Two Pink Hats...

Busy, busy, busy... I've been working hard to finish some special commission projects.  There have been several items on my project list nearing completion-- I'm finally checking them off and sending them on to happy homes.  These pretty little hats were among my favorites...

 don't be mislead

by what looks like a sunny day here...

 

these photos were taken

on a rare day a few weeks ago when the sun was out 

for about 2 hours in the afternoon...

 

 the embroidery and beadwork

on these hats is especially

pretty... 

 

 one of my cherished possessions

is this old painter's ladder...

the old chippy paint

stains are my

favorite...

 

every little flower

is accented with bead work...

 

 the leaves and vines

are also accented with beading...

this has been such a long and gray winter,

just being outside in the sunshine

 to take these photos

was sheer bliss!

this old ladder belonged

to my husband's

favorite Uncle...

it was great fun to drag it out

for these pictures..

these hats were some

of my most favorite so far...

the yarns are so 

incredibly 

soft..

so there you have it...

the tale of two pink hats...

Notes from me...

I'm on a serious countdown to Spring.  Cannot stand one more reminder of winter here at my house.  I have taken down all the winter decorations on the front porch and replaced them with a spring wreath and some spring flower decorations. 

 I. AM. Done. With. Winter.

 

 of course,

the weather is calling for snow showers

the next several days...

(guess the joke is on me!) 

 

 

The details are being finalized for my next charitable blog project.You will all be invited to participate... I think you will love this one!  I'll be posting more about this project sometime in early April.

I've been on a little reading binge --- loving our subscription to Kindle Unlimited.  My latest great reads are...

 

The Milliner's Secret

The Footman 

The Left Handed Marriage

Thanks so much for your visits, comments, and emails.  I have tried to visit everyone who left a comment on my last post.  I treasure your visits and thoughts,....

I'll be back soon with another one of my finished projects.

Vicki

ps -- if you are on my Nesting list, you will be hearing from me soon.  Those little spring nests are in the works now...

Sophie's knitted "Frozen" dress...

This little dress was created for beautiful Sophie, the daughter of a friend. She wanted a special dress to use in their family holiday photos. I'm way late in sharing these photos,( that's just the way my life is rolling right now.)  But I think you will agree, Sophie is a little doll wearing this dress...

 what little girl

doesn't want her own little

"Frozen"

dress?

 (these photo's of Sophie are used with her Mother's permission)

this little dress

was knitted in a size 4

with modifications for added length

 

 my photos were taken

at the home of Sophie's grandmother

using a vintage

1967 International truck

as backdrop...

(serious vintage rusty truck love!!)

 

 the neckline was embellished

with beads and a little snowflake...

 

 a little "photo-bombing"

by the kitties...

 

loving the rust on this old truck!

 

the dress was accented with beaded

fabric patches...

tiny snowflake accents

were randomly sewn onto the dress...

some of the patches

were made from old flannel shirts...

a little I-cord belt

finishes the dress and gathers up

the fullness...

modifications were made to the pattern

allowing for larger armholes and neckline

so that Sophie could wear a little blouse

underneath the dress...

extra length was added

so that Sophie could wear the dress with 

her leggings and boots...

(I added about 6 inches to the knitted length) 

 

 tiny crystals were sewn on to each

 little snowflake..

 

 yarns used...

the light purple yarn used for the bodice

and accent stripes is

Debbie Bliss cashmerino 

 

 the other yarns

are a variety of washable cottons

from my stash...

 

 the dress was adapted

from a pattern in the book

Minnow Knits too

(with modifications as noted above) 

 

 oh to have a sunny day

to bask in the warmth of the sun....

(I'm growing so tired of winter!!) 

Some updates...

With the recent amazing success of our Josephine's children charitable project, and before that.... the Pink Scarf project-- many of you have written to ask me what's next. I never really have a plan, as you know, I just wait for something of quality and compassion to present itself.  And something has....

In the next few weeks, I will be posting about another wonderful charitable project that will appeal to all of you.  An opportunity to use your talents to show compassion to someone in need of a little bit of love. If you can sew,knit,crochet,quilt,paint,.... or if you can raid your craft stash, then you will want to watch for this posting! And of course.... I will have some lovely gifts to share with you as well. Truly it will be an amazing opportunity for everyone to show some love...

just in case you missed my

lovely yarn giveaway...

you can find it here.

You have until March 1 to enter.

 

xoxo,

Vicki

 

ps ---

I would love for you to follow me on 

Facebook or on Instagram...

links are on my sidebar.

I've been sharing some lovely

photos on my Instagram page...

Sharing some YARN LOVE.... a lovely giveaway for you

February is the month of love...
sweetheart love, family love,... and for me, yarn love...

 the wonderful and talented 

ladies at Tink yarn

make beautiful, beautiful yarns...

