greenstarstudio

Happy Etsy-Versary!

2011-05-11T14:25:00.005-04:00

Yes folks, today marks my Etsy-versary... four years ago today, I set up shop online & I haven't looked back.

And to celebrate?

Well, I'm gonna give you stuff, of course!

All day long, use the coupon code: 4SCORE to get a whopping 40% off ANY ORDER!

In addition to that, stay tuned all day long for hourly(ish) specials, deals, and offers for free goodies.

*I'll be listing them here as they come up, but you can get up to the minute announcements if you follow me (greenstarstudio) on twitter too!

Enjoy!

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(please note, the sales/offers listed below expire when noted, thanks!)

*First order gets a free Minimal (expired)

*11am-12pm : orders come with a free Knitimal Wallet (expired)

*12pm- 2pm : orders ship with a free biz card case & block print pin (expired)

*2:45pm : OFFER VALID FOR THE FIRST BUYER to include "PORTRAIT" in their message to seller at check out:::: get a FREE CUSTOM Portrait OoAKie (I will paint an OoAKie in your likeness, or that of a friend/family member) for the first order over $50 (before discount). Note-- doll will be painted & shipped on *my* schedule (please allow at least a few months for delivery! thanks)

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CURRENT DEAL:

*4:30pm- 6pm: orders ship with TWO block print pins (keep both or share 'em) & a $10 gift certificate for future orders!

Lovely Print-It-Yourself Booklet!

2011-02-01T14:54:00.001-05:00

Among my many projects this winter, I am happy to have contributed to this brand new printable from Indie Fixx!

Need some Valentine’s Day cards? How about a thank you card? Or some stationery? Maybe you want to put together some fun projects? Like an autograph book, a paper doll or photo frame print? Well, I’ve got you covered!

Actually, myself and 17 indie artists have got you covered. We have put together a PDF Print-It-Yourself Booklet as a supplement to the Lovely issue of Joie magazine.

There are 30+ printables in the booklet, including:

Valentine’s Day cards stationery
postcards bookmarks
prints color-it-yourself pages
random acts of kindness cards + more!

For more information on the booklet, check out the Indie Fixx website, here.

i'm back! with a baby! and a SALE!

2010-12-10T15:24:00.003-05:00

As I was waiting for the window to open so I could sign into the blog to write this post, I thought "wow... its been SUCH a long time since I was here". Then the window opened and I saw the last post I wrote was on October 10th, and I was talking about having a baby in 3 weeks.

I was wrong.

Little did I know I'd have a baby in 8 days.

Hence, my friends, my long absence.

And while SO much has happened since I last wrote (shows, freelance gigs, tons of press...) the birth of my son, Emerson, is by far the most awesome, the most gratifying, the most newsworthy, and the most exhausting. The computer doesn't see much of me anymore. But my baby is almost 8 weeks old already and getting big fast (weep). In fact, if you've come to any of the holiday shows I've done this season, you likely met him... or at least saw him sleeping (he was SUCH a good boy... i think mama's got a good little helper here!).

And as I write this, I am also multi-tasking... rocking him with one arm and typing with the other. And he's totally on to me, so I can't stay long, but I did want to use this opportunity to tell you a couple quick things...

1.) If you live in the Baltimore area, please come out to the MICA Art Market tomorrow! Saturday is the last day, and its an amazing collection of work. I have dolls, cards, coasters, cozies and more for sale in the Illustration department's section. And sales help to raise money for scholarships.

2.) if you are still looking for good stuff for the holidays or need stocking stuffers (and even some larger goodies for BIG stockings), I've just added a bunch of inventory to my shop (and will be throwing the rest of my inventory in there once all the shows are done & retail shops have been restocked). There's tons of new stuff-- hair clips, earrings, cards, pin cushions and more.

3.) Thank you all SO much for your continued amazing support of me & my work. Its not easy being a full time mama & full time maker, but you make it worth while!

and last... as a special thank you, enjoy 10% off all orders with the coupon code: MERRY10

I'm leaving the shopopen through the holidays, so get in there and grab yourself something nice!

see you in the new year!
xoxo, danamarie

Making Room For Baby SALE!!!

2010-10-10T13:15:00.002-04:00

3 more weeks.

That's about how long we anticipate being a family of 2.5 (two humans, one dog). And then... 3.5.

As you all know, I have a hard time just relaxing, letting go and NOT working. But that is even more of a persnickety challenge with a baby on the way. There's so much to dust, to fold, to wash, to put together, to make safe, to purge, to buy, to DO! Add to that the fact that I have spent the last 3 weeks with Costochondristis (which is fun to google, if you wish to, but is) basically an inflamation of the connective tissue and whatnot in/on the ribs. My entire right side is a constantly aching, frozen, tense ball of ouch... so much for working on that mural for baby.

I'm sitting here now, surrounded by piles of baby clothes that need to be sorted, folded and put into the appropriate bins on the appropriate shelves and staring at a pile of felt that is BEGGING to be cut. Not today felt... today is "baby day".

I am planning on closing up the shop on November 1st (or sooner, if baby comes early, and knowing how punctual his mama is, there's a good chance he's already eyeing the calendar and making notes). I wont be "back in business" until the end of November, and even then, it'll be with a limited collection. SO, if you are planning on giving greenstar this year for the holidays, now would be the time to stock up, right? just in case.

SO, This Week Only, I'm offering FREE SHIPPING & free gifts w any purchase over $20! At checkout, just use the code: "Room4Baby" and I'll reimburse you the shipping cost. Spread the word & have fun! I've reduced the prices on a bunch of stuff too, so take advantage of those sales, baby.

Go, go, go.

Fine Handworks Show this SATURDAY! (get em before they're gone!)

2010-09-22T15:59:00.003-04:00

This weekend you can find more than just great books at the Book Festival!
Just a hop, skip & a jump from the main festival area, is a brand new Arts Festival.
The first annual Fine Handworks festival welcomes you to check out some of the coolest artists & crafters in Charm City, including BEST Members, and my good friends: JerseyGirlDesigns, Fuzzy Mug & The Littlest Bean. And of course, me.

Even more awesome? This is my LAST show before baby arrives, and as such I'll be looking to clear inventory so I can make room for tiny little socks and wooden teethers and all sorts of insanely adorable space taking-up-items, which we seem to keep accumulating. I won't have any Knitimals on hand, but there will be the last of the first edition Folkies (on SALE) and a bunch of Minimals to keep your plush needs met. Also, this would be a great time to stock up on Christmas ornaments and other holiday treats--- I'll bring those along too. There'll be soap and recycled plastic pins & pendants, plenty of notecards and other paper goods, tshirts and more. And of course, the now famous SALE BASKET.

If you're thinking about giving a custom Knitimal for the holidays, place those orders with me on Saturday-- you'll get 30% off the regular price of a custom doll, and it'll be ready in time for holiday gift giving.

brand new Folkie notecards!

work by jersey girl designs

work by fuzzy mug

work by the littlest bean (who, by the way, will be manning both our booths for the first hour, so hubs and i can attend our first birthing class!).

We hope to see you there!

Fine Handworks Festival
Saturday, September 25, 2010
Noon until 5:00 pm
Enoch Pratt Parish Hall, First Unitarian Church of Baltimore
On N. Charles Street, between W. Franklin and W. Hamilton Streets
Mt. Vernon neighborhood in downtown Baltimore

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FREE-Kend!

2010-08-13T15:27:00.006-04:00

Happy Friday the 13th!
Around here, we're celebrating with some scary movies AND a FRIGHTENINGLY awesome sale!

Starting at 5pm today, you can shop till you drop (so to speak) and enjoy some SCARY bargains too.

I've spent all week re-stocking the shop and with only 1.5 more months of production before I'll be going on maternity leave, I'm offering my good friends & readers the opportunity to scoop up some goodies before they are gone for good (or at least for a few months). Now's a GREAT time to do some pre-holiday shopping too (goodness knows, with our little November baby, I'm taking care of all that shopping NOW myself).

So, what's this sale all about?

"FreeKend"... that one little word will get you a lot.

Well, for starters-- FREE SHIPPING on all orders (i'll refund the shipping cost after you complete payment).

And, for all orders over $25, you'll get a free Knitimal Wallet (perfect for Back to School-- to carry library cards, ID cards or bus passes. And perfect for you grown ups too-- a great way to tote your ID, credit cards and other essentials when you're out on the town).

All orders over $40, get a free wallet AND a free coloring book.

All orders over $60 ship with the wallet, a coloring book AND a gift certificate worth $15 for a future purchase.

All orders over $100 get all that great stuff... plus some surprises.

Not too shabby, huh?

AND, for every purchase this weekend, you'll be entered in a drawing to win a FREE FOLKIE! Can you imagine?!
Feel free to pass this along... the more the merrier!

Remember to use the code "FreeKend" in your message to seller at checkout, to qualify for all the goodness!

The sale ends Sunday, August 15th at Midnight EST, so don't wait too long!
Enjoy.
Happy Friday, folks.
xo, danamarie

Congrats AND a new chance to win!

2010-08-09T16:13:00.002-04:00

Well, friends, I hit 400 sales (with your help!), and as promised, one lucky shopper did, in fact, win herself a Folkie. Big congrats to Stephanie (whose name was pulled blindly from a stack of invoices).

Winning is fun, no?

So fun, in fact, that we're gonna do it again!
Every order this week (Monday though Monday) will be in the running (to become America's Next Top Model... ok, no, that's not it) to win another Folkie! All you have to do is shop & include the code "FolkieLove" in the message to seller at checkout.

