Archive for the ‘random’ Category

Love is in the air….

Friday, January 13th, 2012

So we are already into the 2nd week of 2012……..good grief time really flies doesn’t it?  It seems like only a moment ago I was stabbying away on santas and snowmen and now the cutie hearts are here

Their timing really couldn’t be any better as tomorrow is my thirteen year wedding anniversary………phew 13 years,  if that doesn’t give you any indication of how quickly time flies I don’t know what does.  Happy Anniversary Markie here’s to many more.

Speaking of lovebirds how cute are these guys?

They are flying squirrels and they love the offerings of my bird feeder……..yaaaaaaaay.  It’s funny though as I couldn’t work out how my bird feeder had lots of seed in it when the sun came down,  and then none in the morning.  Turns out these lil’ guys show up in the night and gorge themselves.  But I don’t mind,  how could I?   just look at the size of those eyes……….aaaaaawwwww.

So tomorrow I am restocking the fabulous Sarida in Roslindale with new crittery goodies,  Betsey the bunny can’t wait to get there

She is a cutie,   and I’ll list the hearts for sale in the shop a little later today.  And now it’s back to stabbying.

Step into Christmas….

Saturday, December 24th, 2011

EEEeeeeek it’s Christmas Eve!!!!  Wow I can’t believe it’s already Christmas Eve!!!

Although this might have been my first give away about the date

Mmmmmm Christmas pies and Celebration and lots of lovely choccies………I sure do love Christmas.

I finally got my pictures from Bazaar Bizarre loaded on the pooter,  it was such a fun weekend.  We discovered when looking at the google map,  that the route we could take to Cleveland passed incredibly close to Niagara Falls.  It was to good an opportunity to miss as I’ve always wanted to see it.

It was pretty impressive and I was very happy to be there but not as happy as Markie

Such a nice way to break up the drive.  And so beautiful,  there really should be more waterfalls to break up long drives.

Bazaar Bizarre was awesome as always.  It was so lovely to see so many familiar faces,  and new ones too.  Frances was thrilled to have  found a wonderful forever home in Cleveland

And I as always was in awe at the selection of fantastic vendors that Baz Biz had to offer.  I bought quite a few goodies and even persuaded Lilly’s chocolate to bring us some chomp monster bars (so yummy,  Christmas isn’t Christmas without them).

So now that all the orders are finished and mailed  ( I swear it felt as though I was at the post Office every day).  Many thanks to everyone who gave a critter a home for the holidays, I love thinking a critter is adding a little festive cheer in so many stocking this year. Bug now it’s time to get down to the serious matter of Christmas,  so many delicious goodies to overindulge in……….hmmmm where to start?

 

Happy Holidays everyone and a wonderful 2012

 

Almost

Monday, December 5th, 2011

Yup it’s that time of year again……..Almost Christmas,  almost the end of the crazy, fun Christmas Crafting,  almost time to stuff my face with mince pies and choccies.   The shows have been fantastic this year,  many thanks to everyone who gave a critter a new home in Massachusetts this year.  I managed to not take many piccies (how on earth did I manage that?) but here are 2 of my faves

This young gentleman gave toad a home at the Hingham Holiday Fair.

This weekend is my Last Winter Fair for the year, and it’s the Bazaar Bizarre in Cleveland Ohio.  So I’m busy restocking critters and making new goodies in anticipation for it.  I LOVE BazBiz so much as I get to catch up with my favourite crafters Amy (oblinaknit) and Michelle and it’s such a fun show with wonderful people in attendance that it really is the perfect way to start the Holiday Celebrations.

Speaking of Holiday Celebrations we got our Christmas tree this weekend.

For the first time since we’ve been living in America we did what I have always wanted to do,  that’s right we went to a Christmas tree farm and chopped down our own tree…….so fun and always entertaining watching everyone laugh at us putting a 6 and a half foot plus tree in our little mini cooper.

So I still haven’t decorated it yet…..but it looks absolutely stunning and smells gloriously Christmassy.

Right back to work for me.

It’s Showtime…..

