Finding the Customer of your Dreams

When I think about working with my ideal client, I have to decide which hat to wear. There are 30 hours each week when I wear the fiber artist and entrepreneur's hat. This flamboyant chapeau is a favorite of mine and one that I have worn for more than 2 decades. You can bet there is always a romantic bird feather and lots of frilly silk on this hat, as the creative part of me always comes out when I pop it on my head!

There is another part of my entrepreneurial brain that needs to be adorned as I work with the ideal nutrition and wellness client. As a budding Integrative Health Coach, I wear a curious sort of hat that helps me to ask important questions and amplifies my client's answers. I truly want to understand the needs and goals of each of my wellness clients...I want to be the perfect match for them.

Do you have the need to seek out and serve the ideal client? Have you ever caught yourself trying to be All to Everyone? What kind of language do you share with the folks that are your ideal customer or client, and how can you be involved in a conversation using this language?

Top Tips for Meeting the Customer of Your Dreams

Focus on your strengths. Do you have clarity about what it is that you have to offer as skills, resources, finished products, or counsel? If you have clarity about what it is you have to offer and the niche that you serve, the right kind of customers will more easily relate to you.

Practice saying "No". When I first began doing private commissions as a fiber artist, I thought it was important to say "Yes" to each and every request. I have learned that when I say "No Thanks" to the wrong kind of project, I open myself up to many opportunities to allow the right kind of work to come into my space.

Choose your playground wisely. Have you been intoxicated by the Internet? It is easy for me to feel the desire to participate on all the channels of social media and marketing that being an online boutique affords me. This intoxication literally diluted my success, and I have learned to limit myself to only those platforms I can consistently and sincerely manage. How about you?

Nurture your team. As a follow-up to narrowing my focus, I have also had to get real about those important business and creative tasks I am better off delegating to talented others. As I work with my health coaching clients, my time needs to be spent speaking directly to individuals, so I hire the help I need to do things like publish newsletters and create marketing documents. As I have created my own process and procedures, with the help of talented others, I have learned to understand how to nurture my team and myself. I feel good about counting on experts and their guidance, and I do my best to make sure they know how much I appreciate them!

You are outstanding in your field!

There are efficiencies in small business management that help me be better available to my ideal clients. Sharing these ideas is a practical matter that may help you in your enterprise. You, too, have wonderful ideas that would surely help me, and I invite you to share as well!

Beyond the practical, I know that there are millions of people in the world who, like me, and perhaps like you, love fiber art, natural and ecochic home decor, and birds. There are also many millions who seek to improve their wellness and happiness quotient. I have proven to myself that finding the perfect people to serve with my passionate skills and voice is not really a matter of connecting with ALL those millions of like others.

It is more, I believe, about sharing my unique vision about natural beauty and beautiful wellness. The clarity of purpose I have about my offerings is the best way I have found to connect with the clients of my dreams. Take a moment every day to connect with your own inner purpose, as you, too, may find that this simple focus shines a light that enables your perfect customers to find you and embrace you.

Thanks for stopping by,
Georgianne

English Garden Fiber Folk Art Pillow is Pure Romance

Simply Elegant Home Decor

Romantic home decor is a comfortable style that is sweet, but never saccharine. Romantics celebrate the idealistic side of life, and like their home environment to be softly welcoming. All of the senses are addressed when romantic decorating is honored, with luxurious textiles, a creamy color palette, light filtering through draped windows, and lovely flower arrangements. In my most successful romantically decorated room, feminine energy may reign, but my husband also feels comfortable.

English Garden Fiber Folk Art Pillow, 18"x18"

The romantic in me was fully present on the day I designed and created the English Garden Pillow for Nestle And Soar! A mother bird is feeding her chick inside a swirly, gentle tree. A slight sparkle from the hand-applied seed beads adds a touch of glitz, and the organic linen I used is creamy and super soft.

Have you experimented with the romantic decorating style in your own home? Many of the textiles that I have inherited over the years come to me from the women in my family who lived in beautifully simple, Victorian-era lives. The fancy manor house living with rose gardens dappled around the English countryside is not my background, yet I like to pretend that it could have been! A lot of the romantic women I know enjoy incorporating a soft English-country style into their modern family homes. Do you? I'd love to hear about it.

