Snowflake Pillows

Snowy blue fleece + mini crocheted doilies + stuffing = snowflake pillows to gift as gifts this winter! ♥

Cowgirl Booties

THANK YOU to my friend Tamara of Crochet With Tamara (who lives in my city . . . lucky me!) for making these adorable cowgirl booties for our newest granddaughter, Emily. Tamara had my order ready in a couple of days, and she even made an extra pair so Emily will have both newborn AND size 3-6 months boots to wear. My husband is a cowboy at heart, and this is his favorite gift for all the new little ones in the family, so we feel blessed to have met Tamara through WordPress. If you love to crochet, you’ll love Tamara’s blog! ♥

I won a beautiful crocheted clutch!

Look at this GORGEOUS clutch crocheted by Sarah of Photosarah Crafts! She had a recent giveaway, and I was the lucky winner! I love the color combination, and Sarah’s work is impeccable. Please check out her blog for all sorts of fun projects, like pouches, scarves and mittens, bunting, baby clothes, cards, and quilts. You are one talented lady, Sarah! ♥

Tiny Christmas Pillows for Pillows A-La-Mode!

Look what I got in the mail this week! My sweet bloggy friend Sharon of Gentlestitches sent these lovely, handmade pillow ornaments for my Christmas tree all the way from Victoria, Australia to Kansas, USA! I just love them! If you haven’t had a chance to visit Sharon’s blog yet, please go take a look . . . she even has a page full of free patterns! Thank you, dear Sharon! ♥

Frilly Scarf

Looky what I made! As you may know, I haven’t learned to knit or crochet yet (although my first wonky attempt at crochet DID turn into a super-cute pillow!). However, on Thanksgiving weekend my daughter-in-law Tiffany showed me how to make this frilly scarf out of the Sashay yarn I won from Ginny’s spring giveaway. The lace is already part of the yarn, so all I had to do was crochet through the openings at the top . . . easy even for me! I found out that the back of the yarn wrapper has directions for this same scarf, but it was way better to see someone model the steps in person. Thank you, Ginny and Tiffany! ♥

I Love Pink!

I had so much fun on Saturday at the Kansas Barn Sale! (See FB photos here.) We drove out to a beautiful farm near Hesston, Kansas where the organizers, Beki and Stacee, offered dozens of  amazing art and vintage booths as well as live music and all kinds of delicious food. I made a purchase . . . a gorgeous pink hand-crocheted scarf made by one of the vendors, my friend Tamara of Crochet with Tamara (click here to see her posting about it on her blog) . . . aaaaaaaaand the pattern was designed by my friend Jill of Nice Piece of Work (click here to see some other versions)! How cool is THAT??? It was chilly enough to wear it around at the sale, and I got lots of lovely compliments on it. Thank you, Tamara and Jill! ♥

I Met A Blogger!

Through Jill of Nice Piece of Work (clear in South Africa, and the creator of my adorable owl pillow!) I found out that a lovely blogger named Tamara of Crochet With Tamara lives in my city!  I emailed her, and we met for coffee on Saturday morning at Panera.

The moment I laid eyes on Tamara’s merry smile and bag of crocheted items for show and tell, I felt like I’d known her my whole life! Tamara is such a talented lady, too, including being president of the Wichita Crochet Guild. And . . . I’m going to sign up for her crochet class at Twist!

Tamara also gave me this GORGEOUS crocheted doily . . . something I’ll cherish always. Thank you for the fun outing, Tamara, and here’s to many more! ♥

Owl Pillow . . . Thank You, Jill!

How cute is this pillow??? I won it in Jill’s giveaway at Nice Piece of Work and it *flew* all the way from South Africa to Kansas, USA! I just love the colors and the touches of crochet, and I even found this beautiful crocheted heart tucked in its wing!  Jill has more owl cushion covers (including one just like mine!) in her Jam Tarts SA Etsy shop, as well as several other cushions, crocheted slippers, a gorgeous needlepoint vest (aka waistcoat),  and some fun embroidery kits. Please give her store a visit from this post or anytime from my Shop Love! page above. Thank you, Jill!

P.S.  My owl cushion will look PERFECT in the guest room with my David Bromstad Owl Print! I just checked, and the free printable version is still available here. (Scroll down to the bottom of the page to the word “click” to get the pdf.)

AMAZING Yarn . . . Thank You, Ginny!

