White Rabbit! White Rabbit!

White Rabbit! White Rabbit! Have you heard that saying before? I never did until I was in Virginia for the show in November. A lady purchased one of my Lady Sophia Snowflake ornaments to give to her daughter in law for Christmas. She told me that they all have this crazy thing they do on the first of every month. They try to be the first one to call the other and say "White Rabbit! White Rabbit!"

Apparently saying white rabbit, white rabbit on the first of the month is for good luck. My friend Juliet Wilson sent me a lovely handmade book filled with her poems and HAIKU about rabbits. This is one of them.

First of the month-
saying "rabbit, white rabbit
white rabbit" for luck

Then another friend of mine, Melody Daly, told me this was very popular in Australia and England. Apparently people try to be the first to pinch or punch each other before mid day on the first. The other person can't pinch or punch you back if you say, "no returns, white rabbits." Melody and her husband have a competion going on to see who can win the most times. Fun!

As usual, anything dealing with rabbits always gets my attention. I thought it would be a fun way to introduce a piece of my new Rabbit Art to you each month. Each piece will be one of a kind and feature rabbits in one way or another. Some may be larger than others. I may make the design again, but it will be in a different color scheme. Maybe.. maybe not. Either way, there will only be ONE for sale and it will be a one of a kind.

A little clue for February's white rabbit??? Well, if you liked this piece, you may be interested in the next piece in the series.

February 1st, White Rabbit White Rabbit! Good luck!

A very special thank you to my friend Catherine Baynes for giving me the beautiful rabbit pin featured as my white rabbit. Hop over and visit with Catherine for her fun post on the year of the rabbit and to see her beautiful stitchery patterns. You'll love them!

Have a fun day everybun and see ya Tuesday!
xx, shell, sugie and harrington

Pardon the Interruption

Helloooooo, Sugie here. Mama and Daddy will be away from the computer for a few days. Apparently they are going to school to learn something about the stock market and not letting all their savings they worked so hard for go down the toilet. Mama say's she will be back to visit with everyone on Saturday if her brain hasn't exploded from all the information. You know mama is the "artsy" type and not the "brainy" type.

All I know is dinner is going to be very late. I am not going to look at mama and have decided to give her the "bunny back" to show my disapproval. Stock market...just invest in carrots and fuzzy bunnies. They both are good options.

xx, Sugie bun bun

600 Followers Giveaway Winner!

Hellooooooooooo everybun! Thanks so much for following along and for entering this giveaway! I see that many of you liked Miss Velvet Bunny! The pillow is 12" x 16" with a feather insert.

Congratulations to Marcia W in Florida! (she doesn't have a blog) Marcia said in her comment that her mom would love to have this for her couch! Well congratulations to Marcia's mom! Send me your address Marcia and I'll get your prize in the post right away.

But don't despair if you really liked the pillow as I have made a pair for sale in my Shop!

These pillows are slightly larger. They measure 14" x 20." They also come with the feather insert. You can purchase one for the couch or buy both to put on the bed! Cute! They are only $28.00 each plus shipping. Handmade by me. Click Here to hop over and look at them.

The bunnies and I truly appreciate your friendship and your support. We have lots of new art and stitching designs coming out in the next few weeks so we hope you'll keep hopping back to visit with us!

Have a fun day!
xx, shell, sugie and harrington

Decorating for Me - Useful and Beautiful - The Qi Papers

A while back I read this quote by William Morris. "Have nothing in your home that you do not know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful."  This quote kept ringing in my head as I again gutted my house of "stuff" and had a major yard sale back in October. I made over $1,500.00 at my sale and everyone was shocked by how much money I made. I told them it wasn't hard to do when you sell everything. Some customers thought I had a store!

I think the worst thing is that I don't miss any of it. None of it was all that useful and while many things were quite beautiful, they were just things to "decorate" a space. I also looked at how much money I really "lost" and how many hours I had worked to purchase items I really didn't care about just to decorate a space. Let's just say I wanted to puke when I did the math!!!

