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Mushy the Mushroom

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  1. Mushy the Mushroom

    Art, Archery, & Antiquated Attire

    By Mushy the Mushroom,


    nothing more mortifying that reading your own content
    Pencil pictures,  9x12s on watercolor paper. First try at using a mechanical pencil after basic shading and stuff with Ticonderogas . Probably a frowned upon method (?) but it bringeth this uneducated one much joy.  (Topic for the one.)   In September my mom bestowed these tapestry runners to me for fun dissection, destruction and dismemberment. Later became a laced bodice thanks to an old waterbed sheet, leather scraps and ribbon from my grandma’s basement.   Then it needed a dress as a friend. Wanted to make a more accurately fitted muslin because the one I did in [redacted,] and was exceedingly barbaric and based solely off tidbits of info found on Pinterest (cringe-inducing lack of ease reference, marked seamlines and notches.) Finally made life size measurement “maps” of meself and my peoples. 2d tracing and position marking to aid with shoulder slope, then separate charts with about twenty 3D measurements.  Thanks family, for being gracious Vitruvian volunteers. Apparently a lot of humans have mismatched  shoulder slopes.  (Thanks ER, for the recent scoliosis diagnosis. Would have been baffling without such insight. )
      Decided to draft an asymmetrical shoulder/torso pattern instead of using one shoulder pad. Did about 5” of total wearing ease for semi loose fit. First attempt at elbow darts (these are a thing?). Hand-draped sleeves for non-wrinkled cap shape, but not quite right yet (too feeble to do stuff + doing it anyway due to reckless inspiration =  a disgraceful quality of work but a very happy distraction) Expansions for shoulder mobility. Strangely, superglue seems to be the only glue or tape that will stick permanently on baking parchment paper (?). The ~elegance~ of the second test garment made with a mouse-chewed sheet and expanded with masking tape: Finished dress:  Made from 3 yards of thin upholstery fabric from art scrap store.  Balanced dart technique , 3.5x gathered skirt, fully lined (method ), invisi-zip. Prick- stitched facing was kind of a fail, didn’t intend to make an outer facing but forgot, so rolled with it. The slight sleeve cap gathers are also my mistake (Positioned them ~1” too far back).  Archery Gear: The results of my dad finding a new old bow and me remembering how fun it was to shoot the toy one.  Thus I learned about string slap the hard way... Did anyone else think that bracers were LotR fashion that had no practical use? ._.      . Bracer with handsewn leather loops because of a lack of long leather eyelets. Based roughly off Etsy listing photos, made test subjects from old jeans first.  Leather from the marvelous bin at the art scrap store.Dropped the awl in the process and the 1840s needle tip snapped and soared across the room. ._. Partially sewn with Needle Launching Monster (China Leather Shoe Patcher) Draw hand finger guard, handsewn.   Quiver. When eccentric thoughts materialize and you end up cradling arrows in a mock California Sugar Pine cone. (Based off this Reddit user’s  image. Can I link to Reddit? is that okay now? Sorry if not.) The cone scales are made from acrylic painted scraps of the leather jacket (this, my shoes and my brothers wallet all match now...Awkward? XD). Neoprene glued+ sewn on with the NLM/CLSP. Innards are thicker leather with rubber stabilizer at the top band, the end is veg tan leather. Sewn with hand cross-stiches and layered scales with glue. Sewed on a three point strap. Just made with bag sliders (Seemed more convenient than ordering the right things). (Only own two arrows currently. ) Took acetone to the decals of the arrows and removed the rubber fletch things. Followed this dude's tutorial for feather fletching except with e6000 glue instead. Used some abandoned feathers from my Muscovies.   (Looks pretty bad around the sleeves- the error of drafting a dress after the outer bodice. Fail-learning journey .) For hunting a box of pine straw and rocks.  Archery was admittedly an absurd thing to consider right now, but sometimes I’m mostly/somewhat ambulatory, so yay anyway. 'Twill be used one day.    Pants and a fake cat for my mom.  The cat head/face pattern needs some refinement next time. Little leather paws and thread whiskers. Didn’t have plush weights, used airsoft BBs instead.      The baby. Polo shirt gnome bonnet, gown from the good parts of the rat-chewed sheet.    Polo shirt attire + spoon + 99 cent tote for a boat + mom breathlessly blowing bubbles by the bank =   Both the baby and the phone nearly went overboard. *rubber boots, soaked anyway*   Did you ever make rafts as a child?    I remember getting stoked about them and my parents made my brother help with one when we were [redacted] and 10. He wasn’t fond of the experience, so switched to raftdrafting alone. I think only one was stable enough for human use. Their flimsy remains lay in the bottom of the pond to this day. XD Our dad, ever since that day: “If I’m ever gone, my daughter gets the tools, and my son gets her phone number.”  ...not sure if that’s supposed to be a bad thing or not, but sounds like a sweet deal? -Heads- Recently decapitated an elf doll to remake it. The cotton fabric I had clashed with the head, so painted it with watered down acrylics and heat set it.  My mom: What’s in the drier? Me: A body.    Removed the original face paint, was going for a more Studio Ghilbi style. The outfit is kind of rubbish, made the clothes for another doll at 14. Just decided to add new lace and made some slapdash leather boots.    I have two heads now. Not like this, or the Rebis.... ...but a foam one for hat making....   Dress form is now renamed Taun We.  Okay, done spam-bling now, sorry and salutations!
             
