Get This Free Friday!!

Please visit Lucky Ladybug Designs and purchase this item....

Lil' Ditty Bag

and get a mini key fob FREE!!! (13 are currently listed)*

 *Key fob price will be refunded via Paypal....offer good until Midnight December 11, 2009!!!

  

This soft and warm Fun Fur Hat and Scarf set was just relisted...what a great set to give this holiday season!!!

My Wednesday WIP

Do you have many WIPs? WIP = Work In Progress. I have a few I am working on. I put most aside to create some Christmas items. This is one that I came up with by myself.

I remember the Christmas wreath pins I had when I was younger. They were crocheted and embellished. Every December it would be pinned to my "good coat" that I wore to church on Sundays. Feeling a bit nostalgic, I came up with a pattern that gives you the same idea.

The first thing I did was buy some of my new favorite yarn. It is called Loops & Threads Impeccable worsted. It is only available at Michael's. It has the same feel as Vanna's Choice but you get more in a skein for about the same money.

I started with an H hook but switched to a G hook and it looks better to me. Here are the instructions.

Lucky Ladybug's Christmas Wreath*

• a small amount of Loops & Threads Impeccable in Kelly Green


• G hook


• Embellishments

1. Ch. 10 and slp st in first ch to form ring


2. Chain 5 and slp st at the bottom of the first chain 6. There should be a total of 15 loops.


3. Weave in ends and embellish as desired.

I took a picture with my cell phone so you could see my WIP. They only take about ten minutes start to finish.

There are a number of things you can use these little wreaths for besides making pins. I thought about sewing them together to make a garland. Using them as ornaments or as a tie on to special gifts. The wreaths could even be used to embellish other Christmas crafts. Just use your imagination!!

*This pattern is for your personal use only. Please do not sell items or duplicate the pattern for sale without the permission of Lucky Ladybug Designs!

Watch Out ~ There's a New Team In Town!!

Just about a month ago, I started a thread in the Etsy forums to gain my Facebook Fans for my Etsy shop's fan page. Little did I know that 68 pages and 668 posts later the thread would still be alive and well. Please visit the thread if you are looking for people to fan your page. This all lead to a discussion on Facebook about forming a team. One little comment began to snowball until....

Facebook Fans on Etsy Street Team (FFEST)was born!!

I must thank the following wonderful people that went above and beyond the call of duty to see this through!

Missy of Miss Moose Designs

Heather of aktie9

Cheryl of CherylsPurpleCow

Angela of Amievoltaire

Talina of RipperArts

Vickie ~ leader of the Etsy Twitter Team and shop owner of InMyHeadStudios

And there are others I will save for another post. Please stop by these shops!! Also, look for the tag, FFEST, to find other Facebook Fans on Etsy.

LazyTcrochet - June's Etsyblogger of the Month!

What can I say about LazyTcrochet! I think she is so talented and offers some of the most beautiful items on Etsy. Here is one example of her incredible work.

Her Cool Blue Wrap

This is another beautiful creation...the Terra Cotta Capelet

Tricia ~ Keep on crocheting!! I love your items!

Tuesday Treasury is Back

I had started doing a Tuesday Treasury with the hopes I would make it a regular feature on my blog. I am sorry to say it went away for awhile but now I have revived the practice. My keyword for searching today was Easter in addition to etsybloggers team. Here are some of the beautiful items created by that talented group!!

The first is the Spring Goddess Needle Felted Doll by Faerie Rebecca

The Spring Chick Easter Towels by LazyTcrochet
Skip, Hop, Jump baby booties by Nico Designs
The EtsyBloggers Team featured member this month, TwoZanyZebras, has this Pink Bunny Onsie in her shop

Stormydesigns has created this OOAK Easter Egg Bracelet

I hope you have enjoyed this treasury as much as I have in creating it! Kudos to the talented estians ~ keep up the good work!!

God bless you and your family during this Easter season!

Moving Forward

I feel like I can finally move forward. Turkey day is coming and I have a 5 1/2 day weekend!! We close at Noon tomorrow and I took Monday off. Time for me to get busy!! I need to catch up with all my Etsyblogger friends. I have items that need to get in my shop. And, I need to dust off the Christmas decorations!

