Gretchen's Creations

In the Gallery

2012-01-16T09:11:00.000-08:00

The Commons Gallery Janaury 2012

2012-01-16T09:05:00.000-08:00

In the Bridge Gallery

In the Commons Gallery

January 6 thru 29

Gallery Hours
11:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. Saturdays
12:00 - 3:00 p.m. Sundays
or by appointment

Bridge Gallery Artists:
Dave Armstrong, Betty Atherton, Cole Bennett, Deena Bennett, Carl Brandenburg, Deb Brewster, Karin Carr, Sonja Carr, Michael Cellan, Laura McCracken, Susan Risinger, Kim Sayers-Newlin, Karen Simkiss, Gary Weston

Visit us online at www.thebridgeartgallery.com

Aspens

2011-12-20T10:53:00.000-08:00

My Show is Coming!

2011-12-09T10:53:00.000-08:00

It is hard to believe that January is hurtling toward us and with it my first art showing in over 10 years. Michael at The Bridge Gallery has kindly offered the Commons Gallery for me to show my fiber art! This will be along the lines of what you are used to from my work but with some new twists.

Felted Nature by Gretchen Foster

The Commons Gallery

(located inside The Bridge Gallery)
218 West Colorado Ave. Colorado Springs, CO 80903

January 6, 2012    6-8 P.M.



Abby of Love Roots Photography took the amazing photos for me and blogged about it. Please check out her site if you have a moment. She is a fabulously gifted photographer and has a knack for capturing the spirit of people and places.

Thanks so much and hope to see you there!

Preoccupied By All Things Green and Growning

2011-06-04T14:03:00.000-07:00

Yep. Once again it has happened. Spring rolls around and my mind becomes consumed with thoughts of flats of annuals, potting soil, and perennial beds. Of course on my free time (ha!) I am doing everything in my power to insure the success of my veggie garden which means watering A LOT! It has been 2 weeks since we were blessed with rain here in Colorado Springs. Fires are burning near Trinidad and La Junta and when the wind gets to blowing from the south we all suffer. Sunrises and sunsets are tinged with orange and red and the stressed out trees are producing copious amounts of pollen which combined with the dust coats everything. Difficult working conditions for a gal with seasonal allergies, but what can I do? Can't stand being inside for too long even with all this adversity!
Our backyard farm is coming along nicely. Barb passed 2 raised beds my way and my crops of lettuces and spinach I have growing in them are abundant and and downright perfect.

My carrots and beets that I seeded weeks ago failed to sprout much and I went ahead and re-seeded them yesterday; I think this was due to the wild temperature fluctuations we were having for a couple of weeks and a possible missed watering. My first planting of potatoes is lush and green and I have done my first hilling . Last week I planted my patch of hot and sweet peppers, 5 varieties of tomatoes (which I was worried had lost to the wind but appear to be bouncing back wonderfully), squash, zucchini, kale and onions. Yesterday I planted the second batch of potatoes I acquired (Thanks Cheryl!), pole beans, purple and french filet bush beans and pumpkins in our front yard pumpkin patch. Today I went over to Good Earth Garden Center and bought our hops Humulus Lupulus. They are
planted and I am thrilled to have that step done!

I prefer to direct-seed much of my garden but I will admit that I prefer to buy my tomato plants at Good Earth as well since growing tomatoes is one of their specialties. They have a plethora of varieties to choose from and I decided on 6 that are heirlooms in a variety of sizes, colors and textures.

What have you planted that you are excited about this year?

A Custom Tray

2011-04-12T18:46:00.000-07:00

I have really been enjoying my custom projects of late and wanted to quickly share one with you. This lovely tray is hand-knit from 100% wool yarn then machine felted shaped over a form and air-dried. It measures 7" across and 1"deep and is a lovely addition to a dresser for those everyday pieces of jewelry you wear. I was contacted by the recipient of this bowl and we worked together to get her the colors she wanted. You too could own a just for me item from Gretchen's Creations.

I also listed these cute nesting bowls in my Etsy store. They are crocheted from the same yarn.

And last but not least these Springy Pale Blue Armwarmers are perfect for the chill of a Spring evening or when you are stuck working at the computer:

Thanks for looking and Happy Spring!

Almost the full swing of Spring

2011-03-26T07:43:00.000-07:00

What a crazy couple of weeks! My son turned 6, spring break came and went, Matt and I have now hiked over 35 miles on the Colorado Trail and yesterday we did the 14 mile round trip to Barr camp on Pike's Peak. Most of all though The first day of Spring officially arrived and the gardening season is bearing down on Colorado Springs like a freight train. This is the time of year where I will be turning more toward blogging about green and growing things as well as wildlife that I see in the garden and out in the world. From bulbs to ornamentals to veggies there will be lots to share here and I can't wait!

Don't worry if you come check my blog out for the fiber goodness, I might be busy making things grow but I always make time for knitting. I also am working on some custom orders and would love to do more if you have something in mind let me know.

More Clover and an Anchor

2011-03-08T13:11:00.000-08:00

Here is another Bowl I just listed in my Etsy Shop for St. Pat's Day:

And here is a bowl that is part of a custom order that I can't help but share because I am so excited at how it came out.

Saturday March 12th - Be There!

2011-03-07T07:45:00.001-08:00

Spring, Custom Orders, Bread, Beer, Coffee...

2011-03-02T07:47:00.000-08:00

I just finished and listed this fun 27 Oz. Klean Kanteen cozy in my Etsy shop yesterday. Apparently lots of people are needing a plethora of color in their lives these days because my Tyler stripes are going like hotcakes! Turn around on this baby was 4 days and although I can't promise such quick service as I head into the gardening season, I can say that I will hustle as fast as humanly possible on custom orders.
As for custom orders, keep your eyes peeled here at the blog for postings on a fabulous custom felted bag I am about to delve into ASAP for a local gal. Michelle is not only one of my favorite new people but she is also a baker and gifted me the most delicious loaf of rosemary artisan bread. If you are local I suggest searching her out and sampling her wears. In fact if you are on Facebook, you should run right on over and become a fan of her page : Manitou Michelle's Breadeaux Company.
I also have a pair of felted mittens on the needles right now for a friend who shares my Reynaud's affliction. Erin DJ's down at Brewer's Republic at least once a month in addition to running the open-mic there. Check out their FB page for dates and times. If I haven't mentioned Brewer's Republic before I am truly sorry! It is a great bar that serves All Colorado Microbrews and Umpire Estate Coffee which is my favorite coffee (and coffee shop)!

I realize that this blog post reads more like one big advertisement for some of my favorite things, but I really believe in supporting local endeavors. All of the businesses I have mentioned above are amazing and worth checking out if you are in the Colorado Springs area!

Anywho, Happy March! It is supposed to be in the 60s and sunny again today. I am starting to get calls from clients for spring clean-up and that is where I am headed as soon as I finish typing this. I will post pictures tomorrow of the progress I have made in my own gardens in preparation for what I hope will be a banner year of veggie growing. I can't get ahead of myself though. This IS Colorado: snow in April has been known to occur.

Clover all Over

2011-02-27T06:20:00.000-08:00

St. Patrick's Day is coming and with a son named Seamus it is a fun holiday around here! We thought for sure he would be born on the 17th but I suppose 5 days after isn't too shabby! So let me reword: March is a big deal in our household since my little Irish imp is turning 6 this year! He loves St. Patrick's day since there is a parade with the crowning jewel the streetsweepers at the end and that everyone is wearing his favorite color. We also get a visit from the mischievous Leprechaun who turns our house upside down in the night! If you leave a treat for the ML he makes a bit less trouble ;-) I will post pictures~ I do have to give credit where credit is due and admit that I didn't come up with the idea single-handed. Greenstylemom actually told me about it a couple of years back.
I like to make Shamrock bowls for the season and here the first 2 in my series listed in my Etsy shop. These precious little ring bowls would make terrific gifts for your Irish sweetheart and I think would also make a wonderful alternative to a wedding ring pillow since everyone can use a little good luck on the big day!

Mary Lou's Custom Nest Bowl

2011-02-17T12:16:00.000-08:00

She answered the call when I jokingly said "You know you want one!" about my last nest bowl posted on facebook. So here is Mary Lou's very own:

I am as we speak (well not right now because I can't type and knit at the same time silly!) knitting up more nest bowls if you are looking for one yourself. I would also like to mention that I am coming up with some springy designs to celebrate what could possibly be an extremely early spring here in Colorado. If you have any ideas of things you would like to see me create, please do share!
Last of all I will once again be making some Looking Over a 4 Leaf Clover bowls like this one and this one for St. Patrick's Day and all of those fun Irish people I know. Please check in at my Etsy store to see what is new.

