Queen Winter Arrives

 With wintry weather settling in, I though I would share a few of the Queen Winters I've made over the years.

I really enjoy seeing how each one comes out with her own unique character.

Here is the most current one on my Etsy shop:

https://www.etsy.com/listing/63664982/queen-winter

A Wee Fairy Family

I just finished this custom order for a woman's niece as a birthday gift. She likes to pretend everyone in her family is a different kind of fairy, so I made a mother and daughter rose fairy, a papa Tomten, and a little baby brother Tomten. I hope she enjoys playing with them.

I have really been enjoying making these enchanted little families for folks.

There is still plenty of time for custom holiday orders, so let me know if you need an enchanted little family of your own. 

Mountains and Rivers Without End

While spending the weekend at Bald Knob Lookout on a retreat in solitude, I needlefelted this wool wall hanging of the lookout perched above the Wild Rogue Wilderness, Eden Valley and the Rogue River watershed spreading out below. The mountain peaks and river valleys seem to me to stretch on forever here, and always makes me think of Gary Snyder's book of poetry, "Mountains and Rivers Without End."

I saw some amazing sunsets and starry skies on my trip, as well as some breathtaking crescent moonrises.

You can read more about my trip shortly on my other blog: A Mountain Hearth

and find the wall hanging on my Etsy Shop listing here:

https://www.etsy.com/listing/112218191/mountains-and-rivers-without-end-felted

A Felted Family

I just finished this custom order for a felted wool family that is going to be a playset for Grandma's House. It was a very warm feeling to create a family treasure for her grandkids to play with. Folks must be settling in and getting cozy for the long winter ahead with their families, because I am also working on a custom order of a fairy family for a little girl who likes to pretend everyone in her family is a fairy.

With chilly Autumn evenings setting in, I welcome and enjoy these custom order projects. Feel free to drop me a line on Etsy: http://mountainhearth.etsy.com, or at mountainhearth@gmail.com if you have an idea.

Dream Big Dreams

I just finished this wall hanging for my friend Logan's birthday. She turned 12 this weekend, and has just decided she wants to hike the Pacific Crest Trail within the next couple of years with her dad. Her dream was inspired by a dayhike we went on for a few miles along the P.C.T. to see South Cinder Peak on a recent backpacking trip, so I needlefelted all the peaks and lakes we encountered on our journey.

That furry little critter following behind is Lena, her stuffed wombat friend who often shares her adventures. Since wombats are nocturnal, they are hiking along by the light of the moon and stars.

Here's to big dreams and big adventures!

A Mountain Hearth

It's the peak of backpacking season, and with glorious weather and scarce mosquitoes, it's a fine time to be in the high country. I've done a lot of lower elevation trips this season, but I am still hoping to squeeze in just one more trip up into the mountains before Winter sets in. I needlefelted this wool wall hanging with that longing for mountains in my heart.

Campfires on a high ridge under the stars are, after all, some of the best moments that make up life.

You can see more about it on the listing in my Etsy Shop:

http://www.etsy.com/listing/107937698/campfire-under-the-stars-felted-wool

Mother Earth Festival 2012

It was a beautiful weekend out at Stillpoint Farm and I was one happy handcrafter to have my artisan booth there for the third annual Mother Earth Festival. Each year in August, Kathy and Gina open up their farm to a gathering of artists, healers, musicians, and teachers and welcome folks in for this benefit for the 13 Indigenous Grandmothers. I have been vending there since the first festival, and I look forward to it always.

I got out my booth from the carport where it had lived since the Mayfaire, started crafting like mad to stock up my wares, and headed out bright and early Saturday morning.

I was very fortunate to have two young helpers in my booth. They made a lot of friends and a little bit of money selling their own handcrafts.

We did some fun trading with other vendors, like this very talented henna tattoo artist from Portland:

http://bloominglotushenna.com/.

I had never had henna before, and it was a lot of fun.

The new addition to my booth as of this Spring is my handmade, bean to bar chocolate. I had my Wild Bolivian Chickens and Wildcrafted Nettle Chocolates, along with tasty roasted cocoa beans to sample. Keep a lookout for some new additions to my Mountain Hearth Handcrafts Etsy shop as temperatures permit shipping without melting.

The most important part of this festival for me is the interaction with all the wonderful women who come through my booth. I am constantly inspired by everyone's lives and stories, and how supportive people can be of one another if they actively decide to be. I am already looking forward to next year.