simple things sunday

Trinity and her ginger hair blending in oh so nicely with the leaves.

Joining Simple as That for Simple Things Sunday.

elusive perfection

As I walked along and swished my feet through the fallen leaves, I kept looking for it...the perfect specimen. Leaf after leaf was rejected...too big...too small...uneven colouring...crispy edges...not symmetrical...blah blah blah. Then it dawned on me. In looking for perfection, I was ignoring their individual beauty. How often have I been too hard on myself and others for not being perfect? All too often. So here it is...a leaf kind of like me...lopsided and with blemishes. But it glows with colour and a uniqueness all its own!

Fall Giveaway!

Time to celebrate! In gratitude for all you wonderful, faithful followers out there, I am giving away this pair of handknit fingerless gloves. They are made out of the softest merino wool from Family Pendragon Yarn in the colourway called "Inner Wild". To enter to win, please first make sure you are a follower of my facebook page, and then comment below the picture there on my page. I will be drawing a winner on Friday, October 12 at 10pm EST.

Hope you are enjoying these beautiful days of fall!

a mother's love

 

This painting evokes fond memories of me sitting beside my mother as a child watching...learning. There was something so comforting in watching her hands move rhythmically as she knit up a sweater, or smocked a sweet pinafore for one of us girls. I was always in awe to see her turn a simple ball of yarn, or a scrap of fabric into something not only useful, but beautiful!

As the years went by, she taught me how to do these things, too...and we would sit side by side, she with swift movements and absolute precision....me with pricked fingers, loose strings and uneven stitches. But she was ever so patient, and being near to mom, being just like mom was all that mattered to that little girl that I was...and so I kept on.

She allowed me complete access to her sewing room. From the huge trunk of brightly coloured fabrics, to the funky vintage laces and trims, to the hand dyed wools...all was mine to delve into and create with! What a generous and patient woman. But she understood the excitement and passion that I felt in being creative and working with my hands, because she felt it too, and she wanted to nurture it.

To this day, we thoroughly enjoy sitting side by side with our knitting or sewing. Often with a cup of coffee or glass of wine...talking excitedly about our next project idea, or sharing our heart.

I am ever so grateful to my mother for nurturing this creative passion in me...for fanning those sparks when she could have so easily quenched them instead.  Creativity usually involves mess, and most moms (including myself) really dislike mess. I catch myself telling my kids...no you can't play with the playdough. It's too messy. And then I remember my mother and all she did for me, and I get out not only the playdough, but the paints and markers as well!

I am pleased and delighted to announce that my mom, whom my kids know as "Grandma Posie" is now making clothes for my luvkin Waldorf dolls. They can be found in my Etsy shop called "luvkin". She also is making children's clothing which are listed in my Etsy shop called Handmaiden Canada. I am very excited to be embarking on this adventure with her! I look forward to many more days of creating together!

"Grandma Posie's" handmade dolly clothes, swaying in the breeze!

still parenting

I am so incredibly honoured to be featured on Arianne's blog still parenting as one of her "Creative Mamas".On it, I share a little bit about myself, and the "whys and wherefores" of my crazy obsession with Waldorf dollmaking! :P Come looksee!


http://stillparenting.blogspot.ca/2012/03/creative-mamas-rebecca-with-handmaiden.html

my sister

I just HAD to share this beautiful painting that my sister, Emily brought over to me the other day. Isn't it gorgeous? The colours, the teeny tiny details...I was completely blown away! She captured my dolls perfectly, and then gave them a stunning meadow of wildflowers (indigenous to these parts) to lie in.

Thanks so much, sweet sister for sharing your artistic gift with me...but most of all thank you for your love and friendship. :)

 Myself and two of my sisters, Emily, and Shanti.

celebrating one year

It's hard to believe that it has been one year since I sold my very first handmade Waldorf inspired doll!

Here she is...

I had started an Etsy shop a few months previous and had sold a few of my upcycled felted goodies and hand knit and crocheted items. That was a lot of fun...but selling my very first doll...well that was downright AMAZING!!

I will never forget getting her ready to go...making sure all loose threads were trimmed and then carefully packaging her up for her long journey. Handing her over to the lady at the post office was definitely a "letting go" of sorts.

There is a lot of time and attention to detail that goes into making a handmade doll. It's hard not to get attached to him or her in the time spent in stitching, crocheting and knitting. It's like they start to get a personality of sorts...especially when their features are embroidered on their face and their hair is sewn on. As I told my sister, I kind of feel like Geppetto must have felt when he lovingly carved his little puppet Pinocchio!

I have made 56 dolls in total, so far. Each one is unique...one of a kind. I think that is one of the things that makes dollmaking so enjoyable. Hunting down the perfect yarn for hair...picking the fabrics to match...coming up with a name, is all part of the fun.

And creating a little companion that a child will love and treasure hopefully for a lifetime...it doesn't get much better than that. :)

And I have met SO many wonderful people through all of this. To thank all of you supportive and loyal followers and customers, I am offering 15% off everything in my Etsy shop today. Use the coupon code CELEBRATE1 when you get to the checkout!

Win a custom 12 inch Waldorf inspired luvkin doll!!

Hey, all you blogger friends out there! Come on over to Green Child Magazine and enter to win one of my 12 inch custom Waldorf inspired luvkin dolls.

 And the winner is....Arianne!!! Congratulations! Can't wait to see what your dream dolly is going to look like. :)

{this moment}