Sales! Sales! Sales!

Remember this post?  Well! Angela over at Artist's House has out done herself and has created the sweetest page for all of us in the blog hop to advertise our December sales! Please check them out, there's a lot of good stuff, and great discounts and free shipping too!

Take a peek!  

Oops!

I really kept meaning to hop in here and tell you about what's going on, but I keep getting distracted!  I've been squirreling away, enjoying the cold weather (finally!) There's been lots of yoga, some sewing and knitting, and of course, leather. 

I have been busy making things for the shop though!  I just updated it with a few of my most favorite things so far.  And check back later this week - I'm very happy to say that I've finally finished a second woven flower belt! For you! The only problem is that I get home after dark these days, and it deserves a proper photo shoot.  Luckily for everyone, I took this Friday off of work! Which means plenty of daylight hours to photograph! Hooray! 

I couldn't leave you without a sneak peek, could I??? 

Speaking of Friday... it happens to be my birthday! It is good to give, and since you guys are so swell for reading this wee blog and being so lovely and encouraging, I'm doing another sale! You'll get 15% off when you use the code HAPPYHAPPY as you check out of the etsy shop (more cheering!!!)  I'll keep the code active until Monday, which gives everyone plenty of time to take a peek!  And I'll do my best to keep updating the shop this week, look for more this weekend for sure! 

xoxoxox hope you're happy!

Sneak Peek! Part Two!!!

This sweater is finished now, I've worn it for the past two days and I really need to block the sleeves a bit longer... but then I'd have to wait for it to dry!!! Whaaaa! 

The secret yarn project:  

Only four more to go!

Home, and some work

 The new wood floor is peeking through, didn't they do a great job?

The china cabinet, all full of old and pretty things. (See the purple front door in the background?  My fuchsia door is it's daughter.

The greeter. I love him, want to steal him. 

 The big dipper to help you find your way home... I kind of want to embroider the star lines, what do you think?  A silvery thread would be used. Or is it good and simple the way it is now?

 The manatee. I want to swim with them someday. I've made a second one, the leather in this one wasn't a good choice on my part, it's not sturdy as I'd like it.

I have a few more cuffs to photograph, some to stain and paint and snapify. They'll be up here & in the shop soon. I love the winter, but this whole lack of daylight is killing my photo time!

On thinking of Fear

Dear Sunny posted her wonderful thoughts on fear today.  Please read her words, they are beautiful and true.

She made me think of my own fears, most of those thoughts centered around making art. 

The drive that makes me create is also what holds me back from sharing my work. Oh, but the fear of a frown can keep me (and any artist, I think.) from showing my hand. Leatherwork has been the most encouraging art I have found yet.  I am braver with it somehow. Working catches my soul up so hugely that I have to share, no matter what.  It excites me that this fear of sharing has come to sit by me, and that in acknowledging its presence, I can push myself to show my work.  To DO something with it, instead of packing things away, like a squirrel.   I have bags of finished embroideries that only need frames, knit things that need photos... so many sketchbooks, endless ideas that never came to light, for fear of others' thoughts.

Fear is not something to be ashamed of having, so long as it is noted with honesty, and spoken of. It is what has kept us alive.  Keeping us from running across a busy street, encouraging us to smell the milk before taking a drink, to slather sunscreen on our skin.  It can be an asset. 

It can hold us back from pursuing our dreams. Not wanting to fail is a huge fear of everyone's. It is at the top of my list, that's for sure.  I worry. And fret. And fear. I could choose to go no further, to stay in safety, or venture out and explore the path ahead.  I am pushing forward with fear, I am tired of this place and need to move.

I take a deep breath, and take fear by the hand and thank it for it's help. I turn to courage, and it takes my hand and we jump in head first. There is a balance, and too much of either can crush a soul (or body!) Writing to you helps line up the fears I can move past. Thank you for reading this, it helps to say things, doesn't it? Especially when you say them to someone else - not just the cat. I am not going to reread this post and edit it. It is one I could comb over for hours. Here are my thoughts, I hope they reach you well.  

