Blog URL will be changing...

In less than 2 months my www.curiouslittlebird.ca URL will be expiring, and when I renew it, I will be removing it from the blog, and reinstating my blogspot URL which is melanieaudet.blogspot.com. My store on Big Cartel will be taking over the curiouslittlebird.ca URL, so all of you who follow this blog, or have the feed in Google Reader, please take note that you will have to re-follow me when the URL changes, and you'll have to change your feeds.

Don't worry though, it won't happen until May, and when it gets closer to the date, I'll let you know again.

I simply wanted to warn you all in advance. If you would like to start now, the regular URL is http://www.melanieaudet.blogspot.com  You can change your google readers to that link, and it'll redirect you.

Thanks a lot for your understanding. :) If you have any questions, feel free to post them. I love comments. :)

Keep reading!

Limited Styles Available

Hello! It's ... oh, it's already 12 am on Thursday morning. I've been working hard to add to my store, and thought I'd take a break and write a post. I noticed I haven't written one in a few days, cause not much has happened really.

I do have some new monsters from new furs (some furs I had for a while but was hesitant to use - but now glad). These will be a limited edition, as I may not go back and buy more, or I might. It really all depends on how popular they are.

The following monsters will be available at Perfide, and Tah-Dah!. I can also take special orders for these guys. Just send me message with the monster you prefer, and I can certainly work out something for you. :)

My fave. I call him "Puffy"

He's awesome. :)

This silver fur is so soft, and I love the pattern on his arms and legs.

This fur I wasn't sure about, but it turned out to be pretty awesome!

Some really cool fuzzy, matted-looking shaggy fur in a shiny silver.

The softest, cushiest orange fur ever!

This is a dark teal green-blue fur that's really fine.

My New Store Is Ready!

I know you've all heard me talking about Big Cartel, and how I wanted to make that my main store, right? Well I took the jump and upgraded to a Diamond site which gives me 100 items at the low price of $19.99. What I love about Big Cartel is the fact it's completely customizable! I've worked 8 long hours last night adding photos, a "Shop Indie" flag, Facebook and Twitter buttons so that everything on the web is connected. Now my blog, store, Facebook, and Twitter account all connect and have no connection to Etsy (unless I post a link). I'm really hoping to drive my business there. I'm still trying to figure that out, really. If I can get business to go to my new store before Christmas, I won't have to pay as many fees. The only fees Big Cartel charges are none! Only PayPal would charge me a fee, and I like that.

Here's a sneaky peak at some awesome parts of my new store...

You see that green flag that says "Shop Indie"? That helps to distinguish me from other stores, and tell the buyers I'm independent, not some corporate chain creating mass-produced products, and uninspired junk.

I've added the Twitter and Facebook buttons to link back to both accounts. :)

I noticed on another person's shop they added a screen shot of the shipping costs, and I thought that was a good idea. Unlike Etsy, here you don't find out how much the shipping is until checkout time. I don't want any surprises, so I've added them as the 5th image. Pretty smart! All shipping costs are the same, and accurate for their locations.

Eventually I'd like to add a hyperlink bar at the top to make it more of a website, but I need a few days for that. Working on websites takes a lot of time. All the changes I just posted in this post took me 8 hours last night!! I started around 7 pm, and by the time I was sort of satisfied, it was 3 am. It's insane how time flies when I do web stuff.

Well, today is Saturday, so I must get back to finishing all my monsters! Have a great weekend everyone! :-D

Monday Madness

Well, I had a good weekend. I found out that all my furry monsters have sold out at Perfide, and I think they'll be sold out at Tah-Dah! very soon as well (since I only had 4 in the store the last time I spoke to the owner). This is very exciting news! I am so happy to hear that they're doing so well! I knew they would. :) The furry guys are by far my most popular monster. I'm also selling Harolds, foxes, bunnies and furry monsters at Minizabies. Check it out!!

I made some new monsters a few weeks ago, and have been busy with finishing my business plan, so I didn't get around to blogging about them. One of the new monsters got featured in a blog by i only like monsters, and it's really awesome! Follow this link to check what other monsters were included in the blog. :-D  My feature on this really awesome, monsterific blog!

This is the romantic Victor. He wears his heart on his belly, to show he loves you!

This is Tim, Burton's twin. He loves gothic films, and random things.

This is the furry bellied monster. She's fancy, and very rare!

