Itty bitty OOAK bear

I finally got some better photos of this little guy. For some reason they always turned out blurry. I just listed him in my PurplePlatypus shop http://www.etsy.com/listing/81997815/needle-felted-ooak-miniature-bear He would make a great cake topper for a child's birthday. He's got his little party hat on and shows you how much he loves you!!!

Itty bitty hats, a pouch and a cute little bear

Been busy knitting some cute little hats. A customer had asked for a set of preemie twin baby boy hats so I knitted up some samples in different yarns. She purchased two of the ones she liked and the rest of them I will be putting in my shop in the next couple of days. These were really fun to knit. The interesting part of this is that the colors she asked for I would usually not pick out myself. I guess as an artist we have our set preferences of things we pick and work with. Just comes to show, it's always a good idea to work "outside" of your box ... you never know what great things will come out of doing so. I love the way these little hats turned out so I'll be making more of them but in bigger sizes as well.

The little purse/pouch I wet felted and then embroidered. It has a real skinny purple leather strap attached to it which can be untied and made shorter if it needs to be. That will be going into my PurplePlatypus shop in the next couple of days.

I will have to re-take some pictures of this little needle felted bear with a heart. I'm having a heck of a time getting the pictures of this little dude to turn out right. But as soon as the pictures are taken and turn out fine I'll be putting him in my PurplePlatypus shop as well.

I have 5 more needle felted hedgehogs I need to take pictures of as well as a Christmas bear. Just haven't had the chance to take photos of them all.

Thanks for visiting my blog.

September Treasuries

I'll jump right into the list I have to share with you today:

This treasury is called "Little Cottage in the Woods" featuring my brown knitted bear hat http://www.etsy.com/listing/56112454/knitted-bear-hat?ref=tre-672847159-4 . In the Curator shop of this treasury http://www.etsy.com/shop/annagguiles you will find beautiful drawings, paintings and other custom artwork.



Next is a treasury called "The woods are lovely dark and deep" featuring my crocheted and felted slippers with acorns http://www.etsy.com/listing/67454999/felted-fulled-crocheted-childyouth?ref=tre-702119393-8 . Here is the link to the Curator shop http://www.etsy.com/shop/jalinde and her shop announcement: "I am a fine art photographer who specializes in alternative process photography, such as polaroid transfers. I like the painterly quality of the polaroid transfers and the variation of each print. My equipment tends to be low tech: an older model Vivitar slide printer, polaroid 669 film and a film based Canon."



Next is a treasury called "Le Black Bear" featuring my needle felted bunny http://www.etsy.com/listing/50863162/felted-french-lop-bunny-bunnylu?ref=tre-680919376-9. The Curator of this treasury http://www.etsy.com/shop/SeaPinks sells charming embroidery and fun stuff for sewing or just fun stuff! For cute stuffed animals checkout her other shop bubbletime.etsy.com.



Next is a treasury called "Toadstool Love" featuring ... you guessed it! my needle felted pincushion with toadstools! http://www.etsy.com/listing/73501667/needle-felted-fairytale-toadstool?ref=tre-689429401-2 In the Curator shop http://www.etsy.com/shop/dancingwithbadgers you will find andmade clothing, bags and trinkets for wanderers, fairies and forest folk.



Last but definitely not least! a treasury called "Cute, Little, MICE?!?!" featuring, my needle felted Christmas mouse http://www.etsy.com/listing/79647591/needle-felted-christmas-mouse-ooak?ref=tre-706612564-12 In the Curator shop http://www.etsy.com/shop/countrycraftsncandie you will find amazing candles that look like bakery items! This is the shop announcement: "Here in my bakery shop, candles are hand sculptured paying great attention to detail, allowing you to custom order your own special treat. I use a Very High Grade soy wax so that I may provide you with the longest burn time and best scent throw possible on the market. You will LOVE the Creamy Smooth appearance that this wax has! My decorative breads are made from my own unique recipe that gives each bread the realistic look without it ever going bad! All bath and body products are made from all natural ingredients, and handcrafted items are created with lots of love where no two items are identical."



That's all I have for today folks. Thanks for looking and please feel free to share all the links!

Not just yesterday, today or tomorrow ... every day they are there to save you!

Today is 9-11 ... I will never forget that day just like a lot of you. I made this treasury with my husband in mind who goes out there every day each time that pager goes off and somebody is in need of help, help to save your life not just on a day like 9-11.

Here is the link to the Warrenton, Virginia fire department http://www.warrentonfire.org/news/index/layoutfile/home

This treasury is dedicated to all the volunteer and paid firefighters who take care of us each and every day, we thank you and we love you!

Nonteamchallenge 48 Treasury - How about that orange bug?

I love this week's inspiration item for the treasury challenge. I used to have a bug, not an orange one, mine was silver grey. I loved my bug. We sold it before moving to Australia, it was one of my favorite cars ever. So, for this treasury I put together a bunch of VW bugs and busses and my other favorite thing ... surfing and the beach. I'll be listing more treasuries later this weekend. Thanks for looking and feel free to share!

The kittens are back and more treasuries

So, the mother cat who moved her 4 kittens from my mom's house a couple of weeks ago decided it was time to bring them all back!!  This happened about a week ago and my mom just wasn't sure on how to deal with the entire kitten kaboodle.  They are strays although the mother has basically moved in with my mom who feeds her, gives her birth control and makes her wear a flea collar.  Since the kittens were gone for about 4 weeks they are not totally happy with having a human in their life except they figured out that if they don't flip out, have a hissyfit about this human they get fed yummy food!  Yeahhh, so far it's worked except for 1 of them is still not too excited about being touched, my mom calls that one the bully.   Anyway, she has taken pictures but I still haven't received them since my mom doesn't know how to get them from her camera, into the pc and send on over to me.  But that's ok, she does know how to print them so I'm anxiously awaiting to get some photos of these little rascals so I can share them with you all!  She will need to find homes for them or they will be going to the RSPCA.  My mom lives in Aarschot, Belgium so if any of you are near there and you want a kitten please contact me so we can figure out how to get it to you.

