A surprise in the mailbox!

Starting today, I have four options for Card-A-Month subscriptions - 3-, 6-, 9-, or 12-months.  They're available for purchase here.

I'm offering this option because I always love receiving a little something in the mail that I've forgotten that I already paid for a while ago.  Something that's not a bill or junk mail.  Something that's fun and beautiful, something I can keep or I can give to someone I care about.

On or about the first of the month I'll be mailing the card.  Each month will be one blank inside card with coordinating ivory or white envelope, enclosed in a protective sleeve.  The cards will be different from ones in my shop, I will add monthly cards to the shop for purchase after the 7th of the month they've been sent - should there be extras.

I'll be creating thinking of you, all occasion, birthday, baby, bridal, love/anniversary, seasonal, holiday cards... something different each month.  If you purchase a subscription and have a special request or want to avoid a certain holiday - please let me know at the time of purchase.  I try my very best to fulfill your requests!

These cards will be premium quality.  I will be creating beautiful items that you may just want to frame instead of send!  These are cards I've been thinking of making for a while, but I wanted them to be different - not just added to my shop just because - but extra special creations because they take that extra bit of care.

When you purchase a subscription, you pay for the cards and the shipping for the period of time that you'll be receiving the subscription.  Once you pay, you just sit back and forget about it... until your package arrives in the mail early each month!

If you'd like to send this as a gift to someone who enjoys handmade cards, I will gladly enclose a personalized note in the first month's package letting the person know who sent it and how long the subscription lasts.

This weekend I'm adding several other items to my shop - several new upcycled felted cashmere and wool flowers and several crochet items.  To see the newest items, just click the Most Recent tab on my shop page.

Thanks for reading and have a blessed weekend!

Spotlight

Good Sunday Evening Friends,

This week I'm in the spotlight for the Sunshine Farm Girls Co-op Team on Etsy!
I have a special coupon code just for this week, SPOTLIGHT20 worth 20% off your purchase, not including gift certificates.  I'll be deactivating it on the evening of April 1st, so don't wait!
Please visit the treasury here:   WoodstreamDreamSpotlightTreasury

In addition to the spotlight on the Etsy treasury, I've done an interview with the team and it'll be featured here this week along with a DIY that I did on upcycling a vintage valance into an apron!  Check out the FarmGirlBlog this week!

My Booth from two weeks ago.

Last spring I did one flea market and did well for my first time out, that's when I decided to branch out and do fall craft shows.  I did quite well, except for one show in the fall.  So I decided to give it a go for the spring.  After the past few weeks, I've decided that spring craft shows just aren't meant for me at this time.  The first was slow, very low traffic, but I had one great sale that covered my spot fee.  The second had many more people, better advertised, but no one was buying.  Unfortunately, for the first time, I didn't not make my spot fee back in sales.  I am not giving up at all on craft shows, I am just going to be choosy as to which ones I decide to apply to and which ones I scout first.  Definitely a different market in the spring, but it was worth the try.  I am glad that I did try so that I know.

I am scheduled for April 14th at the Blue Barn in Marlton on Tuckerton Road.  It's the Spring Fling Flea Market - where I first started last April.  Provided everything goes to plan, I will be there.

After that, I'm planning on scouting a few events for next spring and then creating my fall/winter 2012 collection.

While I'm at my booth, between customers, I crochet and stitch flowers.  I have several new creations that I'll be adding to my Etsy Shop over the next couple of weeks.

Thanks for reading and have a blessed week!

Dig in and get dirty!

Today is the first day of spring... it's seemed that the weather changed a couple of weeks ago from winter to summer... not much spring this year!  Yesterday we had a great summer day, on the last day of winter!

I had the priveledge of visiting my son's first grade classroom today to talk about gardening. 

I brought in pictures of gardens that I had at my old home... 

August 2008

a couple of years of gardens at the community garden...

2010

2011

and pictures of bounty...

and what we can make with these delicious things we grow...



and what plants need in order to grow and what helps plants to create fruits, vegetables, and seeds...

Then I showed them how a root-bound basil plant looked.  They explored by touching the roots and then watched me repot the basil.

After that the children each planted a sunflower seed and two basil seeds in peat pots that I had left over from previous growing seasons. [On a side note, last week while listening to the radio I learned that peat moss is not a renewable resource.  I will no longer be purchasing peat products in order to do my part to conserve that natural resource.]

We closed with Q & A - mostly stories from them, but some good questions about how to get a plant to come back after it dies.  We talked about perennials and self-seeding annuals - how they can come back.  Everything has a life cycle.  We also talked about how it's more economical to purchase a $3 packet of organic basil seed than to buy a $3 organic basil plant.  I told them that they could save the seeds from plants in the garden and use those for free in the future!

I left them with the seeds to grow in the classroom and a Highlights Hidden Picture - Preparing for Spring.

I had such a great time!  It was so fun to go into the classroom and teach again - without all of the other stuff tied to the profession.  I really do enjoy teaching children about gardening.  I hope to be able to do this annually for my boys' classes.



I encourage you to get your hands dirty during this growing season... whether you garden at home, in containers, in raised beds, in the community garden, or on your kitchen windowsil - buy a packet of seeds or transplants and grow something delicious!  It doesn't take a lot of time, but it gives a lot back!  Your wallet and your waistline will be grateful!  I would love for you to come back and comment with links to pictures of your home/community gardens!

