producing Snargle and have not made a Snargle in a very long time.

        I know that my Nightmare Snatcher journals are objects, books made from various supplies and put together according to a pattern. I know this because I designed the patterns and I put each piece of them together myself. However, when something has a face it just becomes alive to me, even when I'm the one who made it. It has a personality and maybe even a soul, to me at least. And that's why, despite his history of heartache I have brought Snargle back, with a fresh new look of course! I don't care if he isn't the most popular monster on the block, he's my favorite and I want the world to see him. I want him to have a place to shine! Cue the theme song from 'Babe' please, this one's for you Snargle:

♪ ♫ If I had words to make a day for you, I'd sing a morning golden & true... ♪ ♫

        And in case you were wondering, my very first *NEW* Snargle has already found a loving home less than 2 weeks after listing him! As with all the new Nightmare Snatchers he is sporting many new features and is available in my Etsy shop that you can see in the pictures below.

The Monsters, They Are a Changin!

       The Spiderbite Boutique was shut down for some time, though I opened it up intermittently when I felt the urge, but I've decided to come back full force now! And with my return I bring big and exciting improvements to all of my products.

       All of my journals, Nightmare Snatchers and Worry-Woolies alike, now contain more pages than  ever before and those pages are now multicolored and bright... oooOOOOooooOh! Aaaah!

So much glorious color in that paper!

       The Nightmare Snatcher journals still have their magical spell inside, but there is also a bookplate upon which the owner of the monster can claim the beast with a scribble of their name. Each bookplate maw matches the style of the book it's found inside:

       And as if that wasn't colorful enough I'm now using eco-felt (made from recycled plastic bottles!) in a variety of colors for the lips and appendages of these furry little monsters!Which leads me to the next and most exciting evolution of the Nightmare Snatcher journals... they now have ARMS! With little velcro paws to help them keep your worries, fears, and nightmares squeezed tightly inside their pages!

 

Hugmitten is looking for a hug!

I hope you like the improvements I've made on my monster friends! Stay tuned for more products and artwork! And if you are interested in special deals and updates on my work, please join the Impetuous Homeric mailing list! Don't worry we won't overload your inbox.

New mystery product coming soon...

New products, new products, new products. That's the key to keeping a business fresh they say and my Spiderbite Boutique shop on Etsy is in need of some new products, methinks. I'm not going to tell you what they are, but here's a sneak peek at the prototype sketch:

 

It seems I just can't resist the faux-fur, but who can? It's so colorful and fluffy. These fuzzy fellows should be coming out shortly. Keep an or eye out in my shop or better yet, join my mailing list to find out when they arrive!

Just got back, and I'm already asking a favor.

Please do me the favor of voting for my Worry-Woolie notebook on the Etsy Storque back to school voter! It's the green fuzzy guy pictured above.

Vote here:
http://www.etsy.com/voter_list.php?ref=voter&room_id=61

The one with the most votes will be featured in the Members' Choice Gift Guide and on the Etsy blog.

Thanks, you're a peach! :D

Another Special Edition Worry-Woolie notebook

I have a Brand new striped Special Edition Worry-Woolie notebook with lovely soft black and white striped fur, available now in my etsy store. Small enough to accompany you anywhere, this miniature monster will do your worrying for you. Just log your frets and cares on his understanding pages, and he will grant you comfort and peace of mind as you wander through the world.

Sign up for my mailing list to keep up to date on other new products coming out soon!

WINNER of the Nightmare Snatcher naming contest!

The yellow Nightmare Snatcher's® name is TROGNUF!

It was a hard decision as there were so many great submissions. Thanks and the grand prize go to Jen (littlebiskit on Craftster) and her daughter for this winning submission. I think the name fits in great with my other Snatchers and the story behind the name was too adorable to ignore:

Trognuf is what it sounds like when my daughter (almost 2 years old) says "Strong Enough," which I would think that the snatchers need to be. But your yellow guy (girl?) looks pretty laid back, so I think a lazier pronounciation (such as my daughter uses) would be fitting.

But wait! As I said, it was a difficult decision as there were so many great submissions, so I decided to give everyone a prize and to award 2nd, 3rd, and 4th place prizes as well.

2nd place: Charmquirk for submitting: Mandiprog
3rd place: Kyoko for submitting: Giloli
4th place: LadyGreywings for submitting: Skirr

For 2nd, 3rd, and 4th place I will be giving out $10 gift certificates to be used on a Nightmare Snatcher® in my shop! And for everyone else who submitted a name I will be giving out $5 gift certificates for use towards a Nightmare Snatcher® journal in my shop. Prize gift certificates cannot be used on Sales section items or Worry-Woolie notebooks.

