SUNNY

Sunny joins the LEFTZ gang :)

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We decided to sleep in this morning (I could still be sleeping!) After a small lunch we went to see Alice in Wonderland in 3D. I really liked it but felt a little dizzy after it was over. The colors were amazing and Tim Burton really told the story in a great new way.

In other news, I was accepted into Etsy's Plush Team today. I'm really excited to have the opportunity to be a member!

DEW DROP

Dew Drop is my newest plush. As I stated in my previous post I was working on a new design today. The first one looked like a parrot, so I assumed the rest would. But this gal seems to look more like a sparrow, so a sparrow she will be. I really enjoyed making her and I hope she makes you smile :)


**Update due to the new sparrow/parrot debate going on, they will know be known as "Sparrots" ;)

NEW DESIGN

The soft, gray clouds mixed with the budding trees of spring, inspired this new design. He isn't for sale since he is the first of his kind and has some boo boos. I plan to work on more baby parrots this week and am excited to use some really colorful fabrics.

TWIRL KATIE

Meet Twirl, Katie, and the newest spotted Trout. Three new plush each with their own history. From pants to chair upholstery these guys popped off the cutting table and onto my shelves. Adopt them now o.X

LEFTZ WEDDING

What else would be perfect on your special day? This custom order is for a very good friend of mine. Bride and groom were made out of fleece. The Bride is adorned with vintage flowers, faux pearls, and lace.

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In other news my husband and I will be married 1 year this Sunday! We plan on taking a trip to Kentucky and staying in a lovely cabin. Hopefully it will be a relaxing trip and no computers are allowed! Which means my Etsy shop will be open, but orders will be shipped out on Tuesday the 30th.

EWW COOTIES

You can't continue a tribe without girls! These 3 gals are the newest in my Tribal Collection

Cooties are not included with your purchase. (Please see a boy for complete cooties package)

FRESH FISH & PJ's

Instead of going to bed (even though I can't remember when I slept last) I had a hankerin' to make a trout. This trout is a little different from the rest with heart shaped fins and a rounded face.

Fun back story on his fabric: His accents are made from pajamas! My friend Kellie, gave me footed pj's that didn't fit her son. (Yes I tried them on - I want footed pj's so bad!) They didn't fit me, so they became a fish. That's normal right? ;)

1920's STYLE FLAPPER

This is my newest tribal with a little 1920's flair. She enjoys Jazz and doing the Charleston :)

Enjoy a little 1920's music:

PLUSH TROUT GIVEAWAY

2 plush giveaways? You bet! Sweet Greens has done a lovely write-up of my shop and is also hosting a giveaway for a large plush trout.

Make sure you enter via her blog Entries for this giveaway will not be accepted through my blog.

-- This giveaway ends March 31st.

FRESH FISH

I thought I would share a picture of how the Large Trout are wrapped for shipping. Each fish comes wrapped in 100% recycled tissue paper, newspaper, and tied with twine for that fresh fish look.

PLUSH ARMADILLO GIVEAWAY

Plush Armadillo Prize Worth: $31.50 (USD)









This Plush Armadillo loves to play all day. He spends hours running and chasing butterflies. Sparky stands a little over 11 1/2" tall and is 8" wide. He is made from fleece, has a layered vintage button eye, and stuffed with recycled plastic shopping bags. He is stuffed with 32 recycled plastic shopping bags but is still soft to the touch.


Due to the materials used in this creation, this plush could be a CHOKING HAZARD and is NOT intened for children.

International friendly :) Ships anywhere!


HOW TO ENTER:

There are a few ways you can get entries into this giveaway, I'll list them all below along with how many entries doing each thing is going to earn you... Note: You DO NOT need to do all of these things to enter. Doing just one will suffice, however doing more things will equate to more entries! :)

1. Follow my blog, comment that you have done this (1 Entry).

2. Go to my shop (http://www.arttales.etsy.com/) and find your favorite item, then come back here, and post the link to the item in another comment (1 Entry).

3. Heart my shop on Etsy, post in a separate comment that you have done this (1 Entry).

4. Blog about my giveaway, "Tweet" about it on Twitter, talk about it on your Facebook or Myspace, whichever suits you best. Come back here and tell me about how you helped promote my giveaway by posting a link to it in another separate comment (1 Entry for each promotion done, please post each one in a separate comment)

5. Buy something from my Etsy shop, come back to this blog post and post the link to the transaction in yet another comment (5 entries).




Please be sure to include your contact information in each comment you post (email, link to your Etsy shop, just somewhere that I can contact you to inform you that you've won). Also please PLEASE be sure to post separate comments for each thing you have done to enter yourself into this giveaway.

Each comment will be numbered, and this is how the winner will be chosen through a random number generator. :) If you have any questions feel free to contact me through my Etsy shop. Good luck! Entries will be accepted until 11:59 pm (Eastern Standard Time) on April 10th 2010. Winner will be announced April 11th 2010

LEFTZ on YOUTUBE

You can now find LEFTZ on YouTube!


No animals, people, or plush were hurt in the making of these videos.

HAWAIIAN TRIBAL

Quick post of a new tribal I was working on tonight. She is made from upholstery fabric, satin, cotton fabric, and fleece. Her skirt is made from vintage trim I found at a cute little shop near Lancaster, PA I was able to get a bolt of it for $2.98. I haven't measured it yet, but I'm guessing its about 4 yards.

She will be posted tomorrow, but until then, I am going to bed. Its been another long day. o.X

ART WALLS

Or should I say "Art's Walls"

Finally I have had some time to hang up most of the art I have purchased from some really lovely Etsy artists. There a still a few blank spots until I can find the perfect frames.

