This sweetie's name is Poinsettia and is a distant cousin of Incencio's (the last Scrap Bat™ that was adopted). So again a bit of Honduran White Bat, some Striped-Faced Fruit Bat and maybe a bit of Red Bat for good measure? Who truly knows? I don't speak Bat all too well so I may have misunderstood here or there ;)

See listing for more info. No US shipping charge!

Ties are such a pain to tie, so why bother? Here's a steampunked zipper tie to ease your woes.

I have cut and layered each gear in detail by hand --6 pcs per gear!-- out of Gold & Black Brocade and patiently top stitched every piece. No embroidery machine was used in the creation of this tie!

♦ The tie is a vintage 80s tie.
♦ Permanent knot.
♦ Built in zipper for easy on/off.
♦ Satin, grey-green in color, with a small subtle box design (Shocking, I know. It is from the 80s after all.)

See listing for more info. No US shipping charge!

Etsy Dark Team members have been sited popping up on CreepyQueen!

SWStitchery (me!), MadScienceCreations & BestAvailable plushies have been spotted cavorting here...

http://creepyqueen.webs.com/apps/blog/show/1337821-plush-

and NatashaBlue, Somnambulant, & GingerDead creations are frolicing here...

http://creepyqueen.webs.com/apps/blog/show/1343566-non-hallmark-moments

I got an awesome note today informing me that I was featured on AelwynsHalloween.Blogspot.com!

Check it out here:

http://aelwynshalloween.blogspot.com/2009/07/super-cute-but-still-gruesome.html

It's always nice to know people enjoy your work! ♥ ~Static

Welcome to the Etsy Dark Side. We are the roaming fox fires in the darkness, the sparkling mist in the ever shifting shadows, faerie rings flow in our wake. Come join us!

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The EtsyDarkTeam's June Bugs this month! At least that's the theme of this past month's exhibit ;) Here's a sneak peek, but be sure to check out the entire Exhibition for more great items!

Row 1: Room3Designs, GroovyMoonCreations, SweetButNotSour, KitCameo, AgonysDecay
Row 2: TheWhimsicalBat, JammerDesignz, NatashaBlue, HouseMorbidLtd, SauvageRavenCreations
Row 3: FiveFootFury13, IAmSnizzle, ChenilleMacabre, Creeplings, PattiBacker
Row 4: GypsyEye, ParasolsByTamie, GrigioDesign, CustomZombie, BellaLili
Row 5: MrsEvils

Be sure to check out the team shop where we have some items that 100% of the proceeds go to Bat World! Help the bats, help our environment... one wing flap at a time!

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Not signed up with Etsy yet? For shame!

Signing up is free and easy. Just click here & begin enjoying all the hand made, unique wonders Etsy has to offer.

Don't forget to search the keyword "EtsyDarkTeam".

The Etsy Dark Team now has a public forum where you can stay on top of the latest items & deals from EDT members, or peruse the Member Directory, view the latest additions to the monthly Exhibitions (items are added throughout the month) and more. Come play on dark side.

xx ~Static

Weary of the sweet & sunshine? Come ease your eyes over at GrigioDesign's blog which is featuring some dark & delicious members of the EtsyDarkTeam in her current Top 10 Friday!

http://grigiodesign.blogspot.com/2009/06/top-10-friday.html

My Scrap Bat™ Incencio is in it!♥

I'm sorry to say there is not going to be a giveaway this month. I've been pretty busy. Sorry. But I will do my best to make up for it next month!

I will now leave you with a picture of a cute sleepy-faced kitten to distract you...

xx ~Static

Update: There is a wonderful giveaway being run by my team mate SweetButNotSour that includes one of my 1" buttons & new magnets plus a bunch of other awesome dark goodies! Check it out & enter here:

http://sweetbutnotsours-creations.blogspot.com/2009/06/first-ever-giveaway.html

I've been mentioned in two articles on Handmade News!

The first is concerning giveaways as a fun promotional tool which includes mention of the EtsyDarkTeam and my favorite Rock band The Redding Shift:

http://www.handmadenews.org/article/index.php?id=1574

Pic: Some of the goodies from my May giveaway which also included a custom color Maneki Neko (not shown)

The second is a featured article on Handmade News called Helping Others Helps Everyone: Put a Little Love in Your Heart. The article talks about charities and quotes me about the EtsyDarkTeam's involvement with the Bat World Sanctuary:

http://www.handmadenews.org/article/index.php?id=1253

For Bat World items from the EtsyDarkTeam follow this link. More added all the time so  check back often! Also if you's like to donate directly to Bat World Sanctuary or just read up more about them and what they do, go to http://www.batworld.org/

Special thanks to Xane Dravor of HouseMorbidLtd for writing the articles! ♥ ~Static

This kooky Black & Goldenrod Crow Pin is cut, pieced together and sewn completely by hand, making each one unique and OOAK (one of a kind)! The layered felt & a bit of polyfil give them dimension so they look cute from any angle.

