Sleepover!

Did you love sleepovers when you were a little girl? They were my favorite! Last weekend some fun girls in my family drove in for a “Crafty Cousins Slumber Party.”  We went out to eat, chatted, crafted, slept, ate breakfast casserole and cinnamon roll-ups, went to a big craft show (where my lovely daughter-in-law Shannon launched Shantilly!), and ended with lunch out with my dad. We made fabric flower brooches, Christmas cards (thanks Margo!) and earrings (thanks Karen!). If you heard laughter floating through the air Saturday night, now you know why. ♥

My Origami Owl Locket!

Yes, after wishing I could win my own Origami Owl giveaway last month, I received one for Mother’s Day from Tiffany, Jeff, Miranda, and Brody!  It has a chocolate locket with crystals, an “Inspire” plate, a gold chain, and a crystal dangle.  Inside the locket were four charms that Tiffany decided were “so Kathy” . . . a cross, heart, Grandma heart, and laptop.  How sweet is that???  And then I got to choose five more charms!  It was SO hard to decide, but I finally picked out a sewing machine (no surprise there!), purse (to represent outings and adventures), coffee cup (since I always have one an arms-length away during my work day), piano (since I used to teach lessons and perform), and running shoe (but mine is pink . . . and I’m running my first-ever 5K this fall!).  THANK YOU, dear family, for the lovely gift . . . I’ll cherish it forever. And be sure to check out Tiffany’s Origami Owl shop if you’re looking for a one-of-a-kind gift for someone you love. ♥

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. ♥

The Origami Owl Blogger Locket Winner Is . . .

Thank you SO much to everyone for entering the Origami Owl Blogger Locket Giveaway and for all your lovely, encouraging comments. Seriously, every time a new one popped up, I said to myself, “Oh . . . I hope SHE wins!!!” But the time came to draw one name out of the hat, and the lucky winner is . . .

Jeanna of Drama Queen Seams!

Congratulations, Jeanna! As soon as you email me your mailing address, I’ll send your prize and Tiffany will send the extra charm you chose—the crystal clear crown. And for all of our other blogging friends . . . thank you again for your enthusiasm and support for small businesses, and feel free to contact Tiffany at thehootsuite@gmail.com, her Facebook page, or her web site if you have any questions about creating your own Living Locket or becoming an Origami Owl independent designer. You’re the best! ♥

Blogger Locket Giveaway (Hmmm . . . wish I could win this!)

My lovely art teacher daughter-in-law Tiffany just became an independent designer for Origami Owl. Have you seen these amazing “Living Lockets” yet? You choose your locket size and design, fill it with hand-picked charms, and (if you like) add plates, dangles, and tags. Then you either purchase a chain or wear your creation on a chain or ribbon you already own. They’re absolutely beautiful! So Tiffany and I put our heads together and came up with a “blogger locket” giveaway that we think you’ll love! It includes:

• the large silver Living Locket with crystals,
• 5 charms: a laptop computer, a camera, a pair of scissors, a cup of coffee (or tea!), and the April stone,
• an 18-inch silver ball station chain,
• and an “Inspire” tag that can be worn either with the locket or separately.

You can see close-ups of all the components below!

To enter this giveaway, you only have three easy steps to follow:

(1) “Like” Tiffany’s Origami Owl Facebook page here. (But if you’re not on FB, no worries! You can still enter by skipping to Step 2! :))

(2) Go to Tiffany’s Origami Owl web site and find your favorite charm here. (Click on “Charm Collections” on the “Living Lockets” page.)

(3) Leave a comment below telling us you’ve liked the FB page (see note on Step 1) and what your favorite charm is.

That’s it! A week from today (Monday, April 8) we’ll draw a name out of a hat and announce the winner right here at Pillows A-La-Mode. And not only does the winner get the blogger locket, but Tiffany will mail her the other charm she chose, too! So please join in the fun, and thank you for visiting Origami Owl today or anytime from my Shop Love! page above. ♥

P.S. I forgot to mention that Origami Owl’s packaging is amazing—a drawstring bag for the tag and a “fortune cookie” made of kimono fabric to keep your locket in, all delivered in a cute little take-out box! Oh, and Tiffany has also put together a Shutterfly book with design ideas. You can check it out here.