Lazy Saturday Morning

It's Saturday morning and I thought I would walk to the pond to see if the lilypad is blooming yet. The large flower bud is gone and it hadn't even bloomed yet. Something must have eaten it:( The fish followed me around the pond anxiosly waiting to be fed. I saw only one koi this time. Her name is angel. She's 2 feet long and all white. Two years ago, she was 3 inches long and living in my fish tank. She's so much happier in the pond.

I harvested the potatoes from my little garden last night. I can't wait to make something yummy with them.

Jack is upset with me because he didn't get to help feed the fish this morning.

It's Friday Already?

Okay, I guess since I'm hosting a giveaway on my blog, I should actually start blogging a little. This week has gone by so fast. There are so many things I wanted to accomplish, but life's distractions keep happening. I did, however, write my second article to be published soon, cleaned the kitchen (thank goodness that is done), made a necklace for my nephew, harvested some vegetables from my garden, cooked some good food, cleaned a huge closet, spent some time with my family, talked with some friends and made some new friends (all artists from Italy).

If I think about all the good things that I did accomplish, I don't feel so bad about the things I didn't get to. During one of "life's distractions", I grabbed my camera and got these pictures of my pond plants. My distractions are just life happening and those are the best parts!

Free Stuff

Each month, beginning August 15, 2010, I will be giving away a handmade item to one of the kind and supportive followers of my blog. I will post pictures and a description of the the item and will draw a name from those of you who wish to leave a comment. I am hoping to make new friends and meet some fellow artists and crafters who wish to share their ideas and experiences of creating with me and each other. The first give away item will be a handmade linen pumpkin. It is about 4 inches tall and stuffed with poly fill. The stem is a slice of tree branch and the leaves are made of felt with some hand stitching. The tendrils are covered wire. Please leave a kind comment and your name will be included in the drawing for the free give away. I am very excited about meeting you all and hearing your ideas. The drawing for this pumpkin will be August 15th. Good luck to everyone!

These cute little pumpkins and a larger version of them are available for sale in my Etsy shop at http://www.umelecky.etsy.com/.

Bunches Of Baubles

Baubles for my new necklace design.

Squid In Progress

This squid is in it's beginning stages. I plan to add freeform designs to it's head and maybe a bow. There will be many tenticles and the eyes need to be redone.

Crocheted Critters

Well, it's Saturday morning and I thought I should add something new to my blog. Lately, my mind is flooded with new ideas for my crochet. I've been staying up late, to work on these new ideas, but my mind is working faster than my hands and there just isn't enough time. It's time to start a crochet journal! I need to start writing down my ideas while they are fresh in my mind.

I've recently added crocheted critters to my Etsy shop (http://www.umelecky.etsy.com/). There are some snakes, a cute little owl and I'm currently working on a large squid which was inspired by a fellow Etsy seller. My squid will be different of course and I am making it for myself, not for selling on Etsy. I will have pics of the squid next week, hopefully. It's a large project and is taking some time to finish. Here are pics of the snakes and the owl.

Something New

Last week I made some wool ropes using old wool sweaters. They make a good base for crocheted jewelry. I usually crochet a hollow tube and stuff it with wool roving, but I like this new method better for some things. Here is an example of a striped necklace with a felted wool base. I added more wool to the center of the rope giving this necklace an interesting new look.