Cotton Candy Monster and Lots of Fluffs!

Sheesh, can't believe so many weeks have passed since my last blog post.
It certainly hasn't felt like it.
I've been hard at work here working on a HUGE cuddle of fluffs, and a larger monster!
I've listed four of the fluffs so far, but I still have ten more faces to paint!

First, I want you to meet Cotton Candy!
She's pink and fluffy...and really, can you ask for anything more than that?

 

 

She wasn't always a monster.

 

 

She once was just regular candy floss at a carnival...until the carnival's magician scooped her up, pulled her out of his hat, and brought her to life!

She loves magic tricks and funny jokes.

 

Cotton Candy can be found in the shop here!

And here's the four newest Pocket Fluffs in the Scribble Doll family:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

While I'm writing this post, all these guys are still looking for homes in the shop!

Keep an eye on the shop for the next few days...I'm trying to add one or two fluffs every day as I finish them!

 

On the home front, I took a week off from sewing so we could take the kids on a little vacation to Hot Springs! It was a pretty easy going trip, which is perfect when you're vacationing with a 4 year old and an 18 month old.

 

 

The week after that we had a great Independence Day celebration.
We had a nice evening of family, BBQ, and the town's firework show.

How cute are these three little 4th of July cuties?
(The little one is my niece. Isn't she precious?)

Come to think of it, this has been the first "normal" week in awhile!
What have you guys been up to?



Pocket Fluffs!

If you follow me on Facebook, you will have already seen this guy...
I've been slow about writing out his blog post.
(Actually, I've just been terribly busy!)

Introducing the Pocket Fluff Monster!

This little guy is the perfect travel companion for anyone that's ever wanted their own pet monster.

He's just a bitty guy...about 4.5 inches tall and 3 inches wide.

 

I'd tell you he's in the shop, but he sold within minutes!

He's already having lots of fun in his new home!

My son helped me out with the photo shoot...and I just had to share what a wonderful monster groomer he is.

Plus, this gives you an idea of just how little these guys are!

I'm SO thrilled by the positive response I've received for these little guys!
(Eight on the waiting list already!)
I've ordered a whole bunch of new fur colors, so don't worry, there will be many more in the near future.

Anyway, back to work on the next two custom dolls! I'll be back soon to share them with you!

Valerie, the Valentine Doll and a Special Birthday!

I loved working on this little girl.

She was just one of those dolls that everything came together perfectly (I wish they all were that agreeable!).

Meet Valerie!

Sweet little Valerie is all dressed up for Valentine's Day.

She just has one problem...she has no one to share the special day with!

Will you be her Valentine?

Valerie is patiently waiting in the shop for her Valentine to find her!

In other news, yesterday was a very special day!

It was my little girl's first birthday!

Can you believe it's already been a year!?

I can't. 

She's had a fantastic birthday week so far...and Saturday will be her big birthday party! Can't wait!

I was hoping to get a Valentine monster made for the shop, but I suddenly have found myself with three custom orders! Guess I better get back to work!

Happy New Year!

2012 has been such a wonderful year for me.

I started this year with the birth of my precious daughter, Summer.

Not much can top that, of course. ;)

I was finally able to quit my job and stay at home with my kids (something I'd been praying for ever since my son was born). Yes, huge sacrifices had to be made to achieve this, but it has been completely worth it.

I also gained two other new family members this year...a wonderful sister-in-law, and a beautiful new niece.

For several years, I have been dreaming of opening an etsy shop, and 2012 was the year I finally did it!
I'm so excited about how much I've grown as an artist this year. I feel like I've finally begun to find my "style" in the doll and plush making world.

I thought I'd put together a collage of all the Scribble Dolls of 2012.

 

I'm actually sad saying goodbye to 2012, but I can not wait to see what 2013 will bring.

 

Happy New Year!

Lovely Friday- Birthday!

Today is my birthday so you know what I'm loving today!

It's been such a nice day...
I've spent time playing with my kids, got some really great presents, and went to dinner at my favorite restaurant.

I have a new doll to share with you guys, but it'll have to wait until next week.
Sunday, my husband and I are leaving for Disney World!!

What do you love today?

Lovely Friday- American Girl Dolls

 

When I was little, I used to get the American Girl catalog in the mail.

I loved when that thing would arrive!

I would study the pages for hours, dreaming of what I wanted.

 

Unfortunately, American Girl dolls are expensive...and even as a young kid I knew that.

I was never bitter or angry about not being able to get one, but oh, how I wished.

 

Twenty years later, my dream finally came true.

 

 

 

My dear sweet husband got her for me for my birthday.

My birthday isn't until September 7th, but he was too excited to wait.

(He's so funny like that!)

 

I don't think he expected my reaction when I opened the box though...

You can laugh at me, but I'll admit it:

I started to cry when I realized he'd actually bought me my very own American Girl doll.

 

I want to buy her some clothes, but it's just not in the budget right now...

I was pretty excited to discover that one of the dresses Summer has outgrown actually fits her!

(Plus, it's even more special for her to be wearing my precious little girl's outfit :) )

 

Anyway, I've named her Beth and she is what I'm loving today.

