Cuddly Rigor Mortis News


May 20th, 2009 I decided that I needed a break from the three dimensional plush and picked up my paints again. It's been...years. And I also felt that time was of the essence so I used acrylics which I haven't touched in...decades! Oils were always my medium of choice but what the heck! Try something new, I say :-) So I worked up six little beveled wooden panel paintings, some old characters, some new. I found lovely papers at the craft shop and glued those to the panels and painted right on top of them. The papers range from just plain printed to clear acetate to textured, sparkly extravaganzas. Click to here to see the paintings. Below is a detail of "Skeleton boy". April 26th, 2009 I have been doing quite a bit of sewing and tweeking the new dolls and I finally have come up with something I like. They are all up for sale in the shop right now and I'm calling them Imps! Small, devilish little creatures who seek to be loved and cause a bit of mischief. I tried to keep the prices as low as possible since we all seem be hurting with money right now. They will be able to be shipped in a Flat Rate Priority Mail box which is also cheaper, especially for international shipping. Please remember that these are still NOT kid-friendly even though I'm using some safety eyes, there is still some delicate stitching/glued parts that regular 'playing' may not withstand. Enjoy! April 2nd, 2009 I just sewed up the 666th plush for CRM. I wanted to give it to my husband, Ed, since it's his fault that all this happened ;-) I have also been toying with the idea of a new base pattern and had made a little bean shape. Thus a Devil Bean seemed appropriate for the 666th. They will be small (5x3 in) and all the characters will work for it. I will still continue the larger CRM's but I needed a new boost to keep me going. Check back for their debut! And don't forget to go over to our Facebook page where I have been keeping up with lots of pics of other new designs and shows, etc. Thank you all for keeping us going, enjoy! Here's to 666 more plushes! February 27th, 2009 We've been sucked into Facebook ahhhhhhhh!!!!! Yes, it's true Cuddly Rigor Mortis has it's own page on Facebook that you can become a 'fan' of. Click here to check it out It's got loads of great content and ways that you can not only keep up with us, but we can keep up with you! Upload your fan photos, join in or start some new discussions, post some cool links or just let everyone know what a huge CRM fan you are. Thanks so much :D February 13th, 2009 Well Happy Friday the 13th everyone! I'm feeling better personally about this new lead law that went into effect on the 10th because we are exempt. The CPSC sent out a letter pinpointing what and who is affected by this right now. Because I don't market my plush to kids (never did) and clearly state on the website and label each plush that they are not intended for children (always did) we are exempt from the current law. Whew! However...there are still so many people that ARE affected that I will continue to keep updates on what progress has been made. Right now there has not been enough done to provide exemptions for small/micro businesses that are already providing safe products for children. These people will still have to spend thousands of dollars to test each of their products whether they make one hair clip a year or millions of toys. This will not take effect for one year but people must know what is going on and the ramifications of all this. Stay in touch and educate yourself if you are a parent or a craftsperson and let's not give up hope! February 9th, 2009 If you didn't already know, there will be legislation going into effect Feb 10th that will put my plush dolls in a 'fuzzy' area. To be honest I am having a hard time finding out whether my plush dolls are subject to this legislation or not (Read the previous post below for the basics). There was a stay of one year for actually testing and labeling products but there still needs to be compliance with appropriate lead levels and other chemicals. Meaning, if your toys are sold with those chemicals/lead in them and they are tested you can be prosecuted. Ugh! I have always been very upfront with the fact that my work is NOT for kids or pets because of the small parts (usually vintage buttons) that I use and the fact that I am not a seamstress but more of an artist. Does me saying this and posting it everywhere and putting labels to this effect on each plush I make, make it OK for me to continue producing them? I don't know at this point...honestly. The big sticking point for me is that I use a lot of vintage materials and I don't know what the chemical makeup of them is. As long you don't suck on them, you are going to be fine. I reiterate...don't suck on my plush dolls. I will continue to sew my plush creations and sell them. I will also continue to try and do whatever I can to help clarify this very poorly put together legislation. If