Make Something Monday: Victoria Personalized Name Sign

A big thank you to Go Graham Go and Jolly Mom for hosting this great Make Something Monday meme. This week I am presenting the Adobe Illustrator file for this personalized name sign. I was really hoping to have it finished by today but I am only about half way there.



To order your own Personalized Name Sign please check out my Etsy shop at CoconutPalmDesigns!

Featured Artist: Kay’s K9s … & Kritters!

1. Tell me a bit about yourself (name, location, affiliations, personal stuff).

My name is Kay Stahler and I’m a full time artist from Ontario, Canada. I share my home with 3 dogs and a Quaker Parrot. The eldest dog is Patches, a 12 year old Chihuahua/Jack Russell, Toby, a 4 year old Jack Russell, and Abbie, a 4 year old Chihuahua/Pomeranian. Animals are an extremely important part of my life, and I try to give back by donating a portion of my sales to animal rescue organizations. I sponsor a shelter animal every month, and post the picture and bio of that particular animal on my blog.

2. Which of your animals is your favourite item in your shop and why? And, what is the best thing you have ever created?

My favourite shop item would have to be my Custom Needle Felted Sculptures. I love working with customers to create miniature versions of their fur babies. It’s wonderful to see all the photos and hear the stories about each animal. A lot of customers come to me after the loss of a pet, and I love to think my work can bring them some comfort during their grief.

If I had to choose one item as the best thing I have created, I would have to pick a Rat Terrier sculpture that I made for my mom of our dog Spunky. He was the dog that I grew up with, and was a very loyal companion to my mother. Unfortunately we lost him 4 years ago, so I created a sculpture as a memorial of him and presented it to my mother last year. She was brought to tears at the sight of it – that alone makes me feel it’s one of my best.

3. What is the best thing about your products?

I think the best thing about my work is that it provides customers with a way to memorialize their pets. I know first hand how difficult it can be to say goodbye to our furry companions, and it’s nice to have items to remember them by. My sculptures are great for this purpose, as I can even include some of the animal’s own fur in their Needle Felted replica.

4. Where would be the best location for showing off your product (the Louvre, Buckingham Palace)?

I suppose I would have to go with Buckingham Palace, as I know how the Queen is a fan of Corgis! I imagine she would be happy to have a miniature sculpture of one of her dogs. =)

5. What is the best homemade item you have ever bought?

That’s a tough one! I would have to go with the Natural Bath & Skin Care products I buy off of Etsy sellers, since I use those every day. Some of the scents are good enough to eat, and I enjoy using these products every day! Some of my favourite sellers include: Sun Kissed Bud, Dress Green, and Crowley Manor.

Etsy Shop: http://www.KaysK9s.etsy.com
Etsy Shop: http://www.KaysK9sPaperBoutique.etsy.com
Etsy Teams: Etsy For Animals (EFA), Needle Felt Etsy Street Team (NFEST), Etsy Fiber Arts Street Team (EtsyFAST), Etsy Minimakers
Blog: http://www.KaysK9s.blogspot.com
Website: http://www.KaysK9s.com

Make Something Monday: Xavier's Mobile

Apparently I should go into the mobile making business.

After my brother saw the mobile I made for my son, Matthew, he decided he needed one for his son, Xavier. This one is a little different though because the monkeys are made using foamy, paint and a sharpy marker. The rest of it is the same as Matthew's with the dowels wrapped with green and blue ribbons and gold cord. The whole thing is strung together with fishing wire.




Thanks to Go Graham Go and Jolly Mom for starting this wonderful meme!

Apologies and Thanks!

I've been so insanely busy lately that all my online activities were put on hold. Thankfully, things have calmed down around here, so it's time for some apologies and catching up.

First, I apologize to all my Entrecard droppers and thank all of you who continued to drop in my absence.

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Next, Piera, at Jolly Mom, gave me the Rock Star Award. Thank you so much, Piera!!!

Here are 8 interesting facts about me...

1. I have 6 brothers and no sisters but my mother only has 3 children.
2. After only visiting Belize once in May 2003 for a week I moved here in August 2003.
3. I have a doll collection that was started for me the week I was born and includes many dolls from all over the world as well as many porcelain dolls.
4. I absolutely love The X-Files.
5. I am an avid reader and my mother has been known to tell me to please put down the book and go and play.
6. I hate cooking.
7. Because of where my land is in Belize, we don't get cable so my TV watching consists of DVDs and videos.
8. My son is a Mayan Indian. (Okay, not a fact about me but I can't think of anything else.)http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gif

And here are the 8 rocking bloggers I'm passing this to:

1. The Mom Buzz
2. New York Renovator
3. Glue 4 Families
4. Starting Over
5. Lucky Girl Trading Co.
6. 1 Blog & 2 Sides
7. The Un Mom
8. Altered Events

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And last but definitely not least, Kat, at Candles, Crafts and Whatnot, has awarded me the Butterfly Award. Thanks so much, Kat!!!

The rules for this award are:

1. Put the logo on your blog.
2. Add a link to the person who awarded you.
3. Nominate 10 other blogs.
4. Add links to those blogs on yours.
5. Leave a message for your nominees on their blogs

Here are the 10 blogs I have chosen:

1. The Cajun Blogger
2. Kerrie Slade
3. Red Sox Mommy
4. Fenced in Family Blog
5. My Gypsy Goods
6. My Kids Are My World
7. Kay's K9s ... & Kritters!
8. Kiss My Style
9. MaryLou's Art [Ad]venture
10. Go Graham Go

Make Something Monday: Matthew's Mobile

I can't believe another week has already passed and Monday is almost over again. This week for Make Something Monday, the meme started by Jolly Mom and Go Graham Go, I've made a mobile for my son, Matthew.

I folded five origami cranes and wrapped four various sized dowels all in different colors of paper and ribbon. Also with the thinnest dowel there is a piece of tying wire to add strength. Everything was wrapped in cord and glued and strung together. The birds hang using fishing line.

Here is a picture of the finished mobile:



I apologize for not taking pictures as I worked on it.

Make Something Monday: 1952 Built By Sign

I know that I am running late posting this but it's still Monday here for another 23 minutes. :-D



This sign is a custom design done on Belizean pine using white and black acrylic paints. I distressed the edges and the middle a little to make it seem older than it is. It's been sprayed with a fixative to protect it from the weather.

This is my first custom order for someone I don't know (she contacted me on Etsy) so I am really nervous about it. I painted most of the black with a teeny, tiny, paint brush that has about 10 hairs in it.

I hope my customer likes it!



Etsy Shop: http://CoconutPalmDesigns.etsy.com

I've Been Awarded!

Oh wow! I feel like jumping up and down like a little girl who was just told she could ride the Merry-Go-Round one more time!

Thank you so much to the Jolly Mom, Piera!

Not only did she and Felicia, from Go Graham Go, start the fabulous "Make Something Monday" meme, which I joined, she has now awarded my blog with the I heart your blog award. I've seen the little picture on so many other blogs but never thought it would be given to me.

And to pass on the love, here are my seven picks:

1. http://smadarstreasure.blogspot.com/
2. http://toxander.blogspot.com/
3. http://leet-gallery.blogspot.com/
4. http://alteredevents.blogspot.com/
5. http://www.theartzoo.com/
6. http://www.itisnaptime.com/
7. http://www.themombuzz.com/

I've Been Tagged!!!

I've been tagged by http://kaysk9s.blogspot.com/ and I'm supposed to share 7 facts about myself that are probably not known by many. So here goes...

7 Random Things About Me...

1. I am a single mother, by choice, to a wonderful almost 9 month old son who I adopted the day he was born.
2. I have an insane passion for power tools.
3. On my family's property, where I live, we have a total of 18 dogs, 3 cats, 4 rabbits, many fish, many birds, 2 turtles, 2 horses, 2 cows and 6 people.
4. I've lived in 3 different countries.
5. I firmly believe ice cream is a food and can be eaten for any meal.
6. I hate making phone calls unless I know for a fact who is going to answer at the other end.
7. I collect quotes and other tidbits of information.

Here are the 7 blogs I'm tagging:

http://jkjsblog.blogspot.com/
http://kamunggay.blogspot.com/
http://www.salsaberries.com/
http://wondermom.info/
http://www.modernmommyblog.com/
http://urbanmommy.today.com/
http://sewingmom.com/

Make Something Monday!

I'm really excited to say I've joined my first meme, Make Something Monday!

Many thanks to Felicia at Go Graham Go for inviting me to join and to both Go Graham Go and Jolly Mom for starting it.

Visit me next Monday for my first offering!

- Joanne

Etsy Shop: http://CoconutPalmDesigns.etsy.com

New In My Etsy Shop

It's taken me a while but I've finally gotten this sign listed in my Etsy shop as an example of a Personalized Name Sign I am now offering.

Etsy Shop: http://CoconutPalmDesigns.etsy.com