Amigurumi Bear with Heart

Well I've been crocheting since I was about 6 years old.  In Belgium we had to learn to knit and crochet starting at a young age.  Some kids continue with it and others give up but pick it up again later in life.  I've never stopped!  The more I did it the more I wanted to learn every technique involving knitting and crocheting.  I actually crocheted my wedding dress.  I have to dig up a photo of it so I can share it here on my blog sometime.  For those of you who have never ventured past making clothes and/or accessories you should try Amigurumi, in other words crocheted little animals.  The first one I made got me hooked.  Now I'm a little bit of a perfectionist when it comes to arts and crafts so when I made this little bear it really was suppose to be a cat!!  I know it doesn't look like a cat at all so as I continued with the pattern (which I hate doing as you might know) I decided to change it up and turn it into a bear.  I then proceeded to change the eyes on this three times!  I did what the pattern called for which was a bigger pair of round black beads but that just looked ridiculous for some reason.  My daughter said to add some fangs and it would have been a vampire thing ... because at that point it still didn't look like the cute little kitten in the book.  I finally decided to just do my own thing and make up some different ears.  At one point it could have turned into a lamb but it still didn't look right.  I removed the eyes, removed the pink nose and made it a black nose, took some buttons that were a lot smaller to the beads they suggested and with the right kind of ears she ended up looking like a little bear!  I almost gave up but sometimes you just have to do your own thing to make it work.  I've had projects like that laying around for months because I got frustrated with it, I then pick it back up and voila ... something new evolves out of whatever it was suppose to be.  

 https://www.etsy.com/listing/119159011/amigurumi-valentine-bear-crocheted-bear

 
If you have never tried Amigurumi you might want to check out this link which is a great tutorial for beginner Amigurumi, so check it out!

http://allaboutami.tumblr.com/post/8476868368/amigurumiforbeginners

I purchased some Amigurumi books here in the US as well as in Belgium.  The one shown here below is one I also have purchased here in the US and will be using for my next project.

Let's not forget about them in 2013

They all need our attention so let's be good to the animals in the new year!

2013 ... the year of the snake

Ahhhh, we found another theme for the New Year treasury challenge on Etsy!  I'm not a big fan of snakes but some of them are rather pretty.  Funny thing is that while we lived in Alice Springs, Australia we saw 1 itty bitty snake out in the Outback and it was a dead one! We did go out camping and digging for semi precious gems many many times and were always careful where we stepped and dug for gems.  The biggest one we saw was at the Reptile Center in town!  Then we moved back to Virginia and I saw 4 snakes in the first 2 months, how crazy is that.  Anyway, I thought this was a good theme for a treasury so here it is.

In 2013 ... follow your bliss!

That's really on my to-do list for 2013!  

Happy New Year Numbers!

I guess you can figure out what this is all about?

What's your New Year's resolution?

So I want to make a couple more treasuries for this challenge on one of the Etsy teams I'm on.  It has to be related to New Years so this one I made with food in mind.  So many people have dieting as one of their New Year resolutions.  I've never been on a diet but I try to always eat the right foods.  Growing up in Belgium I visited the Farmers Market every Thursday morning.  Most of the time I purchased a certain pastry which you can't find here in the US.  It's called cremekoek.  They are a square pastry consisting of a very light almost puff pastry type dough and is filled with a yellow custard.  You can get them with either powdered sugar on top or a layer of chocolate. Yummmmm!!  Now I'm craving one!!  My daughter fell in love with them as well so every time we're in Belgium we have to have our cremekoeken.  I have a recipe to make them but they never turn out tasting like the ones from Belgium.   Anyways, here is the treasury I made.  If you click on the different pictures it will take you to an individual shop which has even more cool stuff to offer then what you see here so check it out.  And no, I do not get paid for you clicking on the pictures of these treasuries.  Thanks for looking!

Going to the party!

Another New Years Treasury!

Baby's first New Year!

My 2nd treasury for the challenge.  More to come tomorrow!

2013 ... the best is yet to come!

I'm entering a treasury challenge on Etsy making treasuries related to the New Year so you'll be seeing some more in the next couple of days!  Here is my first one! 

