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Bowling Over for Elves

An Elf bowling set for Sophie

Mark was helping me tape off the paint lines and decided our grandbaby needed more than just boring horizontal stripes. His creativity left "open" areas at the neck line so I added some homespun scarves and I love how this set turned out. Hope she loves it too!

Help Handmade Toy Makers

A new law from the CPSIA was proposed to protect our children from the toxic toys our countries large toy manufacturers have produced in China and other developing countries. Unfortunately, they have excluded the small companies that have already earned the peoples trust by producing healthy, non-toxic toys for our children. Homemade or handcrafted toys are NOT excluded from the law and it will force those of use who can't afford the independent and expensive testing to either break the law or to close our doors. We already know our toys are safe and the choice for parents, we know our toys don't contain or produce toxins. Our customers have given us their approval. Please help us! The Handmade Toy Alliance offers information and a sample letter you can send to your representatives. You can also click the Icon on my sidebar for a site that provides resources to help. I, personally, began my business because our country was NOT regulating the safety of the toys sold in our country and I applaud the effort to force large toy companies to manufacture safe toys. However, those of us who provide safe handcrafted products (not because its the law, but because its the right thing to do) need to be excluded from the regulations targeting the large manufacturers!
Just a quick entry to post Ayla's Finger puppet set. I made a lined zippered pouch to hold them all. I hate putting zippers in, to the point that if a zipper needs to be replaced, the piece goes in the trash. However, I found a number of tutorials that made it look fairly easy and I couldn't resist trying one of their methods. Wow, it was easy and quick!


Baby Callie and this litle girl monkey named Jingles were delivered this morning. Two grand daughters to receive them tomorrow. Bye bye babies!

I love these!

OK, yesterday I vented, today I'm giving cheers. By the way, I got a package mailed express to the grand babies, so I feel better. Anyway... we stopped at a Joann's on the way home from FL since we didn't get to make it to the superstore in Tampa and I had a 50% off coupon burning a hole in my pocket. I picked up some fabric for doll clothes (finding a small enough pattern in fabric is not always easy) but the cheers for the day go to my new gadget. I have picked the box up and looked at it a dozen times in the past, always the tightwad, I hated spending the money to encourage my own laziness. Well, 50% off and stressed about time, how could I resist! I bought the sidewinder bobbin winder! While the cost is about 10 less at Walmart, the 50% coupon made it a better deal at Joann's. This handy dandy little gadget winds bobbins OFF of the sewing machine. Now, now, it is not all about being too lazy to take the empty bobbin out, wind it, re thread it, yadda yadda, but I have to tell you, I hate it! I sew alot of assembly line style and running out of bobbin thread and having to rewind and then re thread the machine really cuts into my productivity. This puppy rocks!
Another cheers... today I was sewing a drawstring bag to hold Ayla's puppets and since I was using some left over cotton fabric, I wanted it lined. Not a big thing, I make lined bags all the time, but I had run across a tutorial online and thought the easy peasy way was worth a try. Now granted, I had to tweak it to work the size bag I wanted and how to do that wasn't really clear, but I must have been close because the method rocks!You have to try the tutorial from Happythings. I'm certainly going to make more!

Catching Up


Pocket Monsters

After two months of working many extra shifts, planning and attending an out of state wedding, keeping up with our store and custom orders, and a craft fair, I was somehow under the impression that Christmas would be delayed for my benefit. It didn't work out that way! Mark, thankfully, shopped, stuffed stockings, and prepared packages for mailing. The girls and their men are getting VISA gift cards but I was determined to handcraft the grand babies presents. What is done will go, the rest will be late! Maybe the 12 days of Christmas AFTER Christmas should be a new tradition. Every time I thought I mailed "the last order", more came in. While I'm not complaining about having a profitable Christmas season, I'm venting because as usual, my time management skills suck. I don't think I realized how well we'd do selling our toys and didn't take into account my own grand babies needed the same non-toxic toys! LOL. Anyway, I finished a few, others are in progress, and some only visions in my mind! BUT, on a positive note...every one of my custom orders went out in a timely fashion and the feedback is good! Monsters were a big hit and I've had requests to restock so some may purchase "the entire set". Chuckling to myself because they were totally "winged" and now I'll have to try to replicate them so people have "complete sets". I finished Sophie's pocket monster set, tiny little guys that will fit in her chubby little hands, complete with a drawstring bag, embroidered with monsters, of course. Ayla will start with a set of finger puppets, also in their own bag. Maybe my grand babies will be more organized than I. I have a few more of the finger puppets to make, they're rather time consuming but so darn cute. Mark delivered two babies for me yesterday and I have one more to deliver, but it's done! I made Ayla a super hero cape and mask and Sophie has a set of Elf Skittles (bowling set). Just for the record, NERF balls are made in the USA! We decided a soft NERF ball was a better choice than a wooden ball, thinking it will do less damage when thrown instead of rolled.

Bye Bye Baby Lucas

Bye Bye Babies
Noel and Holly

Jacquelines Big Day



Well, we survived Jacqueline and Jeff's wedding this past weekend and it was a beautiful day. She was a gorgeous bride and he the handsome groom. Jacq and her dad rode in on horseback and then the bride and groom rode off on the horses. The ceremoney was chilly but things certainly heated up at the reception hall. Lots of food, drink, love and laughter. The DJ was awesome and everyone appeared to have a great time.

Wedding Time



We are off the Florida this morning for Jacqs wedding on Saturday and the last few days have been packed with activity. I struggled to get orders out in the mail before we left but made my deadline. I made Mark stay up until 11:30 last night while I cut, sewed, and stuffed two special order babies to take with me to work on. I can sculpt and assemble them on the way. I haven't finished the wedding favors, but the pieces are also ready to assemble en route. I worked 5 shifts last week so spare time was at a minimum and I sure don't want to do that again anytime soon. Mark also had a kitchen combo order to fill this past week, and he also got it done on time. The lady requested no door under the sink so she could hang a curtain and she wanted to put her own handle on the frig. He was disappointed about the latter since he loves the oak handles he designed! Oh well! When we get home, I will concentrate on the grand daughters Christmas presents, finger puppets and a few pocket monsters are the only things completed thus far! I'll be busy for certain! These are the donuts that were included in the baked goods order that went out this week. she also ordered a cake, cookies and cupcakes!

Bye Bye Baby Faith



Baby Faith heads to San Antonio tomorrow and I'm sure her new mommy will take good care of her!

Reggie Reindeer




Poor Reggie has been in pieces for several weeks and when I got tired of sewing baked goods today, assembling him was a treat. His arms and legs are jointed so he sits or stands, and the tops of his boots even have a fur trim, too cute!
I'm working on an order for enough desserts to fill a small bakery; perhaps that's what Santa intends the tots who receive them to do! Hopefully, I'll get the last of the sweets finished tomorrow and in the mail by the end of the week. I'll get the next order ready for the hand sewing and hopefully my nights at work will allow me the opportunity to work on them. I swear, juggling a paying job with my dream job of making toys is a struggle, LOL!