Tuesday, October 26, 2010

Work In Progress!


Working out the details on our new batch of robots. Moving things around and trying out different ribbons, dials, arms & legs, etc. This is the fun part for me (Brook) and the not fun part for mom (Joan). Notice we have a one-eyed robot in the works. Also notice our 3 new robots in the shop (Jasper, Mack, and Amelia) during the figuring-things out phase. They look a little different now! :)

Just thought you might like an "insider" look at our creative process. :)

Sunday, October 24, 2010

Woah-Bots

LOL. I am soooo funny. Woah-bots. lololol.

*ahem*

Anyways, I am having a GREAT time uploading all of the new photos of our robots today. Three (3!) new robots have been listed in the shop since yesterday. We are so excited about them. They are soft and huggable, bright and fun! They're my favorite items in the shop.

Here are the new robots at Snookums & Me:













Also, don't forget about our other two robots in the shop... still available for purchase:





Alrighty, better get back to work! Enjoy your Sunday... watching football, sewing, camping, whatever you love to do... hope you're doing it!!! 

-Brook

Friday, October 15, 2010

Mermaids in October!

Mermaids, people

Could we have picked a LESS fall-ish, halloween-ish, thing to introduce in autumn? No, we could not! LOL!!! But you can't blame us for thinking about bathing beauties year-round since we live in the Sunshine State, Florida. Mermaids are popping up everywhere, so we decided to let them pop up at Snookums & Me, too!!!

We have finally busted out 4 beautiful mermaids for sale. Not kidding... BUSTED out. These pretties take some serious busting to make. Time. Patience. Skill. Mom's (obsessive? compulsive?) attention to detail & craftsmanship really shows when you hold one of these dolls. They are a substantial size and weight because we generously stuffed them in quality fiberfill (we've found that if you don't stuff them firm, after some time they get way too floppy).

Here they are:








I love that each doll is unique. It's fun to think that they have their own personality. In the creation process, they emerge as works of art... one-of-a-kind. One of my favorite things to do is photograph our new toys and after studying them for a minute or two, give them names and a story. :)

Anyways, these are the new mermaids. Some will be posted to our store within the next week or two. Even more are coming... in time. ;)

Thursday, August 26, 2010

It's August! We're Baaaaack!

We're sewing sewing sewing! We didn't get much done while we were away... vacation was WAY too relaxing. ;) Today was all about robots. We cut out 7 new ones in our old favorite minky colors (red, yellow, green, purple) and new colors (blue, aqua) that Brook bought in LA. Tomorrow Brook is working on new rag quilts and lovey blankets and Joan is sewing up some pretty plushie mermaids... and in the following days... well, just wait and see.

Our store will reopen tomorrow. Yippie!!! It was nice to have a little break, but we are definitely ready to get busy again. Our creativity is bursting! Every time we talk about Snookums & Me we come up with a new idea for something to make. We are having fun with our new creations and look forward to filling the shop with them as the days pass. Hopefully we can sew as fast as Santa's Elves so our shop will be filled in time for Holiday shopping. LOL. :)

Oh hey, if you're curious, just a little FYI: the way Etsy works (especially for newer shops like ours), we will never put a whole bunch of new things in the shop on the same day. We find that spreading out our new items over time to generates more views and attention for our items. :)

Wednesday, July 28, 2010

In Los Angeles!

The Snookums & Me store on Etsy.com has been temporarily placed in Vacation Mode. That means our items can't be browsed or purchased until we return. The store is scheduled to re-open in late August. After the store re-opens, we will be stocking it with lots of new & adorable items for your little ones! Mermaids, baby dolls, super heroes! :)

I'm in LA right now visiting friends and enjoying the beautiful weather! I have a trip planned to the fashion district and several fabric stores. YAY! I'm excited to buy new materials for us to create plush toys with. Hopefully I can find a few fabrics that will inspire something new, too.

Hope your summer is going well! Thanks for checking in with our blog. I'll update later with some pics of what I find on my shopping trips.

-Brook

Friday, July 23, 2010

Soaking up the Sun Instead of Sewing!

Hello! The shop is getting empty because we've gotten lazy! :) Too much Florida summer sunshine calling us out of the house and away from our work. But, as our shop is getting emptier and emptier we decided we'd better get out butts back in gear. You will be happy to see what's been going on with Snookums & Me this week.
I (Brook) sketched out a quick and simple baby doll pattern a few days ago. I was looking for a dolly to make using a great piece of salvaged fabric I found at a local thrift store. The fabric is so adorable... it was a baby changing table pad cover from around 1980. It had a few pale yellow-ish stains on it that I worked hard to remove, but didn't budge, so I cut my doll from the un-stained areas of the cloth. Then I gave her a little oval patch of a face from peach velour, a cute removable elastic waist skirt, and endearing polar fleece blue pig-tails with rainbow satin bows.

