Crafty ADD Update #6 And More!

It hasn't been as productive a week for me as it usually is. First I was dealing with the kidney stones (I think thats over), and that slowed me down a lot! Then I got some bad news this weekend, and for once, I didn't feel like crafting! But you know what? That's ok! Sometimes we need to just rest and rejuvinate :) I'm feeling ready to tackle this week now and ready to work on a lot of projects, old and new! So let me tell you about them :D

Crochet

I'm on to the 6th row out of 9 for my first ever baby blanket! I'm too the point where I've already put together all the squares I had premade so now I'm making a square, adding it, making another, and adding it! It's not really as uneven as it looks in the photograph, I just didn't take the time to straighten it properly.

This blanket is being put in the closet for awhile though. I wasn't making it for anyone in specific (I'm going to donate it), and now I have a cousin to make a baby blanket for! Speaking of which...

I thought I'd have at least a few squares to show you by this update, but all I have is my new hook! Mom and I got together to work on the new one, and quickly discovered that the blanket I was planning on creating is too hard at my level of ability with the yarn I had bought. The disadvantage of having someone who's a master at crocheting (at least I consider her so), is that she sometimes forgets how things look or work for a beginner! So it didn't occur to either of us tha the shiney thread running through the yarn would make it harder for me to work with. The end decision was to keep the yarn (it's pretty!) but use the pattern for granny squares that I originally learned so that it will be easier for me. That's when we decided that a different size hok would also be helpful...and between one thing or another it's taken 4 days for me to get one! Just picked it up this afternoon, and believe me, I can't wait to make that first square!

Cross-Stitch

For some reason one of the few projects I was remotely interested in this week was my cross stitch - as a result, it's almost done! I just have to finish the border and then I get to pick a third book mark to make on this canvas :) Don't know what I'm going to do but I'm considering creating a new pattern...I have a few ideas. We'll see if I get to it this week or not!

Jewelry

As you can see, I didn't make it very far on my project with my first cabochon. It's going to be attached to a free form peyote weave bracelet, and I have a hard time doing something that has no planned pattern! As you can see, my brain forces me to make small patterns out of the chaos. Any way, I just wasn't really in the right mood. Besides, since my Mom's birthday is on Friday it's high time I finally started her birthday present!

That's right, the second Cabochon you see, and the work surrounding it, is the start of what's going to be a hair barret for my Mom. It's going quickly so unless I hit a major snag, I should be done in time! Don't worry - I'll take pictures before I give it to her - and hopefully get a shot with it in her hair at some point too!

Treasuries

I also have to show off the treasuries I'm in right now! I was so excited to find them today! Both are done by team mates from different teams, and they rock! Check 'em out while they are still active :)

The Color of Royalty

Feeling Blue?

Catching up :)

I'm catching up! A lot of this was going to go up yesterday, but I got some bad news that kinda threw me for a loop. I blogged about it here if your interested.

Now to the fun stuff!

First - I was featured on Theresa's blog!

http://tiltcreations.blogspot.com/2009/08/surprise-prize-and-gifts-to-myself.html

Second - Kayla gave me the "Who Loves You?" Award! I'm not passing it on because I simply don't have the energy - but I do want to send you to her blog, The Eclectic Element.

Third - I'm trying to feature my different etsy teams on my treasury blog once a week each. I just starte doing a rainbow series with them! This week is red :)

Etsy Bead Weavers

FFEST

Etsy Bloggers

And Last (but not least!) here are the latest items promoted or listed in my shops! Tell me your favorite and get an extra entry in the Top Commentators contest! Just think...the month's almost over...new winners to be announced soon!

Friday's Featured Artist - Little Studio Photography and Jewelry

I was trying to remember this morning where I first met Meg, but I'm not really sure! I think it was back when I was using Entrecard, but I'm not 100% sure. Either way, I soon realized that I had discovered a wonderful artisan with a huge heart. I'm excited to be able to feature her here this week!

1. What type of art work do you do?

I make handcrafted jewelry and do photography

2. How did you get started doing art work?

I started making jewelry in high school so that I could get the pieces I wanted at the prices I could afford, with quality (remember that word??), and continued off and on until I got fibromyalgia. I got so sick I couldn’t work outside of my home so I started my jewelry full time to try and make some income. I haven’t looked back!

