Awesome Contest at A to Z Alpacas!

Would you like to win some beautiful hand spun alpaca yarn? Or how about some natural or vibrant dyed alpaca fibers? If you would then head on over to A to Z Alpacas for your chance. Imagine the wonderful items you could create with this super soft fiber. Enter the contest and enjoy the site.

A to Z Alpacas on Facebook. If you don't use Facebook you can still enter on their website, A-Z Alpacas Website.

Crochet Inspiration Book Giveaway

All Free Crochet is sponsoring an awesome giveaway. A lucky winner will receive the book Crochet Inspiration by Sasha Kagan. This book offers over 250 pages to ensnare the imagination with a creative montage of ideas for free crochet patterns. This book can pick up old pros and inspire new crochet enthusiasts to try their hands with creating pieces inside this book.

To enter the giveaway click the link below...

Crochet Inspiration Book Giveaway

Thermofax Screen Giveaway from Linda Stokes

Linda Stokes, a brilliant fiber artist, has created a Thermofax page and is offering a lucky winner a free screen and sample fabric. Head over by clicking this link, Linda Stokes Textile Artist: New Thermofax Page, and leave a comment for a chance to win. Good luck!

One Arm Manual Felting Machine & More Craft Warrior Progress

Here are a couple more photos of my progress on the Craft Warrior Challenge item. Further down are shots of me using the manual felting machine my husband created so I can roll my creations with one arm. (Click images for a larger view)

Hmmmm, fabric hearts. Where could I be going with this? Any ideas?

After assembly I realized I had way to many hearts cut out and the solid pink didn't singe very well. I then added a couple cut from a gold toole with glitter. I like how it's coming together.


The Manual One Arm Felting Machine - LOVE it!!!!

Pushing

Pulling
Repeat

What a great contraption. It applies pressure evenly over the entire bundle and the heavy grates on top & bottom apply more friction. And the piece of oak firewood tied to the top is nice and heavy for more downward pressure. This sucker felts much faster than just using 2 arms.

Shoulder on the Mend & Special Operations Warrior Foundation Challenge

I have started physical therapy and am out of the sling most of the time. I'm still not allowed to actively use my shoulder but from my elbow to my fingers just about anything goes! I am participating in a fiber challenge and really need to get some felting done. I've got the Felting Jones bad!

My husband is such a sweet man and offered to do the rolling for me. He's also had a felting machine in mind that he would like to build. Necessity being the mother of all invention, he put together a manually operated contraption that lets me felt with one arm! It's a bit awkward but still requires a lot less effort than rolling by hand. It's a large metal grate with a handle welded on and a big piece of split cord wood tied to the middle. I just put the wool item, rolled up in a bamboo blind and towel, under the grate and push and pull it. It applies pressure and rolls it - all with just my good arm :D I was having so much fun with it that I forgot to take photos, but I'll post some soon.

The Crafty Retailer does some great fiber challenges. I've sent in earrings for a challenge and now am making an item for the Craft Warrior Challenge. Pat donated all the beautiful Swarovski elements and all participants will be making something using them. The completed items will be for sale on the Craft Warrior Etsy page and all proceeds will be donated to the Special Operations Warrior Foundation! This great organization provides full scholarship grants and educational and family counseling to the surviving children of special operations personnel who die in operational or training missions and immediate financial assistance to severely wounded special operations personnel and their families.

These photos show the process of my entry - but can you guess what it is? I'll post photos as I go but I won't tell what it is until it's done :) I'm using black Romney wool, pink & purple merino, gold & black firestar and pink sheer and lace panels.

Surgery Recovery & New Felt Inspirations

I had shoulder surgery on Wednesday and that means no felting for about 4 weeks - so sad! Since I can't felt I have been looking for inspiration on the internet. These images from the Hubble and Spitzer telescopes of galaxies, nebula, dark matter and stars are amazing and have inspired me with their colors and texture. My goodness 3.5 weeks to go - whatever shall I do?!

Beautiful River Stone Necklace

I am enthralled by the variety of stones and rock on the river bank. So many colors and textures - I just have to collect them. Then I decided that I just had to wear them. I crocheted around this lovely stone with black thread, added a crochet chain and it's ready to wear. It's open in the front & the back so it can be worn with either side out.

An item of mine in a Spring Inspired treasury on Etsy

This sage green Tunisian crochet scarf made from banana fiber is featured in this great treasury on Etsy inspired by lovely spring colors. Check it out...

http://www.etsy.com/treasury/4d61e00b95b48eef48f517d0/spring-comes-bathed-in-many-colors?utm_source=Facebook&utm_medium=Treasury&utm_campaign=Share

Do Your Part to Help Animals - Sign Petitions

Here are some petitions that will help protect animals. Please do your part to help by signing them. They are easily accessible online.

1. Tell eBay To Stop Supporting Puppy Mills

While the Internet has become a great place for shelters and rescues to network and get the word out about animals who need homes, it’s also become a place for unscrupulous individuals to sell pets. eBay’s plans to sell animals via live auction were nixed by activists, but now they allow puppy mills to sell dogs in their classified section.

Sign the petition telling eBay to shut down sales of dogs and other live animals.

http://www.change.org/petitions/ebay-classifieds-stop-selling-live-animals

2. Protect Wolves and the Endangered Species Act

Bills have been introduced that would exempt wolves, who are already struggling to survive, from federal protection under the Endangered Species Act. This would be the first time an animal would be exempted and would set a dangerous precedent for other animals in need of protection.

Send a letter to your representative asking them to protect wolves and the Endangered Species Act.

https://secure.defenders.org/site/Advocacy?cmd=display&page=UserAction&id=2039

3. Protect Pets from Domestic Violence

A bill has been introduced in Virginia that would add pets to protective orders filed by victims of domestic abuse. Nationwide studies have shown that up to 40 percent of battered women can’t leave abusive situations because they worry about what will happen to their companion animals. An even higher percentage of women report that their abusers have threatened, injured and killed their pets for revenge or to control them. Victims should not have to make the choice between saving themselves and their children or saving their pets.

Sign the petition urging Virginia legislators to pass this bill to protect families and companion animals.

http://www.thepetitionsite.com/takeaction/390/897/817/

Help the animals

please make time to sign

1-2-3 petitions this week

Thanks !

Celestial Felt Earrings

I made these for a contest at The Crafty Retailer. If you have a pair that have incorporated at least one fiber element and would like to enter, send a photo to thecraftyretailer@gmail.com.

I created felt from alpaca fiber - it gives the earrings a great background texture. I then embroidered a sun on one and a moon on the other, using silk threads. Each earring has an embroidered silk star, seed beads and a larger faceted bead. I hid the stitching & knots on the back with another layer of felt then needle felted them together. They are hung with antique patina brass ear wires. I hope you like them - I had a blast making them. :D