Some Itty Bitty Ami Bears sitting in their origami gift bags . . .
And a trio of Bashful Blooming Cacti. Each cactus will now come with an instructional "How to Care for . . . " hang tag. It's an idea that I've been mulling over for ages and I've finally gotten around to doing it.
The tags read --
I know, I know . . . they're just potholders, but they're cherry potholders so that's sort of cute, right? But then I discovered some cherry print fabric so I plan to make a whole cherry themed kitchen set. This project is still in the beginning stages so I have hopes that it will blossom into something more impressive than it seems. We'll see, I guess. Stay tuned . . .
This "flavor" I call Berry Swirl. I used a pink and white variegated yarn and it makes a nice motley, swirly pattern throughout.
This "flavor" is Blueberry, obviously. :) The yarn is a deep purple-y blue.
For this month's Reader Appreciation Giveaway I wanted to give something really special (to make up for being so willy-nilly about the giveaway the past few months) -- A Kawaii Kitten just for you! This Kawaii Kitty is made from soft blue corduroy and has spots cut from a floral print Japanese dobby. Will someone please give her a good home? Well, you know how this works -- I'll pick a winner at random from this post's comment pool.
It wasn't the easiest thing, but I managed alright, I think. :)
Well, they're nowhere as nice as my former MOO cards, but I think they came out alright just the same, and they were fun to design and a lot less pricey. Here's a tip if you are going to try these at home: The cards I purchased came in perforated sheets. I recommend not tearing them apart. Instead, hold a ruler along the perforated edge and use an exacto knife to cut them apart. The edges just look neater and sharper that way.
Lastly, I've been woefully horrid at keeping up with my monthly giveaway, haven't I? I really am trying. It's just been so difficult to keep up with my blogging lately. I'll definitely try to pick up the pace from now on. Anyway, I have two Reader Appreciation Giveaways this month (an extra to make up for missing last month). My pal P pointed out these super kawaii Hello Kitty mini candy boxes at a local store. Hawaiian Host chocolate covered macadamia nuts are a yummy-licious staple here in the islands and I was surprised to see the character endorsements they have now -- Hello Kitty and Lilo & Stitch just to name a few. P said they'd make the perfect giveaway for my blog and I think he's absolutely right! So you know how it goes -- I will pick two people at random from the comment pool at this post.
Yep, it's my trusty ol' Happy Swirly Cupcakes. If you've been keeping abreast of my blog posts you'll notice that I've been making mini versions of my usual amigurumi. I just love jamming a whole lotta cute into a small package. It's like concentrated cuteness! :) I suppose it was only a matter of time until my big cupcakes got the shrinking treatment, too.
Please meet the Mini Cupcake Cuties! Each mini cupcake stands 3 inches tall from base to frosted tip. I really love the concept of cute meets function in my Happy Swirly Cupcakes and I wanted to keep true to that with these little fellows. Therefore, I made little blank sign boards on which short messages can be written. I think these mini cupcakes make the perfect surprise "for-no-reason-at-all-I-just-wanted-to-tell-you-I'm-thinking-about-you" present. :)
Here's a shot of one of my big cupcakes next to it's baby sibling.
And another comparison shot of the cupcake tops. Although I love the look of the swirly frosted, berry tops on the bigger cupcakes, I've been dying to make some frosted sprinkle cupcakes for the longest time, and so I've done on the smaller counterparts.
Here are a pair of Bashful Blooming Cacti.
And a plush Apple Cheek Ami Bear and Bunny duo.
Finally, I made this sweet Itty Bitty Ami Bear twosome.
I thought I'd throw in a random shot of the big ami bear next to the mini one. I just wanted to take a photo for comparison, but it gave me the idea of doing a set -- like a little bear holding her little toy bear. Maybe that will be my next project! :)
Now before I leave . . . this month's Reader Appreciation Giveway are these two adorable Japanese fabric iron-ons. Isn't that blue elephant sweet? Apply them to your tote bag or backpack for instant cuteness! As always I will pick someone at random from the comment pool of this post.
I made them in a bunch of different colors as you can see. They'll be listed in my shop shortly, if anyone is interested.
Do you remember these? I haven't made my Sundae Berets in quite awhile. I used to make them with nuts scattered all over the hot fudge sauce, but this time I decided to do them up with colored sprinkles. I saw something on Food Network about how sprinkles were one of the most popular toppings for ice cream, and I was instantly inspired.
Here's one of my B-gals wearing one. I'll be putting a bunch of these in my shop, too.
Since the vog (a.k.a The Vile Cloud of Crafting Doom) lifted, I've finally got myself into a nice crafting schedule again. This week it's been nothing but Itty Bitty Amigurumis. Between the crocheting and the origami, I find it a nice all around soothing craft.
As you can see, I've added some bears to my Itty Bitty repertoire. I experimented a bit with the muzzle -- I did an embroidered nose much like my bigger bears, but then I also tried out a black bead nose. I'm not sure which one I like better. What do you all think? Any opinions would be greatly appreciated.
Here's a better look of them all decked out in their crochet dresses.
Please meet Pecan! How adorable is he sitting on a stump with his little elephant push toy?
When the air (and my head) finally cleared, I decided to make some owls. I hadn't whipped up any of those little critters in awhile. I decided to make a Thoughtful Little Owl and a pair of Scholarly Little Owls. It was fun taking a break from crocheting and getting reacquainted with my sewing machine again. I think I'm going to do even more sewing projects now.
My new favorite craft is origami. I find it so calming and fun, and I would love to pass on my joy of origami to someone else. For those of you unfamiliar with the art of Japanese paper folding or for those who could use some more origami supplies, I put together this mini origami crafting kit. In it there's an origami instruction book with 33 sheets of paper included, and I've tossed in two more packages of super sweet Japanese import origami paper. What fun! :) You all know the drill -- I'll be picking the winner at random from the comment pool of this post.
Well, here is Loovee hitting the beach to test the final product. I think she's quite pleased with it. The design is simple and un-fussy. I added the curvy detail at the hem to convey surf and waves, and also to add some interest to such a basic design. I decided to variegate the waves in three different shades of pink, from darkest to lightest. I really like how it came out. It reminds me of a plumeria flower petal. Finally, I thought a beaded tie on the bodice would be a nice touch.
Loovee seems to enjoy sunning herself on the rocks.
Finally, a parting shot of Loovee as the sun sets.
These three dresses have the variegated wavy hems.
These three have bold, solid waves.
These little gals look like my usual ami bunnies, don't they? But what you don't know is that they're packing a little surprise . . . and I do mean LITTLE. :)
I never imagined I would -- or even could -- make amigurumi this small, but after a yarn mail order mishap (the new yarn I purchased was soooooo thin), I decided to make do with what I had. When life gives you lemons, you know? :)
Here's a shot of their backside. I had to nix the pom-pom tails since I could not make them that small. I crocheted them instead.
Finally, in my unending quest to use what I have, I grabbed some origami paper and made these little origami packages to tuck the bunnies in. I crocheted the handles with some cotton thread and I cut some tags from cardstock. They're now ready for gift giving! 
