Let’s be great! I’ll do something great, and you do something great too, ok?

I think maybe baby liked the Devourer pillows better than me. I am not jealous.

I am so happy that spring has sprung! Today the tree in my bedroom bloomed. That hibiscus just opened up and said, “Let’s get VERNAL on this EQUINOX!” Then I said, “What’s a VERNAL?” Then we both laughed and I promised him I’d move him outside when the weather gets warm enough, so he can enjoy more direct sunlight. Little does he know that I am going to chop him up and make many baby hibiscuses from his twigs. It may hurt him a little, but it will be so nice to have baby trees to give away to friends. I’ve received word that babies from previous years that are now living in different homes are blooming nicely now too!

Perhaps the things that I am most excited about today is that I found out last night that I am related to the man in the moon! I was out getting a good look at the Supermoon at around midnight when I was able to see in detail the resemblance between him and I. So I skyped him and we had a grand old chat about our great-great-great grandma in common, Ethel Marmalood. It’s good to know people in high places. He said if I ever need help with anything ocean related, he’s got pull.

The Saturnian Bleeb discovered the sprouts. They had only been on the surface of Saturn for about seven hours before she rolled along. She loved them! She ate them all up and didn’t save any for anyone else on the whole planet!

The sprouts sent themselves to Saturn because they decided they were too overgrown to be eaten here on earth. Here you can see the sprouts planning their trip.

If they were to be eaten by earthlings, they would have been delicious with some carrot ginger dressing and sliced Jerusalem artichokes. Let me know if you want the recipe for the dressing.

I have a lot of things to tell you about. The people of this house are obsessed with teency weency little cookie cutters. They cut cheese and fruits with them and make silly things to eat. See how cute they are! Awwww! I could just eat the little cutters themselves!

This is some kind of silly thing to eat. They should have made it to look like me. I don’t even know who this silly face is supposed to be. I will tell them to make one in my likeness. Do you think I should threaten to eat the humans if they don’t comply? No, on second hand, that is not very nice.

Here is a closeup of the diagram that came with those cutters that sparkle so lovely in the sunlight. It is a mystery what the black food is. Can you read Japanese? Oh please you must tell me what it says! I am going to make some blackberry fruit leather in the dehydrator after I have a my four o’clock tea. That will probably work if I can’t figure out what the mystery food is.

So some of us decided to make some eggnog to get in the holiday spirit. It didn’t really come out that great. By “nog” they mean pistachio shells, right? If you have a favorite eggnog recipe that we could try, please sharrrrrrre…RAWR…I mean, ours realllly came out bad!

Also, this is very important: Jenny will be teaching a workshop at Gallery Hanahou in NYC tomorrow at 1pm. We will be making these colorful tri-eye flower brooches. They are fun and easy to make. You can also wear them on a headband or hang them on your Christmas tree or hide them in places where people will be surprised to find them. People like your boss or your cousin. What else could you do with them? Full info on the workshop at the following link + scroll down. Come and join us, it will be fun!

https://www.galleryhanahou.com/current-show/opening-december-9th-luv-able-hug-able-wearble/

Love, The Colossal Gigantohuggah (who has taken over this blog)

We monsters have gathered here together under the Christmas tree to discuss some very important matters. First and foremost, we are taking over this blog! Jenny our maker has been a grumpypuss nonblogging sillypants dummyhead all year and we are tired of being boxed away in the closet.

Second on our list of pressing matters is that we need hugs. We are very lacking in the hugs department. We need REAL hugs and we need them NOW! Thusly, we will also be taking over the sadly neglected shop so that we can all find new homes and live happily ever after.

After we get reacquainted with each other and take care of some of the above mentioned affairs, we shall take a break for some cookies, and then we will reconvene to decide which monsters have the right qualities to lead each division of our new operations.

Well anyway, we are all going to go take over the kitchen and try and figure out how to make some eggnog now.

