October 25, 2013

Fiber Friday: Polar Bears are Awesome

I’m a big fan of polar bears. Squinty black eyes. Inky black noses.

They are magical creatures in real life, and embody the spirit of winter, snow and the holidays. Without being holiday specific, polar bear ornaments make great decorations for just about anyone regardless of their festive inclinations. I’ve always loved drawing polar bears, and think they make great Fiber Friends, too – especially when wearing a scarf.

Grab this little Polar Bear today before he flies away!

What’s your favorite non-Santa animal or icon to decorate with during the holidays?

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October 22, 2013

Barn Renovations! Part 1: Before

This project is going to be exciting, tangible, a learning experience, investment for our future (and future animals) and really rewarding when it’s finished. I’m stoked. What is our current project, you ask? I’m re-designing the interior layout of our barn to expand my rabbit operation, provide better storage for hay and feed and get ready for HOGS in the spring! Before i can truly dig into the inside, however: there is some serious work needed on the exterior. Mainly, the two short ends are rotten and exposed.

The first step was to remove mr. tree. Done. Next is ripping off all the nasty, rotten wood to prepare for new lumber and METAL SIDING WITH SLIDING DOORS to be installed! Oooooooooh, it’s gonna be awesome. It’s going to be secure. No more bobcat/cougar or bear entrances – our barn will be safe and sound and ready to house lots of baby rabbits and two little pigs come springtime. Sweet.

Disgusting, rotten barn wall - and this is the GOOD end

Andy and i have been learning a ton around the farm since we moved in. Plumbing hasn’t been our greatest success, but we’re getting pretty handy when it comes to building fences and small buildings. A major barn project, on the other hand: intimidating. Luckily we have some awesome friends and neighbors, including one (very tall and able) just up the road with experience and tools to spare. We’ll be hiring him to get us going (and help pick up all the materials in his truck/trailor- one farm tool we’re still sadly lacking) and teach us the ropes. I think i have my head already wrapped around the basic design, but it will be really nice to have a set of experienced hands on site.

Interior preview: Here’s the current layout of the barn when it comes to rabbits: they’re all tucked into a secure corner (right) that is severely limited when it comes to space and ventilation. I’m in the process of hanging new cages and moving the whole rabbitry over to the main portion of the barn (left). I’ll be posting all the details on the materials used and techniques employed in hanging the cages soon!

New rabbit area to left, current rabbitry to right and lots of mess in between

We are so lucky our farm came with a barn! It could certainly be in better shape (like the rest of the house) but i think the bones are solid. There is quite a bit of rot due to the failure to remove manure from the barn, like EVER so i have some re-building to do from ground up in assorted areas. Good thing i have a big hammer! Progress reports to come!

Do construction projects intimidate or excite you?

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October 21, 2013

I can’t believe he mowed the whole thing….

We had a big weekend, and shared several high fives for some big accomplishments! Check it out, y’all – Andy finally got the pasture mowed!

This may seem like a ‘gee, what’s the big deal?’ sort of announcement, but we’ve been trying to get this task done since May, and hit about a zillion impedements during the process:

1. had to get the tractor to start. (This was kind of a huge deal)

2. had to get the tractor to then RUN once it was started

3. had to unearth the brush hog, get the blade to spin, learn how to attach it to the tractor, and purchase/assemble an arsenal of tiny and large parts – this brush hog situation nearly killed us with the tiny steps involved!

4. had to wait for it to stop raining, as it is now FALL and then spend the many hours required to physically mow.

This was kind of a big deal. And now it’s over! Until next spring, summer and fall, of course. :) I’m so proud of Andy getting this accomplished. We had a lot of help from friends, neighbors and family, but it was ultimately his success! I’m REALLY proud that he didn’t let the tractor overcome him: he got on Saturday to find it running roughly. He thought about quitting for the day, but instead fiddled with some parts (that he now knows what they are – also kind of a huge deal) and got it to run smoothly! Yeah!

In other news, i have begun a major project down at the barn. More on the befores, durings and afters of that coming soon, but for now enjoy this bit of fun:

Shazam! Mr. Maple Tree is no longer intimate with my rotting barn…. and some big plans are coming to fruition! Ooooooo dalally i can’t wait to show  you the progress that’s about to happen!

It’s all about focusing on the small victories. Have you experienced any seemingly endless tasks lately?

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October 18, 2013

Fiber Friday – Giving Back

A message from the Fiber Friends studio:

I announced a special gift in this week’s newsletter (You don’t get the Fiber Friends newsletter? gasp! Sign up form is to the right —> ) This fall, i will be donating a little extra to CorgiPals, a non-profit that helps needy corgis and their parents through financial stresses:

Since day one of Fiber Friends‘ inception, i have donated $1.00 from every Corgi specific sale to Corgi Pals, a small non-profit in the midwest with the goal of helping corgis in need. I get so much inspiration from our short legged friends, it seems only fair to give a little back to help out some of the neediest ones. $1.00 isn’t much, however and i’d like to give more. My profit margin is slight if anything, (this art is a labor of love!) so it’s hard for me to offer more when sales are few. This is where you come in! I’m prepared to give $2.00 to CorgiPals for EVERY order through November*! Not limited to just Corgis, all your purchases can help fund my favorite breed. What i ask of you: please share this promotion with your friends, visit CorgiPals’ website and share that with your friends. Help me spread the word of this great non profit and help the corgis this fall by making that special Fiber Friends purchase now. Now is the best time to get your holiday orders in: i’ll be cutting off custom orders in early December or earlier if my waiting list gets too deep. (PS: my waiting list is down to just a few weeks!) Now’s the time to secure that perfect holiday gift for your animal lover, and through Thanksgiving that special gift will go even further and help out some corgis in need. What’s better than that? *Please mention “Corgi Pals” in the message to seller if ordering on Etsy, or include reference to this promo when ordering from me directly. Let’s get my waiting list full and the Corgi’s pockets lined!

Check out CorgiPals website and Facebook page and tell them i sent you! Maybe you can make a small donation on their website directly and perhaps this offer will encourage you to order a Fiber Friend this fall before the holiday season ramps up after Thanksgiving. Be sure and mention “CorgiPals” when you checkout on Etsy or fill out my order form so that i know you want your share sent to the corgis!

Do you have a favorite charitable organization you like to back up? What is it?

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