CHRISTMAS!!!

I love Christmas! I remember thinking it was the most magical day of the year and part of me still believes that. People seem to come together much easier and get along so well when it's Christmas time, which is pretty much the whole month of December! Think of it, people actually liking each other for a WHOLE month!!

This year I have an Etsy shop. To be honest I have not sold a lot of items on Esty for Christmas. Mostly because I did not participate in the Black Friday/Cyber Monday Sales. I did however have a VERY successful craft show in Steinbach last month! I am currently still working on orders from that day! People actually came out to the show to see me!! (Needless to say I felt VERY special!!)

So THANK YOU to all those who have purchased from me this winter so far!! It has been lovely to work with all of you and to really get my name out there!! Sometimes I am still in awe that people would find my work interesting or gratifying. Really it is a humbling experience to think there is a doll out in Australia that was made by ME!! Never in my life did I think I would be a "business" owner let alone an artist who actually creates new things!!

Last year I pretty much made ALL of the Christmas gifts I gave out! BUT thanks to all you who have supported me (whether with a purchase or encouragement!) I have been able to BUY Christmas gifts this year!! And not the willy nilly expensive gifts but ones from the heart that I think my family will just love.

This year IS full of magic!! Magic that so many people seem to find me interesting (or at least the things I make!) and magic to have a 2 year old who can now converse about SANTA!!! YAY FOR SANTA!! She is such a precious little doll I am ever so grateful we can give her a wonderful Christmas full of love, Santa and of course the birth of Jesus!

Merry Christmas all!! Enjoy this time with the ones you hold most dear! (I know I will!!)

The Case for Corchet!

Hello there cyber world! I have yet to crack you open and make you useful to me! So here goes another try at blogging.....which I am not very good at!!

I have 2 Christmas Craft shows this year. The BIG one (which is tomorrow Nov. 12 & 13!!) at the Steinbach Mall, where I live. The other is on Sat. Nov 27 at 429 Main Street also in Steinbach. I must admit I am REALLY counting on the craft shows this year as my husband and I have run into some financial trouble this summer.

My hard-working husband lost his job on a hog farm where he worked in the lab and also as a delivery driver. It came as a shock to us. There have also been other contributing factors that have made this time particularly difficult.

Now I am not normally a person to gab my "sob-story" all over town, but I wanted you all to know why I have taken great strides to sell my cute and lovable crochet items. I want to stay home with my yet to be adopted child and hopefully have more yet to be adopted children in our home. I want to be the one to raise my child, not that daycare is wrong or bad, but it is my choice to raise my precious daughter myself (with the help of my wonderful hubby and super supportive family of course!)

I have also taken on a job as a crocheter for a fellow Etsian and crafter. I'm VERY excited about this because now we can have another little foster baby come to live in our home! I just have to find the time to sit down and actually crochet!!

This is my story and this is why I sell my creations; to raise my kids and to help little ones who are going through a crisis at FAR to young of an age. I find my creativity in my child and these children. I find my love for things that are cute and cuddly when my daughter wants to hold EVERYTHING I make! Crochet is a stress reliever, an income provider, and a wonderful creative outlet for someone who cannot get enough creativity in her life!!

Here are a few new pics of some items I have made recently. I hope they bring a smile to your face and make your day happy :)

Bedtime Bunny

Hot off the crochet hook!! Bedtime Bunny!! With a boy or girl hat & blankie! CUTENESSS!!!!

The inspiration for this little critter was kind of out of the blue! I was thrying to think of what to make next for the craft show coming up here in Steinbach and was looking through some older items I have made when I came across a bunny. The bunny didn't look to hot. First I made it out of pink and blue yarn! (How is a buyer supposed to know which gender it is?) And second it's ears were WAY too long and did not look good at all! So I made the ears shorter, added felt to the tummy & feet, and stitched a little red heart on the felt.

That is what got it all started........I figured this guy should have a blanket! My daughter is very fond of a certain yellow "lankie" in our house so I thought this guy should have one, too! Then I thought he could be a night time bunny! This is when I thought of the hat! I have always loved the poem Twas the Night Before Christmas and I just LOVE the idea of an old school night cap!

Then I thought he could also be a she! And so the pink and white lankie & hat were made! I chose to put a heart on the lankie's as they looked a little plain.

Hope you enjoy this little bunny and his lankie and hat set!

Patterns Patterns Patterns!

I have been thinking about writing out my patterns. 1) Because I think I make each item differently every time I make a new one! and 2) because I am thinking of selling them. This is how I first leaned to crochet. My friend LaDawn gave me a book with all the basic stitches in it and how to do them. I took to it like a fish to water!! Someone told me about this wonderful marketplace called Etsy and I just went crazy!! Buying TONS of patterns and making MANY cute little things with crochet! Who knew crochet could be so fun!! Now I feel I have matured as a crocheter (ha! All of my 7 yrs experience!) and I should be selling my patterns, too..........only one problem, how do I write out a pattern????? You would think it would come naturally to me as I have been reading them forever. BUT I can't! I can't even remember how many stitches I used from one project to the next. (I know I am a crazy person!) Maybe it's because I have a 2 yr old and I have to be a super multi-tasker to crochet and keep up with her sillyness.

This is just another look into the mind of a passionate, and loony crocheter. (Don't worry, I think it gets worse over time!)

All your crocheters out there, be on the lookout for some new patterns. (When I can wrap my brain around it!)

Plus I have also joined an Etsy Team! (Cool!!) Called Crochet Dream Team! They are SUPER friendly and VERY helpful!! This is the link to the Teams Blog. http://crochetdreamersetsyteam.blogspot.com/
You should check them out!! Very nice group of people and new crocheters are joining everyday. Plus I get a lot of my questions answered.

Happy Thanksgiving to all in Canada!! It does not even feel like Thanksgiving here in supposedly COLD Manitoba......21 degrees out right now!!! BEAUTIFUL!!

Thank you for "listening" to this rant!

Meg


(Ladybug Hat and Arabella Ballerina I would like to make into patterns)

New Ideas!!

So, I get asked frequently if I could teach people how to crochet. I have never really thought about it as I did not think I would be a very good teacher. Just recently I was asked again. This got me thinking. Maybe I could teach others to crochet! Maybe I could have a class at my house and we could all learn the basics! Ran this idea past my wonderful little sis (who is an optometrist by day and knitter by night!) and she figured it would be a super idea!

Coming sometime this winter, I am going to offer a class in crochet!! (I know it's pretty rad!) I'm thinking the first class will be the basics, learning the stitches, how to change a color of yarn, things like that. Then we can move on to make either a hat or scarf! Not too sure how it will all look but those are just come ideas I'm throwing out there!

Let me know what you guys think! Would you be interested in taking a crochet class?

Hats hats hats hats hats

I have been crocheting A LOT of hats lately! I dream about hats it's been so crazy! Crazy in a good way, though. I am so happy so many people like the hats I make! It's very flattering! A HUGE thank you to all those you have purchased hats from me recently. It has truly been a blessing to make them for you! Customers have come up with such good ideas! I cannot take all the credit! Here are a few of the hats that I make. You may purchase one if you like from my Etsy page or Facebook. You can find me on Facebook under CrazyCute: Crochet fun by Meg (I know it's awful how many different names I have for this shop! Unfortunately you cannot change the name once you have made an account on Etsy nor on Facebook!)I really love this style of hat! I have hot glued the flower to it!

These letter hats have been really popular! Also just the plain ear flap with out the letter. I make these in my sleep!

I like how this one has kind of a vintage feel to it. I really love different textures when crocheting hats!