pumpkinhaus

We like to bake pita...

2010-12-14T13:55:00.000-05:00

How to make fresh Pita Bread

Ingredients:

1 package of yeast, or quick rising yeast
1/2 cup warm water
3 cups all purpose flour
1 1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon granulated sugar
1 cup lukewarm water

Dissolve yeast in 1/2 cup of warm water. Add sugar and stir until dissolved. Let sit for 10-15 minutes until water is frothy.

Combine flour and salt in large bowl or bread mixer/kitchenaid . Make a small depression in the middle of flour and pour yeast water in depression.

Slowly add 1 cup of warm water, and stir with wooden spoon or rubber spatula (or your hands!) until elastic (this part is way easier with a kitchenaid and bread hook attachment and you can omit the next part by just letting it go on its own for 10 min). Place dough on floured surface and knead for 10-15 minutes until dough is smooth and elastic.

Coat large bowl with vegetable oil and place dough in bowl. Turn dough upside down so all of the dough is coated and allow it to sit in a warm place for about 1 to 3 hours, or until it has doubled in size.

Once doubled, roll out in a rope, and pinch off 10-16 small pieces. Place balls on floured surface. Let sit covered for 10 minutes.

Preheat oven to 500 deg F. (make sure rack is at the very bottom of oven) also preheat your baking sheet. (Don’t use a baking stone! I learned the hard way… it is now in two pieces. So sad.).

Roll out each ball of dough with a rolling pin into circles. Each should be about 5-6 inches across and 1/4 inch thick. the thinner... the more puff you get.

Bake each circle for 4 minutes until the bread puffs up. Tamp it down with the spatula and then turn over and bake for another 2 minutes.

Remove each pita with a spatula from the baking sheet and add additional pitas for baking.

Immediately place hot pitas in storage bags. This is how they stay soft, if you eat them straight from the oven they have a crunch to them! You can reheat them in the toaster or oven.

Always get a bit of flour on your nose... it gives the illusion of hard work... lol!

I like to make homemade falafel, hummus and tahina sauce to go with mine, but with peanut butter, cinnamon and sugar or plain is alway delicious too!

Enjoy!! xo~d.

The Cutest Little Gnome!

2010-11-05T14:52:00.000-04:00

Hello hello!!

Just poppin' by to share pictures of the sweetest little Gnome you ever did see!!! I have truly missed my blog... but, alas... I make no excuses for being a bad blogger! I just figure if I have no time to blog it, I must be busy livin' it!! I do have a couple big posts up my sleeve to share with you later on this week. Until then my pretties!!

xo ~ d.

Spinning Service Now Available!!

2010-04-28T20:48:00.004-04:00

( click the picture to take you to the actual listing)

You are drooling over the fibers.... but you don't spin??!! Never fear! Add this listing with any batt or hand pulled roving purchase in my shop and I will spin it for you!

Choose from:

Thin singles ~ WPI: about 10-12 ~worsted~

Bulky singles ~ WPI: about 8-9 ~bulky~~

~Things to Know~

*Yardage will depend on type of fibers as well as amount.
*This listing ONLY applies to fibers purchased in my shop.
*Please! Allow for an extra 10-12 days for your order to be shipped... Depending on how many orders I have to fill, it is likely to show up sooner.
*If you are buying multiple batts or hand pulled roving, please add a spin service for each... if that is required.
*Please leave all of this lovely info in ~Notes to Seller~ upon checkout... not doing this will only delay your order!

If you are interested in a Custom Spun Art Yarn (totally, 100% different and unique, way more pricey and involved... also my speciality) Please check my other listings. If you do not see one available, please send me a convo and we'll chat about setting up an awesome spin together!

Spinning the Floof! Wild Rolags!

2010-04-23T11:21:00.006-04:00

Prepping a floof batt into a wild rolag for spinning!

the bubble wrap just makes rolling easier... its uh, how I roll... lol ;)

this is the end you will draw the finished, prepped fiber from...

take half a batt... rip it down the middle

and spread the fibers out until you get a thin web. I like to do them roughly 18x20 it depends on how much fiber you have to work with

start by folding up the edges and roll kinda tightly... not death grip tight... but firmly. you can use a dowel rod to roll the fibers with, it works well... mine just happens to be out in the yard pretending it's a sword at the moment. So, yeah... to dowel or not to dowel... you choose!

keep rolling!

once you have all of your fibers rolled.... take the loose, wispy edges and pull them out. wrap those little babies around the rolag nice and smooth!

now... roll the tube away from you (the same direction you originally rolled) and put a light pressure on it. continue rolling up and down the tube until all of the loose fibers have compacted and you have a sturdy tube of fiber. never roll the opposite direction or you will loosen it all up!!
this is where the bubble wrap comes in handy btw...

and there you have it!! a ginormous, wild rolag ready to be spun! start at one end and draw out some of the fibers to attatch to your leader and have fun! let the texture go wild on itself, and draft out the smoothy fibers for an awesome thick and thin... curly and wild yarn!

finished wild rolags Filly Floof 4oz

contains: mill ends, black welsh mountain x, wendsleydale locks, milk fiber and sari silk

The Art of the Batt - p~haus on Bricolage Studios

2010-04-18T15:32:00.005-04:00

What can you do with that chunky art batt?? I am going to spin a semi-laceweight, simple yarn from a gorgeous, super textured art batt from BricolageStudios.etsy... as well as give mad props to my girl Emily (the mastermind behind Bricolage Studios)

bricobatt containing: merino, cotton, firestar, silk noil, thread, mohair locks

close up of a curly mohair bit

on the bobbin

another awesome mohair bit

When I am finished spinning this, I am going to knit it into a small neckerchief/shawlette. I should have a fair amount since this will be roughly 5oz when it is all said and done! I'll share pics and eta to add a link when I am totally finished (give me a week or two... I do have a couple other shawls I am working on in that are nearing completion themselves!)

Spring Spinning!

2010-04-15T14:23:00.003-04:00

Its a beautiful morning... just taking advantage of the early spring. It gets hot pretty quick on the back porch! You can see here how easy it is to treadle the Mach... my knees are barely moving up and down... Its quiet too.

I found a little gnome sneaking around the cherry tree too! Shhhh... if you feed him corn chips he'll stay!

Oh... Go Get Floofed!

2010-04-14T16:17:00.005-04:00

K-9 Love

2010-03-31T09:52:00.003-04:00

Doin' the Tuesday Shuffle...

2010-02-23T14:36:00.003-05:00

I'm in it... official spring fever dumps. It snowed again and I am having a hard time trudging to the end of the driveway in the disgusting mud and snow. blargh. Its been an interesting couple of days, I am thinking I had such a killer birthday weekend that this may be the cause of da mood... although I am quite sure it just may be something else.

I posted a T Rex video this morning on ye olde facebook... my little man Cael kept giving me his Jeepster (it truly must be love... he's a lot like his daddy) so I bust out the song... man oh man... I can almost feel the warm wind and smell the inside of my sweet Joe's old beater truck when I hear it... le sigh (in a good way)... When we first started dating (1994!!!) I made him a Marc Bolan doll sitting in a huge silver papier mache rocketship. The doll is still kickin' around but the ship is long, long gone.

So its time for the weekly pod shuffle... I am liking this routine. Its keeping me on a bit of a blogging schedule... lol... here are your 10 songs yo!

Once Burned ~ Todd Rundgren
Mating Ritual of The Bespectacled ~ Miss Murgatroid
Wev'e Only Just Begun ~ Claudine Longet
In Hopes of a Garden ~ Steppenwolf
Boll Weevil ~ Leadbelly
Dwarfish Trumpet Blues ~ Tyrannosaurus Rex
Seen and Not Seen ~ Talking Heads
Reset ~ Big Boi feat Khujo Goodie & Cee-Lo
C'mon Feel the Noise ~ Titan
Evil Part 2 ~ John Du Cann

I had to skip 2 that time because Leadbelly and Todd Rundgren came up twice... Its funny how your ipod can be spot on sometimes... ha ha ha... and other times it like wtf?? I listen to that!? hee hee hee... this is a good shuffle for me today :)

Its funny... with this latest rash of spring fever, I have been really thinking about the last few years. I think it is the same for others lately too... I have read so many posts from people waxing poetic about the 90s... and Veruca Salt... Veruca Salt? I really loved the whole Riot Grrrrl scene, but I just don't correlate this band with the movement. It could very well be that I was knee deep in glam for most of the decade... lol... and love... and Love... lol... I think it was my 10 years of the 70's... :)

Anyways. I had better get spinning. I need to update the shop again, and I am hoping to squeeze in some new Prims... that will be another post!

xoxo ~ as always

Happy Birthday! Its my birthday!

2010-02-21T17:32:00.004-05:00

Yeah!! Today was the day I turned 35!!! I am not a person who is upset by getting older... I am rather enjoying it I tell you!! I have an amazing husband and two wonderful children, and I wouldn't dare go back and change a thing about my life...

We spent the weekend cruising the thrift shops and I got a great new (to me) pair of orthogeek kicks!! Dude!! I love it when I score at the Goodwill!! Its been a while since I have had any girly shoes... Imma remedy that one real soon!! lol...

Joe picked up a couple of the cutest dresses for me from Folk.etsy!! Oh my goodness... now, not only do I have sweet feet... I have cute dresses to go with it!! It has been a good while since I have been able to indulge in anything for myself, it feel so good to have something nice!! It is quite possible that if you were to come knocking on my door, I may just answer... hee hee hee...

So... a good weekend... a good life... some fabu clothes... sushi... what more can a 35yo girl ask for??!!

In a Monster Stylee...

2010-02-16T15:14:00.004-05:00

Its time to shuffle yet again!! Todays playlist was brought to you by the colors of gnashing teeth, night vision, green scales and cold blood!! Grawr!

The Ravelympics have begun and my MONDO project is a Monster Blankie made out of handspun art yarn... needless to say this will be getting as much of my attention as possible during the Olympics (actually watching the Olympics??? Nah...)! I carded up 17 batts for this one so far... I am really not to sure how much yarn this one will actually take. By the time I am finished with it I would like to have Little Man Cael graduated to the big-boy-bottom-bunk of the bed! Hey!! Nab a pattern and make one with me!!! C'mon!! It doesn't have to be handspun... I will be freeforming it a bit, but will adhere to the pattern for the face. If you do, let me know!!! Tweet me!!

