acorn season

 

 There will be a few new sets of wool acorns in the shop today.

'Tis that time of year.

  

I hope everyone enjoys the long holiday weekend.

walnut wednesday

Along with the wonderful memories, I also dragged home a bag of black walnuts from my trip a few weeks ago.  I've had them fermenting in a big dye jar on the porch since I got back and yesterday seemed a good time to see how the dye liquor had progressed.

That gorgeous brown in the middle is the first dye bath with plain, undyed wool.  I love it!  Totally love it.  The mocha color on the far right was the next bath, and the many hues to the left are other naturally-dyed pieces that I over-dyed with the walnut.  It makes me eager to work with them, these earthy, natural tones.

And work, I shall.  I hope to be able to share a naturally-dyed piece that I've been working on, soon.

What sorts of oddities do you drag home in your suitcase when you travel?

pottery and wine

 

Last night Haddie Hadachek of Black Bear Pottery had an open studio night and I spent a few hours sipping wine and chatting with some really great people.  It was just what my soul needed after a busy week.

Because of some of *you* really great people who gave homes to some of my stones, I was able to treat myself to one of Haddie's amazing cups and bowls while I was there, and kept the artist love flowing.

My breakfast has never looked so good.

If you're ever in the Brainerd Lakes area, do follow the signs and stop in to Black Bear Pottery, she does beautiful work.  And while you're there, ask if she has a chicken on wheels to show you, they're spectacular.  Just be sure to call first if you're planning to stop in winter because she spends the coldest months in Nicaragua working with Potters for Peace and wearing flip flops while we're wearing snow boots.  Clever thing.

She has a facebook page too, check it out HERE.

Happy Weekend, all. 

stones in the shop today

A quick note to say there will be a few stones in my shop later today.

Sorry for the short notice, but oy life has been busy.

Back soon.

bat whisperer added to my resume

 

I'm back from chasing the rainbow.

I got home late last week from a marvelous trip to see family and friends.  Though I love my home in the woods it's awfully hard to leave sometimes.  Lest I get a little too nostalgic and sad, I kept myself busy upon my return.  I've been dyeing wool (samplers will be in my shop shortly), hatching more guineas, climbing to the summit of Mount Washmore, and being the bat whisperer.

 

This little guy, who I believe is a Silver-haired bat, was clinging to the side of our pool.  The kids spotted him when they went out to swim and THANKFULLY they knew not to touch him and came to get me.

 

Poor guy couldn't get a grip on the slippery wall so I put on a flannel coat and some thick work gloves and approached him cautiously.  I tried to scootch him up the side, hoping he'd take off on his own when he hit the top but he started sliding down again.  I urged him to crawl into my gloved hand and carried him over to a tree in the shade (and here's where the bat whisperer comes in) whispering "please don't bite me in the face and give me rabies".

 

He didn't show any interest in biting me and instead climbed up the tree with his saggy baggy bottom looking like a little kid in a sleeping bag.

 

Last night I sat at dusk and watched his relatives swooping over the front yard and hoped that he was among them.  Marvelous little creatures.

Happy Monday, all.  I hope your week is off to a good start.

chasing the rainbow

The kids and I will be headed out on a trip next week, leaving the husband behind to hug the duck and mail the packages so if you order something from my shop, know it will be shipped promptly by his manly hands.

Have a great weekend, everyone!

See you soon.

it's about priorities

 

I didn't get it all done, but at least the duck got hugged yesterday.

A couple of times.

 

Priorities, you know.

Happy Thursday!

sometimes I like my to-do list

 

Today I will:

stitch on some stones

mail some packages

pick the basil and freeze it

eat some zucchini (is there no end??)

find lots of things for these wild children to do, since they have so much energy

check on those red raspberries growing by the garden

think about writing some needle-felting tutorials (any requests?)

think about packing for my trip but put it off until the last moment

gather the yarrow and mullein and hang them to dry

have a look at my red amaranth to see if it's ready for harvest (dye stuff!)

hang some laundry

not be overwhelmed by all the things that will be left undone

be thankful that "write cost/benefit analysis" is not on my list

hug my duck

cook dinner with my family

adapt as new chores land on my plate

What's pressing on your to-do list today?

 

supplies in the shop for a limited time

 

If you've ever wanted to try needle-felting, you can now get a sampler of wool and needles in my shop for a limited time.

When I first started needle-felting I used whatever kind of wool I could get my hands on.  As I progressed I realized that some of those wools just weren't cutting it.  After much trial and error I found a wool that I love- it felts quickly, forms a solid core, and has a nice surface texture.  It's the only wool I use for needle-felting.

