fuzfrenzy

Things I've been crocheting...

2010-12-15T12:35:00.000-08:00

Alas, here is my letter W for the Candyland show the Plush Team will be having in January at the Hot Pop Gallery in Milwaukee, WI. This letter will be part of the word Sweet that will be made of all plush letters and hanging in the gallery for the show. It will be neat to have other plush words and candy themed plush all in one spot.

And here is my doll in progress. He's really tall and the largest doll I've made in human form. He's going to have a big bushy beard and crazy hair and of course some clothing :)

Kitty the Yarn Coach

2010-11-11T10:08:00.000-08:00

Since I have taken up spinning again it has not escaped my notice that the cats are interested in what I am doing. In fact Kitty is the most involved of the two often sitting below the bobbin next to the treadles watching the fiber be spun into yarn. He even inspects the wheel itself to see that it is spinning satisfactorily.

Yesterday Kitty decided that he should claim a section of grey merino and mohair for his own project. He pawed at it scooped up one end in his mouth and began prancing away like he had a trophy. He is such a player! But of course he couldn't keep his prize so he went back to watching while Jasper slept cozily behind me on the couch.

Here are the most recent yarns that are available in my shop. Enjoy!

More New Yarn

2010-11-01T21:04:00.001-07:00

Here are 3 more skeins of fun new yarn!

The first is a merino mohair and the other two are superwash wool with a variety of colors. Check them out in my new Etsy shop :)

Fuzspun Yarns!

2010-10-29T20:06:00.001-07:00

I just opened up my second Etsy shop to offer fuzspun yarns hand spun by me!

Here's what I have listed so far:

And there will be many more yarns to come!

Have a fabulous day!

Baxter and Chopstick Have Been Crocheted!

2010-10-14T09:23:00.000-07:00

Hi there! I realize that is has been some time since I have posted regularly or about something I've made. It's been a busy couple of months with job changes and other life excitement, but things seem to be slowing down to a manageable pace with time to create. And time to create helps to balance out all the other chaoses.

So, as you hopefully know I have been writing and illustrating a webcomic by the name of Minionitis about a school for gifted minions. We have recently discovered that Minionitis is really a school to train Special Minion Agents or spies. The comic is quite a bit of fun to create and I hope you will check it out for the first time or a renewed time here.

I had the dream early on in the comic formation to have patterns of the characters available to make yourself. Well, I finally have crocheted the first two characters and now I just have to format the PDF's for easy printing and minion crocheting. They should be completed fairly soon and I hope to crochet the next couple next week.

So, here we have Baxter and Chopsick:

I will have the patterns available in my Etsy shop as soon as they are complete. Feel free to check out the other patterns that are already there in my shop, too.

The Fairy is Finished!

2010-09-07T11:09:00.000-07:00

Yay! The fairy has wings now and she'll be off to her new home shortly. I crocheted the wings and tied a loop on every stitch to get the puffiness of the feathery wings. Besides being a time consuming process, August was a busy month and she took a bit to complete. I really like the way she turned out. She's quite a bit taller than my other doll creations coming in at 12 inches instead of 9. Of course her clothing is removable. I find it hard not to make even an art doll that is not interactive.

My next project I plan to complete next week. It includes marbled fabric from Etsy seller Vansant Designs . She has really gorgeous fabric that you must check out!

I have to confess, that while I have purchased Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins, I haven't yet finished it. I shall remedy that within the week and give a non-spoiling review. I also got Sapphique by Catherine Fisher as an advanced reader copy and am reading that, too.

The Plush Team Does Vegas!

2010-08-23T11:41:00.000-07:00

The Plush Team's July/August challenge was Plush Vegas and team members have been busily preparing pieces to compete in the following three categories:

Show Biz - Entertainers, showgirls, magicians, animal acts etc.
Gaming - Slots, blackjack, poker, roulette etc.
Neon - Signage in all its gaudy glory

The entries are in and now it's your turn to tell us which Plush Teamers know how to "do Vegas" right. Check out the entries below and vote for your favorite entry in each category. And don't forget -- many of the Plush Vegas entries are still available in the team shop, so we invite you to stop by and check 'em out once you've cast your vote!

Show Biz
The entries for the Show Biz category are:

Elvis by ThEm DoLLz

Richard Cheese and Lounge Against the Machine by Moon's Creations

Las Vegas Showgirl Miss Toastee by Yummy Pancake

Flowers Lion by Raggy Rat

Cristal Bazoom, The Vegas Owl Showgirl by Hibou Cards

Vegas Showgirl Chickenpants by Absolutely Small

Blue Monkey by Siansburys

Lil Zombie Elvis by Kittypinkstars

Gaming
And the entries for the Gaming category are...

Dice Head Croupier by Out of the Frame


FOUND ON THE STRIP: Circus Circus Matchbook Pillow by APlushPlush

The Lobster-Eating Lobster at a fancy Vegas Buffet by PterodactylPants

Neon
Last, but definitely not least, the entries for the Neon category are...

The 24/7 Vegas Wedding Chapel! by Abbydid

Huge Plush Team Billboard Neon Sign by Fluffy Flowers

So, are you ready to vote? Then let's do this thing! Just click here to take the survey!

Fairy in Progress

2010-08-03T07:44:00.001-07:00

I am working on a custom fairy based on a painting. She's crocheted and supposed to have wings, so I'll be finishing those shortly. The wings are light green on the outside and yellow on the inside.

Well, got to go work on this week's Minionitis comic, sew a skirt and I've got a pork roast in the crock pot!

Plush Team Prizes and Minion Fabric

2010-07-21T14:03:00.000-07:00

Look at what I got in the mail! A package from Denise of Yummy Pancake with the winnings from the Plush Team Call of Duty Challenge.

Great sausage tape!

A cute note.

Shiny tissue paper.

Neato! A magnet from Yummy Pancake aptly shaped like a bullet. Custom dog tags. A kidrobot Things That Hurt zipper pull. And cute little flowers!

The blind box zipper pull is a gun of all things!!

The winnings with the piece.

And here is the fabric I got for the first minion bags. It's a light blue leopard print furry fabric and a canvasy light blue for the liner and the minion face and appendages. I'll keep you posted as I get cutting and stitching.

Get Stuffed Blog Bomb!

2010-07-19T10:36:00.000-07:00

Today the Plush Team is doing a Blog Bomb to share the love that is our book.

Thanks for taking a moment to check it out!

The Plush Team is ecstatic to present to you our first ever Team Annual, containing 120 pages of plushy goodness!

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.

Visit the Team Shop today for your copy!

Minion Code now up

2010-07-14T14:13:00.000-07:00

Minionitis number 5 is up. It's nice to hit a round number like 5. The fact that I've been publishing a comic for 5 weeks is pretty cool. What's even cooler is that while I've just been through the set up phase for the school for gifted minions, I still have ideas about where to go next.

I'll be making minion trading cards to give the little minions some background. They're all really interesting and it will help with giving a foundation to the comic and the characters as it goes forward. I am contemplating doing 2 minion classes per year with 26 comics each. It would make a nice little book, especially with the trading cards.

We saw Despicable Me this weekend and we both give it 2 thumbs up. The audience was great with a mixture of kids and adults. People clapped at the end. I like that. It was pleasant to laugh so much. I also like the minions. Minions are very in right now.

Fuz Pistol Wins the Challenge!

2010-07-12T10:17:00.000-07:00

The Plush Team challenge for May and June was a weapons challenge. You can check out the entries on the Plush Team site here. There were three categories - Long Range, Short Range and Special Weapons.

Here's my Long Range Fuz Pistol.

Congrats to the other winners!!

Leanna of Plush Goodness with Short Range Chain Saw.

