A Pillow Monster Every So Often

New Blog

2008-10-13T05:59:00.000-07:00

Just a reminder that I have a new blog and will no longer post on this one.

Here is a link to my new one:

http://pinkcheeksstudio.blogspot.com

Come visit!!

New Name, New Blog, New Shop, New Doll

2008-10-07T15:02:00.001-07:00

All can be found here! Follow me there!

New additions and a superb Saturday

2008-10-05T10:17:00.000-07:00

A few more Plushies in my shop for you to browse...

So last night was wonderful. Bloomington hosts this amazing international music festival called Lotus Fest each year and Joseph and I were too lame to budget in some tickets, but due to an encouraging friend (thanks Erin) we still went and experienced all the free stuff there was (Yay free!). The weather was like something out of a dream, and there was music everywhere. It reminded me of being in downtown Memphis at night (where I went to school) and walking down Beale street and hearing different bands whenever a group went in or out of a bar, only it was less smoky and on a much grander scale with more wild art about. My favorite part of our night was watching this parade that involved this marching band that seemed like they marched straight out of some underground sub culture. They had on these punked up band uniforms and there were stilt walkers. I fell in love. If not for Joseph and Albert, I might have marched away with them off to the magical, noisy place they came from. I have a deep affinity for parades----especially the low on budget-high on soul, clunky, papier mache sort of parades. It was great, Albert (my dog, incase you didn't know) even came, though the stilt guys freaked him out. He is pretty little, so he doesn't do so well with "tall". Here are some highlights to things we saw:

And then there were three more

2008-10-02T13:14:00.000-07:00

In my shop, yearning for a couch to stretch out on...

Now Available....

2008-10-01T12:39:00.000-07:00

In my Etsy Shop!

I'm kind of going to take it easy from the sewing for awhile. The chiropractor is doing all these experiments on me and it makes my body a little tired. Although, I do have some exciting October projects happening, so I won't rest too long. Also, tonight I have my pottery class with my Peanut Gallery friend, Erin. It's pretty awesome, and I am surprised I have yet to blog about it because it is the highlight of my week----if I can remember, I will take some photos tonight of my projects for you to see---they are kind of clay-ized pillow monsters.

When You're Strange....

2008-09-29T15:50:00.000-07:00

Oh to be strange. So much more fun than normalcy. So this weekend was the climax of all my hard work: The Strange Folk Festival. This was my fist time doing anything like this, and I couldn't have picked a better festival to break myself in, or perhaps maybe they are all like this one, but somehow I doubt it, as I don't often hear of many craft festivals involving an alpaca petting zoo, but I could be wrong.

Selling on Etsy is very fun, especially when the sale is to someone over an ocean, but on Etsy I can't hear any reactions or see any faces to note whether they are smiling or not. In the three dimensional, real world, however, I can see all of that. I have to admit, it was a little intimidating at first. I imagine a parent who has a child that gets asked to be in a commercial on TV has a similar sort of feeling. I just set them all up on my table and exposed them to the Strange Folk masses. It was great though. People laughed out loud, and some even came back to laugh some more. Other people smiled and some looked a little confused. One of the confused ones did buy a pig-girl because she said, "this doesn't make any sense, and that is why I like it," which was kind of nice. My favorite reaction though was from a Brownie who was at the Festival all day selling girl scout cookies with her troop. I don't think she will grow up to be a business woman because she tired quite early with the cookie sales and would frequently stop by my table and pick up a different pillow monster to look at. She didn't say much to me, but I could sort of tell that she was inventing stories about the creatures, which delighted me.

Sales weren't fantasmigorical, but I did have some people whose plush I adore buy some things which made the weekend really special. Katie from SkunkBoyCreatures bought a bear girl which was really exciting for me---I found myself a little Plushie star-struck by her because I have admired her creatures on Etsy for awhile now. Also, Shannah, from Das Kaninchen was there---she makes amazing rabbits, and she bought an Elephant girl. Then, I got to meet the man behind the Crammed Organisms show, David Wolk, who had on these neon striped knee-high socks and an aura of fun surrounding him AND he gave me my Crammed Organisms book, which I have been obsessively checking my mail box for and am now relieved that I can stop. I feel a little frantic in this blog entry and I am hoping I haven't left out any important tid bits from the weekend. A want to say a really quick thank you to the girl in the mosaic above who bought three pillow monsters and made me blush with her patron-ing of my booth (she bought not one, not two, but three (!))! Thanks so much, and I love your dog!

Strange Friends for Strange Folks

2008-09-23T15:31:00.001-07:00

I'm inching my way to the finish line, slowly and surely for the Strange Folk show. I just have one pair of giraffe legs to do, one teeny tiny pair, and for the life of me I just couldn't do them today. There is one sad, leg-less giraffe sitting next to her completely-limbed giraffe friends on my shelf. "Don't worry, they're comin' sistah!" In other limb news (I have to break my "no whiny" rule), I broke down and went to a chiropractor to seek out some relief from my repetitive strain injury and back problems. This was my first visit to a chiropractor and I think things will go well----he did a thorough exam on me and showed genuine concern for the pain I have. He also listened to and answered all of my questions which I have found to be a rare thing with doctors.....not to mention that in the waiting room was some freshly baked banana bread, so I am pretty sure I chose the right place. Tomorrow he discusses his game plan with me. Best case scenario for me is he cracks my bones and the pain immediately dissipates and afterwards I eat a slice of warm banana bread and go home to some fierce pillow monstering.

Yar Har Har, Matey!

2008-09-21T12:06:00.001-07:00

Ahoy maties! I am nearing the end of my goal for the Strange Folk Festival. It's so hard for me to wrap things up-----I start really disliking the Nichol of weeks ago that decided the Nichol of today wouldn't mind adding buttons, and posable giraffe legs and all those piddily things that myself of three weeks ago was too cool to finish. Scoff.

I have chosen a new name to replace Pillow Monsters. Sigh, I have grown quite attached to Pillow Monsters and this change will be a rocky adjustment, I think. I am looking forward to it, though----and it will come soon. I think a giveaway will be in order when the change comes, because giveaways bring warm-fuzzy feelings and warm-fuzzy feelings make everything okay.

Sometimes You Feel Like A....

2008-09-18T16:28:00.000-07:00

Everyone even remotely interested in the art of plush needs to look at this amazing project. I can't even tell you how long I stared at each piece. Sometimes I dream of a Project Runway Plushie version, this would definitely be amongst the challenges.

A Man in My Shop

2008-09-18T14:36:00.000-07:00

Just a little note to say that Barney is in my shop now!

The Men on My Couch

2008-09-18T13:48:00.000-07:00

The mustached men are finally done and ready to stand proud on my booth at Strange Folk Festival which I am really getting excited about. I am going to have an orange suede table cloth and these bags called "oatmeal" bags and orange tissue paper. I have declared orange to be my color of choice. I am really attracted to that color and it has been this way as far back as I can remember. The house I grew up in was very '70's and I feel nostalgic for it all the time. We had this bright orange counter and the floor was fake brick linoleum. The kitchen was such a sunny, bright, happy place and when Joseph and I finally have a house, the kitchen will be painted orange. We also had a full basement to run around in. We used to play hide and go seek in the dark. We used to think we invented that game, but surely others must have played it too. During holidays, the grownups would stay upstairs and drink and chat about grownup things, and all the cousins would play hide and go seek in the basement. The person who was "it" would have to count upstairs, and I sort of enjoyed being "it" because it meant you got to count by the desserts. Good times.

There are changes coming to Pillow Monsters-----the big one being the name which I sadly discovered to be trademarked by someone else (Woopsies!). I never imagined when I started this project that things would happen the way they did, so of course when I called them "Pillow Monsters" not only were they more pillow-y and monster-y than they are now but they were something that I had not imagined lasting longer than a month and therefor, of course, I didn't even consider legalities. I am beyond delighted at what has become of my month long project, but I am looking forward even more to what will be coming. I have learned a lot, and fresh starts are always fun. It's like that first day of high school when you finally have a big locker and you get to be in a marching band and all of a sudden you feel like you have some control over your destiny (maybe that's a bad analogy as I don't know if that feeling lasted much longer than that first day). I don't know when the change will come, but it will be fairly soon and I hope you follow me along because I can't do it without you!

Yay! Yay!!! Hurray!!!!

2008-09-17T13:18:00.000-07:00

I have not one, but two awesome things to share with you.

One is found here. I have no words for how this made me feel----I am literally speechless, and very warm inside! Thanks Lauren

Two is found here. Yay! Yay!!! Hurray!!!!

Three Handsome Devils

2008-09-13T13:57:00.001-07:00

Here are some handsome devils for your viewing pleasure. They look a little too friendly to be in a biker gang, they perhaps are a hardcore A Capella cover band.

Skinny Giraffes with Useless Arms

2008-09-12T05:44:00.000-07:00

Here are the girls in all their glory. They make me laugh. They look like they could be the giraffe version of the Ya-Ya Sisters, or maybe (more of a stretch as I don't know how stylish they actually are) the friends of Sex in the City. I'm looking forward to this weekend. It's supposed to be very stormy which is my favorite movie viewing, pillow monster-ing sort of weather. Maybe it's because those are my 2 favorite things to do and part of me thinks that is odd, but if it's storming I can't do much else so I don't feel as odd. Joseph and I are finally going to see that Woody Allen movie and a new Coen Brothers movie also comes out this weekend, so I am doing a little happy dance. I hope all is well with everyone!

The Odd Couple

2008-09-09T06:00:00.000-07:00

Here are the latest Pillow Monsters. I wanted to make an ultra skinny giraffe with useless stubby arms for awhile now. Joseph actually suggested I make the skirt because he said she looked too spindly (is that word spelled right?) without it. I like how she looks now, and the 2 together make quite the prom couple!

This morning was the first cool morning in quite sometime. I actually had to throw on a big, cozy sweater to walk Albert in. I feel kind of peppy with this cool air.

Edgar the Toy Maker

2008-09-07T11:11:00.001-07:00

Edgar makes toys out of wood. He loves the smell of the wood chips as he chips them away with his chisel. When Edgar begins to make his toys, he does no preliminary drawings. HE just sets down a black of wood, stares at it while he drinks his hot cocoa (with whipped cream) and he imagines the toy inside of it. Then he chip, chip, chips away at the wood with his chisel. While he is working he is very focused, though you wouldn't know it by listening to him because while he works he plays jolly tunes on his kazoo. Edgar gives his toys away to children with big hearts and no money because he finds that they enjoy his toys the very, very most, and that makes Edgar quite happy.

Edgar is for sale in my Etsy shop, and I am making more big-headed (in the physical sense, not the ego sense) for Strange Folk festival!

Have a lovely Sunday!

Sketches

2008-09-05T12:22:00.000-07:00

My friend north of my border, Darby the Fabulous, asked for some scans of images from my sketches as examples of "sketches turned fiber art" for a class she's teaching, which I am completely flattered about. Some of the sketches have not birthed into pillow monsters, but maybe some day. Also my sketchbooks aren't very organized, so you will see I scribble notes all over them and most of them don't make much sense weeks later.

The last one is from an older book. I used to sketch from observation all the time, I loved it so much, and that obsession was replaced when I started sewing, but I'd like to get back to it. The left hand drawing is a collaboration between Joseph and I. We would play this game called "Add On" which was this drawing game where one person would draw something and then pass it to the next and on and on and on. They could get very weird. This one we did while on the train to Chicago from Joliet (my home-town).

These Little Piggies are Going to the Market

2008-09-05T07:58:00.000-07:00

Here are some more piggies ready for Strange Folk Festival at the end of September. Sweet little pink petunias. Not much to report on my end except for that my throat is very scratchy and I called in to work today. I have been Zicamin and Coldeezing it up. I'm that kind of sick where you just feel lazy. Actually, Albert and I have had similar schedules today---lots of laying around and occasionally looking out the window to see what the noise was. I'm also drinking an obscene amount of tea with honey. Mmm.

Here is Wilma

2008-09-02T15:49:00.000-07:00

Wilma loves pink and hates being dirty. Her passion for pink, however, outweighs her distaste for filth. This is why her favorite animal is the pig. Wilma thinks all animals should be pink. She understands that flamingos are also pink, but she likes oinks far more than bird chirps, so that is why her pig favoritism stands firm. A perfect day for Wilma is a sunny one that involves sitting on a nice wooden rocking chair, on a spacious porch with a tall glass of strawberry milkshake in her hands.

Wilma is in my Etsy shop because I hate neglecting my Etsy shop! I am going to make 4 more Wilmas for the Strange Folk Festival, then I wanted to do more of those tough, bearded Mimi-inspired tattoo guys, some big headed mustached guys---and large giraffes. I had these other grand plans for paper dolls too, but I don't think they'll be ready in time. I made Wilma to an old DVD full of Seinfeld videos. Why do I never get sick of those?