Now let's talk treasuries! 

This first one is called "Head, shoulders, knees and toes" featuring my nuno felted scarf with crocheted mohair edge http://www.etsy.com/listing/24791349/nuno-felt-azure-blue-wrap.   The curator of this treasury has a shop http://www.etsy.com/shop/RecentHistory  and sells 1930s-1980s vintage home decor, fashion, kitchenware, useful goods, ephemera and whimsy for gals and guys. 




 

Next one is called "My old Kentucky Home" featuring my needle felted mouse and her piece of cheese http://www.etsy.com/listing/65028959/needle-felted-mouse-on-needle-felted?ref=tre-673191703-10 .  The curator of this treasury's shop http://www.etsy.com/shop/MayflowerMarket  and sells handmade button bracelets, crocheted hair accessories and beaded bracelets great for back-to-schooland any other day of the year!  I love this treasury, makes me want to move into the Old Kentucky Home! 



Next one is called "Turquoise and Greens" featuring my organza earrings http://www.etsy.com/listing/47113996/turquoise-organza-earrings  .  The curator of this treasury Missie has a shop http://www.etsy.com/shop/MissieRabdau  were she sells beautiful handmade jewelry.  I love the colors she put together in this treasury, so pretty. 



Next one is called "Time to cover up" featuring my needle felted baby shoes http://www.etsy.com/listing/57573575/wool-felted-baby-shoes-with-needle.  The curator of this treasury  http://www.etsy.com/shop/HiGirls   sells handmade bags with polymer clay embellishments, polymer clay jewelry and other fun clay items such as lotion dispensers, salt and peppers and napkin rings.





Next one is called "Little cottage in the woods" featuring my knitted baby bear hat http://www.etsy.com/listing/56112454/knitted-bear-hat .  The curator of this treasury http://www.etsy.com/shop/annagguiles   sells  beautiful drawings, paintings and custom artwork.     



This last one I made and I almost forgot about sharing it with you all!  Enjoy visiting all the new shops listed in these treasuries.  Start your Christmas shopping early!  If you see something you like don't wait to purchase it, sales are starting to pick up now that the weather is starting to change and you wouldn't want the item you so adore be going to somebody else!!!  Thanks for looking and please feel free to share the site and all the treasuries. 

Can't wait for fall to get here!

I'm longing for cooler nights ... sleeping with the windows open, ahhhhh, I just can't wait!  Tired of having to listen to the humming of the air conditioner. It's amazing how much quieter it is without it running all night.  Anyway, to get myself in the fall mood I put together this bright orange and white treasury with some beautiful items for you ro check out.  Here it is ...

Nonteamchallenge 47 - Mary had a little lamb

This week we get to put together a treasury using some beautiful yarn from http://www.etsy.com/listing/70152206/bettie-superwash-merino-sock-yarn-island?ref=tre-665193372-8  as the inspiration item.  I had tons of ideas running through my head for this one and finally made the decision to make this treasury based upon Mary had a little lamb.  I think I can put together another 10 of these there are so many gorgeous yarns listed on Etsy as well as all the other items related to knitting and yarn.  But this will do for today.  Enjoy!

Knitted Green baby hat with itty bitty pumpkins

I was going to make another Christmas hat but then I thought adding green itty bitty pumpkins to this hat would look cute for Halloween and/or THanksgiving.  So here it is.  What do you think of it?  I just listed it in my BitsOfFiber shop so if you like to see more photos please visit my shop by clicking on this link.  http://www.etsy.com/listing/81015055/knitted-green-hat-with-baby-pumpkins

Treasuries before Irene gets here!

I figured I might as well get these three treasuries listed before Irene comes around and we happen to be without electricity!

Here we go ... first one named "Adorn" featuring my nuno felted forest scarf by Curator AuntieKaren who doesn't have an Etsy shop but makes the most beautiful treasuries! I'm very happy my scarf is part of this one! The colors in this treasury are gorgeous.



Next is the treasury named "Pastel Baby" featuring my needle felted cupcake bear by Curator http://www.etsy.com/shop/FavorFancyAndFun who sells favor boxes, gift boxes and more in her shop.



This one is named "Jingle Bells Rock" featuring my chocolate and creme striped baby hat which has a jingle bell hidden inside the acorn! The Curator http://www.etsy.com/shop/3creativesisters makes and sells bookmarks, paperweights, magnets, gift tags, gift pails, birthday lanyards, cards, coasters, and many other unique items that will make great gifts for someone special (or just to have for yourself).



Almost forgot to list these that I made myself.

Nonteamchallenge 46 Treasury

This week's challenge for the nonteam treasury on Etsy is based upon the cutest little yellow baby socks http://www.etsy.com/listing/78721824/hand-knitted-baby-socks-autumn-yellow by a shop named Eljuck who sells the cutest crocheted appliques, embellishments, kitchen and fashion accessories, decorations! . First thing that came to my mind was making an all baby treasury but as I continued to scroll through all the yellow items available to make up my treasury I was drawn to the yellow and blue/aqua color combination and this is what I finally came up with.

More treasuries to share with you in the next couple of days. Have to leave for my day job now so I'll catch you all later. Thanks for looking and please feel free to share!

