Exciting stuff!

     I recently sold several pieces of beaded jewelry and have an order for a crochet flower basket!( which may very well be a standing order for a reseller).  Really hoping this is the start of a trend - actual consistent sales! 

    I am so happy to see the recent rise in fans on facebook and followers on twitter. Still aiming for 500 by October - so spread the word, and contact me if you have any orders you would like to place. I do not currently have any jewelry listed at Zibbet - my photographer and I need to get together soon! You may, however, contact me and we can discuss what you are looking for, I'm sure we can agree on something wonderful! 

   Fall is here - and I am loving it! The changes in the weather do tend to wreak a bit of havoc with my health, but Fall seems to be less havoc wreaking than winter or summer - so I do have that to be thankful for. 

    One Stop Christmas Shop is coming again soon! Can't wait to get signed up for that and hang out with all my wonderful crafty friends!

  What are your plans for this fall? What new projects do you have twiriling in those crafty, artistic, brains of yours? I'd love to hear!

  God's richest blessings to you all!

Always something new!

 

My thinking has always been that the more you learn, the more you gain. This has been so true in so many things, but lately I have been finding extra joy in the learning of new techniques for crochet.  

 

I am on a quest now to improve my amigurumi (crochet dolls) skills. It has been great fun and has resulted in some very interesting ideas. As I complete these projects, I hope to post pictures!

 

If you would like to learn some new skills, betterfly.com is the place to do it! I of course, would be honored to help improve or begin your crochet adventure! contact a betterist in your area today!

New Store opening!

Look, over to the left there, Yep, it's a new button - for my new store.

Artfire has been making changes, these changes unfortunately make it so that I am unable to keep my store there. So, I am now opening a store at Zibbet.com.

I am planning some time to have my SIL (JAM Photography) take some updated pictures, and then I will also be able to add my new jewelry and amigurumi!

Working hard, consistency seems to be returning! Praise the Lord!

consistency -where did you go?

Wow, all those posts at the begining of the year about how I was gonna be consistent, and here it's been months since I've posted, no new pictures have been taken, so nothing new has been added to the shop... well, I guess I've been consistent in procrastinating!

I have been working on learning new techniques and more about beading and jewelry. I have kept my house in decent condition, and my boys are growing up and becoming more mature, so I

guess I haven't completely failed.

So - New commitment - I am going to check my finances, and work hard at saving enough money to have Jesse Callahan Photography take photos of my items, so that I have great pictures to post in my studio. I am going to continue to learn more, and create more.

Someone - please - hold me accountable to this! (Maybe I should call Amy and see if she will keep me on the ball.)

Well, thanks to those of you who take the time to read, Pray for my consistency.

Excited!

We had a great Ressurection holiday, Passover dinner on thursday, Easter breakfast at church on Sunday, great time spent with my boys over the long weekend. I am so thankful for my salvation and the joy that God gives in the everyday little things.

Thanks be to God, I have been feeling better lately and just about finished the cardigan jacket for my friend. The decision to start offering classes has me excited too. Pray with me that I will have success in this new venture, and will bring glory to God in the process.

New venture!

I discovered the Betterist site recently and was inspired to offer crochet classes. This is exciting for me, and I hope to see plenty of burnsville/asheville people excited to learn something new!

I have really enjoyed the times I have been able to teach my friends this wonderful skill of crochet. There is something about it that just makes me feel useful. It is exciting to see their excitement as they realize they really can do it, and it's just not as hard as they thought. I enjoy seeing their joy as they watch their project come to be.

So, if you want to learn something new and exciting, or know of someone who would be interested, just steer them to my betterist site - and we'll get started!

Spring is here!

Spring is one of those times when I am reminded that God is our Creator, and that He is a forgiving God.
After all the white snow has covered over the deadness of the end of Autumn, new life springs up. Just like
God's love covering over the deadness of my sins, and giving me a brand new life in Him!

New beginnings for everyone! Earth, animals, and Men and Women!

I am going to Celebrate these new beginnings this year with a new kind of crochet. I am going to experiment
with crocheting strings of beads to create jewelry and embellishments. I am thinking wire crochet will probably
work into this as well.

So....  pray for health and success in this new endeavor, and also let me know what new things are happening for you!

 

 

Keywords: burnsville crochet handmade afghans doilies toys accessories clothing jewelry

Working through it....

So, it's been a month now, since the new year started. How are you doing on your attempt at building new habits?

I have struggled some - but am finding out, to my delight, that both Kathy Drown and Wendy Blight were right. As you begin to cultivate these habits, they get easier and easier to do. Especially as concerns Bible Study and Prayer. These particular disciplines build upon themselves and are in themselves an encouragement to continue.

I find too that as I add these disciplines to my life, it spills over into the rest of my " things to do"
and I discover that I actually have MORE time by adding these things. They help me keep my priorities straight. I have found my house is actually cleaner and I still have time to work on my crochet projects that have been sitting around waiting to be finished.I also have found more time to spend with my boys - something I dearly want and need to be able to do.

What are some of the things that are your stumbling blocks to cultivating these habits? Let's work on eliminating those one at a time, and replace them with a new and positive "weave" in our life. Like getting rid of the old and worn yarn in a work, and replacing it with good strong yarn. It takes quite a bit of work, but the result is a work ( life ) that will hold up much longer!

New Year, New determinations!

I am not usually one for the whole "new year resolution" thing but this year is different...

This past year has been a rough one, lots of trials to wade through. However, this has made me stronger. My trials have only proved to be the means to make me more complete. This gives me the courage to go on to this next year without fear of what it may bring - I know my Lord will see me through.

I read a great blog from proverbs 31 ministries - http://www.wendyblight.com/ - in which she encouraged us to write a new years prayer. Here is my prayer for this year.

