Happy (belated) Hanukkah!

Zippy Friends hopes that everyone had a great Hanukkah this year! We know that our friend Shanna did after she got this custom Hanukkah themed Zippy Friend commissioned by her fiance.

Shanna's Zippy loves the Festival of Lights!

She even has her own little smiley yarmulka.

Inside she's got latkes and apple sauce, chocolate coins, a dreidel, menorah and candles and her personalized heart. Too cute!

-Zippy out

parts and pieces

Welcome Patch! At about 8 inches tall, he is one of the smaller Zippy Friends, but he still has room for a little felt brain & spine, heart, lungs, liver, kidneys, stomach & intestines, and bladder.

Patch loves scrap-booking and quilting!

Patch is good friend with Meme, the Zippy Featured in the short film "How a Zippy Friend is made" which is available to view at www.ZippyFriends.com.

Patch is for sale on Etsy.

-Zippy out

Where do Zippy Friends come from?

Watch and find out! And yes, it really only takes 4 minutes... I work really fast right?

How a Zippy Friend is made! from Zippy Friends on Vimeo.

-Zippy out

Zippy deployment

This Yellow Lab Zippy is getting ship all the way to Afghanistan! Jason, the son of a woman I go to the gym with, is a US soldier stationed in Afghanistan for the next several months. He had a yellow lab growing up who really did eat his math homework once! He's also a fan of the NJ Jets and pizza.

-Zippy out

A side project.

Ok, so its a little unrelated to Zippy Friends, but it still came out pretty cool. Check out the day I spent toting my camera around Long Beach Island and snapping a pic every 30 seconds. I had a tripod, but yes, every picture was taken manually... maybe one day I'll figure out a more streamlined system! It was all captured in one day from sunrise to sunset in Ship Bottom and Surf City. It also features one of my favorite songs, "5 Years Time" by Noah and the Whale. Enjoy!

A Day on LBI from Zippy Friends on Vimeo.

I Love Lucy!

I just finished Lucy, a little kitty Zippy inspired by a real life kitty named Lucy. When Lucy's mom first described her to me she said, "She's colors that you've never seen before!" So with that I had to go shopping for some new fleece, no black and white kitty (like her brother, Scout). I brought Lucy Zippy over to meet her likeness and wrap her up before her mom got home from vacation. While I was there I learned Zippies + real animals = longest photo shoot ever.

Lucy Zippy relaxing on the porch.

Lucy Cat and Lucy Zippy didn't quite know what to make of each other at first.

But they became friends soon enough!

Lucy's got your standard kitty things like fish, a mouse and a hair-ball; but Lucy also loves dark chocolate m&m's and robots!

Here's Lucy Cat being a big help, in the way that a small child is a big help...

...by taking things from your meticulously set still life and playing with them.

Lucy Zippy and her big brother Scout Zippy.

Kitty guts everywhere!

Next time I do an animal photo shoot I will have to remember treats!

-Zippy out

Congratulations Jackie and Bill!

As the first online customer of Zippy Friends was getting ready for her wedding, Zippy Friends was getting ready for her bridal shower. What gift would we bring to her pre-wedding party? Why personalized Bride and Groom Zippies of course!

The happy couple.

The biggest challenge (after finding ways to attach bow ties and veils and still being able to unzip zippers) was to fill each Zippy Friend with things that they each liked.

What would bridal photos be without some close ups of accessories?

Congratulations again to Jackie and Bill! May all their married days be merry!

-Zippy out!

Beans, beans, they're good for you heart

...the more you eat, the more you will love the latest Zippy Friend, Beans the Bunny! He is one of my favorite Zippy Friends yet. Not only is Beans an awesome shade of nearly neon green with those adorable floppy ears, but he also has some super cute guts!

Beans has 3 carrots, an apple, a head of lettuce (literally, I designed it to replace his brain), a heart and 2 little bunnies (because you know how rabbits are). I'm pretty sure he traded away his real organs to score these super cute ones.

Beans loves hanging out in the garden and chef salads. Yum.

-Zippy out

Hello internets!

Today marks the introduction of the official Zippy Friends website!

www.ZippyFriends.com

Not that I just made it today, it's been up and running for about a month, but I only just finished fixing all the links and pages today. So I figured it was time for the big reveal! There is still plenty of work to be done (it's kind of ugly as of now) and I have lots of ideas still to add. But it is up and running, so I thought I would share.

