Timid Monsters by Trish Czech

The teeniest, tiniest

2012-01-31T06:01:00.002-05:00

I'm starting to very slowly get back into sculpturing again. Starting small, as you can see.

This teeny Timid Monster comes in a teeny jar. Even though he might seem cramped in there, he's really quite glad to be safe from most everything--from spiders and cats to forks and pickles.

The jar is approximately an inch tall and come with a cork stopper. The Timid Monster inside is just over a quarter of an inch tall.

Please read shop policies to learn more about Timid Monsters, shipping, and returns!

Update

2012-01-30T10:46:00.001-05:00

A while ago--apparently a rather long while ago--I got the idea to do this

in my bathroom above the shower door. It is a length of rain pipe with sealed ends. I measured and cut it to just barely fit so it stays perfectly wedged in without any other reinforcements.

I know. Neat in theory but a little sparse and sad in execution? Well, a few years and more plants later, and it had exploded into this

which I love and am quite proud of!

My Funny Valentine Treasury

2012-01-27T04:38:00.003-05:00

KittyBallistic has included a Timid Monster in her Treasury!

Shopping List Answer!

2012-01-27T00:37:00.000-05:00

Correct answers would have included:

a birthday gift! (alright that probably wouldn't have really won)
a cupcake bra!
a frosting bra!
a bra like that one that girl wears in that video!

I also made a matching headband!

I learned a few things about working with these materials. The two biggest concerned the drywall putty mix instructions, which do not lie when they say that set time is 3-5 minutes and adding water will not delay or reverse setting times.

still not the answer to the shopping list

2012-01-23T04:14:00.000-05:00

My latest project is actually something for myself and hopefully something I will actually finish. As the Venn diagram of "Things I Finish Making" and "Things I Make for Myself" has a very, VERY small overlap.

I have slowly grown to like bib-necklaces and have seriously considered buying one from Etsy. The problem, however, is that no matter how pretty a necklace is, how badly I might want it, how terribly I might want to support other Etsy sellers, the ones I tend to like are always a small fortune. So, I have decided to make one myself. Which has proven to be a much easier decision than task.

It is rather slow going. But if I could hand bead a veil for my sister's wedding, I can certainly hand bead this necklace. Or so I keep telling myself.

NOT the Shopping List

2012-01-20T16:20:00.005-05:00

But rather, this is something I started during my Christmas break in attempt to use up negligible amounts of yarn left over from other projects.

Normally I crochet, but I have a throw blanket from Ikea that is knit. I love it, but it's getting old and snagged and sad. This will hopefully replace it.

I have been knitting with a color until it runs out, then simply tying the next color to that one and continuing. Oftentimes the colors start--and even stop--in the middle of a row.

I am loving how it looks so far. Though, I'm not loving the much slower pace of knitting.

Shopping List

2012-01-19T04:22:00.003-05:00

When I make up my mind to make something, I usually have a pretty weird shopping list. This project might be my weirdest list yet. And this is coming from a girl who made a Princess Leia gold bikini for a bachelorette and did most of the shopping for it at Home Depot.

sheetrock putty mix
red paint
cake decorating bags
frosting tip
various colors of polymer clay
sewing needles
thread
bra

Any guesses as to what I'm making? Since no one reads this blog anyway--wait, wait, I don't want to pity-party. I know people read it. Well, I at least know that people click on it. Let me start again. Since no one ever comments on this blog anyway, the first person to guess (Stevie isn't allowed to guess, neither is my sister or her husband, actually I guess let's rule out family since that could be considered nepotism and I give things I make to you guys all the time anyway) correctly before I reveal the finished project will win a free Timid Monster! So let the guessing begin!

If anyone guesses correctly, I will let you know in the finished-project post that you won and how to get your mailing information to me! If no one guesses (correctly) better luck next time to all parties involved.

2012-01-18T14:58:00.001-05:00

If I were brave enough to "shut down" my site with the confidence that I could get it back up again, I would have anti-SOPA stuff up for sure. However, I will have to settle for links everywhere: http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20111122/04254316872/definitive-post-why-sopa-protect-ip-are-bad-bad-ideas.shtml

Holiday Break!

2011-12-22T20:31:00.000-05:00

All my Timid Monster shops are closed for the holidays. They shall re-open around-about the 2nd of January 2012.

Have a great celebratory season--yeah I did go that awkward--and THANKS SO MUCH for making this a great year for Timid Monsters!

sad face.

2011-12-17T12:34:00.001-05:00

Totes messed up my Picassa web albums thereby destroying ALL the photos on my blog in one poorly thought out click.

I went back and re-pictured through a few pages of posts, but gave up when I couldn't remember which photo I had on 1 November. I guess, thankfully my blog is not a very compelling, chronological read and I would assume new followers wouldn't be on the edge of their seats back-reading. Woo! Boring!

Show me yours!

2011-12-07T06:04:00.001-05:00

I want to know where you keep your Timid Monsters! Send photos to timidmonsters@gmail.com and I will add them to the "Show me yours! Where do you keep your Timid Monsters?" album on my Facebook Fanpage!

Here are just a few to get you started!

Let it Snow!

2011-12-04T05:37:00.001-05:00

This snowglobe and two others will be debuting Monday the 5th of December at the Art and Craft Fair in Millburn, New Jersey's Papermill Playhouse!

Boba Fett Commission

2011-11-28T04:23:00.000-05:00

I have to say. I'm pretty, really jealous of the person buying this. I've made a lot of Timid Monsters and a rather large amount of commission, and I've never wanted to keep on so badly.

That being said, I hope the person who ordered it loves it.

Timid SnowMonster!

2011-11-25T05:43:00.001-05:00

Some people build snowmen. Some build... well, some are wholly inappropriate in the snow. Me? I choose to build SnowMonsters!

Available from both www.trishczech.etsy.com and www.timidmonsters.com!

EDIT: SnowMonsters are also available as ornaments!

You Choose the Sale!

2011-11-24T06:14:00.001-05:00

I decided to jump on the Black-Friday-Bandwagon. However, my Etsy shop and my website, don't give me the same sale-making options, which means you choose the sale!

What are the choices, you ask?

The Etsy shop will be offering free domestic shipping with shipping code SHIP2ME4FREE Friday through Monday.

The website will be offering 15% off Timid Monsters Friday through Monday.

There's a Party Under the Bed! Etsy Treasury

2011-11-17T16:36:00.001-05:00

Tura23 made this super-awesome Treasury and was kind enough to include a Timid Monster!

An ornament

2011-11-17T16:29:00.001-05:00

Of the Christmas variety. In time for *gasp* Christmas. How unlike me! Anyway. This has been on the website for a few days now, and I finally remembered to post it to Etsy, as well. Figured I ought to share it with you fine folks, too.

WOAH! He looks familiar! That is probably why I forgot to mention him here.

This year's Christmas card...

2011-11-16T07:17:00.001-05:00

...is a postcard!

I just ordered them in the wee hours of the morning, and they should be arriving soon-ish. *fingerscrossed*

My first draft wasn't a Timid Monster. Instead, it was a pen drawing of a pair of lil' birds on a branch with "Happy Holidays" superimposed in the upper... aw... I'll just post that here, too:

Pretty, right? But we couldn't come up with an appropriate-seeming greeting for the back, and it didn't really seem very "us." So we decided on what we wanted on the back, and then I designed the front. And it led to Timid Monsters. Because we are weird more than pretty. Maybe this card will find its way back next year once we've had some more time to mature.

Holiday Giveaway! (And it isn't even a contest.)

