Speaking of quality customer service

One of my recent purchases on etsy has been an awesome one.
Shipping was fast, and the product is great!

Stumbling upon JacksblueJane in chat one night, i fell in love with her shop!
it totally helps that she's a nice person, but the colors of silk caps (for spinning and what not) that she offers just sucked me in.

Not even knowing how to spin or what to do with one, i hurried and swooped up this one
and let me tell ya, the colors are just as yummy as seen in the picture.
If i did not know where this silk came from(which i believe is a worm's butt) - packaged similarly to cotton candy, it's a wonder why i haven't! I'd definitely bite it while no one was looking.

my son couldn't resist the urge to pet it so i had to stash it in the top of the closet. but i can still reach it =->

She just so happened to be doing a give away on her blog that night too, so i got an extra one for free!
I'll definitely be going back for more. and Jane, you best look out once i get this spinning thing under my belt!

Some old Book Markers

I've decided not to make much else to sell online before the new year.
I've got a LOT of things over on etsy that need to be transferred to Artfire, and so i begin the slow process of doing so.
I had almost forgotten that i made a few book markers last year until i browsed my inactive listings to see what's buried in there.
I've reduced the price on this blue book marker with silver cross down from $5 to $4 because in the couple of years that it's been tucked away, the silver toned cross has tarnished. I like the way it looks, actually. kinda like it's an old traditional book marker that's gotten a lot of use.
Hopefully, one day it will be.

Another book marker - Also priced at $4 is this red book thong with white cross and beads.
I like this one because it's simple and fun.
A pre-teen, or teenaged girl who is dying to show individuality while still keeping her faith would love this one because it's bold-red with cute beads and a cross.

Baby Denim Recieving Blanket

I've had this one stashed away for about a year now.
It was intended for a boy, but looks more girly to me, i just set it aside before.

It's really soft and light, it would be perfect for layering or draping over a baby carrier to keep the sun/ wind off of baby's face.

You can find it here @ Lanees Crochet on Artfire, along with a few other lovely things.

i felt it

recently enough, some one asked me if i've ever felted anything.
i had not.
and they paid me many compliments on my work and suggested that i try it.
so, i will!
but, pure wool is so damned expensive, that i've avoided it, and put the thought of every having enough to do anything with out of my head.
until i went to walmart and found some marked down to $2.50, so i got 2 balls.
yeah, only two balls, what was i thinking!!

i can't wait to make something with it. i'm not so adventurous as to make a hat or anything other than a scarf with it, so perhaps a purse or pouch at first.
i've done a test swatch and it shrunk some, but not much, and i love the way it looks.
it looks so yummy i just wanna bite it!!

The other yarn is caron simply soft eco.
i was worried about it pilling, because the yarn started to look odd after i was frogging a gauge swatch. the single strand of yarn was pilling!
so, i made a little block and threw it in the washer with the wool, with hot water, and dried it as you do.
it didn't pill, perhaps because it was only 1 wash, but it is a little fuzzier than the regular caron would be even after a couple of washes. i'm going ot over look it and still make my jacket using the caron eco and just call the fuzziness cozy.

another great stocking stuffer idea

to change modes a bit here..
i was browsing artfire, looking at how their categories were set up and where my things fell into the categories there, and i came across this necklace.
I love the simplicity of this necklace, which can be found in Beadz-N-Things shop on artfire.

It's under $20.00, which makes it even greater!

Stocking Stuffers on Etsy

ok, so, here's what iw as going to post in my last Stocking stuffers on etsy post.
A

Sterling silver Guitar pick

which can be found in SkinzNhydez's Shop on Etsy.

I wish i had some hot guitar playing guy to gift one of these picks too.
i can just see it now- him pulling it out of his stocking and his smile growing wider. of course i'd want him to test it out for me so he'd play and i'd swoon in front of the ole fire place on christmas night.

Aaah, i'm such a dreamer, lol

anyway, back to reality-
SkinzNhydez's shop is full of great looking leather stuff that is unique, funky, stylish, and a whole lot more.

Check it out!

One of the reasons why i love artfire

I almost never see the front page of artfire, because i have the login page bookmarked, so i go straight there.

i just so happened to click on the wrong thing and look what i saw!


