Red Marionette

Too early for Christmas?

2012-01-27T21:13:00.003-06:00

Too early for Christmas?
Nah!
We sold out of tree skirts so quickly last Holiday season that we are listing them already so you get a chance to purchase throughout the year!

I have a couple up already and as I sort out what will be available (fabric availability, pom pom stock, etc) and I will keep listing them as the year goes on.

As always if you have one you want and don't see listed please feel free to email me at red_marionette@yahoo.com

You can keep an eye on them in our shop HERE

Concept Art - New Additions to the Family?

2012-01-11T00:34:00.004-06:00

Its been a fairly productive day so far! Finished up a bunch of ornaments for some orders and then had a brainstorming session for new animals for 2012.
I have in the trio above from left to right - Honey Badger, Weasel and Otter.

This last image is a Monkey. The Monkey has been the bane of my existence for four years since I normally don't add arms to any of my animals. (Hooved animals are also an issue as their long legs are difficult to make. Ostrich, Flamingo, etc) I also struggled with him not looking like a squirrel in all of my sketches.
So tonight I started working on a Monkey from the prompting of one of my Facebook Followers. So I came up with this little guy with tiny t-rex like arms. I bust out laughing while drawing them. What do you think? Is he a keeper?

2012 - Welcome the New Year!

2012-01-08T16:59:00.004-06:00

Happy 2012!
I know I am a bit late in welcoming the New Year but having been super sick over the Holidays and now feeling like a human being again... I am catching up!
We had a wonderful time visiting with Kyles family over the Holidays (until I had to be quarantined with the plague).

We have some super exciting things we are cooking up here in Red Marionette Land for 2012 and as the year progresses I will be able to share them with you.
First thing I am happy to (and able) to share with you all is the honor of being part of the Craft and Hobby Association Trade Show in California!

We have been chosen to have a selection of our goodies in the Craft and Hobby Association Trade Show at the Anaheim Convention Center January 28th thru 31st!

Kunin Group, the manufacturer of Eco-Fi (The felt I use) has a booth there and will be showcasing items made from their felt, mine included! Check them out! http://www.kuningroup.com/ and
https://www.craftandhobby.org/eweb/StartPage.aspx?site=cha

We are also working on restocking up the shop and filling reserved orders! Busy busy so far this year! Did you make any resolutions or goals for 2012? I'd love to hear what you have planned to make this the best year yet!

Pocket Peeper Stockings

2011-12-14T18:22:00.003-06:00

I have been thinking about the line of Pocket Peeper Stockings we have and I would like to ask your opinions!
If you are not familiar with our stockings they are HERE or http://www.etsy.com/shop/RedMarionette?section_id=5355772

What do you all think about me listing Pocket Peeper stockings without the little guy in it and then you can select the animal from the shop that you would like to have in it - or you can check out with just the stocking to add your own goodies?
I'd love to hear your thoughts!

A Happy Holidays to you!

2011-12-12T02:32:00.002-06:00

I have been a bit under the weather for the last few days and trying my best to stay on top of the work we have booked through December. We have had a record breaking year, Thanks to all of you!

We will be out of town the whole last week of December visiting with family. The shop will remain open for your browsing/purchasing pleasure, but know your goodies will ship when we return. More announcements will be put on Etsy when the time gets closer.

I hope everyone will be able to see family, friends and loved ones this Holiday season and spend quality time with each other.
Have a very Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays and a Grand New Year!
Hugs and Stitches,
Kelli and Kyle

Our Ornaments

2011-11-17T15:54:00.001-06:00

When you buy our ornaments - this will not happen....

Well, the cat may still play in your tree but our ornaments wont break!

Red Marionette Black Saturday Sale!

2011-11-15T13:23:00.001-06:00

Saturday, November 26 at 12:00am - November 27 at 12:00am

http://www.etsy.com/shop/RedMarionette

Buy one get one 50% off! (of equal or lesser value)

Red Marionette critters are anxiously awaiting new homes and to deck the halls for the Holidays! This is our first ever after Thanksgiving Sale!

This event only lasts 24 hours.
The Black Saturday sale is on Saturday, November 26, 2011.
Starts 12AM Saturday, CST.

