*Emily's November Owl* ~~a gift for you~~

Right click to save, then print....I hope!! :)

November

Besides the autumn poets sing,

A few prosaic days

A little this side of the snow

And that side of the haze.

A few incisive mornings,

A few ascetic eyes,

--Gone Mr. Bryant's golden-rod,

And Mr. Thomson's sheaves.

Still is the bustle in the brook,

Sealed are the spicy valves;

Mesmeric fingers softly touch

The eyes of many elves.

Perhaps a squirrel may remain,

My sentiments to share.

Grant me, O Lord, a sunny mind,

Thy windy will to bear!

Emily Dickinson, November....

And I am too lazy to go look up the year. :)

Please enjoy this free owlie, 'tis only fair to give you since I normally indulge in shameless self-promotion within these pages~!! So to compensate, I'm sharing a scrap of sketchbook with you...PLEASE make and sell from this design (giving credit where it's due, of course.)

And what else? Well. School is underway and our annual trip to Grand Lake is over...and we had such a lovely time at Mountain Lakes Lodge! (Even though we have to drive over Trail Ridge Road to get there...yikes!) Scarey roads--or rather, the lack thereof--or no, Rocky Mountain National Park is just awesome, and we had a wonderful holiday. But it is good to be back in the nest...

Blessings,

Meg

"Peace - that was the other name for home."

~Kathleen Norris

Happy Einschulung!

In Germany, Einschulung is the first day of school...which is exactly one week from today, here in Northern Colorado! So, I thought I would *celebrate* (though it's kind of sad!), with a few "Back to School Bears"

(...except one's a monkey. Okay...here we go!! )

*Zoe Bananas!*

SOLD!

thank you!

May I introduce you to Zoe? She's wearing her new back-to-school polka-dot dress and holding a zuckertuete ~~a treat cone that German children might recieve on their first day of school! (Except this treat cone is a needle emery...!)

Zoe is quite the cute little monkey and is sitting pretty on a sweet pin cushion (made from banana print fabric!! In fact, all fabric used in this piece is Moda's 5 Funky Monkies...FUN!). Zoe is bead & thread jointed, her noggin jointed by cotter pin...these are both very old ways of joining teddies!

Oh yes, Zoe...we see you!

Her green glass eyes are just beautiful...look at those tiny lids and dotty lashes!! Her face, sculpted hands and feet, and her ears, are all made from 100% wool felt that I have over-dyed to get just the right shade... Zoe is made from mohair, stuffed with wool and weighted with steel shot। (Her pin keep is stuffed and weighted the same)। Zoe's features are enhanced with needle felting, and she is hand-shaded.

Zoe's treat cone/emery contains 3 functional pins that are trimmed in vintage tid-bits, just like the cone flowers...I like that *peppermint* bead as it reminds me of the candy probably spilling from those sugary cones...

Zoe sits sweetly at 4" high (seated measurement), and on her pinkeep the entire piece is a bit over 6". Please contact me if you have any questions...there are many little details and I may have left something out!!

*Zoe Bananas* is OOAK &

SOLD!

(thank you!)

(includes priority travel fare)

email me to purchase

While making this piece, our little family had a brief discussion of things German...

CHLOE: Am I a German kid?
JOE & MEGAN: No. (pause)

CHLOE: hmmmmm....good thing that I can write poems!

(?)

*Lucy Bear Back-to-School*

SOLD!

(thank you!)

Lucy is a bitty thing...only 5" high! Can you believe she's big enough to start the first grade?! I can't. :(

But there she is, none the less! All ready with her brand new wool felt scarf and messenger bag (it has A-B-C beads sewn on!!), and her vintage hankie skirt is quite trendy, as it buttons at the side...

Lucy is made of mohair, stuffed with wool and weighted with steel shot...she is hand shaded and her features are enhanced with needle felting. She is 5-way jointed, arms and legs with old-style thread jonting and her head via cotter pin. She is quite poseable! Her eyes are glass...

Now, Lucy Bear keep insisting that she can walk to school on her own...this will not be happening! Big-girl-back-pack or no, a Mommy must take you when you are only 5" high!

*Lucy Bear* is OOAK &

SOLD!

(thank you!)

(includes priority travel fare)

email me to purchase

And who remembers poor ol' Harold?! Well, he's on sale...Harold has become quite grouchy, truth be told, and we're eager to be shut of him!

