Big Purple Dreams

I went to get my allergy shots yesterday. That’s one of the little extra things I do for myself every other week. I don’t really need them…unless I want to breathe.

I took my usual route to get there but as I got closer I saw a traffic pile-up that came to a standstill just before my exit. I had one last chance to get off the freeway and take a detour so I made a split second decision and opted for Plan B.

Plan B quickly became Plans C, D, and E as I attempted to wind way back toward the allergy clinic . I’d finally locked onto Plan F and seemed to be making progress when it occurred to me that the road I had taken did not curve the way I intended to go. My mind was jumping ahead to Plans G through L when I realized…I was suddenly back at Plan A.

The road I had chosen was one I hadn’t taken in a while. I had forgotten that it would put me back on the freeway again. But while I had been wandering around, looking for alternatives, the traffic had cleared and I found myself only a few yards away from the destination I’d been aiming for in the first place.


That’s just the way life is sometimes.


When I was growing up I was always drawing something. Doodles filled the margins of my notebook paper and friends asked me to draw special things for them to put on their bulletin boards. I loved whatever we were making in art class whether it was clay pots or silver jewelry.

Then I went to college and had to choose a major. I was good, but I wasn’t THAT good I didn’t think I could compete with all those other art majors. Maybe being an artist was just a dream. I changed my major at least five times before I finally graduated with a BA in History. I haven’t done anything with that degree except put it on applications for jobs that had nothing to do with History. But each job led me to another more interesting one and each job taught me something new and brought new people into my life. As my husband completed his seminary degree and we moved on to a life in the ministry my focus was on people, making connections with others and helping in any way I could.

Now, after almost 30 years of marriage, two kids and several careers later …I’m an artist again, making things for my Etsy shop and doodling up some fun design for my friends I’ve met online and making them available in my Zazzle shop.

This one is for all my 6,000+ friends on the Big Purple Dreams message board for fans of Otalia (Olivia and Natalia) from Guiding Light. Thank you for your inspiration, your friendship, and for an unforgettable year.

    (Click on the mug to see more)

Make a personalized gift at Zazzle.

I'm a Winner!

Today I discovered another benefit of being a member of the Etsybloggers Street Team. I visited one of my fellow member's blogs and left a comment on one of her posts. She had shared a photograph she'd taken with a question about the best way to crop it, seeking comments from her readers. She planned on picking one of those who left comments to win some of her vintage photo greeting cards. Contests are always fun and I really liked the photo, so I left a comment.

And I won! So, thanks to TheFabMissB!

Maybe I'll have a contest of my own here on my blog. I might give away some of my vintage buttons, magnets, thumb tacks, pocket mirrors or tie tacks.

What do you think? Leave a comment about what you'd like to see me give away from my Etsy shop.....

From Pink to Black

Pink & Pinker is gone! The bear I mentioned in my previous post didn't languish for too long in my Etsy shop before finding a new home.

The next bear I finished was a custom order that came to me when someone spotted my Blue Jean Bear on my Flickr and asked if I could make a black denim bear with scraps they had on hand. I'm always interested in doing custom orders like that, so they sent me one leg's worth of an old pair of jeans and here's the result (I added a red ribbon around the bears neck after taking these pictures):





This customer happens to be an amazing photographer. She sent me a couple of her pictures so I could turn them into pocket mirrors to include in her package with the bear. Here they are:





You should check out her blog here and see her work on her on her Flickr, too.

Pink and Pinker

When my daughter was just a preschooler she used to ask for her favorite yogurt... one of those colorful Trix yogurts with the blend of two flavors. I don't remember what the flavors were, but her favorite was something that was a mix of light and dark pink that she called "pink and pinker".

I thought of that as I put the finishing touches on this pink denim teddy bear. Usually, I'll add a ribbon of a contrasting color, but then I spotted this brighter pink ribbon and thought, "why not?"

So, I present to you my "Pink and Pinker" Teddy Bear...now available in my Etsy shop! I used to sew faces on all my bears, but some people like them left plain like this, and others have a preference about eye colors or whether their bear should be a girl (with eyelashes) or boy (without eyelashes), so I leave them face-less now and let the buyer tell me what they want.

New Style Puzzle Ball

Most of the puzzle ball toys I've made so far have been in a traditional style. Traditional kid colors, prints and fabrics. I recently got a bunch of non-traditional scraps from my friend, Kristie, aka Rockerchic...here's her Etsy Shop, which you really should check out if you get a chance. Wish I could've found some funky clothes like the ones she makes when my kid wore toddler sizes...she would've loved them!

So now I've got some funky scraps to play around with. Here's the first of many to come from that collection. This one will be listed in my Etsy shop tomorrow morning:

New Year, New Projects

Okay, so it's been a new year for a little over a month now. I guess I took an extended vacation after the holidays, but I'm back now!

Here's my first Teddy Bear for 2008, made from recycled blue jeans (something we'll never have a shortage of at my house!



Come back tomorrow and I'll have pictures of my newest puzzle ball...something new and different.....

Flying Teddy Bears

I only had a handful of Teddy Bears in my Etsy shop so when I sold two recently I resolved to make more. As soon as those two arrived, the buyer came back to my shop to buy two others I had in stock, too! Now I'm down to one. They're just flying out of my shop these days! Wish my fingers could fly, too, since I stitch these entirely by hand!

I think part of the interest is because of all the toy recalls. These are very baby safe, very soft, throw them in the washer kind of toys. I think a lot of moms are looking for something like that. So I guess I'd better step away from the computer and get back to stitching Teddy Bears!

Here are the most recent bears to go:

And There I Am!

The Eco Etsy blog has been featuring the different Etsy sellers who are participating in the 20% off sale running through Nov. 30th. This time, it's my turn! Check it out:

http://ecoetsy.blogspot.com/2007/11/eco-etsy-team-sale-malinb-and-donna.html

I think this is my personal favorite among the standard size Puzzle Ball ornaments I currently have in my shop:



And this is my favorite among the Mini Puzzle Balls:



If you see anything you're interested in, better get it while you can. These take a while to make and if your favorite design sells out before Christmas, I may or may not have time to make you another one!

Eco Sale on Etsy 20% off

I belong to several of Etsy.com's Street Teams as a way to get to know other sellers, learn about how Etsy works, and help promote each other's shops.

Yesterday was the beginning of a sale for members of the Eco Etsy Street Team. Participating members have taken 20% off the price of selected products in their shops from Nov. 17-30. Everyone who buys one of these items will be entered in a drawing for free items from some of these sellers that will take place on Dec. 1. Take a look at the Eco Etsy blog to find out more about it and to see featured discounted items from member's shops.

I've discounted all the Puzzle Balls and photo notecards in my shop and changed the prices on these items accordingly. If you see something you like, just go through the checkout process as usual.

My fingers are sewing like crazy these days, but I can only stitch so fast, so if you see something you like, grab it while you can!


Click here to see this one in my Etsy shop



Click here to see this one in my Etsy shop