New Newness

It's all coming together. Over the years I've relished designing jewelry with beads as the main medium. But so many dang people do it and I've always been in search of that design or medium that would set my creativity apart from the hundreds and hundreds of beaders. Lately, I have finally found my groove using fabric and felt as the main medium in some of my more recent designs. I have yet to complete a lot of the pieces, but soon enough I will have some photographed and listed in my Etsy shop. Like this one!
Blue Balls felted necklace: $28So what does this mean for you? Well first off, many of my beaded designs are on Super Duper Mega Sale because I am trying to make room for my new pieces. So take advantage already! It also means that I will be unveiling in person my new line of fabric and felt pieces at the 2nd Annual Jingle Bash on November 21. I will also have a new display concept. At this point, the only sneak peek I'm going to give you is:
Woodgrain FabricStay tuned and mark those calendars for the 2nd Annual Jingle Bash! I'm working my patooty off to see that this show is even more of a hit than last year's, but I can't do it if you don't show up. You'll be able to shop from over 50 handpicked local artists, designers and crafters. Make this the year you buy all handmade holiday gifts!

Tefi Loves: Motley Mutton

While I enjoy making jewelry and crafts using several mediums, nothing is as fun or rewarding as needlefelting. I not only enjoy making my Balls, I also love to see what other, more experienced needlefelters create. Today, thanks to the Etsy front page, I have the cutest, most adorable family of needlefelted critters. Ever. Seriously, look at these and tell me they don't make you smile: Nancy Bevin is the woman behind Motley Mutton, a sweet collection of needlefelted animal sculptures made from wool raised on her West Virginia farm. So charming! Shop: http://www.motleymutton.etsy.com/ Web Site: http://www.motleymutton.com/ Location: West Virginia

Tefi Loves: Candie Cooper

Also known as the Savvy Crafter, Candie Cooper is my new crafty hero. No joke! Looking at her blog photos and reading about her life makes me take a deep breath and sigh, "Ahhhh...." To quote her, "I never met a craft material I didn't like." I hear that. (Sidebar: I am knee-deep in a yo-yo making frenzy, thanks to Clover. And doubly thanks to their web site, which led me to Candie's. More on my yo-yo craze later....) Candie crafts, she goes to fiber festivals, she loves Mod Podge (my, who doesn't?), she bakes, she loves felt (me too! omg), she's published. Sigh, indeed. My favorite project of hers (so far) is beaded beads (above). You heard me right. She even has a tutorial for them with a clear and fair warning that these suckers can be addicting. Believe it! Find this and other tutorials at her old blog The Candie Cast. Web site: http://www.candiecooper.com/ Blog: http://www.candiecooper.typepad.com/ Location: Wabash, Indiana Books: Felted Jewelry (have it! love it!) and Designer Needle Felting (holy cow! must have! somebody buy this for me!)

Dangle Balls

I've been a busy bee lately. Made a ton of new designs including a new line of needlefelted pieces I call Dangle Balls. These look so sute wrapped around my neck. My favorite color scheme: I've also made a TON of new fabirc pendant necklaces. Big thanks to Cheyne of Cut Out and Collect for giving me her scraps of super cute and high quality fabric, most of it Japanese = super happy joy forever. Just look at these cuties: Get these great new Tefi designs in my Etsy shop. I'll be in Austin June 25-29, so all orders will be processed when I get back. Tefi loves you!

Let It Linger

I'm honored to be in two Etsy treasuries right now. Treasuries are user-curated selections of their favorite picks, oftentime based on a theme. They expire in a couple days and sometimes make it to the front page of Etsy.com! Got Game? treasury by heaterdixonstudio featuring my new BINGO bobbies (bottom left) Such a Fool for You treasury by sugarraindrops featuring my Swinging Ball felted necklace (bottom center)

Hair Treasures

A couple of my hair pretties made it into two Etsy treasuries today. What a lovely surprise!

Thanks to CJ Adornments for featuring my Opah! bobbies in her Grecian Summer treasury. These were also featured in The Dallas Morning News' Guide last year. Opah, indeed!

And thanks to Justine Nielsen for picking my felted olive hairsticks for her Shaken Not Stirred treasury.

So what's a treasury? It's a user-created selection of handmade items available on Etsy, the world's premier online marketplace for all things handmade. These treasuries expire real soon, so check them out NOW!

Tefi Loves: Birthday Cake

Sing along: Happy birthday to me. Happy birthday to me. Happy birthday, happy birthday. Happy birthday to me! Today is my birthday (same as Morrissey and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle) and I'm ready for cake. I think I'll start with these!
Amigurumi Birthday Cake $15 Shop: http://www.amygaines.etsy.com/ Location: Shrewsbury, Mass. Real Men cake toppers $5.85 Shop: http://www.thepeach.etsy.com/ Location: San Luis Obispo, CA Mini Donut Ornament $8 Shop: http://www.midnightsnack.etsy.com/ Location: Dallas, TX Fellow Etsy Dallas member Cherry Pie necklace $10 Shop: http://www.fakerybakery2.etsy.com/ Location: Reynoldsburg, OH Frosted Cupcake candle $8.99 Shop: http://www.theclackhouse.etsy.com/ Location: Pitts, GA

Tefi Loves: Nuts

Go nuts over these delightful handmade finds featuring nuts and seeds - all found on Etsy.com!

