Tamdoll ~ Featured EtsyBlogger for June!

Tammy of Tamdoll is this month's featured EtsyBlogger! Tammy makes one-of-a-kind fabric jewelry, art dolls, handbags and collages. Quite a fun eclectic collection "depending on what creative mood strikes" as she likes to say.

In strolling through her shop, I was drawn to her embroidered fabric jewelry.  Embroidery is something I love to do and to look at, so these little works of art really called to me!

Like this awesome necklace. I love the way she added a bit of simple embroidery around the fabric design. It really makes the design stand out and adds a little whimsey!

Or these super cute teeny tiny heart charms! And they're embellished with embroidery! And beads!

And they come in this cutie matchbox! If that just isn't the dandiest thing, I don't know what is!

And then there's this little oak leaf pin! It's made of wool felt with a crochet edging and embroidered accents, and stuffed so its nice and fat and just right to wear on your jacket!


You should go right now and peek in Tammy's shop -- there's an awesome dragon waiting for you.....

Oh, and, being a member of the EtsyBloggers, Tammy also has ......a blog!! Be sure to check out her post for the EtsyBloggers Blog Carnival -- it's about a delicious sounding pie aptly named "Out of This World Pie" -- oh my it does sound decadent!

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Sting Like a Bee! ~ Wednesday Wanderings and the Shops Found Along the Way

There it was, peacefully sleeping in the grass.....waiting......

Bumble Bee Hat and Matching Diaper Cover by Aunt Mimi's Designs.

for me to walk by in my sandals, unsuspecting.....

Busy Bee on Black Toekini by Raige Creations.

Bzzzzz.....Zap! Gotcha! Oh my, that hurt.

Bee (35 inch) by Manartas.

My garage sale picking is over. Next time I wear sneakers!

Converse Bumble Bee Hi Tops by Princess Sneakers. 

Thanks a lot, Mr. Bee....

Honeycomb Letterpress Note Cards by Smockpaper.

Glad there weren't two of them!

Busy Little Bumblebees Pillowcase Dress by Punkytown.

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And just for fun, I made a bee treasury too!



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What a Great Market Bag! ~ Wednesday Wanderings and the Shops Found Along the Way

In my wanderings around Etsy, I found Ellen of Earthwise Emporium -- I was very much impressed by her recycled farmer's market bags and wanted to share them with you!

You know those net produce bags from the grocery store? The ones that house tomatoes, onions, avocados and  such? The ones you usually throw away? Well, Ellen has a super use for them, one that I think is just so clever!

She takes those throw-away bags and repurposes them into wonderful market bags to tote your groceries home! And the way she does it is what caught my eye -- she crochets a top for the bag and adds a drawstring to cinch it up! Very simple, very clever.

Here's how they begin in life, a humble little nylon net bag holding your fruits and veggies! I just love the way Ellen extends their life and keeps them away from the yucky landfill.

Her Etsy shop has other lovely creations.....

American Girl Doll clothing

A wonderful memory quilt design that is created just for you with your photos 

And she's now offering pick-your-own-color sets of knitted dishcloths and crocheted scrubbies! Super idea!

As Ellen says in her profile and shop announcement, "Earthwise Emporium is about recycling, reusuing and providing products to replace disposable ones. I believe we are all to care for our natural resources and our own personal resources through being frugal..."

I hope you will visit Ellen's shop and show her some love!  You can also find her on Facebook!

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Summer Colors

What colors remind you of summer? Have you been using these colors in your shop lately? Show us!

That's one of the questions posed by Edi of Memories for Life Scrapbooks for the current EtsyBloggers blog carnival. Be sure to check out Edi's shop too -- she has the most awesome scrapbooks! And she's getting into laser art now and her engraved coasters are unbelievable!!

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I always think of bright, sunny colors for summer -- hot pinks and blues, bright yellow and green. Citrus colors like lemons, limes and oranges. Patriotic red, white and blue. Shades of blue for the ocean -- from the deepest blue to lighter aqua.

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With the Fourth of July coming up, I have been working with red, white and blue... 

like this cute flip flop pin cushion 

or this nautical dishcloth set perfect for your yacht's galley when you're on your summer cruise...

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Fruit punch colors

like these flower facial scrubbies... Bring on the lemonade!

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This is my current project... bet you can't tell what it is! I've had this little pattern for ages and finally thought, "well, why not" and got out the brightest blue I could find!

Can you figure it out? Bowl? Beginning of an amigurumi animal? 

