Etsy Purchases! <3 !

Good morning! (It's 10am EST here!)

So I didn't make anything new for my shop yesterday, but fully intend to today as I sold two more items this week and want to at least replenish those. I had a few work-related meetings on my day off that I had to attend yesterday. No sewing! When that was all said and done, I went and hung out w/ my friend Dorian at Blockheads for Mexican food and margaritas.

So today, what do I write about since I haven't made anything new? I'll tell you!

SweetestPea!

For those of you who don't know, Jen of Sweetest Pea is one of my favorite stuffed animal designers on Etsy. She's also one of the nicest people I've ever met in real life. One of her very unique fat monsters was on the Martha Stewart show that interviewed Rob Kalin of Etsy. It was made entirely of recycled mens business attire. So cool!

On my birthday I decided to buy a gift for someone else. It's actually a Hobbit tradition and one of my faves. I immediately went to Jen's shop to purchase this little guy in Green:



It's a little rice ball w/ seaweed! and eyes! The cuteness! I've been eyeing it for two of my friends for a while. I think Greg will really enjoy it.

Also, the best part? I mentioned that it was my birthday and Jen made me a little stuffed cupcake to send along. I took some silly customer appreciation photos to list in her feedback. Here's one of me hanging out on my bed with the riceball and cupcake:



Super cute! As always, you can click photos for either listing info or larger more detailed versions. =)

I'm off to do some laundry including the new fabric that arrived from Fabric Stash so I can get to work.

10:09am! Time to get moving!

<3 Always,
--Taina

Gifties...

I haven't been making anything new for my shop in the last few days due to lots of birthdays coming up.



I try to make as many of my gifts as possible. Saturday is my Aunt's birthday, she's an avid birdwatcher, so I made her a stuffed owl. I got some great reactions from coworkers when I brought it took work to ship it yesterday, so I will probably be making more for my shop.



I LOVE working with fleece! No wonder so many people out there like making stuffies and plushies! The fabric hides the tiny hand-stitched seam where the product is stuffed, and it immediately looks professional, as the edges don't fray. So cool!

I definitely want to make more.

I've also been making stuffed animals out of used gloves. My friend Chris likes bears, so I made him a little green bear out of a pair of gloves as a belated bday present. It's funny looking, as it's my first try, but I know he'll love it.

Hopefully this weekend I will be back to making things for Etsy. I want to get back in there!



<3 Always,
--Taina

Inspiration, Part I

I called out of work today. Sick. Truthfully? I STILL have a migraine, a day later. Behind my eyes. Yesterday was pretty miserable. I sat in front of my sewing machine and didn't do ANYTHING. So frustrating. I was just afraid I'd start sewing and make a huge mess.

Today my vision is almost completely back and the pain is subsiding, but I just needed another day to relax. My workplace is NOT fun when I'm not feeling 100%. I also got everything done on Thursday that I needed to do today, so I'm not feeling too guilty about not being there today.

PaperMenagerie wrote about her inspiration in her blog today. She's got some incredible cards that I've been eyeing for quite some time. I'm not sure if my Etsy penpal reads this, so I can't tell you which ones I plan to buy until after I've sent them. PaperMenagerie's blog on Inspiration has prompted me to do the same.

I wear mostly black clothing, I'm a New Yorker, as much as I hate stereotypes, my extended family jokes that they know when the New Yorkers have arrived at the family reunion because we're like a dark cloud. I have always liked colorful accents. Today? I have turquoise glass earrings on. They're about 2-2.5" long. I should have taken a photo of them. Sorry! I also have an amethyst bracelet and a red jade bracelet that never come off. No, my accents rarely match.

When I was at SVA getting my degree in illustration, I became known for my "weird sense of color." I guess it's not normal to see different colors in an orange bag or a cherry woodgrain, I always thought it was. It was a good thing, my peers and my instructors thought it was great (and probably a little cooky).

I haven't done anything with my BFA, I actually want to go back to school but for childhood education. I occasionally pull out my soft pastels and do a portrait. The last one was of Lady Day:



It was from a black and white photo.

I love putting colors where they normally wouldn't be. I think that's why I get so excited by a bright blue or hot pink fabric on the inside of a makeup bag. It really is a thrill everytime I open a bag up.

A great example is the pink bird coin purse I made a couple days ago. It's one of my favorite fabrics to work with because it's got the bright red, the maroon and the hot pink, so it's fun to match the zipper, felt tips and lining up with the print.

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So I guess my inspiration comes partly from the rainbow. I have a solar-powered rainbow maker that is currently creating dozens of dancing rainbows along my walls, floor and ceiling. I bought it from MoMA:



*As usual, click photos for more info.

Stay tuned for the rest of my inspiration.

<3 Always,
--Taina