Creating a Bird Haven at Home

If you are a bird lover, chances are good that your personality is drawn toward bright colors, cheerful flowers, and a wide range of garden and landscape styles. I am the kind of bird lover who is always looking out her windows, at home and in the car, scanning for the flicker of colorful birds! I plant a lot of yellow in my flowerbeds, and I love the counterpoint of purples like hydrangea or climbing clematis. Have you taken the time to create a bird-friendly backyard?

Here are three tips I have found useful for making sure more birds visit my home! In my way of thinking, a landscape filled with beauty is not complete without a bird haven. Do you agree?

Two Major Bird Concerns The two biggest concerns for birds are finding food and being safe. I offer lots of vegetation like trees, shrubs, flowerbeds and vines, and this gives birds choices for safe landing spots. The foods that are most popular in my yard are insects, berries, and fruit. Seeds like no-mess blends are always offered, too, but alone, they are not ideal for attracting birds. 

Watch and Learn My large dining room window is my favorite perch for bird watching, and from there I realized that the neighborhood cat who is left to roam at will has been ruining my bird haven efforts! A friendly call to my neighbor has helped with that issue. The cover of sheltering tree limbs and ornamental grasses has helped birds feel safe in my yard. We often see hawks gliding in the thermals above our home, and a sheltering landscape helps small backyard birds rest easy about predators in the air.  

Stop Tidying Up By nature, I like to put things back into place at the end of each day. I'm a bit of a neat-freak. In my bird-friendly yard, a natural, more wild approach brings better results! Trimming back hedges and flowerbeds every week removes some of the insect-rich oasis for birds. It is good for me to be more casual in my yard work, as it lets me just relax in the lush, colorful space.

I would love to hear about your bird-friendly spaces!

Thanks for stopping by,
Georgianne

P.S. If you would like to see my latest colorful, handmade bird pillows, here is a quick link. Birds look great inside the home, too!

Eco-Chic is on Trend, and that makes us Cool!

Fiber art is a labor of love.

Saying "Eco-Chic" or any other term for describing the environmentally-friendly fiber art objects I make, no longer causes folks to say, "Huh?" Deborah Rent in the Chronicle Herald says that Eco-Chic is definitely trendy, and may even enter the territory of being hip. "When you tell people you're decorating your home by choosing environmentally sustainable products, you feel good about yourself...you instantly up your cool quota."

So what is cool about choosing organic fabric to design my home decor pillows? Farmers who grow cotton, hemp, bamboo or linen fibers organically to manufacture fabric are easier on the soil, the people who handle that fabric, and the consumer. Many organic farmers are masters at crop rotation, which keeps the 80% of our planet's biodiversity in the soil healthy. No synthetic chemicals are used, and they skip the poisons like formaldehyde and heavy metals. Yuck! And decorating organic fabrics by hand, like I do in my designs, feels right. I invest a lot of time and care in my home decor items. They are a labor of love and they deserve a high-quality foundational fabric!

I am always on the lookout for certified organic products for my art. The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) states that certifying organics is mutually beneficial for everyone involved in an organic cotton supply chain as it insures integrity in their processing and labeling. I am excited to grow my design business into a organization that can add to the cause of greening your home! Besides, I've always loved thinking of myself as hip and cool.

What kind of eco-chic items are you loving right now? I'd like to hear about it!

Thanks for stopping by,
Georgianne

Colorful Creatures in the Air

Watching colorful creatures is one of my favorite past times. I am intrigued by the way that birds, butterflies, and insects flash color changes, sparkle and move through space. I have also enjoyed watching out for the art of others who make colorful creatures out of various mediums. I hope you enjoy these colorful creature images from my studio folder...they are inspirational to me!

Hand and machine sewn Moths with beaded details.

Origami birds on a tree branch.

Colorful insect...love the patterning on the body.

The determined look on this bird's face is great.

Thanks for stopping by,
Georgianne

Building Value in American Handmade Fine Craft

I wrote this article for ArtsyShark, a wonderful resource that inspires artists to build better businesses. I encourage you to visit ArtsyShark and see if any of their resources will be of service to you.