Friday, October 21st, 2011

That’s right it’s getting to that time of year again…………..yaaaaaaaaaaay  and here’s where you can say Happy Holidays to the Critters

Nov 5th – 9 am to 3 pm at the Dr John C Page School in West Newbury

 

Nov 6th 12am to 4pm at Spontaneous Celebration in Jamaica Plain

 

Nov 12th 11am -4pm in Brighton Mass

Nov 26and 27th 10am to 6pm at the Hingham Shipyards

 

Dec 1st and 2nd Artists beyond the desk Winter Craft fair (ooooh the critters at MIT )

MIT Artist Beyond the Desk

Annual Winter Craft Fair

 

Date:          Thursday, Dec 1,2011, Friday, Dec. 2, 2011

Time:          9am-5pm

Locations:         MIT Stata Center, 32 Vassar Street. Cambridge

                            MIT Whitaker College – E25 Atrium, 45 Carleton Street, Cambridge

 

December 10th and 11th Bazaar Bizarre 10 am- 6pm at 301 W 78th St, Cleveland, OH 44102

 

So I’m busy, busy critter creatin’ and trying to make some new Christmassy goodies.  I also had the most fabulous custom order I’ll share with you soon…….so much fun trying to figure out the custom orders.

 

 

A few of my (newish) favorite things……

Tuesday, October 11th, 2011

      

 

Just thought I’d do a quick post to share some of my new loves…….The first pic is me holding some of that fabulous braided twine in the second pic.  Oh how I want the ridiculously expensive,  completely unnecessary in life braided twine.  It is just so cool and available at the unnecessary and the irresistible in Rosslindale. I love  the store and could have perused all day,  I bought the cutest pair of scissors pin that as yet is still waiting to be pinned on my winter coat as I love how they look sitting on my dresser.  The next pics are a pair of fabulous  books I just purchased,  The picturesque Washington book is from 1885 and is a travel guide to DC giving the rules of proper etiquette whilst in congress and places  for ladies of good standing to visit and how to entertain whilst in the capitol…….good stuff.  The fungi book is incredibly useful around here as we have so many mushrooms it’s like a fairy village most days.  The watercolor drawings are simply gorgeous and it just makes me happy to think that one day I’ll be able to point at a fungus and know exactly what it is instead of pointing and saying oooooooh mushroom at everyone I see.    The last picture is of the Blue Cloud Gallery in Somerville  where I am happy to report critters can now be found………yaaaaaaaaaay.

 

In Hertford, Hereford, and Hampshire…….

Thursday, September 8th, 2011

……hurricanes hardly happen,  but in Massachusetts!!!  Nah they hardly do here either,  but when they do!!!!  Boy oh boy.  It sure has been an interesting couple of weeks in Beantown.  The day before  hurricane Irene blew through the East Coast,  Markie took part in a crazy bike challenge in Deerfield called D2R2 .  So not only is it a crazy, hilly,  long route he of course added to the challenge by doing it on a fixed bike (no gears) ……….what a dummy………I mean guy……what a guy……yeah, yeah that’s what I meant, ahem. He blogged about it here if you care to read his side of the day.

The  hurricane was starting to approach just as he finished,  so he got a little soaked at the end,  but didn’t he do well?

I had a lovely time in Deerfield while Markie was having fun.  Deerfield has a historical neighbourhood that has preserved the colonial and Federal houses of the first settlers. So after I had wandered around the village romancing with the idea of being around in the 16oo’s,  I brought out my trusty wool bag and got to work under a giant oak tree.  It was so nice (although slightly odd)  as it was right beside a working dairy farm.   So I heard the incredibly loud bleeting of sheep with every stab.  I like to think they were bleeting their approval of my use of wool.

The weather was so absolutely perfect,  it’s hard to believe that in only a few hours it had completely changed.  So back home we battened down the hatches and prepared for Irene……..and we were actually pretty lucky as she was not as bad as we were expecting (phew).  We did lose electricity for about a day and a half……which completely killed all my romantic notions of the past as I was going out of my mind with lack of internet, tv and lights after about 30 mins.    My initial thought of needle felting,  when we lost power,  were stymied at the realization that I do need some light or my fingers will bleed……. a lot.

I did add another new guy to the fold this week though……….Meet Inka

Inka is a Sloth bear,  but he’s more of a teddy bear really as he is obsessed with all the things from the 1950’s……..I will add him to the shop soon.

And in other stabby news I am happy to report that I will be vending at the Hingham Shipyard Holiday market this winter


I have applied to a few other shows so keep your fingers crossed for me that I have a few more to add to my holiday schedule.