(click on the link above to be directed to their website)

Ashley, Terri,and Laci 

have taken their love of knitting and yarns

to the next level...

creating their very own 

yarn dying company...

these sweet ladies have shared some of their

gorgeous yarns with me

so that I could tell

 YOU

 how wonderful they really are... 

 seriously,

these are the softest yarns

that I have ever held between

my fingers...

the colors are blended just perfectly,

this yarn is to die for!

 I think that I have just found

my new favorite yarn...

 last week,

 we were in the midst of a blizzard~

more than 15 inches of snow

covered our world in a blanket

of white... 

so of course..

I grabbed my beautiful yarns

and went out into the middle of it all

to take these photos...

~

(doesn't everyone photograph yarn

in the middle of a blizzard?)

 because I love this yarn SO much...

I am going to giveaway two beautiful skeins

of this yarn to one of you...

~

(please note, that the yarn in the photos is my yarn...

yours will be just as lovely,

you will LOVE it!

~~

To enter..

simply leave a comment here

 on my blog.
(as always, my giveaways are open to all my readers,
regardless of where you live 
in this big wide world...)

~

For another chance to win...

please share this post 

or link to it on your own blog, Facebook, or Instagram page.

then come back here and leave another comment

 telling me that you have done so..

~

the winner will be announced HERE on

this page on March 1,2016.

****UPDATE****
the winner of the yarn giveaway is
Lesley Anne 
from the blog Plum Hollow 
~
this contest is now CLOSED

perhaps you would like

to purchase some of these beautiful yarns

for yourself...

you may use this discount code--

TINKLOVE

for a 15% discount 

when you make your purchase. 

(you can even share the yarn love...

and share this discount code with your friends!)

Click here to visit the website

February is upon us...

the shortest month of the year.  I always feel that once February is here, we are closer to March, and that March brings us closer to spring. Its that little trick that I do that makes me think that winter is almost over...

I've been doing lots of knitting, (of course!) and will have some new projects to share soon. I have watched some great shows while I am clicking away at my needles....

 Downton Abbey, of course...(I'm so sad that it is ending)

Anzac Girls (have you seen it?  I thought it was wonderful!!)

Call the Midwife...(I am so behind on this one, and loving every minute of it!)

Some books that I recently finished and loved...

Circling the Sun, Along the Infinte Sea, and the Milliner's Secret.

 All were wonderful books that I could hardly put down -- perhaps you will love them too... 

For those of us still in the midst of winter... hang on just a bit longer...spring will be here soon! 

Love

Vicki

ps--
I'll be sharing some of these photos
later today on my Instagram page
"2 BagsFull"...
if you are an IG person, 
I would love for you to follow me there

and to share this with your
friends who follow you on 
Instagram...
~
(tell me that you are one of my blog readers, 

and I will follow you back!) 

xoxo

Introducing my beautiful Snowbird Nest...

Imagine~
a wintry forest, 
  trees laden with snow and ice,
     sunlight filters through the dense woods
         casting glittery shadows all around...

 in the hush of the frozen forest~

the little Snowbird sings

her song...

Inspiration is a funny thing,

you never know when it will come to you,

and most always..

 it comes from a place

that you never expected...

 my inspiration for this beautiful

 "Snowbird" nest

came from one of my most favorite books,

"The Snow Goose"

by Paul Gallico

a hauntingly beautiful tale..

it is a tribute to the human spirit,

and the bonds that hold us together~ 

~

it is a story of love, bravery, loneliness,

and the healing of a beautiful

wounded Snow Goose..

   a wonderful heart-warming parable 

about love, friendship and loyalty 

during one of the hardest times in the world's history - WWII.

~

 a young girl brings the snow goose with a broken wing 

to a lonely and disappointed man...

 thus begins
 a very special friendship 

between the three. 

a couple of years ago,

while sorting through my books,

some of them going to charity,

keeping only a few of my

very favorites...

~

this beautiful book crept out from among the stacks..

it once again captivated me

and I sat down to reread 

the story...

~

from the minute that I first opened the book, 

seeing the soft and shadowy illustrations,

reliving the story through the beautiful prose...

I knew that I wanted to create

a beautiful icy nest...

 a place 
where a little 
winter bird might live..

 In my dreams...

this is where she lives...

this little book was first published in 1941...

 telling a sentimental story that happened 

on the Essex coast of England

 from 1930 to 1940. 

The "Snow Goose" is a short story 

about unexpected love--

wild love~
of an alienated, tender soul, Philip,

 a Canadian Snow Goose,

 and a beautiful young
 Saxon girl. 

in this beautiful wintry tale...

 every sentence seems to shiver with the salt-laden 

chill of the desolate landscape 

in which it is set~

The "Snow Goose"

was originally published as a short story

 in the Saturday Evening Post in the 9 November 1940 edition.

 A year later, it was released as a novella 

and won honorable mention in the 

O. Henry Memorial Prize 

competition. 

