Sometimes : :

So I've reached a point with this blog where I'm so behind on sharing things, I don't know where to begin each day. There's new quilts and fabrics and dresses and bags and more that are way too good not to share, but they require time from me to write about each of them and then more time in the busy daylight hours for me to photograph each, as well. I blame having to turn the clock backwards and losing that extra hour of sunlight for part of my missing posts here, but honestly I'm moving in slow motion these days. I feel so tired all. the. time. The long Quilt Market trip, combined with all the emotions that came with having my Dad's Memorial right after, along with some health issues I'm currently dealing with have completely drained me of energy these past two weeks. Feeling this sluggish plus guilty from not returning from my amazing trip hitting the ground running & ready to work needs to end, so I'm coming clean today. I'm tired. While I don't want to go into too much detail, I want to share that I recently had to stop taking my Thyroid medication to prepare for a Nuclear Scan I have to have later this month. If you look up the symptoms of Hypothyroidism you'll see what I'm dealing with. It's not fun. And I think knowing that no matter how this test turns out that I still have to have surgery is getting to me more than I thought it would. This has been an incredible year. So full of amazing blessings, personal and family achievements, so many dreams come true, and I'm so grateful for each of them. But with all the good, there's been a whole lotta bad. Most days I feel the comfort of knowing you can't have one without the other. I know life is most always bittersweet. But sometimes I get overwhelmed by the hardships, and I think this is just one of those times.

I know that sharing this little bit here will make me feel so much better. And so will indulging myself to a day of sewing up simple & sweet pillows for my sister. Off to do that now.  ♡  Maureen

This Photo : :

This photo is up there with my all time favorites, and is one I've been meaning to pop in here to share with all of you in case you had missed it on Jodi's Facebook page for her blog Tickle & Hide. As I sit here it feels like such a perfect day to share it. It's story makes me smile and feel happy in the midst of the crazy and busy right now. Lately it feels like time is speeding up each day. Like I can’t move fast enough and I can’t catch up. But with all that demands my time and attention, this blog makes me stop. And these days I'm realizing more and more what a gift quilting and this blog are. My gratitude grows as I continue to learn just how important this all is to me. I want to write a million stories about how much it's all influencing my life, but I rarely take the time to. I want the world to know how full and blessed I feel because of it. And how my life is made even better because of all of you. It's far from perfect and never without daily obstacles and life's challenges. And even when I can't feel it, I know, it's still, very, very good.

♥ Maureen

Today : :

The same beautiful, shining sun we had yesterday, is shining through my sewing room, and I'm ready to get sewing! I needed to take some personal days this week, but I'm starting to feel better now. On Monday I had an out of town appointment with a new doctor that I had both been looking forward to and was nervous about seeing for a couple of months now. I haven't had any real luck with treating the autoimmune skin problems I struggle with, and was hopeful that this new set of eyes might be able to offer something that would be successful. Well, at my appointment it was first thought that there might be a link to what's been going on with my skin and my gluten intolerance, but they needed to look over my biopsies and pathology reports to be certain. It would be a huge inconvenience to my family if everyone had to go gluten free here at home because of my severe sensitivity, but it was something. A first, possible explanation for this. So while the doctor looked over everything, we left, went shopping, then to lunch, and when I heard back, they came with something different and new and rare and with not many options for treatment, especially where we live. I had been dealing pretty well with everything, for the most part, for a while now, which is why I haven't felt the need to share anything here since the last time. But this appointment just took so much out of me. It really made me sad and I just feel like it had set me back in a lot of ways. I'm going to begin what they recommended for treatment right away, yesterday I had a new appointment, and I have some additional testing to get through over the next several weeks yet. But if/when everything turns out okay I really need to do all I can to accept these things that I can't control as part of who I am now. And more importantly I have to be better to myself than I have been in a long time, beginning right now. As woman and as mothers and because I know many of you have your own autoimmune diseases and personal struggles from your willingness to share with me over the past few years, I know you'll understand what I mean by that.

Blessings and warmth to all of you, today and always!
Maureen

Hi, I'm Maureen : :

I have thought about writing this post many times over the last year, but would always talk myself out of it. Convincing myself that it wasn't necessary, worried that I wouldn't be able to explain my thoughts on this issue well enough, insecure about how bundling all the things I want to share on this topic might read. In light of receiving several emails on this topic yesterday and the private discussions that emerged, I think today is the perfect time to finally share this post.

