Maker's Market

 I did it.  I have a bunch of Critters up at the Peculiar Maker's Market.  And I have already sold a few.  One being a custom order that was picked up yesterday, and she loved it. 

This is my little area, mirror not included.  I do intend to doll it up a bit, of course.  I have a vinyl sign coming, and some more business cards.  

Velvet Purple Lion.  

I have my prices set pretty low...I really just want to make enough to pay for the booth rental and maybe a little more.  For me, this gives me a reason to create more.  It has crushed the creative block I was suffering from.  It also gives me a place to go that isn't very far from home.  I can go hang out for a minute, get a cup of "fancy" coffee, then come back home and create some more.  

I've made 3 new big cats, a custom dog, and have another cat cut out ready to be stitched and stuffed.  

Lot's going on in my brain these days.  So much it's hard to keep up.

Play Nice!  xxoo

Weird Week

 I don't know if it's the Lunar Eclipse tomorrow that's got me a little off balance, but I've been kinda scattered in the brains and emotions since Thursday.  

I've done a little hand stitching, mainly just to keep my hands busy, no real project to work on.  

I took a few of my Critters to a new Maker's Market that opened here in town, ran by a local guy and his wife.  Hopefully I will sell them and be able to rent a booth space.  That's how I am picturing it in my mind, that people will see my Critters and/or my burnings, and want to own them.  

That will give me the incentive to create some more, right now I have too many that need homes.

It's always important to keep our vibrations high.  

Say your prayers, and Play Nice!  xxoo

Handmade By Cosmo 
Come see, say hey!

P.S.  Greg and Brad are doing great!  

 

Slow Stitching

 I have done this all my life, well, since the age of 12 I believe.  I don't know all the embroidery stitches, but I can wield a needle and thread pretty well.  

What I love about hand sewing is all the thinking I can do as I get into the rhythm of stitching.  Lotsa introspection, self realization, etc...

This time of seclusion has been good for my soul.  And I am happy.  

Play Nice!  xxoo

It's March!

I made a couple of Critters in February.  I made a solo trip to Hobby Lobby one day, honestly I was going that direction anyway for another errand, so why not?  I was just going to shop the clearance and sales, which I pretty much did, but I splurged on a couple pieces of faux leather.  Yes, I have faux leather at my house, but this was the perfect color, I thought, for this.

It's a Great Dane!  

I love this breed, and would have one again if I had a yard.

Then I made another one, in felt.  

I call her, Posie.

There is a new Maker's Market in my tiny town, but it's right off the freeway, so I'm thinking about setting up a display there.  I have this rack that I used with my burnings, so I thought I would try using it for my Critters.

I wasn't quite happy with that, so I cut some strips of felt to line the racks, I haven't set it up again, as I, for some unknown reason, put it back in the very back of my storage closet, so I gotta drag everything out again.  Ugh.  I don't know if I have brains or oatmeal sloshing around in my skull sometimes.  

My computer monitor glitched after 25 years of faithful service, so I've connected my computer to my TV.  It'll do for now.  Better than nothing, and I'm not a fast phone typer.

Greg and Brad are doing so great, I got them a cat tree and put it together by myself! 

So, that's us pretty caught up.  Leave me a comment, please, if you are here reading this, and do a little clickety click over to  my FB page, Handmade by Cosmo.   You can click on my shop, too, if you want.  

Play Nice!  xxoo

Taking a Break

Going to put aside my wood burning for a bit.  I think I may have burnt myself out on Christmas Gifts this year!  Not sorry...I was happy with everything I made.

I'm just in one of those creative slumps, where I'm not inspired to work on the things I've been working on.  I put my Critters away for a year before, and came back to them even better.  So, for now...

It's called Slow Stitching.

I use canvas, but you could use fabric, of course...if you're interested, you can Google it.  It's just hand stitching using scraps, different elements, different stitches in a free form style.  Very relaxing.  This was my first one.  