Alrighty then... on to the MUSIC!

Miss Elaine ~ Run-D.M.C.
Howdido ~ Woodie Guthrie
Gates of Steel ~ Devo
P* Da Roseira ~ Gilberto Gil
The Masks/Hobby Horse ~ Paul Giovanni (Classic 1973 Wicker Man Soundtrack)
Dance Song '97 ~ Sleater-Kinney
Boogie Man Song ~ Mos Def
Luvin' ~ Electric Prunes
Unicorn Theme ~ Tangerine Dream (Legend Soundtrack)
Minimum Wage ~ They Might Be Giants

Hmmm... a couple soundtracks on there... they give me away as a Fantasy dweeb. Its true... I love the faeries... :) Enjoy the mix... there is always more where that came from!

I have a load of new batts going in the shop tomorrow... here is a sneak peak... There will be 7 batts and about 4 handspun yarns... unless I get a couple more set tonite! (crosses fingers)

Oh yeah... I'll be 35 at the end of the week... how on earth that happened I'll never be able to figure out!!! Ha ha ha... naw... Imma grow old gracefully, I like being smarter and wiser... and smart... and knowing everything... and ask me, because I know... hee hee hee. Joe and I are celebrating in a couple weeks by getting a room at The Lakeside Inn for two nights. That should be reeeeeeally nice! Other than that, who knows... maybe I should have a slumber party!! And we can watch scary movies all night long and eat way too many rice krispie treats!!

xoxo ~ d.

Making a pile o' Valentines

2010-02-11T19:03:00.006-05:00

Do the Shuffle!

2010-02-09T11:49:00.005-05:00

Ah yes... I remember fondly back in the 70's when I was living in Chile and I fronted a neo-prog-politico band called Noche de Brujas. We followed Alejandro Jodorowsky religiously until his exile... then we disbanded and I was born again in 1975 to a beautiful young lady in Biloxi , Mississippi... or was that all just a sweet, sweet dream?

Oh! Music!!! There has been a lot of talk recently among my friends of music and what they listen too. Truth is, I spend so much time anymore with the kids, PBS and el computero that I have hardly listened to anything of my own in quite some time. There is always, ALWAYS music playing in the haus as soon as Joe comes home so I never feel a lack of it in my life (it is always that way when you live with a musician)and it is always good. So when faced with the question "What music do you listen too lately?" I come up with... hmmm... that group I heard on Sesame Street??!! Wha??!!

So, I am dusting off and juicin' up ye olde ipod... prepare thyself. I am listening to and posting the first ten songs NO MATTER WHAT. I will skip over a band if it has already been played, that is my only stipulation. I'll try to do this regularly... you can learn a lot about someone by what they listen too. I will too.

Deadbeat ~ The Ghastly Ones
Sally Goodin' ~ Woody Guthrie
Happy Hunting Ground ~ Sparks
Jim ~ Sarah Vaughan & Clifford Brown
When You Were Mine ~ Prince
Shackles And Chains ~ Steppenwolf
The Cowboy Disciple ~ Frank Pahl
This Little Monkey ~ The Demolition Doll Rods
Lojack Leviathan ~ The Shapeshifters
Vegetable Friend ~ Robyn Hitchcock

I am only listing the songs, not the album. Seriously, who would have thought that the single would make its triumphant return and become a mainstay again?! Whatever happend to the conceptual album! Could Frank Zappa or Captain Beefheart get a record contract on a major label these days? Probably not... if they did put out an album... Phish would most likely be the ones to produce it. And, it would be awesome, but only music geeks like my husband and I would listen to it!

Have fun diggin' in if you so choose!! I'll post another playlist next week! Groove on!

xoxo~ Your favorite dweeb

Happy V~oodoo Day!!!

2010-02-06T16:54:00.004-05:00

~Happy Valentines Day ~

I hope my little ones get over the creeping crud so we can play this week. Oh! How my Rowan loves to celebrate the "Love Days"!! I am thinking we will be having a heart shaped cookie baking day to send to school, and we always like to make pom-poms together to give as gifts (something she has done for a couple years now of her own accord..). I got her this awesome heart shaped pom-pom maker, so that will make it even more magical for her... :)

Not to much excitement going on around here latley... just a bit o' cabin fever. I am so ready for spring right now. And, truly, it hasn't been the longest or worst winter this year, I am just soooo over it! Ugh! And if my little ones get sick one more time... I swear! I NEVER had this when we homeschooled, my kids were so healthy and happy!!

On a happier note... my ever-lovin' momma got me a beautiful new camera for my combined Christmas/birthday presents (I can't belive I'm going to be 35 in two weeks... eek!). I am over the moon about this one!!! Its a Canon Powershot SX20 IS... and it is soooooo nice! I am going to dig in and see what this baby can do. My blog and shop will be looking so nice!! And, most importantly, I will finally be able to snap pictures of the kids that aren't a total fuzzy mess! Oh! The cuteness to come!! lol...

Have a good week everyone!!!

Love lots and often!!!

~xoxo~

wordless wodensday

2010-01-20T19:20:00.002-05:00

The hunt is back on!

2010-01-19T15:27:00.007-05:00

I am back in active house hunting mode again... and my search is coming up with so many wonderful properties!! I am starting to wonder if buying a house is like buying a motorcycle... ha ha.. in the winter you can get the best deals??? Wha??? I don't really get it. Oh well... All I have to do right now is organize my time properly to go and see some of these amazing mini farms I am finding, they are all about and hour north of me in Michigan, and they all seem to be at least an hour away from each other too... hmmm... its gonna take some finagling, but I have to do it. These are the two I am the absolute most interested in right now:

This one is in Fennville... it is 2,344 Sq Ft on 7 Acres w/ no out buildings listed... but it is a Victorian farmhouse built in 1900...

This one is just north of Grand Rapids and has 13 acres w/ a barn and mostly woods. I flippin' love it. I can see it in my mind... I hope the reality is as good.

I have been attempting to clean my studio over the last week or so... I started out okay, but it has truly gone from bad to much, much worse. I am really bummed about it, but I have to pack about 3/4 of it up and put it into storage. Its sad, because it all started out in storage, and I was so happy to be getting it out!! A lot of my fiber peeps have been taking pics and organizing thier Rav stash areas... so I did it today, and it is kinda helping me see what I've got, and where I can make improvements.

I cannot believe I am going to share pictures with you of my frelling studio... but you will see just why I am pulling my hair out!!! GAH!!

Before

Before

Before

After (worse)

After (worse)

Trust me... its organized. I could cry... but... ah well!! If you look back to my original post showing my studio... you will cry too... ha ha ha!!!.... or just laugh along with me... whatev!! I gotta get back to work... heh heh heh... le sigh.

So here it is...

2010-01-08T15:28:00.006-05:00

Its a new year... and I am working on my blog (bear with me on this)!! What's new?!?

I am sure you are in the same boat as me, with all of this "fresh start" "new years list making" and such... possibly the ever muttered "yes, I will get out and walk more... gawd" or possibly "no more fast food for me... ugh". We are officially through thee first week of 2010 (my daughter keeps coming up to me and whispering in my ear, I hope I remember to spell check this when I am done) and I have high hopes for it the rest of the way. I am one of those few souls, it seems, who had a pretty stinkin' good 2009 and I just know it will carry through.

There are big things on the horizon for me and my little family. Last year we were in fix this haus mode, but soon came to the realization that with two kidlets and my business that just may not be a possibility. Ah well, as much as I love this dear little place, I will be glad to acquire a bit more space to breath. I am a huge fan of make do and the tiny house/small footprint and overhead, but methinks this place is a bit too small for us now.

We are now on the hunt for SPACE... meaning small acreage and a farmhouse. This is one of the things we originally moved back to the Midwest from California for... so it is time to put it into action! We want a small homestead with the means for self sustainment. I don't want to throw myself into the ultimate farm life... I want it to happen at a natural pace. I want a garden, chickens and sheep. simple... I want to have woods for my kids to run around in and explore... I want a barn to set up my studio in... I want to be closer to my friends and their children.

Another big change for me that will be carried through this year is my shop/business... I swear... I bought a spinning wheel and EVERYTHING changed!!! My shop has kept me so incredibly busy!! I am sure you have noticed that my last true post was a recipe last June... are you all tired of eating cocoa wheats yet?? lol... I have become a huge fan of micro-blogging and you are pretty damn sure to catch me either on twitter, facebook or flickr... its just so easy!! (grimace)

Yep... that's me up there... So... yarn, fibers... that's pretty much where I am at right now. I will be bringing back my Pumpkinhaus Prims (I still make dolls..). I will because that is one of my 2010 resolutions and also cloth dolls are one of my greatest loves. They barely got their day in the sun on etsy and by golly... this is the year they will have it!

So I will be sharing many things with you this coming year with the haus hunting adventures... shop happenings... recipes (of course)... normal family fun (not that we are normal)... Stay tuned. It should be really good.

...

2009-10-11T12:28:00.000-04:00

I am blogging today... come hell or high water...

Homemade Cocoa Wheats!

2009-06-19T12:47:00.007-04:00

One of the absolute favorites here at The Pumpkinhaus is Homemade Cocoa Wheats for breakfast (... that is, when I am not making waffles!) This is so easy to make, and the kids totally freak out for it.

Homemade Cocoa Wheats

makes four good sized bowls

3 cups water
1 1/4 cups milk
1 cup farina
pinch o' sea salt
2 heaping tablespoons natural process cocoa (I like Penzeys)
up to 1 teaspoon cinnamon (Penzeys the Korintje Cassia Cinnamon is my fav and the Extra Fancy Vietnamese is wonderful too.)
1 tablespoon vanilla extract (Penzeys you haven't had vanilla until you have had theirs.)
1 teaspoon almond extract (Penzeys one small bottle has lasted me 3 years so far, and I use it all the time)
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1/2 cup brown sugar or more, depends on how sweet you like it

Put water, milk and pinch o' salt in a good sized pot with a fitting lid. As this starts to heat up, add all of your spices and extracts minus the butter and sugar and stir well to melt the cocoa.

