Friday, September 10, 2010

Getting Back on Track

HOWDY! Been a while, I know. This time it isn't because I forgot! We just didn't have internet is all. Internet is turned back on and my life will probably be consumed with the computer once more.

Though, in the few weeks that it has been off, I have been fairly busy! I made: 3 hats, 2 flower necklaces, 2 star/moon wall hangings, a sweater coat, a scarf, and I'm working on another scarf. I don't really have pictures of anything, though, except for one of the hats. Two of the hats, a scarf, and the sweater coat have already been given away. (There is this really nice lady that runs a play group for children 5 and under in our area that we attend. She brought us 3 BIG bags of clothing for my son's birthday that was desperately needed. So to show our thanks I made a hat, necklace and wall hanging for each of her girls, which are a year older than my son, and a scarf and sweater coat for her. I was so happy when the girls wore their hats for the entire class even though we were all inside where it was warm and refused to take them off.) I do have a picture of my son wearing the Frog Hat I made him and I'll get a picture of the scarf I'm working on for my husband when I get it finished. I'm about halfway done with it.

I have found a knitting group that meets weekly, unfortunately it's about a 40 minute drive... made it to 3 of the meetings but it is kind of eating into the gas and it's not in the budget. NEVER FEAR! A local group started up here in town, literally 2 blocks away from home. Unfortunately it's not free, they charge $5 a meeting that you show up for, but they make up for it by offering food. I have talked to my mother in law and she says she doesn't have a problem watching my son for the two hours they meet once a week. I can't wait and hope to make friends. Then again this is a really small town so I don't know how many people actually will show up. Guess I'll just have to wait a few days to find out!

9 more days until my son's birthday, 8 more until his party. It's so exciting. I didn't have any sales from Etsy but we were still able to get everything we need since the hubbers picked up as much over time as he could at work. We sent out invites and I've heard back from several people and it's looking like a pretty big turn out. Just hoping the weather holds out because all of the activities we have planned for the little ones are for outside. I have to work on a back up plan just in case.

Because of the fact that I have been without internet for so long and this is pretty much just a post to let you know that I'm still alive I won't be spotlighting any shops this evening. I've only been on Etsy long enough to pay my bill from last month, which thankfully didn't go overdue while I was without the internet. I will be sure to bring some wonderful shops to share with you in my next post.

I'll talk to you in a few days! I have a big weekend planned out. Taking Ian to the Apple Orchard tomorrow morning and then Sunday we're going into the city to stock up on groceries for the month. Not looking forward to Sunday, but I rather enjoy eating so it has to be done. Oooooooh, speaking of eating! I have to share since I'm so proud of myself. I've been practicing more strict portion control as well as limited snacking and have gotten rid of soda from my diet and have lost 6 pounds. Still a LONG way from my goal but it's a start! 6 down, 44 to go!

Thank you for your time and I will see you soon! Happy Crafting and be sure to check out my Etsy shop: http://www.majikalfairy.etsy.com

Wednesday, August 11, 2010

A little of this, a little of that, and a lot of yarn!

Projects: ABANDONED, FINISHED, IN PROGRESS & SOON TO COME

ABANDONED: Well, I have managed to once again start a project and not finish it. The butterfly blanket has been put on hold. I'm starting to rethink the fact that I don't like that I am working the blankets in strips and then having to sew them together at the end. I haven't decided if I want to keep doing it this way or unravel the little bit of progress I did make and pull out the circulars and work it as one or two pieces instead.

FINISHED: I did on the other hand finish 4 projects! 3 knit and 1 crochet. I made and finished a scarf and hat set and a purse. All three of those projects used the yarn I received from unraveling 2 sweaters and I still have quite a bit left! The crochet project was made with some cute yarn from my stash. It is now a cute little pocket purse! I love the colors, it's 4 strands worked as one purple, green, blue, and pink. Turned out pretty cute!

IN PROGRESS: And now for the current projects I am working on. I have designed my first shawl pattern! I think it looks pretty nifty and have about the first 30 rows worked of it. I'm using the Orange lace weight cotton yarn from an unraveled sweater on size 3 needles. So it's going to take me a while! But it is going to be worth it.

