Hurricane Sandy in Rye and a Special Visit.

Our daughter (#3) and her husband Steve came for a visit and ended up stranded here for an extra 

two days because of Hurricane Sandy. We were so fortunate to not have any damage or loose our

electricity. We had a wonderful cozy time together.  Really praying for those who are still suffering

in New York and New Jersey.

A few hours before Sandy

Liz and I taking pictures.

We went acorn and pine cone hunting the
day after the storm

It was still a little drizzly.

Success!

Just enthralled with the beauty,

the subtle colors,

and textures!

Last night together until Thanksgiving.

Tomorrow is my one little craft fair for this year. I really liked doing this fair at a local library last year.

It maybe because it was my first fair ever or I just enjoyed the people who came to support their library. Anyway I am looking forward to it even though Kate will be at school and John's working so this time

I am on my own:(

Sold:)

So in June I took some of my birds and owls to a beautiful handcraft gift store on Market St. in downtown Portsmouth.  I was beginning to think that I needed to bring them home because I hadn't heard anything and I was being a coward about checking on them:(  A wonderful and encouraging surprise (a check) was in the mailbox on Saturday. I sold two owls and one bird in July and August. It makes me happy because now I feel like making more.

I love the glass buttons that I used for this owl's eyes. I have looked all over
looking for anything close to these and haven't found any. I have one more set that
I will keep for myself.

I overdyed the herringbone in red food coloring.

What is Needle Felting?

While I would love to have this post be about my wonderful trip to see my kids and grandkids - it's not!

What kind of grandma goes and visits and can't get any decent pictures!!

My excuse...my camera is on its last legs and I didn't take it with me and my husband's little camera only took pictures that a (grand)mother could love.

So instead this is a post on needle felting because while in Georgia I got to meet the mom of a friend of Hannah's (I know this is going to get confusing. Please hang in here with me:) who wanted to talk about my Etsy experience. I will share more about Cynthia when she opens her Etsy shop. I want to be one of her first sales. Sorry, now I am really off track.  ANYWAY, one of her questions was 

'What is needle felting?'

So here are a few pictures to explain a little about needle felting but this is definitely not a tutorial.

You start with some wonderful loose wool (love the stuff!!!) and a very
sharp barbed needle and a pad to work on. You really can't see the barbs on the
sides of the needle but you can feel them with your fingers.

 You take some of the wool and start stabbing it with the needle.
The barbs will tangle the wool fibers making the wool denser or felted.
The more you stab the denser it will get.  

You add more wool to sculpt a shape. This is where my teaching abilities fail me.
It is still a little bit of a miracle to me to think that I can make something out of wool
that actually resembles a little goose or an elephant.

In my Etsy shop.

My workspace!

Cheesy picture of me needle felting. Even though this is staged
I am normally surrounded by a lot of wool and projects
that I am working on or are inspiration for the next project.

 I buy most of my supplies online. I have noticed that the craft stores are starting to sell 

needles and some wool if you want to give it a try. 

There are many tutorials online and the applications are endless.

 I've found that needle felting is very theraputic although my husband has accused me of using it as way to take out my frustrations. I think he is afraid of the whole voodoo doll thing:)

So... Happy Felting!

Talk again soon,

A Busy Week

After a very quiet summer my Etsy shop became very busy. I sold several things

and had several new orders, mainly acorns.  

   I'm just finishing these little elephants and they are joining the little aqua bunny in Sweden.

They need to be shipped before I leave on my trip to see the kids down south:)

Peace

I am praying for a bit of God's peace today. 

I'm making plans to travel later this week and I always get myself into a little 

turmoil at the thought of leaving home.  Once I get there I will be fine:)

Duplication?

These little block animals are really the most detailed needle felting sculptures that I have done so far and I wasn't sure if I could make another one close to the original. So here is the duplicate bunny and elephant. They are close enough but still different enough to be unique. Since I took that picture both bunnies have sold. The pink went to Calif. and the blue one to Sweden. Time to work on another and see what this bunny will look like.

Sorry about the quality of these pictures-they were taken on my couch which is where
I do most of my needle felting but the lighting is awful.

Playing with Blocks

So my latest little felting adventure now includes children's blocks. I don't know why but I just had this urge to do something with little wooden blocks so I ran into Goodwill and actually found a bag of blocks for $1.99. So here is  Sailor Ducky and  Teddy Bear wearing a red bow tie. Painting the blocks was the hardest. I didn't want them to look perfectly painted but it was hard to get the right shabby look. My first blocks have many coats of paint but hopefully it will be easier now that I know what doesn't work.

I will post pictures of little Elephant and Bunny later.

                                      

Birthday Crowns on their Way to Papua New Guinea

I have finished two more birthday crowns(#'s 3 & 4) to send to PNG hopefully to make it in time for our granddaughter Grace's birthday. Bri's birthday is in November so at least I know it will be there for her. It is always this long process for me to pack a box to go to my PNG  family. I either don't have everything that I want to go into the box or it all won't fit in the box and I have to pick and choose what stays until next time. And then there is the trip to the post office with custom forms and oh my the cost to ship a box over there and it takes six weeks!!!  I just wish I could mail myself there and be with them when they open their box:)

Little Birds for Bri

And Grace gets Butterflies

I still have to add birthday bags for Grace and her Daddy.
Little toys, some kid's books, magazine for Rachel because she says the smell of a new magazine
reminds her of  home:), popcicle holders, cookie cutters, Brandon's and Grace's BD presents,
vitamins and cold meds and of course candy.

I guess I should explain that my daughter Rachel (#2 child) lives with her husband Brandon and their three children on a small volcanic island off of the coast of Papua New Guinea where they are missionaries with New Tribes Missions.  (Click here to see my other posting about them)

Happy Independence Day

Thanking God today for my home and my country. God is truly gracious and merciful.

Best wishes from my home to yours.

My prayer:

If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and forgive their sin and heal their land. 

2 Chronicles 7:14

After the Rain

One of my favorite things to do in the summer is sit on the front porch especially in the morning with a cup of coffee. The other morning John and I were sitting together and I could not take my eyes off of our Japanese Maple. It had rained during the night and the rain drops were just hanging off the little tree. It was beautiful.

I wish I could describe with words
or even take a picture that could show
the beauty of those drops.