Sunday Serendipity

Even though we slept in on Sunday, we still managed to have quite a nice afternoon. After getting lunch, we went over to the new location of Park Avenue CDs in Winter Park. I'd never been and Myke really wanted to show me. Awesome shop! We browsed through the vinyl and plush, picked up a few new blind box toys and got tickets to the Animal Collective show coming up soon! Then we headed over across the street to Stardust Video and Coffee. Super cool, I wish we lived closer, I'd hang out there all day. The coffee was good and even though we didn't rent any independent movies, anything we could have wanted was there, wall to wall, ceiling to floor.

Instead Myke found this cool game we've never heard of called Quits. We played a few rounds while we sipped our coffee and tea. I won best out of three! We liked it so much that we I got home, he suggested I make a board so we could keep playing. Even though it took me a few hours and many failed attempts to create 25 perfectly sized squares out of clay, I finally finished and we played a few more games before we went to bed. Here's a picture of the real game and my rendition made out of polymer clay and art foam.

I ended up making the sliding pieces in the shape of circles, not as smooth to move as square shapes, but still playable! Wooden pieces are definitely the way too go I think. I am pondering improvements on the design and possibly selling the game in my shop, but that's quite a big undertaking! At least for now we've added a new game to our collection, and it only cost about $10 to make.

New Designs at the Chromapop shop

Hey everyone, I have finally added some new design items to my other Etsy shop, Chromapop. I've redesigned my banner and shop brand as well, be sure to go check it out. I've got premade etsy banners and avatars, project wonderful ads for Easter and etsy business packages for a complete custom design! Oh and it would be super if you would buy something....please!

Shop Update - New Bunnies!

How cute are these! I just couldn't resist making some cute little Easter bunnies. Don't worry, there will still be slugs, but I've been doing some custom orders and it's got me craving some new critters to put in the shop. Keep an eye out for some more bunnies and chicks too!

Spring is Here!

It's hard to tell in Florida when spring arrives. It's already starting to feel like summer. But for the rest of you out there who are enjoyed the winter thaw, here a little collection of spring inspired handmade goodness - courtesy of Etsy of course.

1. Yellow :: Erin Tyner

2. Holly Bird Plantable Card :: RoundRobinPress

3. Cautious :: yaelfran

4. Fiddlehead Fern :: theeye

5. Pink Tulip Buds :: serena29

6. Pink Flowers :: urbandesign 7. Pretty Hand Painted Bag :: alangcry 8. Rainy Day :: monkeypowered 9. Dreaming of Spring :: artdi 10. Moss Terrarium No. 48 :: madebymavis 11. Rosette Fascinator Headband :: giantdwarf 12. Seedling Flower Bud :: leafy 13. Robin Eggs Felted Birds Nest :: makeyourpresentsfelted 14. My Busy Bee Pop Up Card :: tracychong

Play With Your Food!

It's kind of nice not having a job because I get to make a hot fresh breakfast and eat it somewhere other than the car! Today I made pancakes, yum! I haven't made them in a long time. When I was a kid, my mom made pancakes all the time for breakfast. The best were blueberry, with fresh blueberries from our yard! I miss having a garden and orchard. Sometimes when they were plain, she'd make breakfast extra fun by drawing little pictures and putting my initials on them! I didn't think of it until the last one and my hunger got priority over creativity, but I thought I'd give it ago. Mom, you truly are an artist! I didn't fair so well, but maybe I'll keep practicing. Never done this before? It's easy, here what you do: 1. Pour your batter very slowly in the shape of whatever you like, I seem to remember one extra special breakfast with butterfly pancakes. Remember to keep your batter doodle small enough to fit within the shape of a regular pancake. You have to work fast too. 2. Let it cook until the top of the batter is all nice and bubbly. This is important so your picture will show up! 3. Pour a regular pancake over your doodle, starting in the middle. It helps to move quickly while doing this too. 4. Wait for the appropriate bubbling again, and flip! Tada! 5. Marvel at your pancake artwork while it cooks on the other side! Here's a helpful tip too: whatever you draw will be reversed when you flip your pancake, so if you are making an initial or letter, be sure to draw it backwards!

Best Cookies Ever!

Mmmmmm...molasses crinkles! These are my all time favorite cookies. I made them religiously the summer I lived in Vermont and yes, ate them all myself! Well, maybe I shared a few with my friends. The recipe comes from my mom's side of the family. I remember making them for the first time with my Aunt Phyllis while I was visiting her. The original recipe calls for butter which makes the cookies nice and flat, softy and chewy. The ones pictured here I made with Smart Balance which makes them light and fluffy and more like gingerbread. You can also use margarine or other vegetable oil spreads and get the same result. I was too impatient to wait for the butter to soften! Not as tasty, in my opinion, but still very delicious. Here's the recipe:

3/4 cup butter

1 cup brown sugar

1 egg

1/4 cup molasses

2 1/4 cup flour

2 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

1 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp ginger

1/2 tsp cloves

set aside

1+ cup granulated sugar*

In a large bowl, cream butter and brown sugar until smooth, add egg and molasses. Stir in flour and spices. Cover and chill dough for 2 hours. (this is the hard part!) Preheat oven to 375. Put granulated sugar in a bowl. Form dough into round 1 inch balls, or larger if you prefer. I wouldn't go much larger than 2 inches. Roll balls in sugar and evenly coat. Place on a cookie sheet, evenly spaced. For 1 inch balls, 12 cookies per sheet. For 2 inch balls, 6 cookies per sheet. Bake for 10 minutes.

Remove from cookie sheet and let cool on a wire rack, or place on a brown paper bag. Aunt Phyllis taught me this trick! The bag soaks up some of the buttery grease from the cookies (and you don't have an extra dish to wash!) Makes about 2-3 dozen cookies depending on the size.

*If you don't have granulated sugar, like Sugar in the Raw, plain white sugar works fine as well.

I Like Mustaches

1. Mustache Mug :: BreadandBadger

2. Senor Jelly Beans :: littlepapoose

3. Mustache Mirror :: Girlontherocks

4. Stachetastic :: SunBeamLaserBeam

5. Mustachio Pistachio Plushie :: MyPreciousGrandchild

6. Mustache Hankerchief :: avrilloreti

7. Hearts and Mustaches Mix :: beadeux

8. Sherriff Ring :: AchAchLiebling

9. Mustache Disguise :: lupin

10. Handy Handlebars :: hisss

11. The Original Mustache Necklace :: littleangelsjewelry

12. Penelope Wristley :: MABeLhandbags

13. Mustache on a Stick :: somethingshidinghere

14. Mustache Necklace :: neawear

15. Brown Mustache Key Hook :: benfloeter

Don't forget to check out the new mustached slugs in my shop, more coming soon!

And The Winner Is...

Wow! I was really amazed at how many great suggestions everyone came up with for this little slug! In the end, it was really difficult to choose even though I had it narrowed down to a few. Without further ado, (insert drum roll here) I am proud to introduce you to Ron Hazardous the demolition slug! Congratulations to Tara! He will soon be yours to cherish forever! And as an added bonus for such enthusiasm and coming up with so many fun names, Anna Incs will also be getting a mini slug for free!

Thanks to all that participated, stayed tuned for another contest soon!

