bubbledog blog

new dog plush

I've been spending most of my creative time lately working on some new dog plush pillows in various different breeds.  I had made a Dachshund plush about two years ago and just recently finished a Chihuahua and Beagle in the same style.  I am currently in the midst of two more (hopefully will be done soon).  Here are some pics of the new Chihuahuas and Beagles.

we will miss you ginger

Our family got a little smaller on December 24^th as our beloved Ginger passed away that morning.  It is amazing how quiet and dulled my life feels minus a tiny four pound four pawed friend.  Though people that didn’t visit our house regularly may only remember Ginger as a high pitched barking machine, those that she knew well will miss the ball of love that she was.  Always ready for hug or a cuddle, this little dog could brighten my toughest day with nothing more than a gaze into those big brown eyes and little kiss on the nose.  Ginger became ill in late October and has spent a lot of time back and forth to the vet.  Though there is a painful emptiness nagging at my heart, I take solace in knowing that she passed quickly in my arms on Tuesday and that she is now at peace. 

winter critters

I finished these winter figurines last weekend and will be posting some of them to my etsy shop in the next few days.  I got a little bored with photographing them in front of a blank background, so I made a little winter wonderland diorama.  I'm pretty happy with the picture results!  The figures are each about one to two inches tall.

christmas ornament gift wrap contest entry

The theme for this weeks Spoonflower fabric design contest is Ornament Gift Wrap.  I decided to go a little outside of my comfort zone on this one as you will see there are: 1. minimal colors, 2. no cute animals, and 3. no happy faces.  What do you think?  If you like it, please help me out with a vote.

free download: halloween bats

I just finished set of bat decorations for Halloween. You can download the PDF for free and then you just need two pieces of cardstock, some tape, glue, and scissors.  When finished, each bat measures about three inches tall by ten inches wide.  The face is somewhat three dimensional and stands out about two inches and you could actually store candy in them if you wanted to make them as little treat boxes instead.  Download Bubbledog Halloween Bats

winter craft shows

 I have only have two more craft shows coming up for the winter season.  First I will be in Ardmore, PA at the Clover Market on November 2nd.  This is the last Clover Market until January, so if you live near Ardmore, throw on a jacket and come check it out.  I am going to try and have all of my holiday cards, decorations, and gifts ready for that show.  My final show of the year will be the Indiemade Craft Market in Allentown, PA on December 6th.  Indiemade is a great place to get a jump on your holiday shopping.  The following is a time lapse video of the entire show from last year from set up to breakdown in under 7 minutes!

That's it for 2014 craft shows.  My biggest event of the season, Crafty Bastards in DC, was last weekend and I am spending this weekend with my feet up recouperating from that one :)  Here is a picture of my colorful display...

 

crafty bastards arts & crafts fair this weekend

I will be at the Crafty Bastards Arts & Crafts Fair this weekend in Washington, DC.  This is truly one of the best shows in the area and I always have a great time!  If you live in the area, you should definitely check it out!  In addition to my usual designs, I have a few new things that I will be bringing to the show.  Here is a quick preview:

These woodland musician sculptures each measure a little over six inches tall.  Compared to my normal one inch figurines, these are HUGE to me!  I had to make wire frame bodies and experiment with some different materials to get the shape.  They have been a work in progress for a couple of months now and I am so happy to see them finished!  Each one is one of a kind.

These Bulldog Pillows are about 18" tall and 3" deep.  They are a flat, tailored shape and look like a cushion of sorts.  I guess it is the shape, but they remind me of dominoes... but huge dominoes.  I only have four different colors available for this weekend.

The Astronaut Ice Cream and Chihuahua Mariachi Band are designs that I made last year, but I have never done them as shirts before.  I will have youth, girls, and unisex sizes available at the show.

 

tinicum arts festival

The Tinicum Arts Festival is this weekend and I will be bringing  these little clay figurines along to the show.  I have been nearly wiped out of these figures at the last couple of shows that I have done.  I spent the last couple of days remaking some of the more popular figures: the fox, the turtle, and the rabbits. With each try, they get a little easier and, from time to time, a little cuter :)

garage sale finds

I was pretty happy with this group of vintage goodies that I picked up at a garage sale a few minutes from my house.  I already have the floral tea pot (found at another sale), but it has a small crack in it and I am replacing it with this one.  Not sure if I am keeping the two juice glass sets... they were too nice to pass up though!  The blue and green floral placemats are G.R.O.O.V.Y and will be put to good use on my back porch.  The Family Circle Christmas magazines (1962 and 1967) will be tucked away until Christmas time as I love to read through old Christmas recipe and craft magazines... the ideas can be cute from time to time, but more often they are just gross :)  Total cost of this haul = $6.75!

star wars clay update...

It has been over a month, but I finally finished painting these Star Wars clay figures that I made back in early May.  Chewbacca has definitely turned out to be my favorite, followed closely by the Tusken Raider (third from left).  This was so much fun for me as it combined two of my favorite things... crafting and childhood nostalgia.  I may completely nerd out even more and actually package each of these guys like I did with Luke below... but that's a whole other project!