More mice, an amigurumi owl and a pair of knitted red baby booties

We decided to add some more plaid mice to the MauveMoose shop of my daughter.  Then I totally forgot about this little amigurumi owl I had made when I was in Belgium visiting my mom earlier this year.  So you can now find him in my BitsOfFiber shop where he is for sale.  Also added a pair of red baby booties perfect for this season since they have snowflakes on them.

http://www.etsy.com/listing/118822366/red-knitted-baby-booties-with-snowflake?

 http://www.etsy.com/listing/118826252/pocket-pet-owl-amigurumi-owl-owl-toy?

http://www.etsy.com/listing/118854861/catnip-mouse-cat-toy-pet-toy-plaid?

 http://www.etsy.com/listing/118827878/catnip-mouse-cat-toy-pet-toy-plaid?

 http://www.etsy.com/listing/118839782/catnip-mouse-cat-toy-pet-toy-plaid?

http://www.etsy.com/listing/118838847/catnip-mouse-cat-toy-pet-toy-plaid?

The patterns listed here below by Leisure Arts - More Cute Little Animals to Crochet are darling!  I have this book and will definitely make a couple of these.  Now you must know when I crochet (or knit, sew or whatever craft I'm doing) I hate following a set pattern so I usually end up changing things as I go along making something.  Of course the bad part about that is since I hardly ever write down what I change I always end up with some real one-of-a-kind items!  I have pushed myself to write things down especially when I'm making baby booties since I need to make two that need to be exactly the same size.  

Neutral and it's snowing!!!

Made a treasury with 100% team members from the Etsy Serenity team.   And YES!  It's snowing ... so we're still having a white Christmas ... a day late but I'm loving it!!!  I love the snow.  

OOAK recycled lambswool sweater baby shoes

I just listed this pair of darling little baby shoes I made from a lambswool and sheep's wool sweater which I felted in the washing machine.  They are sooooooo soft!  I then needle felted the dots as well as the toadstools on it.  They are up for sale in my Etsy shop.  If you click this link it will take you to it:  http://www.etsy.com/listing/118784380/ooak-blue-lambswool-felted-baby-shoes

Crocheted cat toys!

Been working on these cute crocheted balls to be sold as cat toys in our MauveMoose shop on Etsy.  These can actually also be used to make jewelry with.  They are crocheted around a wooden bead which has a whole in it so they can be strung together or onto something else if you like to turn it into jewelry.  I will be listing them in her shop later today.  We have lots of different colors.  If you prefer a different color selection of what she put together just email us with your request.  Also if you would like a color that's not listed let us know and we can probably accommodate your request.  They are about 1 inch in diameter and crocheted with a mercerized cotton thread.

White lavender for Christmas

Merry Christmas everybody! 

A girly kind of Christmas and plaid mice

Sofie has been working on making an order of plaid catnip mice for a customer.  I wasn't sure if I like plaid mice but I must say they turned out pretty cute.  What do you think?

We also made a pink treasury this morning, a pink Christmassy treasury that is.  I've never decorated in pink during the holidays but I must say it's tempting ... maybe next year.

Baby hedgehog in a basket

I love making these little hedgehogs.  They are so much fun.   Wasn't sure on what to do with this one ... turning it into just a pincushion or not?  I then remembered I had purchased some small baskets a while back that he possibly could fit in and voila ... he did.  Or she did ... I guess you can take your pick, he or she ... doesn't matter it's still a cutie.  Now just putting him in only the basket just didn't look right, he needed something else so I crocheted a lining for the basket which can be easily removed and used as a little pouch to put him in and you could close it off with pulling on the ribbon.  You could also replace the ribbon with another colored ribbon if you want to use this in a nursery and match the decor.  It would be cute as a decoration and then later when baby gets older he or she can play with it.  It's certainly a OOAK item either for a child, a child's room or somebody who sews like a seamstress, a quilter or anybody who enjoys a little critter companion!   He/she is up in my BitsOfFiber shop so click on this link to get more info on him/her.

http://www.etsy.com/listing/118619009/baby-hedgehog-in-basket-hedgehog-toy?

                   

JOY

Time's ticking ....

The new year will be here soon .... 

Loving winter darkness

I love the crispness of the items in these pictures so I painted you a pretty treasury reflecting beautiful winter darkness.   Enjoy!

Just checking ... Am I asking for too much?

I hope not!

Let's make it a good one!

I really really hope 2013 will be a better year ... not just for me but for everybody!  Here is a treasury to head in the right direction.  

