The ribs are done! Well, they’re maybe done. I’m not totally sure about them but I think it is hard to make my mind up on them or alter them again until I get more of the parts done.
Below is the current progress of all of the parts I’ve done so far. I’m currently sewing up the shoulder bones, scapula and clavicle. I’m not sure on the scapula but once again I’ll see how it looks in context.
I put together this Cannibal Barbie and oven combination 5 or 6 years ago when I found this awesome little Barbie stove in a second hand shop. Barbie has a pan full of brains, a heart in her pot and a brain roasting in the oven.
She lives in a bag in a cupboard. Maybe I should bring her out and display her.
Who else used to eat crumbed lambs brains? Now that brings back bad memories.
I once read an article about things you should do on Friday that will increase your productivity. I’ve been feeling pretty unproductive since about late January so I’ve turned Friday into my cleaning, catch up and planning day. It’s cleaning day as I usually work on weekends (which is always a good time to clean) but I still need a day designated to doing some cleaning. The house is pretty tidy anyway so this is usually a few bits and pieces. My catch up is generally just trying to get some jobs finished that I’ve been working on during the week. Having a designated catch up day is the part of this day I really like. Start nothing new on Friday and just catch up on everything that needs catching up on. Finish those teeth and uterus (they’ve been in my sewing box for weeks!).
The planning…groan…this is where I fall down. I just struggle getting things together at the moment. I sit down with my planner and cannot think. I can easily jot down the things I do every week but struggle trying to come up with something that will keep me moving forward.
I love my journal, below. I do Bullet Journalling and find this is a system that works very well for me. I can combine all of my work and personal life into one notebook (I use different colours for different work) and jot down notes etc. A bullet journal allows you to allocate the space you want to the content you need.
Well, it is friday so I better get back to it. I need to tidy up the couch, and shrink some stuff.
I love this journal. It’s A Novel Journal.
I’ve been making Teratoma Tumors for about 5 or so years. They are a something that I find both fascinating and horrifying. Browsing Teratoma images online is not something I recommend or like to do. It is confronting to see so many babies with Teratoma’s.
Teratoma’s often sell to young women who have had one found on there ovary, a very common place for a teratoma.
From Wikipaedia “Teratomas belong to a class of tumors known as nonseminomatous germ cell tumor (N.S.G.C.T.). All tumors of this class are the result of abnormal development of pluripotent cells: germ cells and embryonal cells.”
You can read a little more about the link between the teratoma and the parasitic twin below.
Fetus in fetu and fetiform teratoma are rare forms of mature teratoma that include one or more components resembling a malformed fetus. Both forms may contain or appear to contain complete organ systems, even major body parts such as torso or limbs. Fetus in fetu differs from fetiform teratoma in having an apparent spine and bilateral symmetry.[12]
Most authorities agree that fetiform teratomas are highly developed mature teratomas; the natural history of fetus in fetu is controversial.[12] There also may be a cultural difference, with fetiform teratoma being reported more often in ovarian teratomas (by gynecologists) and fetus in fetu being reported more often in retroperitoneal teratomas (by general surgeons). Fetus in fetu has often been interpreted as a fetus growing within its twin. As such, this interpretation assumes a special complication of twinning, one of several grouped under the term parasitic twin. In this regard, it is noteworthy that in many cases the fetus in fetu is reported to occupy a fluid-filled cyst within a mature teratoma.[13][14][15][16] Cysts within mature teratoma may have partially developed organ systems; reports include cases of partial cranial bones, long bones and a rudimentary beating heart.[17][18]
Regardless of whether fetus in fetu and fetiform teratoma are one entity or two, they are distinct from and not to be confused with ectopic pregnancy.
I’ve been making felt teeth for about 5 years. They are a pretty popular item being snapped up by dentists, dental nurses and anyone with something going on with their teeth. I’ve even made myself a tooth with a crack it when I found out I had a crack in my tooth and needed a crown.
I still make the felt teeth but these days I also enjoy making teeth from other materials as well as working with acrylic teeth-they are a little bit freaky! I also have a plaster version of my teeth that is used to make my mouth guard (I’m a terrible tooth grinder in my sleep).
My partner and I visited Reverse Garbage over the weekend and I spotted a lot of plaster teeth, below.
This made me think of all of my favourite teeth I’ve made. Below are some of my favourite teeth creations.
Laser Cut Tooth Earrings
Acrylic teeth into some Plasticine. This is something I’m playing with while trying to learn stop motion.
