Magic Nugget Sponge Sets!

  One of my new creations for Finch's Boutique - under the name Yellow Finch.Gray Day (blog/etsy shop to come...some day....) - is Magic Nugget Sponge Sets!

  I've been making Nugget Wash Mitts for kids - sewn from terry cloth - for a few years now, and I guess I was thinking of ways to expand cute options for gift giving, and a way to make everyday routine tasks, like baths, a little more fun :)

  Take a peek!

From online, I ordered a multi-color pack of composite cellulose sponges
- they're flat and hard, like little card boards

I sketched and cut out a little pattern from a cereal box! ha!

I traced/cut around my pattern to get my Nugget shape!

The picture I don't have is me sewing all the bit together, but basically, I used a hole-punch and X-acto knife to cut out the little eye holes, and I doubled up my thread to sew on the the little square patches and owl beaks.
Here are the packages all set for the sale!

When you add the little, flat composite sponges to water - they INSTANTLY grow into squishy, fun sponges ready for bath time! IT'S MAGIC!

  * Later I emptied all the little round sponge bits my hole puncher - and let Brooke and Owen drop them into a bowl of water over at Grandma Bonnie's - Brooke proclaimed them to be "Magic Beans!!!"

  Other ideas for these sheets of composite sponges: cut them into alphabet shapes or numbers, animals or fun shapes - circles and stars, hearts, oh my!

Yellow Finch.Gray Day for Finch's Boutique

  So I have been spending most of my time preparing for Finch's Holiday Boutique 2012 - coming up on Dec. 8th & 9th - it's a full time job (on top of the one I already have!) I've been working on my own product - under the name Yellow Finch.Gray Day - and updating the boutique blog once, sometimes twice, a day.

  My product list so far:
- Plush Toys like Jimmy Dolls, Pocket Nuggets, Tooth Fairy Nuggets
- Terry Wash Mitts
- Tea For Two Play Sets
- Finger Puppets
- Magic Sponge Sets
- Pieced Fabric Pot Holders
- Tea Pot Framed Art and Pot Holders
- Squeaky Bone Dog Toys
- Jingle Nugget Kitty Toys
- Felt Ornaments
- Re-usable Coffee Cup Cozies

+ Kevin is getting ready to start making his Peppermint Bark and Green Apple Bark pretty soon here too!

  I thought I'd share a peek a some of what I've been working on! Framed tea pot illustrations with matching pot holders (My mom is working on the tea pot kitchen towels to complete the collection!)

I Heart SF! - Part 2

  So one of the sweet shops we visited was Paxton Gate. My co-worker Alyssa was SO pumped to visit this store - it was super cool and really fascinating :)  I lifted this from their site, but it pretty much sums it up "...Treasures and Oddities inspired by the Garden and the Natural Sciences. We're known for our mix of neo-Victorian delights, eclectic animal and plant ephemera, taxidermy, bones and skulls, framed and mounted insects, jewelry, affordable art, fossils & minerals, and more..."
  Its a must visit when in San Fran :) Check it out!

Loads of crazy taxidermy

Stones, corals, taxidermy eyeballs, beakers, test tubes, under the sea finds + a PIRANHA!! Scary!

Everything for your terrarium needs + a sweet backyard garden area full of succulents and cool plants we can't grow outside in MN...

Bugs and skulls and fossils...

+ these cool lamps - one made with an alligator head (far right side)

If you find yourself in San Fran - def check it out!

I Heart SF! - Part 1

  It's been a few weeks since my visit to San Francisco - and we've been so busy, I haven't had a chance to share some of the great shopping and sites!
- Shopping - check!
- Eating - double check!
- President Obama was in town - it's true!
+ a tour of Chronicle Books HQ! So cool!

  Here is Part 1 of my San Fran trip highlights!

Walking *down the steep hills wasn't so bad.....it was the walking up that just about did me in.
For real: I almost died

The Painted Ladies!! The most famous row of houses ever!

LOVED all the San Fran Style homes - even this Barn roof style home was quirky and fun!
 PLUS! My favorite part = the sweet whale weather vane!

So much good food - including a quick lunch at Elsy's - a Salvadorian restaurant where I had my first Pupusa!
( a thick, hand-made corn biscuit-like flat bread that is stuffed with good stuff - Mine included carnitas + cheese!)

We grabbed some late night ice cream from Smitten  in Hayes Valley - an ice cream shop within a huge cargo-shipping container. The owner developed this great technology they call "kelvin" to make the BEST ice cream in 5 minutes. They keep it simple: only 3 flavors available at a time - I had Salted Carmel - YUM! - and it was packed with people! But the great part is, it's not a long wait, and you get to watch them concoct your batch right before your eyes! Only 3 - 6 ingredients total (depending on the flavor) and ALL locally sourced.

Random I know. In one shop, there was a little back room gallery space where I found this great needle-point sushi artwork. It made me smile :)

I picked these out for Kevin! A seemingly ordinary stool from the front & side - but Storm Trooper business in the back!

and I opened up a health spa - no. that's not true at all - but it's funny to see my name out there. I can't even find it on a souvenir shop key chain - so I take what I can get!

I did a lot of shopping while in SF - look for my I Heart SF! Part 2 and Part 3 posts soon!