Have a Safe, Happy and Healthy New Year!

Blizzard December 09

Ahhhhhhhh, I love all this snow we're getting. Looks like I'm finally going to get my white Christmas, it might not be snowing on Christmas Eve or Day but at least there will be enough snow on the ground to still make it a white Christmas! yeahhhhh!

I finally got my pictures downloaded of my snowflake felted scarves I've been making so I figure today would be the perfect day to post them together with a picture of our dog, River who loves the snow just as much as I do.

One more pair added to my Etsy shop

I looooooove the color of these booties I made. Chef's secret for getting that pretty color ... food coloring my kid and I experimented with. As you can see ... it worked!

More baby stuff for my Etsy shop!

I needle felted the polka dots with sheep's fleece on polar fleece to make this set. You can purchase them separate or as a set.

More baby shoes for my Etsy shop

Another pair of the burgundy/dark red ones in a bigger size with a felt rosebud. And, a gorgeous pair of coral color itty bitty size for newborn up to 3 month old.

Baby raccoon hat, Cute baby shoes and a santa ornament

I'll be adding lots of new things in my online shop PurplePlatypus on Etsy so go and have a look if you're interested in purchasing anything.

Today, Sunday December 13th

To those of you who wanted to come and visit me at the market today ... I'm sorry to say I won't be there. If you need to get in contact with me regarding a purchase please contact me via e-mail.

FEEL FELT FELT: Food for the soul - marking the start of the Christmas Season

FEEL FELT FELT: Food for the soul - marking the start of the Christmas Season
I wish I could visit this exhibition in person. UNBELIEVABLE gorgeous felted items. So check it out.

Christmas market Sunday Dec 13th

Well, as far as I know the Christmas market will be happening this Sunday, December 13th. If this changes I will put it here on my blog to let you know.

Update for tomorrow's Christmas Market in The Plains

Per Becky, our market manager, who went to take a look at the barns this afternoon and all looks good for having the market tomorrow. They cleared the roads and our parking lots, we'll have big heaters running in the barn so come and visit us they'll be lots of wonderful Christmas gifts to pick from. I'm bringing new nuno felted scarfs, really cute ornaments and some other unique things to choose from. Hope to see you at the barns tomorrow.

Update for Christmas Market this Sunday, Dec. 6th

The snow has been falling in The Plains since 7:15 a.m. this morning! Preparations are being made to keep the barn open, and the show on schedule for tomorrow. However, with Mother Nature, you never know what to expect! At 6:00 a.m. tomorrow morning, the market manager will head to the barns and verify if the lots and roads are clear and passable. If she find at that time that we need to cancel plans, I will post an update later that morning to let you all know if the market will be open for this Sunday December 6th.

Come and Visit us - Christmas on the Farm!

Archwood Green Barns
1st two Sundays in December
December 6th & 13th
10 a.m. - 4 p.m. both days
(Snow Date - December 20th)
Intersection of I-66 (exit 31) & Rt. 245
The Plains, Virginia

Local farmers, crafters and artisans will be offering a wide selection of locally grown and hand-crafted products at the Ninth Annual Archwood Green Barns "Christmas on the Farm" show and sale. The Barns will be open from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. for the first two Sundays in December. As usual, we will have a snow date in place, December 20th, in case of inclement weather. Many of your favorite, weekly vendors will be with us, as well as several new vendors with exciting gift ideas for the Christmas season. We will be offering fresh-cut, premium Fraser Firs on both Sundays, as well as wreaths and roping for all your holiday decorating. Hot drinks, cold desserts, chili, barbecue and much more will be available for lunch, as well as many samples of the products for sale in the barn. For the second year in a row, we will have 2 barns full of vendors to help you find the perfect gift for everyone on your holiday list. A live nativity, a petting farm and much more are in the works. Additional events are being planned, and more vendors are making arrangements, so please call for further details.

