On the Road Again….

October 26, 2018Amigurumi, Conventions, Crochet JourneyAmigurumi, Basics, Conventions, Crochet, Rhode Island Comic Con, Shameless Self Promotion, Toys, Work In Progress, Yarnlilluvvies Leave a comment

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One week from today I’ll be putting the finishing touches on my display table and anxiously awaiting the arrival of the first customers. This is because one week from today I’ll be at Rhode Island Comic Con in Providence, RI. As this only is my second show as a vendor, and my first out of the state, to say I’m a little nervous is a bit of an understatement.

As with my first time at Steel City Con, I have had many sleepless nights worrying about what could happen. We are leaving late Thursday afternoon/early evening – will we have any problems getting there? Will the New England weather be accommodating? Will it be easy to find where I’m supposed to be. Add to that this is my first time ever attending a convention in Rhode Island. At least with Steel City Con I had the benefit of knowing the layout, having been there multiple times as a guest, and it was close to home, so the additional expenses were minimal. This is completely uncharted territory.

I worry, too, will I have enough products – will I not sell anything – I check and double check all my stitches, but has something happened and there is a tear? I mean endless scenarios of self-doubt go through my head. Part of me wonders if it was so wise to jump into the vending arena this early in my business life – part of me wonders if I would have done this when I had essentialEme (my essential oil business) if that would still be going strong today.

I know that whatever happens is going to happen – logically. And I know that I need to just relax and try to enjoy the experience. However, those little voices in my head just don’t want to quiet. They want to torment me with insecurities and doubts. Fingers crossed all will go well and the show will be a success – I hope to even see some of you there if you are in the Rhode Island vicinity.

I’m sure there will be a ton of pictures on Instagram (@lilluvviesamigurumi) of what is going on at the show. I will also do a wrap up here once I get home and get settled. The only bad bit of planning is I come back from Rhode Island and in about a month, I have Steel City Con again. I need to pay more attention to the calendar when planning these in the future to give me time to restock.

Okay, I’m off to furiously crochet and get as much stored up as possible before next week. Wish me luck.

Hugs and cuddles,

Elisha

What’s New in Luvvies – 10/18/18

October 18, 2018Amigurumi, Conventions, Crochet Journey, Patterns, Works in ProgressAmiArtist, Amigurumi, Basics, Conventions, Crochet, CrochetBasics, Lil Luvvies, Lil Luvvies Amigurumi, Patterns, Rhode Island Comic Con, Shameless Self Promotion, Stuffed Animals, Toys, Work In Progress, Yarnlilluvvies Leave a comment

I make every effort to update the blog and to share in my crochet journey with you all, but somehow my best laid plans go astray.

Things have been busy. In September, I took some time off and went to a Supernatural convention with some friends in New Jersey. Also things at home have been crazy busy because my daughter started soccer, so we’ve been running to practices and games. And, to top everything off, my migraines have been acting up – so, I haven’t been as on top of my game as I would like to be.

Despite all the crazy that has been going on, I have been continuing to crochet and get ready for Rhode Island Comic Con (Nov. 2-4). I still don’t feel as prepared as I would like to be, but I still have two weeks to get there.

As I’ve been preparing for con, I’ve discovered that one of the things I absolutely love to make are these adorable little voodoo dolls (Pattern by BlueRabbitToys on Etsy). The funny thing is I think these little ones are so adorable, but my father is legitimately scared of them. Even though I’m soon to be 41, I still share pictures of everything with my father after I’m finished, and for some reason these voodoo dolls just creep him out. It’s a little strange that these would be the thing he has a hard time with, but I also think it’s hilarious.

He also wasn’t a fan of my newest creation, that I’m calling Dee the Nightmare Prevention monster (Pattern by OneandTwoCompany on Etsy). Although he wasn’t as downright creeped out by her as he was by the voodoo dolls, he still wasn’t a fan. Dee was a lot more work than I was expecting, but I am so happy with how she turned out. I love her to bits. Also, OneandTwoCompany is one of my favorite amigurumi designers, I think I have almost every one of her patterns – I haven’t had a chance to make them all, but I have a lot of them. I really do think one of my post-con resolutions is going to be to go through the list and make as many of her items as I can to try everything.

