New show added to this weekend's schedule!

Cutesy but not Cutesy just added a last minute show this weekend. Now you can check out Cutesy but not Cutesy at the Philadelphia Independent Craft Market at 941 North Front Street.



So.... you can come check us out at the F.U.E.L Gallery from 6-9 on Friday night at 2nd and Arch in Philadelphia, you can come see some new fellas on Saturday at 941 N Front Street in Philadelphia, and if you're in the Allentown area you can check us out live and in person on Sunday at the Starlite Ballroom at 1221 S Front Street. Come see art, drink wine, laugh, and buy handmade for the holidays!

Just until the cows come home... Young Blood Gallery - Atlanta

Cutesy but not Cutesy has had a very busy holiday season thus far and, obviously, very little time to post updates. Finally, a little time to breath and post a brief update...

I have just shipped off my piece for the "Home" show at the Young Blood Gallery in Atlanta, GA. It runs from Dec 6th to the 28th. It's about 40" tall and 16" wide and titled "Just until the cows come home...".





I will also be having 5 pieces in the Grand Small Works Show at the F.U.E.L. Gallery in Philadelphia, PA. The opening is Dec 5th from 6-9pm. The show runs from Dec 5th to the 28th.

In addition to these galleries, I will be selling my monsters at 2 more craft events in the Philadelphia area...Indiemade Craft Market on Dec 7th at the Starlite Ballroom in Allentown, PA and at the Punk Rock Flea Market on Dec 20th at the Starlight Ballroom in Philadelphia, PA.

Check back for images from these shows and past shows!

Corny Monster - Candy

Corny Monster - Candy
Originally uploaded by dkoss2

The voting has opened for the Plush Team's Halloween contest. Please go here and vote for this Corny Monster by dkoss2! Vote!

All packed up for NYC

All packed up for NYC
Originally uploaded by dkoss2

I just shipped out another 10 pounds of Cutesy goodness on it's way to NYC for Vida's Market in Greenwich Village on Oct 18th. I hope they like being close to each other because it sure was stuffy in that box of theirs.

A lot of new and exciting news from Cutesy but not Cutesy but I will update on all of it when things surface!

If you're in the NYC area check out this market designed specifically for mother's, there should be a ton of wonderfully handmade wears!

Philadelphia GIVE Festival-Sept. 20th

Cutesy but not Cutesy will be in Northern Liberties (3rd and Poplar) at the Philadelphia GIVE Festival. It will be an all day music festival with arts and crafts for sale as well. All proceeds from the festival will be donated to benefit local charities. Admission is $10 and an extra $10 will get you a bottomless cup of beer! If you're in the area, come out and enjoy the new fall weather, good music, and good people!

New additions to Cutesy but not Cutesy

Cutesy but not Cutesy has been hard at work planning and preparing for her busy busy fall season filled with craft shows, etc. Here are some of the newest additions to the Cutesy collection.

First, T-shirts are in. I have S, M, L, and XL. They are $15 each or $10 with the purchase of a monster! Contact me if you are interested! :)


Next is a new hand-painted stool...


And, finally, free-standing monster #2...Cleveland...

First Self-standing monster!

I just completed my first monster that is able to stand on his own. I weighted his legs and feet to allow him to do so....There are still a few kinks I need to work out with the future ones but for now he is able to stand upright! Meet Clark...

Custom order!

Sock Monkey in Red Baron
Originally uploaded by dkoss2

Here is my newest project. It is a custom order for an old friend of mine from high school. She needed a unique present for a new born baby whose new room is completely overtaken by sock monkeys. Admittedly, it's difficult for a monster maker to compete with a sock monkey, so this is the best I could come up with! It is about 18" long and 15" tall and will hopefully make a new baby very happy some day!

Renegade Chicago

I packed up half of my inventory and shipped it off to Chicago yesterday for the upcoming Renegade Chicago Craft Festival. Ten pounds of Cutesy but not Cutesy monsters are now currently in transit from their origin in New Jersey to their future destination. I hope they're safe and enjoying their time away from home.



...oh...and I hope I didn't pack up my LIVE monster by accident!

Monster Cupcake!

I just wanted to introduce the newest...sweetest addition to the Cutesy family! The Monster Cupcake!!!



and an original painting of the Monster Cupcake!


