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!

roving, roving, roving!

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

blue goose glen

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."

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

little modern birds

The tulip skirt

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."

***

Indigo Inspired

Organic Cotton and Hemp Jersey Womyn Wrap

Indigo Inspired offers lovely hemp and organic cotton wraps  for women, which can be worn in many different ways, as a shawl, top, or dress, and works great for pregnant and nursing mothers

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."

front page of etsy!

was so excited to find that my bird treasury was featured on the front page of etsy today...

and Cary, littleloveblue, was featured in my treasury with her beautiful canary!

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!

windy on the coast

here is a beautiful print, 'windy on the coast',  i just purchased from roadside projects

you can read more about her amazing original 3-D paper art here:

www.roadsideprojects.com

can't wait for this print to arrive.  i'm slowly collecting art to assemble as a large collection on my living room wall!

a red mouth to whisper low

...the very thing i should not know!  ~  sarah morgan bryan piatt

new treasury:  a red mouth to whisper low

gentle for the young...

Here is my new treasury, titled "gentle for the young...or young at heart"

All of these lovely items were picked from my existing favorites list on etsy. I love how wonderful they all look showcased together! I must be naturally drawn to these similar soft, gentle colors and sweet images

work in progress...

Sharing a new wall hanging that I'm currently creating.  The design and cutting are almost complete (although I inevitably will tweak things here and there before I truly complete a work).  Next step:  sewing!  

Thinking is not what works for me when creating these wall hangings; feeling, discovering, dreaming- this is what moves my hands to create.  And these can never occur for me until I truly commune with nature, the season, my surroundings, my heart.  It is not so much a relationship to a particular emotion, for example happiness.  Instead, I create when I can simply connect to whatever emotions are brewing within my spirit, and every emotion has the potential to emerge in surprising and beautiful ways.  This is true of all my art, including performance art.  It can sometimes be difficult to truly embrace all of these varying emotions that we humans feel, yet I always find myself more connected to the world, my spirit more open to my surroundings,  and more centered to the heart of it all.

The Soft Haze of Autumn

Well, I've finally returned to the wonderful world of blog after a computer technical difficulty month-long absence!

I left in full Summer mode, but am returning in a whole new frame of mind. Although I am currently 

sitting through a typical summer thunderstorm of August, my mind is already tending toward the 

beauty and thrill of Autumn! The sunlight is sharing my ache for the new season, shedding an already

softened light. A few of our park trees are also jumping far ahead of schedule by offering hints of painted color and 

falling leaves. 

One of my favorite aspects of the Autumnal season is the soft, almost hazy light that is shed upon natures gifts of fall. On the colorful leaves, pumpkins, woods, apples. My whole being craves this softness after the harsh 

intensity of summer.

This autumn series from little love blue, my incredibly talented sister, captures perfectly this delicate beauty of the season through her magnificant pieces of art. I want my entire house to evoke this look and feeling this fall! Here are examples of her art, and you can capture these beauties in her shop, www.littleloveblue.etsy.com

red rover, red rover...

this is my new treasury, titled after one of my favorite childhood games,

featuring wonderfully red beauties for kids (of all ages!)

Update:  This treasury made it to the front page as well!  Congrats to all the featured sellers!  I was so honored to have been picked for the front page with the NaturalKids treasury featured below, but to have my treasury chosen again is such a thrill!!  I really enjoy searching Etsy for new work to create these fun treasuries!

two new treasuries

'a bird does not sing....'

'the beauty of NaturalKids'

above are two new treasuries i've curated on etsy.

the second is a treasury featuring members of the NaturalKids Street Team.

update:  the NaturalKids Treasury made it on the front page!

little love blue on the front page of etsy!

my sister, little love blue, had her beautiful wool elephant featured on the front page of etsy today...well technically yesterday now...i need to go to bed!

i love this print, 'rendezvous', by the wonderful artist, lily moon

here is a gorgeous painting and print i just ordered from her...

i can't wait until they arrive!  

red river gorge and the beauty of kentucky

some pictures from my trip to kentucky, and in particular, my visit to the majestic red river gorge and natural bridge...on a perfect kentucky mountain day of 75 degrees with sunny skies.  i've also included pictures from my grandmother and aunt's wonderful garden.

granny and aunt 'laine's garden:

hosta

sneaky raccoon eating the cat food!

bluejay 

beautiful potted flowers

red river gorge:

wild tiger lilies at natural bridge

the trail to chimey rock overlook

chimney rock, overlooking the valley

people standing on the rock, calling over to us...

the sound traveled beautifully over the valley

hmmm...little fairy house in this tree?

wild berries

wild blueberries...we were waiting

for some bears to come by

cicada drying its wings

cave through the trees

woods and cliffs of nada

nada tunnel

nada entrance to the gorge

brooklyn indie market

here are a few pictures from our showing at the brooklyn indie market this past saturday.  the weather didn't want to cooperate, so we ended up moving out of our kiosk and into the tent...but had lot's of fun inside with the other vendors.  the market had a wonderful vibe as a showcase for talented emerging artists.  

i also bought some wonderful items as well, including some adorable baby clothes from 'hive of one' (shannayarbrough@yahoo.com), and a beautiful keychain made with handpainted seeds from the amazon!  'rocks and salts' also had some amazing hats (i think i know which one i'm going to pick up next time!)

we will be selling at brooklyn indie again this fall, where i will be showcasing a lot of my autumn/halloween needle felted items.  i'll post on my blog when we are sure of the exact date.

Tree of Life

my latest treasury  is inspired by one of nature's greatest gifts...the tree, and all its vast glories!

i personally find the tree to be one of the most beautiful and inspiring images on earth.  a single tree can provide such miraculous beauty, with subtle and sometimes drastic variations each season...the depth of a lush summer fullness, the misty ocean of color in autumn, the dark twisting outline of a bare winter, and back again to the intense newness of a green and floral spring tree. when these seasonal beauties sometimes overlap, the effect is mesmerizing.  

my wallhangings in particular are often inspired both abstractly and literally by the trees that surround me in brooklyn.  i'm so fortunate to live a few blocks from the beautiful prospect park, and the rich botanical life it encompasses. i often walk through the wooded terrain and imagine a world in which my little needle felted magical characters can come to life... little nooks in the tree become fairy homes, and broad leaves their boats on which to sail!

i hope you enjoy this treasury of trees!