Guest Post by Amber Smith from Mama Nature and a Giveaway

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Today we have Amber joining us for a guest post on Natural Suburbia, she is a very creative and talented woman who loves nature and blogs over at Mama Nature.

In Amber's words:

Who I am: I am simply aesthetic, spiritual, intuitive and imaginative. I support our local Farmer's Markets.  I am a newly discovered community artisan! I believe in creating physically and spiritually. I want to inspire people to take whatever idea I share and make it their own and make it personal to them.

What I create:  I have been creating for my family the past year and it wasn't until recently that I felt very encouraged by my friends and community to branch out and sell some of my creations. Things I create for my family: garden art, felt toys, polymer dolls and jewelry, knitted clothing (my favorite being the little red riding hood), upcycled patch-work clothing, quilt mandalas, illustrations for there bedroom walls, and stories that teach real value. Yes, I am a busy lady and I always try to involve my children in what I do. Most people may think being this busy might make life more complex but for me and my family it actually brings a simplicity and balance! It exercises our self-sufficiency, self discipline, self-awareness, self-discovery, our heart, our family's quality of time and of course our creativity. I'm so thankful for the opportunities I've received in my life and I'm even more thankful for the supportive people in my life!                          "Certain things catch your eye, but pursue only those that capture your heart..." Native American saying
What inspires me: Three things that inspire me: my children, my community and mama nature. I don't think you can get any more simple than that! My favorite musician is Jack Johnson and we start nearly every day listening to his music and allowing it to ground us and prepare our hearts for the day. I also have been a member of his All At Once Community for a couple years now. Other things that inspire me: my heritage & home, this waldorf, and wildlife







What is my crafting space like? Space is so important. It's nearly a source of inspiration itself! A majority of my art doesn't happen in my home - it happens outdoors or in our community! Occasionally, in the evenings or early morning I will construct a new felt creation. And my family has been very supportive in giving me quiet time for a couple hours Tuesdays and Thursday evenings. This is when I blog, craft and reach out to people outside of our home.
Craft Tutorial:  This is a very open craft tutorial. If you aren't afraid of using your intuition and prefer being natural over uniform and perfect - then you may really enjoy this tutorial!  There are no real rules for this but I will try to share how it worked for me! Go ahead and free your creativity - exercise your problem solving skills and make something unique and creative!SUPPLIES:
flexible tree branchmultiple strands of yarn
HOW:
#1 First bend your branch into a circle. Then use some yarn to creatively wrap and hold the ends together. Next use a second piece of yarn to create grass by wrapping it half way down one end and up the other.
#2 Now choose the color for your tree. Once you have selected the color yarn of your choice cut 5 strands of equal length depending on the size of your branch. The center strand must be about 12 inches longer than the rest because you will use the center strand to wrap around all 5 pieces to create a tree trunk effect.
#3 Attach the longest strand to the center using the larks head knot technique
#4 Attach the remaining pieces *two on each side of the center strand* using the same larks head knot technique.
#5 Gather the strands at the bottom of the branch tightly. Use the long center strand to wrap and attach to the bottom of your branch.
#6 Once the strands are securely attached at the bottom continue to wrap the long center strand up about half way and back down again. Tie the center strand tightly.
#7 Choose a variety of colored yarn. The yarn can be all lengths or you can cut them to equal 24 inch lengths. Attach the yarn to one end near the larks head knot.
#8 Begin weaving and adding more yarn until finished!Links for Mama Nature:
BlogFacebookEtsy ShopPinterest
MAMA NATURE - GIVEAWAY"Don't ask yourself what the world needs. Ask yourself what makes you come alive, and go do it. Because what the world needs are people who come alive."
-my grandma/Robert Henri, The Art Spirit

Amber is giving away this incredibly cute handmade Bigfoot toy. If you would like to enter this giveaway, please like her facebook page and leave a comment below saying you have liked the page:) If you are not on Facebook, you can Tweet about the giveaway or choose one of the additional entries below:)
For additional entries you can choose to either 'share' her Facebook page, follow her blog Mama Nature or heart her Etsy shop.Please remember to leave a comment for each entry.The winner will be announced here in this post on Sunday, please ensure you leave an email address so that I can contact you if you are the winner.

Congratulations to:
MelMay 31, 2012 2:45 PMI love every shop you all feature. So many creative people out there, Mama Nature included. I just went by and "liked" their facebook page. Thanks for the giveaway!
Amber, thank you so much for sharing here today on Natural Suburbia.Linda