Bug Bites Play Food

A New Old World Favorite Felt Play Food Set

2010-09-24T11:45:00.000-06:00

I am in love with these new vegetables! I had a great customer request some Old World vegetables that her daughter could play with in a Renaissance festival, and I think these will be a hit! I especially liked the turnip - as I have NEVER had one, and had fun searching Google for turnip pics to work from. I have heard that you either love 'em or hate 'em. I will have to try them someday. Hope you enjoy them too!

Strawberry Crepes Felt Play Food Set

2010-09-15T11:09:00.001-06:00

Another ORIGINAL new tasty treat from Bug Bites Play food - Strawberry Crepes with Whipped Cream and a Jelly spread inside. Aubrey (my 2 year old product tester) and I had fun rolling these up and topping them with the cream and strawberries together.

I designed these to be similar to the Burrito set as I love how the velcro closure tab wraps all of the fillings up in a snug little roll. I am working on a Banana Chocolate version as well, so stay tuned!

Autumn Felt Play Food Pumpkin Pie

2010-09-11T11:03:00.003-06:00

I have been re-designing the old, tired version of my felt play food pumpkin pie into this sleek new version. I love how they sit nicely next to each other and are all handstitched for a nice, flat look. Enjoy!

New Felt Play Food Empanada Treats

2010-09-08T11:03:00.000-06:00

I have some new felt play food goodies to unveil in my Etsy shop today, and am really excited about this one - as it is an original item never before seen on Etsy - Empanadas!

My husband has a special love for empanadas, as he lived in Chile for 2 years, and would seriously eat these daily. So, hopefully this felt food version will ease his cravings a bit - though please don't eat these ones, Austin. They are for the kids.

Gusseted Cloth Sandwich Snack Bag Tutorial

2010-08-24T12:08:00.000-06:00

I can't stand spending money on items that are destined for the landfill. Diapers, wipes, sanitary pads, paper towels and especially expensive Ziplocs no longer have place in our home. Not only have we saved hundreds of dollars a year by not purchasing these "throw-away" items, they are also really fun to make yourself!

These bags feature a gusset at the bottom, so they open nice and wide, and don't squish sandwiches! Gussets allow the bags to hold more stuff (or wider items) and collapse flat when they’re not in use.

I designed these snack bags this past spring for a trip to Mexico, and we have a drawer full of them! I use them daily for granola, sandwiches and even our car toys. My son is starting school tomorrow (1st grade - eek!) and he wanted his own cool bags for his lunches. He picked out this "awesome" flame fabric from the scrap bin at our local fabric store, and he can't wait to have lunches in them! Last year, his friends all told him that they wished their moms would make them some cool lunch bags too (blush!), so this is your opportunity, Moms!!

Need:
Sewing Machine
Scissors
(2) 7"x 7" Cotton fabric of your choice
(2) 7"x 7" Ripstop Nylon fabric
1 each 1/2"x 5" Hook and Loop Velcro (I cut mine to 1/2", but you can leave yours whatever thickness you like)

Step 1. Cut out (2) pieces of 7"x 7" Cotton fabric, and (2) pieces of 7"x 7" Ripstop Nylon for the liner.

Step 2. Place right sides of the fabric together and stitch the two (right and left) sides together with a 1/4" seam allowance.

This will make a "tube" of fabric. Repeat with the ripstop liner fabric, so you have 2 separate "tube" pieces.

Step 3. Turn the liner fabric inside out, and slide it inside the cotton fabric "tube", so that right sides are together. Make sure to line up the seams on the sides. You can pin the fabrics together at this point if you like. (I rarely do, but that is just me)

Step 4. Choose which side will be the top of the bag, if your cloth has a top direction, and position this side in sewing machine. Sew through 2 layers of fabric - 1 cotton layer, 1 liner layer. Stitch *almost all the way around on one side. Leave a 3" hole un-stitched for later (Step 9). Make sure you don't accidentally stitch through all 4 layers.

Step 5. Pull the liner out, and lay flat, right sides of the fabric inside, aligning the side seams.

Step 6. Sew a straight line along the bottom (open) end of the liner fabric. Repeat with the other cotton fabric side.

Step 7. Create a Gusset: On the bottom corner, pinch and slide the bottom corner of the fabric into a point, so that the seams align with each other on opposite sides. It helps to open up the bag a bit to give you some room to slide the fabric around. Pin, or iron this flat. (See the pic in Step 8 for clarification).

Step 8. Sew across this point in about 1" from the end. Note - you can make these as large or as small as you like, the larger (longer) you measure away from the point of the fabric, the wider the bag will be. Don't make it too wide (over 1 1/2") or the bag will be too small to fit a sandwich.

Repeat on the other side. Then do the exact same with the nylon side.

I like to trim the excess fabric triangle off, as it makes the bag less bulky. Be sure not to cut through the seam.

Step 9. Remember the hole we left open in Step 4? Turn the bag inside out through this hole.

If you forgot to leave a hole, gently use a seam-ripper and open up a hole.

Nice huh!

Step 10. Tuck the liner fabric down into the cotton fabric.

Step 11. Topstitch around the opening of the bag to help it lay flat.

Step 12. Line up the hook side of the velcro along the top, and stitch around. Repeat with the loop side. Finished!

To clean, just wipe clean with a damp cloth, or toss in a cool water washing machine and dry.

Congratulations!! Aren't you proud of yourself? By using fabric sandwich/snack bags, we can save thousands of plastic bags from becoming non-biodegradable trash filling up landfills and floating in our oceans!

Make your own Play Kitchen!

2010-07-27T09:42:00.002-06:00

We have a lot of play food around here. A. lot. And, crime of crimes - no play kitchen. (gasp!) I have been wanting to make/buy a play kitchen for E and little A ever since she was born - especially now that her play food collection (my first designs are always hers) has grown to overflowing her little tote. She needs a kitchen.

I absolutely detest the plastic crap that is sold in toy stores, and have long wanted a beautiful, handmade play kitchen made from natural wood. I have scoured Etsy.com and other beautiful models from other online sellers, but sadly cannot justify the $300-$500 pricetags on the ones that I would put in my home.

My husband is really skilled with wood working, but sadly full-time school, work, church callings and family life in general haven't permitted him the time to make a play kitchen from scratch. SO, while reading some excellent blogs, I found some amazing DIY projects! This pink & white one is made from a simple Ikea shelf, instructions here on ikea hacker.

Here is a great one made from an old nightstand from oh write! This is her version, and I am SO excited to use some of her amazing ideas to make our own play kitchen for the kids for Christmas this year!

Last Christmas we decided to make Maren a little kitchen of her own. I had seen a few ideas here and there (I'm sure you have, too!), so I can't take complete credit for what we came up with.

We found this little footed nightstand on Craigslist for $15. Here's the best before picture I have. We had already sanded the top, but you can see how the piece looked in it's original form.

And, the completed kitchen:
We used wood craft circles and a square dowel for the burners. We painted wood nobs found in the craft store for the black nobs. The sink is a square cake pan and the faucet came from a salvage yard. Brett cut shelves to fit where the drawers had been, and cut and routered the back splash from a piece of shelving we had on hand. Hinges and handle for the oven came from Lowe's.

The inside of the oven is spray-painted shiny silver, and we have since added chains to both sides of the oven door to make it more sturdy. I made the little curtain rod with leftover fabric from M's nursery, and it's hanging on a small tension rod.

We estimate having spent close to $60 total, but definitely could have done the project for cheaper. Since this was a gift for our only child, we did splurge on a few things. (Namely the faucet...it cost $20, but we loved the size and the 'realness' it brought to the project! We also splurged on the handle for the oven door, and again, just loved the size and look of the one we chose.)

I found some great pics of other DIY play kitchens, and am so excited to get going on E and A's!!

The Long Absence

2010-07-25T20:52:00.000-06:00

Sorry for the delay in posting, I have had several fun posts about summer projects, trips and the like rattling around but have not been able to sit down & blog them. I have been sick for 10 days with a terrible sore throat & am finally headed to the doctor tomorrow. I am suspecting Tonsilitis or Strep Throat. I haven't touched my desk or sewing for days, and am feeling the itch to get back to work, and am definitely ready to be feeling back to normal again.

Waffling Around

2010-07-14T12:22:00.000-06:00

I. Love. Waffles.

Though I don't top my waffles with the traditional butter & syrup (applesauce, berries or banana slices is more my cup of tea), I could eat waffles every day.

My Etsy shop has desperately been needing these little play food beauties to brighten things up a bit.

Enjoy!

Felt Food Bakers Rejoice!

2010-07-06T08:30:00.000-06:00

My childhood baking memories are bubbling up through my creativity, and manifesting themselves through felt. I have long needed a felt play food Baking Ingredients set to add to my shop. This set was inspired by my daughter, who loves to help me in the kitchen, and who insists on having her own "ingredients" to add to her felt food baking bowls.

This set was a real challenge as I waffled back and forth, trying to decide whether to allow the sacks to be opened or sewn shut. I wasn't sure how to create "flour" and "sugar" that would be functionable and something that wouldn't be scattered throughout the house, aggravating unsuspecting Mothers. In the end, my genius husband suggested 100% cotton balls - perfect!

The egg, which is my very favorite felt food item, is inspired by one of my favorite wool food artisans called Wool Food. I make it my habit to never copy another designer's work, but as I struggled to design a sewn, "crack-able" egg that didn't have at least 4 tacky seams, I gave in, learned to "wet felt" and thankfully pushed on.

I hope this set inspires Grandmothers, Mothers and Daughters to spend time gathered around the counter (or play kitchen) sharing teaching moments together.

Kitchen Tools

2010-06-30T08:58:00.000-06:00

Little chins resting on the counter, short legs tip-toeing on chairs, eyes curiously watching, and eager little hands helping is one of my favorite moments of the day as we sift, mix and measure random powders, flours and goopy syrups when making cookies.

I hope to share some of my favorite moments with my new set of kitchen utensils in my Etsy shop.

My favorite is the pancake turner, mostly because it is my daughter's favorite. She spent an afternoon flipping felt play food pancakes, eggs and pies at me as I worked. She also made great use of the measuring cup by filling it with spools of my thread and bobbins. Thread cookies anyone? Huge grins and giggles from each of us that day.

Super Hero Cape DIY Tutorial

2010-06-02T10:20:00.003-06:00

I have a Son who has a shadow. A two year old shadow, always following at his heels, copying his movements, words and every silliness that can be had. Since his greatest ambition in life is to grow up to be Batman, he practically lives in his cape - zooming around the yard fighting bad guys, and all other injustice (the world needs more of these heroic men, doesn't it?). Along with all of this crime-fighting comes his little Sister - shadowing his every move like an apprentice in training.

So what a shame, I thought, that this little super heroine doesn't have a super cape of her own. A crime worthy of the baddest of bad guys! I have redeemed myself today, and hope to pass along this fun design to you, so that you may not face the wrath that I did. ;)

You will need:
- 2 Pieces 22"x 24" fabric (I used fabric remnants from the fabric store. 1 cotton print, 1 satin liner)
- 1 Piece Hook Velcro
- 1 Piece Loop Velcro (I prefer these over snaps, as they are safer and easier to break in event of
choking)
- Scissors
- Sewing Machine

**Note: this cape is to fit a 2 year old, so you can adjust the length to fit your Little Hero (or big one!).

1. Decide on the top & bottom of the fabrics, line them up with right (printed) sides together on the inside.

2. Cut the bottom corners to be rounded, and cut a semi-circle from the top for the neck. I also tapered the sides so they angle up from the bottom of the cape to the top.

