Crafting

Just joined something pretty awesome.  A National Craft-er Swap!  Other alternative schooling moms and I create a cool craft (ideas endless) around a theme, and trade crafted items with other moms around the country.  It's a way to share creativity.  Also, a way to spurn creativity on because some of these mamas are serious about their crating.  They are good.  And they are tough critics.  Which we all need, right?  Some days?  I'm enjoying it.  I do feel like the new kid on the block, and like my stuff is just barely as good, but truly, its an honor to be a part of something that inspires you to work hard, and inspires you to something you might not have created otherwise.
SET 1, for Lakes, Ponds and Rivers Swap
POND MATH
Wood, Flannel, and Felt

Concord Handmade 2015

Drop off time is tomorrow for the store this year! 
Hard to believe.
This year The Magic Nest will have:
Forest stuffies (owl, fox and bear)
Gnomes (build your own family and sets)
Finger Puppets
Felt flower wreaths and headbands
And...what I'm most excited about: Felt, wood and yarn food.  I began making sets for my youngest, and made extra for the store.  Come and check out the tacos, spaghetti, eggs, cookies and strawberries!
See you on Pleasant Street in Concord, soon I hope! 

Scary

Scary is  the right word for how neglected this blog has been.  Three years?  Wow.  But...I had baby girl number three, and then became extremely sick with Crohn's Disease.  Hospital sick.  Knocked flat on my back on the couch for months sick.  Needing help sick.  It was awful.  I still receive Remicade treatments to keep the Crohn's under control and from coming back.  And luckily, I'm back to crafting!  My girls are 6, 5 and 3 now.  We've started homeschooling them.  We're down to only 1 dog.  We may move (to a different place in NH...restoring Joey's grandma's house) next year (YIKES!!!).  That's my nutshell.  I hope everyone reading this is WELL and HAPPY. 

MIA

Yes, I have been MIA from this blog since November. Shameful! I have a good excuse, though:

Baby Girl #3 arriving in June!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving! Ours was filled with way too much food, lots of family, and some frantic crafting. So sorry I've been MIA recently. Here's reason #1:

Craft Show Craziness! It's been a fun and wild season...I did four craft shows this year (and of course I post a pic of my worst set-up. Ha! It could only go upward from this one!). Had an awesome show in Northwood, NH, and another really fun show in Manchester, NH. I must say, I am glad to take a break from the shows...it can be pretty wild to pull one together!

Now, I am selling at a really amazing pop-up holiday store in Concord, NH. I'm really excited about the whole venture and to do a post on this next!

Toadstools

I love finding inspiration on walks! In fact, a lot of the crafts I've been working on this fall were either found in or inspired by nature. Here are some little toadstools I found begging to be re-created...somehow, someway (clay, felt?)! In the meantime, I'm sure they served as some comfy seats for fairies along the way. At least, that's what I told my girls!

Craft Shows!

I've been craft showing lately! Here's a bio I just posted for THIS upcoming craft show that I am really excied about:

http://www.notyourgrandmascraftfair.org/

Hi! My name is Melanie, and I have been crafting ever since I was allowed to hold scissors. I'm a hand-sewer and painter. I'm currently obsessed with heirloom quilts (some made with vintage fabrics and velvets!), stuffed owls and birds, felted acorns, and getting back into painting. Having two babies of my own (2 and 1), I'm focusing on items they enjoy as well, such as jingle blocks. I'm also making pine cone people for the holiday season. My crafts are reasonably priced...hey, I sell to support my crafting habit! I create what I want and would buy and what inspires me. I blog at The Magic Nest (http://themagicnest.blogspot.com/), and will hopefully be getting some tutorials up soon.
My biggest challenge now is getting the owls and bunnies out of the house without being seen...my girls practicallly tackle me for them! I'm so glad to be back in the crafting world, and looking forwward to meeting you all soon!

Me:

And some of my crafts: