Happy New Year ~~

It is New Years Eve and as I sit here thinking of what I have accomplished in 2008 and plan for 2009, I feel extremely thankful for all the wonderful e-friends that have provided encouragement and support during 2008. And I can't help but have a good feeling about 2009!

It seems that you CAN teach and old dog new tricks! I have learned to blog, twitter, ning, picassa and I can almost (I say almost....) move around on flickr. My kids are so proud of me!

But most of all, I spent 2008 fine tuning what products are successful and which ones are just not working. I have come along way in designing felted vessles and have improved on the quality as well as appealing designs. My photography has improved with the help of a new camera, a light box and picassa!

Just for laughs... here is my first sale ever on etsy:

And here is one of my favorite bowls that recently sold:


Yes, I have come a long way this past year, and pretty darn proud of it, too!

My 2009 goals include:
Enhancing my felted product line with jewerly, purses and wallets
Knitting up a storm with scarves, scarflettes and cowls
Promoting my ArtFire Shop with a goal of at least one sale a month
Expanding my Etsy Shop with a goal of at least three sales a week
Enhance my booth displays for the summer festivals

I think those are pretty good goals. Now, they may change as I work through the year, but it is a darn good start!

And to celebrate the closing of 2008, just mention 'Happy New Year' in your note to seller and I will refund shipping charges for your orders now through midninght January 1, 2009! Includes World Wide too! After all.. the entire world is entering 2009!

Happy New Year everyone, and best wishes for a successful 2009

Monday Morning~

I am on vacation from my day job this week. So the first thing I did on Monday morning was to sleep until 7:30! (Normally I am up at 5:30).

My grandson went home to Vermont yesterday and I will miss the little bugger! He is such a busy guy and what a chatter box! I don't recall my children talking like he does at 2 and a half. I took him on an outing to Joann's Fabric (yes.. I bought more yarn - just shoot me!) and while I was looking at the buttons he says.. "Grammy! Don't touch... those are DANGEROUS!" I almost died right there!
Here is a pic of the cutie....


And of course, a picture of my newest scarf that I named Toasted Marshmallows. It is so incredibly soft and fluffy, it just reminded me of a nicely browned marshmallow!



Hoping you have a great day!

New This Week ~~

The gifts are all opened, the pies have been eaten and the visitors are on their way home.

I am stuck on knitting lately and I really must get back to felting soon! I have one lovely bowl that I am just waiting to get a good photo of that will be listed next week. But until then, I am knitting away!

I have these listed on my ArtFire Shop as well as Etsy, so feel free to visit which ever shop you like!

Knit Scarfette ~ Cafe Latte This is super soft and has a lovely cable pattern throughout. $25


Knit Scarf ~ Enchanted Forest This bulky, warm scarf has a wonderful color combination of greens, yellows and white. $40


Knit Scarfette ~ Jasmine This beautiful ribbed scarfette is made with a wool/silk blend that is very luxurious! $25


Hoping I will see you at my stores soon ♥

Merry Christmas~

My etsy shop is temporally closed till after Christmas so I can spend some time with my family.

I still have ArtFire up and running though... Come check it out:

Wishing everyone a Merry Christmas~~~

New This Week ~~

For those of you who celebrate Christmas, you know what a busy time of year this can be. This past week I have finished my holiday shopping, wrapped all the gifts, cleaned the house in preparation for overnight visitors and finished up some projects at my day job.

In addition to that, I have been working getting organized for 2009 with brand new banners, labels and inventory. I am so excited to have matching sew-in labels to my new banner and avatar. Look for a contest coming up in January to name my cute little sheep. I think we will have fun with that one! My new banner and avatar was made by hbcorner:


Here are my sew-in labels made by greenbeansnstrings:





I have spent 3 weeks getting my new Artfire studio organized and I am just loving it over there. I still love my etsy shop and will have some great surprises for everyone in 2009 both at ArtFire and etsy!

I was still able to add new items to my shop this past week. Including:

This gorgeous felted bowl ~ Scalloped Blue Bell $25



This lovely knit necklace ~ Lovely Lavender $8


This sweet crocheted pin ~ Winter White with Vintage Button $5



And this chunky, very, very red knit scarfette with wood buttons $25



I will be closing my shop early Monday morning and have a reopening on Saturday December 27 so I can enjoy time with my family.

