Santa's Little Helper

I've been wanting to make Hotaru a seasonal dress but I was so caught up with crafting presents and commissions I could only work on it after Christmas.

This is my first attempt at making clothes.

Hotaru is wearing a felt two-piece dress & hat made by me while she's leaning on my Engagement Ring box.

As you know the Poinsettia is also made by me in felt.

Best Christmas Ever

I just NEEDED to let the world know

Today I am OFFICIALLY ENGAGED to my Beloved!

I found the ring among our Christmas presents!

This is The Best Christmas Ever!

It'll be hard to beat this Christmas now :P

Angel Clay

This Angel was made especially for my Beloved's adopted family in memory of their late son Clay, may he rest in peace...

(8 July 1986 - 21 May 2009)

Pillows

For Christmas My Beloved requested a neck pillow and something cushiony for his pc chair.

His adopted mother gave me two pieces of cloth & an old neck pillow.

This is what happens when I put my creativity to use!

He was VERY impressed stating it looks so professional he wouldn't have noticed it's made with two different fabrics if I hadn't told him.

I was rather surprised by the result myself but then it was a very important project, I wanted to do justice to the fabric given to me by his adopted mother with which she had planned to make a pillow for her son (my Beloved's best friend)- she never got the chance, he died in May 2009...

As you can imagine, my Beloved is a bit of a nerd.

He's been wanting something cushiony for his "throne" so I made a couple of pillow cases using brown flannel.

My Beloved loves sinking in it.

I wouldn't be surprised if I found him snoozing on his chair one night!

The last project before Christmas is another Angel made especially for my Beloved's adopted family in memory of their late son.

Then I'll be taking the rest of this week off to relax and enjoy presents. I think I deserve it!

GiveAway: result!

I decided to post the Result a day early because the outcome is obvious and won't change within a day.

WINNER: Knittingturnip/RainbowProject with 10 post (6 since 24th November) wins Reindeer

SECOND PLACE: Laura with 4 posts (2 since 24th November) wins Penguin

I feel Laura deserves Second Place because she left comments even before the GiveAway starting date.

When I added The Golden Rule on 1st December at least 2 followers dropped my blog.

A few days later 2 people decided to follow it, making it a total of 15 followers- a number that's remained to date.

I was disappointed to notice nobody really made an effort to actively contribute to the blog (except Knittingturnip & Laura).

It doesn't really take much of an effort to leave an occasional comment.

Instead most just drop one comment (mainly on the GiveAway post) before disappearing into Cyberspace.

As stated before there is more to this blog than the GiveAway. I've only considered the people who contributed to the blog as participants to the GiveAway.

I've no intention of giving away my hard work to profiteers/lurkers.

I'm sorry but this is my blog & these are my rules.

If you'd occasionally followed my blog you would've noticed the new rule added on 1st December.

If you don't agree with me it's not my problem and no profiteer will make it so.

In fact please feel free to remove my blog from your list. I'd rather have few loyal followers than lots of profiteers/lurkers.

It's very fortunate I make my creations for the pure joy of it.

I don't seek validation to feel good, I'm holding on to the hard-earned freedom of being myself, which includes crafting & dollies :)

Note: I may have another GiveAway in February depending on how many real followers my blog has by then.

Angel for Tree

In spite of recent distractions, I managed to finish this little angel I've been trying to work on for the past few days and I must admit she turned out adorably cute!

As you can tell I drew inspiration from a Christmas card seen at Walmart to create this angel in my style.

The felt body is hollow so you can put the angel on the very top of the tree.

The book cover & pages + halo & wings are made in foam.

Now all we need is to set the tree & put her on top of it!

Yesterday my Beloved's adopted mother commissioned me 2 whole "Xmas Plush Collection" sets!

She phoned me twice to stress how adorable they are and how well they add the Christmas cheer to her home.

It made me feel so happy to hear her enthusiasm!

Though I also have to admit I feel a tad overwhelmed by the work load I now have with a short deadline.

