Lanee's Crochet

Crochet bug bit me!

2011-08-16T13:46:00.000-07:00

Life is so good right now!
I have a job I totally dig, someone to enjoy time with, a wild and crazy kid, food, yarn, and love.

Chilly months are around the corner, and just thinking about it has me back to crocheting again. I've got lots of bright yarns and funky colors, so I think that this years hats and scarves will very much be in techni-color =)

My latest finished object- a bright yellow slouchy hat:

It's way brighter than in the picture (which was taken with a phone), so I added a thin stripe of gray to make it a bit less blingy, if that term could apply lol.

Not sure yet if it will go in the studio. I just don't know yet how some people are able to have a full time job, loved ones, AND maintain an online shop too!

I Totally Dig Yellow And Blue!

2011-03-25T11:43:00.000-07:00

As I was groovin around on Facebook, I just so happened to click on a link to one of my friends' blog which took me to a post that featured a really cute treasury filled with grey (her favorite color) and yellow things.

What better place to pull inspiration for sharing the things we totally dig than from a fellow crafter's blog!

It was not hard to find beautiful blue and yellow goodies on Artfire, but chosing which ones to put in this collection was another story. I hope you dig this collection filled with both tranquil and electric blues and yellows.

I Totally Dig Blu...

Curated By: LaneesCrochet

ArtFire.com

Fine Art Photography

Please stop by the collection and leave a comment and show some love for the artisans that did an amazing job at creating these blues and yellows =)
As well as stop by my buddy Tracy's blog to check out her Friday's Treasury full of grey ans yellow.

Counting Blessings

2010-12-25T08:47:00.000-08:00

Hey Folks!
   I hope every one is enjoying the holiday season and is having a Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays and is looking forward to a Happy New Year!
It's hard some times, to see through the effects that the recession has had on us, our communities, and loved ones, but I think that there is much for us as a people to look forward to.
If we learn nothing else in these times, I really hope that we take away a true appreciation for the little things in life.
   While Thanksgiving Day has come and gone, I am always thankful for the great people in my life and the wonderful little blessing that are brought to me through them. Having a mom who will sub for me while I'm at work, getting some 'out of the house' time, or even sleeping is a blessing that I am very thankful for. My older brother, no matter how stagnant I was, has never looked down on me and sometimes still buys his kid sister a Happy Meal from time to time. People like him are blessings- I hope that we all recognize who they are.
New friends who are willing to share and enlighten you with their beliefs and faith, especially when you really just needed to hear it... I think these types will be friends for a life time and are blessings sent through Jesus Christ himself.

On Thanksgiving, we give thanks, but how many of us count our blessings on this day?

What Comes After Christmas?

2010-12-14T11:01:00.000-08:00

Valentines Day! Yay!
hehe

With all the cute Christmas stuff out there and all the wonderful sales going on, I wonder how many of us are taking advantage of the great discounts while looking forward to future holidays.

Online especially, you can find a wide variety of items with free shipping or a percentage off for the holidays. And I'd bet that those shops or stores aren't limiting their discounts to just holiday related items.

In my artfire studio, I've got lots of Valentines Day related items such as dishtowels/hot pads, coasters, hats, scarves, and little heart shaped pins which range from $2 - $20 plus shipping. All of which can be discounted with my in store coupon.

GlassIdentities' whole studio is marked down by 50%. This earring and necklace set would be a great V-day gift for some one who isn't really into pink or red. You'd know that they could enjoy your gift year round!

Always affordable cards and things from
ATime2beeunique

BarefootBathAndBody is offering free shipping on ALL items in her shop. She's got lots of neat soaps, oils and moisturizing stuffs.
You could get some sweet stuff for your sweet stuff =B

And my favorite for drinking punch out of... A Genuine Leather and Stainless Steel Flask from SeizeTheNight which is eligible for a coupon. It can be stamped with a message or quote. I think that if I ever had any one to give one of these to for Valentines Day, I would.
"Bottoms Up!"

Don't forget to check out my blog on Artfire!

Get 15% off on orders over $9.99!

2010-12-10T12:43:00.000-08:00

In case you were unable to take advantage of my Cyber Monday sale, I've created a coupon that will be good through New Years for 15% off on all orders over $9.99.

Perhaps there's something you see that you think some one would like, but aren't quite sure. You've still got time to work it out while getting a great deal =)

Use Coupon Code:

2010DEALS15OFF

during checkout to receive the discount!

Visit LaneesCrochet's Studio

SAVE 15.00 % On Order Total (orders above $9.99)

Use Coupon Code:

2010DEALS15OFF

during checkout.

Homemade Dog Treats

Link Love Links of Stuff I Love

2010-12-07T12:47:00.000-08:00

A lot of people are doing a discussion on their website's facebook pages called "Link Love", which is meant to be a place to share links and network on one another's pages with out being spammy.
The Discussion page is an easy one to be forgotten, so I've decided to go through and pick some things from people's shops that I just love and share them with you here.
Link Love can be a great place to pool inspiration for blog posts =)

From BarbsMacrameandMore, I found this Jute Plant Hanger with Yellow Beads.
I love this one of course, because one of my favorite colors is yellow. And I don't think you could go wrong inside or out with this plant hanger.

From GardenofYarn on Etsy, I totally dig these Fingerless Gloves which are a wool blend.
The yarn used to make them varies between purple and teal and seems to be made from a fine textured yarn. Great for some one who loves to read or chat online, I think.

And from letamariedesigns, a pair of black enamel Teardrop Earrings with Sterling Silver Peace Sign
I love that this pair of earrings is simple and stylish. I think they could be worn with pretty much anything and to almost anywhere.

Free Shipping Offer Ends Tonight!

2010-12-06T12:34:00.000-08:00

My extended Cyber Monday sale will be ending tonight.
Everything in my shops are offered with free domestic and discounted international shipping.
You still have time to get that hat or coin purse that you've been eying in Lanee's Crochet, but this special won't last very much longer.

In case it's been a while since you've stopped by to see what I have to offer, here's what's new in the studio:

Mixed Peppermint Candy Crocheted Holiday Coasters for $7.99

Red Berry Ribbed Ladies Crochet Hat with Small Bib for just $25.00

Red, Whte, and Green Coffee Cup Sleeve for 7.99

and this

Ribbon Candy Crocheted Scarf $20.00

The 12 Days of Christmas

2010-12-03T11:45:00.000-08:00

Did you know that it's not just a Christmas song? It is believed that this song is filled with hidden references to the basic teachings of the Christian Faith, and that historically, the 12 days start after Christmas - not 12 days before.
12 Days of Christmas Break Down
It's up to speculation, whether it's true or not, but then, isn't everything?

I was going to do a thing here where I, rather than 'gift guiding', would highlight some handmade things that I have come across online that would be good choices for each of the 12 Days. But after reading up on it a bit, I've decided that naaah- I won't be doing that.

Not in that reference anyway.
I mean man, times are hard and the holidays are something that can bring us joy even when our pockets are empty and life is seeming to be a drag.

My family has what I'm now seeing is a tradition that is to make turkey and dressing with ham and potato salad all day long at our place, which seems to be home base for many. Then we wait until the last person is home from work or where ever and we eat together.

This year, tho, things were a bit different for Thanksgiving, but still special... even MORE special, I think!
My older brother bought the turkey and ham this year and cooked them at his place while we did the sides and desserts. I have a brand new niece, and while things are tight, we're as blessed as we ever were.

I'm not at all (ok, well maybe I am a little, but only a little) worried about the fact that I may only be able to get my son one gift this year because 1) That's all he ever does get from me, and 2)I know how to make memories that will last way longer than a video game or pogo stick. And I can get the stuff to make them by using just what I have in my change cup.
A lot of mine will be made in the kitchen this year and probably always- allowing Dominic to flip over his grilled cheese sandwich or quesadilla with out holding his hand the whole time, having him help me roll out cookie dough, cut them out and put them on the pan, letting him be in charge of measuring some of the ingredients, and having such a ball watching him do it.

So, in this post, I'm not going to show you ways that you can spend your money on things for the holidays that may make your loved ones happy for a while (gonna save that for next time =-B
Rather, I'd like to invite you to think of ways to create awesome memories, or show them that you appreciate who they are and or what they do- that will make them feel happy for a while and a half.

♥

Lanee's Crochet is Having a Studio Wide Holiday Sale

2010-11-22T14:38:00.000-08:00

Lanee's Crochet is getting ready for the ever so coveted "Cyber Monday" by reducing the price on all items by applying free domestic, and $1 international shipping to all items in studio.

Yep, that's right- the price you see is the price you pay to have your quality crocheted items delivered to you.
(But make sure you get your order taken care of before the United States Postal Service cut off date, which is December 15th this year).

Also!

I've got those new coin purses that I mentioned in previous posts photographed and ready to go. Here is the first of 6 that I will be listing this week.

The cute red button makes this pouch just well... Cute As a Button!

They're all the perfect size for carrying in your back pocket while hanging on to your I.D., credit cards, or a bit of cash.

Lanee's Crochet happily accepts Amazon Payments as well as Paypal.

Chocolate Brown Teefus!

2010-11-11T11:17:00.000-08:00

Chocolate scented gums with peppermint teeth glycerin soap by The Soap Seduction.
I came across this realistic looking denture soap via twitter and thought - man that is some crazy lookin ass soap! lol- Had to share!

This soap is the perfect gift for "Grandmas, grandpas, snaggle-toofed kiddies, and your best bud who needs a cheerful pick-me-up! Also makes a hilarious stocking-stuffer!"

The Soap Seduction also offers 'normal' handmade soaps such as her Dirty Soap, Pink Sugar Donut Hole Soaps, and her vegan friendly Shitfaced Soap (this one is great for "Tough-as- nails broads, manly-men, stressed out individuals, and those who have mastered the art of imbibing responsibly ")

Btw, The Soap Seduction has a section especially for those wanting vegan friendly bath and body goods which are goods. There's something for everyone!

The Honey Bar Soap
(Vegan)

Lanee's Crochet Has Gifts!

2010-11-07T16:07:00.001-08:00

Christmas is already near!
It's amazing how time flies when you're having fun. Soon enough, We'll be getting ready for V-day, watching flowers sprout, and enjoying the breeze.

In my studio this year, you will find a variety of items which make awesome Christmas gifts and stocking stuffers.
In my Hair Clips section:
A variety of flower shaped hair clips- great gifts for sisters, cousins, or nieces of all ages.

I've also got coin purses and pouches, some of which are great for the on the go girl who loves listening to her music with her hands free as she strolls;

Or something for the lady who just loves cozy, handmade things like this Green Coin Purse which is made of hand spun yarn.

I've got several more hand spun, cozy, wintery style crocheted coin purses that are waiting to be finished, so please check back on this blog, or at my Artfire Studio for updates on those items.

My First Collection

2010-11-02T18:25:00.000-07:00

Curating a collection on Artfire is quite difficult because there is so much wonderfly handmade stuff to choose from.
I'm hoping to meet my Niece Arieanna soon, (she's due tomorrow) and I'm also hoping that I might one day be able to teach her to appreciate handmade goodness by spoiling her with lots of little gifts and treasures made by my fellow crafts-people.

Anywho,
Here is my first collection- please stop by and rate and comment on the bright, beautiful, and super girly items so that they may be seen =)

Its A Little Girl...

Curated By: LaneesCrochet

ArtFire.com

Handmade Soap

Milo is the Cutest Pet!

2010-10-26T18:45:00.000-07:00

In my humble opinion at least! lol

I've entered Milo's picture into a cutest pet contest for which the prize is handmade soap, cream, and perfume oil from Mea Culpa's shop/studio.

Entry is closed now - so the voting is ON!

Won't you please vote for my Milo?

All you have to do is find his picture on This Page and 'like' it.

(If you don't already 'like' Mea Culpa, please do so so that you may vote (not to mention- she's pretty cool too ;)

*Only the 'likes' are counted as votes.

Thanks in advance!

How bout them Bears?

2010-10-20T19:09:00.000-07:00

Hey, I heard that the Chicago Bears football team is doing pretty good this year.
It was the perfect chance to stray from the normal brown bear or panda beanie-
Check out what I've come up with to help you show your team spirit this year and the next.

Soft Color Mood

2010-10-17T10:47:00.000-07:00

A collection created by ArtGlassStudio which includes my Bright Girly Newsboy Hat.

Soft Color Mood

Curated By: ArtGlassStudio

ArtFire.com

Vintage Fashion

Please check out the collection and rate and comment if you like =)

Really House?

