Bella the Bride Bunny Goes Shopping Part 2

In the first episode of this story, we learned some important background about Bella, our heroine. Next, Bella the bride bunny had walked to a local organic farm to shop for fresh fruits and vegetables. Last we saw, Bella had reached the produce stand, and the farmer was behind the table of produce, with his back turned toward her.

Just then, the farmer turned around. Bella sucked in her breath. "Oh, my!" she softly whispered to herself, for the farmer was dressed in a tuxedo shirt and bow tie! "How can this be?" she thought. "Is this a male after my own heart?"

Oh, and what a handsome bunny he was, dressed in his finest while selling the fruits and vegetables of his labor. Turns out, while this handsome farmer, hereafter known as Bert, was carrying out all of his duties, the only thing on his mind was "When will I meet my Ms. Right?" Like Bella, Bert was always thinking like this. He was waiting and waiting.... And there she was! "Could she be the bunny of my dreams?" he wondered.

Bert came from behind the produce stand and approached Bella.

Bella was feeling so shy that she could hardly speak. They exchanged names and shook paws. When their paws touched, both Bert and Bella felt a tingle. Bella could hardly breathe. Bert couldn't stop looking into Bella's beautiful eyes.

They were completely alone together. If anyone had come by just then, they would have thought that Bella and Bert were newlyweds, not only because of their outfits, but also because of the energy that was between them. Was it a match made in heaven? Stay tuned for the next part in this ongoing series to find out! Until next time.... xoxo Jennifer

Dad's Dollhouse: An Update

Since I last wrote about the miniature dollhouse my dad built for me when I was a girl, I've been inspired to complete some work on it. I always had grand plans for my dollhouse--plans that my pocketbook could never accommodate! The height of my interest in the dollhouse (until now!) was probably from age 8 to age 16, and I never had enough money to do what I wanted with it. I still don't! :-)

Now, however, I can see the project from an adult's perspective, and I really want to finish some of the things I started on it.

My previous photos showed the dollhouse empty. Since then, I gave it a thorough cleaning and set up my existing miniature furniture and accessories. Plus, I got some birthday money, and just like when I was a kid, I put it all toward the dollhouse. Yesterday I put in a big order to complete some of my empty spaces. I can hardly wait to receive my package!

Here are some current photos showing where my dollhouse is today:

Here's my miniature Victorian country kitchen (with a few extras). The lamp and T.V., which I picked up at a flea market and the Goodwill bins respectively, are not of the era. I think I've decided that with this dollhouse, since it is a family heirloom and not a true-to-scale "masterpiece," I'll be flexible on what goes in it. :-) By the way, I got the china cabinet pictured above at the Goodwill bins recently too.

I've always wanted to complete the kitchen with a country kitchen ice box, so that is one of the things I've ordered for the house. I think it will go in the corner next to the china cabinet. There are also dishes, potholders, and more coming--yay!

Here's my little Victorian livingroom, set up for Christmas. Like the kitchen, it is wallpapered with real wallpaper from my childhood family home. The wallpaper is not to scale, but it means a lot to me. I want to put a fireplace where the couch is now, and I want to add a front door (I have the hinges!) and curtains (I want to put curtains in all rooms with windows). I also want to change the carpet to something that is more to scale (this pile is at least 1/2 inch thick, so it looks like a raised livingroom!).

Here's the master bedroom, with wallpaper from my parents' bedroom. Oh, the "lovely" wedgewood blue and mauve of the late 1970s to early 1980s! I plan to change the carpet and put a quilt on the master bed, which I happened to find at the Goodwill bins recently. For those who don't know, you pay by weight at the bins. That bed probably cost me all of 50 cents! Not bad--miniatures on the cheap!

OK, here's my miniature Victorian bathroom. I recently purchased the rubber ducky at a flea market. I want to get some faux tile in this room, wallpaper, different towels, and of course, curtains. The fan on the windowsill was given to me by my grandmother, and it is probably from the 1940s.

Here's the child's bedroom, full of toys. I will change the carpet, fix up the bedding, add a toybox, and add more toys. Probably wallpaper it too!

This was always going to be the dollhouse attic. As a child, my plan for this room was to get a big old trunk and fill it with stuff. Slightly scary and fun at the same time! Now I plan to turn it into a sewing room, which is appropriate considering that the wallpaper in the room is from my grandmother's house. You see, Grandma was the one who taught me how to sew. And she gave me my first sewing machine, a 1965 Singer, which is still going strong.

