Last week was a busy, crafty week!
I finished making some awesome arm warmers for my good friend Mike.(I used this pattern from Lion Brand)
They turned out awesome! They are super snuggly and warm! Here's my hubby Brad modeling them ;)

(go seahawks!!)

I also made some of these pretties for my friend Emily (and in exchange she's going to make me some earrings!!)

And after about 3 times of unraveling and starting over, I made this hat for my shop.


After a trip to the craft store yesterday, I've been really inspired and have lots and lots of ideas filling my head and ready to be made. If only I didn't have to go to work this week and could stay home and create instead!
And as much as I hate to admit it and give in to it, I know the holiday season is fast approaching. I'm trying to deny Christmas and focus on Thanksgiving (we are having our very own Thanksgiving dinner this year with another couple!), I did give in and buy some felt at the store yesterday so I can make us new stockings this year!
I'm so excited!!
I hope mine will turn out this cute! (check out the Etsy shop I found this idea from: http://www.etsy.com/shop/rikrak)

A new technique

I've been working like a busy little bee lately to get my shop stocked up for the holiday season. Usually around this time of year through Christmas I see my sales double or triple, which is great. But this year I'm trying to make more of an effort to be prepared for it by making lots and lots of things.

A few weeks ago I managed a pretty decent shop update and added some hats, scarves, and buntings. I've also been busy making some custom orders for friends, which is also fun.
With my last update I tried something new. Something which I've thought of doing before, but have always been very hesitant about.... I decided to be my own model in order to get some better shots of the hats I made. Luckily my husband was happy to help out with taking the pictures and he did a great job.

Here's what we came up with:
Now I don't know about you guys, but I rather hate looking at pictures of myself. Which was why I was so scared to be my own model in the first place. But I do have to admit that the pictures look a lot better than my usual pictures of the styrofoam mannequin head as the hat model.

So, anyone want to be my hat model???? I'll pay you in candy, or baked goods, or even crocheted/knitted stuff!! ;)

Custom Bunting follow up

So I forgot to post the pictures that the mom who bought the custom made buntings from my last post sent me.

They look so cute in her new baby's room!


I don't often get to see what happens to my creations once I send them out into the world, so this is pretty special :)

I promise another update soon...it's been busy at work and home lately, but don't worry, I've been doing a lot of crafting!

a day to rest

Thank goodness I took the day off from work today...the long weekend was great, but full of wedding activities and now I am ever so tired and had lots of things to accomplish today!

(here's a pic of Brad and I at the wedding this weekend)


I just mailed out those three buntings to a mom getting ready for a new baby boy! How exciting!
I love doing custom orders!


Now it's time to get back to work on cleaning up the messes I made in my craft room!

Falling for fall

Although it's actually about 90 degrees in Chicago today (summer's last hurrah I bet!), I've been thinking about all the fun things that come with fall. We've had some cooler weather lately, and I'm already pretty excited for fall activities. I get to be in a fall wedding next week (we get to wear boots with our dresses yessssss!), get to go through a corn maze, pick apples, pumpkins! Eee!
And the thought of cooler weather definitely makes me want to burrow down in our apartment and just craft away. I even started knitting myself a scarf in this beautiful pumpkin orange yarn - I can hardly wait to wear it!



A few weeks ago I made this wreath for my best friend:

I've seen them all over Etsy and thought that it looked simple enough for me to give it a go. And it turned out great! Now I need to make one for our apartment. I'm thinking they would make some really great Christmas presents as well (yes, I've already begun to think of the holiday season ;)


Last week I started and finished my first ever crocheted pillow case. I also finished another but the weather was too gloomy over the weekend to take a decent photo. I'm excited with how they both turned out and have lots of ideas for others!

Now I'm off to enjoy the last of summer's warmth! ;)

a crafty wedding

Oops...I've been a bit neglectful in my blogging. It's been nonstop wedding planning and wedding related activities during the last few weeks, which has been keeping me quite busy!

This past weekend we went to my dear co-worker Dina's wedding, and had an absolute blast!

