Adventure Time!

I am not what you would call an outdoorsy person. You won't find me jumping up and down at the thought of camping for a weekend in a tent on the ground. To me that would sound like you want me to sweat in a tent with no shower and bugs buzzing around my ear and biting me for three days and two nights...NOT HAPPENING.

BUT I am a lover of outdoors nonetheless. I love when the forest is deep green and I love looking at anything the woods has to offer. I like the many different trees, the fallen logs, the moss, the rocks, the stumps, the EVERYTHING!

If you invited me to go spend the weekend at a cabin by the lake near the mountains...I'd be all for it!! I love the beauty of the outdoors. I don't know why but I get so giddy at even the idea of going on a nature walk! It's even more exciting when I get to take my plush creations with me for a photo shoot! And that's what we did yesterday.

Before we even got to the start of the trail, I was so excited to find these trees! Look at how tall they are! They were so naturally whimsy. I'm almost 5'7" and my daughter is 4'4" so think about that when you think of how tall these trees were!

My daughter has become more and more obsessed with Adventure Time! and so have I. I think it's so adorabibble that she likes to go everywhere now with her backpack packed full of goodies she may need on adventures. We later found out that the backpack was actually pretty heavy for a 6 year old to carry as long as we walked. She's tough! lol

They had, I think, 3 bridges on the trail we took! And I think there's at least 6 trails on Fort Drum!

I don't know if you can tell, but this hill was SOOOOOO STEEP!  Going up my knees were pretty much hitting my chest and going down was so scary! I have bad knees as it is, so I almost made the decision to slide down. 

I love my sweet little Owie Pie! :) 

And last but not least a Merple sighting!

You can check out more photos of my creations on my Facebook page, by clicking this link: HinckleDoodle

I've been creating with the help of my daughter's doodles and imagination these new creatures that have totally captivated me, called Merples (like the one above) and a new creature called Gooblings.
We're trying to create this magical land together.
The land of HinckleDoodle is being reborn :) 

Oodles of DoodleyDoos!

I'm so so so pleased with my coloring books! I wish there was a way where you all could see them in person. I'm so happy with the quality and with the doodles that made Volume I!

These coloring books make me realize I REALLY need to do some craft shows. I can say how much work I put in. I can say how amazing they turned out. I can talk and talk and talk but I really think a person would be impressed with this handmade coloring book if they could just take a moment to flip through it.

I know it sounds weird, but a lot of times when I make something, I step back and think to myself, "Whoa that's really cool. Did I do that?" I love that feeling. That feeling of being in awe of myself. What other greatest fan can you have besides yourself? I mean really you're with yourself all the time lol.

I hope I'm not coming off as conceited. I'm far from that. I am just humbly proud of myself. This outlet of doodling and ink pens and even the scanning and printing and binding...but mostly the doodling, my Copic Liner Pens, and a certain kind of No. 2 pencils...ahhhh just pure bliss.

I also just received some Promarkers in the mail today and I'm quite impressed. I still want all Copic markers, but I'm hoping the Promarkers and I will form a wonderful relationship and help take HinckleDoodle to a new realm! 

I want to make bookmarks, greeting cards, stickers, prints, etc...It's "easier" (I guess you could say) to be able to offer these sort of products. It takes so much more time and effort for me to sew a masterpiece than it does to draw one. Not saying that you get any less quality. It's just a different process. 

I'm excited for this new venture and hope you all will grab a coloring book today! I tried to make them as affordable as possible. I'm still searching for other suppliers too to maybe be able to knock a couple dollars off in the future :) 

And maybe to entice you a little bit more...here's another page from Volume I that hasn't been shown to the masses yet :) 

You can grab one here:  https://www.etsy.com/listing/103029434/the-doodler-volume-i-oodles-of  :) 

THANKS for reading!!!

xoxo 

Jess

I Love Adventures!

Like most young families, we tend to struggle. We don't do many things outside of our home to save on money, but sometimes you have to just go out and do something. No matter if it's big or small as long as you're with the people you love...it will be incredible! :) 

The past two weekends, we've actually went on little adventures around this area that we've been in for nearly a year but never really explored. It's been so much fun!