you want to do something or just want to know what's going on please visit http://www.handmadetoyalliance.org/ No one wants anyone to get hurt or sick from something that should bring only joy into little lives. But we also need to keep in mind that many, many small businesses are already doing top-notch work for children's products and will be put out of business if this legislation isn't changed within the year. If you want more specifics about my creations visit our FAQ's page or feel free to email me directly with any questions you may have at kt@cuddlyrigormortis.com Thank you all for your support and continued business! January 28th, 2009 Some disturbing news has come my way this morning and I would like to pass it along to anyone who may be a fan of not only our handmade plush but anything else that is handmade/handcrafted and possibly geared towards kids. The CPSIA will go into effect Feb 10th and although it was made to help police the toy industry after the rash of lead paint coming out of China this year it was not written in a way that took into account that small businesses, crafters and diy's will have to pay upwards of thousands of dollars per item for certificates, labeling and testing. I have been doing research all morning and what we know is that if it goes into effect, it will make it nearly impossible for any small business to continue their craft. Even with it being aimed at products for children 12 and under, our dolls will still be affected. Private parental groups have been set up to help the government 'police' these small shops and websites which almost ensures that businesses like Cuddly Rigor Mortis will not go 'under the radar'. Please visit this site http://www.handmadetoyalliance.org/Home as it gives a nice concise overview of what's going on and how YOU can help. There is a sample letter at the bottom of the page as well as who you can send it to. This may help us get a hearing before feb 10th to help delay or at least ammend this law. I will keep you all updated as to what I find out and how it will affect the future of Cuddly Rigor Mortis. January 1st, 2009 Happy New Year everyone! 2008 was another wonderful year, full of many new friends and fans. I hope that this year brings even more new things our way. I'm going to start to work up some Cuddly Cupids to go into the shop as we have to look towards our next holiday -- Valentine's Day :D I know, I know...let's just relax and enjoy today and tomorrow we can start on new projects. Sounds good to me! Enjoy your day and thank you once again to all our friends, family and fans who have made this past year memorable. October 23th, 2008 The leaves are changing color here in Cuddly Rigor Mortis-ville and that means Pumpkins as well as thinking about the upcoming holiday season. Last year saw the introduction of Santa Zombie in 2D form and he's back on cards and ornaments in our CafePress shop. But I've also sewn up a PLUSH Santa Zombie and he really looks adorable. He's going to come with a cute little sack that will have three handmade ornaments in it: a skull, a dead star and a little happy Brian the brain! You can check out the first pictures of him in our plush shop but he won't be for sale until November 1st. He isn't a one of a kind but he will only be for sale until January 1st. As always if you want to keep track of what we're up to, please friend us on MySpace where I try and post what's going on with more regularity than here. Please enjoy and don't eat too much candy on Halloween! June 8th, 2008 I've got three new full time plushes up for sale in the shop now -- Vlad, NJ Devil and Punk. I also put four VooDoo plushes up for sale, two of which sold within a matter of hours. I have many new ideas for voodoos, but if you like one you see, I suggest picking it up while you can. If you want to keep up to date on when the new voodoos are going on sale, send me an email and I'll be sure to put you on the list. That's all for now! Enjoy! April 1st, 2008 No this isn't an April Fools Day joke. I wanted to let everyone know that we'll be participating in a great show opening this weekend at the Hello My Name Is Gallery called simply Plush! We entered the VooDoo plush #3 you see below. Which also brings me to this great new one-of-a-kind (ooak) series we've decided to do. No two will be completely alike, different colors, fabrics, buttons, accessories. They will all come with seven real pins (needles, actually) which represent seven different colors in voodoo culture. #1 and #2 are sold. I've got orders for #4 and #5. They will all be $100. If you like #3 I'd contact the gallery or go to the show, it's sure to be a blast. Food, music, plush -- what more could you want! March 4th, 2008 As you can see I haven't been keeping up with news here. I'm going to try and do that more frequently now, but always try our MySpace page blog if you don't see anything here. Well, that said, we've got two new plushes in the shop: Zombie Bunny is one, meaning