My photography started just before high school: I went on a cross country trip with my friend (6 weeks in a minivan woo!) and my mom got me a little point and shoot camera with a roll of film per week. I took some great photos and I was bitten by the bug :)

3. Do you do any other crafts?

Oh I do many crafts; I think it is the ADD. I love to knit and crochet, I love to draw and paint, I love to make homemade soaps, candles and body products, though they take quite a bit of time so I don’t do it often – usually for special Christmas gifts and that sort of thing.

4. Is there a story behind your shop name?

I wanted a name that was friendly and inviting, but not too homey and unprofessional-sounding. I have a very small room to use as my studio and that is really how it came about – a “little studio” for me to work in…sort of cheesy, but now it is done and I can’t change it :)

5. What's your favorite piece in your shop right now?

ACK! That is hard! I really like this ring I recently finished…It has my birthstone in it, so I suppose I shouldn’t be surprised! (featured to the right)

I also am completely in love with my NeoAmour Collection – Inspired by powerful women of the past but designed for women of today. I love the femininity and style of the pieces – not too girly but definitely pretty and they make you feel like a queen yourself when you put them on

6. Where do you sell your work?

I sell my work on Etsy: http://www.LittleStudioJewels.etsy.com

I also sell on Artfire: http://www.artfire.com/users/Littlestudiojewels

And I sell on iCraft: http://icraft.ca/littlestudiojewels

7. Do you blog?

I love to blog! I have several blogs: http://www.meglittlestudio.blogspot.com

http://www.fibrodiaries.blogspot.com This one is a duplicate of my meglittlestudio blog for those who for whatever reason can’t see my main one :) http://www.lowallergykitchen.blogspot.com for recipes catering to people with food allergies

8. Are you on any social networks you'd like to share?

I am on Twitter: http://twitter.com/meglittlestudio

I am on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Merrickville-ON/Little-Studio-Photography-and-Jewellery/74773878503

I am on Plurk: http://www.plurk.com/meglittlestudio/invite

I’m on MySpace: www.myspace.com/littlestudiojewels

9. Do you watch or listen to anything while you work? If so, what?

I love to listen to music while I create – classical, Celtic, or simple slow music – I find that fast music just makes me want to get up and sing and dance!

10. Tell us one random fact about your self *wink*

I can write in mirror image almost as well as I can write normally….however, as my handwriting is truly abysmal, that isn’t really saying much!

Want a great deal on her incredible jewelry? Well your in luck! Right now she has a 20% off sale running in her shop!

I Just Can't Decide!

The current BlogFire assignment is to blog about our favorite crafting technique, but the problem is I just can't decide! I will say that I'm a jewelry artist first and foremost, but I also really enjoy crocheting, knitting, cross-stitch, hand quilting, and I'd love to learn more things!

Even in the jewelry world I enjoy many different techniques. I love bead weave, but I also love knotting hemp, stringing pretty patterns, doing wire work, and there are even more things I'd love to learn how to do! You can see this reflected in my shops and here on my blog.

So how do I pick a favorite among all of those?

I suppose I'll just have to say that my favorite craft technique is whatever I happen to most engrossed in at the time! I've spent a lot of time working on my bead weaving projects today, so I could say that's my favorite today, except for the fact that I've been working on them so focusedly because I want to finish them before I start some other projects!

Yes, I'm a little crazy.

It's Wednesday!

It's Wednesday, which means I've been dealing with this kidney stone for 4 days now! What does that mean? Well, considering I deal with lots of health problems anyway, it mostly means I'm dealing with different health problems than normal :P Except that pain wears me down a lot faster than asthma ironically. And, since I'm taking percoset when the pain is at the worst, that means that when the pain is bad I get REALLY slowed down for awhile!

I've still been getting thing done though. I've had a lot of items coming up for relisting, so I've been able to just promote those, and that doesn't take as much thought as actual listing. I do have a few beady projects on the table, including one I'm SUPER excited about, but it's all going a bit slower than normal.

Here's some of my most recent items promoted - which is your favorite?

Tuesday's Tips #13

"Set Me Free" Free Form Peyote Bracelet

I used my "Set Me Free" bracelet to start this post because it totally fits the topic! This is my last post on inspiration (I think) (for now) and I wanted to talk about ways to get inspiration from challenges. Challenges that are maybe less overwhelming then the 100 in 100 that we talked about before, but still give you that external deadline that you wouldn't have from just personally challenging yourself.