I have a shawl I am crocheting as well. Where as the knit one is going to be triangular this crocheted one is going to be rectangular-ish. I haven't decided if it's going to be exactly rectangle or if I'll screw with it a bit. And I'll probably add a border of tassels along 1 or 3 of the edges. I'm using a stitch found in one of my books that was used in another pattern that I intended to use but didn't have enough yarn for it. It's pretty cute so far.

SOON TO COME: My favorite part is thinking of what's to come next. I have a couple things in the mail right now on the way. I have enough yarn to make this GORGEOUS long sweater coat that I found in one of my pattern books that I'm going to crochet. And I have about 5.2 oz of various rovings (4 oz, 1 oz, and a little .2 oz sample) on the way for me to spin. I haven't decided what I want to do with it after it is spun. I suppose I'll deal with that when I reach that point!

FIBER, FIBER FOR EVERYONE!

When I was strolling through Etsy looking at all the lovely roving I found several shops I added to my list and some absolutely amazing colorways! So today's featured shops are going to be all about roving!

Let's start here. This shop is where I bought 5 oz of the 5.2 oz of roving! I purchased my favorite from the shop but this was a close second. I love the light blush and blue mixed in with the browns in this Merino roving. I'm sure it would make a cute yarn!

I absolutely adore this roving. There are so many cute things I could see coming from this. Scarves, hats, shawls, a nice little shrug or cardigan would be lovely! 6oz of beautiful Merino, Bamboo and Tussah Silk blended together!


See? I'm not always about brights and pastels! This Merino roving was hand painted to perfection! I would love a pair of socks made of this! They would be stunning! I'd show them off every chance I could!


There are no words for this Merino and Tencel blend of roving other than: I WANT IT! I WANT IT! I WANT IT! I can't decide what I would make with it but I know it would be a prized addition to my yarn collection! I'm sure the picture doesn't do it justice. I hope to one day have this item and I hope it's one day soon!


This 8oz + monster is definitely at the top of my list of favorites. I have always loved the color combination of purple and greens and this looks like a lovely marriage between the two. A mix of various wools it would make a very nice sweater. It even got the approval of the hubby! (He doesn't show much interest when it comes to yarn related stuff so when he approves you know it's good!)

CLOSING STATEMENTS

As always, thank you so very much for visiting and reading. I'm still trying to raise money for my son's birthday party next month in September through my etsy shop and am offering a sale through the month of August! That's right! All month long all items are 15% off. Every sale helps!

I'll be back before you know it with another post and more wonderful shops to share with you!

Thursday, July 22, 2010

In a good mood and with a sweet tooth


Oh my good golly gosh! Remember that ever so frustrating butterfly block I mentioned last post? Well, after trying it out 2 more times and making the same mistake both times again, turns out I had written down the pattern wrong! In two places!

It's all fixed now and I'm currently on my 4th block of my blanket! I've finished 2 complete butterfly blocks and a solid block. Going to do the checkered pattern in the same color. Unfortunately right now my camera is out of commission, well, it's my laptop that's out of commission, so can't post any pictures. (The desktop doesn't have a card reader and I don't
know where the cord is that goes to my camera to connect it to the computer.) But I'll get it up as soon as I get my laptop cord (Been a bit of a mix up in the mail, it was sent to our old address an hour away from where we live now.)

Sugary Goodness

On another note, I have a major sweet tooth. Anything smothered in chocolate sounds absolutely amazing right now. Chocolate covered chocolate? Yum. So I searched Etsy with the keyword chocolate in all categories and this is what I found! (Entries are going to be sort and sweet as I'm a wee bit on the tired side. Little one has been having trouble sleeping. Both in falling asleep a
nd getting back to sleep in the early morning hours. No amount of coffee has been helping.)

Because these are short blurbs, I'm going to try a little more visual approach and post the picture of the item to go along with it.

