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Getting all Anatomical

9/8/2015

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Labor Day has passed. It may be over 80 degrees outside, but it's not summer heat. It feels different. It smells different. It even looks different. The green of the maple leaves isn't bright green anymore- it's sorta an orange-y green. Soon the leaves will be red and orange and yellow. School has started. My life has always revolved around an academic calendar. This is the first time that I've had a job that is year round. So even though I'm not starting anything new this fall, I still have that little excited feeling in my stomach that I always get at the start of a new school year. So I am channeling that feeling into making new things.

This weekend is the Music is Art Festival. I'll be set up in the Rose Garden of Delaware Park all day. Hopefully I will get to meet some of you there! It's going to be a great year! [Hopefully no rain... why does it always rain the day of the MiAF?]

Here's a few of the new things I've made recently. You may notice an anatomical theme. And it was only a matter of time before my full-time job of making teeth would creep into my monster biz! I made a Tooth Fairy Monster with a pocket mouth [inspired by Anne losing her first tooth] and an ornament version of my Heart Monster. Both are so fun! Both are available to order in my online shop: https://squareup.com/market/erinmakesstuff 

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Hopefully I'll post again soon... I can't believe I haven't updated this website since April! Oops!
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Spring Monsters

4/29/2015

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Here are my excuses for my lack of posts:
1. I'm finishing my LAST semester of college. [I am a dental technology major... I make teeth... it's awesome.]
2. I ALREADY got a job in my field! HOORAY! HOORAY!
3. Ehhhh... I guess that's it. But both of those things are time consuming!

But I have new monsters to share! Today was nice and sunny so I decided to do a little photoshoot with the monsters outside. I posted a bunch of pictures to the Facebook page, but I'll share a few here as well! Enjoy!
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I'm still figuring out my schedule of shows for the year, but as I get confirmations, I'll update this site!
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Monster Christmas Stockings!

1/2/2015

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I've been playing around with the idea of monster Christmas stockings in my head since 2013. I made a few small ornament versions, but I really wanted to make a full size monster stocking. One of my fans on Facebook asked me to make one for her daughter and I started to doodle some ideas. It was while I was drawing that I came up with the idea for monster to be wearing a Christmas sweater. I pulled in some of my designs from my other stockings. I like the way the sweater brings some red and green into the other colors. The sleeves are my favorite part. I may make a few plush monsters with sweaters too because I like the idea so much!

I don't have these set up to order yet through my online shop, but I hope to get that worked out soon. You can always contact me by email to order one too!
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And here's some other pictures with me in them... because why not.
Let's make this a great year!
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One, Two, Three

12/14/2014

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ONE

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Thank you, thank you, THANK YOU!!! Buffalo, you've been great this season. I really appreciate everyone who came out to both Women's Gifts and the Queen City Market this year to support local artisans. Both shows were my best yet. I am really happy. The monsters are happy too.

TWO

Exciting news! Erin Makes Stuff has a new online shop. I decided to try something different and am using the Square Marketplace. I want to test it out since I already use the Square card reader to take payments at shows. So here's the link: https://squareup.com/market/erinmakesstuff
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I'm excited to get some feedback. It's a learning experience and I don't have all my products listed yet. Let me know what you think.

THREE

I have one more event in Buffalo before Christmas. This Friday [December 19th] I'll be at the Larking Building from 10am to 2pm. I'll have a ton of ornaments and cards and of course MONSTERS! :) Stop by if you can!
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Monster Bunch!

11/23/2014

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Now that the driveways are cleared and the roof is shoveled [EEK!], I can get back to some monster-making! I finished a bunch of oddball monsters today. They will be looking for homes. I'm still bummed about missing the RMSC show this weekend, but there are a few other shows that I'll be at before Christmas. There will be lots of new monster friends waiting for you there! You can always email me your order too.

NOVEMBER 28 - 30, 2014
Flying Whale Studios & Friends Holiday Sale
143 William Street, Geneva, NY
14456
Friday 5pm - 8pm
Saturday 9am - 5pm
Sunday 11am - 4pm

DECEMBER 13, 2014
Queen City Market
Karpeles Manuscript Library
453 Porter Ave in Buffalo, NY
11am - 5pm


DECEMBER 19, 2014
Larkin Vendor Days

The Larkin at Exchange Building, Main Lobby
726 Exchange Street, Buffalo, NY
10am - 2pm

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Hope you had a good weekend!
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#Snowvember2014 aka #Snowmaggedon

11/21/2014

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Here's one for the record books! Since Tuesday [which was only 4 days ago] we got somewhere between 70 and 80 inches of snow. That's like 6 FEET. OF SNOW. NO LIE.

