Myrtle

Myrtle, originally uploaded by bean.zilla.

Myrtle - The way-too-tiny purple pony!

I tried to teach myself gussets. The gusset here is the underbelly of the pony and the inside of her legs. It makes her stand up more like a real pony. But since I made the pattern so small (she fits in the palm of my hand) it was really really hard to sew and turn right side out. I used a pair of tweezers, a chopstick, and a bamboo skewer to poke poke pull poke nudge poke poke her limbs into place. OY!

  

I understand the technique now and that was the whole point to trying this pattern. And I remembered how to attach hair to the mane of the pony from a crochet doll technique I used once. The tail is totally a tassel I made that I tucked inside and sewed in place as I stuffed her.

 <----   The gussets ---->  

Crabs

I was so crabby this morning. Stuffed up nose, sore foot, sleepy, hungry. Crab grump crab crab.

Just like this origami crab...

from Netflix Origami Crab

Or like this slightly more realistic one...

from Tavin15 Simple Crab tutorial

Origami crabs on a Snuggie sea.... 

Scooter the Cat

Squishy Cat, originally uploaded by bean.zilla.

I have new crafting supplies - huzzah! A friend took be along on a fabric run to Jo Ann Fabrics this morning. After buying a bunch of remnants and fat quarters, I just had to make a stuffed animal.

Scooter is based off the tutorial here My Little Mochi Chibi Kitty.



Perfect size for a cat toy but I don't think they'll get to chew on this guy. He's too cute.
Even if his eye placement makes him look a little goofy :)

Wikki Goldfish

Wikki Stix are these strange wax covered yarn things that stick to themselves but pull apart easily. When I pick one up, I can't put them back down very easily. It's kinda like when I play with silly putty. I just have to keep smooshing and squishing it. Smoosh squish squash squashhhhh.

I made this little fan tailed goldfish out of a few stix.  He's swimming past some aquatic plants into the Living Room Sea.

Black Capped Chickadee

tweetles, originally uploaded by bean.zilla.

Hi Nana and PawPaw - this chickadee is for you! I know you really enjoy feeding and watching birds in your yard and a little birdie suggested I should draw one for you.

Busby Sparks, CPA

Meet Crusby Sparks, Ph. D.'s cousin - Busby Sparks, CPA! He also enjoys sitting on furniture and contemplating the giving the world a hug.

I took yesterday's photo and manipulated it in Photoshop quite a bit. The tutorials I found for making coloring book pages made deformed sock bunnies so I cribbed together something the looks kind of painterly. I buy crayons at the beginning of every school year for 25 cents a pop and squirrel them away. Crayons are an essential item in every home desk drawer! Right next to the permanent markers and tape.

Would you like to color in your own Busby? Print this out and feel free to share your version!

Crusby Sparks, PH.D

Meet the most educated sock bunny ever! This is Crusby Sparks, PH.D. from the book Sock Monkey and Friends by Samantha Fisher and Cary Lane.

I finished sewing his wee nose right at 11:55. He has an adorable puff tail I need to photograph. He isn't the most cooperative photo subject as he is so squishy soft and flopsy. Photo shoot in the morning...

Pangur Bán

Pangur Ban, originally uploaded by bean.zilla.

I enjoyed watching "The Secret of Kells" today. This is my homage to an expressive and adorable character, Pangur Bán.

I made myself draw larger today. This marker and watercolor sketch is about 7 inches square or so.

Super Anteater

Super Anteater, originally uploaded by bean.zilla.

*sings*
Super Anteater's gonna save the day
Fighting crime with his little snout
Gonna save the day, oh yeahhhh


I was singing a song last night and someone misheard me. He thought I sang "Super Anteater" which lead to increasingly sillier versus of a song about a crime fighting anteater. He fights for truth and justice and gets the job done! He is so awesome he doesn't have a secret identity. He wears his mask and cape all the time and flies around and saves the day! The saving the day is the important part.

Today's art started with a photo of an anteater I took at the Saint Louis Zoo in March 2009.

Penguin

Penguin, originally uploaded by bean.zilla.

