Wow it’s already going fast isn’t it?  I mean I can’t believe it’s already the 5th!!!!  OK sure I have been very lazy this holiday season,  but still.

I didn’t make resolutions this year as I tend to make the same ones every year…  and then break them all within the first 20 mins , so I’m just going to stick with making more critters and being a better blogger……..let’s see how I do.

So how was your holiday?  get everything you wanted?  a few of my highlights

Awesome new ornaments from beastlies and girl on the rocks that I just couldn’t resist and bought for myself for my Christmas tree this year.

It turned into a very beastlie Christmas as my friend Matt sent these 2 little guys along for the party …….thanks Matt,  I adore them!!!

prawn cocktail an essential part of our Christmas dinner………yummmmmmmmm  and chocolate milk

an essential part of pussy cat Christmas………….Sandy Paws was very good to the boys this year.

So a few highlights of Christmas,   and now I’m waiting for the 10th as we are California bound again……..yaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay

Staying again at the Hotel Del……….otherwise known as my happy place,  sigh I can’t wait as it’s also our 11 year wedding anniversary on the 14th and there is no more perfect a place to be to celebrate it.

Yup we are off this afternoon,  heading for the Bazaar Bizarre in Cleveland,  Ohio.  According to google maps it’s a little over 7 hours away…………woooohoooo can you say road trip!!!

Can’t wait to see you all for my final show of the year,  the critters are most excited

As am I how fantastic is that poster?

I’ll see you when I get back as today is a busy day of organizing and packing…………yuck

Can you hear that?  It’s the sound of the critters blowing their trumpets in glee at the awesomely exciting news that critters will now be found at a new home………  at the Contemporary Craft Art Museum in Pittsburgh

Ooooooh lah  dee dah………..Needless to say they are very excited and quite frankly feeling a little pretentious about being in a real art gallery,  I keep reminding them it’s in the store but I think they have stopped talking to me…..apparently I’m far to menial to reach their heady heights of fame…………..sigh………poor me.

What I’ve been working on for ages………..

It’s always a challenge to get prepared for winter shows when needle felting takes so long,  I’ve been knitting mini scarves and stabbying snowmen since the start of July so it’s nice to finally show them to you……..although I do kinda think to soon to share?………….nah It’s almost November,  gulp can you believe it?   I’m shocked at how fast this year has flown by.

Anyway I will be starting to add the Christmas goodies to the shop so grab ‘em quick as my first show is less than 2 weeks away……………eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeek!!!!!!

Critters can now be found at the super gorgeous yarn store The Cat and Crow in Mount Horeb, Wisconsin.   I can’t tell you how thrilled I am about this fact,  but it does ensure I’m going to be mega busy in the next couple of months.

Browsing around on Etsy the other day I saw these cute egg cups

From the Peacock and the Pearl.  I  knew instantly what I would do with them if I had them so after hmmmming and hawing for a bit I made the purchase.   And here they are now………

I LOVE these guys so much I have become obsessed with finding more feet egg cups,  which has become a quest of Arthurian measure as so far none that I have seen are really quite right,  either the feet are too big or too small or the wrong colour or not as nice as these ones,  so far none have been just right………maybe my name should be Goldilocks?

Anyway for the moment I only have two chickens and 2 turkeys and I will of course add them to the shop.

In the meantime I am preparing for my first show of the year.  The St Cornelius Fall Fest in Chicago next Saturday (October 3rd) and so I am stabbying away and trying to organise the critters ……not my favourite thing in the world (the organising not the stabbying) but it does make setting up the booth so much easier if everything is somewhat in order……….so back to it.

Little turkeys are here,  I had the idea of them being place card table settings for thanksgiving……Do people still do that? If you are wondering why my piccies are a bit crappy it’s because I had to use my i phone camera as Mark has taken the good camera away with him.  He’s taking part in the Single Speed World Championship in Durango and is staying in Santa Fe,  gotta admit I’m a little jealous……….good god,  not about the cyle race!!! but Santa Fe looks like a beautiful place I wouldn’t mind checking out sometime,  although not when there’s a thousand smelly, lycra wearin’ cyclists in town.

So why the gulp?  well I have 2 new shows to add to my list of upcoming winter shows,  I just found out I got accepted into Bazaar Bizarre in Cleveland a 2 day show in Ohio and I am really excited about it!!!  I don’t know why but I applied and then instantly convinced myself I wouldn’t get in……….talk about a doom and gloom merchant huh?  I guess I should really knock that off.  I also heard from the Craftacular in Madison and I will be vending there this year too …..yaaaaaaaaay I always have a good time at that show……….So my list of shows so far are

The St. Cornelius Fall Fest on Saturday, October 3rd in Chicago

The Red Sled Holiday Bazaar on Saturday November 7th in La Grange, Illinois

Craftacular in Madison Wisconsin on the 28th of November

Bazaar Bizarre on Saturday the 12th of December and Sunday the 13th in Cleveland Ohio

So not bad 4 shows (so far) I think I’m going to have to get very busy soon………….waaaaaa

Little Esther the glamor puss of the East.  Do you like her shoes?  Esther loves them,  she was lucky enough to pick them up for a song from a house clearing event she attended…….The only bad thing is that now Esther walks everywhere her broom gets very little use at all,  maybe she’ll swap it for a handbag to match.

I will add Esther to the shop if you want to check her out some more.

Oh how I love schtuff………

yup my new couch arrived from Ikea and I love it!!!!  I had to get the kidrobot/Heidi Kenney donut pillows to go on it,  aren’t they just fantastic?  It breaks my heart when my hubby actually gasp,  shock,  horror………uses them.   I tell ya one of these days straight to the moon………

Other new schtuff is I got the most brilliant request for a piranha plant flower.  Nikki wanted to get a flower for her boyfriend’s VW bug flower holder……..and how perfect is that as an idea?  I swear it makes me want to trade in my beloved mini for a bug……anyway I hope she likes it.  I have the thought of a Mario hanging from the rear view mirror and the plant waiting to gobble him up below.

Occasionally (as you guys well know) I really want the schtuff I’ve made,  and the little piranha flower has just been added to my list of my stabby must haves…….although I really want a whole vase of them……..sweeeeeeeeeeet

New critter boxes!!!!! yaaaaaaaaay

Little sheep boxes……and the unbaaaaaaaaaalievable news is that these little sheepies and some more critters are heading on over to their new home Unique Yarns, where I am also hoping to teach a few felting classes in August………..how exciting is that?  eeeeeeek I’m positively giddy,  can’t wait to see the critters in their new home it’s such a beautiful store I just hope they behave themselves!!!

Of course I’ll list the sheep in the store too………