The Elephant Girls (and a boy) and the last Official Day of Summer

2008-09-01T09:38:00.000-07:00

Here are the elephants. They took forever, forever, forever, but I love the, love them, love them. I put lots of details on them and I found some nice belt type ribbon at the fabric store in this little corner that was full of treasures just begging to be sewn onto pillow monsters.

I'm still achey and that is part of the reason this group took so long. I'm tired of being achey though, so I'm going to stop. I say that in a sort of joking way, but I mean it too---I'm just going to will myself to be pain free. People have done crazier things with their brains, so surely it must be possible. Either way, I don't want to whine about it anymore.

Joseph and I had a nice, adventurous weekend involving a surprise baby shower (not mine), spaghetti, aunts and uncles and then a trip to Cincinnati, which is delightfully hilly. We went there because it was on the way back to Bloomington from the surprise baby shower and we wanted to see what their art museum was like. I give it two, enthusiastic thumbs up, but that is partially due to the fun of the spontaneous trip, though their collection was nice, too, I was really drawn to the teeny, tiny victorian portraits. They were sophisticated and a little uppity, but at the same time, because they were soooo teeny, tiny, the paintings were a little distorted and kind of quirky. I stared at them for a long time. Also, when we got there we were so hungry that we went immediately to the museum's restaurant. We were the first ones there, and we ate outside, alone in this beautiful garden---it was like something out of a dream, and that dream involved non-stop refills of diet coke in a fancy glass. It was a great time. Now I am okay with summer ending---bring on the colored leaves, I am ready.

Frank Porter for President

2008-08-25T16:31:00.001-07:00

Frank Porter, originally uploaded by nichol-b.

Yay! Frank is a finalist in Etsy's Handmade Kid's Challenge!!! He is in the Toy category. If you are an Etsy Member you can vote for him. If you are not an Etsy member, you can join and vote for Frank! He promises lower taxes and hot dogs for all! Also, when you vote you are automatically entered to win a $350 shopping spree on Etsy. Vote for Frank by clicking here! Ask not what Frank can do for you, but what you can do for Frank.

ps If you don't vote for Frank, he will still be your friend.

pps If you don't vote for Frank, you should vote for Jelly Legs Jim. Rrrrrrrr, Matey.

Bozoette's PM family

2008-08-24T17:51:00.000-07:00

Awhile ago I mentioned that I was making a surprise for Bozoette for being such a loyal Pillow Monster fan, and now that I know it is safe to post him (she already received him), here he is:

I can't believe it, but I lost his story! Arrgh. He is of course, a teeny, tiny clown and my brain is drawing a complete blank about any of his facts. I know he ran away to the circus. He is made special for Bozoette, and if you head over to her blog you will see what feature they have in common! Below is a picture of her collection. It's funny looking at them altogether. They look like different species, but I think they come off as being from the same world. The way they are set up looks as if they might start singing Christmas carols. Thanks so much Mary!

A Present from a Friend

2008-08-24T17:37:00.001-07:00

Here he is again.... My Albert. It's August, however he is not going to school because he is too cool for school. This is all due to his new collar that was sent to me from my good friend Joy who I went to high school with and summer camp---she was always one of my fiercest lip sync competitors. Joy and I lost touch, and then randomly found each other again through Etsy. It turns out that she has a shop there too, selling dog collars, and leashes to match (!). Her shop is called 8 Paw Collars, for the coolest dogs at the park and I tested it out, and when Albert was in the park sporting his new look, all the girl dogs were asking for his number.

Ana

2008-08-23T08:23:00.000-07:00

Ana can't dance, but she loves it. She is heavy on her feet. Behind her back, in ballet class, the students gossip about how she moves like an elephant. When Ana found out what was being said, she had a day of sadness. She told her grandmother about her troubles, and her grandmother rushed to action, dried her tears, warmed up some milk for hot chocolate and told her an old Chinese proverb. She said, "Ana my dear, if you can walk you can dance and if you can talk you can sing." She told Ana that if her feet are heavy like an elephant's then she needs to stomp her heart out. So, Ana did, and she has not looked back since. During recitals, when Ana is performing, the audience can feel her footsteps like thunder in a storm and her heart fills them with awe.

Ana is over here waiting for a couch to dance on.

I was in the middle of making a bunch of my small giraffes with posable legs and I just had to stop and make Ana. I think it is more difficult to mass produce the tinier things. Also, the routine was making my head go a bit wonky. I feel better now that I made Ana, and I think I will make several versions of her for Strange-folk and put my giraffes on hold. Elephants are always a must see at the zoo, and baby elephants are one of the cutest things in existence. Have you watched Planet Earth? Have you seen the one segment with the baby elephant---you would know it if you saw it? HEART WRENCHING! I think if I were on the crew I wouldn't be able to just watch, I'd have to throw a big rock or something to scare away the lions.

Marjorie

2008-08-21T14:13:00.001-07:00

Marjorie gardens during the night-time. She sets her alarm (a koo-koo clock) for around 1:00 am and she quietly gathers all of her gardening tools, puts on her rubber boots and heads outdoors to pull out unwanted weeds. Then she gently waters her lilacs and mums and lilies by candle light. There is one blooming moon flower in her garden that she gives extra attention to. She feels the two of them are kindred spirits since they both come to life in the night-time. She has big plans for it as well because she thinks it would make a nice birthday present for her friend Judy. Marjorie enjoys her life in the day-time too, but she is a giver. She gives so much of herself that if she doesn't have her time in the garden she feels like she may disappear altogether. After the plants get their water, Marjorie gathers the fallen flower petals and uses them to make an herbal tea. Then she sips on it and with the calm that the moon light gardening provided her, she counts her blessings which make her cheeks go pink with joy.

Marjorie is a special request.

I wanted to thank all of you for your comments on my previous "Big News" post! I feel so lucky to have so many of you stop by and tell me nice things. Thank you, thank you!

My Big News

2008-08-19T03:19:00.000-07:00

Crazy, isn't it? The funny thing is, I had no clue that my Big Red doll was in this magazine until I happened upon a picture of it in someone else's Flickr. I found it just two days ago, and then I immediately drove over to Barnes and Noble and bought the magazine. I smiled extra big at the sales clerk hoping that instead of asking me if I was interested in a Barnes and Noble Member Card he would randomly ask me why I was buying the magazine so that I could blurt out "BECAUSE MY PILLOW MONSTER IS IN THERE!" Then, we would hug and hidden balloons would fall down from the ceiling and people would gather around for my autograph. None of that happened, but if I would have purchased a Barnes and Noble Member card I would have saved 15%!

I'm really excited though. Intro to Fiber Arts was my all time favorite class at art school. I took it my senior year and I loved it so much that I considered committing myself to the poor house for life just so I could double major in it and stay in school for another few years. We dyed things, tore things, sewed things, stuffed things, batiked things, embroidered things. It was amazing. My professor would start each class with a tutorial and each one pushed some big boulder in my brain over to reveal worlds of possibility. In the studio were these enormous, magical wooden looms that very lucky students (who discovered Fiber Arts earlier on in their college careers) got to weave on. I discovered a couple years ago that my silly college dropped their Fibers program and now there are computers where the looms used to be. Sad. However, it makes it extra special to me that my pillow monster ended up on a page in Fiber Arts magazine, my heart has been glowing strong ever since.

Frogs for Strange Folk

2008-08-18T05:23:00.000-07:00

Here are some frogs I have been working on. They are charming little green gentlemen who enjoy extra dry martinis.

This past weekend Joseph, Albert and I went to see his family in Illinois. It was nice to break up our routine and drive through some peaceful farm land. August weather has been pretty awesome so far and we were able to soak it up with some putt putt, yard golf and outdoor grilling. I feel a little desperate now that summer is almost over. I want to get in as many summer activities as possible before the leaves start to turn! I went to the grocery store this morning for an emergency coffee run and there were mums for sale! Mums! I wanted to speak to the manager and ask her to please take them back to where they came from because I haven't been swimming in the public pool yet.

Tomorrow I have some very exciting news to share with you. But for now, happy Monday!

Frank Porter

2008-08-12T14:43:00.001-07:00

Frank Porter has an amazing gift. He can eat hot dogs faster than any man or woman on this earth. When people ask how he feels about his special gift, Frank's face gets a bit red, and he just shrugs his shoulders. He thinks everyone has a special gift and hot dog eatin' happens to be his. Frank has not entered any professional hot dog eating competitions. Instead he prefers county fairs and the like. He wants to hold on to his amateur status so that one day when hot dog eatin' is accepted as an Olympic sport he can win the gold medal for his country. Frank thinks hot dog eatin' is most definitely a sport because it requires quite a bit of strategy and stretching. He believes hot dog eatin' to be quite sophisticated actually, which is why he never competes without his bow tie.

I entered Frank into Etsy's handmade kids challenge. He is waiting over there now---if you want to bring Frank into your home however, he still qualifies for the competition, so feel free to do so! I'm a vegetarian, but I'll tell you, I miss hot dogs. The Boca ones just don't do them justice, and it is such a quintessential American experience to eat one at a baseball game.

A Pillow Monster I didn't make

2008-08-10T18:37:00.000-07:00

The mosaic maker website is fun. This is my dog, Albert. He is a very good boy and I tell him so every day, so much so, that I think he believes his name to be "Good Boy" instead of Albert. The only time he isn't a good boy is when he has his bone, which he loves very much. Once the bone is in his possession, he guards it with his life and he believes everyone else wishes nothing but great harm upon it. Have I told you that we have a voice for Albert? I am sure other people have voices for their pets, I know we can't possibly be the only ones. His voice sounds a bit rushed and very serious, but he has an inability to pronounce 'R's (they come out more like 'W's). In this series of Albert shots we imagined him introducing his bone to the viewer, "Hello, this is my bone" but, with varying degrees of urgency because you can never get too close to his bone.

The Brady Bunch Bear Girls

2008-08-10T05:02:00.000-07:00

Here's a story..... of a bunch of Bear Girls..... who were la la la la la la la la la.....

So, I'm cranking out the Bear Girls. However yesterday afternoon I got distracted by noticing that there is a handmade kids contest on Etsy. The winner receives a $200 gift certificate towards Etsy purchases which I would love because there are so many handmade things I drool over on that site. Not to mention the Japanese fabric supply shops, oh yes. I mean, look at this fabric! So, I started sewing up a entry which I will share with you as soon as I finish some hot dogs, which will be his accessory item (confused? **hee hee**). I'm also working on a top secret surprise for Bozoette (shhhhh. Don't tell) because she is super awesome and one of my top buyers from my shop---she just bought Gus who has been around for quite awhile.

The weather in Bloomington is so beautiful right now. Enjoy your Sunday!

A Bunch of Bear Girl Goin' On

2008-08-08T04:40:00.000-07:00

My business-side is getting on quite nicely. I feared that by working in mass-production my soul would shrivel up a little bit, but it's not like that at all. Working systematically (by sewing a bunch of bear ears in a row and then sewing up all the buttons and yadda, yadda) actually has a nice rhythm to it. Also, my least favorite sewing chore is changing the thread, and I don't have to do that nearly as often, so that part is especially nice. I am building up my supply for this fair in O'Fallon which is near St. Louis and has the cutest graphics I have ever seen for a craft fair:

See? I told you. Isn't it nice? So, I plan on mass producing my favorite designs for the next two months and also figuring out how to design a fun booth. I have decided not to go back to school. My heart just isn't in it, I would rather live on the out-skirts of society and make stuff in my little room and then travel around with my stuff and see if others will bring it into their homes. I also fantasize about being a mom some day and taking my kids around the country in the summer time to different arts fair happenings and then exploring different cities with them. I think it could be a nice life. Sigh.

Pillow Monster Framed

2008-08-03T14:36:00.000-07:00

You should play too! Just go to Photofunia.

Otis Number Two

2008-08-02T09:08:00.000-07:00

Otis is very good at standing still. He loves to people watch, but is painfully shy and fears someone may ask him a question or get bothered by his staring. He has a tree suit that he wears to the park, and because he can stand so still and be so quiet, he goes unnoticed. On a rare occasion a child will look up at him and be delighted that there is a tree with a smiling face looking back down at them. When this happens, Otis reaches out his hand and gives him the dimes and nickels that he picks up on his walks to the park. Then he whispers, "Money really does grow on trees!" And the children skip off happily, dreaming of the super-bouncy ball they will get when they put their change into the machine at the grocery store.

Otis' story is a repeat. My brain has been fried from an exhausting week and I just kept coming up with duds for stories so I decided to go with an old favorite. Now I am going back to questioning whether or not I should go to school. This has been the most wishiest, washiest year. I feel incapable of making a single decision both with major things in life and with ridiculous things like whether or not I should try having bangs. I probably am rubbing off on Joseph too because we must have discussed what to eat for dinner for about an hour last night. Sometimes I get so desperate for advice that I ask my dog Albert what he thinks I should do, and I am not completely certain, but I could almost swear he rolls his eyes at me. I think maybe what I really want is some BABIES! Oh, but anyway.