To take advantage of the sale all you will need to do is checkout with "other" as your payment option and I will bill you with a revised invoice. On the day of the event, of course.
(Sale does exclude custom orders and made to order items.)

Felt Scenery - New Product!

2011-11-02T01:50:00.002-05:00

I have a brand new product! My felt scenery for my critters!!
I have always loved putting them in to little scenes like I do on my wreaths, and now I have a whole new 3D version of it!
A set of three Felt Trees! You can find them HERE in my shop.
I have high hopes for these little beauties in the future. I intend to make sets of bright colors too, like pink, teal and gold! This is the prototype set and I am singing it from the snowy evergreen topped mountains! :)
Happy November everyone!

Customer Appreciation Winner!

2011-10-24T15:12:00.002-05:00

WE HAVE A WINNER!

annemarie562000

She is the lucky winner of the Green Christmas Yarn and Felt Holiday Wreath.
She was comment number 43!

Thank you all so much for participating!

Customer Appreciation Giveaway!

2011-10-02T14:45:00.008-05:00

As many of you know I have taken the leap and as of April have been working Red Marionette as my full time job. I could not have asked for a better support group or customers than I have to make this possible!
So to say THANK YOU to all of you out there, I am offering a giveaway in October!

The Green Christmas Wreath is up for grabs! It is a yarn wrapped 12" in diameter Red Marionette creation with Pierce and Timothy nestled in snowy pom poms!

The giveaway entries will end on October 23rd at midnight so that gives you plenty of time to enter.
Here is how it works:
I will be randomly drawing a winner on the 24th of October from the comments left on this blog with a random number generator. This giveaway is only available to the United States and Canada.

You can have THREE entries in to the contest for the following:

1. Leave a comment on this blog post with your favorite Red Marionette item from my SHOP and why it is your favorite!

2. Have you purchased from me before? Leave a comment with what you purchased and why you love it!

3. Repost the giveaway on your twitter, blog or website! (Facebook rules prohibit reposting to enter in a giveaway) and leave a comment telling me you did so!

Remember each entry needs to be a separate comment to count as three chances to win! I also need your email address or a way to contact you should you be the winner!

Thank you all so much for your support and encouragement in this life changing endeavor! I am so happy to be able to offer something back to my wonderful friends and fans!

12 Days of Christmas - Red Marionette Style

2011-09-30T20:29:00.003-05:00

I finished the Red Marionette 12 Days of Christmas Ornament listing!
It can be found HERE
Ill give you the first 6 days and you can visit the listing to see the other six! This was a great time writing all of this up and I hope you enjoy!

On the 1st Day of Christmas, My true Love gave to me; A Partridge in a pear tree. Sherman the Sheep is loving the idea of giving people trees to plant. How eco-friendly and forward thinking. He is a bit confused as to why the bird is included in the gift. Was it a special deal like at Home Depot where you buy a broom and get the dust pan for free?

On the 2nd Day of Christmas, My true Love gave to me; 2 Turtle doves. Lily the Bear was highly alarmed that there was a Christmas carol with genetic splicing involved. I assured her there is a bird called the turtle dove. And no, it doesn't have a shell.

On the 3rd day of Christmas My true love gave to me; 3 French hens. Beth the Bunny has lived on a farm with Hens before. She assures me the French hens sound much sexier than the regular hens. After all, French is the language of love.

On the 4th Day of Christmas, My true Love gave to me; 4 Calling birds. Garth the Raccoon is astonished that four, count them FOUR, birds get a cell phone for Christmas when I wont even give him phone privileges after 9pm.

On the 5th Day of Christmas, My true Love gave to me; 5 Golden Rings. Harold the Hedgehog thinks if you are gonna give someone five gold rings it would be cheaper to buy them brass knuckles. Uhm. Annnnd No more gangster movies for him.

On the 6th Day of Christmas, My true Love gave to me; 6 Geese a laying. Randolph the Reindeer jumped in to the song at this time and decided to inject his opinion of how the lazy fowl weren't a good gift. He explains "A new Xbox game is a good gift. Or Candy. Or a Pony, even. But who wants Geese?"

Miscellany on Friday

2011-09-16T13:52:00.003-05:00

Happy Friday Everyone!

