End of Days

Well the end of 2007.
I've really had an amazing year.
Lots of changes but lots of good constants too.
I'm excited about the future and sad about things that have passed.
I will not be making a resolution of sorts because I feel it's cliché (though occasionally made with good intentions).
I'm still happy though and I feel like things will keep getting better as long as I have the good mind to attempt to make them that way.
I hope everyone has a lovely, lovely night.

New Pins

Ok, finally a photo of my little fawn pins (and test Squirrel for myself...probably will make more for the shop)

Without further ado..."Resting fawns":

And my squirrel:
They will be making their way in the shop over the next little bit.

Merry Christmas!

Happy Christmasy times to anyone who celebrates it!
Today I have been hanging out with my mom and brother; opening presents, playing with new toys, making dinner, wearing pajamas.
It's been great and I love how laid back Christmas is for my family.
I hope everyone is getting a chance to relax a bit and hang out with all the ones you love.

That is all for today.
I promise I will get to photographing my new Needlings goodies very shortly.

Love.

Fawns

Today was a day off and a day for pin making.
Tomorrow is Christmas Eve when I will be fully immersed in retail chaos once again.
A herd of lovely fawn pins in the making.
Photos to come.

Very Tiny Year in Review (and Owl)

Retail is crrazy this time of year but I feel great big heaps better about where I am this year than where I was last year.
I suppose I feel that way all around.
I know the year has yet to end, but I feel a little gushy right now. I'm really happy to have my Needlings. I feelthat as long as I have them I know I am at least doing something that is wonderfully good for me and something that I love.
There are things I want and don't have, like everyone...big things too involving being further away from people I love that I ever want to be...but I am happy and feel lucky.
Nothing that is bad lasts very long but I feel the good things are staying.
Which is a good feeling if nothing else.

Happy Monday!

I hope everyone had a lovely weekend. Mine was great and pajama wearing filled. I love having days off work, let me tell you.
I finished a little owl brooch that people have been looking a lot at. I think it is adorable and am just about to officially make one for myself that I'm allowed to keep.


One more week!

Storm's a brewin'

There is literally a big storm brewing around these parts. Tons of snow is expected and luckily I am (ecstatically) off of work for the next few days. So, excluding a trip or two to the post office, I have nowhere to be and can work in the warm dryness of my home.

Today was a day for Christmas gifts, making and buying. I also made a little sock creature as an experiment and ended up with a little guy that, although possesses an almost phallic tail (ahem), is quite cute and was fun to make.
I think I'll stick with my Needlings though.

The new pillow seems to be quite popular which I am happy about as a lot of work went in to it and I think the little owl turned out exactly how I wanted him to.

I never understood why people dread the winter holiday season.
It doesn't feel lonely to me at all.
I'm lucky.
And cozy.

Keep warm.

Clyde and More

I put up Clyde in the shop today.


I think he's pretty cute although he lacks some of the bright colours my others guys have. He has a sweet little face and it was fun to make a black and white (and grey) Needling for a change.


I also finished up a little guy for my mom to give to a little girl she works with who has a bunny. So here he is:

I'll be working on some more things slowly this week as it's a busy week with my "real job," but hopefully I'll be able to get a few more things up before Christmas.

13 more days!

Clutter and New Cuties

I was able to sleep in a bit today which was wonderwonderwonderful. I stayed up late last night finishing a little blue and orange Needling. I just had to see him finished before I went to bed. He's very cute and I think he might be my own.
I took a few pictures and him and my "work table." That is really just a place to store my Needlings and other supplies.


There he is, the little blue one in the front.

and his backside:





















In other news, I've been reading Jose Saramago's "Blindness," which is sososo good. I'm so excited for the movie that is coming out next year!

Seriously, if you're looking for a book to read...read this one:

Here's Lucy!

Isn't she great? Her story is in the works but I had to show off a picture!

Happy Friday!

Hello Again

It has been a busy week for me with lots of early mornings and long days. I've been sleepy but have managed to survive quite well.
Polly and Twila both left the shop this week. I'm working on some more little cuties that can perhaps take their place. I have a little white and pink one with black stitching with a sweet little face ala Polly that will be up soon enough.
I hope everyone is having a great week.

New Obsession to Go With the Old

I am having so much fun finding fabrics and fun colours to make more pillows. I'm still making toys of course and have a few that will be in the shop soon but more pillow ideas are in the works right now.
I've had such lovely feedback about them and another owl pillow left the shop last night.
Another will be there soon...

and of course look for this little lady soon...

A day for writing and pillow making

I'm going to spend the next little bit writing some new Needling stories so a new one will be up in the shop in a short period of time...along with another pillow that I finished last night.
It is made with some vintage fabric I've had for a while. I'm so happy with it and it's such a cheerful pillow.
Don't you think?

