Myko Bocek Studios

My latest find!

2012-01-30T19:24:00.000-08:00

I was so thrilled when I recently won this on ebay last month! It is a very rare Disney's Alice In Wonderland Make-Up Kit made by Hassenfeld Brothers in 1951. (Hassenfeld Bros. would later be known as Hasbro today). This piece is in wonderful condition. The perfume has evaporated long ago but the little bar of soap and talcum powder are still untouched!

I can't imagine a little girl being able to resist playing with all of the wonderful little goodies in this set. It's kind of amazing that this set has remained intact in this condition for all these years! I really love antique vintage Disneyana and will have to share all of my other latest acquistions with you!

Making some Sew Cute cuties!

2012-01-05T19:34:00.000-08:00

I finally had some time to make a couple of cuties the other day. I've been so busy with going back to school and family that I didn't have the time to work in my studio much for the past six months. But I did manage to make these little guys the other day!

New little Christmas Squirrels

2011-11-05T15:31:00.000-07:00

I guess I should have made these little squirrels more fall themed but I couldn't help myself. I had picked up these three beautiful little mercury glass Christmas ornaments earlier in the year and was just dying to use them! I have been very busy creating this weekend and hope to get more cuties in my etsy shop as soon as possible!

New Halloween Cuties

2011-08-13T20:04:00.000-07:00

I've been busy making cute little woolen pom pom Halloween cuties these past few weeks! Here are some pictures of my favorites! Last year I made one Halloween kitty! Just one! This year I decided to dedicate some time to create some new designs!

I hope they will be a success! ;) If you would like to see more, please head on over to my etsy shop!
http://www.etsy.com/shop/mykobocek

My Vintage Aquarium Mermaid Ornaments

2011-06-26T19:46:00.000-07:00

I'm continuing with the sharing of some of the other things I collect. Here are some pictures of the vintage mermaid aquarium ornaments I collect. The ones I love the most were the ones made from the 1920's through the 1940's. The quality differs from the extremely delicate German made ones to the mass produced ones made in Japan. I've been collecting these for around ten years but rarely find them in antique shops. Most of these were found on ebay. My favorites would be the one that sits on the snail and the one that sits on the seahorse.:) I also have some antique fish bowls and aquariums that I display a few in.

I also collect the little castles and other aquarium pieces. When my kids were little, I would drag them to antique shops with me. Sometimes they would be bored and to make it fun I would reward whoever found an aquarium piece with a dollar. I laugh because they had such sharp little eyes and they would be able to spot them when I couldn't. They would be so happy to find one. Maybe perhaps because they could view the booths from a different angle.:) So I have strong memories attached with many of these as I can remember who found it and how proud they were.

I'm a collector of "things"...How bout you? :)

2011-05-15T17:44:00.000-07:00

Sorry folks that I haven't been posting on here much! I usually post on my fan page on facebook now... But! I did want to share with you my new hobby other than making woolen pom pom animals.:) Collecting! I love to collect all kinds of eclectic things. Mostly old toys, games, and books. For some reason I am just drawn to them like a moth to a flame. Every time I go to an antique shop my eyes are automatically drawn to old cute vintage toys. I've liked old antique toys even when I was a kid. Never mind if they are scuffed or a bit rusty. To me, that just adds to their charm. I love the story of the Velveteen Rabbit and I am enchanted with the idea that toys have "souls" and I like to reflect on their history. I like to imagine who played with them and if they were loved... (weird, I know!:) Right now, I'm obsessed with collecting tiny vintage celluloid charms from the 1930's and 1940's. They were mostly found in gum ball machines or were premiums attached to cigar boxes, liquor, or even on bags of bread. I've amassed quite a collection so far and I keep adding more each week. Lord, help me! Here are some pictures of my collection so far! I like finding the vintage celluloid chain necklaces too. I plan to fill each one with charms I've selected specifically for it.

So what do you collect? Feel free to post and share! I love connecting with fellow collectors.:)

Elephants on Parade

2011-03-27T11:57:00.000-07:00

I recently just finished this new design of another baby circus elephant! This time I made the little cutie balancing on a circus ball that I needle felted with lavender and pink roving. I created the parasol from a cocktail umbrella that I added a bit of pink trim too. I really like how this one turned out and I think it's one of the best pieces I've made to date!;)

I began looking up vintage circus images online and came across the cutest vintage chick and bunny circus postcard and was then inspired to create this little cute circus bunny. I envisioned it with the chick riding on its back just like in the postcard but the first chick didn't turn out to my liking so I am starting fresh. I plan to add it later.

There is a whole line of these postcards (Thanks for sharing that with me Patricia from http://www.mylifeunderthebus.typepad.com/ who was sweet enough to share with me some of the other designs! (I went on ebay and was able to snag a couple!)

My little baby circus elephant

2011-03-20T09:08:00.000-07:00

I wanted to share with you my latest version of a baby circus elephant I just finished recently.:) She is larger than the other elephants I've made. It's much cuter in person than these pictures can capture. Or maybe it's my camera? I swear since moving to Arizona my picture taking quality has gone down hill. I blame it on the lighting! LOL!:) Even though it's much sunnier here in Arizona the way my rooms are situated I can't take advantage of it. All the rooms are dark and shadowy, which is great during the summer to help block the intense sunlight but not so good for picture taking. I have a makeshift light box but I noticed the pictures have a cool blue tint to them that I then have to correct in my photo editing software. Anyway, I digress! Here are some of the pictures of the elephant!;)

I love how the balloon turned out. In the past I tried a needle felted balloon but it would be heavy and difficult to look like it was floating. I gave it some thought and decided to use a vintage mercury glass Christmas ornament as the balloon instead. Now it actually appears to be floating and it doesn't weigh down the elephants trunk.

My New Project!

2011-03-08T20:34:00.000-08:00

For the past year I've been itching to try my hand at teddy bear making. This month I am finally giving it a go. I purchased some mohair and some supplies online and they all trickled in over the last few weeks. I made my first bear yesterday...sadly I can not share a picture of it with you. "Why?" You ask!!? Because, I am too embarrassed to show just how ugly it turned out, LOL! I had to go back to the drawing board and revise my first design. And I must say the second one is turning out pretty darn cute if I do say so myself.;) I ran out of time tonight to continue working on the rest of her but here is a picture of her little face so far!

I can see how addicting teddy bear making can be! I can't wait to start making a whole menagerie of cute animals! Practice makes perfect! ;)

New pink and blue bunnies!

2011-02-22T15:18:00.000-08:00

I have been wanting to create some pastel animals other than chicks for a while now. I would try to find matching shades of colors in roving, wool, and felt without much success as each manufacturer has its own dye colors and so I could never get them to match up. I finally gave hand dyeing wool a try! And I'm in love! Why didn't I try this sooner?!!! I really love how the the colors turned out. Much softer muted shades that are reminiscent of vintage goods. Here are a few pictures of my pink and blue Easter bunnies I recently finished! I can't wait to dye some more!