one and only one for sale! Zombie Bunny is an edition of 2, one has already sold so the onlyone left is in the shop. I will not be swayed to sew up anymore of him cause he was a bit of a pain. The other new plush is Brian the brain and he's cute and affordable and very much going to be sewn up over and over again! We also want you all to know that we are constantly making new images for both our 'Everything Else Shop' and Creative Image Licensing. So if you need a new mug with Vlad on it or want to make up some tags or tubes check 'em out. Best to all and check back soon for more new handmade plushes! Thanks! December 17th, 2007 Wow! Thanks to everyone who made this such a great holiday season for us. I hope that all the little Cuddly Rigor Mortis plushes find good boys and girls to live with. I'm putting everything back in stock on the shop page, but I need some time for family and friends and won't be able to sew up and ship out those orders until sometime in January (sooner rather than later). I've also been emailed enough times to set aside some time to make a whole batch of NJ Devils in the new year so look for those to go up for sale in the coming weeks. It's been a wild and wacky season and I still have the final orders to package up and ship off to their new homes but stop back soon for some hot cocoa and christmas cookies. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all! November 19, 2007 Gingerbreadman is out of the oven and ready to go. So is his mini version. I brightened up the front shop page for the holidays to help everyone get in the mood. I've also added mini Tikis and Marshy with his removable heart ornament. Ed and I designed some cute new cards for Christmas, featuring Gingerbreadman and of course, Santa Zombie! Check them out at our Cafe Press shop. I'm busy sewing up some ornaments and little extras that will be going to Bazaare Bizarre San Francisco on Dec 15th. Special thanks go to both MaryJane's Attic and The Crafty Scientist for helping me out in a big way for this show. Show them both some love, they've got great stuff! I may have some stock left over that I'll put up for sale here so keep checking back for new items. Remember that Bloody Mary is also still available at Rivet Gallery. Great for that special someone who wants a one-of-a-kind creation. That's all for now! Happy Thanksgiving everyone! October 31st, 2007 Happy Halloween everyone! Have a safe and healthy night and remember to travel in packs. PS seems our wonderful (and I do mean that) shop host, BigCartel, is in a bit of a pickle today so you might not be able to get to our shop pages to see prices or order a plush. Hang in there and if it isn't fixed already it soon will be. Drop me an email and I'll give you a discount code if you really wanted that plush today and couldn't get it. Sorry for any inconvenience! October 17th, 2007 Finished up our piece for the upcoming Stuff This! show at the Rivet Gallery on November 7th. I present to you Bloody Mary: *NOTE click on her to go to the Rivet site where she is now for sale* She's a dual creation from Ed and I, originating from a little sketch by Ed and ending with what you see here. She's hefty with all that lovely fringe hair measuring in at 18" long (her dimensions are 12" x 12"). Her face and body are made out of a nice velvet. So go out and support the local art scene in Columbus, Ohio and check out Bloody Mary while you're at it. Enjoy! October 9th, 2007 Just a sneak peek at the package art that Ed and I both did for the retail plush. This image will be the entire back of the box which will measure a whopping 15" x 16". This thing is huge. As of right now, it seems that we are on track for delivery to Hot Topic stores between Nov. 9th and the 23rd. It will be in half their stores (not sure which ones) and it's still unclear whether it will be on their website. Sooooo.....why not go shopping at your local mall and while you're there feel free to go into your local Hot Topic store and maybe mention or ask about Cuddly Rigor Mortis plush or email customer service to request that they be sold online. As always, if you guys have any requests or ideas, please feel free to shout em out because we aim to please. Oh yeah. September 22, 2007 Just updated the way you shop around here, folks. Previously I would get an order and make a plush. But things got really hectic around the holidays last year and since I don't want to pull my hair out I'm switching things up. I found a great, simple site that allows me to track my inventory so when I run out of a particular plush it will simply say, 'Sold Out'. I will try and keep all the plush that are shown in the shop fully stocked so you'll never have to see a sold out sign but it may happen, so be please be patient. What this new shop setup will also allow you to do is click on your shipping destination (international and everything!) and not have to email me for shipping costs. Simple, simple, simple. You'll see a sidebar