Artist Spotlight : The Yarn Ball Creations

Handmade items are frequently things that people often treasure. Often because they are one of a kind custom items created to bring joy to their new owners life. The Yarn Ball Creations is a shop owned by an artist with the intent to do just that. Create unique hand made toys that you can love as well as share with others. If you want to take a peak at some of her work it's viewable at her etsy shop as well as on her instagram feed @theyarnball_creations.You can also find her creations on her page on facebook.

Customizable Amigurumi Alligator available on Etsy 

I have to say that the variety of cute creatures that The Yarn Ball Creations offer happens to be impressive for a young shop. Not only that, she's working on new things to add to her selection. I'll get to that later on though. A great example of her work can be seen to the left. It's an adorable little alligator!

I know it might sound silly, but sometimes it's nice to start at the beginning. At A so to speak. The Yarn Ball Creations is the shop of Sarah, who has been gracious enough to answer some questions for us, as well as share her work with the world. One of the questions I always like to ask people is about how they started crafting or creating.

Sarah's response was very illuminating, humanizing her, as many of us may share some if not all of the inspirations. As a child she enjoyed coming up with different crafts and creations to gift to her mother. She also enjoyed learning the numerous creative skills many explore. She tried the musical arts, painting, sewing, and a number of other creative outlets.

Amigurumi Mallard Duck available on Etsy

But one skill became very special to her. Crocheting. This particular skill is one that helped her get through a difficult time of her life. During a particular period of self doubt, where she was dealing with a lot of stress and anxiety in life she met an older woman who had a talent that impressed her. The woman crocheted, and Sarah with a bit of effort was blessed with the chance to learn how from her.

The action of crocheting felt good to Sarah, and the reality of having something to do with her hands helped release some of her anxiety. She also enjoyed the creative aspect of it, so she kept going slowly improving her skill over time. She believes that the woman who taught her would be pleasantly shocked and impressed to see how far she's progressed in the craft.

As you can see from some of the examples that we've posted images of here. You have to admit that her pieces are adorable and cute.

Amigurumi Blue Jay available on Etsy

Her birds feature elements that make it easy to identify them as the types of avians they're created to represent. But her other animals are just as cute. One of the newest animals that she is creating and sharing with others are hippos. This might sound silly but they're absolutely adorable. I'll mention more about them in the near future though, to inspire some of you.

But what inspired Sarah to do what she's doing now? It was a complicated situation. She was in college, as well as newly married while working a highly stressful job when she had a few thoughts enter her mind. One thought that entered her mind was that she'd been seeing many women take things they are passionate about and use these talents to earn money. She was wondering why she couldn't do that herself. But the other thought Sarah had was that there was nothing in her life she was doing simply for her own enjoyment. With time and encouragement and nudging from her amazing husband, The Yarn Ball Creations was started.

Custom Crocheted Look-alike Doll available on Etsy

Sarah started off creating animals first, because she found that creating them was fun. As you can see from the images here in the post, she has a variety of these that she's managed to make. But now she's starting to shift gears and is creating something different.  Something that sounds like a ton of fun in my opinion, and we're lucky to have the chance to say that we've gotten to enjoy the creative experience as well.

The Yarn Ball Creations is now offering Custom Crocheted Look-alike Dolls! There's an example to the right, and that's me. (I know I normally don't show myself in pictures) But Sarah has created an adorable mini version of me! But not only that, she's offering to make mini versions of different people, so if you're looking for something cute for someone you love, this is definitely something to check out.

Why? Sarah pays attention to details. She even stitched glasses onto the doll. The outfit is adorable that she created, and mimics the one I wear myself on some of my outings. She is also planning on making different outfits that people can purchase and enjoy, giving them the chance to add personalized wardrobe pieces to the doll's wardrobe collection.

Sarah was inspired to create these dolls by fond memories of the doll she had as a child that had hair, red, just like her own. She remembered how much fun she had dressing the two of them similarly and calling the doll her twin. Her goal with this process is to help other people have the chance to have similar experiences. I think she's got a great idea.

The doll she made for me arrived, packaged comfortably and wrapped in tissue paper. I was quite surprised as I pulled her out of the box at how big she is. I wasn't sure at the size at first since pictures can be a bit confusing, but she's a little taller than a barbie doll, but not quite as tall as my 12 inch pillow. Because of all her soft parts, a doll like this a good choice for younger children. Sarah's stitching is very uniform, and the doll is packed well giving her a nice firm form that should hold it's shape over time and through play (My nephew is going to help me test this).

Her clothes are absolutely darling! And made to match my own faire outfit. I'm excited to share her there as well because everyone loves a good toy, especially when they're unique. They're made well, and are likely to stand up to some fairly rough play style, just don't be too rough. I highly recommend this toy idea if you're looking for a unique gift. Look at it as something someone will treasure for a very long time, there's endless possibilities.

