Finished these mittens a while ago (a month, two?) —just had to weave in ends today & photograph. Nice and snug.
Sock yarn made into fingerless mittens. Love this color and yarn. Been working on these on and off, modifying a given pattern, and finally sat down to finish this one today. Now I just have to hope that the 2nd one comes out the same.
Click the badge to see the 101 reasons from artists, designers & shop keepers.
I buy handmade because there’s nothing like a unique item, one-of-a-kind, made with care by a real person. And because I make things like that, I know how much it means to a craftsperson when someone else appreciates your work so much that they’re willing to pay for it.
What’s your reason?
Link to Poppytalk via Chakra Pennywhistle.
These are pies from my library’s Once Upon a Pie Competition held last weekend. I’m so thankful for the library! Without it I’d be broke, because I love to read, and my kids do, too (video here).
I’m also thankful for my family & friends who have endless patience with me. I’m so grateful for that.
I’m thankful for for my internet friends (that’s you!), because I have a place to share and connect with and about the things that I love – crafting and art!
And one more picture of something yummy. I made this cake after getting an email from Betty Crocker. I usually wouldn’t bake from a cake mix, but this looked so delicious, I just had to make it. Bringing it to a friend’s house later today. (Click it to link to the recipe.)
Happy Thanksgiving and Enjoy your weekend, whether you’re celebrating or not. I believe there’s always something to be thankful for and to appreciate.
(It’s hard coming up with blog post titles… )
On the bottom of the right-hand column of my blog you’ll see an Etsy Bloggers link. Each month there’s a featured blogger & this one is a delight. Becky has a great blog full of delicious eye-candy – The Fab Miss B. She’s been interviewed over at the team blog – here – and you can read about what she has to say about her world travels, her favorite things to make, inspirations, challenges and Etsy advice.
Her blog is really charming to look at, her photography, and the items she features are all impeccable. She has some fun DIY projects (see the labels in her sidebar) with how-to’s.
Of course I was drawn to her Etsy shop, beckykazana, & my favorite pick is so unique! I’ve never seen anything like this - 
Love the name, too - “Sophisticated Lady Happy Birthday Banner” – who wouldn’t want that hanging on their wall for a special celebration? What a creative use for vintage pattern pictures.
Aside from baby announcements, I don’t remember every using banners before, but with something like this, I think it would be very charming to start a new trend.
Stop by Becky’s blog & shop, I’m sure you won’t be disappointed!
November is full of holidays: 
and these are just some of the more light-hearted ones I came across, there were tons more when I searched online for “November holidays”.
Etsy Bloggers Team question of the week: Most countries around the world have a day set aside to give thanks for a bountiful harvest. Here in the US, it's Thanksgiving. What do you celebrate wherever you live and how do you celebrate?
I have a different answer for this every year. It’s been many years since I’ve celebrated with family since this always seems to be a crazy weekend for traveling. Most Thanksgivings are celebrated with the four of us, neighbors or close friends here at home. 
Frankly, I’d rather visit with distant family when there aren’t holidays to think about preparing special foods or gifts for. No matter what, those things always add an element of stress for me. But, since holidays are when the kids have vacation from school, it’s usually unavoidable.
Well, there’s one thing, that no matter where we are, or who we’re with on Thanksgiving that is always the same. I make Sweet Potato Streusel Squares. They’re fattening. Decadent. Oh, so good. The recipe is from Bon Appétit Magazine, 1995 and that’s a link to it on epicurious.com.
Not surprised to hear my holiday memories revolve around food, are you? I would love to hear if you have favorite recipes, too, or if you try this one. One of these days I’m going to have to make a non-dairy version so I can enjoy it some more myself.
Planning for Chanukah? Then check out the giveaways & these sales at the EtsyChai blog, promotion ending this Sunday, November 22nd.
I’ve been thinking about this blog.
And I’ve been crafting – but – not too successfully. Worked with some deliciously soft silk and wool yarn last night, knitting and ripping. Knitting and ripping. I wanted to make something wearable. Something to sell. But it’s just not working. 
I’ve also been thinking about making dolls again. One series of something dark that’s been brewing in my mind. Maybe I need to take a break from all the tiny little projects that I have in progress. I was going to start the dolls in January – but why wait?
It’s been years since I really worked on dolls. And here I am as “tamdoll” all over the internet. Ha!
Usually, when I try to change modes, I’ll be drawn to something else – who knows, maybe I’ll start working on dolls and then have inspiration and success at some new wearables.
There are ornaments I want to make. Rings, necklaces, bracelets that I want to create out of fabric and yarn. I have lists of gifts that I’d like to put together. So many things, I’m overwhelmed. It’s not a bad thing to have all these ideas in my head – it’s just bad when I work on them for a while and they go wrong. I think it’s worse when I don’t get any ideas. I don’t have enough patience.
I’ll have to make some lists soon and see what to do first, or at least… make a list. Prioritize it I think. And go from there.
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| I got a new cell phone, and was afraid that when I was travelling this month that it would get scratched up. So, before my recent plane trip, I grabbed a ball of yarn, a needle, and sat down for a 5 hour flight with an idea and some podcasts (one of my favorites is CraftyPod).
