It's WINTER CHEER!!! *Kermit Flails*

It's time for WINTER CHEER!!! In case you can't tell, I'm super excited about it! Soon, I get to decorate the house (and my desk at work) with all of the shiny, glittery, sparkly things I can find and I can keep myself incredibly caffeinated by ingesting large amounts of sugar spiked with a bit of coffee*. I'll need that sugar and caffeine buzz when it comes to the holidays, because this year I have a lot of monkeys to make!

The first of the Winter Cheer Flock are now complete. I had to come up with this year's theme without the help of the wonderful Ninja Muse, so it was a bit hard, until I found the stash of winter/holiday socks. This year there will of course be non-holiday themed monkeys, each with a fleece scarf that matches their colors. But there will also be several special monkeys.

The special Winter Cheer Monkeys have been outfitted by their Nana's in the latest in winter sweater fashions. Naturally, some of the monkeys Nana's had better taste in sweaters than others, but no matter what, each monkey looks adorable in their sweater-- even if the sweater would win first place in an office ugly sweater contest.

Winter Cheer Monkeys!!!

Winter Cheer is for everyone, regardless of religion or lack thereof. It's just about being happy that it's Caramel Brulee Latte Season Winter and things get all shiny and sparkly during winter. Oooh... sparkly... *Tries to focus and not be distracted by all the glittery things*

There are monkeys for Christmas and Hanukkah, but also some monkeys with sweaters that are just winter themed. No one is exempt from the ugly sweaters!

Sparkle is very eager for his first Christmas (and his sweater is sparkly!)

Leor is ready to assist with lighting the Menorah! (Just don't let him do it himself)

Holly, and her fraternal twin Emmett are just happy it's winter and they can wear their reindeer sweaters now!

If you happen to be in North Attleboro, I'll be doing a craft fair with LOTS of Monkeyville monkeys (with and without sweaters) eager to be adopted! Stay tuned for details!

*I'm not even going to pretend to love coffee. I don't even like it that much, what I love are all the wonderful sugary things that go into coffee. Which is why I get SUPER excited that it's caramel brulee coffee season!

CHEER!!!

This holiday season, the Monkeyville theme is CHEER and the monkeys are ready to start going out and spreading CHEER everywhere The theme is also sparkles because I found some awesome sparkly socks that are perfect for the holidays and there's a bit of Dr. Seuss style whimsy thrown in too, because everything is better when done in the Seuss style. CHEER isn't an acronym, it's just a special feeling that usually comes this time of year. It's non-denominational, open to everyone, and just plain happy. I think it's best described as that feeling you get when it snows for the first time (for real, not freaky snow in October). Who doesn't feel like a little kid when the snow starts to fall for that first time and the world turns all white and pretty because all the grungy stuff of regular life is covered by the snowy blanket?

Last year, the monkeys spread CHEER just on Etsy. This year, they have two ways of spreading CHEER! The monkeys are still spreading CHEER on Etsy (and there are lots of monkeys coming!) but also right here in Monkeyville (AKA: North Attleboro, MA) at The Artful Phoenix! This is the monkey's first holiday season in a real store, so they're VERY excited about that. In fact, they got so excited that they wanted to help Melissa and Jan with the decorations! 

Photo courtesy of The Artful Phoenix, taken by Melissa Santsaver

Dotty, the giant monkey (a Monkeez monkey I believe) wanted to help out as well, and that's a good thing, she was much taller than the Monkeyville monkeys and could reach all the high branches.Under Dotty's direction, the monkeys set to work on getting the window display looking as cheerful as possible.

The first step, was getting the tree up and lights strung. Tackling the tree would be hard for the normal sized Monkeyville monkeys, but it was Dotty to the rescue! The rest of the monkeys supervised and made sure that the tree was nice and straight. Then, it was time for the lights! I think the monkeys got a bit carried away with decorating, because they strung lights on Dotty too!

Of course, being monkeys, they had to goof off a bit too!

photo courtesy of The Artful Phoenix, taken by Melissa Santsaver

"Look at me!" Snowbert jumped into the tree and hung by his tail. This was just the start of monkey sillyness. If you have a Christmas tree at home, it's probably not a good idea to let sock monkeys decorate it! I hope Dotty wasn't feeling left out since she was a bit too big toget up to such shenanigans!

Of course, a holiday window display isn't complete with just some lights and a tree, at least not for these monkeys! These monkeys had BIG ideas. They worked hard to make this holiday display a very special one, and one that would be sure to catch the eye of the busy shoppers walking (or driving) down North Washington street!

