Up until now, I’ve been using my dad’s fabric scissors (he works in the garment industry) but now that he has a new job and a spanking new company, he had to take all his supplies because they had nothing at their new offices.

I didn’t find out until I went over to the garage and was ready to cut up 40 toys or so and was left with this old pair that only had one tiny spot that was still sharp.  So, I went to downtown with my mom on one of our days off and bought my own pair!  They’re a tiny bit smaller than my dad’s but I’m a lot smaller than him too (I’m 5′7″ compared to his 6′2″ height–I know, imagine, a 6 foot Asian man lol).

I’m so excited to now start collecting my own “pro” supplies!  :)  And look how fancy they look in the box they came in. Nice.

But, this custom order went through very smoothly.  :)  She asked me to make a kettle bell (don’t worry, I didn’t know what it was either until she sent me a link–it’s basically a weight that’s a ball with a handle) and I figured that after some minor pattern adjustments, this was something we could definitely work out.

I’m really proud of how it turned out!  It’s pretty big at 11″ x 11″ and I’m very satisfied with the felt applique I made and hand stitched on the back.  Check it out!

Buffy the kettle bell is the toughest physical trainer out there. She’s worked with celebrities, royalty, and CEOs, but her favorite clients are the nice “Average Joes”. She’s loyal and will stay by your side as long as you need her–but really, who would let go of this cutie?

I love how the applique turned out.  I chose a font I liked (I used Rockwell which you can download at dafont.com for FREE) and sized it to what I needed in Word.  To save some ink, when to Font and check the outline box since I only needed the shape of the letters to be printed out.  Then I cut the letters out and traced it onto the gray felt with a disappearing marker (you can buy it for a few dollars at Joann’s.  TOTALLY WORTH IT.)  And here comes the time consuming part, I hand stitched the letters onto the finished plushie with a simple backstitch.  Hulu helped me pass the time.  I watched last week’s episodes of Parks and Recreation and the Office.  :)

Want one of your own?  Send me an email to jane@janiexy.com and I’ll re-list it for you!

That’s why I created a plushie popcorn!  It’s huggable and has all the fun of popcorn, without those annoying kernels!  It’s fresh off the sewing machine, so I haven’t thought of a name or story yet, but I do know that each of these babies will be slightly different (making yours that much more special) and most likely limited edition.  Here are some pictures!

That’s hand stitched tan felt on the bottom to give it that contrast that real popcorn has.

I know, I know, I desperately need to update the pages on my website but here’s a list of other equally beautiful stores that carry Janie XY toys.

34.Fourteen

34fourteen.com

Flock Shop

flockshopla.com

Mahar Dry Goods

mahardrygoods.com

Renegade Handmade

renegadehandmade.com

Today, I was a vendor at the Long Beach Sunday Market and met some AWESOME people.  I think meeting fellow vendors is one of my favorite parts about these events.  A couple of my favorites….

Pearl Helix Bracelet by Penrose Designs

Silver Elephant Necklace by Lovely and Amazing

I also got asked by a few kids (5-9 years old)  to draw some pictures of my toys for them.  I’ve never considered myself much of an artist–especially when it comes to drawing, but one girl said, “My grandma is an artist.  Do you think she’ll be able to draw Billy the Blueberry like you did?”  I was flattered, especially since Billy is just a couple of circles thrown together in a few places.

It did get me thinking though, maybe there will be a Janie XY coloring book in the works?  :)  Let’s hope so!

Oh and before I forget, let this be a lesson for all your crafters or people thinking about selling your wares at shows like this.  You may have your products, table cloth, display, etc. set up, but make sure, especially when the show is on a Sunday morning at 9 am, that you HAVE CHANGE FOR THE EVENT!

I couldn’t believe I forgot that very important detail, but I did.  lol.  Luckily, I found out that our local Ralph’s opens at 6 am and that they happily give LOTS of change.  Lesson learned.

Live in Long Beach? Love fresh food and local crafts? Dying to meet me? Ok, maybe the last one was a bit of a stretch, but in case you are in SoCal and have no plans for Sunday from 9 am – 2 pm, you should definitely stop by!

I’ll be there along with 15 other local artists (it feels so weird to be considered an artist!). With all that creativity and food, there’s something for everyone!

Hope to see you there.

For more information, visit The Long Beach Sunday Market.

• Cast your vote for the top 3 plushies you’d like to see become the Spring 2010 El Gigante Plushie.
• The plushie with the most votes by the end of the polling period will be the winner.
• You may vote once a day–so come back and cast that vote daily!
• Poll is opens March 5 and closes March 12 at 11:59 pm.
• Pass this along to all your friends and family!

Don’t forget!  Anyone who retweets/mentions @janiexy on Twitter, comments on the Janie XY Facebook Fan Page, or comments on this post from now until the poll closes will be entered into the drawing to win the Spring 2010 “El Gigante” winner.  Do one or all three!

Good luck! If you’re unfamililar with the Janie XY collection, visit our Etsy Store. Stacey the Soft Serve Ice Cream is not available in the store yet, but can be seen here: http://thatsitmommy.com/2010/02/03/janie-xy-review-and-giveaway/

Unfortunately, Big Wilbur will be going into retirement very soon (get yours while they’re still available here!) but don’t worry…  We’re looking for the next El Gigante plushie and you’re choosing it this time!  Due to the response I got this morning from posting the idea, I realized that just like government, we’re going to need to set some ground rules.

• Polls open at 6 am on Friday, March 5 right here on the blog.
• Polls will close at 11:59 on Friday, March 12.
• You can only vote ONCE so choose carefully!
• Share this poll with your friends!  In this case, it’s all about quantity–not quality.
• I will announce the winner on March 13 and will start sewing away and you’ll see a super sized plushie soon after!

While we’re in the spirit of community, if you mention @janiexy in a tweet (Follow us on Twitter) or leave a comment on our Facebook Fan Page during the polling period, you will be entered for a chance to win the new El Gigante plushie!  Every mention and comment will receive a number and the winner will be chosen at random.  You get an extra entry if you post a picture with your Janie XY plushie!  Winner will also be announced on March 13.

I am in love with bows right now, so I thought what better way to finish off my bed than to add a little bow or bow tie?  Well, two weeks later, I finally had time in the garage to make a pattern and here it is!  I’m also proud to announce that Janie XY will soon be selling patterns so you can create your own projects at home!

I was so excited to receive an email from Renegade Handmade (I am such a huge fan of the Renegade Craft Fair and just looking at their website puts me in the Disneyland of handmade goodies) saying that they wanted to carry my plushies in their store!

After finally getting all my inventory replenished, I sent out  box of all the fruits and I just received word that they’ve landed safely in Chicago.  Just to see how “official” I am now, I headed over to their website and found my logo under their “Artists” section.

And here I am!  Right now, I’m only available in their retail location, not on their website.  So that’s why you won’t see any shop items when you click there.

So if you’re in the Chicago area, be sure to stop by and tell me how it is!!