2011-11-14T19:30:00.001-05:00

The good news: You automatically win!
The bad news: Purchase is necessary!

"Now wait," you might be saying. "How is it a giveaway if I have to purchase something?" Well! I'll tell you! Every Timid Monster (or other shop item) that gets sold between now and December 31st will come with a free, teeny mini-Monster. How "teeny" and how "mini"? The one in the picture to the left is one of the larger ones.

To receive a mini-Monster, buy something. Anything. A Timid Monster. A magnet. A key chain. A pet elephant. A letter necklace. Anything! And get a free mini-Timid Monster with your order. You don't even have to check a box at check out or leave a message somewhere.

And, the more you buy the more you get. Buy three Timid Monsters--get three minis. Buy a magnet, two Timid Monsters, and an pet elephant--get four minis. Buy a button--get a mini.

It is that easy. So quick! Visit either my Etsy shop or TimidMonsters.com!

Buttons!

2011-11-13T01:39:00.001-05:00

I spent today cleaning my desk and making buttons!

"Here, put this bandit hat on."

2011-11-12T09:22:00.001-05:00

AndYourBirdIsGreen included me in this great Fantastic Mr. Fox themed Etsy Treasury!

Update. Up-date. upDate.

2011-11-01T15:10:00.001-04:00

Update is really a weird word when you say it too many times.

Anyway. Monster Mondays and One of a Kind Wednesdays have been a bit lacking. So here is the news that might fit as an excuse as to why.

I was in the end stages of a cold that my husband brought home from the grubby teenagers he teaches at work. And then while in the end stages, I had to vicariously battle off another cold he was trying to bring home.

I busted my right wrist. I have no idea how. Or why. I especially don't know why as it is actually pretty miserable to have a busted right wrist. But it hurts like a few choice expletives, and I've been wearing a bulky, but supportive, brace.

I've been tired. I know. I have very demanding days of getting up when I want, working as long as a I want, eating when I want and going to bed when I want. I blame the weather change.

My schedule has gone all backwards again. I mess up my days a bit w hen this happens. So really I need to go to post before going to bed. But then this is happening at like 4.30a and it gets buried behind everyone else's updates on social media sites. I decide to do it when I get up. Except when I get up, I have other things to do or decide I have to cook and clean and spend awake/home time with my husband and then it is going on 1a. So there's that.

We have company coming this week. Tomorrow in fact. And the past week or so has been an attempt at a mad dash to clean and get ready. And it is coinciding with the changing of the wardrobe and the bringing in of the plants. It doesn't help that we get all, "OMG, we needs to make the cleaning! OR! We could play WoW for the next eight hours." And with my wrist in the condition it is in, I would much rather heal or dps one-handed than clean.

So take your pick. Now before I publish this I'm going to browse my drive to find a picture to include so this post can be all dynamic like. And there it is.

Ugra!

2011-10-24T23:04:00.000-04:00

Ugra the Timid Monster often admires his teeth in the mirror. Some say he is a narcissus, but he does not think he resembles a flower at all. When he's not checking out his teeth, Ugra enjoys playing in canyons and chasing echos.

It's that time of year again.

2011-10-23T15:07:00.002-04:00

Time for the potted plants that summered outside to come in for the winter. We spent our morning bringing them in. Well, my husband spent the morning bringing them in. (He still needs to bring in our potted palm and a rather large, tropical, flowering bush, but we had to finish clearing away a few things and sweep.)

I mostly spent the morning turning these tin bucket bits I found at Ikea into hanging pots for my spider plants so that we can finally take advantage of the great sunlight the kitchen window gets.They are hanging with big hooks (also from Ikea) from an old tension rod from our college days.

The weather is still holding out pretty nicely, but the nights are getting colder and the next few weeks will be busy for us. So we decided this was a good weekend for this project.

Whoops I missed Wednesday!

2011-10-21T03:53:00.002-04:00

I may have missed "One of a Kind Wednesday." : / So! Here, instead, is one of the commissions I did this week!

Also, here is a photo of my oft-sleepy companion.

New Monster Monday

2011-10-17T18:46:00.004-04:00

Wendell the Timid Monster believes he is; some other Timid Monsters question this. Wendell's argument, however, is that he thinks, therefore he is. At least that is what he once overheard from this cart.

Last street fair of the season

2011-10-16T08:11:00.001-04:00

And I would be lying if I said I were glad for it.

Anyway, today, 16 October, Timid Monsters will be in Cranford, New Jersey for a street fair from 11a to 5p! Stop by and help make the last fair of the season a great one!

emails and my stunted social skills

2011-10-13T01:51:00.000-04:00

For everyone out there that doesn't *actually* know me, I really am quite awkward, have a hard time relating to others, and am generally not very good at social things. So help me out when you email me and include a little more substance than, "Hi, What about one named NOAH????????" Because if this is all you send me, it will take days for me to try to decide what you are REALLY on about and what an appropriate response would be. And by then, I might forget entirely about your email, never respond, and seem really quite rude.

Does this mean you are simply suggesting a name that you hope I get to in the foreseeable future? Is it an inarticulate request for a commission named Noah because you know someone named Noah and simply cannot go on without purchasing a Timid Monster that can claim him as a namesake? Or is it a cry for help to the outside world because your shift+? keys stick?

My instinct is to reply with, "Ok." And I know that is wrong. But I really am not sure what is correct.

EDIT: My friend and "business adviser" suggested, "I do not currently have a Timid Monster named Noah. If you would like to commission one, however, I would be glad to make you one." I felt silly for not being able to think of such an easy reply myself and promptly responded to the email with it.

One of a Kind Wednesday!

2011-10-12T11:24:00.001-04:00

Priscilla the Timid Monster answers personal ads with haikus that use only words from the ad. She includes a picture of a former foreign diplomat with each reply. Priscilla is afraid that if people with personal ads don't receive replies the world will give up on love and any semblance of romance.

I like her toenails.

New Monster Monday!

2011-10-10T13:59:00.001-04:00

Brikki the Timid Monster is afraid of breeding bacteria on kitchen sponges. She makes sure no one leaves them buried under all the dishes in the sink where they are sure to stay damp and moist. If she does find any wet sponges about, Brikki just pops them into the toaster for about two minutes.

Skom is afraid of kitchen fires. Namely those started by someone putting sponges in the toaster. It doesn't matter if they start because the moist sponges short circuit the appliance, sending sparks shooting positively everywhere but most often to the napkin holder, or because the sponge stays in too long and bursts into flame. Either way he's seen more than his fair share of sponge-induced kitchen blazes; Skom avoids the kitchen these days.

Sometimes I feel like a crazy person.

2011-10-07T18:28:00.000-04:00

But I cannot imagine why.

PS. There were about 60 more Monsters that didn't make it on the table.

All Wrapped Up Treasury

2011-10-07T14:52:00.001-04:00

My Mummy Timid Monster was featured in this mummy-tastic Treasury created by ArtByChris.

One of a Kind Wednesday

2011-10-05T10:30:00.000-04:00

Henya the Timid Monster likes to keep to herself. It isn't that she doesn't like to socialize with the other Monsters, so much as it is that she doesn't like to play games with them. This is because she has discovered that if she plays by herself she can always win at Parcheesi.

Henya has teeny, adorable horns, and I love the dots on the inside curl of her tail.

New Monster Monday

2011-10-03T10:30:00.000-04:00

Lauren is interested in running for public office. She feels that her platform is one everyone can agree with: bananas for everyone, except those who do not like them or are allergic, in which case others can take turns claiming the unwanted bananas and those that didn't want bananas can have some other kind of fruit. Lauren plans to campaign hard, wearing tights and onesies to appeal to special interest groups.