Almost here ...

by that I meant, Christmas is almost here.  It just doesn't feel like Christmas yet.  It's still pretty warm here in Virginia for the time of the year.  To me Christmas weather should be icy cold, snow, wind and dark days.  I don't mind the sun peeking through but that just all reminds me of the Christmases back home in Belgium where I grew up.  I'm still coughing and my voice is still gone and just about every day I still get a fever, so frustrated this cold/flu thing just doesn't want to go away!    Anyway, here is the treasury I just made.  Hope you enjoy it. 

It's A Madcap Life: Madcap Kids: Last Minute Gifts

It's A Madcap Life: Madcap Kids: Last Minute Gifts: Wendy Gordon Honeysuckle Salvage Facebook Twitter With the time ticking down on the holiday shopping clock, many of us are scramblin...

Candy cane cuties

Must be that time of the year!  

Spiced up silver

Shadow Dancing

I love black and white!

Crocheted mouse house with two white baby mice

I love making these little play houses, they are so much fun!  This one holds two white felt baby mice.  Perfect gift for that niece or nephew or daughter or son.  They are all a one-of-a-kind, each one I make is different and holds different little animals.  The little mice also make for perfect pocket pets.  The whole thing comes in a clear bucket with a handle and lid so the house can be stored safely and carried around by the child.  

Click on the link to get to it in my shop:   https://www.etsy.com/listing/117936208/crocheted-mouse-house-with-two-felt

Beautiful wood

 Beautiful wood related treasures!

There is a chill in the air ...

A treasury with 100% homespunsociety team members from Etsy.

Pretty red felted baby shoes and sick of being sick!

I had shoulder surgery in the beginning of October and I can now wash my hair using both hands and take a coat off without turning myself into a pretzel so yeahhhhh!  Saw the surgeon this morning and he told me I'm doing great compared to most of his patients that had the same surgery so I'm happy about that.  He told me not to do anything crazy now, keep doing my stretches and he will most likely give me my diploma when I go back to see him again in January.  I only take ibuproben after or before I go to my PT appointments.  The rest of the time I don't need it.  The important part is to keep doing your stretches and exercises to get that range of motion back.  

So now another story ... I've got this crazy cough that's going around.  My daughter has had it for two weeks and now it's my turn.  Not happy about this since it comes with a fever, mine was 101.9 this afternoon when I woke up from a nap and the tylenol I took earlier in the day had done it's job.  So more tylenol and ice packs to cool myself down.  Really really sucks being sick.

Enough about being sick here are a couple more items I've added to my BitsOfFiber shop.  I love the little red shoes.  They are a newborn size.  The earrings are just fun especially during the holidays.  More photos and infor about these items in my shop.  Just click the link below the picture and it will take you to it. 

 http://www.etsy.com/listing/117828486/red-wool-felted-baby-shoes-with-needle?

 http://www.etsy.com/listing/117841788/needle-felted-red-ball-earrings-needle?

http://www.etsy.com/listing/117839348/needle-felted-snowball-earrings-needle?

More mice in the house!

No panic ... not the ordinary mice ... these are fancy looking stylish kind of mice for those of us who prefer a mouse with some class for that feline in the house.  Perfect stocking stuffer for that kitty cat of yours so have a peek at what Sofie has to offer in her MauveMoose shop.  I'm sure you will find one that fits your home decor.

 http://www.etsy.com/shop/MauveMoose

 

http://www.etsy.com/listing/117780023/catnip-mouse-cat-toy-pet-toy-abstract

  http://www.etsy.com/listing/117775955/catnip-mouse-cat-toy-pet-toy-abstract

Holiday felted pincushions up for grabs!

Finally found some time to list these two pincushions in my BitsOfFiber shop on Etsy.  I've had a heck of a time with getting the red color from the one to come across correctly over the PC.  It always seems to look too orangy then what it really is.  I've tried taking a picture indoors, then outdoors, outdoors again with no sunlight, indoors in my white booth but still it didn't turn out right.  I think the ones I posted now are the closest I can get and if you're looking on Etsy, picture number five is the best representation of the true color it is.  These make perfect gifts for a crafty person, a seamstress, a quilter or your mother-in-law who knits or crochets.  It's a gift that will last and is very useful on top of it! 

http://www.etsy.com/listing/117749209/felted-embroidered-red-pincushion-filled?

http://www.etsy.com/listing/117747166/felted-embroidered-pincushion-filled?