 

What do you love today?

 

P.S. Yes, when no one is home, I have been carrying her around and pretending to be a little girl again. ;)

Lovely Friday- Baby Feet

Today I'm loving baby feet.

I'm really not a foot person.
I don't want to touch anyone's feet and I really don't want anyone to touch my feet.

But there's something about cute little tiny baby feet that gets me every time...


What do you love today?

Dishes

I don't know about you guys, but I hate doing dishes. It's one of my least favorite chores.
It's also the only chore that I have to do every single day.
I've tried slacking off on it before, but it just means way more work later.
Bleh.
I can't complain though.
I don't cook. It's never interested me in the least.
I confess, I hate touching food...can't stand to get my hands dirty!
Luckily, my husband loves to cook. It's only fair that I have to clean.
Do you have a least favorite chore?


I spent a lot of time today chasing a certain little boy around.

How he can stand to run nonstop in 100 degree weather, I have no idea.
Must be a perk when you're three years old. :)

Personally, I think Summer had a much better idea...

Hope you guys have a great week!

We're going to be busy busy with family in town to visit.

Bliss

Today has been such a wonderful day.

I think it's pretty obvious I adore my two kids.
They make me laugh with their silly antics.
They constantly inspire me with their personalities...but they also wear me out!

Today both kids spent the day at my mother-in-law's home.
After weeks of being on the go constantly, my husband and I finally found we had a day together with NO responsibilities.
It was pure bliss.

We went out to lunch at a nice restaurant and strolled around the local outdoor mall
(and nearly melted from the terribly painful heat!).
We finally ended up in Barnes and Noble.
I gathered a stack of artsy books and we found a quiet corner to read and drink overpriced coffee.
I feel SO much better.

It's funny how much we took these "date days" for granted before we had kids.

I'm now back in my art room, waiting for the kids to get home, and doing as much of this as I can before they do...

I am beyond excited about my current project.
It's something I've been dreaming about for years and it's finally coming together.
I can not wait to share it with you guys...
I'm actually so excited, I don't even want to show it until it's completed!

I have so many ideas brewing right now and I'm just dying to start putting it all together.
Hopefully I can rework how I handle my days to make more time for creating.
In the meantime, here's some sketchbook doodles.

Anyone have any exciting plans for the weekend?
Or working on any exciting projects?
I'd love to hear about it!

Ramblings and a New Monster!

I hope you'll forgive me if I ramble for a few minutes...I'll reward you with photos of the latest monster in the art room, I promise!

So I have a confession to make...I've been holding myself back.
Actually, I've been doing that for years now.
It seems that I've kept the "high school mentality." I'm already a terribly shy person, and I'm discovering I just care way too much about what others think of me...to the point that I let it control who I am.
Isn't that awful? It's felt awful.

As you know, I have a new baby girl. After she was born, I was able to finally start the beginnings of my dream. I quit my job and started staying home with my kids.
I have been enjoying every single one of these precious moments...

Lately, people have been telling me I look better than I ever have.
I was pleased with this statement, but couldn't quite figure out why.
I think I finally know what it is...Confidence.

I'm finding now that I have my own little family, I'm constantly surrounded by people (well, little people and an awesome hubby) that accept me for the way I am. I don't have to hide anything from these three.
And you know what?
I'm discovering that I actually like myself. I'm even learning to forgive myself when I make mistakes.

I know this might all sound a bit silly to you, but for me, it's HUGE.
As funny as it sounds, I'm actually becoming inspired by my dolls and their little blog that allows them to live.
I think I'm finally ready to really start living. And what better place to start than here?

It's really going to be a bit of a plunge for me, so I hope you'll stick with me as I work on coming out of my shell a bit. :)

And since I promised, here's the latest monster in the house!
(Forgive me for the photo quality...still trying to get used to this new cheapy camera.)

His bright colors make me smile.

He says he loves to party!
Anytime, any place...he's there!

He's 6.5" tall and hand sewn.

He still hasn't told me his name though.
Any suggestions?

Work, work, work

Things have been a whirlwind since I wrote last.
I love being a mother to two, but it sure does keep me busy!

Look how big my babies are getting!

I had to spend one week sitting at our house while repairs were being done (so we can put it up for sale!) and then I had to spend the following week at my mom's house while she had repairs done. Those handymen were nice guys, but I was so sick of them after two weeks!

We took a nice mini vacation to St. Louis.
It was lots of fun!
It was the first vacation we've had since we became a family of four...and I'm discovering that it doesn't quite feel like a "vacation" when you're a mom!
I was relieved to get back home to normal days again.
I hated to see my husband go back to work, but it was nice to have quiet days at home with baby Summer again.

In all this, my camera gave up on me.
I took it to the repair shop only to learn that it wasn't worth putting the money into it to fix.
Sure, it was just a point and shoot, but it was one of the nicer models and it certainly wasn't cheap. I'm very disappointed it only lasted a year and a half.
I've picked out a camera to replace it with, but it looks like it'll be my birthday (in September) before I have any hope of buying it.
Luckily, my husband took pity on me and bought me a cheap little camera to get me by.
I simply can not survive without a camera at my side!
For the low price, it's really not a bad little camera. I think I can manage until September.