In other exciting news: I'm restocking like mad, and there are a whole bunch of new and wonderful items just waiting for love in the shop-- new Knitimals, new Folkies, toothfairy pillows, business card holders, keychains, cards and more. Whattya waiting for?

go check it out!

shop update! and a special giveaway....

2010-08-05T20:31:00.002-04:00

First things first...

I've just started getting the shop updated again (takes a while to get back in the swing of things like this, you know? the photographing, the sitting at the computer and writing witty descriptions... most of the time, i'd rather be MAKING than advertising, but selling can't happen if people don't know what you're making, right?). So, as of tonight, there's some lovely new stuff in the shop, and I will be adding to it, as time permits, every day.

Curious what's there now?

In other news, as the baby countdown moves us closer and closer to deadline, I'm looking around and thinking "Man, there's a lot of stuff here, still". See, as I said before, I have a tendency to make and make and make, but a hard time with the selling. I'm not sure what the holiday season will hold for me, show-wise... I mean, I'll have a very, very wee person at that point, and might not be able to DO any shows. And if that's the case, with the exception of the Buyer's Market show at the end of the month, your only chance of getting anything from me, is gonna be online. And boy howdy, do I have products to move.

SO, I need an inventory reduction.

I'm also only 3 sales away from 400 (on etsy). So, the next 3 orders are in for a treat. Not only will your order ship with a few lovely little freebies, but ONE of your lucky folks will also win a FREE Folkie. Yep. Imagine how fun it'll be to open your package and discover a Folkie in addition to what you ordered!?!?! I KNOW!!!!

If you're interested (and how could you not be) just do some shopping and mention "SWEET400" in your message to seller at checkout. I'll do the rest.

xoxo,
danamarie

fyi, I'm "ReCreative"

2010-08-02T22:27:00.002-04:00

got a lovely little shout out today...
thanks Urbanite!

Back to work... with my feet up, of course.

2010-07-26T15:12:00.000-04:00

With only a couple shows left on my pre-baby calendar, I must... Keep... Knitting...

This little bundle is going to be so cute when she's all sewn up & stuffed. I'm really digging oranges & blues these days.

Artscape is HERE!!!

2010-07-15T19:20:00.006-04:00

well kids, Artscape starts tomorrow.
mr. greenstar and i just got back from setting up the booth (and it looks AWESOME); its always an interesting adventure... first figuring out how to fit everything in the CAR and then figuring out how to fit everything in the BOOTH. Of course, try as I might, there's always new stuff premiering at Artscape, which means coming up with a new system each year. But i think we got it.

As always, there will be Knitimals & Recyclimals. And I couldn't NOT bring newer favorites like bibs, onesies & other hand drawn wearables.

New for this year though are some really cool "homegoods"--- or greenstar-on-the-go goodies... like these business card holders. Looking for great gifts? how about the brand new birdie brooches & hair clips, or original ink drawings to benefit the Audubon Society? Or maybe you want to say 'thanks' in a bright & colorful way?

Either way, there's a LOT of super cool, handmade amazingness waiting for you at Artscape 2010, and while it'll definitely be hot, we'll be trying our best to keep the tent cool (there are many fans this year) and hoping you'll stop by and say Hi!
And, if the greenstargoodness isn't enough to entice you, maybe this will... This may be your last chance (for a couple of years at least) to see me like this:

(yep... surprise!)

We hope to see you this weekend!
Booth E-109 (on Mt Royal Ave; on MICA's campus, in front of the Fox building and across the street from Corpus Christi Church--- same spot as previous years); Friday 12-10pm; Saturday 12- 10pm; Sunday 12- 8pm.

xoxo, danamarie (& baby greenstar)

Artscape sneak peeks...

2010-07-14T11:54:00.001-04:00

The new (and yet, already very popular) bird brooches & hair clips are restocked and ripe for the picking!

Artscape Sneak Peek... revealed

2010-07-14T11:45:00.002-04:00

Right you are! These new little sweeties are, in fact, ToothFairy "Pillows". Made from super soft fleece with felt accents, they each hold an egg in a nest, a heart or a star "pocket"; the perfect place to stash away a tooth treasure & for the fairy herself to reciprocate with a treat. And when tooth losing is out of season, they make dear friends to be carried anywhere and a perfect place to hide very important things.... like coins, "Silly Bandz™" or candy.

The only place to get 'em is Artscape, so come on by and grab em while you can!

Artscape countdown...

2010-07-10T13:31:00.000-04:00

Also new for artscape: these guys.

What do you think they are?

Countdown to Artscape....

2010-07-09T11:03:00.003-04:00

its almost that time of year, folks!
what time is that? oh, you know, the MOST AWESOME ART-TASTIC time EVER!

Yes, Artscape begins next Friday, which means you only have to wait 7 more days to feast your eyes on all the amazingness to come... and *I* only have 6 more days to MAKE all the amazingness.

But don't you worry... there'll be PLENTY of new amazingness this year. Plenty.

Want to see some sneak peeks? No problem. Well, for starters, in addition to pre-matched sets of four knitimal coasters, you'll now have your choice of SINGLE coasters to mix and match as you please.

Stay Tuned.
More reveals & some coupon DEALS to come.

xo, danamarie

Win a Knitimal & SAVE two birds with one pin!

2010-06-20T17:47:00.006-04:00

Hey friends!

This week only, any item you buy from my etsy shop, will enter you in a drawing to win a one of a kind knitimal! So, now is a great time to pick up some goodies for birthdays & graduation presents & baby showers and the like. Each item translates to another chance to win, so stock up! Purchases must be made prior to midnight, Saturday, June 26th to be eligible.

Want even MORE reason to shop? No problem!
Through the end of June, I will be donating 5% of all sales to the Audubon Society, to aid in their relief efforts in the Gulf.

AND, if that weren't reason enough, keep an eye on the shop for products made specifically to support the ongoing work the Audubon Society is doing to help our bird friends... Brand new "Bird on my sleeve" felt pins & "Bird in my nest" hair clips are loaded up in the shop and looking to take wing with you. Pins are $20 each & Clips are $10 per set with $5 & $3 from each sale going directly to the Audubon Society.

AND, even cooler still? All orders over $25 will ship with extra FREE goodies, this week only.

SO.

*Free Knitimal drawing takes place on Sunday, June 27th (so shop soon and get your name in the drawing!).

*Free goodies with all purchases over $25 this week only.

*5% of all my etsy sales through the end of June, are going to the Audubon Society.

*And exclusive Bird hair clips & pins will allow you donate an even larger gift to the cause.

thanks for the love!
Hope to see you at a show soon,
xoxo, danamarie

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In addition-- if you want to shop in person, you can find me at the Pile of Craft show at St John's Church in Baltimore, on June 26th and at Artscape in Baltimore, July 17-19th.

Wanna win a Knitimal?

2010-06-19T09:08:00.002-04:00

Sure you do!

All orders this weekend will be entered into a drawing to win this Knitimal!

There's lots of great stuff up for grabs in the shop and any of of them will put you in the running. And better yet? Each item is another shot at winning!

Offer ends Monday, June 21st at midnight EST.
Drawing will be held Tuesday.

Good luck!

New in the Shop!

2010-06-17T12:22:00.003-04:00

Available now... BRAND NEW, adorable Folkie Notecards!
I mean, how cute are these? Brighten up any sentiment with these sweet cards.

Plus all etsy orders until I reach 400 sales will ship with some sweet freebies!

Sneak Peek #4...

2010-06-10T20:33:00.001-04:00

and tons of new recycled plastic pins AND brand new necklace pendants too!

Sneak Peek #3...

2010-06-09T08:22:00.000-04:00

and more folkies!

sneak peek #1... (Things you'll find this weekend!)

2010-06-08T14:38:00.001-04:00

... a bunch of brand new Knitimals, including "Pablo".

busy, busy...

2010-06-07T12:41:00.000-04:00

so, as i mentioned, i've been getting ready for the Columbia Festival of the Arts, coming up this weekend, and (because i LOVE a challenge), I am planning on debuting a whole bunch of new stuff at this show.

I'll give you a sneak peek here:

whattya think!?
(you're looking at some "finally made by popular demand" type items here... i think you'll be pleased).

where oh where has my little self gone?

2010-06-05T18:45:00.002-04:00

i've been trapped in a box filled with greeting cards.

ok, that's not true.
but i HAVE been busy.

doing what, you ask?

why, getting ready for my first show of the summer show season, of course! Next up, The Columbia Festival of the Arts-- (next weekend, June 12 & 13; 12-7pm... more details to come).
It seems ACC set me back a good deal (in a pleasant way) and I've been rebuilding stock ever since. Curious what kinds of greenstargoodies you can expect to see at Columbia this year?

Sure.
I can tell you... on Monday.

Be well friends!
xo, danamarie

Free Shipping on all SALE Items!

2010-04-12T18:16:00.002-04:00

Get em while they're hot!
Free Shipping on everything in the Sale section of my shop, now through the end of the month.

Meet the Folkies!

2010-04-05T18:34:00.003-04:00

As promised... i'd like you to meet The Folkies!
Folkies are the newest addition to the greenstarstudio plush family.
Folkies wear their pajamas all day long and are ready for a good snuggle at any moment.
100% one of a kind, Folkies are made without patterns and can't be reproduced. Each one should be considered an original art piece, to be collected and loved. This sweet Folkie is hand stitched and machine sewn, made with ultra soft fleece and felt accents. stuffed with polyfil, so he's sturdy but totally huggable.

