Happy New Year!

I hope that this year brings you good health, happiness, love and everything you need. Happy New year!

Caroling

Yep, it is another post about Pearl. Crafting has taken the back seat to holiday craziness and I still want to post once in awhile. Here is Pearl singing Holiday songs for you all. Our pets seem to love hanging out around the tree. It is very cute.


Pearl is really getting into the holiday mode here sporting her red and green eyes just for the season. No that is not photoshop her eyes really reflect red and green.

On another note I think I will change the title of my blog in the new year and take out Ray since I don't talk much about him on the blog and change it to Pearl.

Squirrel watching

I thought I had posted this here a long time ago but I didn't. I have a blog to keep our friends and family who live faraway in touch and posted it over there but forgot to put it here as well. I post some things on both blogs and and some how forgot to add this post here.

Here is Pearl and Crusty watching a pair of squirrels chase each other around our back yard. I really can't tell who likes/dislikes squirrels the most. Usually Pearl and Crusty do not come near one another but on this day they teamed up for a round of squirrel watching.

Welcome to the World of Pink & Hank

If your looking for the cutest cards ever, you can stop looking now, because they can be found at Pink & Hank, a wee little shop on Etsy.


Merry Cards
Retro with a fresh twist! This is a set of four 4.25" x 5.5" cards, each with a different design and white A2 envelope.

The set is tied with ribbon and pinned with a button that matches one of the card designs. The cards can be sent to others, but the button, you should keep. It's one of those "favorite things" we all like to have.


Global Warming My Heart Cards
Warm some one's heart with these little snow globes during this chilly season.


Calm with a breezy twist!
This is a set of three 1.25" button pins, each with a different design.

The set comes on a Pink&Hank card with a white A6 envelope. Keep them as a set or share one or two with your swell pals. The card comes in a padded mailer.


Jolly Button Pins
From Christmas past to Christmas present! This is a set of three 1.25" button pins, each with a different design to make your Jolly-Holly-Days!


Here is Sheri's Bio From her shop.
Pink & Hank is a place to find art created by Sheri Berry Designs. Most of my time is spent designing art for licensed products, but this is a place to get to play and cut and fold and create just as I want. It is one of the most enjoyable aspects of creating and now I get to do it here.

"Sheri Berry" is a nickname that has followed me since I was a wee tyke. "Pink & Hank" were nicknames given to my grandparents when they were a young and hip couple. Well, I thought if it worked for them all those years ago, let's give it a shot now and see what happens.

On another note about Sheri, there is a Giveaway for a complete set of this product to go to one lucky winner. It includes the entire line including the Village Paper Pad and a storage folder! Enter by Thursday, December 11. You might want to stop in and check it out at Moxiefabworld.blogspot.com.

A Tiny Thanks

I sent off my Embellished felted balls today. They sold on Etsy and I was sad to see them go. I really hoped no one wanted them so I could keep them, I know I can make another set but I really get attached to the things I make and it is hard to see them leave. I made a little felt pouch to put them in and added a tiny felt pouch with a tiny little bitty acorn and a note that said "A Tiny Thanks". I really do appreciate it when some one likes what I do, but when some one will pay for it really makes it special. I am thankful for that.

Giveaway alert!

One of my felted ornaments was featured on The Estate of Things Holiday Tree Trimming post blog a week ago. This week you can enter The Handmade Ornament Giveaway on the same Blog The Estate of Things to win one of my holiday ornaments. The red and green acorn holiday ornament to be exact. Stop in and check it out at The Estate of Things.

Now off to the Post Office...

I am almost all done with the Christmas ornament swap that I joined. I will get them off in the post today... I wish I had better lighting for the photos but I think part of the issue is the new filters I just put on my lenses. They are a different brand than I normally get. I needed to replace them since I keep braking them. I am not very easy on my camera. I tend to be rather rough on it.


Hyacinth (aka Crusty) is getting ready for her yearly tree hunt. She loves to attack the tree and make it sway to see how many ornaments she can get off and play with at night while we are asleep. I think she was a little disappointed when all the acorns came off the feather tree. Such a good kitty.

