Category Archives: gifts & easy to make gifts & presents

January 29, 2014 · 1:11 pm

Doll making as a healing art

In the past week, we have added several friends and relations of relations to our healing prayers.

As part of my meditations and prayer work, I focus my mind by creating healing dolls.

I pour my love and healing thoughts and images into the making of a healing doll.

Stitch by stitch, I make a doll that I quietly, gently and peacefully pour my thoughts and intentions of wellness, loving kindness, tenderness, inspiration and insight into.

Sometimes, the doll is for a specific person, and sometimes, it is simply a response to feeling the call to make a sacred or healing doll.

I never sell these dolls- I give them to a person that feels right for it.

I wrote the book: Soul Mate Dolls: Doll making as a healing art many years ago. It’s out of print now.

Over the years, since the publication of this book, I have continued to work with the sacred art of doll making for my own contemplative practice, but also professionally.

I have taught many workshops, and I have designed many patterns for people to continue to make dolls that are focused on healing themselves and others.

And, now I am working on a whole new book about the healing power of mindful doll making.

Until it is released, here are some of my designs that are available on my website http://www.crone-findlay.com and in my etsy shop. The link to my etsy shop is below each of these dolls.

May doll making be the source of great happiness, healing and wholeness for you, my friends!

The crocheted Angel of Compassion link to pattern on etsy: Link

The Crocheted Angel of Healing dolls: LINK

The Crocheted Angel of Peace: LINK

Weaving with simple looms, such as the peg or stick loom is very meditative, and I find that weaving mermaids is an excellent way to focus my thoughts on healing body, mind and spirit: LINK

Simple tools can be used to make sweet little dolls that provide great comfort when tucked into a pocket, and they are so easy to pop into an envelope and mail to a friend:

The spool knitted tiny angels are so easy to make, but full of love, too: LINK

As are the Friendship Fairies: LINK

copyright Noreen Crone-Findlay www.crone-findlay.com

And, I mustn’t forget the Menopause Fairy!

After all…. the Tooth Fairy takes away teeth and leaves a gift of money, right?

Well, the Menopause Fairy takes away all manner of things and leaves behind the gifts of laughter, wisdom and compassion, as well as soooooooooo much more!!!! LINK

And, if the healing involves some deliciously wild energy, then perhaps a Wild And Wooly doll is in order: LINK

If you feel a connection to Goddesses, I have designed a knitted pattern for the Venus of Willendorf.

I love holding her in my hand- she’s just a perfect little handful of the Feminine Divine energy! LINK

And Venus of Willendorf inspired Goddesses to Crochet: LINK

There’s also the Minoan Goddess of the Bees to knit: LINK

There are so many women from history who are powerful role models and whose strength, dignity and wisdom are deeply inspiring and offer great hope. One of them is the Empress Theodora….. LINK

May the work of your hands bring you soulful and engaging ways of healing your heart, mind, body and spirit and may it bring joy and peace and healing in countless ways to your family and friends, too!

Blessings abounding!!!! With love, always, and all ways! 🙂

2 Comments

Filed under crochet, doll & dolls & dollmaking & doll making, gifts & easy to make gifts & presents, knitting, Peg and Stick Loom weaving, spool knitter & spoolknitter & spool knitting & spool knitting

Tagged as crocheted dolls, doll, doll making, doll making as a healing art, gifts, hand made dolls handmade dolls, healing, knitted dolls, making dolls for healing, Noreen Crone-Findlay, peace, spool knitted dolls

August 28, 2013 · 5:43 pm

Sock Monkey Finger Puppet pattern

It’s been a wildly busy summer, as my daughter and daughter-in-law and I have been doing a TON of maker’s faires and craft shows.

I have built and re-built, and re-built again, my booth…. and now I am happy with it.

I’ve been working my chops off, producing new and delicious things for the booth, and my designer mode has been in overdrive.

One of the things that has become very clear to me this summer, is how much I love designing and making finger puppets:

One of the lovely serendipitous things that came together for me was when I was thinking about my grandmother and her pleasure in making sock monkeys- she made hundreds of them throughout my childhood, and I loved helping her with them- and then twigging that I should design Sock Monkey Finger Puppets in homage to her.

It has taken a lot of figuring, tweaking, refining and crochet, crochet, crochet to get to the place that is just right with them.

And, now that I have got the pattern all polished up, and edited and in a very happy place, I have put it up on my etsy shop: LINK

and on my website: LINK

Because they are so little, they are great for using up bits of precious yarn like handspun or even silk.

