Beetlegirl Design

The Loneliest Renegade DJ

Actually, the DJ at the Renegade Craft Fair San Francisco seemed quite content.  Renegade SF was fun. There was a tad bit too much jewelry and silk-screened shirts, but otherwise, it seemed well attended and I saw some excellent craftiness.  The venue, Fort Mason, was spectacular.  I have only ever driven past the old fort in all my years of driving through the marina, and I had as much fun puttering through the fair with my friend, as I did walking along the edge of the water afterwards. 

I arrived home to the great news that the Plush Team was accepted into Renegade Chicago in September.  It seems "the plan: A," will now have to transform into "the plan: B," and include the crafting of a massive pile of wee snails (these cuties would be the only possible plush I could make on top of Plush You beasties one through three).  Speaking of, I desperately need to complete the sad and deflated looking beastie number two, which is presently occupying the ironing board as he awaits his wire armature and polyfill. 

I am always a mixture of nervous and excited to see what new beasties look like once they are stuffed, because until that point, they just don't seem quite alive.  I think the size and spacing of the eyes, as well as how the beastie is stuffed, are what brings the life to a plush creature.  I can easily spend an hour or more stuffing one form.  It reminds me of what my brother was taught in a puppetry workshop...that the puppeteer needs to make the puppet breathe...I believe that I can bring this same element of life to what I create even when the form is still.  At present, I have about nine wee snails on my table gazing up at me with the most sincere and puppy-like curiosity.  It makes me smile each time I sit down and greet them. 

I am off to spend some quality time with the beasties. 

Toodle-loo.

a bunny and a box & a girl and her sewing machine

We have family in town, so this one will have to be short and sweet.  I simply wanted to say "hello!" and that I had not forgotten you.  The wee fuzzy one and I have been in a creating frenzy.  She with her new box full of paper, and me working away on my list of crafting to do's.  Tomorrow I am off to explore the first ever Renegade Craft Fair San Francisco, and will definitely do a show and tell here with pictures afterward.  I also have an update on how I am doing with my "the plan," and...I think I may have to do a little giveaway in a few weeks to celebrate the impending 500th heart on my Etsy shop!

I am expecting a knock on the door any minute...so that is all for now.  Have a lovely weekend!

Ready. Set. Go!

Marimekko fabrics are on sale!  Yes, a yard still costs a bundle, and I may never decide what to create with the material, but, but, but...it is so pretty. 

Figs in a Blanket

 
Figs!  With the first figs having arrived at our local farmer's market, summer, too, has arrived.  At least, I believe the sun is somewhere hidden above the marine layer and smoke that is presently clouding our skies.  I think I actually skipped away from the market with our figs, I was so excited.  We celebrated the beginning of fig season with the above creation, (which is by no means my own invention).  As an aside, I realize that figs untouched are wonderful to eat...with a bit of sea salt (my current addiction in addition to coffee) they are even more fabulous...with walnuts and blue cheese, they are superb, and with the final addition of prosciutto, they are heavenly.  I have also made an herbivore version, and simply cooked these open-faced with the nuts and cheese in a covered pan. 

First step, wander to your local farmers market.  Second, skip home with your figs.  Thirdly, wash the figs and cut off the stems.  Fourth, cut the fig in half lengthwise without cutting through completely (think of a locket).  Fifth, gently stuff with blue cheese and walnuts (we didn't have any at the time).  Six, wrap in prosciutto and secure with a toothpick (we ran out of toothpicks, as I tend to use these more for crafting than for cooking).  Seven, heat a pan on medium-low and add a tablespoon of olive oil.  Eight, cook figs until the prosciutto is slightly browned on each side and the cheese is slightly melted.  Nine, eat eat eat!

Pebbles in my pockets...

...a few snapshots from our anniversary weekend. 

