The Bee and Her Flowers - Albina Rose

We have been having dreary rainy and snowy weather her lately... not at all good for taking photographs. A little sun peaked through my dining room window this afternoon, so I quickly took a few shots to share with you over the coming days. This one is a fabulous necklace I picked up on Etsy from Albina Rose...mixed media jewelry. I am a bit addicted to checking Etsy's hand-picked items throughout the day. I love the common threads between the pieces chosen. When I saw this piece, I fell in love with its colors, vintage textures and the overall collective feel of the piece - as if stones and charms found their way to it over time...

Happy Valentine's Day + New RED Shoes

Happy Valentine's Day from the SimplyJune studio! I have been busy needle felting Valentine's and eating heart-shaped Peppermint Patties. Yum. Kolya had a Valentine's party at school yesterday and came home with the cutest little Valentine's...you know the one's with the goofy knock-knock jokes featuring your favorite super hero. Love those.

Jason and I are celebrating tonight after bed time with some Chinese takeout and a movie. Simple and romantic for the parents of a toddler. It has actually always been my kind of date anyway. For some reason, the movie theater just doesn't do it for me. I have to sit in the way back even during comedies so as not to get woozy. Forget about taking me to an action flick. I also have to pee just at the thought of not being able to. :) I'm such a girl... Anyway, so...my couch...a remote control...Chinese take-out....what more could a girl ask for?

Oh, and look what shiny, red, new goodness arrived on my doorstep today! New RED shoes! I've been searching far and wide for the perfect pair of red mary janes and here they are and so comfy too! Oh, and they came packed in the BEST foam for needle felting...I'm such a crafting geek.

Happy Valentine's Day!

"My Oprah" is Getting Married!

Well I have shouted it to every corner of the greater Boston area...so why not blog about it too? "My Oprah" is getting married! O.k. so if you've stopped by before, you know that "Oprah" is my dearest friend Carey... my best friend... my Oprah-Gail. And, no offense to the intelligent, talented, devoted Gail, but hey...we both wanted to be Oprah. So, now we are each other's Oprah-Oprah and she has asked me to be her "Oprah of Honor" in her wedding! I am so beyond honored and excited and want to shout it out...Congrats to Carey and her "Renaissance Man" Tim! (The guy is smart, funny, artistic, handsome and built his own kayaks!)

Here is a peek at the wedding monogram I designed for them...

Valentine Felted Flower Brooches

I mailed cute Valentine brooches to a few of my lovely Valentines today. I picked up a little needle felting kit at my local craft store a few weeks ago and took my first try at this craft and loved it. What is not to love about stabbing wool with a needle into foam...relieving the tensions of the day... I have tried wet felting before in the form of bead making. I love working with a beautiful palette of colors and texture, but it is so time consuming. I was talking to another crafter at a show this winter who makes the most beautiful felted wool earrings. She tends to make a whole array of beads and then selects them for size. She also mentioned that even as you get better at felting, there is no shortening the process. I have a whole new respect for felted items! Check out lusitania's shop on Etsy sometime...

Last week I placed an order for Merino roving from The Yarn Tree in Brooklyn. I'm dying to get a chance to visit the shop some day...maybe on a trip to Renegade? They carry a huge palette of the softest Merino roving and I selected about 15 colors to start my collection. I love the idea of painting with fiber. These flower pins are likely just the start of many new ideas and I can't wait to evolve in my designs. I also love the organic feel of the designs when you use natural materials.

Oh, and the darling "je t'aime" Valentines are courtesy of the Black Apple...head over and print some out for your lovelies!

Poor, neglected blog...

Oh, poor neglected blog. I do still love you. I have been buried in the plans for a Multicultural Fair for our adoption agency. It is sure to be a fun event, but it is definitely consuming all of my beloved "nap time". I have been stealing a few moments for ordering supplies for some upcoming SimplyJune designs. How delightful are those little ladybugs and climbing vines? I've been craving red and white polka dots too... Check out Repro Depot if you've never stopped by before.