which will track the top sellers and a brand new FAQ's page with even more info about us here and how we work. On the retail side of things, we are eagerly awaiting the arrival of the first three plush at Hot Topic stores. It seems that we are still on track for mid November, yay! Ed and I are also talking with a whole bunch of cool people in all different fields who are just as excited about CRM as we are. Fingers crossed and brains are-a-storming for future developments. Thanks to all who have supported us so far! July 31, 2007 It's official! The purchase orders have been sent and Cuddly Rigor Mortis will be in Hot Topic stores! Devil, Zombie and Skeleton are the first three plushes and will be in stores for the holiday season. We have seen the samples and they are amazing. The quality is great and if you didn't know any better, you'd think they were handmade by me! Lots more details to come soon, like prices and exact dates so stay tuned. June 27, 2007 Summer seems to have hit New Jersey and it's air conditioning time! We had a great time in Tokyo and came up with a lot of cool new ideas. Check back in the coming months for some possible new additions to the Cuddly Rigor Mortis gang. Ed and I are also busy working on packaging designs for boxes that will house the retail plushes. The first three characters have been picked but we aren't allowed to tell you about it! Can't wait to be able to scream about this from the rooftops but we must be patient and quiet and wait our turn. If anyone out there is interested in carrying the retail plushes please feel free to contact me and we'll get you on our list. If you want to write an article or mention us in your blog, please send me a copy of what you write. I'm always on the lookout for new mentions of CRM in the real world and love when I stumble upon it but love it even more when it just shows up in my inbox. Seems that we're making the rounds of some Romanian art blogs now -- too bad BabelFish doesn't translate that! Anyway, things are crazy busy and yet I'm happy that the summer is here because I get to enjoy my fishpond with a cool drink at the end of the day. Keep stopping by and sending pictures and have a great summer everyone! May 23, 2007 Hey all! Just wanted to say that the United States Postal Service has raised it's prices and unfortunately that is going to be reflected here as well. I just came back from mailing one plush to Australia and it cost $25.25! One plush to the UK now costs $20 instead of $12. I feel awful charging my international customers so much more but it's a fact and I can't take a loss on shipping. Now my domestic customers will also have to pay more. I'm going to raise it to $6 per plush. As always, feel free to email me before you place an order if you are going to purchase multiple plushes and I'll give you a break. In other news I am taking a much needed vacation for two weeks starting May 29th and coming back June 12. Ed and I are going to Tokyo again and can't wait. I don't have any stock ready so any orders that come in between now and when I come back won't be ready for shipping until around June 20th. I will email anyone who places an order when their plush ships out. We also have a MySpace page all ready and chock full of cool friends. Over 600 as of last count. C'mon over and check them out and friend us while you're at it. You never know who'll be looking at our MySpace page! www.myspace.com/cuddlyrigormortis And be sure to comment and let us know your favorite Cuddly Rigor Mortis character too. So enjoy your month and I will enjoy mine. PS the retail line is moving along smoothly and samples are being made and looking awesome! We couldn't be happier, so stay tuned and as soon as these suckers hit the shelves you'll be the first to know! March 27, 2007 Ok so I've got some big news and I'm going to lay it on you -- Cuddly Rigor Mortis has just signed a licensing contract with a great company! This means that you will be able to buy all sorts of items with the characters on them, including plush, from stores around you. Everything will be designed and approved by me and my new partner, Ed Mironiuk (otherwise known as my husband :-) All the dolls and accessories will not be made unless we say that they are deserving of the Cuddly Rigor Mortis name. We can't say which characters will be made first and where they may be sold, but as soon as we can, we will spill the beans and let you know. We're going to be putting up a MySpace page which will help us decide who's everyone's favorite and what items you guys might like to see. It's still in the works but check back and I'll post the address. I will also continue to handmake plushes that are sold directly on this site. We strongly feel that the handmade plushes should have a place just as much as the retail ones soon will. We hope that you will continue to watch us grow and we promise to keep making spooky-cute characters for all of you. Thanks for your support!
Previous News