Each Folkie has been cut & pieced together by hand and features a small embroidered heart on their cheek. They are then machine sewn, with emphasis on the color of the thread against the fabric & the "drawings" the thread makes. The stitches are intentionally energetic and organic--- Folkies originated as characters in my illustrations and murals, and now, brought to "life" as soft sculpture, the stitch lines are meant to replicate the unique marks, textures and patterns of those paintings & drawings.

Christopher & Maximus are the first two Folkies to be listed in the shop and if you want to give them good homes,
you can find them here!

Or, celebrate Arbor Day with this little guy (for sale in the Plush Team Shop)

I'm Back... and I've brought you a SALE!

2010-04-02T09:36:00.004-04:00

Well, friends, feels like forever right?
I've been playing catch up ever since ACC and still don't feel 100% back to normal. Filling orders, working on custom pieces and trying to re-design my website have taken over the bulk of my time. The rest of my time? sleeping. Lots and lots of sleeping.

Normally, there's a nice clean break from "Show Season" between the end of December and April, but with ACC smack dab in the middle of the break, it took some adjusting to get back on schedule. And, OH, whatta schedule.

I realize too that in all my excitement and flurry of getting ready for the big show, I completely overlooked some great press, some wonderful emails and some yum-tastic recipes I wanted to share with you... so I'll go ahead and schedule those in now, ok? Better late than never, yeah?

Onward and upward.
For those of you who came out to ACC, you got an eyeful of a LOT of new stuff in the greenstarline...

including these new block print felt pins:

and Block Print Plush, the new incarnation of Minimals & my brand new art doll, the Folkie (i'll be adding more of these to the shop as soon as I can).

In the meantime...

If that weren't enough, I've just moved a bunch of Recyclimals (like Re-Tilly, above), Knitimals, toys, books, housewares and more into the sale section of my shop. There's tons of items for dirt cheap in the sale section. I've gotta get these sale items cleared out, to make room for a whole slew of brand new stuff... so, now through the end of April (if it takes that long) every sale item will ship with a FREEBIE! That's right, a totally free, super secret surprise. Nice, right?

American Craft Council: Alt Craft!

2010-02-21T23:02:00.002-05:00

You might be wondering why you haven't heard from me in a million years--- it's because I have been chained to my knitting needles and sewing machine making all sorts of new & wonderful goodies specifically for my debut at the American Craft Council next week! Aside from all the amazing fine craft you can find at the annual council show, this year the Alt Craft section will be lousy with BEST Baltimore Craft team members, including my good buddies: The Broken Plate, Dandelion Blu & Elisa Shere Jewelry. Alt Craft is very special, because it showcases 20 emerging "Alternative Craft" artists, and each artist can only participate in this section once. I'm very excited and feel very honored to be included... and a little bit sick and scared. But, it'll be awesome nonetheless.

SO, if you'll be in the Baltimore area February 25th- 28th, do come by and see me in Booth #6. You'll be amongst the first to see FOUR brand new additions to the greenstarstudio product line!

xoxo, danamarie

Even more dedicated than the Postal Service!

2010-02-08T15:41:00.000-05:00

As you probably know, the good people of Baltimore have been hit might hard by a snow storm of epic proportions! (for us).

Schools, libraries, government etc have been shut down for days, but greenstarstudio doesn't rest! No!
The post offices are open, but the streets aren't drive-able, so they aren't coming to us.

So rest assured, good folks, if you ordered anything from me in the last few days, I just treked 2 miles in the unplowed snow, through streets only pedestrians could travel, often succumbing to 4 ft drifts and twice slipping on ice, to make sure that your packages will reach you AND your loved ones, by Valentine's Day.

No problem, guys. I love ya.
Let me know when you get them!

For now, I'm gonna trek back home, grab a beer and do some knitting.
Sent via BlackBerry from T-Mobile

Last minute Valentines Day gifts that wont LOOK last minute!

2010-02-05T15:07:00.004-05:00

If you still aren't sure what to get that special someone... I might could help!
( I love saying "might could"; it makes me feel olde timey)

Let me play secret Cupid to someone!
These secret cupid gift packs come with all sorts of sweet goodies for 'kids' of all ages and will be shipped on Monday, February 8th (or later if you order after the 8th) and are meant to arrive just in time for Valentine's Day--- an unexpected little dose of sweetness in your sweetie's mail box.

There's plenty of other Valentine love to be found in the shop too.

Like these tear & share, color your own Valentines!

Or these sweet pins!

A look at what's to come...

2010-02-04T15:58:00.000-05:00

Sent via BlackBerry from T-Mobile

The Knitimals and I need your vote!

2010-01-20T15:55:00.005-05:00

In the midst of award season and with the growing anticipation of the Olympics, acknowledgement and praise is in the air, and the Handmade Community (never to be outdone) is finding more ways to join in on the fun!

Early in the year, the fabulous website PoppyTalk announced a new (hopefully annual) competition called "The Poppies". They describe The Poppies as "a virtual awards ceremony of sorts celebrating the Handmade Community!"

Nominations were made in several categories and I'm happy to announce that the second category up for voting is "CRAFTERS (Embroidery/Crochet/Knitting/Quilting) Artist/Designer/Shop)" and i have been nominated for my Knitimals!

Anyone can vote, and everyone is allowed one vote per category, per computer, per day, so please take a minute to vote each day, if you can. You don't have to register or sign up for anything--- its very easy. The voting ends on January 26th at 11:59 pm.

You can vote here! Please bookmark the page and visit it every day.

The prizes include all sorts of press & praise and FREE advertising on a very heavily trafficked blog. Plus bragging rights.
Please pass this along to anyone you know who supports the arts or has ever been affected by my work.

If I win, we'll be celebrating with a 40% off coupon code-- so when you vote, post a comment here and let's get some people in those virtual voting booths!

Love and Knitimals are in the Air!

2010-01-16T00:31:00.005-05:00

It's beginning to look a lot like Valentine's Day! And, what better way to say "I Love You" than with some super sweet, ultra adorable, Valentines?

I'm sure this won't surprise anyone, but I was actually designing these little cuties back in November (what? doesn't everyone think about their Valentine merchandise at the Thanksgiving table?). And, it's been very hard for me to hold back sharing them until now.... but, I think half way through January is a perfect time to unveil them.

Just like the Holiday & Thank You & "Say What?" Blank cards before them, these cuties start off black and white, but with a very specific goal in mind... they want to be colored! By YOU!

(And those little guys got a LOT of press... here, for example!)

Available in Card, Postcard & Mini Card sizes, there are 4 different designs to choose from.
Enjoy.
xoxox, danamarie

New Year, New Cards, New Sales!

2010-01-04T14:53:00.002-05:00

I'd be remiss if I didn't first come clean about something...

As much as I love the fanfare and excitement of getting a new calendar (and i DO really, genuinely enjoy that), I'm not a fan of New Years Eve/Day etc. Call me a scrooge, but I think it's a little overblown. I don't disagree with the sentiment of starting anew, or making life goals, or even the idea that you could stand to improve some... heck, we all could. But I don't agree with the whole "waiting for one particular day each year and only doing it then and if you mess up on Jan 4th, the whole year is ruined and the goal was stupid in the first place" thing that seems to accompany much of the hullabaloo. I mean, any day is a new day, right?

If people were half as motivated to make a change or even a quarter as committed to enjoying the day on, say, March 28th, as they are on January 1st, maybe I'd get behind New Years. Otherwise, to me it's just another excuse to throw the baby out with the bathwater and say "meh, guess its all down hill from here".

Well, i dont believe in down hill!
Every second of the day you can make a change. Its not always easy, sure; I have down days... down hours. Down minutes. But I would never write off a day entirely--- and i certainly wouldn't write off a year.

So, there you have it. My admission--- I'm not a fan of New Years. EXCEPT of course, that i get a chance to buy and fully organize and highlight and color code a brand new calendar.

Nevertheless, a new year is upon us, and if you're like me, you likely got some wonderful gifts this holiday season. Maybe they were gifts of experience (rather than gifts that come wrapped in boxes and bows). Now would be the PERFECT time to say thanks! Why not bring back an old, and sadly oft lost, tradition of letter writing and card sending? Why not incorporate the kids into the deal? Afterall, you're never too young to be thankful, right?

In addition to a slew of new goods on sale in the shop, visit the Cards section for tons of cool cards you can use to let people know you're thankful for them, there for them, love them and support them, EVERY DAY!

And of course, if you're looking for a sweet deal-- maybe you'll want to stock up for NEXT Christmas with some adorable ornaments? Everything in the HOLIDAY section of my shop is an additional 40% off if you use this very special code in the Message to Seller section at checkout. Code: "BLOG40". Due to volume of sales, I can only honor the discount if you include the code, so remember: BLOG40.

Happy Shopping... and happy new EVERY DAY!
xoxo, danamarie

Happy Holidays!

2009-12-24T15:09:00.002-05:00

it had to be done.

happy holidays folks!
xoxo, danamarie

cool moms know...

2009-12-24T15:08:00.000-05:00

(colored by the littlest bean herself! image courtesy of mama to the bean, jenmenkhaus)

Say Thanks the handmade way! my blank winter themed Knitimal greeting cards were spotted on CoolMomPicks! These super sweet cards are a great way to reflect on the bounty of the holidays & get kids involved in the act of saying "THANKS!".

many thanks, shop update & giveaway!

2009-12-15T14:44:00.006-05:00

How could I possibly wrap up EVERY show I've been to in the past month? I couldn't... Suffice to say, I am SO thankful for all of you, who make a real effort to shop local and spread love throughout your communities, by buying art and gifting the handmade. I couldn't do what I do without your constant and generous support.

This year has been jam packed with wonderful opportunities, press, praise & warm feedback. And, as soon as I have a chance to do so, I will share some of those wonderful stories with you!