Amy of Squirrel Momma with her Special band of Ninja Bunnies.

When I get the winnings I'll take pictures and post them here! It was also kind of fun that the winners announcement was made on my birthday :)

Hunger Games and a New Comic :)

2010-06-30T08:04:00.000-07:00

In light of the third book of the Hunger Games Trilogy coming out this August, I am leading a book club to discuss the first book tonight and the second book at the end of July.

There's a count down on Scholastic's site for the release of Mockingjay, so I thought I would add it here.

And since it's Wednesday, there's a new Minionitis available for your reading pleasure. Go check out Baxter's Secret Minion Classroom!

Enjoy your day!

Serenity, Cookies & Cats

2010-06-23T12:32:00.001-07:00

Meet Serenity! She's a Rooz put out by Kidrobot's Munny World. Her head and arms are still removable. She was crocheted with acrylic yarn. Everyone needs a cyclops in their life!

It's been a while since I baked anything, but here's some Oatmeal Chocolate Chip cookies I baked up yesterday.

I've also got some cute cat pics today. First there is Kitty enjoying the open door with a chair in front of it.

And we've recently discovered that Jasper likes to ride around in the laundry basket. He kind of has this "king of the world" look on his face, doesn't he?

Oh, and the second comic for Minionitis is up so feel free to hop on over to see it. :)

Minionitis Progress

2010-06-16T13:28:00.000-07:00

Well, I've got the first comic done and up on my new wordpress site I set up because I am using HostMonster for hosting the site where I will have all my stuff accessible. I am still figuring things out, but you can certainly check it out here.

Further reasonings for going with wordpress include the ability to use plugins to set up a library of the comics. But I haven't really figures out why I don't have a plugin tab to go forward with my plans of minion subservience. I'll just keep playing until I figure it out. I found that's what I had to do for coloring my comics, too. I'm learning a lot and having fun at the same time. The victories out weigh the frustrations.

Enjoy your day!
Jen

P.S. Did you notice my new banner? What do you think?

Fuz Pistol

2010-06-11T11:51:00.001-07:00

Yo! Check it! It's my first plush gun! I made it for the Plush Team Call of Duty Weapons Challenge going on now. You can see other entries at the Plush Team site when they are all posted. The deadline is June 23rd, so I am a bit ahead in my completion.

So, here we have a loadable pistol crocheted in acrylic yarn and stuffed with polyfil.

It was tough to choose what weapon to make. I played around with the idea of doing Dr. Horrible's Freeze Ray, but opted for a smaller pistol instead. It feels nice to hold for some reason...

Minion Update and another Octopus

2010-05-25T11:24:00.000-07:00

I've been doing a lot of drawing for Minionitis and it's really coming along. I have two comics drawn and one inked at this point. I have two more ready to jump into the process, too. I don't think I've used my sketchbook to sketch this much before. I like it.

I will color them digitally in Photoshop. I realize that my skills in Photoshop and drawing are a little rusty, so I do expect things to improve and evolve as I go.

Here's a sneak peek at the first comic with Baxter and Chopstick...

I am also working on a Fuzfrenzy banner as well as a Minionitis banner. I haven't worked with ink in a while so I am honing my inking skills. I've got a lot of honing to do :)

Another octopus. I just can't get away from these things. I seem to make them when I don't have any other clear heading on what to crochet. I like her, though. She's different from the rest.

You'll notice that I included an octopus in the Fuzfrenzy banner... I have no further comment.

And then there's Kitty. Always the helper and as cute as ever.

New and Improved!

2010-05-12T07:22:00.000-07:00

Hey fans! I'm working on a few new and different things to spice things up a bit. I am going to design my own website in the near future with a little shop in it where you can get my creations. Another fun addition to this site will be a weekly (hopefully) webcomic staring Baxter the minion.

I'll give you teasers for the webcomic and offer up the crochet patterns and completed plush for the characters in the shop as they develop. The premise for the comic is a school for gifted minions called Minionitis. I will probably publish the comic here until I get the site up and running.

Have a great day!

The Minions are Coming!

2010-05-08T18:46:00.000-07:00

Well, there's one minion so far. His name is Baxter and he'll do just about anything for you. He just prefers things to be a little on the bad side.

Also, sometimes he likes to run around in his underwear. Minions are fun and you need one :)

Ichabod the Raffy Dragon and an Octopus Pen Costume

2010-04-23T09:03:00.000-07:00

Meet Icky aka Ichabod the Dragon. This little guy is always looking for a good time. He loves to be the center of attention and he's just the right kind of cute that makes it hard to look away.

Icky was made by crocheting around the form of a Raffy, one of Kidrobot's Munny mutations. The additional horns and tail were stuffed with polyfil. He was crocheted with wool and acrylic yarns.

And it's been a while, but I made another pen costume. And probably not surprisingly, it's an octopus. These guys are super comfy and fun to write with. I am going to make some more. They're such practical plush.

Vote.

2010-04-14T08:05:00.000-07:00

Head on over to the Plush Team site to vote for the plush in the Mythology Challenge. My little bond girl and her hippocamp are in the god and goddesses category.

Thanks for voting!!

I'm reading Little Brother by Cory Doctorow. Cory really knows how to spin a techie dream. It's pure nerd and I love it. He's got another one coming out this month called For the Win. I'll let you know how they are when I am finished with the reading thing.

Bond Girl with a Hippocamp Seducing Poseidon

2010-04-09T08:24:00.000-07:00

For the Mythology Challenge of the Plush Team I have created a remarkable combination. I started with the hippocamp and realized that it needed a saddle and something on it. Next came the scuba suit idea and then my mind jumped to the Bond girl with the cream colored bikini and the Austin Powers mocking of it. And that was that.

There are seven parts to the piece in that the scuba suit, flippers, snorkel with goggles and saddle are all removable.

Plush Olympics Winners Announced

2010-03-31T05:55:00.000-07:00

The Plush Olympics are at a close and the winners have been announced over at the Plush You blog. As I get pictures of people and plush posing with their medals I will post them here. The Plush Team winners are all promising pictures so I'll have some to share for sure!

I am working on the final elements to the Plush Team Mythology challenge. It has multiple pieces and layers for that extra interactive measure. I think it's pretty fun and I hope you'll like it, too.

I read Joe Hill's Horns where he gives an interesting view of the devil and writes a delicious knot of a story. There are so many layers and things intertwined that it comes across with desperation and heartbreak.

I am finally reading the second book in The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel series by Michael Scott. This an amazing fast paced series drenched in magic. I guess it's a good time to pick it up again because the fourth book will be coming out in May. It looks like there will be six books in all.

I submitted my first finished book to Random House and got my first rejection letter. I am so excited! It is a badge of honor. Now I am off to do some serious re-writing. The updated version of the story will be richer and quite profound when all is done. I really wasn't happy with my first version, but it is giving me a great foundation to take the story to where it needs to go. I am still trying to decide if I will share bits with you now or wait until it is closer to publication. We'll see...

Medals for the Plush Olympics

2010-03-17T14:23:00.000-07:00

Judging will start shortly for the Plush Olympics that were the brilliant idea of Kristen over at Schmancy. You can check for updates and great plush information over at her blog.

I had the privilege of making the medals for the five categories. Here are the pictures. They were crocheted with Caron Country acrylic merino blend yarn, stuffed with polyfil and ribboned with measuring tape ribbon. I really like how they turned out.

Octopus Cupcake

2010-03-07T10:00:00.000-08:00

A while ago I made a cupcake for Becky of Scrumptious Delight for the Plush Team Russian Christmas swap. Here he is in his wonderful tentacleness.

He's interactive as all cupcakes should be. There are three separate parts - frosting, cake and wrapper.

He was super fun to make.

