Bun-derful finds

We really love the Easter season. Folks that don't usually carry bunny item step out of the box and let their inner bunny...

binkie!

The Cottontail Kids were out and about today and this is what they found ♥ 

Here is more of the collection with links for more information and where to buy them ♥

Enjoy!!

An Anniversary Contest

It's my third year Anniversary on Etsy and it's time to have a Bun-derful give away!

There are four ways to enter...and you MAY enter all four times.

1- Comment on this post... will count as one entry.
2- Like my facebook page... one more entry
3- Follow this blog... one more!
4- Follow Cottontails on Twitter.... for just one more.

This is what you'll win

This is a personal bunny (or any other pet!) portrait quilt. All I'll need to begin is your favorite photo of your favorite pet. One pet only in this give-away.

 For more info, see my listing.

Winners will be chosen by Random.org on April 5th at 8:00 PM EDT.

Let's get started and have some fun!

Cindi

Super Cool Bunny Napkins

As I surfed the net today.... looking for something super bun-derful to decorate my Easter table.... I came across this amazing bunny napkin courtsey of delish. It's fun and easy. 

photo credit to:  Philip Friedman- Studio D

All you need are some square napkins (I found a thin 18 inches to be the best) and a can of spray starch.

I sprayed the napkins as I needed them with spray starch. When they were dry...and a bit stiff... I began to fold.

Here we go! 

 

Step 1:  Lay your napkin out flat

 

 Step 2: Fold the napkin in half away from you.

Step 3: Fold in half again to form a long rectangle.

 

 Step 4: Fold the right and left sides up to meet the center forming a point at one end.

  

 Step 5:Fold up the the remaining two sides to meet the center.

 Step 6: Fold the side corners (right then left) in so they meet in the center, but don't fold exactly straight.             

 (Pull up above the center point and you'll see bunny ears start to appear!)

At this point the napkin will be kite shaped.

 

 

 Step 7: Gently turn the napkin over.

 Step 8: Fold the bottom point up, so it's about 1 inch from the center of the napkin.

Gently turn the napkin over.

Step 9:  Roll the left side over, slightly past the center of the napkin.

 

Step 10:  Fold the right side over, tucking the end into the pocket you created on the left side, holding your napkin together.

Step 11: Turn the napkin upright, separating the bottom to form a base. Fluff your bunny's ears.

To make the face, cut a circle from felt and glue some waxed thread "whiskers" to the back. Attach with a screw pin (found in the upholstery section of your local home/fabric store).

So there you are! Fun little bunnies that serve as table decorations AND napkins. I hope you give this a try for your Easter table.

Hoppy Folding.

Cindi

Cool bunny stuff we found on line

Attention all bunny lovers!

 There are wonderful bunny things to be found on the internet. Here is what we found!

Romeo...you aren't getting out of this any time soon so WAKE-UP!!

All of these treasures have been created by my EtsyRabbits team mates that just HAPPEN to be facebook and Twitter friends, too. 


On the left is a stunning cloisonne bunny pendant in fine silver by my friend Mary Beth Parisi.

 Now who doesn't love bunny butts!?!?!

On the right left I've found a collection of three card by my friend Nakisha of bluedogrose. Her Little White Rabbits have been featured in some of my quilts, The Rabbit Tarot and her beautiful books.

       
♥♥♥♥♥ 

On the left is an ACEO collectors card by Rebecca Pullin of Rabbittude. This was Frank's Christmas present and boy did he laugh! We all know about power cord nomies :-D

On the right we found the cutest little bunny pendant by Donna of LavenderRabbit. It's only

1x11/16th inches....how sweet!

♥♥♥♥♥

My facebook friend Diana of qipapers has designed this beautiful set of 12 Moku Hanga Black Water Dragon postcards.

My heart belongs to this cute bunny by quirkybunny. It's painted on canvas at only 5x4 inches. All the proceeds are donated too!!

I hope you have all enjoyed the rabbity goodies we found. We'll keep looking and share when we're finished.

Have a hippity hoppity day. 

Do You Have A Muse Hiding in Your Family Tree?

Creativity can be such an illusive thing.

At times it's oozing from every pore and then, quick as you please, it's all dried up like the Mohave Desert. This week I had one of my dry spells. I was just finishing up a custom quilt and intended to plan my next quilt. NOTHING. I couldn't find a single creative thought.

So I decided I would take a walk through my family history for some inspiration.

My great grandmother was an artist.