Last night, I finally spent time in my craft room with my sewing machine. I made two sets of coasters. Not totally perfect but I may just put them in my shop. One is for everyday and the other is holiday themed.

I finally finished the baby afghan...I will post a picture later this week. I just need to weave in some ends and do some trimming and it will be ready to hand over to my friend.

I feel like the holidays have crept up fast this year. I turned around and it is almost December.

Hope all is well with all of you...I need to get back on the Etsyblogger team track and get some posting done.

Blessings...

~busy hands...

~holidays with family

~fun fabric

God bless!!

What's the Buzz!

So much happening I am not sure whert to start.

Halloween - We had about fifty to sixty costumed little ones at our door. We didn't run out of candy. It was such a beautiful night my daughter, husband and I sat on the front porch greeting the ghosts and goblins. Of course, hubby had to have his werewolf mask on. We saw many Hannah Montanas and Spidermen with huge muscles LOL...Of course my favorite was the little ladybug!!

The Weekend - We didn't get to Brown County like planned. Sometimes, that is how it goes. We hung out at home instead. It was the first weekend that there was nothing truly planned. I did some crochet and cleaned up the craft room! I started on my custom order and I have two new scarves to put in my shop...I just need to get the pictures downloaded. I loved that we had an extra hour of sleep on Sunday morning. What a blessing!! And the Colts finally had a win over the Patriots!!! Go Blue!!

This Week - I have tried to catch up on everyone's blogs...I think it will take me to next January!! I am so glad we are a chatty bunch. I really have missed my bloggy world!

Voting - On Tuesday, I stood in line for two hours to cast my vote. I voted for Obama and I am so proud of Indiana turning blue. I had choir practice on Tuesday night for my church choir's Christmas program "Agnus Dei" by Michael W. Smith. Guess what?! I have a solo!!! It is going to be a very big deal. We have a 35 piece orchestra and extra voices to round out the choir. Right now we are practicing twice a week and sounding fabulous. When I got home I turned on the TV and was channel surfing for the latest results. I dozed off right before the West Coast polls closed and awoke about fifteen minutes later to the announcement of a new President! I couldn't keep my eyes open so I missed the acceptance speech...I am sure I can find it online.

The next two days have been meetings, trainings and workshops. I do love being busy...makes the days fly by. It is now Thursday and we are heading into the weekend!!! Not much on tap this weekend as far as events go. There is a Gift and Hobby show at the Indiana State Fairgrounds. I want to go but with finances being what they are I don't want to spend much. I am still trying to make up my mind.

It is going to get colder so I am sure homemade soup will be on the menu! I have to dig out my recipe of Unstuffed Pepper Soup. Or maybe hubby will make his wonderful chili!!

I hope to get back to a regular blog and my Terrific Tuesday Treasures. I leave you with Bumble Bee notecards by Cards by Jenna

I am buzzing off now to more workshops!!! Leave me a comment and let me know what you have been doing!! BEE back soon ~ I promise!!

God bless!!

Wednesdays are for Crafting

We do the neatest thing where I work. Every Wednesday, from Noon till 1pm, the crafters meet up to craft, laugh and learn. It is a lovely group of women. Sometimes there might on be two and other times ten. We have scrapbookers, beaders, knitters, crocheters, stampers and whatever else there is crafty wise. We all look forward to it...helps us over the mid week hump! I try not to miss craft day. When I do, the week is just incomplete.

Oh and I sold two of my scarves!!! What a blessing! Thank you Star Willow Studio!!






That's all for now...got tons to get done before quitting time...God bless!

Relaxation

What do I do to relax? I get in touch with my creative side, of course! Anything I do crafty is my escape. It started with cross stitch. I could sit for hours and cross stitch...I laughingly called it my therapy! Now, I frequently crochet. I love doing small projects to get the satisfaction of finishing something. I love to bead. Spreading out my bead collection and getting inspired is such a blessing!!

My one other relaxing thing to do is sudoku...I LOVE it! Once I got the hang of it, I was hooked!

Another uplifting thing to I do, especially when life gets chaotic, is count my blessings. It always gives me peace and puts a smile on face!

Have a blessed day!

It Has Been So Long!!

I haven't blogged all week! Work has been busy, busy, busy and by the time I get home I don't even go near the computer! I have missed reading up on all my bloggy friends. I have tons of catching up to do.

First I have to tell you that I don't have pictures of my wonderful costume and wig ~ yet! I am going to get some tonight I promise, cross my heart! The last time I took my camera with me I forgot the memory card and I can't find the cable to connect the camera directly to the computer yada yada yada...anyhow...tonight I will take some with the memory card in the camera. Tomorrow I will post them!

The show has just been wonderful. All three performances went well last weekend and the audiences loved it! I hope that we get a good crowd this weekend. I have missed seeing my cast mates this week. Every night I end up falling asleep on the couch. I might have finally caught up on my rest. I can't wait to do the show again tonight.

Auditions went well but I didn't get the part I wanted. It is actually for the best. I will now have my evenings to work on my crafts and get my shop in tiptop shape for the holiday season that is quickly approaching. I still have a small pile of items in my craft room that I need to get in there. I started a scarf with some of my stash yarn. As I am making it I am thinking of how I can embellish it. The wheels are turning. I also have some paper projects I need to work on and there are three bracelets waiting for a new home! It will be nice to concentrate on my crafts.

Fall has arrived here in Indy. I love the crisp mornings! It puts a spring in your step for sure. The leaves are really showing off their true colors. Each day I notice more and more reds, golds and oranges! I need to get some pumpkins for the porch and put up my Halloween and Harvest decorations.

I am off to catch up on all my bloggy friends...I certainly have missed you all!

Blessings for today...

bloggy friends, of course!

autumn leaves

crisp morning air

God bless!!!

Wigs are Coming!

Last night was a very late night and I am exhausted but a good exhausted. Tonight we get the wigs!!! The guy that is styling them works professionally for a dinner theater here in Indy. We are so blessed because we get the benefit of his expertise for free! Best price in the world. All the gals in the show are so excited about the wigs. I know that I can't wait.

Tonight we will also have an audience! Our director and other members of the cast and crew have asked some people to come out tonight (for free) to watch us run through the show. What a night it will be! Wigs, costumes, make-up and an audience! That is the best part of theater ~ a live audience!

Not much time for crafting =( But that is okay. I do have a number of completed items that need to be put in my shop. I just need to get some nice photos and get them posted. I am taking the afternoon off on Friday so I can get caught up on a number of things. Hopefully, there will be time to get some pictures.

I haven't really blogged about my weight loss journey. Yes, it has been a journey. I started at 192 and I am now at 167!! 17 more to go to get to goal! When I started I was extremely "fluffy". I knew I had to do something. I went back to what I know works for me...but with a different attitude. That is the key ATTITUDE. I know this time I am adjusting the way I eat for life. If I go back to old habits and patterns, I will get the same results. Watching carbs has worked best for me and I have eliminated high fructose corn syrup from my diet along with sugar, anything refined like white flour, added flax seed and tons more veggies. I have gone from a very tight size 16 to a comfortable 12 since June 3rd of this year. I am feeling awesome! Getting dressed for work isn't so dreadful any more. The lovely thing that's happening now is I am seeing people that I haven't seen since committing to losing weight and getting healthy. I have had some not recognize me and others that just give me the best compliments! Wait until they see me after the last 17 pounds are gone! I am working toward a size 8 ~ yep, that's right, single digits! Slow and steady and I will get there.

Well, I think I have babbled on enough today. What are my blessings?

My online friends - even though we have never met, it is wonderful to read new posts and see what is happening in their part of the world
My real life friend, Sonja - she is spectacular and I just love her!
Inspirational Quotes - they just inspire me!

God bless you all and thanks for stopping by!!
ps ~ I will try and get some pics of the wigs tonight ;)

Cira 1890

Tally ho! As per a number of requests, here I am in my Victorian garb. Wigs will be coming on Wednesday. This is one of four changes I will make during the show. It is the most beautiful costume I have ever had the pleasure of wearing. But, whoo, is it hot! It is the one I wear the longest...entire second act! During the show, there is not much time to regroup and cool down. The ensemble in the Mystery of Edwin Drood is on stage 90% of the time. Quite different from most shows, I must say. Rehearsals are going well. I am looking forward to adding the wig for the full transformation into Gwendolyn Pynn!