ROUND ONE

Monday night it started snowing. It was just one of those normal, flaky, snow globe type snows except for one scary addition: thunder and lightning. For future reference, if there is snow AND a thunderstorm, it's about to go down! Tuesday morning I woke up to more than a foot. I documented the snow accumulation throughout the day... it just didn't stop! All day.
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It kept snowing into Tuesday night and by the time I woke up Wednesday morning, we had somewhere around 3 feet of snow. THREE FEET! In one day! Impossible! We spent the whole morning cleaning up and digging out. It took 4 adults with a snowblower and shovels to get it cleared. Many hard working hours later I had a driveway! Hooray! Not that it did any good... the road wasn't really plowed and there were driving bans everywhere.
The forecast predicted that there was more snow on the way, but it couldn't be that bad. Right?

Wrong. Wednesday night there was more SNOWTHUNDER... which meant...

ROUND TWO

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Thursday was another all day snow and another 3 feet. It kept coming all day, just like Tuesday. This time the power went out. That was scary. Around 6pm the snow stopped and we went out to dig in the dark with headlamps on. But seriously, we were no match against the snow. There was 6 feet of the stuff. The snowbanks were taller than us. I climbed on top of the bank and tried to shovel it further away. Eventually we gave up. The sump pump hole in our basement was about to overflow so the guys carried a generator over from across the street. They were just about to go down in the basement to plug it in when the power came back on! We cheered!
Today is Friday and I hope this lake effect snow is done. We hired one of our neighbors who has a Bobcat to dig out the end of the driveway. A plow hasn't gone through in awhile, but once it does, there will be more shoveling ahead of us. I'm not sure what my town's official snowfall is, but we are near Hamburg and they recorded 84.5"!!!
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So I'm sorry I missed you if you tried to find me at the RMSC Holiday Bazaar this weekend... this is what I'm up to instead... up to my ears in snow. Literally.
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Instagramed.

11/10/2014

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I've made a few BIG monsters as I'm getting ready for Women's Gifts and the RMSC Holiday Bazaar! Here are a few pictures from Instagram of the wild guys.
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If you are in Buffalo or Rochester, NY, come see them in person! Here's the details for my next two shows:

NOVEMBER 15, 2014
Women's Gifts

Babeville
341 Delaware Ave, Buffalo, NY
10am - 5pm

NOVEMBER 21 - 23, 2014
RMSC Holiday Bazaar - Main Building, 2nd Floor
Rochester Museum and Science Center
657 East Ave, Rochester, NY 14607
Friday 5pm - 9pm
Saturday 9:30am - 5pm
Sunday 11am - 4pm

Hope to see some of you there!
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Flying Whale Studios and Friends Artist Open House and Holiday Sale

11/4/2014

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Artist open house and holiday sale in Geneva set for Thanksgiving weekend

GENEVA, NY – Find memorable, artistic gifts for everyone on your list at Flying Whale Studios & Friends’ 3rd annual Artist Open House and Holiday Sale, featuring original creations from over thirty artists and craftspeople from throughout the region, Thanksgiving weekend, Nov. 28-30, 2014, at 143 William St.

Hours are 5 - 8 p.m. on Friday, 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. on Saturday and 11 a.m. - 4 p.m. on Sunday.

Kevin and Mary Schoonover, of Flying Whale Studios, open their Greek Revival home for three days of shopping in an intimate, friendly setting. Six downstairs rooms at Flying Whale Landing will be filled with a wide variety of eclectic arts and crafts, from the whimsical to the practical — including holiday decorations and fine art photography, Pysanky eggs, handmade soaps and glass jewelry, paper, pottery and primitives, steel sculpture, wooden cutting boards, decadent desserts, pillows, stuffed monsters, up-cycled mittens, and locally sourced honey and beeswax candles.
“If you’re looking for a fun and funky alternative to the malls and big box stores this Thanksgiving, then this is the place to be. We're bigger and better than ever," said Kevin, who opened Flying Whale Studios five years ago, specializing in photography and graphic design. “We have such a great time putting this together each year – juggling artists and their unique visions, rearranging to accommodate all the goodies, and welcoming the enthusiastic patrons into our home.”