3. Line up the fabrics and start sewing with a 1/4" seam allowance. Sew all the way around the edge of the fabric, stopping about 4-5" from your starting point. You will need this opening to flip the fabrics right side out.

4. Open the hole, reach inside and pull the fabric through, flipping the whole thing right side out.

5. Straighten the seams, making sure to push out the corners on the neck pieces, so they are nice and square, or rounded, if you prefer.

6. Place the fabric in your sewing machine, starting just above the open hole that the fabric was pulled through. Roll the rough edges inside and carefully stitch (slowly to maintain control) the seam closed.
Continue sewing a 1/4" seam all the way around the fabric.

7. Now that you have the nice seam around the whole cape, we will add the velcro tabs. Place the Loop (soft) velcro on top of the right neck piece on the outside fabric of the cape. Sew securely.

8. Next, sew the Hook side on the left neck piece on the inside fabric.

9. They should lay on top of each other like this when finished.

10. Last, carefully apply whole cape to the neck of your favorite Super Hero and watch them fly!!

Blog's New Face

2010-06-01T13:09:00.000-06:00

This morning's (or should I say, day's) project has been to completely overhaul my blog. I have never been satisfied with the layout or background of my blog - hence the many changes you poor blog readers have had to endure with the frequent changes. I hope to have finally got the layout right.

I have switched to a 3-column layout, with several new links, a NEW E-mail subscription, Facebook and Twitter follow buttons and other fun things to find. I will be adding more tutorials, information on felt food and lots of other goodies as soon as I can. Keep your eyes peeled for more!

Ants on a Log

2010-05-28T11:46:00.001-06:00

Celebrate Summer!! I picked my son up from his last day of Kindergarten today, so we came home and celebrated with his favorite snack - Ants on a Log! We make ours a little non-traditionally, dairy & peanut free. I used Almond Butter, Non-Dairy Cream Cheese (thank heavens for you, Tofutti!), organic raisins, and flax seeds for some additional little nutritional "buggies" on top. They were a hit!

In tribute to his graduation, I thought it would be fun to make a felt version of his treat! Quite a fun little project for the morning. Happy Summer!

Lime and Tangerine Spring

2010-05-27T11:24:00.002-06:00

I remember standing on the beach, with only minutes left of my vacation, saturating myself in each brilliant blue and green shade of the ocean, the white gold of the beach, and the unbelievable azure sky, thinking to myself "absorb it all, Becca."

Our family just returned from a week in Akumal, Mexico, thanks to the unbelievable generosity of my hubby's parents. Spring here in Utah has been almost non-existent, weather going from rain, to sun to even snow two days ago. So, I have been pining for the brilliance of that beach ever since.

As an extremely visual person, the striking colors of the Yucatan make the dull grey spring here in Utah pale in comparison. I think these colors are trying to spill out of me this last week, as every new item I have been making is super bright, with green and orange felt scraps plastering my desk.

So, hopefully Utah will catch up a bit and act like Spring/Summer this week and I will not have to express my color-longing in my felt play food as much.

A Drowning Foodie... A Meatless and Dairy-Free Life

2010-05-02T18:13:00.001-06:00

I am food challenged. It sucks. I admit it. Please note that I am not a card-carrying vegan with an environmental cause, but feel like I have had my dietary challenges forced upon me by some cosmic force that is poking me in the gut and laughing sadistically. I have been taking a serious look at my dietary history, and the issues it has caused me, so that I can finally eat and feel well.

Now, I was a "normal" kid dietetically speaking, eating most foods I wanted and not caring what went into my mouth, though most of it was cereal - my favorite food at the time. And with that sugary crunchiness came GALLONS of milk. Seriously. But my unintended consequences were obvious, even if not to me. Battling weight and self-esteem issues, (because of all the fatty-growth hormone-infused milk I drank, and sugary crap I ate), adding serious insult to injury - constant colds. I kid you not, I packed a full roll of toilet paper in my backpack to school and blew through it (bad pun) in about 3 days. Coming home and emptying a full backpack of used tissues should have raised some red flags that there was something wrong with my body, but I was a kid and; never considered such a prospect that I could actually feel anything but sick and miserable about myself. I have seen family photos of me holding my trusty roll. How sad is that?

Now, I must give credit where credit is due - my Mom is wonderful and was very conscious of my health, and did make great healthy food - no white bread (to my horror at the time, can you imagine eating brown bread at the lunch table while all your friends have that deceptively beautiful white bread framing their PB and J?) So no Twinkies, chips, candy or other such refined fodder in our house. My Mom made homemade vegetable and meat dinners- made with all the love that a mother can give. But a kid still gets the crap at school, right?

At the tender age of 14 while staying with my über-fit, mountaineering brother, I finally discovered that I was dairy-intolerant. A week of drinking rice milk and almost constant exercise, I felt better than I ever had. Who knew that there was life outside of constant colds, hay-fever, and cases of Kleenex? So, with a week of drinking Rice Milk, and feeling "snot-free" for the first time in my memory, I ecstatically told Mom and Dad that I was allergic to milk, and ran to the store to buy my first box of Soy Milk.

So my life in the world of alternative foods began. I got my second job at Wild Oats when I was 16, and an entire universe of dietary choices opened up to me. I never knew about meatless diets, vegans, raw-foodies or natural living and healing with food. I was never vegetarian or vegan, but began to make great changes in my diet and felt wonderful!

Which brings me to round 2 of my food challenges, that has just been revealing itself in the last few years.

I guess it has been a long time coming, but since I turned 30 four months ago, my body has completely shut down on any dairy or meat. Crap. I used to be able to eat small amounts, like butter on my toast, or ranch dressing on my salad, and an occasional serving of grilled chicken at a family party, but no more. I have spent more sleepless nights in these last few months, curled fetal-position on the floor of the bathroom, my stomach twisted in spasms of excruciating, kick-in-the-gut pain, wishing to throw up (which doesn't help, by the way), than I have ever experienced with my worst bouts of stomach flu.

So, on that lovely, personal note - we move on. ;)

As I live with the new developments of my dietary challenges, I figure I can take a glass-half-full or half-empty attitude about it. I have found delicious substitutions for most normal foods - have you ever tried Coconut Ice Cream??! I'll never feel jealous at an ice cream party again. I have discovered some amazing blogs out there that have the most amazing food I have ever tasted, or dreamed of tasted. I have found an excellent website dedicated to Non-Dairy cooking, other various food allergies, and general good health, called Go Dairy Free.

One of my favorite blogs is Yasmeen-HealthNut - in which I have spent hours reading and drooling. Our new family favorite is Yasmeen's Cardamom Mango Panna Cotta with Honey Peach Sauce.

I also love the Non-Dairy Queen's Blog for her fun and delicious alternatives to dairy and gluten-free cooking.

I must note that this post has been written mostly for me, as an honest self-analysis, and you lovely people just happen to be the bystanders in my dietary therapy session. Hopefully, my sad childhood food experiences can shed some light on unknown issues with others' health issues and maybe help a little.

Earth Day is Coming!

2010-04-19T08:15:00.000-06:00

In celebration of Earth Day this Thursday, I am going to post a fun DIY tutorial of something you can make to help reduce garbage and green up our earth! I haven't made the final decision on which project to make, so keep your eyes peeled in the next day or two for some crafty green fun!

The Big Ta-Da

2010-04-16T08:08:00.000-06:00

You know the feeling when you work on something you are really proud of, are just itching to finish it and show it to the world, because it is the most spectacular, wonderful and brilliant idea you ever had - and its conception has been barraged through the gauntlet of design vs logistics for weeks... Know what I mean? That is my experience with my new items - BBQ Spare Ribs.

To my knowledge, I haven't seen any other felt food item quite like these (and this is after many many Google searches), which is why this idea has been bouncing around the idea room in my head - banging the door down before someone else snatches this one up. Because in the felt food world, there are only so many felt food items that can be made before you have "seen it all" - of course there are variations of a food item - color, design, etc... but most play food items have been done-to-death by everyone and their grandmother (me included), so when the opportunity to create a totally new item comes up, I snatch it! The funny thing is, it wasn't even totally mine - my husband is the creative genius who gets credit for this one. My favorite part of this new design is the magnets that can be added to the small piece so the ribs can be "pulled apart" like the real thing. My kids giggle, and I smile.

I am a vegetarian, so the idea of me creating drippy meat play food is laughable. So as I sit with my kids, playing with their new play food pieces (my kids get the first crack at the new designs) I pretend we are gnawing on delicious soy-protein and tofu "riblets" dipped in organic vegetarian rib sauce. Or a meat popsicle. One of the two.

New Designs

2010-04-13T18:54:00.000-06:00

I am grinding my teeth today as I am working (wrestling, more like!) with a new design for a felt food item that has been sitting in a corner of my brain, poking me to let it out. I need to tell this little "brain design" that ideas and logistics don't always play well together. Oh well. I plug on and hope that I can nail this design down tonight, so it can have its big debut tomorrow. This one is a never-before-seen felt food item - at least I haven't found any like it in several searches, so it should be fun!!

And the Winner Is....

2010-04-12T09:50:00.000-06:00

Christina and Tyler!!!

Thanks so much to everyone for participating in the giveaway and answering the survey. I had great fun reading your answers and hearing what you all had to say. I didn't post all of the comments received, as some had email info and I couldn't figure how to delete it in the post, but i DID receive all of your comments and they were so helpful.

This was great fun and I will definitely be doing more giveaways very soon! Thanks again!

Friday GIVEAWAY!

2010-04-09T10:41:00.001-06:00

I've got an amazing Giveaway today from my shop, Bug Bites Play Food - a French Toast set with Strawberries, Blueberries and Whipped Cream. Who doesn't remember sitting down on a Sunday morning to a steaming stack of cinnamon french toast, berries & cream? Now your Little Chef can return the favor to you with this French Toast set.

Perfect for little hands, this set contains 2 life-sized pieces of toast, hand-stitched strawberry slices & hand-stitched blueberries, all topped with a hand-stitched dollop of whipped cream.

You can enter by completing this SURVEY and leaving me a comment on this link, or below. The winner will be selected randomly using random.org and announced on Tuesday, April 12.

*Note: I’ll notify the winner using the email address they list when they comment. PLEASE include your email address in the comment - these will NOT BE PUBLISHED.

Good luck!

Spring Dreaming and Summer BBQs

2010-03-18T11:19:00.000-06:00

Oh and I have got it BAD! Utah spring weather has the nasty habit of teasing you with 60 degrees and sunshine one day, and snow the next. So, to combat my month of March up-downs, I am at my desk dreaming of summer grilling parties and swimsuits as I sew.

One triumph born from these daydreams is a new Kabob felt play food skewer. This one is a new favorite of my kids too - especially little A, who loves to take the pieces off and on, over and over in different flavor combinations - even pretending it was ice cream at one point. Who can argue with a 2 year old's logic?