I Like Orange

1. Elegantly Orange Origami Notecards :: LLillardDesigns

2. Wool Teething Carrot :: melimade

3. Orange Chicken :: your local Chinese Restaurant

4. Goldfish :: Chi Liu

5. Wise Ol' Canister :: anthropologie

6. Extra Pulp Tee :: Chris Sharron/Threadless

7. Little Tangerine Mary Janes :: emandsprout

8. Fire People, Riders :: apak

9. Needle Felter Wool Acorn :: truluxe

Be Inspired

I'm constantly looking around me for inspiration of some kind. Usually in the form of color, which I find just about anywhere. The other day I was taking lint out of the trap in the dryer and discovered the most beautifully delicate stone blue. It was much harder to replicate with clay, but I made a few slugs a slightly greyer shade! Sometimes I seem to be inspired by certain objects that repeatedly come up for no particular reason. I suppose I should take this as a subconscious hint that I've got something up there in my head that needs to get out. Lately it has been bananas! That hilarious new Denny's commercial with "nannerpuss" started it all. I can't stop buying them...I say buy because most of the time they go bad before I can eat them. I make banana slugs all day long. And I've been itching to play one of my favorite games, Bananagrams! It's always fun to see what other people are inspired by, and apparently like me, someone was thinking about bananas when they made this word game! I never thought of fruit being inspirational as far as recreation is concerned but it sure is fun to play with your food so it only seems natural! And the game really has absolutely nothing to do with bananas, except for its name and the cute pouch it comes in. If you are a fan of Scrabble but don't like the competitive nature of the game then check out Bananagrams. There is a defined winner according to the offical rules, but rules were made to be broken right? When we play it's for fun, and nobody wins or loses. It's a good way to effortlessly come up with words of inspiration too! Some of the words I spelled out today: noodle, extra, frog, juicy, throat, gem, whiz and koi. Here's the commercial...I just couldn't resist!

New Love Slugs!

Check out this new listing I just put up in the shop for a customized set of love slugs! Super cute! C'mon, you know you want them! How can you say no?!

I like Shoes

Spring is almost here! Time to get some cute new shoes, courtesy of Etsy. Lucky for me I live in flip flops for 75% of the year, so I'll just be looking instead of buying.

1. Keyhole Flat :: hydraheart

2. Felted Woolen Knitted Slippers :: pawfelts

3. Socks Slippers :: netamir

4. Apple Green Crocheted Guillerminas :: lepiedleger

5. Mustard Mary Janes :: elephantandchickpea

6. Denim Shoes :: thebutterfliesshop

That's So Sweet: An Interview with Jane Joss

I stumbled across Jane Joss in the Etsy forums and absolutely fell in love with the work in this shop! I'd never seen anything quite like it: house plants you can't kill, but oh so much more. And soooooo pretty! I mean, this is some high quality home decor that's actually affordable. It's fresh and modern yet timeless and virtually goes with anything! I just had to pick creators Alyssa and Joslyn's brains and find out more about the mystery behind this wonderful Etsy shop. I couldn't contain my excitement. The idea of interviewing didn't really pop into my head, it was just a fact I was so enthusiastic about their shop. Tell us a bit about the people that are Jane Joss, what are you all about? The name Jane Joss is a combination of Alyssa’s middle name (Jane) and Joslyn. We’re former college roommates turned sisters-in-law (married to twins!). Jane Joss started with a free sewing machine and a love of cool fabric. We taught ourselves to sew and started making crafts and home décor items. Our target customer is someone who likes to add unique, natural touches to their home. Most of our customers are women, however we love designing for men, teens, and children as well. We keep everyone in mind when we are searching for fabric and coming up with new design ideas. Your line is so unique and original, I've never seen anything like it. Where did you come up with the concept for your Sweet Leaves? In our search for fabric-related craft projects, we stumbled upon leaves made of fabric. With a little trial and error, we were able to construct our own stems using floral wire and tape. From there we experimented with different sizes, including trees and potted plants. With every new creation, we found ourselves saying, “oh, that’s so sweet”. So, we ended up calling them Sweet Leaves! Describe your studio space and your inspiration in your creative life. Our “studios” are our home offices and kitchen tables. We like to imagine ourselves one day working in a beautiful studio space downtown. We are definitely inspired by nature. We love using green and brown fabric so our designs look like real plants from a distance. Also, fabric prints are a huge source of inspiration for us. It’s fun to add a modern touch to our designs by using bold colors and patterns. We are always experimenting with different textures and colors. What is your creative process like? Our creative process usually begins with a brainstorming session. We discuss new fabric options, style ideas and customer feedback. From there we are off to hunt for the perfect fabric. We have the most fun when we get to work together. Sometimes our “other lives” prevent that from happening, so we end up working separately with a kind of assembly line philosophy. For example, Alyssa will cut the fabric, Joslyn will wrap stems, etc. Assembling our product can take hours or days depending on the item. Each piece involves individually sewn interfaced leaves and hand-wrapped stems. The last step in our process involves Joslyn’s husband, Jeff. He is a talented graphic designer who has graciously designed our logo and e-blasts. He is also our photographer.

