Feltin' Fridays

I made some of these animals last spring but then sort of lost interest:(    Since then I have sold several elephants and squirrels so I got back into making them and added the raccoon and skunk that I hadn't made before the 'lost interest' event:)  Then it just flowed into why not add acorns and trees and that is how I ended up in the backyard playing with them on a rock (it helped that it was sunny and warm).

A friendly little forest gathering.

I added these to my Etsy shop after I finished playing with them.

WATCH OUT! A giant Owl.

Normally I don't think black bears worry about owls being dangerous but this guy is very large.

                     Happy Felting:)

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Pineapple Afghan

I lost this book once and had to reorder it. It's getting pretty tattered.

I love the Early American pineapple symbol for hospitality. So imagine my excitement when I found out I could actually crochet this pineapple pattern.  Up until ten years ago I was mainly a Granny Square kind of person.  This will be my sixth pineapple afghan. I made one for my Mom, myself and three of my daughters. I have used three different patterns in this book by Anne Halliday(Leisure Arts). This one I hope to have finished in time to take to our daughter Rachel and family in Papua New Guinea next September.  I know you probably are wondering why anyone living in the tropics would want an afghan but I watched them all run for their sweatshirts whenever a windy rain storm came along so I know they will cuddle up together under an afghan:)

I chose yellow for Rachie because we called her our little Sunshine when
she was a little girl.  Don't count my double crochets because you may find my
mistakes. I try to always go back and redo. Ugh.

I haven't gotten very far since I mainly work on it when traveling. I am going to 

have to get serious about pineapple crocheting real soon.

Feltin' Fridays

Just sharing some of the projects I have been working on now that I am home for awhile. 

A special order for a special repeat buyer:)

Not yet finished or felted. I'm not even sure where I am going with this - two bowls or one and a set of coasters?
However, I love the color - seafoam blue.

I love this little owl. I have another made and waiting for his balloon to be finished.

I made a little trinket box like this for my daughter Sarah and liked it so much I made another. The little
clay bird has a felted wool nest.

So glad that I can stay (creative) busy while we wait for the next chance to look for a new home.


Happy felting and talk again soon:)

Saying goodbye to my Grandmother

These last few years,

Every trip to Bakersfield, 

Every time I kissed her and said goodbye,

I knew could be our last...

My heart is full of wonderful memories of our time together.

With Love

Two fun heart pictures that I have collected this year just to share with you today!

Take delight in the Lord, and He will give you the desires of your heart!

Psalm 37:4

Happy Valentines Day!

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There and Back in Time for Nemo

I am back home in time for Snow Storm Nemo. I'm glad because I would hate that Kate was here alone. Three weeks ago my Mom suddenly got sick and was admitted to the hospital. I went to California and stayed with her for two weeks. It was a scary time but I am so thankful that she is recovering as quickly as she is from it.

We are so proud of Kate...and isn't that lab coat cute on her?

  

Kate stayed home to finish her course at the Institute of Skin Science here in Rye. She should be taking her certification test at the end of February. I sure enjoyed all the facials and back (hot rocks) treatments I received while she was at school:)

On top of being gone for two weeks, we are moving our STUFF  next week into storage as the first step to moving  down south, Georgia maybe? Our free move from John's job expires at the end of this month so if we are going to use it we have to do it now. Probably the only way to get us moving anyway. It is really hard for me to focus very long on anything but my Etsy shop.

Here are a few of our 'Nemo' pictures-

The snow wasn't this high-it was just stuck to our window that high.

Kate making shoveling snow in her Daddy's snow boots look glamorous.

Back screen door.

This was a first-the snow came into our sun room porch and covered my
seashell collection.

Happy shoveling and talk soon...

Little Paint Pots

Well no paint was involved but these little bowls remind me of watercolor paint.  I'm not sure where the urge to crochet all these colorful little bowls came from but I think I will blame the dreary skies we have had the last week or so.

