Sneak Peek & Contest

Here's a sneak peek at the new slugs!

There will be more slugs with mini slug companions sold as a set, like Jonathan and Brad. Perhaps a mother and daughter who enjoy baking together...or a big bro and his little bro who idolizes him? Oh the possibilities! I'm really excited about a group of slug I've started calling the Gentlemen's Club Slugs! They won't be special edition by label, but these gents will certainly be special. Keep an eye out for lots of mustaches, ties and maybe even a pipe or two. There will be plenty, cause I just can't stop making those rad mustaches! The 3rd edition of slugs will also include some new and different accessories, like a bomb, a beer can and bubblegum (+ accessories starting with other letters as well, that was a total coincidence)! Of course I'll keep making some of the old (and popular) ones too: pizza slices, cupcakes, skateboards, cups o' joe, burritos and books. Got any ideas? Send them my way!

A couple of other noteworthly things about the 3rd edition: regular slugs will be more uniform in size as I am making them all out of the same amount of clay for the most part. So in this sense, the minis will really be minis whereas sometimes they were almost as big as the regular slugs in the past. I'm making all sorts of new colors as well, gotten really into tinting everything with black and brown for some rich earthy hues. I'm also offering GIANT slugs, 5 inches long by custom order only for between $20-25. And you fans out there might have noticed that yes, the prices have gone up a bit, but the slugs are looking better than a year ago and this is my only source of income. A girl's gotta eat!

This guy is one of the first new slugs. I'm all set to put him up for sale, but I can't think of a good name! He is definitely a sneaky guy, always up to mischief of massive proportions...he's got a bit of a problem with blowing things up! Send me your ideas via comment to this post and I'll pick the one that fits as I take naming my little slugs very seriously! Next Sunday, March 22nd I'll announce the winner of the contest and you get this explosive little slug for free! Don't forget to check back to see if you've won! But Martha, how will I get my dynamite slug if I win, you ask. This is how:

1.I'll post him in my etsy shop, reserved for you. (He will cost 20 cents according to Etsy because you can't list anything for less than this)

2. You add him to your cart.

3. You complete every step except the payment.

4. I see you "purchase" and have all your info to mail your slug out!

I like Zombies

1. Sock Zombie Doll :: Yessssssssssss! Two of my favorite things all sewn into one: handmade plush and zombie! Love the puffy paint glitter blood! This one is definitely for your zombie lovin' friends who don't like all the gore but like a heavy handed dose of humor! If for no other reason, you must check this shop out for the zombie interviews.

2. Zombie Octopus :: This etsy artist makes the coolest clay octopi (?) ever! She was the first artist I ever hearted when I discovered etsy, even before I had my own shop. I guess even the ocean isn't safe from the living dead! So much for getting scuba certified...

3. Night of the Living Bread :: This is just so hilarious it's scary...a parody (obviously) on Romero's Night of The Living Bread , which you will notice is nowhere in my collection of zombie favs. (It scares me!) I saw this yeasty version for the first time at like 2am while sleeping over at a friend's house. We laughed for hours, but then again what couple of 14 year old girls don't laugh for hours. My favorite scene involves a very sneaky dinner roll.

4. Zombies Board Game :: Don't be fooled by the first glance of this limited color palette box...this game is sooooo awesome. Two of my greatest friends turned me onto it while I was living in Vermont. We had hours of endless fun fighting zombies and racing to the helipad. It's a bit complicated at first, but once you get the hang of it you'll want to play til you die!

5. 3 Zombie Buttons :: Show your support (or fear) of zombies with this nifty little buttons. Here's another fun etsy artist with loads of zombie merch in her shop. Even little catnip brains for your kitty to chew on. Better watch out though...those brains might be infected!

6. Shaun of the Dead :: Who doesn't love a Simon Pegg movie? My personal Pegg favorite. It's like a parody only better...and funnier than being attacked by sliced bread. The perfect movie mash plot of romance, comedy and horror. Slacker Shaun (Pegg) decides to win his ex-girlfriend back, turn his life around and go visit his mum all in the midst of a zombie breakout, all while his super sidekick, Ed, manages to muck it up. Funny stuff.

