Earth And Sun Folk

2009-07-06T10:36:00.002-06:00

oh no...i went and abandoned my blog! it wasn't intentional....i've just gotten lazy with it since my machine has been down. with the wedding rapidly approaching....3 weeks!! i don't have the time or money to try and fix her. hopefully after the wedding will get her running again. i miss stitching my creations :(

hope my friends out there are doin well! i'll be back posting more often now...just maybe not so much about my creations for a while. hope everyone is enjoying their summer!

drop me a line and let me know what you've been up to folks!

~peace~

2008-11-27T00:00:00.000-07:00

Hope everyone has a happy Thanksgiving surrounded by all your loved ones!

~peace~

2008-11-18T10:57:00.004-07:00

Want a great (and yummy smelling) way to warm up your hands? Check out my organic flax seed pods available in my shop! These are wonderful to use at home,in the office, or for your little one at the bus stop! Buyer has the choice of lavender or peppermint essential oils to be added to their pods. Both of which have a calming and relaxing effect. Mention this blog post and receive $2 off the set!

2008-11-14T00:32:00.001-07:00

what an amazing full moon tonight. here's my attempt at capturing it's beauty....

2008-11-10T12:10:00.007-07:00

i just love my organic cotton face scrubbies that i got from littlesapphire. wow....can you say soft?? they're the perfect size too. i've yet to machine wash them....I just wash them by hand and that is easy enough. i think i'll have to get some more for gifts! speaking of...i can't believe i have started my christmas shopping already! i never start this early, although i always mean to. besides the little ones i only have 1 person left to shop for. yay for me being on the ball!

hope you're all having a great monday!

2008-11-04T12:02:00.004-07:00

Today is an incredibly important day in the United States. Please do your part and GET OUT AND VOTE!!! Then sit back, relax and have a beer. It is going to be and interesting night and stressful....very stressful. I'll miss having Tim Russert explaining things on the dry erase board. Off to get some things done. Go vote damn it.

2008-11-02T18:40:00.007-07:00

well...halloween has come and gone. hard to believe it's novemeber already! we had a super fun day and weekend. thought i'd share some pictures with you all :)

our oldest decide to be the little devil....she's a cute one though,eh? our wee ones were, as you can see, thing 1 and thing 2. they got an obscene amount of candy....which dad is lovin. the weather couldn't have been better. we were still home by 8:30 though, which i think is the earliest we've ever been done. the kids were beat though and i managed to hurt my back carrying around our youngest. hmmmm.....i may be getting old, or out of shape....maybe both. it was still a sweet night. hope everyone had a safe halloween!

Team EcoEtsy's Auction For A Cause

2008-10-24T07:22:00.007-06:00

The EcoEtsy team has come together to donate a basket of Eco-minded goodies to be auctioned off for the benefit of the Nature Conservancy. This auction is entirely a non-profit event, created by the members of EcoEtsy (www.ecoetsy.com) in order to promote handmade, eco-friendly goods and to support a worthy organization.

This really is a great cause and the products you're bidding on are amazing!!
The auction ends October 30th so hurry and get your bid on! You can find all the details and check out THE GOODS by visiting http://ecoetsy.com/auction-oct2008.html#details or clicking on any of the links in this post.

Hope everyone has a fantastic Friday!

2008-10-22T08:30:00.013-06:00

wow....so i'm finally back to my blog. the last week and a half have just been busy,busy and i never found time to update! to make up for it this post it packed full of pics from our colorado trip last weekend :) we had an amazing time,despite the weather at times.

this is a picture of the pinkerton hot springs right outside of durango. there used to be a bath house where folks could soak in the pools here back in the 20's.

we stoped and warmed our hands up in the nice warm water. felt great on such a chilly day!

the leaves were all changing and were so beautiful! i do miss the different shades or reds and oranges that the trees have back east in pennsylvania....but pennsylvania doesn't have mountains like these either.

this was on camp bird road in ouray. there were tons of super high waterfalls coming off this sheer mountainside. it had just stopped raining and there was an awesome fine mist in the air.

these views can be seen from the cabin we're renting for our wedding in july. i'm so excited that we found the perfect place. it really doesn't get better than this. i'll post pictures of the cabin another day.....this post is picture heavy enough!

another gorgeous view of the misty mountains. actually this is red mountain...but you know what i mean :)

above is a view of cascade falls from the back deck of the cabin. this is what we'll see when we're getting married! it rushes a lot faster in the summer though, of course. it meets up with a river at the bottom of the canyon to the left of the cabin.

red mountain pass is an amazing drive and if you're ever in colorado i highly recommend you take it! in some parts there are literally only a foot or less between you and thousands of feet down....it's insane. i can't imagine being the first people to venture through this part of the country. talk about tough! there are tons of ghost towns up here. we didn't get to visit them this time but we'll be checking them out next summer. most you have to four wheel to get to. there are some that are nothing more than piles of wood now but there are plenty of buildings, houses and mills still standing. it's really hard to believe they've been able to withstand the harsh winters after being abandoned for so long. somehow, the remain.

on our way up the weather was bad. a few times we hit spots where tall pines were laying over the road and folks were busy chopping away to clear it as a police officer was trying to direct traffic. there's not much he could do though. there's nowhere to turn around really all you can do is sit and wait!

this is the only picture that really captured just how bad the weather got. this is at about 1 in the afternoon. as we got higher the rain turned to snow. there was nothing stopping us from our well deserved weekend away though.....and we kept on truckin.

the roads were a bit slick in a few spots but besides the trees down it really wasn't too bad. the worst part was getting stuck behind some tractor trailers a few times....and we finally managed to get around those.

before we knew it, the skies started to clear up. we drove through some funky fast moving clouds at some points. i took some videos....i'll try to post them some other day. they were crazy i've never seen clouds so low (although we were pretty high up) and moving so fast!

we finally made it though, without any problems. here we are at the cabin. the town of ouray sits at something like 7,300 feet. to get to the cabin you take a little dirt road up 1,700 feet in a little over 3 miles. words can't really describe it up there.

hope you enjoyed the pictures! i'll be getting back to business now with the blog. nice to take a break every now and then though.

~happiness~

i wish i were a headlight on a northbound train...

2008-10-10T11:38:00.006-06:00

time to break out the arm warmers,leg warmers and hats....colorado here we come!

we're heading up into the mountains. i'm super excited to be getting away for the weekend! from what i've been reading...we're in for cold rain and snow. i don't care though nothing is going to stop us from heading up! i'm determined and this time tomorrow i'll be sitting in my private hot tub filled with hot springs water.ahhh the minerals!

i hope you all have a beautiful weekend. i'll post pictures of our trip on monday!

almost forgot to mention....i'm offering free shipping within the US on everything in my shop. good until monday...so stop on by :)

~happiness~

2008-10-09T08:47:00.003-06:00

wooohooo! guess what i woke up to this morning? front page...oh yeah! super big thanks to EcoKate for featuring my newest wrist wrap in this excellent treasury! happy happy joy :)

i feel very inspired today. i'm not sure what i will create but i'm anxious to get started. hope everyone has a most beautiful day!

baby it's cold outside

2008-10-08T06:47:00.004-06:00

i woke up this morning to the smell of my neighbor's wood burning stove and thinking for a second that we were somewhere in the mountains camping. then i realized....nope,just forgot to turn up the heat last night! i can't believe how cold it is out in the mornings already! the temperature says 39 degrees fahrenheit. brrr....

just in time for the cold weather, i've added a second hemp scarf to my shop. this one is super long but just as snugly warm! would be great for a guy or a girl. such a sweet scarf :) free shipping in the usa (for either scarf) to anyone who mentions this post!

speaking of cold....my guy and i are getting a much needed break this weekend and heading up into the mountains to check out our cabin we'll be renting for the week of the wedding. we're staying at a lodge with private hot springs....i can't wait! man, i can't begin to tell you how excited i am to be getting a break...plus we'll be getting a bunch of things for the wedding taken care of and anything wedding related is fun too :)

off to read some other blogs then to create!

have a grateful day!

2008-10-06T07:19:00.003-06:00

i got this super soft organic hemp cloth diapering kit from scire4 on etsy last week. i'm loving it! it came with 1 prefold organic hemp diaper died with organic blueberries from maine, 7 organic hemp washcloths and 3 organic hemp cloth diaper inserts. so soft and beautiful! be sure to check out her shop if you or someone you knows uses cloth diapers on their wee ones. her work is top notch and her prices are excellent!

monday morning already....i've got a lot of things to finish up and add to the shop today so no time to ramble. hope you all have a beautiful day!

