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!

The Return of the Crochet Dress Sets, Arte du Blythe, and You MUST Watch This

I've crocheted four more babydoll/ hair clip dress sets that I'll be listing on the TIB Clothing & Sundries section tomorrow. I'm so tickled by the complimentary reaction to them. Thank you to everyone for your kind comments and for purchasing the last sets. I'm so appreciative! These will be the last of the them for now as my crochet dress phase is dying down and I'm excited to move on to other crafty projects. Update: I've just listed them here.

So I've recently become a proud member of the Arte du Blythe group. If you haven't heard about it yet it's basically a bunch of crafty people getting together to create a fat book dedicated to Blythe. What is a fat book, you ask? Well, read all about it and the Arte du Blythe group here, and come join us if you are interested. Everyone is just so lovely over there!

The little doodle above was my entry into the group's blog button contest. Doesn't she look familiar? It was the first time I had ever used Adobe Photoshop to color one of my sketches. I usually hand paint them with watercolors and I guess I'm just so used to that organic, textured look because my Photoshop doodle looks quite flat to me. Still, it was very quick and fun to do. When I have the time I think I will toy around with the artistic capabilities of Photoshop a bit more (oh, and also fix Loovee's wonky eyelashes above).



Someone posted this great video on TIB not so long ago and if you adore Blythe and haven't seen it yet, please do! It's in Japanese so I have no idea what they are saying, but I've gathered that it's some sort of news report featuring the Blythe doll phenomenon in Japan. It's amazing eye candy!

Well, I must run along now because I just got some cuteness in the mail and I am dying to rip open the package. I can't wait to show it to you in my next post!

Thank you all for visiting! Have a great weekend!

In Need of a Blythe Intervention

Etsy and the TIB Forum's Clothes and Sundries section is a dangerous place for me. In the wee hours of the morning, when the rest of the world slumbers and the only light in my home is the glare of the monitor illuminating my eager face, I shop.

"I can't pass this up!" I tell myself. "Loovee absolutely NEEDS it!" I tell myself.

And so Loovee ends up with a cute new shirt all the way from Cris Shida in Japan.

A whopping influx of shoes.
This very elaborate Kenmore kitchen set, and Barbie dining table with matching chairs.
Some lovely kawaii fabric, which Loovee begs to be made into a dress soon.
Finally, to punctuate the ridiculousness of my problem, yet another Re-Ment dress form just because it was too good a deal to ignore.

Loovee is thrilled beyond words. My bank account -- not so much.

Well, I must run along now. I have some crochet dress sets to do and two swaps coming up, which I must prepare for. How exciting! Blythe stuff coming in the mail, which I needn't feel guilty about!

The Crochet Dress Phase Continues

Hello friends! So I'm still very much in the depths of my crochet phase. Do you recall the crochet babydoll dress I made for Loovee a few posts back? Well, I've improved the design and my technique, and I've been having fun whipping up more dresses in a variety of color combinations. I even crocheted some floral hair clips to match them.

This set I'm keeping for Loovee. I know it looks a lot like the last dress I made, but it isn't. I've tweaked the colors a little in this final version .

I never did show you a view of the back, did I? I decided to use a tie closure. The ties are 100% silk double sided ribbon, which is very smooth and soft, and not stiff at all. I thought the silk ribbon closure was functional yet very pretty.

Here are the other dress/hair clips sets I've made in lovely spring colors. I plan to post these extra sets on the TIB Forum's Clothing & Sundries section later this evening, so if you are interested please take a peek there. Update: They have all been sold. Thank you to those who purchased them!

I came across even more great shops at Etsy that crochet for Blythe and I wanted to feature them here. Crocheting such tiny little dresses and accessories is not easy (for me anyways) so I admire and appreciate people who have such a talent for it.

I just adore the sweet crochet camisoles and floral bonnets at Millie Made.

Sweet Honey Complex has the cutest crochet hats! Her cupcake hats and her animal helmets are so kawaii. I especially love this frog helmet.

Lilith Delgoulet Designs creates crochet hats, tops, dresses, and coats. There's lots at her shop to choose from in various styles and colors! She also has a crafty Blythe blog, too.

Grrrlie Designs features some very sexy crochet outfits for your Blythe like sequined cocktail and flamenco dresses. She even published her very own crochet patten book!

I love the crochet hats at Lucy's Postcard Quilts for the pretty variegated yarns she uses. Her hats come in a variety of styles, too, from brimmed hats to pointy elfin caps.

The above are only a few of the many skilled Blythe crocheters at Etsy. Do check out their shops. You're bound to find something you'll fall in love with!

Tag! Loovee's IT!

Milkberry tagged me for another meme, but Loovee wanted to have a go at it this time.
I don't know why the big people always get to have all the fun. I want to play, too!

Okay, so seven random facts about me. Hmmmmm . . .

1. My name, Loovee, comes from the book Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. The Hooloovoo, is an alien race described as a super intelligent shade of the color blue, and my name is short for that.
   
2. I think pink is the sweetest color in the world!
3. Gachapin is my best-est friend even if he's a Japanese dinosaur, and we have a hard time communicating because I don't know much Japanese and the only English he knows are, "Cake!" and "Mine!"
   
4. I cannot live without my pig boots, which are not boots made out of a pig, but boots with a cute pig face painted on them.
   
5. I have 4 pairs of eyes.
   
6. I hum to myself all the time, but never when anyone is around.
   
7. I'll eat most anything with peanut butter in it, and I especially love peanut butter mochi and Reese's peanut butter ice cream.

So now who will I tag for 7 Random Facts?

My pals Molli, Zelda . . . and New Girl, too, if she's not too shy to talk.

I always read about Hana and Misuzu and their adventures, and I would love to know them better.

Lilly London is very fashionable and I would love to know more about her!

Febee is a new girl and I'm so curious about her!

I want to know more about Marlene and her pretty violet hair.

And Alla . . . you're it, too!

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!