I will message all participants with your unique gift certificate codes tonight! If you do not receive one, and you entered the contest, feel free to let me know at: sarah@nightmaresnatchers.com

Thanks so much for participating!

Sketch Tuesday 5-12-09: Octo-alien illo sketch

Remember the kinda an octopus/jelly fish thing from last week? Here he is in action. Click on the image to see it larger. This sketch has been in the making forever. Let's see how long it takes to become a finished painting.

Join Sketch Tuesday! Upload your sketches to your blog, Flickr, or wherever you post your work online. If you use Flickr, be sure to join the Sketch Tuesday Flickr Pool and submit your sketch. Any Etsy illustrators who use Flickr I would encourage to tag & add their sketches to the Etsy Illustration Flickr pool!

*CONTEST*: Win a FREE Nightmare Snatcher journal!

THE CONTEST HAS ENDED!

Thank you for all the submissions. The winner will be announced tomorrow!

****************************************************************


I have a brand new yellow Nightmare Snatcher journal available in my shop that needs a name. Name my yellow friend and you get to take him home for your very own! Now, only one name and winner will be picked, but you can submit as many names as you want.

Note that I enjoy names that have a reason or a reference behind the name. For example my Lumpkin journal is named for 'Fatty Lumpkin' the pony in the Lord of the Rings and Fribbler comes from the word 'fribble' which means to waste or fritter something away. So if you have a reason for your choice be sure to communicate that to me as well.

You have a week, from 5-5-09 to 5-13-09 at midnight, to submit as many names as you want. So let the naming begin! Winner will be announced here after the contest ends!

HOW TO ENTER THE CONTEST:

•Submit your name/names here in the blog along with your e-mail address/some way to contact you OR e-mail your entry to: sarah@nightmaresnatchers.com
•Please note that if you submit your e-mail here on the blog, it will be visible to the public! If you e-mail me instead, your e-mail will be kept private.
•If you have a reason for the name, submit that too! I'd like to hear your thought process.
•Contest ends Wednesday, May 13th 2009 at midnight EST.
•Submit as many times as you want up to the deadline! There is no limit on entries.
•Winner will be announced on Friday, May 15th, 2009.
•PRIZE: 1 Yellow Nightmare Snatcher, as of yet unnamed.

*NEW* Worry-Woolie Notebook added to the Spiderbite Boutique!

I have a Brand new Worry-Woolie™ notebook with lovely soft yellow fur, available now in my etsy store. Small enough to accompany you anywhere, this miniature monster will do your worrying for you. Just log your frets and cares on his understanding pages, and he will grant you comfort and peace of mind as you wander through the world.

Click the image to find more info on this little guy and/or purchase!

"The Rime of the Worry-Woolie"

I'm a Worry-Woolie
Friendly, furry, and alive;
Lend me your worries, frets, and cares
I need them to survive.

If you have doubts you need to share
I'm perfect, can't you see?
What you have is what I need,
We're complimentary.

Let me share your worries
Let our friendship be unfurled
And I'll be your companion
As you wander through the world.

Sign up for my mailing list to keep up to date on other new products coming out soon as well as special deals!

Sketch Tuesday 4-29-09: Revamp!

I didn't post my new sketch on here yesterday as I got lazy and only posted it on my Flickr. Anyway, here it is!

It's the little guy from my previous Sketch Tuesdays up to no good. This illustration is for a children's book I am working on with my father.

Join Sketch Tuesday! Upload your sketches to your blog, Flickr, or wherever you post your work online. If you use Flickr, be sure to join the Sketch Tuesday Flickr Pool and submit your sketch. Any Etsy illustrators who use Flickr I would encourage to tag & add their sketches to the Etsy Illustration Flickr pool!

If you're on Etsy, check out the New Sketch Tuesday thread for today and add a link to your sketch.

Sketch Tuesday 4-7-09: The return of my little friend.

Those of you who have been following my blog may recognize this little guy from week 2 of Sketch Tuesday. He's changed just a little bit, in the eyes and body shape. He's a little more bean shaped. I'm still trying to figure out exactly how he's going to look. Today he's skipping along, digging through the trash, and jumping with an inner tube!

This is week number 7 in the New Sketch Tuesday project. Upload your sketches to your blog, Flickr, or wherever you post your work online. Any Etsy illustrators who use Flickr I would encourage to tag & add their sketches to the Etsy Illustration Flickr pool!

If you're on Etsy, check out the New Sketch Tuesday thread for today and add a link to your sketch.