Things are hopping at Gretchen's Creations and I feel so honored by all the people who have purchased from my store. I love what I do and it makes my heart swell to know my creations are being enjoyed. Thank You!

Chickadee dee dee

2011-02-15T09:03:00.000-08:00

I love birds. My husband would say sometimes to the point of distraction although not as distracting as plants but I digress. I love birds! A week or so ago I made a treasury on Etsy called Chickadee dee dee inspired by a gorgeous day with the Chickadees and other little birds chirping and chattering away as I walked to pick my son up from school. I really want to buy everything in the treasury which I really can't right now, but I did get one little beauty that I have to share!

This Chickadee brooch from Len k amol on Etsy:

The craftsmanship and detail that obviously goes into these little gems are amazing! I can honestly say they are as wonderful as they appear in the pictures.

Right now she is offering a special in her store:

Purchase 2 pins with coupon code SPRING to get 10% OFF
10% OFF + shipping both for the price of one.

The Tyler Tallboy Cozy and other assorted cozies

2011-02-13T14:06:00.000-08:00

Behold: The Cozy of all cozies! Cozies for cans and bottles are good and all, but if you are drinking a tallboy you don't necessarily want to suck that thing down to avoid a warm beer. That is where this wonderful cozy comes in. It is like a sweater to keep your beer cold and your hand warm. Not only that but it is a fashion statement as seen here in this newly completed custom Tyler Cozy. This one is not for Tyler, which I am sure I will hear about as soon as he sees it, but for his friend Jeff who I will imagine will look even cooler now that he can sport such a styleicious accessory.
I only make these cozies custom so they will be just right for the person who shall be using it. Are you interested? You should contact me!

Besides that I have 2 sweet new coffee cuffs to offer in my Etsy store and a kids size Klean Kanteen Kozy in what I just realized are the Air Force Academy Falcon colors. But when I knit it up I thought the yellow and blue went so nicely together.

Crusing right along....

2011-02-09T13:01:00.000-08:00

It is amazing the things I can achieve when my son doesn't have a delayed start. I won't bore you with the details of my day, but today has been a mildly productive one so I will offer up a few relevant tidbits:
- I ran a fairly big felting wash today with several things I will be sharing with you in the next couple of days.
- I am getting the details of a fun custom purse lined up.
- AND I am so excited! One of my bowls has once again been featured this time on a really cool blog called diaper style memoirs.

The sun is out and it is a positively sweltering 16 degrees out~
There is a lot to smile about today.

Hiking Fun and more Valentine Goodness

2011-02-06T13:51:00.000-08:00

Yesterday we went on a marvelous hike! There is a geocache Matt has been wanting to finish for some time that we knew took us to the base of Mt. Herman. It was a gorgeous day! Overcast with on and off flurries then progressing into snow in earnest but my favorite kind: big fluffy flakes falling gently down with little or no wind. Ahhh winter. The first leg of the hike took us into the burn area which takes me back to middle school when we sat in the western classrooms of LPMS and watched the fire rage over the mountain waiting to be picked up by our parents and hoping none of our friends that lived near there lost their homes. The picture of the burned fence shows the mountain in the background.
The second leg of the adventure took us up behind the mountain where we hiked down into snow filled meadows and aspen glades. This is also when the snow started falling seriously. But I do have to say that my new felted mittens were doing a bang-up job of keeping my hands warm and without painfully numb fingers from the Raynaud's to distract me I was euphoric over the beauty of winter and how much I love snowy hikes! The second picture is of my honey~
Please be sure and check in at our hiking blog Ode to Ormes as Matt will be posting in more detail about this hike
I also took some small bowls with me in the hopes I would find a nice natural setting to photograph them. I found the prettiest granite boulder covered in lichen and dusted in snow and I think it brings out just about every color I put up against it. Here are some new listings on Etsy some are photographed on the mountain and some are in my front garden today - the light was weak inside so I decided to brave the outdoors for good photos. Cheers~

Thoughts Of Warmer Times of the Year

2011-02-02T09:03:00.000-08:00

Today is the second day in a row school has been canceled not for snow but for cold. Part of me thinks "This is silly, we went to school in this weather!" or "Kids in Alaska and North Dakota and Montana would be playing outside for recess in this weather!" But then I remember that although I want to think all parents would make sure their children were properly dressed for these conditions and I would love to believe the kids would wear the gear, well who am I kidding!
Our furnace is running non-stop and our jeep won't turn over (at least it didn't earlier and I am waiting until the temp gets to our whopping high of 1 degree to try again). Matthew walked the mile and a half to work this morning when the windchill was -23. I am really glad he changed his mind a couple months back about taking his mighty beard down and secretly wishing I had one myself. My son is hanging on me like a gorilla baby on his mama literally saying "pay attention to me!" to which I said "I did that all day yesterday, now go play with your Legos!" Actually it is a bit of a miracle because he did!

I know there are a lot of parents going through this all over the country right now and this gives me a tad bit of solace.

So that is what I am up to so far. I will be needle-felting a custom order here as soon as I am done with this blog post but I have one more thing to share that I am quite excited about:

My amazing friend the oh so talented gardener Cheryl Conklin has recently launched both a website and blog to share some of the wisdom she is positively bursting with. I had the great honor of working with Cheryl for a spell last summer and I can tell you that she is magic not only with plants but also with words and that reading her blog will be a real treat. ~*~*~ Check out the section of her site that talks about winter beauty and form. She recently bought her own home with a blank slate of a yard and it is positively inspiring to watch her transform it bit by bit.

Featured

2011-02-01T15:01:00.001-08:00

As if my week hasn't been a bolstering positive enough experience already, I have been featured on a really cool blog called Gin Factory. I honestly can't believe I haven't seen it before, but am adding it to my favorite blogs post haste. You too should go see :-) Happy February!

What A Week!

2011-01-30T15:24:00.001-08:00

I have been a busy bee this last week knitting and needle-felting. I received a custom order from the most wonderful return buyer. I just wanted to share her kind words as a testimonial of sorts for what I do. The first part refers to an overcharge on shipping that I refunded her for.

Gretchen,
Thanks so much for the shipping refund. So kind. :o)
I received everything yesterday and am thrilled beyond words. I can't even pick a favorite.
I love every single one of these bowls. All are for gifts to loved ones, but I
have a strong feeling that I will be back for more. ( For ME!)
Thanks so much for sharing your time and your talent!

As if that wasn't enough to make me feel so proud of what I do, one of my bowls was in a treasury that was featured on the front page of Etsy on Saturday afternoon! I almost sold out of My Felted Valentine Bowls. Have no fear though, I have been getting my shop restocked and there will be more coming for the next week or so. If you are wanting a Valentine bowl and want a specific color combo please contact me so I can make one up for you!

Here are a couple I have listed today but please check in at Gretchen's Creations in the My Felted Valentine section to see what is new.

Give back the Key to My Heart

2011-01-21T05:39:00.000-08:00

I love Uncle Tupelo! They have this fabulous song called Give Back The Key to My Heart and every time I needle-felt a heart key bowl I think of this song. I couldn't find that song on youtube however I did find this one:

I haven't heard Life Worth Livin' in awhile. Enjoy!

And where could I possibly be going with this? Why, I have a new Key to my Heart Bowl in my Etsy shop OBVIOUSLY.

Have a Happy Friday!

Here We Are Again

2011-01-20T09:47:00.000-08:00

Can you believe it is already another year? I can't! 2011 arrived quietly here at my house. The AdAmAn club had to turn back from their ascent of Pikes Peak; the weather was just that bad. With no fireworks being launched from the summit of America's Mountain I officially gave myself permission to go to bed and read. I was up at midnight to enjoy the arsenal of fireworks half of my neighborhood invested in - I am just glad there was snow on the ground!
New Years has never been a big one for me. I believe that resolutions shouldn't be restricted to one day a year. I do have a list of things I would like to accomplish: I am on a mission this year to become more fit, more productive but most of all more peaceful. I am also excited to take a more artistic direction in my felting and needle-felting and have a gallery show at the Bridge Gallery in October. As a gardener in Colorado, the off-season is a strange time. You would think 2 months would be this amazing window of opportunity to make major strides in say home organization but days are chopped up by drop-offs and pick-ups and that self-imposed exercise regimen. I am getting there though! I promise!