Carving a tooth stamp.
The tooth that started it all. Mr Felty.
Wooden Tooth Brooch
January 28-February 3
Teddy. I picked up this bear from a second hand shop and added some anatomy (stomach, brain and Kidneys in the back). He had a tag on this leg that had his name in pen. I think he was a much loved teddy.
Six Legs. Spider friend on the back veranda. I didn’t see her boyfriend until I uploaded the photograph. She’s been protecting our veranda for a few months.
Hookworms! Love these little guys. They’re looking for their forever home, will it be your intestine?
Collection of Gall Bladders, Jar and two options for the brooch. These guys are so popular at the moment. Love making them!
It’s Christmas time! This means trying to think of what you can give people. As someone with my own little biz I find that I always leave picking things out for family too late and lets face it, they probably don’t all want a handmade brain.
Here are my picks for the perfect Christmas gifts, and they are all Aussie sellers! Oh, and there are also some quirky ones 😉
I love this Aussie Animal Puzzle of NSW! Just $50. From handmadepuzzles on etsy
And QLD!
Who doesn’t need a diary?! Weekly Planner from mulberryPOPplanners, $58
Echidna hair pins. I love these echidnas from One Happy Leaf. Just $12.50
Are they a bit quirky? Bloody Murder Cushion on red Bubble by Microwave24. Oh yeah, Microwave24 is my sister… $22.00
Males are difficult to buy for!
This Huntsman Spider cushion cover by Photographic Textiles is pretty awesome! Just $26!
Or Nick Cave by Spunk Valley, only $15
This Johnson Australia Dinner Plate from KoKo and Bear Co is perfect for mum, and only $10
This gorgeous Corella from Sheryl Cole Art, $87.95
How awsome are these Kangaroo Studs from Sweet November Jewelry, $43
I really love this Doctor Ibis print, inspired by plague doctors by Rosie Lace $18. She’s also got cute dresses, tops and shorts. One stop shop!
I’ve been wanting to make laser cut wooden pieces for a while and recently decided “Okay, let’s do this.” I read through all of the instructions of how to set up the files on the Vector Etch site (the biz I used to do the laser cutting) and thought it was definitely something I could do. I painstakingly added all of the outlines to the drawings I’d already done, thought about the designs, made the lines the right size. The fun thing here is that I use Inkscape, it’s free software but is a little bit of a nightmare to use sometimes. I think I spent about 20 hours setting everything up and even then some of it went haywire converting to Illustrator at the other end.
I’m really pleased with the results and how fine the details are. There are still a few products coming to this range, some of these were first printed in the first lot but didn’t turn out right (bummer) and others I hadn’t event though of for the first lot.
I spent a fair bit of time sorting out the pelvis, below, and I’m so happy I did as I really love how it turned out.
Intestines never disappoint me and I’m really happy with this guy. He’s about 3 hours of work.
The last time I made Brain Earrings (of the needle felted variety) was in 2012. They were something I made quite a few pairs of over a few years and I had become a bit tired of making them. Making small brains like this is a bit of a challenge. Half they time they don’t look very good at all and I’d started making them bigger and bigger, to get better details. I wasn’t really happy with the size or the process and stopped, for 4 years.
Recently I got to thinking about them again. Why? I don’t know. I just decided to give it a shot. Forget about all of the OTHER work I need to do and spend way too long making brain earrings. Yeah, they take forever!
The brain earrings come with a little glass jar so you can store them like a brain specimen, also available in my shop.
This Pituitary Gland in a jar has been in and out of my Etsy store for quite some time. Years ago it was in there with the original photos and just hung around, and then it was out of my store for a while waiting to have new photos taken and lazy me never did. I’ve only ever sold one.
I remember making the Pituitary because I got a “convo” (the Etsy speak for a message within Etsy) asking me to make one. In the early days I would make anything and everything people suggest without taking an order or getting them to pay as it was a great way to get ideas for new pieces. (This is also why a thymus is sitting my shop.)
What I love about the way I have made the pituitary is the red and blue threads. I’ve almost always used the same shades of blue and red, I’d sometimes pick up a different shade but also return to my same favourite DMC colours.
Anyhooters, after finding this guy again I’ve also decided to make a brooch. I find myself getting back into making and experimenting with anatomy again after going on a bit of a journey off my path. Not that taking a detour here and there isn’t useful!
Your Organ Grinder 