Needle felted cupcake bear

Yeah, finally got this little girl's picture taken and up for sale in my http://www.etsy.com/listing/80386664/needle-felted-birthday-party-bear shop. This little girl is ready to party! If you want to see more pictures you can find them in my shop. The cupcake is not attached neither is her skirt. The skirt can be easily removed by undoing the ribbon bow in the back. She could be used as a birthday cake topper as long as you put down a piece of plastic on top of the cake for her to sit on. Would make a beautiful present for an older child. Comes in the pretty box she is sitting on to keep her safe and looking spiffy.

Black, red, gray and a hint of lemon

Made a couple more treasuries to share.

This first one is called "Dressed for the occasion" and is basically a black and red theme with Halloween in mind.



And this one called "Never a dull gray day with a hint of yellow" which speaks for itself ... lots of grays with a bit of lemon mixed in. Not really my favorite colors but a couple of those items really jumped out at me so I just went with it.

White Pumpkins, Funions and Inspiring Blues

I have three treasuries to share with you today.

This first one is called "White Pumpkin Magic" featuring my white crocheted felted pumpkin pincushion http://www.etsy.com/listing/74961973/crocheted-felted-white-pumpkin by curator
http://www.etsy.com/people/spark0658 who sells jewelry boxes and frames she has up-cycled with beautiful papers.



Next treasury is called Funions featuring my crocheted robo hamster house also called Critter Onion http://www.etsy.com/listing/65028396/robo-hamster-or-mouse-house-called by Curator http://www.etsy.com/shop/sophies1qt who makes and sells beautiful invitations, announcements and personalized stationary.



Next is a treasury called "Inspiring Blues" featuring my felted blue bracelet with glass bead http://www.etsy.com/listing/79235962/unique-felted-bracelet-with-glass-beads by Curator http://www.etsy.com/shop/TrendieTreasures who sells Trendie Treasures!! Trends that you shall Treasure!! Designed with simplicity and creativity, Trendie Treasures offers handcrafted children’s clothing.



That's all I have for today. Enjoy checking out all these lovely treasures!

Nonteamchallenge 45 treasury

I've been on a roll with foresty themed stuff so when this week's challenge presented me with a beautiful feather necklace all I could do is think forest again! First I thought of a bird theme but I figured that would be the most obvious thing to go with so I stuck with my forest-look. Hope you all enjoy it, I know I enjoyed making it!

Thanks for looking.

August treasuries to share

Here are a few more treasuries I want to share with you before I go to work this morning. Enjoy!

This first one is called "Love to be neighborly) featuring my felt purple bracelet http://www.etsy.com/listing/69707251/felted-purple-red-and-lavender-beads by Curator http://www.etsy.com/shop/BeetleBritches who's profile says: "I am a stay at home mom who loves to sneak down into my sewing room every chance I get. I love trying new things, reading and learning new techniques but most of all I love my childrens faces in the morning when they see something I have made them...just for them, while they were sleeping. It is almost as if they believe their mother has a magic wand or fairy dust hidden in her pocket.. I Like that!"



Next is "Sea the colors" featuring my felt bracelet http://www.etsy.com/listing/79235962/unique-felted-bracelet-with-glass-beads?ref=tre-583913356-12 . The Curator filled all the spots with participants of last week's Nonteamchallenge 44 on Etsy. If you like to find out more about this non-team making treasuries on Etsy go to this page http://treasurychallengenonteam.blogspot.com/ to read all about it.



This next treasury is called "Soft and Strong" featuring my felted bag http://www.etsy.com/listing/50704789/felted-handbag?ref=tre-586117247-3 by Curator http://www.etsy.com/shop/FeltByLiza who makes and sells beautiful needle felted and wet felted creations. Animals, dolls, felt art, handbags and slippers.



Last but not least is "Dive into it" featuring my felt bracelet http://www.etsy.com/listing/79235962/unique-felted-bracelet-with-glass-beads?ref=tre-589395829-6 again by Curator http://www.etsy.com/shop/fifthseason who sells a delectably eclectic array of vintage, antique and retro home decor from every decade for every season.



This one I made named "Woodland Beauties" I've always loved the forest and everything that comes with it so when I was looking to put together this treasury I had no problem coming up with things related to a forest. I just made a nuno felted scarf the other day which actually made me think of putting a treasury together based upon the colors which are definitely "woodsy". So enjoy checking out all the shops in these treasuries including the Curator shops, I'm sure you will find something you just can't live without! Thanks for visiting.

A nuno felted scarf and some other stuff

Got a couple more items in my PurplePlatypus shop. One of them is a needle felted mouse dressed for Christmas and the other item is a nuno felted scarf in gorgeous forest-like colors. If you like to find out more about them click here http://www.etsy.com/shop/PurplePlatypus to get to them.



Have a couple more treasuries to share with you.

This one is called "Passion" featuring my felted baby shoes by http://www.etsy.com/shop/masibill who sells hand crocheted jewelry made with strong cotton and beads, and handknitted cowl. She creates her own designs so you know that you will have something unique for yourself or to give as a gift. This treasury is so pretty with all the red colors in it.



This one I made is called "Natures beauty"



Another one I made is called "Red hot babes"

OOAK cuffs, a brooch and more treasuries!

I'm on a roll today. Getting things done feels gooooood. I just listed 2 art cuffs and a matching brooch. I finished a felted scarf which is hanging up to dry so I can put the finishing touches on it later today. I also made another treasury early this morning. Thanks for visiting and enjoy your day!

Nonteamchallenge 44 treasury

Here is my entry for the nonteamchallenge 44 treasury on Etsy:

Treasuries and a pumpkin hat

I wanted to knit another pumpkin hat but with a bit of a different look so here it is. I knitted the basic hat and crocheted the leaves and the vines which are sewn into place by hand. I do like the way it turned out. Just listed it in my BitsOfFiber shop on Etsy http://www.etsy.com/listing/79596412/knitted-fancy-pumpkin-hat-for-3-to-6 if you are interested in purchasing this little pumpkin hat and see more photos as well.