♥ Approx 4" wide
♥ Purple glass seed bead eyes

If you'd like a different color combo ~or~ would like one as ornament ~or~ even on a snap clip just Convo me through Etsy & let's talk.

If you like this Crow you might also like his Green eyed sibling!

Wow this site knows good Zombie when they see it! LOL ;) It was actually suggested to me a while ago by Stuart, the mad zombie poster of BuyZombie, to make a Zombie Batling. So since I finally got around to actually making one I thought it only fair to name it after him, the Zombie Batling named Stu! He in turned featured my latest creature on BuyZombie (yet again!)!

Check it out here:

http://www.buyzombie.com/2009/06/08/everything-else/zombie-batling/

~Static

I got a nice note today letting me know I was featured on FoundHandmade and I was happy to see that Somnambulant is there too!

Check it out here under "Bluebird":

http://www.foundhandmade.com/news/itemize

~Static

A new Scrap Bat™! I know, it's been forever and I am trying to work on some more. Really I am... Oh look! He is cute and fuzzy and stripy, what more could you need in an awesome Bat doll?

Incencio says his momma is a Honduran White Bat & his daddy is a Striped-Faced Fruit Bat that likes to wear pinstripes but I'm not sure what I believe. Regardless he's pretty darn cute!

♦ He has one ornate Bronze toned button eye and the other is a mottled Green Mookiate Jasper bead.
♦ His face is hand embroidered and the wings are also attached by hand.
♦ He comes with a signed hang tag.
♦ Height: Approximately 5" tall
♦ Wing Span: Approximately 11.5"

A wonderful follower of the all things EtsyDarkTeam, Stuart Conover (you may know him from BuyZombie), has featured me over at ShinySwine!

Why, you ask? Because pigs DO fly dammit, that's why!

http://shinyswine.com/when-pigs-fly/

Please check out the feature at the above link, it's pretty damn funny.

xx ~Static

Something you don't get to see in most of my pics are the interior pockets which can be seen here on the left since the lining is inside out. The outer half of the flap is on the right with the hand stitched Zombie Head applique waiting to be edge stitched.

And here's a close up of the Zombie Head after I finished edge stitching:

Once that was done I got ready to measure, measure, measure for the snap. I work it out on paper first then I transfer it all to the fabric in chalk. I'll even pin everything together, and take it apart again, to be sure it's all where it needs to be. Yes it's a bit anal but you can't unpick & redo stitches on vinyl because it will start to tear.

As I mentioned before, the magnetic snap request was something new to me so rather than trying to reinvent the wheel I hunted the interwebs and found Primrose Corner's blog. She has some great tips on how to install them. The only thing I did different from her description is that I recycled some leftover canvas as backing & cover for the snap parts and I used fabric glue instead of stitching. The reason I passed on the stitching around the snap is because too many holes tends to weaken the vinyl and around the snaps will be a stress area with all the opening and closing. But it's definitely a nice touch on any other fabric!

Next post will be of the completed bag... ooh aah.

So my team mate & buddy LuskPunk asks if I can make a her a Zombie Head Messenger Bag. Can *I* make a Zombie Messenger Bag?! Sure, why not, I say. Then she says, can you put a snap on it. Oh yeah, snaps are a breeze. A magnetic snap, she says. Oh, hmm. I, uh... sure?

I took it as a challenge. Mind you, I've never used these things before now, they do not come with instructions and it involves math *shudder*. The math part's not really that bad just be sure to double/triple check your markings before you start cutting! Once those slots are cut in the fabric for the prongs on the back of the magnetic snaps there's no turning back (You'll see what I mean later). This is where my new favorite toy comes in, a handy dandy yet very simple slide ruler!

I knew they existed but never thought to pick one up until now. I'm glad I did. It's a lot easier than trying to use a soft tape measure by far and definitely easier to wield than one of my 16" or 24" rulers! Yes, as I keep saying, I'm amused by the oddest things.

So somewhere in the middle of this project I had this wee mess going:

The Zombie Head is all hand cut felt and the eyes & bloody mouth are sewn onto the head by hand. I then edged stitched it to a Flap piece with my trusty ole Pfaff 360 in a bright red thread. The above pic was as far as I could get before having to set the snap halves but unfortunately I had to wait a couple days because I couldn't find the locally. At a reasonable price anyway. Don't bother with Michael's is all I'll say on that. I wound up ordering the magnetic snaps from CraftsEtc along with some other supplies I needed.

More to come later!

Yatta! Happy Fun Time Go!...

Are you fogging your screen yet? Or do you just think I've lost my mind? Mhmm thought so.