  2. Mushy the Mushroom
    Recent chipmunk, 9X12 acrylic + pencil on watercolor paper. Drawing time: ? Painting time: 42 hours.
    The drawing was from last year and not heavily detailed (done with a flashlight during a road trip).

     
    Drawings from the past few months, 9x12s. I lacked access to a reference photo for one of them, so that accidentally resulted in a drawing of me as a mere primordial mush’. The last two are smaller, old/not very good (2018-2019, flashlight car art) ones with some newly added details.

    My dear, tolerant brother visited and confusedly agreed to be in a five minute forest photoshoot!
    Him: “I didn’t know what I was walking into. I still don’t.” 

    Lantern: Was gifted to our great grandparents by a conductor after his train derailed and partially destroyed their yard. (It works, but fire is scary so the flame is tissue paper).  Binoculars: From another grandfather. 
    Brother’s costume: Russian hat: Our grandfather apparently fancied one after spotting it in a magazine. Coat: Too big, temporarily swiped from our dad, pinned to cover the Star Wars shirt underneath. 
    Mine: Dress: Actually our great grandmother’s coat with an added belt. Cape: A tattered tablecloth secured with safety pins and a rubber band. 
    Bear: Still frightens our mom.  I regret not bringing string to make it look like it was climbing a tree.
    Merry times. Had a flowery stump funeral for a trio of poor fishies who had perished in a park, finally watched Rise of Skywalker, and maybe even put braids in his quarantine hair to prove it was possible.
    If life gives you straw flowers, why not wear them as straw hats?

     
    Noticed an abundance of teal things and decided to make an utter goof of myself by playing dress up with it all in the backyard.  

    Swashbuckling sword: My dad’s. From 1913/WW1. Apparently sword length is based on one’s height? The sheath unceremoniously dragged the ground.
    Lantern: Possibly stolen from the garden. 
    Dress: Made 3 years ago from my mom’s old bridesmaid gown + new lace. 
    Gloves: Made from velveteen some years ago.
    Cape: Really just my grandmother’s coat with the sleeves pulled outside-in. 
    Kakama: Pattern
    Random story because the content below will sound like the senseless babble that it is without it:
     
    -The Antics of Nannerpus-
    Once upon a time my brother and I saw a commercial starring a majestic Nannerpus and adored it more than we should have.
    Years later, my grandmother gifted me a massive amount of acrylic yellow felt. 
    And later my mom gave me an old tan sheet.
    My x year old brain: *IDEA*
    Nannerpus then became our homeschool mascot.
    2017: Took Nannerpus to the hospital with me, somehow got other patients to wear it. 
    2018: Discovered a compilation clip contest. Taped black plastic to the side of our house, asked my mom to shower balloons from an upper window, and a strange second of spinning Nannerpus ended up in that indie band’s video.

    2021: My dad:

    Me: ??? *Assumes it’s a random joke because it wasn’t mentioned again*
    Four days later: 
    My dad, 5:30 pm:
    “So, I need a Twinkie costume for work tomorrow (in 12 hours)...”
    "...Okay? Yeah? Sure?"
    ...Two hours later:

    (Temporarily stitched oversized additions to cover the mustache)....I’ve created a terrible monster...O_O 
    Sewing pins have always looked like baby balloons to me. 

