Etsy Feature

Are you looking for the perfect gift for someone special for the holidays? Take a look at the shop Animalicules she offers the cutest softies, which are "knitted or crocheted by hand with lots of love, and they are looking for a loving home." Here is a little more about her and her shop, www.animalicules.etsy.com.

Tell me a little bit about yourself and your work:
I love cute stuff and I've always loved stuffed animals, way past the age when I probably should have. I used to teach little kids because I found it more fun to sing songs and draw than to just be with adults. My softies make great gifts for kids but I think they are just as good companions for grownups who need something to make them smile every now and then. They love to be played with but they also love to perch on mantels and windowsills and spruce up a room by looking cute.

How did you come up with your shop name?
Growing up, my dad always used animalicules as a funny word for animals. I think it's a good word to describe a species of cute little critters.

What is your favorite item in your shop and why?
I think my favorites are the sheep, probably the purple ones since purple is my favorite color. I like the sheep because they were one of the first softies I made up myself, and they look so cute when there's a whole flock of them.

What are your favorite materials to work with?
Yarn because it's so amazing what you can make out of one long piece of string. And buttons because when you turn them into eyes they can give a face a whole different personality. I'm actually obsessed with fabric too, but I'm not as good at sewing as at knit & crochet.

What inspires you?
Anything cute! Real animals, Japanese kawaii stuff, other softies, everything mini. Plus the shapes that you can make from knitting and crocheting because that's the starting point for any softie.

Feel free to check out her etsy shop, Animalicules, to discover more, "softies! Sheep, pigs, owls, and Christmas trees, with more to come. She has lots of ideas for animalicule-themed stuff for the future too." Or you can connect with her through her blog, http://animalicules.blogspot.com/. Have fun shopping!

In the Holiday Mood

I always love the Holidays, but this year I am super excited. My son, which he just turned 3 is really into it this year. He can't wait till Santa comes, when we bake a lot of fun goodies, and make a gingerbread house. I can't wait for those things either. I can't wait to see my son's face on X-mas morning, and just the excitement of opening up things and hear him screech with glee.

I also would like to start a tradition with him, now that he knows what is going on. I am not sure what we should do though. We always make cookies, because I have a cookie swap every year. We always make a gingerbread house, and we always cut down a tree and decorate it. I want a tradition that really is special. I was thinking maybe doing a crayon quilt. A quilt block square that he colors and decorates, and I will make a quilt out of it. And then I can make it a wall hanging. I will post more on what I found on how to make a crayon technique quilt in a later entry. I don't know, I am still deciding what to do.

What is your family tradition?