My Swapee Received Her BeBe!

(Check out my previous post if you are interested in seeing the gift I received but now I get to share with you the plush I made for my swapee!)

When the Plush Team does the yearly swap you receive some information about your swapee, such as their favorite color, animal, food, etc. Luckily my swapee was Emily of Bluestar Fuzzies or Bluestar Ink. I say luckily because apparently we have very similar taste as her favorites are very similar to my favorites! I had no idea what to make with all the options but I decided on a raccoon.

I had never made a raccoon BeBe so there was some trial and error but I was so happy with how he came out. Emily and her super adorable daughter loved their raccoon too! Check out this Plush Team blog post where Emily talks about receiving her raccoon.

Plush Team Swap Time!!!

It's no secret that the annual plush swap is my favorite Plush Team event of all. I actually coordinated the last one and, honestly, I love EVERYthing about swapping time. There's the anticipation and wondering who is out there making me a special critter and there is the fun of making something for someone else (and waiting patiently for their reaction). I had a little hunch that my gift might be in my mailbox today so I drug my boyfriend all the way across town to check my p.o. box (I don't check it regularly and wouldn't have gone today if I wasn't so excited). Fun things, like plush buying, is scarce around here lately due to being a poor student, so getting a gift means so much to me.

When I saw the little key in my box I squealed...and then I squealed louder when I saw who it was from. I have been a fan of Megan's work forever. Her work, under the name Nonesuch Garden, is so recognizable, not to mention creative and super cute. Lately she has been working in a completely different style, which I love just as much, but is so different from what she is known for. This only increased my anticipation because I had no idea what style my gift would be in.

So my lovely boyfriend ripped the package open in the parking lot with his key and we were both delighted to find an adorable blue sloth hiding inside. Sloths are my favorite animal, and I am slowly obtaining a collection as word gets out about my obsession with them. I could not be more thrilled with my new addition! I only wish I had a little plush tree with some foliage for my sloth to eat...I guess that's a project for me! My sloths need a jungle!

I love being part of the Plush Team and apparently so does my sloth! Now to think of a name...

Valentine

I made this plush for my mustache-y valentine.

Day of the Dead Art Project

I am fortunate this term to again have a class in which I get to make an art project. This term I am taking a Spanish language class called, "Expresiones Artísticas". Basically the class covers all kinds of art created by different Spanish speaking cultures and artists. One assignment in the class, is to create an art project which represents each student in some personal way. Of course I decided to sew something, and I already had an idea.

I couple months back the Plushteam did a Day of the Dead, (Día de los Muertos), challenge but I unfortunately didn't participate because I didn't really have the time. I had an idea of what I wanted to make back then and even though I was too late to participate in the challenge, I was still excited to finally make a Day of the Dead plush.

I have always been fascinated by the holiday and am especially enamored with the ornately decorated skulls. Check out this one, this one and these. If you are not familiar with the holiday, or it's traditions, check out this website for an explanation.

I had a lot of different ideas of how I wanted to design my skull, and I'm sure I would have done more if I would have had excess time, but I am still pretty happy with how it came out. As I worked out the design on paper first, I decided that I needed some kind of theme because I was sort of just drawing designs all willy-nilly. The thought of a cohesive design led me to another significant symbol for death, especially during the Day of the Dead holiday, the marigold. Marigolds are placed as offerings on alters and at grave sites. To read more about the significance of the marigold in Mexican culture check out this explanation.

I have to say it was really fun presenting my creation in class today. I think I was the only person that didn't write a poem or make something on poster paper. I think when I get my project back I might add more details because I think there are too many white spaces left on the skull. I do really like how the marigolds came out though. The entire piece is made of wool felt and stuffing. I forgot to measure it but I would estimate it is about six inches tall. What do you think?