I'm going to really have some fun with this room! The scissors are already there, as is the pot-bellied stove (an antique metal salt shaker my mom gave me). I plan on a basket with balls of yarn and knitting needles, lots of sewing notions, and an antique-style sewing machine (the latter is coming in my order!). 

Miniatures are turning out to be fun all over again! And while I'm finishing long-uncompleted projects in my dollhouse, I can use the same items in upcoming vignettes with my plushy critters! Double fun! Until next time.... xoxo Jennifer

Bella the Bride Bunny Goes Shopping

Hello, dear readers! I promised you more about the bunny bride-to-be and her search for Mr. Right. Our little bride bunny is officially named Bella now! Bella, because she is so beautiful!

Bella, as you may recall from our previous episode, always wears a bridal veil, because the only thing on her mind is, "Who is my Mr. Right? When will I meet him?" She is always thinking this way.

Today, Bella the bunny must take care of practical matters. She is going to go shopping. No, not shopping for a man, but shopping for food at one of her local farms. First, Bella prepared a small lunch for herself, and then she headed out of her little cottage and into the nearby woods.

After walking for a while, she made it into the deep forest. There she found a clearing with a comfortable place to rest and eat her lunch.

Once she had eaten her fill, she continued her journey. She needed to stock up on some organic fruits and veggies. She would take them back to her cottage and store them for a bit.

After a little while, she found the new farm she had been looking for. "Ah, here it is!" The sign even said that there was fresh fruit. "Oh goody!" Bella walked up a short path which led to the actual farm. The farm stand was filled with delicious-looking fresh fruits and vegetables. Behind the farm stand, with his back toward her, stood the farmer.

What will happen next, dear readers? Stay tuned for the next episode! xoxo Jennifer

Contest is Over (At Least for Me)

Hello to all the friends of Plushpussycat! Yes, you read it correctly--I am no longer in the Art of ReUse contest. The top ten winners were announced Friday night, and I was not included. Thank you to EVERYONE who voted, commented, tried to vote, tried to comment, and sent me prayers and good vibes. I appreciate you all so much!!! There appear to have been some infrastructure problems with the contest's web site, which made it extra challenging for many of you. I'm sorry for all of the time and trouble it took you to try to vote and comment. You are my heros!

My mascot for the day is Mr. Sad Slug. As you can see, he has taken the place of the bride bunny in my little vignette. Mr. Sad Slug is the first plushy I ever made! He's feeling a little sad today regarding the contest results! :-)

But there is some good news! The little bride bunny may meet her groom-to-be, her "Mr. Right," in the very near future! So keep your eyes on this blog over the next few days. To make that easier for you, I've set up a couple of ways to subscribe to the blog. They're both in the right-hand column of any page of the Plushpussycat blog. One is called "Subscribe to this blog" (using a reader). The other one is called "Subscribe via email." With the email one, you get an email from me (via Google Feedburner) whenever I post an update to the blog (usually one to two times per week). Check it out!

Thanks again to everyone for your support! I love and appreciate all of you! xoxo Jennifer

Vote for My Project! Please!

I can hardly believe it: one of my projects is in a national Art of ReUse Contest! It's sponsored by NBC and Etsy. Martha Stewart is one of the judges!!! I'm so excited!!!!! Here's the project. It's my most recent miniature vignette, featuring my little bride bunny pondering her future as she waits for "Mr. Right":  

The materials for this project included a piece of reclaimed foam board and recycled fabric for the backdrop; recycled plastic toy chair; and hand-sewn bunny plushy (felted vintage recycled cashmere sweater, vintage recycled embroidery floss, recycled fiberfill, vintage recycled lace, and recycled tulle).

Voting and commenting are open from Saturday, April 9 until Friday, April 15 at midnight Eastern time. Voting requires you create a log-in, but commenting doesn't. Both voting and commenting (or one or the other--any combo!) would be much appreciated! :-) 

Dear friends, here's how to vote for my project: Go to http://www.greenisuniversal-reuse.com, click login to create an account and log in. Go to "Projects," then "Toys, Games and Gadgets." Mine is "Miniature Vignette with Cute Plushy." Click it, scroll down to "Cast Vote in This Category" and click it!

To leave a comment on my entry (this is easier than voting): Go to http://www.greenisuniversal-reuse.com/toys-games-gadgets/miniature-vignette-with-cute-plushy, scroll down, and where you see "Add a Comment," write your name and a comment, then click "Post Comment."