2 times in one day!!!!

2008-10-02T19:56:00.004-06:00

i cannot believe what a day it's been for me on etsy :) :) :) believe it or not i managed to get onto the front page 2times today!! this time was thanks to the lovely miss rikrak and her sweet blue pics from team ecoetsy. yay! this has really been an excellent etsy day! i also had 2 sales...yippeeee! now if anything can motivate me (which i need sometimes) it's being on the front page and making sales.....so with that said,i'm gonna go get back to work!

~hugs~

front page

2008-10-02T13:46:00.004-06:00

yay! i woke up this morning to find out a treasury i was featured in had made the front page of etsy!

thanks so much to teamzvonik for the feature! it seems like forever since i made the front page...it was definitely the little etsy pick me up i needed :)

sales seem to be really picking up as of late....i'm trying hard to get my shop stocked for christmas. i've got a lot of new goods coming daily so stop by and check them out...i'd love to hear what everyone thinks!

time to go pack up some orders and head out to the post office. have a beautiful day folks!

october!!!

2008-10-01T07:13:00.005-06:00

i cannot believe it's october already! the weather is still gorgeous during the day here but it's pretty chilly at night and in the mornings. i'll be adding 2 new hemp wraps to the shop
today...along with a few other goods....stop by and check them out! anyone who reads this and wants to purchase something, contact me through etsy before paying and i'll give you free shipping :) just mention this blog post!
time to make my rounds and read some blogs.....it's a busy busy day today, so no time to waste!

have a grateful one~

2008-09-29T07:18:00.005-06:00

we had another busy weekend....one that didn't involve much sewing. it seems like i never get any time to create on the weekends! i think from now on i'll tell myself "no sewing on the weekends" and then i probably will. i hope to finish a few projects today that are half done but first i must clean up my house. my landlords are selling it and there's a realtor coming by today to look at it. let's just hope my kids cooperate and aren't in hurricane mode.

i'd better get started while they're still asleep..but first,coffee....lots of coffee.

~cheers~

2008-09-27T19:27:00.003-06:00

here's my newest treasury on etsy! i'm super happy with it...so warm and fuzzy! if you get a minute click HERE and check it out. don't forget to leave a comment too :)

i cut out a lot of new projects last night and today. i'm going to try to get some sewing in tomorrow....but we've got a ton of things to do, so we'll see! hope everyone is having a great weekend!

free shipping!!

2008-09-26T13:09:00.005-06:00

grab your eco~friendly shopping bag and head on into earthandsunfolk for free shipping this weekend! i'm offering free shipping within the US and $2 shipping to canada....wooot! i'll have this sale going on until midnight (est) sunday. hope to see you in the shop!

~happiness~

2008-09-25T07:04:00.002-06:00

i got some much needed sleep last night, i actually went to be at 8:30! i did wake up for a bit around midnight but still...i haven't had that much sleep in a long time! i feel very refreshed this morning :)
i hope to get a bunch of sewing done today,if the kids will let me. i think i'll make another hemp wrap and a wallet. what are you going to create today?

time to start bundling up!

2008-09-24T06:51:00.006-06:00

it's starting to get pretty darn chilly here at night and in the mornings....so i've been inspired to make some toastie goods as of late! the bought some new hemp herringbone fabric from marlena of infinitecosmoshemp and this is the first thing i made with some of it. it has a heavier weight to it and it's nice and flowy....just perfect for my new wraps! the green and salmon parts are a hemp/silk blend i hand dyed. i want to keep this sucker...but in the shop it goes! i think i'll make another today. i also added a new hand dyed hemp bag that's reversible.

i tried to sew a bunch last night but i kept messing everything up, so i walked away. sometimes i need to do that...i think i was too tired. i plan on getting at least 3 projects finished today. keep an eye on the shop for new goods!

~hugs~

2008-09-23T06:53:00.003-06:00

here's my treasury i created on etsy last night. filled with lots of team ecoetsy goodness! please take a minute and click HERE to check it out...you'll make my day id you leave a comment there too :)

speaking of day...i've got much to do today so im going to keep this short. have a beautiful one folks!

back in business....

2008-09-22T12:07:00.012-06:00

so last week was fun! my guy had a nice long week off from work and we visited with his brother from pennsylvania. they went up to ouray,colorado and did some off roading and brought back these sweet pics...so i thought i'd share!

i love this picture of an old mine they snagged.....and the lake is so pretty!
dan had never been out west before...so exploring colorado was a must! he got sick a few times going up the mountain,but it was from the drinking the night before and not altitude sickness. they were pretty high up there though! they spent a whole day checking out some excellent trails.

they had a killer little jeep too :)

here's another funky old mine...well, what's left of it anyways. pretty amazing that these are still standing considering how old they are and how harsh the weather is up there. it was in the high 80's here when they left and it was snowing on part of their trip over the pass.

i've got a lot more pics to share...but i think i'll save those for another day ;)

hope you liked!

i'll be back to blogging everyday now...i've got a lot of new creations in the works to share with you. be sure to check out my shop.

lots of new goodies will be added almost daily in the next few weeks.

~have a grateful day~

treasury time

2008-09-18T22:42:00.004-06:00

greetings! i was able to grab a treasury today. please do check out the fabulous artists featured and leave a sweet comment....i'll give you a big hug if you do :)

for those who don't know what a treasury is...it's a way to feature fellow sellers on etsy and ...it rocks. click HERE to check it out! you can listen to an excellent song as you browse too :) just click on the highlighted "have a listen" in the upper right hand corner.

~all good things~

2008-09-15T17:19:00.004-06:00

good day folks! sorry i've been slacking on blogging as of late....ken(my fiance)is on vacation and we've been hanging out with his brother dan, who is in town visiting. he's never been out west so it's been fun showing him around. they're heading up to colorado tomorrow and i'm sending my camera along...i'll post some pics later this week!

shop news....i've been slackin there as well :( i have posted a few new things though. pictured here is my new tree scrappie. isn't he cute?i stuffed him full of thread and fabric scraps :) i'll be making some more scrappies soon...they're too fun and a great way to use up all those little bits that are too small to sew with. let me know what you think!

time to go start dinner for the fam...have a grateful eve.

fridays rock

2008-09-12T06:59:00.007-06:00

good morning all....so i was actually able to find some peace yesterday. i sat down at the sewing machine and made some pouches from hemp scraps....and a few other things. of course when i went to take pictures, the batteries in my camera start to die. happens every time, i sware! so i've got them charging and when it's nice and bright and sunny today i'll take some new ones. i've got a new bag listed in the SHOP and another sweet one in the works for today. i'm going to be dyeing some fabric today and then i can start on some of these ideas floating around in my head. my guy has to drive to albuquerque tonight to pick up his brother. it's a cool drive...but not when you've done it a hundred times and not at night. they probably won't be getting home until 1 am or so. that's if all goes well with his flights...he is supposed to be flying into dallas then albuquerque. i talked to my sister, who lives in huntsville, last night and she said houston airport was closing, but she wasn't sure about dallas. they're leaving their house and going to a shelter. i couldn't imagine having to deal with a hurricane! my thoughts and prayers are with everyone in it's path.
one last reminder that today is the last day to enter the drawing for one of my relax yah packs. so, if you haven't already, you can enter HERE ! don't forget to leave an email address so you can be contacted if you win....a lot of people forget to leave theirs it seems....i feel bad because they said sweet things about my work,but there's no way to reach them,so they're not entered. please remember to leave yours!! alright...i'm off to start my day.
~many blessings~