The constant "packing up, setting up, breaking down, repeat" of the past few weeks has really afforded me some good exercise and a lot of time to reflect on the work I do. It's tedious, time consuming & often difficult, but always totally worth it. So thank you!

I managed to move most of my stock (a good and bad thing as I look ahead to what promises to be a VERY busy spring) but...now that the show season is behind us, i'm stocking up the shop like crazy! There's something for everyone in there ( i promise). Now's a great time to relax and take advantage of all sales & special offers floating around out there in cyber space, and greenstarstudio is no exception!

Looking for a last minute gift, or just the opportunity to shop from the comfort of your own home? maybe you saw some things you liked at a show, but didn't snatch them up right away... well, have no fear!

I'll be shipping (via first class mail for small items & priority mail for knitimals & large orders) EVERYDAY thru 12/24, so it's not too late to get something great!

AND, as a special thanks, for all your support this season, if you mention the code: "FREETREE" in your message to seller at checkout, you'll get a FREE knitimal ornament thrown in too! This is an offer available only to blog & newsletter readers, so do make sure you include the code when you check out, in order to take advantage of the giveaway. (Orders must be placed by 12/24 to take advantage of the ornament giveaway).

Happy Holidays!

xoxo, danamarie

More Shows this weekend!

2009-12-11T16:59:00.007-05:00

I can't believe I still have two more shows on my holiday calendar!

it's been a very busy season. Lucky for all of us, though, there's still plenty of good stuff to be found!

"Yes, there's another chance to shop handmade for the holidays in the Baltimore area. The Squidfire Art Mart moves from its original location at the Lyric Theater to a larger arena, the DuBurns Arena on Boston Street in Canton.This event is this Saturday, December 12 from 11 - 6. This new space not only has parking but guarantees more vendors that get to have a 10 ' X 10' space! Look for more mini- boutiques instead of just table top stores! Members from BEST that will be participating in this show include greenstarstudio, dandelion blu, thebrokenplate ,sugar paperie, sweetpepita, jennyjen42, Yummy & Company,worndress, jenmenkhaus, Lana Bella, JerseyGirlDesign, CEK Custom Designs, & Tlane."

(thanks JennyJen42 for the post!)

And if that's still not enough-- your last chance to get greenstargoods (in person) is Sunday, December 13th at Last Minute Maul, at School 33! 10-5pm, 1427 Light Street. Phew!

Cloning & time travel...

2009-12-04T01:23:00.003-05:00

So, this weekend I will splitting myself in thirds and spreading out all over the state. OUCH. Luckily, I have wonderful crafty friends in the BEST ladies and we'll all be pitching in to help each other out. So, while I may not be there, you'll be able to find my work at three different shows over two days.

On Saturday, you can find my work at the BEST table at the Charm City Craft Mafia's Holiday Heap-- at St. Johns church on St Paul Street. I wont be there, because I will be running the BEST booth over in Greenbelt, MD, at the Greenbelt Festival of Lights.

Join greenstarstudio, Jen Menkhaus, Sweet Pepita, TigerlillyShop, Jersey Girl Design, Yummy & Company, and DandelionBlu for two days of shopping and demonstrations, workshops and presentations, by dozens of artists.
The Festival takes place indoors at the Greenbelt Community Center, Saturday, December 5th from 10-5 and Sunday, December 6th from 11-4pm.

On Sunday, my work will still be for sale at Greenbelt, but I will have moseyed over to Out of Hand; Sunday Dec.6, 10am - 5 pm; Knights of Columbus Hall
201 Homeland Avenue (on the edge of the Notre Dame campus just off Charles Street)
Baltimore, 21212

Should be fun. And insane. Come out and help me not lose my flippin mind. Thanks.

Shop Handmade & help put food on some tables...

2009-12-01T14:26:00.001-05:00

It has been a difficult year for many Marylanders because of the tough economy. Many are without jobs and without food. In an effort to help those in need this holiday season, several BEST members will be donating a percentage of money from the the sales of their handmade items from December 1-14. Buyers will have a unique opportunity to support handmade and help feed hungry Marylanders.

The Maryland Food Bank provides nearly 14 million pounds of food annually to 1,000 Network Partners - including food pantries, soup kitchens, emergency shelters, low-income day care centers, after-school programs, senior centers, rehabilitation centers, and other feeding programs. They supply food for over 50,000 Marylanders each week who otherwise would go hungry or not eat enough, including families with children, the elderly, the homeless, the homebound, low-income workers, the recently unemployed, and people with AIDS and other health problems. For every $1 contributed to the Maryland Food Bank, they are able to provide 3 meals to Maryland’s needy families and individuals.

From December 1st through 14th, the following participating BEST members will be donating a percentage of their sales:

blockpartypress- 10% of Etsy sales
sweetpepita- 10% of all Etsy sales
jenmenkhaus- 10% of all Etsy sales
glowgirl - 10% of all Etsy sales
yummyandcompany- 10% of all Etsy sales
atelieradornments - 10% of all Etsy sales
lanabella - 10% of all Etsy sales
lolamiren - 10% of all Etsy sales
thebrokenplate - 10% of all Etsy sales
tigerlillyshop - 10% of all Etsy ring sales
greenstarstudio - 10% of all Etsy sales

Take some time to visit these Etsy shops, support handmade and know that when you make a purchase between Dec. 1 - 14, you will be helping to provide food and services to someone in need this holiday season. Here are some other ways to support the MD Food Bank:

* Make a direct monetary donation

* Purchase and donate food through the Food Bank's “Virtual Food Drive”

* Deliver the food directly to the Maryland Food Bank at 2200 Halethorpe Farms Road. Please call 410-737-8282 to arrange your delivery.

* Volunteer Opportunities

(Thanks Tamara, of BlockPartyPress, for organizing this drive & writing this lovely post).

Cyber Monday! Free Shipping all day!

2009-11-29T19:29:00.002-05:00

Well, it's Cyber Monday... which is the new "Black Friday" and to celebrate, you can get a whole lot of stuff and save money on shipping...

Yes, all day long, anything you pick up in the shop will ship for FREE! Just load up your cart, checkout and pay, then I will refund your shipping costs. Its very easy. You don't even need a code!

And, since we are in the midst of crazy show season, if you attended a show and are looking to pick up something you saw there or if you're searching for something you just don't see listed in my shop, just email me and ask--- if I have it, it's yours and the shipping will STILL be free!

Plus, keep an eye on the shop all day for updates and new listings... recycled plastic ornaments, greeting cards, masks, wallets and a whole lot more.

xoxo, danamarie

BAZAART preview party tonight (and free shipping thru Monday!)

2009-11-27T12:15:00.000-05:00

Why spend Black Friday battling at the Mall?
Why not try a GREEN Friday? Free Shipping in my shop all weekend. Just fill your cart and check out. I'll send you a revised invoice within a day, then you pay. Much easier than driving all over town, right?

Local? Why not come out to Bazaart at the American Visionary Art Museum? Friday is a special preview party- for a nominal ticket price, you'll get first dibs on all the good stuff AND free open bar and lite fare.

Or, come on out on Saturday (10 to 5) for free!

Wanna know what's in store for ya?
I've got *brand new color your own holiday card sets* recycled plastic ornaments* slim profile felt wallets* coffee cozies* Color your own OoAkie kits* organic cotton onesies* baby hats* bibs* coloring books* Recyclimals* gift tags* postcards* keychains* soap* tshirts* brooches* magnets* stickers and more... And of course, brand new Knitimals!

So, why not save yourself the running around today, eh?

See you soon!
xo, danamarie
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Black Friday & "Something" Saturday at Bazaart!

2009-11-23T11:22:00.006-05:00

I'm not sure what you call the Saturday after Thanksgiving, but I know where I'll be when it rolls around... For the past 5 years I have been fortunate enough to juried into the MOST amazing show of the Holiday Season, and this year I'll be introducing some BRAND NEW GOODIES too! So, if you're looking for a great Mall-ternative for Black Friday, this year? You can find me and 2 of my good buddies from BEST; (your's truly- Greenstarstudio, my very talented bird loving friend- JennyJen42 & and maker of a million cool things- Tigerlillyshop) at Bazaart at the American Visionary Art Museum!

Friday Evening • November 27 • 5:30–8:00PM:BAZAART Preview Party & Sale Beat the crowds! An opportunity to get the first shot at the original creations by 50 regional artists and craftspeople prior to the Saturday Bazaart extravaganza (see 11/28 listing). Spend a relaxing evening strolling among Bazaart artisans and their wares while nibbling light fare and enjoying a special beverage. Location: American Visionary Art Museum, Jim Rouse Visionary Center, 3rd Floor. Admission to Preview Party & Sale: $20 at the door.

Saturday • November 28 • 10AM-5PM • FREE ENTRY: BAZAART: Artful Holiday ShoppingAmerican Visionary Art Museum's Annual Holiday Marketplace of original creations by 50 regional artists and craftspeople. Painting, sculpture, papercrafts, metalwork, jewelry, textiles, mixed media, and other work that simply defies categorization! FREE ENTRY. Location: American Visionary Art Museum, Jim Rouse Visionary Center 3rd Floor. Note: Bazaart shoppers are welcome to tour the entire Jim Rouse Visionary Center for Free! Ongoing exhibitions include the Cabaret Mechanical Theatre automata, Baltimore Screen Painters, Emily Duffy's Bra Ball and more.
***********I'll be posting some "sneak peeks" at what you can expect to find in the Greenstarstudio booth, over the course of the week. Mark your calendars now; crack open that piggy bank; and get ready for the best darn show around!

the most awesome things ever...

