Let's Go Outside!

It was a weekend of unusally warm weather here in central Indiana. Fresh green foliage is unfolding everywhere and the sights and sounds of Spring beckon us outside!

The leaves are unfolding on all the trees.


The blooming trees are fragrant.


Bleeding heart, one of my favorite spring flowers.


This frog was enjoying the warm sunshine.

The hostas and ferns are lush and green once again.

It's Etsy Day!

April 24, 2009 has been designated as the first Etsy Day! This is a promotion started by a group of individual Etsy shop owners who wanted to bring awareness to the website. Help spread the word about Etsy as "your place to buy and sell all things handmade"!

The Fine Print: This promotion is being sponsored by independent Etsy shop owners, not Etsy.com.

Celebrate Earth Day!

The crabapple trees are in full bloom. . .

and the delicate looking bleeding hearts dangle from arched stems.


ElephunksTrunk included my Garden Delights Beaded Rose Brooch in a wonderful treasury celebrating Earth Day - green items made from recycled materials. Click here to see the whole treasury.

And here are are few of my favorite sites for ideas on how to green your life:

campaignearth.org

gengreenlife.com

idealbite.com

Flowers and Hearts for Mother's Day!

Are you looking for something special for Mom for Mother's Day? Flowers and hearts making wonderful Mother's Day gifts!

I have made a new assortment of felted flower brooches and "heart felt" brooches and have plenty available in the shop.

And, I just sent a new batch of flowers and hearts to the Glendale Handcraft Gallery in Glendale, Ohio. The Glendale Handcraft Gallery is a boutique-style gallery with the goal to promote handmade items and crafts people.

Gleandale, Ohio is an historic village just north of Cincinnati. If you happen to live in the area, or are passing through, stop in and take a look at the unique handmade artwork. And tell them Felt Sew Good sent you!

New Handbags!

I've been busy sewing this week and I just listed a few new handbags in my shop.

This is the plum Blakley style handbag.

And this is a pretty sky blue Bella style handbag. The Bella is my newest design and there will be more to come, in a variety of colors, next week.

I'm also working on a "garden fresh" batch of beaded rose brooches, so be sure to check out Felt Sew Good on Etsy on Monday, April 20!

Brussels in Bloom

What a carpet! This is a carpet of flowers in the Grand Palace, Brussels.

Close to a million begonias were used to create the 300 square meters of "carpet". The pattern is based on a medieval carpet design.

Craftsmen arrange the carpet by hand directly onto the square's cobblestones, without any soil. Grass and tree bark were also used to provide color.
The photos were actually taken in August of 2008. My sister sent them to me and I think they are so amazing that I wanted to share. Enjoy!

Happy Easter!

Wishing Everyone a Happy Easter!

Share Your Backyard Bounty

Plant a Row for the Hungry.
There are over 84 million households with a yard or garden in the U.S. If every gardener plants one extra row of vegetables and donates their surplus to local food agencies and soup kitchens, a significant impact can be made on reducing hunger.

Join the Garden Writers Association's grassroots campaign to fight hunger by cultivating an extra row of vegetqables for a local food bank or soup kitchen. To join a campaign and find out how to share your backyard bounty with more than your neighbors, go to gardenwriters.org. Just click on the make a donation link and find and find a donation site in your area. I was pleased to find two groups of Master Gardeners volunteer commitees in my county.

Spice Up Your Life!

Did you know that a teaspoon full of spices can help boost the antioxident power of practically every snack, entree and beverage you enjoy? Here are some great tips to add healthful flavor to your meals.

Try the seven "super spices" - cinnamon, ginger, oregano, red peppers, rosemary, thyme and yellow curry.

Cinnamon - Perk up your morning coffee with Ground Cinnamon. Sprinkle ½ teaspoon Ground Cinnamon over ground coffee before brewing.

Ginger - For a fresh fruit pick-me-up, try a light sprinkling of Ground Ginger on peaches, pears, cantaloupe, pineapple or honeydew melon.

Oregano - For a twist on the typical grilled cheese, prepare sandwich with sliced mozzarella cheese, sliced tomato and ¼ teaspoon Oregano Leaves.

Red Peppers - Serve bread with olive oil like it's done in an Italian restaurant. Mix ¼ cup olive oil, 1 teaspoon grated Parmesan cheese, ½ teaspoon Garlic Powder, 1/8 teaspoon Crushed Red Pepper and sea salt to taste in small shallow dish.

Rosemary - Dress up ready-to-bake rolls. Just before baking frozen dinner rolls or ready-to-bake rolls, brush tops with olive oil then sprinkle with crushed Rosemary Leaves and Sea Salt before baking.

Thyme - Wake up your taste buds with Herbed Scrambled Eggs. Beat 1/8 teaspoon Thyme Leaves into 2 eggs before scrambling.

Yellow Curry - Turn tomato soup from dull to delicious. Add ½ teaspoon Curry Powder to 2 cups tomato soup. Sprinkle with chopped cashews.

For more tips and lots of recipes, check out the McCormick Spice website, SpicesforHealth.com.

And if you can't find the spice you are looking for at your local grocery, try the SpiceBarn.com or try searching on Etsy.com.