Wednesday, December 29, 2010

On Loan

My poor sewing machine has gotten sick twice in the past two weeks. The first time I took her in, I was able to get her fixed on the spot. No such luck this last time. They think it will take at least 10 days to fix what ails her, so in the meantime I have a loaner:


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And much like last time I needed a loaner (more than 2 years ago), I am not a happy camper. It's loud, shakes my whole sewing table while it sews, and it's not at all intuitive (and the instructional manual leaves a lot to be desired).Worst of all, it doesn't have the stitch I use most, the triple straight stitch, which makes me feel like I'm making inferior products.


It's so funny how we can get so attached to our tools, isn't it? My hardworking, over-abused Elna is my most important tool. For some of her faults, being without her just feels wrong. It has me considering investing in a cheaper backup machine. Do any of you have a backup machine? Any brands you'd recommend? What is your most important tool?



Friday, December 24, 2010

Happy, Merry, Joy!

DSC00672 56 yeti ornaments made this season (and the orders are still coming in!).


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DSC00703 8 Christmas zombies (and more orders to go).


DSC00661Plushroom Soup has had an amazing, amazing end of year and holiday season. Thank you all so much for the kind words, the sharing, the buying, the support. However you and your loved ones celebrate the season, I hope it is filled with much joy and laughter.



Monday, December 6, 2010

No Coast Wrap-Up

 
Plushroom Soup booth at 2010 No Coast Craft-o-Rama, Day 1No Coast was lots of fun again this year, despite a rather slower than usual pace. More shoppers came out Friday than Saturday, or at least the per-sale average was higher on Friday than Saturday. This despite the 8 inches of snow that fell throughout the afternoon and evening!


Plushroom Soup booth at the 2010 No Coast Craft-o-Rama, Day 2 I was in a new area this year; most of section B was tucked into the area formerly known as the Jade Restaurant. It was a slightly tricky space, but I think we all made it work. I had lots of fun hamming it up with my neighbors, most notably Maya from Roxiedoggie.


Maya of Roxiedoggie at the 2010 No Coast Craft-o-Rama Her wooden pet food bowls are AMAZING. Plus, she's super sweet and fun. DSC00601I made a few purchases this year: an awesome Robot T-shirt (with its own origin comic!) from Minty Fresh Monster, a fun red dress from Mary Pass Clothing Design, and two adorable note cards from Happy Go Lucky Creations. I also made a fun trade with my other booth neighbor, Breaksea Upcycle, for the sewing machine T-shirt and hairclip (matches my new red dress!). Breaksea makes awesome mittens out of recycled childrens pants (pockets on the back of the mitten!). 
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There were lots and lots of new vendors this year among the old favorites like Adam Turman, Crafty Planet, I Like You, and My Friend Jess. I wish I had taken pictures of the newbies; they were all very sweet and their booths looked awesome!


I Like You at the 2010 No Coast Craft-o-Rama Amy was able to help me out on Saturday this year. I really missed vending with her last year, so even if she wasn't selling anything, it was super fun to have her in the booth with me again!


Amy and Jessica together again at No Coast! Plushroom Soup at the 2010 No Coast Craft-o-Rama And, even if it was a little slow, I completely sold out of yeti ornaments (as has I Like You. Again!). The regular yetis received a lot of love also, and I have only one left (will be listing in my Etsy shop in the next few days). Boris the Strongman was pretty popular as well. He sold Friday night, but the buyer let me display him on Saturday as well, and I think I could have sold four more of him! Mental note: more cirucs "freaks" next year.


Thanks again to everyone who braved the weather to come out! I'll be making more yeti ornaments this week, so don't despair if you missed out! I'll make as many as I possibly can this week and have them back in stock at I Like You by early next week at the latest.


Now on to filling Christmas orders and making my pieces for the Plush Team show at Hot Pop in January! Whew!



Thursday, December 2, 2010

The Goods, Part Two

Here's another sneaky peek at what I'll have available at No Coast this weekend.


A few dragons, like this guy:


Dragon plushie A funny mustachiod monster; let's call him Harry Handlebar:


Harry Handlebar Monster A few circus "freaks," like Boris the Strongman:


Boris the Strongman Plushie And, of course, my booth wouldn't be complete without an assortment of yetis:


Cotton Candy Yeti Plushies
Plus much more!


Hope to see you at No Coast this weekend!



Wednesday, December 1, 2010

The Goods, Part One

As promised, here's a taste of what this one-woman plush factory will be selling at No Coast this weekend.


First up, back by (very) popular demand: yeti ornaments! In colors too! I wasn't able to keep these in stock for long at last year's show, and they've sold out twice at I Like You already this season. So get to the show early if you're hoping for one of these fellas, as they're sure to go fast!


yeti ornaments
I'll also have owl and frog ornaments, and a newcomer this year: alpaca ornaments!


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And your last sneak peek of the day: wee horned imps!


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Stay tuned tomorrow for a final No Coast sneak peek!