I don't think i've ever been on the front page on etsy, well, perhaps for 1.3 seconds when i list something new.
i was VERY excited when i saw this and it just made my little day =-)

Stocking Stuffers on Etsy (and a gift for Hanukkah)

Man, i hadn't realized that it's been a long time since i've blogged!
so, to make up for it, i'll be posting 3 things that would make good stocking stuffers... well, one that would make a good Hanukkah gift, and two stocking stuffers-

If you read and speak hebrew, you probably knew what this patch said right off the bat.
i had to read the description ;P

Taken directly from the listing:
"Chai (pronounced [xai], occasionally [ħai]) is a symbol and word that figures prominently in Jewish culture and consists of the letters of the Hebrew alphabet Het (ח) and Yod (י).

In the Hebrew language, the word chai (חַי) spelled by these two letters means "living," is related to the term for "life,"

I remember that when i was in high school, there was always a group of people who loved customizing their clothes. whether it was with permamnenet marker or patches... looking back on it now, i think it's way cool, and wish that i had thought to be creative that young.

So, for a stocking stuffer:

You can find both of these patches and lots more, as well as other embroidered stuff that is not just cute but, is cool as well here at Auntifranni's Shop.












ok, so that was only 2!
i got tired=-p
will do the next one later.

I'm on Artfire now!

Thanks to twitter, i've found a new place to sell my handmade goods.
Artfire seems to be THE place!

The people are freindly so far and the staff seem to be just as excited as everyone else that there is a site that can finally compare to etsy. and they don't mind the comparison ( i think it's because in the end, they'll turn out to be the greatest!)

I'm still getting the hang of the site, and was working on changing my shipping over to fit my sale for the weekend. but i got a bit frustrated with it.

so here i am.
i've had the shop for about a week and i've only been twittering about it.

(and i can tell from my stats [THEY HAVE SHOP STATS THAT YOU CAN SEE!!])
that twitter has been driving traffic there.

so, go ahead and click on this handy little button to check out my shop-


eventually, i'll be only selling here-exciting!

Stocking Stuffers on Etsy

I don't know why i didn't think of cuff links a long time ago! it wasn't until some one in chat mentioned that they had gotten a pair for some one they know that i thought, 'well duh!'

I think that regardless of age, if you ever loved legos, you always will. a good gift idea for the young and young at heart, bitsandbadges offers a lot of fun links, ranging from the traditional square legos to some rather nice round ones.

And what better way to present them than in a nice handmade box. goodstuff513 offers a few more boxes in different finishes along with other hand crafted wooden stuffs.

Whether the fun, lego cuff links or the sleek, traditional ones are more your recipient's style, a hand crafted gift box lasts a life time, and will be useful no matter how tastes change.

I'm up to!

i was really wanting to show off my 4 scarves that i have finished for the Olympics, but they seem to have taken legs. i'm sure my mom put them out of the way some place, like she always does, but man a small WIP bag never hurt nobody!

i'm still debating on whether or not to wash them before i send them. i'm almost certain that i won't be adding fringe or pom poms, as i've run out of blue. i can't wait to get them sent off, i t'll feel great.

I had been working on some cell phone carriers for a while, and i finally got a chance to list them. i'm very happy with the way they came out. i'm almost tempted to keep them and give them as gifts for my own peeps, but that's only an almost- i'd like them to sell for sure!

I have a few more ready for hooks, but i don't really feel like sewing right now. i'm sure my motivation will be greater tomorrow.

now, i just feel like sitting on my bean bag chair while sipping my apple juice and listening to music. or better yet, while watching old episodes of house [drool].
---
This purse has been nearly done for a long time. i can't decide on the handle for it. looking at the picture now, i think it looks great, and i don't know what the reason is behind it's delay.

but while working on it, i started to wonder if the black was too harsh. it's got awesome fall colors in it, reds, browns and gold. i'm almost wanting to find a lighter color for the handle. a bone or gold perhaps.
this one will have a flower pin like the other 2.
[eeek] i just remembered that i haven't photo-ed the flower pin for the burgundy one!
what is life with out a to do list!

anywho, tell me what you think of it. should i call it done or add a differnt colored handle?

Stocking Stuffers on Etsy

Man, i tell ya, finding a stocking stuffer for a guy on etsy is not the easiest thing to do. perhaps my method is just flawed. (skipping around on the almost 1,000 pages that i get from the search).

fortunately, i found this before i got too frustrated.
There are a couple of guys that i know who would love getting one of these necklaces.
it's customizable, so you can add a favorite number, jersey number, or age.
the beads can be changed to match team or favorite colors too.

