little birds handmade

nutty

My kids wanted to make something for my table at Studio Craft, so we created these little guys from wool roving and acorn tops today. Pretty cute.

Another squirrel. His tail came out really pouffy! I'm a little nutty myself, still scrambling to get things done. I'm about 30% there with the Halloween costumes, pumpkins have been carved (and the seeds roasted), gingerbread ghosts have been baked, iced and decorated, (some) projects and swaps have finally been finished and mailed, and I've been sewing and stuffing as fast as I can (which, admittedly, is not very fast as I'm kind of slow and finicky) for Studio Craft. In fact, I've run out of stuffing, so I'll be moving on to other things this week (provided my Gocco supplies are delivered in time). I know that I'm not going to be able to make as many things as I had planned (my sister is arriving on Wednesday to further distract me), but I'll be happy to just sit there with whatever I can manage to put together and enjoy the truly fine company (and do some shopping of my own). Everything left over will be added to my shop the following week. I'll let the mailing list know ahead of time.

Off to tackle the fake fur viking vest...

mixed bag weekend

Beautiful fall weather. An outing to the pumpkin patch. Farm animals to feed. A hay slide. A house full of chestnuts in which to roll. Kettle corn (maybe a little too much kettle corn for someone). The perfect pumpkins (and some white gourds for me). A school harvest faire. More treats and games. A tummy ache for Mia. Missed book group. Up half the night with a sick child. A lot of midnight laundry. A new day. All better. More sunshine. Coffee and the New York Times. A trip to the thrift store. No puffy-sleeved blue dresses to be found (for the Alice-in-Wonderland costume). A little cuckoo-style clock unearthed by Mia. Five dollars. Sold. Grilled cheese and tomato soup for dinner. Back to work. A new week...

Beautiful fall weather. An outing to the pumpkin patch. Farm animals to feed. A hay slide. A house full of chestnuts in which to roll. Kettle corn (maybe a little too much kettle corn for someone). The perfect pumpkins (and some white gourds for me). A school harvest faire. More treats and games. A tummy ache for Mia. Missed book group. Up half the night with a sick child. A lot of midnight laundry. A new day. All better. More sunshine. Coffee and the New York Times. A trip to the thrift store. No puffy-sleeved blue dresses to be found (for the Alice-in-Wonderland costume). A little cuckoo-style clock unearthed by Mia. Five dollars. Sold. Grilled cheese and tomato soup for dinner. Back to work. A new week...

boo!

Hello everyone and thank you for your well wishes and suggestions. My neck is so much better today. I can look in all directions, and I'm loving it! I tried my best to stay away from the computer, but just had to check in now and again. I left emails untouched except for work and volunteer stuff, so I'll have to continue to try to catch up with those over the next week. I've got my sewing area all set up so that I can do most everything (ironing, cutting and sewing) standing up. I feel good to go!

Despite our jam-packed fall schedule, I am trying to really slow down. I have so many wonderful opportunities right now, and it's time that I stopped worrying about them and started enjoying them. I had a moment this morning when I realized, it will be okay. It will all get done. Everything will fall into place. Even now, it's okay.

My kids have been asking for Halloween decorations, so Mia and I made and hung these bats yesterday. Today we're having a friend over and I think we'll give these ghosts a try. Looks messy, but as Miles said when he looked at the bats, "It's still not spooky enough in here."

Hello everyone and thank you for your well wishes and suggestions. My neck is so much better today. I can look in all directions, and I'm loving it! I tried my best to stay away from the computer, but just had to check in now and again. I left emails untouched except for work and volunteer stuff, so I'll have to continue to try to catch up with those over the next week. I've got my sewing area all set up so that I can do most everything (ironing, cutting and sewing) standing up. I feel good to go!

Despite our jam-packed fall schedule, I am trying to really slow down. I have so many wonderful opportunities right now, and it's time that I stopped worrying about them and started enjoying them. I had a moment this morning when I realized, it will be okay. It will all get done. Everything will fall into place. Even now, it's okay.

