So in Love

I used an embroidered girl I had done and put it into a sketchbook. The embroidery was one I drew freehand and stitched. Here's how she turned out.

I love this fabric I found with postmarks and mail.

Hellloooo!

Hi everyone!

Hope you had a wonderful holiday. We sure did, and I'm still enjoying the days off! Lots of time for crafting...and using my new laptop! Yes, I have my own now! Woo hoo!

I need to get caught up on all your blogs and I am busy making Valentine fabric postcards for my shop. I didn't really prepare for Christmas so I thought I would get the jump on the next holiday!

Here's a fabric and felted XO I made today, and some more felted beads--- I love the name "Midnight Ride"! Ha! Just calling them all felted beads seemed a little boring.

Merry Christmas! ( I'm nearly computer-less)

Our laptop crashed today. Well, I guess that's one way to take a break, but I didn't really want to. I have blogs to visit and etsy shopping to do! Hee!  I may have limited accesss to a computer the next week, so I wanted to make sure to wish you all a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!!

Since I can't post anything new for the time being I thought it would be fun to post the quilt my mom and I made together. It was from over a year ago and I don't think a lot of you have seen it. We each made about 22 blocks, with all different fabrics, and quilted it on the longarm machine at a local quilt shop. We wanted to say we did the whole quilt. Mom being the more skilled sewing gal, finished the binding. It was a gift for my brother and his wife. I forget the dimensions but it's pretty much a king size quilt.

Hope you all have a wonderful holiday!

xo

Raspberries and Sea Life

The felted beads seem to be the hit in my etsy shop so I felted up some new beads yesterday. Had to move the operation indoors....getting the kitchen drenched from crafts is one way to get it clean!

Here are the new ones...

mmmm,raspberry...

Sea Life

Have a great day!

The end of the year is fast approaching...

December is zooming by and a new year fast approaching. I pulled out my 2011 list of goals and was thinking about all the things I've done this year. I had specifically written on here "Keep the list in front of you" because I am always making these New Year's lists and never see them again until the following year, or later.

This year's list was all about crafts. In years past I have had things like "learn a musical instrument" on there...and, well, that didn't go far. However, I can play "Silent Night" on a harmonica...poorly.

Here's my list:

I did accomplish a few! Yay me! Ha!

1.Sign up for some classes ( egg tempura painting and mixed media with Serena Barton in Portland!)

check.

2. Try more felted pincushions and submit them. ( I'll give myself a "sort of" on this. The felted dolls are sort of pincushions, too. Hee)

3. Submit my art doll (this I did do...still waiting to hear. Fingers crossed. It's a doll I've never posted.)

check.

4. Try new doll techniques. ( Did a lot of that!)

check.

5. Play with shrines. ( Still want to do more with those. And I have some great ones from Donna!! It'll be on the 2012 list!)

6. Small quilts. ( made 5 tops, finished one, bound 3 but haven't sewn...ugh)

7. Sewing brush cases (done, and gifted to friends)

check.

8. More seasonal cards ( uh...this just didn't happen except for 3 I whipped up yesterday...)

9. Do a series of work. ( felted dolls...5 finished! Yay!)

check.

10. Take more photos. ( Even got a new camera for my birthday in May. This one was easy!)

check.

11. Make more from what I have. ( Hmmm, I did well in the fabric department on this one, but wool is another story!)

12. Less for blogs, more for me! ( When I first started this blog I was mainly doing challenge blogs and really ended up creating for those. It wasn't leaving time for what I really wanted to do. I had a great time, and it helped me find the things I really love to do, but I definately moved into more creating for me and my mood now.)

check.

I didn't even have "open an etsy shop" on my list, but that has also been a fun new adventure. And thank you all for your kind supportive encouragement! It's going along well...and for 2012 I may have to put on my list "less for etsy, more for me"! Ha! I am definately the kind of person who right out of the gate is pretty obsessed with things...oh, I'll admit it, I'm a bit of an etsy junkie these days!

We still have a few weeks to go and Christmas is nearly here, but it was fun to pull out my sketchbook and look at what I have done this year.

I hope you're all having a wonderful holiday season. See you soon.

Another felted bag in the works

Started another bag. Waiting for it to dry so I can play with free motion quilting on there.

A Felting we will go....

My Christmas shopping trip to Seattle last weekend turned into a shopping spree for myself at Weaving Works! Wool, wool, wool!!! Bamboo! Silk wool blends! Merino!! I couldn't pass up on the soft, beautiful colors!

With my wool baskets full, I decided to start a bag last night. It was first needle felted, and today wet felted. It's not quite done, but I was so happy with the progress. It's been a couple years since I made a felted purse, and I've only made one.

A little break from dolls and diving into felted purses, bags, and vessels!

And, I love close-up shots of felted wool...

A colorful gal

I finished a fourth felted doll. She's in my shop, too.

I've been so busy cleaning and decorating for Christmas. Where did my creating time go? I'm sure I'll squeeze it in.

xo

not as delicate as it seems...

I have added some beads and a button as a closure.

I have to just look at it for a few days. I'm not sure I like this bright button. I need to find a small natural colored one. I'd like the beads to be the only bold color.

They look really delicate, don't they? I was surprised at how strong they really are. To do the stitching I had to poke holes with an awl first. Every time I add something I think I'm going to break it or dent it in, but even with my clumsy hands it holds up.

In case you missed the first post, the content reads

" We all contain beautiful and delicate art."