Americana

Nothing says "americana" like red, white, and blue stars!

This is 48 stars in 2 different sizes that I just made for a special order. They will be sewn onto striped baby hats! I can't wait to see how they turn out -- I'll be sure to share photos.

PS If you'd like your own red, white, and blue stars (or any other color), visit The Lavender Ladybug. :)

New Holiday Embellishments

You may remember that I'll be the September sponsor for The Little Black Box. Well, awhile back, the owner of TLBB, my friend Milly, told me that TLBB will have a themed box for July and asked me to participate (as The Lavender Ladybug, which is my supplies shop). The theme is Make it Yourself Christmas in July, and it will feature (but not be limited to) handmade supplies.

With that in mind, here's a sneak peek at what I'm working on:

(tiny gold metallic star)

(tiny holiday tree)

I also hope to create snowflakes, silver stars, and white stars. Be sure to check The Lavender Ladybug because these designs will also be available there.

New Listings and a Little Shamrock

I spent this past weekend listing 4 brand new scarves at The Lavender Lizard. They're all long and cozy and colorful. Here's my very favorite of the bunch (the pink lemonade stripe scarf):

Today I listed a brand-new color set of lip balm holders. The colors are a limited edition, as such I won't be creating very many of these sets.

I also took tons of photos of other new listings that were created with the new yarn I recently purchased. Over the next few days, I hope to edit and post these (as life and time and boys allow.) A sneak peek is definitely called for:

In the midst of all this "new", I made a belt just for me. Love all of the colors so much, plus it coordinates so well with so many colors (turquoise, navy, white, hot pink....)

And I had a little time to create this shamrock embellishment. A friend asked for these so her mother could embellish a quilt. They're so cute that I may just list them at The Lavender Ladybug.

Goals for 2011

It's only taken 15 days to write the first post of 2011. :( I hope this improves. Soon.

I have set some business goals for 2011. I hope to submit more pattern ideas for publication, and I'll be adding new listings (new items, and popular items in new color choices) at The Lavender Lizard. I'm still on the fence about whether or not to close The Lavender Ladybug, but for now it remains open. I'm also still hoping to keep up with this blog a little better.

Here's a couple of sneak peeks of new items coming to The Lavender Lizard real soon:

Happy 2011! Wishing my readers a wonderful, healthy, and prosperous New Year!

A Quick Update and a BOGO Sale!

Well, the sock monkey hat is complete and just about ready to ship to a sweet girl for her Halloween costume:

And I've started a hat for DS4's costume. He'll be Pikachu, the ubiquitous yellow pokemon mouse. Somewhere around here, we have a face mask for the costume, but I know he won't wear it (plus, it's a safety issue .) So I'm making him a Pikachu hat! Hope it turns out as well as the sock monkey hat!

DS1 had his first high school performances this past weekend. He did a super job! And he was invited to attend the Texas Thespian Festival in Corpus Christi in November!! He's beyond excited!

Today is First Monday, and I'm having a BOGO 50% off sale at The Lavender Lizard and at The Lavender Ladybug! Please stop by! Other ETC shops and their sales info are listed in this Etsy forum thread.

Happy First Monday!

First Monday is Back!

After a six month hiatus, the First Monday sale from Etsy Texas Crafters is back, just in time for Back to School!

I have taken over as coordinator for First Monday, and I'm so excited to do this for such a great team! Join us here to see the complete listing of shops and specials.

Today you can save 25% at both The Lavender Lizard and at The Lavender Ladybug! Please wait for a revised PayPal or RME invoice, or I can refund the difference as soon as possible.

Happy First Monday!

A Handmade Halloween and First Monday Sale!

Here's DS3 and DS4 dressed up for Halloween:

(Note: I apologize for DS4's unfortunate hand gesture. The gloves were too big for his little hands. Also, he wouldn't let me draw a mustache or sideburns. Maybe next year...)

DS2 was Indiana Jones with my old leather jacket and a fedora, and DS1 was the Plague. Yes, the Plague. He had his rat minions crawling all over his shirt. Not real ones of course, because that's just gross and would freak me out.

I hope everyone had a safe and fun Halloween!

And a quick reminder that today is ETC's First Monday Sale! 99 shops are participating this month! Save 20% at The Lavender Ladybug, and Buy One Get One 50% Off *OR* Buy Two Get One Free at The Lavender Lizard! Have a great day!

First Monday!

Oh, how I love First Mondays! It's a great day to shop the terrific sales of my ETC teammates -- 113 shops this month including both of mine! Wow! Time to get a jump on Christmas shopping! Visit us here to see the complete list of shops and specials!

At The Lavender Lizard, I'm having a BOGO sale -- Buy One, Get One 50% Off **OR** Buy Two, Get One FREE!