Did you try other materials or methods besides what you are currently using? Our first Sweet Leaves involved clipping the ends off existing floral stems we purchased. Although cute, that method did not produce a consistent or cost-effective product. We also tried different gauges of wire and various brands of floral tape before we got it just right. We’ve also streamlined our production process to conserve materials and increase productivity.

For being new to Etsy, you've got a few sales under your belt! Do you sell your Sweet Leaves anywhere else? We’re still new enough to get excited every time we make a sale! Etsy has been a huge learning experience for us. We’d never heard of it until we started our business. When we did, we knew it would be a great fit for us and our product. Word of mouth through our friends, families, and co-workers keep us rather busy. We have so much fun consulting with people and designing the perfect Sweet Leaves for their homes or offices. Children’s rooms are especially fun to do. Next on our agenda… craft/indie shows. Our first is the Deluxe Indie Craft Bazaar in Oklahoma City on May 9th. We are so excited to get our Sweet Leaves out there!

In what ways do you promote yourselves, online and in the tangible world? We do email marketing to friends and family periodically. We also use word of mouth, blogs, and Facebook and we’re not shy about handing out business cards. Alyssa can usually be found somewhere on Etsy, posting in forums, chatting, or making treasuries, Are there any new additions to the Jane Joss line planned for the future? We are always trying new techniques and styles. We try to stick with our basic leaf shape, but we’ve got a potted plant style that we’re almost ready to debut. We have some Sweet Leaves made from faux suede on the market right now that we just love, and we’re experimenting with leaves made from chenille and corduroy. Bridal bouquets, with a modern twist, are also on our list. Creating new styles and working with new fabrics is our favorite thing about Jane Joss, so we always have something new in the works.

What other creative projects or artistic hobbies are you involved with besides Jane Joss? We are always creating things using our sewing machines. We also both fancy ourselves amateur photographers and interior designers. We love to visit art museums and our favorite thing to do for “girls’ night out” is go see a musical. We both have children, which requires an endless supply of creativity! What would you like to see happen with your Etsy shop or your line in general? We like to envision ourselves in the future working full time on Jane Joss in a beautiful studio, expanding our product line (and customer base) and designing our own fabric. We hope to be there one day because we LOVE what we do!

A huge thank you (so so much!) to Alyssa and Joslyn! Be sure to check out their etsy shop at http://www.janejoss.etsy.com/ and pick up some sweet leaves for yourself!

Have you ever come across a really awesome and magical Etsy shop and been so amazed you just had to know more? You read the profile but it's still not enough...you add said shop to your favorites and spend hours looking at all the pretty things for sale...the mystery eats at you...who is this amazing person who made these pretty things? I must know more!!! I'm a huge fan of the Featured Seller on Etsy, but I feel like there are so many ridiculously cool shops out there, that we miss out on some great ones if we don't go hunting for them ourselves. I constantly search and search, for photography worth a million words, sparkly jewelry I can't afford, art to hang on the wall (which I also can't afford), for super lovable plush and softies. I search for inspiration in the form of color, humor, unlikely pairings, materials and I suppose to check out the competition as well. I'm often left wanting more when I come across a really great shop so I decided to do something about it! Consider this my own special Featured Seller. Here's the first in a new ongoing post series here at MarthaLand. I invite you to send shops my way too, if you find something you love! I'll ask the questions, you get all the answers you ever wanted!

New Slug IDs

Along with all the new and improved changes to the 3rd edition of slugs, I decided to redesign the slug IDs! It looks more like a driver's license now. Check out the old and the new!

