Fluevog Time!

Severo and I had a mini date to Abbot Kinney and the Fluevog Store to try on some shoes and get entered in the Win 10 Years of Free Shoes contest. (See more about that here, on Fluevog).
By the way, this is not a sponsored post. I just adore Fluevogs.

The Tiger print display. Sigh.

I happen to have art that I created in the '80s while a freshman at Otis available on Society6 that coordinates so nicely with that tiger print:

Society6 link for tote

We'll get back to the Tiger stuff.

First, I tried on the X and O print Receptive
Yeah, cute:

Cute, but not an "I must have these now" situation.
Plus not the correct size.

Next up was Cleo. Cleo I could not get over my high instep. No photo.

Then I took off my socks and tried Dede.
I coerced Severo into trying on Chalky for the photo op possibilities.
Plus if he wins the contest, he'll buy me shoes!

Stylin' but WAY too painful for both of us.
The gals in the store had a good laugh at Severo's loud groaning over the pain.
"Now you know what we go through ALL THE TIME!"

My Wishlist and Scorecard:

I didn't try everything because the poor Fluevogists have to run upstairs to get the pairs.
The store is tiny.

Then, on a whim, I tried Sugarsnap:

They are SO CUTE! I am in love!
Why oh why are they on Mini heels?
Why can't they be on the lower Enneagram heels?
I will be obsessing over these for a while.

They have entered my Wishlist, despite the heel height.

And, speaking of Fluevogs, I'm almost finished with an A-Z blogging challenge of Fluevog Art. (Third year).
Mosey on over to Pattern Recognition and take a looksee.
Or check the #fluevogpattern hashtag on Instagram.

Linking with
Patti's Visible Monday
Cherie's Shoe and Tell
Catherine's #iwillwearwhatilike
Shelbee's On the Edge of the Week

Ambulatory Portfolio at a College Reunion

Yesterday I attended a 50th year celebration of the first college I attended,
the College of Creative Studies at the University of California, Santa Barbara.

[reactment of outfit, one day later -- forgot to ask someone to take my picture -- 

what kind of fashion blogger am I?] 

IF I had stayed in school, it would have been my 40th reunion.
But at age 20, I was too much of a smartass, and moved to NYC instead.
However, I think it all worked out in the end!

I planned my outfit deliberately -- for starters, I wanted to wear one of my custom prints and my 52 Blogger scarf.
Genius idea: wear the repeat I made from a piece I did AT SCHOOL!

"Reflection", Lithograph, silkscreen, watercolor on paper, 1976

The scribble leggings and silkscreened bag were last minute additions.
While chatting with someone, I realized I was wearing an example of every Print on Demand site that I use!
I was a walking advertisement for myself!

Spoonflower fabric
Redbubble scarf
Society6 leggings
[I get a small commission on all sales]

I had a good laugh at that!

Here I am, with my reunion carpool buddies and classmates Lani and Stanley:

I'll be writing up more about the reunion itself over on my newly fresh art website that, yes, has a blog. (Blog #8?)

Meanwhile, linking up with Patti's Visible Monday
and Catherine's #iwillwearwhatilike

Fashion Rainbow at TAG Gallery and Society6

You saw the 52 blogger portraits in my back yard.
Here they are hanging in the gallery!

(Sorry, not the best of photos)

Here's my compilation file of everyone:

(click on image to see larger)

See the rainbow?

I want to thank all my muses for your inspiring and colorful outfits!

Not only are the 52 bloggers hung at the gallery, the image above is available on all sorts of items at Society6.
Here's a new product that they print on, an 8 x 6" notebook:

Yes, I will get a small commission from Society6 if you purchase my stuff.

I'm quite pleased with the mug:

Cheers!

Linking up with Shelbee's #SpreadTheKindness linkup.
We could all use a little kindness right now, yes?

52 Pick-me-up: Silver / Confusion / Clarity

••• 

This week's 52 Pick-me-up neutral is my favorite metal for self-adornment: Silver.

My rings --I wear them 24/7, they all hold memories.
Linking up with Patti's Visible Monday. 

I featured my rings on my (sort of) new WordPress blog, where I'm doing a June Challenge in order to get more comfortable working with the platform. I want to create an e-commerce site on it (Blogger's search is terrible and I can't add a shopping cart). It's true, if you do something every day, you get more proficient -- unless it's cleaning up clutter. I fail at that one!

Full outfit:

Roxanne gave me the top -- I've gotta admit, it's one of the more uncomfortable things I've put on my body. Metallic yarns ITCH! As you can see, I put it on over a tunic -- still the THOUGHT of it made me itchy. I'm selling it on Poshmark for $10, if you're interested. It has holes and snags. Don't I make it sound ENTICING?

