"Do what you love"

"Do what you love" embroidery hoop is available in the shop! Click here.

I've also been working on a product that will be available in the shop soon: embroidered canvas portraits! Keep an eye out; they'll be available soon. =)

Longfellow Quote Art and a New Treasury List

Click the image to be transported to the Etsy listing! It's a Henry Wadsworth Longfellow quote, embroidered and appliqued on felt and cotton/polyester blend fabric. =)

Again, just click the image to be transported to the treasury page! I'm feeling very springy, today, despite it being VERY chilly for Los Angeles (52 degrees, right now, and rainy).

NEW in the shop! Colorful Love Birds Wall Art

Finished this cheerful piece yesterday! Click here to be transported to the Etsy listing.

Embroidery Hoop Art and a SUPER EASY Tutorial

The other day I was re-organizing a bit and discovered that I have several embroidery hoops just sitting around doing nothing, so I decided to use them! Yesterday I made this embroidered quote:

Click the image to go to its Etsy listing.

And as I was photographing it, I realized I could make you guys a super simple tutorial for temporary wall hangings! All you need is a clothespin and some tape:

I used a miniature clothespin but I'm sure this would work with a regular sized one, as well. You'd probably just need to use a bit more tape.

Cut off a piece of tape about two inches long and clip the clothespin to the tape.

And apply it to the wall! Make sure that the clothespin is flat against the wall and doesn't twist around. You're done! You can now hang your object for photographing or to see how a particular layout of photos or artwork would work on your wall. See? I told you it was super easy! =)

Meet Prudence!

Dear Prudence, won't you come out to play
Dear Prudence, greet the brand new day
The sun is up, the sky is blue
It's beautiful and so are you
(lyrics from Dear Prudence by The Beatles)

Prudence is an outdoorsy girl from the tip of her antennae to the tips of her toes. She loves to be outside feeling the breeze and hearing the leaves rustle. Her favorite season is late summer and her favorite activity is fishing! She can often be found down by the creek dabbling her toes in the water waiting for a fish to bite.

I. Love. Prudence. Her accessories were huge pains in the neck to make, what with all the weaving and such, but they are SO worth every second of work!! I think I'm going to make it a regular thing to create dolls with unique accessories like Prudence has.

Click here to be transported to her Etsy listing!

I've been working on a praying mantis doll for at least three weeks, now. I think. I know I have a terrible sense of time, so it could be less. *rubs chin*

Anyway! She's almost finished. I made her dress, today, and I'm about to make her fishing pole. The other day I wove her a cute little boater hat out of felt, and afterward I couldn't help but envision her in a cutesy sort of overall/jumper style dress with a fishing pole and a basket of goldfish. (Praying mantises actually do eat small fish when they can get them.) I would show you a photo of her in her dress, but she's drying off from a dunking I gave her; she's hand painted, and earlier I noticed that some blue was coming off onto her hat, so I swished her around in a tub of water to try and rinse off the excess paint. I think I need to do some research into better, more permanent paints. I can't have every hand painted doll rubbing paint off everywhere!!

Anyway. I think I already love her and she's not even finished. You can have a photo of her floating in the basin like a creepy fetus:

I promise she'll look much cuter when she's in her clothing and holding her fishing pole and basket. =P

Can I just say that I LOVE my new way of making joints? I know it's basically impossible to see much of the construction of them in this photo, but I'll get better photos when she's 100% complete. It's like a happy marriage between my most recent way and my original button-joint way. <3<3

Birthdays and Holiday Madness

It was James' birthday, recently. I made him a saccharine-sweet book filled with reasons why I love him:

It's pretty ridiculous, but I had a ton of fun with it and he loved it and that's what's important, amIright?? (Just ignore that I somehow managed to spell "excessive" wrong!)

I've got a ton of things to get done, this week! All sorts of pre-Christmas loose ends; presents to finish, presents to ship, presents to wrap, projects to work on, errands to run, delicious food to make, organization to get done... Yikes! As of today the shop is in vacation mode, which will likely last until January first. I'm hoping to get several new items done during the break so that there's new stuff in the shop when I re-open! Have a HAPPY holiday season and a wonderful new year!!