I hope everyone has a very Merry Christmas and more importantly, enjoys their friends and families during this coming week! Merry Christmas everyone ♫ ♪ ♫ ♪ ♫

FAM Friday Feature~~BamDesigns

Today's FAM Friday Feature showcases BamDesigns.

You will find adorable children's clothing, accessories, games and best of all - Bananas the Monkey (my favorite!)





Here is a bit about the force behind BamDesigns:
I am a stay at home mom with three great kids- two boys- 12 and 4, and a little girl who will be 2 in October I have been into crafts and vintage items for many years now. My mom and I used to spend weekends at craft fairs and antique malls. I have always loved being creative- it has been like an outlet for me. I love giving my creations as gifts and get a great sense of pride when I see people enjoying them.



I love fabric- vintage and modern- all kinds of fabric. I like creating clothing and items that kids will love and can withstand children. My kids wear my own creations so i make sure all the seams and clothing are of the best quality.



So come over to her shop and visit .... she will be happy to see you ♥

Hooker Spotlight ~ NoraDora

Let's just say this hooker is THE fashion designer in the world of dolls. I can see it now... a miniature runway with all the bling and glammor of the Paris fashion world, right in Nora's home.

If you need your Blythe, Barbie, Troll or Ellowyne Wilde doll fitted for any occasision, Nora is your designer.



From Nora's Profile:
"I love to crochet and by many am considered an accomplished crochet artist and designer. My most recent ventures brought me to vintage troll dressings and the beautiful, collectible, Blythe doll (both sizes) and my newest creations for Ellowyne Wilde.



You will find my creations to be Original, my own designs, which I have taken the time to fit to each doll, her size, figure, height, etc. Each outfit is made with precision and attention to detail. You won't be disappointed.


Custom Orders welcomed".

These are just a few of my favorites. Visit Nora's shop to see all her great work.

Winter White ~

Normally I am a gal that loves color ~ intense, rich color.

But maybe the winter and snow has given me an appreciation for the lack of color recently. As I look at my shops, it seems that my recent works have been pale pastels and many are just plain white. Could it be that the snow is affecting me that much?

I just made two substaintial yarn purchases and thank goodness, there is color among them! In fact, I started knitting a beautiful deep red cranberry triple cabled scarf last night.

But meanwhile... I still like winter white. My newest winter white felted bowl reminds me of a few fall flowers that were caught in the first snowfall.



What does it remind you of?

EtsyForCharity ~ Artist of the Week

EtsyForCharity is a team of etsians that donate items to be sold in the EtsyForCharity Shop. All proceeds of the sales from this shop are donated to a charity of the month. December's charity is The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society

Please be sure to check out EtsyForCharity as it has a great variety of items and you will be sure to find something for someone on your holiday shopping list!


This week's Artist of the Week is MadHattersPottery


MadHatter combines hand thrown pottery with soy candles or vegan certified soaps.

From the MadHatter's Profile:
"My artisan quality, triple-scented candles are made from 100% soy wax, and hand poured, one at a time. Candles made from soy wax are a sustainable alternative to paraffin candles (paraffin being a petroleum-based product.)



My handcrafted soaps are ultra-moisturizing, vegan certified and developed in small batches. No dyes are utilized and only premium fragrance and/or essential oils are used for scents.


My pottery is individually made by ME of earthenware clay, thrown on the wheel or hand built and embellished or textured, glazed and fired in my studio. All pieces are totally unique and one of a kind. I love working in earthenware clay because the glazes available are colorful and have some beautiful effects. Earthenware can be prone to chipping so it requires a bit more special handling than stoneware. Never use for food -- some of my glazes are not "food friendly" -- and always wash carefully by hand".


**Lending money to people in the developing world allows them to lift themselves out of poverty - I donate 10% of my total sales to www.kiva.org. Please visit their site.**



MadHatter is also a member of:
Trunkt - www.trunkt.org/madhatter
Etsy for Charity - http://etsyforcharity.ning.com/
Etsy Team for Interior Designers - http://interiordesignteam.blogspot.com/
Etsy FAM Team - http://fam-fabulousartisticmoms.blogspot.com
ACE Team (Amazing Carolina Etsians) - http://aceteamnews.blogspot.com/


Come visit MadHattersPottery... you will be happy you did!