My blogging friends are definitely giving me a big boost in the I-really-want-to-learn-to-knit-and-crochet department these days! First, Orit sent her amazing pdf tutorials to review. Then Ginny of My Time Stitching drew my name out of a bowl for her recent yarn giveaway! Isn’t it just gorgeous? I love the names, too, and they’re SUPER soft and have such lovely, unique textures. You MUST check out Ginny’s amazing floss storage cabinet when you visit her blog . . you’ll swoon! Here’s a photo of my new yarn in my favorite expensive free wire tray.  Thank you, Ginny! ♥

How to Crochet . . . Jewelry!

As you know from my Lucky Save post, I’m still in preschool as a crocheter! So when my blogging friend Orit Hadad asked me to review her “How to Crochet Jewelry” pdfs, I confessed that I was sadly lacking in both crochet and jewelry-making skills. However, Orit replied that this made me the perfect candidate, because her pdfs give step-by-step directions in crochet as well as jewelry techniques, so they would help me with my yarn projects, too! Then I was delighted to help, especially since I’ve long admired Orit’s gorgeous crocheted rings, earrings, and pendants in her Etsy shop. So please feast your eyes on the amazing earrings above, and then check out her jewelry and pdf patterns here. But first, let me summarize what I found in my review:

• Orit currently has three pdf tutorials that you can buy separately or as a set: How to Make Crochet Beads, How to Make Crochet Earrings, and How to Make Crochet Rings. (Seriously, you HAVE to click on these last three links to see close ups of Orit’s amazing work!)
• The crochet technique works for all types and colors of stones, so you can add variety to your designs.
• Orit recommends beginning with simple craft wire and then moving on to fine wires after you feel comfortable with the technique.
• She includes a materials list and step-by-step directions supported with close-up, full-color photographs and interspersed with text boxes containing helpful tips.
• Orit was right . . . I CAN learn to crochet with yarn using her instructions, so maybe crocheting a pendant someday isn’t an impossible dream for me after all!

Oh, and Orit is getting ready for a GIVEAWAY featuring one of her lovely creations, so stay tuned to her blog! And you can find her any time from my Shop Love! page above. ♥

DIY Play Tent

Dave and I collaborated on an indoor/outdoor and foldable/take-apartable/storable play tent for a special birthday boy using a tutorial from Gemma of Gembobs Crafts. Check out her beautiful crocheted version here! The fabric for ours is “Red River II Stripe Blue” from Fabric.com, and two and one-half yards of 45-inch wide fabric was a PERFECT fit. It was easy and fun and we’re ready to make more! Thank you, Gemma! ♥

A Lucky Save!

Not long ago, I had a brave moment and decided to try crocheting. I got pictures to look at and lots of tips from family and friends. I already had some beautiful reddish yarn and a crochet hook. I made the chain and then dug in. I did it! Yay! I got to the end of the first row and added another row . . . and another . . . and another. “This isn’t so hard,” I congratulated myself.

Then I spread it all out and looked at what I’d made so far. Instead of a rectangle, it was an arch! Oops! I guess I added a stitch or two on every new row! But since it was my first try, AND I love the yarn, AND it looked pretty even in its wonkiness, AND it reminded me of the red soil on the farm where I grew up, I decided to make something out of it.

The picture slowly grew in my mind: a red hill covered in grass and wildflowers with a bright blue sky and bright yellow sun. So I dug through my remnants and . . .

• found some blue canvas duck for the pillow squares
• handstitched my piece of crochet at the bottom of the pillow front,
• found some yellow canvas duck and appliqued/embroidered the sun,
• embroidered some lime-green grass on top of the hill,
• chose some vintage buttons that complemented the colors I’d already used and stitched them at the top of green embroidered stems for flowers,
• sewed a zipper in the center of the pillow back and opened it,
• stitched the front and back right sides together,
• trimmed the seams,
• turned the pillow right-side out through the zipper opening, and
• inserted a 12-inch pillow form.

That’s my lucky save, all ready to jump-start my spring decor! And today is your lucky day, too, because you get to read some amazing posts on the “Lucky” theme from eleven other bloggers (including one on how to REALLY crochet!) in this month’s Collectively Creative. Enjoy! ♥

Make your own luck (using a crochet hook) – (Gentle Stitches)

DIY Craft: ‘Stained Glass’ Shamrock – (Time With Thea)
The many meanings of “lucky” – (The Thing About Joan)
This Party Calls For A Theme:  It’s All Rainbows and Unicorns – (Green Door Hospitality)
Keep Calm and Pinch On – (A Ponytail Kind Of Day)
Honorary Irish and my favorite Irish Soda Bread – (My Healthy ‘Ohana)
Hello, 6 – (Joy, Lovely Joy)
Luck o’the Irish for Easter!  – (Minerva’s Hand)
Lucky Gold Elephant – (Now at Home Mom)
Asian Cucumber Salad – (Inspire and Indulge)

Jell-O Shamrocks: A Kid’s Lucky Snack – (Cobwebs, Cupcakes & Crayons)

Love Those Neldee Hats!