Book Talk

2010-02-24T10:53:00.000-08:00

So, let's see what have I been reading...

I just started reading Makers by Cory Doctorow. I got the book for Josh in December and now I am reading it upon his recommendation. It's a book set in the not so distant future in a sort of prediction on what will happen to large corporations and Silicon Valley when the rise of micro businesses takes over how we produce and buy things. I am sure I'll have more to say on it after I finish, but I am excited about it so I thought I'd mention it.

Another one I recently read is The Maze Runner by James Dashner. I was really glad to see that this is going to be a Trilogy because there's some really great stuff here. You can see where James is inspired by Golding's Lord of the Flies, but he takes it to another level and adds technology that we haven't seen before. I highly recommend this and I can't wait to read the next two books! I've already talked about this one but I thought I'd do it again and add a cover for you.

I also finally read Arch Enemy by Frank Beddor. The final book in the Looking Glass Wars Trilogy. Imagine that Alice really was from Wonderland and that Lewis Carroll got it all wrong, including spelling Alyss' name wrong. Wonderland is at war and imagination may be lost forever. This is a thrilling end to a great series and I really do hope they'll make a movie soon.

I've also been doing some research on the ocean for my new book. Yes, portions of it will be underwater with all sorts of creatures and lost cities. So far there's more in my head than on the page but I really like where it's going.

Bunny Has Clothes and a Torch

2010-02-23T10:00:00.000-08:00

I am almost finished with my bunny for the Plush Olympics. Now she's got a snow suit and a torch. I've named her Athena. She still needs something but I haven't figured out what that is yet.

I've also covered one of the new Munny Raffys with yarn. He's still in progress, but he hasn't told me what he wants to look like yet.

Here's a shot of the bronze medal for the Plush Olympics in progress. I don't know what to put on the medal, maybe just a face. I was thinking of making them into animals but it didn't really work.

More Rocks and the Plush Olympics

2010-02-17T16:08:00.000-08:00

Yup. I've made more rocks. These are larger rocks that take one or two hands to hold properly making them extra huggable.

I've also got work in progress photos for the Plush Olympics hosted by Kristen at Schmancy. I got the Opening Ceremonies category and so far I've got a bunny. I am also making the medals for the winners of each category and there will be more on that later.

Oh, and I got new fabric today for posing my beasties for photos. What do you think?

A Rock in a Koala Costume and Munny Happiness

2010-01-14T10:27:00.000-08:00

I love doing custom creatures for friends! My pal Dave requested a Rock in a Koala costume and here it is.

It's pretty sizable, huggable and complete with eucalyptus. Even Rock Koalas get hungry.

My hubby surprised me with the 4 new DIY vinyl toy designs from Kidrobot! They are all so interestingly shaped and I am excited to start crocheting over the forms. Certainly the transformations of Bub, Trikky, Rooz and Raffy shall be something to behold. I'll keep you posted on my progress.

Initial speculations indicate that Bub might have to be an Ewok, Trikky might have to be the mascot from Munchkin, Rooz might have to be a hobbit and Raffy is still to be determined.

In other creative areas I am working on a few more rocks in costumes (a narwhal, a jackolope, and an octopus) to send off for the next issue of Stuffed Magazine. Fellow Plush Team member, Scrumptious Delight is on the current issue cover!

In books, I am reading Scott Westerfeld's Leviathan. It's a really interesting story taking an alternate historical look at World War 1. I highly recommend it. Oh, and the illustrations are really great, too.

Since I submitted my first book for publication, I am in that awkward area where I am deciding what to write next. Everything is fodder for inspiration. I just need to decide what direction to head.

Happy Kitty Day!

2010-01-07T11:09:00.000-08:00

When I got home yesterday I found a cat on my porch. He said he was the long lost twin of our little furball, Jasper. I could not deny the resemblance and he brought catnip fish for Jasper and Kitty, which convinced them that he should stay.

Look at that nose and those eyes! They took an immediate liking to each other.

Jasper greatly appreciated the little black fish.

And Kitty liked his little leopard fish so much that he tried to eat the whole thing.

Thanks to Leslie and Vaughan of Lowell and Son for making such a great Jasper and sending along the fishy presents!

Check out what other people got on the Plush Team site!

Hello Mr. Munny

2009-12-14T11:35:00.001-08:00

Say hello to my first Munny. Munny is a DIY vinyl toy from Kidrobot where you design your own. I crocheted around his features which makes his head and arms movable but also removable in the traditional Munny sense.

This little guy's name is Chester.

You can check out what others do with their Munnys here and here.

Go Ask Alice

2009-12-02T11:05:00.000-08:00

If you are in Santa Barbara, CA, you should head on over to the Paul Cumes Art Gallery to check out the Go Ask Alice show.

I sent along one piece, though I was hoping to do more. I have a ginormous Jabberwocky in progress and I'll share him when I am done.

Bear Giveaway from Raggy Rat

2009-11-29T05:55:00.000-08:00

Thought I'd give a little shout out for my friend Cat who is having a bear giveaway over on her blog.
She's super talented with thread and needle so while you are over entering the giveaway please take a peek at all her other wonderful plush!

Plush Team Holiday Sales

2009-11-24T11:02:00.001-08:00

Other Plush Team members are doing the snazzy Etsy Holiday Sale, too!

Felicia of Fluffy Flowers is having a HUGE blowout with a BOGO event including all items in her shop!
I'll post other fun sales as I hear about them. I expect more to announce them for Friday. I am excited to see what kinds of Plush goodies I can't live without!

Holiday Sale on Etsy

2009-11-23T09:26:00.000-08:00

Hey all! Etsy is having an official Holiday Sale this weekend going from Black Friday to Cyber Monday. I decided that I would offer the savings for the whole week!

Everything has free shipping. Squids, Octorings, and Cherry Key Chains are all Buy One Get One Half Off. Patterns are all only $2. Everything else is $2-5 off the original price. I'll even offer free shipping for all custom orders placed by Monday, November 30.

To find more things in this sale on Etsy check for free shipping and holiday sales!

The Letter U, Rocks and Class

2009-11-11T12:23:00.000-08:00

Yup. It's been a while since I last blogged. I haven't been creating as much as I'd like in the realm of crochet and sewing, but here's what I have done in that area.

I made a gigantic U shaped monster for the Plush You show at Blue Bottle Gallery in Seattle. He's 25 inches high and I used extra thick yarn. He's super huggable!

I got another order for 9 more custom rocks in costumes and here they are: a cat, an octopus, a butterfly, 2 Perquacky cubes, a pom pom, a cowboys helmet, and a couple. They all presented a fair set of challenges and it was really fun to come up with solutions as to how they would work with the rock.

In other news, I am teaching a crochet class in Saint Paul, MN with Harding Community Education. It's a two week class, this week and next. We're making fingerless glovelets, the ones that are a pattern in my Etsy shop for only $2!

Spiderwick is over!!

2009-09-17T07:58:00.000-07:00

Yup. That's the word from the back of the last book in the Beyond the Spiderwick Chronicles, the Wyrm King, the front of the Wild Rumpus and straight from the authors' mouths. I made my way over to the Wild Rumpus to share in the festivities.

If you ever get a chance to check out the Wild Rumpus in Minneapolis take it. If you live in the area and have never been, you should go. It's an amazing bookstore decorated with imagination and home to an interesting cross section of domesticated animals. Here the cats have decided to take over the front window. You can see an ear over the right shoulder of the orange one and then there is a gray one immediately to the right of the view.

Here's Holly Black and Tony DiTerlizzi. They met while she was writing an article for a gamer magazine and he was working for Dungeons and Dragons.

