Random Acts - Farmer's Market Season Opening (May 18th)

          "The expression "pay it forward" is used to describe the concept of asking that a good turn be repaid by having it done to others instead." 

The idea that by "passing it on" to three people, they in turn will "pass it on" to three more people and on and on and on......

 

 The idea that one good act of kindness in turn reciprocates further acts as a consequence is an inspiring way to begin a season of natural goodness at the Gravenhurst Farmers' Market starting this May 18th in the Muskoka Wharf Events Field. 

I thought it would be best  to take this idea and transfer it into one that will assist an unknowing mother in need in the town of Gravenhurst.  Individuals can submit a name of a deserving mother  who will be chosen to receive a  wOOly Owl Care Package which  includes a wOOly sOaker, Reusable Organic Nursing Pads and even a calming, herb-filled wOOly Owl. 

 Please take the time now to think about this particular Momma-in-need of some natural loven (of a wOOly kind:) and bring her name to my tent. 

And do your part....pay it forward.

From my hands to yours,

{o,o}  The wOOly Owl

 |)__)

  -”-”-

You willl now find the wOOly Owl at the following locations......Locally!!!

I am so excited for the springtime!!!

I am very happy to announce that The wOOly Owl is now being sold at Ecocentric in Orillia Ontario. /http://ecocentricstore.ca/

“Shopping with the environment in mind.”

I love ecocentric!!! The store is so welcoming and upon entering, you feel as if you have stepped into a nest of all thins green and environmentally wonderful!!! Cara, the owner is one of the nicest and laid back ladies of the Orillia downtown venders and obviously takes pride in her beautifully redone which is located beside the famous Mariposa market located at:  

23 Mississaga Street East
Orillia, ON L3V 1V4
(705) 330-0009d  

Second, 



I am even more please to announce that I will be at this year's Gravenhurst Ontario Farmer's Market!!!  The market starts this May 18, 2011 and is the Market's 20th Anniversary!!!!

http://www.gravenhurstfarmersmarket.com/

I so look forward to seeing you there!!




Lastly,


Keep in mind that if you come see me at the market and drop off any 100% wool sweater you will receive 3$ off any wOOly purchase!!




wOOt wOOt to that!!!




From my hands to yours,

{o,o}  The wOOly Owl

 |)__)

  -”-”-

OOpsy Owl wOOly bibs

Prevention of those nasty snack trails from sabotaging your baby's sense of style.........

OOpsy Owl wOOly bibs are hand-crafted from available 100% up-cycled wool and replicate the silhouette of an owl’s wise face (turned upside-down!) A personalized and unique little owl is sewn into the left-hand corner and adds a simple, yet whimsical detail of hand-made charm. Velcro tabs on the back are sew-in strong and are very convenient during mealtimes. One-of-a-kind, your OOpsy Owl wOOly bib was created from available up-cycled 100% wool. The unique thing about up-cycling is that once the reclaimed wool is made into something, it is almost impossible to recreate the exact same item!

OOpsy Owl wOOly bibs have been pre-soaked in a lanolin bath to restore the natural properties in wool such as stain, moisture and wrinkle resistance.

Visit my Etsy shop to see all of my OOpsy Owl wOOly bib collection!!

From my hands to yours.

{o,o}  The wOOly Owl

|)__)

-”-”-

Broken Heel = Better success!

What happens when you fall off of a 6 foot high reinforcement wall? You break you heel.

Yes it can be done, your heel can break and I have to warn you it is not a very pleasant feeling.

I remember catching my foot on the edge of the flower box and falling to my heel bone’s demise. I have been off work for a month now and just starting to get back to my sewing table. With Christmas coming I was so disappointed to have had to miss my greatly anticipated Craft fair on the 13^th of November. Days leading up to the event, I tried to accommodate my foot by keeping it above my machine and sewing in an awkward position, yet the disadvantage was that I could not move to and fro and I do in my creative state going from one room to the other to create patterns and fetch buttons, or to find my missing sewing needles. I also have not been able to scavenge the second hand stores for my wOOly gold nor find hidden treasures of reclaimed lace or silks. But from all of the forced relaxation and seemingly house arrest, I have found the pleasure of impractical perfection........