"Visit with Santa"
12 noon - 2 p.m. on both Sundays
Tired of the rush at the mall? Kids too tired to wait in line for a few moments with Santa? Avoid the confusion and spend quality time with the family while you visit with the jolly old elf! Bring your camera for all your holiday pictures. Take a family portrait in front of the evergreen trees, pose with the Alpacas from Hidden Views Farm, or capture the magic of secrets whispered to Santa. The perfect picture awaits you at the Barns.

Join us and share the Holiday Spirit with the following farms and businesses:

Bits of Fiber
Warrenton, Virginia

Elegant and fun are two great ways to describe the work of Chantal. A new vendor this season, she brings lovely hand-felted items in a wonderful variety of colors and textures. Scarves, hats, jewelry and much more are here for the choosing. And rest assured, a gift from Chantal is an unique work of art that you will treasure for many years to come!

Hidden Views Farm
Nokesville, Virginia
Looking for the perfect gift for the holidays? Homemade alpaca garments, yarn, hand-carded fiber and felted alpaca treasures made from Hidden Views Farm Alpacas will warm the heart of anyone on your holiday list! Come meet the alpacas that provide these luxurious items - weather permitting. Hidden Views Farm will also be providing baked goods using the farm's fresh eggs, including homemade egg noodles, variety of pies and Christmas cookies. Pick up an ultra warm alpaca garment for the holidays, and be sure to pick up a hot, homemade lunch before you leave! Please visit www.hvfarmalpacas.com for more information about the farm.

The Orchid Station
Barboursville, Virginia
This family-owned and operated business supplies all your orchid needs, including blooming orchid plants, ceramic pots and planting medium. Bring in your holiday gift list and take home the perfect gift for family, friends and co-workers. This is one gift that will be appreciated for many years to come!

Grandma Honey's Pantry
Midland, Virginia
A brief description of this farm's products would be totally unrealistic! Evergreen wreaths, swags and roping with beautiful florist bows will be available to decorate your home. Fresh milk, home-made butter, free-range eggs, goat cheese and fall vegetables are just the beginning. Home canned veggies like Grandmother used to make, sweet jellies, fudge and candy, and baked goods will be available as singles or put together in beautiful gift boxes. Cookie boxes filled with various festive Christmas treats will also be available for the first time. Come browse the selection and pick out a delicious gift sure to please even the hardest to buy for person on your list. Find everything you need to make your families Christmas wishes come true! Special orders are always welcome!

Tasty Fixin's
Spotsylvania, Virginia
Come in and try canned foods with a kick! Hot pepper jellies, pickled watermelon rinds, garlic jelly and wine jellies are just a small sampling of the culinary delights that await you at Tasty Fixin's! Beautiful poinsettias, fresh herbs, Norfolk Pines, Christmas decorations and more will also be available.

Midtrees Farm
Bealton, Virginia
Order your favorite cut of beef for a warm winter's dinner. What could be better than a savory beef stew to take the chill out of a long night? Maybe a tender pot roast with carrots and potatoes. Or pick up steaks for New Year's Eve, whatever your pleasure! And if you're looking for large orders, call ahead!

Dromore Designs & Celtic Rootes
Charlottesville, Virginia
A wide variety of exotic items await you on the McGregor's tables. Hand-made jewelry, crafted from semi-precious and native stones will be available. Most of the stones are cut and polished by hand, and many are native stones of Virginia. If jewelry isn't your thing, peruse the hand made knives by Malcolm. The handles are made from exotic woods that are high density and resistant to water. Most of the woods are from the Everglades, but you will also find woods from Brazil, and Ebony from Africa. The blades are high carbon steel from antique tools and swords. Everything offered is a unique art form, as well as utilitarian and functional.

LynnVale Studios
Gainesville, Virginia
A local, cut-flower grower will be returning this year with wonderful decorations for the holiday season. Andrea will be supplying you with hand-made, locally grown, artisan wreaths and swags for all your holiday decorating. Pick up potted Paper-whites and Amaryllis for a living centerpiece. Beautiful bows adorn the wreaths and can be made to order for your perfect holiday decoration. Visit www.LynnVale.com for more information, and to preview her wonderful products.