Embellish! Embellish! Embellish!

In making the second set of felted balls I want to make them into garland for the tree this year. But then my daughter said she thought they would look nice just strung up individually with a simple ribbon and bow on each. We will see. I tend to leave them in a dish or bowl as I am making them and tend to love them just sitting around, but then again so does my cat...

Swell Noel

I have been waiting for this to come out in stores and not had any luck finding it locally. It is however on the web at a number of independent scrapbook stores. I don't know why Michael's does not have it in there stores yet or if they will. I already have my order in. Many of the items are sold out already and are on back order. You can find it at Scrapbookneeds.com I do not get a kick back or anything but they have the best selection of this wonderfully designed line. Yes this is another shameless plug for my friend and designer Sheri McCulley Seibold but I do really love every thing that she creates.
Swell Noel Advent Tree- Kit includes die-cut papers to create a 3D, cone-shaped, double-sided (one side Green the other Blue) tree, with fringed ends, and one sheet of 25 clearly yours ornaments to count down the days! Approximately 20" tall.


Atwitter with effervescent snowflakes and brilliant ornamentation, award-winning designer Sheri McCulley Seibold spins retro into metro with her stylish eye for darling details and snappy patterns - perfect for creating a cool yule this holiday season!


Swell Noel Holiday Sleigh & Reindeer- Kit includes all the die-cut papers needed to create a small sleigh and 3 tiny reindeer. Sleigh is approximately 7 1/2" tall. Great for centerpiece or mantel decor. Colors include shades of Teal, Lime, Red , Green.


Die Cut Swell Noel- Pad contains 18 total sheets. 3 each of 6 different die-cut edge designs, all double-sided with linen texture. Patterns include contemporary/retro Christmas icons, stripes, florals and more. Colors include shades of Aqua, Pink, Lime, Red, Chocolate and White.

What a world, what a night, Im in love...

So the song goes. It was a wonderful night. I have heard that some of his tickets go for thousands of dollars and I knew he was good and now I know why people would part with cold hard earned cash in large quantities to see Michael Buble sing in person. There is something so wonderful about music that is timeless. Wish you all could have been there it was such a special treat I hope to see him again, until then I will pull out the old Cd's and enjoy.


He even said you could come up and take photos... The hard part about the night was it was a "work" thing for my husband and he works for a very conservative company. My husband told me I had to be on my best behavior. That is not easy for me. I wanted to get up and dance so bad. Our grandparents were so lucky living in the era where this was the type of music they got to dance to. Love the big band and the Swell music.


Yep that close. How nice was he? Boy he's easy on the eyes too.

Art doll

I really enjoyed making this art doll. She has indicated to me that she is finished and now would like her journey to begin to her new home. I have enjoyed working on her and am excited that she will be my first doll to list on Etsy.


Her shape is organic, I did not use a pattern just followed the detail in the beautiful fabric and she took shape on her own and of course I had to put some element from nature, I love working with things I find that seem to be gifts from mother nature, she can curl vines so nicely. I embellished a silk pod and nestled into the grape vine as if she was caressing it.


I wish you could see the bead colors and how the light hits them it is hard to capture the warmth and depth with a camera. I will list her sometime tomorrow.

W.I.P. ~ Art Doll

This is the latest doll that is starting to take shape. I think it will be finished tonight but than again it is up to her when she is finished. It seem that they have a mind of their own and what my vision is of the completed doll is never what it ends up being. I love that. I do think that creating art sometimes is beyond our control and that it is a journey all of it's self. There are many mornings when I wake up and think "How did I come up with that?" It seems to happen that way more that not. I tend to work mostly at night. When my people are all home and tucked in...I awake.



Yesterday when I was felting a few more acorns I started to think of Dot and this is what happened. Made me smile.

