Sunday, April 24, 2011

Happy Easter!!!



He Lives!


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Tuesday, April 19, 2011

Things to Make: Fingerprint Bunnies and Chicks!!!!



This tutorial can now be found on my website: Sarahndipities.com!


I know you'll love this fun craft!


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Wednesday, April 13, 2011

A little Ramble...



So...

What's new this week?  

Me?

I didn't get to my Things to Make post yesterday.  I felt so guilty.

Especially since when I woke up this morning I found that I have 295 followers now!!!

Holy Cow!  You guys ROCK!!!

But, I suddenly felt like if I wasn't posting my regularly scheduled tutorial/pattern/idea/whatever I'd be letting all of you wonderful people down!

Then I sat back and really thought about this whole blogging thing.  I LOVE being able to share what I like doing with so many wonderful people...and the fact that I've been able to be so consistent with it for the past few months!  

But this past week has been CRAZY!!!  And I had to remind myself that first and foremost I'm a Mom.  I'm also a wife, cook, housekeeper, nurse, business owner, and an incubator for baby #5.  And all those things take up a lot of time and energy.

I needed to help with school projects, and injuries, and meals, and laundry, and life.  And sometimes that just the way it is.  And I wouldn't want my life to be any different!  I love being a mom and wife...and all that comes with the territory!!!  There's true satisfaction and joy in being able to be who I am!!!  I feel truly blessed to be able to do what I love everyday!!







So, I hope you'll all forgive me for slacking off this week on my tutorial...and hope you'll hang with me as I adjust my schedule to fit my growing family's needs.

And I promise that I've been busy creating things, too!  (I just haven't had extra time to take pictures and write up instructions!!)  And I'll be sharing stuff with all of you lovely people soon!  

Thanks for allowing me to be all the things I am here!  I SO love the interactions I get to have all of you amazing people everyday!

I'd love to hear what's new with you this week!

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Wednesday, April 6, 2011

Feature Friday: Getting to Know...Me!


This week I'm the featured seller on the SAHM of Etsy Team blog!  I loved the questions they asked...and thought I'd share with all of you a little more about me!!  (You can see the original post by clicking HERE!)

What is your name?
Sarah

Where are you located?
Mount Pleasant, Utah

What type of merchandise will shoppers find in your shop?
Crocheted hats, scarves, and accessories - like flower clips and brooches, as well as some hand- sewn/embroidered items. I also have another shop where I sell some supplies and hand-stamped cards!

The Flip Flapper

How/why did you get started?
I looked around at what was out there and finally said, "The only thing keeping me from turning my hobbies into a business is me!"

How long have you been crafting?
My whole life! I can remember making things when I was only three or four! Once when I was at the house of one of my mom's friends, I asked her if she had any corrugated cardboard, so I could make a craft. She was surprised I even knew what that was!! I was only four!

The Newsie

How did you get started in crochet? Who taught you? 
My grandmother taught me to crochet when I was expecting my first baby ... I really wanted to make a pretty afghan for my baby girl. Grandma taught me how to make a granny square ... the rest, as they say, is history!

What is your favorite thing to make? 
This is a toughie! I love to make hats and flowers!! They're so much fun! And I really love trying out new patterns ... the challenge of trying something different is always fun to me!

What inspires you to create? 
My kids! I also love colors and textures ... I get lost in the paper, bead, and yarn sections of craft stores ... the colors kind of just send me into a trance! LOL

Button Blossom
What is one thing you need to have with you while you craft?
Scissors!! It doesn't matter what type of craft I'm doing -- crochet, cards, sewing, etc. -- scissors are vital!!! I also have to have paper and a pencil to write ideas down on ... otherwise my brain can't keep focused on one project at a time!!

How do you balance mothering and running a small business? 
I've given myself a schedule. At certain times of the day, I have to be Mom. I try to get most of my computer work done before the kids are up or after they are in bed. I work on crocheting projects while they are playing and sometimes other stuff during nap time!

Crocheted Pennant Garland or Banner

What is your favorite thing to browse Etsy for? 
Sheesh. I love looking at artwork, textiles, natural products. There's so much amazing stuff here!! It's really hard to narrow it down!!

When you're not crafting, what are you doing? 
Being a mom, of course!! (You know: laundry, dishes, housework, homework, meal-making, fixing things, etc!) I also like to read, sing, and watch movies with my hubby!

The Plain Jane

Where can we find you?
My Etsy shop is http://sarahndipities.etsy.com
My supply/card shop is: http://stampsndipities.etsy.com
My blog is: http://sarahndipities.blogspot.com
My Facebook page is: http://www.facebook.com/sarahndipities1

What is your favorite shop (not yours) on Etsy currently? 
Wow! I really love Emma Lamb. Her stuff is so pretty and colorful! I also really like TwoEms ... awesome bold art prints!

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Tuesday, April 5, 2011

Things to Make: Glove Bunny Tutorial


Happy Tuesday!!





For today's tutorial I thought I'd share this super cute and simple idea for making soft little Easter bunnies out of a glove!!!

That's right!  This cute little fellow was created using a knit glove!  I got these super-marked down at the dollar store...I think they were twenty-five cents, or something!  Are you convinced you need to make a basketful of these, yet?

Materials Needed:
1 knit glove, in color of choice  ( I used this soft minky-type glove)
matching thread
needle
pink embroidery floss
2 buttons for eyes
batting or stuffing
scissors





The first step  is to turn the glove inside out:





Next, carefully cut off the thumb, pinky, and middle fingers of the glove...save the scraps for later!





The next part can be done on a sewing machine, but I like to hand sew these little guys!  It's fun, and it's a great way to teach kids how to sew things by hand!  (If I were making these with kids I wouldn't use the fluffy kind of glove, though...it's a little harder to see where you've stitched!)  LEAVE THE BOTTOM OPEN!






After you sew the thumb, pinky, and middle finger openings shut, turn the glove right-side out.  (This is the best way to check and make sure you didn't miss any seams!!





The next step is the trickiest:  Sewing on the face!  Using the embroidery floss sew on the button eyes, and stitch a little nose.  Be careful that you are only sewing through the front part of the glove!





Cut off about an inch of the tip of one of the leftover fingers, and stuff it with a little fluff!





After the face has been stitched on, you can start stuffing!!  Stuff the ears, head, and body...I use the leftover scraps from the fingers to stuff the very bottom of the bunny.

After the bunny is stuffed to your liking, stitch the bottom opening edge closed.  I used a blanket stitch.

The last part is adding the tail!  Turn the cut edge of the save finger piece under, and whip stitch it to the bottom/back side of the bunny.  The little tail will help to prop your bunny upright!





And there you have it!!




I also added a pink ribbon around this little guy's neck, but that is totally optional!!




These would make super cute additions to any Easter basket, or as a quick little add-on to a baby gift!




Have fun creating a little bunny farm of your own!!

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