JBM Creations
Upperville, Virginia
Too busy to make your holiday gifts this year? Come visit with someone who isn't! Brenda will amaze you with hand-painted ornaments, beautiful arrangements, wreaths and more. Come shopping for the family, and be sure to pick up the perfect arrangement for your own holiday decorating.

The CheeseCake Garden
Dumfries, Virginia
Gourmet assorted cheesecakes will be available to tempt your sweet-tooth. Sweets of all kinds will be available for take home, or special order that perfect combination for your holiday entertaining. Chocolate dipped confections will tease your palette, or take home a tray of candies, cookies or brownies! Gift baskets are available, so come find a "dessert for every occasion."

Creations by Marlene
Lancaster, Virginia
The perfect gift for the lovely ladies on your list will be found with Marlene. Beautiful, hand-made bags of every size and pattern will be available to choose from! Colorful hand bags, snazzy shoulder bags, and more will be available. And if you have the perfect gift in mind, dress it up in a beautiful purse that is sure to please all!

Usbourne Books
Haymarket, Virginia
Give the gift of reading this year, it will last a lifetime! Usborne Books are the leading children's educational publisher in the United States. >From fairy tales to modern science, Usborne Books engages all ages and all types of learners. To see all 1300 award-winning titles, Internet-linked reference books, games and interactive kits please visit www.UsborneEducates.com . Usborne Books are the books kids love to read!

Salsa Las Glorias
The Plains, Virginia
Enjoy the home-made, authentic Mexican food lovingly prepared by Lilly. You can't beat a hot lunch of chile rellenos, fried beans, tamales or salsa. Take home a bag of fresh chips with tasty salsa for your dinner party, and tres leches for dessert. Your taste buds will thank you!

Gypsy Hill
Vienna, Virginia
Expecting a houseful this holiday? What better way to satisfy everyone than with a host of appetizers sure to please the pickiest partier! Come find everything you need for your party, from cooking spices to quick holiday appetizers. Sample the varieties, and take home a taste treat for your friends and family.

Made by Mel
Gainesville, Virginia
Mel is hard at work creating wonderful gifts for the entire family. Hand-beaded jewelry is just the beginning at this table. Earrings, necklaces and bracelets are displayed with pride along side of ID holders and fanciful bookmarks. There is a treasure for everyone when you get something made by Mel!

Angela King
Fairfax, Virginia
Who has time to shop for the perfect dressing for table and shelf? Stop searching and find the perfect pattern to decorate your home. Table runners, basket liners, potholders and more will make your home feel festive as you prepare for holiday entertaining. Come look for yourself, and find a special gift for others as you browse. Come by for a long look, and go home with a treasure you will love for holiday seasons to come!

K's Corner Crafts
Warrenton, Virginia
Kathryn and Pauline will be bringing their best to help satisfy your Christmas List this holiday season. Browse the ornaments, scarves and more to see what catches your eye as the perfect gift for mom or aunt, but be sure to pick up something for yourself while you're there! Many wonderful things will be available to choose from!

Karri's Addictions
Triangle, Virginia
Yummy! That's the only word to describe the bounty available in this stall. Savory cheesecakes make a perfect appetizer. Turtle cheesecakes, white chocolate Macadamia nut cheesecake, and many other delicious items will be offered both by the slice, and as beautiful desserts fit to grace any holiday table. Sample the first weekend, and put your order in for the second!

Bit O' Nothin'
Barboursville, Virginia
Re-decorating your home? Come pick out the perfect painting to grace the walls of your home. Lucy will be bringing out her best work to help bring the country into your home. And if you've spent too much time working on the home, take a break and take a walk! Start with one of the many walking sticks that are hand-carved and waiting to inspire the athlete in us all.

