Summer Swing: From Chaos to a Soft Landing

June 7th kicked off our summer lineup with Dragon Dreams at the Young Entrepreneur Event, where Alice completely took the reins.
She designed her booth, helped choose the décor, and nearly sold out of her custom slime and sand “cookies”! My only job? Be an extra set of hands while she ran the show like a pro. She headed off on her own summer adventures with family, while the very next weekend— June 14th— I got to represent at Casper’s 10th Annual PRIDE!

Pride was everything I hoped for: warm, welcoming, and buzzing with energy. This year, I got to experience it from behind the booth— part of the fun, the flow, and the community conversations. We almost sold out there, too. (And yes, those popular coloring pages will be in the shop for free soon!)

But you know me—there’s never too much cozy without a little chaos. My U.S.-based plushie manufacturer failed to deliver yet again. This was my breaking point.
While others suffering the same were forced into litigation, I fought for and secured my full refund—though the lost production time was something no check could fix.

So, I made a decision: if the factory couldn’t bring my Cozykins to life, I’d learn to do it myself.~

I reached out to Emma Westergard of Fablebound Thicket, an incredibly talented plush artist who bit into the challenge. She responded right away, and we scheduled an intensive weekend mentorship.
Travel delays meant I lost a huge chunk of our planned time, but Emma, in true beast mode, stayed up with me for twenty-four hours straight, teaching me everything from cutting patterns to final stitches!

Here’s the wild part: just three days before my trip, my mom had taught me the absolute basics of threading a sewing machine… I’d never traced a pattern, never sat down to actually sew a project from start to finish.
Most people get a mentor to refine their skills. I got one to give me mine.
I came home with not one, but two creations— a small, squishmallow-style friend and a hefty, huggable mouse—and a confidence I didn’t think possible!

By July, the whirlwind had only picked up speed.
Our three big kids returned from summer trips, our dog battled a nasty ear infection, and Wyo Artisan Hub was getting major upgrades— updated air and water systems, new Wi-Fi, and even a color chosen for those massive walls!

Meanwhile at Takari Tribe, we tested a hyped-up new arsenal of weapons… that literally broke mid-battle within a few meets. I called up our original blacksmith—the same one who’s been making our beloved weapons for eight years— and got a new order rolling! Another new arsenal is being shipped on up to us!

Oh, and here’s a fun fact: I found out this summer that we are officially the only LARP group in the world with year-round indoor/outdoor weekly meets and our own locker rooms. That’s a milestone worth celebrating! (You should join up with us, get fit, get fired up!)

Yes, this summer has been equal parts grind and growth. Between keeping the shop fresh (including our first funny sweatshirt—Born to Jest, Forced to Joust), rolling out Wyo Artisan’s updates, leveling up Takari Tribe, and rebuilding the Cozykins plushie plan from scratch, we’ve laid the groundwork for something even bigger.

Thanks for hanging tight while we’ve built the foundation. From here on out, it’s only getting more fun!
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