June. 21. 2003

Evidently, we are supposed to receive gifts of wood for this one.  Perhaps I will have to collect a ceremonial piece of driftwood while we toodle along the beaches in Mendocino.  We are off to celebrate our five years of action-adventure (we did have the phrase "combine forces" in our ceremony) in this lovely place.  So, if you have a moment, raise a glass to us this Saturday*. 

Cheers!

*Our anniversary is not only summer solstice, but also Jean Paul Sartre's birth date.

The Plan: A

I love all the little jars and bowls that naturally find their way from the kitchen to my crafting table.  This salt bowl and yogurt jar are my favorite for pins when I am moving between sewing machine, cutting table and ironing board.  Although, I was reminded of the importance of pincushions yesterday, when I found one dropped pin the painful way.  Luckily it was me, and not my fuzzy one, who is such adorable and constant company while I craft. 

Yesterday afternoon I completed the mock-up for my second of three beasties for Plush You.  After much deliberation, I have decided to keep my Plush You creations a surprise, for now at least.  I do love gifts of anticipation, and in order to keep you interested, and guessing, I will post a glimpse every now and then. 

I have also decided to join along with elsie marley and develop a list to keep myself motivated and on track.  Because my sweetie just wrote his own “a plan,” for his Paris preparation, I decided to continue the theme and call mine, “the plan.”  This is simply plan “A,” because things don’t always quite work out how we would like them.  For the remainder of June, and July-August, I have chosen a single focus for each week until I complete the Plush You beasties. 

The Plan: A

Beastie one
Beastie two
Promo materials & Four wee snails
Mock-up Beastie three (beastie three is quite complicated and may require a few weeks)
Beastie three
Photograph beasties, box up and ship out
Flora (for the shop...more specifics on this to come)

And for productive procrastination, of which I am an expert, I add to the list two items: needle-felted creatures, and the crafting of the Halloween beasties for my shop.

A few other little things I would like to complete: a sewing kit for my sweetie with buttons and thread that match his shirts, fabric covered buttons (for me, and perhaps a few to share), and somewhere in between, I would love to read a book or three and go on beach walks every other day.  Oh, and post to my blog at least twice a week.

I will keep you posted on my progress.  (This week doesn’t count though, as my sweetie and I are leaving for a weekend mini-vacation.)  Feel free to tag along and form plans and lists of your own.  Happy list making! 

$2.50

After a year of hopeful thrifting, I finally scored a grab bag of mystery notions from the local thrift store where everything is always 50% off.  The loot is pretty impressive.  It took me about a half hour of searching on the internet before I figured out that the little gadget was a snap setter.  I also found a beautiful piece of white wool for another $2.00, in the form of a ginormous women's coat that actually doesn't have a center seam on the back, so there is a lot of material to work with.  Once it is washed and deconstructed, I will decide whether to felt or dye it. 

I am off to cover things in rick rack!

Of Rocks and Sky

 

Hello!  No, I have no thrilling story of action-adventure as an excuse for my lapse in blogging.  Only my own wee tale of woe as the universe keep chucking boulders our way, and for some silly reason, I've tried to catch them all.  Needless to say, if you are supposed to make lemonade out of lemons, I suppose I have decided to make a mountain of all my rocks.  So, here I am, queen of the mountain of heavy sighs and logistics.  I have decided simply to carry the rock that is my own, and perhaps a smaller pebble of the worry I have for my sweetie as he prepares to depart for his four months in Paris. 

I thought if I posted a picture of kiddies or puppies, you all would forgive my absence.  This past weekend, my dad gave my niece and nephew their first plane ride.  They didn't even leave the ground, but this didn't disappoint them.  Two passes each around the airport left them full of smiles and ready for more.   I love  that you can barely see their heads peeking through the canopy. 

Etsy Plush Team Celebrates One Year

The Etsy Plush Street Team is celebrating its one year anniversary with a scavenger hunt.  Go to the Plush Team website for more details on how you might win some plushie pirate's treasure.