He's on the ol' etsy....

And what else have we been up to here at The Magpie Nest? Welllll....we have yet another new baby! Chloe's Uncle stopped by with this most delightful horned toad... he is just tiny! The sweetest thing...we have a little nursery for him and feed him ants every few hours, throughout the day:

I am thrilled to tell you he sleeps throught the night...even though he's only a bit over an inch long and doesn't weigh enough to be weighed on our postal scale!! Such a tiny wonder...I've grown quite attached.

And then there's Homer Wommack, the most patient dog in the world:

The sweetest doggie in the world, AND he looks smashing in a petticoat!!

Blessings,

Meg

October Chick~!!

Wellll...I didn't accomplish nearly as less as I usually wouldn't, having previously said I would have an update. Still, I wish I had more to show you. I took a break and watched "This Family Robertson" (Chloe, 6). Anywho...

I did manage to finish this chicken...and boy oh boy, she is a beauty!

*October Chick*

pin keeper

The entire height is 6", and the bottom egg cushion is about 5+" long. Chickie is made from Helmbold Mohair that I have hand-dyed, and is stuffed with wool...around the green glass eyes I have needle felted a bit. Tiny beak and feet are 100% wool felt. (And the feet have a neato pleat and dart construction which just isn't showing up in the pictures...) The chick is made from a vintage pattern and has 3 gussets in all...very detailed little gal!

Fun, delightful, trim and green ric-rac and velvet ribbon are sewed all around this whimsy~~ the orange plastic flowers you see are vintage, and I have turned them into functional pins...the costume's flowers are the same and secured with tiny green glass beads...and oh yes, the sweetest Moda pumpkin print lines the wings, you just can't see...it matches the Moda flannel of the bottom egg, the striped egg is made from quilt shop quality fabric as well.

This pin keeper is gently weighted with fine gravel and steel shot...it sits quite nicely and is decorative AND functional...how nice is that?!

SOLD

(thank you!)

I suppose it could be just for the Autumn season, but were it mine, it would stay out year 'round! (But I just put away a Christmas Cat about 2 weeks ago...so...)

In the works? All of the things I didn't get done, and I'm working on some tiny, itty bitty, teensy, owl pins. And a baby crow. And a squirrel. And some schematic drawings I'm supposed to do that, frankly, make my teeth hurt (snap!). But I will finish them, oh yes I will. Anyway, these little owls will be black and white, brown...all different, and the eyes are only 2mm!!! Very tiny! There's a little pin back, and I might pop some onto etsy in the next few days...

Thank you so much for your consideration of my work...thanks to all you folks at home, I have the coolest job(s) ever: a work-at-mom. Even when it's hot and sweaty and cranky and fighty, the wonderful outweighs it all...

Blessings,

Meg

Luisa and her tiny dollie...

..."Lorinda". Which, at our house, is the most beautiful name in the world! ( So far we've had 3 dollies and 2 snails named Lorinda...just within a week's time...!!!) Anywho...this sweet 7" Bun' and her 3" Dollie are on eBay this week. Please visit their auction if you have a few moments~~

New work will be posted here on

Tuesday evening...crows, pumpkins, peeps and poppets! I do believe it's time for Halloween themed offerings...

Blessings,

Meg

Prettier in Pink...

Well...

No one is more surprised than myself that I actually have an upload on the day I said I would have an upload! I'm faint, and a bit shocked to be totally honest with you...but here's the gang I've got for this Tuesday...and keep scrolling down...the best if for last!

(Just click on the sale prices of the piece(s) you're interested in purchasing...it will generate an email to me, and I will send you a paypal invoice~~sale prices are at the bottom of the descriptions.)

For Sale~!! :)

SOLD!!! (thanks!)
*Bun' in the Garden*

Pincushion

A lovely sewing helper that is sure to brighten your day when threads are snapping and pins are poking..
Bun' is barely 2" high if you count her ears, and a wee 2.5" long. Entire cushion is barely 3" high, and almost 9" 'round. Sewn from re-cycled pink wool (used to be Chloe's dress!)...ric-rac trim is sewn around and I have made flower pins from the wool, yummy vintage-looking sequins, and pearl pins. An excellent addition your sewing nook!!

$37.50

(includes priority shipping)

**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~**~~**

SOLD!!! (thanks!)

