Zooguu by sweetestpea - blog

New Activity - Connect The Dots

2012-01-19T11:13:00.001-05:00

Our latest addition to the free stuff page is a connect the dots activity inspired by a Zooguu jointed soft sculpture!

Download the PDF file from the Zooguu Free Stuff Page!

Coloring Page - Winter Scene

2012-01-09T17:48:00.001-05:00

Our second free download this year is a coloring page featuring a penguin making a snow penguin. You can download the coloring page PDF on our Free Stuff Page. Check back next week for another free activity download.

January 2012 Calendar

2012-01-02T12:38:00.001-05:00

Happy New Year from Zooguu!
We're continuing with our free desktop wallpaper calendars in 2012, along with many other free activities like paper toys, coloring pages, puzzles, mazes, crafts and more! Look for more downloads starting next week.
Download the 2012 January Zooguu Narwhal Calendar from our Free Stuff Page!

December Calendar - Snow Globe

2011-12-05T23:07:00.001-05:00

The final 2011 Zooguu Desktop Wallpaper Calendar is finally here! These two penguins are counting down the days in front of a giant snow globe:

Download the wallpaper from Zooguu's Free Stuff Page

November Calendar - Autumn Owl

2011-11-07T12:02:00.001-05:00

Add a bit of autumn to your computer's desktop with Zooguu's latest free calendar!

Download the Free Wallpaper here.

November Holiday Craft Fairs

2011-11-05T14:43:00.001-04:00

Holiday shopping can be lots of fun when you're buying handmade gifts, shopping close to home, and supporting local artists and small business owners. You can find unique and meaningful gifts this holiday season for everyone on your list! Zooguu Handmade Plush Toys (along with many other talented artists) will be vending at the following events this November:

Twist 7
Northampton, MA
November 11 - 6-9pm
November 12 - 10am - 6pm

Visit Twist's web site for more information

Handmade Arcade
Pittsburgh, PA
November 12 - 11am - 7pm

Visit Handmade Arcade's Web Site for more information.

Wellesley Marketplace
Wellesley, MA
November 19 - 9am - 4pm

Visit Wellesley Marketplace's Web Site for more information.

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Craftopia
Pawtucket, RI
November 20 - 10am - 4pm

Visit Craftopia's Web Site for more information.

Hingham Shipyard Holiday Market
Hingham, MA
Saturday, November 26th - 10AM to 6PM
Sunday, November 27th - 10AM to 6PM

Admission and parking are free to the public.

Please visit http://www.hinghamholidaymarket.com/ for additional information, including artist profiles and directions to the Shipyard.

Zombie Narwhal Plush Toy

2011-10-22T17:32:00.000-04:00

My Halloween Costume this year will be a zombie narwhal. Before I dive in and create the 7' tall foam narwhal costume, I wanted to make a smaller version as a plush toy. I think this zombie narwhal stuffed animal is hilarious! It comes complete with an exposed brain!

I also really love the blood drool that this guy has. He's obviously been snacking on something! Want your own? Zombie Narwhals will be available at the SoWa Open Market on the 23rd & 30th of October, or by custom request. Happy Halloween!

Recent Custom Work - Launchpad Toys

2011-09-22T16:30:00.001-04:00

I met Launchpad Toys during the Renegade Craft Fair in San Francisco, and we had a great time talking about games, apps, plush toys & huge, jointed dolls. Fast forward a couple of months, and I've finally finished some of the largest and most complex plush I've attempted. The arms, legs & heads on these 18"-24" characters are fully jointed, so they can be posed like action figures. They are based on characters created by Launchpad, and go along with the app that they created. Toontastic is great, because it provides kids with jointed characters that they can animate and tell stories with. It's like a digital puppet show that can be shared with family and friends. How cool is that? Now, it's time to check out the final plush toys below.

This is their logo.

I love his little rocket booster feet!

And here's a character called Mr. Jinx:

I added elastic bands to the back of his hands so that he can hold things like plush bananas:

Happy September - Sneaky Foxes!

2011-09-01T20:47:00.001-04:00

This month's free desktop wallpaper calendar features a pair of sneaky Zooguu foxes chasing each other through the woods. Here in Northeastern MA, we've started to see the first leaves fall! I crunched a few as I walked up the front steps the other day and thought that it was finally time to create a woodland themed calendar. Enjoy these fun foxes during the month of September!