This assortment of chocolate magnets is sure to get anyone's sweet tooth up and raring to go! With several to choose, picking your favorite 3 could be hard to do.

There's no words for this body scrub that the maker didn't think of themselves. Just reading their description makes my mouth water! Here is a snip-it from the page:

"Steam billows rolling off a vessel of fresh made Turkish coffee, marshmallow goo tainted by graham cracker crumbs, toasted hazelnuts and blanketed in black chocolate"

These "chocolate and cream" earrings are darling. Rich, brown quartz with white fresh water pearls. Wear them for any special occasion to be the center of attention.

I almost thought these donut soaps were the real deal! In addition to looking like donuts they SMELL like them! Keep donuts around all the time and not have to worry about those pesky extra calories.

I love aprons and this apron is sure to impress when company arrives. Full coverage apron with two small pockets to hold this or that in which you need close by.

Signing Off

I plan on retaking all of my pictures for my shop. I have some lovely backgrounds I can use out here at our new location. I can't wait to get all of those updated. Before too long I hope to have this blanket done to share with you. I'm all sorts of happy with the progress and the way that it is turning out! I still haven't decided what size to make it, but I figure I'll know when it's big enough. I will keep you posted with the progress and keep sharing those shops with you.

Please feel free to stop by and visit my shop as well. In addition to PayPal I now am set up to accept Google Checkout!

Remember, all sales for the month of July within the US will be shipped for FREE. And all proceeds go towards my son's 2nd birthday party. I know I sound like a broken record but I hope that my crafts can bring a smile to the buyers face as well as a smile to my son's to make his birthday extra special.

If you purchase anything be sure to use this special code to get a 10% discount on your total purchase:

BIRTHDAY BASH

Simply Convo me that phrase with the item you would like or add it to the notes to seller during checkout to receive your discount.

And I'm thinking about having a special sale for the final week of July. We'll just have to wait and see. :P

♥♥♥THANK YOU FOR READING AND HAPPY CRAFTING!♥♥♥

Friday, July 16, 2010

Short and Sweet

Going to share a short post with you, folks. Mainly because I really want to work on this scarf pattern.

I have scrapped the slipper sock project. Just for right now. I barely got half way done with the first one when I ran out of yarn so it's going to go on the back burner. I thought I could get away with using another yarn I had, but turns out it was every so slightly thinner than the yellow stuff and threw my pattern WAY off. I don't know if I want to sit and redo everything with a new guage and work with the black and white yarn I have a TON of (more than enough to make two slipper socks and have a lot left over to make a few more pair maybe) or wait until I am able to get more of the yellow stuff and just work on the pattern I've already started... I haven't decided yet.

The butterfly blocks are giving me a little more trouble than I had anticipated. I spent 2 hours on it yesterday night and I went to inspect my work after reaching the half way point in my first block and I noticed that a good 7 or 8 rows down one of the holes outlining the wing wasn't in the right spot and made that particular wing look obviously wrong. Hubby says I just need to take a day or two away from it and try again. Keep my chin up and I'll get it right. ^_^

Plus I have found that after working with 9" bamboo needles on several of my projects as of late going back to my long metal ones is kind of awkward. So I'm going to kind of shake up a scarf pattern by using different sized needles than what the yarn suggests. Moving up a size (it calls for a six which is what is being used in my butterfly blocks.) and see how it changes the look of the pattern. If it's not a good change then I'm just going to have to get used to my long ones again. Or look to see if I have another pair of short 6's.

The Elusive First Sale

As you may know I have yet to make a sale. Do not shed a tear for me, instead visit my shop and buy something. Or stop by one of these lovely shops that have posted in a thread I started on Etsy to help shops without sales!


eatpraycreate's shop has lovely hand crafted and decorated blank cards for any occasion. Want to say Hello? There's a card for that. Want to say Congratulations? There's a card for that. Want to spread peace, love and joy? You guessed it! There's a card for that, too! Please feel free to stop on by and take a look. These cards are sure to put a smile on anyone's face.


