Jay-toberfest!

So, this is the 3rd attempt I've made at writing this feature...I first started it on Friday afternoon before some friends were coming over for some grilling and beer. Things (for this blog entry, at least) went downhill from there. We ended up having a little Oktoberfest - lots of dark beer and plenty of sausage grilled over an open fire! By the time the night was over, I wasn't really in any condition to blog, so I planned on finishing this on Saturday. Saturday rolled around, we did a nice 12 mile bike ride and then decided to have Oktoberfest, part 2 - more dark beer, plus TWO kinds of sausage this time (and some other assorted grillin's - that's the spread from Oktoberfest night 2 in the photo to the left).

Anyhoo, no Oktoberfest part 3 today - we need a break! But, that doesn't mean we can't have a t-shirt Oktoberfest, right?

It's been a bit since I've featured designs from a our cool German friend, Jay, from Van Tribe. So here's five shirt designs by Jay - a little something I'm calling, "Jay-toberfest"!

Triple Skull & Lucky Skull
I know I've touted Tat2ts as the Master of skulls, but he and Jay are both heavily into the skull genre (actually, they do designs for each others shops occasionally). Jay's got quite a nice collection of skull designs including the tribal reminiscent Triple Skull and the Lucky Skull: skull + lucky clovers = great, unique idea (not to mention the dropping leaf - a beautiful touch).


Fist of Love & Hate
Jay has a really great graphic style that carries through all of his work, whether it be tattoo, tribal or even /graphic slogan based. One of my favorite non-tribal/tattoo related designs from Jay is his Fist of Love and Hate design. The design is so simple and clean, but the graphic itself and the message are so powerful!



Breeding Demon
A number of Jay's designs are tribal inspired (or mixed with tribal elements). I really like his Breeding Demon design because, frankly, it's quite clever.


Twinkling Dead Flower
Yes...he even does flowers - Jay's got something for everyone. Of course, it's with his own personal touch, twisting tattoo and tribal elements into one sweet, unique design. The dead flower concept is morbid enough for men, yet feminine enough for the ladies (and it's featured on Spreadshirt's brand new unisex tie-dye).

Grab these shirts today in the guest designs section at the Insan Art Store, or check out Van Tribe to see more great designs from Jay and others...

Happy Campers by Gladditudes

So, it is officially autumn, but I'm definitely still trying to get outside for some camping - so what if summer is over!

These "Happy Camper" designs by Gladditudes are a perfect way to extend your summer (or maybe the perfect Christmas gift for your favorite outdoors-person - hint hint!).



Choose from 3 different Happy Camper themes: with pine trees and sun, with the classic tent/camping symbol and a very cute smiling Half
Dome!






Get these shirts by visiting the Guest Designs section of the Insan Art Store and don't forget to check out the rest of the happy designs at Gladditudes!

27 New Designs from Insan Art

Well well, it has been a month since my last feature and what a busy month it has been! Over the past few weeks I've been doing a number of things, first and foremost grinding the rust out of my Jeep and patching and painting it. That was crazy. Then, I've been working on a book for my good friend Van Wagner. In between everything else, I worked on a whole slew of new designs! There's 27 in all including 3 new slogan/text designs and the rest are symbols based on real signs. Here's a peek at 12:


Three New Slogan designs:

Give Me Unlimited Internet or Give Me DEATH - This design is for all of us out there worried about the recent news of caps on bandwidth usage.
WARNING: May Contain More Than a Trace of Nut: This one was actually overheard being said by a certain Colbert on his report - it's too funny and so true, I need one for myself!
BEER, Now cheaper than gas! "Drink, Don't Drive." - This one is pretty self-explanatory.



Plus, new symbol designs:


Various Animal Warning symbols including Moose Warning (from Maine), Squid/Stinging Marine Animal Warning (one of my ocean/beach favorites), Giant Insect Warning (those skeeters are a bitch), plus Bear Warning and Croc Warning (not shown)...


...various sport/recreational symbols including Technical Rock Climbing (and not shown are Climbing/Mountaineer, Kayaking,
Biking, Swimming, Hang Gliding, Swinging, Skiing and Spelunking)...




...various "warning" symbols like Jet/Plane Warning, No Pirates Warning, Radioactivity/Death Warning and the "Crotch Fire" Warning (plus, not shown are Cliff, Shock, Thin Ice and Tsunami Warnings)...


..........plus, one very special symbol design (green shirt, bottom right) that is honestly from a real sign. It is a Japanese Subway

informational sign. Look at it briefly, what's your first impression?


OK, ready for the spoiler? From left to right it means: Person with injured arm, person with a child, pregnant woman and person with an injured leg.

