Velvet Hippo

The Hippo now Tweets

2010-10-20T09:15:00.000-07:00

Hey there, friends!
I've decided to join the rest of the universe and sign Velvet Hippo up for a twitter account. http://twitter.com/VelvetHippo This way, hopefully, I will get more updates to more people who want them.

Today's update tell you this: I just restocked the shop for the last time in October. Velvet Hippo will be closing on October 25th while I take the worker elves on vacation. We will all be back in the second week of November.

Hope you come follow me on Twitter, and come visit me in the shop! See you in a few!

BLOOD BANK 2010 is OPEN!

2010-09-16T12:27:00.000-07:00

Velvet Hippo's Darkly Sparkly Hallowe'en shop, The Blood Bank, is now OPEN! It's my ode to all things bloody! Expanded sizes and styles this year.
Also new this year, a section of FALLOWEEN items. The less sparkly darkly side of the season: fallen leaves and lovely plump pumpkins. Something for every one!
Have fun!

The Magpie Collection

2010-05-03T12:47:00.000-07:00

NEW in the shop! The Magpie Collection.

I've always been a magpie. As a kid, I picked things up and put them in my pockets just about everywhere I went. The beach was my favourite place; I would imagine that the shells were pearls and the beach glass pieces were precious jewels. I still have quite a collection of those treasures, decades later.
I still put things in my pockets when I'm out walking. A pretty shell, an interesting stone or a uniquely twisted piece of wood from the seashore; a piece of glass or a sparkly rock in the road; a tiny pinecone or seed pod in the woods.

The Magpie Collection of stitch markers, just added to the shop, are a nod to the magpie in all of us. Each set is unique, interpreting a pocketful of sparkly joy.

Enjoy!

Update-type-thingy

2010-02-18T10:52:00.000-08:00

Hello, kittens!
I'm currently playing nurse to my hubbo after surgery. It's time-consuming. Because of this, I am cutting back on my schedule and will only be going to the post office once per week (Wednesdays) and at the bench as time permits.
As of 02.16.10, all orders have been filled and shipped. If you're waiting on a parcel, it *is* in the mail.
Tomorrow, another kilo of beads will arrive here for the worker elves to play with, so you can expect some new stuff in the next couple of weeks.

Enjoy the Olympics! (hey, if you're knitting in the Ravelympics or the Knitting Olympics, drop me comment and tell me how it's going. I'm falling behind on my cross country cable project!)

Ain't Love Grand?

2010-01-31T07:20:00.000-08:00

Hello, lovlies!
I've just added a new section to the shop: BE MINE Valentine; featuring stitch markers to satisfy your hearts' desires.

Notice regarding shipping

2010-01-29T05:21:00.000-08:00

I will be mailing parcels on WEDNESDAYS ONLY for the next month or so.
If, for some reason, you need your order in a rush, let me know and I will do my best to get it out to you fast. Thank you for your understanding.

Nose, meet Grindstone

2010-01-25T07:56:00.000-08:00

Okay, it's not as dire as that, but I've been super-busy lately!

The Alchemy sets are back in stock and there are more on the bench waiting for finishing touches.

Next up: Nods to The Twilight Series of books and its characters (some tongue-in-cheek) and also to The Outlander series of books!!

D'ja miss me?

2009-12-28T09:07:00.000-08:00

Judging from conversations and emails, yes you did. THANK YOU!
I've been restocking this morning; mostly the Limited Edition "Alchemy" sets. Water and Earth are already sold out. (There will be more soon.) I will be stocking all week, and will be back to the bench in the New Year.

Updates, as always, can be found here on the blog.

Have a safe and a very very happy new year's eve!!

Stitchpalooza!

2009-12-09T07:27:00.000-08:00

Hello, kittens!
I've just done my last major update and restock of Velvet Hippo before I go on vacation.
There are some new items, some new types of sets and a sale section!

