Crazy Sexy Cute

Crochet Pattern- Bess in the cow costume amigurumi doll

by Owlishly

One of my favorite new craft projects is to make amigurumi dolls and toys. According to Wikipedia, "amigurumi" can be described as:

"The Japanese art of knitting or crocheting small stuffed animals and anthropomorphic creatures. The word is derived from a combination of the Japanese words ami, meaning crocheted or knitted, and nuigurumi, meaning stuffed doll. Amigurumi are typically cute animals (such as bears, rabbits, cats, dogs, etc.), but can include artistic renderings, and inanimate objects endowed with anthropomorphic features. Amigurumi can be either knitted or crocheted. In recent years crocheted amigurumi are more popular and more commonly seen.

"Amigurumi are usually crocheted or knitted out of yarn. The simplest designs are worked in spirals. In contrast to typical Western crochet the rounds are not usually joined. They are also worked with a smaller size hook in proportion to the weight of the yarn in order to create a very tight-looking fabric without any gaps through which the stuffing might escape. Amigurumi are usually worked in sections and then joined, except for some amigurumi which have no limbs, only a head and torso which are worked as one piece. The extremities are sometimes stuffed with plastic pellets to give them a life-like weight, while the rest of the body is stuffed with fiber stuffing.

"The pervading aesthetic of amigurumi is cuteness. To this end, typical amigurumi animals have an over-sized spherical head on a cylindrical body with undersized extremities."

Cuteness - I'm all over that. So far, I have created two monkey dolls, an easter bunny, an easter chick, a ball-shaped penguin and three peeps. The best part about this craft is that if you can crochet a simple SC, you can make most amigurumis! They are great stash-busters, too.

Here are some particularly adorable patterns from our friends at Etsy. The possibilities are ENDLESS!!

ANIMALS

Amigurumi Cute Alien Rabbit- Crochet Pattern

by crochetpattern

Bee Gurumi Crochet Pattern
by LuvlyGurumi

DOLLS

PDF Pattern - Pippi

by AmigurumiParadise

Ni Hao, Kai-Lan Amigurumi Pattern KaiLan
by CraftyisCool

TOYS

Ace, The Airplane - Amigurumi Pattern
by DeliciousCrochet

HALLOWEEN

3 PDF Crochet Patterns - Jazzy Witch, Devil and Halloween Gang - Amigurumi
by kandjdolls

THANKSGIVING

Crochet Pattern- Chester the turkey boy amigurumi doll
by Owlishly

CHRISTMAS

Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer - An Amigurumi Pattern
by KawaiiGurumi

Nevermore

Poe's Raven

by Middleburg

The Raven

Edgar Allen Poe

Once upon a midnight dreary, while I pondered, weak and weary,

Over many a quaint and curious volume of forgotten lore -

While I nodded, nearly napping, suddenly there came a tapping,

As of some one gently rapping at my chamber door.

"'Tis some visiter," I muttered, "tapping at my chamber door -

Only this and nothing more."

...

Open here I flung the shutter, when, with many a flirt and flutter,

In there stepped a stately Raven of the saintly days of yore.

Not the least obeisance made he; not a minute stopped or stayed he;

But, with mien of lord or lady, perched above my chamber door -

Perched upon a bust of Pallas just above my chamber door -

Perched, and sat, and nothing more.

...

"Prophet!" said I, "thing of evil - prophet still, if bird or devil!

By that Heaven that bends above us - by that God we both adore -

Tell this soul with sorrow laden if, withing the distant Aidenn,

It shall clasp a sainted maiden whom the angels name Lenore -

Clasp a rare and radiant maiden whom the angels name Lenore."

Quoth the Raven, "Nevermore."

...

And the Raven, never flitting, still is sitting, still is sitting

On the pallid bust of Pallas just above my chamber door;

And his eyes have all the seeming of a demon's that is dreaming

and the lamp-light o'er him streaming throws his shadow on the floor;

And my sould from out that shadow that lies floating on the floor

Shall be lifted - nevermore!

This poem has always been a favorite of mine - so dark and Sartre-esque. It seems like the worst kind of personal hell to be trapped in that deep of despair with no way out and the very devil himself unwaveringly watching... watching...

