Christmas Boxes

Hello,
My neighbor, Anna,  asked me to make 2 boxes for her necklaces.  As soon as I saw the necklaces, I wanted one too.  I show Anna my Kusudama.  She liked them and wanted  them for gifts; I suggested  we  trade.  She thought it was a great idea.  So I'll be getting the blue necklace in January.

Aren't they pretty? I like both of them.  May be I'll ask if she likes to trade with something else.

This will be my last post for 2014.

Wishing everyone a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Helen
  

AG Doll Dresses

Hi Everyone,

I can't believe it has been more than a month since I post!  I had been busy with craft shows. Some shows were good some were BAD.    If the craft show coordinator advertised well, then we will have good show.  Many just took our money and didn't do their part.  Oh, well, then we will never go back there again.   I booked one craft show every week since the end of October.  Some weeks I even had 2 shows.  Crazy, I know.  I won't do that again next year.  

Here is what I had been working on

Everyone only wanted dresses and the colors are pink or purple.  I made a bunch of tops over the Summer; no one looked at them.  Everyone just grabbed the dresses.  So I had been making dresses.

Also, I wanted to share my Black Friday fine.  I wasn't going to shop on Black Friday.    However, Victor was browsing Walmart flyers and I happened to  catch the page with the Red Heart With Love yarn on sale, $1.97 per skein for 315 yards.  My favorite yarns on sale.  I had to get some! May be more than some.  It turned out not only me wanted yarns.  The first Walmart I went to only had a few skeins left.  I went to 3 Walmart to get these yarns.  I didn't know how many skeins I bought.  Some were not in the picture.  I still need pink,green, and teal.  Couldn't fine those colors at any Walmart.   Hopefully these yarns will last me a while. 

Until next time....

Helen

Sequince Circular Vest

Hello,

I bought this yarn at Joann Fabric from the yarn bin.  It sold by the pound.    I used about half a pound and size 4mm needle  to make this circular vest.  I found a graph pattern on line.  Sorry I don't have the link to the pattern.

The finished vest looked very nice.  I wanted to keep it but it didn't look nice on me so I took it to the craft shows.  My thought was if I sold it, then it's good.  On the other hand if it didn't sell, I'll just keep it.  It attracted lots of attentions  and finally sold it on my third show last Saturday.

I  wanted to thank you everyone who stopped by my table last Saturday.  It was a great show! Don't you just love the communality who appreciate handmade craft.  The weather was bad but it didn't stop the craft show shoppers.    They came out and supported us. They were also very considerate of us.  They paid us in small bills.  I didn't need to use the changes that I brought .    I think all vendors did well.

 Faye also had been crocheting.  She started learning to crochet earlier this year.  I asked her to practice one stitch at a time.  The first stitch was the chain stitch, then the single crochet stitch, and so on.  She made this purse while watching some movies.

  I was curious how she made it.  She said it was easy "I just crochet a long rectangle, fold into a purse shape and sew the edges together."  I asked her how come the flab edge is not straight.  She said she likes it like that.  And look she helped herself to one of the button.
 

Until next time....

Helen

Just a Note

Hi,

I had a craft show on Saturday.  One word says it all  "horrible."  In the past I did well for this show.  I didn't understand why I did badly this time.   Everybody else did o.k.  My friend Elisabeth did pretty well.  I sold 4 items just enough to cover the table fee.  Two bad shows in a row; I'm really beat!  Will it stop me from creating? Never!


Here is today card

Have a wonderful week a head!

Helen

Asian Artistry Birdy Note Cards

Hello,

I wanted to update over the weekend craft show.  It was the worst show I had ever had.  Friday evening I sold 2 items, Saturday evening I sold a few small items and Sunday I sold one item worth $12.  On top of the table fee, we had to give 20% of our total sale.  Well it wasn't much since I didn't sell much.  It wasn't only me that didn't do good.  All the handmade vendors didn't do good.  But the reseller vendors they did pretty well.  So it seemed to me that Bryn Mawr community preferred  manufacture items over unique handmade crafts, different stroke for different folks for sure.

I haven't make a cards in a long time.  So last week I took out my favorite stamp set from Stampin' UP! and made these cards.

Again, if you are local, stop by Sun Vally High School craft show this Saturday, October 25th, from 9AM - 3PM.  There are many craft vendors including me.

Sun Vally High School
 2881 Pancoast Ave, Aston, PA 19014

Helen

Sprial Staircase Shawls and Fall Festival

Hello Blog Friends,

I just finished these two scarves/wraps/shawl recently. I started them in the Summer.  I used Red heart With Love yarn.  They are my favorite yarns; durable, affordable and easy to work with.

The blue one  is smaller and shorter (55") since I used a smaller needles.  The yarn color is called Deep Blue.

The second one is larger and longer (65").  The yarn color is called Autumn.  At first I didn't really care for this color but I tried on the shawl and oh it is very pretty.

  You can fine the pattern here.



For local friends, I will be here this weekend

Our Mother of Good Counsel Church (610) 525-0147
31 Pennswood Road, Bryn Mawr, PA 19010

My next show will be at SunVally High School in Aston PA.  Will post detail next week.

Until next time

Helen

Oalet Shawl

Hello Bloggers,

Do you still remember me?  Holly molly, it was not my intention to abandon my blog for soooooooooooo long, almost 2 months!.   I was super busy this Summer but that is not a good enough excuse.  The reason was I lost interest in blogging.   I still made lots of stuffs though especially knitting and crocheting but I just didn't feel like taking pictures and uploading them.   Any way I hope this is just some kind  of stages that I am going through..