2008-09-11T00:01:00.011-06:00

"It was still early in the day and the sun shone brightly. The air a combination of cool September breezes and a burning heat from hell surrounded me. Shattered was my city, my people and myself. At home where we are taught to feel safe, I waited and sat at the base of his apartment door. My spine, which rested against the door of Apt. 8F; the one that he usually pushed wide open with his foot because his arms were always filled with movies or his camera or something sweet to eat, but mostly with love and happiness was where I waited for a good portion of the day.I came back inside my own apartment, listened to the constant roar of the engines pass. More help is on the way. Doctors stood outside the hospital across the street from where I live. They waited with open arms for what they hoped would be someone to save. Not one person ever arrived. Not one. First Avenue was filled with doctors and nurses sitting on curbs, sadness in their faces, the ones they held in their hands.Shock is a strange feeling. It has a calming effect that you know should be worrisome but somehow feels protective. I fell into my chair, relented and turned on the television. What would I learn that I didn’t already know? I live close enough that I could hear, smell and see all that was going on.The white sheers that romantically covered my windows at the time, six panels to be exact were best viewed at night when they added a warm glow to the skyline. Suddenly, one, just one blew softly. Not a full on strong breeze mind you a soft and lingering lift. Straight to the top of the room. Just one – the one closest to his living room window, you know the one near the wall that we shared; where he’d knock early Sunday mornings and ask what I wanted this week from the bakery.He was home, passed through, and covered me in love and tenderness, as he always did. He lingered for some time, I felt him stay with me in spirit. He waited with me until I could manage the truth. He was gone. Friends insisted that I was wrong when we spoke, that I was quick to decide; that we might find him trapped somewhere. I just smiled and shook my head. I knew because he made sure, I did. I love him for that more than any reason. I love him for all that he did while he was alive. To be held by him in that time of despair and know that he waited with me to accept the truth is a gift I will forever cherish. Those moments come to me often when I am in turmoil. I remember Billy and I remember the feeling I had when he lingered around me on September 11th. .For nine days they all put off leaving. Nine days the spirits listened with us to the engines and sirens, the police and the workers. They watched with us the falling paper that flew downtown New York City for days… The missing persons’ faces posted on every available space – building walls, every telephone pole, under car windshields. An eerie feeling and if you ask any New Yorker what I’m talking about they will know what I mean, and then they will try to explain the unimaginable to you.I am as sure today as I was then that the spirits of all of those murdered stayed with us. Perhaps the line into heaven was overloaded? Perhaps they knew we needed them just a bit longer? Were they reluctant to leave? Grabbing whatever they could before they left? I’ll never know for sure. However, surely I know they stayed for longer than I expected. Believe me, I am the first person to argue that stories like this are “ridiculous” but I promise you they waited around.We moved in unison, frozen in time – the broken spirits of survivors with hearts sewn to the spirits that took their time moving on. Together we were one for longer than you might expect. Nine days and then suddenly we felt the tug, the lightening of the thick and haunting air. The smoke and brown-gray cloud slowly started to break apart. The sirens finally silenced. The quiet, the aftermath, the light over it all. The smell of the dead and burning debris slowly dissipated. Our city looked like a war zone. As a matter of fact, our city was at the beginning stage of war.One heart and one spirit – together united in love and fear and sorrow. We held each other close, cooked for each other, called family friends for our neighbors. United, and in the seven years that have passed, not one of those days has had the power to remove our scars completely, or the nightmares that still sometimes stop us in our tracks, or the jitters when we’re on a train, or the strange and apparent quiet of the downtown area, where all streets never see sunshine because the buildings are so tall. Actually, they never saw the sun but now it’s very noticeable.We promised them then as we continue to do now as we hold hands under the “hole in the sky” – they killed our skyline too you know – that we would never forget. Moreover, we won’t. We couldn't if we wanted to."

~written by nancy fischer
~photo by nancy fischer http://www.newyorknancy.etsy.com/

thank you for sharing your story with us nancy.

in loving memory of Captain William Burke, Jr. Engine 21 and all who were lost on 9/11.

~be grateful, always~

sneezes and coffee

2008-09-10T09:18:00.006-06:00

trying to get my day started....and it is ....slowly. my little ones are much better today. fevers are gone but sneezes and snot are still very present. took our oldest to the hospital to get her blood work done yesterday and just waiting on the doctor to call us with the results. she woke up this morning with yet another lump on her neck,just above the first...not sure if this one is from the cold or what. so....she's home with us today. i'm going to let her mod podge some cans for her etsy shop today. she made some funky recycled gift tags about a week ago but she's waiting until she gets a few more things to list them in her etsy shop. she's so excited about it. i'll be sure to put up a special post when she opens up!
i'm determined to get some things sewn up today and maybe dye some more fabric. at the post office yesterday, the lady who waited on me asked for one of my business cards! she's always glad to help me when i come in sending off one of my relax yah packs because they smell so good!speaking of those....only 2 days left to enter to win one! just click here and don't forget to leave an email address so you can be contacted if you win!
well, guess i'd better get moving and get some things done.
~hope you all have a beautiful day~

fabric time and sick wee ones...

2008-09-09T07:32:00.006-06:00

yay! my new fabric came today from marlena from infintecosmoshemp! i got some hemp/silk herringbone...which i love to work with! i think i might make a skirt and a bag with it :) then i got a ton of hemp scraps. these are perfect for making some funky patchy wallets>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

i can't wait to make some new stuff, there's just not enough time in the day lately! all 3 of my girlies are sick right now. our oldest still has the swollen gland in her neck. i took her to the dr. about 2 weeks ago and he said it wasn't an infection so he wanted to wait 7-10 days to see if it went down. well it did...but then it started swelling again. she's had a headache for days now. we have to go to the hospital today and get some blood work done on her. hopefully they will be able to let us know what the deal is! i hate not knowing what's going on!!! then last night, our two youngest started not feeling well (but have completely different symptoms than our oldest)
our youngest now has a fever this morning. i feel so helpless when they're sick. i just hope they all get better soon! my guy's brother is coming in for a visit and will be here late friday night. he's spending the week with us. please send our girlies fuzzy,warm get better vibes so they recover quick and get to have fun while their uncle dan is here!
hope you all have a beautiful day....

monday morning rambles...

2008-09-08T07:26:00.004-06:00

monday already?!?!this weekend jut flew by! can't say i was too productive with making anything but it was a good weekend. went to my folk's house yesterday and watched the steelers kick some butt! woooot! yay for football season :) saturday was a bit more crazy, as i had 7 kiddos at the house for the better part of the day....was hectic but fun! trying very hard to get back into the swing of things today and get some things for the shop done. today will be the last day of my buy one get one half off sale...just to give you a heads up ;) you can check it out by clicking here !

the picture i posted this morning was from last fall. it was the first time our youngest discovered her shadow. too cute,eh??? it's been getting so cold here at night and it's still pretty chilly out there this morn. i'll miss summer for sure but fall is probably my most favorite season :)

hope you all have a beautiful and productive day....i'm off to start mine!

if you haven't already,don't forget to check out the homemade showcase by clicking HERE to win one of my relax yah packs!

~happiness~

friday!

2008-09-05T07:19:00.004-06:00

so glad it's friday! i have much to do today. i had 4 sales this week....yay :) I actually got them all late wednesday night. so i'll be shipping those out today. hopefully september will continue to be a good month for the shop! i had planned to get a bunch of sewing in yesterday but my headache just wouldn't wake up. i went to bed with it wed. and still have it. such a yucky thing to wake up with a headache....again. i hardly ever get them but when i do it's pretty bad. i can't take anything for it either. i'm allergic to everything over the counter...tylenol,advil,aleve,you name it. quite the bummer. my packs help a lot though...but with the kiddos, i can't just lay on the couch with the pack on my head all day :( i'm just going to work through it today and hopefully it'll go away soon!

on the agenda today...2 new bags and a wallet. i can't wait to finish these babies up. they're all cut out and one is half sewn. they're just sitting they're waiting for some stitches! i should have them all in my shop by tonight.

before i can start my sewing i must tackle the enormous pile of laundry that needs folded and wash some dishes. always fun.

hope everyone is feeling fine and has a super weekend!

~hugs~

i've been featured!

2008-09-04T07:08:00.006-06:00

good morning! the lovely miss elke from http://dellejuwelen.etsy.com/ has featured me on her blog. it was so nice talking with her! she's an excellent crafter from belgium who specializes in making beautiful jewelry. please check out her shop at the link above!
you can find the blog feature on her blog here .

this month has been great so far for my shop so i went ahead and bought more hemp fabric last night. i can't stop!! fabric is such an addiction! after this i'm done buying it for while.....probably.....unless she gets something new again in her shop :)

hope everyone has a beautiful day!

~happiness~

blog giveaway!!

2008-09-03T07:17:00.005-06:00

good morning! i know i wrote about this before but it didn't have it's own little post. so...if you'd like to win one of my relax yah packs (the one pictured above) check out the handmade showcase by clicking here and leave a comment. it's super easy :)

contest is going on until midnight est on 9/12 and is good for us residents only....sorry :( i didn't make the rules! good luck to all who enter!!

i have much to do today. i just got a bunch of vintage fabric that i have to go through and wash. i just glanced at it but from what i can tell it's some pretty funky fabric! i'll be glad to put it to use. i think i'll make some pouches with some of it today. next, i have to dye up some more of my bamboo fabric and i think i'll make another bag...or maybe a skirt if i have enough?? hmmm...i'm not sure. i'm also going to finish up some wrist wraps i started a while back. i should have them in the shop today or tomorrow.

i had to go put some applications in at some places yesterday. ick. but...we're just not able to save up for the wedding lately...so i need to find a part time job and since summer is just about over i figured i'd give up my weekends. at least we'll have some extra money to put aside....

i'd better start my day now. keep smilin folks!

hiking we will go......