2009-11-15T22:24:00.007-05:00

you know what the BEST possible gift would be for a gal who loves plush (almost) as much as she loves her dog, whom she loves (almost) as much as she loves her husband, on their first wedding anniversary?

you dont?

i do. this....
that's us... as Plush.

HOLY CRINKLE CUT FRIES!

this beautiful awesomeness is the work of my dear internet friend, Leeanna (only recently did she become my dear "in real life" friend too, when we were able to hang at PlushYou in Seattle). What seems like a million years ago, I started emailing with dear Leeanna (whose shop name is Plush Goodness... and boy is it ever); i honestly don't remember what precipitated the emails, or who did the writing first. What i DO remember is that right away i felt a kindred spirit thing going on on the other end of the wireless waves. I felt like I'd known her for years, and i really liked her work, to boot! Not too long after, Leeanna commissioned me to make a Knitimal version of their dog, Waffle (whose photo is below because i just love her to pieces and she's Mason's internet-girlfriend, and we're pretty sure Waffle is part wirehaired dachshund).

But i digress..
Anyway, I feel like it was somewhere around there that she told me she'd made a plush version of her husband and herself for her niece, and when i saw the pictures of them, i was totally sold (i was pretty sold before the pictures anyway). I asked Leeanna if she'd consider doing Plush-Catures (has her hubby coined them... oh, shout out to Ben; "hi ben!"... he's pretty cool himself) of AJ & i. She said yes. I did a back flip. I said, what about Mason? of course. Double back flip. For our anniversary? You got it. Triple Backflip.

Then came the waiting.
How would I wait for our anniversary to come around? I was excited enough already, plus the promise of awesome new plush? i didnt think i could make it. OR, keep it a secret from AJ!

Luckily... that time finally came, and well, I think the surprise went well...

I sent along photos, and invited her to check out our private wedding blog (for pics dating back over a decade); Leeanna asked some very good questions, designed to get the most out of her subjects. I provided her with nuggets of info and color preferences and little things that would make the pieces REALLY ring true.

Like for example, the extra careful attention paid to Mason's double coat. You can't really see it here, but the legs have two layers of fleece "fur" that actually move and wisp like Mason's hair. She captured his two tone ears and really got his majestic tail. And there's gorgeous stitching on the body to accent his blond highlights and dark brown lowlights. (he's not a diva... i just diva-fy him).

AJ's wearing his favorite colors & cool stripy socks (a must have in my boy's collection!). She totally captured his giant, wonderful smile. We both love his ears. Again, you cant see the detail here, but the jeans look SO real. The gold stitching on the pockets and fly front are impeccable. And, i'm told, Leeanna used reclaimed denim & other materials because she knew we'd want it that way. That's how we roll.

me? well, i'm easy. All i need is a t-shirt with the neck cut out (check), a comfy pair of jeans (check) and a pair of crocs (double check.. how flippin cute are they!?). She got my two tone hair & my favorite colors... and notice my smile is more of a smirk than a big full on smile?

yep. that's good detail.

So, know that we were the first ones to set this trend, but if you're interested in being Plushed, visit her shop and drop her a line. We've already decided she's going to make a new set of Us's for our anniversary every, oh, 10 years or so.

****Leeanna, we love ya. These are AMAZING****

Come & get em! Knitimal ornaments at Baltimore Hebrew Congregation today! 9:30 - 5pm

2009-11-15T09:09:00.000-05:00

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year one: a lot like day one, but with different colored scarves

2009-11-12T10:44:00.006-05:00

I'm not one for tradition. I mean, traditions I believe in, maybe, but anything else is just silly. I've heard of brides saving the top of their wedding cake to eat on their anniversary--- we had donuts and bagels, and while their ARE things in our freezer that are over a year old, a Dunkin Donuts double chocolate and an Einstein Brothers potato bagel would never have lasted that long. Not in this carb-loving house.

I know some brides save their bouquet to make potpourri with--- my bouquet was a stack of lovingly cut tracings of my favorite people's hands. And it has lived in a vase in our living room for a year.

I know some brides rush to the cleaners to get their dresses out of storage, to see if they still fit in them--- I didn't have a dress. I dont really "do" dresses. I wore a grey sweater... in fact, we both wore grey sweaters. With matching orange scarves. Our wedding was sweet and simple, and afterward, we went for a long stroll around Annapolis... in November. We were thinking practicality.

*********

our one year anniversary was this past tuesday.

I teach Tuesday nights, and while i flirted with the idea of canceling class so that we could go out on our actual anniversary, it didn't feel right... i really like my students.

So, we decided we'd celebrate on Wednesday night instead, which was fine with me... it'd give me the whole day to "primp" (which, I'm sure you realize, i didnt do. I spent the day making Knitimal Ornaments). We knew we were going Pazo for our dinner (thanks to AJ's placing in the City Paper Comics Contest... fat ol' gift certificate to the amazing Pazo tapas restaurant in Fells Point... if you haven't gone, go); AJ made the reservation and told them it was our anniversary, because it was and because they asked. We semi-secretly wondered if it would amount to anything. We're both artists. Free stuff is always good stuff.

We'd only been to Pazo once before, and it was on someone else's very generous dime. I remembered it being super swanky, and with a dress code.

Anyway, I lamented the "dress" code, because honestly, it takes a lot to get me in a dress. And if you follow me on Twitter, you know I also spent the day lamenting about having to put on a dress. I'm not really a dress person, but it was our anniversary and you know, you have to look nice if you're gonna go out and be all fancy (especially if you only do it once a year!).

I had just showered and pulled the dress in question out of a ball of previously rejected and not ever hung back up clothes in the corner of my closet (Ugh. Now i have iron too), when AJ got home and said "Is there a dress code for tonight?". I said "i was going to wear the black dress" and he said "oh, i was thinking we could wear our sweaters".

o. m. g.

the sweaters!

YES, of COURSE we'd wear our sweaters.

THIS is why I married this man.

So, there we were in our sweaters & green scarves, this year. Semi recreating this photo, which we took before we left the house on our Wedding Day:

And for those wondering (because i totally would be): Dinner was amazing. So amazing that my hubby, who loathes (hunny, can i say "loathes"? how bout "is really not a fan of") fish, said the BEST part of dinner was the medium rare Tuna & the scallops. (the Tuna with Avocado Salsa Verde is AMAZING. go to Pazo and get it). Our server, Tara, was a sweetheart. There was a very loud table of some sort of business type people with a guy leading cheers right behind us (i should also note that we had the entire top section of the restaurant to ourselves, save for them), and everyone in the restaurant seemed annoyed and intrigued by him, to the point that the hostess, upon our leaving, asked us if we had done any cheering with him. It didn't really bother us much... it was more interesting than anything, but Tara came over at one point and apologized for them and said they'd be buying us dessert. She came back over a while later with two glasses of champagne and told us that she'd decided that since the loud guy had agreed to get us something, she thought it better to get him to give us champagne since it was worth more and that SHE would buy us dessert.

ah, free stuff.

happy anniversary, mr. greenstar!

*******
note: i couldn't decide on which picture i liked best... our "album cover", our "demure love" or our "holiday card", so i used em all. This is the combined result of a camera on self timer and a squirmy dachshund that insists on licking your mouth or nose whenever cameras are pointed his way.

Felt Frog & Pig: Love Story for the Decades

2009-11-10T20:23:00.000-05:00

today is our one year wedding anniversary. of course, its hard for either of us to look at our relationship as only "one year old", especially because i know we both feel like we've known each other and loved one another our entire lives.

when i was younger (and even not so young) i was in love with Kermit the Frog.
No, really.
Seriously, truly in love with him.
Like, I wanted to marry him, in love.

I never understood why Kermit & Miss Piggy were an item. I didn't see how she could make him happy; she seemed really overbearing and loud; she was bossy and bold; she had tons of thick blonde hair and always seemed to storm off in a huff if she didn't get her way.

Kermit--- i would love you in a way Piggy couldn't.

Now, of course, i never married Kermit (though i think about it still...), but i also never stopped loving him. As I got older, i started to understand their relationship more. Piggy WAS bold, but she was a perfect catalyst for meek Kermit-- she pushed him to do things and take risks. She was loud, but it was only because Kermie was so quiet. She wanted things her way... but I saw her compromise too. Maybe they were made for each other, afterall.

***********

A year and some months ago, AJ & i took a trip to DC to see the Jim Henson exhibit at the Smithsonian. It was beautiful. I wept. I felt inspired. We both marveled at his genius--- at the love & passion and integrity Henson poured into everything he made. We were in awe of the work we knew had made us "different" and had helped to sculpt us as young artists and impassioned people.

At some point in the day I decided I didn't want to wait anymore for "the perfect moment", or until we had "enough money" or "enough time"; we'd been talking about getting married for years and we both knew we were supposed to be together; why wait any longer? We were walking in through mall, after the show, on our way to the DC Zoo, when I just said "will you marry me? Let's get married. Let's just do it". I knew I'd taken some of the "boy power" out of the whole proposal thing... but that's just how I am; i don't believe in convention--- i see something I want, and i get it. Call me overbearing or bossy, but I was tired of waiting, and I knew AJ was waiting for "the right time". I wanted him to know it WAS the right time... in fact, we'd waited too long already. Kermit & Piggy never worried about other people. Hell, they got married despite my belief that they belonged together!

***********

We put together this wedding blog as a way of sharing our adventure with our family & friends and picked November 10th as the day we'd have the ceremony performed, mostly because it was a day I already had off and AJ was able to get the day off. We wanted to have a night away, and the 10th was the most viable day for it. I liked the idea of sharing November with Thanksgiving and my parent's anniversary... but honestly, November is a very busy month for me and getting it done sooner than later just worked.

