Their Love For You is Strong, Baby!

These Strong Men guys are done!  They are available in my Etsy Shop.  Don't forget to use the coupon code RUMPUS to get 20% off (sale ends this Friday).  With the making of mobiles comes the ideas of more and more mobiles.  It's become an addiction.  It is still very fun to me, and I feel excited every time I get to work, which is wonderful. 

A Sale in Honor of Maurice Sendak

Maurice Sendak is something special.  I enjoyed Where the Wild Things Are as a kid.  Later, in art school, I awed and oooh-ed over his drawings and delicate hatch marks.  I really fell in love with him after his Colbert interviews.  He was such a specific person, maybe a bit grumpy, but his eyes lit up when he talked about things he admired.  I never knew my grandfathers, but I would have been over the moon if he was one of them;  I know he would have always told me the truth.

In honor of Maurice Sendak who passed yesterday, everything is 20% off in my shop.  The coupon code is RUMPUS.  It will be up until Friday.

Let's Hear it For the Girls....

I laughed throughout the entire photo session with these woolen ballerinas.  Who is their choreographer?   They just couldn't seem to twirl in unison! 

These Baallerinas (pun courtesy of my friend, Gretchen) are now up in my etsy shop!  I plan on making them customizable as well, in case you like dancing sheep, but don't have an all pink nursery!

What Have Ewe Been Up To?

In my studio currently there is a lot going on.  I am really attempting to diversify myself.  I always punctuate diversify with a sassy head wiggle, do you?  I don't think there is a way not to do that.  Also in my studio, I am girl-ing out with some sheep in hot pink tutus.  I am following Rebecca's advice.  I do tend to like to make things for boys better, maybe because I have a boy, or maybe because I was a tomboy growing up.  But, I am having fun with these sheep.  They are shaped a lot like the sumo wrestlers, which makes me laugh.  It makes me wonder if I should make sumo-ish ballerinas in tutus as well?  Maybe.  I am going to add an option of ponytails to the ninja mobile, so why not an option of tutus to sumos?

Speaking of Ninjas, I made my first ever customizable ninja mobile item!  It is up and ready in my shop.  You can choose from a variety of Michael Miller and Robert Kaufman fabrics for the ninja sash and hoop fabric.
 

I am also adding a personalized, embroidered pennant.  I think it looks pretty sweet all together.

There you have it!  I hope you like it!  Help me out and tell your friends!  :)

This Mobile Kicks!!!

Who better to watch over your baby at night than 4 highly trained Ninjas!  This was Joseph's (hubs) brain child.  He loves Ninjas.  We just watched Ghost Patrol last night and there was a preview for GI Joe in which the GI Joe folks have to fight some ninjas and the ninjas are quite captivating (although the preview's music was a Jack White song that would make even a fight scene involving myself look cool).  Their mouths are covered, so there isn't any of that fight scene grunting nor any of those slow-motion jaw dislocation shots, which make ninjas seem more sophisticated and graceful.  But, back to these mobile ninja guys.  These Ninja baby protectors are more soft and gentle.  And, I don't think they'll be taking anyone by surprise with their high contrast belts.  Plus, their little heart badges makes you want to drop your samurai sword and open up your arms for a Ninja hug.  Even though babies aren't going to be touching these guys, I still like to pay attention to the textures I use.  They are sewn out of a soft black fleece, which make them look like little dark storm clouds.

Thank you to Molly, Stuffed Nonsense, and Rebecca for your suggestions.  I am planning on making customizable options for Sumo mobile and Ninja mobile next week.  This summer will be my last-ditch effort to turn Pink Cheeks Studios into a successful business in the complete sense of the word business.  I love it so much, which makes it partially successful to me, but I need to bring in enough money to cover rent in order for me to continue not being employed in the "real" world.  I can envision it, and I am even excited at the challenge of making it happen.  I feel so business-y lately, like I could throw on a pant-suit, head to a diner and order some sort of business women's special.

I think for me, the secret will lie in these mobiles.  They are my "secret weapon" literally with these fierce Ninjas!  I want people to be able to choose colors and personalized options so that they are extra special presents for new babies and for parents who are super excited about preparing their wee one's nursery and filling it with whimsy and wonder.  We shall see.  Wish me luck!  And, if you have any ideas for me, I would love to hear them at any time!  Thank you.

Fuzzy Wuzzy Was A Mobile

My bear friends are done!  This is the fuzziest mobile so far.  Even the hoop is fuzzy.  Have you ever toured Elvis' house in Graceland?  Plush everywhere.  Plushy carpet, even on the walls.  The King liked things comfortable and soft, and I think he would have bought this for baby Lisa Marie.  I wonder what she is up to these days?  Do you remember when she was briefly a pop star?  Or, when she was married to Michael Jackson?  I am so glad my parents weren't ever celebrities.  I think it would have made life confusing. 

It feels really nice to sew these ridiculous things when Walter is napping.  It feels especially nice because now there is stress about the upcoming move to Louisiana, and I have always sought stress relief through working with my hands.  I alternate days of sewing with days of de-cluttering and general stuff-removing to make packing easier.  So, I already enjoyed sewing, but now sewing doesn't just equal "making stuff" it equals "not organizing" which makes it awesome x 1000.  Did I just do math? 

If you are a savvy business person/ crafter and you have any advice you are willing to pass out for free, I would really appreciate it!  I would like to make these mobiles customizable.  What sort of custom options should I offer?  What do you think of the hangers and hoops?  Should they be made of something else?  If so, what?  Any other advice you want to dispense would be massively appreciated.  I went to art school, so I can handle criticism, so don't worry about hurting my feelings or anything.  Thank you!

Two Cures for the Mondays

 I know this went viral a couple of weeks ago, but I saw it late and I can't stop thinking about it. It's so beautiful, it moved me to tears. Thanks Cain, for building an arcade out of cardboard! Thanks Cain's Dad for letting Cain take over nearly your entire store with his cardboard arcade! Thanks documentary filmmaker guy for recognizing something beautiful and documenting it for us to see!

And also, I really love the Wait, Wait Don't Tell Me blog: Sandwich Monday, where they eat a different concoction, usually a fast food item, and critique it using witty banter. If you work and experience the "Mondays", this will most surely ease you into the work week. I think Eva always has the best lines. My favorite is the Wow Boa (can I try one please) entry when she says, "A bao is what a pop tart looks like when it's eaten too many pop tarts."