Speak your fears, or they may tie you down. 




Love to you all. 


xo
Cat

Thanksgiving

My family's home

The king.

p.s. don't forget, SHOPSHOP10 gets you 20% off through Monday in my etsy shop! xoxox!

Coupons! Hooray!

RoseWoolls Designs is having its first coupon sale! Please share it with everyone you care to!

Here's the deal: Type SHOPSHOP10 in the coupon code section when you check out of my Etsy site.  You'll get 20% off your purchase!

The code will be good from Friday, November 26th (tomorrow) through Monday, November 29th! 

Just because you're all so lovely!

I'll ship everything out early next week - Tuesday is the goal!

Yay! Hooray! Happy Thanksgiving Day!

Handmade Holidays

I've joined in with a ton of other lovely bloggers in Angela's blog hop! We're spreading the handmade word to try and encourage people to support artists and crafts people this holiday season, and beyond! I am always thrilled to talk about how important hand made things are, so I jumped at the chance to share with this great community. For this wee little blog, it's an honor to share the list with so many awesome sites! From cooking to crafting, handmade is always much more satisfying to me. I'd rather cook dinner and bake cookies in my oven than go out to eat or buy oreos (as yummy as they are...) And I do my best to carry that over into my holiday shopping.

Now, I admit, I make a LOT of my gifts every year. But there's always that person who is hard to craft for, or the list of "to make" becomes too long to handle... That is when I turn to others who make.  I tend to use Etsy.com for this purpose, collecting ideas into treasuries or clicking "favorite" through out the year so I can keep track of what I may purchase, or things to add to my wish list.  I also go to local galleries and boutique shops, but for easy handmade purchases, the internet is just darn handy!

Here's a peek at my potential shopping list... I know I should plan ahead better, to make sure everything comes in on time, but I just can't stop looking for that one item that would be just perfect for so-and-so!  I hope my list helps narrow yours down!

For the animal lovers with a sense of humor, Berkly Illustration (I adore this Cheetah!)

Meet Stan the Bird.  I have the green Stan hanging in my house.  I met his creator at Maker Faire this year, and know several people who would love to have one  in their homes too.

I have three brothers, plus a bunch of guy friends, Bare Tree Apparel will make it easy to shop for them (for once! And great lady stuff too!)

SunnyRising is one of my favorite people online.  Seriously, she's amazing, kind, and terribly talented. I'm hoping that I have enough change in my coin jar to add some of her work to my gift list this year.

And don't forget to say thank you for all your handmade gifts received! (well, all of them really!) Keep your handmade commitment going!

Globe Notes

Robo-thanks

Quail Card

Puppy Print

I mentioned treasuries on Etsy earlier, and they are a great way to shop! Here are two examples of treasuries I've put together recently.  They make for great reminders when you are ready to get shopping! And it's fun to see what other people pull together too! (in fact, you'll see some of the items above in these - told you I use them!)

For you and for me

Honey in the leaves

Enjoy your shopping, and make sure to check out yesterday's poster, What, No Mints?  and Friday's Covet Chicago too!  Have a happy Thanksgiving tomorrow, may your gravy be lump free!

P.S. check back tomorrow for a special sale! xoxox

Hoping the cold stays

I love cold weather. This fall has been frustrating in that regard.  It's still warm enough down here that I don't need a coat, and can only get away with wearing tights because it's chilly in the morning and freezing in the office.

Sigh... A wool lover's hell is a warm fall.  But I'm not letting it keep me down! Noooo Sirreee Bob! I've got 2 sweaters on the needles!  One is a mindless, stockinett stitch in the round deal, and the other... oh the other is a dream in sweet wool.  Cables, cardigan, pretty grey heather wool yarn, big needles.  Perfection. 