Sneak Peek & Contest

Here's a sneak peek at the new slugs!

There will be more slugs with mini slug companions sold as a set, like Jonathan and Brad. Perhaps a mother and daughter who enjoy baking together...or a big bro and his little bro who idolizes him? Oh the possibilities! I'm really excited about a group of slug I've started calling the Gentlemen's Club Slugs! They won't be special edition by label, but these gents will certainly be special. Keep an eye out for lots of mustaches, ties and maybe even a pipe or two. There will be plenty, cause I just can't stop making those rad mustaches! The 3rd edition of slugs will also include some new and different accessories, like a bomb, a beer can and bubblegum (+ accessories starting with other letters as well, that was a total coincidence)! Of course I'll keep making some of the old (and popular) ones too: pizza slices, cupcakes, skateboards, cups o' joe, burritos and books. Got any ideas? Send them my way!

A couple of other noteworthly things about the 3rd edition: regular slugs will be more uniform in size as I am making them all out of the same amount of clay for the most part. So in this sense, the minis will really be minis whereas sometimes they were almost as big as the regular slugs in the past. I'm making all sorts of new colors as well, gotten really into tinting everything with black and brown for some rich earthy hues. I'm also offering GIANT slugs, 5 inches long by custom order only for between $20-25. And you fans out there might have noticed that yes, the prices have gone up a bit, but the slugs are looking better than a year ago and this is my only source of income. A girl's gotta eat!

This guy is one of the first new slugs. I'm all set to put him up for sale, but I can't think of a good name! He is definitely a sneaky guy, always up to mischief of massive proportions...he's got a bit of a problem with blowing things up! Send me your ideas via comment to this post and I'll pick the one that fits as I take naming my little slugs very seriously! Next Sunday, March 22nd I'll announce the winner of the contest and you get this explosive little slug for free! Don't forget to check back to see if you've won! But Martha, how will I get my dynamite slug if I win, you ask. This is how:

1.I'll post him in my etsy shop, reserved for you. (He will cost 20 cents according to Etsy because you can't list anything for less than this)

2. You add him to your cart.

3. You complete every step except the payment.

4. I see you "purchase" and have all your info to mail your slug out!

I like Zombies

1. Sock Zombie Doll :: Yessssssssssss! Two of my favorite things all sewn into one: handmade plush and zombie! Love the puffy paint glitter blood! This one is definitely for your zombie lovin' friends who don't like all the gore but like a heavy handed dose of humor! If for no other reason, you must check this shop out for the zombie interviews.

2. Zombie Octopus :: This etsy artist makes the coolest clay octopi (?) ever! She was the first artist I ever hearted when I discovered etsy, even before I had my own shop. I guess even the ocean isn't safe from the living dead! So much for getting scuba certified...

3. Night of the Living Bread :: This is just so hilarious it's scary...a parody (obviously) on Romero's Night of The Living Bread , which you will notice is nowhere in my collection of zombie favs. (It scares me!) I saw this yeasty version for the first time at like 2am while sleeping over at a friend's house. We laughed for hours, but then again what couple of 14 year old girls don't laugh for hours. My favorite scene involves a very sneaky dinner roll.

4. Zombies Board Game :: Don't be fooled by the first glance of this limited color palette box...this game is sooooo awesome. Two of my greatest friends turned me onto it while I was living in Vermont. We had hours of endless fun fighting zombies and racing to the helipad. It's a bit complicated at first, but once you get the hang of it you'll want to play til you die!

5. 3 Zombie Buttons :: Show your support (or fear) of zombies with this nifty little buttons. Here's another fun etsy artist with loads of zombie merch in her shop. Even little catnip brains for your kitty to chew on. Better watch out though...those brains might be infected!

6. Shaun of the Dead :: Who doesn't love a Simon Pegg movie? My personal Pegg favorite. It's like a parody only better...and funnier than being attacked by sliced bread. The perfect movie mash plot of romance, comedy and horror. Slacker Shaun (Pegg) decides to win his ex-girlfriend back, turn his life around and go visit his mum all in the midst of a zombie breakout, all while his super sidekick, Ed, manages to muck it up. Funny stuff.

