Sunday, September 28, 2008

more deliciousness



well, my fingers couldn't resist "add to cart" on a few more lovely etsy finds...and i couldn't be happier with the deliciousness of these pieces:

the first is a vintage bavaria bird, from cowgirljunk.  so sweet.





the next is a truly lovely, delicate little bowl, from palomasnest, hand stamped with 'you are my sunshine.'  a song that has been my favorite since my days as a wee little girl.




Thursday, September 25, 2008

blog feature






a huge thank you to suzanne, from bliss candles, for featuring winsome hollow on her blog today, blisscandles.blogspot.com.  she makes some delicious candles in every imaginable scent over in her shop!  hope everyone can check out the feature!





on a side note, my new woodland wisteria tree was featured on the front page of etsy yesterday...a big thank you to fricdementol for including my work in her treasury!








Wednesday, September 24, 2008

magical eggs from JaneBox





i was so thrilled to find these absolutely beautiful and delicate wee little candles, from JaneBox.
each tiny quail egg has been hand carved and then poured with 100% pure beeswax.
they are truly lovely!



Sunday, September 21, 2008

for the love of fabric





although i am slowly losing my house under a mountain of fabric and fiber, trips to beautiful fabric stores inevitably end with me joyously leaving with an armful of new fabric.  my heart begins to race when i enter these stores...these beauties can be mine to take home, i need them, they are too lovely to part with, i must have it...and so it happens again and again.  two stores here in new york create particularly serene and magical atmospheres, impossible to resist returning again and again.




i would love for my house to look like the interior of the purl fabric store in soho...floor to ceiling shelves, lined with such soft and beautiful bolts of fabric.  they also carry exquisite hand painted wool that is such a treat to work with.  there is also another purl storefront on the same block, which carries gorgeous yarn.  here are a few of my purl purchases:



hand painted wool and cotton fabric from purl



hand painted wool and cotton fabric from purl





another great fabric source, here in the heart of brooklyn, is the brooklyn general store which carries a lovely variety of fabric, yarn, notions, etc.  they also offer a large variety of sewing and knitting classes right in the store.  brooklyn general is a wonderful source for brilliant vintage cotton fabrics, as well as many varieties of roving.  here are a few purchases i made this weekend:




front: vintage fabrics, back: new cotton fabrics, from brooklyn general



cotton fabrics and soft cotton flannel from brooklyn general


as you can see, i've already been busy creating with my new purchases!




woodland fabric blue rose tree, available in my shop






Thursday, September 18, 2008

it's a forest in here






my new line of wool and cotton plush trees, available in my shop






trees, as one of nature's greatest gifts, have always been one of the images most influential on my artistic endeavors...their vast and endless beauty inspiring ideas and invoking a world of imagination where the magical creatures of winsome hollow can come to life.  i suppose it was only a matter of time before my art included trees in a more literal form.  

in this line, i hope to capture the abstract essence of each variety of tree...the simplicity of form and shape and color, the subtle play on one's senses,  the calming presence.  from there, i hope that each individual can recognize, in each tree's stripped down form, their own sense memories and feelings of the tree.  

i know that i personally am finding immense pleasure in creating these, and will probably continue to do so long into the future!  it will be difficult to part with these ones...they look so lovely grouped together as a little forest on my table.















on a side note, it was so exciting to find my trees featured in this morning's front page treasury!
thanks so much to lunalove for featuring my work in her 'Summer's Last Days' treasury.










Tuesday, September 16, 2008

here kitty kitty




i know that i've been coveting these little cats from littleloveblue... now's your chance to win one!
this beautiful black cat is the prize in this week's contest over at the new new etsy street team blog.  click on the link to find out how to win.
that's a pretty sweet giveaway!

Monday, September 15, 2008

roving, roving, roving!






was so excited to come home today and find my order of merino top roving from 


and even more thrilled to find the actual roving just as beautiful as i had hoped!
such a wonderful source for fiber.

here are a few words about their farm and business:

"Blue Goose Glen Specialties began as a small farm-based business that grew from the love of these animals and all of the new worlds they have opened up to us.  Founded in 1995 in the small community of Blue Goose, located in the hills of Western Tennessee, this business introduced us to the crafts of spinning, weaving, felting and other fiber arts which have become a big part of our lives."












Sunday, September 14, 2008

living organically



buying beautiful, organic pieces both for your home and your body has become so much easier with the world of etsy!  so many amazing sellers, who truly believe in sustainable art and all natural materials, offer work both healthy for your body and your environment.  here are a few of my favorites:







Chakra Pennywhistle offers beautiful hand drawn and screen printed pillows, children's apparel, and accessories, using wonderful organic cottons, raw cotton stuffing, cotton thread, and water based inks.

here are some words from the artist about her work:


"I am currently inspired by Early American Decoration. Each design was drawn to reflect a folksy/modern version of the style."....

"I strive to incorporate recycled and organic fabric in each piece that I create. 

I choose sustainable or recycled materials because it feels good. That may sound simple but it is true. I strive to practice and support an eco-conscious lifestyle. 

I am proud to offer goods made from the finest organic cotton. The fabrics that I choose are grown in more eco-sound ways. Less pesticides and innovative farming techniques not only benefit the earth but actually bring us a natural luxurious product."


***






here are a few words from the artist:

"i am an integrity minded single mama stitching away every chance i get.  Consistently devoted to creating beautiful and flattering clothing made with sustainable fabrics.  

good intentions
pure values
eternally blessed designs

i have been divinely inspired to create clothing for the last twelve or so years.  every seam is a focus of perfection...

all fabric is hemp and organic cotton unless stated otherwise.  i strive to live sustainably with my every action.  working with organic and hemp fibers helps reduce the pollution of our earth.  supporting small businesses is yet another step to debunking the mass culture craze of cheap slave labor produced products."




Wednesday, September 10, 2008

cool vintage finds


discovered a few vintage apparel shops last week...and purchased a few awesome fall pieces:





i'm absolutely thrilled with this jumper from cookies & creme. there are a few (or twenty!) other pieces in her shop that i am truly coveting.




and these boots, from nstylevintage, are such a great find for autumn in new york!