BeBe Babies and Friends

Day of the Dead Art Project

2012-02-01T17:21:00.001-08:00

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?

A Special Christmas Gift

2011-12-26T21:07:00.000-08:00

I grew up in a family that always had a dog, even though the only dog who was a part of my family while I was growing up was our dog Jody. I didn't remember a time without her because my parents got her when I was 1 and they put her down due to old age when I was 13. However, around the time that we were making the decision to put Jody down our neighbors adopted a little yellow lab puppy who they named Gus.

Jody in bed with my brother and I watching Sesame Street

At the time, our neighbors had two little girls which I babysat so it worked out in my favor that while I was sitting for them, I also got to cuddle a tiny bundle of sweet puppy softness. Nothing makes me happier than playing and cuddling with an adorable baby pup. Unfortunately as Gus grew bigger, he also grew farther away from his family. Whether it was his size, or the family's loss of interest in him, they eventually secluded him to a kennel in the backyard that was left over from our previous neighbors.

Jody near the end of her life.

Gus's kennel ran along the fence that separated the neighbor's yard from ours. It consisted of a fenced-in area where the grass had gone bare and it included a ramshackle dog house. Gus spent all of his time in his kennel, receiving the majority of his attention from the daily feeding from his owners. They would come out, fill his bowl, and walk away.

Maybe it was because we recently lost our family dog, or maybe it was because my Dad couldn't stand to see Gus alone day in and day out, but he decided to do something about it. I don't know how exactly it came about but if I remember right, it started with a hole in the fence. One day my Dad got the idea to saw a hole in the fence so that Gus could stick his head through and watch my Dad's never-ending projects, as well as receive a pat on the head every now and then.

Me giving Gus a pat on Easter.

The hole eventually turned into a door that allowed Gus to come all the way into our yard to play and run around. Over the years Gus spent more and more time in the yard with my Dad. Time passed...I left home at 15, my parents divorced, my brother moved out, but my Dad and Gus remained. The neighbors changed too...the girls grew up and the family added a new dog to their household...a smaller, yippy dog that they could carry and walk around the neighborhood with. And yet the attention they gave Gus never evolved past the daily filling of his food bowl.

Gus aged but never lost his spirit. When I adopted Maisy I would take her over to play at my Dad's and Gus would allow her to jump on his arthritic back and he would follow the best he could as she raced around the large yard looking for a squirrel to chase. His tail never stopped wagging even when they would finally lay exhausted in the yard or when they stopped to get a drink of water.

Little puppy Maisy.

In the winter my Dad would bring Gus into the garage to keep him warm and then eventually he bought him a dog igloo that included a heated mat to ease his arthritis. A couple years ago it became achingly apparent that Gus was in a lot of pain. My Dad spoke with the neighbors and not surprisingly they gave my Dad permission to put Gus down. I know it didn't happen right away, I don't think my Dad could bare the thought of losing Gus, but he did eventually make the appointment, and Gus was gone. I don't remember my Dad crying over our other family dogs but I know he cried when he lost Gus, because I heard him.

For the last year or so my Dad had been bugging me about making him a BeBe Baby. He said he didn't care what kind of doll, I think he wanted something he could show his friends. I admit making him a doll wasn't my top priority, but it was mostly because when I make something for someone, I want it to be meaningful, either representative of their personality or significant to their life. So as Christmas rolled around an idea hit me...

I decided to make a little yellow lab BeBe that would have a little dog tag with Gus's name on it. As I worked on him I thought of little things to add like angel wings....

I think my Dad was shocked, and I hope that he is happy with what I came up with for his very own BeBe. It felt good to make something in tribute to a forgotten dog that found a home in an unlikely place. In fact it gave me a bunch of other ideas and feelings about all the puppies that have passed on, loved and unloved. I believe there will be more BeBe tributes to come...

In memory of Gus and all the pups in my life.

Food Fail

2011-10-27T17:58:00.001-07:00

I'm going to this cardigans and confections party tonight and I had all these ideas of what sweet treat I wanted to make (and I should have stuck with what I know) but instead decided to make these doughnut hole eyeballs in the spirit of Halloween. I originally saw the "recipe" on some Halloween treat site but I couldn't find the same exact site when I went back to make sure I had everything. I remembered it required melted white chocolate and colored icing. That seemed easy enough!

Yesterday when I was trying to find the original site I found all kinds of other people making the same thing and I thought the way this blog displayed them on a fork was cool. So I bought some black forks and a black bowl to display them in along with the chocolate and other ingredients. Unfortunately I didn't read the blog or notice that it was icing and not chocolate. I should have known that me and melted chocolate don't go together because of the long ago Christmas truffle disaster I survived only because my friend at the time was working at a chocolate store. She sailed in and saved Christmas just like Rudloph.

It's a good thing I bought an extra thing of doughnut holes because I'm not sure anyone is going to want these eyeballs. They really don't look that bad but it was not at all what I envisioned. I thought the chocolate would coat them nice and even but instead it would hardly stick and when it did it was goopy. Not only that, but I didn't have any parchment paper so they stuck to my cutting board where I decided to sit them to harden. Of course that meant when I picked them up the bottom chocolate stuck to the board. This actually might have been a good thing because I was wondering how the fork was going to poke through the chocolate without cracking it to pieces.

In addition, the icing I got doesn't appear to harden (I have no experience with icing) and so I have no idea how I am going to transport them without all the icing smearing all over them and whatever container I can figure to put them in (the bowl is not going to work). Ultimately what I have learned from this experience is that I am lost without my Sarah. Whenever I had to make something for a party she always made it with me (for me) and it always came out beautifully.

Winner and How To

2011-10-24T18:44:00.000-07:00

The winner of the Mingle mag giveaway is LEFTZ!!! Yaaaaay!

Remember how I was on that diet? Well it got a little derailed (as in I stopped following it strictly but still mostly follow the principles). I have officially lost 20 lbs since the middle of August. I have about 5-10 more pounds to go and am kind of at that plateau stage but that's ok, it isn't my top priority right now.

One problem with weight loss, or weight gain for that matter, is clothing. Most of the pants in my drawers right now are several sizes too big. Luckily I had a tub under my bed of smaller pants so I got it out over the weekend to see if any of the pants fit me. In the tub I found a great pair of black pants that fit at the waist but had these really flared out legs. I have gotten so used to skinny jeans I just did not like how they fit so I decided to alter them.

The process was super easy. I turned them inside out and then took my favorite skinny jeans that fit like I like and layed them on top matching up the outside leg seams. Make sure both pairs of pants are inside out. I used white chalk to mark the inside seam of the pant legs I was altering from the crotch to the bottom following my favorite jeans as a pattern. Then I just sewed along the line, cut the excess fabric and put them on. Instant new pants!

I hope you can tell...I know it is hard to see because they are so dark. Next I have to figure out how to take in some of the other pants I have that fit in the legs but are too loose in the waist.

Start

Finish

Mingle Magazine Giveaway!

2011-10-16T17:38:00.000-07:00

Alright everyone, today is the day for the Mingle magazine review and giveaway! Let me start by saying it was a beautiful day today and I was able to sit on my porch with a cup of tea and read the entire magazine from front to back. It may have been because of the rare fall sunshine in Oregon, or how pleasantly quiet my street was today, but the atmosphere for reading through such a beautiful magazine was perfect. Now that evening is approaching I have moved inside, brewed some apple cider tea and am now ready to tell you all about Mingle.

Mingle magazine is dedicated to providing "creative ideas for unique gatherings" and boy is it chock full of ideas and gatherings of all kinds. My first excitement occurred when the second gathering featured was held on my very own Oregon coast. The gathering itself is called Be Present Retreats and there is an abundance of information on what they do and where they are held. What struck me most about the article, other than it happened so close to my home, was a beautiful poem in the middle that was accompanied by pictures of the Oregon coast. I could not find who actually wrote the poem but it pulled at my heart through the words and familiar images. There is more of it but you must pick up the mag to read the poem entirely.

Sometimes life is hard, we said

You are not alone.

...

There is pain and there is beauty mixed together, we said.

You are not alone.

...

What is so amazing about this magazine is how they include a real wide range of gatherings, from childrens' birthday parties to weddings to anniversary parties to friends having Saturday beer night to a group of 60 women on a chartered bus antique tour and so, so many more. In 144 pages I think everyone can find something in this magazine to inspire them, but I am going to share a few that inspired me.

I seemed to be struck most by the retreats featured in the magazine which led me to believe something similar would be great for me right now. Even though I'm sure it won't happen due to time or money the pages of Mingle gave me just a little bit of a taste of the goodwill that a wonderful retreat can provide. The below pictures are from a creative retreat by Beth Nicholls and the photos are by navyblur.co.uk. Her retreats are called Do What You Love if you would like more information. Can't you just feel the warmth in this room? I would probably never leave.

I think what it is that struck me about these inspiring stories of people coming together to share fellowship is that at this point in my life it is my friends that are keeping me strong. Without good friends and heartfelt companionship it is a lonely, lonely world.

In addition to the heartwarming stories of people connecting with others Mingle is also full of beautiful pictures of food and drinks (because really, what get together is fun without them). Honestly I think I love pictures of food and drinks more than I actually like making them. There are so many beautiful ideas and pictures I barely could figure out what to show you but I decided on two that I might possibly make myself. The first is a ginger ale drink with fresh fruit which is one of my favorite things (although I generally like to toss in a little alcohol hee hee).

The second is a sweet treat because there are just too many in this magazine to ignore. I think there is just about every kind of sweet treat throughout the pages of Mingle to satisfy any ones sweet tooth. I chose to show these because they look delicious and are clever. Find more about the creator at The TomKat Studio.

I would highly recommend this magazine if you love beautiful pictures, reading inspiring stories and/or need ideas for your next amazing gathering. If you want to win your very own copy I have an extra to giveaway to a lucky reader.

The giveaway is going to be up for a week and there are several ways that you can enter (and enter more than once for more chances):

1. Leave a comment on this post to be entered. Also if you do any of the below additional entry options please let me know in your comment so I enter you the correct number of times!

2. Join my mailing list to receive an additional entry. Email bebebabiescom@yahoo.com to join. You will only receive one email a month (on the first of the month) with news and other special notices for BeBe Babies.

3. "Like" my brand new Facebook fan page and receive an additional entry.

4. Follow my blog and receive an extra entry.

5. Visit my Etsy shop and let me know your favorite doll listed to receive an additional entry.

6. Blog about my giveaway on your blog and receive an additional entry (make sure to give a link to the blog post).

Good luck to everyone and thanks for visiting!

Life Marches On...

2011-10-15T17:43:00.001-07:00

Sometimes all we really want to do is hide under the covers and pretend that we never have to get back out again. Unfortunately life marches on with or without us. So we get up, we persevere, and we try our hardest to not let hardship ruin all our hard work. What I needed today was a day to catch up on projects as well as sprinkle some cheer throughout my home.

Besides some much needed yard work, I did a ton of laundry and put up some Halloween decorations. It is already going to be the 4th week of the new school year this week and I can't even believe that much time has gone by already. I feel like I have been running a mile a minute, trying to get used to being on a new campus and a new way of life.

Due to school and all the changes I have barely had time for BeBes but I am excited to say that when I finish this post I am going to get some sewing done. Tomorrow I plan to sew even more as well as post the review I was selected to do for Mingle magazine. Remember I have an extra copy that I will be giving away to one of you lucky readers. Make sure to check back tomorrow! I have already thumbed through it and it looks amazing. I think it will be really fun going through it slowly. Until then...

Last Minute Getaway!

2011-09-28T19:51:00.000-07:00

School started this week but last week I was fortunate to spend an entire week at the beach. There was hiking and reading and eating and family and all the things that make a week long vacation perfect. The weather was beautiful the entire time (which if you know anything about the Oregon coast is a miracle in itself).

Cascade Head Trail was amazing. It was perfectly long and ended in an amazing view that was viewed from a high coastal meadow.

I have visited the Yaquina Head lighthouse several times but never knew there were so many trails around it to explore. All the trails are short but make up for it in spectacular views. The clear weather also provided some pretty sweet views of the resident whales that live in the bay.

And finally Beaver Creek state park was super different and interesting. At the trail head there was a sign that stated there had been bear and cougar sightings over the summer which was a little intimidating. The trail starts out on a marsh that is inaccessible in the winter because it is covered in water. It felt a little eerie to walk over squishy marsh grass that is surrounded by water. The hiking trails began after the marsh and wound through the forest and all over a small hill/mountain. It was challenging as well as beautiful. Next time I would love to rent kayaks and paddle through the marsh.

It was a perfect end to the summer and now the hectic school season has begun!

Mingle Magazine Giveaway!

2011-09-15T19:21:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone! Just want to let you know that my blog was selected to host a giveaway for a brand new magazine from Stampington & Company called Mingle. Look for it coming soon!

Living Room Painting.

2011-09-10T17:13:00.002-07:00

I have been spending the last week painting my living room. I don't know why it took me so long to finally do this project because it turned out to be super simple and quick. Not to mention I LOVE how fresh and new it is. I hated the old color, a dingy yellow, and am so happy with my bright blue walls. The only real hiccup was that I had planned to do the trim in white but the white was too bright. I then tried vanilla and it was still too white. Finally the third time was the charm and I settled on antique white which looks awesome. Unfortunately the pictures really aren't doing the blue color justice but here are some photos!

Before

After

Doll Show Aftermath

2011-09-04T16:10:00.000-07:00

The doll show was a success! Well, at least my most successful show. No matter how much of a success it was there are of course BeBes that didn't find homes so I have just listed them on etsy in my shop.

My Mom and I headed out yesterday morning at 5:30 am and coasted in and out of Portland smoothly. It turns out our table was text to an AWEsome artist I had never met before. My Mom and I were both smitten by her work. Her business name is Marca, check her out! She even gave me some free passes to Faerieworlds Harvest Celebration where she will be exhibiting. I have never been to Faerieworlds (and really have had no desire to go) but I would love to see her work again. I definitely won't let the passes go to waste.

The kits and teaching stuff I was so stressed out about finishing turned out ok but was kind of a flop at the show. I did hand out a couple of my sheets and sold a kit. I ended up doing a kit for making a very, very basic plush pumpkin. The kit was intended to be more of an explanation of my plush design process using the pumpkin as a simple example of how to make a pattern. I think people were confused on how the demo worked at my table and maybe weren't interested in sewing skills. I'm not sure if I am going to list these kits in my shop but I might.

After the show we high tailed it home so I could attempt to be at part of a friend's wedding. The ceremony was at 6:30 and I cruised in at around 7:00 which was just about perfect considering I left Portland at 4:15. I was glad I made it but also exhausted by the end of the night after getting up at 4 am. Overall a great day!

Doll Show Preparations Final

2011-09-02T20:50:00.000-07:00

Well I am about hit the hay because I will be rising at 4:00 am tomorrow to head to the doll show. At the last minute I finally got my kits done as well as one more big baby. I would like to say more but I am so sleeepy. I hope you will enjoy the photos.

Doll Show Preparations Part 2

2011-09-01T15:01:00.000-07:00

Well everybody is tagged and packed. I always do a trial run at my Mom's house to get an idea of how my table is going to look and what I need to bring. I was so worried about not having enough dolls that it was a pleasant surprise that I think I will have more than enough. I snapped a few quick pictures so you can see who will be there and a couple new faces too.

I have one more big OOAK doll to finish as well as the kits for the teaching part I will be participating in. Sure I can do all that tomorrow! Nothing like the last minute! Stay tuned...

Doll Show Preparations Part 1

2011-08-31T18:42:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone! I am running around like a crazy person getting ready for the doll show on Saturday. I have been fortunate that a lot of my dolls have been finding homes lately and it has been hard to build up a stock. I say fortunate because sales are always a good thing but it leaves me feeling anxious that I won't have enough BeBes. I think I have enough, I have to have enough, there is no more time! Aaaaahhhh!

Ok. breathe.

I thought I might need a little break from the crazy thoughts to write a blog post about BeBe goodies. When a BeBe is adopted I always try to send along a little gift with my packages. I have given all kinds of treats like note pads, pins, postcards, stickers, etc. I have been needing something new for a while and I had been contemplating what to get or make. Then I saw this blog post about making InstaMagnets. I thought they were really cute but decided not to use InstaMagnets (mostly because I couldn't figure it out but also because I ended up buying a new printer, which by the way is a long, frustrating story in itself where by the end I had forgot about InstaMagnets anyway).

So! I used an app called Lomo Studios and it allows you to make your pictures look all old timey. It is super easy to use and you can do sepia, black & white and more! Then I printed them out on my snazzy new printer and stuck them to the magnet sheets. It was super easy and I think they look amazing. I think they look so good I might list some in my shop for sale. What do you think?

More Summer!

2011-08-22T16:27:00.000-07:00

Yesterday James and I went on an awesome bike ride along the Row River trail which was suggested by my Dad. We started at Mosby Creek and rode to Harms Park were we had a pleasant diet-approved snack and waded in the lake. The ride was awesome and we want to do the entire trek once we are a little more fit and able. I think we probably could do the whole thing but we probably would have been dead because even the small leg we did do made us both sore.

The entire path is paved which was awesome! It was also awesome that there were lot's of places to stop along the way where you could rest or use the bathroom. The trail weaves between farm pastures, forests and lake shores. It is truly beautiful! I had to stop and take a photo of these cows because they were so cute and shy.

When we go again we know we will want to pack swimming suits, towels and wading shoes because when we finally reached the lake we had the whole beach to ourselves. There were a few picnic tables and fire pits but no people! When we were leaving a couple people showed up but not before we had our fill of wild blackberries and wading in the water.

DIET UPDATE: In one week James has lost 12 lbs and I have lost 3.5!!!

Oh and check out the Etsy shop I am adding these two shortly!

New Design...Upcoming Show...Diet...SUMMER!

2011-08-16T14:32:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone! It has been a long time since I posted...sorry about that! A lot has been going on around here so let me catch you up.

SUMMER

It is finally summer break for me as I don't return to school until the end of September. Summer for me means work work work on BeBes! I love having the whole day, without interruption, to work on new projects to stock the BeBe shop with. Also now is a great time for any special orders so send me a note if you have been thinking of adopting a BeBe. I can't say how much time I am going to have this year because I will be starting at the university which means a much harder and larger work load.

Luckily the Weather was Nice for Summer Camping on the Lake

New Design

Here in Oregon we have not had a very nice summer this year. We have had much more rain than usual which has left the warm sunny days few and far between. Even though I am longing for many more summer days the thought of fall is on my mind. Fall is my favorite season and designing dolls for Halloween is my favorite also. Luckily a lovely customer came along and asked for a black BeBe cat which I had never done before. I say luckily because I think she is one of the cutest BeBes I have made in a long time. I love her so much I am heading back to the fabric store to get more of this black fur so I can make several more. If you want your own black cat drop me a line! You can see more pictures of her here on Flickr.

She is wearing an adorable tutu I made her in Halloween colors.

Upcoming Show

On September 3rd BeBe Babies will be in Portland Oregon at the Dolls 4 All show. If you have never been to one of these doll shows I will tell you they are awesome! I have exhibited several times over the years and have always had a great time. At this show I will be bringing along some skill sheets and will be providing demonstrations on plush doll making skills. If you have been interested in learning the ladder stitch or where to get started making dolls please stop by and see me. For more information on the show see this page.

I should have lots of new BeBes at the show so if you can make it please stop and say hello!

Diet

Remember how I said one of the only things I could think of as a goal before I turn 30 was to lose 20 lbs? Well thanks to my psychology class earlier in the summer I decided that I need a little more structure to reach this goal. So I have embarked on the 17 day diet plan and am currently hungry on day 2. Why this diet? Well because the book is here because my boyfriend is doing it. Basically the diet is a three phase thing with high protein/low carb/low sugar meals.

On Sunday night we spent diet-eve eating copious amounts of McDonalds which was a big mistake. First of all we don't eat that unhealthy and rarely eat fast food as it is. However the positive was that I wasn't even really hungry in the morning so my two egg whites and half a grapefruit seemed like a satisfactory breakfast.

Yesterday went pretty well. The food wasn't much different than what we normally eat. For instance a normal dinner for us is a chicken breast, asparagus and rice. That's basically what we had for dinner last night just without the rice.

This morning was a different story. I woke up crabby because I literally woke up twice last night because I was hungry. Breakfast was a cup of berries on top of 6 oz of yogurt. By lunch I was ravenous and devoured my salad (which by the way is all lunch was). To be fair it was a huge salad with eggs on it but still I am learning that I was very dependent on carbs. And while I like vegetables I like them best dipped in something creamy like ranch dressing. On this diet the salad dressing is olive oil and balsamic vinegar.

I don't want to write too much more about the diet but will keep you updated on results. The diet boasts 10-12 lbs in 17 days which seems highly do-able if I went off my stomach's opinion at the moment. It would be great to get halfway to my goal in 17 days. Oh and after the first 17 days the next 17 day phase consists of more food during a day. Yay! This is basically the motivation that is keeping me from scouring the cabinets for a bread crumb or cracker.

That's all for now! Until next time...

Sneak Peek...

2011-07-10T18:44:00.000-07:00

Remember how I just said I was inspired to make a mermaid? Well today was a lazy Sunday and I spent all day working on the first of what I hope will be a series of mermaids. She came out so cute that I am thinking I might send them in to Stuffed. I'm not ready to share her completely yet because I want to get the others done first and also set up a scene for photos, however, here are a couple sneak peeks.

Her tail is made of this gorgeous blue brocade fabric. It took me a couple of times to get the pattern right because I have never used brocade fabric and it frays a lot and quick.

I had a bunch of shells which I put in her hair and used for her bikini top. She measures about 15 inches tall.

When I was at the fabric store I didn't see any other brocade that I liked but I am going to go back and look again because I think it is perfect for the tail. I wish they would have had this one. Green is so pretty!

Manatee!

2011-07-07T10:11:00.000-07:00

It is really fun to receive custom orders or suggestions for a BeBe that I have never made before. Sometimes, of course, it can be a little daunting if I am not sure where to begin. Then how do I begin you might ask. Well usually I begin by looking up images on Google. In this case I looked up pictures of manatees and printed out a couple from each angle of the animal. Like this one and this one.

Then I draw a pattern which can include enlarging, changing and tweaking until I think it is right. The first attempt does not always turn out but it is easier to tell after sewing the first one what might need to be changed on the pattern to receive my desired result. In the case of this manatee I only had to resew one time and it wasn't because the pattern was flawed it was because I wasn't paying attention to the direction of the stretch in the fabric. I wasn't so sure if she turned out good but the customer loved her. What do you think?

I added buttons for eyes which I think was a nice touch.

The pattern actually looked a bit like a mermaid which gave me an inspiration to make one. It's funny how that can happen while working on something new or different, and I love when it does. Look for a mermaid coming soon!

You've been Published! (sort of)

2011-07-01T13:23:00.001-07:00

I'm not sure if you all are familiar with a wonderful magazine called Stuffed: The Crafting of Softies but it is a high quality, beautiful magazine put out by Stampington and Company. The magazine does their own photo shoots of each artists' work which leads to amazing visual concepts. The magazine is like plush eye candy! Just look at this issue's cover.

Even though the quality of the magazine is very high their submission guidelines are a little daunting. First they highly recommend that you actually mail your plush to them, even before you know if you will be selected to be in the magazine. You must provide a check or money order inside your package for the shipping of the plush back to you, again whether or not you are included in the magazine. When the magazine first began a couple years ago Plush Team members, including myself, eagerly sent off our finest work for a chance to be included. Unfortunately for several people, again including myself, we were rejected. Those of us in the art/crafting business know to not let the sting of rejection get under our skin and instead be positive and try again the next time.

In fact I did try again the next time, and was again rejected. I have to admit at that point I was a little sour on the whole thing, not only because of the rejection, but mostly because it was costing between $20-$40 to mail my work back and forth with no benefit. At that point I stopped submitting because I reasoned it was too expensive for me. Besides, sometimes things like this are more about it being cool to see myself in print and less about it translating into sales, which I suppose truly is the bottom line.

Well then the fabulous Plush Team did a challenge that was selected to grace the pages of the magazine. It was a challenge called Frankenplush Scrapenstein and fortunately I had participated. I contributed the arms and legs to this guy. I thought he came out awesome if I do say so myself. The article itself did not focus on my group's piece but did take a group photo where you can kind of see him (far left hand side).

This week I received my complimentary copy for my meager contribution which I think is pretty darn generous of the magazine (the magazine itself is a bit spendy at $14.99 retail). My name is even printed it it! Woot!

Instead of being satisfied that I am finally printed somewhere in this particular publication I now once again want to try for my own spread. The next submission deadline is Aug 15. But what the heck should I send!? The first time I submitted, I sent a one of a kind set of BeBe Pets that were modeled after the Fox and the Hound. I still even have them...here they are!

I still think the fox is pretty good but the hound is a mess. He's all floppy and just so rudimentary compared to my work now. It's funny because I can totally see why they did not select these two to be printed. The second time I just sent a selection of regular BeBe pets but when I see my work from that time period I can again see why they did not pick me.

So the question now is... 1. Should I try again? and 2. If I do what the heck should I send? These are the things I am contemplating today. If you have a suggestion please leave a comment!

A P.T. Stitchy Afternoon

2011-06-26T17:06:00.001-07:00

Recently I received a couple Plush Team kits in the mail and today I decided to sew and put one together. The kit is for creating a plush toy of the Plush Team's mascot, P.T. Stitchy. The team put these kits together for the Maker Faire a while back when they taught some plush making classes. I have a doll show coming up in September where I will be teaching basic sewing skills as well as how to get starting making plush and dolls. I will be offering instruction, skill sheets and simple plush kits. I thought I might bring along these Plush Team kits in case any one would like to make their own P.T. mascot. If you are interested in your own kit you can find them for sale in the Plush Team Etsy shop here.

I would definitely recommend this kit for beginners as it was super simple and quick. I believe these guys were printed by Spoonflower which is a place I have wanted to try for a long time. I like how the design is printed on the fabric and ready to sew. I'm thinking it might be fun to print up the BeBe Babies bunny mascot and turn her into a plush!