Maggie's Pottery (December 6)
North Garden, Virginia
Returning for the first time this year, Maggie will be available for only one day this holiday season! Be sure to come and shop for the best way to display all of the wonderful treats you will be picking up to eat. Platters, bowls, condiment trays and more will be hand-craft, painted and glazed to help each holiday hostess serve their guests in style. Be prepared to be told how wonderful your table looks when you have Maggie's Pottery on display!

Herban Avenues (December 13)
Lovettsville, Virginia
In the crazy rush of the season, take some time to pamper yourself with a stop at this family business. While everyone is shopping for friends and family, take a little time to sample the herbal products available in this stall! Find the perfect soaps and lotions to soften your skin, lip balms for cold weather, and herbal teas to soothe the mind. You'll be glad you came by!

The Glass Turtle (December 6)
North Garden, Virginia
Dressing up for a holiday party? Find the perfect accessories designed by Debra. Necklaces, earrings, bracelets and more will dazzle the eye and please the pickiest person on your list. Glittering colors and patterns will help complete every outfit. One day will not be enough to decide which pieces will be perfect for you!

Magic Mike's BBQ
Fredericksburg, Virginia
Don't bother to pack lunch! Find the perfect hot meal with Mike. Slow-cooked beef brisket and perfect pulled pork make wonderful sandwiches. Salt potatoes and coleslaw round off the meal and leave you wanting more. Eat in, take home, or buy in bulk to serve later! You just can't miss when you eat with Mike!

Agnes Very Very
Verona, Virginia
Hot and steamy, bagels can't be beat for a quick snack or a light lunch! Agnes Very Very produced Organic Bake'mmmmm bagels with a patented process that allows you to bake them fresh, golden, crisp bagels anytime, in minutes! Come find out all the details, and enjoy the product of their labor!

C. Hess Orchard
Martinsburg, West Virginia
No holiday would be complete with fresh baked pies and tasty vegetables. Find all that you need at this farm's table. Apples and pears are hard to beat for holiday desserts. Squash and potatoes are the center of every holiday table. Get them fresh and tasty and feel your creative cooking juices start to flow!

More vendors are being added daily, so be sure to put us on the calendar! Come the first Sunday to see what we have, and bring your friends back the second to show off where you've gotten your wonderful holiday gifts. We hope to see you at the barns!

Another scarf

a little scarf, just enough to tie it or wrap it around your neck once. Love these blue colors they remind me of a beautiful beach somewhere. Will be listing it on Etsy in the coming week and it will be up for grabs at the Xmas market.

More Christmas stuff for the Christmas Market and Etsy Shop!

The pixie/Christmassy hat I knitted with an acrylic yarn so it can be tossed in the washing machine and the dryer.

The little owl I needle felted with sheep's fleece and Alpaca fleece. They are both in my Etsy Shop so check it out if you like to see more pictures of the hat and the Owl.

I'm bummed ... yesterday I cut one of my fingers at work with the exacto knife. It's pretty deep and hurts when I bump into things. We wrapped it up pretty good and used a butterfly tape on it so I didn't need to get stitches. It's so darn inconvenient especially since I'm trying to make all these things for the coming markets. At least it's on my left hand, it could have been worse if it had been my right one. I can still knit ... although a heck of a lot slower then normal and the fuzz of the yarn gets stuck on the tape! I can felt, halelujah! Only thing I totally can not do right now is crochet, maybe in a couple of days when I can put a regular bandage on it I can manage. Anyway, typing is alright except when I have to type certain letters since it's my pointing finger that's got the booboo. Alright enough feeling sorry for myself ... my finger is starting to hurt so I'll stop for now.

Christmas is coming soon!

So I had to get into the Merry Spirit and knitted a Child Christmas Tree Beanie! Then I decided it was time to try needle felting some little penguins, like 4 inches tall I mean by that. He looks awfully fuzzy in the pictures, he doesn't really look that fuzzy in real live I must say ... or maybe I need to get a pair of glasses to take a better look? I just put him in my Etsy store, as well as the Christmas Tree Beanie.

Busy, busy, busy ...

