As I haven't make too much plushie for two months I can only write about my last realizations: this young lynx girlie. Now I know I should chose differnet background for the photo, but it's done, and toy\d reached her destiny in Canada some time ago.
It was made for The Needle swap - and was meant to reflect somehow the country of origin. In Poland we have few species of very special animals but lynx are one of the most special - they are on the best way to be extinct. And recently there is a WWF campaign to save some wild terrains especially for lynx. My beauty has panda - an icon of wildlife campaigns as a memo. Made of grey polar fleece, has a little beard (she's a girl and usually males have beards but I just wanted her to resemble lynx, not a kitty), ear brushes. Dressed in reversible pinafore.
Her name is after Poland, that's obvious, but also after Pola Negri - famous actress and Rudolf Valentino fiance :) (who - but complete coincidence ;) had Polish origin)
She went to weirdbuglady - and I'm glad she's in such a good company.
I'm planning (still only as a project) to make a serie of simple dolls. Template should be very similiar to this one for sheep but the size larger. This one doll is made of jersey - grey one, her body of orange jersey and hair of felt. On this photo she's accompanied by Zuleikha bunny - another production of mine. For next month propably I won't be making softies (sigh) - I have another plans....RENOVATION of the flat!
Finally I borrowed a camera to upload my photos. They've beem waiting for this for more than a month.
Henio is ready to play. He's my own pattern and made especially for Bartuchna, friend of ours as a custom order for his nephew. It was meant to be an Alsatian shepherd, hehe.
Now I think next time I should make similiar doggie larger - children like large toys. And those tiny, too, but medium size is rather for larger children (read: grownups)
P.S. I've realized that Henio is very much in style of my wolf finger puppet
Hania was another sheep added this day. She's not completely newbie here for I posted photos of her in a witch dress . She is fine artist, her field is painting and graphics. As many artist she loves to wear black - this colour helps to concentrate and to focus on your goals. But her everyday suit is rather casual - like this white shawl - handmade by her. Hania's goal is to have a one-man show in MOMA and to have as large family as possible - she can adopt you too!
This time I took sheep with me for Kasia aka stasinina to chose one of them. Luckily, the tram was not crouded and they had a bench for themselves. Almost - our companion was travelling to Torun too, to join the army and sheep were listening his story with astonishment - they wouldn't join army for any reason!
To make our long trip shorter, we chatted with co-traveller, and girls were posing me - instead of getting bored :) it gave us some occupation for a while. They were very sweet while travelling all night long: Hyacinth , Biba , Hermione , Fanny and Hania
Friday afternoon, after two days of work, we had some time to chat and to have fun together (well, maybe it was not the greatest fun they had, but the only fun possible in university study :) ). Biba was quite interested how my students are working and she was checking one student's book. But she won't say a word about it - I'm confident about her discretion.
For having some spare time before leaving Torun, we decided to look how are our favourite bloggers and what's new at blogs. And we've found a touching, based on true incident, story about lost Little Cotton Rabbit . All sheep were moved to tears - they were sniffing and sobbing quietly actually - I haven't known they have so soft hearts! At first they cryed for scare that the same could happen to them, but at the end - for the happy ending!
In the end they declared they want to be heroines of a book and they want me to write it. Sooon! Hm... I have to think about it - I said, but they said - beeeeh, beeeh, do not think - act!
As many artist she loves to wear black so today she's very happy - this colour helps to concentrate and to focus on your goals. (Actually, it's not just a costume, what she 's wearing today - she's initiated witch, and she has the right to wear her cone of power). Hania's goal is to have a one-man show in MOMA in next two years, and to have as large family as possible - she can adopt you too!
This little raven is addition to my cuddly flock, too. My first attempt to make a birdie - I love corvids ingeneral, despite their bad opinion. They are brightly intelligent, as for animals. And magical :) His name is Herbert - that's the name that raven can pronounce easily. Herbert is a school teacher, very innovative and fun-looking guy. He loves cheese.
- bit blurry photo, unfortunately
But I also had to make Uma - Meditating Sheep Toy. It was a custom order from my old friend, Kasia, who was my classmate in secondary school and now, absolutely coincidently, lives and works in Torun (!), preparing her PhD dissertation. She wanted a special birthday gift for a special young lady, her children's friend. We discussed about New Age type of a sheep, then I've made Uma -
But Uma is nice and warm sheep - typical child of the Age of Aquarius. She wants everyone to be happy and to search inner self. For this she meditates (so far, the beginner) together with her bunny, Ferdinand. I've made a pillow for her, using my newest Japanese fabric with a sheepherder. Pillow is very useful for the beginners in meditating, to sit on, or to take a nap afterwords. She's a rentier - inherited lots of money - so she's not interested in job, so far.
For Uma is also interested in New Age religions, she's became an apprentice in Wicca . Pentagram and the shower of blessings above the embroidered sheep is for that reason.