I think it took me about an hour to complete him and isn't he cute??! He quickly found his way into bed with Maisy. She isn't so sure about him yet.

Another thing I did this weekend to get ready for teaching at the doll show was I put together my first skill sheet and video. The skill that I find the most useful when creating plush is the ladder stitch. I know from recently trying to teach it to my Mom that it isn't easy to get or remember if you don't use it often. Because of that I made a sheet but also a video for my Mom, and anyone from the doll show, that needs help at home. You can view the video on my website here or watch on YouTube below.

I hope you find it helpful!

Sloths are my Favorite

2011-06-10T13:05:00.000-07:00

If you read my previous post you know that my friend Sarah and I exchanged birthday gifts yesterday. She received the good day, bad day polar bear pillow from me and guess what I got!!?? A crochet sloth finger puppet!!! OMG! I have been a huge fan of her finger puppets like FORever and I also love sloths a whole lot. I fell deeply in love with sloths after watching videos like this one. As far as the puppets go I mean LOOK at these cuties. I want a whole collection now...hint hint.

Anyway here is my sloth! Isn't he/she the cutest ever???? I keep calling him a he but maybe it's a she. What do you think?

My favorite thing about him is his adorable little claws. They remind me so much of a real sloth and I love the way his arms curl up. Sooo sweet!

I think Sarah should make millions of finger puppet animals and let me adopt them all. hahaha

Summer Happenings!

2011-06-08T20:26:00.000-07:00

Well I finished spring term yesterday and even though summer is still slow in coming around here it is officially summer break. I spent the day today relaxing and working on finishing up a couple of projects. It was a wonderful first day of freedom. It started with checking out all of the pretty things happening out in the yard.

Then I was able to finally get pictures of my entry into the Plush Team May/June challenge. The theme of this challenge is circus. I decided to finally make a BeBe bear clown, which is something I have always wanted to do. It seems when I doodle, I doodle circus bear clowns. I thought I might make another one but after how difficult this one was I'm not sure.

He has shiny red shoes and a wool felt hat. The balls he is juggling were made by me out of clay and they are on a white wire. The ball he is standing on is weighted and he is attached to it. He doesn't stand perfectly on his ball but takes a little coaxing (or lightly leaning against something).

And lastly I made a birthday gift for my friend Sarah. She really likes polar bears and I decided to make her a polar bear pillow that is happy on one side and mad on the other. I call him the good day, bad day polar bear. I actually traced the pattern from a picture of a real polar bear which I am not sure translated well into plush. I think next time I would make his head more symmetrical. What do you think? My Mom kind of likes his kooky ears. I don't know what Sarah thinks yet.

More Realistic Eyes

2011-06-01T17:03:00.001-07:00

Now I will admit I don't have much in the way of painting skills and I have never felt that I am very good at it. My dolls have very basic eyes and painting which is truly the way I like it. However, I decided a couple days ago to try painting eyes on my newest doll that were a little more lifelike. I searched online for tutorials on painting eyes and ended up roughly following this one. The tutorial is for painting on a canvas but I figured it wouldn't be much different on a doll. I didn't do every step or technique on the tutorial but changed it to suit my taste.

I think they came out really pretty but I'm not sure if it fits with my BeBe Baby style. First I think they make her look much older and less babyish and second I think they are too big. I suppose I could continue combining some of the techniques and not using others. What do you think? Here is a close up of Maribel's eyes.

And her is a farther away picture of her.

If you are interested in adopting her you can find her in my Etsy shop here.

Adorable!

2011-05-22T08:57:00.000-07:00

You have probably seen the mini BeBe Babies that I have made over the years but what you might not know is that BeBe Babies began as a single miniature doll. The very first BeBe Baby was around five inches long. It took several tries before she was at least satisfactory and in comparison to my dolls today, she was very crude. When she was done, even though she was so simple, I had one of those moments where I knew something great was coming. Through the following year I worked on her design, tweaking things here and there, until she was even better. I have continued on since then changing the original pattern and ending up with the miniature designs I have now.

The original BeBe used to reside in a tea cup at my Mom's house but as of today my Mom can not seem to remember where she is. She is probably hiding up in the Christmas or Valentine decorations. I wish I still had her picture so that you all could see what she looks like but I promise if and when she is found I will share her with you all. It was early 2007 after all and since then I have changed photo hosting sites as well as computers so it has been impossible to track down her picture.

I thought it would be fun to look back over the years at some BeBe miniatures so that you can see their evolution. You will notice that details, like noses and ears, did not originally exist on them. Another thing you might notice is how much better my picture taking skills have become.

Next came noses and ears but still no toes.

And finally toes emerged!

Now my miniatures have reached their smallest size ever at around 2-3 inches. The inspiration for this post came from a wonderful customer who has been collecting my miniatures. She posted some pictures of them in super cute outfits she made as well as in an adorable doll house setting. Here are a couple of the ones she bought that you will see in her pictures.

And here are her pictures!

I hope you enjoyed the miniature BeBe journey!

Inspirations

2011-05-10T14:48:00.000-07:00

So last week was my 29th birthday and I had all these grand ideas of making a list of 30 things I wanted to do before I turn 30. I have seen a lot of bloggers do lists like these and then as they complete each thing they blog about it. I always thought it was cute and fun and I wanted in on the cleverness. Originally I thought this would be a great way for me to set some goals and accomplish them, plus I really like making lists and checking things off. I had thought about it over the weeks leading up to my birthday but only sat down to make the list a couple days before. I got stuck after three things, THREE! It went like this:

climb to the top of mountains (mt. pisgah, spencers butte for starters)
go to San Francisco
lose 20 lbs

I then figured I didn't have to finish the list until the day of my birthday. But then on my birthday I climbed to the top of Spencer's Butte (which was awesome by the way) so that left me with only two tasks left and still no new ideas.

View from the top of Butte

Part of the reason it was hard to make the list was because I was trying to be realistic. Sure I can think of 30 amazing, magical things I want to do like travel around the tropics or live in a bigger house but a lot of the things that come to mind require vast amounts of money or resources. It just isn't realistic to think any of them will happen this year. Even if I wasn't a desperately poor student I probably won't have the money for such things for a long time, if ever.

The list has been basically abandoned but that isn't exactly what this post is about. In fact I wasn't even going to share my failed list attempt but then over the last couple days I was finding myself inspired by simple things that really didn't cost me much or anything. It all started really with the climb on my birthday. I had wanted to do it for so long and never thought it would be so easy. I also realized that some of the reason I liked the 30 things list is because it would require me to blog more which I really want to do.

I recently was introduced to Tumblr via Koalogy and it occurred to me that I don't have to always have a long or profound story to tell. Blogging can be quick little inspirations about what I see or makes me happy on a given day. That idea is the inspiration behind this post. Here are a few of the things that are making me excited right now.

Maybe you saw my recent Etsy treasury but I have really been getting into jewelry lately, specifically rings like this vintage-looking pretty. So I was digging through my old jewelry looking for a necklace actually, and I found this ring. I don't remember my Mom giving it to me at all but apparently it came from her. It has the tiniest Casie-size diamond in the middle and I love it so much.

Over this last weekend I went to visit Katrina in Portland and decided it was time to invest in some new faux fur. There is a fabric store in Portland called Fabric Depot that has the most amazing selection of fur. They have nearly every color and style lined up along the walls. I love to walk up and down the line dragging my hand along their furry piles (I also hug some of them sometimes but they are way in the back and no one is usually back there but me and the amazing wholesale ladies). I was getting so sick of having the same old selections in my closet to pick from when monster making. Admittedly these colors look a little Easter-ish but the pink was half off and I wanted to have colors that are nothing like I already have. I can't wait to figure out what to make with them!

Lastly, each year I plant a garden with vegetables and lots of flowers. It can generally be a hundred dollar or more investment but it is one indulgence I really look forward to in the spring. This year it just isn't possible to spend that amount of money on plants but luckily my lovely parents built a greenhouse and had all kinds of plants started! I still might be able to buy some flowers but luckily I have been supplied with all my veggies and some flowers. They are probably going in the ground tonight but just seeing them on the porch waiting is making me happy.

What inspires you daily?

New BeBe Veggies Designs!

2011-05-06T17:05:00.000-07:00

Thought I would share my newest BeBe Baby designs. I have been working on a pea pod BeBe for a long time but the first couple attempts weren't right. I finally got a prototype done yesterday and then made a jalapeño! Yay!

I really want to make a whole series of fruits and veggies but I will probably wait and see how these guys do. I'm not crazy about the shade of green for the pea pod but I bought some different green today so the next ones will be a shade different. I want to do some cute photography with them, like with the real veggies or in the garden, but unfortunately it is raining and I just didn't have the energy to go to the store today. So hopefully this is just the beginning! If you are interested in either, both are listed in my shop here.

Yearly Seattle Trip

2011-03-27T09:16:00.000-07:00

I realized while looking back through my old blog posts that my pal Katrina and I took our last Seattle trip nearly one year ago to the day. It wasn't planned that way, and honestly we might need to rethink our timing next year. If you know anything about Seattle it is probably that it rains a lot, but did you know that it isn't even one of the top 10 rainiest cities in the U.S.? However, this fact does not make you feel better when you are poured on every time you visit. So imagine our surprise when we emerged from the gigantic rain cloud stationed over our home state of Oregon and found ourselves instead being soaked by blazing sunshine on Seattle's waterfront.

I of course had only packed warm sweaters and a rain jacket for the trip because I expected to be cold and wet as we trooped around the city so I had to improvise to be comfortable in the sun's heat. Due to it being the last spring break weekend, and such a beautiful one, the tourists were out in full force leaving Pike Place Market jam packed.

As you know from my last trip, Katrina is a chef at a top restaurant in Portland Oregon. She is a through and through foodie and always has a specifically planned out food tour for us whenever we travel. Her list is usually very ambitious for the inherent limitations to how much a person can eat. Regardless, like any challenge, we rise to it and do the best we can to stuff ourselves. The first stop on the list was a place in the heart of Pike Place Market. To Katrina's disappointment the market was being renovated and she was upset that one of her favorite places, and our first stop, seemed to be closed as we couldn't find it. But then we spied a long line and realized it was still open!

Image found here.

Piroshky-Piroshky is a little Russian bakery that sells all kinds of savory and sweet treats. Katrina's favorite is the sauerkraut, carrot, cabbage and onion but I went for the smoked salmon pate. Served piping hot, the bread is soft, chewy and a little bit sweet. I thoroughly enjoyed the flavor of my piroshky but I think if I could do it over I would pick a different flavor. The pate was awesome but there was quite a bit of it and it's richness was a little much for me personally. The experience was beautiful though, as the we sat on a bench near the waterfront and enjoyed the sunshine and people watching.

As we attempted to take a picture of ourselves a slightly awkward man offered to help. He was adamant that we have the ferry in the background so we weren't exactly ready when he decided to snap the picture. Therefore he took another one which was even worse than the first. Incidentally you really can't see the boat well anyway. Awwww memories!

Next we did a little walking and shopping and I finally was able to visit a store that I know well but was closed last time we went to Seattle. As you know I am in the business of plush dolls and you can't be in the business and not know about the shop and gallery Schmancy. The owner of Schmancy holds plush gallery shows each year as well as stocks a tiny shop full of artist made plush and other designer toys. I had already promised myself that I could purchase one piece on this trip and after carefully searching the entire store I decided on a very familiar piece by my pal Becky of Scrumptious Delight. I have had my eye on him for quite a while and was not disappointed to see, and purchase, him in person. I snapped a picture of him in our large, bright hotel window.

If you come from a rainy city or state you know that it is important to enjoy the sunshine when it presents itself because it is generally a short lived treat. This was the case on our trip and near the end of our shopping we saw the dark clouds finally catching up with us from the south. After a quick drop off of our bags to our room, and a change back into our warm clothes, we headed off to first dinner.

Both restaurants we ate at this trip specialized in Italian food. The first was Tavolata in the Belltown neighborhood. As always we order what looks good and share everything in order to sample more of the menu. We ordered the wild watercress salad, chicken meatballs, and grilled flatbread because we had resolved to make first dinner all about appetizers. Everything was delicious with a few little unexpected surprises. Included with the meatballs were corona beans which I had never had and the hint of garlic on the flatbread was perfect. I wish I had more to say about the food because I don't want to leave you thinking it wasn't amazing, because it was, I guess I am just not moved to say much about it.

Image found here.

Next we hoofed it up to Spinasse located on Capital Hill. We hadn't planned to walk because it seemed far but it felt good to work off first dinner and it turned out to not be a bad walk at all. Spinasse could not be more different than Tavolata. The atmosphere quickly changed from large, modern and hip to cozy, traditional and old school. Here we ordered 'Pio Tosini' prosciutto di Parma with marinated apple, ravioli di topinambur and a radicchio salad. The adorable waiter, who seemed to have been transported straight out of Italy and to our table side, brought us some rabbit pate to sample as we waited. I watch a lot of Bizarre Foods and Anthony Bourdain (actually both of them are on a shared episode on t.v. as I write this) so I like to pretend I am one of them when offered something I might not normally have the chance to eat. In the spirit of these shows I took a giant bite of the thin toast the pate was spread on. I will say it was not the worst thing I have ever tried but one bite was enough. It was sweet, and also bitter, and my idea of what Andrew Zimmer must mean by "gamey". In fact the interesting flavors didn't really stop there as the rest of our food arrived. I definitely would pick Tavolata over Spinasse, not because of quality, but just because some of the flavors at Spinasse, were not my favorite.

