When Insects Attack

The heat bugs are here, the mosquitoes, the works. They're out in full force. And when you're allergic to certain bugs, say bees, bugs create just a little bit more anxiety. Not these, though. These are some super snuggly buggers!



Handmade Inchworm Stuffed Animal from bubbletime


Nerf Little Bugger from Cotton Monster


Bug and friends from pipapiep

My Favorite Handmade Treasure: Plush Goodness

I've struggled with writing one of these for so long now, because every time I think I've decided on my "favorite", I remember something else that I just couldn't part with. Handmade things have been a part of my life since before I was born. My mother made me a quilt... for nine months. She passed the time, while she was pregnant, sewing and stitching. I've got oodles of ceramic pieces I've collected from generations of women before me. Our house is filled with paintings my husband's grandmother did. As an art student, we both collected work from our friends and hosted art swaps at the end of each semester. For years we've requested only handmade gifts for the holidays and birthdays. And then there's the plush... oh my, is there the plush. I justify my plush purchases as "research" and "business", ordinarily, but earlier this year I ordered an incredibly unique bit of Plush, that I absolutely wouldn't call anything but "mine, all mine".
That's my little family... as Plush.

Have you ever?!

These "PlushCatures" are made by Leeanna, the genius behind Plush Goodness, a fellow Etsy Plush Team member. I first "met" Leeanna in cyberspace, when she commissioned me to make a Knitimal version of her sweet dog, Waffle, and it was somewhere around there that she told me she'd once made a plush version of her husband and herself for her niece; when I saw the pictures of them, I was totally sold. I knew I needed a plush version of my husband, our dog, and myself. It was a stroke of luck that I realized we could time it so they'd be ready for our first anniversary.

I sent along photos, and invited her to check out our wedding blog; Leeanna asked some very good questions, designed to get the most out of her subjects. I provided her with nuggets of info and color preferences and little things that would make the pieces REALLY ring true.

Like for example, the extra careful attention paid to Mason's double coat. You can't really see it here, but the legs have two layers of fleece "fur" that actually move and wisp like Mason's hair. She captured his two tone ears and really got his majestic tail. And there's gorgeous stitching on the body to accent his blond highlights and dark brown lowlights.
Hubby's wearing his favorite colors & cool stripy socks (he's always got cool socks on). She totally captured his giant, wonderful smile. The jeans look SO real. The gold stitching on the pockets and fly front are impeccable. She even used reclaimed denim & other materials because she knew we'd want it that way.

me? well, i'm easy. All I need is a t-shirt with the neck cut out (check), a comfy pair of jeans (check) and a pair of crocs (double check.. how cute are they!?). She got my two tone hair & my favorite colors... and notice my smile is more of a smirk than a big full on smile?

yep. that's good detail.

I love all my handmade possessions, but I feel safe saying I finally have a FAVORITE handmade treasure. When I'm away from home or at a show, I can still take my boys along with me... in my suitcase! If you're interested in being Plushed, visit her shop and drop her a line. We've already decided she's going to make a new set of Us's for our anniversary every, oh, 10 years or so.

Plush You 2009!

As I write, I am "work-cationing" in Seattle; jointly enjoying hang time with my brother & sister and joining my brothers-in-plush arms at Plush You 2009! I can't wait for tonight, for the opening, where I'll finally be able to put faces with the names of all the amazing plush artists I've only met online, and to reunite with artists I've met at Plush Yous past... no doubt, all of the submissions will be innovative and beautiful. I imagine everyone participating put very careful thought into the planning and creation of their plush works of art, and i was no exception.

Yes, if you're gonna hang in an internationally reknown show such as this, you don't go into it lightly. So, after much thought planning, I came up with these three OoAKies (who, for those who like collecting random trivia, are based loosely on myself, my brother & my sister... they'll put it together tonight!).

.... so here they are! These three OoAKies are making their debut at Schmancy this evening. If you're in Seattle, be sure to come out for the party and get your hands on some AMAZING plush from all over the world (and Baltimore). wink wink.

What I'm Working On: Danamarie of greenstarstudio

It's been over a decade since I made my first Knitimal, and in that time I have dreamed up, knit, sewn & stuffed over 600 of them, and watched them all find homes all over the world. This amazing opportunity to bring art into young lives has kept me thinking, pondering, sketching & creating with almost insomniac fury. What I'm working on now has been cooking in my brain for a while now, but this winter I finally found time to delve into a massive new undertaking... In just a few weeks I'll be unveiling a brand new line of art dolls; ones that encourage art making & creativity, even for the self proclaimed "non-artist". They're top secret for now, but I'm revealing them bit by bit on my blog. Now, to come up with a name for them...

This series of posts will give you a sneak peek into what B.E.S.T. members are currently working on--in progress. The results may be messy, but they're definitely creative! Would you like to submit your own work in progress? Email us at baltimoreetsy@gmail.com.