Disintegration seems to be The Thing for all the silver garments here. 

My Union Bay "fauxkenstocks" are falling apart too. [Sad face]. All of a sudden, all the glue is failing -- on the straps, on the sole. Do Birkenstock's last longer than a year? Maybe it's time to upgrade to the real thing.

On a happier note, how about those leggings?

They're my own pattern, recolored from a silkscreen print that I made in the 70s. (Read more here).

Society6 had one of their better sales ($5 off, free shipping), so I pounced.
Available here, if you want to be twinsies. (Disclosure: I will get about $2.50 commission).

Time to add your neutrals!

Silver / Confusion / Clarity -- link and tell!

52 Pick-me-up: Sunset / Completion / Achievement

••• 

This is our last week with an orange-themed prompt with the key words sunset [orange], completion, and achievement.

Who doesn't love a fiery orange sunset?

Phoenix Setting II, Oil on canvas, 48 x 36", ©2001, Anne M Bray

At this time of the year, I see less and less of the sunset. It's almost completely dark by the time I get home from work.
Dawn, however, I catch almost every day.

Wednesday's dawn was particularly mesmerizing.

It needed to go on a tee!

And leggings!

Not to overlook the #GoodMorning duvet cover!

As soon as Society6 has a free shipping deal, that Tee will be mine!

Happy to say I achieved posting this stuff to Society6 quickly.
And my initial rough mockup in the sketch looks very close to the Society6 mockup photo.
[Disclosure: I get $4 per garment and $10 per duvet cover purchased]

How about you? Sunset / Completion / Achievement -- link and tell!

52 Pick-me-up: Geranium / Renewal / Regeneration

•••  

Fuad Al Ansari "Geranium" from Flickr

Geraniums come in an array of colors. I'm concentrating on the warm coral pink - to - orangey red spectrum for this week's 52 Pick-me-up.
Wearing a favorite tunic, made from antique rayon kimono fabric:

A closie:

sunglasses frames c/o Ditto

Renewal: 
The bracelets originate from Burkina Faso and the plastic cording is recycled from prayer mats (see more here).
I'm selling the Sketchers sandals on Poshmark for $5. They are too uncomfortable for my tender feet.

Regeneration: The print on the tunic is now will soon be available on leggings!

Something red, something DIY, something upcycled -- link and tell!

Shop Me, Help a Gal Out

CREATED/ LINKS/ 

Today is International Women's Day -- Girl Power!
I'll get right to the point, I'm asking for funds in this post.

IndieGoGo is running an International Women's Day promotion: they will add $1 for every $25 donated today. What am I talking about? Did you notice the appearance of a crowdfunding widget on my right sidebar? >>>>>>>>>>> 

I'm 19 days away from hitting the road for my On the Edge US project. I will be driving around the country solo until the end of May. That fact is starting to sink in. Lists are starting: wardrobe, art supplies, food, gear, etc. I'm pitching potentially useful items into a box. The suitcase comes out of storage today. I'm still working out the technical issues of the time-lapse component of the project (which is making me insane. It's a major part of it). Will I have to buy a new laptop? Maybe not, after all. What about 52 Pick-me-up? Ummmmm...

I have some cool perks lined up for it, and every little bit contributed will be helpful. The Wawa will get you a waterlogue road art print and get me a tank of gas (325 miles) -- almost a whole day's worth. (I'm planning on driving 350 - 425 miles per day).

I-605, South El Monte, digital watercolor, ©2014 Anne M Bray

Even a dollar will help. I'm serious!


Society6 is also currently running a sale that gets you FREE Shipping and $5 Off Each Item in my Shop only available from special links*. The promotion expires March 9, 2014 at Midnight Pacific Time.
Offer excludes Framed Art Prints, Stretched Canvases and Throw Pillows with insert.

They run these promotions from time to time, but this is the first instance I've seen the free shipping/$5 discount combination. If you want something that you don't see (I've only uploaded Sacramento's 52 Pick-me-up sketch, for instance) leave me a request in the comments. You want your sketch on a mug? Leave a request below. I have to upload specifically sized files for the specialty items and I haven't bothered to do that for everything.

I have three shops, the special link for each is below the respective screenshot:

Anne the SpyGirl, fashion sketches (and a random Heart California print that belongs elsewhere)

*SpyGirl's special discount link

Pattern Recognition by Anne M Bray, patterned items

*Pattern Recognition's special discount link

Anne M Bray, artwork. This is where I'll post the Waterlogues as I get them processed.
(What is Cameron Silver's sketch doing there? I have no idea).