Participating artists are: Beachcomber Designs (Lisa Johnson), Cedar Pottery (Chris Schnaufer), Chancery Lane Primitives (Sandie Fogle), Cherie Carter Designs, Deborah Bly, Dumpster Bunny Designs (Kristen Curley), Erin Makes Stuff (Erin Busch), Foster’s Frostings (Scott Foster), Flying Whale Studios (Kevin & Mary Schoonover), Gio's Designs (Julia O’Connor), Hand Candy Mittens (Charlotte Reid Besaw), Honey Bee Creations (Melissa Foppes), JK Stitches (Jean Keane), Karen Rothfuss Cloth Bowls, Etc., Kathleen A. Kosel Steelworks, Knit Creations by Judith Treisback, L Prince Designs Art Jewelry (Lori Prince), Ladies of the Lake (Dale Mangan), Lisa B. Contemporary Folk Art (Lisa Bystrak), Peaches Products (Casey Wright), Pine Tree Designs (Stefani Tadio), PS Enjoy Your Life (Jen Born), The Purple Hippo (Tracy Morrall), Pysanky by Mia (Mia Sohn), Rusty Button Studio (Missy Buckley), Sage Studios (Sage Churchill-Foster), Secondseed (Nancy Topolski), Stone Foliage (Kathy Sullivan), Tom Zachman Fused Glass, Urban Turning (Sam Tischler), Waid’s Honey & Candles (Duane Waid), and Woods Edge Studio (Sara Senour).

Billsboro Winery will conduct a complimentary wine tasting Friday night from 6-8 p.m. 

"I look forward to this all year. Kevin and Mary open their house in the truest holiday spirit,” noted returning Rochester jeweler Lisa Johnson of Beachcomber Designs. "I know I can find beautiful, unique gifts for everyone."
Lori Prince of L Prince Designs Art Jewelry in Rochester added, "There is such a great selection of high quality, handmade goods being offered. Last year, I bought things for multiple people on my list. And for myself too, I couldn't resist.”
"The thing I like about this sale is that even with the returning artists, their work is always new & fresh,” declared paper artist Stefani Tadio from Pine Tree Designs in Fairport. "Kevin always mixes in a few new artists too. It’s a wonderfully curated event.” Tadio is the founder of Rochester Artisans, an online forum and resource for artists and craftspeople in the upstate New York area.
Eight artists are making their debuts at this year’s event including Erin Busch of Erin Makes Stuff in Buffalo. "I am super excited to bring my hand-knit monsters to Flying Whale Studios,” she said.

For all three days, admission is free and the browsing is easy. There also will be refreshments and prizes. All major credit cards will be accepted.

For more information or directions, call Kevin at 315-719-1499 or visit www.flyingwhalestudios.com. Or, check out Flying Whale Studios on Facebook.
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Finished Christmas Stockings 2014

11/4/2014

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Last year my friend Emily asked me to make Christmas stockings for her family. Knit stockings were part of her Christmas tradition when she was little and she knew that is what she wanted for her growing family and her new home. I had never knitted a stocking before, or even a sock, but I'm always up for a challenge. I spent time looking at designs and different stocking patterns. Nothing I found really fit my vision, so I designed my own patterns. Emily and her family loved them and she shared them on her blog, www.merrypad.com.

This year Libby, a girl I have never met, was in a similar situation as Emily. She needed a set of Christmas stockings for her own family and found Emily's blog. She contacted me by email and I designed stockings for her as well! I LOVE how they turned out! [And was a little sad that I had to let them go... but someday I'll make a set for my own family :) ] I am so glad that she found Emily's blog and that I was able to make these for her. I hope her family cherishes them for years to come.
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Happy Fall!

9/27/2014

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Hello! September is almost over and I am shifting into full knitting gear to get ready for my lineup of holiday shows. Even though my next event isn't until November, I hope to pop on here more often over the next few months to give you an idea of what I'm working on. I finished this crazy neon monster last night. He is so fluffy! I saw that yellow yarn at the store and it screamed "MONSTER!" I think he's hilarious and I look forward to hearing what you guys think!
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I also finished the stockings that I designed. I am embarrassed at how long it took me to complete this order- and to be fair they're not completely done, I'm still embroidering the names on them- but am very pleased with how well they turned out! I'd love to make more of them in the future [as long as my clients give me LOTS of time... they take FOREVER to make.]

Speaking of LOTS of time, if you're planning to order any monsters for Christmas, now is a good time to let me know! Just saying ;)

Okay, it's time to get back to knitting. I have a pile of monster ornaments that need mouths.
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Music is Art 2014

9/14/2014

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Yesterday was the Music is Art festival and it was a super awesome time. There was a brief rain storm, but the monsters all survived. Thanks to everyone who came, it was nice to see you.

I just noticed that Facebook has an option to embed a post into your website so I am going to give it a go. Please leave a comment to let me know if it works. If it doesn't, I'll edit this post to include pictures.
Post by erinmakesstuff - hand knit monsters.
Next up is the Creepy Funny Furry show on November 7th and then Women's Gifts on November 15th. Hope to see you there! :)
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Where has the year gone?

8/25/2014

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I feel pretty silly that I haven't updated my site since winter. Where has this year gone? Seriously!