Just before the mixture starts to boil, slowly pour in farina... stirring the whole time (this is the secret to no lumps). Stir until it begins to boil, and then turn the burner to simmer and leave it for about 8 min or so, stirring occasionally. Then, put the butter and brown sugar right on top, put the lid on tight, and move it to the back burner and leave it set for about 10 minutes. While it is setting make your toast for dipping, and perk up a fresh pot of coffee.

My kids like it served up with a splash of milk and some extra cinnamon on top to make it pretty. Try dipping with a slice of buttered toast... that is the Dani and Ro special!

Enjoy!

Pumpkinhaus at the Tiny Studio

2009-06-07T21:24:00.003-04:00

My show at Tiny Studio last friday was great! It was really wonderful to be able to have an event that included both Joe and I. For so many years now, it has either been his performance or my exibit, never really together. Rowan was there and she worked hard on her art, and then showed Mia and then Teatah around the art hop. She is becoming so independant lately... I can really tell how much she has changed and matured over the last year in moments like these. Of course, she loved it that her dad was performing as Harts Horn, and got to show him off as well!

My handspun yarn and art dolls were very well received, and I also ended up spinning for about three hours straight. Everytime I stopped, someone else would come in and exclaim "Oh wow... " so then, I would sit down and give another demo! I don't care though, I love it and could do it all day, everyday! It is really funny the people who are super interested in watching someone spin. Little boys, and grown men alike just really wanted to know all about it, and how the whole process works... my Gramma thought that was just a hoot! Even she was pretty mystified by the whole thing and watched herself for over an hour... lol.

I have so much stock built up right now, and the massive shop update begins tomorrow and should go steady through wednesday, so please stop by often to see what I have to offer! I will start with bright handspun yarns tomorrow, and then more art yarns on tuesday, and round out the update with many new art dolls on wednesday... I am so excited to have so much new stuff!!!

All right... now off to put my tiny haus back together! It is amazing how messy it can get when you are knee deep in preparations for a show!

More peeking...

2009-05-28T16:18:00.001-04:00

Tiny Peek...

2009-05-27T21:42:00.000-04:00

Prepping for a show at Tiny Studio

2009-05-26T09:55:00.002-04:00

I have a gallery show coming up in Kalamazoo, MI at Tiny Studio on June 5th which will feature my art dolls and handspun yarns. I have been spinning like crazy, and I have about 20 skeins of yarn so far... I am going to double that, which means I will spend ano ther whole day carding batts again. It's tough work, but I love it!

For now though, I am spending the next couple of days sculpting some new little sitting gnome dolls. My doll peeps should be glad to hear that! I'll post a preview of those over the next day or two... but, for now, here is a smattering of what I have done so far.

Tiny Studio Music/Arts - Exhibit

Date: Friday, June 5, 2009Time: 5:00pm - 9:00pm

Location: Park Trades Center #219, Kalamazoo, MI

Email: tinystudio@charter

Tiny Studio blog:
http://thethreepeas.blogspot.com/

Joe Davis/ Harts Horn blog:
http://homepunspacerock.blogspot.com/

Harts Horn/ Etsy Shop:

http://homespunspacerock.etsy.com/

A lovely afternoon

2009-05-22T22:42:00.003-04:00

Ahhhhh... sweet, sweet sunshine! I had the most wonderful day today, my kids spent the day with Grandma, and I got to sleep in!! I woke up, perked up a pot o' coffee and dragged a bunch of wool and my wheel outside and just spun to my hearts content in the sunshine.

I sat in the same spot for over 4 hours. I listened to the birds. I enjoyed the breeze.

I even got a bit of a sunburn. That felt so good.

I have a pretty good life.

Hausbatts!

2009-05-20T13:47:00.005-04:00

Fellow Fiber Fiends... get your fun fiber fix here at The Pumpkinhaus!

I am listing hand carded batts galore in the shop!

Hausbatts!

These are beautiful fiber batts that are comprised of any or all of the following:

hand dyed: merino, bfl, corridale, falkland, coopworth, romney, mohair

also possibly: angelina, firestar, sari silk fibers, the kitchen sink, tencel neps, silk neps, toys, yarn bits, love, beads, feathers, passion, color, bling, shine, stars in your eyes!

These are all fun, bright hand carded 2oz batts that come from color combinations from my home The Pumpkinhaus. Each one is a surprise... you may get my kitchen floor (wha? it is fabulous), Rowan's spring jacket, my day of the dead bathroom... my favorite song at the moment... whatever it is, it is sure to be packed with love, passion and color! Just like my little home!

Spinners!

Felters!

Lovers of mad texture!

Dollmakers!

Thanks for looking!

Pumpkinhaus Handspun Yarn

2009-05-18T13:46:00.005-04:00

Yea! I listed some new items today... Pumpkinhaus Handspun Yarn! And... would you believe it... yes, someone snapped one up immediatly! Whoo hoo! That felt pretty great.

I have been spinning for years with a drop spindle, and as you may have seen in a previous post, I finally got a me big girl wheel! So you will be seeing sooooo much more yarns in the future of my little shop! I am and always will be a fiber feind, and this feels so good to be making! I love to use handspun yarn for my art dolls and softies!

These are all made from hand dyed wool and various other fun stuff and then carded up on my drum carder into the most beautiful batts ( I don't know why I didn't photograph them...) which is then spun up with massive luvin'!

Moss and Bark

Pinky Lee

Mermish

Fffffffun.

Superman Ice Cream

Thanks for looking!

Etsy Bloggers May 11 Edition

2009-05-11T00:01:00.001-04:00

Welcome to the May 11, 2009 edition of etsybloggers.

I am your host!! I really thought long and hard about what I would love to read about... I went with these two topics:

More thoughtfully written:

1).Art vs. Craft: Is it an issue / non-issue and how do you feel about the argument?

More playful and fun:

2).What is your favorite fairy tale? Any parallels to real life?

So... it is monday morning. Brew up a pot of coffee and relax (like me, I actually look forward to monday mornings... what? Am I the only one?), or sneak it in between bulk emails from your boss. What ever you do, this should be really good. I plan to write my blog post as a summation of all that I have read from fellow teammates in the next day of two. So, stay tuned.

Rose Works Jewelry presents Snow White, Cinderella, and Rambo? posted at A Jedi's Musings.

Terronda Clarke presents Etsyblogger Blog Carnival - Fairy Tale posted at ~Unique Commodities~.

Tammy presents Do Fairy Tales Inspire You? posted at tamdoll's workspace.

A Keeper's Jackpot presents A Case for Art Vs Craft posted at A Keeper's Jackpot.

Kraken presents Art vs. Craft « posted at Kraken Mosaics - Where Art & Inspiration Collide.

Kathy Johnston (Cozy) presents Life gets better....... posted at A Cozy Life.

Elayne Teitelbaum presents ChezChani: ART VS CRAFT (In This Corner...Craft) posted at ChezChani.

cindy devine presents Art vs. Craft: Is it an issue? posted at Devine Designs Jewelry.

maryeb presents Princesses All posted at Colorless Green Ideas.

AliciaMae presents The Craft War posted at Crafts and Cooking.

Rainy presents Art Vs. Craft Blog Carnival posted at RainyDayArt.

Vanessa presents If the Shoe Fits... posted at Designs by Vanessa.

pesky33 presents Fairy Tales & Real Life posted at Life's Big Canvas.

MagdaleneJewels presents A Fairy Tale Life posted at MagdaleneJewels's Blogs.

Two Zany Zebras presents Once upon a time... posted at Two Zany Zebras.

BunnyKissd presents Blogger Carnival: Art Vs. Craft posted at Diary of a Crazy Rabbit Lady, Too.

Athena Workman presents A Wicked Great Fairy Tale posted at the weblog of artist athena workman.

Becky presents Favorite Fairy Tale? posted at The Fab Miss B.

Heather presents Blog Carnival: Art vs. Craft? posted at Heather's Custom Sewing.

Virginia Burnett presents Favorite Fairy Tale??? posted at Luna's Baublebilities

Trina Baker presents Etsy Blog Carnival « gallery32 posted at gallery32.

HomeMadeOriginals presents Art Vs. Craft, Along the Continuum posted at Home Made Originals.

storybeader presents Etsybloggers carnival - May 8, 2009 posted at Stroll Through Storyland.

Erika presents The Fairy Tale of Life posted at NICO* Designs.

Glorybe1024 presents Fairy Tales - Blog Carnival Post posted at Lucky Ladybug Designs.

Edi presents Artist vs. Crafter posted at Memories for Life Scrapbooks.

Patti presents A.........rt vs. Craft posted at peacoxcreations.

Now let's go visit our teammates blogs and read this edition of the EtsyBloggers Blog Carnival!

Technorati tags: etsybloggers, blog carnival.

More New Hats

2009-05-04T15:37:00.004-04:00

A couple more new hat additions to the shop...

more mushrooms, only this time...

REVERSIBLE!

I, personally, love it. I am keeping one of them, and I am not taking it off! Super cute, really versatile (my own design, as always). I am going to add many more of these to the shop a little at a time, so keep those peepers peeled!

And I updated the Gnome Cone pics too.

I finally got an order for one of these!

Alrighty... thanks for looking!

I am off to spin up some more yarny goodness... keep ya posted!

The Mach 1 Has Landed!

2009-05-01T10:56:00.004-04:00

Oh yes... I am the proud owner of a brand new spinning wheel!!! The Mach 1 by Spinolution arrived at my doorstep last night searching for a new home... I welcome it with open arms and spinning hands!

I purchased this baby from janicerosema on etsy. She is a super sweet seller, and she happens to live just blocks away from the man who makes them. I was only able to sit and spin for a few minutes last night, but so far, I am in love! The action on this wheel is so smooth and I had absolutely no problems taking it out of the box and assembling it... it took all of about 15 minutes, then I was ready to spin! I am going to devote some real time spinning this afternoon, and then I will be able to give a more accurate description of how it really works.

here are some pictures:

I had Janice's special treatment added... taller peg hooks, and the "orifice" hook has a ball on the tip to prevent any snagging of bulky or art yarns. This wheel has no orifice btw, it is a hook so there is no actual threading.

I have heard a few people on ravelry describe this as a rather "ugly" wheel, but I actually love the way it looks, it has a really sturdy almost industrial feel to it. It is actually made by hand in the makers home garage wood shop! I love that about this wheel.

Of course, Little Man's favorite thing to do is to grab the hook and spin the flyers! I thought this was good to show the height of the wheel... its about 27" tall.

