Happy Monday

Hooray! Good news for everyone.

I'm hosting another giveaway on Facebook. This time it's for my newest and cutest item, Mini Envelopes. They are so cute. Can you imagine finding a tiny envelope and opening it to find a cute little sentiment from your secret admirer? You could leave them in your kids lunchbox, put them in those plastic Easter eggs, embellish scrapbook pages with them... it's really up to your imagination. So here's the link for that. Good Luck! Oh and also, you get two chances of winning because the winner and the person that referred them will receive a prize :D

In other news, I FINISHED THE DARN PLARN BAG!! HOORAY!! Ok, If I had focused on it more int he beginning it would have been done sooner, but hey, give it a look!

the SC stitches made it flare out and the SC, CH skip made it go in... So next time I think just the bottom in SC and everything else SC, CH skip. What do you think? My bag-o-bags. What would you make with plarn?

 I also finished that clothespin wreath, last night, or this morning.. I had to cut the hanger twice, didn't have a hot glue gun so went about twisting the wires with vice grip tools DH has (thanks dude) and then had a dilemma with the pointy parts... Which is when I had that a'ha moment >_< I was mad at myself for not thinking of this sooner, Instead of twisting the wires why not just use freaking ELECTRIC TAPE!! Gah, next time.

It's definitely not the prettiest thing :( But I'll use a wide ribbon later and hopefully hide that hideousness.

Also new in the shop are my Victorian framed Sugar Skull Toothpick Paintings. I love them, but they're not for everyone. So if you don't like them that's ok. I don't like cotton balls =P So there! heh

No really, I hate cotton balls. And corduroy, and velvet... it's a sensory thing.

I'm finally starting to feel like even though my shop has a few different types of products, that it's coming together. I don't know, the envelopes just bring me so much happiness.

So thanks again everyone for your kind words and encouragement. You are awesome.

Xo,

Bri

P.S. Go enter to win that giveaway!!

Perfectly Procrastinating

My apologies for leaving everyone hanging for so long. I'm the best procrastinator I know ^_^ Here are some quick updates.

Plarn bag: I ran out of plarn and had been putting off and putting off making more simply because my hands hurt from crocheting this strong stuff. But last night I made a BUNCH of yarn pieces and today I put them to work.
As you can see I continued with the brown bags up the sides SC (single crocheting) 9 rows. Then I switched to SC, CH and skip. This creates a mesh like effect. I did that for 5 rows and switched to white bags with the same stitch. I will continue this for about 9 rows, then back to brown for 5 and again SC 9 rows. And then I can figure out how I want to finish it off and add handles!!

Oh, I started a new book (thank goodness I finally finished The Mermaid Chair... did not like that.) called Wench by Dolen Perkins-Valdez. I suppose it's the same author as The Help? I didn't get to read or even watch that movie yet :( Very upset about that. Anyhow I'm thoroughly enjoying this book. It's easy to understand and captivating. I'm already more than half way through!!

Other projects: I find a lot of inspiration through Pinterest. Are you on there? On my board of "Crafts To Try" is this pin of a clothespin wreath. I started painting my clothespins so I can make this for my sons room to accommodate all of those It's A Boy cards he got. I've got the beads and ribbon... Now to just stop procrastinating...

BUT WAIT THERE'S MORE... Also while not finishing my bag I did manage to finish my crochet hook holder. It rolls up into itself nicely and has two small ties to keep it closed. It's not perfect by any means but it's good enough for me.

Let's see what else. Oh I listed my Swarovski Crystal Turtle Figurines on eBay.

My two guys were sick as dogs this past week :( So miserable that I didn't know what I could do. We put on the humidifier, gave DS steamy showers with DH, kept him warm and cuddly. Gave him extra loving and lots of fluids... And then finally I broke down and got some Vicks Baby Rub (saved $2 with a coupon, otherwise I would have gotten the generic form) and sparingly gave him some. Oh he slept for a 5 hour nap that first application. My poor baby. I'm so glad he is doing better now. Still not 100% but hey he's eating and sleeping and playing and smiling.. AND he stood on his own for about 15 seconds last night. I'm so proud of him.

Alright. And last but not least. I told you I was working on a new project for my shop.. Well here it is: Little Secret Envelopes. They are so small, about 1.25 x 1.5 " and include a tiny note card for you to etch a special message. Use them for...