Lil' Miss Pretty Kitty!

2011-02-16T12:50:00.000-08:00

I just finished this little kitten in a pink dress today. I had picked up the cute vintage doll dress at an antique shop a few months ago. It was sitting all forlorn amongst a pile of other doll clothes odd and ends. I had started off making a bunny actually, but while waiting for the ears to dry decided to go with a kitten instead.:) When I was younger we lived on a farm with dozens of farm cats. One of the cats my sister and I named, Little Miss Friend Cat. (I don't know why exactly) But that is what came back to me as I made this one. My sister and I loved all the cats and kittens and wanted to bring them all inside but my parents wouldn't allow it! We only had one or two house cats, the rest had to tough it outside. I have fond memories of my sister and I finding the newest litter of baby kittens in the straw barn and we would sit in there for hours just playing with them. LOL, the momma cats hated it though, as they would then go hide them elsewhere after we left!

Love Is In The Air...or Gazebo!

2011-02-06T08:32:00.000-08:00

I had created this pretty pastel gazebo a month or so ago. I kept changing the little cuties that were in it but it never seemed quite right. So yesterday I made two sweet little kissing mice to place inside and now I think it is just right.:)

New Easter Bunnies!

2011-02-01T22:28:00.000-08:00

I've been working on chicks so much the past few days that today I decided to switch back to bunnies! I just love bunnies, don't you?:) I created these three with an Easter theme. They are wearing their Easter bonnets which I fashioned from vintage millinery flowers. I made little dresses for them out of vintage lace trim and material. I have them standing on wool felt that sandwich a thin wood disk.

New little Easter Chicks

2011-01-30T18:44:00.000-08:00

Today I worked on creating some cute little Easter chicks inspired by vintage chenille chicks of days gone by. These little cuties would be sure to brighten someones Easter basket this spring!:)

Finished these little sweeties!

2011-01-20T15:49:00.000-08:00

I finished these little sweeties today. I've been working on them the last few days. I found the loveliest vintage material at an antique shop last month and I used it to create the little dresses they are wearing.

What a lovely store!

2011-01-10T07:19:00.000-08:00

I just wanted to share with you this lovely little shop called Crown & Crumpet Tea Room! http://www.crownandcrumpet.com/ It's located in San Fransisco, CA and is just the cutest little shop ever!

Amy Dean the shop owner recently purchased a couple pieces of mine and she has contacted me to ask if I would like to sell some of my cuties in her lovely shop! I'm very excited as I think this would be a wonderful opportunity! I wish it were closer to me! I would so be shopping there everyday I think! :)

Busy Working On New Pieces

2010-12-29T18:54:00.000-08:00

I hope all of you had a great Christmas this year.:) This year was very different for us. Now that we live in Arizona it just doesn't feel the same. It was very quiet for us, as we are now all far away from family. I think also because the kids are all older...it seemed more sedated.
I have had some days off from work and I've been using it to make some new pieces. I need to go get some more supplies tomorrow!

Penelope the Circus Bunny!

2010-12-03T08:48:00.000-08:00

I just finished this cute piece and wanted to show you how it turned out. A customer wanted a birthday cake topper for her daughter that loves bunnies and her party is going with a vintage French circus theme and she asked me to create something.

Voila! It's a tightrope walking circus bunny!:)

My Cute Little Mouse Diorama

2010-11-20T21:22:00.000-08:00

I've been playing around with this idea in my head for a while but just got around to making it today. It's a little mouse reading a book under a mushroom on a little tuffet. I am going to add a butterfly and more flowers etc... I'm loving how its turning out so far!

I just wanted to share this with you all.:)

2010-11-11T19:06:00.000-08:00

Do you remember the pictures I shared with you of the woodsy cake topper I created a few months ago? The one with the little cute bunny and brown bear? Well, the bride was so sweet to share with me some photos of her beautiful wedding! I've created many wedding cake toppers but she was the first to share with me some photos. I was so happy to see them. It makes my heart swell with pride to see one of my creations included on such a special day!:)

Christmas is coming the goose is getting fat

2010-11-06T15:28:00.000-07:00

This silly tune has been stuck in my head for days now. It's something the Mr. sings during the holiday...he said it's from a song he learned in gradeschool for the Christmas program.

I made a few more cuties over the past few days. I did a couple of snowgirls like the one that got featured in the Better Homes & Gardens Holiday craft issue. And I made a cute standing teddy bear and a cute wee little mouse riding in a vintage sleigh. I want to make more but SOMEBODY wants to go to the hockey game tonight. The Phoenix Coyotes play his all time favorite team the Pittsburg Penguins. They only come to Arizona once the whole season so we are going to go see them play tonight. Hey! Maybe I'll take my bag of yarn with me so I can work on things while watching the game...I wonder if he would be really annoyed with that?! LOL! I tried to talk him into going alone but he kept insisting I go with...ugh!:(

Anyway, here are some pics of the little cuties I finished!:)

New Baby Shower Cake Topper

2010-11-03T13:06:00.000-07:00

I just finished this piece this morning and thought I'd share some pictures of it with you.:)

I found this adorable little baby toy rattle back when I lived in Washington state. At the time, I didn't have an idea for it's future use..I just thought it was really cute so I bought it. It's funny how things work out like that. I have picked up strange little bits and baubles that end up incorporated into my artwork weeks, months, even years later...I just save them and look at them from time to time.:) This rattle is so pretty with the little spinning swans inside it...perfect for a baby girl baby shower!

Hello Everyone!

2010-11-01T09:37:00.000-07:00

I know it's been a while. Too long actually. My life has gone through some major changes in 2010. Let's hope that 2011 will be much smoother.:) I have been busy making some new cuties the past few days gearing up for Christmas. I have so much to do and so little time. I have to be at work today in less than an hour but thought I'd try to post something before I go! Here are some pics of some really cute pieces I made over the weekend.

Much more to come, I promise!:)

Just about done...

2010-08-25T12:39:00.000-07:00

I am finishing up the last final touches to these two birthday cake toppers for one of my Etsy customers. They are twins, a boy and a girl.:) This is my first standing bear and I must say, I like it alot and I'm going to be making a lot more of those in the next few days to put in my etsy shop. In fact, I'm going to be making a lot of things to put in my etsy shop as it is almost empty! (that's a good thing right?:)

Finished!