I did get accepted into a craft show that will be at the end of September--so I am going to put myself into business-mode for awhile and see how it goes. I am going to try and build up my stock by working on multiples and additions, but most importantly I will be wearing a pin-striped pants suit and eating business-women specials. Have a wonderful weekend!

Pillow Monster Love

2008-07-31T16:16:00.000-07:00

This photo was sent to me from Pillow Happy whose son saved up his money to buy Philip for his birthday, which is incredibly sweet. My heart is still a little bit melty from looking at it. It's great to have Pillow Monsters go to appreciative grownups, but there is something extra fun about them going to children and perhaps partaking in some adventures hopefully involving forts because forts are completely awesome.

Doris

2008-07-30T15:27:00.000-07:00

Doris is a special request from a really great friend of mine. She wanted a duck hooded girl for her niece, Hannah. If you've been following the pillow monster journey from the beginning then you will know what I mean when I tell you that her mom is awesome and "kept the band together".

So here is Doris' story:

Doris enjoys water. She can hold her breath for an unbelievable amount of time. She likes to swim in lakes and put on goggles and then puff out her cheeks, plug her nose and spy on the minnows and the rest of the under-sea life. Her Oma sewed her up a duck outfit so that while on land she could reminisce about her good times swimming in the lake. This way she feels less like a duck out of water. Besides being in the lake, Doris' number one past-time is cuddling up to her dear friend Hannah. Hannah quacks Doris up.

The Real Moe

2008-07-29T15:23:00.000-07:00

Meet the Real Moe. The other one was just an impostor. Actually it is completely embarrassing, but I kept losing Melissa's email that had a picture of Moe attached. There's no excuse---it was just me being a complete dunce. So, I was too embarrassed to ask Melissa to send yet another picture of Moe, so I simply google-imaged Corgi and relied on my brilliant memory to pick out what Moe must have looked like, I thought for sure I had it right that he was orange and rather Twinkie-like, but I was completely mistaken. Melissa was so great and understanding about my mistake! If you'd like to see the inspiration for the pillow monstered Moe, go here. Isn't he cute? That other one is Emmit, Melissa's pug and he looks like he is such a great companion. I am a dog person, most definitely. I think they are incredible creatures. For me, they are evidence that the world is a good, good place.

Moe for Melissa

2008-07-27T12:58:00.001-07:00

Moe is sometimes referred to as a Twinkie with legs. Moe doesn't mind this reference. He knows he's sweet, and he prefers Twinkie's to hot dogs any day of the week. Moe has many dear friends because his sweetness can't be matched. As soon as he struts into a room he has the affect of making your teeth ache because he's so darned sweet. Most people believe that Moe's sweetness is a birthright, but the truth is, when Moe is home alone, he practices on his sweet technique and he practices quite diligently. His practice pays off however, and he is quite loved, so the proof is in the pudding.

Moe was a special request from Melissa of whom I am a big fan. Her shop is here and her blog is here.

It's funny to think about Twinkies. As a kid I craved them like mad, and of course, I was only allowed one in my lunch, which as a youngin' was considered to be a human rights violation. I also craved Lucky Charms. As a kid, when I pictured myself as a grown-up, I thought my main diet would involve all those cereals that turned milk a sugary rainbow color, peanut-butter and jelly sandwiches on white bread and anything Hostess or McDonalds. Thinking about all that stuff now makes my stomach turn. You couldn't even pay me to touch a Twinkie with a 10-foot pole. What exactly is it anyway? Why does it glisten? Have you seen the fried Twinkies at fairs? Crazy.

Phillip

2008-07-24T14:35:00.001-07:00

Philip is a sailor. He has his very own boat that he built himself and it is only big enough for him and his chihuahua, Peaches. Together they go wherever the wind blows them. Philip pretends to be tougher than he is because he doesn't like to chat. He can never think of anything to say and it's a bit embarrassing for him. For awhile there he was watching the Weather channel non-stop. He noticed that weather was often a topic of conversation. He thought perhaps that being armed with information about warm-fronts and cold-fronts would help him be a better conversationalist, but he quickly realized that you can't talk about the weather for longer than 5 minutes. When the subject would change to something else, his belly would start to flutter with nervousness. So he decided to accept himself as a solitary man and just be the captain of his own ship. He is quite happy sailing around silently with Peaches. He sill watches the Weather channel, but that's just for the wind.

My next Pillow Monster I will make will be another special request for Melissa from Pug Notes. I am pumped---it's going to be a Corgi named Moe.

My job has been pretty much awesome (!). I love it really---it's incredibly fun. I want to tell you about all the characters I have met, but my descriptions would be so inadequate. It's definitely great fun though--I am very happy to be working there and not making lattes. A typical 4 hour shift at my new job usually involves basketball, puzzles, several renditions of the "elastic arm" joke, clapping, walks, high-fives, balloon baseball, hugs, dancing and "Sweating into the Oldies". It's completely awesome.

Sweet Maria

2008-07-20T14:42:00.001-07:00

Sweet Maria doesn't believe in weeds. She believes dandelions are taken for granted and that they are just as beautiful as roses. On her daily skips (she prefers skipping to walking) she picks as many dandelions as she can fit in her hands then she skips off to a garage sale, buys a mug for a nickel, fills it with water, uses it as a vase and then skips to the first house she sees and leaves a beautiful bouquet of dandelions on the door step as an anonymous present. Then, her heart beats double-time and she skips on home.

Sweet Maria has posable legs and she measures about 16" tall and 5" wide. She is skipping around over here.

I found this video of a segment on 20/20 through a search on TMS (the syndrome I think I have). If anyone else has chronic pain you may find it interesting and useful. It is pretty amazing how quickly people recover once they are diagnosed with this. Here it is!

The Final Member of the Family and an update

2008-07-19T10:50:00.000-07:00

Finally! The finished family. Yes, the cat took me a week. Or rather, the cat took me a few hours, but motivating myself to make the cat took me a week. My back, neck and shoulders have not improved in 2 weeks (!). BUT, I have stumbled upon this book by Dr. Sarno. I have never heard of this man before, but apparently Howard Stern (of whom I am not a fan) has had his back pain cured by him as well as oodles and oodles of other people who then went on to write positive, if not utterly giddy, reviews of his book on Amazon.com. Basically, in a nutshell, Dr. Sarno's theory is that chronic back pain is caused by tension and stress. It is painful, but it is not real pain because it is your brain's way of dealing with repressed emotions (I know, I know, I can almost see some of the eye-rolls). Once you accept this as your diagnosis (it's called TMS), then your brain can't hide these repressed emotions as pain in your back anymore and it starts to release itself. I fit the personality type of people who are prone to develop TMS like a glove. I still have pain, but it's not supposed to be lifted away until my subconscious mind also accepts the diagnosis. I felt a little bit silly writing that last sentence, but I honestly believe that TMS is real. Dr Sarno makes valid points in his book. I'll hold my recommendation for a couple of weeks, but if the pain does go away, you will see a giddy review of my own. I have to say though, that one of his strategies is to go ahead with your normal activity instead of being intimidated by the pain, so you will see more pillow monsters being blogged!

In other news, I decided to go to school in the fall. I was accepted into the Masters in Art Education program awhile ago, but I was a bit wishy-washy about whether or not I wanted to go back to school or pursue Pillow Monstering full-time. I love my pillow monsters from the bottom of my heart, but I think while I have the time and no babies (something that will hopefully change in the next year or so) I mine as well go for it this year. The decision has not really sunk in yet, but it's made!

I hope you all have been wonderful, and thanks to the oober patient family who made the request to be pillow-monstered! I had a great time!

Bleeker

2008-07-11T13:19:00.000-07:00

I just realized when I posted these pictures that I completely forgot about Bleeker's tail. This is the family dog of my pillow monster family request. They love Notre Dame, hence the shamrock charm on his collar. I had many failed attempts with Bleeker, but I am really happy with how he turned out. The family is being oober-patient with me---this request has taken me too long, and I still have a cat to do! The truth is my symptoms of my repetitive strain injury are back full throttle. It is completely devastating to not have my body cooperate with me, but I know I will heal eventually. In addition to arm pains, my neck, shoulders and back ache. I am not sure what exactly triggered this flare up, but I think it could have been a result of over-strenuous stretching. I always think more is better, and that is often not the case. Examples of more being worse than less are: ice cream, searching symptoms on the internet and stretching. The good news is, I think I am going to love my new job. I am still in training, but I have observed classes and activities with the adults with developmental disabilities and everyone is respectful and caring. They are treated like individuals and it is just such a positive place with genuine, positive, creative energy. Also, the job will help me to be less whiny about my own physical problems while simultaneously aiding my healing process since I will be forced to break up my day instead of being a sewing-machine.

I also joined the YMCA and started swimming because it is supposed to be great for people who have RSI. I forgot how much I loved being in water and splashing around. There is something so nice about it. What I really want is to do water aerobics, but I never quite fit in with the water aerobics crowd. Oh well, I shouldn't let it stop me.

I'll make and post the final animal member of the fam and then I need to take a break until I am fully healed. In the mean time, I will be dreaming up new creatures. Take care!

Doug Completes the Human Family and Mini vacation!

2008-07-03T06:46:00.001-07:00

Doesn't he look like a cool dad? So here he is, in his Converse low-tops. And below you will see the whole family in all their glory. I can't express how much I wish I knew how to do techy things like stop-motion animation. It would have been so great to make a little video with them---this picture reminds me of a publicity shot of a sitcom or something.

So, tonight Joseph and I are heading out to see his family for the weekend. Then, on Monday I start my first week of training, which is full-time, so I may have to take a week of of Softie construction. Really, I am glad to have to force myself to stop for awhile because my arms have been bothering me again, so this will be a great way to recuperate without the temptation of being alone in a house with a sewing machine. Have a great weekend!

Kimmie

2008-07-01T18:51:00.000-07:00

Kimmie is a ballerina. she has long legs and is quite graceful. She walks on her tippy toes all of the time because that is good form for ballerinas. Sometimes she frightens people because they can't hear her enter a room and she catches them off guard. Kimmie always hears music in her head, and it is always beautiful and full of lots of stringed instruments. At night, when everyone on her block is asleep, Kimmie puts on a pair of bunny slippers and heads outside where she dances in the spotlight of the street lamps to the music in her head. The owls think her shows are lovely.

Kimmie is up for grabs over here.

I have been reading Craft Inc. for the past few days. It is a businessey type of book for right brainers. I have always been uncomfortable with the word business, but lately I have been starting to cozy up to it. True, it is not a sign of a successful business to have to seek out part-time work like I have, but this Pillow Monster business is my business and I will love it like it is. I can have my own little quiet business revolution and throw out all the corporate rules I used to have to follow (as a meager, little pion that wore an apron and up-sized, not as an executive or anything like that). I can be nice for the sake of being nice instead of being nice for the sake of profit and phoniness. Being my own boss, I can let myself spend an hour decorating a cardboard box because it's fun, and not give myself a disapproving "poor time management" frown. So over the next few weeks I am going to start developing this business slightly more seriously, but on my own terms. I really like the idea of creating a "mission statement" because it sounds very serious, but also a little poetic. Craft, Inc is recommended by the way if you are seeking a similar adventure!

And then there were four...

2008-07-01T07:06:00.000-07:00

I wanted to share with you the two new members of the family request. Below is the mom, who is known as Daddy Long Legs because of her very long legs, so I made her legs longer than her head and torso combined. Also, the youngest daughter is finished. She is wearing an aqua skull cap that she loves and she also has fairy wings because fairy wings are fun. My next addition will be the father who wears Converse low-tops. This will be a small challenge for me because usually my men dolls don't have feet, they just sort of have round leg stumps, but I can't pass up the chance to try and pillow monsterize some Converse low-tops!

My Non-Pillow Monster Weekend

2008-06-29T19:29:00.000-07:00

On my weekend off.... I did a ton of walking, but most of my time was spent neck, back, arm icing and heating. While doing the cold/hot thing on my aches and pains, I watched nearly all of season 1 of Project Runway (I can't believe that mom! Ruthless!), season 1 and 2 of Weeds and I run the risk of sounding prudish when I let you know what I think of it, but there is almost too much cussing. It's not that I mind cussing. S#$%$*@! It's just that some shows seem to throw it in there just because they can and they think perhaps it ups the cool factor of their show, but it just makes the dialogue seem a little unbelievable and lazy. Does anyone else feel like this or am I a square?

