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I've been going through old papers to weed out what to keep and what not to keep. Here's a couple of stamps I found on an envelope...way too cute to toss:
Now, what to do with them. Any ideas? Maybe they would be perfect just to pin on the wall the way they are (next to some lovely green moss, of course).
I added several items to the shop the last couple of days, most of which is moss. However, first here's some lichen:
Special Limited Edition Lichen for your Wall 6 (6 inch)
Like the others in this series (there will be 10 in the shop), this piece is made with a vintage embroidery hoop, 100% linen fabric, cashmere embroidery floss, and gold mica powder (for subtle sparkle).
Moss for your Wall 14 (3 inch)
Moss for your Wall 15 (4 inch)
Moss for your Wall 16 (5 inch)
As I have mentioned, my wrist isn't holding up to needle felting well. So, I'm not sure when I will have a new pincushion in the shop. If you're in the market for one, snatch it up now!
Happy Thursday!
I have made an attempt at a new terrarium. Hopefully, this time it will work (okay, I have had one great success). I think that the trick is that when I get the moss or lichen all in there, the soil is a bit wet and things grow fur or fuzz after some time. So, I now get it all planted and then wait to see how much condensation builds. Then open the top to let some evaporate if there seems to be too much. This goes on for several days until it seems to equalize. Anyway, we'll see if this works this time. I also am not sure if all will go well since I got the moss because it was all over some logs that we were going to burn in the woodstove and I couldn't bear for it to be wasted...so I pulled it off.
I took these shots when I planted the terrarium and it still looks fine. If you are a bit experienced at terrarium planting, please let me know what the deal is with the fur/fuzz. Is it because it's too wet and fungus grows? Will it eventually equalize and I don't have to scratch the whole thing? Was just because the items I planted had this already and it was just the right environment for it to "explode"? I'd love to know!
I'll try to get some more shots of this little guy soon, assuming that all will be well....Fingers crossed!
I was just thinking about seed catalogs, so I thought I'd share some that I know of...it's a great time to think about ordering seeds!
Wood Prairie Farm - A family of organic farmers from Maine...they seem to specialize in potatoes!
Peaceful Valley Farm and Garden Supply - Organic and located in California. There are a few catalogs to choose from on the site.
Native Seeds / SEARCH (Southwestern Endangered Aridland Resource Clearing House) - "Ancient Seeds for Modern Needs...Native Seeds/SEARCH conserves, distributes and documents the adapted and diverse varieties of agricultural seeds, their wild relatives and the role these seeds play in cultures of the American Southwest and northwest Mexico. We promote the use of these ancient crops and their wild relatives by gathering, safeguarding, and distributing their seeds to farming and gardening communities. We also work to preserve knowledge about their uses."
Seed Savers Exchange - An incredible resource for heirlooms and rare plants! It's also a non-profit and member supported. If you're in Iowa, you can visit the farm. This organization is all about continuing our gardening heritage.
Seeds of Change - Certified organic...a source for native, heirloom, and hard-to-find plants. I also noticed that the site promotes permaculture (something I'm very interested in).
If you have any more links to interesting seed catalogs/companies, please let me know! I'm looking specifically for organic companies that promote care for the soil...and therefore, the planet.
Happy Tuesday!
I just found the Etsy shop beauchamping. The artist makes prints that are xylene transfers and the pieces have the unique quality of a transfer, which I really love (very much like the ones I did for Halloween). Although I promote non-toxic, or at least low-toxic printmaking (xylene is pretty nasty, I prefer non-toxic transfer methods), these are impeccable and the subject matter is lovely.
For example, how could you not love this piece:
Or this playful piece:
Oh, and what makes these pieces all the more wonderful is the stories behind them. How about the one for FOOD:
"When i was 10 i had a parakeet named angel. At night, i would take a flashlight and make shadow puppets on the wall next to her cage...a bird, a giraffe, the head of a dog. The apparitions would always try to interact with her and soon she would chirp in the direction of the shadow as if she was talking to my hands. These days, as the sun sets outside the city, i wonder if all the creatures get together and make sentences out of shadows for us to happen upon."
Lastly, if you'd like something a bit more understated for your child's room (or, heck, for yourself), how about this version of the alphabet:
On a different subject....I apologize if you happened to open any of the links to the last post. I was hoping that they would be about other interesting ways of folding paper for letters, and was surprised by the (ahem) adult nature when I opened one up. I have never had any problems with spam on this blog, so it was a bit of a shock. Anyway, I suppose I may have to approve comments in the future if this happens again.
I hope you had a lovely weekend!
Design*Sponge had a quick post about valentines that Hello Handmade is making this year inspired by Jane Austen. It mentioned that these valentines are folded in the regency style. So, if you read my featured seller interview, you know that I love Jane Austen and if you've read my blog, you'll know that I used to do some calligraphy....So, I had to learn a bit more.
Here's the Hello Handmade valentines, and you can see the folding used (Aren't they stunning?).
So, I started searching the web for more info on folding letters in the regency style. I found a step-by-step info/tutorial entitled Regency Letter Writing from The Jane Austen Centre. The reason for the letter to be folded this way was so that the paper in which the letter was written, could also be the envelope, as this saved money on postage (the recipient payed for the delivery). It was also common for letters to be written in one direction and then continued over the top of the script already written at a 90 degree angle (also to save on postage).
(via Jane Austen's World)
I also found a blog named Jane Austen's World (what can be more lovely than that?). There is a post entitled Letter Writing in Jane Austen's Time that is full of wonderful information. The post is just a taste at the info which can be found on the blog...I can't wait to spend some time with it! Also, note that Emma begins January 24th (Masterpiece Classic on PBS)...eeeeeeeeeeeeem!
If you have any more interesting info about different forms of letter folding, please comment and give some sources; I love history and research!
I updated the shop today with three Moss for your Wall pieces. I got down to one moss item (the original version) in the shop....Yikes, I need to get working!
Here they are:
Moss for your Wall 11 (5 inch)
Moss for your Wall 12 (4 inch)
Moss for your Wall 13 (3 inch)
All three pieces are made with the unbleached muslin that I tea-stained. I'm still making work with the gray fabric, this is just another option. Again, I love that the fabric blends seamlessly with the hoop!
On the note of Haiti (who isn't thinking about Haiti right now, and rightfully so)...my church did a special offering this last Sunday. I thought I'd mention this because maybe it's something that you can bring up to your religious congregation or any other group in which you belong. I feel blessed to be part of a group that collectively has a HUGE heart!
It's been gray here so much lately, it is Oregon after all. So, here's some pops of red to cheer me (and maybe you) up:
So many wonderful things here...oh, how I love that squirrel purse!
I mentioned I was camera shy....These are the pictures I would have chosen to use...
I love the composition of these images, but they don't exactly scream that they're me. I suppose it's okay to get out-voted now and again. The first was taken by my friend Tracy, the second by my father. Thanks guys.
I've listed a few new brooches this last week (please forgive my absence, I've been running around doing other stuff...like being a mom), one of which got snapped up before I could share it.
Here they are, a few new lichen brooches:
They both use some of the new "lichen" colors! Ooh, and the first one (the tan one) is filled with re-purposed stuffing!
I hope your weekend is treating you well, more soon!