Waiting

So you know the feeling of waiting for something that feels like it's never going to happen?  Like waiting for water to boil, or in the line at the DMV, or to have a chance at a popular exhibit in the children's museum, or for 100 people to "Like" your Facebook fanpage?

Well, maybe not the last one - but that's been me for the past couple of months.  I had dribs and drabs of Likes - excited about each one!  Then surges here and there - very excited!  I reached 95 likes sometime in the fall or early winter and thought, okay - I'd better start making the stuff for my giveaway contest.  Then, no more likes.  Stagnant.  For weeks.  Until today.  I woke up and logged on and there it was - 100 Likes - Wow!!!

Last night I stumbled upon (not on the site of the same name) a Facebook Small Business Boost link that gives $50 in free Facebook Ads to US based small businesses who have a FB Fanpage with 50 or more Fans.  Well, I had that!  So I signed up and shared it on my personal FB page.  I'm hoping that some of my friends & acquaintances on FB who also have small businesses will take advantage.  I had my coupon this morning and developed my ad.  I shared with another group on FB so they could take advantage and another team on Etsy.  I need to get to 196 likes by April 1, 2012, to get another coupon worth $100 in free Facebook Ads.  I'm hoping that since I only need another 90 (or less now), I will be able to get to that milestone!  Here's the link for my Facebook Fanpage - if you haven't "Liked" me and would like to help me get to my goal of 200 Fans before April 1st, please follow the link and click "Like" - thank you!

If you remember - I promised a contest to be run for when I reach 100 Likes on my Facebook Fanpage.  I will be posting the contest here on February 1st.  It will run through February 7th.  On February 8th, I will have http://www.random.org/ choose the winner.  I hope that everyone will enter to win the goodies that I've been preparing!

I did promise photos of my raw silk sun hat that I crochet for myself a couple of weeks ago.  It was dreary before we left on vacation last week - so I wasn't able to take photos until yesterday...

While that one is for me, I've purchased US grown cotton yarn for recreations that will be added to my shop in time for spring (Marchish).  The colors I have are:  white, ecru, maize, turquoise, and chocolate.  Each sun hat will be unique as I create as I go.  I know how to read patterns, but I really prefer to design and create off the cuff!

Today I added two new flowers to my shop - red, perfect for your valentine and purple & plum with loden leaves - to see click here.
Have a blessed day and thanks for stopping by to read!

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Pinned in Perfectly Pretty Plum

Can I just say, growing up I loved purple!  My room and everything I could convince my mother to purchase or make for me was purple, violet, amethyst, or any one of the other magnificent shades of that royal color!  That passion carried over to our previous home - the dining room was a shade of pale amethyst and the powder room (ceiling and walls) was dark eggplant.  It was so lovely.  I miss it incredibly and feel this pulling in my creative heart to go buy a gallon of plum passion (or some other delicious purple) paint and change the color of my craft room.  Alas, it's too full of stuff for that fantasy to play out at this very moment.

This past week of stitching with the purple cashmere and plum merino wool has brought out that little girl in me.  I've cut and stitched a few purple flowers and I'm just loving them...

No. 053 Felted Purple and Green Cashmere with Vintage Shell Button

No. 056 Felted Plum Merino Wool and Loden Green Cashmere

No. 057 Felted Purple Cashmere and Plum Merino Wool with Vintage Shell Button

I've been cutting and stitching so many flowers that I've actually run out of the metal hinge pins!  I need to get more in stock before I can list No. 059 - another purple and plum number with loden green leaves.  I almost have fear that I may run out of these beautiful colors before I run out of ideas of what I want to stitch with them!

In the past few weeks, I've joined Pinterest and have had a great time exploring the beautiful things that others have pinned there.  I've pinned, repinned, and liked many things - both from etsy and from other sites.  If you haven't had the opportunity to try Pinterest, please request an invitation and try it out.  There are beautiful things and ideas that I wouldn't have come across if it weren't for what others have pinned on their boards... ideas for my garden, meals for my family, things of beauty to make, give and wear, ideas for parties and new ways to keep my exercise regimen fresh.  So many different things found in just one place.  Recently Etsy has added a PinIt button to each of the items listed.  If you are on Pinterest and you like what you've seen or read, please don't be shy about using the PinIt button below!

If you'd like to follow me on Pinterest, click here:

As always, thank you for reading and have a blessed day!

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Photo Catalogue of WoodstreamDream Sold Items 2011

I was participating in a discussion on Etsy about how to show off what sells at craft shows or privately to individual buyers off-line.  Thorough the year I've been posting custom items, but I haven't created a catalogue of items that have sold off-line, been donated, or given as gifts. 
This catalogue includes my OOAK items & original designs - crochet and Marie Collection flowers.  I have not included handstamped items as those (for the most part) can be replicated. 
To see items sold on Etsy go here.