One of my crocheted baby hats featured in another lovely treasury named "Summer and You" by http://www.etsy.com/shop/NYLeatherRose who sells beautiful leather accessories, jewelry and wedding gifts so go and take a peak at her shop. She offers free shipping and gift with your order!



This next one "Grab your bag and go with me!" is a treasury I made thinking of Farmers Markets I've visited. When I look at this treasury I can smell all the wonderful fruits and veggies, can you?



Next up is "Endless Summer" also made by me. It started out more brighter but I changed the colors when I was halfway through putting it together. I'm happy the way it turned out the way it is now. Hope you like it as well!



This next one named "Sew What?!?" featuring my needle felted bird wearing her little hat pincushion is made by http://www.etsy.com/shop/TheKnittingNord who sells scarves, gloves, dog stuff and other miscellaneous items. She's having a 15% off any item with a promo code! So make sure you visit her shop! In this treasury you will find all kinds of cool and nifty items for those of you who sew shouldn't be without. Perfect Christmas and holiday gifts you will find in this treasury.



That's it for now folks. Hope you enjoy visiting lots of new shops by checking out all these treasuries and curator shops as well. Catch you later.

Felted bracelets, mini hair barrettes and one more baby hat

Yeah, finally took the time to take some shots of a couple more items I needed to get into my shops. When I got up this morning it was overcast which I was very happy about. I like taking pictures of the items I make outside on our back deck but if I don't get up before the sun hits that area I'm out of luck since it's way too bright by then. Anyway, here are photos of the 4 items I just listed in my shops.

Click here http://www.etsy.com/listing/79238452/mixed-media-felted-orange-beaded?ref=v1_other_1 for more info on the orange bracelet.

Click here http://www.etsy.com/listing/79235962/unique-felted-bracelet-with-glass-beads?ref=v1_other_2 for more info on the glass bead bracelet.

Click here http://www.etsy.com/listing/79239138/mini-floral-felt-hair-barrettes?ref=v1_other_1 for more info on the mini roses barrettes.

Click here http://www.etsy.com/listing/79213195/crocheted-felted-red-and-white-hat-for-6 for more info on the baby hat.

Nonteamchallenge 43 treasury

So here is my entry for this week's treasury challenge on Etsy, it's the nonteamchallenge 43. I had this bright idea (I thought, ha!) to make one based on a wedding but I had a heck of a time getting the pictures I had in my head to match up with items I needed to find to make it work. I started it this morning, worked on it for about 40 min. Then went to work and just finished it after working on it for another hour. I usually make a treasury in less then 1 hour. If I can't get it to look right in that amount of time I usually give up and try again another day but today I really wanted this one to work. It's still not 100% to the way I had it in my head but it will have to do. The inspiration item for this challenge are these beautiful earrings http://www.etsy.com/listing/75968385/triple-drop-autumn-glow-earrings?ref=tre-537112932-7 she was the person who won last week's nonteamchallenge 42. Enjoy visiting all the shops included in this treasury. Thanks for visiting with me.

Cats, birds and all kinds of other stuff

So I realized today another reason I haven't taken any pictures lately is because I ran out of batteries for my camera! I did go to the store today and got some but ... now it's been raining off and on all day so again ... no photos were taken. But I keep on making more stuff, which means lots more photos to share with you all in the next couple of weeks. I finished another pumpkin baby hat, this time I came up with a different pattern. The hat part and the stem are finished now I'm trying to come up with something that looks like tendrils to put on it, not sure yet how I'm going to do that part. And I finally laid out a silk scarf to felt. I finished laying out the pattern I wanted on one side, the other side will have to wait till tomorrow or possibly Saturday, my next day off of work. So I spoke with my mom today and I'm sad to say, the kittens are still nowhere to be found! The mommy cat still comes and eats at my moms house but mom feeds her outside and hopes that during the night she's keeping her kittens warm since it's starting to cool of a lot in Belgium.

Alright, I did make a couple more treasuries to share with you so here they are:

Not motivated

I just can't get myself to take pictures of a bunch of things I've made while in Belgium so I can get them listed. Sometimes I just think way too much and too deep about why we are here etc. I'm sure a lot of that has to do with my best friend Erna and also my dad passing away recently. Some days I look at everything through a different set of eyes, they just don't seem to be mine. I'm sure as time passes my eyes will point me in the right direction again, hopefully soon. In the meantime I am motivated to make treasuries and I'm happy to share them with you.

This first one is called "Who wants to come play in my garden?". It's a bright garden I must say, one that makes me smile when I enter it. Hope it does the same for you.



And this one is called "School will never be the same" also bright and sunny! I've been making lots of back to school signs at work and they are mostly yellow, black and red so when I got home the other day I thought the heck with those colors, I'm going to make one I like a lot better and voila here it is. School should never be dull so enjoy!!!



That's it for today folks. Thanks for visiting my blog.

Let's go shopping! And oh no ... the kittens are missing!!!

Who wants to go out in this heat and melt!!!??? Not me!!!! So, get comfy in your (hopefully) cool (meaning air temp and of course the other kind of cool is ok as well! ha) place and check out all these items I listed in more treasuries. Here they are:

This first one I named "Chique Munchkins" just because all the pretty items I picked really reminded me of my mom. She loves to use the word "chique" and what she means by that in Flemish is a bit above the levels gorgeous/beautiful.



Next up is "Dreams and wishes". When I made this treasury I was sitting here in front of my computer wishing for certain things to happen in the near future and voila ... a new treasury was born!