2010-09-29T19:55:00.000-07:00

Dear the People Who Write for the Show " House",
wtf?

Your Friend,
Lanee'.

I know this is a totally random, out of the blue post, but I finally saw the latest episode of House on Hulu.com last night. I was rather disappointed by it. I hope this whole 'they're in a relationship' thing won't remove any of that wonderful tension that kept the show interesting while the currently not dying fast enough patient was lying there in wonder.
I know that it would have to come to this eventually, but man- it seems like the show just started getting good- downhill from here?

I'm going to be an Aunt!

2010-07-13T11:38:00.000-07:00

I'm super excited about being an aunt!

My little brother's girlfriend is pregnant with a baby girl which will be given the same middle name as me. Is that cool or what? She'll be my baby princess AND when she's tired and cranky- I can hand her back to her mom or dad! It's like grandparenthood with out the wait. lol

I can't wait to get started on some things for her to wear throughout the winter. She's due in November, she she'll have plenty of time to be my baby model for all sorts of things, too =->

Just thought I'd drop a line~

School is great.. keeping my hands full of sweets rather than yarn, but wonderful and exciting all the same .

Just Sitting Isn't Sitting Well With Me

2010-04-20T13:27:00.000-07:00

When I started School a couple of months ago, I didn't really have the time to keep up shop because I was getting used to getting myself ready for school while getting my kid ready and being exhausted when I got home and all that comes with actually having something to do!
But, while I'm not able to really focus on my Artfire Studio, I don't want it to sit idly by while I still hang on to my very low subscription price.
I am going to audit my studio and take out the least viewed and less weather or season appropriate items.
Right now, Lanee's Crochet has 136 items for you to choose from. When I'm done, I will be sticking to 30 or less, just to make it more manageable and less overwhelming for you and me.

It's been a while, so I am very much looking forward to getting back into the swing!

Schools and Shops Vacations

2010-03-10T13:11:00.000-08:00

I started school last week, so not a lot of crocheting and promoting for my shops has been done. School is a lot more intense and involved than I had figured it would be!
So far, we've baked cookies, brownies, muffins, cream puffs with pastry cream,cheesecakes, macaroons, meringues, and last night, we assembled a fresh fruit tart. It's been less than a month, but I'm still super excited about school.
I'll be putting my Etsy and 1000Markets shops on an indefinite vacation. My artfire will remain open and may be updated from time to time.

LaneesCrochet

Sell Crafts

Valentines Day Crochet

2010-02-04T11:00:00.000-08:00

A few Items in my shop themed for February/ Valentines day:

Red Valentines Day Hat with Stripes

Frilly Valentines Coasters

Dish Cloth Trio

and of course, a whole lotta heart pins =-P

A few almost random Valentines themed things:

Valentines Earrings Red and White Bracelet

Red Angel Heart Pendant Valentines Day Heart Gift Tags

GlassIdentities
SugarRaindrops
HeathersHaven
NatureManipulated

Are You Swaggin?

2010-01-21T14:10:00.000-08:00

Man! Did you know that there's a site that allows you to find and earn vitrual dollars that you can turn into cash and prizes?

It's for real! All you do is go and sign up for your free Swag Bucks account (no credit card required), use the SwagBucks search engine to search the internet as you normally would and you'll randomly receive bucks. If you're an online shopper, you can go through the Shop & Earn section of the website to get to your favorite online stores and earn at least 1 swag buck per $5 that you spend on that site.

For example: If I decide to purchase a new digital camera from Best Buy, I can go to the swag bucks Shop & Earn section, look under electronics and find the link to Best Buy. There it tells me that I will earn 1 Swag Buck for every $5 I spend at bestbuy.com. The camera that I want is $150.00. By purchasing it, I'll earn 30 Swag Bucks which I can redeem for prizes and gift cards!

( you have to go through the swagbucks site though- if you just type in bestbuy.com or any other site with out going through the Swag site, you won't earn bucks cause Swagbucks won't know you went there)

I think that it's been about a month since I discovered this site through a connection on facebook. So far, I've gotten $20 worth of amazon.com gift cards, a restaurant.com certificate worth $25 towards a meal, a $5 paypal deposit, and have donated some of my swag bucks (which they turn into real bucks) to the Christmas toy drive and most recently to the Haiti Disaster Relief.

At first, it seemed like a scam or something that was too good to be true. But of course, the idea of free things is very appealing so, I decided to try it out anyway. There really is no risk- You're not sending in any money to participate.

Also, I've seen the SwagBucks site mentioned on some news shows in a good way. I can't embed the actual video of the coverage, but here's the link for you to check out.
ABC news Swag Video

If you'd like to give it a try, please sign up using the links I've given here so that I will get credit for referring you.
Get your Swag on!

So, I Tried to Dye

2010-01-18T10:09:00.000-08:00

And failed... Horribly.

Last year, I plied a small skien of yarn. It felt almost perfect and it was even in more places than it was not. I loved that little skien and was saving it for something very special.
I finally set aside some time to do very special things to this yarn. I got out the bowl, the vinegar, the food colors, and my hopes for something so beautiful that I'd want to keep it all to myself.
I was expecting Valentinesy type yarn with which I could make a felted coin purse out of and got this:

I used purple, pink, and a bit of yellow. I over cooked it it =-( and I think I used too much vinegar =-(
But- I didn't know any better because of lack of experience. I think that after this, from now on, I'm going to leave the dyeing to the pros. Or maybe I'll try a wet method and use just one color (you know, the thing they do where you let the yarn sit in colored water until it's clear?)
yep.

Christmas Has Come and Gone...

2009-12-28T09:28:00.000-08:00

So, Here I am with an update on what's going on with me and Lanee's Crochet.

Christmas was pretty nice. I actually got something that I wanted this year, and from an unexpected source

And I love it!

There are 3 things that I wanted for Christmas this year: yarn, baking gear, and tea. I want yarn and tea year round, but for some reason, no one here has picked up on that. This year, we pulled names for Christmas and I got my little brother and he got me. My request was for some yarn, but after a few days of thinking about it, he just gave me money.

I've been walking around with this yarn since it got here last week, squeezing it and smelling it and nuzzling it. I don't know what I'll make just yet. I just LOVE it. It's something that I would buy for myself if I wasn't in the habit of spending every free or extra cent on some one else.

And it's not blue! It's just nice. Blue is my favorite color, so I tend to buy all things blue, but the smaller skein that I got looks like a sunset in techni-color.

I wish that I knew how to knit because that yarn would make some killer lacy arm warmers.

After all the hoopla over Christmas (with the parties and gift giving, cooking and baking and what not) has died down, I still have my Christmas yarn next to my bed waiting for an idea.

Thank You, Mini for getting me just what I wanted for Christmas ♥

I've also got to thank Monet for helping me send along warm wishes to a friend this holiday. She's got a shop on Etsy that you can check out for roving, yarn, crochet and knit goods, stitch markers and maybe a little more.

I've decided not to wait until after the new year started to open my shops back up. I've still got my sales up and running, so if you were eyeballing something there before Christmas and thought that you'd missed the sale... Shop on, my friend!

Lanee's Crochet on Etsy

Lanee's Crochet on Artfire

Visit LaneesCrochet's Studio

SAVE 30.00 % On Order Total (orders above $9.99)

Use Coupon Code:

HOLIDAYDEAL09

during checkout.

Floral Gifts

Taking this Holiday Time Off

2009-12-16T10:19:00.000-08:00

I've been finding it really hard to keep up with all that I need to in order to promote my shops/ generate sales, so rather than struggle with this while trying to deal with real life and what is actually happening rather than what's not, I'm going on vacation until the holidays are over.

If there is something that you had your eye on in Lanee's Crochet, you should grab it today to get it at the sale price.

I'm looking forward to a happy, stress-free holiday~

and Wishing you the same!

Hey! Where's That gift Guide?

2009-11-30T19:10:00.000-08:00

I really wanted to continue on the path of the gift guide with 'gifts for dad' following my 'gifts for mom' post, but I found it really difficult to pretend what I would get a dad if I had one.

I've grown up being raised by my mother, and a couple of aunts, so I think I will skip the dad guide this year. next weekend, I'll be back with gifts for brothers. (I do have 2 of those!)

While I don't have a whole guide worth of items that would be nice for dad, I did pick a few that I would get a boyfriend/ husband or just important guy in my life if there was one.

Sandalwood Shaving Soap

Father and Son Short Sleeve Shirt w/ Tie Appliqué

Utility Knife 3in. Blade with Ebony Handle

Personalized All Leather Magnetic Money Clip

A Bit Behind on Things Here, but Here's What's New!

2009-11-28T21:05:00.000-08:00

It was my aim to have my gift guides scheduled for posting on Saturday- any time, as long as people were there to look but, I've fallen behind this week. I was much busier than I had planned Thanksgiving week. I wound up preparing the turkey and shopping around for things. Along with more than a few unexpected guests, my time has been taken up by trying not to be rude and reclusive by staying in my room and really getting busy with my shop and studio, making sure that every one's fed and that my son isn't whining about stupid things and is sharing with his little friend who now calls me Aunt. Not sure how I feel about that, but it is what it is.

In the few moments that I have been able to get to myself, I've managed to list a few of new things in my Etsy: Http://laneescrochet.etsy.com .

It seems like smaller things are flying off of the Etsy shelves, so I'm going to focus on adding stocking stuffer type items back to my shop there. There will be a few hats and scarves and stuff, but mostly small items under $10.00.

Show your love of handmade by using this Coffee Cup Cozy while at work or on the go.

This coin Coin Purse makes the great gift for a teen. It's slim and is the perfect introduction to how cool handmade gifts are.

This Orange-Red Hair Clip can be worn by all ages. Whether it's to compliment an outfit, or to keep hair out of the face, the vivid colors and simple design makes this clip ageless.

I'm hoping to have gift guide 2 of 5 posted by tomorrow afternoon. I'll let you all know if I meet that goal. ☺

Old and New and Coupons Too!

2009-11-23T18:00:00.000-08:00

I've decided to go ahead and create a discount for the holidays!

In my Artfire studio, you can use coupon code HOLIDAYDEAL09 to receive 30% off all orders totaling $10 or more.

Visit LaneesCrochet's Studio

SAVE 30.00 % On Order Total (orders above $9.99)

Use Coupon Code:

HOLIDAYDEAL09

during checkout.

Craft Supplies

In my Etsy Shop, All items have already been discounted by 20% to reflect this discount, so there's no waiting for a revised invoice.

All items come with free shipping on top of this offer, so you're getting quite a deal here!

**This coupon/percentage off offer is only valid from November 23, 2009 to December 21, 2009**

*While The USPS 2009 Holiday Shipping Cut Off Date is Dec. 21st, I cannot guarantee that your package will arrive by Christmas if ordered any later than Dec. 18th. (heck, I can't guarantee that it will get there on time if you do order before the 18th- we all know how the post office can be, but I'll give it an effort!)

A Couple New Things

Earlier today, I added my Pink Rose Pixie Hood to my Etsy shop.

With refreshed pictures and my holiday discount already applied, it's ready for purchase for only $24.50!

I've also added this Child Sized Gray and Yellow Newsboy Beanie to my Artfire studio:

With the 30% off coupon and free shipping, it's only $10.50!

I will be slowly filling my Etsy shop up with things that I already have listed on Artfire, so if you'd rather shop there, check it out to see what I've put there lately =-)

Handmade Holiday Gift Guide -Gifts for Mom

2009-11-21T19:07:00.000-08:00

I've been wanting to do a gift guide for a while. I'm starting out with handmade gift suggestions for mom. I'm sure that my guides will get better as they come along. It'll be a learning experience that you're welcome to join me on =-)

ePersonalizee

l Two Custom Hand Stamped Sterling Silver Personalized Disc Necklace and Birthstone

l Love Personalized Stamped Copper Pendant Teal Apatite Gemstone

l Personalized Terry Velour Spa Shower Wrap with Matching Slippers

eHolde

l Hand Dyed Patchwork Purse

l Your Personal Pouch

l Maven's Boho Hobo Purse

eDresse

l Sandmaiden Wool Dolman Sleeve Wrap Top or Jacket

l Caramel Relish Winter Corduroy Jacket

l Bokja022...Coconut cream

eAccessorizee

l Fingerless Gloves in Gray

l White Star Flower Neck Warmer / Cowl

l Royal Emerald Kanzashi Style Silk Flower Brooch

The purpose of this collection of 12 items is to give you some ideas on what and where to look for handmade gifts for mom this holiday season. These are things that I would by for my mother if I had all the money in the world (or even just a little lol). I hope you'll join me here next week for guide 2 of 5 =-)

Artisans Featured:

Antieuclid's Random Emporium

Fabulous Art Prints, Originals By Meluseena

2009-11-20T15:00:00.000-08:00

Have you ever come across artwork that just tugged at something inside you?