Limited Edition of 25.

I really enjoy Lauren's story, and I think her horns are a bit different from most of the other Timid Monsters.

Weird...but Cute! Treasury

2011-10-03T03:03:00.000-04:00

Sandra the Timid Monster was included in a Treasury created by CreationsEclectik

One of a Kind Wednesday!

2011-09-28T13:10:00.003-04:00

Yeva the Timid Monster enjoys eating mashed crayons topped with eraser shavings. Her favorite flavor is cerulean because it is light and airy. Yeva is afraid this color will be discontinued due to lack of popularity with other crayon enthusiasts.

Yeva is a one of a kind Timid Monster and is currently still available at timidmonsters.com.

This Monster was fun to make, though a bit of a challenge. This particular bar of clay was rather typical in that it softened up while working with it but upon sitting it firmed up again. So, attaching the tentacles to the head was no problem. Keeping them separate while I put the spots on was no problem. Braiding them without cracking any parts of them off, that was a bit tricky. But I did it, and I love how Yeva turned out.

Now I must go see what my cat needs as she is plaintively pawing at my leg.

EDIT: I forgot that I was posting two OOAKs today.

Jeffity the Timid Monster is unimpressed. No. Don't waste your time continuing. He can't be bothered.

Jeffity sold at the Jersey City Festival two weeks ago. Hence the bonus-y nature of posting him today.

Twitteriffic Treasury!

2011-09-28T04:31:00.001-04:00

Sandra the Timid Monster was included in a Twitter-follower? following? themed Treasury created by BraumillerCoasters!

New Monster Monday!

2011-09-26T19:01:00.001-04:00

This post is coming a little later than I had intended. I got distracted first by photo editing, then by Go-Daddy renewals, then by going to the bank and finally by dinner. But voila! It is at long last here: the new Monster Monday post.

Wanda the Timid Monster likes to say her own name. The other Monsters think she really just likes the sound of her own voice, but really she thinks there is something special sounding about it. Wan-da. Waaan-da. Waaaaaan-da. Perhaps it is the full dental stop of the "da." Either way, Wanda is terrified that one day she'll wake up and her name will no longer be Wanda. (Limited Edition of 25).

WOW-EE!

2011-09-25T20:15:00.001-04:00

I was very much surprised to be awarded first place in the sculpture category. It was super-exciting! Thanks so much!

Tomorrow!

2011-09-24T13:52:00.001-04:00

Tomorrow from 11:30a to 4:30p Timid Monsters will be attending Highland Park's Art in the Park. Come out and say, "Hi!" Even if it is raining!

There will be new Timid Monsters and new OOAK Monsters!

New cards of a business variety

2011-09-22T11:59:00.000-04:00

Ordered and hopefully arriving quite soon to supplement my usual business cards when people ask where they can follow me..

Etsy Treasury

2011-09-21T13:23:00.001-04:00

Even Timid Monsters are "Drowning in Tomatoes" with the nifty-fresh Treasury by FogAlley.

One of a Kind Wednesday

2011-09-21T04:45:00.001-04:00

Griff the Timid Monster enjoys frolicking in meadows and eating wildflowers. He doesn't understand why the other Monsters bother to weave them into garlands when they are most delicious fresh from the fields. Griff is afraid of moles, locusts, and urban development.

Griff found a home this past Saturday at the Jersey City "All About Downtown" Street Festival.

New Monster Monday

2011-09-19T12:37:00.000-04:00

Burke the Timid Monster likes to write and send directives to the other Timid Monsters. He signs these directives C.J., and not knowing who this is, most of the Timid Monsters ignore them. Others, however, follow them without asking questions because it takes three weeks to get an answer. (Limited Edition of 25)

More tree stump WIP photos and the finished thing

2011-09-16T19:09:00.003-04:00

Covering the be-plastered cheesecloth was trickier than I would have thought. However, I think it was still easy compared to trying to cover the aluminium foil and wire armature.

About when I realized the difficulty ahead.

Bark done, but not detailed. I did the bark and wood detailing next, leaving the fungus for last.

Fully covered, fully detailed and fully baked. All together it took 17 bars of various colored clay to make and is by far--to date--the largest thing I have ever sculpted.

EDIT: OoooOoohh. In looking over this post I discovered that along with the interface update, Blogger also updated its photo-viewing-clicking-stuff. So click a photo and a rather nice full sized version opens. Go ahead and try it.

Oui! Oui! Treasury

2011-09-16T05:10:00.000-04:00

Napoleon Bonaparte has been featured in a Treasury called, "Oui! Oui!" by Beaotch!

Tree Stump WIP

2011-09-15T00:39:00.002-04:00

I have been working on a new display rack to fit in at shows such as the Etsy Renegade Fair where the rule--based on pictures I've seen--seems to be form over function. So. One coffee can, some 16 gauge wire, a roll and a half of aluminium foil, and a great deal of plaster covered cheese cloth later...

...I am nearly ready to finish it off with some Sculpey and bake it. And yes. That is World of Warcraft I'm playing on my monitor. It is a good thing that leveling healers with BOA gear in dungeons is a joke, or I'd never get any work done.

I was rather surprised to learn that my husband thought I was just being crazy when after days of trying to figure out how to get or make a tree stump I finally exclaimed that I needed a coffee tin. You would think he'd be used to such things by now.

Jersey City Street Fair

2011-09-14T15:14:00.001-04:00

First annual "All About Downtown" Jersey City Street Fair <--Facebook event link

Timid Monsters will be in attendance! Come out and see not only the Monsters, but also the other great artists and crafters!

Here is other information you might want to click regarding this event:
http://www.yelp.com/events/jersey-city-1st-annual-all-about-downtown-street-festival

http://www.facebook.com/pages/HDSID/31135174702

http://www.facebook.com/JCCraftMafia

And not to peer-pressure you or anything, but as of right now, I only plan on four street fairs this fall season, so there are not too many chances to see new Timid Monsters in person until next spring.

OOAK sneak peek

2011-09-11T05:17:00.004-04:00

One-of-a-kind sneak peek.

2011-08-29T03:42:00.000-04:00

Hannah is in a Hannah-themed Treasury!

Wedding photos.

2011-08-16T14:20:00.001-04:00

Our ceremony and our bridal party on the beach.

We are leaving tonight to honeymoon in Paris. Our friend Coe was nice enough to come house/pet sit for us, leaving us with little to worry about on the home front. When we return I'll be back to Timid Monstering again.

In the meantime, I'm sure you know the drill. All Timid Monster shops/websites are closed. They should be re-opening on the 26th so long as all our flights are on time and whatnot.

Back to school sales...

2011-08-16T02:15:00.000-04:00

.... make me feel like a crazy person.

The best part of this 43-bottle-of-glue-purchase was the awkward conversation with the cashier.

Cashier: Oh, are you guys teachers?
Me: Well, he is.
Cashier: Yeah. We see a lot of teachers stocking up on school supplies. What subject do you teach? [pause.] Art? [pause.] Science? .... [pause--clearly unable to think of another subject which would use so much glue.]
Vyts: Latin. Actually.
Cashier--rather confusedly: Oh... Latin... I was way off.

cats!

2011-08-13T02:14:00.002-04:00

2011-08-04T11:27:00.000-04:00

We tethered the programs to fans (the program backs were printed with family and bridal party members), and then we put them out in a basket on the beach for guests to use during the ceremony.

