Ta-da!

I'm on Etsy!  I'm not quite sure why it took me so long to set up a shop on Felt's bigger, older, global sister.  In part, I've been intimidated by the sense that Etsy is so huge that in order to get noticed, I would need to devote myself to forums and treasuries in a seriously time-sucking (and frankly impossible) way.  And perhaps I'm right, but well....nothing to lose in trying, hey?

Over the past few days I've listed a few items, fiddled with my banner and filled in my shop policies.  Click on the button below to have a look. 

I welcome any and all critiques!  Please, if you have any feedback, constructive or otherwise, I would love to hear it.  Thanks!  xx Jen

At My House....

 ....it's feeling a lot like summer.  Windows thrown open, kiddie pool out, trips to the beach, and today my first attempt at homemade yogurt pops.  So easy!  So healthy!  Definitely a new seasonal staple.

And I finished heat-setting my order for My Baby and Me -- I so love working with MBAM.  The quality of their clothing is amazing and I love the practicality and ease of kimono-style closures on these little newborn onesies.

I did 12 kimonos in all, but only photographed 10 since two of the prints repeated.  Looking forward to sending these off tomorrow and getting to work on a few kimono prints in bigger sizes for the Nelson market on Saturday.

Happy to be joining in with Lou's blog today -- go visiting and see what other crafty bloggers are up to here.

This Week I'm Grateful For.....

:: Outdoor play, outdoor play, and outdoor play.

:: Two hours this morning all to myself!  I was able to browse the farmer's market at leisure, poke around op shops and pick out an enormous stack of magazines at the library.

:: I've just finished an order of 12 newborn kimonos for My Baby and Me -- just the heat-setting left to do.  Feeling happy with the results  I'll post a few pics of new designs before sending them off.

:: Our first ocean swim of the season.

:: And I set an all-time personal record -- all of my Christmas gifts were sent to family back home this week.  I managed to hand make nearly everything (a few items were handmade by others) which was another new record.  I felt a bit sad as I sent them through the window at the post office; I'll certainly miss being with my family this year.  Time now to think about how we'll celebrate in our own way and begin to create a few new traditions (camping, perhaps?)

Hope you've had a good week with many things to be grateful for as well...... xx

ps I'm happy to be playing along with the gorgeous Maxabella Loves...this week -- check out her blog for more gratitude and much lovely inspiration.

My First Advertisment

Huzzah!

It's pretty exciting to see the "Birds on Wire" photo I submitted through Felt featured the back spread of Extra-Curricular.  Extra Curricular is such a gorgeous little magazine; visually and intellectually stimulating, it's an incredibly satisfying read.  Worth every penny!  Find it here.

At My House....

Yesterday, we enjoyed watching the creation of this giant outdoor art installation....

I loved seeing the single-minded focus with which S worked.  No space was off limits, and in a manner that reminded me of "Harold and the Purple Crayon," Solomon narrated the cities and scenes he was creating.

The rain last night washed away most of the chalk  -- clearing some space for more today....

This Saturday I'm Grateful For.....

 :: Freshly baked bread and freshly cut flowers....these two simple things make me feel so nourished and happy.

:: My new camera!  Over the past few moths my trusty old Cannon slowly withered away until it really and truly completely died.  Seeing this possibility looming in the future, I've been saving up my points in a reward-card system we use and was able to order a new camera (A Fuji Finepix) at absolutely no cost.  It arrived today and it has been so much fun figuring it out.  A lot has changed in the five years since I bought my first digital camera.

:: Eating outdoors.  Pasta primavera, do your worst - - we just hose down the table (and the kids) afterward.

:: An amazing garden-boosting concoction that was recommended by our good friends in Denmark (hi Ben and Jane!)  Simply fill a bucket with grass clippings, then submerge in water.  Leave for a minimum of two weeks (N.B. Unless you want you or your loved ones smelling like the Bog of Eternal Stench, you'll definitely want to use gloves when handling this and keep away from curious pets or children.)  Remove grass clippings and pour liquid into a plastic jug (a used milk container works well.)  Dilute with water 15:1 and spray on the soil around your plants as a natural super-fertilizer.  My husband swears our vegetables grew overnight!

I'm happy to be joining in with the gorgeous Maxabella Loves....  Hope you have much to be grateful for this weekend as well.  xx

My Creative Space

Hello!  It's good to be back.  I think a bit of a break was vital, but I'm feeling fresh, recharged, and ready to enjoy this space again....

While I was away from the blog we've done quite a lot:

:: We've begun our landscaping and gardening business -- nearly two weeks in, and all going well.
:: I've done my first craft market, which was a wonderful experience.  I loved meeting people and the other vendors couldn't have been nicer.  My stall-mate Amelia and I will be doing another Nelson market on November the 20th, and every Saturday through December.  Please stop by and say hello if you happen to come down!
:: We've finished putting in our spring gardens - - we have fruits and veggies tucked into every possible corner.  I think this year's crop will be amazing.  I'm so excited for summer's bounty of fresh organic produce.  (Full credit to my husband -- this is very much his domain.)
:: I've churned out a few new designs -- I'm most excited about this one....

The print has been hand-cut and will be used just once.  I've hand-detailed a few of the vehicles as well.  Though this design won't be repeated I see a lot of potential in the idea and am excited to see where it goes.

I've also been doing a few summery prints on blankets....

I think I'll need to put prints aside over the next week to complete a few Christmas projects to get ready to send before the deadlines.  (FYI Dec 6 for Australia and November 29th for all other international if you send via airmail.)

Happy to once again be joining in with Kootoyoo!  Find many more creatives and their spaces here.