Goodbye 2009!!

Wow. 2009 was such a great year, I hate to see it go! I made some awesome new friends, participated in a number of gallery shows, was featured in STUFFED magazine, and other fun stuff. Through it all, I managed to keep sane too! I just want to thank everyone for making 2009 such a great year...I couldn't have done it with out you! I can't wait to see what 2010 will bring in Yummy pancake land!!!

Super Awesome Handmade Ornament Recipe

Wow...has December flown by or what? I've been a busy little bee ^_^ I shared this ornamet recipe last year, but I figured I'd post it again for the masses. It is uber easy, and they smell absolutely wonderful when put on your tree and make you house smell nice when you have them all set out to dry. I would recommend picking up the ingredients from your local dollar store or discount grocery store - otherwise, you are going to spend an arm and a leg on the spices alone.

**These ornaments are NOT edible!!**

Cinnamon Ornaments

1 cup applesauce

1/2 cup cinnamon4

T. ground cloves2

T. allspice2

T. nutmeg

Add all ingredients in a bowl. Work mixture with hands until dough is smooth and ingredients are thoroughly mixed. Divide into smaller portions and roll with rolling pin. Cut dough with cookie cutters. Using a straw, poke a hole near the top for inserting a ribbon as a hanger. Lay the ornaments on a tray covered with wax paper. Turn ornaments every other day until completely dry. It takes about 4-5 days. Use ribbon to make a hanger. Have fun! Also, I usually mix several batches at one time. One doesn't make too many ornaments unless you have very small cookie cutters. I also found that they will smell great year after year if you store them in an airtight container or bag.

Introducing....Pullip Haute Cro-ture!

New to Yummy Pancake - Pullip Haute Cro-ture. Why Cro-ture? Well, because this line of Pullip clothes is crocheted...get it? (a special thanks to Chelle for coming up with the name ^_^). Check out all the different designs...including some holiday ones...in my etsy shop!

Deck the Halls with Mr. Toastee ^_^

Woohoo! It's the weekend after Thanksgiving! Do you know what that means? I can decorate the house for the holidays! I was in such a festive mood that I listed a whole bunch of holiday Toastees in my etsy shop, including some super cute ornaments! Fa la la la la la la la la!

Yummy Pancake at Luv-able & Hug-able

Check it out! Luv-able Hug-able is another show that I am participating in this year! The theme this year was medium and mini plush. I actually struggled quite a bit on what I wanted to make, then I was inspired by my favorite food...TACOS!! Here's what I came up with:

Senior Toastee, Tico Taco, a tiny jalapeno and the cutest little margarita ever ^_^ it even has a little glitter "salt" rim around the top. If you are in the NY area, be sure to stop by Gallery Hanahou and check it out!

Gallery Hanahou
611 Broadway, Suite 730
New York, NY 10012

Yummy Pancake at Plush You

Phew! I have been crocheting like a madwoman lately! Wanna see what I have been up to? I'm planning to do a series of posts this week to make up for my complete lack of posting so you can see what I have been working on. I've been a busy little bee ^_^

First off, I wanted to talk about Plush You at Schmancy in Seattle. Before the show, Kristen was nice enough to do a little interview with me on her blog. Check it out here.

Here are the pieces I made for the show:

Mrs. Toastee McBacon and Little Baby Melba...I even put a little rattle in Baby Melba:

I Scream for Happy Happy Ice Cream Cone - I put a crier in this one su when you turn it upside-down, it really DOES scream:


And last but not least, my favorite piece - The Plush-A-Sketch. Right before I sent it along to Schmancy, I added a little embroidered "Plush-A-Sketch" Label....and of course I forgot to take a picture of it:


From the pictures I saw, there were a lot of amazing pices at Plush You this year. Even though the show is over, you can still get your hands on some of the plushie goodness that was there here.

Happy Halloween!

Happy Halloween! I know, I know, I've been pretty bad with posts lately. I've been working on some really cool stuff! In the next few weeks, I share with you exactly what has been occupying all of my time ^_^

And the winner is....

