New Year. New Focus.

I'm gearing up for a restock of my Etsy shop, which I've neglected over the past year (!).  

Honestly, for me it's difficult to maintain my little Etsy shop while participating in various shows.  My hands can only stitch so much before they feel like they are going to fall out.  

This year I've decided concentrate on my Etsy shop and give it the attention it deserves.  

So much cute stuff to put out there--plus it will help me with my photography skills. =)  From making product to posting product, it's a huge undertaking and I'm ready....I think! 

That Red Bow Tho.

All who know me (and those who just happen to take a glance in to my every day) know that without a doubt, I have a thing for Hello Kitty.  She is, hands down, my favorite feline and has been since I was 5 years old.  (If only I kept my little Hello Kitty knick knacks from then!) 

The red bow tho... classic Hello Kitty.  

Maybe that's why I enjoy crocheting these pretties so much!

Simple & Sweet.

These little crochet heart bookmarks are a favorite of mine to crochet.  

Packaging them up all nice and pretty is even more enjoyable.

Sending them off to sweet, crafty, and fun events that make people smile is even better.

simple & sweet.  my kind of craft. 

Happy Crafting Everyone!

Paint Chip Color Matching.

Wandering through Home Depot with the hubs one weekend, I got distracted by all the pretty color combos in the paint aisle.  Inspiration struck.  Color matching rut no more.  Pick up one (or three) of your favorite combos not just for home color inspiration, but also for craft color inspiration. They make for pretty pictures too. =)

spring.

 summer.

 fall.

Happy color matching!

Hearts on a Garland? Yes Please.

Valentine's Day is right around the corner and everything is coming up hearts.  Now, I love crocheting hearts year round, but it gets kicked up a notch in the weeks leading up to Valentine's Day.  Rather than making a 3 ft or even 12 ft garland (I don't have the patience for that haha!), I went with a 12" mini garland.  This way, I could hang it on a message board or something similar without it getting in the way of, well, the messages.  

I started off crocheting a set of 6 hearts.  You can find my tutorial here.  I whipped up these little pretties during my lunch hour so once you get the hang of it, it doesn't take long at all.

I then measured out 12" of mint and white polka dot ribbon (Dear Lizzy via American Crafts) and lined up my hearts.

....and then I realized, "How am I going to connect these to the ribbon?"  Originally, I thought I would sew the hearts onto the ribbon, but being at work I didn't have my sewing machine (haha).  Instead, I kept the tails of the hearts and tied them up in a bow onto the ribbon.  I think it worked well. =)

Here is the final garland :)

Super easy and quick to whip up--my kind of craft!  

Happy crafting!