I got one of those Yudu things...

From Dharma trading and then read all sorts of stuff about how awful they are including complaints about how they're impossible to use and that they're just a toy and total crap. It is a
screen printing system that includes all the steps including a light to burn images to photo emulsion to a dryer for the screens and a platen to hold t-shirts while you print. Not a professional system by any stretch but pretty compact and user friendly...IF you read the instructions and watch some Youtube tricks and tips. Most importantly: let the emulsion dry, no really really dry.


Here's what I did after only one emulsion disaster:


The black is my first go at printing the entire image. The squeegee that comes with the kit isn't that great so I couldn't get the ink all the way to the edges and all the way to the far end of the image. So I taped off the parts I didn't really like anyway and printed the white. A nice opaque white, it worked!

Am currently cleaning the screen for the next go!

Christmas Eve eve

This wasn't the 23rd, it's the very beginning of the lunar eclipse on the 20th. You can just see a wee nibble being taken out of the lower left side of the moon as our shadow sneaks along. I didn't get any other pictures...probably could have tried harder but it was cold and I was busy watching the amazing amazingness!
This years wee tree! I love it, and the wee felted birds get to hang out on vacation instead of being on display for sale. See them with their little party hats?
The weeness of the tree revealed, it has to stand on the blue stool to be seen. You can just see the princess dog at the bottom enjoying the splendor of the wee tree.

and now with hats!

Birdies have been selling like mad so I've been restocking like mad! Stick stick stab with the felting needles and so the wee birds evolve...



This is the most recent one using some Harrisville roving I got from Webs (yarn.com). I like this kind of roving for felting, the staple length is really short and it's not combed for spinning easily. The Fiber Trends kits and most of the other rovings are really nice and smooth with a pretty long staple so when you poke the wool in in one place you can actually feel it pulling out in another.
Wanted poster for bird in a dunce cap.

for display purposes only

Birdies ready to sell:
I hung the wee birdies in a branch I cut off the lilac tree a couple of months ago. I think they like dangling about better than lounging around on the table. I'll have to take it apart to get it to the school gym for the crafts fair, but this is a good way to keep the birds' bills from getting smushed and keep the cat from clawing them out of a box and on to the ground for the dog to gnaw.
They did that to a body the cat flicked out when I was in Juneau. Pet cooperation is hard to hate, but fairly annoying.
The whole thing in front of a window salvaged from a neighbors' weatherizing project. Too pretty to put outside. 1/2 gallon mason jar...canning jars are the perfect crafts project container. Smaller ones are great beer mugs.

it's only just begun!

Winter scenery time is here again! Sunrise kissed the mountain tops at about 8:00 this morning and there's about 1/2 an inch of snow on the ground, yippee! So worth the cold ears to get to walk in the beauty!


Fall sales mean little felted birdies, it's time for Christmas crafts fairs!

Last but not least, it's time for cats to be inside near the woodstove or on the crafty table.

accidents in the home

Allowing your pets to do chores in the house is not recommended and can be down right dangerous! The cat was splitting the kindling for the day when a huge log fell on her pinning her legs to the ground. She called out in agony, meowing at the top of her little lungs for help. I, naturally, took a picture before freeing her from her potential grave. Poor dear, it takes a long time for all 9 lives to flash by.

nothin' to see here

So... there I was feeling guilty for reading instead of working on crafts show products. (uh oh) I decided to do something that's been on the nagging list o' shit to do: fix the dripping faucet in the bathroom (oh dear god don't you remember what happened when you "fixed" the bath tub faucet?).

I was all ready, had the tools, the screw drivers, the wrench and the ipod to listen to the Jon Stewart interview on Fresh Air. I shut the water off, disemboweled the faucets, cleaned the o-rings and put it all back together, no problem (yeah, right). When I went to turn the cold water back on the little handle under the sink came off in my hand and water shot out. Right in my face. I didn't swear! I screamed NOOOOooooo! and put my hand over the leak. Other hand found the little handle and together they tried to screw it back on...3 (or more) times. No dice. I said NO a few more times and tried to figure out what to do. Thank god my cell phone is water proof. I ran into the living room, grabbed the phone and made the humiliating "HELP ME" call. I fucking hate plumbing.

another go at lace

After reading the Yarn Harlot's post about arsing up a pattern, I thought I'd share my latest attempt at lace knitting "a fun fast knit" from Knitty. Nothing complex, something small and oh so soft and lovely... mmhmm, I have been un knitting and re-knitting a lot. Apparently, I can't count above 19 or is it 17? I have given up on lace more than once when the lumps and holes don't line up correctly.

I'm not going to toss this one across the room for the cat to enjoy, really I'm not.

This month has been incredibly kind to late bloomers... My first successful sunflower courtesy of 70 degree fall days, yay!
My brother after hours of splitting wood to help fill my woodshed, thanks bro!

wishes granted at a cost

I took in a renter this summer since I was working very part time. Working part time to give me time to make art. Having this person rent from me sucked the art right out of my summer and I took a second job. I met her last summer, she seemed pleasant enough... sounds like the beginning of one of those teen angst vampire books, doesn't it? She's leaving in less than days that now number less than 2 digits, thank dog.

My wish is to get back to my art. To felt and dye and bead and paint and sew and not carry around the annoyance of a renter that doesn't wash dishes, empty garbage, sweep floors, remove hair from the drain thingy or shut her mouth. Seriously...she won't stop talking even as I walk in to the bathroom and close the door. I feel mean going to use the toilet!

Deep Breath.