November Slumber

It is the last day of November.


This drawing was made today, and is called 'November Slumber'
(6 by 7 inches original ink)

It is reminiscientof my drawing 'July Dream' from several years ago. It will be available in the original art shop.

We're in the Etsy Childrens Gift Guides for the Holidays!

Thank you Etsy!
It's on page 5, but our Alien Monster Dolls made it into the Gift Guide (which their editors pick.)


See them in action!

Sluggish around here? No not at all!

Custom slug order for JB - here they are!
One is a little longer than the other and has a bigger mouth - but every toy has its own unique personality, even when they come from the same pattern!



Sluggish? Actually we've been quite busy!

Our Thanksgiving was simple, at home and relaxing. We had a 'traditional pepperoni pizza' as CarrieK said. We took Esme up to see Grandma and Grandpa for about an hour, but she was more interested in tromping about their house getting into things than actually visiting (she is one after all). We went home and made pizza and watched a movie, then tired Esme entirely out so she would go to sleep early. I had to work on Black Friday at 6 am. That actually wasn't so bad, but then I have five years of experience under my belt and I didn't have to open the doors -- that poor guy in New York!


Slug with carrot
He has finally come back from St.Louis
He'll be in the shop

The toys all came back finally from the Crammed Organisms show in St.Louis. Some of them were just a little worse for wear. It took them a long time to turnaround the shipping (which I had to pay for both ways and that sucked) and they didn't do very well on getting pictures of things while they were at the show. I saw Bumblephant in just one photo out of the twenty some they took. I was glad to be invited to what was a wonderful and original idea but was kind of left wanting for more. Maybe they'll do better next year, as this was their first try at anything this large.

A philosophy of making and buying handmade

I love handmade, and not just the things I make myself. I buy handmade olive-oil soap on a regular basis, but usually don't buy knitted or sewn things that I could make myself. I would like to sometimes, and instead I say 'no you can make that' and usually end up buying something cheap and not well made at all as a replacement. I'm rethinking that.

I see something really cool on a website, like a pair of baby slippers or a toddler play quilt and know if I took the time I could come out with something just as good - out of my own materials etc. etc... But then I don't do it, because I really don't have the time! I make so many things for my own handmade shop I don't take out the time to make things I would like to use myself.

So, I have to get on the ball here. I either buy those cool things and support my handmade crafting friends, or I actually get down to the knitty gritty (sometimes it's knitty, usually not) and make the item myself, and USE it.

This blanket was inspired by one of those cool things I saw online - just some pretty nice fabric that was made into a toddler blanket. But the only special thing about it was the lady had chosen really nice fabric. I had all this 'recycled' fabric lying around and started putting it together. Some of the squares came from a sample book of curtain fabric someone gave me - and the rest was from a box of upholstery remnants we traded for last year in our Ebay store. It became a pretty little quilt that is being used in our house as 1.) footwarmer and 2.) hide and seek blanket for Esme. It's quite warm and also very funny when Esme grabs it and puts it over her head asking to play her game with us.

Some of the things I'm considering buying handmade:
wrist warmers and baby slippers

I keep trying to make them and ending up with half-finished or ripped out projects. I'm just not that good of a knitter and have had such a hard time keeping on those yarny projects to get them finished. I've tried to make Esme a pair of felt or knitted shoes since she was BORN and haven't come out with anything wearable.

I love slipper socks from Etsy seller TheCrocodileRock but am still trying to make a pair for Esme -- not sure if I'll succeed and her feet are growing so fast it's hard to keep up!

UDPATE: I have contacted TheCrocodileRock and asked her to make a custom order for us - in process of making choices! YAY!

Esme Cuteness

Here are some pictures we took yesterday - it was a cute day.


Esme's hair is almost long enough for these clips to stay in

She has taken to sitting in her booster chair when she is hungry and sometimes just to watch a movie when it's on

Mark took this photo of me sewing on our 'Surreal Fish' plush toy.

The last time we drew crayons with Esme I drew a fish that looked like this - and saved the drawing to try to make a toy out of it.


Then he took a turn showing it off too ;)

Random News

Esme went to her 1 year check-up (a bit late, but insurance had to be switched) and everything was good. She won't get more immunizations until 15 months.

A neighbor came by and told us while he was out hunting with friends they found our Kelba. They knew she was our dog, and came to tell us. She had been shot, a while ago, in the deep woods about five miles from here. We're sad but not sure what, if anything, to do about it. She was the one dog who could climb over the top of our six foot fence, even when we put wire on the top of it - and when she didn't come back that one morning we were pretty sure of what had happened.