This fun mixture is a great addition to my studio and together it seems to prove how random I actually am ;)

FEB/MARCH GIVEAWAY WINNER

... "My name is Noemi" - Noemi has one a Plush Tribal w/drum! Congratulations!!

With a total of 150 entries - this was by far the biggest giveaway I've held. Thanks to everyone who entered!

If you have an idea of what you would like to see in the March/April giveaway, leave a comment here.


Winner was chosen completely by random at Random.org


Also...

Since its the beginning of a new giveaway, that also means it's time for new advertisers. Each month I pick different Etsians to promote their shop down the sides of my blog. Totally for free. It gives everyone a chance to find a new medium where they can promote.

I ask that you comment on this forum thread so that I can keep everyone organized. Also if you have already promoted on my blog, please wait a least a month to request space again. Lets give everyone a shot!

WHAT DO YOU WANT?

My question to everyone is, what would you like to see in the next Giveaway? The current giveaway features one of my plush tribals and seems to be very popular with over 125 comments!

So leave a comment and let me know what you would like to see. Another Tribal? Dragon? Or a brand new design? I'd love to hear o.X

NEW TODAY

Meet Sparky the Plush Armadillo!

ThisArmadillo loves to play all day. He spends hours running and chasing butterflies. - Adopt




Brown Eggs are back in stock, but this time they have a little twist - Corduroy!

A LOVELY DAY

Today I received some really awesome news :) A selection of my plush will be featured in the upcoming Vol. 3 Issue 2 Summer/July 2010 issue of STUFFED MAGAZINE

Inside STUFFED MAGAZINE you will find:
"A crocheted bird ... a felt monster ... a cat made from an old sweater ... so many different materials can be used to create the loveable and huggable creatures known as “softies.” Stuffed: A Gathering of Softies celebrates these uniquely whimsical characters through page after page of gorgeous photos, easy-to-understand tips and techniques and an endless amount of inspiration. Veteran softie artists and new fans alike will enjoy this playful look at stuffed creatures of all shapes, sizes, colors, and materials."

Pictured above is the winter cover of STUFFED MAGAZINE, featuring Savannah Carroll of Sleepy King - also a fellow Etsian.

Thanks to everyone who talked me into submitting my creatures and who kept me positive!

Also...


In other fun news, my copies of Craft Leftovers Magazine showed up today! Kristin interviewed me for her March Issue This great (and eco friendly) magazine is full of great tips, articles, and even patterns, revolving around reusing your leftover craft supplies. You can find my interview and photos on page 11! Thanks again Kristin!



You can also find a review of my plush on The Examiner!



-- I hope everyone else is having a lovely day! After a quick run to the thrift shop, I will be back at my sewing table, dreaming up new designs and smiling o.X

EASTER EGGS

Hippity Hoppity Easter's On Its Way!

New plush eggs are now available in 2 lovely sets.



The Easter Bunny has gathered up all her eggs and will be hopping to your house soon :)

NEW TROUT

"Enjoy thy stream, O harmless fish;
And when an angler for his dish,
Through gluttony's vile sin,
Attempts, the wretch, to pull thee out,
God give thee strength, O gentle trout,
To pull the rascal in!"
~John Wolcot

More Plush Trout to adorn your table. Available in a very fishy section in my Etsy Shop

LEFTZ FAN

This photo was sent to me from Holly She apparently loves one-eyed creatures ;)

Thanks for your loyalty and support!

LARGE TROUT

"The charm of fishing is that it is the pursuit of what is elusive but attainable, a perpetual series of occasions for hope." ~John Buchan

Every time I make a Trout, I want to scream "Fresh Fish!!" So I will, and I will be ok with it ;)

Find this fellow in my Etsy Shop

UPDATES & GIVEAWAY REMINDER

I received this lovely painting from Flowerleaf with a recent purchase in her shop. There was a little note on the back: "Stan wanted to draw his creator a self-portrait so here it is. It's his first drawing, so he is a bit nervous. He said he loves it here and Landon also gives hugs to the one that made him."

It is absolutely perfect, I plan on framing it with the rest of my art and will hang it in my studio. Thanks Jocelyn!




There are still a few days left to enter my Plush Tribal Giveaway There are several ways to enter and it's an international friendly giveaway :) Entries will be accepted until 11:59 pm (Eastern Standard Time) on March 10th 2010. Winner will be announced March 11th 2010 (Which is my birthday hint hint ;)

-- Please make sure you do -not- post your entries here but under the giveaway post :)

TROUT

"All the romance of trout fishing exists in the mind of the angler and is in no way shared by the fish." ~Harold F. Blaisdell

My newest plush - Trout! Late into last night, I created this fellows, until my sewing table was covered. These are available in pairs and there will be more to come :)

**No fish were harmed in the creation of these plush.

ETSY SHOPPING SPREE

For my studio, I decided on getting an array of different types of art. Here are the ones that came today!

□ 1.) Yeti's Love Muffins from littletoad
□ 2.) Skunks need love too also from littletoad both are actually note cards but cute enough to frame :)
□ 3.) La La the Llama from falldowntree My love of Llamas started with the movie: The Emperor's New Groove Yes I love kid movies!
□ 4.) Captain Ahab from frankpeak He is a new artist to Etsy and I love his work.
□ 5.) Map Paintings from rachelaustin Also note cards but a very inexpensive set of art.
□ 6.) Bag Piper from danbobthompson I've always loved bag pipers.. yes really :) so this print is perfect for my studio.
□ 7.) Bring Me That Horizon from letterhappy This also fits in nicely with Captain Ahab and some other fun nautical items I should be receiving soon.

Hope everyone had a good weekend. I wish in bed 95% of it with a back and stomach ache. Now that I'm feeling better, there is a long list of things that I really want to make and get done!