7. Zombie Squad :: Zombies for a cause! Based out of St. Louise, Missouri, this community service group focuses on disaster preparedness and helps to raise money for disaster relief charities. Of course their primary objective is to protect you from the undead! Check out the site to learn about other chapters and zombie walks.

8. Zombie Portrait :: Holy crap! This is great for that zombie lover on your list. Artist Rob Sachetto will turn a jpeg image of you into an awesome illustrated zombie portrait! This guy is a zombie genius! I'm saving my money for this one! It's the gift that keeps on living!

9. The Zombie Survival Guide :: The one and only, by Max Brooks. That's all I'm gonna say. Read it. By now you should be scared enough to realize you need it.

To Do List

It's been almost a month and a half since the "incident" aka the day I got laid off. I'm starting to realize that I'm not very organized (never have been) and I need to take advantage of all this free time and do something about it. I have a closet full of dirty laundry, a studio/computer room that is crammed full of boxes of stuff and the list goes on and on! While it would be great to get a cute little to do list like this one from boygirlparty I think I'll have to grin and bear it and do without. Here's what I've come up with so far...in no particular order.

1. do all my laundry

2. take what I don't wear to Plato's Closet for some extra cash (and donate the rest)

3. add a slug a day from the new 3rd edition to my etsy shop

4. go for a walk once in a while

5. go bike riding with Myke (finally)

6. get ChromaPop up and running with new items (!!!)

7. make dinner every night

8. get crackin on my gift for Make A Child Smile

9. send some snail mail (thanks for the inspriation Joanne)

10. clean this apartment, yikes!

11. take more TTV photos

12. update flickr

13. start interviewing artist for the blog

14. apply to design school

15. watch less TV

16. read a book

17. get the sewing machine out and make some curtains

18. organize my workshop corner

19. start inventory/bookkeeping for MarthaLand

20. do something about the lame header on this blog!

Whew! That's enough for now. We'll see how well this goes....I tend to enjoy the list making part much more than the list completeing! What would you do if you have more free time?

I Like Pink

Once again, insomnia has led to another marvelous idea of bloggy goodness. Since I've started saving my money and stopped my usual needless shopping, I've become quite the internet window shopper. Here's a little collection of pink that I'd like to have but will settle with just looking at for now. It's fun being a curator of sorts, stay tuned for more eye candy!

1. Magnolia Pod Print :: http://www.artofandrewdaniel.etsy.com/

2. MTV Zebra Tee :: http://www.delias.com/

3. HuesNBrews Teapot :: http://www.target.com/

4. Windermere Craft Paper :: http://www.basicgrey.com/

5. Retro Rocker Satin Raspberry Sneakers :: http://www.rocketdog.com/

6. Buddha Buddha Bank :: http://www.urbanoutfitters.com/

7. Vintage Glass Beads :: http://www.dibabeads.etsy.com/

9. Betty Scoop Print :: http://www.boopsiedaisy.etsy.com/

10. Hello Gorgeous Gift :: http://www.lushusa.com/

10. TAKE ME shopping and I'M YOURS Screenprint :: http://www.linocutboy.etsy.com/

11. Peeps Bunnies :: http://www.marshmallowpeeps.com/

12. Strawberry Swirl Cupcake Soap :: http://www.loveleesoaps.etsy.com/

Burrito Burrito Burrito!

I love burritos and if you don't mind me bragging, I happen to make a really kick ass burrito myself! (I am not the only one who thinks so...) I am more a fan of the "Americanized" burrito than traditional Mexican, but I'll try it! I realized the other day that I really have mixed feelings about Mexican food and sadly I think I would rather eat Ameri-Mexican than something authentic. I think the first real mind-blowing burrito I ever ate was at Bombers in Albany, NY. It's a great little hole in the wall with lots of style and great artsy decor. I had a similar experience the first time I ate at Chipotle in NYC, but sadly have not been able to match it since moving to Florida. Although, I have become a fan of their pork burrito lately. Even still, I think I'd rather eat a homemade, handmade chicken burrito with fresh guacamole and sour cream any day of the week! Apparently I have had burritos on the mind lately as I made two little slugs with mini burritos recently! And as a matter of fact, we just had them for dinner a few nights ago! Yum! So here's a little collections of burrito related things, my homage to the delicious wrapped treat!