Now onto real monster cupcakes I can actually eat! Yum!

Cutesy gets pressed....and THREADS!!!

Cutesy but not Cutesy has gotten much blog press as of late. Many thanks to those who appreciate my monsters enough to write a these wonderful blog posts about them!

First, the cutesy monsters were featured on a blog for hip moms and moms-to-be called coolmompicks.com. You can check out that post here... CoolMomPicks

Also, featured this week on a wonderful new blog Kidado which can be viewed here... Kidado

And last but not least on SimplySentimental which you can check out here... Simple Sentimental

Phew...and in other news... Cutesy but not Cutesy finally has GEAR! Sweatshirts, t-shirts, tote bags, and even baby onesies!!! Mix and match your favorite style and color with Cutesy's logo here... Skreened

The next few weeks are going to be filled with flying fuzz and calloused finger tips as I get ready for my full packed late summer-fall craft fair schedule... and, of course, shipping out my items to Renegade Chicago to join the Plush Team in the best craft booth to ever be seen by human eyes!

Monster Cone

Meet the newest edition to the Cutesy but not Cutesy team!

Sonny the Monster Cone!



Sonny is a monster ice cream cone, fully equipped with chocolaty drips and chocolate antlers. Sonny may look intimidating at first but how bad can he be, he's fully built of ice cream! Sonny is the sweetest fella you'll ever meet and he will NEVER do anything to hurt you! He will always be there for you when you need him, no matter what! Sonny is the best friend any person could ever have!

Sonny is about 20" tall and his antlers span about 12". Whoops! Every now and then he gets over-excited and drools chocolate on the carpet! So cute!

For you, Little one

"For you, Little one" is the first in a series of paintings (hopefully) inspired by traditional and modern, eastern and western imagery. It is painted with acrylic paint on canvas then hand stitched onto blue cotton fabric. I then stretched it and built a frame around the edges. This piece is 18" x 16".

New! Hand Painted Stool...

I just finished my first hand-painted stool. The elephant design is something that I did in plush form a while ago. I decided that I would like to incorporate more painted designs into my Cutesy but not Cutesy work. I have found that I work in reverse from most people. For some reason I am able to make things in plush form without drawing them at all first...but then once it is three dimensional, then I am able to draw or paint it as I like. Whatever works! I am excited to add new projects to my fall and holiday collections and craft shows!

Harold the Circus Elephant and his little rabbit in the hat...

Cutesy but not Cutesy featured on Coolmompicks

Cutesy but not Cutesy had the wonderful surprise of being featured on coolmompicks.com, a blog featuring various small business owners, designers, and woman-made wonders for moms of all kinds! You can view the blog feature here... Ugli-er Dolls... and check out the rest of the blog here... coolmompicks.

Cutesy but not Cutesy was also featured on today's Daily Dish from Seekingdesigners.com which you can check out here... Timmy the World's Smallest Circus Monkey

In other news, I am hard at work designing my own web page which will hopefully launch just in time (hopefully!) for the holidays. I am also gearing up for various craft shows throughout the Philadelphia area. I will post an official event list here once all the details are worked out for those of you who might be interested in seeing some of the creations in person.


I have also started making the infamous laptop cozies again. It seems to be around this time, with school just around the corner, that people really go searching for a good protective covering for their precious laptops! The cozies this fall have a slightly different style than they did last fall which I am very excited about. I am also working on various drawings, paintings, booklets, etc which will reveal themselves in the next few weeks hopefully! Busy, busy, busy!

Plush Team Banner

I finally completed the banner for the Plush Team that was graciously funded by a grant from Etsy. The banner is entirely hand-stitched using durable canvas fabric. It is 6 feet by 2 feet in size and ready to be hung prominently at the first of the Plush Team's group shows in Chicago at the Renegade Craft Fair in September. The Plush Team and all of its members are all hard at work gathering plushies to send on over to add to our abundant display that will represent some of the finest plushie designers in all the land! If you are in the Chicago area, mark your calendars. Now. And if you're not in the Chicago area, hope and dream with me that the Plush Team will have the opportunity to show together in a town near you. All of you!!!

World's smallest circus monkey?

