French Gifts for Flossy and Sophie, Part 2

Last time I showed you the gorgeous handcrafted dollhouse miniatures that Capucine sent Flossy and Sophie all the way from France. Now it's time for Sophie to show the amazing gifts that Capucine sent just for her.

Flossy was sipping a cup of hot chocolate when she received a telephone call. Who could it be? Of course! It's her good friend Sophie calling from Brambleberry Cabin on her new Rilakkuma telephone made by Capucine!

Sophie has invited Flossy to visit to see the gorgeous gifts Capucine sent her. While Sophie waits for Flossy to arrive, she'll give us an exclusive first tour. Sophie models the new Hello Kitty sleep mask that Capucine sent. It fits Sophie perfectly, and it helps her get good quality sleep too!

The Rilakkuma pillow under Sophie's head and the Hello Kitty slippers were both gifts from Capucine too! Aren't they all adorable? Sophie loves them all! Now it's on to some tasty food! This darling Re-Ment Rilakkuma Home Made cooking set was sent by Capucine.

Sophie will save this to share with Flossy when she arrives. The two tarts look delicious, and we know how much Flossy loves sweets! Sophie will eat the one shaped like a bear, and Flossy can have the one shaped like a chick! Before Flossy arrives, however, Sophie cannot wait to eat this yummy Re-Ment ALOHA Hawaii hamburger with slices of fresh avocado:

Mmm, it smells heavenly, and it has lots of good protein for growing bears like Sophie! Sophie will drench the burger in ketchup and wash the whole meal down with the yummy cola drink that Capucine included. OK, it's good-bye for now, while Sophie enjoys her lunch! Thank you so much for all of these amazing and thoughtful gifts, Capucine! You are a very talented, dear, and thoughtful friend!

To see Capucine's other gifts to us, see my two previous posts here and here. Visit Capucine's darling blogs at Capucine and Ninour and Cherie et sa fine equipe. The stories will make you laugh out loud, and her cheery images will make your day brighter! You can also see what I sent to Capucine on this post.

Next time, I'll show you some sweet and special gifts from another dear friend, plus there is "someone" new in my life. I hope to show it all in my next post! Until then, keep it fun! xoxo Jennifer

Strawberry Season! Plus News

It's Strawberry Season in Flossy and Sophie's neck of the woods, and they are making the most of it! Flossy has made some yummy strawberry shortcake...

...while Sophie is about to sit down to a huge plate of warm, delectable strawberry pancakes...

...and Bluebelle is taking a load off with some tasty strawberry cupcakes (in her new house, since Strawberry Shortcake is traveling for the summer).

Latest News

Ah, there is so much catching up to do since my last blog post. Rufus, my precious guinea pig, has had a painful bladder infection, which we are treating with antibiotics. :-( Both my husband and I were ill but now are better. Since then, I've been trying to catch up on home projects and manage my greeting card accounts. I've missed writing blog posts so much, but I've had little to no time for it.

There's something else: For a long time now, I've had very little free time for working on my own creative projects, such as creating new characters, decorating their homes, and developing new stories. On top of that, postage in the U.S., especially international postage, has skyrocketed (not a joke!). It is $10 minimum to send an extremely light package to a foreign country (usually it costs $12-15 or more). For these reasons, I will not be able to participate in any more Christmas gift exchanges for the foreseeable future. And starting in 2015, I won't be able to participate in any more birthday gift exchanges either.

I've loved being part of these exchanges, but now I need to carve out time for my own creative projects. If a solution can be found so that the gift exchanges take less time and cost less money, I'm all for it. Until then, the gift exchanges have been a fun way to make friends, and I still value the friendships I've made and the wonderful gifts I've received.