So click on over there, bookmark it as a favorite, check back often and let me know what you think! I am definitely open to suggestions.

-Zippy out

What sound do turtles make?

..."Crunch, when they are eaten by a shark." That's a direct quote from a friend at work. Thanks Henn, this is for you:



Anyway, I just finished this little Sea Turtle Zippy for my friend Joan at work. She wanted it for her daughter Alana, who just so happens to like turtles.



Here's a peak at what's inside! We've got a softball, softball glove, paint pallet and fish...



...and ballet slippers, a baby turtle and a heart with an "A" for Alana!



Pretty cute if I do say so myself!



Also check out my new sew in labels that I got from Hobbytime Supplies on Etsy!



Sea Turtle Zippy loves everything that Joan and Alana love... the end.

-Zippy out

Welcome Pipi and Violet!

Give a warm welcome to the latest additions to the Zippy Friends family! Pip and Violet!



Pipi (who was almost named French Fri) has the traditional organs... heart, lungs, brain and spinal cord, stomach and intestines, liver, kidneys and bladder. He loves french fries and sunbathing.




Violet has the same traditional organs and loves listening to jazz music and eating blueberry pie.



-Zippy out

Who ate your homework?

Puppy Zippy! It certainly took long enough, but Puppy Zippy is finally complete! Hopefully he will be the first of many. A Zippy Pack perhaps...


Puppy Zippy!


Who's a good boy?!



So what's inside Puppy Zippy?

-bones
-a tennis ball
-a sock
-math homework
-a heart!

Woof!
-Zippy out

So tell me what you really think...

So Kitty Zippy went off to his new home to another teacher in my district. When she got him through interoffice mail she sent me this email. I think it may qualify as my first testimonial!


I got the Golden Kitty Cat. I could not believe him, it looks fantastic, I fell in love with him and showed so many people. I kept pulling his stomach apart, I love the hair ball, how creative. You have such a talent and thank you for sharing it with me. I can't wait to put him on my bed. Wow, the cat took my breathe away. Congrats to you on this cool idea. Love him love him love him!!!!!!

I also have to tell you, the way you wrapped him in brown paper and put my name on the box in fancy lettering made it very special to open. The box made it even more professional and how he laid in the box with the blue paper. And I love your business card!

You've got a good thing going girl, keep up the nice work and you should make some and bring them into school. I wish you lots of luck! I know I am just going to love the doggy. I especially love the buttons for eyes!

Thank you sooooooooo much, I feel like a kid again! It is for me and I just love him.

Have a great day!!! You made mine!
Fondly,
Jodi


Now back to sewing!

-Zippy out

Hairball anyone?

Zippy Friends would like to introduce their newest friend... Kitty Zippy!

He is full of fishies...




... and a toy mouse...




... and a hairball!




Kitty Zippy loves sitting in the windowsill as much as any other kitty. Those birds aren't going to catch themselves!




-Zippy out

Strangers like guts too!

So yesterday I sold my first Zippy Friend to a complete stranger! Yeah, some random person on etsy just happened across my little shop of Zippies and bought one! (Or at least that's how I imagined it.) Honeydew Zippy is off to his new home!


-Zippy out

What do moms, cats and dogs all have in common?

They are all Zippy Friend ideas that I am working on for immediate release!

I just realized that Mother's day is right around the corner and I had a great idea for a Mommy Zippy. I also had a co-worker ask if I ever thought about making a Cat or Dog Zippy (which I have) and that if I made them she would buy them.

So I'm taking that as a commission! Mommy Zippy, Kitty Zippy, and Puppy Zipper are on the schedule for this weekend!

-Zippy out

Spring Fever

Alright, alright... so I didn't meet my goal of 10 Zippy Friends in 10 days. That is a lot of Zippies. I will make more, no worries! Especially after how much my kids at school loved the one that I brought in. It was really fun to watch them open it up, pull everything out, play with it, put it back in, show someone else, and repeat. And I was very pleased how well Honeydew Zippy stood up to the attention, the stability of my craftsmanship is holding its own!

In other good news, my business cards/labels came in this week! Now if I ever sell any more Zippy Friends, they will have some nice tags to go with them.

-Zippy out