And the Winner is . . . , Loovee's Trip to the Museum, and Gachapin's Lunch Set

Aloha! It's been awhile, hasn't it? I hope you are all well and enjoying your summer. This summer is a mild one here in Hawaii, which I am thankful for. It's usually not very hot, but in those moments when it does start to swelter some, you can always count on a good breeze to keep you cool and comfy. I just love Hawaii.

Anyway, let's get on with the first order of business. The winner of the happy, little cupcake is:

Pigwidget has an amazing crafty Blythe blog and if you haven't visited it yet, you must! She always has great photos of her girls. I will get in touch with you soon, Pigwidget!

Last weekend, Loovee tagged along with me to the Contemporary Museum in Honolulu. One of my favorite exhibits was by local artist Cade Roster. It was called Plush Gaiden and it featured a series of whimsical mixed media bear sculptures. Here are a few of my favorites from the series:

"8th Grade" by Cade Roster

"Juggernaut" by Cade Roster

"Truth" by Cade Roster

Aren't they adorable? Their kawaii-ness had me seriously squealing.

The museum has a beautiful, lush zen garden out back, which features even more art sculptures. Loovee had a great time running around there.



I enjoyed the trip to the museum with Loovee so much that I think I will make field trips a regular feature. There are so many great places in Hawaii that Loovee and I are dying to share with you all.

As for my aforementioned Re-Ment frenzy . . . well, it has died down, thankfully. What killed the obsession for me was the constant disappointment of getting sets I did not want. I had to go through seven boxes to find the dinosaur lunch set I was coveting for Gachapin. I swear I felt like I won the lottery when I finally found it!


I sure hope Gachapin appreciates my efforts more than his droopy face is showing.

Well, it's time to check out what my wonderful blogging pals are up to. I can't wait to see what great things are going on with all of you.

Mahalo for stopping by!

P.S. If you are wondering why my photos now have copyrights on them it's because I recently had some of my photos stolen. Have any of you ever experienced this? What a headache that was. I shake my fist at you, image thieves!

Reader Appreciation: A Cupcake For You

I just wanted to say thank you.

Thank you all for taking the time to read my silly little blog and to write such sweet comments that encourage and motivate me to do more.

Thank you all for inspiring me with your own fantastic ideas and creativity.

Thank you all for being such good friends.

Thank you all for visiting me here -- my own little corner of the universe -- again and again.

I appreciate you all so very much.

And to show it I'm having a little giveaway. This amigurumi cupcake will go to anyone who comments to this post, chosen at random. I will mail it anywhere in the world. I will announce the winner in my next post.

Thank you!

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!

Etsy Shop Update

First off, I want to congratulate the winners and all the participants of TIB's Heroes Contest. There were so many amazing and inspiring entries. I had such fun doing it, too. I can't wait until the next TIB contest!

Since we spoke last I've been such a busy little bee, making stuff for my sad, empty Etsy shop. So far I have whipped up four nutty sundae berets and four apron dress/ head kerchief sets.

I make each nutty sundae beret with a variety of yarns and crochet threads. I just love mixing textures. Each hat has 5 layers-- ice cream, hot fudge, nuts, whipped cream, and a big cherry on top. Every layer is carefully hand stitched onto the next. Here are the "flavors" I've made:

Strawberry Sundae

Neopolitan Sundae

Caramel Sundae

Cool Candy Mint Sundae

For the apron dress sets, I used the most kawaii fabrics from my stash, which were all imported from Japan. The rick rack trim on them is vintage, which is so much softer and pliable than modern rick-rack. The dresses are also completely lined in white cotton. The back closes with a metal hook and eye. Finally, all seams are hidden, which prevents unraveling.

Anyway, here they are:

Bunnies & Berries

Panda & Pig Ballet

Cottage in the Woods

Kawaii Owls

I had some time on my hands so I decided to whip up some hang tags. Look at me trying to be all professional and stuff ;) Actually, I used to write little thank you notes by hand with each sale, so I just thought this would be much neater and prettier.

I'm going to take a few more photos of the sundae hats and dress sets and then I'll be posting them in my Etsy store soon.

I think I'll work on some amigurumi cupcakes and owls next for the shop.

Talk to you soon!