Last one for today is "Green with ivy" which is kinda funny because I really didn't mean to use that title to begin with. A lot of times I just make the treasury first and then name it once it's all put together. At first I was going to name it "Green with envy" but then I noticed the ivy picture and changed it.



Well I'm a bit sad ... I got a message earlier today letting me know that the mama cat who had her litter of 4 kittens in my mom's garage, has moved them out of the house. I haven't talked to my mom yet this message came from my brother so I will have to give mom a call first thing in the morning since it's in the middle of the night now in Belgium I don't want to wake her up! I know mama cats, especially first time mothers will move their litter around and she isn't a house cat to begin with I'm surprised she hasn't tried moving them earlier. I just hope the kittens are all safe and she will bring them back to stay with my mom who will be more then happy to have them back. Silly cat!!!

Ahhhh, fall will be here soon ... I hope!

So today wasn't like melting hot, still a lot hotter then the way I prefer it especially for me to do my day job using spray paint ... but I managed getting it all done properly today. Even though it was hot the humidity was down which makes it easier for me to paint the boards I use for making signs. Anyway, here are some more gorgeous treasuries to share with you.

This first one is called Fall Festival by http://www.etsy.com/shop/SherryKayDesigns# who sells Handcrafted Jewelry - OOAK designs and creations which are made by her with love and care. Glass and Lucite beaded necklaces, bracelets, rings and brooches in a spectrum of wonderful colors. In this treasury she features my crocheted and fulled white pumpkin. It comes with three cute little pumpkin pins which I made from polymer clay. This treasury comes with lots of fun fall treasuries so click away and check them all out, it will be fall before you know it!



This next treasury called "Creative Comedy" by http://www.etsy.com/shop/OceansideCastle who sells vintage decor housewares, old glass, wood, metal, pottery, wall art, antique books, rustic salvage, primitive shabby painted eclectic retro kitsch atomic mid century modern collectible farm kitchen garden jewelry fashion advertising memorabilia. In other words, loads of fun things to take a look at and purchase. In this treasury she featured my needle felted fairytale pincushion. This treasury has loads of fun things to look at, I'm sure the stores behind each item will have even more fun and interesting finds so go shopping people!



Next treasury called "Gettin' your ducks in a row" by http://www.etsy.com/shop/CabinLil who sells handmade and vintage items are knit, sewn, crocheted or crafted byCabinLil in Montana, USA. This treasury features my needle felted duck who i still looking for a good home! If you like ducks this is a great treasury to visit and check out each shop listed.



And that's it for today's treasuries I wanted to share with you. I've been putting the finishing touches on a couple needle felted bears I made while I was in Belgium. Hopefully I can take some pictures of them this weekend so I can share them with you and put them in my store. Thanks for visiting my blog everybody, stay cool!

Dream'n of fall

This heatwave is really starting to annoy me so I tried tricking my mind into thinking it's fall! Must say ... it didn't really work but the treasury still turned out alright I think.

Enjoy!

Lavender with a twist of lime ... and a bit of orange

Here comes another treasury for you to check out, freshly made this morning. Enjoy!

Nonteamchallenge 41 Treasury on Etsy and Kittens at my mom's house!

I'm SOOOOOO excited ... the little stray cat we (mostly my kid I must say) kinda adopted while staying at my moms house had a litter of 4 kittens! See, we figured mom needed something to keep her busy after my dad passed away a month ago. My mom cared for my dad 24 hours a day for more then a year while he was sick with lung cancer. I realized once he was gone and my daughter and I left her house she would need something to keep her mind and hands busy and voila! This young cat appeared in her back yard so we decided to start feeding it. I realized after the first week she was expecting since most of her body was pretty lean her belly started to get bigger every day and it wasn't the food she was eating I can tell you that. Anyway, I'm kinda bummed I'm not in Belgium to see and hold the little kittens but I'm so happy the cat had her litter in my mom's basement and not somewhere outside where nobody could get to them. My mom looooooooves to take pictures so I'm anxiously awaiting to get some photos and I will definitely share them with you all.

Now back to business ... I just made this treasury for the nonteamchallenge 41 so here it is. It's based around the bright red lantern which you can find in this shop http://www.etsy.com/shop/WiseApple?ref=seller_info . She was the winner of last week's nonteamchallenge 40. If you want to see and read all about the nonteamchallenge you will need to go to this site http://treasurychallengenonteam.blogspot.com/ . Have fun exploring all these great shops represented in this treasury.

July Treasuries and more Christmas in July Sales!

First up is a treasury named "Joy to the World" featuring my needle felted owl. This treasury was made by http://www.etsy.com/shop/SherryKayDesigns who sells handcrafted jewelry - OOAK designs and creations which are made with love and care. Glass and Lucite beaded necklaces, bracelets, rings and brooches in a spectrum of wonderful colors. She is offering 15% OFF any purchase made until July 31, 2011 so hurry on over and visit her shop. Don't forget to visit all the other shops listed in this treasury and start your Christmas shopping early this year!



Next is a treasury called "I Smell Fall" featuring my crocheted and fulled white pumpkin pincushion. This treasury was made by http://www.etsy.com/shop/StoneSavvyJewelry who sells who makes and sells beautiful jewelry ... a shop where it's summer all year long!
Enjoy a cool 30% off through the end of July in her shop!



Next is a treasury called "Jackie-O Lantern" featuring my needle felted and crocheted pumpkin. The title of this treasury got me cracking up! Pretty smart of the curator AuntieKaren who's an Etsy buyer that doesn't have a shop but makes beautiful treasuries.



I want to thank all of the above curators for including my shop items in these lovely treasuries. It's always a pleasure finding my items amongst so many other beautiful, well crafted pieces. Please visit and comment the treasuries as well as all the shops represented, I'm sure you will find some real treasures! Especially with the sales going on this is a great month to start shopping and saving money in the long run. Thanks everybody for visiting my blog, shops and treasuries we all do appreciate it.

