MandeeFranee Designs

on the move...

noreply@blogger.com (MandeeFranee) — Thu, 11 Aug 2011 22:22:00 +0000

As you might have guessed by my complete lack of posting in the last two months, it's been a crazy summer. Just having the kids home throws me all out of whack. On top of that I've been struggling with a bad flare up of my arthritis for the last month or so. Unfortunately this particular flare is in the fingers of my right hand, which is my sewing hand. So it's all I can do to keep working on orders most days. But I trudge on with a smile...

In the meantime, during a routine visit to see family in Ohio over the fourth of July, the kids suddenly ALL agreed to the move I've been dying to make for probably 15 years! For about three weeks I was on the hunt for a house, quickly getting discouraged because I wasn't finding anything in the area I needed... BUT as luck would have it, I just so happened to find a place on another trip a couple weeks ago! The house I found is pretty cool. It's an older house but it's HUGE compared to where we are now, all the kids will have their own rooms AND a basement to play in and we'll be just seven blocks from my sister! I can't wait to start fixing it up and making it "mine".

In THIRTEEN DAYS my boys, the dogs, the cat and I are moving to Ohio!

Those of you looking to place an order or with currently pending orders, have no fear, I will be connected at all times! I'll be keeping my supplies close at hand so there shouldn't be more than a day or two on either end of the trip where I'm not sewing. I have complete access to email, Etsy and FB through my phone so if anyone has any questions about orders or anything else I should be able to get back to you fairly quickly. :)

In other news... there have been a couple new Lens Pet designs added to the shop in the last few weeks, an updated large giraffe and a standard alligator!

The summer is coming to a close, the holidays will be here before we know it! I've already received my first holiday order so if you're planning on sock monsters or Lens Pets as gifts this year, I highly recommend getting your order in very early. I can only sew as quickly as my fingers can move which limits what I can do in a day. Ordering in the next month or two will assure that you have your gifts in hand in plenty of time. :)

Well I'm off to do more packing and sewing... have a great weekend everyone!

Anniversary Week - WINNERS!!

noreply@blogger.com (MandeeFranee) — Thu, 02 Jun 2011 01:33:00 +0000

More than 200 entries later and it's finally here!! What you've all been waiting for! The big announcement! Six chances to win... and EIGHT WINNERS! I won't keep you from reading on and finding out if you're one of the lucky ones. :)

Contest 1: refer your friends (Monday, May 23) - WINNER: Wendy Byrd

Congratulations Wendy, your referred the most new "likers"! Your prize is one standard size Lens Pet {$15 retail value}. The standard size pets fit well on most 50mm lenses and other lenses similar in size.

Contest 2: suggest a new Lens Pet idea (Tuesday, May 24) - WINNER: Sarah

Congratulations Sarah!! There were so many great suggestions and it was hard for me to pick just one (I may use some more of everyones ideas in the future) but my sketch for the ALLIGATOR you suggested looks like it will make a fun addition to the Lens Pet family. Your prize is one alligator Lens Pet in the size of your choice - mini, standard or large {$12-$22 retail value}

Contest 3: take a picture (Wednesday, May 25) - WINNER: Courtney

Congratulations Courtney! I loved your photo of George with his elephant friend! :) Your prize is a $20 store credit good for anything in my shop! {$20 retail value}

Contest 4: trivia (Thursday, May 26) - WINNER: Nichole Anderson

Congratulations Nichole! Your managed to find the most correct answers in my trivia game, a total of 18 out of 25! Your prize is a $35 store credit good for anything in my shop! {$35 retail value}

Contest 5: the name game (Friday, May 27) - WINNER: it's complicated...

So the object of this contest was to come up with a name for a new product line I'll be releasing this year. Unfortunately, of the many names suggested, none of them were quite right. BUT I was so inspired by your ideas that I finally thought of one of my own!! So instead of one winner getting the prize (which was to be 3 of this new product before its official release in my shop) I have chosen the top 3 people, whose suggestions inspired the name I eventually chose!! Each of these people will receive 1 new "PIP SQUEEK" before they are available for purchase on Etsy! Those 3 winners are:

--Robyn (who suggested pocket pets)
--Arlyn (who suggested squeaker pets)
--Girlgonechild (who suggested peppy pets)

***GRAND PRIZE WINNER --- kjurasevich***

Congratulations Katy!! You've won the big prize, a collection of Lens Pets from my shop worth $100!!

TO ALL OF THE WINNERS: if I had contact info for you, I have contacted you! If you haven't heard from me yet, please send me an email at mandeefranee@hotmail.com for instructions on how to claim your prize!

I want to thank every single person who played along with me this past week. I would not be where I am today without all of the wonderful customers I've had over the last year. I am beyond grateful. :)

and here's to another awesome year!!!

Anniversary Week - Contest 5

noreply@blogger.com (MandeeFranee) — Fri, 27 May 2011 11:00:00 +0000

Welcome to the 5th and final contest of the week! I hope every has had fun playing games this week. Don't forget ALL of the contests are open until Sunday at midnight so you have until then to get your referrals/answers/suggestions/photos in! :) Now, on to today's contest! What's in a name you ask?? Well, pretty much everything!

Today you're going to get a sneak peek at one of the new products that I will be debuting in the next few months! I have the idea, the designs, the supplies... the only thing I'm still lacking is THE NAME {obviously a pretty important part of the deal}! And that's where you come in! I have thought and brainstormed and made lists and crumpled them up. I cannot come up with a name that I think "fits" this little guy and his soon to be friends. Here is a picture of the first prototype {who shall be referred to from here forward as "the new guy"}:

Let me tell you a little bit about "the new guy" and his buddies. This line will have a variety of critters and creatures, the designs of which will of course be similar in style to my Lens Pet designs. They'll be made from fleece, fabric and felt, hand and machine sewn. Each is a perfect fit in the palm of your hand and has a squeaker inside. Making it the perfect little addition to any photographer or mommy's bag. :) {button eyes can be replaced with felt to make "the new guy" more baby/pet friendly upon request}

Now, for the naming part of the game. I would like something that goes well with or is similar to 'Lens Pets'. But I'm not completely set on that. If someone comes up with a great name that is in no way related to 'Lens Pets' then that rule goes right out the window. Which makes the rules pretty simple and straight forward... come up with an awesome name, and post it here in the comments section! :)

THE RULES:

You're welcome to submit as many names as you can come up with, but one name suggestion per post please.

THE DEADLINE: This contest will be open all weekend to give everyone ample time to get all their entries in. :) On Sunday May 29 at midnight this post will be locked.

Winner will be announced in a blog post on Tuesday May 31.

THE PRIZE: THREE different "new guys" in advance of their release in my shop! {$45 retail value}
*prize will be new, not this prototype

As always, feel free to email me if you have any questions - mandeefranee@hotmail.com

and don't forget your chance at getting some bonus entries for that big grand prize...

BONUS:
In addition to the daily games and contests there are a couple bonuses that can get you a little closer to winning that big grand prize at the end.

Each sale from 12:01 am on May 23rd until 11:59 pm on May 29th will earn bonus entries into the drawing for the grand prize. Every Lens Pet or sock monster purchased gets you TEN extra entries. Order two Lens Pets, you'll get twenty entries, three gets thirty... and so on.
Each person YOU refer that places an order gets you another 5 entries towards the big prize (plus of course, they earn entries for ordering)! Make sure your friends add your name in the notes section when they place their order so I know to give you credit.

Thank you so much for playing along all week! :) See you on Tuesday with the list of lucky winners!!!

Anniversary Week - Contest 4

noreply@blogger.com (MandeeFranee) — Thu, 26 May 2011 04:16:00 +0000

Welcome to day four! :) Today the contest is more of a trivia/scavenger hunt type game! So I hope lots of you will participate. Some of the answers may be a bit harder to find than others, but they're all there if you're willing to do a little digging. You can find the answers you need in the following places:

Blogger
Facebook
Flickr
Twitter
http://www.facebook.com/MandeeFraneeDesigns

THE QUESTIONS:

1. On what date did I list my very first Lens Pet on Etsy?

2. On what date did I share pictures from my first craft show?

3. What did I say in my very first status update on FB?

4. Name 3 of the weekly features I've run here on my blog in the past year

5. What are the names of all of the holiday Lens Pet collections I released in 2010?

6. How many sizes of Lens Pets do I offer? Sock monsters?

7. What is my best selling Lens Pet design?

8. What is my favorite number?

9. When did I host my very first giveaway?

10. What are the names of the bees in the OddSox fairytale that I wrote?

11.What was the title of my very first blog post?

12. Approximately how many Lens Pet orders did I receive in my first week on Etsy?

13.How many tattoos do I have?

14. Name something I am afraid of

15. What is my middle name?

16. How many photo albums do I have total between FB and Flickr?

17. Name one of my favorite Etsy shops

18. How many different Lens Pet designs have I created (NOT counting different colors of a single design)?

19. How many different sock monsters have I made (NOT counting multiples of the same animal)?

20. What did I do for work before opening my Etsy shop?

21. What crafts did I love to do when I was a little girl?

22. How many kids do I have?

23. How many pets do I have?

24. I won a contest in May of 2010, who sponsored that contest and what was my 'title' as the grand prize winner?

25.What do I want to be when I grow up?

THE RULES:

One entry per person for this game.
You must EMAIL me your list of answers. DO NOT post them here or others won't have to work as hard to find them! ;)
Send your list of answers to me at mandeefranee@hotmail.com with "day 4 trivia" as the subject
The person with the most correct answers will win the contest.
If there is a tie between two or more people, a random number generator will be used to choose a winner.

THE DEADLINE: This contest will be open throughout the weekend to give everyone ample time to get all their entries in. :) On Sunday May 29 at midnight this post will be locked.

Winner will be announced in a blog post on Tuesday May 31.

THE PRIZE: $35 credit towards the purchase of anything in my shop.

As always, feel free to email me if you have any questions - mandeefranee@hotmail.com

SPECIAL ONE DAY BONUS!!

Because today is the official one year anniversary of my very first Lens Pet sold on Etsy, for one day only I am offering 15% off every order placed from now until midnight tonight!! Just use code ONEYEAR15 when you check out. And don't forget, not only will you save $$ on your purchase but you'll also earn the bonus entries for your chance to win the GRAND PRIZE!! :) So if you were thinking about it, now's the time!!

BONUS:
In addition to the daily games and contests there are a couple bonuses that can get you a little closer to winning that big grand prize at the end.

Each sale from 12:01 am on May 23rd until 11:59 pm on May 29th will earn bonus entries into the drawing for the grand prize. Every Lens Pet or sock monster purchased gets you TEN extra entries. Order two Lens Pets, you'll get twenty entries, three gets thirty... and so on.
Each person YOU refer that places an order gets you another 5 entries towards the big prize (plus of course, they earn entries for ordering)! Make sure your friends add your name in the notes section when they place their order so I know to give you credit.

Have fun!

Anniversary Week - Contest 3

noreply@blogger.com (MandeeFranee) — Wed, 25 May 2011 11:00:00 +0000

Welcome back for another day of fun!! :) Today's contest is in part, a big thank you to every single customer I've had in the last year!

And all you have to do to enter today's contest, is take a picture! :)

1400+ orders, that's a lot of Lens Pets™ and sock monsters sold in the last year. So to get an entry into today's contest you need to take a picture of the Lens Pet™ or sock monster that each of you has purchased from me in the last year. ;) The more creative the better! Maybe you'll take your sock monster to a professional sporting event and get one of the players to hold it for a photo... or maybe you'll get the guy at the corner store to wear your Lens Pet™ on his hand while you snap the pic. {of course it's not required that you go anywhere, the picture could be taken in your own home} Whatever it is, just get creative... get crazy!! ;) I want to see where all of my creations have gone off to live!

example photo {taken from my FB page} by Ashley Swallow of Live Laugh PHOTOGRAPH

THE RULES:

One photo per Lens Pet™/sock monster. If you own 5 Lens Pets™ and 5 sock monsters, that means you can get a total of 10 entries.
Post your photos to Flickr, PhotoBucket or another photo sharing website
Then come back here to my blog and leave a comment with a link to your photo, otherwise I won't know it's been posted and you can't get credit! <---This step is critical! You can't get credit if you don't share your link!

THE DEADLINE: This contest will be open all week to give everyone ample time to get all their entries in. :) On Sunday May 29 at midnight this post will be locked.

Winner will be announced in a blog post on Tuesday May 31.

THE PRIZE: $20 credit towards the purchase of anything in my shop.

As always, feel free to email me if you have any questions - mandeefranee@hotmail.com

and don't forget your chance at getting some bonus entries for that big grand prize...

BONUS:
In addition to the daily games and contests there are a couple bonuses that can get you a little closer to winning that big grand prize at the end.

Each sale from 12:01 am on May 23rd until 11:59 pm on May 29th will earn bonus entries into the drawing for the grand prize. Every Lens Pet or sock monster purchased gets you TEN extra entries. Order two Lens Pets, you'll get twenty entries, three gets thirty... and so on.
Each person YOU refer that places an order gets you another 5 entries towards the big prize (plus of course, they earn entries for ordering)! Make sure your friends add your name in the notes section when they place their order so I know to give you credit.

Two days down, three to go! See you right back here again tomorrow!!

Anniversary Week - Contest 2

noreply@blogger.com (MandeeFranee) — Tue, 24 May 2011 11:00:00 +0000

Welcome to Celebration Day #2!! Today's contest will be decided based solely on your creativity! ;) As many of you may know, I currently offer nearly 80 different Lens Pet™ designs and with a list waiting in the wings, there are many more to come! But some of my favorite designs have come right from the customers and the special requests they've made. So today, I challenge you to come up with a new idea!! The rules are as follows:

THE RULES:

You post your suggestion for a new Lens Pet™ design in the comments section here on my blog.
You may enter as many times as you'd like, but each suggestion should be a DIFFERENT idea and in a separate comment. (they need to be separate so they can be counted as individual entries for the big contest at the end of the week)
Check **here** for the designs I currently offer so you're not wasting your time suggesting something I've already done. ;)
I will select the winner based entirely on what I like best and what I think will be translated well into Lens Pet™ form.

*additional info:

please keep in mind, I am unable to use copyrighted images. unfortunately that means no Disney, Sesame Street, Nickelodeon or other popular kids characters. I can however create Lens Pets™ based on your own business logos or drawings that you've made yourself. :)

THE DEADLINE: You will have until Sunday May 29 to enter this contest. At midnight I will lock this thread so make sure to get all your ideas in before then!!

Winner will be announced in a blog post on Tuesday May 31.

THE PRIZE: one Lens Pet™ made using the winner's suggestion (winner may choose from mini, standard or large size so the prize will fit his/her camera)! {retail value $12 - $22}

Winner will be announced in a blog post on Tuesday May 31.

Stay tuned for more fun and games every day this week!! :)

and don't forget the bonus entries...

BONUS:
In addition to the daily games and contests there are a couple bonuses that can get you a little closer to winning that big grand prize at the end.

Each sale from 12:01 am on May 23rd until 11:59 pm on May 29th will earn bonus entries into the drawing for the grand prize. Every Lens Pet or sock monster purchased gets you TEN extra entries. Order two Lens Pets, you'll get twenty entries, three gets thirty... and so on.
Each person YOU refer that places an order gets you another 5 entries towards the big prize (plus of course, they earn entries for ordering)! Make sure your friends add your name in the notes section when they place their order so I know to give you credit.

Anniversary Week - Contest 1

noreply@blogger.com (MandeeFranee) — Mon, 23 May 2011 11:00:00 +0000

It's time to celebrate! Today is your first of SIX chances to win big with MandeeFranee Designs this week! :) And our first contest is a snap! All you have to do to be entered is this:

invite your friends and anyone you think might be interested in my products over to 'LIKE' MandeeFranee Designs on Facebook.

After being invited, new fans will need to complete this simple task:

once they click that 'LIKE' button on my FB page they'll need to come back here to my blog and leave a comment letting me know who invited them.

Easy peasy! :)

Because of strict FB contest rules, no one is required to post on my wall (though of course everyone is welcome to say hi). To get your entry for each new fan, you should direct them to post HERE on my blog after they 'like' the page. That way you are sure to get credit for each person you invite.

**PLEASE NOTE** If your friends don't post here on my blog with your name, the entry will not be counted.

BONUS ENTRIES:

To earn up to three extra entries for this contest you can share a link to this blog post with friends in these additional ways:

Twitter (be sure to tag me @MandeeFranee in your post so I can see it)
Tumblr
Your Blog

Just make sure to leave a comment here with a link to wherever you posted about MandeeFranee Designs Anniversary Celebration!

THE PRIZE: Of course I'm sure what everyone is really interested in is the prize! ;) The winner of this contest will receive one standard Lens Pet {$15 retail value}!

*design and color of prize may vary

THE DEADLINE: This contest will be open all week to give everyone ample time to get as many entries as possible. :) On Sunday May 29 at midnight this post will be locked.

Winner will be announced in a blog post on Tuesday May 31.

Feel free to email me if you have any questions - mandeefranee@hotmail.com

and don't forget the bonus entries...

BONUS:
In addition to the daily games and contests there are a couple bonuses that can get you a little closer to winning that big grand prize at the end.

Each sale from 12:01 am on May 23rd until 11:59 pm on May 29th will earn bonus entries into the drawing for the grand prize. Every Lens Pet or sock monster purchased gets you TEN extra entries. Order two Lens Pets, you'll get twenty entries, three gets thirty... and so on.
Each person YOU refer that places an order gets you another 5 entries towards the big prize (plus of course, they earn entries for ordering)! Make sure your friends add your name in the notes section when they place their order so I know to give you credit.