I asked Sarah, the mind behind Yarn Ball Creations, about what inspires her. She finds that her reason for starting the whole endeavor, is to do what brings her joy. She admitted that at times she's thought about making other things that might sell better, but there are some things that are more fun to make. She's decided to go with the choice that's more fun for her. Sarah was also advised when she started out by another "mom-trepeneur" that if she were to follow her dream, the income will follow. So that's what she's working on doing, follow her dream and vision, and worry about what other people will think about it as a secondary thought.

This is also part of t he answer that Sarah gave when asked about what advice she'd offer to aspiring artists. You'll do a better job making things that you're passionate about. So Sarah says the best advice to follow is to do what you love.

Please remember to check out The Yarn Ball Creations shop on etsy, see what she's doing new on instagram, and feel free to interact and inquire about a project on facebook. Sarah is a great artist, and She's looking forward to working with you.

Teddy Has Surgery

Why am I posting this? Because sometimes we need a little reassurance. We're not always perfect. Sometimes we're not sweet. There are also times where we are afraid, and there are plenty of reasons we should try to get past moments like those. So keep your chin up, things will turn out just fine.

Just a Day Out

Today was a bit of a change of pace.  We went out and did a little bit of nothing. Just spent some time looking at stuff that we don't need and can't afford. But it was kind of nice to see Polke laughing and looking at stuff. Sometimes it seems like he isn't really interested in much more than his video game anymore. But he had some fun out of the house.

We went to the Tierrasanta park and had lunch. We packed it here at home. I was going to take some pictures at the park, but there wasn't really much there to take pictures of. It was more like the park at the end of O'Connell Ave(pardon if my spelling is off, am a bit tired atm), With some sports fields and a playground and things. What makes it a bit different than the park in Buffalo is the fact that they had two or three buildings there for indoor activities.

One building housed some basketball courts. The other one was a pool building. I saw another building there that looked like a large gazebo, But I'm not sure what that one was for. It's a nice looking facility to be honest, but when I was thinking about going to the park for a picnic, this kind of location wasn't exactly what I had in mind. It was nice to watch some parents playing catch and kick ball with their kids, and there were a number of people playing baseball and basketball.

One thing that I saw while we were there that was interesting may seem a bit silly when I mention it, but I thought it was interesting so I took a picture to show you.

Yeah, You're not seeing things. It's a soda machine in a cage. I don't think I've ever seen one of these before. Polke says that it's a common practice here. If it is, it's not as common in the area's that we've been going to as he thinks. But that's alright.

The other thing I saw today that I thought was AMAZING was at the Lego store in fashion valley mall. Remember how I mentioned we looked at things we didn't need or afford? Well, this was SUPER cool, and we definitely don't need it. But we both thought it looked like a lot of fun to maybe make. So I took a picture just because we could.

Mhm! It's R2D2 made out of Lego's. XD. I thought it was interesting, so I took a picture of it. They had a few other neat Star Wars kits completed and on display, but this is the only one that really interested me. If the store hadn't been so full of kids we might have gone a bit further in and looked at some of the other things that they had there. But because it was as full as it was at the time we only stayed in the front of the store.

Anyway, that's a little about the way our day out went. Thanks for reading. Remember, we miss you and you can always drop either of us an email or a message in the comment section here on the blog. As an added bonus for the day here's a music video for a song that I've found enjoyable, and kind of expresses how I feel about some things lately.

Hole In The Wall (1)

A good story isn't decided by the author. But I do hope that you will enjoy reading Hole In The Wall as it is written. Eventually am hoping that you will think it is a good story. There may be some changes to it made over time, but for the time being, I hope that you enjoy it for what it is. If I do make any changes to it in the future, I will make sure to note the dates that there were updates to it made at the bottom of the page.

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Chapter 1. Hole In The Wall

There was a small hole in the wall, down in the corner, where the wooden molding didn’t meet properly. Something had chewed through the wall years ago, and it had never really been covered up or sealed. In fact no one had ever even noticed it. A small dresser had been standing there for years hiding it from view, but now as the house was emptied, the hole in the wall was the only thing in the room. It was a nice hole, with an arching top, the bottom flat along the floor boards. Dark shadows beyond it hiding the secrets of what was inside.

But the movers didn’t care; their job was to move out all the furniture. And once the room was bare save for the worn crimson carpet, they pulled the shade down over the small window of the room to keep prying eyes out. After the rest of the rooms on the second floor of the little house were empty, a saleswoman moved through each room. She made sure every shade was down, and pulled each door shut.

The only open thing in the house after they left was the hole in the wall. A silence fell inside the house, and darkness fell outside the little house. As the hours passed the small building shifted its aching timbers slightly, almost as though sighing and missing what had been within its walls. But the little hole was still there. While some may think a hole is nothing, to some such things can be the world.

This is where our story begins. In that empty room, with the door closed tight and the old worn shade pulled down keeping out even the small curious eyes of the stars. As the house sighed, something within its walls stirred. And had anyone been in that room where the little hole was, they would not have believed their eyes.  For as midnight drew near, sounds started to pour from the little hole.