Download the FREE desktop wallpaper on Zooguu.com

Order a handmade Zooguu plush fox toy in your favorite size & colors on Zooguu.com

August 2011 Calendar

2011-08-03T09:08:00.001-04:00

August's desktop wallpaper calendar features the fugu blowing bubbles!

Download it for free on Zooguu.com!

HP Lovecraft Tiny World

2011-07-28T09:44:00.001-04:00

I took a Tiny World Pincushion class in late April with artist Mimi Kirchner, and I've finally put the finishing touches on my Tiny World. I was invited to participate in an HP Lovecraft themed group art show at The Fools Mansion in Salem, MA and I decided to use that opportunity to pick a theme for my Tiny World.

My Tiny World contains a monolith atop an island of slime amidst a troubled sea. Tentacles creep out from the depths perhaps to drag someone under. The Tiny World is a pincushion made entirely of wool felt and installed in a teacup. I chose a teacup that reminded me of a shell to reinforce the nautical feeling. Each tentacle is actually a pin (see below) that can be rearranged, making it an interactive and functional piece of art.

See this in person in Salem, MA. Details:

FROM BEYOND: ARTWORKS INSPIRED BY H.P. LOVECRAFT is a group art show running from July 30TH to August 27TH here at Fool's Mansion in our Red Room Gallery.

Join us for the opening night reception with the artists on July 30th from 8-10 PM.

Serpent Mounds

2011-07-03T23:17:00.001-04:00

We're on our way across the country to vend at the Renegade Craft Shows in San Francisco & Los Angeles, and we want to make sure to stop at interesting places along the way. That's most of the fun, right?

Today, we drove a little out of the way to visit the Serpent Mounds in Ohio. It was an incredible sight, and the photos do not do it justice. The visitor center staff were knowledgable, helpful, kind and genuinely seemed to love their job. That always makes an experience better. We walked around the entire serpent and even did some walking on a great trail that wound around below along a river. It was a very surreal experience. Even though it was out of our way, it was definitely worth the stop.

After that, we stopped in Indianapolis at Homespun: Modern Handmade to visit one of the shops that carries our toys. We met Amanda and Aubrey, and marveled at the amazing artists that we get to share space with. The store is very well designed, and I could see myself shopping there repeatedly. No wonder the locals love it!

Zooguu featured in Boston Globe Magazine

2011-06-27T09:33:00.001-04:00

The SoWA Open Market was featured in the June 26 issue of Boston Globe Magazine. We were lucky enough to be chosen by Marni Katz, the writer of the article, to have our products photographed. You can imagine the smile on my face when I got the paper yesterday morning and saw how large our photo was! You can see the article online, in a photo slideshow format on boston.com.

Renegade Preview 2 of 2 - Dinosaurs!

2011-06-10T11:36:00.001-04:00

They're finally here! I've been dreaming about making jointed dinosaurs for a while now, and of course I have to choose one of the busiest times to try out a new design. I think it might be all of the creative energy flowing here in the studio and the excitement building around another Renegade Craft Fair. If you're in Brooklyn this weekend, come by Booth #22 to be the first to check out these new T-Rex toys! There will be a couple of other color combinations as well.

They Stand!

And they sit, too!

Renegade Preview 1 of 2 - Disco Narwhal

2011-06-09T10:58:00.002-04:00

At the Twist Fair in Northampton, MA there is a shiny disco ball suspended in the center of the room. Nate Duval, Jen Skelley and I were enjoying the delights of that disco ball and how its rotation signifies the start of the event. Perhaps it was something in the air, because we started to laugh about bringing a disco ball to outdoor events as well. And then the idea came: A giant disco ball narwhal to hang in our tent! What could be better for a craft fair? I promised I'd have one ready for Renegade Brooklyn, and here it is! Come visit booth #22 (near the baseball field) to check out the newest tent decoration and be captivated by its shiny, over the top, fabulous glow.

Happy June Narwhal Calendar

2011-06-01T10:53:00.000-04:00

Now that it's June, I'd like to share this month's free desktop wallpaper calendar. We're celebrating Narwhals this month. It's my newest design, and one of the things I love to make the most right now. You can download the .jpg for free on the Zooguu Free Stuff Page. Pretty soon, you will be able to purchase a narwhal in your favorite colors online. If you're crafty, you can already purchase a PDF pattern in the Zooguu Etsy shop to make one for yourself.

I'd also like to express our thanks to the readers of the Chicago Tribune! The response to the recent press about Zooguu has been wonderful, and we can't thank you enough.

