YOE Frogs

The August YOE theme was frogs. My partner Gin sent this froggy package to me. Nature Girl quickly scoffed up the puzzle and hung the appliqued froggy hand towel in the bathroom. The fabric has been set aside to wash/dry for a future project and my frog prince ornament, complete with a crown and royal cape, is hanging on my YOE tree. Thank you Gin!

I sent Gin this package. It included some gummy frog candy, a fat quarter in a frog print, a frog stapler, a frog prince ornament and a frog pincushion with magnets so it could sit on a sewing can. I had a blast making the pincushion. I am just loving pincushions these days!

Happy Mail!

Yesterday I arrived home to find three packages waiting for me. One was an Amazon order, one was YOE flower fairy swap mail and the third package contained this beautiful bag. Sew Mama Sew hosted a giveaway day at the end of May. I happened to see it listed as I was reading one of my favorite blogs and went to check it out. It's amazing to see the talent and generosity that is out there in the blogosphere. I stayed up way to late perusing blogs and entering some of the giveaways. I was super tired the next day, but guess what. . . it paid of. I won this amazing bag! There were many amazing things in the give away but this bag was one of my favorites and now it's mine, all mine, I tell you! Yipee!

As if the bag wasn't enough, which is totally is, Stephanie sent along rainbow fat quarters too. I can't wait to get them washed and start planning what I'm going to create with them. If you get a chance pop by Stephanie's blog and take a look at the new bag she's giving away. Thank you Stephanie! I love my new bag! By the way Stephanie has an ETSY shop with more bags like mine for sale. Go check it out.

May's YOE theme was flower fairies. I was partnered with Val from Yarnigras! Val and I have been blogger friends for years so it was lots of fun to be paired up. Val always sends amazing packages! She certainly spoiled us once again. Val sent two flower fairy ornaments, flower hair clips, post it's(every teacher loves these,) items for my fairy house that I still need to build, a bookmark, book, and goodies for Nature Girl including paper dolls, candy and a pencil with erasers that Nature Girl uses as a wand.

My favorite ornament is this flower fairy house. Val crocheted the flowers and leaves then attached them to a little painted bird house. It's so unique! Thanks Val, I love my package! You can check out the package I sent to Val and other flower fairy packages here. June's YOE theme is ladybugs.

April YOE - Bird's Nests

April's YOE theme was bird's nests. When I read the theme announcement, I knew right away what I wanted to make. This month I signed up to swap and was partnered with the fabulous Melinda C. Melinda is super talented and creative!

This is the marvelous package Melinda sent to me. The bird's nest is on a clothes pin so it can clip to the tree. She also sent these amazing tags she made and this bird pendant. Not only did she create these amazing goodies but she did it all while moving into a new house this month and having to search through packed boxes for craft supplies! Thank you Melinda for the extra effort!! I love my goodies!!!

Here are the bird's nest goodies I sent to Melinda. As you can see I couldn't resist making another felted wool bird but I made a nest for it this time. I love this little guy. Remember my birds in a tree doodle? I used it to create some greeting cards for Melinda and found these cute bird salt and pepper shakers. As I mentioned before, Melinda just moved so I thought they'd be a good housewarming gift. I made a wire birds nest that could be a pendent or a key chain but my absolute favorite is the green tree ornament I made.

I few months ago I was looking around ETSY and found a valentine tree pendent. I fell in love with it. When I heard the theme I knew that I was going to try making one. So I gathered up some brass wire and a brass ring I had, then set to work. I just love how it turned out. I made it specifically for Melinda but loved it so much that I was a little sad to think of sending it off. Over spring break I remedied this problem. I made myself a wire tree ornament.

I wanted an ornament that felt like spring. Cherry blossoms came to mind immediately. Many years ago my husband and I lived on a street lined with cherry trees. I loved driving down the street in the spring looking at all of the beautiful cherry trees in bloom. So my tree ornament is a cherry blossom tree. I love it!

Wondering about YOE? You can check here to see the items everyone else has been making at YOE. Here's a little YOE little preview. May's theme is flower fairies. I've already started thinking and searching for some inspiration. I have an idea to try in a new media. Let's see if I can pull it off.

March YOE

Hedgehogs! The March YOE theme was hedgehogs. I was excited because I think hedgehogs are among the cutest of forest creatures. The task was to create a hedgehog ornament for your YOE tree. Check! The challenge for March was to create a hedgehog pin cushion. Check again! So here they are.

