Flower Power

Brand new and one of my favorites!

This sweet felted wool bowl is super fun!

Flowers!

I spent the day planting my vegetable garden -  4 varieties of tomatoes, green beans, bell peppers, lettuce, cuccumbers, yellow and green squash and 3 varieties of sunflowers.  I can't wait for them to start growing!

I have some iris that are doing very well this year ~  lovely pale yellow and a violet/yellow blend. 

And my very generous neighbor gave me some lupin plants last year - the are doing sooo well!  I had tried several years to plant seeds, but nothing ever took.  Now I have big beautiful plants.  Thanks so much, Joyce!

  

I love the colors that summer brings!

Flower Wine Bottle Cozy

We had a long trip this past weekend to Vermont and I just couldn't waste all that time by not making something.  I grabbed some yarn and needles before we set out and this fun wine bottle cozy is the result.

Thanks for doing all the driving, Daryl!

Three flowers surround the cozy with stems/leaves. 

Felted Wool Bowl - Poppy Dish

As the world is blooming around me this summer I can't help but take in all the gorgeous colors and shapes. I have some day lilies, tiger lillies, daisies and phlox in full bloom and they are all a great inspiration to me. It amazes me how each flower is diffent and has such detailed structures.

Although my intrepretation is not quite as detailed as Mother Nature provides, it makes me happy create my little bowls based on my surroundings.

This simple Felted Wool Poppy Dish is just perfect to add to any home decorating project. It has vibrant colors and bold simple shapes. Use it by your door to put your keys and pocket change in or on your dresser to keep your bracelets organized.




This bowl and a great selection of other felted wool bowls are available in both my etsy shop and artfire studio.

Iris

When we bought this old house 6 years ago, the grounds were over grown from years of neglect. But beyond the growth, I found so many wonderful old fashioned flowers and can't help but think of the women who tended these flowers so meticulously at one time.

I found several iris plants that were smothered in weeds along with what must have been one of the main gardens as they were mixed with rose bushes, blackberry plants, flox, daffodils, violets, tiger lillies and lillies. Two years ago, I cleaned this patch out and moved the lilies, tiger lilies and iris to a new spot that I built with rocks that were found by the old barn foundation. This new flower garden has matured and is doing wonderful!

The iris are in full bloom and the lilies will follow soon!



I left violets, flox, roses and black berries where they were, and I notice that the berry bush is coming along great too! Last year we had enough berries for a pie and some cereal toppings. It was the best pie I ever made and I can't wait for them to ripen this year.

Many, many thanks to the women who gave me all these wonderful flowers and never even knew me. I hope you are happy with what I have done with them.

Welcome Spring!!

Today is the first day of Spring and it has been a very long winter!! I can't wait for my tulips, daffidols, lilacs and lilies to start blooming. I've already bought vegetable seeds and hope to have a great garden this summer.

In celebration, I am running a sale in my etsy shop now through Sunday night to welcome spring. Take 20% off every item and FREE US shipping. I will send your refund back to you through PayPal after your purchase. Just mention "Welcome Spring" in note to seller.

Also ~ Check out my Clearance Corner for huge marked down prices!

Meanwhile, enjoy these flowers until the real ones bloom ~~










Come on in ... Valerie's Gallery

Custom Orders

I really love custom orders as they give me a chance to design things that I may not have thought of on my own.

I just finished this one and I don't think that I would have tried this if someone didn't ask. And I think it came out rather well!

The Sights and Sounds of Summer

Today is the first full day of summer and living in Central New York state, that alone is cause for celebration. Mother Nature may not always realize that the calendar says it is summer around here and it has been documented that snow has fallen from the skies during this season here. But this morning is a perfect day and I couldn't resist taking some photos in my yard.

As I was walking around, the birds were happily singing to each other, the loons were calling and there was a woodpecker doing his thing nearby.

I am not what you would call a great gardner or green thumb. More often than not, what I plant typically dies. But I am lucky that there are some plants around here that the previous owner must have pampered and brought to fruition.

I am amazed at the roses, lilies, liliacs, violets, tulips, dafidols and iris that continue to bloom year after year. And I can't help but wonder about the life the lady of the home had over 100 years ago when our home was a working farm.

The cows belong to my neighbor across the road. They look like they are enjoying the beautiful day... I hope you enjoy the beginning of summer as well!

Post Script: I just had to add this picture of the rainbow that appeared in the evening. The perfect ending to a perfect day!

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/