First : don't forget about my first GIVEAWAY!  So far the odds are pretty hard to beat for whoever enters....

Second : SHOP UPDATE!

Today I sent a giant package of wonders + beauties to the White Rabbit Gallery in Iowa City, Iowa -- they just reopened in a new location and I hear it's amazing!

Also I sewed up some things for the Plush It! Show in Australia and brainstormed a bunch for two other shows I need to get cranking on....

ALSO I went to JoAnn's + the crazies had 100% WOOL FELT on CLEARANCE!  I'm still excited about it + a little scratchy from holdaing so much wool felt in my arms when I was waiting in line at the cutting table.  Oh boy.

1. job at Marigold Kitchen
2. table cloth + wall decor
3. recipe for spring rolls + spicy peanut sauce (yum!)
4. baguette order at Anthology here in Madison
5. sketchbook for some self-medicating art therapy
6. books for this fall + radio slot too which I'll note when it becomes active...

not much in the craft world besides the sketchbook.  BUT there should be some new plush up tomorrow for some upcoming art gallery shows!  as well as a shop update some time in the afternoon after i get photographs uploaded!

also, i'm going to have a GIVEAWAY since i really appreciate everyone who visits + supports me here.  this summer has been full of more ups + downs than usual and now i'm looking for some fun things to keep me occupied so... here's the details of the GIVEAWAY :

leave a comment that just contains something neat / interesting.  ANYTHING : books + authors, artists + crafters, websites + zines, films + youtube, music, people, anything anything anything.  on SEPTEMBER 1ST i'll choose a comment randomly and email you to get your mailing address.

the prize : a gift package full of goodies, but guaranteed to contain a plush Frenchy Croissant -- amoungst other wonderful surprises both handmade, thrifted, and of the craft-supply genre.

ALSO : post about my giveaway on your blog (+ let me know) -- and i'll enter you twice! 

good luck + i can't wait to find out about all these new, neat / interesting THINGS!

Mom climbing through the dunes to get to a small, public beach called Christmas Cove.  It was more discovered / busier than I'd ever seen it before.

The cabin in all it's blue-on-blue glory (the shingles are blue too).

On the way there, after the ferry which we took from Wisconsin to Michigan, I was extremely tired from so much sun, + Cooper was still groggy from her pills we had to calm them down, so we took a nap together.

The cabin is in the middle of two cherry tree orchards -- one sour (these bright cherries), and one sweet (which are darker and, well, sweeter).

The dogs on the "private" stair path that goes directly to the beach below our cabin.  They kept running ahead but then waiting to make sure we were catching up with them, how thoughtful.

My brother's stubby nail and the potato salad we ate while we waited nearly an hour for one calzone.

I don't usually like superman ice cream, but it's a tradition, so I went all out -- with the sprinkle cone and everything.

Here are a few snapshots that were taken during Maxwell Street Days here in Madison a few weekends ago.  I sort of "hitched a ride" with WSUM's booth and, although sales again were slowish, there was lots of positive feedback to be had and a few little custom radios that I'll be posting up in the shop (for sale, of course), very soon.  In fact, that brings us to a shop update that will be happening sometime in the next week with a few custom plush, more dolls and some papery things like recipe cards, sewing kits and the lovely like.

Sorry I haven't been very visible through this website the past few weeks.  A lot of real-life, big-kid stuff has been going on and I don't like sharing my life that doesn't involve thrift shopping finds or felt faced creme brulées, so here we are.  I just wanted to post a quick note that I will be absent for another week while on a family vacation, and unfortunately my internet is so slow right now I can't even properly upload a photo, so this is a petit adieu until August.... 

here's a silly polaroid taken last night when i handed over a giant plush yellow vinyl panther i stitched up as a "hi, nice to finally meet you" gift to lou's lovely lady liz.  here the cutest couple ever sits in my apartment, teaching their new love child bad habits.

the most difficult part of the process (since i'd picked up an antique pattern from Dig + Save to actually use vs. making one up) -- WAS the eyes.  since the safety eyes i had were too small and awkward, i put together some of my own -- 4 layers of wool felt with scalloped black edges.  they were pretty funny... as you can see.

he's just so huggable and piggy-backable it's ridiculous.  i'm not sure what his name ended up being... as of last night the only thing that liz + lou had come up with was a middle name -- grocery cart or shopping bag or something like that....

ALSO in plush news, i sent off a bunch of stuff to a few stores today.  first, the flip head coins are going to be part of the August sampler so buy that up, please!

Second, I sent some bunnies and stinkers off to the Renegade Handmade shop in Chicago which is really exciting

AND I dropped of a big load of goods at the shop here in Madison on State Street called Anthology.  Which is expecting to get slammed this weekend during Art Fair off the Square.  Also this weekend is Fete de Marquette -- a Frenchy music festival.  And naturally, I'm thrilled.

the craftacular was a load of fun.  i had a cute little spot upstairs next to the mrs. pacman machine, which i utilized to the max.  and although the sales these past two summer craft fairs have been slow, the publicity and feedback i've received has been phenomenal and just motivates me more to prepare for the insanity which are winter / holiday craft fairs.... 

other, non craft things that i've been up to :

i spent the past weekend back home, in iowa city, for the fourth and to do some family visiting.  highlights included :
+waxing my car for the first time since i bought it about 4 to 5 years ago
+utilizing a clothing line when my big-little brother sprayed me with a hose, oh boys
+having a post-4th picnic with the dad's fam by this amazing little lake that was clean despite the iowa floods and taking a successful self-portrait at sun set.

yes i am alive.  yes i have been neglectful and anti-social but i promise a wonderful update tomorrow.  i apologize if anyone has been continually disappointed in the lack of updates... truthfully i just haven't done a lot of craft-related things in the past two weeks.  but actually that's not totally true.  anyway, you'll see tomorrow.

until then. 

I'm all set for tomorrow's Craftacular!  

Now?  Off to Walgreens to buy more Polaroid film.

First!  My French 60s/70s pop radio show is tonight, live at 7 pm CST and it can be listened to locally at 91.7 fm or streamed online at wsum.org!  C'est une émission très cool!

So far today, I woke up early this morning to drive Adam to his, well, drop-off point for his 10 day Wyoming bug collecting extravaganza.  After an hour more of rest I trudged to my new volunteer position at a language acquisition lab which is about a 45 minute walk along the lake shore which I really enjoy.  Anyway, at the docks where they keep the sail boats I heard the tiniest little piping / quacking ever and with my camera in my pocket I took some family portraits.

My internet is being a rump, so real quick, here's a sneak peek of one of my new crafts that I've been perfecting and getting ready for the Craftacular, as well as the shop, very soon.  So, here you go, little sweetie book plates!