The new book was inspired by the mythical rat king, which is where rat tails get entwined by "stuff" and there is a mass of rats living in that interconnected state. The Wyrm King is a dragon version of this. Pretty neat, huh?

Tony draws throughout book tours. Maybe it keeps his skills sharp. He often draws when he signs, too.

Tony drew a river troll upon request and then they had a trivia question to see who one the drawing. He did the same thing with the following goblin.

Then Tony began to make fun of Holly's cats, Mr. Fizzy and Lily. Mr. Fizzy is supposedly an angry puffy gray thing while Lily is a hairless cat who Tony says looks like a lost sock.

Tony had to draw a little something for the Wild Rumpus and he drew up the signature Thimbletack Brownie/Boggart.

In addition to an all around fun evening, the Wild Rumpus celebrated its 17th birthday. They brought out the sign from their first birthday for the occasion and had a cake to boot!

In other fun news, I am having a pattern sale in my shop! All patterns including the set are only $2!

Have a great day!

A Bear and a Skunk and Some Weird Cat Anticts

2009-09-04T10:12:00.000-07:00

Here are some custom rocks in costume. A bear and a skunk this time.

And then our cats don't really like the ongoing construction of our living room. We've at least got the two new windows in, but now no drywall over the insulation.

Here's Jasper being determined to get behind the drywall.

And here's kitty licking condensation off the front window. He can be so strange some times.

I can't wait to put my living room back together. It's been in boxes for two months now waiting for the project to be done. Maybe next week?

My guitar

2009-08-07T06:33:00.000-07:00

My guitar is finished! I sewed up a fleece guitar and then embellished it wish free form crochet. Here ya go. Kitty is so helpful!

Check out the other Plushiness over at the Plush Team blog for Plushstock 2009!

i am a geek

2009-08-06T11:27:00.000-07:00

So, many of you may not realize this, but I am a geek. I think I was a geek before I met my husband, but I have to say that my geekiness really blossomed after I met him. I mean this in a really good way. He is the reason I write, read and watch nerdy things. He makes me very happy.

I am writing a book that I am not really ready to talk much about but it's young adult fiction and I am almost ready to let other people read it. It's kind of scary and thrilling all at the same time to have people read your writing.

I picked up an advanced copy of NERDS by Michael Buckley the other day and it looks good so far. It comes out this September.

We've been watching Felicia Day's The Guild. Since she was in Dr. Horrible her career has taken off and she's gotten some face time in Dollhouse.

I am almost done with the plush guitar for Plushstock 2009 for the Plush Team's July/August challenge. I pretty much just have to string it and it's good to go.

me and my machine

2009-07-29T09:41:00.001-07:00

My machine is a simple one. I actually got it over a year ago and used it once to make a monster bag. Now that I have started sewing dolls it is getting some more use.

Despite my lack of posts of late, I have been working on a variety of projects. I am continuing my alien bear project and now that the aliens are mostly put together I am crocheting unitards for them that will go under their bear costumes. The bear costumes will be of a brown fleece with a little more texture than their bodies.

I also have a show in November that I am creating a couple of pieces for. It is the Go Ask Alice show at the Art Santa Barbara gallery. I have decided so far to crochet the Jabberwocky. We'll see what else I decide to do. If you have any ideas or input, I'd love it!

The Plush Team challenge for July and August is Plushstock in honor of the 40th anniversary of Woodstock this year. I am making a guitar that has been sewn and has crochet embellishments. Pictures will come soon.

I am reading Candy Shop War by Brandon Mull. One cannot go wrong when mixing magic with candy, can they? Brandon also has the Fablehaven series. So far I have read the first two, but now there are four, so I have some catching up to do. I also recently started the Sisters Grimm Fairytale Detectives series by Michael Buckley.

Alright, I am off to put up a post on the Plush Team blog about dreaming plush and then I shall get back to sewing my guitar.

What bears?

2009-07-10T12:16:00.001-07:00

Poor little girl lost part of her arm during an alien bear fight. Too bad I don't have the alien bears done yet. Here's them in progress. At some point they'll look like bears.

Jasper is a silly cat. He likes to paw at the food bin to say it's time to be fed. Funny thing is that he already has food in his bowl. I think he likes get some extra attention by being annoying. Good thing he's cute.

Sewn Heart Gremlin and Some Cherries

2009-06-26T05:26:00.001-07:00

Yay! I've wanted to do this for a while. I kept thinking that the heart gremlin would translate well to fabric and here's how it came out. His name is Rynar and he's going to be hanging around my Etsy shop if you find you need to give him a new home. He's really kind of a big guy measuring in at over a foot in height and width.

And yes, his heart is removable.

I've also got a cherry key chain for ya. There will be a couple of these over in my Etsy shop too.

I guess I haven't talked about reading much. Let's see I just finished Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins. I hope to jump into Catching Fire, book two shortly. You will find that it's not out yet for the rest of you, but that's one of the perks of working in a bookstore. Anyway, Hunger Games is a wonderful young adult read. Imagine the United States sometime in the future where there is a capitol in the center of the land mass. There are twelve districts surrounding the Capitol. There were thirteen but that one was obliterated during the rebellion. Now the twelve districts must take part in a Reaping in which kids ages 12-18 are entered into a lottery. Two kids are selected from each district and are send to fight to the death in an arena.

I am finishing Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon so that I can jump right into his new one, Angel's Game. Shadow of the wind is a book book. By that I mean that it's a book about books or one book in particular. A boy named Daniel is searching for the reason a book by Julian Carax is being destroyed. Daniel has safely tucked away the book in the cemetary for books in Barcelona. As he uncovers the past of Carax a gothic story of lies and would be loves is laid bare.

$5 Mini Plush Monday

2009-06-19T06:29:00.001-07:00

Five Dollar Mini Plush Monday is a cool new thing we're doing in the land of international plush makers aka the Plush Team. I've got five little rocks in costumes that need new homes and they are only $5 a piece! What a deal!

Head on over the Plush Team shop to see what other team members are offering at this amazingly low price.

Happy Plush Hunting!

Something New!

2009-06-18T10:15:00.001-07:00

You might say it's about time that I started sewing again. Well I've got oodles of things planned and here is just the beginning. I've hand sewn a doll. I've come to call her Goldie as in Goldielocks. There will be bears, but probably not the types you are thinking of. I'll be working through a series of prototypes. Of course I'll be sharing them with you along the way.

So, let me know what you think. I am happy to get any feedback I can get. Thanks!

Turtle Soup!

2009-06-15T09:39:00.000-07:00

My ingredient for the Iron Plush challenge was Mirrors. I used sequins as my mirror element on the turtle shells, the little ones and the big one.

I made this turtle soup according to Cajun tradition in that it is quite a bit like a tomato bisque and topped with a slice of lemon. The turtles are swimming on top of the tomato soup of the tomato mixture on this case and can be taken out and moved around if you wish.

It's soup you can hug!

To see other entries in the Plush Team Iron Plush challenge go check out the blog. There were a bunch of us that signed up for this challenge. There were 5 groups each with one specific ingredient that had to be used and about 5 people were in each group. The 5 ingredients were, foam, pom poms, mirrors, velcro and faux fur. The contest will be judged soon by our panel of celebrity judges.

Yart Sale!

2009-06-10T08:03:00.001-07:00

Yup. It's a sale! You can go to Etsy and search for Yart to see the tons of shops that are having a Yart Sale at this time.

The word Yart comes from this simple math Yard+Art= Yart.

Etsy also has an interesting article on the history of the Yart sale that you can read.

I am offering $5 off selected items in my shop. So you should totally go check it out!

Cats and a Rat

2009-05-21T12:51:00.000-07:00

Meet our new kitties. First up is Kitty . He's chatty, cuddly, he's missing a piece of his left ear and he loves to play with yarn.
Then we have Jasper. He's sweet, charming, calm and smarter than Kitty, but we try not to point that out.