Annie!!! (annabann7)

Woohoo! Congratulations! I'd also like to thank everyone who entered, and also everyone who helped me make it to 1000! You guys all rock!

So you are probably wondering....what does Annie get? Well, along with the super awesome Mr. Toastee tote bag, she also receive the goodies pictured below:

~Mr. Toastee Notebook

~Yummy Pancake Sticker

~Plush Team Aluminum Water bottle

~Zombie Mr. Toastee

~Limited Edition Outer Banks Mini Toastee Key chain

~Mini Cuppee Cake Key chain

~Mini Candy Corn Key chain

~Glow in the dark Jellyfish Key chain

~A kit that includes everything you need to make your very own Happy Happy Ice Cream Cone

~Resin Ring

~Resin Necklace

~3 Resin magnets

~Mr. Toastee Stickers

~Mr. Toastee pins

This was fun! I think I should have giveaways more often ^_^ any ideas??

OMG! It's the Uber Awesome 1000th Sale Giveaway

Wow! When I started my etsy shop in Feb 2007, I though 1000 sales was just a dream...but I did it! I reached my 1000th sale this week! I want to thank everyone for their support, because I couldn't have done it without you! Because you guys are all so awesome, I decided to have my very first giveaway to celebrate!

What am I giving away you ask? Well, it's a surprise....but it will come in the cute little Mr. Toastee tote bag pictured below. And no, you do not get my Pullip doll ^_^ I won't tell you what's in there, but I'll tell you this...it's a plethora of Yummy Pancake fun! It's even better than getting a bag of crap from woot.com!!

How do you enter? It's simple! Just leave a comment at the end of this post and tell me what your favorite Yummy Pancake creation is. Be sure to also include your e-mail address so that I can contact you if you win! If you post about this giveaway on your blog or facebook, I'll hook you up with some extra chances to win! Entries must be received by Friday, October 16th at midnight EST. Winner will be announced on Saturday, October 17th ^_^

Woot!

I got me a Pullip doll!

As you can see, I finally got myself a Pullip Doll! I couldn't help it....they are just so adorable! I got her from The Valley of the Dolls....great selection and they arrive super quick!! She only came with one outfit, so I decided to design and crochet her a few more!

Here's a little watermelon dress I made her:

And here's a Nanner dress:

And my personal favorite, inspired by Joy Kampia's human sized crochet cheeseburger dress:

BEWARE!!

::cue scary music::

Halloween is coming to my etsy shop on Sept 13th.....don't say I didn't warn you......

Toastee at Plushstock 2009

Wow, have I been busy lately or what? If you put things off till the last minute, they only take a minute to do, right? Well, I finally got my pieces done for Plushstock 2009, the Etsy Plush Team's July/Aug challenge inspired by the 40th anniversary of Woodstock. The first little guy I made is a Hippie Mr. Toastee....and I think he's a bit toasted too ^_^ He is crocheted with 100% cotton yarn, stuffed with an all natural eco-fil, his clothes are made from a old retro washcloth I got fom my grandma, and the beads on is clothes and hemp headband are repurposed from old jewelry. He's so hippie you can almost smell the patchuli:

Also, because of my love of puns, I also made a PEACE of toastee....a mini Mr. Toastee made with tie dye yarn and with a handsewn peace sign on his back:

Be sure to stop by the plush team blog to see all the other awesome entries and to vote for your favorite(voting starts Aug 16th).

A new Toastee Species Discovered - Peanut Butter and Grape Jellyfish Mr. Toastee!

Check this out! I stumbled across a new species of Mr. Toastee while I was vacationing last week in the Outer Banks - a Peanut butter and Grape Jellyfish Mr. Toastee! He was just chilling out on the beach when I saw him from afar. He consists of 2 slices of Toastee bread, a layer of peanut butter and a layer of grape jellyfish. He doesn't sting like other jellyfish and he's quite soft, not goopy. I heard that there are also strawberry varieties too, but I haven't found one just yet ^_^

This little guy will be available in my etsy shop very soon.....