It would mean so much to me if you would take a moment to cast your vote for my project. :-) If you have time and the inclination, please leave a comment too! Many, many thanks! Bless you! xoxo Jennifer

New Bunny Plushy!

And she's a bride! :-) I've been wanting to make a bunny plushy forever, and here she is! She is made from a white vintage cashmere sweater that I felted, vintage and new embroidery floss, and she's stuffed with renewable bamboo fiberfill. Her bridal veil, which is removable, is made from recycled tulle, vintage embroidery floss, and vintage lace. She is completely sewn by hand except for one seam on the back of the veil that I sewed with a machine. She's super soft and huggable!

Oh, sweet little bunny bride. She is waiting for Mr. Right! That's the one thing on her mind. See how even when she is doing something, her eyes are always looking to the right? Looking to the right symbolizes looking to the future, and that's what she's always doing. She is imagining meeting her Mr. Right, getting married, and living happily ever after. Until then, she is just waiting, waiting, waiting....

Let's see what happens in this little bunny's future, shall we? Until next time.... xoxo Jennifer

What to Do When Your Stash Gets Too Big

My fabric stash, that is! I used to regularly search for vintage and recycled fabric to add to my stash for making plushies. Used to, because finally my stash got too big. My craft room was overflowing with felted sweaters, used clothing, and vintage linens. As you can see, my stash got WAY too big!

Another problem: I was storing a lot of fabric in boxes, because my craft closet didn't have enough shelves. With so much in the boxes, I couldn't keep track of what I had, which caused me to think I needed MORE! Aiya! It was a vicious circle. By the way, the legal size file cabinet in the photo just below was also cram-packed with fabric.

Finally, with my birthday looming, I asked my darling husband if he could add another shelf to my closet as a special "gift" for my birthday. What a sweetheart! He put the shelf in Friday night after work. He also removed the closet doors, at my request. Saturday morning bright and early the two of us re-organized my craft closet, and it looks great:

I can see most everything, and it's organized by type of fabric and color. :-)

Here's the only downside: I still couldn't fit everything in there! Man! But I finally found a good solution, suggested by my hubby: I moved anything that still needed processing by me (cleaning, felting, and so on) into the laundry area of my home (should have kept it there in the first place--just didn't, because I didn't want to alarm my hubby at the amount of stuff I had, so I "hid" it in my craft room!).

OK, now you know my secret: I had a huge "hidden" fabric stash! Yikes! But now things are back in order, it is under control, my secret is out, and I feel much better! Have any of you had this kind of trouble with your stashes of crafty or art supplies? If so, I'd love to hear about it! Until next time.... xoxo Jennifer

Fun Outing!

There's no doubt about it: spring is in the air! This is a view from my livingroom window. The neighbor's plum tree is in full bloom.

Whenever it's this time of year (first spring flowers, green everywhere, birds singing, rays of sunshine peaking through the clouds), I get the urge to get in the car and go on a fun outing. Yesterday all of my original plans fell through, so I had some time on my hands. I decided to go out to Beaverton, just a few minutes from my home in Portland, Oregon, and hit a few fun places. Hey! My birthday is just around the corner, so birthday money is burning a hole in my pocket too, OK?!

So first I picked up a used book on blogging at Powell's. While there, I came across the cutest section full of Japanese cute kawaii items. You know, things like notebooks, stickers, AND this cute kawaii lunch bag I found! It is woven from 95% post-consumer material (used grain sacks) by BlueQ.

Actually, I'm going to use it as a craft bag that I'll take with me when I attend craft circles around town. Thrill!

OK, next I went over to the Beaverton Goodwill and picked up a 1980's craft book, this surfboard (shown here with one of my handmade frog plushies) for one of my vignettes,

and this ceramic car for another vignette. Check out the fun license plate on this baby! And watch Houndstooth Puppy behind the wheel!

Finally, I stopped over at the Kinokuniya Bookstores (the one inside the Uwajimaya in Beaverton). I looked at so many cute things but finally settled on these fun erasers to add to my collection. I'll use these in upcoming plushy vignettes too!

It ended up being an awesome few hours, and I spent only $21 on the items I show here. Not bad! This spring fever thing only lasts a couple of weeks, so I might as well enjoy it while I can. :-) Until next time.... xoxo Jennifer