ANNIVERSARY WEEK CELEBRATION!!

noreply@blogger.com (MandeeFranee) — Sun, 22 May 2011 19:59:00 +0000

May 26th, 2011 marks the one year anniversary of my very first sale on Etsy!! It's been a crazy, amazing, BUSY year!! To celebrate I'm going to be running a handful of different games/contests/giveaways all week, starting on Monday May 23rd! :) I hope you'll all play along!!

Each day I'll post on my blog with instructions on how you can enter each contest. Each day there will be prizes offered, all leading up to one BIG prize at the end of the week! :) Play each day and earn an entry into the drawing for that day's prize... enter every day for more chances at winning the big prize! And what is that big prize you ask???? Well I'll tell you! :)

The GRAND PRIZE winner will receive a collection of Lens Pets from my shop worth $100!! What photographer wouldn't love to have their very own army of Lens Pets to get those smiles flowing?!
*Sizes; colors; designs will vary, but the prize will equal $100 retail.

BONUS:
In addition to the daily games and contests there are a couple bonuses that can get you a little closer to winning that big grand prize at the end.

Each sale from 12:01 am on May 23rd until 11:59 pm on May 29th will earn bonus entries into the drawing for the grand prize. Every Lens Pet or sock monster purchased gets you TEN extra entries. Order two Lens Pets, you'll get twenty entries, three gets thirty... and so on.
Each person YOU refer that places an order gets you another 5 entries towards the big prize (plus of course, they earn entries for ordering)! Make sure your friends add your name in the notes section when they place their order so I know to give you credit.

Stay tuned and get in on the fun!!

*Daily prizes will be announced each morning when I post the game for that day.

Something old, something new!

noreply@blogger.com (MandeeFranee) — Mon, 09 May 2011 21:21:00 +0000

I've been working even harder than usual to get orders completed and shipped with the HOPE that I could catch up and stock my shop with ready to ship items instead of everything having to be custom made and with such a long wait. After weeks of literally, non-stop sewing, I can see the finish line!! I'm back IN FRONT of my wait time and chuggin' right along. I have a list of games and contests planned for the week after next to celebrate the one year anniversary of my first Lens Pet™ sold on Etsy. :) There are new things to come in the second half of this year and a glimpse of them can be found in the new Lens Pets™ introduced lately...

Persnickety the Parakeet is one of the new characters who recently joined the cast. I sketched and cut out the pieces for him months ago but just didn't have the time to put him together until recently.

Something old was updated and turned into something new. In my opinion, the updated version is a million times better. I had a standard size tiger in the shop awhile ago but decided I wasn't entirely thrilled with it so when I received an order for a large tiger I decided to give him a little facelift.

OLD (standard size)

NEW (large size)

I don't have the same orange scrunchie for the standard size, but I do have another shade of orange that will work and I will be adding a standard tiger with the new look back to the shop soon. :)

Two more Lens Pets™ recently received facelifts as well, the cow and the jellyfish...

and this unique ladybug joined her more recognizable friend in red and black...

In addition to these and of course the many (many, MANY) unchanged Lens Pets™ churning out of the MandeeFranee workshop these days, I've also had a few sock monster orders to complete...

a couple of brand new designs - the lion and the turtle

and another kitty cat

As you can see I've been a busy bee. :) I'm off to take a walk with my youngest as the weather is GORGEOUS here today and I feel like I haven't been outside in a year! Stay tuned for details on the anniversary celebration and a couple of new products in the near future!!

Etsy Stalker Contest Results

noreply@blogger.com (MandeeFranee) — Tue, 03 May 2011 18:02:00 +0000

Announcing the April Shadowbox Giveaway Winner!

The lucky winner of one of my Limited Edition tie dye crazy face Lens Pets™ is....

(insert drum roll here)

Natalie! Comment #46

Congratulations Natalie! I hope you will enjoy your Lens Pet™, I will be in touch to get your address today!

Monster Monday

noreply@blogger.com (MandeeFranee) — Mon, 14 Mar 2011 22:50:00 +0000

I think this week's monsters are my most unique. :) They're much bigger than the rest of my monsters as well and I LOVE them. You can't help but grin every time you look at them! They camp out on the back of the chaise sitting next to my desk. The light pink one is an Iffiet, the dark pink one is a Trolliak.

Usually they sit there nicely, they're very well behaved monsters. :) But the sun was out today and when I walked outside with the dog I found the Iffiet and the Trolliak climbing trees in the front yard! ;)

The very talented plush designer behind these unique monsters is Megan of Green Elevator Industries. Megan took a few minutes out of her busy monster making day to give us a little behind the scenes info... read on!

-Tell us a bit about yourself.

Greetings! My name is Megan Barbour and I'm a plush designer originally from Ohio, now based in Brooklyn, New York. During the day I'm a project manager/producer at a media arts company, and 90% of my time outside of the office is spent getting my craft on. The other 10% is spent playing games with the wonderful cast of silly characters in my life, running, traveling, biking, and telling very bad jokes.

-What is your shop name and is there a story behind it?

My shop is named "Green Elevator." When I first moved to New York, I met my dear friend Steff who lived in my apartment building. She and I instantly bonded over how much we loved cheese and crafts. We spent most weekends crafting up a storm, and decided one night we should form a business. This idea was formed less out of the desire to make money, and more for wanting to make a million crafts and not really NEEDING all of them taking over our apartments. We decided to form our business while riding upstairs in the elevator. Steff said "We should call it something silly like... ::looks around:: Green Elevator, so we don't fuss over the name forever." Agreed. Done. Green Elevator was born. I should also note that this is a very GREEN painted elevator that we often joked about. Apparently, our landlord loves the color as it also appeared in the lobby, hallways, doors, and bathroom walls...

-How did you get started making monsters?

Another one of my craftastic friends, Kaitlin, inspired me to learn to crochet a few years ago. Once I did, she sent me a link to an article about "amigurumi" (which I had never even heard of at the time). I wanted to crochet a little mouse to cheer up my desk at work, and just never got around to stop making creatures. I crocheted basic animals at first, then more abstract creatures, then gave sewing a try with some scrap fabric, then fleece, and now fur has taken over my life.

-What inspires and motivates you to create?

I've always loved making things. At this point, I can't imagine not creating something on a daily basis, so I really don't need any motivation outside of my obsessive natural desire to do so. I draw inspiration from all things silly in my life - which tends to be quite a bit.

-If you could have one super power, what would it be and why?

Flying. That is over done and predictable but I don't care - it would be awesome.

-Top 5 favorite foods, tv shows, and bands?

Foods:

1. Chinese food. Not authentic. not fancy. cheap, greasy, delivery Chinese food.

2. cereal

3. cheese

4. fruit

5. Annie's Mac & Cheese

TV Shows

1. Glee

2. 30 Rock

3. House

4. The Gilmore Girls

5. The Daily Show/ Colbert Report

Bands

1. Tilly and the Wall

2. The New Pornographers

3. The Beatles

4. Mason Jennings

5. David Bowie

-3 etsy shops you just LOVE?

There are about a thousand shops I LOVE, so I will narrow it down to Plush and then narrow it down again to three shops that were big inspirations to me when I first started out.

1. Love and a Sandwich

2. Cutesy but not Cutesy

3. Scrumptious DelightThe

-One year from now, I hope...

1. Start doing craft shows/gallery work on a more regular basis.

2. Officially go nonprofit with Green Elevator. I'm working out some of the details now.

3. Continue to grow creatively and expand my technical skill set.

4. Integrate Green Elevator with a free teach/learn group that Steff and I formed to spread the power of craft.

-Where can we find you on the internet?

Megan and the original Iffiet (mine is an extra special one thanks to those BIG rainbow horns)

Go check her out! Her work is phenomenal!! And don't forget to check back next Monday for another peek at some great monsters!

CIC Saturday!

noreply@blogger.com (MandeeFranee) — Sat, 12 Mar 2011 14:00:00 +0000

Whenever I go searching Etsy for another Crafting in Color team member, I'm always amazed at the variety and talent of them all! This week's featured member is no exception. Dyna and John are a team of two unbelievably creative people and I'm so excited to share their beautiful work with everyone! I've got a number of pieces from the shop in my favorite folder, here are just a few of them:

And without further ado, meet... Owl Creek Ceramics!

-Tell us a bit about yourself.
(Dyna) I grew up doing all sorts of arts and crafts. My mother and grandmother always had new projects going. I went to the University of Kansas for a degree in textile design and painting. Right after college I moved to California to blow glass. There are many similarities in glassblowing and pottery. You’re working with the concept of balance, constantly rotating the glass on a rod or a pot on a wheel. Also glaze is glass.

-What is your shop name and is there a story behind it?
We live on Owl Creek Road and we love the area (it’s the sticks and beautiful rolling hills) and so “Owl Creek Ceramics” was a natural.

-How did you get started painting and what is your favorite subject to paint?
(Dyna) In 2000, I was having tons of fun with friends going to the “paint your own ceramics” shops. I happened to mention to John that one day I would like to have a kiln, maybe in a year or so. Well, within a week we had our first kiln. I went to decorating and John figured out how to fire the thing. Soon we had added a potter’s wheel for John. At first everything was an experiment for both of us. We made lots of mistakes. It’s true what people say, every time you open up the kiln it’s like Christmas seeing how the pieces turned out or not.

