Back in the Zone

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.

I've been on a desperate hunt to find more colors of this fingering weight mohair yarn. As you can see all I have at the moment are white and yellow. The manufacturer doesn't make any other suitable colors. The problem with Hawaii is that yarn shops are so scarce so I almost always have to mail order in. It's a bit of a guessing game since you can't see and feel the yarn for yourself. So far I've purchased some mohair yarn from Canada hoping that it would be a good weight/ gauge match with the yarn I'm presently using. No such luck. It was way too thin. I've just ordered some yarn from New York and I'm crossing my eyes and fingers that they're a good match.


I haven't done an "In Other Cuteness" feature in awhile, but I've discovered something so absolutely, irresistibly cute that I simply must share it --

Please meet Pecan! How adorable is he sitting on a stump with his little elephant push toy?

"Pecan is the oldest and wisest of the Pecanpals. He is a master storyteller, often spending entire afternoons sitting under a tall palm tree, reading. He insists that all the knowledge you ever need to know is found in stories. Pecan likes to be aware of things that are happening on the island, making sure to visit each and every person on his daily rounds." -- Noferin

The PecanPals are a group of whimsical characters created by the Australian artists of Noferin. They do paintings based on their characters and recently they branched out into making wooden figures of them. I just had to snatch one up right away! If you would like to purchase one, too, I wouldn't wait very long. These little guys have been going fast!

Before I leave I have to annouce the winner of June's Reader Appreciation Giveway! Thank you to Andrea Rooks of Rooks Paper Scissors for all your support! I will contact you soon!

Happy crafting everyone! :)

Blythe Bouncy Bunny Ear Hoods, Kawaii Finds, and February's Reader Appreciation Giveaway

This week I've been busy sewing up some Bouncy Bunny Ear Hoods for my shop. I made one for Loovee ages ago for our trip to Japan and I recently came across the old pattern I drafted while organizing my new craft room. Since spring and Easter is around the corner I thought now would be the perfect time to whip up a few more.

Here's little Loovee modeling one.

The hoods are cut from furry fleece, and the ears and inside of the hood are lined with coordinating cotton fabric. I added a layer of light interfacing in between so that the hood keeps it's shape (fleece is notoriously stretchy), and the ears stay nice and perky. Finally, I added some beaded and crocheted flowers to give the hoods some extra sweetness.

If you're interested in any of these hoods, please check back at my Etsy shop, where they will be listed soon.


This week I also managed to score some super kawaii stuff, which is always a thrill.

From Marukai, a store specializing in Japanese items, I found these clothes pin memo clips and a bunch of rubber stamps. I especially love the little Russian doll stamp.

The My Melody wristwatch came from a McDonald's Kid's Happy Meal. I'm not big on McDonald's, but when I discovered that the promo toys for their Happy Meals were from Sanrio, I just couldn't resist. Unfortunately, I am not eight years old and I can't get away with wearing a My Melody pink camouflage wristwatch, so I was thinking of removing the wristband, attaching a little chain to the watch face, and making it a pocket watch. That way I can enjoy the cuteness of My Melody incognito.

As you know, I've done a few Reader Appreciation Giveaways before. Honestly, I'm so grateful to everyone that visits and takes the time to comment, and that was just my little way of saying thanks. Well, provided fate doesn't pitch me a meteoric curve ball to throw off my schedule or focus, this year I plan to make my Reader Appreciation Giveaway a monthly event so please stay tuned and watch out for my Reader Appreciation Giveaway posts! :)

For this month's giveway, I have this set of Japanese wood bead book marks, which I found during my recent shopping adventures. Cute and useful -- yayy! I will choose someone at random from all the comments I receive and I will annouce the winner of these bookmarks in my next post.

Til next time! :)

A Holiday Gift Guide

So Christmas is looming ever closer and for those of you who need a few gift ideas . . . boy, have I got some! I'm constantly discovering wonderful shops at Etsy and here are just a few that carry some amazing creations that are perfect for holiday gift giving.

Florspace

"Where fuction meets cute . . . " is Florspace's motto and I absolutely agree. Lyn specializes in wallets, purses, and bags cut from the latest kawaii fabrics. I am especially swooning over her Cube and Carte Wallets -- I just love how compact they are, yet they carry all the basics. There's really something for everyone in her shop, but I think teens and kawaii lovers would find her creations especially hard to resist.

SugarElf

Can you believe these lovely little pieces of art are actually pincushions? Christine makes each one herself and the above are just a mere sampling of the types of pincushions she creates. They would brighten up any sewing room and would be the perfect gift for the crafter in your life. Do check out her shop for even more cuteness in the form of ornaments, coasters, and stuffed toys.

