Fiber Finds! from Lil Fish Studios

I have enjoyed becoming part of the blogging community, it reaffirms that the world if full of kind, creative, caring souls. One of the blogs I have had fun following is Lil Fish Studios and her recent Sunday shopping trip showcases a wonderful variety of inspiring felted art. Thank you so much Lil Fish for including me, I feel awfully humbled to be included with such wonderful felters!

10 Days of Sunshine

I just recently returned from a 10 day trip to Phoenix Az. to visit my friend Jennifer and attend the Tucson Gem and Bead Show. Many, many thanks to Jen for putting me up AND putting up with me!  I appreciate it :)

The first couple of days were strictly homework and relaxing while Jen was working. On Sunday we drove down to Quartzsite to do a little “rock shopping”. Quartzsite is RV heaven during the winter months. RV’s are parked anywhere and everywhere. We browsed many tents containing all sorts of rocks, minerals, and other items. It was a great day of bargain hunting and bartering with local rock hounds. I purchased some petrified wood pieces that I intend to turn into unique buttons for my felted creations, some beautiful blue jasper from “the ancient one”, and some smaller pieces of Jasper.

Just look at the “modern” scale used by one of the vendors! Everything weighed two pounds, too funny.              Jen and Casey on the hunt!

On Monday we packed up the truck and drove west to Saddle Mtn where we spent the day hiking and climbing the scree looking for Fire Agates. It was a hard climb for me, being ancient and arthritic, but I took my time, stopped for photos and did rather well. We climbed across the slopes of the mountain all day and was rewarded by many nice finds. I think we carried out about forty pounds of rock, mostly white and red agate with a little fire thrown in. We had a late lunch back at the truck before heading back to Phoenix.

Saddle Mountain (arrow points to destination)

Climbing this! looking for agates!

Late, Late lunch!

The rest of my trip was spent in Cave Creek, browsing(researching) local yarn shops, and meeting friends (from out of town also in Phoenix!) and on to Tucson.

My husband kindly put us up at the Embassy Suites in Tucson (LOVE those frequent stay/ free hotel rooms). If you have never been down to the show in Tucson you are really missing something! Almost every hotel is booked with vendors/rock hounds with treasures to tempt! The show runs for two weeks and if you were to spend every day there you would still not be able to take it all in. Miles and miles of beads, gems, jewelry, findings, and everything else imaginable. You have to really know what you need, what you are shopping for or else you will be bring home a suitcase full, heck you might even leave your clothes behind.

When I was at the airport going through security I just knew I was going to be pulled aside…sure enough, my suitcase goes through xray and the security person stops the conveyor, calls over to another security person with the most puzzled look on her face. They approach and ask if it is my suitcase and that they will need to inspect it. She goes to lift the suitcase off of the conveyor and says “What have you got in here? Rocks?”  Ha ha ha, little does she know!

“I wanna” Etsy Treasury

Paa Puu Prints has been kind enough to include me in her recent Etsy Treasury. Thank you Paa Puu, and excellent choices, I don't mind saying!  Follow the Link to see more of the treasury.

 

The model is my lovely daughter!

Vantastic Designs included in this lovely Etsy Treasury

testing, testing, 1,2,3...

So it is very late at night, I should be in bed, but I am testing a new app I found called blogger buddy. It is a desktop app that allows me to do all my editing on my desktop then post to my blog...so this is a test, only a test...

the only problem I see so far...no way to add pictures...

I think I like Windows live writer better!

Featured Blog

It is a dreary, over cast day here in Minnesota. But my afternoon was brightened when I checked my email. Click on the title above and visit the HandmadeMn blog and read about their featured artist...Me!

What was lost is now found

Do you ever start a project and then get side tracked? I often suffer from this malady! But this one was a doozie! I started to redecorate my master bedroom last spring and before the paint had dried I was off and on to something else. Now in my defense I must say this was just as I was starting up my home based business. There was an Etsy shop to start, the farmer's market every week, product to create....to make a long story short...everything but the large furniture moved into the dining room, and all the furniture was pushed together in the center of the room. And there it remained. Forever. Lost in the jungle of the dining room was the cord to recharge my digital camera battery.
All summer, fall and into the winter I used my husband's camera to shoot photo's of my creations. My closet had turned into a mini photo studio and I must admit it worked great! I placed a lamp that directs the light up to the ceiling in the closet with a small table. I had a bin in the closet that I used to store props, tripods and back drops. My computer desk sits right next to the closet so it was so easy to take the shots, upload the pics, and upload to Etsy. It was perfect!
Thanksgiving came and went, still my room was an organized but incomplete project. With Christmas looming I started to panic...shows to do, sales to take care of, product to ship, cooking, shopping, cleaning, baking, yeow!!!! I finally said "ENOUGH!" I needed my dining room back for actually eating in so the sleeves were rolled up and off I went. Again.
The room is done, the cord is found. I can finally use my own camera to shoot product pictures with, the only trouble is...my closet is now filled with clothes and I have no where to shoot! Looks like I will have to start another project...mini studio?

(Below are some pics I found on my camera that are two years old from my last trip down to Arizona to attend the Tucson gem and bead show)

A trip up to Tortilla Flats

 

Volunteering at a horse rescue facility with my daughter Paige

 

Sedona

National Hoop Dance Competition

   

Minnesota Holiday Treasury on Etsy

Look at all the beautiful and festive choices found by Minnesota artisans in this Etsy Treasury! Just click on the title above to sneek a peak! Remember the HandmadeMn Street Team is having a Black Friday through Cyber Monday holiday sale this upcoming holiday weekend, your chance to buy and give handmade and great savings to boot!