Incapabilities

Bad carpal tunnel =

1. Lack of posts
2. Cannot crochet

This is saddening! :(

We-lephant-day

You may not know this, but I'm a huge elephant fan. There really is no reason to this - other than maybe I had some hidden love for "Dumbo" when I was a child that went unnoticed; doubtfully the answer. Whilst hubby and I have only begun trying to conceive very recently, it's great to be able to indulge in goo-goo ga-gaing over baby things. Needless to say, whichever gender comes first of our line of children (I pray there is a line of them), someone is having an elephant theme. Without further ado, I bring you some too cute (and maybe wonderful mommy) Etsy findings on elephants!

Just like my unknown obsession over elephants, I have a matching cliche obsession with skeleton keys. HOW PERFECT IS THIS!?

By SeeSoul

Fantastical, beautiful and yet still really adorable. I really appreciate this kind of artwork for children.

By SaraYard

Perhaps I can convince hubby during home decor month that $30 is totally worth this pillow (which is exactly matching to our color schemes!)

By CWestPillows



Warning: You may die from over cuteness.

By rkdsign88

Through the long lines of too cute elephant bibs, I found myself loving this adorable one...

By julianneoriginals

I couldn't make my mind up from this adorable decal, or the decal growth chart. (If we have a boy, we're naming him Noah and his theme will be... Noah's Ark :))

By circlelinestudio

By willowcreeksigns

Or, I could be cheap and go with something like these adorable safari animals!

By smileywalls

Holy schmole! Mama (or...erm... soon to be?) likes!

By alamodeplease

Who could have a baby boy without having some good old-fashioned wooden rolling toys? Appease mommy with an elephant one!

By womanwoodworker

This is perhaps the cutest pocket mirror for your purse that I have ever seen!

By Iszle

The Good Kind of Busy

I'm REALLY happy because I was accepted as a member into the Etsy Hookers Team :) They seem like a great bunch of girls to chat up with, and I cannot wait to be able to sit down and fiddle more on their website.

The past few days have been really busy. Hubby has decided that this is the month we fix up our cars. We're preparing the way in case a new baby comes along soon :) Today we picked up his car after it had a look over by Chevy, and I have to schedule an appointment for mine in Denver - a 5-6 hour drive :( It'll be a day thing, but I'm not looking forward to it at all. In any case, tomorrow we get our windshields replaced after the rocks from the wretched South Dakota winds decided to rampage our glass. Finally - to drive without a huge crack!

The winner of Mama's Little Monkey's blog giveaway was Etsy user CreateMeACanvas! :) She has ordered a custom monkey standing at 15" tall when finished. I've begun working on it and am excited to send it off to her!

Unfortunately because we've been so busy (but good busy) I haven't had time to create anything new, except for the winner's monkey. I hope all is well in crochet land!

- Brittany

You're Just a "Mommy Blogger"

Alright, I know I just posted on the CPSIA hearing cancelled, but I read another blog entry by Rick Woldenberg and I am absolutely outraged. I'm not (yet) a mother, but if you are, and you blog (and you're running a small business) please read this and be enraged: Click here.

CPSIA - Small Business Meeting CANCELLED

Say what?

Yes. The hearings on CPSIA by the Subcommittee on Regulations and Healthcare of the House Committee on Small Business have cancelled their meetings. I'm not sure why, as I just heard this news and knew that it needed immediate reporting to other Etsians and handmade artisans. Please read the blog entry by Rick Woldenberg, the Chairmen of Learning Resources Inc., in Illinois.

Still Winter

Since it's still winter, and Audrey's birthday is coming up on March 1st (she'll be 5!) I wanted to search Etsy for some wonderful gift ideas.

Click on the picture to be taken to that store!

"Dog Cowl"
Made by forthetiny.etsy.com

* * *

The Cathedral of Notre Dog
Made by homedog.etsy.com

* * *
Melrose White Dog Collar
by nolaandspencers.etsy.com

* * *

Rockabilly Hot Pink Black Polka Dot Dog Puppy Hair Bow
by ProperPuppy.etsy.com

Tutorial: Fabric Lining in Crocheted Handbag

Found an awesome tutorial from FutureGirl that shows you how to sew the lining for a crocheted purse/handbag and how to sew it ONTO the actual bag. I wish someone would have told me before I had to make a bazillion errors!

Click here for the tutorial on lining.
Click here for the tutorial on sewing it ONTO the bag.

Purities @ Etsy

Apparently I am this weeks featured Giveaway Artist on this blog entry! :) Yay! What can you win? $25 gift certificate at Blue Wings, and a free soap from my new soap shop Purities! If you ask me, it's a fantastic deal. All you have to do is comment on the entry with your favorite item from EITHER shop (or both) and you are entered to win in the contest. It's amazing. It's easy. And ... you better do it :)

I'm still working on the Noah's Ark blanket for my friend. I've been a bit lazy in the crochet world, but I'm getting pumped back up. Soap making has gotten me a bit pre-occupied but I'm missing crochet like crazy. Today I bought a few skeins from Vanna White at Michaels for a throw I'm going to make for our home. The one my mama bought for us is coming apart after just a year of using it, despite it being $80 at Hobby Lobby, and so I'm determined to replace it with something homemade. The love will warm us up more than the other one, I figure :)

Got some beautiful rose scented soaps coming up today at Purities.etsy.com. They're gorgeous. My guest bathroom smells like a huge bouquet of fresh roses, and I'm sad to have to give the soaps away just because they smell so lush. Some of them feature dried rose petals (thanks hubby for the roses for V-day! You've given me petals for my soaps! LOL) and they just look... wonderful. I'm being humble, that's how wonderful they look - lol.

So go! Run! check them out!! :)

NEW SOAP SHOP:
Purities.etsy.com

Just Another Day in Paradise

One of my husband's co-workers found out his wife is pregnant. I love this girl and am so happy for her! She has been trying to conceive for a good few years now, and I know that she is so happy about this. I normally don't push my crocheting out on people that he works with (as some of them think of it as "granny hobby") but since we're good enough friends, I know how much she and her husband will appreciate this.

My husband and I weren't yet trying to conceive when I found this wonderful Noah's Ark blanket from Crochet! May 2008. I was eagerly awaiting for one of the wives, or a friend, to tell me that they were pregnant so that I could make this for somebody! I needed to make this for SOMEONE because I couldn't wait long enough to make it for when I get pregnant, lol. I just think this is the absolute cutest blanket in the entire world. So... I've begun the ocean part and am pretty much finished with the blue (ocean) part of the blanket. As cute as it is, I think it's fairly easy. It's basically just a wave pattern for the blanket, and with all my amigurumi training, I feel so confident once I reach the point of making the boat and animals. However, it will be the first time I'm attaching something to a blanket so we will see how that goes...

Since I'm finally finished with the wholesale order of The Claire Doll, I have had a ton of free time to create new things in time for Easter. I've posted up a Breast Cancer awareness ribbon which I have NO problem accepting wholesale orders for and giving a hefty discount per ribbon for. If we had a little bit more money (ha!) I would do it for free since it's for a great cause. In any case, I've finished the Claire Doll's and would like to tell you guys about the website she'll be featured at!

The lady has yet to post the website up, as she is still working on the entirety of it (do you guys remember how hard it is to make up a new website from scratch!?). I have the link, so check back for it ;-)

I've had this idea in my head for a while now and am not sure if I want to do it. And if I do create it... should I sell it or just give it to a family member's kid? There's push music buttons you can purchase, and I bought one just for this idea. Once pressed it sings, "Jesus Loves Me". Can you guess? Yes, I want to make a Jesus amigurumi! I would like to do it entirely from my own pattern. I can see it in my head! What do you think?

Aside from that, I need to get to listing up the tiny amigurumi sheep I made. It's from luxuriously fuzzy yarn which was HIGHLY difficult to crochet with, seeing as I can't see the darned stitches with that stuff. But the end result is oh-so-cute!

Creative Christmas

Christmas is always fun, but I was especially ecstatic this year with anticipation. Unlike in my childhood, this anticipation came from giving my mother a crocheted nativity set. I wasn't as thrilled with the outcome, then again am I ever?! :)




Thankfully I had come up with the idea of making my cousin's little girl a look alike doll. Steadily I worked on The Claire Doll before the 1st of January (her birthday). Fortunately I also received a wholesale order for The Claire Doll because the lady thought it was so cute! :) Of course this makes me so happy, and I do hope that other little girls enjoy the doll thoroughly.

Other new items have kept me busy as well. I would love to start a new Eco-Friendly line of household items and perhaps one day fashion! (*gasp* yes, I'm studying how to actually make clothing!) So for now Etsy is only embellished with two of my Eco-Friendly items. The bath set (with a free pouf!) and the washcloths. I'm working on some beautiful yellow ones for the springtime, which are fantastically soft!

There's a few more orders I've got to work on, so I really must be going. I do hope you visit the store in time for spring!

- Brittany

Fuschia Debut

I believe it's about time for a bit of an update, as I've pretty much left any readers stranded after the welcome message, lol.  

Of course I will always be obsessed with making amigurumi, but my newfound love is the sewing machine my mama passed down to me when I got married.  Purses, aprons, pillows, dresses, skirts... I'm attempting them all!  I love it, and I have recently been incorporating them into two new purse designs which are being sold on my Etsy shop.  

 

I absolutely love that fuschia purse. I really do. 

