DIY - Worry Dolls Wall Art

It's always special when a friend thinks of you while away.  After coming back from one of her trips, my friend Maria got me a bunch of Worry Dolls as a little gift.  I loved the little dolls, they were all handmade and cute.  Plus the legend behind it is so sweet, and also a little creepy, which makes me like them even more.

So... I created a simple wall art with the Worry Dolls.  It's hanging on the entrance of our bedroom door.  Maybe from there they can still take our worries away while we are asleep.

All you need for this DIY is some Worry Dolls, a hot glue gun, a canvas frame. If you want to add a personal touch you can use a paint marker.

First I arranged the dolls in the middle of the canvas frame.  Once I had them in the position I wanted, I used hot glue to atatch them in place.  Then I used the paint marker to write, "I will take your sorrows I will take your worries" again, and again, and again on the top and bottom parts of the frame.

Anyone can do this. You can even team up with the kiddos for this one. It would be pretty fun!

We Moved!

Hi everyone out there. Big things happened in 2014!  After looking into our options we decided to move to Montreal, QC. Yes people, we left NYC and now we are in Canada!  I know the cultural change is not that drastic, but for my small business the relocation is requiring some serious work.  That being said, Vivikas Shop is now shipping from Montreal.  Very little change for buyers other than some adjustments on shipping costs.

Montreal has been a calm place to be.  We have been here for almost three months now.  I miss NYC and it's stimulating colors and noises.  I also miss family and friends, but I do enjoy what Montreal has to offer. Here we have a bigger place because rent is affordable, and there are great coffee shops near us. YAY! What would I be without good coffee!?

Our home is near Parc de Mont Royal, where I go for walks with our Godzilla (the dog not the monster) every day. I don't know for how long we will be staying here.  All I know it's that I am happy to have my little family with me, and wherever we go I know we will have our happy pants on!

New Season + New Plushies

I've been working and working. Fall it's here and I always get inspired at this time of the year.

I've been creating lots of monsters these last couple of weeks, I love drawing and sewing monsters, my drawing skills are not as god as my sewing skills, but oh well.

Here are some of the new plushies that recently arrived at the shop

Kix is a New Yorker Monster.  He is loud and fun, and of course loves Halloween

Argus has a big smile and a tiny belly button.  He loves petting dogs, but just the small ones.

The Half Plushies are not new, but I am now offering customization of colors. They are just perfect for Halloween.

The Freaking Out Babies are new too. They are a mini version of the Freaking Out Plushie and they can also be made in whatever colors you feel like it.

I hope you guys are enjoying the new arrivals. I sure have fun making them, and soon there will be more and more.

Busy Days

I can't believe it's already July. It's been too long and I woke up ready to update the blog and edit some pictures for my shop.

I missed some plush bombing action and I have tons of ideas and news I could be writing about, but the truth is I had a blast all this time I was away. And here it is why:

We got a puppy! His name is Godzilla and he is a little dog with a big personality. So a lot of my time was spent giving him lots of love, training and exercise. We found a good vet and trainer, we also got him use to riding on the subway, a big one for us since we will bring him everywhere we go. Now he is almost five months and becoming more independent, so it's time to get back to work full force, new updates for the blog coming soon, new plushies for Vivikas's Shop on the makings and I need to make plans for the next Plush Bomb.

Thanks for all the comments and support, I always try to make time to read your suggestions and opinions.

Plush Bomb #2

So Many Bikes

When I was a kid in Brazil I used to enjoy riding my pink bike.  It was fun and that's all I remember -how fun it was.
I hadn't thought much about bikes during my adult life since I lived in a big city where subways take me anywhere I want or need to go, and I really enjoy walking.  I was good with that. Then a little more than two years ago I met my husband Kevin, who is c.r.a.z.y about bicycles.  He put together one for me and that was super sweet.  We were able to ride together a couple of times last summer, but I must say that I got a bit nervous on the busy streets of Manhattan.  Cars are super close to you and sometimes drivers act like you are a bother to them.  There is also the invisible effect... yes you become invisible to pedestrians.  They don't see you.  I am not kidding.  They will suddenly cross the street right in front of you or stand in the bike lanes (because, you know, if bikers are invisible than so are bike lanes) so if I could get over my fear of being hit by a car I'd still have to watch out I don't hit a pedestrian.  It was fun at times but mostly I just felt nervous.
This summer I'm thinking about toughing it up and getting used to it.  Since last summer I haven't been riding my bike at all.  Kevin is the one using it to go to work or run errands.  We are thinking about getting new bikes and that could be fun.  There are so many options.  I really want a girlie bike - something I can ride around calmly and comfortably.  So far I really like Public C7 in white.  It's cute and not too expensive, plus I can add a basket to it!

I am still deciding.  We have been visiting some bike shops, I really like Adeline Adeline, they will soon start selling Bobbin Bicycles.  The Birdie below is pretty and it has a chainguard so I don't have to worry about something getting caught in there. Oh... and the mint color is awesome!

I still want to go for a test drive on both bikes, maybe next week, I am excited about that.

NYC Has Been Plush Bombed!

I was having a nice day and feeling happy when I thought, what if I could make a random person happy today? That would be cool, so I thought about things I like doing, and I like many things but creating my plushies it's on the top of my list. So I thought I could randomly pick a place around my neighborhood  and put a cute plush there with a note, and that's how me and my husband Kevin Plush Bombed the city for the first time!

It was so fun and we are planning on doing that twice a month, I am not sure what's the best way to do it, but next time I will give the heads up to the people who follow me on twitter and facebook, I will also make a post here with the address or clues to get to the location.

Another plan is to drop a plush anywhere we go, so far we have plans for Atlanta, Massachusetts and Brazil, a friend will be taking one to the streets of Taiwan... That's right, Plush Bombing will be an international event. n_n

What about you, how would you make a random person happy this week?  I would love to hear your ideas!