7. Zombie Squad :: Zombies for a cause! Based out of St. Louise, Missouri, this community service group focuses on disaster preparedness and helps to raise money for disaster relief charities. Of course their primary objective is to protect you from the undead! Check out the site to learn about other chapters and zombie walks.

8. Zombie Portrait :: Holy crap! This is great for that zombie lover on your list. Artist Rob Sachetto will turn a jpeg image of you into an awesome illustrated zombie portrait! This guy is a zombie genius! I'm saving my money for this one! It's the gift that keeps on living!

9. The Zombie Survival Guide :: The one and only, by Max Brooks. That's all I'm gonna say. Read it. By now you should be scared enough to realize you need it.

To Do List

It's been almost a month and a half since the "incident" aka the day I got laid off. I'm starting to realize that I'm not very organized (never have been) and I need to take advantage of all this free time and do something about it. I have a closet full of dirty laundry, a studio/computer room that is crammed full of boxes of stuff and the list goes on and on! While it would be great to get a cute little to do list like this one from boygirlparty I think I'll have to grin and bear it and do without. Here's what I've come up with so far...in no particular order.

1. do all my laundry

2. take what I don't wear to Plato's Closet for some extra cash (and donate the rest)

3. add a slug a day from the new 3rd edition to my etsy shop

4. go for a walk once in a while

5. go bike riding with Myke (finally)

6. get ChromaPop up and running with new items (!!!)

7. make dinner every night

8. get crackin on my gift for Make A Child Smile

9. send some snail mail (thanks for the inspriation Joanne)

10. clean this apartment, yikes!

11. take more TTV photos

12. update flickr

13. start interviewing artist for the blog

14. apply to design school

15. watch less TV

16. read a book

17. get the sewing machine out and make some curtains

18. organize my workshop corner

19. start inventory/bookkeeping for MarthaLand

20. do something about the lame header on this blog!

Whew! That's enough for now. We'll see how well this goes....I tend to enjoy the list making part much more than the list completeing! What would you do if you have more free time?

I Like Pink

Once again, insomnia has led to another marvelous idea of bloggy goodness. Since I've started saving my money and stopped my usual needless shopping, I've become quite the internet window shopper. Here's a little collection of pink that I'd like to have but will settle with just looking at for now. It's fun being a curator of sorts, stay tuned for more eye candy!

1. Magnolia Pod Print :: http://www.artofandrewdaniel.etsy.com/

2. MTV Zebra Tee :: http://www.delias.com/

3. HuesNBrews Teapot :: http://www.target.com/

4. Windermere Craft Paper :: http://www.basicgrey.com/

5. Retro Rocker Satin Raspberry Sneakers :: http://www.rocketdog.com/

6. Buddha Buddha Bank :: http://www.urbanoutfitters.com/

7. Vintage Glass Beads :: http://www.dibabeads.etsy.com/

9. Betty Scoop Print :: http://www.boopsiedaisy.etsy.com/

10. Hello Gorgeous Gift :: http://www.lushusa.com/

10. TAKE ME shopping and I'M YOURS Screenprint :: http://www.linocutboy.etsy.com/

11. Peeps Bunnies :: http://www.marshmallowpeeps.com/

12. Strawberry Swirl Cupcake Soap :: http://www.loveleesoaps.etsy.com/

Burrito Burrito Burrito!

I love burritos and if you don't mind me bragging, I happen to make a really kick ass burrito myself! (I am not the only one who thinks so...) I am more a fan of the "Americanized" burrito than traditional Mexican, but I'll try it! I realized the other day that I really have mixed feelings about Mexican food and sadly I think I would rather eat Ameri-Mexican than something authentic. I think the first real mind-blowing burrito I ever ate was at Bombers in Albany, NY. It's a great little hole in the wall with lots of style and great artsy decor. I had a similar experience the first time I ate at Chipotle in NYC, but sadly have not been able to match it since moving to Florida. Although, I have become a fan of their pork burrito lately. Even still, I think I'd rather eat a homemade, handmade chicken burrito with fresh guacamole and sour cream any day of the week! Apparently I have had burritos on the mind lately as I made two little slugs with mini burritos recently! And as a matter of fact, we just had them for dinner a few nights ago! Yum! So here's a little collections of burrito related things, my homage to the delicious wrapped treat!

