bumblebird

season's greetings...

All the boxes have been x'd off my to-do list, all orders are complete and on their way to all the good little girls and boys, and I have officially closed the bumblebird shop for the holiday season!

So, what is on my to-do list today?

- - bake cookies

- - make ornaments

- - have fun!

All while listening to holiday music and watching the snow fall...

Wishing you and your family a very merry christmas and a happy new year!!

See you in 2009!

a doll for...

Anja of Drobtinice!

I will be in touch with Anja soon, to discuss all the creative options for her one-of-a-kind doll. 

Thank you to everyone that entered...I hope you continue to visit and watch my business evolve.

I'll continue to stock my shop with plush and dolls after the holidays until February. An opportunity for you to get one of your very own! And hopefully have more giveaways of my plush characters in the near future, as long as the law allows. 

And looking on the bright side of the new CPSIA regulations, maybe I will finally get around to illustrating the children's book I wrote...

Stay tuned!

oh no! say it isn't so...

I feel compelled to share with you that handmade toys and children's products in the U.S. marketplace will be deemed illegal and hazardous when the new Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act takes effect on February 10th, 2009. This act will force ALL makers of toys and children's products to undergo incredibly expensive 3rd party testing for lead and phthalate free certification in order to sell their wares. The costs for testing range from one to several thousand dollars for EACH product. While I am all for testing on mass produced toys and products imported to the U.S, especially from China, I don't feel the burden should fall on the shoulders of artists and designers, mostly working by themselves, in their home studios, creating with their own two hands a limited amount of product.

This act will hurt the handmade community tremendously. Most artists of children's toys and products will be forced to close their businesses. And it is extremely frustrating when you know that safety and quality is a top priority in the creations you and fellow artists make. Isn't that one of the main reasons loyal customers bought them in the first place?! Unfortunately, until this law is modified, I will no longer be able to produce and sell these cute, fuzzy characters and dolls you have all known and love! 

There is something we can do...please visit the Handmade Toy Alliance for more information and a simple form letter that you can send to your own State Congressman and Senator. You can also click on the "Save Handmade" button on my sidebar to find out what more you can do to help...

We need cottage industries of children's products to continue to thrive and bring creative and SAFE playthings into our children's lives...

Thank you!

100...

A new Mina doll that will be available in the shop tonight!

And I can't believe I have reached my 100th blog post...

In the spirit of this generous season of sharing and giving. I am going to have a drawing for one person to receive a custom bumblebird doll of their own...or for the little one in their life. 

Leave a comment at this post before midnight on Monday, December 15th. I will announce the lucky name on the following Tuesday. Good Luck!

Have a wonderful day!

let it snow...

Do you remember the Pepper gocco faces I made last spring? I've been holding onto these little faces, just waiting to be made into something fun...

This is a peek at one of the limited edition ornaments I will have available in my shop tomorrow night! The others will be Pepper bear and bunny. 

And guess what we woke up to this morning? 

Our first snowfall of the season!

Just a dusting, but still so lovely...I will be back tomorrow with a little surprise. Goodnight!

twinkle, twinkle little star...

This little boy doll is off on an exciting adventure all the way across the country to Oregon. A special surprise for a little boy on Christmas morning...

I wish I could go!

This time of year is especially hard to be away from my family. I miss them all. It is such a challenge to travel cross-country with little ones and is much easier for them to visit here. And since, I'm pretty sure they read this blog, I need to write this: 

Dear Family, 

My christmas wish is to have you here next year, especially you, Sean!

Love, Heather

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 

I'm updating the shop with new dolls and ornaments 

on Monday, December 8th at 9pm Eastern. 

Stay tuned for a peek and special surprise...

Ooh, the suspense!

fuzzy wuzzy boy

A new little friend for a sweet southern boy!

Today's activity from the advent calendar is "Ride on the North Pole Express". My husband and I are taking Mina on a date this evening. There is a steam train in Essex that takes this journey every year. They set up light displays along the track and Santa visits each car with hot cocoa and cookies...Yum!

And just in time for the holiday, I made a few elves available in the shop...

countdown to christmas...

Hello Again!

I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving! 

In the midst of finishing orders and stocking the shop, there was one thing I absolutely had to complete before the first of this month. 

Our advent calendar!

I designed a tall house, similar to our house (which has lots of windows, but is only three stories high) The calendar house is about a three feet tall. It is made of wool felt and is machine and hand stitched together. There are twenty-four window pockets and a red door. Above the door I embroidered the word "Joy".  

Inside each pocket is a tag with an activity for the day. 

Examples are "Baking cookies", "Decorating the tree" and "A ride on the North Pole Express" 

Yay!

Behind the red door, is a gift shaped pocket. We plan to put a tag inside with clues to help find a special gift from Santa!

So what was the activity for today?

"Write a letter to Santa"  

I better get started....