Bella Dia

Shop Update - Pintails!

I've been busy stuffing Pintails and finally got them in the shop. Boy, I tell ya, you get a little more attached to something when it has eyes! I've got a few wool pincushions I'll be putting up in the next few days too. Also, I am shipping internationally now! Just email me with the item you'd like to purchase and I'll send you an invoice via email after I've calculated the postage.

Bella Dia Designs

Found Buttons

The kids and I organized my button stash yesterday and I found these really cool buttons. I think they are made of bone; I love how primitive they look.

I'm working on a big shop update that I plan to put up on Monday. There will be wool pincushions, Pintail pincushions, and hopefully a few bags. Thanks for all your nice comments on Pintail everyone!

Pintail

Pintail is my new pincushion design. She holds pins on her body and her wings are needlebooks.
My kids love to come along and push all my pins deep into the cushion and I'm always afraid I'm going to lose my needles that way so I wanted a design that would separate the needles from the pins.

It took me forever to get the bird body just right. I probably did five different variations before I was happy with the shape after it was stuffed. I'll try to make some more to put in the shop real soon :)

Thank you Katey!

"Mom, you got a package!" Those words totally make my day! I was the first to order one of Katey's new art prints, Treehouse. I fell in love with it as soon as I saw it. I collect old landscape prints and love to look at them, imagining I live in that wonderful little rose covered cottage by the waterfall so I really felt like I could identify with the this little deer gazing longingly at his dream home. I am so happy to have it and can't wait to get it framed and up on the wall!

And, as if that wasn't enough, Katey included the swap stuff that we had planned for a later date as an early surprise! Katey, you spoiled me, I love everything! Starting at the top: a package of her crafty notecards which I can really use, an adorable zipper pouch with a caged bird applique (did you know I have six birds?!), tons of adorable ribbon, a set of her bird coasters all in vintage prints - so cute, and a huge pile of vintage fabric!
Look...

sweet little owls, zoo animals, florals and feedsacks

wonderful colors and geometrics and a delicate flocked floral

Thanks so much Katey! Everyone should go check out Katey's shop One Good Bumblebee - I think she's doing a great job and everything is so cute and creative, I'm sure you'll find something you love :)

In case you think I've been loafing...

Here's some new pincushions I've been working on for a special order. This one is called Rings.


I call this one Pond because it's reminiscent of the flower and plant life you might find around a pond.

I tried a new embroidery stitch on this cushion. It's an open chain stitch and reminds me of strands of DNA so I named it Early Life.

And this pincushion was inspired by flowers flowing down a stream, so the name? Flowers in a Stream ;)

Thank you Juju!

I did a color swap with Juju of Juju Loves Polka Dots and I chose her Parchment Pale package and just look at all the lovely things I received! Everything came boxed in this adorable tea box: a book by Nick Hornby, Amy Butler fabric, one of Juju's handmade fabric flower necklaces (eee!), a paper star ornament that will go on our Christmas tree, a coin, an opal cabachon, lace and a spool of pale pink beading wire (I think), a ring of mother of pearl, and a package of ephemera (see below). I love it all, Juju, thank you so much!!

Here's a close-up of the charming fabric flower necklace where you can see the mother of pearl buttons and vintage earring(?) that are also strung on. Lucky me! She had some for sale in her shop but they sold out very quickly. If you want to try to make the flower on your own she has generously created a tutorial here.

Look at all this, such a great package of ephemera! My favorites are the kitty card and the Add'em owl card :) I can really use this because I'm participating in the Collective Souls journal and it will be coming my way in a few weeks - although I think I might have a tough time parting with any of it.

Something Small

I crocheted this little drawstring bag from cream colored cotton yarn and it's strung with a leather cord. It's very small, only about 4" tall. For me, summer is tough for crafting because I want to be outside enjoying the sunshine but I can't easily take the things that I generally do like sewing and embroidery. That's why I decided to do a little crochet project and it will probably be my craft of choice at the lake this summer. It's really hard for me *not* to do something - anybody else have that problem? I start feeling all antsy and find all I can think about is getting back to my sewing machine; hmmm, maybe I need to start drinking more ; )

(enter snappy title re: button purchase here)

The holiday weekend brings several flea markets to town which I always look forward to but end up buying very little. I miss weekend flea markets from when I lived in California so my favorite part about going is just looking and enjoying the atmosphere. The prices get higher every year and it's tough for me to justify any purchases when I can get stuff at thrift stores for a fraction of the price. So...these buttons are my big purchase for the whole weekend! The seller had a huge box of buttons that I could have sorted through forever but I love the ones I got and I really do *need* these!

I think these are my favorites, especially the sombrero button, so cute!