2010-08-24T19:42:00.000-07:00

Hi! I just wanted to share with you this adorable wedding cake topper I just finished for an Etsy customer.:)

Look what I just did.:)

2010-08-22T08:58:00.000-07:00

I know I've been pretty quiet in blogger land these past few months. It's just since moving here things have been a bit stressful and chaotic. After moving here and unpacking in February, we moved yet again in May. I had always worked out of my garage in Washington and had also set up my craft room in the garage here in Arizona in the first house in February. Well, was I in for a huge surprise as summer kicked in after we moved again in May. It is unbearably hot here and way too hot to work in my garage. Also there was only one electrical outlet in there so I couldn't even run a fan. The good news is, over the weekend, I turned our front sitting room into my craft room. Ahhh.... air conditioning! The front room was wasted space and nobody ever used it. The bad thing is that it is the first room visitors will see when they enter my home...which will be more incentive for me to try to keep it somewhat clean and organized. Which I admit is a daily struggle. I just get so into creating that I won't stop to take the time to clean up my desk. It starts off clean and over time I will just have one tiny little area to work at, lol! The rest will become cluttered with supplies and materials!:) Here is a picture of what it looks like now.

Now that the majority of it is set up, I am so motivated and excited to get started again.:)

The Better Homes & Gardens Craft issue is out today!:)

2010-08-03T20:14:00.000-07:00

I got several emails from my etsy friends today that the long awaited Better Homes and Gardens Holiday Craft issue is now out. All these long months of waiting are finally over for me, lol! I called all around to find a copy with no luck but went to my local Walmart with my daughter Sierra and we found it! I am on cloud nine right now.

A day at the beach..

2010-06-09T15:29:00.000-07:00

Here's a picture of the latest commission I just finished. I had received an alchemy request to create a baby panda cake topper for a daughters birthday. Unconventional, but that's the cool thing about doing commissions for customers. They think up things I would never think of making. For instance, the little girls middle name is Rose. So the customer (the little girls mother) wanted me to incorporate some roses into the piece. The party is being held at the beach so she wanted glittery seashells as well. And, lol, I assume the little girl likes Pandas alot! :)

This is the first Panda I've ever made. I do have to say they are a bit tricky. Black and white yarn together is "messy"! They shed onto each other... I hope she likes it, now that it's finished!

Hello Everyone

2010-05-24T10:29:00.000-07:00

Hello all! I hope you are all doing well. I haven't been on here as much these past few months but that doesn't mean I am not thinking of you all.:)
I just wanted to share with you this cute little cake topper I recently finished for a customer of mine. It was a piece I had already created but modified it when she contacted me on short notice. I think it turned out well given the time frame.:) It is for her little granddaughter who is turning three and the theme of the party is a Bouncy Bounce one.:) How cute. And so Bella the bunny worked out great!
I hope to get back to creating soon. I am contemplating quitting my job again, lol, so I can go back to making my little cuties... Stay tuned....

Today I made my 200th sale on Etsy!

2010-04-22T14:11:00.000-07:00

Woo hoo! Today is kind of a bench mark for me as today I made my 200th sale on etsy! It was for a special order. My customer wanted to give this to her Mom for Mother's Day in memory of a grey cat she once had. How sweet!

My sales have slowed down considerably so I've returned to work. Which I hate, but the bills need to be paid... So with my return to work, it's taken its toll with me not being able to dedicate much time to my etsy shop or creating. Depressing!:(

Here is a photo of the the little kitty I made that just sold. It's pictured with this cute little baby mouse I made a week or so ago!:)

My little Honey Bunny

2010-04-02T14:03:00.000-07:00

I've been busy catching up on sending out orders and recreating the ones that sold but thought I'd share with you a pic of a little girl bunny doll I'm working on. She's still in the rough stages and isn't finished yet. It's the first one so I need to work some kinks out.:) I had to crop the pic to cut out the chaos of my work table, lol!

Finished

2010-03-29T15:42:00.000-07:00

Here is my little squirrel cake topper I've been working on all day today. (Yes, even squirrels get married, hee hee!)

This is the original piece I created last year...

I had put them then on a little light wood painted base and I hand glittered all the flowers and millinery with german glass glitter. They were a bit larger than the one I just created. It was really quite beautiful in person.:)

And the Winner Is...

2010-03-28T20:55:00.000-07:00

IttyBitty and Pretty! Congrats! Email me at diannbocek@yahoo.com so I can get your address and get Little Ms. Kitty out to you tomorrow! Thanks everyone for participating!

Today's Work In Progress...

2010-03-28T15:13:00.000-07:00

This is bit of a departure from my usual style of work, but I do like how its turning out. I decided to try to made a baby elephant after browsing through a Steiff catalog I picked up this week at a bear boutique. It's the first one I've ever made. It's a cake topper for a baby's 1st birthday!

A New Design To Share With You

2010-03-27T18:34:00.000-07:00

Today has been a pretty productive day! I got some things finished and thought I'd share with you all my new little mouse design. In case you haven't figured it out already, I LOVE RIBBON!!! I buy ribbon all the time whenever I go to any craft or fabric store. So I have a good stash. Many times I buy it and it just languishes around getting all snarled and tangled up. But today I actually sorted and organized it all. I bought the "vine" ribbon last year. A whole spool of it. I had to have the moment I spotted it at a little boutique. I think I knew then what I wanted to try to use it for but it did sit around for months until I got around to it.:) I had created a long time ago two little bunnies on a wood base. A girl bunny sat on a swing and a boy bunny stood behind pushing her. It was really cute. I wanted to try to recreate it but, lol, there just wasn't enough room on this base for both. And I made her a mouse...because, the bunny ears were too tall, lol.:) The swing actually rocks if you give her a gentle push.

Time already for another little GIVEAWAY!

2010-03-26T17:21:00.000-07:00

I found little Ms. Kitty one day on my regular antique hunts quite sometime ago. I had seen these cute little Cody Foster & Co. boxes that I just thought were so cute and was inspired. I "dressed" her up with a tiny little party hat and a bow with some flowers. I made the base to display her on the other day. I am going to give this little sweetie away to one of my blog readers! She's a little sassy party cat! This piece is about 4 1/2 inches tall and would look really cute tucked in a little niche somewhere special. All you have to do in order to enter, is to comment on this post. That's it! I won't require you to blog about it or do anything else!:)

Thanks everybody for being such great friends!

Hugs,
Myko

PS) I'm doing the drawing on Sunday so I can mail her out on Monday! (3/29)

Ta Daa!

2010-03-25T20:21:00.000-07:00

I know, I know...I just keep posting about my latest creations...but I can't help it! I want to share it with you all! Tonight I finished up this baby shower cake topper. I'm calling it, "Baby of Mine".

Welcome Home Baby!

2010-03-24T21:35:00.000-07:00

Today I spent the majority of the day working on this cake topper. It is like one I created last year but a bit more simple (thus cheaper). It's intended for a baby shower cake or an adoption party.:) I really like my idea of recyling old vintage baby shoes to use them as a baby mouse crib! I especially love the fact that these are made of wool felt too.