My Budding Artist of Mayhem

2010-02-28T09:00:00.002-07:00

I swear, having a 2 year old is having an eternal cyclone spinning out of control throughout the house. Can't leave them alone for a second, or mass-destruction levels the neighborhood.

Aubrey is definitely a budding artist. She loves to draw on everything from paper, to tables to walls - and most recently, her face. Brilliant. Maybe she is planning to move to New Zealand & join the Maori?

Then, last night, I was in the kitchen when that eerie silence that equals disaster drove me to find my little monkey.

Bathroom. Church shoes. Aftershave.

A normal, logical mind wouldn't immediately place these items together, but oh the lovely mind of a 2 year old is beyond such mundane order. Aubrey was delightedly dumping all of Austin's aftershave into each of her black church shoes. There are moments in parenthood where words fail. This was one of those for me. Only those sweet little repentant eyes kept me from losing my cool as we scooped the lotion back in the bottle, rinsed out the shoes and cleaned up the counter, floor & walls...

Cloth Lunch Bag Tutorial

2010-02-25T10:54:00.002-07:00

As many of you know, I lived in Hawaii for 2 years while going to school at BYU Hawaii, and there made some of the most amazing friends and memories I will ever have. I miss my island home almost constantly and still await the day when I can visit my island Ohana again. A few years ago, a best friend sent me 2 stacks of 4" hawaiian fabric blocks for a Hawaiian quilt I was planning. Well, that quilt still has not been made and I have hundreds of these little squares sitting in my fabric bin. I pulled them out yesterday and decided to make some cloth lunch bags for E's school lunch. I had so much fun, I thought I would share them with you.

These bags fit sandwiches & snacks perfectly, and are completely machine washable. No more wasted money on garbage ziplocs! Plus, how fun to have these in your bag lunch! This pattern is a spin off from a great book called Cut Loose Quilts by Jan Mullen - my FAVORITE quilting book ever!

Materials Needed:
(8) 4x4" squares of Cotton fabric
(2) 8" squares of Nylon fabric
1/2"x 4" Strip of Hook & Loop Velcro
Sewing Machine
Ruler
Rotary Cutter/Scissors

Lets Begin!

Step 1. Choose your fabric squares - I used 4 fabrics with 2 squares of each print. STACK all fabrics together into 1 stack.

Step 2. Place ruler over fabric at any angle and cut all layers of fabric at once.

Step 3. Move ruler to another random angle and cut again. This is what your stack should look like (your angles will obviously be a bit different).

Step 4. Now separate the 3 cuts and lay them out, mixing up the fabric pieces with other colors so you get fun random blocks. Since you cut them all at the same time, they will all intermix perfectly. (The pic shown here only shows half of my blocks). These 4 blocks will make 1 side of the bag.

Step 5. This part is a bit tricky, but you can do it! Take middle piece (A) and fold it over on top of (B), making sure to line up the edges along the dotted line. It doesn't matter that the rest of the edges are not aligned. Sew along the matched edges marked with the dotted line.

Step 6. Next, do the same thing with the remaining piece - lining up the red-dotted side and sew together.

Your finished piece will look similar to this. The edges will be uneven, but we trim them into a square next.
Step 7. Square up the block by using the ruler to get an even square block.

Step 8. Repeat steps 4-7 with the remaining 7 blocks.
Step 9. Sew 4 of the blocks together to make a square. This is the front of your bag. Repeat for the back of the bag.

Step 10. Next, take 1 piece of the Nylon. place it against the right side of the fabric & sew along 1 side. Flip right side out.

Step 11. Place 1 strip (either hook or loop side) of Velcro on the nylon side (notice the seam at the top of the bag). This will be the inside top of the bag. Sew on, making sure the cotton & nylon stay lined up as much as possible. Repeat with other side. You will now have 2 halves of your bag.

Step 12. Line up the 2 pieces, with right sides together. Sew along the 2 sides & bottom - I reinforced the top sides near the velcro, as this is a high stress area. Turn right side out - you are done!!

Here are a few more bags to give you ideas of what you can do! I would love to see pics of your bags - have fun!

As If I needed another hobby...

2010-02-17T13:37:00.000-07:00

But these are SO CUTE!! I found these "Owie" Dolls on a delightful blog I read called ikatbag, and am dying (bad pun) to buy the pattern and make one for my little nurse for Easter. You can read the story about how they were developed here.

Apparently, these little dolls are very accident prone, and need lots of care from loving nurses. I love how the band-aids have velcro, so they stick wherever the doll's owie happens to be. And how can you get better without the cute 2 sided dress/gown and little slippers? Lier is offering the pattern for sale, and I can't wait to get mine and get to work!

Tea, Toast and Toe Socks

2010-02-12T08:40:00.000-07:00

We have been having a little rough patch the last month with lots of sniffles and sneezes around here. It seems like when your kid is in school, he brings home every little communal bug and lovingly (or not so much) shares it with the family. We have had at least one of us sick for the last month. Right now, it is a double whammy with E & I. As such, I haven't touched my sewing in a week. Not only do I not have the energy, but I like to be selfish with my germs. Though I love my customers, I don't want to send them this little treat of a cold with their order.

So, as we camp out on our living room couch, watching endless episodes of the "Pink Panther" - (yes, the vintage 1960s classic) we are snuggled up in our warmest blankies, jammies and of course my zany toe-socks (which were lovingly given to me by Dad for my birthday, thanks Dad!), sipping our mint tea and toast and wishing this misery would end so we can get back to life.

A Snow Cone in January

2010-01-31T09:53:00.001-07:00

Maybe I am just pining for sunshine and beach days during this cold gray winter, but I a little color is just what I need lately.

These little treats came about through a special request from a customer, and I got a little crazy with colors and letting my nostalgic tastebud fantasies go a bit wild. I started out with solid colors, but then remembered my summers as a kid - when no less than 3 syrups were lavishly dripped over my snow cones. So, with those memories in mind, I recalled my favorite color and flavor combinations from those days.

Of course I was treated to several "licks" of the first felt versions by my 2 year old daughter, who insists she sit on my lap as we share the new treat together. She always gets my first prototypes for her felt food collection, and if they pass her inspection - meaning, if they survive her, the next in the batch go in my shop. She is a great product tester! I love her little imagination, because after I had my 20 minutes of taste-sharing, her snow cone was then lovingly jammed down the throat of her all-too-willing squeaky tub-toy shark. I am sure he liked it too.

My FAVORITE Treat

2010-01-14T19:50:00.001-07:00

Ok, those of you who know me well know that I am a bit of a health freak. Granola. Crunchy. Whole-foodie. Whatever. Anyway, it is hard for me to find snacks and treats that taste good and that are acceptably good for me. I present to you my favorite.

This is a modified recipe I found in "Five Star Recipes" from Jeffrey L. Anderson. His version calls for 2/3 cup of sugar which makes them too sweet for me. I replaced the sugar with Stevia and let the natural apple, carrot, raisins and Stevia sweeten the cake much better than the sugar does.

Apple Carrot Cake - serves 9, or 12 muffins
2 Stevia packets
1/3 C. Canola Oil
2 Eggs or 1/2 C. Egg substitute (if Vegan, add 2 Tb. Flax meal & a little water)
1/2 tsp. Salt
1 tsp. Cinnamon
1/3 C. Soymilk (or Buttermilk/Milk)
1 C. Whole Wheat Flour
3/4 tsp. Baking Soda
1 tsp Baking Powder
1 C. Carrots - Finely grated
1 C. Apple - grated
1/3 C. Nuts (Almonds, Pecans etc)
1 C. Oats, Museli or 6 Grain Mix
1/4 C. Raisins

Grease an 8x8" pan OR 12 muffin tin, preheat oven to 375 degrees. Mix Stevia, oil, eggs, salt, cinnamon and milk until thoroughly blended. Stir in remaining ingredients. Pour into greased pan and bake for about 20-25 minutes, until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

Movie Night

2010-01-05T09:38:00.000-07:00

We love movies at our house. Escaping everyday life into worlds of intrigue, thrills and quite often, a sweet love story. The lights go down, we don jammies, toe socks and warm blankies and mix up a batch of our favorite snack - POPCORN.

My husband and I love the old-school popcorn popper we received for Christmas 2 years ago (thanks Mom and Dad!), especially because it makes the best cinnamon kettle corn ever! So, in tribute to our favorite movie nights, I decided to make a felt version of our favorite movie treat.

Happy New Year's

2009-12-31T20:18:00.000-07:00

Happy New Year to all! It has been a wonderful rollercoaster of a year for me and I have loved the ride!

I have never been one to stay up until midnight - though I valiantly try every year. I think there is a gene that is triggered after you have kids that your body simply has to go to bed at 10pm. So while you all will be partying away, banging your pots & pans, lighting firecrackers and dancing in the new year, I will be cozily snuggled in bed with my toe socks, warm jammies and dreaming my way into the new year.

I found these questions on a great blog that I read & thought it would be a fun way to sum up the year. Some are pretty personal and deep, but I loved the memories they brought back. I hope you enjoy the peek into "me."

Reflection Questions for 2009
1. What was the single best thing that happened this past year?
We moved to a new home
2. What was the single most challenging thing that happened?
Managing my time as a business owner and making my family the first priority.
3. What was an unexpected joy this past year?
Swimming laps most mornings - I used to HATE them in Middle School
4. What was an unexpected obstacle?
My Son starting Kindergarten
5. Pick three words to describe 2009.
A rollercoaster ride
6. Pick three words your spouse would use to describe your 2009 (don’t ask them; guess based on how you think your spouse sees you).
happy felty fun
7. Pick three words your spouse would use to describe their 2009 (again, without asking).
Fishing. More. Fishing.
8. What were the best books you read this year?
Friday Night Knitting Club, The Eagle Has Landed, The Scarlet Pimpernel
9. With whom were your most valuable relationships?
My husband and children of course!
10. What was your biggest personal change from January to December of this past year?
Learning to ask for help
11. In what way(s) did you grow emotionally?
Learning to let go my need to control everything.
12. In what way(s) did you grow spiritually?
Learned that I need constant, DAILY help from God - and that I must be worthy to receive that help
13. In what way(s) did you grow physically?
Swam & worked out a lot this year
14. In what way(s) did you grow in your relationships with others?
I am learning to trust people more
15. What was the most enjoyable area of managing your home?
I love the feeling of a clean house
16. What was your most challenging area of home management?
LAUNDRY. Bane of my existence!
17. What was your single biggest time waster in your life this past year?
The Wii -dang addicting games... though learning to knit was not wasting time, it took up a lot of it!
18. What was the best way you used your time this past year?
Taking my kids to the park, and swimming together

19. What was the biggest thing you learned this past year?
Trust
20. Create a phrase or statement that describes 2009 for you.
Come what may and love it. - Joseph B. Worthlin

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Associated Press Interview

2009-12-28T17:38:00.000-07:00

A few months ago, I was contacted by a reporter from the Associated Press, who had found my shop via Etsy and Twitter, and was interested in interviewing me about my felt play food. By chance, I found that the article came out today!

I am so excited to share it with you as well! I found it on a few media websites, like sun-sentinel.com abcnews.go.com, and newstimes.com. I love that they mentioned several other Moms like me who are tired of worrying about the quality of items their children are playing with. It is wonderful to see the creativity of caring mothers, and the beautiful felt food they are making.