Yes, seriously. Not what it looks like, huh?!?



Hehehehehe...

Anyhoo...click on any shirt to go directly to that design
section in my shop, or go directly to the Insan Art Store main page to check out all of the new designs!

NEW the Insan Art Store & Designs by Insan Art

Howdy!

The Insan Art Store is ALL NEW with a fresh new layout that matches my homepage, plus several new designs. This remodel has been needed for a long time. I originally started out with just the stand-alone Spreadshirt shop. Then, I upgraded to a premium account and started expanding - I used the PA State Store as a guinea pig to test remodeling options. When I had that squared away I went on to the Squid Shop. Then summer came - LOL. But, it's finally done. A few minor layout alterations to work on, but it's there!


The first new design that I absolutely love is Nigga, Peas. It's offensive, but overall it's funny. It's a parody straight from the actual Green Giant. I was going for a disco/pimp kind of look.






The next design, Will Thrift is one I've had started ever since I made Thrift Store Chic (which has been completely re-designed as well). It's a parody of the Goodwill Logo. I grew up on a healthy diet of thrift store visits and clothes with my mother being the thrift shopping queen (and I'm next in line for that throne), so I had both those things in mind when I created Will Thrift as well as Thrift Store Chic.




Another new design is I'm a ctrl freak, made with myself in mind, but I figured that plenty of others would get it, too. I'm an avid user of programs like Photoshop, Illustrator and Dreamweaver in which your productivity is greatly increased by using keyboard shortcuts - many use the "ctrl" key. But, even everyday computer use can be streamlined by using "ctrl" plus other keys for things like cutting, pasting, etc. If you're truly a "ctrl freak", you'll totally understand this.

So, check out the all new remodel of the Insan Art Store and check out the new designs. As always, if you don't see something you like, you can make your own with our t-shirt designer!

MjrProductions Quick Pick!

Hey Everyone! Those of you who have been reading (and I thank you for sticking with me) know that this time of year is extremely busy for me. But, that doesn't mean there aren't any shirts to feature!! So, in an extra effort to get 'em out on time, I'm going to start doing some more multi-design features and quick picks...

... since MjrProductions is up next in the feature queue, I thought I'd talk about the rest of his really great vintage advertisement designs (you may remember I posted the first one a few months ago here). I loved the first design so much that I decided to feature some of the other vintage ads he's got:

MacNiven & Cameron
Vintage ad from the 1890's. Not sure what they're selling, but it's "Sold Everywhere" and a wise old owl watches over the commerce atop his neat, 4-way street sign (one of the signs does say "pens"). I'll bug Mjr about getting a better image of this design.

"REX" Tailor-Made Shirt
I think this is probably my favorite of the 3 (although, it could have something to do with the fact that I put it on my favorite style shirt...). It's a vintage ad from the 1890's and reads, "Proper Fit Guaranteed" & "Special Orders in Four Days". Lol, sounds like Spreadshirt. Again, need to bug Mjr for a better picture of the design because I really would like to know what the guy is putting up to his face - a pipe perhaps?







Ransomes Lawn Mowers
"Ransomes Lawn Mowers, the Best in the World!" This is a vintage ad from 1910. Mjr says that it was a "firm in my home town of Ipswich, UK". That's one hell of a funky looking lawn mower. They advertise both hand AND motor powered mowers.

So, if you're into vintage advertising, one of these shirts might be for you! Check them all out in our featured guest designs section at the Insan Art Store or go ahead and make your own shirt with our design your own t-shirt shop (to find these designs, please choose "grabbed designs" under the menu where it says "top graphics").

Summer Fun from new designers...

The blog is definitely due for a Summer feature and what better time than now to introduce 3 of our new featured designers? Here's a quick peek at our newest designers and a hot summer design from each...
- Summer: Everybody Loves the Sunshine by birdy27

Birdy27 (aka veggie27) is the master of slogan designs. I promised I would squeeze some in and check it out Veg, it didn't take me long! This summer design (which is available with multiple phrases), when paired with the chocolate ringer totally screams vintage. I think it just might be the 70's again every time I see it! The simplicity of the overall design and beautiful tri-color use evoke fond memories of classic iron-on designs.






- Sundown by lucentdesign

Although it's not a vector, I had to pick this one up - Sundown from lucentdesign. I love Japanese art and this design is a really nice twist on the good ol' "rising sun" motif, plus slap in the wings and you've got one hell of a modernization of traditional Japanese styling.
PS lucent, vector this puppy ASAP. It is such a nice design, I hate to see it ruined with digital printing.