*Cindi Bear Sews*

a One of a Kind Bear

Everyone knows that Cindi is an excellent seamstress....
Though a wee 7" high (not free-standing), she is quite efficient and is most reliable...to say that she is "sought after" to mend blankies and the such is an under-statement!

Cindi is 5-way jointed and made of helmbold mohair. Her muzzle is hand-shaded. Her paws are made from the same pink re-cycled wool...her skirt is sewn from a vintage hankie and her eyes are antique shoe buttons...so many lovely old things make up this bear!
To assist Cindi, she travels with a strawberry emery mounted on a vintage thread spool...it's 2.5" high, and is covered in dainty pale green beads...a heart shaped pin and wool leaves and silk petals complete this sweet addition.

$63.00

(includes priority shipping)

**~~**~~**~~**~~*~~**~~**~~**

SOLD!!! (thanks!)

*Sarah Sails*

a One of a Kind Bear

I am so happy with how this Bear turned out! I have had a tiny bit of her dress fabric in my stash for a few years, and finally made something special enough to use it up!~~it's a 40s looking polka-dot print, with tiny stars scattered over the back-ground and a crescent moon and anchor on each polka-dot...tiny crochet lace trims the dress perfectly...

Sarah is 8" high, 5-way jointed and made of sparse Helmbold mohair...her muzzle and paws are hand-shaded and her eyes are antique shoe buttons. (Paws and pads are 100% wool felt...) She's stuffed with polyfill, excelsior, and steel shot.
I have crocheted a hat especially for Sarah~~ it even has a hole cut into it to fit 'round her right ear!! It's made of wool yarn and has a ribbon woven through the edging...felted a bit for fitting, and then a vintage button (pinned on) makes the hat "just so". Bear, dress, and hat have been carefully aged and antiqued..Sarah's details are carefully recorded onto an Americana tag created by Lori, of Vintage Palette.

Sarah has been made to look as if she's very old (she assures me this is not "an act")...we were discussing how loose her right leg is...Sarah was simply appalled at the idea that I would tighten or mend anything about her bearish person! She informed me that there is a specific reason that her right leg is as it is...

...it seems she was carried by it most of the time. These were some of her dearest memories (as she could sit right side up upon arrival...), journies she would take with her girl. Sarah sweetly explained that quite often things are not as they seem~~ while I had assumed she would like her leg to be tightened up, in fact she would not as it reminds her of her girl and their adventures.

Sarah has a story about her hat, her dress...even the button pinned onto her hat ribbon...and she will tell you each of them upon her arrival, at your convenience!

$98.00
(includes priority shipping)


**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**

And that's that~!! Hopefully you've enjoyed my offerings....and I just might have something to show you next Tuesday as well!

Thank you for your consideration...

Blessings,

Meg

Dollies and Bears for Sale...

...on Tuesday, July 17th. I will update this page for your shopping pleasure! :) You can certainly subscribe to my blog, so that you know the exact moment in time, and of course I'll do the ol' email list.

With rising costs and looming deadlines of just about every selling venue (besides etsy), more and more artists are beginning to take control of their own destinies~!! And so shall I...

Blessings,

Meg

S is for Squirrel!

Well, it's here! My super-dee-dooper newest Needle Punch Pattern, and the next in the alphabet series...So far there's P & O...T never really took off, so there'll be a whole new one o' those.

Today I am introducing the Letter S...*S is for Squirrel!!*

Available on etsy and eBay, or you can buy it right here...

$8.40, Free shipping (as always)

This one comes with the punch pattern (that you can hook, too), and it also has a wee acorn-shaped pinkeeper to make up...would make a cute ornament too!

The Red oak leaves that "frame" Mr. Squirrel are made from 3 strands variegated, 3 strands solid, and 1 strand of thread, for a very subtle and beautiful effect...I kept thinking of how amazing Autumn leaves really are with their different dappled colors...I fear I have not done them justice!

And I'm planning to have every single-pattern-ever in my etsy store within the week. Plus, more in the Alphabet series, as well as more Punch Poppets...

I often am inspired by Emily Dickinson...I remember falling in love with her poems at our community college here, and seeking solace within the pages of borrowed paperback collections...Emily spoke to me at a peculiar time in my life, and I remain enchanted. I especially love her images of autumn, and frankly, when the summer weather is so horribley hot, I love to make Autumn Offerings of Art and to read Emily's thoughts on cooler seasons...

