FreakyCuteKreations now on Facebook

Well, I finally broke down and created a Facebook page for FreakyCuteKreations on Facebook.  I didn't create one until now because I was never really on Facebook, but since I've been on more and more lately I decided it was a good time to bring FreakyCuteKreations to Facebook. I find it a lot easier to work with than blogspot and I like how easy it is to update and share.

So, like me on Facebook!

Love,
FreakyCuteKreations

IT'S SO FLUFFY I COULD DIE!!! (Despicable Me Unicorn, now with more story)

 

A little over a month ago my sister texted me and asked me to make her the unicorn from Despicable Me for her 22nd birthday. I was a little hesitant since custom stuffies take a good amount of time to create, but I did have a month until her birthday. I asked her how big she wanted it and her answer was 48"! I basically told her she was on crack and I wasn't making her a 4 foot stuffie. I played it off and I told her I would see what I could do, but I didn't think it would happen.

 

 

Needless to say I started working on it the very next day. There was NO WAY I was making it 4 feet, but I did settle on 18" for the body and 14" for the head. So for an entire month while I was creating a pattern, sewing, resewing, stuffing, etc I let her believe that she was getting a gift card instead.

 

 

I have no idea how long it actually took me, but if I had to estimate I would say about 40 hours.

 

-2 hour to research and sketch

-5 hours to create the huge pattern

-15 hours sewing, resewing, and handstitiching

-4 hours getting the stuffing correct

 

Not to mention the hours spent finding the exact right fabric colors, thread, and working out how exactly I was going to do everything. I know that these numbers might appear to be exaggerated, but trust me they aren't.

 

Creating a 3-D pattern out of thin air takes lots of time for sketching, resketching, figuring out sizing. I am constantly thinking "If I make the pattern this way, what will the end product look like?", "If I tweak this how will it affect my design?", etc.

A lot of the pieces on this stuffie and my custom stuffies are handsewn. The reason for that is I like the affect that handsewing gives. It also allows me to match up pieces better. On this piece the eyes, nostrils, tongue, horn, mane, tail, head, ears, and pink feet are all handsewn into place.

 I take as much time as I need on any of my pieces to make sure that they turn out as perfect as possible because I WILL NOT send out a piece that isn't up to my high standards. My Art Teacher called my high standards being slow and meticulous, which is now a running joke between me and my friends
.
 

I loved the detail that I was able to put into the unicorn, like the crazy nostrils and pink line around the muzzle.

 

The thing I liked making the most was the unicorn horn. I had never done one before and I love the way it turned out. You can't really tell, but I used Metallic Gold thread to make the bulges and it adds that sparkle that every unicorn needs.

 

The reaction I got from my sister when she saw it and when she shook it for the first time and yelled "IT'S SO FLUFFY I'M GONNA DIE!!!" made all the work worth it.

I hope you enjoyed what I created.

C&C Welcome.

Love,
RobbinZombie

Baby Bigfoot Sasquatch Stuffie

I LOVE Cryptozoology (The study of creature we aren't quite sure exist)  and have loved it ever since I was a kid. I think what I love about Cryptozoology is that there are some mysteries in this world we may never solve.

My favorite Cryptid is Bigfoot, I don't know why, maybe because it was the first Cryptid I knew about or maybe because I love the woods. For whatever reason out of all the stuffies I have made I have yet to make a Bigfoot, until now.

I was commissioned this past Christmas to create an handful of stuffies for a little girl who loves Cryptozoology as much as I do. One of them was a Bigfoot stuffie and of course I sent it off without taking photos, for whatever reason in my excitement I always forget to take photos of my creations. I fell so much in love with the Baby Bigfoot that I created for her that I of course had to make one for myself.

Love,
FreakyCuteKreations

Photo dump/Custom orders

I love creating custom orders, I really do. Maybe it is my love of a challenge or figuring out a solution, but I love it. My only problem besides the fact that it takes a minute to create a pattern from scratch is after I'm done I'm terrible at remembering to take photos. So here are the photos that of have of some of the custom orders I have done.

One of the custom orders I did a while back was a Darth Trooper. A customer has seen my Chewsolo and wanted to get one, but wanted to know if I could make it half Darth Maul, half Stormtrooper. My answer of course was "Bring it On!"

One of my next custom orders was to take my Three-Headed Kitten and make it out of black fleece, with pink inner ears, a pink nose, and a pink mouth. Not too difficult ;) but I love the contrast and the fact that someone actually asked me to use a different color.