    *Gets carried away by the concept like these cotton clouds literally did in the wind*
     
  3. Mushy the Mushroom
    It appears as though it’s maybe time to resume aimlessly cluttering the region with creations...
    4x5.75” Beta fish, acrylic on watercolor paper, done for greeting cards. 
    Brain: A small painting will be faster....Reality: Spends 22 hours gleefully obsessing over the details. 

    And a few somewhat recent 9x12 pencil drawings that I remembered to scan but forgot to watermark...oh well...

    (French seams)  Went to Walmart to buy a shirt...then realized the 3yrd. indigo fabric roll was cheaper and could make a spiral ruffle skirt also.  And some old things—> New things. Print pajama pants = new shirt and mesh lace scraps + Rolled hem presser foot = scarf.

    A simple fleece lined hat from tee shirt, made to complete an outfit. My dad is now happily living as a human bottle of Sriracha...
    .
    Noticed that the giant bag of my family’s semi-destroyed jeans was nearly overflowing. ‘Twas a nice excuse for a little challenge + drafting a new pattern. Used the inner side of the denim to avoid stains, cut strips around the holes and alternated the light and dark denim panels. Interfaced and stuff. First try at a method of construction that replaces zippers with button pockets. I am baffled as to why I had "coat of arms of New Jersey" buttons, but yay, they were the right size.

    (Why does the dress form look so weird? Because it’s made of a chopped up wooden hanger, a tennis ball, drop cloths, wood glue, stuffing, a copper pipe, and a punching bag stand. Very professional. XD )
    Finally drafted some patterns for these dolls. Hopefully will be able to get back to actual worksewing soon...

    (The mischievous Muscovies had a glorious time trying to photobomb these..)
    Things for the Child. (Is it wrong to have a Child without watching the show?) Snap-on hair bows and test subject dresses, made from old dyed sheets/pillowcases. The sleeve cap shape was shamefully off on these, redrafted the pattern with paper towels later. 


    Window Child backpack, made from a drop cloth, leather, foam, clear fabric, and metallic faux leather. Partially sewn with the Needle-Launching-Monster. Messed up the window a little with the wrinkles. Only realized it looked like a portable clothes dryer afterwards...It’s ridiculously wide, but had to be to accommodate his ears. XD

    I can not contain my joy over the fact that alien dolls aren’t that peculiar anymore. I used to drag my beloved Figrin D’an, Admiral Ackbar and Greedo dolls around everywhere.
    The tragically disproportionate outcome of trying to make a Child cake topper out of peanut butter + powdered sugar at 3 am:
    :
    Just beaded masks.

    And daisy flower crown from a while ago. Green base band is from elastic strips covered in velvet, “woven” and sewn together. Daisies made by shaping wet leather and centers made from stamping and painting. 

    Do you ever just go outside for a fast photo then somehow end up frolicking into the welcoming woods for the next hour?

    (Dress made a few years ago, not remotely recent.) (Not pictured:  Very awkwardly trying to hide from passing neighbors, trying to hide the camera remote, laser level tripod, many NSAIDs, dark underlying fear of tick bites. )
    “There’s nothing wrong with having a tree as a friend.” -Bob Ross
    ...Or maybe even a tree frog.?
     
    May spring bring you as much happiness as this daffodil brought Pops~

     
  5. Mushy the Mushroom

    SHOEMAKING ADVENTURES

    By Mushy the Mushroom,


    cinnamon toast?
    First try at leather shoes + shoemaking with my lasts. Started them about five months ago but didn’t have the time/supplies to complete them until last week. Ballet flats don’t normally use welted sole construction, but I wanted to try the technique. Used the narrow German welt method.

    Made from a 20ish year old suede jacket (outer and lining), ¼” thick veg tan leather (insoles, outsoles, welt), faux leather (stiffener), ¼” wide leather reinforcement tape, ⅛ in thick cork (filler), bamboo shanks, Barbours 6 unwaxed cord (welting), coad/shoemaker’s wax/pitch, contact cement, neoprene glue, beeswax, shellac, and tiny wire nails.