May 20th, 2009 I decided that I needed a break from the three dimensional plush and picked up my paints again. It's been...years. And I also felt that time was of the essence so I used acrylics which I haven't touched in...decades! Oils were always my medium of choice but what the heck! Try something new, I say :-) So I worked up six little beveled wooden panel paintings, some old characters, some new. I found lovely papers at the craft shop and glued those to the panels and painted right on top of them. The papers range from just plain printed to clear acetate to textured, sparkly extravaganzas. Click to here to see the paintings. Below is a detail of "Skeleton boy".

April 26th, 2009 I have been doing quite a bit of sewing and tweeking the new dolls and I finally have come up with something I like. They are all up for sale in the shop right now and I'm calling them Imps! Small, devilish little creatures who seek to be loved and cause a bit of mischief. I tried to keep the prices as low as possible since we all seem be hurting with money right now. They will be able to be shipped in a Flat Rate Priority Mail box which is also cheaper, especially for international shipping. Please remember that these are still NOT kid-friendly even though I'm using some safety eyes, there is still some delicate stitching/glued parts that regular 'playing' may not withstand. Enjoy!

April 2nd, 2009 I just sewed up the 666th plush for CRM. I wanted to give it to my husband, Ed, since it's his fault that all this happened ;-) I have also been toying with the idea of a new base pattern and had made a little bean shape. Thus a Devil Bean seemed appropriate for the 666th. They will be small (5x3 in) and all the characters will work for it. I will still continue the larger CRM's but I needed a new boost to keep me going. Check back for their debut! And don't forget to go over to our Facebook page where I have been keeping up with lots of pics of other new designs and shows, etc. Thank you all for keeping us going, enjoy! Here's to 666 more plushes!

February 27th, 2009 We've been sucked into Facebook ahhhhhhhh!!!!! Yes, it's true Cuddly Rigor Mortis has it's own page on Facebook that you can become a 'fan' of. Click here to check it out It's got loads of great content and ways that you can not only keep up with us, but we can keep up with you! Upload your fan photos, join in or start some new discussions, post some cool links or just let everyone know what a huge CRM fan you are. Thanks so much :D

February 13th, 2009 Well Happy Friday the 13th everyone! I'm feeling better personally about this new lead law that went into effect on the 10th because we are exempt. The CPSC sent out a letter pinpointing what and who is affected by this right now. Because I don't market my plush to kids (never did) and clearly state on the website and label each plush that they are not intended for children (always did) we are exempt from the current law. Whew! However...there are still so many people that ARE affected that I will continue to keep updates on what progress has been made. Right now there has not been enough done to provide exemptions for small/micro businesses that are already providing safe products for children. These people will still have to spend thousands of dollars to test each of their products whether they make one hair clip a year or millions of toys. This will not take effect for one year but people must know what is going on and the ramifications of all this. Stay in touch and educate yourself if you are a parent or a craftsperson and let's not give up hope!

February 9th, 2009 If you didn't already know, there will be legislation going into effect Feb 10th that will put my plush dolls in a 'fuzzy' area. To be honest I am having a hard time finding out whether my plush dolls are subject to this legislation or not (Read the previous post below for the basics). There was a stay of one year for actually testing and labeling products but there still needs to be compliance with appropriate lead levels and other chemicals. Meaning, if your toys are sold with those chemicals/lead in them and they are tested you can be prosecuted. Ugh! I have always been very upfront with the fact that my work is NOT for kids or pets because of the small parts (usually vintage buttons) that I use and the fact that I am not a seamstress but more of an artist. Does me saying this and posting it everywhere and putting labels to this effect on each plush I make, make it OK for me to continue producing them? I don't know at this point...honestly. The big sticking point for me is that I use a lot of vintage materials and I don't know what the chemical makeup of them is. As long you don't suck on them, you are going to be fine. I reiterate...don't suck on my plush dolls. I will continue to sew my plush creations and sell them. I will also continue to try and do whatever I can to help clarify this very poorly put together legislation. If you want to do something or just want to know what's going on please visit http://www.handmadetoyalliance.org/ No one wants anyone to get hurt or sick from something that should bring only joy into little lives. But we also need to keep in mind that many, many small businesses are already doing top-notch work for children's products and will be put out of business if this legislation isn't changed within the year. If you want more specifics about my creations visit our FAQ's page or feel free to email me directly with any questions you may have at kt@cuddlyrigormortis.com Thank you all for your support and continued business!