I also made a rat. His name is Barret and he's chocolatey brown and cute.

I Like You

2009-05-15T12:28:00.001-07:00

If and when you are in the Twin Cities you must check out I Like You! It's a great shop that celebrates local and handmade items. The ladies who run this shop, Angela and Sarah, are amazing.

I'll give you a mini tour of the shop. Here is the cork wall that you must check out for lovely prints and things.

There is no better way to showcase greeting cards than a card catalog!

Neato display with belt buckles and things.

Look at the plush and magnets and frames and necklaces and things. Oh and check it! The carpet is actually turf! And though I didn't get a picture of it there is a swing in the front window.

And there's miss Sarah behind some great pottery and felt flowers.

And there is a wonderful selection of handmade soaps and bath products.

So, I love this place and you should check it out and let me know what you think, too!

Happy Cupcake Day!

2009-05-08T19:23:00.000-07:00

I made a cupcake! And it was featured on Cuteable today! Thanks Linsey!

I think I need to make many more cupcakes. They sure make people happy! The bottom is removable and I think I'll aim to make the top removable, too. Interchangable tops and bottoms might be fun as well. Both Lindsay and Josh suggested that I add a cherry to it, so I did.

Yum! Yum! Yum!

Vote for Spot!

2009-05-04T16:23:00.000-07:00

My pal Spot is in a contest! He's in the Monthly Challenge Contest for my HandmadeMN team. You can head on over to the blog to cast your vote. Of course I'd like you to vote for me so that I get two weeks of free advertising on the blog, but I also want you to choose the entry that most deserves the advertising.

A little bit about Spot - He's a three headed dog. And honestly at the show this weekend about half the people chimed in with the response, "like the dog in Harry Potter!" So I took the opportunity to educate them. I told them that Fluffy was based on a dog from Greek mythology named Cerberus who guards the gates of Hades. I call my buddy Spot because it seemed fitting, but I still had yet to decide what kind of spot to put on him that would justify the name. In the end, during the beginning of the show, I was stitching in SPOT in Braille on his back.

Here's the link so that you can go vote:

http://etsymn.blogspot.com/2009/05/april-2009-challenge-animals.html

Thanks!

a girl, a narwhal, a craft show

2009-05-03T18:51:00.000-07:00

Thanks to all of you that came out to Craftstravaganza yesterday! It was super nice to see you.

The day was fun, but I didn't get a chance to wander too much. I was able to snap up this shot of a little girl with her new friend made by my friend, Christina. You can check out her stuff here. I have to confess that I asked Christina to make me a narwhal, too, so one will be taking up residence with us at some point. Yay!

I hear that there's going to be a nice little flickr group for Craftstravaganza, though I don't see on yet. If you do flickr you can check out past photos and possibly current ones by searching for Craftstravaganza.

Have a great day!

Craftstravaganza!

2009-04-27T14:48:00.000-07:00

Here's a little dose of fiber before I tell you all about Craftstravaganza. It's some handspun yarn I did a little while ago. It will be joining me at this weekend's show as well.

So, Craftstravaganza is a local art and craft sale that is phenomenal! The show is on Saturday, May 2nd from 9-5 at the Minnesota State Fairgrounds. If you are in the neighborhood this weekend it is a must see! My booth is in the far right corner of the building. I'll be bringing lots of creatures, pen costumes, amigurumi patterns, and handspun yarn. I hope to see some of you there!

Coffee and a Monster

2009-04-20T17:36:00.000-07:00

My husband and I went to New York state about a month ago to visit family. I think Josh ended up taking this photo at some point during the trip. We can't get Dunkin Donuts in Minnesota so even looking at a picture of a cup of coffee is nice. Yum!

And then I've got a custom Stripesaurus for Ronna here. She requested blue and green stripes and here he is.

Long live the Stripesaurus!

More food blog thoughts...

2009-04-09T11:03:00.000-07:00

So, I can't stop thinking about this food blog thing. I have to do it. But I am still stuck on the name.

Here are a couple more thoughts:

Gourmet Shmourmet
The Bookish Kitchen

One I wish wasn't taken is Rats in the Kitchen. I like rats. And kitchens.
And Claytonia is also taken.

Hmmm....still thinking...

Oh, and I should say that Josh cooks, too. So it won't be just me doing the cooking for the blog. How fun is that?

Stripesaurus and the Shadow Bunny

2009-04-08T13:23:00.000-07:00

The stripesaurus was minding his own business trying to enjoy a little bit of sun but the shadow bunny had to ruin it for him. I wish I could say that this little monster's frown went away when the shadow bunny did, but just it isn't so.

The little stripesaurus turned away from the shadow bunny to see if he would go away.

He should have been elated to see that his plan had worked, but he was still frowning.

Suddenly bored, he thought he would try to find the shadow bunny again. He thought he'd start by looking to see if it was hiding in his own shadow. Sometimes they do that.

If you see a shadow bunny I am sure our friend the stripesaurus would want to know. You can leave a comment and I'll pass it on.

Branching Out

2009-04-05T18:00:00.001-07:00

Occasionally, I read things that can be found outside of a children's book section. And sometimes these books are also outside of the Science Fiction and Fantasy section. One such book I am reading is work related for a book club thing at my store. The fun thing is that it is also about something else I am quite taken with.

The book is Kate Jacobs' The Friday Night Knitting Club. So far I am enjoying it and I am actually looking forward to finishing it and reading her other books.

I also thought you might want to see my newest gremlin. His name is Artie and he is an artichoke gremlin. Basically his little coat is full of little pockets and one of them has a little crocheted heart in it. Artie is really shy and likes to spend most of his time in his coat.

But when you get a look inside you see that he is really handsome. I try to tell him this ten times a day to help build his self esteem. It might be working because he is smiling for the photograph.

I've been featured on Cuteable :)

2009-04-03T09:17:00.001-07:00

Yay! I've been featured on Cuteable! My little bunny pen costume is on the site for today :)

In addition to the bunny I also have an octopus pen costume. I think I need to make more because they are getting a good response. Fortunately for me the possibilities are endless.

These two are in my Etsy shop hoping to go home with someone.

Coraline Mystery Box Swap Received!

2009-04-02T12:14:00.000-07:00

I got my Coraline Box from Gabe McFadden in the mail! I don't know Gabe's blog address, but as soon as I find out I'll link to it for you to check it out.

Look at all those great buttons on the spine of this super book box.

Opening it up revealed more buttons and that this was box number 25 of 44.

The buttons in the wax seal was a pleasant surprise when opening the letter explaining what was in the box. Here is how the letter reads:

Dear Jennifer,

The items in this box have been selected and made especially for you. it includes a cheese sample taken from Mr. Bobinsky's mailbox, a selection of "aged" taffies from Miss Spink and Miss Forcible (eating these would make you feel very unpleasant), one of Mr. Bobinsky's beets and a pair of custom 3D glasses for when you watch the movie.

I hope you enjoy this box!

Sincerely,
Gabe

And yes, Gabe I do enjoy this box!

Here is Mr. Bobinsky's cheese of the month and enclosed letter.

And then we have the inedible taffy, a truly charming beet and snazzy buttony 3D glasses.

Thanks Gabe! It's fabulous!

Surfer Squirrel

2009-04-01T17:28:00.000-07:00

Chet is a friendly sort of squirrel who likes to surf with his buddies. He has a change of clothes ready for when he gets out of the water, but he likes to carry around his board most places he goes. I think he thinks it makes him look cool or something. As if!