She painted in oils on copper in the Hudson River style. Her paintings are so serene. Cows grazing in the field, bubbling brooks and willow trees swaying in the breeze. You can almost smell the grass. Occasionally she would paint florals in watercolors. This medium allowed her to express her talent for detail.

My grandmother was a quilter.

She created pieced quilt tops that were perfect. She collected fabric...as all quilters do...and when she had the right combination of colors out came the big, grey tailors scissors and her box of patterns. Gram wouldn't have liked this age of rotary cutters. She was in her zen place when she was cutting. After the quilt top was finished, it was time to bring out the quilting frame and begin the hand quilting that would fill her winter days. Her quilts were a labor of love and she was a master.

My mother was a seamstress, though she'd tell you she just liked to sew.

She was quite well known for her pill box hats and stunning wedding gowns. The detail of her gowns was amazing. She covered the buttons by hand and crocheted each loops herself so they would fit perfectly around the buttons. There was always a sea of white on our living room floor as she added the laces, seed beads. sequins and pearls... ALL BY HAND! She made a name for herself with her creativity and attention to detail.

To help me find my creativity, I called on these artistic women. I went to my living room wall and got lost in great Grandmother Elizabeth's paintings. Then off to the bedroom to spread across my bed, the quilt Grandma Sarah made for me when I was a little girl. I finished my search for creativity with an old and tattered photograph album. On it's pages I saw the beautiful wedding dress my mom made for her only daughter.

Each of these creative women touched me and I was aware that they were now my muses. I began to hear their quiet guidance and filled my design wall with ideas for many new quilts.

Though they are no longer here with me on earth, their spirits are alive in the beautiful things they left behind.

Do you have a muse hiding in your family tree?

Muses can be found in the most interesting places. Please leave your story in the comment section below.

I would love to hear your story.

Thank you for stopping by.
Cindi

Good Morning from the North Wood ♥

It is a beautiful sunny day. The birds are tuning up, getting ready for their spring concerts.

This winter has been unusually mild with very little snow. But yesterday....everything came to a halt as we were blanketed with 4 inches of wet heavy snow on top of frozen rain from the day before. It really was a nightmare.

   But VERY beautiful!

We didn't forget our friends the birds...plenty of seed was added to the feeder. To accommodate all, we scattered some on the ground as well. They were sooo grateful ♥

 

Mr. Cardinal delivered a personal Thank You.

   As for the Cottontail Kids.....they decided to kick back and snuggle until it was all over.

   

 Thank you for stopping by. See you next time.

 Cindi

Getting Ready for Thanksgiving

With Thanksgiving just over a week away, I have been shopping for my feast, table jewelry, and looking for things to include the little one in the celebration.

My turkey has been ordered from a local Amish farm. It's free range and strictly corn fed...with the addition to the bugs and such he found on his own. These birds are especially tender and full of flavor. Yummmm I can't wait to start baking.

Pumpkin and blueberry pie, mashed potatoes and home made bread are a must...or there will be riot at my table...LOL

This is my table jewelry!

Following the rustic theme of my holiday table, I found this delightful Horn of Plenty as my center piece.

I love the burlap that Rough Magic Holidays used for the horn and all the colorful berries for the content.




Now for something to include the little ones.
This is a special treat I made with my kids for years...and it's SOOOO easy!

Peanut Butter Chocolate Lollies

1 box of Nina Waffers

1 bag milk chocolate chips

1 tea canola oil

1 jar of your favorite peanut butter

12-24 craft sticks

plastic party knives

(optional) 1 decorative gourd

Using the plastic knife, have the kids spread spread about 1 teaspoon of peanut butter on the flat side of a waffer. Place a craft stick on the waffer....using the peanut butter as glue....with the top of the stick resting in the center of the cookie. Add a second waffer with the flat side toward the peanut butter making a cookie lolly.

In a microwave safe bowl, melt the bag of chocolate chips and the 1 tea of oil  in 30 second increments...stirring after each time....until the chocolate is creamy, shiny and dip-able. (if the chocolate seems a bit dry add a 1/4 teaspoon of additional oil.)

Holding the stick, dip the cookie lolly into the chocolate 1/2 way and set to cool on end on a greased cookie sheet or waxed paper.

To display, cut slits in a decorative gourd that has been hollowed out, and set the sticks into the slits. Set the gourd as the centerpiece of your dessert table!

Easy and yummy!!!

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!

Cindi