Oh, just hold your horses...

Okay, okay, fine I will tell you... It's... it's...

-:¦:-·:*'""*:·.-:¦:-·*Ľubaša*·-:¦:-·:*'''''*:·-:¦:-

SWStitchery, The Redding Shift, DarkSideSoap & EtsyDarkTeam goodies are going to Slovakia! Hmm I wonder if I can find a box big enough for me to fit into?

Congrats, Ľubaša!

Thanks to everyone who entered and don't forget as the big holidays get close I may be doing "mystery drawings" so you may see your name in stars yet :)

And, because my 1 year wedding anniversary was yesterday & I'm in an awesome mood, Kiddo47 gets a Batling for her mad Tweetness! Thanks for the help doll!

Welcome to the Etsy Dark Side. We are the roaming fox fires in the darkness, the sparkling mist in the ever shifting shadows, faerie rings flow in our wake. Come join us!

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The EtsyDarkTeam's Gone Batty this month! At least that's the theme of this past month's exhibit ;) Here's a sneak peek, but be sure to check out the entire Exhibition for more great items!

Row 1: SWStitchery, AbyssalGems, JammerDesignz, NatashaBlue, SicklySweetheart
Row 2: DreadfulDesigns, Sneddonia, MissMalarky, TragicStitches, AgonysDecay
Row 3: FreakyLittleThings, DeadDollsClothing, CarpeNoctem, SistersOfTheMoon, KaleidoskopicRomance
Row 4: SyntheticSeductions, FiveFootFury13, IAmSnizzle, Beanbun, LushPunk
Row 5: KitCameo, SpookyLane, ChenilleMacabre, MrsEvils, BellaLili
Row 6: ParasolsByTamie, SilentOrchidStudio, SharonHBell, SweetButNotSour, Sneddoniart

Be sure to check out the team shop where we have some items that 100% of the proceeds go to Bat World! Help the bats, help our environment... one wing flap at a time!

  ♦♦♦♦    ♦♦♦♦    ♦♦♦♦

Not signed up with Etsy yet? For shame!

Signing up is free and easy. Just click here & begin enjoying all the hand made, unique wonders Etsy has to offer.

Don't forget to search the keyword "EtsyDarkTeam".

The Etsy Dark Team now has a public forum where you can stay on top of the latest items & deals from EDT members, or peruse the Member Directory, view the latest additions to the monthly Exhibitions (items are added throughout the month) and more. Come play on dark side.

xx ~Static

My sweet kitty has inspired this month's giveaway: Maneki Neko! Yatta!

Maneki Neko's are also known as Beckoning Cats, Lucky Cats, Money Cats, Welcoming Cats, and Fortune Cats. They are believed to bring good luck to the owner and I have heard that they're considered even more so when received as a gift. I'm just sayin' ;)

Because our gestures differ many Westerners think that Maneki Nekos are waving when in actuality they are beckoning, as in "Come here!". Generally the left paw up beckons customers, while the right paw up beckons wealth and good luck. Traditionally Maneki Nekos were made to resemble Japanese Bobtail cats - white, orange, black calicos with kawaii nubby tails - but now come in many colors, each having a different meaning (see my definitions list here).

Okay I could ramble on forever about Maneki Nekos but I'll get on with the giveaway instead!

The MAY GIVEAWAY is...

♦ a custom color Maneki Neko* from yours truly

 
♦ PLUS the debut Rock album from The Redding Shift (that's been getting nothing but rave reviews!)
♦ PLUS a wonderfully decadent bar of soap called Black Hole from Dark Side Soap
♦ and more dark & delicious samples from the EtsyDarkTeam!

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To enter this giveaway simply visit SWStitchery.Etsy.com then leave me a comment here letting me know what you'd like to see more (or less) of in my shop!

Be sure to leave me a way to contact you if you are not a LJ user (your Etsy shop, Myspace, email, whatever you like). This contest is open to team mates, friends and all.

Contest ends May 31st, 2009 at 11:59pm CT.

Want more entries (up to 4 total/person)? I will happily award additional entries if you additionally do one or more of the following:

1. Tweet about this giveaway on Twitter.com - comment here with a link to your tweet (Twitter.com/SWStitchery if you'd like to follow me there).
2. Blog about this giveaway on your blog - comment here with a link to your blog post.
3. Promote this giveaway in a Myspace Blog or Facebook Notes post. Again, be sure to post a link to it so I can check it out!

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*The winner will get to choose the Maneki Neko's color (samples here), whether it will be a pin/brooch or ornament or hair clip, and gold or silver tone bell. Full details will be emailed to the winner.

The winner will be chosen with the help of Random.org and should be contacted with 48 hours of contest end with the exception of Acts of God(s) or bribe induced choco-comas.