New for Fall

My sister and nephew spent the past weekend with us, and while she was here I had her give me a quick refresher course on binding your own books. We whipped up a couple blank journals to sell in my Blue Igloo store, and I've created a couple more since she left. They are so colorful and cute, that I can't wait to list them to share with you! Here's a sneak peek — look for them within a week or so on Blue Igloo.

Etsy Shops on Vacation Soon

I am going to switch my Etsy shops to vacation mode later this week. So, if you've been itching to purchase something and would like to have it mailed out this week, now is the time to order! Both shops will be on vacation for about two weeks.  See you at the end of July!

New Mandala Series

If you saw my Instagram / Tweet yesterday, you will have already seen this sneak peek of one of my new digital collage mandalas. I'm calling the series Musings, and they are crafted from pieces of paper I've scanned and then manipulated — adding layers of color, detail and stream-of-consciousness text to arrive at the finished piece. I'm so excited to be working on them and hope to have a couple of them listed in my Etsy shop soon.

Crocheted Stones Love

Ok, who doesn't love the crocheted stones made popular by Resurrection Fern's Margaret Oomen? No, don't answer. I don't want to know because I am completely in love with them and have been since I first saw them ohh so long ago. In fact, I was so enthusiastic I sought out an online tutorial, bookmarked it, and then....nothing. 

I've crocheted since I was a kid, but here and there, I let it go for a year or two or however long, and then, eventually pick it up again. So over the weekend, it was just too hot and humid to be outside that I spent some time catching up on craft projects I always intended to try. The photo above is my first attempt at crocheting around a stone, thanks to the lovely tutorial provided by The Purl Bee. 

Now that I've officially caught the crocheting bug again I've been scouring our yard looking for more stones that will be perfect for crocheting. Sadly, our landscaping doesn't include awesomely round and simultaneously flat river rocks but rather, rough and unsightly blockish-hunks of rock that are the exact opposite of what I need! 

Word of warning to the husband and visitors...if I manage to get my hands on more of these rocks, the house will probably be full of them by Christmas (I'm only half-joking). :) 

Is It Really June Already?

I can't believe how the months of 2012 have flown and now, here it is, June already. Alex is finishing up the school year this week and summer has already come!

I'm hoping to post more to the blog as well as have new artwork to share here and in my Etsy shops as well, so keep your fingers crossed. ;)

New Store Features All Handmade

A great new store has opened in Norfolk, Virginia, called Kitsch. All of the items they carry were handmade here in Virginia. A few of my items are there if you are interested in popping in to take a look. To find out more, visit Kitsch's facebook page here.

Health Mandala