Limited Edition Outer Banks Mini Mr. Toastee Keychains Have Arrived!!

I just got back from a wonderful vacation with my family to the Outer Banks, and was inspired, as I sat on our deck watching the ocean, to create some Outer Banks edition mini Toastees. They are limited to 9, and each was made by me as I sat enjoying the ocean. Each tan little toastee has a fun, beach themed button attached. Get yours here while they last!!

Plush You Sneek Preview

Plush You Sneek Preview
Originally uploaded by Yummy Pancake

I've been busy brainstorming and getting my pieces made for Plush You this October at Schmancy in Seattle. I have 2 done so far and anticipate finishing the last one before I go on vacation. Here's a sneak peek at the piece I finished today. I have been throwing this around in my head for awhile now, and finally decided to give it a go. I was uber happy that it came out exactly how I wanted on the first try! Any guesses as to what it may be?

Miami New Times Stitch Wars Writeup (July 16, 2009 Issue)

Miami New Times Stitch Wars Writeup (July 16, 2009 Issue)
Originally uploaded by Bear and Bird

Stitch Wars opens this weekend, and My Wookie Toastee, Wookie Cookies and Wookie Throw pillow will all be there along with other awesome Star Wars inspired creations that put my stuff to shame....have you seen the needle-felted jabba the Hut?? Awesomeness in it's purest form! The show has been getting some great press too...and one of my Wookie Cookies is pictured in this article! woot!

Crafty By Nature

I just want to thank everyone who came out for Crafty By Nature this past weekend on July 5th! It was great to see everyone, and it was such a beautiful day to hang out on the woods and check out everyone's awesome handmade goodies!! I am so glad that some of my plush found new homes with some of you ^_^

Yummy Pancake - The Early Years

OMG!! My mom just sent me this old photo of me rocking a little sewing machine. See, I started crafting at a very early age. The photo is circa the early 1980's. Look at how impressed by cousin is with my sewing abilities ^_^

Squishy, Fuzzy, Furry Wookie Pillow

I am so excited! I finally got my final piece completed for the Stitch Wars show this year! It's a Wookie Pillow, made of faux fur and fleece. It's super soft and hugable! I had so many ideas of things to make for the show, so to help myself not go crazy, I choose a theme for all of my pieces...can you guess what it was? I'll be sending along The Wookie Pillow, 8 Wookie Cookies(that squeak), and a Mr. Toastee Wookie plush to Stitch Wars. All of these pieces will be available to purchase there(and online at their website)! Make sure you check out the Stitch Wars website and blog for more info!

Yummy Pancake in STUFFED Magazine!

Woohoo! I am so excited! There is a nice piece about me and my creations in the Summer 2009 edition of STUFFED magazine! It's such an honor to be featured in a magazine with so many other talented artists! There's also a few of my fellow Plush Teamers in the magazine, as well as a nice article about the Etsy Plush Team and another great article about Plush You! It hits the stands on July 1st, so make sure you pick yourself up a copy. You will be blown away at all the talent packed in there!

The picture above is a ceramic unicorn I painted to look like a Mr. Toastee My Little Pony ^_^

OMG!!! I Can Has Cheeseburger!

New in my shop...Mini Cheeseburger key chains. Pure awesomeness in a portable size ^_^

So awesome that even the Emperor wanted one:

Iron Plush Wookie Cookies

I found some of our old Star Wars figures, so I took a few more pics of the wookie cookies I made. I can't decide which one I like best. Which do you like best??

To see more of the Plush Team's creations for our Iron Plush Challenge, hop on over to the Plush Team blog. I feel honored to be a part of such a talented group!

My Next Creation for Stitch Wars....Wookie Cookies

Behold! One of my creations for the Stitch Wars show this year AND my entry for the Etsy Plush Team Iron Plush challenge....my secret ingredient was faux fur...very out of my comfort zone. I came up with wookie cookies, mixing my love of wookies and cookies ^_^ I even put squeakers in these little guys so they make noise when you squish them! All 8 will be making their way to Stitch Wars in July and will be available for purchase there and online as well! I have to laugh, as I seem to be on a Chubacca kick for Stitch Wars ^_^

As I mentioned, these are my entry for the Etsy Plush Team Iron Plush Challenge. Head on over to the Plush Team Blog for more info about our challenge and to see some of the other totally awesome entries!! I need to work on my plating...I'll make another post once I have perfected how I'd like to plate these guys!