The only problem is - there are so many out different opportunities out there! One of the easiest to hunt down are the one's done by teams, guilds, and what not. Do you have a specialty in your art work? Many of the teams that are focused on a specialty (jewelry, fiber arts, paper craft, etc...) will run periodic contests. It's a great way to find inspiration AND a dead-line for when it has to be done! I've seen other types of teams do themes as well, so keep your eyes peeled and do your research!

There are a lot of other challenges and contests out there. Check out the magazines and specialty sites for your type of art work. They often have contests that you can enter that will inspire you, give you a chance for more recognition, and sometimes there are even monetary rewards if you win!

You can also try doing a google search :)

Swaps are another fun way to challenge yourself. Unfortunately, I've never done one, so I don't really have an info for you there, but I've heard good things!

Lastly I want to share a blog with you that I absolutely LOVE and that provides me with lots of inspiration! Over at Thursdays Sweet Treats Natasha posts up weekly themes, and any one who wants to can submit their project! There's no prizes, but friendships are made, your work is seen, inspiration is provided, and it's a LOT of fun :) Not to mention Natasha does some incredible posts through out the week :)

My "Set me Free" bracelet was originally inspired by a butterfly theme on Thursdays Sweet Treats. It is one of the most challenging pieces I've ever done, and I don't think I would have done it if I hadn't been "pushed" by the challenge.

So what are you waiting for? Go out there and find yourself some inspiration!

A Treasury and a Giveaway!

I'm in another treasury! You can find it here until it expires. I feel so blessed to be in another one! It's my Wind Dancer piece, third row, on the right :)

Big thanks are in order to AmieVoltaire for featuring me! Isn't this skirt from her shop cute?

Do you like fun felt creations? Well here's your chance to win one like the one pictured below! Just go here :)

Crafty ADD Update #5

I'm late getting this post up because yesterday was...well...a bad day. Turns out I have a kidney stone. Those suckers HURT! Anyway - here's what I've been up to!

Crochet

I'm on to the 5th row of the baby blenket! I have the ends tied in on the first three rows, and while there are a few mistakes here and there, it's going pretty good! There will be 9 rows when it's all done. Unfortunately I'm almost out of pre-made squares, so I'll have to start crocheting the squares as well as doing the attaching work soon. Well...sorta soon... you see it's getting put aside for awhile! Why? Well for this:

I'm making the blanket on the right, not that you can really see it, but my cousin is having a baby! Since the other blanket is just something I'm going to donate, it has no time frame on it, so I'm putting it aside to work on the one for my cousins baby! My Mom's over here for the day in case I need any help or get worse because of the kidney stone, so if I'm feeling good enough to think straight, she'll teach me the new stitches I need to work on the new blanket :D

Cross-Stitch

As you can see I started a new bookmark! This one is butterflies :) I got a lot done on it this week, so it should be done in the next day or two! I'm not sure what I'll do for the next one...but there's room for one more before I cut up this canvas. I guess you'll find out next week!

Jewelry

I actually have two projects on the board right now! The piece on the right came out horrid in the picture, but it really is cute! The piece on the left is my first Cabochon! I'll be making a bracelet for it! I'm really excited :)

Bead Weaving and some New Stuff :)

Ok, so I actually made this about two weeks ago, but I couldn't show it off because it was a surprise present and she reads this blog! I got the darling pattern out of a book, so it's not something I can sell in my shop, but I had a lot of fun making it anyway :D It's my first 3-D beaded project :D

Oh wait, I did some cubes once, but those barely count :P

Also wanted to show off the newest items promoted in my three shops from this last week :) Leave a comment about your favorite and get an extra point in the Top Commentators contest - and remember that this month there's an extra prize!

Introducing FFEST

I've joined another team on Etsy! Yes, for those of you who are wondering, I am crazy :P It's called Facebook Fans on Etsy. We're all about supporting each other, promoting, and of course, facebook and etsy!

Glory, our fearless team leader, put together a treasury of some of the new team. I'm in it! You can see my Earth Walker piece in the third row, in the middle. Go check it out!

Want to find out more about the team? Go to our forum thread or our ning site.