And don't worry. I'm nearly done showing off. I think I'll probably have one ish more and that will be an actual photo of the wedding. Then you will be returned to your regularly scheduled program.

2011-07-28T12:37:00.000-04:00

Our wedding favors were sand-cast candles. Vytas, my lovely groom, used the dremel to carve/cut out a wooden mold in the shape of a scallop seashell.

He then played around with melting/casting temperatures until he had it perfect. I had intended to help him with the casting, but I found myself busy sewing bridesmaid clutches and arranging our seating chart. So! He did it all. And he did it all quite well.

My sister and her husband helped us box them the week before the wedding.

2011-07-18T12:56:00.002-04:00

Do it yourself weddings are fun!

Zipper Master

2011-07-08T02:45:00.003-04:00

Sometimes I sew! Though, when I do, I avoid zippers as much as possible. This leaves me with rather breezy garments I pass off onto my wonderful fiance, who is much better at attaching various closures and clasps.

However, I finally did it. I finally learned not only how to put a zipper in decently, but also how to put one in a small clutch. With lining! BAM!

Each stripe is a different ribbon that I sewed to a base bit of cloth to make a "new" fabric. Sadly sewing ribbons down for one clutch was faster for me than lining up/pinning in a zipper. Then I still had to sew it in and hope nothing slipped to make it dreadfully off.

The inside lining is a remnant I bought on clearance years ago because I thought it was cute but had no intended use for. It just happened to be the perfect color.

Just in time, too. These five clutches are for my bridesmaids!

a much missed opportunity will soon be here.

2011-07-07T03:40:00.003-04:00

Starting 13 July and going through to 1 August, we will be hosting a string of houseguests, seeing lots of relatives and friends, and hosting/attending events such as bachelor/ette parties, rehearsals, our wedding, our post wedding photo shoot with the bridal party in Central Park, and our post wedding bbq.

This means the chance to see lots and lots of people. Normally we hardly see anyone. Vyts sees some people while at work. I see... Vytas. We don't go out much. And for this, we miss out on one of our favorite pastimes. Inserting random words in other people's vocabulary by overusing them ourselves.

When such events as this occur we even try to compete with each other. We each declare a word or phrase we are going to try to spread, and then we see how many people we each get to catch on. Although to be honest, it works best and is most lasting when we work together. And it is most satisfying to insert a word in say, his brother's vocabulary at Christmastime, and then to hear his brother and all his band using it when they stop over while on tour in the summer.

In the past we've had such triumphs as:

rubbish

public transport--this was a hard won battle against friends who refer to all such transportation as "the metra"

bad news bears--which was sadly short lived , because we were surprised to find out that this is a movie. Yes. We thought we had come up with this ridiculous thing to say and were sad when we felt the need to promptly set about killing it.

super catastrophic system failure--more impressive that we actually got this to be oddly specific depending on the situation, for instance: super catastrophic paper shredder failure

awesome like a hotdog--again, more impressive that this gets awkwardly specific, like awesome like a pair of sparkly hotdogs, in reference, obviously, to a pair of earrings. Less impressive that this has only permeated a very small circle thus far.

cock-waffle and cock-wafflery--one of my favorites, but really this was Vytas's doing.

bits and bins--after all you need somewhere to store your bits

whilly-nhilly--wrongly aspirated. Rheally, whe've bheen quhite obsessed (that one is too hard) whith asphirhating evherhythingh. But mostly it is just whilly-nhilly that has caught on.

ham-smear, ham-fists, ham-cicles, ham-fistery, etc--This was nearly too easy.

creepster--both a noun and a verb: That creepster is creepstering all over the neighbor's yard and the neighbor's wife.

totes--short for totally. This was my doing, and I did it just because Vytas hates it.

toe-aster--the demented way of saying toaster in which all the vowels are pronounced individually. To a similar extent, boe-at, also shortly caught on

Chicagolandia

There are many, many more that I have forgotten as we've enjoyed this hobby since our early college days. Some were quite short lived, while others still exist to this day.

So for this wedding season, I have ambitiously declared two words/phrases. "Funsies." And "for real-real?" which would preferably be finished with, "not play-play?"

Vytas has yet to declare his words.

And we've discussed, quite excitedly, the opportunity we are about to have a number of times in the past few weeks, meaning that we really are this bizarre. It is no wonder we don't know how to act around proper human beings.

Also, we really do need other people to play this on, otherwise we end up evolving our own dialect and are forced into pidgins when necessity brings us in contact with the outside world.

Two new Monsters and a Sale

2011-07-06T11:25:00.002-04:00

First off, to celebrate July being my wedding month, www.timidmonsters.com is currently having a 15% off sale!

Secondly you can get two brand new Timid Monsters on sale! Introducing Odo and Ferdinand:

Odo likes to pick up shiny things he finds on the ground while he is out walking around. He takes them home and buries them in potted plants when the cat isn't watching. Odo is afraid the cat would steal his shiny things if it ever saw where he hid them.

Ferdinand the Timid Monster enjoys putting salami in the toaster. He also likes to fold salami into origami cranes. He hasn't thought of it yet, but one day Ferdinand will put crane-shaped origami salami in the toaster as well.

Springfest! -- though I think it should be Summerfest by now.

2011-06-25T00:51:00.000-04:00

http://edisonfas2.org/community_rel/sprfest2/springfest.html

Timid Monsters may or may not be at this event tomorrow. Registration was mailed, the check was cashed, but no sort of confirmation was received. If Timid Monsters are there, however, I will be donating a door prize--though how one goes about winning it is beyond me.

Keeping Busy

2011-06-17T10:13:00.000-04:00

Alright, this is actually from a week or two ago. But, see? I do plan blog content. I just fail to actually blog and use that content.

That would be a pile of Sweet Potato orange in the background, some Noberts waiting for eyes in the middle, and a Lime green block that I'm about to cut up and make into Evans in the front.

I cut each bar into 16 squares. Each Monster--on average--uses three squares each. I'm not as precise as I would like to imagine when measuring out and cutting the clay blocks. Part of this is because I eyeball it, and part of it is because I use that super long and flexible blade.

That little round black container on the back left corner of my tile is actually a 35mm film container. It is filled with rubbing alcohol and as you can see, there is a q-tip sticking out of it.

Carpenter Commission!

2011-06-16T19:37:00.000-04:00

My most recent and rather welcome commission was for a woodworking/inventor dad. So the Timid Monster, besides sporting appropriate hair and mustache, has a toolbelt equipped with a T-square, flathead, phillips, tape measure, square pencil, wrench and hammer. In his hand he has a patent application.

Blog Feature

2011-06-16T05:06:00.000-04:00

JonesAndBear from Etsy was nice enough to give Timid Monsters a write up in their blog, I Only Like Monsters. The post is sadly from a few weeks ago, but I've been crazy busy with shows and, being about a month out from it, wedding stuff.

But better late than never or something like that, right? Go check it out. Not only was a it a super great write-up about Timid Monsters, but the blog also features some other VERY talented artists and crafters. So, clicky things and go show your love!

Happenings

2011-06-10T02:26:00.001-04:00

I've been meaning to get a new entry in for days now, but I am an awesome procrastinator. And even now I've been super-awesome. I started this at... let's see it last auto-saved at 4.50p. It is now 2.26a.

So just quickly and mostly to get myself writing again, here are just a few notes.

