Dippy Dippy

....from hell's heart, I stab at thee; for hate's sake, I spit my last breath at thee."

Oops wrong 'dying' words, titter...however, upon some stretched pondering, I'm led to try and conclude that my constant stabbing (with felting needles silly) and spit - yes, every good tendril deserves a little, may have some meaning. Creating woolly rivers? Releasing stress? Thinking more clearly, or could it possibly be a half-decent excuse to listen to a few favourite albums really loud all the way through without being disturbed??????

Well, no hate or hell here, but it's a great quote anyway and both Moby Dick and Star Trek's Wrath of Khan rank somewhere high on the fav list that I will probably not share - ever. unless I'm feeling particularly dorky that day and think someone cares to see it.

rainbow drying...where's that gold?

Anyway, I've been painting more silky batches recently and desperately want to have more time and space to really play with it in a more meaningful way. I do envy those that get to play with colour on a regular basis and hope to really diversify this with some young-uns soon! Huh? Meaning, I will soon be starting work at Seeds of Joy helping guide children on their journey through kindergarten this year. My first out of home job for over 10 years, yelp! but O-man wants it that way...eh?

dipping into the dye pots

Some of these unique silks may actually make it to the shop, but most will be given as gifts :-) I hope you like them. I'll be working for a few more days on getting nature table items and dolls made for 4th grade, 1st grade and kinder too, then it's onto some yummy custom work - DRAGONS!! Stay tuned.

summer selection almost gone but not forgotten

oceans blowing in the wind

Live long and prosper! sorry, resistance is useless.

Dirty Gerty

My crystal ball's been hazy this year, I'm not proud of this years' crops so far, we can only hope for a better future!

I see more digging, compost and filthy hands, certainly the highlight so far has been the small but delicious corn grown in the easement, the toms are practically sticking out tongues in defiance of ever fruiting properly and the cukes, well they evidently need more water and love and now I feel guilty of giving them too little...bad garden mama.

The upsides are my first year of raspberries - after waiting two years for the darn thing to even pretend it was alive and the gophers have left alone the onions!

So off to the mountains we go for a few days of reading, bird and deer spotting and maybe even some fishing! Ah...but until then, the to do list grows longer...

from this...

to these!

Ha HA! this is not my garden....yet!

I think I spot a fairy...

Last of the Summer Wool

Jamaica 07, view from our balcony, ahhh!

If the weather today be fine,
Hope for fair Autumn and good wine.

Ahhhh. August is here, the grass is burnt to a crisp. Ants are on the rummage -try wiping down with vinegar and water- the sky gods paint in deeper hues and the orb weavers know the whispering winds of change, as they ready their webs for an abundant catch!

Tis also the close of the Spring and Summer season workshops that culminated with the 3D needle felted playscapes this year. I hope those who attended the 'Something out of Nothing' classes this Spring and Summer were inspired to take their talents onward and will come back for some of the Autumn and Winter sessions with me!

eruptive scape by Joy (in the works)

idyllic island bliss by Safi

flower train trick skirt by student Seed

As I tilled beds today getting them ready for onions, a few new cucumber plants were popped in, Big Max is doing nicely and may give us a Halloween surprise, the end season toms and strawberries are floundering but may make a comeback if the weather holds and while the moon is waning is perfect to plant your root crops and vines are fine too.

Darling buds of May Maiden by Seed

Here's a quick-tip sheet taken from the Farmers Almanac, follow it for a season and you'll see great results! I will try and take some pics of the corn that's ready for harvest tomorrow!

8-9 Favorable Days For Planting Root Crops. Fine For Vine Crops.

10-12 Barren Days, Do No Planting.

13-14 Root Crops That Can Be Planted Now Will Yield Well.

15-16 Any Seeds Planted Now Will Tend To Rot.

17-18 Most Favorable Days For Planting Beets, Onions, Turnips, And Other Root Crops. Plant Seedbeds and flowers

19-23 A Barren Time. Best For Killing Weeds, Briar's, Poison Ivy, And Other Plant Pests. Clear Woodlots And Fence Rows.

24-26 Good Days For Planting Aboveground Crops. Excellent For Sowing Grains, winter wheat Oats, And Rye.

27-28 Plant Peas, Beans, Tomatoes, Peppers, And Other Above ground Crops In Southern Florida, California, And Texas. Extra Good For Leafy Vegetables. Plant Seedbeds.

29-31 Cut Winter Wood, Do Clearing And Plowing, But No Planting.

Howl!

So how did it effect you? I know I've been 'off' feeling frustrated for no good reason. Very pretty and powerful moon. May have to go walkabout later on the beach...

Today August 5,2009 marks the full moon lunar eclipse at 13 degrees of Aquarius (rebellious humanitarian) exact at 8:55 pm est. This lunar eclipse from the Columbus, Ohio perspective will happen just after sunset with the moon just over the horizon. This unique (an Aquarian word) eclipse is the third in this series and the fifth this year. It is unique because eclipses commonly come in pairs, solar and lunar, but this Aquarian energy is flashing its unusual nature and bringing us a third eclipse, the second lunar eclipse this summer. Wisdom and inventiveness will reveal themselves through this energy in a cool and somewhat detached way, so pay attention as you 'think' through your feelings with this lunar eclipse.

Gnome-Schoolers

What a fun day!

I attended the California Homeschool Network Family expo today and had the honour of teaching a "Felting 101" class to some very enthusiastic parents and children. I want to thank each and every one of you who attended the class and made my day!

To Paper, thanks for inviting me to come and join in and to the many hands, heads and hearts in charge, I was so impressed with the slick running of everything!

I promised a quick-link resource list, as I know starting out in felting can be daunting to find the right supplies at the right cost...these are a few favourite places to get supplies, there are many more if you search around and experiment with your new found addiction as much as possible!!
I would love it if those who were there today would share some pics of creations with me anytime so then I'll feature home-school art work here later this year.

My shop of course ( giggle) among many others at Etsy.com!!
http://Phoenix420.etsy.com

Lovely Susan from Weirdolls will hook you up with many lovely choices for wool and needles!
www.weirdollsandcrafts.com

Fabulous wool batts hand painted by Abi - special lady!
http://prairiefiber.homestead.com/index.html

Joggles online wool, yarn and needles
http://www.joggles.com/store/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=270

Felting tools and merino locks
http://www.hookedonfelt.com/tools.htm

Roving, fancy needles and fun
http://www.frenecreekfarm.com/roving.htm

GiveAway!

In my poor attempts to drum up some more traffic to this blog and to the Etsy Store and maybe I'll finally get the actual Phoenix Gift website up and running sometime soon....I thought I'd throw a giveaway out there and see who's paying attention!!

Ok don't get too excited, most readers here are already stashed to the hilt with wool, patterns etc, but this is FREE, Gratis, for nothing, nada!! International? Yes, but instructions are in English, ok?

All you have to do is choose a favourite post from anytime, anyplace and post a comment about it, mention the giveaway and you could be chosen to receive my little Heart Strings needle felting kit, just because I love you!

Giveaway end on August 15th, please make sure I can email you for your mailing address!

xoxoxo