With rehearsals all this week, the only time I get to craft is during my lunch hour. I bring my crochet since it is the most convienient. I am thinking about taking Friday afternoon off...just to get some things completed and go grocery shopping. My weekend is all filled up with the show, our church choir retreat and auditions for Bye Bye Birdie (yes, I am crazy enough to try for another show). Indy is blessed with a treasure trove of lovely community theaters.

I do have these pouches completed. I just need some better photos to post in my shop. I also have three bracelets on my craft desk plus a pair of earrings and a cell phone charm. I will have them up in the next few weeks.

I must be off...there is work to be done!

Blessings for today

beautiful costumes - dress up is so much fun

autumn leaves - I saw more colors last night on my drive to the theater

my family - for all the support during this crazy week!!!

God bless!!

Monday, Monday

Ah, the begining of a new week and the start of Autumn! As I was driving to the theater last night I noticed some leaves begining to show their true colors. I am ready for some fresh apple cider! I just love this time of year.

I didn't get as much done as I had hoped over the weekend. The days just flew by. On Sunday, church then to Target for some items I needed for the show. When I got home I decided to relax and sit back and crochet. I finished up some dishcloths and took a refreshing nap! I hadn't done that in a long time!

Thank goodness dinner was in the crockpot cooking all day. I don't think I could have mustered up the energy to prepare anything more difficult that a sandwich! We had chicken and noodles...YUM! It is sort of a cheat way to make it ~ boneless chicken breast and condensed cream of broccoli soup. I had it low carb over cooked cauliflower and was it good! I can't wait for lunch to eat the leftovers =o)~

This week starts crazy rehearsals. We run the eniter show every night until opening night. It is a tough schedule but so worth it in the end...I love it! We ran the show last night with costumes for the first time. All things considered, it went well.

I did manage to get three new items in my shop. Please stop by and check them out. Also, I love comments so let me know you have visited ~ pretty please?!

God bless!!

Oh and blessings..hmmmm

mint green tea - a nice treat this morning
hearts on etsy - you can feel the love
Autumn - I love the changing seasons...life would be boring without them!

Busy Saturday!

It has been a busy Saturday and it is only 3pm as I write this. I started this morning with grocery shopping. It pains me how much food is costing. I get less and less each week and spend more and more. I am sure you all are experiencing the same things. With that said, I got home and got everything put away and did some cleaning. Then I had to decide if I should hang out in my craft room or get some pics for the shop. I pick three items I have finished and got them posted in my shop! Here they are!

It was my first try at the embellished notecards and I really like how they look. It is a set of four with envelopes. My favorite is the sage bag with fun fur. I was making a purse from a pattern and got inspired and created this little bag.

Last night, I finally got out my beads and started on some bracelets. I haven't worked on my jewelry in quite a while and it was so much fun to get back into it. There are now a few more items to put in my shop. I may do that tomorrow. It takes me so long to get things up. If you have any suggestions on making it go faster, I am open....The three items above took me an hour!

We have a lovely little garden in our back yard that was supposed to be for flowers this year. Some of last year's grape tomatoes evidently went to see and my beautiful flowers and herbs were taken over by the grape tomato monster.

This is the monster!

We have had a bumper crop of grape tomatoes and we didn't even plant them. I hope to get them totally out of this garden in the Fall so I am not surprised next year by the Grape Tomato Monster! I can't believe my basil and sage. They just went crazy! I guess they were trying to keep up with the monster! We truly have been blessed with abundance!

Well I must be off...got to get things geared up for dinner and then off to the theater to manage the house. I love it because I get to see the show for free!

Blessings for today

the grape tomato monster - even though it took over the garden the harvest is wonderful

groceries - even though I complain about the prices, I am blessed to have the money to pay for them and to keep my family fed. There are too many people in the world that can't do that.

Fun fur - it just makes me smile!!!

God bless!!!

Thinking on Thursday About the Weekend

One more day until the weekend. I have got to start planning it out. Thankfully, there is no rehearsal on Friday or Saturday. Saturday night I have committed to working at a different theater running the house. Friday night was supposed to be "me" time but my daughter is not spending the night at her friends. It is time to regroup and reorganize my time. I have a list of things I need to do

Laundry

Clean

Shop for Groceries

Cook Dinner

More Laundry

Church

Then there is the list of things I really, really want to do, really!