Recently we went to Sackets Harbor, NY and here's some of the pics from that adventure!

Makes me laugh at how high the soap dispenser was!

And look at how high the paper towels are! And Owen is 4'4"!

Waiting for her Grilled Sea Cheese!

What better way to kill time then to arm wrestle your dad?

And clearly we have victory!

I adore water! I'm not much of a swimmer but I can appreciate it's beauty :)

Gorgeous streets and walkways!

And then Owen shot some cannons...in a safe pretend manner ;)

Of course you have to end the warm summer day with ice cream! Drew got Coffee, Owen got Cotton Candy, and mine was the best: Black Raspberry Cheesecake!



It was such a fun day!!! 

Inspire, Inspire, Inspire!

Well, for me, I've been in the circus zone. A circus is all about wow factor and taking you to a place where the young at heart and the young can feel the same appreciation. I particularly like vintage circuses. The way they could capture whimsy in a time of black and white is just so impressive!

Here are a few of my favorite pics that I've come back to time and time again when trying to put myself in a circus-y mood when I'm trying to think of doodles for my circus and clown themed coloring books:

I would love to go to the circus!
I was sick when it came to town, but my husband and daughter had a blast. 

It was my kiddo's first time and she loved the dancing poodles!

What's your favorite thing about the circus? 

Life Mantra

Before I started HinckleDoodle, I think there was like a 3 year gap where I just stopped being creative. Not that I wasn't creative at all, but I just didn't dabble in my art as much. 

My scrapbooks sat around getting dusty. 

My sketchbook got lost under other books on the bookshelf. 

My easel was lonely in the back of the closet.

I'll admit during those 3 years I felt like I had some sort of quarter-life crisis going on. And again, not that I was so depressed and sad for 3 years straight. HECK NO! I couldn't with the likes of Drew and Owen always being in my company and our beloved pups. Just that period in life where you feel like Life itself lifts you up in a tornado and you don't know when it's going to put you down. And it won't unless you tell it to stop.

And I did...My husband was in South Korea at the time (he's in the Army). We were supposed to be able to live with him, but they were way over capacity. So Owen and I had to stay back in the states. 

He was gone for an ENTIRE YEAR!!! 

(And I feel like I should add...before my husband joined the Army. We had never been apart for more than 4 days straight and that only happened once because he had to and we weren't allowed to go. And we've been together for 6, almost 7 years!)

Finally, last June while he was away, I decided I'm going to get back in touch with my artistic/crafty self. And I've never looked back. It was part of me that was missing and begging to come back.

The point of this post is that I'm just thankful. 

I am thankful that I've realized that I wake up each morning so excited for the day. 

I am thankful that I have the ability to create and it's gotten me nearly 3600 fans on my Facebook page. 

I am thankful that my husband and daughter are so encouraging and supportive of me and HinckleDoodle.

I am thankful that today is another day that I get to do what I love. 

I send my husband to work with a kiss goodbye. I spend my morning with my daughter and send her off to school and sometimes she'll read me a book on the way to the bus stop. Then I come back and have coffee and get to relish in the knowing that I have a life full of love and art. 

We waste too much precious time worrying about what others think and say. I just don't anymore. 

Every one has an opinion and it's taken me 25 years to realize that no one can hurt me or bring me down unless I let them. Such a simple thought which I guess is why it's easily forgotten. 

It's one of my life mantras I established after leaving Missouri and I've never been happier!

Do you have a life mantra that you live by? 
I have several. 
I'd love to hear yours! Maybe I could add it to my repertoire. :)

Happy Monday, readers!
xoxo
Jess

Let's Ramble....

I can't help it. It is in my nature to be wordy and to ramble. So be prepared for a chaotic rambling of jumbled thoughts in my head. 


I've been thinking A LOT lately about my business. So many things ahead of me. 
(Which should be read as: There's rarely a time when I'm not thinking about HinckleDoodle.) 


