Twisted Pets Tuesday

You know getting Daisy has been such a huge source of inspiration. I have been working on a ton of nifty pet toys! After careful consideration, I opened up an additional Etsy Store. Fiber and Pets just don't go together. Twisted Pets will have tons of felted dog toys, pet clothes, and an occasional handmade doggie treat. Every Tuesday, well hopefully, I will be having Twisted Pets Tuesdays here on my blog to show off pictures of my newest creations. Keep an eye out for Twisted Tugs, Twisted Doggie Treats, and loads of Christmas Goodies for that favorite fur baby in your life. Check out my new store: www.TwistedPets.Etsy.com Be sure to heart it!

I am a Featured Artist!

I am so excited! Denise Felton has featured me this week as her Artist of The Week! It was so fun. I even had to write a Haiku. Please check out her blog: http://denisefelton.blogspot.com/

Also, Denise makes some very neat items! I just love her classic style. Check out her Etsy Shop to see all the awesome things she has for sale.


This is my newest item on Etsy. It is a Christmas Set of Yarn in Hand Painted Red, Green, and White. With Thanksgiving closing in, it is starting to feel more and more like Christmas.
It is funny...the whole season starts earlier and earlier every year. It makes me sad, in a way. When I was a child, my favorite part of Thanksgiving was the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. At the end of the parade came Santa. It was the first time of the year you would see him. Now his face is plastered everywhere, sometimes a few days before Halloween. I actually saw a few of the bell ringers for the Salvation Army out with Christmas hats on, last Wednesday. Can you believe it? Well, of course you can...you see it all around you too.

I really admire a store here in Arkansas. They put up a HUGE sign in their store window saying "Santa wasn't on the Mayflower" They have pledged to never start Holiday decorations until after Thanksgiving. Good for them!



Here is a picture of Daisy. She was sleeping in the blanket I made for Brady for his birthday. She is getting big! I look back at pictures just from a week ago and it is crazy how much she is growing. I am off to craft. Happy Monday and Happy Crafting!

Bearly There

Megan and her Halloween Bear Costume

Notice the tail? You gotta love the tail!!!

Here is the costume that just about killed me making! Well, not really, but man it was an adventure.

First thing, I had to learn to use the sewing machine my dear mother bought me last year for Christmas. Yes, I got it for Christmas and then waited until October to use it. I will share with you my biggest fear: I was afraid I would LOVE using it. Am I silly? I know I am, but here's the deal...I knit, I crochet, I paint yarn, I (poorly try to) spin yarn. I do too many things. Not really, but I tend to lose focus easily! So, if you throw one more thing, that I like to do in the mix, then I would never be able to sleep. There is just not enough hours in the day and really, how productive is sleeping anyway?

So, I put off learning to use my sewing machine. And then the very first thing I sew is this incredibly thick bear fur. You know that wasn't easy!!! After I realized you didn't have to go full speed with the peddle it got a LOT easier! Haha! But, I did it, after countless hours of focused attention, the costume was done. I swore if the thread broke and I had to re thread the needle I would throw my sewing machine out the window. Yet, the thread broke at least 5 more times since I swore and I still sat there and sewed. So, you would think after all the birth pains of creating this darn costume I would swear off sewing forever. But NO! The process was a pain, yes, but the outcome...soooo cool! There you have it, I am no longer a sleeper. I knit, crochet, crocheter, paint yarn, try to spin, and SEW! Really?

Poor Neglected Blog

Oh my poor neglected blog. Where has this last week gone? Things have been busy, but not busy enough! I need to dedicate more time for everything! Today will be short and sweet. This is my new Rock N Roll Yarn. I love it! I want to use it for my own.

Oh! And I am being featured in another person's blog as their featured artist of the week *does a happy dance* I will post more when I have time.

Time Management

Here is a picture of my Americana Roving. It was part of my productive day yesterday :) I also made some yarn, I will try to post that later today.

Any good business owner knows you have to have good time management to be successful. With this being said, I am trying to implement better time management into my day. Actually starting a daily routine will help. So, experiment with me! If any of you are on Etsy, you know what a full time job/obsession it can be. Promoting, chatting, promoting...flickr, etsylove, myspace, facebook, forums...really there are just not enough hours in the day! When can one find time to even make items to sell?