Friday's Featured Artist - WhiMSy Love

I first met Nikki when I was still a relatively new member of Etsy. At that point in time I lived in Eastern WA, and we were both a part of the Eastern WA Etsy Team! I've always admired her zest for life, her sense of humor, and her imaginative art work :)

1. What type of art work do you do?

I create ALL kinds of handmade stuff. But mostly I'm drawn to vintage items: buttons, books, fabrics, trim, papers, etc.

So there's usually a bit of something of that sort mixed in with whatever I'm making.

2. How did you get started doing art work?

I have always been a crafty gal. When I was a kid, my mom pretty much encouraged craftiness wherever & whenever. She is admittedly not a crafty person, but she allowed me to pursue whatever creative thoughts I had. I pretty much never remember a time when I didn't have the handmade itch.

3. Do you do any other crafts?

I make button rings. I fold books into art. I twist forks into easels. I paint. I sew. I glue things... I can't choose just one thing, so I do it all!

4. Is there a story behind your shop name?

I originally had the name "WhiMSy" while my mom & I sold vintage items, collectibles & some handmade things in a small space in an antique mall. When I signed up to have a shop on Etsy I guess that name was already taken. So, I added the "love". And I figure that those 2 words (WhiMSy & love) describe perfectly my style of handmade craft AND my personality:sometimes a goofball (WhiMSy) & sometimes very girly & romantic (love).

5. What's your favorite piece in your shop right now?

I love the Vintage Button Rings. They're happy little treats & fun to make. I have a "thing" for old buttons & wear one of my button rings almost every day! (My button rings were also mentioned in the July issue of Glamour Magazine: the Greek Edition!)

6. Where do you sell your work?

I mostly sell my work on Etsy, at http://whimsylove.etsy.com Some of my items are sold in a few shops online. Most recently my Writing on the Wall Book Art is being sold at the Bellevue Art Museum. I have yet to approach local boutiques to sell my stuff. I'm either too busy as a mom or too chicken. (Or both?)

7. Do you blog?

Oh YES I blog!! I LOVE blogging! http://whimsy-girl.blogspot.com I feel like my blog is the backstage pass into WhiMSy love & my crafty little world. I love writing, taking pictures & making stuff & so those 3 things combine to create a nifty little blog!

8. Are you on any social networks you'd like to share?

I have a twitter account http://twitter.com/whimsylove & a flickr account http://www.flickr.com/photos/whimsy_girl/ . That's about as social as I get right now. My Etsy shop, blogging & corresponding to emails all day keep me pretty busy. (Not to mention 2 wee kidlets that need my attention every once in a while!)

9. Do you watch or listen to anything while you work? If so, what?

Sometimes I'll spread my projects on the floor of my art studio & watch old game shows (that's one of the only channels I get on my TV). Or I'll get all cozy on the couch & watch a movie when I'm making something. When I am blogging or on the computer, I'll listen to music.

10. Tell us one random fact about your self *wink*

How 'bout MORE than one? It's more fun that way, right?

I love s'mores to an obsession, I wish I were brave enough to wear a fauxhawk, & I bite my fingernails

Snowflake - The First Attempt

In looking around at blogs lately, and talking to various sellers, I've started thinking about Christmas a little bit. Last night specifically I e-mailed Mom to see if she wanted to make some crocheted snowflakes for the upcoming Christmas season. Well that got me thinking - why can't I make something like that in beads?

I rejected my first idea. I've seen some lovely snowflakes made from wire frames that you simply string the beads on, and sure, I could do that but...

What I really wanted to do was make something that was made from seed beads. I wanted to make something up that was all my own pattern. I wanted to experiment. Here's the first attempt.

Sorry it's a little bit blurry, but my hands are kinda shaky from asthma meds right now. I think my basic principle is sound, but I'm going to make some changes whenever I attempt the next one.

First of all, I want the initial "circle" to be closer in to the center. I also want there to be some "spikes" come out more on the outer rim, and more "lacy bits" in the center...

If that makes any sense to you - kudos!

All in all, I think my first attempt at least looks snowflake-ish, and I learned a lot from the two hour process of fighting with it! What do you think?

An Incredible Bead Mosaic

I am ever fascinated by what an be accomplished using beads. One of the many uses for beads is to great mosaics that depict pictures. Incredibly, these can be as detailed as a painting, or even a photograph! I dream of one day being able to produce a piece like that, even on a small scale, and now we apparently have a new record holder for the largest of them all.