Ahhhhhh, my head is just buzzing with tons of ideas for new creations. I really really really need 100 hours in a day, but ... I can only work on 3 things at a time. I usually have my sitting down project going, which is either knitting or crocheting for TV and join the family time. While I'm making dinner I'm usually back and forth from the kitchen to my studio (which is just around the corner from the kitchen, really convenient) where I have sewing, needle felting, embroidery things going on. Then down to the basement for longer periods of time for wet felting. Some of the smaller wet felting projects I do on my kitchen counter. Anyway, I only have 28 days to get ready for our two Christmas markets in December. I need to felt a bunch of scarfs, some purses, knit and crochet a couple more hats and I made the mistake of starting to needle felt some snowman and various animal ornaments. I must say they are so darn cute I want to keep some for myself! I wasn't too sure how they were going to turn out, but they did turn out oh so pretty if I say so myself! Wade and Sofie both love them, and trust me if something doesn't look right or isn't something to get excited about, they are the first ones to let me know! When I was at Michaels the other day I found some tin cans to match the ornaments, perfect for putting them in and keeping them safe and selling them at the markets in December. Anyway, buy some special one of kind hand made presents this year! Come and visit our Christmas Market at the Archwood Green Barn in The Plains. Hope to see you there!

The pictures are of a beanie I made when I lived in Alice Springs. It's about my journey from Belgium, to the USA to Australia. I used merino sheep and camel fleece to make it. I made a special hat box to keep it in so I can pass it on to Sofie. I told myself to felt at least one hat for the Christmas market. I love making hats like that and by that I mean the shape (cloche like) and big soft bows and flowers.

Lovely fall!

Yes, fall has arrived, it's definitely cooling off. I realize how much I've missed having the four seasons when we lived in Australia. Fall in Virginia is a gorgeous time of the year. I can't wait to pull out all my warm fuzzy sweaters and jackets. Today, when I went outside to spray paint at my day job as the sign shop artist for the Wegmans store in Gainesville I realized, yep fall is definitely here ... I can't forget to bring my gloves tomorrow. We have to go outside to spray paint the boards we use to make our signs for the store since some of them are 4 by 8 feet it's impossible to do it inside. I don't mind doing it outside, it gives me a break from being indoors, only thing I don't like about it is that my hands get numb having to push the button of the spray can when the temperatures are down. Last year when I started this job I figured a way to keep my hands from freezing and my fingers from getting numb. I bought a cheap pair of wool gloves and over them I put a pair of latex gloves on ... that way I don't get the paint all over the wool gloves and it keeps my hands extra toasty! Come to think of it ... now that I'm typing this I better go and grab them out of the cabinet and stick them in my bag to take them to work tomorrow.

Pink Beauty and 2 Little Pumpkins

Been busy felting and knitting. I try to make at least 1 scarf, a pair of booties and a beanie. Not always that easy but hey sometimes I can even sneak in a pair of earrings, a pincushion or some other new items. Here a sneak peak of what I made this week. Taking them to the barn tomorrow, if they don't sell tomorrow they will be in my Etsy shop so come and visit my PurplePlatypus shop on Etsy and have a look!

Bonnets, spinning and some sassy booties

I've been making some bonnets lately, a bear one (which I sold on Etsy yesterday! Yeahhhh! Thank you to my customer.) and then I made this pink one but of course .... I had to change the pattern around ... turned out bigger ears and a ruffled edging compared to the bear one I had made. So now I don't think it looks like a bear, more like a cat I would say. Anyway, it still looks cute which is the important part. Hopefully somebody else thinks that way and will buy it.

My spinning adventure hasn't gotten much further then trying it out at the meeting the other day. I just haven't had the time to sit down, relax and try to spin some yarn. But ... I've promised myself during the coming winter months I will manage to spin some yarn, for now I just keep thinking about it, the doing part will have to wait a bit.

So how about those sassy baby booties! I again managed to change a pattern which means they turned out totally different looking then what the original pattern looked like. Good thing I remembered to write down what I changed on the pattern since I had to make a matching pair I figured I better do so.

