I just wanted to share a new critter with you guys before the weekend………..here she is

Her name is Lena, and she of course is going to be available in the shop.

Apparently last night there was an earthquake in Illinois that was felt in Chicago and as far away as St. Louis,  we didn’t feel it in Rockford …..so phew I can still officially say that nothing exciting ever happens here.  Anyway I am still trying to put together a package of critters for White Rabbit Gallery I can’t seem to work out who would be a good fit for Iowa city……although they all want to go. I’m thinking Monty and Cyranno and maybe the love imp……..but this is subject to change at any moment as Jonesie keeps squeeking his displeasure at not being one of the chosen. Anyway have a good weekend………I’m of to ponder some more.

So what would you make if you had a whole load of llama roving? It’s probably not something most people have to spend a long time thinking about and neither did I as it seemed kinda obvious to me to make a llama….

I’ve called him Abe in honour of his donor (this is the local llama roving I bought from Unique yarns) and I’m thinking his story is going to be something along the lines of being an artist’s muse or at least a fiber artist’s muse.

Not much else going on here in critter world. We are attending a wedding this weekend so will not be able to go to Madison this weekend………this is so unfair as this Saturday is the first weekend of the outdoor farmers market around the capitol and Ekra and orangeyporangey are going to be doing the street vending on State Street and I was so looking forward to harrassing them………errrr I mean showing them my support……. ahem.

Yesterday was brilliant,  Unique yarns was even better than I had hoped…….I got some brilliant roving and as I told the lady in the store it was the first time I have ever bought roving from a store.  Which was actually really odd as I had no idea what I was supposed to do.  They had a whole load of loose roving to buy by the ounce and I found myself going errrrrrr about a bag full?  how much is that?  I’m sure my I.Q dropped about a hundred points or at least didn’t appear to be very high in the first place to the women in the store.

My favourite purchase  from them was llama roving donated by Lily and Abe (It’s the dark and light brown stuff – I think Lily was the lighter one)

How brilliant is it to know the name of your “supplier” and I’ve never used llama so I’m excited to try that out.  I also found out about a spray to protect the critters from moths and other icky bugs it’s called Kookaburra woolwash and from now on all the critters will have a spritz of it before heading off to their new homes.

And now let me introduce you to Jonesie……..

He will be heading of to White Rabbit gallery in Iowa in a few days time…………..and he can’t wait.

I finally made this guy huh?

You guys all know how much I love Snoopy,  and Woodstock has been a critter I’ve wanted to make for a really long time.  But  finally thanks to Kathleen I finally devoted the time to make the yellow chirper.  He was more challenging to make than you might think as he really is only a series of black lines in drawing form……but as you know I love a challenge and I think he turned out pretty well although I guess I am kinda biased.

I have plans today to head on out to Unique Yarns…Unique Yarns is a wool store in Rockford and apparently they offer fiber classes.  I  am keeping my fingers crossed that they will have roving to buy in the store as I always seem to run out of one particular colour (that I had a ton of at time of order) after I already put my internet order in………why does that always happen?  anyway it would be nice to be able to have a source of emergancy roving or maybe just a new source of roving,   but I don’t want to get my hopes up to high.  Logically I think if you have a place with classes you must sell the equipment right?  right?   Oh well I guess you never know unless you go….. I’ll let you know how it turns out.

I’m in one of those blah moods today………you know those days when you really can’t be arsed doing anything but you’ve got a ton of stuff to do so you do it but really slowly? well that’s how my day is going.

