Santa Claus II

Have I been naughty this year? I made another Needlefelted Santa Claus this week, but he is insisting that I find him a new home! Hmmph!

I made Santa from 100% wool (mostly alpaca) by a technique called needle felting, which involves poking and prodding different colours of wool with a very (and I mean very) sharp needle until the perfect results are formed. I also hand dyed the red in his suit.

Santa stands at 21 cm tall or 8 inches.

Lucky Me!

Last week, much to my surprise, I won a $100.00 Gift Certificate at the Gateway Mall! Today I spent it all! I'm usually very sensible when it comes to shopping and today was no different....I sensibly spent it all on myself! Well, I did buy a quilted jacket for my husband, but the rest was spent on pinks, baby blues and a pair of jeans! I need those pinks to help me get through the long winter months!

Black Friday Specials

In Canada, we don't have Black Friday like the United States has. Our biggest shopping day is Boxing Day, the day after Christmas, well, sort of. Some Provinces regulate that Boxing Day must be a holiday, so our biggest shopping day is the day after Boxing Day...unless there is a snow storm, then it is the next day!!! Yes, I know, confusing!

But to the point....today and up until the end Cyber Monday (another new concept to me!) I am having free shipping on my Felted Santa Claus and my 100% Wool Autumn Days Hat!

I really had fun making this little guy, but I think he is ready to go to a new home!

Autumn Days Hat is made with my Sunset Hat Pattern from 100% Wool from Canada's Oldest Woolen Mill, Briggs and Little. These hats are so warm but light weight. Again, I hate to part with this one, but I already have so many!

Identity Crisis!

I always thought of my patterns to be of the nature of being kind of fun, whimsical, or romantic! Something that hopefully puts a smile on your face and makes you feel pretty and feminine? Well then, consider my surprise when I found my Brunswick Bootwarmer Pattern featured in the number one spot of the Gift Guides (which then ended up on the front page periodically throughout the evening) in the STEAMPUNK AND DARK ARTS!! Ha ha! Just shows you never take yourself too seriously!

See!! I ended up on the front page throughout the evening!

Thank you Etsy! I had a good laugh, got lots of exposure and even got a sale! Most of all I learned something about myself and I'm going to let that Dark Side slip out more often!

Some Thank You's!

A few weeks ago I won a bloggy giveaway from JMcGuinness from McGuinness Photography. I won four lovely cards with a Monarch Butterfly on them, which is perfect since my husband and I both studied Entomology at University! Below is one of my favorite prints she has on her site.

You really need to check out this multi-talented artist! Better still 10% of proceeds gets donated to 3bunnies.org.

Saturday morning I awoke to a lot of snow and a nice surprise! The Feathered Nest featured some of my crochet patterns. Her Etsy store, Sewmanyroses has some of the most darling items!

Just look at this adorable Baby Shoe Pincushion adorned with vintage lace and buttons!

Lucky for me, a fellow Etsian, Pat Winter, from Patwintergathering saw my Romance Wristwarmers and asked me to make a custom pair for her and added me to her blog, Pat Winter Gatherings! You can see her posting here.

Pat actually has her own book! Imagine!
"Garden creatures and florals in silk ribbon embroidery, beading, and stitching encrust fabrics and bring them alive with elements of nature scattered throughout my work. Photos of my prize winning crazy quilt and numerous other works shown in full color are offered to inspire. I have sprinkled a few projects along the path in hopes to encourage the reader to try their hand at this beautiful Art of Crazy Quilting."

Also this week my Scotian Hat Pattern was featured on the Lime and Violet Daily Chum Blog. TNTKnits asked me if it was alright to feature my Hat and of course I said YES!

Thank you everybody!

Santa Baby

I just finished and listed my first felted Santa Claus. Whew, I've never made a felted item this big before, but I'm really pleased with the results.

He is designed to sit on a shelf, mantle or box and is 25 cm or approx. 10 inches tall when he is sitting.

Look at the round little belly!

Me holding him!

Ho ho ho!

Frosty's First Snow

This morning we woke up to our first real snowfall of the season. They were only calling for a few centimeters, but obviously we got a lot more than that, and it is still snowing! Oh well, it's a good day to work on some new projects, a new felted Santa Claus for starters!

It's starting to look a lot like Christmas!

This is Frosty's first snowfall and I was anxious to see what he would think of it.

He LOVES it! He buries his head in the snow, tosses it in the air and chases it.

Look how proud he is of himself!

Welcome Pierre and Tweed

I have two new felted additions to Bella McBride Designs: Tweed and Pierre the Snowmen.

This is Tweed. He's a jaunty soul, very distinguished. I can see him wandering the moors, looking for his soul mate.

He has an acorn cap and his scarf is a combination of browns and blues. He is a small little snowman though, only 8.5 cm tall, but full of vigor!

And this is Pierre. Now Pierre is a real ladies man. See how his acorn cap is tipped to the side? Very devilish!

Pierre loves his long moss green scarf. He thinks it makes him look slimmer, but between you and me, it doesn't! Pierre is slightly bigger than tweed coming in at a height of 9 cm and his bottom and belly are quite fluffy! Shhh, don't let him know I said that!

My Work Room Part II

I like to sit at this window and daydream. It faces the driveway and I love to watch for my husband to come home, there is a bird feeder that I love to watch, in the winter when the leaves are off the trees you can see across the valley and I can see my brother's house and the church I was married in.

If you look really, really closely you can see the same church that me, my parents and my grandparents were all married in.

Another view of that fabulous skylight that was bought and paid for by Bella McBride Designs!

My loveseat where I can sit and look out both the skylight and my window. Also my treadmill that gets used when I'm stuck or frustrated on a project.

The upstairs of our house is the only place that my husband's moose horns can hang. I recovered them in black velvet and hung my purse collection from them. There is a matching set on the other side. Luckily he hasn't got his name drawn for a licence in years! I refuse to hang them in the bedroom!

Just a small sample of some books. The rest of my books are in my other workroom, which will be coming in a few days. Also, my favorite purse: Waves of Ruffles.

Finally, the messy part of my work room. My beloved yarn stash!

My Workroom Part I

I actually have two work rooms where I like to create in (lucky me), and this is a small look into the first one. The table was made by my Great-grandfather, and the chairs were made from a local factory where I live...maybe 100 years ago! The factory is long, long gone! On the shelf above my table are the teddy bears that I made (except for one that is a childhood toy) a few years ago. I had to give teddy bear making up, and I still miss doing it.

I just got a skylight installed on Friday and I'm so loving it! The extra light is just incredible! My favorite views are that of trees, and luckily the trees behind the house are tall enough that I can see them when I'm working in my room.

This is a tea box I received as a gift a few years ago, but it works perfect for buttons.

A little pin cushion that I made from the top of a paint can and some fabric I had laying around for years. Above is a glass frame with two four leaf clovers and one FIVE leaf clover my husband found for me. The pin cushion is sitting on a cherry jewellery box my uncle made me for a graduation gift, many, many years ago!

Breakfast at Mom's

We live out in the country and it is not uncommon to see deer. However it is hard to appreciate them when they come for breakfast in your garden! These two are regulars at my Mom's place, if you look really close you can see the frost on the back of the doe (left) and the tiny little antlers on the "Button Buck".

Go Home Said the Man in the Moon

"Because its gettin sorta late and I'll soon turn out my light
Go home said the man in the moon
Go home"
The Late Great John Denver

When I was little my Mom used to let me listen to John Denver's "Back Home Again" album when I was napping. I fell in love with his songs and they bring a rush of emotions back when I hear them. Tonight the moon is shining and all I can think of is the lyrics "Go Home Said the Man in the Moon, Go Home", and I smile.

Sunset Purse and Hat on Etsy Gift Guide

As I was looking at the gift guides on Etsy today, I was surprised to see my Sunset Hat and Purse Crochet Set in the Mom's Guide. Thanks Etsy!

Novemeber 11th....Remembrance Day

In Canadian school auditoriums across the country we heard the poem "In Flanders Field" read to us time and time again. Now, as adults, please stop and read it again, really read it, let it sink in and be so thankful for what we have.


In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved, and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders Fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders Fields.

- John McCrae

Scotian Winter Hat Crochet Pattern

I did it! I just now finished and listed my newest addition to Bella McBride Designs; Scotian Winter Hat. I just love this one! You could make this in one evening, easily! Just sit down and watch a movie and voila! A new hat! These would make great gifts for that hard to buy for teenager in your life.

I really like the pink and cream of this one. I can't wait for a cold day to wear it now!


Are we ever too old for pigtails?

Made with yarn in two colours crocheted together to give it this nice homespun look.

I used some scraps of yarn to finish this one. It's made with Briggs and Little %100 yarn. Nice and warm!

Favourite Things II

Do you have a picture that just makes you smile? This is one of my all time favorites, taken with those "new" digital cameras a few years back. Sadly, Petie Bird is no longer with us, and this picture is now a double edged sword. It makes me smile, but takes a little piece of my heart too. Isn't he a handsome devil? Pretty, but a little "bird brained" (hence the name), but I guess we can't have it all, can we?

Treat Yourself Like a Queen

This is probably not what you think...champagne, beer, some exotic drink ready to be toasted for a special occasion? Nope, it's a Vitamin C drink to help me fight my cold. When I'm feeling sick I drape myself in pink and treat myself to my best china and stemware. Why not, we deserve it, don't we?

Fall is Over, but....

All the fall leaves have fallen to the ground and now it looks, well, quite gloomy. What do you call this time of year? It's not quite winter, but it doesn't quite feel like fall.


We've been burning wood for the past month already, but there is still plenty left for the long months ahead. I don't mind though, I love curling up in front of the fire and reading a great book, or working on a new pattern. Sigh, life can be good!

Momentous Occasion

Today I did the unthinkable...I reached 300 sales!

In other new, I'm working on two new patterns. One is a Christmas Snowflake Stocking and the other is a Hooded Neckwarmer. Just a little sneak peak of the Christmas Stocking!