- Bikini Girl by undrcentr23

Grab this Bikini Girl design by undrcentr23 and you can have a hot girl in a bikini ON YOU all day long. HA! But, seriously, this shirt is almost an instant beach classic, just add shorts, flip-flops and some shades and get ready for fun in the sun! To be completely honest, open this one up in the t-shirt designer (under "grabbed designs") and play with the colors - the design looks so neat depending on what color shirt it's on. Though I'm not usually into the orange and blue retro ringer, I absolutely adore it with this design - you can match the design blue color to the shirt, and the orange color shows through as hair - she's a fiesty redhead!!

So go ahead, grab one (or all) of these shirts in the Insan Art Store or make your own!

My APOLOGIES (the continuing Skateboard Mural Saga)

I know - this isn't t-shirts, but I feel the need to discuss it!

First I must apologize to all my readers, subscribers and featured shopkeepers/designers for such a long delay in new posts here on the blog. I've been sooooo busy!

Second, I'd like to thank Jill Nickerson (and her husband Shane, whom the project was for) for commissioning such a demanding piece!

The Blossburg Skateboard Mural - AYE! What a hell of a project! When Jill first came to me with the commission, I figured it to be about a 50-60 hour maximum project (in painting). Well, 50-60 hours painting turned into about 200 hours (I think, not sure, stopped counting after 150). This is not counting the time I spent prepping the boards - they were blank maple skateboard decks with varnish that had to be sanded, taped and primed before painting.

The first problem (not SO much a problem) came with the extensive detail in my own damn design. Areas I was painting that I figured to take a few hours turned into 3-5 times as much work. Again, this wasn't so much a problem, just a huge effort to actually get the work done and make sure it was quality work. I certainly could've done the same work in half the time, but it would've sucked, and I don't work that way.

The second (and major/real) problem came next. I finished the painting around 4am last Friday (June 20th). I REJOICED and let it sit for about 20 hours. Then I started to seal it - I planned to use a two-part liquid fiberglass resin, commonly used for car and boat repair, but it works very nicely as a SUPER DURABLE sealant. So, never having used this stuff on a piece so large, I set out by mixing a small batch and coating the first board. The first batch got me all the way through to the third board, but when I was about to finish the bottom portion, the resin started to seize up. It had felt stiff since the beginning so I figured, "Hey, I can smooth on another few inches, right?" Wrong. The bottom of board three, which you can kind of see in the detail photo to the right (the "O" board), has some chunks that I just couldn't smooth out.

I figured that my first batch of resin was mixed too "hot" (too much hardener), so I checked my measurements and made sure to mix the second batch with the proper amount (and stir it GOOD). However, the second boards, to me, turned out worse than the rest ('cept for chunky letter "O"). There are some really nasty chunky spots (I've circled the most visible in the top photo, mostly on board "U"), but there are multiple spots that, even after the resin had dried, bubbled up the next day as a storm and high humidity rolled through.

So, that's pretty much where I'm at with the skateboard mural. I've gone and talked to the Nickersons, hoping they understand my woes (and they do as far as I can tell - they are extremely great folks). I do feel absolutely horrible about the whole thing though because I was supposed to have this done for Shane's birthday, nearly 2 weeks ago!

AGAIN, I apologize to everyone who has been reading! I promise, there are are more posts to come with designs from myself and our current featured designers, as well as a few new designers coming soon!

Thank you for reading! AND, if you have any similar experience working with the kind of fiberglass resin I'm using (I believe it was actually the "Bondo" brand), I would appreciate any advice!! Just leave a comment.

Thank God for PA & State Forest Boundary by Insan Art

Thank God for Pennsylvania! And thank goodness, the PA State Store is officially open!

Lots of new PA designs will be coming soon, but right now there are 9 available including the "Thank God for Pennsylvania" design shown at the right.

One of the designs I am most excited about is the "Pennsylvania State Forest Boundary" design. Last week I ordered some sample shirts from Spreadshirt, including a PA State Forest shirt. Well, I received the shirts on Thursday and I've worn this one 5 times since I've gotten it! It is a huge hit and with the silver flex option it looks just like the real thing!

I've included a shot of my shirt so you can see how the silver and black flex looks on a real product! The reflective quality of the print is quite difficult to photograph, so I tried to crumple it up a bit to show the metallic effect.

Check out the PA State Store today and make a statement about the state you love! As always if you don't see something you like, you can make your own (please follow the make your own link in the shop).

Electrodynamics by Insan Art

Well, last week was a busy one again and even though I had figured out which five shirts I was doing, I didn't meet my deadline!

So, to start this week's five off is "Electrodynamics" from me, Insan Art.

This design was inspired by a book a friend of mine was toting around called "Principles of Electrodynamics". I thought that the cover graphic looked a lot like boobs, so I decided to do a design from it. I mean, what goes better together than geeks and sex humor?