This tribute to President Obama was created by 4th grade school children across all 50 states. It was presented to President Obama as a birthday present, and was displayed in front of the White House on August 3rd, 2008. It contains 372,000 beads.

This projected was driven by the company PhotoPearls, and the created both the pattern and the beads. The picture was completed using gluing techniques (versus the bead embroidery techniques more commonly seen), and the pieces assembled after being gathered from the various schools.

There has been some controversy surrounding this project, as there is around most things political, but that's life. My opinion? I don't think it matters what you think of Obama as a President, this is still an incredible work of art. Plus, as someone who cares passionately about our nation's children, I think it's wonderful that it was created by school children across the nation! And to those who are comparing it pictures that were created of Hitler and Stalin, can you really think of a major world leader that DOESN'T have art work created about them at some point? Let's be realistic here people.

For some more information (and where I got the photos) check out these links:

http://daxdesigns.blogspot.com/2009/08/beading-tales-and-trivia-us-president.html

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/washington/2009/08/obama-bead-guiness-record-mosaic-beads-sweden.html

http://www.photopearls.se/newsroom/

http://www.infektia.net/the-largest-bead-picture-in-the-world/

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/2308365/posts

Guess What You Could Win?

You could win lots of things! This month's Top Commentators Contest has EXTRA incentive to it! One of our previous winners has volunteered to sweeten the pot by donating a prize to the Top Commentator this month! So in ADDITION to winning a Gift Certificate from me, you'll be winning a surprise!

How do you win? Just visit my blogs! Well, and leave comments :P The top three commentators all three win Gift Certificates! $20 for the top commentator, $10 for the second highest, and $5 for the third! AND that can be a custom order! So if your motivated...you could win a lot!

Tuesday's Tips #12

Robin's Egg Blue Flower Earrings

Last week I interviewed Arlene of Spirit Essence Art and she told us about the 100 in 100 challenge that she's participating in. It was a great interview, and if you missed make sure you go back and read it! I realize that some thing like that may be a bit overwhelming for many of us though, so this week I want to talk a little about some smaller challenge options :) Well, one in specific, I'll have more for you next week!

The Personal Challenge

That's right, this challenge is for you, from you. Why? Because YOU know yourself best. You know where you want to grow, you know what you want to learn, you know what you struggle with, and most importantly, you know best what you can reasonably accomplish! Let me share a story with you...

Just over a year ago I was looking at my shop and my jewelry and evaluating where I was at. It was the middle of the Christmas season and I knew that sales were likely to dry up after the new year. Which in turn meant I wouldn't be able to go shopping for new supplies as often! At that point in time I was making a few bead woven items here and there, but the majority of what was going on-line was my other forms of jewelry. The main reason for that was that I was still SUPER slow at bead weaving.

I decided that I needed to focus more on my bead weaving. Not only does it cost less to purchase the supplies since I use mainly seed beads; it also takes up lots of my time! It's also something I really wanted tog get better at.

So I challenged myself. I wanted to get at least one bead woven item done a week. At first that was HARD to do! Then I noticed, as I got more consistent in the time spent, I was getting faster. It also became more of a part of my routine. If I don't spend time with a needle and thread in my hands every day I feel a little lost!

Since then I've come a long way. It's not uncommon for me to produce 2 or 3 bead woven items in a week, especially if I'm not doing much else that week, and I've learned a lot of new styles! I no longer stick to a strict challenge, because I don't need to. It's now just a part of my life.

So what should you do when setting up a personal challenge/goal for yourself? Here's some things to think about as you get started:

1. What are you dissatisfied with in your art work?

2. What can you realistically do to change that?

3. What challenges are you likely to face in trying to accomplish this goal?

Now, having thought that through, set yourself a SMALL goal. You don't have to shoot for the stars! You can, I won't stop you, but remember it's much easier to start small and then add on. So maybe you want to do a painting every day like Arlene is. You can also start out by saying, "I'd like to do a painting every day, and that would be awesome if I achieve that, but lets start by saying I have to finish 3 a week, and go from there." Starting small and building on it is much easier :)

Not the type that stays motivated on your own well? Don't worry - I have more ideas for challenging yourself! Stick around and we'll talk about it next week.

Weekly Special and New Items!

I used my favorite hemp knotting technique with this bracelet to form a spiraling pattern in between the beads. The black hemp forms a perfect contrast to the blue/green pony beads, for a look that will jazz up any outfit with a bit of fun! This bracelet is just barely over 6 inches long.

Normally $7 plus S&H, this week, on this blog, you can buy this bracelet for only $5.60 plus $2 shipping and handling to anywhere in the world!

I also have to show off some of my most recent listings - I've been keeping busy as always!

Which is YOUR favorite?

Crafty ADD Update #4

Good Monday Morning everyone! I hope your doing well :) I have a lot to do, but I seem to have found my motivation wherever I had stashed it, because I'm not feeling depressed by that! Sorry I didn't get this post up last night. I was tired, and the last thing I wanted to do was take pictures.

I had some fun with various projects this week - can't show you everything I did jewelry-wise, but here's the rest of what I worked on!

Knitting

I finished this scarf a little while ago...but I hadn't fringed it yet. I was thinking about doing beads on the fringe and finally decided against it. Instead I made a shawl pin to put on it! This is the first one I've ever made...but I already have a couple more made up to put up in my Kindred Spirit Treasures Shop :) This one (and the scarf) is a Christmas present.

Ok, and yes, I know it's a scarf not a shawl, but I think the pin looks decorative and cute, so there!

Crochet

I had to take out a few blocks from last week because I realized I had screwed up the pattern in the first row, but I got that done and the entire second row! It's not perfect, there's one spot I'm going to have to fix, but mom says it's looking good for my first blanket :D I'm going to hate tying all those strings in...

Cross-Stitch

This is definitely the project I got the least done on. I didn't even pick it up until this weekend! But I did decide on a new book mark and got the first of the butterflies for it done :) Well, except for the outlining and antenna, but that will come last anyway. The pattern had green, purples, and pinks. I changed it to blues, purples, and pinks, because the green just seemed a little weird for a butterfly. I'm horrible, I rarely do a project with out changing SOMETHING. I do the same thing with cooking...

Jewelry

I'm working on a new series! It's the same style as the Elements series - but it's going to be fairy based and each piece will have a short story to go with it :) of course I have to start with purple - what else? This piece is about half done.

I'm also working on making a bunch of bracelets to restock my consignment store with, and I have a couple hemp pieces in my brain to make, and paperwork to do, and, and, and....

I better stop blogging and get to work :P

Earth Walker - Bead Woven Necklace - Elements Series 4

I started the Elements series about a year ago with Saffron's Firebird Necklace. Since then I've fallen in love with the pattern! I start with a Potawatomi weave base and then use netting techniques for the rest of the pattern.

It takes 4-5 hours to make one of these necklaces and hundreds of seed beads. The actual project takes longer though when you include planning, dreaming, and finding the right beads! Sometimes it's hard to find colors that work well together.

For this last piece in the Elements series, Earth Walker, I used browns and greens. To me the Earth element needs to be represented both by the actual ground itself, and the living things it nourishes. I tried to show that in the progression of colors that I chose.

The clasp was actual the hardest part of this necklace for me! I couldn't find a hook that was the right color, so I ended up making my first hook :) I bought bronze wire and played with it until it looked right.

This necklace is available in both my Etsy shop and my Artfire :)

"Past all thought of 'if' or 'when' - no use resisting"

To spice things up today - I'm offering you an opportunity for TWO extra entries into my top commentators contest today! The first is the one your used too, just tell me which item below is your favorite and why :) The second... The title of this blog post is a quote from a musical - can you tell me what musical?

Friday's Featured Artist - Memories for Life!

Edi of Memories for Life Scrapbooks is an artist you've seen on my blog before. Why? Well because she's awesome! She's become a good friend and she's been a winner on my blog! This month she's also the Etsy Bloggers Featured artist - so of course I decided I had to interview her :) So with out further ado...let's get to know her! Click on any of the pictures to be taken to it's listing.

1. What type of art work do you do?

Everything paper crafting. I make several different types of scrapbooks, custom layouts, greeting cards, wedding invitations. I even make scrapbooks out of flip flops :)

2. How did you get started doing art work?

I owe my start in crafting to the 4-H Club. My aunt was our leader and she always had a different project for us each month. The month we learned how to make handmade greeting cards with stamps...I was hooked! Then shortly after we had a month learning how to scrapbook...and it was love at first sight :) I've been paper crafting for over 12 years now!