At The Lavender Ladybug, everything is 20% Off! I have lots of autumn motifs for crafting plus I'm destashing some commercial supplies. These pumpkins have been a best seller this year:

I got the sweetest note from my last buyer about these pumpkins -- she said they were the cutest ones on Etsy! Yay!

One little shop announcement, I won't be listing single lip balm holders at The Lavender Lizard any longer. Now, they are still available as three-packs, and as always, I take custom requests for other quantities. And shoot, I'll still sell you just one if you like. But for now, I won't relist the single ones, only because there are so many color choices, and I want to concentrate on other items in my shop. Please contact me though, if you want to order 1 or 2 or 15. Thanks!

Happy First Monday!!!

Where Does the Time Go?

I just realized today that it has been a month since my last blog post. Where did the time go? Well, I stay busy with 3 boys at 2 schools plus the baby at home. (Okay, so the baby is 3 now and talks up a storm, but he is forever and always "the baby".) I serve on a PTA board and a Council of PTAs board and now a Bond Committee board. Then there's my part-time, mostly weekends job and oh yeah, I just got re-hired at a previous job. So to an extent, the things that have suffered the most from my "busy-ness" have been my Etsy shops and obviously, this blog.

I have found time to crochet, though, in the midst of this madness. I am working on a large wholesale order for The Lavender Lizard. Here's a sneak peek:

I'll have more information on these later, so stay tuned!

Plus I've just finished a custom request for silver metallic stars in 3 sizes at The Lavender Ladybug. They will be sewn onto a sweater for a Halloween costume. I can't wait to see how that turns out!

And I did finish both the market bag for my friend's daughter (no pics, though) and the one for my sister:

Sadly, DS3's bookbag is on the backburner. More than likely, it will be a Christmas gift now. After all, Christmas is less than 3 months away, so I do have some time to finish it.

(Proof that time really flies: Happy 12th Birthday, DS2!)

A New Design and Other Musings

I've been thinking about indian corn (you know, the chocolatey candy corn) motifs for a while now, and I whipped up a set this weekend. They are posted now at The Lavender Ladybug, along with the original candy corn motifs. What do you think?

I also made this tiny fried egg. I'm not sure why -- I just thought it was a cute idea.

I finished a market bag for my mom's birthday, and I'm working on one for my sister. I'm also working on a book bag for DS3, who starts 3rd grade in 7 days. Hopefully, it will be finished on time **crossing fingers and making wishes**

Here's Mom's bag:

Other market bags are available at The Lavender Lizard. They feature a round solid bottom, mesh sides that stretch, and knitted handles that also serve to close the top. You can sling both handles over one shoulder or wear it like a backpack. And as always, custom orders are happily taken!

Speaking of DS3, he was decorating a pencil tin the other day for school. Here's the conversation that ensued:

Me: Do you want me to help you find the letters for your name?

DS3: I need a "p".

Me: There's no "p" in your name.

DS3: I'm spelling "private".

Here's the finished pencil tin:

What can I say? That boy has personality!

I just love the little smiley face!

New ETC Monday Event!

In honor of the fifth Monday of June, Etsy Texas Crafters is having a $5 Monday Sale! Now that's a bargain!

At The Lavender Lizard, I have marked down many items, some as much as 50% off! To find out which items are marked down to $5, please check out my ETC $5 Monday Sale section. Also there are plenty of items that are always $5 or less, including lip balm holders, anything cups and eco-friendly scrubbies.



At The Lavender Ladybug, there is nothing priced higher than $5, so feel free to shop, shop, shop!

As an added bonus, if you purchase 3 or more items (whether on sale or not), I'll ship those to you FREE! (USPS First Class or First Class International only.) The listings can be from either of my shops to qualify.

To see the other $5 items, click on the photo of Armadillo Tex!

(Above and on the right side.)

Etsy Front Page and a New Product!

A couple of days ago, I received a message from Jennifer of JenniferABoston and The Crafty Dragonfly. She wanted to tell me that one of my items was on the Front Page of Etsy! Of course, I clicked over there as quickly as possible, but sadly, I missed it. (Thanks, Jennifer!)

Here's the featured item, a silk/bamboo wave patterned scarf (chosen because of its "eco" tag by Etsy Admin):

Great news -- the scarf received 9 new hearts and The Lavender Lizard received 6 new hearts! (Hearts are a way to mark favorite items or sellers.)

Over at The Lavender Ladybug, I received a request to crochet a tooth/molar motif. Here's what I came up with:

Marnie of AdornWithAAndM used the motifs to create a new product -- the Tooth Fairy Pillow Clip. I think they are adorable!

Marnie had previously requested chili peppers from me for her kitchen. The chili peppers inspired me to create paisley motifs (my favorite design element, ever), which I paired with small round dots:

I'm currently adding these in several colors at The Lavender Ladybug. As always, if you different idea for a motif or color, please contact me. I ♥ special orders!

Coming up next, crocheted borders for embellishing scrapbook pages! Stay tuned!

Attn: Scrapbookers!