Bella the Baby Bunny

2010-03-24T09:01:00.000-07:00

Like I mentioned in my earlier post I've been visiting my old work. I had forgotten my prior use of incorporating vintage glass mercury beads in my pieces. I love old mercury glass! I have accumulated quite a collection of it over the years. And whenever I find any at a reasonable price I snatch it up at antique shops. Here is my latest creation. :) Yesterday I spent the majority of the day creating special little bases to place my cuties upon. I can't wait to get going today! I have some Baby Shower cake toppers planned! I'll be sure to keep you posted!

You've Come A Long Way Baby!

2010-03-23T21:09:00.000-07:00

Come on! Sing it with me! lol :)

Yesterday, I was going through some of my old pictures of my work on my computer and I had to laugh at my earlier pieces. I cringed because my first pom pom cuties looked so...well childish looking. What a difference 3 years makes!

Here's my very first "Mouse On a Mushroom" I ever made... (I'm almost too embarrassed to show you!)
Before

and here is what it's evolved in too... (I'm sure you've seen this one a time or two already though)

After

I feel my work is constantly evolving. I enjoy trying new ideas and experimenting in order to keep my work fresh and exciting. I hope you will continue to enjoy them too! :)

Introducing... Peony the Baby Mouse!

2010-03-23T12:24:00.000-07:00

Look what I just made! LOL! :) This is Peony the baby mouse. Peonies are my favorite flowers and so I created this little mouse sitting inside a peony blossom. I've been inspired, so I'm off to Micheals Craft Store to pick up more supplies!

I love pastels!

2010-03-21T08:54:00.000-07:00

Spring means pastel colors to me! I just love the soft colors!

Here is a pic of a little bunny pincushion I made recently.

Spring Cuteness!

2010-03-17T19:11:00.000-07:00

I got this done today and took some photos right before the sun set. I will have to take some better ones tomorrow when the light is better! I need to make a light box but have been either too busy or too lazy...)

I picture a whole group of bunnies celebrating Spring with gleeful dancing in a secret meadow...

A new design!

2010-03-15T18:32:00.000-07:00

I just finished this piece today! A new design! I've been toying with this idea in my head for a while and just started working on it this morning. So pretty much I've been working on it all day. (I need a good neck and back rub!) I'm calling this one, "Sweet Pea the Baby Mouse".

Vintage Inspiration

2010-03-14T07:55:00.000-07:00

As all of you probably well know, I make all my little animals by fashioning them out of a simple yarn pom poms. I wanted to share with you some vintage little pom pom animals that were made by a german toy company, Steiff back in the 50's and 60's. I find these tiny little guys to be so adorable!

(And here I thought I was so original with my little squirrels! LOL! :P)

Some of these vintage little cuties go for big bucks now days at auctions and on ebay. I have some vintage Steiff but would love to add more to my collection!

Cupcakes and Baby Bunnies?!

2010-03-11T14:57:00.000-08:00

I know it's a bit unconventional but I thought I'd give it a try. Today I made a baby bunny sitting atop a pink felted cupcake! It's intended as a gift for a birthday perhaps. Or maybe to celebrate baby's 1st birthday? Not that bunnies routinely sit on top of cupcakes, lol. I dunno but I thought it turned out cute. :)
I have done mice before on top of cupcakes and they were popular so I thought I'd try a bunny!

A "Fat Free" Chocolate Bunny! :)

2010-03-08T09:10:00.000-08:00

I worked on finishing up this little guy yesterday. This was my first attempt at overalls for my standing bunnies. I wish I could have found some teeny tiny buttons for the overalls. I need to get into learning how to sculpt with polymer clay! I see so many wonderful and creative things people make with it all the time on Etsy.

Okay, opinion time!

2010-03-06T18:13:00.000-08:00

Be honest now folks! Remember a few posts back I mentioned my attempt to make a white rabbit in reference to Alice in Wonderland? I had made one but it didn't turn out very cute. :( Today I worked on another. Is this idea stupid? Please be frank and honest! It won't hurt my feelings!

I had envisioned a bunch of my toadstools/mushrooms pictured all around him. I haven't gotten that far yet, but here is a picture...

Earlier today I took the kids to go see the new, "Alice In Wonderland" movie. It was pretty good! Not as good as, "Avatar" in my opinion, but good none the less! My kids really liked the movie.:)

More Studio Fun!

2010-03-05T15:23:00.000-08:00

Well, the weather has totally inspired me and has me excited about Spring/Easter! This is one of my favorite holidays for many reasons. One, I really love pastel colors! Two, I love bunnies! And I love the change from the dreary drab into the pretty colors of Spring. Today I went to Target and I enjoy strolling up and down the ailes looking at all the spring goodies. I do this pretty much where ever I go actually! I love Pottery Barns things this season too! I have enough things to fill several houses so I don't buy much anymore. (Unless, of course, there is something super cute that I simply can't pass up!:) Today I just bought some apple green paper grass to put in the kids baskets. Then I thought I should make up an Easter basket shown with one of my little cuties tucked into it! I should have bought some pretty candy.... Hmmmm..I may have to go back later....:) Here are some pics thus far! I made a little lop eared bunny. It looks kind of funny but it's still cute!

And here's another. I named her Penelope. :)

Yippee! I now have 100 blog followers!

2010-03-03T16:32:00.000-08:00

Hurray! I now have 100 blog followers! Time for another give a way perhaps?! ;)

I'm so excited to share my news with you all! I have been trying to keep quiet about it for months until I knew for sure it was going to actually happen. Now that I am fairly certain it will, I can finally spill the beans! Last December I was contacted by an editor of Better Homes and Gardens! They asked if I would like to be a featured artist in their upcoming holiday craft issue that will be due out this fall. Can you believe it?!!! I, of course, said "YES!". :) I was asked to feature one of my little snowgirls. I am so super excited for this opportunity and I can't wait for the issue to come out so I can buy a slew of copies to hand out to friends and family, lol! This is a major first for me and I am so happy to finally be able to share the news with all of you. Here is a pic of some of the snowmen I make.:) I know it's pretty early to be thinking of winter so soon but I guess thats how it works in the magazine world!

A lovely gift for the expecting mother...

2010-02-28T07:33:00.000-08:00

Hi everyone! Here is a picture of a special commision I did for a wonderful customer of mine. Her sister just found out she is going to have twins! How exciting! So she asked me to create my little mouse in the boat but instead of one mouse, two! She didn't know if they are going to be yet so I left the ribbons around their necks neutral. I think it turned out adorable.:) And what a sweet thing for her to give to her sister to commemorate the news.

so sorry!

2010-02-24T21:13:00.000-08:00

I'm so sorry everyone for my lack of blogging these past few weeks. I am going through a difficult time but promise to get back to blogging asap. I miss you guys!

Hugs,
M

Happy Hump Day!