1. BurritoEater Blog :: http://www.burritoeater.com/

2. Bombers Burrito Bar in Albany, NY :: http://www.bombersburritobar.com/

3. Alex and his Burrito:: http://www.marthaland.etsy.com/

4. Chipotle Restaurant :: http://www.chipotle.com/

5. Fun Felt Foods Burrito :: http://www.mclean2612.etsy.com/

6.Pepitos Burritos :: http://www.beachmusings.etsy.com/

7. I Heart Burritos T-shirt :: http://www.burritoblog.com/

Surfing at 3am...

Never thought surfing the web would lead to anything productive and good for my karma, but I was wrong! Not only did I stumble across a great blog dedicated to being nice (how refreshing!) but I found an even better website called Make A Child Smile. There are so many kids out there with life threatening diseases and conditions and this website is focused on adding a little cheer and delight to there life...making them smile! You can donate money to the organization or a particular child. But personally I am super excited to make a little personalized slug for one of the MACS kids and mail it off to them! I encourage all of you to take some time to do the same, after all, wouldn't you like it if someone made you smile just because! Just go to the website and under the kids column on the left, click on all current kids or just click here. From here you can see all the kids, read about their illness and find out what kind of interests they have. Just click on the little face/page icons on the left of their name for more info. It includes their mailing address so you can send you gift right away and get to making them smile ASAP!

2nd edition of slugs complete!

I just finished listing all 100 slugs in the 2nd edition and they are on sale now in my etsy shop. Please stop by to grab one before they are gone! I have been featured in the gift guides and on the front page of etsy again, so traffic is picking up. I'm excited to continue working on the new slugs in the 3rd edition. I thought it would be fun to take a look back at the 1st edition and some from the 2nd edition and also show some that weren't sold in my esty shop (because they didn't make the cut) I'll be having some giveaways of these oops slugs because I can't bare to throw them out!

This is the slug that started it all....the first one I ever made way back almost a year ago. I will never sell him or name him I don't think. It's funny but he doesn't even stand up on his own!

Here are some of the other critters I made in the beginning but never ended up listed them on the shop. I ended up liking them so much I just wanted to keep them for myself!

1. Snurtle - the shop was originally going to have slugs and snurtles. Snurtles are a cross between a snail and a turtle. It didn't take me long to realize this was a bit ridiculous. A fun novelty yes, but really? Snurtles? I didn't like the way they came out anyway. I guess it ended up looking like a snail in the end which would have been a better choice! But I abandoned that idea and focused on the slugs.

2. Special Edition Sprackle Slug - I started making jewelry and beads with this same "sprackle" effect and started up another shop at Etsy called Chromapop. But nothing sold so I again abandoned this idea. I have a handful of slugs like this, but I'm not sure what I will do with them. Can't say I like them very much!

3. Caterpillar - Now this guy I absolutely love! And my boyfriend does too! He wanted me to sell these in the shop but it was quite time consuming to make. I like him a lot, but if I was going to sell more I would have to perfect the construction. I don't like to spend a lot of time on my individual pieces. I'd rather spend a whole day making 20 slugs than spend a hour making just one....although now that I think about it, it usually takes about and hour to make just one slug when you add all the steps together! Interesting....

4. MarthaLand Mascot? - I'm not sure what this is or where the idea came from. I suppose it looks a bit like a generic centipede/worm with legs kind of critter. He was an experiment I tried after the caterpillar. Like my original slug, he does not stand up on his own! I like this little guy alot, in fact he was on my MarthaLand shop banner forever until I recently updated it! He was also the inspiration for my blue wormy napkins holders...still for sale!!!!