I have a few little monsters to photograph for you guys...hopefully I can make time for it tomorrow!

Until then, you get a couple of work in progress pictures (a.k.a. "look at Mandy's messy desk!")

This ugly pile are the glove monsters patiently waiting to come to life.

It amuses me to have body parts laying all over my desk!
This is a new doll I've been working on for awhile.
I'm pretty excited to see how she turns out.

What is everyone else up to?
Having a nice summer? Working on anything exciting?
I'd love to hear from you. :)

A Birthday for a Little Monster!

I can't believe last friday my little boy turned three!

Like last year, I made his invitation myself.

I was pretty excited about this year's theme...monsters!

Sorry, blacked out the address and phone numbers...don't really want any unexpected company. ;)

His party went great and he doesn't understand why every day can't be a birthday!

(Isn't his cake cute? I didn't make it...I'm not that awesome.

I did find the picture of it on pinterest though to give to the lady that made the cake!)

In other news, I have 11 (yes, 11!) little glove monsters sitting on my desk,

waiting to be stuffed and have their faces added.

Hopefully I'll be able to start showing them to you soon!

Sometimes life throws you a curveball...

Last week was an absolute nightmare.

Two weeks after Summer was born, I had a horrible violent pain in my stomach.

 It lasted for hours and I pretty much was stuck, crying in pain with no relief.

It finally went away and I thought it was either a 24 hour stomach bug

 or extremely bad gas pain from surgery.

It happened again two weeks later...and then again a week later...and then every other day.

 It was horrible! The pain could last half an hour or six hours!

 I was living in fear of it happening again.

Last week, I finally let my husband talk me into going to the ER.

 (I'm pretty darn stubborn when it comes to doctors!)

I was admitted into the hospital and was stuck there for six days!

I could go on and on with stories of just how horrible that hospital was.

(I seriously think all the nice staff are reserved for the maternity ward.)

I was stuck more last week than I have been in my entire life.

My poor arms are all sad and bruised.

 I was on a liquid diet for four days.

 I was so homesick and missed my kids more than I can even describe.

The problem?

Gallstones.

 I was one of the lucky 3% that had gallstones that managed to escape my gallbladder

and cause a blockage

 (why my pain kept coming back so frequently.)

 I had to have a procedure to have the escaped stones removed,

then a surgery to have my gallbladder taken out.

Like I said, one long long nightmare.

(I should note, the only time I've ever been in the hospital was to have my two babies.)

The worst of the worst from that week:

-The nurses stuck my FIVE times trying to get my IV back in.

-One nurse was determined to make me feel bad for leaving my kids with my mother in law

 and went on and on about how much trouble it must be for her.

-I was given pain meds that made me zombie like.

 My husband, in his rush to leave for work, accidentally left one of the lights on (it was 6 am).

 I was completely embarrassed having to ask for a nurse to come turn it off.

I heard her griping about how ridiculous my request was as she came down the hall to my room.

 I was stuck, lying in bed, sobbing and desperately wanting my kids and to be out of that awful place.

I am so SO happy to be back home now.

 I cried and cried when Alex and Summer were brought back home.

I'm pleased to say I'm recovering very nicely and as long as I stay on top of my pain meds,

 I'm a pretty normal person. :)

Anyway, obviously no crafty updates this week, but how do you guys like the blog redesign?

 I'm so happy to finally personalize the place!

A Very Special Little Doll

Well, I've been meaning to write this post for a few weeks now,

but I'm sure you guys will understand why it has taken so long. ;)

On January 30th at 1:02 p.m., a very special little girl came into our life!

I'm so happy to share with you our precious little Summer:

She weighed in at 8lbs. and 21" at birth!

As you can see, Alex is a very proud big brother...

and I'm pleased to report he still likes her three weeks later!

A New Friend

Now that we have our very own art room

(which is the size of a walk-in closet, but it's way better than the kitchen table!),

Scribble and I have been having a blast making things together.

Lately I've been working on several little projects, and Scribble has been more than happy to lend a hand.

Scribble kept acting like she heard a noise from the bowl filled with paints.

I figured she was just up to her usual silliness though...

She kept worrying over the noise, so I told her to go investigate.

Imagine my surprise when she actually discovered someone lurking in the paint!

Scribble, being as friendly as she normally is, didn't take long to coax her onto the desk...

"Can we keep her?"

Apparently, her name is Pastel and she decided to join us because I needed "more color in my life."

She's quite interested in seeing the world around her

and was excited when Scribble said she could take her place is my "traveling muse."

(Pastel is a 11cm obitsu with the nano Gretel head. I'll have to make a more detailed post about my thoughts on these obitsus, but I must say, I'm quite smitten with her!)

In baby news, I'm due next Monday!

We went to the doctor today and it looks like Summer is going to be just like her brother

and require a c-section to be convinced to join us.

I was so hoping to hear from the hospital today to schedule it,

but hopefully tomorrow I'll know when she'll be joining us!