Featuring Etstian KXBPhotography

KXBPhotography says:

1) What do you sell on Etsy? Photography - On Useful Gifts! 2) What else do you do to make money? I also run http://kittycrossbones.etsy.com other than that I am a full-time college student. 3) How long have you been working at your craft? I have been crafting since I was wee high to a pigs eye! But I’ve been selling on Etsy since ‘05! 4) What is your favorite item for sale in your shop? My favorite item in my should is the: “Don’t Be An Ass” Journal / Notebook: http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=11523728 5) Why do you love Etsy? I love Etsy because it is a great place for crafters to sell their wares. Etsy is very friendly and more personable than other E-sites! It just gives it a “we are all friends” feeling!

My First Quiltie - Work in Progress

Here is a quiltie I am working on for the Repurposed fabric challenge on swap-bot. It is due to go out today, and I just started last night, so I’d better work hard on it today.

I wanted to blog about this to record how much better I’m getting at keeping the backs of my embroidery neat. The first picture is of the front of the project and the second picture is of the back.

Also, I was happy with my hand stitching for piecing the fabric together. I know it is not exactly a quarter inch all around, but I think it is even enough to make the project look even and well constructed.

As for the fabric, the white was part of classroom curtains that became stained with orange ink. The blue is part of a shirt that was too big for me. I plan on somehow incorporating the blue buttons from the shirt as well. Then, I want to add some kind of fiber embellishments and a cord for hanging.

The pattern was from clipart that I found online. I printed it out, and used dressmaker’s chalk paper as carbon paper. The bottom layer was my white fabric, the next layer was the purple chalk paper, facing down, and the top layer was my clipart. I traced the clipart, pressing firmly with my pencil. When the layers were removed, my pattern was nice and tidy on my white fabric.

Hopefully, I’ll have time to photograph the completed project before I have to wrap it up and put it in the mail!

How to Make a Friendship Bracelet Video

Today I received some very nice friendship bracelets from a swap tag on the swap-bot forums. Here’s a picture.

I got to thinking that it would be nice to know how to make friendship bracelets. So, I’m posting a video for you. Even though it starts out a little bit slow, the girl does a very nice job of explaining how to make the bracelets and there are close-ups as well.

Wow at Wal-Mart

Wow at Wal-Mart

Originally uploaded by smilesandsunshine

Okay…let me start off by saying that I don’t like to shop at Wal-Mart. But I will admit that I do for a few reasons.

#1 Mom taught me to be a bargain shopper.
#2 There are few other places to shop where I live.
#3 It is a place where I can buy everything.

So, I was looking through the bead section for some beads to make a bracelet for a friend of mine that is going through mourning. She plans to wear only black and then purple and gray.

This was under a tag that said string of beads. I liked the color combination. It was hanging with the other beads and looked like beads. But it is actually a finished 18″ necklace. And I think it is lovely. Less than $3 people!

So, if you need a necklace, you know where to look. Or you could commission me to make one on Etsy.

Bakerella Impresses Jim Davis

http://www.garfield.com

Originally uploaded by Bakerella

I read other blogs on a pretty regular basis. And one that I love to read (or at least I look at the pictures) is http://www.bakerella.com. Since I started subscribing to her blog she has made it onto the Martha Stewart show and now she impressed Jim Davis of http://www.garfield.com. Check out her Garfield and Friends cupcakes!

Fun Video to Celebrate Alchemy

These people have a painting of themselves riding their cats like medieval horses. It was the first Alchemy bid on Etsy.

Sorry, No Etsy Feature This Week

I spent today helping the musical artist in residence set up today.  He’s a drummer from Ghana.

Check out his homepage:  http://www.okaidja.com

Teacher Appreciation Week is Coming!

I know that as a teacher I love getting little gifts from my students.  Teacher’s appreciation week is in the first part of May.  It is different in different districts, so call the school office to find the best date.  Find these cute magnets in my Etsy shop.

Cook Up Some Good Food!

My husband needs the computer for school work, so I will make this quick.

Please think about joining my latest swap:  http://www.swap-bot.com/swap/show/14628

You cook three recipes and tell people how they turned out.  This is to inspire us to try new recipes that we’ve been meaning to, but we didn’t follow through with it.  Smiles!

Taking Rufus to the Craft Store

Rufus is my dog. I had fifty cents to by some DMC 702 (Leaf Green embroidery floss) and when I walked out of the door he stared and me with a longing in his eyes. I’ve never taken him anywhere without a carrier, and I’ve never taken him anywhere in the station wagon. So, since it was a quick trip, I decided to let him try riding in the Outback.

I loaded him up in the back and rolled down the windows. Before we were out of the driveway he had made his way to the passenger seat and he sat down when I said, “Sit, Rufus!”

Usually on a Saturday the Heart of the Home craft store across from the Post Office in Pendleton is fairly quiet. I can go in and see another person or two, but I usually have the place to myself. Rather than leave Rufus in the car, I thought I’d get the saleslady’s attention, tell her what I needed, and hand her the $0.50
through the door.

Well, I didn’t think that as summer approaches, the tourist begin to arrive and I had to wait for a team of teenagers to finish buying their Pendleton charms before I could even motion to the saleslady. Then, guess what she said? “Bring him on in, we’re very dog friendly here.”

“What?” I thought. They might be dog friendly, but the store in front is scrapbooking paper and stickers and stuff. She said that Jerry in the back would love to see him. So I brought him in. She brought him a biscuit. He’s a well mannered yellow lab/golden retriever/malamute mix. He did just fine. Here’s what it looks like in the back where I bought my embroidery floss and where Rufus got some “luv”. He did just fine.