Spring is in Boston!

Hello everyone.  I’m choosing to believe this time that there will not be another cold snap in Boston, as of April 25th.  The weather has been so gorgeous the past couple days I really hope it sticks around.  With the recent terrible events that have happened in the city this past week, it would be nice to give the people something a little uplifting.

I’ve been busy adding a few new designs on Spoonflower, and entering some contests.

I’d love for you to vote for this week’s design- category “Sailing”.  As usual you need to search out my username or design’s name which is “Full Sail”.  I wish I could provide a direct link, but Spoonflower doesn’t work that way, sorry.  It looks like this:

However, I’m not going to be pushy about this design because the BIGGIE is coming up in May.  Friends and family, prepare yourself for a barrage of pleas for voting in the upcoming Super 8 design contest.  You have been warned.

Now get out and enjoy the sun!

Upcycled Kitchen Island Win!

So I moved… again.  I love the new place.  Its much more roomy, and has a nice fenced in yard for the dogs. I had one major gripe with it though… For those of you who know me best, you know I love to cook (and eat).  I have a kitchen pot/pan/utensil/gadget for every cooking need.  The kitchen in my new place is quite large, but seriously lacking in cabinets.  I mean there are honestly like 3 cabinets in there.  I don’t get it.  An entire wall of real estate was being unused.

Since its a rental, there was no way I was going to invest in buying and installing new cabinets and countertops.  I started scouring Craigslist for used islands, but none of them were really quite right.

Then I saw a woman nearby was selling an old dresser.  A lightbulb went on in my brain.  Dan and I went and picked it up, brought it home, and I immediately started to dissect it in my kitchen. I removed the hardware, painted it, and added new legs for height.  I busted up two of the drawers totally, and married two drawer fronts to make a door for a large storage space (my margarita machine needs a big house). I needed more countertop space than the dresser itself could provide, so I went to Lowe’s and had them cut a piece of MDF for me.  I attached that to the top, and simply covered it with contact paper.

Check out its kitchen majesty here…

p.s.  If anyone of you needs my new address, send me a message and I’ll get back to you!

Hello blog! and also hello new wreath…

The long march is over.  I’ve been working a job that has literally left me no free time.  Well some free time, but so little of it, I couldn’t bring myself to sit in front of the computer on my one day off – away from computers.  So I immediately picked up my crafting hands again.

I wanted to make a wreath for my door that was wintery, but not Christmasy.  I like Christmas things, but its a pain to switch out after a month.  This wreath I made could span the entire winter season.

You’d never guess to look at it, but when you touch it you can tell.  Its made entirely out of plastic shopping bags.  Its so light and fluffy – it looks like feathers.  Its a shame that my front door is white, because it doesn’t pop at all. In fact I like this wreath so much that if I didn’t live in a giant faceless apartment building, I would paint the front door just to show it off.

Here is Winter Wreath!

Where did the summer go? Oh yeah…

Argh!  I’ve been crazy  CRAZY busy..  Just realized I haven’t posted in over two months.

Well, that’s just bull.

I’ve been working the most insane hours and when I’m not working, trying to enjoy the last warm days of summer.  I really hope to be able to get out at least one new design by the end of October.  Hopefully my overtime at regular job will be done by then.

The only reason I’m even able to write this now is because I’m home sick.  Am I looking for pity?  Possibly.

The Irish Elk is extinct…

I spent A LOT of time this past week working on one of my favorite designs yet.  Spoonflower had a new contest – for a design with an extinct animal.  After doing some research the Irish Elk caught my eye.  It had the most massive antlers – nearly the size of its whole body.  Quite stunning, and quite menacing!  Imagine what it would be like to come upon one of these babies in the forest…  If you are interested in their history, read about them here : Irish Elk.

I was thinking it would be great to combine my new found plaid making skills with an Irish Elk somehow, and well, the idea took off from there.  I started with just a sketch of half the head, and then added patterns to the antlers.  Here are some color variations I went through:

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Please, if you have a minute to spare, and you love me just a little – please go to the Spoonflower website and vote on my design “Irish Elk” by Spacecowgirl.  Just scroll through the pages till you find it.  Thanks so much!!!

Extinct Animal Competition

XOXOXO

All images and designs on this website © Amy Keating Design.

ginghams and plaids

Just experimenting with a “plaid look” design.  Also did a bunch of ginghams in pastels for the summer.

ginghams and plaids

 

All images and designs on this website © Amy Keating

I’m Batman!

I have to (somewhat ashamedly) admit that I haven’t been very crafty or otherwise artistically productive lately.  Its Batman: Arkham City’s fault.  I’m an addict – but I can admit it.

Here is something I’ve been doing while Dan wants to watch TV at night and I’m not being the Bat.  Great summertime project.

Origami Flowers

hand drawn birds and things

I’ve entered another contest on Spoonflower kids.  Their contest rules were that the design had to be hand drawn.  I had an idea for bird cages and birds and clouds – but after I did it, I thought I’d try something more whimsical.  Birds and cats with balloons.  I have to say, drawing cats took some research.  I am not a cat person, I’m a dog person.  But I think they turned out to be very cute.  I especially like the little butthole I put on one of the cats

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I think its interesting how different the two different design look and feel, considering they contain many of the same elements.

 

All images and designs on this website © Amy Keating

Two very different tiles!

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All images and designs on this website © Amy Keating

Illustrator is magic

I’ve been more or less teaching myself how to use Illustrator in a more “fabricy repeating pattern” kind of way”.  I’ve stumbled across some short cuts – and have been playing with geometrics.  I think some of them look really cool, and some others have the potential to be cooler younger brothers, but they aren’t quite there yet.

Have a peak here:

Illustrator magic!