Pearl, sweet Pearl

Today the sun the tempature was down, Pearl just had a bath and the camera came out. I snapped this photo of Pearl so I could send off a Holloween photo to Pearls God Mother Janet. We like to give her Holiday photos and spoile her as much as she spoils our sweet dog. I had to laugh out loud when I uploaded the photos and saw our little cat over her sholder peeking out the window. I have several photos where she just appears in the photo with out us knowing. Some times it is a little creepy. I will have to dig them out and show you some time.

Have a great weekend and a Happy Holloween! Mmm... Candy... Candy... Candy...

Bit the bullet

So today was the day. I have been putting it off for ever and today I listed my first item in my Etsy shop. I hope I did the listing correct. I only put up one item today and will put up more items as I gain confidence in the whole process. I listed a set of the orange felted acorns with ribbons on them. Wish me luck and Confidence.

Felt like fall...but only at 6 AM

It has been feeling like fall here in Florida but like the title says only at 6 in morning when I take Pearl outside. Then the Florida sun comes and the temp goes up up up. I have taken advantage of the cooler weather it revives me and I start to feel like crafting again. I started to make felted acorns, they are so fun to make and I have a good selection of caps this year. The one in the photo had all 4 caps still connected. I thought that was pretty interesting.


I have several that are double and a few that are triple caps as well. The dark green one in the top right corner is my favorite. I love the little green baby acorn that is attached.


I also made some single acorns and added a little ribbon.


I was not sure about making brown ones but I love them a lot. This is one of the triple acorns, it was fun to find the caps connected like this. Wish I could find more of them but then they would not be as special.

Hope everyone in the mid-west and up north are enjoying the fall, I hear it is a beautiful one this year.

I am a Winner!

I love it when something comes along that is a complete surprise, a good surprise! I had forgotten that I entered a drawing over at the Chartreuse Panda and got a wonderful e-mail letting me know I was a winner! These gorgeous hand crafted sterling silver hoops Made by Laurel Peters are now mine... well, I thought they were until my daughter saw them. She has not taken them off since. They are wonderful little hoops that have a personality all their own. Laurel's Etsy shop is "La Valley Girly". Stop in and see what other great things she has. They are all wonderful. You can also check out her blog "My attempt to be Coherent".


Here is Paige with the hoops on this weekend, even though you can't see them very well I thought you would like to know she now thinks they are her lucky earrings.

Thanks Laurel for the wonderful earrings and also thanks Valerie over at the Chartreuse Panda for hosting the giveaway.

Other projects...

This is the latest project. Not a craft project but a home/activity project. Crafting is a part of my daily life whether it be felting a cup cozy, making curtains, reupholstering chairs or the latest project, this old bike. It is the fall regatta season and I have been working to finish this bike before our daughters first race. With a bike I can be at the start of the race and ride it to see the finish as well. This is the after photo. I did not want to open the post with an ugly photo so I am doing this a a little backwards and putting the finished one first.


Here is the before photo, not taken by me. I thought it would be fun to get an old bike that no one else wanted and put my spin on it. I could have gone out and bought a new Cruiser but that would not have been as fun. I still want to make streamers for the grips but the bike needs to be loaded up tonight so we can get our early start in the morning for our 4am departure. Can't be late for a regatta.


This is what Paige, my daughter thinks the bike is for. This is her cat Hyacinth along for a spin. Yes, that cat really likes to go for bike rides. She also likes to go for walks on a leash like a dog. Oh and I should tell you she also likes car rides and can open doors.

Have a great weekend!

Not A Paper Cup!

I felt like felting today. The inspiration was my coffee cup. I use it all the time and thought it could use a little flair. It is Not a Paper Cup - It is a Ceramic Coffee Cup with a Silicone Lid, given to me by my friend Leisa. I need to make a few more to perfect the outcome a little better but it was fun. I might embellish it a little tonight. We will see.

While I like to wet felt it seems to take longer than needle felting. I really enjoy needle felting it is great as a take along project and easy to start and stop. Wet felting is messy, wet and not as easy to conrtoll where the felt goes. It did work well for this project so I should not complain to much.