At least this way I'll have more money to spend on presents for my Beloved so the sooner I get started, the sooner I finish & the sooner I can order his presents online in time for Christmas!

Time to start working in chain production again!

Mythical Encounter in PullipLand

I've been a bit sidetracked lately between my Beloved being home for nearly 3 straight days (I don't do much crafting when he's around preferring to be with him instead) and spending time with his adopted mother who not only bought four pieces of my "Xmas Plush Collection" but was so generous to offer me a delicious breakfast and allowed me to tag along to Rocky Mount yesterday, getting me lots of craft supplies at Michael's!

She also showed me a video by "Uncommon Thread" on how to make a GingerBread House from felt which I'm hoping to work on sometime after the holidays.

Thanks to her sweet gestures I purchased a couple of Christmas presents for my Beloved from ThinkGeek.com & now have enough supplies to proceed with my crafts!

In the meantime today I took advantage of the rare winter sun to make a small photoshoot of my Pullip "Little Red Riding Hood" renamed Melanie.

Melanie was a VERY fortunate find, a combination of good luck & bartering. She was missing her feet, didn't have her stock clothes & apparently the ends of her hair were coarse from brushing & age but at $30 she was well worth it!

I managed to purchase feet & stock clothes for cheap on Dolly Market Forum and fixed her tummy pop & hair using RequiemArt's tutorials.

In the end I spent around $50 for a doll which was selling new for nearly $200 on Ebay!

She's a lovely doll with expressive green eyes and my first official Pullip whom I love dearly!

Between one thing and another, I've been trying to work on an angel (inspired by another card seen at Walmart) to put on top of the tree my Beloved's adopted mother lent us.

Monday I finally managed to get ahold of a can of the infamous sealer MSC so I can start working on touching up my "Mini Principessa" and replacing her body with a 23cm Obitsu.

I also want to make my own Mamachapp using Obitsu pieces and need to fix my J-doll's faceup which was slightly marred while trying to replace her body.

I also hope to start working on Valentine's Day Project to sell on Etsy starting January.

Yikes, so many projects and not enough time!

I hope I don't burn myself out!

NOTE: Tomorrow is our 1st year anniversary!

One year tomorrow I moved in with my Beloved whom I'd met online in July.

I've never regretted my decision!

I can't believe one year has already gone by, it sure doesn't feel like it!

Unfortunately he has to work all day but I plan to cook him dinner, bake him a cake & finally give him the present I made him a month ago. I can't wait to see his face when he opens the package!

Christmas Stockings 2009

We purchased these stockings at the Dollar Tree last year planning to decorated them but the products we used didn't work well with the fabric & smeared.

This year I decided to give it another try and, after cleaning them up, I carefully customized them with felt & wool using my plush pattern.

My Beloved was very pleased by this early Christmas present (*smiles*)

Now we just need to figure out where to hang them & fill them up!

Sackboy

I've been wanting to make this adorable character from the PS game "LittleBigPlanet" for a while, I finally completed him yesterday!

SackBoy is made with brown flannel carefully double stitched and the zipper is in foam.

I must admit I had some problems creating him because of the fabric: flannel is more elastic than felt and I'm not used to it, so I had trouble making/keeping the shapes.

In fact I had to remake the head twice and even now I'm not entirely satisfied with it.

Of course we're also our own worse critics- my Beloved absolutely loves his new game related plush and thinks it perfect which is all I need to continue with my crafting (*smile*)

Since it's now officially Christmas season I thought it appropriate to make SackBoy his own felt Santa hat, which he seems to like.

Even Kirby is wearing one!

I'm not sure what my next creation will be.

I have to post-pone my projects to work on my Beloved's Christmas Presents from his Wish List which I'm still waiting to receive so I can get started.

So many things to do and so little time!

Btw when will they make "LittleBigPlanet" for Wii??

Note: I'll be remaking 4 characters from the "Xmas Plush Collection" for my Etsy Shop because my Beloved's adopted mother bought them yesterday.