And, you don’t have to stick with browns:

They make me smile…. and I hope that you will enjoy them, too! 😀

6 Comments

Filed under crochet, gifts & easy to make gifts & presents, Uncategorized

Tagged as crochet, crocheted finger puppet, crocheted sock monkey, crocheted sock monkey finger puppet, finger puppet, Noreen Crone-Findlay, pdf pattern, sock monkey

June 22, 2013 · 11:05 am

A brooch to ponder

Last night, we were at a wonderful birthday party – it was such a pleasure to feel so much love focused on our friend!

He deserves it.

Jim and I were sitting with friends, basking in the lovely time.

One of our friends is a young woman who is a gifted musician.

She opened her bottle of Jones soda and read out the ‘fortune cookie’ written inside the bottle lid.

It said: “You will be confronted with limitless opportunities”.

She contemplated it for a minute and said: ‘Confronted with limitless opportunities….. hmmmm’…..

and that began a heartfelt conversation between us…..

‘Confronted’ with limitless opportunities really does speak to the necessity of developing discernment and wisdom, doesn’t it?

She is a woman of deep heart and great intelligence – and she is a wisdom seeker.

I felt that this small ‘fortune cookie moment’ was filled with significance, so I asked her if I could take the bottle cap and make a brooch for her with it.

I spent the morning working on it, and have just finished it.

I hope that she will feel the love and tenderness in it……

(Update: Yes, she does like it 🙂 )

Ending on a personal note, and speaking directly to my friend:

Jordan, my dear, may you be blessed on your journey!

You are a gift and a blessing and you make the world a better place. 🙂

As an older woman-even though I was born with the name: Crone, I am living it now 🙂 –

speaking to a younger woman,

I spread my wings,

and I wish you well, well, well….

13 Comments

Filed under eco crafts & green projects, gifts & easy to make gifts & presents, jewelry, weaving & handwoven

Tagged as fortune cookie, gifts, hand woven jewelry, handmade jewelry, handwoven brooch, woven brooch

August 25, 2012 · 9:09 pm

Two more pouches for the Soumak Pouch Weave Along

I’ve been shooting videos for the weave along that begins on September 2nd.

As I was shooting, I was weaving along on a couple of pouches.

Here they are:

A Stripey one, with some beads and other embellishments:

and the back:

I wove it with Lion Brand Bonbon yarn- cotton for the body of the pouch and metallic for the embellishment.

The size 8 beads along the sides are from Mirrix and the bone beads at the lower edge were in my stash.

The medallion on the back of the pouch is one that I snitched from a box of stuff that my daughter in law was going to give away.

(She gave it away, but to ~me~ instead of giving it to ‘anonymous’ 🙂 I can be shameless when it comes to pretty goodies! )

My daughter in law grinned at me when she saw the finished pouch, and said: ‘This one is yours, isn’t it, Mum?’

‘Yes! but how did you guess?’

She just laughed.

I guess it’s because I adore these colors and use them all the time!

I was concerned about this pouch:

Why? Well, because both my daughter and my daughter in law declared that they loved it and would love to have SantaMamma leave it in their Christmas stocking.

I didn’t want to make two pouches that were exactly alike, so I had to have a big old think about it.

And, I came up with the perfect answer!!!!!

TADAH!!!! I wove it up in the same colorway, but used wool yarn instead of cotton.

Here’s the back of the woolie pouch:

Kreinik supplied me with the gorgeous embroidery thread and edging cord for this pouch.

Here are the links for them:

The edging is 3/8 ” trim: # 170 Natural Pewter
http://www.kreinik.com/kshop/product.php?productid=17023&cat=0&page=1
The embroidery thread is: Ombre: http://www.kreinik.com/kshop/product.php?productid=622&cat=0&page=1
1000 – Solid Silver

I love the combination of the soft loftiness of the wool with the sparkle of the metallic embroidery floss.

By the way, the embroidery thread is soft and lovely to work with. Some metallics can be barky and sharky.

This is soft and nooshy.

!AND!

Happy dance!

and ~whew~

My daughter in law (who happens to be an incredibly gifted and talented handspinner, so she is naturally inclined to be more drawn to wool), likes the woolie pouch –

HURRAH! SantaMamma is so relieved!

My girls will have their lovely pouches in their Christmas stockings, and they are ‘sister pouches’…. similar, but each unique!