I've gotten through almost half the back, and am well in the swing of the cable patterns.  I love cables, don't you?

xoxox Have a splendid day!

Happy luck!

I went out to a farmers market with my friend Reeve  (she has two good blogs) this past weekend ( yes, I'm late getting to these things... usually am. )  We got lots of yummy veggies and cider (along with some DELICIOUS smelling mint I'll dry and use in tea later this winter.

We ended up at one of the local museum's tag sale.  Most things were way out of our price range (nice furniture, dish sets, etc) But then I stumbled across some mushrooms. Hand-blown silver and red glass mushrooms.  In various sizes. For a decent price even.  Reeve was sweet and helped talk me into buying them by saying that she'd give 3 of the 12 a good home at her place.  I caved.  As we were loading them into the car, she saw the original price of these little darlings.  YIKES!!!! Deal of the year, that's for sure, I paid 8% of the original price, if my math is right, which it probably isn't :)

Aren't they sweet? I've already lined them up on my mantle, but will have to wait for better lighting to share it with you.

Sneak Peek!

Here's a peek at a kind of secret project I've finally started after a year or so of saying "wouldn't it be awesome if..." with the owner of Charlotte Yarn, the local yarn shop I work at and frequent often on weekends.

It's only a sort-of-secret because the theme is fun and surprises are good.  Plus me being totally excited to finally get cracking on this = sneak peeks!!  I have quite a bit more work to do though! Enjoy!

A next step

I worked my fingers off last week.  And then forgot to take photos of everything I had made before I went and showed it to a wonderful shop in town. 

You've seen this cuff before, it now lives on the wrist of an amazing woman who is giving me a chance to get my work in front of people.  This is important, I do enjoy the ease of etsy, but it is also frustrating.  It's saturated in awesome, and I haven't yet found how to scratch that surface.  It may come, it may not.  I think that selling into shops and at shows is better for me. It makes me happier to KNOW someone will see what I'm doing.  That they can pick a cuff up, turn it in their hands and know that someone local made it.  I love local things.  I love touching the work of artists I might pass on the street unknowingly.

After a long and good (good) talk with H. discussing the merits of some pieces over others, figuring out pricing; I now have a handful of cuffs waiting for their new owners at Boris + Natasha!! I am so lucky to have a quirky, super stylish place like this in town. I can't find their link right now but if you're ever in the Queen City and need some serious good looks, I can only recommend this shop. 

It is a great validation for me, to have a business owner who I trust and adore not only want to sell my work, but also name the same prices I was a little too shy to claim.  Pricing, as anyone trying to sell anything, is the hardest part of creating most days.  She's owned B +N for at least 10 years, she knows what sells, and at what prices, it was just so great to have someone who isn't a close friend or family member get so excited about what I'm doing!
I am terribly excited about this step.  It feels like my first "big girl step" into the world of making what I love. I feel so good down in my heart about this journey. Creating with leather is incredibly rewarding, and this is just a gold star right on top of a cherry sundae.

Wishing all of you the best Sunday afternoon ever!  I'm off to dye yarn and take photos and roam through my mind and enjoy the day.

Sometimes...

I work at my local yarn shop. This weekend I worked Sunday, and took some beauty shots for the site.

So, here's some of the best ones, because everyone needs some pretty yarn photos in their life.

Homebread

Perfection in wheat and molasses.

Antiquing!

This was the weekend of the antique expo!  I went early on Saturday, since I had a lesson to teach in the afternoon (she needed to know how to spin on a bottom whorl spindle).  

I bought two belt buckles and some absolutely beautiful trim, which I'll photograph later in their full glory.  Here's a small sliver of what I saw.  I wish I had more time! It was a beautiful day, crisp, cold and sunny. I got to wear my boots, scarf, new knit vest, hat AND fingerless gloves- myyyyy favorite kind of outfit! Layers and layers, siiiigh...