The concept of fine craft, as well as fine art, I think we can all agree, include words like excellence, standards, and quality. When I hear of a master-crafted item, I think about something out of the ordinary or beyond the usual.  I think of an object that inspires awe.

My background in American-made craft began in the mid-1970s when I was part of the team that published Quilter’s Newsletter Magazine in Colorado. Much of my workday saw me helping people focus their love of sewing and playing with color into either a serious hobby or a legitimate profession in the quilting arts. The flourishing quilt industry of the 70’s was yet another cycle of the growing love affair Americans have had with handmade soft goods for the home that, if not master-crafted, were at least laboriously made with great love and attention to detail.

My mom, Bonnie Leman, who was the founding editor of Quilter’s Newsletter Magazine, helped her readers improve their quilt making skills, and encouraged them to seek out that awe-inspiring result. She also invested heavily in helping them believe in the value of their handmade fiber arts. This resurgence of improving excellence across an ever-growing body of quilt makers in America was in full swing when big-box stores like Sears began importing bed quilts from China. I observed that anyone who had ever attempted to create a quilt knew that these quilts were not inspiring, they were heartbreaking. In a commercially-driven attempt to profit on the growing demand for quilts in American homes, the value proposition of these objects as an art form was trashed, at least temporarily.

It was interesting for me to observe at this time that the women within this industry, who had spent the past 10-15 years helping one another grow in their expertise as fiber artists, be put in the position to belittle the quilt-making efforts of other women in China. 

My own value system was challenged by this “us vs. them” mentality. I also observed that the glut of these cheaply made quilts made an economic impact on professional American fiber artists, as well as specialty fabrics stores and entrepreneurs across the United States. In fact, I suggest that the fiber arts in America as a broad class of industry are still recovering.

Now that the Internet has so drastically changed the way that people shop, imports into our neighboring stores is only one part of the supply chain. Professional fiber artists in every country have had to learn how to promote the value of what they make to the entire world.

So what can artists and craftspeople do today to both build value and express the value of what they love to make? 

• Concentrate on the absolute value of your creation. For professional fiber artists, that includes quality materials, expert finishing techniques, and professional-quality photos. We sell not only an object, but we sell how that object makes our customers feel.

• Recognize both your expertise and your vulnerabilities. Speak to yourself in terms of valuing your artistic life. Treat yourself with respect at all times. Additionally, reach out to others. We can be the support other artists need on any given day. This can take the form of emotional support, being a collector of their work, and as a supporter of the arts.

• Balance competitive energies with consensus-building. When I market my fiber folk art, I have to both remember and forget that I do not compete with the soft goods sold at Target. I am aware that my customers have a wide variety of choices, so they will likely know about the $9 pillows at Target, but my ideal customer is not interested in filling her home with cheap imports. Instead of thinking about competing on price, I build consensus and community as part of my marketing efforts. I proudly express the quality of what I make and I seek to have that message resonate with my “just-right” audience.

•  Use the power of the Internet to express the benefits of supporting wholesome, handmade fine craft, in America and beyond! This effort helps the individual artist as well as it helps the entire arts community. We can work together to create awe-inspiring results, and this adds to the healthy future of our beloved creativity!

I would love to hear what your experiences are of buying or making craft and how you see the value of handmade items in your part of the world!

Thanks for stopping by,
Georgianne

Spring Snow in Colorado--A Peaceful Pause

Snow Day in Colorado, April 16, 2013

The view from my dining room window is calm and quiet. Living about halfway between Denver and Boulder in colorful Colorado, I have come to expect snow in April, and this year is no exception. Can you see from my photo that there is almost 20" of white, fluffy snow in my backyard? We are all so grateful for this much-needed moisture.

My bird feeders have been almost emptied out today--I will need to trudge through the snow and refill them to satisfy demand! That's alright. It is a small price to pay for the joy that I receive from watching the birds on a day like today.

Bird Party on my kitchen table!