NoKitschProject's shop has a wide selection of two types of jewelry at the moment. The first portion of the shop shows lovely polymer clay pendants with seashells arranged in a decorative flower pattern. The remainder of the shop shares hand sewn cross stitch earrings. Patterns and colors galore! Sure to fit into anyone's wardrobe.


diiptadezigns is another shop that offers jewelry. Necklaces, earrings and LOTS of color! There are several pieces that I would LOVE to be able to just snag through the screen and put on right away. Quartz, glass beads, pearls and more! From elegant to fun the choice is hard to make to pick just one favorite!


AngryDaddySalsa offers home grown, home made, vegan friendly salsa! Worried about what goes into your food? Don't be with this all natural, garden fresh goodness. All items are grown in their garden, items not grown personally by them is grown by a neighboring farm. Pesticide free! Don't let those cute little angry peppers scare you off, try a jar today!


KPTography has a grand selection of floral photography prints made into note cards and post cards. Tulips, daffodils, lilies and more. You're sure to find the perfect flower to share your message with friends and family. Don't have a reason to send a card? You don't need one! Just say hello, let people know you're thinking of them, or frame it and bring both color and beauty to any room in your home!

Closing Statements

As always thank you for stopping in and checking out my blog, my shop and the wonderful Etsians that I have to share with you. If you do make a purchase from one of these shops please share with them that you found them through me. I'm sure it will make their day.

Promoting My Shop!

You can visit my shop at MajikalFairy to view my items. Remember for the month of July all shipping within the US is free and all funds raised between now and September will go towards my son's 2nd birthday party. Each purchase between now and then will come with a hand crafted, personalized thank you card with artwork by my son to show our appreciation.

HAPPY CRAFTING!

Monday, July 12, 2010

Did you miss me?

Catching Up

Long time, no see! Sorry about the long delay between posts. A little bit of drama has had my mind a bit distracted. After a LONG weekend out of town I feel rested and ready to share!

So, what have I been up to, you ask? Simply this: CROCHETING! (Okay... So I HAVE been doing a spot of knitting. I found a new pattern that I will share with you in a moment. But I only spent one night before giving it up, but we'll get to that in a moment!)

I made a scarf, my first time learning to do a diamond mesh pattern. I think it turned out nice, the yarn was nice and thick. I don't have pictures right now since my camera is still in town. And I made a star for the Hubby. He picked out this bright, multi-colored rainbow yarn because he said that it reminded him of Skittles. I think the yarn was hideous, but as long as he is happy. I did pick up a few small balls for myself. One that I am kind of disappointed in. In the skein it looked really pretty, like colors of a daisy. The dark yellow center, white petals and then a light yellow/pale green (I can't really tell. Looks different in different lights.) I started making a star and it looked horrible... Kind of like a scrambled egg. Yuck. The second ball is a very light tan, a blush pink, and a deep green color. Looks cute, can't wait to try it. And finally the last ball I just couldn't resist. The colors look washed out, but they look very cute together. Blue, green, pink, orange. I don't know what I am going to do with it, but it was on sale and that is all that matters.

Well, what to do with the ugly yellow yarn? Simple, pretend that I know what I am doing and try to make my own slipper sock pattern! After sitting there and tracing my foot, measuring my foot, making a ton of swatches to test gauge... and even though it was consistent after I started the pattern and measured it a few times it seemed to get larger than the beginning. But no worries because I am going row by row changing things as I go. I'll get pictures and share the pattern if they work out! Pictures even if they don't turn out. Though with how things are going I think the one ball won't make a pair, I may be lucky if it makes one slipper sock.

And the knitting, you still insist on pestering me about? Why, I found this awesome butterfly lace picture pattern. 41 stitches by 42 rows. The pattern is originally a dishcloth but I figure it I make several of these blocks, plus solid blocks in either the same or complementary colors, I can put together my first blanket! This is the link to the Papillon Butterfly Cloth. You scroll down and she gives the link to a .pdf with the instructions. I found that she doctored the instructions to make them easier for her to understand (Extra letters in abbreviations to remind her what they mean, ...'s between groups of stitches to help separate them and make them easier to see without losing her place.) but they made it hard for me to read so I had to retype them out.

