this is a new wool art piece just listed on my brooklyncrafts shop. i'm really happy about the way it came out. i call it "i found you, you found me". my husband calls it yin and yang:)

treasury

check out the naturalkids treasury on etsy. it has my little chick in it, plus many other great item!s

new etsy team...

i'm so happy to join the naturalkids team on etsy. it is a wonderful collection of etsy sellers who make all- natural items for children. check out their blog. they have a nice post on open-ended toys for children.

children's wall hangings

i'm working on some new wall hangings that are specifically designed for children- but i hope they will appeal to everyone. the first picture, above, of the flower and butterfly is already listed in my magic shop. it is titled "fly fly away". the second picture is the first in a series of wall hangings depicting gnomes! i will list them all together when finished!

first wall hanging sold

i'm excited that i sold my first wall hanging, "here comes the sun"! even better it went to someone dear to me. i'm glad to know it will have a good home.

I'm working on  several more, but it is a slow process. thinking aboout what i'd like, drawing and redrawing, choosing colors, cutting out all the pieces and placing them.. then sewing everything carefully by hand. i really enjoy it but i wish i had more in my shop... it's looking a little bare.

new item- address book(s)

i'm working on some new address/phone books. something fun and creative. i added one today to the magic shop. i'm working on some more also.

etsy street team...

i joined the {new new} york etsy street team today. i'm really excited because there are so many great artists and crafters in the area. i'm looking forward to getting to know them better!

check out their blog (my etsy shop is on there now too!)

signs of spring...

so i went to the botanic garden today. despite the cold it was a nice reminder that spring is on the way. so many lovely flowers already in bloom. of course my camera battery was out. so i thought i'd post some pictures of signs of spring around our house. hope everyone is enjoying the new season.

new work and new shop

please check out my finished work, now on etsy.

also, i have opened a new shop for my needle felted items, wool toys, and more to come. I've named it brooklyncraftsmagic.

reminiscence and gratitude

i have been hard at work this week on the brooklyncraftcollective website. i was avoiding work on it for a while, because it takes a lot of time- time i could spend crafting, or cleaning, or being with my family (!). once i get back into it though, i remember that it is a very creative process- rewarding and frustrating at the same time. one gift today, that i came across while working on it was a picture from about a year and a half ago. it is at a weekly craft get-together. we often have various other people who we have crafted with, that slip in and out each week- but for the most part the five of us (including my sister who had not yet joined us) continue to meet week after week. regardless of the millions of other things that compete for our time- we make the effort to come. for me, i think it is because it gives me part of the nourishment i need to get through all the other things. once i'm there it really is no effort at all. it's a gift.

this picture brings back fond memories of a friend that is no longer living in brooklyn- i hope she is still crafting! it is also nice to see us all still together, it's nice to remember my crazy two year old as such a little baby. it's also nice though, to think of her now playing happily with the other children so that i can actually craft during our meetings! she's been replaced by a friends' baby who now competes for her time. we all enjoy taking turns holding her though. it's nice to remember what it's like having such a little one. it's nice to remember.

etsy treasury and other work

this is a picture of a wall hanging i'm finishing up. i have several going but can't seem to finish them. i have a lot planned this week. we'll see how much gets done. i am really struggling to balance work and family life. hopefully i will have this up in the next day or so on etsy.

i also have a new treasury i put together on etsy. take a look if you get the chance. it's brooklyn themed- and there is definitely an interesting variety of work represented!

you can also see a picture above of how messy my work space get's in the creative process (i won't show you the floor!) 

happy st. patrick's day

my children woke up to find this lucky little clover waiting for them in their place at the table this morning. it had a nice little treasure, in the form of a gold wrapped candy treat also. what a nice surprise from a passing leprechaun. my son was relieved he had tried his spinach last night at dinner, as I told him the green would likely attract a leprechaun to our house, "it worked!" he said:)

in other very lucky news, our friends also had a nice little visitor today. congratulations to wendy, mark, and new big sister abby on their new little baby, oliver! that is definitely a treasure they found.

winter weather

it seems so strange that spring is almost here, and it is especially hard to believe it is easter. the weather has been so gloomy, and i have had little time to prepare. at church today the children dyed easter eggs and made the most lovely easter tree. even the littlest ones- including my two year old, participated. it was wonderful to see how gentle and reverent they were. i don't think any eggs were cracked, and the beautiful simple colors that came out were a wonderful reminder of the natural beauty that is yet to come. one woman called it their "yearly miracle". 

we participate in a quaker church at the Brooklyn Monthly Meeting House, and each week that i am there i am reminded of the beauty to be found in simplicity. this can be a wonderful thing to hold onto in the "dreary" winter months, and also a nice thing to think about in the brief pause before spring puts on her grand show. each flower my children and i spot now seems such a simple, and lovely gift- one we do not yet take for granted. 

above is a photo of what winter looks like at our house, and also one the work it inspired in me this year. perhaps next post i will put up some pictures of signs of spring in the city.

brooklyncraftcollective

i am part of a wonderful group of women who craft together- sonia, patti, kristen, and my sister katy. we meet once in each other's home to work together. it's very nice, we are able to have valuable company when working, someone to bounce ideas off- and those of us with little ones have a nice distraction for our kids. it's truly been a gift for me.

we took a trip last saturday to massachusetts! it was great day spent with friends- and a nice break from children. the main reason for the trip was a visit to an amazing wool supply store- for supplies and inspiration- the new england felting supply company, in easthampton, ma. it was an overwhelming experience, just because of the sheer abundance of color and choices. it was a very beautiful place, with beautiful people. it's nice to be around others just as excited about the kind of work you do as you are.

check out their website or stop by the store:

www.feltingsupply.com

the picture above was taken by patti!

busy, busy, busy week

i just finished up a pretty big (for me) order, for my dear friend christine. it was actually my first commission! it was very short notice, but i'm excited to have gotten it done. now to clean my house again... yikes.

etsy

so, i joined etsy very recently- at the end of last year. it has been a very eye opening experience for me. you can't just create a shop and wait for people to come- it actually takes work! i'm learning slowly, but find their are a lot of really nice, really helpful people in the etsy community. i'm learning a lot of from the pople who create the work i admire and i'm very grateful.

one of the fun things about etsy is the whole world of the treasury. if you haven't checked it out, you should! it's a fun place where member's get to choose and display their favorite items (other than their own). it's nice when your work is chosen as well. one of my wall hangings actually made it to the front page. it's very exciting when you are just starting out!

i currently have another wall hanging in a treasury right now, please check out my "brown bird dreams of spring" if you get the chance.

welcome

welcome to my new blog! i have decided to create a space to share a little bit about me and about the work I do. i started crafting several years ago, after my son joined a waldorf play group. recently, I've started to sell my work- at craft shows at on etsy. i find myself in a very new place- trying to balance being a full time of mom of two little ones, and finding time to craft and promote my work (something very new to me). i also belong to a wonderful craft group- five wonderful women who meet weekly to share work and friendship. we have also been working hard to promote our work as a group. so a lot going on! i will try to share a little each week.

please check out some of my work for sale in my brooklyncrafts shop.
also check out the website i am working on for the brooklyncraftcollective.

thanks!