This and a few other style of necklace can be found in Giftsforkids' shop.

this shop is not limited to stuff for boys, either, she's got things ranging from way girly to suitable for your little (or not so little) tough guy.

Stocking Stuffers on Etsy

i don't know if i like this

What's Up Your Sleeve Fabric Coffee Sleeve

on the go coffee cup sleeve because i personally know a marine who practically lives off coffee, or because it appears to be so well made.
there's a good variety of sleeves of this style in What's Up Your Sleeve's shop.

with nearly 50 items in her shop, she's sure to have a sleeve that's sure to suit someone you know.

=-)

How perfect is your egg?

before i get back to working on my final [YAY] special olympics scarf, i wanted to show you an egg that just so happened to be in my carton (as if that's not where they belong)-








it's shaped like a jelly bean!

i was way amused by this because i always thought that eggs were always perfect (like everything in nature, of course).
even tho it was the last egg in the carton, i didn't eat it, i put it back just to see what others would say, and they noticed too.
isn't it a wonder.

Stocking Stuffers on Etsy

So, i'm actually starting to get serious about slowling buying stocking stuffers for the family.
i have an 18 yr old male to buy for, a 5 yr old boy, and 2 ladies over 40.
i'm definitely going to have to get the 5 year old, and perhaps even the 18 year old some of these boogers.













They're soaps of course! i'm not really sure how they smell, it'd be great if they were lime-like, but the novelty of them is enough to have me sold!

it's really tough , it seems, to find stocking stuffers for males, so perhaps i'll focus on those a bit more.

Random stocking stuffer idea

Today's stocking stuffer idea :


These crayons would make awesome stocking stuffers for a small child. Shaped like stars, they're perfect for grasping and their bright colors make learning fun.

I like Mommy Buzz' shop because she gives back to her community by sharing her crayons and other things with children at local hospitals.

My son loves using these crayons, and she's got lots of other fun shapes.. definitely check her out!

Stocking Stuffers on Etsy

there are lots of great things on etsy, and with the christmas time nearing, and budgets being tight; i think it's the perfect place to get stocking stuffers that mean a little bit more.
This year, my family will be pulling names, each person will get at least one gift, but we'll all have stockings.
i'd like to do a thing here where, everyday, or when i think of it, i feature a favorite stocking stuffer from etsy.
i will randomly pick a page from the stocking stuffer tag search and choose something off that page to show here.
so, to begin...



I thought this owl pin was just too cute. The eyes are definitely what drew my attention to it.

The Etsymom Street Team is prepping for the holidays by taking the time-honored tradition of gift-giving to another level! Riding the wave of unity, harmony and excitement inspired by the Etsymom Trunk Show in September, our team tossed around a few ideas about our next team event. A little idea of having a giveaway, where Moms would donate an item to be given away each day of November on our blog has morphed into a SUPER GIVEAWAY!! When the call for volunteers went out we had an overwhelming response of over 60 shops willing to donate a $10.00 in value item to this cause. Two winners will be randomly chosen everyday to receive one of over 50 prizes.. Donations will range from an assortment of hand embroidery, vintage finds, hair clippies, baby accessories, paper crafts, earthenware pottery and more. Perfect for gift-giving! There is a little bit of everything, so whether you like trendy, shabby chic, traditional or retro styles, you're sure to find something! Don't miss this ONLINE EXTRAVAGANZA. Visit us here beginning November 1st for giveaway rules and deadlines!



Here is what i entered:

A pair of brown and white crocheted slippers, sized to fit a woman's 9-10.

be sure to check the Etsmom's blog on the 21st of november for a chance to win them!

a quick list

i keep on sitting down at the computer to do one thing or another, but i always wind up chatting on etsy or doing other things.
so here's what i've got to do:

• find a marathon
• upload pics to the kid's album
• relist something on etsy
• pay storage bill

now, how simple would it be to do these things now?
(sounds too much like a good idea, so i'm going to go watch sci fi channel!)
=OP

I want those!!!

Sandy is doing a crochet contest in which you submit a picture of a swatch of your favorite crochet stitch. See here for DETAILS.

here's my entry...

my favorite stitch is the Dc cluster. it's a fast stitch, especially when worked in rounds.

This ball caught my eye

Isn't it cute! (and the shipping price is very reasonable)
You can find it in

thechromaticattic's

shop on etsy. her shop is full of unique, cute stuff, so check it out!

