Thank-you's

It was a busy weekend for the two dolly girls at the Dalplex Christmas Craft Market! It is with residual fatigue that I pop in now to share a few pictures and to take a moment to thank all of our friends and family for their support this Fall as we worked our fingertips bloody to prepare for the season.

It was great to see so many of you out at the show! Your support and encouragement are very much appreciated. We hope you enjoyed the show - the exhibits were all lovely, presented by inspiring crafters hosting an inspirational expanse of wares, treats and services. Hopefully you were able to put a little dent into your Christmas shopping!

All in all a great season and we look forward to next year!

Between Shows

Well, we're minus a few binkies, balls, bibs and dolls following the Acadia show. This week we'll be busy replenishing our stocks in prep for the Dalplex show this upcoming weekend. If you have a chance to make it to this show, we highly recommend it - the vendor list is awesome!! We'll be posting photos of new dolls in the 2011 Craft fair album on our Facebook Page as they are completed - so check back often. Let us know if there's something you would like us to set aside for you to pick up at the show - we're always happy to see our blogging friends at shows!! If you're not able to make it to the show, send us an email at thirdstreethandcrafters(at)gmail(dot)com or by selecting from the options in the "contact TSH" link on the right sidebar.

We'll quickly share a few photos from the Acadia show, then back to doll making!

Our booth...

...again...

...and again.



TSH junior exhibitor

This little dolly got a little tired part way through the show and decided to take matters into her own hands. It's always sad when dolls do that...



Etceteras :: Glimpse Into the Brain of A

See, I told you.

Always collecting, never resting.

I like my hobbies.

Treasury Love

Just wanted to share some Etsy treasury love for Third Street this month.


Eye See You by TessieTextile




Remember Red by InStitchesCo



The Better to See You With by Fabgabs

Thanks everyone!

Oh yeah, we make dolls!

We're gearing up to get back to our sewing machines, and start making dolls again.  Our "little" hiatus has somehow turned in to a six month sewing strike, sponsored by Farmers ice cream and homemade chai lattes.  I hope I remember how to use the iron.

 

In anticipation of this grand event, I took out all of our ready made little cuties for a Third Street Class Photo.

If you are interested in any of our dolls or would like to place a customer order please send us an email or message us on facebook.  We are also in the process of listing our dolls in our etsy shop and maybe just maybe we'll be at a market this summer.  We'll keep you posted ~ Sonia

A little behind

Piles, bags of stuff, some else's TV, various sizes of hand-me-down baby clothes, remanence of forgotten projects and likely a healthy layer of dust.  This is the contents of my sewing room, a forgotten space, some where in there is my lovely sewing machine, fancy notions, and our doll pattern.  I did take a picture, however on second thought was too embarrassed to share it.  It's a nasty mess in there.

Instead I thought I'd share some photo's of our first Chinese New Year Celebration.  In early February the Nova Scotia Chapter of the Families with Children from China hosted the Celebration in Halifax at St Mary's University.  In anticipation of this party, while we were in China we picked up special matching dresses for Dream Girl and her cousin (Andrea's sweetheart) to wear. We had a fantastic day and the girls looked beautiful.

80's Cartoon Nostalgia, Thanks Facebook Invasion of Memories

If you are on Facebook, you of course have noticed the current persuasion to switch your profile picture to a cartoon character from childhood.  If you are like me, your news feed is jammed with notes encouraging you to participate in this toon explosion in support of the fight against child violence.  

I've actually had a lot of fun with this and totally got wrapped up in the nostalgia (and the whole stopping child violence campaign too, of course...). 

I started with this

Which was perhaps cheating

... but totally awesome...

Then after a brief dip into the nauseating cuteness of the Muppet Babies (so as to satisfy the 'cartoon' element meanwhile holding true to my Muppet loyalties), I have finally settled on this

Although a different 'machine' this is certainly a machine I can identify with, having been told on more than one occasion that if my nursing career ever fails, I can always get a job as a typewriter due to my anally retentive neat (read: legible)  handwriting.

In the midst of my cartoon pondering and decisive indecisiveness, I got a little Andrea-esque carried away.  And consequently, you lucky people get to reap the benefits. 

You can thank me later, which I am sure you will be sure to do, of course.

Enjoy!

What cartoon character is nostalgic for you?

Newest Cloth Doll Listed in the Third Street Corner Store on Etsy.

My Sweetest and I recently did a photo shoot with the newest cloth dolls from Third Street.

This doll was just listed today.

If you get a chance to stop by, she'd be delighted to show you around the shop and introduce you to all her friends.

Hope you all had a great weekend!

Sonia and family are back from China, and we all finally got to meet the adorable Aster.  

We had a great weekend!

I'm sure we'll all be treated to some travel stories and pictures in the days to come.

Or, maybe in the weeks to come. 

Bear with her folks: she's a new mom.

Did you hear me? 

Let me say it again.

Sonia's a mommy!

Yippee Yahoo!!!

Congratulations!!