New This Week ~~

With the Holidays creeping up quickly and so many, many things to do I've still managed to sneak a few new items in my shop.

I have most of my holiday shopping done. Uh huh... I said most. Nothing like waiting till the last minute. But like most people this year, we have made a commitment not to charge any gift / holiday costs. So, the shopping trickles with each payday. With 10 days left till Christmas, that is only one payday left. Ready or not, Christmas will come.

Valerie's Gallery offers affordable unique gifts, with many items still on clearance (50 - 70% off) that will still be shipped in time for the holidays (I would say continental US would make it in time, maybe not for International).

I am also slowly morphing my shop into a fresh new and exciting place for 2009. I have a new banner, avatar and even newly name sections that make shopping fun.

Here is what is new this week ~

Knit Scarfette - Classic Cable - White Fairy Dust $25. Made with fantastic vintage buttons!


Knit Necklace - Grey Choker $8. This is semi-felted by using an acrylic and wool mix.


Crocheted Flower Pin - Mint Cream $5. This is so soft and fun.


Knit Scarfette - Lavender Luxury $24. Softness surpreme!


Felted Bowl - Seafoam Green $18. The black base and green combination is fantastic.


Felted Coin Purse - Maroon $16. Sweet blue flowers with tiny beads make this unique.


Felted Bowl - Simple Pleasures $18. Nice felted goodness!


So now you see all my new items. Please come in and visit my shop while it is under construction for 2009. I will offer you a free cup of cyber coffee while you are there... LOL ♥

FAM Friday Feature ~~ TootsieandGrace

There are etsy shops and then there are etsy shops! I absolutely love TootsieandGrace and I keep an eye on this shop all the time to see what is new.



Tootsie and Grace is not your typical shop. It is a very talented mother daughter team that brings a toddlers scribbles to life.



About the Artists:

Gracie Hopkins is three years old. She loves drawing, singing, dancing, and pretending that she is Tuck the Turtle from the Wonder Pets. Her favorite colors vary daily, her favorite things to draw are princesses and baby jaguars, and her favorite food is scrambled eggs (so she says, but her mother has yet to see her really enjoy a plate of them).

Marisa Hopkins is 27, and an at home mom with two daughters, Gracie (obviously) and her one year old sister, Annelie, who also loves to draw, but whose scribbles seem a little uninspired. Marisa graduated from San Jose State University in CA with a degree in Creative Arts. She hopes to one day get into children's book writing and illustrating, but in the meantime, is having a whole lot of fun with this shop.

Here is how these masterpieces start:

And by magic they turn into this:


And if you have a fresh little artist of your own, check out her listing for one Custom Cuteness Illustration Deluxe Package featuring your own child’s artwork


Stop by and give this team some lovin' at TootsieandGrace.... They will be very happy to see you!

Ball and Bootie Sale ~ Just in time for the holidays

Yes... all my children's balls and booties are on sale. A whomping 50% off! Just in time for some holiday shopping.

These booties make great gifts for newborn babies or parents to be.







And what is better for littles ones who like to throw things? These are soft and safe to throw in the house!







Visit my shop for more selections.

Hooker Spotlight ~ bubblegirlknits

Hooker Spotlight ~ bubblegirlknits



This shop is filled to the brim with gorgeous hand knit and crocheted items for kids. The designs, colors and textures are beyond compare. And you will always find a smiling face! Booties, hats, scarves, dresses, and blankets are a necessity for little ones... buy why not get stylish, colorful and masterfully made?



Lisa tells a bit about herself:
"I live in the village of Brooklin in Ontario, Canada, and am a stay at home to two terrific children. I have been knitting for over 30 years. My mother taught me how to knit when I was 5 years old and I still have the very first thing I ever made, a pair of stuffed panda bears. I taught myself to crochet as a teenager, and I love both forms of needlework equally.

I try to have most of my items made and ready for shipment, but I also do custom orders. It usually takes me a few days for a hat or pair of booties and a week to 10 days for a baby blanket, it might take a little longer for hard to find yarn...sometimes I have to order it.

Most of what I make is machine washable, that's especially important for baby and children's items. In my experience, most knit or crocheted items get better with each wash. Washing instructions are included with each item when it is shipped".







Stop in an visit bubblegirlknits and see her full line of goodies!