2010-02-09T21:45:00.000-08:00

I finished two super cute cuties this week so far! It's been a long while since I made a kitten and I had so much fun making one again for the shop. I took several pictures of her "dressed" up with accessories I had on hand. This little kitty reminds me so much of a stuffed toy cat I recieved from my Aunts in Japan when I was little. I loved that stuffed toy and I had it for many years. It also reminds me of Duchess from the Disney Movie, "Aristocats". :)

Here she is with her little crown and rose... (yes, for some reason these little cuties make me revert to an eight year old again, LOL! But I am having so much fun. When I was taking pictures I was in Marina's room and I kept laughing at myself as I took them. Marina looked at me like I was crazy.:)

I have this other idea thats been bouncing around in my head for a while. I made a little white rabbit holding a tiny antique bottle with "drink me" in reference to "Alice In Wonderland". But, the rabbit didn't turn out very cute and I scrapped the idea. Here is a pic of the kitty with it.:) I still like the idea so I think I will try to make it again soon!

The other cutie I finished is a little mouse sitting on a mushroom reading. I think this one is the cutest I've made so far!

A little story behind this design is that a few years ago, my daughter Sierra wanted my help in creating a book fair poster for school. And so "a little mouse sitting on a mushroom reading a book" was born.:) On the poster we had a little flower that was a "reading lamp". It was very cute!

I haven't forgotten!

2010-02-08T07:59:00.000-08:00

I'm running behind this morning and so I will draw the winner of the give away when I get home from work later today!:) Stay tuned...

More Spring Goodies

2010-02-05T07:47:00.000-08:00

I don't have too much time to blog this morning, gotta run off to work. >:P But I wanted to show you my two little chicky babies I finished late last night. I just love the color of the wool yellow yarn I found yesterday! It's too bad the shop only had one skein left!:(

I hope all of you are having a Happy Friday!

Been Busy As Always!

2010-02-03T08:19:00.000-08:00

All day at work yesterday I keep thinking of projects to do when I got home and I couldn't wait to get started on them. But, lol, I got a text from one of my kids complaining that there was NOTHING to eat in the house! Aaarrggghhh! I hate going grocery shopping! LOL, I like to eat the food once it's home but what a drag going to get it! I just wanted to come home and relax in front of the tv and craft away. Now days it I don't even bother to cook dinner half the time. Thank goodness Brett does it! LOL, what a horrible mom I've become! But I went to Walmart after work to get the groceries. I hate going there but it is so super close to my house. I hate the self automated check outs...for one, they don't save you time because they are so glitchy that you need a worker to come type in a code to clear it every other item. And it seems that there are only a handful of actual clerks to check you out and of course the lines are super long. Sigh, but enough about that! I did manage to work on two new cute little Chocolate Bunnies last night! These little guys are fat free! One is already spoken for, but the other I will soon be listing after I finish the little guy tonight!:)

For those who are new, don't forget to enter the drawing down below!:)

Okay it's finally GIVE AWAY TIME People!!! :)

2010-02-01T20:34:00.000-08:00

I finally have over 50 followers! Yaaaaa! So, I am going to hold my first ever FREE give away! I hope I do this right! I am going to randomly draw a name from who ever leaves comments to my posts over the next week. Rules; You must be one of my blog followers.:) And it would be nice if you were also a Facebook fan, hint! hint! The drawing will be held on Monday, Febuary 8th! That way you will receive this little cutie right before Valentine's Day! ( I just took her out of my Etsy shop just for you!) Hey, look at this way, not that many people comment, lol, so your odds are VERY good!

This cute one of a kind little sugar mouse holds a solid wood carved heart (brought back from Jeruselum by a friend) that has platinum glass glitter applied. She wears a pink velvet ribbon around her neck. So sweet and demure!

A little birdie told me...

2010-01-31T13:51:00.000-08:00

Another Sunday! January is over and now I'm gearing up to make lots of Spring goodies. I think Spring is my favorite season for decorating. I just love pastel colors! Today I've been busy making little birdies and mushrooms for my etsy shop. The birdies are not too time consuming, it's the mushrooms. I've come up with an original way to needle felt them so they have enough weight to stand firmly on their own and to allow me to place one of my little cuties on the top. It is also the same technique I use for my needle felted cupcakes. I have some yummy new roving colors that I can't wait to try out!
Here is a pic of some of the whimsies I am working on today.:)

My latest creation

2010-01-28T21:18:00.000-08:00

I have a good friend (Bill) who is always kidding with me about making a drunken mouse for St. Patricks Day. I always laugh and tell him I will make one some day. Tonight, I actually did.:) Here is a picture for you all to see how it turned out. I got the little beer mug in a lot of vintage charms a few years ago. The charms, mostly from the 70's looked so cute in a little jar I have sitting in my craft room. LOL, there is also a little hotdog charm! But, don't worry, I doubt I'll be making a cutie holding a hotdog anytime soon!

And I have yet another friend who gives me a hard time about how all my little cuties are so sweet and cute and how I should make an "evil" one. So now we joke about me making a red eyed little mouse holding a tiny knife. This thought always cracks me up and I keep saying I'm going to make it one of these days...so be on the look out in the future for my morbid silliness to actually show up. ;)

My latest little squirrel

2010-01-23T20:54:00.000-08:00

I just finished making this little squirrel for one of my repeat customers. I tried a new color and I really like how it turned out.:) Just thought I'd share a picture of it with you all.

Hi Everyone! I need your votes! :)

2010-01-19T21:46:00.000-08:00

Today I got an email from Poppytalk! I was nominated! Here's a excerpt from the convo I got;

"You have been nominated for a Poppy by your peers/customers and readers at our Handmade Awards event, The Poppies! Your nomination is under the category of "crafters". We are posting the voting poll for your category today at Poppytalk - (http://www.poppytalk.blogspot.com) which will remain open for voting for one week effective today through to Monday January 26th, 2010 at 11:59 pm. One vote will be allowed per computer and one vote per category. It's an amazing gathering of artists, and you should be proud to be amongst the bunch!

We recommend you ask your readers/customers and peers to vote for you OFTEN during the voting week - by posting something

from your blog, email newsletter, site, facebook page or twitter. Please direct them to the following link:

http://poppytalk.blogspot.com/2010/01/poppies-vote-no-2-crafters.html "

So! I it would REALLY mean a lot to me if any of my readers would go to the above link to Poppytalk and vote for little ole' me. I don't expect to win but it would sure be great to get some votes from you all. Pretty please with a Cherry on top?! :)

Hugs,
Myko

Weekend Cuteness So Far

2010-01-16T13:27:00.000-08:00

Today I finished up this cute little baby woodland mouse. She holds a needle felted leaf in one arm and a tiny little woven basket in the other. She's off to gather berries and nuts in the woods but it's raining.

My Little Bunny Fairy!