Alright… time for me to get back to editing video….. 🙂

10 Comments

Filed under gifts & easy to make gifts & presents, Loom & looms & small loom weaving, weaving & handwoven

Tagged as business card pouch, cellphone pouch, diy, hand weaving, handwoven, Mirrix looms, Soumak Pouch, soumak weave

March 13, 2012 · 5:06 pm

Woven Bunny free pattern

I designed a bunny for Lion Brand, using the Martha Stewart loom (which I love) 😀

and, the bunny pattern is now available, freeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee on the Lion Brand website.

Here’s the link: Bunny pattern

Happy weaving! and happy bunny fun! 😀

8 Comments

Filed under doll & dolls & dollmaking & doll making, gifts & easy to make gifts & presents, Loom & looms & small loom weaving, tutorial & how to, weaving & handwoven

Tagged as bunny pattern, crone, findlay, free pattern, hand woven bunny toy, happy bunny, how to weave a bunny, Lion Brand, loom, martha stewart, Martha Stewart Looms, woven toy

December 18, 2011 · 6:49 pm

Nifty ‘V’ and ‘U’ shape scarves to weave on the potholder loom

For this last year and a half, I have been designing up a storm, but not getting the designs out into the world.

I made a promise to myself that I am going to get as many of the new designs up and released as possible before this year ends.

On that note, I am happy to announce that I have finished another pattern- Whee, whew and yay!!!!

The Viva ‘V’ and “U’ shaped scarves are so comfortable to wear!

The clever shaping means that the scarf stays in place without a lot of extra yardage.

It can be made in several different ways. It can be a ‘V’ shaped scarf or cowl, or a ‘U’ shaped scarf or cowl.

It’s a wonderful way to showcase art yarn, and other special hand spun yarns.

Instructions are given for how to weave all the different shapes using regular weaving with yarn techniques on the potholder loom,

AS WELL AS: How to weave with bulky yarns on the potholder loom.

Instructions are also given for how to make big arty buttons from dead branches.

The lightweight version works well as a ‘keyhole’ scarf – one end pulls through an opening in the other end of the scarf.

Adding a spool knitted edging is optional.

There are soooooooooooo many ways to express your creativity with this nifty scarf!

The best part is that it is so quick and easy to make, and a real delight to wear!

The pattern can be ordered from: http://www.crone-findlay.com/Crone-FindlayCreationsPotholderLoomWeaving.html

Happy Weaving! 😀

2 Comments

Filed under gifts & easy to make gifts & presents, Loom & looms & small loom weaving, potholder loom, weaving & handwoven

Tagged as art yarn, handspun yarn, Noreen Crone-Findlay, potholder loom, small loom weaving, woven scarf

November 22, 2011 · 9:58 am

Monster dear and snuggly bunny on the Lily Speed-O-Weave loom

I am a dyed in the wool doll maker. No matter what loom or fiber arts tool I am working with, it doesn’t take long for me to wonder how I could use it to make a doll.

So, it’s no surprise, that as I was designing projects for my new book on the vintage Lily Speed-O-Weave loom, (that’s a link to my website to see more) I had to come up with some fun dolls and stuffies.

Lily-Speed-O-Weave-monster-designed by Noreen Crone-Findlay (coppyright)

Monster Dear was inspired by a book that my daughter loved when she was a very little girl.

It was about a monster who was afraid of the dark. She loved him, so of course, I had to make her one.

This is a new version of ‘Monster Dear’. I think he’ll chase away bad dreams!

And, a ball of squishy soft yarn inspired me to make the snuggly Bunny dolly:

Lily-Speed-O-Weave-Snuggle-Bunny-designed by Noreen Crone-Findlay (coppyright)

I’ve always loved rabbits and bunnies, so I’ve designed and made countless versions of them over the years.

These two fuzzy friends delight me. Ah, the joys of yarn- it’s endless!!!!

1 Comment

Filed under doll & dolls & dollmaking & doll making, gifts & easy to make gifts & presents, Loom & looms & small loom weaving

Tagged as dollmaking, dolls, Lily Speed-O-Weave loom, soft toys, stuffies, toy making, toys

June 9, 2010 · 2:44 pm

My mother’s pincushion

My mother has unwillingly had to let go of her lifelong passion for needlework.

Because of health challenges, she is not able to handle independent living anymore. Reluctantly, she has moved out of her condo and into a different living situation where she gets the support and assistance that she now needs.

Most of her possessions are now being lovingly shared out among her kids and grandkids and nieces and other kith and kin.

There were a couple of things that I really really wanted to have…..

She was a spectacularly gifted embroiderer, and so I really wanted to have some of her threads.