So with all that aside I have 2 orders of business. First of all, Matthew and I have set new loftier goals for our hiking year please take a moment to visit our blog Ode to Ormes to see what Shenanigans we are going to be up to in 2011. Last year I took a very passive roll with the blog because I felt that Matthew was doing such an amazing job telling our story, but this year he has asked me to contribute more of my POV to it and I have therefore promised to be more active with postings on flora and fauna and hopefully an occasional gear review. If you get a chance drop by and share in our adventure! See where we have been and where we are headed.

My second order of business is of course Etsy. Valentines Day is drawing close and I have once again launched the My Felted Valentine line in my Etsy shop. Instead of a card or a box of chocolates give something that will last beyond one day a year! One of my felted bowls holding a precious memento or filled with delicious chocolates for instance! Here are a few items I have listed so far with more to come in the following days and weeks.

Thanks for stopping by! I am really looking forward to a great year of fiber goodness and creativity and would be thrilled if you will join me.

Well...

2010-12-17T11:36:00.000-08:00

My eyes might have been bigger than my time limits this week! Maybe my New Years Resolutions should include at the top: Only promise what you can deliver not what you would like to. This morning I spent 2 1/2 hours in my son's Kindergarten class for their Polar Express party. There is nothing like trying to help corral 45 5 &6 year olds hopped up on sugar cookies. Once again I truly admire teachers. Not only have I flailed on the Etsy listings on and off this week but I also completely forgot to get Seamus' teacher gifts ready and there for their last day before Christmas break. Oh well, if I get cards at all this season they will be for New Years anyway so Seamus' wonderful teachers who I highly admire and would give the world if I could, will be part of that tardy gift/card giving spree.
So there you have it: the true confessions of a spacey well-meaning mom and artist. I am off to clean my house and take stock of Christmas presents oh AND to pick my son up from school. Don't want to be THAT Mom. ~*~*~

12.16.10 The Only

2010-12-16T07:47:00.000-08:00

I obviously missed a day. Yesterday was a full one with spending time with a good friend I hadn't seen in awhile and once I get to picking up my son from school the day has already gotten away from me. The weather was ridiculously nice too and since the weather heads were predicting snow today a handful of other parents and I thought it best to let the kids play for awhile on the playground. It is trying to snow now but the main issue is the cold. 60 degrees yesterday and now 30s today. It is no wonder the illnesses are going around! Our bodies don't know which season to adjust to.
So enough of the excuses! I have sold out of my fingerless gloves, but have no fear! I will be knitting some fabulous new ones here shortly since The coldest months of winter are just around the corner and I know I am not the only one who likes my hands warm. So this morning I offer up for your viewing (and buying if you so choose) pleasure 2 sweet bowls.

12.14.10

2010-12-14T19:26:00.000-08:00

I got caught up today and the light was pretty good for photographing the items I wanted to list so here are 3 new in My Etsy store today:

12.13.10

2010-12-13T11:41:00.000-08:00

I didn't get a chance to post yesterday as I went on a lovely hike with my husband and brother in the sunny Colorado mountains. We didn't need snowshoes like we were hoping we would and actually couldn't take one trail due to a non-frozen creek crossing that was quite deep and very cold. Oh well... maybe winter will come someday.

I re-listed my Butter Yellow Wristwarmers and my Gray and Cream Alpaca Wristwarmers yesterday in my Etsy store. I have a couple pair of these fingerless gloves myself and can honestly say they are indispensable this time of year especially when I need to sit in this cold office and type for a while.

I also wanted to share of my Mother in Law's wonderful ornaments with you today. Her store is called Carol's Sunshine designs. I love Carol's ornaments!! Here are a couple for you to check out.

12.11.10 Listings

2010-12-11T12:34:00.000-08:00

Here are today's treasures just posted in my Etsy store:

Still Time to Shop

2010-12-10T15:05:00.000-08:00

There is still time to order items from my Etsy store to get them for Christmas. I will be listing at least 2 items a day for the next 5 days so check back to see what is new! I am continuing to include a free ring bowl with every purchase of $50. As for today I have a couple of my favorite designs. Thanks for looking!

And the Winner is...

2010-12-06T07:28:00.000-08:00

Marie Green! Thanks to everyone for entering. I used a random number generator and it came up with miss Marie. She has chosen the purple and brown coffee cuff. Please check out her blog if you get a chance: lifeinatinytown.

Christmas is Coming BUY HANDMADE

2010-11-26T14:41:00.000-08:00

Ok, I can now talk about Christmas. Here I sit at the computer on black friday proud that I have bought nothing today!! Partly because I am almost done with my shopping but mostly because I refuse to become part of modern day ultra-consumer holiday of giving too much. I believe in a simplicity in giving (and receiving) things that are needed or thoughtful and as often as possible HANDMADE. My friend Val actually has a really cool tradition on one side of her family called "Make it or bake it" you can guess, but they all draw a name from the hat and have to give something yummy from the oven or something made by their own hands. Now I know that not everyone is a craft addict like myself and there are definitely lots of people who don't either have time to make things or don't really care to. I am sure my husband wishes I was one of these most days when he patiently maneuvers around my projects and piles and longingly imagines a home pristine and free of clutter. Anyhow, this inability to go through a day without creating is where people like me and the amazing handmade community that is Etsy come in.
I can't offer huge sales due to the nature of what I make and the time it takes to create my items, but I am pleased to offer a free ring sized bowl for every $50 spent in my store! Besides me, lots of sellers this year are having fabulous sales and giving great deals. Don't get me wrong, these are not Wal-Mart prices, but you know you will be supporting some fabulous entrepreneur who made that wonderful thing with their crafty hands.

I now am descending from my soapbox and do thank you for your time. I would like to give away a felted coffee cuff or a $12 credit toward something from Gretchen's Creations to a lucky reader who has made it through this e-mail. All you have to do is visit my store on Etsy and leave a comment here on something you liked there. If you want a bonus entry, search around a bit and tell me about another Etsy store or item you found that you love that I should know about. I will take entries through Friday December 3rd at 5pm. To do this giveaway I need at least 10 entires, so tell your friends!

Cheers and here is to a happy season of giving!

Winter?

2010-11-12T13:51:00.000-08:00

Seriously! I logged in to blog and realized sheepishly that the last post was titled Fall! Oh how embarrassing. Once again, where do I begin? Fall was l...o...n...g around these parts. When the ground finally cooled enough to plant bulbs in early November we had 2 busy weeks of gardening. The funny part is that the trees still haven't dropped all their leaves so there is work to be done perhaps even into the first week of December. This week was a quiet one. It has been cold and although they were calling for snow and quite a bit of it we saw a skiff at the most. Someday I will learn to not put stock in the weather people. It is good that I was off work this week though for a couple of reasons.
The first is that my poor little guy is feeling the one down side of not going to daycare. Tuesday he developed croup! Poor little man had to get steroid shots on Tuesday night and then it morphed into an awful bronchial cough complete with hoarseness and low-grade fever which resulted in another visit to the doctor - I am pretty sure he has been to the doctor a total of 3 times this year and that includes this week. So I have been home with him catching up on laundry, playing games and complementing lego creations, making muffins from scratch, Sneaking extra garlic into everything I can, listening to podcasts of The Splendid Table, Radiolab and Story Corps and most of all getting caught up on my stitching! I am crocheting bowls constantly and when I can , needle-felting a whole lot which is where I am ultimately heading with this post. I have lots to share! All are in my Etsy store and as always you can reach the listing by clicking on the picture. I do want to stipulate that I do not decorate for Christmas until the first of December and after the very wonderful holiday of Thanksgiving is past, but I do need to start listing items in my Etsy so that people have a chance to shop for and receive these items with time enough to enjoy them for the season. :-) I say this mostly because I posted a semi-rant about the skipping over of Thanksgiving on Facebook today. Silly Me!

Fall?

2010-09-21T14:36:00.000-07:00

It is nearing the end of September and here in Colorado Springs (and most of the front range of Colorado for that matter) it is HOT and DRY! No rain has fallen in 3 weeks and temperatures have been in the 80's and 90's. Instead of cutting back from frost and waiting until the right time to plant bulbs and garlic we are watering to keep things from dying before they have a chance to go dormant! You can almost feel Fall in the air but can't quite smell it through the dust.

I have been working away creating some fall inspired pieces and wanted to share a couple with you today. Hope you like them :-)

Going Global

2010-08-25T06:30:00.000-07:00

My Heart Ring bowls are now being sold in the Netherlands on a really pretty site. The wonderful gal who runs it is marketing them for weddings as an alternative to a ring pillow which I think is brilliant and really wish I could take credit for. The store is called Het Zijstraatje. Sadly I can not read the site, but it is still beautiful to look and fun to peruse all the items she has brought together!

