A Treasury for Slavko

Treasury, Spirit of Tiny Tim Boot
Originally uploaded by Felt on the Fly

Earlier this summer, a very special Etsy seller died. His name was Slavko, and, until he died and I saw post after post after post about him in the Etsy forums, I had never even heard of the man. Turns out, he was the kind of man I wish I had had the honor of knowing.

Many people posted comments and stories about Slavko. They talked about what a wonderful family man he was. They talked about how friendly and helpful he was. He was certainly talented, I could see that from his work. And he took the time to reach out to people - to connect with them, to help them, to offer advice.

Reading all of the posts about Slavko brought me to tears. Because of wonderful things that were said about him. Because of all the thoughtful things he did. And because I missed out on knowing a really incredible man.

Just days after his death, I was lucky enough to have an item from my shop, FeltOnTheFly, featured in a treasury that was created in honor of Slavko. I was really moved, because I had felt such strong emotions upon learning about the man. And today, imagine my surprise when I was notified that another item from my shop was featured in a treasury - and it was another treasury dedicated to Slavko. I mean, what are the chances, right?

If you believe as I do, that certain things happen for a reason, then you will understand when I say that this experience has given me cause to reflect on the meaning of this "coincidence". Again, I am moved, and I am inspired to reach out to others in the manner that I imagine Slavko did. Not that I am anywhere near as special as he was, but I can reach out in my own way, and can make a conscious effort to do so. Every kind thing that we can do for someone else makes the whole world a better place.

I may not have had the pleasure of knowing Slavko, but I will certainly have the pleasure of becoming a better person thanks to the example he set.

This treasury, by the way, was created by a lady who is a buyer on Etsy. Thank you Cyn.

My Art Fair Treasures

Today I needed an art fair fix. Didn't have to be a big fancy drive-far-away, get-there-early-stay-all-day event, just a casual stroll in a lovely park was what I was craving. And I found just the perfect thing. Just a little arts and crafts fair in a lovely neighborhood type park, on a perfect day: 70's, breezy, mostly sunny...ahhhhh, perfect. Just enough artists to keep it interesting, and the smell of kettle corn in the air.

Here are the lovely treasures that called out to me and insisted on following me home:



Hand painted vintage picnic tins. The lady who painted these told me that she wasn't sure about the orange, but she thought the colors looked "happy". I agree! I'll probably use these to hold sewing works-in-progress.



A fairy door made from clay. I talked to the man who made these doors and he explained the process. Unfortunately, I can't remember the details right now! Hey, it was a few hours ago, ya know...




And my love affair with Abraham Lincoln continues. In the form of a glass tile necklace.



I simply cannot pass up a hand-crochet dish cloth. What is it about these? I absolutely love them. From cotton yarn, in pretty colors, these are always my favorite. My kitchen drawer is stuffed with cotton crochet dish cloths, and yet, I always buy more whenever I see them. And the best part is talking to the lady who created them. They always understand. Yup. Women who appreciate a hand crochet dish cloth are kindred spirits, for sure.



And look at this a*d*o*r*a*b*l*e note card. I mean, who could pass up a sweet little hand made card with an unbelievably cute, teeny tiny, little PINK classic car on it???? I think I'll have to find a reason to thank myself for something, because I just don't know if I can bear to mail that card away!




Uh huh. Another fairy door. But, hey, it's a totally different style! That's my excuse, and yes, I'm sticking to it.




*sigh* I feel so much better now that I got my little art fair fix!

Dottie Bag, Bridesmaid Gift

Dottie Bag, Bridesmaid Gift
Originally uploaded by Felt on the Fly

One of my favorite things to make are my Dottie Bags. I created this one recently to go along with a Proposal Pouch I made for a bride getting married in August. Her color scheme is "Pistachio Green". I thought it was so pretty combined with pink.

