Fear the Con 7 June 13-14 (St Louis gamers convention)

This is the selection I plan on hauling with me to Fear the Con 7 June 13th - June 14th, 2014 at the Maryland Heights Centre.

 This is, a winter chibi, a Dean chibi, a dinosaur, a owl, 2 blue eyes (cats love these), 3 generic turtles (so they can be customize later), one full set of TMNT will be sold as a set (unless it gets to mid 2nd and no interest is shown then I will brake them up), 3 chibi dragons, 5 cthulhu in assorted colors, 9 bunnies in assorted colors, 2 dragon scale dice bags, and a pokeball dice bag.

I am trying to decide if I should make more TMNT, or work on more dragons, or not bother with crochet and get to work on creating the Chibi Dragon Pattern.

100 Posts! Giveaway!

So I am officially over 100 posts.  I know I mentioned a while back that when I hit 100 posts I would be doing a giveaway so here it is!

Rules- Anyone, anywhere can enter.  If your are under age (younger then 18) please make sure with a parent or guardian before entering as I will need a physical address and name to send the prize to.

To enter all you need to do is to leave a comment on this post.  In the comment mention which item from the list you would like, you can leave it up to random luck and just say any, or say you want specifiably a Unicorn/Bunny/Cthulhu but you don't care which color, or you can even pick the specific one from the pictures. 
If you don't say what you want I will pick for you.
 Any double comments will be ignored as an entry so double commenting is not going to earn extra entry's.  Replies to an other comment will not count as an entry either so make sure you are making a comment on this post and not replying to someone comment.  If you decided you want something different then what you original commented just reply to your comment with any corrections. 
All comments left by Anonymous will be disregarded you need to make sure you leave a name so  when I announce the winner the prize can be claimed by the right person.
Winner will be announced in a new post which will be titled 'Winner' I will leave an email address as well as instructions on what to put in the email so that I can ship them the prize they pick.  So keep your eyes out for it and rember to leave a comment!
 Contest opens the second this post goes live, and ends December 1st 2012 at 12:00am my time (Central Time) so any comments made after that time will not count.

Prizes- One of the fallowing items
Amigurumi Unicorn - Rainbow mane or Silver mane
Amigurumi Bunny- Assorted colors see image
Chibi Cthulhu - Assorted  colors see image

Again anyone can enter, the winner will be chosen by a random number generator, numbers will be assigned to comments in the order they are left.  So friends, family, friends of family, followers, and even strangers you all have a equal chance of winning.  If enough people show interest I might let it choose three winners instead of just one.  So feel free to share this post with friends and get the word out, the more people commenting the bigger the chance for multiple winners.

I will be mailing the prize or prizes out the first week of December, so long as the winners get back to me in time, after Dec 7th if the winner(s) have not responded a new winner(s) will be announced and they will have 7 days to respond.  That way it will hopefully get where ever it is going before the holidays.  If your local (live in Missouri nearish st louis) we can meet up so you can pick up the prize in person.

Good Luck!

(All amigurumi was made in a smoke free, pet friendly environment.)

In the Garden with Totaro and Hello Kitty

Only one day left to go out and enjoy the Japanese Festival at the Missouri Botanical Gardens.

They did a photo shoot out in the Japanese garden with some of the amigurumi I made with other plush items they got in.  I was so excited to see the post go up on there Facebook page, but really devastated when I realized all the comments where pretty much negative and all by the same person and having nothing to do with what the post containing the picture was about.  They where all just realy negtive feed back from someone who didnt seem to like this years Festival, which is sad because I had a great time.

I just find it hard to get and stay excited about having them post my work to their page when it is now connected to all that negativity.  It would be one thing if they didn't like the craftsman ship and where actually commenting on the toys in the image, or about the Gift shop in general which is what the post is about but why post such negativity, and negativity that is not even justified (candle light walks are by defection done in the dark by candle light, and the festival she is comparing it to last year was a special one time event hosted at the garden that was Chines and separate from the Japanese festival they hold every year) in this particular post.

Not to be a stick in the mud but man I was excited when I saw it had alot of comments and now I am just upset.