I have also been featured in an all EtsyFast (Fiber Art Street Team) Treasury that also includes some of my favorite team members work. It is called Fabulous Fall Fibers

Where are you Gretchen?

2010-06-29T16:52:00.000-07:00

I know, it has been months! Apparently I am not capable of juggling a F/T job, my family, weekly hikes but most of all those three things combined with summer heat and a worse than usual allergy season (and my allergies are pretty bad to begin with). I love my job though! Today we reinvigorated one garden, weeded and dead-headed 2 more, and spread 2 yards of mulch in another! It was an exhausting but gratifying day; the beer I am drinking is well deserved!

As for the hikes, you can read all about them at our other blog: Ode to Ormes . My husband does a great job summing up our adventures and keeping track of our miles. If you feel compelled, leave a comment or follow the blog. We are still not sure how much it is being read.

I will be posting soon again here about some custom work and projects I have been working on. In the meantime, check out the hiking blog! Peruse the fabulous blogs I myself follow and be sure to stay hydrated until the heat wave breaks!

Cheers and Happy Summer!

Blog Feature!

2010-04-29T06:23:00.000-07:00

The gardening season is off and running and I am holding on by the seat of my pants! Because of this (and my seasonal allergies) I am spent in the evenings and usually have enough energy to muster dinner and fall asleep on the couch. Hopefully this weekend I will find some time to post more pictures of what I am doing in the garden and also pictures of some needle-felted goodness as well. Especially since I have received a custom order from a friend for a Columbine bowl.
On another tangent, his Saturday I am running in the Take 5 in the Garden. It is a very hilly 5k or 5 mile (Tam and I are running the 5 mile!) in the picturesque Garden of the Gods. Cross your fingers for us that we will have fabulous weather!!
Finally and probably most important, my bird's nest felted bowl has been featured on a fantastic blog: What. No Mints? Please drop by and check it out if you have a minute. Sasha also has a really cute Etsy store by the same name where she sells little felt plushies resembling such outstanding things like paramecium and pet rocks and these adorable bird ornaments:

As always, thanks for checking in! I hope you get a chance to get out and listen to the birds singing their twitterpated songs to one another and see the flowering crabapple trees about to burst into glorious bloom. Cheers!

A Little Spring Beauty

2010-04-16T05:50:00.000-07:00

I am more distracted than usual lately! I have taken to changing the subject mid-sentence a lot or taking a detour to check things out. What is my problem? Spring is here! Things are busting out in bloom all over the place here. Flowering Crabapples and Forsythia; tulips, crocus, daffodils... the list goes on! My house is suffering even on days that I am not working because I am in my own garden planting seeds, amending soil and trimming things back. I seem to be consistently dirty and that includes bark and leaves in my hair. To anyone that knows me this isn't much of a surprise. So why am I writing this? I inadvertently found the coolest gal through Etsy the other day. I saw she was in Antarctica and dropped her a note to tell her how much I admired people that can go live and work there (my husband was one of them). We have been writing back and forth a little bit since and the last e-mail from Chelsea asked if the flowers were really starting to go off here. She also gave me a link to her blog: Chichi's Ice Adventure. This post goes out to Chelsea a little bit of Spring color for her in anticipation of the long dark winter ahead. Thanks for giving me the excuse to post some of the thousands of flower pictures I have been snapping these days!

Fun for the Little Ones

2010-04-12T07:46:00.000-07:00

A while back Greenstylemom and I thought that it would be fun to put together some cute Waldorf style craft kits for the kids. There are 2 different ones: Gnome Family and Royal Family and I have just re-listed them in my Etsy store. I have multiples of both kits! They are $10 each and if you are in Colorado Springs, I will deliver them for free!

Spring IS....Coming

2010-03-31T06:18:00.000-07:00

I woke up early this morning to run and get coffee before my husband left for work and it was 55 degrees out! The winter hat seemed a bit much. It is supposed to snow on Friday of course but that is Colorado spring for you.
I started back to my gardening job this week and am so excited to get my hands in the soil! Yesterday was spent raking away evidence of last fall (6 garbage cans and 2 bags later at one house and that wasn't even all of it) and cutting back to reveal the new green growth. Tulips, Crocus and Daffodils are blooming everywhere and their vibrant color makes my heart flutter... Can you tell why I am a gardener?
I am hoping to continue some needle-felted flower bowls in honor of my love of all things growing and this is one of the first. I love the yarn this tray/bowl is knit from; it is a light and cheery heathered green with fleck of golden yellow in it. I can't just put any old thing on it. When I started looking through my gardening reference for inspiration I came upon a picture of Thunbergia or Black-Eyed Susan Vine and knew that was the one. I love this plants vibrant green heart shaped leaves but even more so, I love it's golden blossoms! This plant is a prolific grower and looks wonderful on a trellis or in a hanging basket.

This bowl measures 10" across and 1 1/2" deep . The needle-felted vine makes a loose heart shape and is graced by 2 blooms and a bud.

If you get a chance, please click on the picture to take you to my Etsy shop listing. Etsy has some major glitches right now that are adversely affecting it's sellers. We rely heavily on views and hearts of our items, and in the last couple of weeks they have taken a sharp dive with no explanation from Etsy Admin. In fact if you have a minute show your support of your favorite Etsy shops by stopping by to check out what it new. You can even post items you like to Facebook (and Twitter I think).

Thanks for supporting those who make handmade goodness and have a fabulous Spring day!

No Longer Custom Order

2010-03-24T09:03:00.000-07:00

This fabulous true red felted bowl,tray with a big white heart in the center was created as a custom order in my Etsy Shop. I will not go into the details of why the sale did not go through other than to say that I live my life as honestly as possible and it makes me sad when others do not do the same. So here for your viewing pleasure is a fabulous felted bowl that measures 10 1/2" wide and has deeper sides than usual for my trays at 2" (it was designed to hold glass globes and we didn't want them rolling out). It would make a fantastic nature bowl!

Keeping Those Feet Moving!

2010-03-14T20:03:00.000-07:00

I have set some fitness goals this year and wanted to take today to share some of my victories with you! First of all, my husband and I have set a goal of logging at least 300 trail miles this year. As of this weekend we have gone 80.02!! I feel pretty confident that we will reach 300~ You can check out our progress on our blog: Ode to Ormes. Not only are we keeping track of our distance and total ascent, but my husband does nice write-ups on each hike and we try and show pictures of the areas we explore. If you live in the Colorado Springs area I believe it gives a great idea of some hikes that you may have not heard of before.

My next bit of news is that I ran the Colorado Springs St. Patrick's Day 5K with my good friend Tam on Saturday and am happy to report that we did fabulously! I am not so apprehensive now of running races and dare I say I am actually excited for the next one? Tam was a great motivator (whether she realizes it or not) and I am so glad that we took this challenge on together!

Last but not least, I have set a personal goal for myself that I will be tracking indefinitely of walking/running/hiking at least 20 miles/week. This week I did about 23 miles! I am tracking this through the invaluable website Sparkpeople.com This is the website I have been utilizing since back in 06 when I decided I needed to loose the baby weight. It has helped me not only to once more become the athletic (and I would like to think more outgoing) person I am today, but has shown me that it isn't just about weight loss; it is about lifestyle and striving to be healthy inside and out! If you are looking for the tools to do the same, I would highly recommend checking it out. It is free!

So to anyone who might read this lil' old blog of mine! Cheers to your health! and Cheers to a beautiful new week full of potential!

St. Patrick's Day and Spring on It's Way!

2010-03-11T12:07:00.000-08:00

I am working at stocking my Etsy store with fun spring themed items right now: Bright cheerful colors, nests and blooming flowers all over to herald in a hopefully fabulous 2010 gardening season. Here are a few I have gotten up in the last couple of days~

As always, Thanks so much for looking~ I hope you are enjoying the birds singing and the crocus blooming as much as I am!

For the Love of Knitting!

2010-02-12T10:31:00.000-08:00

Now that Valentine's Day is upon us I have been turning my needles to projects outside of my Etsy store. Long promised cozies for patient family members and armwarmers for a friend in Durango to help keep her warm through their apparently endless and heavy winter (thanks Heather for the custom order!).
I am excited to needle felt some lovely spring related items soon. I keep having to remind myself that it is still only February and to have patience for the first signs of color sprouting from the earth. Meanwhile there is no reason I can't create gardens with fiber! Soon enough I will be placing seeds and starts in the soil and oohing and ahhing over the amazing beauty of Spring bulbs.
So here are a couple of treats for you The first is a picture of the arm warmers I knit for my friend stuck in eternal winter and the next is the Klean Kanteen Cozy I knit for Seamus (finally geez mom!) in his favorite colors : Green and orange.

