Bringing Wool to Clothespins

I love clothespins.

I use clothespins in my home for the traditional hanging clothes out on the line during fair weather (and oh....how lovely the clothes smell when they are brought in), but they also can serve many other purposes.

They clip chip bags closed. They clip papers together. They clip pages I want to mark in magazines. They clip towels snugly around my sister or niece's neck when I'm coloring their hair. They clip bags of frozen food shut in the freezer. They get a magnet glued to the back and hold special notes or photos on my fridge. I could go on - but you get the idea. A clip can have many uses.

I decided that maybe I shouldn't leave all of my handy-dandy clothespins bare-naked - so I covered some in wool. I think they're a wee bit happier to serve me now.  :-)

Owl Revival

One of my friends at work brought me an old coat that she had no use for. It was black with a fun design and had a beautiful fur collar.

It was a vintage coat. Very heavy. Very lovely.

She gave it to me saying that maybe I could cut it up and use if for something or maybe I'd even like to wear it myself.

When I got it home, I immediately tried it on. For as great of a coat that it was, I had to admit that it looked horrible on me. I turned away from the mirror and looked again - hoping that maybe now it looked better. No luck.

Now I had a tough decision to make. Find someone else who could use it or cut it up.

It actually was the toughest first cut I've made yet on a garment - but I decided to move forward and use the incredible fabrics it had to offer. After all...I already had a plan in mind.

I recently had seen an incredibly cool owl that artist Mimi Kirchner created. I knew right away that I wanted to try making one.  So I set off to make up my own pattern based on her photo. (Stealing an idea - I know - but if I "copy" an idea like that - I won't use that pattern for items that I sell - only for my personal enjoyment and use - I hope that's fair enough - it's what I would ask of others if they like something of mine.)

So, here's what I came up with.

I felt like my gal was a little too stern looking so I decided that I should soften her up with a flower. After all, don't all owls love a little blossom action?

I knew that I would be giving the owl to my friend after I completed it. When I brought it to her, she first she said she couldn't accept it - but I convinced her that it was meant for her. She was very surprised to see the coat in it's new state and I do think she really liked the outcome.

Meet Lucille

I'd like to introduce you to Lucille. Or, as her friends call her, Lucy.

Here's Lucy. Feeling sassy and fine.

After hopping into our world earlier this week (I don't know - are those weird bunny ears I see?), Lucy decided this morning that she was ready to head out into the world beyond our four walls. So she's off to work with me today.

Are you ready to go, Lucy? (As you can see, she's pretty quiet.)

Lucy in the van. Umm...sorry gal, I'm not pulling out until you buckle yourself into your own seat.

There. That's better.

Here we go!

We're still going! Downtown is very still this morning.

The excitement builds - we're almost to the highway.

I see Lucy loves playing "corners". You remember that game from when you were a youngster, don't you? Woa, hang on...

Weee....it's all downhill from here!

Whew. We made it.

Oh dear, Lucy looks a little pale. I think she was playing "corners" with a little too much gusto. Poor girl. She might have to stay home tomorrow.

Be Who You Really Are

A wonderful quote-of-the-day from my friend, Brene Brown's blog.  Wow, it's a good one.

The Chicken or the Egg

Wow - more chickens in the making here at wool-central and I was even able to got them all posted on Etsy.

And since posting them, I received a great note from Bethany at The Ivy Twines. She will be reviewing/featuring one of my larger chickens on her blog. So one chicken will be traveling to Montana to live with Bethany and another will be offered in a give-away for her readers.  I'll update you when I find out when it will appear so you can chicken-trot on over and enter the give-away as well!

Here's one of my newer chicks. Ah, I think this little gal spent the morning at the salon getting a fancy new perm!

Let's see -  25 peeps, eight large chickens, and four chicken paperweights later - I think I've made my share of chickens this spring.

I think I better move on to other things.

I'm still thinking that bunnies are hot this year...

I Got In

Oh, Boo Hoo.

If you can recall, a short time ago I was busy Boo-Hoo-ing about not getting accepted as a vendor at a local art show/sale.

Late last week, instead of Boo-Hoo-ing, I received a Woo-Hoo-ing email. It was from the event planners and they were pleased to inform me that I was on the waiting list, a spot became available, and I could get in!

I immediately was very excited. I got in! 

I then became very hot and nervous. Oh dear - I got in!  What will I make? Can I get enough done in time? How will I present my booth?

With only seconds passing, I moved to being very bummed - because I quickly remembered that since my initial application time, another work commitment had surfaced that I need to attend that day. I can't go to the art show. I'm not in.

I had to respond to their email and let them know how disappointed I was, and I wouldn't be able to make it after all.

Oh, Boo Hoo. 

Time - Update

I guess I was a little ambitious in my post yesterday. I didn't quite get all those things done that I wanted to. (Do I hear a broken record here?)

But...