-What is your favorite color?
We love all colors but right now we are absolutely crazy for lime green (chartreuse, kiwi). Just can’t get enough of it!

-What inspires and motivates you to create?
(Dyna) Repetitive patterns fascinate me and they are found everywhere. Fabric design, nature, advertising, industry. Many of our pieces incorporate my celebration patterns. Celebration patterns come from all over. I start with banding sections and then use the lines as a border for the doodled patterns.

-If you could have one super power, what would it be and why?
I’d like to be supersonic fast so I could rapidly finish all the tasks that keep me from painting.
John says he’d like to fly just because.

-Top 5 favorite foods, tv shows, and bands?
Fajitas, baked sweet potatoes, fish, salad, pizza
Masterpiece Theater, Blue Bloods, Swamp People, No Ordinary Family, House Hunters International
Lucinda Williams, The Subdudes, K.T. Tunstall, Rob Thomas, Five for Fighting

-3 etsy shops you just LOVE?
www.etsy.com/shop/batikwalla
www.etsy.com/shop/YeeHaw
www.etsy.com/shop/romyandclare
www.etsy.com/shop/judemcconkey
www.etsy.com/shop/ecarlateboutique

-One year from now, I hope...

June 11, 2011 is our first day going full time Owl Creek Ceramics! We’re so excited! We’ve been job sharing for about four years. Before that we both worked full time and John traveled a lot. Now we are so ready to totally immerse in an art life. We have big plans for experimenting more with new techniques and ideas; producing and hopefully selling more; and, spending more time together and with family and friends.

Check out these fun behind the scenes pictures Owl Creek Ceramics has shared with us...

Owl Creek Ceramics set up their lovely booth at the craft fair

Dyna in front of the studio

the kitchen inside the studio

John trimming a bowl
*love the Snoopy pants! ;)

Dyna finishing pieces

I hope you enjoyed getting to know the crafty couple behind Owl Creek Ceramics! Don't forget to stop by next week to meet another talented Crafting in Color team member! :)

Friday Favorite Finds!!

noreply@blogger.com (MandeeFranee) — Fri, 11 Mar 2011 17:00:00 +0000

I don't have much of a sweet tooth to speak of. But lately I've REALLY been craving some cupcakes. And there's nothing like dressing it up pretty for a photo shoot before you eat it! So this week's favorite finds are of the baking supply variety! :)

LOVE these!!! so colorful and stripey!

berry striped cupcake liners by HeyYoYo

ooooo pretty Spring colors!

sherbet polka dot cupcake liners by the bakers confections

I have some heart shaped silicone baking cups and I LOVE them! the cupcakes (or muffins) pop right out, easy peasy! I've been looking for other shapes!found a few more here too.

round silicone baking cups by diy mold

these come in other colors too!

orange-yellow swirl cupcake liners by Lulus Cupcake Boutique

mini cupcakes are the perfect little bite size snack - and I thought they couldn't get any cuter!?! but these baking cups would definitely do the trick!

mini purple with polka dots baking cups by little monster hugs

gorgeous colors! love the big polka dots!

pink and lime bubbles cupcake liners by Cupcake Social

This only makes me want cupcakes even more! A big stack of PRETTY cupcakes! Good thing International Monster's Day is this weekend. ;) That means I can make a big ol' MONSTER CAKE and get my fix (even though I probably won't eat more than a bite or two before it gets too sweet for me).

Top Ten Tuesday!

noreply@blogger.com (MandeeFranee) — Tue, 08 Mar 2011 21:58:00 +0000

Yay! Another Top Ten Tuesday! This week I am going to be sharing my top ten FAVORITE movies! This one is VERY hard for me because I am a HUGE fan of movies. A LOT of them. I have a substantial collection and can find entertainment in just about every movie out there, even the less than great ones. BUT I am head over heels in love with movies from the 80's and 90's. Probably because that's when I grew up, but I don't think anything can beat them! They're CLASSICS! So if you grew up around the same time frame as me, you'll probably recognize most, if not all of the movies on my list. ;) Here they are, in no particular order...

1. The Goonies - Who doesn't like this movie?!? A group of kids on a treasure hunt, being stalked by a family of crazy bad guys! This movie rocks!! Plus I totally had a huge crush on Sean Astin when this movie came out! ;) And Cyndi Lauper on the soundtrack?!? WIN!

2. Labyrinth - SO in love with everything about this movie... Jim Henson is a GENIUS. The characters are outstanding, amazing, incredible! Ludo, the Fireys (which totally terrified me as a child), Sir Didymus and his trusty steed... I totally wanted to be Sarah. I can still recite the lines from this movie almost word for word 25 years later!! Not to mention, the Goblin King was SOO HOT! ;)

3. The Never Ending Story - oh to actually become a part of the story in a book you're reading! what kid (or even adult) hasn't dreamed of just that?!? I watched this movie over and over and over as a kid. It just has everything! Mystery and suspense and awesome characters!! THE LUCK DRAGON??! Are you kidding me, I wanted one of my own! lol Oh and course there was a crush... Atreyu. The little boy who would try to save Fantasia. I cried and cried when his horse got caught in the swamp of sadness. :( I still get a lump in my throat to this day at that part. They just don't make movies like this anymore!

4. Dirty Dancing - I bet you KNEW this would be on the list! ;) Who DOESN'T love this movie!!! I was in 7th grade when this movie came out. I had an awful perm at the time which actually sort of resembled Jennifer Grey's hair so friends at school called me 'Baby' for a while. lol The music, the dancing... "Nobody puts Baby in a corner" the LINES! This movie will NEVER go out of style! Patrick Swayze was AMAZING! And though (surprisingly) I did not have a crush on him, I did love him in this role. :)

5. The Dark Crystal - more Jim Henson. I'm a HUGE fan of absolutely everything he did. What an imagination! Though my kids don't mind some of the other movies on my list, they never really liked this one. I on the other hand still love it! My very favorite character... Fizgig, the fuzzy little ball of fluff monster 'dog' that Jen (one of the Gelflings) had.Ya know, the NAMES of all the creatures in this one was half of what made it so great! Gelflings, Skeksis, Urskeks... so fantastic! Don't get me wrong, I love me some good CGI, but classic Henson movies like this just can't be beat!!

6. Ferngully - I was a junior in high school when this movie came out and it was one of the gifts I got for my 16th birthday. I watched it over and over and over again. Every single day for nearly a year. I still have that original VHS movie (though I also have the DVD now). A lot of people I knew at the time hadn't even heard of it until I made them watch it with me. ;) But there were some great actors doing the voices - most notably Robin Williams did the voice of my very favorite character - Batty Koda!! I loved this movie and that character so very much, when I turned 18 and my mom took me to get my very first tattoo, I walked out of the tattoo parlor with a cartoon bat on my ankle. ;) Everyone should watch this movie. Even though it's "just a cartoon" it has a great message. The animation is beautiful and the characters are just adorable! :)

7. Lucas - think back to a time, before Charlie Sheen was Bi-Winning (as opposed to bi-polar, don't get the two confused) and had tiger blood running through his veins. He was great in this movie. Almost as awesome as Corey Haim as Lucas. BOY did I have a crush on these two. Corey Haim was adorable as the dorky, but lovable Lucas! And I totally remember writing Charlie Sheen in huge letters on my folder in 6th grade. I'm only slightly embarrassed about that now. This is an amazing movie!

8. Gremlins - Comedy? or Horror?? With this movie you didn't have to choose! lol As you may know by now, I'm a big fan of "puppets" and imaginary creatures. Gremlins fit the bill. Gizmo is SO freaking cute! I always wanted my own mogwai... ok, or just one of the plush toy versions of him. ;) Never did get one though. :( Gremlins 2 was cute, but nothing can touch the first one!

9. Footloose - Name one person anywhere in the world who doesn't like this movie. Seriously. Kevin Bacon is the man! The dancing. THE MUSIC! This movie is fantastic! It never fails to make me smile. :) The soundtrack is almost as good as the movie!! I even had (still have) the album, the one with the picture of Kevin Bacon covering the whole front side of it! SO COOL!

10. Purple Rain - maybe you've seen a general theme with all of my favorite movies... when they were released, I almost always fell in love with the lead boy. lol I was kinda boy crazy as a child. I can't really confirm or deny that much has changed in that respect. ;) Ok yes, I still fall in love with guys in movies. ;) Purple Rain was no exception. Though I was already in love with and planning to marry Prince, this just solidified that dream/goal. ;) And oh how I wished I could be Apollonia! I thought she was so beautiful! I love Morris Day and The Times too. This movie was just all around spectacular!! :)

BONUS: The Karate Kid - I know I already have 10 on the list but I just couldn't leave this out! I'm sure it will surprise you to hear I had a big crush on Ralph Macchio as a little girl. ;) lol I haven't watched Dancing with the Stars in the last few seasons, but actually might have to this season just to see how he does! :) The remake with Will Smith's son was good, but nothing can compare to original! I still cheer at the end when Daniel kicks Johnny's butt!

