The Robot Couple...

New in the shop today!!! Charlie and Sadie the robots...

 ... and the most snuggly mermaid & chenille baby blanket:

Today I've also been busy with the "other stuff" in our shop: titles, descriptions, shipping, tags, etc. Etsy is constantly improving the listing process and search engine, which means I am constantly having to edit my listings. While this is work for all of us on Etsy, it's worth it!!! By the Holidays it should be so much easier to find what you're really looking for! Yay!

I'm also brightening up our photos so you can get a better look at what we're creating. I discovered that the white-ish quilt I used as a backdrop when we first opened shop had a slight blue hue to it and was causing my photos to look too cool. Then I switched to another white-ish quilt which had dark blue threads through it. I never thought they'd show up since my 50mm lens usually blurs everything (other than the focal point) nicely. BUT! The threads cast shadows in the photos, making the background look too dark. Soooo... I've recently found an OK solution for the time being. Two white foam boards. Ta-da. Smooth white milky backgrounds. :) I know this kind of info is interesting to other sellers on Etsy, so I plan to post something showing how I photographically capture my items.

Well, it's date night for the hubby and me tonight! Totally last minute but definitely MUCH needed. I'm thinking sushi and a movie! :)

Later!
-Brook

Snookums & Me Treasuries: August 2011

We make treasuries on Etsy! Some of our newest Treasury adventures are with the Treasury League Team on Etsy. And, as always, we try to faithfully join in with the wonderful Non Team Challenge every week. 

These are the treasuries we curated in the month of August. This post will be updated as we create new ones! Think of these as our personal shopping guides and an example of our taste and style. Enjoy!!!

(( See the treasuries we curated in in the month of July here. ))

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Featured in Etsy's Treasury : August 2011

We're always thankful to be included in the awesome Treasury collections (tastefully curated shopping guides) created by both buyers & sellers over on Etsy! Here are the Treasuries we've been included in this month:


(( See the treasuries we were included in in the month of July here. ))
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"Saturday Surf" Makes the Etsy Front Page!

Our recent treasury, "Saturday Surf", made the Front Page on Etsy.com yesterday. The treasury was inspired by our wonderful day at the beach this past Saturday. Aaand... it's Shark Week!



We've found a new favorite beach that's located next to an inlet and a giant pier where many spend the day fishing. The small beach areas are flanked by rocks where we can climb and explore, looking for crabs. The ocean was a bit rougher than usual, but the water was clear and sparkling!!! The kids were enjoying hunting for shells along the sand. We even built a sandcastle with them for the first time! But the most interesting thing that happened was when we went into the water a little deeper to swim. Two shadowy shapes passed by us only about 8 feet away. As my husband exclaimed that they must be sharks, we saw one expose it's back out of the water. Yes, shark fins. Although, based on their sizes, they were likely Nurse Sharks. Not typically an aggressive species. WHEW!

Congrats to all the featured shops!

Best,
Brook

Our Treasury made the Front Page!

Our most recent treasury, created for the 40th Non Team Challenge, made the Front Page of Etsy today!!! Congrats to all the featured shops. See the post here on the Non Team Blog.


Here's a snapshot of it in all it's glory:

Featured in Etsy's Treasury : July 2011

Thanks to the amazing people on Etsy who feature us in their treasuries! Every time we are included in a treasury we'll post it here for you all to see and enjoy. :)


See the treasuries we were included in in the month of June here.

Snookums & Me Treasuries: July 2011

We make treasuries on Etsy! It's one of the best ways to get to know other sellers and see all of the amazing handmade creations, yummy supplies & vintage finds on Etsy. These are the treasuries we curated in the month of July. This post will be updated as we create new ones. Think of these as our personal shopping guides and an example of our taste and style. Enjoy!!!

To see our June treasuries click here.

Houston, We Have A... On Etsy's Front Page!

Great news!!! We were featured on the front page of Etsy for the second time in Aubepine's amazing treasury: "Houston, We Have A..."

Check it out:


Thanks so much Aubepine!
Check out her shop here: Aubepine on Etsy

Dude, totally... On the Front Page!

Hooray! We've hit the Etsy Front Page for the first time in Amplitude Modulation's treasury, "Dude, totally..."

Check it out:



Thanks so much Amplitude Modulation!
Check out her shop here: Amplitude Modulation on Etsy

Oh What a Busy Day! Also... Personalized Cup Cozies!

Hey everyone!

Good morning! I'm busy working right now, guzzling down my morning mug of coffee while the kids literally bounce off the walls... and couch... and every other bounce-able surface. lol. Pretty soon I'll announce that it's time to go to the library and we'll head out into the Florida heat and humidity. On the way to the library, we're stopping by Grandma's house to pick up the two robots she just completed. I'll bring them home this afternoon and photograph them, edit the photos, and list them in our shop!

Speaking of the library, this is our new favorite book:

The kids and I read it every day. It's such a great book! The illustrations are so detailed and full of delightful things. You could stare at a page for a very long time. I love books like that. Very inspiring and full of color!! Is it just me, or are children's books not as interesting as they used to be? I find myself seeking out vintage books for my kids, the ones I remember, because they seemed to ignite the imagination so much more.

These types of books are just one of the ways I get creative juices flowing. Recently, I stitched up a batch of unique cup sleeves... or cozies, or insulators... whatever you call them. They are cute! And functional, too. I made them to fit a variety of cup and bottle sizes. The straight-sided sleeves are best for bottles or sippy cups. The ones with an elastic enclosure are better for cups that flare outwards, like coffee cups and sippy cups with that shape.

The coolest thing about these cozies is that they have a clear vinyl pocket where you can slide a photo (of your child, a pet, a family member, a friend) or you can write your name or a message on a slip of paper and display it there. These are great for kids cups. It dresses them up and provides identification for situations when labeling a cup is important, like church nursery, playdates, or daycare.

Check 'em out:

You can grab them in our shop: Cup Cozy Sleeves at Snookums & Me

Happy Thursday!

x- Brook

Non Team Challenge #34 Winners!

Hey guys, it's me, Brook! Just checking in to share the exciting news. After months of participating in the weekly Non-Team Challenges, we've actually won! The Judge, Chronopolis, chose our treasury out of the 231 that were created for the challenge. Awesome! Thanks, Chronopolis!!

This is Chronopolis' gorgeous necklace which inspired the treasury:

Our winning treasury is here:


The best thing is that this week, starting Thursday at noon, one of the items from our shop will be used in hundreds of treasuries! SWEET! :)

To participate, check out the nonteam challenge blog here: Non-Team Challenge. Anyone can join in and make a treasury. :)

Stay tuned for LOTS of new items being added to our shop today!
xo- Brook

Snookums & Me Featured in Etsy's Treasury!

Thanks to the amazing people on Etsy who feature us in their treasuries! Every time we are included in a treasury we'll post it here for you all to see and enjoy. :)

Snookums & Me Treasuries: June 2011

We make treasuries on Etsy! It's one of the best ways to get to know other sellers and see all of the amazing creations & vintage finds on Etsy. These are the treasuries we curated in the month of June. This post will be updated as we create new ones. Think of these as our personal shopping guides and an example of our taste and style. Enjoy!!!

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. :)

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:

Amelia the Robot

Mack the Robot

Jasper the Robot

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

Webster the Robot

Gibson the Robot

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

-Brook

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. ;)

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. :)

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

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

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