Sunday, December 28, 2008

Zombie Squirrel

If that was your guess as to what I was making in the last post, you were correct. Trish of Crafty Planet ordered this from me as a Christmas gift for one of her friends.

Zombiesqirrel 12:08

Like the zombie frog, this squirrel's head is attached to his body with a magnet. The dead acorn (or side of ham, depending on how you look at it) attaches to the squirrel's left hand (or head or neck if you want to get freaky) with a magnet as well.

Zs 12:08

Also like zombie frog, I needle-felted the eyes, mouth, and gore.

Zshead 12:08

This squirrel has quite a lot of mange and all-over body sores:

Zs mange 12:08

Yep, it just continues to get weirder over here, folks. And pictures really don't do this one justice. But the best part is what the recipient had to say about him:

"HOLY SH*T! I thought her frog was fantastic, but this SQUIRREL!! OMG - AND he's got HAM in his hand!! (do squirrels have hands??) AND he's got a small humpback! That girl is fantastic! Thank you thank you thank you!!"

Thanks to Trish for the order, and a big thanks to the recipient for the awesome feedback!

Hope you all had a fantastic holiday and got exactly what you wanted!



Sunday, December 21, 2008

I've Been Featured!

Whoo hoo! Venus Zine "the leading source for coverage of women in music, art, film, fashion, and DIY culture," just named Plushroom Soup a Top 10 Vendor in their No Coast article! I'm honored to be included, especially among such superbly talented crafters as Rebecca of Hazel and Melvin's Room and Nate of Nate's Custom Sewing. Read the full article here.

Thank you, Venus!



Saturday, December 20, 2008

Slacker

I have been a bad blogger lately, I know. Part of it is the encroaching holiday madness, part of it is true laziness but, mostly, it's because the only things I've been working on lately are custom orders meant as Christmas gifts, and I don't want to spoil any surprises. I can give you a sneak peek, though:

IMG_2274

IMG_2275

Any guesses as to what I'm making?



Saturday, December 13, 2008

Craft Show Recap

Sorry, folks. I know I promised this to you earlier in the week. Where does all the time go? Well, shut up and get to it already, right? Settle in, it's a long one.

No Coast was, as always, super fun. Part of what I love so much about doing this show and others is the on-the-spot feedback of your work. There was lots of oohing and aahing over the new plush, and people responded really well to the new name and the new logo (props again to Paul for doing such an awesome job!). But the part I love most? My fellow crafters, and all the good loot. :)

No Coast 1

For the third year in a row, my booth (shared with Amy) was next to Buttonpom. Katie makes excellent handbags, wallets, and other purse accessories out of the cutest fabrics. I love the shapes she uses, and her color combinations. For those that have seen the perhaps too well-loved handbag I carry around every day, you know how much I love Katie's work. This year, I bought an adorable business-card holder from her. I probably should have bought a new handbag, but my current one isn't ailing too badly yet.

IMG_2267

How cute is that little blue squirrel?!

My other neighbor this year was LuSa Organics. I can't rave enough about how much I love their soaps and lip balm. I originally discovered these guys through my CSA and became a customer for life after one try, so I was super excited that they participated in No Coast this year. Honestly, you need to try their soap and healing lip balm. Do it now. I'll wait.

Got your soap? Let's continue the No Coast tour.

Another awesome vendor is My Friend Jess, who is keeping me happily squirrel-skirted for the second year in a row. No picture yet as she was out of my size and I placed a custom order.

And, I would be remiss to talk about No Coast without mentioning the inimitable Adam Turman, an amazing print artist and all-around super nice guy. This year I bought his Eat Locally print:

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I can't wait to get this framed and hang it in our yet-to-be-completed reading room.

The last item I bought at No Coast this year was a fancy dog collar from Cosmo's Collars. Not sure yet which dog I'll put it on. . . .

There were, of course, tons of other goodies to be had, but when you're vending, you get precious little time to sneak away and shop for yourself! I had more time for that at Craftsmas this year, which was a smaller event held the next day at the Uptown VFW. This was the first year I participated in this show, coordinated by the lovely ladies from I Like You. I had sooooo much fun (not just because of the whisky! Yes, at this fair, you can drink while you shop. Or vend.), and got a prime booth spot next to the I Like You booth. If you haven't met Angela and Sarah, you need to. They're super fun and hip, and they make great merchandise to boot. I bought a fantastic pair of arm warmers (Sarah makes them out of recycled socks) and some squirrel earrings from them. Go get yourself down to their shop on Nicollet while you still can; they'll be closing their doors after Christmas and reopening in Northeast (yay! my hood!) next Spring.