After that day, I made a promise to myself that I would no longer have anything in my home that I did not feel to be useful or beautiful. I would take my time and find things that I would never dream of putting in a yard sale.  For me, that mostly means handmade items, art and rabbits. It is also why I promised myself this would be a handmade year and the gifts I give have to be made by me or made by another artist.

So, when my dear friend, Diana Moll of The Qi Papers, posted these beautiful Year of the Rabbit postcards in her Etsy shop, I knew I had to have them! They are not only beautiful, but they are useful too! I decided to hoard keep some for myself and give some to very special friends. Those which I keep, I'm will frame and hang in Bunnyville so I can enjoy them every day.

If you would like to purchase some, Diana has more for sale in her Shop. They come beautifully wrapped and include information on what the art represents (I loved that part!) She also has four bunnies you can visit with on her blog. Tell her Shell and the bunnies said Hi!

Oh, and don't forget to sign up for the 600 followers giveaway! It ends tomorrow! Scroll down to the post below and register!

Have a magical and fun week everybun.
xx, shell, sugie and harrington

600 Followers Giveaway!!

"Hey Sugie stop eating for a minute. Check it out! We have over 600 friends following along with us!"

"What's that?!?"

"Yep, Mama said she never dreamed we would meet so many fun people through our little ol' blog. She's been doing the Happy Bunny Dance for hours! It's time to celebrate and have a giveaway!

"And now it's time for me to kick back and take a nice vacation. Ahhhh...yes!"

"Harrington, what do you mean by take a vacation?  You're always on vacation!"

"You're just jealous that you don't know how to relax."

Ok you two, simmer down. You sound like your daddy and me. Sugie you may take a well deserved vacation and Harrington...well... oh just continue on like normal!  I will thank everyone for their Friendship and for Following along with us.

So like I've been saying, 2011 is The Year of the Rabbit. I also made a promise it would be a handmade year! So our giveaway for 600 followers is this bunny pillow! Miss Velvet Bunny loves to sit among the roses on a soft, blue, sky, day. This pillow measures 12" x 16" and has a feather insert.

To enter the drawing, simply leave a comment on this post. If you are a follower, that has "officially signed up on the right of my sidebar under followers," you will get two chances!

You only have to leave one comment, but be sure to say you are following. *Note...I actually go and check each person when I'm counting the comments as I want to be totally fair to all participants. Only those that are "officially signed up as a follower" get two chances. Fair is fair and that's just how I am.

Anyone from any country is more than welcome to enter! I will use the random number generator to choose the winner on Tuesday, January 25th! Good luck everybun and thank you so very much for your friendship and for the time you spend visiting with us!

We love ya bunches!
xx, shell, sugie and harrington

Black, White and a few Grey Areas

I'm working on something fun. I was contacted by someone cool! It has to be done by Friday and in the mail by Saturday. I can't tell you what it is yet as there are always grey areas in everything. I usually like to look at things in black and white. Makes it simple. But, life always has a few grey areas right?

Ok, back to work. Hope your week is magical.

xx, shell, sugie and harrington

And the Winner is!

Thanks so much everybun for entering my giveaway and for joining the bunnies and me on this new BOM journey! Don't forget that on the 12th of each month, the new block will be ready and we will also have another giveaway!

Congratulations to Debbie M of Designs by Debbie and Dixie Too! Send me your address Debbie and I'll get your prize in the mail to you tomorrow. Congratulations!

I see that we are almost to 600 friends/followers. Wow!! Hmm....may have to have another giveaway! I do love to give presents!! The Year of the Rabbit really is going to be so great!

Have a fun day!
xx, shell, sugie and harrington

Happy Friday!!!

Happy Friday everybun! We hope you had a fun week!

Today Harrington would like to show you the latest in Bunny Leisure Wear.

