Tulips Everywhere! - Wednesday Wanderings and the Shops Found Along the Way

If I could take an all-expense paid trip anywhere, where would I go?

That was the question of the week posed by my Etsy team, CreateCrochet. And since my Wednesday Wanderings post was due, I decided to combine the two!

My brother lived in Vlaardingen, The Netherlands for about four years and invited me to come for a summer just before my senior year in high school. We did a lot of traveling and sightseeing and I have lots of wonderful memories and would love to revisit many of the places we saw (went to 8 or 9 countries). Holland would be at the top of the list. Since I went in the summer, I just missed the tulip season when the whole country is a sea of reds and yellows, oranges and purples. I would absolutely love to see the tulips in bloom. In The Netherlands. (Visiting the "red light" district in Amsterdam would be fun again, too, but that's a story for another time...)

So, in my wanderings around Etsy today, I'm looking for tulips!

This print combines the great stuff of Holland - tulips and windmills! And the fact that there are gnomes about is just extra goodness! There were two gnomes who lived in a windmill print by Wind Up Bird Studios (rkoss)

I love this cross-stitch with its lone red tulip. So sweet! Butterfly and Tulip Cross Stitch by Whimsy & Charm

This shop is full of beautifully painted ceramics, not to mention her whimsical face pins! From sassy Diana to sophisticated Mavis, these pins are wonderful, each with a little added bling!! But I'm especially lovin' these tulip goblets!  Floral Wine Goblet - Yellow Tulips by The Artists' Loft

The tulips on this lunch tote just jump out at you! It's made of vintage fabrics with two designs front and back, and then it reverses to two more prints! All of them are tulips. How clever is that!!  Reversible Lunch Tote - Orange Tulips by Red Hen Studios

This tee is so reminisent of old world Holland designs with its kissing kids and windmill, and, of course, tulips! And did you see the wooden shoe hidden in the design? It's an original hand screen print and there's also a wonderful tulip skirt in the shop! Dutch Treat T-Shirt by Made With Love by Hannah

Well, thanks for coming along today, walking around the Etsy shops and a little down memory lane -- hope you'll come back next week to see where my wanderings will take me!! And what that sneaky little question will be from my Team!! 

I Won, I Won!!!

Remember this giveaway I wrote about a week or so ago!  The organic soap?

Well, I was lucky enough to win!! The soap is made by All Things Simple and the giveaway was  hosted by the Made in Vermont Etsy Team. Both are great sites -- you should visit.

Doesn't this soap look yummy? I can't wait for it to arrive so I can shower!! LOL! Oh, OK, I'll shower before then, but it won't be as nice a shower, I'm sure!! :)

This was a great way to start out today!!!
Have a lovely Memorial Day!

Citrus Burst - Fun and Fruity Treasury

I was really impressed by this treasury and wanted to share!  It is always such a delight to be featured in one, and this one is no exception.  It is just so fresh looking -- I'm lovin' the citrus colors! 

And don't you just love the name? Makes me think of Starbursts!  Jane of Groovy Pumpkin is the curator and I think she did a super job! I'm lovin' everything in this treasury -- especially those cutie baby booties and the tutu and the teapot cozy and the felt button embellishments and..... all of them!!

Please take a moment to visit this treasury and check out all the beautiful shops!

How I Became a Hooker :)

OK, OK it's not what you think! Get your mind back up into higher places!!

Here's a new, fun weekly theme which I will TRY to post on Sunday or Monday. Note that I said "try."

A question will be posed each Sunday by Loose Threads on Create Crochet, an Etsy team I belong to, and will be answered by each participating member via their blogs! Should be fun and a great way to get to know each other. (It may or may not be crochet related!)

♥ ♥ ♥ Even if you don't belong to the team, feel free to leave your own comment on "the question" -- I'd love to hear what your own experiences are!

So, this week's question: When did you start crocheting? Did you teach yourself or did someone teach you? Tell us the story of how you became a hooker.

As so many do, I grew up surrounded by needle crafters and artists. My mother sewed, making nearly all my clothes as a child, and crocheted. A dear aunt did beautiful china painting and watercolors. She also made some amazing hooked rugs, dying her own wool from my uncle's Naval uniforms.  I had other aunts who quilted. My brother is quite the artist. My own drawing ability is sub-zero so I turned to cross-stitch, embroidery and ceramics to express my creative side.

I learned to crochet in my mid-twenties (no, not THE mid-20s, MY mid-20s -- hehe), initially from a co-worker and then on my own. Here is a picture of the first thing I crocheted (the co-worker said that it would be best to learn using thread instead of yarn -- I have always questioned the brilliance in that!)