2008-09-02T06:58:00.019-06:00

so we managed to make it up to the mountains yesterday for a hike! the weather held out and we had a great time. hope everyone enjoys the pictures! i love this first one...looks like an eye on the closest aspen...see it?

i was surprised it was still so GREEN up there. it's been getting pretty chilly here at night and we're almost 2ooo feet lower than in the canyon. the river was very low and the waterfalls are almost dried up....but that's normal for this time of year.

this one was taken at one of favorite places to camp...normally the river is rushing right below,where you see the bedrock. it's awesome to sit around the campfire and listen to the rushing river!

they used to mine silver in the canyon. that's why it's named la plata canyon ;)

here's an old mine shaft. they're everywhere up there. some are blocked off but then there are just as many that are still open like this one. these kinda freak me out and this is about as close as i ever get to looking inside them. if you've ever seen the movie "the descent" then you know why.

i thought these mushrooms were funny looking. we called them mountain balls.

the pretty river! you wouldn't believe how frickin cold it still is! so refreshing to wash up in the morning when you're camping. the water is crystal clear, even when it's raging and much higher. you can see the colors of the pebbles on the bottom even when it's 4 foot deep.

here's a great mountain shot. you can see the slide area from past winters. i was trying to find a bear. we've seen them up here plenty. once a bear came up to our tent not five minutes after we went in for the night. we had foolishly left our coolers out and he helped himself to all our food. i'm just glad he didn't eat us! after he left (about 45 minutes of sheer panic later) we ran to the car and didn't get back out until the morning. we always camp safe now. it was a huge wake up call!! there must be a lot more bears coming into the campsites lately because there are signs posted everywhere about them now.

even so....i'd never stop coming into the mountains!!! it's amazing up here...and so crazy how the land changes from desert(where we live) to mountains (about 45 minutes away).

hope everyone had an excellent weekend and labor day!

time to get back to work now.....

i feel so inspired and have some great ideas for some creations swirling around in my head.

have a grateful day!

:) :) :)

2008-09-01T05:12:00.002-06:00

well....we had planned on going camping this weekend. i should be waking up in my tent right about now ,with the soft glow of daylight whispering about in the sky. but....here i sit. we had some van troubles(which seem to be fixed now...knock on wood) and it rained all day/night yesterday and is supposed to again today. i guess i can be happy we're not broken down in the rain somewhere up in the mountains :)
we're going on a hike today...i dont care what the weather is like!! i was looking forward to drawing some inspiration from nature this weekend and i'm not givin up just yet.
i'll post some pictures from our hike this evening. hope everyone has an excellent day :)

bamboo

2008-08-28T10:11:00.003-06:00

good day folks! thought i'd show off my latest bag and my first encounter with bamboo fabric. i absolutely love this stuff! it dyes up beautifully(dyed this in a yucca green) and its so flowy!! i was really wanting to keep this sweet bag for myself but decided to put it in the shop. let me know what you think!

we have an appraiser coming to our house in a couple of hours so i must keep this short and straighten up around here. my oldest daughter is sick. her gland in her neck is so swollen :( and she woke up last night covered in hives. i have no idea if these things are connected or what.we actually managed to get into the dr. today.... hopefully they'll know what's going on. i'll let you know when i do!

one last thing! i'm featured on a blog giveaway. check out the blog by clicking here
and check out all the details. it doesn't take much and you might score a freebie! good luck to all :)

~happy day~

2008-08-27T14:19:00.004-06:00

Greetings folks! i was able to get another treasury last night for team ecoetsy...you can check it out here. i'd be so happy if you left a comment :)

i've been busy working with my new bamboo fabric. oh man....i love love lovety love it! it's got such a great feel to it and it dyes up so nice! hopefully i'll have at least 3 more goods in the shop today. hope you're all having a sweet day!

2008-08-26T11:08:00.003-06:00

we had a busy weekend here. our youngest turned 2 and we had everyone over for her birthday party. she was so excited....was pretty cute! there were bubbles floating through the air all afternoon.
it was also a package happy last couple of days. it's strange....i wont get anything in the mail for weeks but when i do i get a bunch at once. my bamboo fabric came from ms. marlena @ infinitecosmos. i'm washing it right now and plan on dyeing some of it later this afternoon. hopefully i'll have some bamboo creations in my shop soon! and of course i have about 4 half finished projects to get in there as well. i'm being featured in 2 blogs coming up soon, so i'm trying to get my shop stocked as much as possible.
another package i got this weekend was from my aunt. i had asked her if she had any pictures of my grandparents and she sent me some really great ones. when i get a chance maybe i'll share a few on the blog.
the day is slipping away and i have much to do. hope this finds everyone with a smile on their face!

~~Artist Feature~~

2008-08-22T20:31:00.023-06:00

one of my favorite artists i've found on etsy is arliaflower. she's an amazing artist who has travelled extensively. i've admired her work for some time now and thought i would spread the word. she was kind enough to answer some questions and share some of her photos.

~how long have you been creating things?~

I was always quite creative as a child, making collages out of junk mail and sweet wrappers glued together with toothpaste and creating theatrical looking dresses from my mum's favourite bed linen - which I got smack for when she found bits of it trailing up the stairs to my bedroom. I studied art all through college experimenting with a wide variety of materials and techniques, although at the time my heart was set on fine art.

It wasn't until I finished college that I really started to develop my own skills in both painting and textiles. I hit a financial difficulty in this chapter of my life and quickly realized that painting was not going to make me money quickly, as much as I loved it I had to find something that could support me too. Which is where I began making crochet hats and I have been doing that for almost 4 years.

~from where do you get your inspiration?~

I have a passion for traditional costume, handmade fabrics (batiks, block prints, tie dyes etc) natural fibres and recycling. I Also find travelling very influential in my pieces and like to collect locally made materials in the places that I encounter. I would say that the things that inspire me the most are travel, sound, music, Africa ( in a big way because my father grew up in East Africa ) and father God who gives me creativity and the energy to make with my hands.

(above is a picture of arlia with her bead supplier)

~where have you visited? could tell us about one of your favorite trips?~

I have traveled Uganda, Malawi, Ghana, Egypt, Bahrain and been to a few european countries but I didn't really see a lot there.

So hard to pick a favorite really, as the journey for me is ongoing. The more I travel the more I learn about so many things.

Id say that the Middle East and Africa have played a big part in the way that I create things I love to go to the bead and fabric markets and watch the local men and women do their craft in the street. It always inspires me to do something new when I get home.

Uganda was very important for me on a personal level because I was finding the places where my father grew up and where my grandparents lived. Ghana was where I learned more as an artisan from watching my aunties sewing clothes and watching how the beads and fabric were made.

~any links you'd like to share?~

I recently came across this small family business on etsy that makes block print fabric from scratch in India and make it into gorgeous bed linens and house furnishings. www.saffronmarigold.etsy.com

This lovely lady makes really gorgeous fimo bead and glass bead jewelry with some lovely crochet bits too ( she made me a fantastic top )www.bunnydesigns.etsy.com

This woman makes gorgeous African inspired wire wrap jewellery, she also has a wedding range that is particularly gorgeous www.zayunubydesign.com

This is another family business that makes recycled sari silk and banana fibre yarn in India. I often use their yarns and they are one of my favorites and add something really special to my work.www.zaarucrafts.etsy.com

thanks for the great photos and talking with me arlia!! i'm sure your work will inspire others as it does me.

you can check out arlia's shop at www.arliaflower.etsy.com

happy friday!

2008-08-22T08:35:00.003-06:00

it's a great day so far! woke up and my headache is gone baby,gone. i managed to get a treasury too, filled with lots of team ecoetsy love. please check it out....click....and comment if you get a chance. you can see it here.

i have lots of sewing to do today so i'd better get busy. i wont be posting this weekend but i'll have an artist feature up later this eve. come on back and read up on arliaflower!

~happy friday~

2008-08-21T20:15:00.002-06:00

i've been so inspired lately. it seems every time i turn around it's right there. my john lennon treasury on etsy led me to make this hemp bookmark...which is latest addition to my shop.

i'll have a new bag and pouches in there tomorrow, so stop on by and check them out :) another incredibly talented artist will be featured on the blog tomorrow as well.

think i'll attempt to get some real sleep tonight and go to bed early. my head is pounding.

it's a bummer because i'd really like to sew some more :( hope everyone has a great eve...look for all my goodies tomorrow!

