Hello, everyone!  I am excited to say that I am kind of getting in the Christmas spirit!  I did a bit of shopping, and last night I had my first craft fair of the season!  I even got a Christmas tree!  I can hardly believe it!  As a retail worker, I have come to dislike the holiday season in general.  Mostly due to the fact that people get grumpier this time of year, and enjoy taking it out on their cute, local yarnista (me).  But, Steve's daughter is coming this year, and I want Christmas to feel special to her, as it did to me when I was her age.  So, I have decided...  Decorating! Baking!  Perhaps a holiday movie if I am feeling especially crazy!  (But you better bet your ass it will not be anything that is not the claymation Rudolph movie with Clarice, the cute doe...) 

Anyway, let's get to the point!  My good friend, and fellow crafter, Linzi Ostrom (Creator of Cuteness), and I have been planning and organizing a fantastic craft fair!!!  We did this last year at our friend's karate dojo, and it was great!  This year, we are going all out, with this large scale event, which will be held in downtown Grass Valley at The Veteran's Hall!  We have 40 amazing artists selling their goods!  Included are some of my very favorite people in existence, including a one, Matt Seefelt!  https://www.etsy.com/shop/mattseefelt  So excited, and it is happening in the morning.  After that, I have 3 more fairs before the big XMAS day, so hold onto your britches!

Even though my hands are in some pretty terrible pain, I have been working hard (even though I probably shouldn't) to make some wonderful items that will make even better gifts!  Monster dolls, hats, boot cuffs, infinity scarves, oh my!  So, there's a lot to look forward to.  I always enjoy seeing who picks what.  Whether it be a cute punk rock couple getting a monster, little kids getting toys for their kitties, or a girl getting a fella clip for... Her fella!  It makes me so happy that I can share this with the world.  Oh, my life does have it's fulfilling moments!

And now I would like to give very special props to my amazing (And absolutely gorgeous) friend Chelsea, who not only modeled some of my new items, but helped me with projects all day long!  Life is good.  Love you all.

Halloweeeeeeeeeeeeeeen!!!!

Oh, wow.  What a great Halloween we had this year!  I made little Joseph his first Halloween costume, and he was the cutest! 

 Steve decided to surprise me by being me for Halloween.  What a dork.  But I love him so much!  That was really what I needed to cheer me up!  I am still constantly amazed at the things he does! But he is my dork, and I am grateful. 

 Tina went as the fucking creepiest Voodoo Priestess anyone could imagine.  She even won a costume contest later in the evening! 

 Somehow, I did not manage to get photos of Kyle and Kaity.  Sad.  They looked awesome, as usual, and Kaity is so amazingly beautiful! 

I am so happy to have such wonderful people in my life.  They constantly inspire me, and their love is what keeps me going everyday.  Sure, things can get pretty weird and hectic at times, but they really are the best.

Bats in the Belfry...

Oh, my!

 

 Bats and bats and bats!

 While making these bats, I have been watching a lot of "Lost Girl" and therefore, all the bats are named after characters from the show.

 I didn't realize how few characters there were in it!   ...At least that I wanted to name the batties after.

Bo, Kenzi, Lauren, Tamsin, Ciara, Trick, Dyson, Hale, Vex, those are the only ones..  Hmm.

 I would like to add how silly I felt when I started watching this show, and was all too quickly hooked...  I have Netflix, which is very happily welcomed in the house of a crafter like myself.

 I like finding kind of lame shows that I don't really have to pay attention to, this way I can walk freely from room to room while working; Making coffee, grabbing supplies, staring down at my sewing machine for hours on end, listing items on Etsy, Facebook, etc...  I think I got past the first season before I started paying attention.  And when I did, I sure liked it!  Steve, of course would constantly make fun of me when he's walk in on me watching it.  As well as point out entire plots that are taken from other shows.  But I am such a sucker for a "supernatural" television program.   END RANT. 

P.S.

I haven't been sleeping well AT ALL!  Ha!

Pin Pals

Who doesn't love a cute little voodoo doll?