Nooo..... you'll just have to wait until I'm done! 

But it will make life easier when you're out walking!

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Life is Like a Box of Chocolates.....

Forrest Gump had it right!

His quote, including his accent, got stuck in my head.....so that told me "Treasury Time"!! I've only made a few but I'm loving making them! Plus I find some really cool shops that I might not have otherwise.

So here, with a bow to Forrest, is a treasury full of chocolately goodness!
P.S. I featured teamies from the Etsy crochet teams I'm on... : )



You can click on the title to go to the "real" treasury on Etsy where you can (because I know you want to) comment, click and share!! And, if you click on each photo, you'll be taken (like magic) to that shop!  : )

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"The Good Guy" ~ On the Bookshelf

I have read many of Dean Koontz's novels, and this one is definitely one of the best. I like his writing: suspense novels with twists and turns, frightening without being gruesome, psychological horror without nightmares.

 This is about Tim, an ordinary guy caught between a hired killer and the woman targeted. It's a case of mistaken identity. It's about discovering courage within himself. It's about determining to save an innocent life and facing real evil. It's about finding that you love someone and will do anything to protect her.

"I need to kill her, you know."

"You could just walk away."

"No, Tim. I've got an image to protect."

"Then kill me instead."

"All right. That works for me."

This hired killer is ruthless. He doesn't care who he kills, only that he kills someone. And if some innocent someone gets in the way, well, so much the better.

He has no real home; he lives from house to house if the owners are away. But they have to meet his high expectations. The home must be perfect -- clutter free, organized, even the tops of high shelves dusted. Food in the refrigerator. The kitchen clean. And, after he spends a night or two there, he leaves it better than he found it. Washes and puts away his dishes. Makes the bed. Takes a shower and wipes down the walls.

But should the owners come back before he takes his leave, well, a bit of play is in order.

And he has a really good time hunting down Tim and the woman he has been paid to kill.

Kangaroos, Koalas and Taz, Oh My!!

"In the southern hemisphere it's autumn right now, the days are shorter and the nights longer. What's something interesting you have found out about living 'down under'?"  That's one of the questions posed by JacBerKitsch for the current EtsyBloggers blog carnival.

When I think of  'down under' I think of Australia and all the fantastic animals that live there, animals unlike any I would ever come across anywhere here in the states. I have always held a fascination for koalas and kangaroos, but there are many other unique animals to find! And I found out some very interesting facts along the way!

Koalas have got to be the cutest animal on earth! They are marsupials and, like kangaroos, the baby koala is called a joey and is carried in its mother's pouch until about six months old. When they are older, they catch a free ride on mom's back! They like to dine on eucalyptus leaves and sleep the majority of the day.  Notecard - Wildlife Series Two - Koala by RMVera Studio.

Do you remember Taz the Looney Tunes Tasmanian Devil? Even though these little guys are cute, they are pretty vicious! Also endangered. And carnivorous. Watch out! They've got sharp pointy teeth, strong jaws, and ears that turn red when they are excited. They live in burrows or hollow logs, sleeping during the day and hunting at night. They can also climb trees and swim! Yikes! Tasmanian Devils Photo by PhotosAlegria.

Kangaroos are pretty fascinating creatures! They can hop up to a speed of 40 mph and uses its tail like an extra leg for support while standing. Most kangaroos can only move both back legs together and not one at a time. They are social animals and live in groups called "mobs."  The baby joey is carried in mom's pouch for nine months and then climbs in and out for feeding until 12 to 17 months. (Good grief!) Mom can have three babies at one time -- one becoming mature and just out of the pouch, another developing in the pouch, and one embryo in "pause mode." Oh my aching back!! And they all live in that pouch! Plus there are four teats in the pouch and each has a different milk for the different stages of development! Can you imagine?!!

Couldn't resist this guy! The title is "Honey, since you are up, bring me a beer" Typical male....

Kangaroo Blank Note Card by Postal Therapy.

Hope you learned a little bit -- and please check out the three photography shops! They have a lot of fantastic photos to look at!

Nanjo Dogz ~ Featured EtsyBlogger for May!

Nancy of NanjoDogz is this month's featured EtsyBlogger! She makes polymer clay Pandora beads with an emphasis on the shapes of various dog breeds. A really nice thing that Nancy does is to donate a portion of her sales to several animal charities.

In looking through all her puppies, I decided to show you the ones that have meaning in my life, because, of course, they are my favorites!