The other thing that I reeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeelly wanted was a pincushion doll that I had given her when I was a child.

When I was a little girl, I saw the most beautiful thing I could have ever imagined…. it was a pincushion of an Elizabethan Lady….

I would go into the shop, and visit the Lady, and stroke the velvet skirt, and be filled with longing.

I decided that I HAD to buy it for my mother to show her how much I loved her.

So, I asked the lady in the store if I could pay for the Lady in stages, and she agreed to that. I don’t know if she had ever had a child make such a request, but she was so kind about it!

Every week, for weeks, and weeks, I would take my allowance in, and give it to the shopkeeper. She would then bring ‘The Lady’ out, and I would cradle her in my hands… and then sigh, and hand her back….

Eventually… the little bits of allowance added up and up, and – ‘The Lady’ was mine!!!

She was swathed in tissue, and placed carefully in a box, and I secreted her away until Mother’s Day.

I don’t know if my mother knew how much effort went into buying her ‘The Lady’, but I think she felt the love and excitement that I had in presenting her with my treasure.

And now, ‘The Lady’ has come home to me…. and some day, she will be gifted to my daughter…. with love…. always with love….

20 Comments

Filed under doll & dolls & dollmaking & doll making, gifts & easy to make gifts & presents

Tagged as family treasure, pincushion

March 22, 2010 · 12:00 pm

Celebrate Springtime with adorable doodled paper eggs

I love making little presents that I can just pop in an envelope and mail to family and friends.

Yesterday, I had a flash of inspiration…. well, really it was several flashes of inspiration that came together ever so nicely!

Lately, I have been blogging about doodling, Link and Link , so that’s kind of noodling around in the outer reaches of my brain.

And, a week or so ago, my daughter blogged about very cute embroidered Easter Eggs: Link

And, then Linette blogged about some papier mache Easter eggs that she had just made: Link

These all got me thinking about threads all came together and inspired me to design and make some oh so sweet paper eggs that can hang in a houseplant, a tree or be used as a bookmark or in scrapbooking.

Here’s what I did:

First of all, I drew an egg shape, and then I made a tracer or template from a piece of plastic from the recycling box.

Then, I traced around it on a used envelope (gotta love being green! re-duce, re-use, recycle, reclaim, upcycle!) and cut out 2 eggs. (Front and back).

Then I cut out an inch diameter circle of white paper (use whatever color works best for your choice of skin tone).

I snipped about 4 inches of embroidery floss for the hanger.

Draw the face on the circle and glue it on the front egg.

I doodled merrily away on the front of the egg, and then, because this one is going to my mom, I wrote a message on the back.

Glue the thread in a loop to the inside of the back and then glue the front to the back….. and Voila!

Adorable paper eggs to celebrate springtime!

Variations: I had brunch with 2 friends yesterday, and I made them eggs, but didn’t do the doodles. I took my colored pens with me, and they doodled happily on their eggs while we visited. Fun! Here are their eggs:

I also love to use fragments of tatting to decorate and embellish, so I used some scraps of tatting on 2 more eggs…

This tutorial is Noreen Crone-Findlay’s original concept and design. Please DO NOT COPY the text or photos. Please do share the link! Thanks so much!!!

17 Comments

Filed under eco crafts & green projects, gifts & easy to make gifts & presents

Tagged as bookmark, easter egg, Easter gift, egg craft, ornament, paper crafts, paper egg decoration, scrapbookg, springtime

February 12, 2009 · 10:05 pm

Tiny Spool Knitted Angel

spool-knitted-tiny-angel-plain-1000

When I am feeling sad and upset, I find it really helps if I make some Angel dolls.

This week has been a corker, with the death of our beloved old horse, among other challenges.

We have done a whole lot of soul searching, and have decided that we just can’t handle having horses anymore. So our dear little girl horse that we adopted a year and a half ago is going to go back to live with her momma and birth brother. She’s going to be well and truly loved and cared for.

This has been one of the hardest decisions we’ve had to make in a lonnnnnnnnnnnnnnnng time, so believe me, I really have been needing to find comfort. (And yes, I certainly do pray, and meditate, so those are the source of great comfort, but making angels is also a HUGE comfort.)

So, in the interests of invoking Angel Energy for ourselves and for everyone else, too…

I have designed these sweet little, easy to make spool knitted angels.

I began with a design that I had developed a few years back and have re-fined and polished it. I am really happy with it now.

You can make the little angels very quickly and easily and can make them truly one of a kind by changing the yarn (handspun would be perfect)