First, the prosciutto came on a large plate and was literally the most prosciutto I have seen in one place at one time. We weren't even able to finish it which was a shame to waste. The radicchio salad was typical and delicious but the ravioli was a bit different. The pasta was amazingly thin and delicious, as only homemade pasta can be, but the included herb had an interesting flavor I can't say I was altogether wild about.

Image found here.

Finally wee hailed a cab back to our hotel and passed out in a food comma.

The next day started with a wonderful experience at a place called Eltana. I knew nothing about the fact that traditional bagels are boiled in water but learned all about it as we ate our truly amazing bagels. I had a plain bagel with a date walnut cream cheese spread. It was sooooo good!

Image found here.

Next we spent an hour or two in the amazing Elliot Bay Book Company and then a couple more hours eating in the Uwajimaya food court and roaming their bookstore. Both of which I highly recommend only if you have time to browse and enjoy being assaulted on all sides by goodies of all kinds. I left Elliot Bay with a zine called Afterzine, which I haven't read yet, and I left Uwajimaya full of sushi and strong green tea. It was certainly a pleasant way to leave such a fun city and head back down the freeway for home.

The Biggest Order EVER!

2011-03-22T15:42:00.001-07:00

One of my fabulous retailers, AmeriKid, let me know a while back that they would be interested in carrying my new design, the Soft Heart BeBe. Well they are an awesome store, full of children's toys made only in the U.S. They are so devoted to carrying only American made products that they did not want my Soft Hearts to come in store bought, re-sized onesies. Sooooo I decided to finally bite the bullet and learn to make some baby/doll clothing. If you have been following me for any amount of time you probably know I resist making clothes at all costs. I don't really know what I hate about it...maybe it is because when I am done with a doll, or plush, there is a sweet face looking back at me and clothing just doesn't have that.

Well the order was placed for 10 Soft Hearts about a month and a half ago. I thought I could get them done in 3-4 weeks but as you know school was so much work this last term that I just really didn't get time to pound them out. My goal for spring break was to get this order done and out. Luckily with the help of my Mom they are done! What do you think?

The order was for eight girls and two boys but when I started picking fabric I found this adorable green/brown with monkeys for the boys. After looking at it for a while I thought it could be for a girl or boy and I have a feeling it is going to be popular. I decided to do five of them in the hearts and five in the green monkeys.

I think I did a pretty good job on the outfits for my first time. I can get a little upset about details but I was at the toy store the other day looking at doll clothes for ideas and I don't think store bought clothes look perfect. I tried not to beat myself up! I am sure I will get better at it.....yes I said it....I am going to continue making clothes for my dolls. I think now that I have a pattern it will be fun to pick out fabrics and make the clothes myself. I am also planning to sell just the outfits in my shop soon so if you are looking for doll clothes check back.

The outfits were made from two different patterns. The romper and booties were made from this McCall's pattern. I of course shrunk it and altered it to my own specifications. The hat is from this doll clothing pattern by Simplicity. The outfits in this pattern set are really cute and I want to try a couple more of them out.

If you are interested in adopting any of these guys they should be available at AmeriKid shortly. Of course you can always visit my shop for new babies or email me to order. I have lots more of both fabrics so I can always make more.

I hope you are having a great spring break!

Ophelia and the Home Stretch

2011-03-13T17:08:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow I have all of my finals for Winter term in one day. Yikes! Luckily my Shakespeare teacher is having us present our creative projects in lieu of a test. The other positive thing about this is that my Shakespeare class is my last class for the day. This means by the time I get to Shakespeare my brain will be exhausted from two consecutive finals and I will be ready to sit and watch creative presentations!

I told you a while back that I would have another creative project to show you. I have been working on this doll on-and-off for a couple of weeks now and I am relatively happy with how she came out. Making this doll was a bit of a stretch creatively for me. I generally don't like realistically human dolls and have avoided making any for a long time. Mainly it is because I don't like making clothes very much and it seems the doll never comes out the right size for store bought doll clothes. I also don't think I am very good at painting realistic features. However, I decided to give it a go on this girl!

The only guidelines for our creative project is that the subject had to be from one of the plays we read throughout the term. The plays we read were Merchant of Venice, Henry IV Part I, Hamlet and The Tempest. We read The Tempest last and it's possible if we had started reading it before I started my project I would have picked a character to make into a doll from that play. It would have been fun to make Caliban I think. Nevertheless, that didn't happen so I of course picked Ophelia from Hamlet because, well, she is truly a character that stands out from all the rest.

There is a lot of online inspiration for Ophelia, including a few other dolls. Check out this one, this one and this one. When we were reading Hamlet we watched several scenes from the David Tennant version of Hamlet that came out in 2008. The scene where Ophelia is crazy and handing out flowers is intense and extremely powerful. If you want to watch it you can see it here on YouTube. The image of her in that scene is the inspiration for my Ophelia doll.

I created her first from muslin but her legs were so skinny that I couldn't stuff them. Muslin can be really difficult to work with, at least for me. It also has no stretch so I was having a hard time getting her wig to fit such a flat head. I decided to try to make her out of the fabric I use on the BeBes and it ended up working pretty good. She is wired throughout her body so she could potentially be posed but I didn't want to mess with her.

Luckily I had a wig laying around here that fit her perfectly. For her outfit I made her a muslin shirt and skirt that are underneath her dress. I had no idea what I was doing for her outfit but found some pictures online that helped inspire me. I had this scrap of a dark turquoise velour that ended up working perfect. The dress itself is not perfect and don't let it fool you, there's a lot of glue holding up those folds. By the end I had no idea what I was doing and decided to go back to my favorite crafty tool, glue. The good thing, for me, was she needed to look a little disheveled because she went crazy outside pulling up flowers.

I made her a headband out of some ribbon and a rope belt thingy out of floss. I looked all over town for some plastic fake flowers but I couldn't find anything small enough to look realistic for her. In the play she has rue, daisies, columbines and fennel. I was going to try to make all the flowers but after cutting out a tiny daisy and some fennel I was spent. I decided that was enough for her ha ha. I added some bits of moss and straw to her hair for effect. I also dirtied up her feet and skirt bottom to represent her romp through the weeds.

So that's Ophelia! I'm glad she's done...it was an adventure...I probably won't ever do another one like her ha ha.

And the Winner is....

2011-03-09T20:56:00.001-08:00

Kim!!!!!!!

Hoooray! I am sending you a message now, Kim, but in case you don't get it or see this first, I will need you to email me your mailing address. You can email it to me at: bebebabiescom@yahoo.com. Thanks to everyone for participating. I will definitely be doing another one soon because this was so much fun! :)

BeBe Babies Giveaway!

2011-03-01T09:07:00.000-08:00

Hi everyone!

Today is March 1st which means I am getting my BeBe Babies monthly newsletter ready to send out to my lovely mailing list. It is also my dear Momma's birthday so I am feeling festive. I have decided to do a giveaway which I don't know that I have done on my blog, and if I have it was a looong time ago. The giveaway will be for one of my most popular BeBes, the Bundle BeBe in a sleepy owl print. Here's a picture!

The giveaway is going to be up for a week and there are several ways that you can enter (and enter more than once for more chances):

1. Leave a comment on this post to be entered. Also if you do any of the below additional entry options please let me know in your comment so I enter you the correct number of times!

3. "Like" my brand new Facebook fan page and receive an additional entry.

4. Follow my blog and receive an extra entry.

5. Visit my Etsy shop and let me know your favorite doll listed to receive an additional entry.

6. Blog about my giveaway on your blog and receive an additional entry (make sure to give a link to the blog post).

Thanks for reading and entering! Good luck and have a great week!

Topsy Turvy School Project

2011-02-24T16:34:00.000-08:00

Well I thought that school couldn't be more time consuming than it had been in the last year and a half but I was wrong. It turns out taking two literature classes at once is MUCH more time consuming than math and history. Mostly it is because of the amount of reading and writing that is required in a literature class. I suppose I need to get used to it though, being an English major and all. *sigh*

In addition to all the reading and papers both my literature classes require a creative project that relates to the texts we are reading. The first one I have completed is for my American Literature class. We are reading texts that were written from the beginning of "America", including Native American and slave era samples, all the way to the 19th century. Of course it is a no brainer that any creative project for me will include some kind of doll or sewing project as it is what I know how to do best. I thought it would be interesting to make a doll that would replicate something a slave child or slave era child would play with.

I did a little research as well as asked opinions from my doll peeps on what kind of dolls were known to exist during the time. One suggestion I received was for a topsy turvy doll. If you haven't heard of a topsy turvy doll, basically they are dolls that have two sides with a dress or outfit that covers the other side. I don't know if that is a good explanation so go here to see some modern options. You can also see better pictures and buy patterns for them here.

For my doll I made my own pattern and it was MUCH harder than I originally thought it was going to be. The difficulty was in the dress. First of all the dress has to look finished on both sides and has to be able to turn which required keeping the top of the dress and skirt separate. I ended up hand sewing much of the doll's outfit which was a bit time consuming. I wanted the doll to look homemade and old so I tried not to stress out too much about the little flaws here and there.

If you are interested in the history of the topsy turvy doll, including the speculation over why the doll would be black on one side and white on the other you can read about them here.

Without further ado here is my doll! Come back soon to see the next doll I am making for my other class. I don't want to give too much away but the class is Shakespeare.... Bye for now!

Adopted BeBes!!

2011-02-15T09:54:00.000-08:00

I have been accumulating pictures from various customers of my dolls in their new homes. Some of them are so cute I thought maybe I would make a post to share some of my favorites. Enjoy!

This is my favorite!!! Soooo sweet!

Here is that teeny tiny BeBe baby that was a custom order over Christmas. I was so happy to see she fit snuggly in the matchbox she was intended for.

Amarion in his new home!

This picture cracks me up. He looks so protective of his dolly.

Awww sweet!

Creating a Monster

2011-02-07T21:30:00.000-08:00

There's this really great blog called ionlylikemonsters and a while ago the owner of the blog sent out a call for plush artists to make some brothers for her blog mascot Roland P. Fingermonster. I thought it was a great idea and promised to make a monster right away. Well you know me and I couldn't just leave it at something simple so I have been working on him for several weeks now (it also was because school is kicking my butt this term). Anyway! While I was working on him the other day I decided to take some pictures of my progress. I intended to document his whole creation but as the day turned to dusk the light started to wane and since I refuse to use a camera flash, the documenting ceased. It would have been too much of an effort to set up my photo tent to take a picture every five seconds as I worked on him, so I only have the first parts to share with you. Don't worry though, I have all kinds of tips on creating monsters and working with long fur!

Let's start at the beginning.... You have clicked over and seen Roland by now right? It is important because I used his image to design my "brother" monster for him. Here is what I came up with.

The first step for me when creating a new design is to figure out what the basic shapes of the design are. In the case of the guy above there is the outline of his body which includes the gusset (the top of the head) and the rest of the body. Here are what the pieces look like when taken apart and photocopied.

When working with fur, especially long pile fur, it is important to keep in mind which way the nap of the fur is going. Depending on the look you are trying to create you will probably want the nap going all in the same direction, and usually up or down. Sidewise fur usually looks funny although you might be going for that. The bottom line is just to be aware so you aren't surprised or disappointed when you turn your pieces. I want my nap laying down so here is what my pieces look like when cut out.

Usually I am opposed to pinning in all shapes and forms. This is because I am lazy and can't be bothered with it. However, I will ALWAYS break this personal rule when working with fur. Fur is slippery and thick which makes it extremely tricky to sew. The main thing you want to do when pinning your pieces is to keep the fur inside the seam facing the right side of the fabric. As you pin, keep pushing the fur down between the pieces. This will help hide the seams when you turn the fabric of your monster and also leave less fur for you to pick out of the seams later. This first picture shows how the fur is sticking out as I pin and then next shows when I have finished pinning and all the fur is nicely tucked inside.

When you start sewing fur you might want to leave a seam allowance that is larger than you normally would leave on other fabrics. Even though you have pinned your fur it can still slide a lot and you want to make sure you get both pieces sewn together. When you are done sewing a piece make sure to check both sides to make sure they are sewn completely together. If they aren't go back over them, it doesn't matter if it looks pretty on the inside it is the outside that will count.

Next you need to decide on the placement of the gusset and get it sewn on. I refer to my originally drawing at this point and notice that I want his gusset to come down a little bit as the forehead and form the top of the mouth. I eyeball it and mark where I want it to be.

Now you want to pin the gusset on really well and sew that together. It is starting to look like a furry helmet!

The mouth is the next part and again I trace the mouth from the original drawing as reference.

To make a mouth that goes in you have to create a trim around the inside of the mouth. This is done by cutting a strip from the same mouth fabric (in this case black fleece) in about an inch to two inches (or depending on how deep you want the mouth to be). Then you sew that piece to the inside of the mouth (fleece) and the outside of the mouth (fur).

