Wednesday, November 24, 2010

Emma Tales: Chapter I

There's No Place Like Lima
Chapter I
There's No Place Like Lima

The Jeans Challenge


Emma had a wonderful dream. Finn was there and Rachel was there (But, I’m the Dorothy!); Quinn was there and Terri was there (I’ll get you my pretty!); Will was there and Brittany was there (Is she an awesome witch or an alien witch?); there were painted ponies and a path made of gold; a bunch of little munchkins with questionable wardrobes; bluebirds flying over rainbows; lollipop enthusiasts, spontaneous music sequences just like New Directions and she was wearing pants! I know, right?

In her dream, Emma skipped (skipped? As if! Hello! Perspiration!) Strike that. In her dream, Emma rode all the way to Cardi Clip City just to learn that she already possessed the virtues to make her mark on the world (I’m going to make it on my own! *throws cap in air*.) She’s honest, loyal and true with a heart as big as Sue Sylvester’s ego and a beautiful mind with just a touch of OCD (but in a good way) and on top of that, she can pick out a perfect pencil skirt from miles away. As far as courage goes, Emma's a mean motor scooter in the face of bacteria and germies and she isn’t ashamed to show it. In the end, she realized there’s no place like Lima, clicked her ruby reds and awoke in her fluffy hypoallergenic bed ready for another day at McKinley.


Tuesday, November 23, 2010

Emma Pillsbury: Storybook Heroine



So, you all know how much I love Glee and Emma Pillsbury.  Well, the most awesome blog for all things Emma is WWEPW- What Would Emma Pillsbury Wear.  It's fab!  Not only does WWEPW highlight Miss P's wardrobe, but with the help of several guest bloggers, it also offers a load of ideas for Emmafying your own.  You can find super fun Fashion Challenges, where to shop for Emma-looks online, hilarious episode recaps,  as well as some really great giveaways!

This summer, WWEPW hosted a Polyvore challenge in the style of American Idol.  Each week, there was a different theme that we were to interpret into a fashion set for Emma.  It was sooooo much fun!  While I was building the first theme set (the jeans challenge), an accompanying narrative began to form in my mind; so, I ran with it to see where it would lead.  As the weeks progressed, I realized that the challenges were turning into little mini-episodes and they were pretty darn funny!  I decided to share them with you because I think they're pretty cute.  So if you like Glee, keep on the look-out for a weekly installment of  Emma Tales.  I hope you enjoy them!





Emma Pillsbury:  The Complete Tales
by Silly Bee's Chickadees

  • Chapter I: There's No Place Like Lima- The Jeans Challenge
  • Chapter II: And The Winner Is...Not Kin- The Red Carpet Challenge
  • Chapter III: Will Has The Polka Dots- The Polka Dot Challenge
  • Chapter IV: Puh-puh-puh, Puh-puh-puh Pillow Fight- The Nighttime Challenge
  • Chapter V: Canada Is Not In Scotland- The Plaid Challenge

Thursday, November 11, 2010

Dia de los Muertos- Part II

I thought you may like a peek into the making-of the skull I made for the MECA Calavera Rendezvous auction. So, here we go!

Stage I.  Sculpting





MECA supplied me with a 1'x1' block of Styrofoam. I've never done subtractive sculpting before, so that was quite a learning experience. Once you cut it off, it's off!

Anyway, I quickly discovered that a serrated knife wasn't going to work (it pulled off chunks instead of slicing), so I decided to try a butcher knife. It worked really well for shaving away at the Styrofoam so, the shape was easy. The eye sockets, on the other hand, were a bit more of a challenge!


Stage II.  Prepping the Canvas





After sculpting, I used papier-mâché to create a surface for painting. Lots of people do the flour, water and newspaper method, but I find that too messy, so I go with newsprint, Aleene's glue and plain ol' tissue paper. You can also use ModPodge, but I always have Aleene's around, so it's easier (and less expensive) for me. I put a couple layers of newsprint (not newspaper) and a couple layers of tissue paper on top to smooth out the seams.


Stage III.  Design





I had no idea what I was going to paint on the skull. I thought I may paint it white and do a very colorful design, but then while looking at the blank canvas I decided it needed to be red. So, red it was! It's difficult to see in the photos, but I layered several different hues of red to give it more depth. 

Then, I thought some Mexican icons that are often symbolic of life and death would be nice along with a Mexican proverb. So, I blocked out areas for a sparrow, sacred heart, rose, sun, cross and a butterfly.


Stage IV.  Painting



 


I added details to the icons and began filling in the negative space with a vine pattern.   Along with the acrylic paint, I used some dimensional paint to add texture to the designs.


Stage V.  DONE!





These photos show the completed skull as it was displayed at MECA.  The proverb on the back reads, "La vida es un sueño del que se despierta al morir" which means, "Life is a dream that one awakes from upon death."

I hope you enjoyed this peek into my process!

Thursday, November 4, 2010

Dia de los Muertos- Part I



Last weekend was the MECA (Multicultural Education and Counseling for the Arts) Dia de los Muertos festival.  This year, they added a new kick-off party on Friday night called Calavera Rendezvous.  The event included a great lineup of singers and dancers, a fashion show by the Art Institute of Houston, an altar exhibit, a silent auction of Day of the Dead skull sculptures, yummy tamales, arroz, frijoles and empanadas! 




My sister and I donated skulls for the auction and together we brought in more than $400 (mostly my sister)! Hers is the blue mosaic glass one above. Mine is the red skull in papier mache and acrylic paint. I'll do another post about my skull sculpture soon.




The fashion show was really fun.  I was pretty excited to see one of the models wearing my mask! (That's her up there wearing all black. She was a tiny little pixie of a girl-- so cute.)  I loaned MECA the two Day of the Dead masks I made last year for the MOCAH gala.  Right now, they are part of the community altar at MECA.




We also attended the outdoor festival on Sunday afternoon where we watched Mariachi MECA and MECA Ballet Folklorico and enjoyed delicious chicken mole, tacos al carbon and mango agua fresca!  Can't wait until next year!