January 28th, 2009 Some disturbing news has come my way this morning and I would like to pass it along to anyone who may be a fan of not only our handmade plush but anything else that is handmade/handcrafted and possibly geared towards kids. The CPSIA will go into effect Feb 10th and although it was made to help police the toy industry after the rash of lead paint coming out of China this year it was not written in a way that took into account that small businesses, crafters and diy's will have to pay upwards of thousands of dollars per item for certificates, labeling and testing. I have been doing research all morning and what we know is that if it goes into effect, it will make it nearly impossible for any small business to continue their craft. Even with it being aimed at products for children 12 and under, our dolls will still be affected. Private parental groups have been set up to help the government 'police' these small shops and websites which almost ensures that businesses like Cuddly Rigor Mortis will not go 'under the radar'. Please visit this site http://www.handmadetoyalliance.org/Home as it gives a nice concise overview of what's going on and how YOU can help. There is a sample letter at the bottom of the page as well as who you can send it to. This may help us get a hearing before feb 10th to help delay or at least ammend this law. I will keep you all updated as to what I find out and how it will affect the future of Cuddly Rigor Mortis.

January 1st, 2009 Happy New Year everyone! 2008 was another wonderful year, full of many new friends and fans. I hope that this year brings even more new things our way. I'm going to start to work up some Cuddly Cupids to go into the shop as we have to look towards our next holiday -- Valentine's Day :D I know, I know...let's just relax and enjoy today and tomorrow we can start on new projects. Sounds good to me! Enjoy your day and thank you once again to all our friends, family and fans who have made this past year memorable.

October 23th, 2008 The leaves are changing color here in Cuddly Rigor Mortis-ville and that means Pumpkins as well as thinking about the upcoming holiday season. Last year saw the introduction of Santa Zombie in 2D form and he's back on cards and ornaments in our CafePress shop. But I've also sewn up a PLUSH Santa Zombie and he really looks adorable. He's going to come with a cute little sack that will have three handmade ornaments in it: a skull, a dead star and a little happy Brian the brain! You can check out the first pictures of him in our plush shop but he won't be for sale until November 1st. He isn't a one of a kind but he will only be for sale until January 1st. As always if you want to keep track of what we're up to, please friend us on MySpace where I try and post what's going on with more regularity than here. Please enjoy and don't eat too much candy on Halloween!

June 8th, 2008 I've got three new full time plushes up for sale in the shop now -- Vlad, NJ Devil and Punk. I also put four VooDoo plushes up for sale, two of which sold within a matter of hours. I have many new ideas for voodoos, but if you like one you see, I suggest picking it up while you can. If you want to keep up to date on when the new voodoos are going on sale, send me an email and I'll be sure to put you on the list. That's all for now! Enjoy!

April 1st, 2008 No this isn't an April Fools Day joke. I wanted to let everyone know that we'll be participating in a great show opening this weekend at the Hello My Name Is Gallery called simply Plush! We entered the VooDoo plush #3 you see below.

CRM voodoo plush

Which also brings me to this great new one-of-a-kind (ooak) series we've decided to do. No two will be completely alike, different colors, fabrics, buttons, accessories. They will all come with seven real pins (needles, actually) which represent seven different colors in voodoo culture. #1 and #2 are sold. I've got orders for #4 and #5. They will all be $100. If you like #3 I'd contact the gallery or go to the show, it's sure to be a blast. Food, music, plush -- what more could you want!