Okay this is the last progress picture and it was taken with the dreaded flash! You can see how his mouth has come together though.

And since that is the last of the progress photos here he is done! I am about to email Janet at ionlylikemonsters to see if she likes this guy. Wish him luck!

Boom! Done!

He thinks he is pretty funny.

Crazy arms/legs. This picture is a little creepy.

He's got his eye on you.

Bye!

Merry Russian Christmas!

2011-01-28T16:23:00.000-08:00

It is that time of year again when the Plush Team draws names and sends each other plush gifts for the holiday. Instead of celebrating at the "western" Christmas time we choose to do a Russian Christmas because it is celebrated a little bit later in the season (January 7). This gives us crafters a little more time because most of us are the busiest during the holidays. In addition it is a secret swap so no one but the person in charge knows who has who. It is so much fun to anticipate what kind of plushie goodness you will be receiving.

This year guess who was in charge of the swap? Meeeee! Unfortunately because I drew the names I knew who got me but the good news was I couldn't have been more pleased with who it was. I almost felt guilty because if I was going to cheat she is probably who I would have picked because I have been a huuuuuge fan of her plush for a loooong time. Luckily my Mom has pounded a guilty conscience down deep into my soul and there is no way I would do something like that! It is better when it works out honestly anyway right?

Before I show you what I got let me tell you what I gave. My swapee partner was Anne-Claire of Hibou Cards. I was so swamped leading up to the send date that I didn't really get a chance to make something special but I had a couple octopodes sitting around that have really really wanted a home. I decided to send her this guy because he was/is my personal favorite. Luckily she liked him!!!! Read all about how he is settling into her home here. Here is one of her pictures in case you don't want to click over. She has an awesome pirate parrot that is his buddy now.

Now on to the present I received! Like I was saying I have been a huge fan of Becky aka Scrumptious Delight for a long long time. I received my package from her yesterday and had been sitting on pins and needles waiting for it because she had told me she was working on something special. I spent my time waiting wondering if it would be a cotton candy or perhaps some pickle preserves. I received a hint from Becky's husband because him and I have been working on a super secret project. He said that it was special and awesome and I would love it. Errrr I was stumped.

As you can imagine I ripped the package open as soon as it arrived. I took the time to read Becky's adorable card and then ripped the paper off the plush! I never could have imagined something so clever, amazing and thoughtful. I really think she should make more because everyone will want one! Here it is!

Becky used small rectangles of velcro to give the "wall" a brick look. Not only is that a clever use of velcro but it serves the purpose of holding up the felt graffiti and the totally awesome spray cans. All the pieces are removable and can be stuck on where ever you want!

I know that the graffiti lettering was done by her talented husband Aymeric so I really appreciate his contribution as well! Now I am going to have to work more on some felt graffiti so I can add to the wall! Did you also notice it says "Boom" which stands for my other shop Boom! Plush!? So personal and sweet!

Well what do you think? Is it not the most awesome plush ever!!!?? A big thanks to Becky for making my day/month/year.

Pro Nails!!

2011-01-07T17:31:00.000-08:00

My pal Sarah posted a video on Facebook the other day on how to make marble nails. I thought it was so cool! She agreed and today we decided to try it for ourselves. It was really fun and we learned a lot along the way. It definitely wasn't as hard as I thought it would be.

She decided in the end that the effect really wasn't for her so she took hers off and painted them solid black. I left mine though because I like crazy colors. I think if I did it again though I would come up with a strategy that matches better. I was just doing colors all willy nilly. Anyhoo here is how they look!

Hot Pop Gallery Show

2010-12-30T08:50:00.000-08:00

Hello everyone! The Plush Team is doing a group gallery show at Hot Pop Boutique & Gallery in Milwaukee. The show opens on January 21 and runs through March 20. The exciting part is the theme.......Candyland! I was really excited about the theme because I love candy/treat themed plush. Originally we were scheduled to have the show in May but got moved to January. That is the downside. It was really hard to find time to work on plush for the show with all the Christmas crazies but I was able to get 5 pieces done (which what was asked). Since the show goes through March we have been told that as things sell (hopefully) we can send stuff to restock. Soooo there may be more candy plush from me in the near future!

Because I am still trying to promote both of my shops (Boom! Plush! and BeBe Babies and Friends) I wanted to make pieces that would represent both. I decided to make 4 Ice Cream BeBe Cones and one candy monster. The monster is a spin on the Lemonheads candy character. I made him to look very similar to the actual character but made him furry and gave him horns. I really think he is cute!

This is the original character in case you don't remember.

And my monster!

I had a needle felted lemon sucker that I made a long time ago so I stuck that in his hand.

Doesn't he have a sweet face!? This is another one I kind of hope comes home to me hee hee.

Last but not least here are the little BeBe Ice Cream Cones! It's funny because a couple people have pointed out that they are scary which took me a little by surprise. It's weird when you make something and you see it one way and then someone points out something about it that you never would have thought before. Depending on what is said it can be a little alarming. I have to admit hearing that they are scary did kind of shake my confidence. Mostly because I didn't mean them to be, or think they are, scary at all! I can only think of one thing that makes them scary and that is if you literally look at them like you are eating a baby...which is not what I meant at all! I sort of thought in my head that the babies are so sweet...like ice cream! I'm really not the first one to make plush ice cream cones..I mean look at this, this, this and this.

If you live in the Milwaukee area be sure to stop by Hot Pop where you can find all of these guys as well as a bunch of other awesome plush by the Plush Team!

Christmas Highlights!

2010-12-28T09:52:00.000-08:00

It was a crazy Christmas holiday with something new to do and someone to see nearly every day. I am enjoying relaxing now and playing with my new toys. Next week school starts back up so I am working through my long list of things that need to be done before then. But before I get back to it I thought I would share some of my favorite highlights from the holiday this year.

If you've been reading my blog you know that I handmade all my gifts this year not necessarily because I wanted to but because becoming a student has seriously cut my funds, like to $0. It turned out to be a good thing though because I think I really gave everyone something that fit their personality. What's better than getting something you would never expect but was made with love just for you? Nothing I say.

My step dad with his "wood rat".

My Mom with her carolers.

And brother with his flame. He says he will strap it to the front of the firetruck. Yay!

The other best event this holiday was getting to see my nephews. They live a couple hours away now so seeing them is really a special event. Of course they are super squirmy and hard to get pictures of but here are a couple. They love dinosaurs and got a whole bunch for Christmas.

Wyatt told me he is "fixing the dinosaur's teeth".

I received so many wonderful gifts this year but here are some of my favorites. The crowning glory surely is my new sewing machine from my Dad. My Dad bought me my first sewing machine about 4 years ago. It definitely isn't fancy but it has served me well all these years. It made me a little sad to retire it but it had gotten loud and had a few inconvenient quirks due to how badly I have treated it. I think it will be good to have both in case my new one breaks down or I need to borrow one to someone. The new machine I got this year is a Brother and has a whole bunch of features for making clothing. Of course I don't make clothes but I like having the option because I would love to learn in the future. Also it is computerized and has all kinds of crazy programmable stitches. I had a lot of fun trying them all out. I have already been using the machine and it was a super smooth transition and I love it! Here she is!

This next gem isn't a gift but could have been by how much joy it brought has me and continues to bring. My brother's roommate is this hilarious funny guy and my brother is kind of hmmm how shall I say it.. uptight? Both of them are bachelors (which is crazy pants) but they are. Anyway my bro's roommate got them some silly Christmas sweaters at Goodwill and they took a silly photo in front of their fireplace. My brother almost didn't give me one because he is afraid of what people will think. I told him to lighten up cuz it is HI-larious! (Brother is on the right).

My Mom and step dad got me all kinds of goodies including a vintage 60's suitcase, a gift certificate to get my car cleaned, underwear from my pal Ashley, black boots and more. However the thing I have used the most already are these adorable knit slippers. Look how cute!

Now I must get back to checking things off my to-do list! Later dudes...

Merry Christmas!

2010-12-25T12:47:00.001-08:00

Last but not least here are the ornaments I made for my Dad's little tree. I hope you all are having a wonderful holiday!

Christmas Gifts Part 2

2010-12-21T16:11:00.000-08:00

I told you there would be a part 2!!! I am in the home stretch and feeling a lot better than I was the other day. I think it is going to all get done. Yay! One thing that has been awesome about making plush gifts for everyone this year is that for some reason they have all come together with little frustration. Every single plush is a new design for me that I have never made before but even so I have not had to start over once! This is a huge accomplishment. It must be the love going into each one.. :) On to the plush!

First I made these Christmas ball monster ornaments the other day. The red one went to a holiday gift exchange and the other is hanging here waiting for someone to receive him (although I'm not even sure who that will be..maybe me).

The next gift is for my brother. He is a fireman and I thought it would be fun to make him some kind of flame or fire plush. While I was browsing the Internet looking for inspiration I came across this guy. After seeing him it was impossible to draw my own design without him looking just like it. Normally I don't like to use anyone else's work as I prefer to draw my own. I think it is more unique and ethical if you know what I mean. I decided because it was just a plush for my brother I would just make the plush exactly like the illustration (just this once).

And lastly I finished my step dad's gift today. My step dad has a nickname that is "wood rat". He is obsessed with woodworking and has made all kinds of wood projects and furniture. For instance I went to their house the other day and found some of my older dolls sticking out of his newest toy box. He sent me this picture later.

So I decided to make him a plush rat that would be holding a "wood" sign that read Wood Rat. I was really really happy with how he came out and wanted to hug him. He is so soft and squeezable! I am happy that all these gifts will be staying in the family though.

That's it for now! There still should be a part 3 coming as I am still working on a couple more gifts but the post might be after Christmas. If I don't post before the holiday I wish you all the best!

Christmas Gifts Part 1

2010-12-16T14:02:00.000-08:00

I call this post part 1 because I am working non stop on Christmas gifts and there is bound to be a second post with the second round of gifts. I would like to say that I am a cheery santa's workshop type elf but really I think I resemble a manic crazed elf who has far too much to make and not enough time to do it. I already know that it isn't going to all get done and the part that has me panicked is that there are no funds to buy last minute gifts. I foresee many people opening artfully made IOUs this year.

*sigh*

Jolly aren't I? Before I continue bringing you down (does anyone except my Mom even read this blog?...) on to the gifts!

This gift is for a fun gift exchange I have coming up. I have had a BeBe ice cream cone design in my head for a while and finally made one. I really this she's cute and will probably make more.

And this next gift is for my Mom. I have instructed her not to read my blog until after Christmas but since she checks my blog everyday I am hoping she won't forget and do it out of habit. My Mom has a thing for Christmas carolers so I thought I would make some cute little BeBe carolers. I think they came out so cute!

I made their little books from images on the Internet shrunk down. I think it worked well.

Everything I used to make each doll came from scraps I already had. It feels really good to be able to use stuff from my craft room and not have to run out and buy something every five seconds. The dolls each are about 11 inches tall.

Well I better get back to the slave machine, I mean sewing machine. :)

Plush Team Happenings

2010-12-08T16:21:00.000-08:00

Lot's of Plush Team stuff happening around here today. First I was super excited when I saw that Leeanna (Plush Goodness) was having a giveaway on her blog Meet Sam and Pete. Leeanna was giving away one of her super adorable plush mini yetis and of course I just had to enter. Leeanna is a member of the Plush Team and I have coveted her plush for a long time. Oh she is also super nice! And guess what? I won!!!!! Yay me! Little Yardley arrived today and he is so freaking cute and soft. Thanks sooo much to Leeanna for brightening my day and giving me a plush gift. It means a lot to me because times are tough this year and it was looking like I wouldn't get any plushies for Christmas. It makes me happy!

Also I ordered a PlushTeam t-shirt from Skreened the other day and it arrived. Everytime I order an American Apparel shirt I order a large and it is a little snug (this is also a source of shame and embarrassment that a large shirt is too tight). Every time (I have probably 3 American Apparel shirts) I order I think I should just get an x-large and get over it because my shirt would at least fit. So I finally did it when I ordered the Plush Team shirt because I convinced myself that if it was too big I would use my super sewing skills to resize it. I'm not sure why I never thought of that before. Well I got the shirt today and it is huuuuge so now I am going to have to figure out resizing it..or make a dress! I like the shirt though.

WeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeEEEEEEEee!!!!!!!! Look at my crazy messy workroom!

Ok that is all for now!

Mac The New Graffiti Monster and Going to Gallery

2010-11-26T16:22:00.000-08:00

First I have to say I might be losing my marbles. The holidays are always crazy and I forget every year until the panic sets in and I am running around like a chicken with its head cut off. I like being my own boss but I really need to stop piling so much on my plate during the holidays. Most days I have 10,000 more things to do than I can complete and I stress SO MUCH about the things I won't get to. Also my studying is suffering and that is just unacceptable! So it feels good to complete such a big project as this and know that one huge thing is off my list.

Remember the graffiti monster I made over the summer? I had started a second one and then had to put him aside (see above paragraph). Well then I got wind of a gallery in Chicago that is putting on a plush show in December. The gallery is called Oh No! Doom which I think is just about the coolest name ever. Lana Crooks is coordinating the show, which is called Soft Served, and she makes the coolest plush ever! I mean look at this and this. It's insane (and admittedly intimidating).