I can't wait to hear what you think!

Balance...

2009-12-18T08:36:00.000-07:00

I am having flashbacks of crazy college end-of-semester days - where deadlines loomed, art projects and final papers scrambled together, and last minute studying done in attempt to get every last bit of information stuffed into every spare memory brain cell? Then... the blissful moment when the last exam is done, all art projects turned in, and the feeling of numbing bliss washes over, and then utter relief. I am reliving those feverish days.

The prospect of a full day with no sewing before me is so unfamiliar. I see my empty, clean desk - no towering, toppling cutout felt stacks, spools of unraveling thread, random bits of scrap and fluff littering my space making my OCD brain crazy. For the last 4 months, I have been a whirlwind of planning, sewing, processing orders, trips to the post office, reams of paper, boxes and boxes of printer ink, and so many yards of felt - I don't even know the count. Now, finally, the quiet... My desk is clear - who knew it was white underneath? My sewing machine sits idly in the corner, cooling down for the first time in way too long. I still giggle at the weekly cleaning of my trusty machine - pulling out enough fluffy felt fibers to stuff an apple.

So, with the utter relief of all Christmas orders shipped out and no customer cue cards papering my computer monitor, I have days of freedom before me. I really do not know when my shop will reopen for business, but I promise myself that it will not be until I have had a great long rest, am restocked (I will NEVER sell items I don't have in stock again - playing catch-up sucks!) and am excited to sit down and sew again. I greatly look forward to my days of knitting, baking, making homemade marshmallows and being a lazy bum playing games and blocks on the floor with my two kids. I have been the Elephant balancing on the ball, and am ready for a more steady foundation.

The long absence...

2009-12-13T20:01:00.000-07:00

The holiday season has begun with a KABOOM (instead of a bang) this year. Please forgive my long absence from blogging - I have been flooded with sales and special requests for the Christmas season, and my once-ample stock of felt play food has been almost completely depleted.

So, with my head barely "above water" and my "to do" list is down to only 7 orders behind (a vast improvement from the 15 or so), I feel I can almost breathe! I am so excited for the Christmas holiday to spend with my family baking gingerbread, sledding, making our snowman, and going to see the beautiful Christmas lights in downtown Salt Lake City. I just hope I can get a leg up on these orders and get them out the door in time for Christmas.

Stay tuned - I have LOTS of great new designs coming out in January, or as soon as sales slow down enough for me to make & list them in my shop! I have several new ORIGINALS that can not be found on Etsy, or anywhere else, and I am so excited to "unveil" them!

Special Order Surprises

2009-11-07T12:49:00.000-07:00

I love getting custom orders! It can be easy to get stuck in a bit of a play food rut when making multiples of one item over and over again. The creative juice just dries up. Then along comes a lovely custom request that shakes things up, gets my problem-solving left-brain clunking into gear, thinking of new ways to approach a play food item and its design logistics.

I have some really fun items "cooking" lately and wanted to share a few. The Burrito Chips and Salsa set makes me drool for my favorite local Lone Star Taqueria, if only the felt version could taste as good! I also love the yogurt cups that were a custom design requested from a large wholesale order. My kids love taking the lids off, grabbing their spoons and playing snack time with them. Now I just have to hide a few for my customers!

Halloween Tricks

2009-11-03T08:01:00.000-07:00

Blood. Gore. Hearts racing in panic. Frantic 911 call. A race to the hospital. No, I am not describing the latest teen-horror movie, this was our Halloween night - only for real.

We started out with a great weekend but who could have guessed that it could change so fast? We were getting ready to leave for trick-or-treating (literally walking out the door), Austin comes running in the house holding his hand, which is dripping blood. We both rush to the bathroom in shock as his hand is literally gushing blood all over the sink. I have never seen anyone bleed so much! Of course, we weren't sure how bad the cut was, as we had hand towels covering it and didn't want to remove the pressure, but when Austin soaked through 2 hand towels in about as many minutes and passed out cold on the floor - I grabbed my phone and called 911. Thank goodness we live 2 blocks from the Police station! We had a Police Officer, an Ambulance and a Fire Truck there within 4 minutes. Needless to say, I was nearly hysterical!

We were so grateful that he wasn't serious enough to require an ambulance ride, so I rushed him to the ER. So there began our 4 hour wait in the ER. When he got cleaned up and we finally saw the doctor, we found out that he had a deep, 2 inch laceration on his thumb. So, 7 stitches and a Tetanus shot later, we finally left and drove home to a quiet house. Halloween was over, and we had missed the highlight of trick or treating with our kids.

Since our ordeal, I have been a bit behind in my orders but am finally getting my shop and production back on track. So, I have had my fill of Halloween terror and gore for the rest of my life, and greatly look forward to a normal, blood-free and HAPPY Halloween next year!!

Friday Feature - GreenManShop

2009-10-24T08:21:00.000-06:00

I am always on the lookout for gorgeous shops on Etsy, shops that combine superior craftsmanship, eco-friendly materials and amazing aesthetics. So this week, I would love to introduce you all to one of my long time favorites - GreenManShop

"We design and make by ourselves a variety of unique items aimed for children, a well as adults. They are not just toys, and are made with a lot of thought and with caring hands. We believe that all of us, children or grown-ups, are entitled to enjoy high quality, natural, hand made toys, the kind of toys that can become dear friends to be cherished for many years."

The doll is one of my absolute favorites, it is called The Eternal Hug It is a Mother and Daughter Waldorf style doll that is all about love. I love the beautiful, simple faces! Plus, they are made with cotton linen and stuffed with all-natural unbleached cotton.

Another of my absolute favorite items is their Elephant Rider. The originality and craftsmanship of this pair is inspired by India, where two of their children were born - "a country in which elephants actually roam in the streets and are loved as gods by all people. Seeing an elephant so close-up and in such a mundane way makes reality somehow much less reasonable and more magical."

I am excited to see their new dolls coming out soon, and can't wait to purchase one for my little girl - though with the addition of new dolls to their shop, it is going to be that much harder to choose! Happy shopping!

What I'm Working on Today

2009-10-22T15:08:00.001-06:00

After a delightful soiree to Pumpkin Land with my little Man's Kindergarten class this morning, I am back at my desk, feverishly trying to crank out Ham Sandwich Sets, Chips & Grape bunches before school lets out for the day - the time when I switch gears into full Mommy mode. Sometimes I dream of "self-stitching" grapes that will just magically assemble themselves together, because 10 grape sets can get tedious when you hit that 100th grape ball. Though, that negates the whole purpose of "handmade" so I'll just keep plugging along.

I am planning several new items for my shop in the next few weeks. Especially with the plethora of pumpkins today (we picked out 2 GIANT pumpkins for the front porch) it is making me think that I need a little pumpkin & squash set in my shop.

Palumba Days

2009-10-12T07:42:00.000-06:00

I finally confess visually why I have been a reclusive office-hermit. After weeks of planning, ordering and supply waiting, there came the wonderfully-dreaded month of non-stop, full-production sewing to finish a rather large order I was blessed to receive this summer. Being mostly a small, one-at-a-time maker of felt play food, this avalanche order of felt toys was a make-or-break offer for me.

The pictures are terrible, I confess, but standing on tip-toe on our highest chair, trying to frame this in was a challenge, so please forgive the photography. It also doesn't look as impressive when viewed with half of the items bagged up - I was under a shipping deadline & refused to unpack the 11 piece Breakfast set, the 18 piece Turkey set, & the 28 piece Pizzas, just to get a mere photo, but believe me - it was awesome!

So, with deadline looming and never having tackled an order this large, I was sweating bullets to get this 1300 individual-piece order done in the month that I had. I won't even mention that I still had my family, house, Church activities and an increasingly-busy Etsy shop to run all at the same time. So, to my friends and family - this is the reason you saw so little of me this last month and a half!

It was a wonderful experience, a great lesson in time management, and precision planning. Most special thank you's to the endless patience and support from my wonderful husband and children (I "neglect" you no longer, my luvs!)

So, after 18 yards of wool felt, 25 spools of thread, 2 scissor sharpenings, and more hours at my desk than I would like to confess - and even less sleep, I am finally finished - earning a well deserved break from felt food... oh, wait - strike that - the Holiday season is approaching... NO BREAKS! Work, work, work Becca!

The Great Crash of 2009

2009-10-04T13:21:00.000-06:00

It finally happened. After months of limping along with my faithful iMac G4 - which is considerably old, the great crash came & took with it all my vital info, documents, & meticulous records (thank goodness for paper backups). Needless to say, I was devastated & more than a bit miffed that my computer had the audacity to crash completely without notifying me of its intentions in time to back up my hard drive. Oh well, I guess that is the way things go. So after 2 days of shopping, I am back online with a Ferarri of a Mac, humming quietly away as I lovingly tap the keys... Funny how you don't know what you are missing until you try something new - in this case, it was like my old iMac was a 1950s jalopy & I have just been given the aforementioned sports car. Aaah, the wind in my hair!

My Studio

2009-09-23T08:33:00.000-06:00

Much to the chagrin of my husband, I have almost completely taken over "our" office. Bins full of felt, batting & boxes overflow the closet, my 2 desks take up 70% of the room, & my poor, sweet hubby's fly-tying desk is relegated to the tiniest corner. At least he is next to me when we both work however, so that makes my guilt a little more sweet.

Ever since a giant wholesale order has taken over my life as CEO of Bug Bites Play Food, I feel like I live my life in this small 12'x12' cave. Thank goodness my kids love to play at my feet or sit on my lap while I sew! So with desk overflowing with cut-out play food waiting to be assembled & sewn, random scraps, thread & wool fluffies all over my floor, I trudge on through the seemingly endless piles of felt all in the hopes that one day I will have order to my space, a large, sunny bay window in front of me & my husband, still tying his beautiful flies still by my side.

Felt Cookie Tutorial

2009-09-18T16:47:00.000-06:00

Everyone loves cookies! Especially Little Chefs, so here is my chance to share the love & give you the opportunity to make your own cookies! These are super easy, fun & infinite variations are out there for color & design combinations. Have fun!

Supplies:
Scissors
Cream Felt
Pink Felt
Cream Thread
Pink Thread
Needle
Poly Fill or Wool Stuffing

1. Cut out 2 Cream felt (2 1/2") circles; Cut out 1 (2") Pink Felt circle, scalloping the edges however you like.

2. Pull out an arm's length of pink thread. Double up the thread so it is 2 strands thick. Tie a knot in the end & thread it on the needle. Starting on the underside of the cookie, bring the needle up through the 2 layers & back down. Continue along the edge of the pink felt in this whip stitch. Continue until you reach the beginning point & tie off the thread underneath the cream felt so the knot is not visible.

3. Pull out another arm's length of cream thread (Brown thread shown here for visibility). Double up the thread so it is 2 strands thick & tie a knot in the end & thread it on the needle. Insert the needle between the 2 layers & bring it up through the top layer (frosting layer) only - this is so the knot is hidden between the 2 layers.

This seam will be finished with a Blanket Stitch, which looks nice & neat, but you may finish with the same Whip Stitch as used with the frosting along this edge if you prefer.

Confused about a Blanket Stitch? See this tutorial from Primrose Design

Continue the Blanket stitch until you are about 1-2 inches from the starting point. Stop here.