This is Pinky. She's made out of some really funky, vintage fabric from a smock.

This is the non-smoking monster. His fabric is a very rare printed "How To Stop Smoking" fabric. He is definitely one of a kind, and very rare. Non-smoking monster encourages you to quit while you're still healthy.

This is Jesse, the batik monster. She's got some crazy fabric and some crazy colours going on.

This is Eddie. He's a monster that loves to pose, and can sit any way you want him to!

 Well there you have it! These are my newest additions. I've recently bought some new furs....

Silver shag - This is shimmery (hard to photograph)

Baby blue - Totally awesome

This is really a dark teal greeny blue. For some reason the camera made it lighter.

With these new furs I'm going to have new monsters made, and will be for sale in 3 places...

1- Perfide    2 - Tah-Dah!    3 - Under The Snow Music and Arts fair 

If you're in Montreal, stop by one and grab yourself a monster. Because everyone needs a monster, remember?

I should have them up for sale in my Big Cartel shop by the 3rd week of March. They may not be for sale on Etsy. I'm finding that website is becoming a very costly place, and will not be uploading as many new items. My Big Cartel shop is attached to my Facebook page, and is better because you don't have to log in, or have an account to buy. :-)  I know that that is very important for some people.

Have a great evening and Monday!! xx

Friday Night & Cupcakes

Fridays are loved by a lot of people. The lovely thing about working from home is that Friday is just another day. Tonight I was watching reruns of my new favorite show, 2 Broke Girls. If you've never seen it, I think you should. It seems like it'd be a bit of fluff, but it's got some good, fun dialogue, witty comebacks, and a good moral to the story. Basically it teaches you that even though you can lose it all (in this case, Caroline who was rich ends up poor and sleeping on a subway), you can still be very positive and see the bright side. Max, on the other hand, has had a rough life, but with Caroline's help, she's building her cupcake business. It's a totally awesome show, and I recommend it.

Speaking of cupcakes... Since I've been watching nothing but 2 Broke Girl reruns, all I've been craving these days is a cupcake! So tonight, I decided to make cupcakes! Yes! This is my first time making cupcakes. I've always made banana bread muffins, or some sort of muffin, but never cake. I used the Yellow Citrus Cake mix in my very ancient cook book from the 1970's. The recipe basically has lemon zest (which I tripled, because I am in love with lemon!), and lemon juice (fresh, not fake).

I am a freak when it comes to lemons. I always have at least 2-10 lemons in my crisper at all times. If I'm out, that goes on my list of things to buy. If you must know, I make a lemon linguine sometimes for dinner (lemon juice of 1 lemon, fried garlic, 1 serving of linguine, pinch of crushed chili, and parsley). It is the most delicious linguine meal I've ever eaten, and it's my comfort food. :)


Here's a few photos of my lovely cupcakes:

I know the photo is a bit blurry, but they are the most perfect cupcakes!!

Look at those beauties! Mmmmmm

Ok, so the cupcakes are cooled and I've just eaten one, and Oh My Goodness they're so spongy and delicious! I would have made frosting, but I didn't have any confectioner's sugar, nor any butter. But you know what? They are delicious as is, and 10 times less fattening.

If anyone would like this recipe, I will gladly post it. I'm sure you can find it in your own cookbooks though, it's just a standard yellow citrus cake mix. :)

Enjoy, and happy Friday!

Three More Days...

Three more days and my business plan will be submitted to the selection committee, and hopefully  they'll accept my plan as well thought out, and what not, and I'll be able to continue on their financial assistance program, as well as still getting free business courses <fingers crossed>. It's been a tough few months, but I'm hoping that all my hard work will pay off. If by some chance I don't get accepted to continue in the program, I'll have to find a job in order to pay my bills. I know that won't happen.

I also wanted to share some really yummy felt desserts I found on Etsy last night. They're so exquisitely made, and look just like the real thing! They're all made by Huong Huynh, and her shop is called Milkfly.

Waffle Cone Ice Cream Scoop by Milkfly

Lemon Meringue Pie by Milkfly

I've never had one of these (these aren't sold in Canada as far as I'm concerned), but I've seen them in a movie that was filmed in the U.S.

Sno Ball Snack Cake by Milkfly

Just looking at these felt treats makes me hungry. They're so amazing! :)

Guest Post from Pwark!

