Milo is the Cutest Pet!

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?

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

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?

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!

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

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

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

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

Red Valentines Day Hat with Stripes

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Frilly Valentines Coasters

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Dish Cloth Trio

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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?

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

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...

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.

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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

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?

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

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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!

    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!

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!

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**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

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:

CandiceKane

CanadianRockiesArt

ShopMomento

YourSewSweet 

Antieuclid's Random Emporium

MavenStudio

Sandmaiden

RelishedArtistry

GiftByWish

HomeLab 

Ayca 

PetalMix

Fabulous Art Prints, Originals By Meluseena

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

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The Girl in the Rose Veil

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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

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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