Press - Chicago Tribune

2011-05-20T14:32:00.001-04:00

Zooguu appears in the Chicago Tribune this week! I was also informed that the article was distributed nationally to all Tribune papers. The article originated in the Bellingham Herald (WA) earlier this month and seems to be getting around to other newspapers. Great news for us!

May 2011 Calendar

2011-05-02T11:42:00.001-04:00

It has been so nice to see flowers pop up all of a sudden this spring. To celebrate May, this calendar download features two little hedgehogs meeting each other at the prettiest flower in the garden. Enjoy!

http://zooguu.com/freestuff.html

April 2011 Calendar

2011-04-06T12:20:00.001-04:00

It's a little bit late, but the April 2011 Calendar has been posted to the Free Stuff section on Zooguu.com!

My First Pattern For Sale - Plush Narwhal!

2011-03-25T21:47:00.001-04:00

I'm excited to announce that my first pattern for sale has been listed in the Zooguu Etsy shop! Thanks to those who helped read things over and test out this step by step tutorial. It has been a lot of work to put together, but I can't wait to see the narwhals that people make using this guide.

This 14 page PDF pattern includes instructions, pattern pieces, diagrams and photos to make a narwhal in three different sizes. It also includes instructions on how to turn it into an ornament!

This pattern is for intermediate sewers & toymakers. Experience in making a flat or pillow type toy is recommended.

Happy Birthday Banner

2011-03-19T11:01:00.001-04:00

The latest free download on Zooguu.com lets you celebrate birthdays in style! If you have scissors, tape & some string or ribbon, this simple project is a great way to add cheer to someone's special day. It is a small banner, perfect to hang over a door, over a window or on a wall. We hope this adds to your next celebration! Look for more party planning activities throughout March.

For The Prettiest Princess

2011-03-01T16:57:00.001-05:00

I can't stop making these. They're too much fun. This one is probably the girliest thing I've ever made, but I love it!

Available in the Zooguu Etsy Shop

March Calendar Download

2011-02-28T21:11:00.001-05:00

In like a lion, out like a lamb...

Proud Unicorn Plush

2011-02-24T18:55:00.001-05:00

My latest plush creation is a big departure from what I normally create. I was invited to participate in an upcoming show called "March of the Unicorns" at the Lichen Gallery. The Lichen is part of the University of Nebraska, Lincoln. The show will run for the month of March. While I have made unicorns in my classic dome shape before, I've been waiting for a chance to break the mold and create something outside my comfort zone.

Not only does this unicorn stand up on its own, but its legs are jointed (using the hidden button joint technique expertly explained by my friend Mimi Kirchner), so it can be positioned in a variety of ways.

Closer look at the face & the top-stitching detail of the mane, beard & horn.

Front & Back view. This unicorn is very proud, indeed!

My inspiration for this design is the images of unicorns in tapestries and in architecture, primarily the bronze sculptures found on top of the Council House in Bristol, UK.

The first unicorn is going to be on display in Lincoln, Nebraska for the month of March, but I will be making the design available in my Etsy shop as well.

New Game - Memory Match

2011-02-23T20:33:00.001-05:00

This week's free download and game is good old fashioned Memory, Zooguu style. In the PDF download, you can print out and make your own cards with different colored fish on them. In the online Flash game, you can flip over cards to find matching pairs. Play again and again to beat your own best time. Have fun!

Find this free game and more on Zooguu.com's Free Stuff page!

Cabin Fever & Toy Fair

2011-02-16T09:30:00.002-05:00

On Sunday in the South End in Boston, I was at the Cabin Fever Show selling my handmade toys. After doing a lot of holiday shows back to back, it was nice to have some time to replenish stock. It felt great to have a large variety of animals in different sizes and colors. I loved seeing some of my SOWA regulars, and also meeting new people who just saw our work for the first time. It makes me look forward to the start of the outdoor show season in May. I'll be at the SOWA Market almost every Sunday from May-October.

After Cabin Fever on Sunday, I went to New York on Monday to participate in Toy Fair. Every year, thousands of people in the toy industry come to New York to see the latest and greatest toys. This year, Etsy partnered with a booth called the Creative Factor and invited some Etsy toy makers to give live demonstrations of their craft during the show. It was an interesting contrast to see people actually making toys in the same setting where most of the toys are manufactured in large factories overseas. We had a lot of interesting conversations with convention-goers, and met some great people along the way.