While checking up on my personal twitter account, I came across a tweet from Meluseena which mentioned a 'new blog update with new art'.

I was immediately compelled to click what ever link this person had to offer because her twitter picture is so unique. It definitely stands apart from the rest!

When I first saw it, the look on the girl's face enticed me to make up a story about why it was what it was. I decided that perhaps she had just seen the guy of her dreams make his way to her sister, instead of her, take her hand and kiss it (so as to show his interest and intentions) in a far away time when that was what people did.

Or perhaps she had just gotten done preparing a nice dessert which she would proudly serve after supper. It had to cool, of course, so out of the oven it went an on to the trivet. Having gone out of the kitchen for just a second, she returns to find her little pest of a brother digging into it with his nubby, grubby fingers. The look on her face would be the calm before the wrath.

(this is a scenario that I am all too familiar with =-|)

I may have gotten a bit carried away with my impression of what this face was for before I actually clicked through to the blog. There, it actually belongs to a quite young looking, but fierce nonetheless, dark haired female who has (dare I assume) Napoleon Bonaparte dangling from her pinky finger while hanging on for dear life! It's absolutely wonderful!

The introduction that Lisa Falzon's blog header (http://lisa-falzon.blogspot.com) gives us as we enter both invites and dares us to scroll down to see what else there is going on there.

I think that what has drawn me into Liza's art world is the expression on her subjects faces along with the use of vivid color. Her works of art, which are also interpretations of history could very well be snap shots from another dimension!

Here are a few of her works that I like the most:

Goldilocks -

This Rug is Just Right -

art by Lisa Falzon

The Girl in the Rose Veil

Jack and the Queen

by Lisa Falzon

Lisa also offers wearable art and pocket mirrors. If you love her art as much as I do, you'll totally enjoy carrying around these small versions of her work.

Madame Pompadour

Pocket Art Mirror

The Girl in the Rose Veil

Wearable Art

I invite you to delve into Lisa Falzon's world by visiting her:

Blog http://lisa-falzon.blogspot.com/

Portfolio http://www.lisa-falzon.com/

and

Etsy Shop http://www.etsy.com/shop/meluseena

Also,

You can become a fan of her facebook Fanpage

and follow her on twitter Meluseena

Lanee's Crochet offers Free Shipping!

2009-11-19T17:44:00.000-08:00

... Now, and perhaps forever.

Now that the holiday season is upon us, I wanted to remind every one that Lanee's Crochet is shipping charge free.
A couple of months back, I decided to apply a free shipping offer to all items that I have for sale online (on Artfire, Etsy, and 1000Markets. The price you see next to the item is the price you pay.
This way, you'll be able to easily figure on how much of your holiday budget you'll be spending without being surprised by the additional charge of shipping at check out.

Let's call it a special, because it kinda is =-)

I've got a more than a few items that can serve as stocking stuffers or Hanukkah gifts in my studio- here are a few:

Blue Crocheted Slippers

Spring Green Hair Clip

Coffee Cup Cozy

I've also come across a lot of good deals on Artfire which are marked by tags- Here are just a few of those as well:

Five Sparrows

Jinx1764

Everyday Moments

It's not going to be hard to find great deals on handmade goods this holiday season with the amount of stuff that's out there as well as Artfire's Holiday deals tags. I'm going to try and give you a little help with gift ideas in my upcoming gift guides. The first guide is scheduled to be posted on Saturday.

I've got a unique group of people to think about for this holiday season, and I'm sure that you do too. Items in my guides will be from various handmade selling sites and have an overall theme. 'For My Brother', With Mom in Mind, and 'My Crafty Friend' are a few ideas I'm working on.

If you've got suggestions for a guide theme, feel free to leave them in a comment. I'm going to try to run them each week up until the shipping deadline for Christmas.

Pumpkin Cookies ROCK!

2009-11-19T08:28:00.000-08:00

With the fall season well on its way, the urge to bake has grown greater and greater as the days have gradually gotten shorter, the winds howling- a bit louder, and the trees slowly undress.

So far, I've baked Peanut Butter Cookies, Sugar Cookies and Pumpkin Cookies.

I LOVED the sugar cookies!!
I wound up using mostly cake flour in the recipe for these cookies. It called for AP flour, but at the time, I had more cake flour than AP, so I made do.
The recipe also called for butter, but all I had was margarine. I didn't account for the fat I used having salt already in it, so this batch of cookies came out tasting a bit saltier than I like, but they're still my absolute fav! Next time, I will use half AP flour and half Cake to see how it does (this time, they were very close to a tollhouse cookie texture, just domed rather than flat). I will also use less salt and unsalted butter. I've got a stick in the fridge waiting to be put to good use!

My in between cookie adventure was a quest for the perfect Peanut Butter Cookie (if there is such a thing- peanut butter has got to be my second least favorite cookie after oatmeal raisin).

I tried a 3 ingredient cookie recipe that I found online and while it was a solid, peanut buttery cookie, it was as if you never took a bite after is was swallowed. It melted away so fast that a few of us had to scratch our heads and wonder 'dang, DID I just have a cookie?'.

Then, I tried a recipe that a friend suggested which was a full recipe- complete with flour and vanilla and everything!
The recipe claimed that it was going to be a 'soft and chewy' cookie, but all I got was something that resembled a flat sugar cookie with only a hint of peanut butter. I didn't dig that recipe, or the other peanut butter cookie one, so there are no pics for those.

This Halloween, Dominic and I had planned to carve a few jack-o-lanterns. It didn't quite work out that way- we only wound up doing one, so I had a pumpkin to spare.
I had never cooked pumpkin before this year, so I had to resort to the internet once again to learn how to get it out of it's raw form and into something that I could bake with.
After slicing and boiling, and then pureeing in the blender, I got what was pretty close to, if not a bit more than a gallon of pumpkin stuff!

I could not wait to make something pumpkiny! bread- muffins- cookies- cake- pies... the possibilities!

After some searching on the internet for a recipe, I finally remembered that I've got a friend who bakes. After a little conversations, she posted a recipe for pumpkin cookies on her blog that I just had to try.

I'm so glad I did!

I made a pan of plain and a pan of cranberry chocolate chip pumpkin cookies and they both disappeared that night. I wasn't the only one who thought they were pretty good.

My little brother enjoyed them as much as I did!

The bit of whipped topping certainly did help. I was confused at first as to why I would dip a cookie in whipped topping, but after a few bites of the plain batch, it dawned on me that they're PUMPKIN cookies! and what goes better with pumpkin dessert than whipped topping? Nothing!
After those two batches were gone, I decided to try chopped walnut with the chocolate chips rather than cranberries.

It was El Oh Vee EE!

I've been totally praising this cookie recipe, but there is one thing I'd change-
I'd spice it up a bit! The pumpkin flavor was very subtle. It was almost like a light spice cookie. I'm going to add some allspice or something to the next batch.

Oh! another plus to this recipe - It is a fluffy, a mixture between cake and cookie really- almost muffin like cookie.
I decided to use a small tin to make a muffin cookie out of the last bit of dough. I just spooned it in and sprinkled the goodies on top. I found that the bottom was a bit soggy (I didn't use a liner or anything) but it was still great because after turning it over and allowing it to cool a bit, it was just like the inside of the cookie, only on the outside!

I loved that part because they spread nicely. I dropped mine onto the pan by the rounded tablespoon fulls and kind of smashed them down with the back of the spoon. Perfect every time.

Well... almost.
I did find that they stuck to the pan (or would have had I not hovered over them and poked at them every second).

They were a bit resistant on the leave of the pan even when I lined it with foil, and the chocolate chips definitely weren't feeling the whole getting off the pan thing. So, i'd suggest a light greasing, especially if you like to load your cookies up like I do.

I've got to thank Michelle for sharing this recipe with me. If I weren't afraid of a burnt outside and a jiggly inside, I'd pour this dough right into a pan and call it bread! (but I'll refrain for sanity's sake lol)
Thank you!

A New 4

2009-11-13T13:43:00.000-08:00

Hey folks,

I just wanted to pop in and show you the newest Items in my shop. They just happen to be the top 4 in my shop's gallery.

The Red and White Peppermint Stick Scarf is my current favorite.

Measuring about 83 inches long and finished with a single pom-pom on each end, it's a fin way to get into the holiday spirit. Here I am modeling it:

I got the idea from my Halloween tube scarf. It's so Fun!

My other 3 newest items would make great stocking stuffers for yourself, a sister, or a girlfriend. Perhaps she's got a cute little short do and loves jazzing it up with hair clips and pins. A handmade hair clip would be the perfect addition to her collection, for sure.

And you can't go wrong with my neutrally colored gray and black flower/ snowflake pin. I think that when I first made it, my vision was of a fluffy, inviting snowflake, but the more I looked at it, the more I saw that it could also be called a flower.

Call it what you like, it's cute and is also a great winter accessory.

In the picture below, I jazzed up one of my mom's black leather purses with it. It would also look good on a fabric or textile bag.

You know, I never really know how to end a post like this one. Usually when I'm talking to some one face to face, I'll just say, 'ok bye' but how do you officially close a blog entry? lol

Oh yeah! - a little side note- I'm going to be putting a blog badge on here pretty soon, so that if some one out there loves my blog as much as I do, they can just grab it and hook it up to theirs.
With that, I'd love to start adding other crafter's badges to my page's middle and right side columns, so if you've got a badge with a code under it that I can grab- Let me know =-)

Heather's Haven Beads Like You Wouldn't Believe!

2009-11-10T10:08:00.000-08:00

There was a point in time when I bought a bunch of seed beads with the hopes of stringing them together in a fancy, unique and stunning way.

While nothing creative ever came of that from me, the few failed attempts that I did make have given me a great appreciation for works like the ones produced by Heather of Heather's Haven on Etsy and Artfire.

Heather uses faces hand sculpted and sometimes hand-painted by her, what's got to be hundreds of beads, various textile materials, and other embellishments to make her Art Dolls, Pins, and other Jewelry.

Her work is simply and uniquely wonderful!

Here are a few of my favs from her shop and studio:

She's got a lot more good stuff to offer!
You can find her on Etsy:
http://www.etsy.com/shop/heathershaven

as well as on Artfire

She blogs to! www.heathershaven2.blogspot.com

☺

You Can View my 1000Markets Shop Here

2009-11-01T16:49:00.000-08:00

I've added a window to my 1000Markets shop to my blog. You can check it out on the right after this post is buried, but for now, here's what it looks like =-)

1000 Markets

LaneesCrochet

Visit the Shop

MBOI Makin the Best of It Chainmaille Jewelry

2009-10-29T06:51:00.000-07:00

When landing in MBOI's shop, (sister shop to http://MakintheBestOfIt.etsy.com) I could not help being pulled in by the clear, dazzling pictures of chainmaille necklaces, earrings, and bracelets.

Sterling silver, copper, and steel rings are joined together to make exquisite works of art, which happen to double as body jewelry.

Did you know that Byzantine Chains, with their rope-like texture, originated in an ancient Roman civilization during the Middle Ages? This style of chain is actually named after its origins, the Byzantine Empire.

Back then, Byzantine chains were used as a way to show status. Today, you can wear yours to express your taste for things interesting and unique.

Andrew, the shop owner offers endless possibilities with his hand coiled, saw cut metals.

Whether you'd prefer something you see in his shop in a different metal, length, or even want to create something unique to you, he is definitely the artisan you want to go to for your next chainmaille piece.

Have a handmade Christmas with chainmaille gifts from MBOI - gifts for mom, girlfriend, wife or sister!

Homemade Lemon Cake

2009-10-25T23:10:00.000-07:00

I have got to show you all this cake I made for my mother. Her birthday was on the 22nd, but she was away on that day, so I made it for her on Friday. We had a bit of company over Friday night, so there were plenty of tasters and opinions.

I had not made a cake from scratch since, if I remember correctly, the first grade. It's an awesome and quite simple memory for me that goes like this:

One day, I brought home a recipe for cake from school and my mother was so interested that she was willing to make it with me. And so we did!

I chose this recipe because it's pretty simple. Although it calls for all-purpose flour, I really wanted to use cake flour (because I'm SO looking forward to starting Culinary school - I'll be studying baking- in February.)

