New Year, New Items

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From late 2014 to late 2015, I was taking time off my Etsy shop to focus on my new partner and life (items were still shipped, though!). I started sewing and crocheting quite a bit again this previous winter, and life is slowly creeping back into the shop as spring does in the year.

If you want to see what I've been up to -- mainly attending operas, ballets, and plays with my significant other -- feel free to visit my new blog, Canadian Catbox.

Otherwise, hello and Happy New Year!

Up soon: a crochet purple & silver flower headband

Photo Updates

Just added a new item to my Etsy shop:

I've finally gotten settled in at my new place, where the house is facing the "right" direction so that I don't have to leave the blinds down every day to keep out the blinding sun. Of course, as you can see, my photos are now suffering from the change. :P

It's a lot quieter here, so I've actually been very productive... I've already made a pair of floor cushions for my new living room, and finished a bunch of old projects -- including a coaster/place mat I've been putting off for about two years now (look under the plate below).

A huge chunk of my day is more or less wasted on cleaning (because the previous tenant stank and the place still sometimes stinks) and cooking (I made an ugly stack of ugly pancakes! XD), but over all I think I've been making better use of my free time.

 

I've tried several new tea houses already, including the above, which opened just last month.

And here are two of the new projects I've started:

A bit of cross stitching, even though I haven't completed my first piece (a traditional bookmark) yet, and a small teddy bear.

The needlework probably won't be appearing in my shop, because I used a pattern (gasp) and haven't significantly altered it -- at least, not yet. I did in fact alter the face to make the bear cuter, but I've also let the candle's flame get into the poor fellow's eye...

Here are a few less embarrassing photos:

Matcha cupcakes, made with about $12 worth of matcha (plus Mexican vanilla), and later served with English Devon cream. :]

Aaand a little gift I made for the buyer who brought the little Jack-o'-Lantern home! The apple is only about 2/8th of an inch tall.

Which reminds me... Hallowe'en is almost here again! It's my favourite day of the year, but having made my own costumes several years in a row, I've also been getting a lot more stressed out over it. Especially because, after Hallowe'en 2011, I had made up my mind to go as Snow White this year, but now two REALLY, REALLY TERRIBLE Snow White movies have come out...

Back to Etsy!

First things first, I've made a treasury on Etsy for the first time in months. It is ballet-themed, but not too childish... Enjoy!



Last Saturday, our ballet school held a "bling party" for the adults. Basically everyone brought a bit of craft supplies or just broken jewelry and beads, and we set them all out in paper plates on a huge table right in the studio. Then we fired up the glue guns! (I brought a boxful of thread and needles, of course.)

I'm sad to say that this is the first time I've ever sat and made pretty things with other women. :/  The craft groups or events around here are always 1) hipster knitters, 2) seniors at a senior centre, or 3) intended for small children.

It really was a lot of fun! If only Vancouver were more like... say, London, I could do this a lot more often.

Here is a terrible photo of the hair combs I made:

I felt like making roses that day, so they are both formed around hand-stitched satin roses. I made the blue rose out of a scrap of reptile satin left over from my Hallowe'en mermaid costume, and the mauve rose out of a bit of ribbon.






After the serious sewing part was done, I added feathers, tulle, beads, pearls, and lace with hot glue! Can you believe I haven't touched a glue gun since grade 1? Oh technology. :P

Here's one of them in my ballet bun -- but they'd work with various hairstyles (J. tested a feather haircomb our teacher made, and it held fast and looked great in her loose hair):






We stayed for about two hours, and then I had to rush off to a barbecue, so I finished this green one at home:





They are all available for sale! Full proceeds go towards the Barbara Ann Hutton School of Ballet. ;)

I also made this plush strawberry house as a "thank you" gift for the couple (and their toddler) who invited us over for said barbecue:

(Around the base is a strip of white lace that reminded me of a white picket fence!)

New Doll and Tea Time Photos

This is going to be a "photo dump" sort of post. ;)

New doll for March

Disclaimer: I made this doll for the Dollmakers Team challenge -- "green and a pattern" -- which ran through the whole month, so it's not a belated St. Patrick's Day doll. :P

As you can probably tell from the photo, Vancouver is finally seeing sunshine again! It actually snowed again last week, but NEVER MIND THAT. Soon I'll actually be able to post new items with slightly less terrible photos!



Well, these two photos are still terrible. :P I took them at dusk.

Anyway, I finally finished the embroidery I was working on, and turned the material into a lavender sachet. It's sitting on my table right now, smelling heavenly.



Made this new head-bow out of beautiful Cath Kidston fabric, to go with my new green lolita JSK. The band is more teal than green, so I'll need to mount it on a different headband or maybe a ribbon.

