Plushroom Soup

It Came from beneath the Sea

Behold Edmund, another ferocious monster from the dark depths of the sea:

Edmund is about 35 percent smaller than my previous sea monsters—I wish I had a larger one on hand to photograph him with so you could compare—but he's no less terrifying . . . to fish, at least.

Edmund will be available at No Coast on December 5 and 6. I think he's pretty awesome, but I think he still needs something. A toupee, maybe? What do you think?

Introducing Patterns and a Giveaway!

I'm pleased to announce the arrival of my first patterns! Now you can make your very own alpaca herd or a happy little horse.

Amy and I cooked these up during our Crabtree days (mega props to her for doing all the interior drawings!) and will be debuting the print versions at No Coast on December 5 and 6 and Craftsmas on December 7. The patterns are also available as a PDF download in my Etsy shop.

The print version of the pattern includes full-sized pattern pieces and detailed instructions folded together in a cute little half-letter-sized booklet. The PDF version also features full-sized pattern pieces and detailed instructions and is set up to be printed double-sided on standard letter-sized (A4) paper, landscape orientation.

To celebrate the new patterns and the launch of Plushroom Soup, I'm hosting a giveaway! Just leave a comment here about your favorite item to sew (or sculpt, or draw, or whichever craft medium you do best) and which of the two new patterns you'd prefer if you won. I'll randomly choose FIVE people to receive a print version of the pattern (if you prefer the PDF, that's fine too; just let me know!)—two readers will win the alpaca pattern, two will win the horse pattern, and one very lucky reader will win both! Winners will be announced on December 8.

Happy Thanksgiving!

A very happy Turkey Day to all of you!

I am so thankful every day for the love and support of all my family and friends.

Super special props to:

• Jon, for so very many things, not least of which is his love and for tolerating my bad girlfriend/housemate ways in the weeks leading up to No Coast every year.
• Amy, for all our collaborative efforts and for being supportive. Without our crafty experiences together, I would not have grown in my creativity the way I have.
• Paul for the awesome logo and banner designs. Yeti lives!
• Wendy for being a daily sounding board, giver of sage advice, and fountain of great ideas.
• David, for the new name.
• The knitting girls, for their wealth of creative ideas, constant support, and laughter.
• My mother, who taught me most of my beginning craft skills and planted the first creative seeds.

And to the many other special people in my life. I truly appreciate the ways in which you all continue to encourage me, whether with the craft business or life in general, and none of what I do would be possible without you.

Here Be Dragons

Well, maybe just one, but he sure is cute!
This guy has been brewing for quite some time; ever since I retooled my giraffe pattern, I thought that the pattern could easily become a dragon with just a few tweaks.
I reshaped the legs and ears, and added scales, wings, and a large, long tail. The wings are wired for full posability.

This guy will also be available at No Coast on December 5 and 6!

Yeti

As part of this new venture, you are going to start seeing a wider range of monsters available. My first tweak to this pattern is Yeti, or my take on the abominable snowman from Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer. Yeti is a very sensitive soul. He loves Christmas and everything the holiday season brings, except for maybe the large crowds everywhere he goes.

Like all my monsters, Yeti is made of faux fur and has embroidered facial details. However, Yeti has several features that none of my other monsters has had: his arms are jointed and have a wire armature, making Yeti's arms and fingers fully posable.

Look for him at the No Coast Craft-o-Rama on December 5 and 6!

Excuse the Mess

Welcome, everyone! Many of you know me as one of the creators behind Crabtree Studio. I recently decided to launch my own brand: Plushroom Soup. Plushroom Soup will feature original and off-beat plushies for those who want something that's still cuddly and lovable, but definitely a little twisted too. Stay tuned for quirkier, more fantastical plush in the months to come.

Please be patient with me while I build this site--I promise very exciting things are coming! In the meantime, you can still check out my work at Crabtree Studio, and stay tuned both there and here for updates. I will be still be vending with Amy of Crabtree Studio at both No Coast and Craftsmas this year—I will have postcards offering a special discount in my soon-to-come Etsy store for people who visit our booth!