Power Outage Crazies and New Pillow

Well, when I arrived home from work the power was off. It stayed off for the following 4 hours. I read and took photos...but I really wanted some soup or tea!

I was able to finish a couple of chapters of Oryx and Crake and take photos of my new Needling pillow though; which will go up in the shop in a little bit.


I like it. It tells a story. :D

Owls, etc.

I'm tired today, friends. Being off from waking up early than my body would like for a week did a number on me and I'm just trying to get back in to it. Work has been busy with Christmas book shopping fully gearing up.

I have though managed to finish yet another fun owl pillow that will probably be going up in the shop tomorrow.
I'll show you the pictures as soon as I take some! :)

I like owls...I'm in an owl mood...

Why don't I show you a couple of etsy favourites? Including a few owls.

Check out these great shops and enjoy:

Etsy: Your place to buy & sell all things handmade Needlings.etsy.com

Mo' Mo' Mo'

Not even 24 hours after the wonderfully great Owly Poo Pillow enter the shop did it leave again.
I have been working on more Needling pillows that I hope are as great.
First new one has a little kitty-cat like Needling on it but more owls are in the making as well.

Busy, busy!

P.S. the purple pet pillow will be up in the shop in no time at all!

Shop Update - lots of new stuff

I went on a picture-taking-new-item-listing rampage today so there are 4 new items in the shop today.

First I listed 3 new Needlings on strings.




When I was in Ohio, Judy had me go through her stash where I found some great fuzzy fabrics that I took home with me on the bus; which was a little awkward to carry I must say. I decided to make a great fuzzy Needling pillow which is really one of my favourite items I've ever made I think.
It's really soft and fluffy and I'm excited to have something like it in my shop.

Updates

Hi everyone!
I got a new Needling up in the shop yesterday. Her name is Polly and I think she has one of the sweetest faces.

Last night I finished three Needling ornaments and a fuzzy owl pillow (yay!). I'm really excited about the little travel sized pillow; I think you will be too. :D
I will make sure to take pictures tomorrow so I can get them up in the shop and let you take a look... so keep your little eyes open.

Hope everyone is enjoying their last November weekend before the big month of December starts!

New tags and parcel packed

Well, I've finally finished getting everything together for Pink Andie in Pennsylvania. Off my happy box will go tomorrow.


I also, before the packing of the box, finished up some cute new tags for the little Needlings on strings that I liked so much that I added them to the Needlings' story tags as well.
Very simple but I think ties it all together nicely - and I get to show off my group photo.








My to do list for the next few days:

1. Write a few stories and get some new Needlings up in the shop.

2. Finish a few more ornaments for the shop.

But right now, sleep!

Back home

Well I returned from my wonderful week in Ohio with the feeling that I really have a lot to get done!
I hope everyone had a great week like I did. But now, back to reality and work.
My Needling ornaments are all sold out so I spent all of yesterday making a little group; most of which will be sent to Pennsylvania very shortly. Some of which will shortly appear in the shop as soon as it brightens up so I can take some photos.
I did however manage to take photos of my newest Needlings for the etsy shop as well though.
Fully unnamed but, I think, very cute.


They'll be in the shop as soon as I get my things together to send off to PA!

Deadlines and vacations

I've been sick the past few days so I haven't been really motivated to get a lot done. Sewing between coughs and all that isn't the most fun. I did start another Needling; I need to get a few done so I can send them off to Pink Andie in PA.
After my birthday tomorrow (!!!), I'm heading off to Ohio to visit Carlos for the week.

It should be nice but unless I have extra room in my little bag, I won't be getting a lot done there either. So I'll be a very busy beaver the week that I return in order to get the order out before the big opening.
A vacation will be nice. The Needlings can wait.

New Needling News

So the big news is that my Needlings will soon be for sale at Pink Andie, a shop in Pennsylvania! I'm so excited to do some consignment and I'll be working hard to get a good selection of stuff together to send off south of the border.
Things are going great so far so I'm just going to try and keep up with it. It's so exciting to to think my little toys will be sitting on a store shelf somewhere.


In other news, I finished another "Needlings on a string" set and put them up in the shop. I like that Christmas ornaments don't have to be snowmen or red and green. Pink with a scarf works just as nice or better!

Apple a day...

That's what my mom always said.
That and other cliche statements that make me clench my jaw on occasion. But at least she got them right; my dad used to mix them up. ie. " The apple doesn't bark as much as bite."

I finished "Annie"s story and stuck her in the shop yesterday.

