An Exciting New Adventure

It feels like it has been a very long time since I posted last. I have been away from the computer a good bit and that, as you know, is always a good thing to do every once and awhile!

As the title of the post suggests, I have a new project that I am very excited to finally share with you. Starting in February, I will be selling special dolls for each month of the year. I have been making these for awhile now, they are known as my "Calendar Girls." The special thing this time around is $6.00 of every doll sold is going to a different charity each month. I know what you are thinking - no, this is not my idea. This is something that the very talented Ashley G. has been doing for quite sometime. I have always thought it was such a beautiful thing, that I really wanted to do it too!

I am truly so happy and grateful for every single lovely person that stops by my shop, buys a little something from me, or sends me a kind message. So, thank you to all of you!!! Oh, I almost forgot, I am posting "February" in the shop right now, here is a sneak peak of her! I just love her!!

Doxie Valentines

Happy Saturday to you all! I have lots of fun projects planned for myself, but before I get to them, I wanted to post that my new Valentines are up in the shop. These are the ones that I was telling you all about before here. I just really like them and they are very different from anything else that I have done.

Okay, so tomorrow is my Mom's birthday and we are all getting together this evening for a celebration of great food, wine and of course cake! She is a very special lady and quite worthy of a big celebration on her special day. I am off to make her some pretty jewelry for a gift. Hope you all have a wonderful weekend!!!

Popsie Pig and Henrietta Hog

They are the very best of friends.

Also, Popsie (on the right) is available here.

I finished these gals yesterday and I have started on another project today. Today, however, is one of those days that the fingers and the needle and thread and the creativity just want to drink tea and do nothing. So, nothing productive has occured. I did however, get a little seedling of an idea I am going to tinker with this evening.

Keep your fingers crossed for an exciting and more fruitful post tomorrow!

More Cupids!

On the Pea Soup agenda today was finishing my little piggy dolls. More on those two tomorrow, (wait to you get a look at the little dresses that they are wearing!!!) But what I wanted to show and tell with you today are these little cupid tags:

These are one of my first attempts at using my drawings in a final design. Usually my drawings are translated into wool felt form. And I did make these little cupid bears as an ornament of course . . .

But I thought that this would also make a cute design for some gift tags and so they are available here!

P.S. I hope that if you are somewhere that is as cold as it is here in the mountains of PA, that you have plenty of wool sweaters, hot cocoa and snuggle buddies to keep you warm!!!

You're Sweet

I have been making so many new designs that I can't even keep up with what I have written about on here and what I have posted in the shop! I was looking for some fabric today and I came upon a stack of pins that I completely forgot about. The good news is, there are going to be lots of new things in the shop in the next couple of weeks, including (for starters) what I just posted here.

As for productivity in the Pea Soup studio, it has been a pretty quiet weekend here. Yesterday, Ed and I went to my favorite craft store. Being the sweetie that he is, he left me loose there while he wandered around in other stores (I try to do the same for him whenever we are in a music store, it seems only fair;) I got lots of great little things, papers, beads, felt, fabric quarters . . . It was fantastic! Today, besides cleaning and rearranging the bedroom, I started a couple of little piggy dolls, they will be in the queue for shop additions soon!

Cupid Bear

Hey All and a Happy Friday to you!

Just wanted to post that this little guy is up in the shop. I mentioned earlier that I have been doing some sewn pieces based on my illustrations. This is one of them and I am really tickled pink at how it turned out. I especially love the detail! The bow and arrows are made with floral wire and thread. I mean, he's wearing a head band for goodness sake!!! I made three of them so if you like him - check him out soon!!! Thanks a bunch everyone!

I just wanted to show you all a new little set of pins that I have been working on. I have tinkered with the idea of using the designs on my "Foods in Love" card series (as seen here, here and here) as pin ideas. A few days ago, I whipped up a batch of cards and decided to make a few to see how they look. I was pretty happy with the results, above of course is "Makin' Bacon" and he is already available in the shop.

And we have little "warm and toasty" one . . .

Theres also a little fried egg, a cupcake, a pear and this little guy:


I will have them all up in the shop soon!

I am also very excited about a little series of pins and ornament dolls that I have been working on today. As for right now, it is a little secret, but I will be posting here and on etsy my new little creations soon!!! (I will give you a hint. They are extra cute, they may have something to do with bugs and they may be made out of wool felt - that's an easy one I guess!)

A Portrait of the Family Felt

Apologies for the picture. I was so excited this evening that I had to post about this lovely group of felt dolls despite the lack of natural light. There are actually three different families here, but together, they sure make a cute bunch! It really does look like a family portrait, one of those ones that you take on Thanksgiving when the picture taker tries to wrangle everyone into one frame.

