Geisha Kokeshi Reworked (Before and After)

Awhile back I made a geisha/kokeshi softy that I thought was cute enough, even if my sister did say she was creepy. There was something not quite right about her though... She was top heavy and wouldn't stand on her own, something that kokeshi should really be able to do by standard measure. 

So I decided to open her up and fix the problem. My solution: Beans!

Before: 

 

Ready to go.

Tied up nice and tight.

That took care of the standing issue, but then I noticed that some of the stitches on her kimono didn't line up right.

 So, out came the embroidery thread and curved needle. I never had a curved needle until recently. I knew that one would come in handy, but I had no idea just how much easier it would make things like this. After I had her lines looking better, I noticed her obi was starting to fray. *sigh*  

 I pulled out a thick satin ribbon, sat down at my sewing machine and sewed two strips of rick rack along each side of it. I used to dislike rick rack quite a bit. I found it to be tacky, but now I seem attracted to anything it adorns~ aprons, shirts, skirts, softies, everything! 

Anyway, after I got a new obi made...you guessed it, I found another imperfection that I couldn't live with. Her mouth was crooked.

Unfortunately for me, my oldest monster had lost my good seam ripper somewhere, so I had to use an old dull one. It took what felt like an eternity, but I finally got all of the thread out. I ended up removing her entire face and redoing it twice before I was happy with it. That curved needle saved me here too.

New face!

Now I'm done picking at her...hopefully. What do you think?

After:

Back to the drawing board...er, embroidery hoop.

Well, my dear Toshiro didn't turn out as great as I had hoped. I believe the problem was the size in which I tried to make him. The more detail I tried to add, the more detail was lost. His face was only about an inch tall, so every stitch made a huge impact.

Here's how he looked when I finally threw in the needle:

He was so tiny that I decided to turn him into a new pin back button for my cork board. Here he is with another fabric button I made for my friend, Kerri. She loved this material after she saw it on Driscall, so I thought I'd give her a bit she could wear.

Oh, and here's Driscall, the Precarious Pup.

 

Inspired by my favorite snack, Driscall's strawberries and my homemade whipped cream cheese, this lil guy was reworked several times before he looked exactly as I pictured him in my mind. The first time I finished him he looked like a deranged cartoon bunny! I had tried cat eyes from the doll making supplies at Hobby Lobby (my favorite place right now), but I prefer the old school buttons eyes. He also had thinner, pointier ears, and a flat nose. I really like the way he turned out. Hopefully someone else does to!

Patiently awaiting his forever home.<3

...Now I need to make a trip to my favorite place for a larger embroidery hoop. I  wont let you down again Mr. Mifune!

Sly Little Stinker

I really think I'm getting better at this embroidery stuff, especially considering that I have yet to use a pattern. It's definitely a new love! Here are my latest projects~

Sly Fox

This little devil was based on an illustration of a fox in this book:

Japanese Fairy Tales Vol. 1

If your kids are fans of fairy tales and mythology, I highly recommend looking into this short but sweet series! I searched online but couldn't find another photo from the book, so I may take one of my own later. The fox, or kitsune in Japanese, is known for being a trouble maker and a trickster. Much like the raccoons in Japanese fairy tales, the fox often shape shifts to fool unsuspecting humans. 

Being modeled by my own sly little fox..

Stinky Love

My own design, and favorite piece so far. I think this sums up my feelings about romantic love quite nicely.

Putting this top on an ornery little boy adds a different feel to it. A bit mischievous, I think.

And that's it so far. Now that I've pretty much used up all of my tie-dye t-shirts I'm going to start creating my own embroidery designs on softies. We'll see how they turn out!

Monsters, Robots, and Rocket Ships!

I've been keeping myself very busy trying to get my Etsy shop stocked up. Here are just a few things I've completed~~

Emota Con Kitty Monster

This fellow was inspired by the kitty cat emoticon. =^_^= I found him to be rather whimsical.

Lovely spots

The happy lil guy

His booty. I made his tail fat enough balance him so that he can sit freely.

A long, long, long time ago I tie dyed some little t-shirts. I'm just now getting around to embellishing them with some embroidery.  I love retro children's themes, so I went with a rocket ship and a robot. I used mostly a back stitch, which I love. Although I cover the back of the embroidery, I hate seeing all that "wasted" thread. *sigh*

Retro Robot

Getting the framework started

Rocket to the Moon

 I did the flames in an unkempt split stitch hoping it would look like it was roaring away. What do you think?

And away we go!

Etsy Finds Friday

Sharing a little Mid-Century Modern love this beautiful Friday morning~

thevintagesupplyco

Mid Century Modern Vintage 1960s Sofa with Rosewood Legs

dirtybirdiesvintage

MidCentury Gold SunBurst Electric Clock by Sessions

Addy

Mid Century Mermaid Bar Glasses

  fabulousmess

Mid Century Modern Lamps

  MidCentric

Mid Century Coffee Tin

 

Etsy Friends

Okay, so I intended to post about my artist friends today, but it turns out that visual artists are huge procrastinators.  Hopefully they'll have some work picked out soon. In the mean time, I'm showing off some of my friends' Etsy shops!

First up is Sweetheartville

Holly does a variety of kitschy crafts from pins to pin cushions. Right now she has one of my all time favorite items stocked, The Saint Tammy Prayer Candle.

           

     

The back says, "God, grant me the serenity to accept the hair I cannot change, courage to backcomb the hair I can, and wisdom to know the difference."

 Got milk? Then you may need a hot nursing necklace! Neenbeans' Lactivities necklaces aren't just toys on a string, they actually look like grown up jewelry. They're pretty enough to wear even without the baby attachment.

And, in the interest of being green, LoneStarMama's C & E Creations has reusable crocheted cleaning cloths and wool dryer balls. No nasty bacterial sponges or chemical ridden dryer sheets here!

Etsy Artists

I'm still very busy these days, but I wanted to take some time to share a few wonderful artists on Etsy. I have placed a link to their shops in each name so that you can see more of their work.

Paola Zakimi. 

Not only are this artists paintings soothingly sweet, she is a talented doll maker as well. 

Marisol Spoon

Dan Bob Thompson

I love this painting,  but I also love the retro modern feel of his others too.  

This artist seems to be quite versatile.

Poor Dog Farm

Whimsical animals

Hidden Eloise

Eloise is one of my all time favorite artists. I have a couple of her paintings hanging up at home. They are beautifully endearing. 

    These are only a few of the incredible artists on Etsy. If you like art at all, I suggest you explore the site for yourself! Next time I'll be showing some of my friends' artwork.

Tickers and Blogs

It's been a very long time since I've blogged anything here. Life has kept me  pretty busy the last couple of months. I wanted to share a couple of things while I had a moment.

Pooka Monster Tickers! 

Alternatickers has added some of my softies to their tickers! Alternatickers has the absolute best tickers out there. Their designs range from traditional to punk to retro rockabilly.  I really love them, and I'm so flattered to be included. You can find them here ~Guest Ticker Designer~ ~Alternatickers Home~

Blogged!

My shop was blogged here ~Autumn is in the air!~ By Just Nibbles, shop owner of Justine's Originals on Etsy. You can find her shop here ~Justine's Originals~ She has beautiful handmade jewelry and greeting cards!

 

And, a few random photos from the last two months.....

September

 

 

 

October