That's a long time to wait, so I think I'll get back into baking again while I look forward to starting that new adventure.

Anywho- to substitute cake flour in for all-purpose flour, all you have to do is add 2 tablespoons per 1 cup of flour.

The recipe called for 1 1/2 cup AP flour, so I used 1 12/2 cup cake flour plus 3 tablespoons of the good stuff.

My son helped me with this, doing the measuring and some of the stirring. It was just an all around great thing to do.

Now... I don't know what it is about the taste, but I didn't dig it. Every one else did (except for my son, of course)

It was the consistency of a box cake- Nice and fluffy, but not too much so, and according to the reviews on the recipe, which can be found here, it tasted more like wedding cake than birthday cake.

I thought, GREAT!

I el oh vee ee wedding cake, this is going to be so awesome!

To me, it tasted like a really fluffy cakey biscuit. I cut the cake in have to make it 2-layered and put some of the lemon cream on the inside, too

But every one else loved it, so it is what it is.

I'm going to attempt a good ole down home 7up cake next, something that is more my style. Wish me luck!

1000Markets, Here I Come!

2009-10-16T18:56:00.000-07:00

So, I've decided to take the 1000Markets plunge. I just love the way the site looks and the fact that not just any one can sell there. (although the process is a bit much, it's all good.)

I'm still waiting for my shop to be approved, but I have no doubt that it will.
Until then, I've been browsing the site and have decided to put together a spotlight of things that welcome fall - Enjoy =-)

You Better Check Yourself!

2009-10-11T07:19:00.000-07:00

I am super excited to tell you all about my plan to help promote breast cancer awareness!

Last month, I decided that I wanted to do something to help celebrate and contribute to Breast Cancer Awareness. The plan was to make something pink and donate what ever was left after shipping and covering supplies to help get the word out about breast cancer, what we can do to catch it early, and to give hope to those who have via the Susan G. Komen website - http://ww5.komen.org/. But after chatting with a friend, I learned that her sister is a survivor who runs in a race for the cure. Michelle (Glass Identites) is already donating portions of her sales to her sister's camp. In order to be able to run, the entrant or orginization has to have raised at least $1,000 for the campain. I'm not sure where she is or how much she has to go (will let you know when I find out) but I've always wanted to do something like that, but never have the right timing or connections.

SO, rather than go to the Susan G. Komen site to donate, I'm going to give my donation to Michelle's sister so that she can run for us.

You can find my donation items in the "For the Cause" section of my studio.

When the month began, I sat and thought about how I had been affected by breast cancer. After a bit of thinking, I decided that I've been lucky enough to not have been affected by it at all.

But when I layed down to go to sleep, my eyes popped open with the memory of a lady that I knew only as Dee. I wasn't very old when she was around...probably 4 or 5. I remember tagging along with my aunt to see her friend. I remember her asking her how she was and her mentioning that 'she wasn't thinking about that titty'. She was glad it was gone, I'm sure. Dee had had a mastectomy.

She was an older woman, and her house was kind of dark in the inside. Like there were no over head lights, only lamps. She was a nice lady who I really never knew and who died as a result of having breast cancer. But I do still remember her.

So, what is it exactly?

"Definition of breast cancer: Cancer that forms in tissues of the breast, usually the ducts (tubes that carry milk to the nipple) and lobules (glands that make milk). It occurs in both men and women, although male breast cancer is rare."

(Definition taken from the National Cancer Institute's Breast Cancer Homepage)

There are things that we can do to keep people in our lives longer, and to make sure that we ourselves are around to see the day when _____.

Did you know that

the older a woman, the more likely she is to get breast cancer?
white women are more likely to get breast cancer than women of any other racial or ethnic group?
African American women are more likely to die from breast cancer than white women?
men can get breast cancer, although it is rare? Less than one of every 100 cases of breast cancer in the U.S. occurs in men.
in 2008, it is estimated that men will account for 1,990 cases of breast cancer?

Check yourself.

Encourage your loved ones to check themselves.

Talk about it.

And please remember that women aren't the only ones affected by breast cancer. Men get it too, so tell them to check themselves as well!

Here is an interactive tool which teaches us how to perform self check exams properly:

http://ww5.komen.org/BreastCancer/InteractiveTools.html

Random Love

2009-10-03T16:41:00.000-07:00

So, Lanee's Crochet's Summer Sale is over - Thanks to every one who stopped by to check it out!

I was browsing Artfire using the shop by color feature and felt like seeing red. Lots o

f neat stuff came up, but here are a couple that REALLY caught my eye:

A Red Felt Heart from TheFunkyFelter

(The perfect heart felt gift =-)

Little Pokeball Cat Toys from Mouchois

(great for pokemon lovers who also love cats!)

Sale Ends Wednesday!

2009-09-28T13:43:00.000-07:00

Hey folks, I just wanted to remind you all that Lanee's Crochet has a sale going on for which you can use coupon code SUMMERSALE09 to recieve 30% off items found in the follwing Lanee's Crochet's categories:

Hair Clips

Baby Hair Clips

Kitchen Items

Purses

Accessoires

The weather is changing every where! My friends who reside in the Southern Hemesphere, be sure to look around, this sale has some Christmas and Hannakuh gift potential for ya!

Visit LaneesCrochet's Studio

SAVE 30.00 % On Select Studio Categories

Use Coupon Code:

SUMMERSALE09

during checkout.

Handmade Cards

I'm looking forward to fall and winter and can't wait for the Christmas season.

If you're looking for Christmas gifts, or just simply something to warm you or a loved one up this year- be sure to check back - You never know what deal you'll find here ☺

I've got stocking stuffers on the Brain!

2009-09-24T17:45:00.000-07:00

The more I dive into my inventory, the more stocking stuffer potentials I come across. I'm trying to get better photos of my things and get them picked up by google by trying a few holiday SEO optimization suggestions that I got from Artfire's Promote/Learn section.

I found this one along with a couple others in the bin:

Last year, I did some features with stocking stuffer suggestions. This year, I think I will read a few gift guides and perhaps try to fashion my features after this idea. I've got a brother who loves to lay around and watch tv when he's not working himself to death, a son who is 6 and loves video games, a mother who is not too picky but loves things that are pink and practical, and an aunt who never throws anything away, and can find the beauty in the most pitiful looking things.

So, perhaps doing a mini gift guide will help me drum up ideas on what to get them while commiting to a Handmade Christmas, while giving others a direction to go in as well..

New and Improved Twitter Background

2009-09-23T13:59:00.000-07:00

Tim Adams posted a link to his new tiwtter back ground design, and I think it's just wonderful!
It inspired me to update mine ( I had been using one of the default ones they have), so I sat down for an hour or so and really thought about how I could make my twitter page a bit more appealing to my followers.

Keep with the brand of course!

My favorite colors are yellow and blue, and so, they've become Lanee's Crochet's brand colors. I was lying awake one night thinking, 'I should have some kind of graphic to associate my shop with as well', but unfortunately, I'm the worst ever drawer of yarn balls or anything that is associated with crochet period.
I think it's best for some one like me to stick to geomtrical shapes for such things- and so, here we are!

I'm totally happy with how it turned out. I've tied in my shops' banner and font as well as added this new element to the mix, and it still looks pretty decent! (hell yes i'm patting myself on the back on this one- c'mon, you have to agree that it's pretty cool) =-P

I'm encouraging those of us who have a shop or studio some where as well as a twitter on which we share our specials, new products and help promote others to personalize the twitter!
It's delish and will let ppl know where they're at!

Follow me @laneescrochet

Switching Gears Isn't Anything New

2009-09-22T18:00:00.000-07:00

I've been on this lovely little planet of ours for 25 years, in Vegas just as long

g, but somehow the seasons keep creeping up on me! Year after year, I find myself looking up at the trees or down at the street to see crisping leaves tumbling (down or away).

Fall is not going to catch me slippin this year!

No Sir!

I've already begun refreshing things in my shop that would make good stocking stuffers

Such as this Coin purse

But I've still got to get some fall Items made and ready.

This Fall Handbag was a good start, but I've got more to give!

This Fun Halloween Colored Tube Scarf and Striped Cuff are soon to come =-)

From That to This

2009-09-20T12:44:00.000-07:00

I've recently decided to get back to the basics of things as far as what I'm making for my shop and what I'm doing with life in general.

With that, I've decided to break down my bath accessories sets, so first up on the break is this one:

Originally $15, I offered 4 towels and 2 facial scrubbies. I've reduced this offering to 2 towels and 3 facial scrubbies. Now priced at $7 (and with free shipping worldwide, that's a steal!)

I've still got several smaller sets to list so be sure to check out my twitter channel for updates and announcements on those =-)

http://www.twitter.com/laneescrochet

Bath Pouf and Scrubbies Set-Blue, Green, Yellow, and White

2009-09-16T14:20:00.000-07:00

I believe handmade bath poufs and accessories are

better than those nylon throw away poufs you buy at the store because theyre softer while still being exfoliating, long lasting, machine washable, and dont go straight to landfills after only a few uses.

I've just listed this new bath pouf and scrubbies set in my artfire.

For just $10 (yep, 10- no shipping charges or anything!), you'll get what you see here. =-)

Still Pluggin Along Here

2009-09-12T14:39:00.000-07:00

What feels like forever ago, some one was looking for a specific type of hat here online, but was unable to find it. That some one stumbled upon my Artfire studio and a hat that was quite similar, but still not quite what he was looking for, so we decided to work it out.

He wanted a hat with a hard bill and small stitches in a custom size and I accepted the challenge.

(The first draft of the hat)

This one was a bit smaller than we would have liked. I didn't forsee the bend in the bill taking some of the measurement off and making it a bit tighter than with out one, so I re-did it.

(The final Version)

This one is a bit bigger than before- I made a different bill for this one. Honestly, I liked the first one better and will probably try to duplicate the look of it later on.

I wound up making the hat twice and getting about 3 extra bills out of the proccess, so now I think I'm going to try a short billed beanie with what I have.

Who knows- a signature product may have been born out of this whole experience.

I'm starting to hear that the weather is changing outside of my little las vegas world. While i've been wishing that that were the case here- (mainly while walking my son to and from school with the sun blazing and sweat pouring), I haven't really been preparing for this year's cold weather season.

I'm looking forward to going totally store and shop wide with free shipping. It's going to take a few days to get there, though, with my 100+ items up for sale.

I've refreshed this Fall Handbag in my studio:

You can find this purse here with free shipping!

Be sure to be on the look out for that feature along with new seasonal items!

☺

Bye Bye Birdie

2009-08-26T14:29:00.000-07:00

I just Thought This was way cute!

(of course I do- I made It =-)

The inspiration came from the Zombie Nanner Gang Blog. It's so easy to step outside the comfort zone there.

Facial Scrubbies Refreshed

2009-08-25T14:14:00.000-07:00

This set of 5 facial scrubbies was crocheted using a blue, white, and green 100% cotton yarn called Sea Mist.

They're totally soft on your skin while helping with exfoliation.

The facial scrubbies are 2 inches wide and are the perfect size for use with your facial cleanser, toner, eye make up remover, and more.

Randomly Discounted Item

2009-08-25T10:55:00.000-07:00

I've chosen a new random item to be discounted for today Which is my Pink Camo Beanie with Bill.

Keep your eyes peeled for what may be discounted next- it may just be that thing you've always admired ☺

Is this not the cutest thing you've seen in a while?

2009-08-22T14:44:00.000-07:00

Today, the HAF Etsy Street Team is spreading the love to ShabbyRoseBoutique on Etsy.

My eye could not help being caught by the cuteness that fills her shop! From casual every day dresses to glamorous costumes perfect for photo shoots, holidays, parties... she's got it all!

Zombie Nanners, Trip to Cali and all the rest

2009-08-22T13:36:00.000-07:00

I've not been blogging too much lately because I've been busy with life-like things.

Recently, I had decided to make a move to southern California to go to school and start life fresh. BUUUUUT, it didn't work out the way I'd wanted it to, so, stuck in Vegas is what I am. (At least for now- I'm working on a new, better plan)

I'll be blogging about that mess on my Nisha Does blog- which is horribly neglected.

Helping my jog my creative mind is a blog called The Zombie Nanner Gang which was born in the wee hours. So far, there are 3 of us who contribute to the blog by coming up with two word challenges such as 'Drunk Monkey', 'Fuzzy Puppet', 'Tiny Robot', and so on. We create things to fit the challenge and post about them on the blog.
You don't have to be a member to participate- simply leave a comment telling us what you've done.
No pressure
All for fun, and perhaps you'll come out of it with a new idea for an item to put in your shop or give as a gift!

I'm currently working on my 'penny candy' entry and this time, what I make will be put up for sale in my Artfire Studio =-)

As well as this!
My son will be starting school this year! So, this week has been busy with getting things ready for that. last minute registration (and all that that involves), running around town searching for the perfect backpack, clothes that fit, and trying to get him to realize that school is not just where you go to play basketball or do gymnastics.
I'm sure there will be first day pics as well as pictures of all the lovely stuff he'll make in school. You can look for those on my personal blog as well.

Jewelry by Janelle ~ Saturday Feature

2009-08-22T11:51:00.000-07:00

While Janelle of Jewelry by Janelle offers an array of classic looking earth toned jewelry, I'd have to say that her brilliant blues are my favorite.
And even more unique to her shop is this "Cut Through the Blues Steampunk Necklace". I Love how a 6mm blue faceted Czech glass bead dangles perfectly from a medieval falchion like time piece.

It would be the perfect gift to symbolize perseverance. Perhaps for some one who is at a point in life where just cutting through the blues is the only way to go.

Also in Janelle's shop are vintage items, earrings , necklaces, and bracelets using exotic woods, gemstones, both precious and semi-precious, all types of glass beads, and Swarovski crystals.

You can find and follow her blog here: http://jewelrybyjanelle50.blogspot.com/

Follow her on Twitter: http://twitter.com/exoticsjanelle
and
Become a Fan on Face Book http://www.facebook.com/pages/Jewelrybyjanelle50-at-Etsycom/101935135915?__a=1

Let's Keep it Fresh and Get it Movin!

2009-08-17T20:27:00.000-07:00

Very recently, I came up with the idea to offer random items in my shop at a discounted price..
I want to do this to keep things fresh. I have 114 Items in my Artfire studio and about 9 in my Etsy shop, so I think that I've got the stocking up on stuff thing covered.

I'm not wanting to produce anymore items until things start selling because I'm running out of room!

I will be using my facebook fanpage (for which I'm currently at 81 fans!) you can help me get a shorter, easier url by becoming a fan here : http://www.facebook.com/home.php#/pages/Lanees-Crochet/182406995071?ref=ts
and if you've got a fanpage, be sure to leave a link so that I can fan you back).

The currently selected Discounted item will be shown under my profile picture to the left here >
as well as twittered about and shouted out where ever else I can think of.
http://twitter.com/laneescrochet

With my son starting school next week, the job search, and school for mama search being ON, life's about to get a but busier for me- hopefully this feature will contribute to the smooth sailin' i'm praying for.

A Small Rant About Kufi Hats and Flowers

2009-08-08T15:50:00.000-07:00

**
I generally like to keep things positive here. This is not one of those posts.
**

I dont know what is up with all these damned kufi hats with flowers attatched listed on etsy for about 15 bucks as if $15 worth of time and effort were put into making them.

At first, when I saw these things start to pop up, I was like, oh I have one of those and it never dawned on me that I had one of those because I had purchased it from my local beauty supply store for like $1.99 a long time ago.

I wore the thing, my son wore the thing, my mom wore the thing!
but I never thought to snap a flower on that bad boy and call it handmade.

Yes, I know that it's very often that popular or cute items are replicated by the handmade community, but I strongly doubt that these thread caps (and other things called crochet), which would take more than $15 worth of time to make + flower are an example of this.

That being said, there probably are people out there who actually crochet these things themselves and have to compete with the manufactured ones. (I'm sorry for that)

If you've got a little girl who you'd think would look so darned cute with a huge flower on the side of her head, you may want to save yourself some money and search ebay instead.

Saturday Spotlight- DragonClaw

2009-08-08T09:01:00.000-07:00

Combine Awesome Workmanship, Precious Stones, and Consistent Quality and you've got DragonClaw Studio!

Matt of DragonClaw is a self-taught jewelry artist who hand sculpts stone and crystal (such as jasper, jade, fluorite, charoite, obsidian, and more) into free-form organic shapes. He also wire-wraps and knits wire into chain to create gorgeous sculpted pendants.
Not only are they stunning, but some believe that the beauty of these precious stones goes beyond what the eye can see; some are regarded as possessing healing powers, influence on ones fortune, and positive energies.
It takes a good eye and skillful hands to be able to create , and I do believe that Matt possesses both.

You can also find more of DragonClaw's work featured here:
http://canopygallery.wordpress.com/dragonclawstudios/

Follow him on Twitter:
http://twitter.com/dragonclaws

A few improvements in the Works for this blog

2009-08-04T10:00:00.000-07:00

Lately, I've been realizing that project wonderful just is not for me. I rarely run ads using it, and when I do, I don't think I wind up with any click throughs. When I host, it's for a penny or less, so I'm thinking that we'll just do away with the whole concept of hosting 'ads'.

Instead, I'm going to be hosting free 'mini feature spots' which will include a hand crafter that who is being featured in one of the teams or groups I'm a member of, a random hand made thing I dig, or just a shout out for some one who has always been pleasant to me.

The spots will be in the middle here > >
where the PW spots are.
(hopefully I'll be able to get some etsy minis or shop windows to put there or something cool like that)

I guess this wave of change has come from realizing that it is a movement after all. I love handmade and whether or not I'm the one doing the succeeding, I'm all for others being successful too!

Another feature that will be added is well- a regular feature.
I know I've attempted this before, but I'm almost sure that it'll work this time.
I've since joined a couple of networking groups, so I have more real access to people and their shops, and rather than just picking at random, waiting for permission to use their content, I've already got the go ahead from enough people (I've actually got a line up! lol)
SO, be on the look out for that.
Features will be posted every 2 weeks to start, starting this Saturday.
(I'm still workin on a name for it, of course it has to be catchy =-P

Never Ending Inspiration

2009-07-31T07:01:00.000-07:00

There are times when I just sit around and twiddle my thumbs, wanting to crochet but not having any idea of what I might make.

Then I remember that I'm a member of a wonderful group of crocheters and can go to the Crochet for Life forum for ideas and encouragement to try something that I otherwise may not have or a simple pick me up (there's always something to giggle about there).

Life has been kind of busy for me lately. What with trying to plan a new direction in life, getting my son ready to start school next month, feeding my need to create, and trying to keep my shop and studio active.

As I type, I'm thinking of what I will crochet next and in which colors, who will wind up with it and how many I want to make.
I wonder if all crafter's minds are like never ending movie reels.

This month, C4L had a challenge which was to use granny squares or motifs for a project of your choice. IF you're a frequent reader, you already know about my "choice". You know, the one t hat didn't work out so well.

I totally switched gears and came up with this one, which I finished last night
It is a 100% cotton white, light blue, and ecru granny squares dishcloth.
I had planned a solid border for this one, but decided at the last minute to highlight the outside with just white, then finish it with a blue and ecru mixed simple scallop type edge.

I'm almost tempted to keep this one for a wash cloth, just because it looks like home, you know?

But!
Instead, I'll keep it around for memory's sake.

Last but not least, I'd like to shout out a few of the members of the group- they're lovely people and I highly recommend checking them out =-)

Monet has some lovely stitch markers, fibers for spinning as well as knit and crochet items:
http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=44124

Sandy uses her blog to shares with us the many projects she's worked on. Just so pleasant!
http://www.sandyshook.blogspot.com/

Naida's got some cute stuffed toys in her Etsy shop as well as crochet patterns and stuff:
http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=12193

She's also got a nice blog here: http://yarnchick.blogspot.com/

Darlene's blog, in which she talks about 'A little bit of everything in my daily life and beyond' - plus she's got some cool quilts there too!
http://hounddogsnews.blogspot.com/

Mini mucks around on her blog which describes life in a kind of humorous way while adding a bit of sci-fi junkie along with a fair share of crochet, too.
http://minibooger.blogspot.com/

She's also got a few things for sale on Artfire.

Branded!

2009-07-25T22:40:00.000-07:00

I haven't been posting or listing lately because i've been consumed with getting my brand together.
(I'm sure you noticed the new look of this blog, I've also tied it into my Artfire studio as well as my Etsy shop Banner. I know that simply changing colors doesn't equal a brand, but I think that these are some nice little steps to get me on my way. I'm hoping that this winter, I'll make enough sales to be able to purchase some custom stickers which will be added to my packaging. I also plan to send all orders out with my shop's colors used for packaging, too.
It's gettin serious! (FINALLY, right?)

I figured that since I already have 100+ items available, taking time to do this wouldn't hurt too much. I've been working on some new things to list while I've been working on this branding thing- they're not listed yet, but check em out--

I had a lot of fun making these hair clips. I think I've been working on them for a whole week or so. But that's because I've been trying to get the part that you don't see here just right. The bows are attached to small, rectangular hair clips which I've covered in a coordinating fabric.
I ordered lots of little clips and still have even more ribbon left, so you'll be seeing a greater variety of these in the future.

The yarn I used for this black and white set is called zebra. I originally got it to use in my favorite bag inspired bag, but since it didn't look like that would ever come along, and because the yarn was so soft, (and a nice break from using cotton), i decided that a hat would be a great little side project. The edge has a decorative finish that will also help it from stretching too much- unless your head is totally huge =-)

My last little FO I have to show is a black clothes pin bag which has a red and a beige button on it. I think it will be my last of the season.
It's a bit smaller than the other 2 I've made, but I'm sure that it will be able to hold the same amount of pins.
It's the perfect thing to help you go green. Let's use all this free wind and sunshine along with this nifty clothes pin bag to dry our clothes rather than those power pulling dryers, eh?

Almost a What not to crochet!

2009-07-22T06:08:00.000-07:00

I'm going to give thanks to this Your Ugliest FO thread on ravelry for preventing my from making yet another Ugliest FO.

Here was my contribution to the thread.

I made this shrug a long time ago, hoping that it would give me something colorful to add to my Etsy shop. Fortunately, it did not.

In a previous post, I mentioned that I would be using this month's C4L challenge (using granny squares or motifs) to make a bag that inspired by my favorite all purpose bag.

I was hoping that I would be able to carry my creation with the same pride that I do when I carry the other, but after mapping out the design, i decided that i best turn around and or stop before things got any worse (i.e. assembled)

I think the colors are just too much. Next time, i think i'm going to do one huge granny square in a nuetral color, like off white and then try 'applique-ing' my design on.

If I weren't afraid of running out of time on this challenge, I would do it sooner rather than later, but i am afraid, so I'll save it for another day. =-(

Now, it's back to searching Crochet Pattern Central for granny squares that will arrange into something easily.

I have to say, I am a bit disapointed in myself for this project failure. But! on the bright side, I am one step closer to making the bag I invision AND I stopped myself from making another horrid crocheted... thing

Broken Hooks, Crochet Flowers and Granny Daughters

2009-07-15T20:02:00.000-07:00

A long time ago- perhaps more than a year, I bought a size c Crochet Lite hook from Michael's. I think the only reason I got it was because it was on sale, so I had not used it until recently. ( Its design doesn't fit well with the way I usually crochet)

But when I did decide to finally use it, it broke after a few minutes! I guess I should have been a little cautious of the small size and clear plastic, but when I realized that I could crochet in the dark with that thing- it was on!
It's not TOTALLY broken, but I could just bend it back and snap it off right where the one part starts getting narrow again.

I'm kind of disappointed, but what can I say- there are other hooks in the sea.

In other news...
I've been working on this pair of clips for about 4 days now. I'm wanting to cover some toddler clips and place the bows in the center, as I did with my 4th of July Clips, but I didn't consider the fact that the fabric that I'll be using to cover the clips is way lighter than the denim I used on the others. So, gluing won't really work as it kind of darkens the fabric and makes it look all yucky.

I grabbed the color scheme from a popular kid's clothing website. There are quite a few cute tops for toddlers which include purple, pink, and white along with other colors.

The colors are a bit off here

I have some polka dotted (along with a lot of other cute girly) fabrics that I purchased in a pack of remnants from the lovely ladies of bstep401 on Etsy.

Rather than struggling to find a way to get the regular, triangular shaped hair clips into a cover that still looks decent, I ordered some rectangular ones which will hopefully be easier and quicker.

Along with that, the crochet group I'm a member of, C4L has started a monthly challenge and this week's theme is Granny Squares or Motifs.
We are supposed to crochet anything that uses squares or motifs and requires some assembly.

I've decided to go with using a bunch of Granny Daughters (about 46) and assembling them into a shoulder bag.