Look ma, no hands Sketch Tuesday 3-10-09

Week number 3 in the New Sketch Tuesday project. Upload your sketches to your blog, Flickr, or wherever you post your work online. Any Etsy illustrators who use Flickr I would encourage to tag & add their sketches to the Etsy Illustration Flickr pool!

If you're on Etsy, check out the New Sketch Tuesday thread for today and add a link to your sketch.

Unfinished sketches...

A revamp of an old illustration I was never satisfied with. This one is pieced together from several layers of tissues paper scanned in individually. I've been tending to work this way lately.
I keep repositioning the arms and the book on this one below. Still working on it.

New Sketch Tuesday 3-3-09

Week number 2 in the New Sketch Tuesday project. Be sure to upload your sketches to your blog, Flickr, or wherever you post your work online. Any Etsy illustrators who use Flickr I would encourage to tag & add their sketches to the Etsy Illustration Flickr pool!

So let's get to it. My sketches for this week are all from 2 children's books I am working on. Some quick character sketches, trying to figure out expressions etc.:

And then some small composition sketch tests:


If you're on Etsy, check out this New Sketch Tuesday thread and add a link to your sketch.

Old Sketch Thursday

As I've been cleaning up my workspace, a long and arduous task, I started flipping through my old sketchbooks. It's a very weird feeling to look at your old work. It's nostalgic, amusing, and often downright embarrassing. So I thought it might be fun to post some blasts from sketchbooks past. I always liked these three sketches from different books circa 2004. I never ended up using them in anything though.

Snuffy. So named because it reminds me of Snuffleupagus from Sesame Street. His feet came from the idea that he was as tall a tree, so his feet remind me of the base of a tree trunk:
This little guy is about the size of a mouse and I imagined he used his prehensile hands and feet to climb up the stalks of plants, his tail was used for balance, and his long snout was adapted to sip nectar out of flowers.

While this creature may look frightening, he's actually very harmless. His mouth, which is comprised of several holes, filters plankton from the water for him to eat.Well, I hope you enjoyed my trip down memory lane. I'll have to think of some excuse to put these guys into a drawing sometime.

SALE INVENTORY RUNNING LOW!

My 2008 Inventory Sale is running out of well... inventory! I've already sold out of Crubbly, Hugmitten, Groulby, and Fribbler. There are only 4 styles left. Be sure to get them from my 'sale section' while they're still around because they're going fast! Last chance for a deal on your Nightmare Snatcher® journal purchase!

Elkton's Undead: My acting debut

A short 10 minute film made by my friends in scenic Elkton, MD in 2003. And you get to see ME as an extra in it... Isn't it exciting? Aren't you thrilled?! Can you spot me? My biggest scene is in the outtakes at the end of part 3 of 3 where I don't do anything. Yeah... I'm lame. However the video is not. It's fun. Watch it, in order of course.

Part 1:


Part 2:


Part 3:

Special Edition Striped Nightmare Snatcher!

Here is the newest Special Edition Nightmare Snatcher® , the Hugmitten style with special black and white striped fur! Woohoo! Okay, so he came out a month ago, but I still think it bears mentioning. Available for purchase at my Etsy shop! As someone who prefers to work in pen & ink and scratch board, I'm partial to black and white. The black and white stripes also make me think of Tim Burton. Most of his movies seem to have creatures and costumes that have black and white stripes as seen below. From left to right all sporting their stripes: 'Vincent', Beetlejuice', Miss Spider from 'James and the Giant Peach', Katrina from 'Sleepy Hollow', and Sweeney Todd and Mrs. Lovett from 'Sweeney Todd'.

UPDATE: Sad Songs and Sweet Dreams

Here's the full image of the illustration I'm working on, with nonsense text to be filled in later with the real poem. Still some things to work out, need to make the grass cross over her legs, the underside of her dress show a bit, work on the folds of her dress, etc. Made with pen & ink on scratchboard. See a detail image in my previous post.

It's for a zine my father and I are putting together of his poetry with illustrations by me of course. If you're interested in knowing when it's coming out, join my Mailing List!

Big *SALE* at the Etsy shop!

A special sale is going on at the Spiderbite Boutique etsy shop for the New Year! I'm selling a bulk of my Nightmare Snatcher® inventory at a discount in the SALE ITEMS section of my shop.

The sale only lasts as long as the inventory, and once they're gone they're gone. So be sure to get the ones you want ASAP before someone else snatches them up! The offer is only valid in the Spiderbite Boutique etsy shop. Don't have an etsy account? Worry not! It's free to sign up. All you need is a valid e-mail address, you pay through paypal, and etsy doesn't send e-mails to it's customers unless requested.

If you are interested in purchasing multiples of the same style/color just ask and I'll be happy to let you know what's available!