chicken/feet

i finally got out to take some pics of the snow as it was melting. so funny seeing chicken prints in the snow. we were able to get the car un-stuck this afternoon. the water line to the washer is still frozen though. i've been surfing and stitching almost nonstop for two days, and i think i'm finished with one new piece i'm really proud of... will photograph it tomorrow when there is light..

juggler girl

my new headband from encore petite makes me feel silly-happy and so glam! all the little details of how it is constructed are really wonderful - it has a sewn fabric "platform" for the poms to sit just perfectly on the head. and all the little special touches in packaging are just delicious too. and as my hub said, these are definitely my colors (the shirt was not planned!)
thank you mathyld!

i've been in and out of the vet the last few days with our little dog tallulah, who has been very sick. she seems to be *almost* out of the woods now. we haven't had any massive vet problems (or bills) over the last few years, so i guess it was time. it's just the worst, running around in the middle of the night afraid for your pet, looking to the emergency vet, with their bad instant coffee. at the very least i feel like i have a good relationship with the local vet now - something that's always helpful, but i just haven't had a chance to establish it since we have moved and haven't needed them much. but they have been incredible. i love country vets, or at least these ones..



and, the whole town is battening down with their firewood and food since a huge storm is coming in a few hours. the parking lot at wal-mart was insane. these poor bulbs had just started to look promising with all the warm weather lately.

i'm so frustrated though because with everything that's been going on, i've not had much of a chance to make all the things i have planned. i *need* to get busy. it's like i just can't focus. and i don't *feel* like making something that i think might sell, all i want to do is embroider dogs, even though i am not at all sure anyone will ever want one... they say to make what you love, but then again, i would really like to have a successful etsy shop! someday.

then again, maybe i am ignoring the obvious - the huge granny factor in this area and my love of thrifting and vintage. the little bit of etsy selling i've done would indicate that vintage might work for me. and there is the intense pleasure of finding and enjoying things while they are waiting to find new homes. growing up as my mother's daughter, sourcing (a new to me word! just discovered that's what i've been doing all these years! kind of like the other hot word "staging") comes easy to me. even though it still takes a lot of time, it's not as much as pouring yourself into something handmade. and it's not like i have to teach myself to be a master seamstress in the meantime.

still, i yearn to do artsy and craftsy stuff 24/7, but there's no reason to see vintage and handmade as wholly separate. pia jane bijkerk talks about that beautifully in paris: made by hand - how in france, finding and re-inventing an item gives it that personal, fait main imprint. so there are plenty of opportunities for creativity when doing vintage. and i am often thrifting anyway, so i could just kick it up a notch.

oh well, at least i brought home some crafty supplies for if we get snowed in.

the view from here

it's shaping up to be a fine little space! even with the broken windows, it's very cosy. the migraines won't leave me alone, but i'm still enjoying stitching on my sofa.

new "atelier" in progress

so this is my new and *free* little space. actually it's a pretty big space. there's a whole nother room, but it is junked up with tools at the moment. i need to find some inexpensive shelving solutions. so far, i love it. it might be lonelier than hanging out with people at the art incubator, but i think i will feel more free to do my own thing. the incubator was great fun, with pot lucks, art walks, working in the gallery, and long unexpected chat sessions, but lately at least i didn't get that much chance to work on my crafties. so i can still go there and hang, and here to get my groove on, or whatever.

why not try?

here is my new little doe, in situ. i am so completely, shyly fascinated with this soft sculpture girl from nicole of astulabee. i have been wanting one of her deer heads for a long while and am very glad i pulled that paypal trigger! what is it about her work that just puts a lump in your throat? and she even included a bird collage card that says "why not try?" indeed! soo inspiring..

it might be a problem that i'm getting addicted to buying beautiful things on etsy. not a bad vice, up to a point, since it is making me so happy. today, i got out and moved most of my crafty stuff to the new space and there was only one minor disaster - a freaking electrical fire! it was scary, for real. and my remedy, of course (after putting that fire out and getting the home fire going) is a hot bath, wine and trolling etsy!

bully for me

i'm lovin this newest little guy. i made him from a velveteen jacket i got at the good will. it was dark brown but it bleached out to this nice buckskin color. why is it so seemingly difficult to find velveteen? course i'd rather get thrifted fabric anyway, but it stresses me out a little not to have a ready supply.

so this little dude was my first experiment with wired legs and glass eyes. both super fun and successful, i think. oh and the open mouth, that was a new thing for me too, and i still have to figure out exactly how i want to do that. i'm also not sure why he turned out to be so wide - that's not exactly what i was going for. but the underbody gusset, i thought it looked a little wide when i drew it. i think i accidentally doubled the width of both gussets actually. but i am kinda partial to the result. i keep looking him over and petting on him. he looks a little like lucy and lily, although he's definitely a boy.

i finally finished the wild angora mitts for the kiddo. the fur is all from cosset and these things will puff out hugely once they are worn.




unfortunately the kiddo also left me tons of dirty laundry. what am i supposed to do with her dirty underwear? especially since the washer has been frozen for four days!?! i contemplated sending them to her still dirty, along with her pretty mitts, but it finally decided to thaw yesterday after an afternoon in the 40s. i've had some moments of delirium, falling hard for the idea of hand-washing laundry, and seriously spent an hour or so coveting old-timey washers at lehman's and even had one in my cart briefly before admitting that i am a more of a wal-mart variety homesteader.

with all this freezing, hub left the hose dripping so it wouldn't freeze, and it made an ice sculpture.




these days, i am all about the fire. i baby this thing even more than the dogs. i set my alarm three times in the night to make sure it doesn't need me. this is the longest running fire we've had, i think - it's been going since last saturday. i dread having to put it out soon to clean the ash pan. i am one with the fire.

yay me!

so cool!