yellow narcissus

Just basking in the pretty glow of these little yellow Narcissus flowers...

My table had been crying out for a little bit of Spring so I picked these up from the grocery store yesterday. I transferred them from the ugly little pot they came in to this fancy glass dish (of course not before trying out several other pots/planters/vases and making a huge mess right before dinner). But I really wanted to be able to see the dirt and the roots...and I only felt slightly guilty about putting dirt in this gorgeous glass dish. Although it still doesn't feel like Spring yet outside, at least seeing these flowers makes it seem a bit more Spring-like on the inside.

a new couple...

Just a new little pair of owls I made recently for a custom order...

I never get tired of making these perky little cake topper creatures!
The sun is finally shining here again and for that I'm feeling a bit more perky now too!
Happy Wednesday! :)

knitted socks...

Lately I've been knitting little tiny things...like these baby socks/booties (in the most neutral of colors, of course). For the brown pair (left), I followed this pattern and for the other pairs, I loosely followed this pattern (also done here first).

I like experimenting with different sized needles and different yarns to see how they turn out. The middle pair is oh soo tiny and a bit odd in color because they were made with some leftover striping yarn that I had used to make these below...

If I were smart, I would have started knitting tiny socks like those above first, before attempting to knit a pair of socks for myself. I finally finished this pair a month or so ago, after a good year (and then some) of working on them here & there. They were tedious to make, but they fit perfectly...and after all that work, I'm just thankful for that!

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P.S. Speaking of The Purl Bee, check out their latest post of so many pretty Spring projects to make!

fabric buttons...

I discovered a new, fun thing just recently... I picked up these vintage "cover-your-own" button kits at my local thrift store the other day. I do like old buttons...but to make your own!?! Exciting, right? I know! I can't stop... I had just bought some new fabric prior to this with all these little circles filled with cute things like flowers and birds. The bird one fit perfectly onto this tiny button. And I had a tiny scrap of vintage fabric that I always thought was so sweet...and it was just perfect for making a set of 3 cheery, yellow buttons. Hmm...the crafty ideas are really flying now!

hello again...

I have no idea where February went...and the first week of March. Well, I sort of do. But it's been so long since I blogged that I had to really think about what my password was. I think I've just been waiting for Spring, almost holding my breath for it really. And enjoying this quiet time before the baby arrives, trying to finish projects, and imagining how much our life is going to change in just about 3 short months! Can one really prepare themself for a baby? I'm trying to accomplish everything and anything before the baby comes. As if I won't ever be able to do anything again after. I know that really isn't the case. But I sure would like to have as much done and organized and squared away as is humanly possible. Is that what they refer to as "nesting?"

Like with this quilt for instance. I just finished it this weekend. When I first started making it and telling someone about it...Hub said that he never thought he'd hear those words come out of my mouth...that I was making a baby quilt. I said that I had no idea they would either! Is there some "quilt-making pregnancy hormone" that switches on? All I know for sure is that this is likely to be the one and only quilt I'll ever make. Potholders seem more up my alley. Maybe even pillows, yes. But another quilt?...don't think so. It's not that I didn't enjoy making it. I did, for the most part. But I learned that working on my sewing machine on bigger things like this makes me very, very nervous and tense. It involved a lot of grumbling with my sewing machine. For me it is not a relaxing hobby. My favorite part was cutting the squares and blindstitching the border on by hand. Perhaps because I had more control over those things. But working with my sewing machine left me a little stressed...although it was mostly due to user error (incompetence) I'm sure. Hub kept me rooted in reality while making it, trying to make me feel better by saying that the baby is just going to leak on it anyway. He's so helpful like that. ;)

I've also been working on a knitted mobile (can't wait to share some photos once done), knitting lots of little socks and bootie things...we (mostly Hub) revamped our laundry/mud room by installing a laundry sink...and I've still been going through heaps of stuff...try to get rid of it.

Far too much time has been spent looking at baby things online, reading reviews, and getting swayed by those reviews only to end up feeling so overwhelmed that I needed to step away from the computer for awhile. So, that's where I've been lately. Knitting and sewing. And waiting for the snow to leave. We are going on our 5th month of snow-covered ground now after all. It's about time, right?

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P.S. Thanks, Mum, for all the quilt-making insight.

P.P.S. I learned the hard way that you do not wash the quilt batting prior to assembling your quilt. Even though the package says its "machine-washable." Just don't do it.

paper hearts...

Happy Valentine's Day! I didn't do very much in the way of "valentine-ing" this year. Not like last year. Or even the year before now that I look back on it. But Mum came up for a little visit late last week and brought along the sweetest heart punch...ever! This scalloped heart with all sorts of holes & details that punch out of it. So cute! So I borrowed her punch and punched out a variety of colored hearts. There're so many possibilities for this punch beyond just making cards with it...

So I strung some on twine to add a bit of love to our home. And I stuck one under the tiniest little belljar I acquired while Mum and I were out thrifting. The only real "valentine-ing" I will do now today will involve a bit of baking & cooking for my Valentine, Mr. Hub...you know what they say...the way to a man's heart is through his stomach!

xo~L

sparkly red caps

Just thought I'd share a few photos of some new gnome & mushroom cake toppers I recently made for a custom order. The glitter on the caps was her idea for a wintry woodland party...and I simply love the added sparkle!
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happy weekend! :)

baby things {of the bird & owl variety}

Just a few of my favorite baby things so far...yes, it's beginning! ;)

First up, a very old Swedish postcard with owl illustration. I framed it within a pale green & white striped matte and white frame.

I think it's really sweet, but does anyone know Swedish?

"To du ar mig en ljus fogel"

I did this google translation thing and if accurate, it means something like:

To me you are a bright bird!

And speaking of "bright birds," secondly, this modern LED blue bird nightlight from Target. They also have an adorable mushroom one too...it was a tough choice.

Finally, my favorite little snapsuit/gown I've bought so far...I found it a cute, new little baby boutique here in Duluth. I also spotted this one and more sweet Baby Chai clothing online right here.
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P.S. Thank you for each of the sweet, encouraging comments left on my last post. It's such a joy to get such thoughtful, kind comments on my artwork!