I was updating my ravelry account this morning and I had two favorites from last winter that I wanted to share:





And then, because leesers requested, a photo of my half of the Alternative Press Expo table:



I think it's the snazziest looking table I've set up so far, in no small part thanks to the Naruto-esque blue tablecloth. That tablecloth is rad and will be getting a lot of use in the future.

I'd like to get back into random snapshot photos again. I fell off the wagon when my camera vanished last year, but I do have the "found on the ground downtown" camera that C. gave me and I should use it more. As soon as I get my charger in, I will be ready to rumble.

...that my most recent comic, as well as the other Erstwhile comics, got linked by Sur La Lune fairy tales!

That means a lot to me personally, since Sur La Lune has been a huge resource and inspiration to me for ages and ages. I practically lived on that site and links list when I was doing my thesis back in the day, so being linked all prominantly? Rad. Very. Rad.

Also, because I have been remiss in posting these things on this journal Allfur is out in December! Go see, go see. The preview pages, they are in color. You can almost watch me grow with every panel ;)

All packed and ready for APE!

I'll be tabling #234 both Saturday and Sunday. I have adorable fabric for my tablecloth and new goods to share. Need I say more?

I'm personally kind of excited to see what this con looks like when the skies are not overflowing with rain and the streets aren't totally empty due to Halloween weekend. This whole "not on Halloween" thing and "AFTER epic storm, not during epic storm" thing? Could very well create a different atmosphere.

Will return from hibernation beginning of next week! Ta, all!

Oh my god, heatwave like WOAH.

It's something like 85+ in the Sunset right now with absolutely no breeze and really gross air quality. Crazy intensely hot out by our standards.

Inside, it's actually about 90, because there is no air circulation and I have yet to meet a San Franciscan who has air conditioning. Hence, I wilt. I wilt so hardcore.

On the bright side, the last time it was this hot I had to run around with my left arm covered in a plaster cast. So I definitely am appreciating the moment, hot as it is.

But still. Mreh. My zucchini garden better be loving this because I am not ;)

(People from normal climates, you are welcome to laugh. I've visited your world and I understand that I am spoiled by 60 degree summers. Still, I have no idea how you deal! The heat, it withers me!)

1. Make art. Achieve something awesome with this.

2. Receive terrifying new bills as a result of sewing my finger back together in April. Grow grey hairs from the stress of hassling it out and paying it off.

3. Repeat.

Which means that yes, hot on the heels of Zinefest awesome came a brand new hospital bill that requires applying for financial assistance all over again (so, the antiawesome). Life, she keeps me on my toes. I wonder, is this the cosmos bugging me about that "Ode to the Second Hand Injury that Changed My Life" comic I keep postponing?

So, I generally think that every major art project I work on teaches me something. It's part of my whole "school of practice!" philosophy to art, I guess, but I tend to create lessons in everything I do. A project will be a Lesson In Backgrounds or a Lesson In Color Harmony or whatnot.

Well.

By that logic, my current project is a Lesson In Crowds.

I've never been a fan of filling out background characters but somehow I ignored that while thumbnailing and now I am making entire backgrounds out of people. Lots of people. Lots of panels. Lots. *laughs* Who says facing your fears should be done in reasonable increments? Bah!

I've been accidentally repeating the same zucchini bread recipe with disastrous results (I don't care how many people review it with 5 stars, that recipe DOES NOT WORK). It's been killer to my ego.

Decided to try a completely different recipe for zucchini baked goods to see if I couldn't break this losing streak. Finally succeeded.

Needless to say, Zucchini Oatmeal Cookies for the win.

I'm not sure what it is about my garden that's so mesmerizing. It's absolutely tiny and the harvest is miniscule and half the time I'm out there plucking weeds the size of my thumb out of a vacant dirt patch. But it makes me, you know, happy. Which is surprising.

Like, I stopped in my garden on my way home from work to decompress and water the zucchini. As I was leaving I looked down at my feet and realized that the three rows of seeds I planted on Sunday started sprouting today. Exciting times!