For Your Sweeheart Revisited~

2010-01-29T08:57:00.000-08:00

Here are 4 more bowls in my Valentine series. I like the non-conventional colors of the last 3!

For your Sweetheart~

2010-01-24T12:51:00.000-08:00

Here are the "My Felted Valentine" Bowls I have listed this week in my Etsy Store.

For your Valentine

2010-01-18T13:09:00.001-08:00

It is probably obvious to anyone who checks in regularly that I love all things small and these kit and felted pouches are no exception. These 2 pouches are just in time for Valentine's Day! The first one which I listed today in my Etsy store is a bright true red strung on a delicate shimmery silk organza embroidery ribbon and has two charms: a silver "love" charm and a bronze heart with the Chinese symbol for double happiness. The second pouch is knit in a yarn with the name of Merlot Heather and I believe the name describes the color perfectly. The silver charm on this one has an abstract flower sprig on it and hangs below a deep red coral bead that brings out the red tones of the fiber beautifully.

More New This Week

2010-01-15T09:43:00.000-08:00

I am trying to get my Etsy store stocked up again with a nice variety to choose from. I will be getting back into my needle-felting very quickly now that I have some of the basics taken care of. Here are 2 new items:

I have also re-listed some cuff bracelets and another bowl so please stop by and see what is new!

Cheers and have a super weekend!

Cozies!

2010-01-11T01:39:00.000-08:00

Oh do I have to catch up: I have been posting items to my Etsy Store and not sharing here! So here they are, a parade of cozies~

The Closest I Come to Resolutions

2009-12-26T09:34:00.000-08:00

We survived Christmas! Thanks to all who helped make this holiday season a fabulous one for Gretchen's Creations! I will be posting new items again soon in my Etsy store so check in every once and awhile if you get a chance.
2010 is stacking up to be one amazing year for my family and I. I am not a big one for New Year's resolutions but I am looking forward to a lot of big changes and learning lots of new and exciting things. My son turns 5 this spring and heads to Kindergarten in the fall, I will be returning to the garden in just a couple of months (winter permitting) and I am starting to mull the idea around of playing my folk music live again. It has been over 4 years now since I have set foot on a stage with my guitar! Here is my myspace mu sic page if you want to hear the 1 song I have floating around in the ether. I did find a picture of me playing at Adam's Mountain Cafe for your viewing pleasure. I was a new mommy when this was taken. You can see how big my little guy has gotten.

I will also be able to post more in the next couple of months on hikes and snowshoeing expeditions, gardening articles and information and overall fun. Thanks so much for a great year!

There is Still Time!

2009-12-16T08:43:00.000-08:00

Just an update: there is still time to buy items from my Etsy Shop and get them by Christmas! The shipping deadlines for USPS for both 1st class and Priority Mail are Dec 21st which is next Monday. And with that note I want to share my newest Acorn Bowl with you:

Thanks for Looking!

Extraordinary Ingredients!

2009-12-10T14:05:00.000-08:00

I don't often have blog posts like this, but I am a huge proponent of supporting local businesses and I really want to get the word out about a fabulous new local shop here in Colorado Springs! Extraordinary Ingredients Gourmet Pantry is located at 612 N. Tejon Street (just North of Panino's). The store is warm and inviting and the selection of high quality spices, salts, chiles and dried herbs is fabulous. I was especially impressed by the wide selection of rices and beans to choose from. I bought some Green Bamboo rice (mostly for Seamus because his favorite color is green and he loves rice) and Chana Dal (on recommendation of the purveyor Kerri) and last night the Dal Bhat I made from them WAS truly extraordinary! The Chana Dal was incredibly buttery and had flavors that the Dal I usually make with red lentils has never had and I kept sneaking bites of the rice before the Dal was done.
What most amazes me is that for the high quality of her ingredients her prices are fabulous. I will be back there soon to stock up on herbs and spices now that I have gone through my kitchen and taken stock of what I need. So I highly recommend this great new local shop. Stop by and check it out. Have a chat with the knowledgeable Kerri purveyor of deliciousness: she obviously has a passion for cooking and is excited to share it. I can honestly say that I left Extraordinary Ingredients excited about the culinary possibilities open to me.

New Listings

2009-12-07T13:36:00.000-08:00

I have not been posting about my listings in my Etsy store but believe you me I have been updating quite a bit and trying to make not only holiday styles available but also some of my favorites. There are still lots of wonderful items available and there is still a week left for custom orders to be made and delivered by Christmas (U.S. only). Here are a couple of new items but be sure and drop by often to see what is new and don't forget a free ring sized bowl comes with every purchase of $30 or more!

I also just found out that my Christmas Rose Bowl is included in a pretty Etsy treasury called Yes It Is stop by and check it out before it expires~ As Always, thanks for looking!

Hi and So Sorry For Not Being Around!

2009-12-07T13:15:00.000-08:00

I had such big intentions. My Birthday was Saturday November 28th. It might have well been one of the best Birthdays I have had in awhile. Matt found a great hike off of Gold Camp Road we climbed Mt. Conejos and then dropped down into Jones Park and came out on the 7 Bridges trail (which was a skating rink) It was gorgeous and clear, a little breezy and cool but we didn't need our snowshoes for this one. We saw bear tracks - luckily at least a day old and I will try and get those pics from Matt to share. Afterward we went to Bristol Brewing for a couple of delicious local Birthday Pints. The icing on the cake was the Micah Schnabel ( of 2 Cow Garage fame) solo show at The Triple Nickel Tavern that evening. In all of the pictures I have seen of me from that night I am wearing a silly grin from ear to ear and although I cringe at how unattractive those pictures are, I remind myself that I had a wonderful time with wonderful friends and super music~ I was able to give myself a pat on the back as well for only drinking 2 beers and NOT waking up with a hang over. I also want to thank Jimmy again for being super rad and giving us the biggest birthday gift of all by driving~
I have hit the big 32 my hair is turning silver and I am starting to complain about "kids these days" :-) Life is good! Thanks to everyone for helping to make my 31st year a great one and I am looking forward to the one to come.

First Snowshoeing Excursion of the Winter

2009-11-22T20:53:00.000-08:00

So... my birthday is next weekend. No biggie except that I asked my hubby for some warm winter hiking boots that would cause me to be excited at the prospect of, well, Winter hiking. Last night he took me to REI and I found the most amazing and comfortable Keen boots. This means we HAD to go snowshoeing today. The Crags on the backside of Pikes Peak seemed a logical spot to still have snow and we were definitely not disappointed. We also got to help a nice couple dig out their jeep that had gotten stuck. We are both pretty tired and sore from it but it was a fabulous pay-it-forward moment and we sure weren't going to leave them there to dig out by themselves.
It was a good reminder to us though to make sure and be prepared when we head to the high country this winter! We are investing in a tow strap and packing the chains and a shovel next time.
Tomorrow I am back to posting about new items on Etsy. I hope everyone had a marvelous weekend!

Red Bowls Red Bowls

2009-11-21T07:07:00.000-08:00

I learned to crochet finally! I won't agree quite yet that it is speedier than knitting since knitting is old hat for me but I do enjoy the different movement and the neat texture I seem to be getting from it. So here for your viewing enjoyment are the two newest additions to my Etsy store. The first is a crocheted tray with a group of needle-felted Anemone flowers in the bottom. This tray is incredibly sturdy and has a basket-like texture to it. The second is one of my signature Skeleton Key Pocket Bowls - I found a picture of this strange key with 2 small holes and couldn't resist replicating it.