I sang "Somebody's Getting Married" (from the Muppets Take Manhattan) and used that as our wedding day post on the blog. I couldn't help feel like the Muppets were responsible in a few different ways... I mean, Kermit & Piggy taught me about love, right? And I guess, if I'm being totally honest... AJ & I do kinda have a Kermit & Piggy thing going on.

************

A year has passed and I am reflecting on the day we said "I do". Remembering too, how much i loved the sentiment expressed in the song from Kermit & Piggy's wedding... "he makes her happy... she makes him happy... she makes me happy... he makes me happy, that's all I need to know". And he does. And it is.

I sat down to write this post and got a message from a friend; a tweet, actually, wishing us and Sesame Street a happy anniversary. I assumed it was a generalization, until I read this article. Turns out, 40 years ago today, Sesame Street premiered. Jim Henson's brilliance was launched into the mainstream, and 10 years later I would start watching it, learning from it. I would meet the Muppets too. And 16 years after that, I'd meet AJ. And at an exhibit celebrating his life and work, we'd decide to get married, for real, on November 10th, just because it fit in our schedules.

And a year later, to the day, we'd be sharing our anniversary with Sesame Street.

How cool is that?
About as cool as we are, that's how.

Making Peace with the formerly "offensive" yarn.

2009-11-05T15:19:00.000-05:00

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I'm guessing this started off as a good idea.

2009-11-05T12:10:00.001-05:00

As you can see, we're VERY engaged in our work here. Hope to see you tomorrow or Saturday at the Harford Day School Arts Festival!

Harford Day School: Festival of the Arts

2009-11-04T09:57:00.000-05:00

Alright, here it is!
The first show of the Fall (read: earliest chance to get your paws on all the goods before anyone else can).
So, if you're looking for something to do this weekend, I suggest you come and see me here...

The 8th Annual Arts Festival, a juried exhibit and sale, will be held November 6 and 7, 2009 on the campus of Harford Day School. More than sixty artists will be at the show to present original, handcrafted work in a variety of media.

The festivities will begin with a Preview Party for adults on Friday, November 6. Guests that attend the Preview Party will be the first to preview and purchase artwork while enjoying the food from many of our best local restaurants. Some of the participating restaurants last year were: DuClaw Brewing Co., Bonefish Grill, Manor Tavern, Bill Bateman's Raw Bar and Grill, Damon's Grill, Scotto's, Sizzling Bombay, and Josef's. Consistent with this year's Caribbean theme, Lenny Rogers from Trinidad will entertain the party-goers on the steel drum. Maui Wowi will serve island drinks from a Tiki Bar, and a lucky raffle winner will go home with a Caribbean vacation. Preview Party tickets are $65 each. If you would like to receive an invitation to this exciting event or would like information on sponsorship opportunities, please visit the website.

Knitimal Holiday Cards!

2009-10-30T13:37:00.003-04:00

I know it isn't even Halloween yet, but my hubby and i like to get our Holiday cards made, made out, and mailed out before December has gotten too much on us. And with that in mind, I figured I may as well see if i could help out any other Early Birds!

********
Make the Holidays just a little cuter with this set of Knitimal™ greeting cards.

Based on my original illustrations, these cards are reproduced in robust black on crisp, clean bright white card stock (made from 70% post consumer product). Each card has been carefully hand cut.

Cards can be given just as they are-- black and white-- OR you can color them! Its a great way to include the kids in the family gift giving! Or, of course, your recipient can color them themselves...

There are four designs, and the set includes 3 of each.
Set comes with 12 white envelopes & is packaged tied up with a sweet ribbon.

cards measure: 4.25 x 5.5" each

The insides of the cards are blank... So you can say exactly what YOU want to say!
Backs of the cards feature my name & business info.

Happy Holidays!

get your set here.

Plush You wrap up & photo album!

2009-10-28T15:16:00.011-04:00

Well, I've been back from Seattle for over a week, but just haven't had the time to do what I thought would be a post good enough to do justice to the amazing trip & the equally amazing impetus for the trip: Plush You 2009! I decided I'd break the trip down into important "sections" and cover each one separately--- most important of all? Plush You of course!

(pictured: me, Jenni of SLC Studio, Leeanna of Plush Goodness & Marcy of MoonsCreations)
The show was amazing. I finally got to meet some of my fellow Etsy Plush Team members, who prior to the opening were just witty messages & photos of their work online. These are some KICK ASS women, let me tell ya. Not only is their work beautiful, and meticulously crafted, but they are fun, fun, fun. See, it DOES take cool people to make cool stuff. Here we are flashing our Plush Team Gang Sign. Aren't we tough?

(pictured: Plush Goodness, by Leeanna!)
There was just SO much work to be seen... on average, every one of the over 100 artists had 3 pieces in the 4 different venues for Plush You (which doesnt even include the Plush You Jewels over at Fancy). That's a lot of art, my friends. I took a million pictures, and wanted to buy it all.

I couldn't buy it all... but i could buy these two pieces, by Sewing Stars & Boo-Ba.

It's taken me eons, but I've finally gotten all my photos from Plush You 2009 up on my flickr... enjoy!

Blog Guilt

2009-10-26T00:43:00.003-04:00

I've been quite absent.
I can explain.
I was in Seattle for 2 weeks.
I sprained my foot.
I am swamped with deadlines.
It takes SO long to resize all these pictures...

I want to resize them.
I will resize them.

I have so much to tell you about.

Please forgive me.
I will make it up to you.
soon.
Promise...

(here, have a baby lemur in the meantime)

Ali's birthday discount!

2009-10-15T21:45:00.000-04:00

Remember, 15% of all purchases made today will go directly to The Cancer Research Institute! So shop hard and stay healthy.
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First peek at Plush You!

2009-10-09T15:05:00.000-04:00

Just stopped in to get a sneak peek at the lovely and amazing work (and to get first dibs on the goodness, naturally). Was super psyched to find my OoAKies sharing a shelf with Cutesy but Not Cutesy's horned furry lovelies. I bought a few pieces (to be revealed later) and still haven't seen the other shops hosting work! I'm sure more shopping will happen. Oh yes.
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Plush You opens TODAY!!!

2009-10-09T08:30:00.000-04:00

.... and here they are!

These three OoAKies are making their debut at Schmancy this evening. If you're in Seattle, be sure to come out for the party and get your hands on some AMAZING plush from all over the world (and Baltimore).

wink wink.

xoxo

I've got Balance!

2009-10-08T16:07:00.000-04:00

My first trip to the grocery store (to get, primarily, allergy medicine) has proved fruitful. What fruit, you ask? Well, Cranberry and Grapefruit, of course! I only bought two. For now.
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Doesn't matter which Coast I'm on; I always end up crafting with a dog head on my lap.

2009-10-08T13:15:00.000-04:00

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waiting in the airport...

2009-10-07T17:58:00.002-04:00

i'm in atlanta (which any geography buff will recognize as the most logical halfway point between baltimore & seattle...) waiting for my next flight to leave. i have 3 hours. i wonder what i was thinking when i booked these tickets... surely there was a later flight leaving baltimore for atlanta... or one that bypassed the southeast altogether.

so far i've discovered some lovely things: wireless ON the plane now, on airtran. I didn't use it, but i liked knowing it was there. and more important, they now serve vitamin water as a complimentary beverage option. two flavors too! essential (the orange one) and revive (the fruit punch one... or "purple" as we call it). i went with orange.

my excitement over the vitamin water reminded me of another AWESOME thing i totally forgot about the last time i was in seattle--- they still sell Balance there! (that's the cran-grapefruit vitamin water, for those of you who joined the vitamin water craze a little late in the game.... now, for those of you who have been loving it from the beginning: remember FRUIT water? it was like vitamin water, but clear and not sweet and i was obsessed with it). Anyway, point being, i will be filling my suitcase with Balance for my return trip. Im bringing that sh-stuff back to baltimore or SURE.

so, i'm biding my time before take off. listening to Grizzly Bear (which reminds me of my brother, who i'll be seeing in a matter of hours) and doubling down on tylenol (which i thought i hadn't packed, but totally had). i can't wait to get to Seattle!

in the meantime, i will alternate between stitching up some new slim-line knitimal wallets & playing games on my phone. some work, some play, makes danamarie a happier traveller.

Crafting at 40,000 feet

2009-10-07T16:28:00.000-04:00

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First hurdle of the trip:

2009-10-07T14:02:00.000-04:00

... Resist urge to steal this sign from the bathroom. I passed.
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Plush You: Progress

2009-10-07T09:36:00.000-04:00

Mason helps me pack for Seattle...

2009-10-07T00:02:00.000-04:00

... Or tries to protest my leaving by sabotaging my luggage. Either/or.

Well, despite his efforts, I AM going to Seattle tomorrow. Plush You opens Friday. I'll report back, of course.

Until then though, please help us in our fundraising efforts, by shopping greenstarstudio! This whole month, 5% of all my etsy sales will go directly to the Cancer Research Institute.

Ok, I'm headed to sleep. I will be in airports or in the air for over 12 hours tomorrow. Yuck.

Till then...

Xoxo, danamarie
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Plush You: Progess

2009-10-06T09:38:00.000-04:00

While I sew...

2009-10-05T12:11:00.000-04:00

... the peanut naps.

Plush You: Progress

2009-10-04T09:42:00.000-04:00

paint, paint, paint...

The Plush Team's Breast Cancer Awareness Fundraiser!