Now I hope to be able to post on the blog more often. I still have some more gifts and giveaway wins to show (from April and earlier!) and now not just one but two (!) new interests to share with you. I also have a new diorama on public display to show. Then it's on to new characters, a new dollhouse, new stories, and more! I hope you'll all be here to share it with me. :-) Until next time, keep having fun! xoxo Jennifer

Flossy and Sophie's Reminder

Hi everyone! I was sick with the flu over Christmas, so I wasn't able to post anything sooner. Although I wasn't feeling well, Flossy the bunny and Sophie the bear were having their own mini party without me. Look at the yummy mini holiday treats they were munching without me! Cake and cookies and ice cream sandwiches and bowls of peppermint ice cream, oh my!

Miniature desserts by Beverly of CuteinMiniature on Etsy

Oh, and they both received wonderful gifts from our dear friend Jane of Minifanticus blog too! Jane has such a fun miniatures blog and never fails to leave sweet comments on Plushpussycat blog. She's also so generous and thoughtful, often sending friends surprise gifts in the mail. Flossy and Sophie were over the moon with happiness when she sent them some dream-come-true gifts.

First, Flossy received this lifetime dream of a mini glitter village:

Flossy says she's never removing it from this spot! Here's how it looks in her bedroom:

Flossy and I are so grateful! We love the way it brings some fun color into the space. And if that wasn't gift enough, Jane sent a special bumblebee cup as a housewarming present for Sophie's new home, Brambleberry Cabin:

Now Sophie feels like Vanna White, showing off her new cup! Ta dah!

The cup is so tiny and detailed, with the handle a tree branch with leaves and a bumblebee on top. Perhaps you can see in the above photo that the bumblebee's head is facing to the right, away from Sophie.

Close-up of Bumbelbee cup by Jane of Minifanaticus.
The bumblebee's tail is facing the camera.

Sophie only uses this cup now, as it is a treasured gift from a treasured friend. Jane also sent some darling bear cookies and golden reindeer for crafting, but alas, I wasn't able to catch them properly with my camera. I'll show them another time. Thank you so much for ALL of your precious gifts, Jane, especially your priceless gift of friendship.

Flossy and Sophie have a reminder for all of you: The miniature dessert giveaway featuring mini cakes and pie from Kim Saulter of Kim's Mini Bakery ends Thursday, January 9th. Please make sure you are a follower of Plushpussycat blog with Google Friend Connect and that you have left a comment on the giveaway post. Good luck to everyone. I will announce the winners Saturday! Until next time, keep it fun! xoxo Jennifer

Bear Cabin!

Finally, Sophie the bear really has a home of her own. Flossy the bunny kindly let her stay at Cupcake Cottage as long as she liked, but Sophie really wanted her own place where she could express her own personality. Not to say anything disrespectful about Flossy, but her place was just too "girly" for Sophie. :-)

Now that she's in her own home, she has prepared a delicious banana pancake feast for herself and her dog, Luna:

Gorgeous banana pancake set by Kim Saulter.

It looks so yummy, but where's Sophie? She's not by the stove:

Where is she, then? Oh, dear! All that cooking has exhausted Sophie, and she and Luna are taking a much-needed rest. The pancakes will have to wait!

Welcome to my new followers. I hope you enjoy your stay here. Don't forget the mini desserts giveaway with gorgeous cakes and pie by Kim Saulter. You can still enter it on the giveaway post. Thank you to everyone for your visits and your sweet comments. Until next time, keep it fun! xo Jennifer

Catch-Up Time

Hello my dear blog friends! Yes, I'm still alive and healthy--I've just been too busy to post. So much has happened since my last post that it's now catch-up time. ;-)

First off, I had that little pick-a name-for-the-bird giveaway contest, and this is what I sent to Fabiola for picking the perfect name, Bluebelle:

I made the items in the first two photos, and the kitty was from my personal collection. Fabiola has written a beautiful post with photos of my gifts on her blog. Thank you, Faby!

Next, many of you have asked about the Portland Miniature Show. It was such a fun weekend! I like to search for bargains in the "garage sale" baskets on many of the vendors' tables. These are usually accessories or furniture pieces from the vendor's own collection that she no longer wants, and the prices are marked very low. I found many wonderful treasures in these baskets, and I bought very little else! ;-)

One item that I bought at full price was this tiny shabby chic doll bed made by Milestone Miniatures:

The pink chair (both items shown in Cupcake Cottage's bedroom nook) is from the same artist, but from last year's show.