That was fun! :) Got an idea for another top ten list you'd like to see??? Leave me a comment! :)

Count yourself LUCKY!

noreply@blogger.com (MandeeFranee) — Mon, 07 Mar 2011 21:00:00 +0000

Today I will be posting in my shop a small line of very limited edition GREEN Lens Pets! ;) My 2011 'Lucky' Collection will hit the shop later today, all will be LARGE size pets and all will be ready to ship right away! But when they're gone, they're gone. I ordered a small amount of the two different fabrics and I won't be getting any more. Some designs will have two available, and some will be OOAK! There are even some BRAND NEW designs making an appearance in this line!!

Without further ado... I would like to introduce you to the cast of characters! :)

crazy lucky

lucky duck

the green eyed monster ;)

Shamrock the Irish Setter ;)

lucky catch

Lukousaurus <-- actual real name of an actual real dinosaur!

lucky in love

lucky bug

lucky charm
having the whole rabbit must be WAY luckier than just one tiny little foot, right?!

lucky Penny (the kitty cat)
find a Penny, pick it up, all day long you'll have good luck! ;)
**coming tomorrow - no pictures yet**

happy go lucky

**coming tomorrow - no pictures yet**

Good luck scoring your own Lucky Pet! ;) Keep your eyes peeled, they'll be in the shop later today!

Monster Monday

noreply@blogger.com (MandeeFranee) — Mon, 07 Mar 2011 17:57:00 +0000

This week I'm sharing some monsters that aren't of the soft and squishy variety, but that doesn't deter from the absolute CUTENESS OVERLOAD at all! I've been watching this shop for AGES but everything sells so quickly it wasn't until I got more vigilant in my stalking techniques that I was finally able to bring a couple home for my own collection. ;) I'm not one for 'dust catcher' collections, I got rid of all my figurines of that nature a number of years ago because I HATED having to move them and dust them all the time. Never say never. Because I've made an exception for the Beastlies and I will smile when I dust the top of the bookshelf where they sit now because I am IN LOOOOOOVE!!! Meet my Beastlies...

Dingie

Williby (with my ChapStick for size comparison)

and both Beastlies together... Dingie is kind of a scaredy cat ;)

tell me they are not absolutely painfully adorable!! You should see them in person, the tiny details are just astonishing! Seriously. Some of the spots on Williby's back are smaller than a pin head!! A PIN HEAD PEOPLE! That's tiny!! Even the tiny white spot in the center of each pupil is a dot of clay!! I have no idea how she does it! Not surprisingly, this shop crazy popular! The brilliant artist behind it all posts a few new creatures every couple of days or so and they are usually gone before you can blink! Once I clicked on 'add to cart' and in the few seconds it took my cart to load, it was SOLD to someone else!! Check out some of the other cuties that I am sad to say I missed out on...

Leslie was kind enough to take a few minutes out of her busy day to answer a few questions for us. :) read on to find out more about how the Beastlies came to be...

-Tell us a bit about yourself.

My name is Leslie and I make the Beastlies! I live in LA with my husband and cats, and I sculpt pretty much all the time. Some friends and I write a webcomic together, which I sculpt when i'm not making Beastlies.

-What is your shop name and is there a story behind it?
Beastlies. The story behind it is just that I make small monsters, and wanted a word that sort of conveyed the monster-ness and also small, cute side. I ended up deciding on Beastlie when I combined "beast" and my first name.

-How did you get started making monsters?

I sculpted a lot of little characters and animals when I was a kid, but then I gave it up for more "serious" art. A couple years ago, I had the urge to try it again. I started out making cats and dogs and elephants and such, but they slowly started evolving into the Beastlies.

-What inspires and motivates you to create?

I love animation and the Muppets. I sell Beastlies at a lot of comic festivals and conventions, and just being around all the amazing, small-press creators is really inspiring. It's worth going to those events just to be immersed in that many interesting artists. As for motivation, if you're passionate about something, you have to devote yourself to it and make it the thing you work harder at than anything else. I quit my day job, which was a job I actually liked, to do Beastlies full time, and it's a ton of work, but I'm so glad I did it. If you want to be a full-time creator, then you push yourself. I dunno, is that too self-helpy? I think people motivate themselves because they are driven to do the thing they love.

-If you could have one super power, what would it be and why?

I would be some kind of super-chef. Like, if I could make brilliant food just by thinking about it, that would be ideal. I love cooking, but I don't have time to do it enough to be great at it, and that kind of bums me out.

-Top 5 favorite foods, tv shows, and bands?

Foods: All kinds of cheese. Cake. Tea. Blueberries. And I kind of love roasted beets right now.

TV shows: Buffy, Firefly, Arrested Development, Farscape, Lost. I'm a nerd.

Bands: Yikes... I've been listening to Janelle Monae a lot lately. She's great. I dunno! While I sculpt, I tend to put on podcasts or film scores. I've got a playlist with music from Ratatouille, Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan, and How to Train Your Dragon that gets used a lot. Again, nerd.

-3 etsy shops you just LOVE?
EvaFunderburgh does amazing ceramic creatures

lwong is a friend of mine whose art I just adore

specimen7 is another lovely artist who also makes small creatures, but with a very different style.

-One year from now, I hope...

To be farther along in various Beastlie-related endeavors... If things just keep chugging along like they are now, I'll be a happy camper.

-Where can we find you on the internet?

Beastlies.com is my main site, and from there you can get to Twitter, FB, Flickr, and Etsy! (Oh, and the webcomic is at TheAtrox.com. It's about a former man-eating monster who is trying reform and be civilized. Recently, though, we've been following a quest that some viking bunnies are on.)

The artist herself at a comic festival, selling Beastlies

and her work space... where the magic happens!!

You might be able to get your own Beastlie... if you're faster than me that is! Trust me, I've perfected my quick reflexes when it comes to clicking 'add to cart' and 'checkout'! ;)

Stay tuned for another edition of Monster Monday next week!!

Top Ten Tuesday!

noreply@blogger.com (MandeeFranee) — Tue, 01 Mar 2011 14:00:00 +0000

You may have seen me mention before how much I love lists! I make lists for everything... grocery lists and to do lists and lists of new ideas for the shop and supply lists and wish lists and... well you get the point. I'm a list maker, AND I'm addicted to notebooks. But my newest list won't kill any trees! My newest list will be right here on my blog every week, starting today! Here goes...

This week I'm going to share my top ten favorite RECIPES!! I LOVE allrecipes.com! I have about a million and one cookbooks, but I always surf on over to All Recipes when I need some new meal ideas. I always read the reviews before trying something new and I have never been disappointed with something that had multiple comments of AWESOME! Of course I haven't really tried many new recipes since I started making Lens Pets nine months ago, but I hope to get back to it some day! Because even though I'm not wild about cooking/baking, I AM wild about eating!! ;)

1. Sweet dinner rolls - In an effort to get back to using my bread machine more, I found this amazing recipe in March last year. We call them FAT ROLLS around here and OMG they are HEAVENLY!! I haven't made them in a while because they're kinda time consuming but they are worth every single second it takes to prepare! My kids ask for them all the time. I make them as 'clover' rolls instead of the crescent type (just cut into equal pieces, roll into balls and put three little balls into each section of a muffin tin) and did I mention they're DIVINE?! Man I want some! I think I might need to make some with dinner tonight. Seriously... if you like bread, even a little bit, you MUST try this recipe!! Here's a shot I took of my first batch (before they were buttered on top so forgive them for looking a little dry - they're NOT, not at all, not even before buttering the tops! they're soft and fluffy and dense but light and just MELT.IN.YOUR.MOUTH! Aside from brushing a little melted butter on the tops when they come out of the oven I don't even add additional butter to mine)

2. Raspberry Oatmeal Bars - I found this recipe when I was looking for something to take to a cookie swap. Like I mentioned before, I do not enjoy baking - but eating... two thumbs up. ;) So I was looking for an EASY recipe that would take very little time to prepare but pack a big punch. FOUND IT! every single person that has ever eaten these has fallen in love. :) My dad flipped out the first time I made these for him because apparently they are something he loved as a kid but hadn't had in a lot of years. Now he asks for them pretty much every time he comes to visit. I am in love with raspberries, you seriously cannot go wrong with that fruit!

3. Bangin' Banana Bread - after reading the reviews on this one I just had to try it out and I am SO glad I did! I hate dry banana bread... that is NOT a problem with this recipe! It turned out SOOOO moist and had a GREAT banana-y flavor! Hands down the BEST banana bread I have ever eaten! And oh look! I even have a photo of my first loaf! :)

4. Italian Calzones - I should share something other than bread maybe, lol. The recipe for this dough is FANTASTIC! So delicious! I especially loved that I could make up the dough, then everyone could choose their own ingredients to go inside the calzones! Because of course the kids just wanted pepperoni, cheese and pizza sauce. I on the other hand warmed up a tiny bit of oil, tossed in some garlic and then browned some cubed chicken, added black olives and cheese - no sauce. YUM!!! Again - time consuming rolling out the dough, stuffing and sealing each one, but so worth it! I seriously need to make these again soon.

