Sock Monkey Wedding Cake Topper with Peacock Feathers

When I got an order for a sock monkey wedding cake topper that needed to incorporate calla lilies, hydrangea, and peacock feathers I was a little stuck.  The feathers needed to be subtle enough not to overwhelm the monkeys, but there is nothing subtle about peacock feathers!  

I kept cutting them down and repositioning them until I felt good about it.  I used gold clay with green mica powder in the base to give it a shimmery look to match the feathers.

I received pictures from the wedding yesterday, and I have to say WOW, what a beautiful cake!

 And just look at the gorgeous bride and groom:

All photos are copyright Rick Pham Photography.

Free Tip for Craft Show Vendors

 

If you are an artist, like me, and if you take your work to shows, like I do, I have a great tip for you!

You know those parents who bring their kids to the show and let them run free, grabbing and poking at whatever they like while Mom and Dad chat and browse?  Yeah, I bet you know them all too well!

At my last show I came up with a brilliant solution to the art-molestation problem.  I took a cute little vintage frog cup I had found at an antique shop.  I filled it up with dum-dums (little suckers) and I topped it off with two little sock monkey cupcake toppers which peeked out over the dum-dums.

I placed the frog and it's child-enticing contents next to my checkout area (just out of the reach of children), and each time a grabby child visited my booth I offered a dum-dum.  Now the child has a treat, AND she has to hold on to it with one hand.  This usually solved the problem 100%, however in one or two especially grabby cases I offered TWO dum-dums, one for each hand, and that did the trick.

I realize some parents might not like their children to be offered candy, I'm one of them, but if  parents can't keep their children's hands busy...I will!

Have a fun and prosperous holiday season,

Waxela (wa-shay-la)

Cavalier King Charles Spaniel

I had a great time this week working on this 3" sculpture of a black and tan Cavalier King Charles Spaniel.

  His name is "Buck" and his owner says

"Buck is just the sweetest guy! He's friendly, gentle, cooperative, he's just a great dog." 

Here is a picture of the real Buck:

Cyber Monday SALE!

Hello blogger friends!

I woke up this morning and decided to have my own spontaneous Cyber Monday SALE, just for my blog readers!

It's good for 10% off ANY purchase in my shop!

This will only be good through CYBER MONDAY, so act fast!

To get your discount, just type SPECIAL10 in the coupon code box at checkout.

Thank you!!!!!

Flower Fairies

I've been having so much fun making these!

 

They will be landing in my shop soon!

SpiritMama shop 

Sophia Art Doll

I just finished Sophia, a new one of a kind art doll.  All of her clothing is vintage and antique fabric.  Her head, bust, arms, and boots are sculpted.

 

Sophia is free standing.  Her body had a wire and fabric armature.

I found an antique powder puff cover at an estate sale recently and I used pieces of it for her jacket, and there were flowers on top which I put in her hair and one on the front of her jacket.

Thanks for visiting!

The Best Job

The best job I can think of is one that I get to design for myself using my best talents.

This job would be fun, inspiring, creative, lucrative... oh, and I would also get to work at home on my own hours, and be my own boss.

Well guess what, that IS my job.  I feel very blessed.  

Here is a bit of my work week in pictures:

Twin Monkeys First Birthday Cake Topper

The "Cute Factor" was bumped up in my studio this week when I received an order to make a twin monkey birthday cake topper for two cute little guys who will be turning 1 this month.

This is a new face style for me because they were to look just like the monkeys on the party invite.

I can't show you the invite because it has their names and address, but I think I did a pretty good job, and I was smiling all week as I worked on them.

I like them so much that I will be adding a "twin birthday monkey cake topper" listing in this style to my Etsy shop soon.

Thanks for stopping by!

Waxela (wa-shay-la)

Wedding Cake Topper: Sock Monkeys on a Boat

I got such a fun order recently from a bride who wanted to have her cake topper include:

The bride wearing 

a hot pink bikini with white polka dots, 

a veil,

sunglasses, 

and propped up on one arm gazing back at the groom.

Groom 

sitting at the back of the boat with 

a fishing pole, 

camouflage swim trunks,

sunglasses, 

and gazing at the bride.

I gave the groom a fish on the end of his pole too.  I left them as individual pieces instead of attaching them to the boat, which makes them poseable. The wood Boat is by MountaineerCountry on Etsy.

Autumn Sock Monkey Wedding Cake Topper Update

Well the summer is flying by, school is about to resume, and people are planning their fall and winter weddings.

We were in the middle of a 1200 mile move during tax time last April, so we got an extension.  But guess what...time's up, and the taxes must be reported.  I spent all day crunching numbers (my least favorite activity). 

Now it's time for a blog reprieve and a glass of wine.  

Cheers to all of the Autumn wedding couples out there! 

I'll be making your cake toppers next week.

Monarch Butterfly Hatching

I spent my childhood summers catching insects, frogs, turtles, salamanders, toads, minnows, and the occasional snake.  I still have some of that curious little explorer in me, so when I found a tiny monarch catapillar a few weeks ago I was delighted at the idea of watching the amazing metamorphosis happen before my eyes.

I was a diligent caretaker, bringing fresh milkweed leaves to my growing caterpillar every day.  

The payoff happened on the morning when I woke to find the chrysalis about to break open.  I took it outside, and this is what I saw...

 

Here I transferred it to a flower in my front yard.

I caught it's first flight...

 

 and its first landing...

Dragonfly

This beautiful dragonfly landed at my doorstep, where it apparently took its last breath, leaving me with a very nice photo op!

I love watching this type of dragonfly fly. They have clear parts of their wings so when they are hovering only the black and white areas show.

Little Prince First Birthday Cake Topper

The Little Prince is a well known children's book which was originally written in French.

I read it with my daughter when she was about 8.  

I'll admit we really didn't understand what was going on a lot of the time. 

But I still enjoyed the book, and I recently saw some Lil' Prince party supplies for first birthday boys.

I just had to make a little prince cake topper to match!

I love making my sock monkey cake toppers, but this was a real treat, and clothing are always fun too.

You will find him in my shop:
Little Prince Here!

Frida Kahlo Sock Monkey Art Doll

In honor of Frida Kahlo's birthday ADO team had a Frida art doll challenge this month.  

In keeping with my sock monkey theme (and because I had an extra monkey sitting in my studio) I made a Frida Kahlo sock monkey art doll.

Yes, I know it's off the wall, but isn't everything about Frida that way?  Somehow it fits.

Frida Monkey is holding a little bird, symbolic of her free spirit.

Frida Monkey is one of a kind, and she is for sale HERE  in my Etsy shop.