Pumpkin scarf

so, as you can see, i finally figured out how to get my blog to look how i want it. i'm in love with it! having it look this nice just makes me want to blog more and tell more people about it so they'll look too.

although halloween is fast approaching, thanks giving IS just right around the corner..
this scarf would do nicely.
The listing is going to expire soon, but i'm definately going to renew(if it doesn't sell first).

Who wants slipperssss!?

not me!

i did make a pair yesterday that have some how morphed themselves into little pink balls. there's something about slippers that just turns me off.

making a pair or two a year is fine, but anything beyond that is impossible. and it's a shame too, because they're so quick and easy.

instead of slippers, i've decided to do hats. i'm thinking of doing a featured color in my shop, right now i have lots of pink. it's too bad that i waited until the end of october to get with it!

Made it Myself

i'm almost dying for a 3 column blog. and i almost got it last night. i found a site that showed ya how to do it and i did it, but i changed my layout and it went bye bye.
is that sucky or what.
i've started listing stuff on Made it Myself. it's not that i'm totally giving up on etsy...
as stuff gets ready to expire on my etsy, i'm going to list it on MiM.
and this is the reason i want a 3 column blog. one side for each thing.

the other day, i was in the mood to make coasters. it's been so long since i worked with thread that i couldn't find my hooks- i also forgot how bad it hurt after a while.
so, i got about 1/3 way through one coaster and quit.
yes, you're such a quitter!

i did finish a toddler's hat, i'll post pics later.

i want to start working on some more purses like the burgundy rave one i have. those are nice!

but, i'm in the mood now to make coin purses. i'm still excited about working iwth zippers.
tiny linings for the coin purses - not so much.
i'm debating on whether or not a zippered, but not lined crocheted coin purse should even exsit.

i'm going to give it a try any way, part because i'm lazy, part because i just want to get some done already. there's nothing that you could fit in a coin purse that should be poking out of the bottom anyway.
this is my rationalization.

tonight, i'll attempt the 3 column blog again, i'm sure not for the last time.

there must be a mouse in there

cause my mind is going in circles, as if on a rodent wheel.

there is so much i want to do this month, but there seems to be so little time.
i signed up for a give away with an Etsy street team i'm a member of..
Etsymom
and still have to send in my entry. i keep changing my mind. it's either going to be a coaster and dishcloth set done in christmas colors, or a pair of slippers. i keep flip flopping because it's officially cold here, and i'm so tempted to put those dang slippers on my own feet!

i swear, one day the temperature dropped and never came back up.
vegas is odd like that, some one flicks the good ole freeze your ass off switch and so it's done.

i also want to make some pink scarves for the month of october, but i'm unsure where they would go. last year, i had one that didn't sell, so i gave it to a lady who i just happened to know was a breast cancer survivor. i have a large hook and can crank them out fairly quickly if i use caron yarn, so i'm thinking of doing the same thing this year... giving them away to people who have survived breast cancer.

i have a bad habit of starting things and just leaving them. because of this i have ltos of WIPs that may never see a finish. i'm hoping that by focusing my energy on charity type things, i'll get over this little character flaw. at least when it comes to crocheting anyway.
not only will it save me wasting some effort, but it may save me a bit of money, as i love to buy new yarns to start new projects.

on top of that, i'd love to start on making some christmas items. since it's so close to halloween, i'll just call that holiday done with and move on. i missed the last 2 winter seasons on etsy, i'm hoping this one will be better.
with more frequent blogging, chatting, and networking in general, i'm counting on my efforts to pay off.
it's kind of like a sad love afair at the moment.

so, in short, lots to do!

i've been trying to get in shape

i've been trying to get in shape by being more active. doing tae bo and killing myself doing this one video i got from the dollar store.

yeah...
the dollar store.

i figured it wouldn't be too much of a loss, but it turned out to be tougher than tae bo!


