it's official! (kind of)

I'd like to UNOFFICIALLY announce the launch of creepmousetoys.com !

Unofficially because it's not official yet (ie - copyrights pending, etsy store pending, getting home to a sewing machine pending, a basically all the pages are still 'coming soon' except the BLOG is up, as is the contact page!

So, this may be the last post as Poor Lost Bread as I am now making the transition to Creep Mouse Toys at the new website!

Feel free to check it out (if you haven't already) but please don't judge it as of yet! There's still a lot of work to do, mind you. : )

Also, in the midst of this exciting transition I'd really like to thank everyone who has helped me out along this project known as 'poor lost bread', anyone who purchased anything, anyone who just supported the idea! Thank YOU!

Oh, I mean, Merci à VOUS!

BIG NEWS!!!

First, I know this blog is basically dead, but it's because I haven't been doing plush things so there has been nothing relevant to post. That is, until TODAY! Or, well, yesterday too I guess.

So, I'm not sure which news is BIGGER so I'll just go in chronological order. First, yesterday, I officially purchased the domain name creepmousetoys.com which, I'd like to announce, is the future name of poor lost bread (in the works still). But yes, I"m working on it! So I should hopefully have a nice fancy website by mid summer (July 1st is MY personal deadline).



SECOND, I got accepted to the PLUSH YOU show this year at Schmancy in October! SO EXCITED! I can send 3 items and I'm super excited because it's perfect timing to show off my new name and my new idea (or "vision") of plush, along with some of my poor lost bread classics (don't worry!).

Anyway, I miss sewing so much, but the future seems very promising and I can't wait until the summer! Oh, and France is going quite well too! Today we went to the beach and I found a star fish....

je suis à montpellier!

*view from my hotel window. moving into the dorm tomorrow!

le fin de 2007

This photo is half of two dozen carrots that I've been scurrying to make up these last few days for a couple craft consignment stores. Including The White Rabbit (see link at side bar).

Happy New Year!

à bientôt Madison

First is my seasonal card to EVERYONE!

Today I said farewell to Madison until June. I thought it would be bittersweet, but it was mostly just sad. I won't get all weepy because there are plenty of other weepy blogs you could be reading. So instead I'll post some of the pretty photos that have been taken in the past weekish.

Here is the pile of slippers that I made for the fam and some friends, although they're not complete. The finals versions were personally embroidered with the name of the recipient sewn to the heel.



And here is the wrapping paper I made at kinkos by using some red and blue wrapper paper found at a thrift store and making more copies (illegal?) for PERSONAL USE on neon 11 x 13 sheets of paper.



And finally, some photos that Adam took of his bug collection since they are too pretty to just leave in a dark, lonely folder on my desktop.

WINTER!

According to my assignment notebook, today is the official first day of WINTER! Not to mention all of a sudden only 3 days until Christmas (and 11 until I take off for France!).

Right now, finals are done as of yesterday, and I'm just working on packing up everything to get moved in the next few days...



The Etsy shop has been closed but I may post a few special orders / reserves for people. I really don't have much left though, but feel free to send me an email (poorlostbread@gmail.com) or a message on etsy if you'd like to check on my stock.

Anyway, I'm very excited for everyone who is getting one of my plush for a holiday present--if you do and you read this I'd really like to have a photo of your toy in it's new home!

Off to pizza and packing....

allez-y!

(on the left) Saturday : one year celebration with delicious paella made by le chef Adam, followed by a live improv performance of one of Adam's fellow entomology majors.

(on the right) tonight's batch of 6 coals for the Glitter Workshop, hopefully I can get them over there tomorrow or Wednesday. I have another 9 or 10 to make tomorrow in order to take them to work on Wednesday, so expect more plentiful and aesthetically pleasing coal snapshots to come.

Otherwise,

Sunday and today were spent for the most part in Chicago. Got my VISA, a book of 501 French verbs, and a good haul from a 50% fabric store moving sale (photos of those goods coming up, they should be documented and shared).

Also, I'm trying to think of some plush to make between finals and when I shove off for France to send to stores to sell for me... any suggestions of anything you'd like to see in plush format?

Off to the nightly episode (or two!) of The Twilight Zone!

Night!

evidence

the photo on the right is that previously mentioned particular car at the end of my block... my car was about 1/2 this bad this past weekend, or maybe less, but it seemed pretty bad... AND still 3 more days of snow in next 10 days. i feel like we haven't had this much snow in the month of december in the past 2 years combined.

the photo on left is the thank you card i made and gave to eric for shoveling and driving and rescuing my car.
the card is one of 5 i copied at kinko's using their really fancy color copiers and some cardstock, of a card i actually have dated 1947. i plan to do a lot more of this kind of vintage-stationary reproduction soon... i just need to have a good reason because those color copies aren't cheap!

still snowy

although i have no photos of the snow to show, i may try to get some tonight. there is on particular car at the end of my block that is hardly visible under the masses of snow and ice.

but anyway, i found this lovely photo of my plush in action at the kismet gallery's plush vinyl + clay show in Troy, NY right now.

also it seems the croque monsieur moustached sandwich has already been eaten or perhaps purchased? who knows, maybe he's living in nyc now, spreading his toasty warmth.

one full week of classes left, with a trip to chicago this weekend to meet with the French Consulate to get my VISA (fingers crossed!), and then finals and then moving and then christmas (oh no i don't have any presents), and THEN FRANCE! AHHHHHHH!

but, i still have about a month, and i really really want to get some sewing in too, hopefully tomorrow after my oil change (yes Mom I remembered)...