Most people wrongly believe that I am the creator of PWARK! In fact, one day, when I was about to rearrange my apartment, I heard strange sounds coming from my living room. After a few minutes to look for where the sound was coming, I looked under the couch and I saw this creature who was both charming and attractive that seemed lost. By reaching out to try to reach it, she curled up on itself into a corner and seemed scared. So it was then that I had the bright idea to lure it with food to get her out of hiding. In presenting candy, she approached me. Having tasted one, she came out to ask me more. After getting satisfied, the charming little creature tried to explain her presence, but it was incomprehensible, I heard only grunts. So she took a paper and pencil and started to draw. With the help of his drawings and her gestures, I knew she had a mission with a few others to pick up objects that we humans see as waste, but which are raw materials for this civilization.

I realized that these creatures live in a side-world and they access to our world with the help of garden gnomes. The garden gnomes are agents sent by PWARK! to detect potential homes to contain more raw materials for this distant civilization. These gnomes that are presented in the form of statues are on a mission. Having noticed that my garden gnome, named Arold, seemed to have changed places a few times during the few days before my meeting with a PWARK!, all the things that I found strange now had a  sense. So it was then that I decided to help PWARK! in their quest for materials, which are usually old clothes. My home is wide-open for them and serves as their headquarters. They are wandering left and right to go about their business.

This is a great pleasure for me to contribute to the survival of such charming creatures. You can help too! Simply open your door to one of these charming creatures. Once established in your house, it will bring you many things and who knows, maybe she will share her knowledge with you ...

Little Dolls Are Taking Over!

There are so many dolls and plushies that I love on Etsy, and I've decided to dedicate today's blog to talking about them! They inspire me to strive to create new monster collections, because they're just so awesome. So let's get right down to it, and check these awesome dolls out!

First off, we have The Art and Craft of Mimi Kirchner. She makes these exquisite dolls with the loveliest details! I took a gander at her website and she averages about 110 dolls a year, which works out to about 3 days work per doll, and her prices reflect this amazing work. Everything on this fox is hand made, even the shoulder bag! It's so awesome. This exact one isn't for sale on Etsy, but there's a similar one, with a different jacket. He goes for $150.

back to a professor fox by Mimi Kirchner

back to a professor fox by Mimi Kirchner

back to a professor fox by Mimi Kirchner

I also really enjoy Mimi's Tattooed Man. The body is made from over-dyed toile fabric that she over dyed to make it look like tattooed skin. The beard is hand stitched, and the details on the face are hand embroidered. Just lovely. This tattooed man IS available to purchase on Etsy, and is $250. I'm imagining the amount of work that goes into dyeing a piece of fabric, and hand stitching alone is a job in itself.

Tattooed man with beard by Mimi Kirchner

Tattooed man with beard by Mimi Kirchner

Tattooed man with beard by Mimi Kirchner

Next we have a small artisan who lives out in Portland, Oregon. She makes these cute plush cats and dogs out of felted, upcycled sweaters. I bought the one I'm about to show you for my Christmas gift, and when I got her, I was so excited I brought her everywhere to show everyone! She's even got little furries on her face. She's a very happy plush cat. The shop is Sweet Poppy Cat. A plush cat like this ranges between $26 and $30.

Cat Stuffed Animal Dark Pink Wool Angora Upcycled Sweater by Sweet Poppy Cat

Cat Stuffed Animal Dark Pink Wool Angora Upcycled Sweater by Sweet Poppy Cat

Cat Stuffed Animal Dark Pink Wool Angora Upcycled Sweater by Sweet Poppy Cat

She also makes these really cute monsters! :) My favorite part!? The noses! I'm not entirely sure how she does that, but I love it!!! The colourful eyes are rocking it too. These monsters cost $50. They're most definitely bigger than the cats and dogs. One day I might have to adopt one. :)

Monster Stuffed Animal Striped Wool Sweater Upcycled Recycled Repurposed by Sweet Poppy Cat

Monster Stuffed Animal Striped Wool Sweater Upcycled Recycled Repurposed by Sweet Poppy Cat

Monster Stuffed Animal Striped Wool Sweater Upcycled Recycled Repurposed by Sweet Poppy Cat

I just can't resist a beautifully made doll. Can you?? :)


Happy window shopping!!

