the knothole tree | summerplayshouse

I feel like I have so many projects in the works right now. So many ideas and so little time. This last month though, I sent off an Autumn inspired quilt to a friend in Seattle…

Check out the wild pumpkin magically growing from the stump!

I sent off a Where The Wild Things Are Inspired Mat to Alaska.

And I finished a hockey playmat, complete with Kings hockey players for my best friend’s little boy.

I’m working on another farm mat for a friend and then on to some bigger projects, like Jeff’s new quilt (he picked all the fabrics out this weekend).

I also did a little mini swap with a local Mama friend of mine. Ellie is very much into the Boo Hoo Bird and Grumpy Bird books lately. My Mama friend made a set of Grumpy Bird felt characters for her son that turned out so adorable and amazing. I knew I wouldn’t be able to replicate what she did. So we bartered for goods. She made Ellie some incredible felt characters and I made her son a family of peg dolls.

It just so happened to be his birthday too so I made him a little satchel of story stones as well. Which I can’t help but share, because I’m so excited how well they came out. He had a camping birthday party and so I thought making him a set of camping story stones would be perfect. I will be making Ellie a set of story stones to be sure!

Here they are with drawstring bag and with a sealant on top of the watercolor.

We love our Boo Hoo bird and Grumpy bird felt characters!! I hope her son liked his stones and peg family!

Ellie is 22 months old today! We’re getting closer to 2, I can’t believe it. She’s definitely acting more like a two-year old and less like a baby these days. All of a sudden, she’s talking in full sentences (many of which we can’t understand just yet, but sentences and words oh my)! She’s also been busy really playing with her toys. She pretends to hide her peg dolls and animals and then they “run, run, run” all over the play mat. She loves anything to do with water; pouring it, drinking it, swimming in it. Once upon a time, we couldn’t get this child to take a bath and now she’s a water aficionado. She starts a swimming class with her Daddy at the end of the month. Something low-key, at our local city pool, where she’ll just be getting used to being in the water and learning some basic techniques. I’m hoping she will enjoy this time with her Dada as well as the swimming. The hour they are gone for swimming, Mama gets to enjoy some creative painting and crafting time, so as anxious as I am about Ellie doing a class with Daddy (away from me), I’m trying to see it more as a great way for them to connect and for me to get some Mama time in.

Other things happening around these parts…

I just put a few new things in my Etsy shop! Some summertime inspired peg dolls and a lovely summer time play mat (that I really wanted to keep for myself, I liked it so much) and I created a Snow Queen for my “Frozen” mats for those families who would rather have the original Hans Christen Anderson story instead of the Disney-fied version. Check them out here!

I’ve also been trying to fit in painting here and there. I’m desperately trying to catch up in this online class I’m taking. There’s a break this summer, so hopefully I’ll be able to keep up. It’s challenging and exciting and sometimes frustrating when my art doesn’t come out on paper the way I see it in my head, but I think that’s probably a good step to learning more and getting better.