• I made two pillows for my nephew
• cleaned my living room (Woo hoo! THAT felt good!)
• washed my dishes
• made three wool/burlap pears for a friend at work (who's going through a very hard time and needs a little pick-me-up gift)
• wrapped and prepared an Etsy order for shipping (forgot that the mail doesn't go today...shoot, could have procrastinated that one another day!)
• knitted and crocheted some wool flowers that are now ready to get felted for a future project
• wrapped my friend's present
• painted my frame (pink!)
• read the newspaper
• read a new magazine (Victoria)
• reviewed what I'll get at the grocery store tomorrow
• and oh ya, took a very nice long nap.

Here is a peek at the pears and pillows - with their photos taken outside on our snowy-Wisconsin-Monday-morning.

Uffdah. I think I'm ready for another nap!

Time

It know my heart is in the right place - but my body and mind often have a hard time catching up.

I made this pillow at the beginning of the month for a friend's daughter's birthday. I still haven't gotten it to her - weeks after her birthday. Think it's about time?

 

 

 

I'm always making excuses for why I don't get things done. I don't think I'm the only one - but, gosh, I'm getting tired of my own excuses. You know - if I wasn't so tired, if I didn't work full time, if I had more energy, if it wasn't so cold outside, if I didn't feel so overwhelmed, if I had a nicer car, if I didn't do my "extra" wool work, if I didn't have to sleep so much (I have fatigue issues), if I lost weight, if I had more money, if I ate less, if I ate more, if I wasn't divorced, if I had better penmanship, if I had more money (yes, this is a repeat, but felt it might be worth repeating), if I had a larger TV (you may think this one makes NO sense, but gosh - it's an excuse, right?), if I had a washer and dryer at home (yes, it's true - I have an old house with no laundry hookup and have to go to the laundry for all my washing...including all my wool!). Blah. Blah. Blah.  If you can think of an excuse, I use it.

Well, it's about time I get past the excuses and get moving.

I'm going to get off the computer. I'm going to get the late birthday gift wrapped. (Heck, I may even try to deliver it today!) I'm going to get my walking workout done for the day. I'm going to get another birthday gift made (for my nephew...I'm making a set of similar pillows for him for his new apartment...he's now 22...and did I mention his birthday was last week?!). I'm going to get my living room picked up (lots of wool laying around!).  I'm going to get some pillows made for a gal at work that I've had sitting here for several weeks waiting to be sewn. I'm going to get an owl made for a friend at work. I'm going to get some sweaters cut and ready for felting. I'm going to get my daily nap in (for sure!). I'm going to get my dishes washed (no dishwasher except me). I'm going to get a frame painted that I've wanted to do for about a year. I'm going to read the newspaper and check out the local grocery store specials of the week.

Wait. Wait. Wait. I'm getting really tired just thinking about doing all this stuff.

Maybe I'll just go watch a movie...

Tupid Bunny

My mom would always remind me that when I was a little girl, I would sit on the curb in front of our house - on our side of the street - and throw pebbles at Jimmy, the little boy who lived across the street from us who would sit in front of his house - on his curb and throw pebbles at me.

I was pretty little and although I don't actually recall it, my family has re-lived the story so many times, I feel as though I do.

It appears that I didn't have much patience for little Jimmy. Because with each pebble I tossed, I would stubbornly add the words "Tupid Jimmy" (with a strong emphasis on the T). And, for as frustrated as I was at Jimmy and his pebbles, I still didn't have the sense to get up from the curb and go into our house to avoid the confrontation.

So, often in my "adult" years, if someone would do something we would think was kind of "tupid" - we'd giggle and say "Tupid Jimmy".

When I finished up my odd-shaped-or-no-shape-at-all bunny last night, I don't know why, but the first thing that came to mind was "Tupid Bunny".

New Banner

So there. I added a new banner that included a photo. Thought maybe for spring it would be nice to feature the flowers I just made.

Hope you like it. I think I do.

It's fun to shake it up a bit and have something different rather than just plain-old-words.

As they say, a picture is worth a thousand words.

Growing Flowers

If you are a maker-of-things-person and ever use the bags of polyfil to stuff your creations, you've probably got a pretty good stash of these darn wooden dowels just like me.

One is included in every bag of polyfil (well, with the brand I get anyway). They are to be used to help poke polyfil into corners, cracks, and creepy areas of your creations.

Yes. I have used them for that purpose. But, even I only need one for poking.

I hate to admit it, but I've tossed a lot of them during my creating years. I've tried to figure out what to do with them. Let's see....too thick for ka-bobs. Sand them down and make knitting needles? Mini drum sticks...are you kidding me? Kindling for summer campfires? I just couldn't figure out a good use for them but knew there must be something they would be good for.

I FINALLY got it. Duh. Flower stems!  Why didn't I think of it before?

So last night while watching the Westminster Dog Show (what adorable animals!), I created a bouquet of felt flowers.

Which one is your favorite?

It's Set In Stone

Need I say more?