Lucia Debrazi is sleeping with the fishes.

"Lucia Debrazi is sleeping with the fishes." ©ramey holsman

I love my little sister. Well, I love ALL three of my sisters, but Melly is my crafting and overall creative BUDDY. She inspires and encourages me with her creativity and various projects . . . and each week she and her best mate Jeri give a crafting challenge on their blog, Weekly JeM. I don't always get a chance to do each challenge specifically, so I try to bend what I'm working on to make sense with theirs.

This week was a S-T-R-E-T-C-H!! The challenge was "to be creative with something that starts with the letter 'B'." So what does an altered doll with hand-stamped and painted anchovies in an anchovy tin have to do with the letter "B"? Well, the Spanish equivalent to an anchovy is a "Boquerone!" See what I mean?  S-T-R-E-T-C-H.

I'd been toying with this idea after making homemade pizzas recently. Anchovies always used to scare me, but now I love them! And the tins are classic. So I washed one and thought of ways to use it. The famous "Godfather" line kept going through my head every time I looked at it . . . "Luca Debrazi is sleeping with the fishes."

So here's how I started. First, we needed some "fishes."

 
I sketched an anchovy on a rubber block, carved it, made adjustments here and there, then stamped 'em out on card stock and painted each one with metallic enamel paints. They felt right at home in the tin . . .

Then I got into my secret stash of bendy dolls and altered accordingly. I don't have a secret stash of bendy boy dolls, so this is how Lucia Debrazi "got made."

I'm not quite done with this project. So if you don't stay tuned, I'll make you an offer you can't refuse . . .

While you're waiting, check out my art shop! cookiechang.etsy.com

art4art Dr. Sketchy Brighton prizes

Well, the day is nearly upon us . . . I can't believe my first Dr. Sketchy Brighton event is tomorrow! Here's the grand prize I've been working on – a one-of-a-kind "shorty" art doll.

I scored a huge box of these dolls (ebay my ebay) who started their lives as really boring "action" type dudes with camo/firefighter/worker clothes. I've cut their arms and legs down to make them a little more squat and better balanced to stand on their own; painted their boots, altered and added clothing, drawn facial hair and hawked the heck out of 'em!

amanita muscaria iron-on patch

Next month I'm hoping to collaborate on their clothing with Clare at red mutha. Only way to find out is to get down to Latest MusicBar and win your very own at our Dia de los Muertos show! (Well, we might just have some for sale in our prospective online shops too ;-) Stay tuned . . .

one blue eye, one brown eye

Another Dr. Sketchy Brighton Project . . .

This was a little moving "thank you card" to drsketchy.com for naming Brighton the "Branch of the Fortnight" (Aug. 9-21, 2010). Just some simple stop motion shots of my naughty skool grrlz, wind-up dollz and photo backdrops of Brighton!

drsketchybrighton.com

creating dolls for dr sketchy brighton

I've been a little out of control lately, putting Dr. Sketchy Brighton back on the UK map! In addition to meeting some stellar people and getting everything organized, I've been able to get my art on too.

Since this is my first event, I didn't have any photos or videos to post, so I had to thumb through all my cerebral folders to come up with a way to present our Back to Skool event visually. Hmmm . . . back to skool? What could be more fun than naughty, sneaky, stinky St. Trinian's SKOOL GRRLZ? Uh, nothing.

And this is where ebay my ebay comes in! When in creative limbo, do an ebay search. Weird advice? Not for me. Nothing gets my creative mojo back faster than looking at strange items on ebay and imagining even stranger things I can turn them into.

Enter a big box of bendable MAJORETTES. A little paint here, some ink there, a whittled down bamboo skewer and VOILA! Dr. Sketchy Brighton Skool Grrlz.

Did somebody say a box full of wind-up soldiers? KER-POW! Paint, ink, masking tape, bamboo skewer . . . DANCING Dr. Sketchy Brighton Skool Grrlz! (Watch the video to see the "dance.")

I know it's much more realistic to have real humans in photos and videos, and I'm sure I'll be posting loads of those in the very near future, but something tells me we haven't seen the last of these little plastic entities. They're already kicking holes in their boxes screaming to get out . . .

By the way, did I mention we give prizes at our Dr. Sketchy Brighton events? Any guesses what some of those prizes might be?

cookiechang.etsy.com makes a top five!