Crochet

Sew - try out some new easy tutorials I found online

Work on Some Bracelets

Try some misc. tutorials I found online

Take pictures of items for my shop

Post my items in my shop

Hmmmm! My want to's are much more fun! Friday night was supposed to be a trip to Irish Fest in downtown Indy. Now the dd is going to be home, I will be forgoing the festival. Just as well, I will be able to get done some "have to's" .

Ike Visits Indy!

Who knew that we would have to worry about Ike here in the Midwest? Yesterday the wind was blowing and the rain came down. Chicago has some flooding. Here in Indy we have power outages and limbs down. I am amazed that Ike still had a little kick in his step when he got to Indianapolis.

Sunday was Long Sunday at the theater. We had a costume parade to see how the costume looked under the lighting. Here are some pics.

It was so much fun playing dress up! I was given a beautiful silver dress with gold accents. I didn't get a picture of that one. I promise I will post more in the future. We still haven't worked out wigs and makeup. Once the whole looks is put together we will all look very Victorian.

We were about 2 hours into our marathon and guess what happened? We lost power. It seems that Ike had done a number on the transformers that served the area. Well, the show must go on so we took the shades off the windows and continue rehearsing. Dinner was a pitch in and we were able to keep the hot foods warm in the gas powered oven. No running water (meaning no flushing!) We called it quits around seven since we were losing light. We are hoping power is restored for this evening.

I have heard from one friend who lives in Galveston. She evacuated with her fiance and is waiting for word on their home. I hope they are one of the lucky ones. Keep her in your prayers!

As far as crafting, Saturday I did get a chance to finish a drawstring purse. I did what I typically do. I start off with a pattern then in the middle I get an idea on how to finish it differently. I think it turned out adorable. I got my sixteen yo daughter's seal of approval! I don't have a picture yet. Maybe I can manage to snap a few tonight before I head out the door once again for rehearsal. Two weeks before opening night my life gets just a bit hectic. Once the run starts I will have most of my evenings free during the week, thank goodness!

Blessings for today are:

1. Kate and John are safe from Ike!

2. The wonderful cast and crew of Drood...we made it through a shortened Long Sunday

3. An understanding husband...most of the time!

God bless!!

Oh Happy Day!

Yesterday I told you about my new original design, Patty's Soap Pouch, suggested by my very first Etsy customer, Patty. She has a very lovely shop Scheri.etsy.com I sent her the green one I made yesterday and I whipped up two more last night with some of my favorite cotton yarn. I love these because they work up quickly. I managed to get them both posted in my shop this morning. Guess what?

I sold the green one!!! It was purchased along with two other listings by the same customer! I couldn't believe my eyes! Patty, my Etsy guru, gave me some great tips yesterday and it has paid off!









I still have the lovely bright pinks for sale. I am so excited because this was my original design! Today during lunch I was able to finish another. Someone told me that you could also use this as a cell phone cover....hmmmm, I may have to tweak it a bit to come up with something a little different for that but the wheels are turning. Watch out world, you never know what I will come up with next!

I think I am getting better at the photos. I am learning how to resize, crop etc. Like everything, it takes time and practice!

Well ~ on to today's blessings....
1. Sales!! I feel so validated as a crafter!
2. Beautiful crisp mornings ~ this morning it was cool and it really felt like the start of Autumn!
3. Patty ~ for suggesting the Soap Pouch...and for all the great tips for my etsy shop!

Go out and enjoy this whimsical Wednesday. Celebrate your blessings! God is good indeed!
God Bless!

In the Pink!

My favorite color is....PINK!!! It has been ever since I can remember. Well, except for when I was eleven and I fell in love with orange for about a year. After that, I was in the pink again. I find that when I am shopping I gravitate towards anything pink! I especially love dark pink. I love putting pink in combination with gray and black. Here are some creations in my shop.




The first is my C'est Paris! bracelet. I loved the large focal beads. The Granny Square afghan is just perfect for curling up on the couch with a good book and a cup of tea. I actually love how it turned out. I had some extra yarn (what good crocheter doesn't?) and I found this pattern. Both are in my shop on etsy.




