Merry Christmas One and All

On this Christmas Day I pray for joy abounding.  Here's a peek into the locally harvested greenery bringing the outdoors into my home for the season.

Folded Ear Cat's Favorite Indoor Greenery

Angels in the Window

Sutherland Art Glass Nestled Amongst Greens

Blessings to you and yours this holiday season!

Must Read

I just finished Three Stages of Amazement by Carol Edgarian, and I suggest you read this book immediately.  It is rare to find a book written so poetically but with characters so endearing, frustrating and real.  The timeliness of the subject matter is impressive, with startups that are fighting for funding that is suddenly hard to obtain, and cutting edge medical technologies.  Lena is overwhelmed caring for a baby born so prematurely that her attentiveness and sheer will seems to be all that is keeping her alive.  Her son, Theo, is such a unique and thoughtful boy.  There is a sweet husband she unfortunately compares to an old Volvo, steadfast but boring; compared to Alessandro, an exciting love from another lifetime.  Those born into modest means then elevated to richness are forced by the economy to return to lesser extravagance.  There are even two endearing Great Danes.  Many phrases in the book are worth repeating.  Here are some of my favorites:

Grief was a stalker.  It was big, hairy, inarticulate, possessing just one word, why.

Theo's habit of plucking the bald spot from the truth had already convinced the boys at school that he was a bit odd.

Listen up.  Don't negotiate with your feely parts.

Willa was awake, sitting up in her crib.  Her calm, expectant eyes lifted.  She smiled.  "Hey, Brave, what is it?"  It was as if the ocean had summoned the shore.

I leave it to you to discover your own favorites.  Don't miss this book!

Unique Outdoor Decorations

I thought these neighborhood decorations of enormous ornaments hanging from a tree were pretty cool. 

Who do you think gets the job of climbing the tree and untangling them after a windstorm?

Yarn and Time on my Hands

During this end-of-year lull in job hunting, I'm keeping myself entertained with new twists on yarn.  For less than a dollar at Goodwill I brought home four glass jars, and covered with crochet they are transformed.

Those are rocks covered in crochet as dangling embellishments.  What elegant receptables for pens or paintbrushes.

Crocheted Car is a Finalist!

Sometimes being crafty pays off in tangible ways, not just in the satisfaction that comes along with creating.  It appears my time spent figuring out how to crochet a car has paid off as my little zip zip car has made it as a finalist in the "craftiest" portion of the Zipcar holiday card contest.  Zip on over to Facebook and vote for your favorite entry. 

Rocks and Yarn and Time on My Hands

It doesn't take much to send me off on a creative tangent.  I'm creating crochet patterns as I go along for Christmas gifts, and wanted to add a little something extra to them.  I was quite inspired by an article in the Seattle Times on Sunday about a Seattle fiber artist who creates fantastic crocheted items and is currently mixing yarn and rocks.  Ah Ha!  I now have a little pile of rocks crocheted into yarn.

I have yet to discover how they will be incorporated into other creations, but even a rock enjoys a little sweater!

Ballard Lights: December Edition

It lifts my spirits to take a walk around Ballard this time of year. The holiday lights are abundant and creative. Thank you to all of you who got up on ladders and brightened the evenings for the rest of us.

Who doesn't love bulldog statues dressed nattily in seasonal attire?

Proof that you can put lights on anything - they've dressed their ornamental grass with lights!



Creative Juices and Contests

There's nothing like a contest for a prize I would really like to win to get my creative juices flowing.  Winning a contest would be great, but sometimes the creativity is the prize.  Could I create a pattern for a crocheted car? 

This design/crochet project provided me with a fun evening, and that is priceless.

Whiskers Mandatory

Well, I thought the cat slippers needed a little something extra - like whiskers! So here's a photo of cat slippers that are so much more cat-like.

I used linen yarn for the whiskers, but they were too white for my taste, so I walked to my neighborhood JoAnn's yesterday and touched them with some fabric paint last night.  The fabric paint has the benefit of making them a bit more stiff and whiskery, so they are good to go to a new home for Christmas.

Seriously, who could resist that face?

Cat Slippers Completed

I've been crocheting bunny slippers for several years, and they never fail to amuse and please. I decided to adjust this slipper pattern to become cat slippers, and I have just completed my first pair. They have turned into Folded Ear Cat slippers after their washer/dryer fluffing.

The wool and mohair yarn keeps tootsies extra warm and you just tend to chuckle every time you look down at your feet when you wear these slippers, which is a good thing.

Cheery Hat Season

Before her death, Mom spent two years in a nursing home, and as anyone who has ever walked through the door of a nursing home knows, they aren't easy places to fill with cheer.  In the spirit of our animal-loving family, Mom's half of the room was shared by a basket full of miniature stuffed animals. 

To bring them into the spirit of Christmas, one year I made each of them a spritely felt hat with jingle bells and embellishments. 

A basket full of Christmas joy



These guys are warmed for winter with crocheted hat and scarf

Who says hedgehogs don't party well with others?

