Yup, yup Stabbyland is a whirlwind of activity right now……..lots of late night candle burning critter making sessions going on as I am busily preparing for Sundays Crafty fair

This show should be so much fun…..and Rosy (the  rather fab organizer) got  the show a feature in the onion’s event guide for Madison how cool is that?  apparently my mischief monkeys were featured in the listing……….eeeeeeeek how exciting and I can’t wait to check it out when I hit Madison this weekend.  Another exciting event for Madison this weekend  is the Grand Glitterworkshop re-opening on Saturday,  Naomi (the store owner and organizer extraordinaire of the craftaculars)  is theming the store as a forest friend woodland theme so it gave me the perfect excuse to add a new critter to the critter box family…..

It’s Mr fox

He along with some squirrels, hedgies and other forestie critters headed out for the store opening so I’m looking forward to seeing them in their new home,  and I of course made a few extras to add to the shop.

Wow I can’t believe it’s already been and gone,  The Craftacular that is……..and much fun was had by all.

Obligatory booth shot to follow

Because of my love of schmoozing I even got a mention on a blog check it out,  although I think the author is the only person I’ve ever encountered that thinks my prices are too inexpensive…….I generally use the rule of thumb of “what would I pay for it if I saw it at a craft fair”  and usually that seems to work out pretty well,  but what do you guys think?  time to increase my prices?  ahhhhh it’s a tough one,  but  I think I love the fact that kids are so into the critter boxes and generally spend their own pocket money on them too much to incorporate a huge price hike.

This week was also the annual visit to the vet

The boys are just so pathetic  as soon as they go through the door,  that it takes all my strength not to point and laugh at them although I had to snap a picture to share………they had absolutely no intention of coming out of their cases either…..poor babies

So now it’s a count down for Strangefolk……….eeeeeeeek

And then I can officially say my first year participating in Summer shows is done………..woohoo

So the Crafter’s round up has come and gone and it was a ton of fun.  Quite a few critters found fabulous new homes in Chicago,  I was very sad to see Connor go but thrilled to think that he had found such a lovely new mummy…..

So cute!!!

The weather was fabulous on Saturday we even saw disgraced ex governor Rod Blagojevich Jogging in the neighborhood  (the hair truly is a sight to behold)………but Sunday was a whole other story……..(gotta love the Midwest in Summer) after toughing out 3 hours of rain,  the winds came and the fear of losing my precious new E-Z up to the great blue yonder was just to great,  so sorry if you headed out to Chase Park to see us as we were already Rockford bound.

Many thanks to the rather fabulous Pam who thought of me when she saw some rather fabulous cloches at a friend’s yard sale………they are truly awesome and I can’t wait to capture some critters under them.

So this Sunday we have the Summer Craftacular in Madison Wi

Just keep your finger’s crossed Sunday’s weather is blue skies and beautiful………

I’m very excited today…….cos I just got the fantastic news that I am in to Strangefolk, YAAAAAAAY!!!!

I am so thrilled to be part of this show,  the name alone makes me feel right at home……..eeeeeeeek I thought I was busy before though.

So that means my Summer show schedule now looks like this

August 7th and 8th  The Crafters round up at Chase Park Chicago Illinois

The Summer Craftacular In Madison, WI

then of course the strangefolk festival

This past weekend was my 2nd favourite Madison event (the first being Maxwell street days which is this weekend) it was art fair on (and off) the square

There was tons of visually brilliant booths and I got a few goodies (of course) but this Saturday is my birthday so Markie won’t let me have them till then……….pooooooooooh.  I was in my element wandering aimlessly around the wonderful artists until the call of the terrace hit us,  nothing beats a pitcher of beer and a brat from the terrace in summer even when the heavens opened up and chucked it down it’s  still one of my favourite Madison spots

Love the terrace chairs,  they are just so cheery and did you know you can buy ’em…….makes me want a garden patio really bad,  of course it would need a bar and someone grilling brats but still.

Ok really do have to get very busy now,  before I start freaking out about my lack of critters…………gaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!!!!

I Love, love, love creating completely new and weird little critters and thinking of where they have been or are going to,  or how they like to spend their day but with these guys I just can’t even begin to imagine

They are currently hanging out at my house as part of a space mobile I made for the rather fabulous Katie ( who has some of the best stabby requests ever) who just found out that she is expecting a lil’ one and is going with a space theme for the nursery………..How brilliant is that?  certainly very unique and original.  I just hope she likes it

They sure are cute,  like everything I make for Katie I’ll be sad to see them go…………

Last weekends Craftacular was brilliantly fun thanks to everyone who stopped by the booth to say hi,  Madison sure is a supportive community.

Sorry for the fuzzy pic,  the iphone doesn’t like taking pics in darker environments and I of course forgot my camera……..ah well.

Bob Omb has finally arrived to add to my stabby homage to Mario……

He’s a fun guy to make, and one of my favourite characters to play……..remember in Mario cart when you lost,  you could control Bob to bomb your opponents?  aaaaaaaaah good times.

So he will of course be added to the shop later today.

Tonight we are heading back into Chicago to see The xx at Lincoln Hall,  which should be great as the venue is brilliant…..although I have a feeling we may be the oldest people in the room……..(not difficult when you consider the fact that the 4 members of the band are only 19).

So back to stabby frenzy for the upcoming Craftacular………Gaaaaaaaaah only a little over 2 weeks to go before the show………busy, busy,busy!!!!

I love special requests,  so when I got the request of making the Mario guys for a baby’s mobile I knew I wanted to see the finished results in situ.