The Metuchen street fair was awesome; thanks to everyone who came out.
This weekend I have a double-header of Westfield and Fair Lawn? Fanwood? I don't know why I can't keep them straight. I'll check this tomorrow and post the correct one.
Last weekend Stevie and a mutual friend from high school came out to see NYC for a long weekend.
We signed on a DJ for our wedding--yeah with 40some days to go. We pretty much rock at this procrastination thing.
I found out Sculpey is discontinuing SEVERAL key colors; I am still working to get enough of a last few colors to be able to hit 50 of each Monster made with them.
Um... I think there was more, but I would have been asleep hours ago if not for a phone call from my sister, so instead of wracking my brain and trying to come up with more, I'm going to bed and will write something more substantial whenever I roll out of bed. I promise.
There will also be pictures.

Gasp! Something new!

2011-05-17T13:24:00.001-04:00

Alright, gang, I've been meaning to make one of these for a while. Now that I have, I know ways to make it better next time. For instance, since I have crappy editing software, I will hold the Monster up to display it for significantly longer so that when I speed things up, you can actually see something. You know? Long enough to focus on it and register what it is. So until next time:

The Making of Paul the Timid Monster from Timid Monsters on Vimeo.

Oh. And to give you an idea how much this was sped up, the original video was about 18minutes long.

Timid Monsters on Google

2011-05-16T10:49:00.001-04:00

Every once in a while I will Google "Timid Monsters" just to see what will come up. Sometimes I will Google a specific Monster to see if the results are wildly different.

I recently started an ArtFire account which has the option to allow all products to feed into the Google Merchant Center and allows them to be found in Google Shopper. Having no idea what this means but allowing it anyway--hey, at the very least it sounds like super awesome extra exposure--I decided today, my fourth day into ArtFire, would be a good day to Google "Elwin the Timid Monster."

The search results did not come up with the awkward bit in the middle of the first page of results that shows places to buy your search query, which is what I thought would happen. This didn't happen again when I added "shop" to the beginning of my search. So now I'm really not sure of the ArtFire Google option.

However, I did find this blog: Into the Wilds of New Jersey She talks all about Timid Monsters and had photos from the Hackettstown fair. How cool is that? I am only disappointed that no one apparently wanted to win a free Timid Monster. I guessed. I wonder if I'll win. Awww. I read ahead. the contest is over and no one guessed Kamela. I might have guessed that one, but I wasn't sure if that one even existed at the time of the Hackettstown fair. Well, go click her blog anyway. It is fairly amusing.

2011-05-15T07:32:00.001-04:00

Timid Monsters will be at the Cranford, NJ street fair from 11a to 5p. Stop by and say hi!

78 Monsters in two days.

2011-05-11T12:09:00.006-04:00

That isn't even my best. I've also been trying to clean a bit for some overnight house guests we will have this week. Usually I can average close to 60-some in a day. That usually involves working the length of four-seven feature length movies.

I will preface this by saying that all this could easily be avoided if I would just have the discipline to work steadily throughout the winter/off season. However, seeing as I do not, here are a couple of photos to show what batches of Timid Monsters look like pre- and post-oven.

I long ago sacrificed one of my CorningWare baking dishes to bake Monsters in. Well, two actually. I started off using a tiny baking dish for souffles or some sort of food I never made. I never used the dish so meh! Who cared if I got it all polymer clay-y? But as I started to make more and more I decided to start using my large, shallow dish also.

People have asked me how I keep my Monsters from burning on the bottom. All I can say to this is that I've always used these glass baking dishes, and I've never burnt a bottom. It is fun when they come out of the oven though. They are baked to the dish enough that I can hold it sideways without any falling out/off. And I like the slight "breaking" feel as I remove each Timid Monster.

I use $1.99 jewelry supply sorting boxes from Michaels. They sometimes go on sale for half off and I buy a bunch at a time when this happens. I am up to twelve that are used for storing/transporting Monsters to and from street fairs. I have another six or so that I use to store Timid Monsters in after they come out of the oven but before I sign and number them. Then I sort them into the normal storage boxes alphabetically and change any labels regarding who through who is in each box.

The ones in the picture are in the transition stage from oven to fair boxes. That box currently has Benjamin, Dale, Apples, Doris, Bill and Gloria. All still need to be numbered and signed.

The photos are of Monday's and Tuesday's Timid Monsters. In total I made 78 Timid Monsters and four clay jars. This is only about a quarter to nearly a third of the amount I want to have done for Sunday's show in Cranford. This isn't to say that ALL will sell. But I'd rather have way too much and come home with more for the next street fair than go with not enough and sell out early.

Sherman the Timid Monster

2011-05-08T14:36:00.000-04:00

Sherman the Timid Monster is a reknowned violinist. His skill on violin is rivalled only by his skill at husking snails and bleaching their shells. If fact he is so good at this that the other Monsters think he should forget violin and try out for the I.S.H.A.S.B.T--the International Snail Huskers and Shell Bleachers Team. Sherman would except competition scares him, as do sun-dried onion rings, limp spinach, and doorknobs.

Percival the Timid Monster

2011-05-06T11:06:00.003-04:00

Percival the Timid Monster has a fear of uncommitting. That is why he never gives up or quits or ends anything. He chooses his activities and habits very carefully so he does not have to go through weeks of crushing agony when he stops. Percival's worst episode was when he quit running mattresses through meat grinders.

Durwood the Timid Monster

2011-05-05T12:01:00.000-04:00

Durwood the Timid Monsterd does not like fresh squeezed lemonade because he is afraid that the ghosts of the juiced lemons will haunt him. Most of the other Monsters think he is just being silly, but a few have started avoiding lemonade as well.

Sunday! SunDay! SUNDAY!

2011-04-30T10:14:00.003-04:00

It might be that we have NetFlix instead of real television and that even before we canceled cable, we stayed away from local channels and dwelt primarily in Discovery and History International, but I haven't seen a "Sunday! SUNday! SUNDAY!" monster truck rally commercial in years. I'd be willing to say since at least junior high. Do they no longer have monster truck rallies on Sunday? Did they find a better way to advertise them? Or do they just no long have monster truck rallies?

Ok, enough tangent-ing. This Sunday marks the start of the spring 2011 outdoor art/craft street fair season for me. I will be in Summit, New Jersey on 1 May from 11a to 5p.

Next weekend I am registered for Cranford, New Jersey, and I'm thinking about adding Woodbridge, New Jersey.

Blog Shout Out

2011-04-19T09:21:00.006-04:00

The other day--yeah, I know I've been terrible at updating--Scarableu was nice enough to Timid Monsters some press in her blog, Elizabeth's Neighbourhood.

So if you like clicking about on the interwebs, please stop by her Etsy shop and/or blog! Here is a sneak peak of what things you will see:

I'm Going Bananas! And so is this Etsy Treasury.

2011-04-18T10:38:00.003-04:00

MeadowsJewelry is going bananas in her new Etsy Treasury!Be sure to not only check out this super-awesome Treasury, but to also stop by MeadowsJewelry's shop for all you accessorizing needs!

Shipping announcement

2011-04-08T02:54:00.000-04:00

All orders made between Friday, 8 April 2011 and Monday, 11 April 2011 will not be shipped until Tuesday 12, April 2011 because my post office will be closed for some sort of construction work. Sorry for any inconvenience!

Guaranteed to start a revolution.

2011-03-28T13:11:00.001-04:00

Or few.

Napoleon Bonaparte Timid Monster stands about 2.5" tall and is made of pure awesome. Like all Timid Monsters, he is made completely by hand without molds. He would make a perfect gift for any history buff!