*Anne M Bray's special discount link

Did you notice how the fashion sketches are $10 cheaper?
I wanted to make those more affordable for you all -- I make $2 profit on the mini size, same for mugs.

In case you're baffled by too many options, adding a contribution to my IdieGoGo campaign would be the most helpful.
It runs through April 18th.

Did you read all the way through this? Thanks! Back to the regular fashion fun tomorrow...

More Mugs on Mugs

CREATED/ LINKS/ 

I'll admit it, I've got mug mania!
I've been coming up with many potential combinations beyond the two designs that I revealed on Saturday.

My favorite is to have more than one image.
Choose two or three friends, for instance:

These are three sketches from a LAFC fashion shoot of dresses by Odylyne.
Mug available here on Society6

The possibilities are exponential!

But how to choose? I've got over 80 fashion sketches and it's hard to go through them post by post.
Over the course of this week, I'll put mini images and links on the "fashion sketches 2013" page found in the tab up top.

Here's a start, with the 52 Pick-me-up sketches to date:

Juli
Tamera
Jane
Tami
Emalina




Alicia
Vix
Melanie
Val
Jean




Aya
Señora
Joyatri
Bella
Gabriala




Charlie
SpyGirl
Ariane
Tamera
Sacramento





So, choose your sketch(es) and let me know your custom mix, either by email or in the comments below. I'll need some time to compose the layout for uploading (at least a day or two Mon-Wed, when I have the day job).
I'll let you know when it's available so that you can order the finished item from Society6 directly.

Thanks in advance for your support! 

Your Mug on a Mug

CREATED/ LINKS/

First I designed this, from my 30 sketches of +40 bloggers that I drew last April:

available here on Society6

Then I thought, wouldn't it be fun to offer individual sketches:

Selfie!
available here

If I've already made the sketch, I can easily format it for a mug (or phone case, or tote, or other Society6 product).
You'll need to ask me to upload the art, however. You can do so in the comments below or send me an email (especially if you want to be secretive and get something for a friend). I'll let you know when it's available so that you can order the finished item from Society6 directly.

Here's the sketch that I used for the sample above:

It's from my 52 Pick-me-up: Accessories First outfit.

Shop My Art Society6 Promotion

CREATED/ LINKS/ 

You've been seeing my Society6 fashion sketch prints featured here on SpyGirl.

I wanted you to know that I just opened a new shop for my Pattern work, called Pattern Recognition by Anne M Bray.

Not only can you get prints (framed, unframed, or printed on stretched canvas), you can also get laptop and tablet skins, mobile and tablet cases, cards, and pillows.

I opened the shop with my "Taste Quilt Block" which features 3 images of cakes, combined in a quilt pattern. Yum!

Society6 is offering a free shipping promotion* this week on most of the products.
Promotion expires June 16, 2013 at Midnight Pacific Time.  
*Offer excludes Framed Art Prints, Stretched Canvases and Throw Pillows with insert.

I'm thinking of getting one of Heather's lush Beautiful Los Angeles prints for my own art collection!

Click here for SpyGirl's fashion sketch prints

Click here for Pattern Recognition prints

Click here for my fine art landscape prints

"Anne the SpyGirl" Shop on Society6

I've opened a shop exclusively for my fashion sketches on Society6

[earlier iteration of sketch]
ISM Mode F/W13 Plaid Top
direct link to sketch on Society6 

A widget is now stationed on the sidebar, for your shopping convenience.

For anyone curious about starting their own business selling digital prints, I'm really pleased with the quality and service of Society6. I set up my fine art prints shop there in 2010.

I like the fact that you can add what profit you'd like to make on your work for the prints on paper.

[now you know my markups]

They also offer pieces framed, which I haven't yet sampled. (Almost did for my upcoming show, but then decided I didn't like the framing options). They fulfill the order and payments are through PayPal.

Sizing is dependent upon the size of your original jpg. If you're particular about color matching and output dimensions, then this wouldn't be a good place to use as a service bureau. I've had some "interesting" size issues happen -- especially with a cupcake image that I had to shrink and reorder because the first version was scary big (cupcakes the size of cauliflower heads? No thank you).
Other drawbacks are: not knowing who buys your work, canvas print prices are not adjustable (this one really irks me), and the paper is super heavy and rolled (how it comes for the printing process) so it's impossible to "float" your image when framing.

They keep adding new substrates and products that they print -- the latest is pillows.
I just ordered an iPhone case and I'll tell you what I think when I get it (soon I hope).
The site also has a whole "social" aspect, with "Loves" and "Follows" and all that.

Note: I was not compensated by Society6 for this post.
But if you buy art from me over there, then I will certainly make some money!