Because this is still my favorite bag ever, and I wanted to make something fashioned after it, I decided to take the challenge to create something using the bright pink and blue yarn I for this purpose. I also had some zebra yarn(to use for the strap), but used it up on a hat and scarf set.

With only12 squares made so far, I still have a long way to go, and need it to be done by the end of this month, but I'm sure I can and will do it. I can't wait to have something to show for the idea finally!

Put your Clothes Pins in a pouch!

2009-07-12T15:54:00.001-07:00

Being outside inspires me to make things that would be useful while lending a bit more of a homey feel to the surroundings.

Despite the fact that we reach triple digits here in the LV, I do enjoy sitting out on the back porch alone with either a good book or some yarn.

My latest outside work is this green, blue, and white Clothes pin Pouch. It's the perfect way to bring those scattered pins together, keeping them organized in one regular spot.

I love sun dried clothes, don't you?

2009-07-10T16:14:00.000-07:00

I'm usually scrambling around for clothes pins when I go to hang out my laundry.

I guess it took me a while to realize that I'm a crocheter who loves making practical things, but I finally got it! lol
I very much enjoyed making this little clothes pin pouch, which can be hung open or closed on the clothes line.

There will be more colors coming soon, so be on the look out!

To Dye

2009-07-08T21:00:00.000-07:00

I think that in my last post, I mentioned that I would be researching inexpensive dyeing methods and reporting back here in the next post.

This is that post.
(It's been a while, I know, but what can I say- this whole blogging world seems foreign after a few days away)

The browsing of blogs about dyeing turned into my browsing about spinning and eventually, my interest in plying yarn.

I did do so.With fibers that I found here on Etsy

Because I was overly cautious about spinning the single plies, my first yarn of this type has a few breaks in it. I read that there is such a thing has having too much twist, so I relaxed a bit on it and wound up with less than enough.

In this picture, you can see the single ply yarn before I took it off the spindle. I layed that gray worsted weight yarn across it to give an idea of how thin i spun it.Forgetting that this worsted weight yarn is 4-ply, I was expecting to come out with a nice weight, but instead came out with around a sport/DK kinda thick thin yarn.

It's totally fine! I'm still going to dye it using my chosen method of FOOD COLORING!

While kool-aide appears to be the least expensive, at about $.25 a pack, it's not quite what I'm looking for. I'd like to do a hand painted type of deal, but from what I've read, Kool-aide has to have water added to it, left to sit and osmos (heck yeah, that's a word!), and yadda yadda too much.

This blog, Pea Soup of the Day, which is about life, yarn things and a whole bunch of other stuff made my mind up. I've fallen in love with the knitted strawberries! and the cute kid totally helpd too. (not to mention the clear pictures, viberant colors, and easy to follow tutorial offered there)

We Swam For My Birthday!

2009-07-02T15:47:00.000-07:00

It seems like I've been away from my computer for forever, even though it's only been about 6 days.

My birthday was on Monday- I turned a whole 25!

We cooked good food, had some drinks and swam for hours. Here are some pics from the party, collage style =-)

I'd been wanting to braid my hair for the longest time, and finally got that done for my birthday. You can believe that I've brought my love of yarn into my look, loving it every day- my hair was done using black Red Heart yarn. It's super light, natural looking and just love able.
I.
Love.
Yarn! lol

Next post, i'm going to be talking about yarn dyeing options.
I've got some undyed wool that i'd like to give some color to, and need to research which is a effective method while not spending a whole lot of money. (I'm guessing kool-aide will be the winner, but we'll see)

AND!
I've created a personal blog which is still blank, but can be found here 'Nisha does!'
I'll let ya'll know when I've started blogging there. I'm still looking for a nice layout template that fits my personality, so if you have a favorite free site for that, please share!

☺

Red, White, and Blue Toddler Hair Bows

2009-06-27T19:12:00.000-07:00

Hey!

I've added a couple new hair bows to my shop and studio. They're cute and toddler hair friendly. And, rather than placing the bow on the end of a hair clip, as would be done normally, I've covered a 1.25 inch hair clip in a denim fabric and placed the bow in the center.

It's awesome for placing at the base of ponytails, or, because they're sold separately, you could place one to the side to keep those fluffy curls out of her face.

There are 2 available of each.

Hot Pink Zig Zag Scarf

2009-06-26T13:21:00.000-07:00

Hey all!

I just wanted to pop in and show you a scarf that I've listed on Etsy. For what ever reason, i'm more likely to list things at night, while folks are in bed and what not, so I thought i'd take this time, before I get to listing the Patriotic Toddler Clips, to show you all my latest addition.
Making this bright scarf was a nice little crochet vacation for me because it's awesome colors motivated me to get it done in one sitting, and now I'm more motivated to do more things with bright colors.

I'll have more coin purses and pouches to offer soon enough in these and other vibrant colors =-)

A quick Post

2009-06-23T22:08:00.000-07:00

Hello there, and how are you?

Me? I'm ok , i guess...
So-
I'm strongly considering creating a personal blog here on blogger. In this blog, I'll be talking about life, bitching about things that are too long to fit on twitter, and sharing what's going on in my head at the moment. It's often that I want to come on here and ask the world (a.k.a my 40 followers) wtf is up with this or that!?
But, I'm wanting to keep this blog a handmade, easy blog browsing friendly deal, so I've refrained.

If i ever do start this blog, I will probably attach an RSS some where on here so that just in case you care, you can peek at it every now and then.

That is, unless you don't mind me going on and on about how my son's teeth are wiggly, how he didn't listen in basket ball class, how I can't find my glue, or how my peas are dieing!!!! oh no! [they really are =0( ]

Another thing i wanted to mention was this idea of a give away that's swimming around in my head. most likely, I'll be giving away wash/dish cloths and would want to pair it up with some handmade soap and something else nice.

The thing that's putting me off from this is actually asking someone to share their soap samples for the give away, or finding some one who is already giving soap away and asking them if my items could be included.

I'm just a bit lazy like that =-\
(and one day, i'll search for a lot of cute emoticons so i can stop using up the punctuations, lol)

Along with the cotton cloth give away, I'm also thinking of a warm weather wear give away for the folks south of the equator. I like to include every one in what i do, and I do love creating hats and scarves, but with it being hot here, it kinda seems like a chore (when they're not moving at all)

Am I rambling?

If i must ask- I'm guessing that I am.

OH! one last thing. I'm trying to use correct capitalization and what not because I believe that I'll eventually want to work for the post office (if they'll have me) and there's a typing standard there, so practice til perfect!

Red, White, Blue, and Handmade Too!

2009-06-22T21:18:00.000-07:00

Perhaps it's because I've only tie dyed once (and it came out not nearly as beautiful as this tank),which can be found in tiedyejudy's Artfire studio, along with a good amount of other tie dyed/hand dyed goods to choose from, all which are priced very reasonably.

Also, she's having a 20% off sale on ALL items in her studio! (see her studio announcement for details).

You should definitely take advantage of this deal- perhaps you could have some tie dye wear made up for each of your family members for this 4th so that whether you're just hanging out in the back yard at your personal BBQ, or at the park doing your thing, you'll know who's representing the red, the white, and the blue with you.

----

This little guy is so cute! A gingerbread figurine made by MichellesClayCorner on Etsy, it's 2 inches tall, patriotic, and perfect for nestling near spice canisters, placing on a bookshelf, on a side table next to your favorite chair, or pretty much anyplace that has room for a little smile.

------

And now, for 2 more of my own red, white, and blues.

This red, white and blue crocheted flower hair clip, measuring 2 inches total is sure to add a bit of patriotism to your look. It's a nice way to add something cute and fun to your 4th of july outfit.

Allow these round ruffled dish cloths to help your BBQ or party along. They can also be used as hot pads for placing pots or serving dishes on. Being 100% cotton, they're ready to catch any spills or condensation and are also machine washable.

There's lots to chose from when planning for a special day, but not all of it is made with love, attention, and hard work. If you're able to, please support your country and the Handmade Movement by buying handcrafted items made here in the U.S.A.

(and if you're not from the U.S.A. - buy anyway, we'll love ya for it =P )

Red,White,Blue, and Handmade!

2009-06-21T06:14:00.000-07:00

I was going to make this post all about patting myself on the back for actually getting the Red, White, and Blue things that I had to list listed. BUT rather than go that route, I'd like to share a few handmade red, white, and blue items that I've found interesting and which i would buy up if I had the funds to do so. (I'm still going to plug my own stuff, but I'll wait til the end =-)

First, while in chat (again lol) I came across BroadwayBead's. Her shop is full of lamp work glass beads, anti-tarnish fabric pouches to store jewelry, and a wide variety of glass and gemstone jewelry. With over 200 pieces available, she's sure to have something that you or some one you know will like.

Of course, what caught my eye was her

Patriotic USA Lampwork Glass Red White Blue Sterling Silver Bracelet

which is adjustable in size between 8.5"-9" (can be made smaller if need be).

What attracted my eye to this bracelet was the fact that, although the colors were traditional, the way they're put together here is something I've rarely seen- the white solid, rather than stars, the red kind of floating around each bead, and the blue dots drawing your eye to either side of the bead.
The silver toned star at the end of the adjustable chain is a nice touche too!

It's just a wonderful combination and spin on a theme that has been done for hundreds of years.

Secondly, this Afghan Americana Star ,which was made by a fellow crocheter and friend.
In Zzazz's Artfire Studio, you'll find placemats, pillow covers, cloth napkins, and a few other things including crocheted wearables.

This 53 and a half inch (that's about 4.5 feet) afghan would be perfect in the den or out on the porch in your favorite sitting chair. It can be draped for a festive cozy look, or actually snuggled under while watching fireworks, on chilly nights, or while reading a favoirte book. Made of 100% acrylic, it's totally machine wash and dryable.

------------
And now for my Red, White, and Blue...

I was going to put this set of kiddie clips/barrettes in my shop for memorial day, but it snuck up on me like whoa!
plus, i had to re-do them a bit because of that whole eco glue thing.

So- as stated in my description, 'These red, white, silver, and blue handmade barrettes are great for placing on top of ponytail holders to give the hair that extra lift that's needed to complete the 'spray' look.'

I wanted to add a bit of sparkle to these barrettes, so that the sparklers and rockets are not the only eye catchers of the night.

I'm hoping to have a couple more pair of these cuties done and listed well before the 4th, which gives me only a short amount of time, but lets hear it for goals and making them!
---

While at the park the other night, I saw the cutest little girl with her sitter. Her hair was fine and kind of curly, which made me wonder if i should be attaching these type of ribbon barrettes to little hair clips instead, and selling them as individual bows. Perhaps to be placed at the base of a single cute and curly baby ponytail.

Whatcha think hmm?

This whole light box thing is kinda cool!

2009-06-17T10:00:00.000-07:00

I think it was last week (or so) that i was shown a light box tutorial by its creator, the author of the CETphotography Blog, and Etsy seller Charles Thivierge.

The tutorial can be found on his blog here.

When i made mine, the only thing i lacked was a sheet or t-shirt to use for the sides. i went ahead and put it together and grabbed a twin sized white sheet from Wally world for $4 later on.

The first step was to gather all supplies- which i did here:

(ok, so those aren't ALL the supplies, but they were near by)

The instructions say to cut out all sides, then tape one back together. Honestly, i was too weak to cut through 2 pieces of cardboard at the same time, so i wound up just leaving a side in and skipping a step or two.

(don't mind the ashy knuckles- i was working outside ;-P )

So! long story short- this became this

and then this and from that i got this ..

I

Swear!

How awesome is that picture! it's of a lip gloss that my mom bought me from Avon a Looooong time ago.
I found it while we were clearing off the porch for my brother's party and i tell you, i still love it!
(while the stuff in there smells like strawberry tinted castor oil paste BLEH!) I'm going to scoop it out and jam some carmex or vaseline in there and carry it around like i'm an 8 year old who can't wear lipstick yet and still loves all things strawberry.

So, after such a successful test shot, i thought, i'm going to be picturing up some stuff all night!
These are photos i took using the light box- i took them during the day and used the light coming in from the window for one side (rather than using 2 lamps)

now, i know that the back grounds on these two photos aren't perfectly white, but their subjects colors are true, which to me, is most important.

I'm finding that photographing fabric items is way more complicated than capturing what's true on a smoothly finished object.

But i'm totally not complaining. I know it'll take time for me to master the light box, and with these never ending winds that we're having here which have been getting in the way of all the fun stuff lately, i'm going to have plenty of it.

Please be peas!