I also found this (see above) growing out of a tree on one of my walks. It is a poorly lit picture, but can you believe the color? Hot pink! I thought hot pink was an invention of the eighties, but no, it's a natural color and it grows out of trees. I need to pay more attention! What other natural fluorescents have I been missing out on?!

Also, Joseph and I had a bit of a board game marathon. We initially bought the Ticket to Ride Game, but when Darby (of the Crafty Red Fox) left a comment about Carcassonne, we decided to get it too (we have to do our part to stimulate the economy, right?). They are both really fun---it is a good way to pass the time.

I especially like Ticket to Ride because, as I previously mentioned, trains are the best, AND because I really wooped Joseph bad. On this particular game, I scored a 75 which is almost double his score as you can see from the picture below. Or as they say in Weeds, " I &*%$&^ kicked his (&^*%*^% &*%^(@#@$ *&^&^!".

A Weekend Off

2008-06-28T03:52:00.000-07:00

I was going to post two more members of my family request today, but I am going to save that for Monday or possibly Tuesday. I need to give my body some rest after a few weeks of solid sewing. My shoulders and neck are sore all of a sudden and my little fingers have started doing their tremor dance again. It has been so humid here in Bloomington, so I am sure that has something to do with it.

Joseph and I saw WallE last night----very cute and sweet even though it was a little "message-y". WallE kept reminding me of my dog, Albert. However, no animation beats Triplets of Belleville in my book, I can't think of that movie without getting wonder-eyed.

Have a lovely weekend!

Mark

2008-06-27T04:42:00.000-07:00

Mark collects toy trains. He has about a million gazillion of them in his basement. He has a day job doing data entry, but sometimes he can't help but let his mind wander to his toy train collection. He has trains in every color and in several different shades of each color as well. He has big plans for his trains. He wants to build toy tracks all over his house, into his backyard, across the neighborhood and past the drive-in window at the fast-food burger place. Then, he will call ahead, put the proper change on the train and order fast food burgers without ever having to leave his house!

Mark is for sale here. Tomorrow I am going to post 2 new additions to the family I have been making.

Do you remember that show Silver Spoons? The in-house-train on that show was amazing. I always dreamed of having my own someday. I think if I listened to Nichol of a couple decades ago (yeesh) our place would look like something straight out of Pee Wee's Playhouse. Back to trains, I really hope Amtrak never goes out of business. Train travel is my preferred mode of transportation. It really feels like you are going somewhere on a train, plus the people watching can't be beat.

Also on the subject of trains, Joseph and I got this new board game called "Ticket to Ride" which won some Gamers award in 2005. I used to be a Scattegories and Cranium girl before I married Joseph, and now I am really into these strategic board games. Settler's of Catan is my all time favorite. They even have websites where you can play online, but I am not ready to commit that strongly to my nerdery quite yet, but maybe I'm close because it's pretty awesome.

Trevor

2008-06-26T04:36:00.001-07:00

This troll is a repeat. A friend came for a visit with her daughter and baby boy yesterday so I didn't plan anything new. Here is his story again:

This particular pillow monster is a collaboration project between Grandmother Holsapple and me. She writes the stories and I sew the creatures. Here is Trevor's story:

Trevor lives in a small cottage deep in the forest

Now, most trolls live under a bridge and grumble

and growl when someone goes over it

But not Trevor, no, indeed

He likes his friends in the forest and waves at them as he works happily in his garden

Izzy (the daughter) made my day because she had fun in my house since it is part pillow monster factory. She played with my stock. It is just a really great thing to see how kids interact with the pillow monsters. It's fun to think about sending them out into the world in their little box and imagining what kind of role they will play in someone's life. Will they have a spot on an Ikea couch and be privy to conversations over cocktails? Will they be a little persons very good friend and in a year or so look completely different from all the play and love? It's like sending a kid off to college. Sigh. Okay, don't worry--I have a job now.

Trevor is waiting over here for you.

Oscar

2008-06-25T04:28:00.000-07:00

Oscar is a carpenter. He had a bit of a wild youth, hence the tattoos all over his body. Oscar specializes in tree forts because he is a really great climber. He doesn't believe in ladders, but he's super strong and agile, so there isn't really a need for them. Kids in the past have thought he was part man, part bear because of his scruffy beard and burly ways. One boy, Tommy, overheard him accidentally hammer his thumb instead of a nail. He screamed really high-pitched, like a kettle when the water is boiling, or like a girl-singer when she is reaching a really high-note. Tommy thought it was funny, but not as funny as his completed tree fort was cool.

I got the job! I just need to accept. I think it will be great. On my interview, I got a little tour of the facility, and there is so much creativity that takes place there---I am excited and slightly nervous. I will only be working 4 hours a day and I still plan to keep up the same pace with the Pillow Monsters. I think it's possible as long as I spend less time lolly-gagging on the internet. Thanks again for all your support!

has anyone else been craving pie? I want as apple one something fierce!

By the way, Oscar is here waiting for a warm couch!

Mini Andy

2008-06-24T05:44:00.001-07:00

Andy is practicing very hard to be an Olympic diver. He invents his own moves and dives and gives them fancy names like the "Ginormous Canon-ball-o-rama" and the "Twisty-Turny Twidlleedoo". His neighbor, Phyllis, sews. She made him a swimsuit that will draw attention to his fancy moves and make each of Andy's dives more of a spectacle. Whenever Andy comes out of the water for air, he does this fancy trick where he spits water out of his mouth and through his teeth so that he looks like a fancy fountain. He is sure that is his dives are an 8 out of 10, his finale will make them a 10 out of 10.

Andy is no longer available, but today I will make something new and not post it in my shop until I blog about it. I am also very excited because I bought an assortment of wooden shapes and I want to paint all over them.

Thanks so much for your interview well-wishes!!! It went well, and now I have another one with someone else today. I'm really pumped now at the idea of having job and giving my day a little bit of structure. Thanks again! You all are the apples of my eyes!

Abby and Preston

2008-06-23T04:55:00.000-07:00

Abby is a sweetheart. One time a teacher told Abby not to talk to strangers, so every time Abby meets someone new she asks them three questions so that they aren't strangers anymore. Then, they can chat. Abby drinks a lot of hot cocoa. It is her favorite. She loves marshmallows in it, not the tiny ones but the big ones. Abby has HUGE ideas. When she is older she is going to open a restaurant and the waiters, instead of carrying around pots of coffee, they will carry around pots of hot cocoa. Also, instead of small bowls of tiny cups of creamer, there will be large bowls of gigantic marshmallows on the table. It will be great.

Preston is a balloon artist. he can turn a handful of balloons into a dog, a cat, a butterfly, a walrus, a pufferfish, an antelope or a gazelle. Almost anything! Other balloon artists from around the world travel to wherever Preston is ballooning to see his hands in action. When Preston is concentrating fiercely, he has to whistle while he works. The whistling helps wase his nerves and allows his hands to be extremely steady so that he can twist and turn the balloons exactly right to for either antlers or hooves or snouts. Also when he whistles, the curlies on his mustache go up and down, up and down.

Sorry, they are both unavailable, but I will make some more like them soon!

Guess what?! I get to be an Aunt and a Godmother! Wooo! Yay! Hurray!

As for my interview---it is in 2.5 hours and it's to work with the developmentally disabled. I am not really sure doing what exactly, but when I handed in my application there was a very friendly vibe there. Also, it is my most ideal shift 10-2:00. We need some consistent money, but I really wanted to still focus on my Pillow Monsters, so this would be perfect.

The Family Request!

2008-06-20T06:59:00.001-07:00

My Rockin' Request:

This request has been so exciting for me. A family! A whole family!!! Pets included!!! I want to update you as I do each member. The mom is the requester. She is known as Daddy Long Legs because of her super long legs which will transfer well into pillow monster form. Her descriptions of each member of her family are soooo great. She also gave me a link to her blog for visuals, and if you are like me you will be drooling over her children's awesome childhood. Seeing the fun they have makes me want to have kids right away and then get started on a tree fort with them! So far I have the eldest daughter done and the son.

Below are some of my preliminary drawings.

Here is the oldest girl. She plays a pink, acoustic guitar. That's right, a PINK, ACOUSTIC GUITAR!

The son has dimples, loves the Cubs and Super heros. I am not sure what his super power is. Maybe some kind of amazing ability to make Cubs tickets appear in his pocket.

And, of course the flying would really help with the avoidance of Chicago traffic.

So here are the siblings... Next week I plan on doing 2 more, so stay tuned as the family is pillow monstered.

On a personal note---I have a job interview on Monday for something that could be potentially great!

Painted Faces and Little Friends

2008-06-18T15:01:00.000-07:00

I wanted to try something new, so I made some animal hooded pillow people with painted faces and little friends. It feels good to smoosh around paint for a change. Change is good. Maybe I'll dye my hair pink for a personal change, though I don't know how that will mix with the never ending job search. Maybe it will help. So, anyway----

Here is Felicity and Felix. Felix is an alley cat who dresses for success. His favorite music is Jazz. Felicity has a soft spot for stray cats and admires Felix's fashion sense so she always leaves him warm milk outside of her door in her fanciest bowls. Felix appreciates this greatly. Felicity also likes Jazz music. She plays the saxophone and the drums. She is shy though, so she is not in a band, but she is training herself to play the saxophone one-handed, so that her other hand will be free to drum. This way, she can be a one-woman Jazz band. Felix admires Felicity's resourcefulness.

Delilah got Donovan for her birthday. He is the happiest frog. Delilah's mind was blown when her older, wiser sister let her know that at one point Donovan was a tadpole and swam in the sea. She thinks her sister maybe joking, but part of her believes it to be true. Delilah does everything with Donovan. They cloud watch, listen to the birds sing, admire wild flowers and tell each other secrets. Donovan is teaching Delilah what a true friend is and Delilah is oh so grateful. It is a secret, but Delilah has been collecting flies for her chivalrous friend. On his birthday she is going to give them to him in a mason jar with a bright red bow on top. Catching flies is gross, but she can do it for a very good friend.

Felicity and Felix are here in my shop and Delilah and Donovan are over here in my shop!

A Special Pig for a Special Girl

2008-06-17T16:11:00.000-07:00

I was really lucky to receive this special request for a Mini. My heart has never been warmer. Gwyneth asked me to make a "brave soul" for her friend's daughter who is only 1 1/2 years old and has been diagnosed with cancer. She wanted little Emma to be able to have a little, tiny friend to take with her when she went for chemo. Gwyneth sent me some pictures of Emma and the child is adorable. Her smile is gigantic.

A couple of years ago my brother, my mom's friend and I took my mom on a cancer walk in Chicago. By this time her cancer was really far along and she couldn't walk very well, so instead of walking she cruised in her wheel chair. All the survivors were given purple shirts to wear, and the supporters white. My mom got a lot of encouraging nods from people. I felt a little weird about the survivors being singled out with their shirts, but I realized that their resiliency was something to be proud of, and that it allowed them to feel solidarity with one another. It was a really beautiful day and something I will always remember. One thing that did shake me up a bit though was seeing the tiny people in purple shirts. A newborn even. It is just a little hard to bear. But, I really observed them and their families and the kids with purple shirts were smiling and laughing with their families just like any child would and there is something really special about that.

So this is Eva. Eva is a kind and brave soul. Ever since she was a teeny, tiny baby, her parents told her that she brought joy and sunshine to the world. As a child she was given a heavy load to bear. She had to do some difficult things that she was too young to even understand, but she had a special gift, because even through the hard stuff she could make people smile. She is not sure how she is able to do this, but she thinks maybe it is because of all the joy and sunshine inside of her. Eva puts on her pig jumper often. Pigs are the silliest animal in existence and she wishes more pigs could be pink. The pig jumper helps her feel brave because it helps her to smile her biggest, joy-filled smile even through the tough stuff. Eva's favorite person in the whole world is Emma. She thinks Emma is the cat's pajamas!

Much love and strength to little, adorable, sun-shine filled Emma!

The Results Post

2008-06-17T05:17:00.000-07:00

The names were written with my lucky pen...

And put into my lucky hat....

A name was drawn...

And it was Meryl! Congratulations Meryl! Yay! Hurray! Woo!

Midge is an independent girl. She marches to her own drummer. Actually, she is so independent that she prefers not to march to a drummer, but rather to a trombonist. She thinks trombones don't get enough credit. When Midge was stung by a bee, it hurt, but not as much as her heart hurt when she learned that bees don't live too long after a sting. Midge has since worn her bee suit in honor of her bee friend. Midge's interests fluctuate frequently, but currently she has a passion for all things blue. She loves clear skies, swimming pools, her neighbor, Johnny's, eyes and blueberry sorbet, which she eats every morning for breakfast.

Thanks everyone for playing along. Your ice cream choices were so interesting! I was amazed at all the flavors. The rest of the ladies will be in my shop at noon (eastern time). Take care!

