Witcher Plushie

I finally got my ass in gear and finished the Geralt de Rivia plushie in a bathtub.  This is for a swap on swap-bot.  The pattern I bought for this plush proved to be too difficult for me to understand with regard to the body.  I ended up keeping the head from that pattern and used a body pattern that I was more comfortable with.  I had to redo my tub because the new body was significantly larger than the one I'd previously planned on.  No, those aren't rocks in the Witcher's tub.  They're supposed to be bubbles, but I guess they are a little big.  He looks really sad about bathing doesn't he?  

Toss a Plushie to Your Witcher Plushie Swap - WIP

Megan, spoilers ahead.  Avert your eyes! 

I'm in a Witcher plushie swap on swap-bot with my pal, Megan.  Megan is far more advanced when it comes to sewing than I.  They can make clothing and costumes.  I can "get by" when it comes to making doll clothing.  I really don't do removable garments.  I'm pretty good at props though.  I found a vinyl toy online of chibi Geralt of Rivia in the tub.  I decided I'd be ambitious and turn that scene into a plushie.  I started out by making the tub because I wanted to see if I could pull it off.  If I couldn't; I'd be going a totally different direction with my plush. 

It was actually pretty easy.  It's not perfect and is a little wonky, but I think it'll take shape once I stuff it, add the doll, and cover it with water (felt).  I'll be using BabyLondonStar's sit pattern for the actually plushie.  The tub was made without a pattern. 

Early Happy Birthday, Edgar!

It's been about 6.5 years since my last post. A lot has happened during that time. I won't bore you with the details. I probably can't recall them anyway, so I'll just keep this post crafty in nature. I am still very active on swap-bot. For a recent swap, our mission was to create a 3D piece of art inspired by Edgar Allan Poe's life or work. The twist was to also make our artwork cheerful as we were to incorporate a birthday element(s). (Poe's birthday is January 19th.) Of course, I chose to make a felt doll of old Edgar. For the base of my doll, I used the Albert Einstein doll pattern from Noia Land on Etsy. I altered the hair, face, and clothing to fit my needs. I ripped the head off a plastic, Halloween skeleton and sewed it onto Edgar's tiny hand. It was a perfect fit! I made the birthday hats out of wool blend felt, pom poms, and metallic pipe cleaners (glued on). I think that the petite Poe turned out really sweet. My partner liked him so much that she decoupaged the inside of a box to look like a library in order to display him. I haven't received from my swap partner yet, but I'm excited to see what she comes up with. One of the best things about swapping crafts is seeing the different interpretations of the swap guidelines.

Smash Books, Mini-Zines, and ATC's, Oh My!

I've been trying to branch out to other crafts besides sewing. I'll have to say I'm a little burnt out on Dotee dolls at this point. Yesterday I decided to make myself a Smash Book. A Smash Book is like a journal that you put random stuff in. K and Company has an awesome line of Smash Books and embellishments. I thought it would be more fun to create my own. I painted a composition notebook and added stickers and other elements to the cover.

So far, I've started one page in my Smash Book. The page includes two mini-zines that I completed yesterday. There is a current swap on swap-bot called "Fill It." For this swap, you download a page with prompts on it, fill in your details, draw some pictures, and then fold it mini-zine style. HERE is the blog that explains the project and where you can find the downloadable prompt sheets.

I've also been working on some ATC's (Artist Trading Cards). I made this Frida Kahlo ATC for a tag on swap-bot.

I actually painted a Studio Ghibli inspired ATC for a swap. I usually hate painting, but this was really fun to do. I only hate painting because it's something that I'm not particularly good at. Here's my winter themed Soot Sprite.

I've not decided what I'll work on today. Don't get me wrong, I haven't given up sewing, I'm just taking intermittent breaks. I actually completed two plushies yesterday as well (I was super busy!). The first one is a felt doll for a swap.

The tutorial and pattern can be found at The Purl Bee.

I also made a Spock plushie for an upcoming commission next month. I am to make 3 more Star Trek characters for this order.

Getting Ready for Valentine's Day

You'd think that I'd be one to hate Valentine's Day. It's very rare that I have a Valentine on Valentine's Day, but for some reason I adore this holiday. Valentine's Day is my second favorite holiday for which to craft (Halloween is numero uno). Here are some Valentine's Day plushies I've already made for my Etsy shop.

