my new friends

i am quite in love with these two.
they sure weren't easy to photograph, though --
first they were all inquisitive about the camera and just wouldn't stand back and give me space:


and then squirrel got all "spspssppspsppsppsps" and wouldnt stop whispering secrets into mouse's ear:


but then i finally got them posed in the right light for their portrait.
so cute:


okay - i'll grow up and be serious now.
these adorable finger puppets are the work of maritza, of soto softies. i've noticed her work before and long admired it, but i didnt know just HOW amazing every little creature that she creates really is until i saw her table at this weekend's bazaar bizarre. i fell in love with everything. everything. like, i want them all. oh my goodness it just makes my head spin sometimes when i see people who are so talented and creative and they make such amazing stuff. it's that same kind "i need to scream into a pillow" thing that happened to me when i watched the science of sleep. anyways -- i chatted with maritza for a little while and made her acquaintance and swapped business info and scooped up these little guys for sweet baby aidyn and baby bella. (but i dont WANt to give them away!!!) she was the one who gave me the scoop on big cartel -- where i am now hosting my new shop. (it is all set up now --- you should click over and go shopping -- now!). maritza has a shop on there -- you should click on over there, too, and buy me (um, i mean, you...?) some of her softies. it looks like she doesnt have the shop fully stocked right now -- probably due to craft fairs. so look at her softie gallery on her flickr site - i can pretty much guarantee that you will fall just as head over heels for these little guys as i did.

i was telling dana, on our drive back from boston that night, that craft fairs are always good for me in terms of meeting two or three really great peeps. i always admire the people who get to the craft fairs and get all set up early and have time to go around checking out the other booths before the public is let in. i am NEVER that girl. i am the girl who is rushing to get it all set up exactly so and then, even if i do get it finished to my liking, i have a zillion other little things to do -- like making tags, and bags, and putting last-minute finishing touches on things. but i always do get to meet at least a couple of really great crafters. in addition to maritza, i also met and chatted with:
---laura, of wren handmade. she is one of the first crafters whose work i noticed (a year or two ago, i think) and thought, "damn, she is doing it! that is awesome!" oh my goodness, i just clicked over to her main site and had a little freak-out. she is so good. so -- it was good to meet and talk to her and i am happy to now know that she will also be there this weekend at the divine studio craft fair that i am doing on sunday in manhattan.
---heather, of heatherjeany. she does gocco and screenprinted stationary and custom invitations. she had the table next to me and when she walked up to take her spot, i was standing on her table, which i had dragged over to my space so that i could hang my sign. i turned around and saw her and i think i yelled "i'm standing on your table!" like a scared little kid who has been caught standing on the counter to get to the cookie jar. but she was very nice about it. she was very nice in general, in fact, and tolerated (with a smile!) the tomfoolery and delirious antics of dana and me.
yeeeeeeeeeah craft fairs!