GIVEAWAY! In honor of Teeny-Tiny-Humble Things

2008-06-15T20:09:00.001-07:00

Yay! Hurray for a giveaway! Here are the lovely ladies.

Katrina, Mallory, Midge and Beatrice

Here is how it works:

* Leave a comment with your name and a way to contact you.

* Include the name of your favorite Mini.

* Tell me what you imagine her favorite ice cream flavor to be.

* The chance to comment ends at Midnight (eastern time) 6/16/08 (today!)

* I'll write out all of your names with my lucky pen, and put all the names into my lucky hat

* The lucky winner will be announced Tuesday morning 9:00 a.m. and a story will be written about her chosen Mini including her favorite ice cream flavor!

The rest of the mini ladies will be posted in my shop at noon on Tuesday 6/16/08 if you want to nab one up. They are very teeny tiny, measuring 4.5 inches tall and can sit in the palm of your hand and remind you to appreciate all those itsy bitsy things in life. Good luck! I hope you win!

Wee!

2008-06-13T05:37:00.000-07:00

Just a wee little image to entice you to come back to my blog on Monday for your chance to win a wee little pillow monster in honor of all wee little things everywhere! Enjoy your Friday!

Mini Clarissa in Her Fog Jump Suit

2008-06-12T06:05:00.001-07:00

Clarissa has a pet frog named Senor, that is Mister in spanish. She adores him, and has ceased keeping a daily diary because she finds Senor to be such a devoted listener that she no longer has to write out her thoughts. She tells Senor all her dreams and aspirations. She wants to be a famous artist when she grows up. She wants hers paintings to be in beautiful museums, and she wants people to stare at them for hours while wearing their fanciest clothes. Her mother told her that her dreams are very nice but perhaps she should have a plan B. So, Clarissa's plan B is to be a tight rope walker at the circus. Mainly though, Clarissa wants her plan A to work out, so she does daily sketches of Senor. Senor is thrilled because he believes himself to be quite handsome.

Clarissa is so tiny! She is here if you'd like to adopt her.

Here she and Gwennie are hanging out.

I also really want you to click over to Eva's blog. She has an amazing plush collection and she adopted Oscar the other day---she posted a picture of him paired up with this very tall lady and the photo just makes me laugh because it really looks like they are on a blind date or something. Hilarious!

Also--on Monday I am hosting a giveaway in honor of small, humble things.

Clarence for Melissa

2008-06-11T08:55:00.001-07:00

Clarence is a charmer. Whenever he meets someone he can instantly think of 5 nice things to say to them, and he often does. He says these nice things in a hushed sort of voice because he is out of breath most of the time. The problem is that his legs are so short, he has to walk twice as fast as he should just to keep up with people. Clarence appreciates beauty. He keeps a beautiful rose garden and each morning he picks two. One he wears as a corsage, the other is for the first person he sees, because he loves to spread joy.

Clarence is for Melissa of Pugnotes on Etsy. I imagine Clarence and Melissa to be very similar (minus the short legs of course. Melissa is one of the most positive women I know! She is a definite joy spreader! Thanks Melissa---he is on his way to you!

Little Mini Interview

2008-06-10T10:08:00.001-07:00

I just wanted to direct you attention to this great blog by Gigi--there is a little mini interview with me there.

Albert

2008-06-10T09:50:00.000-07:00

Albert is a fierce and competitive wrestler. Before matches, Albert drinks a carbonated soda because part of his strategy is to let out a belch in front of his opponents. He believes this throws them off. He could be right, because he wins 99% of the time. When Albert is not wrestling, he enjoys classical music and sitting on soft patches of grass with his pet pig, Petunia. His sister, Georgette, loves Petunia and knits her clothes to wear. albert acts like this is ridiculous, but secretly he likes it.

Albert's wrestling partner is Henry.

On a real life note, the job search is in full swing. I had an interview today, outside in the sun which was nice and I think it went well. I also applied for a position in a Winery in their tasting room. I actually really like the idea of working there and becoming one of those people who are really knowledgeable about wine and know what you should drink with which kind of food and whatnot. If I get an interview there, I will probably have to read up on wines to have a little bit of background info. My mom always drank Wine in a Box, which I don't think is something you are supposed to like if you are a wine connoisseur. I also really like that movie Sideways. Anyway, we shall see. Have a wonderful day.

A Miniature Weekend

2008-06-09T03:47:00.001-07:00

Gwennie

Gwennie has such a warm and friendly soul. She is a very tall animal, but she is told all the time that people are unsure how her heart fits inside of her because it must be so enormous. In order to compesate for her extravagant height, Gweenie speaks in a teeny-tiny whisper. This somehow adds importance to everything she says, because listening to her takes an extra effort. When you do listen to Gwennie, you are in for a treat, because not only does she say the warmest things, she has a tendency to rhyme, and on the final word of her sentence she goes up on her tippy-toes.

I think Gwennie is my favorite ever. I have been wanting to make movable legs for awhile now, it adds so much life to a doll. I really wish I knew how to do stomp-motion animation so that I could animate her---she looks like a gymnast when she moves.

She is right over here.

Mini Henry

Henry is a wrestler. He is super macho and super strong and can grunt so loud that you can feel it in your belly if you are in a ten-mile radius of him. As a child, earned candy money by lifting really heavy things for quarters in the school playground during recess. He got in trouble though when he was asked to lift the principal. He did it, but he thought he deserved at least 3 quarters, especially since he had to sit in the corner afterwards. Henry was raised by his grandmother who taught him all of his moves. She also taught him respect for the elderly. That is why whenever Oscar sees an elderly person crossing the street he asks if he can carry their groceries for them, and if they also use a cane, he carries them as well.

He is 10" tall and 5" across and over here.

I really, really enjoy working small. There is something really satisfying about it. Today I am going to make a pug for Melissa.

Little Oscar

2008-06-07T07:22:00.000-07:00

Oscar is your little pocket friend who exists only o tell you how beautiful, smart and charming you are. He is your pal in the work place. He cheers you on to get your work done and will chant, "(Insert your name here) is the best! (Insert your name here) beats all the rest!"

He doesn't care if you eat too many jelly bellies, or if you like to watch really bad reality TV shows, he thinks you are number one and he loves you. Hang him on your wall, or put him on your shelf, he lives to make you feel fabulous!

Oscar is already off to the talented and kind Eva.

He looks like such a charmer. I imagined him spurring off compliments in a thick Italian accent. I like working small---I have a few really wonderful requests that I will be working on, and in between those I am going to make small guys. I think the first will be a giraffe with movable legs.

The rain has been horrendous over here. Non-stop. Poor Albert, his nerves are shot from all the thunder. His biggest wish in the world right now is for either me or Joseph to sit still for a few hours straight so that he can have some quality nap-in-a-lap time to pull himself together. On another note, no one is hiring me. Sniff, sniff. I'm living in a small town where 99% of the population has a degree, sometimes an advanced degree, married to a grad student and looking for a job. I also feel like the director of the Twilight Zone is now in charge of designing applications. Some are so bizarre. I took this one online that asked me the same questions over and over again in slightly different ways. Today I will do the Starbucks Circuit! Thanks for reading and enjoy your Saturday!

Cubital Tunnel Flare-Up

2008-06-05T05:47:00.000-07:00

No new pillow monsters. Sniff-sniff. My symptoms have returned. I wonder if the humidity has anything to do with it. I'll be back soon though. Take care!

Georgio

2008-06-04T05:15:00.000-07:00

Georgio is fantastic opera singer. He can reach octaves only audible by certain species of birds, and when he does a vibrato, the earth trembles slightly, which makes his audience roar with delight. On his nights off, Georgio enjoys being non-sophisticated. He sits on his sofa with a large bowl of cheese puffs in his lap and he watches the most juvenile cartoons. Because of hiis unusually large voice, when he laughs at the antics of Sponge Bob his downstairs neighbor, Delores, has to calm her kitty, Whiskers, who jumps onto her lap in fright.

Georgio is over here making my Etsy shop tremble.

Carlos Jr and some Pillow Monster Love Shots

2008-06-03T06:17:00.000-07:00

Here is Carlos. You may remember him from here, someone wanted me to make him for her, so here he is in his low-rise pants and puffed up chest.

These next 2 photos are some pillow monster love shots that these lovely ladies put in my feedback of my shop.

Virgil went to Mary. Which is quite appropriate since he is a standup comedian and her blog name is Bozoette. I clicked over to it and there is a picture of her with a red clown nose on. Her blog is a lot of fun, she is sneaking cosmopolitans in a thermos in to see Sex in the City, which I think is hilarious. I was really intrigued by her so I read her bio and she has had the most magical life. I won't give it away, but to entice you I will tell you this, she went to mime camp. Have you ever in your life met a mime? I have not, but I am fascinated by them.

And here is Kitty Pink Stars. I looked at this picture for about 20 minutes with my jaw dropped open. Look at all the pink, happiness going on! It's incredible. And then in the left hand corner is a cat who seems completely oblivious to all the joy that is occurring in the room. She did a little photo series of Victor in her Flickr which had me laughing so hard that my stomach started to hurt. She makes these colorful sock creatures that are for sale here. You know they come from a happy place.

Oh geez, and I just found out she has a blog here. Now I need to look.

Koto

2008-06-02T05:28:00.001-07:00

Koto is a Geisha in training. Koto means harp in Japanese. She was named Koto, because even as an infant she could make beautiful music on the harp. Koto can't explain why he is so gifted at the harp, it just comes very naturally to her. Sometimes she wonders, however, if her harp playing abilities sucked up some of her other abilities. For example, she finds it very difficult to dance. When she tried to move around gracefully to music, her feet don't cooperate. They start to feel heavy like an elephant's would and then she usually ends up stomping around and feeling foolish. She has a pet goldfish, though, named Hisa, who is very encouraging and never snickers when she tries out her moves in front of her.

Koto is here.

Joseph and I saw Young at Heart. Sooooooooooooooo great. Please go see it. I love, love, love, love, love, love, love, love, love, love it.

Here is a snippit of it. I think he has a voice like Johnny Cash and that his rendition of Fix You by Coldplay is so beautiful. They also do a couple of Talking Heads songs, and they are my fave-fave-favorite.

I also developed a minor crush on the Young at Heart choir director. He's so cool.

Selena, Petunia and Mr Dog

2008-05-31T10:47:00.000-07:00

The completed order for my lovely neighbor Judy's grandchildren:

Selena is the one with brown hair. She was born out of a tulip when it opened for the sun. She spends most of her days flying around other people's gardens, getting whifs of different colored roses. Sometimes she races the humming birds. They always win. A friendly chipmunk knitted Selena the softest, fuzziest most magical slippers. At night she puts her slippers into action by dancing on the tips of children's noses while they sleep. They never wake because she is very light on her feet. When she dances, the slippers tickle their noses and turn their dreams into colorful, musical experiences full of candy that tastes like bits of heaven.

Petunia is a gifted vocalist. She lives in a magical forest that is very musical. Everyone in her land has a specific job. The beavers gather the wood, the elder rabbits shape the instruments, the spiders make the very strong string for the banjos and violas and the squirrels collect the acorns for the maracas. After the instruments are made and tested, Petunia uses flowers and different colored berries to make colorful paint. Then, she and the birds of the forest decorate each instrument. When the sun goes down, they rehearse their songs. On full moons they perform a concert for the trees. On rare, but special occasions, when Petunia is hitting all of her notes just right, the trees uproot themselves and dance!

And this is Mr Dog. He is very hip and happening.

Fun Flickr Game

2008-05-31T05:52:00.000-07:00

I found this game on Meg's blog

Here is what mine looks like. It's fun! Play along!

Here is how you play:

type your answer to each question below into Flickr Search
using only the first page, pick an image
copy and paste each of the URLs for the image into fd's mosaic maker

The Questions:

What is your first name?
What is your favorite food?
What high school did you go to?
What is your favorite color?
Who is your celebrity crush?
Favorite drink?
Dream vacation?
Favorite dessert
What do you want to be when you grow up?
What do you love most in your life?
One word to describe you.
Your Flickr Name.

flickr credits: 1. Canoes, Nichol End, 2. Kappa Maki, 3. Nothing Showing, 4. Cute Tig er Moth Caterpillar, 5. Edward Blythe, 6. half red and black coca cola, 7. Casa Batlló, 8. pie charms wheel, 9. The Old Lady and the Birds, 10. Intruso - Intrusi ? - Intruder - Intruders ?, 11. Kites for sale... and sayonara Mr. Dedi ♫, 12. 10*(10+x) = 100+10x things about me.

