Mama wants...

Mother's Day is fast approaching and I thought it would be nice if I assembled a collection of things that would make me happy. This way my husband can avoid the stress of having to look for a present for me - aren't I thoughtful? I mean he has enough to do in his day without worry about what I want as a little gift - so honey here are a few hints....

Shut the Front Door Coffee Cozy by Knot Workshop, $15

Love Boat Nautical Striped Purse by Ruche, $49

Ms. Peacock Earrings by This Ilk, $35

Custom Silhouette Necklace by Le Papier Studio via the Silly Wagon, $31

all found via 20 Best Twenty

Nice 'a meet you!

I have been wanting to make a video for a while now to show people how my mobiles move and tell you a little more about my work but I was avoiding doing so because I knew that I would need to get up in front of a camera and talk to do so.  So please watch the mobiles and pay no attention to the woman awkwardly fussing with her hair. 

BONUS: If you watch it all the way through you get a sneak peek of something new that will be in the shop next month.... So grab your kid and watch some YouTube.  It won't be as flashy as that video about "lots and lots of firetrucks" (parents you know what I am talking about) but i think you may enjoy it!

Wowza, I am a Babble Top 50 Etsy Baby Shop!

So today I get to share some pretty awesome news with you: I have been selected as a Babble top 50 Etsy Baby Shop!  I am completely honored to be selected along with the other 50 talented Etsy sellers who create amazing handmade items for kids.  If you haven't seen it visit Babble and take a look at the Babble Top 50 Etsy Baby Shops. I have already found some wonderful folks that I didn't know about including the store Apericots where I bought a fantastically cute shirt for my little guy. 

Ps. this is why I did that photo shoot although I wish I had sent them a different shot - this one just seems a little smug...oh well, you know I'm just a big goof!

Spring in my Studio

 

It's almost Spring!!! I am so excited and can't wait to be back in my garden running around with my son and planting new flowers.  In anticipation I have designed another new mobile this spring featuring my favorite fluttering friends - butterflies!  I've had them posted in the shop for a few weeks now but am just now getting to posting pictures of them here.  I hope you enjoy them as much as I do - I even did a little photo shoot with them and it felt like Spring had finally arrived!

Valentine's Day Felt Cookies Tutorial

A finished plate of cookies for someone sweet in my life

My son is a winter baby and his birthday is fast approaching so this year after the rush of Christmas I actually have a little free time to make something besides mobiles.  The result: new playfood for my little sweetheart.

Since I am still running high on the holiday spirit I figured I would also share a tutorial with everyone so you can stitch up a batch of lovely valentine cookies for someone sweet in your life too.  This is a super easy tutorial that only uses a running stitch. If you don't know what it is here is a link to a tutorial by Wendi Gratz showing her doing a running stitch (that is the stitch that you teach kids with lacing boards, really!). 


So here is what you will need:

1 piece of red or dark pink colored felt
2 pieces of oatmeal or tan colored felt (I got mine from Etsy)
light pink embroidery floss
polyfill 
pattern making paper or tracing paper
pinking shears
regular shears
embroidery needle (not shown above - oops!)
sewing pins  (not shown above - oops!)

Let's get started:

1. Fold your pattern paper or tracing paper in half and cut out half a heart.  Think back to making valentines in 2nd Grade - you know how to do this!

2. Pin your heart pattern onto your red felt and cut around the edges of the heart with your regular shears.

3. Pin your heart pattern on top of your 2 pieces of tan felt which you have stacked and cut around the edges of the heart with your pinking shears.  Follow the edge, don't cut into the paper.

4. Separate your tan felt pieces and fold 1 piece in half along the center line.  Cut a smaller heart into this piece to create a hollow center (see photo below of finished pieces).

 Now you have all your pieces cut out and you are ready to start stitching.  I did this all by hand but if you are in a hurry you could do this on your sewing machine instead, you just won't get the nice embroidery detailing.

5. Pin your top cookie piece to your middle red heart layer and pull your embroidery floss through from the red piece up through the tan piece so that the knot will be under the red (and won't show).  Now sew around the edge of the heart window with a running stitch (see this tutorial for refresher).

6. Once you are done it should look like this.  Now get your other cookie piece (the one without a heart cut into it) and place it beneath and pin all three layers together.

7. With all 3 layer pinned together - start a new length of embroidery thread from under the red layer and pull through to the front tan piece so your knot will be hidden inside the cookie.  Sew all three layers together with a running stitch around the edge approximately 1/4 inch from the edge.

8.  When you are a few inches from where you started your stitch at the center take a little bit of polyfill (one small handful worth) and place it in the heart.  Then continue your running stitch around the remainder of the edge.

9.  Wrap the thread around your needle and pull the needle through to make a knot.  Then pull the knot into the heart and clip the thread so it will not be seen.

You are done!  You now have a beautiful heart cookie to share with someone special in your life.

Dragonflies dream of spring

 

And here is the answer to the question - dragonflies!  This mobile was made while dreaming of lazy days spent laying under a willow tree with dragonflies flitting above. It is sure to enchant anyone in your life as it will bring a breeze of springtime magic into your room. My newest mobile design is now up and listed in my shop.

Something new is getting ready to fly into the shop

A sneak peek of something new that is about to take flight later this week. Can you guess what they are?

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