Bad Gnome Busts Gift Guide

 HGTV's design star, the sweet, fun and very original Emily Henderson has added my Mr Bad Gnome mug to her favorite gifts for the holidays.  Emily's online gift catalogue guide went live this morning and let me tell you, it's simply gorgeous!  238 pages of beautiful decorating ideas, great guest blogger posts, DIY ornaments and gift tags, and of course her hand picked best gifts for the holidays. 

My hand drawn gnome mug is featured a few pages into"Emily's faves" portion of the e-mag, page 64.  I'm honored to be amongst several great etsy items and many big brand names in the guide.

These images are my original designs on an up-cycled mug.  For the catalog, I sourced a style of mug I liked so I could make a large set.  It's now on a matte, stone wear mug that looks like something you would find in a gnome's home.  :-)  When you click on the mug image in the catalogue, it takes you to my page with the NEW mug, beautifully photographed by Lee Rog.

This original green mug is still available in my Bliss Forest etsy shop.  After this one sells, I will be offering more of the new design in blue or black ink.  The perfect gift for the grumpy gnome in your life.  

I took a design challenge from an 8-year-old

Yes, I took a design challenge from an eight year old. I walked into my studio one morning and noticed my son putting together a pile of fabric.

"What are you making?" I asked, pleased.
"I'm not going to make this. I'm challenging YOU to make a stuffie out of these crazy fun colors I found." he replied.

I'm often busy with my three etsy stores, and different established product lines, but who can resist an invitation to make some one of a kind toys with a charming invitation to colors like THAT?


The result was a large pillow toy dubbed Disco Owl, and smaller toy called Disco Snail. Both now available for purchase in my Bliss Forest shop. It was most satisfying to make new toys out of left over studio creation "scraps". :-)

Proceeds will go to our first trip to see family in Australia this fall. The boys have dual citizenship, but haven't been down under to see the rest of the family. We are very excited to jump from what will be Fall in Oregon, to late Spring in Northern New South Wales.

I hope you are all having a happy summer too.

Gnome Pottery

The gnomes have come up with the idea for me to paint their playful images on mugs and tiny cream pots.

The cream pots are a cheerful addition to the breakfast table or for tea time. They also make a sweet vase for little buds.

I have three new mugs ready to photograph. Watch out for the Bad Gnome making his appearance....

Chocolate Bunny Valentine VS Undead Delivery!

A new batch of chocolate heart bunnies have just hopped into the studio for Valentine's day.

Wouldn't your sweetie just love this all wrapped up cute and delivered to their work place?

Or think ahead to Easter?

Just remember to add the delivery address during the transaction.

Or perhaps your Sweetheart is more the SOUR kind? They prefer the undead variety of plush?

I have just the thing. Stinking in the corner of my studio, is, ta-da! Zombie bunny, ready for delivery!

Gnomes get STUFFED!

The gnomes are tickled to be featured in the new issue of Stuffed magazine. They are giggling and having a little gnome party in the studio as I type.

I had a great time writing the accompanying article, and sharing my passion for creating unique characters with an audience of like-minded souls.

Special for Valentine's Day

Send your sweetie, your friend, your child something special and handmade for Valentine's day, even if you don't have time to make it yourself. :-)

Bliss Forest

The Gnome Twins, always giggling and doing their circus tricks.........

High Flying Easter Bunnies are Back!

The high flying Easter bunnies of Bliss Forest are back! I've been having so much fun, making new bunnies and replenishing all the favorites of last year. Here is Sunny Bunny - ready to bounce into your easter basket. :-)




Candy Stripes high flying Easter bunny.

Coming soon: my first, for-sale, bunny pattern!




Hmm, what do you make of this? I found this sour looking bunny in my studio one evening. Did he eat too many jelly beans in preparation for Easter or did he turn........ zombie?

Happy New Year!

Here is my dear Water Gnome, ready to help re-open Bliss Forest.

Happy New Year! I had a great holiday season on etsy. I was kept hopping with wholesale orders and all my wonderful customers. I appreciate each of you! It was soooo good, I had to close my shops for the first time in three years on etsy, in order to have a holiday with my children. Well, it was my first holiday with three shops, rather than just one, to keep track of. :-)

I have been so excited to get moving on all my new design plans for BlissMonkeyStudio and Bliss Forest. I have many new gnomes, wrist warmer designs started, and new phone cozies and high flying easter bunnies in the design process.


Oceania in purple and teal.

Today is Jan first and I just reopened my Bliss MOnkey Studio shop with some new wrist warmer designs. It's still winter, but I have an eye for spring as I design. :-)

I wish you a beautiful, new year, full of love, friendship, many handmade treasures and happy days.
Aly


Sweet One Bird Tree with sparkling nest.

Into the Forest

Fall is in the air here in Oregon, though the days are still quite warm. I'm back in the studio full time, ready to stock my shops with goodness and bliss. I have basically taken the past six weeks off for summer with the kids, gardening, camping, canning, swimming, then end of summer de-clutter for home and yard. I see the studio needs that TLC too. It's easy to be a pack rat when one is a designer/crafter/artist because "I will use that one day" is probably true.... however if one can't get into her studio due to all the goodies stored there..... lol. It's not that bad. yet.

Check out this gorgeous etsy treasury. My gnome ornaments are everywhere this season, but haven't sold one pair yet. It's funny that my Bliss Forest shop (gnomes, bunnies, woodland plush) get tons of visits and press, but not many sales. I hope people will be returning for holiday gifting. Ninja Bunnies are the current selling item in BlissForest.

Here's a question: Do you think it a good idea if I were to offer Gnome prints for people to embroider or paint, and sew their own ornaments? It would be the gnome set, printed on cotton, with instruction/inspiration sheet?

Here's to Autumn (clinking coffee cups).
xoxoxo
Aly

New Gnome Friends

Willow Wildwood

New gnome friends at BlissForest. I love making plush gnomes. I may cut several colors of body shapes out at a time- just based on colors I want to work with, but when I go to make one the personality emerges so fully, I'm unable to go any other way. Each one is unique and special. Their little life stories form in my mind as I sew and stuff. I think I smile a lot.


Treezil