Extra! Extra!

You know you've arrived when your name is in (tiny, tiny) print in the (small, local) newspaper ; ) You can read the article about my set and the show online.

With less than 24 hours til opening, I'm gearing up for a loong night!

What is this glorious holiday?!

Amidst the whirlwind of painting, building, problem-solving, and mild nervous breakdowns that is The Wizard of Oz, we couldn't forget Hudson's "first" Halloween. Sure, he's lived through two already but this was the first one where he really got to be a part of the festivities. It took him a few blocks to get the the hang of the whole "ring the doorbell, say 'trick-or-treat', hold out your bag, say 'thank you' and walk away" routine. But he was in awe of the whole process and the growing assortment of candy in his bag. The ensuing sugar wave took him from a high high to a quick low and he ended up passed out in daddy's arms before we could get him home.

I decided to make his costume this year and had grand visions of intricate details and fine craftsmanship. With all the crazy theatre stuff going on this week, though, my big plans gave way to a quick paint job that wasn't even totally dry when I slipped the costume over him.

I'm fairly new to the sewing machine so I was happy to find this easy tutorial for his hat. And the pumpkin body, well, as long as you remember to leave arm, neck, and leg holes, it's hard to go wrong when just sewing a giant circle.

Oz opens in two days so, no matter what, I have to put the paint brushes down in about 48 hours and just sit back and enjoy the show. Just hope I can stay awake for it :)

Mad Dash to the Finish Line

Since mid June I've been working on designing the set for Marblehead Little Theatre's production of The Wizard of Oz. You can see renderings here and here and here and here .



The local theatre department that built and painted my set delivered the whole thing to our stage this past weekend. Because of scheduling and other reasons, they just weren't able to finish the set in time so now we're left with a huge stage full of partially finished set pieces and about a week to find the time and people and materials to finish it. It's not true theatre without a few nervous break downs and panic attacks involved : )



So this week is going to be CRAZY! I see quite a few late nights, headaches, trips to buy paint and hardware, and cups of coffee (decaf of course, because of this little guy, but for some reason it still helps) in my near future. But who am I kidding, I thrive on this stuff--in small doses that is.

Thanks for the Support--All 5 of you : )

I have to say I'm encouraged by the small but slowly growing number of comments, blog features, Etsy hearts, etc. I've been receiving lately. Honestly, starting a new creative venture often puts a strain on the ole' pocketbook when you're first getting started. It's nice to know people see and like my work and I'm not just sittin' around drawing pretty pictures for the heck of it : )

On that note, I got to be the DIYer of the day on this cool blog yesterday. Check out the blog, there's some fun stuff on there.

Hope you're all soaking in every ounce of fall that you can. From the moment I wake up to these colors right above my head


to the creative decorative projects I work on with Hudson during the day

(it's gonna be a jack-o-lantern, we just haven't gotten to the facial features yet)



to the cup of hot apple cider at night, I'm trying to soak in the season like this crawly guy I found inhabiting the mums by our window


Happy Fall!

Christmas Cards in the Shop!

My Christmas cards are in the shop! Hop on over and order some today if you'd like!

Ol' McDonald Had a...

During Saturday morning wrestle time with Daddy:
Daddy: Hudson, what's your favorite...dessert?
Hudson: chocolate!
Daddy: What's your favorite...food?
Hudson: chocolate!
Daddy: Ok...what's your favorite...song?
Hudson: Chocolate!!
Mommy: Chocolate? How does it go??
Hudson: (singing) Ol' McDonald had a chocolate, eieio...

That's my boy!



On that note, here's a fun recipe (by fun, I'm refering to my interest in exploring the wonderful world of tofu) we've made several times. Trust me, it tastes nothing like tofu.

2 cups dark chocolate chips

1 pkg silken tofu (blended to a cream)

1/2 cup maple syrup

1 cup almonds (whole or pieces)

Put the maple syrup in a pan and bring to a boil. When boiling add the nuts and stir constantly until it is almost dry ( ie the nuts are all sticking together and the syrup is not runny) spread the mixture on waxed paper and allow to cool and harden. Then break it into pieces and process in a food processor til it resembles a course flour.

Melt the chocolate in a double broiler (or something similar) Remove from heat and stir in the almond/maple syrup mixture. Then fold in the blended tofu. Cover and place in the fridge until well chilled.

Once cool and firm, work quickly and form into small balls using a tablespoon or melon baller (this is the fun messy part). Roll in cocoa powder,grated chocolate, leftover almond/maple syrup mixture or dip in melted chocolate and allow to set.


Enjoy!! And drop me a line if you decide to try it out!

PRE-ORDER TODAY!

I just finished designing the Christmas cards soon to be for sale in my shop. And if I order them from the printer BEFORE 10/12, I get 40% off my order. Which means if you ORDER BY MIDNIGHT ON 10/10 I can give you a really good deal. Pre-order today and the cost is:
$2.00 each (for 1-19 cards) + shipping
or $1.50 each (20+ cards) + shipping

The cards are 5x7, glossy, come with a white envelope, and are blank inside except for a small "www.ArianArmstrong.com" on the bottom of the left panel.

You just need to tell me HOW MANY of EACH CARD you'd like. Later, I will explain how to "pick up" your order in my shop and how to pay.

I know this is last minute so don't feel pressured. If you decide to order later the cost will be:
1 card- $4
5 cards- $17.50
10 cards- $30
20+ cards- $50
Here are the cards and their titles so you can let me know what you'd like (click on the images for a bigger view):

#1 BUBBLE LIGHT CHRISTMAS card


#2 HARK THE HERALD card


#3 SNOWFLAKE card


#4 JOY TO THE WORLD card


#5 NOEL card


Alrighty! So email me TODAY 10/10 if you want to preorder and just let me know how many and which cards you'd like.

Merry (early) Christmas!!