little rascal.

I came home from work this afternoon & headed out to my porch to check if the plants needed some watering. What do I find? This mess of bird seeds spread out on the porch & that's not the end of the bag the seeds are supposed to be coming out of...

Who made this mess? The little birdies, starved for seeds? No! This little rascal! As soon as I stepped over the mess he scurried around the porch and on to my stairs & proceeded to attempt to stare me down. 

"Whatever did I do wrong? You're the one who left the delicious seeds out on the porch for all to partake of." 

He had chewed a hole in the bottom of the bag and proceeded to pick out his favorites, little chubby trickster! I'm not even sure how he'd figured out there was bird seed to be had up here! My porch is no where near any trees so he would have had to scurry up the stairs to find these goodies & gnaw through the bag. I'm sure he was having a blast till I came along and ruined all the fun. 

It did give me a pretty good laugh. And I'm glad he held still long enough for me to snap a quick mug shot. So if you see this little thief, let me know! He owes me some bird seed!

how much is that doggie?

I couldn't be more excited! My mini collaboration with one of my fellow Artfire artisans - SpoiledBratzWear has resulted in this adorably designed doggie vest. Yup, those are my crochet flowers dotting this great vest. Doesn't it just have a great spring feel?! I am completely wishing I had a dog of my own to sport this adorable creation. 

When the crochet flowers were ordered from my shop I didn't really know what the plan was for them, but seeing this finished product I couldn't be happier. So I simply had to share this doggie couture with all of you and introduce you to SpoiledBratzWear. Even if you don't have a dog of your own, it's just fun to look around the shop at all the great outfits she offers and see the adorable pictures of her own (rescued!) puppies. I can't wait to have the opportunity to work with this artisan again!

So please head on over to this shop & let her know what a great job she did & maybe pick up something for the dog in your life! 

Bijoux Designs for You

Bijoux Designs is a great studio on Artfire that offers some beautiful jewelry at amazingly affordable prices. With Mother's Day just around the corner, this place is a quick, one-stop shop where you can pick up something for all the wonderful ladies in your life. 

I've selected a couple of my favorites from the shop, but there's so many more I wish I had the space to share. Gorgeous necklaces, bookmarks, earrings & more offered in great collections like Fancy, Beachy, and Funky. This mother/daughter team even makes it easy for you with a section in the shop dedicated to Mom!

There definitely is something for everyone in this shop! This shop has definitely become one of my favorites to drool over on Artfire. I just need to find some excuses to buy myself some wonderful new goodies. And with these prices you don't need much of an excuse - surviving another Monday seems like a good enough one to me! 

So drop by Bijoux Designs and check out all the goodies they has to offer.

friday spotlight: tangerine

So good you could almost eat it up!

Click the pictures for more information on each item.

happy earth day!

This Earth day, enjoy some great eco-friendly or upcycled handmade items! All kind to the earth, all unique & handmade. It's a win-win situation if you ask me!

Happy Earth Day!

pamper yourself pretty.

Sometimes there really is nothing better after a long, busy day than slipping into a pair of luxuriously soft slippers. Wiggling your toes around comfortably while you lay back and relax is a perfect way to unwind. A few pairs of the slippers I've been working on lately are just the thing to achieve this feeling - I can imagine they'd feel like walking on air they are so smooth & soft!

I have to say I really enjoy playing with yarn

 textures to achieve different looks, but some of my favorite slippers always end up being the ones that feel so soft & fuzzy! They not only have a unique look, but they are a delight to crochet. Having the smooth yarn run through my fingers is probably just as delightful as relaxing at home in the final product.

The new slippers in the shop do have a wonderful silky texture in common, but have whole different attitudes. One (pictured above) is a beautiful, feminine pink, while the other is a bit spunky & funky in a playful lime green. Both are fun new additions to the shop and are now available with all my other mary janes. 