     
     
    First, I completely covered the lasts in masking tape, drew the design on, cut and pulled the tape portions off and stuck them to paper. Then added seam allowances and tested a paper version. Then cut the uppers, sewed together and applied reinforcement tape at the seams. Then cut the veg tan insoles, marked and skived, and poked the awl through the feather/holdfast, marking the holes.(Attached with rubber bands- didn’t want to nail into the last until steel protector plates were added.)Next, dry lasted/stretched the leather with pincers, contact glued the lining layer around the feather/holdfast, glued in faux leather toe and heel stabilizers, smoothed out with the rasp, and lasted, glued and rasped the outer layer in place.Then made coad/shoemaker’s wax/pitch by melting pine rosin with beeswax, dropping the hot mixture into a water bucket and kneading it into little blobs (Recipe in sources). Made skived welts out of strips of veg tan. Waxed the thread with the coad/pitch/waxand started saddle stitching. Was initially painful and time consuming because of neglecting to wet the welt, and lack of a proper, sharpened awl needle.  Ordered an 1840s curved awl needle which worked in a comparatively magical manner.
    (Excessive progress photos feat. my parched, lotion-hating fingers. XD )

    I couldn’t find any suitable shoemaker’s bristles or needles online, but read that some used guitar strings instead. So I thought I’d try to use these floss threaders, which surprisingly worked. Then skived the wet welt a bit to smooth the fuzzies out. Added the cut-down bamboo shanks +leather covers and contact glued in. Then took the ⅛” thick cork sheets and contact glued and rasped two layers on. Then contact glued and hammered the rough-cut veg tan sole on. Trimmed excess off with the skive knife, Dremel sanded, and smoothed with a glass shard (Sorry mayo jar, you were a lovely sacrifice).

    Marked and cut the angled slits for stitching and saddle stitched through. Then closed the slits with neoprene glue (AKA Shoe Goo. Same stuff, just cheaper.) and hammered.

    Neoprene glued the heel layers on, cutting the excess off of each individual layer and rasping down. Then wet sanded the sole edges with the Dremel. (That protective masking tape was a terrible mistake. Had to remove the sticky residue with a freezer, a brush, a pencil eraser and suede cleaner. #fail ._.) Then made shellac for the soles from dewaxed orange shellac flakes and denatured alcohol. Sticks to skin very well. Should’ve worn gloves. (Recipe in sources) Applied the shellac to the soles, two coats. Then rubbed melted beeswax to the sole edges. For lack of a better system, I used the Sterno inferno to heat the heel edge iron and melted the wax to seal. Lastly, added little nails in the heel for extra security (Probably used too many, got excited.) 

    Pretty rough, I have no idea what I’m doing, but I guess that failing = learning. Should hopefully be easier next time. I’m ecstatic about all the online tutorials for this stuff! *Tries to contain the INTENSE EXCITEMENT*
    Also so thankful my dad’s around more, so I can hassle him about tools and garagestuff. XD He gave me this old leather welding apron to prevent unintentional stab wounds, and I’m fan-girling over it. He also refinished and painted the rusty Cobbler’s anvil from my grandmother’s barn, and made the "heel edge iron". I couldn't find the latter for sale in the US, showed him a photo, and he was able to make it from an old mallet head and the end of a walking stick. Best. Gift. Ever.  ;_;

    Here are source links in case anyone else desires to pursue a fading trade with wild abandonment.
    ...And also so I can remember this stuff next time.
     
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ITiyKmYnL-0&feature=youtu.be
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6LsE4nsEOJk&feature=youtu.be
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x2lCXlGp_GA&feature=youtu.be
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O7L6nPNNPBc
    https://shoesandcraft.com/2011/01/13/german-welt-tutorial-2/
    https://shoesandcraft.com/2011/01/21/a-little-more-about-german-welt/
    http://carreducker.blogspot.com/2012/05/threads.html?m=1
    https://medium.com/@mbliskavka/shoemaking-school-pt-3-making-thread-and-welting-25e157bc7f5a
    https://www.ianatkinson.net/leather/leatherguide.htm
    http://aands.org/raisedheels/Techniques/coad.php
    https://www.shellac.net/shellac-mixing-application.html
    https://shoesandcraft.com/2012/12/05/heel-edge-finishing/
     
  6. Mushy the Mushroom

    FaceFaceMask Tutorial and Other Weirdness

    By Mushy the Mushroom,


    nothing more mortifying that reading your own content
    Just a vague tutorial, recent random artstuffspam and things.
    So a lot of months ago I made a mini costume 3D face-face mask just to see if it was possible. 
    Wanted to try again on a larger one for someone else aka my mom the test subject, so here’s how to make one, if you’d like.
    Supplies:
    One cotton face mask that matches the skin tone of the human model. I used a one-layer mask so the paint wouldn’t stain the lining. Paint mask before sewing to lining for multiple layers.
    Acrylic or fabric paints and paintbrushes. 
    A photo of the lower face.
    Iron to heat-set your paint (If using acrylics).
    A phone, tablet or computer screen to display the photo of the face.
    Tracing paper or parchment paper.
    Tape.
    Measuring tape.
    A round surface to place under the mask as you paint. I used a round tailor’s ham, taped cotton balls into a nose shape, and covered it in a plastic bag. I pinned the mask onto it.