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| The yarn I used was TOFUtsies (50% superwash wool, 25% soy silk, 22.5% cotton, 2.5% chitin made from shrimp and crab shells!), a sock yarn with antibacterial properties! (Which is kind of funny since I don’t buy antibacterial soaps, but I loved the yarn and the pattern displayed with it when I bought it over a year ago.) |
 | I made it snug to fit, and it whipped up in about an hour. |
 | I used Futuregirl’s foundation crochet stitch to make a sturdy starting row (the woman has amazing tutorials!). It was about 10 stitches long and then I went round and round that base row, adding a few additional stitches in the corners to round it up. After that it was just sc till it was a smidgen taller than my phone – added a loop and a crochet button to complete. |
Very satisfying and practical project. I love it when I can use what I make. Now my daughter wants one, so I’ll have to add that to my to-do list. <cringing> Which reminds me that I need to write out my to-do list for the next month and I’m scared that I’m going to be overwhelmed when I actually put into print the mammoth amount of things I’m expecting to complete before 2009 is over. Will put it off for just a few more days…
Hanukkah (Chanukah, Hanukah, Hannukah, etc..) is coming, and the first EtsyChai & Etsy Israel Team's Miracles of Hanukkah Contest and Sale is going on now.
There are sales to be had and prizes being given away. For more information and to see all the participating shops, click the logo to be taken to the EtsyChai blog.
I’ve been working on the blog posts for that site and have donated a prize to be given away, too. I hope you’re thinking of holiday shopping early this year and supporting handmade artists. Or, will you be making gifts this year or thinking of other creative ways of celebrating the holidays?
Try to find whimsical Chanukah jewelry. Just try it. Better yet, try and find a creative, wearable use for tiny, tiny jelly donuts you’ve crocheted.
Well, here they are. I have two pairs of these earrings I’ll be posting to my Etsy shop later tonight. ... one pair is listed now.
And come back by Monday to hear all about a promotion I’m going to be a part of, it’s going to be fun.
I've been brainstorming some projects lately & thinking of Chanukah. It's been pretty hard trying to translate motifs of this holiday into the kind of projects that I like to make. Dreidels? Too childish I thought. Menorahs? Too complicated to think of all the candles. Stars? Well, I made some of those and I need to work on them some more. Then, of course, my thoughts turned to food....
Jelly Donuts (or Sufganiyot) are a Chanukah tradition – Lots of Chanukah foods are fried, remembering the miracle of one day's worth of oil lasting eight days.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hanukkah#Hanukkah_foods
I crocheted a few large donuts last year and since I love miniatures, I decided to work on those. But when I was done, and had almost a dozen miniature (nickel-sized) jelly donuts, I didn't know what to do with them. They sat on my desk, rolled to the floor, took up space, haunting me. Until inspiration struck!
These are some donuts you can wear on your wrist, not on your hips. To be seen in my Etsy shop by tonight... Now, here!
Ingredients: Cotton dough and jelly, Polyfil, beads and novelty yarn sugar-coating.
Yes, it's silly. You wouldn't even know they were more than an interesting decoration on the bracelet unless you were reading this. But, why not have a little whimsy to wear?
And for some variations on how to spell “Chanukah” – check this out.
Baked some cookies this weekend. Haven’t done this in a while, made a small batch – only about 100! (That’s 200 cookies sandwiched together with jelly.) There was a 40th birthday … I just had to.
I bought this pillow for a wedding gift & I wanted to share. I thought it was so unique when I saw it on her blog, that I messaged the seller and inquired about it & sure enough, she made one for me. Rikkianne was so great to work with, and her shop Chakra Pennywhistle is so charming. (& yes, I’m going to a wedding next week!)
I often search Etsy for unique gifts, haven’t blogged about this before, though! Once in a while I’ll have an impulse purchase, but I try to keep those few and far between.
I wish I could make something as nice as Jacqueline at So Cute it Hurts! She’s been working on a wedding gift and it is so precious. Here’s a peek: 
Go look, she’s a wonderful creative artist, with her own Etsy shop, too.
What about you? What’s your first go-to for online shopping? Do you have an impulse shopping budget or price limit?
This week’s Shop of the Week is Linda B’s Beaded Jewelry, and I have to say upfront that she’s a wonderful Etsy seller! I work with Linda on the EtsyChai Team and she’s great. Here work is wonderful, too!
This necklace caught my eye, it’s so striking and bold & that’s how I like to wear my jewelry.
There’s a great interview with her over at the E.T.T. blog… and… a special! In honor of her November 1 birthday, Linda is offering a week long discount: “20% off purchases totaling $10, excluding shipping November 2 - 8” Go & celebrate with her!
Had fun at the party. But my costume wasn’t as flattering as I had hoped. I guess that’s what I get for waiting for the last minute … like trying to find snakes to wear in my hair Halloween morning, or 1/2 hour before the event, making alterations in a hotel room.
That’s as big a picture as you’re going to get here. (I really, really wasn’t happy with this.) What’s that on my head you say? A pony tail, with braids, desperately holding onto these heavy, slimy feeling snakes:
Next year I will either plan earlier or suck it up and buy a costume.
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