Love, The Colossal Gigantohuggah

Go Ask Alice
Doll and Plush art show
Until January 7
Paul Cumes Fine Art
131 East Anapamu Street
Santa Barbara CA
artsantabarbara.blogspot.com

Isn’t it kind of crazy that we are in 2010 now? I don’t have any resolutions other than to work hard and do my best. This is the year to really make dreams come true! Right now I am working on my final preparations for Sea Party, which begins this Saturday. Dream come true #1 for 2010 – to be showing off a big bunch of kooky plushes at Art Star! Yay!

What are your resolutions?

And the mome raths outgrabe.

Workshop: Make a Wee Peppermint Beast Ornament with Plush Artist Jenny Harada!
Saturday, December 19, 1-4 pm
Cost: $20
Email info@galleryhanahou.com to sign up!
http://galleryhanhou.com

The weather had been gloomy and it took me many attempts to photograph these little guys adequately. I just kept adding and and adding lamps. I finally set them up under the winter garden grow lights. Mark is working on setting up my little dream indoor garden as I type. I am so excited to grow spinach indoors this winter. The setup is about 95% complete. Well, until I figure out a better way to photograph plushies, I think the plants are going to get temporarily booted every now and again. If you have any advice for setting up indoor lighting for photography, please do share!
P.S. tips for doing it on the cheap would be preferable because my budget for lighting is approximately $0, haha!

For those of you who won’t be able to make it to the workshop but still would like to make yourself a little beast, stay tuned for the pattern, and possibly a kit. In the meantime, if you’re feeling Xmassy, you could busy your hands with some elf chum making if you like. We made these creepy little darlings at the Luv-able and Hug-able workshop I led last year and it was a grand old time.

Hop on over to the Etsy shop for the pattern.

Peppermint Beast

Mr. Rainbow

Bloonicorn

5" x 7", fabric, beads, fun fur, embroidery floss, thread, ready to hang in a glittery frame

Info about the show:
FIREFLY
A Charity Art Show and Sale
to benefit Junkiri School, Hopeful Vocational
School and Children for Green Nepal

Opening reception on Saturday, September 19th, 5pm-9pm
Work will be on view through September 30th

100% of the proceeds from this show will be going to benefit the Junkiri School, the Hopeful Vocational School, and Children for Green Nepal.

Please visit gala-ed.org to learn more about GALA and these wonderful and needed programs.

“Junkiri means firefly in Nepali, the idea of the school’s name is that the children create their own light to guide them through life.”

Artists include:

Chirag Bangdel
Astha Tuladhar
Amit Baniya
Rabin Maharjan
Sabnum Shrestha
Juju Kaji Maharjan
Bisnu Lama
Josh Taylor
Jenna Colby
Dee Chavez
woolloomooloo
Mary J. Hoffman
Lauren Preston
John Hicks
Heather Chavez
Carl Lozada
Chris Hartford
Alina Chau
Kelly Thompson
Edzepln
Spooky Daddy
Bee Harris
Donna Letterese
Jenny Harada
Frank Furlong
Christine Velez
Jonathan Bueno
Christian Robles
Monkeyhouse Toys & Art Gallery
1618 1/2 Silver Lake Bl.
Los Angeles, CA 90026
323-662-3437
monkeyhousetoys.com

Here is a velour seal that I made when I was about 10 yrs old. It was commissioned by my grandmother. She kept it on top of her perfectly made bed complete with bedspread for many years. I inherited it back from her about seven years ago. Here she is trying to see which is taller, her or the pile of #6 containers I have saved for a project. If she stands on her tippy flippers, she is indeed taller!

Bacterial speck has overcome. It has been a bad year for tomatoes, folks. Well it’s kinda cute how this one looks like a ladybug anyway. My two yr old noticed it. She was saying, "Ladybug, mommy! Ladybug, mommy!" and it was right in my hand and it took me a while to find the ladybug.