The morns are meeker than they were,

The nuts are getting brown —

The berry's cheek is plumper,

The rose is out of town.

The maple wears a gayer scarf,

The field a scarlet gown.

Lest I should be old-fashioned,

I'll put a trinket on.

~ Emily Dickinson

Until next time,

Blessings,

Meg

A Daring Move...

...oh yes, it's revolutionary my dear friends. I think this blog is it. Really. I think that pretty soon it will just take over the ol' website I have-for-no-apparent-reason.

Although, I must admit, that when you state "I'm self-employed" (and you get THE LOOK. You know the one....), and then you get THE QUESTION:

Oh. What do you do????

Ah. What, indeed, do I do? Well, Ms. XPQ....I am an artist.

Oh. Uh.... (and here, she actually gets a bit flustered...I've thrown her some kind of curve-ball or something...she was expecting direct-selling companies with ornate pyramids...or she was thinking I'd started my own church...or that I make and sell vegan corn-dogs...something like that. But no. No, no, Ms. XPQ. I make ART. Hah!) ...what kind of art?

Okay. Now the corn-dogs were pushing, I'll admit. But I have seriously, honestly, fielded the above question. WHAT KIND OF ART. And I'll tell you, I'm freakitin tempted to make up a new "movement". Like, say, I'll be like:

"Oh, I'm a horkenstatter. Part of a guilde, have my own kiln and all...you know, with the natural fibers...NOT the synthetic frooglenabbers. I feel pretty strongly about using 100% 'nabbers. I mean, who can deny a good, quality, froogle?? Just like my Grandmother used....I feel like I'm really passing something along, you know..."

Anyway. Who cares what kind of art???? We kind of get right back to the what-do-you-do idiocy. Really. Okay...back in the real world, I actually say:

I'm a folk artist. (And then, my my, you really get the look! And you can see Ms. XPQ thinking....was the rotweillwer poo fella a folk artist? hmmm.....) But all I have to say, to relieve all tension, to diffuse and validate this akward interview, is this:

I have a website.

And then, "we're cool", Ms. XPQ and I. We are good-to-go.

But, I am giving away all of that security for a mere $20 a month (...which buys a little more than 5 gallons of milk, you know.)

I've experimented, and saying, "Well, I have a blog!", just doesn't have the same effect. But that's okay. Hopefully my skin will thicken along with my bones...

I guess we'll see?

Until next time,
Blessings,
Meg

Victoria Williams has MS and I have fairies~!!

Victoria Williams has MS. It's true. It has been true for several years, and I finally remembered to look it up, 9+ years into my own R&R MS (Relapsing and Remitting Multiple Sclerosis). Wouldn't it be cool if I'd been at a B&B 9+ years instead?

Why did I finally remember to Google a bit about Ms. Williams? Well, it's the MS Faeries...that's what I've decided to call this whole memory lapse/brain thing/temporary insanity-hoo-haa. (Otherwise known as lesions/scars/demylenation-whatever journal you're reading...) Anyway...back to the faeries. Normal people (without MS), have ugly little trolls that plod about on their brains, stomping on the little creases and lumps... Every time they stomp down, you (the non-MS'er), remember stuff. Like where you put the grape Jelly....if that shirt indeed must drip-dry even though it says to dry "low"...where THE BUTTON is that you MUST HAVE to finish your latest dollie...how to drive to the grocery....get the picture? The trolls stomp, you remember, disco, baby!!! You're lookin' fine in that shirt, drivin' to the grocery, eating your jelly san. (Forget the button...that happens to a lot of troll-heads).

On the other hand...


I (an MS'er), have no trolls on my MS brain...I have faieries~!!! They skip and flit and swoop about my noggin with no thought whatsoever as to what brain crease they land upon...in fact, I'm pretty sure the plaque builds up because they aren't stomping on my brain at all...they just flit down and twirl on a brain roll now and then, according to their very own fairy whim....

So here I sit in my tight shirt with my PB and nothin' san', without a clue as to how to get more jelly...but I know, that if I sit here long enough I'll remember how to get to the grocery. And when I get there, in my tight shirt (here's hopin' I remember to wear a bra!).................................... I'll probably buy mustard.

Hopefully I won't make a mustard and peanut butter sandwich...