The Perfect Boyfriend

Large Kawaii Raccoon Plushie

Ninja and Anatomical Heart Plushies

Each of these plushies (and smaller versions of the kawaii raccoon) are available in my Etsy shop.

I am also open for custom orders, so just send me a convo through Etsy or drop me an e-mail (see "Contact Me" above).

So Stoked!

 

Inspired by my bipolar medication yet again, I decided to make a prescription pill bottle plushie.  I submitted the project to Craft Foxes.  My plushie is now one of the featured projects on their front page!  They even featured it on their Facebook page.  I am so stoked about this!  

You can purchase this cute little plushie in my Etsy shop. 

Shop Updates & A Giveaway Tomorrow!

Yes, I've been neglecting the blog lately. I remember when I used to post 2 or 3 times a day! I've been busy working on custom orders and new items for House of Plush on Etsy. Here are three items that I listed today.

Sleeping Sloth Plushie

Black and Plaid Cat Plushie

Felt Campfire Play Set

My Christmas in July sale is going on right now.  Simply use the coupon code JULYXMAS at checkout to receive 10% off your purchase.  You can also "like" my updated Facebook page by clicking the "like" button on the right sidebar of my blog to receive more shop updates.

I will be doing a review and giveaway tomorrow of Mylana, a shop on Etsy that specializes in handmade soaps, jewelry, and candles.  So check back here on Friday to enter to win some great prizes!

Happy Birthday to Me!

Today I turn 33 years old. I still feel like I'm a 10 year old! My 33rd birthday promises to be like any other day. I'm currently organizing my craft room which doubles as my bedroom. I've been working on this daunting task for three days now, and it feels as if there is no end in sight. Here is the family cat, Mr. Bob, "helping" me straighten up.

Look at the cute gifts my 3 year old niece, Allie, picked out for me all by herself! She gave them to me early because she wanted to make sure that I liked them. Of course I loved them. They are probably the best gifts I've ever received because she hand picked them.

My best friend, Adam, celebrated his 35th birthday with family yesterday, but we will be meeting up later today to celebrate mine. He is a huge Gary Busey fan. I decided to make him an angry Gary Busey plushie for his birthday. Gary has gone a little "off" in my version and forgotten his shoes.

To celebrate my birthday, I'm offering 33% off in my Etsy shop this weekend when you use the coupon code HAPPY33 at checkout. This offer is not good on custom orders or gift certificates. So head on over to House of Plush and take advantage of this deal!

A Blog You Should Read

I'm proud to state that one of my custom order plushies from Etsy, Captain Kidd, is not only currently globe trotting, but he's also raising awareness and money to help in the fight to cure leukemia and Multiple myeloma. He started out here in Tennessee and since then has been to Alabama, California, Chile, and various other destinations. Next is the Netherlands. Check out The Adventures of Captain Kidd
to learn about the origins of Captain Kidd and his trip around the world. Here he is recently in Morro Bay, California.

I wish Captain Kidd and his traveling companion all the best on their adventures!

What I've Been Working On

This year has been pretty busy for me. I've gotten several custom orders for plushies and that's what I spend the majority of my time doing these days. Here are a few of the custom orders that I've done this year.

"Imagination Movers"

Snape from "Harry Potter"

Pirate Captain

Pink Turtle

Purple Turtle

Adipose Baby from "Dr. Who"

Donna Noble from "Dr. Who"

David Tennant from "Dr. Who"

 

Those are just a few of the things I've been working on this year (these within the past month).  If you're ever curious as to what I'm up to,  you can always visit my deviantART profile.  If you'd like to place an order for a custom plushie, you can either e-mail me or contact me in my Etsy shop.

Happy Valentine's Day!

I know I haven't posted at all this year, but thought that this might be as good a time as any to start. I want to wish all of you a very Happy Valentine's Day whether you're single or not (still single here). Here is a Valentine plushie that I made for my grandmother. It's cupid, complete with polymer clay bow and arrow.

I've been doing a lot of plushies since December and have improved quite a bit. I don't know if I'll get around to posting pics of the plushies I've made over the past few months on this blog. If you're interested in seeing what I've been up to, you can view all my creations on deviantART.

Much love,

Christmas Ornament Swap (Made by Me)

Here are the Christmas ornaments I made for my friend, Heather, for a Christmas Ornament Swap I participated in via my group "Crafty Friends." I didn't really do anything too Christmasy, but I think this suits Heather's style. She really loves woodland themed things. Heather is a super talented gal who crochets like no other! You can see her work at her Etsy shop, Snoodle Studio. I'll definitely be posting pics of the goodies I receive from Heather! I'm sure they'll be super awesome and I can't wait to get them!

