Which came first...the chicken or the egg? The red hen adventure :)

It's the classic riddle...which came first, the chicken or the egg? Well in this case, I guess it's the Chicken!
This new year started with a bang for Bailey's Bruins! After we made it through the holiday rush, I was contacted by my online friend/customer Doris about her new children's book she is going to have published next month. Well Doris has bought a few of my bears, bunnies and monkeys this past year and asked if I would make her a chicken to go along with the book...so I thought about it for a minute (maybe two) and agreed we'd make chickens!

So since it was going to be a child's toy I didn't want to use a generic pattern like you would use for home decorating...so I had to make my own....man am I glad I have my Grandma's talent to do this!

I had a few mornings of waking up and deciding in my mind how it was going to look...it needed to be kind of fat and have a nice tail. It needed drumstick legs and just the right face. I sat down to the drawing board and created chicken #1.
It wasn't fat enough and its tail was a little too small...but it was a good start for never having made a chicken before!

So time to redo the pattern! And I give you chicken #2! You can see its a little rounder, but still a little too skinny! Almost there...Then I came up with chicken #3!! I think this one might be the right one! Now to cut it out from the fabric we chose and get it put together in time for the book coming out! :)

The fabric had arrived just in time! I cut it out and created the first of what will be many little red hens! I sent them off to Idaho and she loved them!

Welcome 2012!

Its a new and exciting year here at Bailey's Bruins, and sorry I haven't posted anything lately. It's been a busy busy holiday season! We started the holidays by attending some local craft shows. Sales were ok, but then things took off online! Needless to say, there is a Bailey's Bruin from coast to coast now and the trend is continuing!
I was contacted by a lady from Long Island NY and she is interested in purchasing some of the bears for baby shower gifts, so I have to get those guys shipped out soon. Then the other big news...one of my regular customers recently had her children's book published...and she asked if I would create a chicken to go with it!! I will be busy for sure in the next few months, but I am excited to be a part of this venture!
I just wanted to share in the latest news...hope 2012 brings great things to you all and I will try to keep the posts more regular again! Now off to create Valentine's bears and Chickens!!!

Going back to my roots...where it all started

After a visit home, I took some photos of my original "studio". Growing up I always had kittens, art supplies, fabric and paintbrushes around me! Just like now I always had some project going on. In High School I took nearly every art class-I think the only one I didn't take was the watercolor class because I couldn't fit it in my schedule.

But every summer, I would spend most of my time either outside in the woods or down in the 2 room cabin that was on my parent's property. Here I could create and do anything I wanted! One time when my dad had a storage room in there, I even painted the wall with a big pink flamingo on it! I wish I would of taken a picture of it...it was pretty good, at least I thought so.

I just wanted to share some photos of my original "studio" where it all began...

Another great find this weekend...

As I had shared with you all in an earlier blog, I come quite the family of crafty women. This weekend I attended my great aunt Rose's funeral and she was one of us crafty ones. I always remember she had some latest project, or was always baking and making candies for someone! Unfortunately I wasn't able to share my bears with her other than through my last letter. But I know she was proud and happy for me

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But on a good note, while I was home, we were talking about an owl that my Grandma Gibbs had made for me when I was a little girl. I haven't been able to find the pattern she used and when I tried to make my own, it just wasn't the same. I went through my parent's attic and guess who was in the bottom of the box! Mr. Owl!!

So after checking him out and he's in perfect shape still, I've decided that after catching up on a few orders, I will start creating a few critters from the patterns that my grandma's used! Stay tuned to see how it turns out. :)

Maddie is back from the County Fair!

Miss Maddie has come back from the County Fair with great news! She won a blue ribbon! She had a great time riding the rides and listening to the concert last night with her new friends in the 4-H building.

She came home this morning with her winnings, and is concidering how to use it. She's thinking of finding something at the yard sales next week that would be great to share with her friends...that or a trip to her favorite frozen yogurt place.

Her friend Pinkie was so excited and gave her high fives for a job well done :)

Then they decided to pose with their ribbons...Bailey's Bruins (and bunnies and monkeys) are blue ribbon winners for sure!

Everyone was glad that she had a good time but made it home safely with her ribbon. I hope they aren't up too late tonight celebrating!

For the Bride!

Our friends Steve and Suann will be getting married this fall! Congrats to them!

I wasn't sure what to get them, I was going to start with some pillowcases that I stamped and embroidered-everyone can use pillowcases! But unfortunately the stamp didn't work so well on the second pillow!

So..what to do...ah of course, a bear in their wedding colors!

Luckily I had those colors, and some butterfly fabric-and Jonesy was born! Then I created her card using a butterfly cut out from the Slice and ta da! Gifting was done and of course with something handmade!

I remember when I was a bride as much as I loved all my gifts, it was the handmade items from my great aunt and the church ladies that meant the most(ok and my antique cake plate Mom gave me!)

She loved him and he even got passed around the bridal shower last night :)

Off to the Fair!

So after some tips from her friend Pinkie and getting her ribbon just right, Maddie was ready for her trip to the County Fair!

She waved bye to all of her friends here at Bailey's Bruins ready to come back on Sunday and show them her blue ribbon!

She got in the back seat and buckled herself in, and waited out the day while I was at work by listing to the ipod...

Then it was time for the fair! We arrived at the fairgrounds and she was pretty excited! We walked up through the gates and to the 4-H building. She signed in and got her tag, ready to meet the judges!

I will be back on Sunday to pick her up and we'll post pictures of her winnings!!