Two of my Etsy seller neighbors were Ana & Aileen, who did crochet & needlefelting. I really enjoyed showing my step-by-step process of how the toys are made. I was also pleasantly surprised by the number of people who had already seen my toys (and were fans) either online or in person at a craft show.
Now it's time to get back to work and fill the orders I got this weekend!

Papercraft - Rabbit Lantern Box

2011-02-10T14:23:00.001-05:00

Just in time to celebrate the Year of the Rabbit & Valentine's Day! Make a special little box for a loved one. It is small enough to be precious, but large enough to hold some small candies for a surprise treat! You can download this free papercraft project at Zooguu.com.

Year of the Rabbit!

2011-02-05T17:12:00.001-05:00

To celebrate the year of the rabbit, February's desktop wallpaper calendar features a circle of adorable bunnies.

You can find this and other free downloads at zooguu.com in the Free Stuff section!

Weekly Download & Game: Silly Story!

2011-01-25T14:19:00.002-05:00

When I was a kid, I loved playing Mad Libs. I know you loved playing it too, so you'll really enjoy the latest download & yes, finally, a Flash game: Zooguu Silly Stories! In the PDF print & play version, you can come up with your own words to fill in. The Flash game has some provided words to choose from for each of the categories - but there are a lot of possibilities! Visit the Zooguu Free Stuff page to start having fun!

Weekly Download: Coloring Page

2011-01-14T13:24:00.001-05:00

For this week's download, I've created a new coloring page to add to our activity archive. This one features two penguins who have tangled their scarves together! Color the scarves in to help the penguins tell them apart. Enjoy!

Weekly Download: Thank You Notes

2011-01-07T14:12:00.002-05:00

Have you written all of your thank you notes yet? If not, using the new Zooguu Thank You notes might take some of the pressure off. The newest free download is a PDF with four notes per page. Simply print the file out on card stock, cut the sheet into quarters along the provided lines, fill in the blanks and post them to friends and relatives!

Happy New Year!

2010-12-31T16:46:00.001-05:00

Happy New Year, everyone!

Many thanks to those who purchased a handmade toy from us in 2010. It's because of you that we can continue to work full time as artists/toymakers. We're excited to share what new things we've cooked up for 2011... Starting with a pretty tough New Year's Resolution: We're planning on launching a new free download/activity every week on zooguu.com!

Our first is part of a monthly series of desktop wallpaper calendars - January showcases penguins playing in the snow! You can download it in 800x600 or 1440x900 format on zooguu.com's free stuff page.

Squids w/ Masks - Fool's Mansion Halloween Art Show

2010-09-24T14:38:00.001-04:00

I originally wanted to make a squid wearing a ghost costume for this year's annual Halloween Art Show at the Fool's Mansion in Salem, MA. A good idea in theory, but in reality, covering up your hard work in a white sheet with eye holes doesn't really do it justice. So, I opted for making a mask. Then, I loved it so much that I had to make three. :)

Squids without masks, waiting patiently for Halloween to finally come.

The squids are really happy to have their masks and their "trick or treat" bags.

A better view of the details and hand embroidered bag.

The Halloween Art Show at the Fool's Mansion in Salem, MA opens on Saturday, Oct. 2. There will be an opening party that evening. Come check out some amazing local artists!

Plush You - Zooguu Angler Fish

2010-09-23T17:06:00.001-04:00

This two-foot plush angler fish is heading out to Seattle to be part of this year's annual Plush You gallery show. This plush is particularly interesting because I tried a new technique, making my own pattern for the fabric. The body is made up of two pieces of fabric. The top layer is all free form drawn and hand cut, then appliqued on top of the lower layer.

Chicago - Renegade Craft Fair

2010-09-15T12:31:00.001-04:00

Gubicza and I just got back from Chicago, a short 16-hour drive away. It's nice to take some time out and do a weekend show in another city. Since we had friends coming in from all over to do the show, we were able to relax, hang out, be tourists and eat some great food together.

Saturday started out with rain (we were booth 171):

Here's part of our setup:

The ornament display I built last week:

Friday night in Millenium Park:

Deep Dish Pizza:

And us at "the bean" (Cloud Gate):

Thanks, Chicago, for another great year. Even with the rainy start to the event, we ended up having an even better show than last year! We met some wonderful new people, saw familiar faces and had a great time.

Theme #2 - Fire

2010-08-13T13:36:00.001-04:00

Gubicza and I are trying to introduce a theme project every week to help us be more creative and break away from our regular production schedule. Every Friday, the new theme is announced (Gubicza chose "spiders" as the first theme) and we have until the next Friday to create a piece based on that theme.