I also finished felting another scarf. A pink one with some wild alpaca handspun yarns (not by me! ... yet!). I need to work on it some more before I take some pictures of it.

And ... I promised Sofie we'd start painting her room. I showed her how to patch up all the holes in the walls from where her posters used to be so she went to work earlier this evening and patched them up. We're waiting for it to dry so tomorrow I will show her how to sand it all down. She's already taped off the doors and windows in her reading nook which will be the first part that gets painted. She changed her colors from the original wanting to have Twilight colors (black and red!!!! Vampire style! Yikes!!!!!) to a totally different color scheme now purple, mint green and white .... sooooooo much prettier I must say.

Time to start felting some more so off I go.

Scarfs and more Felt Scarfs

Ok, I finally got some of my scarfs on Etsy. Everybody keeps asking me why I've never put any of my scarfs on Etsy so I finally did it. I think it's mostly because my Etsy shop is just ... well sitting there ... haven't sold but 1 thing that way. I have to keep adding things and taking them off a week later due to the fact I sold that item at the barn! But, I figured heck ... I'll give it a try since my scarfs are a bit more pricier then all the other stuff I make and sell (except for my figurines which I haven't had the chance to make more of lately), we'll see what happens having them in my Etsy shop. I guess I just need to get into gear and start advertising my Etsy shop especially with the barn closing down during the winter months I'll have more time to figure out how to get myself noticed more to the on-line world. Only problem is that everytime I find myself on-line I keep thinking of how much time goes into that and how much more felt I could create if I wasn't sitting in front of this darn computer!

Ready for a new adventure

Yep, I'm finally going to do it! I'm going to learn how to spin! Might not be a very exciting thing for a lot of folks but for me it's a big deal. Ever since I was little (6 to be precise!) I wanted to learn how to spin my own yarn. Mostly because I was never happy with the plain old yarn anybody and everybody could purchase at the local yarn shops. So, it's only taking me half a century to finally being able to learn to spin yarn. While living in Alice Springs I had the opportunity to purchase an Ashford traditional wheel for a very good price. Since it included 2 huge bags of fleece (and I mean garbage size bags!) I couldn't go wrong buying it, heck I could always felt with all that fleece. I did use about 1/4 of the fleece for felting and left the rest of it behind at Central Craft when I moved back to the US. I even purchased the maintenance kit for the wheel, I figured I would need it if and when I learned how to use the darn thing. So time when by and I even went as far as putting my name on the waiting list for the next "learning how to spin" session at Central Craft. But ... it didn't happen. Either the class was cancelled and/or I had something else planned so my poor wheel sat there collecting dust.

But, tomorrow is the big day. Our neighbor came and asked me if I wanted to join her tomorrow at the Fiber Art Guild get together here in Warrenton. A couple of weeks ago we had a garage sale, that's when Jean (our neighbor) came by and we started to chat about arts and crafts and I'll be darn, I found out she's a spinner, besides a whole bunch of other things she's really good at. And the best thing is .... she has the exact same wheel as I do so it should be pretty easy for me to follow along as she will be teaching me how to spin. Heck, I already have tons of fleece (the kind I use for felting) and other fiber I can later incorporate into making some wacky yarns. Hopefully I won't get too bored having to learn to spin some good old fashion yarn before I can get into spinning up some crazy yarns. The kind with all kinds of things sticking out. See, once I get the spinning my own yarn down I can move on to yet another thing I've always wanted to learn how to do ... dyeing my own yarn. I've already experimented with dyeing my fleece in the microwave using food coloring as well as the kool aid powder but I want to get into using plants to do it. Of course my husband is afraid my next request will be having to move back into the country so I can finally have my own angora goats and rabbits, besides an Alpaca, a llama and some sheep. He really wouldn't mind since that's just a great excuse then for him to be able to get his manly tractor, snow plow (that's if we end up staying in Virginia of course) and we might just have to get another Australian Sheppard or Border Collie to keep that herd under control. And oh yes, how could I forget .... Sofie could finally have her horse .... a Curly hair horse of all things! Wonder why .... well in case you don't know, that's the only kind of horse hair that you can felt with!