 These little cuties will be making their debut at The House of Usher Reunion Show in Oakland on October 24th and 25th...  The day is getting closer and closer!  So excited!

Holy black and whites, Batman!!!

Hello everyone!  Sorry for the serious lack of posting!  I am going to try doing it more often, swear!!!  I have been a very busy bee recently, and have a lot of fun shows coming up!

The next show is something that I have not done before, but I am very excited to try out!  I will be bringing my dolls to Oakland for The House of Usher Reunion Show!   http://houseofusher.club/

 

 It is the weekend before Halloween, so I am making some spookier dolls that might appeal to the lovely people at the show, and there will also be an absinthe bar there, so all is good!!!

 The black and white collection has been so super fun to work on!!!  Who knew?!?

 So, ladies and gentlemen, stay posted, as I will be posting more frequently!  Thanks for stopping by!!!

For your little monster!!!

New in my Etsy shop!!!

https://www.etsy.com/shop/HerKind

i've been hanging out with my little nephew, and he was nice enough to model some of my newest little hats!!!  Sweetest little boy ever!!!

Hello friends!!!  I have been hard at work doing craft fairs, updating my etsy page, and sewing, sewing, sewing! 

Go check out the new stuff in the shop!

https://www.etsy.com/shop/HerKind

Shawl Knitting...

Oh, how I love a good shawl... Or any shawl, or even just the process of knitting a shawl.  Over at Ben Franklin, I just finished my knit-a-long project for "The Age of Brass and Steam" And I have to say, I love it!!!  I went out of my normal color range I use when knitting for myself, and it feels so edgy for me to be wearing something rust and blue and violet!!!

Lovingly hand knit with one skein of Malabrigo Rastita, I am sure that this is just the beginning of this summer's shawl knitting obsession...

Oh, and did I mention that the pattern is available for free on Ravelry?

http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/the-age-of-brass-and-steam-kerchief

Other things that I am knitting right now include, but are not limited to...

"Offhand Lace"

http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/offhand-lace

A little something I am designing for Knit Collage Yarns...

http://knitcollage.com/



And finally, some little scrubbie sets for the upcoming Nevada City Summer Craft Fair...!

So, there's what's going on in my crafty life...   Crazy!

Also, one more thing, there are new cuties up in my Etsy shop!!!

https://www.etsy.com/shop/HerKind

A Lovely Write Up...

My friend, and wonderful photographer, Kurtis Ostrom, featured me on his blog recently...  Read the full article here...

http://kurtisostromphotography.wordpress.com/2014/04/10/plushies-and-dolls-by-handmade-by-heather-her-kind/

Oh, it's such a perfect day...

I'm glad I spent it with you... 

What a lovely and rainy spring day we are having here.  Steve's daughter is visiting, and she is a lovely little photographer!  Bored in the house, so we decided to take some photos of a couple of the dolls I have hanging around the house...

I've been in a bit of a funk for the last few days.  But, alas, I am rising out of said funk, determined to make my best dolls yet!  The summer is on it's way, but it is the rain that truly inspires me.  Trying to get some new designs worked out, and I've got high in the sky apple pie hopes that they will be super cute!!!  I am feeling so loved by friends right now that are be so supportive while I'm feeling low.  I love you guys a bunch!!!

Silly Valentine's

I wish I'd found these earlier! They are so funny!!!

http://flavorwire.com/259140/a-collection-of-tv-inspired-valentines-to-send-your-friends/

Happy Valentine's day!!!

Thinking of the past...

All this rain is wonderful...!  But i find myself thinking of the past a lot.  Walking in the rain...  i used to enjoy this so much!  All i needed were my headphones and i was ready to go...  Walking for hours, singing psychotically to myself and not caring who heard.  i haven't done this for too long!  I find myself constantly working...  Working at B.F., and on my days off, working in the Her Kind studio.

 If i am watching a movie, and not working on something, i feel guilty...  This is not to say that i do not enjoy what i do, i love it!  It's one of my favorite things!!!  From making the actual product, to making little hand stamped tags, to bringing it to the shops, or selling right to someone. I love this!!!  Anyway, the rain just makes me a little nostalgic, and the kind of sad that i welcome... 