I blame this rant on all the Nigori Unfiltered Sake we had at dinner. #ThanksChad for the sake

Japanese Festival!

So we got to go out to the festival Saturday walk around and have some fun. I enjoyed the garden and even got a paper parasol painted with a Sakura tree on it to help keep the 102 degree heat off.

I have to say what I enjoyed most (besides getting to be there with my husband) was the Japanese ladies who did 4 different cooking demonstrations with samples of everything they cooked.  They als talked about how making bentos they always make sure to have 4 colors of food to make sure the kids are getting alot of the vitamins and minerals they need.

The top image, is a bento box one of the lady's moms used to pack for her to take for lunch to her kindergarten class when she was growing up in japan. 

The cooked all traditional home style items that would have been something they ate when growing up in japan and items they still cook today for their kids here in the US.

The items they made where--
Stuffed Lotus Root (In the bento box it is the item on the far left) which is two thin slices of lotus root with a ground meat mixture sandwiched between then lightly pan fried with a pan sauce over.  These where crunchy and only slightly sweet.  I plan on trying to make them for dinner one night, or even make a larger batch to take to the group I game with.
Japanese Style sweet Omelet (in the sample bowl image its on the bottom left next to the fake grass) This was a very different dish for me I had never tasted anything like it.  It was not  my favorite part of the sample but it wasn't bad just different... very um not anything like you would expect.
Steamed Veg & Japanese mustard dressing (broccoli and carrots)  They had cute little metel cutters that where about 1/2 in wide they used to cut stars, flowers, and even kitty faces out of carrot slices the sauce was realy good with them I could see it turning a broccoli hater into a lover easy.
Rice Ball with Sesame and salt - Literally just rice seasoned with sesame and salt but still good.
Finally my favirt item of the sample--
Butter Mochi!!  It was a very sweet and dense style Japanese cake which I can not wait to try making!

Here are some photos of the garden grounds, and some of the bonzi that were on display.

And finaly I will end the post with an image of the gift shops display of my amigurumi.

The Amigurumi stops here---MBG

I have finished 51 diffrent amigurumi in assorted unicorns, bunnies, and chibi cthulhu's.  I went up and delivered them all today so the stress of 'finishing' is over.  All in all I was able to make 14 Unicorns, 17 chibi cthulhu's, and 20 Bunbuns (4 of which are Skel-o-Bunbuns).

I took group shots of what I still had left to deliver but some how lost the group shot of unicorns and since I already dropped them off I cant take an other.  I will try to get a shot of the display they put them on this weekend when I go out to the Missouri Botanical Gardens Japanese Festival.  

I cant wait, I realy do hope they sell well and people like them.

 These bunnies just wanted to pile up and be unruly.  It was like bowling only with out a bowling ball the bunnies would just all decided to fall over randomly.  So their group shot is a Pile-o-Bunbuns.

Now the Chibi Cthulhu's on the other hand where more then happy to stand up and even stay in formation for their photo op.  Nothing beats a murder of Cthulhus.  Any idea what the plural for Cthulhu is?  I know a Murder is a flock of crows but I like the term for this grouping of Cthulhus.

Sneak Peak of MBG work aka Image Heavy post

Ok so here is the sneak peek at what I will be taking over to Missouri Botanical Garden for the Japanese Festival that is happening Aug 31-Sept 2.  My hubby plans on taking me up on  one of the day because we have know about it the last 2 years but never actully made it up for the festival and this just makes me even more excided.

I tried my best to group them by color, but the bunbuns where not having it so most of them got solo shots. 

 

So much crochet -.- in so little time.  I just hope they all find homes with people who love them as much as I loved making them.  I also wish I had a better way to take photos I have been using my phone and it tends to bleed out the colors =(

Off to the MBG

These guys are going off an an adventure to the Missouri Botanical Garden to have their pictures taken in the Japanese garden!

They will be the first batch to go up.  Hopefully everyone else loves them as much as I loved making them and they find good homes.

I have two styles of Bunbuns, the ones with cylinder like ears and the ones with big fat ears.  Personally I like both styles which is why I made both.  I tried to mix and match the colors for them in ways that worked.  I have two style Unicorns as well, Silver and Gold!  Of course not to be left out are the Chibi Cthulhu, one in traditional green and the other two in bright playful colors.