Nut and Bee

I just adore Nut and Bee's cute and clever illustrations! Annette has both an etsy shop and her very own web shop, where each illustration can be made into buttons, rubber stamps, notepads, stickers and art prints just to name a few. In fact, I just ordered one of her art prints and I'm dying to receive it! Great gifts for an animal lover!

The Craft Pantry

Now if you know someone on the more practical or earth conscious side, check out the totes at The Craft Pantry. Cammie creates all the designs herself -- from modern to retro, from whimsical to realistic. She can even personalize a tote for you! The Craft Pantry has a wide range of tote styles to choose from. I especially like the fact that all of her bags are eco friendly -- they are either organic or made of hemp or from recycled materials.

Now get ready to shop! :)

Happy Mail, Re-Ment, and Custom Orders

I would like to thank everyone that purchased and inquired about purchasing the items in my Etsy shop. I am so pleased that the things I create are met with such enthusiasm! Thank you, thank you, thank you!!!

I have been busy with so much outgoing mail that it was nice to get some incoming mail for a change. I finally got to purchase some Louos Loves creations! I have been waiting forever to snag some of his stuff, but whenever I come up on one of his sales posts at TIB, everything has been sold out. Aren't these Louos Loves tees adorable? I love the prints and all the pink!



In more happy mail news, I finally received my Arte du Blythe fat book! Yippee! It definitely lived up to its name -- it is a very FAT book chock full of artfully adorned pages. Thank you to everyone who participated in this project and especially to Gina of Blythe-O-Mania Untamed for all her hard work to make it happen. It was so much fun!

My new obsession du jour are Re-Ment miniatures. I was so thrilled to discover that they sell them here in Hawaii. It is a blessing and a curse because now that I know they are in the vicinity I have the constant urge to pick up another box. And another. And another. 24 boxes so far and counting. Scary.

As for my Etsy shop, I am still working on the cupcakes, owls, and some new Blythe outfits, but my focus on them has taken a little detour as I accepted a few custom orders on my apron dress sets and my sundae hats. I've been a bit wary about taking custom orders in the past because of my willy-nilly nature. I've always been afraid that I would never finish them in a timely manner or that I would rush them out, and they would not be done as well as if I took my time. Thankfully, I finished the following apron dress set and sundae hats in relatively short order (for me, at least).

Thank you, Megumi!

Thank you, Alisa!

Thank you, Evelyn!

And thank you all for dropping by once again!

Cute Explosion!

Well, so much cuteness has been pouring in lately and I'm so excited to share it with all of you!
My newest cute obsession is TarePanda by San-X. How can you not fall in love with such a roly poly, lazy panda? Loovee, of course, is obsessed by association. She just adores her TarePanda shirt from Minikitty and her own mini panda plushie.

I am building up quite a collection of Japanese kewpies. I fell in love with Sonny Angel Kewpies on my trip to Japan. They are tiny PVC figures that wear the most adorable outfits from animal helmets to shirts with silly sayings. They come in blind boxes so you never know what you are getting until you open them. Each one is a cute surprise (and I was very surprised to find two completely nude ones)!
Most recently I've discovered Ecopit Kewpies. An Ecopit Kewpie is described as "The watcher of the earth and spreads the love, happiness, and energy, and the brightness in the world." This little guy is appropriately named Bumble and he is one in a series of Ecopit dolls from Japan. Read more about the Ecopit philosophy here. I purchased mine from the Valley of the Dolls, a great doll shop which also features Blythe and Pullip dolls.

After I received dear little Bumble I just had to go back and purchase another. Please welcome Pilote! I adore his little sprout head. His cap says, " I would do anything for your smile." So sweet!

Well, that's all the cuteness for now. 'Til next time!

Cuteness, Critters, Crochet & World Peace!

Hello, friends! Once again, long time no post as things have been quite hectic around here so I shall make up for my absence by making this an extra lengthy one. Here's what's been happening since we spoke last:
These little critters are off to our dear friends, Linda, Molli, and Zelda. Goodbye Owl and Bunny! Have a safe trip to your wonderful, new home where I know you'll get lots and lots of love. Thank you, Molli, for adopting them! (Update: They arrived safely!)

I've been lucky enough to come into all manner of cuteness lately. Some adorable barrettes for Loovee, which include a set of pink Hello Kitty clips; a kawaii notebook with a sweet teddy bear softie on the cover; the teensiest bunny stickers; and the pièce de résistance -- the cutest Gachapin keychain ever!

These are the first commercially made Blythe outfits I've ever purchased -- Sugarmag and Par Avion. I prefer to make my own Blythe outfits or to get them from fellow crafty folks. I just appreciate the personal handiwork so much. However, Gina Garan had a great clearance sale at her TIB shop, so I decided to give it a go. The neat thing about ordering from her shop is she gives you a free signed Blythe postcard. Hooray for freebies!