The pattern wasn't the best from the beginning... her head was a little flat and wide, her legs were wider apart than I expected, and her arms were too narrow. This is always how it goes when I draw a new pattern. There's always the "victim" plushie that I make to test it out. Sometimes there are two victims (in this case... I didn't get bothered by the legs until I made the second doll). But, thankfully, the victims are still cute and my daughter will love her baby dearly... flat head and all! :)
Here is the second doll I made from the pattern. The arms and head are corrected in this doll, but the legs are still too much like a wrestling or football stance. LOL! :) The skirt covers up the legs so it's not that big of a deal. This doll is being sewn for a friend's daughter. I love the blue bird fabric and matching blue hair. Once she has a face she'll be the sweetest dolly friend. Like her? I hope you like her because I have two more cut out to sell in the store. This is such a simple and easy pattern, so the plan is to eventually sell it in the shop so you can create your own dolly from whatever fabric you love. Fun, fun!
 Seeing stars? I have something SUPER planned for this fabric! Just wait 'til you see it... I have to thank my friend Katrina for the idea. ;)
Mom (Joan) above working on our second mermaid doll at my house today. Wow, we have labored over this mermaid pattern! Editing it, tweaking it, enlarging it, figuring it out. And, if I don't say so myself, it makes a LOVELY doll. Unlike any other mermaid doll we've seen on Etsy! We finished our first mermaid and sold it the very next day! She is here: Mermaid Dolly (sold). In fact, she sold so fast we didn't even have time to properly photograph her or list her in the shop. Hopefully our upcoming batch of mermaids will steal people's hearts just like she did! :)

Hahaha... just noticed that Mom's pincushion is in the photo above. See it? It's this HUGE rectangle of felt covered with an assortment of poorly attached buttons on the side. I made it for her when I was a little girl. She has always used that pincushion from that day on. It's great... it holds a billion pins. :)

Anyways, off to play Beatles Rock Band with my hubby. I recently bought a microphone so I can sing along when he plays guitar. It's hilarious!

Later!
-Brook

Friday, April 16, 2010

A special gift: Jackson's Robot

This special green, orange, and blue plush robot was made as a one of a kind 2nd birthday gift for a little friend of my daughter's. Snookums & Me's plush robot toys make GREAT birthday gifts for boys (or girls). It's fun to make a themed gift... so, I included a DVD of the Backyardigans Robot Repairman with Jackson's custom robot. They can watch it together! ;)

White ric-rac trim over the grosgrain ribbon mouth makes a robot-y smile. :)

The body is stuffed just enough to keep shape while still being very snuggly to hold. I love his green checkered legs! That fabric is one of my favorites.

And here's a new special addition to our robots... the option to personalize your custom robot with an initial. Now, there will be no doubt he is a special robot for a special boy. :)

Hopefully this green guy will get lots of attention and love from his new owner! Every robot (especially the soft ones) deserves a hug.


Want to give a robot gift???
Here are more robot-themed things you could group together as a birthday gift for someone special:

1- PRIMPIN POTTY TRAINING PANTS...ROBOT by BabyBeesBoutique, $7
2- BABY BOLTS ROBOT RETRO Toddler Blue Tee size 12 to 18 Months by Crowsmack, $14
3- Emerson / red plush robot toy by snookumsandme (that's US!), $35
4- Cosmic Alpha One - Outer Space Alphabet - 11x14 Archival Giclee Print by InkTreePress, $25
5- Vinyl Robot Wall Decal Small by holly, $3

Thursday, March 18, 2010

Is it Spring yet???

I'm feeling like it is! Especially around my house where a bunch of adorable lil easter bunnies are being crafted. If you thought all we made were robots, let us change your mind... here are the cutest little terry-cloth bun buns you'll ever see:

Our first batch of bunnies: Artichoke, Bok Choy, Cauliflower & Parsnip.

above: Cauliflower... loves reading a good non-fiction book and taking hops through the park at sunset.

above: Bok Choy... loves working in the garden and painting with watercolors.

above: Artichoke... enjoys chatting on the phone with friends and hopping to faraway lands.


above: Parsnip... loves quilting with salvaged fabric and eating all the black jelly beans.