Anyway, I am astonished that I got all of these dolls done. I really wanted them all finished to post in plenty of time for Valentines day. Here is the reason behind this. (Get ready, another rambling story from me to you.) My Dad, who is the coolest by the way, always made Valentines day very special for me. There was always a thoughtful little gift, whether it was a new set of paper dolls or a little wooden doll, and it was always just a super day. When I got too old for toys, it was a little cake or flowers. By his simple act of just being Dad and being sweet, he has totally made Valentines Day special and fun, no matter what. Meaning it didn't matter if there was a "Valentine" in my life or not. And now that I have the very best Valentine, it is an extra special Thank You to Dad and Ed.

Okay, enough of my ramblings, what does all of this have to do with these little dolls? Well, I think it is my secret hope that they will go to a little girl to make her Valentines Day extra special.

Thanks for walking down memory lane with me. (P.S. There is one of these three families up in the shop here.)

FYI, Cupids

I just posted this in the announcements over in le shop and I thought I would put a friendly reminder here. I have created a temporary shop section entitled "VALENTINE." There is where you will find all kinds of Valentine's Day gift ideas. It is really like my own Etsy gift guide! You just might find little things like these over there . . .

OOOH LA LA!!!

For You (From Bean Marie)

My secretarial skills have been called upon this week and so I have been helping my sister-in-law and not getting much pea soup projects done. I did want to share with you a rather funny incident featuring the new valentine cards (that are going to be going up in the shop) and my wiener dog named Bean Marie. One afternoon last week, I decided to design and create a valentine card with my little dog as the feature. As I was drawing and finishing the cards, I had a very interested wiener dog whining at my feet. Normally, she wants nothing to do with me when I am busy and unable to provide her with 110% of my attention, but in this case, she was clawing to get onto my lap. So up on my lap she went and there is where she stayed. So, I guess all I can say is, these valentines were created under the close supervision of a real live wiener dog. . . it was under these conditions that I made them . . .

I think she approves? It's so hard to tell with a miniature wiener dog.

You and Me and 70 degrees.

Yep, that's right. It is 71 degrees here in PA. Yep, that's also correct, it is January. Wild!

Because of this unseasonably warm weather, very little crafting has occured. First of all, I am finally taking down the Christmas tree and decorations. :( No fun, but it is easier when it feels more like springtime outside than January.

Another big project that I have decided to undertake - cleaning and organizing the attic. Yuck and double yuck. But I have a visions of organized and well labeled bins lining the walls with all of my things neatly tucked inside . . .

Anyway, back to reality. One thing that I have been working on is more produce, breakfast and sweets cards and sets for the shop. I figured these might make nice Valentines! Also, I have taken a few of the designs and am making little pins to wear. They will also be available in the shop probably later this week.

Work in Progress

Okay, not the best picture I have ever snapped, but that seems to be the way things are going around here lately. The winter sun has been beautiful and a bit fickle for picture taking. Anyway, the above image is the beginnings of a matryoshka (nesting) doll. I have been fascinated with them my whole life. As a child, I would play for hours with my little set of dolls. It has been my dream for a long time to make a few sets myself. Of course being totally inspired by this as a design trend helps too. Just a quick search on Etsy brings up the cutest stuff! (Like this and this.) So, I will be reporting back with progress soon (hopefully.)

In other works-in-progress, I finished a batch of little cupid bears for Valentines Day. I posted a few days ago about creating wool felt critters inspired by some of my drawings. This is another of these:

I really like him!

Also in the works, a little collaboration project between me and my miniature dachshund, Bean Marie. Stay tuned!!

In the Winter Sun

One of my resolutions (and I have a good many!) Is to be a better blogger. This should hopefully be a little bit easier since today is my first official day working full time as a craftster. For a long time I have had little odd jobs here and there, but for right now, it is just me and the wool felt and I am so thrilled and scared and just along for the ride really!!!

As much as I tried, I didn't take my holiday break completely without sewing. I just couldn't do it! I am like a lost puppy without some little project cooking. And so, I have been very busy making hearts and valentine-y sort of things. One of the things that I am most excited about is transforming my drawings into sewn ornaments and softies. The picture above is one of my first attempts, a drawing of a cardinal and the little cardinal softie that it inspired! I am very excited about this and will have at least two designs for sale in the shop for Valentines Day.

Okay, back to cleaning the studio, I don't know about you, but the New Year always has me ready to clean and organize!!!