And why was I thinking about such things with enough frequency to remember to look up Victoria Williams? (I mean, it's been years since I listened to Sweet Relief~~ a benefit CD with the likes of Michelle Shocked & Michael Penn...years since the college boy who played Victoria's benefit for me stated "it's always something with you" when I told him I have MS...years since...)

Why was I thinking about MS, Victoria, fairies, MRI's ?

Discrimination, I guess... No, I'm sure. This silly little situation that spiralled out of control and resulted in a hateful, yucky, drama. My friend that has MS was discriminated against. There. Said it.

I worked in theatre, tech. and acting, for several years...on-stage and back-stage, I never felt "less than" for the obvious reason of being a girl. No discrimination. I worked as a grave yard waitress A LOT to put myself through school (with varying degrees of success), and definitely got used to sloppy, drunken, comments etc. etc. But you know what? I expected it. Didn't ask for it, didn't enjoy it, but for Pete's sake it didn't surprise me!! But this whole thing that happened a few weeks back blew me away...

A troll brain didn't "believe" my friend about her memory problems, cognitive issues, etc. And what was more, she had a lot of very hurtful, insulting, even cruel things to say...a stranger made me feel things I haven't felt, ever. My, my...what power. It hurt me, hurt my fairy-headed friend terribly (she still thinks most folks are nice). I have been sulking and questioning, conscious or no, for several weeks now.

An eBay artist I don't know "ask seller-ed" me about how to make my dolls' eyes "happy". Thanks goodness a fairy stomped me at just the right moment and I remembered some manners! Less said soonest mended, and I didn't respond. But you know what? That person was right. No happy eyes from this fairy-head!! LOL I have been sulking...

Those of you familiar with my work may remember "Memory Annes" that I've done over the last few years...these were some of the first dollies that were "received" on eBay. At all. LOL! And I might do some more...they began after my Grandfather's Alzheimer's diagnosis...Loss of any memory~~ short-term, long-term, bad, good~~ is a tragic thing.

We repeat mistakes, and maybe don't live over the beautiful moments as much as possible...

So there may be a new doll-type 'round the corner. Maybe.

They won't sell or anything. :) But that may not be the point, believe it or not!!

I did make a memory faerie a while back...

My what ramblings!!

Of course I had to back my fairy-headed peep!! :) And I posted some links, etc. about the disease...while I was "surfing" I ran across this wicked cool site that basically stated, in many dry, funny, words...

MS SUCKS!!!

LOLOLOL....and the gal who authored the site was "gone". No posts, her email didn't "work". And I was~~ am~~ so worried about her. I hope she's okay. I hope her hands aren't too numb or crippled to type...I hope she can still do the things she loves the very most, or if she can't, that she's managed to fall in love with other things... I hope someone loves her.

I am blessed with the most incredible support system. I am rich in friends and family; I have priceless treasure in my husband and our two girls. I am wealthy. I have fairies!!! The things MS has taken from me are enough to be counted, believe me. But today I'm choosing to believe that what's been taken has simply lightened my load. Simplified the journey. And it's okay, because of my family and friends who have jelly. And I will always be good looking...

Until next time,

blessings,
meg

I made a bear!!!

*Pretty Panda*

Well what do you think?! This isn't my very first bear, but she is the first made of something other than painted muslin...wool felt, to be precise. What fun this bear stuff is!! Now, I will always love dolls but after a bit I get a little restless...so now, maybe, needle punch and bears? What do you say?

I used a craft book from Japan to get going (those little craft books are sooooo addicting!)...and I do believe I will look into some mohair for future critters. But for now, I have a sweet honey-girl bear and a duckie in the works from wool felt.

I like her little dress...and needle felted shoes....tiny sequins trim out her party hat... So many details!!!



She was quite fun, and is on ebay this week until Sunday evening, the 13th...click below to visit her auction...

Well, we're winding down school days here, and winding up for a big wedding in early June! My little brother is getting married!! Oh my...I am ten years older than he and it is more emotional for me than I would care to admit. Was it only yesterday he was doing really disgusting, childish, little brother things? No. It was last week...I think the emotion is relief that someone will have him!

On the CWT Board we've been studying different paintings of Little Red Riding Hood...which, of course, led to my making my own painting...this is up on the big e this week as well:

"Stray"

Stick to the path...

Blessings,

Meg