Update - Growing in the Snow Queen's Garden

Autumn is making herself felt, turing the leaves all manner of colours, dusting the mountain with snow and making it just that little bit nicer to snuggle under the doona.

Inspiration is all around me... from swirls in clouds, to the bird warbling on the fence - displeased with the rain silvering his back. So much to stitch! Add to that the Super Moon from several weeks ago and my head becomes crowded with images, like this one. The birch in my back garden becomes the inspiration for the little Babushka below..... with dandelions at the base blowing wishes into the night, like stars.....

or something soft to wear,

capturing the colours all around, the brich tree in the backgarden, liquid amber trees I pass each day, and an early morning with the hint of frost on the ground.

All these goodies are currently in the

Etsy Shop - TheSnowQueensGarden,

waiting for a good home.

Now it's time to try and catch up on all the orders. Not sure I am makigaining ground on them, but head down and stitch rather than play on the internet. It is oh so tempting. Perhaps an early night might be in order. *Yawn* Maybe just one more stitch.

SQ

x

Matryoshkas and Mothers

Not sure how it got to be the end of April. Only about 2 months behind on the businesss plan and product release timetable... and 5 months behind on custom orders. Never seem to be enough hours in the day. Thank goodess for coffee.

Somehow the bustle of Easter turned into the mad rush to be ready for the first market of the year. It is deeply touching how many familiar faces turn up, smiling and supportive. Spurs me on to more creative heights. Now, stitching like mad to be ready for the first trip up north to The Apron Market, Seaport. Not sure how the northern crowd will react to my humble offerings.... have to wait and see.

Just say, 'break an leg" and not tempt fate.... please

These little lady pendants will be heading up. Had to sew their tiny faces with a beading needle to get the detail right. NOT recommended at 2am. Threading is such a .. challenge.

The Matryoshka above is a free standing art doll, heading north too. Not taking orders for Mother's Day, unless you are hoping for a 2013 delivery. Sorry.

Due to such high demand locally, the etsy store is on hold for the next two weeks. Will Facebook and blog as soon as there are some more goodies available. Nice to be busy.

For now, I am back to the stitching.

SQ

x

All the latest

Hmmm. Starting to suspect I might be more suited to Facebook, than blogging..... I kind of like saying as much as possible in as few words. Like internet Haiku. Many years ago, when I fancied myself as a writer - somewhere between being captain of a starship and a vet, my grandmother said, 'imagine you have to pay for every word you write and choose wisely'. For now I shall stick to the stitching. There's enough ideas in my head to keep me going for a little while to come.

Must be all the solar flare activity, because I keep seeing the world around me in whole new ways. Suddenly it makes perfect sense to turn that raindrop into a piece of embroidery, or the clouds part at the right moment to reveal a perfect moon that seems to be weeping silver tears. Dandelions in the lawn are no longer weeds, but chime the last hours of summer that has been .

           There is such loveliness all around us, can we find a moment to stop and treasure it?
                                                               Wish more wishes

                                                      Be in the right place at the right time

Imagine to create whimsy,

And when all is said and done, maybe catch some sleep!

Getting ready for the first market of the year, 2 April... so perhaps not just

yet.

SQ x

Flurries of Snow Maidens

Perhaps it's the nip in the evening air, or that familiar ache my shoulder has usually before it snows, but I have had a day of preparing Snow Maidens.

As a child, my grandmother insisted I learn about my Russian heritage. She herself, a native born of St Petersburg, tried valiantly to teach me the language and the culture. Being a somewhat stubborn child, I resisted the urging except for Easter time. It's a pretty big event on the Russian Orthodox calender and there was chocolate on the line. Eventually she gave up and presented me with Russian Folklore and Fairy Tale books each Christmas. It was here I met the Snow Maiden.....

The first variation of the Snow Maiden story has a childless couple make a little maid out of snow. She comes to life, but can only remain with them during winter. In some stories, she melts away forever. In others, she returns every winter. I like the second ending better....

The second story is often called The Snow Princess as well as The Snow Maiden. She is the daughter of Father Frost and Mother Spring. As she ventures off into the mortal world, she is warned never to fall in love or she will die. During her wanderings, she meets a young shepherd and must choose. As she falls in love, her frozen heart melts and she becomes mortal.

Here's a version of my Snow Maiden

You may recognise this style from Christmas 2011. The Snow Maiden is often featured in many Russian Christmas decorations, often holding a tree, and standing with St Nicholas and a Snowman.

Makes me happy to make her...

There are loads more colours to come. You should see my work table !

As for this little one, she's waiting patiently for the right home;

http://www.etsy.com/shop/TheSnowQueensGarden?ref=si_shop

SQ x

Leap of faith in a leap year

 Well this is it... tomorrow is the day to officially open the etsy store. Seemed like an auspicious date to it. What better a date to take a leap of faith, than 29th Feb. So here it nearly goes. Heart in my mouth, weak at the knees and butterflies in the belly. Wish me luck, I'm going to jump. Are you coming too?

HeartFelt Pendants in a Rainbow of colours, off to etsy

 http://www.etsy.com/shop/TheSnowQueensGarden?ref=si_shop.

Hope you can stop by. SQ x

Getting Woolley

Thank goodness for a warm day this week and a chance to wash some more wool. It starts off as the picture on the left, washed in tank water, dried, then carded.. to generally end up looking like the picture on the right. Because I use tank water, my little dog loves helping. Nothing better than chasing the water out of the tank hose and rolling in all the stinky stuff coming off the fleece. Means the house smells of wet wool and wet dog. What a great combination!

Raw Fleece from local sheep

Washed and carded fleece

Haven't convinced the children that helping is  a great way to spend quality time with me... didn't even work when I offered bonus pocket money. But it does mean I have loads more fleece ready to create more of these..

HeartFelt Pendants

NeedleFelt Hedgehogs

Preparing loads of needlefelt and hand embroidered pendants in a rainbow of colour combinations and a woodland of hedgehogs for the etsy store. Now, if I can just give up the sleep....

SQ x

Busy in the Garden

So much to do! Not just stitches in the Snow Queen's Garden to make, but goodies in the garden to dig and eat, and weed and water, and fertilise and talk to... while I am busy finishing all those UFO's lying around (now up to 5 crimson owls, 2 tree brooches, 1 baby baushka... 6 grey owls ... nearly), there are yummy potatoes to dig up.

Ended up with 8 kg of Kennebec..... just waiting on the rest, Nicola's Caranberry Reds, King Edward, Dutch Cream, Tasman, Pink Eyes. Who knew there could be so many varieties?

                       And then there are the onions. Really pleased with this one. It looks so - oniony

Welcome to all you lovely folk who have just joined, possibly the slowest, blog. There will be some lovelies coming out soon. If you could see the state of my work desk, bits of felt, owls, birds.... a new girl, with a new face you have NEVER seen before.... Mandy - hooks on the way soon. Just found the wire I need, under a pile of felt, Sarah thanks for the lovely recent blog. Thank you Ms Tiff for the comment.  And sweet dreams to you all.  SQ x