3. Do you do any other crafts?

My paper crafting keeps me pretty busy...I haven't found any time for other crafts yet :)

4. Is there a story behind your shop name?

I wanted to send the message that scrapbooks are a lifelong keepsake. And since what I scrapbook is memories...Memories for Life Scrapbooks was born.

5. What's your favorite piece in your shop right now?

My Custom Name and Word Albums are by far my most popular! I really enjoy making them because each one is unique. I like adding little personal bits here and there in the album to make each one special :) I'm also lovin' my new albums I'm making with my Bind-It-All! These should be in my shop real soon!

6. Where do you sell your work?

Etsy: http://memoriesforlifesb.etsy.com

Artfire: http://www.artfire.com/users/MemoriesForLifeScrapbooks

7. Do you blog?

Of course :) http://memoriesforlifescrapbooks.blogspot.com

8. Are you on any social networks you'd like to share?

I'm on Facebook under Edi Royer.

On Plurk under Memories for Life Scrapbooks

9. Do you watch or listen to anything while you work? If so, what?

A local radio station that plays 70s, 80s, 90s and today's rock. I love 80s hair bands :)

10. Tell us one random fact about your self *wink*

I hated the color pink until I hit my 20s...now it's my favorite color :) I guess I found my girly side!

EBW Challenge - First Ladies of Style

It's time to vote again for the EBW challenge - and I'm in this month! I'm entry number 4 :) So go and vote! I'd love it if you'd vote for me, but vote for the best ok?

If you've voted before you'll notice the voting isn't at the normal blog site. We had technical difficulties this month...

Now GO VOTE!

Check it Out!

I told you yesterday about the MEGA GIVEAWAY that the Etsy Bloggers are doing - and one of our awesome team mates put together a treasury of a few of the shops participating - and she included me! So go check out the treasury :)

Here's some of my latest items listed or relisted - which is YOUR favorite?

Crafty ADD Update #3

Wow - I'm amazed at how much I ended up getting done on my different projects this week! I figured I wouldn't get much done on them because of my HUGS project, but I was wrong! Read on to find out why :)

Knitting

I bought the yarn for this project in case I had a break in my crochet project waiting for Mom to show me the next step. But I really didn't think I'd start it this week! Boy was I wrong! I only had a two day break in between finishing the crochet squares and when Mom and I got together, but during those two days I had two different times where I was out driving around and needed something to do with my hands. Clarification, I wasn't the one driving!

Anyway, yarn projects are much easier to do in the car than anything beady...so the knitting came out! Plus I made myself some little stitch markers for my projects. You can't see them really well in the picture, but that's ok. Why did I make them you ask? Well, I'm not far enough along in my knitting to even know what they are normally used for, but I realized something the other day. My biggest problem with knitting is that it's hard to see what progress I've made. So I have two markers. One that will represent the beginning of a week, and one that will the beginning of the day I'm currently working on :) That way I can SEE how much progress I've made!

Not that I plan on picking it back up until the baby blanket is done though. Speaking of which...

Crochet

I started putting the squares together! Sad thing is that I realized when I took the picture that I messed up the pattern :( So I'm going to have to take a couple squares out and rework them. Oh well. We also discovered that I do NOT have enough squares made up! I don't know how many more I need though. I figured I'd just put together all the one's I have and then start making the rest of them when I get that far :)

I'm finding putting the squares together a lot harder than making the squares. I think it's because I know that I'm much slower at it than I was the squares, and because the weight of the squares pulls on it and makes it harder to keep an even tension. I'm getting better though! Day by day :)

Oh yes, and I really didn't think I'd get this far on the crochet project this week, but we ended up spending several hours over at my inlaws early in the week and I spent the majority of that crocheting! Taking along the HUGS project would have been too awkward. And they are used to me having my hands flying while we chat :)

Cross-Stitch

I finished my penguin book mark! Well, all but cutting it out and putting on the backing. I'm not going to do that until after I sew a couple more bookmarks though because I can maximize the fabric that way. Unless of course someone responds to this post saying they want to buy it, and then I'll cut it out! :D I'm not sure what I'm going to do for the next bookmark...I have a lot of jewelry ideas in my head...so I think I might put it aside for a week to give me more jewelry time.