Big Cartel and Me

I've been on the fence about opening a new shop besides Etsy. I love what Etsy provides, and the teams, treasuries as well as seeing what items other people like. But a good part of me thinks it'd be time to start moving away from Etsy, and having my own shop. I'm going to keep Etsy live until my real shop starts picking up.

I won't be changing the URL of this blog any time soon, but if I do, don't worry! I will be writing a very special blog post telling everyone the new URL, and how to change your subscription. Or, I'll just redirect the blog manually through Blogger, and no one will be the wiser. But this isn't going to happen for at least 4-6 months, so you can all relax!

As for the new shop, I've chosen Big Cartel. They are a hosted website that allow the user to redesign the site according to their specifications, truly making it into a store that's unique to you. I only have the Gold membership which is free, and it only allows me 5 items.

Here's a screenshot of my shop on Big Cartel:

http://curiouslittlebird.bigcartel.com

What do you think? I haven't made many modifications so far, because CSS (cascading style sheets) is not something I learned in Graphic Design school, nor have I ever tried to learn in the 8 years I've been out of school. Let's just say I did my best. I did figure out how to change all the grey bars to white, at least clean it up a bit. I'd really like to add a background image, like the one on my blog, but I honestly have no idea how to do so in CSS. I'll be making changes slowly as I go along.

My shop is also available as a link through Facebook too!

Facebook - Big Cartel Link to Shop

I think it's essential there's a link in Facebook, because it gives my followers a chance to buy one of my very cute monsters without having to create a profile on Etsy. That's another bonus about Big Cartel that I like that I don't like about Etsy. No need to create a profile on Big Cartel. It's like a website. You just go to it, click on the image, and pay with PayPal. Easy peasy! Well, Big Cartel has a lot of benefits... no listing fees, no fees on purchases made by customers, and there's only one bill at the end of the month, and it's always the same. PayPal fees are still in effect, but that's okay.

If anyone out there understands CSS, and can tell me how I can add a background, please, leave me a comment!

Have a great night!

Saturday Flurry

Saturday was supposed to be a day of boring work. I really had intentions of working on my financial forecasting for my business plan, but the idea of cleaning my apartment took precedence. I live in an almost 700 square foot apt with my 2 kitties, and you'd think that would be more than plenty of place for just little ol' me, right? Well, my recent acquisition of polyester fiberfill has resulted in my sudden claustrophobia. I only bought 2 bags of stuffing, but after cutting the first bag to let the air in so I could actually use the stuff created it to expand to twice its size! It's a good thing I placed the bundle in a printer box first, because I think otherwise I'd never get it through the doors. Each bag is 16.6 kg (or about 37 pounds). The bag above the box expanded to about 4 feet wide, and the bag itself is about 4.5 feet high.

The lime green box on the bottom left is a box of cat litter, so you can imagine the size of my stuffing bundles. The one on the right in the blue bag is vacuum packed. If I were to cut the bag off, the inside bag would expand to fill the rest of the room.

So I spent the entire afternoon cleaning my apt to get this stuff in the spare room, shown above. I had to clean out my outdoor locker to store my bikes (and keep them from rusting in the snow, or getting stolen), because they were originally in this room. After 5 whole hours, my house was finally tidy, and I could breathe.

On Thursday I sold this really great monster, shown below: 

This is the guy I sold on Thursday. His arms and legs were made out of an upcycled bathing suit belt I found. Probably the coolest fabric colours ever, and impossible to find.

I loved this guy so much, I spent all of Friday on a quest to find rainbow striped fabric. Either like the photo above, or with alternating white strips, it didn't matter as long as it was a rainbow. You'd think that someone would carry it, but not one fabric store carries rainbow stripes. However, near the end of Friday evening, I did come across some rainbow striped fleece at Fabricland (total fluke!), so I bought the whole bolt. It doesn't have the white or the black in between the colours, but it's a rainbow, and the only one I've found so far. The whole bolt left me with over 4 meters of fabric for $27. Lucky for me it was on sale!

Here's the new monster with rainbow arms and legs.

He's still a bit of a skeleton, only in pieces, not put together yet.

His legs! They're 18 inches long. Even my nail polish matches a bit.

He wanted to be photographed in the snow bank, so how could I say no? This is what he'll look like when assembled, but with less dimension.

What makes both of these monsters really cool, is that their limbs are pose-able. I added 'joints' in the arms and legs, so they can have a bit more personality.

So there you have it. My Saturday flurry involved a LOT of cleaning, and tiny photography break.