Featured Artisan - honeyfarmdesign

I have always loved the things you can make with wood. And this shop I stumbled across on etsy is a testament to a few of those things one can create with wood.

I also love bowls - I have a few wood bowls scattered here and there in my home. They are just for show. I tried putting those small chocolate balls with the different coloured wrapping in one bowl at Christmas, but Alexander thought they were regular balls to play with and started rolling them around the house. It took me a long time to find them all! Anyway, I digress.

Honey Farm Deisgn. Based out of Cherry Valley, NY, Dennis and his "co-owner" dog, Remy, create these fantastic pieces.

Seeing pieces like these just make me want to take some wood and make something out of it! But I tried that once when I was camping at Algonquin Park once. Let me just say it's difficult to make anything using a blunt X-acto knife and thick branch with lots of knots. Oh well. I work with paper, and that is made from wood, right?

The great thing about Dennis's work is that the wood he uses is only from trees that have fallen due to storms or the power company (lol). I like that he doesn't kill any trees to create his pieces - there is enough of a shortage of trees in this world - though looking at the rainforest, you probably won't think so, eh?

Dennis also signs and dates each of his pieces, and that adds a bit of "je ne sais quoi", doesn't it? I just looked that phrase up to get the correct spelling, and it means "I don't know what". Having been taught french in school should have prepared me for that; but, alas *sigh* it didn't. I thought it meant something artsy and imaginative. oh well.

You can see more of Honey Farm Deisgn's work in Dennis's shop on etsy.

I'm Not Afraid to Admit...

I saw this post on Eat, Shop and Be Married, and I thought it was a lot of fun. So I'm trying it for today.

I'm not afraid to admit . . .

. . . that I wish I could sing again. When I do, my kids start crying because it's too loud (I sing musical theatre songs and classical).

. . . that I have two celebrity crushes. Gerard Butler and Zachary Levi. Both of these men are extremely good-looking.

. . . that I am a little bit of a perfectionist when it comes to folding laundry. Folding laundry is the one thing I don't let Jeffery do. He can wash the dishes or clean the bathrooms (or both!), but I have to fold the laundry.

. . . that I like Beyonce's song "Run the World (Girls)" for its catchy beat. I don't necessarily like the message, but the beat and harmonies are neat.

. . . that I cannot dance. at all. Jeffery is embarrassed of me when we go out in public where there is dancing. When Jeff and I were dating, we were in the car and a song that I loved came on. I started bopping around to the beat, and the guys in the vehicle beside us started laughing at me. I'm that bad.

. . . that I wish I was a better cook.

. . . that I am a Pepsi girl. Coke is gross.

. . . that Jeff thinks I have ugly toes. But I think he has ugly toes. so there.

. . . that Jesus is my Saviour and Lord, and I will love and serve Him my entire life.

-Shirley

Just a Hook and Some Yarn

As the title suggests, I didn't do any paper crafting this week. Yes, I still have that long list of things I want to make, and I do plan on making them. But maybe later.

On Sunday, while talking with my sister and her husband, Ken (who are expecting twins!), I have decided that instead of making the usual baby blanket - they are receiving WAY TOO many of those - I am going to make their girls winter hats. Well, I think they are both girls; they aren't telling anyone and it's driving me CRAZY!!!! I had a dream (before Anne told me that she was pregnant) that she was pregnant with twin girls.

I'm probably completely wrong about that because none of my dreams ever came true - like the one where I was competing in the 200 meter dash at my grade school field day, and I started to fly (it was amazing!) - but I'm sticking to my dream.

Anyhoo. So I went to work this week on making a hat. I got a crochet book from my dear friend, Heather. And I tried my hardest to follow the pattern; really, I did. I guess my brain can't translate crochet language, so it turned out WAY bigger than the 3-6 month head that it was supposed to be. It would have fit me! So I undid most of it, and just figured it out as I went along. Here is what I made:

I made this one for Isabel, since I didn't want to give my first one away, in case it didn't turn out. But I think it is beautiful! It's a bit large for Isabel now, but it's for the winter, so I think it will fit her perfectly in 6 months. I'll just have to make the top of the hat a few inches smaller to fit Ken and Anne's children.

But I love the pom-poms, and they were easier to make than I thought! I showed Ken and Anne the hat last night, and they seemed to like it. Maybe I'll do it in different colours - I'll have to ask them about that. But I guess ivory is a good colour for either sex, right?

-Shirley