I sat there all excited with my new pattern and got down to business. Things are going smooth and every few rows I count my stitches just to make sure everything is where it should be. About an hour and a half into the pattern, row 24 of 42, I'm missing a stitch... I stare at the half finished block trying to spot my mistake. I can't see it. Okay, I'll just remove a row and count the stitches until I undo what it is I did and go back to work. Sounds like a great plan. Until I sneeze... And drop my work... And panic picking them up, yup, several stitches came off the needle and unraveled. Grumbling under my breath I rolled my yarn back into the ball, slid my bamboo needles into it so I wouldn't lose them, and sat them aside to go to the Etsy forums to vent and talk a little to get my mind off of it. (They were a big help with the distractions in the ETC forum. They are a hoot!) I'll try again later.

And now to the part of the blog you've all been waiting for! My Etsy shop picks of the week! Or post... Hmm... I should really figure out how often I want to post. Any ideas?

Okay, so a while back ago I was on a MAJOR Buffy the Vampire Slayer kick. Over the course of a couple nights I watched seasons 1-3 and a couple episodes from 4. Well, I was flipping through the channels and what should be on? So I decided to search Etsy and there were several Buffy related items! I was tickled pink. And here are my 5 favorite Buffy inspired items!


Oh my good golly gosh! I want this bag SOOOO bad. TiLTcreations blood red messenger bag with a hand embroidered Buffy B and Mister Pointy (A stake belonging from another slayer who was, unfortunately, slayed.) It's simple and awesome a the same time. Would make an awesome laptop carrying case. PLUS! She's a fellow Michigander. ^_^


Out of the many paintings in the shop, natejohnsondesign has a wide range of Buffy characters sure to include anyone's favorite. It was VERY hard to choose just one painting to use here in my blog, but I knew that Mayor Wilkins was the way to go. The water color painting captures that self-assured smug look that always seemed to be on the Mayor's face when he thought about his ascension and having the ultimate power that came along with it. If I had to pick, I would most definitely have to choose this painting to proudly display inside my home.


Love that Buffy B? Love necklace pendants made out of Scrabble tiles? Then you'll love this one! 1CraftyBee has elegantly designed this pendant with a Bold Buffy B (Say that 3 times fast!) and a nice crystal accent to make it pop! Comes with a length of ribbon so it's ready to wear upon arrival!


This one gave me a giggle. Now don't get me wrong, people are allowed to like what they want and in my case I can't stand Twilight. (No, I haven't read the books. No I haven't seen the movies. No I don't have any interest whatsoever in changing that.) I've always been a vampire fan and the author of Twilight obviously... well, let's just say I don't believe they've ever read or watched anything with a REAL vampire in it. ButtonBetties must agree since this pin is in their shop! It simply reads, "...And Then Buffy Slayed Edward." Wear it proudly and watch all the teenie-boppers cry after reading it... Man, I'm mean.


Okay, so this item isn't actually anything Buffy related other than the name. When searching Etsy with the keyword "Buffy" this yarn from JunoFirbreArts came up and I couldn't resist. Gorgeous pinks and browns mingle together in this 4-ply fingering weight Superwash Bluefaced Leicester. All the cute things I could make with it... I should wrap this up before I get caught up in my yarn day dreams.

Birthday Funds

As always, you are more than welcome to stop on in to my shop at http://www.majikalfairy.etsy.com and take a peek. Right now for the month of July all US shipping is free. And all money raised from sales between now and September will be going towards my son's 2nd birthday party. My goal is to sell $50 worth of products. That will cover the gift he wants (Buzz Lightyear toy Laptop) and supplies to make cupcakes for friends and family who come to celebrate with us. All sales will come complete with a thank you card written by me and original artwork in either crayon and/or colored pencil by him.

