Featured on Etsy Front Page!

My Cherry Blossom needle felted pouch was on Etsy's front page yesterday! Unfortunately I was sleeping while it was there, but a few people were nice enough to let me know they'd seen it. Today I was able to get this screen shot from the Etsy Front Pagers group on Flickr.

A huge thanks to Etsy seller lisahopkins for including me in her gorgeous treasury! Her etched silver jewelry is absolutely stunning. Be sure to check out her shop as well!

Cherry Blossom - Light brown needle felted pouch

I've just added a new needle felted pouch to my Etsy shop! This is the first one I've made in quite a while and I had forgotten how much I love working with this medium!

I'm so happy with the way this one turned out! Cherry Blossoms are the perfect thing to get me thinking Spring. I used silky Kid Mohair locks for the blossoms and dark brown merino wool roving for the branch. I had a bit of difficulty finding a lining fabric that went well with the design, but in the end I used an earthy batik cotton that I think works perfectly!

There will definitely be more needle felting hitting the shop soon! I love the forgiving nature of the craft, the way I can shape and re-shape the roving before committing to the final placement allows for the design to come about in a very fluid and organic way. No wonder I do so many trees and branched - the roving practically begs for it! I've got another few pouches knit up and felted, just waiting for the needle felting. Also, I plan to make some needle felted cuffs in the next couple of weeks!

Featured in Spring Treasury

My "Black Sakura" headband has been featured in an absolutely gorgeous Cherry Blossom themed treasury on Etsy today, thanks to seller aurorafedora.

Although I always appreciate being included in treasuries, I don't often share them on my blog, the exceptions being the few times I've made it to Etsy's coveted front page, or the ones that really stand out for me. This treasury is one of those! I love every piece in this collection and overall it is just so pretty and Springy that I couldn't help posting it here.

So, I'd like to thank aurorafedora for including me in this beautiful treasury! Her shop is great as well. She sells handmade greeting cards such as this "Pink and Black valentine." I will definitely be keeping her in mind next time I need to give a special card!

Spring 2009 Headbands

I've just finished photographing the headbands I've made with all the new fabrics I picked up for Spring! I will be adding them to the shop a couple each day for the next week or so. Here are a few of my favorites so far.

I'm totally loving these new prints! Clockwise from top left - "Black Sakura", "First Leaves" in Green, "Flower Child" in Purples, and "Flight of Fancy". I'll be adding these and many more to Black Mustard Fiber Arts this week.

Also, here's a look at how the recycled fabric headbands turned out! These started out as 2 men's shirts and a cool vintage dress. I can't wait to go raid the thrift stores for more goodies like these!

Hurry Up Spring!

These last few weeks have been a bit of a waiting period for me. I've been working on lots of fresh Spring items lately and I'd hoped to share them this month but a couple of things have gotten in the way. First, there's the crazy weather we've been having. We've had some days that feel like Spring is already here, with beautiful blue skies and mild breezes. Those are the days when the inspiration runs high to create pieces for the upcoming season. Then there are the days when I've planned a photo session with my lovely model/best friend and wake up to see a landscape shrouded in grey and big fat snow flakes coming down! What's up with that? Well, I'll give Old Man Winter his last few days but he'd better be gone soon because April will be Spring Fever at Black Mustard Fiber Arts!

Then of course there was my aunt's passing, which has pretty much taken priority. I've been grieving the loss of her and I've gladly given my time to the people in my life who've needed me around. But I am eager to get back to business as usual and I'm hoping that April will be a month of rejuvenation for me and for the shop!

To kick it off I've brought back some of my cotton headbands. I'm bringing out all the best prints from last year, and I'll also have a whole whack of new fabrics coming out in April. These are a couple of my favorites from last summer. I really can't wait to bring out the new prints - I've been having so much fun working with them! Don't forget to sign up for my monthly newsletter if you want the inside scoop on the Spring items coming out next month!