Felted Booties ~~

With the CPSIA stay, my line of felted baby booties has returned...

Here is the first pair in pretty pink






Please visit me on etsy, shophandmade and artfire

Felted Wool Bowl ~ Tiger Lilies

Amid all this snow I have been dreaming of summer. I have a very large patch of deep orange Tiger Lilies that come up every year and I can't wait to see them this summer.

Here is my felted version of a patch of multicolored tiger lilies.




Don't forget to visit me on etsy, shophandmade and artfire.

Good Morning

This morning photo taken from my porch reminds me to appreciate the beauty of the world.

Amid all of this snow and ice, I can't seem to get my summer garden out of my mind. I have been planning what veggies and flowers I will plant this spring for 3 days! Maybe I am just getting tired of the cold and dreaming of summer.

My newest lavender felted bowl reminds me of summer too!



Don't forget to visit me on etsy, shophandmade and artfire.

Experimentation

On of my 09 resolutions was to experiment with the goal of improving the end product. So I have been trying alot of different things and my most recent discovery has proved a success!

One of my goals is to make felted (fulled) bowls sturdier. I learned that by adding a strand of fingering weight yarn to worsted weight that it really added some beef to the bowl (see previous post). But then I thought.. what if I double the double? So I set forth by making two bowls, one slightly smaller than the other, attaching them together and putting them through the felting process.

The result ~ A REALLY thick felted bowl in contrasting colors...
This one is done in greens and has a very striking result


This took about two weeks to dry completely after several cycles of processing. I have some great ideas for color combinations but would love to hear from you with what colors you would love to see. Please leave a comment with color choices and be on the look out in my shops for some more.

Don't forget to visit me on etsy, shophandmade and artfire!

Before and After ~ Felting a Wool Bowl

Today I wanted to show everyone the before and after of the felting (fulling) process. I find it amazing what happens and thought I would share with you.

Here is a photo of the crocheted bowl before the felting process. At this stage it measures 8 inches wide:


And here is the after, measuring 6 inches:



Amazing how the colors meld and the bowl takes shape! Another wonder of wool ♥

Don't forget to visit me on etsy, shophandmade and artfire!

Winter White ~

Normally I am a gal that loves color ~ intense, rich color.

But maybe the winter and snow has given me an appreciation for the lack of color recently. As I look at my shops, it seems that my recent works have been pale pastels and many are just plain white. Could it be that the snow is affecting me that much?

I just made two substaintial yarn purchases and thank goodness, there is color among them! In fact, I started knitting a beautiful deep red cranberry triple cabled scarf last night.

But meanwhile... I still like winter white. My newest winter white felted bowl reminds me of a few fall flowers that were caught in the first snowfall.



What does it remind you of?

Ball and Bootie Sale ~ Just in time for the holidays

Yes... all my children's balls and booties are on sale. A whomping 50% off! Just in time for some holiday shopping.

These booties make great gifts for newborn babies or parents to be.







And what is better for littles ones who like to throw things? These are soft and safe to throw in the house!







Visit my shop for more selections.

Who Wants to be a Buttonaire?

Yes ~ I am a crafter. And as most crafters will confess, I too, have stashes of fabrics, threads, yarns, beads and buttons.

When Tennekka posted a promotion about an upcoming challenge using her gorgeous buttons, I jumped on it. The winner gets 20 of her fabulous buttons! Oh, what I could do with those buttons!

This challege is sponsored by Tennekka ~ A great etsy shop that makes the most incredible buttons. Each entrant was sent a random button and was asked to make something featuring the button. I couldn't wait to receive my button and get started!

Here is my button:



I kept the button around for 3 days, just looking at it trying to decide what to make of it. Each time I looked at it, it reminded me of the North Star and the North Star has always been a directional point for sailors. So, I created a felted vase titled: North Star at Sunset ~ depicting a ocean scene just as the sun is going down with the North Star just popping out.





The voting is open now through midnight December 1. Please jump over to wEtsy Behind the Ears at http://etsynewbie.blogspot.com to cast your vote!

Preparing for a Fresh New 2009 ~

I have so many fresh new ideas jumping around in my head right now! My brain feels like a bag of popcorn in the microwave... each kernel a band new product just trying to get out. So I have been jotting them down, writing descriptions and starting to plan for a fresh new 2009.

I plan to actually close my shop down for a week or two after the Holiday Season and have a grand re-opening in mid January. Meanwhile, I am working on creating an incredible stock with new designs and fantastic accessories.

Part of that preparation, is cleaning out the old to make room for the new. So I have marked several items with a clearance price tag that range from 50 - 70% off. This is a great opportunity to get a truly unique gift for your loved ones at a very reasonable price.

