The Sunday Six

Wow- this week ran away with me!  I had a pretty trying week M-Th, and had no energy to direct to the blog. 

It is hard being a mommy- my oldest seedling is having trouble at school, and all of my energy this week, both internally and externally, was directed at helping him succeed.  With my husband in California for work (we all miss you like the dickens!), I have to make sure I'm careful to keep my priorities at the forefront.  Being a mom is #1!!

So, for this week's Sunday Six, I'd like to focus on family.  Gifts to buy or gifts to make to honor your children or young people in your life.  *wipes tiny tear*

1.  Sima G- A wonderful jewelry designer who I've been following over on her blog- Simag Personalized Jewelry.  Her hand stamped pendants are simple, elegant, gorgeous, and meant to honor those who you love.  Whether you choose English or Hebrew, she will custom make your charm.  Run, don't walk, to her blog, then stop by her AWESOME shop.

2.  At Mousehouse, Megan makes lovely things for her children.  My absolute favorite is the Colour Book.  Go over there and get inspired to make something for your darlings- particularly if you have some of the little ones.  Her ideas are so great- look for the ice toy post- GREAT idea!

3.  Lavender and Limes- Christine is a wonderful mommy- her posts are filled with love and crafty inspiration for our little ones.  Check out her felt farm playmat- ADORABLE!

4.  I found the blog for one of my favorite plushy-makers- Penguin & Fish.  If you're dreaming of making or buying a plushy, run to the blog or the shop.  Your sprouts need these to snuggle with!

5.  A shop that I knew I had to feature- AuntyAnnDesigns, aka "the sock monkey lady".  If you're looking for sock monkeys, you need to run over there and snatch one of these darlings up for your little angel.

6.  And last, but not least- Just Another Day in Paradise.  I first got hooked on her blog when she featured a boy's cuff watch that was upcycled and I HAD to make one for Odin.  I stayed for the reading, tutorials, and wonderful mommy adventures.  Beautiful blog.  Her newest tutorial is a Valentine's themed owl.  I want one!

Love them.  Squeeze them.  Make stuff they will treasure.  Show the whole world how important they are to you. 

*cheers*

-rose.

The Sunday Six

It's time for the Sunday Six!  This is the day I feature the blogs I've been lurking in all week, and show off their talent so that you too can see and read with your coffee in the morning!

 1.  One of the best loved blogs in the crafting world, Angry Chicken has a broad focus- foodiness, crafting with her kids, sewing.... the list goes on.  Amy Karol is a very talented woman, and her posts are always full of humor, injected with joy, and full of love.  Her Bend the Rules books are awesome.  She also does some awesome work with aprons, and runs a second site Tie One On.

Go on, go time waste.  Lots to read with Amy.

2.  Until Wednesday Calls.  Wednesday is her daughter, so she gets some crafting in when she can.  It really is a bright, crisp blog with tons of ideas and tutorials.  I found it early this week, and I've been lurking through the archives.  Check out the tutorials for little girl clothes, great barrettes, and finger puppets.  Almost makes me with I had a daughter to make little skirts and hair bows for.  Almost. 

3.  I know I've featured A Lemon Squeezy Home before, but you know that I can't resist a good Pride and Prejudice project.  And she made these awesome pillowcases for sleepovers this week that I have to make a couple of for my boys.  She has such amazing taste!  Not that I'm tasteless, but my taste is kind of blah.  Must be a holdover from the early 90's grunge music I listened to so much of...  I digress...

LOOK!  Christie teaches us how to use Picnik to make printables!  I soooooooo want this frame on my wall.

And! the awesome sleepover pillowcases I want to make-

4.  Another new blog to read!  If I keep this up, I'll have to get up at 4 am in order to read all the blogs I love so much.  I was attracted to Cubic Dreams because she makes lovely upcycled garments- something I want to begin doing soon.  But I stayed for the images, and lunch ideas, and well... the list goes on.  Go over and read and take a look at the beautiful photos.  Read, stay awhile.  Peruse the archives.  Leave a comment.   Just beautiful.

5.  Mushroom Villagers.  Another blog that I discovered this week.  Yes, she does grow mushrooms.  Which is cool enough on its own; but look at all the wonderful sewing she does!  So many ideas of things to make for my boys!  Backpacks, coloring wallets- just so awesome.  I wish I had that type of ingenuity.  And check out her new craft space!  soooooooooooooo jealous.

6.  Over at MADE this week, I found these book bags that I have to make some of.  I'm sick of searching under beds for lost library books.  Anyone seen Diary of a Wimpy kid?  I may have to pay for that one.

So, now you can blame me for losing time in blogland.  I have to run!  Happy Sunday all!

The Sunday Six

I was called a "talented designer" this week.  Me?  I guess I do design things, but do I deserve the moniker of "designer"?  I aspire to do so, but I still can't believe that someone else sees me as such.

Now these people?  I call them designers.  Talented designers even.  The photos speak for themselves.