Considering nobody here has showed interest enough to purchase them I don't think it'll be a problem...

GiveAway: anticipated ending date

I've been giving it some thought and decided to anticipate the GiveAway ending date to 15th December instead of Christmas, mainly because I have the impression everyone is waiting to see if they've won the GiveAway before purchasing anything from my Etsy Shop.

Moreover by the time the GiveAway is finished Christmas would've already passed and the plushies wouldn't be seasonal anymore.

I also have to be honest, I'm a bit disappointed.

Sure, many people have applied to the GiveAway but nobody is really actively following my blog- that I'm aware of.

Only KnittingTurnip has been loyal enough to comment to nearly all my posts, encouraging me (in our daily chats) to continue in spite of my feeling like people are trying to take advantage of my GiveAway instead of being honestly interested in my creations...

I apologize if anyone feels insulted but nobody else is giving me feedbacks here except her.

Luckily most of my crafts are done for either myself, my Beloved, family and/or RL friends so nothing really goes to waste except what I expressly make for my Etsy Shop (I'd rather sell something that's already made than have a person wait while I make it).

There is more to this blog than the GiveAway, so please take the time to actively follow it instead of just signing up for the GiveAway.

In fact I'll only consider the people who are contributing to the blog as participants to the GiveAway.

Sorry, folks, but I've no intention of being taken advantage of nor wasting time+effort on lurkers.

Moreover this GiveAway will influence whether there will be more or less of them in the future.

Thank you for your understanding!

Btw it's come to my attention my images are being copied.

I'd like to remind people to credit me when using my images/creations.

Thank you!

PS I'll post a picture of my SackBoy soon.

Ponyo (on the Cliff by the Sea)

I apologize for not wishing everyone "HAPPY THANKSGIVING!" on Thursday but I was caught up with the celebrations & feasting.

I've been wanting to make a plush Ponyo ever since seeing the movie, another adorable Miyazaki masterpiece.

Ponyo was made with felt, her wool hair is hot-glued piece by piece & she has googly eyes.

My Beloved was so impressed with the plush he stated it looks like the original & suggested trying to sell one on Etsy.

What do you think, would anyone be interested in adopting one?

NOTE: Please credit me when using my images/creations, thank you!

REMINDER: don't forget to apply to my GiveAway for a chance to win a plush of your choice from the "Xmas Plush Collection"!

POSSIBLE PROJECTS: SackBoy, Strawberry Shortcake & Custard

Strawberries with Custard

I made this round strawberry back in September.

Ever since my Beloved got me these adorable figurines on Monday I've been dying to take pictures of them all together, it's just so appropriate!

REMINDER: don't forget to apply to my GiveAway for a chance to win a plush of your choice from the "Xmas Plush Collection"!

GiveAway!

♥ DURATION: from 25th November to 15th December

♥ PRIZE: one plush of your choice from the Xmas Plush Collection!

♥ RULES:
1) Put this blog on your favourite blog's list;
2) Follow my blog on the right sidebar;
3) Make a little post with the link of this Giveaway on your blog;

4) ACTIVELY follow my blog with occasional comments on posts other than the GiveAway one (this to me is the most important rule).

If you don't have a blog, don't worry!

Just leave a comment telling me which Plush you'd like.

You'll know the name of the winner on the 15th December.

If you don't win, don't worry!

You can always purchase one from my Etsy Shop!

NOTE: There is more to this blog than the GiveAway, so please take the time to actively follow it instead of just signing up for the GiveAway.

In fact I'll only consider the people who are contributing to the blog as participants to the GiveAway.

Sorry, folks, but I've no intention of being taken advantage of nor wasting time+effort on lurkers.

Moreover this GiveAway will influence whether there will be more or less of them in the future.

Thank you for your understanding!

Etsy Shop now open!

As promised, here's the image of the new Xmas Plush Collection on sell in my Etsy Shop for only $5 (+shipping) each!

Get them while they're available!

Etsy projects finished, need to open Shop

New "Xmas Plush Collection" set is complete & ready for selling- once I've opened my Etsy shop & gotten padded envelopes (hopefully within the next couple of days).