There are other birds in my life that I am enjoying today! I thought I would share with you my five gorgeous Jaclin Dunne bird trinket boxes. I have

received each of these bejeweled, hinged boxes as a gift from either my sisters or my mom. What I really enjoy are little notes or surprises they slip inside (each bird hinges open)!

I usually have these treasures scattered about my home, and I love how the sunlight makes them sparkle! Today, I rounded them up on my kitchen table to enjoy them as a group. I love them. Thanks ladies!

The peaceful pause that I am taking today is very healing to me. I lift up my voice with yours as I contemplate the alarming events in Boston, Massachusetts during the past 24 hours. Here is a quote that is giving me solace today. I hope it is helpful to you, as well.

"Darkness cannot drive out darkness:
only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate: only love can do that."

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Thanks for stopping by,

Georgianne

Earth Day Give-Away: Awesome Tote Bag for You!

I hope you will join me in celebrating Earth Day on Monday, April 22nd! In looking around my studio, I realized I could continue on the path of operating an environmentally savvy art studio by donating some of the fabric overflow I've stashed for years. It seems to me that kids learning to sew in the after-school program in our community could better use that fabric: it will save them money and it breathe new life into that fabric stash!

How are you going to celebrate Earth Day? The first Earth Day happened on April 22, 1970, and over 20 million Americans from all walks of life  participated, which is widely credited with launching the modern environmental movement. "Earth Day Network (EDN) works with over 22,000 partners in 192 countries to broaden, diversify and mobilize the environmental movement. More than 1 billion people now participate in Earth Day activities each year, making it the largest civic observance in the world."

I would like to announce the first EARTH DAY GIVE AWAY here at Nestle and Soar! Most of us like to use canvas tote bags instead of plastic or paper bags, and I always keep my eyes open for fun, washable totes to use! Tell me in a comment to this blog post how you plan to celebrate Earth Day, and you will be entered into a drawing to receive a sturdy Nestle And Soar Tote Bag of your very own! From the posted comments, I will randomly draw one winner on May 1st. You will be notified of your awesome winner status and this great tote bag will be mailed to you with my compliments.

I hope you will all enter to win, and it would be great to have your friends enter, too! Let's make a nice long list of ways Earth Day will be celebrated in 2013! We will learn from each other and be part of a hugely successful worldwide movement to honor mother Earth.

Thanks for stopping by,
Georgianne

Top Ten Tuesday -- Fantastic Fiber Art

There are many talented fiber artists who light up around wool, linen, felt, yarn and knitting needles. I have to admit, I have that condition. When I was a freshman in high school, I was taken by my sister into a huge fabric shop in San Francisco, and allowed to wander for hours, touching the fabrics and enjoying the colorful textures. I am not ashamed to admit that I got a little weak in the knees as I experienced the bounty of fabrics in that store! It was the beginning of my love affair with textiles.

I have found nine other ladies who also adore fibers and creating their unique designs with them. In fact, you may be on the look-out for inspirational fiber art finds. I hope you enjoy this Top Ten List of fantastic fiber art.

Jannio of France
Merino wool is one of my favorite materials for fiber art design. Jannio presents a lovely example of Nuno-Felting of Merino wool onto cotton fabric in this light, soft and warm Red Spring Hat. This talented Etsy artist felts a hat specifically for you, making sure it fits your fabulous head! I am especially fond of the three hamdemade felt flowers she adds to this charming design. You may want to purchase it in the Spring, but I suspect you could wear it most of the year. You can find out more about Jannio here.

Becka Rahn of Minneapolis

Do you ever get the feeling that sometimes, less is more? When I saw this tiny weaving loom with hand-dyed yarn, I knew that its tiny size is what made me swoon! Made from laser-cut bamboo plywood, Becka has woven a charming "Rhubarb" design in gentle shades of green and red. As she points out in her wonderful Etsy shop, you could hang it from a Christmas tree. My fiber artist friends would LOVE to have one of these little gems placed on their next gift, instead of a paper bow! Hint, hint. You can find out more about Becka here.

