Arts and Crafts at RB's L-C

So my sister has lots of talented friends--musicians, artists, writers all. But today I'm putting in my plug for her friend Mandy, who makes these thingamajigs called skullknockers and sells them over the internets. They're essentially carefully cut naugahyde stitched together and stuffed with T-shirts and a walnut heart, and they have lots of character. She makes critters of land, sea, and air, and when I asked her to make an extra special stink bug for Linus' 6-month birthday, she did an awesome job with that, too. Here's a picture of Stinky, and I wrote about that more on my other blog this morning.

Anyway, I've watched Mandy make these things, and it doesn't look easy. My fingers got tired just watching her stitch naugahyde. But the important thing is, they look cool, and they're all one of a kind. They're pieces of art, they're toys, they're funky pillows. They are whatever you want them to be. Please check out her site--if not to buy something, then to admire her work. I mean, c'mon. This a cute squid, as far as squids go.