Cleaning out my closets!

Well I must say "thank you!" to all my customers from the market. Business is rolling along. Only problem with that is ... I have to make more stuff! Trust me, I really don't consider that a problem, I don't mind having to make more stuff, the only issue I face is finding the time to make them. Having a day job (32 hour work week outside of the house) and trying to run your own business is not the easiest thing to do. The most difficult part being coordinating getting all the rest of my to-do list done. So, these past 2 weeks I've been digging through my boxes of things I've made this past year or so and either wasn't happy with them or didn't completely finish it yet. I've re-vamped some of them such as the little bag in the picture. You will never believe what it started out as, I must say I like the way it's turned out now compared to what it was before. My 13 yr old begged me not to tell what it started out as ... I will say ... it was 1 of 2 pieces! Can you guess?

Anyway, the little wallet was a bit dull looking so I ended up embroidering it, looks much livelier now. I also finally made up the market bag from the material I've been hauling to and from the Sunday Market where I've been needle felting for weeks filling up the flower designs of a fake suede black fabric. It turned out really pretty, don't have a picture of it yet. Will try to take a picture on Monday to post it.

I've also been busy felting some lovely smelling soaps.

As you can see more new stuff for my stall at the barn so come and check it out. If you live to far away check my Etsy shop in the next couple of days where I will be posting these new items.

Whimsical Blue Bird and Funky Beanies

So what do you think? I managed to make a whimsical little bird, well he's actually not that little I guess. You have to understand I've always had a hard time making silly and funky things. For some darn reason my stuff always ends up looking more elegant versus fun and/or silly. I've been trying to figure out why that is ... and I really can't explain it. I guess as an artist we all have our own way of making things look a certain way, which ends up being our very own, I guess, signature look? I never gave it much thought until I started making beanies for the beanie festival in Alice Springs. My kid and husband both kept telling me to make something more crazy, outrageous, etc. Well I tried, I tried for 3 yrs but each time I ended up with something just not crazy enough, again my hats turned out looking elegant ... except maybe for this last one I made. I had basically given up on trying something crazy until I started digging into my bags of yarn and found a bag full of metallic yarns my mother-in-law had given me. I just picked a yarn and started crochetting, not trying to think of what the end result would look like. So I kept on going thinking what else I could use to make it more silly, I remembered a huge bag of emu feathers my husband had purchased for me (thanks honey!) he figured some day I would find some use for them ... so I did. As you can see in the photo I used lots of emu feathers on that thing hoping to make it look more silly ... not sure if that really added to make it a more fun/funny beanie but I tried my darnedest.

Happy Birthday Sofie and Mina!

A brand new day is dawning
And as it gets its start,
I want you know I am thinking
Of you with warmth in my heart.

I hope your birthday is special
No one deserves it more than you!
You are such a kindhearted person,
It shows in everything that you do.

So, have a perfect morning
And an even lovelier day...
May happiness surround you
Always.... not just for today!

Tomorrow is August 19th, 13 yrs ago I was more then ready to become a mom at that time. So, I did I had a baby girl and named her Sofie. I had to come up with a name easy to say in English as well as in Flemish so Sofie seemed to be the choice. My due date was suppose to be the end of August but Sofie decided it was time to enter the world 2 weeks before that. One of my best friends, named Mina, her birthday is tomorrow as well so it's real special day for me. We both couldn't believe it when I went into labor on her birthday. I haven't heard from Mina in a couple of months so I hope all is well. She lives in California while I'm all the way in Virginia. Her family lives in India so she might be back in India visiting them. Mina, wherever you are I hope you are having a wonderful birthday. Sofie and I will be thinking of you. Happy Birthday!

Getting ready for Christmas!

