Panda Eyes

Last Minute Stall Holder!

2010-03-29T00:58:00.000-07:00

So I got a call from the lovely Craft Candy ladies on Saturday morning, asking me if I could fill a stall as somebody had dropped out last minute. I jumped at the chance (sort of - I was still in bed at the time) and managed to get everything together and myself looking somewhat presentable as quick as possible. I got there about an hour and a half after it had started and managed to get everything set up before midday. It was a lovely day, there were loads of visitors and everybody's stalls looked fantastic. I hadn't made anything new in preparation for the fair, but I managed to finish this little guy while I was there:

(Pic taken in my garden, not at the fair!)

And here is a pic from the day, taken from the Craft Candy photostream (click here to see more pics of Spring Fling 2010)

Quite an eventful weekend in all! x

Spring Fling Craft Fair

2010-03-25T10:46:00.000-07:00

Just a quick post to plug the wonderful Craft Candy Spring Fling craft fair this Saturday (27th March). I won't be behind a stall this time, but that gives me so much more time to wander round, soak up all the lovely crafts and crafters, and come home with armfuls of goodies.

Get your bums down to the Millennium Gallery in Sheffield 10-4 for a super fun filled day!

Hope to see you there x

Happy New Year!!

2010-01-02T05:39:00.000-08:00

Happy new year everyone! This should be a very exciting year for me as my boyfriend and I are buying a house. We have our eye on one but I don't want to say too much right now, just in case. Needless to say, where ever we end up I will be having my own craft room (for the first time!) - I'm so excited. I bought this months Ideal Home magazine (yes, I'm getting giddy) and there's a guide in there for creating the perfect craft space. Can't wait to get started!

The last few weeks with Christmas and New Year have been so hectic, I haven't so much as picked up a needle. I have a few projects to work on this weekend, so I'll update with some pics when I have made some progress.

New years resolution: update blog more (hurrah!)

Awwwrr.

2009-12-09T14:37:00.000-08:00

I was sent a lovely email the other day from somebody who bought two plushies from me at the Craft Candy Christmas Fair. It included this picture, which brought a massive smile to my face:

It brought back memories of being young and tucking up my own toys (my favourite being a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Raphael hot water bottle cover which had pride of place in my pink plastic doll cot). She looks so cosy :D

Blog? ...What blog?

2009-12-01T14:04:00.000-08:00

Oops, I've done it again. Completely neglected my blog. [Blows off cobwebs]

And I've done all sorts worth writing about! A quick list is in order - I have:

1. Taken part in the fabulous Craft Candy Christmas Fair
2. Been to Vegas

...Actually, everything else pretty much shrinks into the background. Vegas was awesome and the fair this weekend was just lovely. Everyone worked so hard and the place looked fantastic. We should have one every weekend!

I'm actually attending another craft fair next Saturday (5th) at Clifford Primary School on Psalter Lane - the event is called Julefest and is Scandinavian themed. I've got my work cut out for me this week, lots of stuff to make. I'll update with pictures as soon as I've made some bits and bobs.

Right, back to the online Christmas shopping... x

Plush Photoshoot

2009-09-20T05:18:00.000-07:00

A couple of weeks ago, I took every single one of my plushies (actually, I accidentally left one at home, only to find him smiling at me and looking rather smug when I got back) ... to the woods. I was fed up of the boring and poor quality photos I had been using for my etsy, where they had just been photographed against a white background. My camera had been playing up and the white was showing up as various shades of blue and purple, which in turn threw all the other colours out. Anyway, I took them to Wharncliffe Woods and arranged them in trees/bushes/logs and managed to take quite a few pics. Below are the ones I have put onto etsy.

Chibi the Sweet Toothed Hyperactive Monster Plush

Chibi loves to eat sweets. Unfortunately when Chibi consumes even a small amount of sugar her eyes brighten, her cheeks become flushed and she bounces off the walls for a solid hour before she wears herself out.

She once jumped off my shoulder, dived straight into a family sized trifle and scoffed the lot. She still insists that the fact that she was up all night rocking back and forth, humming at high frequency and didn't stop twitching for 2 days was completely unrelated to the trifle incident.

Jingle the Hugs and Kisses Monster Plush

To say that Jingle is quite affectionate would be like saying clowns are fairly scary. A monster understatement (no pun intended… okay, pun slightly intended).

Anything or anyone that stands still for long enough gets a kiss and a cuddle. It may sound sweet, but after your fourth cuddle in under 3 minutes, it starts to wear a little thin. The solution? Don’t stand still!

Mambo the Mushroom Monster Plush

Mambo is an enthusiastic little guy who enjoys nothing more than jumping around the woods annoying woodland folk. He sings off key, swings from trees and stomps around, all in the name of fun. I won’t repeat what the fairies say about him but you can bet your bolognaise he’s not on their Christmas card list.

The elves just think he’s misunderstood (but funnily enough, he’s not on their Christmas card list either).

Meryl the Awesome Skull Bunny Plush [sold]

Meryl is awesome. She collects lightbulbs and blue elastic bands, and wants to be a hair pin bend when she grows up. She’s completely stark raving bonkers, but it actually suits her. Not like her imaginary friend Lucas, who’s obviously just pretending to be loony to get more attention.

Sparrow - the Monster with a Huge Heart. Or Two.

Sparrow is a very friendly monster who loves to make new friends. His motto is ‘the more the merrier’ …but I think he was talking about cookies at the time.

