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Happy Thanksgiving everyone!
We're having a lovely meal at our church that is an incredible pot-luck for all those who don't have family nearby and aren't traveling. We're really looking forward to it.
Stay tuned...I'm also cooking up something really special for Black Friday - Cyber Monday! More soon...but possibly some giftlets!
(by the way...this is a sweet little stack of tartlet tins that I found at a thrift store tied up nicely...it makes a nice little display for the holidays)
I finally got the guts to put a bunch of nails in one of my walls (I don't know why I was so worried...I mean, I learned how to fill holes in an art museum for heaven's sake!). It was a combination of needing to get something up on one of our few finished walls and needing a place to safely store some of my "for your Wall" pieces. So, here it is, combination specimen wall and storage:
I've been having a heck of a time getting any light to photograph lately; gray Oregon days...but you get the idea.
I used some baker's twine to lower a couple pieces and I love how it looks...rather festive. You could use all kinds of materials to hang pieces like this. What's great about tying a few on is that if you want to change anything out or don't like your composition, you can adjust the height accordingly.
Here's another view:
Happy Wednesday!
So, I'm considering greatly lessening the amount of needle felted items in my shop. The issue is that my wrist can't take the repetitive motion of it anymore. Maybe it's because I felt until the pieces are firm rather than when they are a shape, but whatever the case, my wrist can't take it.
What will "go" first are the made-to-order items and then I'll just keep it to a few basics and just add them in when I really feel like making them. The Moss for your Wall pieces are less straining, so I'll keep them up.
As far as good news, I have lots of plans on the horizon and this may just be the kick in the pants I need to get some fine art going!
A couple of handmade books have caught my eye recently.
1. Egg Carton Book v3 by erinzam:
2. ALL THE COPPER PENNIES IN MY POCKET. 002. by kateblack:
I love art books that are visually simple (surprise) and clever. These make the cut!
I've added a few new pieces to the shop....
It's made with the new(er) fabric I'm using...Kona Cotton. As is the next piece:
I'm very much smitten with this second piece's visual simplicity!
The angle of the sun really makes it challenging to take photos right now, so does the continual gray sky. These pictures actually were taken at the same time - go figure!
Next are two (V2) pieces on the "old" fabric (I like this fabric as well as the new fabric, it's just different)....
I love how I can push the lichen over the boundary of the hoops on these pieces; I did the same on the next piece:
Lichen for your Wall (V2) 4 (3 inch)
All for now! I'm trying to catch up on some Moss for your Wall next!
If you've noticed the lack of posts this last week, we've been sick with a stomach bug - yuck.
However, I have something new to share...the Peace Doily Painting!
Appropriate all year, yet perfect during the holidays, this special doily painting spells out the word "Peace." The painting is pale blue with white hand-painted lettering and is 9x9 inches on maple plywood (purchased from a builders' surplus store - yay!) with the edges left unpainted; the back has a wire for hanging.
Available in my shop.
I've gathered a few sites that, well might make you feel a bit like a Peeping Tom. However, these sites are very powerful in their very personal, intimate, yet anonymous content.
First, is PostSecret. It's a blog that's been around for quite some time, however I'm surprised to often find people that have never heard of it.
"PostSecret is an ongoing community art project where people mail in their secrets anonymously on one side of a postcard."
Many postcards from the site are extremely personal (in an important yet uncomfortable way) and I think I'll just re-post a rather sweet one from the blog:
Next, is Missed Connections. Here's a quote from the blog:
"Messages in bottles, smoke signals, letters written in the sand; the modern equivalents are the funny, sad, beautiful, hopeful, hopeless, poetic posts on Missed Connections websites. Every day hundreds of strangers reach out to other strangers on the strength of a glance, a smile or a blue hat. Their messages have the lifespan of a butterfly. I'm trying to pin a few of them down."
And, an example:
The reproduction print is available in Sophie Blackall's Etsy shop (as well as originals if you're lucky to snag one).
Lastly, is from Ginger Anyhow with Embroidered Text Messages. I love this!
These sites offer some content to contrast against my (and maybe your) purely decorative (and I love decorative as well) blog-surfing.
I feel a little thank you must be given this morning. First to HAREandDRUM, whose lovely treasury made the front page of Etsy with yours truly included:
And to Dionne, who got a screen shot for me and let me know! Thank you so much to you both, the exposure resulted in some busy-ness in my shop!
If it weren't for Rikkianne and Jessica, I wouldn't have spotted myself on Etsy Finds this weekend. Thanks so much gals, you're the best! I love my little Etsy community...we give each other virtual high fives.
Well, here it is...part of the Decor Edition (you can see more of the home that inspired the post here - just lovely):
scroll...
And, thanks again Etsy!