Anyhoo they are letting me in and it is the first gallery show I have ever done. It has been a goal of mine for a long time to get into doing gallery shows but I never seemed to have the time. I like it because it allows me to be creative and work on a design I have never done before. After all that is my favorite thing about making plush!

I decided to send Mr. Lucius the first graffiti monster as well as finish the second one. I had not really done much on the second one so I had a looooong way to go and I have been working on him for what feels like forever. You know me and my details. He's finally done though and I just took some photos of him.

This is the doodle of him when he was first conceived (like a plush baby haha).

And here he is done!

As you can see I changed a few things about him and to be honest I haven't looked at his original picture until I started to write this post and now I wish I would have looked at it sooner. I think I would have done a couple other/different things. But I am really going to stop obsessing about it!

Raaaaaaawwwrrr!

Wanna know a little bit about him? Well he is about 20 inches tall and 13 inches wide. He is made of fake fur, felt and fleece. His eyes are glass and hand painted. I painted in some blood looking spots. The eyes are wired and can be bent in different positions. I love how they came out. He wears a knit beanie and has 12 arms/legs. His paint cans all have paint with three of them standing out as spray.

Blood eyes

Side View

If you are interested in Lucius or Mac check out the Oh No! Doom gallery in December.

Mac does graffiti.

Lucius wants one more photo taken.

Thanks for reading! I have to get back to sewing now!

Y is for Yummy

2010-11-14T15:17:00.000-08:00

The fabulous Plush Team will be doing a group show at the HotPop gallery in January and the theme is Candyland. What a great theme!! For the show the team decided to create plush letters that would make up candy themed words. The words would then be strung around the shop amongst the plush pieces. Well you know how I like making plush letters/words so I of course signed up. I was chosen for the first "Y" in Yummy. There were some really great letters being made like this one, this one and this one and I was feeling like I couldn't compete! I decided to look at candy online and I found these rainbow twist lollipops that I thought would be cool in plush.

And here is what I came up with! What do you think?

mmmmmm...yummy

Now I have to come up with what I am going to make for the show itself. Perhaps candy babies....monsters eating candy...I guess I better get cracking.

New and Exciting!!!

2010-10-27T16:51:00.000-07:00

One of the number one requests I receive from customers is a baby doll for kids with changeable clothes. The second most common request is a play doll with open eyes. I have accomplished both with this new design! It all started when I was cleaning out my drawers (like usual) and found this doll that I never finished. What happened was somehow the head, body and legs got sewn but no arms. Well each fabric I have is slightly different and the fabric that doll was made from ran out before I was able to get arms sewn. For about a year the doll sat here and I tried to match the fabric but it never happened.

Last week I bought some fabric paints with the intention of painting eyes that would hopefully withstand a washing. Prior to now I used acrylic paint that was durable but not washable which was the reason I did not have open eyed dolls for kids. I decided that the doll that had been stuffed in the drawer would become an experiment. I painted eyes and then after letting it dry tossed the head in the washing machine. I was nervous but so happy when it came out perfect!!! I decided to finish the doll into a huge bundle baby since it didn't have any arms. I listed her in my shop and she was snapped up immediately (maybe I should make more big ones).

Next I started on a design with changeable clothes for kids to play with. Here is the first one, a little girl with sleepy eyes.

I thought she came out super cute but I wanted to alter the pattern to have smaller hands and added ears. I made a little boy next with open eyes.

I spent the day photographing them and trying to come up with a name for the design. They are so soft and floppy, truly a baby doll I would have loved as a little girl. After discussing with my Mom on name ideas I decided to call them Soft Heart BeBes. What do you think?

They measure in at about 15 inches long. Each Soft Heart will come in a velcro diaper, altered onesie, hat and socks. They can have open or sleeping eyes, be a boy or girl and have different skin colors. Do you know a little girl or boy that would like a sweat little baby doll for Christmas? If so please email me if you would like to order. Otherwise I hope to get a couple of these little ones made up and listed in my shop before Christmas. If you like the two shown above you can find the boy in my shop and the girl may be listed as soon as I hear from a customer that may purchase her. And for now here are some additional pictures of them.

A Pumpkin Filled Day

2010-10-18T09:29:00.000-07:00

My pal Sarah planned a pumpkin carving party yesterday at her house which started with heading out to the pumpkin patch first thing in the morning. We went last year too and it was so much fun I am hoping it is becoming a tradition! The pumpkin patch we go to is at Lone Pine Farms and is only a little ways out of town. They have goats, hay/corn mazes, playgrounds, food and of course PUMPKINS!

The goats are always really cute. They have food you can buy to feed them. Some of them are high up on a goats-only path that goes over head.

Normally you take either a tractor or horse drawn ride out to the patch so this year we got our tickets and boarded. Our friends Dave and Kim decided instead to walk to the closest patch and I was like "who wants to walk....you gotta take the ride!!". Well it turns out it wasn't a very good pumpkin season in these parts so the tractor took us around the perimeter and ended up just dropping us off right next to Kim and Dave. It turns out that WAS the only patch! It was kind of stupid ha ha. We ended up walking back!

After picking your pumpkin you have to put it on a big scale and get it weighed. Then the best part happens....TREATS! Inside the store there are piles and piles of fresh produce and sweet treats. We always get a bag (or bags depending on who you are) of the farm's kettle corn but it is also fun to check out the other treats. They had the biggest carmel apples we had ever seen.

Sarah had planned the carving part for the afternoon so after coming home for a bit I made some homemade scalloped potatoes and headed back over. I am a firm believer in the pumpkin carving kits that come with tools and templates so I got a new one this year to bring and share. Everyone got to work and our pal Dave toasted the pumpkin seeds in the oven (which came out delicious). Adam sat out front where he had more "elbow room" and carved a masterpiece.

The pumpkins started lining up outside the house before it was dark but luckily we didn't have to wait long before it was dark enough to see them in all their glory. We ended the evening with a game of Apples to Apples (which by the way is my favorite game ever). It was a great day!

Miniature Mania!

2010-10-03T11:32:00.001-07:00

I was recently asked to make the smallest doll I have ever made at two inches. The first attempt was too big but I got it right the second time around. I enjoyed making the tiny dolls so much I made another one and listed him today. One thing I like about these little guys is that they don't require many supplies. And things are still tight around here until my financial aid arrives so there has been no spending money on supplies! I also like that they don't take as much time to make as some of my larger, more involved dolls/plush.

This is the one that started at all. I finally got her down to 2 inches.

Below on the left is Tilly who was my very first attempt. She is available in my Etsy shop along with Robert who was finished up yesterday.

In addition to that doll request I was also asked by a nurse to create a BeBe Pet bear that she could attach to her stethoscope. After creating that little guy I made a couple more of those too. It is kind of fun when people ask for something special because it gives me an opportunity to do something I hadn't thought of. I like it!

Below is the little guy that went to the nurse.

This little one is a polar bear available for adoption here.

The two pictures below include a patchwork bunny, brown bear and tan dog. They all went to one person who adores miniatures.

Want your very own miniature but need something not available? Email me! I would be glad to work with you. :)

Happy Happy Birthday!

2010-09-19T10:48:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite little people ever turned 3 and had his birthday party last night.

I was finally able to give him his giant octopus that has been waiting here for him. I made him an octopus because my Mom has a small one and whenever he comes to her house he dives for it. I had not made it to be safe for kids (small eyes) as it was supposed to be just for my Mom. But she told me how sad it is to take away from him and that he needed his own. I hope he likes it!

The party was at a pizza place I went to when I was a kid, and had my own birthday parties at. It has a super old horse carousel that of course is always the main hit of the night. I rode around on it once and felt a little sick so after that I stood on the sidelines. This is my Mom with the other little stinker who I haven't spent as much time with, unfortunately :(. He is so sweet and squeezable!

I can't believe he is 3! This does not seem so long ago! (Hat via Auntie Casie haha).

It's Looking Spooky Cute Around Here!!

2010-09-12T14:41:00.000-07:00

Lately I have been working really hard to use up fabrics and finish half completed projects. The main reason is because of my car troubles and it's resulting effect on my bank account. It actually has been good for me to work at finding things to make around the house and not running to the fabric store on every little whim. Another benefit has been that the BeBe Babies and Friends Etsy shop has been consistently making sales and staying stocked. Yay!

One dolly that has been sitting around for about a year now is a little witch that didn't get adopted last year with the others. Not only that but there was another witch that was laying here half completed. I just got them listed in my etsy shop today. You can find Zora here and Lilura here.

In addition to these little witches I have been working, and listing, new designs for Halloween. Here are some of my other new creations that are available in my Etsy shop.

BeBe Pet Bat

Tiny Witch

Vampire Bundle BeBe

Just a reminder I have the time right now to take orders so if you don't see what you are looking for or need something in a different color send me an email at bebebabiescom@yahoo.com Thanks for visiting!

Graffiti Monster and More Fall BeBes

2010-09-03T16:04:00.000-07:00

Just thought I would share some of my recent creations. Not much else going on around here but sew, sew, sewing! This is Graffiti Monster, I caught him in an alley by my house.

And here are some Halloween/fall inspired Bundle BeBes I listed today.

Car Trouble and Working Hard

2010-08-26T21:08:00.000-07:00

Unfortunately my car broke down this week and after picking it up from the shop today I am officially broke. Soooo that means no more fun sewing and messing around I had to get some dolls put together and listed. Check out the BeBe Babies shop as well as the Boom! Plush shop for lots of new listings. Here is a couple pictures of what you will find.

And tomorrow I will be listing lot's of new vampire pencils.

Graffiti!

2010-08-21T18:22:00.000-07:00

I had this idea a while back and I never really got around to doing it until now. I had the idea that it would be fun to turn graffiti into plush. While I realize graffiti can be controversial in my opinion really well done pieces are so amazing. My favorite thing is all the bright colors. I started by searching to see if anyone else had done anything like this and the only other plush graffiti I found was by a fellow Plush Team member Chris Creatures. But also when I searched I found this picture on Flickr. Not only was it graffiti but it said plush! And not only did it say plush but it was from Portland Maine where I was in May for Sarah's wedding! It was like fate or something haha.

I started by creating a pattern and in the process I realized that there was no "S" in the picture. I stared at it forever trying to figure out if I am just a doof or if there really is no S. I really didn't want to change the artists work but I figured if I wanted it to say plush I wouldn't be the only one that realized there was no S. I decided to add it myself and I hope it didn't ruin it. I am in the process of trying to contact the actual artist because I don't plan to sell it unless the original artist approves and receives compensation.

I used some of the skills I learned in my quilting class when I pieced the colors together. I was happy about that! My hope is that I can find a graffiti artist (or a couple) to work with on some more pieces. I really think it is something I would love to work on and maybe do a gallery show? I don't know.... one can dream.

My fingers are killing me from all the hand sewing and I am glad it is done. A little bit about it: It measures about 33 in. by 10 in. at the biggest spots and around 3 inches thick. It is made of cotton and all of the accents are wool felt. I had to change some of the accents due to the pattern naturally changing from paper to fabric but I did the best I could to keep it the same as the original. I took it around the neighborhood this evening to snap some photos that I hoped would look realistic. These are the two I liked best.

Do you know a graffiti artist that would be interested in working with me? Let me know! I hope you like my new work...could you imagine soft graffiti around town? I think it would be cool but I would never give one of these away to the city...too much work! It makes me appreciate the work that graffiti artists do that will most likely be painted over if it is out on the streets.

An Aha Moment

2010-08-16T17:56:00.000-07:00

A couple days ago I received an email from a representative of Mutual of Omaha's Aha Moments. Apparently they are touring the country in an airstream and were stopping in Eugene today and tomorrow. She asked if I would be interested in coming down and telling them about my dolls/plush, emphasizing how making them has changed my life. Well I have seen the Aha Moment commercials and I totally thought it was about people who overcame an enormous obstacle or have donated their time to the community. I really had no idea it was just about normal people doing something interesting (or uninteresting as I found out by watching some of the Aha Moments videos on the website haha). I had no visions of grander or being in a commercial but I thought hey why not, maybe I would get some publicity out of it.

All weekend I debated if I should write something out or come up with what to say and I thought about it but never did write anything down. As the day and time approached I guess I decided to wing it, and I did. I was really nervous this morning while I was getting ready. Even though people think I speak well and always say I look relaxed I still am always a bundle of nerves inside. I have never been on any sort of film before and I was afraid I might choke and say nothing.

Me ready to go haha!

The rep. suggested I bring along some plush to show and tell and I spent some time thinking about what I should take. They had contacted me through my BeBe Babies shop but I have really been working on Boom!Plush much more so I decided to bring something representative of both shops. I decided to bring the large plush turntables and two Sweetie BeBes. It took some creative maneuvering to carry the turntables since I was riding my bike down to the airstream. I ended up shoving it through my backpack straps haha.

