Crochet Sea Formations ~ Inspired by Nature

Happy Thursday everyone!

I am so excited to show you my latest project I have been working on!

I just created this sea wall display in my front hallway!

The inspiration all started when I visited my favorite local artist here in Boulder, David Jessup, The Green Collar Guy!

He makes all the the beautiful artistic planters in my house that I have been collecting for years.

This year when I visited him at the Boulder Fall Festival, I was thrilled to find his new creations ... wall sculptures!

I knew I had to have them and fill them with fiber creations!

I did not know what I would create, but I knew it would be FUN!

I sat down and started crocheting organic shapes just like I did for my moss terrariums with my favorite Amazing Yarn from Lion Brand.

The fabulous changing colors and soft texture of this yarn inspire me to make brand new things every time I touch it!

I did not follow any patterns, I just let my hands take over every evening and a new Sea Creature would appear!

I love incorporating other artists' works with my own to make it richer and more complete.

I went searching on Etsy for something wonderful and unique and look what I found!

Gorgeous Ceramic Pods!!!

As soon as I saw them, I knew I had to have them!

The hardest part was picking which ones to get!

Denise has the most wonderful pieces for your home and can be hung either inside or out!

I cannot wait to get more for the garden!

The two little pods at the bottom of the photo are actually Denises's mushroom magnets that are stuck to the nail heads I used to hang the ceramic form that David created!

How cool is that?

They are decorative and functional at the same time!

My contribution to this piece is the crochet drift wood with barnacles and tiny squid!

I had so much fun creating this crab!

with barnacles!

and an octopus!

Coral!

and Sea Sponges!

I just love how it turned out!

Life truly does inspire art!

The freeform crochet is so exciting to create because the whole process is so organic!

You make it up as you go and there is no right or wrong!

Just a beautiful form created from your heart.

Each piece is a gift & a surprise every time from a very special place...

Your Heart!

xoxoxox

Melissa

Inspiration Unleashed ~ Friends' Exciting Creations!

Happy Wednesday everyone!

I am so excited to show you the projects my friend's have been working on and were generous enough to share with me and Archie!

The first one is from our friend Lynne in England.

She just created a bobble shade from our tutorial and I am so excited to share it with you!

Ta Da!

You can hang it anywhere!

It can be a window or wall display!

You can even hang it from the ceiling and make it into a mobile if you like!

I just love the colors she chose for her bobbles!

Thank you so much Lynne for sharing it with all of us!

The second project is this wonderful Easy to Knit Teddy Bear that our friends over at The Urban Hounds created!

She ingeniously made this into a cat toy by adding catnip to the stuffing!

How fabulous is that?!

I love seeing everything you are creating!

Thank you so much for including us in on your fun!

Please feel free to contact me anytime and to show me what you are up to!

We cannot wait to see!

xoxoxo

Melissa & Archie

Tuesday Treasures ~ Fabulous Fun Finds!

Hi everyone!

I am so excited to show you what I just found at TJ Maxx!

I went in looking for picture frames and came out with an armful of treasures instead!

My first exciting find is now decorating my bathroom!

Can you believe this new valence is actually a scarf?

I am so thrilled with it that I had to share it with you right away!

After I made the bobble shade, I knew I wanted to replace the existing valence I had above it since the styles did not match.

Instead of just taking it down, I thought I would keep my eyes open and see what popped up in the weeks ahead.

When I walked into TJ Maxx, something pulled me over to the scarf section.

I am not sure why as I do not normally wear scarves, but I was enchanted by all the colors, textures and fabrics that I found.

My hands landed on this gorgeous felt scarf that twisted and turned and I thought...

Hmmmm... I bet I could wind this around the existing hardware I have hanging up there and try something new!

The window is not very wide so one scarf was the perfect length of fabric to twist over and under the bar and arrange the felt circles into this neat work of art!


Fred was pretty impressed when I called him in to see what I had found for less than 1/2 the price of what a new window treatment would have cost! :)

Score!

