My gosh it’s been a long winter here in Massachusetts.  I started to dream of green lawns and spring flowers and feared they would stay in my dreams forever.  But finally the snow has melted and the nights are getting longer and yaaaaaay Spring is on the way.

I  (as always)  have been busy.  First off we gave this guy a home…

We got him from the Worcester Animal Rescue League  and they were super nice and helpful through the process.  I highly recommend them if you are looking for your new baby.  We called him Murray  (after the Scottish tennis player Andy Murray)  and he is completely bonkers and lovely.  He seems  to be fitting in well with Floyd and Lewis too

I also got a brilliant commission for a giraffe,  and I loved how he turned out

He was super fun to make and I may just have to make one for myself.  I have also been productive with a few other projects which I hope to share with you soon.

So you may have noticed by the slightly shorter days, chillier nights and, oh yeah, all the leaves on the ground that fall is here.  And so begins the start of critter craft shows.

Last Saturday was my first show of the year.  It was in the rather gorgeous location of Sudbury, right outside in the center of town by the church (very New England).  I was excited to set up as I have changed up my booth display from my previous circus theme to more of a farm stand look…..what do you think?

I figured it was time for a change and the farm stand idea came into being from enjoying all the local farm stands over the summer.  I hope you can see some of my new critters in that piccie too……..you know the new critters I promised to share with you last post (whoops) and on his first outing Morris found a new mama

Laura was lovely and I am super thrilled that Morris was going to live in such a fun new home…….the other cool info about Laura is that she is crafty/arty too  so Morris should make the transition into his new home easily……..yaaaaaaay.

And I just though I’d show you some new critters that showed up just in time for Halloween………..the Jack O’Pumkins they are listed in the shop but are very limited in supply and anyone who has pumpkins on display knows that their shelf life is not that long so snag ’em while you can.

Speaking of Halloween I decorated the house

I got the pumpkin buckets from Target and used them as planters………I love ’em!!!  it will be sad to take them away the boys aren’t so sure though

 I think it’s more proof for them that mama is crazy.  Happy Halloween…….I hope you decorated.

That means Spring is 19 days away,  yipppeeeeee!!!!  and as we all know Spring means it’s almost Summer….and jeeesh I can’t wait for summer.  Anyway I’ve been very busy with the critters the last couple of weeks…..and I’m finally gonna update the shop with a couple of new guys.

First up is the oddballs

I can’t tell you just how much I LOVE making these guys…….they always make me smile when they are finished and I love that they all have distinct and very odd personalities,  much like myself.   As of last week a bunch of Oddballs decided to head on out to pastures new and  can be found in their only Wisconsin home,  Zip Dang on Monroe Street in Madison.  How very exciting!   I just hope they behave themselves.

I also made some mini bears

They sure are cute……..And last week they decided that the Glitterworkshop in Madison was the only place perfect enough for their picnic parties.  I will add a couple of oddballs and teddies to my Etsy shop for fun though as it seems like a very long time since I’ve put anything new in there………oooooops.

I also just made a facebook page for the critters (wow, that took a while huh?)  so as Sally Field once gushed………Like me,  please like me…..Lulu’s Stabby Critters on facebook

It’s that time of year again……yup it’s pep talk time for Markie ,  which is always especially lovely for me as we  get to stay at the Del on Coronado island for a whole week.  Oh how I love the Del.   While we are there it’s going to be our 12 year wedding anniversary (can’t believe it’s been 12 years already).  So anyway I’ll give you an update  of the trip when we get back which will be around the 25th as we are also going to Los Angeles for a bit too……….yaaaaaaaaay I’m excited.

I thought I’d share a couple of  my favourite custom orders I did over the holidays…….First up I made an homage to Goo,   Goo is the beloved teddy bear of Andrea’s baby Bennett and looks like this

and then my stabby recreation

I hope Andrea liked him,  I thought he was a real cutie and he got me thinking of the possibility of little bears for the ole’ craft booth…………we will see.

I also got my Mario fix for the year as Elizabeth requested a Yoshi kart…..

Yoshi was probably my hardest challenge in a very long time,  the kart was very hard to figure out how to make it look convincing in wool.  But I love how it turned out and I hope Elizabeth does too.

Speak to you after the 25th as I’m off to pack for California………..yipeeeeeeeeeeeee

Poor ole’  Walter,  all his buddies are leaving for their winter vacations and checking themselves into the fanciest river retreats and Walter will not be joining them……..you see Walter is scared of heights.  It’s pretty tragic,  even standing on the jetty brings Walter out in hives……ever seen a duck belly flop in a panic?  most likely it was Walter.  So Walter is looking for a nice warm home to avoid the winter…..do you know of anything?

