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12.16.09 last night while
working on the latest project, my sweet looks over and says, "what's with
the orange houses?" a reasonable question, given that christmas is less than 10 days away and these
don't quite fit the season...but one never knows exactly what holiday
is around the corner at glitter soup!
"i'm working on halloween!" yes folks...it's
mid-december and i've got the black and orange paint a-flowin'.
once this set of six is complete, i'll make a set of two custom-request cottages, six
2010 christmas cottages, and eight "everyday" homes.
after that...about mid-january...it's on to
the hand sewing of my already-placed 2010 christmas orders!
merry christmas to all, and to all a happy halloween!
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11.18.09 now that the christmas rush is complete, i've taken a little time "off" to
reorganize the studio...a wonderfully therapeutic process, as i'm a big fan of organization. loaded up multi-drawer cabinets from The Container Store,
and filling them up has been such fun! what a delight to see all my little snowmen, trees,
pumpkins, snowflakes, stars, snowballs, and vintage miniatures in one easily accessible place!
also filling up little containers of my extensive
once-packaged- and-hoarded-sequins...they've been tucked away in a drawer for years, but will
soon be making their beautifully organized, easy-to-access debut! can't wait to see how these little changes will impact my creative process as well as my finished products.
sometimes getting rid of and rearranging
things in life is just what's needed...and that extends far beyond one's studio!
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11.5.09 a
big thanks to all who stopped by for my two-day sale! whew...in two
days, i sold a whopping 153 pieces of my work, and even took a few special
orders for NEXT christmas!
your support is always appreciated, and i thank you kindly for your purchases! enjoy!!!
and if you're in the pasadena area...my sugared paper
ornaments and glittery gift tags are now available for the holiday season at pasadena's best boutique, lula mae!
load up now while they last!!!
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10.21.09 now that my stitching for the season is complete, prior to painting 10 little glittery houses for rosemarie i was in the mood to work with paper
and whipped up about 50 lovely glittery patterned cardstock christmas ornaments.
this saturday my
panels will be on display at zinnia, and i'm excited to attend
the reception! more about that on my blog, http://glittersoup.wordpress.com on saturday, 10/24!
also great fun to see that i'm now listed
as a vendor at lula mae! thanks, marci!
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10.8.09 a
busy weekend coming up! will find myself in ontario for the annual
scrapbook expo, and then on to corona del mar for christmas festivities
at roger's gardens.
last year at the expo i
purchased gobs and gobs of rubons, chipboard, paper,
acrylic stamps, inks, and ribbons. although
i am not a "scrapbooker" and don't make scrapbooks, per se, this is a great place for any crafter
to load up on goodies traditionally used for scrapbooks and turn them into other products.
think
outside the scrapbook.
roger's gardens is not just a nursery.
oh no. it's an absolutely magical place with a huge collection of fabulous ornaments,
gifts, knicknacks, and home décor.
this weekend is the annual debut
of their christmas gallery, with over 25 Christmas tree themes, a boutique of Christmas
treasures, and a turn of the century toy factory with all sorts of fun. can't wait!!!
inspiration lies around every
corner of roger's gardens, and always gets my creative wheels spinning about project ideas for the coming year.
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9.29.09 over the weekend
i completed the two panels for the zinnia event, but can only reveal
them after october 24. here's a hint on materials used...yarn, beads,
thread, wire, a plastic baby doll arm, and
permanent markers!
lisette, i finished your
sweet pink haired dolly this weekend and she looks forward to meeting you! one more blue haired dolly got finished, one more to go tonight, and then it's a photo
shoot for these three girls.
received an order for 10 little christmas cottages
which is great...because after all this sewing, i've really been in the mood to paint!
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9.21.09 whew! this
time of year is always a blur of fabric, felt,
glitter, and glue at the studio, and this weekend was very productive!
finished another stocking and dolly, put product tags on all in-stock
items, and got started on weaves for two more blue haired dollies!
in the midst of all this creation, i've been
asked to participate in an event at zinnia on october 24, and am creating two panels for sale at this very worthwhile
global event which focuses on the environment. if you're in south pasadena that day, why not
stop in?
thanks
to all who have sent me e-mails and comments regarding my blog - glitter soup 101...i sincerely appreciate your stopping in, and am glad that you find it enjoyable!