Other than the deep freeze of weather which we are finally, slowly warming out of, all is well in my world.  Greg is not as much of an asshole as he has been, but he's still an ass.  Brad has become a "teenager," and he's learning asshole tricks from Greg.  Brad's demeanor is diff, though.  Greg doesn't give a shit when he's in trouble, Brad is immediately sorry and goes into his "limp and purr" posture.  But...we all love each other, they're 'rasslin' right now. 

I am going into town tomorrow.  I haven't seen anyone since Christmas!  Run some errands and get back home before dark.  

Play Nice!  '

xxoo

Woo Hoo! Monday!

Just kidding...it doesn't matter what day of the week it is around here, except for making sure I take my daily thyroid pill.  

It started snowing here about noon.  We're expecting 3-5 inches, but not sure if that's real inches or "man" inches, so I guess like everything else, we'll just see what we get and make the best of it. 

So, since I moved my computer, I have actually been working on the social side of my little business.  Just a few posts on FB and Insta, and added a couple Critters to my shop.  I have a couple more to add, but I have all the time in the world, unless my cats decide they need my undivided attention.  They're napping now.  

I pulled my photo cube down yesterday and took a few pics, edited them in Google Photos.  I tend to keep things simple.  

 

 

That's it for today, I'm gonna go make another pot of coffee, sit back and watch the snow fall.  

Play Nice!  xxoo

Happy New Year!

 I hope you all had a pleasant holiday season.  I know it's a stressful time for so many.  My circle is so small now that the holidays are an enjoyable time for me.  

I buckled down and got busy on some handmade gifts for my family.  Each member of my family got a piece or two of handmade goodness.  The g-kids all got a box with a burning on it, full of goodies, necklaces, toys, etc.  All got a round loomed stocking hat, as well. 

These were the kids, I didn't get a pic of the adults hat, but they were cool.  I didn't get a pic of the boxes and burnings, either, because I procrastinate too much.  

This was the first draft of my daughter's gift.

 

This is hanging on my wall.  

These were a custom order from a friend/repeat customer.

 I made for my sister on my peg loom, from jeans she had given to me.  
Some of David's jeans are in there, too.

This was the pre-burning of a plaque I did for my oldest niece and her honey.  The kids all got round loomed stocking hats.  There are 8 kids.  The girls got pretty colored ones, the boys were black and red, their school colors, but the pattern I used on each one of them was different.

Blended families are awesome, but they're a lot of work!

This was good in my belly.  

This little note showed up in a dresser drawer.  
I had tidied that drawer 2 days prior. 

My daughter doesn't remember it.  

I may have sleep walked into a diff dimension the other night.

 

A burning I did for my boys.  
This, of course, is pre-burning.

The cats were made to resemble my nephew's cats, which they did and the boys loved them.  

They're done in faux leather and felt.  

The dragon was made for my great-niece in her requested colors.

I finally found the fur I was looking for, the Cow Kitty is the first I made, I have two other furs for 2 more cats, one is a bobcat kinda looking, and an all black. I knew I had a stash of sherpa, and finally found it!  Fluffy White Kitty has felt inside the ears.  Both are available, send me a message!  

These were for my other niece and her husband and his brother.  If you knew them you would know how absolutely perfect this gift was.  I was so tickled that they liked them as much as I hoped they would.

My $1.25 tree, some accessories I already had.  

I've had these elf heads for years, and finally getting around to doing something with them.  This is the first try, with a body pattern I found on Pinterest.  I know I didn't attach the head to the body "correctly" but I think I have it figured out for next time.  

 

 

This was for my bonus g-son.  

This is my newest Critter.  It's made from faux leather and felt, with the pompom nose.  My first thought was to call it Stormy Cat, but one of my friend/customer mentioned that it looks like the Moon, so with the sparkles that you cant see in the photos, I believe it'll be called Moon Cat.  Available for purchase, and I usually can ship next day.

If you are still reading this, please leave me a comment! 

I just moved my computer to a place that's easier for me to use, so I'll be updating on a more regular basis...up to you if that's a good or bad thing.  *wink*

Play Nice!  xxoo