 The fact that it's a rambouillet grown right here in Minnesota is the cherry on top.  I've hand-dyed it using Greener Shades dyes which are free of heavy metals, making them a more environmentally conscious option than most commercial dyes.

I have just a couple of samplers in my shop right now along with sets of felting needles to get you started.

Interested in becoming addicted  exploring a new hobby?  Have a look in my shop.

a busy and wonderful week

 

This past week has been a flurry of activity.  We had guests here for the week and spent lots of time exploring, fishing, swimming, climbing tall things, smelling the linden flowers, feasting, and enjoying each others company.  It was so busy and fun and somehow restorative at the same time.

 

Yesterday I wound up the week with an event at the St. Mathias Farm where I spent the day talking to people about needle-felting.  Though the weather was less than desirable, the people more than made up for it.  What a fine bunch.  I had such a nice time.

While there I made that little mushroom duo.  It allowed me to show people exactly how that whole needle-felting thing works, and it was fun for me because we all know how much I love mushrooms, right? 

This coming week I'll be working on some stones that I hope to have finished before I leave on a trip the following week.  I'll also be putting several wool acorn ornaments in my shop this week.  They'll go in to the shop as groups but if anyone wants just one or two, send me an email and I can get them together for you.  They'll be $3 each and I can quote you shipping depending upon your location.

 

Hope you all have a great week ahead of you!

Happy Sunday.

 

 

they grow up so fast

Our little guineas are growing up so fast.  They're getting their big-guinea feathers already and are more than twice the size they were when I pulled them out of the incubator.

 

 

With 4 curious kids in the house,our birds get picked up and carried around a lot, which makes for more tolerant and tame birds once they're adults.

That's not to say we don't get this look from them now and then though...

 

We have guests coming in to town today so my presence here will be spotty at best for the next week or so.

Enjoy your weekend, everyone. See you soon.

new work in the shop today

 

If you'd spread the word, I've be grateful.

shop

Have a great day, everyone.

 

shop update soon

 

Another stone completed in my hand.  This one with trapped pebbles too, a reflection on holding pieces close that make you whole.  Nature does that for me, makes me feel whole, (other things too of course, the love of my family, laughter, and more) and when I'm too far from it I find I pull things to me in an effort to duplicate that wholeness that may not fit as well.

This stone, along with the brooches and stone I showed you in my last post (and maybe another) will be in my shop on Thursday morning at 8am central daylight time. (I'm the same time zone as Chicago if you need to calculate for your area)  I'll be putting the listings up for preview soon so you can have a look before they go "live".

Wishing you all a lovely, and whole, day.

 

 

I'm not glorifying busy, I'm just... busy

 

Some new work to show, a handful of landscape brooches and one completed stone.

 

A palm-sized stone with pebbles trapped in its stitches.  One more on my worktable waiting for my attention.

 

9 growing babies in the brooder, enjoying their days out in the yard and their nights in the guest room.  7 more eggs in the incubator, because apparently 9 baby guineas just isn't enough.

 

 

4 birthdays in this house in the span of a month, an unexpected party to host, expected (and eagerly awaited) guests coming to stay, a festival to attend, traveling to do...  Not to mention the day-to-day stuff, the working, the gardening, the chasing of the children.  And don't even get me started on my plans to summit (the ever-growing) Mount Washmore.  It's enough to wear a girl out.

I plan to find a little peace in between the busy parts.  Not sure how, but that's my plan.  Right after I weed the tomatoes and bake a cake.

And feed the chickens.

And mop the floors.

But right after that, peace!

Hope you're finding some too.

very fancy

 

I've been putting together some little wool acorn ornaments for an event I'm doing later this month, and when I fit the wool bead into its cap, I nip off just a little of it to make it fit snugly.  My youngest  took those nipped off bits and strung them up to wear.

 

She's very fancy with her new necklace and her "Mary" dress. 

 (we're reading the Little House on the Prairie series and she thinks this is her calico, and since she has golden curls, she thinks she's Mary.  Though I know she's far more like Laura than Mary)

Enjoy your weekend, everyone!

second edition of Art-o-mat stones on the go

 I've finished my second edition of Art-o-mat stones.

50 all packed in their boxes and headed out to  Art-o-mat.

 

If you find one in a machine near you, I'd love it if you'd let me know. I'll travel vicariously through them.

 

 Have a good day, everyone, and a Happy 4th of July to my American friends!

Have a fun and safe holiday.