mOre TEasErS

The 100 tulips that I planted in January are now all up and making me smile. But I can't dither too long looking at them as I have to get me butt in the studio.

 Still firing up that little kiln every day and cranking out buttons.
I have single buttons to put on a hat or bag....

 or 4 in a group for cardigans.

 I've added more ArtCards, photos from the farm and beyond

 Spring flowers: crocheted flowers in many styles and sizes

 to put on toeless socks (fingerless mitts, so why not toeless socks? great with sandals)

 I just finished normal socks (to keep you tootsies warm) in the softest yarn I've felt, it's  superfine merino wool, ahhhhh! There's a free pattern on the label. Offered in 5 self-striping colors.

Plenty of handspun.

Hope you can come out and see the tulips.

More Random Sneak Peeks

Over the years I've collected vintage slips. They're fun to dye, as they take the dye differently and it's always a surprise to see how they turn out.

 I've been known to wear slips as a dress and this one would look smashing paired with this flirty, ruffled blouse.

I've been felting a bit, not nearly as much as I'd like to. Those darn dye pots keep me sequestered in the basement! But I finished a couple. This one is in the 'Pansy' colorway.

 Nuno felted shawl in royal blue.

 Along with the dying, I've been cranking up my little kiln in the studio. Brooches.....

 .....and buttons

 and while the kiln is going, I dare not leave it or I'll have a puddle of glass seeping out, I make jewelry. These little resin flowers are all the rage now.

 Scrabble necklaces are perfect for the woman/girl who loves to knit. Hung from a silver bail on a silver ball chain. They just slip over you head.

Put a bird on it! Darling silver bird earrings.

And they go with this 'Rainy Day' necklace, a silver cloud with 'rain' chain falling down, with 3 little crystals attached.

Keep checking back for more fun stuff!

Eggs-citing Fun

We did egg dying at Crafty Friday last week. No kids were involved. Just women and wine, oh and one man. He brought crayons and more wine.

 We had natural ingredients like turmeric, beet juice and paprika. Krista wrapped her egg in a leaf, then in a nylon (so many better uses for nylons that don't include wearing them on your legs!) and dipped them into the dye.

 Ann has a thing for food coloring. (You should see her angel food cakes!)

We used hot glue to act as a resist.

We didn't dye these, but aren't they just amazing? They're dyed with wine! Not sure how they got all those colors with wine. We decided to drink our wine and not waste it on the eggs!

Sneak Peek to Spring Studio Tour

 Spring time means new spring colorways. The above colorway is 'Spring Meadow', a blend of pale pinks, lavender and peach and spring green. In the next 2 weeks, I'll be posting photos of new things I've been working on for our upcoming Countryside Artisans' Studio Tour (April 20, 21, 22) and the Maryland Sheep & Wool Fest (May 5, 6).

 I got a new batch of 100% wool felt in and have been 'painting' it with my dyes. I actually dye these just as I do the yarns, in a big roasting pan, squirting the dyes on and 'smooshing' them in. 

 The patterns just happen serendipitously. I have no idea how they'll turn out, except for the coloring, and even that's a bit random.

When I put these on the fence and stepped back, I saw a flower on the left and a red bird on a branch on the right. I should call these Rorschach felt pieces.

 

 These are the clay buttons I made at Craft Day. They're all packaged up pretty.

 

 

 I had all the papers and card stock and had such fun picking out patterns and colors to highlight each button.

 Plenty of cute little resin flower hair clips.

New soft cotton yarns fill the shelves.

'Splash' a new colorway inspired by my trip to the Caribbean. 

 Blue for the sky, turquoise for the water, white for the sand, with a hint of lime green for punch.

Wingspan, a popular free pattern on ravelry. I knit mine with my Hip Hop yarn.

 Krista is my guest artist, showing her vintage inspired aprons...

along with her upcycled posie pockets, a place to hang your little pansy.

Market Days

 

This past weekend was Market Days at Chartreuse in Buckeystown, not far from where I live. Housed in an old dairy barn, they are open just once a month throughout the year.  This was a special event as they invited other vendors to sell their antiques, shabby chic, and once loved wares.

Along with the dairy barn, a bank barn is stuffed with thrifty finds.


There were about 20 additional booths set up around the property, with the crowds checking out all the vintage stuff. Most of the wares were under tents but plenty of things were spilling out onto the lawn. It was lucky it didn't rain, as the weather forecast had called for showers.

I loved, loved, loved this old bike. It was hanging ON the wall but alas, it was not for sale, just for pretty.

Even real bunnies for sale!

and concrete bunnies too.

If you fancied a jug, there were plenty to choose from.

Old scale weighing the word 'PIE'. How much does this pie weigh?

Cheery vignettes, with springy, happy colors.

I'm so going to steal this cute idea....yards of colorful ribbons (of which I have scads of), hung to make a 'curtain'.

What to do with your old water trough...hang doo dads from it! And yes, I do have one of these.

I'm going to be looking for a little trike like this. I already have the spray paint. I came away with so many ideas that I had the rest of the day to round up some of my old rusty stuff, got out my spray paint and chalk paint and got down to work. Nothing like a little inspiration!