Busy in Boston

Friday, August 5th, 2011

This Summer has been awesome!!!  Lots of critter love at the Sowa Market has made me giddy with glee (and no I don’t mean the all singing teenybop kind of glee I mean the good ole’ fashioned yaaaaaaahoooo kind.)  I just love meeting all the wonderful people who kindly give a critter a new home…….like Walter’s new mum

Walter sure is one lucky ducky as he is heading of to Florida,  no more cold winters for him.  And I just love how my nut job looked on Katherine

So very cool.   I also have another motivational reason for critter making as critters have a new Boston address,  that’s right you can now find a vast array of them hanging out at Sarida

It’s such a beautiful store and I’m thrilled to have the critters there,  I’ll take a picture next time I am in there as the displays and items really are quite stunning…….I will be there dropping of some new guys on Sunday  as it’s Sowa market weekend again (my penultimate one………doesn’t time fly?) so you shouldn’t have long to wait for a pic.

On the wildlife front check out the size of the Luna moth we encountered hanging out on one of our meadowland walks

Mark put his hand in the picture to give you an idea of the size of him………can you believe it?  I can honestly say I’ve never seen anything like him before he was absolutely gorgeous and all fuzzy in the middle………..awwwwwwww

 

I love New York!!!

Wednesday, July 20th, 2011

Yup as predicted my birthday weekend in New york was brilliant.  I got so many cool things to share with you,  like this yarn bombed bike spotted in Greenwich village

And my new custom made muppet

mine is the orange fuzzy guy in the trenchcoat on the far left,  and I think he turned out looking a bit like Zach Galifianakis so I instantly named him Zach.  He was so fun to make at the muppet workshop in FAO Schwartz and I had a blast carrying him around New york for the rest of the day………forget having a cute dog to start a conversation with strangers just walk around town  with a muppet,  everyone wants to be your friend.

In fancy schmancy news we wanted to check out  Gordon Ramsey’s  Maze restaurant at the London Hotel and it was a lovely brunch treat

I had the Pan roasted wing of skate preserved lemons, ratatouille, caper and almond butter and Markie had the eggs Benedict and as absolutely delicious as everything tasted,  you wouldn’t want to go in starving if you know what I’m sayin’.   Which is the opposite of Asalt and Battery in the village

………hmmmmm lots of fish and chips and no I didn’t have the deep fried mars bar before you ask……far too sweet for my taste although it is where I first tasted one a number of years ago.

So New York was every bit as brilliant as I remembered it was and I had a fabulous birthday with lots of treats (can you say sale at the Lulu Guinness store………..yaaaaaaaaaaay).

 

So now it’s back to work as this Sunday I am back at the Sowa Market.  And I have some new goodies I’m working on and need to get finished.

woohoo for the weekend!!!

Tuesday, July 12th, 2011

This weekend is going to be the best weekend ever!!!!  That’s right it’s my birthday on Sunday (yaaaaaaaaaay)  and we are heading to New York for a weekend away.  As much as I’m loving exploring Beantown (and believe me I have a lot more ‘splorin’ to do)  but I am so excited to be heading back to New York.  It’s been 5 years since I’ve been to New York (lordy where does the time go?) and I can’t wait to see how the little island has changed…….plus Harry Potter is in a Broadway show (ok, ok  I know ….Daniel Radcliffe) so I may have to get tickets while I’m there eeeeeeeeeek I am so excited!!!

Speaking of Harry Potter do you have your tickets for the Deathly Hallows yet?  I have had mine for a while and as much as I can’t wait to see it,  I am dreading it all being over.  I have loved that new Harry has appeared every year just in time for my birthday and that this is going to be the last year is more than a little sad……..sigh,  oh well it was wonderful while it lasted….

I think I’ll have a Harry movie watching marathon……starting now.

Fun stuff

Wednesday, July 6th, 2011

I am just loving my new apartment,  we have a balcony which is brilliant for sitting out and enjoying the weather but doubley brilliant for enjoying the chirpers

We have a lot of other birdies that come and enjoy our feeder but I managed to have my camera near me when the grosbeak, cardinals and jay stopped by (which is really rare for me as normally I’m not at all prepared).

It certainly has been very exciting for one new critter………Spencer

Spencer is the neighbor’s cat,  but he just loves hanging out with us……….especially at lunch time and dinner time or if a new fire is lit in the grate………….unless of course the neighbors are home.  I’ll add Spencer to the shop  which I’m excited about doing as he will be the first new critter that I’ve added for ages.