Now that Mom has passed, I still bring her basket of jauntily hatted tiny creatures out at Christmas to add a touch of humor to my holidays.  They never fail to bring a bit of Mom's soul to the celebration.

Who Doesn't Want to Learn to be a Chef in 4 Hours?

I have read two books written by Tim Feriss, The 4-Hour Body and The 4-Hour Work Week, and learned many useful things from both books.  His writing style is very accessible and engaging.  Now he has a book coming out that I look forward to with great anticipation, because a cook I am not.  However, I'm always looking for new (easy) recipes and working to improve my health by cooking at home.  So join me in checking out his new book, 4-Hour Chef. 

Kudos to Starbucks

I was very impressed when I popped into Starbucks on my way out for Thanksgiving to find that they are selling a Create Jobs bracelet.  It's red, white and blue and says "Indivisible".  It's only $5 (or your chosen donation) and the money goes to the Opportunity Finance Network® to create and sustain jobs. It will provide capital grants to select Community Development Financial Institutions to provide financing to underserved community businesses which include small business loans, community center financing, housing project financing and microfinance.  I appreciate that Starbucks really is working to create jobs.  I immediately bought my bracelet and wear it proudly.  The need for job creation really hits home when you are out there looking for a job, like I am.

Season of Thanksgiving, Words About Hope

I finished The Education of Millionaires yesterday, and then happened to catch Charlie Rose's interview with Dov Seidman, whose book is Why How We Do Anything Means Everything.  That will be my next non-fiction read for sure.  Here are two quotes from the book:

. . .inspiring workers with values and missions worthy of their commitment.

Creativity, helpfulness, and hope can't be commanded; they can only be inspired in people.

Another comment on the book that rung true with me is "morality fades with distance."

It seems to me that especially when things aren't going well, i.e., these challenging financial times, our true values become apparent.  When the bottom line is served to the detriment of those who helped an organization achieve success, hope leaves the room.  When a company is running so lean that those who make the whole thing hum are constantly stressed and joyless, any company success is unsustainable.

I am truly thankful for some time between jobs to learn new things and ramp up my creativity.  I'm also thankful that the "occupy" folks have started us off on an important conversation and re-evaluation of what is truly important.  Let's make that conversation fruitful.

Wine Sweaters

This is the time of year when everything is a bit happier with a warm, wooly sweater - so why not our favorite bottles of wine?  I've been crocheting wine sweaters, tweaking the patterns as I go along.  Some of my sweaters so far.

This combines my love of crochet and my penchant for collecting beautiful buttons and beads wherever I find them. 



Here's another design incognito among the hats and glass at last weekend's artists' sale.

Today It's All About The Swag

While the sky is clear I must hop transport north to drop off my contribution to the EtsyRain holiday show swag bags. Here's a sneak peek.

Nicely composed little wooly pins that can be pinned onto a coat, hat, sweater to brighten the winter just a bit. 

I quite appreciate my library of crochet/craft books because now I can comb through them and take ideas from patterns to create new things.

An Attitude of Giving

"The happier you are in giving, the more people are excited to be around you.  You become 'sticky'."

This is a quote from Russell Simmons in a great book I am reading, The Education of Millionaires by Michael Ellsberg.  I haven't finished the book, so can't give a full review yet, but it has proven to be a wise and very interesting read thus far.  The author interviews many successful individuals who did not complete a formal college education.   His "Success Skill #1" is How to Make your Work Meaningful and your Meaning Work, or How to Make a Difference in the World Without Going Broke.  An excellent beginning.

I feel strongly that living life with an attitude of giving and gratitude lifts your own spirits and the spirits of those around you.  May you all have baskets full of grace and blessings, and let us share them with one another.

Mini-Bulldog Cape

I don't know about other crafters out there, but my hands are simply shocked if I am sitting of an evening without a crochet hook or needle in my hands.  During artists' sale weekends my brain is ready to zone out in front of the TV when I arrive home and collapse in a heap in my chair, but my hands don't always comply. 

To keep my hands happy, I took a lesson from Dottie Angel and her lucky bunny cape and crocheted a dashing cape for my handsome little bulldog.  Doesn't he look warmer?  (I was going to say happy, but perhaps it is impossible for a bulldog face to look happy.)

A project which kept my crafting brain ticking along, a little sparkliness to brighten the dark winter days.  It warms the cockles of my crafter's heart.

Artists' Sale - Continued

Only off-and-on rain and wind, which is good for artists' sale weekends.  If it's too sunny, everyone is outdoors and not in a shopping state of mind.  If the weather is quite inclement, nobody wants to leave their house. 

Nice seating tableau, made me want to sit down and have a cup of coffee, but I had missed my bus so needed to keep walking to make opening hour at our artists' sale venue.

I especially love the blue window on the fence.  Lots of style in a small side yard.

This looks like a party!  Three barbecues in two yards and a chandelier hanging in the tree.  I thought they only did that on HGTV, but I've been proven wrong.