Crochet Items Sold in 2011

Chocolate Superwash Merino Wool Cap
(front cap on the table)
unfortunately I never photographed it individually and sold it at my first event in April 2011Peacock Blue Merino Wool Blend Banded Cloche and Cowl with Vintage Carved Shell Buttons



Charcoal Merino Wool Blend Cap and Scarf

Canary Yellow Cotton Newborn Flower Hat

Charcoal Merino Wool Blend Banded Cloche with Vintage Button

Mustard Organic Cotton Cowl with Vintage Button Closure

Orchid Tweed Neckwarmer with Flower and Loop Closure

Orchid Tweed Cap and Scarf

Plum Superwash Merino Wool Cloche with Ripple Leaf Detail

Wild Berries Tweed Chin-Tie Hat with Stacked Flower and Pique Edge (custom order)

Sunset Orange Bamboo Blend Adjustable Chin-Strap Hat with Vintage Button (custom order)

Winter White Silk-Bamboo Blend and Ice Blue Bamboo Tie-On Scarf (custom order)

Black Bamboo Blend Ear Warmer with Pique Edge (custom order)

The Marie Collection Felted Flowers Sold 2011

 No. 003 Crimson Merino Wool

No.  004 Crimson and Chocolate Merino Wool

No. 013 Crimson Merino Wool and Cashmere

No. 017 Crimson Merino Wool

No. 023 Oatmeal and Chocolate Merino Wool

No. 024 Crimson and Ivory Cashmere

No. 032 Black Cashmere

No. 033 Crimson Merino Wool and Cashmere

No. 034 Chocolate Merino Wool and Green Cashmere

No. 037 Pink Cashmere

No. 039 Ivory and Green Cashmere

No. 040 Crimson Merino Wool and Cashmere

No. 041 Black and Crimson Cashmere

No. 043 Crimson Merino Wool and Grey Cashmere

No. 019 Ivory Cashmere (custom order)

No. 021 Pink Cashmere (custom order)

No. 020 Ivory Cashmere (custom order)

No. 027 Grey and Ivory Cashmere (custom order)

No. 028 Brown and Crimson Merino Wool (custom order)

No. 018 Ivory Cashmere and Brown Merino Wool (custom order)

No. 029 Ivory Cashmere (custom order)

Next I'll catalogue the items I've created as gifts, items that have been donated, and items I've made and kept for myself!

As always, most of my items are OOAK (one of a kind), but I can recreate some items.  If you're interested in items that you see here or on Etsy that have already sold, please email me and I'll let you know if I can recreate the item, the cost, and timeline.

Thanks for reading and have a blessed week!

Happy New Year!

I hope that each of you had a lovely Christmas holiday and New Year celebration!  I took off the past couple of weeks to spend time with friends and family ... especially to focus on my husband and children.  It was a much needed break and I feel refreshed and ready to move into 2012!

I didn't take much of a break with crafting during my absence.

I've added a few new flowers to the Marie Collection - last night I stitched my 53rd flower!  I have a few more cut out and ready for stitching.  Today I listed my first purple cashmere flower pin - I love it and hope that you do, too!  I conversation with a dear friend, she mentioned she has a purple merino wool sweater that's developed a hole and would I like it?  OF COURSE!!!  She'll be receiving another token of my gratitude soon!  The loden green cashmere hoodie that she donated in the fall is finally felted and ready to be cut apart!

Here's a flower pin I stitched in time to give...

Marie No. 048 Cashmere and Merino Wool (Christmas gift for an aunt)



I've been working on a sun hat for myself.  I started last Tuesday while in the car-line to pick-up my first grader.  I'm working on the brim of the hat now, so it should be ready to be photographed this time next week - should I not injure myself again!  Last Friday at pick-up I slammed my right thumb in the car door and all of my wonderful stitching plans for the weekend were wiped from the slate because it was quite painful through Saturday.  Sunday night I started stitching again and today I started crocheting again.  For this sun hat I've used raw silk that my mother gave to me, double strand for the cap section and triple strand for the brim - with a tighter stitch to make it stiffer.  I have a couple of gardening hats that always leave me quite sweaty because of no air circulation in the cap section, so the cap of this hat is very loose and open stitched.  The brim is close stitched and hopefully will shield me from too much of the sun's warm rays in the garden and on the beach this year.  If I'm successful, I'm planning to add similar women's sized sun hats to my Crochet Creations Section on Etsy.

Recently I've added a couple of neckwarmers and a new grey merino blend crochet belt to my shop.  I think they're so much fun - adding a new twist to something already in your closet!  Here's a neckwarmer I crochet in time to give...

Crochet Neckwarmer with Flower and Loop Closure (Christmas gift for sil Rhonda)

I've sketched out many different cards for Valentine's Day, Easter, and Mother's Day.  I plan to work on those in the coming week and to list some by next week.  I can barely believe it's only five weeks until Valentine's Day, I only just put my Nativity away today. Snowmen are still about the house, but as soon as we have the first big snow - I'm done and pack those away, too.  No need to have snowmen inside and out!  I'm not a huge cold-weather fan, I would happily move farther south if we have the opportunity in the future.

I've applied to a few craft events for March and April.  Once I receive official acceptance, I will announce dates and locations.

I hope that you found time to refresh and ready yourself for the new year!
Thank you for reading and have a blessed week!