On that note, here are some bunnies that i have been making!!!

Oh, and there is a new band that I've started listening to that is amazzzzzzzing!  "Firewater."  Love...!

And one more thing to smile about...

This sweet boy.  I love him!

TNNA San Diego 2014

So.  I am in my hotel in San Diego.  I'm here for TNNA (The National Needle Arts Association), which is the largest yarn and needlework convention in the U.S.  I come once a year to buy wonderful new yarns for the shop!  This is my seventh year.  Wow!  I can't believe it!!!  Tomorrow is the last day, and I have to say, I think I got some great new yarns for the shop! They may be a little pricey, though!  But, the pricier ones have good yardage, and will make great one skein projects!  I am very excited to receive our shipment from Sweet Georgia yarns! I got the "Tough Love" sock yarn.  Yayyyy!  Anyway, I have been working on some old projects that I brought that I was supposed to finish over a year ago. They are making progress...

...And now I am tired...  Must rest.  Meeting with my Malabrigo rep in the morning. Woot!

Baby Joseph, my sweet little nephew!

Well, after a lot of waiting, he is finally here This sweet little boy was born on Friday, January 3, 2014, a little after 6 P.M.  Weighing in at 7 pounds, 10 ounces, and 19 inches long! My goodness!

So, he was originally due on December 20th... They then changed the date to January 3rd...  Then, they decided to induce her on The 2nd at 6:45A.M.  The hospital was full, so they changed it to a  little late on that day, and finally, it was changed to 7:00  A.M. the next day. Jeez, poor Rachel! 

So, I stayed at Rachel's house with her, my mother, and Rachel's best friend, Tracy. Rachel was having awful contractions from 4:00 on.  We decided to watch a funny movie, so we put on "This Is The End."  Which is soooo funny!  We laughed and laughed, and this included my overly Catholic mother.  So good!  Her laughing at all of the inappropriateness made it even better!

I stayed up all night with poor Rachel,and we kept thinking that at any moment, it would be time!  No such luck...  We stayed up until it was time for her to go be induced.  So, we all went to the hospital!  They broke her water immediately, and then it was just time to wait.  I brought yarn to make him a blankie with, and it is as long as she was in labor for!!! 

And now it is time for me to rant about how stupid the hospital is...  This one nurse came into the waiting room to talk to the family.  She was all like, "Maybe the mother feels bad that you are all here waiting, and that you are putting pressure on her to be faster."  Blahblahblah.  So then she said she would ask Rachel if she would be more comfortable if we left, and she is in labor, and says, "I don't know.  Do they want to leave?"  And then the nurse says, "He's not going to be here for several hours, maybe not until the morning.  Why don't you all go home, eat some food, and call in a little while?"

So, we all left, after being there at this time for about 14 hours straight.  We didn't want to, so we were all a little butt-hurt.  Tracy and I went to the bar for a drink.  Not 5 minutes after sitting down, we get a call from Rachel asking us why we left, and that she wanted us there.  So, we decide to finish our drinks and head up.  Immediately after this, we get another call.  Rachel needed to get an emergency cesarean section!!!  WTF?  Jeez, and that nurse had just told us to leave!!!  At this point, Tracy and I are freaking out!  Oh jeez, oh jeez!  It's a good thing that Tracy decided we needed a drink!  If not, I would be home, stranded without a car, or a way to the hospital, and Tracy would be on her way home in the middle of nowhere with poor cell reception!

So now, we have all regathered in the waiting room.  Tension's getting pretty bad, and Grumples was really worried about Rachel Ann!  After a while, we get the call that they're all done, and everyone is doing great!  And there you have it, little baby Joseph!!!

And here it is, the part that really mademe cry!  My Grumples, holding his great grandson!  Baby Joseph and Grumple Joe!  Jeez, this has been so amazing, and so crazy!  I am excited for the wonderful adventures that I will be having with my lovely little nephew!