I also have completed the pink and white project I featured in a previous blog. I took pictures last night before running out to the theater for rehearsal. The picture quality isn't the greatest. I hope to take some better pics this weekend so I can get it in the shop. Here is the final product

I am calling this my Go Green ~ In the Pink! tote. I am pleased with the way it turned out. So much so that I have another tote ready to assemble in tan and turquiose. It is roomy enough to grab and go with everything you need for a quick shopping trip. It is 100% cotton which is my yarn of choice. I have some holiday yarn I may use to whip up a Christmas version. Oh, the possibilities are endless. My favorite is the pink!






As any good crocheter knows...you have to have a stash for inspiration. Here is a small bit of my stash in hues that I absolutely love. Of course, there is pink. I also love purple, especially lavendar. I have also combined pink with a sage green and dark tan for a baby blanket. I was inspired by the yarn on the right. It was a great combination for a baby blanket. I love that it was not the traditional pink, blue, yellow combination. I only wish I had snapped a picture of it before giving it away. I am trying to remember to do that so I can keep a visual record of my creations.

Pink truly is my favorite color. I am sure that I will have many more projects In The Pink!

God bless! Remember count your blessings for God is good indeed!

Welcome September!

I love this time of year! September brings with it changes in temperatures and changes in scenery. I can't wait to see how Mother Nature paints her canvas of trees this year. I love how the mornings begin to have a bit of a chill and there is an anticipation and preparations for the celebrations to come.

This long weekend signals that end of summertime and marks the time to get ready for Autumn. I can't wait for the first glass of fresh apple cider from the orchard and a slice of pumpkin pie with a cup of spiced tea. This is my favorite time of year.

This weekend was productive in some ways and in other ways not. I did get some great fabrics at the craft store and spent the better part of the weekend in my craft room attempting to make various projects. I can now proudly say I have mastered the straight seam! I am feeling much more comfortable with the the sewing process but I know I have tons to learn.

I purchased a pattern! The lovely lady at the fabric store took pity on me and helped me with the items I needed to complete this project. There are a few details I need to research before diving in and beginning the creation! I will keep you posted.

I did work on the project mentioned in the post below. I have it completed and I will post a picture on my blog tonight for sure! I love how it turned out and I have another that needs to be assembled in tan and turquoise. This project worked up so quickly. I love things that take little time. I can lose patience with projects that take too long to complete.

I fiddled around with sewing so much this weekend that I only got on the computer once for a total of five minutes to check my email. I posted nothing new in my shop. Shame on me! I need to get busy! How can I make a sale when I am not working on my shop?

I hope you all had a wonderful weekend and for those in Gustav's path, I pray you remain safe and return home soon!

Count your blessings!!! God is good indeed!

New Project

I have been busy working with a new pattern. Of course I have to put my on spin on it! Here is the work in progress.

I should have it finished and in the shop this weekend. I am calling it my Go Green ~ In the Pink Tote. The different pieces worked up quickly so it may become a favorite pattern (if I can sell it!) I am still considering how to embellish it...I don't know if I like the sample shown with the pattern so I might get creative and do something else. Time will tell. I have crocheted it with 100% cotton yarn. I love working with cotton! I keep trying to pick up other yarns but I always go back to cotton. I love making the cotton sponges and dishcloths. I have about a dozen or so finished and ready for the shop. I may put them in coordinating pairs or a sponge and cloth together.


I will be heading out to the craft stores in search of some buttons. I have bibs that need buttons. There are a number of ladies both at work and church that are expecting and I need to get the bibs complete before the babies begin to arrive! I also want to get some in the shop.


This weekend is also going to be sewing project time!! I think I am ready to try and create some small items. I have found a few ideas online that don't require tons of experience. I figure I will start small and see how I do. If you have any suggestions on easy projects to sew I would appreciate the help. Email me at glorybe1024 @ comcast.net (without the spaces, of course!) There are so many things I want to do...I hope I have enough time this weekend!


Thank goodness we will have a three day weekend!! I am so looking forward to that. I want to get chores etc done by noon on Saturday so that the rest of the time I can spend in my craft room. That means getting up early! I don't mind...I would much rather get the have-to's out of the way then I get to do my want-to's!!!

Tomorrow is Friday! Yippee ~ it seems this week has not moved very quickly. I hope that work will let us out early tomorrow. Usually on three day weekends they let us off around 3pm. It is so nice to get home before the traffic begins to snarl.

Thanks for reading my ramblings....God bless you and yours. Remember to count your blessings today because you are richer than you think! God is good indeed!