Lord,

Here I am at the beginning of a new year. I pray you will help me to remember all the blessings you have given me this past year and treasure them as reminders that you are faithful. This is going to be a difficult year again, so help me to wait with patience for you and be confident that you will hear my cry and answer. Let my sufferings produce perseverance and bring glory to you. Let me wait patiently for those things that I am hoping for. Let my trials be a means to making me mature and complete in you.

Continue to prune me Lord and cut off every branch that is unfruitful. Show me the things you would have me to do, the things that will be fruitful for my family and for your kingdom. Help me to learn from your discipline this next year, so I may share in your holiness and it will produce a harvest of righteousness and peace. Help me to remember that though I may go through many and bitter trials you will restore my life again, even from the depths of the earth will you bring me up. May I let these tough times help me to rely on you rather than myself. I will say with confidence that you are my God and my helper, I will not be afraid of what life may bring me this year. Plant me by the water of your love and power so that I may not have worries even in a drought and that I my never fail to produce fruit. Be my Light and my Salvation, the stronghold in my life. I am fully confident that you have the power to do what you have promised me.

My life is fully and completely yours Lord, use it as you will.

Amen.

As I begin this new year, I am more determined than ever to be more consistent in all the things I should be doing as a Christian, a Wife, a Mother, and an Artist. Join me in praying for the grace and strength to continue.

What are you determined to do this year?

getting going again

Whew! it's been forever since I've been here! We recently had to move, I HATE moving! However, it does help with all those - I'll get that sorted out later piles! I think I threw away at least as many boxes full of stuff as I moved. Just where does all that stuff come from?
I also have a space just for my crochet and beading work now! Yahoo! I guess that means I have no more excuses for not getting more projects completed and in the studio for sale, right?

My next step is to get pictures of the new bead~and~crochet jewelry I have done, and upload them to the studio. Then I need to decide on the next project to start - more jewelry? Maybe finish up that Irish Crochet belt! (That is if my poor fingers can handle the small stuff right now.)

Well, once again, if any of you have any ideas, they would be greatly appreciated.

Christmas items coming soon!

I have been working my fingers like crazy! Snowflakes, snowflakes, snowflakes!

I have some gorgeous new snowflake ornament sets. Completely original designs too! I love to make delicate little pretties, and these have been a pleasure to create.

I am getting ready for the One Stop Christmas Shop here in Asheville, NC. It looks to be a fun time selling and meeting other artisians. My sister-in-law will be with me, selling her beautiful Photography prints. - you can see her shop at www.jamphotography.artfire.com

Next on the list is Baskets! I have pictures running around inside my head again, and they are dying to get out! Can't wait to get started - just gotta go get some supplies....

keeping on task

I have found that I am easily bored with doing one project at a time. The problem this creates is that I will put one project down in the middle of it and start a whole new one, never to return to the first.



My solution? Start two at the same time, then I am able to alternate between the two, thereby eliminating the boredom factor. I limit myself to two projects at once otherwise none of them will ever get done. I make myself finish those two before I will start a new one.



If I still run into some stagnation, I will allow myself to design on paper the next project, but not to touch the yarn for it till the others are done. This gives me incentive to finish the first projects.



My two projects now are the Creme De Mint doily and the pieces of Irish Lace - which I still have not decided what to use that for.....

Great site for advertising

I found a great site today, thanks to a fellow artisian at Artfire. www.merchantcircle.com
You can link up with other local buisnesses, make cupons, and get more exposure all for free.
Of course there are options for other things which you can pay for, and their prices are very reasonable, but you can get plenty of exposure with the free listing if you take the time to set your listing up nicely.

You can upload pics of your work/studio, make cupons and have them advertised on other local businesses listings for free. It's really great - check out my listing to see what it looks like. http://www.merchantcircle.com/neighbor/972001

Just thought I'd share my findings - happy selling, and happy crocheting!

What to design now?

Ok, so I am working with the Irish lace, now I am wondering what is the best thing to make with it? What are people wanting to buy right now? clothes? I could make a really pretty vest. Home decorations? How about a pillow. Maybe just some little apliques to use on your own creation.

Well, lots to think about while I crochet that tiny thread into pretty flowers, leaves and swirly things! I think I should be able to decide something by the time I get a few of the flowers done.

Sore fingers

Well, I am still working on the first Irish lace project, the tight work and tiny thread is hard to work with, it causes my fingers to cramp much more quickly than usual.

For those of you who don't know yet, I have Lupus and it sometimes causes arthritis like pain in my joints and muscles. I love to crochet and sometimes do it more than I should, but when I have a flare up it is harder than ever to work. Not that I mean to complain, just a little insight into why my work means so much to me I guess.

I have been having some pain lately and so the project is going slower than I anticipated, but the Lace is going to be beautiful! I am working in colors rather than just plain white, I have yet to decide what shape the lace will take - vest, pillow, purse, what do you all think?

I did take a break today, my son had his first soccer game, and so we went to cheer him on.
They played great, but still lost. I am sure they will do better next time. Just have to keep practicing!

I have recently begun to seriousy learn how to crochet Irish lace. Irish lace is one of the most durable laces, and in my opinion, one of the most beautiful and artistic. From what research I have done on this, it appears that it was once worked in factories by many workers at once, it is worked one motif at a time, then placed and sewn on a peice of cambric in the design it is to become. once all the main motifs are crocheted, placed, and sewn, then the filling lace would be worked to put it all together as one piece of lace.

I love Irish lace not only for it's beauty and durability, but also because it is very freindly to artistic licence. One can work the motifs in slightly different ways to create different effects, as well as the artistry it takes to place the motifs in a pleasing manner. I hope to have some work soon to show all of you, but in the meantime, go check out my artfire store to see what is available now. http://www.crochetaddict.artfire.com/