The German Shepherd 

I had a wonderful, loving German Shepherd named Aries. This bead looks a lot like him! 

The Pug 

Well, this is a Puggle, but my grandpuppy is a Pug! Snowflake is his name, given him by my little granddaughter (she got him at Christmas and it snowed, thus, Snowflake!)

The Basenji

 My brother had two Basenjis -- they were so cute and didn't bark! Basenjis just make a kind of yodel

sound. And they have the cutest curly tail and a belly button! And don't you just love the ears?

The West Highland Terrier 

If I could talk my hubby into getting a dog, this is the one I'd want! Westies are just so cute! 

Maybe I could get a Shepherd AND a Westie! The Westie could run circles through the Shepherd's legs! Oh what fun! Maybe I'd add a Basenji and she could stand on the sidelines and yodel. And we could invite Snowflake over and have a doggie party! More fun! Of course, Oliver my cat might have something to say about all this dogginess....

So.... you should get over to Nancy's shop and find your own favorite puppy bead! But, just so you know, it might be a tough choice! They are all so cute! Visit her blog too!

Oh, and here's another bead, just 'cause it's so adorable!

A bookworm!

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No Dirty Dishes Day! ~ Wednesday Wanderings and the Shops Found Along the Way

Take off that apron! Pull off those rubber gloves! 

Go out to eat! Order pizza and eat out of the box!

TODAY IS NO DIRTY DISHES DAY!

Today we will not dirty up the kitchen; we will not leave dirty dishes in the sink or on the counter. We will leave that dishwasher alone. For today we celebrate by eating out ALL THREE MEALS. Or by using plastic plates and forks (remember to recycle!). Or eating ice cream right out of the box (with our plastic spoon).

Yes, this is a true, real holiday, no doubt made up by some bright kid trying to get out of doing the chores!

So today, instead of dirtying up the kitchen, I'm wandering around Etsy, looking for ways to celebrate to make this holiday even more fun!

1. Get over to your favorite hamburger joint.

Hamburger and fries for you -- chicken nuggets for the kids. Don't worry, they won't eat all your fries. They'll be too busy playing on the playground!! Felt Hamburger Combo by CreationByM.

2. Drink milk right out of the carton. Yes, you're allowed -- today only.

And if anybody catches you, offer them the jug too!!! Gallon of Milk Felt Food by The Felted Pear.

3. Sushi - no cooking, no utensils except chopsticks!!

This is sushi is crafted from candy and is entirely edible! Looks positively delicious! Candy Dessert Sushi by Death By Cupcake.

4. Pizza - straight out of the box, no plates allowed!

This one looks yummy! Box and pizza sold separately! Felt Pizza Box by Felt Food Feast. (Check out the Kool-Aid smiley face pitchers when you can go back into your kitchen...)

5. For all you "gotta have your veggies" types -- salad!

Go to your favorite salad bar and munch away!  Making a Salad Play Set by Extra Baggage Boutique.

6. After that salad, surely you have room for a triple decker ice cream cone! And no dishes!

Yummy! I'll have cookies 'n cream, butter pecan, and mint chocolate mint!! Ice Cream Cones Amigurumi Pattern by Knotty.

Did you get enough to eat? Hope so, 'cause no fair sneaking into the kitchen tonight -- unless it's after midnight!!

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Apples for the Teacher! ~ Wednesday Wanderings and the Shops Found Along the Way

Well, we're nearing the end of the school year -- prom, graduation, yearbook signing -- and teacher gifts!!

I think this apple cozy is just the best! She also sells a pattern so you can make your own! It would be great for your work lunch box too! Crocheted Apple Cozy by Unravel Me.

This is so cute, and different! I like the background designs with the decoupaged papers and then the saying on the top -- very clever and "happy and pretty!!" (Read her profile!) To Teach is to Touch a Life Forever by Happy Pretty.

Here's a cute wooden block that teacher could use on her desk to hold down test papers or to sweetly sit on her bookshelf. I love the abc's and ruler ribbon! Live Love Teach Block by Sassy Talk.

I love this! "A book a day keeps the landfills away!" She buys the books from charity resale shops and then repurposes them, so not only does she help the environment, but she also gives back to others! How wonderful is that! A Book A Day by Roundabout.

And, just because I happen to have them in my shop...apple coasters by yours truly! Apple Coasters by Magnolia Surprise.

Hope you enjoyed your visit to the apple orchard!! And don't forget your kid's teacher(s) -- she put up with them all year! : D

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