Whats new..

Well it is Spring...somewhere!  This is what we here in Minnesota got to enjoy today.  My poor tulips are up and now covered again... poor things

Anyway here are a few new creations I made in the last few days.

This is Betsy - such a honey.

 And here we have Edna and Lucille.  Their hair looks on the pictures like little horns but it is actually mohair, very raw mohair -there is still little sticks in it even. No poo though I promise.

That is a quick trip around my sewing room.  Hope to have more fun stuff to show soon!

Is it SPrinG Yet??

Well I find myself sitting here at the computer thinking that I should be sewing and creating new wonderful items....but I keep looking out the window waiting for Spring.  It is so hard when all the seed catalogs start showing up and there is 15" of snow in the yard.  My hands itch to work the soil and see those little sprouts popping up.  But since I live in Minnesota it is thorn I must deal with.  At our old house I had a wonderful greenhouse but have not built one here... That may need to happen. 

Its been a busy new year - Had to create the new products for the 2013 market.  Check them out at www.handcraftedbymichelle.com   Heres a little sneak peek:

I also been tossing around the idea of opening a shop in town (I still have my shop at the house).  I found a awesome old church, but the city has shot down my grand plans - they say I need to put in a sprinkler system (even though no other shop in town has one - they are grand fathered in I guess) But that would be a $40,000-60,000 bill for the sprinkler, plus that would mean running a bigger water main into the building from the street.  Also handicap bathroom, updated furnace and electrical etc etc.  So sad cause the building right now had squatters in it and it is just going to waste.  Would this not make a sweet gift and antique shop?

As you can see - theres a bar in the corner, a piano, and icky icky mattresses on the floor.  Oh and lots of cases of beer all over the place!  Guess this church was rocking when the squatters were in there.  I think Id need a hazmat suit and very THICK rubber gloves to touch the stuff left inside. YUCK!  But oh the potential! 

Well enough daydreaming and time to get back to work. 
Enjoy!

oh boy! What a ride it has been this winter!

Well I dont even know where to start.  I guess I should by saying that Im sorry for being away from the blog for so long.  But let me tell you I have not been sitting around eating bon bons. 
First I had the Holiday Open House as noted on the last blog.  Well then the next weekend I hosted Randy's companies Christmas party.  Then it was Christmas!   So usually I take down all my holiday decor Christmas Day or for sure the next day.  BUT this year I had to keep it up until January 9th - which let me tell you was very difficult.  But it was for a very good reason.  Drum roll please....   Well I had to keep it up for the Country Sampler magazine to come to the house to do a photo shoot!  Yep my house will be in the magazine - Christmas 2013 or 2014 or it could be in the house special issue.  I wont know til later this summer.  But its very exciting.  The photographers drove all the way from VA.  The weather was calm in the 30's so they didnt get to feel the "true Minnesota winter"  However, two weeks later it was -40 below.  That may have had them running back East mighty quick. 
On another exciting note - I may - not 100% yet, but I may be moving my gift shop up to the little tourist town Nisswa.  It is a wonderful summer shopping place.  This I will be finding out about tomorrow.  SO nervous about it - I want it but yet it terrifies me too.
Ok enough talking your ears off.  Here is a preview of another house that Country Sampler photographed.  These pictures were taken by my son not the magazine.  You also saw is sneak peak on a previous blog because we built the kitchen and fireplace surround.

My friend Vickies living room above and below

 the master bedroom above

 dining room

 kitchen

 looking up stairs

out side view.  Look like some other house?  Yep we have similar houses - great minds...  I built mine in 2003 and this was built last year. 

Another peek into a friends home - this is my friend Connies home

 kitchen

 up stairs family room

 master bedroom

 stairwell

 office

 oh my what a "ham" pup

 front of house

 living room

Well there you have it - all my exciting news and pictures of my 2 friends houses!! 
Enjoy!

Holiday House Tour

Well it has came n gone - another wonderful holiday house tour.  I love letting people walk thru my home and enjoy the creations I have created!
I will share these many photos of the tour.  All these pictures were taken by my very talented son Brent!

 Abby cat enjoying the wooden bowl - squishing the dolls that are nestled inside

 Front door - fresh falling snow

 Cold windy and snowy

 window boxes

 the sitting room

 faux fireplace in the sitting room

 sitting room tree

 kitchen table

 pineapple carved by my talented hubby

 looking from the front door to the hearthroom

 Foyer tree - all 16 feet of it!

 Looking down from the upstairs landing

 Kitchen

kitchen

 dining room

 dining room from the kitchen

 dining room

 looking into the kitchen from the dining room

 new family room

 family room

 sitting area in the family room

 family room tree

 front hall

 guest room

 cabin bed room

 pumpkin bedroom

Master bedroom

 stitchery I made

 up stairs hall

 up stairs hall

Thank you for visiting my virtual tour.  Check back to see what I am getting into next!  One never knows - usually I dont either!