Honesty : : I really hope my authentic self comes across on this blog. It will always be hard for me to share negative personal things here. But at times, sharing the big things in very small doses, feels really important. As far as sharing any negative feelings that I might have within this sewing community here, well, that's easy -- I don't have any. My Mom taught me that if I didn't have anything nice to say, then don't say anything at all.  I've lived that my whole life and teach that now to my children. That's not to say that open discussions and debates shouldn't occur. I just choose not to get involved if it might lead to taking sides, hurtful commenting, or the end result being "I'm right, you're wrong." The only real time I have felt a need to involve myself in this kind of drama, is when I have felt like I needed to defend myself, but even then I shy away. Life is much too beautiful to focus on the negative!

Our children playing in the leaves.

My story : : If you don't mind, I want to explain a little of my back story that I haven't shared before. I am one of eight children. I am the only one that knits or sews in my family. I have no "real life" friends that have a passion for the kind of things I like to share here. THIS is my only place to share and connect with people just like me! Out of the eight of us, I am the only one who never went to college or joined the military. I always just wanted to be an artist. Sometimes I considered teaching art, but new that I would much rather spend my days creating. Although no one in my life would ever make me feel bad for any decision I have made - as a mother who wants to be a good example to my children, sometimes it has bothered me. I got married at 20, had my first child and became a stay at home Mom at 21. That was my job. I got really into cooking and organizing. I was the hovering mother who made her whole life her children. And as fulfilling and wonderful as it is, I was losing 'Creative Maureen' during those early years. Sound familiar? I know many of us are or have been there.

A drawing I did when I was 17, and the only thing I still have from high school.

Finding my niche : : About 6 years ago, I jumped back into creating after my husband said these four words, "you need a hobby." lol  I started out by knitting, which I became completely obsessed with. I started this blog a little more than two and a half years ago, and began sewing a few months after that. I could have never imagined how making that decision would open up a whole new world to me and ultimately change my life! After about a year, using a few of the popular blogs I follow, like Soulemama and Posie Gets Cozy as inspiration, I started to blog more regularly and thoughtfully. As my reader number increased, I would wake up each day excited and motivated to create something new to share.

Each of you has been a gift to me, one more person to share with. Every comment has been read and appreciated, encouraging me to keep at it. I eventually became brave enough to share a couple tutorials, and that teacher-desire in me felt fulfilled. Those BIG dreams that seemed impossible and in some ways forgotten, were beginning to stir in me again and feel reachable.

A peek at my next Janome Project.

A shift : : Some of you wonderful folks who have found me and decided to read this blog, have also been people behind some really special fabric and supply shops. Some of them have become sponsors, whom I am so grateful for. Some are folks associated with amazing companies like Riley Blake, Art Gallery Fabrics, Janome, Aurifil, and Accuquilt, who have asked me to be a part of their design teams, gangs, or as an independent designers. And, I still can't believe they know I exist!

Through being shared by you readers, through sponsor giveaways, through tutorials I create for companies, you have found me. My HOPE is that because of what I make to share here each week, you COME BACK! I put a lot into this blog -- because of the connection I feel to you, because of how it has changed me and my life, because I am realizing my dreams through it, because of what I am teaching my children. By my husband's and my example, they are learning that it doesn't matter where you live, what you come from, how old you are -- you can be anything you choose to be, if you work hard and believe in yourself. It's not a cliche, it's true!

By valentinadesign

My future : : I've always been excited to announce the new opportunities that have come my way because of this blog, and I will continue to!

The fabrics I share always come from my sponsors. I purchase most of them, but some are sent to me in exchange for sponsorship, as well. Doing that gives me a chance to share what's new, but the fabrics are always of my taste and choosing.

The Fabric Giveaway's I offer each week, are picked by me, as well. I try to find things that fit in with my style, that I think you'll like. I get a chance to promote my sponsors individually. And, even with as much as I sew, I still don't have enough time just yet to blog five days a week. I think sharing a new sponsor giveaway each week, is a nice way to welcome the weekend. That's all. I know some of you don't like them, but I do! My plan is to eventually just blog them Saturday and Sunday, sharing my daily makings Monday-Friday, but I'm not there yet.

Art Gallery Pure Elements for Friday's Fabric Giveaway with Contemporary Cloth.

Tutorials for Fabric? Oh, I get so much more than that! I put a lot into each thing I make, and to have my creativity noticed and appreciated enough to be invited to design for companies I love, wow! I could never pass on an opportunity like that. And I think very few would. Sharing a tutorial on the manufacturers blog is no different than guest posting. The opportunity introduces me to their readers and vice versa. The fabrics I choose, always inspires me to make something new and to push myself creatively. Plus, I love creating tutorials! The only thing that stifles the complexity of my sewing tutorials, is my inabilities to use this computer, which I promise I'm working on!! I even plan to buy a printer for the new house -- yes, I'm that behind!