Ive been working my tail off with orders and trying to stock up for the Holiday season!
We have a rather chilly and overcast day today which really puts me in the mood for fall and holiday goodies!

I had a fun idea the other night about making an ornament set for the 12 days of Christmas. Using Red Marionette characters. So no swans or lords or maids, but still incorporate the story. Here are a couple of examples:

On the 2nd Day of Christmas, My true love gave to me; 2 turtle doves. Fortinbras the Owl was highly alarmed that there was a Christmas carol with genetic splicing involved. I assured him there is a bird called the turtle dove. And no, it doesn't have a shell.

On the 7th day of Christmas, My true love gave to me; 7 swans a swimming. Ned the Moose informed me that swans really are vicious and if you see seven of them swimming at you to run away. Far far away. They bite.

On the 10th day of Christmas, My true love gave to me; 10 Lords a Leaping. Eugene the Panda confided in me he thinks its really the Chippendale's that are the 10 Lords a Leaping. And why would Santa want 10 half naked men in bow ties leaping around?

So that is the idea, anyway. Still trying to figure out how I want to do an ornament set of 12. :)

Another Update about Loki: We are still struggling to regulate his meds with how he feels. He had another round of blood work yesterday to determine if there were any problems hidden by the thyroid issue. We heard back this afternoon there are no renal issues or other underlying problems. Whew!

On Another note:
Red Marionette was selected to be included in the Kansas Creative Quarterly! How cool! http://thekscreative.org/made-in-ks/art-home-decor/

We hope you all will have a wonderful and relaxing weekend!

September Already?!?

2011-09-03T23:48:00.003-05:00

I blinked and August disappeared. Seriously.
I have so many things to do for the Holiday season on my list that I feel like I am drowning already!
Its been such a thrill being able to work from home with Red Marionette, and it is a very good sign I am still struggling to keep up! :)
I have put myself on "overtime" starting last Monday and I have done a serious amount of work this last week. I prepped 10 wreaths and the culmination was today. I did a marathon wreath factory today. Assembling. Hot glue fumes. Glitter. Wire snips. Pom Poms.

A couple of the wreaths were made to order, but the rest will be introduced in to the shop next week.

I have two more to finish up, but I had to do those separately as they were not ready for assembly today.

You can see a funky new wreath I made today which is the Hot pink and Black Penguin wreath! I am so excited for that one! I like making the gaudy (glittery, bright and big is my definition for gaudy, so not negative at all!), unusual and unexpected.
You can also see my Hallows Eve wreath on the side there. So excited!
I have already started working on bunches of tree skirts, and ornaments but I have a lot of stockings and garland and other things to work on as well! Look for tons of new things coming in the next couple of months! Ill keep updating the blog as often as I can. Happy September everyone!

Loki Update 8/26

2011-08-26T15:27:00.004-05:00

I hadn't updated my blog in a while regarding Loki! He is doing well it seems.
The vet put him on the thyroid pills to block the thyroid production to make sure that was truly the issue and also to make sure there were not other hidden problems. So far so good. The pill pockets we got called Greenies are wonderful! He sits back on his back feet with front paws in the air begging for them.
We started out giving him a 1/2 a pill a day for 7 days. Then went to 1/2 a pill every 12 hours. We are on that for another few days before we bump it up to 1 whole pill every 12 hours. He seems to be adjusting well. I took this photo of him this morning. Today he has been pretty clingy and wanting more attention than usual so maybe he is having a slightly off day. The belly hair is still being licked but he isn't vomiting as much and his appetite has decreased, which is what these pills are supposed to do. So we are seeing progress. September 15th we will be taking him in for more bloodwork to see if the pills are truly correcting what they need to be correcting and that there arent any other issues. At that time we should be able to schedule his Kitty Chemo Camp. I gleaned a bit more information about it from the vet and they said he would have to be quarantined for 10 days after the procedure due to the radiation leaving his system. Poor little guy hates being alone and HATES closed doors. This will be a pretty traumatic situation for him. Also the bill is going to be a couple hundred more than we expected with all of the additional tests and the price of the treatment being more than the vet told us. So we still havent saved enough yet for him so if there is something in the shop you see that you like please know it is going towards a good cause. Our little Family truly appreciates all of the support we have received! I hope you all have a wonderful weekend!