Here he models this seasons newest design. Not only is it two tone, but it has a smooth, silky area on the back with a more fuzzy, fluffy area around the belly.

Check out the matching hoodie!

Not only does it have a discreet, elastic, waistband, that gently expands while you stuff yourself at the buffet,

but, it's also perfect for camping!

This outfit with it's great looks and easy styling is sure to make you very popular with the ladies.

So there ya have it. The latest in bunny leisure wear for Winter 2011. One per customer please.

"Harrington, I think mama is as bad as the paparazzi."

"Tell me about it."

Happy Friday everybun! Don't forget to scroll down and register for the giveaway!! We'll pick the winner on Sunday with the random generator!!!

xx, shell, sugie and harrington
p.s. for those that don't know, bunnies shed even in the winter. Stay tuned for the Spring look. ;)

12 of Hearts BOM and a Giveaway!

Hi everybun!!! Well here we go! Our new BOM 12 of Hearts starts today! Yippeeee!!! I'm so excited!!

You may remember that I said this was going to be a "handmade gift" year. Well, this BOM project is sweet and petite! It will be fast and fun so we can get a lot done! Ok...I'll quit with the rhyming. hee,hee,hee. Anyhooooooooooo, this project really is fun and I'm hoping that you will be inspired to make a couple for friends and family to give as gifts.

Every month on the 12th, (mark your calendars) we will have a new, whimsical heart design to stitch. The finished piece will be a 20" x 24" wall hanging, or you can make it into an accent pillow, or you can make the blocks into sachets, or pincushions, or you name it!  

Even though I still loooooooooove my whites, I was fell in love with these colorful fabrics. I also have some friends that love color and I hold them very dear to my heart. So there ya have it, my inspiration for this design.  Hop over to my SHOP and collect your pattern and the instructions.

I also have the floss kits available (sold 5 already)

and the natural color linen is also available.

Next, on to the giveaway. Since this is going to be a handmade year, I decided that each month will be something to inspire creating or something handmade by me (for those friends that don't do crafty stuff).

So for our first giveaway, I chose this fantastic Tilda book! Tone Finnanger creates some of the most adorable and charming handmade things. Even if you already own this book, you should enter and if you win, you can gift it to someone that doesn't have it! Smart huh! Not like it's regifting if you won it! ;)

To enter this giveaway, just leave a comment on this post! As always, those that have signed up as a follower/friend (on the right) will get two chances! However, if you take my little "12 of Hearts" gal (cutie isn't she!) and put her on your blog with a link to me, you will get yet another chance!  I will pick the winner for this giveaway on Sunday, January 16th. Be sure and let me know if you are a follower and if you posted my little gal.

Finally, I am also soooooooooooo excited to be a guest blogger today on Sew We Quilt, aka, Stash Manicure! Hop over and check it out!!!

Whew!! What a long post! Thanks everybun for being so much fun! uh oh...there's that rhyming thing again...hee,hee,hee.

xx, shell, sugie and harrington

We get by with a little help from our Friends.

Hi everybun. By now, I'm sure many of you have seen the horrific flooding that is going on in Queensland Australia. Living in my small town that was hit by a 500 year flood in 1998, I know all to well the devastation that it causes and the heartache from all the loss of life and life's treasures.

My dear friend, Jenny of Elefantz, lives in Queensland. She and many of the other quilt and stitchery designers are having auctions, collecting sewing kits and taking donations to raise money for flood victims.
Jenny is personally holding a silent auction for two of her Original pieces.

This is her "Shabby Roses Quilt"

and this is her "A Christmas Story Quilt."

They are both incredibly beautiful! If you would like to place a bid on either quilt, hop over HERE to Jenny's blog.

If you would like to make something to help, The Gum Tree Designers are collecting handmade sewing kits. You can read all about it HERE and there are also some free sewing caddy links.