Gardening Perspective and Gratitude

2009-11-20T08:28:00.000-08:00

Here I sit looking out my window on a nice sunny day with some crusty snow still on the ground, Thanksgiving around the corner, my 31st year coming to a close, Christmas next in line. My garden has been put to bed for winter. I planted my garlic a week ago before the last snow storm rolled through. I have a few more bulbs to plant (thanks Barb!) but if the ground will allow me to do so remains to be seen. I already have started perusing seed catalogs and drooling over descriptions of buttery potatoes, sweet crisp snap peas and delicious young spinach. Why am I bringing all of this up? Partly because I have more time on my hands all of the sudden that I have the luxury to do so but mostly because I just got off the phone with my dear friend Erin. Erin has been gardening and working on small farms in the Durango, CO area for years bur she grew up in Corpus Cristi, TX and is currently there for the holidays. We got to talking about gardening and she told me all about the new garden she is putting in for her dad right now. She just planted a Plumeria and Christmas Palms! As a Colorado native it is so hard for me to imagine a climate that allows for such tropical goodness or how to even keep such things alive. I am pretty sure I had a Christmas palm as a houseplant at one time... needless to say I don't have it now.
These are different challenges beyond my comprehension. So right now I am contemplating these differences and trying to decide if I would like to work hard as a gardener all year long or if I am blessed to have the winter to work on knitting, resting my bones and dreaming about green beans eaten straight from the garden while sitting with good friends on the patio in the golden glow of the sunset. I am so grateful for these moments and for good friends like Erin that I get to share them with occasionally.

Cheers All!

More Christmas Holiday Bowls

2009-11-19T13:46:00.000-08:00

I listed both of these fun little bowls in my Etsy store today:

If anyone has an idea of holiday themes you would like to see me needle-felt, please drop me a line! I am always up for suggestions.

Cheers~

Holly Bowl

2009-11-17T06:35:00.000-08:00

I am working on some fun holiday themed bowls, trivets and trays that aren't so in-your-face Christmas. Don't get me wrong! I love kelly green and bright red...just in moderation. So here is the first installment: my Holly Bowl.

I have also re-listed my pinecone tray. This is one of my favorite designs and one I am quite proud of since it has so much detail and texture.

As always, Thanks for Looking!

Custom Bronco Beer Cozies

2009-11-15T16:09:00.000-08:00

The bottle cozy is a custom order for a die hard Bronco's Fan and fabulous musician. The can cozy is up for grabs. I will probably list it soon, but if you are interested please drop me a line Also if you would like to order one (or a set), they make a great gift! I can knit them up in almost any color combo and I do make them for tall boys which is the perfect candidate for beer clothes!

New Ring Bowls

2009-11-11T06:59:00.000-08:00

I just listed these ring bowls in my Etsy shop this morning!

A Moment

2009-11-08T17:42:00.000-08:00

Today we hiked 8 miles. My dear husband took some pictures for me. That is Colorado Springs in the background~ Both of us at one point today said "I love where we live!"

Halloween Fun

2009-10-26T07:20:00.000-07:00

I had to share this! This is not your average box of Frosted Flakes but a BIG recreation fit to wear for Halloween! Max, my friend Jimmy's 11 year old son, decided he wanted to be Frosted Flakes for Halloween so Jimmy found this terrific computer server box from work (measures about 3' x 2'), spray painted it blue, cut holes, reinforced it and padded the inside for Max's shoulders. He then spent hours tracing out the entire design with an overhead projector. It took us about 2 hours to paint with tempera (the boys did help a little bit) and then when it dried, Jimmy went back in and did all the black with a Sharpie. Isn't it amazing? Isn't he a super dad? Let's hope we have a dry Halloween!

Blog Feature!

2009-10-17T16:30:00.000-07:00

That's right I have been honored with a blog feature over at Autumn2May! Please go over and check it out and comment if you feel so inclined~

Fall Freeze and Fall Listings~

2009-10-13T13:06:00.000-07:00

I didn't get out this weekend to get pictures of everything coated in ice, but Amanda who runs 2 fabulous shops Eenie Beanie Threads and Botanic Beauty took these wonderful photos and has allowed me to share them with you!

And I have 2 new listings up today in my Etsy store~ Happy Autumn to all!

Green Chile

2009-10-10T09:23:00.000-07:00

I was first turned onto the magic that is Green Chile when I lived in Durango, CO. Being so close to New Mexico it was hard not to be! I don't eat much pork though so I went looking for a recipe that I could either make sans meat or with Chicken. Over the years I have taken a few recipes and modified them into one that is flexible and can be made however you would like. A friend of ours used it to make traditional Pork Green Chile last week that was divine and I made it with chicken last night. At the request of Amy over at BeanPickleSprout I am posting my recipe. Think of it more as a guide though! Feel free to modify it to your tastes and heat tolerance. I used Big Jim Chile I bought at the farmer' s market last week grown and roasted at Hanagan Farms in La Junta, CO. I go back to them over and over again not only for their delicious produce but also because they are some of the nicest people you will ever meet!
Did I mention my sadness that the weather has turned to temperatures in the teens and everything being coated in ice around here? Usually we talk about it snowing by or more likely on Halloween, but not this year!
To bring this full circle, when the weather turns cold or people around me are sniffling I turn to making Green Chile: Full of vitamin C and depending on your tastes it can be full of garlic too!
It tastes fabulous with Buttermilk Cornbread and a dollop of sour cream~
Enjoy and let me know if you try it out!

Gretchen’s Green Chile

1 Onion chopped
3-4 Garlic cloves chopped ( I use more)
1 Tbs. oil
6 C. stock or bullion – I use Vegetable Better Than Bullion .
12 Roasted, peeled and chopped green chile (adjust according to heat of chiles this goes for seeds too!) Also use fresh chile when you can - It just tastes better!
2+1 Tbs. flour or cornstarch
Salt and Pepper to taste
2-3 potatoes peeled and diced
1-2 Tomatoes chopped OR 1 can diced tomatoes
herbs cilantro,cumin,oregano - whatever tickles your fancy OR whatever you have on hand
Chicken or Pork*

*If I add chicken I either bake it beforehand then shred or chop it when it has cooled. Or I sauté it up with the garlic and onion.

1. Sauté onion and garlic in oil over med low heat until onion is tender and translucent.
2. Add chile and stock. This is also when you will add any veggies or herbs of your choosing and also meat if you have precooked it separately.
3. Dissolve 2 Tbs. of the flour or cornstarch in a cup of hot water and add to the pot stirring to prevent lumps.
4. Simmer for 20 minutes then repeat the flour treatment except this time only 1 Tbs. flour
5. Simmer for another 30 minutes or so.

I like to make extra and freeze portions for later. You can either eat it as a soup with a dollop of sour cream and cornbread, use it in place of red sauce for enchiladas, smother burritos or eggs with it. It is so delicious and all the vitamin C in Green Chile will cure what ails you.

Pumpkin Seeds

2009-10-09T13:16:00.001-07:00

So here they are: my first 2 pumpkin seed bowls for sale on Etsy:

Pumpkin Anyone

2009-10-06T13:26:00.000-07:00

This is the first of my pumpkin seed bowls... or maybe I should say that I would love some opinions on this concept to help me decide if I should do a series of these or something else with the pile of orange bowls I just felted (see yesterday's post). My high school English teacher would shake her head if she saw that last sentence!
Anyway, PLEASE COMMENT: I might do a surprise giveaway if I hear from enough of you!
This one is a a small thank-you gift for a wonderful friend of mine.

Resolution, Bowls Before and After and New Listings

2009-10-05T14:57:00.000-07:00

I am singing the praises of my credit union this evening as I marvel at the ease with which I was able to file my dispute and how quickly the money has been returned to our account! For once things went smoothly and easily.

Now on to blogging about my craft!! That is right, I know it has been a LONG TIME but I am finally getting back into my groove with my felted goods so I have a few things to share with you today! Here for your viewing pleasure are before and after pictures of the bowls and trays I felted (fulled) yesterday:

I am in love with all of them in their fall glory~

And I have listed several new items today as well:

It Was Only a Matter of Time

2009-10-05T04:56:00.000-07:00

I feel the need to blog about this because for the longest time I have felt so lucky to not be affected. On Saturday I received a phone call from my credit union that fraudulent charges had been made on my debit card at a Walgreens in Lincoln, Nebraska. They called me because I had bought gas here in Colorado at darn near the same time and being the great credit union they are alerted me at once and froze my card and I thought those purchases. Unfortunately they have posted to our account so even though I know everything will be fine I have not slept much for the last 2 nights twiddling my thumbs until I can call this morning. Why do these things always happen when bills are due? I know times are tough, but... Thank you to all those out there who live honestly.

"Every act of dishonesty has at least two victims: the one we think of as the victim, and the perpetrator as well. Each little dishonesty makes another little rotten spot somewhere in the perpetrator's psyche."
Lesley Conger

What day is Today?