Even if you don't think it looks like boobs, it does make a nice geometric/abstract design...lol. The design is also available with the text "I Love Electrodynamics".

So, check it out! It's available at the Insan Art Store and if you don't see something you like, you can always Make Your Own!

PA State Store (preview) by Insan Art

Another busy week here in the world of Insan Art, another bulk post.

I opened a new Spreadshirt store recently called the PA State Store. I did this for 2 reasons: first, I had a number of Pennsylvania related design ideas that I felt warranted the opening of their own storefront and second, I've been toying with the idea of creating my own matching front end sites for my existing shops, but I wanted to try it first with a test shop.

At the moment, I'm still building the pages on my end, but things are getting close to completion. I hope by tonight I'll have the bulk of it working and online.

If you live, work or play in Pennsylvania, I have a shirt just for you! There are 9 designs available now (with many more on the way) including:

- The Liberty Bell, available plain or with the slogan "We love to show our crack"

- I Love PA, a take on the classic "I Love NY" design

- the Pennsylvania Grand Canyon, available with the slogan "Our Canyon Is Just As Grand", or plain - the white tank shown uses the plain PA Grand Canyon design, plus custom text that says "Pine Creek Gorge". Custom text is completely optional and can be added or removed using our shirt designer!

- PA State Forest Boundary Marker, this one is pretty self explanatory. I wanted one on a shirt, so I thought, hey, maybe someone else will, too. As an added bonus, you can choose to have the "gray" portion printed in silver so it will look just like the real thing!

- Hike PA, available in male ("guy" - shown) and female ("girl") for those of us who would rather properly represent the woodsy ladies! Plain versions of the hiker figures are also available if you'd like to use your own custom text and perhaps advertise your favorite PA trail.

So, mosey on over to the PA State Store (if you're there before 11:59pm tonight, I do not guarantee all links/pages will function, but browsing by apparel type/design and ordering will be up and running).

More Chopsticks from Insan Art

Since I'm a busy bee this week (OK, always) I'm going to do two bulk posts to get five shirts up!

So - introducing the rest of my Chopsticks series! Now, along with the plain chopsticks (from last week) also available are chopsticks with either the Japanese or Chinese characters for the word "chopsticks" and chopsticks with a cute little shrimp! I had also planned to do one with a sushi roll, but my first attempt didn't look quite right, so maybe I'll give it a go some other time.

For any of you out there who are familiar with Kanji and other Asian writing, please let me know if you think that my characters are really, really wrong!

Also, guys, I didn't forget you! There are lots of men's shirts available in the store - I just really liked these 3 ladies shirts and I decided to go for a triple female feature! So, go get yourself some chopsticks (on a shirt, of course) at the Insan Art Store, or as always, you can make your own using our t-shirt designer!

Chopsticks by Insan Art

Just a quick write-up for this one since I've got 3 more versions of it coming ASAP - I'll spend more time on them when they're ready.

Until then, this is my "Chopsticks (plain)" design - the text is completely optional.

Check out the selection of Chopsticks shirts available now in the Insan Art Store, make your own OR wait just a few days a see what other chopstick surprises I have up my sleeve!

My Name Is (Earl)... by Insan Art

So, again, in the most mundane situations I come up with shirt ideas. I was washing dishes the other night and I thought to myself, "I wonder if my husband set up My Name is Earl to record?" (we have the Direct TV version of Tivo, I highly recommend it).

Anyways, since I had t-shirts fresh on the brain and I've been trying to think of creative uses for the Spreadshirt t-shirt designer (aka the Confomat), I thought of this one. It's the basic My Name is Earl logo, minus the "Earl" part.





You can fill in the blank using the t-shirt designer using any name you like. If you're really itching for My Name is Earl, go for it! (or maybe Joy, Crabman/Darnell or Randy). Or you can always put in your own name. (mine looks pretty sniffy! ---> )

The Spreadshirt font "Kabel" (in the designer) is nearly identical to the font used for the original design, so use that one if you're making your own and going for an authentic look!

Get yourself one right now in the Insan Art Store! (and as always, if you don't like what you see in the store, you can make your own!)

(live) evil by Insan Art

These days it seems like everywhere I look I see something that would make a nice t-shirt design. This design, (live) evil, was inspired by a wooden cut-out I saw at a friends house of the word "Live". Someone had flipped it over so that it really looked like it said "evil".

Translating this to a shirt design was too easy to pass up! It's simple enough, but it makes you want to look twice...

...so those of you out there who are dark and naughty, this is the perfect little design for ya'll.

Indulge your dark side and get yourself a "(live) evil" shirt at the Insan Art Store or Make Your Own!