TIB's Heroes Contest and the Arte du Blythe Fat Book Project

Have you ever had one of those days (or weeks) where none of your projects turn out like you pictured them in your head? Well, that's the state I've been in. I had such great ideas for the TIB Heroes Contest and my Arte du Blythe project, but for some reason I kept falling short of realizing them. I hate when that happens. *sigh*

Anyway, now for the unveiling of the hero Loovee and I chose!

Drum roll please . . .

It's Gachapin!

Here's a closer shot.

I am sure I've spoken about Gachapin before, but in case you're unfamiliar with him, Gachapin the dinosaur is a very popular television character in Japan. Unfortunately, I was not lucky enough to grow up watching him in the children's show Hirake! Ponkiki! as I live in the USA. However, I fell in love with his adorable likeness during my trip to Japan and I have since watched many YouTube videos of him. Little did I know that behind that gentle, dopey demeanor lies such vibrant energy. I've seen videos where he rock climbs, break dances, jet skis, and even ice skates! I enjoy all of his playful antics and greatly admire how agile and athletic he is . . . and that is why Gachapin is my hero! Wow. That sounded like a grade school theme paper.

As for the costume, it didn't come out like my original sketch, which I ripped up in frustration so I'm afraid I can't share it with you. The dress I had in mind was completely different, but being that I was crunched for time, I decided to nix it and just use my old apron dress pattern. The helmet came out pretty dead on, so I am pleased with that bit. Although it's not exactly what I envisioned, I'm happy that I managed to whip up something at all before the looming deadline.

For my Arte du Blythe Fat Book project we had to create two different page designs with an animal theme. Fat books are chunky little books filled with collage art pages individually created by different artists. I had to make 28 pages total (14 of each design). I have never done a collage before so it was a very interesting endeavor.
This is my first page design. It feels rather busy to me and has no clear focus, so I'm not sure how I feel about it, really.

This is my second design. This one has a definite focus, but feels rather sparse. However, I was too afraid to touch it up for fear it would get too busy like the first design. What a dilemma, huh?

Well, I am hoping that I can move past this so-so crafting phase and find my zone with my upcoming project -- updating my Etsy shop. My shop has been woefully neglected and I plan to remedy that right away. I plan on making owls; amigurumi rabbits and cupcakes; and even Blythe clothes such as some apron dress/head kerchief sets and sundae hats.

Well, thank you again for dropping by. I'm off now to visit my fellow blogging pals and see what wonderful things they've been up to.

Come back soon!

Inedible Desserts, the Un-Patchwork Dress, and TIB's Heroes Contest

Aloha all! I have been deep in the crafting mines yet again, which is why I've been away for a bit. However, I thought it was about time I resurfaced for a much needed break. I must often remind myself to smell the roses, make some human contact, and to basically stave off my inevitable future of being a crafting hermit for just a little bit longer.

So I've had cupcakes on my mind lately. Like really badly. I am not sure what it is exactly since I'm more of a muffin sort of gal then a cupcake one. It could very well be due to Linda and Molli's influence. All their talk of cupcakes with accompanying yummy-licious photos have planted a sugary sweet seed in my head. I've been wanting to make cupcakes ever since, but since I can't bake worth beans . . .

This is my first crack at making an amigurumi cupcake. It came out looking more like a bloated, frosted acorn. Back to the drawing board.
These are cupcakes Version. 2.0. They definitely look more cupcake-y, less acorn-y.

Here is a shot of their frosted tops.

I really enjoyed making these cupcakes. I did them free hand, which kept things interesting and novel because I never knew how they were going to turn out. Not only is it a really fun and cute project, but it's also a fabulous way to use up scrap yarn.

Keeping with the dessert theme, I also crocheted this nutty mocha sundae beret for our friends Sandy and Sarafina. Thank you Sandy!

As for Loovee's patchwork dress from last post, I'm afraid I got sidetracked. Sometimes you just have to go where inspiration takes you and this week inspiration arrived in the mail in the form of these kawaii linen fabrics from Sweet Flavor and Plum Tickled Fabrics.

I know I said I would have the patchwork dress from last post finished by now, but I just went mad over the circus elephant print fabric as soon as I saw it, and I just had to do something with it immediately. I decided to use the same pattern as Loovee's old apron dress because I wanted a simple style, where the kawaii print is easily visible. I gave it a bit of a twist with a wider contrasting border and some vintage rick-rack. I also made a head kerchief to match.
It looks very playful and summery to me. Like something Loovee could wear skipping on the beach.