2009-09-21T13:22:00.000-07:00

The last day of summer! and right now it is 40 degrees out and alternating between rain and SNOW!! That's right snow. This summer has been amazing for it's bizarrely cool weather and now here we are with snow before October even rolls around. It is supposed to dip down below freezing for the next 3 nights so I was out in the garden in a wool hat, jacket and gloves trying to harvest what I can of my tomatoes, green beans, kale, chard, broccoli, basil, dill... I know i am forgetting someone. I covered the 3 gorgeous volunteer tomatoes that are growing in my pumpkin patch in hopes that they can survive another week and ripen up the beautiful fruit they are producing. I also dragged pots into the garage... my neighbors once again probably think I am crazy... or maybe they are used to it now.
If anyone has any suggestions for delicious recipes involving kale or chard please let me know: I have a lot of it! If anyone local wants some kale I would love to share~drop me a line so I can go cut some more.

I do want to alert you: all my faithful or accidental readers, that i will be doing some Yeah it's Fall! Giveaways coming up soon. So please check back in.

New Listings Today and a Treasury Feature!

2009-09-13T15:29:00.000-07:00

First of all I have listed or re-listed a plethora of items in my Etsy Store today. Please drop on in to my Etsy store and see what it new~ Here are two new items. Just click on the pictures to take you to the listings.

My Pinecone Tray has also been featured in a pretty Treasury called Woodland Autumn that is worth looking at for sure.

The Wedding Bowl

2009-09-13T15:18:00.000-07:00

One of my closest and dearest friends was married a couple of weeks back and I have just this last week finished her wedding gift. I needle-felted a free-form design on this wonderfully round and bright red bowl then re-wet it to dry it over a form once again to get the shape I desired for it. Congratulations Mariah and Noah~ I send you much love in your new life adventures!

Happy Labor Day!

2009-09-07T07:40:00.000-07:00

We went to the Balloon Festival this morning. After 2 days of not being able to launch because of high upper level winds this morning was perfect, sunny and gorgeous!

The Happiest Apple

2009-08-31T06:26:00.000-07:00

I cannot believe t hat in all my years here I have never been to the Happy Apple Farm! But last week, Amanda and I took the kiddos down there for some blackberries and apples. They drive you out to the fields on a wagon pulled by a tractor and encourage you to try what you are picking. Nothing tastes better than when it is picked right off the tree and eaten. Or in the case of out littlest adventurer: right off the ground~ In addition to the fruit I also purchased a jar of apple butter. We will be back again before the season is out for sure!

Swallowtail

2009-08-21T20:42:00.000-07:00

My Butterfly bush - Buddleia is a hub of activity these days. For the first time I have Hummingbirds who spend hours circling the bush. But the Butterfly bush holds true to it's name! I have seen at least one Monarch on it, painted ladies, hummingbird moths and both black and yellow swallowtails. It is gorgeous to look at and a veritable feast for all things seeking pollen and nectar. I even have to be careful when I choose to go weed lest I agitate the bees. Do you see the bee in the second picture? It is the sweet life for sure!

More Wild!

2009-08-12T17:18:00.000-07:00

Seriously! Can you handle it? I can't! I love where I live! Today working out in Black Forest the hummingbirds were all over the Agastache and Salvia. I snapped a couple of pictures and when I went to take another this fella flew right up for his photo-op!

When I came home form work I was greeted by a package from one of my most favorite people. Inside was Garlic and not just any garlic: Colorado grown, organic garlic that Erin helped harvest in the Durango area. I am so blessed ~ Thank you Erin!

Wild!

2009-08-11T06:36:00.001-07:00

This is a big catch-up day for my blogging. Things have been busy which is fabulous, but I am learning to juggle my time again since getting back to the world of adults and a job that doesn't revolve strictly around my son, home and husband.
This blog post is about the wonderful wildlife I have been seeing lately.
The first happening occurred at the same gardening client's house where I saw the bobcat. I was working in the back o f the house when the homeowner opened the ground level window next to where I was working, popped out the screen and insisted I climb inside immediately as there was a mama bear and cubs in her garage. I have never moved so quickly! Normally they keep their garage closed because of this exact reason but it was open for me. Her dogs were barking like crazy at the door to the garage and you could hear something big scratching at the other side and pushing it's weight against the door. Finally it got quiet so we went upstairs where we had a good view of the driveway and this is what we saw:
Mama and her 3 cubs had dragged the big Tupperware of dog food out by the driveway and proceeded to have a field day with it.
Meanwhile on the homefront... I had house finches build their nest on the top of one of my rose trellises. About a week ago 4 little babies hatched and they are the cutest things! I can hear them chirping when mama or papa come in with food practically anywhere in the yard. Who would have thought something so small could make so much noise!
And last but not least, I found a lovely Fritillary caterpillar in some of my Sedum. I believe this will become a Painted Lady Butterfly. I have had quite a few on my Butterfly bush and Monarda in the front garden this year.
More to come hopefully today on the actual garden. I should have some new listings up on Etsy soon that I am excited to share with you as well. Thanks so much for checking in!

Bobcat!

2009-07-26T06:08:00.000-07:00

I went on a drive last night around 7 pm to look at a perspective gardening job. The area is in North West Colorado Springs. I was driving up the actual street I would be working on and... a bobcat walked in front of my car, stopped in the middle of the street to look at me and then went on it's way. I have lived in the Colorado Rockies all of my life and have never seen one of these in the wild! No pictures of course but I did find a nice example from the National Geographic website with some great facts about these elusive hunters.

A Few Things

2009-07-21T07:17:00.000-07:00

I finally have a few minutes to sit down at the computer and blog! I feel like I have so much to share. Two nights ago I made a stir fry with veggies all from the garden: two types of beets, broccoli, carrots and 5 color silver beet Chard. It's true, I took pictures. There are few things that make me as happy as eating something I picked not even an hour before.
Last night around 12:30 a crazy storm rolled through with huge wind gusts, lots of cloud to cloud lightning and heavy rain but thankfully no hail. I sat watching it out the front window for a while hoping beyond hope that I would still have my beautiful tomato plants in the morning. Just North of us they had golf ball sized hail and a Tornado sighting!!
Today I am harvesting my remaining spinach and continuing the endless weeding that apparently goes along with getting consistent rainfall. It is a beautiful cool morning and I am feeling so grateful for it after the last few days of heat.

Pinecone Tray

2009-07-14T19:02:00.000-07:00

Listed today in my Etsy shop! My large pinecone tray.

Summer Heat and our first Beet

2009-07-08T06:20:00.000-07:00

I wanted to check in and say hello. Work at the Garden Center is slowing down now but I am no less wiped out at the end of the day due to the heat that has finally arrived. This has also made it a struggle to keep my garden hydrated and weeded when I am home. Needless to say I have been waking up early to get some of that done. We have been enjoying amazing volumes of lettuce spinach and radishes and now the bush beans, tomatoes, zucchini, swiss chard, broccoli and beets are starting to do their thing!

A new twist x 2

2009-06-26T09:13:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite felted pouches thus far is the celery one. It expired recently on Etsy without selling and I decided that it needed a little more, so I needle-felted poppies on it. The red looks so amazing on the celery green and really makes the pouch look complete.

I received a custom order for a blue heron bowl from a friend here in town who liked the Blue Heron In the Golden Sunset purse but wanted something a little smaller for a good friend. Blue Herons always make me think of my wonderful friend Everyday Yogini. One year for Christmas she gifted me the most beautiful calendar of watercolors from Heron Dance Press. You should check out their site! Absolutely gorgeous work.

Large Order Complete

2009-06-19T15:03:00.000-07:00

At long last I can report that I have FINISHED my large order! Here they all are~

Gardening and my Finished Bag

2009-05-21T06:12:00.000-07:00

It has taken over my life gardening has! I work 5 days a week at a fabulous (and bustling) garden center and on at least one of my days off I am working on my own landscaping and veggie garden. I am exhausted in the evenings but oh so happy. It feels great to be working again, especially at something I enjoy. I have been so busy that I completely forgot to post a picture of my completed Around About: pattern by the fabulous Amybel over at Knitting in my Backyarn.

Here it is in all it's glory! I have decided to use it as my new knitting project bag: it is much more practical having handles as opposed to the felted bowl I have used for so long.

Warm Wishes

2009-05-10T09:45:00.000-07:00

Happy Mother's Day to all you fabulous Moms out there!

New Path

2009-05-09T12:21:00.000-07:00

This will be stating the obvious, but I haven't been blogging much lately. Things have been rather all over the place in my household. My husband has essentially been the sole breadwinner for the last 4 years but circumstances of late have made it apparent that we need a second income. I wish I could say that creating felted goodies is a booming business, but it is a specialized thing. Besides knitting I LOVE to garden and especially grow vegetables. I have been lucky enough to find a job at a fabulous local garden center AND it is F/T! That being said, I am not sure at this point how much I will be listing in my Etsy store- full days in the sun and on my feet are going to take some getting used to and I foresee many evenings of my going to bed early. I will also want to spend more of that evening time with my son and husband. Don't worry though, I am still an obsessive knitter and being around all that blooming beauty is going to make me want to needle-felt all sorts of flower bowls.