Notice that there's not a single bit of pink or blue in it, which are Loovee's favorite colors. So who could this outfit possibly be for? Hmmmmm . . . . The plot thickens.

Although, I have crocheted a simple tank top for Loovee in the past, I've been apprehensive of crocheting a whole dress for her. The problem is every time I think "crochet doll dress" my head immediately gets filled with visions of those awful toilet paper cozy dolls my grandma used to have in her bathroom. You know those plastic lady dolls with their crochet dresses that discreetly hide a fresh roll of T.P. underneath their skirts. Thankfully, I came across some beautiful crochet dresses on Flickr that completely changed my mind and have obliterated my notion that crochet doll dress = a special kind of ugly.

Look at this lovely Blythe dress from Godesia. She has a great Etsy store that sells her crochet creations, too.

This sweet dress is by TeenyWeeny Designs and is for a Pocket Fairy doll. She also has an Etsy store. Love her Blythe hats!

This Blythe schoolgirl dress by Jojoling is incredible! Last I checked she still had a few at her Etsy shop.

I adore this mod Blythe minidress by Dolluxe. Her stuff sells out super fast at her Etsy shop so visit often if you want to snag one of her amazing pieces.

Anyway, I want to thank the above for inspiring me. Here is my very first crochet dolly dress! Not too bad, eh? It still needs a bit of tweaking, but overall I think it came out okay for my first try.

Notice the pretty heart barrette on Loovee's noggin? It came all the way from Holland from Tizzalicious. She makes the cutest accessories (for Blythe and people alike) in lots and lots of pink, which makes them all very painful for me to resist. She has a great Etsy shop and a blog dedicated to her craftiness, too. Thank you, Tizz!

Last, but not least I've been tagged by the talented Zari at justZHM to do a meme! How thrilling! I have never been tagged before. The theme for her meme is Love and Peace and that is her beautiful dove illustration above. It is a very timely subject for me as this summer my brother-in-law will be shipping off to Iraq. It is my hope that this new year brings less strife and more peace to our world.

Much aloha to you all!

I Am Having Trouble Coming Up With an Appropriate Title for this Post

Hello everyone! Long time no post, I know, but I've been feeling a bit under the weather. Crafting has been slow going, but this is what I've been up to lately:

Normally I like to draft my own patterns, but I was feeling a tad lazy so for Project Loovee I dusted off my Dolly Dolly Coordinate Recipe Vol.1 book and gave it a go with one of the patterns inside. I chose to do this baby doll top, which I planned to lengthen to make a sundress.

However, my hope for a quick and easy project backfired as it took me 3 days -- 3 long, arduous days -- to whip up such a simple dress. Maybe it was because I was feeling ill. Maybe it's because I'm so used to making my own patterns and sewing things a certain way that following someone else's instructions just confused me to no end. Whatever the reason, this dress is without a doubt the most headache inducing project I've had in recent memory.

Anyhow, here's my little Loovee enjoying the fruits of my agonizing labor.

Oh, do you remember Loovee's crochet blanket from last post? Well, it got buried amongst the clutter of my art desk, and I thought I lost it for good so I started on this new one. A week later, lo and behold! The first blanket surfaced and now I can't decide which one I like best. Which do you prefer? Your opinions would be much appreciated.

I've not done an installment of This Week in Cute for awhile so here goes one featuring Gachapin, beloved Japanese icon, but most importantly -- Loovee's bestest friend. If you're like me, you may have first spied him in the Killer's video, Read My Mind. Gachapin is little known outside of Japan, where he's a famous children's television character. Think of him as the Japanese equivalent of our Big Bird in the U.S.

Loovee and I were lucky enough to adopt a Gachapin of our very own on our summer trip to Japan (thanks to my pal P).

Here's a picture of him on a modern art sculpture at the Kozunomori Station.

And another of him at a park near Narita Station. I just love his droopy little face!
Loovee and Gachapin have been inseparable ever since!

Thank you for visiting!

Christmas Craftiness and Cuteness

"Every gift from a friend is a wish for your happiness."
--Richard Bach, author

I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas! My own Christmas was filled with much craft and cute, both given and received. I worked my fingers to nubs stitching gifts for family and friends til the very last minute. However, it was more than worth it to see the delight on their faces when they opened their boxes. Not to mention they generously gifted me with many wonderful things in return!

Now that Christmas has passed I can finally reveal a few of the softie gifts I was excitedly working on.

