Too Cute!

  

This is my dog- Maggie. She is a mixed breed- what mix even the vet can't quite figure out? But I don't care. She has lived with my husband and me for four years now. Just a 22 pound bundle of joy that we found at our local animal shelter. I am including this picture of her in my blog because it is the time of year many people start thinking about their "New Year's Resolutions" and I had a thought- why not give the ASPCA a plug! There are many animals waiting for homes. If you are in a position to give one of these cuties a home please consider your local animal shelter. If adopting a pet is not feasible right now, perhaps volunteering your time either at the ASPCA facility or at functions the shelter runs during the year. Do you need to shed a few pounds this year (who doesn't)? Just think of how much you will save on gym memberships by walking a dog instead, not to mention the constant unconditional love. Just a thought!
Photograph by Mike Collins Click here to see more of Mike's photos

Merry Christmas

I'm finally able to post a picture of this year's ornament. I made one of these mice for each of my children, and each of the aides that work in my classroom- that's 10 in all but who's counting! They are small, only standing about 4 inches tall.  I modified a pattern by http://vintagericrat.blogspot.com called Jofus and Lally- shrinking it down and changing the tail construction. I also chose to clothe mine. They were fun to make and every recipient really seemed to love them.

Textile Tart Holiday Party

Every December the Textile Tarts have a holiday get-together at which we swap a hand made gift. Every year it is something different- an ornament, a pin cushion and needle case. We usually decide in the fall what item we are going to make. This year we decided to bring a Santa which could be no larger than 6 inches. He could be an ornament or a decorative piece. I made this felt Santa. He stands about five inches tall. He is made using a rose pink felt that I embellished with green holly leaves and beading. I think he is a very cute fellow. Tomorrow is our meeting so it will be interesting to see how everyone interpreted the Santa idea.