Archie made out on the shopping spree too as I found him this pug doll in the dog toy section for only $6 and I got myself this little wooden sign for $4!

Ta Da!

Archie was quite pleased.

I knew when he saw him that some ideas popped into his head too...

Oooo! A tiny pug minion to train under my spell!

Do you think I could get him to drop that tennis ball and deliver me snacks on the hour?

I will cast a spell on him by hypnotizing him with my spinning curly tail!


Gotcha! :)

Now I will whisper my favorite treats into his ear and he will think they are his own ideas!

... at the count of 3 you will awake bright eyed, bushy tailed and hungry my new little friend!

Tee hee!

I think my day just got a whole lot yummier!

Please leave me a note and tell me your favorite treats!

I will have my minion deliver them to each of you on command!

xoxoxo

Archie

Crochet Fun ~ A Spider & Cricket Exchange

Happy Monday everyone!

I am so excited to show you my newest creations!

I was thrilled to pieces when my friend Lynne invited me to welcome in Fall with this fun project she found!

Meet my new Spider and Cricket!

We followed this neat pattern she found on Etsy that I changed just a little bit.

My tarrantula looked more like a silly spider so I chose not to add fangs.

I replaced them with a smile and created his legs out of stringing pretty beads together that I found on sale at Hobby Lobby.

I just love how he and the little cricket turned out!

They make a wonderful pair don't you think?

Lynne also had the fabulous idea to make each other each a cricket and a bobble ornament and send them as gifties in the mail to each other!

I jumped at the chance to receive more of her wonderful art and here it is!

Meet my cricket from Lynne!

Isn't he fabulous?

He is very jolly singing in my kitchen under his bobble ornament!

...and this is the bobble & cricket I made for Lynne.

It is so fun to see him in his new home enjoying her garden in England!

I never would have found this pattern if it were not for Lynne!

I had so much fun making it.

I learn something new from each project I make.

Trades are especially wonderful because I love stretching outside my own ideas and inspirations to create something totally new and refreshing!

New patterns, recipes, ideas and adventures are wonderful things to trade with friends!

Thank you so much everyone for always sharing your adventures with us!

I love following all of your blogs as you so generously share them in your posts with me and Archie.

You all make our world a very fun place to be!

xoxoxo

a & m

Friday Funnies ~ Archie The Social Butterfly (at Pugs in the Park 2011)

Hi everyone!

It is me... Archie!

I am so excited to show you the very first Pug Party I went to hosted by The Colorado Pug Rescue!

Pugs in the Park ~ 2011

It was amazing!

I have never seen so many pugs before!

There were fun booths to shop, food to eat and lots of games and contests to enter in and prizes to win!

Here we are arriving at Denver City Park!

There was so much to see and share that Dad pulled out his camera and starting snapping photos!

I immediately dove right in and tried to talk to and play with every puggy!

Being my very first social event, I think my intentions were good, but my technique was a little rough around the edges. :)

Momma pulled me aside and had a little talk with me about how to say hello and introduce myself politely before playing with new friends.

I took some time to rethink my approach...

This cute little guy looked like he was trying to get away with something too!

Looks like the newbies have alot to learn. :)

But... there was no time for feelin' bad because at 3:00 something super FUN happened!

An announcement went over the speaker system and...

POOF!

All the puggies turned into something else!

This puggy turned into a T- Rex!

These GUYs are crazy funny!

Poof... Monkey

Poof... Rock Star

Poof... Fire Hydrant!

Poof... Bunch of Grapes

Poof... A Prize Fighter!

Oh my gosh!

All these costume changes are making me dizzy!

I didn't have a costume to enter the contest this year so I sat on the grass with mom and...

CHEERED!

(I am not laughing at them... really I am not!)

Tee Hee! :)

Have a super duper weekend everyone!

What do you have planned?

Please leave me and note and let me know!

xoxoxo

Archie Barchie the Social Butterfly (in training) ;)