Oy vey *sigh* I'm seriously behind schedule!!! 
I love all things kawaii! One of my swap partners sent me a trio of felt mascots: Hazel the Hedgehog, Primrose the Squirrel and Sophie the Snail. They are three forest friends that like to hang out (by their favourite mushrooms) and snack on nuts and berries. They are adorable!!
I've been blessed...again. Last week, I received another surprise package in the mail. This time round, from my friend CD. CD's forte is embroidery, but she also dabbles in other crafts. You'd never guess that the little box which houses a pincushion is just ordinary paper stained with food dyes. The little charms on that bracelet are items which are I love :) Each item was crafted with love and care, and that's priceless.
Let's say hi to Aoi (Blue) and Niiro (Red), shall we? Aoi was based on the Octopode Pandemonium pattern (with a few tiny modifications) and Niiro is a miniature version (using crochet thread) of my first attempt at amigurumi critters!
Mr. Octopus' Bio
Japanese Name: Aoi
English Name: Blue
Height: 6 inches (well, he's actually 5.5 inches, but he claims he's 6 inches tall)
Weight: More than an ounce
Birthplace: Japan
Favourite Food: Veggies and Protein Shakes (he's a bit of a health nut)
Likes: Traveling (to exotic destinations). Water Polo. Collecting Manga.
Dislikes: Shopping. Fast Food Joints. Rude People.
Personality: Very Shy. Always The Gentleman. Very Intelligent. Creature Of Habit.
Aoi has excellent multi-tasking skills and loves to solve puzzles. If you're ever in a bind, he's the one you should turn to for help!
Warning: He has neurotic tendencies!
Little Miss Shroom's Bio
Japanese Name: Niiro
English Name: Red
Height: 2 inches (yep, she's a shorty)
Weight: That's none of your business *glare*
Birthplace: Japan
Favourite Food: Sushi (not tako though!) and Lollipops
Likes: Dancing. Shopping. Posing For Pictures. Anything Uber-Girly.
Dislikes: Getting Dirty. Doing Household Chores. Confrontations.
Personality: Extrovert. Child-like Innocence. Peace-maker. Good Listener.
Niiro's usually the life of a party. When it comes to friendships, she's extremely loyal and giving!
Warning: She is emotionally fragile!
Princess Batt - For future adventures in spinning!!
Bitty Bear - So that Lumi (the neon bunny) won't be all by his lonesome self!
An Assortment of New and Vintage Craft Patterns: $0.80
Knifty Knotty Set: 2.00
Industrial Spool of Chocolate Cotton: $1.00
Thrill of finding crafty supplies when you least expect it: Priceless
Along with the usual goodies in June's installment of Care-Packages-From-Mama, I found these pretties in the box!!! Woo! My mama's gettin' good at this :)
Oh dear. It looks like Mr. Superior has found his way into my home, courtesy of my friend, RY. He's cute, ain't he?
Remember the Sunrise Batt I mentioned a wee bit ago? 
Well, it's no longer fluffy. 
EDIT: I took it off the spindle!!
Today's Blog Post Is Brought To You By The Letter...
3 comments Posted by loves2experiment at 7:49 PMP. This evening, there were two boxes waiting for me on my front porch. One of which, contains the letter P: 
Perhaps it's the hormones, or perhaps it had something to do with the fact that I wasn't feeling too good today. Once again, my friend MC managed to surprise me with something incredibly thoughtful. The decoupaged letter is perfect for me. Though you can't see it too clearly, there is a small plate at the base of the letter with the word 'Inspire'. There's also a layer of iridescent glitter on the surface!
Along with the letter P, came a bunch of confectionery and girly items. I haven't a clue as to why she sent me the package of goodies, but I am thankful and blessed to receive it.
This time round, it's for a personal swap with VC. In addition to the requested afghan crochet hooks and a candy surprise, my partner wanted something to hold her crochet doodads. I hope she likes it!
These purchases are from the STS2 swap! Whee!
Tree Of Life Pendant:
Taggy Blankie:
Aqua Hand-dyed Merino Yarn:
Atlantic Batt:
Sunrise Batt:
Dude! You gotta cover up those oranges!!!
Pasties inspired by my love for Petit Charat (aka Puchiko)!
Close-up of va-va-voom pasties!
This is what you do with an orchid plant that refuses to bloom...
Close-up of felted flower pasties...
Woot. My partner in the Pasties Swap totally hooked me up with fabulous pasties :)
This weekend, Merritt and I worked on some pillow blanks for Books, Bears, and Bonnets, Inc.. When things get crazy in life, I find it carthartic to sew for a good cause. Somehow, it takes my mind off all the petty problems that I'm dealing with and helps to put things in perspective.
Things have been crazy, but somehow, I found time to restock my Swap Shop.
Whenever I'm overworked and stressed, I shop. It's therapeutic, and I always feel less cranky afterwards. Here's a quick recap of my last couple of weekends...
May 12th 2007: Janome Sew Mini. This little beauty's name is Aiko. I bought her because I needed something portable (translation: Joyce and Ulla are fatties) to take with me to a quilting class (which I've yet to find time for). Aiko weighs in at a mere 5 lbs!!
May 19th 2007: Singer 57817 . Her name is Merritt. I've been looking for a serger, and due to unforseen circumstances, I ended up purchasing this little gem. She was hidden in a case, high up on a shelf at the local op shop. The lady who climbed up the ladder to get her for me, handed the case to me, and fell off the ladder as she descended. I didn't have the heart to tell her that I didn't need another sewing machine.
Along with Ulla and Joyce, the addition of Aiko and Merritt makes four. Yes. Four sewing machines in my craftroom. Oy vey.
Eucalyptus Mint Sheepy Soap
Mod Domino Pendant
Hand-Dyed Sock Yarns
Hand-Dyed Lace Weight Yarn