One Week Away!

One week away from what? Comic con of course!

Lots of sewing and tagging going on around here lately. The robots in the photo above are almost all done and I have plenty more things on the to-do list for the next week. Nothing quite like a deadline to motivate me.

I'm excited to see what it's all about and hopefully see some crazy costumes and other hilarity over the three days.

Of course there are always Owl Mamas on my to-do list. I'll be making more for Young Blood in Atlanta as soon as I'm home from comic con. You wouldn't believe the amount of rickrack I have hanging around. I love it. It really is one of my most favourite things.

Spring is also on that list.

Thursday Work

Packing owls for various shops and still working on that little stack of them in the back there.

The days are getting away from me closing in on comic con and hoping I have enough stuff and enough time to keep making things. I never think I have enough time. I'm the type that leaves way too early for things...or conversely way too late. I guess they say creative types have issues with time. Well, that's me.

I hope you are all seeing and liking the little beginnings of spring happening. I love this time of year. I don't even mind all the mud.

February Shop Update!

February Shop Update, originally uploaded by Needlings.

Look! I managed to make a few new things for you!

It's been a busy month with some sadness, we're moving soon and we lost our sweet Domino after almost 20 years of kitty life, but I'm one month away from comic con and I have lots of work still to do!

It will be hectic amidst packing but I hope to get a lot done over the next few weeks. Hopefully with a few things to show you again next month.

See you soon!
♥Heather

February

Hello everyone!

I can't believe it's February already and Toronto Comic Con is only a month (and some) away. So many things to make!

I spent practically all of January making Owl Mamas for the shops in Canada and the U.S. that carry them and I still have a few yet to restock. Lots of owl parts currently floating around my work table.

I did however manage to make this new Needling and I hope to have a few more new things for a mini shop update closer to the end of the month. I'll update you with a date when I'm feeling more committal.

Oh, I also set up a springform account so you can ask me questions if you'd like. You don't even have to tell me who you are! But please do because I'm sure you're lovely.

Talk soon!

Love,

Heather

January Shop Update

A month's worth of new stuff...

all in the shop today!

Happy January!

Toronto Comic Con

Just confirmed that I'll be at Toronto Comicon in March at one of the Artist Alley tables!

Mark your calendars!

I've never been to a comic book convention and never showed my stuff at an event this big so I'm excited to see what it's all about.

And even more happy to have two months to get lots of stuff made!

Plush Team Swap Goodies

The Plush Team put together a fun plush swap this year and I just have to share the amazing goodies I recieved from Chelsea of Love and a Sandwich!

Not only did I get this amazing little monster who is completely adorable in a yummy fuzzy rainbow sherbet way in a happy christmas parcel with a little monster drawing on the front...

Chelsea did this amazing drawing of both our owls hangin' out, that I just love!

AND

monster buttons!

I'm pretty sure we can all agree my swappee is totally awesome.

Thank you so much Chelsea!

Plush Team for Haitian Relief

In an effort the help raise money for the victims of the Earthquake in Haiti, many of the group of plush artist I belong to, Plush Team, are donating plush sales at the Plush Team store on Etsy. 100% of the proceeds will be donated to the American Red Cross.

Teeny Tiny Mini Mallow by Scrumptious Delight

My Owl Baby Pins are up as well as some other things great little guys from Plush Team members that will pop up in the team shop over the next few days.

Owl Baby Pin by Needlings

If you'd rather donate directly to the American Red Cross, you can do so through this link or by texting “HAITI” to 90999 to donate $10 (USD)

Just Peeking In

Another one for the shop update on the 25th!

Now back to non-update work...I have a bunch of things to make to replenish Young Blood in Atlanta with various Needlings goodies and lots of paperworky jobs to finish (which can be a nice break if planned) before I can just make things all willy nilly.

I think I can do it though!

I hope you're all having a good week.

Happy Tuesday!

January Shop Update - Monday, January 25th

New year, new ideas, new things.

So, in an attempt to keep myself making new things instead of just filling orders on a monthly basis - I'll be doing shop updates this year! The first one will be Monday January 25th so mark your calendars!

In addition to the new Owl Mamas in the photo above; here's a sneak peek at some of the things that will be part of the first update of the year on Monday January 25th when everything will be available for purchase in the shop.

I hope to add a few more to the list by then so back to work I go!

Collecting

I was never really much of a collector of things. We moved a lot when I was growing up and although I, of course, always loved my plush toys, I never sought to accrue them and have to move them all around with me.

Since I started designing my own plush, I've been exposed to this wonderful world of plush art and now find I am never surprised to find works I have to own by talented plush artists.

Here's a little shot of me nerding out with some of my handmade plush collection that's come to be over the past few years - the newest addition being this adorable rosebush given to me by the endlessly talented and sweet Christine of Sugarelf as a completely unexpected and loved Christmas gift. Isn't it beautiful? I have a little collection of her sweet little birds and you can even see a pink owl of hers in the back there that's another one of my favourites.

Surrounding my messy jewelry box, there's also a little Cutesypoo coconut bun, Follow the White Rabbit doll ("Madawaska" with the little nest on her head), and a Mint Conspiracy Petunia monster.

I really want to find a better way to display everything since they're taking over my dresser top and workroom with every (great) addition.

And below, a Fantastic Toys Christmas Fawn that I was lucky enough to win in Tim's blog giveaway. It definitely felt like Christmas when I received it. I've been a fan of his fawns and now I finally have one of my own! Lucky me!

