shakespeare people of color

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enter my blog-a-thon give-away here!!!

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í've temporarily abandoned the pouch metamorphose due to frustration. i knew that once my thoughts went from tossing pouches at the wall, to tossing sewlie, it was time to focus elsewhere.

here is what i did last night instead of sewing: the latest batch of shakespeare people. you may recognise the one on the right. sunee has been around from the beginning; though this is her first time with the new head. next to her is my first blond, tuck.

the remainder are my newest people of color. i've done black dolls in the past, but they all sold before i had a chance to put them in the shop.

what do you think pippa is whispering? probably complaining that the new head makes her look fat.

please visit todays fabulous blog-a-thon-ers: banana bottoms & german dolls & curly monkey

~peace.

pencil pouch metamorphose

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enter to win the blog-a-thon give-away here!

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last year i noticed that a lot of thehobbit's things had broken zippers. he's always been easy on his toys & clothes, so i wondered how long zippered items last with more rambunctious kids. this led me to start doodling new pencil pouches, sans zippers. i must be more persnickety than i thought, because it's taken me nearly a year to come up with a design i like. & no it isn't the one pictured here.



this is basically the idea; a large pouch that folds nearly in half; but with a few changes. i want it shorter by nearly 2 inches, the opening needs a bit of tweaking, & i've ordered wooden buttons. i love reusing buttons, but it's getting hard to find bigger buttons on things.

i tried a few different loops; ribbon, fabric, yarn, twine; but in the end i went with elastic. it's not as pretty, but i can create a smaller loop (to ensure the pouch will stay closed), & still have it be easy for little fingers to work.

as this pouch wasn't destined for theshop, i switched to a button from my 'for me' stash. i'll be using it in my diaper bag, in lieu of a purse.

the upside to the nearly year-long pouch make-over? it led me to finally coming up with a design for my inhaler pouch!!! stay tuned for those.

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today's fabulous blogs for the natural kids blog-a-thon: tribal times & polarbear creations & fair trade family. you really have to visit these blogs, & not merely because i said so. ;)

~peace.

thursday things - blog-a-thon-ing with natural kids

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when i first heard about this i thought um, no thanks. unless it's to a thrift shop, i don't run. it didn't take me long to realize that this -athon had nothing to do with running a marathon. blogging on purpose? with others? now that's something i can do!



the naturalkids team began in 2007, by woodmouse. a small group whose members shared one mission; to create natural products for children. an early post read:



We are a diverse bunch from all over the globe who have at least one thing in common: we all work with natural materials in our products for children. Oh yeah, and we're all pretty darn crafty & talented too! Wool, wood, cotton...just simple materials direct from the Earth.

So who are we?
Some of us are mothers of small children.
Some of us are mothers of grown children.
Some of us make dolls, some of us make hats, some of us make toys.
Some of us have been selling our wares for many years.
Some of us are just starting to discover our talents and start selling.
Some of us work with natural materials for environmental reasons.
Some of us work with natural materials as part of the Waldorf educational philosophy.
Some of us work with natural materials because we believe they are healthier and safer.
Some of us just like working with natural materials.
Some of us sell our wares for a living.
Some of us sell our wares as a hobby.



since then the group has grown by leaps & bounds. added to the above?



some of us are dads.
some of us are amazed they have the energy to create, now that they have a teeny elfling, & a hobbit in puberty.



back to the blog-a-thon: for the next month i'll be chatting about what i, & other blog-a-thoners are creating for spring. there shall be links to fabulous blogs (to which you are expected to visit - yes, i am bossing you around, but we both know you like when i do.), some with give-aways even!



here are today's blogs: the reluctant city dweller & the fairies' nest & sewn natural studio.



my official springtime-blog-a-thony-give-away is that little lady pictured above. spring is the first in a line of pagan people. she would love to get snuck into an easter basket, put on an ostara alter, or be the envy of the dollhouse. of course, if you're like me, you'd keep her for yourself, & give your wee one an extra egg.

to have her for your very own, leave a comment in this post, telling me your favorite springtime food.
to earn more chances to win you can share my give-away on your blog, tweet the link, & facebook the link. i'm not sure that sentence was grammatically correct, but not much here is.
thehobbit shall draw the winner from his top hat on march 26th. oh! don't forget to come back to let me know about the linking, tweeting, & such.

the contest is officially closed!

good luck! now go read today's blogs, & enter their give-aways. (more blogs tomorrow)
~peace.


** you can also purchase spring here. **

an eco gnome sojourn

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i am in danger of tossing out everything in theshop, & making only eco gnomes. they are such fun to create, & their dinky cuteness has me constantly on the verge of giggling.

this trio shall be heading out tomorrow. once at their destination, they'll wait with other lovely creations until their final leg of the journey on earth day. i cannot say any more than that just yet, though i promise to tell you all in just a few more days.

look at the fun outfits they found for themselves in an old magazine! time for me to pop off & find an outfit for myself. cannot stay in my jams all the live long day.

~peace.