(Incidentally, the opening lines of this poem have forever been ruined for me by Blues Traveler. Thanks HEAPS, guys!)

Enjoy these items inspired by Poe and The Raven from our friends at Etsy:

crow graveyard raven photograph

by gothicrow

The Raven Clutch in Silk Nevermore by Edgar Allan Poe

by ClutchThat

Nevermore

by lkfarnsworth

RAVEN and POE dark art articulating mechanical paper doll toy ornament

by blueyeduckstudios

Quothe the Raven.......Laptop Bag
by queenbee55

Edgar Alan Poe Gothic Poetry Necklace
by HeadlessTessDIY

Days of Wine and Chocolate...

LUMINOUS CHERRY BARK note cards set of 6

by twistedlight

Some days, there just aren't enough of either...

(...and that's all I have to say about that.)

Alas, there is no wine in the house, and only M&M's as far as chocolate goes. So I did my own search on Etsy to see if I could find something to give me a "fix."

Somehow, these lovely offerings from our friends at Etsy aren't giving me the heady intoxication I was hoping for, but they sure got my mouth watering - ENJOY!!!

Leather pin/ brooch ChocoRed flower
by VitalTemptation

Burgundy Brown Ruffled Restyled Leather Jacket Size 8 to 10
by stacyleigh



Dark Chocolate Covered Cherry Beaded Handwoven Gold filled Earrings
by PookieandPierre



ORCHIDEA leather bag
by FERUTOBags



Honey Floret - Vintage Steampunk Necklace Copper Enamel Flower
by bionicunicorn

Demi-Sec - champagne citrine, smoky quartz and crimson garnet cascade earrings

by beakee

BITTER CHOCOLATE WITH CHERRY SHORT SCARF
by UnderReconstruction

The Falling of Leaves

Autumn Road - Fine Art Photo Greeting Card, by JMcGuinness

The Falling of Leaves
by William Butler Yeats

Autumn is over the long leaves that love us,

And over the mice in the barley sheaves;

Yellow the leaves of the rowan above us,

And yellow the wet wild-strawberry leaves.

The hour of the waning of love has beset us,

And weary and worn are our sad souls now;

Let us part, ere the season of passion forget us,

With a kiss and a tear on thy drooping brow.

All of the photos in todays blog post are from JMcGuinness on Etsy, a husband and wife photography duo in Connecticut (and no wonder - they have GORGEOUS foliage pics - this is just a small sample of their beautiful work). They specialize in nature, animal, landscape, architecture and still life photography, and donate a portion of their sales to animal rescue.

Please visit their shop on Etsy for more outstanding work - for a Californian who has never experienced a "real" autumn foliage display, they are a slice of heaven!


Fall at Wickham Park

Leaf on Water

After the Rain

Look to the Rainbow

Print - Rainbow Connection, by CameraforKitty

I woke up at 5:30 this morning. No particular reason, just couldn't sleep. I tried reading a book for a while, but when it seemed that it was a lost cause getting back to sleep, I got up and donned my robe.

After feeding the animals and pouring a cup of coffee, I finished some work on a custom order and played around on Etsy and Twitter for a while. It was then that I looked out the kitchen window and noticed the rainbow.

We don't see a lot of rainbows around here, so it was a rare treat, and being the only one in the house awake, it was something that was just for me to enjoy.

Now, I'm not preachy or anything, but I like the bible verse about the rainbow:

"God said...I set my rainbow in the clouds

and it shall be a sign of the Covenant between me and the earth."

(Genesis 9:12-13)

I've always loved the lyrics for the Rainbow Connection (see photo above from CameraforKitty) - also very spiritual.

It was the perfect start to the day today - I couldn't have asked for a better gift. I hope your day is touched by a rainbow in some way. Happy Monday, and have a wonderful week!

Wool Wrapped Stacking Bangle, by mysticfibers

Googly Glitter Cocktail Ring, by PoPkO

Retro Rainbow Pin, by BraveMoonman

RAINBOW COLORED DAy oF thE DeAd Skulls, by pinkee

Sleep/Eye Mask, by maceme

Happy Rainbow Cloud - LARGE Resin Necklace, by FashionCandy