On a side note, he will put down his surf board for a hug :)

Remembering Italics

2009-03-30T19:38:00.001-07:00

Today was tough. Our kitty, Italics was put to rest after he suffered from kidney failure. Here are a couple of pictures of our handsome Italics.

He liked to cuddle before we went to bed right between Josh and I under the blankets. He begged to have water poured into his water bowl so that he could bite and swat at the bubbles. He loved his little squid filled with catnip. He was a hugger and would flop in a purring mass on your shoulder.

We miss him dearly.

Coraline Mystery Box Swap

2009-03-26T11:31:00.000-07:00

For your viewing pleasure... here is the Coraline Mystery Box Swap that I sent out to Sandra of Miaumau in London. My Little Mochi sent out a challenge to the world to step up and make a Coraline inspired box and send it to someone else in the world who would also be making a box and sending it to someone else in the world.

The story behind the box swap is that the makers of the Coraline film sent out fifty boxed to different blogs around the world to advertise the movie. Some people were disappointed that they didn't get a box and decided to make a swap for those of us that were interested. The film is based on the book by Neil Gaiman. And of course you should read the book before you see it. Here's the cover. My box was number 15 of 44 and we were supposed to show what number the box it was on the top. I used handmade paper and drew buttons and stitches on the edges.

The inside of the box and outside view of the letter.

The letter describing its contents.

A little handmade pillow for the Coraline doll, mouse, a key and buttons for eyes.

I'll get pictures of the box sent to me soon for you to enjoy as well.

Plushapalooza!

2009-03-19T15:21:00.000-07:00

Head on over to Plushapalooza on Tuesday, March 24 at 3 pm EST. Come check out the Plush Team and see what we've got!

We're going to give the yarn spinning class another go over at the Studio at Rush Creek in Maple Grove, MN. The class is scheduled for Sunday, March 29th at 1 pm. You can sign up for it on the Studio website.

While in New York I made these two beauties. First we have Georgie the kitty with removable clothing and then we have Tyrose the mini heart gremlin. Both are in need of hugs and in my Etsy shop.

Rat on a plane :)

2009-03-18T12:39:00.000-07:00

For the first time ever, one of my rats was on a plane. I kind of hope this kind of thing happens more, but one never knows.

Josh and I went to New York to visit family and this rattie came over as Josh's mom's birthday present. Honestly, if you looked in my Etsy shop before I took this rat down you would have seen this rat with a girl's name. But while we were waiting for our delayed plane in the Detroit airport it became abundantly clear that we were wrong.

You see, there was this great little fake tree with rocks underneath and someone had written the name Jamison on one of the rocks. It was perfect! Though, Mom, if you do want to change the name or change him to a her, that's okay, too :)

Here's an update on blog names for my food blog. So far we have these entries:

-- Cloudy with a chance of ...cookies?
-- The Fuzzy Gourmet
-- Dough Hook
-- From Hook to Cook
-- The Baking Sheet Chronicles
-- The Five Second Rule
-- The Animated Baker

I also was thinking of having my line of handspun yarns called the Fuz Cafe. But I guess it could work for a blog name, too. Any other ideas out there? Or are there any from this list that you particularly like?

Thanks guys! I really appreciate the help :)

Cloudy with a chance of... cookies?

2009-03-05T17:28:00.000-08:00

I had this great plan to get you fresh pictures of plush, but alas it turned out to be cloudy, then foggy :(

I figured you still needed something, so I brought another food picture. These are shortbread buttons with chocolate bottoms. I did both milk and dark chocolate varieties. This wonderful recipe yielded 100 of these to die for buttons so we've been sharing. Most of the people we shared them with have asked for the recipe, which got me thinking. I love to think and run with ideas if you hadn't picked up on that yet. But, it got me thinking that I should start a separate food blog.
What do you think?

That also means that I won't share this fabulous recipe with you until I get the blog up and running. But I think I also need to have a contest because I don't know what I will call my new blog.

So, here's the deal. The winner will get a baker's dozen of my fabulous shortbread buttons and a crocheted version of my shortbread button. You can post your name suggestion in the comments and if I get enough we'll do a vote. Remember that I have to make sure I don't get a name that's already out there in use.

Bring it on!

Some things I have been baking...

2009-03-01T19:30:00.000-08:00

First, I've got to say that most of the things I make are improvised, whether it be something I crochet or cook or bake. So, if I use a recipe I take it as a starting point and do as I wish with it. The first one I've got here is what I call a chai swirl cupcake. I got a recipe for a white cupcake from the Epicurious website and then I added layers of batter alternating with a combination of cinnamon, cardamon and nutmeg. I swirled the spice mix into the batter with a toothpick. Next time I plan on getting or making cream cheese frosting. Yum. Without frosting they were really good heated slightly like a muffin.

The next ones are things I made before the holidays and I find it hard to say which recipe I followed more than another. I looked at about ten online and a few that I had from other people to combine them into what I had in the house. They are buckeyes or peanut butter balls. I do know that next time I will not add so much confectioners sugar and I will not overheat the chocolate chips, as I did. I ended up spreading the chocolate as opposed to dipping. They tasted good, but they weren't quite what I was going for.

Doggies for Natalie

2009-02-26T10:54:00.000-08:00

Today's addition to the world of plush is a pair of wiener dogs with sweaters! They were super fun to make and I am glad that Natalie needed two because they look so good together!

They just look like they could get into trouble together, don't they?

Now, I am off to make a leaf for the International Fiber Collective. Check out the site to see what the fuss is about. We're doing leaves as a Plush Team activity so check back to see what we come up with.

Bunny Big Buns and her Carrotship Amigurumi

2009-02-19T16:46:00.000-08:00

I finished the spaceship for the bunny. It resembles a carrot and includes a bunny sized pouch for the bunny to ride around in. The ship is well over a foot tall and pleasantly squishy.

Please feel free to head on over to the Plush Team blog to vote on your favorite New Years Resolution creation.

For those of you wondering about the Yarn Spinning class, it is going to be rescheduled for sometime in March. So check back here to see when we'll be doing it again.

Esther Amigurumi New Years Resolution

2009-02-11T13:06:00.000-08:00

We had a plush team challenge for January and February in which we turned our new years resolutions into plush. My resolution is twofold, to make more monsters and to attempt to make or remake 50% of the clothes I will need this year.

I created Esther because she is a monster and she is wearing handmade clothes, which are removable.

You can see what other people on the plush team have made at the plush team blog.

You can learn to spin yarn!

2009-02-10T17:17:00.000-08:00

I am teaching a class on spinning yarn this weekend and I am really excited about it. I'll be making up kits with drop spindles, fiber and a booklet on the how to's and resources. It's going to be awesome. So if you are in the vicinity and want to learn how to spin you can sign up on the studio at rush creek site.

And if you can't make it to the class I will be offering spinning kits, so let me know if you want one.

Have a great day!

Rats!

2009-02-04T13:55:00.000-08:00

Rats! I love making rats. So far I've made four in this style. The possibilities are as endless as the number of rats there are and there are a lot of rats.

Let's talk about some books on rats. I read the Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of Nihm by Robert C. O'Brien sometime after college and loved it. I had seen the animation when I was younger, but didn't really grasp what it was about until I read it. A picture book that recently came out on rats is Bad Rats by Eric Drachman. It's got great illustrations and a cute story.

Heart Shaped Bunny

2009-01-30T18:31:00.000-08:00

Last night I had an idea to make a bunny out of a heart. Here's the bottom of the bunny .Bunny from the front.

Bunny from the top.

Bunny from behind with a big butt.

The next step is to make her a carrot spaceship. Don't you think that would be totally awesome?

I am reading a great book by Patrick Rothfuss called The Name of the Wind. It's a great new series and the next one comes out in the next couple of months. I am also catching up on the Wimpy Kid series by Jeff Kinney. I am on #2, Roderick Rules. The third one came out last week.