While the Dose sets are made to order, I do have the two best sellers - the topaz and the blue - made up and ready for immediate shipment. Any other colours should be ordered ASAP if you need them for holiday gifting.

I will be closing the store on December 16th. The last day I'll be shipping is December 18th. Get your orders in!

Have fun during the holidays, kittens, and we'll catch up again in the New Year!

SALE!

2009-11-27T08:08:00.000-08:00

The worker elves have donned their festive headcoverings and have been hard at work this morning reducing prices and giving shipping discounts!

Until Tuesday morning, shipping within the US is free and shipping to Canada has been reduced to 1.50. Also, there is a SALE section in the shop; prices have already been discounted, so shopping and shipping will be easy-peasy!

Happy Holiday Shopping!!

almost as good as sliced bread!!

2009-11-15T07:31:00.000-08:00

Teeny tiny Dose marker sets!!!
Finally! The worker elves are so happy to report that they've found a great wire to make tiny rings with! The test sets are all in black coated wire, but there will be other colours available, including the standard silver and gold.
(The worker elves would like to point out that you should probably not try to use sliced bread as a stitch marker.)

New Items!

2009-11-12T07:06:00.000-08:00

Inspired by my lovely customers and friends!

A new type of set for sock knitting introduced in the shop today: two-at-a-time-socks!
These are coordinating sets of markers designed to help you keep track of the two different socks while you're knitting them at once. Brilliant! These were the idea of my friend Arlene, who is a sock knitting guru.

The worker elves still have many photographs to edit and upload, as well as copy to write for next week's shop update. Stay tuned.

Happy shopping, happy stitching!

Restocking the Shop

2009-11-11T08:28:00.000-08:00

Hi all!
The worker elves have been busily restocking items in the shop this morning! Some of your favourites are back in time for gift-giving (wow! how did THAT happen? It was August a minute ago!).
Pinky Swear, with Envy, Forget Me Nots and This Year's Girl are all back in stock, and Ice, Ice Baby and Splash will be coming back soon.
The worker elves are still poking around in the bead stash, so there are bound to be more surprises around the corner!

New newnew NEW

2009-10-20T19:13:00.000-07:00

Yes! Some new stuff in the shop.

The newest Dose colours; Emerald Green, Cheetah! Pink, and Tangerine are up for sale! (Cheetah! Pink, by the way, is hot pink). The Tangerine is yummy and fun. There is also mini set and a single colour set...Something for everyone.

Also, I've been playing around with the ideas of Alchemy after reading a really good Steampunk novel - mixing earth, air, fire, water and metal colours together in varying degrees of fabulousness (is SO a word). Very satisfying!

Stop by and have a look, let me know what you think...or, you know, shop.

Thanks
x

Restocking and Stockings

2009-10-07T12:24:00.000-07:00

A quick update on recent activity...
Just finished a mini restock of Dose sets - topaz, rose, black, blue lagoon and blue.
More petit fours, the new style sets of sock markers. In time for Socktoberfest!
Some new sets in rose for the CURE shop and a new top-down-raglan set for now.
Still taking photos of other items and have some new sets to introduce, as well as some new DOSE colors.

Happy stitching, everyone!!

The Blood Bank is OPEN!

2009-09-30T10:27:00.000-07:00

Velvet Hippo's Hallowe'en shop, The Blood Bank, is now OPEN! It's my ode to all things black, red and sparkly! Have fun!
http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5783322§ion_id=6453199

Housekeeping

2009-08-14T14:52:00.000-07:00

I've been doing some housekeeping at Velvet Hippo. There are new shipping fees (boo!), but the cost for a second item is lower (yay!).
New swag, some old favourites returning, and coming very soon - Hallowe'en swag!

Thanks, and see you all soon!!

Spring Has Sprung!

2009-03-22T09:29:00.000-07:00

No, really! I've just uploaded some VERY spring-like swag in the shop. Flowers, pastels, and all that goodness.
Dust the snow off your roof, and go have a peek!

Work! Work! Work!

