The best things come in small packages....

Well I'm not sure if this statement is true but mini plush comes in small packages and the plushteam certainly have some of the best out there to offer!

Every Monday in the month of May was "$5 mini plush Monday" in the plushteam's etsy shop.

It was a great success! Many wonderful $5 bargains were had and if you're quick you may still be able to snatch one up..

These colourful little ghosties by Emily follow the white rabbit http://followthewhiterabbit.etsy.com aren't just cute, they also have beneficial powers.Our newest member Chris of chris.creatures http://ChrisCreatures.etsy.com made this wonderful selection of yummy treats.

Squirrel momma http://squirrelmomma.etsy.com is kind of a mini plush expert wich I think you can tell from her little owls that are so beautifully made and photographed.

Our other mini plush expert is moonbuns http://moonscreations.etsy.com, although this time it was tiny little birds as opposed to buns!

Maybe monsters are more your thing...nail biters by Abbydid http://abbydid.etsy.com and newborn monsters by Loveandasandwich http://loveandasandwich.etsy.com prooved very popular.

Mini clearly is the way to go...who doesn't have room in their life, heart or pocket for a mini plush...little in size big in appeal! So why don't you head on over to http://plushteam.etsy.com/ to see if there's one left for you!

Iron Plush: Let The Judging Begin!

All the entries are in for the Etsy Plus Team's Iron Plush challenge. Now comes the fun part - judging. Our panel of esteemed judges include:

Kristen Rask from Schmancy and Plush You
Robyn, Erin, Carey, and Alaina at the Serious Eats blog
Rachel Hobson from craftzine.com
Terry from the Softies Central blog
Lynsey from Cuteable.com

There task is not an easy one with all the awesome creations put forth by the team. Without further ado, here are the contestants in each battle:

In Battle Mirrors:

Raggy Rat's Shimmery Fish with Squeezable Lemony wedges

SLC Studio's Chocolate Covered Strawberries

Patti Haskins' Mirror Crusted Crocheted Fish

FuzFrenzy's Turtle Soup

In Battle Foam:

zfla's Waffles with Asparagus, Egg and Hollandaise "Foam"

Samaria Project's Spinach and Tomato Omelet

Little Critters' Sushi

BitterSweet Friends' Ice Cream Sundae

In Battle Velcro:

Moon's Creations Strawberry Cake with Strawberry Moon Bun

Absolutely Small's Polka Dot Cake

DesignsbyL's "Ravioli con Tentacoli di Polpo" - Ravioli with Octopus Tentacles

Squirrel Momma's Sardines on Toast with a Side of Carrot Slaw

In Battle Faux Fur:

Scrumptious Delight's Talulah the Chicken

Redmag's Rose Water Panne Cotta with Persian Fairy Floss

Yummy Pancake's Wookie Cookies (Not being judged....I'm the challenge organizer ^_^)

In Battle Pom Pom:

Weird Bug Lady's Strawberry Shortcake

BeBe Babies and Friend's Banana Split

Follow the White Rabbit's Mad Tea Party Cookies

Abbydid's Pom Pom Pomegranate

Stay tuned for the results of the judging!

Summer with the Plush Team

In the midst of all the wonderful entries from the wonderfully talented Plush Team members for the Iron Plush Challenge, I thought I would present a few summery feeling fun plush, food and otherwise, from members' shops!

You have to have to marshmallows close by if you're doing some summer camping. I don't know if I could roast these sweet Mini Marshmallows by ScrumptiousDelight - at least not before having some sort of adorable conversation with them.

And popsicles are definitely a summer necessity. It's so hard to choose which side to eat first... Check out Bittersweets' Shocked and Smug Twin Pink Popsicle.

Although a wild pig is probably not as common at summer county fairs and the like - I think if I were to see this one by ChristinaWard I would insist it have one of those spiffy blue ribbons.

If I were a gardener I may not hope to see too many of these around this summer in the flesh but PterodactylPants' aphid I would be happy to hang out with all summer long.

These amazingly bright and cheerful Radical Rainbow Moon Buns by moonscreations just feel super summery to me.
So many talented plush artists making amazing plush - perfect for all seasons, really. This is only a teeny selection of amazing.
Hope you all have a beautiful summer!
Love,
Heather (aka Needlings)

Turtle Soup!

My ingredient for the Iron Plush challenge was Mirrors. I used sequins as my mirror element on the turtle shells, the little ones and the big one.

I made this turtle soup according to Cajun tradition in that it is quite a bit like a tomato bisque and topped with a slice of lemon. The turtles are swimming on top of the tomato soup of the tomato mixture on this case and can be taken out and moved around if you wish.

It's soup you can hug!

Pom Pom Pomegranate by abbydid

My secret ingredient for the Iron Chef challenge was pom poms. At first I had no clue what to do, but then my darling husband came up with the most brilliant idea - pomegranate seeds! We had a trip coming up to the Bahamas, where Pomegranates just happen to grow, so I got my supplies together and packed them up to bring with us.

I made the pattern, cut out the pieces, then assembled my pomegranate all while listening to the ocean and enjoying the Carribean sun. I purchased a shell from the local straw market for my plate, and during our last evening in Nassau, we headed down to the beach for our photo shoot.

This souvenir from the Bahamas is waiting for you in my shop: www.abbydid.etsy.com

Rose water panne cotta with persian fairy floss

Rose water panne cotta with persian fairy floss
Originally uploaded by redmag

....in battle faux fur comes my rose water panne cotta with perisan fairy floss......this is one toymaker who is still very much stumped by faux fur....and is now off down the shops for a sugar hit.....

Iron Chef Challenge- Battle Velcro

Hooray- finished my entry for Plush Team's Iron Chef challenge just under the wire!
I call this: "Ravioli con Tentacoli di Polpo" - Ravioli with Octopus Tentacles ::
(I love that octopus is called "polpo" :D)
My secret ingredient was tough to figure out what to do with. I brainstormed for weeks off and on trying to decide what could work. I wanted to make a food item directly out of the velcro itself as well as adding a plush element to my dish.
The ravioli are 2" velcro pieces cut, stuffed, and sewn. I used my pinking shears to cut the edges into a fluted pattern.
I came up with the idea of octopus tentacles when I was brainstorming food sources that were sticky. The "suckers" on the tentacles are also velcro- with orange felt accents to make them look like the suction cups.