1.  Sewing in no-man's land.  She recently put designed this beautiful baby outfit for Project Run and Play that I almost want a baby girl to put it on.  And her aprons?  To die for. Go over there and give her some bloggy love.  Wow.

OMG! Cuteness overload!  Now THAT is designing.

2.  This Mabey Heaven.  Hair accessories that require a sense of design that I cannot seem to fathom.  I love her materials and the unexpected materials and shapes.  Check out her upcycled sweaters and skirts too.  Talented Designer.

3.  Moda Bake Shop.  The Moda Fabrics ideas blog.  All their patterns are "recipes".  Tutorials galore.  Amazing eye for the awesome.  Sometimes I just go over there and stare at stuff for 30 minutes or so.  Talented Designers, all.

4.  Alma Stoller.  Just go.  A feast for the eyes.  Amazing Ideas.  Fabulous photos.  Fantastic-ness.  Enough superlative adjectives?  Mixed media art and jewelry.  Just go.  Talented Designer.

5.  Trey and Lucy.  Hair accessories.  Simple, yet innovative needs for the home.  Adorable pics of the kiddos.  Giant Fabric Flowers to go onto anything.  Original ideas.  Talented Designer.

6.  And last, but not least.  You want talented designers?  Go to the Paradise Blog.  This is the group of designers from Etsy shops that I got together with a few weeks ago to chat, shop, and commiserate over low sales weeks with.  All talented designers.  And people I owe thanks to for much of my shop traffic and sales. Thank you Paradise.

There you go.  Talented designers all.  Me?  I'm still not sure.

The Sunday Six

I've been busily crafting my heart out over here, but I always have time with my coffee in the morning to peruse the many, many wonderful blogs in the blogosphere.  Without the inspiration I have found online, I don't think I ever would have started crafting in the first place!

I wanted to be just like them.  Heck, I wanted to BE them.  That included emulating these super sewers/knitters/chefs/photographers/artists in words.  I'm not there yet- it's a journey that I am enjoying every day, and SOMEDAY I will be the one to inspire someone else.  Let us hope they have a better camera than me though. 

I started this blog at the beginning of December to showcase my thoughts, work, and to promote my new Etsy store.  But on Sundays, I share with you some of the bloggers who still inspire me every morning with my 2 *cough* or 4 cups of joe.

Here we go- people who inspired me this week....

1.  33 Shades of Green- Roman shades have always confused me.  I'm the type of sewer who has to stare at things for three hours before I click and figure out how to make it.  But Alissa has broken it down in an amazing tutorial.  She also knows how to cook, work with paper, knit, decorate, and sew.  You want to hate her, but you can't.  Just give her credit.  This chick rules!!!!!

2.  Ysolda- I just found out this week (thanks Dawn at A Few Good Yarns for the heads up) one of my favorite knitting designers has a blog.  So I've been lurking over there each morning this week, going through the archives and awaiting a new post, as if that means she is talking directly to me.  To ME!  I've knitted many of her patterns over the years, and I might be pretending that I am a cool knitwear designer from Scotland while I'm knitting.  Don't tell anyone, I'd be embarrassed.

3.  I was featured on One Pretty Thing with my fingerless gloves tutorial this week, for the second time!  My first was my apron from a skirt tutorial.   Each time I was featured, I just about peed my pants.  Rachel has two posts each day, collecting all the amazing tutorials and inspiration from the blogosphere.  Not only do the projects amaze me, her diligence in browsing all of the available tutorials out there and organizing them into intelligable posts TWICE each day flabbergasts me!  Go over there, whatever craft you do, and get inspired.

4.  I graduated with this girl.  Erin and I haven't spoken for years, as we both had kids, I joined the Army and moved out of town, etc....  But I recently discovered that we've taken parallel paths, and she is a crafter/blogger!  On Crafty Bits n Pieces, Erin does the crafting; her husband does the art design!  So cool, and I'm glad to be linking an old friend.  She recently posted an upcycled pillow tutorial!  Just how parallel are our paths?  Crazy!

5.  Aly&Ash.  I might die of cuteness overload.   THE PHOTOS!  Not only are her fabric flowers and hats adorable, but Jax can take a photo to die for.  Frame-worthy.  I aspire to someday take photos like this.

6.  Need more than just six in one day?  Go over to Today's Creative Blog, where they try to list a new blog every day to inspire and amaze you.  So that one day, you too will open up your blog!

Go.  Be free.  Get inspired.  I do, every morning.  And someday... I may have a following... But until then, I'll keep writing, crafting, and posting.  Drop me a line letting me know who to peruse and feature next week!

*smooches*

The Sunday Six

After I hit 1000 hits this Saturday, I did a dance.  Stitches in my foot and all.  1000 hits in just a little over a month.  Where's my Fresca! 

I really can't believe it.  Thanks so much to all my readers out there who've made this venture a success.  And thank you so much to Rachel over at One Pretty Thing.  You've really got me rolling by featuring my tutorials, and I'm so grateful. 

Since I won't be around much tomorrow, I've decided to post the Sunday Six on a Saturday.  I know, I'm a wild and crazy kid.  I'm breaking out my rebel card.

