Eugene the 2' tall jointed dinosaur

Ever since I've been making my shelf-sized, 10" jointed dinosaurs, I've wanted to create one that was much larger. I use little buttons inside each of the limbs on the smaller dinosaurs, so I had to order bigger doll joints for this upcoming project. The day before the joints were scheduled to arrive, I get a message from someone asking if I can make one of my dinosaurs in a larger size, about 2' tall. The timing could not have been better! I love when these things happen! The recipient of my largest jointed creation has already named him Eugene, and he is so happy to be going to a loving home.

Serpent Mounds

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!

Mimi Kirchner Etsy Video Portrait

Mimi Kirchner has been an inspiration to me since I met her a couple of years ago. This amazing doll artist lives in Arlington, MA and recently had a video portrait done for Etsy.com. I can't think of another artist I know who has a more interesting environment. When I think about a home studio, I instantly think about Mimi's house. Her home is filled with the many things she's collected or inherited over the years. For me, it's always a treat to visit with her because I know I'll leave inspired and ready to work on a hundred different ideas. Take a few minutes and watch this video to learn a little bit more about Mimi. Her work is available in her Etsy shop, but if you're in Boston on December 12 & 13, stop by the South End Holiday Market to visit her creations in person. You'll be glad you did.

Can you find me in this picture?

Happy Halloween week, everyone!
Gubicza and I were vending at South End Open Market's annual Halloween Market. I love Halloween because I get to make cool costumes! Gubicza was a giant version of his office monster illustration (you can see the monster head on the table, because he's taking the photo).
Here's a photo of one of the foam heads in progress: