TGIF!

Well, it’s Friday and although for some people that means relaxation and a weekend free of working, I find that I can be quite productive on the weekends.  Today I am starting on a polar bear and a bunny.  Maybe another cat too!

I just finished up these two koalas and I think that they are quite nice!

The one in jeans and turquoise bird shirt is my favorite!

And one more photo of them goofing around…

I am anxiously awaiting some light blue faux fur that I ordered, so that I can start on my Uglydoll gallery entries for Giant Robot.  As soon as it arrives I need to start on these!  I  am making three Babo’s, one small, one medium and one large.  They will have some teddybearrepublic flare to them.

In other news, we went and saw Star Trek in IMAX 3D yesterday and it was incredible.  I highly recommend that you see this movie, as there hasn’t been a movie this great out in awhile.  I am not going to spoil anything, but I will say that I got to see one of my favorite Star Trek creatures in this film, which was a great surprise!  Benedict Cumberbatch did not disappoint, and Zachary Quinto who plays Spock, was really the star of this film.  Go…See…It!

It’s time for me to go and get some exercise by way of hiking, and then to patiently wait down in the lobby for the mailwoman and hope that my supplies arrive today!

Here’s a view of our rooftop, where I ate breakfast this morning…

Yours in crafting,

Busy May!

I just found out that I will be at the Patchwork Long Beach Craft Show on June 2nd.  This should be fun!  I did the last Long Beach show and it was a great and enthusiastic crowd.  Not to mention it’s very beautiful.  I will try to snap some photos this time.  So, I’m busy sewing.

Also, I about to start on an UglyDoll Plush show at GiantRobot.  I am making some Babo’s.  He’s the first uglydoll.  That show is June 7th at the GiantRobot store in Los Angeles.

This week I finished a few darling hoglets(baby hedgehogs)

Here is one a little closer up…

I also finished this small SuperRaccoon with cape and this funky bird!  It was quite windy and his fur/feathers were going crazy.

This is my favorite raccoon shot!

I just got some black, shiny fur in the mail and today I will be making some black cats.

My inspiration is my cat Reg.  He’s my buddy!

In unrelated news, I saw the Great Gatsby yesterday and I liked it.  We didn’t see it in 3-D.  I can’t wait for the new Star Trek!  Yours in crafting,

Sunday, Windy Sunday…

It’s quite windy here today in Los Angeles and not a typically warm and sunny day either.  Before the weekend, we had a two day heat wave where it was between 90F and 95F.(30C – 33)  It’s supposed to rain later today or tomorrow, so it’s windy and grey today.  This, however is perfect weather for sewing and crafting.  I just listened to the Moth radio hour and was particularly interested in a story told by DMC (yes from Run DMC) and his bout with feelings of suicide and how listening to Sarah McLaughlin helped him to cope.  Very touching.  Now I am listening to some KCRW and doing some hand embroidery.

I finished these two lions and I quite like them.  I’m trying to make lots of things for a few big summer craft shows that I am hoping to get into.

The lion with the triangles is my favorite.  He makes me smile.

Here is one more.  A lion totem!

I downloaded some photos from my phone, but they are not great quality because my husband (who is the operations manager of a camera store) says that you buy a phone for the phone, not for the camera.

Anyway, I went on a hike yesterday into the Hollywood Hills, just above our place and I ended up hiking for three hours.  I slept quite well last night!  I feel pretty lucky to have access to beautiful hikes that are literally right in my backyard, so here are a few mediocre photos from yesterday’s hike.

In the above photo, I hiked up and over to the edge of Runyon Canyon and the vista was very pretty.

This was some beautiful bougainvaillea which is stunning at this time of year, here in L.A.

This one is from my Instagram.  If you look closely, you can see downtown L.A. in the distance.

A neat house up very high in the hills.  This is pretty much at the top!

And finally, this gate looks like it belongs in a secret headquarters of an X-Men movie.  I have to say that photos do not seem to do the the architecture and grandiosity of these places justice.  You really do need to see them in person to be totally blown away.

Okay, and now back to sewing… Yours in crafting…

 

Time Flies!

Well, I knew that I hadn’t blogged for awhile, but I can’t believe that I went two weeks without blogging.  I am trying to think of where all of the time went?  I had a few nice visits from Canadian friends.  B made us a nice brunch and we caught up.  My other friend that was visiting wanted to see the ocean, so we made our way to Santa Monica and rented cruiser bikes to ride up and down the beaches!  That was fun.  It’s great when people come to visit because I get to see Los Angeles through their eyes.

I was going to get back to blogging last week, then the Boston Marathon bombing happened and it spoiled the mood for me.  That was upsetting for obvious reasons and I decided to stay silent for a bit.  It really made me think about my life and just how precious it is.  I think the  thing that was the most upsetting is that the people who were hurt were there to support their friends and family and were being completely unselfish when the bomb went off.  Then it made me think about Los Angeles and how many times I am in a crowd, doing something fun, when something sickening like that could happen.  Anyway, on to happier things…

I have been sewing a lot and here are a few things that I have been working on…

First, I have been making cats and dogs.  Although, I prefer making raccoons, lions and hedgehogs, I realize that dogs and cats are quite popular.  And I actually surprised myself with how fun they were to make.

The cat is my favorite, although I love the dog’s eye patch also.  He’s a mutt.

My most recent project were these two SuperRaccoons.  I just got this fur from International Silks and Woolens which is a 40 year old family business here in West Hollywood.  This brown fur is super soft and easy to work with.

They have capes and possess the ability to fly.

And finally, I have some exciting news!  (not really) I have graduated onto my first box of 10lb stuffing!  This thing is monstrous, but much needed! 

 

I hope that you all had a nice Earth Day.  I hiked a trail on the valley side of Laurel Canyon and it took me to the Coldwater Canyon Park and the Tree People and was quite beautiful.

Now, I must run and get to yoga!

Yours in crafting,

Windy Tuesday!

We had some record winds yesterday here in L.A., and it’s still windy today.  There were damages and they are talking about it on the news. Our power was out for a few hours and I had to make soup by candlelight.   We were fine here, except for a semi-sketched out cat and lots of leaves and debris.  I am mourning the loss of a my beautiful flower box that hangs off of our patio balcony.  Something was poured off of the roof yesterday and it has crushed and killed my entire box of begonias.  I hope somebody owns up to it.  It made me frustrated and sad.

I finished this purple cat yesterday.  He is 19 inches and I like how he came out.

 

I used a beautiful new purple faux fur from Mood Fabrics and it is only $30.oo/yard, which is a great deal.  I machine embroidered the collar and I like how it turned out.

 

I made these two the other day.  They are a koala bear and polar bear and they seem to be getting along quite nicely.

 

I am off to yoga and then back to sewing again this afternoon.  I think a new fox softie is long over due, maybe two?

Yours in crafting,

Who says lions can’t be pink?

Unless, you are color-blind, like my Dad is, you cannot deny that this is the pinkest lion that you have ever seen!

What can I say?  I love lions and I love pink.

Without a doubt, you either love this bright lion, or hate it.  And that’s okay.

And if you do love it… here’s a close-up, in all of it’s glory.

Okay, I’m not in much of a profound writing mood and I am off to craft some small polar bears, which are another of my favorite animals.  Also, I am going to try and needle felt something because I love doing it, and I plan to make a bunch of critters in sweater vests to sell this summer, along with softies.  They were a hit last summer at Renegade L.A.

Yours in crafting,

Sewing Day.

It’s a sewing day and when I took a break from stitching, I looked over and Effie and Helmger were being a little bit goofy!

Yours in crafting,