~fare thee well~

passing on the wisdom

2008-08-20T10:26:00.004-06:00

i started teaching our oldest daughter how to sew and guess what? she loves it! her first project was a bag that she plans on taking her lunch to school in. we went to joanne fabrics at she picked out what she wanted...a really cute print :)

i cut out all the pieces for her and she did everything else on her own!

as she was sewing she said "hey mom, now we'll be fighting over the sewing machine!" too funny..but probably true. she goes back to school tomorrow (boooo!) so at least the machine's all mine during the day :)

she did such a great job....i'm so proud of her!! once she has a few things made we're going to let her start her own etsy shop,with my help. she wants to make some buttons too to put in there. i'm so glad she likes to create!

hope you enjoyed the pics. have a great day folks!

treasury time

2008-08-19T18:12:00.007-06:00

i made treasury on etsy today. you can check it out here! it's inspired by john lennon's song "love". there are such great finds in it...please take a second and check out all these fine artists and leave a comment!

enjoy!!

calling all green businesses!

2008-08-19T10:44:00.010-06:00

i'd like send out your business cards or coupons with my orders! if you have an earth conscious shop on etsy please leave a comment here. we can also do a swap if you like (i'll send you mine as well). just let me know if you'd like to participate!

also...click out the link on the left. i've been featured on fellow etsy seller SimplySentimental's blog. check it out!

~~Artist Feature~~

2008-08-17T20:35:00.009-06:00

hey now folks! it's time to shine the light on another sweet etsy shop....boxwoodgoods
it's run by two lifelong friends pam and elena. they use eco~friendly fabrics such as bamboo, hemp, flax, soy and kuba grasscloth.

they offer a variety of one of a kind items... ranging from bags to napkins. all sure to be unique, funky and green!

this tote is one of my favorites listed in their etsy shop. it's made from hand woven kuba cloth and hemp. they give this description:

"Kuba cloth is a ceremonial fabric made by the Kuba people of The Democratic Republic of the Congo (formerly Zaire). Fibers from the Raphia palm are prepared, colored with local plant dyes, loom-woven and hand-embellished with cut-pile embroidery and applique. The pattern variations of the finished textiles turn each piece into a personally meaningful work of textile art. "

another gorgeous bag!! made from vintage kuba cloth and soy/hemp. it features a recycled ghanaian bottle glass bead flap closure as well.
love it!!

boxwoodgoods also makes beautiful napkins available in bamboo, flax linen and soy/hemp. who wouldn't want to use these beauties?
check out these artists and grab some eco~friendly goods!
you can find boxwoodgoods at:
~ http://www.boxwoodgoods.etsy.com/
~http://boxwoodgoods.com/index.html

adventures in tub dyeing

2008-08-15T13:00:00.017-06:00

i'm finally posting some pics from my first experience in hand dyeing! this was a couple of batches using my hemp/cotton blend fabric and i used yucca and camel dye from dharma trading. it was super easy and my pieces turned out excellent...no streaks or flecks. i rock :)
here's a before picture of the hemp/cotton fabric(on top) and my hemp/silk blend. the little canisters are the dyes and the bag of white stuff is soda ash...that's the stuff that sets the color in the fabric.

here i am in my bandit gear. i'm dyeing a piece using the camel dye here. this came out a little lighter than expected but i can make another batch darker by just using more of the powder next time :)

this is the yucca batch soaking. i'm really lovin this color. here's a finished look at how it came out :)

i am officially addicted to dyeing now. it's fun to experiment and see what colors and shades you can come up with depending on the amount you use, temperature of the water and how long you let it soak it all up. i'm making a bag out of these two colors...it'll be in my etsy shop next week.

off to pack for our trip to the mountains now. hope everyone has a great weekend!

2008-08-14T11:54:00.002-06:00

yay! i've been being productive lately. i added a new coaster set in my etsy shop. they're reversible and all about the funk. i made a few other goodies as well....but i still need to kick up my productivity a notch. that won't be happening this weekend though. we're headed up to the mountains for another camping trip...finally! i'm excited to get up there and just relax. i'll post some pics when we get back, it's just too pretty up there to not share with all you fine folks!

i'm off to take the kids swimming for the day then we'll be watching the steeler game tonight. woooot!! hope everyone has a fantastic day!

it's in the bag

2008-08-12T13:13:00.005-06:00

here's one of my new bags listed in my shop. a small quirky version that i'm pretty pleased with. i'm working on some hand dyed patchwork hemp ones now and i should have at least 2 in my shop by the end of the week. stop by and check them out!

word...

2008-08-11T13:00:00.005-06:00

i finally came back to my blog and my computer suddenly dies :( it was a bad week without it! but i'm back in business now with a super computer...i love her.

so i've been making a lot of custom goods as of late. which is cool....i love working with someone to create something that is truly unique and that they love! i've also been making some things for our house. it's amazing how a room can change by adding some new funky curtains or mod podging a lamp. we got a bunkbed off freecycle for the kids and are going to repaint it this week too. i'll post some before/after pics when it's all done.

we're off to the mountains this weekend for a much needed break from life. i can't wait!!! we're going to a new area this time...it'll be good times. hopefully we don't encounter anything that'll try to eat us. i heard a week or 2 ago that up near denver a mountain lion went through someones window and killed their dog while they were sleeping. crazy, eh?
i can't believe how summer is just zipping right by. i'm glad the weather stays nice here through October. i'm not ready for the cold again.

anyways...the pics of hand dyed hemp are coming soon i promise! think i'll go dye some more up right now! happy day folks :)

love me 2 times eco skirt

2008-08-01T09:19:00.001-06:00

well i finally got around to finishing this hemp/PET skirt. i love how it turned out!!! you can check it out in my etsy shop! :) :) :) now....if i would just get around to dyeing up that fabric! i am most definitely doing so this weekend. i know,you've heard that before! i'm getting low on fabric and a friend needs a new bag in color i don't have(unless i dye) so i really am this time. i'll take pictures and post when i do.
glad to have the sewing bug again. lots of new creations coming daily! off to work in the garden...have a great day folks!

My Poor Little Blog

2008-07-11T21:40:00.006-06:00

Alright...I've really been neglecting my blog as of late. Summer has been treating me fine...camping trips and swimming a lot. The 4th was fun :)
Planning our wedding has kind of consumed me besides that. A lot of it is DIY stuff so that's where my mind has been! Besides my dress (which will eventually be considered green when one of my daughters wears it) we are really staying on track. Our centerpieces will be recycled jars holding soy candles and recycled wine bottles holding some organic flowers. All of the other flowers will be organic as well. yay :) We decided to have our wedding in Colorado and bumped the date up to July 22nd, 2009. More of our friends and family can come now and we're super excited to spend a week up in the mountains with everyone celebrating!!
As for my etsy shop....I havent listed anything new in soooo long. That will all change soon though! I'm making some new curtains for our house next week then I'll start on some new stuff. Was good to take a break for a while. My brain can only concentrate on a few things at a time :)
Hope everyones having a good summer so far!

Some funky new threads

2008-04-24T07:19:00.011-06:00

i got these funky new gauchos from miss kendra at thecalicokids. the have a sweet deady bear applique on one leg and a hugs pocket with a lightning bolt on the other. i love them!!!you can check out her etsy shop at...

http://www.thecalicokids.etsy.com/

she does great work and is super kind :)

i've got some custom orders to finish up today.....then hopefully i will FINALLY add something new to the shop. it seems like forever! guess it'll be even longer if i keep sitting at this computer. hope everyone has a grateful day!!!!!!!!

I'm Back!!

2008-04-07T17:33:00.005-06:00

wow....it's been far too long since my last post! i just kind of got sidetracked....but i'm officially back now! our visit with my sister and brother in law was great! we had so much fun, but of course the time just flew right by :( i've been working on a few new things for my etsy shop. 2 skirts and a top. i still need to dye my hemp....i plan on doing that this week. hooray! i hope it turns out the way i'm envisioning it. i'll be sure to take pics and post about it here.
what else is new with me???
well......ken and i are finally going to be married! after almost 10 years and 3 girlies....we are making it official. what better place to do than in MAUI!! we're so excited. the date is set for october 1, 2009. .. GOOD TIMES!! i would really love to get an eco~friendly dress....made of hemp or hemp/silk but they seem a bit out of my price range. we'll see!
:)
alright...well i need to tend to things around here. glad to be back loving my blog. hope everyone has been well!
~hugs~

i'm featured!