Smoothness

2011-03-28T03:36:00.011-04:00

Lately I've been getting a fair amount of questions regarding how I get Timid Monsters so smooth. Here are some clay-working tricks that can affect smoothness.

Handling Clay

The key to keeping prints and such off of polymer clay sculptures is a learned, very light touch and short fingernails. My current Timid Monsters have evolved quite a bit since the first I made; a lot of the improvement came from just practicing and making things. I can't say for certain without doing a lengthy tally from records, but I've made hundreds to date, and I'd go so far as to say I've made at least 1,000 Timid Monsters since I first started. That is a lot of practice.

A lot of the smoothness comes from how I form the basic shape. The basic shape is formed with a combination of hand forming and rolling on my work surface -- a large piece of granite tile. I always end basic shaping with a good, light roll against the tile before moving on to details. This usually removes any small divots, dings, or fingerprints.

Tools

Tools are very important in my opinion. My arsenal includes

granite tile, my work surface. I might be lying. It might be marble. I honestly cannot remember what I bought more than a year ago.

awls--I have three because I misplace them often
a weird handy-dandy purple... thing... that I'm not sure where I got or what it really is for
a set of lock picking tools I picked up at a dollar store (mine look like awls bent at various angles)

I use the awls and lock picking set to join body parts and "seam" clothing. For instance when I make pants, I am applying and blending together an average of four pieces of clay. I also use awls to form their legs and, once-upon-a-time the holes for their horns and eyes. Now I use the purple thing-y.

adjustable pasta roller
hand roller

The rollers are used to make large sheets of clay to cut from. Quite often I need the clay to be thinner than the thinnest setting on the pasta roller so I roll it out by hand.

various steel scrapers
some tiny clay cookie cutters that I either don't use or use incorrectly to make half or altered shapes with
many, many, many sizes and shapes of razorblades
a 6inch flexible blade
funny edged scrap booking scissors

The various blades are used for cutting! I cut out both large pieces for clothing, hair and such and small pieces like the flame dancer from DMB. The steel scrapers I mostly use for hand forming small details on (for instance the flame dancer from DMB, the cubby bear for the Chicago Cubs, and flowers for bouquets and habitats), because after they are formed, I can easily remove the item from them with a little bend and a wide flat-edged razorblade. The shape-cutters are used when I want a specific shape perfectly formed or perfectly repeated. For instance, the Janet Weiss bra used the bottom half of a tear-shaped cutter. I also use the tear shaped cutter to make a rough guideline when I have to make violins. As far as the scissors go, I mostly use them to make mock lace trim, like on that last link or on Janet Weiss's slip.

bake-able clay glue is really useful for attaching details so you don't have to smash them on. I use it mostly when Monsters need to hold things.
various odds and ends for texturing, including rocks, stamps, and this weird roller for metal foil with different attachments I found in the wood working section of Hobby Lobby

q-tips
rubbing alcohol

The moral of the tool story, is that the more you use tools that aren't your fingers, the less chances you have of leaving fingerprints or fingernail nicks.

Unavoidable fingerprints or dust bits

When the clay is more mushy and prone to fingerprints--like stupid Scupley III Moss Green--a q-tip dipped in rubbing alcohol will remove unwanted marks. This will also remove dust bits that seem to attract to lighter colors--like white--no matter how clean your work area is. I've heard that cotton balls or tissue can also be used, but I find it leaves so many dust bits or cotton particles that you are worse off than when you started.

On the mushy note, if you stick it in the fridge for a bit, it will firm up and be less mushy. Usually.

Baking

To a lesser degree how you bake polymer clay might affect the smoothness. I believe when I don't preheat, but bake for longer than I normally do to make up for the lack of preheating (which still isn't as long as I ought based on the directions but I don't want to bake, cool, add, bake, cool and horns burn at the proper length), the Timid Monsters are a little smoother. I theorize that this is because the clay "melts" just a tiny bit as the oven heats up before it actually begins to bake and set. But honestly I have no idea if this plays a part or if it is just my imagination.

Shining or "shellac-ing"

I don't like to shine my clay sculptures, which is a rather popular practice amongst polymer clay users. I think it looks weird, artificial, and highlights any defects that might otherwise escape notice such as small missed prints or unevenly sized/shaped arms. I've even been reprimanded for not shining my Timid Monsters and told I wasn't a real artist and that Timid Monsters didn't count as real sculpture unless I shined them because they were "unfinished." Clearly I didn't pay this person much attention as I still will not shine Timid Monsters.

The only time I use any kind of air dry glaze is when I've embedded things into the clay for decoration, such as glass seed beads or small shaped metal designs. I use a satin matte finish after baking and cooling to coat the decorations and help hold them on.

EDIT: I was reading over this and thinking about Timid Monsters versus... say... "people" or more humanoid sculptures I've seen. I don't know if this is entirely true, but it seems a lot of other polymer clay-ists seem to work either top-down or bottom-up. Meaning. Ok shoes are white so start with white clay, then socks will be blue so lets add some blue cylinders to the tops of those shoes, then some flesh tones cylinders for legs, a bulk of brown for shorts to balance on top of those legs, etc. My themed or otherwise accessorized Monsters all start as basic shapes and then get dressed. I think that makes for much less touching and smooshing of pieces together. If I made people or fairies or gnomes or trolls, I'd probably start by making a flesh-toned naked guy, and then I would dress him the same way I dress Timid Monsters.

TimidMonsters.com Sale

2011-03-17T13:47:00.001-04:00

15% off Timid Monsters? Wow-ee!

Sale ends Sunday!

Etsy Finds

2011-03-14T05:50:00.003-04:00

I got a rather big surprise yesterday, the 13th (which, by-the-by, is still my today). Sinclair was featured in an Etsy Finds email. My Etsy shop received a staggering 873 visits in one day. Woo!

To put that 873 visits into perspective a bit, I average between 25 and 40 visits a day. During peak seasons--Christmas shopping season, for instance--I average between 50 and 70 visits a day. 873. In a day. Unless being in Etsy Finds becomes a regular thing, I'm pretty sure nothing will come close to that number any time soon.

And mostly it is funny because a few weeks ago I commented to a friend that the only reason I stay subscribed to the Etsy Finds email is because I hope to one day see a Timid Monster in it!

And BAM! It happened. I was pretty really excited. By a lot.

Free Shipping!

2011-03-12T06:08:00.005-05:00

Starting a few minutes ago and going until 15 March, my Etsy shop is offering free shipping with coupon code "ship2me4free" (stupid alphanumeric requirements).

So go buy something with free shipping! Or, you know, don't. *shrugs* Either way.

Not a Timid Monster

2011-02-25T04:47:00.010-05:00

So I tend not to sleep at night. And when I do, it usually isn't very well. I have trouble falling asleep; I sometimes lie awake for so long, I become convinced that I've actually forgotten how to fall asleep. I also have trouble waking up it seems.

That doesn't really make sense. I know.

If I go to sleep without being a little beyond exhausted, I tend to sleep for 10+ hours at a crack. Usually leaning towards 12+ hours. And alarms have been useless all my life. I don't hear them. They don't wake me up. When I finally do wake up, I feel like hell. Everything is sore; my head has exploded into a migraine that can only be dented by what I affectionately refer to as my roofie-colada: two extra-strength Tylenol and an Excendrin migraine.

If I stay awake until I'm on the verge of falling asleep while sitting--hell, sometimes even while standing--I sleep a respectable 7-9 hours and wake up on my own, feeling well rested. Thanks to my free-loading (masquerading as self-employment), I have the freedom to follow my own "natural" sleeping patterns. As you can see I'm awake still, well into the 6a hour.