And if you're looking for an easy way to pamper yourself besides my slippers, you have to head on over to ShineYourHineySoaps. How can you resist that name? These soaps not only get your hiney quite shiney, but also come in wonderfully indulgent scents like Cinnamon Vanilla Coffee. I bet you could almost eat this soap right up! ShineYourHiney is a great shop that has soap and bath accessories for any age. If you've got a little one that needs some washing, you have to check out her crocheted bath mitt monsters. They are sure to brighten up any bath with their great bright colors and fun designs. There's also silk lotion, wonderful smelling bath salts, and shower gels in any scent you can imagine. These soaps would make great handmade additions to guest bathrooms or wonderful welcoming gifts. 

djStoreRoom

djStoreRoom is a great shop on Artfire that offers hand sewn pouches, vintage supplies, and other great treasures. My favorite in her shop are her zippered pouches! They are the perfect thing for holding all the spare things that are always rolling around the bottom of your purse & they make it super easy to find your phone, keys, chapstick, money, etc. when you are searching for it. Plus they come is some of the cutest designs and wonderful bright colors. It's almost a sin to pass these things up! They would make great stocking stuffers come Christmas, so get a head start and buy up some now quick!

Along with her pouches, this shop also offers a step-by-step tutorial on how to make your own! If the sewing bug has caught you, you should definitely give this tutorial a try. She has two types: one for her zippered pouches and one for pouches with a wrist strap. And with the great prices you can afford to give both a try. The pouches look so adorable that you simply can't resist. And it gives us fabric junkies a reason to head off to the store and pick up a few spare yards of cute new fabric. You'll be making your own great pouches in no time!

So head over to her shop and check her out! She even offers free international shipping on her products and free gift wrapping. You can't pass this offer up.

bookmark it!

Just in time for Mother's Day, I am introducing these new flower bookmarks in both the Artfire and Etsy shops. 

The bookmarks feature a fun flower with a glass bead accent in the center. The flower rests on top of the book's spine, while the three strands of yarn below easily keep the place in any sized book. 

It's a fun, feminine way to mark your place. Not to mention unique and colorful! It would also make a great handmade addition to cards (like Mother's Day cards!).

An assortment of colors will be available in the shop soon. But Mother's Day is coming up fast and there's only a limited number of shipping days left to ensure your one-of-a-kind, handmade gift will make it in time, so custom order a great crochet flower bookmark in Mom's favorite color today! Direct shipping to Mom's house is available at no extra charge along with my customary gift wrapping. 

These bookmarks are great for any occasion, though! Toss one in a 'Thank You' or 'Get Well Soon' card - it'll be a gift that won't quickly be forgotten. It's a great way to say 'I'm thinking of you!". 

These and more available in my Artfire and Etsy shop! Check them out today.

AccessoriesByGottjoy

This is a shop you just can't afford to miss! AccessoriesByGottjoy is a treasure trove of gorgeous, amazing finds of all sorts. Every single one of them is gorgeously made. The range of items you'll find in this shop is slightly mind blowing! You can find great jewelry (like what I've displayed here), along with wine stoppers, fan pulls, ball point pens, key rings, and more! Everything is a treat for your eyes to look at! If you are looking for a tasteful, well priced gift for a friend then this shop definitely has you covered. You'll be able to find something for everyone for all occasions.

And if you see something you'd like, but need customized she also does custom orders. So be sure to drop by this beautiful studio and let her know how great the work is! And let her know Brandy of Broken Hallelujah sent you. 

taking it forward.

Lately new ideas for headband styles have been taking up most of my time. I always try to rework things to see how far I can go creatively with a single idea. And thanks to some inspiration sparked by my friend Fran (who has a wonderful embroidery shop that you really need to check out) I've come up with some new ideas for my original three-strand headband.

Fran was really instrumental in the construction of the braided headband I've developed. It's three strands like the other headbands, all a single, different color braided together to produce a very clean, sophisticated look. Playing with color combinations has been a lot of fun and I'm really looking forward to trying out a few more. I've already got a couple braided headbands listed in both the Artfire and Etsy shops. 

Another look I've been playing with this weekend is similar to the original three-strand look, but plays with more color. These headbands have been designed to have a playful but clean look. The colors of the headband alternate with the middle strand being a separate, matching color to the outer bands. The combinations for this design are endless (well, it would be if my yarn supply was endless. A girl can dream.). I think it is definitely a playful look, yet still sophisticated because of the slightly muted color combinations that are both great for us "grown-ups" and kids, alike. 

These redesigns come just in time for Mother's Day, too. I think these headbands would make fun, handmade gifts for moms of any age! And custom orders are always welcome should you have a specific color combination you'd like to see. Want to use Mom's favorite color? No problem! And for $7 a pop you can afford to buy a little gift for yourself, too. 

All my headbands can be found on both Artfire and Etsy. Be sure to order soon to guarantee items arrive in time.