Happy New Year!



My wish for you is for a Happy & Healthy 2011 everyone!  2010 has been a year filled with amazing joy and the deepest saddness I've ever felt and more stess than I thought I could handle sometimes.  It's hard for me to say I'll be happy to have 2010 behind me since some parts of it were amazing and wonderful others well you know....  I hope 2011 is a good one for everyone!  Wow how time flies!!!

Happy Holidays!

Happy Holidays to all of you out there!  Speaking of all of you out there, I've added a counter on my page to count the hits on here, there seem to be a lot of you reading this, but where are the comments :(????  I am feeling like NO ONE (except a few faithful friends, you know who you are, thanks so much) is out there reading this but my counter says otherwise.  Please let me know your there by leaving a comment.  I've had a couple comments lately that I can't read because they're in another language, is there a program on here that changes comments to english???  Not sure, I wish there was though.  I've been told by a few of my customers at craft shows that they read this, please if you are reading will you let me know.  I'm trying to decide if it's worth it or not to me to keep posting. 
Hope your all having a stress free weekend before the BIG holiday weekend.  Take care!

Three "NEW" pairs of recycled wool mittens done!

Three "NEW" pairs of recycled wool mittens done yesterday and listed on my Etsy page   I may have to make myself a pair of these lavendar an green mittens.  While I was making these it occured to me that they would match my down coat perfectly and I do need a pair of mittens to go with that coat, so I guess I better get busy on them since we got 5  inches of new snow on the ground and it is really cold here!  It's looking like we will have a white Christmas here this year.  That isn't a big deal for me having a white Christmas but I know it is for a lot of people.  I grew up in Florida so snow doesn't represent Christmas for me.  Lots of fun events to go to in the next few days so I'll be out and about in this winter wonderland of ours!  Hope you all have a wonderful weekend!

They sold so FAST!!!

I finished these two pairs of recycled wool mittens up on Tuesday night, love the way they turned out, then I listed them on Wednesday mid morning and both were sold within a couple hours.  I sent a note to my email list that I was listing them and to hurry to look since they would probably sell fast and they did so sorry if you were one of them that was interested.  I promise I'll make more starting tomorrow.  I also sent a doll to New Zealand today, Merry Ann, fun, she has a long journey ahead of her!  Cyber Monday and Black Friday were a major bummer no action, zippo for me on my Etsy page.  So I hope my recent sales are a sign things will pick up for me.  I plan to be working on alot of great new things before Christmas.  The ideas are going round and round in my head!  Byeeeee now!

I miss my Granddog Roxy!

This little sweetie is my Granddog Roxy!  My sister sent me this picture over the weekend.  Oh she's such a sweetheart!  I haven't been able to see her since August.   My daughter and son in law are coming home for Christmas but they can't bring Roxy since they're flying.  We are going to there house in March so that will be the next time I get to see her, boohoo.  She's a Pomeranian and a little cuddle bug, lover.  I miss you Roxy!!!
I am almost finished with two new pairs of felted wool mittens, my first batch this year so far.  It must be the very cold snowy weather here that inspired me, there's NO doubt about it winter is here!  I'll be listing them on my Etsy page probably tomorrow if your interested hop on over and take a look.  I have a ton of  stuff on my page right now.  Hugs!

Sale starts today on my Etsy page!

I am having a 10% off sale 11/24-11/29 on my Etsy page  just enter coupon code annie4u at the checkout.  This cutie is one of the items listed she is two sided one side happy one side sad.  Have a wonderful Thanksgiving weekend everyone!  Hugs!

Getting ready for my show at North Branch

I've been getting ready for my show on November 20th at North Branch High School.  I finished these four snowgirls, also 3 two sided happy/sad Christmas Annie's done too.  I'm working on some santa's, vintage looking Christmas elf bust and a snowman bust right now.  Hope you can make it to the show it's a good one. 

New dolls added to my Etsy page

I've added these three new dolls to my Etsy page today.  I spent yesterday organizing and cleaning my craft room so I can start working in there again.   The first new things I'm going to work on are small zipper coin/makeup bags, I have nine started in really great color combos. 
My Dad's funeral service was beautiful last Saturday.  A special thanks to our cousin Ben for writing a wonderful, beautiful, touching tribute to my Dad.  I know life must go on for all that he left behind but it sure isn't easy.  There are so many things we miss not having him here our hearts have a forever hole in them.  My Mom is doing ok in spite of her deep deep saddness.  On Saturday October 23 it will be there 56th wedding anniversary. 

