Zerumpees Store

Sunday, December 13, 2009

Finally a day to do nothing!


After my vacation at home I still had a few days off back in Chicago. I took ten monsters to a store called Kooky, on Southport. It is only open until December 24th so be sure to visit it soon! Yesterday one of my best friends, Nicole, sold monsters for me at the Red Apple Craft Fair, sponsered by the pre school she teaches at. It was a huge success! Nicole knows most of the kids and families so I know that that helped a lot. She said I was one of the most popular vendors there and you really can't ask for more. I worked like an elf this week, along with the help of my mom to create a large inventory and great display for the show. I was very pleased with the way it turned out but am enjoying this day off very much, drinking my coffee and watching You've Got Mail. This is a GREAT movie. I love it so much because her store is a fabulous little thing and that is exactly what I want. My own little store filled with hand made plush and story books. Here are some fun pictures of my last two weeks!



















I ordered this sign at the end of last week and did expedited shipping to get it in time for the show. I think it turned out so cute and really brought everything together.
My mom was such a great help to me this week. She helped with the display and sewing some of my key chains and helping me transport everything to Nicole's place. I am really lucky to have the family that I do. They support me no matter what and more than that they believe that I can accomplish what I set out to do. They have never pushed me into something I didn't want to do or belittled my passion for the theatre and hand sewing monsters. They have always expressed awe and pride in everything. It's very comforting. Everyone close to me is really that way and they always suggest bigger and better things, other little things to make to add on to monster sales, kid's books etc. I have wonderful people in my life and I feel like I'm in a great place. I feel like I have definitely made up for a few weeks of the project in the last week. I made 10 sleepy time sets, 7 sock monsters and 6 keychains. I am going to try to get back on a regular schedule now that that show is over. Hopefully I can find more shows in the future to participate in as well.
Happy Holidays everyone!
-Emma

Saturday, November 28, 2009

Thanksgiving!

Today I am going home! The past month has been very hectic and this is definitely a welcome break. I am very fortunate to have the friends that I do and the family that I have. I live with my bro and we(me) made a yummy Thanksgiving dinner:

I forced Raymond to take cooking pictures of me. He thought that was stupid. But did it anyways. We made cornish hens instead of turkey since there was just two of us. I left them in the fridge overnight but of course they were still solid. And once I got them a little soft I was trying to get the bag of gizzards out, every other cornish hen I have made had that hanging around inside....needless to say I raped my hen for nothing.

These are the best. Make them now, today, tonight! They are so good and so fatty. You will not be able to stop eating them. Whole green beans wrapped in half a strip of bacon. Then you make a sauce of brown sugar, butter, garlic, salt and pepper and bake for 45 minutes covered on 350 degrees. Then take off the foil and bake for another 10 minutes to get a bit of a crisp. MMMM. These are my favorite. My mom made them growing up from a recipe I think she got from my aunt. They will be in my family forever! It's up to my daughter mogwai to pass it down through the generations.

This is Raymond. Excited about the Hen, posing weird and wearing his grade school gym shirt.

Nom Nom Nom.

Happy Turkeys!

In monster news, Camelot Children's Kingdom off the armitage brown line stop in Chicago now carries my monsters. My good friend Nicole will also be selling my monsters at the Red Apple Craft Fair on Sat. Dec. 12th.
:)
-Emma

Saturday, October 31, 2009

happy Halloween! Week 4


Here are my lovely five monsters for week 4 of my monster project. I know I missed a few weeks. Please forgive. Small personal crises are always sure to throw you off your game. I have yet to carve my pumpkin, just getting them last night. I work until 9 today so I think I will carve it when I get home. Interesting fact: when I was little we always used to paint our pumpkins. I thought this was normal/what everyone did. It was really fun to paint them. I would do that...but I don't have any paints.

I still need to add two monsters from the last batch into my store. I will make sure I add all of these guys this week. My days off this week are Thursday and Saturday, which is good so I can upload the new ones for week 5 on Saturday.

I made this cute little Christmas one. Figured I should make one early if I am going to so that he can sell for Holiday decor. One week I think I will just make ornaments. It's crazy, because ornaments and my key chains seem like they wouldn't take a lot of time, but they do! I think because they are so small and not stretchy like socks. Working with socks is like working with clay sometimes. You can definitely shape it easily to do what you want to do.

"I'm good at being uncomfortable so I can't stop changing all of the time."-Fiona Apple

Tuesday, October 27, 2009

Renewing


I have been absent, from my blog and my project. It's been a rough couple weeks that has just now finally started to simmer down. I plan on starting up the monster project again this week. I am off work Friday so that will give me a nice long day to make some good ones. So...interesting tid bit. I randomly search "zerumpees" on yahoo occassionally to see if anything has been written about me in blogs etc. and I clicked on this one link tonight to a blog i guess that mentioned me and the title was "ahh monsters." there i saw one of my monsters that was sold a while back and there was something weird on it like a green plant. The page was still loading and then a snake picture popped up and then this close up of my monster with a giant hairy spider on it! All i saw was "these make great props!" I was so freaked out! It was this close up of this giant disgusting bug on my monster! I know, i know people can do whatever they want once they purchase something such as using them for props in gross bug reptile photo shoots, but totally freaky. I only looked at the page for maybe 5 seconds before screaming and exiting out! I was horrified! Weird....weird.