The airstream was in the parking lot of the 5th street market and when I arrived I was greeted by some very pleasant young people. They got me all signed in and hustled into the interview room. I felt like such a dork. Luckily the girl interviewing me was adorable and super nice. I had to repeat myself several times, in several ways because she said that helps the editors get what they need. She also instructed me to speak in complete sentences that flow nicely. All I can say is I did my best and I hope I didn't sound and look like a moron. I don't feel like my story is all that impressive but I told them about how I quit work nearly a year ago to go back to school. I talked about how my work has evolved into what I feel is art. I was able to throw in a shout out to the Plush Team and talk about what it means to me to be apart of such a creative plush community. She asked me what advice I would have for other people and what has changed in my life due to my work. I shared how I would never have met one of my bestest friends and how my biggest advice is to always keep trying to make something because I feel like everyone should make art or crafts, and everyone can. I hope out of everything I said they can make it come together in an interesting way. My video should be posted in 2-3 weeks and they said they would let me know when it is.

They let me keep my "clap board" which is kinda cool.

When it came time at the end to show them my work I began unwrapping the turntables and I thought the guy working with me was going to explode. It turns out he is/used to be a dj and he was beyond excited to see the turntables. He was so excited in fact that after he took my pictures with it he had to jump in and get a bunch of his own pictures with it. The turntables were so exciting to them that they decided not even to get pictures of the BeBes which was fine with me. Luckily I had just got my Boom!Plush buttons in the mail today so I gave them a handful and I told them about the mini turntables and he took a card because he wanted to check them out.

Here are my new buttons I ordered from kittycrossbones on etsy.

Overall it was fun and I am excited to see the video of me. I am a little nervous about how I look in the video so I may or may not share it once it is posted haha.

Don't Chew your Pencils or they Might Chew You!

2010-08-14T19:51:00.000-07:00

The Plush Team is doing another team fundraiser and my week to list some tiny plush is coming up this Tuesday. I had all kinds of ideas of what I wanted to do but I settled on pencils because I was thinking of the whole back to school time coming up around here. This ended up being a pretty smooth project and I love how they came out. In case you can't tell they are vampires. Each one is slightly different and they all have a different eye color. They are made of fleece. Three of them are going to be listed in the Plush Team shop on Tuesday Aug. 17. You can find the shop here. One of them is going to be included in the Plush Team giveaway that is going to be given at the end of the book tour. I may make some more of these guys for the Boom! Plush shop if they are well received. What do you think?

New Set! Alienpus!

2010-08-11T15:09:00.001-07:00

I drove around to all the craft stores today and can you believe there was no space paper anywhere??? No stars, planets, aliens nada!!! Maybe it is the wrong time of year because there was plenty of beach paper (which would have come in handy last time with my under the sea theme but of course it wasn't out then). I guess when putting together a scrapbook you would rarely need space paper as most of us don't visit space on our family/summer vacations. I guess it's a good thing because it enables me to cut up paper and play with my craft supplies. Who needs cookie cutter designs anyway!

Anyhoo! Yesterday I was walking to swimming class and I had a brilliant idea! Well maybe not brilliant but something I really wanted to make and so as soon as I got home I furiously sewed the rest of the day. I love projects that I am able to complete in one day and this was one of them. Pleasantly there was little frustration and I only had to start over on the vinyl once, yay! By the way, vinyl is a bit tricky to sew with and I am new to it. I think there are so many possibilities though.

You know how I recently enlarged my octopus pattern and made some big ones? Well for some reason I am obsessed with all things octopus and it's not like I am the only one. Lots of people out there have been making all kinds of octopuses, monster-puses and more. Like these, these, these and these. However I have not seen an alien octopus and for some reason it popped into my head. This may be due to the amount of X-Files I have been watching lately.

A little bit about this dude: He is made of green and white fleece and his helmet is vinyl. He is approximately 10 inches tall and 22 inches wide. All of his tentacles are wired and can be posed. He has a somewhat floppy big head but can be positioned pretty easily without his head tipping over. The helmet is not removable because he would die if he breathed our air. He probably needs a story but I didn't write one so you can imagine for yourself where he came from and what he is doing here. Oh and if you want to bring him home he is in the Boom! Plush shop here.

Rafting Again

2010-08-09T14:05:00.000-07:00

On Friday I went rafting with my Dad and brother again. This time it was a much smoother trip as far as getting in and out of the water. The other bonus (depending on how you look at it) was that we hit a couple of actual rapids. I was sooooo SCARED! Except my Dad was more scared and screamed like a girl haha. Oh and guess what this time we caught some fishes! My Dad insisted on me reeling them all in haha.

Since it was impossible to take photos while falling through the rapids it was super exciting to see a company called West Coast Action Photos taking photos on the shore. I am thinking that would be a pretty sweet job...taking pictures of people going through the rapids. So if you are interested in seeing us you can go here. Our pictures are in two albums by two different photographers all on 8-6-2010.

Giant Octopuses!

2010-08-08T18:50:00.000-07:00

I recently enlarged my octopus pattern to make some giant octopuses for some very special kiddos in my family. Here are the first two and I have one more to make. I took them to my Mom's today for a photo shoot because she always has pretty settings to put them in. I am thinking about listing a custom option in the Boom!Plush! shop where you can choose your colors and style for your very own octopus. What do you think? I hope you like them!

Flowers!

2010-08-05T14:13:00.001-07:00

Well seeing as though it is the second time I have come home recently and had someone photographing the flowers in my yard I decided maybe I should take my own pictures. I have to admit my yard is the crowning glory of living here. It is beautiful, orderly and lush. Unfortunately, while I enjoy it, it just reminds me that the inside of the house is not quite as beautiful or orderly. Oh well at least something around here is! I hope you enjoy these pictures of the flowers in my yard.

Daisies!

The next two pictures are two of the plants that overhang on the fence between my yard and the neighbors. I don't know what they are but there is an orange one, a yellow one and a pink one. They are fabulous at attracting hummingbirds but unfortunately also bees. They make me long for Hawaii because they remind me of Hawaiian flowers.

Usually when I catch someone in the yard taking pictures they are focused on these bad boys. For some reason these (irises I think) looooove the dirt in my yard. They grow like weeds! The flowers are so gorgeous but since they are planted along the fence people walking by are always admiring them. I sort of cussed a guy out last year for cutting one of them (poor guy looked so sorry and was probably just thinking of the beautiful bouquet he was gonna give to a special lady). HOWever people that cut other people's flowers make me so angry. Because I am home nearly all the time now I sit waiting for the next person to try and cut these. They will be sorry I tell ya! They are mine and are there for mine and other people's enjoyment. Please don't steal someone's flowers!!! Ok off my soap box.

Roosevelt came to see what I was up to

I hope you enjoyed visiting the yard!

Other Peoples Stuff

2010-08-01T20:46:00.000-07:00

Well it is a boring evening. Nothing is on tv and I have a sore back from my recent intensive sewing days so I am taking a break and browsing Etsy. Here are the new (to me) shops and/or cute things I found.

I have never heard of this shop, Monsters etc., but I love it and I particularly want this little pink one. I am on a plush buying hiatus though due to lack of funds and because of the bike I purchased today so I am just browsing.

Guinea pigs kinda scare me so I was surprised that I like these ones by Morumoto so much. They are cute and the bonus is you don't have to clean up after them or buy them food.

EEEEEEkkkkk look at these octopodes by dooptheory!!!!

Oh boy am I regretting this boredom. I think I *may* bring this froggy girl by HazelVillage home. I really just can't resist her cuteness and I feel I must see her every day on my shelf in order to keep smiling each new day..

These are ultra cute sprouts from Whimsicritter!

I hope you liked these little inspirations! Night!

Mini Turntables!

2010-07-31T16:43:00.000-07:00

So I had this great idea after finishing my large turntables (see previous post). I thought it would be cool to make a smaller size and have changeable pieces. Originally I thought I would have different pieces for the eyes (record part), face and arms.

Well there were a couple things I realized during this project:

1. Fleece was a really bad choice for something this small and detailed. I plan to make another one but I am going to try with wool felt next time because I think it will stand up better to the necessary hand sewing and not stretch out as much. It was also really hard to make things match with the fleece.

2. Sometimes I am a little too ambitious with my pieces. I wanted to make these as something to list in my new Boom!Plush! shop but I was beginning to think I would have to charge a billion dollars for one if I made everything changeable. I had to settle for just the eyes and face being removable. Maybe if the next one goes faster I will add more pieces that can be changed.

A little about this guy; he measures about 8 x 3.5 x 1 inches big and is made of fleece and foam. The eyes and faces attach by Velcro and can be changed any which way. The eyes are non-pop safety eyes. I think I am still going to list this fella in my shop and hopefully the next one will be a little easier on me to make as well as a little better looking.

Now I am going to begin on the Plushteam July/August challenge which is VEGAS!! I am excited for what I have decided to do but you will have to wait and see because I never tell until I am done.

Boom!Plush! and Progress

2010-07-27T21:34:00.000-07:00

Have you heard? I opened a new shop. It is called Boom!Plush! and you can find more info about it here on etsy. You will find lots of plushies I have been working on that don't fit into the BeBe Babies theme. I am working each day to come up with new creations as well as my first ever pattern so check back often.

Also during the next couple of months that I have off from school I plan to finish up projects that have been lying around. One of those projects is turntables that I started what seems like a lifetime ago (I actually just looked it up and it has been over a year...holy crap). I was never really happy with the first go around and was a little frustrated. Well it has sat around my craft room all these months doing stupid things like holding up backdrops and getting in my way. I wasn't happy with how the face was coming so I removed some things and started in again. This time around it is really starting to come together and I think I am in the home stretch. I ran out of black embroidery floss so I had to stop for the night. To read about the turntables in the beginning click here.

This is how it originally looked when I gave up.

And here is how it looks now!

Working on this project again has energized me. Mostly it is because I am also working on a boom box that has been frustrating me and forcing me to start over on things that don't look right. Switching to the turntables has reminded me about my own best advice which is to keep going until the piece is done. There will be bumps in the road and when there are it is best to set something aside and come back reenergized. So here are some pictures of the boom box and the plush cassettes that inspired it.

The tapes fit inside!

Much of this work will be posted to my new Etsy shop hopefully in the near future. I hope you like my new stuff!

Blog Bomb!

2010-07-19T11:08:00.000-07:00

The Plush Team is celebrating the release of its 120-page team annual with a "blog bomb" of plushy goodness! Other team members will be advertising this fine publication today in their own blogs, but you can get the whole scoop right here!

What is in store for you upon opening this marvelous book?

An opening by our team founder, Megan Green, describing how our team came to be.
An insightful, informative, and all-around fascinating account of the history of plush craft by our team co-founder Christina Ward.
42 two-page, full color features of our Plush Team members. Each includes photos of the artist's work, and text written by the artist explaining motivation, process, and inspiration.
A time line of Plush Team activities through over the years. Profile pages providing a comprehensive list of Plush Team artists, including artist head shots and Etsy shop addresses.
Photos of PT Stitchy, the team mascot, scattered throughout the book in his various incarnations as interpreted by our team members.

The book is full color, professionally printed, and soft cover. It measures 6.75"x6.75" (or 17 centimeters square). This is volume 1 of our Team Annual, featuring the artists from 2009. Our intent is to make this a yearly publication, updating it each year with our newest members and their incredible work.

And here are my pages!

Progress!!

2010-07-18T21:39:00.003-07:00

Here is a quick progress of my quilt. It is going well....definitely not perfect but I am happy with myself.

Quilting Class!

2010-07-11T18:46:00.000-07:00

Sarah asked me a while back if I would be interested in taking a quilting class with her at this little fabric shop that is only about a block from my house. It is called Piece by Piece Fabrics and they have a great selection of cotton fabrics. I told her of course I would! People consider me a professional sewer and I get asked all the time for tips and advice but I usually have to admit that I do not know a thing about it! It's true! I don't follow patterns and mostly sew by trial and error. I tried to make a quilt once and my corners were so off it was a mess. Granted that was 10 years ago and long before I sewed for a living but I still remember it and think that experience adds to my reservations on my abilities. I have wanted to improve my sewing skills for a long time and this class seemed like a great chance.

We had to pick 4 fabrics for our quilt and here are three of mine.

Sarah and I went fabric shopping and I had a bunch of other fabrics picked out until I found the middle one. It has adorable foxes and squirrels on it in a fall motif. I couldn't resist so I stole a couple Sarah had already picked out for her quilt (sorry Sarah!). She ended up picking something totally different anyway so there.

The class is 3 hours each Sunday for 3 weeks. That seemed like a long time but our first class today went by so fast. I really like our teacher and look at my squares!!!!!

They aren't perfect but I am happy with them! I will be sure to post more progress pictures next week.

A Big Custom Bunny

2010-07-04T18:00:00.000-07:00

A while back I was asked for a large bunny similar to the bunny series I did a few Easters ago (here, here and here). Well I finally finished her today and I think she is soooo cute. She is a whopping 27 inches from her foot to the tip of her ear and 19 inches from her foot to the top of her head. She is made from a pink cotton candy plush faux fur and her face is cotton. Her face is needle sculpted and her ears are wired so that they can be bent and posed. My previous bunnies were string jointed but this bunny is going to a kiddo so I decided to give her plastic safety joints. The joints are in her arms, legs and head. She is weighted a bit in her feet and tush so that she can sit pretty well. Her feet and hands are needle sculpted and shaded. Instead of making her a dress I put an adorable vintage dress on her. I am no seamstress and I thought an easily removable dress would be better for this girl. I hope her new momma likes her!

Rafting and Fishing

2010-06-26T19:39:00.000-07:00

Today I did something I have never done before but have always wanted to do....I went rafting! Oregon is full of amazing rivers and lakes but it seems like I have spent little time doing activities on the water. When I heard that my Dad and brother were planning a trip I jumped on the bandwagon. The trip was originally described to me as a leisurely float down the river. We would get up around nine, be on the river by ten and float for a couple hours. As the trip got closer my brother informed me that, no, we would be meeting at Dads at 8 in the morning which meant I needed to be up by 6:30, on a Saturday no less. The thought of such an early morning on the weekend didn't sound so great but I really wanted to float down the river so I didn't back out. I am sure glad I didn't!

The day started out overcast.

Dad!

We had a great time and although it was a long day I feel great. There are several things I learned about rafting:

1. It is a lot more work that I ever imagined.

2. Everything takes twice as long as I thought it would.

3. Rowing/maneuvering is impossible for me (Brother made me try rowing and I successfully rowed us from one bank to the other in under a minute but moved us no further down the river. He was mad and would not let me try any more).

4. The boat does not just float down the river all by itself. It takes someone skilled to navigate and control it with oars (thanks brother).

5. The Mohawk river is impossibly slow and there are NO rapids.

Good thing brother has muscles.

I was excited about the prospect of catching some fish and I had visions of bbq-ing some delicious fishes upon our return but alas nothing was biting. I have only fished like twice in my life but I didn't find it as hard as I remembered. I really was not into the live bait part though so brother had to get my hook ready for me.

My brother has a river raft and my Dad has a new pontoon boat he was anxious to try out on a river. I really liked his pontoon boat as it seemed like a perfect personal boat to zip around on. He had so many trinkets and gadgets all over it. Here he is taking a picture of me taking a picture of him. :)

See how cool his boat is!

Some spots were shallow which required jumping out and pulling/pushing the boats. Dad was able to do the Flintstones in his boat!

The whole trip was mellow and relaxed until we came to a downed tree blocking the river. Unfortunately there was no navigating through it and we soon realized we would have to carry the boats around the tree. Luckily it was in a spot that had very soft tall grass around it and even though it seemed impossible we carried/pushed the boats and gear around the blockage quickly. If the tree would have been somewhere near the many tall banks it would have been impossible.

The downed tree.

Hauling stuff around.

We made a huge dent in the grass!!!

Good thing it wasn't here!

I had my eyes peeled all day for some wildlife and was nearly giving up on seeing any animals (except for the adorable momma goose that nearly attacked by Dad for getting too close to her babies) when finally we saw a gorgeous deer. There was some debate as to whether this deer was a baby or not. My brother and I thought it was a year old fawn and my Dad insisted it was full grown. None the less she was very pretty.

We had planned to float all the way down to my Dads truck at Armatage park but unfortunately after 5 hours of floating we realized we needed to pull out early otherwise we would be rafting until midnight. Good thing my Mom and step dad were home because they came and drove my brother to his truck so we could get out of there.

We had so much fun that we agreed to take another trip at the beginning of August. Next time we will begin where we pulled out today. Next time we will most likely experience more rapids and actually make it into the McKenzie river. As for the rest of today I am going to hit the hay with my deliciously warm sunburn and wake up in the morning to piles of homework.

Finally Done!

2010-06-20T13:55:00.000-07:00

Remember how my pals Sarah and Adam got married last month? Well I had planned to make them something plush because I figured of everyone I know they would appreciate something handmade the most. Sarah has an illustration of a merbear that she drew and I thought it would be fun to make her a merbear couple in plush. I began before the wedding and actually finished the "Adam" merbear before leaving for Maine but after returning I was bombarded with BeBe Baby orders and wasn't able to finish the "Sarah" merbear until this weekend. I just got back from delivering these fellas to Sarah and Adam so now I can share the pictures with the world!

A little bit about these merbears... They are made from fake fur, fleece, upholstery fabric, glass eyes, embroidery floss and wool felt. Their arms and heads are jointed with plastic joints so they can move their heads and arms. The boy merbear has a fleece crown and the girl has a fabric shell bikini top. I made them so that they can hang on the wall. I just realized I forgot to measure them but they are big....probably around 17-19 inches. The girl is a bit smaller than the boy.

One of the coolest features of these guys are their eyes. I had ordered glass eyes before but never this large and when I got them I realized that the backs needed to be painted. If I didn't paint them you could see the fabric through the glass and it didn't look good. I ended up painting the eyes first with a glitter paint and then with a complimentary color over the glitter once it dried. They came out so cool! Now I want to paint other eyes and try out different combinations of colors and techniques.

I don't know if I am going to make any more of these guys but they were totally fun to work on and I really was happy with how they came out. I hope Sarah and Adam enjoy them for a long time. :)

Things I bought

2010-05-29T18:28:00.000-07:00

Well I wanted to post this on a Thursday to follow my "Things I Bought Thursday" theme but it just didn't work out that I had the time on a Thursday so you are getting it today!!! I recently bought myself two tiny birthday presents with my birthday money.

First up is an adorable little bear by Knitting Dreams on Etsy. I have been a fan of Knitting Dreams for quite awhile now and am so excited to finally own one of her little guys. This is Gilbert and you can get your very own if you want as they are not one of a kind. He is so cute! I love his little hat most of all.

And the second little one was a really exciting purchase. I have been a huge fan of Brewer's Bruins for so many years now. I found this little gal on ebay last week for a tiny fraction of what these bears retail for. I was sooo happy!!! I was also very happy to find out that in person her bears are so well made and detailed....definitely worth the purchase! I went to find her website to show you more of her work and it appears to no longer exist. Here is someone that sells Brewer's Bruins patterns though. You can see more of her adorable little guys there.

Thanks for sharing in my new additions!

Maine Part 3

2010-05-22T09:03:00.001-07:00

Hey all... I wanted to finish up with the last day I spent in Maine. It was the first day since leaving the west coast that I got to sleep in. When I woke up the sun was shining and I sat out on the porch in the sunshine reading for several hours. Awesome! We had a BBQ in the afternoon with the newlyweds and other friends.

Later we walked down to the beach and messed around. It was a totally relaxing perfect vacation day.

Maine Part 2

2010-05-19T18:56:00.001-07:00

Wedding day!!!! We started at 8 am on Saturday by heading to the salon where all of us bridesmaids, as well as the bride, got beautified. Then it was off to get a snack and then back to the homestead to get ready. Momma Lomba hired a limo to take us to the wedding so after being dropped off we were ready to go. It all went by pretty much at light speed and they were married.

Wedding party....

Reception...

Dance party!!!

And then there was more dancing back at the house but I was so tired and my feet were killing me. After I sat down when I got back up I almost collapsed. So like the geek that I am I went to bed before everyone else. As Tim says, "best wedding ever!!!"

Maine Part 1

2010-05-18T16:28:00.000-07:00

Well I was thinking I was going to write one post about my trip to Maine for my pals Sarah and Adam's wedding but I was looking through all the pictures and I decided it would probably be best to do three posts, one for each day I was there. I was honored when Sarah asked me to be in the wedding as a bridesmaid and I had so much fun traveling to Maine and meeting all the people I have heard so much about for so long.

Sarah and Adam are from the east coast but live out here in the west due to Adam's work. I was so lucky to meet them....they are my bestest friends!!! Unfortunately because of school obligations I was only able to be gone from Thursday until yesterday as I had school bright and early this morning. I am so tired but happy!!!

I left for Maine from Katrina's house in Portland OR at 4:30 am on Thursday morning. I had a layover in Chicago and then flew into Portland ME in the evening. Sarah was waiting and I was so happy to see her!!! We went for a quick dinner with the boys and then to her Mom's house where we all collapsed around 10pm. Her family had been working all evening on paper flowers for the wedding. I wish I would have taken a picture of her Mom's house because it was sooo old and neat... Sarah probably has a picture somewhere but I am too tired to search for it.

Friday morning Sarah and her Mom got up at 4 in the morning to start working on cupcakes and other projects. Good lord it felt like 1 in the morning to me so they kindly didn't wake me up until around 7. We had to get ready and get out to Bailey Island where the wedding was going to take place. There were so many things to set up and decorate. The delivery truck arrived around 9 with the tables, chairs, dishes, etc. Sarah's family is so awesome and between her Mom, Dad, brothers, brother's girlfriend and me we worked our butts off. Her brothers spent most of the day putting together all these paper lanterns and they looked so cool at the end.

Sarah!

Her brothers were hilarious putting them up. I was laughing so hard my face hurt. By the end they were wearing them!

Papa Lomba and her brothers figuring all the decorations out.

Sarah's Mom and her brother's girlfriend putting up pretty lights.

Sarah and Adam got married at a cove and the reception was in a building nearby called library hall. It was so fun to see all the decorations that Sarah worked so hard on all year coming together so beautifully.

Sarah's fiance and groomsman Tim hanging out at the wedding party table.

Later that night was the rehearsal dinner at Cook's Lobster House. I had never tried lobster so I was excited to give it a go. Turns out it is not my favorite food in the world but I did enjoy learning about the proper way to eat a lobster. We also had steamed clams (also yuck), corn on the cob, potatoes and a delicious Maine blueberry cake. Here's Sarah and Adam towards the end of the night.

That night and for the rest of my stay I was at a rental house with a bunch of people. I will post more about that tomorrow. Now I will probably be passing out shortly because I have so much homework to catch up on tomorrow. Ta-ta for now!

See You Soon!

2010-05-01T17:56:00.000-07:00

It's been quite a while since I posted and it hasn't been because I don't have new things to show and it isn't because I don't have anything to say. I haven't posted because the things I have to show are a secret and the things I have to say are negative. I guess I have been in a bit of a funk and pretty much everything has been irritating me. No one wants to read about that! Today I thought of a couple positive things so it felt like a good day to write a new post.

The postcard above is the back of a RSVP card for my pal Sarah's wedding in Maine that is coming up on May 15th. They asked everyone to draw them a picture on the back of the card before sending it back.

I am so happy that I will be traveling to Maine for the wedding and I am also super excited to be a bridesmaid. The secret work in progress is a plush present for her and her man. I can't post any pictures until afterwards or she will see them duh! :)
This is my new hair I got today. I have always liked doing funky things with my hair and since I no longer have a job I thought it might possibly be my last chance to do something colorful. I think I like it... It definitely looks brighter in these outside pictures. Fun!

Argus

2010-04-11T16:52:00.000-07:00

Hey all! The Plushteam's March/April challenge is "World Mythology Plush". There are several categories including gods/goddesses, magical artifacts, magical creatures and mortals/demigods. Even though the challenge was announced quite a while back it took me a while to get in the groove. On the surface it sounded like an awesome challenge. I love mythology from all parts of the world so I thought I would have no problem finding something to make. However when I started looking on various websites I realized that many mythical characters are human or part human and I really didn't want to make a person (or at least I couldn't envision how to make a human). Then I found this site called MusesRealm.net. They have a magical creatures and beings area with tons of creatures listed in alphabetical order. I nearly looked and read every single one but settled on one of the first ones I saw, Argus, a giant with 100 eyes.

Here is his description from the site:

"Argus was a Giant with 100 eyes that were placed all over his body. He never closed all of his eyes at once, sleeping with at least half of them open. For this reason he made an excellent guard. The Goddess Hera had him guard the maiden Io, a lover of Zeus who had been turned into a white cow. Zeus sent Hermes to rescue the maiden, which the god was able to do by singing to Argus and getting him to close all of his eyes. When Argus was completely asleep and unaware, Hermes killed him. In return for his service and sacrifice, Hera placed his eyes onto the tail feathers of the peacock, a bird which from then on has been sacred to the Goddess."

This is my original sketch of Argus:

It's funny how different a plush can come out from the original sketch (at least for me). I guess he came out pretty much like the drawing except for the face. I like them both. :)

A little bit about my Argus... He is about 13 inches tall from his toes to the tip of his head. He is made from a shaggy blue fake fur and a complimentary blue fleece. He does have 100 eyes all over his body (hopefully). I have to admit he may or may not have 100 total eyes although I am pretty sure he does. Due to some confusion and a couple breaking off I did lose track once or twice. It was a lot of eyes! All of the eyes except a couple are glass (the ones that aren't are plastic) and they are all different sizes and colors. I love how they hide in his fur.

Argus has a lot of details such as a ton of needle sculpting on his hands and face. His fingers are wired and need to be bent so he can stand but you can unbend them if you want.

His nose has warts as you can see in this picture.

When he was done I decided he needed something to break up the blue body so I made him a vest. It is made from brown wool felt with misc. fur and felt patchwork added. There is also a wooden button to finish it off.

My Argus came out sweet and he even loves other creatures.

He is weighted in his feet and stands freely. His arms are jointed at the shoulder with plastic joints so they do move. His legs are not jointed and don't move.

The biggest problem I have found with working on these challenges and plush that is so different from what I normally do is that when the piece is completed I don't want to sell them. I am creating plush that I would buy...maybe that is good but it isn't so good when it comes to responsibility and the need for $.

What do you think of him?