2009-06-14T18:06:00.000-07:00

I don't know exactly how long ago it was that i planted these peas, but they're finally looking like they're going to give me peas.

I've enjoyed having a reason to go outside and i do so about 3 times a day, just to see how much the tendrils have grown and wrapped themselves around.

but today, i noticed a bud!

it's looking like i might get actual peas!

I didn't know about that old trick of planting another set when my first seedlings had 2 sets of leaves, so i'm a bit behind on that- but after a soak, i'll be planting more.

I did have an orange plant growing- it had a whole 3 leaves on it, but a wind blew through and knocked it over. it wasn't until it was all dry and blown away that i noticed the loss =-(

so, here i made some seed pots from newspaper and planted lemon seeds from lemons my aunt grew out in california.

the lemons aren't as quick to sprout, but having planted 6, i'm hoping for at least 2 trees.
*crosses fingers*

Congrats to Angelo!

2009-06-11T23:14:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was the big day for my little brother after 13 years of school (as he counts kindergarten, too) lol.

I'm way happy for him, but also glad that the day has come and gone. making sure that everything was in order and what not for it has taken up a lot of time.

I'm looking forward to getting on to my projects and perfecting my pictures. i put together a light box, but unfortuntely, the bulbs i have to use with it are not strong enough- 60 watt equivalents, i think. I was using them for reading, and had hoped that i could use them for this purpose- eh, maybe it'll work a lot better if i try it in the day.

I got the tutorial to make it from CETphotography's Blog

I'm a little behind on things here

2009-06-04T18:26:00.000-07:00

Aiming to do a weekly feature may have been a bit ambituous for my personality type. (i'm always rushing, aften late, and way too lax about some things)

I've been spinnin a lot lately. with my excitement about making coin purses and other hand spun items, i've been neglecting blogging and even listing the things i've made.

The pile is growing and growing =-(

I've been having a tough time photographing these things- all but the orange flower - which i will be offering with the option to have it made into either a hair clip or brooch- are hard as hell to photo correctly. i just can't seem to figure out the blues and purples. the flower on top is made of hand felted wool. the blue is darker than shown up there and is kind of purple-ish, but in order for me to show the true color, the picture has to be darker than i'd like.

on the bottom coin purse (which is zippered) that purple is darker as well andthere is more contrast between the colors.
-insert sigh-

if any one out there has any suggestions- i'm all eyes and willing to soak them up.

Back to the weekly feature thing-
i'm going to shoot for bi-weekly, because sure i could just pick something randomly, but i'd like to be able to really talk about what i'm featuring, so that will hopefully be a better idea.

I love hand spun, don't you?

2009-05-29T22:52:00.000-07:00

The amount of support one can receive from the handmade community is just awesome!

I missed my "It's All Good" entry for yesterday, so to make up for it, i want to share with you a few shops whose love I am definitely feeling.

To start, Shady Fibers on Etsy-
along with a few jewelry items, stitch markers, and knit and crochet, Monet offers some pretty nice roving along with some pizzazz

Another Etsian who offers some roving, as well as some wonderful hand dyed yarns is
Froggy Fibers

My favorite handspun yarn in her shop is called Clown College

Blue, yellow and red come together in this 2-ply Domestic/Merino/Corriedale Wool for a fun effect. It reminds me of Superman Ice cream- perhaps you could knit or crochet the 2.7 ounces offered here into a small bag to make a bold, fun,reminiscent of the good old days statement.

A few more things from Froggy Fibers

☺

Something new! I'm excited about this one

2009-05-27T17:13:00.000-07:00

Not too long ago, i splurged on some pretty bright roving from TheRainbowRoom on etsy.
(the colors are amazing- as vivid as pictured)

My vision for this roving was to spin it into color combinations for flower hair clips.

Then i wanted to needle felt it, and well- that didn't go too well. It seems like the easist craft in the world to do, but for some reason, it wasn't coming together for me.

Long story short-
I'm experimenting with making my own felt sheets to be formed into flowers for clips and pins.

here's what i've got so far.originally, the whole thing was going to be this royal blue with yellow marbling, but it seemed a bit too dark for me.
wanting more contrast, i thought i'd add a bit of shimmer to accent the yellow parts buuuuut- that didn't go too well either.

so, i've decided to add solid yellow petals to the back- can't wait til it's finished.

the combinations of shape and color are innumerable! way exciting!

i'm hoping that this whole felting thing will evolve lanee's crochet into a fiber art shop rather than just crochet.

When i figure out how to form and stiffen my felts- o0o0o0oh, ya'll better watch out! ☺

It's All Good! - NOT

2009-05-21T14:45:00.000-07:00

Ok-
recently, i purchased some of this stuff called Eco Glue. I was pretty excited about it because it looks like the traditional white glues, but has no smell while still claiming to be as strong as those smellier, pop your brain cells glues that a lot of we crafters use.

Eco Glue has a nice little list of benefits, which are...
• Less than 1% VOCs (volatile organic compounds)
• Virtually no hazardous air pollutants (less than 0.165 by weight)
• No animal derivatives
• Excellent water resistance
• 100% recyclable packaging!

with all these great things about it, it can still bond wood, stone, metal, glass, and tile.

My intention was to use this glue to help me put together my hair bows,
and i was happy with its strength, bonding capabilities, and all the rest up until last night.

While things are still stuck together, some of the pieces look like they've grown boogers =-(

This would be ok if i were making monsters or something, but, well... i'm not.

I know it's a bit late for doing research, but when i went onto the EcoGlue website and found the "uses" page with a couple 'technical data sheets' links on there, i noticed that one said craft.

D'OH! i thought- my issue is that i have the wrong glue! The CRAFT version of this glue MUST be the one that doesn't yellow!

EEEENT- Wrong!

The sheets were both the same (i'm guessing that the only reason there are 2 of them is because they have two different names).

Neither say anything about drying clear. that sucks. both of them state that there is no UV protection and that surfaces should be painted over for more protection. sucky.

I really thought i had found something cool, but it doesn't seem so. I think this will be my last resort glue, or something that i keep in the ole craft box just to say that i have some Eco! Glue.

Sigh.

1 point loss for impulse buying.

He makes me want to squeeze his guts out!

2009-05-20T15:56:00.000-07:00

After watching Sid the Science Kid, my son says to me, ''exercise increases your heart rate!'' he then goes to the middle of the room and claps his hands over his head while jumping up and down.
gasping for air he said candidly, ''Applejacks... makes my heart beat faster.''

after saying AWWWWW, i grabbed him and hugged him up asking if he was sure that applejacks is what did it. while looking at me with huge eyes like, 'yeah- they REALLY do', i just had to hug him some more.

I often find myself having to take a deep breath at some of the stuff he does, these little moments remind me why i call him my little piece of heaven.

It's All Good!

2009-05-14T17:41:00.000-07:00

I love it when people seem to know their worth.

When I first glanced at Marelf's Artfire Studio, I thought, WHEW- I wish i could afford this or that.

I think that a lot of us have gotten in the routine of looking for deal or bargain, which is fine, but as a result, more often than not, you'll find a hand made artisan lower their prices or take a huge loss on an item just to get a sale.

and, while I'd love to give my stuff away, I just can't, cause mama's gotta eat, ya hear?

Of everything that Marelf has to offer, this pair of "Different Silver Heart Earrings" is my absolute favorite.

Who says that earrings must dangle at the same length, have the exact same shape, or even both be post or hook?

I think this pair works for me because in the real world, each heart is different, equal pairs don't always shine together, and and it's love.

Priced at $50.00 (USD) and coming out of Athens, Greece with free shipping, I think that the time, thought, and effort put into this pair, along with the perk you'll gain in your step while sporting these Different Silver Heart Earrings, $50 is absolutely a great price.

Here Here! pricing items at their worth, and Here Here! for Marelf's wonderful shop.

♥

A couple new books

2009-05-13T18:42:00.000-07:00

So, i finally finished up Undertow by Lorena McCoutrney. it was okay...
There were more than a few references to faith and poetic justice that i wasn't expecting, but all in all, it was nice.
even so, i don't think that i'll be ready any of her many books any time soon. with similar covers and similar names (Undertow, Riptide,Whirlpool)
(I later found out that she's a "Christian Mysteries" writer) lol

I picked up a couple different books from the library last night:
and

The Doctor's Wife caught my eye while whizzing around Walmart one night about a month ago. After reading a bit of it in the store, i went home and requested it from the library and it finally came last weekend. I guess it's pretty good (with 4 out of 5 stars on amazon and a couple people having it on hold at the library after me) so i'll be starting with this one first.

Thinking that i might whiz through the first book, i picked up the second, just because I had time and the cover caught my eye. (i'm SUCH a judger by the cover;)
It reminded me of a book i read a long time ago - just because it was set in a long ago time period and the wording seemed a bit romantic, The Observations by Jane Harris. I absolutely loved that book!

anyway- it has only 2.5 stars on amazon, but i'm still hoping that it's not a dud. if so- i'll be looking for The Vanishing Point next.

Have you read any of these books? Let me know what you think, with out giving them away of course ☺

I Don't dig that!

2009-05-13T15:27:00.000-07:00

Very late last night, i decided that i wanted a fresher look to my blog. In my opinion, there was just too much stuff on it. Books, Facebook badge, links and more links, my etsy mini, and artfire window...

I'm looking for a simpler look that will tie into my eventual brand. I'm pretty set on this new template because it's got lots of room (for PW ads, my promotions and what ever else) as well as a navigation thing at the top- so i can have the direct links to my etsy feedback, face book fan page, and profile right at the top, freeing up space for yadda yadda.

What do you think?
---

Another thing i Don't dig is Mountain Dairy yogurt!

Now, i know that little barfing guy might be a bit much, but... you know, it fits LOL
(but seriously, looking at it kinda makes me want to dry heave- it's still awesome though, lol)

Anyway, with certain foods, i think i've gotten to the point of being like, 'oh, bread is bread' or 'milk is milk' - it usually all tastes the same to me, and if it doesn't, i'm probably too hungry to care.

yogurt is not yogurt!!
After asking some one to pick me up some and agreeing that 'Mountain dairy was ok- just be sure to get vanilla and strawberry', I now have 2 tubs of this nasty crap in my fridge and not even mixing it with fresh fruit for smoothies can take that yuck away. It's way tart, doesn't have any fruit in it and the strawberry pretty much tastes like plain with sweet barf in it. The packages says something about their products being made with hormone enhanced free dairy, but seriously, i'm hoping that that's not the issue rather than the perk.

SO!
Have you ever had higher expectations of a product that in deserved?
Please help prevent the barfage =-)

New flower hair pin

2009-05-09T21:19:00.000-07:00

I wanted to pop in and show you this real quick.
I worked it up last night before i drifted off to sleep, and i think it's just awesome!

I made it using yarn that i spun- ( my first official spinning)

It's 100% silk, fuchsia and cool blue and is only $12.00 in my etsy shop =-)

It's All Good!

2009-05-06T23:32:00.000-07:00

This is my first "It's All Good!"
I've decided to make this a regular feature in my blog in which I will highlight things that i like.
People, places, or things, that is.
I'll be doing them every Thursday (or there about) but for sure once a week.

Small Earthy Featured Pins

are all good!

Once again, i was chatting on etsy and came across a lovely person with something in their shop that caught my eye.

I think it was Becky of allinthefamilyart.etsy.com
that i was chatting with. A lot of her pieces are...funky...
but this one reminded me of the many peaceful walks i like to take around my 'hood. don't you think she looks like she's sighing? perhaps exhaling while snow falls around her, having just smelled a bunch of gorgeous flowers, sighing the feel of her first kiss into her forever memories, or finally stepping foot inside home after a long day.
-so peaceful. ☺
I just love things that make me dream!

I did say that AllinthefamilyArt had some funky pieces, and i meant it!
Here is a spot light of the more typical- but just as thought provoking pieces the shop has to offer:

♥

It's kind of inspiring...

2009-05-06T14:35:00.000-07:00

A while ago, I blogged about some photography on etsy that i found myself relating to.
This is that post, only instead of being about Emerald Blue Studio, it's about BonnieBoden's Etsy Shop.
Bonnie is in the process of transitioning from one shop to another- while she's still offering the lovely photos I've featured here and more, I just thought it would be nice to give an update to let you all know that's she's still around- (in case you went clicking the old post)

In a huge cyberspace, i've been feeling a lot like the little, not yet blossomed mums. This picture kind of reminds me of Alice in Wonderland- when she was going through the garden and all that

These photos, which i found in BonieBoden's Etsy shop made me feel like they knew what i was going through.