This week's theme is Fire. Gubicza did a piece for his new series of prints. The first three of this series will debut this Sunday at the SOWA market. I chose to create a plush dragon. A large one. This dragon is 13" tall and 28" long. I used fabrics that I've had for a long time, but don't normally use for my plush. The corduroy remnant adds a nice texture to the underside. Enjoy!

Space Station Conference Room for Etsy

2010-08-08T21:43:00.001-04:00

Here's the final room in our series for Etsy.com's corporate offices: The Space Station Conference Room!

This particular room has large windows on every wall that look into other rooms and into the main entryway. To complete the outer space look, and to create a "handmade" space station, I commissioned "space quilts" from other artists to hang in the windows: Katherine Rasmussen of Reiter8, Desira Pesta, Alissa Haight Carlton of Handmade by Alissa, Briana Taylor of BTaylor Quilts, Chanel Kennebrew of Junkprints, and Kristy Reichert of Beacon Bookmarks. I also had help from Jon Reichert of Box Designs with building custom archways and installing ceiling panels. Katherine Rasmussen not only created one of the quilts, but also upholstered all of the padded, grey panels for the ceiling and archways. RHLS even helped with painting the walls and ceiling.

Now, on to the show:

An overview of the room showing an archway, the wall treatments, the table and rug.

One of the doorways to the room. Quilts by Katherine Rasmussen & Kristy Reichert.

The front of the room has a projector screen that is framed in like a sci-fi view screen. Fake electrical panels along the wall add humor and color. This one monitors moustaches. Others track resellers, alert that a forum flame war is taking place, monitor treasury activity and track cephalopod production. :)

The other doorway. Quilts by Briana Taylor and Desira Pesta.

White panels on white walls add a nice texture and space-y feel to the walls. Two more electrical panels.

The back of the room has another white board that is framed in like a view screen.

Two wearable jet packs are hung on the walls by doorway 01 along with two electrical panels. Quilt by Alissa Haight Carlton.

The ceiling and the undersides of the archways feature rows of upholstered panels.

A large, orange E for Etsy is showcased in the center of the rug.

Venusta Orchard Spider Plush

2010-07-30T19:09:00.001-04:00

We've been in production mode for the last few days, building up our stock for future fairs, new stores and yes, the holiday season. In the spirit of keeping creative, I decided to take some time to create something new and different. We've been spotting lots of interesting looking spiders around our new home, and I decided to make a (much larger) plush version of one of the prettiest we've seen. It's a Venusta Orchard Spider, and it's got amazing green and yellow coloring with brilliant orange markings. It's completey harmless, and we're glad it's around to eat insects. For a sense of scale, the front legs are 14" long, and he seems pretty comfortable hanging out in a tree. Enjoy!

Octopus Clock @ The Fool's Mansion

2010-06-19T14:07:00.001-04:00

On display at The Fool's Mansion in Salem, MA is a new piece I created for their themed "From the Depths" art show. It is a plush octopus that is clutching an antique clock face. I outfitted the clock face with a new, working mechanism. After creating the giant, plush cuckoo clock for Etsy I have wanted to play with more functional pieces. The whole thing is about 18"x18", so a pretty good size. Gubicza has also provided an original wood cut for the show of a sea captain. The gallery opening party is tonight from 8-10pm.

Giant Plush Office @ Etsy

2010-04-08T23:51:00.002-04:00

It's finished!! The 9 week long project that Brian and I have been working on is coming to a close. We've been planning, cutting, designing, painting, sourcing materials, hammering and learning new skills. When Etsy asked us to spruce up some small rooms in their corporate office space, we jumped at the chance. The rooms are tiny (5' x 7') and are used by staff to make private phone calls. When we arrived, they were bare and uninviting. Now, they each feel like a unique universe.

Brian chose to design an amazing Evil Villain's Lair (see below). Since the space was already small, I wanted to play with scale even more. What if everything in the office was larger than life? My specialty is plush, so I set to work on making giant plush office supplies. Here are some more detailed shots:

Vintage Royal Typewriter

Red Swingline Stapler & Vintage Black Telephone

Red Swingline Stapler

Vintage Black Telephone

Etsy Coffee Mug

Plush Cuckoo Clock

Cork Board & Thumbtacks

Many thanks go to:
Rob Kalin
Sarah Starpoli
Brian Gubicza
All of my studio mates for looking at everything along the way, whether they wanted to or not. :)

Next up - the photos of the third room to come this weekend!