Before felting...

These were the first three that I made and they inspired me to keep going.
I am enjoying picking out color combinations. My yarn supply has been getting a little
overwhelming but this had the opposite effect. I bought more yarn the other day
because I thought they would make a cute set of bowls.  Ugggh!

Felted and in my Etsy shop.

Pleasant Surprise!

This Christmas Season at Scarlet Cord Designs was a pleasant surprise! I thoroughly enjoyed all the packing and shipping, the trips almost every day to the post office, communicating with buyers interested in custom orders AND I didn't mind making all those acorns:)

These glittery acorns have kept me busy. I was starting to think I would run out
of my supply of acorn caps.

So in November when I went down south for Thanksgiving, I enlisted the help
of two very enthusiastic acorn hunters:)
(sweet grandkids)

Of course they thought I needed some extra goodies like twigs, pretty stones and
leaves.

And all it cost me for all those beautiful treasures were two Ring Pops.

Some of the special orders---

I love custom orders. They are challenging and so creative!
Isn't this cute-Antler headband on a Polar Bear.

This llama with his custom blanket went to London.

This is what I finished yesterday-I had to redo the nest. It just got too small.

Looking forward to what this New Year will bring!

                Talk soon,

Merry Christmas

Ornaments on our tree share a wonderful story:

"And she gave birth to her first born, a son. She wrapped him
in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no room
for them in the inn."

"There were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping
watch over their flocks at night."

"An angel of the Lord appeared to them"... and said "Do not be afraid.
I bring you good news of great joy for all the people."

"Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you;
He is Christ the Lord."

"Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel,
praising God and saying, Glory to God in the highest,
and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests."

May you receive the peace and joy that God has so graciously given to us!
Merry Christmas

Hope

It is hard to believe that my last post was for Thanksgiving. The time has flown by and then came the tragedy at Newtown that leaves me speechless. Yesterday I walked outside and saw this amazing complete rainbow and knew I needed to share it. A reminder that God is here and offers us

His love and hope.

Happy Thanksgiving

Bakersfield, California

Twice a year I head to Bakersfield to visit my Mom and Grandmother. This year had the added bonus of getting to spend time with my daughter Martha. She finished her year with Caravan Ministry in Mexico and is now in Bakersfield for a year of internship with a church that is going to help support her in the mission field. So my week was full of wonderful visiting plus Mom and I love to antique when we are together and Bakersfield has some fun shops.

 I also had the urge to try my hand at photography and get a few shots of special places in Bakersfield. The arched Bakersfield sign is kind of nostalgic because even though it has been moved to be near the Buck Owens Crystal Palace it was originally part of the hotel where John and I had our wedding reception (looong ago).

I am so glad that efforts are made to keep and renovate some of the older buildings and landmarks.

Now here is an important landmark--Woolworth's Drug Store turned into two floors of fun Antiques. It is like walking through a museum.

I can't believe how perfect this turned out.

  I absolutely love that they kept the lunch counter. Mom remembers eating here when it was a drug store. Fun to come and get a good hamburger:)

Mom and Matha in front of Mill Creek Antiques.

 Okay, now this was fun. I met Chris Parker, a kindred Etsian at the Mill Creek Antique Mall where she has a booth. We had a great visit talking Etsy while I admired her tarnished silver pieces. While not everyone sees tarnish on silver as a good thing, we both share a love for all that beautiful patina:)

You can see some of her goodies at her new Etsy shop Horseshoes and Chandeliers.

I couldn't resist these sugar and creamer sets. Don't ask me what I'm going to do with them,
they were just too cute.

The first few years that John was in the Air Force we received many packages of Dewars candysent to us from the First Baptist Church of Bakersfield. Yum!!!

 We decided ice cream would make the best lunch.

Martha loves to pose for a picture as well as her mother and grandmother:)

Thanks for being a part of my trip to Bakersfield -Talk again soon.