Here are a few examples:

Super Soft Hand Knit Scarf ~ Sweet Pea
This scarf is incredibly soft and sweet! Original Price was $25 - Marked Down to $13




Yellow Treasure Pot ~ Wonderful Gift
This treasure pot is perfect for your jewelery, buttons or anything small. Orignial Price $18 - Marked Down to $10




Set of Two Felted Bangles ~ Original Price $15 - Marked down to $7
What a unique and fun gift for the gal who has it all!



Right now there are 24 items marked down. So grab a cup of coffee and come on in and browse around a bit!

New This Week ~

I've been a busy lady this past week ~

Here are the newest of new items available for purchase at my etsy shop:

Set of 4 nesting bowls that will brighten up any room in your home. They can also be used as an educational toy for toddlers to learn stacking, sorting and colors:








This softer than soft knit scarf makes a wonderful gift for women and teens. The colors remind me of a mixed berry sorbet! And it is just as soothing!



Here is a lovely felted coin purse made with a handmade button from thebuttonshop. This would make a lovely gift for the hard to buy for lady on your list!



Come visit my shop and see all the latest... and don't forget to comment on the entry below to win one of the newest line of felted bangles.

Snow Covered Berries ~

My newest bowl arrives just in time to celebrate winter as Central New York woke up to over a foot of snow yesterday morning.

Yes, I did say over a foot...

Here is a picture taken Sunday morning and the same area taken on Monday morning ~~












And here are a couple shots just to give you a reference for the depth:















But this one is my favorite.. one of the old apple trees:
























And so I dedicate my newest bowl to snow. I love how it clings to every tiny branch and blankets nature for the winter. The design on my bowl reminds me of a forgotton berry bush sprinkled with the white stuff deep in the woods. I hope you will enjoy it as well!



Available for purchase at valeriesgallery.etsy.com.

Getting Ready for a Holiday Craft Fair

I have purchased a spot in Saturday's Holiday Craft Bazaar at our local Methodist Church and am a bit anxious.

This one is a bit different from the others that I have been a vendor. Well, not that I have that much experience as I was only present in two this summer, so I am by no means an expert. But this one will be a table inside the church (thank goodness as we have had snow already!) rather than a booth outside.

As I said, my experience has been limited to summer fairs that have a festival theme behind them. They have been a wide mix of people, coming from all over the country for a different reason. The festival attendees just stumble upon crafters booths. Additionally, both have been in the heat of the summer and I might add that wool items are really not a popular item when one is already sweating!

Saturday's event is simply a holiday craft fair and the weather is much cooler. So I am hopeful that although there may not be as many people wandering through, the folks that do come are simply in the market to purchase crafts and wool may not turn them off as much as in the summer.


I learn something new each time I am in at a fair and I am sure that Saturday's event will also teach me something. Whether it be how to set up the table or help me in face to face marketing skills, I am sure that Saturday will prove to be a learning experience.

With the holidays just around the corner, I plan to set up the table half Thanksgiving theme and half Christmas theme. I will sneak a few of the day to day items in there too... such as baby booties and hair ponies as they make great gifts. And the rest will be left to chance.



My goal ~~ Market to the locals, sell enough to make the whopping $20 fee back and have some fun. I am confident I will be able to achieve all three. Wish me luck!

Pumpkins, Pumpkins, Pumpkins....

Fall is just around the corner and as we say goodbye to summer visions of wonderfully colored leaves, apples and pumpkins come to mind.

The beginning of fall marks the kiddos going back to school and the household getting back on normal schedules within the day. It is when I gradually stop cooking on the grill and stoak up the oven and get that urge to bake... apple crisps, breads and pumpkin pie.

I also 'baked up' a few felted pumpkins that are so adorable. They make a beautiful center piece on your table and staged around your home. These are all available for purchase on http://valeriesgallery.etsy.com . Come on in and browse around a bit!

Bowls

Here are a few of the felted bowls available in my esty shop.

Nesting bowls are great for keeping all your little items organized and still have a coordinated look. These sets are great for home or office and will hold everything for you, ranging from paperclips, buttons, candy and more.

Designer Bowls make beautiful display pieces. These are one of a kind bowls that are beautiful in any room of your home and are great for displaying just about anything, ranging from fruit to nuts.

Simplistic Bowls are perfect for decorating your home in the Adirondack or Rustic themes and look wonderful holding acorns, small pine cones or arranged with other rustic items.

These are all available for purchase at: http://valeriesgallery.etsy.com/.

Please feel free to contact me if you have a particular shape or color in mind.