My biggest and probably most favorite custom order was an order I did this Christmas for a little girl who loves Cryptozoology as much as I do. Her awesome mom contacted me and told me that all her daughter wanted for Christmas was a Lochness Monster, a Bigfoot, a Jackalope, a Chupacabra, and a Jersey Devil. The Lochness Monster and Jackalope I had covered, but creating 3 custom orders around Christmas with many orders coming in was challenging. The fact of the matter is I can't say no to a kid, especially one who want Cryptids for Christmas. Not to mention the fact that I was super flattered that she loved my work enough to ask me to create custom stuffies. Here is the appreciation photo she sent.

The Jersey Devil wasn't in that photos because my sewing machine literally broke down right before Christmas so he was sent right after Christmas.

I loved the way they turned out, even though the Jersey Devil lived up to his name and gave me all sorts of problems. I am currently sewing up another Bigfoot for a friend and plan to put it in my shop. I hope you enjoyed checking out my stuffies as much as I had fun making them.

Love,

FreakyCuteKreations

Pinterest Addiction

I am addicted to Pinterest, there I admitted it.

I have had a Pinterest account for awhile now, but didn't become an addict until this year. Skip says I should call my iPad iPin because that is all he sees me doing on it. Part of what I love about Pinterest is discovering new things and then filing them away for later. I have also found a ton of awesome recipes through Pinterest, including a Slow Cooker Jambalaya that I made last week.If you like Jambalaya I would recomend this recipe Slow Cooker Jambalaya Recipe.

Time to put the lid on and let this cook for 4 hrs on high

I have never slow cooked Jambalaya and I normally cook the rice and meat and veggie mixture together, but in this recipe you keep them separate and I was willing to give it a shot. The only changes I made to this recipe was I added more Cajun Seasoning than what it called for, fresh parsley (because I had some), more cayenne pepper, some crushed red pepper, and I omitted the thyme (because I didn't have any).

Not much leftover because it was sooo good

I'm kind of a tinkerer when it comes to cooking. I take a recipe and add or decrease spices according to my tastes and I love my Jambalaya SPICY. I would recommend using the spices and the amounts called for and when it is done, taste it. if you want it spicier, add more cayenne pepper. If you want more Cajun Seasoning, add more. I add a few shakes here and a few shakes there stir and taste again and repeat until it tastes amazing. Cooking isn't chemistry like baking is, you can tinker and add and not have to really worry that it isn't going to cook correctly. Cooking is another one of my creative outlets, I challenge you to give it a try.

Huge Update, Obviously

It has been over a year since my last post and everything has changed.

My Etsy Shop FreakyCuteKreations is doing great! This last Christmas was my second Christmas with my shop and I had to close it down because I was getting more orders than I could fill. It makes me happy to realize that I'm not the only person who enjoys my creations.

Now for the things that are different in my life. Well, Sasquatch (Jay) and I broke up, I got an apartment instead of a house, started dating my current boyfriend, after 9 months of dating I moved in with him, and we just picked out an engagement ring, I also started a new job 3 months ago doing Java programming, so lots of changes, but all for the best.

My life last year was crazy busy and my blog got neglected and I apologize. This year I want to post at least once a week and post more tutorials. I have a few custom orders that I did over Christmas that I would love to show you and I have a few new stuffies in the works that I think you guys might like. If there is anything you would like to see or something you would like me to create, send me a message or comment below.

Love,
FreakyCuteKreations

Update

Wow I can't believe that it has been almost a month since my last post. Well my Etsy shop has been open for a month now and I have been busy filling orders. I told myself that if I could get 4 orders I would be so happy and I have gotten over 10 orders so far. I would like to thank everyone who has supported my shop in any way. Even if it is just adding my shop or my shops items to your favorites. Besides being busy filling orders, work has kept me pretty busy with a bunch of end of the year renewals and other such nonsense.

I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving, I know I did. Part of my Christmas present was a plane ticket down to Jacksonville, Florida to visit my Aunt, Uncle, and Cousin for Thanksgiving. They usually come up to St. Louis to celebrate, but for the last two years we have been going down there. (which is so much more fun 70 degrees as opposed to 32 degrees) Last year we drove down in a car too small to fit everyone comfortably so I needless to say I was more than thrilled to fly down this year.

I have been working on an awesome custom order and once I'm done I will post it.

Love,
RobbinZombie