Here's Brad, me, and my other co-worker Emily at the wedding

Tomorrow I'm taking a little mini vacation back to Michigan to go pick up my wedding dress on Friday. On the way I'll get to spend some time with one of my bridesmaids her adorable pup! Then I get to see my mom and spend some time with my aunt, who is throwing me a bridal shower in a few weeks! It should be a lovely time :)


This is what I've been working on in the meantime....and yes, it is wedding related. Of course!

these will be made into a banner to hang at the reception hall

pinwheels! (i won't reveal just what these are for yet...)

There is still so much to do, but I have to admit I'm having fun with the crafty things!

successes & failures

This long weekend we've been super productive, and also super lazy, which sounds crazy but it happened!
And I'm trying to remember that right now, as I'm feeling rather sorry for myself because my latest attempt at sewing something ended up a miserable failure. Apparently, I'm terrible at cutting fabric to the right size...oops. :(
Well, no more feeling sorry for myself, because I've got lots of other great things to talk about.
Such as:
- Finally unpacking, organizing, cleaning, and decorating up my little craft room
-Almost finishing (minus the assembly) another pretty crocheted garland
-Hemming another set of curtains and hanging them up in our kitchen (Brad helped me with this!)
-Getting around to taking proper pictures of my pretty doilies and posting them in my shop.
-Picking up some adorable and cheap (only $3!) paper flowers from Target for hanging up in my craft room
-Drinking some yummy margaritas and stopping at our favorite ice cream place for a mint chocolate chip (my favorite!) cone
-Spending lots of quality time with Brad and kitty Brandon :)

Hmmm, I'd say it's been a successful weekend. I guess one failed project doesn't seem so bad when I compare it to my list of accomplishments!

craft room in progress....

Turtles and doilies

Last week's project was actually a little modification of the oh-so-pretty turtle dress I bought from my favorite store Anthropologie last week. I plan to wear it at our wedding shower on Saturday.
The sleeves were a little too big so I took them in a few inches and now it fits perfectly! The weather is supposed to be pretty warm this weekend, too - so excited! Now I just need some cute shoes to wear with it...hmm.

I also crocheted some doilies kind of like this:
for a little something I am working on.

Now I think I will go sit outside during my lunch break and enjoy the first day of sunshine we've had all week! :)

(Photo credit)

Week 18

Today I'm taking a much needed personal day. Getting caught up on my Etsy shop, doing a little shopping (I definitely bought a pretty dress today...), cleaning the apartment, snuggling with kitty on the couch.....and it's only 3:30! Love it!

Last week's projects included hemming our beautiful new Ikea curtains and making a pretty little flower garland for the shop!

It's hard to tell from the picture, but these curtains have an adorable flowery print!

And the fun and festive flower garland! I think I need to make one of these for our apartment...hmm ;)

A few nights ago I sat myself down in our still-cluttered craft room, shut the door, and brainstormed for about 45 minutes about new projects I want to make. It was wonderful!
Never before have I been able to sit down in my own room dedicated to creating and feel so inspired! Now I just need to find the time to make all of this stuff!

Week 17

Last night I sat down to crochet for the first time in (GASP!) over a week! What with all of the moving madness, I wasn't able to squeeze in much time last week for any crafting. I did get in a little time last Monday night I think, but I am sad to report I wasn't able to finish anything.
Hopefully I will be able to make up for it this week by making 2 things! In my new craft room! Um, once it gets all set up and organized that is. ;)

Anyhow, sitting down to crochet last night, I slowly felt all of the stress from the last few weeks melting away a little bit. It's amazing how my ability to fit in crafting time into my schedule really affects my mood and stress levels!

The move went well on Saturday, and although we still have a TON of things to finish unpacking, arranging, and decorating, we are absolutely loving the new place so far! So much space, natural light (this one is soo important!), and hardwood floors! Yay!

I will leave you with some pictures of our adorable (and goofy) kitty Brandon enjoying the new apartment ;)

Week 12

Last week I made a little something for me!

A pretty and simple leafy headband. I love it so much and have already worn it quite a few times!