I always wanted to knit a shawl so here is my first one. It is for my niece.  It's called OaletShawl.  It's a free pattern on Ravelry.  Lace pattern intimidated me so this shawl was a perfect pattern for me.

To block the shawl I pinned it onto the squares foam mat then I spray warm water all over the shawl.  This technique of blocking allowed the shawl to try faster.  I didn't come up with the technique.  

Until next week

Helen

Crochet Baby Boy Afghan

Hello,

I made this for my friend daughter.  She is having a baby boy. 

I really like the Flat braid joining.  Click  here for tutorial.

Crab stitch or reverse single crochet edging tutorial here.

Enjoy the weather.

Until next time...

Helen

Lots of Bags

Hello Blogger Friends,

My absent from blogging was working and then after work I made these for my friend Elisabeth.  Elisabeth and I met at a craft show several years ago and we became friend since then.  She sells jewelry.  I  needed some nice beads.  She told me that she can sell me some of the beads but it turned out she likes my bags so we exchanged her beads and my bags.  I used the We R Memories punch board bag.  I made at least 20 bags for her.    Each bag was decorated a little different.  I like how each bag turn out.  I hope Elisabeth will like them too.

 I wanted to get rid of my old pattern papers.  So I used them to make extra large bags  for my Fall craft shows.  Are you ready for the numbers?????

                                                      Awaiting in the box for handles.

                                                            Don't they make pretty gift bags?

                                                            40 bags completed with handles

I made 151 extra large bags.  I thought I got rid of a lot of papers but I used only 302 sheets of 12 x 12 pattern papers.  I still have more pattern papers. Oh, no!

Any how thanks for stopping by and have a great week a head!

Helen

Note Cards

Hello,

Two quick note cards to share.  The same style but different papers. 

Thanks for looking.

Helen

La Creame Note cards

Hi All,

I woke up this morning and had been busy organized Faye's room. Then bagged many  unwanted items to go to GoodWill. I forgot all about today post.

 I bought a stack of DCWV called La Creame  matstack ages ago.  Here are two cards I made using the matstack.  The butterfly stamp was from Stampin' Up called Priceless.  I stamped and then cut out the image.  I wanted a regular postage stamp so I did not add any embellishment.

That is it for this week.  Wishing everyone a wonderful week a head!

Helen

Knitted American Girl Doll Tops

Hello,

These are so much fun to make.  The knitted fabric are so soft. These are one of the AG items that I made to give to Faye's friends.  I am planing to knit several AG bathing suits next.  So stay tune.

Have a fabulous week ahead!

Helen

Just For You Card

Hello,

Made this quick card with scraps laying around.

Thanks for taking a peak.

Have a wonderful week a head!

Helen

Simple Retirment Card

Hello,

I made this card for an art teacher.  Her favorite color is green.

Have a wonderful week ahead!

Helen

Anniversary Candle And Box

Hello,

Here is a box I made  back in April but never got a chance to share.

Last week was hard to forget week.   I had never been so stress out. I lost appetite completely.  The one good thing happened last week was I lost at least 5 pounds. Victor lost about 10 pounds.   To make a long story short, we were dealing with out of control local borough.

Here are my questions:
 When a local government is out of control, can they be stopped? Who has power over local government?  They created laws only to benefit themselves.  How can the higher government allow this?  Many people are hurting from this local borough.    I would love to hear what everyone thinks or have any suggestion.

Until next tme

Helen

Crochet AG Doll Bathing Suit

Hello Blogger Friends,

Is it June already? The kids only have 10 more days of school, oh my.   Life had been a little hectic  lately both good and not so good.    But I felt that I need to do a quick post.  Although, it is not time for bathing suit in our area, I thought I will share it any way.  I made this adorable AG doll bathing suit a while ago.  

You can find the bathing suit tutorial here.  I am not good at knitting so for the hat I crochet it instead.

until next time....

Helen

Pink Box

Hello,

 I made this pink box last week. I wanted a simple box so this was my complete box.

It looks too plain.   So I added some details on the sides and here is the box now.

I don't know what to think of it now.  I asked Faye how the box looks.  She  said she likes the plain one better.  Hmm, may be I lost my taste in crafting.

Until next time

Helen

Here is Faye thank you card for Katie.

Until next time...

Helen

Congrats Card

Hello,

Made this card for a student-teacher  in Faye class.  I didn't know what her school color is so I went with black and white.

I also made some cards and a box for her but forgot to take a picture.  I think old age is catching up on me.

Have a marvelous Monday.  Enjoy the weather.

Helen

We R Memories Punch Board Gift Bags

Hello Blogger Friends,

I am back to do  more paper crafts.  I made this bag with my own pattern.

It took me sometime to make it.  So when I saw the We R memories gift bag punch board on sale at Joann Fabric online I was super excited and order it right away.

When I saw how small the board is 5 1/8"w x 9" H, I knew this board won't make the bag size that I needed.
   I need lots of big bags 7"x 3" x 9".  I thought this punch board will help me make the bags  faster.  It turned out the provided templates make three small gift bags.

small- 2 5/8" w x 2" D x H ( the high is adjustable)
 medium - 3" w x 2" D x H
Large - 3 5/8" w x 2" x H

Here are the bags from smallest to biggest.  

 I put some numbers together.   It required 2 pieces of 12 x 12 patterns. I was able to make bigger bags using the punch board template. The size of the bag remained 2". 

It took me longer than I like.

 I played around with some numbers.  I made 7"w x 3" D x 9" H bag without using the punch board and it was so easy.  Here are the bags. 

These bags fold flat.   I''ll share a tutorial when I have more time.

Until next time.....

Helen