Sad forlorn music came from within the walls of the little house; almost as though the house itself was weeping. While the music played small things crept from within the walls and started to gather on the now empty carpet. These things were quiet as they gathered on the carpet, until the music stopped. Then there was a small uproar that would have woken most. But since there were no people in the house, the things were not afraid of waking them.

You see, the hole in the wall had once been the home of a mouse. But the mouse had turned his residence over to a small goblin before he passed away. And as goblins go, it is unusual that one would want to live within a house. But this little goblin was not your garden variety goblin. He only stood 3 inches tall. This meant he was not big enough for most things goblins are expected to do. So he took over residency in the little hole that at the time had been behind a dresser.

Goblins, similar to the other fairy tale creatures, tend to live a very long time. They don’t worry about dying or change, and they find amusement in the actions of humans. This goblin was worried though. And he stopped playing his sad music and went out of the hole to great his entourage. His large dark eyes which could see very well in the dark, had tears in the corners as he viewed his worried companions.

There was a small doll. She had once been quite beautiful, and very loved by a little girl who had lived in the house many years ago. But her small porcelain face had been cracked, and she was forced to hide. The goblin rescued her, and she had joined him in the little hole. She had been the first companion. Time had not been kind to her, her curls that once had been shining gold, were now dusty and braided with cobwebs. But the goblin didn’t care, for he could still the beauty there.

There was a small felted pony, which was missing one hoof. A plush rabbit that was missing an eye, and a handful of plastic soldiers and Indians that had seen better days. There were many others, and all together, including the goblin their number was thirty. They had all joined the goblin over the years that passed since he had taken over residency from Mr. Mouse. The goblin smoothed his tattered coat as the toys shifted in the new uncertainty of the empty house.

“The house has never been truly empty before.” The Goblin finally said. His voice was low and sadness was etched into the edges of his words. “We are here still, so it is not as empty as it could be, but it is empty. I do not know if we will be safe without the people here in the house.”

“I don’t think we need to worry.” The doll responded, her painted blue eyes coated with dirt, marring her vision. Some people say they cannot see clearly a situation, the doll, certainly was having trouble seeing things for what they were. “People are not always kind, you know.” She added, one small porcelain hand moving to cover the crack that ran from her eye down along her neck. “They can be careless and hurt us.”

The other toys murmured in agreement with the doll. She was their leader whenever the goblin was away. But he was not happy with their quickness to judge their circumstances.

“This is not Toyland.” He said bitterly. “We are not safe without people here. Humans tend to tear down old houses when there is no one living in them any longer.” He crosses his skinny arms, long fingers tapping his elbows agitatedly as he waited for the meaning of his words to become realized by the toys.

The toys all shifted anxiously. They had not thought about the possibility that the little house which was their sanctuary might be destroyed. People are after all, as they all knew from experience, fickle things. They will love you until you are broken or hurt, and then they will throw you aside.  The toys had never thought about people doing such things with houses. A cry of distress came from the felted pony, and soon moved through the other toys, many of whom fell over.

“What are we to do? I don’t know if any of us could make it to Toyland in the state that we are in!” The pony shifted, limping some. “Even if we tried, we might be taken up as refuse, and thrown away into oblivion.” He shifted shaking his half bare mane worriedly, the thin tail behind him swishing.

“I said nothing about going to Toyland yet.” The goblin interrupted, a hand moving to rake through his thick yarn like hair. He usually kept it tied up in some fashion, but today it was loose. He had been watching through cracks in the walls as the movers had worked during the day. “I have heard tell of a toy doctor.” He offered the words quietly, large round eyes watching the crowd to see how they reacted.

“Toy Doctors are nothing but children! And children are more likely to break us than fix us!” The Doll retorted.

“I think you could be wrong Mabel. This person is a grownup. She mends toys, and repairs them. I have heard from some that she helps find homes for homeless toys once they’ve been repaired.” His words were measured and he took a step back as a murmur started going through the toys.

“I could help each of you get to her. That is if it is what you wish.” The goblin shifted almost anxiously, his bare feet shifting through the carpet.

The toys discussed the information amongst themselves. Many of them were very worried about the idea. Change was not something some of them were certain about. Many of them were under the impression they could never be repaired. But finally Mabel came forward.

“If you really believe that there is such thing as a toy doctor, I will volunteer to go to her first. As I have been with you the longest, it is in good will that I volunteer.” Mabel sighed, a small cloud of dust moving from within her as she did so. “But you will promise to take care of all the others, and pass them information as we go.”

The goblin nodded. “I agree to the terms. But you all will need to be prepared for the journey. Leaving our home is not going to be an easy task.” He paused, tucking his hands into his pockets as he leaned down to look at the worn carpet intently. “Those that would rather be moved to Toyland, I will gladly aid you in that endeavor as well.”