VOTE FOR ME!!!

I have been selected to be a contestant on Blockhead Radio's Weekly Artisan Challenge! If I win, I get free ad space for a week! My adorable little pipe cleaner elephant has made it to the challenge! Please vote and help me win!!!

http://blockheadradiolive.com/3D

Click on Marley, the Fuzzy Pipe Cleaner Elephant
And the Click VOTE

Thanks so much for your help!! I'll let you know how I placed at the end of the week!

WISH ME LUCK!!!!!!

Slow Progress...

I am sad to report that I have not had a chance to work on my Fuzzies in almost two weeks!! I've been traveling so much for work! Two weeks ago I was in Schaumburg, IL (I call it Scumburg during this time of the year because it's so darn cold over there). Last week I was in LA. This week, I'm finally back in SD. Monday is already over, and still no Fuzzies!! Boo-hoo. I have some new creations in mind that are begging for me to bring them to fruition, like a flamingo, a pink dinosaur, a giraffe, a seal pup (the white kind), and a frog.

Also, the San Diego County Fair is coming up, and I've been trying to think of themes that I could make a bunch of Fuzzies for, and put them in a diorama to submit in the arts and crafts competition. Maybe a farm scene to go with the general nature of a County fair? Or a zoo? So many ideas... Any suggestions?

I really wish we had 36 hour days so I could make time for crafts. Sometimes my day job gets in the way of my love for crafting. It's almost like the day job is a wife of 30 years who nags me endlessly to do take out the trash and do chores, and crafts are like the hot young secretary that I have a love affair with during my midlife crisis, who makes me feel alive again. Yeah, that's a pretty lame analogy...

Henry the Dinosaur

I've been experimenting with trying to create more eccentric Fuzzies. As a result, here is my latest pipe cleaner creation, Henry the Dinosaur and a prehistoric tree! Henry is made of green pipe cleaners and pink felt for the tongue.

I basically used up my whole stash of green pipe cleaners for the dino and tree (about 12 pipe cleaners). The dinosaur measures 3.5 inches from nose to tail, and 2.5 inches high. The tree is about 4 inches high. I went for a more abstract look with the tree. I love how Henry looks so friendly!!

Looks like the Fuzzies are getting bigger and bigger and before I know it, I'll be selling FUZZIES as opposed to Fuzzies.

Why Dog Grooming is a Profession

There is a reason that people are employed to groom dogs, and I'm about to tell you why.

Here's our cute, sweet, adorable little dog Maggie at the height of her cuteness:
Doesn't she look so cute an fluffy that you just want to hug her? Yeah, well the cute fluffiness comes at a price. It has to be constantly combed to reduce tangling, and she is a woodchip magnet when she goes outside.

A few days ago, my hubby had the bright idea of giving her a quick haircut. My parents had given us pet clippers from a while back, and we thought it would be quick if we used the clippers with cutting guides. Well it turned out that Maggie's hair is very deceiving, and wouldn't cut very easily. Plus she squirms a lot and won't hold still when you try to cut her hair. She thinks you're playing a game.

Thirty minutes and a few frustrated sighs later, we gave up, and poor Maggie looked like a total hackjob.
We didn't even try trimming her head. Her body was so uneven!

You can imagine our utter embarrassment when we brought Hackjob Maggie into the Grooming Department at Petco with our tails between our legs. The groomer was really nice though. She laughed at our horrible grooming job because Maggie looked so silly, and reassured us that she had seen way worse, like people hurting their dogs in grooming accidents. We told the groomer to do whatever she could.

She called us an hour later and told us Maggie was done, and commented that Maggie's a "real bullet." We found out later that they had to take a few breaks because Maggie was so squirmy.

The groomer did a great job, but it is so funny how skinny Maggie's body is now. She's like an owl... under all that plumage is a little itty bitty dog. Her face looks better though. Neater. We bought Maggie a few shirts to keep her warm at night, and she doesn't seem to mind.



We're getting used to how she looks, and we've learned our lesson. With Maggie, grooming is not a luxury, it's a necessity for keeping her happy and clean, and reducing the number of woodchips on our carpet. $30 every 4-5 months is totally worth it! I totally understand now why there are "professional" groomers out there!!

Something tells me we're not going to hear the end of this for a long time...

Another Blog Feature - Made For You Blog

Fuzzington has been featured in the "Made For You Blog" by dreamlandcrafts! I especially like this blog feature because it doesn't feature just my items, but a little about me too! You can see my short bio on the feature, in case you're curious:

http://madeforyoublog.blogspot.com/search/label/Shop%20California

Dreamlandcrafts' blog is pretty cool because she features sellers from all around the country and around the world, and her entries are categorized by location!

Dreamlandcrafts has some cool things in her Etsy shop, particularly her handmade dreamcatchers. I had one above my bed as a kid... Here's one of her many dreamcatchers:


Thanks again for the feature!!