Okay! Off to go play!

Shop Update! Hats and Yarn!!

2009-04-29T13:59:00.007-04:00

Forgive me bloggers... for I have sinned. It has be too long since my last blogfession. OMG!!! What a freakin' month it has been! I tell ya, the weather has me ever so crazy right now. But, I truly believe the fog has lifted! So much going on right now... we started tearing out the walls and doing some MAJOR renovations on Ye Olde Pumpkinhaus. Not pretty right now, but oh so needed (I'll share some pics really soon)! We are growing out of this little haus, and it is time to make some changes! Swappin' rooms, moving the bathroom, biggifying the kitchen... not to mention the garage! Long summer ahead, I just hope we can keep up the pace!

I have added some hand dyed yarn and a new style hat to the shop. When exactly did I make these? I dunno... it was all a blur...

Introducing:

The Miss Muffet Hat

Super cute and puffy. Little Miss Muffet! Two variations on this little sweetie hittin' the shop soon!

Pumpkindyed!

Melted Popsicle
190 yards hand dyed bulky

On the pond
190 yards medium weight merino

County Fair

190 yards hand dyed bulky

Green Meadow
190 yards hand dyed worsted

Swampy
190 yards hand dyed bulky

Superheroes
190 yards hand dyed worsted

So, thanks for looking, and I am going to be back sooner! I have a few projects to finish up, and some orders to get out! now... back to work!

wordless wodensday

2009-04-15T10:17:00.000-04:00

Out of the Dyepot!

2009-04-08T09:48:00.005-04:00

I spent the last two days in a fiber dying frenzy! This is the first I've been able to get to it this year... we have so much going on right now.

So, there is about a couple pounds of painted roving and 6 or 7 skeins of yarn total. I will be doing much, much more of this soon and offering it in my shop... as well as my own handspun yarn! I am getting a drum carder here in the next couple of weeks... I am so excited! Art yarn a go-go! You will be able to find all of this in my shop in the Pumpkinspun section around mid April.

Corriedale roving and a skein of Lamb's Pride bulky in the roaster. I used Kool Aid for the first round, I had Rowan helping me out, and food grade dyes are considered non-toxic. There is a lovely, lingering lemon scent to these right now! Rowan is always remarking about how we never actually drink the stuff... seriously, if it dyes wool colorfast, imagine your insides!

These are more skeins of Lamb's Pride in both bulky and worsted weight. I used an ikat tying dying method on these... it really turned out awesome.

Pretty soon, we will be converting the garage to a full time studio... I cannot contain my joy about this! We are so incredibly squeezed in our little house right now... we have also started the renovations on the inside of the house (I will share some pictures soon), We tore out the wall between the library and Rowans room last week. Whew... more later!

Harbor of the Arts!

2009-03-26T22:55:00.003-04:00

This weekend, my mom and I will be in Benton Harbor, Michigan for the Harbor of the Arts indoor art fair on saturday ( Mar 28 ). This is the first annual event, so it should be pretty fun! If you are in the area... stop by! I'd love to meet you!
I'll post a blog next week and let you know how everything went!

Ado Traveling Doll Project

2009-03-25T14:10:00.002-04:00

What an exciting project this is!

This project is a collaboration of artists, all working individually on a group doll. A team of 6 people will end up with 6 dolls. Two team are participating for a total of 12 dolls being completed.Each doll will take a journey...starting and ending in the same place with a whole new look and story. A journal will travel with each doll that will tell the story from the start, middle, and the end of the dolls adventure.

Team 1 in travel order
the Studio at Crow Haven Farms
Mealy Monster Land
Odd Dollz
Cindy Celusta
Paula Connolly
PumpkinHaus

Team 2 in travel order
Lisa Johnson
Spirit Mama
Loopy Boopy
Lady Artisan Dolls
Patti Lavalley
Odd Dolls

you can check our progress as a group at:

Art Dolls Only ~ Traveling Doll Project

I really didn’t know where to begin… I kind of thought this doll would be some sort of character from a fairy tale or something like that… I’ll admit it… I was a bit uninspired. I really just started with a 16” jointed body pattern that I was playing around with for some new patchwork dolls, and as I was putting it together… it really just started forming its own character. I sewed the pieces together, and the head came out looking sideways…. Almost like it was looking out of a car window, wistfully as it was leaving home for the first time! What a happy accident, instead of ripping out the stitches, I went with it. When I was finished, it struck me, it really looked like my little boy Cael (Rowan agreed whole-heartedly)! And, then I thought… well, this is a traveling doll… Little man… time for an adventure!

Next stop: Crow Haven Farm!

Double Love!

2009-03-24T14:36:00.003-04:00

Super cute Etsymom treasury!

I know, I know.... I have been a bad blogger lately! I promise, I will update all of you guys soon! I have been a busy, busy girl!

2009-03-18T15:55:00.000-04:00

Etsy Front Page 3/4/09 unmundane

2009-03-05T15:26:00.001-05:00

Etsy Front Page 3/4/09 unmundane
Originally uploaded by Etsy Front Pagers

Ring a ding ding! Its almost Spring!

2009-03-01T15:08:00.000-05:00

Whew! It may still be freezing cold out there, but I can start to smell a bit of spring in the air! I am so freakin' ready for a LOT of sunshine in my life!

I have been busy with many projects lately, I am drafting new patterns for soft dolls with fully jointed arms and legs, and maybe a little turn of the head too while I'm at it! These babies are going to be in three different sizes, and be sure that they will be full of color and life with all sorts of patchwork frenzy!

Another project is finishing up a pile of skirts I started last spring. They are art-to-wear upcycled jeans made into skirts with all sorts of trims and vintage fabrics. Most of them have been stamped and painted by hand. I love these skirts... I have been making these for a long time now, and I have been meaning to get these in my shop from the get go.

I have a few little hand sculpted dollies that need a bit of finishing up as well.... I have a night or two of knitting up pointy hats out of sock yarn while watching Doctor Who with my little family.

And, last, but most definitely not least..... I will be putting the finishing touches on the pdf pattern for the Gnome Hat. Yes folks... I am gonna do it! I have had so much interest in this little hat, I figured it was about time. I can only knit them up so fast y'know! I love this hat, and it really was something that just clicked for me! So now... I will spread the love!

Oh my......

2009-02-26T09:52:00.004-05:00

I've fed the kids

washed the kids

brushed their teeth

washed the dishes

made the coffee

watched Clifford

window shopped

blogged

twittered

answered emails

started a fresh loaf of oatmeal bread

..... I just looked at the clock.... it is still only 9:45

this could be the longest day......

Hiya Hiya Love!

2009-02-26T07:48:00.000-05:00

I made a trip Down to visit family in Kentucky a couple of weeks ago, and I visited a yarn shop called Crafty Hands. What a great shop! I wish we had an LYS like that around here.... the shop owner carried such a wonderful variety of yarns. Unfortunatly I was really only able to stock up on yarn for my gnome hat orders.... but I did snag a couple of cool items!

My step-mom got me the coolest little circular needles for knitting socks, it is called the Hiya Hiya. I love it, it is so tiny, but so easy to use at the same time.

I am knitting up a pair of baby leg warmers for Cael, and Rowan put in a request for some arm bands as well. When you knit the socks on the needles, you do need to use dpn's for heel shaping.... I'll probably do that project after I make Ro's arms bands though.... I will try to remember to blog it once I get there to show how it works.

Ah..... here is a picture of the stash. It is mostly Brown Sheep for the shop, and a few sock yarns. I plan to order some handspun from a couple of sellers on etsy soon. I am also going to pick up some wool and do some dying myself. I think it has almost been a year since I did any wool dying, and my supply is starting to run out.

There she is! The reason I went down for a visit was to see my brand spanking new niece Molly Elizabeth Tandy. What a little beauty! Such a sweet little one.... Cael and Rowan loved her, and now Ro is asking me for another!!!!! I said, "where do you plan to put another baby in this tiny little house?"
She said, " In my bed."

Lil' Totem Softies

2009-02-20T17:23:00.009-05:00

Here come the Softies!

I finished up and listed a couple today, and will be listing more over the weekend.

These little softies are based on the Pumpkinhaus Prim. Only they are around 10" tall.... and a bit more colorful!

(click any of the pictures to be taken to the softie section of my shop)

I have been making very small (1") little talisman dolls for my step-dad. He uses them for his clients as an effigy/talisman/totem, He is a Jungian Psychotherapist and a Shaman. I was going to put them in my shop, but it would be so hard to make and photograph many little 1" dolls.... so I decided to make them bigger.

So, you can purely love these for the sake of being a softie lover.... or you can dig in a little deeper....

This colorful little totem/talisman will watch over you and bring you protection. Infused with a natural essential aromatherapy oil of your choice.

Each individual little totem is about 10 inches tall and is made up of a hodge podge of beautiful fabrics (vintage and new), buttons, lace, applique, wool felt and hand dyed and spun yarn (by my favorite! fabulosity.etsy.com).

Lie it on your bed, couch, or drag the little thing around with you everywhere you go for maximum effect!

These are all one of a kind little beings, and there are many, many to choose from so you can find yourself a perfect match!

Here is a list of available oils to choose from:

Anise ~ cheering, mildly euphoric
Bergamot ~ uplifting, inspiring, confidence-building
Cedarwood ~ emotional stress, anxiety, powerlessness
Cinnamon Cassia ~ comforting, energizing, warming
Citronella ~ purifying, vitalizing
Clary Sage ~ centering, euphoric, visualizing
Eucalyptus ~ purifying, invigorating
Grapefruit ~ refreshing, cheering
Geranium ~ soothing, mood-lifting, balancing
Jasmine ~ calming, relaxing, sensual, romantic
Lavender ~ balancing, soothing, calming, relaxing, healing
Lemon ~ uplifting, refreshing, cheering
Orange ~ uplifting, cheering, sensual
Patchouli ~ romantic, soothing, sensual
Peppermint ~ vitalizing, refreshing, cooling
Rosewater ~ romantic, supportive, gently uplifting
Rosemary ~ clarifying, invigorating
Spearmint ~ refreshing, cooling, vitalizing
Thyme ~ cleansing, purifying, energizing
Ylang Ylang ~ uplifting, cheering, sensual
~ or ~
None ~ I don't want to send you a stinky doll if you don't want it!!!