2009-10-04T09:04:00.000-04:00

This OoAKie is proud to announce the PLUSH TEAM'S BREAST CANCER AWARENESS FUNDRAISER

80% of this sale will be donated to the Susan G. Komen Institute. The Susan G. Komen Institute is an international fund dedicated to raising money for Breast Cancer Cure research. Feel free to check out their website for further information--

***********
OoAKie # 1 (Special Edition)
8" tall

She's celebrating & raising awareness with her bright pink boobie dots and breast cancer ribbon. Makes a great totem for any woman, whether she'd going through chemo, celebrating remission or embracing themselves just as they are--- this little plush sculpture can be a wonderful reminder of their strength & the love that surrounds them.

International Day of Felt

2009-10-03T08:10:00.000-04:00

2009 is the United Nation's International Year of Natural Fibers. It will be the first year felters from around the globe will join together displaying their felt by exhibiting it outside their homes and studios.

October 3rd is the International Day of Felt. The theme this year is yellow, orange & red.

images by greenstarstudio

image by The Littlest Bean

CELEBRATE!!!

Click here for more info.

Plush You: Progress

2009-10-02T11:45:00.000-04:00

October Charity of the Month: Cancer Research Institute

2009-10-01T07:08:00.006-04:00

It's the Holiday season again... which means its time to turn up the giving-charm.

Every year, here at greenstarstudio, we practice putting the heart in art, by partnering with a charity for an entire month, in order to raise awareness and money for people & animals & places in need.

Choosing this month's charity was, sadly, not difficult at all. I, like so many others, unfortunately know way too many people who have been directly affected by Cancer. It's taken mothers, fathers, sisters, brothers, & from far too many friends.

I wish my list of people who've done battle or have been affected by this terrible disease was shorter (if not completely non-existent), but its not. Its way too long and has been so for too long a time. My dear friend Ali, has invested so much of her young & vibrant life recently to supporting BOTH of her parents through their fight (read her brilliantly written letter to Cancer here). Ali's birthday is Oct. 15th, and I decided last month that as my birthday gift to her, I would like to help her raise money for her favorite charity. So, with that, I'm proud to announce that The Cancer Research Institute is the October Charity of the Month.

From today through October 31st, 5% of ALL my etsy sales will go directly to the Cancer Research Institute! And on OCT 15th, i'll donate 15% of the sales! So shop and know you're supporting a good cause. You don't need to include a code or do anything but fill your cart and enjoy the benefits. Now's a great time to stock up on birthday & holiday gifts, and let your purchase do double duty.

Just a few weeks ago, I learned that my good friend, Megan had Lymphoma... she's only just started grad school and today, she also starts Chemo. I made her the OoAKie pictured above, as a "voodoo doll" of sorts. She says "totes" (instead of Totally) a lot, so i figured her Cancer VooDoo doll would too.

And, keep an eye on the shop for plenty of brand new OoAKies just waiting to be customized into Cancer VooDoo dolls, like Megan's. They make wonderful, life affirming, giggle-worthy, clutchable, reminders of love, for anyone you know who could use a little boost of "I'm thinking of you", while they fight for their lives. The dolls are customizable too--- I can include a special message just from you--- just include a note in the Message to Seller section as Check out!

Thanks for helping Ali & I support such a worthy cause.
Love & Health,
danamarie

Shop Update!

2009-09-29T13:35:00.003-04:00

Now's the time to stock up on one of a kind goodies from greenstarstudio; brand new in the shop: Knitimal Masks, brand new one of a kind Knitimals & OoAKies: hand drawn dolls you can color yourself! This week only (thru Oct. 4th) include the code "FREEFALL" in the message to seller section at checkout, and I'll reimburse your shipping costs. That's FREE Shipping all week long! Happy Shopping!

Plush You: Progress

2009-09-28T00:47:00.000-04:00

Plush You: Progress

2009-09-26T08:49:00.000-04:00

Toy Chest Dog

2009-09-25T08:09:00.000-04:00

So, before Mason I'd never had a small dog. The smallest dog I ever had was a completely insane Border Collie (my family had him for about a year, in which time he managed to, literally, steal things from us and hide them in deep graves in the backyard, nip the heels of the German Shepherds he shared the home with, and take a flying leap from our second story... and yet, that's not what ended his time with our family. This dog actually DID have to go live on a farm). Before Mason, I was a Shepherd girl, born and bred; if the dog wasn't at least 70 pounds, it wasn't a dog. But then, we lost our dear Shiloh, and while we knew we needed a new dog around the house ( i needed the smell & sound of a dog immediately), i also knew i couldn't handle having another shepherd that soon.

So we chose Mason. The tiniest thing i'd ever adopted, named or tried to find a harness to fit.
Some days I forget how small he really is (since he's more than twice the size he was when we first got him)... but every time i forget, Mason reminds me... by climbing into spaces not actually meant for him.

Like, for example, this:

As i was setting up the new shelves in "Mason's Area" of the kitchen, i wondered aloud how long it would be before he climbed in with his toys, ET style. It was about 30 minutes, for anyone who had a pool going.

Mural Dedication... sneak peek

2009-09-24T13:54:00.003-04:00

Lots to do today, and no time to write a post thorough enough to do justice to the amazingness that was yesterday, but i'll give you a little teaser, in the form of someone else's blog.

once i check a few more things off my to-do list, I'll whip up a real grade A article for you all!

around the studio...

2009-09-24T12:46:00.000-04:00

Plush You: Progress

2009-09-23T12:49:00.000-04:00

Just a little more about the Apron...

2009-09-22T18:27:00.002-04:00

This just in! Apparently it was $1200, not $1000 (even better, no?)
And here are some pics just sent over from the Office of Promotion & the Arts of the apron WITH the mayor's signature.

(lovely woman modeling is not the mayor, but lovely nonetheless).

I am perfectly balanced...

2009-09-22T09:07:00.002-04:00

... well, at least on the Wii Fit, I am perfectly balanced. Now to bring that into my actual life on a more regular basis, right?

Today's a good day.
AND tomorrow is the mural dedication! Hope to see you all there!

... ooh, more on Apron Gate

2009-09-21T17:31:00.002-04:00

some googling just provided me with these nuggets of info:

"Celebrities who are donating their designed aprons include Ms. O’Brien herself, Camille
and Bill Cosby, John Waters, syndicated comic strip artist, Rick Detorie (“One Big Happy”), Mayor Sheila
Dixon, Congressman Elijah Cummings and others"

(which means i out sold all of THEM too!)

I got this sweet shout out, thanks to the watchful eye of the lovely Whitney Sherman.

"Why an Apron", many have asked... well, here's why.

Here's the program from the Auction, in case you have ever wondered what goes down at a big ticket party.

around the studio

2009-09-21T09:27:00.001-04:00

its fun living here.

Dedication for the Park Heights Mural!

2009-09-20T08:35:00.000-04:00

Join us for the dedication of the Park Heights mural, celebrating the 50th anniversary of Sinai's involvement in the community.

Wednesday, September 23, 2009 @ 2pm
Corner of Park Heights and Boarman Avenue

Hope to see you there!

New OoAKies coming to the shop...

2009-09-19T09:40:00.000-04:00

....keep your eyes peeled; they're one of a kind and looking for love.

what the what!?

2009-09-18T22:32:00.001-04:00

This just in....

(got this email from my contact at City Hall)

"Danamarie--I thought you might like to know that the auction you made the apron for was held tonight and I just found out... that Soledad O'Brien {of CNN}, who MC'd the event, bought your apron for $1,000--the highest bid! It even beat out Larry King's apron! Thanks again for coming through for us and doing such a fantastic job"

so there ya go.

Suck it, Larry.

an Apron for the Mayor

2009-09-17T20:32:00.005-04:00

yes. you heard that right.

if you follow me on Facebook or Twitter, you're no doubt familiar with what I was calling "ApronGate", though you might not know how it started or why I was involved to begin with... and if you don't follow me on Facebook or Twitter, what are you waiting for?!

So, ApronGate...

My dear husband has been working a very strange 4-midnight shift off and on the last couple weeks, which means, we have affectively turned into OwlPeople. Not a big deal really, since we tend to stay up late anyway, and the only difference is that now we dont HAVE to get up early either. So when I woke up late morning Monday, and checked my phone for emails, i wasnt surprised to see that I already had 15. These things are normal. What wasn't normal was to see that one of the messages came from the email address: "City Hall"... uh oh.

I read the email and found out that the woman writing it had gotten my name from the city's mural registry, and that she was coming to me with a very "special project". The special project was pretty vague, but from what i could gather, the Mayor needed an apron painted for a charity auction; the subject matter was open but with a Baltimore theme and the deadline was tight. I wrote back to say i was interested and would like more info, and thus began a string of fast paced e-convos (thanks Blackberry!); next thing i knew, i was headed to City Hall... i had security clearance and a special parking spot waiting for me behind the otherwise padlocked barricades.

I waited to meet my contact, and replayed a number of episodes of The Wire, where pivotal scenes took place in the very spot I was sitting. I tried not to feel weird that when I went through the metal detector, the man who checked my bag found a bag of popcorn, 2 granola bars, my wallet and an apple in my bag (look, i'm hypoglycemic, you never know when you'll need a sugar pick me up). After some time, my contact came to greet me and I was shuffled up to a big fancy conference room to meet with the PR folks. It was there that i learned that there were clearly two very different kinds of aprons being planned here... the kind i thought i was going to make and the kind they now seemed to want me to make. I took notes on all the different topics coming at me and tried to imagine all the ways i could fit all those themes on one little apron... it didnt seem promising, but i wanted to do right... its the mayor afterall.