So I guess it's official.

Now I'm a collector.

Happy New Year!

Power Failure, originally uploaded by Needlings.

It's 2010!

Our power went out on January 1st so we stumbled around until we found all the candles in our house and sat around them for an hour until everything powered back up. It was fun.

I'm spending the first week of the month making a huge bunch of my Owl Mamas to be sent out to various shop locations that need refilling or have ordered more.

I also have plans to start doing monthly shop updates this year so watch for that closer to the end of the month - more new things!

I hope everyone's year is going well so far.
Talk soon!

Happy Holidays, Merry Christmas, Happy New Year

etc., etc.!

I hope everyone is enjoying some good happy times as the year ends!

See you in the next one!

2010!

Love always,

Heather

needlings.etsy.com

♥

♥

♥

Our Tree

Our tree, originally uploaded by Needlings.

It's finally up and it finally really feels like Christmas around here.

I love handmade ornaments, not surprisingly. We cover our tree with Christmas happys made by real folks and that makes me happy. We've collected quite a few over the years including ones I've made at various stages as well.
A lot of my newer favourites came from various loved etsy favourites - especially those little green trees with ribbon and happy faces from sugarelf.etsy.com. They're adorable.

I really feel lucky.
Happy holidays sweet people!

Makers' Market Holiday '09

Makers' Market Holiday '09, originally uploaded by Needlings.

My show season wrapped up on this past Saturday when I participated in the last Makers' Market of this year on James North at Christ Church Cathedral downtown Hamilton.
It was so much fun - I loved hanging out in this amazing building all day. The photo above shows just a little portion of the view from behind my table.
So many great people and a great day all around. It really felt like the beginning of the holiday season for me.

I'll be spending the rest of the year finishing up orders and working on large orders and of course participating in end of year holiday family things and other funness. We got our tree which came from a local farm and we even got free homemade apple cider to take home with us. It was very sweet. The tree is currently residing in the garage until I manage to clean up my work area which I will be sharing with said little tree shortly. I'll be sure to document its illustrious arrival.

It snowed for the first time of the season so I corned it up and watched, "White Christmas," my favourite Christmas (and otherwise really) movie.
I've made my poor family suffer through an obscene amount of viewings over the years but I think they still like it!
It's hard to believe the year is almost over. I'm excited for the year to come.
I hope everyone had a good November and feels ready for winter.

Love you,
Heather

Merryberry Market

Merryberry Market, originally uploaded by Needlings.

I spent the evening of this "Black Friday" past participating in a local market to raise money for Westdale Children's School. We had so much fun and spent the night drinking apple cider and listening to little kids play various instruments inside a cozy wood adorned hall in Westdale. I loved it! It got me started thinking about Christmas spirit so all we need is some snow and it will truly feel like (almost) December.

It's a busy sewing weekend for me staying caught up with orders and making a few more odds and ends for my table to replenish what sold in the past shows in order to get ready for the last Makers' Market of the year downtown on James North on December 5th. This will be my last show for the year after a little flurry of them so it will be a little bit of a relief to concentrate on some other Needlings things.

Wish me luck!

I hope everyone had a lovely November!

Show Season

MacFair '09, originally uploaded by Needlings.

This photo is from MacFair which took place last week at the McMaster Museum of Art November 11-13. A day after my birthday!
It was so fun to have my mom there with me for her first show (there's her table of pretty scarves and cowls next to mine) and it was a great start to the season.
Tomorrow is the first Makers' Market holiday show at St. Paul's in Westdale and the following weekend brings two more shows, before the last holiday Makers' Market at the Cathedral on James North on December 5th.
Busy busy busy!

So my exciting news that leads me to have only excitement about the upcoming holiday busy-ness is that I am now a full-time all-the-time Needlings maker! I feel so lucky and happy and ready.
I hope to keep you all more updated on the future goings-on with myself and Needlings. And most of all I hope you all are happy and well.

Go Ask Alice

A fun Alice inspired plush and doll show in Santa Barbara opens on December 5th which will display awesome wonderland-y doll and plush from artists from all over including my own Alice and White rabbit!

You deserve a better update - it's coming soon. I miss you.

Colourful Owl Babies! And thank yous.

Colourful Owl Babies!, originally uploaded by Needlings.

I've had these little other coloured Owl Baby Pins floating around on my table at various markets this fall but now they're all available in my shop.

I have lots of work over the next few weeks to get ready for the three day show that is MacFair at the Museum of Art at McMaster University mid November so I will be busy busy but I hope to keep you informed of that work along the way!

I just want to take a blog minute to say thank you so so so so much if you've ever bought/read/commented/enjoyed any work I've done. I feel so lucky to have had such nice people saying so many sweet things to me over the past couple years with Needlings. It's all endlessly encouraging and means the world to me.
I love you.

Supercrawl

Supercrawl Makers' Market Oct 9th, originally uploaded by Needlings.

It was a fun night at Supercrawl on James North in Hamilton last Friday - even if it was wet and freezing cold! It was so nice to see that so many people came out for it even though the weather was a nightmare for an outdoor event.

One more outdoor market this Saturday in the same spot downtown and then I'll be indoors for the rest of the year at a few holiday shows/markets in November and December. It's certainly easier to predict the weather inside.

Currently working away on various things and spending lots of time getting ready for the holiday season.
I hope everyone is having a great fall. I love this time of year.