This is such a simple project that I think some of you out there could make this yourself!
Here's the pattern:

• Chain 103
• Turn, single crochet in 2nd chain from hook and in next 11 chains
• Now go back to making chains. Chain 79 (by this time you will be equal with end of the first row of chains you made)
  
• 1 single crochet in each of the next chains (from the first row of chain you completed). The single crochets are made to tie the headband around your head.
• Fasten off and weave in ends

Leaves:

• Chain 9
• 1 single crochet in 2nd chain from hook, 1 double crochet in next 3 chain, 1 sc in next ch, 1 slip stitch in next ch, 3 slip stitches in last chain
• flip to the opposite side of the foundation chain and work the following stitches: 1 slip stitch, 1 sc in next 2 ch, 1 dc in next 3 ch, 1 sc in next ch.
• Fasten off

Now attach your leaves to the headband!
This pattern can be made with just about any type of yarn and hook. :)

Week 11

If I could sum up the last week in just 1 word I think it would be....

hats...

hats...

and more hats!

I think I'll try for something different this week ;)

Week 10

In preparation for moving, I am getting in the spirit of making decorations. Inspired by this blog post, I crocheted a banner to hang up in our new apartment! I can't wait to hang it up in our new living room, and may even add some embellishments to it :)

I also ordered felted wool beads from Etsy:
So I can make these:

I'm loving the spring weather we are having here in Chicago, and am definitely gravitating toward BRIGHT spring COLORS!

Week 9

Despite a week that I can only describe as emotionally trying, I still managed to get a bit of work done. In between marathons of Friday Night Lights and searching for a new apartment (yes, we have decided to move 2 months before our wedding....yes, we are crazy), I crocheted, snapped pictures (because it was actually SUNNY and WARM a few days last week), and picked up my knitting needles.

My results: a new hat for the shop and a pair of wristwarmers (actually I made these last week but wasn't able to take pictures due to the dreariness outside)


Although I'm quite stressed out and nervous about the impending move, there is a really bright, shiny, lining! This new apartment has an office! Which means, I will finally get a crafting room/space! I'm already dreaming of ways to decorate it.
I just have to get through the next month and a half of craziness and lots of things to do...but at least I have my motivation now ;)

Week 8 (two months yes!!)

Another busy week behind me, and another hat in the shop. This one is similar to one I made before in a different color. I'm trying to make more of an effort to make "collections" for my Etsy shop, to create a more cohesive look, rather than have just a bunch of random stuff in there.
We'll see how it works out.


I also made a pair of wristwarmers similar to these:
But unfortunately it has been dark and gloomy for the past week, and I haven't been able to take any pictures. Today is the first sunny day we've had in almost a week!!
I know it's only the beginning of March, and am sure that winter isn't over yet, but I can't help but long for sunny warm days that come in spring.
I think my computer desktop is making me think spring as well ;)

(Photo Credit)

But for now, time to get back to work. I'll have to settle for daydreaming about bike riding, going to the park, and taking long walks for no reason ;)

Week 7

Last week was rough...I was forced to do a lot of unraveling. Apparently making a scarf with ruffles requires much more yarn than I thought, and no matter how I changed the pattern or swapped out the yarn or hook, I was always left with not enough yarn to finish.
So I unraveled a total of 3 scarves last week....leaving me with one finished scarf. But now, looking back on the finished product, I'm considering taking it apart, too.

See, I was hoping it would turn out like this:

Or maybe this:

But it falls a little flat and turned out like this:
So I think it's back to the drawing board on this one. I'll wait a week or so and let my frustration fade away before having another go at it.
I'll be working extra hard this week to make up for last week's lack of a lasting product. Project # 1 already completed!

New season....new blog!!

So I've decided to create a blog detailing my creative and crafty endeavors, mostly for my own purposes, but also to show others what I am up to. This will be my place to post inspirations, ideas, wishes, and document my progress with certain projects that I am working on.
Perhaps I will occasionally write about other things as well...we'll see how things go!

So to start things off...I just finished this pretty and flowery scarf.
(based on a pattern I found http://www.lionbrand.com/patterns/80995AD.html?noImages=).



I'm hoping to buy a dress form or mannequin sometime soon so I can take better pictures of scarves and things. I think something like this would enable me to show off my creations in a better way:
If there is one thing I struggle with in terms of running my Etsy shop...it is definitely taking the pictures. I've seen some online tutorials for making a light box, so I may look into doing that some day as well.
http://www.planetjune.com/blog/light-tent-for-better-product-photography/

Anyways, here is what I'm currently working on:

I just need to sew in a lining and attach handles and this will a really cute purse!
More updates to come....