And the Winners Are...

I didn't get a whole lot of responses for my first giveaway, but I did manage to find two wonderful Etsy shops to give a make over! Please stop by to admire my handy work and more importantly the handywork of this amazing artists! Thanks to Fiorella and Priscilla for being my first ChromaPop customers!

Here are the before and afters:

Through the Viewfinder

I've been itching to get behind the camera lately and create some really moving photos. I get so bored of snapping shots of my slugs and other creations sometimes because there is no creativity in the actual photography, just in the object itself. Recently I've been inspired by the vintage movement, I love the look of old timey photos and more so the old timey look translated onto a modern subject. Sure, all of that can be done with the wonders of Photoshop, and I like to toy around with that a bit but it's just not photography to me, in the true sense of the medium. Then I remembered a technique a photography friend told me about called Through the Viewfinder.

It sounds like a complex project, but it was relatively simple and easy to get set up. You basically take a picture with a digital camera of the image you see when looking into the glass bubble viewfinder of an old school 620 film camera such as the Kodak Duaflex or in my case a Argus Seventy Five. The only DIY project involved is the box you'll have to build to block out light and glare on the base camera's viewfinder and keep your main camera at the proper distance so you can focus. Most tutorials said you should use a DSLR with a macro lens, but I managed just fine with my 55mm lens and I've even seen pictures on flicker of people using their little digital point and shoots, so don't be discouraged! You will, however, need a 620 film camera with a viewfinder on the top, as it is the most important part of the equation. You can find them online at ebay and sometimes at etsy as well.

Way back in college I picked up my Argus camera for 25 cents at a garage sale and haven't used it until now! After some very quick research on the web via google, I set out to build a light blocking box with some customized adaptions for my Rebel xti and a hour or so later was snapping shots through the viewfinder!

Happy Valentine's Day!

Here's some cute love slugs that were going to be valentines cards...but I never got around to it! Enjoy and I hope you have a lovely day!

Free Etsy Banner!

So, I have been feeling a bit bored and depressed since I lost my job and the job search isn't going so well. I have been thinking about going back to school to get a second degree in Graphic Design or at least take some refresher courses and reteach myself how to use Illustrator and DreamWeaver. I recently made a banner for my new etsy shop: ChromaPop and just today I revamped my MarthaLand shop banner:

Then a wonderful idea popped into my head! Why not stretch my design muscles and create some etsy banners for my fellow etsians! This will officially be my first MarthaLand giveaway! If you are interested in a ABSOLUTELY FREE etsy shop banner, just comment on this post within 1 week from today. I will pick 3 etsy shops for a free MarthaLand makeover based on what your current banner looks like, what you sell in your shop, and any other persuasions you lay on me!

Y and Z are for....

The end of my alphabet feature is here. When I came across this giclee print, I just had to combine the last two letters for a big finale... This limited edition print Y and Z by the Canadian etsy shop monkeypowered is super cute! It appeals to me in a playful kid way and in a zany artsy adult way too! If I was going to hang a fun alphabet on my wall, I'd definitely choose this one. I love Mr. Z's little moustache (I've been joining the moustache craze these days)! And if this taste of color and fun isn't enough then you'll really want to check out the rest of the monkeypowered shop! Perhaps its all the bright colors or the super cool illustration style, but I just love everything! Some of my other favorites: Dog's Dinner and Mr. Fuzz. Also check out artist Helen Dardik who also has some giclee prints in the shop like Coffee With My Owl and this ABC poster! But hurry, these prints may only be $20.00 but they are limited editions! Enjoy!

X is for...

X is a hard one, so I thought I'd feature another full alphabet set....made from up cycled materials, bonus! This Recycled Coke Can Alphabet is the green counterpart to the neon plastic refrigerator magnets we all had as kids...and...ah, some of us still have! It's only $8.00 for the whole set, a bit more pricey than the old school set but well worth it and a steal if you consider all the work that went into it! Loda's etsy shop features handmade goodies all fashioned out of empty pop cans. So clever and crafty! My personal favorite is the cute little recycled piggie brooch! Hurry and grab this one up, Loda's last three sales were all this similar coke alphabets and this is the last one listed in her shop!