Walter will be in the shop soon.

Well ok not tigers and bears exactly,  but anyone who knows me does know that  I am prone to over  exaggerate.  And as  we are heading to Vegas in a few weeks (yippppppppppeeeeeeeeeee) it got my mind ticking to the critters of Vegas,  hence the lions and tigers (is anyone capable of thinking Vegas and tigers and not instantly have the image of Roy being mauled or is that just me?)

So anyway I introduce to you Pierce the little white Lion Cub…..

He’s still a little shy but he’s eager to be a big star like his dad, and his dad before him.  He’s really a born performer.

And he will be appearing in the shop today.  Oh and keep your fingers crossed for me as I am on the waiting list for the Diy trunk show in Chicago,  which I am (nuttily) very excited about……..it would be great to get in but I am feeling terrible about thinking of apocalyptic diseases that may just happen to  befall the crafters that made it in……….aren’t I terrible?  I promise I do feel guilty though : )

Last week I found myself with more green wool than I thought,  so what could I possibly make……….

It’s my favourite Mario game character Yoshi!!!  He was very, very fun to make,  I almost didn’t want to call him finished as I was enjoying making him so much,  but he is and I LOVE him  I added him to the shop already.

So in Stabby news I am in full on crafting panic mode  in preparation for my first summer show on Saturday in Cleveland.  We are making a long weekend of the trip so I am looking forward to that almost as much as the show.  But seriously I am freaking out about wether I have enough critters……..or maybe I have too many? maybe there the wrong critters?……..should I make (fill in blank) instead?  and I have so much organizing to do maybe my time would be better spent getting on with that……..gaaaaaaaah!!!!  Just need to take a breath and go with the flow…………….

I thought I’d share a fun piccie from this weekend in Chicago

It’s Sally my mini cooper in front  of the one and only Superdawg,  this was our first trip to Superdawg despite living in the Chicago  land area for almost 4 years but I doubt it will be our last as the dawgs were pretty darn tasty………and the supercute packaging had me  hooked before I even took a bite………mmmmmmm the first bite yummmmmmm

Ok back to full on panicking………I mean stabbying.

It must be as the temps are finally hitting the 90’s here……..I love the sticky hot of summer,  nothing better than sitting outside and getting some rays enjoying an ice coffee or 4, which I guess means you now know how I spent the last week.

Although Connor bounded into our lives in the meantime

He’s a sweet if rather timid lil’ fella and he will be heading to the shop soon.

Meanwhile my head is buzzing with sewing projects……always slightly dodgy for me,  as I always think big when it comes to sewing projects but my skill set is always a damper to my plans.  Regardless I shall be heading of to the fabric store a little later today to purchase the required fabric…..let’s just say lots of red and white pinstripe,  and that’s the only clue you’re getting.  I’m so excited to start but scared of the possible outcome if I can’t follow through on my grandiose plans.

Can’t wait to show you what I’m up to but I’d better get back to it………….

Meet CC

He’s called CC for his chubby cheeks ……I think it’s from his constant smiling,  as I’m sure you can tell he’s a pretty sweet guy.  He’s made entirely from alpaca wool which is a lot softer than the corriedale and although this sounds like a silly thing to say more hair like than sheep’s wool which means it requires quite a bit more stabbying.  But as you guys know I love the process so it was fun to work with something different,  makes the ole’ brain have to rethink things to make ideas work……I will of course add CC  to the shop.

I got a super sweet custom order that I’m working on at the moment…….I would give you a hint as to what it is but I think I just did,  I’ll share as soon as it’s done of course.

Have a great weekend

I’ve been a very bad blogger………In my defense I’d have to say it’s because I’ve been very busy…………but the reality is I’ve just been enjoying the warmer spring-ey weather that is currently coming through the Midwest.

I did finish Travis though

And I am currently fighting the urge to go to Target everyday to buy up all the Liberty of London line they have.   You see I shopped on the first day it came out as I am a huge Liberty fan (even my wedding album came from Liberty) and I bought A LOT of it,  no seriously when I say A LOT  I mean I am pretty sure I heard my credit card give out a little gasp and sob a little………and yet here I sit still pondering over whether or not I really, really want the watering can and gardening gloves that I had already deemed a little silly and was sure I’d never use….. (how mental is that?)  I clearly need help.

So I’m going to get on with a new big critter today,  I love making the big guys so I’m sure that will keep my mind of useless consumerism……..for now.  Oh and today is my mum’s birthday……..

so Happy Birthday mum!!