So, what are you going to be reading this year?  I, for one, have found quite a few blogs this week:

First:  Elizabeth Abernathy.  How did I not find this wonderful blog before this?  I am usually tireless in my searches.  So many cool things to make, so little time...

Second:  Cluck, Cluck, Sew.  If you are into quilting, or are like me, and wish you had the stamina to produce the most beautiful works of art, then cluck, I mean click,  on over. 

Third:  Little Birdie Secrets... I made a few of her lovely rosettes as freebies for my Etsy orders, and was so pleased.  Not frustrating at all, like some flower tutorials..  She has a million ideas, all of them A-dor-able.

Fourth:  The Purl Bee...  The blog of Purl Soho- there is always, always, always beautiful eye candy over there.  Seriously.  Go.  They have the best of 2010 listed today, and the felt barrettes for little ones isn't even on it.

Fifth:  Sew, Mama, Sew.  I've got a couple of projects I want to make from this excellent seamstress.  Highest on the list is her Yoga Skirt, which I don't think I can make it through the spring without.

And, last but never least:  Centsational Girl.  With a tagline like "fabulous for less", how could you resist?  She has the decorating eye of Martha Stewart on my budget.  Love it!

So, stay busy this year.  There are things out there for you to make.  You just need to drink enough coffee, find the supplies, and ignore your family for at least three hours per day.  Really.  They can survive on PB&J.  I've tested that hypothesis recently. 

The Sunday Six

So, here I sit, with my 11 stitches, with nothing much to do the day after Christmas...

I'm enjoying the blogosphere... Join me for some sewing, knitting, and crafting inspiration that I've discovered myself looking at everyday with my coffee.  I'm looking today for ideas on what to spend my Jo-Ann's Fabric and Barnes and Noble Gift Cards on.

1.   I wanted to give a shout out to my beautiful and crafty cousin Dawn, who has started her very own craft blog- A Few Good Yarns. She is a knitter/crocheter, and has a great eye for classy and fun designs.  I can't wait until she posts about her crocheted baby hats with interchangeable flowers.  Stop over there sometime, and give her a holler.  She's good people. (Except for the cooking of Lima Beans, which I can never agree with.  If there is an maligned green food that deserves its reputation, this one is it.)

2.  My go-to place for tutorials for one of a kind items and excellent photography of her seedlings...A Lemon Squeezy Home. This is one of her outstanding tutorials that I've been meaning to make for weeks now...

3.  Over at ISLY (I Still Love You), I found wonderful upcycled lovlieness, and even bought commercial rights from her to make her braided jersey necklaces for my Etsy store.  (I know, I know- where are the necklaces, then?... I've been a bit obsessed with wool upcycling right now.)

She has recently made cashmere mittens.  Such a lovely shade of orange!

4.  Over at Wardrobe Refashion, you'll find a group of contributors who'd pledged not to buy any new clothes, only refashion what they had or what they had purchased at thrift stores.  Some creative ideas over there, although the site is closed to further contributors now.  I hope they change their minds!

5.  For those of you who've been living under a rock, or are not knitters- Stephanie Pearl McPhee aka "The Yarn Harlot" is one of the best knitting/crafting bloggers; no wait- best blogger out there.  Read what she has to say.  She is freakin' hilarious.  Go, laugh.

6.  And, last but never least- I am Momma, Hear me Roar.  She does everything from embellishing old shoes to give them new life, to designing clothing.  I love her designs, most recently her upcycled T-shirt hat for toddlers has made it onto the to-do list.  My seedlings would look so adorable in these. 

So, go waste some time.  Surf the interweb/net/blag/ whatever.  Drop me a line to let me know what I'm missing.  Drop me a line to let me know what you'd like to see next week.  Just drop me a line.  Even a :) will work.  :p

The Sunday Six

So I just made an Etsy sale!!  Considering I've just opened my shop 2 weeks ago, and I've made 3 sales, I'd say I'm pretty happy with the situation!  My favorite part is wrapping them and packaging them so the buyer has an experience when they get one of my creations.

In celebration, I'm sipping a cup of rare coffee, and perusing the blogosphere.  I will get to work soon and finish up Kurt's gift...

after a few more blogs like these:  (come on and surf with me!)

Every Sunday, I will post some of my favorite craft blogs, so come on back every week to see what I'm reading...

1.  Every day One Pretty Thing has new ideas.  Love this site.

2.  Head on over to No Big Dill for inspiration. Her craftsmanship is stellar.  Never have I seen a straighter stitch.

3.  Thinking of quilting little objects?  Noodlehead has no comparison.

4.  Dana over at Made has made her blog a feast for the senses.

5.  Over at the Mother Huddle, I found an idea for a golf ball sling, as well as some pretty rad Christmas ideas..  (That's right, I'm bringing rad back.  Write that down.)

 

6.  And, last but not least...There is always something amazing to imagine making on Ucreate.  

Enjoy?  Let me know- I'd love to hear who is reading what around the blogosphere...