Red, White, and Blue Toddler Hair Bows

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

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

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!

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.

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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.

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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!

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.

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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!
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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!

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!

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!

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

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?

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

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

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!

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!

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

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!

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?
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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

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!

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...

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

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.