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...

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!

Progress Report: Furry Bunny et al.

Bunny in progress! It is extremely taxing to hand-sew through such thick (faux) fur. But the result is just so cuddly!

You can also see the autumn doll smiling in the bottom left corner... especially now that I've given her new red lips. I thought the original neutral lipcolour was prettier, but the red goes a lot better with her outfit. And maybe the season, too.

I've never tried red lipstick myself, but have been meaning to!


This is the cinnamon banana loaf I baked for brunch. I'm now trying to finish several projects at once.


The (very Myspace-y) photo above was taken last night, when I wasn't feeling at all well -- sorry for the lack of a smile -- but it shows all 4 projects I plan to finish tonight!

1) Blue teddy bear -- 90% complete (all parts have been sewn, just not put together)
2) Pink bow headband -- 85% complete
3) Furry white bunny -- 60% complete
4) Autumn-themed doll -- 50% complete

Wish me luck!

Ride and Ramen

Getting tanned at Stanley Park

It's been a lovely Canada Day weekend -- unusually warm for Vancouver, but with cool breezes, too. I went biking at Stanley Park with the guys, where B learned to ride and went at his own pace until leg cramps overtook him. R decided to take pictures of iconic Vancouver scenery rather than learn himself. The rest of us pedalled furiously around the park for an hour or two.

We all got ice cream before heading to Motomachi Shokudo for ramen. I guess people are starting to discover that the restaurant is run by the same owners as the famous Kintaro Ramen, because Motomachi was almost as crowded this time. Almost.

I prefer Motomachi for its bamboo charcoal ramen (for the taste, not the supposed health benefits, because I'm pretty sure all burnt food -- even bamboo -- are carcinogenic) and the cleaner interior. Kintaro does offer more choice, though, when it comes to the charsiu pork (from lean to fatty) and soup base (light to heavy).

Bamboo charcoal ramen (with "hot spring egg"!) at Motomachi Shokudo

After dinner, we each went home for a shower and then regrouped for "Dinner for Shmucks". It was surprisingly funny. We were all pleasantly surprised because it just looked so dumb. I want to describe it as "refreshing", but I might just be thinking of the whole watermelon we picked up and turned into delicious slushies.

Of course, what with these outings and several family members' birthdays, I haven't been working on crafts at all. All I have to show for the week is an ice cream bow brooch, and I don't feel like taking pictures for Etsy...

Someone should invent a mini portable photo booth for home (or office) use.