Gearing up for ALL-CON in Dallas!!

Holy crap you guys! My 2015 convention schedule is starting up even earlier than usual: next month (March 12-15) I will be in Dallas, Texas for All-Con! This marks my first convention outside of the east coast as well as my first time visiting the state of Texas! How exciting! Thanks to my pal Taffeta Darling for hosting me during this show. I'm pumped to meet all my new friends and fans- and how lucky you guys are that are attending- you've got the first pick of all my new merch, including new prints, jewelry and accessories! I'm still trying to figure out what to wear as well, considering this is a new state and a new convention- most of the folks attending haven't been keen to my antics, so what's old is new again! I'm thinking definitely my Wonder Woman and The Baroness outfits are coming out to play (especially with my awesome new foundation garments) and I seriously can't wait to take a break from this craptastic North East weather.

Here's some of the 5x7" print sets I'll have, $5 each!

A video posted by Paige Pumphrey (@paigey_pumphrey) on Feb 7, 2015 at 2:21pm PST

6"x11" Sailor Mermaid print sets!

SO MANY BRACELETS YOU GUYS. And new pendants!

Even MORE bracelets!

NEW 8.5x11" prints- Pee-Wee, Heathers and The Marbles!

Fall and Holidays, 2014

Me on my 34th birthday! I drank whiskey, got the meat sweats and went to bed at a reasonable time!

 Haha, WHOOPS. Looks like time got away from me and I haven't updated my blog in a while. Fortunately you guys didn't miss too much excitement- my last show of the year was NYCC and after that I kinda crashed for a month after some supreme burnout, so there hasn't been much new artwork, either. There were a few birthdays, Halloween and of course the holidays to enjoy, and strangely enough I found myself just busy enough to just go ahead and live life for a little bit. I know, WEIRD.

Halloween! Actually going out this year, I just grabbed stuff out of my closet to be a waitress. My wardrobe has actually become ridiculous enough to have several costume options right at my fingertips. I'm kinda proud of this fact.

"Smoking or non?"

I got a NEW TATTOO!! A super-cool, super-badass old school scorpion on my left, inner forearm by Hunter Spanks, one of my favorite tattoo artists. I got it because I'm a Scorpio and I need more tattoos of animals and stuff to balance out all these pinups, haha. So this is number 18! You can check Hunter out at Have Fun Be Lucky in Baltimore, Md. I love it! The colors are crazy and it's so super bold.

FEEL MY STING!

My NYC BFF Christy's twin sister Megan (who I used to work at Hot Topic with back in the dizzay) had a surprise baby shower! It was gothy and Edgar Allen Poe-themed! It was great to see a bunch of my Maryland pals all at once!

Obligatory bathroom selfie, of course!

My two bibs I made at the bib-making station! Dracula and Wolfman themed!

Such the little over-achiever. I'm was determined to make those fabric paints my bitch.

For my birthday present to myself, I *finally* ordered the What Katie Did Morticia underbust corset I had been eyeing for the better part of the year. And OMG it's AMAAAAAZING. I seriously can't wait to wear this at conventions with my costumes. Who needs dieting? (I kid, I started doing yoga after Thanksgiving...)

OOTD from when I went out for a friend's birthday in Dec

I had it SUPER tight laced, but then had to loosen it as I wasn't able to sit forward enough to do my makeup properly.

 REAL QUICK CORSET TALK: I don't screw with overbusts. They can't contain me, haha. I almost always prefer underbusts because then I can just wear my normal bras, plus they push everything up adding to how crazy the waist-hip-bust ratio looks. If you get a shorter one that doesn't come down far on your hips I've noticed that the more you sit in it, the more it gets pushed up under your boobs and you can't get it back down again unless you take it off and re-lace it. Which can lead to an uncomfortable skewering feeling as the boning goes up into your underboob, which happened at NYCC in my Marilyn outfit by the end of the day. The What Katie Did one I wore however has much lower hips (called 'gored hips'...) which seem to keep it in place better and actually helps with containing the stomach bulge that I've noticed in other corsets where the lower gut protrudes out because it's been squeezed out with no here to go. This Morticia corset is amazing, I read a lot of reviews (all great) and could tell when I got it that it was of a higher craftsmanship than most of my other corsets. It's HEAVY. They're def an investment. I justified that it would take all the dresses and outfits I already have and make them look better- you can wear this on top of or underneath clothing easily. I wear the Spanx hi-cut underwear underneath it if I'm wearing it under clothes. I read that it's better for you and the corset to have something between it and your skin while wearing. Keeps it cleaner, causes less irritation and friction. And if I'm not wearing pantyhose I'll put some Spanx bike short things on over top to help with chub rub, and it smooths out the seams of the corset if you're wearing it under clothes. I'm actually not as crazy as some of the people who's blogs I've read about corsets. I'm still amazed my burlesque friends can dance around in them. I can barely make it up steps without getting gaspy. And going to the bathroom in one is a skill that takes a year or two to master.