4. Now take your Poly Fill stuffing & fill the cookie.

5. After the cookie is filled, continue your Blanket Stitch & close up the hole. Tie a knot at the starting stitch & take the needle through the middle of the cookie, bringing it out anywhere & cut the thread so it tucks back inside.

You are finished! Looks great, you did it & are on your way to being a Master Felt Pastry Chef. There are endless variations of frosting & cookie color & design combinations to play with. Try different shapes, colors & toppings for each cookie. Think felt, beads, french knots, etc...

I'd love to see what you come up with!

Cheers!

School Lunch & Hoggogs

2009-09-18T08:25:00.000-06:00

School Lunch & what?! Since having kids a number of years ago, I have discovered that completely ordinary words take on new nicknames once spoken from the mouth of a precocious 2 year old. Simple words like "umbrella" turn to "rain-brella," "grapes" into "bubba's" and "hot dogs" into "hoggogs." It just charms the frazzled-mother right out of me & makes me smile. With that knowledge, my play food hot dogs were christened "hoggogs" and have been called that ever since.

To celebrate my other little precocious child, I decided a small felt tribute to the first days of Kindergarten were in order, so here is a mini school-sized milk carton & apple. My two little darlings love to pretend it is school lunch time, pop out their Ham Sandwich lunch sets with their new Milk & Apple addition & imagine away.

This Traffic Jam...

2009-09-13T19:11:00.000-06:00

Today was a great day for Bug Bites Play food - I was thrilled to login to my shop & see that I was featured in an Etsy Storque article: Etsy Finds: Room for the Whole Family. A delightful collection of home decor & playroom/bedroom essentials. I am happy to be included with them!

So far this evening, I have experienced an incredible amount of new hearts to my shop, & I am just itching to see what Analytics has to report about today! So come I say, bring on the traffic jam!

What I'm Working on Today....

2009-09-09T10:29:00.001-06:00

A busy week it has been, & there's no end in sight with a wholesale deadline looming & new orders coming in. I am especially focusing on Holiday items today, making Halloween & Christmas cookies for my shop. I have some new designs in the works - watch for Candy Corn Sugar Cookies for Halloween, as well as new Christmas cookie designs - Bell, Star, Stocking, Tree, Snowman & of course the Gingerbread men felt cookies from last season.

I continue to plug away on the Palumba toys order, I think it will be a felt food Pizza day today, with pizza crusts, pizza sauces, & a few hundred toppings to complete. I can't wait to be finished & take the photo of all the items - I might need a wide-angle lens!!

Cheers!

Wool Felt vs. Eco-Fi Polyester Felt Comparison

2009-09-07T06:54:00.000-06:00

Ahh, the great debate - ok, for BugBites Play Food that is... The question of which material is better to use for felt food toys. I have been debating for years which felt to use & have come up with a complete breakdown of Wool/Rayon Felt vs. Eco-Fi Polyester Felt, with both Pros & Cons listed.

Wool/Rayon Felt

Wool is a Natural Fiber
Rayon is made from Cellulosic Fibers (made from cotton or pine wood). Rayon is one of the most peculiar fabrics in commercial use today. Rayon is a manufactured regenerated cellulose fiber. Because it is produced from naturally occurring polymers, it is neither a truly synthetic fiber nor a natural fiber, it is a semi-synthetic fiber. Strictly speaking, it is not an artificial fiber, because it is derived from naturally occurring cellulose. It is not, however, a natural fabric, because cellulose requires extensive processing to become rayon. Rayon is usually classified as a manufactured fiber and considered to be “regenerated cellulose”. This complex process results in a great deal of environmental pollution. Courtesy: wisegeek.com
Stronger than polyester, doesn't stretch.
Renewable & environmentally friendly resource.
Highly resilient, retaining its strength & unique properties for decades.
Dry Clean Only
Allergy Risk for those with wool allergies.
Expensive - around $8 a yard (36"x 36") - or $16 a yard when compared to the 72" yard of eco-felt.

Eco Felt

Ecospun is a polyester fiber made from 100% recycled plastic bottles.
Ecospun enables billions of plastic containers to be recycled each year, instead of them being buried in landfill. 10 bottles = 1 pound of fiber or 2 yds of felt
Recycled Eco-Felt is compliant with the Consumer Product Safety Act, including lead limits, making it a great choice for children.
Machine washable
Allergy-Free
Vegan
Inexpensive - $6 a yard for a (72"x 72")

Also, Eco-Fi has the capacity to keep billions of plastic PET bottles out of the world’s landfills each year by using post-consumer plastic bottles instead of virgin materials in the fiber manufacturing process. By doing this, we can lower harmful air emissions and save millions of barrels of oil from being used which, in turn, reduces the harmful effects of acid rain, global warming, and smog.

Fabrics made from Eco-fi fiber are chemically and functionally nearly identical to those made from non-recycled fiber. The difference is that Eco-fi fiber is made without depleting the Earth’s natural resources. With properties such as strength, softness, shrinkage-resistance, and colorfastness, market applications for Eco-fi are expanding every day. Courtesy: Eco-fi.com

Here’s how the Ecospun process goes:

Plastic containers are collected from curbside and community recycling centers
The containers are sorted by type and color
All labels and caps are stripped off
The plastic containers are then washed
Then they’re crushed
Then they’re chopped into flake
The flakes are then melted and extruded to create fiber
The fiber is crimped, cut, drawn, then stretched into the desired length (based on its strength), then baled. Courtesy: Eco-fi.com

I have been using the Eco-Felt for 2 years & am loving the durability, color selection & price, above all, as it lets me keep my costs down to make felt food more affordable. I also love the fact that Eco-felt is machine washable! I wouldn't dry it in the dryer, as it tends to "pill" up, but the thought that I can wash the toys - especially after they have been mouthed & played with, is great. One of the only downsides to Eco-felt is that it tends to stretch, which can be helpful when making the toys, as it "gives" a bit when making certain shapes, but the downside is that it can be torn out of shape if stretched & played with too roughly. Wool felt does not have this problem.

After working with wool felt exclusively for a rather large wholesale order for Palumba toys, I am seriously considering offering wool felt food in my shop as well. I am enjoying the feeling of the wool, its strength, its softness & the beautiful colors available (though I have to order it online). I greatly dislike paying almost twice as much per yard as the Eco-Felt, but I think there are people out there who love the feeling of wool despite its price & non-washability.

So for me, I think I am going to enjoy the best of both worlds & use Eco-Felt & Wool/Rayon Felt interchangeably throughout my sewing, enjoying the benefits that each material has to offer.

Knotted Love

2009-09-06T17:52:00.001-06:00

Ok, as if I needed one more hobby (I sculpt, paint, throw pottery, draw, sew) to add to my list, I have done it again... knitting. I have always wanted to learn this beautiful art form that also brings a daily functionality to the finished product.

As I am an incredibly visual person (artist), I cant tell you my favorite color, because I love all of them. I confess, a favorite pastime is to expand the color palette or swatch boxes on Photoshop & try to pick my favorite color. I still can't. I love the intricate, swirling moods they place me in at the moment I see each color. I swear I was on the color-mixing committe in God's art studio (lol).

So with my passion for color confessed, I have fallen in love with several shops on etsy & am particularly enamored with the following items:

This Hand Painted Superwash Wool-Nylon Sock Yarn by SeeJayneKnitYarns is such a beautiful blend of cool purples & blues, I can just imagine the visual dance I would do with this yarn & some knitting needles. She has a shop full of incredible hand-painted yarns and really fun stitch markers.

Another shop that is full of eye candy is homelab. I have fallen in love with these Fingerless Red Gloves. The button accents are a great addition. Homelab also has amazing Cable Knit Fingerless Gloves (a similar pair to the ones seen in a certain vampire film), Shrugs & Scarfs.

This adorable Pink Pea in a Pod by forthetiny makes me want to have another baby to swaddle in such a warm cozy pod, or just knit a giant one for me to cuddle up in on cold nights.

I LOVE socks & have a strange fetish for knee-high & toe socks. So, diving into knitting, I bravely (or foolishly) have started a pair for my first project. I am stumbling my way through them, but hope to one day be comfortable enough to do more than just a simple K2, P2 Rib stitch & move into patterns like this beautiful pair of socks by FearlessFibers which have a lace panel with a diamond motif bordered by bands of a mock cable twist stitch. All I can say is wow.

So, to all you talented & fabulous knitters who have been perfecting the art of twisting yarn into intricate patterns, I take my hat off to you as I join your ranks - the newest of newbies & look forward to posting more about this "knotted love" that I have found.

200 Sales!

2009-09-02T08:49:00.001-06:00

A great milestone for me - I just had my 200th sale yesterday, & am ecstatic at the success of my small little business. It is also a big event, as my shop turned 1 year old just last week!

I look back to last August when I decided on my business name, signed on to etsy & started timidly listing items. I have to say that I laugh a little at myself at my ineptitude at the beginning. I knew very little about running a business, making up for that with many late nights reading business models, blogs & attending every Newbie Chat in the Etsy Virtual Labs I could. I owe many thanks to Danielle at etsy for her expertise & patience with me, as I think I asked the most questions in her labs for several weeks & I'm sure she was relieved when I felt confident enough to stand on my own two feet. Bless her!

I still remember the unbelievable rush when I made my first sale - a Ham Sandwich Lunch set to a wonderful customer, who still buys from me. Funny, but I remember thinking "wow, someone really likes something that I made enough to buy it?" I still smile to myself & call my husband each time I make a sale - he is sweet enough to be as excited as I am. I don't know what I would do without my "Idea Man" & my best supporter. I thank all of my customers who give me these excited smiles with my husband each time.

Well, a year & 200 sales later, I am more excited at the prospect of the coming year. I have many new designs in the works, much more business experience & am a much more streamlined & confident seamstress. Though my business is growing, I still remember the reasons why I started in the first place - to rid children's toyboxes of mass-produced, toxic, junk-plastic toys in favor of toys that educate & encourage imaginative play. I love the thought of over 200 children around the world playing with a toy that is made with all the love that seams can hold.

What I'm Working On Today...

2009-08-18T09:08:00.000-06:00

Today is busy! I have been blessed with a very large wholesale order for a toy company & am frantically getting ready for the final production push. After weeks of negotiation, calculation & emails, I am ready to get sewing. But first comes the massive orders of felt from Joann's & Joggles.com.

This order is very different, as all the play food is going to be made with wool felt & wool stuffing. I usually work with polyester eco-felt, so this will be a wonderful challenge. These toys will escape CPSIA regulation because of the natural materials used, & so far, I love the feel of the wool felt - it is very strong & doesn't stretch like the polyester does. I may think about adding some wool felt food to my etsy shop soon.

I have found a wonderful company back East in Pennsylvania called Earl Woolen Mills that sells the best wool filling. I found them through a google search & related blog links. They don't have a website, so I called & spoke to a delightful woman whom was very helpful in helping me order my wool batting. I can't wait to receive it!

So today, I am finalizing my fabric order, sewing 30 little handstitched "Popcorn" labels for popcorn bags & am prepping to tackle the 360 popcorn kernels that need to be sewn. The stacks of felt on my desk is almost overwhelming! I am so happy to be so busy.