Oh the relief, I've finally finished the plushies in time for the Holidays and without burning myself out!

I must admit they turned out cuter than the first set.

In fact I'm currently touching up the first set based on the second one.

I apologize but I won't show pictures until the shop is officially open, wouldn't want to ruin the surprise (*wink*)

I really hope they sell!

PS I hope to make Ponyo, SackBoy & Custard plushies soon!

Not sure if I'll be making a turkey & scarecrow by Thanksgiving.

I'm also rethinking making stockings from scratch this year, we'll see how things stand in a week.

Must come up with presents for the rest of family & friends.

Water Lily

Freshly made this morning with one of the patterns I worked on 15th November.

I studied both Water Lily & Poinsettia and realized I couldn't use the same pattern for both flowers.

Note: I think some felt flowers would look better with yellow beads as pistils.

I might try with other patterns if I find the right beads.

PS I hope to make a Ponyo plush soon!

Busy working on Etsy projects

I'm sorry but this time I have no new creation to post about.

The past couple of days I've been working in chain production style nearly non stop on a new Xmas Plush Collection I'm hoping to sell on Etsy at the beginning of December.

Needless to say I'm very tired at the moment, in fact I'll admit I feel a tad burned out with the result of two failed plushes, sigh.

Since I started my crafting it's become a routine to have felt & needle constantly in my hands at any moment.

But the down side is, it's easy to get either overwhelmed with all the projects on my mind or burned out trying to bring them to life.

It's gotten to the point whenever I take a much needed break I feel like I'm wasting time and my fingers itch for action.

Thanksgiving is just a week away and I want to make a turkey & scarecrow by then.

Right after is Christmas season, I need to make stockings for my Beloved+his nephew+niece and think of something for the rest of family & friends.

And let's not forget the random projects running through my mind, like creating a Ponyo plush (of which I made the pattern this morning) or finding the right Ddung to customize.

Phew, time doesn't seem enough!

On a positive note, thanks to my Beloved this afternoon I ordered an adorable Felix Brownie named Tobby.

Unfortunately he'll be arriving around the time of my Birthday in February.

Patience is not my strong point!

I also got a Doll Making Kit from Amazon because I've been wanting to make a Bunka for a while and all my attempts have failed so far.

Felt is very easy to work with, other fabrics are not and a felt Bunka wouldn't be the same. That's not to say I won't eventually graduate to cloth but at the moment I'm sticking with felt.

I'm still a beginner with these crafts, everything is completely hand made & sewed and in some cases the details are painted with fabric paint using a toothpick. So you see everything is made with lots of patience+love and of course take time+effort.

I hope having an Etsy shop won't turn a hobby into a boring job.

To prevent this, I'll take occasional breaks either from crafting or from working on Etsy items.

My creativity needs the occasional spur of freedom.

Anyway it's been a long two days and I'm going to take a short break now.

Write you later!

Moon Flower

Ever since adopting my Ddung Doll from Ebay I've been wanting to take her picture with MoonFlowers.

Unfortunately a bad freeze killed our plants in October before Hotaru reached her new home.

When I started making patterns for felt flowers I immediately decided I had to make a MoonFlower for Hotaru.

As you can tell from the pictures Hotaru seems to like the flower!

Gingerbread Men

I tried to touch up my Gingerbread Man Plush

1) is first one I made (see Plush post);

2) is the same as before with modified eyes;

3) is new pattern

I would ask which do you think is better but honestly the only difference between them is the fact that the pattern was changed from 2 pieces to 1 and I used more felt than fabric paint for the details.

I think I'm going to make a Xmas Plush Collection set to sell on Etsy based on the new 1piece pattern.

Wonder if anyone is interested?

This is my first attempt of a gingerbread man based on a very simple pattern made to look like Gingy from "Shrek"

I'm not very satisfied so I may redo him, maybe with the new pattern and less fabric paint. What do you think?