I have always struggled with blogging, but it's something I think would be fruitful in the long run. It's all a matter of finding a balance between my available time and figuring out what works best for me--frequency and content-wise. 


Do you all blog? Any tips would be great! I most likely will spend hours researching blogs that interest me and try to bundle it all up to fit me and HinckleDoodle. But it would be much easier if you all just throw tips at me like beads at a Mardi Gras festival! So commence the throwing, I have my safety gear on.


Another thing I'm considering is setting up a Big Cartel shop. It's always interested me because it's so artsy-focused! I chose Etsy because of it's growing popularity and it is also magnificently easy to use. Though Big Cartel has no listing/sales fees! I would be much happier to be able to bundle blog and shop together and have it all handled by me and that's what Big Cartel offers for a reasonable month-to-month no contract fee. 
Or just branch off and start my own website...but I'm not THAT tech-savvy to do it alone! And I don't have any/enough upfront money to hire anyone. So if you're interested in helping me out of the kindness of your heart and you think you can capture the vision that is HinckleDoodle...I'd be MOST GRATEFUL!


So many things to consider....


OH and I'm SOOOooooOOOOoooOOOOooooOOOOO close to starting production of coloring books all hand drawn, printed, and bound by....
(pause for dramatic effect)....ME!
But Project: Color Me Badd (do you remember that group?) is for another blog post.


Conclusion: One thing I hope to fix with my blogging skills is my tendency to be lengthy lol. So for now, let the tornado of rambled thoughts settle you back down gently, and we'll call it good for the day. 


You've done well, blog reader. 
Maybe next time I'll have a more focused blog post the next time we meet.


Maybe.


xoxo 
Jessica -or- 
Jess -or- 
Mamma Jamma -or- 
J-Bone -or- 
That Girl


I have lots of nicknames.

Mood Music

Hollerado "Fake Drugs"

This is the kind of song that makes me dance really stupid like. Like it takes over my limbs and turns them to elastic. It's quite a sight, I'm sure!

I hope it jump-starts your energy for the weekend!

<3 Jess xoxo

Click Refresh...

Moving from my hole in the wall craft area in the laundry room to the spacious dining room area has been a phenomenal change!

I just purchased a simple wire shelving unit from Walmart for just under $20 that I was scared would be a pain in the butt to assemble, but was quite easy! And I love it. It sits right behind me with all my used-constantly items. :)

Check out my lovely custom embellished boxes!

OOH! And I found this cute vintage set of spice jars in a cute stand that I am now using to store my elastic thread for ornaments, novelty buttons, HinckleDoodle tags and such! Sitting on the other window sill behind me :)

I'm still trying to figure out how I want to organize things. But I'm getting there.

I am also thinking that I need to make a paper flower bouquet to sit next to my laptop to brighten up the area.

And I am hoping to make a garland of some sort to add some festive touches to the windows behind me. Here's some garland I think I can make on my own...don't know which one is my fave yet...

There are, of course, so many ways I could go about it. I don't know what I'll come up with! :)

<3 Jess

Inspire, Inspire, Inspire!

It's winter, of course...and I've been inspired by snow and ice.

The many different colors associated with winter... the icicle blue, frosty white, the way yellow looks when it reflects off the snow...

And the way snow looks like little diamonds are sprinkled all over the top!

What's also inspiring about winter and snow is the fun you can have in it! Like my family and I did!

Here's my husband snow diving! :)

My daughter and I making snow angels...I look large because I put on twice the amount of layers they did lol...I don't like the cold.

Isn't this last photo the best? Look at the smiles on my hubby and daughter's faces! Here's proof that you can throw your children. But please note, you should have at least a foot to foot-and-a-half of snow beneath them and side effects are major giggling and possible snow showers from impact. 

Be inspired! Go play in the snow if you have it!

Crafty Bucket List

My hope is to dabble in every craft medium I can! Most, if not all, interest me...

Hello, my name is Jessica. And I am a crafting addict.