This is Me

2009-08-05T08:04:00.000-06:00

As I browse etsy & other handcrafted sites, I often wonder what type of people are behind the genius crafts they create. So, in effort to see what all of you out there are like, here's a bit about me.

25 random things about me:

1. I started my business because I was tired of throwing out Lead Recalled toys, & wanted to offer my kids toys that are educational & safe.
2. I love to paint with watercolors & would do it every day if I had the time.
3. I regularly get my butt handed to me in chess by my husband, but am able to beat him if I fight dirty.
4. I love Futurama - I usually watch an episode every night before sleep.
5. If I had super powers, I would want to fly & be able to read people's minds.
6. I love to watch people. I don't naturally interact well with others, but am fascinated by watching them.
7. I am terrified of centipedes - even small ones. Working on a Hawaiian papaya farm with "finger-thick" centipedes will do that to you
8. I cant drink milk, eat Chinese food, red meat or pork - they make me puke.
9. I would swim laps every day if I could. I plan on having my own pool someday.
10. I have a bizarre love of toe socks.
11. I love ferrets & will have a dozen some day.
12. I regularly stumble over & twist my words. I absolutely can't say words like "buck futter" (from Saturday Night Live) or "have a pheasant-plucking day" - I get into big trouble!
13. I am absolutely head-over-heels, completely, irrevocably, & utterly in love with my hot sexy husband!
14. If I could invent anything, I would invent a time-freezing machine so I could enjoy stages of my kids a little longer - they grow way to fast for me.
15. I want to be a painter when I grow up.
16. I was a pitcher in softball for 9 years when I was younger.
17. I grew up with boys & am a huge tomboy - though my girlfriends now that I am older are definitely the best!
18. I never eat junk food, soda or candy - except really good gourmet dark chocolate.
19. Orchids are my favorite flower, but I can't have them in my current house because our salty water kills them - as I've proven at least 14 times so far. I have to endure the silk ones for now.
20. I love my sketchbook. It is filled with drawings of my kids, my feet, & flowers.
21. If I could go back to college, I would study Dietetics & become a Nutritionist.
22. I love flyfishing & am fortunately married to an expert fly fishing guide, though I regularly out-fish him!
23. I suffer from severe "buyer's remorse" & regularly put items back before checking out or return them - even if I need them, because I can't handle the sticker shock.
24. I love being outdoors - biking is my therapy.
25. I am extremely shy & hate walking into a room full of people.

Well, that's me - now I tag YOU & would love to read about you in the comments section!

Candy Dreams

2009-07-20T16:35:00.000-06:00

I just can't stay away from chocolate - I will admit it openly... "Hello, my name is Rebecca & I am a choc-o-holic." Even my play food business cant escape my chocolate addiction. So here is the newest item cooked up in the Bug Bites sweet shop: Chocolate Candy Bars! Just please don't lick it, the fuzz doesn't melt in your mouth...

This life-sized bar fits into its felt wrapper perfectly & is held inside by a velcro tab - so much fun for Little Chef's, my daughter loves to carry her bar around, wrapping & unwrapping it. A future Willy Wonka someday?

Now, if you want to try the real thing - I highly recommend Green & Blacks Organic Ginger, Organic Mint & any of their Organic Dark Bars. For a real twist, & for the adventurous chocoholic like myself, try Chuao Spicy Maya Chocolate - spicy, tingly & ooooh so delicious! Now, off to my chocolate stash to indulge!

Breakfast Buffet

2009-07-15T08:38:00.000-06:00

With a busy summer season of Farmer's Markets, craft shows & kids fairs, I have been creating new items like mad & am excited to add 2 of my favorite breakfast items to the Bug Bites kitchens - Cinnamon Rolls & French Toast. Just seeing these makes me want to bust out my flour, eggs & cinnamon & get baking! I have always been a breakfast-person & love making my own culinary loves come to life in felt.

I have a spectacular recipe for Cinnamon Rolls that I thought I would share so you can make your own real versions of these breakfast favorites!

Quick Cinnamon Buns
Filling:
3/4 C. packed Brown Sugar
1/4 C. Granulated Sugar
2 tsp. Cinnamon
1/8 tsp. Cloves
1/8 tsp. Salt
1 Tb. Unsalted Butter, melted

Dough:
2 1/2 C. all-purpose Flour, plus extra for the counter
2 Tb. Sugar
1 1/4 tsp. Baking Powder
1/2 tsp. Baking Soda
1/2 tsp. Salt
1 1 /4 C. Buttermilk
6 Tb. Unsalted Butter, melted

Glaze:
3 Tb. Cream Cheese, softened
2 Tb. Buttermilk
1 1/2 C. Confectioner's Sugar

1. Heat oven to 425 degrees. Coat both a 9" nonstick round cake pan & a wire cooling rack with vegetable oil spray.
2. For the Filling: Combine filling ingredients in a bowl until mixture resembles wet sand.
3. For the Dough: Whisk dry ingredients together in a large bowl. Whisk buttermilk & 2 Tb. of melted butter together. Stir buttermilk mixture into the flour mixture with a wooden spoon until absorbed (dough looks shaggy), about 30 seconds. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured counter & knead until smooth, 1 minute.
4. Press dough into a 9x12 inch rectangle using your hands. Brush dough with 2 Tb. of remaining melted butter. Sprinkle dough evenly with filling, leaving a 1/2 inch border, then press firmly into the dough.
5. Loosen dough from counter with a scraper & starting at a long side, roll the dough, pressing lightly to form a tight log. Pinch the seam to seal. Slice the dough into 8 pieces & place in the pan. Brush with the remaining 2 Tb. melted butter. Bake until edges are golden brown, 20-25 minutes.
6. Use a knife to loosen buns, flip onto wire rack then turn upright & cool for 5 min before glazing.

Courtesy of America's Test Kitchens

Unintentional Environmentalism

2009-06-05T13:00:00.001-06:00

I am not an environmentalist. I repeat, I am not an environmentalist... but am I? Now, please don't misunderstand, I LOVE the earth & strongly believe in taking care of Her, cleaning up trash, recycling, using less packaging etc... I just don't want to be labeled as a radical, card-carrying, save-the-planet, stop-global-warming-neo-nazi Al Gore fan - because I am NOT. What I am, however, is a very earth-conscious, pro natural-living mother who is trying each day to do my part to lessen the impact of garbage & pollution. Leaving the planet a better place for my beautiful children.

Example #1: I use 100% Recycled Eco Felt in all my BugBites Toys. I believe that we shouldn't be afraid of toxins, lead & other nasty garbage in our children's toys. I am an advocate for soft, tactile play food that teaches good eating habits & care for the earth through play. What better way than to play with recycled post-consumer plastic bottles? http://bugbitesplayfood.etsy.com

Example #2: I use Cloth Diapers on my baby. This actually started out of desperation at the rising cost of diapers - $70 a month, money I thought could better be used elsewhere (flyfishing trips or buying orchids). Doing my homework on how to cloth diaper also enlightened me on how much damage conventional diapers really do. It is estimated that a child will go through 9,100 diapers in 2 1/2 years of diaper wearing. see Verybaby.com for more: http://verybaby.com/faq . Imagine the landfill space that one child's diapers takes up - by the way, conventional diapers DON'T biodegrate, especially when wrapped tightly & then placed in individually twisted sausage-sections of plastic bag. If only the Diaper Genie® magially made diapers decompose as well... PLUS disposables never look this cute! I found these darling diapers from monkeysnugglesdiaper at her shop on etsy: http://monkeysnugglesdiaper.etsy.com

Example #3: I use handmade Cloth Wipes on my baby. Figure the cost of cloth diapers plus the cost of wipes that just go in the trash - you might as well wipe your child's bum with a dollar bill each time & toss it in the trash... Reusable, cute & much sturdier than the thin, don't-wipe-too-hard-or-you'll-be scrubbing-ick-out of your-fingernails, store-bought wipes... need I say more? I found these adorable wipes from Bundled on http://bundled.etsy.com

Example #4: I use Cloth Lunch & Sandwich Bags. Again the cost of lousy ziplocs that just end up in the trash made me rethink the logic of ziploc. I make my sandwich bags with a nylon inner fabric & cute cotton prints on the outside. They work so much better, are easily washable, & take about 5 minutes to sew myself. These are from Britgaldesigns at http://britgaldesigns.etsy.com

Example #5: I use Cloth Feminine Pads. Okay, I am the biggest hippocrite in the world on this one. Growing up, I had never heard of such a thing & thought "eeeeew gross!" at first, wondering why anyone would ever try cloth menstrual pads. However, after finding out the hard way for years I never knew that I was actually allergic to plastic maxi pads, suffering each month from uneccesary infections & discomfort. Natural cotton is a million times better next to your skin than cancer-causing SODIUM POLYACRYLATE, DIOXINS, & TRIBUTYL TIN (TBT). Besides, if lovely, soft, natural cloth is good enough for my daughter's bum, why not mine? These cute pads are from an etsy seller named Pleat - see her shop here: http://www.pleat.etsy.com

Taking stock of some of my habits over the last year, I have come to the conclusion that I am inadvertently a serious advocate of "Green" living. We all would do better to improve our lives, pocketbooks & of course Mother Earth by switching from harmful, cancer-causing, chemical-laden plastics & synthetics to natural renewable fibers like cotton & bamboo. Go Green!

Cherry pie in my eye...

2009-04-05T17:54:00.000-06:00

A new season of spring makes me think of new ideas faster than other seasons - so I have 2 new play food designs to present to the BugBites fan-club. I must have pie-on-the-brain because I have been dreaming of these pies and am wanting the real thing a little too badly to confess!

I love the discovery of what pinking shears will do to felt (thanks for the pair Mom!). They bring a feel of real handmade pie crust to the cherry pie - just like my Grandma's.

I guess homemade pies bring me back to family gatherings & make me nostalgic for my childhood summer picnics with dozens of cousins & Aunt Maureen's Lemon Merengue pies. So this newest lemon-mint slice is dedicated to her pastry genius - though it doesn't taste the same - its too hard to pick the fibers out of your teeth. Enjoy!

Missing In Action...

2009-03-28T12:43:00.000-06:00

I have shamefully been neglecting my blog for the last little while, & am re-dedicated to more regular posts. I have been a very busy bee creating new items for my shop, & keeping up with the sometimes overwhelming orders that tend to come in all at once.

I have had the opportunity to sell play food to several stores - including the Children's Museum in Saratoga Springs, NY, a cute little shop in Ohio called Park + Vine & an online Baby Boutique called minimebabygear.com, & am so excited to be a part of these stores. I love the idea that kids all around the world are playing with my toys!

I have been busy creating new items for my shop - the Spring Berry Basket is one of my favorites, along with the re-vamped Boxed Chocolate set that now comes with 6 re-designed pieces of chocolate & its own cute little box. I am working on several new items, including a Grocery set, Crab dinner, & (shhh! don't tell anyone, this is an original!) a Shish-Ka-Bob grill set. Keep your eyes open in my shop for these to come!

Chocolate Dreams

2009-02-17T20:11:00.000-07:00

I dream of Chocolate... not the cheap waxy crap that is the experience of most Americans - but the delectable, velvety dark gourmet chocolate that we shell out the big bucks for. I mean, seriously - who pays $6 per ounce for chocolate? I DO!! And am happy to do so...

