The Countdown

Only two days left until the Handmade Bash! If you're in Dallas, come on out! If you're in Shreveport, go check out the Texas Avenue Makers Fair...I couldn't make it this time because of the Bash, but there will be a ton of awesome artists and crafters (and friends) selling their stuff! You can't go wrong at either of these events! Too many exclamation points in this post, yeesh!

Oh, and thanks to some hard work by the super-talented Samantha Krause, the little fellas below will also be available at my table on Saturday. Sweet. Hope to see y'all out there!

Boomabots!

Gettin' Ready for the Bash

Tired of hearing me go on and on about the Handmade Bash yet? Well, just a few more posts about it...I promise! I participated in my first art/craft fair last fall in Downtown Shreveport, and, not knowing what to expect, really came out of it hooked on the concept — had some fun, met new people and got TOOMASOOBA in front of a lot of eyeballs. Shoot, I even earned a little walking around money as well.

That being said, I’ve been working really hard these past couple of months prepping for the Bash – this will be my biggest event by far and I really want to knock everyone out with great products and a snazzy presentation. I’m pretty pumped, I’ve gotta say.

You’ve already caught a glimpse of buttons and socks and whatnot in previous posts, but here are some “behind the scenes” photos of print and t-shirt preparation. Take a look!

Slicin' and dicin'. I have these printed with archival inks and paper
and then cut them down and package by hand.

The prints in all their glory. For this show, I made eight copies each
of six different designs...limited editions, suckas!

Decided to package the shirts differently than how I've done it
in the past...way more professional this time around.

Shirts en masse. Turned out pretty nice, if I do say so myself.

IndieGenius Bazaar

Last Friday night my boy Trav and I headed to Dallas to catch Guster at the House of Blues (it was pretty rockin’, for the record) and I found out IndieGenius was having an event the next day. I’d always wanted to swing by and this seemed like the perfect opportunity, so I dragged Travis along on our way out of town.

Was it worth the visit? Heck yeah. There were a ton of independent artists and handmade designers showcasing their wares — it’s always an inspiration to see fellow creators out there, and I even got to meet some of the folks who will be at Handmade Bash in a few weeks (Dowdy Studio and Signifying Not, great to meet y’all!). It's been fun hunting down these events and shops and artists in the Big D, and I really hope to be a larger part of "the scene" in the future. It seems like I'm in Texas every other weekend for this or that anyway, so I might as well do something productive with my time. That three-hour drive from Shreveport ain't no thang.

Anyway, here are a few pics from the Bazaar...if you’re in the area and searching for a unique shop to visit, IndieGenius is most definitely it.

Summer Ortiz of Signifying Not...her work is dang cool.

Dylan & Pamela Dowdy...and the awesome Dowdy Wagon in action.

The bazaar from afar.

Stuck On You

I’ve always been a fan of buttons and pins — on bags, on jackets, wherever you can stick ‘em — so last December I decided to order some up in the TOOMASOOBA style. Most of my illustrations are pretty simple to begin with, but I wanted to create a few images designed specifically to “pop” on the one-inch circular format.

After a bit of time in front of the computer, I came up with the dudes you see below — a cat, an owl, and a...thing with a mustache. The “collector’s set” turned out pretty rad, if I do say so myself.

You can grab some for your very own at the upcoming Handmade Bash, or at my Etsy shop shortly thereafter. Keep an eye out…and be careful when pinning them on!

Buttons, buttons and more buttons.

Sock It To Me

In early 2009, I bought some rockin’ socks from Portland-based Sock It To Me. I liked them so much that I shot the company an email: “Hey, I like funky socks. I’m a graphic designer. Maybe we can work together.”

As luck would have it, I ended up speaking to the owner and she was looking for new designs to fill out the Spring line. So, long story short, that’s how several of my illustrations ended up gracing footwear carried in stores across the U.S. and Europe! Pretty sweet.

I’d been playing around in the early TOOMASOOBA style when this all went down and the experience really flipped a switch in my head. If these designs worked well on socks, why not on prints and shirts and other cool items? Hooking up with SITM really got the gears turning and helped shape the direction that I’ve taken with my work.

You can pick up my designs online (here, here, here and here) and I’ll also have a boatload of Bring-It Bot and Astro Cat socks available at April 30’s Handmade Bash in Dallas. Swing on by if you can!

A quick peek at some men's and women's socks

2011 Spring Bash

I'm proud to announce that TOOMASOOBA will be a part of the 3rd Annual Spring Bash in Dallas on April 30th! The Bash is one of two annual fairs put on by Etsy Dallas and I feel honored to be a part of it. In the coming weeks, I'll share glimpses of items I plan to offer at the show along with other fun stuff. More details soon...now I better get to work!

A photo from the 2010 Spring Bash

Impromptu

I was able to include a TOOMASOOBA piece in the new Artspace exhibit called "Impromptu" -- the show features a ton of talented regional artists working in a variety of styles. From the Artspace website:

"IMPROMPTU is a spontaneous opportunity to showcase the artists in Northwest Louisiana so that the Chairman of the National Endowment for the Arts and his staff may experience the rich talent and professionalism of our Arts Community."

So there you go! Take a look at some pics below and swing by the gallery if you happen to find yourself in downtown Shreveport with time to kill. Show runs through April 23, 2011.

My piece, along with my buddy Travis' spin on Captain America.

On the left you'll see my favorite of the show, by Rachel Stuart-Haas.

My friend Tony Reans created this sweet Raygun painting.