Another purchase was a small cottage dollhouse kit (the Sweet Heart dollhouse kit by Dura-Craft) for just $10:

Buying this dollhouse kit led me to realize that I don't want large dollhouses anymore. Instead, I want several small, lightweight dollhouses, like a little village of dollhouses for my critters. After thinking it through, I sold Sophie the bear's Brambleberry Farmhouse to a good friend who will take wonderful care of it. And now Sophie has moved back to Cupcake Cottage with Flossy the bunny. Sophie was getting lonely in that big house all by herself, and now Flossy and Sophie can spend more time together again--yay!

There were no ribbons at the show for my "Puppy in the Cake Shop" exhibit, but it was still fun and a good learning experience. I'm not sorry I brought my exhibit to the show. I met wonderful people as a result, and I saw a different side of the show by being a little more of an "insider."

Why have I been gone so long? First, I was on a short vacation, and then I'll let you in on a little secret. I've found a new interest that has taken me away from blogland for the last few weeks, but not forever. This new interest is very compatible with the things I already do on my blog. So next post, I will show some photos of this new hobby of mine. I think you will be surprised! :-)

OK, that's enough catching up for now. I've missed you all and your wonderful blogs. Thank you in advance for your precious comments. I read them all, and they really make my day. Until next time.... xoxo Jennifer

Surprise in the Carrot Patch

Sophie was busy preparing vegetable soup, when she suddenly realized she needed more carrots for the carrot cake she was baking next.

So off she went to the carrot patch, but shortly after she arrived she discovered something that needed Flossy's attention. Meanwhile, over at Cupcake Cottage, it was just another day.

Flossy was putting frosting on the last few cupcakes and cookies when Sophie rushed in. Sophie had brought something really special along with her carrots.

Flossy was the best one to take care of this little orphan bunny's needs.

Hope you enjoyed my little story! The last photo is my latest greeting card. Inside it reads, "Congratulations on your new bundle of joy!" Until next time, keep it fun! xoxo Jennifer

Nice Neighbor Lady

Sophie has a light headache, so she's decided to take a nap.

"Knock! Knock!" Who could it be?

Flossy is visiting Sophie, so she answers the door. Oh, apparently it's a nice neighbor lady with a bundt cake. "It's almost as good as cupcakes," thinks Flossy. "Won't you come in for a visit?"

The nice neighbor lady makes herself comfortable on the sofa, but soon her demands are extraordinary, as the snacks and treats pile up around her. Flossy innocently works to please Sophie's guest, but feels something is not quite right.

"Grrr!" growls Sophie. "Who do you think you are coming to my house and making so many demands?! I've heard of you! You're the infamous Raccoon! Now get out of here!"

Raccoon high-tailed it out of there. Raccoons are no match for bears.

Raccoon was running really, REALLY fast! "Aaaaaaaaaah!!!!! Help!!!!!"

Remember, things aren't always as they appear. More to follow. ;-) More of Raccoon's previous antics here. Keep it fun! xoxo Jennifer

Amazing Dollhouse Miniature Afghans!

Flossy has been whipping up chocolate chip cookies using the mini cook book and pink gingham shabby chic tea towel that I recently made.

Actually, these were gifts for the wonderful shopper who just purchased a second custom order from my Plushpussycat Etsy shop--yay! Now with two orders under my belt, so to speak, I'm no longer such a newbie on Etsy. Hurray!

I'm still busy working on my taxes, unfortunately, but that didn't keep me from noticing an amazing shop on Etsy that I really think you will want to know about. It's called Tiffsniffer's Tiny Things.

Several readers asked about this afghan--isn't it gorgeous?

Close-up of Tiffsniffer's black granny square afghan.

Michelle hand crochets tiny afghans with 80# tatting thread from her home in Manitoba, Canada. She likes to crochet while watching TV! Her afghans are a bargain at $15 each, so get them while you can at this price. ;-) Take a look at her sold items to put in a custom order request.