    Take a straight-on photo of the face you wish to replicate. Now, on the human model,  use the measuring tape to ascertain the width of their nose. 
    Next, measure the width and length of their mouth/smile. Finally, measure the width between the top of the mouth and the bottom of the nose.
    Open the photo of the face and zoom in/out until the dimensions match the real face measurements. Tape the tracing paper on the screen and outline the details with pencil. 
    Cut out the nose and mouth paper pieces and pin/tape to the mask. It may be advisable to try the mask on the human model for accurate feature positioning. Trace the outlines and add the details. 
    Then paint. I thinned my paint with some water to prevent cracking.  Add various spots and dots on the skin for a pore-like effect. Let dry between layers. Dry fully and iron to heat-set if you’ve used acrylics. 
    Behold your frightening creation.
    Paint time on 2nd attempt: 4hrs.
     
    9X12 acrylic that I barely finished for greeting cards.
    Drawing time:? Paint time: 40hrs.

    And some gifts. Started them too late so they were kind of rushed. 

    (The wallet was made from a 20+year old leather jacket and sewn on the Needle-Launching-Monster. It was weird making one without destroying the fingers while trying to badly hand sew the leather with an embroidery needle. XD  The envelope bag was made from an upholstery swatch, and the tiny red dress was for Pops. Drafted the deer plushies to resemble some 2d painted leather ornaments made in times past.)

     
    And just a few old things turned into new stuffs. 

    Yes, a mushroom hat. Because, why not?
    And the excessive amount of tailor's press tools made for couture sewing. I still don't get why they were named after meat products. Who looks at a ham or a sausage and is like "I can iron on that."?


    And hello from tiny rhino.
    (Carved and painted, before/after.)

     
    And hi from this lovely little slug who keeps breaking into our house.
     
     

    Also seems fun to sum up the past year, probably with poor writing and excess honest information. Because, why not abuse the free blog privileges?
     
    2020 started with adopting a mutt puppy, a violent stray, who terrorized us in our home for 2 months. He currently resides in an enclosure we built outdoors, so things are peaceful and our little dogs are safe again.
    My brother graduated from college in February and moved relatively far away for work. The job became online-based one month later. Yay for Facetime. XD
    My dad lost his job during the shutdowns. He now works locally and lives at home (instead of airports/traveling/hotel living six days per week). He seems a lot happier now.
    My mom and I had to leave our church. ( Hint: It’s in a kind of bad area. Once a homeless dude was secretly living in the church gym and ordering pizzas, and nobody noticed for a surprisingly long time. XD)
    My joints are now musical and make me limp around occasionally. My face has become reddish and disproportionately swollen. My skin has become uncharacteristically yellowish. Some days it hurts too much to move/get off the couch. And other stuff. And now I take a multivitamin made for old people because it doesn’t contain iron.
    Conclusion: Seeing all the stuff about 2020 seniors made me see I was a senior citizen in 2020.
    Also learned I have a blood type that’s supposedly “impossible” based on my parents’ blood groups. So I was either accidentally switched at birth or some kind of gene mutation occurred. 
    And recently had an entertaining toxic reaction to local dental anesthetic containing epinephrine. My legs started shaking and a minute later I started violently convulsing, gasping, my throat constricted, I collapsed and my face turned scarlet, all when they had the drill in my mouth. The hygienist initially thought I died and ran outside to get my mom. The chip filling immediately fell out and they had to redo it. I was in a lethargy state for 2 days after the shot...Then the filling came out one week later and they replaced it again. It was fine without the epinephrine, which is weird because it never caused bad reactions before this. I feel horrible for frightening them so…The best part: The filling just fell out again. *Facepalm* I’m keeping it this way for now, as it seems somewhat dangerous and highly embarrassing to have it repaired again. PIRATE STYLE. Very thankful for masks!
    We still aren’t fully sure what’s causing it all. We have suspicions, but apparently referrals take a long time. But when I have the energy, I’m free to do all the artstuffs and things. I am so thankful for my mom and it’s awesome to get to spend time with her, but I have guilt about being burdensome. :/ But one day, “The knowing will come”.  Oooor hopefully, maybe, whatever it is will just go away on its own. It’s all good~ 
     