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8.12.09 four
more dollies have made their debut at glitter soup, and over the last
three weeks the site has undergone some subtle changes in terms of appearance and content.
lots of new items have been added, including a variety of table toppers
and more tree skirts, silverware pockets, and wallhangings.
new ornaments
and stockings will be featured soon!
speaking of stockings, gianni, i'm working on yours right now!
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7.20.09 if anyone had
their eye on dutchess chrysalia j. sweetpea, she's found a happy home
and is no longer available! i've been working on christmas stockings over the last
few weeks while several scrap happy dollies sit in the studio patiently awaiting their hair.
their adorable bald heads provide many a smile as i stitch deep into the night. once
the current stocking is completed, i may go back to do a couple of hair weaves. mix things
up a bit.
the studio will
be closed from august 19 through september 8 for inventory and spring (ok, late summer!)
cleaning.
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7.2.09 a very busy month at the studio! three more dollies
have come to life and are awaiting their names and a photo session (spoiler alert...cutsie pie pink dresses!). "glitter soup 101" has grown in terms
of content, and i appreciate the positive feedback on this feature...thanks to all
who have written me! lots more to come!
i've switched gears from dollies to christmas stockings as of last week to fulfill my 2009 holiday orders, and anticipate
completion of my first stocking of the season this weekend.
try as i may, i just can't seem to get to the "greeting
cards" section of this site, but keep the link open as a visual "reminder to self".
for those who have already placed orders "sight unseen", i am flattered
and humbled!
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6.1.09 lots of behind-the-scenes-techno-stuff happening at the studio as of late. glitter soup 101 is now up
and running and, although currently in its infancy, will ultimately feature all sorts of crafty tips and
tricks on the art of making merriment! my doll shop at artfire is now open and i'll be accepting payments there via paypal. good techno times.
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5.20.09 finished
up taylor's and alicia's custom dolls (thank you both for your orders) and they turned
out so cute! i'm sure that miss abbie t. snickerdoodle and ms. sugar o.
goodfriend are enjoying their new homes!
creating dollies
has been a very therapeutic experience, and i'm making good progress on my doll phobia. not
quite ready to watch "chuckie", but who knows what's down the road!
after scouring over every page of martha's
encyclopedia of crafts, i've left that distraction behind for the moment and have designed and stitched four more pink dresses, and right now there are four blue
dresses laid out on my sewing table, waiting to be hand stitched.
while black is my favorite
clothing color for the dolls' attire, i'm considering expanding their fashion line next year
to include even more than this year's black, blue,
pink, and grey. will revisit that issue at the beginning of next
year.
once this last set of 12 dolls is complete, i got to get crackin' on
my orders for christmas stockings for three months, then make a few christmas
dollies for sale at family faire, then back to the stockings for the remainder of the year.
whew! now if i can only stop getting
distracted by my korean dramas and korean textbooks,
i'll be in good shape!
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5.7.09 over the last couple weeks i've been working with a very talented needle
artist on getting some embroidered glitter soup logos made.
maryann at aki's embroidery has digitized my soup bowl and will be producing custom logo
patches for me to sew onto my goodies.
got my first
peek at the test logo today and it's coming out great! we're still tweaking thread colors
and fonts, and i'm so excited to soon incorporate these logos onto my stitched goods.
need a custom
embroidered blanket, t-shirt, handbag,
or logo? you can't beat aki's embroidery! i've got two of her blankets and they are
gorgeous and fabulously soft.
thanks, maryann!!!
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4.28.09 oh, that
martha stewart...she had to go and publish an encyclopedia of crafts. while we were
at zinnia last wednesday afternoon perusing the latest goods--love
the garden theme, tamara!-- my honey bought it for me. perfect timing, as i was on vacation
and itching for a good book.
thanks martha. because of your fabulous encyclopedia, i've been neglecting my card
glittering and my dressmaking. i've got 14 naked doll
bodies all stuffed and smiling at me, waiting to get some clothes. and some hair.
if i didn't have a custom order for taylor's scrap
happy dolly due by may 1, i'd never put that book down! two more days of intensive
hair weaving, then it's back to that book.
so thanks, martha. thanks a whole lot.
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4.17.09 over the last month i've been juggling quite a few projects at the same time, and
each are happily coming to fruition.
i've got a good
supply of product tags made in a variety of shapes and sizes; my AMAZING
appliques from laughing lizards arrived and are being stitched onto my dollies' dresses;
a
custom order for madison g. has been completed (and i know she is eagerly awaiting
its arrival!); the website now includes
pages which showcase my wallhangings, tree skirts, and silverware
holders; and i'll be glittering up some beautiful greeting cards this weekend.
while at Family Faire in south pasadena over
the weekend, the owner, Clara, asked to see one of my scrap happy dollies and expressed interest
in carrying some custom "christmas dollies" at her store this holiday season.
now everyone that knows me knows that christmas is my FAVORITE
time of year, and i was really excited at the prospect of designing some christmas
dresses for my little girls.
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3.20.09 three of my four new dolls got their hair weaves over the last 10 days. lookin' good. the fourth should have
her hair done sometime this weekend, then it's a photo session and posting in the gallery
late next week.
over the last five
days i've finally made time to design and produce 6 new tag styles for my products.
hundreds of small, medium and large glossy circles and ovals currently
cover my workspace, and over the next few days i look forward to hand coloring,
glittering, cutting to size, grommeting,
and signing each one. this will assuredly take place while lounging in my pajamas, drinking iced
peppermint tea and watching movies and korean dramas
with my sweet. i can not think of a better way to spend the next two days.
another two orders have come in for custom scrap
happy dollies (which is very exciting!), but i have not made the last two yet that were
recently ordered! fortunately none are rush items, or i would be feeling a bit overwhelmed at the moment.
just purchased some appliques from laughing
lizards, and eagerly await their arrival.
back burner projects include designing and
printing business cards; coming up with some custom applique designs
for my dolls' dresses which will then be digitized and turned into appliques; getting glitter soup logo
patches made; uploading my christmas cards to the site; and designing a new line of
greeting cards and gift tags.
while the stove is quite full at the moment, there's always
time to stir the pot.
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3.11.09
much has been going on in the studio over the last six weeks. my first "baker's dozen" of
scrap happy dollies is nearly complete: nine little ladies have come to life (see doll gallery), and four doll bodies are awaiting fierce hair weaves.
six of my little
girls have already been adopted by Pasadena's Lula Mae, and two requests for custom dolls
have come in...one with pink hair and a pink dress, and one with purple hair and caramel colored skin.
the timing is right just for a caramel-colored doll...a couple of weeks
ago i was in porter ranch and along with 22 skeins of brilliant yarn,
i purchased yards and yards of "ethnic" looking fleece...chocolate and cafe au lait...so my scrappy dolls will soon have
some multicultural friends.
note: to all who have inquired about eva l.
partyhardy, my first doll and the inspiration for future scrap happy dollies, she is part of a private collection
and is not for sale at this time.
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1.28.09 i've been a gatherer and hunter of late. gathering
all kinds of 40% and 50% off coupons from JoAnn's and Michaels and hunting for great yarn for my
scrap happy dollies' hair. my collection of yarn is growing, as is my enjoyment of creating
these sweet little friends.
for someone who
has had a doll phobia her entire life, it's quite a breakthrough. now if i could only get
over clowns and spiders. maybe a doll dressed like a clown and
holding a big spider? no, i'm not quite that brave. not yet, anyway. hmmm...maybe a line of phobia
dolls? i could be on to something.
in addition to my
ornaments and cards, Lula Mae is now carrying some of my everyday gift tags! didn't take any pictures of them before I took them over, but just ask
Marci, Julia or Josephine and they'll point you in the right direction!
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1.5.09 beaded
felt hearts abound in the studio at the moment...valentine's day and love is in the air, along with glitter yards and
yards of beautiful yarn.
while on vacation i discovered
a great south pasadena yarn shop, abuelita's, and picked up some fantastic goods that
will soon be turned into hair for my line of scrap happy dollies.
tamara from south
pasadena's zinnia expressed interest in selling my goods at her shop, so that's pretty
exciting. love that store, and spent a bundle this week on some awesome supplies that i can't wait to use up!
it's the little things that bring me such joy. this weekend i was
in downtown at moskatel's snapping up some post-christmas sale goods when
lo and behold, i spied some of my All-Time-Favorite-Glitter that i never thought i'd see again. right there on the shelf.
my old supplier stopped carrying
it a while ago, so i've quietly been hoarding the remainder of my quickly dwindling supply. but thanks to moskatel's,
i'm good now for at least another 10 years or so.
ah, the thrill of victory.
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