$5 Mini Plush Monday

***** $5 MINI PLUSH MONDAY *****

Even better than $5 foot long subs!


Every Monday in the month of June, 5 members of the Plush Team will list 5 mini plushies for the ridiculously fabulous price of five dollars in the Plush Team store! Snatch them up, they won't last long.

I'll be listing my 5 tomorrow, June 1st. They are a sneak preview of some new mini designs that will be hitting my shop and the Broad Street Bazaar this summer!

Adventures in Needle Felting

When I was at the Fairy Festival this year, I bought an awesome pack of wool roving from Feederbrook Farms, which also including a couple of needle felting needles. I have always wanted to learn how to needle felt. This week, I watched a tutorial online on how to make a needle felted bead...that inspired me to break out my kit and have a go at it! Of course, I had to make a Mr. Toastee ^_^ Not bad for my first try, huh? I had a lot of fun with it....I think I'm going to grab a book or two and try to learn some techniques ^_^

Memorial Day

Wishing everyone a safe and fun Memorial day! Let's be sure to take some time today and thank those who gave their lives to defend this country.

Toast Wars

If you didn't already know, I am a huge nerd and I LOVE Star Wars. So, when I heard that there was going to be a show called Stitch Wars, which would be featuring handmade goodies inspired by one of the awesomest movies ever, how could I not participate?? It is going to be at Bird and Bear Gallery, and will run from July 19th through August 29th. Check out their site for more information. I have already seen a few items made for it and they are AWESOME! The bar has already been set pretty high for this show by Heidi Kennedy and Cutesypoo! I have completed one of my items that I will be sending to this show, and thought I'd give everyone a little peek! I made a Wookie Toastee:

As you can see, I even pulled out some of out old-school Star Wars figures to pose in the pic as well ^_^

Yummy Pancake at Crafty By Nature on July 5th!

Woohoo! Guess what! I will be participating in the Crafty By Nature on July 5th! Crafty By Nature is an outdoor indie craft market that takes place the first sunday of the month at Shupps Grove in Lancaster County. I will be sharing a booth wirh Eric of Manly Knitting. So make sure you stop by and say hi....and pick up some chainmail and plush for yourself ^_^

Wearable Bacon!

Bacon is awesome. Now you can be awesome too with these crochet bacon bracelets! They have all the happiness of my crochet bacon slices, but you can wear them around your wrists! They each fasten with a cute little piggy button. available now in my etsy shop. Be the envy of all your bacon loving friends!

Happy Mother's Day!

I just wanted to wish everyone out there who have spawned, a happy Mother's day! I wanted to send a special shout-out to My cousin Steph and her hubby Bill, who are the proud new parents of an uber cute baby boy. I also want to give a shout-out to My bro and his wife who are expecting their first next month!

But mostly, I wanted to thank my own mom, as without her, I wouldn't be here. She is one of the most awesomest people on the planet, and I couldn't have asked for a better mommy than her! She cultivated my creativity, and passed along all of her artsy and creative genes ^_^ She rocks!

Sir Toastee!

OMG.....check out the sheer awesomeness of Mr. Toastee's chainmail! I totally geeked out when I saw this! No, I didn't make it....the uber talented Eric of Manly Knitting whipped this up for me! How does he make these wonderful pieces? Well, he uses 1/4" galvanized steel rings, which he makes himself from 17 gauge wire! He also makes pouches, bracelets and such(I have one of his bracelets....they are super awesome as well!). Make sure you stop on by his etsy store and check out all of his creations!

Eric - you totally reek of awesomeness. Both Mr. Toastee and I thank you from the bottom of our hearts...and butter ^_^