Felted Wool Acorn set of 12: $24 Shop: http://www.lilfishstudios.etsy.com/ Location: Brainerd, Minnesota

Little Pine Drops earrings: $14 Shop: http://www.trystbykerry.etsy.com/ Location: Toronto, Canada Peanut Dress size XS: $45 Shop: http://www.lyptis.etsy.com/ Location: Melbourne, Australia Squirrel with an Acorn art print: $9 Shop: http://www.barkingbirdart.etsy.com/ Location: Portland, Oregon Green Nut Combo necklace: $24 Shop: http://www.tefi.etsy.com/ Location: Dallas, Texas

Acorn I Spy kids' toy: $24 Shop: http://www.thosegreathousewomen.etsy.com/ Location: Michigan, USA

Flora + Fauna Handmade is a series of spotlights and reviews that celebrate art, craft, design and the natural world we live in.

Tefi Loves: Grasshoppers

Ah, Grasshopper. You have much to see. Just take a look at these beautiful Friday Finds starring our hoppy little friends!

Green Grasshopper hoody Shop: http://www.inkyspider.etsy.com/ Location: British Columbia, Canada

Grasshopper pull toy Shop: http://www.mccoytoys.etsy.com/ Location: Asheboro, North Carolina Patience Grasshopper bracelet Shop: http://www.edithandlulu.etsy.com/ Location: Portland, Oregon Bugs in the Yard art print Shop: http://www.tamaragarvey.etsy.com/ Location: Savannah, Georgia Grasshopper hand-dyed Merino wool Shop: http://www.maisydayhandspun.etsy.com/ Location: a farm in Oregon

Leafing Out art print Shop: http://www.corid.etsy.com/ Location: Pullman, Washington

Tefi Loves: Ollies Woolies

Ollies Woollies, run by Catherine Svensson who lives and works in the southernmost part of Sweden, is a line of charmingly crocheted and fulled jewelry. Many of Catherine's pieces resemble branches and other flora found in the enchanted forests of our imagination - like her Winter Berries necklace (pictured left). The process of fulling involves washing the crocheted piece in alternate hot then cold water, during which the fibers are agitated, causing the wool to shrink, and leaving the individual stitches barely visible. All items are handmade by the artist using 100% wool and contain no wire, making each piece soft and manageable. All products are hand-washable and come with free care instructions. Shop: http://www.ollieswoollies.etsy.com/ Location: Lund, Sweden

Tefi Loves: Kate Broughton

Like many crafters, Kate Broughton, a designer based in the UK, began making animal-themed accessories for her friends in 2007 and hasn't stopped since. With a degree in textile design, Kate sews, knits, paints, and draws all sorts of sweet little flora and fauna goodies, including her new line of felt brooches. I really love her Mushroom brooch (above) and her Two Turtle Doves brooch - just in time for Christmas! Also pictured is her Wise Barn Owl brooch (below). As an added bonus, Kate is offering free gift wrapping for the holidays. Shop: http://www.katebroughton.etsy.com/ Location: Nottingham, England

Tefi Loves: RecycleRabbit

Children's book author and illustrator, Liz Goulet Dubois, loves to make plushies and ornamental pretties out of recycled pieces of scrap fabric, ribbon, and felt. Her Etsy shop listings look like pages from a kid's book filled with adorable flora and fauna. It's no wonder I really love Flora, the Kitty Cat Doll. Her aqua and pink color compliment her vintage 70's floral print dress and green rick rack trim. What little girl wouldn't love getting this under the tree this season?

And while you're at it, trim that plastic tree with this pair of darling orange birdy ornaments (above) stuffed with Maine balsam needles. Your faux tree will smell piney, and you'll be saving a real tree from the chainsaw!

Shop: http://www.recyclerabbit.etsy.com/

Blog: www.LizGouletDubois.com/blog

Location: Rhode Island

More Love for the Olives

Just check out these great photos taken by yours truly, with a little help from the hot supah-stah model Brenda B.Liscious showing off my new needlefelted olive hairsticks. Oh, you know you want a pair. available exclusively here

Fuzzy Dots

Welcome in the spring and my new Fuzzy Dots hair bobbies. Each is painstakingly made using the needlefelting process. This involves poke-poke-poking a mass of wool roving over and over (and over) again until the desired shape takes effect - in this case, a round fuzzy dot! Then I craft glue them to a silver-plated hair pin, et voila!

Available exclusively at www.FiddleheadsByTefi.etsy.com.