Look what I found at Irismishly @ etsy.com

So I forget what first brought me to her shop...maybe a treasury...maybe seeing her beautiful French clips made with polymer clay. I am partial to art Hair Clips! But then browsing I discovered a handmade tool that she was selling to jewlry artists for making holes in clay to turn it into a bead. Well my wheels started turning and I immediately thought this would make a fabulous stilletto for sewing. So after a convoe and sharing ideas and thoughts she has now added the tag to the listing. Well I also adore tools and we exchanged items from our shops and I just received this in the mail!!!

But not only did I receive the stilletto but also this beautiful handcrafted pendant and fish magnet! Beautiful work and I love how she incorporates her logo and name into each piece! Very smart cookie Iris is!!! So what are you waiting for? Do you sew? Do you love notions?? Do you love a pretty handmade item??? The stiletto is a notion that has historical longevity. Needlecrafters have been using them for centuries!

Amazon lists one at over $15 dollars!!! It's not even as pretty as Iris's!

I personally love to use it to poke a hole into felt or leather. I also love to use it to hold the layers of fabric together while they travel under the foot of the sewing machine. Here is a definition from Jan P. Krentz (Quilt Teacher and designer). I am often distracted while sewing and well...accidents happen so quickly. This wonderful tool will protect my tender fingers from a sharp, fast needle! Have I convinced you yet?

Go see Iris today!

Best of all she is an EtsyMom too!

Look what I bought!!!

Oh how my 5 year old loves ice cream! This is going to be perfect for her first day of kindergarten!!! This delicious looking cone came straight from OneGirlieGirl's shop at etsy.com and how I need one today...the thermometer was hitting 95 dgrees!!!

So~ I am so intrigued with wool needle felting and I had to grab some supplies here at etsy to get me started...WhimzyPinzy had the colors I was looking for!!!...here is a picture using the pink roving as a pink pokadot Hair Quilt(TM)...

And then I bring you my newest acquisition from Knitsteel's shop! This cross is titled "Grace and Joy" and it best summarizes my year and I bought it to give to my in-laws for Christmas. Oh I can't wait to see their faces. Why was I drawn to this piece? My MIL and FIL have 21 grandchildren that touch everything in their house...what better item to touch than a crucifix?!?!? I knew it would be heavy and I wanted the kids to understand the weight of the cross that Jesus carried. My husband liked the fact that it looked like wood and I liked the imperfections and bowing that symbolized Jesus' humanity and temptations. The base reminds me of Mary kneeling and weeping at Jesus' feet and how we (all Christians) lean on Him to get us through our daily lives. I am completely enamoured with this piece...wish I could keep it but it's just not in the budget.

Shopping splurge! Special deliveries!

Well I had a large job last weekend and I wanted to treat myself, so I went shopping. Look at what just came in the mail...both on the same day...is it my birthday? No, but it seems like it! Oh, so beautiful! The steel leaf is from knitsteel at etsy and the shepherds hook cross bookmark came from mae2075 aka Bitsy's beads and etc. LOVE them. I was going to use the leaf for a key chain but it's too nice...need to go to a craft store this weekend and get some leather strap and tie it as a pendant!!! I'm not the big jewelry type person but this just has amazing energy and it just symbolizes growth to me. I love it! The shepher's hook book mark is going right into our family bible to keep the spot so we focus on reading it more as a family. It's significance will transcend me and hopefully will get passed down in the family!

Thanks for reading! Now, go visit those shops!!!