They picked their favorite ornaments to decorate the tree:

photo courtesy of The Artful Phoenix, taken by Melissa Santsaver, ornament by Martha Maynard

photo courtesy of The Artful Phoenix, taken by Melissa Santsaver ornament by Elizabeth Anne Haney

photo courtesy of The Artful Phoenix, taken by Melissa Santsaver ornament by Linda Richardson

 All of the artists had been working hard on making cool ornaments for the holidays, so there were lots and lots to choose from. They had been working so hard, the monkeys got another tree so everything wouldn't get too crowded.

There were even a few monkey ornaments!

photo courtesy of The Artful Phoenix, taken by Melissa Santsaver

photo courtesy of The Artful Phoenix, taken by Melissa Santsaver

Not many though, because there were full sized monkeys to be made and sent to their new homes. The window was still missing something, so the monkeys ran around the store gathering a bunch of cool toys.

photo courtesy of The Artful Phoenix, taken by Melissa Santsaver, dragon pull toy by Tom Seal

Of course, the monkeys had to play with the toys as well. They are monkeys after all. Plus, it's not like the chance to ride a really cool dragon comes around all the time, you have to take the chance when it comes along.

Once everything was in place, the monkeys took a break and called all the people in to look at their work.

photo courtesy of The Artful Phoenix, taken by Melissa Santsaver

Yep, that's definitely a memorable and eye catching window display. I think the Artful Phoenix will be the only shop in North Attleboro with an upside down Christmas tree.

SoMoMo 27: BRRRRR!!!

There was a HUGE storm here in Monkeyville, which buried everything under a lot of snow. 

A LOT of snow.... EEK!!!

Eli and Sirus knew they couldn't do the job all on their own, so they asked one of their monkey friends for help.
The worked and worked until their monkey paws were sore, and in the end, the car was freed from the snow.

Such good little monkeys deserved a special treat! 

Sirus's special hot chocolate! But first, to get the blood flowing, some buttershots. YUM!!!

Warm snuggles for cold monkeys.

SoMoMo 8: You Say Goodbye, I Say Hello...

 Even though Hanukkah ends tonight, Christmas is coming. That means Monkeyville Monkeys are starting to rack up the frequent flyer miles.

Sorento, Captain Longsocks, Olive the Other Reindeer, and Dorothy (her box is under Sorento's) all getting ready to fly to their new homes! Mr. Postman, please deliver my boxes soon! Those are the last ones!

Of course, those planes fly both ways!

What have we here? I see a tiny nose in there!

He was a bit nervous, but he got braver once the monkeys moved out of the way.

That cute little nose is attached to a cute little head and cute little body too! It's a Pogo!


Eli Monkey came over to investigate the newest member of the household. It wasn't long before like any only child, he was pouting at the idea of not being the cutest anymore.

Spoiled boy.

Thankfully, the Pogo (no name yet) was sweet and friendly, and tried to make Eli feel a bit better.

The size difference made it a bit hard for the Pogo to hug Eli, but he made a good effort!

Eventually, Eli Monkey realized he was acting spoiled and decided to get to know the newest member of the household.

I think Eli was upset that Pogos are made from sweaters, not socks.

Pogos are forest creatures, so for now, our little Pogo is spending his time playing in our Christmas tree. It's not real like the ones in Pogo forest, but the icicles aren't cold either!

These are the CUTEST little...  um... creatures ever. They're made from sweaters (SOFT!!!) and are adorable and cuddly. Trust me, you want one of these little guys, and you can get them at Pogoshop on Etsy. 

SoMoMo 3: Pirates and Reindeer, Oh My!

 Monkeyville Has Been Invaded Again...

Thankfully, the only pirates that invade Monkeyville are nice, cuddly ones, not the Very Evil pointy ones.

Captain Longsocks, is all set to go to his new home!


He's made with the same kinds of socks as Captain Ellie, the pink pirate.


Unlike Ellie the Pirate, this one has an eye patch that's made entirely from felt.

I don't know if Pirates typically come with reindeer for companions, but this one did! Two in fact, Max and Olive.

Olive:
Why is the reindeer named Olive? Because of a TV special a few years ago (maybe a lot of years ago): "Olive the other reindeer".

Yes, I'm a dork.

Max:

Max is also named after a character in a Christmas movie, though this time a better known one. See, when I did the very first pair of antlers, they looked just like the ones that the Grinch ties on to Max the dog. Thus, in tribute to the amazing Dr. Seuss, it's Max the Reindeer!

Max and Olive are really similar. The main difference is the size of their tails and the color of their mouths. Max has a tan colored mouth, while Olive got into the lipstick and is sporting a bright red mouth.

SoMoMo 2: Baby It's Cold Outside!

 Baby It's Cold Outside

In fact, it's freezing outside, but here in Monkeyville, it's nice and cozy, because as a Special Hanukkah treat, Eli Monkey made matzo ball soup! Eli Monkey, being a college student (going to Harvard), and Sirus Monkey, being an artist don't have a lot of gifts for each other. Instead, they're showing that the love each other in more meaningful ways.