It's amazing for me to see rows and rows of little green leaves rising out of the ground for the first time. They're cute! I didn't know radishes or kale could ever be cute, but apparently they are!

So unexpected, all of this. Anybody know any good winter crops in a mild climate? I think I'm going to be very sad when my summer plants are all gone.

I went in for another follow-up with my hand surgeon today (has it really been three months? It feels like it's been a year). I found out that I may have to go back for more surgery in November. I wish I could say that I'm surprised or outraged, but it's more like "ah, of course I have to think about a second surgery. This is me, afterall." It's elective, but so was surgery #1, so.

At least I don't have to decide until October. And on the upside, I guess that puts all my stress about overwork into the appropriate perspective ^_^;

Then, for today to be appropriately UP AND DOWN at the exact same time, I totally forgot to mention this here, but my art is currently making an appearance in Studio Gallery SF's annual "Mischief Show." I had two pieces up for show and I received an e-mail this morning from the buyer of one of them letting me know what a good home it went to. So, I now have one piece up for show. And my jaw is a little bit on the floor, because even though I set the price a little low... I haven't sold art since college.

It's, um, extremely encouraging. Like, here I am sitting in a puddle of conflicted emotions and I am thinking, well... I could always ink another page of Allfur. I took the afternoon off for the doctor, I may as well put it to something that makes me happy.

And that feeling is probably a good feeling to walk away with, right?

I got in the habit of sharing my recent artwork here, so here's something I completed... last week? I think? Time is fuzzy to me right now. Look ma, no lines:


Fever Fruit by ~cozyfire on deviantART

It's fanart for the Demon's Lexicon, which is a really awesome Y.A. book I read lately. I get scared of painting without lines because it's so obvious how weak my skills are, but I figure if I keep pushing harder to make little baby steps forward I'll get better eventually. I still prefer my usual way of working, but... this isn't bad, for me.

Had a miserable day yesterday (long story, but wow, miserable) and some bad luck this morning, but I wore myself out weeding for an hour and I suddenly feel a lot better about everything. My wrist is in a hot pack from the exertion but the rest of me feels calm and peaceful. Maybe when I get home tonight I can start on one of the projects I'm due to work on?

Hrm. I see I haven't updated for a few weeks.

There should be things to add, but I'm frankly a little too tired to think of them at the moment. I've still not adjusted yet to the job situation in any sort of healthy way and it's starting to bother me a little. I have a regular shift at job #3 again, and then I'm pushing harder at promoting my art... when am I not working again? I lose track. And that's not a good headspace to live in.

I'm finding a surprising amount of solace in my little bitty garden, though. I went outside yesterday in the burning heat and WEEDED. FOR FUN. But it's like, I need to keep the ground clear long enough to decide what other plants to put in, and it's sort of peaceful to hack away at the weeds when they're small so I can fill up the compost bin. I can even tolerate sun for that.

The few plants I have are even doing well, which is unheard of for me. All I really have to do is water them and keep the weeds off. That's so simple but it's very startling and amazing to watch for the first time. The zucchini are thriving so much that they've lured a family of blue jays to my yard (apparently jays like to steal zucchini buds, who knew?). The lavender is also thriving... and attracting honey bees! I saw the first few bees yesterday and I dunno, felt a surge of pride? Like, if the bees are coming, obviously I'm doing something right?

It can be limiting living where I do, but it's pretty freaking fantastic to have room to garden. I'm not sure I'd be hanging in there with the work thing quite as well if I didn't have the luxury of sitting home on a Saturday and watching blue jays flit around a pear tree.

Why is everything due the 11th or the 13th? *flail*

Everything is chaos at the moment. I realized I am not as prepared to display my art on Saturday as I had previously thought. So, understandably, juggling that and the fulltime work and the *flails* has made me a zombie this week.

Just get me through this weekend and let me sleep and I'll be human again, honest.

Tired Elle is tired.

Today I woke up at 7 to go to work and it's been nonstop errands and things all day. I blame the haircut. I lost lots of weight off my head and it prompted me to accomplish things.