And finally a couple more treasuries I put together this past week. Have fun visiting some great new shops!

Christmas In July Sale in my Bits Of Fiber Shop 40% off everything!

If you need to buy something for a baby, child or young adult this is the time to do it. I'm having a huge sale in my Bits Of Fiber shop starting this evening and it will run through the end of July, but don't wait till then to buy something as it might no longer be available. Most of my items are created using my own patterns and variations of them. I do not like to make the exact same item over and over again, I prefer to keep my creative juices flowing by changing patterns and/or yarns. So head on over to my shop and start your Christmas shopping today, come December you'll be so happy you did.
Here is the link to the sale: http://www.etsyonsale.com/shop/BitsOfFiber

Wow - cool moth! Eacles Imperialis anyone?

So, these last couple of days I've had little friends visiting me just about every time I've gone outside at work to spray paint my advertising boards I make for a living. Yesterday, I almost stepped on a huge moth that was sitting on the sidewalk. I felt bad for it sitting on the hot cement so I moved it. Then today, almost in the exact same spot there it was again ... except it wasn't back, this was the same kind of moth but a different one. I noticed the markings on this one were different from the one I saw yesterday. So, I moved this big fellow as well except I did take some pictures of it and decided to look him up when I got home. At first I thought it was a leaf moth but the correct name for this one is Eacles Imperialis or in plain English, an Imperial Moth. You can read all about it here: http://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/gallery?stage=All&species_view=All&species_type=All&family=All&field_sciname_value=eacles+imperialis&field_comname_value= I'm not sure if this is a male or a female moth. I've submitted my photos and question to that website and I'm awaiting a reply to get my answer. I've always liked looking at moths, especially pretty and/or unusual ones like this one. I do not like having them in the house but that's because I'm worried about them getting into all of my wool items!

Thanks for visiting my site and having a look at a pretty moth. If you want to know more about them click on that site I mentioned above.

Nonteamchallenge 40 treasury on Etsy

Like I said ... I'm back at making treasuries! Here is my entry for this week's challenge. I needed something bright and cheerful today ... I went back to work 2nd day back from my trip to Belgium and it feels like I'm getting a darn cold ... so I figured something bright and colorful was needed to cheer me up. Here is my entry.

Back on track ... making and sharing treasuries!

It's been awhile since I've posted treasuries but as of today I'm back with more lovely treasuries. Some made by me, others made by some very talented Etsy people who not only make treasuries but also run shops just like me and many others. Make sure you not only check out the items listed in the treasuries but also the shops of the Curator (the person who made the treasury). So here we go ...

This first treasury named "An Owl Just arrived with A Letter - Year 1" is based on the Harry Potter theme! My little needle felted owl is featured in it along with lots of other Harry Potter related items by the Curator http://www.etsy.com/shop/MirroredSkyCreations who sells beautiful jewelry and accessories all things wondrous, magickal, fantastical and imaginatif so make sure you check out her shop.



Next is a treasury called "Fruitful BOunty" featuring my knitted eggplant baby hat. The curator of this treasury doesn't have anything for sale but she puts together some beautiful, colorful treasuries just like this one.



This last one is a treasury I put together a couple of days ago. I was drawn by the beautiful colors of blue that day with a hint of some brighter bits through out.

A Chrismissy Pincushion

I made this pincushion from a sweater I fulled in the washing machine. I embroidered it with mercerized cotton and filled it with dried rice (to weigh it down a bit), fiberfill and dried lavender. I just listed it in my Etsy shop http://www.etsy.com/listing/77872896/felted-embroidered-pincushion so go and have a peak of you like to see more pictures. Thanks for looking and feel free to share!

A couple more baby hats

Just listed these two baby hats in my http://www.etsy.com/shop/BitsOfFiber shop. They are both knitted with a soft acrylic yarn so they are easy to take care of and very soft. They make really cute photo props so get them now to get those Holiday pictures done in time to send to the grand parents! Go to my BitsOfFiber shop to see more photos of both of these hats. Thanks for visiting and have a lovely day.

Eggplant baby hat

I've made a couple of new baby hats this past month but haven't had the chance to take pictures of all of them except of this one eggplant baby hat which I'll be listing in my http://www.etsy.com/shop/BitsOfFiber shop later today. The other hats are Christmas tree hats with bobbles but you'll have to wait for those until this darn weather clears up so I can take pictures. I'm back at work now during the day making signs at Wegmans so I can only take photos of my creations when I get home after work and so far it's been raining or has rained which means I can't take pictures. Hopefully I'll be able to take them in the next couple of days so I can list all the new hats as well as the needle felted items I've made.

Violin Player for mom

This is my latest project using http://www.powertex.be/ for a violin playing figurine I made for my mom. I've made only a couple violin players using the Powertex Lead. All the others I've made were done in the natural color powertex. For those of you who are new to my site, I make these type of figurines using the following materials: wire, kitchen foil, painters tape, rope or yarn and recycled items and fabrics I find in second hand stores. If you're interested in purchasing a figurine like this or the ones in my prior posts e-mail me with questions, I'll be more then happy to answer any questions you may have regarding the product, purchasing a figurine or even teaching a workshop on how to make them.

Three tired little dancers and a Christmas Bear

I finally finished these three figurines today. All three of these are sold but if you are interested in one please feel free to e-mail me with questions. I'm working on one more for my mom,that will be a violin player.

I also finished a needle felted polar bear pup, dressed for Christmas. He will be for sale as of next week.

Thanks for visiting.