Brrrr it is so cold the penguin turned blue!

I draw this version of a penguin at least once a week. He is one of my go-to doodles when I am sketching. I almost always make him blue. Sometimes he is purple and has more feather tufts on top :)

Flapping Birds

Flapping Birds, originally uploaded by bean.zilla.

I taught myself new origami tonight. Hold the base of the bird's neck and tug on the tail - flap flap flap goes the wings.

I already lost one to a cat who dragged it by the wing up the stairs. Flap flap flap chomp drag.

Rüppell's Fox

Rüppell's Fox, originally uploaded by bean.zilla.

Trying to make something more painterly tonight. This is a Sand fox and I think I needed to make it's ears way bigger. Maybe I can edit it.... Now figure out how to edit it....

Slimey Worm

Slimey Worm, originally uploaded by bean.zilla.

A quick sketch of Slimey the Worm from Sesame Street.

Teensy Cow

Teensy Cow, originally uploaded by bean.zilla.

Another little pastel animal but this time with heart spots instead of checkerboard.

My hand was majorly cramping up towards the end so I think I might challenge myself to draw something bigger than 1 inch by 1 inch tomorrow.

Teensy Horse

Teensy Horse, originally uploaded by bean.zilla.

Here is a friend for yesterday's teensy Elephant. I have an idea for how to use these little cross stitched critters, I need to make another one tomorrow :)

Teensy Elephant

Teensy Elephant, originally uploaded by bean.zilla.

I can't drive right now. I can't walk either. I have been on crutches for the last week and will be for another week yet. Being stationary means I have more time for creating. Unfortunately, it also means I can't get to a bunch of my crafting supplies. Instead I am improvising.

I have a bunch of different blue and green embroidery threads right now from when I made my dolphins. I wanted to cross-stitch again and had to use those colors. And so today I have a teensy pastel stuffed elephant. I used plastic canvas to stitch him on. I like how sturdy it is so I can stitch and not have to use any hoops.

I like how he turned out :)

Otter

Otter, originally uploaded by bean.zilla.

An otter for my sister's birthday. Happy birthday!

Turtle in a Top Hat

Turtle in a Top Hat, originally uploaded by bean.zilla.

HE'S FANCY!

Wavy

Wavy, originally uploaded by bean.zilla.

I doodled a dude that looked like this earlier today with dry erase markers. He's happy and friendly. Wavy only has that one arm so he likes to flail it about and shout "Hullo!"

More doodling with the Sketches app :)

Another dolphin

Another dolphin, originally uploaded by bean.zilla.

I added a dolphin to a previous days cross-stitch. This little guy is popping out of the ocean to say "HEY!". The ocean is a bit oceany here - I need to put in some more ocean spray. And now they both have smiles.

A Short Tadpole Tale

Tadpole sketch, originally uploaded by bean.zilla.

There once was a tadpole named Frankie.

He was growing some legs to go with his tail.


But then a naughty cat stole him before he could be part of a multimedia art piece.






Bye Frankie *waves*

Flamingo

Flamingo, originally uploaded by bean.zilla.

A Flamingo drawn with the Sketches app and a background screenshot from a online game, for Kriss.

This has been a trying weekend. I am glad I have portable technology to keep me occupied and to amuse me. I really enjoyed using Sketches for the first time.

Phone Cat

Phone Painted Cat, originally uploaded by bean.zilla.

Since I was unfortunately and unexpectadly out of the house most of the day, I colored some cats using an app called Drawing Den. This one makes me think of Daniel Striped Tiger from Mister Rodgers.

This one is just like a rainbow hugged it or something...

Dolphin

Dolphin, originally uploaded by bean.zilla.

My very good friend K-Awesomeface is recovering from surgery. To amuse her, I asked her to pick the critter for today. I started making Mr. Cross Stitch Dolphin this afternoon after going to Hobby Lobby.

Never never never go to Hobby Lobby for blue embroidery thread when it is 50% off frames day. Aieeeeeeeee.