I finished this recently:

The Loot

i've been a busy gal..

after i got all that yarn that i told you about last time, i got a custom order for a pair of arm warmers for which i used the pink. so, of course, i had to go back to get some more! The person liked them so much that she's asked me to make her a pair of legwarmers as well. i've never made a pair of legwarmers, so i'm going to wait until i feel like froggin to get to it.

i've had a couple of purses on the back burner because i didn't have either handles or lining for them, so, i hit up hancocks and came home with this:


absolutely enough fabric to get things done with. i've already gotten to using the pink and the burgundy.
This purse is something different for me, and i'm happy to say that i love the way it turned out. right now i'm taking a break from the sewing machine. i'm making a sister to it, which will have a pink handle and reverse colors for the lining. for some reason, i'm totally off tonight, and couldn't get through sewing the dang pocket so i had to ...
10,9,8,7,6,5,4,3,2,1....
and blog.

i'm a bee

ok ok, so it's not 100% done, but it's in the bin of things to be finished. i've still got some pretty good sized skeins left after making this one, so i may be able to do more than 4 before january. i'm planning on putting some pom poms on the front bottoms of these, but i'm not sure... i don't want it to be way bulky, but i do think they'd look nice.

i have been being quite productive. curlin up on the couch and watching....
the SCI FI channel!!!
i've been bitten i guess. there's something about larger than life, eating humans alive sized rats that makes a gal's hook fly.
not to mention the hotties on stargate atlantis!




I did finish the zippered coin purse last week or so. i've given it to my mom. she's asked me to make more for her to give as christmas gifts at work. i should get on that because those holidays tend to sneak and bite!


i had a little trouble with the zipper. i don't remember having put in one before this. or at least i didn't when it came time to sit at the machine. i was having porblems with the fabric getting caught in the zipper. i think i sewed it in upside down or backwards, maybe on the wrong side or something.
it's ok, cause, well, this is only a test!


Did i tell you all about a Christmas in july contest that i entered into in a crochet group i'm a member of? this cuff isn't my own pattern, but it did win me first prize. way cool!



out of this came that..
i know i've been a really bad girl, but i had to do it. i got each of these yarns at bargain prices.
so far, i've made that hat and a couple of pairs of arm wamrers out of the fuzzy pink. next i plan to do a purse out of the silver.
the only thing with purses is that i don't have the fabric on hand to finish them, and the only store near me that has fabric is way out of my budget. so, i've got a pile of purses waiting to be done.
maybe i'll hold off on the silver one until i get at least one of the others completed.


hmm... what else?
i know i have more, but i want to get on to another subject...

what to be when i grow up?

that's a tough enough question with out throwing halloween into the mix.
i've never really dressed up for halloween other than for school days, and i've never been to a halloween party, so, this year is the year!

my friend always throws a party which is right around the corner, but i've never gone. i think we got dominic a costume last year, but we wound up going to my brother's instead.
last year it was spider man, this year, it will be spiderman again.. only the black one.
his old costume[that he never wore] is in storage, so, i guess i'll be springing for a new one. this year, he saw that spiderman costumes come with muscles, so of course, he wants that one.

me on the other hand, i want to be something funny.
at first i thought - I WANNA BE A LOBSTER!

but then i researched prices and well, 200 bucks for a lobster that i can't even eat is a bit much,

so then i said, well, maybe i'll just be a banana.

now, of course i'd wear tights with it instead of slacks, and i would paint my face yellow(i don't want to be a bad banana [one with a big brown spot on it lol!])

then i wanted to be storm

then i woke up.

Now, i'm thinking of being a bumble bee.
i didn't want a cute costume at first, but if you know me, you know that i think that bees are pretty effin scary.
so i'd go around going RAAAHH!
in this lol =-)

what's up wit it?

here's what i'm doing right now.
trying to stay productive, while watching tv, lol

i'm almost done with my first special olympics scarf. i've decided to make this one in the rounds and i'll probably put some pom poms on each end. - well, one on each end, since it'll be a long oval




and these are coin purses i'm working on. i'm going to line them with light yellow cotton fabric and hopefully put zippers in them.
a fellow etsian, and etsymom passed on some zippers to me, so i can practice with out losing money. i'm hoping that including zippers on my pouches will help them move
it's like going high tech! lol
maybe one day, i'll even be able to crochet a hoodie and add a zipper to it!

Check out WylesStyle's shop! she has lovely hand sewn pouches of all kinds!

dish cloths for renewing

I finally got around to re-doing the photos of my dish cloths for renewing. hopefully the new photos will help them move. they're crisper and closer than the previous ones. we'll see.







I've found a charity that i want to donate too, and i'm even on my way to actually doing it. i went and purchased some delft blue and white yarn to make scarves with for the Special Olympics World Winter Games (pdf). I'll be tracking my progress to the right. My goal is to make 4, one for each month that's left before the dead line of January 15th. i figure that i can do that using only 4 skeins of yarn.
i'm still working on the foundation of the first one, which i'm doing in verticle stripes, each one after this one should be a breeze.