custom

  • Who Stole My Cookie?

    Cookie stealer, © Shelly Arroyo.

    Every once in a while custom orders present a challenge, but are also very entertaining. In the case of this unique request, Who Stole My Cookie?, I needed to make a little blonde kiddo who was an expert cabinet scaler AND a cookie stealer extraordinaire.

    Idea image supplied by customer, © Shelly Arroyo.

    Ideas always have to be designed around size and weight, per the purpose of the design. In this case, there is a standard working size and thickness I need to try to accommodate, in order for the piece to hang well on a tree branch. I have designed my pieces over the years with this standard in mind, creating the standard by years of trial-and-error. Anything protruding from the surface of the ornament must not be too heavy to have the piece hang at an angle. Likewise, the entire piece needs to try to be balanced symmetrically for weight. Sometimes, one or both of these measurements affects the placement of the holes for the item to hang, as well.

    Sculpting the little boy figure, © Shelly Arroyo.
    Sculpting the cabinet, © Shelly Arroyo.
    Every piggie needs a curly tail, © Shelly Arroyo.

    If you give a kid a cookie…*giggle*

    Sculpt, post-bake, but before finishes, © Shelly Arroyo.
    Finished cookie stealer, approx. 3 1/2″ H x 2 1/2″ W, © Shelly Arroyo.

    PLEASE FOLLOW ME as I embark on a quest to enjoy, learn from, and raise my bamBEANos, in the best way this Mama Chickpea can. Art is my “balance” to life and I enjoy all the DIY therapy I can handle! To learn more about Mama Chickpea, click HERE.

    To shop Mama Chickpea originals, click HERE.

    All content and artwork © Shelly Arroyo, A.k.a. Mama Chickpea.

  • Mama Chickpea On Etsy

    Collage of past Etsy listings, © Shelly Arroyo.

    You can find my Etsy shop HERE. Mama Chickpea on Etsy is where this all started in 2016.

    As an adult, I’ve dabbled in various projects such as soft sculpture (sewing), knitting/felting fibers, and various forms of clay. I traveled the northeast United States, selling my creations, known to many as “Chickpea.” It was with this traditional background, that I fell in love with the arts. You can read more about my early show years, HERE.

    “Softies Collection,” circa 2002, © Shelly Arroyo.

    One of the skills I acquired during these early years was the manipulation of polymer clay. It started with accessory buttons on my line of Softies, followed by my line of felted purses (Miss Chickpea). Upon moving to Texas, I desired another evolution and played with clay further.

    Miss Chickpea purse entitled “Not Sari,” made from recycled silk, 2005, © Shelly Arroyo.

    In 2016, I established my online store on Etsy, entitled “Mama Chickpea.” Here, I have created a line of personalized, keepsake ornaments. It has gained quite a following over the years. Every season I get rave reviews, which help fuel this creative Mama.

    “Etsy Reviews 1,” 2025, © Shelly Arroyo.
    “Etsy Reviews 2,” 2025, © Shelly Arroyo.
    “Etsy Reviews 3,” 2025, © Shelly Arroyo.
    “Etsy Reviews 4,” 2025, © Shelly Arroyo.

    Custom requests over the years have aided my creative juices. They can be a challenge like no other!

    Alongside regular orders, I have grown a following of faithful collectors. Every season I receive custom requests that help fuel my creative Mama juices. Sometimes, they pose quite the challenge!

    “Etsy Special Order Item,” polymer clay sculptures, 2025, © Shelly Arroyo.

    The following images represent a sampling of the numerous designs I have created every year. These are 2024 prices and may vary from this site, as the fees collected for each sale (not what I earn from the sale but the fees collected) vary between Etsy and the available small business options on WordPress (this shop is hosted on WordPress.) One very specific example is how Etsy requires a shop to add shipping to their items. It isn’t transparent, and one of my many complaints about Etsy, as they force you to incorporate part of the shipping into the base price for the item (to compete with cheap shipping options like Amazon or Walmart.) They also collect fees from shipping, so the full shipping price collected does not actually go to ship the item. Whenever possible, please always buy direct from small artisans, as the fees collected for sales can sometimes be as high as 1/3 the total price collected for the sale on Etsy.

    “Etsy Items 1,” polymer clay sculptures, 2025, © Shelly Arroyo.
    “Etsy Items 2,” polymer clay sculptures, 2025, © Shelly Arroyo.
    “Etsy Items 3,” polymer clay sculptures, 2025, © Shelly Arroyo.
    “Etsy Items 4,” polymer clay sculptures, 2025, © Shelly Arroyo.
    “Etsy Items 5,” polymer clay sculptures, 2025, © Shelly Arroyo.

    PLEASE FOLLOW ME as I embark on a quest to enjoy, learn from, and raise my bamBEANos, in the best way this Mama Chickpea can. Art is my “balance” to life and I enjoy all the DIY therapy I can handle! To learn more about Mama Chickpea, click HERE.

    To shop Mama Chickpea originals, click HERE.

    All content and artwork © Shelly Arroyo, A.k.a. Mama Chickpea.