With the holidays queued up, Phil and I started work on our second annual holiday card that we send to friends, family and clients! We started this tradition last year after receiving cards from other cartoonist that were drawing their own cards as well. It's a good little end-of-the-year reminder that we exist to people, even if we only see some folks a few times a year at shows and the like. This years was way more of a seamless collaboration than last year's, with my drawing the pencils for the 20's cartoon Phil and I, and Phil drawing in everything else, including the sled, Loki and the colors. This year we sent out almost 100 cards! 

Phil and I at a Christmas party

Why are bathrooms always so nicely lit? A question for the ages!

 And then we packed our bags for Christmas family time in both Baltimore for my family and Perryville, Missouri for Phil's family!

Hanging with my nephew Fionn, showing off our Pumphrey good looks!

Sampling the Smoking Swine menu at The Smokehouse in Baltimore- burnt end brisket, elote corn, duck fat green beans, hush puppies, catfish in the back.

After a long day of traveling, Phil and I made it to Perryville in one piece.

Awesome X-Mas present from my in-laws- RAINBOW KNIVES OMG!

Balsman kids-and-spouses dinner!

Ladies of House Balsman

My niece actually took an interest in my process of making Shrink plastic magnets. I'm not a kid person, but this was pretty fun.

New Years! Back home, drinking tea and watching Deadwood. Aaaaahhhhh.... ^___^

Process: Making shrink plastic magnets

 One of the things that I try to do when I sell stuff at my convention tables and online store is have a wide variety of items at different price points, so anyone who wants a piece of my artwork can walk away with something. Shoot, even if you're broke you can still walk away with a killer postcard with my website on it- for future reference when you're *not* broke.  ::nudge:: ;) I also make it a point to put my art on not only prints and pieces of frame-able art, but also on products which become part of the customer's life that they can take with them on their day. 

A magnetic front door is a great place to take inventory on finished packs as I make them.

 A staple of my merchandise selection for the past few years has been my magnet sets. I usually package them in 2 character sets for $10 each and they are cut, cooked and assembled by me in my 'free time'. I've been messing around with shrink plastic since I was a kid playing with Shrinky-Dinks in the 80s. My mom, a retired seamstress- even helped me as a small child sell my first Shrinky-Dink jewelry (under the eponymous banner of 'Paige's Cute Things') when she would go to sewing shows. I distinctly remember my mom handing me over my earnings afterward and getting a jolt of greedy excitement. It was just a few bucks but that satisfying feeling of receiving money for something I enjoyed doing was something I would chase for the better part of my life.

 I rediscovered the awesomeness of shrink plastic a few years ago after I started selling my work at conventions. Looking for new ways to present myself, I came across printable blank sheets of shrink plastic paper and went to town creating jewelry such as necklaces and brooches. One of my first pieces of jewelry, my roller derby girl necklace, landed me my first interview and product review on a roller derby blog. I even sent a giant shipment to the gift lounge of the Oscars back in 2009 to be touched by and given away to real, live *famous people*. It was pretty neat. Aside from jewelry, I also sold them as magnets- but it being the early days of conventions I didn't know what I was doing. Instead of packaging the magnets as sets I would have them all loose on a giant magnet board I clumsily propped up on my table, which would get knocked into and pushed off the table as customers would grab the magnets they wanted. It was a bit of a mess. Especially in-between shows when I had to put them away stacked in tupperware containers where unprotected they could chip and break. But still they sold well, even better than the shrink jewelry- I think because they are something EVERYONE can use and appreciate. Shoot I even know people with kids who like to play with them on the fridge while sitting on their kitchen floor.

 I've had some concern from well-meaning but misguided people in my life who don't understand why I would want to tell my 'secrets' of how I make my products. Honestly, there's a few reasons for this. Making these magnets and other shrink plastic accessories is one of my more labor-intensive processes of creating merch. If anyone else is crazy and determined enough to get themselves elbow-deep into doing all the things I have to do to make these then by all means- go for it. I just ask that you are as generous with your processes as I have been with mine and perhaps we can all learn from each other. Also I am not threatened by other people having similar merch as me- since I believe people are buying my magnets and merch because it's features my artwork, not simply because it is a magnet or a bracelet, etc. I mean really, if you're that hard up for magnets just to have magnets- there are plenty of places you can get some for way cheaper. I also wanted to share my processes so that people can see exactly how much work goes into making them- this is one of my products which is almost 100% assembled by me, all I buy are the blank sheets, magnets and packaging materials. Some products like my stickers (Stickermule), prints (Overnight Prints) and artbooks (lulu) I pay to be produced by an outside company who then sends me the product that I sell. Though if I *did* have a print shop of my own I'd be a very happy girl, haha. Really though it's just nice to be appreciated for the hard work I do making the products I sell and hopefully this will educate people on my processes, whether they are simply curious as to how I make all this stuff or want to try their hand at making their own shrink plastic creations.