Breaking my heel has forced me to slow down and look at the finer details in my life. Do I really need to clean the house spotless every day? NO, Things can get a bit dusty if it means I rest and elevate my foot for the required 8 months. Do I have need to stress about craft fairs and the ever approaching holidays? NO. To be frank, I am actually thankful that I had to miss the Russel Craft Fair.  

For the last four weeks I have taken this opportunity to start up my new wOOly Owl Etsy shop.   http://www.etsy.com/people/thewOOlyOwl I love it. At first I avoided the whole Etsy community, thinking that everyone sold their things on Etsy, I tried to be the renegade and forgo the online opportunity to reach more potential customers. Then in my haze of stay home injury fever, I sign up and have been loving it ever since. I have even joined a team, Ohcanadateam, which encourages and promotes Canadian-based venders to better sell their items to customers looking for more local products. I have to say that there are so many talented individuals out there doing an amazing job selling their things. If you have the chance, check out a few of my favourites:

http://www.etsy.com/shop/bumbleebuck

http://www.etsy.com/shop/ForStrangeWomen?ref=pr_faveshops

 and http://www.etsy.com/shop/paintedturtlewt

I love how each shop embodies the character of the owner and how even the photography of their items becomes almost more desirable then the items themselves. Brilliant. The hours I have been able to venture into these cyber shops has left me with the knowledge and inspiration on how to make my wOOly things that much more beautiful. Thanks to my broken heel, I now have creatively tagged my wOOly things with a unique little owl, Have packaged them in a fitting wrapper and tied them with the best and most ideal bow I could find......... Bring on the Holidays baby, The wOOly Owl is coming to town!

Pretty tO lOOk at wOOly Owls

                    Reclaimed clay button eyes and Alpaca batting

                            Reclaimed lace collar wings

The Lack of wool

Visiting some of the local second hand stores in search of my media, I have come across the startling fact that the majority of sweaters are made with synthetic fibres such as acrylic, Rayon, and polyester. While these fibres have their own pros, in terms of sustainability,  fire repelling and moisture properties, Wool as a natural fibre far surpasses them all. 

"Natural fibre, any hairlike raw material directly obtainable from an animal, vegetable, or mineral source and convertible into nonwoven fabrics such as felt or paper or, after spinning into yarns, into woven cloth,*  vs a synthetic fibre born from the result of a chemical process.

If you compare the impact on the environment, although synthetic fibres last longer, when placed in a landfill, synthetic fibres take longer to breakdown as their bases are not that of a natural foundation. Wool however can be added to your compost pile for later use in your garden. To think that something which came from the soil, into the  grass, into a sheep (or lamb), became the sheep's clothing in winter and into spun wool come summer, became your sweater and then will break down into the soil that it came from at the very start. Full circle.

In terms of safety, wool is again being used as type of insulation (bonded with natural rubber) with a potential r-value of 23. Wool is considered to be fire-resistant as it burns slower than synthetic fibers and will usually quit burning once the flame is removed. (Important when you and your baby are wearing and playing with wooly things such as my wOOly pretty to lOOk at Owl, or my mOmmies washable wOOly breast pads.

One of the most important facts about wool is its natural tendency to wick away and resist water...... oh yeah and that it is temperature regulating. My wOOly diaper cOvers hold in your baby's urine while keeping it at body temperature to ensure a uninterrupted sleep, (which means you sleep more and the whole family is happy again!!)

So I love wool. Hopefully my findings are a result that people realize wool's audacious characteristics and thats why acrylic teems within the second hand world as people clutch lovingly to their %100 Wool Sweaters.

{o,o}  The wOOly Owl

|)__)

-”-”-

*http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/406148/natural-fibre