Crafts for kids.... and everyday bows

It has been said that the apple doesn't fall far from the tree. My grandmother was the "tree" that inspired me with sewing and my grandfather with craft. Now my daughter

seems to be following on the same path. She loves crafting and sewing. She is now asking for her own sewing machine. I can't say I am not pleased to have

another crafter in the house. I have a lot of fun teaching her and crafting with her.

This was her very first sewing project. These items came in a kit that can be easily found in fabric and big box stores. She made this one 2 years ago and it has just continued with so many things from there. I thought you might enjoy seeing her finished product. This project involved hand sewing, stuffing and gluing. It was a simple project and did require a little supervision for my young child. She learned a lot and it was a wonderful project to help her with.

Very popular at our house are what we call "every day" bows.

They seem to be well liked by most customers and are the perfect accessory for little girls. They are available by custom order. Here is an example of "every day" bows.
Thanks for visiting today.



About the current contest giveaway:  (It was announced on 6/1/2010) Still time to enter! All you have to do is purchase something from either my Ebay store, my Etsy store or place a custom order between June 1, 2010 and July 25, 2010. Your name gets entered again with each purchase.  Add your name today.

Another Fun Friday! Inspired by Alice in Wonderland

Welcome to Fun Friday!

"We're All Mad Here!" Said the Chesire Cat!

"Begin at the beginning and go on till you come to the end: then stop."

Alice said:

"I wonder if I've been changed in the night? Let me think. Was I the same when I got up this morning? I almost think I can remember feeling a little different. But if I'm not the same, the next question is 'Who in the world am I?' Ah, that's the great puzzle!"

The Mad Hatter said:

"Twinkle, twinkle, little bat! How I wonder what you're at."

Rabbit said:

"Oh my ears and whiskers, how late it's getting!"

The Queen

The Queen said:
"Now, I give you fair warning, either you or your head must be off, and that in about half no time! Take your choice!"

"Sentence first -- verdict afterwards."

"Off with his head!"

Alice said:

"Curiouser and curiouser!"

"I think I should understand that better, if I had it written down: but I can't quite follow it as you say it."

 
The Duchess said:
"Tut, tut, child! Everything's got a moral, if only you can find it."


"Take care of the sense, and the sounds will take care of themselves."

"If everybody minded their own business, the world would go around a great deal faster than it does."

Alice said:
"Well, I never heard it before, but it sounds uncommon nonsense."


Quotes by Lewis Carroll 's Alice's Adventures in Wonderland

Bun-Bun's New Duds (New custom clothing for a favorite stuffed animal)

Most kids have a favorite toy or stuffed animal. I know adults who have treasured their favorite toy throughout childhood and still have it today. What is it that makes a toy extra special or loved? I don't know the answer to that question. I wanted my daughter to love a dainty but soft little doll. I quickly learned it doesn't work that way. Children latch on to "the toy" that they will treasure on their own accord. Bun-Bun, the little white bunny in the pictures, was a gift to my daughter from her big brother shortly after her birth. Bun-Bun seemed to be a favorite because of the "feel" of her body. Even as a small infant, she would roll the fabric in her little hands. Bun-Bun was carried around the house, on all car trips and even on every vacation. If my daughter couldn't find her, she would call out for her as if she really believed that Bun-Bun could talk. That bunny has never made it far from her sight.

As you might imagine, after a while, Bun-Bun began to show some wear and tear. Several months ago, I put a bit of new stuffing in her and made her a new dress out of a pair of outgrown sweat pants. That worked for a time, but recently, even that dress needed to be replaced.

My daughter asked me to crochet Bun-Bun a new dress to look something like Disney's Princess Cinderella's ball gown. She also asked for a hat that Bun-Bun's ears would go through. Believe it or not, it is amazing how many custom orders one can get from their own children. I get paid for those with her smiling face, hugs and kisses. 

Without a pattern, this is what I came up with.

This is the view from the back and from the side.

My daughter is happy, I am happy, and if Bun-Bun could talk, I would imagine she would she would tell us that she is happy with her new duds too.

Cupcakes purses are yummy!

Does anyone ever really get tired of yummy cupcakes? One of my daughter's favorite purses is her Crocheted cupcake purse. She isn't alone. I have made several over the years that I have sent to happy customers.

There are lots of styles out there, but of all that I have made, there is one pattern that seems to stand out among the rest for its great design. It is my most favorite of all. The triple reinforced bottom and cable sides helps the purse to hold a nice shape.

Here are a few pictures of some of my custom boutique cupcake purses. They are very popular. I have filled several custom orders for cupcake purses. They can be made in most any color and make the perfect accessory. I have found that not only do little girls love this purse, but teens and adults love it too. It is just a fun purse. A few years ago, for my client's birthday, I designed some matching cupcake clippies in several styles and sizes. Clippies are available as a custom order to match the purse! Here is one size and style shown here.

I have also made cupcake appliques to add to miscellaneous items. They are so much fun. Look for all these to be added soon to my Etsy store. Customs will be available.
Thanks for visiting today!

About the current contest giveaway: (It was announced on 6/1/2010) Still time to enter! All you have to do is purchase something from either my Ebay store, my Etsy store or place a custom order between June 1, 2010 and July 25, 2010. Your name gets entered again with each purchase. Add your name today.