Here's my Crafty Bucket List of crafts I hope to try before I die:

1. Wood Carving
2. Needle Felting
3. Knitting
4. Glass Etching
5. Quilting
6. Paper Quilling
7. Candle-making
8. Upholstery Painting
9. Working with Resin
10. Welding (I've always wanted to make metal sculptures)
11. Stamping
12. Wire Jewelry
13. Working with Faux Fur
14. Refurbishing
15. Antiquing
16. Fabric Painting

I'm always adding to this list! Any suggestions?? :)

Have a grand day, my loverlies!

Mood Music

This Friday I have chosen Thao's "Cool Yourself"...

There is just something about Thao and her songs that makes my heart beat faster and my legs bouncing.

I hope this weekend it does the same for you. Go out and do something crazy. Go out and dance on the sidewalk to entertain innocent bystanders. Go out and throw confetti wherever you see fit.

Be free-spirited for one day, if you aren't normally! If you are normally, KICK IT UP A NOTCH! :)

Happy weekend, my loverlies!

Stomp! Stomp! Stomp!

Betsey the dinosaur was a big hit! I had so much wonderful feedback from her. If you haven't seen her yet, she's a purple brontosaurus....

And, of course, there's a huge request for boy dinos! I know, I know, I will, I promise! I think because I only have one child and she's a girl that I tend to make girly things. I have some in the process!

It's weird. I don't know how I made Betsey out of a 9x12 piece of felt, because I went to make a couple more and could not make it fit! lol So alas, I have to wait til I get another shipment of felt. BUT I took the time to figure out a smaller dino: STEGOSAURUS! It came along rather easy and I love where it's going!

Side View

Front View

I have become wiser and practice my patterns with the cheap acrylic felt. It costs $1.10 for one piece of the wool blend felt I LOVE and just 20 cents for the acrylic. It's so easily seen how I respect my felt. I am SOOOO meticulous about making the "pretty felt" lasting as long as I can. I waste almost none of it! I'll save 1 inch pieces just because it may be enough for a paw or foot! lol

I'm excited to make some stegos! I have a girl one that's silver grey with purple and pink spikes in the works. And also a heathered green tinted grey (hard to describe!) with blue and green spikes in progress! I'm very excited to be able to get those finished and posted!

Step Into My Sketchbook...

Here's a few images from my sketchbook... :)

I've just received wire in the mail and have read a few books about adding wire legs to plush, so we'll see!
I'm hoping to make a trio of standing bats for purchase :)

On Cloud Nine...

Did you know the cliche' "on cloud nine" was said to be first used in the 1960s? That is where this post will take us today...

I have been inspired by this era. Take the time to really delve into the images from this time.

Ahhh the colors... the patterns... the fashion...

the hair... the decor... the tv shows...

the vehicles... the advertisements... the art...

See if you can create something inspired by this era!!

Metamorphosis

Metamorphosis:  a profound change in form from one stage to the next in the life history of an organism... I feel like this is what's happening to HinckleDoodle.

I started June 26th, 2011 with the art of plushie making. And yesterday, I looked through my photo albums and it amazes me how my work has progressed in about 6 months time.

Here, I'll show you:

My owls. My first popular product. 

1.   

2.

3.

As far as construction, huge differences in all 3! And design is relatively similar, but there's so much more personality in the newer items.

Then there's Mushcakes to Cupkins...

1. 

2. 

3.

Ahhh, my beloved Mushcakes. They were actually rather difficult to make. I'm so glad that I upgraded to Cupkins. Still just as cute, but much better made. I'm growing as an artist and I'm hoping it shows.

I was so proud of my creations in the beginning. Looking back I'm almost embarassed...what I feel now for my latest creations is what I felt back then.
It's odd...you know that's what's going to happen the longer you stick with something, but you forget it as you go. I took the time today to stop and smell the roses and take in the progress, success, and growth I have experienced thus far. I love this journey!

And I'm glad for all those who have stuck with me. I've tripped a few times and I know I'll trip a few more and then some because it's inevitable (and I'm just plain clumsy!).