It has been a long time since I have posted. Back to school time of the year seems to be consuming a lot of my time. The hot weather does not help either. It was a little cooler today did not make it to 90°F so that is good. It might make it down to the 60's tonight, that would make me really Happy! I love cooler weather.

The Perfect Sun

I have wanted to take a good photo of Pearl now for awhile. It seems that there is always something off in the photo or the lighting is not the most flattering for her. Well this morning Pearl was sunning herself looking so...well... Pearl like. The camera was in the right spot to grab quick before she moved which happens all the time. She looks so lovely.


Coy Pearl. How do you spell coy? Is that right?

No photoshop, no special lens, just pure sunlight and Pearl.

Busy Little Elves

I would like to thank the busy little overnight elves who finished the face. I think they could improve their stitching skills but I am happy that I do not have to worry about finishing the face.


I made a little Dotee Doll to put into her reversible pouch so she has a companion to accompany her on her journey to her new home. I loved making this little Dotee, it was very fun to make her tiny!

I'm Stuck

I am making this for a friend and I am stuck.


I don't make faces really well. I make clay faces and can stitch a face on a Dotee doll but when it comes to something else I get stuck. I want to get this out in the mail and the last thing is the face. I guess I will "just have to try harder." We will see what happens in the morning. Maybe some little elves with finish it for me. That would be nice.

The wonderful pattern is from Emily's blog Inside a Black Apple. take time to check out her wonderful blog and stop by her Etsy shop too.

Dotee Doll ~ Bloom where your planted!

I love making Dotee Dolls, not because they are quick, easy, or cute (even thought they are) but because I make them with some one in mind. It gives me joy to know that she is stuffed with love, kind thoughts and well wishes with every stitch, and hopefully she will share all the kind thoughts and love that has gone into her in her new home.


Why do you make Dotee dolls?

Mac almost home...

My mac is next in line to see the Mac Doctor. I am so excited she might be home today or on Sunday. I miss my Mac.

Creative Orginzation

I have been trying to get more and more organized over the summer. Today I thought of a way to store my thread so I could see it. I have been using this napkin holder for mail, stamps and my address book.

Today I came up with this using knitting needles to hold thread spools and to store the spools that come on a plastic card as well.

Here you can see the back side of the spool caddy. I made a box to fit into the top so I can put the extra thread there. I did not realise how much thread I had and this is a good way to see it and know what is there.


Also, I still do not have my Mac back but I really needed to post, I was going through blogging withdrawals. I am getting used to the PC but still do not like it!

My Mac is still in the ER!

I have photos to show but my Mac is still in the ER. I could try to use Paige's pc to upload the photos but it just seems like it would take too long to learn how to do it on the pc or maybe I am just too stuborn to do it on a pc. Ya, that is it. I really don't want to do it on a pc. Being a Mac lover is complicated or maybe really simple, it has to do more with passion than tecnology. Oh well. Just a few more days and I will be back and have a lot of updating to do. The parts are in for my mac and now it is in the waiting room. I love my Mac.

Faith restored

I took in my computer today to the Apple store to see what was wrong with it. The unknown is the worst part of having a problem with your computer. I was very unhappy when I took in my computer and I have to give Apple credit for great customer service. I will still be without my computer for two weeks or so but it seems that they will be able to fix the problem. Faith restored.

My Mac seems to be dead...

My mac seems to be dead and I do not know when it will be up and running again. It seems like it is a fatal issue. I will be taking it in on Monday and we will see what the people at the GENIUS bar in the Mac Store say. I am not happy right now out computer is not even 3 years old. I would hope this is just a glitch and not a costly or fatal issue.

I am using a PC to give you this update and will not be back until the problem is solved.

Happy creating. I will have a lot to show you when I get everything sorted out.

See you in the blog world...

Surprise in the mail

I was so excited to receive this unexpected package. Holly, from the wonderful blog Holly loves Art, sent me this wonderful piece of art as a thank you. I was touched by her generosity and thoughtfulness. Thanks Holly, not only will I enjoy this but so will Pearl.