Here's a more elaborate take on my usual owl. I was going for a Victorian era look. I love how distinguished and proper he looks. I had such fun making him that I'm thinking of doing more owls in costume like say . . . a Zorro owl, a pirate owl, or a roman owl in toga garb. Such possibilities!

Here's a new softie design of mine, which I'm calling a Wee Beastie. I was inspired by Max's wolf suit in the book, Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak as well as Mario's Tanooki Suit. Basically, instead of wolves in sheep's clothing, think kids in beastie clothing.

This little guy is the first I've made from the new pattern and I'm so pleased with how it came out. He looks so cheerful, smart, and ready to take on the world, don't you think?

A close-up of his face.

As for the things I received, I must have been very good this year or at least I've gotten better at hiding my shenanigans.

Look -- another Eveluche! How lucky am I?! This little fellow is called the Frozen Raccoon. That explains his sadly sweet expression. I just started to crochet and I cannot imagine making something so intricate. I counted at least 5 different yarns used to make him. He's quite a work of art. Every time I look at him I'm amazed all over again.

Don't be sad anymore, Frozen Raccoon. You're in Hawaii now, where it's nice and warm. We'll have to put that scarf away and get you a straw hat! Do you remember your fellow Canadian, Little Blue Bear? He'll give you the grand tour of your new home.

Look at this tiny sculpey charm modeled after one of my owls. It's only a centimeter tall. One must have such steady hands to paint something so lilliputian. I love it!

No, these are not bowling pins. They are wooden nesting dolls ready to be painted! What a unique canvas, don't you think? I have so many ideas for these . . . all which include bunnies of some sort. I cannot wait until I have the time to start working on them.

Thank you everyone for all the goodies and good wishes. Thank you for visiting me here, my own little corner of the universe. Most of all, thank you for making my holidays so happy, crafty and cute! Much aloha to you all!

Please Welcome Mino the Elephant!

I've been dying of anticipation ever since I was lucky enough to purchase one of Mumka's softies. I've been visiting her store for awhile now, and I've just been so intrigued by the little bears and bunnies she makes. They are so adorable! And when an unusual little green elephant popped up in her shop, I snatched him up right away!
I spied a little box in my mailman's hand as he walked up my driveway yesterday. I was so thrilled. Finally, my Mumka! However, that quickly turned to dread upon seeing a large gash on the side of the box and an ominous green sticker that screamed: EXAMINED BY U.S. CUSTOMS! My Mumka softie came all the way from Poland and I'm not well versed in the ways of international shipping, so seeing this gave me a bit of a fright. I immediately had visions of over enthusiastic bomb and drug sniffing dogs shredding open my box and drooling on my poor plushie.

With apprehension, I carefully opened the box . . .

And thankfully, Mino the Elephant was none the worse for wear considering his extensive and harrowing trip to Hawaii. Isn't he cute? I just adore his fresh, mint green color. He was also very well outfitted for his travels -- he came with a little blankie, a pillow, and a wee elephant softie of his very own. A card that accompanied him states:

Mint Elephant Mino
Born: 8th December 2007
Made with mohair, linen, cotton, felt, *heart*
Favourites: short trips and sleeping

Short trips? Well, that was certainly a very long trip, poor thing.

And sleeping? Well, I guess that explains why when I left him for just a moment, I returned and found this --

Shhhhhhhh . . .

Sweet dreams, Little Mino.

The Mailman is My Friend

This has been a very happy mail week.

I purchased this lovely bear from Eveluche on Etsy. It was supposed to be a gift to myself, which I would open up on Christmas Day. Obviously, that didn't work out as planned. I tore the package open as soon as he arrived. Honestly, making myself wait was like telling myself to not be happy, which is just downright silly.

Isn't he adorable? And so well made, too. I love his crocheted tag with the embroidered heart. He also came with a little first aid kit with a variety of yarns. So clever! I am just thrilled to have him in my ever growing collection of handcrafted softies.

I got these kokeshi fabrics from Lucky Kaero Fabric and Supplies. I couldn't resist those big round heads and rosy cheeks.

This print came all the way from England from Belle and Boo. I have such an affinity for bunnies. They just make the greatest pets. One my my favorites was one Boo Radley, who passed away last year. He was all white like in the print and given the name of the shop . . . well , it's fate that I should have it, don't you think?

I miss you, Boo.

And this bit of mail is something being given, not received. I was lucky enough to meet Linda and Molli via the TIB Forum dedicated to Blythe dolls. We are doing a Holiday swap for our dollies, Molli and Loovee. Such fun! I have never done a swap before so I am excited beyond words. I am mailing Molli's package off tomorrow, and I do hope they like what Loovee and I have been working on.

I have more things coming in the mail, which I am dying to receive. I hope my mailman isn't creeped out by my sitting on the curb, waiting for him.