Back in March, I received an Alchemy request from Pam, the owner of a cool site called Kraft Girl Kits. She requested orange and yellow flowers from The Lavender Ladybug to add to her May scrapbooking kit.

Needless to say, I was soooo excited!

Well, May is here and so is the kit! Here's a photo of the items included in the kit:


I really like the Gallery at Kraft Girl Kits, where designers take the current kit and each create scrapbook pages or cards. Be sure to check out the projects -- you will be inspired, no doubt. For a sneak peak at the Gallery, here is my favorite project (it's titled Proof You Are Mine, and it was designed by Danielle Holsapple):


It's so sweet, and I'm reminded of the 4 baby boy bracelets I still have. See, they really are all mine.

So if you scrapbook or paper craft, please check out Kraft Girl Kits! Monthly subscriptions are available as are some previous month's kits, and the 2008 kits are now 40% off.

Thanks, Pam! I'm so happy to be a part of the May kit!

So What Do You Do With Those Little Flowers Anyway?

I get that question a lot -- it's in reference to the flower, star, fruit, veggie and other motifs I have listed at The Lavender Ladybug.

Thankfully, I can show you what two different buyers chose to make!

The first buyer is an ETC teammate and friend of mine, Tricia of Handmade Whimzy and Pink Pear Designs. Turns out she sews also. She requested aqua flowers and leaves and a chocolate brown bird for a pillow she was planning to make. Here's how it turned out:

Gorgeous! To read about how Tricia crafted her pillow and see more photos, check out her blog!

The second buyer is Marnie from AdornWithAandM, an Etsy shop she co-owns with Amy. Marnie recently moved, and her new kitchen is decorated with peppers. Amy saw some of my motifs and asked if I could design peppers for Marnie's kitchen. Marnie took the peppers and added them to a decorative plate:

And another set (in custom colors) was made into magnets:

Finally, one pepper was added to Marnie's business card holder for craft shows:

I think all of these projects turned out great! Thanks to Tricia, Amy and Marnie, for their wonderful inspiration! And thanks for sharing these projects with me!

P.S. Next up at The Lavender Ladybug -- paisley motifs! Stay tuned!

ETC First Monday -- March 2!

March 2 marks the day that Texas declared its independence from Mexico in 1836. Today it also marks Etsy Texas Crafters First Monday Sale!

I'm continuing to feature 2 participating ETC shops for First Monday. First up is locobead, who is offering 15% off any item priced $15 or higher. And this little baby is perfect for Texas Independence Day:

My other featured shop is rhradcliffedesigns, who is offering free shipping. She's a terrific artist who has been fortunate enough to travel the world with her camera and paintbrushes. This photo captures Texas in the spring:

She is also offering free shipping in her two other shops: elephantdreams and earwingsandthings.

As usual, I have a BOGO sale at The Lavender Lizard (buy one, get one 50% off *OR* buy two, get one FREE!), and 20% off everything at The Lavender Ladybug.




For a complete list of participating ETC shops, join us in the Etsy forums!

Happy Texas Independence Day!!

ETC Has Secrets!

Monday, February 16 is the day for ETC Has Secrets! What's a Secret? It's a free item with purchase of selected listings of participating ETC shops. That's right -- a FREE item! So find the listings with Tex the ETC Armadillo, purchase it, and receive a free item (check each listing for details of the free item.)

I have 2 Secrets hidden in each of my shops, so please visit either The Lavender Lizard or The Lavender Ladybug to see which listings are offering a FREE item!

Today's featured participating ETC shops are PinkPearDesigns and HandmadeWhimzy. I have recently decided to spotlight shops that participate in ETC events, and I chose these 2 shops because, honestly, they are among my faves! I just adore everything Tricia makes! Her jewelry at PinkPearDesigns is romantic; her photos are knockouts!

Tricia's other shop, HandmadeWhimzy, is not too shabby, either! Here you'll find more jewelry, as well as beaded bookmarks and handpainted items. Tex is hiding in both shops, so good luck finding him. I'm sure you'll be happy with your purchases!

Thanks, Tricia, for participating in ETC Has Secrets! You are a terrific team member!!

Happy 2009!

Wow! It's January 5th already! 2008 flew by and 2009 is trending the same way already!

Time for Etsy Texas Crafters First Monday Sale! I'm doing a little something different this year at The Lavender Lizard -- Buy One, Get One 50% Off -OR- Buy Two, Get One Free! Come in and see what's currently available! (Think about Valentines gifts....it's not too early!)

At The Lavender Ladybug, the sale is 20% Off All Items!

Here's to a wonderful, fulfilling, prosperous 2009!

Candy Corn!

Yummy! And fat-free, too!
These are the small candy corn motifs I promised to list at The Lavender Ladybug. They turned out so cute! I even made a candy corn zipper pull for my second grader's backpack. (I'll have to remember to photograph it soon.)