2008-03-07T07:01:00.005-07:00

good morning!! i got some great news this morning :) i'm featured on the etsy profiles blog! please check it out and leave a comment!!! you can find it at:

http://etsyprofiles.blogspot.com/2008/03/earth-and-sun-folk.html

yesterday was crappy.....i pulled something in my back again...booo! it's feeling a bit better this morning though, which is good because i have a TON of things to do today. also, southeast new mexico got slammed with a winter storm right as my sister and brother~in~law were making there way here. so they got hung up an extra night. double boooooo!!!
today is looking much better :) they're back on the road and should be here at about 4 pm.
i'd better go start my day!
hope everyone has a beautiful one!!!

2008-03-05T07:22:00.003-07:00

good morning all you beautiful people! yay!! my sis, amy hits the road today...they'll be here sometime tomorrow. i can't wait!!!! we're gonna have so much fun :) and it'll be nice to relax once they're here. i've been running around like crazy the past week or so. i cleaned the frick out of my house and did a bunch of yard work(still need to do a bunch more) between freecycle and goodwill i gave away about 5 huge garbage bags of stuff :) freecycle rocks.

i finished up my latest custom order late last night..isn't it pretty? my customer picked out the fabrics and how she wanted it to look. i'm popping it in the mail today....i can't wait till she gets it :) shes such a sweetheart and was such a pleasure doing business with! i love my customers!!

i'm in such a happy mood today.....i haven't even had my coffee yet. i think i'll go make some and do the happy dance. have a great day folks!

2008-03-03T11:14:00.003-07:00

i made the front page again last night! it was another one of my wallets :) it didn't sell but i got a lot of traffic and hearts for my shop because of it! i feel so lucky to have made it up there again...and to be featured amongst these talented etsians just made my day,my week,my year!
i should be sewing right now...i'm taking a little break though. i have a custom order i need to get done quickly(since we have family coming to visit) and i want to get a few more things finished before esther goes into the shop.
i'm so excited about this custom order i'm making...it's a matching purse and wallet and she'd like one of my relax yah packs too. i love being able to put together a beautiful piece that the buyer envisioned. makes me happy to make others happy!
anyways...hopefully it'll warm up here.it was 70+ on saturday then it snowed last night. what the hell is that? at least i got some yard work done. our oldest daughter turns 10 on sunday and we usually are able to have the party in the backyard...not so sure this year! send warm, fuzzy vibes everyone!
i'd better get back to work. hope you all have an excellent day!
~fare the well~

2008-03-02T17:50:00.002-07:00

so i went to joanne's to buy just a few things today for a custom order.....and, of course, i ended up going a bit crazy :) here's a sample of what i got. i can't wait to turn these into wallets,bags and who knows what else!! i'm addicted to fabric...

2008-02-29T06:57:00.003-07:00

happy leap day! i have a good feeling about today...just a sense that it will pack a few nice surprises. i've been getting a lot of sewing done the past week but before things are 100% completed ...i start something else. at least i will have some new things to list in the shop this weekend. that seems to be when i get my most traffic and sales. i've got almost all of my spring cleaning done, just have to do a bit more yard work. it's supposed to rain sunday...i hope it holds off till then because saturday is when i plan to work on the yard! i work part time (meaning just fridays) in an office.....so that is where i'm headed today. booooooo! i can't wait til my dye gets here!!! all my hemp fabric is just sitting there desperatly wanting to soak in the tub. hopefully it will arrive soon and before the family gets here for their visit! time to get ready for work i guess..
hope you all have a most excellent day.

it's a beautiful morning...

2008-02-27T07:27:00.004-07:00

good morning! i find myself full of inspiration and motivation today.....what a great way to wake up. i have just a few things to do around the house and then i plan on sewing the rest of the day away! i've got so many ideas....some which will have to wait until i dye my fabric. I have some cool ideas for the new fabric i got this past weekend. i also plan on finishing the hemp skirt i started yesterday. it's so pretty!

i hope everyone has a beautiful day...thanks for reading :)

2008-02-26T18:26:00.003-07:00

hey folks! it's been almost a week since i blogged.....eeek!! i've been a bit busy with the kids and some early spring cleaning :) my sister and brother~in~law are coming up from texas for a visit next week. i'm so excited!!! we'll be sure to have plenty of good times when they get here....i can't wait!!
my birthday was yesterday :) i turned 30. i can't believe i'm 30.....where the hell did my 20's go?? i guess they're right when they say time flies when you're having fun. i'm enjoying life and that's all that matters. yay for being 30! the picture above is me when i was 4 or 5. wasn't i a cutie? hehehe....
in other news...... i got my hemp and i'm just waiting on my order from dharma trading so i can dye it all up. of course, by the time it gets here, my sis will be here so i probably wont be doing any dyeing until they leave. be sure to stop back as i'll be posting pictures of the process :) i made a pretty hemp skirt today, i just have to hem it and then i'll be able to list it in my etsy shop. it seems like forever since i listed anything new! so hopefully i'll be able to list at least a few more things before the family arrives!
alright folks....that's all the time i have for now. hope everyone has had a beautiful week so far!

2008-02-20T10:48:00.008-07:00

hello folks! i thought i'd throw these cool pictures of shiprock on here today. they were taken from the lonely stretch of road right off hwy 497 (previously hwy 666). there's a dirt road you take to get right to the base of the rock....it's 17 miles! the first picture was taken without using zoom....doesn't look like 17 miles huh? pretty crazy. when we first moved out here we drove up to it and had a picnic, when you stand at the base it looks like it's leaning towards you. little did we know....this is a very sacred place and you're not supposed to drive up to it. oops! there were also folks out there climbing...which is prohibited. they may need to put up a sign somewhere letting folks know these things! it used to be an underwater volcano and what is left here is the core of it. it stands over 1700 feet tall.

anyways...i'm just taking a break from making a few things for the shop :) i've got a very funky bag i hope to finish up and list by this evening and some coaster sets. i might make another scrappie too, just depends on how cooperative the little ones are today! i ordered new hemp fabric....some hemp silk and some lightweight hemp/cotton. it should be here any day! i'm going to try my hand at dyeing this time around. i can't wait :) i need to order some dye and some other supplies today. i keep putting it off because i can't decide which colors to get! i wish i could get them all ;) well time to make lunch and put the kids down for a nap. have a great day everyone....hope you enjoyed the pictures!

I made the front page on Etsy!

2008-02-18T22:40:00.002-07:00

yay! the treasury i was featured in made the front page of etsy tonight :) i tried to take a screenshot of the front page but guess what? my wallet sold before i could! so i got a screenshot of the treasury instead :) i'm so happy! i've had an icky day since waking up with my back killing me....after hobbling around in pain all day, this sure is a nice way to end the day! just thought i'd share :)

Featured Artists Infinitecosmos

2008-02-15T21:22:00.019-07:00

hello folks! i decided to feature one of my favorite sellers that i have had the pleasure of doing business with. they are marlena and todd a husband/wife team who make beautifully crafted goods! i asked marlena to tell us a bit about themselves and their work and here is what she had to say.....

"Where to begin....we are a family run business of artists (Todd, the glass blower and Marlena, the computer/packing/shipping goddess and part time seamstress/designer ) with our lovely daughter Leona Fern and our many animals (2 dogs, 1 cat, 2 pygmy goats, 7 chickens, 2 alpacas and 2 sheep). We live out in the country and enjoy the simple pleasures in life such as gardening, tending to our many animals, seeing live music every once in a while, and hiking in the woods. So, in short, we're mellow, easy going, obsessively creative and ALWAYS looking for new ways to improve our business and crafts.

