just wrapped up a custom that had me pretty much shaking in my boots when the customer first floated the idea. she wondered if i could do something with a metamorphosis theme. in batik. plus paint. hmmmm. but i managed it and am pretty darn happy with the results, save for a little paint that went beyond its bounds in a place or two. nothing horrific, just not quite perfect. anyway, without further ado, the pic --

also wrapped up these other custom shirts --







in other words, it's been a pretty good week. now i just need to keep the momentum going and knock out customs for a few other people that have been waiting oh-so-patiently even though i started several weeks ago, before vacation...

i have lots of customs to wrap up. here's a pic of some in-progress shirts, and then there are several more i need to draw and wax up as well. and yarn! i will hopefully get back on the yarn wagon and dye up some pretties soon! i bought some new racks that i think will help out my process and fix some of the bleeding problems i was having on occasion with the old ones... fingers crossed!

and for even prettier pictures, here's thumbnails of the shirts i stocked at the leaf shoppe last night! sort of a low key stocking as i was the only person to get anything up in time... but so it goes.

but turns out i'm actually more in a batiking mood. i got started on a few shirts last night and before i knew it it was 3am. so i promised myself i'd not stay up that late tonight but just try to finish those shirts for friday's stocking instead of all the yarn like i had planned. i might just offer a yarn option for the shirts... that would work. or i might squeak in some during the day tomorrow, but with the kids in the mood they've been in lately it's all i can do to get meals prepared before they're at each others' throats. i don't recall my brother and i being like this when we were 4 and 2 but my kids just antagonize each other. so. darn. much. constantly!

anyway back to zoope -- i haven't even taken in-progress pics because 2 shirts are in the wash at this very moment and 2 more have been painted with dye and will get their second wax application once that dye dries. i guess i should take pics of them, but i want them to be a surprise. if they turn out like the picture in my head i think they're going to be really really cute!

we're officially done with our almost weeklong vacation... only 20 miles from home but it's still nice to get away! the weather was decent -- lots of rain but thankfully most of it was during naptime, the evenings or overnight. the kids had a ball swimming in the pool (or i should say, being carried in the pool by me or dh), going to garage sales, hiking on the new walking trail across from the condos, eating out *far* too much, and just generally being on vacation-behavior for the week.

i'll be really glad to get home and sleep in my own bed again. and to get back to work -- i had to convince myself to not drag dyes and yarn up here because i have the dyeing bug. so hopefully this will translate into tons of progress this week on instock and customs. my next stocking will be on the 20th at the leaf shoppe. look for yarn and shirts and maybe an hc$ auction as well!

no pretty pics from vacation yet but i'll try to add some once i get them off the camera. instead here's a few shirts i worked up before we left for collabs with kim at kukae & mimi stocking at universal mama this monday!

1. it is summer and i have a headcold!
2. the kids both have colds too, though i don't think they have a killer sinus headache like i do right now!
3. dh brought the cold home, i figure he should have to deal with snotty kids all day long instead of me
4. and it's finally warm enough to swim but it's been too rainy to do so this week!

on the plus side, sick kids makes for longer naps, and gives me an excuse/chance to take them too!