This is Chi.

He is a character from the book “As Constant As the Stars,” written by Diane L. Nees and illustrated by Janis A. Elsen. The illustrator, Janis, contacted me to help her bring Chi to life.

He kind of reminded me of Jakus (character featured in the previous post) a little bit. I suppose it is because I used the same material to make them both. They could be distant cousins from different planets? I dunno

Anyway, so I purchased this book for my son and got a special autographed copy My son is only two, but he will have this book forever. It is a very well written book with awesomely cute illustrations!

They are in the works of making more books with this character and others as well. I can’t wait to buy them all when they become available.

“Constant As The Stars” is available now at an affordable price on amazon.com. Check it out and “check out” with your own copy!

Copy and paste this link into your browser to see the book: http://www.amazon.com/As-Constant-Stars-Diane-Nees/dp/1462679196/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1360879172&sr=8-1&keywords=constant+as+the+stars

Jakus is a Dragonheart who loves goodies.  He descends from Dragonhearts who were Chinese and European kings.  His main job is to teach baby Dragonhearts (who hatch out of eggs) how to fly.  He does this every November 9th.

Jakus loves toys and will never grow up or grow old.

Jakus was an absolute joy to bring life to. He is truly one of my favorite, and I will never forget him I know that Jakus is happy where he is (back with his mommy) and I love hearing about all of the exciting adventures and stories that he and his family take. Here are a few snapshots that were sent to me of Jakus in his home

 Goodnight Jakus, and be well

Hope you all enjoyed the holidays, and have a wonderful and bright new year ahead. Its been a while since I have been able to post something new, and the holidays were filled with ups and downs, as I am certain everyone has had their fair share with both. As we enter this new year with lots of hope… and lots of resolutions May it be bright and full of loved ones around us always….. even if they get on our nerves sometimes

Here are my latest and long awaited sofites…. better late than never right? … Enjoy!

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I couldn’t figure out how to set the photos above so they don’t look so stretched out length wise, so I gave up and stopped trying to figure it out

This furry guy goes by the name Edgrr, yes with two r’s. He is holding a dry-erase board so the messages change anytime. I was given a few different photos to work with to determine just the right colors to use.

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He is a fun looking little guy and was funner to make. His smile is definitely contagious! It better be because I spent so much time looking making sure of it! It is funny how no matter how many softies I make, I can always recall making each one.

Not sure what the symbol below means, but it is tattooed (embroidered) to the bottoms of both feet.

Edgrr is home now where he can really sit and watch the fireworks just like in the drawing

I love Lila’s style, and I can tell what that is just by her drawing. The colors she used and the particular details are really…well….cool! She is simply put, a cool girl We all know what that means. And I hope she reads this and knows that the world now knows it too

Lila’s mother and I decided that the cherries design on the front of this softie’s shirt would be a necklace. The necklace is sculpted out of colored wire. Yes, it is completely safe! Just as safe as a pair of earrings, and totally age appropriate for Lila. The wings are made from thicker chenille stems and tulle, and they are very light. The umbrella can be opened by bending the thin chenille stems inside upward. It is a very sturdy piece, and my particular favorite to make

I love making all the little details… The glasses, the umbrella, the necklace, the wings…. They make the softie seem more alive. I am so happy I have so many opportunities to make stuff like this.

Everyone knows that patience is a virtue. It is definitely worth the wait when it comes to getting a softie. This is especially true for Tyler, who waited…..and waited….and waited for his loach to come alive.

Days turned into weeks, and to a kid more than a week feels like an eternity! Nonetheless, Tyler waited like a trooper until his time came… His grandmother told me that he asked about it every single day… The pressure was on for me! I felt like this kid was my boss; I guess these kids are all like my bosses is a way. They should all be awarded for “Best Bosses EVER”

There’s a chenille stem inside the material of the mouth so it can be shaped any way Tyler wants. He was thrilled when he finally got what he had been patiently waiting for… and yes, it was absolutely, positively worth the wait

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I found this great material for curtains (the top and bottom of the dress) of roses and green leaves that I just had to have for this softie. The brush strokes on the material couldn’t have been a better match for a softie from painting. The boots and pantyhose gave her a modern day look. I think she is wearing the perfect outfit for this season. I purposely left the arms upward instead of downward because when bent, they are in correct proportion. I wanted her to be real and playful. The drawing is merely one angle and one position of a fully moving, real character made into a tangible, kissable softie

Juliana is surprising her daughter, Chloe, with this softie. Juliana made sure to let me know that Chloe wanted her fairy softie’s eyelashes to be very long. These are the important details that give each softie character. I think I got it right Chloe’s fairy softie is going to be shipped out tomorrow ….. actually today because its so late! I will miss Chloe’s fairy, like I always miss them all…. Luckily they all have homes of their own, otherwise my whole apartment would be full of them!

Enjoy your real home sweet fairy *

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Nichole’s daughter was thrilled when she received her softie in the mail. Her doll stayed with me as I made other softies patiently waiting to go to her real home. She couldn’t wait to show off her new Nike’s

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And then there were three   

A few months ago I made a softie from a drawing of an angel. The talented artist, Timothy, who created the angel, sadly passed away at 27 years old from complications related to a Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI)…

I received the first request (pictured alone) by Timothy’s sister in-law for her one year old son. Soon after she received the softie, Timothy’s mother requested two more. The Timothy Carlon McWilliams Foundation, also known as the TimboFund, was created shortly after Timothy’s passing. TimboFund is an organization dedicated to helping victims of Traumatic Brain Injury.