    And miscellaneous good stuffs have happened too.
    I rediscovered LEGO and BZPower. So much nostalgia, I love that this old place still exists. 
    Covid shutdowns didn’t affect my social life at all. I was pretty much a hermit before. XD 
    I haven’t redeveloped any food allergies. The anaphylaxis was either idiopathic/a bi-product of other health problems. *happydance*
    Shutdowns are a new excuse for a creative renaissance. ARTSTUFFS. Online tutorial series, yay!
    2020 was personally a tiny bit bad but mostly rad.
    Anyway, apologies to anyone who read through this rather prolix entry.
     May your 2021 be a great one! 

     
  7. Mushy the Mushroom
    (I would like to preface this by apologizing if posting off-brand brick creations isn’t allowed. I am sorry if not. This is probably so wrong, but I’m afraid it would be bothersome to ask.)
    I rediscovered the old dungeon castle MB bricks while sorting through the childhood Lego tote. The MB’s had not been used in years, and so many miscellaneous things had migrated into that box. K'nex, random tools, rubbish, doodles of Toad, office supplies, and those utility building pieces from monopoly city that no one missed. This was the first time this box had ever been cleaned out/sorted. Dirt. ._.
    (The Mindstorms dog selfie booth inspired a re-attempt.)
     (These photos are terribly dated now that it’s December.)
     It’s certainly not the pastel Lego flower shop house I wanted to design for Poppy, but we had enough bricks and added fabric flowers.


     
    Test assembled it for size, it fell apart slightly, then reassembled it with Gorilla glue after the pictures. Also added a central bar in the windows for safety. The MB bricks are abnormally difficult to snap together. Knuckle skin was lost while trying to cram the thing together. Tools were deployed. People don’t like it when you’re hammering indoors at 3 am. 
    Oopssorry.
    Also, after I took the photos, someone informed me that those lovely red leaves were poison sumac. 
    Oops.
    So far, it hasn’t even crumbled upon Pops while she sleeps. 
    Additional useless photo of Pops when she was strongly disliking her new-old-pajama-dress and her new haircut:

    Hope you (and your pets) had a nice Thanksgiving if you celebrated!
  8. Mushy the Mushroom

    Cake, shirt, life.

    By Mushy the Mushroom,


    nothing more mortifying that reading your own content
    ..Rareactualreallifeentry..
    It has been wild lately. Medical TMI warning, I’m sorry in advance.
    But first, a of couple creations. Just a shirt and chess-cake cheesecake for my brother. Stoked that he finally was able to visit.
    The cake was really rough-looking.I made charcoal-dyed lemon butter-mint dough to cover it because I didn’t have fondant. Kind of floppy and hard to work with, and was totally last-minute. 

    Finally got to apply some newly-learned sewing techniques in the shirt. Basting tape is a marvelous thing. And stay-stitching. It’s also a lot easier to use a serger inside the french seams. The vertical buttonholes are a lot less scary to put in than traditional thread ones. (The shirt is on a female mannequin that I padded with towels. Probably looks weird, but no male mannequin at the moment.) So glad to finally have a sewing technique resource website!
    I’m still in the process of designing a full-face Bionicle mask, but I’m failing at a lot of stuff lately so it might be a while before it’s done. And now it’s holiday-gift-making rush season. So many half-finished sewing and art projects, so many things I need to take pictures of...
     
    It’s been a strange year of medical mysteries. TMI begins here, sorry in advance.
    Five total ER visits now. You know you’ve been too often when you see the same ER doctor again.
    Went two weeks ago for myoclonic hyponatremia seizures, chest pain and near syncope... the seizure, at least, caused by unexplained extreme thirst/over-hydration. That visit was pretty drama-free, just labs, x rays and EKGs.They actually didn’t catch that hyponatremia was the cause and suggested it was dehydration (...checking your own labs later is useful).
     
