LOL

Christmas is Almost Here *SIGH*

How sad is it that I want it over with? I get so stressed. I cry that I lost the magic of Christmas and I am trying so hard to remember it is not about trees, gifts and money but rather it is about Jesus coming back to give us life and forgiveness. But the world, esp. TV kills that. I was filled more with the spirit on Thanksgiving then now. I am frustrated by the lack of space I have to decorate. I have a little charlie brown tree with no decorations except a few cursory ornaments and the lights that the tree came with. I had a few strands of beads I thru up on it. My youngest didn't seem to be in the mood to decorate it either. *SIGH* Ya know I thought I was done with Christmas Depression a few yrs ago but it seems it is back.

Well I made this Ball Wreathe I found on Pinterest. I love it.
I just need to fix the ribbon. I cannot find my glue gun! It was brand new. *GRRR* I had to glue the ornaments shut with E-6000. Same with the ribbon. I tried to use it to hold the ribbon in place since it keeps slipping between the cracks (* balls*).

Here are the coasters I made, now in my shop.




I also made a few more earrings, I had a request to make some for a woman I volunteer with for her daughter. No Pics. I also Just finished another wrap bracelet. This one wraps 4 times, Nice.

Coupon Code for My Shop

I just created a coupon for my shop for now thru December 31. Enter code CHR11 at checkout and receive 10% off the purchase of any item.

Will have some more pictures soon. I created some coasters, and Feather earrings. I have also been playing with my Polymer clay. Something I have NOT done in a long time. Trying to make some pretty red and white beads for Christmas.

Someone wanna tell Santa I want/ NEED a new camera, PLZZZZZ. I will even take a point and shoot for less then 100.00 I just need a camera to take pics of my work. I really want a good one the 400.00 + dollar cameras. However I don't think I have a rich santa in my family so I will settle for a decent P&S.

Wrap Bracelet Done!

It is only a single bracelet technically NOT a wrap, but I wanted to learn the stitch and I ran short of the thread I was using. My Kiddo wants one for her ankle.. Go Figure. Now that I know how to do it I want to make a real wrap.

ANOTHER Pinterest Success!

More earrings. And Pet Peeves.

Before I go there I want to ask, Is there NOT a song that katy perry sings that has no Sexual Overtones? Was just in my daughters room and she had the radio on. There was a song playing and I knew the voice was familiar although I could not remember it. The beat was funky and I thought maybe I could like it. Then I started listening to lyrics...ACK! REALLY? Having sex with an alien or something like that. I inquired of my kiddo who the singer was and she said it was perry. I think every song I have ever heard of hers has something to do with sex. UGH

Ok Now that I have that off my chest I have another pet peeve.... CHRISTMAS Commercial and music on halloween / long before thanksgiving! JUST STOP IT, OK! Wally world has those commercials for xmas layaway, one of them featuring some perky and annoying blond woman singing, ring, ring ring, ring a ding ring me up! UGH I have dropped a few F*Bombs on her already. I am telling you by the time Christmas gets here I am like scrooge. It is getting earlier every year!

OK Onto the earrings. I made a few more the red and white ( clear) I made for me. the other 2 I made for Christine's consideration. I just need to put on the ear wires.

Addicted To Pinterest

I left FB and got Addicted to Pinterest...HAHA! So much for getting off the web! I have found some yummy recipes on there. I have a "I came I pinned I tried" Board. I spend so much time there and I am trying all the new things I see. I Learned the Bullion Stitch in crochet, and that blue braided necklace I recently posted I got from Pinterest as well.

I recently added this to my board of tries-- Oatmeal can TP Holder...Did you know one can of rolled oats holds 2 rolls of tp? Me either until I tried it. I wrapped it in scrapbook paper and put ribbon around the top and bottom....And it matches my ugly green bathroom ( happy accident, I didn't consider the color)


Here is another pair of earrings I made for Chris. Tomorrow I bring them all to skool to see which ones she likes. Tonight I do my final pricing...*SIGH* I have gone back and forth on the prices so many times My poly bags are full of blue scribbles...LOL



I also made a pair of blue drop earrings from the same color beads. 2 chains hung from a fishhook wire with the beads on the ends. Very simple but very pretty. I gave them to a friend for her birthday, I hope she likes them.

If you want to see what I am Pinning go to the Button @ Left <<<< and Follow Me.

How Do You Determine the price on your work?

So I have not done the wrap bracelets yet. Maybe tomorrow. I have , However been making earrings. I was asked to make some for one of the teachers at skool. Chris wanted earth tones, greens, browns, corals, and Blue. I am struggling with how much to charge. I was told I under appreciate myself and sell things to cheaply.

I browse all over the net. I check other peoples works, see whats trending, get inspired, etc and one thing I notice is alot of ppl seem to charge so much for handmade things. The idea of handmade is you can get better then mass produced, and you can usually, but some things are so over priced that I wonder if it is worth it to purchase things. I look at what I made from a consumers point of view. I ask myself what I would be willing to pay for this item.

The problem with that is, I undercut myself. I know how I made it , how difficult it was, etc I take the cost of supplies into account and try to find a compromise. Right now the cost of silver is high so I am not making pure silver, I basically make everyday ( what we used to call costume ) jewelry. I try to find highly polished anti tarnish findings & wires. I do love Swarovski Crystals. I try to buy nice quality beads. Glass over plastic

Here are some earrings and a necklace I made. What would YOU pay?

Polymer clay Beads.
Coral Gem chips
Swarovski Crystals Wire wrapped.