Deborah Brackenbury of Fuzzy Logic Felt

After working with felt myself for most of the past five years, it is pretty clear that I am a big fan of the stuff. That said, I have never worked with felt the way Deborah works with felt in Norman, Oklahoma! Her contemporary take and color-blocking are both elegant and modern. I suspect that Deborah is younger and hipper than I am, and I applaud the way she adds life (and shall I say logic) to that fuzzy wool that I love so much! Her color combinations are part of her winning formula, and I hope you will have the chance to look at her Etsy shop to see what I mean. You can find out more about this talented artist here.

Elena Rosenberg of New York

Alright, dear reader, it is time to pick up your knitting needles! Or, maybe if you're like me, it is time to set those needles aside and let the real pro knit your next striking wrap. In my wildest dreams, I would knit like Elena. Her work is feminine and sophisticated. I can imagine that wearing one of her Capelets made with bamboo and silk in a rich color, like this luxurious pumpkin orange, would stop traffic everywhere one went! I would be so demure when folks ask me, "Did you make that?". I would shyly reply that no, I did not, but I know the wonderful artist who did! You, too, can get to know Elena on Etsy as well as on TAFAlist, the welcoming home of Textile And Fiber Artists on the web. Learn more about this lovely confection here.

The Lint Balloon in Ottawa, Canada

If you follow my fiber art, you may know that I love birds. I have just begun incorporating Peacocks into my designs, and I think I waited so long to do this because the majesty of the male's feathers just intimidated me! You will not find any such hesitancy at The Lint Balloon. In this bold necklace design, 36 needle-felted feathers are adorned with glass seed beads and dark blue stone beads. The artist finished it all with a handmade button clasp. I am told it is a little over 3 inches long in the center! You may be just the right person to wear this necklace to a gala, an art show opening, or your own birthday party! And if this jewelry item is as breathtaking to you as it was to me, you will surely want to see what else is in store at The Lint Balloon here.

Celina Mancurti of Tampa, Florida

I am so charmed by the eco-friendly artistry of Celina Mancurti! I originally found her work in magazines and then I looked her up on Etsy to learn more. Celina works with organic linen, which is my favorite foundational fabric, as well. This charming apron is made with fibers from the flax plant, and the pocket has been beautifully hand-screen printed with water-based inks. (Celina even sews the apron together with organic cotton thread!) This apron is all the rage with foodies and home cooks who put energy and time into the conscious sourcing of their food's ingredients. You can machine wash and dry the apron, and it will just get better looking with time (like us!). I invite you to visit Celina's lovely Etsy shop here and see all the charming screen printed fabrics she has for you to choose from.

Susan Carlson of the Felted Button

We have already talked a bit about knitting today, so to honor the other popular needle-work of crochet, I would like to introduce you to my friend, Susan Carlson. This popular Etsy artists adds lots of bright colors to her Utah town, and many places around the country, where crochet is no longer just your Grandmother's relaxing passion. Susan has created this charming Ombre Ruffle Blanket pattern to help beginners as well as a seasoned crocheter succeed! The lovely shades of purples used are but one example of how you could graduate colors in your own piece. How about reds/oranges/yellows for instance? And if you are getting ready to decorate a nursery, you can play with either shades of blue or shades of pinks! I am excited to tell you that there are 35 other delicious patterns at the Felted Button along with ready-made items galore! Susan is brightening up our world with crochet, and I hope you will let her brighten your day here.

Stacy Corday of Sew Stacy on Etsy

The colors and textures of this Calypso Scarf were my first attraction to Stacy, a fiber artist in Charlotte, North Carolina. This photo just makes we want to reach out and feel the soft textures! When I found out that this design, which is ready-made for you, is created using varietal yarns from her stash, I liked her even more! I run an environmentally friendly studio here in Colorado, so I applaud those who also use-up their art supplies, instead of trashing them...even the little bits of leftovers can become works of art! Stacy tells us that this scarf, while highly textured, is not itchy, and she will gift wrap it for you! It is 46" long and 7" wide infinity scarf, and its bright colors mean it will go well with most everything in your wardrobe. There are currently 189 items in Sew Stacy on Etsy, so take a peek and enjoy!

Grace Gerber of Larkspur Funny Farm

I have known Grace for a couple of years now, and I adore every item I have purchased from her shop, the Larkspur Funny Farm! When I saw the listing for this gorgeous handspun yarn, and I heard Grace's story about its creation, I knew I wanted to share that sweet story with you.