There is something truly special when you get to hold something in your hands that someone you have lost created… I am beyond happy when I am able to be a part of something like that for someone. It makes what I do all the more special.

You can find out more information about TimboFund by visiting www.timbofund.org.

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The producer on a new Yahoo! series, “Away We Grow,” that centers on raising healthy kids at every stage of parenting, contacted me about having a softie made of a drawing their host’s son, Kenji-age 4 drew. Can you believe this kid is only four?? Wow! It is amazing how we tend to forget just how capable children are at capturing what is in their minds on paper. Away we draw! I just wish I had taken photos with a black background. It would have been way cooler for sure.

You can see a clip of the episode that features Pinocchio’s Friends by clicking on this link: http://shine.yahoo.com/video/family-dinners-inspire-better-communication-193137971.html

Enjoy!

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Dena did not send me a drawing, but rather a description of what her daughter wanted. After discussing it with her daughter, here is the description of the softie she envisioned: ”… A girl with light brown hair and wearing yellow.  The horse is welcome to be all white, with a gold horn.  But her first request was white, purple, and yellow.  The horse wings should be pink-light pink.  Hooves should be black.  We just had to leave her leased horse, Pearl, behind us when we moved out of New Mexico.  Pearl was a black and white paint mare.  My daughter misses her a lot and a flying unicorn/pegasus will really make her happy to have as a new friend…”

Ta-da! …. But seriously I need to stop taking these photos in the middle of the night… and with a better background… I’m working on it

Stay tuned for Dena’s childhood “Babbit” (a terribly cute bunny rabbit that I was asked to recreate two of.

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Emerson’s princess drawing is very colorful and bright, much like Emerson’s imagination I’m sure. The exquisite detail and very daintiness of her drawing truly reflects this girl’s personality. She is a true artist and is able to express herself in her marvelous work. Hats off to you Emerson, and I hope I see more of this talent from you in the future!

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Judy’s daughter drew this bird in the 80′s when she was young. Judy thought it would be a great idea to surprise her daughter with this as a gift. Alanna was very happy with the outcome. I am sure the child in her was even more thrilled! These types of things I couldn’t even imagine when I was young! I think I may just make myself a softie of one of my old drawings…… well…. On second thought, I will happily wait until my son is old enough to draw and make one for him Yes that will do just fine. Thanks Judy for reminding us how great it is to be taken back to a moment in time where dreams came true… This one sure did  :)

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Okay, this one was a little morbid at first glance. Here’s the legend behind it:

“La Llorona (‘The Weeping Woman’) is a widespread legend in Mexico, the US southwest, Puerto Rico, and Central and South America. Although several variations exist, the basic story tells of a beautiful woman by the name of Maria killing her children by drowning them, in order to be with the man that she loved. When the man rejects her, she kills herself. Challenged at the gates of heaven as to the whereabouts of her children, she is not permitted to enter the afterlife until she has found them. Maria is forced to wander the Earth for all eternity, searching in vain for her drowned offspring, with her constant weeping giving her the name ‘La Llorona’.”  -Wikipedia

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Fran asked me to make a softie for each of her two daughters from drawings they made when they were little. One of them being the softie “La Llorona” (one above). I call this one “The Black Elephant.” I like the ring of that even though it is so simple and perhaps heard before. Nonetheless, Fran raised quite talented ladies. “The Black Elephant” is not as vivid and gruesome as “La Llorona,” but they both convey the artistic quality that deserves notice and appreciation from all.

Sammi was so enthusiastic about getting a softie made for her daughter, Olivia, who is four years old.

Olivia has quite an imagination! Her drawing is far from a simple stick figure. This  drawing is of herself, her sister, and her father (the softie). He was chewing something while talking to them, and that is drawn here. Isn’t it amazing that Olivia was able to capture that moment in her drawing at such a young age? Its incredible.

Olivia now has a new hiding spot for little things because her hand can go all the way in!

Sammi gave this to her daughter for her birthday. Happy Birthday Olivia!!

Sammi sent me a picture of Olivia and her new softie. It was a pleasure working with Sammi, and I hope to work with her and Olivia again in the future

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I’ve always loved the name Audrey. One of those common uncommon names that has a pretty sound… Audrey is four years old, and a super talented artist as you can tell by the amazing and colorful masterpiece below. Audrey drew a blue fairy with brown hair and orange barrettes. She wears a purple crown inlaid with jewels. Audrey draws all of her self-portraits with crowns so it is very important to her that her blue fairy was wearing one.

The blue fairy is full of sparkles from her big bracelets, hoop earrings, and yellow necklace to the blue sequined high heeled pumps she likes to walk in when she isn’t flying. What a fabulously fashionable fairy she is! And what an even more talented artist Audrey is for designing every inch of her.

Her blue wings sprout horizontally and have been lined in back with chenille stems so the feathers wont break apart. This also means they can be posed in different directions. Her arms and legs are chenille stems wrapped around in yarn, so they are bendable as well. Kids love to give their toys a different pose every now and then. I am certain Audrey is loving her blue fairy brought to life!