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Yay!  My "That's Clever!" episode finally aired.  We taped that so long ago (2007?), but with the writer's strike and everything, it didn't air till now.  It turned out really cute!  I made a fairy like this one:

It was a wonderful experience and a lot of fun.  I was very afraid when I watched it this morning I was going to look pretty silly.  But it was good!  It's amazing how much work goes into making an 8 minute segment!

So - maybe you're wondering why I haven't posted in ages - what is going on with Crabtree Studio?  The answer is pretty easy and I can show you with two pictures:

 We fixed up our old house, put it on the market, sold it, and moved into this little gem.  All of which was a huge undertaking and required a lot of long nights painting, cleaning, sorting, etc.  And I did all that while I was ...

 ... while I was pregnant!  Lily was born just 10 days after we moved into our new house - talk about cutting it close.  (Gabe, by the way, is so much bigger then he was in the HGTV segment!)  With the little one, I don't have a lot of time for crafting. And what time I do have, I'd like to make things for my family for once.  So I'm taking a little hiatus from Crabtree Studio.  But I'll be back once Lily gets bigger and I have more time.  So until then, why don't you go visit Jessica at Plushroom Soup for your crafty plush needs!

[EDIT:  If you are coming here via HGTV's "That's Clever" after seeing Jessica's segment on plush alpacas - Hello!  You should go check out her new website Plushroom Soup and see what she's up to now. - Amy]

Many of you already know that I've decide to launch my own brand, called Plushroom Soup. For those that don't know, Plushroom Soup is my new line of original and off-beat softies. It's a lot of the same kind of softies you've come to love, but will trending more toward the odd, the mythical, and the fantasy. I will be debuting some items from this line at No Coast this year. A sneak peek:

Also new at No Coast will be two patterns that Amy and I cooked up: an alpaca and a horse.

Mega props to Amy for doing all the interior drawings on these! The patterns are also available as a PDF download in my Etsy shop.

The print version of the pattern includes full-sized pattern pieces and detailed instructions folded together in a cute little half-letter-sized booklet. The PDF version also features full-sized pattern pieces and detailed instructions and is set up to be printed double-sided on standard letter-sized (A4) paper, landscape orientation.

To celebrate the new patterns and the launch of Plushroom Soup, I'm hosting a giveaway! Head over to my new blog for details!

Tomorrow Amy and I leave for Seattle. Before we go, I thought I'd share works from a few more of the awesome artists involved in the show:

From Fing Toys:

From Kitty Vane:

From Spooky Daddy:

If you live in the area, head on over to Fancy, Schmancy, and Nancy for the big Plush You! show. The opening event is Friday, October 10 from 5:00 to 9:00 p.m. Our work is being exhibited in Nancy, which is next door to Schmancy.

Remember the alpaca duo we sent to The Toy Society to be randomly dropped in Australia? Well, Poppalina has dropped our first toy, and it's already been found!

Just look at that smile! The Toy Society is doing such a wonderful thing to spread this kind of joy through the world, and I am so glad we participated. Please do follow the Poppalina link above to read the full story of the drop; it's very heartwarming.

Amy and I are heading to Seattle this weekend to attend the opening of the Plush You! exhibit. We are so honored to be part of this yearly plush extravaganza, and are excited for the opportunity to meet many of our favorite plush artists and see their work in person. Below is just a small sample of the awesomeness in store for us.

From Hine:

From Squirrel Momma:

From Full of Fluff:

A few finished frogs:

Myra is a little mischievous, if you couldn't already tell by her lopsided grin.

Charlie is Myra's best friend, but he's more shy than mischievous.

Fernando rounds out the trio. A few years older than Myra and Charlie, he prefers reading pirate tales and dreams of life on the sea.