Muslin & whiskers...

Love... love.. love~

Hope your New Year is filled with LOVE!

I'm not speedy in my crafting... each piece stitched by hand~

My sister shared one of her sewing machines so that I could make larger pieces.

I tried.

I tried a 2nd time.

I tried again.

I tried with a happy heart.

I returned her machine and smiled all the way home.

Grrrrrrr....

EVEN MORE respect for all who enjoy their sewing machines!

Tippy is fine with hand-stitching!

Adoring eyes... thankful for the warm lap~

(I'm just as thankful!)

Tippy and I wish you a creative, happy, healthy and JOY-filled New Year!

Needle felted sheep...

This furry love made his way home for Christmas~

He is living in Nevada with one of my dearest friends!

Wanted to share bits of how I felted him~

I gathered wool from three New York State farmers...

It was a joy to meet them & to visit the sheep in their pastures!

It is fun to hold larger needle felted pieces... 

If I knew how to do this as a young teen my bedroom would have

quickly become over-run with wool animals!

First layer of curls...

Little color to face & ears...

Portrait with his long curls on~

Still making a few Christmas gifts for family celebrations later this month...

I invested in a few reverse/inverted barb needles.

When I work on a project with them I will share photographs!

Hope you're days are filled with wonderful~

Pen & ink originals sharing their hearts...

I just LOVE the Christmas Season~

Yes... folks are in a hurry and traffic is crazy at times...

We do our best to hibernate!

To cozy in and spend time catching up with each other...

To touch base and reflect on memories, stories and experiences...

New friends and different paths!

Watch favorite movies that make us laugh--- again and again.

Watching movies together that require a box of tissues...

Time to remind each other~ just how much they are loved!

Little moments in nature...

Hope you are enjoying quiet moments with those you love~

Wishing you a joy-filled season!

Merry Christmas, Friends!

Wishing you every joy~

A happy heart~

A blessed season!

Merry Christmas, Sweet Friends!

Punch needle snowman day 2

How different he looks with a background!

I think I am going to make a round wool pillow for him...

Needle felt a related scene, pattern... texture?

Some snowflakes?

I'll share when I get to the next step...

Must find the Christmas stockings and clean up my little nest of threads!

Wishing you a day filled with JOY~

Punch Needle Snowman...

Hope each of you are enjoying this beautiful season!

Has been a very busy November/December~

Enjoying music programs... high school performances and concerts!

Senior year~ how quickly the year is passing by.

This little elf needed to start making her Christmas gifts in January!

(giggle... that never happens)

This is my first attempt at punch needle! I have such respect for artists

who use thread to paint their treasures. The hours and hours put into works!

I put the hoop on & started my snow friend with a quick pencil sketch.

Such fun to bring my little friends to life in watercolor, pen & ink,

needle felted wool, paper mache, clay... carved wood... etc.

I have wanted to try punch needle & rug hooking for years!

SO GLAD I finally built up the courage to try~

LOVE the look!

It is always fun to make treasures that can be 'touched!'

A few more sections to finish on the scarf...

Then I need to decide on background colors!

Such decisions :)

Time to make a batch of cookies & some Chex Mix!

Hope your Christmas Season is filled with JOY and LOVE~

Original watercolors to celebrate all of this snow!

This little bashful elephant would like to share a little sprig of mistletoe~

Little owl has his wings on his hips declaring, "I'm king of the mountain!"

On the most blustery days... brilliant red Cardinals show up at the feeders

appearing like a bright tail light!

Sweet, vintage tones on this meadow friend...

Meadow visits...

I think this little Cardinal is going to try for king of the mountain!

Look out, little owl!

Do hope you are safe and warm, Sweet Friends!

Cardinals winter snack...

Baby it's cold outside~

Keeping the feeders full for our feathered friends!

This friendly pair are 'December' in one of my calendars~

Do hope all are well and safe through these wintry storms!

Wishing you a day that is filled with wonderful~

Festive teddy bears...

Sweet December~

Hope your Holiday Season is off to a beautiful start!

Vintage Baby Dresses...

Teddy bears love to model for me...

Peek-a-boo!

It was perfect on her!

But...

It is available in my Etsy Shop with the other vintage dresses~

Vintage dresses are becoming more and more difficult to find...

I think Alaina & I discovered some of these when we were visiting family

in Arizona last May!

Little ribbons of detail...

Getting ready for the Christmas tree!

Hope your weekend is filled with wonderful memories & love~

Snowman Art~

The Thanksgiving storm brought us a blanket of white...

Heavy, wet snow that brought down many limbs~

PERFECT snow for making meadow friends!

I stayed indoors until the storm passed...

With shovel in hand I tried to shovel the slush-snow~

Not a lot of energy to build a real snowman after all that lifting!

So I took the easy way out~

With ink & fabric~

I filled my studio with snow-friends!

...or in the warm studio!

Just added these little friends & more to my Etsy shop.

The sweetest of Winter dreams~

Hope your days are filled with wonder!

Happy Thanksgiving~

Wishing your hearts every joy!

Christmas watercolor originals...

They begin as sketches in my journals~

I may have drawn them onto fabric in black ink...

A completely different little character when color is added!

When the light is good & my eyes are 'feeling good' I love to paint.

(Glazing color/texture to my stocking...)

Once the base color is dry I like to layer 'glaze' additional colors for texture...

Here I am softening the texture & edge so my stocking doesn't appear flat.

Adding a few deeper tones will push the edges back & fluff up this mouse nest!

Hope you are staying safe in this winter storm!

Wishing you a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday~