Virtual Home Show

I'd like to welcome you to the

Some friends and I have gathered together to show you some great handmade gift ideas to get the holiday ball rolling. I'd like to invite you to our two-day event, showcasing some lovely items from these talented ladies:

Sue Bleiweiss has some beautiful handmade notebooks to show you.

Felicia Haywood has been making the cutest toys around.

Lisa Jordan makes the sweetest felted treasures.

Jenn Maruska's sewing gifts are just the best!

Julie Thomas has some gorgeous pottery to show you.

Karen Wittkop will help you wrap things up with her adorable gift tags!

Stop in and check out the beautiful things these girls are working on, there will be prizes and lots of great holiday shopping ideas.

As for me, it's all about monkeys! Yep. It's monkey season so I decided to tell you a bit about how it all started...
Early in 2007, while on a trip to California (I was living in the UK at the time), Nick and I paid a visit to some friends of ours who live near Yosemite National Park. (These friends recently hosted our wedding at their home...I had to mention that.) Anyway, I'd just made the first ever official Gadget Monkey, seen above. His name is Randy and he was promptly adopted by Jim & Julie. We took Randy along on a trip into Yosemite and that's when we all came up with the idea for the Monkey Travel Club Flickr Group and shop. At first, I sold my monkeys out of my orginal Etsy shop, iSew, but later the monkeys took over and demanded their own space. So, on January 1st of this year, Monkey Travel Club opened it's virtual doors. And the rest, as they say, is history. At this point I've made over 430 monkeys!

When I started, the Gadget Monkey was the only style. Now there are pencil cups, coffee sleeves and whole lot more.

Anyone for a pumpkin spiced latte? I always get a smile when I bring a monkey along for a cup of coffee.

Isn't that sweet? Mick got Esther an iPod for Christmas. And Woody finally got the little brother he's been asking for.

I've just started working on some new Christmas monkeys for the shop. These 3 say they want to stay here, but I'm not sure I can put up with them. Leave a comment (by midnight on Tuesday night Nov. 4) and pick some names for them and maybe you'll win one! I'll announce a winner on Wednesday.

Now I'd like you to swing by and see my friend Felicia and her adorable little friends. Enjoy the home show!

Just Kinda Busy

Oh my gosh! I can't believe it's been over a week since my last post. I've been so busy lately, things are just plain crazy. My little monkeys were lucky enough to be part of an Etsy gift guide last week and since then the monkey business has been great! The Treasury that Etsy Labs created also landed on the homepage! And the best part was that I got to be featured along with my friend Lemon Cadet (she got a screenshot).
And in between all the monkey stuff going on, I never got a chance to wish you a Happy Thanksgiving. I finally got to take a quick look at some of your blogs tonight and enjoyed reading some tidbits about your holiday. Nick & I had some old friends of mine over. They were in town for a big craft show (actually, it was down in San Jose). It was great to see them. Bob & I used to work together at the Anaheim Angels, he's a pyro guy. His wife Sue is a very talented artist, she makes the cutest little snowmen you've ever seen (I designed her website). Anyway, we barbecued some steaks and had a lovely time.
Nick went with me to check out the Craft Show and the fabric sales. Amazing he made it through the day. lol We missed all the morning specials, but I was able to get some more fabric for my wedding at 30% off. That's not all I bought, I just don't have any piccies to show you.

Chico had fun meeting Sue's snowmen. He's still really tired from playing with them. Hope you all have a great week, I've got to get to my sewing room!

Just a bit of Fun

Imagine my delight when I found this fabric in my mailbox yesterday. I admit I'm way behind the times, but this is my first purchase of Japanese fabric. No foolin'. I think I've told you before what a dork I am, well this proves it. I have to say thanks to Matatabi for sending it so quickly and having such a great shop. I love it! And no, I don't know what I'm going to use it for yet. haha
I seem to be on a blue and red streak lately, you can see my new slippers in this yummy color combo below. I just made a new little zipper bag in a bright blue with cherries. Isn't it scrumptious? I'm way into these colors. I will have a softer version at my wedding.

And for all you crazy monkey fans, I will now be offering Nano Monkeys my Etsy shop. Little Errol will be listed tomorrow, soon he'll have some friends joining him.

Up Late Again

I finally finished that awful Star Trek costume today, it's in the hands of FedEx now, phew. I'm glad that's out of the way. Now I've got an order for 11 Gadget Monkeys & another for 8 bibs to deal with. No worries though.
I got some more new fabric this week that I'm very anxious to get into the sewing machine. It's been really hard having to work on something when there's a stack of new fabric staring me down. I got really lucky with these fabrics, the three on top are from the new Mackenzie collection from Anna Griffin. They remind me of a blanket I had as a wee one. They just happen to match the 3 on the bottom from the new Look & Learn collection by American Jane. Maybe I'll think of a clever way to use them together....hmmmm? Tonight I got to finish the Check Quilt I'd started from my Look & Learn Fat Quarter Bundle. I'll be hanging it in my booth at the market tomorrow. Perhaps I can get some good pictures to show you.

This week wasn't a total wash, I did manage to get a few new things online and add some new yarn colors to the Custom Gadget Monkey choices. Just in time for that big order. I'll have busy little hands at the market tomorrow.
Okay, that's enough craft talk. I know you want to know how the baby's doing. I want to say thanks to everyone for the heartfelt comments, my cousin & his wife really appreciate all the good feelings being sent their way. Little Mark is currently breathing on his own and is opening his eyes a little. He had a rough time the last night or so, but he seems to be slowly turning the corner. They've reduced the number of medications and are slowly removing equipment and tubes from him. Poor little guy. I think he's on the mend now so that's great news! I'm off to bed now. Have a great Sunday, enjoy this lovely time of year.