Trim the Tree with Fish?

Looking for an adorable and unique Christmas decoration? Well, look no further! Holly the Holiday Jellyfish will look simply stunning hanging from your Christmas tree this year!



Holly is versatile though and would look great hanging from your car's rear view mirror, a door knob on your dresser or pantry, hanging out next to the mistletoe or anywhere else you need a little holiday cuteness!

Don't want a Christmas themed jellyfish? Have no fear! I can create a custom jellyfish in any color of the rainbow! Just send me a convo in Etsy and let me know what you are looking for!

Treasury Fun!

Its holiday shopping time! That means fun gift guide treasuries! My favorite person to shop for is my 3.5 yr old little man. Knowing what a little boy wants is very easy - but finding it among the dresses, flowers, hair bows, baby dolls and endless sea of pink can be quite challenging!

My little guy has been asking me to make him another turtle and a snake for quite some time now, so I better get hopping on it!

Of course, I will likely give it to him as soon as its done, since he loves to watch me make toys. Maybe I'll pick up a few things from my Gift Guide for Little Men treasury to save for Christmas morning!

I've also been included in two great treasuries
A gorgeous Pink & Black treasury by BBlonski Designs featuring my hot pink make-up remover pads


And a fun treasury featuring other great EtsyNJ artists by KIRWEN1004 which includes my adorable Mandy the Octopus!


Have you started your holiday shopping yet?

Giveaway - Last Chance to Enter!

Have you entered my plush octopus giveaway? There are many ways to enter, you can get up to 13 entries! The giveaway closes at midnight tonight, so get your comments in now!!

Wordless Wednesday

Plush Octopus Giveaway - Closed!

The giveaway has ended! Thanks to everyone who entered!

I've been debating doing a blog giveaway for the longest time, but couldn't decide what the prize would be. I love making plush animals and the animal that is the most fun to make is an octopus - they are cute and friendly and they have 8 legs! What could be more fun?!?

Anyway, this giveaway is for one blue plush octopus hand crocheted by me using 100% acrylic yarn and stuffed is hypoallergenic polyester filling. This little guy measures 4 inches tall with 4 inch long tentacles. His eyes and face are hand sewn making him absolutely adorable and safe for children of every age. I will also include a hand crocheted 100% cotton washcloth, dish cloth and pair of face scrubbers in surprise colors!



How can you win this fabulous prize? Simple! The first step is to visit my Etsy shop and come back here and leave a comment telling me which item is your favorite. (this step is mandatory)

Here are some optional things you can do for extra entries, each one gets you one entry and you must leave a separate comment for each one.

1) Follow my blog using Google Friend Connect
2) Heart my Etsy shop
3) Heart any item in my Etsy shop and include which item you've hearted in the comment
4) Follow me on Twitter
5) Like my Facebook page
6) Tweet about the giveaway and post a link to the tweet in the comment. (can be done daily)
Plush octopus #giveaway by @madebymelissa, get up to 13 entries! http://bit.ly/9W4GSJ, ends 11/7
7) Post a link to the giveaway on Facebook and tag my Facebook page.
8) Write about the giveaway in your blog, include a link to the blog post in your comment.

For an extra FIVE entries, make a purchase from my Etsy shop between now and midnight on November 7. Come back here and tell everyone what you bought! (note, you must leave 5 separate comments)

Contest ends on midnight, Monday, November 7. Please be sure that you include a way for me to contact you if you've won (email, Etsy shop, Twitter, etc). The winner will have 48 hours to reply and send me their mailing address. I will ship to anywhere in the world!

Just a note, comments need to be approved before they post publicly on the blog, I will be checking in daily to read and approve comments, just because you don't see it publish, it doesn't mean that it didn't go through!

Good luck!!

It's a Boy Treasury!

My baby safe plush turtle was included in this super cute EtsyKids treasury made by The Little Love Bug!



Check it out!

Everybody loves a lady bug!

At some point in my life, I became aware of the fact that ladybugs were good luck. I'm not sure who told me or why, but from that point on, I decided that ladybugs weren't as creepy and gross and scary as other bugs. I suppose I convinced myself that they weren't "real bugs". At any rate, I made a super cute ladybug plush and he's been hanging around my shop for quite some time now (yes, I wrote "he" not all ladybugs are girls, you know!).



Larry isn't the only ladybug themed item that was created in the Garden State, there are many very awesome ladybug creations from the EtsyNJ street team. Take a look:

Little Ladybug...Boutique Hair Clippie by: TreasureBoxJewelry


Love Bug Birthday Invitations - Set of 10 by: BBDesigns


LadyBug LadyBug Tote by: beachchik


Ladybug Love Card by: AJKArtistry


Love those lucky ladybugs!
Happy Shopping!
~Melissa~

Item of the Week - March 29

Easter is less than a week away! That means that my Easter Bunny Sale is almost over!! All bunnies are marked down from $15.00 to $12.50 until midnight on Sunday, April 4.