A Scrappy Chevron Tutorial that I'm planning to share soon.

So that's it! If you're still here? It feels good to share all of this with you today! Each day I am simply just doing my best. I'm making the best decisions I can for myself and my family, while trying my best to contribute in some small way, by doing what I love. The fact is, I won't ever give up on this dream now! I trust that all of you will respect and hopefully support that! Thank you! ♥,  Maureen

A Question -- UPDATE : :

Happy Monday! If you follow me on Facebook, then you already know that I heard back from West Elm in regards to my "A Question" post from last week.  How wonderful is that?! From the comments that were left, it's obvious that as a community we all share a very similar opinion on being original, where it is acceptable to get inspiration from, and most importantly -- to always give proper credit!

I'm so happy such a wonderful conversation emerged!

photo from West Elm

From the moment I first saw the Kantha Chevron Pillow Covers come through my facebook feed, to the time I hit publish on that post, was less than 10 minutes. I didn't even think it through fully and I left out some important points initially --

It wasn't my intention to make the pillows, sell the pillows if I made them, or to create a tutorial, when I asked the question.

I was not asking about "copying" or showing an example of an individual artists work, asking if it was alright to "steal" their design.

I was asking as a maker, who so often sees something in a magazine or in a shop, and thinks, "I can make that."

When I asked the question, I used the word "inspired" because my goal would never be to see this pillow and to try my best to make one as similarly as I can. If I were to decide to make one, I would of course want to make it my own through color choice, fabric selection, dimension, construction, process. I would of course give credit to West Elm for being my inspiration!

My Blogger Bundle Inspired by West Elm Mugs

So, here's what a West Elm representative had to say about it...

"Hi Maureen! 

Thanks so much for bringing this to our attention. At west elm, we're happy to provide inspiration any way we can — whether it's the catalyst for a DIY project or desire to purchase our designs for yourself. We embrace the expression of personal style and to keep our own in-house team of designers inspired, we continually seek out designers and artists around the world as collaborators. You can see our current roster of collaborators here: Our Collaborators

In addition to designers and artists we have been partnering with Etsy for the past two years. We work to feature handmade Etsy products and artists in our monthly catalogs and host a number of events in our stores to celebrate local makers in our We <3 Handmade Art events. More on our partnership with Etsy: Shop . Collaborations . Etsy

We like to celebrate personal style on the west elm blog, Front & Main and you can see how some of our fans "make it yours" by taking inspiration from west elm designs and transforming them to meet their needs: Make It Yours

Thanks again for reaching out — if you decide to make a tutorial inspired by our pillow, we'd be happy to feature it on Front & Main!

Best -- AARON"

Are you surprised by their answer? Do you think that their response is rare? Are most companies this supportive of the handmade community? Or, can we truly believe now, what many of us assume -- that these large companies ARE just as inspired by what the handmade community is making?

Should I make the pillow with a tutorial now?! It would be fun, now that I have permission, and that sounds like a pretty good opportunity!

I could use up some of my fabric scraps! Or better yet, wouldn't Indie be the perfect fabric to make one in?!

Indie by Pat Bravo on Facebook

I had also mentioned to my friends Nicke and Jessica, that it would be fun to use this opportunity to do a challenge -- to have a bunch of us make a pillow, all inspired by the Kantha Chevron Pillow Covers, and then we can prove that even with the same image as inspiration, we will all make something different.That everything we make, no matter where the inspiration comes from, can be uniquely ours with our own creative flare! Of course, I would have to get the approval from West Elm before I did anything like this.

So, again today I'm asking one last time for your thoughts on this -- please share!! ♥ Maureen

A Question : :

I just stumbled upon these gorgeous pillows on West Elm, pinned them, and right away thought, "Oh, those would be so fun and simple to make!"

photo from West Elm

This happens to me ALL the time! How about you?

The thing is, I'm not sure if this is alright.

I few years back I was on the receiving end of a mean-spirited and ridiculous attack from some local women (this wasn't online and wasn't something sewn -- I don't think I even owned a computer yet and definitely didn't use my sewing machine yet), who thought I had created something based on a product they had seen that looked similar. They were completely wrong, but it was awful, and hurtful, and sad!

It changed me forever. In a lot of ways.