One of our signs that has lasted well through wind and rain.  After the doors close tonight, as well-behaved sign posters, we pull them all down and recycle them for the next show.

Some glass and crochet photos from the show thus far.

I'm not sure what happened here, but Nico appears to be pouting and Ana looks quite pleased with herself.



This tophat was too cute to last, it went home on someone's head and she was looking good with its stylish wooliness keeping her ears warm.

Don't they look sweet when they're sleeping in a pile?  Who knew that Karen's glass plates were such a cozy cat snoozing spot?

Artists' Show First Night Shenanigans - Those Crazy Cats

While waiting for customers on a rainy Friday night, Nico and Ana couldn't resist Karen's glass.

Ana went first into a lovely transparent pink vase.

Could Nico be far behind?






Of course not, check out Mr. Casual in blue!

I hope they're not bored today, because further play poses will surely be on the way.  It's a good thing they're so soft and plush, with all that glass around.



Artists' Sale Weekend - Come One, Come All

I'm not surprised that the wind and promised rain have arrived on the day Karen and I will be driving around putting up signs for our artists' sale weekend.  It is November, after all.

We'd love it if you would come visit us.  There will be cookies and cider in the kitchen and we get tired of hearing our own stories at some point over the course of the weekend, so come and share yours!  It's a great chance to buy about as locally as you can get - from the women who created the items; and you'll get a jump on holiday shopping in the most congenial of atmospheres.

Who Will Blink First?

The staredown.  Ana and mouse meet for the first time and try to psych each other out.

Who will win this epic battle? 

Run, little mouse, run!

The Tophats Keep Coming

I just love this Tophat design.  It looks great in every size, and you can dress it up with all kinds of motifs.  Admittedly, sometimes I get lost in motif creation mode and don't get much else done.

I could try to get Folded Ear Cat to model my creations, but if you know cats, you know how that would turn out.  There would be blood.  It would be mine. 

Percy and outdoor stone cat are much more amenable.  Totally silent, in fact.  That's very handy in a model.

Top Hat with Cherry Detail

Tophat with Cherry Detail

Nico's Sunday Adventures

Sunny and crisp this morning, so Nico got himself up a tree.

Somebody's feeling quite proud of himself!

Is this a yoga position?  Cats get into the funniest positions.

No more pictures!  Can't a cat get a little peace up his favorite tree?

Okay, one more shot, inside with a comfy friend.

Folded Ear Cat's Best Tunnel Ever

I bought Folded Ear Cat a lovely crinkly round tunnel, which she rubs her face against and has walked through a few times.  Then came her favorite tunnel ever - a nice, sturdy box that brought a new appliance to our home.

It's long and doubly thick so I tap my fingers over it, make it rock back and forth, but she knows she's still safely hidden inside.






Who you lookin' at?

Seen: November 5

This house has just received an entire second story, and I really love the details on the balcony.

I've seen this bush around town and must research further, as it is my favorite color - purple!

Somebody had the great idea to plant a tree with leaves that turn red in the fall right in the middle of this street heading to Greenlake.

Another beautiful Seattle-in-November day, and we were all out walking the neighborhood to enjoy it.  Just like at the beach, where as soon as the clouds parted the doors on every house and trailer opened and people streamed out to walk while the weather was cooperating.



Dashing Top Hat

My hands have not been idle!  Here is Percival (Percy to his friends) showcasing the stylish top hat I finished last night.  Who doesn't need one of these?  In the event any of my new items don't go to new homes at our artists' sale next weekend, they will arrive in my Etsy shop.

What Stylish Wine Bottles are Wearing this Season

Isn't it simply appalling that so many people send their gifts of wine out into the world naked?  Well, I've been busy working on a solution.  Really, I think every bottle of wine would feel better wearing its own cozy sweater.  Here's what I've come up with so far.

You may want to put a sweater on your wine bottles as they hang around your house waiting for an event, or to keep the temperature of the wine where you want it as it waits to be poured into glasses.  

Those lucky people you are gifting with a bottle of wine wll be impressed by the stylishness of your presentation. 

Wine sweaters may travel the world as people add the wine sweater that came to them as a gift to a bottle of wine they are gifting to someone else. 

I'm already thinking up new patterns, because I learned from Mom that patterns are just there to be messed with.

Seen: November 3 Edition

I don't need to walk far in my neighborhood before I see something that makes me want to snap it.

Could this stone house be any more move-in ready?  Moss on the roof and surrounded by gardens.  It's even elevated for the best views. 

While it does have charming windows, it doesn't appear to have a door or an elevator, so that might present problems with its habitability.

I do love nice paned windows, so I'm tempted to move right in.

What a lovely tableau with the stones, Asian light and tiny stone animal.  Somebody had an artistic eye when creating this garden. 

I do love a nice porch, and the gray plays nicely against the accents which are almost purple.  It looks like a cottage that could be in a fairy tale, and yet it's just down the street.

The red mailbox that reads Post is a nice finishing detail.