So in light of my gourmet chocolate obsession, I developed some felt versions of my favorites - some darks, some milks, some caramels & of course white chocolates. All are hand-stitched with love by me (I drool & dream of the real things while making them).

So, I encourage you to hop on over to my etsy shop, buy these felt chocolates for your Little Chef's play food collection, forget your diet, remember that dark chocolate is good for you & shell out for some real gourmet chocs & treat yourself!

... ok, now its chocolate time for me!

Onward & Upward

2009-02-10T21:17:00.000-07:00

I know, I have been completely neglecting my blog, everyone is probably wondering if I dropped off the face of the earth (I haven't). Other than the few CPSIA call-to-action posts, it has been a barren blogging season for me. So now, with the numbing panic of the CPSIA legislation behind me (for 1 more year at least), I am finally able to focus on blogging & making & listing new products in my shop. My studio (kitchen) has also been sorely neglected & needs a good cleaning!

After a busy January I look forward to all the new items in my head that are bursting to be created! For now, I have broken down my Orchard Fruit set into smaller pairs of fruit for customers who aren't ready to spend the big bucks on the complete set. More customizable.

Keep an eye out in my shop for brand new items not seen on etsy... (hint: new desserts, breakfast items & entrees).

CPSIA

2009-01-27T10:21:00.001-07:00

As parents and concerned citizens I’m sure most of us at one time or another have been confronted with the question of lead poisoning. But have you asked yourself what your government is doing to protect your children from lead contained in toys? The answer? They're banning toys, taking books from schools and libraries, hurting low income families, killing entrepreneurial spirit and risking putting the economy in an even greater depression than we've seen in decades. I'd like to introduce you to their solution: the CPSIA.

Do you know about the CPSIA? No? Then I ask you to take a few minutes to find out about it.

The CPSIA stands for Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act, a new set of laws that will come into effect on 10 February, 2009 and will impact many, many people in a negative way. Make no mistake, this is very real. View it for yourself. If Forbes, the American Library Association and numerous other media are paying attention, perhaps you should too.

How will these new laws affect you? Well, here are a few examples:

To the Parents of Young Students:
Due to the new law, expect to see the cost of school supplies sky rocket. While those paper clips weren't originally intended for your student to use, they will need to be tested now that your 11-year-old needs them for his school project. This law applies to any and all school supplies (textbooks, pencils, crayons, paper, etc.) being used by children under 12.

To the Avid Reader:
Due to the new law, all children's books will be pulled from library and school shelves, as there is no exemption for them. That’s okay though, there's always television. Our children don’t need to learn the love of reading after all.
Article from the American Library Association http://www.wo.ala.org/districtdispatch/?p=1322

To the Lover of All Things Handmade:
Due to the new law, you will now be given a cotton ball and an instruction manual so you can make it yourself since that blanket you originally had your eye on for $50 will now cost you around $1,000 after it's passed testing. It won't even be the one-of-a-kind blanket you were hoping for. Items are destroyed in the testing process making one-of-a-kind items virtually impossible. So that gorgeous hand-knit hat you bought your child this past winter won’t be available next winter.

To the Environmentalist:
Due to the new law, all items in non-compliance will now be dumped into our already overflowing landfills. Imagine not just products from the small business owners, but the Big Box Stores as well. You can't sell it so you must toss it. Or be potentially sued for selling it. You can't even give them away. If you are caught, it is still a violation.

To the Second-Hand Shopper:
Due to the new law, you will now need to spend $20 for that brand new pair of jeans for your 2-year old, rather than shop at the Goodwill for second hand. Many resale shops are eliminating children's items all together to avoid future lawsuits.

To the Entrepreneur:
Due to this new law, you will be forced to adhere to strict testing of your unique products or discontinue to make and/or sell them. Small businesses will be likely to be unable to afford the cost of testing and be forced to close up shop. Due to the current economic state, you'll have to hope for the best when it comes to finding a new job in Corporate America.

To the Antique Toy Collector:
Due to the new law, you'd better start buying now because it's all going to private collection and will no longer be available to purchase. “Because the new rules apply retroactively, toys and clothes already on the shelf will have to be thrown out if they aren't certified as safe.” http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123189645948879745.html

To the American Economy:
Already struggling under an economy that hasn’t been this weak in decades, the American economy will be hit harder with the inevitable loss of jobs and revenues from suppliers, small businesses and consumers. The required testing is far too costly and restrictive for small businesses or individuals to undertake.

To the Worldwide Economy:
Due to this new law, many foreign manufacturers have already pulled out of the US market. You can imagine the impact of this on their businesses.

If you think this is exaggerating, here is a recent article from Forbes
http://www.forbes.com/2009/01/16/cpsia-safety-toys-oped-cx_wo_0116olson.html

And for those of you prepared to be stupefied and boggled, The New Law
http://www.cpsc.gov/about/cpsia/cpsia.html

Did you know? If this upsets or alarms you, please react.

Ten Thousand Dollar Toys

2009-01-22T17:44:00.001-07:00

There is a video game called "De Blob" - my son loves it, the premise of the game is that this imaginary world gets invaded by the evil "Inkies" who come down & steal all the colors. They suck up each color up in little "ink-bots" & the city is drab & gray. Until the hero of the game, the Blob - who conveniently enough is a blob of PAINT, comes to reclaim & repaint the city. He smashes the ink-bots, absorbs their color & off he goes to re-color the city & its inhabitants. Now, I am not here to promote this delightful game, but as I watched my son play this, I was horribly reminded of the Consumer Product Safety Commission - they are the INKIES!!! They have descended upon us/me with the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act to suck out all the colorful, fun & handmade toys from our world.

I want to introduce you to my new "Spring Line" of play food that will debut on Feb 10th if the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act is unchanged. This is a CPSIA-compliant set of fruit - made of course with UN-dyed, UN-treated organic cotton. Doesn't it look like FUN? Kids can just imagine the beautiful colors while they play Chef, Tea Party & Dress up. Order yours today!
Another seller on etsy.com, thetangledwoods fabulous item "ball of wool" is one of my new favorites!
http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=19984444 .
These two toys are examples of the future of handmade toys available on etsy & at your nearest boutique.

Or if your blood is a little richer, you can purchase my Ham Sandwich Lunch set which has been unchanged, but due to exorbitant testing fees to make toys CPSIA-compliant, costs a mere $10,080. Yes you read it right that IS the cost for this Lunch Set. The new CPSIA law that will go into effect Feb. 10, 2009 will require that each store selling products for children under the age of 12 test each product in our shops for lead.

Each component will cost $70 and this Lunch Set has 24 components - 14 colors of felt, 8 colors of thread, poly fill stuffing & foam - each needing to be tested making the charge $1680. Add in the additional $350 per component for phthalates testing and that adds another $8400 making this Lunch Set that originally cost $35 to the grand total of $10080.00!!! Maybe Bill Gates can afford this toy?

So, my question is, where is our "Blob?" Who is going to come & color our world back to the beautiful fun place it used to be? If something is not done soon, if our voices are not heard this will be the future of our children's playtime as brilliantly illustrated by MiniMonster: http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?ref=sr_list_1&listing_id=20057955

I hope for all our sakes that this law can be changed.

Feasting International

2009-01-12T17:23:00.000-07:00

Inspired by a special request, I am pleased to introduce a new item to my shop straight from the BugBites kitchens - Greek Pita & Hummus Sandwiches!

These have long been a favorite of mine & I am surprised it has taken me this long to think of making this food in felt. This pocket sandwich comes with all the traditional fillings - Hummus (or Falafel if you really want traditional), Lettuce, Tomato & Cucumber slices - all of which fit neatly inside the Pita Bread pocket. Enjoy!

Help Save Handmade Toys in the USA from the CPSIA (from http://sites.google.com/site/handmadetoyalliance/)

2008-12-19T06:45:00.000-07:00

The issue:

In 2007, large toy manufacturers who outsource their production to China and other developing countries violated the public’s trust. They were selling toys with dangerously high lead content, toys with unsafe small part, toys with improperly secured and easily swallowed small magnets, and toys made from chemicals that made kids sick. Almost every problem toy in 2007 was made in China.

The United States Congress rightly recognized that the Consumer Products Safety Commission (CPSC) lacked the authority and staffing to prevent dangerous toys from being imported into the US. So, they passed the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act (CPSIA) in August, 2008. Among other things, the CPSIA bans lead and phthalates in toys, mandates third-party testing and certification for all toys and requires toy makers to permanently label each toy with a date and batch number.

All of these changes will be fairly easy for large, multinational toy manufacturers to comply with. Large manufacturers who make thousands of units of each toy have very little incremental cost to pay for testing and update their molds to include batch labels.

For small American, Canadian, and European toymakers, however, the costs of mandatroy testing will likely drive them out of business.

A toymaker, for example, who makes wooden cars in his garage in Maine to supplement his income cannot afford the $4,000 fee per toy that testing labs are charging to assure compliance with the CPSIA.
A work at home mom in Minnesota who makes dolls to sell at craft fairs must choose either to violate the law or cease operations.
A small toy retailer in Vermont who imports wooden toys from Europe, which has long had stringent toy safety standards, must now pay for testing on every toy they import.
And even the handful of larger toy makers who still employ workers in the United States face increased costs to comply with the CPSIA, even though American-made toys had nothing to do with the toy safety problems of 2007.

The CPSIA simply forgot to exclude the class of toys that have earned and kept the public’s trust: Toys made in the US, Canada, and Europe. The result, unless the law is modified, is that handmade toys will no longer be legal in the US.

If this law had been applied to the food industry, every farmers market in the country would be forced to close while Kraft and Dole prospered.

How You can Help:
PLEASE write to your United States Congress Person and Senator to request changes in the CPSIA to save handmade toys. Use this sample letter or write your own. You can find your Congress Person here and Senator here.

Choose Your Favorite Toy!

2008-12-11T15:03:00.000-07:00

Through the blur of the last few weeks, I have shamefully & unintentionally neglected my blog... to remedy that, I have great news: my Breakfast Set was chosen to be in the etsy.com Vote for Best Toy! One of among 60 other amazing pieces in the voting pool, I hope my pancakes do well. I am delighted to be noticed by the etsy admin & am just happy to have the extra exposure to my shop if nothing else! Check it out & vote at:
http://www.etsy.com/storque/etc/holiday-2008-choose-your-favorite-toy-3044/

Happy Voting!

Product Review - BabyBug Shoes

2008-11-22T17:45:00.000-07:00

Its "high-five" product review time! After searching Etsy for baby shoes for my little one, I chanced upon www.BabyBugShoeDesigns.etsy.com & was thrilled to find the perfect baby shoes! When my pairs (yes, I got 2!) arrived, I popped them onto Aubrey's tootsies, & they haven't left her feet since!

These shoes are excellently handcrafted using a high quality, faux suede material that has a soft/plush feel and is very comfortable on little feet. The soles are made from a rubber-coated polyester fabric, which has superior grip whether wet or dry, which is excellent on our slippery tile floor! These shoes also may be machine washed and dried, which is priceless! I love how flexible they are - for cruising & walking practice.