YUM!!!

Eli Monkey is quite the cook, but he admitted to using his Mommy's secret recipe.


Lots of veggies (carrots and celery), lots of matzo balls, lots of noodles and left over turkey from Thanksgiving*.

It was also time to light the menorah.

Pretty! Also, next year, we buy the same candles, because these ones, while expensive, don't drip!

Happy Sock Monkey Month Everyone!

*There is also a bit of rabbit in there, which was left over from dinner Sunday night. Rabbit tastes pretty much like dark meat chicken, so you can't even tell it's in the soup. It's what we had.

Sock Monkey Monday: A Week of Firsts

Yay!!!

The Very First craft fair that Monkeyville has ever done!

That would be Red Sox Ninja back there, she helped out *loads*, especially with the jewelry, because I didn't know how to display that at all. She was also kept me company when things went slower than expected.

Rudolph the Red Nosed Sock Monkey.

Rudolph took me until about 3am to complete, but he came out looking just like what I had in mind, so it was completely worth it.

The metal chair and the white tree* were holding the jewelry that Mumma made. It was all incredibly pretty, and I thought for sure that we were going to that before the monkeys.

Unfortunately, it was a slow fair, but fun. I talked to a lot of Very Nice people and gave out a bunch of business cards, but sadly, no monkeys went to new homes. Some snowballs did though. In fact, the snowballs were quite popular. I think everyone who stopped by had to give them a good squish.

The end result was a nice day out, talking to lots of people, eating really good noms (cupcakes with home-made frosting--yum!) and the monkeys got lots of attention. I think the only reason we didn't sell more than the snowballs was that the monkeys were priced from $20-35 and that was just a bit too steep for the setting. It was a craft fair at a local church, so I think that more people were expecting a $10-15 price range, so $35 for a sock monkey was sticker shock.

That's okay though, because now, I have plenty of monkeys to go in the Etsy shop! Working full time still has made it hard to get everything I wanted to done, so I'm glad that I have these guys to put online. The poor Etsy shop has been Very Neglected lately. There are Several more craft fairs in the area in the next month or so, so I'm sure I'll be going to at least one of those. I have my fingers crossed that I can get into the one at the Durfee High School in Fall River. I think the larger fair will be a better setting. However, I have a few dozen snowballs left, so some of those will be going up on Etsy for sure.

Today was Craftopia in Pawtucket too, and while I wasn't there selling my monkeys, I was definitely there (along with Michelle) to go have some Fantastic(!!!) food, and do some holiday shopping. I got myself a Very Cute  Monkey Shine Studios sock monkey named Cosmo. He's now snuggling with Tobey on the bookcase next to my desk. Not only is the monkey adorable, but I got to meet the person that made Eli Monkey! Yay!!!

I will admit, I gushed and told her she's my idol. She was Very Nice, and we even did a bit of sock source discussion. Though many people suggest it, it just hasn't proven beneficial for me to buy them online. They're cheaper yes, but I'd rather spend a bit more and know that the socks feel nice and are monkey suitable.

One of the things that I really think is awesome about sock monkeys is that even if two people were to use the same exact socks, the monkeys always look different. Everyone has their own different style for the ears, or the eyes, or something just cute and special that makes the sock monkey *theirs*, and that's why even though I make sock monkeys, I have lots of monkeys I didn't make. Plus, Cosmo just looked at me and said "bring me home". He's got such a cute little monkey face, I just couldn't say no.

I also came home with some massive (and incredibly delicious) brownies, some s'mores made from home-made marshmallows (home-made marshmallows are one of the best foods ever), and I couldn't resist getting a treat for the kitties-- a little play pad for them complete with some catnip. It was an all around great weekend, though one that left everyone very sleepy.

Oh, I must share this:

Reindeer bum. Even cuter than a Monkey bum!

His antlers were hand stitched out of fleece, as were his ears (those were what took the most time). I attempted to make Rudolph's ears out of socks, but the fleece and felt just worked out much better. I couldn't give a reindeer monkey ears!

There are two more reindeer coming (though one is already sold)-- Max and Olive. Max is named after the dog from How the Grinch Stole Christmas (because I love Dr. Seuss) and Olive is a bit of a pun. There was a special a few years ago on TV about a little dog whose name was Olive. She thought the song went "Olive the other reindeer used to laugh and call him names..." Well, I'm notorious for getting song lyrics wrong, so I just had to name the girl reindeer Olive.

There is work to be done here in Monkeyville, so I best be going. I have a Zoidberg to finish!

Sock Monkey Monday: Isn't It Too Early for Snow?

Last night, it snowed here in Monkeyville. Not a lot, but enough that I was glad that I didn't have to drive to work this morning. In typical New England fashion, that pretty layer of white was gone by the time I actually got out of bed for good* which was around noon.

