24 years and counting!

Today marks a wonderful memory...24 years of marriage with my husband, Matt!  Of course, it seems like many more, since we dated for over 4 years first.  But I feel like it is so incredible in this day to be able to commit to one another for so long, through good times and bad, and still share such an amazing love for one another.  It's sad, but I sometimes feel like some couples could benefit more by what Matt and I share, the ability to communicate and support one another so well.

And so, I am remembering that special day with this bouquet of flowers table mat that I created.  The center area is hand needle felted and includes a variety of color tones for the flowers, with pink as the base.  The leaves feature four different green shades which details the shading, veins and subtle effects of leaves, just like in nature.  The inside of the scallops each have a pearl flower button with a teeny pastel pink button on top.  The whole piece was blanket stitched to a wool backing with a pink crochet thread.  It's a beautiful piece that only took a couple of hours to design and make.  Making these types of table mats is really fun and easy to accomplish.  Just keep in mind the delicate beauty of a flower in bloom and watch it grow from there!

Hope you have a very enjoyable day!

 

Whaahoo! The worse day fishing is better than any day washing dishes.

We're back from a fun week of vacationing in Oregon!  After several days visiting with family, we ventured over to Diamond Lake, a favorite fishing spot from my hubby's childhood.  Snow still packed in the banks, we were just sure that the mosquitos wouldn't be out this early in the year, but, alas, there were there to greet us in massive form.  Now I know what a swarm of these little buggers is, as they lurk above in formation with the wind casting their carnivorous shadows, and timing the dive to exposed skin just right.  Itch, itch...

Thank goodness for Nic, who blessed us with her plump 17" trout for dinner one night, and as I'm told, a hearty "whaahoo" shout out once she knew this beauty was on her line.  Cuz, if we were to rely on Matt to catch dinner, well, that tiny minnow would've surely left us with noisy tummies.  Overall, they caught several and I happily snapped up pictures from shore, that is, while spraying repellant.  I multi task well when necessary.
 
And, yep, our new "boat", an inflatable giant at 10.5' long really did well.  We took some razzing, cause those die hard fishing dudes just couldn't take that little boat seriously, but it's kinda funny how we had the stringer of fish to prove that size just doesn't matter!

I didn't get too much stitchin' accomplished, as it appears that dish duty only fell to those who stay landlocked.  It was so worth it though, to see many beautiful memories created between a father and his daughter and a new vessel, christened the S.S. Tolly.  May she have many more watery adventures ahead!

A new chapter at Happy Valley...My designs published!

I'm so excited to announce that I have been asked to design needle felting projects for Clover Needlecraft, Inc.!!!  The past few days have been very busy, as I have just completed several designs for Clover's project sheets.  It's an awesome opportunity to publish some of my work with a wonderful company.  Ahhh, yes, and on top of all that, I was provided with an ample supply of Clover's outstanding felting tools and roving to work with.  I'm like a kid in a candy store!  To think, before working with Clover, I did all of my needle felting projects with a single non replacable barbed needle!  Clover's tools utilize several needles, or you can use just one if you like...the point is, there are options.  This was also my first experience working with Clover's felting brush pad, which, again was SO much better than my foam cushion (the needles don't get stuck in the felting pad!). 

So if you haven't tried needle felting, I encourage you to give it a go.  The few tools needed to get started aren't very expensive; it's a very portable craft, and the design ideas are really limitless.  See a flower and you can re-create it's beauty.  That's what I did in this pink hydrangea.

Stay tuned here, and I'll announce when my projects, complete with how-to instructions, are available at your local craft stores and to download online.  And, let me know what magical creation you make...I'd love to see it!

Flag Day Challenge Fun

It's time for a challenge, and my friends at the Old Farmhouse Gathering have put together a wonderfully fun little competition for Flag Day!  Many artisans have put together a patriotic display for you to vote on!  Go to:  http://www.etsy.com/, type in FDOFG and see all of these creations.  Click on the button to the right of this post to be taken to the OFG blog, where you can cast a vote for your favorite.  Be sure to follow the directions and enter your email address, as you could win a prize just for voting!

Of course, Happy Valley Primitives was up for this challenge...here's a peek at my entry, a large wool table runner depicting a proud flag as the foundation for our beautiful country:

Voting starts June 4th, so be sure to cast one for your favorite!  Happy Flag Day!

Can this seamstress be saved?

I confess...I'm not a garment maker.  I can easily whip out a doll and even crank out her clothes with no problem, but when it comes to fitting a real live person, I am sewing challenged.  Yesterday, I seemed to forget all that, and found a beautiful piece of fabric to make myself a top...no sleeves, and yes, with a pattern marked with the word EASY in large caps.  A nice fitted dart in the front, and flare out around my, ahem, mid section...so it didn't seem like rocket science.  It's only 2 pieces plus the facing fabric; however, it still posed a great challenge to match the facing to the tunic pieces without them both not meeting up.  How is it that you can cut up two identical pieces, not on the bias, and one ends up an inch longer???  And now it has a gap in the back neck area, cuz I made it a size larger so that it would fit my mid section.  Not sure how to work with that other than to grow my hair real long.

