Crafting For Ourselves

Look what I've found in the Crafting For Ourselves group this week!  Wonderful stuff, all of it.  Are you using your craftiness to enrich your own life?  Spoiling yourself or your family with amazing baked goods?  Are you one of those that sees something in the store and says "I can make that" and then actually does?  Come join us, here.  Until then, please enjoy the following awesomeness. 

1. crochet ring, 2. a look from "above", 3. two repurposings at once, 4. airyacorns, 5. Argyle Love, 6. wood stacking attire, 7. Mushroom with Mr. Igel, 8. Applique Top Completed!, 9. Favourite buttons

Mushroom-making En Masse

The other day I shared what I had been working on lately, and yesterday I finished up the last in a small series of mushrooms for The Walker Art Center Shop in Minneapolis, MN. 

These are all constructed without glue, mostly by needle-felting with a little wet-felting thrown in too.  I've used a combination of wool roving and felted garment wool, and added a few small sewn details like sporophytes and sprouts. 

These little guys flew off this morning.  If you're in the Minneapolis area and get to visit The Walker, please stop by the shop and give a little wave to the fungus among us, will you?

I've been so busy making mushrooms that I haven't done any woods-walking to look for real ones.  I noticed a beautiful Violet Cort when I was photographing these guys so I think a walk is in order to see what ma nature is dishing up these days under the poplar and pine.

Happy Woods-Walking to you all. 

Wordless Wednesday

Mushrooms Mushrooms Mushrooms

As the weather has been turning, so have the mushrooms under the poplar and pine.  We've had a new crop of lovely yellow amanitas pop up, some boletes, and a few others that I hadn't seen in previous weeks and I'm excited to see what pops up next.  I've also been noticing the decay of some of the older mushrooms and have found them equally inspiring and sometimes downright beautiful.  I hope you do too.

Love how thin the profile is.

the color on this one!  Love!



the sun was glinting off the droplets like a prism on these



an Old Man of the Woods looking super scruffy

the boys and I debated this...I said brain on a stick, they said butt.

a tiny parasol

decay

love the patterns in this decaying russula

and look at those gills!

a spiky puffball at the end of its days

just gorgeous, even as they fade

losing color but still lovely

this is how they appeared a few weeks ago

he looks a little mopey

bolete

Happy Friday!

Crafting For Ourselves

Oh what a plethora of wonderfulness in the Crafting For Ourselves Flickr group this week!  This is but a sample of the awesome things we've been making for ourselves, our friends, our family.  I hope you'll love them as much as I do.



1. trying, 2. Toothbrush caddy, 3. little white pun'kin, 4. a new life for a torn vintage apron, 5. Wide Sterling Cuff, 6. Big Bad Wolf, 7. Happy Birthday, Jackie!, 8. Knees, 9. For a Very Stylish Witch

I haven't had much time to craft for myself this week and I thought for sure I'd have another no-show in the group.  Then, at the last moment, hubby decided to make caramel rolls.  He accidentally over-cooked the caramel topping, turning it into actual caramel...think Slo-Pokes.  Mmmmm.  So, I grabbed a knife and some waxed paper and voila!  Caramels!  That counts, right? 

I'll be heading off for a few days and will be back early next week.  I have a mushroom post scheduled for tomorrow and with luck, new stuff to share next week.

Take care, and see you soon!

One Down

The back-to-school sniffles have found their way beneath the poplar and pine and the entire clan is feeling less than stellar.  Since the kiddies and I were all taking it easy anyway, it was a good excuse for me to let the laundry and housework sit, and do some crafting.  After coating myself in a fine layer of antibacterial hand lotion (which I sort of liked), I pulled out the toadstool project I had been working on.

This is where I had left it last.

And this is where it is now.

I wanted to fatten up the stem a bit and finish up the base.  I added some details such as a fall leaf on a twig, some more moss, pebbles, and sporophytes, making it feel more "real" to me.  All of it is needle-felted wool, no glue or structural sewing.  (the sporophytes are cotton thread, but they're decorative)

This is part of a commission and is flying off somewhere special in his apothecary jar, like a proper specimen.  I have a few more to finish up but at least I have one down.  I guess if this cold persists I may have some time to get them done.

The real amanitas have been popping up in our woods like crazy this week.  Alas, no red ones, but plenty of yellows.  Here's a peek, but expect to see (yet) another mushroom post sometime soon.

I hope you're all having a swell week and are feeling happy and healthy. 
Or at least have coated yourselves in a fine layer of antibacterial hand lotion.

What's the Story Morning Glory?

A quick trip to the woods early yesterday morning led me past my birdfeeder which is now covered in Morning Glories.  I planted them from seed this summer and they've already covered my 6 foot tall feeder. 

I was snapping photos of the dew on the leaves, the vines, and the pretty blue flowers when I looked down to see this guy.

It was chilly, only about 40 degrees, and I wondered at first if he was dead.  I moved the leaf and he clung there so I think he was proably just too cold to move.  His wings and body are highlighted with tiny dew drops and I felt shivery just looking at him.  I felt like I wanted to go make him a scarf, the poor guy.

When the sun came up and the dew was gone, so was he. 

I hope he's enjoying this autumn weather as much as I am.  Meanwhile, I'll see to that tiny scarf.

Wordless Wednesday

Button Monday

Tomorrow is the first day of school here and for the first time I will have two guys taking off on the big yellow bus.  Today's button Monday is a quick arrangement for my intrepid kindergartener and 6th grader.  

Have fun and learn lots, kidlets.  Momma will try not to cry too much at the bus stop. 

(Oh mommm )

Happy Monday everyone.  (and Labor Day too!)