Yip yip!

snowy

i keep forgetting to upload my photos onto my computer before i leave to get internet (since i don't have it at my house)! but, luckily a recent Poor Lost Bread convert has taken a photo of her pink bulb ornament in her pink holiday tree! (thank you Sandy!)

nothing like a pinky photo to help me forget about my $30 parking ticket and the dread of oncoming "snow showers."

this past weekend there was SO MUCH SNOW. luckily one of adam's two weight-lifting room mates was nice enough to help me rescue my car. and adam helped too! my keds became swamps though, and now they're crispy from all the salt...

but i did order some boots yesterday and they should be getting here tomorrow! yay! i'm having everything i order online these days shipped to adam's house since i suspect somebody STOLE my yellow reebok's, of which i have still not received a full refund, but i talked to a reebok rep last night and he said it takes up to 30 days. boo hoo.

speaking of 30 days. 29/30 days until i fly away for France!

and... less than that to make presents for everyone i love! yiiiikes! jo ann's here i come, oh, and i have to get my oil changed, bah!

but no, i have lots of ideas for presents, although most people i'm making them for are going to be snooping around here so i'll be posting them and how-to's AFTER the 25th, but more sweetie photos to come, including my recent project at kinkos involving vintagey stationary and a color-copier!

brrrr

Since updating the shop I've been busy printing a lot of new faces and piecing together patterns and designs that I've been wanting to for awhile now. Also I shipped a large box of croissants to Shanalogic and I'm currently in the process of getting together a box of goods for White Rabbit in Iowa City.

In the past few days I've made a set of pigs in a blanket and, a very handsome carrot.

Time's running out and I only have about a month until I leave the country, but I'm excited for when I get back. I have big plans to get a business license and learn more about the business world, and also perhaps invest in a serious website. poorlostbread.com? Hopefully someday!

I recently started compiling a wish list for the holidays, which I haven't in a long while since I always feel uncomfortable telling people what to get me...

If only it was realistic for me to wish for a baby ant eater :


Also good :

real quick!

I've been up all night loading up my etsy store and flickr site... So check those out if you're looking for some REAL updates!



Day 1 of the High Noon Craftacular.



Day 2 of the High Noon Craftacular.



My personal haul from the Craftacular.



AND still enjoying leftovers.

Please forgive my tiny entry, I'll go into more depth about how the Craftacular went (besides AMAZING) and other exciting upcoming events soon!

ça va!

I bought these little Cram Cream cuppies at The Glitter Workshop this earlier today when I dropped off some little cards and mini candy canes to go into the goody bags for the lucky first 50 people who come to the High Noon Craftacular this weekend!

I'm officially finished with school stuff for this week, although I have a take home test, and a few assignments (including recording myself reading an excerpt Le Petit Prince by next Monday... + 150 pages of le Passé Simple, but I don't have to worry about that NOW! Because it's almost Craftacular time! I have a ZILLION things to stuff, many photos in the coming days should be expected.

Also, for anyone interested in buying stuff from my etsy store, you've probably noticed it's empty....

I'm going to refill it as much as I can sometime early next week. Hopefully Monday, but Wednesday at the latest!

Yum, stuffing. Oui, ça va!

craft fair prep I

This weekend I made the very first batch of official Poor Lost Bread Poor Lost Bread's! The story goes, French toast translated into French is pauvre pain perdu, translated back into English is poor lost bread.

The photo doesn't do it justice, being as there was no natural light involved that probably makes sense. The bread is made of a yellowy wool felt, and the crust is a really soft, brown/tan alpine fleece.

Also got around to making some holiday ornaments in the form of multi-colored light bulbs :


And, perhaps MOST exciting, Poor Lost Bread has now branched out from plush only to incorporating stationary (sort of). But really, I'm excited to open a new area of design! I made these gifting labels by taking a photo of this white lacey fabric on black felt and distorting and coloring it. They say To: and From: (pretty simple). Up in the store if there are any leftovers after the craftacular.





More photos and excitement to come!

where's plb?

HA! ok, I just checked onto flickr and saw that the Kismet Gallery had posted an image of the poster they've made and, well, poor lost bread DID make an appearance on the poster, it's not a very established one. more like a "where's waldo" appearance. but still... waldo's famous, i guess?

