Great Googly Moogly!

Note to self:  I really MUST get on here more often.

Cool Colors and a Watermark

Aren’t these colors just fantastic?  I’m working on a few custom orders and one of them includes two of the  yarns in this photo-espresso and dark teal.  LOVE the combination.  I can’t wait to finish it and share it with you.

Aside from some custom order hats I’ve been working on my “watermark” for the photos I take for my site.  Wow!  I admire graphic artists and the patience they must have.  Well, let’s face it, it probably doesn’t take them two hours to do something so simple.  Anyway, here’s my handy work:

The buttons are sorta on top of the ‘y’ and the ‘n’ but for the life of me, I couldn’t get it spaced correctly.  I’ll keep working on it but in the meantime my photos are “branded.”  Yay! 

Word of the day ~ Stupendous~

Today is Saturday. 

For most of you, today is your day off from work.  Not me.  I am excited to be able to say I have to work today.  I have hat orders to fill, four, to be exact.  Four is super.  Having orders to fill is super-duper. 

Yep, today is Saturday and I have to "work." 

Stupendous!  

Afraid no more...

Gracious...it's been a long and crazy summer.  I've totally  neglected my "craft zone" and my sharing spaces (blog, website, etc.)  I had a lot going on...it's been stressful.   Where do I start?  Let's just say most of the issues were health related and thankfully, everyone is healed and back to normal (as normal as we ever were, anyway).  Typically, I would turn to my crafting to ease the stress, it has never let me down.  I always feel better when I sit down to create and even greater when I have a new doo-dad, clippie-clip, or crocheted something or other when I get back up.  Not this time, though.  This time it was part of the problem. My crafting had become a problem. *sigh*  How is that possible? 

Well, here's the story...

Quite some time ago, my sister-in-law, whom I love dearly, asked me to donate some of my hats for a silent auction fundraiser that she was working on.  I was happy to help.  I was even happier when I heard they were a hit and helped raise money for a great cause.  Not too long  after that, my S-I-L offered to help me out by taking some of my hats to a local (local to her) shop where she thought they would sell and potentially bring me some "wholesale" business. What a great offer!  What a fantastic compliment! She felt confident that my hats would sell...in a shop! Really?? My hats in a shop?  That's when it started. 

  I got butterflies in my stomach even thinking about it.  When I told my mom about the offer...butterflies.  When I told my husband about it...butterflies.

What was that about? 

 I didn't know.  After hemming and hawing about it for a while, my husband asked me one simple question, "What are you afraid of, success?" What a silly question- am I "afraid of success?"  Holy cow!  AM I afraid of success?  I thought long and hard about that.  After a while I came up with the answer-yes, I was. But why? Well, as I neglected my crochet hooks, my yarns, my glue gun and doo-dads,  I got plenty of time to think about it

I thought...

I like my freedoms.  

I like doing things on my terms, not the terms set by someone else.   

I like not having any obligations outside of my family.  

I like being in charge of what I do...

I thought...

Being successful would change all that

And then I thought...

Duh!

Having a business IS my choice, which I FREELY made.

My policies , my products, and my schedules are all on MY terms.

 An "obligation" isn't a bad thing if it's what  you want to do.

Having my own business is totally being in charge of what I do.

And there it was. 

 I was afraid no more.

So, after a long hiatus I'm back.  I'm "working" hard to tweak my skills, my styles, my methods and my success plan.  I'm working to find my place in the home based business world.  I'm having fun creating again.  I'm having even more fun imagining the possibilities and making friends in the crafty world.  I love it. It's exciting!

Thanks for sticking with me while I worked it out.  

I am no longer "making buttons."  Once again, I've moved  "beyond buttons."

Feelin' a little like Dora...

Yeah, you know, Dora the explorer!  Every  Dora episode guest stars "the map."  The map tells Dora how to get where she  needs to go and in the end when she reaches her destination they sing a little diddy. It goes like , this :

"...we, did it, we did it, we did it-hooray!"

(yeah, sorry...that'll be in your head for a while).

 Anywho...I DID IT! 

I took this:



poplar board



and using this:

handy dandy SKIL scroll saw

and many, MANY of these:

regular tooth blades

I made these:

and these:

and these:

for this:

Ok, yeah, so I used a little paint, a few buttons and gadget or two more but I've done that all before.  THIS  was my first time doing my own cutting. Which was so very exciting to me!  

Sure, it was incredibly frustrating, nerve wracking and oh, the torture of a snapping blade (and the virtual heart attack it brings with it as it snaps-LOUDLY) were a bit much at times BUT...in the end I am so happy with the decor.  Yay! 

So, now, after  years of watching the show, I finally know how Dora feels...

I did it!  I did it!  I did it, hooray!

Alas! I have photos...

I've been fighting with my photo editing software (Picasa) for DAYS!  *sigh* Sometimes computers can be so darned frustrating.  Enough about that though, here's what I've been trying to work on...



Turquoise & Chocolate





Cookies n' Cream




Ring Around the Rosy




Deep Rose Newsie




Posh in Purple



I was excited to create "collages" of these cuties in a new (to me) program: PhotoScape.  I've learned one thing for sure...I have a lot, lot, lot to learn when it comes to computers and photo editing.  Baby steps.

I'm going to make each of these available in my store as soon as I can get them uploaded.  All but the "Posh in Purple" will be available in infant through adult sizes.

I hope you enjoy them as much as I enjoyed making them.  More to come...lots more to come. Thanks for sticking with me.  :)

Love.

What brings you joy?

Quite a while ago I stumbled onto a blogger who is also an artist. I've been in love with her artwork ever since.  This piece in particular. It struck a chord. So many things bring me joy...my kids, my husband, my family, crafting.  And SO many little things like this:

 

 

I saw this photo the other day...and yes, it brought me joy! 

The colors are brilliant. Don't you think?

Do you see all the hidden treasures? I'll give you a few hints...I see a duck, a pumpkin, a flower patch, oodles of newsboys, bows for babies, scarves, hats, hats, more hats, and so many other wonderful possibilites tucked right in. 

Yes, joy indeed! Now, what brings you joy?