    Last night brought anaphylaxis/allergic reaction. Hives, throat constriction and breathing difficulty. It’s been awhile since anaphylaxis gave me a visit (I outgrew my food allergies three years ago...). My mom gave me expired Benadryl, then harpooned me with an Epipen that expired 4 years ago (It’s odd how you don’t feel the needle). None of that helped, and the home pulse-oximeter showed hypoxemia.This was the first time the Epipen hadn’t worked...So, woo, another ER visit. EKG again, an IV of steroids, an epinephrine shot....and the infamous, bright pink Benadryl IV…. Instant burning throat, coughing, a sensation of all mouth moisture sucked out, a feeling that a black hole has sucked all the strength out of your body, convulsing, losing the ability to move and speak, and being unable to feel your arms. Also, fiery hallucinations and losing consciousness(?) while hearing everything. 
    Nurse: “You just had the worst possible reaction to that.”  
    ...Benadryl is quite nefarious. Strangely, almost dying a few years ago didn’t feel nearly that weird. eek. wow.
    Glad that’s over...but the etiology of it all remains unknown. Has peanut allergy re-emerged? Or Alpha-Gal allergy? Or a random new one? I guess it’s back to sanitizing a spot in the kitchen and starting the “I can eat these five foods until I get an appointment” diet. Thankfully, this isn’t as disturbing the fourth time around. Pretty chill, really. Not boring, at least. Also, it’s cool that the IVs have bendy plastic needles, I forgot that was a thing. I’m acquiring a nice collection of electrodes and hospital bands now, haha. Sorry if anyone actually read all of this, I never imagined I’d actually post anything non-art related on here. I’ll probably deeply regret/be very mortified about posting this later, but I suppose it’s a nice way to process it all. I’ll blame it on the Prednisone blur. Thanks for making blogs free, BZP. (Also, sorry if posting about this stuff isn’t allowed, not sure if it’s okay.) Edit: apologies for typing errors. Also, ultrasounds make the spookiest, most fascinating, haunted-house-style swooshing noises...And also, time to add filler memes, because memes improve all situations. Mildly tempted to post an IV pic, but that’s likely too gory.
     


  9. Mushy the Mushroom
    Just some artstuffs! 
     
    9X12 Lop ear bunny, finished last month. Acrylic, pencil and watercolor paper. I feel like the leaves look kind of odd/over-detailed....The reference photo had a bokeh background. It's so hard to decide when it's done.
     Drawing time:? Painting time 31 hours.

    A happy little pumpkin panda with bamboo. White wood fill markers and black china markers will stick to pumpkin skin (Yaygaragestuff)
    .
    That color wheel feel when an art idea materializes: And the Lego version:
    (Not an accurate color wheel.)

     
    This is a pseudo paint palette...A fraud made of foam board...taped to the face.
    I wish I had a younger sibling so I could bribe them to be in photos instead. These photos were taken using the most barbaric methods.
    Proof:

    And finally...my pathetic Plant-O-Lanterns! Inspired by @Bambi and @Aderia.
    MR. NARWHAL and cantaloupe octopus. Poor cantaloupe octopus was illuminated with a flashlight, I couldn't find another candle.
     

    I fail at carving cucumbers.
     
     
     



     
     
  10. Mushy the Mushroom
    Or maybe blocks of wood turned into my feet. 

    After three years of making inferior-quality fabric shoes (with some slippers, some flat shoes, and ballet slippers being the only not-absolutely-weird-looking exceptions)  the realization that a shoe last is a necessary thing has soaked in...Thanks to the discovery of some new, enthralling shoemaking tutorials on Youtube!
    Apparently one needs a last before they can make leather shoes. I couldn’t find a wooden shoe last in my size anywhere online, so I tried a thing..a crazy thing...a “This is so not going to work, but I can always burn the evidence once it disastrously fails!” thing.
    So I glued scraps of free-roaming garage wood together and started chopping.
    Then Dremel sawing, measuring, obsessively comparing the block to my foot, Dremel sanding, measuring again, and then trying to replicate the same shape on the other last.
    Treated them with paste wax after taking the photos, so they’re a bit shiner now. The weird dark spots are where I accidentally roasted the wood with the Dremel.
     

     
    I’ll probably have to add some type of ferrule in the top of each last. Decided not to make steel sole plates for now, because my parents found an antique, cast-iron sole last in an old barn at my grandmother's house. It’s made for nailing the leather down during lasting, I think..(?)...That’s what I'll try to use it for, anyway. Here’s a stock photo of it, because it is currently bathing in vinegar to remove the rust. 

