....new etsy items

check my etsy shop for new listings....finally!

fattycakes.etsy.com

...whales, version 3.0

I decided a couple of weeks ago to go back to making the felt whale that I originally started with but with a few tweaks. The ones I had been making out of fabric were really adorable, but people seemed to not know what they were at craft shows and such. There was lots of turning them from side to side and holding them upside down while pretending to know what it was. I hope this new version is a little more clear.

So on my plate for this weekend is restocking my etsy shop. I have been saving some things up to list and will hopefully have those added by the end of the weekend while doing lots of new sewing projects in between. We'll see how it goes....

Etsy + Handmade on CBS Sunday Morning...

Yesterday, while I was watching my favorite news/lifestyle show, CBS Sunday Morning, Mo Rocca featured a piece on the founder of Etsy and handmade. I can't believe how far handmade and craft fairs have come in the last 10 years. Remember when a craft fair was country quilts and doilies? Books like Faythe Levine's Handmade Nation document our journey along the way. I'm so happy to be a part of such an important tradition: making.

p.s. i love you etsy.

where i've been.....

Pizmo's corner in the den....she's going to hate when we get rid of that carpet....she really enjoys it (but we don't)

lots 'o painting...and taping....and painting

check out all that painter's tape....this is one of Pizmo's favorite perches

i have been away from the fattycakes blog for a while now. months in fact. there has been a lot going on between making our house a home and working my full time job, so fattycakes took the back seat for a while. now that it's spring and the weather is getting more and more beautiful (and the days longer!) i have some renewed inspiration and my spring crafting has begun.

it has been great getting to know the house and really getting settled in. we love it, especially Pizmo. she loves all the windows that are low enough so that she can watch the world go by outside. we have done a ton of painting and projects. jeff has been tackling some amazing bookshelves for the basement (where we have some big plans), and we are so happy that we chose the perfect house for us. our project list keeps growing, but that keeps things interesting!

here's where you can read more about what we've been up to with the house (mostly courtesy of Jeff who has done almost all the posting on this blog while i was feeling overwhelmed):

Home Sweet Split-Level

it's finally here....

Everything has been super crazy recently and tomorrow is finally the big day.....closing day on our house! Boxes are packed, some of the paint has been purchased, and we have been brainstorming future plans like crazy. We can't wait to take Pizmo-dog there after the closing tomorrow so we can see what she thinks. I think she will love it, and so will we. Look for an all new blog soon about the trials and tribulations on our venture into home ownership!

In the meantime, I can't wait to unpack my art room and start sewing some felties again. I am so excited about my sunlight-filled art room! I'll post pictures as I set it up.

We can't wait to be home sweet home tomorrow!

so much to catch up on...

(from the Atlantic Station Market)


I have a lot of blogging to catch up on! I'll start with the Atlantic Station Market that was a couple of Fridays ago....It was great to be there with other members of the Craft Mafia. Overall, it was a really fun night! The weather was nice and it was interesting people watching. I was very happy with what we took home from the show...we actually did better than I had expected. I had a lot of great friends come out to see me at this show, which also made it super-fun! Thanks everyone for stopping by to see me! Another huge thanks to Jeffo for helping me with the booth again!

(Baby smock from Starbugaloo)

(Owl plushie from loveyu)

I also got a great baby outfit for Lesley's shower that was made by Sara (Starbugaloo Designs) from the ATL Craft Mafia. She is a founding member and makes the most adorable smocks from re-purposed and up-cycled fabrics. I really want one of her smocks in my size ,too! And...I brought home a little something for me as well....this adorable owl that Wren (LoveYu) made! Wren is another founding member of the Craft Mafia and I adore her stuff because...well...I just can't get enough of plushies! While I'm on the subject of the founding members of the ATL Craft Mafia, the third founder is Sam (Talulah B.) who makes amazing jewelry. I cannot wait to make a purchase from her as well and I love her button rings and necklaces. A special thanks to these three ladies for all your craftiness and organizing skills. They do such a great job with the A.C.F. and I am really proud to be a new member. Not only are they generally awesome, but they make great crafts!
(Jodi, Lesley, and Emily)


(Baby-friendly robo-buddy)


(Me and Les...why are my eyes so squinty?)