Thanks for reading and have a blessed week!

Summer in Winter

The past several days have been a pleasant surprise in southern New Jersey - and several other areas of the country!  Yesterday we had temperatures in the high 70s - more late May weather than late-winter weather.  My daffodils and hyacinths are blooming and while my hellebores are confused!  I'm enjoying this weather and the chance to enjoy time outside in the sunshine with my boys.

Here are some new creations that I'll be listing soon in my shop:

Flower Pin No. 079 Felted Ivory Cashmere and Vintage Velvet Button

 Flower Pin No. 080 Felted Crimson Merino Wool and Vintage Shell Button

 Crochet Flower Band White and Soft Violet on White Band

 Crochet Flower Band White and Soft Violet on Soft Violet Band

 Crochet Flower Band White and Shades of Aqua on White Band

I've been contemplating how else to use my crochet flowers - I thought about adding a snappy hair clip to the back of them so that they can be worn in the hair - without the crochet band, just like my Marie Collection flowers.

Then today I saw Jennifer Rizzo's contest and she's already done exactly that!  To enter her contest click here.  It's a $500 giveaway of beautiful items from her spring 2012 collection - Sparrow and Blossom.  The items are beautiful - colorful and bring spring cheer to home and wardrobe!

I'm going to take some time now to step outside and soak in the sunshine, play with my boys and enjoy the beauty that God has surrounded us with! 

Thanks for reading and have a blessed day!

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Spring Fever!

The weather this week was wild!  It was in the upper 60s/low70s yesterday - in early March in southern New Jersey - it was a welcome surprise!  I've been sitting out back a few of these beautiful days crocheting while the boys play.  I did put down the hook for a while to weed a bed full of winter weeds.  When the weather's been as warm as its been this year, the beds are FULL of winter weeds!  My older son had a great time with me - he likes to help gardening and is able to identify a weed once shown - that and he loves to dig in the dirt!

So I've been working on a new concept - crochet flower bands.  I initially developed them as an accessory for my sun hats.  Then I thought they'd look great just tied on in one's hair - like a headband.  Today I thought they could be added as a crochet sash to spring and summer dresses for little girls (because they're not that big and I know they wouldn't reach around MY waist!).  I have one finished and several more in varying stages of completion.

I've added stacked crochet flowers to a crochet band - they're off-center, just flip it to have the flowers on the left or right of center.

Here shown on the short-brimmed white sun hat.

Here shown untied.

Here's a close-up of the flower.

I'm working on a violet and white version and a varying shades of aqua and white version.  I'm trying to use all of the yarn that I have left over from making the sun hats.  Sometimes it's just enough to make a tiny center of a flower - other times I can make several flowers and bands, too!  Regardless, I think this is a versatile and fun way to use skein ends.

They're 100% US grown cotton - simply handwash in cold water with mild detergent and lay flat to dry.

My Etsy shop is closed until Saturday night because tomorrow I'll be at Sterling High School for the Band Parents Booster Craft Show.  Once I do inventory, I'll have my shop back open.  If you'd like to visit me there it's 9am to 3pm at 501 Warwick Road, Somerdale, NJ.

Thanks for stopping by and have a blessed weekend!

Inspiration

This morning I took the PATCO train into Philadelphia with a friend to the Philadelphia Flower Show.  I started attending the show a few years ago - I've always loved flowers and now I find inspiration there.  This year's theme was H'awaii.  I cannot describe how beautiful the show was - it was lush and green - less floral, much more natural than majestic - but there's so much majesty in nature, sometimes it doesn't need the fantasy to be fantastic!

I was watching for flower and petal structure this year especially because I think that observing nature will give me a better understand of how to emulate nature's beauty in my Marie Collection Flowers.

There were a lot of orchids - obviously because it was a tropical theme and orchids originate from the tropics - but there were bulbs, clematis, roses, and many other flowers and flowering trees/shrubs.  The flower show shows so much - garden layout ideas for vegetable gardening, front porch, window boxes, hanging baskets, accessories (handbags and jewelry) made of plant materials, fancified outdoor teaparties... oh there's so much to see - it's such a delight!

These were my favorite shots of flowers I took today.  I hope you enjoyed browsing through and maybe you'll see how my flowers are inspired by nature!

Soon I'll be planning the Patch and I saw some inspirational displays for herb and vegetable gardening.  I'll share those photos soon.

Onto WoodstreamDream business...
My fingers have been stitching and crocheting and stamping like crazy!  I am just about ready for my first craft show on March 10th.  I don't think I'll get to the 40 flowers I wanted to have done, but I'll be pretty close!  I have several sun hats done, some with wide brims and some with short brims.  I've added those I've photographed to my etsy shop.  I finished six more flowers yesterday.  I have one waiting to be stitched and I have a bunch more brewing in my brain.  I added a man's birthday card to my shop this week.  I'm hoping to get a few more things created this week, but it will depend on how smoothly everything goes.  My husband will be away on business most of the week, so my focus will be on my boys.

Blog Giveaway Update:  Since I have not heard from Melody, I put the numbers back into Random.org and it gave me No. 3 as the winner.  The winner of my blog giveaway is Laurie (entrant no.3).  I will try to contact Laurie through the MJFarm site as that's where she said she found my blog contest.  Thanks to all who did enter!

Thanks for reading and have a blessed week!

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