Sad day for our family.

My Dad passed away today peacefully with his loved ones by his side from his 8 month couragious battle with brain cancer. This is my Dad, the first man I loved. Thank you Dad for showing me what a real man is and what I wanted in a husband and father of my children and for always telling me that I'm beautiful. You are such a GREAT Dad and I will miss your picky kisses on my cheek!   Rest in peace sweet, sweet Dad!  There will be a forever hole in my heart with you gone.  I miss you already!!!

Fall is here

Beautiful fall weather here in central Minnesota.  Crisp cool air, bright blue skies and fall colors.  We've had frost here the last two mornings, brrrr.  I think the trees are even prettier this year it seems like in one week they turned just beautiful! 
Yesterday we celebrated my baby brother's 44th birthday.  On Tuesday we will celebrate my wonderful Dad's 77th birthday, that will be a day to take in and be thankful for indeed!  On Thursday we celebrate my sister's 51st birthday.  My sister from Colorado flew in late Friday night and will be here until Wed. to help with the celebrations.  It's great that she's here it's been so hard for here being so far away right now.
As you all may know my Dad has been suffering from brain cancer since the middle of Feb this year.  He is declining a little each day but is so brave, strong and cheerful most of the time, he's a REAL hero.  It is the hardest thing anyone could endure on all sides the person going through it and the family and friends that love the person.  Our family is staying strong and together and that is all you can ask for during this.  We are all still going day to day minute to minute grateful for all the time we have together.  So on Tuesday we will celebrate that our Dad is with us for one more birthday.  Happy 77th Birthday to the most wonderful Dad anyone could have, I love you SO much!

New things I added to my Etsy page

Etsy page

I added some "NEW" Fall things to my Etsy page today.  Fall officially only one day away and it sure feels like it here in Central MN for the last week it's been chilly.  I like Fall but I'm not ready for it yet, summer seemed to fly by at record speed this year.  The leaves are starting to turn and there is a crispness in the air. 
Still busy with family priorities right now.  With Little Falls Art Fair behind me I'm taking a small break from my crafting but I'll be back to it soon.  Happy Fall everyone!

Little Falls Arts Fair 2010 behind me!

Wow, my biggest show of the year is behind me now!  These pictures were taken on Sunday the second day of the sale because I forgot my camera on Saturday.   The booth isn't as full as it was on Saturday as you can see in these pictures but you can get an idea of what it looked like.  One night I couldn't sleep and thought of the idea to hang a refridgerator door in the booth on one of the walls to put magnets and give it a kitchen feel, my husband found this door in a junk pile at our farm it used to be on his fridge when he was little, cute huh.  Everything went great, beautiful weather, wonderful helpers and awesome complimentary customers.  The crowd was down on Saturday from the usual amount which was a little disappointing not sure why the weather was good.  All in all I'm very satisfied with how it went, with all that is going on in my life right now I wasn't even sure if I would be able to be there and also get enough merchandise done so I did so that makes me happy.  Yes!!!  I added some new fall things to my Etsy page today and will be adding more all week so please go check it out!  Hugs!

My BIG weekend coming up next weekend!

This photo was taken last year at the Little Falls Art Fair.  I can't believe it's coming up next weekend Sept. 14th and 15th, my space # is I 5&6 come see me there!  I have LOTS of great new things I just haven't had the time to take pictures and post them.  I'm hoping as always that the weather is nice.  I'm in the frenzy mode now so hope I can get everything done in time.  Hopefully I'll see you there! 

July flew by!

I can't believe it's been a month since my last post!  July flew by so fast, well the whole summer is going way too fast!  These beautiful Phlox are blooming in my garden dispite the neglect of time I've shown them this summer.  It's been hard for me to blog lately since I'm sad most of the time.  As some of you know my Dad has brain cancer.  He was hospitalized again last week with a seizure they think, not quite sure.   Hospice came to set things up last week for my Dad, that was a hard, hard day.  This is the hardest thing I've had to go through so far in my life, it totally stinks.  It's so hard to see my big strong Dad deteriorate and get weaker and weaker.  I'm so grateful for my family members though who are all sharing with caring for him so we can keep him home where he wants to be with his wife/my mom of 55 years and his 2 doggies.  
Also my father in law was hospitalized overnight this week too.  We aren't sure whether it was him mixing up his meds or his heart valve that caused his situation.  He's fine now though, whew!  Way too much drama here lately, way more things than I want to mention right now!  Maybe more about the other stuff later. 
I did manage to work all day today on a big batch of dollies, I think there are 21 little darlins.  Thank goodness I have that to take me away from thinking about sad stuff.   I keep telling myself that this is just a bump in my life a huge bump but a bump none the less.  Hopefully I still have some people out there reading this I've been such a crappy blogger.  Hugs to you!