I love holidays and decorating for them. I made these ghosties a while back when my parents were visiting. They are so old school, but still fun :)

This is what Mogwai decided to do while I decided to bake a spiced cake.

I bought a new cook book called "Quick Meals" and it is huge. I love planning my meals and baking and cooking so it's just what I needed. I used to just get on the food network website but it's hard to just browse there to see what you want to eat, you kind of have to have an idea already.

The monsters grew curious as to what the treat would be.

it called for a half cup of honey. I've never heard of so much honey in a recipe before!

While my cake/bread was baking I went on a much needed therapuetic run. I ran by this little circle of stone blocks that you can sit on and that whole area was covered with red and yellow leaves. We don't get too long of a fall here in Chicago but I'm glad to get what I can before the ice and snow. The weather here can really affect things. Pretty soon the days get so short, only a few hours of sunlight. I can already tell my apartment is getting darker.
Back to the cake. It turned out great. It didn't poof up in the middle but that didn't really matter to me. Maybe on Friday I will try to make something really complicated. There's this parfait in there that looks yummy.
I will leave you with a poem that I love. I know, it's another ee cummings poem. But I love him. And sometimes he is just what you need to feel a bit better.

anyone lived in a pretty how town
(with up so floating many bells down)
spring summer autumn winter
he sang his didn't he danced his did.

Women and men (both little and small)
cared for anyone not at all
they sowed their isn't they reaped their same
sun moon stars rain

children guessed (but only a few
and down they forgot as up they grew
autumn winter spring summer)
that noone loved him more by more

when by now and tree by leaf
she laughed his joy she cried his grief
bird by snow and stir by still
anyone's any was all to her

someones married their everyones
laughed their cryings and did their dance
(sleep wake hope and then)they
said their nevers they slept their dream

stars rain sun moon
(and only the snow can begin to explain
how children are apt to forget to remember
with up so floating many bells down)

one day anyone died i guess
(and noone stooped to kiss his face)
busy folk buried them side by side
little by little and was by was

all by all and deep by deep
and more by more they dream their sleep
noone and anyone earth by april
with by spirit and if by yes.

Women and men (both dong and ding)
summer autumn winter spring
reaped their sowing and went their came
sun moon stars rain

Sunday, October 18, 2009

In a mood for poems

Sometimes I will get into really intense moods of needing to write a poem. One of my favorite activities from my poetry class in college is deconstructing already written poems and creating your own, only using the words from the poem, and using ALL of them. It gets hard, like a puzzle but it can be a lot of fun. One of my other favorites was constructing a poem using only this list of the most common words. Anyways, I was really in the mood tonight so I took an random e.e. cummings poem and made one out of it.
Here is the original:
Humanity i love you
because you would rather black the boots of
success than enquire whose soul dangles from his
watch-chain which would be embarrassing for both

parties and because you
unflinchingly applaud all
songs containing the words country home and
mother when sung at the old howard

Humanity i love you because
when you're hard up you pawn your
intelligence to buy a drink and when
you're flush pride keeps

you from the pawn shops and
because you are continually committing
nuisances but more
especially in your own house

Humanity i love you because you
are perpetually putting the secret of
life in your pants and forgetting
it's there and sitting down

on it
and because you are
forever making poems in the lap
of death Humanity

i hate you


Here is mine:
because you would rather
unflinchingly applaud success,
parties
your flush pride
than Humanity.

buy a drink
and it keeps you from continually committing.

your soul dangles from the life
in your pants - embarrassing for both.

and

I love you because you are in your own home, The Old Howard.
putting the secret in the lap
and forgetting

perpetually I love you
and when you're hard up. Black on Boots. Making Songs.
of Humanity, death - it's there and sitting down at pawn shops.

I would be his watch chain, your pawn.
all because I love to enquire of intelligence, but
you are nuisances
(country home, mother, hate, humanity)
containing the words and forever making the poems.

"you love you, all because you are sung"

whose all, and when?

which because...because of the Humanity of you.

And I, but more especially, because of you.



More monsters are coming, no worries. Just one of those days.
-Emma

Saturday, October 10, 2009

Five Monsters Week 3

My lovely sewing machine. Go Plush Team!

Areas of my bedroom, no work studio yet! Some day...



Stuffed Bodies. Waiting to come to life!

Posing.

Custom Order! He is setting off to the UK! What a little jet setter.

Five Monsters for the week! What Fall cuties! I think the striped one is very nightmare before xmas/ Halloween vibe.

Family Photo!



Tonight has been very productive and fun! I must be strategic with my monsters next week since my friends are coming in town. I will probably make one tomorrow and spread them out as the week goes on.
Plush love to everyone!
-Emma

Saturday, October 3, 2009

Five Monsters for 9/27-10/3


Excuse the lack of quality photos. I am feeling a bit under the weather today. Stayed inside in my sweats watching crime shows and working on these babes. It was my birthday Friday so I had special sales going to previous customers, plus I had a lot of new sales which was so exciting. I need to sew some blankets and get everyone's packages sent out on Monday. Such an exciting week of sales.