5. Slow Cooker Chicken Taco Soup - *raises hand* Lazy chef here... I LOOOOOVE my crockpot! I mean how much easier can a meal get?!?! Throw it all in in the morning, dish it out at dinner time - and ONE pot to clean!!! Fantastic! I tried this recipe recently when I was looking for something quick and easy but delicious to take to a soup swap! Winner winner chicken dinner! My kids devour this and though I'm not usually one for a lot of ingredients in one dish I love it too! You can make substitutions if some things aren't to your liking - chicken broth instead of beer, frozen or fresh veggies instead of canned. I left out the onions because I do NOT do onions... EVER! You can add more spices (though I'm a mild kinda girl and this has just enough bite for me). This is a delicious soup, with smashed up tortilla chips, sour cream and cheese on top! Ok.. it won't win any awards for being the healthiest recipe, but it's still yum! ;)

6. Pioneer Woman's Chicken Spaghetti - If you are one of the 5 people in the universe who has never heard of this, never tried this, never stuffed yourself to the brim with this... you are MISSING OUT! This is seriously the MOST fantastic casserole I have EVER eaten. I love casseroles, I mean really, they're just as easy as cooking in the crockpot!! This one actually takes some time to prepare but it is so far beyond worth it it's just not even funny. It took me years of hearing other people rave about this recipe before I tried it myself. And now I'm sad for all those chicken spaghetti-less years that we could have been dining on HEAVEN IN A CASSEROLE DISH! Not even kidding. I made it for dinner tonight because looking up all these recipes was causing some serious cravings! Here is the Pioneer Woman's most beautiful picture of this dish... I drool just looking at it!

7. Corn Casserole - I for one LOVE corn bread with my chili... but once I discovered this corn casserole I could never go back to plain old corn bread again! This is SO delicious and amazing!! The first time I had it a friend made it as a side dish... I think I ate more of the corn casserole than I did the main dish. ;) This recipe is exactly the same as the one she gave me. And can I just say, YUM YUM YUM!!! My kids weren't wild about it (WHAT is wrong with them?!?!?) but I totally don't care! I make it every time I make chili (which they also don't like, lol - I'm such a mean mom!). If your family digs corn bread I dare you to try and resist this!

8. Taco Lasagna - another recipe thanks to the same friend who made the corn casserole (she's a fabulous cook). LOOOVE this! I love it, the kids love, it's a hit all around!!! I do take a few short cuts (like taco seasoning instead of all the individual spices - you know, because I'm the lazy chef!) and I switch out the corn tortillas for flour just because that's my preference but other than that, WONDERFUL!

9. Easter Brunch Lasagna - I found this recipe in a Taste of Home magazine YEARS ago, at least a decade by now! I've made it on Easter every single year since then... and a few times for dinner in between. I LOVE the combination of the noodles with the white sauce, ham, broccoli, cheese... DELICIOUS lasagna. and a change from the typical beef/red sauce that lasagna usually has. So filling, I always walk away stuffed!

10. Stuffed peppers - though this particular recipe is not mine, it is similar and it's got great reviews. I would share my recipe, only I don't use a recipe. This is one of the meals my mother taught me to make when I was 18 and moving out on my own. There is no measuring happening here people, it's just 'toss it into the bowl, mix, stuff, cook, GORGE'. Yep. And it is seriously like the all time best favorite comfort food out there. Oddly enough, I don't actually eat the pepper. While I LOVE raw green peppers, once they're cooked they gross me out. BUT you don't get the same flavor without the pepper (trust me, I've tried) so I always stuff ONE pepper and put it in the middle of the dish... then all the rice and seasoned meatballs that would have been stuffing additional peppers is just in the pan with my one pepper in the middle. ;) I LOVE this dish and I don't make it nearly often enough. Unfortunately my arthritis has gotten so bad that it's quite painful for me to mash up the meat and seasonings to make the meatballs. Sometimes I can bribe the kids into helping though. ;)

Well, I hope you enjoyed my very first 'Top Ten Tuesday'! I would love for people to leave me suggestions as to what other 'top tens' they'd like to see. :)

Monster Monday

noreply@blogger.com (MandeeFranee) — Mon, 28 Feb 2011 14:00:00 +0000

I'm super excited to share this week's featured monster maker. Mini, micro and macro creatures, sea suckers and oddvarks (<<< best name EVER)! All of those must mean that today we're getting to know the talented owner and operator of Mr. Sogs Creatures! I've had plenty of Mr. Sogs creations in my favorites for a long time, but only recently scored my very own mini creature in CUSTOM COLORS! I wasn't sure they'd be up for doing this but thought it couldn't hurt to ask, and they were so kind and made the perfect little mini creature for me!! I love her!

With a little help from my oldest son she got a new name and now she sits on top of my sewing machine with a couple of her new friends. :) Meet... SKITTLES!

*are you seeing a colorful theme here?! I like 'em bright! ;)

Here are a few of my other favorites from the shop...

Zeno (above) and Effel (below) are both mini creatures. As you can see they don't look very much alike, but they are similar in size and of course they're both ADORABLE! ;)

this is an Oddvark, his name is Hercules and I am in love!

and of course we can't forget the sea suckers! This is Clara. I don't think I'd like to meet her in a dark cove underwater... those fangs look dangerous!!

The brilliant plush maker behind Mr. Sogs was kind enough to answer a few questions for us, so read on for the inside scoop!

-What is your shop name and is there a story behind it?
My shop name is Mr. Sogs Creatures. Mr. Sogs is also the name of my really fat cat that loves to steal the creatures and have a nap on them. He is not allowed in the studio but tries to sneak in when he can.

-How did you get started making monsters?
I started making creatures as gifts for my nieces and nephew. Soon the adults began wanting them for their own birthdays as well, so I thought why not make them for everyone and it just grew from there.

-What inspires and motivates you to create?
My best motivation is requests from friends. I never would have thought to make a giant evil penguin until a friend of mine mentioned that they wanted one and could not find it anywhere. Moments like that make for the best creatures because I definitely get inspired to make something completely unique.

-If you could have one super power, what would it be and why?
I would choose to never need to sleep. Oh the things I could get accomplished!

-Top 5 favorite foods?
spicy salsa, goat cheese, broccoli, mac & cheese, brownies

-3 etsy shops you just LOVE?
Needle Noodles - www.etsy.com/shop/NeedleNoodles
Kitty Baby Love - www.etsy.com/shop/kittybblove
Poor Dog Farm - www.etsy.com/shop/poordogfarm

-One year from now, I hope...
I hope that Mr. Sogs will be my only job.

-Where can we find you on the internet?
www.facebook.com/MrSogs

If you ever wondered what it might look like inside a monster makers lair, wonder no more! Check out this giant pile of monster skins!! All prepped and ready to be stuffed with monster guts and love! ;)

Don't forget to check back next week when we'll be meeting another talented Etsy genius!!

CIC Saturday!

noreply@blogger.com (MandeeFranee) — Sat, 26 Feb 2011 14:00:00 +0000

The return and revamp of CIC Saturday! :) Each week I will feature and focus on one member of the Crafting in Color Etsy team. I am a member of this team as well and I have some crazy talented teammates! :) So for this first week back I will be sharing the wonderful work of MoKoPo Creations. She paints! And I am absolutely in love with her work!

Wonderful little quote turned into a beautiful little canvas! This is just the perfect quote for any small business owner or anyone with BIG dreams. :)

she also paints on journals and I LOVE them! It's like your own personal little work of art, that you can see and touch and USE every single day! And inexpensive enough that you can buy more than one. ;) I don't know about you, but I have an addiction to writing/keeping lists, for pretty much EVERYTHING... I am always picking up cheap little notebooks from the Target dollar spot and whatnot, but these are so much better!

and she'll even customize this one for you... another city for the heart, another state all together. so fun!

how adorable is this elephant print?! I can totally picture it hanging in a child's room. wonderful detail!!

Megan was kind enough to answer a few questions for me (I love learning more about the other sellers that call Etsy home). Check it out...

-Tell us a bit about yourself.
My name is Megan. I grew up in Cincinnati, where I currently live and work out of a home studio. I have a degree in Psychology and a License in Massage Therapy, but painting has always been my passion. I'm exactly 50% introvert and 50% extrovert. I love people, I'm good in groups, but I'm a total homebody and I work better solo. My family is amazing, and I'm grateful to have such a great support system. I'm quite certain I'm the luckiest girl in the world.