Saturday, June 26, 2010

One Man's Sweater Is Another Man's Project

Shameless Promotions

Today I finally posted my scarf I made about a week ago. With the coloring of the yarn I decided to simply call it my Green Tea Fringe Scarf. I also listed my Peacock Boa Scarf that I made instead of going through my yarn stash like I had planned on doing. Stayed up until midnight... Didn't even realize the time until I was cleaning up and noticed the clock. Another night flies by due to crafting... And another morning I wake up dead on my feet because of it. Thank goodness for coffee!

Fruitful Searches

I used to work for Goodwill Industries and know first hand all of the wonderful treasures that come through there. We would have regulars who would come in looking for specific materials in clothing and would make quilts out of them, gloves, and other project, many that they would turn around and donate themselves.

Every now and then I will go in there to say hello to my former coworkers and after reading several articles about salvaging knitted sweaters to make something else I decided to keep my eye out when I visited. Today I struck pay dirt! I found a medium length house coat in a light cream 90% wool/10% nylon yarn with "good seaming" (term from www.neauveau.com 's article on unraveling a sweater.) Not only was I able to find a sweater to practice unraveling, it was a nice size to yield a good amount of yarn and it was 90% wool so I get to try out dyeing and for the heck of it give felting a try!

I brought it to the checkout and had a brief conversation with one of my old managers and went skipping out as if I found a $20 bill in my pocket after doing the laundry.

I figured I'd start small and unravel the knitted belt that came with the sweater. I figured that would be the easiest part as well as give me a little bit of practice yarn to try dying with. After winding the belt into a neat little ball I set it on my little scale and was happy to see that I had just shy of 2 oz of 'brand new' yarn to play with. My adventures with dyeing will be another post though. I'll probably continue working on unraveling the rest of the sweater after my little chat with you about these WONDERFUL ETSY SHOPS!

Every Color of the Rainbow and Then Some

Today we're going to check out 5 Etsy shops that will knock your socks off with their beautifully colored yarns. Some of them would indeed make lovely socks to cover your now bare feet!


I poke my head in the Etsy chats and have seen SpinningStreak and have found that in addition to their handknit wearables they dye their own yarn! They have 35 listings alone dedicated to dyed yarns spanning from bright fun colors to sensible colors for even the more mature color pallet. I have my eye on 4 colors in particular, my favorite being Highland Fling. The deep blue and purple play well together with a splash of green and pink that make it pop.


This shop dedicated to art inspired dyelots. Grant Creek Yarns includes the artwork that inspired the colors in the photos of the yarn for sale in over half of their listings and gives a little back story on what inspired their color choice. The colors match so perfectly you'd think they used the same paints available to the original artist! Lavender Iris inspired by artwork by Carol Hoffnagle is by far the most attractive colorway in Grant Creek Yarns' shop.


Don't like the bright colors that you can see a mile away? Maybe Franknit has a color that will better suit your taste. These soft and welcoming colorways are sure to appease any pattern with their pleasant colors. Franknit's Raspberry Truffle would make an elegant top to sweater, or hat, or tank top, or scarf! The possibilities are endless and sure to produce a wonderful piece.


If color is your thing and you can't decide on one, two or three colors this is your shop! These yarns pack a punch sure to satisfy any knitters craving for color. Vintage Psychedelic Mini Dress is sure to catch everyone's eye with a blend of bright pink and blue with a splash of green any project you turn out with this yarn will be a blast to wear. And I'm sure it will be a blast to make, too!


I love how KingBecky portrays her yarn in her pictures. Wound tightly in a hank and topped upon a stick it reminds me of brightly colored candy, both lollipops and cotton candy depending on the color of the yarn. I would buy a few and display them as they are in the picture! Orange Candy brings three complementary colors together, orange, pink and yellow, to form a a yarn that will bring cheer to any knitters project any time of the year.

Yarn, Yarn Everywhere

I hope you enjoyed these shops I have shared with you today... Though I should say, 'tonight' now. Between looking through Etsy, reading information in shops, writing, and a little bit of distraction by the hubby or television, I spend a good 2 hours or so speaking with you. And that's if I do my research on shops before sitting down to to write! I get so caught up in looking through the shops and wish I could share every one that I find that has something noteworthy... Which is just about every shop out there on Etsy. (What? I can't really count the shops that are empty! They get an honorable mention.)