2010-01-14T15:25:00.000-08:00

Here is my annual Maypole Bunny Dance

2010-01-11T08:08:00.000-08:00

Here is the Maypole Bunny Dance piece I finished this weekend. I got a lot done. (LOL, my car has been in the shop over the weekend so I was stuck home happily crafting away!) My daughter Sierra helped paint the pole. She was bored and I talked her into helping me paint some little accessories for upcoming projects.

My Little Honey Bunnies!

2010-01-08T20:21:00.000-08:00

I've been busy creating away after getting off work. I am sooo excited for Spring already and I can't wait to show you all the cuteness I have planned. One of my projects I plan on working on this weekend is my re-creation of a design I created last spring and that is of my Maypole Bunny Dance. Here is a picture of my little honey bunnies I've made thus far. :) I just love bunnies, lol!

A first for me!

2010-01-02T19:25:00.000-08:00

Look what I made today. Hee hee! My first little skunk cutie!

Merry Christmas!

2009-12-24T17:03:00.000-08:00

A heartfelt thank you to all that visit me on my little blog. All your comments mean so much and all of your support as well. I love creating and sharing with you all my little ideas and memories and have so much more to share if you are willing to listen, lol.

I am excited for tomorrow morning for my kids to open their gifts. They are getting older and with that their innocent beliefs about Santa have faded over the past few years. So it is a little bittersweet when I stop to think about it and reflect on Christmases past. But we are all together happy and healthy. We have a roof over our head and food on our table and family to share it with. What more can one ask for?

(Pictured are my three youngest and our niece and nephew to the right.)

Weekend Cuteness So Far!

2009-12-12T10:50:00.000-08:00

I know, I know! Valentine's Day is 2 months away but I need to get started now to get some inventory built up in time.;) Here are some cuties I created this morning so far. I had started them over the week actually and finished up today. I have lots of ideas to try out this year and I'm so excited and inspired! I want to do sooo much!

Hello Beautiful!

2009-12-09T07:47:00.000-08:00

Yes, and I do mean you!;) I have been meaning to share with you about a fellow friend and blogger, Kathryn of Secrets of a Butterfly. Her site is just gorgeous and I do mean it sincerly to say that one day I hope I can create a website half as beautiful as hers!:) You should go check it out and you will see what I mean. http://www.secretsofabutterfly.typepad.com/

Kat has also been kind enough to post a link on her site to my little etsy shop, which I think is so sweet of her. She has recently published a book filled with beautiful reflections and photography called Wishes of Peace. I am planning on getting a copy asap! It will look so pretty sitting on my coffee table!

Just me again

2009-11-23T21:12:00.000-08:00

Hello, hello. I'm getting excited about the upcoming holidays, are you? I picked up a Butterball Turkey this weekend. We are going to host Thanksgiving dinner this year at our home. I can't wait to pig out, lol!

Here's a picture of a new wedding cake topper I finished tonight. I love how the colors turned out. Subtle but sweet and perfect for a winter wedding!

Had a really productive weekend!

2009-11-16T20:54:00.000-08:00

Whew! I got a lot done this weekend. I wish I had more time as I have so much more ideas I want to create. On Saturday I hit a few of the local antique shops and found some little Christmas goodies to work with. On Saturday and Sunday I ended up running over to the craft stores for more supplies. I was annoyed with the Sunday trip as I went there on Saturday but of course my 40% off coupon wasn't valid until Sunday!

My youngest, Ian, set it up so I can watch dvds on an old tv in the garage so that was nice! What was even better was that the kids came out and watched the movies out in the garage with me while I crafted. We watched UP! It was really good...it made me cry right off the bat. A total of 6 movies were watched! LOL! If you get a chance you should go take a look at the cuties I created. I just finished this one tonight.

Baby Shower Cake Topper

2009-11-14T23:48:00.000-08:00

Today was my friend, Heather's baby shower. For her gift I created a cake topper. The cake with the topper turned out super cute. Everyone had nice things to say about it. Here is a picture. I had to take it with my iphone so no flash. :(

OMG Everyone!

2009-11-14T08:41:00.000-08:00

I have been wishing and wanting for months to finally make the front page of etsy! And today it happened!!! I am so thrilled! (can you tell?!) The bad news is that I hardly have any items! (wait?! is that really a bad thing?!) In either case, I need to get my butt out to the garage and start creating. I have lots of cuteness planned this weekend so be on the lookout the next few days!

It's also Happy Hump Day!

2009-11-11T16:54:00.001-08:00

I finished this piece this morning! It's similar to the one I made for Sentimental Journies http://www.sentimentaljournies.com/ on Saturday. They are having an open house in November and they are featuring some of my work and of Marina's! We are very excited to be part of this event. Too bad it's too far away for us to attend in person but maybe next year. :) For this piece I made a little baby bunny wrapping a bit shiny silver beaded garland around a Bethany Lowe bottle brush tree. It too, turned out really cute I think! Now, I only have one more BL Christmas tree left to create something with..:(

Happy Veterans Day

2009-11-11T13:53:00.000-08:00

Happy Veterans Day! I took the day off from my job to stay home and craft some more and decided to blog about my father who retired from the U.S. Navy after serving more than 20 years. He was a wonderful man and father and I miss him very much. He sadly passed away from cancer in 2003 but there is not a single day I do not think of him.

Busy catching up!

2009-11-07T08:50:00.000-08:00

I'm busy, busy, busy! But thought I'd take a quick break to show you the one I just finished! I LOVE it. You know that feeling you get when you finish something and you just know its perfectly executed? That's how I felt about this one. :) Now time to go back to the garage to work on some more!

What A Night!

2009-11-06T02:46:00.001-08:00

Well, the open house was a rousing success! A fun time was had by all and I'm glad it's over with! LOL! Now I can concentrate on working on my little cuties more. I was amazed at how many people showed up and how much I got done at the last minute. The front of the cottage two days ago was still Halloween so it took me a whole day to convert it to the icy green and silver splendor it is now.

Here are some pictures of my 2 favorite trees out of the 20 I decorated for the store.

Tonight is the big Christmas Open House!

2009-11-05T07:43:00.000-08:00

Do you recognize the little cuties from my banner above? I made them to create the picture and now they are available individually.

Tonight is the big night at my work, Beaver Bark. I have been so busy and exhausted these past few days so I apologize that I haven't had time to post anything as of late. Hopefully, after tonight I will have more time to devote to my cuties. :) I have lots of new things lined up to create so I will be sure to keep you posted.

My Talented Daughter

2009-11-02T23:37:00.000-08:00

I got a late start tonight out in my studio but I love the end result. I created two little cuties to complete the above vignette for the upcoming holiday season. I purchased this vintage pink truck just to create this photo. I fell in love with the color of it and had to have it once I imagined what I could do with using it as a prop. Marina my oldest is so talented and artistic and she helped create a new banner for my Etsy shop and for my blog after I took the pictures. The one thing I've realized, It's really hard picking out a perfect font! The one on my etsy shop isn't done either as we are going to find a different font for that one but it was getting late and she needed to get to bed as she has school tomorrow! Speaking of which so do I! Yawn! Goodnight all! :)

Happy Halloween!