"Creating this yarn was truly beyond my control. You'll understand why when I explain it's evolution. I had some of my sweet LFF Sugar's Mohair fleece stored in my fiber room that I was planning to save just for me. The dear Sugar passed last year after living 21 years - 15 of which was with me.. He had buttery soft fiber with such a sheen. Before I realized that it was Sugar's fleece I had carded it up with a very soft pale gray Llama fleece from a local 4H'er and my best silk. When the batts where done I sat at the wheel and just began spinning. A wonderful single was created. When I finished spinning I placed the skeins in a dye pot with my special recipe but since I was sleep deprived I had not noticed that I had not turned on the heat. So after two hours of sitting in a cold dye pot I realized my mistake and turned on the heat. Well, this created a very faint variegated silvery Turquiose Teal.... It is just Amazing!!!. There are 152 yards / 139 meters in the skein. It is 10 wpi or which is considered a heavy sport weight yarn. It is a balanced single yarn with a very even thickness for a handspun single."

Do you see what I mean! Grace and her animals are a beautiful source of handspun, hand dyed, and lovingly prepared soft fibers for every craftsperson! With my whole heart, I recommend Larkspur Funny Farm, where The Spirits are High and the Fiber is Deep! You can learn more about Grace here.

Top Ten Item: Funny Animal of the Week

Thanks for stopping by, Georgianne

You're Crowding Me!

Things are feeling rather crowded at Nestle and Soar today. A huge mess is developing!



When large shipments of raw materials arrive, I always have the need to spread it all out and survey the bounty! It's supposed to snow here in Colorado again today, so staying in and sorting piles of wool and refurbished vintage frames is my plan for the morning.


It may be gray outside, but it is bright and cheery inside the studio. I suppose working with lots of red and orange helps!


I guess no one likes feeling crowded. These sweet birds are making me think spring...stay warm where you are!

Thanks for stopping by, Georgianne

New Fiber Art -- A Productive January

The fresh energy of January often finds me striving in vigorous ways toward both new and old goals. I always find on my list the goal of "Make Forward Motion!", and January 2013 was no exception. I thought I would share today the fiber art that has captured this vigorous creative energy in my studio during the past 31 days...I would love to hear if you find any of the projects to your liking. Do you find yourself stretching for goals that only you know about? Me too. I'm putting myself on the hot seat today by showing everyone what productivity meant for me this month!

Thanks for stopping by, Georgianne

P.S. Happy Forward Motion!

Audubon Bird Photos --- Top 100 Images of 2012

I am a bird lover. As a bird lover, it seems to me that there are many, many people who are also enthralled by birds. What's that saying, "Like Attracts Like"? Have you ever noticed that when you have something special that is brand new -- a pair of sneakers, shiny new car, or even a pregnant belly -- all of a sudden, you see new shoes, cars and big bellies all around you? When I decided to focus my fiber art three years ago on the natural world, especially birds and trees, I suddenly noticed that all around me are folks who completely understand this passion! To help us all enjoy birds in full color today, I want to pass along the online gallery of Audubon Magazine's Top 100 bird photos from 2012. I have had so much fun reviewing these images captured by three categories of photographers: professional, amateur, and youth. Some of the photos made me say "How did they get that shot?!" Others make me laugh out loud at the winsome personality of these divine creatures.

I would truly enjoy hearing which of these 100 photos is your favorite. (Link here) I do believe that I should begin my artistic fiber art exploration of the majestic Egret...the first photo shown above is called Cattle Egret by Troy Lim. The second photo is called Great Egret by Tara Tanaka. These two are my favorites!

Top Ten Tuesday -- June 26, 2012 -- Owls for All

The mysterious nature of owls is endearing to most everyone, and in my opinion, their eyes are a big part of this appeal. The pensive, yellow-eyed stare of a Great Gray Owl makes them appear to be thinking or perhaps even plotting a sinister next-move. This spine tingling reaction I have toward owls is one reason I've collected this week's top ten favorite owls. Most of the owls in this collection have big round eyes with goofy looks on their faces! Much more relaxing, don't you think? If you are an owl fan, this week's collection will give you all sorts of ideas about how you can add more owl-love to your life! Enjoy...