2009-02-12T07:00:00.000-08:00

I'm popping up to tell you all that THIS SATURDAY, which is Valentine's Day, ALL items you purchase from Velvet Hippo will earn a 25% donation for SupportStacie!

I've been restocking some sold out items as best and as fast as I can, as well as creating some new swag. There WILL be more pink & black, ladees. ; ) Sisters of Mercy Suite had a mini restock, there will be more at a later date. Pinky Swear is back! And, what else? Well, just go have a poke around the shop, you'll see!

Dexter members, your last package will be going out to you very soon, I will update. There is a tiny window of time for you to make special requests regarding ring sizes.

Thanks, all!

Shop Update

2009-01-30T20:19:00.000-08:00

The newest swag has hit the 'shelves' at Velvet Hippo! New pink items for you to choose from for the Support Stacie charity drive, and some other new goodies as well.

There will be yet more merchandise coming soon - I just ordered thirteen pounds of beads!

Share Your Heart in February!

2009-01-28T05:04:00.000-08:00

For the entire month of February (plus the last day of January and the first day of March, since February is a short month) I will be donating my usual 25% of the purchase price of any pink items you buy from my shop to SupportStacie. Stacie is battling cancer, and has NO health insurance. Wrap your head around that for a minute.
In addition, I will donate 25% of all sales completed on February 14, not just on pink items.
I’ll be restocking the shop presently, and I have been saving some very special pink items just for this charity drive. If you’re able to, your help will be greatly appreciated. Plus, you get super-pretty stitch markers!

Thank you, everyone!

bzzzzzz saw!

2009-01-13T07:08:00.000-08:00

Busy, busy!
Dexter Club members - your markers are made! I will be packaging them up over the next two days, and have them in the mail on Friday!
Keep in mind that here in the U.S. we have two Federal holidays (no mail service) this month: Martin Luther King, Jr. Day and Inauguration day.
As always, I will send out emails once I return from the post office.

Cheers!

P.S. There are extra goodies this month!

Happy New Year!~

2009-01-02T08:31:00.000-08:00

I hope everyone had fun celebrating! The Velvet Hippo worker elves (okay, I know you know that it's me) took it easy so that the shop could re-open today with new swag! GO LOOK! There's a new section in the shop as well: Limited Edition. It's going to feature special sets and suites of sets in common themes. Right now, there is a very limited suite of Sisters of Mercy-inspired sets! Fun times.

Also, Dexter Club members - your markers are being made, so if you have any special requests as to ring sizes, tell me ASAP!

Thanks to everyone who shopped with me in 2008 - I truly appreciate each and every one of my customers, and I believe that you are all quite possibly the BEST people on earth.

; )

Thankfully

2008-11-26T10:44:00.000-08:00

Finally! The Dexter packages are ALL in the mail now. I am so sorry for the delay; there was an incident with a cup of coffee and everything had to be re-packaged! It was NOT pretty. I'll be sending out individual emails with your confirmation numbers forthwith.
If you celebrate it, have a happy Thanksgiving.

Mailing Monday!

2008-11-21T05:56:00.000-08:00

The second package of Dexter markers are going in the mail starting Monday!

Shopping Pink Pays Off!

2008-11-01T06:53:00.000-07:00

Wow! Sales in October were brisk, to put it mildly. I don't think I had very much downtime at all! It was great!
Thanks to everyone who bought from me in October. During the month, I donated 15% of the purchase price of all items (except Pink items, which earned a 25% donation*) to Susan G. Komen for a Cure. Because of your generosity and love of stitch markers, that added up to just over $65! (The exact amount is $66.15) Isn't that great?! Thank you very much!

*the 25% donation on pink items is ongoing - ANY pink item you purchase from my shop in ANY month will earn the donation.

Whoosh!

2008-10-16T08:01:00.000-07:00

Dexter club members - your packages are in the mail! Can't you feel the anticipation in the air? it crackles!

Dexter Club Update

2008-10-08T02:53:00.000-07:00

To everyone who joined, a huge thank you!