And here is what it's SUPPOSED to look like!

I never finished it -- beginning what would become a long line of UFO's (or, in crochet jargon, UnFinished Object) and WIP's (Work in Progress or, I intend to finish it someday).  Oh, the precedents are set early in life....

Who knows why I began on such an ambitious project! (and who knows why I kept it, and more importantly, how I knew where it was!!)

From then on, I was self-taught -- got a really good magazine (which I still have) that showed great illustrations of the stitches and had easy projects.

And the rest is history!!

Exciting News!

Well, I've just got to toot my own horn for a minute today!!

My newest Etsy listing -- Red Delicious Apple Coasters were featured in two places today!

Digicute Printables features an Etsy item each day on her Facebook Fan page -- and my coasters were so honored today!  Thanks, Teresa!

Plus, there were a LOT of really sweet comments -- so if any of you commenters happen to be reading this, thanks to you too!!

And then they appeared in a treasury made by Barbiloulou who was featuring new items from the Create Crochet Etsy Team of which I am a member! Lots of great talent there!

So a big Thank You to Teresa and Barbilou!!

Giveaway Goodies!

I found this really nice giveaway for a bar of natural, organic soap with juniper berries and wanted to share. 

The giveaway is sponsored by the Made in Vermont Etsy Street Team and following that link will give you all the pertinent info.

Doesn't this soap look yummy!

The lovely shop with the lovely soaps is All Things Simple -- they also have natural, Waldorf inspired wooden and felted toys for children. This interests me because Noli is being raised as a natural kid and she would love everything in this shop! There are play silks, wooden puzzles, felted and wooden eggs, and the cutest bowling set you've ever seen! If you're raising your child in the natual way, or if you love handmade, organic soaps, this is the shop for you!!

So, enter to win but bear in mind that I REALLY want that bar of soap so I'm not saying "good luck" -- heh heh!  ;)

Pop Tarts, a Secret Delight - Wednesday Wanderings and the Shops Found Along the Way

Do you secretly love Pop Tarts? Do you stand in the pantry and eat them without toasting 'cause you just can't wait? Or do you toast them to perfection, place them nicely on a plate, pour a glass of milk and don't care who knows it?

I think I fall into the second category although I've been know to sneak them as a late night snack. But I do take the time to toast...

I recently finished and listed some "Toaster Pastry Coasters" aka Pop Tarts, in my shop. That got me to thinking about what other Pop Tarts delights I might find. So my stroll through the Etsy shops today takes me looking for that exquisite pastry.

C'mon -- I'm hungry!

Here's a fun way to keep your iPod snug -- a blueberry pop tart cozy complete with blueberry "filling" on the inside! Absolutely essential while we walk along the Ersy sidewalk! iPod/Cell Phone Cozy by Curious Pug

This one will never tell when you switch her on so you don't stumble in the dark on your way to …… Pop Tarts of course! And check out how girly she is with all her rhinestone sprinkles! Hand Painted Switchplate by Mitsel8

                                     
What would you put in a Pop Tarts bag? Your Pop Tart stash of course! This pouch is made from a real Pop Tarts box, covered in  vinyl, and with a yummy blueberry lining!!
Pop Tarts Junk Food Bag/Zipper Pouch/Coin Purse by Beadlove2211

                                    
These cherry pastries have sprinkles of pink sequins and chocolate French knots and an organic cotton filling! (See, they can be good for you!!) Lots of the cutest yummy goodies in this shop!
Little Pink Toaster Pastries by Eva Lauryn

Couldn't resist! Like the description says, these "look so real you might head over to the toaster instead of the tart burner!" I've featured this shop before, but these were so delightful I couldn't pass them by!!
Toaster Pastry Tart Melt by Bright View Candles

And what little doggie wouldn't eat a Pop Tart if given half a chance!! Blueberry with chocolate sprinkles perhaps? Squeeky toy for your favorite pooch so he won't feel left out while you're snacking on your tart.
Pop Tart Squeeky Dog Toy by Pampered Poochie

Now you can wear your favorite breakfast treat on your finger -- and remember how yummy it was throughout the day! Too, too cute! Frosted Pop Tart Ring by The Sprinkle Factory

And last, but certainly not least.....drum roll please.....