But, my big news of the week is that I finally made lasagna tonight. I planned to make lasagna at the start of April, bought the riccotta cheese and everything, then went and had my big ol' accident and got myself banned from any significant cooking for 7 weeks. Oops.

It's cumbersome to cook, still, but my newest splint is smaller and plastic, so it enables me to immerse my hand in water without a problem. Seriously, try to cook something more than pasta without being able to get one of your hands wet - it's really hard. The novelty factor of being able to wash my hand at the sink? AMAZING.

Between shearing off my house-mullet and cooking the first real meal I've had in over a month, I feel almost human ;_;

...posted since my hand debacle started. Obviously it must be gossip girl fanart.


Gossip Girl: The Kiss by ~cozyfire on deviantART

Meanwhile, saw Star Trek today. Loved it. Someone either (a) fix my hand or (b) create extra hours in my day so that I can sit around drawing odes to Spock? Please?

Well, I'm now done with Battlestar. (That... is a very intense series to watch in a short period of time. I enjoyed the show, but intense when not spaced out.)

This also brings my first genuine pang of loss about leaving X&Y. Specifically, now I will never stand across the processing table from my coworker to say "HA! I'm finally caught up now! Explain why you were in such nerd upheaval."

It's kind of a wierd feeling.

In other news, I have outgrown splint four like a hermit crab and moved into splint five (attached with velcro, since I take it off for physical therapy). Continuing the climb to health. It's projected I'll have my hand back sometime in mid or late June and that full recovery is looking like fall. Which is all peanuts on the grand scheme but it feels like forever right now ;) Hurry up, hand! I need you!

Thank you again for all the concern and well-wishes!

Healing is still underway, but I'm through the post-op wooglies and now it's just gradual healing and returning to life. My hand is still in a splint, but this one only covers my index finger (so dainty!) and I'm learning to function fairly well with one and a half hands. Hurray!

Meanwhile, in direct result of this whole thing: as of today I officially need to stop referring to myself as a retail lackey. My entire two weeks happened while out on sick leave (no 2 weeks of hanging around getting closure, oh well), and injury is my official excuse for leaving. It's simpler this way.

:D

It was also clearly a good call, as shortly after giving notice I got myself another PT job that started, um, today. So the universe approves. But this begs the question... what do I call myself now that all my PT jobs are various permutations of receptionist/office manager/gopher? Freelance office minion? ...temporarily one-handed freelance office minion?

Thank you all for the luck and good wishes! It was really appreciated!

Am back from surgery with my ugliest splint yet and a sling to carry it in for the next 2 weeks. But I'm back, and I figure I should put that out there before I return to radio silence :)

(PS. I planted an old onion from my pantry last week and it's already 4 inches tall. Is it weird that I'm excited about this?)

So… Friday afternoon, I cut my finger pretty bad while making a sandwich. I went to the ER for a tetanus shot and stitches, came out with a splint the size of Texas and an appointment with a hand surgeon because I somehow damaged a pretty important tendon.

Just got back from meeting my surgeon and scheduling my operation for Friday (wish me luck!). Also swapped for a better splint until then (lost access to my thumb but it's way comfier!).



I should be all right, this isn't that major considering how bad this could've been, but I'm a surgery plus a month of splinting away from being two handed again and even then it's physical therapy time.

So, um, have an awesome April everybody? I should be able to keep up on Elle comics, but emails/LJ/writing anything is a royal pain, even with voice software :/ It may be a while!

Long story, may make comic about it, but may be a little online MIA for a while. Won't know how long until Monday.

Will explain later, after I find out more information.

Meanwhile, I have skype now, linked to cozyfire@gmail.com. So I am no longer limited by my long distance plan, yay!

I really, really needed to do something for myself today (rough week) so I set aside the afternoon to draw. And since I finished something for myself (most of my drawing right now is not for myself), I can actually post it! Gossip Girl fanart again, because apparently this is what I do in my free time.


Follow Me Down by ~cozyfire on deviantART

Meanwhile, I am seriously sad that I can't find my camera. I'm hoping it will turn up, I'd rather not think about what I'll have to do if it doesn't.

Back to X&Y tommorrow, lament.