Cheers Melissa Carter (CASEmethod.etsy.com)! She listed cookiechang.etsy.com as her top five etsy shops! Have a look HERE.

mert hoody doll on etsy treasury with banksy!

Hey, just a quick THANK YOU to Isabelle (ptitebaloue.etsy.com) for including my mert hoody doll with crumfiti action pack in her fabulous treasury! You can only view it HERE 'til Monday, 12 January 2009. But if you don't make it by then, at least have a look at this screen shot -- note I'm on the same page as banksy. Whoop whoop! =(V)

NEW ITEMS on etsy!

Yo yo. After a wonderful visit with my famdamily in the Portland area, and Christmas, Boxing Day and the New Year back in Jolly Old England, I'm back in the proverbial cookie chang saddle and ready to rock 'n roll!

When I returned, just before Christmas, I came back to a huge button (badge) order from purple-heart.com. Seems Claudia has a penchant for selling the "holy cow" out of cookie chang 1 inch badges, so orders are coming in fast and furious!

The biggest sellers, by far, have been my KEEP BRIGHTON WEIRD line -- including the Brighton PAVILION and WEST PIER designs. Now I'm not sure why I waited so long to put them up in my etsy shop, but they're there now, so order away! (Mix and match 3 for $2.50 + shipping.) You can also contact me if you're interested in wholesale pricing to carry them in your store.

The other great sellers have been my illustrated high top badges. What a bargain -- 4 buttons for $3.30 + shipping! And, as ever, my fond fare thee well to RESIDENT Bush have been selling off the shelves. Get yours today so you're proudly wearing one when he finally vacates the White House and OBAMA strides in! (3 for $2.50 + shipping)

And finally . . . last, but not least, I send a shout out to my main mama -- FRIDA KAHLO!!! the lil' frida LIMITED EDITION DOLL is now available! She comes complete with a full-color, handmade takeaway box, lil' frida doll 1" badge and collector card -- all for $22.00 + shipping.

All my dolls are ON SALE right now in my etsy shop. Have a little gander!

Happy New Year! =(V)

red mutha fashion fair in brighton

Guess what I've been busy doing the past few weeks? That's right! Getting ready for the RED MUTHA FASHION FAIR at FABRICA GALLERY on Duke Street, Brighton! In fact, I'm just packing up ye olde Corsa, as ver sprechen, and getting ready to drive down to set up.

In addition to all my original designer badges (buttons), which are selling like hotcakes at purple-heart.com and red mutha, I'm introducing the new lil'Frida doll, who will be sharing center stage with the mamey beergarden doll. If I sell out, don't worry, I'll be taking orders and can get them to you within just a few days!

Original paintings, ACEOs, crumz bottlecap clips, necklaces, brooches, postcard packs, one-of-a-kind art toyz and the all new 4-colour crumzine . . . all original, handmade creations by moi, Ramey Holsman. It's cookie chang's TAKEAWAY ART!

If you're in Brighton this weekend, pop down to Fabrica Gallery and get a head start on your holiday shopping! It runs Saturday, 22 November from 10am-7pm (happy birthday, mert!); and Sunday, 23 November from 11am-5pm. 50 designers, DJs, FREE ENTRY and a bar!

And if you can't make it to Brighton (for obvious geographical reasons), visit cookiechang.etsy.com to get'cher cookie on!

mamey beergarden opens in brighton

kissmekwik! the mamey beergarden doll cloned herself overnight and a whole gaggle of them hopped off the stage and are now roaming the streets of brighton's kemptown! OK, maybe not the streets, but they're definitely wreaking havoc in one uber hip gift shop known as kissmekwik.


Perched amongst quirky, kitschy, queeny cards, badges, notebooks, mugs and a plethora of brilliant gifts, mamey and her beehive are in their element and ready to jump off the shelf and into your christmas stocking.

Each doll is made by hand, signed, numbered (limited edition 300) and packaged in a full-colour "takeaway" art box with a collector card and 1" mamey button (badge).

If you're not able to make it to brighton, pick one up from my etsy shop.

And if you can make it to brighton, kissmekwik is located at:
4 george street • brighton • bn2 1rh
phone: 01273 571 757
www.kissmekwik.co.uk
they're open mon-fri and saturdays when they feel like it!