Craftsmas 3

There were so many little lovelies at this show. Awesome vintage button jewelry from Deux Amis Designs. I bought these two pairs of post earrings:

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Fantastic accessories from Nice Designs. I couldn't resist this cute ponytail holder duo:

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The most beautiful necklaces from Glamoramapuss. Out of my price range, unfortunately (Santa, are you reading?), but truly original and drool-worthy conversation starters:

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But by far the best thing from the show is this guy:

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Doesn't he just crack you up? I heart him so much. I traded a giraffe to the very talented Becca Jo of Duckie Uglings for this little guy, who now watches over all my home computer activities.

And that's a wrap! Who was your favorite vendor from the shows?



Monday, December 8, 2008

And the Winners Are . . .

It has been a crazy weekend/week/month filled with so much crafty goodness! I want to give you guys a show recap soon, but for now, I'll just announce the winners of the pattern giveaway.

In the spirit of the season, I have decided to give a pattern to everyone who left a comment on that post, based on their noted pattern preference. So the breakdown is as follows:

Kitty Vane and Bunny will receive the alpaca pattern.
Joy and Laura will receive the horse pattern.
Jennifer and Erin will receive both patterns.

Congratulations, everyone, and thanks for all the kind comments! Oh, and happy sewing!



Saturday, December 6, 2008

Whew—I'm Pooped!

No Coast was a blast as usual—thanks to everyone who came out to support local hand crafts! I'll be posting some pictures of the event on Monday, as well as pictures of Craftsmas, which happens tomorrow (I'm sure I'm insane for doing two back-to-back shows like this) at the Uptown VFW. If you're not already crafted out, come on by! Some of the same vendors that were at No Coast will be there, but there will be quite a few different ones as well. And I hear the VFW is offering lots of great drink specials all day, like $2 bloody Marys. Because really, what else goes better with hand crafts than a good stiff drink, right? :) Should be lots of fun!



Friday, December 5, 2008

Today's the Big Day!

No Coast opens at 3 pm today! Come early for the best selection—there's always big crowds. I hope to see all of you there today or tomorrow, or at Craftsmas on Sunday. And remember: Yeti loves you. :)



Two_yetis




Thursday, December 4, 2008

A Clever Guise

Bun_mon_w_carrot




Don't let the carrot fool you. Nor the bunny ears, bright fur, sweet little paws, or buck teeth. It's all a clever disguise to make you think this guy is sweet. But don't be taken in. He's not a bunny. He's not even an herbivore.



Bunny_monster



This guy will be available at No Coast on December 5 and 6. But I recommend keeping him in a steel cage with a strong latch!






Tuesday, December 2, 2008

More Monstery Goodness

Here's two more of my latest monsters:



Mustachio_2




Forest_momster

Both monsters have wired and jointed arms for full posability, and both will be available at No Coast on December 5 and 6.



I apologize for the rather lackluster photos lately. It's dark when I get home from work in the evenings, so I've had to make do in my little craft room. Photos can't really do plush justice anyway—half of the experience is tactile. You have to feel the texture of the material and give each critter a squeeze to fully appreciate them. Trust me, though, these guys are great! Mr. Mustachio especially cracks me up.



Stay tuned—more silly monster plush coming your way tomorrow! 




Sunday, November 30, 2008

It Came from beneath the Sea

Behold Edmund, another ferocious monster from the dark depths of the sea:
Mini_sea_monster_2



Edmund is about 35 percent smaller than my previous sea monsters—I wish I had a larger one on hand to photograph him with so you could compare—but he's no less terrifying . . . to fish, at least.
Mini_sea_monster_comp_2



Edmund will be available at No Coast on December 5 and 6. I think he's pretty awesome, but I think he still needs something. A toupee, maybe? What do you think?



Friday, November 28, 2008

Introducing Patterns and a Giveaway!

I'm pleased to announce the arrival of my first patterns! Now you can make your very own alpaca herd or a happy little horse.



Alpaca_pattern_sample_2Horse_pattern_sample






Amy and I cooked these
up during our Crabtree days (mega props to her for doing all the
interior drawings!) and will be debuting the print versions at No Coast on December 5 and 6 and Craftsmas on December 7. The patterns are also available as a PDF download in my Etsy shop.



The print version of the pattern includes full-sized pattern pieces
and detailed instructions folded together in a cute little
half-letter-sized booklet. The PDF version also features full-sized
pattern pieces and detailed instructions and is
set up to be printed double-sided on standard letter-sized (A4) paper,
landscape orientation.



