I really want this book. Really really.

Just wanted to let you know in case someone felt inclined to buy it for me. (*cough*mybirthday'sintwoweeks*cough*) Yes, I really am that shameless.

Rejection Dejection

I applied to sell some of my goods at the spring Beehive Bazaar, and I was rejected. Or should I say "not accepted." Doesn't sound quite as painful that way. Not that I'm heartbroken over it or anything. It would have been a lot of work to get enough product ready, and I would have had to spend more money than I wanted to buy supplies. But it would have been fun. I like making little birds. Here's what I was hoping to sell:

Birdie Mobiles

These are the same style birds I made for Atty's mobile (still not assembled), but without the embroidery. For Atty's mobile I want to use an interesting stick, like maybe curly willow, instead of beaded wire for the frame. And maybe I'll add some felt leaves. Maybe that will be my project this weekend.

Birdie Ornaments

I really like these little birds. I want to get a bare tree branch on a stand and hang them from it, again with some felt leaves. And maybe a little nest. Who knows.

I plan to put these up in my Etsy shop soon, with the option of personalization. I've also made some smaller versions of the ornaments above as pins. I haven't taken any pictures yet, but they have words on them and will come with corresponding quotes. So the one that says "hope" will come with the lines "hope is the thing with feathers / that perches in the soul" from Emily Dickenson. And the one that says "faith" will come with the quote "Faith is the bird who feels the light and sings while the dawn is still dark." Once I get the packaging done for those I'll post them and let you know here.

My next projects are going to be a growth chart for Atty and more fused plastic. I got a boatload of bags from Lara and a couple other sources, so I plan to have fun with those. Whatever I make will probably end up on Etsy as well. Just don't go looking now, because I still just have my Christmas stuff up. Maybe next week. I'll let you know.

I told you he was getting fast

A Confession and a Request

I finished this bag today, and I'm really quite proud of it. It's made entirely from fused plastic shopping bags, which I then sewed together.

Here's the back (above) and the side (below).

Here's the confession: I made this for a "valentine-themed reusable grocery bag" swap, but now I think I'm going to keep it. But I feel kind of guilty because my reasoning is lame. I got mine in the mail yesterday, and it's really lame. It's a store-bought canvas bag with puff-paint hearts all over it. The woman who sent it admits she's not artistic, just crafty, and it was still fun to get something in the mail, but after putting so much thought and effort into my bag I feel kind of cheated.

I don't send my bag to the same person, so I was briefly tempted to just send the puff-paint bag to my recipient, but why spread the disappointment? But I still don't want to send her my fused-plastic creation, so I'm sending this one instead:

I had most of it already made as part of a project I abandoned a long time ago, so I just had to hem the top, put on the handles, and add the heart. It's still a nice bag, and probably more functional, but not nearly as cool as the other. Am I being totally lame by not sending the fused plastic?

Now for the request: I'm kind of addicted to fused plastic right now, and I'm running out of bags. If you're willing to part with yours, would you please save them/send them to me? I'd even reimburse you for postage. Grocery store bags work ok, and I'd be happy to get some from stores other than Albertsons, Wal-Mart, and Smiths, but the thicker bags from clothing stores or even Target work a little better. I don't want you to go out of your way or anything, and I don't want you to ask stores for unused bags. But if you happen to have some, I'd love it if you'd send them my way.