I love to do custom orders! Please keep me in mind for weddings, birthdays pre-ordered Christmas too.

Happy Earth Day Listings

2009-04-22T06:39:00.000-07:00

Happy Earth day! Don't forget to check out my felted coffee sleeves. A fabulous alternative to the cardboard ones.

I have 3 new listings up today in my Etsy store:
Also My Pink bowl is in a lovely Treasury that is worth checking out too~

Focus on the Good

2009-04-21T08:00:00.000-07:00

In these hard times (and I say this because I am starting to feel it first-hand now) I tend to look for the small things. Little bits of happiness whether it be my son and the unknowingly witty things he spouts on a daily basis, the seeds in my garden sending up sprouts under the gentle spring sunshine, a long hike in some quiet woods. I am trying to remember that there is so much good, so much to look forward to and that these setbacks are nothing more than speedbumps in the proverbial road of life. There is no use in despairing over things beyond our control. For 4 years now I have had the opportunity to stay home with my amazing little guy. Now here I am about to launch myself out into the world and hoping that the economy will let me wiggle my way in for a piece of the pie. Any words of wisdom to this SAHM of 4 years?

Clover Bowl

2009-04-17T10:16:00.000-07:00

New in my Etsy Shop today: a Clover Bowl knit in a dark green wool!

Kabibi Mei Boutique

2009-04-17T10:00:00.000-07:00

I am officially selling my felted goods in a brick and mortar store!

Kabibi Mei is located at 31 N. Walnut St. This is between Bijou and Colorado Ave. just west of 1-25 and downtown Colorado Springs, CO. In addition to my wares Cory (the owner of the store and lady with fabulous style I might add) has brought in many wonderful crafters to create a wonderful handmade shopping experience. That's right: all handmade!
So if you are in the area, stop by! I myself am very excited to have a local venue not only to sell my wares but also to help support other crafters.

Hummingbirds!

2009-04-15T13:30:00.000-07:00

That's right I heard a Hummingbird today! I was out turning over my garden getting ready to plant spinach, lettuce, carrots, beets and radishes (I know! Too much information) when I heard the tell tale sound. The little guys are arriving.

The Birds Are A' Singin'

2009-04-14T05:26:00.000-07:00

It's true, they really are! Spring is finally coming in to our part of the world. Yes we had 60 and 70 degree weather throughout February and March, but there were barely any sprouts pushing their little heads up through the sad dry soil. After the snow/rain we had this weekend everything is greening up like it should and I woke up early this morning to the birds singing. I am tingling with excitement over Spring! So here is my first Birds Nest Felted Bowl. It is officially up in My Etsy Store!

Who doesn't love an acorn?

2009-04-13T19:37:00.000-07:00

Thanks to Cheyenneb for the custom order of an acorn bowl and 12 oz. Klean Kanteen Cozy. I don't have a picture of the felted cozy yet, but I will post one when I do! I love the colors she choose.
I also finished a set of small black nesting bowls by needle-felting periwinkle blue flowers in them. These are for sale in my Etsy shop.
Thanks for Looking!

Custom Wedding Bowls

2009-04-09T15:40:00.000-07:00

I was contacted by a wonderful gal in Georgia last week about a set of bowls as a wedding gift. We worked out what she wanted and she sent me a picture of the duvet cover they had in their registry. I matched 2 of the deeper colors and needle-felted a flower and leaf in them from the motif of the fabric. I have to say that I love these bowls and really wanted to share with you!
I think this would be a terrific wedding gift to receive; so personalized and very thoughtful!

Craft Kits

2009-04-02T17:02:00.000-07:00

Kristen of GreenStyleMom and I put together these wonderful Waldorf inspired craft kits awhile back to sell at craft shows. Unfortunately I didn't participate in too many of those last year so they have been hanging out around my studio until I realized I should list them in my Etsy shop. There are 2 different kits: Gnome Family and Royal Family .

If you are in the Colorado Springs area and are interested in one please contact me here - As for all my local sales I will not charge you shipping and can deliver directly to you.

SunshineCarol Strikes Again

2009-04-02T06:24:00.000-07:00

That's right. Not only is she gifted with clay and creates gorgeous mosaic stained glass windows, now SunshineCarol is creating fused glass bug bookmarks, pins and pendants! I can't even stand how cute they are and just had to post about them for your viewing pleasure. The first 3 are bookmarks!

The New Heron Bag

2009-03-27T15:31:00.001-07:00

It's official! I finished the Blue Heron Bag. It is listed in My Etsy shop.

More Newness

2009-03-26T08:26:00.000-07:00

Two new Bowls in my Etsy store today:

New Listings As Promised

2009-03-24T20:10:00.000-07:00

I had a problem with my hands not far back and the doc thought it might be attributed to them being in water a lot because of the felting ( I didn't bother to mention that I am also the primary dishwasher in our household not to mention child bather and garden waterer). Anyhow, because of this I decided to change gears a bit and knit different things that don't require shrinkage. I love arm warmers and seeing as they are so packable to boot I have been knitting them like crazy. This newest pair is out of the wonderful silver-blue yarn again. I had terrible results trying to felt with it (even though the package said it was felt-able) and was holding onto it just waiting for the right project. When I started to knit with it I found that it was so incredibly soft and springy! So even though it failed in the felting department it turned out to be wonderful for things next to the skin. This set of arm warmers is knit in seed stitch giving them interesting texture.

I have also tried to put together a collection of items to needle-felt down the road so I pulled out my box and found some inspiration. Here is the first I have listed tonight. I love the acorn bowls and decided it had been awhile since I listed one.

Spring Treasury

2009-03-24T08:05:00.001-07:00

I nabbed a treasury this morning and filled it full of springy goodness:
Click here: How Does Your Garden Grow?

Cool Cloudy Weather

2009-03-23T14:15:00.000-07:00

After 2 weeks of 60 - 70 degree weather, this week is showing itself to be a little cooler and my mind is allowing me to come inside a bit to get all sorts of "housekeeping" done. I planned on taking pictures today to post the new things I have been working on, but it is not in my possession at the moment. Then I realized that I have not kept you up to date on most of my new items in the past 2 weeks anyway! So here are some things I have recently added and I promise tomorrow I have some wonderful treats to show you as well!

Be sure and click on the different pictures to take you to their Etsy listings!

The Call of the Garden

2009-03-13T08:50:00.000-07:00

For most of the month of February it was hot and dry here on the Front Range (eastern side) of the mountains. We had whole weeks where the daytime temperatures were 60 degrees and above. I am a gardener and this raises all sorts of issues inside me. I worry about having enough precipitation to keep things alive... and on the flip side I start thinking I should get things planted because hey! it is 75 degrees out today - in the middle of February! Patience right? So I am reading and researching instead. Last summer we dug up the last of the compacted and practically dead grass in the back yard and my garden has doubled in size. I am thrilled and overwhelmed at the same time at the prospect of expanding the variety of what I grow because along with that comes maintenance and new pest issues. I really want to grow pop corn but we have some amazingly large Raccoons around here. I am definitely growing beets and am giving Kale another try even though last year my crop was overtaken by aphids. So why am I rambling on about this? I have finally found a gardening book that is concise and doesn't burst my bubble when I want to attempt to grow new things. The Garden Primer by Barbara Damrosch is my new bible! I don't honestly know how I have lived without it but all I can say is Game On! We are eating well this year from our garden. When I am not doing deep research on planting, I am finally reading Animal, Vegetable, Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver who is my favorite author hands down. The quote on the back of the book sums it up:

"This is the story... of how our family was changed by our first year of deliberately eating food produced from the same place where we worked, went to school, loved our neighbors, drank the water, and breathed the air."

I am inspired and maybe a bit overly ambitious since I don't live on a farm. But I believe this is going to be a great year for learning to be more self-sufficient, utilizing what tools and resources we have near and eating better because of it. My son also turns 4 next week and I am so thrilled to get him involved in the process of growing his own food. Besides, let's face it: vegetables just taste better straight from the garden.

Do you have any suggestions for what I should grow? Recommendations for an exceptionally hardy variety or something that you can taste on your tongue at the mere mention of a summer garden? Share! Share!