And here is what Meg did with them

How cool is that?  I was hoping Meg would adopt me when I saw this piccie alone,  but just look at the rest of the room

Never thought I’d be jealous  of an ickle one before………but i gotta admit it I wish I could live there!!!

I also got a fun request for chirpers,  they had to match the colour scheme of this rather funky baby blanket made by the uncommonkid on etsy

So here they are

Lots of pinks, fuchsias and greens………I’m tellin’ ya these are some of the luckiest new borns ever  to have such interior design conscious mamas.

So I’m still stabbying away in preparation for the Valentine craftacular which is next Saturday……….gulp!!!  and this Saturday is Markie’s 37th birthday (haha he’s old) so to celebrate we are going to see Bishop Allen in Chicago which  is terribly exciting as it’s been ages since we’ve seen a band and I now have dimmer perpetually stuck in my brain……………..olly olly oxen free.

Alrighty signing off for now…..

So I finally got on with the long awaited task of adding some new goodies to the critter box line……… (about time right?)  I’m really excited about the Valentine Craftacular at the High Noon in February and figured that would be the perfect place to debut the new guys,  but of course I’ll let you guys take a peek first……  inspired by my trip to California

Dolphins

Koalas

Pandas

and my personal favorites…….Snails

Anyone who reads my blog with any kind of regularity knows that every once in a while I kinda get attached to some of the critters……you know I love making them more than others and every time I catch a glimpse of them smile like a loon.  Well the snails are my new guys for that……….I just adore them!!  (many thanks to Kim of lula and deedee for suggesting I make them)  I just hope other people will feel  like I do about them.

So now the countdown starts……….It’s less than 2 weeks for the aforementioned Valentine Craftacular in Madison and I am stabbying away in anticipation for it……. gaaaaaaaaaaaa better get back to it pronto!!!

Ladies and gentlemen……..drumroll please………

On Saturday November 28th,  Lulu of Lulu’s Stabby Critters will be attempting the impossible.    That’s right she will be doing the impossible feat of being two places at the same time!!!!   Gasp, what? who? where? It’s not possible, it can’t be done……I hear from the crowd.   Well yes it can (thanks to the brilliance of her hubby)  On Saturday November 28th Lulu’s Stabby Critters can be found not only at the Craftacular in Madison, Wi but also at the Bucktown Bazzar in Chicago, Il.

I’m not sure why I agreed to do 2 shows at the same time………it seemed like a good idea at the time.  I mean logistically it seems possible.  Mark can go to Chicago and take care of the critters there while I drive of to Madison….. easy.   But what i forgot about was the fact that dividing and conquering also means dividing up the critter stock……….waaaaaaaaaaah.   So needless to say I’m going to be VERY busy in the next couple of weeks……..yowzers I’m a mad woman,  or at least I will be by November 28th.

The St Cornelius Fall Fest was brilliant fun……it was my first experience of an outdoor street fair and the organizers were totally on it….

I really loved having my own little tent,   and it meant I could finally display mobiles………yaaaaaaaay,  I’m still working on how to do that for indoor booths,  but hopefully I’ll work it out this year.  Alright back to work .. ……which will be tough as I’ve just discovered the brilliantly hilarious regretsy.com now I really am addicted to looking at crap.

how I love thee………for numerous reasons too,  not just because you are my birth month  (although that is a pretty awesome reason).  But also because so much cool schtuff happens during your wonderous 31 days.   For instance Art fair On and Off  the square in Madison was this past weekend and that is one of my very  favourite things in Madison (another is Maxwell Street days but that’s next weekend).  There is nothing better than perusing the work of over 650 artists whilst enjoying the street performers and location…….

Not the best piccie I grant you,  but in my defense it was bloomin’ roastin’ last weekend and so this was taken whilst enjoying some shade under a giant oak tree and I did take better pictures last year if you want to look at them.  I met up with my crafting  buddy Ekra who bought this cool painting by Keith Grace

It’s called Mad Cat and it’s body is made up of the Madison area map…. how cool is that?  it’s going to be a great reminder of Madison for her when she moves to Carbondale next month.   I on the other hand was thrilled to see Molly Bitters had a booth this year,  Molly was also a vendor  with me at last years Bucktown bizarre and I loved her jewelry then but I freaked out when I saw her new stuff,

I had to purchase this little acorn necklace instantly when I saw it,  but it was a tough call as I adored so many of her pieces………she also has an etsy store I highly recommend you peruse.   I was kinda surprised I bought jewelry  though as I seem to be buying it a lot of late…..but how could I not buy these earings from etsy seller SilverNutmegStudio?

I love the north star ones and the flower hoops are just  the perfect touch of whimsy for me.

Art fair on the square looks great at night too

And another reason for July greatness?  Well it’s when all the big movies come out………..can’t you feel the excitement in the air for Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince or is that just round at my house?   Eeeep, Eeeeeep, Eeeeeeep…..I can’t wait till Tuesday,  I got midnight showing tickets about a month ago and I almost can’t breathe for the anticipation,  so much so  that to distract myself I made Ashley………

probably not the best distraction granted,  but I sure had fun figuring  out the best way to make him…..I wonder if Fawkes would approve?

And another thing I love about July?  hmmmmm eating brats and drinking beer on the terrace in Madison

yumm,   can a picture look any more Madison if it tried?  well maybe there should be some deep fried cheese curds there too but other than that I think it’s perfect!  and  that and the sun and the flowers and the critters completes my little love fest with the month of July.