Before and After

When felting a wool item, you really need to account for the size difference. Here's a before and after example of the size difference of a child's size felted slipper.

Thank you! Thank you! NoonToTwo.Etsy.Com & HandmadeByAde.Etsy.Com ~ Adrienne

Tessa Ann Buttons

Some day these beauties will prettify my slippers just for you!

Maybe you'd like to have a set of buttons for yourself too. Tessa Ann will make them for you.

Thank you! Thank you! NoonToTwo.Etsy.Com & HandmadeByAde.Etsy.Com ~ Adrienne

Treasured On Etsy

On Etsy there is a section that lets the people make collections of items they love. 

I am feeling the love this week! 

Follow these links and check out these beautiful treasuries.

Find these at Marshmallow.

~click here to go~

Find these at Natural Patriotic..........

~click here to go~

*Double the love!* Find these at 6 PM Sunday Afternoon.

~click here to go~

Find these at Blossoming Forth,,,

~click here to go~ 

*Double the love!* Find these at American Woman.

~click here to go~

Thank you! Thank you! NoonToTwo.Etsy.Com and HandmadeByAde.Etsy.Com

Knitting Socks

          I love hand knit work. I love knitting until I mess up. I can't even count the number of times I have had to just start over! Yuck. Trying to 'back-knit' to my mistake often causes me more mistakes. So, I thought socks would be a wonderful project. Small, quick, easy . . .

          Here are two great book I am using. These are images from Amazon where you can purchase your own. I borrowed mine from the local library to test them out first. I do like them so much that I am going to have to buy both for myself.

          I like how the 'Toe-Up 2-At-A-Time Socks' knits with only one needle and both together. I tend to be a procrastinator. I think if I were to knit one sock, I might ever get to that second sock! She also does an excellent job in walking you through the steps.

          In 'Socks Toe Up' there are even more lovely designs. The best part I found to this book though is how the author gives you the basic blank sock and once you've figured that out you can then create your own sock patterns. I really liked that!

          Since this is a new adventure for me I tried to keep cost at a minimum. I bought my first set of circular needles and a quite inexpensive skein of yarn. Since I'm doing the basic pattern I mentioned, I bought a self patterning yarn.

          Once home with my yarn, I then had to unwind it to make two balls. Here's another smart tip from the book, 'After winding the skein into one large ball, then you start a second ball. Once the two balls are equal, cut, and continue winding the original ball to make another ball. If you do not continue winding you will end up with one self patterning going up the foot and the other self patterning going down the foot.' Here's my work so far.

          Remember how I said, "Small, quick, easy . . ." It is small. Can I just tell you that these two toes took me an entire day. So, ummm, not quick! But it's also not too difficult. I am enjoying knitting them and look forward getting back to work on them. Maybe I'll be able to post a finished pair of socks some day. ;)

          Side note, I love working from my beautiful piece of pottery here. I've been spotting some very cute yarn bowls Etsy. Maybe, if my knitting takes off, some day I'll splurge. Check these out at Darrielles Clay Art!

Custom Ordered Hats!

I have to share this wonderful experience with you.

I was contacted through my NoonToTwo.Etsy.Com shop again for a custom ordered hat. This time I met a wonderful person from FRANCE. Ohhh la la!

The desired hat was material used on a hat that had previously sold. It would figure that I couldn't get my hands on more of it.

She gave me a rundown of who she is, what she looks like, her likes and dislikes and a bit of her personality. You'd just love her! And so after many convos back and forth and online shopping for material together we came up with something she liked.

Unfortunately, we were cutting it close to the time line she needed it by. I suggested purchasing a ready-to-ship hat in my shop to guarantee she received it in time. Would you believe she took my advice AND still ordered a custom made hat?! How about that for making me feel good?

Of course I went right to work for her. I immediately sent out her already made hat, ordered the material, and then WAITED. It seemed like the new material was taking forever to get to me. As soon as it came in I washed, cut, sewed, packaged and shipped her new hat the following day.

This gets better! Would you believe that her second hat made it to her IN TIME?! She actually received it the day before her trip. And being as kind and generous as she is . . . she gave the second hat to her BOYFRIEND!

NoonToTwo hats for MEN! I love it!

Don't they both look AWESOME in their NoonToTwo hats?!

Here's a little sneak peak at what I've been up to lately . . . I opened a new Etsy shop called HandmadeByAde.Etsy.Com. I will have to post more on these sweet slippers later!

The Artist and the Critic

75th Annual National Juried Art Exhibition

Cooperstown Art Association

July 16th - August 20th

Best In Show

The Artist and the Critic - 2010 - Oil on Linen - 28" x 36"

My husband is the painter. These are our legs. Artist and Critic . . . husband and wife . . . what's the difference? : ) You can find this painting in Cooperstown, NY starting this Friday. Preview Party is Friday, July 16th from 5:00 to 7:00 if you are in the area. We'd love to meet you there!

Heads Up on Hats to Come!

I spoiled myself yesterday and went FABRIC SHOPPING!

I want to make myself a black cloche hat to go with my new black bathing suit. So, you know how it is . . . I HAD to go shopping. And then a few other hat ideas just came to me. (I don't think these picture do the fabrics justice, but . . . here they are anyway.)

Hope you enjoy them. 

You'll be able to find these cloche hats completed in my NoonToTwo shop soon!