Theodore Robot

2008-05-30T06:59:00.000-07:00

Theodore Robot is unconvinced that he is a robot. He thinks he hears his beating heart, but when he has others listen, they tell him that there is a clock inside of him that tics. He doesn't think this is so because when he was watching the movie Beaches, he could hear the beating speed up during the sad parts, and his started to rust due to moisture. When Theodore is done with his robotic duties each day, he sits in soft grass and looks at the birds and contemplates existence. When he tires of contemplating existence, he thinks of chocolate cake and how it must taste. Being a robot, he doesn't need food, but boy does he want some chocolate cake.

(me too!)

Theodore is contemplating cake over here.

I had a great time working on him and figuring out how to sew his parts together. His center rectangle has glow in the dark squiggles on it because glow in the dark is the best.

Post Birthday Post

2008-05-29T06:33:00.000-07:00

I am now 28. It feels very anticlimactic though because this year I kept thinking I was 28 already when I was only 27. Poor 27, I neglected you. It was a pretty nice birthday. It started off with granola from my favorite breakfast restaurant, Uptown. It is hard to describe their granola, the closest I can get is--it tastes like crunchy heaven. So good. Then Joseph did all of the laundry which is the best present ever. Really! Have I told you how much I despise that chore? I like when Joseph does the laundry because he is a generous Bounty user, and the clothes always coming home smelling Mountain Fresh times 10. I spent part of my birthday pillow-monstering. This girl is for my old neighbor---she requested 2 fairy princesses and a scooby doo-esque dog. The dog won't be scooby doo-esque because I just can't bring myself to do that, but he will be a dog. I also have started a robot that I am really excited about. Here is the first fairy princess:

I'm not sure what her story is yet, but I know part of it will have to do with the magic she performs when she dances on your nose with her furry slippers while your sleeping.

After pillow monstering, Joseph took me out to this fancy restaurant (yay eating!) where I remembered what Sally said, about how it is tradition to have champagne on your golden birthday. So I did! This is what it looked like (see picture below). It is from Bloomington.

The night proceeded with an Indiana Jones movie. I really wanted to see Young At Heart because I think it looks adorable and because there is this woman in it who has the exact same voice that I imagined my elderly chihuahua, Mrs. Jangles, having. But, it hasn't come to town yet. I had a lot of fun with Indiana Jones though, even though it got a little bizarre at the end. It went down well with my Raisinettes. And, after wondering where my cell phone was the whole day I located it and got to hear a bunch of well-wishes which warmed my heart. I also got to hear my brother's happy birthday song that is very peppy.

Dahlia for Darby

2008-05-27T11:05:00.000-07:00

Here is Darby' Under the Sea request for her golden birthday:

Dahlia loves anything under the sea. When she first learned about the actual size of a blue whale, she had to sit down and take deep, slow breaths because she got light-headed. She can not believe all the stuff that goes on under the sea and she wishes that she lived in a submarine so that she could watch the octopi mingle with the fish. While doing this she could drink pink lemonade and draw the fish in her sketch book using the brightest, most neon-colored crayons in existence. Dahlia feels very at home in the water. She can do more under-water summersaults than anyone else she knows. It is for this reason that she believes her parents adopted her from a mermaid family, though they tell her it isn't so.

Happy Golden Birthday Darby!

The Wedding in the Tetons

2008-05-27T10:34:00.000-07:00

Here are a few of my favorite shots from my brother and new sister in law's (!) wedding in the Tetons. The wedding itself was really beautiful in its own unique way---it was freezing and rainy and at one point there was even snow, but all of that stuff combined with a view of the mountains and this once in a life-time event made the whole thing heightened (pun not intended) and beautiful. I was the photographer so I was running around like a little chipmunk with my camera, but I think I got some really nice shots, though it would have been difficult not to because of the dramatic sky and great view.

Sadly, I did not see any moose or grizzly bears. Everyone else did, and I was definitely on the lookout, but alas, they hid themselves from me, the scoundrels. I did see some buffalo with their calves (?) about 10 yards away from me, which was amazing, and I saw elk a plenty. The closest I got to seeing moose was this butter at the reception:

I also was able to catch Old Faithful at Yellowstone. I say that like Old Faithful and I go way back, but to be completely honest, I had no idea what Old Faithful was, it sounds like a one man band. So, in case you are like me, here you go. It was really impressive. They have it set up like an arena, with benches in a semi-circle around the geyser, and every 92 minutes, people appear out of no where to watch the steam eruption. Also, I should note, because I don't think Wikipedia is immature enough to mention this, but there is a lot of poop around Old Faithful and the surrounding hot springs and geysers. There isn't any vegetation around there, so it is not as if herds of Elk are coming in for a snack, I think they just might come there to relax and warm up and leave a dropping or two, but by the excess of poo I would have to say that it is a port-o-potty-hot-spot (again with the puns) for wild life. It was really fun to watch this natural spectacle that humans have nothing to do with, but something about it made me feel very lonely and small. Maybe because it doesn't matter if we are here to watch it or not, it will go off because that is what it does.

Love, love, love

2008-05-23T04:17:00.000-07:00

Since I am headed to the Tetons today to witness my brother's holy matrimony (and to hopefully witness some never-before-seen-by-me wildlife [show yourselves grizzly bears!]) I thought I would post some pictures of "Pillow Monster Happy Endings".

Here are the love bears in action. I love this picture---I think the bride and groom are glowing with love, love, love. This is Jaime and Peter with their love bears. You should also check out Jamie's Etsy shop. This is my favorite item there.

And here is Mizz Monsta with her special request that ended up being her secret twin sister. Mizz Monsta was so much fun to work with.

I wanted to post a picture of Eva with Annie, but I was having trouble with the photo. However she blogged about it. The picture is great because in it you can see Eva's plush collection, so you need to hop over to her blog.

Since we are on the subject of love and weddings and such, I wanted to share these two photos with you. I love looking at photos from my parents wedding. It's so strange to me to see them when they were my age without the slightest idea of the four kids they were going to bring into the world. Here is my mom in 1972 with her bridesmaids. She had a rainbow wedding which I thought was the cat's pajamas, and I wanted to have one just like it. This is my favorite photo of her and them.

And here in 2007 is my wedding. My bridesmaids are awesome. They really matched the expressions on the faces in the picture above. An extra coincidence is that Miss Yellow below is actually the daughter of Miss Yellow above. We met each other at the summer camp that our moms went to as kids and we have remained close since then.

And, one last little thing in case you have been following along. I never got to Darby's special request. I want it to reman a surprise in case she checks the blog, so I won't show you my sketches for it, however I will tell you that it is an under the sea creature and here is some fabric I will be using.

Have a love, love, lovely weekend!

Benny who GLOWS IN THE DARK!

2008-05-22T04:46:00.001-07:00

My arms have been doing a great deal better, but I still sometimes feel pain and I don't want to overdo it. I still was itching to sew, but I didn't want to work on anything big, so Benny was born. At the fabric shop I finally found glow-in-the-dark thread. I have been drooling over the fact of its existence after stumbling upon these. I wanted to start a new line of huggly little pillow monsters who smile and close their eyes when the lights go out. I think they would be a comfort for children who are afraid of the dark. This idea was inspired by my friend Molly who gave a little boy at camp one of those plastic glow stars when he confided in her that he didn't like the dark. The star helped him survive that week, and then he even brought it back with him the next year.

The glow really is strong. The picture doesn't show that, but you can actually use him to find your way to the fridge for a midnight snack!

Have Benny help YOU find a midnight snack! You can get him here!

Tomorrow Joseph and I leave for the Tetons where my brother is getting married. I have never been to the Tetons and I'm hoping to see some bears and buffalos. I'm the photographer of the event, so I'll have all sorts of pictures to share with you. If you are Aaron or Maureen DON'T LOOK at this next part. I wanted to show you these Etsy finds that I got them as a present:

This is from HiTree. I thought it would be a sweet reminder of their wedding day since they are having a nature-y wedding.

I got them these from an interesting shop called postdesigner. I was searching for anything weimereiner since that is the dog they have (his name is Duke). Aaron is very hard to shop for, he doesn't really like "things", I don' know Maureen too well yet, but who wouldn't like these plates? I think to be on the safe side I will also get them a practical cooking gadget or something.

Regina

2008-05-21T05:22:00.001-07:00

Regina has a keen fashion sense. It was a gift from birth. Her mother told her that even as a baby, Regina cried if her diaper didn't match her booties. Regina goes to school in a big city where she is studying to be a fashion designer. She rents a room above am elderly woman named Gertrude who bakes rhubarb pies twice a week. Gertrude doesn't charge Regina rent. Instead, in exchange for the room, Regina designs Gertrude's wardrobe. She hand-makes the most fashionable dresses, knee-high knitted stockings and sassy head gear. The members of Gertrude's bridge club are most envious of her outfits.

Regina is here waiting to tell you what not to wear.

Over the next couple of days I am going to work on a special request for Darby who made this drawing of Victor, and whose name I love. Isn't it charming? The wild thing is--the request is a present for her for her golden birthday the 29th of May. My golden birthday is the 28th! Crazy world. I don't know what to do on my birthday. Joseph and I might do something creative like dinner and a movie, which is fine, I mean I joke about it, but those are my two favorite things to do. But, I should do something extra for the golden part. It would be great if I could go on a tour of a chocolate factory with a golden ticket, that would be the most appropriate thing.

Bruno

2008-05-20T04:47:00.001-07:00

Bruno has a hairy past involving some bad seeds. But one day when he went into a taco shack and heard a Simon and Garfunkel song "I Am a Rock", Bruno decided to change his life around. After his mind was made up, everything changed. Even his taco had a better taste to it. He is now a janitor for an elementary school. His favorite part of his job is the mopping. He loves everything about it: Filling the bucket up with warm water and watching the bubbles multiply, squishing the excess water out of the mop, and then making all the shoe prints disappear. The children at the school really like Bruno. He doesn't talk to them, but they can tell that he has the heart of a teddy bear. To make Bruno's job easier the children made a pact that never again would they stick their gum under their desks. Bruno appreciates their chivalry.

Bruno is hanging out over here. It was hard thinking of a song that could turn Bruno's life around. I wanted an Elvis one because he is my fave, but I couldn't pick one.

Today I am going to roller blade in the park. I have to do it soon though because it is embarrassing how bad I am, and at this hour hardly anyone is in the park (Bloomington as a whole sleeps in, I think). I used to be pretty good, I actually used my roller blades to get to work during my college years. I don't know what has happened between then and now, but when I went out for a little test spin it was as if someone had sprayed all the streets with Pam.

Calvin Jones

2008-05-18T17:48:00.001-07:00

Calvin Jones' super hero name is Rocket Boy. He is pretty sure Rocket Man is takes, and since he is too young to call himself a man, then Rocket Boy will do. Calvin's super ability is math, he can add faster than anyone he knows, and he can count to 100 quicker than anyone in the world. This is why he always wins in hide-and-go-seek, because he counts so fast, people don't have a chance to find a good spot for hiding. His friends think this is unfair, but Calvin Jones tells them that he can't help it, and to make him count to 1000 instead of 100 would be discrimination against super heroes.

At summer camp there was a camper of mine named Calvin Jones. He took my Astronomy class---he was about 9. Words could not describe him. He was American, but he sounded like he spoke with a French accent for some reason, and I think he wore the same yellow turtle neck for his entire week at camp. I'm sad because I remember him being so endearing and hilarious, but I can't think of a way to properly describe just what was so funny about him. So I guess I wasted this paragraph, but I'll leave it here anyway in tribute to Calvin Jones, wherever he may be.

p.s. Pillow Monster Calvin Jones is here.

Bree in her Bear Hoodie

2008-05-18T08:47:00.000-07:00

Bree is an expert on comfort. She loves things that feel soft and fuzzy. Her mom is a very patient woman and decided to indulge her daughter when she asked that her entire room be covered with shag carpeting, even the walls and the ceilings. Besides Bree's slight tendency towards diva-ness when it comes to her needs for comfort, she is a sweet and compassionate girl. When her dog, Fitzgerald, needed to be shaved for an important surgery, Bree asked her grandmother to teach her how to knit so that she could knit Fitzgerald a striped sweater. That way, none of his friends could make fun of him for being bald.

Bree is hanging out over here waiting for a couch to sit on.

On a different note, I applied to the public library here (please hire me, please hire me, please hire me). It was fun having my pillow monster business, but this cubital tunnel syndrome was a wake up call. It said, "wake up, you are going to be broke!"

And I said, "Shhhhh!!!"

But, then it said it louder and in a more piercing tone, so now I am listening. Besides, libraries are beautiful, beautiful things. This library even lets you rent DVDs for FREE! I just finished watching the entire second season of Project Runway. My favorite contestant was Diane who got the boot about half way through, but she was really scientific and geeky and incorporated science into her fashion. She made this hoodie that somehow was able to track your heart beat, so when you were excited and your heart beat got very fast a picture was taken out of a tiny camera sewn into your hoodie. Fun! If I owned that hoodie I would probably have a photographic collection of Albert being a bad boy on walks and barking at all the people who walk by to embarrass me. That, and maybe ice cream.