Cute Poo Plushie

Something I never thought I would make: a kawaii plushie modeled after human excrement. I was bored, still had kawaii on the brain after finishing up my Kawaii Swap, and had a surplus of brown felt. Not the most original of creations, but really super cute if I do say so myself.  It's on sale at House of Plush.

A Couple of Swap Projects

I'm catching up on my list o' things to do. This morning, I completed my part of the Kawaii Swap that I'm in on Cut Out + Keep. I decided that I'd have another go at making a 3D plushie. I've only ever made a handful in my life, so I need more practice. Fantastic Toys
has a great pattern and tutorial for kawaii cupcakes. Here is my version.

Although what I made is cute (please excuse the pins, I'm still waiting for the felt glue to dry), I don't think it resembles a cupcake.  To see and make the original, you can go here.

I'm also in a Christmas Ornament swap where I have to make 6 ornaments for one partner.  My partner, Heather, really loves anything woodland themed.  So far I've made a hedgehog, I'm working on a cute little deer, and I made these cool mushrooms.

 

I'll probably be making a gnome ornament similar to this plushie that's in my shop, but smaller of course.

Back to work I go!

What I've Been Up To

I think I may have mentioned that I was in a bit of a crafting slump about a week ago. I had so many projects to do, but just no motivation to make anything. Not being able to create led me to become very depressed and I just didn't see an end in sight. I'm happy to report that the slump is over, and I'm crafting again! I'm not working at the furious pace I had been for several months, and that's probably a good thing because I believe that's what led to my burnout. Emotionally, I feel happy lately and I'm very optimistic about life. I've not felt this way for . . . well I really can't remember feeling this way. I've made some positive changes in my personal life and I'm moving forward. I also have a second job interview for a position with a company that I really really want. I'm very hopeful about my prospects as I have many years of experience doing this type of work. On to what I've been making recently.

I procured several rolls of fleece remnants from the remnant basket at Hobby Lobby recently. I'd never really worked with fleece before, but enjoyed making plushies out of it simply because it's so soft and snuggly. I ran across a tutorial on deviantART the other day about how to make fleece hats. It looked simple enough, so I drew a similar pattern to the one the artist used (I don't have easy access to a printer so I just drew the pattern free hand). Due to my hands-on learning style, it's difficult for me to follow written tutorials. I just really have to do the whole trial and error method when creating. So I did what I thought would work, and hand sewed my first felt hat! It came out a little wonky because my pattern wasn't accurate. I decided to add bunny ears and a kawaii face to it. Here is the finished product.

I did a little more research on the pattern because I wanted to make one for my friend, Ruby, to send her as a part of the Kawaii Swap we're participating in on Cut Out + Keep.  I found a pattern somewhere on the web that was made by using all these metric measurements.  Since I'm horrible at following directions and doing Math, it took me a little while to draw up the pattern, but I finally did it!  This time the hat came out more uniform.  I made a duck because that's Ruby's favorite animal.

I wasn't lazy this go around, so I added a brim to make it look finished.  It took me all day because again I only sew by hand, but I'm very pleased with the results.  I've still got one or two more projects to do for this swap, but I've not settled on an idea or ideas yet.

I have so much more on my list of things to do!  Since I lost about a week and a half due to my slump; I'm behind.  I have two t-shirts to stencil, an ornament swap to work on (I have one of six completed), a pair of earrings to make, and a blog feature to write.  I'm trying my best not to become overwhelmed, especially with the job interview coming up tomorrow.  I guess it's off to work on my list now!

Happy Halloween

Pumpkin plushie I made for my niece, Allie, for Halloween this year.

Here's wishing all of you a very happy and safe Halloween!

So Busy!

I'm so busy today, but I'm excited about it! I have lots of commissions to do in addition to a swap for Cut Out + Keep. I got an early start this morning and I'm halfway done with a commission/art trade with my good friend Sugarlishes. I asked her to make an Emmers the bunny plushie for me and in return I am making Adventure Time plushies for her. Here is Finn, a work in progress, and Jake, completed.

Next I'll be working on three plush Christmas ornaments for my dA pal, Ruthie. I also have two stenciled t-shirt commissions to complete on top of that! It really feels good to have people think so much of my crafts that they have commissioned me!