Octopus Couture

Victorian Octopus Couture - 3Muse Fashion Challenge

Louisiana Science Fiction Costume and Film Convention 2014

That is a lot of name and covers a lot of ground.

The LaSciFi is actually the smallest convention I've ever been to, but then, I've only been to about a half dozen.

It was a strange experience for me.

We arrived Friday afternoon and set up.  Reducing my set up to only one table is always a bit of a challenge for me.

I came dressed as Magenta as Friday night is given over to a showing of the Rocky Horror Picture Show.

We had maybe a dozen browsers the whole night and no sales, but it was my first time seeing a live production of RHPS is many years so it still made for a good time.

Fortunately, sales picked up on Saturday so I was able to relax and enjoy the convention.

My daughter spent the weekend as a Lolita cupcake, selling all the cosplay and lolita goodness.

There were about a dozen panels scheduled, which surprising, took place in the main room about ten feet from our table so we were able to watch all the panel activities.

Krewe du Who was on hand with K-9 as well as all the Doctors!  :)

Another room was devoted to demonstrations and another room to the science fiction film fest.

My kids enjoyed the horror movies and the Klingon martial arts demonstration.

I attended the bellydancing demonstration and attempted the tribal movements in my corset.

I think I may be far too uncoordinated to bellydance but it was fun to try.

At 4 pm, the costume contest began and the main room cleared out.

We packed up and headed out.

Sunday was three hours of panels which met. strange to say, in the lobby of the hotel.  

Definitely, an unconventionally unstructured convention, but a good time was had!

Duchess of Jellyfish - Digitalmania challenge

Lady of Jellyfish - Digitalmania challenge

The challenge this week over at Digitalmania was to be inspired by the brilliantly colorful work of Svenja Jodicke.  The color palette, as you can see, is very bright!

I generally prefer something a little more subtle, a little more delicate, but, in the end, I was rather pleased with the brilliant effect.

Life is a Long and Twisting Road

We all start out our youngest days with dreams and plans.  My daughter dreamed of being both president and a cardiologist, simultaneously, possibly with a side job of mail delivery and working at McDonalds so that she could have all the hamburgers she wanted.  Over time, her dreams changed and her vision refined.  She still isn't certain what path she want to take but she is narrowing down the possibilities, marrying passion with practicality.

I remember my own childhood.  My dreams wandered from one vision to another.  Would I become a zoologist who worked on a game preserve in Africa  (if only!!)?  Would I grow up to star on Broadway?  Could I write the great American novel?

Alas, none of these things happened.  I fell into a major that I felt uncertain about, and then graduated equally undecided.  I took the classic nineties road of slacker graduate, not really focusing on anything long enough and not really wanting a "real job".

I fell in love and so started a career that allowed me time to homeschool my children and work from home.  All praise and gratitude to the internet!

 I bought and then sold vintage clothes.  Later, my focus shifted to handmade jewelry and graphic design.  For about 15 years, I managed a lucrative income on sites like ebay and etsy, but couldn't help but wonder what lay around the next twist in the road.

Katrina came through New Orleans and we left like so many other displaced refugees and found shelter in a small rural community just south of Baton Rouge.  My husband became ill and fought a long and valiant battle against cancer, passing away about two years ago.

The twist in the road was harsh and steep.  I was left with four children to raise and an income that never goes as far as we need it to.

I realized that only working from home was no longer enough.  I started selling jewelry at art markets and craft fairs and my success wavered between meh and so so.  Still, I was making my way back into the world.

My interest in jewelry making began to wain and my creativity leaned more and more to graphic design and then, as I felt braver, into digital art.  I realized that I had somehow stumbled into something I loved.  I had found a road that I desperately wanted to travel.

But how to make a living at it?

Good question!  I am just starting out but hope the road will go on and on and on!

I have my work at a few local galleries.  I am applying to art markets.  I have enrolled in a marketing class.  I am taking all the right steps and am hoping they will take me where I want to go!

What strange and crooked path have you followed to get where you are today?

Killer Wrenn - Digitalmania Challenge

Winged Swimmer - TAW challenge

Jellyfish-iness - Teal and Lime 3Muse Challenge

Dance of the Shell Queen

The problem with portals in time and space 

is you can never be quite 

certain what sort of entertainer 

might come dancing in!

Fairy Flight - TAW Bird Challenge

":I'm taking a ride with my best friend

I hope he never lets me down again

He knows where he's taking me

Taking me where I want to be

I'm taking a ride with my best friend

We're flying high

We're watching the world pass us by

Never want to come down

Never want to put my feet back down on the ground"

-Depeche Mode - Never Let Me Down Again

I thought it would be fun to add a little steampunk 

fairy flavor to the Take a Word Bird challenge!

Octo-balloon - 3Muses Transportation Challenge

I've been absent from the weekly blog challenge 

for several weeks but am glad to be back!

My balloon octopus came out a bit more 

like a strange space ship octopus, 

but it is serving as transportation

 for an unfortunate rococo lady.

Like the Tardis, the interior of the octopus 

seems to be a great deal larger than the outside.

In fact, it seems to be the portal 

to another completely different

world of ice!

100 POSTS!! yay me! - I See what you did there

About a year ago, I realized that my growing creation of digital art really needed a home of its own, so ProjectBunny was born!

With, "I See what you did there", I declare that this blog is officially 100 posts old!

Yay!  Cue triumphant music and a rain of glittery confetti!

Blow the trumpets and I shall parade through digital art town on my magnificent float with a slow, majestic wave at all that I pass!

(Isn't my virtual gold evening gown and matching tiara truly spectacular?)

Happy Weekend and many delightful creative art projects to all!

99 posts and counting! - Gone Fishing Surreally

Looking at my blog posts a few days ago, I realized that this blog 

has been running about a year and we are up to almost 100 posts!

Cue the marching band!

Wind Me up!

Virgin State of Mind - Digitalmania challenge a la homage Catrin Welz-Stein

Our inspiration this week at Digitalmania was the wonderfully surreal work of Catrin Welz-Stein.

I've been enamored of the song "Virgin State of Mind" by K's Choice since I heard it featured on the episode of BTVS "Dopplegangland".

"There's a chair in my head on which I used to sit

Took a pencil and I wrote the following on it

Now there's a key where my wonderful mouth used to be

Dig it up, throw it at me..."