These Aussie gals are kind, loving and talented and I am soooo very glad to call them my friends. Blogging and the internet bring us all closer together. So when someone is hurting millions of miles away, it still feels like they are your neighbors in your own home town.

We get by with a little help from our Friends...

xx, shell, sugie and harrington

Monday Meeting - Reminder

Hello there staff! Well, today we will be taking a slight detour from our normal Monday Meeting as our guest for today is taking a little blogging break. We will resume our regularly scheduled meeting next Monday.

However, I would like to remind you that time is running out to gather the Sentimental Journey Stitchery patterns. In fact, I will be removing them from my website tomorrow! So hop over to my shop and get them before they are gone for good! Zip, pow, outta here!

I do hope all of you had fun creating the pocket quilt with all the positive and happy sentiments.  I would love to see some of your finished quilts, or projects you made with the blocks. In fact, my friend Fiona of Bubz Rugz created this block (picture is my block) to be part of a special gift.

Fiona thought the words were just perfect for a quilt that Lizzie was making for a sick friend. I think Lizzie's quilt turned out so pretty. See Fiona's block second down on the left? I'm really happy that this stitched sentiment was part of making Lizzie's friend feel better.

Lizzie and her quilt.

Hop over and visit with Fiona and with Lizzie. They are both wonderful gals! Tell them Shell and the bunnies said hi!

Have a magical week everyone.
Meeting adjourned.

xx, shell, sugie and harrington

500 Follower Giveaway Winner!

Thanks so much for following along everyone! This year is going to be lots of fun! Don't forget that the new free BOM stitchery "12 of Hearts" starts on Wednesday. There will be another giveaway then!

For those of you who did not win this quilt, don't despair, you can always make one for yourself! Hop over to my Shop and buy the pattern! It's a really fun quilt to make!

Well, without further delay, I would like to say Congratulations to Fee of Designs by Fee!  This quilt will be going to live in Australia!! Be sure to hop over and visit with Fee. She is also having a fun giveaway!!
Congratulations my friend!

Hope all of you have a fun Sunday! There is lots going on this week, so be sure to come back and visit!

xx, shell, sugie and harrington

Sneaky, Sneaky. Here's a Peeky!

Hellooooooooooo and Happy Friday!!

Here's a little sneaky peeky of of what's to come on January 12th. Our new Free BOM Series, "12 of Hearts" will begin then and contine each month on the 12th! I'm so excited about this fun project! Yes everybun, you are seeing color! hee,hee,hee. Don't pass out, I still love my white, but this fabric inspired me for this project!  :)

The floss kits are available now in my shop! Of course, we will be having fun giveaways every month too!

Speaking of giveaways, did you register for the 500 follower giveaway? Scroll to the post below and register! The drawing will be Sunday!!! Remember, followers/friends are special, so they get two chances!

Have a fun Friday everybun!
xx, shell, sugie and harrington

500 Followers Giveaway!!

"Hey Harrington. Did ya hear the news that we have 500 followers? "

                                                "We do? That's so cool!"

"Yes, and now I demand a raise! After all, we do all the work around here."

"Yeah! You can count me in on that action Sugie. Uhhh...what will we get for our raise?" 

Well you two fuzzy assistants will get an extra treat tonight, but to thank all our friends/followers, we are going to have a giveaway. Something really special as 500 people hanging out with us is so incredibly cool and I'm so darn excited!! I can't believe it!!!!

So, the give away will be my original Fleur de Bunny Wallhanging! This quilt measures 34" x 34", it has hand stitching and machine stitching. It also has glass pearl beads! And as an extra bonus (sounding like an infomercal now) I'll even throw in a decorative hanger so you can hang it up!

All you have to do is leave a comment on this post. Remember, followers get 2 chances!! I'll pick the winner this Sunday, January 9th. Didn't I tell ya that the year of the rabbit was going to be fun?!?

Good luck everyone and thank you so very much for spending time with me and the bunnies. We love ya bunches!

xx, shell, sugie and harrington