Nesting Bowls

My newest obsession is making nesting bowls. And I have tried to put a bit of a twist to the basic sets of nesters.

I love the slightly scalloped edge that gives these bowls just a little bit more pizzaz

And taking it a step further, I think this set is so sweet. When they are nestled together it appears to be a budding flower. They are great to use to organize all your little things around the house that need a home or a set of nesters would make a great organization plan for the office.

Please feel free to leave a comment and let me know what your favorite colors are. I would love to see what color combinations pop up most often!

Both these sets are available for purchase in my etsy shop:

http://valeriesgallery.etsy.com

Memorial Day Weekend

I will miss this wonderful tree!

I am taking a break for a few moments at the end of this Memorial Day Weekend. So many things have happened and they all seem to occur at the same time!

My grandson is here visiting (grandpa took him to the park for awhile) and he is just keeping me as busy as can be. My son had flown out to ND for a job interview which sounds very promising. I put in my vegetable garden and I am trying to clean out the woods out back to make a shade garden.

With all that is going on, the one thing that will be most monumental this year, is that we cut down one of my favorite trees. My SIL does this work for a living and while he was here this weekend, he convinced me that it was time to put this old grandpa tree to rest.

This tree was one of the reasons we bought this property, so it was a hard decision for me to make, although I do realize that time was getting near as many limbs were dead and the tree was splitting down the middle more each year. So, realizing that it was becoming a saftey hazzard, I reluctantly concented to letting him get out his chain saw and get to work.

I hope that this photo story will tell the rest of the story for you. (yes - that is my grandson up in there with his dad!)

Scoping out the damage with Dad

One last picture!

I will miss this tree!

The Yarn Takes Over~~

Did you ever start a project with a specific design in mind but as you were working it the material just took over and the end product was not at all what you set out to make?

That happens to me quite often, in fact, very rarely does something come out as planned. Perhaps it is because I don't use patterns or write anything down. I usually just pick up a string of yarn and the hook or needles and as the piece is worked, it takes on it's own life. Oh, I will usually have a vision in my head of what I am going to make. Most of the time, it will come out fairly close to what I set out to make.

But there are times when I start one thing and the end product is totally different! That is the case with this wallet/ clutch that started out as a felted book. I had started knitting this as a cover for one of my newest toddler books, but by the time it was complete it had transformed itself into a wallet!

Hummm... how DID that happen?

Etsy Hookers

I am a proud member of Etsy Hookers - OOOOHHH I love saying that!

It shocks my mother, makes my husband smile and my kids just shake their heads....

Anyway - We are a group of etsians who crochet and what a great group we are! I love to browse through the work that this group creates and I am amazed at the variety of items that can be made with one hook and a piece of string.

Our first challenge is open to the public for voting! The theme is flowers and beads. I hope you will come on over to the hooker blog (smirk) and cast your vote!


blog:http://etsyhookers.blogspot.com/

New Line of Felted Pins

I have been experimenting with making felted pins recently and now my mind is racing a mile a minute with ideas. I like the way that they are developing so far and I hope they will become popular once they get some exposure.




I absolutely love the color and look of this rose on black. Little beads accent the wildflowers. This one is listed on SilkFair and you can be sure there will be more to come in this style.

I gave this one away as a prize for the EtsyForCharity May Challenge winner. The tulips scream spring to me and who can resist spring?

I named this one Waterlilly as it reminded me of the beautiful wild flowers that sprout up along the edges of streams. I love the color and the shape of the flower. A single bead represents the flower center and the simplicity is stunning. This one is listed on Etsy.

I plan to continue to make these sweet pins with variances in the background shapes and colors. Once the ideas in my head settle down and I can focus on the best ones, you can find more of these in my shops.

Please feel free to leave a comment and mention what you would like to see!

It's All About The Color

Sometimes, it is just all about color. Vibrant, rich colors.

Although I welcomed the springy pastels after a long cold winter, I am now looking forward to hot summertime shades of blues, reds, greens and yellows.

The trees are budding and soon the mountains in the distance will be a glorious green and the lawn will turn from a dull tan to a vibrant green occasionally speckled with bright yellow dandilions and wild flowers. Have I mentioned that I love mowing the lawn? That is one of my favorite past times! Thank goodness I don't have allergies as I love the smell of a fresh cut lawn on a beautiful sunny day!

Summer brings big beautiful blue skies as well. I love to spend my days outside on these wonderful summer days and have been known to just lay in the grass and watch the clouds stroll by for a bit.

Tulips, tomatos, poppies or berries - choose your own red!

Summer brings wonderful colors into our lives and I hope that my latest collection has captured some of these colors and feelings.

Colors can do many things to different people. For me, they remind me of wonderful places and bring me into my own peaceful world. What do they do for you?