In Europe, a Dorothy Bag is a small drawstring bag that's used like an evening bag. My little pouch is a bit smaller, so I call it a Dottie Bag. (Made sense to me at the time.) This little pouch is large enough for small jewelry box, for wrapped candies, tea bags, a gift card...you get the picture! What a sweet way to "wrap" a little gift. It's also the perfect thing to hold jewelry while traveling.

To see more Dottie Bags, take a look at my Flickr page: http://www.flickr.com/photos/feltonthefly/

Not Everyone Has a Mantle!

Christmas Boots 001
Originally uploaded by Felt on the Fly

It's true. Not everyone has a fireplace and a mantle from which to hang traditional Christmas Stockings. If you need an alternative to tradition, perhaps this Christmas Boot would do. Because of it's size and shape, it holds as much, if not more, than a normal stocking. Sits on a table, the foot of a bed, the corner of the couch...you know, on any flat surface. This Boot was so much fun to design and I keep coming up with new ways to embellish them!

Yes, I know - it's ONLY July. But with all this Etsy talk of "Christmas in July" I just thought I'd show you these now. If you'd like to see more variations on this little theme, please take a look at my Etsy shop. More designs coming soon! Hmmmm, I'm thinking pirates...and feathers...and mermaids...and stars...and lace...

Treasury West, "Mine", by iluvlucy8

Treasury West, "Mine", by iluvlucy8
Originally uploaded by Felt on the Fly

Now that I have the actual picture of "Mine" (iluvlucy8), you won't have to go searching for it!

I (have to) believe in learning as I go - if I waited to figure out everything first, I wouldn't be blogging for a few more years! So thanks for putting up with my pathetic blogging attempts. It might not be pretty, but at least I'm trying! Yup, my pride went out the window a looooooong time ago...

Treasury West, "Pink", by FashionTouch

Treasury West, "Pink", by FashionTouch
Originally uploaded by Felt on the Fly

Well, it was a big enough surprise to find out today that "Plaidius - A Cashmere Mouse" was featured in the Treasury West "Mine", by iluvlucy8, so imagine how I felt when Lori from DirtRoadSouth pointed out that my Pink Dottie Bag was featured in the Treasury West "Pink" by FashionTouch!

I could get used to this kind of attention in a hurry! Thank you again, iluvlucy8, and thank you FashionTouch.

And it sure was a lot of fun to actually be in the same treasury with DirtRoadSouth! Lori is the Queen of Treasuries with all of her whimsical jewelry, her wonderful book thongs and her beautiful mosaic work. To see Lori's shop, go to http://www.dirtroadsouth.etsy.com.

Also, please visit: http://www.iluvlucy.etsy.com
and: http://www.fashiontouch.etsy.com

Etsy :: Treasury West List

Etsy :: Treasury West List

Every time I'm featured in a Treasury, I'm totally amazed (not that it happens all that often, but hey, even a blind squirrel finds a nut once in a while). Out of all the items on Etsy, somebody found one of mine, and somehow, it fit into their plan. Gotta love it, ya know?

And this little guy, Plaidius - A Cashmere Mouse, is one of my favorites. I hope he finds a good home pretty soon!

Thank you iluvlucy8 for creating this very pretty RED Treasury, and for including something from Felt On The Fly!

http://www.iluvlucy8.etsy.com

What a Sweet Surprise!

Wow. A present! It was a surprise. Completely unexpected. Right out of the blue. Never saw it coming. A sweet surprise. You know, the kind that makes you stop, momentarily confused, and say, "wait a minute, is there a mistake? Is this really for me? It's not my birthday." Followed immediately by an almost child-like feeling of delight when you realize, oh my gosh, how cool is that, yes, it IS really for me! It's a rare few moments, for sure. And just as delicious is the next rush of thoughts, "How did you know I'd love this so much?" "You are so very kind!" "How generous and thoughtful!" And the surprise you have received multiplies in it's value because of the simple act of a giving spirit.