The "Snow Goose" was made into a special television movie...

the Hallmark Hall of Fame television production 

of this story in 1971

 was a priceless gift to those viewers 

lucky enough to have seen it. 

the program was run at least twice in the '70s 

but is now "lost" to the public --- 

no VHS, no DVD copies are available... 

but of course,

I found it for you...

if you wish, you can watch 

the entire 

Hallmark Hall of Fame production

via U-tube from this link

here

(scroll down to the bottom of the page for the link)
it is shown in 5 parts -- 10 minutes each,
they flow together smoothly from one part to the other..

you'll need tissues -- trust me on this!

~ 

those of you who purchase

this beautiful nest,

will find inside your package

a little gift from me...

a glittery glass

snowbird for your own little

nest...

~

(there are 2 variations of the little birds,

yours will be a surprise..

they are both lovely...) 

one of the most beautiful embellishments 

on this lovely nest

are the tiny crochet snowflakes

created by my friend Karen.

~

tiny, exquisite little snowflakes...

 they were generously donated

by dear Karen to grace this beautiful nest..

(you can find  her amazing artistic creations at her

own beautiful blog...Todolwen)
Thank you dear Karen
for your amazing, precious little gifts..
xoxo 

 Presentation is everything--
and I want you to say "WOW"
the minute that you open your box...
Your nest will be beautifully wrapped
with the lovliest tissue and tags
created by my talented friend
Sue Kosec.
(you can visit Sue at her blog by clicking the link above)

this beautiful "Snow Bird" nest

has been over two years in the making...

~

perhaps I could tell you

 a little bit about the making of a nest in my

"Designer series"...

~once the decision is made to create a themed nest

for the series...

the shopping is non stop for at least 2-3 years,

flea markets, antique stores,

yard sales,.... everywhere imaginable--

looking for the perfect vintage embellishments

for these nests.  

~

my craft room closet is full of tubs

that hold vintage treasures,

 designated for a special nest...

waiting to be brought to life sometime in

the future...

it. takes. years.

~

just in case you thought I might just say--

"lets make a Snowbird nest"--

and then magically, perhaps 3 months later,

30 of these little nests appear all

pretty and ready to come live with you...

that's just not how it happens in real life.

 once production actually starts on these nests...

it is a full year from start to finish

to make a 30 count series

of a themed nest.

~

And -- I can't do it alone.  

my (BFF) Mary is an integral part of this

"nesting" team....

(I simply could NOT do this without her help!!)
(a million thanks to my dear friend
for all the hours that she has
devoted to this amazing
project)
xoxo

We have both worked diligently all year to

produce this beautiful "Snowbird"nest...

(in between living our busy lives, grandbabies, travels,

and... did I forget to tell you that I still

work full time as a Neonatal nurse....) 

 the creation of these nests is a true 

and absolute passion for me...

I love bringing them to life,

using exquisite yarns and embellishments...

~

I love sharing each of their stories

 with you all...

 knowing that these nests
make you so happy 
and that they

serve a greater good... 

  as always,

my Designer nest series is linked to 

a charitable organization...

~

a few weeks ago,

my beautiful friend Liz 

was conducting an auction on her own blog

to raise money for 

several of the animal rescue centers

near her home in France.

(please do visit my friend Liz at her beautiful blog) 

she is continuing her charitable work for the animal shelters

by creating the most beautiful Lavender hearts 

to be sold at auction, benefiting

the animal shelters near her home.

~

I was so touched by her efforts to help

some of God's little 4 legged creatures

that I wanted to do the same... 

~

Winter

 is a terrible time to

be a stray dog or cat without

a warm and loving home,...

I know that our local shelters are full

 and overflowing

right now...

charitable funds

from the sale of these 

"Snowbird" nests

will be donated to local

animal shelters near my home.

~

your purchase of this beautiful nest

will help to care for desperately

needy and lost dogs and cats

through this winter
while they wait to find
their own forever
 homes...

Those of you who 

RESERVED your nests

will find them listed here in my ETSY shop...

~

all but 4 of these nests were RESERVED when I posted

about this nest last January...
(click the link above to see the beautiful Preview post from last January) 
~~~

If you would like to give a home to one of the

remaining little nests...

and in return...

 know that your donation

will go towards helping desperate

creatures this winter,

please visit my ETSY shop

here 
(please be sure to purchase a nest listing
that says "NOT RESERVED"

 thank you

for allowing my to live my creative dreams

and bring these beautiful nests

 to life...

~

I hope you have enjoyed the story

 of how this special nest came to be

and the hauntingly beautiful book

that inspired me to create

this nest...

xoxoxo

Vicki 
~~~~~

ps--

although the original book,"The Snow Goose"

is no longer in print production,

you may still be able to secure a copy

for  yourself from a vintage book seller.

I found some for you here... 

~

you can find later productions of the book 

here.... (but this is not the same version of the book

 that has the beautiful illustrations found

in the original printing of the book.

My copy is the original, first edition

printing of the book.... 

hold out for the original version if you can...

I thought you might like to see
how my "Snowbird" nest is displayed
in my house...
My "Snow Goose" book is resting on top of a
glass cake plate and my beautiful nest
is sitting on top of the book...