What’s Happening at Mountain Hearth Handcrafts?

I started Mountain Hearth Handcrafts about four years ago when I was a full time homemaker and homesteader as an endeavor to support my family and my handcrafting habits. During this time, the whole project has evolved, expanded, contracted and taken on a life of it’s own. I’ve enjoyed running my Etsy shop, vending in a booth at markets and festivals, taking on some exciting custom orders, and times when Mountain Hearth Handcrafts is on the farthest back burner yet still manages to practically run itself, which it can thanks to Etsy. 

So where, you may be wondering, is Mountain Hearth Handcrafts at right now? Well, with two jobs, two twelve-year-olds, a homestead and a Mountain Man to adventure with, life is very full and handcrafting is slow cooking on that back burner. With the turn of the year, I have been endeavoring to move it towards simmering on a front burner, and am starting to fit a little time in each week to re-stock the shop and update things a little. One change you may notice is that I am streamlining my Mountain Hearth Handcrafts Blog by merging it into this one. I started it as a separate blog because I had so much to write about at the time, but as time goes by I am seeing handcrafting and art as less separate from the rest of daily life, and finding less time to write posts. Simplifying seemed like the right move. From here on out, you may notice an occasional post about something new I’ve been making and putting up in the shop.

The most recent project is a batch of a dozen handmade birds nest with felted wool eggs. 

You can find them here in my Etsy shop:  Nests

 

I still have plenty of wildcrafted bean-to-bar nettle chocolates left, and as soon as more of the wildcrafted cocoa beans come in at work, I will be making more of my wild chocolate chickens!

There are a few felted wool wall  hangings up in the shop, and I have plans up my sleeve to get some springtime ones in the works.

It’s almost time for spring faeries, so if you keep your eye out, you’ll see them soon!

And there are still plenty of Mason Jar Warmers and Cast-Iron Skillet Grabbers made from recycled wool sweaters to choose from.

As you can see, Mountain Hearth Handcrafts is still around, just going through one of its many stages of growth. I’m still contemplating finding a couple of festivals for vending with my booth each year, and creative ways to expand the handmade chocolate production. Out of all the ways I earn my living, this one is by far my favorite, so you can expect to keep on seeing new creations from these two busy hands.