Sparrow is very easy going and if he were any more laid back he’d be upside down (he already spends a lot of his time horizontal). His favourite hobby is lying on his back outside and looking for the shapes of monkeys in the clouds

Craft Candy

2009-08-31T01:12:00.000-07:00

Last week I became a member of Craft Candy, a lovely Sheffield based craft group which organises fairs three times a year. Their Spring Fling fair was the first craft fair I had ever taken part in and I loved every minute. I have just been accepted on their Christmas fair, called Candy Cane, which will take part at the end of Novemeber. I will post some more details closer to the time.

I also took an outdoor shot in my garden, which I wanted to share. To get the angle I wanted I had to lie on the ground - I don't think any of my neighbours saw me but they probably would have found it pretty funny if they had!

It's bank holiday Monday today and I'm not really sure what I'm going to do. I would quite like to go for a walk or a bike ride but it depends on how British the weather is going to turn out.....

I just had a very productive half hour

2009-06-24T13:57:00.000-07:00

Added two new cheeky little monsters to etsy:

Neville the Foul Mouthed Monster Plushie

And...

Cherie the Cherry Bellied Monster Plush

I should be adding some hair accessories and brooches next, so keep checking back xx

Oops

2009-06-24T12:51:00.000-07:00

I might have forgotten to update in quite a long time...

Lately I have lacked the time and motivation to start a new project after getting home from work, but today I received a very nice email which has kick started said motivation. In this email was a link to a picture of one of my critters I had sent all the way to San Francisco via the magic of etsy (and Royal Mail / US equivalent).

Take a peek: http://www.flickr.com/photos/ameliamade/3654051277/

I came to several conclusions all at once:

1. I want to be on that beach.
2. Aubrey (the awesome dude I sent the critter to) is.... well, awesome.
3. I want to make and send more plushies to people in various locations
4. Wouldn't it be amazing if everyone I sent one to sent me a pictorial update...

Watch this space :D

Added another plushie

2009-04-18T05:03:00.000-07:00

I was feeling very motivated just now and added another plushie to my etsy shop. That would be the little purple bunny pictured above. Or Meryl.

This done before even having breakfast(!) ....Not that that's any sort of indication of the time; rather my lack of motivation to go and cook something.

Alas, my stomach is growling and it is most definitely now time for breakfast. Or brunch xx

I figured it out...

2009-04-15T06:38:00.000-07:00

So I saved the image slightly differently and now it is blue. Don't ask me the ins and outs of it, I have absolutely no idea. But blue is good :D

I am off work again today so plan on getting a couple more bits on etsy while I have the time. I sold Muggle the monster plush (pictured) to the lovely Aubrey last week and managed to get him in the post yesterday. Hopefully he should be arriving within the next few days.

I am thinking of making a couple of tutorials. That's all it is at the moment, a lonely thought at the back of my mind. Give it a couple of weeks and it may materialise into something a little more tangible. But it's a start. x

My business cards arrived!

2009-04-14T08:39:00.000-07:00

They are a little darker than what they should be but overall I am very happy with them. They have my email, my blog and my etsy details on - as well as a picture of a blue zombie-cat-monster for good measure. What more could they possibly need?

So I just uploaded the above picture to demonstrate and the thing has turned yellow?! What sense does that make? Luckily the cards arrived blue, as designed. Good thing too, I'm not a fan of yellow at all.

I'm off work today so my plan is to be at least slightly productive and make something before the end of the day. Update to follow, perhaps.

Peace out x

2009-03-31T13:08:00.000-07:00

There it is. My lovely craft stall. And me, looking quite frazzled after a rather sleepless night. But I had a great day, met some lovely people and even sold a few bits and pieces. The only thing that I wished I could've done differently is get my business cards ordered in time. But, lesson learnt - they are now on their way. Albeit, quite slowly...

My cupcakes went down a storm too (I think that most people who visited were initially there because of them, and not the plushies - but at least people were visiting!)

I sold two of my favourites, and didn't really want to let them go. Thought it would be a bit mean to take money off people, hide the plushies under the table and deny all knowledge. Fun, though :D

Aha. This blog stuff is harder than it looks.

2009-03-25T11:13:00.000-07:00

This hasn't gone according to plan so far. I was supposed to update a little more regularly, with lots of interesting words and pretty pictures. And that hasn't quite happened.

But I have my craft fair in three days and so it's time to get serious. Blog me up, baby. Updates to follow.

The first blog post. (Dun dun duunnn)

2009-03-14T09:52:00.000-07:00

Hello all. Welcome to my nice, shiny new blog.

I have wanted one of these for a long time. I think the reason I waited so long to set one up is that I didn't know if I would actually have anything interesting to say in it. And, true to form, I am now sat scratching my head and wondering what I can possibly type. But I do have a direction, I promise. I wanted a blog to help me record my new hobby, which is making plushies. Stuffed toys, felt creations, stuffies, plush toys... you get the idea. I didn't initally make them to sell, but have decided to venture into the likes of etsy and my first craft fair in two weeks time to see if anybody is interesting in welcoming a deformed monster into their life. Who isn't?

I am about halfway through a jellyfish-themed spikey-headed critter and as soon as I have finished him (and figured out how to add photos to this thing...) I will post a pic.

My aim is to update sporadically at best. But it's quality, not quantity that counts, right? I will start thinking of some decent content for next time.

That's all for now x