DIY Felt Owl  --  A fun sewing project for your household

This friendly owl can be easily hand stitched using the simple whip, running, and simple straight stitches. This would be a great project for you to introduce basic stitches to an owl-loving 10+ year old. Lupin on Etsy can provide you with this fun pattern and all the instructions you will need. Your young girls will be so proud to show off their creation!

Owl of Blodeuwedd -- Wool Felt Brooch

This handmade wool felt brooch is meticulously made using 7 layers of felt with an average of 400 tiny hand stitches. The brooch measures 3" x 2" and features a charming embroidered feather on her wing. Love that part! FoxOwlRoad on Etsy tells us the "Blodeuwedd" is the oldest of creatures and she calls this owl the Bird of Wisdom. This fiber jewelry would be perfect most every season of the year on a jacket, scarf, or coat. This is a treasure for the grown-up girls.

Owl Slippers Hand Crocheted in 100% Cotton

These fun house slippers will be great fun for folks of all ages. FrancescasToyChest on Etsy will hand crochet these Little Pea Shoppe pink/green/blue pair in any size or you can request a brown/orange/tan pair for a more realistic colorway! Machine wash and dry on low heat, these slippers will get softer and more beloved over time.

Beauty in Every Shadow by Dolan Geiman

I'm a big fan of Dolan Geiman who creates original mixed media works with wood, paint, printmaking and collage. This acrylic and found paper collage on wood features a majestic owl and a gorgeous tree trunk, which I also love! Dolan's art is appreciating in value and I highly recommend that you check out his many terrific art assemblages.

Needle Felted Owl Family

I am a fan of the charm that St. Paul's artist ScratchCraft has added to these 3-D wool felt owls. The four owls actually look like a bonded family unit to me, and I would have guessed they loved one another even without the red heart that tells me for sure that they do! Perched on a tree branch and measuring 4" wide and 2" tall, this hanging fiber art is a beauty.

 Pleased as Punch -- Recycled Chubby Owl

I like this owl's attitude! This lamb's wool-stuffed friend stands 7" tall and would add a fun, graceful note to your home decor. The body of this owl is made from up-cycled, felted wool and the eyes are hand sewn. This owl from ForMyDarling on Etsy has so much personality, I think you will want to give him a name!

Mid-Century Modern Hootie Owl Needlepoint

This 14"x15" needlepoint pillow certainly takes me back! If you were alive in the 60's and early 70's, you probably remember the Sunset Needlepoint Kits that helped us learn needlepoint on a printed canvas. This bright red and coral owl is a great example of a charming home made decorating style that is newly popular and still colorful! This fun vintage pillow is being made available by Call Me Anytime Vintage and will bring a pop of color to your mid-century decor.

Hand-Knit Felted Owl with Tufted Ear

The talented folks at Woolly Something have created this wool hand-knit sculptural owl that they then felted and stuffed for standing display. It stands about 7" tall and has poly-pellets in base for easy standing. It looks so soft and fluffy, and while it may not be a toy, I'm sure that the young people in your life will have trouble keeping their fingers off the soft ears and wings! The stitching around the eyes is simple and dramatic: I love it!

Recycle Wool Owl Tote Bag

This handsome owl is ready to give your fashion statement a fun boost! Handmade from brick red recycled wool and reinforced with pellon interfacing, this fun tote bag is ready to be a playful and practical addition to your wardrobe or a favorite gift for a young owl lover. I particularly like the use of the wool plaid fabric in this piece. You can find it at the popular Grannies Raggedy Bags on Etsy!

Funny Animal of the Week -- Good Morning Owl!

It is important to end my Top Ten Tuesday post with a funny animal, and this little guy gets my vote! He looks a lot like some of the other owls I've shared with you today, and he may even stand about 7" tall like some of the handmade versions of his brothers and sisters! I know he will grow up to have the yellow, piercing eyes that make my spine tingle, but for now anyway, he couldn't look more cute and friendly.

Thanks for stopping by,

Georgianne