Artistically, it made me question where my inspiration for my own projects can come from. Where is it ok to pull inspiration from?

As an artist and maker and blogger, my goal is to inspire! I hope that those of you who have found me, see what I make, and it inspires you! To make something or to even try to make what I've made, yourself.

I hope it makes you happy, like it makes me! I hope it makes me you feel all the kinds of wonderful I feel, when I give something that is made with my own two hands to someone, who might love that thing. It's amazing! And that's the reason for ALL of this for me.

For companies, I realize it's different. But is it ok for us as makers, to see a product and then make it ourselves, rather than purchase it? Is it ok for us as bloggers, to then create a tutorial for how to make it? etc...

I know this happens ALL the time. And so, I thought I'd quickly throw this out there and finally ask these questions...

I'd love to know your thoughts on this -- please share!! ♥ Maureen 

edited to add -- I am not planning to make this pillow. This is just an example of what makes me think, "I could make that!" Here's another good example -- and this has been recreated a zillion times on blogs and flickr -- The Orimono Flower Pillow on Anthropologie

Be Back Soon : :

The last several days have been so full, I can hardly wrap my head around everything.

First, there's the wonderful! My husband ran the Buffalo Marathon a little more than a week ago and then another as part of an amazing relay team for our little town's God's Country Marathon this past Saturday. We are all so proud of him. There is no one who inspires me more than him!



Here he is on the cover of this year's brochure. This picture was taken at the finish line of his very first marathon, a year ago this past Saturday. Amazing, right?!



Now for the bad news... I actually haven't had the chance to sew a single stitch since last Thursday, when I finished my first little project for Janome. By today I had hoped to finish up all my orders, a few other projects, and maybe even my last quilt top. With a little embarrassment, I didn't even get my May bee blocks out the door.

For the last few weeks we had been pretty consumed with buying our first house. It can be such a challenge to keep something so huge private, especially when it's all you're thinking about. Unfortunately, as it turned out those dreams of picking paint colors and curtain making and all the things that flood your thoughts during the process, just weren't for this house. It's hard not to be a little disappointed, which I am, but it simply just wasn't meant to be.

Then this past Friday morning, the first day having all the kiddos home for Summer vacation, we found out that my husband's Gram passed away. We are headed out of town, so I'll be taking a blog break for at least tomorrow.

Thank you, as always, for taking time out of your own precious day to stop and say hello. I thank you and, I'll be back soon!  ♥ Maureen

Better : :

Thank you so much for all the sweet comments yesterday, that really meant so much! I have been wanting to share a few personal things for awhile now, but with all the making I've been doing, I haven't felt like there has been much time for me to get any those things out. Today, I thought I'd take the time to share just a  little.



Yesterday I had every intention of doing...well, nothing. Which didn't last long. We built a pillow fort and watched a movie and by 10:30 we were both so ready to do something else. Naturally, we headed to the sewing room, this time to have ourselves a little photo shoot. I had made my little girl a new, quick and easy cross-body bag over the weekend and decided I should get those pictures sooner rather than later after imagining her filling it with popcorn and deciding the birdie applique needed chap-stick. You never know!



Even though we were in my studio, since I had declared I was taking the day off, I didn't let a rush of all the things I needed to be doing come at me. I simply started taking pictures, which did lead to finishing a few orders, which led to this and then that...we had so much fun! I had forgotten that when I woke up this morning sore, still tired, with an eye half swollen shut, that I had felt defeated, like throwing my hands in the air and giving up.

I felt better.



So many of you have reached out to me privately over the weeks since my sharing post, to make sure I have been feeling well and to share your own stories with me, which has been so nice! I am still not sure how to discuss or even deal with the ups and downs that come with having overlapping auto immune diseases. I often think that you might want to hear it, but then I decide that you really don't -- trust me. No more than I want to think about it and write it all down. While I'm sewing, I'm wishing it all away. While I sew, most of the time I don't even think about any of it. I'm focused on creating something beautiful, which makes me feel wonderful in a way that is far greater than any bad things I might be dealing with. That's the truth!



Later in the day yesterday, when our boys were home from school, we had a chat about the passing of Maurice Sendak. My kids were genuinely sad. I had remembered an amazing documentary I saw on him and went searching for some clips, and I found this video. It was the most perfect thing I could have heard yesterday. I can't stop thinking about his words and how deeply I connect with them,

"it is sublime
to just go into another room and make pictures
it's magic time
where all your weaknesses of character
and all the blemishes of personality
and whatever else torments you
fades away
it just doesn't matter
you're doing the one thing you want to do
and you do it well
and you know you do it well and...
you're happy"



There are so many reasons to be cheerful!