Summer is almost over. This past weekend was the Elmwood Festival of the Arts. I set up inside the UUCB at the corner of Elmwood and W Ferry. I've set up inside there for the past few years. I have entertained the idea of applying for a spot out on the street... but then I think of all the monsters I would have to make and sell just to break even... and the hours it would take me to do that. That scares me. It would be so much fun to be on the street and get a truer festival experience.

I love this festival. And this year I was super happy to be where I was! Thanks to all the volunteers and all the happy customers I met throughout the weekend!

Here are a few pictures of things I made for the show and my table. If you follow me on Instagram or Facebook, you've probably seen these already. And if you don't follow me on Instagram or Facebook, you should. I post there more frequently.
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My next show in the area is the Music is Art Festival on September 13th and that is at Delaware Park from 10am-dark. I'll have a tent set up in the rose garden and will be selling all sorts of monstery fun.

I'll end this post with a picture of the Christmas stockings I am currently knitting for a custom order. I will be making four total. The client LOVED the ones I made for Emily [@merrypad on most social media] so I am making her a similar set. I am done knitting three of them. Of course I still need to deal with loose yarn ends, wash them and block them so they are flat and tidy, just like Emily's.
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[Here are the ones I made for Emily so that you can imagine how awesome this set will look once they are finished!]

Let's hope it's not 8 months before I post again!!!
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January 2014

1/31/2014

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It's the last day of January! I wish I had a bunch of stuff to show you but January has just been slow. I have not finished any monsters! Can you believe that!? I have so many started, but nothing done. I haven't even knit in a few weeks... and for me, that's weird.

What I have been doing is a ton of crochet. I've been making hats, chunky yarn cowls and I just finished an infinity scarf
for friends. All these things are practical. It has been SO COLD. So very very cold.

I took this photo because I needed to have an artist picture for a website that will be selling clothing using my designs. That site will be launching soon and when it does, I'll post the link here! The photo shows one of the crocheted hats I mentioned before.
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February will bring new things! I have a show on February 14th so, at the very least, it'll mean that the pile of unfinished monsters will be finished.
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Buffalo Blizzard 2014 [with Matthew the Llama]

1/8/2014

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Llama snow angel? Good try, Matthew.
I could have used my time yesterday to knit or work on designing. Anything productive. But no. It was blizzarding outside and I wasn't going anywhere and I also wasn't doing anything. I made it through the -6F morning curled up with a blanket watching how bad it was through the window and listening to how bad it was on TV. I briefly went outside to confirm that boiling water does in fact vaporize instantly if you throw it into the subzero air. By the time we reached a daily high of 3F, I had pretty much decided that I was going to spend the day in my PJs and fully appreciate the joy of wool socks. The wind was consistently around 20-30 mph and wind chills were near -30F.

Today, by comparison, is lovely. It's 7F already. Heatwave. And there is a glowing spot in the sky. Even though it is still lightly snowing, it's not blowing. I went outside to check it out. And even though it is bitterly cold the snow looks beautiful.
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Backyard pine trees and sun. Well, almost sun.
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In the summer these were purple coneflower. The way the snow piled up on these was pretty.
I brought Matthew the Llama outside too for a little photo shoot. He tried to make a snow angel but it turns out llamas aren't too good at that. Ah well. I think the pictures are funny :)

Stay warm everyone!
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Blizzard?! Have a heart!

1/6/2014

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It's winter in Western New York. This is what it looked like this afternoon. The camera creates an illusion because with the naked eye, you could barely see the tree and couldn't see the house across the street at all! The weatherguys are predicting 2-3 FEET of snow and really strong winds. Yep, we got a blizzard warning!

Despite being home a lot because of the weather, I really haven't accomplished much knitting yet in 2014. I did use a pattern from knitty.com to knit an anatomical heart which I made into a monster. The pattern knit up pretty easily and I recommend it. The monster itself is a gift for my professor who just had open heart surgery. It will be a while before I can visit and give it to him because he is very susceptible to illness and it's flu season and I am excited to see what he thinks of it. He has a great sense of humor and I hope he will think it's really funny :)

I took some photos of the monster heart and came up with an idea to use it as a greeting card. If you've seen the cards I make with my monsters, you know I try to make them colorful, cheerful and fun. I hope this card fits those criteria. It already got pretty good feedback on Facebook so with some minor adjustments, I'm ready to send it to get printed. I think it would be a fun Valentine's Day card.
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I want to spend this month knitting different shapes. It is weird to try to follow a pattern after years of making up my own. I'm hoping that I can learn some new techniques that I can use to create more fun monsters in the future. I want to try to knit a chameleon next... We'll see!
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    Erin Makes What?

    Thank you for visiting! I am Erin and I love to create. On this site you will find one-of-a-kind knit monsters and other fun knit accessories. I also draw portraits of kids, adults, pets... you name it. 

    Take a look around, visit my Etsy shop, or come find me in person to buy your very own little monster friend.

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