Today, although I'm desperately tired from working at 6, I am hoping the sun comes out a little so I can take some nice pictures of another little set of things on a string I finished last night to get them in the shop.
Two hearts and one mini-Needling to be named: "Love Triangle."
I'll show you soon!

Well, that's all for now.

Enjoy your first November weekend of the year everyone!

Hanging by a Thread

I love my new little ornaments. It was fun knitting the mini scarves. I felt like I was making clothes for elves. Or dressing mice like Cinderella does...

I put them up in my shop individually.

They were a lot of fun so I think I'll make some more in different shapes.
I think the pictures turned out nice too...even if you can see my paper sliced hands thanks to the book shelving.

A Monday for listing

Today I put my first "Lil' Needling" in the shop!
It's the little "fun to hold" one I showed you the other day.
His name is "Beans," and he leads quite the crazy cat-life.




I hope to make a few more small (and therefor, a little cheaper) Needlings as well as maybe a few hanging ones...perhaps for the Christmas tree, my own as well as for others who might want some.
So keep an eye out, folks!

Sunday afternoon photo taking in pajamas...

Well, me in my pajamas taking photos of my newest anyway...
She's sad but there are so many hearts...

I think I'll try to write for a few others that I have on the back burner without stories before she'll get in the shop but I think she's pretty cute and I'm having fun making different cutesy faces.

As Promised...

...Photos of recent goings on in my living room. - for aworldinvented

Too much of a good thing

I went crazy buying lots of felt, some patterned this time, which has made for a very cute polka-dotted gal. And, really, what chick don't love some polka dots?
I seriously had my arms full to the point that an older woman at the craft store asked me where the iron-on appliqués were, thinking I was stocking the shelves. I didn't correct her as I did happen to know where they were but it made me laugh anyway.
The yarn department was crazy which I guess is a sign that Christmas is now only two months away. I didn't attempt to wade through the crowd though it is getting to the time where I will be wanting to make a new scarf or two.
While my felt supply was diminishing and before I restocked, I attempted a design for a smaller Needling that I think is really great. It's a good little shape that is fun to hold. I'll take a picture soon so you can see what I'm talking about.

A Couple Projects

Hello anyone - not everyone yet, I'm sure.


The first project I've been working on this past week is for the Etsy Plush Street Team which involves a plethora of plushie letters. Mayabella and Kezzaroo, two great plush artists and Plush Team members, organized a great fun project to make a plushie banner to send to Etsy Admin. I got the "T" in team, and I'm so excited to see all of the letters strung together. Fun first team project!
Check out the Plush Team blog, lots of fun plushie reading and great artists to check out.



Since, as you see, my "T" is ready to be shipped off, I've been working on another different and really great project with Hanna from Texas who I meant through Etsy and is putting together craft kits for teenage girls in an Ethiopian orphanage to make and sell with hopes of them finding more positive ways to support themselves as they outgrow the orphanages. So I've been putting together a little kit for making just a small simple, but still very cute, version of my Needlings that I think any new parent going over to adopt would like to have. I'm in the process of writing a little tutorial that is hopefully going to be simple enough for these young girls who may or may not have sewing skills to follow (once translated by Hanna's helpers). I immediately felt this was an awesome project to be involved with and it warms my heart to think that my silly little hobby can potentially improve someone's quality of life. I commend Hanna and her husband's efforts and am excited to be able to help.

That'll be it for today I suppose. Off to organize my newly bought felt supply.

(Note on blog title: it is Day 2 I realize but I figure I need to buck that trend of numbered blog titles before it gets ridiculous.)

Day 1: An Introduction

I’m Heather. I’m 23 for the next 20 days and I live in Ancaster, Ontario, Canada which is why “endeavor” will be “endeavour”. Having just finished my B.A. in English last year and feeling like I’m not sure where I should take it or myself for that matter…I’ve been working at a book store and attempting the seemingly more and more popular endeavour of selling stuff on Etsy.com.

It’s been about a month of selling my plushies, The Needlings and it has been less cliche feeling and more satisfying and fun than I thought it would be. I’ve seen lots of shops I don’t think I would have found otherwise and have had lots of lovely feedback which is part of what I love about the Etsy community. Sure, I’ve only sold two little guys but it has made me feel like I’m moving towards more of what I want to do and it lets me think up cute new little faces, names and stories; it allows me to write. Carlos’ help of course, especially “in the beginning,” has been awesome as I don’t think I’m the type, unfortunately, that believes many, if any, of her creative endeavours are worth showing off. I have ideas though and I would hate for them to be stifled purely by insecurity. I’m more stubborn than I am timid.

So I think I’ll try to use this blog to keep my ideas in order and help me let you know what’s going on or coming next. I’ve got lots of ideas. I’ll tell you first.