My kids have been asking for Halloween decorations, so Mia and I made and hung these bats yesterday. Today we're having a friend over and I think we'll give these ghosts a try. Looks messy, but as Miles said when he looked at the bats, "It's still not spooky enough in here."

repetitive stress

I have a pinched nerve in my neck which was probably caused by some sort of repetitive stress. Was it hand sewing all those tiny hats last week? Sifting through and attempting to answer the hundreds of emails I have received this week? Rocking out to Sufjan Stevens at the Crystal Ballroom on Friday night? Cutting out and sewing strips of wool for the scarf I made my mom for her birthday? Cleaning out my basement? Hemming 70 napkins (with my mom's help) for my daughter's school? All of the above? Who knows, but it's causing me a lot of pain and trying to ignore it isn't working, so I'm going to take it easy on the sewing and computer stuff (the most likely candidates) for a few days. I thought I'd feature a few things from my archives in the meantime.

I made this tooth pillow for my daughter in August 2005 when she told me her first tooth was loose. Well, 14 months later, that tooth finally fell out this morning at breakfast (after dangling there and grossing us all out for weeks), so we'll put this pillow to use tonight. It lost an eye, so I'll have to fix that. It's made of wool felt and vintage fabric. My daughter designed the heart pocket, I embroidered the word, she sewed it on the tooth. What is the going rate for the tooth fairy these days?

I've received quite a few emails letting me know that people are being asked for a password at the new little birds location. I have no idea why this is happening as I have no password associated with this blog. Maybe something from your cache? Apparently, if you hit "cancel" it disappears, so try that. I'm guessing that with time, this problem will go away, but I thought that about my neck too...

Fixed, I think! Thanks Hillary!

I have a pinched nerve in my neck which was probably caused by some sort of repetitive stress. Was it hand sewing all those tiny hats last week? Sifting through and attempting to answer the hundreds of emails I have received this week? Rocking out to Sufjan Stevens at the Crystal Ballroom on Friday night? Cutting out and sewing strips of wool for the scarf I made my mom for her birthday? Cleaning out my basement? Hemming 70 napkins (with my mom's help) for my daughter's school? All of the above? Who knows, but it's causing me a lot of pain and trying to ignore it isn't working, so I'm going to take it easy on the sewing and computer stuff (the most likely candidates) for a few days. I thought I'd feature a few things from my archives in the meantime.

I made this tooth pillow for my daughter in August 2005 when she told me her first tooth was loose. Well, 14 months later, that tooth finally fell out this morning at breakfast (after dangling there and grossing us all out for weeks), so we'll put this pillow to use tonight. It lost an eye, so I'll have to fix that. It's made of wool felt and vintage fabric. My daughter designed the heart pocket, I embroidered the word, she sewed it on the tooth. What is the going rate for the tooth fairy these days?

I've received quite a few emails letting me know that people are being asked for a password at the new little birds location. I have no idea why this is happening as I have no password associated with this blog. Maybe something from your cache? Apparently, if you hit "cancel" it disappears, so try that. I'm guessing that with time, this problem will go away, but I thought that about my neck too...

Fixed, I think! Thanks Hillary!

again with the french accessories

 

No room for a hat with those ears, so he got a striped sweater instead. There will be a small update to my shop today at 10 am PST. Just stuffed animals as they were the only thing that I was interested in making this week (next week I'll have some tissue holders for all some of you who are waiting for one).

Someone asked me in the comments yesterday what I use for my stuffed's eyes. They are made of 100% wool felt and embroidery floss, and while I think they are what makes all my stuffed animals recognizable as my own, cutting out and embroidering all those little eyes can be a real drag. I could use some little eye-making elves!

Happy weekend!

 

No room for a hat with those ears, so he got a striped sweater instead. There will be a small update to my shop today at 10 am PST. Just stuffed animals as they were the only thing that I was interested in making this week (next week I'll have some tissue holders for all some of you who are waiting for one).

Someone asked me in the comments yesterday what I use for my stuffed's eyes. They are made of 100% wool felt and embroidery floss, and while I think they are what makes all my stuffed animals recognizable as my own, cutting out and embroidering all those little eyes can be a real drag. I could use some little eye-making elves!

Happy weekend!

bonjour!

An elephant wearing a beret. I got that fab blue and yellow plaid wool from my friend mav; I love it. I don't know why I'm putting little hats on everything I make this week. I just feel a calling to accessorize, I guess. When it comes to my own personal style, I love accessories, but have strict self-imposed rules about them. I don't wear earrings and a necklace at the same time, for example, or matching hat and gloves. I also don't think I could pull off a beret nearly as well as this guy, so I don't think I'll try.

