Today I went for a walk and this is what I saw...

 My Shadow

White clouds and a blue sky

 

 The most beautiful milk pods

 A very big mushroom

 Looking up at the mushroom

 Deep brown mushrooms

 Pine cones

The sky is overcast, merganser ducks float along the shore line,  swimming and ducking their heads in the water.  I could sit here all day gazing out the window but work must get done. Later I might permit myself to go for a cold dip in the lake but for now it's felting and more felting.  
 
There is such a stillness here.  It is a perfect place to find inspiration.  I have been working on some cutesie owls for next weekend's Handmade Harvest Craft Show and having so much fun.  As I felt away with a grin on my face I take pauses to sip my tea and look out the window. There is such beauty everywhere, the trees reflected in the water, the grey branches, naked of it's leaves.

Handwork is allows you to slow down. It's like a meditation.  The mind slows down as does the breath.  I love it's effects on me.

 

 These owls are fun to make.  They are a work of labour and love. I love felting the eyes because once the eyes appear they come to life with a little personality. 

Work in progress.

Tuesday night was deemed Owen's best night ever! He received his Beaver kerchief and woggle.  He loves being a Beaver and I love it too.  The principals are great, sharing, working hard and taking care of the world.  The parents I talk to say that their children just love being part of the troop. My little man is growing way fast and I am enjoying watching and participating in his leaps and bounds.

Handmade Christmas - Needle Felting Workshops

Give something from your hands and heart this Holiday season.  This workshop line up is meant to inspire and encourage the art of giving.  In celebration of the holiday season we are going to put our hands at work and create gifts of art.  We will participate in the art of giving and give our creation to someone special.  When we use our hands to create something we infuse our energy into that very thing we are making.  Come share with me this special experience of felting, sharing and giving.

Please notice that the Decorative ball and angel workshop is open to children over the age of 8 and up. 

Cutesie Owl Needle - Felting Workshop

In the spirit of giving, felt a cutesie owl and give to someone you love this holiday season. 

Date: November 9th, 2011

Investment: $40/includes supplies, tea and light snack

Time: 07:00-09:30

Address upon registration (register at anniebdr@gmail.com)

For more workshops coming your way click here

As you might know I have been helping host a dear friend from Thailand by the name of Oiy.  She is an amazing person, cook and masseuse. Saturday night we started working in the kitchen in preparation for hosting 30 people for a Thai meal.  We went to bed at 03:00 got up at 09:00 to get right back to..

Chopping

Grating 

Pounding (yes this is Oiy)

Frying and...

rolling.

Working in the kitchen with Oiy is such a treat.  She is a person with great personality. Her laugh rings throughout the house and she is not shy to tell you what she thinks.  She is not the typical shy Thai woman.  As a young woman she received a scholarship  to cooking school and learned from the chef who cooked for the queen.  You might know that in Thailand the King and Queen hold great honour among their people. 

It's my fourth year cooking in the kitchen with Oiy and I love learning how to bring out Thai flavours in foods. I must admit that I need  a lot more lessons!

Spring rolls waiting their fate in the fryer.

The Partridge a Side Story

This story is not for the faint of heart.  When I told my friend Whitney her jaw hung low and she couldn't believe that we had done such a thing.  Another man (we won't mention his name) joked about calling the SPCA.  Ok, here it is.  It starts with Oiy giving me a massage, I am loving her hands kneading my sore 41 year old body when out of no where we hear a great, big, humongous BANG!  The sound came from the window right above us.  It was loud and startling.  We step outside to investigate and find a partridge lying on it's back claws shaking, body trembling and within seconds life leaves it's body to a better place.  As I stand there watching his pain I am reminded that life is precious and can be gone in an instant.  Next thing I know we are...

boiling him and Oiy plucks him.   We fry him with lots of garlic and yes eat him! He was delicious.  We did honour him with a little prayer of thanks.
 

My father is a hunter and as a child I went partridge hunting with him.  I have also had lots of moose and deer meat so for me this wasn`t all that strange but to some it might be very strange.

 

Please join me in my campaign to help Burmese children in Thailand.  While visiting Thailand this past winter these children really tugged at my heart and now there is a way to help.  Oiy a wonderful Thai friend is in Ottawa giving Thai Massages to help raise money for these children in her community.  Read below for more information.  Thanks :)

 These are the smiles that grace my life. They are my children and I love them so.  They surprise me, impress me and at times anger and frustrate me.  Through them I am learning so much about compassion, love and understanding.  Never would I have known that motherhood would change me to the depths that it has.    Thanksgiving weekend was a wonderful time for us. We had those moments where things flow with ease, smiles shine and laughter rings through the air like a wonderful melody that tugs at your heart strings.  Our dance of mother and child was one of love and understanding.

We spent time in my childhood home in Corbeil, Ontario. It was great to spend time with my parents who are aging.  It becomes more and more apparent that living in the moment is all that we've got. The future is unpredictable but the moment very tangible.

 

To find out a little bit more about me and how my passion for everything felt, click www.mygreentoybox.com

Urban Craft Market

This month`s Urban Market was uber fun!  I met some fabulous people and loved the whole vibe! Ottawa really does have a great selection of handmade products.  It feels so good to buy handmade much better than the Made in China alternative.

Below is Krista Leben the Urban Market founder and silver smith.  She is making a mark in this city for DIY. Go! Krista Go!

click here to see all her achievements:

Craft Co-op

Urbanite Jewelry

Urban Market

 

 Also I met this lovely lady from Liv. Well Toys.  She makes soft cuddly plush toys.  She was so nice and I wish I could remember her name.  Sometimes my mind is just like that, forgetful.  Click below to see her stuff, so cute.

 Liv. Well Toys

Chelsy Anne

Chelsy Anne was my neighbor for the 4 hour show and she was so sweet.  Her 10 month daughter was also there in tow with daddy. I loved watching this family work together as a team selling Chelsys beautiful jewelry.

If you want to see the new tree I have made take a look over here at my green toy box.  Have a great day!

I am off to the races, the car is nearly packed and ready to Ottawa`s very own  Urban market at the Great Canadian Theater Company.  I have felting kits, my felted art and a smile with me.  Wish me luck and swing on by.  There are going to be lots of talented people.