I made the ornament from felt and hand stitched his quills one night a few weeks ago while my husband and I watched Red starring Bruce Willis. I thought he turned out rather sweetly but wanted to try more of a 3-D hedgehog for my pin cushion so I stuck with the same basic shape but added additional pieces to the back and nose to get more of a rounded look.

My hedgie pincushion is made from recycled, felted wool sweaters, black beads and a black pompom. I had a hard time sticking pins in him. As a matter of fact I heard him cry out in pain but hedgies are used to spines and pokey quills so he got over it quickly.

I have greatly enjoyed making hedgehogs this month and have several other ideas I'd like to try. I also have the makings for another wool hedgie pincushion cut out and ready to stitch up when I get some time to do it. I think I might need to add the hand stitched quills on the second hedgie pincushion.
I have to say I am LOVING the YOE swap! It's been so much fun to stretch my creativity. Even better I've gotten to keep the last few things I've made. Imagine that, I hardly ever make and keep something for myself! Now that the hedgies are done and March is drawing to a close, guess what the theme for April is. . . . bird nests. I have a perfect idea to try and am anxiously awaiting some time to get started. I also feel a few felted wool birds coming on. I went to a bag sale a local thrift store this weekend and got a garbage bag full of wool sweaters and jackets. Tweet, tweet!
I'll try to catch up later this week on some belated posts like the Chicken Loving Mama's apron swap, more pictures from Hawaii and some Nature Girl at her sweetest(yes, she's always sweet!)

I'm participating in the Year of Enchantment this year. February's theme was to create a gnome home. The challenge was to create it using a media you don't usually use.

Well we're half way into March and I finally finished my gnome home! I was vacationing at the end of February instead of finishing my ornament. Plus I wanted a 3D gnome home where the roof could come off to revel a gnome inside. That's a bit of a challenge when you have to hang the house from a tree branch so the roof can't be totally detached. I ruminated on the best way to achieve a roof that would retract but would still hang like an ornament. I essentially made it up as I went so it's a good thing this one is for me. There are too many things that make it a bit wonky to send it to anyone but that's okay because wonky or not I like! It took me a little while to finish it but I'm happy with how it turned out. It's made with recycled felted wool and embroidery thread. Now I just need a gnome for inside my little home.

I doodled this picture awhile back and planned to make a little 3D gnome to go inside but I haven't done it yet. Instead I stitched my picture to create another ornament for my YOE tree. My intention was the meet the challenge of using a different media by painting on the fabric to create the gnome. I've been in love with the painted dolls and creations over at Cart Before the Horse for years. Jo and her husband Dylan are super talented! If you haven't visited their site you have to check it out! I've been wanting to try this media for a few years but haven't mustered up the courage. Hopefully I'll give it a shot in the next few weeks. In the meantime I'm moving onto the next YOE theme. . .hedgehogs! I can't wait to make a hedgie!

YOE January Ornaments

I joined Val's Year of Enchantment(YOE) ornament swap this year. They had so much fun last year so I've been super excited to participate in it this year! I sent off my first YOE package earlier this week to my partner Gin. Here are the ornaments I sent.

The two snow birds are painted on a sand dollar and the other two ornaments are sewn from recycled bits of felted wool. You can see other YOE participants ornaments here. Below was my first attempt at a YOE ornament. It was added to my unfinished pile as a misfit, though I think I'll will finish it up for myself.

Have you ever had an idea that looked better in your mind? This happens to me all the time!!! That's what happened with my snowman snowflake ornament. This was my original sketch and my first attempt at sewing it. Nature Girl thought it looked like a snowman with lots of hair and she didn't like the scarf as it didn't match my drawing. My husband agreed with her on the hair so it was back to the drawing board or in this case the bag with the recycled wool bits for a second try. I think the version I sent Gin was closer but still not quite what I had originally envisioned. This misfit one is destined to hang on my YOE tree I think, though I may need to have a second tree for all of the misfits I create this year! Either way it was fun trying to create it. Now I'm working on the February YOE ornament, it's a gnome home theme. Since it's a craft along in February so I get to keep what I create. Let's hope my gnome home ornament turns out closer to the idea in my head!

** On another note did you notice the blog background change? Nature Girl picked out this frog recycling background. She thought it was very clever to have the recycle symbol as the leaves in the tree. It seems appropriate for a little Nature Girl!