Fantastic Etsy Project!

I'm very excited to be included in a wonderful collaboration on Etsy.  Ashley from Octopus Pie Studios has created Inspired Artist Series, a set of drawings based on items created by other members of the Etsy Ugly Cute team.  Here is the fantasic drawing she did for me.

It is based on Blush, one of my goblin dolls, and is entitled ‘Whimsy’ in honor of my shop. 

Ashley will be selling prints of Whimsy in her Etsy shop.  http://www.etsy.com/shop/OctopusPieStudios  I ordered mine last night and can’t wait until it arrives.  What fun it is when creative people work together.  You never know what wondrous collaborations will result!

Regency Beach Picnic

Last week my friends and I had a Regency picnic on the beach.  It was fabulous.  By unspoken rule, we all arrived wearing red and blue, and so looked very 'Rule Britannia'.  I had a new red velvet spencer for the occasion. 

The weather was all grey and foggy, but it was remarkably warm and there was no wind.  I didn't even need to use my parasol.

We met at the beach at Tierra del Mar, and when we walked north we could barely see the houses through the mist. There aren’t any cars on that part of the beach, we only met a couple of horses.  It felt very much like a English beach.

  We went into the water (only ankle deep) and found some beautiful shells.  Then we returned to our blankets and had a glorious feast.

This picnic was planned at the last minute, and many of our friends weren’t able to come, but we definitely want to have another one next year!

Regency Goblins

Farthing and Snuff are my newest goblins, a pair of Regency cuties.  They are now in my Etsy shop.

Farthing the Regency Goblin Doll

  Farthing is a darling little goblin.  She is a transplant from the English Regency era.  She lives in a little cottage with her very own Mr. Darcy- Snuff.  They have an upper-maid and two parlors and eight cows.  Farthing loves to draw and is an accomplished harpist.  She would be happy to come play the harp and draw for you.

Snuff the Regency Goblin Doll

Snuff is a dapper little goblin, but don’t mistake him for a dandy.  He is a transplant from the English Regency era.  He lives in a little cottage covered with vines with his own true love; Farthing.  She thinks he is every bit as romantic as Mr. Darcy They have a grove of old oaks, a haw-haw and Snuff’s Folly- a Grecian temple.  Snuff drives a barouche and collects snuff-boxes.  He would be happy to share his collection with you.

Bonnets on Etsy

I've just added some ready-to-wear Regency bonnets to my Etsy shop.  I plan to have decorate-your-own bonnets with finishing kits and kits to make your own bonnets from scratch soon.  What fun it has been putting together all the fabrics and feathers and trims.  Here are the finished ready-to-wear bonnets.  Let me know what you think!

Google Loves Puddle!

This morning my Etsy shop statistics showed that I was getting a lot of traffic from google, so I just checked and when you google "house elf doll" Puddle comes up third!  Incredible!  I have no idea how long this will last, so I'm going to take advantage of the moment and shout it from the rooftops while I can.  Nickel and Zinc popped up high in the google image search rankings too.  So thanks to everyone who has googled my elves or favorited them or just checked them out on Etsy.  You've made my day!

More Goblins and House Elves

I’ve added two more house elves and a couple more of their goblin cousins to my Etsy Shop.  Here they are:

  Nickel is a happy little elf.  He lives at a ski lodge in the mountains where he spends his days whipping cream for all the hot chocolate that children drink after skiing and building snowmen all day.  Last winter, a grateful little girl gave him her old cashmere sweater, and he and his friend Zinc used a sleeve of it to make a wonderful sweater.  Nickel shares a room in the rafters with Zinc, but he would be happy to come live with you and make whipped cream for your hot chocolate!

   Zinc is a funny little elf.  He lives at a ski lodge in the mountains where he hangs out in the Lost and Found room, where he saves old scarves and gloves that no one claims to make clothes for himself and his friends.  He made his own sweater from a discarded purple glove, and he’s pretty proud of it. Zinc shares a room in the rafters with his friend Nickel, but he is willing to come to your house to organize your hats and scarves for you!

   Whisper is a shy little goblin.  She lives in a yarn store, and she takes great pride in keeping all of the skeins arranged perfectly by color.  She collects scraps leftover from knitting projects, and recently made herself a cozy new sweater.  She would love to come arrange your yarns for you!

  Limpet is a bright little goblin.  She lives in a tiny shingled cottage beside the sea and spends her days combing the beach for seashells and other treasures.  She dreams of stowing away on a pirate ship to visit far-away beaches where she imagines the shells are as big as she is.  Limpet would love to be your traveling companion!

 Limpet has a particularly fun story.  I made her and gave her the Irish limpet she is wearing around her neck, then I took pictures of her on the beach and listed her on Etsy.  But it felt like something was missing.  So yesterday while I was sitting on the beach I made her a little purple pirate hat to complete her ensemble.  Immediately afterwards, while walking down the beach I spotted only the second limpet I’ve found in Oregon.  It was tiny and perfect, and I stitched it to the side of Limpet’s hat.  Now her outfit is complete and she looks great.  Talk about fortuitous luck!

House Elves and Pixies and Goblins, Oh My!

I have finally put some of my house elf and goblin dolls in my Etsy shop.  It’s hard to look at my little darlings and decide which ones I can bear to part with.  Some of them are very sweet, but not very interesting- until I make up their little back story and then they are suddenly full of personality and I want to keep them!  Here are pictures and stories of the first few of the goblin gang who are brave enough to attempt a foray into the world.  Enjoy!

  Puddle is a happy little elf.  She lives in a little English tearoom in the Cotswolds where she has fun polishing silver teapots and trying tea cozies on her head.  She wears a dress she made herself from a bandana, and little white knickers.  Puddle would love to come live at your house and polish your teapots for you!

   Snap is a delightful little pixie.  He loves to sing and dance and dreams of being on the stage.  His favorite song is Singin’ in the Rain.  He has finally found the perfect outfit to perform in.  Won’t you take him home and let him sing and dance for you?

  Blush is a cheerful little goblin.  Don’t be fooled by her horns, she’s a real sweetie.  She lives with her best friend Gilly in a little thatched cottage covered with honeysuckle.  Blush loves to bake, especially peach pie.  She would love to come live with you and bake you pies!

   Gilly is a fancy little goblin.  She and her friend Blush live in a tiny cottage with a beautiful garden and Gilly spends her days tending roses, lavender, and her namesake- gillyweed.  She is dressed in her best outfit, all ready to go to a flower show, or to make you a cup of herbal tea.

Fun with Birds

I've always been a bird lover, and I've been having fun being creative with birds lately.  My sister is getting married next weekend, and they are having pies instead of cake, so I decorated these two pie birds for them.

Recently I repainted my bathroom.  It has a very strange ceiling with many oddly shaped panes.  One in particular bugged me.  It is just above eye level and straight ahead when you walk in.  It always felt like it should be decorated somehow., but I could never think of anything that was the right shape.  I finally decided on a peacock.  I looked at lots of pictures and finally just made up my own version of one.  I love that the copper paint shimmers in the sunlight (there is a skylight right above it).  Here is the result.  I'm pretty pleased with it.

Picnic Bonnet Pictures

On Sunday we had some friends over for a Regency Picnic.  I had fun making gowns and bonnets.  Here are a couple of my favorites.  They include my placemat bonnets, both poke and stovetop, and a stovetop bonnet make entirely of buckram.

 We had a great time practicing archery and rowing on the lake.  I can't wait until our next Regency event!

Etsy Update

I just updated my etsy shop.  In addition to pirate hats, I now have ribbon rose pins for sale and hope to add more goodies soon!