Some times, new freind ships are so hard to forge for some one like me.
(that is a - give me my yarn and cup of tea, perhaps some good music or maybe an old show and i'm GOOD!- type of girl)

Perhaps with a bit of effort and an extended hand, I'll be on my way to being a big beautiful Mum.
Until then, I'll be blogging and bookmarking, chattin and tweeting and trying to produce the best that i can.

Fuzzy Cream Flower Hair Clips

2009-05-05T13:45:00.001-07:00

Trying to keep up my momentum, I re-listed this fuzzy cream flower hair clip(there are 2) last night.

While i love this yarn, i only had a little bit of it, so it was hard deciding what it would be good for.

It's an acrylic,nylon,mohair blend, so finding something to make that didn't need to be laundered was great.

I really enjoyed making these clips. There's something about these little flowers that make my hands move like rockets when i'm crocheting them. (perhaps because they're cute and simple, and i just can't wait to get on to the next).

They are priced at $6 with free shipping and can be found in my Lanee's Crochet artfire studio.

Those were some passionate looking clouds!

2009-05-04T15:39:00.000-07:00

It seems that there's a party going on over here every weekend.. And with the nice weather -the wind, we've been firing up the BBQ grill and throwing what ever's in the freezer on that bad boy.

I couldn't help but notice the beautiful cloudscape in the back ground. ( I couldn't help it because my mom called me outside to see it.)

One day recently, while driving along, i stated to her that i love looking at clouds because they're made of the same stuff generations before us- our ancestors perhaps gazed in amazement at, the same way i do. Having grown up in Louisiana, where i hear it pours rather than rains, my mother wasn't as mystified as i was, but i think she got my appreciation for cloud's beauty.

They look like dreams to me.
I could see myself marching for a cause with the clouds behind me, swinging at the park while children play around me, sitting out in the middle of the yard provided the fire ants were gone and reading a good book, or laying out with my son, laughing and making silly jokes about what the clouds are and why they crossed the road.

But lastly, I could see myself wandering around my neighborhood, in playful banter with some one i care about. Those are days i have yet to see, but i'm really looking forward to them. i suppose.Along with all my romantic imaginings, it seems the wind and clouds blew in a new breath of motivation for me.

I really want to take a trip to California, for pleasure, rather than for keeping up appearances, and i want to fund it totally on my profits from selling on Artfire and Etsy.
I know i can do it, but I also know that there are things i need to change about the way i do things when it comes to my shop and studio.

To start off, i'm going to be lessening the variety of items that i offer. dedicating my Etsy shop to a few categories, and my Artfire studio to a few different ones.

I Have yet to sell one of these hair clips:

Renewed Today

But i very much so enjoy making them. They are going to be one of my focuses in my Artfire
I'm hoping that by showinf them some love and with some effort, others will notice them and love them as much as I do. studio.

☺

I'm Slippin Again

2009-05-02T14:45:00.001-07:00

It recently occured to me that although i had sold a couple pairs of slippers before and wear my own pair often, i had not made and listed any in a LOOONG time.

With spring here, the appeal of brightly colored yarns is greater to me than ever. I love this blue, called Turqoi. I guess it's called that because it's almost turqoise, but not quite.

Paired with the bright pink hearts, I think these slippers are a winning pair.

No matter the season, these slippers are just right for keeping your feet from being cold-

Allow these slippers to brighten those ever so drafty fall and winter days, or wear during spring and summer like I have. (See my inspiration)

Wear with socks for even more coziness.

They’re durable and easy to wash because they’re made of 100% acrylic!

Want them larger or smaller? Message me!

The blue is more brilliant than I could capture- don't you just hate having to mess with white balances and such?

Anyway, another note on these slippers before i go-

I know some of us are like, ewww feet! so i hand washed and machine dryed these babies after i took the photos ☺

Who knew roots grew?

2009-05-01T16:18:00.000-07:00

Not even 2 weeks ago, i planted my radishes, cucumbers, and peas. This is them as of a few days ago.
I used a disposable baking pan w/lid that was left over from a party. I had totally forgotten about them for a few days, and when i looked again, there were a LOT of sprouts. I'm sure having the lid on and that whole green house thing is the reason for their fast sprouting.

Radishes

I think the radishes got a really poor start.
they either loved or hated the sun and water and often drooped until i did either or. When i went out to see about them today, they were leaning and pale, so i said forget it- they seem to be a bit too much too care for so i just threw them out.
I really want some radishes, so i may try again later. They have a short til harvest time, so i think i'll be ok with planting them after i've gotten everything else situated with what i'm going to grow.

Peas

Cucumbers!

this is what the roots and everything looked like on the cucumbers today. i was surprised to see how many roots went into such a small sprout.
Fortunately, my poor foresight of these roots growing as they did didn't hurt too much. i definitely planted the plants too close together, but with a little water-(enough to make the soil graspable) the roots slid away from each other and now, i have individual plants again.

My in the ground soil still isn't ready, but i needed to give the plants some space, so i decided to plant the peas in a planter, which will stay on the porch and get my ass in gear with the ground work on the garden so i can get the cucumber hills going.

Here is what i think my garden lay out will be:
I'm considering this layout because the garden box will be up against the fence, so the cucumbers and watermelons will catch the least sun...
Hmm- dude, this may be all wrong, lol

Ok- my back yard is to the east, so it sees sunrise first, planting against a fence will offer some shade protection before noon, so i need to figure out which plants do the worst in full sun. =-\

this gardening thing is tougher than it seems.
*waves a fist at johnny appleseed*

A random thought.

2009-04-28T16:07:00.000-07:00

After Forcing myself to get in the mood to clean, (but before actually doing it)- i ran dish water.
we don't have a dishwasher, so we've got to bust suds by hand here.

anyway, after squirting a little dish soap into the running water, i thought-
Isn't it amazing how one little drop of something can result in so many bubbles!
a smile can make friends, lighter moods, brighter days.
An act of kindness can result in more and more suds, inspiration,a renewal of faith, and good fortune.
One random thought can turn into 2,3 and 100! and who knows what else...

♥
ca..ca..can i bee your sud?

One Way Ticket

2009-04-25T19:40:00.000-07:00

I've been wanting to take my son to see some of his family in california for a little while now. We've decided on going to see the beach for sure, but i was hanging between some where parallel to fresno, where his grandparents and aunts live, or just taking him to see his dad in san diego.
a trip to san diego is shorter, and i think the beach would be fun, so i'm leaning towards going there.

after the recent plane crashes, (which all seem to be the small ones similar to what we'd be flying on) and which all have taken place close to landing...

I'm not wanting to get on a plane.

here's what i'm lookin at..

a greyhound bus ride for 2, one way:
8 hours with one transfer
$64 before tax
overnight

ON A PLANE:
about an hour nonstop
$160 with tax and fees
during the morning

Now, call me a scaredy cat or whatever, but i've never really flown while the sun was out, so that's scary for me, BUT that one hour thing is looking good.

If we take the bus, we'll sleep through the trip and it's cheaper (but i'm also afraid to do this because ppl are crazy!)

Please take my poll and let me know what you think i should do, your input may help!

♥

What i'm doing lately

2009-04-22T22:48:00.000-07:00

The other day, a friend asked if i could make a spiral scarf for her daughter, which she wanted in blue and this is what i've come up with.
I had used the spiraling technique in one of my scarves before, but had never put it to use for making a whole scarf. I think I may have spiraled this one a bit too tight because it literally looks like a tube or some kind of icing piping. Perhaps i'm just like, "eh" on this one because it's not something that i would have thought to make any other day. that's not a complaint. things outside my box are cool too.

☺

Look at my babies! I took these pictures yesterday. Inside of the flower ones, there are more, pointier leaves sprouting out. (are they true leaves yet??) I'm so excited by their growth. they're actually like tiny stalks! lol
I think i may just move them to a rectangular planter and sit them on the porch.
I'm only just thinking about it, because that would just make all the effort of the carton and eggshells pretty pointless.
But, with the temperature being some where near 95° yesterday, and very close to that today- i don't think they will survive out there in the front.

The other picture is of the watermelon sprouts- LOOK AT THAT LEAF!
i honestly can't imagine getting any watermelons from seeds, but i'm going to stay hopeful and nurturing to these puppies until they pass or fail.

I love this Bag!
I've had it for a little while now, and have completely fallen in love with it. so much so that i carry it like a purse, even tho i may only have my keys and chap stick to carry. I used to use it soley for trips to the store, in an effort to not use those plastic bags from the store, but u always would up taking a few anyway.
Because i love this bag so much, i've decided to make one inspired by it. So far, i've started out with a hot pink yarn and am complimenting it with the earth and sky, like the one i used for this cap, along with a bit of white.

Naturally, i started the bag in rows, but i'm starting to feel like iwant to do something else, like free form circles or perhaps a few hexagonal patches, similar to a granny square bag. the only issue with those ideas is how to get them to be a long rectangle in the end, so that i can attatch a strap and line the bag.
This is going to be on on-going WIP for sure, but i can't wait to see what i'll come up with. i may just surprise myself! =-)
☺

On a side note, a fellow Artfire Artisan, RiskyBeads used my pink rave handbag, along with a good seletion of other pretty pink things in a spotlight she calls 'If Your Mother's Favorite Color is...Pink'. You can check out it on her blog HERE

more on my sprouts

2009-04-20T16:39:00.000-07:00

Before they get any bigger- i wanted to post pictures of my little sprouts. a few are over 3 inches now, but weren't when i took this picture. i'm afraid that if i do plant them,they'll die, even though the packages say that i should be doing that now.

After GlassIdentities' mention of coffee for plants, i tried it and they sure enough sprouted even more the next day! the watermelon ones have a real looking leaf- the carrots have things on them that look like the tops of celery, and the flowers have about 6 leaves (not sure how many of them are "true") .

I did have them in the window, but i'm thinking about moving them to the back porch for some air and less harsh sunlight. some of the leaves on the flowers are showing signs of sun damage, even though i've been watering them every day. I'm going to hate thinning these babies, because i'd like to see all of them grow....

A few caps and Featherstone.

2009-04-17T22:41:00.000-07:00

Last week, I was asked about making a cap or two. Now, I know that that's wouldn't be anything too exciting to most, but the request came from a lady who had bought from me before- yep, my second [tentative] repeat customer.

She brought to my attention the fact that I didn't have much to choose from when it came to kids hats and such, so, I came up with a few for her, and a couple extra for my studio.
The fact that i have a 5 year old running around totally slipped my mind- I hecka should be taking advantage of my little model while i can still get him to stand still with out a bribe!
I've got a pink camo one (for a 1-4 yr old) in the works that will be listed tomorrow as well.
Yay for actually making stuff! lol
________________________

I've actually picked up and started reading a new book, called Featherstone, too. So far, the way the sentences are structured seems a little odd to me- for example, the first character to be introduced, Sonny, is talking or thinking about having seen a figure, having to look up towards the sun at it-

"Only the sun, printing gold into black into gold against his eyes, only a dark shape against the sky, like a dear shape cut clean out of the light and laid against it..."

but i'm hoping that reading the story will be worth it, and that i'll soon get used to reading in it's strange to me dialect. (Even though a few who have reviewed it on amazon have complained about the beaten to a pulp usage of prose).

I'm looking at this one in an optimistic way- if i am ever to write my own story, which i hope will be read and read, i guess i've got to see how to NOT do it, too.

If this one doesn't work out, i'll be on to the next and won't feel like my time was so wasted- as it was on that Blond Roots garbage because I have been making hats =-P

That book wasn't bad!

2009-04-14T03:16:00.000-07:00

After finally getting to the last page of Broken, by Martina Cole, i have to say that i was pleasantly surprised by this novel. It was well written (of course, I could have told you this early on, as it was a best seller) and had me feeling like i knew the characters and wondering what they'd do next. At first, i thought that this mystery was too complicated for the likes of me. I'm used to nice little books like Sister North by Jim Kokoris, Sara's Song by Fern Michaels, and other books in which a happy ending is obvious from the start.

This book began with one complicated scene and went on to the next and the next, but the frequent page breaks- often used to focus from one going on to the other made this read pretty easy. I didn't have to try and force myself to make it to the end of the chapter for fear of waking up and not remembering what was going on when i left off.

I so enjoyed this book. Martina Cole isn't an author that I'm going to easily find in my local library- i think I've only found one of her other books listed, but, i really did enjoy reading enough to be willing to actually buy her books and keep them on my own shelf.