Also in preparation for Rhode Island, knowing that Jenna Coleman from Doctor Who is going to be there, I tried to make some Doctor Who friendly items – like a Weeping Angel and an Adipose. I’m not as happy with how these turned out as I would like to be….they aren’t terrible, but the patterns just were not quite right and led to inconsistent results.

One of my favorite newest creations has been this little chickadee (another awesome pattern by OneandTwoCompany on Etsy). This sweet little girl was so much fun to make. The funny thing is I started her several weeks ago, and then had to put her on hold as I completed orders for my Etsy store. However, once I got back to her, I was so happy I did – she is so sweet. I just want to squeeze her all up.

One other design from my fave at OneandTwoCompany was this adorable Logan the lion backpack. I probably could have made the straps a little longer, but Desi still seemed to like it, and was carrying around some of her reading books for the next couple of days. I still have some problems finishing pieces….like I look at this and I can see that my stitches weren’t quite straight. However, I guess when you look at it in the grand scheme, I’ve only been crocheting for a little over a year, so the fact that i was able to make something like this is pretty awesome – even if the perfectionist in me hates the mistakes.

These have been some of the highlights of recent times…there have been others that I’ve made, too, but are more repetitive. I love trying out new patterns, but I find myself going back to the old standbys more and more.

I’m hoping once I get back from Rhode Island that I’ll have some time to make a variety of different patterns and try to find some new favorites. Thanks for sticking with me!

Hugs and cuddles,

Elisha

Back to the Grind

October 3, 2018Amigurumi, Conventions, Crochet JourneyAmigurumi, Christmas, Conventions, Crochet, Lil Luvvies, Lil Luvvies Amigurumi, Rhode Island Comic Con, Steel City Comic Con, Toyslilluvvies Leave a comment

keep-calm-back-to-life-back-to-reality

Hello friends! I hope this finds you well. I have been incommunicado for a while because I just spent four days in New Jersey attending a Supernatural (the television show) convention in Secaucus. Leading up to the convention, I was really trying to keep things moving and get orders and some other projects finished so I could enjoy my time. I was attending this convention for fun, and not as part of Lil’ Luvvies (weird, I know).

While I enjoyed being away and spending time with my dear friends, now that I am back home, I find myself in a bit of a frenzy. You see, in about 30 days, Lil’ Luvvies is hitting the road and we are heading to Rhode Island for our first ever Rhode Island Comic Con (RICC). I know this is one of the largest conventions on the east coast, so I am nervous about that. About a month after I return from RICC, I am turning around and participating in my second Steel City Con. Though I am so excited about the possibilities these two conventions can open up for Lil’ Luvvies, I am terrified I won’t have enough stock, I won’t break even, and that I am taking on too much too quickly.

So, while my few days away was nice and relaxing, being back has had me a bundle of nerves, especially now that I am back at my primary job, too. And once I start thinking about all that is to come, I really start to work myself into a frenzy because whether we are ready or not, Christmas is right around the corner. As this is my first Christmas with the shop/Web site, I am not sure what to expect. I might not have any increase in business, or I might be overwhelmed.

With all this said, there could be changes to the blog: Depending upon how I’m feeling, there could be an increase or a significant decrease in posts. If I am just overwhelmed and need to vent – there could be an increase in posts. If I am overwhelmed and there is no spare moment to do anything but crochet – there could be a marked decrease in posts, at least on the Web site. I am sure you will still be able to find pictures and captions on my Instagram account, which I try to post at least one time per day on – unless I’m on a true vacation.

Fingers crossed that everything goes well. Thank you all for your patience in dealing with me, I appreciate it so much.

Hugs and cuddles,

Elisah