Tiffsniffer's pink and white afghan, shown in Flossy's special guest
bedroom at Sophie's house, Brambleberry Farmhouse.

Look at the beautiful detail on this afghan--wow!

Are you on Pinterest? I recently discovered that it's a great place to find and store dollhouse miniature tutorials and printables, among other things. Follow me there so I can follow you back! :-) OK, that's it for now, but in future posts I'll show you amazing gifts I've received from special blog friends and a new story, and we're still going to have that blog birthday party! Until next time, keep having fun! xoxo Jennifer

Housewarming Gifts Plus Giveaway Winners

Flossy and Sophie were thrilled when they received a surprise package from Catherine at Sweet Petite Shoppe. The bunnies and mice in her bakery made some gorgeous housewarming gifts in celebration of Sophie moving into Brambleberry Farmhouse. Just look at what those sweet critters sent:

There's a gorgeous cake, a darling box of heart-shaped cookies, and a beautiful baking board. Those sweet pink plates came in the package too! Thank you so much, Catherine, the mice, and the bunnies! You are such sweet friends. Please come for a visit to Portland soon. There'll be plenty of hot chocolate and cupcakes for everyone!

After Sophie and Flossy filled themselves with yummy cake and cookies, it was time for a chat in Sophie's new livingroom. AND it was time to draw the two winners of Plushpussycat's Valentine's Day Giveaway! YAY!!!

Flossy held the basket of names and mixed them all up. Then Sophie picked the two winners' names, one at a time. (Actually, I used random.org to pick the numbers.)

Drumroll, please:

Winner #1 is Kikka

and

Winner #2 is Ruth Ramaekers

Congratulations to the two lucky winners!!! Please email me your addresses (through my Blogger Profile), so I can mail your prizes to you right away! I must hear back from the winners by end of day Friday, February 22, 2013. If I don't, I'll pick (an)other winner(s).

Thank you to everyone who entered this giveaway. I'm sorry there couldn't be more winners this time, but we still have more blog birthday celebrating to do here. There'll be a fun party soon! Until next time, keep it really fun! xoxo Jennifer

Valentine Friends

Flossy has been baking Valentine treats for her friend Sophie. Oops! Flossy has already eaten one of the cupcakes. Fortunately, she still has more cupcake mix!

Cute cupcake prep set by CuteinMiniature on Etsy.

Meanwhile, Sophie has baked some Valentine goodies for her good friend Flossy. There's tiny heart-shaped sugar cookies with pink sprinkles (Flossy's favorite!) and two loaves of special shortbread to share together.

What's this? Luna wants some of the goodies too!

Happy Valentine's Day! May your day be filled with sweetness, my friends! Thursday is the last day to join my Valentine's Day giveaway. Good luck to everyone! I'll announce the two winners Saturday. Keep it fun! xoxo Jennifer

Anticipating a Visit

Sophie wakes up bright and early in her new home, the Brambleberry Farmhouse. Oh, what a fun morning she has planned!

Flossy the bunny is coming over for blueberry muffins and a good chat!

Mmm, fresh out of the oven, these muffins look scrumptious!

Sophie has been stocking the shelves of her pantry as she waits for her guest. Knock, knock! Could that be Flossy at the door now?

The darling muffin prep set is by Beverly of CuteinMiniature on Etsy. Until next time, keep having fun! xoxo Jennifer

Cleaning the (Doll)house

Today is house cleaning day. Before Sophie moves into her new home, it needs to be cleaned from top to bottom. Fortunately, Flossy the bunny came over to help Sophie with the cleaning. There's dusting and scrubbing...

...and there's sweeping and hauling.

Ah! It's finally time for a break! There's homemade cherry pie with hot tea.

Mmm, yummy!

The cherry pie and the tea kettle on the stove were precious gifts from MelyMel of MelyMel Piccoli Sogni blog. Thank you again, Mely!

There's still time to enter the Valentine's Day giveaway! Until next time, keep it fun! xoxo Jennifer