More things to come

I've been working on all kinds of things these last couple of weeks keeping my mom company. Today I have to start working on 4 figurines that need Powertex. Three tired little girls and one violin player. I will be using the Powertex Lead for all of them. If you are interested in finding out more about Powertex here is the link to it : http://www.powertex.be/ There are so many options on what all you can do with it. Personally I like making art dolls and figurines with it but I have also used it for making jewelry. I'll be adding pictures of the figurines later this week.

I have knitted three baby hats so far. Needle felted two hedgehogs which can be used as pincushions or just for decoration and also a Christmas mouse. I haven't had the chance to take photos of these but will do so in the next couple of days so come back and visit again soon.

Will miss my dad and I will never kill another fly

Four days after my arrival in Belgium I lost my dad who had lung cancer. I will miss him dearly. Dad was always there for me with suggestions and or advise. He loved working in his garden and spend hours working on his stamp collections. If he was going on a trip he would re-draw the street maps! I'm pretty sure he has his map on how to get to heaven! He was a walking GPS. In Belgium they celebrate Fathers day one week earlier compared to the US so I'm happy to say I was able to wish him a happy fathers day when he was alive on the Belgian holiday. Dad and I had some interesting talks about dying these last couple of days. He wondered if he could order a bed but I told him he would have to make do with some really fluffy clouds! We discussed the food, not sure about the menu in Heaven but I reminded him he will get to eat rice pudding with a golden spoon ... He liked that. I told him I want to come back as a cat or a dog he thought about that for a minute then told me he was going to come back as a fly! I asked him what kind and why. His comment was a smaller size one, a very fast flying one that people can't get easily. He never really answered the question why. Needless to say our family is now afraid to kill any pesky fly! Like my brother said "Opa heeft ons weer goed liggen met die vlieg!". I figured I'd share this with you all in case you catch me having a serious conversation with a fly. And before you swat away ask and make sure his name isn't "Staf", the Ceulemans family will thank you for your kindness. I miss you dad.

A Garden treasury

Today my needle felted bird pincushion was featured in another absolutely gorgeous treasury called "Garden Joys" by http://www.etsy.com/shop/TrudyAnnDesigns . In the curator shop you will find handmade jewelry in various styles for everyday wear and that special occasion.

The smartest, cutest treasuries ever!

Wow, that's all I could say when I found myself being part of all these terrific treasuries.

The first one is called "Wonders of Nature" by AuntieKaren an Etsian who I consider to be an artist just by putting together these amazing treasuries. The "Wonders of Nature" treasury is made up of animals, part of real animal photo's and the other part of animals made with all different kinds of mediums so go and have a closer look and figure out for yourself which one is which. Which one is the real thing and which one is the art creature. So much fun and truly shows what an amazing talent there is amongst all these Etsy folks. I almost felt bad describing it this way since I'm honored to say my needle felted baby harp seal is part of this which means a lot to me. So, see for yourself and compare these amazing photo's showing you the real animal and the amazing photo's showing you the animal made with different types of mediums. Have fun!



Next treasury is called "Follow your heart" by http://www.etsy.com/shop/dnicecraft featuring my needle felted pincushion. In the Curator's shop you will find beautiful items made of textiles - made of knitting, spinning and sewing. I love the lace necklaces in her shop.



Next treasury is called "Picnic Love" by http://www.etsy.com/shop/nansmithimages featuring my needle felted mouse with her piece of cheese. This treasury is so cute, love the idea of how it was put together. It is part of the nonteamchallenge 34 in which the heart locket was the inspiration item. In the Curator's shop you will find photography inspired by nature: bold florals, fiery foliage, woodland wonders, intense colors, graphic montages. Available in prints and canvas gallery wraps–perfect wall art for any decor. Also a beautiful selection of note cards.



Next treasury is called "Grow old with me" by http://www.etsy.com/shop/RitsumeiArts featuring my needle felted duckie! This is also part of the nonteamchallenge 34 treasuries. In the Curator's shop you will find photographic art prints of natural items and scenes as well as digital scrappacks. My favorites are the purple and pink floral photo's, truly amazing!



Last but definitely NOT least another amazing treasury named "Things are looking bright for baby" put together by AuntieKaren! This almost makes me want to have another baby (well not really, I'll just enjoy making the baby dresses so AuntieKaren has something to put in these treasuries! hehe) Not only the colors are amazing in this treasury but every item would be on my wish list if I was going to have a baby. Just beautiful to look at.



I hope you enjoy visiting all these shops in these beautiful treasuries as well as the Curator shops. The Curator's are the folks that put these items together (including myself!). Most of the Curator's have their own shops with wonderful things they made and sell. Some of the Curator's don't have a shop but are part of the Etsy world. Feel free to join us even if you don't have anything to sell or don't want to purchase you can still be part of Etsy.

Thanks for visiting my blog and please feel free to comment.

A celebration of colors - Nonteamchallenge 34

Here is my entry for this week's nonteamchallenge 34. At first I had gone a totally different direction with this treasury but changed my mind about half way through it and decided on a much more vibrant one and here is the result. This one was all based upon the heart red steampunk pendant from http://www.etsy.com/listing/55272540/the-heart-red-steampunk-pendant-with-old?ref=tre-4de82acc2a596d915146d8fa-7 shop. This is her shop announcement: "I'm a big fan of the steampunk style, but I'm a bit shy, so I prefer my jewelry to be a little more subtle. Since I couldn't find exactly what I wanted, I thought "Why not make it myself?" Alright, it's not as easy as I thought, I'll admit it, but it's a lot of fun, and I wanted to share my humble creations with everyone. If you have any color requests, or any requests, for that matter, let me know! I'll be happy to work with you! Definitely worth visiting.

There is a mouse in the house ... and an IPad cover - perfect Father's Day gift!

Finished a couple more items today.

