We are hunting houses!!!  And it’s kinda tricky as they are most elusive little buggers.  We have been spending every weekend since January looking and keep your fingers crossed for us as we think we may have snagged the perfect one……….sigh we will see.

Although a lot of my days have been spent on remax and in strangers homes (which is oddly quite fun and a tad voyeuristic) I have still been working on critters.

I recently had a brilliant request for pocket critters.  Spring is currently working on a nursery in her home and wanted to match the critters on this extremely cute fabric

and here’s what I came up with

I absolutely loved how these guys turned out,  especially the fox so expect so see them as new critterboxes sometime soon.  I really hope they look cute in Spring’s nursery and add a fuzzy,  crittery touch.

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.

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

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.

We had sooooo much snow last weekend it was what the people in the know call a noreaster  (which Markie thought was a made up word….dummy)  so of course we lost power for a few days again…..brrrrrrrr it was chilly,  thank god for pussycat blankets.

We went to the last outdoor Sowa Market on Sunday (losing power is a great reason to go out and about on a chilly day) . It was so much fun as it was the Market of the living dead and vendors and shoppers were decked out in the best Halloween costumes.  I wish I’d remembered to bring my Harry Potter sorting hat…….there really aren’t that many excuses to go out and about in it and I clearly messed up by missing my one great opportunity….boooooo

Maureen arrived to stay with us this week

And I got to tell you I absolutely love her!!!  She took even longer than past critters as I gave her individual “spikeys” all over her and I totally adore how tactile and sweet she is.

She’s looking forward to this weekend as it is the official start of the holiday shows……..wooooohoooo.  So if you are in the area please come by and wish the critters a Happy Holiday

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

And then on Sunday the 6th of Nov

So we are very excited to start the holiday shows,   ooooh I love the holiday show countdown,   it’s like a timer to the countdown to how long it is till I can  stuff my face with mince pies and sweeties in the name of the holidays………mmmmmmmm mince pies.

I hope to see you at the shows this weekend.

I love, love, love custom requests…….particularly custom requests for computer game guys.  This is what I was working on last week

I had so much fun figuring out how to make Birdo……..

I was really pleased with how she turned out.  Baby Mario was fun too

But I think Toadette was probably the most fun……..love her pink piggytails

So many thanks Genevieve……..I hope they add a little something special to your Christmas tree.  I’m working on a new big critter now that hopefully I’ll be able to share with you soon.

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.

      

 

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.

I always love coming up with new Christmassy goodies but I always am hesitant to show them too soon.  It’s an interesting quandary for me as there is nothing I hate more than walking into a store that has set up for Christmas and it’s not even the end of July……I mean really?  are they serious?  So yes I know it’s a little early and I don’t want to panic anyone about Christmas so keep breathing as you enjoy my new Christmas offerings

I have a few other goodies still to take piccies of  but these are my favorite.  I LOVE the  Knitting Santa’s,  something about a crafting santa makes me smile. I have of course listed them in the shop so snag ’em while they are fresh.

I have been busy over here in Critterville and I figured it was about time I showed what I’ve been up to .  I’ll have a list of shows to post soon too………I’m super excited to be doing shows in Boston it will be nice to have a change of venues and start new holiday traditions.

……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.