Sock Monkey Ranch Craft Room Makeover

This week I decided if I was going to work in my craft room every day and earn a living from there, that it would be cool if it was an environment I really enjoyed being in…so I did a makeover.

Originally, I had 3 huge bookshelves filled to overflowing with craft supplies. They were dark and heavy and made the room look so small and depressing. I also had a huge entertainment unit that served as home for Miss Millie, Dusty, Cletus Dean and the rest of the Sock Monkey Ranch gang…it, too was overflowing.

BEFORE

Those of you who know me, know what my craft space usually looks like…chaos. It took me 3 days to do the makeover, but I love it.

AFTER

I love this mirrored wall. It's fun and whimsical. Mirrors are from IKEA. The table under the mirrors are my packing/shipping and occasionally, my painting and journal making area. Shelves behind that hold my fabric stash.

(That’s Oliver, my Schnoodle, lounging on the floor.)

A double-wide table with two sewing machines. Now I have room for a friend to come and sew with me!

And notice the organized shelves. Yes, those are labeled bins...woohoo!

I've moved Miss Millie and the gang to a new white hutch. They're much cozier and the drawers are used to store extra monkey clothing and accessories. The bottom drawer holds "monkey skins" just waiting to be sewn, stuffed and born.

I’m ready to create!

Seeing Double?

Folks around Sock Monkey Ranch have been seeing double lately.

I’d like you to meet Miss Mollie (on the left), Miss Millie’s little sister. (That’s Miss Millie on the right.)

They look so much alike that sometimes they’re mistaken for twins. One big difference, however that Miss Mollie has a sweet tooth. Heck, she has a whole mouthful of them, which is why she’s insisting on carrying a bag of sugar wherever she goes…weird, huh?

After a brief visit, Miss Mollie was off to live in San Jose, CA with Catherine, who promised to keep her sugar intake under control.

We’ll miss that sweet little gal!

Hiking Sodona

Cletus Dean Baker (AKA Tumbleweed) hiked the West Fork Trail in Sodona yesterday.   (I got to go along as his photographer.) What a beautiful place…we’ve got to go back and do it again, soon! Maybe next time he’ll let me be in some of the pictures.

Wearable Sock Monkey Art!

My friend, Carrie over at Poet Summer has created another gorgeous sock monkey charm bracelet featuring Sock Monkey Ranch monkeys. 

Pop on over to Poet Summer’s Shop and have a look at her amazing work.  Just click on the picture above and it will take you right to her shop.

Lucille Ball and Vitameatavegamin

Ok, I’ve been dying to post my latest sock monkey on the blog, but I had to wait because a friend custom ordered it for his wife’s birthday and I was afraid she might see it.

He wanted a Lucille Ball sock monkey.  I went online and found this:

She was my inspiration, and here’s what I created. (My mom made the dress.)

Front View

Back View (I added a tail bow later.)

Her cute little hat.

Vitameatavegamin - I used a Watkins vanilla bottle and filled it with Coke., then made a cool label.

This is the actual script Lucy read on the Vitameatavegamin episode. I included a spoon for tasting!

This was one of the most challenging sock monkeys I’ve made yet, but she was a lot of fun.

Oh, and…HAPPY BIRTHDAY, JUDY!

It’s a Sock Monkey Tea Party!

I’m so excited!  Carrie over at PoetSummer on Etsy has created the most wonderful charm bracelet featuring some of the monkeys from right here on Sock Monkey Ranch!

Sock Monkey Tea Party Charm Bracelet

Pop over and take a look at Carrie’s stunning bracelets in every theme you can possibly think of…and if she doesn’t have one you want, I bet she’d make one especially for you!

Update from Clovis

Just got a picture via email from Miss Cassie down in Canyon, Texas of Clovis Dean on his new horse, Big Brown.  Miss Cassie says he is settling in just fine and making lots of new friends.

Clovis and his new ride.

I’m sure he’ll be spinnin’ yarns with the fellers down on his new spread, just like he does when he’s here at Sock Monkey Ranch with his brother, Cletus.

Thanks fer the update, Miss Cassie!

Clovis Dean Baker and Cletus Dean Baker

Cletus Dean Baker AKA Tumbleweed (on the right) has been hanging around Sock Monkey Ranch for quite some time, now, but his brother Clovis Dean Baker (on the left) just rolled into the ranch around dusk last night.

He and Cletus spent most of the evenin’ sitting round the big old porch of the ranch house swappin’ tall tales. I’m not sure which one of them tells the biggest golly-whoppers, but they sure kept the ranch hands in stitches and wonderin’ which of the stories were true and which were pure hog-wash.

You can read about how they spent the evening entertaining the ranch hands here: READ MORE

I hear that Ma Baker had a third son…Clarence Dean Baker. (She gives all her boys her maiden name for a middle name…she was Etta Mae Dean before she married Pa Baker.)

I suppose it’s only a matter of time before Clarence Dean shows up at the ranch!

Lenny Longtail Goes to the Zoo

My daughter invited me to go to the zoo with her family.  Of course, all of the sock monkeys on the ranch wanted to go, but there was only enough room in my backpack for one.

Lenny Longtail reminded me that of all the monkeys at Sock Monkey Ranch, he was the only one who had never gone out on an adventure.  I pointed out the fact that Lenny couldn’t go because he is the only monkey on the ranch who isn’t wearing clothes (because I haven’t gotten around to making them) and he asked in a perfectly innocent voice, “Do the animals at the zoo wear clothes?”

Well, what could I say?  Lenny hopped in my backpack and away we went.

He had a wonderful time making new friends at the zoo, but after 5 hours of walking, he was one tired, but happy little monkey.

We had a wonderful, but exausting time.

Sock Monkeys and Their People

Many people like to show off their sock monkeys, but did you know that sock monkeys like to show off their people, too?

Sock Monkeys, Sarge and Happy Happy Sam with their boys, Ethan and David (my grandsons).

I just added a new features to the Sock Monkey Ranch web site called Sock Monkeys and Their People. It’s a place to show off pictures of you with your sock monkey (or visa versa).

Send your pics with your sock monkey’s name, your first name, and maybe a sentence or two about how you got your sock monkey, your history together, etc. and I’ll post it in our new fun corner of Sock Monkey Ranch. Contact Info

Can’t wait to see your pics!