Class and a Rock in a Penguin Costume

2009-01-20T14:30:00.000-08:00

My class on Sunday at the Studio at Rush Creek was really fun! There were 4 people there and here is what they created.

Becky made an amazing octopus.

Sarah, made some good progress on what she calls her quarter doily.

Katie and Katie have stuffed little balls of fun.

Dave asked for a rock in a penguin costume a while ago and I finally made him one. He's one of my larger rock costumes. I feel that I could go even larger, so we'll see what I can come up with next in the realm of rocks in costumes.

I am finally finishing what is out in the Percy Jackson series by Rick Riordan. I am almost through Titan's Curse and soon I'll be starting Battle of the Labyrinth. Looks like I am right on track because the Demigod Files comes out next month.

Ode to Rats

2009-01-13T14:01:00.001-08:00

Rats are wonderful creatures that can make sweet lovable pets. As an ode to rats I have crocheted one. In my opinion this is my best rat yet, though I haven't yet named her. Any thoughts on what I should call her?

New Patterns!!

2009-01-12T16:32:00.001-08:00

I've got the patterns I'll be using for my class on the 18th of January at the Studio at Rush Creek up in my Etsy Shop now! Here's a peek at the owls, octopuses, and bunnies. They are going for $2.50 a piece or $6 for all three. They look great in pairs and I can imagine that they would look amazing as an army.

A bear and a bunny

2009-01-04T18:26:00.000-08:00

This special pair is a custom order for a pair of twins. One is a bear and the other is a bunny, if you hadn't figured that out from the title of this post or the pictures. Both have removable clothing and non-removable underwear.

I am kind of into this cowl thing. I like the way they look, but I don't know if I can wear one for a day. I don't like things close to my throat. Maybe I'll have to make one and try it. I like the construction of the green cowl on the bunny. It's braided and there are three rings intertwined. I am thinking about spinning up some yarn to see how it translates into a human sized cowl.

**Studio at Rush Creek class update - The class has been moved to January 18th. So if you weren't able to come or thought you missed it you still have a chance to sign up at the Studio at Rush Creek website.**

My First Official Class!

2008-12-28T13:15:00.000-08:00

I will be teaching a beginner amigurumi crochet class at the Studio at Rush Creek in Maple Grove, MN on Sunday, January 4th from 1-4 pm.

There are three creatures to choose from: an owl, an octopus and a bunny. You can sign up for the class at the studio website and if you are unable to come to the class patterns will be available in my etsy shop shortly. I'll be posting pictures of the creatures this week, too.

And since I don't like posts without pictures, I added this cute little sheep. Enjoy!

Lots of critters

2008-12-26T12:57:00.000-08:00

This little guy was super fun to make. I really didn't know where I was going and in fact I set out to make a teeny robot. He didn't have the right feel for a bot, so he became a gremlin and then a gremlin with a scarf. And what does a gremlin with a scarf need more than anything else? A plane, of course! So here you have it. Shatner (I had to name him that thanks to my wonderful hubby's naming skills) is living and flying somewhere near Maple Grove, MN.

Stormy and Ralph came about when I had the need to make something with long, skinny arms and legs. I made Ralph the unicorn first and keep going with Stormy the dog. They are the perfect handful and make a great tag along pal.

Twinkle lights are great and abundant at this time of year. But how many of you have seen crocheted ones? I'd guess that there aren't too many of you...yet. This one might become a year round favorite. I confess that we have Christmas lights up in our living room all year round. They make for great even lighting. The great thing about crocheted ones is that they won't die on you and you don't have to worry about those tiny little fuses.

The narguin is back! And this one's for Chelsey. You may remember the narwhal penguin I made last year for the Etsy Minnesota Street Team winter challenge. His name is Manuel and he looks a lot like this guy. He was adopted in the Spring at the Crafstravaganza event. Chelsey requested one for herself and I made her one. He's over a foot tall and super hugable. Doesn't everyone need a Narguin?

Ribbon yarn makes a great octopus. The tentacles spiral in such a magical way and the texture is a little rougher than normal yarn. The neat thing is that she's just a squeezable and loveable. Harriet only has one eye, which makes her a cycloptopus. You can adopt another one of these great cycloptopuses at the Plush Team Etsy shop. The entire adoption fee for Jane will go toward the Big Brothers Big Sisters organization.

A dog and a contest

2008-10-22T08:42:00.000-07:00

A dog and his bone. This is a custom dog I made for Abby's daughter Kalli. He's a Patterdale Terrier with a removable collar and bone. He's a foot long and 10 inches high. He even sits, stands and lays down.

Feel free to go check out the Plush Team site and vote for the Halloween plush there. Check out my ghost kitty, Jesmin, in her ghost costume.

Handmaiden Show

2008-10-16T15:26:00.000-07:00

The Handmaiden Show went well this weekend. There were quite a few people funneling through during the day. And my table was quite a bit emptier as the day went on. I am thinking about making a new banner, but I'm still kind of attached to my hand sewn one. I confess that the black fabric on the table has sequins on it and initially served as a cape for the Harry Potter book 7 release Party. Now I've used it on the table at 3 shows. :)
I made these cute little heart gremlin key chains for the show this weekend and they went quickly. I'll definitely by making more.

These guys are in the picture from the last post because I brought them to Chicago. I sold the Octopus in Chicago and the rest went to their new homes this weekend. The rocks in costumes are a big hit and they are fun to design. Speaking of which, I need to make Dave a Penguin :)

better late than never

2008-10-16T13:28:00.000-07:00

So, I realize that it's been over a month since the Renegade Chicago show, but here are some pics of the booth and all the great plush that I got to spend the weekend with. To find out more about the creatures here check out the Plushteam blog.

And the last picture here is what I brought with me on the bus to Chicago.

Renegade Chicago

2008-09-12T15:48:00.000-07:00

If you're in Chicago this weekend come check us out! We'll be at booth 70 with tons of plush!!

2008-09-07T18:14:00.000-07:00

Here is my entry for the Plush Team Halloween contest. Jesmin the ghost kitty in a ghost costume. She fits in the plush costume category of the contest. She thinks it's funny that she's a ghost pretending to be a ghost, so she giggles a lot. She also thinks the word "boo" is a little overused and prefers to tell knock knock jokes instead of frightening people.

Squids and a Pattern

2008-08-30T17:28:00.001-07:00

The first pattern available is Frances the Heart Gremlin. He's at my etsy shop right now. I'm offering him for only $2. He's sort of a test pattern to make sure my language and technique are solid. I plan on making the pattern in the form of a comic book, but I want to get the kinks out. Frances is about an intermediate/advanced level of crochet. If you get a pattern now I'll send along the completed pattern design and name a creature after you!
This squid went to Sarah of Creative Sundries.

And this one went to Megan of Moogan Creations.

More squids are made, they just need to be photographed and shipped :)

Squid, Gremlin, Bag, & Yarn

2008-08-21T15:04:00.000-07:00

The first Free Squid to go out goes to Chelsey! She requested a Narwhal colored squid in the fashion of the Narquin you may have seen in an earlier post. The squid will be on it's way to you tomorrow, Chelsey : )
Another mini heart gremlin. His name is Ringo and he's about 5.5 inches or 14 cm tall. This is the backside, he does have a face and a smile : )

Percella! In honor of having a sewing machine that works, I had to sew something. I was in need of a bag, so this is what I made. It's a comfortable over the shoulder messenger type thing. The important thing is that I can fit a sketch book, yarn and whatever I happen to be reading in it at the same time.

