Lasso The Moon

Chicken Carving

It's been a productive day.  I did some sewing, added some things to the shop, and finally got around to this:

I carved this little chicken stamp for the top of my thank you notes.  These are included with the purchase of a chicken pincushion, just as a reminder of the project.  I think they make everything feel complete and official.  Here's the card, all stamped and thank you-ed.

The chickens have already started selling, so if you're sure you want one, order quickly.  They would make such a sweet mother's day gift--even for someone who doesn't sew.  Find them here.  I'll be adding more as I finish them!

Chicken Dumpling

They're here!

These lovely ladies will be helping me raise (hopefully) $500 for the Susan G. Komen race for the cure that my aunt Sandy walks every year.  (It is 3 days and 60 miles long!)   So, why chickens  for a breast cancer fundraiser?  They have breasts, too!

These little chicks are made from felted wool skirts and salvaged beads.  They are firmly stuffed with excelsior moss to help keep the pins sharp.  They also include three handmade heart-topped straight pins.

Each one is signed and numbered on the bottom, 1-25.  I'll be adding these to the shop in the next few days and weeks, so you can order them there.  Or, if you know me, you can just order them in person.

The pincushions are $20 each, and the entire sale price is going straight to the organization.  I am so excited to be able to do this, and I hope that this project is as successful as the last one was.

Stick it to ya

I guess you can't sell pincushions without giving them their own little custom pins to top them off, right?

This is a sheet of shrinky-dink plastic from the craft store.  I used the rough-and-ready kind, because there's not prep.  (The smooth kind should be sanded lightly.)

I drew out 75 hearts--that's three each for the 25 pincushions--and a few more for me.  I was coloring them with a permanent scrapbooking marker.  It took a minute to dry, but after that there was hardly any smudging.

Then I cut them out, stabbed flat-headed straight pins into each one, and popped them into the oven.

I guess you'll just have to wait and see what happened next.  Pincushion debut on Wednesday, April 1st.

Something's Cookin'

I love the snacks stacks haha!  I'm on weight watchers.  I must be hungry! and piles that come with making lots of the same thing.  These little stacks will soon be pincushions for my Susan G  Komen fundraiser.

Can you guess what shape they'll be in??

A sheepish success!

I want to extend a huge thank you to all of you--friends, relatives, and customers I've never met--for helping with the fundraiser I did in December.  Thanks to you, I was able to donate the full amount, $500! on December 28th.  I have done very few things in my life that have made me as proud as I was to donate that money.  With the five hundred dollars, Heifer International will be sending 2 llamas and 2 sheep to a village with a great need.  They'll use the animals to provide income, through breeding and wool production, and will pass on the first offspring of each animal to someone else in need.

Here's a picture of the confirmation and the thank you card I got from the organization.  The $500 goal was one that I knew we could make happen, but I was unsure how long it would take.  I was blown away by your generosity and eagerness to reach the goal quickly.  As a result, I've decided to continue with the craftivism idea.  This spring, I'll be making a series of 25 pincushions, priced at $20.  That money will be donated to the Susan G Komen race for the cure that my aunt Sandy runs every year, and has committed to run every year in honor of her mother (my grandma) who lost her life to breast cancer.  I hope to start selling these in February.  I've already made one, so I have the plan.  I'll let you know as soon as the first batch is ready to go!

Thank ewe.

Made some enclosure cards for the sheepish fundraiser ornaments. 

Emma was very interested in the stamp-carving process.  She was concerned with my safety, foremost, and kept reminding me to be careful with the sharp lino-cutter.  And as she started to see the shape of the sheep emerge, she looked up at me--head tilted and eyes locked on mine--and said, "Mom, I am so proud of you right now." 

Why does that mean so much to me to hear from a three-year-old?  Besides the utmost sincerity that comes from the young, I think it is this.  Through all the discipline, busy mornings, and mad rushes, I have taken the time to tell her how proud I am of her--enough that it has inspired her to do the same for me.  It is a reassurance that I needed.  Right after that she said, "If you called your mom, she would tell you she's proud of you, too. "  So we did.  And she was.

Eleven Down

I have been so busy! I finished eleven of the "sheepish" ornaments for my little Heifer fundraiser.  Don't they look sweet all lined up on the clothesline?

I've decided to make a full set of 34, and I made up some tags to attach to the back of the ornaments.  They'll be signed, dated, and numbered. 

I'm also planning to make a little card to send along with the ornaments that explain the cause.  It's something that would be nice to include if you are buying an ornament to give to someone.

I've sold one so far, so that's $15 down, and just $485 to go to meet the goal!

A sheepish beginning

I have made pretty good progress in getting the Heifer International project started.  I think it's really fun to make a bunch of the same thing all at once, while making each a little different from the last.  I didn't use a pattern, so the sizes and shapes vary a little.  I also used several different cotton fabrics for the legs and loops.

Craftivism #3

So, I've shared a little about the craftivism projects that inspired me.  Now I want to show you my own little idea.  For years I have been moved by the organization, Heifer International.  They use donations to provide livestock for communities across the world so that they can support their families.  The gift doesn't stop there, though, because they are required to give the first offspring of the animal to another family.  One donation could potentially change a village!

I really love this company, because they make it fun to donate.  I got a beautiful catalog in the mail, showing the different animals you can give, as well as how they are used by the families.  You can donate a cow ($500), a sheep ($120), a hive of bees ($30), or even a trio of rabbits ($60).  You can buy a whole animal, or just a share of one, for as little as $10.  Isn't that incredible!  We can help drastically change lives for as little as $10. 

I'll tell you, though.  The thing that really got me going was this.  You can give what they call a knitting basket--two sheep and two llamas--for $500.  Being a lover of wool, spinning, knitting, weaving, and felting, you can see why this got my attention.  The only thing is--I don't have $500.  That's where the crafting comes in.  I have decided to make a series of fiber art ornaments, like the example above, and sell them to raise the money.   If you are interested, you can find them on etsy, or contact me via email (or just talk to me at church if you're local!)  My email address is annachase (at) teacher (dot) com.  They would make a great gift or look cute on the top of a package.

They are made from recycled felted wool skirts--of course--and are about six inches tall by five inches wide.  And they're not just for Christmas.  These guys would look cute hanging around your house all year!  They are $15 each, and I will be donating 100% of that price to Heifer International.  Shipping will be paid by me, and I'm donating my time and materials, because I want every cent to go toward that knitting basket.  If you want to donate, but don't want one of the sheep, I'll find out how you can do that.   Just click on the "Donate Now" button on the left-hand sidebar, and donate any amount.

I know that this is a big goal, but broken up into $15 increments, I only need to sell 34 ornaments to make it a reality. 

Craftivism #2

A few days ago I ran across this project by Amanda, the famous Soule Mama.  She has started a special blog page devoted to ways that mamas here can help other mamas in need.  The first project is "Caps to Cap-Hatien."  She shows you how to make a newborn cap from a recycled t-shirt.  The hats she collects will be included in safe birthing kits on their way to northern Haiti.

 
Find out more on the Mama to Mama blog.