Making Sets.

Well since I can't seem to ever get over to the beach, even though I only live about an hour away, I decided to bring the beach to me! I wanted to make a beach scene to do a photo shoot with Captain Weirdbeard and Olly Octopus.

Look at all these pretty papers waiting to be cut up and pasted.

Ta-da! Captain Weirdbeard is a socially awkward guy that ends up drinking too much when he is nervous, especially around the ladies. His friends think he is funny and the life of the party but deep down he wishes he wasn't so awkward.

His favorite booze is XX. This particular bottle was crocheted by my awesome pal Sarah. It is sewn to his arm because he doesn't want to loose it.

Oh no he fell down and decided to sleep right where he landed!!! Some nice sea creature must have covered him up. Maybe it was Olly Octopus?

Olympic Challenge Entry!! Yay! Finally!!

Kristen of Schmany and PlushYou is putting on an Olympic Challenge. For all the details (it is too late to enter but if you want to know the criteria) go here. I have finally finished my piece and I am really excited to share it. There are four categories and I got opening ceremonies. I had no idea what to do! The only thing that came to mind was a torch and I figured everyone in my category would do a torch so I wanted to think of something more complex. Since the olympics took place in Canada this year I tried to think of all things snow and Canadian. My list was long but I decided on a snowflake that is melting while holding the torch.... What started as a brainstorming session ended with a piece that is probably the most complicated thing have I have created to date.

Here is the original concept drawing...

I have to tell you I almost gave up. First of all a snowflake must be perfectly symetrical. Aaaand all those little legs have to turn and the bases are quite narrow (and not fun to sew and cut out). The first attempt was too small and all wonky. I enlarged the pattern and tried again....

This dude is made from white fleece. The torch is grey fleece and flame is wool felt. The snowflake himself is completely wired and can stand on his own. His face is embroidered and colored with ink.

I call him...... "The 2010 Olympics are HOT!!!"

What do you think? I want to win the GOLD!

A Sunny Saturday Morning...

I woke up this morning and the sun was shining so I decided to sit on the porch and sew with Maisy. Maisy was looking so cute sitting on the porch enjoying the sun so I grabbed my camera and snapped a couple pictures of her and the flowers blooming around my porch.

My pal Sarah says these are called Camellias. There are two big bushes/tress of them in my yard and they are so pretty and hardy. They stay in bloom for a long time and also bloom twice a year. Last year when it snowed here they were blooming in the snow.

There are also some pretty tulips blooming and you can see some purple iris pushing up. I am so excited for spring!

Lastly the lilac bush is budding. Lilacs are so touchy so every year I hope they will have a good season and last a while. Lilacs are my Mom's favorite flower and I think they are one of my favorites too. They smell so good.

Captain Weirdbeard!

It has been so long since I posted! I thought I would share my newest creation. This is Captain Weirdbeard! He is a drunk little star fish pirate. He started out as a doodle and is now a completed plush made from orange minky dot fabric and felt (oh and his peg leg is a cotton wood print). Right now he has a little felt liquor bottle which I will be replacing with a better creation. Cap. Weirdbeard is wired throughout his body and can be posed in all kinds of ways.

I hope to create a new photo set with him that will include sand and beachy type things. In fact I am thinking about taking him to the actual beach for a photo shoot but we shall see if I find the time. Look for more fun plush creations soon!

The End of an Era

Today was my last day FOREVER at my work. My boss took our little pharmacy team out for breakfast at 7 am this morning. Even though I go to work at 7 am normally it was a whole other thing to be eating out at a restaurant that early, although it was a very nice breakfast.

Cleaning out my desk and packing up was interesting. My cubicle was pretty big and it was amazing the amount of stuff I had crammed into every nook and cranny. I brought everything home from food to clothing to toys. Look at all that crap! Want a little peek into what I sat surrounded by each and every day for the last nearly 10 years?

Memo toast!!! (and little fuzzy guys). Have you seen memo toast? You push the lever and a piece of toast paper pops up. I thought it was too cute to use so I only used it for one note in the last couple years haha.

No office scene is complete without these dudes...and you must have the zombies too. This cube really did look like my real cubicle too (kind of). I wasn't missing a hand like she is and I didn't have a cat calendar.

And an old picture of me with some co-workers on a team I was on.

I don't know what to do with all the crap I brought home and I am waiting for it to sink in that I don't work there anymore.... It is very exciting though...it seems the possibilities are now truly endless.

Keeping Resolutions!

Remember when I said I wanted to work on more plush critters for fun and for shows? Well I realized I have already kept my "sort of" new years resolution. The other day I had this weird urge to make an octopus. Like most of my project attempts the first try did not work out. By the way in case it isn't obvious I don't work with patterns. I draw my own pattern pieces and through trial and error finish the piece. So the first couple attempts didn't work out. There have been times when I have been discouraged by these first failed attempts and the pieces end up stuffed in a drawer until I can get back to finishing them.

I decided to give this octopus one more try and wa-la! She (a cute pirate) emerged from the sraps of fabric. I decided to make her a birdie as well as equip her with some swords.

Another thing I have really wanted to do for a long time is make a pattern line. What would you think about this little octopus being the first pattern I offer?

She is made of a recycled/thrifted piece of blue and white striped linen for her body and the tops of her tentacles. The bottom piece is made from pink fleece. Her face has wool felt pieces and embroidery. The birdie is wool felt and is posed on a needle so she can be moved around. Every tentacle is wired so that she can be wrapped around things or just posed cute. Aye!

Things I bought Thursday

Hi everyone!!! Glad to see you again. School started back up this week and I have been back to stressing and using my brain a lot. Also my job is ending next week. I am sooooo nervous! I have worked for the company for nearly 10 years. They are letting me go because they do not want me to work part time any longer. I suppose it is a little bittersweet. On the one hand I don't like my job, and never have, so I will like to not have to ever go there again but on the other hand I have been there so long the idea of not being there scares me. Change is very uncomfortable for me to adjust to. Hopefully I will have more time to grow my BeBe Babies business and make up for the income loss that way (this is me trying to focus on the positive...you could call it a resolution if I made resolutions that is). Wish me luck...

Now on to the fun stuff. Don't expect this to become a regular post but I just realized since it's Thursday I could make a clever title. I have had a growing pile of stuff I bought lately and I have been wanting to do a post to share them. First off I went to Toys R Us before the holiday to find a gift and came home with more things for myself than the kid I was buying for. But how could I pass these things up? And if you have never been to Toys R Us with me and you are an in and out kind of person you don't ever want to go with me. I look at every last little thing on every single isle.

Mr. Grumpy Plush, Hello Kitty Sushi Plush and a wooden/rope hippo!

I mean how, tell me how, could I pass up these Hello Kitty sushi plush!!!???

And the hippo!!?????? Too, too cute! There were a bunch of these animals...I really wanted the elephant too. Maybe next time.

He can do a trick!

Also the Plushteam did a holiday swap this year and I got this cutie and some other goodies this week in the mail. This little lady is by Fluffy Flowers another awesome Plushteam member. To read more about her and my other goodies head over to this post on the Plushteam blog.

I hope you enjoyed seeing my new additions!

Happy New Year!

Well I figure I need to acknowledge the new year. I have never really been one to get all amp'd about the changing over into a new year. As a matter of fact I have slept through more new years than I have celebrated. Also I have never made new years resolutions with any real enthusiasm or conviction. So generally when people ask me what my resolution is I blurt out the first thing that comes to mind because even though I don't like making them I also don't like being the person that says they never make resolutions. I don't like playing the party pooper role.

While I was laying in bed last night trying to keep my eyes open until the ball dropped I did kind of think about what I might like to accomplish in the new year. Most of my hopes for the new year center around BeBe Babies and that gives me the most pleasure to think about. I guess they aren't really resolutions because whether or not it is a new year I still want to accomplish these things.

What are these things you ask? Well I started to make a list and ended up with three things listed and it was getting painful to think of more. Three seems like a really sorry list for a whole year so I deleted it. The only item on the list that I was even really was excited about was to design and create more plush monsters/critters for fun and for gallery shows. This is really my favorite part of making toys and I think I need to do more of it in the next year. Especially since I should no longer have a "real job" I should have more time for things like that.

Here's a recap of the "fun" plush I made in 2009. There seems like there should be more but I guess that is what the new year will be for right?

Thanks for all your support and friendship in 2009!!!!

It's a Christmas Miracle

I went to Christmas this year at my Dad's and he handed me a stocking. As I unwrapped the gifts I started to wonder if my Dad had lost it or if he had just cleaned out his junk drawer and emptied it into my stocking. There was a used deck of cards, air freshener and a bag of paper tubes to roll coins.

As my brother finished unwrapping his multiple gifts my Dad went to get my gift. He came around the corner with the largest wine bottle I have ever seen. The bottle was about half way full of change. My Dad proceeded to explain that it had taken him several years to fill the bottle in the past. When he cashed the change in the last time he had put the money/bills back into the bottle and started again on filling it. He knew how much I needed a laptop (okay I don't really neeeeed one but I wanted one and I do think it will help with school). So he said the bottle was mine...whatever was in it, no matter how much, was all mine.

