Just a few snapshots of odds and ends…
I dug out the holiday lollipops Louisa gave me last year, to find that they had been exposed to too much heat and had melted slightly. This only adds to their greatness.
Santa candle got it too (check out that leg)…
If you’re curious about how Hubert Cumberdale is doing (which you probably are not), he’s enjoying the festivities in his new residence:
And last but not least, we have our nativity scene, SheWalksSoftly style:
On any given night, I’m liable to stop what I’m doing and just churn out something like this. Here is a quick Hubert Cumberdale sock puppet, based on the character in the delightfully creepy Salad Fingers cartoons (originally posted on Fat-Pie with other David Firth cartoons).
My speedy, off-the-cuff rendering looks lumpy, but such is the nature of socks…he can be smoothed. If you haven’t seen Hubert Cumberdale in action, I won’t spoil anything. Watch the cartoons!
Hubert was quickly adopted after his creation. I do hope he’s enjoying his new home.
I’ve posted about needle felted anatomy and eye creatures before. Here are a few favorites from The Felted Chicken, who has some fantastic sea creatures.
Puffer fish!
And this angler fish actually lights up! She really goes the extra mile here.
There are also plenty of non-sea creatures and other adorable things on her Etsy and Flickr pages.
I was floored when I received an amazing package in the mail from my kindred spirit Sarah. I had made her a plushie last month; a jellyfish named Princess Squishy (an incarnation of a nickname/drawing conjured up in the delightful minds of children Sarah worked with).
In return, she sent me the most amazing collection of trinkets: classic Bigelow Rose Salve (it’s delightful), a Liz McGrath limited edition tin, and a phrenology head pocket mirror!
But the most incredible gift was this handmade necklace. An anatomical heart seasoned with tiny gears, axe in a glass case, black flower and a locket filled with meaningful symbols. Does this girl know me, or what?
All of this for a plush invertebrate! What a talented and beautiful soul she is. I’m so grateful.
It takes so little to entertain me. Does anyone else find it odd that the San-X Rilakkuma 5th Anniversary “Relax Bear” is carrying a head on a platter?
I’m sure the little victim, who seems to gaze up at the monarch imploringly, didn’t find the experience of ending up there too “relaxing.”
You can purchase one from Shop Kawaii if you’re interested.
I’m fascinated by random cultural explosions that take place around arbitrary objects. Bacon has become a veritable phenomenon over the past two years, and I’m noticing steady growth of the toast trend.
I’ll refrain from posting images of pictures burned into toast…it’s been done ad nauseum. I will, however, show you this meta-toast mosaic:
It’s not just an emergence of toast products I’ve noticed (such as Tic Tac Toast
Now let’s enjoy some brief nostalgia.
In 1989, After Dark introduced the Flying Toast Screensaver (first for Mac, later for Windows):
Later, Sims Carnival allowed for more intergalactic toast possibilities.
Who can forget the 1990’s pioneer of these crumbly, starchy heroes, POWDERED TOAST MAN?
High-velocity raisins, corrosive croutons, acidic marmalade, flying butter pats…and of course, flight. He had it all.
Years later, we meet Mr. Toast and his mini empire.
There are countless variations of Mr. Toast images and products. Personally, I’m a fan of Vampire Toast:
(Love the shiny cape…very classy)
Slightly more menacing is this toast from one of my favorite web comics.
Never thought toast could be sad? Well, My Paper Crane proves that it can be, if aware of its ominous scorching fate.
If you prefer your toast enraged and screaming, you can now purchase a Mini Toast Pocket Friend:
In fact, angry toast does seem to be all the rage (pun intended).
There was even a design contest based on the concept.
But wait! Not all toast is tragic!
Look at Senor Happy Toast, gleefully self-buttering:
And my own soft toast creations, circa 2006 (and part of a complete plush breakfast) were pretty happy too:
Yummy Pancake’s Mr Toastee flickr set runs the whole gamut.
Happy…
Dressed up…
Drunk…
Whole wheat, original and rye (together in perfect harmony)…
Some modern toast creations include bizarre, counter-intuitive designs like this Soft Toaster Cell Phone Holder, complete with bear face and ears:
(The toast, also with a face, is supposed to “wipe off” the phone…wonder if it’s large enough for touch screen phones)
Are you…
(Image source link now dead)
What are your feelings about the growing Cult of Toast?
I’ve made plush meat products before; bacon strips, a T-bone steak, ham, and of course…the Turducken. But this life sized meat project trumps anything I’ve undertaken.
The South Park Quality Meats installation in San Diego includes salami, different cuts of meat, sausages, frankfurters, ham, a leg of lamb, a tongue, tripe, one goat and two pigs heads, and a side of beef.
All pieces are made from thrift/recycled fabric, and recycled polyfil stuffing.
Check out the store front! Signs were made by a seven year old boy and a nine year old girl.
See a few more pictures here.
Just wanted to share this unique needle felt creation by vivica_mirrors. His name is Squeek.
See more of her projects on her flickr site.
I was in line at the drug store, and came across this little fellow in the checkout lane. Advertised as a lovable, hugable creature, this poor koala contains so little stuffing that he appears to be suffering from a terrible eating disorder. Here he is, lying down:
He just caves in on himself when he tries to sit up.
And now for the worst part…the spine:
Let’s hope koalas like this one don’t infiltrate the media, or koalas in the wild may start depriving themselves of Eucalyptus leaves in hopes of attaining an impossible ideal. My maternal instinct got the better of me, and I spent the dollar to bring him home.
Oh, bless that Ikea…every now and then they come out with the most bizarre plush creatures ever mass produced. I wish I had picked up their “roadkill” cushions that surfaced a few years ago. Here’s one example:
I’m calling this next one a Bed Bug because my Entomology skills are somewhat lacking, and I can’t place exactly what it’s supposed to be (feel free to enlighten me).
Looks like you can feed it and zip its mouth shut! Isn’t that marvelous? I wonder what the target marketing demographic for these products would be. Children? Oddity bloggers?
SheWalksSoftly 