 It's hard for me to put it up for sale, but oh I must!  After purchasing my husband's birthday gift, I'm determined to at least pay for half of it (can't tell ya in case you tell him! :P)

I'd show you the other picture, however it's a surprise gift for my mama and I could see her browsing over to the blog and having a look at it before she opens it in a few days!

Today I'll be working on an Alchemy order for leg warmers for a Chihuahua.  I imagine they'll work up quickly since their legs are precious and tiny!

Did a wonderful trade off with Etsy seller ZenDesignStudios.  I made her (and her daughter) Agatha's Celebration in trade of a business logo (see it decking the blog?) and business cards which I'm ECSTATIC to see!  Connie does an absolutely excellent job at computer designing, and I completely recommend her to anybody looking for logos, cards, or help with revamping your 'sites.

In other news, Harriet is... not okay.  Waiting on test results today for her, erm... poo-poo.  Excessive diarrhea has us terribly worried, and thus have resulted in locking her into the upstairs bathroom so she doesn't possibly infect our dog and other cat.  

Until next time, have a wonderful day and go look at my shop for some wonderful Christmas gifts :)  

Welcome All!

I should begin with a welcome message, don't you guys think?

Firstly, welcome! :o)  My name is Brittany and this is a blog that will be discussing all the projects I've got in store and/or am working on, every idea that hits my over-buzzing mind, ways that I spend the money I make from selling my items (you'll find that it's actually practical), and-and-and-and... insight into the artist's mind?  Perhaps ;-)

If you must know about me, the actual self, I am a 21-year-old wife living in South Dakota, much thanks to the United States Air Force for that.  Originally born in Ipswich, England, I was the daughter of a pastor in the USAF who decided to get out and as a family we made our merry way back to the States when I was 3.  From the age of 3 until about 10 I lived and derive most of my personality from Cleveland, Ohio.  My father's job ended up moving us to Jacksonville, Florida where I remained until marrying my wonderful, handsome, loving husband who is in the USAF.

Even though hubby (dear husband/DH, I refer to him as) was mostly raised suburbian/country, and I was more city/suburbian, we've both been raised with old fashioned morals which allows me to be a stay at home wife (I actually LIKE the occupational title of housewife, thank you!) and coddle and clean.  Coddle the animals, I mean.  Not the home.

Speaking of the little furry fuzz balled devils...

Audrey is my Yorkshire Terrier and I received her for my graduation from high school gift.  She's my pride and joy :o)  Hehe.  I adore her immensely.  Luckily, she is never experienced a bad life.

Emma is our first animal as a couple.  I rescued her from the Black Hills Humane Society in 2007 upon first moving to South Dakota.  We don't really know what type of cat she is, but we're more than sure there's some bit of Siamese in there as she's VERY vocal!  Emma is now a diva, but very much a tomboy at heart.  Currently she is attempting to discover how she can stand on top of the ceiling.  Yes, you read that correctly.

Harriet is our rescue kitty.  We're not quite sure how old she is, but we'd wager alongside her vet that she's 6-8 months old.  Harriet is the newbie in the home.  One night my DH and I were standing in our garage when a stray kitty came up meowing like crazy to us.  We're used to outdoor cats living on base, so we just said hello and expected she'd run away like all the rest. OH BUT NO.  She ran up to us, very funnily, as she can't run very fast and look normal, and rubbed her bean head on our knees (at this time we were crouching to pet her) and nearly got on her own little knees and begged us for attention.  It was dark, so we had not seen it until I pet her on the neck and felt a huge 2"x2" gash on the back of her dainty little neck.  Immediately we knew that we had to take her in - if not to just care for her until a new owner.  However, she quickly grew on us (say... 1 hour, lol) and we decided to keep her.

As newlyweds, and in the military, we do not make a lot of money.  We live comfortably (though this city girl has had to SERIOUSLY restrain herself from shopping.  period. at all!) but bringing in another animal into the home was dangerously pushing the paycheck.  

After many days and a few appointments later, Harriet is fairly healthy.  She's gained a considerable amount of weight (at her age she was only 5 lbs.) and is slowly learning to play with Audrey and Emma.  She's quite the cuddle bug and loves to lounge all day and attempt to eat absolutely anybody and everybody's food.  She doesn't care who it is, what you're eating, or how much you tell her no... she wants it badly, lol.

Onto the bit about my shop! :)  

On this website - that is absolutely fantastic - called Etsy, I sell my products made from crocheting.  Now don't stop reading because you immediately get a granny picture in your head twiddling up doilies and such.  No, this ain't yo' grannies crochet, I assure you.  Visual stimuli is muchly needed for many members of modern society who do not believe it, so have a look at my very own shop called Blue Wings at http://bluewings.etsy.com.  You'll love it, I assure you :)