Rosie the Riveter Paint-By-Number

I like Rosie the Riveter. I found this paint-by-number kit at a hobby shop back in Flint, Michigan. I had to have her. I painted her up (and some of the numbers on the board were labeled wrong so it was like hard work–hee!–and she now sits in my cube at work, looking me over and finding me slightly less cool than her liberty-driven mission. I edit naughty books and she made planes to fight the Nazis. She’s got it all over me.

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Red Bridesmaid Card


These are likely from 2003.


It took some time to settle on a specific bead. Originally, I think I used beads from a bracelet that I wore in someone’s wedding. The bracelet broke and I put it to good use! But as demand increased I started using the rondelles. They work like a charm!

Prototype Cards for Ebay


These were the first cards I made to take pictures of with the express purpose of putting them on ebay. The material came from the bridesmaid dress I wore in my friend Rebecca’s wedding in 2002.

Initially, I only offered fabric from bridesmaid’s dresses I had actually worn or had been given to me by friends. Then I considered using only used bridesmaid’s dresses. It seemed like I was doing the world a favor! Ha! Anyway, eventually the demand became so great that I simply had to go and buy fabric. The thrift store bridesmaids’ dresses were more expensive than buying the fabric outright.

Ooh, artsy.


I’ve always made the hangers by hand. I use a thicker wire guage now, though. I just like the way it looks.


It was two or three years before the first copycats showed up on Ebay. I still think mine are prettier and more consistent. I take time developing my protoypes and wouldn’t send anything that is poorly made to my brides!


I experimented with different kinds of dress silouhettes but settled on strapless because it was the easiest to produce quickly and consistently. The more angles, the more difficult the fabric is to wrap. I do wonder what my copycats use as a base for the dresses. I’m not telling–except to say that it’s excellent for archiving!


Ooh, artsy angles. I’m a dork.

Cross Stitch

I had this insane idea that I would do this “simple” counted cross stitch for my mom because she likes that Thomas Kinkade stuff. When I told her I didn’t like him she said, “You don’t like him? He’s the PAINTER OF LIGHT!” She was totally serious.

Anyway, this was a bitch to stitch! What a pain. I framed it and gave it to her and she seemed to like it so it was worth it, I guess. Made in 2005.