Studio Space

2011-08-16T20:43:00.003-05:00

When we moved in April, Kyle and I had to combine his "man cave" and my studio in to one room. So the computer desk is on the other side of the studio and this photo is my corner.
We arent painting the room like we did in Florida (The wonderful Lime Green!), so the light cream colored walls will stick.
I decided I liked the brighter lighter wall colors to help with the light in the room. The one window of the room faces north and a little bit of shade in the backyard keeps bright light from pouring in.

I had two prints from Etsy I had purchased and wished to hang but I also wanted the other decor to match the sunny breezy feel I wanted.
Hold On Mr. Squirrel and Tree House Print are the prints since you can barely see them in the photo. I based the fabric embroidery hoop selections and the tissue pom poms from their color schemes. The fabric was selected from my stash I have collected over the years and the hoops I had on hand from my wall art, so the cost for this grouping of color was minimal.
The table was a freecycle find - so even though its worn, it still works perfectly! The tan singer sewing machine I got years ago at a garage sale. The Beast (The old black machine) I received from Kyles grandmother. The chair is Ikea and I snagged the whiteboard from Kyle since he never used it. Its not a Martha Stewart studio space with a cabinet or drawer for everything, but its a fully functional space for my stay at home job! :)

Gobble Gobble!

2011-08-15T22:44:00.002-05:00

Sneak Peek of the new Gobble Gobble for this year!
I was asked to make a Turkey this year and it has finally come to Red Marionette Land!

He/She has yet to be named so if you have a cute or clever name suggestion I'd love to hear it!
The body will be stuffed and the tail will be stitched in a circle on the rear end/butt area. :)
It will look a bit separate from the body and stand off a bit like a real turkey!
The ribbon will be captured at the top of the head like all of my other ornaments.
Gobble Gobble!

Kitty Chemo Camp

2011-08-12T19:15:00.006-05:00

I dont know if many of you know we have a Cat-child named Loki. Many of you know we moved to Kansas in April all the way from Florida. Loki seemed to adjust fine and was getting along happily. About two months ago he started licking his tummy a lot. Over grooming himself down to his little peach fuzz and pink skin. I talked to many of my cat-owner friends and researched online that it could be stress related, especially since the move was so recent. We gave it some time and with it still continuing we decided a checkup was in order.

He was NASTY at the vets office. Never before had he acted this way and never had I heard him yowl and growl as much as he did. I cannot thank the Vet Staff enough for helping him though that and being brave enough to still examine him. Yipes!

We got blood work results back today after a second round of more thorough testing. Our kitty (I know, He is 10 years old but will always be our kitty) has Hyperthyroidism.

I spoke with the vet at length about options.
Pills, Gel Applied in the Ear or a Radio Iodine Therapy.
Any pet owner knows that pills are a bit traumatic for cats, and they can NOT miss a pill for any reason. He would be on them for the rest of his life.
The gel is nearly double the cost and it is a topical application that goes in their ear...erm.
And then the Radio Iodine Therapy which is about the cost of a year and a half of the gel prescription without the 1 to 3 times a day application of medication in either form.
There is only a 3% chance of it coming back with this procedure. It is an outlay of at least $900 to do the therapy, but we both feel that will be the best solution for his quality of life.

So I have had many breakdowns today. Worried. Scared. I kept saying I wished he could tell me something was wrong or he didnt feel right. The vet swears he isnt in any pain, which is a relief.
Going untreated could cause Heart failure, renal failure, high blood pressure, weight loss, hair loss, etc. Nasty stuff for a happy kitty.
So we decided the best route for him will be what I call the Kitty Chemo Camp. The radio iodine therapy. We still have to set all of this up with the vet but the information we have is that he will go to a Facility in Kansas City where he will stay for 4 days getting injections of this radio iodine. It will kill/shrink the bad parts of his thyroid that are causing the overproduction of this hormone.
Scary for Kyle and I. Even scarier for Kitty, though he doesn't know it yet.

Obviously, like many people, we dont have 900 bucks laying around. All of the proceeds from Red Marionette will be going towards Kitty Chemo Camp. If there is something you have had your eye on in my shop, please purchase knowing it will go towards future purrs and (soon to be hairy again) belly rubs.

http://www.etsy.com/shop/RedMarionette

Thank you in advance to everyone! Our little family really appreciates it!