I started sewing when i was about 15. Before that i felt kinda lost and like i didn't have a purpose or talent but once i found sewing it was like a light went on in the creative part of my brain and all of a sudden you couldn't pry me away from my sewing machine with the jaws of life! Needless to say, my grades suffered but I felt like I had finally found my calling and there was no turning back!I became inspired to make my own patchwork clothing when i started going to Phish shows. I saw all these gorgeous mamas in their colorful clothing, selling arm loads of twirly dresses and apron tops in the parking lots and I was just like "oh my goddess, i want to be just like you!!" I remember being in awe of these mamas who would spend all winter and spring sewing away and when summer tour came around they would be able to support themselves by selling their wares. I eventually became one of the stitchin' patchwork dready goddesses that i had so envied in my early teenage years. I spent a couple years on the road making just enough money to get by on my sewing. My stitching style has evolved so much over the years. I first started using bright colored cotton calico fabric to make intricate patchwork apron dresses and such and slowly gravitated towards more sustainable fabrics such as hemp, bamboo and organic cottons. Nowadays, i enjoy incorporating recycled materials such as discarded feedbags to make purses and things like that. Shortly after I moved to Eugene, Oregon in 2001, I met my husband Todd and we joined forces and became Infinite Cosmos. He was the hot, dready (and single!!) glassblowing dude from the Eugene Saturday Market and I was the ragged, just-off-phish-tour sassy stitchin' mama: a match made in hippie heaven! Todd started blowing glass in 1999. He was lucky enough to have a roommate show him some simple techniques and with many MANY hours of practice, he soon became more comfortable behind the torch and developed and perfected many new techniques all on his own. Even though Todd has had a couple lessons early on in his glassblowing days, he really is the ultimate do-it-yourselfer and is 99% self taught! one of the keys to his success (besides his obvious talent!) is the fact that he has a really magnetic and charismatic personality without being obnoxious and overbearing. He has been selling at the Eugene Saturday Market for almost 13 years so he has all but perfected the art of in-person customer service. He has so many loyal return customers who come back to his booth at least a couple times a year (you can't imagine how many times a season i hear people say "you're my favorite booth here at the market! i buy something from you every time i'm in eugene!") and for that we are extremely thankful! Todd and I make a really great team because he is awesome at all the in person transactions at the market (and of course making all the glass!) and I am the "computer genius" (as he likes to call me!) who deals with all the online transactions/emails/shipping/etsy stuff.

These days, I have mostly been sewing for fun rather than profit and have mostly been helping todd sell his glass on our etsy shop. I am slowly getting my sewn items together and have been thinking about opening a separate etsy shop of my own. That is still just an idea but I have so much creative energy and would like to share my new styles with the etsy community!! We'll see how things go i guess....Over the years, we've grown our business more and more every year and the ideas on how to improve are always flowing through us. I'm so proud that we can make a comfortable living doing what we love because it really doesn't feel like work but rather profitable fun."

you can find marlena and todd's goods at the following places:
http://InfiniteCosmosGirl.etsy.com

http://icoregonglass.com

http://icoregongear.com

you can find their blog here:

http://icoregongear.blogspot.com

you can also find them on myspace at:

http://myspace.com/infinitecosmos420dotcom

please do take a minute and check out these kind crafters....you will not regret it. they provide great customer service and top notch goods!!!

scrappies!!

2008-02-13T18:56:00.003-07:00

after getting sick of my scraps accumulating...and not being able to just toss them, i decided to make these fun little things. they're filled with thread,hemp and cotton scraps. i've made a few and my kids just love them!! i also have one i use for a pin cushion :) i figured i'd try them out in my etsy shop and listed this set today. hope you like!

more wallets!!

2008-02-11T21:56:00.000-07:00

i made a few new wallets today :) i love the colors in these...yum! they are listed in my etsy shop if you are interested. i also started a hemp tote...but then decide to play with the kiddos for a while instead of finishing it. now i just don't seem to have the energy to finish it! i'll have it in my shop by tomorrow evening. i am going to be featured in my first blog this week...yay! i'm so excited. i sent the lovely lady all of my info today and i'll be sure to post a link here when it's up. hope everyone had a beautiful day!!!

i wish i was a headlight on a northbound train...

2008-02-09T11:09:00.001-07:00

i've been talking about crafting enough...we all need some down time right? we head up to the mountains when we need a break. there's nothing better than spending a day hiking and stumbling across things like this waterfall. just one of the most beautiful things i have found in colorado! not too long after this picture was taken, there was an incredible thunderstorm. the echo of the thunder was almost deafening and the lightning was everywhere. it was a crazy experience.

after a day spent hiking....there's nothing better than sitting around a campfire and having a beer :) this particular night was freezing, i remember. the crazy thing about living in the high desert is that it will be 100+ degrees when you leave home...but once you get in the mountains it's 70. at night it may be 50 degrees or colder,depending on the elevation. we were at about 8,ooo feet here. and it was cold!! the shooting stars at night are amazing in colorado. you can see them for at least 5 seconds and the all have the most amazing colors! green and blues shooting across a sea of stars....amazing!

these pictures were taken a few years ago in la plata canyon. it is in the san juan national forest...one of our favorite places to camp and hike. it's about 40 minutes from home and a great place to escape to! that's me and our two oldest daughters :)

hope you enjoyed the pictures. i can't wait to get up there again and breath some of that air! until then....i will get back to my sewing :)

2008-02-07T00:58:00.000-07:00

yay! i added a new tote to my shop. it's made up of hemp/PET. PET is made from recycled plastic soda bottles....how cool is that? it's soft and flowy yet so durable. i love working with it!i plan on making and adding some more hemp/PET bags to my shop by sunday, so be on the lookout :)
i'm also having a buy one get one half off sale on everything in my etsy shop.. yay! stop in and check it out if you have an extra minute :)

http://www.earthandsunfolk.etsy.com/

UPDATE:: for more information about recycled PET check out this website: http://www.reusablebags.com/facts.php?id=19!

how many plastic bags do you think were consumed already this year? visit the above website to find out....

2008-02-05T07:01:00.000-07:00

good morning! i finally added a new item to the shop last night. i love this wallet!!! i think i'll make a few more in this style. i'm pretty happy with it! i've got a lot of things to do today....hopefully i'll find time to make some more things. i've had a picture of this tote in my head for about a week now....i need to make it already!
alright,i'd better start my day! please take a second and vote on my poll :)
hope everyone has a great day.

Plugboard....a free way to advertise your shop

2008-02-04T12:28:00.000-07:00

thanks to fellow etsian,bittymoose and her forum post on etsy, which can be found here: http://www.etsy.com/forums_thread.php?thread_id=5447137....
i found out about plugboard!! it is a free way to advertise, by leaving a small clickable link,or button, to your shop on other folk's webpage. buttons are typically 88x13 pixels and need to be uploaded to a site such as photobucket or flickr. bittymoose sells custom buttons for the plugboard through her esty shop, for those who may need help. she also has a great collection of candles and other crafts......give her shop a look!http://bittymoose.etsy.com
you can find more info about plugboard at the above forum thread link. please feel free to add yours to mine, over on the right hand side. please link back to me if you have a site which allows it! thanks!!

a sweet trade

2008-02-02T23:32:00.001-07:00

here is the beautiful, custom knit wrist cuff i received for the custom wallet i posted about a few days ago. i love it!!! it was made by

LanaHandknitting.etsy.com

she does such beautiful work and is such a nice person to do business with! i highly recommend a swing by her shop :)

i am starting to develop an addiction to trading i think! but who can pass up such beautiful offers :)

time to relax....

2008-02-02T23:11:00.000-07:00

hello folks! i've been busy,busy!! besides FINALLY finishing up some half done projects, i made another wrist wrap, a tote, started a custom market tote order and made this pretty little custom 'relax yah pack'. i love purple, it's such a happy color :) just like all my packs....it's filled with 100% natural flax seed. this one also has 100% pure lavender essential oil. yummy! my packs are freezer/microwave safe and they help with everything from headaches to colic! i may have a wholesale order for these and my boo~boo packs soon, keep your fingers crossed for me!!! alright....time for me to clean up a bit and get some much needed sleep. hope everyone is having a great weekend :)

~blessed be~

jenny

time for some love for a fellow etsy seller...

2008-01-30T21:27:00.000-07:00

i came across the most unique item today while looking through the etsy treasuries. this item "spring in a can" by dandeedesigns. what a great way to recycle and brighten up any room! this can comes to you with all the essentials: soil,seeds and care instructions....all packaged well :) she also has a great selection of paper crafts in her shop. please check out her lovely little shop at http://dandeedesigns.etsy.com/

Ramblings...

2008-01-30T07:08:00.000-07:00

today i will be productive. we got some storage cart thingies this weekend for my supplies....trying to get organized! so i have a lot of sorting to do with that today. i'm also going to make a new quilted coaster set for my etsy shop. i love making those....not sure why i don't do it more often,except for the fact i sometimes get bored if i don't change it up.
it's freezing this morning, again. i need a very big,hot coffee with some french vanilla creamer. then i'm off!
like i said.....today will be productive.
~hugs~

2008-01-29T00:33:00.000-07:00

it's been a while since i've blogged :( days just seem to be flying by as of late! the picture above is a new hair wrap i added to my etsy shop. would make a funky little scarf as well! i love purple.....so pretty. i also added a new hemp wallet tonight. i have about 4 projects going right now that i really should've finished up tonight. i cant wait to get them done and added to the shop.
tonight we got hit with the worst snow storm i've ever seen here in new mexico. it's still super windy out but i don't think it's snowing anymore. it was so crazy....it started with a thunderstorm and before you know it we have 5 inches of snow. it's freezing out...the wind takes your breath away and makes it feel like your lungs are going to freeze. i am done with winter. bring on the warmth mother nature!!!! i beg of you!!!
i'm going to go dream of spring now.

what's in your wallet?

2008-01-24T06:24:00.000-07:00

i know....i'm sorry,cheesy title! i wanted to show off my latest wallet. it's a hemp silk and hemp twill lovely. i call it the lima bean.
it was a custom order that i did for trade. i'm getting a sweet knit cuff in return :) i have more wallets in my shop and am always open to custom orders as well....so if you'd like one,let me know!
what else has been going on with me you say? well, my oldest daughter has been sick since saturday. she is finally feeling better,enough to go to school anyways. she just got all ready and then i look outside and see we got about 5 inches of snow(on top of what we already had and the ice) i pop on the t.v. and woooooooooohoooooooooooo 2 hr delay!!! i feel like a kid again :) i think i'll go take a nap on the couch before my day officially starts. hope you all have a happy day.....

my latest creation....

2008-01-21T19:28:00.000-07:00

i finally listed my new circles tote bag in my etsy shop this evening. i gotta say that i just love it :)
i hope everyone else does too!
i'm still not sure what to do with the rest of the fabric.....since i only make one of a kind items, no more bags. i was thinking maybe some placemats.
i wasn't able to get a whole lot done today or this evening. my oldest girlie isn't feeling well today and the little ones are just in a mood! little boogers. hopefully tomorrow and the rest of the week will prove much more productive than today.
time for baths and bedtime stories...hope everyone had a beautiful day!
~hugs~

a great weekend!

2008-01-20T15:10:00.000-07:00

well this weekend has rocked. i've got a lot accomplished so far. i started my latest tote, oh how i love it! i'm trying to decide what i should make with what i have left of the fabric. once i am finished with the tote i'll post a picture and maybe add a poll :)
my oldest daughter doesn't have school tomorrow...which means i'll be able to get a lot more work done. that's always good news! i have a couple of things to list for tomorrow or tuesday, depending on when i get a chance to edit the pictures. i also plan on retaking some photos of some of my items in my etsy shop tomorrow. hopefully the sun will be shining bright and i can do it outside!
that's all for now! i'm off to play with the goobers :)
~love&light~
jenny

wrap it up....

2008-01-17T00:51:00.000-07:00

so here is one of the wrist wraps i made recently. i finally listed it tonight. i love how this one turned out....so pretty,so funky! i'm going to make some more tomorrow and they'll be in my shop by the evening, so check them out! alright...i should at least attempt to sleep at some point tonight.
~cheers~

getting down to business

2008-01-15T21:33:00.000-07:00

i made business cards for my shop tonight. i make them all by hand and each one is different....although, they say the same things front and back. they're so much fun to make!! i used acrylic paints and oil pastels on the batch i made tonight. i finished them off with a sealant.
i love making handmade things....right down to the packaging,labels and business cards. recycling plays a huge role in all things as well. i used the cardboard squares that come inside the quarter flats to make these business cards. it makes me so happy to find ways to reuse things, not to mention saving money too!
hope you all had a beautiful day! i'm off to finish some projects......now that my house is clutter free i'm back to my old self. feels good :)

it's been a crazy week so far...

2008-01-15T14:35:00.000-07:00

i still haven't listed anything new or started on the projects i want to do with the funky new canvas material i got sunday. i've been busy clearing out my house. my girls just have way too many toys and are growing out of clothes left and right! so, i've been trying to round stuff up to freecycle or take to the thrift store. it's amazing the things you can accumulate in such a short amount of time. when we moved out here all we had fit into a jeep and a little honda. now we have a 3 bedroom house packed full of stuff!!! too much. i have a hard time working when the place is so cluttered up....i feel crowded,unorganized,blah.
back to work! hopefully i will be done by this eve and have some new goods to show here and list in my shop soon!
~happy day~

inspiration,move me brightly

2008-01-13T20:06:00.000-07:00

the weekend has come and gone...much too fast! i slacked a bit,as in i didn't accomplish anything in the crafting/sewing department. i did have some much needed down time with the family though :) and that is always good.
i came across some really great canvas fabric and plan on making a market tote with it this week. i made a few wrist cuffs thursday and friday that i need to list in my etsy shop but i think i'll make a few more before i do and list them all at once. they came out real nice,i hope i can bring myself to part with them!
i feel quite inspired and plan on getting a lot of sewing and crafting done this week.
hope everyone had a fantabulous weekend!
:):):)
~jenny

another cold snowy day

2008-01-10T11:21:00.000-07:00

i love days like this. drinking my coffee and crafting here and there. my little ones don't usually let me get too into my stuff until later in the afternoon when big sis gets home from school. today they are happily playing with their toys....so far anyways :)
i am making fabric bracelets or cuffs today. they are fun to make. besides those i'm not sure what else i'll dive into today.....maybe that hemp skirt that's been twirling around in my head. we shall see. hope everyone has a wonderful day :)
~blessed be~
jenny

in the mood....

2008-01-09T16:33:00.000-07:00

i cant seem to quit working the past couple of days....lovin it. i made 2 bags last night. ive got a lot of half finished projects i need to take care of tonight. then i was thinking about making another wallet and some fabric wrist cuffs for the etsy shop. we're getting pizza for dinner....woooooooot! so hopefully i'll be able to get a lot of sewing in. that will never happen if i don't get off the computer.
hope all is well with each of you :)
~jenny

i made a flickr account today....

2008-01-08T11:37:00.001-07:00

girl's boo boo pack set
Originally uploaded by earthandsunfolk

i made a flickr account today......you can click this link to go see some past creations i have made!
~happy day~

http://www.flickr.com/photos/earthandsunfolk/

relax yah pack

2008-01-08T11:34:00.001-07:00

so i've been making relax yah packs for a while now. i can't take hardly any over the counter medicine because of allergies....so when i have a headache or anything really.....these packs help me so much! i don't know what i'd do without them :)
they smell awesome too.....i just got some pure peppermint essential oil and i think i'll make the next batch with that. i also make smaller ones in sets of 3 for little ones. they're so much easier (and cuter)to use than ice packs....my kids love them. i never have a lot of room in my freezer though, so i can't make too many at one time. hmmm....i wonder if i should just put up a custom listing for them in my etsy shop? whatcha think folks?

Hey Now.....

2008-01-07T20:46:00.000-07:00

What's shakin all you lovely folks?
i finally went and did it....i started a blog.
my main purpose of this is to spread the word of my etsy shop and hopefully meet some kind folks along the way.
i guess you want to know a bit about me......well.....i'm a mama of three beautiful daughters. they mean the world to me :) they keep me young and they keep me busy! when i have time i like to make things....all sorts of things. my mind is so cluttered with new ideas right now. i'm excited to get to work on them. i like to sleep in and stay up late (which doesn't work so well with 3 young children) and i like to randomly and frequently give hugs. i don't like to use capitalization when i type and.......i like to do this a lot.........
i hope to add many more goods to my shop this month and get the hang of this here blog.
dig it.
hope all is well with each and every one of you.
~i bid you goodnight~

Earth And Sun Folk

Team EcoEtsy's Auction For A Cause

i wish i were a headlight on a northbound train...

baby it's cold outside

2 times in one day!!!!

front page

october!!!

free shipping!!

time to start bundling up!

back in business....

treasury time

fridays rock

sneezes and coffee

fabric time and sick wee ones...

monday morning rambles...

friday!

i've been featured!

blog giveaway!!

hiking we will go......

bamboo

~*~*Artist Feature*~*~

happy friday!

passing on the wisdom

treasury time

calling all green businesses!

~*~*Artist Feature*~*~

adventures in tub dyeing

it's in the bag

word...

love me 2 times eco skirt

My Poor Little Blog

Some funky new threads

I'm Back!!

i'm featured!

it's a beautiful morning...

I made the front page on Etsy!

***Featured Artists Infinitecosmos***

scrappies!!

more wallets!!

i wish i was a headlight on a northbound train...

Plugboard....a free way to advertise your shop

a sweet trade

time to relax....

time for some love for a fellow etsy seller...

Ramblings...

what's in your wallet?

my latest creation....

a great weekend!

wrap it up....

getting down to business

it's been a crazy week so far...

inspiration,move me brightly

another cold snowy day

in the mood....

i made a flickr account today....

relax yah pack

Hey Now.....

~~Artist Feature~~

~~Artist Feature~~

Featured Artists Infinitecosmos