Count me as one of the three people in the world that *loves* Mondays. Since I have so much Monkeyville stuff to do, I managed to negotiate Mondays off at the day job. It's not an additional day off, not really, since I usually wake up much earlier and spend the entire day just doing Monkeyville stuff. Today, it was working on the reindeer, whose cute little antlers are being a cute little pain in my butt right now. I am not a fan of  hand sewing entire pieces of monkeys like that.

The rest of the time, I was doing this:

Step One:

Can you tell what they are yet? Okay, I'll admit, here they don't look like much at all.

Step Two:

 They're starting to look like the finished product here, but still need to get stuffed, and a few other details. Any guesses?

It's these guys!

Cute, fuzzy-wuzzy snowballs.

These little guys are just the first few. I was up until about three in the morning finishing these guys up. I had to stop when I ran out of eyes for them. Unlike the sock monkeys, the snowballs have black plastic safety eyes. I tried doing them the same as the monkeys and it just didn't work.

These snowballs are cute, warm (yay, no freezing hands!), and also never melt! They're just the right size of a snowball too.

However, due to the eyes, it's probably best not to throw them at anyone, or at least anyone you like and don't wish to injure. These are the big size, I have two smaller sizes that I'm working on as well. Some with hangers to go on Christmas trees, and others for something else I have planned. Ninjas are Very Good at planning things. This one is getting better on the follow through as well.

The strange thing about this, is that last year, I happened to write something about it snowing in Boston (well, Cambridge) and it ended up snowing obscenely early here. October 17th to be exact. It should *not* snow here until well after Christmas. We rarely get the pretty white Christmases here, instead it's usually just rainy, wet, and generally un-Christmas-y miserable. Then, last night I got to work on the snowballs... and it started snowing here. Better timing than last year's October snowfall, but still odd. Very Very Odd.

Okay, I promised my Mumma that I would post photos of both the snowballs and the monkeys I've been working on for her to see, since she's stuck on the Island** and can't see them in person. The toy box has gotten so fully that another monkey just can't fit in it, so I had to go out and get a basket for them to go in.

So far, these guys have joined the other ten already waiting to go to the craft fair:

I haven't named any of them yet, because I'm just not sure what to call any of them. Ideas would be Greatly Appreciated! I'm not very good at naming the monkeys. The Ninjas used the 7 Dwarf naming system after all (named after traits, not real names).

I must go finish stuffing my balls... er... snowballs of course! Happy Monday Everyone!

*I got to bed around three...ish... I haven't changed the clocks so I don't actually know what time it *really* is anymore!

**Martha's Vineyard. In my head, there's only *one* Island. Nantucket doesn't count.

Sock Monkey Monday: Hide and Seek

The memory card is still missing, but thankfully, my cell phones came with tiny memory cards and larger memory card adapters that can fit into the Monkeyville camera. This means that even though I took the house apart looking for the memory card and didn't find it*, there can still be a Sock Monkey Monday.

Remember the five pounds of stuffing from last week?

That was more stuffing than I've ever seen all at once, and since I buy lots of stuffing, that's really saying something!

Well, most of that fluff has been turned into these guys!

Ninjas!

My favorite of them all is the purple one. He's the O.o faced one, and it came out looking like that. I did these differently than the way I did the first Ninjas. These guys have felt headbands and belts, and their eyes are embroidered. Totally kid safe!

The Ninjas and one of the other monkeys that's finished joined the traditional monkeys in the toy box once they were completely done. 

 I've run out of room in the monkey bins and the toy box is getting quite crowded, so I had to get a new basket today for the five monkeys I'm working on now. That's okay though, because I really need baskets for the monkeys to go in when we go to the craft fair later this month.

Target had some great sock monkey socks this week, so I got tons of those this weekend, and I've got lots and lots of monkeys for both the Etsy shop and the craft fair. The holiday monkeys (both Christmas and Hanukkah ones!) won't just be regular monkeys, they'll come dressed for the weather in little hats and scarves... a long with a special winter surprise!

From now until the end of the year (or I get a new job), I'll be working four days a week at the day job just to be able to get lots of Monkeyville stuff done. That extra day really makes a huge difference. Today is also the start of NaNoWriMo... but with all of the monkey stuff... I don't know if I'll be able to do it this year. I'm going to try, but one Monkey Maker can only do so many things!

I almost forgot! Boo, decided to be Very Cute this afternoon. Yes, I realize he's cute most of the time, but he was a real terror last night** so I think he's being Extra Cute today.

 Boo, hiding among the stuffed animals on the couch. 

Curled up in a ball, he blends in quite well. So well, I almost put the groceries on him!

*I think I'm just going to have to give in and buy a new memory card.
**He knocked over the big trash can in the kitchen at about 3am. Guacamole *everywhere*.