There are so many super fun projects in the book. We'll be sharing a few of them (and holding some felt giveaways!) over on the Lark Crafts blog later this month and in early October. In the meantime, here are a few of my projects from the book:
These bad boys below were actually what I was looking for.... mugs and mugs and mugs. (Looove the deer!)
For what, you say? You should really know me better by now (this is, after all, post numero 101!!!)... when an obsession takes hold, it really takes hold! Here's what I had in mind... and I love the look! And I'm working on my own technique for the gills... i.e. cheating with dark strands of felt!
I must be in a restless mood cause I am hopping around with the craftiness! That's what happens when you work on craft books... the latest bug I've caught is needle felting, inspired by the lovely Lisa Jordan over at Lil Fish Studios. Man, this lady is a crafty genius! I fell hard for her mushrooms (even bought some!) and then I had to try them for myself, which lead to an apple tree to a topiary... I'm officially hooked, even though it hurts to type because I accidentally "needle felted" my middle finger. No pain, no gain, I guess! Now what else to make in miniature...
Oh, the start of beach camping season - how I love thee! I spent last weekend camping in Edisto, SC, with my mom, her new pup (a cairn terrier named Paula Deen), my grandma, and my cousin and his fam (hi, Kate and Ned!). We had so much fun, especially decking out my mom's new camper with its requisite amount of mingos. Here's Ned with a small portion of the flock... right before the carnage started. And there's nothing like sharing some grand marnier with your soon-to-be-88-year-old grandma!
A case of art/craft imitating life? May be! I've been so enthralled with all the little mushrooms popping up here in WNC, especially the tasty kind (see my previous post!). This month's installment of bird-a-month was brought to you by morel power! Gosh, those little mushrooms are fun to make, especially when I should be doing other things like a zillion WIPs, walking the doggies, cleaning the house, and cooking food and stuff... oh, crafty distractions! 
I couldn't help myself with the basket! Now to figure out where Mr. Birdy is headed next....
Everything is.... that is! And that's one of my favorite parts of early spring. I've been working on a little side series (for a show this July - fingers crossed!) with little hooped-up mushroom outcrops. These are so addictive - really the perfect thing for those little fusible backed scraps in my scrap basket. I've been painting the hoops... and, er, getting better as I practice. 
I'm loving this little mini theme - welcome to my new blog header! I stuck with the same one for so long, I'm really enjoying switching things up seasonally. Keeps it interesting! And I'm thinking a birdy might look right nice among those fungi...
Well, after crafting something for my friend with mildly evil intentions (she rocked the crown!), I felt that I needed to redeem myself. About that time, this fabulous apron kit arrived in the mail from my friends at Crescendoh. I'm not usually into kits, but I must say, it was kind of nice to have the work done for me - a perfect set of fabrics and notions, cleaned, pressed, and ready for me to get started. It was also nice because my vintage fabric collection is kind of wimpy, but I so love that look. And when I saw the fabrics, I knew just who the apron would be for...
As promised, here's the March installment of my bird-a-month challenge. It has been so rainy in Asheville, and I've been seriously craving some bright colors - I think that happens every spring, with (always!) serious repercussions for my (growing!) fabric collection. I'm enjoying being able to focus on one single little project for the year (with plenty of other projects on the side, of course) and I'm liking how the project is shaping up... seems like each installment has its own distinct feel. I like to think that these birdies are all part of the same family, so not the same birdy every time. I've got some plans for the summer months - think crazy adventurous auntie birdy! 
It was nicer here this weekend, though...and just in time. The hubs and I are in house-hunting mode and I can't help but be on the lookout for the perfect crafting space! I don't need much - just a little space of my own. I think I'll know it when I find it!
And now for the evil... my nearest and dearest friend is having her 30th birthday this Saturday. I simply couldn't let the glorious occasion pass without making something silly for her...and then requiring her to wear it...out on the town...all night long! If you can't dress your friends (or kids or dogs or spouses) in silly handmade stuff, who can you dress up? And in case you're wondering, her nickname is Tortilla Mae (long story!). 
Got my March birdy in the works... hope to share him with you soon!
And so without further ado, here's Mr. February. I made the heart the same way I used to make valentines: fold the thing in half and chop chop. And the bowtie, well, I thought it was just extra Bryce-like.
For more in this series, check out: February, March, April (coming soon!)
So...I couldn't resist temptation: I'm officially joining Aimee Ray's doodle stitch along. I needed an easy, low-commitment project for the start of the year... and I'm dedicated to getting comfortable using purple on a more regular basis. Good thing I happen to know lots of little ladies being born right around this time! (Here's a link to our little Flickr group if you'd like to play along!)
Cheers to you for a happy, healthy, and amazingly creative 2011!
Some quick-and-easy birdy ornaments for my fabulous coworkers:
It's December, the time of year when I remember that I should have started hand-making all my holiday gifts months ago. Same for you, you say? Well, I've decided that if I can't hand-make every gift, handmade wrapping is a good - and green! - alternative. I've posted a tutorial for this reusable felt (of course!) gift bag over at LarkCrafts.com (my day job!). We'll be posting all kinds of felt goodness over there throughout the month of December. And looking for other green wrapping ideas? Join forces with the Green Grocery Bag Challenge, a neat project in which folks are encouraged to make, give, and use cloth grocery bags as wrapping paper.
Still pondering a new sewing machine.... and open to input! What an experience! And then, of course, there was the monumental, glorious, and glutinous HAUL! Click here for a more detailed explanation of my finds. Fancy threads (for said sashiko), an innumerable amount of fat quarters (such a weakness), and some lovely vintage fabrics.
It was such an overwhelming, inspiring, and exhausting experience - what a lucky gal I am! It was also exciting to be there as a representative of the next generation of quilters. And I got to meet some of my Flickr friends in person - another level of awesomeness! I must admit that there were times throughout the week when I felt a bit out of place, but in general, I was met with warmth and acceptance - and lots of folks who were interested in learning more about the Modern Quilt Guild! It was also wonderful to see so many women investing time, energy, and financial resources into their continued learning, their passion, and their creative outlet... really inspiring!
And, of course, I found myself skulking around the Bernina booth for far too long - which means I'm definitely in the mood for an upgrade...I can't wait for Cincinnati to roll around!
If you've already gotten the Special Holiday Issue of Fat Quarterly (and if you haven't, get cracking!), you've seen the lovely coverage they've given to Fa La La La Felt (many many thanks yous to the Fat Quarterly folks!!). As part of a holiday round-up, I remade my Oopsy Daisy stockings from the book... following my original instructions. What an exercise it was! And here are the results, hanging from the bar. I riffed on the original pattern a little (less daisy, more asterisk!) and used some of the Kate Spain Christmas fabric the FQ team sent me. I'm also including a free tutorial from the book (over on the Lark Crafts site). Happy stocking making!
