Please vote for me?!!

I'm calling on all my Etsy friends to please, please do me a favour?  For the first time EVER I'm in the Storque in the Vote for Your Favorite Ornament Contest!  It goes from today until Novemeber 30th and I really don't want to embarrass myself or my Great White North Santa Christmas Tree Ornament (whew, that's a mouthful!) with a low showing of votes!

You can vote for him HERE or even HERE.  I'm not expecting him to win, there is some pretty stiff competetion, but I would really like him not to be in the bottom...which, sadly, he is right now!

 

So please everybody?  Please Vote for him?  Thank you!!

A Gift Week

It has been the most stunning week!  A true reprieve of the upcoming colder, winter temperatures.  A little sunspot in the middle of the woods.  I expect to see a little rabbit sunning in the beams!

Lichens and moss.  How tiny and spectacluar.

The creek running through our property.  The brown grass brings out the blue of the water.

 

Another little pot, I mean spot of gold!

 

The old crab-apple tree.  This is the first tree I climbed as a child, later in life I picked crab apples from it and made wonderful pink jelly, today I enjoy the regalness of it.

That's it, I just wanted to share a beautiful week with you!  Have a great weekend everybody!

Wordless Wednesday

Is Today the Day?

Less than a year and a half after opening my Etsy shop my dreams are coming true!  As of this morning I have had 999 transactions on Bella McBride Designs.  I'm not going to lie, there have been some low points, but goodness, there have been some high points!  This little country mouse has met people from all over the world through the tappings of a keyboard.  Amazing!

I started out with this as my first pattern... Strawberry Fields Hat.  I think it's still one of my favourites and I will never, ever sell the actual prototype.  I love wearing it!

And this is my latest pattern... Winter's Eve Mittens.  I have to say, it's another instant favourite!  I've decided that whomever is my 1000th customer will receive both the Strawberry Fields Hat Pattern and the Winter's Eve Mitten Pattern for free!  Will it happen today?

UPDATE!!!  Yes, today was indeed the day... dreams really do come true!

Thank you everybody!

Needle Felting a Snowman O' Christmas Tree

It has been beautiful and warm all this week.  I wake up to a fresh frost in the morning and by noon the frost has burned off and the temperature soars to 10 C.  The deer only have one more week to go before hunting season ends, and that means I only have to wear hunter's orange for one more week when I go for a walk!  Yay!

I was asked by a really nice customer to make her a Snowman O' Christmas Tree to go with her huge Snowman collection!  I gladly obliged and got right to work on him!

So this is what I came up with!  Do you like him?!

 

Little did I know that he was going to have some companions accompany him to his new home!  This will be my last photo session with the little gang!  I'll miss them, but I know they are going to an excellent home!

Frosty Morning

It was a beautiful frosty morning when I got up this morning. Very strange to see all the frost and still have fog obscuring my view across the valley.
A doe was browsing for food down by the creek. I hope she keeps safe from all the hunters out there.Two little kitties curled up in their bed.
Opps, I've been spotted!
A big fat blue jay flew in and drew their attention away from me.
Just look at those blue eyes! I don't know why his eyes haven't changed to green like his brothers? Ahhh.... the life of a cat.

Needle Felted Santa Stars and Trees...And a Piggy Too

A few more needlefelted sculptures to add to my McBride House shop.

A white on white Star Santa to hang from your tree, garland or chandelier.
A white on white Christmas Tree Santa. Also designed to hang.
A Santa Tree all decorated and ready to be adopted!

He even comes with his own garland!
Finally my little Piggy was out helping me take pictures. He loves to just sit and watch me work.

Winter's Eve Mitten Crochet Pattern

My newest crochet pattern, Winter's Eve Mittens. I have to confess that out of all my patterns, this is in the top three! The romantic cuff can be worn both down and up for two totally different looks.



I usually take all my photos outside by myself with a tripod precariously balanced and kitty cats threatening to tip it over at any moment. Today, however, when I was up at my Mom's house, I noticed how good the light was in her studio. I've been procrastinating taking these pictures because it is REALLY hard to set the timer on the camera while wearing mittens! So I rushed home and grabbed my Winter's Eve Mittens and camera and the above is the result! She was the perfect model! Thanks Mom!

Needle Felted Owl and Santa Bear Claws

This is Hootavius A. Owl who is looking for a new home. He comes with this dapper outfit complete with a pocket watch and everything!
And this is Santa Bear Claws. He really likes to be called Claws for short and he's on the prowl for good little boys and girls!