Skel-o-Bunbun and Panda

 

So last post of the night I swear.  When I was making the Skel-o-Bunbun I thought it would also make a cute panda so I whipped up a panda!  I am debating on if I should turn him into Skel-o-Panda or leave him cute style.

CON-tamination and Japanese Festival

Left to Right
Snow owl, Dark green Chibi Cthulhu, Penguin, Skel-o-Bunbun, Red CC, strawberry, onigiri, Pink 'LOVE' CC, Girl inYukata, Green CC,

 

 

I am gearing up for CON-tamination  a horror and pop culture convention that is this weekend at the  Holiday Inn South County Center.  The nice people over at Animeggroll have a booth at the convention and said they would sell some of my critters for me!  So I will not be there but do look out for Animeggrolls booth they will be bringing a lot of interesting things with them.

Now on to other news!  I might get to consign some items at the Japanese Festival that Missouri Botanical Garden is holding Labor day weekend (Aug 31-Sept 2).   I am going in to speak with them about it on Thursday and taking in the motley crew you see above for examples of my work.   Most of these guys will be going off to the con Friday, and I did not have  any other work on hand to take in so I hope they are not put off by the creepy horror theme of Cthulhu's and Skel-o-Bunbun's.

Funnie bunnie

 

This Bunnie was a commission from one of the guys who came to the gaming convention I have been at all weekend. (Fear the Con).  I made it from a sketch he drew me, its basically a sphere, with long ears laid flat on its head 4 pointy feed and a ragged tail.  Took me roughly 4 to 6 hours to crochet it all, and about 30-ish minutes to assemble in a manor that would best resemble the drawing.  We opted to felt on eyes because I didnt have access to the right size safty eyes.

This has given me the idea to modify what I wrote as I worked and make a unicorn verson with a rainbow tail!!

I also worked on an other BaBomb for myself but before I could even finish it someone came up and asked to buy it.

My Neice enjoying some of the crochet toys I made

Little Miss Jordan and all her toys.

I have made a lot of toys for my neice over the past few months. By far her favorits are the Octo-Jelly's so its rare to get pictures of her playing with the others but her daddy managed to catch a few shots. Her she is seen playing with a little blue elephant while her newest toy the Panda Bear watches from her lap. I have been asking her mom to get shots of her playing with the elephant and she told me every time she hands it to her she acts like it has offended her so I am happy to see her enjoying it.




Here is a bigger shot of the elephant she is holding. When I was making it I was half temped to add a rattle like toy to its head so it would make some noise to drive them crazy but then I rethought that idea and went the safer rout of no rattle.

It was bound to happen though, she threw the elephant away in favor of her Panda Bear.


I think she is trying to tell her daddy something.  Maybe its- "I want more Chinese food none of that mush you call baby food." While nomming on her pandas leg.

 It has a cursive J monogrammed into its shirt  for Jordan.  I didn't make a mouth because it would leave loose strands of yarn or embroidery thread that she might get her tiny fingers tangled in or even figure out how to rip them out.   I felted on the eye patches and the nose.

And here she is with her favorite toy the Octo-Jelly. She seems to love squeezing their heads and pulling on their streatchy spiral legs. Last time I got to visit with her when I gave her the panda she seemed more impressed with my bright orange soda then anything else, so I made her a bright orange Octo-Jelly that still needs me to felt eyes onto it before I can give it to her.




Lastly here she is sporting the Bunny/Lamb hat I made for her, the ears depending on how you posistion them will make it look like a Bunny if they are upright or if you pull them stright down they have a cute little Lamb appeal to them.


Oh just a side note, if you wash a knit or crochet item NEVER put it in the dryer it will shrink!! If that happens just soak the item in some warm water with soap, rinse with warm water roll in a dry towel to get out most of the wet, then use a piece of cardboard cut to the side you want to stretch it out to the size you need it to be and let it air dry. Toys on the other hand should do just fine if they shrink up a little its not as big a deal because you don’t wear them.