Take a look at these three cute residents of the Made By Melissa Bunny Patch:


Have a Hoppy Easter! ;)
~Melissa~

Item of the Week - March 22, 2010

Easter time is coming soon! Get ready to fill those baskets with handmade goodies! All of my bunnies are marked down from $15.00 to $12.50. No codes to enter, prices are already marked down.

The newest addition to the bunny patch is Abbie. Abbie is red and black and inspired by the totally fabulous Abbie Scuito, forensic scientist from my favorite TV show - NCIS. Stop by Abbie's Etsy listing and say hello!!



Happy Shopping!!
~Melissa~

Item of the Week - March 8, 2010

Easter time is coming soon! Get ready to fill those baskets with handmade goodies! My goal is to list at least one new bunny every week between now and Easter. And, to make things even more fun, all bunnies are marked down from $15.00 to $12.50. No codes to enter, prices are already marked down.

The newest addition to the bunny patch is Jimmy. Jimmy is royal blue and ocean blue camo. Stop by Jimmy's Etsy listing and say hello!!



Happy Shopping!!
~Melissa~

Item of the Week - March 1, 2010

It is Monday once again and that means its time for a new featured item of the week. This week's item comes with a little story. My son really likes Blue's Clues, and I mean, he REALLY likes Blue's Clues, the kid even walks around with a notebook and a crayon and randomly screams "A CLUE!!! It's right there!!" and dramatically reveals his notebook from behind his back. Adorable, right? There are many times he's nearly given me a heart attack. Anyway, his favorite episode is Blue's Birthday (circa 1998), not to spoil it for you, but Steve buys Blue a turtle with a blue polka dot shell for her birthday. My little guy thinks that its just teh greatest thing EVER. I tried to find a picture of the little turtle, but after searching through 10 pages of Google images, this is the best I could do:


Combine all of that with the fact that I seem to have way too much blue yarn, I decided to make a turtle with a bright blue shell.



My little guy instantly fell in love with him, but I managed to get him back in order to put him up in the shop. I do sense myself making at least one more for him to keep!!

Get a free little fishy friend with the purchase of either the blue or green turtle between now and mightnight on Sunday, March 7, 2010 just by putting "Blue's Clues" in the notes to seller at checkout, also indicate if you'd like the fish to be a specific color, otherwise, I will select one for you.

Happy Shopping!
~Melissa~

Item of the Week - February 15, 2010

Happy President's Day! Here are some interesting tidbits about President's Day from Wikipedia:

Washington's Birthday is a United States federal holiday celebrated on the third Monday of February. It is also commonly known as Presidents Day.

On 1 January 1971, the federal holiday was shifted to the third Monday in February by the Uniform Monday Holiday Act. This date places it between February 15 and 21, which makes the name "Washington's Birthday" a misnomer, since it never lands on Washington's actual birthday, February 22. A draft of the Uniform Holidays Bill of 1968 would have renamed the holiday to Presidents' Day to honor the birthdays of both Washington and Lincoln, but this proposal failed in committee and the bill as voted on and signed into law on 28 June 1968, kept the name Washington's Birthday.

By the mid-1980s, with a push from advertisers, the term "Presidents Day" began its public appearance. Although Lincoln's birthday, February 12, was never a federal holiday, approximately a dozen state governments have officially renamed their Washington's Birthday observances as "Presidents Day", "Washington and Lincoln Day", or other such designations.

Now on to the item of the week! I don't have anything presidential or historical in my shop but, I do have some very patriotic critters to share with you. Meet Sam the Octopus and Alice the Snake, while they may never run for office, they sure would love to move into a new home!


Get $2 off either plushie or $5 off if you order both, between now and midnight on Saturday, February 20 just by putting "Happy Presidents Day" in the notes to seller at checkout. Refund will be given by PayPal, or convo me after purchase for a revised invoice.
(I know the weekly sale usually runs through Sunday evening, but I will be at a craft show February and will not be able to access my email and PayPal for the day)

Happy Shopping!
~Melissa~

Meet Leon

The newest bunny in the carrot patch is a sweet yellow and white little guy named Leon. He reminds me of a banana cream pie! But, we all know that bunnies don't eat bananas, they eat carrots and veggies and wiggle their cute little noses.



Leon is named after a very strong and powerful man (those who know me well, will likely guess where I came up with the name), but he is a real cutie and loves to snuggle and play bunny games.

Stop by and show some love to Leon, he'll be very pleased to have met you!

Do you know someone who loves snuggly little bunnies but doesn't quite care for the color yellow? No problem!! Simply send me a conversation in Etsy and let me know what colors you would like your bunny to be. Please allow 7-10 days from time of payment for your custom order to be shipped.

Win one of my Plushies!!

One of my fabulous EtsyNJ friends, TraceyKnits, featured me on her blog this week and is offering you a chance to win one of my adorable elephant plushies!



Check out her blog here: http://www.traceyknits.com/2010/01/shop-of-week-made-by-melissa.html

Also, visit Tracey on Twitter at: http://twitter.com/traceyknits

Good luck!
~Melissa~

Exciting News for Made By Melissa!!

I just talked to Matt Pinfield!!

Every morning on 101.9 WRXP, the morning show folks (Matt Pinfield and Leslie Fram) feature a local small business. Everyone in the NY/NJ area please listen to 101.9 Wednesday morning between 7:30 and 8:30 to hear yours truly talking about Made by Melissa! For those of you outside of the listening area, I am almost positive that you can listen online at http://www.1019rxp.com.

Mr. Pinfield seemed very interested in my plushies, I better get hookin' and stuffin' and get some more of them in the shop!! My last craft show put a big dent in my inventory.



Here's to an awesome 2010!!
~Melissa~

A Custom Order that Can't Be Ignored

Another custom order!! Yes, its December 17 and I am taking on a custom order. But, its different, you see, the customer is my 2.5 yr old son. Here's how it came about.

The little guy was playing with his turtle that he adopted from my stash of amigurimi animals that was supposed to go on Etsy and he looked up at me and said "frog?" I of course corrected him - "No bud, that's turtle". He goes "I know, turtle need a frog." The turtle needs a frog? Why? I asked... he said, plain as day, "turtle needs frog to play with. You make frog?" Well, how can I say no to that?!?!



So, off to Ravelry I went to search for a pattern for a frog. I think I have decided on this one by Erika Hughes


I had already planned on making him this snazzy stripes snake from Mr. Funky's Crochet Wonderful book, since he loves the small snake I made him so very much. I haven't decided on the color pattern yet, the book shows him in two shades of blue, while the photo on Ravelry shows him in yellow, red, white, blue and orange. I'll have to sort through my stash and see what looks good.


I make no promises of these being done in time for Christmas, but being that he is already getting sooooooo many toys from sooooo many different people, I am sure he won't mind if they are Happy New Year presents instead!

Happy Hooking!

Let's Talk Colors

The EtsyBloggers have asked an interesting question for this Blog Carnival. They ask "What are your favorite color combinations? What do you create using those colors?"

There are lots of colors that I like to work with, so I decided to look through my shop and see what I have the most of. There is a lot of red and a lot of black, but it could be bacause I have many Christmas and Halloween items lingering around in my shop. I also have a lot of blue, blue beaded jewelry, blue winter themed ornaments and blue toys, blankets and scarves. Blue is a fun color to work with because there are so many lovely shades.

This beaded snowflake ornament has royal blue and light blue glass beads:


Blue also compliments a lot of other colors - it can be patriotic, funky and soft.


So, you see, having the blues isn't really a bad thing!

Why Does it Always Have to be Snakes?!?

... I hate snakes! OK, well, perhaps Indy wouldn't be scared of these snakes, simply because they are so gosh darn cute! Each snake measures roughly 14 - 15 inches long, depending on the type of yarn I use, and as always, the eyes are sewn on using coordinating yarn making them safe for even the tiniest reptile fan.

Currently, I have 3 colorful snakes available in my Etsy Shop - orange with white stripes, green with light green stripes and red, white and blue.


These little guys can be made in any color you can think of. If your reptile lover has a favorite color, let me know! I can whip one up for you - simply send me a conversation in Etsy or leave a comment here with a way for me to contact you.

Happy Shopping!
~Melissa~

Needed: Warm, Loving Home for the Holidays

Clyde the Christmas Octopus has a cheery smile on his face and is hoping that somoene will take him home with them for the holidays! He'd love to have a human friend to snuggle with and share secrets with.


"Take me home, please!"

Clyde wants a new home so badly, that I will discount the price from $17.00 to $15.00 to anyone who puts "home for the holidays" in the notes to seller.

Happy Shopping!
~Melissa~

Thanksgiving Sale - LAST CHANCE!

The EtsyNJ Thanksgiving Sale ends tonight at midnight! Get a free gift with every purchase in my shop!

Your free gift could be a keychain, a ponytail holder, a pair of earrings, a pair of facial scrubbies or a washcloth! The bigger your purchase, the better your gift!


Take me home, please!

Visit the EtsyNJ blog and EtsyBloggers.com for more details and a list of participating shops!