Bummer...

My beloved pliers have finally been all used up!  I've had these pliers since I started spinning cotton, eight years ago.  They've helped me make thousands of great pieces.  They've been across the country and back several times over and to central america.  They've even been on the Martha Stewart show...where Martha used them...twice!  They were lost for a while and then mailed back to me (yay!), but alas, they must now be laid to rest.  Thank you pliers for your companionship and many years of service.  I salute you!  

Up goes the chicken coop!

When I had day dreams of chickens, I always imagined them to be free range, like they were at my parent's house when I was a kid (and now still).  I tried, but alas, I wound up feeding the local foxes instead and my poor chickens had to pay the price.  Soooo...instead, I decided to build them a handy dandy enclosure that would keep them safe but still allow them to peck about when I wasn't around and be outside.  They don't really make pre-made chicken runs like the one I wanted, so I built it!

 I modeled it after this hexagonal one, but simplified it a lot.  I love the lines and beauty and paint job of this one...but I was on a building break and wanted to get this sucker up asap so the chickens wouldn't be cramped in their tiny coop anymore.  I still have to build the roof, which will be peaked like this one is, but again, more simplified.  I used raw untreated lumber, so in a year or two it will get a nice silver grey patina to it.  No paint needed, just patience.  :)

 First I started with 8 foot long 2x4's and built six frames, almost all the identical with angled edges so they've fit together nicely.  A very simple design really.

 Two of the frames were a little different...this one I built a frame for an old door I found in the loft of my parent's barn.  Another was framed out to accommodate the entrance into the little white already made chicken coop.

 Then came the task of cutting a stapling the wire on.  Urgh....stapling the wire wasn't so bad (I used a TON of staples), but the cutting.  I'll be happy if I don't ever have to do that again, which I probably will, lol.  I cut all the wire by hand with wire cutters but by the last two frames my hands couldn't take anymore, so my brother so graciously brought me an electric grinder.  It worked like a charm, but wore the grinding attachment right now to a nub.  Oops...oh well!  It got the job done!  Thanks Dan!!  Oh...the wire was a little tricky to find too...most the wire that was wide enough (4 feet) had holes that were too big and the wire that holes small enough were only 3 feet wide.  I didn't want to use chicken wire, because it's not strong enough to keep out many predators, although I will use it on the roof.  Finally I found some at a great price at a local farm supply store that my dad knew about...thanks Dad!!

 

 Finally the frames were done!!

 At this point I needed Ben to help me lift the frames up and hold them while I screwed them together.  The design of the piece is really pretty simple and it only took one full day.  Now the roof!!  This thing is so tall that putting on a peaked roof will be a challenge...but I have a plan!  Now I just need the time and motivation.  Once I put the roof on, I'll put giant branches inside for the chickens to roost on...the thought of seeing them roost and climb will be motivation enough!  :)  But so far they like their new digs!

 This is the chicken coop I bought online.  Ben and put it together right before the chickens were ready to be moved outside this spring.  The mud splashed dirt around the outside of it, so it needs a hosing off...which I'll put off until next spring when I do a little landscaping around the whole thing. 

And lastly, I snagged this rabbit hutch off of Craigslist for $45 to house the quails for the summer.  It's much bigger for them than the aviary in the dining room and keeps the dining room a bit cleaner.  I'll most likely move them back inside once winter comes, although they do just fine outside in bitter weather.  

So that the coop!  Mid progress, but getting there!  I can't wait to show it to you when the roof is on and the inside all decked out for them!

Meet all the Chickies!

Now that they are almost all grown up, I think it's time for all the ladies to be properly introduced...They are all unique and beautiful and oh so different and I'd love for you to meet them all!

First up is Pearl.  She's an Araucana and has sort of a stern look about her, but she's really very sweet and friendly.  Ben likes her best and gave her her name.  :)  She'll lay either light blue, green or pink eggs.  (They'll start laying this fall probably.)

 Like her "sister" Pearl, Jenny is also an Araucana (and was raised in my studio).  She has a stern look about her too I think and lives up to the look.  She comes over for food, but would rather not be picked up.  I'll win her over one of these days!!

 Patsy is an "Olive Egger" chicken and will lay olive green eggs.  She's rather shy and is a bit of an outcast, but she's very sweet and loving and has cut puffy cheek feathers and blue legs.