Please note: These little beings are NOT intended for children.

Why? Hmmmmm... not really sure. Ask someone at the CPSA.

Thanks for looking!

Drumroll Please..........

2009-02-12T11:02:00.005-05:00

The One World One Heart Blog Extravaganza has come to an end..... it has been so much fun participating this year!

I had 165 entries in my giveaway, and I know I probably entered twice as many as that myself! There are some fabulous bloggers and artists out there, and you can access each one through the host blog, she will keep the links up for 6 months (that is like over 100 blogs to read each month!)

~ OWOH ~

I wrote each number down on a little strip of paper (1/2" x 1"), and had my daughter Rowan dig in and choose the numbers.

She pulled out 3 and 75

So, I am pleased to announce the winners!

The winner of Giveaway No. 1:
Lil Patchwork Frou Frou Skirt is....

Cozy Cabin Creations

and~

The winner of Giveaway No. 2:
Marcy Lumpkinmaus is....

Sarah

Yea!

Thank you so much to everyone that entered my giveaway!

One World One Heart Coming to a Close!

2009-02-11T20:01:00.002-05:00

Tonite is your last chance to enter the One World One Heart Giveaway! Tomorrow morning, I will rise, perk myself up a pot 'o coffee, and draw two wonderful names out of a hat!

Click on the banner at the top right hand side of my blog to be directed to the giveaway post..... Good Luck!!

A Dress The Color of the Weather

2009-02-05T14:14:00.005-05:00

A couple of weeks ago we rented Peau d'âne (1970) ( U.S. title: Donkey Skin) Directed by Jacques Demy. With Catherine Deneuve, Jean Marais, Delphine Seyrig. Demy was also the director of The Umbrellas of Cherbourg and The Young Girls of Rochefort, two of my favorite films which I became aware of when I worked at Video Paradiso (cornball name..... great rentals) in Claremont, California.

I am utterly obsessed with the story of Peau d'Ane now. In the story, Peau d'Ane's mother, the Queen dies, and her last dying wish is that her husband never marry again unless the woman is more beautiful than she. Well, as you can guess.... who could possibly be more beautiful than the Queen..... her daughter, Peau d'Ane. Her father wishes to marry Peau d'Ane, so she seeks council from her fairy godmother who advises her that it is unnatural for daughters to marry their fathers.... regardless of whether or not they are king.

She tells Peau d'Ane, in order to avoid marriage with her father, she is to ask her him for the impossible....

to make her a dress the color of the weather.

I will tell you more of the story a bit later.....

Hats! Hats! More Hats!

2009-02-05T10:28:00.004-05:00

Introducing ~

The Amelia Flight Hat

Here are the first round of embellished beauties! These were so much fun to make. These are all available at The Pumpkinhaus now!

The Amelia Flight Hat - Paisley Tapestry

The Amelia Flight Hat - Floral Corduroy

The Amelia Flight Hat - Yellow Lotus

The Amelia Flight Hat - Ochre Floral

The Amelia Flight Hat - Yellow Floral

Stay tuned for The Pixie Flight Hat!

~ Thanks for looking ~

Little Leilee and Cora - ADO team Broken Heart Challenge Art Doll by Pumpkinhaus for Valentines Day

2009-02-02T11:20:00.004-05:00

Well! She is finished!!! And not a moment to soon!!!

Presenting~

Little Leilee and Cora

Little Leilee clutches her dear heart Cora ever so tightly this Valentines day. She made herself a little baby dear so that she could be reminded that the world didn't always have to be so hard, cold and lonely.

Leilee is 13" tall (sitting - toes to the top of her head) and is hand sculpted out of polymer clay over a rigid armature. She is hand painted and finished with a UV resistant gloss glaze. Her dress is comprised of vintage fabrics, hand dyed vintage lace.... and a pair of my favorite socks that Rowan wore when she was a tiny babe. Her hair is a Japanese modacrylic wig.

Sweet Cora is a tiny ragdoll that can come out of Leilee's arms. Her body is batik and she has vintage fabric embellishments and vintage buttons for eyes. Her braids are made from hand dyed and spun yarn from Fabulosity.etsy.com (my favorite!)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

You can check out some of her progress here:

http://pumpkinhaus.blogspot.com/2008/12/this-face-makes-me-giddy.html

http://pumpkinhaus.blogspot.com/2008/12/baby-in-oven.html

http://pumpkinhaus.blogspot.com/2008/12/i-painted-little-dear.html

The Rita Cape

2009-02-01T11:28:00.003-05:00

This is the second in the Woodland Cape series. As I was photographing this yesterday morning, and Joe and I decided it had a 60's psychedelia feel to it. I can see Grace Slick wearing this on top of the roof in New York city. Or Rita Lee from Os Mutantes, sitting cross legged, singing on Brazilian television.

It is made with vintage woven wool in olive green, and the hood is made from a vintage apron with embroidered little animals. It is secured upon your shoulders with the apron ties. The inside is the warmest, bright pink fleece with a pop art circle design in the hood and a super soft plum colored fleece for the body of the cape, the edge is trimmed in a sweetly woven jacquard trim.

Available now at The Pumpkinhaus!

Hats Take Flight!

2009-01-27T20:41:00.002-05:00

Here are the prototypes for two new aviator style hats I have been working on this week for the Pumpkinhaus. I drafted up a couple of patterns and I must say, I am happy with the results so far! These are just pics of the hats ~ plain ~ I will be embellishing theses babies with all sorts of finery! For now, they are lined with fleece (it is still mighty cold out there!) and have all sorts of fine cotton fabrics (vintage and new..... some designer! who .... me? Use designer fabrics..... yup.). Bonnet style Aviator Hats!

The Pixie Flight Hat
You gotta wear pointy hats.... makes you smart dontcha know!

~and~

The Amelia Flight Hat
I named Rowan Amelia after Ms. Earhart. It is only fitting to make a hat after her too.

I need to ask my brother if I can hire Madison for some modeling.... she needs a makeover bad!

One World One Heart Giveaway!

2009-01-24T19:54:00.007-05:00

This give away is open to EVERYONE! The winner will be announced on February 12th. I am so excited to be involved this year! Whee! Too much fun!
Please click on the One World One Heart Logo for more information...

HOW TO ENTER TO WIN: All you need to do is leave me a comment ON THIS POST and be sure to include your name and email so I have a way to get a hold of you if you are the winner!

THE PRIZE: I am giving away TWO prizes to the first two names that are drawn!!! Let me know if you are interested in one or both!

Giveaway No. 1

Lil Patchwork Frou Frou Skirt

All little girls love a good tutu now and then! I think you could find this tutu in a trunk at the Villa Villakula purchased by Ephram Longstocking for his little red haired princess!

This tutu has a skirt sewn with 100% cotton calicos and an under layer of soft white tulle. The waist is embellished with bright and playful knotted yarns.Lots of pouf going on here!!

7in long skirt

8in elastic waistband

Giveaway No. 2

Marcy Lumpkinmaus

Little Marcy Lumpkinmaus is so desperate for a valentine this year... she thought maybe a little rouge on the cheeks would do the trick....

Marcy stands... oh... not so tall at a mere 3 1/2 inches. The Little Lumpkinmaus are hand sculpted out of polymer clay, with glass eyes and hand painted.

Thanks for stopping by and good luck!!

The Gnome Hat for You - Not Your Kids

2009-01-17T16:56:00.002-05:00

I have this little gnome that lives in the woods behind my house you see.... it took some cunning and timing, but I trapped him while he was stealing eggs out of a blue jays nest! I had to bribe him with sweet ambrosia and he gave up the pattern to me whilst in a drunken state. You asked for it folks, and I aim to deliver!

Bonnet style hat with a cute little gnome peak and ties under the chin.

This hat is so incredibly soft, it is knit with Lambs Pride 85% wool/15% mohair. Soft and strong. Lamb's Pride is one of the few domestically produced wool yarns made right here in the United States. It will last through many, many winters.

colors available:

Deep Red
Lotus Pink
Rust Orange
Mustard Yellow
Kiwi Green
Peacock Blue

Oh Yeah! Vote for Gnome Hats!!!

2009-01-16T12:23:00.004-05:00

My little Gnome Hat was chosen in to be in the Sellers' Top Items of 2008: Shop Makeover Community Vote! on etsy! How cool is that!! Make sure you jaunt on over and cast your vote!

A vote for the Gnome Hat is a vote for Love!

isn't my little man soooooo cute!

And The Heart Bleeds On.... Colors to warm your heart from the INcrowd Team

2009-01-11T01:12:00.005-05:00

A lovely treasury curated by KBShimmer of the Indiana Etsy Street Team.

The Lil' Grimm Frou Frou Skirt makes a stunning appearance! I just love Rowan's little legs!

Thank You!!

Etsy Bloggers Featured Seller is Rose Works Jewelry!

2009-01-10T00:44:00.004-05:00

Here are some beautiful finds from this months Etsybloggers Team featured seller RoseWorks Jewelery and KindredSpirit Treasures! Super fun and very affordable jewelery, and make sure you check out the Geekery section at Roseworks! Too much fun!

Intricate Crochet Bookmark

This bookmark is much to lovely to be tucked away into a dusty old book!

Woven Leaf Earrings

I love these, they remind me of my friend Vicky in California. She would always share her papaya with me at lunch time.... there are two halves you know! Hmmmm... I miss her!

Orange Dreamsicle Spiral Earrings
I can never say no to a little orange bead!

"Kindred Spirit Treasures" is the brain child of a mother and daughter team. We have always been the best of friends, and both love to create! Patty (Mom) works mainly in the worlds of crocheting and knitting while Ruthie (daughter) is first and foremost a jewelry artist. Check out Ruthie's other shop at www.roseworksjewelry.etsy.com! What will you find here? A little bit of everything! These are our treasures, offered up to you, enjoy :)

Make sure to check out her blog too!

Welcome to The Pumpkinhaus Little Lumpkinmaus!

2009-01-03T23:18:00.004-05:00

Meet Syl Lumpkinmaus. Poor tiny little Syl... he did make an effort to dress up all cute for the party.... but he forgot to send out the invitations!

And then... there is Miss Marcy Lumpkinmaus.

Little Marcy Lumpkinmaus is so desperate for a valentine this year... she thought maybe a little rouge on the cheeks would do the trick....