I highly recommend checking out BabyBugShoeDesigns shop, she also offers monogramming & many cute styles of shoes (be sure to see the Mary Jane's). The seller was extremely easy to work with, friendly & I will definitely be back for more shoes! Happy shopping...

Holiday Play Food

2008-11-18T10:55:00.000-07:00

Holiday season is upon us! The time of chilly winter mornings, steaming hot soup, holiday decorating, cold little noses, snowball fights, sledding, baking comfort foods candy-making & new items in the bugbites kitchens!

This week I am featuring a new item not found in other shops - candy canes! Nothing beats the smell of peppermint & these play food canes are sure to bring out the kid in all of us. Great for tea time treats, imaginary peppermint wands, a new Candyland game piece, gift for friends or just hang 'em on your Christmas tree! They make me nostalgic just thinking about them - like the candycane exchage back in elementary school...

As for our family, we look forward to making real chocolate-dipped candy canes & caramel corn as gifts for loved ones & treats for ourselves!

Production Peek

2008-11-05T08:29:00.000-07:00

Just a peek into my newest item in production - Banana Splits! I am surprised at this, but I've yet to see these on etsy. The in's & out's of this design have been tricky, but I am pleased with it so far. The toppings will be removable - with the exception of the cherry, which is sewn on the whipped cream. Don't want little lost cherries rolling around.

This of course is a raw photo, thread hanging out & all.. but that's just life isn't it? I am thinking of a bowl, but haven't decided on plastic or felt. I guess whichever I can get done first. I am looking forward to the Holiday Season & am hoping this is a big seller. Happy Shopping!

Thanksgiving Turkey Dinner

2008-10-27T14:46:00.001-06:00

Thanksgiving Turkey Dinner Plate
Originally uploaded by rebeccabug

Turkey time! I made this Thanksgiving dinner set for my little ones, who love to pretend to cook. My little Chef will be as busy as me on Thanksgiving! It is similar to the chicken dinner set, however it has been modified a bit with more vegetables (come on, this is Thanksgiving we're talking about! MORE FOOD!) & a side of cranberry sauce. Keep your eyes open in my shop for a whole turkey complete with stuffing that is coming soon!

Peony Onesie Product Review

2008-10-10T08:46:00.000-06:00

I love shopping on etsy - I love the incredible artists that make up the etsy empire... So, when I find a particularly amazing item, I shout out support for it!

I love this Peony flower onesie that was made by adorablefiend. It is beautiful, eye-pleasing & looks great on this gorgeous little girl! She custom paints the images (I have another one of a Sakura blossom) onto a white onesie - it even has a flower on the bum!

Check out her shop to see her awesome work! adorablefiend.etsy.com

Caramel Apple Time!

2008-10-07T17:52:00.000-06:00

Autumn is here, so it is befitting to create some Harvest Festival favorites - Caramel Apples! These tasties are life size with the "caramel" felt layer sewn on the apple. The stick is wrapped in felt & securely stitched to the bottom of the apple - perfect for little hands to hold. These make me dream of the real thing... (If you are interested in the most divine sweets & baked nummies, I recommend JustBakin on etsy.com. Enough to ruin anyone's diet!)

Thankfully, my apples are high in fiber & have no fat whatsoever. ;) But please, save me a lawsuit! Don't eat my felt food items... save them for the imaginations of your children.

That's Just CORNY!

2008-10-04T13:10:00.000-06:00

Yeah yeah, cheesy title, but it got your attention didn't it?

With the Fall Harvest upon us, it was time for me to finish a Farmer's Market vegetable basket. Even though our local market is over, I like to relive our fun late summer days at the park eating baskets of tomatoes & peaches with my little felt food Farmer's Market Basket.

These are almost the same as the fresh produce from the local vendors - just more fiber! I love the eggplant & the corn the most. I made the corn removable so little chefs can add them to their pretend dinner plates - maybe the chicken dinner?

So I say, "Come one, come all! Get your 'fresh' farmer's produce! Grown right here locally in the BugBites family garden!" It's a shameless plug, I know, but I'm in a "corny" mood today... Happy Harvest!

Favorite Fall Recipe

2008-10-02T14:30:00.001-06:00

I am going to switch gears in this post & talk about some real food love... Apple Carrot Cake! When Autumn arrives with the cool days & color explosion in our canyon, I start thinking about comfort food. & this is one of my favorite things to eat in the Harvest season. It is whole wheat, high fiber, & all that other healthy stuff. I actually serve this to my kids on their first birthdays Here's the recipe so you can fall in love with it too! Try it & tell me what you think...

Apple Carrot Wheat Cake (from Jeffrey L. Anderson)

1/3 c. Granulated Sugar
1/3 c. Brown Sugar
1/3 c. Canola Oil
2 Eggs
1/2 tsp. Salt
1 tsp. Cinnamon
1/3 c. Buttermilk
1 c. Whole Wheat Pastry Flour (Bob's Red Mill)
3/4 tsp. Baking Soda
1 tsp. Baking Powder
1 c. Carrots - grated
1 c. Apples - grated
1/3 c. Nuts (Almonds, Pecans)
2/3 c. Oatmeal (not instant) or Granola
1/4 c. raisins

Preheat oven to 375 F. Mix sugars, oil, eggs, salt, cinnamon & buttermilk together until thoroughly blended. Stir in remaining ingredients. Pour into an 8x8" greased pan & bake for about 20 to 25 minutes, until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Serves 9.

Fall Harvest

2008-09-29T07:22:00.000-06:00

Fall is here! With the change of the seasons, I have been gearing up for the Harvest & Holiday seasons. It has been very busy lately & I have been working like mad developing new items.

After finding inspiration from my own garden, I have developed a Farmer's Market Basket complete with Carrots, an Eggplant, Zucchini, Tomato, Potatoes, Onion & Peas. (Pictured here is the fruit & veggie basket). The peas are my personal favorite.

Monkeying Around

2008-09-26T14:28:00.001-06:00

Just wanted to introduce you all to my other "pet-project" (no pun intended)... SOCK MONKEYS! We call this one Peaches. I made her for my little Aubrey who just turned 8 months old. I am happy to say that she loves it! I think its the bell in the tail that does it...

I made this monkey out of a pair of super-soft chenille socks I found the other day - though it was hard not to stick my cold toes inside them before sewing! One of the most fun projects I have had in a while. I made the eyes from several stitches of embroidery floss -as I am very aware of choking hazards with Aubrey's toys.

I look forward to adding this little cutie & her many other monkey friends to our growing collection of lovies. Check back again for more monkey-ish updates!

Production Days

2008-09-23T19:49:00.000-06:00

Its been a mad few weeks of production since starting my shop on etsy.com. Keeping myself busy is a pretty easy task with two rugrats, a household to keep & an at-home business to run. With all the things to do in a day, I still find myself hounding my computer, checking email & my shop for any signs of a sale far too often during the day - excited for that lovely red alert on my page signaling a sale. Of which I have made a few, I am happy to say! It must be all that chatting & networking, which occasionally seems a waste of production time - but who knows? I think its beginning to pay off. I thank my wonderful customers for their support!

Between soirées to my etsy shop, I am busy working on new items & updating my terrible first photos. I think things are looking much better now. I came up with some new pizza designs & am quite pleased with them. Still, the elusive crab dinner hounds my creative juices & I haven't found the time to invest in its creation. Someday. Maybe if i quit chatting, more will get done - but then, who's going to promo my shop? Conundrums...

I have been plastering the Alchemy listings with my wares for 2 weeks now & have finally gotten a special order! Baby cookies for an 8mo old. I put in a rattle, jingle bell & crackle paper inside the cookies, for extra sensory fun. I think the customer will be pleased.
Sew on, sew on...

New Items

2008-09-10T09:07:00.000-06:00

I've been in the BugBites kitchens cooking up some new creations! Tonight, its dinner & dessert...
I now offer a chicken dinner complete with mashed potatoes & green beans! It was fun making the gravy & butter removable via velcro, so little chef's can decide which one they like on their potatoes.

The BugBites bakery has also been in
full production, I now have some new pies to offer little bakers - Strawberry & Key Lime! Complete with whipped cream & slices of the corresponding fruit.

Order up & enjoy!

First Sales

2008-09-07T08:10:00.000-06:00

It has been an exciting week in the world of felt food... I made my first 3 sales! I am much encouraged that my endeavor is going to really work. You know how you get excited about a project, spend hours developing the idea & even more hours creating it - it is very redeeming to have it be successful! Special thanks to my first customers.

This week I have been wrapping up a lot of loose ends - getting food sets completed, finalizing the appearance of my store, taking LOTS of photos, & of course developing new ideas - the best of which come from my brilliant husband, who's brain is so full of creative ideas it makes me stagger.
We are developing: Halloween cookies, Christmas cookies, a Crab dinner, a Fish dinner, some Berry Tarts, a Farmer's Market Vegetable Basket (almost completed) & a Grocery Bag set. Needless to say, I've got some sewing to do!

I am looking forward to the Holiday season & am committed to making/buying handmade gifts for everyone again this year. Happy creating!

Shop at etsy.com!

2008-09-02T14:53:00.000-06:00

So I've been really busy lately stocking up for the opening of my store on etsy.com ... I am really excited for my first sale! I have been working on new creations - new pies & s'mores!
Its been a bit tricky juggling business & two beautiful children (one who won't let go of my leg for more than a few minutes!) All part of being a work at home mom though! ;) Its starting to get cold here in the mountains & we even got snow in our hills last night! I wish Summer lasted longer... Now its the season for soup, hot chocolate, Fall harvest in my garden (anyone want zucchini or tomatoes?), shooshing through falling leaves & cuddling up with a blankie & a book.

CHECK OUT MY STORE AT: bugbitesplayfood.etsy.com

Welcome to BugBites!

2008-07-22T14:47:00.000-06:00

Hello! I've been sewing like mad these days, discovering some of the culinary possibilities with felt. I have had no shortage of ideas - only time, as I juggle caring for our young family, work & sewing. I've only been in production for about 2 weeks, so check back often as I will be adding new photos of items frequently. Please email any comments, questions, ideas or special requests - I love feedback! Enjoy...Breakfast Set: 1 Pancake (syrup & butter completely removable with velcro), 1 Egg, & 2 strips of Bacon.Lunch Set: 1 Ham & Cheese Sandwich (Ham, Lettuce, Swiss Cheese & Tomato. 2 Slices of Bread). 1 Bag of 4 Chips & 1 Apple.Fruit: 1 each of: Apple, Banana (peelable), Orange, Grapes, Strawberries, Cherries. *Note: Individual Grapes are $12.Veggies: Corn, Carrots, Peas, Tomatoes (baby tomato shown).
Spaghetti & Meatballs: Noodles topped with Red Sauce & 3 Meatballs.

Pizza: 4 Slices with Cheese sewn on. Create your own toppings with removable 8 Pepperoni, 8 Mushrooms & 8 Green Peppers.
Sushi: 2 Rolls, 1 Salmon, 1 Tuna, & 1 Shrimp Tea Party: 2 Tea Bags (non caffeinated of course!) with 2 Frosted Cookies. Pies: Pumpkin, Blueberry, & Chocolate Cream. (Sold Individually).

Please Note - Though I strive for uniformity with each item, all felt food is handmade by me, so each piece is unique & may differ slightly - that's what makes them so special!