Tree Skirts for 2011!

2011-08-06T00:31:00.003-05:00

34!! I cut out 34 tree skirt fabric and felt tonight. I still need to cut out the snow, critters, trims, etc. The large stack to the right and the big 48" ones on the bottom of the stack to the left are the ones I cut out today. The 8 green and red stacked on top of the big tree skirts are leftovers unfinished from last year. Im pooped.

Etsy and Quit Your Day Job Article!

2011-08-02T11:52:00.002-05:00

I am honored to say that Etsy has published a Quit Your Day Job Article in their Sellers Handbook about Red Marionette!
http://www.etsy.com/blog/en/2011/quit-your-day-job-red-marionette/ Here is the link or you can click HERE! I am super honored and excited!
Thank you all out there for allowing us to get to this point!

Wall Art Stack!

2011-07-28T16:57:00.002-05:00

Here is my most recent stack of wall art! All sandwiched, glued and tightened. Ready for trimming when dry.
In there you can see a sneak peek of the new wall art "Love Bubbles"I will be introducing soon.

Yes, the name is a work in progress. :)

Supplies Order

2011-07-27T21:59:00.002-05:00

Muahhaahah!
Who doesnt like getting supplies?!
My package came in the mail today with my embroidery hoops so I can make new wall art!

I have several brand new ones planned with Pedro the Blue Hedgehog, Hans the Orange Squirrel, Polly the Chicken and little accent ones.

More photos coming soon!

Hot Weather

2011-07-25T02:18:00.003-05:00

This is the newest edition to the mobile family! The Best Buddies mobile. The bio and more photos can be found HERE.

I know many of the United States are experiencing severely hot temps over the last couple of weeks. I am finding that the weather directly affects what I want to work on. For example I was very motivated to start on Tree Skirts for this years stock. I pulled everything out, started cutting out one and just got so disgusted with having to handle heavy fluffy fabric and I was all hot so I had to stop everything! Its difficult to work on big warm fluffy things when it is 100 degrees outside. Hopefully I can try again tomorrow and crank up the AC! I hope everyone is staying safe out there in this heat.

It feels like a Friday, oddly enough.

2011-07-13T02:00:00.003-05:00

Hello out there!
My head is finally above water a little bit!
My heartsy.me sale went very well! We sold a great amount of vouchers and we had a grand time!
I am working on several made to order purchases right now but I wanted to share the Smee the Seagull with you all! His bio can be found HERE
With the way the week has already been it feels like today is Friday. I know its not, but I find myself thinking "Whew! The weekend is soon!" ehhh not quite!

I still have a heavy workload for myself over the next couple of weeks but I am getting antsy as I know Tree Skirt making time is coming soon! I am excited about the new fabrics we have for this year. I am also introducing two brand new products this year that are garlands. A pennant or banner type garland out of fabrics that coordinate with stockings and tree skirts. You can use them as a swag across the top of drapes or across a mantlepiece. Also the Dot Garlands. They will match the Dot ornaments I have in my shop you can see HERE. The will be in many colors. I am super excited! Lots of new projects to work on this summer. I am also hoping to squeak in a halloween-ish wreath this year! I hope you all are having a wonderful week!

Live on Heartsy.me!

2011-07-08T00:40:00.001-05:00

Our Huge sale is LIVE on Heartsy.me!

Check it out HERE
This is the biggest sale we have ever had! 56% off!
There are a limited amount of vouchers so be sure you take advantage quickly! The sale goes through 11:59pm Friday July 8th!

Oval Wall Art - Work in Progress

2011-07-01T17:20:00.003-05:00

I know the cell phone snaps arent the prettiest in color (the orange of the flowers behind the parrot are very orange) but I couldnt wait to show you what I am working on today! Brand new shapes of wall art! Long ovals accommodate more of the longer shaped animals. I have to work on some green parrots and some whales next. Maybe I am easily amused but the new shape of embroidery hoop has me super excited!
I should have these finished up and listed mid-next week.
I hope you all have a wonderful 4th of July weekend and be safe!