 Henrietta (also named by Ben) has her eyes closed in this photo, but she's the oldest and was from the first batch of five chicks to be raised in my studio.  Her size makes her the queen of the coop right now, but we'll see if she keeps her throne once the other catch up to her.  She's a Buff Orphington and I think will lay brown eggs.

 Sweet Flora is by far the sweetest of all the chickens.  She's white with muted gray polka dots and will lay dark red eggs.  She doesn't make a peep when you pick her up and follows me around hoping for some japanese beetles or potato bugs.  I can't say enough how sweet this little one is and she's really won my heart.  I can carry her around her hours probably without a fuss and she gets along with everyone else just dandy.

And then there was Tina.  Tina is a Polish chicken is the smallest of the bunch.  I think she'll stay the smallest too.  She has a pert little tail and is very noisy.  I can pick her up easily, although she always seems surprised when I do...I think she needs another haircut.  I'm not really sure what color eggs she'll lay...we'll see!  I'm guessing they'll be the smallest...

I hope you liked my little introduction!  My chickies are like puppies to me and you'll probably see more of them on the blog than you really want (I apologize ahead of time).  I can't wait to see what their eggs look like when they all start laying!  Rainbows!!

Our Wedding on Martha Stewart Weddings!

 Just in time for our second anniversary, Martha Stewart Weddings has published a spread of our wedding on their website...whoohoo!!  I was keeping my fingers crossed for the magazine, and they thought they could fit it in, but alas it didn't work.  However they did an amazing job choosing the photos and the writing.  Ben and I are both thrilled and honored to be featured.  Swoon!!

See the article here!

Happy Cotton Anniversary to us!

Today is Ben and my second wedding anniversary, also known as the cotton anniversary!  I think Ben joining the Vintage by Crystal spun cotton team this year was quite appropriate!  We'll be traveling today, on our way to the great northwest!  Can't think of anyone I'd rather go with.  :)

**This photo was taken by our good friend Jess at Buttermilk Falls in Ithaca NY on our first "date" almost 9 years ago.  She printed and frame it for us as a wedding present.  Ahhh...memories.  :)  I love you Ben!!

We're going on Vacation!!

Ben and I are hitting the roads of the northwest US with my dad and two sisters!  So excitimg!  This trip was very last minute and is a fly by the seat of our pants sort of adventure and we can't wait to tell you all about it when we return!  We'll be flying into Seattle and renting a car and making our way to Olympia National Forest (can't wait to see lots of moss!) and then making our way down the coast, making a pit stop in Portland, where we'll hopefully get to eat some of those famous Voodoo donuts and do some hipster watching.  We'll stop at the ocean for a quick dunk and some shell collecting (maybe) and then end our trip in San Francisco (I've always wanted to go there!).  We are planning as we go and any tips or suggestions of things to do would be very much appreciated! 

We're leaving tomorrow and returning on August 18th.  We'll be checking and responding to emails while we're away, so feel free to email and comment during this time, we always love hearing from you!  We've also prepared a few scheduled blog posts, at least one of which is rather quite exciting news I think, so don't forget to check back!  Until then....

See you on the flip side!!

The Circus has come to town!!

 This summer I was enlisted to create a set of circus acts by a very lovely and fun loving customer and I had a blast creating them!  She sent me photos of the pieces she had displayed already in cubby shelves and they look so great I just had to share!!  She put some of the pieces on little pedestals and added a vintage postcard to each vignette (you can buy them at the Circus World Museum store)...love it!!

The first one is a clown's folly.  The big clown with balloons, ready to scare all the children (not intentionally of course), the tiny clown on a raucous pig, and the unicycling clown.

I just sent a second set out that include a snake charmer and sitting elephant.

 She had the umbrella monkey riding the flame jumping leopard with the dancing bear doing her act in the next ring.

 Flying trapeze artists and an alligator wrestler...how daring!!

 The ring master introduces the stiltsman while an excited circus patron watches with her souvenirs in hand.

 A plethora of individual acts are all going on at once, including horse dancer, ring tosser, gun slingin' "Mary" Oakley (great great great granddaughter to Annie Oakley of course) and the flame eating demon.

The last act of the show for now is the death defying lion tamer, with whip in hand and crowds on their feet!

I've been so inspired while creating these circus acts and have lots more in mind!  You'll be seeing more down the road I hope and remember that if you have an idea for a spun cotton display or gift, I'm always working on custom orders and would love to make whatever your heart desires!!  :)