Happy Halloween!

I hope you all have a safe and happy Halloween!

Just in Time for the Holidays!

It's almost November and I've been working on some new woolen holiday decorations and some ideas for a few Felt Sew Good blog giveaways! Here's a peak at some work in progress:

Starting Monday, November 2, I'll have some Christmas stockings and some new ornaments in the shop.

Then later in the week I'll announce the details of my first Felt Sew Good blog giveaway!

Spectacular Fall Foliage!

Mother Nature has put on quite a show for us this year! Since I live in Indiana, I'm used to seeing pretty fall color in our trees and shrubs before the leaves begin to fall. This year we must have had just the perfect combination of rainfall and temperatures because the fall foliage is prettier than I remember seeing for the past several years. Over the past week, I've been taking photos around the neighborhood when I go for a walk and thought I'd share with you.

Color in the park adjacent to my neighborhood.

Golden park path.

The little Japanese maple next to our screened porch.

A neighbor's front yard is full of these red maple trees.

Golden fan shaped leaves on my gingko tree. This is the first year the leaves turned yellow - we usually have a freeze before now and that makes the leaves fall off overnight!

The forecast is for rain and wind on Friday, so by the weekend most of the leaves will be on the ground. The trick or treaters will be hearing the crunch of leaves underfoot while on their search for treats.

Wicked Fun

How do you decorate for Halloween?

Is yours the family on your block that turns your front yard into a graveyard for Halloween?

Do you have wispy ghosts floating outside your house to haunt trick or treaters?

Is there a witch, with her feline friends, that roam your neighborhood?

These pictures are a few of my favorite outdoor decorating ideas from the October issue of Martha Stewart Living. We don't have a lot of trick or treaters at my house. Probably because my neighborhood/comunity has a great Halloween party in the park for all the kids in the area. The spooktacular festival includes costume contests, hayrides and a "trick or treat trail" where local business sponsors hand out candy.

We don't go all out decorating at my house, but we do have a stack of carved funkins jack-o-lanterns to greet any October guests.

Leave me a comment about, or link to photos of, your favorite Halloween decorations!

DIY Best of Show!

Have a look at the Winter 2009 issue of Do It Yourself magazine! They've profiled over 50 arts and crafters in the best of handmade feature, many of them Etsy shopkeepers, including me! Felt Sew Good!

It's always exciting to see my work pictured in a magazine and I was honored to be included in this feature.

Even this "Best of Show" ribbon on the cover page was created by a fellow Etsian, Handmadepretties!

Here's a peak inside at some of the one-of-a-kind finds.

And that's my blue patchwork handbag, hanging next to the crocheted flower scarf.

Also inside is a list of some of the best indie craft shows across the country and other crafty websites. It's a great way to get ideas to get started on your holiday shopping. Buy Handmade!

New From FeltSewGood!

I've added quite a few new items to the shop this week and there are lots more new upcycled wool items to come soon!

There are new Bella handbags, combining felted wool sweaters and upcycled vintage wool clothing.

There are a variety of felted wool mittens, made from upcycled wool sweaters. Some are trimmed with a few of my vintage buttons.

And new from FeltSewGood this Fall. . . felted wool mittens in kids' sizes!

And this cute pouch/clutch was made from an embroidered, felted wool sweater vest.
Stop by the shop and see what's new!

Warm, Wooly, and Upcycled at Re-Nest

One of my Falling Leaves pillows was among 10 upcycled wool creations featured on Re-Nest today!

All 10 items were made from upcycled sweaters and textiles by Etsy crafters. I love the fuzzy felted bowls in the large photo!

Here's a closer look at my pillow, made from upcycled sweaters and wool felt. There are links to all these wonderful Autumn decor items on Re-Nest.

Craft Show Success!

My first craft show, the Hoosier Artisan Holiday Boutique was a success! The show featured 50 artisans and shopkeepers on Etsy, from the state of Indiana.

Here is a picture of my booth. I had a great time, learned a lot from the veteran craft show vendors, had good sales and best of all got to meet fellow Etsy artists! All in all, a great success!

Hoosier Artisan Holiday Boutique

I'm participating in my first craft show this weekend! The 2009 Hoosier Artisan Holiday Boutique is being hosted by the INCrowd Team: a collective of Indiana Artists and Shopkeepers on Etsy.com.

The event is Saturday, October 17, from 10am - 3:30pm and benefits the Indiana Chapter of March of Dimes. If you are going to be in the Indianapolis area this weekend, stop by and see fine arts and crafts from 50 Indiana artisans.

I'm really looking forward to meeting fellow Etsy artists and crafters and taking part in this event. I'll tell you more about it next week.

Craft Show Work

I'm busy this week getting ready for my first craft show, the Hoosier Artisan Holiday Boutique!

I've made tags using some business cards. And I've made hand-stamped cards for my flower brooches.

I have my new sign to hang on my booth table. And I'm prepared to accept credit cards at the show. I did a practice set-up of my booth so I know that it won't take long to set up on site.

I think I'm ready!

Featured from the Etsy Bloggers Team : : Made by Melissa

The Featured Blogger, from the Etsy Bloggers Team, for the month of October is Made by Melissa! Melissa has an Etsy shop full of an ecclectic mix of jewelry, beautiful crocheted items, toys and accessories. Here are a few of my favorites from her shop.

I love beads, so this mega long beaded necklace, made from an assortment of crystal, glass, shell and ceramic beads caught my eye.

This colorful scarf was crocheted from recycled silk yarn.

And Melissa has a great assortment of cute crocheted plush toys, like this pink elephant.

All these items, and many more, are available in Melissa's Etsy shop, MadebyMelissa.

And of course, being a member of the Etsy Bloggers Team, Melissa has a lovely blog of her own. On her blog, Made by Melissa, she blogs about her craft, giveaways and fellow Etsy artists. Be sure to stop by and say hello!

Natural Decor Part 1 - Pressed Autumn Leaves

Collect, then press, a variety of colorful autumn leaves to use for crafts and home decor.

Whether you go for a hike through the woods, or just take a stroll around the neighborhood, this time of year it should be easy to find plenty of fire hued leaves.

Pressed leaves can be used to make cards, as table top decorations, or framed and placed on a shelf or mantel.

To press leaves, space them out between layers of newspaper or between the pages of a phone book, and weight with a stack of books. They should be dry in 3-4 days.

Once the leaves are pressed, you can iron them between two pieces of waxed paper to enhance the color. (Be sure to use a pressing cloth so that you don't get wax from the paper on your iron.)

My first leaves are pressed and ready to use. Next week I'll share what I made with the leaves I've collected.

the Black Cat Comes Again!

Ready for Halloween. . . the Black Cat Comes Again is a great Treasury West full of recycled/upcycled spooky felines, choosen by shannonbatescreates.

Since it's a Treasury West, check it out before it's gone!