March 4th, 2008 As you can see I haven't been keeping up with news here. I'm going to try and do that more frequently now, but always try our MySpace page blog if you don't see anything here. Well, that said, we've got two new plushes in the shop: Zombie Bunny is one, meaning one and only one for sale! Zombie Bunny is an edition of 2, one has already sold so the onlyone left is in the shop. I will not be swayed to sew up anymore of him cause he was a bit of a pain. The other new plush is Brian the brain and he's cute and affordable and very much going to be sewn up over and over again! We also want you all to know that we are constantly making new images for both our 'Everything Else Shop' and Creative Image Licensing. So if you need a new mug with Vlad on it or want to make up some tags or tubes check 'em out. Best to all and check back soon for more new handmade plushes! Thanks!

December 17th, 2007 Wow! Thanks to everyone who made this such a great holiday season for us. I hope that all the little Cuddly Rigor Mortis plushes find good boys and girls to live with. I'm putting everything back in stock on the shop page, but I need some time for family and friends and won't be able to sew up and ship out those orders until sometime in January (sooner rather than later). I've also been emailed enough times to set aside some time to make a whole batch of NJ Devils in the new year so look for those to go up for sale in the coming weeks. It's been a wild and wacky season and I still have the final orders to package up and ship off to their new homes but stop back soon for some hot cocoa and christmas cookies. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all!

November 19, 2007 Gingerbreadman is out of the oven and ready to go. So is his mini version. I brightened up the front shop page for the holidays to help everyone get in the mood. I've also added mini Tikis and Marshy with his removable heart ornament. Ed and I designed some cute new cards for Christmas, featuring Gingerbreadman and of course, Santa Zombie! Check them out at our Cafe Press shop. I'm busy sewing up some ornaments and little extras that will be going to Bazaare Bizarre San Francisco on Dec 15th. Special thanks go to both MaryJane's Attic and The Crafty Scientist for helping me out in a big way for this show. Show them both some love, they've got great stuff! I may have some stock left over that I'll put up for sale here so keep checking back for new items. Remember that Bloody Mary is also still available at Rivet Gallery. Great for that special someone who wants a one-of-a-kind creation. That's all for now! Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

October 31st, 2007 Happy Halloween everyone! Have a safe and healthy night and remember to travel in packs.

PS seems our wonderful (and I do mean that) shop host, BigCartel, is in a bit of a pickle today so you might not be able to get to our shop pages to see prices or order a plush. Hang in there and if it isn't fixed already it soon will be. Drop me an email and I'll give you a discount code if you really wanted that plush today and couldn't get it. Sorry for any inconvenience!

October 17th, 2007 Finished up our piece for the upcoming Stuff This! show at the Rivet Gallery on November 7th. I present to you Bloody Mary: ***NOTE click on her to go to the Rivet site where she is now for sale***

She's a dual creation from Ed and I, originating from a little sketch by Ed and ending with what you see here. She's hefty with all that lovely fringe hair measuring in at 18" long (her dimensions are 12" x 12"). Her face and body are made out of a nice velvet. So go out and support the local art scene in Columbus, Ohio and check out Bloody Mary while you're at it. Enjoy!

October 9th, 2007 Just a sneak peek at the package art that Ed and I both did for the retail plush. This image will be the entire back of the box which will measure a whopping 15" x 16". This thing is huge.

As of right now, it seems that we are on track for delivery to Hot Topic stores between Nov. 9th and the 23rd. It will be in half their stores (not sure which ones) and it's still unclear whether it will be on their website. Sooooo.....why not go shopping at your local mall and while you're there feel free to go into your local Hot Topic store and maybe mention or ask about Cuddly Rigor Mortis plush or email customer service to request that they be sold online.
As always, if you guys have any requests or ideas, please feel free to shout em out because we aim to please. Oh yeah.

September 22, 2007 Just updated the way you shop around here, folks. Previously I would get an order and make a plush. But things got really hectic around the holidays last year and since I don't want to pull my hair out I'm switching things up. I found a great, simple site that allows me to track my inventory so when I run out of a particular plush it will simply say, 'Sold Out'. I will try and keep all the plush that are shown in the shop fully stocked so you'll never have to see a sold out sign but it may happen, so be please be patient. What this new shop setup will also allow you to do is click on your shipping destination (international and everything!) and not have to email me for shipping costs. Simple, simple, simple. You'll see a sidebar which will track the top sellers and a brand new FAQ's page with even more info about us here and how we work. On the retail side of things, we are eagerly awaiting the arrival of the first three plush at Hot Topic stores. It seems that we are still on track for mid November, yay! Ed and I are also talking with a whole bunch of cool people in all different fields who are just as excited about CRM as we are. Fingers crossed and brains are-a-storming for future developments. Thanks to all who have supported us so far!