Springtime Fun

Well I guess you could say that spring time is upon us - I've picnicked and gone to the beach with the kiddies, gone for about a half a dozen bike rides, tonight we're going to a bonfire and tomorrow we're headed to the Wildlife Park to visit with the animals. 

This is truly one of my favorite times of year - everything is fresh and bright, the sunshine is warm and beautiful and the temperature is perfect. If only the bugs would hold off!

It's just so nice to be outside!  Plus it gives me a chance to capture some super nice pictures of the dolls - and the kids!

AND

I'm having lobster tonight compliments of my wonderful father-in-law !!

Crafters Blast

This year's Halifax Crafters Spring Fling has come and gone and for those of you who didn't make it out, I've put together a few pictures from the show to delight your eager beaver eyes.

Plus, I've included links to many of the talented crafters so that instead of subjecting you to my gushing descriptions of wordless art - you can paruse at your liesure. 

Aren't you lucky? 

About the parusing part, not the fact that you don't have to listen to me.

Yeah, I know what you're thinking...

Enjoy!

Philip Doucette Studio

Colleen MacIsaac ~Little Foible

Kristen Bassett ~ Banana Bottoms

Rhonda Miller ~ My Handbound Books

Lee Meszaros ~ Merit Badges

Shibang Designs

~ View from above ~

Kat Frick Miller

Sonia Harrod and Andrea Cottrell ~ Third Street Handcrafters

Ahem... in case you didn't notice - this is us.

The show was spectacular. 

There were so many talented crafters in attendence it was nearly overwhelming!

And I actually broke down and shopped the show - something I usually try not to do because I don't want to spend all of my money before I even have a chance to make it!  Or something like that.  I'm also very indecisive (wait - am I?) especially given the fact that everything is always so nice that I want one of everything!

Also present and greatly enjoyed by yours truly:

Cotton Candy Cupcakes

Double Happiness

LouLouBell

Kyla Francis

Anne Pryde Pottery

Roisin Fagen ~ Bespoke Uprising

Melissa Wyness ~ Thread of Mine

Elinor Crosby ~ UberWench

Isabelle Pineau ~ An Oddity or Two

Hello Daylight

Susan Timmons ~ The Silver Hook

White Raven Ink

Pam Onecia Johnston ~ Onecia

Hillary Webb

Kelly Day and Karyn Haag ~ Wildish

Salina Purnhagen ~ Sali Design

Five Surprises

Orphanage Clothing Company

Plus numerous other talented crafters whose cards slipped through my fingers. 

Yes - indecisive AND clumsy. 

What a gem.

Mothers Day Gift Idea

Mothers Day is next month and I thought I'd share a special Mothers Day present I made for both my mother and my mother-in-law last year (pre blogging era for me, so it's still game, right?)

The pictures are digital images of my children converted to sepia tone and printed onto iron transfer paper.  I ironed the pictures onto unbleached cotton then pieced a simple 4 block rectangle for the front.

I then quilted the front to some scrap flannel I had left over from a past project.  I used quilters cotton that complemented their decor and used cream coloured chenille for the backing.  Once the pillow was assembled, I packed it with polyfil till it was nice and plump.

The design on the cream coloured block is made up of a tan coloured piece of corduroy taken from an old pair of my son's pants and a piece each of white and pink fleece.  I used cotton embroidery floss to adhere the pieces to the pillow top using a blanket stitch.

   

The best part was that - despite a few steps - this was an easy project. 

I started the night before Mothers Day and finished up in the morning, just in time for a visit with the moms. 

 

And voila! 

A gorgeous keepsake featuring Nanny and Grandma's two special angels.

Any thoughts?  I'd love to hear what you think.
Also - make sure you stop by our Etceteras link party for a little humor.
This weeks topic: Top Fives

I'm linking to:

Fingerprints on the Fridge Feature Yourself Friday

Our Roots :: Crafting Ancestry

Recently, our uncle sent us this photo he found on the Memorial University Maritime History website.

George and Alice Shears, 1935

Great Grandfather and Great Grandmother, George and Alice Shears on their doorstep with spinning wheel and hooked rugs, West Coast of Newfoundland, summer 1935 – a picture taken for the Newfoundland Tourist Development Board.

Uncle Terry added: "This is at Grandfather’s old house in Robinson’s. They are near the front door. The veranda extended around three sides of the house. You can see the kitchen part of the house on the right side in the background."

I find this very inspiring.


What do you think?

A Beautiful Winters Day in Halifax

It is a beautiful day in Halifax today with gorgeous snow flakes falling outside.

It's days like this that I am glad I don't have curtains in my living room windows.  And it's days like today that I am glad I have nothing I have to do except laundry and playing with my kids (it was about time I caught up on some colouring anyway...). 

Usually on these snowy days I have to brave the roads and drive in to work - toady I am pleased to say that is not the case. 

I'm ready for some serious snuggling. 

And a steamy cup of hot chocolate. 

And a crackling fire.

...in my electric fire place...