-What is your shop name and is there a story behind it?
My shop name is MoKoPo. It was created way back when I was 12 years old and I started painting. I wanted to sign my artwork with something fancy like a "grownup artist" so I used little circles instead of periods between my initials (M.K.P.) Instead of looking fancy, it just looked like the word "MoKoPo". I struggled with whether I would keep it as my official business name since it can be tricky to say, but at the end of the day I felt it would be strange to sign my paintings any other way. My artistic self has always been MoKoPo.

-How did you get started painting and what is your favorite subject to paint?
When I was little I would draw all the time, carrying around a sketchbook with me everywhere. At about 12 years old, I became obsessed with the PBS series, "The Joy of Painting" with Bob Ross. My very first painting was a landscape in oil for a Mother' Day Gift. After that, I explored all different subjects, focusing on portraits in high school. Currently, I love bright colors, lots of texture and layers of paint, and some mixed media elements. I'm also a big fan of animals-- they have such fun personalities!

-What is your favorite color?
You may consider this cheating but I've always said that I think colors look best when they are surrounded by other colors. I'm drawn to the spectrum more than the individual colors, like in a rainbow sno-cone, a box of markers, or the paint chip aisle of Home Depot.

-What inspires and motivates you to create?
I'm inspired by tons of things, all the time! Color, nature, humor, love, pop culture... Often times I'll have an idea in mind for a painting and as I'm creating it, I'll discover something else that I like better. I think it's important to stay flexible and trust that my mind knows what it wants to do. This constant stream of inspiration is also what motivates me. I'm constantly making lists and sketches because if I don't, I'll forget. Creating is just another way for me to put my thoughts down in some tangible form, so I can always remember them.

-If you could have one super power, what would it be and why?
Teleportation. I would love to travel more and that would really help cut time and cost.

-Top 5 favorite foods, tv shows, and bands?
Foods:
1. Chicken Pad Thai
2. Chicken Parmesean
3. Guacamole
4. Golden Oreos
5. My Mom's Mac-n-Cheese

TV Shows:
1. Friends
2. Sex and the City
3. Dexter
4. Modern Family
5. Jeopardy!

Bands:
1. Adele
2. Michael Jackson
3. Black Eyed Peas
4. Duffy
5. Over the Rhine

-3 etsy shops you just LOVE?
Ahh! SO many! Let's see...
1. www.artsyville.etsy.com Colorful, fun, inspirational doodles!
2. www.onegarnetgirl.etsy.com Beautiful jewelry, I want all of them!
3. www.steppie.etsy.com I love her pandas, and her energy!

-One year from now, I hope...
To have more items available in my shop including more functional items like greeting cards, mugs, etc. I also hope to have done lots of local art shows and have made more of a name for myself in the local community. I'd like to have lots more facebook fans, blog followers, and newsletter subscribers. And finally, I hope to be enjoying all that life has to offer with my love, Kyle.

I hope you'll stop by the MoKoPo shop! She's got some beautiful items to offer. :) You can find her on the net...
Blog: www.MoKoPoCreations.blogspot.com
Headquarters: www.MoKoPo.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/MoKoPoCreations
Twitter: http://twitter.com/MoKoPoCreations

Don't forget to stop by next week to meet another one of my talented Crafting in Color teammates!

Friday Favorite Finds!!

noreply@blogger.com (MandeeFranee) — Fri, 25 Feb 2011 14:00:00 +0000

Somehow I completely missed posting my favorites last week but I'm back on schedule for this week so... who like clocks?!

kirie 01 bamboo clock by decoylab

IN.LOVE. seriously!! the flowers! the vine! that butterfly!! the ivory acrylic over the bamboo?! SHUT UP!! this is AMAZING!! Who knew clocks could actually be art all by themselves?!

modern chartreuse clock with numbers by uncommon

I love the way you can just barely see the numbers and the ornate hands are beautiful, so elegant and just perfect on this simple clock!

as luck would have it, Uncommon is having a sale this weekend!! Two days only (26/27) 15% off everything in their shop to celebrate their two year anniversary!! So if you like the clock above, or any of the other awesome things in their shop, make sure to stop by tomorrow!

blue circle clock by chromalab

beautiful shades of turquoise in the offset circles (they have quite a few other color options in their shop if turquoise isn't your thing) and that punch of red from the second hand is just the right touch!

pop clock in red large wall clock by whitevan

GORGEOUS bright red clock, I'm a big fan of the circles, I love the shadows they make on the wall. they have a bunch of different options in their shop, some with only four circles, some with twelve and then more like this. lots of color choices as well. very cool stuff!

and OH MY GOSH can you even get over the incredible cuteness of these?! why did I not find these when my kids were smaller! I SO want one for a playroom or a nursery!! *LOVE*

Children's wall felt clock round orange by evgie

so in love with the whole concept of this clock! genius! what an adorable accent in any child's room!

modern animal clock lion by decoylab

I know I already shared another clock by this same artist but I could not leave this one out. seriously. KILLING me with cuteness!! I so want this clock!! they have a bunch of animal shapes (hippo, elephant, hedgehog) but the lion is by far my favorite!

I could go on... there are SO many amazing clocks on Etsy! I could fill a room with my favorites. But I'll leave you with these.

If anyone has any suggestions for Friday Finds themes I'd love to hear them, feel free to leave me a comment. :)

new features

noreply@blogger.com (MandeeFranee) — Thu, 24 Feb 2011 08:40:00 +0000

Etsy seller Red Marionette posted a FB status last night that hit a chord with me. My blog has been a bit neglected, pretty much since I started it, save for last November when I posted for 30 days straight. Aside from that one occasion I tend to leave blog posting for when I have a bunch of pictures to share or something. I post A LOT more on Facebook than I do here and I'd love to change that. I know how much I enjoy reading blogs, and I really do like writing as well, so I want to make an effort to add some more content here. :)

To kick things off I'll be adding a new weekly feature, and bringing back back another feature that I had here a while ago.

-Top Ten Tuesday: I'm excited about this one! So many possibilities! 10 recipes, 10 blogs, 10 quotes, movies, music, games... I look forward to getting suggestions from all of you as well!

-CIC Saturday: I ran this one for 6 weeks last year. I don't have an excuse for discontinuing it, just the shop and kids and busy life. But I'll be bringing it back and re-vamping it a little. It took quite a while to choose 9-18 sellers to feature each week! Then save images, get links, etc I think it was just too much. So starting this Saturday I will choose ONE Crafting in Color Etsy team member to feature each week. I think it will be a lot more manageable this way. :)

I have some other ideas as well but I don't want to try and tackle too much at once because of course I still have lots of work to do and a house to run. :)

And because I hate to leave a blog post without some pictures I'll share some of my recent work. I've had a number of special requests lately, some of which have found their way into the shop:

train

I was unsure about this one before I actually pieced it together, but I really like the way it turned out. I was excited to add it to my growing list of over 70 available Lens Pet designs!

schnauzer

he won't go up on his own but will be one of the 'dog' options along with the standard dog and the dalmatian that I offer now.

parakeet

of all the new designs this one is my FAVORITE! although he hasn't been sewn together yet, he will eventually find his way into the shop. :)

Limited Edition tie dye frog

I also added another design in the Limited Edition line... I LOVE this colorful version of the frog, right down to the little yellow bug! :)

are you feeling LUCKY?!

noreply@blogger.com (MandeeFranee) — Thu, 24 Feb 2011 04:08:00 +0000

got a package in the mail today... and when I opened it I just knew I had to share! look what I got...

the one with the swirly doodles is flannel so it's sooooooft!! :) they might not look like much just yet, but these lovely green fabrics will be transformed into some very LUCKY Lens Pets! ;) Keep yours eyes peeled, they'll be popping up in the shop very soon!!

Speaking of feeling lucky, Love & a Sandwich is having a giveaway on her FB page! Pop on over and enter, you could be the lucky winner of one of her totally awesome plush monsters or yetis!!

Monster Monday

noreply@blogger.com (MandeeFranee) — Mon, 21 Feb 2011 20:14:00 +0000

Monster Monday is back! And this week I was lucky enough to hook up with the creator of Hello Again Monsters! I love these unique vinyl plush and Santa brought me my very own little vinyl family for Christmas...

Screevish was in my favorites folder for a very long time before finally coming to live with me.

Of course he couldn't make the big trip through the mail all alone so he brought along Eaganormous for company.

Together they guard my bookshelf and they do a great job of it. No one has messed with my books since they arrived! :) Here are a couple favorites from the shop as well, the little scalloped cut outs are a new feature that I've just seen pop up recently and I LOVE IT!!!

I posted about this shop on my blog in October of last year (as a 'Favorite Find') and now Romiette, the creative genius behind Hello Again Monsters, was kind enough to take some time out of her monster making day to answer a few questions for us. Read on to find out what makes a monster maker tick!

-Tell us a bit about yourself.

I am a monster making girl from Seattle, Washington. I have lived in Seattle all my life (minus one cold year I spent in Iceland). I often think about moving somewhere new but I'm just not sure where I would want to go. I work at Whole Foods Market to pay the bills, and hope to one day be able to make things for a living. I love cupcakes, gummy bears, and chocolate truffles. If I could live of of those for the rest of my life I would be happyhappyhappy!