I have a Neldee hat! Have you discovered them yet? They’re lovingly crocheted by Jackie of the Neldee blog. Besides amazing hats, Jackie also crochets scarves, gloves, dog clothing, bags and covers, and other custom items. To order or make a request, simply email Jackie at the address on her About page and she will email you back a PayPal invoice once your item is ready to send. You can also find Jackie on the Neldee FB page and on my Shop Love! page above. Thank you, Jackie! ♥

Glitter In the Air

I’ve been following Hey Hey Heather K (now known as Glitter in the Air) for a long time, but I only recently had a chance to explore Heather’s Etsy shop. I LOVE my first purchase, this stylish chevron black and white crocheted headband. Although Heather’s shop mainly features her crocheted headbands, hats, scarves, and cowls, she is definitely an all-around crafter with lots of fun project to share. You can check out Heather’s blog here, her FB page here, and her Etsy shop here from this post or anytime from my Shop Love! page above. Thank you, Heather! ♥

Cozies for a Cause!

My blogging friend Kayla of The Art of Creating Joy has some exciting plans!

She is raising money for a mission trip to India in the fall!

To jump-start her funding, she has opened an Etsy shop featuring these adorable handmade knitted and embroidered coffee and tea cozies.

I chose these three and can’t wait to give them as gifts!

Now she even has one in French!

Click here for Kayla’s blog and here for her shop from this post or anytime from my Shop Love! page above.

She’ll keep refilling the shop as her supporters keep ordering.

Thank you for my fun purchases, Kaylee, and thank you most of all for your vision to help the world. ♥

Clouds of Colour

As you know, I LOVE writing to people on notecards with original art. My New Zealand blogging friend Bec of Clouds of Colour has gorgeous prints in her Etsy shop, and when I asked her if she could transform this beautiful pink doily crochet watercolor into cards, she jumped right on it! I know you’ll enjoy checking out Bec’s work from the links in this post or anytime from my Shop Love! page above. Thank you for the lovely purchase and customer service across the ocean, Bec!

• Click here for Bec’s blog.
• Click here for Bec’s FB page.
• Click here for Bec’s Etsy shop.

P.S. Please help yourself to Bec’s adorable and FREE downloadable, printable gift cards, perfect for Valentine’s Day and other special occasions. Just lick HERE! I can’t wait to use them . . . thank you again, Bec!  ♥

I Can’t Thank You Enough . . .

. . . for all the kind comments, wishes, and prayers you sent our way after my last post.  I keep being amazed at the love and care you so freely share, and I’m determined to pay it forward every chance I get.

We’re home now after spending many treasured hours with our family.  So, as Vida would want, I’m ready to go back to “making stuff” and sharing about other people I admire who do the same.

One of my resolutions this year is to learn to crochet, and I was ever more inspired while watching my sweet daughter-in-law Tiffany (who JUST learned how!) finish this adorable scarf for cutie Miranda last night while we were all piled into our hotel room chatting.  The Bernat Pipsqueak yarn is about the softest thing I’ve ever felt, and I LOVE how it designed itself as she worked.

Thank you to Tiffany for all the tips and to Miranda for modeling. And please watch for a new series of Shop Love! posts while I travel to attend a conference for a few days and then catch up on some projects of my own! ♥

 

Stitch Knit Shop Love

Here’s my new prized possession . . . a knitted cup cozy in bright red (perfect for my morning coffee in my black, white, and red home office!) made by my blogging friend Sue of Stitch Knit. Sue sells all kinds of beautiful knitted, crocheted, and sewn items in her Etsy Shop, including scarves and other accessories, gifts for babies and children, and fun things to use in your home. Her customer service is superb, too . . . she even sent this lovely yellow crocheted soap saver as a free gift!

Click here for Stitch Knit’s blog, here for the Etsy shop, and here for the FB page, and remember that you can always find these links from my Shop Love! page above. Thank you, Sue! ♥