Jewelry

I can't show you what's on my bead board right now because it's a present and the person might read this post :P But I do want to tell you guys about my bead embroidery project, the final product, and why I was making it!

Like I mentioned before, this is my first ever bead embroidery project. I've been wanting to do one for awhile now...but finding the right inspiration was hard. I've thought about doing something in an ACEO, "Art Cards Editions and Originals," because I'm fascinated by them lately! So I was all primed when this challenge came along.

A crafty friend recently went through a tragedy in her life. Some of us who all know her decided to all create something along the theme of "Hugs and Kiss for...." I knew immediately what I wanted to do! Thus my HUGS project was born.

I spent the majority of the week working on this. I have no idea how many hours went in to it, but I'm guessing 8-10. Yes, I know how to sew, but I've never done any embroidery and certainly no bead embroidery. So I went slow...

I don't really like the backing I put on it. I like the color of the fabric, but I know that for pendants and things most other bead weavers use things like ultra suede. I can see why. The fabric was easy to sew through, but I'm worried that it's going to frey. :( Oh well. It's meant to be displayed, not handled, so it should last pretty good :)

I don't want to give away any personal details, but those of us involved in the project have heard back from the gal we did it for and our goal was accomplished! We were able to cheer and encourage her during this hard time, and that's what we wanted. PLUS, I get to send her the piece I worked so hard on! Which is fantastic, it would have felt wrong going to anyone else.

Etsy Bloggers MEGA Giveaway!

It's our teams second anniversary and we're doing a massive giveaway! I'm so excited! I donated a necklace (scroll down and you'll see it). Go to the team blog to enter to win: http://etsybloggers.blogspot.com/

In the mean time - here's the ways you can enter :)

Note: don't leave your entries here...go to the team blog!

HERE'S HOW TO ENTER:
Each entry must be written in a separate comment.

* For the first entry/comment – Visit any of the above listed shops and pick your favorite item. Then comment here and include a link to that item.

Then for all additional entries:
* 1 extra entry/comment – Make a purchase from one of the shops listed above.
Then leave a separate comment here, with a link to the receipt/sold item.

* 1 extra entry/comment – Follow EtsyBloggers on Twitter:http://twitter.com/etsybloggers and tweet about this giveaway. Then in a separate comment here, leave the link to your tweet. (Find the tweet URL by clicking on the tweet's timestamp.) Here is some text you can use for Twitter:

You have GOT to checkout the EtsyBloggers MEGA GIVEAWAY at http://etsybloggers.blogspot.com
Good luck to all the contestants in the EtsyBloggers MEGA GIVEAWAY!! http://etsybloggers.blogspot.com
Love handmade goods? A blogging team is having a MEGA giveaway. Almost $300 value! http://etsybloggers.blogspot.com

* 1 extra entry/comment – Become a fan of the EtsyBloggers on Facebook:http://etsybloggers.com/facebook Then in a separate comment here, leave your Facebook name and tell us you’re a fan!

* 1 extra entry/comment – Write a blog post about this EtsyBloggers MEGA GIVEAWAY and link to http://etsybloggers.blogspot.com – and you can use any of the graphics here: http://etsybloggers.com/MEGA_GIVEAWAY/graphics
Then leave a separate comment here, with the direct link to your blog post.

* 1 extra entry/comment – Using the EtsyBloggers Random Blog Generator which is listed over there in the right-hand column, visit one of our team member’s blogs. Comment on a blog. Then comment here in a separate comment, and include a link to that blog you visited!

* 1 extra entry/comment – Make a purchase from one of the shops listed here:http://etsybloggers.etsy.com Then in a separate comment here, leave the link to the receipt.

* 1 extra entry/comment - Are you one of the fab sellers giving an item away?
In a separate comment here, let us know and tell us something about your giveaway product!

* 1 extra entry/comment – Follow this team blog. Then leave a separate comment here, let us know you’re following our blog.

* 1 extra entry/comment - If you write a blog post AGAIN about the EtsyBloggers MEGA GIVEAWAY, on the actual day of our Anniversary, (which is next Thursday August 13th) then you will get another entry in the giveaway!! So on the day of our EtsyBloggers 2nd Anniversary, head on over to the team blog to say Happy Anniversary EtsyBloggers and let us know you again blogged about the giveaway, and include the direct URL to your post.