• Drawing a name out of a hat
• Scavenger hunts
• Secret Santa type games
• Baby Shower games
• Leaving a tiny love note in someone's pocket
• Seating place cards
• Wedding or party favors

And so much more. 

These are lined with a variety of animal print papers. But before I put them in the shop I'd like to make some with an Easter theme. What are your thoughts?? 

That's all from me today. I hope this long post makes up for the weeks of absence. Gotta run now, the little man is stirring ^_^ Much love and hope everyone has a pleasant weekend!!

Xoxo

Plarn progress

Well thank you Saint Valentine for interrupting my plarning. Well that and my hand hurts. I'm using a K hook because it's nice and big so that will help alleviate some of the pain associated with this project. So I know I wanted to make that rug, but my good friend Leslie really wanted to see a finished bag, which is why I started there.

First, how to add the plarn. I add as I go so I don't have to cut at all, just either attach a new color or pull it up and stitch over the ends when I get to them in the next row. I start with the two bag hoops.

Here i'm taking the left hoop under the right.

Pulling the left hoop backwards.

Then pulling the left loop underneath itself.

Lastly, making sure everything is straight and even, I pull both ends EVENLY so as not to stretch it or rip it one way or another.

And if I do that right I'll get this lovely little knot! Sometimes it's not so pretty but I just move on anyhow. It's plarn; it's quite forgiving. Also note, sometimes it helps if you keep the added piece's ends (for me that's the left loop) loose till you have to pull. And at the same time make sure you're holding the right loop tightly in the right spot.. well it doesn't have to be any one particular spot, so long as when you go to pull that they will line up. Otherwise you'll get a wonky right loop and blame me!!

So here is my progress so far. 

The top shows about 8 rows up the side of the bag. The bottom shows the inside and bottom of the bag. 

Basically I did a starting chain till I was content with the length. Then did about 6 SC rows turning, and a border row. Changed colors and SC in the BLO I went around the entire piece. Eventually I'm going to start a SC, chain and skip, SC to create a mesh effect.

OH, my distractions... Oh yeah, I've got a major migraine that just wont leave me alone. And DH has a major head cold :( LO is sick too. Yuck. So I made some Matzo Ball Soup, for the first time ever, and didn't add enough broth. Next time I'll add leftover chicken chunks and more broth and probably a few carrot pieces. 

And then I had to make him a card of course.

yeah I'm not a geek at all.. hahah yeah right!

I also made cake pops and that took up a good chunk of the day. Anyway here is LO looking handsome and showing how much he loves me ^_^ 

Off I go to get distracted with more crafts! Plus I'm running low on brown plarn, so I might need to chop up more bags.. even though I went through at least a hundred! Happy crafting!

-Bri

When life hands you plastic bags...

You make plarn!! For those of you who don't know what plarn is, it's plastic bags (from the grocery store or wherever) that are cut into strips and looped together to make plastic yarn. It is a great way to upcycle your bags that you'd probably throw in the trash anyhow. We reuse ours in the bathroom, the nursery, the garage, but we still have SO MANY. So why not repurpose them?

What I've done is easy peasy. Gather up the plastic bags and one by one (until you get the hang of it) lay them flat.

fold once

fold twice

fold three times if you can

snip off the end

then cut about 1" pieces

till you get to the strap. 

I keep mine in the similar bags and didn't unfold them because they stayed together nicely.

Then discard the ends and straps and any yucky bags or ones with holes into the recycle bin. I'll probably make a nice bag out of this plarn. We shall see. 

I'd really like to make this shawl that I found on Valis' Crochet Moment blog into a rug. 

And so it begins. Again.

Hello again blogspot. Do you remember our last dance? You stepped on my toes a bit but I forgive you. Let's try and do it right this time around. This blog I'd like to use this to show what Bri is doing in her crafty shop.

So sometime last week I joined Pinterest , and let me tell you it is so much more convenient for storing bookmarks. I've got a little over 500 pins and counting and I plan on doing a lot of them. There is plenty of inspiration and ideas.

Lastly, I hope to document my craft room development. I don't have one :( all I have is an Ikea table and I can't even use the table. Lame. Lots of love and cleaning and organizing to do. Wish me luck!

Xo

-Bri