I received a surprise package in the mail yesterday from Rafael. His Etsy shop is called My Tiny Studio. He sent me this adorable Star. It is made from fabric, stitched, stuffed, painted, sanded and painted some more - all by Rafael himself. The detail is incredible, and the little nose has got to be one of my favorite parts, along with those pretty blue eyes.





Rafael and I had talked about his Stars before, but I don't think that I mentioned to him why stars are so meaningful to me. When my son was small, he attended a Waldorf School. In the Children's Center (sort of like kindergarten), before the children are taught to read, each child is given a symbol. The symbol is used to mark their cubby, it's embroidered on their napkin, it's used in place of writing their name. My son's symbol was a star. And suddenly, that simple image appeared everywhere,in school and well beyond, including some amazing places. That star symbol, at certain moments, guided us in directions we might not have gone otherwise. That symbol took on a significance that even now, is pure magic.

I have been an admirer of Rafael's for a while now. He is imaginative, creative, talented and unique. Since I love whimsical things that appeal to my imagination, it's no surprise that his work really appeals to me. His kind, thoughtful and generous nature is, to me, inspiring. I think I will follow his lead and some day soon, suprise someone with the unexpected gift of glee.

Here's a few more pictures of the Star, along with one of Rafael's Fairy Dolls. I just love all the details, and the layers of paint, and the care that he puts into his work. Don't you? Take a look at MyTinyStudio at Etsy and see more of his talent there. (My apologies, I don't know how to put a direct link in here!)

My (ahem)Studio

One of my most favorite rooms in my house is a room upstairs, at the end of the hallway. The farthest room from everywhere else in the house. It has a walk in closet, a built-in bookshelf and a large window overlooking my favorite "outdoor" room (which I like to call my courtyard) as well as a beautiful view. And right now, it looks like a craft bomb exploded in this room. Imagine a huge craft pinata broken open by a giant, it's contents splattered everywhere, in heaps and piles and dribbles.

This is the place where I love to escape. The men-folk of the household hesitate to set foot in this room. It's clearly my space to create, design, stitch, play...and there's only one chair, which cuts down on visitors for sure. And since I believe that "collecting" is an important part of any craft, I have collected to the point where it's become difficult to "contain". So, my (ahem)studio is undergoing a make-over.



I spent some time lately thinking about what was working in the room, and what was not (besides me!). What wasn't working was a huge outdated TV and matching huge outdated entertainment center. Those unsightly things are gone, and in their place now is a really cute re-purposed/re-painted hutch. Since you and I probably have a few things in common, I'll assume you can imagine how much fun I've been having lining up my numerous jars and baskets of buttons, ribbons and embellishments on the shelves of the hutch.




And in addition to the hutch, I've added a very cool shelf. It's vintage, it's heavy, and I sure hope it never falls off the wall! It came from one of my favorite local places to shop, Chic Antiques in downtown Lake Orion. But don't feel left out, Lori has an Etsy shop too: www.chicantiques.etsy.com. Filled with spools of ribbon now, I just love looking at this shelf!







It's only fair to give credit where credit is due, and this is the part where I have to thank my husband (commonly referred to in my internet writings as 'dcw') for painting the hutch and shelf. Especially since he HATES painting stuff. And especially since I gave him yet another project to paint - an old dresser that's been in the basement for ages. I've found a purpose for that in the (ahem)studio as well...

I'm off to a good start. Can't wait til it's all finished!

Pickles and Larry. Two friends. Their Adventures.

Pickles.



Larry.



"Ahhhhhhhhhhhh. This is the life..." thought Larry.



Spring in Michigan.

I Got a Tree in the Mail!

I grew up in a house with a big back yard. Right smack dab in the middle of that yard is a great big willow tree. That tree is the focal point of the yard, and the source of many fond memories of playing there with my three big brothers. We climbed the tree often, and for many years a tire swing hung from one of the branches. The willow withstood many storms, and survived losing branches both large and small. My oldest brother was married near that tree. And it became a "rite of passage" for our children to climb that tree. And climb, they did - in fact, sometimes, despite them all being teenagers and beyond now - they still do!