I'm sitting here, surrounded by boxes of goodies, all kinds of fun things patiently waiting to be turned into swag for the Miami Kills club!
Speaking of waiting patiently, I know that you're all waiting with bated breath for your first package to arrive. I will be sending out October's packages to arrive in time for Hallowe'en. You will get an email from me once I get back from the post office.
It won't be too much longer...Dexter is coming to pay you a visit very soon!

October News

2008-10-01T11:14:00.000-07:00

Good news, and lots of it!

New swag, new donations, and coming soon!

As I type, there are new items up in the shop and another enormous box of supplies on its way to my studio!
For the entire month of October I will be donating 15% of all sales to the Susan G. Komen Foundation to fund breast cancer research. Pink items earn a 25% donation, as always.
Coming soon - new designs inspired by some of my favourite TV shows, books and movies! A sneak peak? Sure!

Whew!

2008-09-25T07:15:00.001-07:00

The Dexter club is FULL, so I am closing sign ups one day early! Thanks to everyone who joined, it is going to be so much fun!!

The Facts

2008-08-28T05:16:00.000-07:00

The dirty low-down on the Dexter Stitch Marker Club! I'm sorry for the delay. Tropical weather and an unseasonal cold set me back a tick. All better now.

I will be running the club through my etsy shop, to facilitate payment and to give club members security.

There are only 12 spots in this club. Each month, you will be sent sets of stitch markers, plus extras and goodies. Sets will vary in number of markers, wire colour, and gauge. If you absolutely never knit on anything smaller than 4mm / US6 needles, please let me know in your join up email. I am more than happy to customize your markers to suit your knitting preferences! If you are a sock knitter, let me know, and I'll make sure your markers have small rings. If you've never knit a sock in your life, and don't plan to, let me know so that I can be sure not to send you markers with sock sized rings. I want you to be able to use each and every stitch marker you get!

If you would like to join the club, please send me an email with the subject line Miami Kills to heyfatlulu AT gmail DOT com. Please make sure you email me from a working email address, so I can contact you. You will need to have an Etsy profile (easy to sign up for!) and a credit card or PayPal account to purchase your spot in the club. Please include your Etsy name in your email. I will then create a custom listing for you to purchase from my etsy shop, and email you as soon as it is ready for you. Payment is due within 48 hours, or your spot will go to the next person on the list.
Signup closes when all spots are filled, or by September 26, whichever comes first; first shipment is in October.

This club will cover five months, and consist of 12 total sets of Dexter-themed stitch markers, hand made by yours truly. Membership cost is $85.00, this includes domestic shipping. International shipping is not included, but I will defray some of the cost.
The markers will be sent out as follows:
October 2 sets
November 4 sets
(a break in December)
January 4 sets
February 2 sets
Of course, each month there will be little Dexter/knitting related goodies.
I won't be selling individual months on this club.

I'm already hard at work, designing marker sets that convey the creepy wonderfulness that is Dexter, and really enjoying the creative process! I hope you'll join me, and that you have as much fun as a member of my club as I am having creating these markers for you!

Gosh, I love Dexter! Do you?

2008-08-20T07:12:00.001-07:00

http://www.sho.com/site/dexter/home.do

A Dexter stich marker club is in the works! I am open to sign-ups now, and have six (of twelve) spots still wide open. (If there is enough interest, I will open more spots, but no more than 18 total - this is a one-woman operation after all!)

Here are the as-yet sketchy details:
the club will go for four months
there will be 12 stitch marker sets total
the cost will be around 85$ (shipping within the US is included in the membership cost)
tentative start date of October 13 (this may move up or down by two weeks, depending on number of participants.)

Six Dexter fans have already signed up!

Will YOU be next?

Crazy Busy!

2008-08-12T14:32:00.001-07:00

Packages went out in the mail today! YAY!

Are You a Fan?

