Bella Dia

Miniature Cairns

I've been working on these for awhile: they are miniature cairns.  These are a familiar sight in the area where I live - hikers marking a trail or making a little monuments to remember special places.  We've made some of our own too on warm days down by the river. 


The stones are made from polymer clay and permanently stacked so they can be a source of contemplation next to your bed, on your desk, or any place you want to be reminded how to find your way home. 


They will be for sale in my shop very soon.  I hope you like them :)

Shop Update Today 10 a.m. M.S.T.

Hello everyone!  I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving and aren't too stuffed to do some shopping.  Bella Dia Designs is finally stocked with some new items so I hope you'll have fun looking around.  The latest designs include Mushroom Forest pincushions, Wee Mushroom Houses and Wrist Corsage pincushions. 

The design for the Wrist Corsage Pincushion was one of several I contributed to the book Pretty Little Pincushions by Lark.  It has a removable strap so it can be used on your wrist or work table or even worn out to a fancy get-together! 

These are all one-of-a-kinds except the Garden Party pincushion and I have two of those.  If more than one person clicks to purchase the same item before I can take the "Add to Cart" button off then the item will go to the first in line and I will send refunds to the others. 

I ship everything Priority Mail through the U.S. Post Office so you will get it faster and be given a tracking number to keep your eye on it. 

If you have a favorite I'd love to know what it is...   

I can't promise, but I am trying to make more pincushions, and possibly purse organizers, available for Christmas.  Thanks so much for stopping by!

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Shop Update: Friday November 23

Just letting everyone know there will be a shop update, here on my blog, the day after Thanksgiving, Friday November 23 at 10 a.m. MST (U.S.A.) The shop will be closed until then. This is a picture of one of five mushroom houses that will be for sale. It's a new design that I have fallen in love with - hope you like it too!

Button Bouquets

First, thank you so much for all the kind comments regarding my whining. As soon as I started reading your thoughtful words I began to feel better - just knowing that there are others that feel the same way and allowing me to vent brightened my day. A big hug to each and every one of you!

Second, there will be a shop update on Friday the 23rd. Yes, the day after Thanksgiving. It will be at 10 a.m. Mountain time (9 a.m. on the West coast and 12 noon on the East coast.) I hope you'll have time to take a peek amidst all the other happenings going on.

I've been having fun going through my button stash and making these little button bouquets. It's a great way to highlight some of your favorite vintage finds. I'm planning on putting up a tutorial for them after the holiday weekend.

Here's the supply list if you're interested in making some: a wooden spool of thread (I get old ones from the thrift shop), 3 or 4 buttons, floral tape, light weight floral wire, green crepe paper, some wall putty or clay or something similar, narrowish ribbon, glue, a small piece of felt for the base, wire snips, and scissors.

**oops! Thanks to Sarah, I corrected the East coast time zone!

Shop Update Preview: Mushroom Forest Pincushion

I haven't been posting much because I'm busy working on a shop update, I know, finally! This little pincushion is one of my new designs that I'm calling Mushroom Forest. I've got a lot on my plate right now but I'm hoping to put the new items in my shop the first week of November. If you join my email list then I'll send you a notice with the exact time as soon as I know it. The information is at the top of the left-hand column.

With all my sewing lately I'm dealing with a bit of carpal tunnel, well, I guess that's what it is - wrist pain and burning and the same running along my forearm down from my thumb. I wear one of those wrist supports when I'm not sewing and sleeping and it seems to help. Anybody else have this?

Thank you so much for all the nice comments on my felt flowers, I'm really glad you like them :) Back to work now...

Felt Flowers

Recently, one of the editors from Parents magazine contacted me to ask if I could make some felt flowers for a photo shoot!  Of course!  These flowers are the result.  I had a lot of fun making them and am planning on adding some to the shop when I update it next month. 

They are about 3" across and made from wool felt.  They will be in the June 08 issue so I have to be patient for a bit.  I hope you like them too!

Etsy Shop Update

I've added some items to my Etsy shop that I think would make great Mother's Day gifts.  These are water bottle cozies made from either cotton or wool and fit a variety 1 pint/.5 liter bottles.

These eyeglass cozies are made from felted wool and decorated with wool felt.  They're perfect for keeping sunglasses and readers from getting scratched.  I'd love for you to take a look :)

Today is my daughter's 15th birthday and I am overwhelmed with how fast time flies!  I'm making spicy pasta and her favorite pie for today and we'll have her party this weekend.  I'm off to the grocery store!

I Have An Etsy Shop!

I opened a shop over at Etsy !  It's been on my to-do list forever so that's one thing I can check off.  I'll still be selling on my blog but I thought I'd give Etsy a try too.  If you are on my mailing list don't worry, I'll let you know when I add items to either spot.  For now, I've moved the three remaining chicks over to Etsy. 
I am thrilled thrilled thrilled with my new banner over at Etsy and plan to use it on my blog also.  My sweet, patient, and talented daughter made it.  She had to put up with so much tweaking from me!  Thank you baby girl!