Check out these cuties!

This batch of cuties is finished and ready for adoption now! It took me a while to finish these because I had to sneak in time here and there to work on them but I think they were worth the wait, I love the way they turned out. Now I need to start on another batch of lovelies. It's so hard for me to decide what to start next should I make Fall dolls or everyday dolls? What do you think, are the dolls for fall like scarecrows, witches things like that more marketable or everyday dolls? I welcome your input on this question.

My Dad is doing ok he is weak. He was in the hospital a few weeks ago with pneumonia and a low blood count, VERY ill. He's been trying to regain his strength but it's going slow. His latest MRI after treatment showed no change in the tumor since before treatment. That was sad and ok at the same time since we were worried it was worse. So basically the treatment didn't reduce the size just slow it down. Still trying to just go day to day moment to moment and appreciate the little things.

Pile of 10 new dollies!

I bet your wondering where I've been!  Very busy!  I'm working on 10 new dollies right now.  These are going to be super cute when they're done!  I've been trying to work on them a little each day while still keeping family my first priority right now. 
My Dad the sweetest guy ever and my hero finished up his radiation and chemo last week so we are now hoping for some good quality time where he feels good and can have some normal life and fun back even for a little while.  The doctors don't have a good idea of how much time he has.  He isn't scheduled to have an MRI until the end of June to check how things are going.  We are just taking it one day at a time one memory at a time.  My sister Cathy (she lives in Colorado) has been here helping for a while and she is leaving to go back home on Thursday.  She has been taking family leave to help out here, taking care of and spend quality time with our parents.  Wow family leave is nice but they sure make you jump through hoops to get it.  It will be a lot more difficult to manage when she leaves she's been wonderful.  Both of our parents require round the clock care.  She will hopefully be able to come back again soon! 
I'll post pictures of these dollies when they're finished.  Take care, hugs!

Flower Power!

Oh, the power of flowers to brighten your day!  On Mother's Day Gordy, my 2 sisters and I walked around in our local Munsinger/Clemens Botanical Gardens.  I don't think I've ever been there at this time of year, but from now on I won't miss it in the spring.  It was spectacular!!!  My sisters and I were snapping pictures like crazy of all the beauty and the smell was amazing too.  What a sweet ending to a great Mother's Day!  Our daughter that lives in Colorado is flying in today for a week, Yeah!!! 

Blooms Galore!

My yard is in full bloom right now!  The plum, and crab apple trees look beautiful and the fragrance is amazing!!!  The phlox is full of blooms too.  They are blooming about two weeks ahead of schedule.  We had such a warm April but so far May isn't.  It's been windy and cool here and more cloudy than sunny.  Come on May please warm up!  Hope all is good with you, hugs!

More magnets!

Twelve more delightful magnets that I've finished up.  I like the way they turned out.  Still working on ten new dolls, a little at a time.  I'm spending a lot of time with my family these days, it's my top priority right now.  As I've posted previously my Dad has brain cancer and he is going through treatment now.  There are a lot of close family members flying in to see him.  We're making beautiful memories and trying to stay positive no matter what is in our future.  It's hard to do sometimes but I'm so lucky to have a  family we hold eachother up and when one of us is down the others bring us back up.  Yesterday my brother called me he said "hurry over we're having a apple pie and ice cream party", you better believe I did forget the makeup I just got dressed and got over there, YUM, what fun that was!!!  Family, what would I do without you! 

Tulips are brighter now!

I took this picture yesterday of my tulips, they are prettier than they were at the beginning of the week so thought I would post an updated version of them.  I'm so glad I planted these I think it was at least 10 years ago now, they give such cheerful color every spring and so far have never failed to please.  I planted 50 bulbs that time, it was so much work but well worth it don't you think!  Today is a rainy Saturday here but that's good we need the nice slow rain SO bad we haven't had any for such a long time.  When the rain stops and the sun comes out WOW it's going to be bright green, nature has been waiting for this!