crafty mcgee

my little forest

- with monkeys, of course. Here are the ornaments I made for this year's swaps (both Amy's and Cake & Pie's). I think I caught most of the critters in this picture. In addition to the monkey's, there are squirrels, chipmunks, rabbits, owls and several other birds. They're gocco'd & embroidered, and are suitable for standing or hanging. Here's a shot of what the set-up pieces looked like:

I'm really happy with them. There's a close-up  on flicket. Since I made so many, there are two left over that are not spoken for. Let me know if you'd like to trade. Geez, you guys are speedy! I do have some unsewn blanks, so it is not out of the realm of possibility that I could stitch up a few more.

Arbor weekend

Saturday was Arbor Day, so I celebrated by both creating and planting a tree. The made one was created with pipe cleaners, ribbon, embroidery thread, copper wire, beads, and tiny fabric flowers and leaves. I was inspired by the movie The Science of Sleep. In it, two misfit crafters, Stefan (played by Gael Garcia Bernal - yay!) and Stephanie (Charlotte Gainsbourg) ultimately create their own world based on Stephanie's story of a forest that sets out in a boat to find its mother. I was good! Parts of it (the creative bits) were great.

Here's the purchased tree. It doesn't look so impressive yet, but it will grow up to be a fine hawthorne. I couldn't find a decent picture of a grown one, but it has berries and thorns and birds love it. I've been looking for one for years, and finally found it at what was billed as "Seattle's Biggest Plant Sale".

Also on Saturday, as if to honor its day, the dogwood burst into bloom! It didn't flower last year, so I take this as a sign that it's happy here. Trees...a good thing.