WFMW Learn new things -Needle felting is my new love!!!

This weeks Works for me Wednesday post is all about me...I am working on balancing my spirit...so I do it with art...Needle felting is my new craft that I'm becoming passionate about...

Here is the story of my first landscape...

So it started out with yellow roving from WhimzyPinzy's shop at Etsy...then I layered the roving in opposing directions and needle felted it...

Added some colored roving on top and molded shapes and lines...

More Color, shapes...more shapes, outlined shapes in darker shades of same color...auditioned fibers...some worked others didn't...tried to imagine beading...will hold off for now though...

then started to stitch...and used chenille and pearl cotton...3 colors of green for the blades of grass and stems...

Simple stitching really...lazy daisy and straight stitching...it's so meditative!!! I sat outside in the cool summer day and pushed the kids on the swing while i kept stitching...visited with a friend and let the kids play...

So now what do I do with it??? I will probably mount it onto black wool felt...and maybe use it to adorn a book...journal, sketchbook or Bible cover...but that would involve more sewing and my sewing machine needs to go into the shop...boo hoo...

Well the final product is so pretty...I am really pleased with my first needle felted landscape...I have been very emotional this week...many stresses to be dealt with ...most of all woke up to a flat tire Monday morning after traveling 2 and a half hours to visit family...thank goodness the tire didn't blow out on the highway with all 3 kids, the dog and hubby sleeping in the car...times like that help me know Jesus is there looking out for me and all of us! This could represent my homage to Him...the almighty...the creator...

Life is Good...I am Blessed...I will find shelter in the storm.

To see other posts about wool or wool felting...click on this or search wool.

to see other WFMW posts search WFMW or click here.

To see other Art Therapy posts click here.

The creative process begins...dying silk top today

The kids are off to my in-laws for the week, chemo is tomorrow all day with Becky...will have to take pics of us wild women at the infusion station...oh with cutie-pie katelyn too...but for the rest of the day I am dyeing to share my new Art Therapy process with you all...the dolls are still hanging out...will get back on track with them when the kids return...but this project is for me...it will be a mixed media wall hanging for over my bed to infuse the bedroom with new energy. Stay tuned...

Oh and if you are intrigued with dying wool or silk check out this link from another blogster...but be sure to bookmark HHQ's blog to come back again!

Here are my pics...
Wild Rose silk top in dye bath simmering...Thanks to Brian for letting me borrow his electric skillet he dyes his own wool and has recently learned how to spin...I'm not ready for that yet...but someday... :)

He went shopping for me too and got me the silk top and silk caps already dyed...I LOVE THE FUSHIA!!!

YUMMY!!!

These are the dyes I used and I got them at the Elegant Ewe in Downtown Concord, NH

I am so excited to move on this project as I need the infusion of creativity as well as infusion of chemo meds!!!

more pics added..

finished silk tops...with flash on the camera...the colors are hard to capture on film......without flash but a little blury...and I did some extra wool from another project...I love the curly strands...hope they get put into the quilt...
somehow...it's all good and I'm not trying to expect too much...but let the process take me where I need to go! Create from within everyone.

Special Wool Pouch Tutorial from HHQ

These little pockets have been a huge hit in my local market. So I thought I'd share the simple recipe to make them!

Cut one 3x6 inch rectangle of wool felt.
Design the front with simple designs and embellish with beads, buttons, pretty pearl cottons. (kit available inquire at Happy House Quilts)
Cut ribbon about 5 inches.
Loop ribbon they way you like and attach with button to match.
Fold rectangle in half and sew up the sides, give yourself room to cut away any uneven sides.
Cut away the very top edge with pinking shears to make it look neat. You can cut away the side edges with the shears too or trim to be even with straight shears.

Fill a 2x3 inch plastic bag with potpourrie, I choose cedar and fill the pocket with the bag.

Type the info:
This pocket is made with wool felt by HappyHouseQuilts.com. Use it for an ornament, in your closet or with a gift card to give away. To activate cedar, punch pin holes in bag. Place in desired drawers, closets, chests, etc. Add to the pocket.

Obviously you will replace my shop name with your own.This one is my favorite!

You can also stuff the pocket with a gift card, or a special note to a loved one, hershey's hugs or kisses would be great too! If you like making these we can post pictures of them to a flickr group...let me know!
Create from within!

New Wool Items...loving circles...motherhood symbol?

The pink pokadot Hair Quilt(TM) is my first attempt at needle felting...love the technique!!! Highly recommend it to sublimate your frustrations!!! It's like a little voo-doo doll...but as someone said...you end up with something pretty and then you can share it through Happy House Quilts!!! Click on any image for a closer look!

This is listed at HappyHouseQuilts.com

Feedback is always welcome and appreciated...I'll be making a ton of these for my holiday craft fairs.

If you like any of these other French Barrette style Wool Hair Quilts...contact me and I will list them as well.

Chemo cycle 4 update

So here I am in my comfy chair on monday...Brian my crafting buddy escorted me as I am too woozy to drive afterwards...sporting the wig...and bummed you can't see the cute hydrangea bobby I made just for the day...rats...will have to take another pic and upload it later...I sure do look happy...but it's the days after that I don't capture in pictures...scarey!
Brian is making his mom a shall with wool spun by him! It's wool from rare sheep in the UK...i keep forgetting the names of them...rhymes with Scotland...rats, cotland maybe? I'll get back to you on that....sleep deprivation (aka insomnia) and toxins on the brain have me all confused.
I certainly don't need one of these...but I wish i could kick back with a cocktail and relax this summer...new design...do you love it? need to make it in pink for a cosmopolitin and a few more treats...stay tuned...this one went to a special bartender friend that hooked me up with all kinds of wig treats from her aunt's shop, A Special Place.

I just added this pick to use it as a metaphore...feeling like i'm floating alone somedays, but at least I'm moving in the forward direction...right?

Hey thanks to my chemo buddy Sara for this poem...hope she starts her blog soon!

Worthy of My Friends

It is my joy in life to find
At every turning of the road
The strong arm of a comrade kind
To help me onward with my load.

And since I have no gold to give,
And love alone must make amends,
My only prayer is, while I live-
God make me worthy of my friends.
-Frank Dempster Sherman

M2M Gymbo's Tropical Garden Collection in Wool Felt!

Find

Tropical Garden Flower Hair Clip - Wool Felt - Hair Quilt (TM)

at Etsy for now...shopping directly at HappyHouseQuilts.com coming soon!

Need Grows this Holiday Season for Toys Made in the USA: Happy House Quilts Craft Kits fit the profile!

Happy House Quilts offers no lead paint and no overseas production. Actually the production of the Craft kits are processed on the kitchen table of a little home in NH. All the cutting and assembly is done in NH. All the drafting and writing was done in NH.

Any wool felt used has been manufactured in Massachusetts at National Nonwovens

I am even a Yankee...with a pedigree dating back to 1060!!!!!

What's Yankee? Well, I'm an adoptee, but upon my search a few years ago, I figured out this very perplexing question. It means my ancestors came over to America during or before the Revolutionary War. Pretty cool. I'm not a DAR (Daughters of the Revolution) or anything...not sure if they would accept me...being an adoptee...but it's still cool to have a past....

But I digress...craftiness is in the tradition of being a Yankee...ingenuity and resourcefulness. So all that put together has created me and my Happy House Quilts, made in the USA, always quilt inspired, always practical and fashionable.

Create from within! Go get crafty!
Thanks for reading!

The Anne of Green Gables Birthday Party!

Can I just say...Good friends are priceless? My friend Karen worked...no slaved over this cake for over 7 hours yesterday...I helped frost it...but the construction of it is awesome! She used skewers!!! 3 cakes! She is a true mommy friend! I was thinking sheet cake with a drawing in store bought gel goop...but no, she said..."let's go vertical!" and here is the end result.

Did you know that this is the 100th aniversary of Lucy Maud Montgomery's novel ?I thought adding the porch was pushing things...but it's awesome! She frosted pretzel rods and graham crackers!Yummy!
The kids had a blast playing musical chairs, duck, duck goose, Little Sally Horner and making wool felt bookmarks...of course we got crafty!

The kids thought the cake was delish!

Here is their craftiness!
Threadibilities Craft kits for birthday parties are a great craft! Some kids sewed and others used glue...they all came out awesome! We opted for a huge 3 inch bookmark as Anne (with an "E") was a teacher and writer. The design was a butterfly on a circle and each and every one came out so different, it was a super self-esteem booster for sure.

Here is the silly, "sugar rush" photo!

All the kids got gloves...found them at Target! Thanks for the heads up Bridget!

Sara had to fix her hair! The butterfly hair bow is now long gone...she had a long day...but was a trooper through it all!

Wrapitup at etsy supplied the Chocolates.
It is a cute teddy bear tea with "Kindred Spirits" written on the wrapper as well as Em's birthday date and a thank you note...wow, good things really do come in small packages!
Ellie is modeling a great Spring Rainbow M2M headband from Lillyspunkinpatch and Emily is wearing the Cupcake Cutie version...so cute!