Base14

Sorry everyone, but it turns out that I am very bad at maintaining a life/blog balance. I have been so busy working on cool things that I forgot to share them with you!

Since Tyler has started to release character designs, I can finally post pictures of my favorite new ring.  Based on a character from The Girl and the Fox, this clay figurine is a loveable little scamp that is sure to charm his way into your heart and attract attention. Seriously, what’s better than having a little snow fox friend with you all day?

What do you think? Want to see him for sale on Base14 merch?

In early January, the apparel division of Base14 made an extravagant purchase. Ever since, I have been itching to play with my new four color silkscreen press. We have a lot of shirt ideas piling up on our product list, but nothing seemed worthy of the first run off this new press. Fortunately, Tyler gave me my first assignment and it was a big one! (Crew shirts for The Girl and the Fox.) After much debate over the design and what line thickness we could print with the new screens, Tyler finalized the design and I was off to the races. After printing the nearly 50 shirts I was completely in love with our new setup. More importantly, the shirts look fantastic!

Well that was easy. What should I print next?

I know that all of you have been waiting in breathless anticipation to see my line for this year become reality. Unfortunately for you, you’re going to have to wait a little longer to see it all put together. But for the time being, here is a taste of what’s to come. This year’s jeans don’t only work with chunky knits and wool coats, they also look great paired with a Base14 logo tee! (To be fair, I can’t imagine anything not looking great on these two gorgeous models.) If you can’t wait to see the real deal in action (I know I can’t) then make sure to get your tickets for the annual Purdue Fashion show on April 10th.

I can’t help it, I have to give in to my feminine instincts every once in a while. So in honor of the holiday that celebrates everything girly and eeewy gewy cutesy in this world, I give you the ‘kissy kiss’ necklace. That’s right! What is more absolutely precious than these two little cherubicly plump figures smooching on a necklace? (Except for maybe this.) Either way, there’s no debate about it. This one’s a keeper.

All the charms were handmade and hand-painted by yours truly, as per usual. You might be asking, “Where can I buy it?” And your answer is: You can buy it in a beautiful dream world where I have enough time to mass produce these gorgeous pieces instead of memorizing the differences between various types of togas.

It’s that time of year again; time to sacrifice every available moment to the fashion gods. But the good news is I get the exciting pleasure of introducing you to the new line I am working on this year.

The concept was conceived last August and is now finally becoming a reality. Inspired by the Australian artist Ghostpatrol, this line maintains a bittersweet mood. Appropriately for a spring fashion show, this is a fall/winter line for 2010. (Coming to an imaginary store near you!) Fabrics include felted wool, heavy sweatshirt knits, flannels, heavy denims, twills and corduroys. They reminisce of classic winter clothing. Patches and layering give the look that the pieces have been worked and reworked. In addition to the garments, this collection features hand-knitted accessories and handmade jewelry.

Though I have designed a full line, the size of our fashion show unfortunately limits me to only three models. Keep a lookout for more pictures as the garments are completed.

Here’s to November! And here’s to another fun shirt from Base14! I’ve always been a big fan of No Shave November (a month-long celebration of beard growing.) But sadly I cannot participate. To fill the void in my heart and to encourage participation from the opposite sex, I created this T-shirt that boldly says, “I find you more attractive with a beard.”

Press onward, noble beard, for today is your day.

So, I bet you’ve been wondering why it’s been a while since my last post. The reason is because I’ve been working non-stop on this new series of handmade silk scarves. Each pattern is hand drawn through a gutta resist dye process. The color is then painstakingly painted on using a liquid dye. (The red scarf alone took over six hours to add color to.) This process is followed up with steaming, rinsing and finalizing.

The series was created for a Donald Hall exhibit that will open at Purdue next Thursday, November 5th. The scarves are in response to the line “beautiful terrible sentences unuttered” from his poem ‘Without.’ Like many, I know all too well what it feels like to lose a loved one to cancer. This series of scarves follows my reaction to Hall’s poem as I personally related it to recent events in my life.  Each one travels deeper into my interpretation.

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