Hubby, in his ever reassuring splendor, commented that "at least you didn't try doing sleeves again."  Ahhh, bless him.  He just had to bring up that knitted sweater I made him many years ago.  Hmm, maybe his right arm has grown longer since then, what with all the reaching he has to do while falling out of chairs laughing at my garment construction...

So, when will I learn?  I suppose never.  I really want to create beautiful things to wear, so I'll probably keep trying.  But the real truth is that the garment sewing trophy goes to my mom.  She has a knack for fitting a piece perfectly to the individual.  I should know, as my bridesmaids were just stunning!  Wonder if she'd give this old gal another lesson?

Today's story is for the birds

So here we are, finally enjoying the beautiful flowers of spring, along with warmer temps and a whole lot of better attitudes from the people who are so dreary during the winter season.  A new beginning for many little critters out there, gathering twigs and building nests, singing all the while.  It's no different here at Happy Valley, where, as I sit, I can hear the songs of the chickadees at my bird feeder, so delicate and happy. 

However, some are not content with just song and play...they are attempting to become just a bit too 'friendly'.  A very territorial robin is attempting to conquer my west facing windows.  The reflection is too powerful to resist plowing into, over and over and over again.  This is an annual thing, and we've tried masking the window, hanging predator looking critters and the like to no avail.  I just hope he gets his nest made soon and moves on his way.  Last spring, I had a little guy pounding that window until early summer, as his first nest was destroyed by a wind storm.  They are very persistent.

And this morning I am also greeted by the rat-tat-tat of a northern flicker woodpecker on the roof.  Yikes!  It sounds like a mini jackhammer creating a remodeling option up there.  Oh, please!  We have no more room at this inn...move on!  Ahhh...some peace at last.  A quiet moment now.  Time to sew!  May you have a wonderfully pleasant and creative day in your 'nest'. 

My annual weekend creative blitz!

Happy Monday to you!  Today, I awoke feeling refreshed and recharged, after a 3 day weekend retreat as my family left for Oregon.  It's an annual trip that my hubby and daughter make together, allowing them some wonderful time to bond, and me some well loved quiet time to create! 

This weekend my main project was to re-do the room divider "curtains" that I made several years ago...back when southwest country style was popular...wow, that was a while back!  This oak divider was made by my hubby, and it was designed originally to mimick the curves of our dresser mirror.  I have rarely kept it in our master bedroom, as it works better in the front room (or in this case, the entry) to divide up the open areas of the home.  The fabric was a wonderful thrift store find of home dec weight toile (4 yards/$4!). 

The little desk/chair combo was a discard from my hubby's great aunt, and we've kept it for over 10 years, intending to restore it.  I wish I would have taken a before shot, as it was a dark walnut stain, and completely falling apart.  The chair was entirely detached and the curved part of the desk was warping outward.  We believe that this piece is from the 40's or 50's and was perhaps a telephone stand?  It also resembles a old fashioned child's desk, as the seat isn't very large (I can fit in it, but wouldn't want to sit there often).  Hubby completely stripped this piece and restored it to a beautiful light cherry stain color.  Next up was the chair pad, which I made this weekend.  I first spray glued a thick foam pad, and then covered with a sturdy cotton fabric which was stapled on.  Next I made this hand needle felted floral design on black wool and made it into a slipcover for the pad, complete with zipper.  That way if I want to change it out, I can. 

Needless to say, hubby was both surprised and happy to see me finally complete these projects.  I have to say that I'm pretty happy with them too...and feeling pretty lucky that I have such a talented woodworker just a kiss away.  Have a wonderful day!

Bring on Spring...OFG Celebration Style!

It's nearly time for a spectacular OFG Spring and Easter Celebration! I've been busy putting together several new creations to debut on Friday, March 11 for this wonderful attraction. Here's a sneak peak at what you will find at Happy Valley Primitives. To see all of the great celebration items, go to Etsy.com, and type SECOFG in the search button. Celebration dates are March 11-25!

One last winter blast?

This winter's weather has been generally pretty mild here in NW Washington; however, last week provided an extra winter break for the kids from school and dumped an unusual amount of snow north of Seattle. The major interstate had to close for several hours one night as too many folks were abandoning cars in the quick flurry that dumped 24 inches just north of where we live in just a few hours. We didn't get quite that much, but we did enjoy some sledding down the driveway hill, and even though Nic is getting bigger, she still managed to hitch a ride on Dad's back for a trip that lasted a good 500 feet down to our barn. Sometimes it's a load of fun having such a great hill on the property!

My Electric Baby's Back!