ETC bolero, In the Starlight OP

Here I am, having tea downtown on St. Patrick's Day. The tea cosies were felted from "upcycled" vintage sweaters... How Etsy is that?!

Scone shot!

Indie Japanese brand JSK, Jane Marple socks, DC blouse

Here I am, a week later, at a brand new tea house by the sea. The tea house itself is a heritage building, and the interior is black and pink and French/princess-themed!



Here's a partial shot of the food. Who doesn't like to look at pretty food? ;D

Yume coat, AP tote, Infanta dress, H&M tights

Here I am, just yesterday, at another relatively new tea place by a different beach. ;)

It was a grey, rainy day, so the area was entirely deserted. I love the rain and my significant other hates parking in tight spaces, so it worked out perfectly for both of us HAHA.



As you can probably tell, this place is more "Asian" than "English afternoon tea". The food was nothing spectacular (Raccoon says it tasted like it came from Costco) but the tea service and tea were solid.

Then, while buying tea at a sweet little shop nearby, I found this adorable miniature tea set!!! It's not the fanciest thing ever, but the bordeaux flowers & gold trim are neatly done. And because it was missing the second cup, I got it for less than $10!!❤❤❤



Raccoon said the pieces would be too large for my doll and too small for our stuffed animals, but I didn't believe him. I guess the picture above proves he was right...

:'P

Looking back, it has been a wonderful month! I've definitely been spending WAY too much on pretty clothes and vintage books and delicious tea, but I've also passed the probation period at that new job and gotten a raise, so it more or less balances out. (Sorry for mentioning finances here.)

Soon I'll be heading to Victoria for Easter weekend, seeing the Svengali ballet, and making a royalty-themed doll for the next Dollmakers team challenge. Can't wait for those April showers!

Dollmaking Kits

I love dollmaking kits, and craft kits in general. Especially the ones meant for kids.

Kits are generally simple and fun to work with, and won't leave you with piles of extra material to keep reusing in other projects. The results make great mini gifts... for people who wouldn't appreciate something you made from scratch. :P


Raccoon recently got me the ballerina dollmaking kit above. When I opened it, I knew I wasn't going to follow the instructions because her leotard was all wrong(!!), and I'd rather hand-sew than use the glue, double-sided tape, and Velcro included. But somehow one change followed another, and everything SNOWBALLED until my half-finished doll was completely different from the one on the box.

I think the colours I chose are much nicer (orange hair???) and the fabric-pen eyes will certainly last longer than coloured pencils, but I had never regretted a project more than when I was sewing the tiny hem on this doll's tiny satin bodice. HOLY.


Do you ever find yourself unable to STOP making changes to a doll or any other project, whether it came out of a kit or your mind??


Anyway, this reminds me our ballet class will be having a party tomorrow before parting for spring break. I should go to bed and just work on this doll during the (ballet) movie. How much more inspiring could it get?

Chirimen Clown

Progress shot!

Miniature clown doll

He's a mix of Western (European pierrot) & Asian (Japanese chirimen fabric). :)


By some crazy fluke, this doll I've been (occasionally) working on for a month or two fit the theme for the Etsy Dollmakers Team February challenge: "circus"!

Although the leader had hoped to see some ringmasters and lion tamers, everyone made a clown lol... You can't blame me, though, I've been so busy with the new (writing) job and ballet classes that I already missed one challenge, and didn't see this one 'til now.

Here's to hoping I finish my clown in time at least... Just four days left in the month!

A Neglected Shop...

...sells better?

I've been too busy since New Year's to enter Etsy team challenges, create treasuries or favourite people back, or add more than 1 new item to my shop. But I've actually sold 3 out of my inventory of 40-something items, yay!



I guess amigurumi are still really popular. I've never had an item sell this fast! :P



My niece has also never liked anything I've made as much as she liked this (blue) sock monkey!

I guess these were relatively popular BECAUSE I didn't have time to finish them off the way I would've liked -- ie. with a LOT more details and accessories. Less is more, I guess... just like how our houseplants always die from overwatering, lol. (Not that they fare much better with neglect!)

In the past month, I've also sold a hair accessory, and made another -- a simple one -- as a gift to the buyer. Now I just need to finish a long-belated Christmas gift, and I'll have time to concentrate on the shop again!

Goal: 50 items (again) ^ ^

I Wish...

Listed today: a hand-sewn blue teddy

I wish there were more craft fairs in late December, so I'd be busy preparing for one now instead of stressing out about everything.

I wish stress didn't give me chin pimples.

I wish I didn't scratch said pimples, because they disappear within hours if I don't. (I guess they're not really pimples.)

I wish the current ones disappear by tomorrow, because the party starts at 5.

I wish there were an easy way to transport ALL my fabrics and supplies, so I could sew plushies at the party.