Please share the love and visit these shops, buy if you can and happy crafting!

Wednesday, June 23, 2010

A Warm Embrace

1 Shawl To Warm Them All

Yesterday I pieced together the finished panels of my first shawl! I was so excited, but realized the importance of checking your gauge! The shawl turned out massive, spanning just over 90 inches wide and 36 inches long. The purples turned out very nice in my opinion and hope someone thinks the same and wishes to add it to their wardrobe collection. To see it you can scroll to the bottom of the blog and check out the thumbnail of the shawl, as well as the other items in my shop. OR you can go directly to my shop at www.majikalfairy.etsy.com to see it first hand.

Needle In a Hay Stack

It was hard finding shops to showcase this evening. Not because there were a lack of beautiful shawls, but people miss-tag their items. The first page alone I was bombarded by shrugs and necklaces! Out of the 33 items only a small handful were actual shawls. After about a half hour scrolling through page after page of lovely shawls, and other items mixed in, I narrowed down my list of top 3 for today's Etsy Picks!

NO TWO SNOWFLAKES

Tonight we're going to start out not with a shawl but a shawl pattern showcased through NoTwoSnowflakes by Karen Walker. You can visit her Etsy shop heirloomlace and be amazed at the detail and work she puts into each of her items. Just owning one of these works would be the crown jewel in anyone's closet. To have the skill to knit this shawl is completely awe inspiring.

DAGNYKNIT

With 22 gorgeous knits, several of them shawls, it was hard to choose just one. DagnyKnit's Violet Mist Shawl represents elegance to a tee. This lightweight lace shawl will add more than a touch of class to any evening wear and sure to turn heads as they admire the lovely work of art you proudly wear.

REFLECTIONSBYDS

What could be better than a shawl that will be compliment after compliment? Free shipping of course! That is what reflectionbyds is offering when you purchase this crocheted mesh shawl adorned with a crocheted flower motif trim. This ivory shawl, she also offers custom orders if you would like a different color, would make a perfect gift for the girl in your life with an eye for fashionable knit wear.

In Closing

I hope you have enjoyed looking at these creations by our fellow Etsians. I know I can't get enough. You can look through the site a hundred times throughout your day, every day, and always find something new and interesting. I salute you Etsy creators!

Happy Crafting!

Oh! And I decided to get a twitter account. http://twitter.com/MajikalFairy For up to date tweets about my crafting, know exactly when I post a new blog, or if I find a special find on Etsy that I just have to share!

Monday, June 21, 2010

Shooting Star

A STAR IS BORN

I had an idea to crochet up some flower motifs and make a "Build Your Own Scarf" kit and after making up a bunch of flowers I wondered what other shapes I could do. OFF TO YOUTUBE I WENT. I found a comprehensive tutorial video on how to crochet a star by mikeyssmail and sat down to try it. I simply loved how it turned out and sat down and made this!



I added this to my Etsy Shop as a custom order. Simply pick the color you want the stars, color of the letters, and tell me the name you'd like on it and I'll set up a reserved listing for you after it is finished!

Today's Shop Spotlight will focus on other cute and original wall pieces!

JOLINNE

Let's start with jolinne's shop. This darling canvas print of a little girl in a yellow dress in a spring time setting. I'm sure it would brighten up any room all year long!

CHUCKEBRYDWALLART

Next we have ChuckEBrydWallArt who, as the name suggests, specializes in wall art! This Vinyl Tree in the Wind would be a beautiful addition if you have an open wall. Measuring in at 63" tall the tree can be arranged in any way by you! Pieces include the tree, your choice of flower color (you pick 2 out of 56 available colors!), and color of birds!

CCNEVER

This Hello Kitty Vinyl Wall Sticker from ccnever is great for any child's room or any Hello Kitty fan! 58x54 in 24 different colors is a picture of Hello Kitty standing at an easel with a crayon ready to share in the creative process!