I made these cute soft baby shoes out of a piece of felt I had made a while back. The little rose buds I made using a bit of red felt and the organza ribbon makes them festive you think? They can always change the color of the ribbon if they get tired of the dark red one. I sold them at the market today but if anybody is interested convo me and I'll be happy to make a similar pair.

Fleece Camel Hat

I felted this hat while living in Alice Springs Australia and entered it into the Beanie Festival. It didn't win any prizes but somebody bought it and is hopefully very happy with it. I made it out of sheep's fleece and camel fleece which I got at the Alice Springs Camel Farm. I really loved that hat and wish I had brought back some of that camel fleece. I do miss Alice ...

Back in Town

Goodness, time flies when you're having fun! Off we went to Belgium to visit my family for 2 weeks and here we are back in Virginia. We had a great time with my family and friends and always wish we had more time together. But just like a lot of you, I have a day job that only allows me to be gone a certain amount of time. I must say I love my day job, being able to paint, draw and design signs for Wegmans is the most rewarding and fun job I've ever had. I took a big cutback in pay from working admin jobs for almost 30 yrs but I must say this is a lot more rewarding then any of my prior jobs. My time at work now flies by, I even forget to take lunch, which never ever happened when I worked as an admin assistant. Working a 32 hour week outside of the house doesn't give me much time to create the arts and crafts for the other job I love, my Bits of Fiber business so, I put off dusting the furniture and cleaning the windows, there will always be tomorrow or next week to get that job taken care off ...

I took these photos when visiting Parc Paradisio in Belgium with my best friend Erna, her daughters Noemie and Kiona and my own kid Sofie. If you ever visit Belgium and you're looking for things to do check it out, it's a wonderful place to go.

Small Alpaca Felt Bucket Bag

I purchased a couple bags of Alpaca fleece from one of the vendors at the Archwood Green Barn. The fleece wasn't good enough to spin they told me but I could felt with it ... so I did. I ended up making this cute little bucket bag with the gray fleece. I felted 5 smooth blue pebbles into the felt by covering them up with a piece of chiffon-type fabric to hold them in place. I made the fleece layers extra thick since the staple of the fleece was so short to make sure no thin spots occurred. I usually carry Mary Poppins style bags, not the little guys like this one but I must say I do like the way it turned out. I have plenty of fleece to make a bigger version of it for myself! If you like to purchase it I suggest you go to my Etsy store or e-mail me with questions.

Summer Breeze Felt Beads Necklace

I managed to make a fabric bead! I had seen them on Etsy so I tried a couple of techniques to get them to look right and hold together and voila ... I did it. This one I made using a lime-green organza fabric so it's a bit shiny. I then made a bunch of felted pebbles to go with it. I strung them all on a hemp-like cord with some smaller glass and wooden beads and put a magnetic clasp on it. It's in my etsy shop if you're interested in purchasing it. I'm making another one in blues and purple but I might keep that one for myself.

Cute as a button ... well lady bug that is ...

My latest pair of soft fleece baby shoes made with the softest polar fleece. I needle felted the dots with 100% pure black alpaca fleece. I found the perfect ribbon at Joanne's covered with you got it ... lady bugs. They are for sale in my etsy shop so go and have a peek if you want to get a better look at them since I have more pictures listed on that site.

Little Ballerina

Another favorite figurine, my Little Ballerina. My Violin Girl arrived in Belgium last week and has found a great spot on a mantel. She seems to be a big hit which I'm glad about. Kinda crazy, I realized ... the material she's made out of called Powertex comes from Belgium. It was shipped to Maryland here in the US, so here I am making figurines with it in Virginia which I ship back to Belgium to a customer! What a crazy world it is these days. Talking about Belgium ... I will be going for a visit to see my family in July. It's been 4 yrs since I've been home so it's about time. My parents haven't seen my kid in 5 yrs, which didn't seem that long ago but looking at pictures she certainly has changed alot in the last 5 yrs I'm sure my parents will be in for a shock when they see her. Back to my Little Ballerina .... I will be making one to take back to Belgium, hopefully she will find a good home there. I'll take pictures when she's finished.