And now the reason I'm telling you about my sleeping habits. I have very, vibrant dreams. In color. I don't know; I had these ESL classes in high school and learned that apparently only deaf people dream in color. All us hearing bozos are stuck in the 50s with black and white consoles. but not me! *shrugs* Anyway, I've always had very detailed, vibrant dreams. And I wake up remembering them in all their vibrant, detailed... well, I wouldn't call it glory. Especially not in relation to the recurring dreams I have.

I've had them as long as I can remember, and it seems every five to eight years or so, I trade in for a new model. The first one I can remember involved loosed crocodiles at a reptile house like setting that had the equivalent of a Mr. Toad's Wild Ride that ran through it. To finally leave, you had to cross a very long, raised, wooden walkway through a swamp-like place (not unlike the sort in Gatorland, Florida). Whole sections would go missing without warning. I lost many a dreampt up shoe there. I believe this is the reason I was always terrified of Gatorland and to this day am more than a little uncomfortable walking on wooden bridges and walkways.

Then there were the hordes of small, red demonish-creatures that chased me through St. Mary's courtyard, through my house and out my sister's bedroom window which conveniently lead to St. Mary's courtyard (my dreams very rarely make linear sense either in space or time), and I could never make the rendezvous point to meet up with my family. Most things were on fire, and it was very always rather smoky and red-hued.

After that it was being shot in the back--usually by my grandfather. That one was fun, especially since I always saw my grandfather as not only the best man to ever live, but also as my protector. It was also fun because I would wake up convinced I really had been shot, with sharp pains in my back where the bullets had entered that faded swiftly upon waking, like most normal people's dreams.

Then, unless they were so horrific I blocked them out, I enjoyed a long stretch through high school that was free of recurring dreams.

They started again in college and lasted until after we moved to New Jersey. A man in a red shirt would enter the house while I was sleeping, waking me up. He would walk about and open things--the fridge, some cabinets. Scary right? Well apparently it was, because I would be paralyzed; I can only assume from fear. I'd try to call out, even just to ask, "Whose there?," and would be lucky if I could get my mouth to open. Once, in this dream, I managed to almost make it out of bed, but I fell to the floor face first as I tried to stand up, vomiting bile on my way down. Pleasant. I know.

This is my current haunt:

He finds me as an adult in happy places from my childhood. Places I'm familiar with. My grandfather's workshop. My old house in Cicero. My childhood friend's backyard. I'm helping with a garage sale and just need to run into the house for something where he finds me, pursues me up the back stairs towards the second floor apartment--always empty when we were kids. The wood of a step gives out. It doesn't matter he is too sinewy and swift to evade for long. I stumble and try to regain my footing. I turn, tears already streaming down my face, he is upon me. He smiles his pointy toothed smile, and if I'm lucky, that is when I wake up.

So you can understand that the less I sleep, the less time I have for uh... ol' blue, here.

But not all my dreams are so sinister. Many--most even--are boring. I have conversations with Vytas on the way to Michael's, wake up, and later comment to Vytas on the conversation I didn't really have with him. I am caught in some love triangle that is less of a love triangle and more of a misunderstanding triangle that is PG enough to be an after-school special. A very few are not PG at all. More than I'd like to admit could be equated to made for TV, Lifetime movies; mushy and melodramatic, I play ALL the roles and see through eyes that are not mine.

Others are too... too ethereal to convey. These are the only ones I have trouble remembering. I'd like to think those are the best.

So! If you made it through this needlessly lengthy post, you not only got to read all about my bizarre sleeping patterns and my life's history in dreams, but you also got to see some non-Timid Monster art, which every now and then I feel compelled to make. Congratulations!

Etsy Treasury

2011-01-25T00:18:00.002-05:00

HookStuffSquish featured My Heart For You in an Etsy Treasury called "Absolutely Lovable Creatures!"

And be sure to check out HookStuffSquish's shop for all your amigurumi needs!

Judith the (OoaK) Timid Monster

2011-01-20T15:33:00.005-05:00

Judith the Timid Monster runs a balloon animal petting zoo. She is worried about its future success, however. It seems her animals are so shy and timid, that when she approaches them, they run away faster than she can say butternut buffalo brains, leaving behind only their rubbery droppings and never returning.

Judith is a OOAK (one of a kind) Timid Monster. She was hand sculpted like all the rest, but unlike the regular Timid Monsters, she is not part of a series. Also, I broke out the grey paint for this one and now really like her horns.

She is posted in my Etsy shop until I figure out the logistics of having OOAK Monsters on both my Etsy and Timid Monster website. I think I will just need to alternate where new ones are posted? I think that is better than hoping they don't both sell during the same away-from-my-computer time.

Etsy Treasury

2011-01-20T14:38:00.004-05:00

RandomGypsy included Larry in an Etsy Treasury titled, "Because they remind me of you..."

Be sure to check out RandomGypsy's store to see the cool cuff bracelets made from recycled vinyl records.

On a side note: I always find it funny how popular Larry seems to be in Treasuries. He easily gets more Treasury features than any other Timid Monster. The funny part is he is one of the least popular in sales. No one seems to want him. Poor Larry, with his dressing gowns and ascots.

Etsy Treasury - Another one!

2011-01-16T23:36:00.002-05:00

CuteAndCreepy was awesome enough to include my Mummy Timid Monster in the collection "Winter Whites." Be sure to check out all the other awesome items selected.

Be sure to also visit CuteAndCreepy for all your...well... for all your cute and creepy needs!

Etsy Treasury

2011-01-16T15:15:00.002-05:00

Check out my Pet Elephant in PMStudio's Etsy Treasury, "Elephants on Etsy."

And be sure to check out PMStudio's shop for amazing jewelry and sculpture!

Whoops--lost a few days there.

2011-01-15T02:50:00.002-05:00

But here is the last installment of that four piece commission.

I usually try to avoid flesh-toned Timid Monsters; I tend to think they look weird. But, Riff Raff is so pale and awkward, I thought that just this once it would be ok.

Treasury Feature

2011-01-12T17:18:00.002-05:00

MoMoPics featured "Bee Mine" in an Etsy Treasury called, "Lil Package, Lots of Punch!"

Be sure to check out MoMoPics shop for all your baby-donning--no wait I guess you wouldn't be donning babies--for all your baby apparel needs.

The third is Rocky!

2011-01-11T13:48:00.002-05:00

Now, I feel I must warn you. Before you get too excited about this Rocky Horror Picture Show series, there are only four so far. Which means if Rocky is the third, I have but one left to post. It is not who you might expect, so don't be disappointed.

I was going to make him muscle-y, but I had recently made a muscle-y Jacob Timid Monster for Stevie. This turned out so disturbing and creepy, I vowed never to do it again. Similarly, I decided boobs would also be a rather bad idea. Which is why I came up with the solution I did for Janet Weiss.

Number Two!

2011-01-10T00:07:00.002-05:00

Tada!

Ok. so her hair is a bit blonder than I might have liked. However, I have learned in the past that I'm pretty really awful at mixing clay into "dirty" blonde. And I felt she fell more into blonde than into light brown.

And in other recent and not catching up news, I finally designed all five new Monsters for January. I need to photograph them and then process the photographs. Also, and this is the big one, they all still need stories. But it will happen.

Commission Series

2011-01-09T04:26:00.001-05:00

This is the first of a series of four commissions I did last month.

It was great fun making him. I like his glasses.