1. BurritoEater Blog :: http://www.burritoeater.com/

2. Bombers Burrito Bar in Albany, NY :: http://www.bombersburritobar.com/

3. Alex and his Burrito:: http://www.marthaland.etsy.com/

4. Chipotle Restaurant :: http://www.chipotle.com/

5. Fun Felt Foods Burrito :: http://www.mclean2612.etsy.com/

6.Pepitos Burritos :: http://www.beachmusings.etsy.com/

7. I Heart Burritos T-shirt :: http://www.burritoblog.com/

Surfing at 3am...

Never thought surfing the web would lead to anything productive and good for my karma, but I was wrong! Not only did I stumble across a great blog dedicated to being nice (how refreshing!) but I found an even better website called Make A Child Smile. There are so many kids out there with life threatening diseases and conditions and this website is focused on adding a little cheer and delight to there life...making them smile! You can donate money to the organization or a particular child. But personally I am super excited to make a little personalized slug for one of the MACS kids and mail it off to them! I encourage all of you to take some time to do the same, after all, wouldn't you like it if someone made you smile just because! Just go to the website and under the kids column on the left, click on all current kids or just click here. From here you can see all the kids, read about their illness and find out what kind of interests they have. Just click on the little face/page icons on the left of their name for more info. It includes their mailing address so you can send you gift right away and get to making them smile ASAP!

2nd edition of slugs complete!

I just finished listing all 100 slugs in the 2nd edition and they are on sale now in my etsy shop. Please stop by to grab one before they are gone! I have been featured in the gift guides and on the front page of etsy again, so traffic is picking up. I'm excited to continue working on the new slugs in the 3rd edition. I thought it would be fun to take a look back at the 1st edition and some from the 2nd edition and also show some that weren't sold in my esty shop (because they didn't make the cut) I'll be having some giveaways of these oops slugs because I can't bare to throw them out!

This is the slug that started it all....the first one I ever made way back almost a year ago. I will never sell him or name him I don't think. It's funny but he doesn't even stand up on his own!

Here are some of the other critters I made in the beginning but never ended up listed them on the shop. I ended up liking them so much I just wanted to keep them for myself!

1. Snurtle - the shop was originally going to have slugs and snurtles. Snurtles are a cross between a snail and a turtle. It didn't take me long to realize this was a bit ridiculous. A fun novelty yes, but really? Snurtles? I didn't like the way they came out anyway. I guess it ended up looking like a snail in the end which would have been a better choice! But I abandoned that idea and focused on the slugs.

2. Special Edition Sprackle Slug - I started making jewelry and beads with this same "sprackle" effect and started up another shop at Etsy called Chromapop. But nothing sold so I again abandoned this idea. I have a handful of slugs like this, but I'm not sure what I will do with them. Can't say I like them very much!

3. Caterpillar - Now this guy I absolutely love! And my boyfriend does too! He wanted me to sell these in the shop but it was quite time consuming to make. I like him a lot, but if I was going to sell more I would have to perfect the construction. I don't like to spend a lot of time on my individual pieces. I'd rather spend a whole day making 20 slugs than spend a hour making just one....although now that I think about it, it usually takes about and hour to make just one slug when you add all the steps together! Interesting....

4. MarthaLand Mascot? - I'm not sure what this is or where the idea came from. I suppose it looks a bit like a generic centipede/worm with legs kind of critter. He was an experiment I tried after the caterpillar. Like my original slug, he does not stand up on his own! I like this little guy alot, in fact he was on my MarthaLand shop banner forever until I recently updated it! He was also the inspiration for my blue wormy napkins holders...still for sale!!!!