Sunday, September 27, 2009

Five Monsters for 9/20-26

Alright, so last week wasn't a full week since I started this project in the middle of it. But I was able to complete five monsters! I made the two sock monsters earlier in the week and then yesterday went to Hancock Fabrics and saw these wonderful plaid flannels. I thought they were so warm and cozy and perfect for fall. I wanted to make one type of monster for all three with corresponding color schemes. I was racking my brain for design ideas and then finally decided to re create my design that I gave to my brother last year, Thud. He is also one of the pages of my coloring books. Their names all rhyme with Thud since they are related. If these turn out to be popular I will make more.

This is Bud. Bud enjoys carving pumpkins with his teeth, gravy Monster soup on Fall days, and curling up to watch his favorite horror flicks. He is very messy, but resourceful. His home is built out of trash and recyclables, simply because he never wants to clean up! If you love messes and Halloween activities then Bud is the monster for you!

Fud is a little slow. He likes to take walks around his yard to see if there are any birds. Usually his loud steps scare them away, but every once in a while he will see one and get very happy. He loves Jelly doughnuts and would eat them all day if he could, but he is only allowed two a day. He is frightened of ghost stories and all things scary, so if you are watching a scary movie hold him tight!

Jud loves camping in the wild outdoors. He loves to wrestle bears, alligators and spiders. He has never lost a wrestling match and will challenge anyone who gets in the way of his camping. He loves chili, monster football and camp fires. He likes getting his hands dirty so be prepared to keep up with him!

Dorothy is sick and tired of other monsters telling her what to do, even when they aren't. She is tired of your lip even when you haven't said anything and she will let you know! Dorothy loves to play on playgrounds and push other monsters in the dirt, hunt for buried treasures and keep them all to herself, and of course always eat the last monster cookie on the plate. She will provide many hours of entertainment if you can handle her sassy attitude.

Tom is such a nice guy. When he isn't visiting his grandma on the weekends he can be found playing a game of Monster kick ball in his neighborhood. He is always polite and lets others go first. He loves all sports, Italian cuisine and collecting interesting pencils. He says the pencils bring him good luck on his tests at school. Adopt him today if you want a little sweet monster in your family!

Have a great Sunday!
-Emma

Thursday, September 24, 2009

260 Monsters Project


Okay. I have modified my last failed project for good reason. Monsters are not like one page plays that Suzan Lori Parks wrote. I can't necessarily make them anywhere without preparation. So instead of a monster a day I will be making five a week, totaling 260 a year. Ideally if this were my only job I would be making five or more a day, but that is not reality yet. I get busy, work, cooking, plans with friends and I think this project will allow for more flexibility and I wont feel bad if I don't make one on a certain day. So five a week. This can span out over 7 days, or make multiple in one day. I will make a post each week with pictures of the five creatures along with their numbers.
I just started reading Julie & Julia and I love it so far! It got me thinking again about a project that will keep me motivated and keep me producing. Because only good things can come from this. If I want steady sales I need steady production. So this is my plan! I am sticking to it and I know certain people, like Grant ;), will make me stick to it as well.
<3 Emma

Saturday, September 12, 2009

I have the creative itch

I need to make myself a schedule. Between work, chores, sleep my monsters are falling by the wayside. One of my favorite things about crafting is that I do it when I want to. I always feel so accomplished when I finish a monster or a project like my coloring book but I just have to start cranking them out. If I am ever going to get steady sales instead of pleasant surprises I need to produce at least five monsters a week and renewing every day at peak times.
I am not the most organized person, but it feels good when I am. I cleaned today, planned out my meals for the week and I need to plan my Zerumpees work schedule, instead of just working on things whenever.
I did finish my key chains which I am super excited about, and I got my monsters back from Stuffed Magazine, it's in Barnes and Noble now in the craft section, so check it out. I also applied for the Renegade Craft Holiday Fair. I am really hoping I get it, it would be so fun and a great experience to do a craft fair solo.

Craft Love to All! - Emma

Sunday, July 5, 2009

Back to blogging

I apologize for the hiatus. Moving+Life Changing events=lack of blogging. But I am back and going to try to keep generating more plush per week. I'm going on a road trip next week so I will get a good 5-8 done on that trip. I made two new babes tonight! I think they turned out super cute!!!

Be sure to check out my store for new items! www.zerumpees.etsy.com

Wednesday, March 25, 2009

Eeeeeek, good stuff(ed)!

Fabulous wonders are occurring here at Zerumpees Head Quarters. Stay tuned for the 2nd issue of STUFFED MAGAZINE because yours truly is featured. Well, three of my monsters are. Once I know when the issue is coming out I will post the dates on here.
This picture is an oldie, but I love it. Her name is baby Lydia. The lighting in this picture turned out to be really great and you can see all her bright colors. Stay tuned for more frequent up dates!
<3 Emma

Sunday, February 1, 2009