World's smallest circus monkey?
Originally uploaded by dkoss2

I have finally completed by piece for the Plush Team's newest project "Let's all go to the fair!". I made this circus monkey for the sideshow creatures category....he's the World's Smallest Circus Monkey...or it's the World's Largest Banana...it all depends on how you look at it! The banana itself is actually about 20" tall leaving the monkey at almost 32" tall! Not so small after all, is he?

Another Cutesy but not Cutesy siting at Subterranean Books

C.O. Set Up at Subterranean Books
Originally uploaded by Cranky Yellow

Those are some cutesy monster legs! I came across this rooting through some flickr photos of the Crammed Organisms show in St. Louis. We've all been waiting patiently to hear news of how it went and to see and hold the long-awaited books...

Back from Vacation, a new Cutesy but not Cutesy discovery!

Cutesy but not Cutesy is back from a wonderful whirlwind vacation in Shanghai and Beijing, China! There was a lot to see and experience and we came home with a bag full of Chinese plushies!

In the meantime, while we were gone, Cutesy creations did a little traveling on their own! Cutesy but not Cutesy has recently been working in collaboration with Todd Marrone of Ghosticorn Apparel to design some limited edition logo plushies for them. With the first prototypes sent off to him before the vacation, we came back to discover that it didn't take long for the plushies to find new homes after taking them to a big East Coast Roller Derby Extravaganza! Keep an eye out for more Ghosticorns by Cutesy but not Cutesy in the future!

Plush Team on Front Page!

Plush Team on Front Page!
Originally uploaded by KoolKookyKreatures

Sandra, of the Cutesy but not Cutesy family, makes it to the front page of Etsy! It's a great collection of wonderful plush creations by the fabulous Plush Team.

In other news, Cutesy but not Cutesy will be on vacation from June 19th to June 29th to visit a friend who has been teaching in Shanghai, China for the last year. A trip to the Great Wall is scheduled amongst other once in a lifetime sightseeing opportunities! However, when we return, it's all business again with a line up of craft shows, websites, and new monsters to come! Stay tuned!

Cutesy but not Cutesy siting!

C.O. Set up at Star Clipper!
Originally uploaded by Cranky Yellow

The first siting of Cutesy but not Cutesy at Crammed Organisms in St. Louis. Can you find which one we call family?

Crammed Organisms

Cutesy but not Cutesy will be making an appearance at the Crammed Organisms shows in St. Louis. There are four different venues and four different weekends for this GIANT plush show. Somewhere in the crowd are Cutesy but not Cutesy monsters! If you're in the St. Louis area, you should try and hunt them down! And take pictures! :)

http://crammedorganisms.com/

Cutesy but not Cutesy at Appel Farm

I'll be packing up the remains of my inventory from the Craft Bazaar and taking it down to the Appel Farm Arts and Music Festival in Elmer, NJ. I have never been to this, but I have always heard good things...especially about the music. I am looking forward to seeing how different (or similar) it is to the Craft Bazaar in Philadelphia. I am not sure what to expect and I don't know how many people the festival draws in...it will certainly be a learning experience. It is supposed to be hot and sunny, perfect monster buying weather! I look forward to hearing There Might Be Giants if nothing else. More pictures to come upon my return!

http://www.appelfarm.org/festival/welcome/index.html

Art Star Craft Bazaar, Philadelphia

It sure has been a long time since I have had the time to update my blog, but what better to start with than the Art Star Craft Bazaar photos from this past weekend? The Art Star turned out to be a great success despite the looming clouds and tornado watches on Saturday. Sunday more than made up for the bad weather on Saturday with perfectly clear skies and a wonderful (sometimes blustery) breeze.

I, unfortunately, didn't have a chance to wander around the fair myself but to make a quick, quick purchase from the lovely My Paper Crane. However, I did get to meet many wonderful crafters who wandered their way over to my booth.

It was wonderful seeing the looks on people's faces as they wandered by my colorful table. This has to be one of the best parts of selling in real life rather than just online. If only I had counted the number of people who immediately gave my monsters personalities and voices and made them dance for their friends.

I look forward to more events like this in my future, this being my first one of this kind, and I, of course, look forward to next year's Art Star Craft Bazaar!