A NEW FLAVOR!!  And don't worry -- fins ARE included! This is priceless -- great fun art for your lake cabin kitchen or anywhere you want to hang it!!  Tuna Tarts Matted Fish Print by Trixie's Fun Fish Art (billfishart)

And here I am going to shamelessly show off my new creation ---

Pop Tart Coasters, the Chocolate Collection!! Made as close to the real ones as I could!

So, thanks for wandering along with me -- let's go have some lunch, with pop tarts for dessert!!!

Please join me on my next Wednesday Wanderings -- who knows what goodies I'll find!!

Tweet or FB Much? Wednesday Wanderings and the Shops Found Along the Way

Do you love to tweet? Are you stuck on Facebook all the time? Are you following, liking, fanning, farming -- ALL THE TIME?

I thought it would be fun to mosey around Etsy on my wanderings today and find some twitters and FBs. Not the stuff to help you do them, but the stuff to show them off. Are you game? Well, let's see what we can find!

Isn't this the cutest? He could keep you company while you're tweeting (and maybe give you some inspiration)!  Crochet Little Birdy Pattern by Yarnabees.

Well, you've gotta sit somewhere while you tweet! And isn't this a wonderful chair to be in any room?  Twitter Chair by Table for Eight.

Just the right size for those 140 character bits of wisdom! Cute, cute!!  Or, use it for your grocery list when you only have to get bread and milk! :)  Tweet Mini Journal by Wandercraft Design

Hand painted and sealed in resin. And if this isn't cute enough, there's a ring to match! Twitter Bird Heart Resin Necklace by Renathe Schneider.

She calls these "fabric smirks" and I can see why! Pretty fabric pouches teamed up with smarty pants snarky sayings…  Dear Facebook by Oh Madchen!

And you know your baby is! Gotta post all those cute pics for grandma to see! I'm on Facebook Onesie by Whippersnappers.

                               

You know you love Farmville! You know you can't quit growing that corn! Let everyone else know with this t-shirt and maybe they'll help you harvest!  Farmville T-Shirt by Fun Kreations.

Are you, or someone you love, obsessed with social media? Wear these to show the world!

Techno Obsessed Felt Badge Pins by Sunflower Express.

Whew! That was a lot of fun! Thanks for coming along. Now let me go tweet and update my status!!!   

I'd love for you to join me next week for my Wednesday Wanderings. You just never know what I'll come up with or what fabulous shops I'll find!

Coasters, Washcloths, Bottles and Bobbins!

I just wanted to post a couple of new things in my Etsy shop, lest you think that I don't have one!!!

I love these coasters -- they make me happy! I call them "Flowers in the Yard" 'cause that's what they remind me of when I look at them! They are made of cotton yarn and measure 4-1/4 inches across.

If you really love lime green, then here's a matching set of wash cloths for your kitchen or bath. They are also of cotton yarn and measure 8-1/2 inches square. Great scrubby texture!

And these are also cotton wash cloths -- called "Beach Glass."  They would be great in your beachy bath or kitchen -- super scrubbie power, yet gentle!

And in my vintage shop, Magnolia's Attic:

Do your children love to present you with tiny flowers from the yard? You know, the ones that wither after only a little while? Well these small bottles would be perfect to hold them and keep them pretty longer!

These are Star cardboard bobbins filled with a khaki/olive thread. They belonged to my mother -- she had several boxes and used them to sew buttons on my father's WWII uniforms. This box has never been used.

Well, there you have it -- thanks for taking a look!!

Charity Auction for a Friend's Mother

Jody of Mojowoman Jewlery and Rebecca of Desert Diamond Crochet have opened their hearts to a Facebook friend (Erin) whose mother has been diagnosed with GMB brain cancer. Please take a moment to read Diane's story.  And this is the link to Erin's Facebook page where she shows jewelry she has made in support of her mother.

Jody came up with the idea for the auction, and Rebecca is so kindly hosting it. It is being held to raise funds to help Diane get to and from her daily radiation treatments (about 45 minutes one way to the hospital).

There are several ways to help: bid on a donated item, offer an item to be auctioned, or give a monetary donation. All of the information is on Rebecca's blog -- she has provided tabs across the top to easily bring you to each section.  There are also pictures of the donated items up for bid.  Rebecca has also posted these photos to her Facebook page so you can see them all at once.

There are some really beautiful handmade items ready to accept bids, and some bids already made. If you'd like to help out in any way, just go to Rebecca's blog for all the info. She will be adding new photos as items are donated, and keeping up-to-date on the bidding. Here, also, is a link to Jody's FB page.

Thank you for taking the time to read this and any bids or donations are welcome and appreciated!