These bunnies are looking for good homes this Easter! Visit our shop to see the bunch and stay tuned for more of these funny characters. Coming soon: Asparagus, Chicoree, Fennel, and Broccoli! :)

Friday, March 5, 2010

Been Busy...

We've been busy busy busy! :)

Newly listed:







Hmmm... Where do I start? Let me first tell you that although our shop is hardly a full page we are working on new stuff everyday. Also, there are items just sitting here waiting for me to list. I'm doing it slowly... perhaps too slow at times!

More ROBOTS are in the works!!! YES! :) On Thursday, Mom and I sat in the sewing room and made a big mess. Haha. We have some new robots planned out in new colors and patterns. They are going to be SO cute, and we just know you will love them. Robots with a bit of spunk, in orange/blue/red/yellow, green and blue, another girl robot... oooh. Wait till you see. I will post some sneak peeks as we sew them & stuff them.

Also, for Spring we are introducing our next handmade original plush toy. A bunny rabbit unlike any your eyes have ever seen! That little fuzzy hopper bunny will steal your heart! Beware! ;)

Finally, the scrapbook pages are coming. They are! I have been busy setting up shop but now that I'm in the groove of things I will get back to the paper crafts this week. Look forward to seeing some Spring/Easter, Earthy/Organic, and Robot themed pages for photos of your kids (or beloved friends, pets, and family members).

I'm toying with the idea that it would be fun to do some small paintings for the shop as well, but I'm looking into printing options to make it more affordable than having to sell the original. Once I've looked into that, there will be some art available as well.

Well, if you made it all the way to the end of this update you are awesome! Thanks for reading. Please leave a comment and say "hi". You know, so I don't start feeling like I'm having a conversation with myself into an empty room. Because I have NO idea what that's like. ;) LOL.

Happy Monday!

Tuesday, March 2, 2010

Sending Some Love : Tuesdays

Since opening our shop, I realize more than ever how important it is to not only promote yourself but to also promote other Etisans (Etsy sellers) that you admire. This act of putting someone out there and "sending love" their way can only be a good thing for the success of Etsy in general. And what goes around comes around, right? ;)

So, I decided to send some love to another Etsy shop every Tuesday. Won't this be fun??? I have a huge list of them just waiting to share...

Sending Some Love to:
Oh Hello Friend

Her stuff is amazingly simple and cute. Just my style. :) I adore this umbrella necklace. It would be great for me since I do love the rain... and it's even raining outside today!


let it rain - antique brass umbrella necklace.
and how pretty are these hair pins???

candi(ed) - lovely vintage hair pin set.


Visit the blog here: http://ohhellofriend.blogspot.com

Thursday, February 25, 2010

Happy Things!

Ooooh! How I love adding new things to the store. :) Today I added these yummies:

This is Gibson. I'll admit he's my favorite out of our current batch of robot toys.

The little guys will love this monkey blankie. Soft & adorable!

A handmade card... this one is all dressed up for the party in a plaid flower & colorful numbers!


Tomorrow morning, bright and early, we're heading out to drive north for a visit with Grandma & Grandpa 'Gee. First we'll stop at the outlet mall, of course! It's on the way there. ;) Love that. The kids need clothes in the next sizes up, and Aaron has decided that he wants to dress like Dexter. Ben is SO excited to see his paternal grandparents... they recently moved away and he is still used to seeing them weekly like we used to. And I'm excited to just get away from the usual routine for a few days. It's nice to have time to relax with family and not have to worry about this or that. :)

So, the scoop I've gotten from other Etsy sellers is that February is slow. I'm alright with that! I'm learning the ropes, trying to find our niche, and keeping busy making new things for the shop... oh yeah, and being an at-home mom to my two crazy kiddos.

Thanks for reading today! Hope your Friday & weekend will be blissful.
-Brook

Wednesday, February 24, 2010

Meet Joan

She hates this picture of herself but I think she's beautiful.

When I'm being creative I make: Dolls, toys, bags, blankets, aprons, quilts, and just about anything I can make with a sewing machine and fabric

What CD is in your CD player right now? I have six in my CD player in my car right now. I know I have Go Fish and Philadelphia Chicken's (for the grandchildren of course), Third Day, Casting Crowns, and I can't remember what else because to be honest I'm into talk radio right now.

Which is worse? Being in a place that is too loud or too quiet? I'd have to say too loud.

Something I'd love to learn how to do: I've always wanted to learn to speed read. There are so many books I want to read and not enough time to read them all. I actually bought a book about learning to speed read but I never finished the first chapter. hmmm

If you were a crayon, what color would you be? I would be the blueish green one or the greenish blue one.