Here is the rest of the unruly bunch! All half nakey and ready to be painted.
You know what they say about a little maus who wears a big hat....

They are waiting at The Pumpkinhaus for your sweet lovin'....

I Painted the Little Dear

2008-12-31T22:01:00.004-05:00

Here are a few pics of the painted piece. The 2nd and 4th pictures show the under painting. All in all, there is about 6 layers of different colors of paint.

The nose and cheeks are embossed with floral stamps.

These pictures really don't do the colors any justice, her skin is lavender and blue, the nose is blues and greens with an iridescent shimmer over top, and the cheeks are all rosey.

The Baby in the Oven!

2008-12-30T09:48:00.004-05:00

Here is the finished piece, all baked and ready to be painted! It looks a little freaky because I used two boxes of Super Sculpey, and you can see that they fired different colors. I was intending for this to be a girl, but I'm not so sure now.... I am thinking a little boy in a tutu? eh?

These are the hands and feet I reworked last night, I just was not feeling the little shoes I made the night before. He felt like 3 different dolls.... really scattered! But, I am happy now. The little hands look a lot like Caels! I sat on the floor next to the oven and watch them bake because it was just so weird!

It fit perfectly on my turkey roasting pan.... I really need to work smaller! hee hee...

This Face Makes Me Giddy!

2008-12-28T19:38:00.002-05:00

Hee hee.... I'm not gonna show the rest of the body quite yet though!

Rowan in her Tuff Dresses!

2008-12-27T22:29:00.003-05:00

Man! I have been waiting to blog about this for soooooo long! I got a couple of kick ass dresses from my friend Betsy at tuffassnails.etsy for Rowan for Christmas. She looooooves them so much!

This one is the Aqua and Red Sugar Skull Dress. I had to get her this one, because Rowan has been obsessed with Mr. Bones since she was a baby!

And the most awesome Orange, Yellow, and Aqua Japanese Pop Dress - Octopus. This is the dress that was featured on dooce.com's daily style. Rowan recognized it immediately when she opened it on Christmas morning, and had to wear it right away!

These dresses are unbelievable! They are made so well, and Rowan says she loves them, and wants to wear one everyday! Thank you Betsy for being the sweetest and most awesome etsier!!!!! Muah!!!! I Love TuffasSnails!!!!!

Petti Pictures!

2008-12-23T16:47:00.002-05:00

Wow!

This is the custom pettiskirt I made for a fellow CEM'er. I am so happy that she shared the pictures! This project took so looooooong to make! But, I was very happy to do it! And, how about that sweet little model!

sneak a peak.... new work to come!

2008-12-22T12:48:00.002-05:00

So, it is here, I have officially put my shop on a 2 week vacation! It really feels nice after the mad rush of holiday sewing to be able to actually sit with my little lovelies and drink my coffee.... while it is still hot! I have a few small projects to finish up for some family members, but, that is it!

I am really excited to get started on some new work.... I am going to be ordering up some new sculpting tools and I will be making a few dolls over the holiday. I really miss sculpting... I used to teach ceramics and I had my hands in the clay 5 days a week. When we moved home I almost had to go cold turkey. I have access to a small kiln, but it is not really feasable right now, so I am hitting the polymer clay. I will post some WIP pictures once I get started, but for now.... here are a couple pages out of my sketchbook....

Dolhouse sized Poly Prims

Some more Poly Creatures

A Matroyshka companion to the HausMaus

Study for a jointed doll in either polymer or ceramic (we'll see how far I actually get!)

Head study for jointed doll

The Earthlies are on hold for a bit.... I have to find a source for knit ultrasuede. I have not been able to find it, and my last few attempts at making the soft sculpture has me almost in tears! The fabric I picked up is just horrid.... the poor babies have raisin faces, and I can't stand it! Ah well....

Older Pieces and New Beginnings

2008-12-17T11:37:00.004-05:00

This is an older piece of mine, The HausMaus. He stands about a foot tall and is ceramic. The poor dear has a lovely crack running down his front after being badly abused as a door stop for a couple of years.

I plan to revist this little friend of mine in the coming year.... as there are big changes coming to the Pumpkinhaus.

With the advent of the new legistation (CPSIA) I will have to put my childrens items on hold until they can somehow ammend this poorly written law. It is happy/sad for me as far as my shop is concerned.... I feel I have been neglecting my first love of sculpture and dollmaking. I have always been searching for an excuse to fully switch gears and return to my roots, now, I have to. I am just glad that I have something that I love that I can fall back on... there are many, many wonderful shops that are looking at fully closing thier doors come Feb 10th.

I have plans to put my shop on a two week vacation starting Monday, Dec. 22. I will be doing some shop cleaning.... house cleaning..... kid cleaning.... kid cuddling.... Joe cuddling, you know, the important stuff!

And, I will return in 2009 with a bright, shiny new shop! I will post updates over the next couple of weeks, so stay tuned for an inside peek at all of the exciting new things to come! I can't wait to dig in and share!

I wish you the Happiest of Holiday Seasons! Now go give somebody you Love a Big, Big Bear Hug!!!!

Ah... Peaceful Snow....

2008-12-16T21:04:00.000-05:00

Save Handmade Toys From the CPSIA

2008-12-14T00:33:00.001-05:00

Daily Musings with Rowan

2008-12-12T10:46:00.001-05:00

"Whew baby.... you stink like heaven!"

Could Someone Please Burn That Damn Target Wish Book!

2008-12-11T15:21:00.001-05:00

Seriously... that is all I have to say.

While you are at it.... torch the Walmart one too. Thanks.

The Robin Capelet

2008-12-08T12:48:00.005-05:00

If you go out in the Wilde Wood to meet your Robin... it is always best to don a cloak worthy of the Maid Marion herself!

This lovely capelet is made with vintage woven wools in plaid and rust orange. It is secured upon your shouders with a large button. The inside is the warmest, bright blue fleece with a paisley design, and the edge is trimmed in a sweetly woven jaquard trim. A green wool tassel hangs from the peak of the hood.

This is a one of a kind piece and will fit just about anyone as it just rests upon the shoulders!

Thanks for looking!

Big Brother Does it Again...

2008-12-03T13:09:00.004-05:00

This will effect everyone in the Handmade Nation undoubtedly. Not just toy artisans...

http://www.handmadetoyalliance.org/

http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/economicimpactsofCPSIA/

http://www.fashion-incubator.com/archive/national-bankruptcy-day/

Please sign petitions, write your congressmen, alert your state representatives, and by all means.... Spread The Word!!!

Rollin' With My Gnomies!

2008-12-02T20:29:00.003-05:00

I knit little man a new hat while we were out of town for the holiday. I went to a shop called Crafty Hands in Bowling Green, Kentucky and picked up a grip of Lambs Pride Bulky in 6 colors. It is an 85% wool/15% mohair blend and is soooo soft!

It turned out so incredibly cute! I will be offering this hat in my etsy shop, and will be listing them soon at Hyenacart.

The Gnome Hat

The coolest thing about this hat is that Cael plays with it all day long! It works great as a pouch he can sling across his shoulder postman style!

It fits an Earthie sized doll perfect!

All of the knit items in my shop are my own design. I like free form them until I get the desired shape, and then I write down the pattern for future reference. All of the booby hats are one of a kind as well.

Soft ACEO's of My Soft Sculpture Dolls

2008-11-21T19:22:00.002-05:00

I put together a series of ACEO's (Art Cards, Editions and Originals) with some of the photography from my Earthlies and the Pumpkinhaus Prims.

Photo transfers quilted onto a lovely decorative fabric with a little trim loop. On the back is a sweet little Pumpkinhaus tag.

One of a kind 2 1/2" x 3 1/2" artist trading cards

There are 18 cards available in my etsy shop for $10.00 each.

I've heard that sewing machines sometimes seem possessed with a determination to grab a finger every so often.

2008-11-17T14:05:00.002-05:00

Arrrrrgh..... tell me this thing doesn't look like it could do some damage!

So, I have officially been bit my my lovely machine. And it hurt.

Another New Shop!

2008-11-10T14:33:00.002-05:00

I've moved all of my little skirts over to a new venue called 1000 Markets. I am excited about this site! This site is just for handmade items, no supplies or vintage. It is really new, so we will see how it goes! I will be listing periodically, so be sure to check back often!

Hey Good Lookin', Whatcha got Cookin": Inside the Pumpkinhaus Part 2

2008-11-09T15:20:00.007-05:00

This is my kitchen. This photo is taken from my sewing area in the living room. This is a photo heavy post btw.... here goes!

I have a galley style kitchen, I would love nothing more than to push the walls out about 5 feet... I imagine doing this, oh, about 20 times a day! I love to cook, and there really is not too much elbow room. It is still my favorite room in the house though!

The hand painted plate above the window is one in a set of three that my Mom got when we lived in Greece on the island of Crete. I was only a year old when my Dad was stationed there in the Air Force. Apparently I was a hit on the island as a baby with blue eyes and blond hair!

This is a painting of two chattering crows by John Egan. Rowan looooves this piece, she is always trying to guess what they might be trying to say.

I have vintage lunchboxes on top of the cabinets. There is a Clash of the Titans box, Strawberry Shortcake, and an Addams Family box. Rowan is so into The Addams Family. We have a Mother Goose book by Charles Addams that she memorized frontwards and backwards when she was 3.

There is mosaic behind the counter and stove. It is mostly broken china and majolica tile work. The centerpiece, right behind the stove, is a tile I made a few years back in a series using broken doll parts.

I wish I had thought to take a better picture of it, but the photo way up above the stove, is my grammas kitchen. It is a black and white photograph of her stove with the old pasta pot and percolator.

When we moved in, I had to replace the floor. It was originally going to be a green floor sanded back with red underneath, but I got carried away one night and painted bright blue stripes. It is one of the things people comment about the most when they walk into my kitchen! "Dude! Could you do that to my floor?"

Wooden spoons, chopsticks, and the ever burning money candle.

I gave Joe a beautiful copper tea kettle for Christmas a couple of years ago when he was trying to quit drinking coffee... yeah right. If you know Joe, you know he is synonymous with a cup o' coffee.

The painting in this picture was done by my friend Jason Brewer.