Coming soon: koala & monster bunny

Craft Fair Success!

My sugar-tastic breakfast

I don't know what it was, but the week between the two craft fairs went by in a breeze, and I had made a bunch of new items with ease. Considering how bad my first fair was, and how the Buckingham Elementary one had a table fee ($25 + a raffle item) higher than my sales at the first, I had plenty of reason to keep stressing out!

New items included a small coffin cushion (which I started making on a whim at the first fair :P), a mini crocodile, and a tiny mermaid doll:


Yesterday morning, I woke up feeling great, and was welcomed at the school entrance by little volunteer elves, and pleasant rows of white poinsettias! (No pictures, unfortunately, because of the rush.) Buckingham looks pretty much as I remembered it... never mind that I've gone back the last few years to play in the new playground lol. :P

View from my table: Corner 1

The gymnasium was warm and cheerful, filled with festive music at the perfect volume compared to the awkward dead silence at the previous show, with commercial vendors relegated to the cluttered stage yay! XD

The lady to my right was selling handmade soaps, I think. She did very well, and even Raccoon said her items looked nice. They definitely smelt good, because some of the customers at my table thought my cupcake rings were scented!

Corner 2

Of course there were still dubious items (eg. ordinary watches), but this was REALLY a craft fair. Plus, everyone was incredibly friendly, and there were vendors & shoppers of all ages!

Once I set up my table, made Raccoon go home so he wouldn't intimidate the customers, and finished off a complimentary doughnut and hot chocolate, I made 3 consecutive sales to some adorable little girls! (I gave them all super discounts, of course. <3)

Corner 3

I sold a bunch of jewelry, the coffin, and a plush bunny! The last buyer might've been a vendor or school staff, because she was in such a hurry, but I only left my table once and couldn't be sure.

Most of the vendors checked out other tables several times, like at the other craft fair, but I'm not sure how I could pull it off myself... I don't want to have a bunch of people sitting with me, especially since one of my selling points is that I made every item without help, but I don't like the look of an unattended table either...
I only managed to run off for a bit when the guys dropped by.

Corner 4

Anyway, I think the tables were really well set up. Tidy, with lots of walking space, but "full-looking". There was a (school) bake sale and some children's activities outside the gym. Those, along with half-hourly raffles, ensured that visitors stuck around. There were also pictures with Santa, who came by and visited all the vendors first!

Santa gave me a candy cane, complimented the items, and let me take a picture of him (and asked to include his elves)!! I've never been so happy, ahahaha...


Last but not least, one of the girls I noticed passing by repeatedly stopped to buy some things. We started talking, and I only then found out she was just 2 tables down! (My lack of awareness of surroundings is astounding.)
She was selling Swarovski crystal jewelry with her mother, but made all the items herself. After purchasing several clay things from me, which was very nice, she even offered to trade for the coffin! My first trade!! <333

I've missed daylight, so photos will have to come later, but now I own two of her items, too! It was a very cool experience; I felt very honoured. Anyway it was so lovely to chat with her I would've said yes to any trade, but they are very pretty earrings for sure! ;)

Someone was handing out free MUSTACHE POPS so she picked one up for me lol!

She doesn't have an Etsy shop, and I had totally forgotten to ask for a business card... but I hope she'll be on Etsy one day! Likely we'll run into each other again at a craft fair next year!

All in all, the craft fair was fantastic, and the baked goods were delicious, hahaha. I had a great time and will definitely return next year if they let me! :P

************************

Just as a quick self-review, I noticed more people came when I sat and sewed instead of standing. It really makes sense to stand only if your displays are tall, or if you're really small...

I forgot to take a picture of my table AND myself, but we were both prettier this time! :PPP
I used 2 tablecloths this time to avoid ugly folds, and made a better "banner"... if only because SOMEONE folded my first banner into the tablecloth after the last fair, and another SOMEONE returned them both to the rental place...

I also forgot to take pictures of every new thing I made, so there are only in-progress shots of the ones that sold. Oh well. Here's a sneak peek of what's coming to my shop!

Buckingham Elementary Craft Fair

As it turns out, there was still space at the aforementioned Buckingham Elementary School Dec. 3 craft fair -- which I'd been planning to attend next year -- so I've more or less secured a table! (Once Raccoon brings payment there for me tomorrow morning. :P)

Between working hard on more items for the BIG DAY, I've also made this skirt for my Pullip doll, haha:

The bit of "lettuce" in the cup on top of the jewelry case is her original dress.

It doesn't go with her IW blouse and socks at all, but it poofs very nicely and should look fine after I make a matching top. The pink skirt already softens her look significantly... especially for people who find dolls creepy. ;)

On an unrelated note, isn't this Cath Kidston sewing case the most adorable thing ever?!