2009-10-31T12:13:00.000-07:00

It's Halloween but it's beginning to look like Christmas around here. Well, just in my workspace actually! I have been having a lot of fun creating this morning. I just wanted to share a picture of what I just finished. It's very shabby chic inspired!

Later this evening we will be taking off to go to Brett's parents house to watch a game and enjoy some chili.

It's Friday

2009-10-30T06:42:00.000-07:00

Happy Friday everyone! Hope everybody has had a good week and an even better weekend ahead. I still need to go get some candy to hand out for Halloween tomorrow night for a few hours before we leave for the night. Most of our evening will be spent at Brett's parents house. The kids informed me that they are too old to go trick or treating now! They don't even want to go. :( So we will just go for the annual chili party at the Boe and Janice's. It's our family tradition to go get a bowl of steaming hot chili after running around the chilly neighborhood trick or treating. Desert of course, is to pilfer the kids goodies!

Yesterday I got a wonderful email to tell me one of my little cuties was featured in a treasury on Etsy. Hurray! I haven't been featured in a long time. Here's a link! http://www.etsy.com/treasury_list.php?room_id=90896

Yummy felted cuteness!

2009-10-27T21:11:00.001-07:00

Two blogs in one night! I just finished the details on the pink mushroom and took some pictures with the aid of my photo assistant. (LOL, which is Sierra, my 13 year old!) She gets to hold the light box for me as the days have grown shorter and the natural daylight is gone by the time I am done after work. The little turtle is the one I mentioned in my post yesterday. I had imagined a little mouse riding him. And Marina had inspired me to try making a snail. She laments the day the little ceramic snail she made in school in 2nd grade got broken. It was so cute. This one looks very similar only it is in felt form.

Decorating the house for Halloween

2009-10-27T18:12:00.000-07:00

Actually, I decorated weeks ago but wanted to wait till this week to share. I am an eclectic collector of things. One of the things I love to collect is vintage Halloween and fortune telling games. I have been collecting off and on for about 10 years. I have more things but I don't always display them year after year. I try to rotate some of my things as I don't want to over do it in my living room. This year I was lucky enough to finally acquire the Chiromagica game. I have tried to procure this game for many years. I actually had won it 5 years ago on ebay only to get it in the mail in pieces. How disappointing! But I won it on ebay a few months ago once again and it's in wonderful condition. It's quite old. It was made by McLoughlin Bros., circa 1870. Many times I wish I had a bigger house again to house all my things! When I lived in Minnesota I had a huge old Victorian and I miss it terribly. Here are some pictures of my display this year. I love my little winking black cat. I found him at an antique show in Delaware when I went back home for a visit. He has the most unique face!

I guess Mondays aren't so bad :)

2009-10-26T22:03:00.000-07:00

Today was a pretty productive day for me. I got a lot done at my work. I still have lots to do before the stores open house on November 5th. But thankfully the majority of it is nearly completed. Just a few more trees and the front counter to decorate.

The girls came back from visiting in Portland tonight. I'm glad they are home! I really missed them. The house just isn't the same without them when they are gone.

Tonight I finished a cute little mouse. It began very different! I was going to put the little mouse on a needle felted turtle. (which turned out really cute) Like he was riding him. But when I asked for opinions, everybody agreed that this seemed cruel to the turtle! LOL! Ian's exact words were that it was "turtle slavery". So instead the little mouse is a Christmas mouse holding a candy cane. Too funny!

Back to my day job tomorrow...:(

2009-10-25T18:54:00.000-07:00

I know you are all probably tired of hearing me write about how much I dread Mondays! But, lol, too bad 'cause you are going to hear it some more! hee hee!

I am so happy that I was able to work on some more cuteness today! I only finished one. The Bunny Princess. Cheesy? Too corny? I was on the fence on this one I'll admit. But once I started I had to finish it. It's cute. But not really my style in my opinion. The customers will tell me if this is a keeper or not! I had just got some wire lametta from Blumchen.com. One of my favorite online stores. I love it. It is so sparkly and pretty and I want more! I started making little tiaras with it and that is how my creativity took a little turn to "princess" mode I think!

Tonight, I'm working on some yummy felted goodies. I love how soft needle felting looks and am excited how things are shaping up. Well, I should get back to the garage before I run out of time. :)

Finished for tonight!

2009-10-24T21:33:00.000-07:00

It's been rather a lonely day with everyone gone! Quiet too. Although, I did have kitty to keep me company. He's rather sweet and he always makes me smile when he plays in the garage. (It's really the neighbors cat but he is always coming over to visit.) Ian pretty much kept to himself most of the day in his room playing on his computer online.

I was able to finish my other project tonight after all as you can see. :) It's another little bunny! This time, sitting in a pink top hat!

Baby Princess Squirrel

2009-10-24T13:50:00.000-07:00

This weekend it's just me and Ian (my eleven year old) The girls are visiting down in Portland and Brett is in Yakima all day playing in a hockey tournament. So I've been sitting in the garage creating all morning. I had a lot of fun coming up with this one. Currently, I'm working on another little cutie, but sadly, I ran out of felt. I'll now have to wait till I can get more. It's gonna be so cute when it's done. I can't wait to show you all. But now I'm off to the store with Ian. He's wanting some Sour Patch Kids!

A good productive night!

2009-10-22T21:12:00.000-07:00

Tonight was a good night as I was able to finish some of my cuties. I have been making a lot of mice lately so I decided to make a Christmas bunny! Although mice seem to be more suitable for some reason for Christmas! :) But, hey! Bunnies love Christmas too! :D

Happy Hump Day!

2009-10-21T22:30:00.000-07:00

I didn't get much done tonight as my in-laws came over and we had dinner. (We ordered Pizza Hut!:) But I did get some preliminary work done on some cute new pieces I should have done by Friday! I need to get in gear making some more cuties for Christmas as it will be here before we know it!

Another busy day ahead!

2009-10-20T04:49:00.001-07:00

It's 5 am and here I sit! Insomnia again. I woke up at 3 am and kept thinking about things and couldn't get back to sleep so decided to surf the web hoping I could go back to sleep. Except now I'm hungry but feeling too lazy to get out of my cozy bed to go down to the kitchen to make myself something to eat.
I have lots of ideas swimming around in my head to try to create this week. Some are big and some not so much. I know I can make the big ones happen but wonder if it will be time well spent?
On another note, I have some other things troubling my mind as of late. I don't know if I should do anything about it and that includes even mentioning it on here. I am not sure if it would be in good taste to blog about. Not that I would mention names or exact particulars! But, since I'm in doubt I'll wait and ponder on it some more. LOL, I know it sounds cryptic. It's not. Just a situation with a fellow etsyian that is bothering me. I'm sure I'm not the first to have had this problem nor the last. Just wanting to vent a little I suppose!
Hope everyone has a wonderful and productive day! (I'm going down now to get a little morning snack after all! :)

Another weekend gone...sniff, sniff! :(

2009-10-18T21:44:00.000-07:00

I'm bummed! The weekend flew by so fast! Too fast, in fact. I am already dreading work tomorrow. I have so much to do and know it's going to be a long day. I work as a visual merchandiser for a huge gift and garden center and I have 6 more trees to decorate and a whole display wall to break down and re-merchandise. (a huge undertaking) It has to be all done before November 1st in time for our Christmas open house. I do enjoy my job but some days I wish I could stay at home to make my cuties full time. Wouldn't that be just so lovely?!:)
Here's a picture of the little cutie I just finished tonight and put up on etsy.