To celebrate the new patterns and the launch of Plushroom Soup, I'm
hosting a giveaway! Just leave a comment here about your favorite item
to sew (or sculpt, or draw, or whichever craft medium you do best) and
which of the two new patterns you'd prefer if you won. I'll randomly
choose FIVE people to receive a print version of the pattern
(if you prefer the PDF, that's fine too; just let me know!)—two readers
will win the alpaca pattern, two will win the horse pattern, and one
very lucky reader will win both! Winners will be announced on December
8.





Thursday, November 27, 2008

Happy Thanksgiving!

A very happy Turkey Day to all of you!



I am so thankful every day for the love and support of all my family and friends.



Super special props to:



  • Jon, for so very many things, not least of which is his love
    and for tolerating my bad girlfriend/housemate ways in the weeks
    leading up to No Coast every year.


  • Amy, for all our collaborative efforts and for being supportive.
    Without our crafty experiences together, I would not have grown in my
    creativity the way I have.


  • Paul for the awesome logo and banner designs. Yeti lives!


  • Wendy for being a daily sounding board, giver of sage advice, and fountain of great ideas.


  • David, for the new name.


  • The knitting girls, for their wealth of creative ideas, constant support, and laughter.


  • My mother, who taught me most of my beginning craft skills and planted the first creative seeds.


And to the many other special people in my life. I truly appreciate the ways in which you all continue to encourage me,
whether with the craft business or life in general, and none of what I
do would be possible without you.



Sunday, November 23, 2008

Here Be Dragons

Well, maybe just one, but he sure is cute!
This guy has been brewing for quite some time; ever since I retooled my giraffe pattern, I thought that the pattern could easily become a dragon with just a few tweaks.
I reshaped the legs and ears, and added scales, wings, and a large, long tail. The wings are wired for full posability.

This guy will also be available at No Coast on December 5 and 6!

Here Be Dragons

Well, maybe just one, but he sure is cute!
This guy has been brewing for quite some time; ever since I retooled my giraffe pattern, I thought that the pattern could easily become a dragon with just a few tweaks.
I reshaped the legs and ears, and added scales, wings, and a large, long tail. The wings are wired for full posability.

This guy will also be available at No Coast on December 5 and 6!


Sunday, November 16, 2008

Yeti

As part of this new venture, you are going to start seeing a wider range of monsters available. My first tweak to this pattern is Yeti, or my take on the abominable snowman from Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer. Yeti is a very sensitive soul. He loves Christmas and everything the holiday season brings, except for maybe the large crowds everywhere he goes.
Like all my monsters, Yeti is made of faux fur and has embroidered facial details. However, Yeti has several features that none of my other monsters has had: his arms are jointed and have a wire armature, making Yeti's arms and fingers fully posable.

Look for him at the No Coast Craft-o-Rama on December 5 and 6!

Yeti

As part of this new venture, you are going to start seeing a wider range of monsters available. My first tweak to this pattern is Yeti, or my take on the abominable snowman from Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer. Yeti is a very sensitive soul. He loves Christmas and everything the holiday season brings, except for maybe the large crowds everywhere he goes.


Like all my monsters, Yeti is made of faux fur and has embroidered facial details. However, Yeti has several features that none of my other monsters has had: his arms are jointed and have a wire armature, making Yeti's arms and fingers fully posable.

Look for him at the No Coast Craft-o-Rama on December 5 and 6!


Sunday, November 9, 2008

Excuse the Mess

Welcome, everyone! Many of you know me as one of the creators behind Crabtree Studio. I recently decided to launch my own brand: Plushroom Soup. Plushroom Soup will feature original and off-beat plushies for those who want something that's still cuddly and lovable, but definitely a little twisted too. Stay tuned for quirkier, more fantastical plush in the months to come.

Please be patient with me while I build this site--I promise very exciting things are coming! In the meantime, you can still check out my work at Crabtree Studio, and stay tuned both there and here for updates. I will be still be vending with Amy of Crabtree Studio at both No Coast and Craftsmas this year—I will have postcards offering a special discount in my soon-to-come Etsy store for people who visit our booth!

Excuse the Mess

Welcome, everyone! Many of you know me as one of the creators behind Crabtree Studio. I recently decided to launch my own brand: Plushroom Soup. Plushroom Soup will feature original and off-beat plushies for those who want something that's still cuddly and lovable, but definitely a little twisted too. Stay tuned for quirkier, more fantastical plush in the months to come.

Please be patient with me while I build this site--I promise very exciting things are coming! In the meantime, you can still check out my work at Crabtree Studio, and stay tuned both there and here for updates. I will be still be vending with Amy of Crabtree Studio at both No Coast and Craftsmas this year—I will have postcards offering a special discount in my soon-to-come Etsy store for people who visit our booth!