KAOS--or, my Mom!

Last week I said I'd share a little about my Mother with you. I had so much fun taking pictures of her magical house this last week--every corner is just filled with whimsy--she's such a child at heart, and has such a way of decorating--I definitely didn't get that gene, unfortunately!

She has always loved toys--dolls, especially, and when very young, her parents weren't as well off as later in life, and would tell her they couldn't afford to get her the toy she wanted. She liked the good stuff--usually a beautiful Steiff creation or something like that--(which she still adores). So, she just started making her own toys. Her style is very much like that of Steiff--she has a great appreciation for German, old-world style toys and things, as you can see in her home. She has always made things that are jointed--they HAVE to be jointed! She loves it when her creations can stand on their own (just like her children, she always says!)

The name of her business is "KAOS"--which is her name, Karen Ann Ostlund Smith, but also what she feels perfectly describes her! (I would call it a magical, creative chaos!)

I could go on and on about Mom, but I think I'll just start by showing her to you, along with some of her creations. She does most of her creating with wool felt, as well as wool roving when she does her needle-felting dolls. She's most known for her adorable hedgehogs, which I adore! She's sold & given so many away--here's just a few to show you:














There's so much more I could show--this is just a bit--but enough for now! I think tomorrow I'll show you a bit of her house, which, as I said, is just filled with fun! But enough for today! Thanks for stopping by!