I finally spun some yarn. I was over at the Textile Center in Minneapolis and picked up some fiber from Sue's Luxury Yarn. It's a wool of some sort with some really great color combos.

Now, I need is some more squids to make! Who doesn't want a free squid?

Free Squids!

2008-08-19T14:25:00.000-07:00

Help me celebrate fuzfrenzy's third Etsy anniversary with a free squid! All you need to do is leave a comment with an email address for me to contact you to get you your free squid. You only have until the end of September to request your free squid and I'll have to limit it to one per person. I'll be making them custom so have your color choices ready!Let the squidding begin!

the world of fuz

2008-08-12T16:32:00.000-07:00

There are fuzlingz everywhere! The first three creatures, Wynn the gremlin, Renna the ballerina mouse, and Seph the cowboy bunny are in my Etsy shop. I finally made a tiny heart gremlin ! It's about 5 inches or 12.7 cm tall and her heart still comes out : ) The mouse and bunny are a tad larger and have removable clothing.

This masked gremlin with a book went to Abigail and the monkey with a car went to Scarlett.

Rolph here is living with Amanda and some other monsters. I hear he is doing well in his new home : )

Megan's Glovelets

2008-06-18T18:55:00.001-07:00

Megan requested a pair of biker gloves with hole for the knuckles and here they are! They are made from Lion Brand Cotton Ease charcoal yarn. They should breathe and wear well. The buttons are from my antique stash. Enjoy Megan!

Since I am getting into the habit of writing down patterns I wrote this one down, too. I would say that these ended up being about a medium size, so I'll have to venture into making large and small sizes for the pattern, too. I am giving serious thought to making a pair for myself : )

Graham the Gremlin

2008-06-14T18:53:00.001-07:00

Graham is the second pattern that I will offer in my shop. Here you can see that he was inspired by the fabulous Froderick. I went with a smaller version. He still isn't a quick bugger to make, but Graham is more manageable to replicate.And look! His pants and belt are removable. He's got to be interactive as well as charming. I am thinking that the patterns will look more like a comic bookish style with each creature alongside to give pointers to those that venture into the patterns.

Heart Gremlins

2008-06-09T18:22:00.001-07:00

Well, now there are two! Ezekiel has a friend named Frances. I have decided to keep Ezekiel in my own personal collection. I made Frances for the pattern which will shortly be up in my Etsy shop. I played with the form a teensy bit, so Frances is a couple of rows shorter. I made a better heart and heart hole this time around.
I got a cute shot of Italics today while I was photographing the gremlins. He's checking to see how much sun is coming in by the window so that he can stretch out in the heat as soon as it moves across the floor.

Sneek Peek...what's to come...

2008-06-03T17:56:00.001-07:00

What in the world? I don't think it's obvious what I've got pictured here, so I'll tell you.Ezekiel is being remade for the purpose of making a pattern. Yes, I said pattern. I am filling up my sketch book with scribblings of sc and st and tons of other senseless things that add up to a heart gremlin. The pattern will be available in my Etsy shop shortly as a PDF, so keep an eye out for it. In addition to the heart gremlin I will do 4 more patterns for the summer collection of Fuzfrenzy patterns.

I am so excited to share the fuz with everyone and I hope that you are excited to get an extra dose of it!

Creatures

2008-05-28T12:08:00.001-07:00

Some new things: Sylvia Blue is an irresistible little critter with a white panther costume. She is made with cotton yarn, which is a first for me. She feels great and is super cuddly. Just look at that smile!Another first is with Logan's Cthulhu. He is made with wool that I handspun. He took two skeins. Even though I spin I usually make creatures with acrylic yarns. I really enjoyed this venture into different materials, which I will explore some more.
Hansel and Gretel have been on the Plush Team site for a little bit now, so I thought they should be here, too. They have already been welcomed into their new home in New Jersey. These two were initially made for a plush team challenge involving favorite fairy tales and stories. My partner was Jenni from SLC Studio . She is creating a yummy pot of Stone Soup and I chose Hansel and Gretel from among her favorites. I could not create a normal duo, so I made them mutants : )

a good show : )

2008-05-01T17:09:00.000-07:00

Ahh here is my wrinkled sign. I made it for last year's show and I have used it in 3 shows so far. The first z is backwards by accident, but it adds something to it, I think. And it's all hand stitched : )

For Craftstravaganza I brought 33 items and came home with 9. I am glad that so many things found good homes. It was cool to see so many people that I remembered from last year and a lot of people remembered me, too.
A special octopus ring : )
And a friendly face. This little bunny was a custom order that I neglected to get photographed before he found his home. So here he is for the world to see. And she's wearing the original octopus ring!

Craftstravaganza!

2008-04-24T19:19:00.000-07:00

If you're in the neighborhood come check out Craftstravaganza this Saturday, April 26th at the Minnesota State Fairgrounds. I'll be in booth #24 in the far right corner. It's right next to the one I had last year and it served me well, so hopefully I'll have good results again.

I'm bringing the huge octopus I made from recycled t-shirts. Henry would be delighted to meet you if you are so inclined to attend the show. Keep in mind that when I say he is huge I mean that he'll take up the majority of the table and the floor surrounding it.

I haven't talked about what I'm reading in a long while, so I thought I'd update you. I have several books going so sporadically that I don't know everything that I'm in the middle of. What I do remember is George R.R. Martin's Game of Thrones, Garth Nix's Sabriel, and James Owen's Search for the Red Dragon. All enjoyable and none of them finished yet...though mostly finished in all cases.

Monster Pie!!

2008-04-19T20:09:00.000-07:00

Ahhh, pie! Here is the first of the monster pies. It is made with three fresh monsters and topped with a cherry. It was very fun to make I hope you enjoy the pictures.

Completed Monster

2008-04-19T10:18:00.001-07:00

Here is Julian! When he was just a round pink puffball it was though that maybe he should just be a dragon egg, with all his jewel tones and texture. But I wanted to give him more life. As the face came together he needed feet, a tail, ears and a sorta spiky mane.

Julian incidentally loves to play the harmonica and eat crunchy things. He is a handful even though he can be very shy about his pretty pink appearance. He's kinda big at 10 inches high and 20 inches long. Just more of him to love!

Another Yarn-gram : )

2008-04-05T13:32:00.000-07:00

Yay for yarn! Mom sent me more yarn. This one is a thick and thin Jo-Ann Sensations wool yarn. I am thinking that it is going to be a monster, but I am not quite sure how it'll evolve. The best part of it so far is that the thick sections of the yarn are spiraling and it looks awesome.Quinton is a Vulture-Elephant. He is going to be living in a baby's room. The story is that a mom joked about having vultures in her baby's room and the one who requested this magnificent beast got an idea to combine the vulture with the elephant/blue/green/white theme of the room. And viola!

Bunny & An Egg Cozy

2008-03-19T18:52:00.000-07:00

I made a cute little bunny the other day. She's made with super soft fuzzy yarn which makes her really cuddly.And I also have an egg cozy here that ended up being an albino rat.
Happy Easter everyone! Hopefully I'll get to making a couple more Easter goodies : )

Vote for Plush Team St. Patty's Day Winner!

2008-03-15T11:29:00.000-07:00

Hey! Here's a great opportunity to show the green for St. Patty's Day. Go to the Etsy Plush Team site to vote on your favorite creation. I made a leprechaun, but there are other fun plush, too.

Have fun & thanks!

Yarn...the beginning of something beautiful?

2008-03-13T14:00:00.000-07:00

When I went out to my mailbox a little while ago I was met by this little box filled with yarn sent by my lovely mother-in-law. (Thanks Mom!)

So now that I have organized the yarn by color and tied all the ends together, I have three large skeins of yarn....but I am not yet sure of what it shall be. Any thoughts?