So, here I go...time management. I am quite sure I will complain about this, but something has to be done. I am going to put myself on a work schedule. This will include house cleaning as well (yuck!) But as much as I wish it would do itself, it just isn't happening. AND my studio is a mess! I need to clean it like you wouldn't believe. So, three hours in the morning of computer time, in between taking the kids to school and getting them ready...by 9:30 I will be done. *Looks at clock 9:38....hum. I will blog at 9:30. At least that way I am being a good blogger. I will have to think a bit more about my schedule and post more later. Anyone have any ideas? What has worked for you? I would love to know!

By the way, the sock monkey is coming along amazingly! I love it. I want to make a whole sock monkey army. I will be sure to post pics of it later too! Happy Crafting!

It's a good thing she's cute!

Our little Daisy Mae...I turned my head for one minute and this is what I found. She had grabbed a tail of yarn hanging off my wrapping table. Thankfully, it wasn't hand painted and it wasn't anything that was too big of a deal.
I caught her before she really got into chewing it or swallowing it. She was just laying in the sun rolling around in it.
How can you be mad at a face like that...really!

Sunday is my youngest birthday and we are having a "football" themed birthday party for him. I am making most of his presents by hand, since he is only four and he really loves snugly things. Since using my sewing machine for the first time the other day. I feel like I am a pro...lol...I know I am far from it. BUT I whipped out a blanket in about ten minutes. So proud. I am also in the process of making him a sock monkey. I will be sure to post pics when I get it going! Hope everyone is having a nice week.

8 Reasons to Buy Handmade This Year!

I saw this today in the Etsy Forum from CozyCat. This is her blog and this is her Etsy Store. Be sure to check her out and buy handmade this season!

8 Reasons You Should Buy Handmade Products over Commercial Products

1. Handmade products are unique. Do you really want the same scarf, mug, earrings, necklace or other item that 20,000 other people have? Of course not! Handmade items are always unique, even if they are the same type of product because they are not made by machines they are crafted by human beings so each piece will have its’ own unique characteristics.

2. Handmade items have personality. Life is not about being blah. Life is about expressing yourself and to do that your things need to have as much personality as you do. If you are happy with buying mass produced items that have no personality off a shelf at Wal Mart think about what that says about you. Don’t you want to express some personality?

3. Handmade items are special. When you get a gift don’t you feel a little bit more loved when someone gives you a handmade gift? Everyone loves getting handmade gifts or wearing something that was made just for them.

4. Handmade items last longer. Because they are made from high quality materials and handcrafted by trained artists items that are handmade last longer than low quality imported mass produced items.

5. Handmade goods are high quality. If you are a person who values the quality of an item more than the price then you already know that handmade items are far superior to mass produced items. While a mass produced item may be cheaper initially is it really cheaper when the item needs to be replaced a month later? When quality matters, go handmade!

6. Handmade items are not made by children in sweatshops in Third World countries making 10 cents a day. Experienced and trained craftspeople make each handmade item. So while you might pay a few dollars more for a handmade item it’s because you are paying for quality, experience, talent, and craftsmanship. Isn’t that worth paying for?

7. When you buy handmade you are supporting traditional arts and crafts techniques that have passed down through generations. In today’s high tech world the old arts and crafts traditions are being replaced by mass production but when you buy handmade you are saying that you prefer your items to be high quality pieces of art instead of mass produced trinkets.

8. When you buy handmade you are supporting local and small businesses. By paying artists and craftspeople for their goods you are supporting them and all the businesses that they do business with. If you are a person who believes in supporting your community economically then buying from local artists is a great way to support your community and make sure that your money goes to support local businesses.

Keep these things in mind the next time you see a scarf, a bracelet, some great handmade soap or other item and think,” I could get that for half price at Wal Mart.”!Buying handmade also means that you can spend the same amount you were planning on spending, or less, and you can get unique gifts for everyone on your list. Please, shop handmade this holiday season!

More Christmas Yarn

I just love Christmas! This yarn is really unique! It is a 2 ply thick and thin spun together and then the yarn itself goes from thick to thin. I am such a fiber junky...while I was putting this on the swift, preparing it to dye, it was such a pleasure to feel running through my fingers. Super soft, thick to thin and back again. I bet it would be awesome to knit with. I may just have to dye me some to play with.