Roman Emperor

2011-01-08T05:55:00.005-05:00

Last year for Christmas I made Vytas a Roman Centurion Timid Monster (like this one). This year, I followed it up with a Roman Emperor!

I'm particularly pleased with the the draping. And I love the little leaves! Tootytoot toot-toot! (That would be me. Tooting my own horn!)

Anyway, Vytas really liked it.

Etsy Treasury

2011-01-05T14:36:00.002-05:00

"My Heart for You" was featured in an Etsy Treasury called "Polymer Clay Creatures" that was created by AlienFunPlanet.

Go check out all the whimsy creatures!

2011

2011-01-05T13:47:00.006-05:00

Well, then. It is a new year.

I suppose I should be wishing everyone a joyous start to 2011 and much happiness throughout, but I just woke up and the thought of so much cheer--and so much coming from me--is a little too much to handle. That I am forming complex sentences seems as though it should be too much to handle.

But I guess I should get on to some news. I have had, for some time, a growing number of OOAK (what does OOAK stand for you ask? Why, "one of a kind," of course!) Timid Monsters accumulating on my desk. I think I photographed them before our holiday trip to the Midwest. If so, then they will be posted soon. If not, well then I'm pretty lazy about such things. Either way, I'll announce when a new OOAK comes up on as many free internet sites I can advertise with. Or at least on as many as I bother with.

Also within the next few days, I hope to get January's Monsters posted to the website and over time, to Etsy. I have to go back and read my number goal for new Monsters a month. I have two done, sans stories, which means I have __ to go?

It seems I should be funnier and more entertaining. Or at least include far more pictures than I do to help all those with fatal ADHD keep their attention. (No, you are feeling kinda surly this morning...afternoon.) But I never really know what to say/post. So:

And:

I seem to sprouting a new tooth. At the ripe old age of 26 I have a new tooth coming in. It is presumably a wisdom tooth. However, both my mother and I thought I already had those. So either we were mistaken or I'm some sort of mutant with too many teeths.

Closed for the Holidays!

2010-12-21T12:43:00.002-05:00

Consider my Etsy shop and TimidMonsters.com closed for the holidays--time to be with family and friends and whathaveyou. Timid Monsters will be available by 2 January. Maybe sooner. Maybe not. It depends on how much fun I am having

Thanks to everyone for a fantastic 2010. It far exceeded my expectations. Lots of love to you and yours this season.

Trish.

PS If you are New Jersey and decide you still NEED to have a Timid Monster before Christmas, head to The Rocking Horse in Cranford, New Jersey. Tell them Trish sent you. That won't get you a deal or discount. I just always wanted to be able to say that.

Etsy Treasury

2010-12-21T01:32:00.003-05:00

SinceSass was nice enough to include a pair of my earrings in an Etsy Treasuy called, "Downpour Outside!" Be sure to check it out.

Check out SinceSass's shop, as well, for all your toting and pouching needs!

Last day of Shipping

2010-12-20T21:08:00.002-05:00

21 December is my last day of shipping before the new year. Hey! That is tomorrow!

Changes and December Monsters

2010-12-17T15:39:00.006-05:00

For the past while I've been mostly ignoring my blog. I felt it was direction-less and a place I came to whine. I hope to change this. As you can see I've already made changes to its appearance. I've also dabbled in the new dark magics of adding pages. OooOoohh.....

Also for the past while, I've been creating a number of new Monsters to post per month. While this number has ranged from as few as two to as many as 28, I've decided I should aim for an average of five. I should mention, however, that with the addition of so many new Monsters per month, some older Timid Monsters are going to be discontinued.

This is in large part because I've made so of certain ones and because I'm just so damned tired of making others. Not yet discontinued but among the first to go are Sinclair, Kade, Tyler, and Malcolm. Emma will probably closely follow. Who gets discontinued and when will not follow any particular trend or pattern, but rather will be based on whims and fancies; though, I will try to give some advance notice for those who direly need to own one, but have been putting the purchase off.

December has (maybe that should be had since it is already mostly over) four new Timid Monsters. And here they are now.

Chadwick the Timid Monster loves tennis foursomes, happy hours, and yachting. His best game of golf is a 490, and he thinks snifters of brandy are only for real men. Chadwick is afraid of pen caps without pens, falling down an elevator shaft, and getting kicked out of the Club.

Dale the Timid Monster is very indecisive. He has trouble deciding on everything from which socks he should have for breakfast to what he should do with his excess centipedes. Dale is afraid that one day he will have no more choices to be indecisive about. He is also afraid of minestrone soup.

Kenneth knows cars. He's been around them all his life--what with the carburetors and spark plugs and license plates and urinals. His favorite hobbies include braiding the fur on grizzly bears and collecting letter openers. Kenneth is afraid of limes, keyholes and biscuits.

Theodore the Timid Monster has a collection of clothing price tags that he likes to file according to brand. He also has a database that allows him to cross-reference each tag by color, pricing and size. Theodore has few fears although matches, lighters and other inflamatory devices make him fear for his collection.

The Rocking Horse

2010-12-17T14:31:00.002-05:00

Timid Monsters are now available at The Rocking Horse in Cranford, New Jersey. Currently available at the store are:

I made a Treasury!

2010-11-24T10:14:00.001-05:00

For the first time! And I didn't even include myself!

Go check it out! http://www.etsy.com/treasury/4ced295b50396d910d71e519/the-bees-knees

Timid Monsters by Trish Czech

The teeniest, tiniest

Update

My Funny Valentine Treasury

Shopping List Answer!

*still* not the answer to the shopping list

NOT the Shopping List

Shopping List

Holiday Break!

sad face.

Show me yours!

Let it Snow!

Boba Fett Commission

Timid SnowMonster!

You Choose the Sale!

There's a Party Under the Bed! Etsy Treasury

An ornament

This year's Christmas card...

Holiday Giveaway! (And it isn't even a contest.)

Buttons!

"Here, put this bandit hat on."

Update. Up-date. upDate.

Ugra!

It's that time of year again.

Whoops I missed Wednesday!

New Monster Monday

Last street fair of the season

emails and my stunted social skills

One of a Kind Wednesday!

New Monster Monday!

Sometimes I feel like a crazy person.

All Wrapped Up Treasury

One of a Kind Wednesday

New Monster Monday

Weird...but Cute! Treasury

One of a Kind Wednesday!

Twitteriffic Treasury!

New Monster Monday!

WOW-EE!

Tomorrow!

New cards of a business variety

Etsy Treasury

One of a Kind Wednesday

New Monster Monday

More tree stump WIP photos and the finished thing

Oui! Oui! Treasury

Tree Stump WIP

Jersey City Street Fair

OOAK sneak peek

Wedding photos.

Back to school sales...

cats!

Zipper Master

a much missed opportunity will soon be here.

Two new Monsters and a Sale

Springfest! -- though I think it should be Summerfest by now.

Keeping Busy

Carpenter Commission!

Blog Feature

Happenings

Gasp! Something new!

Timid Monsters on Google

78 Monsters in two days.

Sherman the Timid Monster

Percival the Timid Monster

Durwood the Timid Monster

Sunday! SunDay! SUNDAY!

Blog Shout Out

I'm Going Bananas! And so is this Etsy Treasury.

Shipping announcement

Guaranteed to start a revolution.

Smoothness

TimidMonsters.com Sale

Etsy Finds

Free Shipping!

Not a Timid Monster

Etsy Treasury

Judith the (OoaK) Timid Monster

Etsy Treasury

Etsy Treasury - Another one!

still not the answer to the shopping list