Villain's Lair @ Etsy

2010-04-08T23:33:00.002-04:00

The first of three rooms that Brian and I are creating for Etsy is complete! Enjoy the Villain's Lair!

More photos and full description over at Brian's blog:
http://goobeetsa.blogspot.com

New Exhibit - Collaboration with Bren Bataclan

2010-03-08T13:57:00.001-05:00

"Baha", a new exhibit featuring paintings from artist Bren Bataclan (http://bataclan.com), will have its opening this week. In addition to Bataclan's paintings (many depicting the heroism, resilience and compassion of the Filipino people during the recent floods), 15 plush pieces based Bataclan's regular, whimsical characters will make their debut. Bataclan asked Zooguu to create the first 3D plush versions of his characters, and we were delighted to have the opportunity (and the challenge) of interpreting his work.

Join us for the celebration:

Thursday, March 11, 5:00PM to 9:00PM

The Harbor Art Gallery @ UMass Boston (in the McCormick Building on the First floor)
100 Morrissey Blvd
Boston, MA 02125 US

Documentary - Tuttle 2 Texas

2010-03-05T23:07:00.001-05:00

Gubicza and I were interviewed today by documentary filmmakers! Heather & Michelle were here from London, traveling from Boston > Austin interviewing people about how the internet has changed culture, community and business. We had a great time talking about how we use the internet for our business, how a lot of our real-life friends were internet friends first, and we even showed them how we make animals! We wish them luck on the rest of their travels, and thank them for including us in their journey.

http://heathertaylor.co.uk

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Tuttle-2-Texas/307800467715

Gallery Shows - December

2009-12-01T13:28:00.002-05:00

We will be in a few gallery shows, pop-up shops and traveling to three different cities during the month of December. Here are two highlighted gallery shows with openings this week:

Luv-able + Hug-able
December 3, 2009 - January 9, 2010

Gallery Hanahou
611 Broadway, Suite 730 NYC 10012

Opening Reception Dec. 3 from 6-9pm

There will be work from over 50 plush artists at this show - you don't want to miss it! Plus, they're all "medium & mini" size, so they'll be extra cute. Gubicza and I created a series of plush robots specifically for the show. Here are Brian's design ideas, and the finished 3D toys that I made:

Another gallery show is in Salem, MA and is featuring artists' interpretations of Krampus for the month of December.

The Fool's Mansion
137 Essex Street
Salem, MA 01970

Opening Reception December 5.

Twist Fair Tomorrow

2009-11-12T21:11:00.001-05:00

I will be attending the Twist III fair in Northampton, MA tomorrow night (Friday) and Saturday. It should be a great time: wonderful handmade gifts, drinks and even a DJ! More info. on their website.

Robots For Luv-able + Hug-able Plush Show

2009-11-03T12:55:00.001-05:00

Here's a sneak peek at the first two robot plush for Gallery Hanahou's (NYC) upcoming Luv-able & Hug-able Plush show. There will be five robot designs in total, but I wanted to share the first two as soon as they were ready.

Join me at the opening of this amazing show on December 3!

South End Open Market - Halloween Style!

2009-10-26T18:39:00.001-04:00

Yesterday, Gubicza and I traveled up to Boston to participate in the annual "Market of the Living Dead" - the last outdoor SOWA Open Market of the season. I've been having so much fun playing the LEGO Batman video game this summer, that I couldn't wait to make my own LEGO Batman costume. I was even fortunate enough to win first prize at this year's vendor costume contest! There was some stiff competition this year in the form of gorillas, Col. Sanders, The Corpse Bride, and zombies of all shapes and sizes with gruesome handmade makeup effects. There was even a customer costume contest this year, and the winner made an amazing "construction worker impaled by a traffic cone" costume. Here's a few pictures of my costume, but check out the entire Market flickr set to see more:

Tiger!

2009-10-15T00:45:00.001-04:00

We just recently finished a custom tiger design for a long time customer.

I love the way the nose turned out, and I think I may use something similar for our upcoming fox design.

South End Open Studios - Sept. 19 & 20

2009-09-17T17:07:00.001-04:00

Come out and visit us this weekend at Boston's South End Open Studios!

Crafty Bastards - October 3rd in D.C.

2009-09-16T16:03:00.001-04:00

Gubicza and I will be at Crafty Bastards on October 3rd in Washington, D.C.

They're also running a contest to vote for your favorite crafter. I'd love it if you vote for Zooguu!