(Hostesses, Emily and Jodi)

Today I went to my friend Lesley's baby shower! I am so excited for her and her husband Sam (oh, and Guinness too) to welcome baby Matilda into the world. Our friends Emily and Jodi were such wonderful hostesses and fun was had by all! I got to see lots of fun people that I don't get to see that often and the gifts were all so cute. I love that babies of these times are so hip and Matilda is sure to be one of the hippest around. Emily's house was the cutest little cottage, which I knew it would be! I also got to see Erin and finally meet Ashley...so we chatted about our little blog circle!



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Back at home we are starting the packing process. If all goes as planned we will be closing and moving around this time next month! We are so super-excited about it! The house is a disaster area....there are piles everywhere for the yard sale that we are having soon and boxes are all over the place. It really seems like we have so much stuff, so we are trying to simplify our lives by selling/donating/recycling the things we just don't need. Wish us luck. My parents are also coming for a brief visit this Friday to see the house and drop off some things.

Yay...Look!

fattycakes got reviewed by Miss Serendipitist! She writes reviews for tons of different products, most of them here in Atlanta. Thanks so much for the kind words Whitney!

This Week...

So far this week I am super pumped about two things....this new robot I'm working on.And these baby watermelons that are growing up a storm! They are so cute!

This is going to be the first felt-bot with "treads" instead of legs (Jeff has been asking for treads on the robots for a while now...). I think he might be funnier with no arms, but we'll see how the treads turn out first. Jeff calls the robots robo-nuggets in this stage which I think is hilarious.

A few more garden veggies are on their way to ripening too!

Back to Craftin'....

This weekend Jeff and I spent some time hitting up our favorite local thrift stores. We mostly end up coming away with books and I usually purchase some fabric or printed sheets to use for stuffies. We have been on the hunt lately for great mid-century modern home books and furniture books. We found two great ones yesterday, the first is Sunset's Planning Your New Home from 1967. The second is in conjunction with the Parsons School of Design and is called More Furniture in 24 Hours from 1978. I also picked up The Complete Book of Sewing from 1972...which you can imagine, has some great pictures! We also stopped by the Varsity on Jimmy Carter for lunch which made my day!

After we got home, I broke out all the crafting supplies and started whipping up these tiny plush logs. I'm not sure why I hadn't thought to make tiny versions to go with the big stumps. They turned out so cute and squishy! I really am completely enamored with tiny things!

My I.C.E. Purchase

So since I was trying to make money at the craft fair, I only bought one thing.....but I really love the one thing I bought! I made a lap around the booths and noted some things that I wanted to maybe go back and buy, but when I saw this little guy I didn't think twice. Isn't he the cutest? Squirrelly Girl had all the letters of the alphabet with different cute animals. I love her illustrations, too...check out her site! Woodland creatures are just the best! The talent at the fair was great though, and if I had been there to shop I would have definitely filled my (re-usable, eco-friendly) tote bag up with goodies to bring home with me.

I also made this purchase today to celebrate my first craft fair/profit! I already love it so much. I am definitely having a better week this week than last, so yay for that!

I.C.E. was a hit!

Jeffo and Lerv manning the booth.

We had a great time yesterday at the Indie Craft Experience! fattycakes got tons of positive feedback and people are loving the cacti and poop pins....my top sellers of the day! We exceeded my goal for the day and all in all it was a wonderful first craft fair. A very special thanks to Shannon and Christy of I.C.E. for organizing such a fantastic event! Thanks to everyone who came by the fattycakes booth and especially those who took home a friend! I truly appreciate your business! And...last but not least a super thanks to my lovely husband Jeff and brother Lervis for manning the booth and being my hype men (your giant felt clock pendants are on their way)! I couldn't have done it without you guys!

Check the shop soon for all the great felties that were left....they need homes too!