Let's just say that I think my Dad was re-thinking his gift when the final tally of how much was in it came in. Today I went to get my laptop.... I ended up getting a macbook and at the moment I am in love with it. I might nearly love it as much as a human being. Plus I pointed out earlier it keeps my lap warm so it might really be all I need in this life.

Anyhoo since I have been sitting in a chair glazing over from staring at the computer so long I thought I would share a cute little shop I just discovered. These are Loopy Dolls. I want this shark one for my nephew so bad. He loves anything with Sharks on it. What I love the most about this doll is that when it is laying down it looks just like a shark. Go straight to the listing here.

I hope you all got everything you wanted for Christmas!!!!

Who Needs Bows?

I am just now starting to get my gifts wrapped and together and unfortunatly I didn't have any bows. Instead of going back out into the nightmare that is traffic right now I decided to just use one of my Christmas Cookie magnets. I think it turned out cute...what do you think? The cookie can be easily removed and is ready to decorate the fridge for Christmas!

I also finished a couple more plush Christmas candles. These were fun to play around with but I'm not sure anyone else would love them. I think I will keep them for myself in case they are dorky.

Things I am Working On

Well between stressing out about Christmas next week and standing in line for hours at the post office I have found some extra time to work on new designs/plush for 2010. I am really proud of this guy....I think he might be my favorite plusie yet. His name is Leo and he is a lion. Look for him added to my toy line soon.

Aaaand I have been making Christmas candles!!! I only have a picture of this one because the others have either found new homes already or are still in progress. I am hoping to make up a whole bunch of different ones with different faces. They are fun!

I hope everyone is having a good week!

Things I Bought Lately

I have been dying to get back on this blog and show you some of the cute things I bought lately. First up is the most adorable little cactus I have ever seen. I got her from Willy Nilly Waterlily on Etsy. How could I resist?

I also finally bought a print from one of my favorite artists, Helen Dardik. It is so awesome even though I still need to frame it and hang it. My other favorite part was the envelope!

And last but not least I also finally made a purchase from Chet and Dot whom I have also always admired. I bought these two little adorable creations at the Crafty Wonderland Super Colossal Holiday sale over this last weekend. I don't know yet where I am going to put these items but I love them!

Soooooooooooo Exciting!!!!!!!!!.............

So remember when I was dying for these guys? Well a while back I caught wind of a blog giveaway on the Bluebottle Gallery blog. I have entered a couple blog giveaways in my time and I have entered in countless other giveaways just, you know, in life.... So it was to my great surprise that I actually won something!!!

What could it be?

Peeking out!

It's me!! Pilli Pilli!

Meeting a friend.

Long time travelling...must sleep....night night. Look at the tiny wings!

I am so thankful to have won such a beautiful creation that I already was in love with. Fate?

Admitting Defeat + Halloween!

I have come to some conclusions and cold hard truths this week. If I am going to do this school thing, I mean really do it right, I am going to have to put some other things on hold. I am going to have to be okay with putting said things on hold and stop beating myself up about it. It pains me to admit the things that will be put on hold are my crafting/doll/toy making projects . I am hoping that it won't last. I am hoping that I will be able to alter other commitments in my life to make more room for BeBe Babies but at this very moment it isn't going to happen.

Of course now is the worst time to do this. Orders are coming in for the holidays, I need to stock my own shop and people are requesting my presence at shows. The days seem to be flying by and the majority of thoughts in my head center around Beowulf, Espanol and mathematical functions. My brain is really resisting the above mentioned topics by the way.

So the things that will be different around here that you may want to be aware of:

- I am not going to do a giveaway on this blog every month.

- Shipping will be slower as I do not have the ability to get to the post office each day.

- Orders will take about 4 times as long as they used to. Orders are only available for stores that carry BeBe Babies.

- I will not be committing to any shows until further notice.

- Emails may not be answered for 24 hours or more.

- I don't know when or what dolls I will have available the rest of this year. Join my mailing list if you want to be informed when new dolls are listed especially since I will not be taking orders.

Whew it feels good to get those commitments off my shoulders even though just reading them gives me anxiety. I value good customer service and to me that means fast and available. I feel like I am taking those very things about my business away. But maybe good customer service is also good communication which I am hoping is counter acting what is being taken away. Sigh.

I appreciate every ones support and hope you will continue to support BeBe Babies until we are back to normal.

And now since that was depressing here is a picture of me bribing my nephew with mini m&ms because he wouldn't put or keep on his costume.