Button Your Eyes!

How totally awesome is this!?!? The new movie Coraline just opened a few days ago and I haven't seen it yet, but I think I'm going to have to beg to go tonight. We were going to wait until my birthday, but I can't wait two more days! I have to go NOW! I went onto the official website to check it out, and of course it's totally RAD in every meaning of the word! I wish I could work on a movie set like this! I would love to spend endless days, months, years making little trees and flowers and all the other creepy cool props and sets. Apparently there is a forest made entirely of painted popcorn! And I heard that the movie took 7 years to complete, the crew turned out about a minute a week. Insane, but just so insane that I would love it! I tried to find the creepiest pictures I could of Myke and I to Coraline-ize ourselves. The site is all interactive and I spent about 45 minutes there and didn't even see half of it. You can of course give yourself button eyes, make weird flowers in the garden and explore all kinds of other places. Go and check it out and go and see the movie!

Jobless...

I wish I had good news today, but I lost my job. Being a manager is great unless things are going so well, and then all the blame comes down on you. Oh well, I was beginning to get an itch for something new anyway...just wish I had found it before I lost my current job! So I am officially unemployed, which has its benefits. For example I decided to take a nice little mini vacation and drove down to Punta Gorda for a visit with my parents. And at least I don't have to get up at 7:30 every morning, no work on the weekends and no boss! But of course, my bank account is quickly getting smaller and smaller with no income! I will be spending a lot of time making new slugs and trying out some other new ideas. Please check out my shop on a regular basis and please please send everyone you know my way on Etsy. At least I have that little income to rely on right now, but I don't know how long I will be without a job and every little bit helps!

W is for...WOW!

Okay, so I know I have slacked off on the whole alphabet series. You might even say my effort recently has been weak (since today's letter is W)! It's interesting how I managed to keep up with it during the busy holidays but now that things have slowed down I have almost completely given up! With only 4 letters left, I just couldn't let the procrastination get the better of me! But W is a hard one! I couldn't find much on Etsy for the letter W that really caught my eye. In my search I came across this absolutely amazing shop though...and it made me say "Wow! This is totally rad!" So I guess it's only fitting to feature electricboogaloo for today's letter!

I would much rather consider myself an adorable dork (aka adorkable) but I fear from time to time I wander over into the nerd category. Science was my second favorite subject in school after all and I even was called Envirogirl for a brief period in senior high! So, it came as no surprise that I absolutely loved these Nerdy Baby ABC Flashcards! As Tiffany, the creative mind behind electricboogaloo, points out, nerdy partents have nerdy babies so why not "geek up the nursery!" It's 100% old school flashcard stlye meets biology 101 with super awesome color drawings that look like they are straight out of my high school text books! Now this is an alphabet set worth much more than a mere $20.00!

I was relieved to discover I didn't quite understand some of these flashcards, which no doubt confirms my adorkable status over nerdom! But I still enjoyed them greatly, and any cool kid will tell you that if you enjoy science, you're a nerd. But if the nerdy ABC's aren't humorous enough for you, then check out Nerdy Baby 123 Flashcards....now with more pi! Okay, I'm a nerd. But c'mon, you gotta admit, this gal is pretty damn smart, crafty and creative! If there was some kind of alphabet award, you'd win 1st place in my book, Tiffany! So all you science geeks out there, go and check out this super neato shop whether you have a baby or not. Perhaps you can educate some of your non science geek friends with these informative flashcards and teach them a thing or two about why it's cool to be a nerd.

This is no way to spend my birthday!