I have some ideas to add to Mr. Cross Stitch Dolphin...I think he kind of needs an eyeball. But I ran out of time *heh* I took the picture of him right at 11:56 eep!

Cross stitch on light blue 14 count aida cloth. DMC colors 825, 806, 826, and B5200.

Swans

Swans, originally uploaded by bean.zilla.

I helped celebrate a special 3 year old's birthday today. These origami swans were created from the wrapping paper from his birthday present. I made the large one first and he said it needed a Mommy bird and a baby bird to go with.

I like making these swans from the little sticky paper wrapper you find on silver wear and napkin rolls at restaurants. You know that green paper strip that keeps the napkin tucked up and tidy. I can usually make three or four of them and leave them on the table or talked in with the salt and pepper shakers before we leave.

Perry the Platypus

Perry the Platypus, originally uploaded by bean.zilla.

Look it is a platypus! To be specific, Perry the Platypus from the cartoon Phineas and Ferb. I was online earlier and said "First person to message me with an animal, I'll draw it" and got an immediate "Platypus!"

Those buggers are hard to draw! I spent about an hour and a half trying to make something look realistic while also using Adobe Illustrator. Instead, plan B. He is drawn with a Sharpie Liquid Pencil and Sharpie markers and is about 2 inches tall. Teeny platypus.

I shall still conquer the realistic platypus drawing....

The initial sketch -

Owl Squared

Owl Squared, originally uploaded by bean.zilla.

I was playing around with a mosaic idea I had today. Sometimes cross stitch patterns look like tiny mosaic art pieces. I didn't want to run to the store and get construction paper, which was my first thought when I imagined this, so I broke out the Sharpies again. This is a cross stitch pattern from a big book of 2001 Cross Stitch designs I got on sale at Barnes and Noble ages ago.

Obviously, this is not a specific breed of owl. I think it would ROCK if there were blue and orange owls in the wild. Like breed a parrot with an owl for colorful hoots.

Speckled Walrus

Speckled Walrus, originally uploaded by bean.zilla.

Dot dot dot dot dot dot dot walrus dot dot dot dot dot rock dot dot dot water dot dot dot.

I got a set of 24 Sharpies for Christmas. Fun trying to see if the cap color matches the marker.

I have no Internet connection right now so I am updating this completely through my phone.

Sea Turtle

Sea Turtle, originally uploaded by bean.zilla.

I asked my 2 11/12ths year old painting helper this morning what I should paint. He yelled "A turtle named Chair!"

I painted Chair with the kind of watercolor palette you use in grade school on sketchbook paper. The paper was very wrinkly so I had to stop layering colors. I looked at the back of a Zootles magazine with a silhouette of a turtle on it to get the general idea of flipper shape for Chair. It was enjoyable to paint without drawing the turtle in first.

Parts of the blue ocean were painted by my helper.

A little dragon named Aloysius

A little dragon named Aloysius, originally uploaded by bean.zilla.

My cross-stitching supplies are way in the back of my crafting closet right now. I got a small kit to make an angel in my stocking at Christmas. Aloysius is made from that kit.

It feels kinda...odd. Dragons are heavenly critters right? I mean they usually have wings like an angel! This one doesn't though....oops!

Eastern Bluebird

Eastern Bluebird, originally uploaded by bean.zilla.

I saw an Eastern Bluebird in Southern Ohio when I was on vacation recently. It was perched in twiggy brush, all bright and cheerful looking in the cold.

I am reteaching myself how to use watercolors with a set I received at Christmas. I need to get some frisket so I can block out areas to keep them white.

Tweet!

About Everyday Critter

1. I am going to create and post a critter every day for the entire year of 2011.

2. A critter can be a real or imaginary animal. 

3. I will be using all sorts of media to create the critters. I have paint, yarn, clay, fabric, markers, beads...all sorts if art supplies ready to go. I also live dangerously close to a Hobby Lobby. I also will make use of drawing programs on my computer and phone.

4. I will take requests for critters to make - the sillier or cuter the better. Email me or post them in a comment.

  

5. I am pondering theme days.

- updated 1/1/2011