This is an old Hoosier cabinet with an enamel counter. This piece was given to me by my friend Lorrie. Same with the table.... every room in my house has some piece of awesome furniture given to me by her!

Right below the kitchen table is a trap door that leads to the basement. I can't tell you enough how this is the delight of any little boy who comes to my house! They are always like " You have a trap door and a loft?!?, That is sooooo cooooool! So, do you like play pirates and stuff?" Yep, all the time I tell you!

New Venues and Such...

2008-11-06T19:45:00.004-05:00

I am branching out a bit.... I have opened up a shop on Lov.li. It is something along the lines of Crafster (I'm there too) as it is a social network as much as a selling venue. I have moved all of my MammaMaus items to that shop. You will find the crochet boas and small knit purses there. And, I have also applied for a HyenaCart account and am awaiting my approval email. I will be setting that site up over the weekend... I'll make the announcement when that all goes down. I have more exciting prospects there....

Where the Magic Happens: Inside The Pumpkinhaus Part 1

2008-11-03T10:07:00.005-05:00

Here are pictures of my studio/sewing/living room. I have heard from many people that my house sounds like a wonderland, so this post is the first in a series showing the inside of the Pumpkinhaus.

My workspace takes up half of my living room. I set up shop in here so that I would be able to spend time with Rowan and Cael while I worked. My living room is a stone addition built on to the back of the house.

Stacks of fabric for future pettiskirts and such. Those Mellisa and Doug trays come in really handy for doll eyes, snaps and joints. Hello Print Gocco peeking out from below!

I like to keep current projects stashed in little baskets on my sewing table. I do all of my cutting and then stack everything up neatly. I am way more likely to return to the project if I do this!

I will be the first to admit.... I cleaned up for the pictures! When I am working, lets just say.... not so pretty!

There is a stone fireplace which currently serves as a warehouse for my spools of tulle. We are working on fixing up the garage so I can move everything out there, and we can start utilizing the fireplace for heat. I am standing in the kitchen for this picture to give you an idea of the layout of the house. This room is 10' x 20'. The ladder on the right hand side of the picture leads up to the loft. The ceiling is vaulted, and there is a sky window above that allows for great lighting during the day.

This is an amazing steamer trunk given to me by my friend Lorrie. It has so much hidden space in it! This is where I keep all of my vintage trims and patterns, zippers, knitting needles, pom pom makers.... you name it, it's in there! And I have a lot! The top folds down and it is on wheels if I ever need to move it around.

I am a folder and stacker. I love to be able to see what I have at a glance. I keep all of my art books in the library, but I have a few here for easier access.

I have two antique sewing tables opened up next to each other to create a long, corner worktable. I still do all of my cutting and ironing at the kitchen table though, I just can't squeeze that in there!

Uncle Fester and Scary Godmother

2008-11-02T16:32:00.000-05:00

Daily Musings with Rowan

2008-11-01T17:03:00.001-04:00

" Dad, do bananas come from the 80's? "

Puppen In Progress

2008-10-26T00:52:00.005-04:00

I have once again been inspired to work on a new project by one of my etsy teams. There are some amazing doll and miniature artists in the EtsyDam team who work in polymer clay. I used to love making stuff out of fimo, and I so desperately miss working in clay that I decided to make some new dolls with polymer clay. I picked up some Fimo Effect the yesterday and started to work on a new doll head. I have not sculpted in about 5 years, so I figured I would be a bit rusty. I couldn't find my tools either, so I had to do all this with a butter knife.

I built the base for the head out of foil, and then covered it in gauze and plaster of paris.

I popped the backs off of a pair of plastic eyes I use for the Earthlies. I was having such a good time sculpting this, I completely forgot to take more in progress pictures.... so, here I have the final sculpt. It is actually in the oven right now.

I am going to make soft, jointed bodies for these. I have two more base heads made. I probably won't be able to get back to them until tomorrow night after the kids are in bed.

So far, I really liked the way the Fimo Effect sculpted. It got nice and workable in no time! I remember having to knead the clay for what seemed like forever. This blended really well, and held its shape while working.

Yea! Pumpkinhaus Puppen!!!

What a Nice Saturday Morning

2008-10-25T10:51:00.005-04:00

We woke up this morning to more rain, so we all cuddled up to a really cute movie. Joe and I shed a few tears, had a few laughs.... you should watch it. Its really good. Makes you really long to live on a remote deserted island. Ahhhh... maybe someday.

Whoo Hoo! Its My Etsyversary!

2008-10-23T22:17:00.006-04:00

Wow! How could I let this day go by without a little pomp and circumstance!

It was one year ago today when I signed up to sell on etsy. I found out about the venue about 6 months earlier, but like most people, I felt like "Who would want my stuff anyway?" After my son Cael was born, I decided to sell some of my knit baby hats online. I had 4 months off to enjoy my second newborn babe, and tons of time to knit! Nothing really happened, it took a loooooong while for me to get any outside interest in my shop. I had no idea what kind of promotion was needed. No idea about relisting, street teams, forums, blogs.... and it really wasn't until February when I found out I actually had no job to go back too that I started to formulate a plan to utilize this awesome venue to its fullest! I joined a couple of teams and got involved in the campaign for a Dolls and Miniatures top level category.

So, my little shop has grown. And I have met some really friendly and talented artists along the way. I even got my cousin to open a shop.

It has been really good for me, I am so happy to be creating my dolls again (people really like them!). And if you come over to the Pumpkinhaus, I'll perk you a pot of coffee, and.... talk your ear off about my etsy shop!!

Mmmmmm... Today's Snack

2008-10-23T13:43:00.006-04:00

CINNAMON APPLE MUFFINS

1 1/2 cups flour
3/4 cup sugar
1 1/2 t. baking powder
1 t. cinnamon
1/2 cup milk
1/3 cup melted butter
1 egg
1 cup chopped apples

Heat oven to 375°F.
Combine flour, sugar, baking powder and cinnamon in medium bowl. Add all remaining ingredients. Stir just until flour is moistened. Spoon batter into muffin liners.
Bake 18-23 minutes. Let stand 5 minutes.

Frou Frou, Tutu, and a Little Bit Pettiskirt

2008-10-21T22:09:00.004-04:00

A few months ago, I was spending a lot of time in the CEM forum with a couple of awesome tutu makin' mommas Trinity's Tutus and MamaShai. I love tutus. I love ballet. I love Cyndi Lauper! So, I ordered up the tulle, and set myself up just right to make a tutu. hmmmm...

1st attempt... Lil' Patchwork Frou Frou Skirt. I just could not leave it alone! I added the overskirt, ruffles, yarn.... I threw everything in my arsenal at it! I can not make a simple tutu folks! These lil' frou frous are deeply rooted in my undying love and obsession, since birth, for all things Pippi.

Lil' Gothic Lolita Frou Frou This little one was inspired by the youth culture in Tokyo that flaunt their style around the Harajuku Station. My Lil' Gothic Lolita is fashioned in the kurorori style (black lolita)

Lil' Witchy Frou Frou Skirt

I have had this awesome Alexander Henry fabric for quite some time now, I originally purchased it when I lived in California to recover a child's boudoir chair a friend had given me. Ahhh... my goth roots are showing again!

Lil' Skully Frou Frou Skirt I love Scary Godmother by Jill Thompson! I am trying desperately to get Rowan to dress up like her for Halloween this year!

Harajuku Eye Patch
One really needs an eyepatch to enhance their frou frou experience, don'tcha think! Once again... those stylish Japanese kids. This one is in the guro style (injured! lol)

So, next up at the Pumpkinhaus I will be working on pettiskirts. But not just any old commonplace pettiskirt.... Pumpkinhaus Pettiskirts! I promise you... there will be absolutely no puckered up babies wearing make up in these fabulous petti's. Here is a sampling of what is to come!

This one is for a custom order. Full of Peaches (wink!) This one will be another Harajuku inspired piece. I think I shall pair it up with some big socks!
When the workin' day is done, Oh Girls!!! Girls just wanna have fun!

Sweet Soft Soled Adult Slipper Boots

2008-10-18T18:35:00.003-04:00

These awesome slippers are sewn together with a fun and funky variety of upcycled felted wool sweaters lined with cotton jersey knit. Finished off with trims, patches, ribbons, wool felt... each and every pair of Pumpkinhaus Soft Soled Slipper Boots are one of a kind!

Pumpkins and Popcorn Balls

2008-10-18T14:57:00.011-04:00

Fall is here and the leaves are starting to turn to beautiful shades of red, orange and yellow. This season is one of the biggest reasons Joe and I decided to leave sunny Southern California and trek back to the Midwest.
Halloween is, of course, my favorite holiday and I have many, many fond Halloween memories, but one of my most favorite was when Josh, my Brother-in- law, lived with us in Claremont. It was 2000, and lets see.... I was 25 and he was 21. We made these amazing faerie masks and wings, and trick-or-treated for hours. We were sooooo popular! We cleaned house in the candy dept!! It was very apparent that no one cared a bit that we towered over all of the other trick-or-treaters!

So, last night Rowan went to the corn maze with her Aunt Dana and Uncle Ritchie. They came back and carved pumpkins for her and her little man Cael. I stayed behind and made popcorn balls, it was my first attempt, and they turned out great. Here is the recipe:

Popcorn Balls

1 c. unpopped popcorn
1 1/4 c. sugar
1/2 c. light corn syrup
3 T. unsalted butter
1/2 c. water

Pop popcorn ahead of time. White is best, salt to taste. You may substitute 2 bags of microwave popcorn, I recommend lightly salted with little or no butter.

Boil sugar, water, syrup, and butter until it forms hairlike threads ( about 8 to 10 minutes or 290 degrees with a candy thermometer)

Spread popcorn out in a roasting pan. Drizzle hot mixture evenly over popcorn and mix it all up with a wooden spoon. Work fast as mixture turns hard as it cools.Butter hands generously to avoid sticky hands and being burned. Work very quickly to shape popcorn balls much like you would make a snowball. Wrap balls in waxed paper and twist ends tightly!

Makes 8-10 popcorn balls

Daily Musings with Rowan

2008-10-16T15:50:00.002-04:00

"Little brothers are contagious!"

Moon Booties!

