by Susan | Feb 8, 2020 | Projects
Before the holidays, I purchased this ginormous square ottoman to help extend the sofa. When Hannah’s home it allows us to both stretch out comfortably for movies or The Great British Bakeoff marathons. The challenge then became what to do with the coffee table....
by Susan | Feb 3, 2020 | Hannah
Hannah has settled into her Danish routine. The six-hour time difference makes finding good times to chat a challenge, but thanks to the Internet we text and chat daily. She’s learned where to find lunch deals in a city where hot cocoa costs $7. The mishaps of a...
by Susan | Feb 2, 2020 | Critter Patterns, Felt Patterns
I loved this recent pattern suggestion given the devastating extent of the recent bush fires in Australia. So the Charismatic Kangaroo joins his fellow Australian, The Kindly Koala, as a free pattern. If you decide to make a Charismatic Kangaroo or Kindly Koala,...
by Susan | Jan 19, 2020 | Hannah
One of my favorite past times is to explore old posts from Downeast Thunder Farm. It’s a cross between a diary, a project board, and a photo album. I can watch Hannah grow and change on these pages. It only makes sense to chronicle her time in Denmark. Maybe she’ll...
by Susan | Jan 16, 2020 | Felt Patterns, Other Patterns, Squares, Waterfowl and Seabird Patterns
The inspiration for this project was a painted coaster I spotted in a gift shop a couple of years ago. My design has the silhouette of Cadillac Mountain in the background with a full moon. The day after drawing this design, Hannah and I visited Schoodic, where...
by Susan | Jan 5, 2020 | Family, On My Mind
It’s been ages since we had a family photo. I was determined to get one before Hannah heads off to Denmark. With fresh snow for the backdrop, I asked everyone to wear black and white. When I saw the photos I appreciated that although black and white – the...
by Susan | Jan 4, 2020 | Birds and Wildlife, Out and About in Maine
On an afternoon where the weather couldn’t decide if it was going to rain or snow, Hannah and I headed to Schoodic. I did some beachcombing, playing with the iPhone macro lens Hannah gave me for Christmas. I managed to put my last one through the wash. I love...
by Susan | Jan 1, 2020 | Out and About in Maine
We welcomed 2020 with a walk at our happy place. It was a lovely day for a walk on the beach. Santa brought Hannah a crystal sphere for Christmas. We experimented with some refraction photography. The crystal ball, or lens ball, came with a warning about using it in...
by Susan | Dec 31, 2019 | On My Mind
An early morning walk on this snowy New Year’s Eve. There’s something so appealing about walking through virgin snow. Our cozy home. Snow does such an excellent job of hiding the yard and garden debris yet to be dealt with. This little guy might be next...
by Susan | Dec 24, 2019 | On My Mind
I always have so many plans for the holidays – things I want to create, gifts I want to make, ideas for decorating or baking. In the end, there’s never enough time. And then I think, “next year.” But, then, the crazy cycle starts all over...
by Susan | Dec 21, 2019 | On My Mind
With Hannah in college, it doesn’t feel like the Christmas season until she arrives home. My shopping is complete (please be on time UPS!), but we just started decorating and planning for the holiday. It’s our tradition for Hannah and I to hunt down a...
by Susan | Dec 9, 2019 | Felt Patterns, Other Patterns
My dreaming and scheming for the WHRL Christmas Tree Festival left me with more ideas than I had time (or energy) for. One of those thoughts was a wreath filled with a village of little New England houses. I never got beyond the Little White Church. Rather than let it...
by Susan | Dec 8, 2019 | On My Mind
Another WHRL Christmas Tree Festival is over. it was a huge success for this little non-profit. I designed three Christmas trees, two Joyful Owl Wreaths, and a Mainly Moose wreath for the event. My first tree is this little upcycled wooden tree I asked Paul to make...
by Susan | Dec 3, 2019 | Family, On My Mind
Thanksgiving break came and went in the blink of an eye. Hannah traveled home for the holiday – two days of travel to get here and two days of travel to return between car, bus, and train. We had her for a short six days, and it was a whirlwind. I finally took a...
by Susan | Nov 30, 2019 | On My Mind
I want to take a moment to introduce some friends who also create. While my felt designs are but a hobby, these women make their living from their art, and I’d like to give them a shout out. I’ll be doing some of my holiday shopping with these women!...
by Susan | Nov 28, 2019 | On My Mind
Best wishes to all for a Joyful Thanksgiving! And a happy, happy birthday to my wonderful mom! Lots of love to you. ~*~ Mom’s gift is this Joyful Owl Wreath. The owl sits in a smaller grapevine wreath decorated with artificial greenery and lavender so she can...
by Susan | Nov 22, 2019 | Felt Patterns, Other Patterns
After living in a 27’ camper with one man, a 5-year-old child, and a dog for more than a year while building the Maine House, I thought I’d never want to stay in a camper again. Yet, lately, I’ve begun to dream about a little retro camper that Paul and I could use for...
by Susan | Nov 16, 2019 | Shop
I’ve been working on this year’s submissions for the WHRL’s annual Christmas Tree Festival fundraiser. So far I’m in for three wreaths and two Christmas trees. During my crafting marathon, I created two Christmas Joyful Owl Wreaths that...
by Susan | Nov 10, 2019 | On the Farm
While making breakfast this morning, I spotted this deer grazing in the yard between the house and the pond. I quietly, stealthily, went for my camera and was able to snap a few pictures through the French doors before Gidget discovered we had company. I love the...
by Susan | Nov 9, 2019 | Shop
Now that the Owl Book is behind me, I’ve created two new birds felt pattern kits. The re-imagined Long-eared Owl (possibly my favorite pattern yet!) and the Purple Finch have joined my other felt creations in the Shop.
