Crabby baby

Throughout February I was able to work on some fun small projects.  One project was a Teenie Beanie Baby pin cushion.
Cleaning around the house I came across some TY Beanie Babies.  I'm sure you remember the craze in the 90s.  My kids had fun collecting various babies.  It was great that they were so affordable so they acquired quite a few.  When McDonalds came out with their Happy Meal TY Teenie Beanie Babies they were a huge hit with my kids.  Perfect excuse for parents to buy Happy Meals for lunch or dinner.
One TY Beanie Baby I came across was a baby crab called Claude the Crab.  My husband gave me this crab because he said he could tell when I was hungry,  I get crabby.  Twenty-some years later, I still have this original TY teenie crab and it makes me smile with the memory of my husband giving it to me.
This teenie crab was too precious to throw away or donate to a thrift, so I decided it would make a darling pincushion.   With the crab being small and flat I needed to build up the body so pins could be stuck into it.  I found a half shell and made an oblong fabric cushion filled with crushed walnut shells and dried lavender flowers that fit into the shell.  I glued the cushion into the shell and than glued the crab to the top.

My new Teenie Beanie Baby pincushion

Back and bottom view of shell

I certainly didn't need a new pincushion - this makes number six.  All of my pincushions are very different and have great memories behind each one.   Having six pincushions reminds me of when I was a child and my mother's salt and pepper collection.  She had a few dozen salt and pepper shaker sets.  Some of them pretty crazy.  I'm sure they were inexpensive and were fun for her to collect.   The only difference between our collections is that I use all six of my pincushions - we never used any of Mom's salt and pepper shakers, only dusted them.   I don't think any salt or pepper was ever put inside them.
For hoots and giggles I decided to Google Claude the Crab Beanie Baby.  To my surprise the TY Beanie Baby crab is still available for purchase - it just looks a little different.  But there are people who are selling their original TY Beanie Baby - Claude the Crab, anywhere from $8,000 to over $30,000.  In fact, with any spelling error on the tag it could fetch $100,000.  Claude the Crab is listed as one of the most valuable TY Beanie Baby.  Not sure if there are any buyers, but with price tags like this I'm glad I didn't throw mine away or donate it.  As far as the McDonalds TY Teenie Beanie Baby it states that it was distributed in 1993/1999 and they are worthless, because they gave out over 100,000 in just two weeks.  I don't remember when my husband gave me this crab and I con't say for sure if it was from McDonalds.  Where the Teenie Beanie Babies for sale in stores?
Regardless of what is stated on the internet my Claude the Crab is certainly is priceless to me.