Who doesn't like a bargain?  Especially when it's a cute bargain that touches the heart!   There is a heart for everybody this Christmas.  

Christmas Market in The Plains, Virginia

Tomorrow, Sunday, December 9th we will be at the Christmas Market at The Archwood Green Barns http://www.facebook.com/archwoodgreenbarns  in The Plains, Virginia.  We will be inside the barn which is heated!  We will be joining other vendors with all kinds of fantastic Christmas Gifts something for everyone on your list.   We have gifts for your pets (catnip mice), owl ornaments, baby hats, pincushions and all kinds of other things.   So make it a family outing, we'll be there from 10 till 4 tomorrow.  

For those who ride ... a bicycle that is

I like bicycles especially the old ones.   Here is a treasury full of bicycle lover treasures!   Click on each photo to enter the artist store and find even more treasures.  

It's a purple kind of Christmas!

Love purple!

It's a dark green Christmas this year!

Red coral beauty

Love the red coral!

Some more catnip mice made by Sofie

Just added a couple more mice dressed in plaid fabric!  A classic kind of cat toy I must say.  :0)  


http://www.etsy.com/listing/117192943/catnip-mouse-cat-toy-pet-toy-plaid?

 http://www.etsy.com/listing/117194329/catnip-mouse-cat-toy-pet-toy-plaid?

 

Uniquely different OOAK for Christmas

I love OOAK items and I found a bunch of them on Etsy to share with you in a treasury.  Aren't they all beautiful??? 

Who gives a hoot???

Well, I do!!!  As you can see from the photo's below.  I love owls.  Lots of folks seem to like owls.  So this year I made a few little owl ornaments that also can be used in many other ways such as using it as a key chain, turn it into a little pocket pet, put a safety pin on the back if you want to wear it as a brooch, use it on top of a present for somebody special, hang it on the mirror in your car, and a perfect stocking stuffer or whatever else you would like to do with these little guys.  They are up for grabs in my shop and I will have them at the Christmas Market in The Plains, Virginia this coming Sunday.  I sold some last Sunday so don't wait too long to purchase the one you like as I can't promise you it will stick around very long.  They are all a little bit different and since I make them from fulled wool sweaters when that fabric is used up that's it.   So hurry on over to the   http://www.etsy.com/shop/MauveMoose    and get yourself a cute little owl! 

Ice Cold

A treasury I made for Sofie's shop.  I love winter! 

A vanilla Christmas

Hmmm, I love the smell of vanilla ... and the color mixed with some nice red make it even more outstanding.  So check out all the goodies in this vanilla Christmas treasury I made!

Chocolate mirage?

Who doesn't like chocolate???  I'm sure there are some people that don't care for chocolate ... must say I haven't met too many of them.  Funny thing about chocolate ... I was born and raised in Belgium and moved to the US when I was 18.  When my parents used to come and visit me I always asked them to bring me back Belgium chocolate.  Usually the Cote d'or brand, my favorites are the ones filled with banana cream or the coconut filled bars.  Yummmm.  Back then you couldn't find these in the Bay Area where I used to live.  Now the grocery store where I work carries them so no need to have them shipped from Belgium anymore.  The funny thing is that when I went back to Belgium to visit my family they (usually my dad and my brother) asked me to bring back Hershey's chocolate, they thought that was the cat's miauw!  Everybody thought they were nuts bringing chocolate into the country that's famous for it's own chocolates????  But, they like it.  Just like my dad always liked the Miller Light when he came to visit even though Belgium has sooooooo many breweries and great beer!  Kinda silly isn't it.  Anyway, I was craving chocolate today so I couldn't resist making this treasury.  Enjoy the chocolate!  

Gift guide for our pets

We have a cat, a dog, a hamster, an angora bunny and 10 fish!  They all have a stocking ... except the fish.  They all get a present, my kid makes sure they all do so I thought I'd check out all the fun things on Etsy and put a treasury together for those of you that have pets and need some ideas on what to get for them.  

Brighten up your Christmas!

A treasury made solely by my daughter!  Love it!

Felted holiday pincushions for the Christmas Market

I found that I could work on these cute pincushions even with my arm in a sling!  So far I've made two of them.  I might list them in my Etsy shop but not sure yet since I made these to take to the Christmas Market at the Archwood Green Barns  http://www.facebook.com/archwoodgreenbarns   in The Plains this Sunday, December 2nd.  There will be about 15 vendors in the little barn offering all kinds of yummy and beautiful Holiday things.  So come and visit us this Sunday.