I wish I'd gone to London immediately after quitting my last job. I would've blown all of my savings in the Cath Kidston shop right then. "One of each, please!"

Craft Fair Bust

So the craft fair has come and gone, leaving me one sale in its wake.


The tone of the day was set from the start, when I arrived at a three-storey building shrouded in trees and found the "front entrance" locked. (The real entrance was on the side.)

Combined with the fact that the fair wasn't advertised to the public -- as I found out less than a week before -- because we were meant to sell to the EMPLOYEES IN THE BUILDING (plus some of their friends if they spread the word modestly) WHEN THEY CAME DOWNSTAIRS DURING BREAKS... all the vendors should've had modest expectations at best!

All the vendors except the ones selling kitchenware and coffee, of course!...


While the event was advertised (to employees, and only a few days in advance, due to delays) as a CRAFT fair, fewer than 10 of the 25 or so vendors sold crafts. Even fewer made anything themselves, though at least one was doing it for a charitable cause, so I'll let it slide. :P

The two baked goods sellers also did well. But another seller simply had a mountain of shoe boxes and shoes on his table, so he pretty much cancelled the bakers out!

I was pleasantly surprised to be sitting between two other younger vendors, and was disappointed to find that they were not crafters, but volunteers for some free trade organization. One of them did decide he didn't need extra space, however, so instead of half a table, I actually had a full booth yay!

Never mind that I only made enough items to fill half a table :P

I'm happy with how my table looked, at least! The platform I asked Raccoon to make looked fine and worked well. Most of the vendors used dark-coloured coverings, so I didn't even need to worry about having a boring tablecloth! XD

Still, everyone around me complained about how slow it was, and how they at least had more shoppers last year. The fair was set for 10 am to 4 pm, but everyone except the kitchenware seller and one baker had packed up by 3:30...

It was so slow I made this:

With my hand for size reference

And this:


During the employees' last coffee break, a very nice lady came by and bought my favourite mint chocolate cupcake ring for her daughter. (Thank you! <3)

Otherwise, I got TONS of "Aww!" (seriously), "So cute! So delicate!", and "You made everything yourself?!" remarks, and even two people who named specific items and said they'd return to purchase at lunch, lol, but that was it.


It was an... interesting... experience for sure, and my table was free, so maybe I'm complaining too much.

But to be fair, bus fare (or gas, for people who drive :P) isn't free. And I did spend a LOT of time preparing for the fair, punching flower-shaped holes in my SUPER-THICK Moo mini-cards for price tags, and packing and unpacking everything.

When the event ended for me at 10-to-4 (even the two aforementioned vendors were packing up), I waited for my friend (an employee who didn't buy anything ;P) to get off work, and then we hiked home to save me bus fare, hahaha... It took almost two hours.


On a positive note, I did make/finish almost 20 items for the fair, so I'll be able to add new things to my Etsy shop for days, yay!

Let's Play Plushie Catch-Up

I tweet more frequently than I blog, of course, but I like long photo dumps, too! Both reading and posting them!

So here's the past few weeks made short(er) & sweet for blog readers.

Enjoying my tea & scones

I obviously need a haircut (waist-length hair, even on a sparsely-haired person, gets HEAVY :P) and the dentist says I have 3 pin-sized cavities (not too bad considering how most of my meals are CAKE), but I'm back to my super-healthy self!

Now that the weather's nice and cold, I can start trying new afternoon tea places again and look forward to snowboarding!


This has been a nice, cold Canadian autumn -- my favourite season!
I've been enjoying the many beautiful Vancouver parks with my dear Raccoon... who is not quite as into this kind of weather, haha.


Here he is, holding his belated St. Valentine's gift. It's a giant alligator-crocodile (damned if I can remember the difference), completely designed & hand-stitched by me!

The monkey it's chomping on is not included. ;)


Asides from Crocky, who was VERY time-consuming, I also made a bunch of other plushies!

For example, this very very pink French poodle, who is now available on Etsy:


And this Movember mustached whale, also on Etsy:


And -- this is almost a miracle -- I've FINALLY completed the autumn team-challenge doll:


My miniature Hallowe'en black cat wants you to know that she's thrilled to have found a home!

I made her an even tinier companion/lunch for the journey. She is only 5/8 inch tall, so you can imagine how tiny the mouse is!


Lastly, here's a sneak peek of the teddy bear and felt food I'm working on for the BCGEU craft fair (Nov. 22).
The teddy bear is too "regular-sized" to sell in my Etsy shop, considering how expensive Canadian postage is for anything over 1/2 inch thick, so I really hope someone will take him home from the fair!

Blue bear with his biscuit

Anyway, I've already made a bunch of felt cakes and macarons, and hope to make 10 to 20 more things in this final week.

Wish me luck!