    Also recently got my Needle-Launching-Monster (China Leather Shoe Patcher, hand-crank sewing machine) to work properly. It’s been my non-functioning roommate since February. It’s only working now thanks to resources found in a Facebook group...And some electrical tape, until I can get one part sodered/welded. Just made a little leather pup charm on it for now, as I’m out of leather and the local market is still closed..(not a good excuse, just haven’t gotten around to it).
     
    So, yeah.. I suppose it’s time to get some cork, shanks, a skive knife, tiny nails and stuff to begin this adventure… Also, there are different shapes of shoe lasts for various shoe styles, but I just made a random, basic replica of my feet (+one cm in length, the last is supposed to be slightly longer than the foot).. .ihavenoideawhatimdoing…..I’m really just thankful to have unlimited access to an overwhelming amount of tools…especially MAGICAL POWER TOOLS. Those are fun. My dad’s kind of a hoarder collector. What’s also fun is unintentionally frightening mail delivery people when using the power tools on the wooden feet outside. That FedEx dude was rather shaken.
     
    Wow, this was uncharacteristically long, sorry.
    Also sorry if this entry has too many pictures, I wasn't sure if there was a limit.
     
    Anyone else on here into shoemaking or leatherworking? 
  11. Mushy the Mushroom
    Just a crown. Not really worth posting, definitely not in a topic, but I had a merry time with it. The back is held together with a tiny rubber band (Also one piece on the front, because it was broken).
    Should Bionicle be fashion?
    Yes.
    Should Bionicle be fashion in this manner?
    No, probably not. But that definitely did not prevent me from going totally fantasy-medieval-princess with it.
     
    Yay for tablecloth capes, letter opener daggers, that plush bear that frightens my mom, phone camera timers, a flimsy dock made exclusively for perching ducks, and laser level tripods. This is what happens when you’ve never celebrated Halloween. Any excuse for a costume will be taken. 
    Am I the only one who feels as though shutdowns are a second Renaissance?



  12. Mushy the Mushroom

    Maybe a human-sized bird nest...

    By Mushy the Mushroom,


    behold the bush babies
    Hatched another wildly random idea...
    A human-sized Robin's egg bird nest bed/lounge chair.
    It's made of foam crib mattresses, sheets, poly-fill, offensively-strong glue, paint and elastic.
    Because I have always wanted one of these....since this idea popped into my head two months ago.
    ..Can I use the excuse that Porg demanded it?


     You can make one too, if you want. I've made photo instructions on Flickr. For some reason it shows the last steps in the album first, but they're numbered. (I hope it's okay to link to this, I'm still scared of breaking the linked content rules. I"m sorry if not.. I was going to directly link to the photos, but there were like 21 steps and I was lazy.
    https://www.flickr.com/photos/189713610@N04/albums/72157715698039033
    ...I suppose I see a blog as a magical place to post random art content, instead of using it to actually write anything useful or intelligent....words simply have never been my thing. SO YAY PICTURES.

  13. Mushy the Mushroom
    Lesson learned: 
    If you find some front yard mushrooms, adorn them in various styles and photograph them, people are going to stare...
     
    ...But if you do all that and it begins to rain, causing you to build a terribly improvised hut, they will think you’ve gone wholly mad.
     
    ...Which might not be absolutely inaccurate.

     

    Apparently crabapples can be used as miniature props.
     
    Also, if anyone can identify what type of mushrooms these are, please let me know.
    BEHOLD THE HUT OF SHAME.

     
     
  14. Mushy the Mushroom
    (So, it seems as though blogging is allowed for all users now….If the rumors are true….My apologies for trying this if it is actually not permitted...)
     
    This was the result of a random idea and illness-induced sleep deprivation. Very messy due to limited bricks. I haven’t watched “My Neighbor Totoro” in years, but this scene really seemed fun to build. I must admit, I am very disappointed in myself for forgetting to make the black umbrella to hang on the sign....frantically ran outside to take photos...While laying In the middle of our street….at dusk. Thanks to the help of my mom, none of our neighbors ran me over. But a flip-flop was harmed in the making of these photographs.
    Topic: http://www.bzpower.com/board/topic/29628-my-lego-totoro-bus-stop-scene/
     

     
     
     
     
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