2008-10-15T14:47:00.003-04:00

Cael is modeling my latest and greatest.... Moon Booties! These are made out of upcycled felted wool sweaters, lined with a cotton knit jersey... we don't want our seems showing! Every pair is one of a kind and embellished with awesome photo patches, wool felt, ribbons, pom poms... you name it!
I will be making these in adult sizes very soon, I just have to iron out a few kinks in my pattern.

Shake Your Bootie!

2008-10-03T00:59:00.001-04:00

I can't believe it!

2008-10-02T11:10:00.003-04:00

Etsy announced that they will be adding a Dolls and Miniatures category!!!! It will be in effect on Monday Oct. 6! Watch for it! This is exciting because I have been heavily involved in the group that has been trying to get this category established. We have rallied in the forums, and even started our own street team EtsyDam. If all goes well, and everyone can stay nice in the forums, it will definitely be a go! Keep your fingers crossed! And.... stay tuned for more wonderful dolls coming from the Pumpkinhaus!

Pumpkinhaus Earthlies Doll

2008-09-30T12:13:00.003-04:00

Each little Earthlie is one of a kind. These have been very popular in my shop since I first added them! I absolutely love making dolls, I consider myself a dollmaker first and foremost! This one is my newest addition, and also one of the first dolls to have the plastic eyes. I chose a beautiful batik print fabric for her little dress.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The original Earthlie Plaything will soon be residing in her new home in Alberta, Canada! I hope her little toes get some warm lovin' this winter!! I feel I should have sent her a pair of little slippers!!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This one was super fun for me to make! I had an alchemy request from a fellow Cafemom Etsymom teammate for a little Earthlie with wings. She will be the guardian for her little ones new bedroom soon! I will definitley be adding more wings to my doll wardrobe in the future, I am very happy with the way they turned out, and they recieved Rowan's seal of approval!
My little Cael loves these dollies so much, I make sure he kisses each one before they are packaged up and sent off to thier new homes. Hmmm... I wonder what he will be getting for christmas this year!

Cael's 1st Birthday

2008-09-25T23:09:00.005-04:00

I can't believe it has been a whole year already!

Happy Birthday little man!!

mmmmmm........

Oh Mommy!!!!

2008-09-17T15:17:00.001-04:00

Cael just loves it when his big sister takes a bath!! He thought he might just climb on in himself!! Fully dressed!

Don't worry folks, he suffered for all of about 5 seconds!

Death by Chocolate 8 chocolate cookie recipes plus bonus

2008-09-14T18:24:00.003-04:00

I was involved in a trade with a fellow cafemom etsian levityinbrevity recently. Part of the trade was a listing for 8 chocolate cookie recipes and a bonus recipe for carrot cake. rowan and I decided to start at the top of the list with the Chocolate Crinkles. I must say, at first I was hesitant a little bit at the "prepare dough ahead of time, and chill for two hours" part, but it turned out to be the easiest recipe, and I really appreciated the fact that I was able to store the dough ahead of time in the end. Rowan helped me roll the cooled dough in powdered sugar (all the while licking her fingers and hands in sheer delight!), and place them on the cookie sheet. This is a very kid friendly recipe!
These cookies came out actually looking like the picture in her listing. They were so beautiful as I stacked them carefully as they came out of the oven, Rowan ooooooed and aaahhhhhed each time I lay a cookie on the plate!

Now, for the results.....
Rowan: They kinda taste like brownies.... brownies with powdered sugar! I like them a lot, but they could be a little dark chocolatier. The are definitely wow cookies, and I would give them to grandma! Joe: Hmmmm... good. Kinda like holiday Italian Wedding cookies/ brownies. I don't like either of those, but I like these instead. They go very good with whisky. Definitely worth buying the recipe, I would give these as a gift!
MiaRae: Tastes like a brownie. Mmmmmm, good warm. Very good for the munchies! I would give these as a gift easily, but I would put a macadamia nut in the middle!
Dani: Very good! I love all of the powdered sugar, and think they look quite lovely. I am surprised at how mellow they taste! I thought they would be a bit more chocolaty. But that is not a complaint. Good with the bean!

Thanks LevityinBrevity!! I hope your daughter loves her Booby Hat!!!
Stay tuned next week for: Whoopie Pie!

Eye Patchtastic!

2008-09-11T16:17:00.003-04:00

Its official! I have finally created an item that I can list with confidence under the category of Geekery!

The Harajuku Style Halloween Eye Patch!

Ladies and Gentlemen.... and Kids alike can all kick out the jams in this freaky little number!
Get 'em while you can at The Pumpkinhaus!

...just remember to take the damn thing off before you drive the kids to school! Thank-you!

Some treasuries are so Cool!!

2008-09-09T11:58:00.005-04:00

I was in a treasury today, compiled by copabananas.... What an awesome treasury! I love being in this one!!!

(note... my screencap skills are paltry)

Daily Musings with Rowan

2008-09-07T22:37:00.003-04:00

Rowan desperately wishes she had chicken pox. She says its not fair.

OOAK Art Dolls

2008-09-04T14:12:00.003-04:00

View my page on OOAK Art Dolls

Its a good day when you get something done!

2008-07-29T00:58:00.003-04:00

I can't even believe how productive I was today! Rowan and Cael were dream children all day long! I made a couple of pairs of soft soled baby shoes this morning, and I was able to follow through with photographing and listing all in one day. Every pair of these I make are one of a kind, and are a lot of fun for me to do. I absolutely adore children in bright colors, and I think it is safe to say these little puppies are colorful!

Pumpkinhaus Prims Art Dolls

2008-07-28T00:16:00.007-04:00

A couple of weeks ago, I made my niece a pair of semi-traditional Raggedy Ann & Andy dolls for her 2nd birthday (coming up). I used to love to play with my raggedies that my grandmother made for me when I was 2, so I thought this would be a wonderful gift for my little Emma as well!
So, of course, this spurred me to start making a whole family of ragdolls. My absolute favorite medium for dollmaking is fabric, and I have been working so diligently on my soft sculpture Earthlies series, I needed to simplify for a bit. Thus, the Pumpkinhaus Prims were born!

Sally is the younger of the two sisters. She has distant brown eyes, and a very tightly coiffed head of yellow hair. The bold, black embroidered basket on her chest and belly is a not-so-subtle reminder of her youth, and the days she spent in that gawd awful street gang. Sally still has a tendency to trip on flat surfaces, a bad habit since forever it seems. Mable has let herself go recently. She seems to have lost that spark of life... that joie de vivre. She reads People Magazine all too often (she says its for the crossword puzzles, but you and I can see right through that!) and, of course, Mable loves to tell Sally where it is exactly she has gone wrong in her life.

My Lovely Machine

2008-07-18T15:22:00.001-04:00

So this is my Domestic Rotary Electric Sewing Machine model no. 151. Just about everything in my shop was sewn with this machine, save for the bloomers and skirts which were put together at my moms house.
I aquired this machine last summer, when I was about 6 months pregnant with my son Cael (pictured just above the machine) at the Eagle Lake garage sales in Edwardsburg, MI. I saw a sewing cabinet and went to check it out, and realized the machine was still in it. The machine was spotless, and everything in the bench was lovingly folded and cared for. I took a deep breath and asked how much they wanted for it (expecting the worst). The lady said "mmmm... $30, it belonged to my mother-in-law.". Sold! I felt so giddy, I paid for it and told her I would be back in a while to pick it up since it wouldn't fit in my car. I had always wanted a vintage machine, and thought this would be cool to have. I didn't particularly care if it worked, I would just fix it up one day for fun.
When I went back later to pick it up, her husband was there. I walked up and immediately recognized him! At the time I worked at a very small pharmacy in a neighboring town, and I filled prescriptions for his mother daily. I let him know who I was and he was so glad! His wife had told him that a really nice, young pregnant lady had bought his mother's machine. He said he was so glad it was me! He let me know that they had recently put his mother in an assisted living home because she was starting to lose her eyesight. He said that she sewed on that machine right up until the day she moved, and the last thing she did was hemmed a pair of pants for him. I could see that it really meant a lot to him, and I assured him that I would keep the machine going.
I got the machine home, and opened up the bench. To my surprise, it was loaded with so many goodies! There was a buttonhole attatchment, a couple of manuals, needles, pins, various patching supplies, and a box with every foot imaginable! As excited as I was about the machine, I had no room for it, so I set it by my washer, and sadly, it became a big catch-all.
Flash forward..... 6 months later. I was in the process of really starting to make things for my etsy shop. I had cut out about 20 pairs of bloomer, and about the same amount of little skirts. I sat down at my machine, a Pfaff Hobby 301 (I have had that machine since I turned 21), all ready to sew up a storm! About 2 inches into the first skirt, my Pfaff jammed up on me! It would not budge! I freaked out! I took everything over to my moms house and finished up there. I was so sad, my visions of sewing all day at my own house were dashed!
One day while doing my laundry, I thought to myself, "I wonder what it would take to get this machine going? It is just catching dust sitting here." And, I was getting really tired of lugging all of my projects back and forth, along with my kids! So, I pulled it over to my living room, made a space for it in my sewing area, sat down and read the manual from cover to cover. I plugged it in, oiled it, threaded it up and pulled out some fabric scraps. I swear, the moment I sewed a straight line on that scrap of fabric, I could hear music! I was hooked! This was and is, by far, the nicest sewing machine I've ever used! It has no computers, it doesn't zig-zag, no bells and whistles. My friends, this machine does what it is supposed to do. Sew things together! It is strong, has a beautiful stitch, and sews anything I throw at it. It even has a knee bar! Yes, I will probably own a $2000 plus sewing machine someday, but you had better believe, I will set it right up next to my 85 year old workhorse.

Rowan is 5 years old

2008-07-11T00:09:00.001-04:00

So my baby girl turned 5 yesterday, and everyone turned out for her party! The whole clan Davis, Papa Mike, Teetah with Richard and Nana, Mia and Davie, Bekah and Rowen, as well as Jason with Ellie, Devin, and Keeghan. We took her to The Mikado in South Bend for sushi (yes.. she asked for sushi!), and came back home for strawberry cupcones with a side of mint chocolate chip ice cream. My child has good taste!

Its funny how fast the time goes and her little body stretches out and her little feet get bigger, and yet, still, she is the same little baby who likes to wake up slowly on the couch with a blanket to keep her cozy and a pillow for her head, just like when she was 1.

Of course, she wanted a Hannah Montana wig... and truthfully... she thinks it looks kinda funny.