We just got back from the haunted house

2009-10-18T00:12:00.000-07:00

I finally took a much needed break from creating and went with the family to visit a haunted house in a small town about an hour from us. We had so much fun! It cost us $6 each in admission but I think it was well spent. The girls screamed hysterically and I think even Brett was spooked a few times, lol. Ian opted to stay home. He hates clowns and the last time we went it gave him nightmares for several weeks. Though, it just didn't feel the same without him. Poor kid! Brett's sister Jennifer and her boyfriend Greg came. I laughed so hard when at the end a man with a fake chainsaw started chasing poor Jennifer almost all the way to the parking lot! We all got back pretty late and I'm going to surf the net and go to bed. Back to the ole' grindstone tomorrow! ;)

Got a lot done today..

2009-10-17T16:48:00.000-07:00

I worked on the cake topper today and am happy to have finished it. I also got two other cuties done. One is another mouse on a cupcake. It's slightly different from the first. I find I really don't like making the same thing over and over even if it does sell quickly. I like the concept of unique one of a kind pieces. LOL, also even if I do try to recreate one of my pieces, I find it very hard to replicate it exactly. So, in reality all are one of a kind, huh? :) Here are some pictures for you to enjoy!

So happy its FRIDAY!

2009-10-16T08:29:00.000-07:00

Good morning all! I am so relieved that Friday is now upon us! Can't wait for the weekend. I have some projects planned and I can't wait to get started on them! I'll keep you updated on the process. (hint; it's a new cake topper)

I just reordered some more MOO business cards this morning. I'm so excited to get them. They are going to be so stinking cute! :)

Here is a picture of the little guy I finished late, late, last night. Whew! I must be on a manic high as I've gotten little sleep these past few days. I'm up into the wee hours of the night and I've been waking up very early as well. LOL, not my usual style. I like my beauty sleep!

I'm also thrilled as I've been selling my little sweeties. They are all going to good and happy homes I am sure.

Pretty Please with a Cherry on top?!

2009-10-15T20:19:00.000-07:00

Well, my little mouse on the mushroom sold right away this morning on etsy! Wow, that was super fast! I am going to finish this little post and then go and make another hopefully before going to bed. I did finish this little cupcake cutie tonight. :) I'm having so much fun!!! I love it! ;)

Finished this little guy tonight

2009-10-14T18:33:00.000-07:00

It took me a bit longer than I thought it would tonight to finish the mouse and the mushroom piece. Note to self ; to take better care of my yarn! When I moved my studio out into the garage many of my supplies got scrambled and it took me an hour to get the yarn untangled from a ball of snarled mess! But I had no more gray and was to pressed for time and too cheap to go buy more. Felting the tiny paws proved a bit difficult. I noticed certain roving is easier to work with than others. But here is the finished product. Hope it brings a smile to someones face! It did mine! :)

A Mouse and a Mushroom

2009-10-13T22:26:00.000-07:00

Sigh, what a long day this has been! Work, work, work. (No rest for the wicked as they say) I managed to get two Christmas trees up and decorated today for work. A vintage themed one and a platinum/light blue one. I still have 6 more to go before the open house scheduled for November 1st.

After work, I came home and got straight to work out in my garage studio. I have to say, I really like how they turned out! LOL, I always fall in love with my latest creation it seems! During lunch today I went to my favorite antique shop and found some goodies! I can't wait to create with it all. Tonight I made the mouse on the vintage pin cushion I found. Its a little grungy due to its age but to me that just adds to its charm! I also got the sweetest tiny little spools of thread. I used one for the "Sew Cute Mouse". I think it'll be the perfect gift for the quilter or seamstress!

Next I made a cute red and white mushroom. I really love how it turned out. Its intended for a mouse to sit on that I hope to finish tomorrow.

Look what I just made :)

2009-10-11T19:28:00.001-07:00

I just wanted to share a pic of these cute little baby seals I made today. A baby boy and a baby girl. :) I admit, I got the idea from an older Steiff mohair piece and I wondered if I could make one similar? Please tell me what you think of them. :D

Today was a bust!

2009-10-10T20:53:00.000-07:00

Okay, I'm sure this has all happened to everyone one time or another. I have been looking forward for weeks to attend a heavily advertised antique show this weekend. After getting up at 7 am on my day off and driving over an hour I was sorely disappointed and let down!:( It was by far one of the lamest antique shows I have attended in a long time. I was charged six dollars admission on top of that. After perusing the vendors (which took a total of ten minutes) I met up with my teenage daughter who is wanting to decorate her room in steam punk. She had found some cool looking wood floats with netting. No greeting/acknowledgment from the sellers. (a surly looking couple if I do say so myself) We took our item to them to purchase, still no word. We pay and no bag to put them in was offered. As we are leaving my daughter cheerfully said thank you which was ignored. I was tempted to ask for our money back and tell them where to stick those floats! But they were for Marina and so I bit my tongue. Overall, I was so bummed out....sigh!:(
I did get a few tiny do dads to use later for my little lovelies. Some vintage Christmas corsages, some tiny mercury glass stems in hot pink, and some cute little pastel celluloid thimbles to protect our thumbs while needle felting.
On the upside, we did have a lovely time walking downtown Walla Walla visiting the little shops and had some delicious pizza at Sweet Basil. It was so good! In fact, I wish I had some it right now.

One of my earliest fondest memories

2009-10-08T07:53:00.000-07:00

One of my earliest and fondest memories is from when I was five years old. Getting to go to the school library to check out a book for the first time. It was Beatrix Potter's, "Tale of Two Bad Mice". Maybe it was the little size of the book that first drew me to it or perhaps it was the title? Whatever the case, I LOVED this story! Totally enchanted I loved the tale and I also loved the charmingly beautiful illustrations. Over the years Beatrix Potter would serve to be one of my largest inspirations. For many years I fantasized about growing up to be a children's book illustrator and maybe author. Growing up on a farm there were always field mice to catch and observe much to my parents disgust and protest. I still think they are cute but I certainly don't want them running amok in my house! Only in pom pom form! ;)