What is your favorite drink, alcoholic or non alcoholic? Grapefruit juice...the non-alcoholic kind.

If you could be any animal what would you be? A Cheetah because they are fast. I would like to do things faster so I could get more done. I'm starting to see a pattern here, are you?

Something I need to do MORE: I need to dust more. Who can keep up with dust? I'd have to do it every day....and then I'd never get anything done. There I go again!

If there was an extra hour in the day, what would you spend it doing? I would spend it in my sewing room, there's never enough time to sew!

You run in to a friend while out shopping. Where are you? I am in the grocery store....ugh

Something I need to do LESS: Think about all the things I want to do and don't do.

List two bad habits that you have: Procrastinating and watching TV. It's all starting to make sense.

What is your favorite flavor of ice cream? Butter Pecan

What is your crafting medium of choice? Fabric

Something that inspires me: Books, magazines, patterns, and creative people

Tuesday, February 23, 2010

Meet Brook...

I think I look like a cheeseball in this photo... unfortunately I really do look like this.

Hi! I'm Brook... 99% of the time I'm the one typing here on the blog. Actually, 100% of the time. :) But soon to be 99% because I plan on teaching Mom how to blog. Wish me luck!

Today is my turn to share a little bit of random information about myself and tomorrow you'll read all about Joan (Mom). Call it "breaking the ice" or what have you. :)

When I'm being creative I make: Mostly scrapbook pages but I also enjoy making watercolor or gouache paintings, acrylic paintings on canvas, cards, computer graphics...

What CD is in your CD player right now? I'm very into Pandora lately. My station has a lot of Better Than Ezra, Sting, Cold Play, and The Fray-type stuff.

Which is worse? Being in a place that is too loud or too quiet? Too quiet! Can't stand it. If I didn't LOVE Target so much I would never shop there because it is sooo quiet (no overhead music). Have you noticed that? I always feel obligated to fill the silence.

Something I'd love to learn how to do: Be tidy. Be patient. Be health-conscious.

If you were a crayon, what color would you be? Hmmm... probably red-violet.

What is your favorite drink, alcoholic or non alcoholic? Alcoholic: Mojito Non-Alcoholic: iced Mocha's from S-bux

If you could be any animal what would you be? I'm trying not to go too deep with this, but I think I would be a Bear. Tough, strong, social, determined, likes to hibernate, fuzzy-wuzzy... :)

Something I need to do MORE: Sleep. That would be nice.

If there was an extra hour in the day, what would you spend it doing? See above.

You run in to a friend while out shopping. Where are you? Unfortunately, probably the grocery store! :) I would like to say a craft store, Macy's or Brighton...

Something I need to do LESS: Eat. But I like it too much.

List two bad habits that you have: I am a nail-biter. Yes, I admit it. It's a nervous habit. Also I am loud and outspoken. I need to work on the volume sometimes.

What is your favorite flavor of ice cream? Butter Pecan.

What is your crafting medium of choice? Patterned papers! Paints in every hue. Pretty things that sparkle.... anything with delicious colors.

Something that inspires me: My children, their toys and clothes, sharing ideas with my husband, looking at & enjoying God's creation, and work by people who follow their artistic passion without abandon.

Monday, February 22, 2010

Woo-hoo!!! The shop is OPEN!

Yes, my friends... the shop is finally open! I am sitting here at my laptop just workin' away listing our items with such pride and joy swelling up in my heart. Our works of love... *sigh* growing up so fast... leaving the nest...

LOL!

Seriously, though. We HOPE they will "leave the nest" and find a home soon. See that BIG red square on the left that says "visit the shop"? Click it and check out our Etsy shop if you have a minute, of course it will only take a minute because I only have 2 items listed right now... hahaha. :) But don't worry, before the day is over I will have more. And then tomorrow there will be more. And so on... ;)

And if you REALLY love us (or even if you barely know us) please sign up for our fancy-schmancy E-mail Newsletter! I crafted up something really pretty and I'd love to share it with you... of course, you can always unsubscribe if you decide it's not something you want in your inbox. The Newsletter will be sent every couple of weeks and includes special offers only for subscribers. The form to sign up is on the left hand column of the blog.

Alrighty! Back to work for me! More tomorrow...

Sunday, February 21, 2010

Handmade Cards!!!

Send some card love to your friends and family in one of these pretties:

Studded with little candy-like buttons and cheerful messages...

Birds and paper blooms... soooo sweet.


The cards come in assorted (coordinated) sets of three with envelopes. They're blank inside so you can write your own message. And there's nothing like sending a handmade card to show how much you really care. :)