A new octo-ish felted friend says "hello!" Trying to get back to being creative and making things is tough after a long, uncrafty spell -- it's hard to get back into the habit.  So I hope you enjoy this guy while I try to get back to something resembling a productive schedule.

Announcing Wee Felt Worlds!

Greetings everyone!

Whew!  Time has just been flying by here in No Mail Day world.  It's already a new year -- the start of 2013 means that we're officially in The Future, and that means... well, I'm not sure what it means yet but it's exciting.

Now that it's finally here (well, almost -- the release date is February 15th!) I'm excited to announce that my work has been included in an awesome new needle felting project book from Lark Crafts and Amanda Carestio, Wee Felt Worlds: Sweet Little Scenes to Needle Felt.

Here's my copy -- the cover is so whimsical -- the purple blobby alien is one of my projects!

 Here's the official description:

"There's something magical about things made in miniature—and now you can create whole wee worlds of them, with three-dimensional critters and scenery. It's easy to do with needle felting, an oh-so-simple process that requires few tools. Choose one of ten fun felted scenes with 50 individual items, including a prehistoric landscape with dinosaurs, volcanoes, and Paleolithic plants; a camping adventure featuring an adorable bear cub; a sweet sewing room, and even a galaxy far, far away with UFOs! Along the way, readers get tons of techniques and tips from the designers—from basic felt shaping to creating joints—and lots of helpful step-by-step illustrations. "

It's been about a year since I finished these projects, and seeing them here feels a little surreal! I contributed two "scenes" to the book, a space scene and a fun science scene, for a total of 11 little projects. It's such an honor to be included alongside such super talented needle felting artists, and the great photography and adorable styling really brought everything to life in a way that completely exceeded my expectations.

And of course I couldn't resist a few fun photos: 

Alien Girl explores her bio and instructions!

Approved wholeheartedly! < 3

Anyway, you can pre-order (or order, it looks like) Wee Felt Worlds on Amazon, and hopefully find it at other bookstores after February 5th. If you've ever thought about giving needle felting a try, it looks like this will be a good place to start!

Title: Wee Felt Worlds: Sweet Little Scenes to Needle Felt

Editor/Author: Amanda Carestio

Publisher: Lark Crafts

ISBN: 978-1454703938

End of September Blues...

September's almost over already!  Where it went is anybody's guess -- the following things can only have added to it:

- New Job!  I got a new job in youth services (!), at another library.  This is very exciting to me since it's basically the next step in my professional development, but I'm still getting used to the hours.  It's an exhausting change that has left my head spinning, a little bit! Needless to say, this has been at the forefront of my mind lately, and crafting and blogging have sadly had to take a backseat for the moment.

- Fall Activity Extravaganza!  When not busy being exhausted, I have been throwing myself at autumn with everything I have.  Apple picking, hiking, pumpkin-themed foods... this year I'm determined to do it all! 

Apples!  That I picked myself!  Off of a tree!  And they were all, without exception, somehow amazing.

- Time Spent With Friends is Time Well Spent.  Enough said, but somehow it always seems like too much time passes between spending time with good friends.

In a way, this time of year leaves me feeling down -- summer's over, and that means that winter is on the way. But fall... fall is just the best.  It's my favorite season, my favorite time of year, with my favorite activities and tastes and holidays.  At the same time, it's only a matter of time before fall is over again, and winter comes. That's always in the back of my mind, and it seems to add a sense of melancholy to everything. It's important to just enjoy everything while I can!