2008-07-18T20:48:00.000-07:00

If you love Dexter, then you might want to watch the blog for some news about merchandise relating to everyone's favourite sociopath!

July's Installment

2008-07-16T14:13:00.000-07:00

Here are the goods from July's round of the Twilight Stitch Marker Club. Enjoy!

Top to bottom:
The Meadow
Edward in Sunlight
His Brand of Heroin (Bella's Blood)
Surprise! Bookmark
Goodie! Edward the Musician

The Meadow was a lot of fun for me to make, I kept imagining being there, watching the flowers swaying in the gentle breeze. Ahhhh
Edward in the Sunlight is made with Swarovski crystals (because I couldn't afford diamonds!) and WOW do they sparkle. If you haven't already, take them out into the sun and have a look! Lucky Bella, no wonder she's so frequently at a loss for words!
His Brand of Heroin is fairly self explanatory, but I wanted to make a note that the round beads represent every one else's blood, and the sparkly one is how Edward experiences Bella's blood. It's different; tied to his heart, and his love for Bella.

The piano is my favourite of the goodies so far! That passage is a part of the book that absolutely had me swooning like a teenager, I just love it!

Until next month, Apple Eaters!

Apple Eater News!

2008-06-28T08:39:00.001-07:00

July's packages have all been mailed out! I'm anxiously awaiting your responses as you get the goods...won't be long now. : ) As always, feel free to comment here on the HippoBlog, and include links to your own photos of the Club goodies if you like. Thanks again, everyone! This month's markers were a lot of fun to dream up!

New News that is New!!

2008-06-28T08:18:00.000-07:00

Hi, everyone!
The elves and I (okay, really just me) were up late last night, putting some fabulous new items up for sale on the Etsy shop. There are some great new Summertime colours, go check them out!

Also, I have this announcement to make:
Any purchase of a PINK item from my Etsy shop will have 25% of the purchase price donated to the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation. This is not a limited time offer, this offer does not expire.

Here's a preview of a new, pink item!

Enjoy! Happy Summer knitting!

The Goods

2008-06-11T10:36:00.000-07:00

Here is the bounty from June's round of the Twilight stitch marker club:

Top to bottom:
Welcome gift, apple row marker.
Surprise goodie, Bella's truck using some "Bella blue" beads.
Rain stitch marker set.
The Forest stitch marker set
Edward's Eyes stitch marker set and bonus black Onyx markers.

Some notes and random thoughts: I love the raindrop beads! I made this set in varying lengths to mimic raindrops. Strung along your knitting randomly, they really do look like rain. I wanted to evoke the feeling of Forks, and what came to mind was the ever-present rain and the ever-encroaching Forest. So those are fairly self-explanatory.
First Sight is what I was thinking of with the third set of markers. When we first see Edward, he's beautiful, but his eyes are dark. Later, Bella slips and tells him that her favourite gemstone is Topaz, but that if he were to ask her a couple weeks later, she'd most likely say "black Onyx". So that is why the Edward's Eyes set is all shades of Topaz with a bonus pair of Onyx. I had some moments of devilish glee making that set, I sure hope you all enjoy them!

Until next month, Apple-Eaters, happy knitting!

T

Mailbox Goodness!

2008-06-03T08:42:00.000-07:00

I've had the most delightful morning - getting messages from all corners of the country about the Twilight stitch markers! Seems the USPS went above and beyond, delivering in record time!
Since the deliveries happened a full five days earlier than I anticipated, I will be posting my pictures of the bounty on the blog here a bit early. Still have one or two outstanding deliveries to clear first. I don't want spoilers.

If you are a member of the club, feel free to post in the comments, link to your photos/blogs, and chat with each other about the club and the books!

Apple Eater News!

2008-05-25T15:17:00.001-07:00

Thanks to everyone who signed up for the Twilight Stitch Marker Club. Your June packages will be mailed very soon! I'll let you know as soon as I've come back from the post office. Seriously, Apple-Eaters, I hope you are as excited as I am about this club; the anticipation is almost as high as waiting for Breaking Dawn!