It was here that i also found out the deadline was tighter than i'd first thought... not Friday, but Wednesday. wow.

I was given the Mayor's official portrait (an 8x10 glossy), which i was pretty sure I wasn't going to use (as i'd explained-- there's already enough debate over what to put on it to begin with; could you imagine what would happen if i also had to get her likeness to her (and everyone else's) liking?). I told them I'd have a sketch by that evening... fingers crossed.

i went home, apron in hand. A few hours of angry, unproductive sketching passed interrupted by distractions, Mason, snacking, napping and TV judge show watching. Eventually, things clicked and I came up with two different versions of a design--- hopefully different enough that they'd be able to choose between them easily. At midnight, I emailed the images to City Hall.

we, the OwlPeople, woke up the next morning and i found, surprisingly, that i had no emails from City Hall... i began counting down the hours. I had class at 4pm and was, on top of a bunch of other feelings, pretty excited I had such a bizarre job to share with my Illustration 1 students... THIS is what an illustrator's life is REALLY like, kids! Finally, at noon, I got a message that they'd chosen the more "Maryland-y" scene... I was a little surprised, because it wasn't really what i typically do, but I figured it would be relatively easy to paint and I should just get excited about it. I couldn't start painting just then because we had some family errands to run before class... good thing I waited too, because at 2pm I got a "stop the presses!" email saying the Mayor herself had chimed in and her vote was for the other image; the one with the two figures... the one with the "sorta" mayor figure depicted in it.

Way to be progressive, Mayor Dixon! good choice.

And so, it was time to officially begin.

I took the apron to class, and used it as a teaching tool (see kids, sometimes you get totally wacky jobs that just make for good stories!), and used the big tables to spread the apron out and draw the basic sketch in, in white prismacolor pencil.

when i got home, i spread the apron out to photograph it (i'm a big fan of bringing you "in progress" shots), and Mason had to investigate. Now you might be wondering about the readability of the sketch... looks kinda hard to see, right?

well, here i've played with the contrast in Photoshop... helpful because now you can see the drawing. But not helpful in allowing me to make a very critical point: working on red fabric is TERRIBLE for your eye balls. Don't believe me? Here's the unaltered red:

Are your eyes bleeding yet?

So, here it is photoshopped a little. I painted some Tuesday night, but the combination of the long day and the bright red was making my head hurt and after not too long, I had to call it a day. Wednesday morning I had a doctor's appointment, and with a 5:30 deadline, I came home from the doc with exactly 5 hours to work.

Ordinarily, totally doable, but this fabric was like a sponge for both moisture and color. I was painting and repainting the same area within 15 minutes. I honestly thought I wouldn't finish it. It occurred to me at one point, that there was a good chance I would bust my hump to get it done, deliver it by 5:30 and that it might just end up living in City Hall overnight anyway because it wouldn't be able to be delivered to the charity until the following day anyway. I eagerly awaited a deadline extension and every time my phone would buzz, I'd check the email like a kid on christmas... but alas, no extension. Nope, the Mayor HAD to sign it today, because she wouldnt be in on Thursday. So back to obsessing I go.

I was supposed to call my contact to let her know when i'd be arriving (so they could get me clearance and whatnot again), but if i stopped painting i'd be wasting time, so i just moved along without worrying about that part. And, at 5:25, I was drawing the finishing touches (a rather annoyingly small and precise version of the city seal)... and at 5:30 on the dot, I was asking my dear husband to clean up after me, as I was rushing out the door, wet apron slung over my person, and materials for that night's class on my shoulder.

And, at 5:40, I pulled into the City Hall parking lot, called inside, and handed over the Mayor's Apron.

Quite possibly the weirdest job I've ever taken... for now.

I hope she likes it.

I hope it fetches a pretty penny at the auction.

Take that Larry King! (he has one in it too, apparently).

i'm the best!

2009-09-15T21:08:00.004-04:00

The Baltimore City Paper has awarded it's BOB (Best of Baltimore) honors and bestowed Best Mural on, well, me! Last year, myself and 3 other muralists worked on 5 panels belonging to the Waverly Giant Supermarket, and now our mural has won Best in Baltimore.

Don't get us wrong: We love having a grocery store in Waverly. But the Giant has always been a bit too suburban for our tastes. The parking lot is too big and the three street-facing sides of the building are completely unused. Fortunately, the Baltimore Mural Program, part of the city's Office of Promotion and the Arts, commissioned five murals--painted by Gary Mullen, Michael Owen, Nelson Rivas, and Danamarie Hosler--to fill up the walls left blank by the store's owners. The murals by Rivas and Hosler are the best, picturing Waverylites past and present in the leafy setting for which the community was once known. Unlike murals that depict a mish-mash of local places and famous people, the Waverly murals are higher-minded, almost making up for the sterility of the Giant's building.

to read more

Plush You: Progress

2009-09-14T08:50:00.000-04:00

so here they are... sorta.
now they need some soul.

let the games begin!

Plush You: Progress

2009-09-13T12:39:00.000-04:00

Plush You... small steps

2009-09-11T23:36:00.005-04:00

In just under a month I will be work-acationing in Seattle; jointly enjoying hang time with my brother & sister and joining my brothers-in-plush arms at Plush You 2009!

I know many of the artists who will be exhibiting there (even if i've never actually met them, I know them well from their blogs & shops and i can't wait to snuggle their plushies in person) and no doubt, all of the submissions will be innovative and beautiful. I imagine everyone participating put very careful thought into the planning and creation of their plush works of art, and i was no exception. Yes, if you're gonna hang in an internationally reknown show such as this, you don't go into it lightly.

So, much thought later, I think i finally settled on a set of three I could really sink my teeth into.

Now, all the work has already been sent to Seattle, and I believe in being fair, so I'm not going to reveal anything here before it's unveiled over there, ya know? But I have snapped pictures all along the way, and will be sharing the progress with you every now again, all the way up to the big reveal on Oct. 9th (when Plush You officially opens!).

Stay tuned....

xoxo, danamarie

imagination celebration!

2009-09-11T16:52:00.001-04:00

say hello to the new Knitimal Finger Puppets!

available in custom colors too.
decorate those fingers and celebrate the imagination why dontcha?!

my better half...

2009-09-09T10:20:00.002-04:00

In other amazing art news... a special shout out to Mr. Greenstarstudio, for his 2nd place win in the highly competitive and highly bizarre Baltimore City Paper's 8th Annual Comics Contest.

he won a $100 gift certificate to a wine shop... which is hilarious because if asked what specialty store we'd be least likely to ever use a gift certificate for, i think wine shop would place second after hunting store.... and even at a hunting store we'd probably be able to find something we could re-purpose.

but it's not about the prize; it's about his 2nd time in the coveted number two spot, and his 3rd time in print in the city paper!

want to see some more?

yay AJ!

fall goodies: coasters!

2009-09-08T07:19:00.000-04:00

set of four coasters, just listed!

happy labor day!

2009-09-07T09:59:00.002-04:00

now go have some fun!

Happy Friday!

2009-09-04T12:26:00.000-04:00

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and they are.......

2009-09-03T19:22:00.004-04:00

COASTERS!!!!

Thank you all for playing along, and thank you for all your awesome guesses... (and GREAT ideas for new stuff to make!).
CheddarFish guessed it correctly, so she'll be getting a free coaster sent her way, post haste.

In the meantime, if you'd like a set of FOUR knitimal coasters, you can find them here. I'll be adding more sets to the shop over the next few days. If you want a custom set, in colors to match your decor, let me know!

xo, danamarie

The big reveal...

2009-09-02T23:52:00.000-04:00

... Will be postponed til tomorrow (due to me forgetting that today was the 2nd and not the 1st and also due to extreme sleepiness).

Last chance to get your guesses in!
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The fast paced world of the Knitimal medical center...

2009-09-01T10:46:00.000-04:00

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Knitimal medical exam

2009-09-01T10:35:00.000-04:00

Take 2 toddlers.
Add one "little Md" kit.
And a very loved knitimal and you get this...

During the course of Froogoat's exam he had his blood pressur taken, his heart listened to, his eyes checked, 4 shots, 2 bandaids and something called "mouth medicine shots". He also had a splinter (one of those plastic wires they put price tags on clothes with).

When his temperature was taken he was 45-E21 degrees.

Oh! A new patient has been brought in... brb
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knitimal in the celluloid (sorta)

2009-08-30T08:00:00.000-04:00

somethings - test reel from Datamouth on Vimeo.

don't you just love happy, inspiring, gleeful things? with good music? and soft, sweet plush?

yeah, me too.

i like it even more when people i knew a million years ago, send me emails with amazing collaborations of goodness in them.
my good buddy, Christian (who was one of only a very small handful of people i actually LIKED in high school), adopted a Knitimal from me some time back. The knitimal's name is Okechobee.... this is what Christian did with him.

ok, now the challenge is out there--- what have YOU done with YOUR knitimals?

Hobbes

2009-08-29T09:03:00.001-04:00

since the plush you interview, i've gotten a number of emails asking for a picture of the Hobbes doll i made for my husband (then "just friend").

ye ask. ye shall receive.

if you haven't read the interview yet, here it is! Stay tuned for the slow reveal of the dolls that will be featured at Plush You this year...

spider

2009-08-28T08:57:00.000-04:00

if no one in your life has been fortunate enough to know about this or forward it to you, consider yourself deprived of a good belly laugh... until now. my sister sent me this email exchange a long while ago and i laughed and laughed and laughed, because it is THAT funny.

i've toyed with the idea of sending drawings in the place of payments in the past, but i'm not sure it would be anywhere near as good.

see you for yourself here.