Custom Baby.....

There is nothing better than welcoming a new baby into the world. I have recently had several custom requests for babies that will soon be born.

Thought I would share a a couple pictures of one of

my custom boutique baby sets that went to a very happy customer.

This one was crocheted in ultra soft baby yarn. It included sweater, hat with a pretty pink flower, booties and little mitts to keep new baby girl from scratching her face.

Thanks for stopping by today!

Through The Looking-Glass......

`````````````````And what Alice Found there....

Alice laughed, "There's no use trying," she said, "one can't believe impossible things."

"I daresay you haven't had much practice," said the Queen. "When I was your age, I always did it for half-an-hour a day. Why, sometimes I've believed as many as six impossible things before breakfast."

"I don't quite know yet," Alice said very gently, "I should like to look all round me first, if I might."

"You may look in front of you, and on both sides, if you like," said the Sheep; "but you can't look all round you - unless you've got eyes at the back of your head."

---Quotes by Lewis Carroll, Through The Looking-Glass: And What Alice Found There

Welcome to Friday Fun.....I thought we might have some fun on Fridays...

Minnie Mouse for Baby

Summer is here and that means vacation for many of us. Some are now taking the commonly termed "stay-cation," vacationing @ or close to home. Others are fortunate

enough to be able to travel somewhere to see or do something fun. Many plan trips to

Disney World or Disney Land. Even if you aren't going to the land of the mouse, if you have children in your life, they likely love dressing in Minnie Mouse, Mickey Mouse or Disney character clothing. Today, I listed a pair of handmade crochet trim socks in traditional red Minnie wear. Click HERE to

see the listing while available.

The sock trim was created using fine thread. The cuffs are trimmed with a Minnie silhouette, also hand crocheted using my own original design. This pair is ready to ship and perfect for baby girl in approx. 3 to 9 months. They would also make a great gift for a new baby girl.

Although this pair of socks is ready to ship, I do welcome custom orders.  Perhaps you wish to order socks in another color, size or style. Contact me with your wishes and I will do all I can to make your dreams come true. Ask me about socks for boys too. Not frilly, of course, but certainly just as cute.

Almost everyone loves these socks. They make the perfect gift too! Crochet socks make wonderful gifts for Cheer-leading Squads, dance recitals, to match special costumes, for pageants, for teachers, for nurses, groups who want to match, or to match just about any outfit.

Thanks for dropping by today.
 

Memorial Day Celebration.....and A Contest!!

When most people think of Memorial Day, what comes to mind is probably patriotic music, speeches, picnics and lots of American flags. Memorial Day is a day of remembrance for those who have died serving our country and for those who actively do so every day from both within our borders and across the world. I hope you had a chance to both celebrate and honor our veterans, both fallen and active, in some way. Our soldiers give the ultimate sacrifice for us and they deserve our complete support. They protect Americans and give aid to people around the world. I also think it is important to remember all those families who have lost their precious loved ones, the soldiers who died or were injured protecting our great nation. I am glad we celebrate Memorial Day, but I also believe we, as Americans, need to take time all year long to do what we can to support and aid our soldiers in their heroic efforts. Please remember to pray for their safety every day! Click HERE!

Here are a couple quotes that I really like. I think they are very befitting to share for this Memorial Day.

  "Courage is contagious. When a brave man takes a stand, the spines of others are often stiffened.”  
Quote by: Billy Graham (American evangelist, b 1918)

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
“The bravest are surely those who have the clearest vision of what is before them, glory and danger alike, and yet notwithstanding, go out to meet it.”
Quote by: Thucydides quotes (Ancient Greek historians and author, 460-404bc)

 Lots of people dress up to celebrate this patriotic day. We also see lots of people dressed up in red, white and blue on the 4th of July. Vendemia launch group is having a Red, White and Boutique launch on eBay and Etsy. Click Vendemia RWB  to see all Vendemia's red, white and boutique listings on Etsy. There are some beautiful items offered. You can see my Etsy patriotic listings HERE.

I wanted to share some "everyday bows" that would be a great accessory to match a patriotic outfit.

White bows match everything don't they?



I am pleased to display my winning ribbon from A Boutique Customs Mini Mall (BCMM) for my winning the trivia game for the month of May. It was a lot of fun and a lot of hard questions. I still can't believe I won! Thanks for the ribbon girls!

 

ANNOUNCING A CONTEST GIVEAWAY!!


Today begins a contest! Any customer who purchases ANYTHING from me, to include any item from my Ebay store, any item from my Etsy store or who places a custom order between June 1, 2010 and July 25th, 2010 will get their name entered into a drawing for a free gift from me. The item to be won will be a collection of  6 handmade crocheted flower's with attached leaves.  The flower will either be attached to a pin or pony-o or can be used just for applique. You can attach them to anything.
The winner will be determined by using the very scientific method of having my daughter draw a name from a large jar.  :-) I will announce the winner here on my blog and will mail the flower set to the winner. Each time a purchase is made during the contest time, your name will be added to the jar again. There is no limit to how many times one can enter. Good luck!

Thanks for visiting my blog today!