July 31, 2007 It's official! The purchase orders have been sent and Cuddly Rigor Mortis will be in Hot Topic stores! Devil, Zombie and Skeleton are the first three plushes and will be in stores for the holiday season. We have seen the samples and they are amazing. The quality is great and if you didn't know any better, you'd think they were handmade by me! Lots more details to come soon, like prices and exact dates so stay tuned.

June 27, 2007 Summer seems to have hit New Jersey and it's air conditioning time! We had a great time in Tokyo and came up with a lot of cool new ideas. Check back in the coming months for some possible new additions to the Cuddly Rigor Mortis gang. Ed and I are also busy working on packaging designs for boxes that will house the retail plushes. The first three characters have been picked but we aren't allowed to tell you about it! Can't wait to be able to scream about this from the rooftops but we must be patient and quiet and wait our turn. If anyone out there is interested in carrying the retail plushes please feel free to contact me and we'll get you on our list. If you want to write an article or mention us in your blog, please send me a copy of what you write. I'm always on the lookout for new mentions of CRM in the real world and love when I stumble upon it but love it even more when it just shows up in my inbox. Seems that we're making the rounds of some Romanian art blogs now -- too bad BabelFish doesn't translate that! Anyway, things are crazy busy and yet I'm happy that the summer is here because I get to enjoy my fishpond with a cool drink at the end of the day. Keep stopping by and sending pictures and have a great summer everyone!

May 23, 2007 Hey all! Just wanted to say that the United States Postal Service has raised it's prices and unfortunately that is going to be reflected here as well. I just came back from mailing one plush to Australia and it cost $25.25! One plush to the UK now costs $20 instead of $12. I feel awful charging my international customers so much more but it's a fact and I can't take a loss on shipping. Now my domestic customers will also have to pay more. I'm going to raise it to $6 per plush. As always, feel free to email me before you place an order if you are going to purchase multiple plushes and I'll give you a break. In other news I am taking a much needed vacation for two weeks starting May 29th and coming back June 12. Ed and I are going to Tokyo again and can't wait. I don't have any stock ready so any orders that come in between now and when I come back won't be ready for shipping until around June 20th. I will email anyone who places an order when their plush ships out. We also have a MySpace page all ready and chock full of cool friends. Over 600 as of last count. C'mon over and check them out and friend us while you're at it. You never know who'll be looking at our MySpace page! www.myspace.com/cuddlyrigormortis And be sure to comment and let us know your favorite Cuddly Rigor Mortis character too. So enjoy your month and I will enjoy mine. PS the retail line is moving along smoothly and samples are being made and looking awesome! We couldn't be happier, so stay tuned and as soon as these suckers hit the shelves you'll be the first to know!

March 27, 2007 Ok so I've got some big news and I'm going to lay it on you -- Cuddly Rigor Mortis has just signed a licensing contract with a great company! This means that you will be able to buy all sorts of items with the characters on them, including plush, from stores around you. Everything will be designed and approved by me and my new partner, Ed Mironiuk (otherwise known as my husband :-) All the dolls and accessories will not be made unless we say that they are deserving of the Cuddly Rigor Mortis name. We can't say which characters will be made first and where they may be sold, but as soon as we can, we will spill the beans and let you know. We're going to be putting up a MySpace page which will help us decide who's everyone's favorite and what items you guys might like to see. It's still in the works but check back and I'll post the address. I will also continue to handmake plushes that are sold directly on this site. We strongly feel that the handmade plushes should have a place just as much as the retail ones soon will. We hope that you will continue to watch us grow and we promise to keep making spooky-cute characters for all of you. Thanks for your support!

Previous News