Plush, Vinyl, and Clay

these are the little guys i put together for the handmade toy show at the Kismet Gallery in Troy, NY. Sorry about the blur, but I was in a hurry to snap a photo and wrap them up since they're due in NY asap!

Here's some more info on the show from the Kismet Gallery :


Plush, Vinyl, and Clay
International Collection of Handcrafted Designer Toys


With the holiday season quickly approaching, multinational corporations are gearing up to push on the American public their next “must have holiday toy”-- which will be another mass produced, sweatshop made piece of junk. In fact, 75% of all toys sold in America this holiday season will have been manufactured in sweatshops somewhere in China. Furthermore, they might possibly contain lead paint. In stark contrast to these multinational toy makers, designer toy artists from around the globe will be handcrafting one of a kind and limited edition collectible works of art.

This holiday season, we at Kismet Gallery are looking to do our part to combat the spread of these mass produced sweat shop made monstrosities. On November 30, 2007 Kismet Gallery in Troy, N.Y. will have an opening for Plush, Vinyl, and Clay at which we will showcase work from designer toy artists from around the globe.

Kismet, located at 71 Fourth St. in Troy, NY (telephone 518-272-1918) was established in June 2006, and operates as an artist-owned gallery and studio space. Showcased in Kismet’s 3,500-square-foot gallery are the works of over 150 local, national and international artists and artisans. Kismet’s philosophy is to bring fine art to the masses without being pretentious, showcasing work that is both enjoyable and affordable. In 2007, Kismet was voted the Best Art Gallery in New York’s Capital Region. On the last Friday of every month, we have an opening and reception at the gallery in conjunction with an art walk in downtown Troy. These opening nights are consistently attended by up to a thousand people.

Kismet Gallery is a new breed of bottom-up retail enterprises, where we pride ourselves on doing things differently. Unlike other retailers, we never sell anything made in a sweatshop—just one-of-a-kind handcrafted items which are sustainable and manufactured by our family, friends, and neighbors in our community. At Kismet, we stand for principles over profit; idealism over hype; values over image; and mutual aid over competition. Unlike retailers at the mall, for every dollar spent here at least 60 cents goes back into our community to pay our artists; the rest goes to keep the gallery open.

As owners, we see ourselves primarily as activists fighting back against the corporate takeover which is running roughshod over our communities. We view the corporate flagpoles dominating our streets and the city outskirts as being representative of conquest, not community. Our once-bustling downtowns have been left derelict, once-plentiful resources have been pillaged, and once promised jobs have been axed in favor of sweatshop labor. The time is now to kick the corporations to the curb and to reclaim our communities.

dressy bessy + slobby bobby

*beignets made for a special order

so school and sewing are REALLY taking over my life and the limited internet access i have makes it really difficult to post stuff when i actually DO have access, since so much of my homework and assignments are online now those get priority resulting in a very deprived poor lost bread blog.

anyway, since i just learned how to do this AND was just talking about how school is taking over my life you can look at this beautiful powerpoint i made for my french business class. it's on this music/craft/everything fair in Montréal called POP Montréal but i focused on Puces Pop which is the craft fair part of the extravaganza en français.

also i've been eating very well (yikes), and here's a very personal photo with the baked macaroni and cheese i made... last week? yes, last week.



my first casserole ever.

a pile of felt creme brulée dishes :

halloween!

costumes that i scrapped together from scratch. consist of silver pleather and yellow piping. i'd like to thank my mom for the never-ending supply of joann's coupons. anyway, they were a big hit and really fun to wear.

PLUS there are STILL a couple of days until Halloween is actually gone so hopefully we'll be able to wear them out again. tomorrow? (WSUM zombie dance party)!

STUDYING ABROAD

à Montpellier, France!

Le semestre prochain!

bike + crafts

plenty of quick updates!

(1)

new bike, cost me $1 at the dig and save (+ 31 $ to fix the tires and a lesson from dad on how to tighten the brake)....
and i'm ashamed to admit that i still have only ridden it around the park (to practice) and the two blocks from adam's house to my own...







(2) bought some new shoes today... let's just say i could have bought 70 bikes at the dig and save (jeepies). but wait, i think you can understand:



(3) finished 18 croissants (more to go!), and 18 creme brulée dishes:





(4) took 2 really hard french tests yesterday, but they were good at the same time. neurosis test thursday... ahhh so much school stuff i can't even write it all. + still waiting to hear if i've been accepted to study abroad at Montpellier and/or Paris next semester... should have heard everything by this time next week!

(5) Halloween (or black and orange day) coming up this weekend, with adam djing at a friend's birthday party and then a few other things going on the rest of the weekend(including working, bah, and practicing for a mock-interview en français for my french biz class). anyway, the costumes are 90% done with only accessories needed as of now, but here's a SNEAK PEEK or rather the photo (from the movie: Planet of Vampires) that inspired them. think silver pleather + yellow piping:



i'll have (several i hope!) photos of me and adam in our halloween space gear after friday night!