I'm so sorry to everyone that was expecting to see the patchwork dress in this post. The word "willy-nilly" is not in my blog title by accident. It definitely describes how scatterbrained and impulsive I am, and how keeping a certain order is a difficult thing for me to do. I swear you will see the patchwork dress in the near future (barring any more sudden inspirations and cute distractions).

A Blythe project I'm very excited about is the Heroes Costume Contest hosted by TIB. Have you all heard about this? Gina Garan says, "The theme is 'Heroes' and the basic premise is to dress up to 3 of your girls as any notable figure, living or non. She can be anything from a popstar to a politician to a flying monkey (Dorothy's buddy)." Doesn't that sound like such fun? Deadline is May 15 so get started everyone! I have some ideas for Loovee's costume already! It will be thrilling to see what interesting and creative costumes everyone comes up with!

Well, it's been very good chatting with you all again, but it's now time for me to dive headlong into the bottomless depths of craftiness and cute once again!

The 2nd Annual Softie Awards and a Bunch of Blythe Goings-Ons (is that a real word?)

I just wanted to say thank you to everyone for all your congratulations on my little ami bunny softies. I appreciate it so much!So there is even more softie fun to be had! The 2nd Annual Softie Awards Contest is now in session! There are a lot of fun categories this year -- Picnic Food, Elephant Tribute, Cutest Face, Pink or Plaid, and Embroidered to Death. Consider entering if you haven't already. It's so much fun to play along! Do check out the Softies Central Flickr group to see all the entries so far and prepare to be inspired!
I think I will enter my little Albino Koala in the Cutest Face category. That's her face peeking out of my banner up there. She was the first softie I ever made of my own design so she is very dear to my heart. It was inspired by a real life albino koala, Onya-Birri.

For the Pink or Plaid category I plan to enter my Good Luck Cat.

This week in Blythe I finished this nutty strawberry sundae hat for Gina & her girls. Thank you Gina!

I also made this sketch of a dress that's been bouncing around in my noggin for awhile. It's a very simple sundress, which features a gathered patchwork skirt. I like the idea of it, but I think it's in danger of turning out sort of hippie looking, which is not the look I'm going for. I want it to be sweet, childlike and playful.
I've chosen these fabrics for the dress so far. I stuck to pastel colors (with lots of pink :) and dainty prints, which hopefully will avoid the whole hippie issue. Another fear that I have is that all the seams in the skirt will make it look rather stiff. To avoid that I've chosen the lightest, most airiest fabrics from my stash -- cotton gauzes, handkerchief linens, and London lawns.

Next step is to draft the pattern. If all goes well you'll see the final product in my next post.

Take care until then!

Easter Excitement

First off, I want to wish everyone a very belated Happy Easter! I had hoped to publish this post in a more timely manner and send my well wishes sooner, but I've been slow to emerge from my chocolate candy coma.

Loovee and Gachapin wanted to give you all a proper Easter greeting, too. Sweet little Loovee surprised Gachapin with an Easter gift -- a festive bunny bonnet . . . in pink, no less. Loovee thought he looked adorable. Gachapin thought . . . well, I think his face says it all.
A cute and crafty highlight of our Easter weekend was our wonderful swap with Linda, Molli, Zelda and Ramona. Look at all the beautifully wrapped packages!

Gachapin received a cute froggie toy and these yummy snacks. Just looking at this delicious cupcake made him forget all about the silly hat he was forced to wear that day.

Loovee was thrilled to receive these three beautiful babydoll dresses! She had the most difficult time choosing one to try on first because they were all so lovely.

Loovee also got this pretty Sew Pixie travel cozy so she can now travel safely and in style. Looks like I may have to get one for Gachapin, too.

Thank you so much Linda & girls for another fun swap! You gave us so many wonderful goodies and we appreciate it so much.
So now for some very exciting and surprising Easter news. Do you recall these little gals? Well, my little ami bunnies were voted the winner of the Billions of Bunnies category in the first annual Q.D. Patooties Easter Parade! I'm so tickled, you have no idea! Thank you so much to Lisa for putting this wonderful softie celebration together. Go and visit her Etsy shop to see some of her own amazingly adorable softies.

Well, that's all our Easter news. Once again, a belated Happy Easter to you all and thank you for visiting!

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!