My parents still live in that house. But someday I know they will move. And what will I miss the most about the home where I grew up? The place I know as "home"? Yes, you guessed it, that wonderful old willow tree. So how could I resist when I came across this willow tree from Intres on Etsy?



Made from felt, all the way from Spain - just a tangible little reminder of one of my favorite things. It came wrapped so sweetly, with a hand-stitched and stuffed little green felt heart.



And look! Three cute teeny tiny little birds to nestle in the branches.



Now how adorable is that. Thanks, Intres!

A Look Back...

I haven't made the time to blog in a while, for several reasons. One of which is that I am certainly NOT a techno-gizzard by any stretch of the imagination and I find that doing just about anything on the 'puter often becomes a great source of frustration. I've got lots of ideas, and lots of things I want to do here in 'puter-land, but the skills are coming sloooooooowly and paaaaaaaaainfully. But I'm willing to take another stab at this bloggy thing.

I was just taking a look at Melissa's blog, pugnotes.blogspot.com (I'll bet there's a way to add a link to her blog - but for now you'll just have to do it the old-fashioned way). She lives in Colorado with some pretty cute little puggy type dogs and they've gotten lots of snow dumped on them recently. Her pictures are beautiful, and that reminded me of some pics I took back in February on a little ski vacation. So even though it's technically spring, it doesn't look like it in Colorado and we've seen no evidence of anything green yet here in Michigan - so I say it's not too late to post my own snowy pictures!

Michigan is an incredibly beautiful state and I really love having four very distinctive seasons. I took these pictures in the Habor Springs area, right along the shores of Lake Michigan. In the summer, this is a fabulous resort area where large yachts and sailboats come and people have amazing "summer homes". But in the winter, the sailboats are hoisted up for storage and the summer homes are closed for the season. It looks like some fabulous frozen-in-time abandoned town where all that's left are the woods and the wildlife. And of course, snow, frozen water, wind, and at night, the most beautiful star-filled sky...

The Adventures of Pickles and Larry

Two friends. Their adventures.

A story told in just a few words.

Pickles and Larry.

Plotting.







"C'mon, Larry, you can do it!"

Pickles had the bright idea of grabbing Larry's tail to help himself get up the stairs a little easier.




----------------------The End --------------------------------






Larry.
The serious one.
Pickles. Looks innocent.

The Gift of Opening Doors

I recently had a birthday. So I thought I'd give myself a gift. What did I want? Well, to tell you the truth, I don't really need clothes, or jewelry, or shoes, boots or purses. My husband said "absolutely no" to a puppy. So I thought, at this stage of my life, what would be symbolic and meaningful? A thought popped into my head. The kind of thought that I've learned to sit up and take notice of when they occur. And the thought was, "open doors".

AHA! That's it! The gift of opening doors! New doors, doors I've never thought of before. Doors I've never noticed before. Or doors that I've thought of, but was too afraid to open! Ooooooo, now this is something I can work with. I will give myself the gift of opening doors boldly and bravely.
For this year of my life, I will focus on doors.

Where to begin? That's easy. Right here in cyber-space. The vast unknown territory of computer-land. Since obtaining a website, and starting a shop on etsy, I've been opening new doors. Every door I've opened so far has led to new possibilities. How exciting! It's not such a big scary place afterall. I've already met some really wonderful people. Learned lots of new things that have led me to awesome places and even more wonderful people, which all encourages me to keep going, keep opening doors.

But, I must admit, not every door opens easily. Some, I can't find the keys to. Or the lock is jammed. Or I open the door, and it's very dark, or uninviting or a language is spoken which I don't understand. Or I don't know the password or the secret knock. That's ok, because I've learned that I can try a back door, a trap door or a fairy door. It's like one great big adventure, and I'm excited to see how many doors I'll open this year and what else I'll find.

The gift of opening doors. Probably the best gift I've ever given myself.