A Little Break : :

I'm having a rough couple of days. I was hoping this would be brief and that I wouldn't need to be mentioning anything here, but now my left eye lid is very swollen (from what, I don''t know? my husband thinks I was probably bit by something), in addition to a few other problems I've been dealing with and wishing away.



So.. I've decided to quit ignoring everything my body has been telling for a week or so now and I'm actually going to take a little break today!



Here’s wishing for a relaxing, stress-free day today for ALL of us!
I'll be back tomorrow with something new to share!  
♥ Maureen

Sharing : :

First, thank you so much for all the comments and emails the last two days, you're all so very sweet! I hated to be so vague on Monday, but I wasn't sure how I should go about explaining the behind-the-scenes situation with me. It would have been easy if I shared more personal stories from the beginning of this blogging adventure. But since I decided this would just be a positive, Creative Journal for myself, I never knew quite how to segue into any of the struggles/negative things I have been going through, throughout these last two years of blogging. I am still not sure? I am, however, certain that we ALL have our own struggles. Be it financial problems, relationship difficulties, health and personal struggles, loss... We all share that fact. Just as we share our love of beautiful fabrics and yarns, and our creative plans and projects. We all make a choice to share these things we see as beautiful, along with our passion to inspire and enjoy that which we love and have in common with one another. After spending almost two years sharing all of those things, today I need to share the other.

Are you still reading? o.k. here it goes...

-- Throughout these last two years, I found out that I will be living with a few different Auto Immune Diseases. I am on a thyroid replacement medication and a gluten free diet because of them. Now that enough time has gone by since I started my diet, I feel so much better. It's not an easy diet. If you are gluten free, you know this. But if you are gluten free due to allergy or intolerance of gluten, you know how much better it feels to be living gluten free. It's SO worth it!
 -- I found out more recently that I have type 2 diabetes. It's not bad to the point where I need insulin, but I currently do need medication and have chosen to restrict my daily carb and sugar intake to almost nothing as a way to try to improve my status. I truly believe this will help!
-- And finally, I found out even more recently that my Immune System is attacking my own skin. "It" has a name, but to avoid any of you googling "it" and becoming horrified, I'll keep the name of "it" to myself. Why is this happening to me? We have no idea. We know it's not from the above. That's all. Which means lots of more tests for me. I have been on medication since Dec. 1st and the appointment I wrote of Monday was to see if it was working, or if I would have to begin strong Immunosuppressant drugs, as well. Which could/would be awful! My doctor said, in strange Dr. analogy talk, "It's chipping away at it now. If you go on the Cellcept or Cyclosporine, it will hammer at it, if you go on the Methotrexate, it will be like taking a sledge hammer to it. With stronger meds, comes much worse side effects. It's up to you." Me, "Chipping away is fine." :)
-- The good news, chipping away at it is working, maybe not as fast as the other options, but it's working and I am tolerating the medication just fine with few side effects. That might not always be the case, I'll revisit my need to change that every 30 days at a new appointment. Today, I take comfort in knowing that none of the things I have are contagious. I can continue hugging on my loves a little more than they like. I can continue to make my handmades and can continue to share them with others.



-- The bad news -- None of these things are curable. Do I get upset and angry that I am 30 and have these things - yes! I want so badly to feel good and be healthy. Am I struggling with my vanity - Yes!! Most of my body is covered with marks, which are healing as scars and it stinks! Am I scared that I might get them on my face - YES, terrified!! Could it be SO much worse -- yes, yes, yes!!!
-- I have a husband and three children and family and friends and a cat that love me. Who see me looking at my hands with worry and know just how to help me. I know that my attitude, whether good or bad will have a major impact on ALL of them. So I know I need to stay positive. I believe that despite everything, I love my life! I believe that prayer is powerful! I believe that continuing to share this creative journal for myself will help me stay positive, focus on what's beautiful, will keep me learning and growing as a creative person, will help me heal, and might inspire others like me! I believe that I needed to share these things today and I believe that everything will be o.k.



-- If any of you can relate and/or are dealing with Auto Immune disease please feel free to comment if you feel comfortable or email me at maureencracknell@hotmail.com I'd love to chat, learn from your own situation, offer support, or exchange yummy gluten free recipes!
-- My blog is not taking a big personal turn. I promise! Please keep following!! :) Your support, encouragement, and positive energy keeps me creating and blogging! I've got big plans for 2012!!



If you made it through all that. Thank you!! I feel a weight lifting and am so excited to get sewing today! I promise to have something new to share tomorrow!

Much love,  Maureen

This Weekend : :

Was all about celebrating this sweet man of mine ours!

Hoping to find a little sewing time today, to have something to share tomorrow.

Until then...wishing you all a wonderful start to your week!

While I work : :

I had blogged a little while back a "while I work" post and although I now have my own room and my littles have...well, the rest of the house, Haila still is always right with me. She is now referring to my studio as "our office." She definitely likes my our new space as much as I do, and most of the time I can find her across the desk from me doing what she calls,"work" and I call "making a big mess." As often as I do wish for some alone time, I know in a little more than a year my little girl will be joining her brothers at school and I am going to want so badly for her to be across the desk from me -- "working..."



...giving me her looks when I am "being too loud" -- ya see, it bothers her...



...doing silly things like this to make me laugh and get my full attention...



...which in the end, she always gets. So, this little post is for me to have, because one day I am really going to miss this.

Wishing you all a beautiful weekend!  ~ Maureen

Our Weekend. In Pictures : :

We certainly had a busy {long} weekend ---

: : getting out : :

: : being crafty : :

: : missing the leaves -- making our own : : 

(more on that tomorrow)

: : finding sweet messages : :

: : trying to keep up : :

: : just being : :

The weather here is unusually warm (and, I'm not complaining). After taking turns having the flu all week, this weekend was just what we needed! Hoping you had a busy, beautiful weekend too!  
~ Maureen

Beauty.In.Knitting : :

If you visit me here often, you know I love to knit! I knit almost everyday and I knit with a passion. There is something about picking up those two sticks and casting on that has comforted me since that very first stitch. That repetitive motion, that soothing click...for me it's both therapeutic and meditative. It clears my head, reminds me to breath, allows me to relax. Yes, I LOVE this knitting and I appreciate how it has changed me and my life. Something powerful happened when I started knitting and it became a bit of a serious thing for me. I've decided, for me, that's all because of the thinking that's involved -- whether I'm knitting a sweater for my child or knitting a toy for another, all the while I am working, with every stitch comes a new thought or vision of complete love of my child wearing it or the child who will be playing with it...JOY. It's been such a wonderful gift in my life and has made me feel such an appreciation and connection to other knitters and others knitted goods.

So, last week when I spotted this lovely, little, sweater dress (made by a fellow local knitter, Peggy) I completely fell in love and had to have it for my beauty -- Haila! And Hooray, last night I was the lucky one to bring it home from the Library Auction...

Miss Haila loves it too!

Wishing you beauty and joy today in that which comforts you!  
~ Maureen

A Pledge.For.Everyone : :

I took the pledge --- Will you?

MCH --- Custom Bohemian Style Apron

In honor of American Craft Week and as we near the Holiday season, the Handmade Toy Alliance is asking everyone to pledge to buy just one handmade item this year. If everyone made the pledge to buy just one hand crafted product for someone on their gift list this year, think of all the thousands of businesses that will grow and nourish our communities.

New fall yarns on a rainy day

Being a proud hand crafter of Eco-friendly Felted Toys, Maureen Cracknell Handmade, and a lover of handmade goods, I of course think this is a fabulous idea! : ) You can sign the HTA's online pledge form below. Feel free to share this post on your blog, facebook page, and twitter too! Let's work together and do our best to make this pledge a success!

MCH --- Custom Heart Felt Owl Doll

Click HERE to Sign the pledge

Leave me a comment to let me know you took the pledge and please add a link to your own or your favorite online shop for handmade goods and crafts!

While I Work : :

At this busy table of ours, there's something happening here all the time.... The mess all around us is a sign that good things are happening, that good times are happening.

It's a sign that we are making new things, learning new things, but most importantly we are learning more about each other.

It's inspiring, I tell you.

And, there is only one thing better than these days when I somehow find so much more time to work...

our days spent doing it all...together.

Our {Long} Weekend. In Pictures : :

We all love these. I made books for each of my kiddos here.

Enjoyed the town-wide yard sale. So much goodness! (I'll be sharing more here soon. :) These wooden hangers were free -- I love them.

One was left in the car. So, while I played around with some scrap yarn in my bag, I watched the boys play at our favorite spot.

And then once we were home...

 Hmn, should I make more? In prettier colors maybe?

Labor Day. Craft Day.

What a beautiful, fun, busy weekend. I hope you found a little bliss with your family, too!