Annie for Eva

2008-05-15T07:54:00.000-07:00

This tree girl is for Eva who makes the most tranquil looking crocheted creatures. Eva is such a sweet person, she leaves me really positive comments and we even went back and forth about our body aches that make us feel like old ladies. Anna is what I have made for our trade agreement and I can't wait to receive a plush-goodness in return.

Anna is the youngest of a very large family. She never quite developed her voice because growing up her brothers and sisters always spoke for her. Anna's passions are banjo-playing, the kind of chocolate that is shaped like and flavored like oranges and drawing different bird species with really sharp colored pencils. Because Anna never really developed her own voice, her sense of hearing seemed to develop double-time. She knows all sorts of birds by their chirps. In order to study them, Anna dresses like a tree and stands completely still in the middle of the forest. The only ones she hasn't fooled into thinking she is actually a tree are the mosquitos, who often nibble on her nose. While standing very still, Anna does bird calls. It is the only time that her voice goes over a whisper. Then, the birds come very close and she looks at them and memorizes all of their colors so that she can record them in her sketchbook.

A Cockatiel Hooded Pillow Monster for Kristina's Mom

2008-05-13T05:02:00.000-07:00

Here she is. I am very happy with her, and I hope Kristina is too. I love her big orange bird cheeks. Wouldn't you love to be in Australia and see all those colorful birds just flying about?

The dog/house-sitting was fun. My favorite part may have been being able to do all of my laundry in their machines. Going to the laundromat is my least favorite chore. I also was able to discover the amazingness of Trader Joes because they have one near their home. Mmmmmm chocolate peanut butter cups, mmmmmmm orange flavored cranberries, mmmmm pumpkin cereal, and hurray good prices!

I kept my arms straight as much as I could, but alas the super healing I was hoping for did not take place. Nerves are just weird I guess. I still am supposed to see if they heal by rest and ibuprofen and elbow pads for at least another month and if they are not healed by then I am supposed to have a nerve test and then maybe surgery. Now, for all of you sewers and bloggers and drawers---take care of yourselves! Here is my advice to you:

-Take breaks!

-If you are putting in a long day on the sewing machine, take hourly breaks to walk around and stretch.

-Don't rest your elbows on the table while you sew or type.

-Practice good posture.

Have a great week full of sunshine! See you next time!

My Civic Duty

2008-05-06T09:32:00.000-07:00

Joseph and I performed our civic duty today (we are Hoosiers) and afterwards we ate pancakes which made the experience all the more American.

An attempt

2008-05-06T09:23:00.000-07:00

Over the past few days I have been sewing and trying to pay attention to my body so as not to do a total reversal of my progress. I can't go for too long without pain, but I do feel like with the adjustments I have been making regarding my elbows, things get better every day. My fingers are still twitching. Darn those digits. I am almost done with this Cockatiel hooded lady who is a special request by a really cool girl. The cockatiel part will have big hand-stitched orange cheeks, as cockatiels do, also I snuck in a sneak peek at the legging fabric near the bottom. The requester has been extremely patient with me as she wanted her for her mom for mother's day and my hands are just not allowing that. Her mom sounds really interesting. So, I'm house sitting for a week starting tomorrow at a house with 2 large lady labs. Albert gets to be the miniature bachelor with the 2 big ladies who I think have crushes on him. Albert wants nothing to do with that nonsense however. He is a very sophisticated pooch. While house-sitting I plan on making it my mission to keep my elbows as straight as possible the entire time, so that I can go into Super Healing Mode, so when I come back home I can get back to business. Thanks everyone for your support!

A Great Show and a Diagnosis

2008-05-04T13:28:00.000-07:00

The Wheeler Arts show was so much fun, and a great success for me. I loved seeing people's reactions---it brought me so much joy when they would stop, smile and laugh! It was also very interesting to see who would pause to check out my booth and who would pass it by without even the slightest glance. I was pleasantly surprised to see that I captured the interest of the tough, macho men. There was one actually who read almost half of the pillow monster bios and had many ideas on how I should do future booth set-ups. My favorite suggestion was to set them up like a soap opera. I don't know how exactly that would look, but still. He even left and came back with his wife who wasn't quite as enthusiastic. It was also kind of interesting to note that a lot of the younger kids failed to notice them. I thought they would be my number one window shoppers and that I would witness lots of begging for the chance to adopt and care for a pillow monster of their own, but it just didn't happen that way. Joseph tried to cheer me up by saying that kids, in general, don't have the best taste, but maybe he's right. Not that I think my stuff is the cat's pajamas, but I would love if a child wanted to hug Victor over say Dora or Elmo, but I think if Dora was in the room Victor wouldn't even be noticed. Sigh. But, I had a pretty good night, and there are several pillow monsters on new couches as we speak and that makes my heart do a little dance.

It was also a really fun night because my friend, Spaldo, showed up. Hi Spaldo!

Now for the diagnosis about my hands. The doctor, who was extremely nice, thinks that I have trapped nerves in my elbows. He believes my problem to be reversible with rest, elbow pads, altering my lifestyle to keep my elbows straight as often as I can, and perfecting my posture. This trapped nerve business is called Cubital Tunnel Syndrome and it affects the ulnar nerve which goes to the pinky and ring fingers. He says he has seen much worse and that he doesn't see any signs of permanent damage. However I haven't found anyone while searching the web who has Cubital Tunnel Syndrome and also has finger tremors in their pinky and ring fingers, so if you are one of those people or if you know anyone who is one of those people, could you comment on my blog? The tremors freak me out the most I have to say. I also have to say that I look pretty awesome in elbow pads.

Something Old is New Again

2008-05-01T09:19:00.000-07:00

My previous post about cleaning up my mom's house reminded me of something I can share with you since I still haven't been able to sew because of my hands and arms (someone please tell the person who has the voodoo doll of me to find another hobby). These guys are German Doctor Figurines. They belonged to my grandparents. My grandpa was a doctor and ran a Leukemia hospital in South Bend, IN and he was German, so the collection is appropriate. I never knew my grandfather, but when I would visit my Nana, I would stare at these things--they are really fascinating. Look at the big, tough surgeon! He has blood splattered on his clothes!

These belong to my brother Aaron now, who is a doctor and who I frequently call with my wrist theories that I get from obsessively Googling my symptoms (by the way, I see a doctor in Indy tomorrow who will give me a real-life diagnosis). He asked me to hold onto them for awhile. This collection of German doctors remind me of my mom and Nana. I wanted to put a little bit of me into them, too, though--what if collections were like that? What if each generation that inherited them, added something new to them, to keep them "alive". So, I started making little masks for them out of paper clay. I thought they could be part of some strange parade. I only finished 3, but looking at them now, I would really like to finish all of them.

My Teeny Tiny Peanut Gallery of Fun

2008-05-01T09:02:00.000-07:00

I wanted to share this Etsy purchase with you. These paintings are done by Erin Lee who lives in Bloomington. We met through Etsy and the blogging world, and then we actually met out in the real physical world and ate lunch on pillows on the floor in a Turkish restaurant. She is a hoot, and she likes board games and I think Albert likes her more than me, and I am so excited to have met her. She makes the most charming paintings, and you can't beat the price--you should check them out here, and her blog here. Then you should buy up all of her paintings and smile and sing and do a jig!

Come to Indy to See the Pillow Monsters

2008-05-01T08:39:00.000-07:00

I could not be more excited about being part of the Wheeler Arts Spring Open House. This Friday night 5:30-10:00! If you are in Indy come see me!!!! It sounds like just the thing I need to be a part of to remind myself that even though I feel like it, I am not an 80 year old arthritic woman. Although, when I meet those 80 year old arthritic women, I will give them chocolates and a hug, because it is hard. There will be a band there that from the sounds of their name may sound twangy. I love a nice twangy sound. It felt slightly strange to stuff all of my pillow monsters into a trunk and close it while they were all smiling up at me. It reminded me of earlier this year when I found my childhood doll, Soft Tina, when we were cleaning out my mom's house. When I stumbled upon her in that place under the stairs where things pile up it felt like time stood still. I forgot she even existed until I saw her. My most magical childhood memory involves her. I used to sleep with her, and one Christmas morning I woke up and she was across the room in my chair, looking at me, with a new Christmas outfit on. She didn't have any other outfits, so it really threw me for a loop. I think at that moment, my heart exploded into a million tiny stars at the thought of Santa Claus being so close to me and coming into my room and taking time out of his very busy night to dress my dolly up.

You'll think I am a monster, but I couldn't keep her. Cleaning out my mom's house was intense, and to top it off Joseph and I were moving and determined to not rent a Uhaul. I had to remember that I hadn't actually missed Soft Tina in the last 15 years, and that I had the memory and I didn't need the object. That was my rule as I uncovered things that made my heart flitter, "10 years from now, will I miss it?". Too much stuff can weigh a person down. But, when I held Soft Tina over the trash can, I could not physically drop her in it. She hung around for days. I finally had to ask Joseph to do it while I was away, and to make sure I didn't see her looking up at me sadly from under a banana peel or something when I went to throw more things away. Sigh.

Some Drawing Today

2008-04-27T15:24:00.000-07:00

I was able to do some drawings today for a short while before my body started arguing with me (the acupuncture is on Wednesday by the way---I can't wait). If you look on the left page of the sketchbook above you, those are my planning sketches for Little Red in the Hood. The right page has some little doodles--there's a rather round man with a mustache that looks promising. I'd like to play around with fake fur for facial hair like I did for Trevor the Troll.

I'd also like to do a Super Hero Series. I really like the simply shaped plush, so I was trying to figure out what I could do differently besides changing shapes. I would like to be more selective with my fabric. It is hard not to be immediately drawn to the fun and quirky prints that are out there. And, there is so much. You can get fabric with little Sushis on them, or little guitars, or trucks, or moles and mushrooms. I mean look at this, there is a chick with a space helmut on for crying out loud! It is taking a lot of will power to not click on "Buy Now" so that I can sew it and stuff it. I like muted tones, though, and I always forget that when there is so much cuteness around. I especially like muted tones in these drawings from Seth's sketchbook. They are so dreamy.

Acupuncture

2008-04-25T05:02:00.001-07:00

I made an appointment with an acupuncturist. So maybe (please locate wood and knock on it) this will be the answer. There has been no improvement in my hands and wrists, and actually now my ring and pinky finger have begun to do their own little dance without my permission. If I stretch my hands out, or touch my index finger to my thumb, those little rebels just shake involuntarily. I'm trying to have a good humor about it, but really I am devastated and kinda grumpy. I tried to cut felt the other day while practicing mind over matter (the felt cutting is for this amazing request of a pillow monster in a cockatiel hoodie) and my wrists and forearm felt like they were burning after only a couple of minutes.

I keep having fantasies about how perfect life will be when my hands are healed. I will get a part-time job making coffee again, which is not so bad really because coffee smells so good and it's not a job you really take home with you (unless you count that free bag they give you and that is a good thing, oh yes). I will spend more time designing my pillow monsters and I will learn how to make movable pillow monster limbs, I'll be more patient and have better craftsmanship, I will do yoga and respect my body and read every book at Barnes and Noble (while drinking a cafe mocha with extra whipped cream on top) on ergonomical what-have-you and put it into practice in my studio, and everyone will join hands and sing and world peace will ensue.

Thanks so much to everyone for your comments, they really helped--more than you know.

My Overtly Personal Blog Entry

2008-04-19T15:14:00.001-07:00

I'm very frustrated. My arm has been throbbing all day and my fingers feel swollen and useless, they don't look swollen, but they feel like sausage links.

I didn't know whether or not I would ever post about this personal part of my life on the blog, but I think it will be okay. When I started this project to make a pillow monster a day for 30 days, it was a way for me to jump-start myself out of this dark place that I was in. About 7 months ago my mom lost her very heroic battle to brain cancer. Not only was her battle heroic, but it was also a quiet battle that was full of good humor and selflessness. As the disease goes, it gradually took away most of her abilities, but it never took away her humor. This is the same disease that my father died from when I was young. Which is just a bizarre and cruel coincidence (and probably a strong case for brain tumors being partially environmentally caused---we lived near a sub-station).

Shortly after her funeral, Joseph and I moved here to Bloomington. He had gotten accepted to grad school at IU, and after toying with the idea of just taking a year off of stuff, we decided it would be good to move away from my home-town that was full of lots of memories of difficult times. At first I was shocked at how well I was coping, I was almost embarrassed at myself for handling the loss of my mom so well. But when the paper work stopped, the moving tasks were complete and the furniture had been rearranged for the billionth time, things settled down. The weather turned gray and I really just missed her. That, and there is this very empty feeling you get inside when someone who loves you unconditionally leaves the world. What happens to that love? It feels a little bit like it just leaves too.

I decided to give myself a creative challenge. I wanted to make a quilt about my mom, using her clothes, but it felt too soon, so I thought I would be easy on myself and just do something ridiculous like make pillow monsters. I started hand sewing when my mom was very ill. I used to make little pillow creatures in her room while she slept. It helped somehow. These are what they looked like---I also used to draw in this little book while she slept too.

The Pillow Monster a day challenge was great. Instantly, I felt a little lighter. I loved it. An additional perk was the blogging community that formed. The 30 days passed and I didn't even notice. When I opened up the Etsy shop things improved even more because it felt like a communication with people. It feels so good to make stuff and have that stuff appreciated. My little shop did pretty well, and I have never felt more satisfied----I looked forward to each day when I woke up in the mornings, I kept wondering if the feeling would pass, but it never did. Joseph thought I was on fire! So that is why my arm is so frustrating. I couldn't sew at all today and it is maddening. I couldn't even draw! Arrgh. I did get some steroids for it and I know this could just be temporary, it most likely is. I have just been swimming around in a sea of bitterness all day, and I am just getting it out, because things have been in for a long time now. And also because there is a little drawing by Elsita pinned above my computer reminding me not to be a closed box.

Thanks for reading, it feels very strange to share all this, but also sort of nice. I am taking a week off of pillow monster making to recuperate. Till then, I'll be dreaming up new creatures and giving Albert an insane amount of walks.

Gus and a Giraffe

2008-04-19T04:37:00.001-07:00

Gus lives in a house that is on a busy street. His mom doesn't let him play in the front yard because of this. Gus is fascinated with the trucks that drive by. His favorites are the ones that are super huge. At night, he turns on the lights in the main room, opens up the curtains, and tries to get all the trucks to make a big honking noise by dramatically pumping his fist into the air, like his older brother Ronald taught him to do. Sometimes they honk a few times, and then Gus feels satisfied. When Gus grows up, he will drive trucks, most definitely. He will ship cereal all over the world. When he is filing up at gas stations, he will buy milk and treat himself to a delicious bowl of whatever he is shipping as a reward for being such a terrific driver.

If you adopt Gus over here, he will gladly sit shotgun until he's old enough to drive.

Here is another Giraffe lady. I don't have a story for her yet. For some reason it is hard for me to think of stories when I know exactly where the pillow monster is going. I am sending this giraffe to HGTV. They have this new show coming out that is geared towards crafty teenagers and they are looking for people to show their crafts. Here is the info. I wanted to send along this sassy giraffe to work her charm on them (work it, sassy giraffe!). I think she needs a flower though.

Little Red Riding Hood

2008-04-17T15:12:00.000-07:00

Here is my top secret Crammed Organisms entry. I may try another one before the deadline, but I am pretty happy with how she turned out, though if I do make another, I will put 2 ears on the wolf hood and make her eyebrows more angry. Below is the story I am including. She may not be as sweet and endearing as Billy Bob, but give her a break! I mean, a wolf ate her Grandmother for crying out loud! Also, I just wanted to be a bit darker for this one. I apologize in advance if I scare anyone! My takeoff is from the story where the Grandma lives.

Little Red Riding Hood, upon the death of the Big Bad Wolf, asked the heroic woodsman to help her carry the wolf's body to the town's taxidermist. While waiting for the taxidermy to be complete, Little Red Riding Hood taught herself how to sew. She immersed herself into her new craft and practiced various stitches by making fabric coasters. She found the stitching to be very therapeutic after her traumatic experience with the Big Bad Wolf. She would give out her practice coasters as gifts, and there wasn't a person in town with rings on their tables after she was done learning how to sew. When the taxidermy was complete, Little Red Riding Hood picked up the fur of the Big Bad Wolf and walked over to Grandma's house. Together, she and Grandma used very sharp scissors to cut the Big Bad Wolf into bits. They did this while sipping black tea and eating lemon cookies. Then, with the sharpest needle she could find, Little Red Riding Hood pieced the bits of the Big Bad Wolf back together to fashion herself a new hoodie. She felt very satisfied as she pierced through the fur. While sewing, Little Red Riding Hood reminisced about her experience with the Big Bad Wolf, and she knew that through experience comes wisdom and that never again would she be had. She also knew that on her walks to Grandma's house she would be bringing along her freshly sharpened knitting needles. Should another unpleasant wolf come around, she won't be needing any more rescuing from any Woodsmen.

Hi People Coming over From the Indy Star

2008-04-17T06:30:00.000-07:00

Hey! I was featured in the Indy Star's Style section here. I feel so fortunate about that. If you are visiting my blog for the first time, you can check out the stuff I have for sale on my online Etsy store by clicking here. Also, I will be at the Wheeler Arts Center for their Spring Open House on the evening of May 2nd and I will be selling charming fellows like these Luchadors there. Thanks for stopping by!

Out of Commission for a Day

2008-04-17T04:21:00.000-07:00

My arm continued to feel funny all day. Not so much painful as numb, weak and tingly. So I bought this cool brace and stayed away from sewing. The brace makes me feel like I am an athlete with a sports injury. In some ways the brace is fun, because I can ask Joseph to do all sorts of things for me, like bring me tea, crank the Whirley Pop and do the dishes. He's on to me though, especially since I try to get him to do that stuff all of the time. The timing of my bizarre arm sensations couldn't be more ironic (I am always afraid I will misuse that word and get made fun of like Alanis Morriset did). Taxes were really ugly for me this year because I did a lot of mural work and had all these non W2 forms. I ended up owing quite a bit, and I was so frustrated. I had to keep reminding myself that I believe in taxes because they help fix potholes and fund public schools and other good things. I am not quite as thrilled about funding the war, but the schools and potholes--they are good. (now say this in a whiney voice) But, what about ME? (end whiney voice). Why can't Uncle SAM fork over a little of that money so that we all can get advice from a real doctor instead of searching for Carpal Tunnel Syndrome on google in hopes to find some pedestrian type of remedy?

I'm not going to dwell. I found some excersizes to do, and everything will be okay.

Here are some pillow monster photo shoots for your amusement. Tomorrow I will have my entry for the Crammed Organisms show complete. I can't wait to show you!

Otis

2008-04-16T04:28:00.001-07:00

Otis is very good at standing still. He loves to people watch, but is painfully shy and fears someone may ask him a question or get bothered by his staring. He has a tree suit he wears to the park, and because he can stand so still and be so quiet, he goes unnoticed. On a rare occasion a child will look up at him and be delighted that there is a tree with a smiling ace looking back down at them. When this happens, Otis reaches out his hand and gives them the nickels and dimes that he picks up on his walks to the park. Then he whispers, "money really does grow on trees!" And the children skip of happily, dreaming of the super bouncy ball they will get when they put their change into the machine at the grocery store. Otis is over here now.

My dad used to drop dimes out of the holes in his pockets so that my brothers and I would find them and be able to get gumballs at the grocery store. I think he didn't want to spoil us, so he wouldn't just give them to us when we asked. Plus it was more fun to just find them.

I am a little bit concerned about my arm which feels funny. I might not sew today and just take it easy, I really hope I didn't give myself carpal tunnel syndrome with my pillow monster pursuits---probably not though.

Gary and Lucia

2008-04-15T05:30:00.000-07:00

Gary has a motorcycle. He loves riding it and feeling the wind on his face and the sun on his back. Sometimes after a long ride in the summer he has to pick the bugs out of his beard. Gary enjoys singing show-tunes, but it doesn't match his persona, so he only sings them while going very, very fast down a remote highway. He can really belt it out, but is still embarrassed at the thought of being heard, so during the extra showy parts of the show-tunes, he revs up his engine. At gas stations, he snacks on beef jerky and follows it with Orange Crush. You can say hi to Gary over here at my store.

Lucia has two love birds, Maxwell and Monique. Lucia only hopes that one day she can be as in love with someone as Maxwell and Monique are in love with each other. Lucia is a romantic at heart. She listens to Marvin Gaye every morning while she makes her strawberry pancakes. In the evening she recites love sonnets to her birds before she puts the blanket over their cage and tells them good night. Because Maxwell and Monique are so very in love, Lucia does not need to work. She trades their love bird eggs for everything she needs in this world. She very much enjoys this arrangement and she thanks her lovey, dovey friends by giving them honey water out of a champagne glass to sip on. Lucia is humming "I heard it through the Grapevine" over here.

The Lovey Dovey Bears

2008-04-14T08:48:00.001-07:00

Here they are, ready to fulfill their destiny as lovey, dovey cupcake toppers.

Best of luck and love to Jaime and Peter. Viva la Love Bears!

A Wild Weekend and Almost Finished Love Bears

2008-04-14T04:19:00.000-07:00

This past weekend definitely upped the energy in our lazy little place. We had a lot of fun watching kids movies and jumping on the inflatable mattress and eating cookies. The weather took a turn, unfortunately, and Gretch's little guy came down with an ugly cold so we couldn't go to the museum, but we beat the rainy day blues by sewing birds out of felt. I completely forgot to photograph that. I taught Toni (above) how to sew and she was actually pretty into it. Actually, she was very into it, we sewed felt birds for about 3 hours. Then we made flowers, then we sewed the flowers onto the birds and then little Gabriel got to throw them around the room! Above is Toni coloring in my sketchbook at a restaurant that makes pancakes out of cornmeal. A budding pillow monster maker?

And here is the Panda of Love without legs! I am almost finished. Making these little guys has opened up some doors for me, I think. I like the rough edge you get on felt by hand-sewing them together and I love simple, tiny embroidered faces. I will definitely be making little creatures in the future.

Tattoo Girl and a Love Bear

2008-04-12T04:58:00.000-07:00

Here is the completed Tatt Girl for MizzMonsta. I am really happy with how she turned out. MizzMonsta sent me a photograph of herself and it turns out this Tattooed pillow monster looks just like her! Amazing.

Thank you MizzMonsta!!!!!!!!!

Here is the female Love Bear. I did find a tiny silver bead to use as a wedding band. Now I need to make her Panda Bear counterpart. He has blond hair and will be wearing a bow-tie.

This weekend my friend Gretch and her two bumpkins are staying with me though, so I won't have anything to show tomorrow or the next day. I am going to double-time it on Monday though because I got into a juried arts festival here in Bloomington, and that is in early June. Also, I was so excited to receive an acceptance email to the Crammed Organism's show that will be in St. Louis the entire month of June. Their theme is Fable, Folk, Fantasy. To apply you had to describe what you would make and submit pictures of your work. I have 3 weeks to make something, and I am pumped. I want to keep it top secret until she is finished, but I have to warn you that a darker side of me may come out in this one.

We are going to the Indianapolis Children's Museum today which is supposedly one of the best in the country. I always want to go to children's museums, but I lack the children, so now is my chance!

Tattoo Girl, Cupcake Toppers and New Leipzig Show

2008-04-11T04:21:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I ran out of Cranapple felt which is what I needed to finish this hardcore chick's hair. She is a really fun request by a girl named MizzMonsta. MizzMonsta wanted an ungrumpy girl version of Buster Brown (who got to go to Warsaw by the way, which I think is amazing---I wish I were Buster Brown). Speaking of tattoos, I noticed in Flickr that Mimi has a little something cooking up--get a sneak peek here. I attached the head fabric to the body fabric with this fancy stitch that my machine from the future has. It looks like a tattoo someone who isn't severely afraid of pain might get around their neck.

And here is my progress on the cupcake toppers. The one in the upper right is just a mock up. It is kind of fun to work small. You can see her black legs are already stuffed. I don't want to make these guys too busy but I would really love to use the heart stitch somehow. Maybe at the bottom of the bear suits. This polar bear girl will also have a pink sash at the bottom of her suit because their colors are white, black and hot pink.

Next are some shots from a show Joseph and I went to yesterday. This show has been traveling around America, and we actually drove for 6 hours in the snow (I'm adding that for effect, I actually can't remember if it was snowing) a few months back to see it when it was in Kansas City. Then, on the ride back home as I was flipping through the catalogue I noticed that the show would be coming to a town that is less than an hour away from us. What can you do? Kansas City is a very cool place. It reminded me of Memphis, lots of character and slightly gritty. I like a little grit to my towns. Bloomington has no grit, but the nice thing about Bloomington is that there is virtually no crime here unless you count talking drunk and loud at a close proximity to my window at 2 in the morning. If that is the case then there is a lot of crime here.

Here are the pictures. They are the New Leipzig painters and they are so exciting.

This room is full of a man named Christoph Ruckhaberle's paintings.

And here is a close-up of Neo Rauch's painting. This is the most inventive man in the world

I don't know who else could look at a painting of an egg on a skillet and then step back and say, "Do you know what that needs?

It needs a lizard, that is what it needs."

And over here is Neo Rauch's shot out to all you knitters out there!