Kasia, who seems to like things hanmade (she's art historian) and connected with feminine power also, decided to buy my toy . And she did! Thank you, my second customer :)
When it has the word "toys" writen in simple, and modern look (no sherifs) it's much, much better.
But I'm still wainting Indie Designer Labels to publish my banner - they say it can take a month. If I made it all right - I mean the size of a banner, I should be there in November, I hope! Among MaharDry Goods , Fluffels and But We Love You toys.
For Stas is the lucky one to be the first of my Etsy adopted toys.
I love orange - it's so vibrant , young, and warm colour. It matches perfectly with the colour of my hair :) and I use it for the lalootka tags and - together with blue - trim of gift wrapped toys. (I'vejust realized I have to make a new photograph of the tags - for now my logo looks more like a peacock feather than a flower, like it used to look) 
But please remember I am not a graphic designer! I just wanted to make as funny and bright banner as possible for me in these circumstances (I don't have a tablet, for instance and I made few of the characters above with a mouse in my hand...) to present lalootka softies - did I succeed? This black "something" that looks like a chandelier is not just a decoration - it reflects my folk inpirations, heheh :) But version with a chandelier is fine, too :) OK, it can stand for the draft, I agree :(
When few months ago I was discussing with my mother (who has been the dean of graphic department at private academy then) which graphic designer we know would make a banner for me, logo, business cards and so on, and she'd said that I could make it all by myself for sure. Well, it seems that parents are always right :P
And, what is even more important than the former conclusion: propably I'll need some promotional materials and SOFTIES soon. Adam, my kazawaproject husband in spe asked me to participate in December Craft Fair, in
Of course, drawstring bag needed an improvement also (am I perfectionist?) - I changed red ribbon into decorating black string and it looks much better, and classy. Embroidery with a black cotton thread, chain stitch.
And, yoohooo, I can't wait for the parcel from superbuzzy ! I bought some wonderful fabrics to trim my softies ears and drawstring bags, and I pitty this cute shoppe with adorable Japanese fabrics, accessories and fun stuff is located in USA which means far from here and extremely expensive shippment :(
Stas is black, as well as his teddy bear Fritz (the pink background makes it a bit brownish). Made of fleece, wool shawl knitted by me. Toy's toys are made of felt, both app. 5 cm tall.
Stas is a young ram, who wants to study computer sciences, but so far works for a living as a baby-sitter: this time The Gingerbreads hired him to take care of their son. Wool shawl can be used as sling - very nice and compfortable way to carry little ones. Even for sheeps. Fritz, Stas' teddy bear helps him a lot in this task.
To pack my toys I've made cotton drawstring bags, nicely embroidered with a sheep. Two strings make a bag portable.
a Japanese outfit for a kitty . And Japanese outfit that was it!
And now her magic moon of the forehead shines brighter. But it is my longest time made doll ever.
She prefers to wear black turtlenecks, leggins and loves skirts. And ribbons. And dancing - look at her slippers.
With her arms open wide Georgie would become a perfect friend for any girl - self confident, not too talkative, openminded and wit.
And I made pi yao - flying dog. Pi yao is the ugliest and the funniest creature at the same time - he's role is to uppease angry Duke Jupiter and pi yao is the only one who can make it. I'm not surprised - it's so comic. Pi yao is made of polymer clay and painted with acrilics. it has wings to fly to the heavens bringing our requests. I like this creature and it's friendly snout. I keep it in my study.
It has auspicious birds painting in a background. I like this picture very much - I made it just before last Christmas, as a kind of a gift for the house. Now it welcomes everybody in the entrance of our house. Maybe I should make another one for my mother - she said it's beautiful.
Recently I've found a great Feng Shui course - Feng Shui For Cats (with instructions) funny, smart and illustrated with great photographies of amazing cat with gorgeos eyes (Rudolph would be angry hearing my complimenting another cat, so would Adam, but as the cat has now another life of his 9 lifes, I hope they forgive me). I like this course very, very much. I took all these advise and want to find a good paper box for Rudolph - now I know why he doesn't like his carrier to sleep in and prefers our bed.
Or vice versa - maybe it would be more fun when it would be Miss Otter and Mr Cat? Anyway kitty will be black and otter - white. My two favourite colours - my base.
It's my first attempt to make an appliqued blanket and I'm very curious how it's gonna work out. And also first time when I use my sewing machine! It's too large for me to handsewn it so I needed some machine help. My "genius personal sewer" is not a machine, but a toy, but it can help anyway.
I got a custom order - from Malwina. I'm so happy about it! It's for her 6 months old little niece and 3 year old nephew.
She wants me to make a forest set of finger puppets for him and mascot with a baby blanket and rattle for her. I assume she saw lalootka's photos on flickr because she said that black kitty Izumi was super-duper :) Well, at first she wanted me to make something unusual so I made sketches for a beaver and an otter - for a change from bears and kitties. But it seems kitties like Izumi, rule anyway. Or maybe I would make kitty - rattle? It's small - perfect for a rattle. 