Back to the pincushions.  These I made using wool sweaters which I felted in the washing machine.  I embroidered them with mercerized cotton thread and then needle felted the center button with Merino Sheep's fleece.  I have lots of different felting needles but one of my favorites is the Clover pen style one which holds just one needle.

       .    

It's best to have some refills  Clover 73883 Felting Needle Tool Refill Fine Weight-5-Pkg (Google Affiliate Ad) on hand to replace the one you break!  Trust me it does happen.   When I make the pincushions I use a heavy cotton thread that I pull through the center of the cushion and make it come out the other end so I can pull it really tight.  I then tie it off and then needle felt the center button over it to cover up the thread.  Hitting the knot with your felting needle is what can break them very quickly.

Horsin' around at Christmas

Made this treasury for my daughter Sofie who owns the MauveMoose shop and loooooves to ride horses!  At 16 she still loves stuffed animals and stuffed horses Mellisa n Doug 2105 43"W x 12"D x 35"H Horse Plush Stuffed Animal (Google Affiliate Ad) are on her Christmas list!  

But baby it's cold outside!

A blue and white snowy kind of treasury this morning. 

Winter dreams

The pictures say it all!

Not just an ordinary Monday!

I think this treasury will tell you what kind of Monday it is!!!

Cyber Monday Gift Guide for your other half

A treasury full of manly gifts so check them out if you have no clue what to give your husband, better half, boyfriend, father, father-in-law, heck even your boss!

Tired of seeing red and white yet??? Orange baby!

Figured I'd make a treasury today in the citrus range!

Christmas Dots

Just for fun!

If money is not an option ...

I figured since I made a $3 or less treasury I could go to the other end of the spectrum and dream a bit! 

Black Friday on a budget $3 and less!

Let's face it these days we all need to watch what we spend so I figured I'd find some really cute affordable items on Etsy that all of us can afford!

Enjoy and shop, shop, shop!   As you can see it doesn't have to break your bank!

Black Friday & Cyber Monday steals!

I will be posting treasuries during the next couple of days in which my shop and my daughter's shop are featured as well as lots of other gorgeous shops.  All of them should have sales going on so hop on the band wagon start your shopping in the comfort of your home and avoid the craziness in the stores and on the road!  

I'll start off with the treasury I made myself, more to follow in the next couple of days.  Have fun and have a safe and Happy Thanksgiving!  A BIG THANKS to all of my customers out there who've been supporting us (Sofie's as well) this past year and in the future.  We couldn't do it without you!

Happy Turkey Day!

THANKSGIVING SALE!

Both of our shops (Bits Of Fiber and MauveMoose) will be having a Thanksgiving sale starting Thursday, November 22nd at 1 am and will end on Tuesday, November 27th at 11 pm.  Everything in both of our shops will be 10% off so hurry and purchase those items you've been looking at before they are all gone.  Supplies are limited!  

To get to the BitsOfFiber shop click this link:  http://www.etsy.com/shop/BitsOfFiber

To get to the MauveMoose shop click this link:  http://www.etsy.com/shop/MauveMoose

More mice and things for the Christmas market

We made a couple more items which we will offer at the Christmas Market, not in our Etsy shops. The earrings are needle felted and have glass beads sewn on.  My favorite are the white ones they remind me of snowballs.  The crocheted little bag with the white mice family you will find in our shops in the near future. Haven't decided yet in which shop we will offer it at this point. If you are interested in one before we offer them in our shop just contact me by e-mail. 

Sofie made more mice for her shop, here are a couple of photos.  If you click on this link it will take you to her shop:  http://www.etsy.com/shop/MauveMoose

Recycled jeans gift pockets and needle felted toadstool earrings

Made a couple of recycled jeans gift pockets and a pair of needle felted toadstool earrings.  All are now listed in my BitsOfFiber shop.   Working on editing mice pictures for Sofie's shop.

https://www.etsy.com/listing/115759165/needle-felted-toadstool-earrings-needle?ref=pr_shop

http://www.etsy.com/listing/115755055/recycled-jeans-pocket-gift-bag-snowman

http://www.etsy.com/listing/115747094/recycled-jeans-pocket-gift-bag-snowman