-What is your shop name and is there a story behind it?

My shop name is HelloAgainMonsters. There's not really any story behind it. My friend (see question 3) and I went over lots of different names when we were making monsters together so I took my favorite one when we split to do our own things. Its kind of like my comeback... HELLO AGAIN!

-How did you get started making monsters?

Lots of years ago (5 or 6!?), I was dating a boy who was a graffiti artist. He had one character that he painted around the city. That Christmas I decided to turn his character into a plush thing for a Xmas gift. It turned out really good and we started making them together. We did a big group plush show at Snowboard Connection, but then he turned into a real jerk (ha!), and we went our separate ways. I really loved making plush so I decided to keep doing it on my own with my own designs and took on the moniker 'Hello Again'.

-What inspires and motivates you to create?

All kinds of things! Its almost difficult to pinpoint what it is really. I get inspired but the cupcakes I eat, by the people I know, and by the city I live in.

-If you could have one super power, what would it be and why?
Only one!? Ummm... I think I would like to be able to be invisible.

-Top 5 favorite foods, tv shows, and bands?

Foods - Cupcakes, gummy bears, chocolate cake (those are all foods right!?), tacos from El Asadero (best taco bus in town!), and my moms cooking.
TV Shows - Thats tough because I don't really watch a lot of tv shows. I like the cooking channel and i love Anthony Bourdain (totally my old man crush!).
Bands - Wow this is hard. I don't like limiting myself to favorites! On current rotation: Baths, Eluvium, Little Dragon, Machine Drum, and I've just become insanely obsessed with witch house.

-3 etsy shops you just LOVE?
www.etsy.com/shop/retrowhale Sooooooo cute!
www.etsy.com/shop/poppyandmoe Also sooooooooooooooo CUTE!
www.etsy.com/shop/LittleHouses I want all of her jackets!

-One year from now, I hope...
..to be debt free, and living the dream.

-Where can we find you on the internet?
www.facebook.com/helloagainmonsters
http://twitter.com/_HelloAgain_
www.plushart.net

In addition to sitting down for our interrogation, Hello Again Monsters has also agreed to give us a little sneak peek behind the scenes. Check it out!

Romiette's work station - where the monsters are born!

that's A LOT of monsters!!

I love that one with the furry face on the top left ;) and the pink one under it that has EYELASHES! lol

oh look! BABY monsters! :) I see mine in there!

I am having so much fun with Monster Mondays! Can't wait to share next week's monsters with everyone!

Winter is not gone yet my friends!

noreply@blogger.com (MandeeFranee) — Sun, 20 Feb 2011 22:13:00 +0000

I am one of those strange freaky people who LOVES Winter! It's my favorite season, by about a hundred million miles! #1 reason - VERY few bugs in Winter! I hate bugs. and in the cold snowy months they go away! I don't have to deal with them flying into my hair while I walk the dogs... or sneaking down from the light fixture above my desk and ending up no more than two centimeters away from my face! Both have happened... BOTH more than once. I HATE BUGS!! So I love Winter. I also love all that fluffy beautiful white stuff. And before you say it's because I work from home and don't have to go out in it... I drive my son to and from school every single day, in addition to typical errands, and I really don't mind driving in it. While I do love other seasons as well (except Summer, UGH I hate the heat, and the BUGS!) I always dread the end of Winter, when all the pretty white snow gets all gross and dirty and then melts away. Eighteen days ago we had more than a foot of snow on the ground (I blogged about it here).

Two days ago I took the pictures for this new listing in my shop, where you can clearly see the snow was all but gone! :( Yesterday the only snow left on the ground were the quickly melting mountains (now nothing more than mole hills) left behind after they plowed the parking lot.

This is outside my front door today...

that's right... the snow IS BACK!!! And I couldn't be happier! ;)

Monster Monday

noreply@blogger.com (MandeeFranee) — Mon, 14 Feb 2011 13:55:00 +0000

Welcome to another episode of Monster Monday! This week's super talented Etsy plush maker is one of my very favorites. The JaeBird! It was her monsters that actually started my collection and they probably {definitely} out number all the other monsters on my desk combined at least two to one.

The little ones are called Uggles and MAN are they addicting! I won't divulge the actual number living here on my desk and in other parts of my home... needless to say it's probably more than any one person needs. Which is why I gave some to my kids for Christmas and even gave my mother and sister an uggle each from my very own collection. because I had so many I couldn't even fit them all on the desk and still have space to work. It might be embarrassing except for the fact that they make me smile every day, sitting there looking all cute and colorful while I work. So I make no apologies. I've even gotten my sister and nieces/nephew addicted and I happen to know that the Easter Bunny will be surprising all of them with an uggle in their baskets. ;) Ok, so you probably get the point. :) Here are a few pictures of the uggles that live with me...

this is Gretchen, she was my very first and still my very favorite uggle. I love her crazy colorful fur!

the ones with the zombie eyes are among my faves :)

these uggles guard the buttons in my giant button jar ;)

but uggles aren't the only monsters you can find at The JaeBird. She also makes all sorts of bigger monsters, like Boggit. I LOVE his antlers!

as you can see, he's quite a bit bigger than the uggles!

Lucky for us, The JaeBird herself agreed to answer a few questions so we can get to know the woman behind the monsters! Read on...

-Tell us a bit about yourself.
About 15 years ago I stopped going by my birth name and insisted everyone call me “Jae” instead. Only official documents hold the secret to my real name. Currently, I am attending college for Accounting and am running my little shop on Etsy called “The Jae Bird.” Random facts about me: I am 4’9 (and by height standards alone I can be considered a dwarf, however I do not suffer from dwarfism), I am obsessed with hot pink and lime green together, I am a closet nerd (I heart star trek), and I am intrigued by tattoos and plan on getting full sleeves done.

-What is your shop name and is there a story behind it?
The Jae Bird has no real story. “Jae Bird” is just something that random people always call me. When I signed up for Etsy, I really had no idea what I’d be selling or if I would be selling anything, so I tried to be somewhat generic in my username. However, there is a story behind one of my main products, “Little Uggles”. I am always teasing my little dog Pixie and always saying she’s hideous (when in fact she is adorable). One day I started calling her a Little Uggle as a variation of “ugly”. I liked the sound, so I started naming my small cute creatures that.

-How did you get started making monsters?
It all started in February of 2010---there was a terrible snow storm that left me bored and in need of a yeti friend. I doodled a little drawing of a yeti and went to my craft space to try to replicate my drawing in plush form. A couple of hours later my yeti was born and I decided to take silly pictures of him in the snow. From that point on I was hooked on making monsters.

-What inspires and motivates you to create?
My mind is always racing with new ideas---not just plush. I also write music, poetry, design clothes, and am always looking for new things to try. As far as my plush---I am inspired a lot by colors, seasons, animals, and sci-fi. I very seldom draw my monsters anymore, but just make the pattern and see where it takes me. Most of the creation process is random and whatever I feel like at a particular moment. Sometimes people will give me suggestions that help me think out of my comfort zone.

-If you could have one super power, what would it be and why?
Simple----time travel. I probably wouldn’t use it for any sort of awesome crime fighting but rather just to go on mini vacations. Ever since I was a child I have loved the idea of time travel (thanks to Back to the Future) and always wonder what things will be like in years to come…or were like in the past.

-Top 5 favorite foods, tv shows, and bands?
Foods----sushi, raspberry anything, cheese (in almost any variety), dark chocolate, and ravioli (or other cheese filled pastas)
Tv shows----Heroes, The Office, Psych, WWE Raw, and The Soup
Bands----As Cities Burn, Matisyahu, Johnny Cash (not really a band but he rocks), Dead Poetic, and Underoath

-3 etsy shops you just LOVE?
Miss Demented (AWESOME wigs), The Poppy Tree (cute paintings and prints), and Glowbies (amazing little polymer clay creatures by a very talented 10 year old). Please note I am in love with a million shops but these 3 I probably stalk the most.

-One year from now, I hope...
To be better organized, have participated in at least 1 craft show, have way more unique items, and have made enough money from my Etsy shop to purchase a home. That last one is a pretty big goal, but anything’s possible!

-Where can we find you on the internet?
Etsy---jaebird.etsy.com (plush) and thejaebirddestash.etsy.com (destash supplies)
Facebook--- www.facebook.com/TheJaeBird
Email---TheJaeBird@gmail.com (I don’t check this as often, though, so facebook or etsy are the best ways to get a hold of me.)

As an added bonus we've even been lucky enough to get a super fun behind the scenes sneak peek of The JaeBird and her workshop!

check out all that fabric! *drool*

the beginnings of what looks to be a very cool uggle! I see zombie eyes! and guess what, he's in the shop now!! check him out! LOVE!

it looks like your monsters are a little out of control Jae, be careful! that one on your head has some big chompers! ;)

Thanks a bunch to Jae for giving us a peek behind the scenes at The JaeBird. Now everyone go and order yourself some monsters! :)

see you next week...