Feel free to use this blog to contact me, leave messages or chat with each other about the club and your thoughts on the books!

Cheers.
t

Last Chance

2008-05-14T17:21:00.001-07:00

Hi again!
There is one week left for you to sign up for the Twilight stitch marker club. I have only THREE spots left open, so if you're considering joining - now is the time! I am chomping at the bit to get these babies in the mail! So. Much. Fun!

Cheers!

Going, going! And arriving!

2008-04-30T05:24:00.000-07:00

Hello again, friends!

There are ONLY FIVE spots still available in the Twilight Saga stitch marker club! If you are interested, follow the instructions to the right, or below, and get in on it! Spots are going, going....

Also - exciting news- I got a big heavy box full of beads the other day! I've been busy sorting and counting and planning for all kinds of great stuff to come! I really, really want to tell you all about it, but that would ruin too many surprises for club members, so I will keep it to myself (believe me, it isn't easy)!

Hopefully my next post will have some yummy stuff to look at, and not just a bunch o' words!

ta!

We Have a Winner!

2008-04-27T09:35:00.000-07:00

Congratulations to a lucky Ravelry user, who won a raffle prize from me, and chose these:

Coming Soon!

2008-04-23T06:26:00.001-07:00

I'm finally at a point where I can accept names of those who wish to get in on my Twilight Saga-inspired stitch marker club. I will be running the club through my etsy shop, to facilitate payment and to give club members security.

If you would like to join the club, please send me an email with the subject line Apple Eater to heyfatlulu AT gmail DOT com. Please make sure you email me from a working email address, so I can contact you. You will need to have an Etsy profile (easy to sign up for!) and a credit card or PayPal account to purchase your spot in the club. Membership costs are $25.00USD for one month, or $65.00USD for three months. Please tell me in your email which you are signing up for. I will then create a custom listing for you to purchase from my etsy shop, and email you as soon as it is ready for you. Payment is due within 48 hours, or your spot will go to the next person on the list.
Signup closes when all spots are filled, or by May 21st, whichever comes first; first shipment is by June 15.
There are only 13 spots in this club. Each month, you will be sent three full sets of stitch markers, plus individual stitch marker extras and goodies. Sets will vary in number of markers, wire colour, and gauge. If you absolutely never knit on anything smaller than US6 needles, please let me know in your join up email. I am more than happy to customize your markers to suit your knitting preferences! If you are a sock knitter, let me know, and I'll make sure your markers have small rings. If you've never knit a sock in your life, and don't plan to, let me know so that I can be sure not to send you markers with sock sized rings. I want you to be able to use each and every stitch marker you get!

I'm already hard at work, designing marker sets that evoke Forks and her inhabitants, human and otherwise. I'm following the books in a somewhat chronological order, and really enjoying the creative process! I hope you'll join me, and that you have as much fun as a member of my club as I am having creating these markers for you!

Prizes!

2008-04-12T08:13:00.000-07:00

One of these three items will be awarded to a winner in the RavelRaiser raffle. The lucky winner will get to choose either:

This set of Clapotis stitch markers - there are 18 markers, plus one long one to mark the center of your work and another extra to lose in the cushions of your sofa!

This set of sock stitch markers, to fit needles up to size US4.

Or this fabulous set 7 of blood red stitch markers - a preview of my upcoming Twilight Saga inspired stitch marker club!

Hippo Happenings

2008-04-11T10:40:00.000-07:00

Sneak peek! Do these remind you of a certain vampire's eyes?

Welcome to the Hippo Blog

2008-04-09T14:36:00.000-07:00

Welcome to the blog for my soon-to-be Etsy shop, Velvet Hippo. In coming weeks and months, this blog will be the place that I update you on new merchandise, specials and other got-to-have goodies! In the meantime, the elves are hard at work creating stock, so be sure to check back often for sneak peeks of what you can expect from Velvet Hippo. Thank you so much!