ELLYNELLY

ellynelly has a great idea: "Create your own fan club!" Each lenghth measures 22 inches Long x 4 inches High and includes, but not limited to: A man in a suit, person with umbrella, couple walking together, lady with a large bag, man on cell phone, and man looking at his watch. Definitely a must see item!

DESIGNEDDESIGNER

Jungle lovers with bundles of joy will simply adore this Monkey Hanging On Vines wall sticker! designedDESIGNER offers this fuzzy little friend to watch over your little one as they sleep or play in their room.

Thank you for stopping on by and reading my blog! I hope you check out my shop as well as the others that I have shared with you today!

Happy crafting!

Sunday, June 20, 2010

How I came into Crafting

MY INTRODUCTION

As a child my mother shared with me her craftiness. She did cross stitch, she made quilts, and indulged in other small projects on the side. She taught me at first to do plastic canvas, soon after to do cross stitch patterns, though mine were never as elaborate as the ones she worked on, and introduced me to latch hook rugs as well. Though I never caught on to quilting, as of yet, I did surprise her when I took up knitting on my own.

With the help of how to books and the WONDERFUL people posting videos on youtube I taught myself to knit with the use of 2 pens and some scrap yarn I found stashed away from previous projects my siblings and myself worked on throughout our childhood. That was 4 years ago.

A year after I had learned to knit a group of friends and I flew out to San Fransisco for our friend's wedding. During that flight I sat next to my friend Katy who worked on her crocheting. We got to talking about different things we've worked on and that we each only knew how to do our own thing. By the end of the flight we decided that we would each learn the others' craft. I ended up losing touch with my friend after a while so I don't know if she ever learned to knit, but I watched video after video and picked up a set of crochet hooks and got to work!

I'm no expert at either by any means but I enjoy both of them equally using them as a means to relax after a long day of chasing after my toddler son. I enjoy simple and short projects and would have to say my favorite part is most definitely scoping out craft stores, both in person and online, for new yarns. I'd use my talents to create gifts for friends and family and recently have decided to try my hand at sharing my projects with the world, for a fee of course.

ETSY AND MY SHOP

There is a site called Etsy that allowed people world-wide to sell their handmade items, crafting supplies, and vintage items. Their definition of vintage is items over 20 years of age. You can find items ranging from hand crafted jewelry, woodworkings, needlework, clothing, housewares, glass and more! I took the plunge and created my own store on the site MajikalFairy's Simple Pleasures to show off my creations. Right now there are just 2 scarves that I've made and when I get new projects done they'll be posted as well. Right now I'm on the last steps of a shawl so be sure to keep an eye out for that!

I hope to use this blog as a means to share my Etsy as well as the wonderful finds I happen upon in the shops of other Etsians. In this post I have shared my own shop and I'd like to showcase a shop or two I have found starting with one that I recently purchased some BEAUTIFUL hand dyed cotton yarn.

SNAPPISH

Snappish hand dyes her cotton yarn ranging from soft pastels to vibrantly bright colors. She currently has 6 hanks of her yarn for sale with more to come after the 50% off sale ends. TODAY IS THE LAST DAY! I cannot wait and am sure I will be buying from her again.

BLOODCROSS

With an astounding 55 items for sale, BloodCross's Shop holds cute and colorful handmade charms on bracelets, necklaces, cell phone straps, and rings! With several of her items modeled after deliciously sweet snacks any person with an eye for cuteness and an ongoing sweet tooth will love these items!

MADE BY MOKO

And lastly we're going to look at Made By Moko! With 37 items displayed in her shop you will find coloring button pins made from elegant origami paper and upcycled manga pictures as well as a few cellphone charms. The pins seem to be her main focus. In groups of 3 and 4 button pins with the low price of 3 dollars they are sure to spruce up any backpack, purse, jacket or anything else you may want to adorn with these lovelies.

Thank you for stopping by. I will try to post every couple of days to update you on my projects, side stories, and all the incredible shops out there!

Julie H.