It probably doesn’t help my mood much that for the last couple of days it has heaved it down rain, with no sunshine in sight. I’m starting to get really p’eed off with the weather in the Midwest, especially since I know that it’s just gonna go boom…. straight into summer with no warning…..sigh hello humidity. Anyway I don’t mean to moan (honest) I just thought I’d share how my other hanging fruits and vegs turned out

I even listed them in the shop just in case anyone is looking for some hanging fruit and veg on Etsy I have them covered. Alright back to work

Yes I know you have been sitting on the edge of your seat………wondering what the heck I am making next…….and the farmer’s market hint  in my last post was so cryptic right?   Well take that bit from your mouth today is the big reveal…………

So does it make sense now?  These little wooly treats will have an acrlic loop attached to them and hopefully will be hanging up around Anthology in Madison by this weekend.  I know the carrots must be cute as my husband wants one (gasp) to hang on the rear view mirror of the car (double gasp) which is shocking as he hates stuff hanging of mirrors in cars…..so  that is what I am working on right now…….well that and critter boxes.  I still haven’t properly played with my sewing machine (so little time) but I am hoping to devote more time to mastering it……perhaps next week

No not that kind,  this isn’t school afterall.  I am of course talking about this kind………

The lil’ bee is a new pocket critter… I also made ladybirds or lady bugs as you Americans call them

So I will add these to the shop soon……..

The lil’ cardinal came about because of my obssession with making peepers (which are a bit Easterish) I want to make Jays and Robins and maybe crows as well,  they are called tweeters and are for year round enjoyment yaaaaaaay

I had such a great time at Anthology this weekend doing my demo (thanks to everyone who stopped by) and  I was hit by inspiration while I was there,  hopefully I will have something to show you soon but it’s a surprise………..ok a hint then…..hmmmmm think farmer’s market,  does that help?

Yaaaaaay it’s here

Oh I hope I can work it…….I mean it looks simple enough (famous last words right?) it did come with a reasonably thick manual which I am going to force myself to read, not an easy task for me as I hate instructions. I am one of those people that only looks for the instructions after I’ve already snapped something whilst trying to work it out for myself first……..yup manuals are for losers that’s my motto. Oh I just really want to go and play with it……………no must resist and at least glance at manual first.

And in other great news they are Back

and still hot. God I have to get the album and go to the shows and buy the posters oooooh it’s just like being 14 again but with less spots……..well maybe not less spots but you know what I mean.

Oh and don’t forget (look in the basket)

My needle felting demo this Saturaday at 1.00pm at  Anthology, 218 State Street in Madison WI. at 1.00pm so if you are in the area I’d love for you to stop by and watch the stabby stabby in action.

well no not you …..and actually not Bogart either, he’s actually a really clean little guy (for a rat) here he is  

Bogart is obsessed with old movies particularly ones with his main man Humphrey Bogart, this is due to the fact that Bogart was raised in an old midnight movie theatre. He believes that all sad moments can be alieviated with a “here’s looking at you kid” quip.

So if you are looking for a buddy to share your love of classic movies and popcorn…….Bogart’s your guy he’s already listed in the shop
I also got the greatest ever Etsy purchase ever (so far ; )  A custom made stamp from terbearco.

It’s absolutely brilliant……you just give them what you want made into a stamp and they make it exactly.  I have been stamping everything…….it sure beats having to write it out everytime.  I’m getting another one made as we speak and I want like 40 others made as well.

I figuered I needed to add another critter to the menagerie……..meet Sheldon. He’s a sea turtle, but he is rather obsessed with all things relating to the cycle world. It is his dream to compete in the Tour de France, and he is very serious about his training and his bikes. He has the latest carbon frame model (which makes him smile just to look at) and it weighs less than a pound unfortunatly with Sheldon on it it weighs 124lbs……..if he ever thought it was his shells fault for him not being super quick, well it would just break his heart…….especially since he just paid a small fortune for a small titanium spring that is going to lighten “the bike” by 0.00000000000001 oz. Who knows if he trains hard enough you may just see him whizzing through the Paris streets soon enough.

In non felting news…….I finally bit the bullet and ordered myself a sewing machine this weekend.  Now this is scary for me as I’ve never owned a sewing machine before,  in fact I can’t even remember the last time I used one……..eeeek.  But I figuered it makes sense for me to learn as it will take  the pain (and time) out of sewing my felt donuts and I can make other felt mobiles providing I can think of something else of course.   Anyway I got a basic Brother and I can’t wait for it to get here.