Btw I'd like to thank KnittingTurnip, Breezy21 & Merylu for becoming my first Blog Followers!

Poinsettia

Yesterday I worked on different patterns for felt flowers I plan to make, starting with a Poinsettia to remain in the Christmas spirit.

I think it would make a lovely candle holder or coaster.

I may add golden sprinkles to it.

Note: Poinsettia is known as "Christmas Star" in Italy, how appropriate!

I think the same pattern can be used for a Water Lily as long as lighter colored felts (example pink or cream) are used for the petals and the leaf pattern is changed.

Xmas Plush Collection

Since funds are too scarce I thought of making Christmas presents for our friends & family.

I also figured hand-made presents would be appreciated more than bought ones.

I drew inspiration from a set of Christmas cards seen at Walmart to create my Xmas Plush Collection in my style.

They were heartly approved by my Beloved (who decided to keep the Reindeer) & a couple of online friends. I really hope they'll also be liked by their future owners.

This morning I decided I should try making another set and selling each plush separately on Etsy & following Barbara's advice promoting it on a blog.

So here I am!

I'm also planning on making Xmas stockings for my Beloved's niece & nephew.

Beloved Presents

In October I made a plush Kirby for my Beloved since it's one of his favourite oldie Game characters (I found pattern & tutorial online here)

My Beloved made the delicious butterscotch+peanut butter covered Lackey Chow Mein Noodles which Kirby seemed to enjoy as much as I did!

In October I made a plush Teddie for my Beloved based on one of his favourite games.

I haven't given it to him yet, I'm waiting for the right moment ;)

In September I created this Pixel Art for my Beloved based on his favourite oldie Game characters which are now decorating the walls of our Computer Room.

Each character was made with 1x1cm foam squares hand cut & applied with hot glue to white cardboard.

Amigurumi gone wrong?

Before befriending me, I'd admired KnittingTurnip's work for a while even adding her to my Flickr and tried her GiveAway.

I don't know how to crochet but I really wanted one of her amigurumi so I tried making one of my own in the only way I know.

Unfortunately they got out of my control and turned completely different (*sweat-drop*)

Halloween Fun!

Around the end of September I started creating felt items initially for my dolls.

When I made my first pumpkin (6.5x3.5cm) I felt an immense satisfaction at the result, more so when my Beloved mistook it for a real one after viewing a mobile picture.

I made more in different sizes & colors soon filling the whole desk with them, lol! Now they're in the living room giving it a more colorful Fall theme along with plastic leaves attached to the walls.

Then I decided to make presents (pumpkins for the ladies & candy bags for the children) for my Beloved's family to deliver when we visited on 23+24+25 October.

It was a success which encouraged me to continue with my crafting.

Let's get started!

Five days ago I met a wonderful girl KnittingTurnip with whom I made fast friendship which I hope will last for a good while.

Ever since she's been spurring me to sell my felt plushies, advicing to start a blog to promote my future Etsy Shop so here I am trying again after my failed attempt this Summer with a little texture shop on SecondLife.

I poured all my time and effort into it but I only managed to sell one set out of 32.

I can't tell you how disappointed I was, also considering the money spent uploading each image on SL.

But everyone's been so encouraging and enthusiastic about my RealLife creations that this morning I decided I should try making another Xmas Plush Collection set and selling each plush separately on Etsy & following Barbara's advice promoting my work on a blog.

So here I am!

I'll admit I draw inspiration also from other people's work.

I really can't afford to buy the originals so I try to make them myself customizing them to my taste.

I wouldn't consider it copying, especially since I don't have a printer so any pattern I find online I have to hand-draw on paper. Moreover like I stated previously I customize any pattern I find.

Lately I've graduated to making my own patterns which is highly satisfying.

KnittingTurnip suggested I try selling patterns but personally I rather sell finished products, also to prevent being copied.

I apologize for the double standards but I'd rather people at least make an effort in copying me without my help.

Anyway I'll stop blabbering & start with the slide show.

Please enjoy & feel free to write me!