My process:

Step 1: print

Step 2: cut

Step 3: cook

Bonus video:

Step 4: spray

Step 5: glue

Step 6: attach

Step 7: wrap

Step 8: admire

If you want to get some of my magnets for your own, check out my convention schedule to see if I'm coming to your town! If I'm not, or you're a hermit like me- be sure to check out my etsy store!

HeroesCon 2013 prep!!

My first convention of 2013 is also my biggest- HeroesCon in Charlotte, NC is right around the corner and I'll be at Artist Alley tables 418-419 with Little Asian Sweatshop, Maria Danalakis, Phil Balsman and select works of Christy Sawyer. This will be my 3rd year attending Heroes and it's always an amazing time hanging out with friends I only get to see a scant few times a year. The low-key vibe of the show is a welcome alternative to the high-anxiety pace of bigger shows like San Diego and NYCC.  I'll have lots of new merch available!

LOOK for the NEW Paigey banner!!

Just a fraction of the magnet sets I'll have for sale!

Bracelets, stash tins, even KEYCHAINS!

Harley & Ivy and Bettie & Marilyn mini prints- $5 a set!

8.5x11 prints- $5 each!

Ballsy's classic monster mini prints! Set of 5 for $8!!

Plus TONS of original art for sale!

*Original* Poison Ivy inks! HAND-colored!

Miss Mary Jane inks, hand colored! 

Mondo Gecko! Hand colored and ready to frame!

Also new stuff from Little Asian Sweatshop!

*Knockout* pencil/makeup bags!

Starro hair flower!

Lady Blacula pencil/makeup bags!

VERY excited for the show this year! Hope to see you there!!

GOLDMINE shopping party! 5/19/13

The Gemini & Scorpio loft!

Heads up New York people! I'll be vending at Gemini & Scorpio's GOLDMINE shopping party in Brooklyn this Sunday, May 19th from 1-8pm! I'll have a bunch of fresh merch and some Little Asian Sweatshop hairflowers available for purchase!

Here's a sneak peek of some of the goodies I'll have!

New prints!

Bracelets!

SO MANY MAGNETS!

And a fresh new banner!

Here's the info from the Facebook invite! The address is not public so you HAVE TO RSVP on the Gemini & Scorpio event page. Click here to do so!

Sun May 19, 1pm-8pm, FREE / VIP preview 12-1pm, $10Kickstarter backers get in FREE to VIP preview: http://bit.ly/GS_loftAt the G&S loft in Gowanus, BKAddress with RSVP: http://www.geminiandscorpio.com/events.htmlFB: https://www.facebook.com/events/447177058690897
Have you ever wanted to shop (or at least rifle through) Miss Scorpio's closet? This is your chance. She's teaming up with burlesque bombshell Veronica Varlow, a fellow dress-up addict, for some spring cleaning and fundraising for their respective homes. You already know about the Gemini & Scorpio Loft, our art space project. Veronica's upstate home burned down, and she's rebuilding from scratch.
In addition, some of the most fabulous ladies of the burlesque, cabaret, and design world will be opening their closets and displaying their magnificent contents for your purchase -- and sharing their fierce handmade items with you. Think one-of-a-kind vintage, corsets and crinolines, feathers and fascinators, elbow-length fingerless leather gloves, and lots and lots of sparkles. Of course even divas have days off, so there will be plenty of casual wear alongside costume and vintage pieces. Mimosas and music, too; plus lounging on our giant roof. All G&S Loft Kickstarter backers get access to the VIP preview.
Featuring the handmade designs of:6362 Metaforce - hip utility belts for festivals and beyond -http://6362metaforce.com/Anne Arden McDonald - lace, sea creatures and natural elements in hand-cast silver - http://www.etsy.com/shop/ardent1Electric Candy - laser-cut blacklight-reactive fierce acrylic party wear -http://www.electriccandycouture.com/Kita St. Cyr - evening gowns, jewelry and rhinestone encrusted shoesLamia Gloves - the fingerless leather gloves of choice for NYC party people - http://www.lamiadesign.com/Liberace Nation - drapey slinky luxe handmade unisex clothing -http://www.etsy.com/shop/LiberaceNationMake Fun Studio - when you need the perfect circus leotard or stilt pants -http://www.makefunstudio.com/Paigey Pumphrey - delightful pinup illustrations enjoyed by ladies and gents alike - http://www.theartofpaigey.com/Pinkitrix - whimsical costumery and colorful headpieces -http://www.facebook.com/PartywearByPinkitrixSarah Sparkles - hand-crafted stone & crystal jewelry - http://www.sarahsparkles.com/Wheylan Dean Ford - Gothic-Victorian gogo couture and leather accessories - http://www.etsy.com/shop/WheylanDesignsPlus Ali Luminescent - representing a handful of international designers whose work you can only get through her directly -http://aliluminescent.com/
===================To get event invites from us on FB, join the group:https://www.facebook.com/groups/41331183538To get invites directly, get on our mailing list: http://bit.ly/GS_list===================Support the arts in Brooklyn! We're running a Kickstarter fundraising campaign until 5/30 to support major renovations to our events loft:http://bit.ly/GS_loft===================

Hope to see you there!!!