The first month of 2011 has proven to wear out it's welcome fast here at Happy Valley. Ah, yes, where to begin. Right after my last post, my husband had the misfortune to hit a deer on his way to work...in our Toyota Prius. Well, it limped to work, crushed hood, fender and bumper. The headlight, while still functioning, had broken connections to secure it, which meant the hood was the only thing keeping it from falling out. The side fender jammed into the door area, making passengers travel only in the back seat. But still he drove it. All the way to the gas station, for a usual fill and journey home later that day. Next day, he ventured to work in our Kia Sorrento, and again to the gas station for a fill. Same station as the day prior. Well, then the fun began, as the Kia hardly left the station before it died, and ended up being towed. Yep, bad gas. Turned out to be 87% Ethanol! I then ventured out with the Prius to the end of the driveway, only to now have it completely sputter...yep, bad gas here too. It took a bit longer with the Prius, I guess because it runs on battery power some before trying to choke down that "gas." Now that one was towed away too. So then, minus 2 cars, we bring out the monster tow rig hiding out in the barn for hubby to drive...thank goodness we had it! I have to say, though, that we were a bit hesitant about going anywhere or putting gas in that one! The gas station responsible was quick to write us a check for all of that...which promptly bounced!!! Okay, ahem, well now that has been remedied, and the repair work is now done for the uninsured deer that strolled in front of my quiet little car. Seems like a fitting country song saga, huh? Goodbye January, on to a new month! Now, back to creating!

Heap of Hats

Hope you had a very nice New Year celebration! Here it is, well into the first week of 2011, and I'm struggling to get back into the swing of things, school schedules, sports activities, and my daughter's 10th birthday, which is only a few weeks away. Wish I could have planned her arrival for a bit later into the year, and not so soon after Christmas, but it is what it is!

My creative clock is a bit stalled these days, so I'm working on the familiar stuff. I just closed out a local month long show, and did extremely well selling hats and scarves this year. So, I've been spending this week making hats for next season's shows. I always seem to be short on the number of hats I have made up, and even though I tripled the amount I made, they sold so well that I really need to have more available. Plus it feels good to have these done and ready, so that I can focus on more creative outlets later on. I've been making these hats for so long that I can pretty much construct them while sleeping, which kinda feels like what I've been doing a lot of lately!

Merry Christmas to all!

Twas the night before Christmas, I'm glued to the tree. I'm wondering what Santa brought just for me. Could it be cardstock or kits or lace? Or a Chopper, I said, with a smile on my face. And that's when I heard him, "Hi Santa" I said. "You know....good little girls should be in their beds." "I know I should Santa, and now I've been caught, But I was just so excited to see what you brought." "Well, let's take a look in this room where you work." He shook his head quickly, and left with a jerk. I heard him exclaim as he put it in gear. "You've got enough crap, I'll see you next year!" Author Unknown

Snow fun!

Ahh, yes, decorating can be so fun. Pulling out those long forgotten creations is one of my favorite ways to enjoy the season. I thought I'd share just a few little snow creations with you today. Enjoy!

LEGO my...

Well, I've certainly been MIA on this blog! It's that crazy time of year, but I've finally finished up my November shows, and yesterday, I sent off my goods to an all month show here. I calculated that I made up 80 new scarves, and 20 new hats for this year, and quite frankly, I'm really tired of sewing up those! Back to primitives and making my favorite...snowmen!

But before I can sneak back into my studio, it's time to get that holiday shopping for the little one taken care of. This year, it's all about Legos! Yep, my girl has a secret love for Legos. Have you checked out these lately? Legos has creative and detailed kits that build up houses and have 3 different designs in the same box. They're really quite fun to put together! Well, this year, I discovered a couple of newer designs, one which is a detailed toy shop, and the other a really cool bakery. Love the baker dude taking out that large loaf of bread out of the oven, so cool! The wonderful thing about these kits is that they teach your children about following directions and beyond that, being incredibly creative. My daughter has taken the kits she has and created a coffee shop (LOL, she has my passion covered!) and homes enough for the entire neighborhood now residing on our coffee table. They don't consume a lot of space, are fun to create, disassemble, then re-create, and there is so much more detail to these that ever before. And finally, Lego is developing more creative ideas that appeal to girls, so it's not just about Star Wars and Bionicles anymore. So, this Christmas, it will be fun to create a whole little community together. Who knows, maybe we can put together a little storefront with lots of primitive snowmen and santas and dolls, oh my!

Where it all began

When I first ventured in to the world of selling handcrafted items 7 years ago, I designed and created my own line of scarves and reversible hats and hit the small show circuit. Customers flocked to see my product, and I sold more than I could possibly have imagined. It was such a wonderful way to start out, knowing that my idea was so well received. Every single year since that first one, my scarf and hat sales have increased.

Recently I learned that my major fabric supplier is closing for good. I buy their fabric at about 1/3 of the cost of getting the very same thing elsewhere. So, I stocked up , and have enough now for about a year, but after that I will either have to drastically raise my prices on these items or stop creating them all together. Neither option sounds good to me.

I understand that nothing lasts forever; it's just sad that so many good, local businesses are fading away. They take the time to get to know their customers, and provide the best customer service around. And, like a good friend, we count on them to always be there. So, goodbye my friend, this long time customer will miss you!