An elephant wearing a beret. I got that fab blue and yellow plaid wool from my friend mav; I love it. I don't know why I'm putting little hats on everything I make this week. I just feel a calling to accessorize, I guess. When it comes to my own personal style, I love accessories, but have strict self-imposed rules about them. I don't wear earrings and a necklace at the same time, for example, or matching hat and gloves. I also don't think I could pull off a beret nearly as well as this guy, so I don't think I'll try.

the unhappy hippopotamus

Thank you so much to everyone who has emailed me with hugs and support. It means a great deal to me. I want to clarify that my children were never in any direct danger. However, the trust that I had put out there when I post photos had been broken. Photos had been stolen and used out of context in inappropriate ways. It sucks. It's shocking really, and I have to do my best to insure that it won't happen again.

Let me change gears and show you something that made me really happy:

I had about five minutes to browse at the Goodwill the other day, and I chose the kid's books. I'm so glad I did, because I found this incredible book, The Unhappy Hippopotamus. It's about a depressed hippo, people! Look at some of these incredible illustrations (by Edward Leight, 1957). Harriet the Hippo is sad and tries all kinds of ways to make herself smile. She has a party, but still can't smile:

She tries reading, but still can't smile.

And dancing. Still no smile:

Finally, she goes to see a wise old owl who gives her the advice, "You've got to be YOU!"

She goes to wallow in some mud, and:

Harriet inspired this pink hippo:

Folks, you've got to be you. (Smile).

Thank you so much to everyone who has emailed me with hugs and support. It means a great deal to me. I want to clarify that my children were never in any direct danger. However, the trust that I had put out there when I post photos had been broken. Photos had been stolen and used out of context in inappropriate ways. It sucks. It's shocking really, and I have to do my best to insure that it won't happen again.

Let me change gears and show you something that made me really happy:

I had about five minutes to browse at the Goodwill the other day, and I chose the kid's books. I'm so glad I did, because I found this incredible book, The Unhappy Hippopotamus. It's about a depressed hippo, people! Look at some of these incredible illustrations (by Edward Leight, 1957). Harriet the Hippo is sad and tries all kinds of ways to make herself smile. She has a party, but still can't smile:

She tries reading, but still can't smile.

And dancing. Still no smile:

Finally, she goes to see a wise old owl who gives her the advice, "You've got to be YOU!"

She goes to wallow in some mud, and:

Harriet inspired this pink hippo:

Folks, you've got to be you. (Smile).

welcome!

Welcome to my new home! I am so glad that you found me.

I am sorry to say that I have had to make a big change. This will be the new home for little birds. You can access this blog at http://littlebirds.typepad.com or http://littlebirds.typepad.com/little_birds_handmade/. You will need to update your links and feeds. My little birds archives are currently not available. I would like to gradually add them to this site and will try to feature a project from my archives once a week.

I have been a part of the craft blog community for nearly two years now, and it has always felt incredibly welcoming and intimate. I am so grateful for you guys. I have always loved sharing my family life with you; my kids are an integral part of who I am and how and why I craft. Unfortunately, recent circumstances and discoveries have made it so I no longer feel comfortable including my children in my blog. This has been a very sad turn of events for me. I would rather not discuss it. I hope you'll understand.

I am going to try to proceed as best I can. I still want a place to share my creative life, and I'd like to make a fresh start. Thank you so much for your understanding and support...Stephanie.

Welcome to my new home! I am so glad that you found me.

I am sorry to say that I have had to make a big change. This will be the new home for little birds. You can access this blog at http://littlebirds.typepad.com or http://littlebirds.typepad.com/little_birds_handmade/. You will need to update your links and feeds. My little birds archives are currently not available. I would like to gradually add them to this site and will try to feature a project from my archives once a week.

I have been a part of the craft blog community for nearly two years now, and it has always felt incredibly welcoming and intimate. I am so grateful for you guys. I have always loved sharing my family life with you; my kids are an integral part of who I am and how and why I craft. Unfortunately, recent circumstances and discoveries have made it so I no longer feel comfortable including my children in my blog. This has been a very sad turn of events for me. I would rather not discuss it. I hope you'll understand.

I am going to try to proceed as best I can. I still want a place to share my creative life, and I'd like to make a fresh start. Thank you so much for your understanding and support...Stephanie.