The IPad cover I made of a recycled wool sweater which I fulled. The label I actually purchased in Belgium a couple of years ago, I just never found the perfect item to put it on until now. I had made a cover for my own IPad the day before I went to Belgium also from a fulled sweater but I ran out of time to put anything on it and since the sweater I used to make it had actually a fair isle pattern it really didn't need anything extra. This one I made with Father's Day in mind but it would work just as well for anybody. Available in my shop at http://www.etsy.com/listing/75163790/knitted-felted-grey-ipad-and-ipad2-case

The little hat is one of my lunch time projects. At first I was going to use some off white lace on it but then changed my mind and turned it into a cute little mouse. You will find it in my shop: http://www.etsy.com/listing/75164605/knitted-newborn-baby-mouse-hat

Mauves, blues, rain and more ...

Couldn't help myself ... trying to de-stress and move my mind away from my dad who's battling lung cancer, so very frustrating not being able to help him feel better. So, to make myself feel a bit better I try focusing on making beautiful things ... with him still on my mind.

Some more treasuries

Treasuries I've been featured in during these last couple of weeks. Thanks to the wonderful Curator's who take the time to make these beautiful treasuries will all kinds of fun, cool, creative items from our Etsy stores. Here we go ...

This one is called "Mischief in Cozy Hill Hollow" by AuntieKaren (who is patron of the Etsy arts!) featuring my needle felted bunny. I love the color combination in this treasury and all the items listed, just gorgeous. Thanks Auntie Karen! My favorite of the week so far. :0)



Next up is "Clear and Soft" by http://www.etsy.com/shop/FabricFascination featuring my fabric hair clips. This treasury is part of the nonteamchallenge 33 of which we're patiently awaiting to find out the winner for that challenge. In the Curator's shop you will find beautiful fabric. Here is part of the shop announcement for more info please visit the shop. "If you love color, texture, and design, this is the place! I believe a good deal is a good deal for both parties. To this end, I try to keep my prices fair, and shipping costs low. FREE U.S. Shipping on orders of $45 or more*. EARN POINTS ~ for every dollar you spend (excluding shipping) you earn a point. For every 100 points, you receive a $10 off gift card which you can use toward anything in my shop the next time you order. FREE PATTERN SHEET included with orders over $20.00."



Next is the treasury called "Tweet ... Tweet" which is also part of the nonteamchallenge 33. I must say another favorite of mine, just gorgeous all these beautiful birds in this one. Great job on putting this treasury together by http://www.etsy.com/shop/nansmithimages and featuring my little needle felted birdie. In the Curator's shop you will find photography inspired by nature: bold florals, fiery foliage, woodland wonders, intense colors, graphic montages. Available in prints and canvas gallery wraps–perfect wall art for any decor. Also note cards. Beautiful stuff so make sure you visit this shop.



Next is "Hammie Heaven" by http://www.etsy.com/shop/platypusmonger featuring my Critter Onion! In the curator shop you will find cuddly fleece tunnels, hammocks, cozy sacks and more can all be made to custom specifications. Here is the rest of the shop announcement: "I love to make matched sets to coordinate your cavy domain! If you have another critter whose home needs some artistic love, don't worry, I make these toys in all sizes, not just for guinea pigs. Thanks for looking and please convo me with any questions or requests." If you like cute critters and want to spoil them a bit this is the place to visit!



Next is "Spring Green" by http://www.etsy.com/shop/robinleeshaw featuring my needle felted bunny again! Seems to be a favorite this week. This is another gorgeous treasury, looooooving it! In the Curator's shop you will find afghans, lapghans, shawls, scarves and accessories for your comfort, style and warmth. Handmade. Variety of styles and colors. Adding something new on a regular basis.



Next is "Pinks and Creams yummy sherbet colors" by http://www.etsy.com/shop/AllUsedUp featuring my crocheted baby shoes. Here is part of the Curator shop announcement: "Old fabrics made new- Crocheted Jewelry, cuffs, Tailor-made Vintage Clothing, Denim bags, crocheted totes,Free Gift Wrapping and FREE SHIPPING- Fashioned out of denims, bamboo yarns, vintage fabrics, silks, leathers & velvets & linens." For more info make sure you visit the shop! Lots of cool goodies so go visit.



Last one for today ... "Cheerful Whimsy" by http://www.etsy.com/shop/UberVintageThreads featuring my knitted baby hat. Here is the Curator's shop announcement: "Welcome to my shop! Thanks for stopping by to take a gander at my vintage and one-of-a-kind up-cycled goodies. I hope you find something that tickles your fancy. Please feel free to convo me with any questions you might have....I'm happy to help. I love my customers!" Make sure you visit.

Pucker up! Time for a citrus treasury.

Since it's been so hot I figured this might be appropriate. More treasuries to show later today but for now here is one I made this morning ... just trying to stay cool in this heat.

Nonteamchallenge 33 Treasury by me

Yes, another treasury for the nonteamchallenge. Here it is!

The white pumpkin that finally felted!

Ahhhhh, silly white pumpkin that is! This is the pumpkin I mentioned in my prior post, the one that didn't felt. While I went ahead and wet felted it by hand I contemplated why it didn't felt in the washing machine like I have done many times in the past. I figured out it just stayed on top of the water due to the fact I had filled it with fiber fill before felting it. In the past I've always felted them before I filled them so there was never an issue. So problem solved I did it by hand and it ended up felting beautifully. I want to also thank Robin who commented on my prior post suggesting to stick it in a mesh washer bag with some marbles in it which would definitely prevent it from floating to the top! Thanks for that Robin, I will have to try that with my next felting project.

So here it is, it's up for grabs in my shop with more pictures to look at so go and have a peek.
Thanks for visiting my blog!