I seriously cannot believe all the crap going on right now with the Consumer Product Safety Commission and their stupid new act! Grrrrrrr! The crafting world is in turmoil and etsy has been a buzz lately. Lots of crafters could be drastically effected by the outcome of this Consumer Product Saftey Improvement Act, if it passes. Yeah, I want the supplies I get to be free of lead, but some of this is a bid ridiculous. I don't really have a lot of child in my demographic so I don't think I will be effected really, but this just made me sad when I read it:

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The American Library Association (ALA) today expressed dissatisfaction with a public meeting held by the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) to discuss the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act (CPSIA) and whether the law, which requires children’s products to undergo stringent testing for lead, should apply to ordinary, paper-based children’s books. Under the current opinion issued by the General Counsel of the CPSC, the law would apply to books for children under the age of 12; therefore, public, school, academic and museum libraries would be required to either remove all their children’s books or ban all children under 12 from visiting the facilities as of February 10.

Really? All children's books could be taken out of libraries on my birthday! This makes me so sad, I love the library! And quite honestly still love the child's section! What is this world coming too? Why are we all so afraid of EVERYTHING!

You can read the rest of this article here at District Dispatch and also more on Etsy and the CPSIA here and if you live in Brooklyn, you can go to a community chat TOMORROW 1/23 at the Etsy Virtual Labs, check out this storque article for more info. You can also go to buyhandmade's new blog here for lots of news, updates and more info. If you scroll to the bottom you can get a badge to add to your blog/website to show support.

Valentines Slugs are Coming!

I made just a handful of Valentine's Day slugs! I was inspired by conversation hearts and stamped "luv u" on the back of each one then colored it in with red sharpie! So cute and sweet enough to eat! I will be posting them soon, hopefully on the 21st! They each come with their own little valentine's day card as well. Just fill out the to and from, and wrap it all up and PRESTO! Instant valentine's gift, handmade with love of course!

V is for...

Now for a new twist on things...how about a Spanish translation! This Spanish Alphabet Letter V is a folksy take, hand embroidered and made mostly of felt. And this Etsy shop has the whole alphabet of course! It was fun trying to think of things in Spanish for each letter, I believe Jenna and Mandi of Toodleooo have done a wonderful job, much better than me! Check out the whole series, just $15.00 for each lettered square which is 9x9 inches. My other favorites: Q and C! These would make great gifts for all those bi-lingual families you know or a friend who is learning Spanish perhaps! I also really liked this card featuring two cute pug dogs. Be sure to stop by this new shop!

U is for...

Well, it's been a while but I am back! I wish I could have finished my alphabet series before the new year, but I ran out of time...literally! Now that work has settled down, I will hopefully be posting more often again. And of course be filling up the shop with more slugs! I have a lot of new ideas for 2009, so stay tuned to the blog to see whats coming up! And to pick up where we left off....

I couldn't resist this print by EmilyBalivet for no other reason that the fact that I LOOOOOVE unicorns! U is for Unicorn Print from the Medieval Alphabet is just one of the super cool prints she has available. While I'm not very fond of medieval art really, this collection is quite nice and I could see it fitting in well in certain decors. Each piece has been painstakingly (well it seems that way to me anyhoo) painted by hand by Emily using acrylic and hide glue to give it the aged cracked effect. Very interesting, I love artists who play science! She has the whole alphabet available in 8 x 10 prints for $15.00 each. Check out her other renaissance and medieval themed pieces as well. My favs: Awakening, Celtic Mermaid Hand Painted Treasure Box and Z is for Zodiac. This gal makes me want to go to a renaissance festival!

And I couldn't resist this new find! I am quite partial to this artist's work because it closely resembles the pages upon pages of scribbles that I have in my sketchbooks. I never knew what to make of them...it awesome to see that Christina of whimsyloo has found a way! All of her alphabet letter, like Letter U are bursting with vibrant colors and fun little swirls and loops...or as I like to call them, twibbles! Her style reminds me a lot of Dr. Seuss, who I love! Check out all the funky prints she has to offer, every letter is a little different and each 8 x 10 print is only $13.00. For more about Christina visit her blog and you'll see some more great artwork and a etsy front page feature!! Congrats to whimsyloo!