Dichroic Crosses

I LOVE these. Green Wire wrapped dangles. ( I didnt wrap them I bought them that way.) I just attached them to the chains.

Austrian Crystals





I love this necklace. It is beaded and braided. Attached to a heavy silver overlapping link chain ( I don't know what the proper name for it is but each link is made of 2 links that overlap)
I WILL be getting a Bead spinner ( a real one) next time I try this. I did the scoop method out of a bowl . It is made of 3 strands doubled for a total of 6. Talk about work. I restarted several times because I either Had the wrong size needle or thread etc...

I LOVE THESE! Each bead was wire wrapped by me. They are green fractured glass. Very Pretty.

These are MY Faves! If she doesn't want them I will wear them. And if she does I might make another pair for MEEEEE. :-)

Retail Therapy

I been feeling down. I decided some retail therapy might work ( Of course I dont have happy cash, I have to borrow from peter to pay paul). I have been seeing how to's everywhere for those chan luu wrap bracelets. I wanted to make one. ( Remember I volunteer at skool so wearing my own creation is advertisements CHA CHING). Michaels is having a 60% off sale on beads. I go and get some pretty pearls. I already have the suede cording. I gather up my supplies and pull up a video. WAIT I need a beading needle. I have several packages, the problem is............I CAN'T find any!!!!!!!!!!

I re-organized and I remember gathering them up so they were all in one place. I CAN'T remember where! GRRRRRRRRRR.

Hobby Lobby Just had their grand opening Monday. I am NOT impressed. They are a huge store and have a lot of "Home Goods"/ "Christmas Tree Shop" home decor stuff. Their jewelry dept is 2 half aisles. I was disappointed. Michaels has a huge jewelry/ beading dept. I love that H.L. carries a lot of different things but I was so hoping they would be cheaper then AC Moore or Michaels and have things they don't but so far, NO! Oh well Maybe it is for the better since they are within walking distance I might be there more often ( Like I can really afford that).

SO Now tomorrow I am going to have to go back to H.L. to get some more beading needles...Grrrrr.

SNOW! PINTEREST! And other things!

So it really snowed. Not sure of "our" totals. One part of my county got 8 inches, and another got 12. I'm not sure of us but I can say it was a really wet and heavy snow. Tree limbs down, some areas without lights ( not us thankfully). I was sitting this morning listening to the snow fall from the trees and wires . Love that sound. It was really pretty as the sun came up and glistened off the pond.

Some pics of the carnage..... Click on each to enlarge.







Say Cheese Louis!







I spent a lot of time yesterday ( and today) on Pinterest, which is like the new FB for me..SO Addicting. I do a lot of my crafterbating there.

One idea I seen was offsetting the cost of wreaths. I have to say, " WHEN THE HECK DID FOAM GET SO EXPENSIVE?" I went to AC Moore and the price of styrofoam cones and wreath forms were outrageous! I saw this on a blog linked to pinterest today. Getting foam from Home Depot or Lowes for 97 cents ( not sure if it is that cheap now) But it still must be cheaper then the craft store.

I also seen where you can do the same with a pool noodle from the dollar store.I will be so there this summer.

For Dinner today: YUMM-O!

Sweet Balsamic Glazed Pork Loin {Slow Cooker}

Ummm...Someone wanna tell Mother Nature to check her calender, please!

Seriously. I looked outside and could tell it was October from that lil orange colored bush out there in front...




However.............





What is this white fluffy stuff?


And why is it only 33 degrees outside?

AND before anyone screams the GW phrase, last nights meteorologist said this same thing happened 20 yrs ago.

Cupcake spiderwebs and Cake Pop Fail

Before I get to my baking adventure I have to say it is NOT yet Halloween and they are calling for .......S-N-O-W! 4-6 inches on saturday North and west of the city. ( yea I live north). Not that I think we will necessarily get much but the fact is it is only October!

Another example of GOD mocking the global warming chicken littles..LOL

Unto my Adventure....

I made spider web cupcakes for todays bake sale at skool. They came out cool. My Cake pop eye balls however did not!





I added a plastic spider ring to the top of the web. I think it looks cool and of course I know the kids will love them.




My eyeballs however, are another story. I made them too big and the weight of the frosting made them heavy. The wafers did not melt down to a thin consistency. It was very thick and hard to manage. The cake pops were not smooth and didn't look like eyeballs. Some started to fall apart in the wafer frosting, and some just fell off the stick! I made cake balls last yr ( not the eyeballs) and they came out great, this time it was an epic fail!

WHAT THE ? IS THIS?

I HATE CHANGE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!What did they do to my blogs composer? How do I upload videos? I am NOT liking the new set up! YEA I am Anal like that...

UPDATE: WHEW I just found the switch back button after I published ( on my dashboard). PLEASE STOP changing things!

Name Change in my Shop`

I was pleased when Etsy announced a renaming of our shops. I wasn't feeling how I had set it up and picking names is always hard. I chose a name that mirrors my blog. KraftingKottage. Yea I like "K"s LOL.

I am still waiting for them to come and fix my ceiling...Yup was supposed to be here wednesday, it is now saturday.

I listed 3 baby blankets earlier on etsy. I am currently working on my remnant blanket. It is everything Illegal, mixing colors and stitches..LOL. I also need to cut down the bag of plastic bags I have growing on the closet door. Seeing that I just sold 3 bags I need to replenish.

Good Day , Worse Day

So Friday I come home from volunteering at skool and find a notice ( 2 actually) in my email, congratulating me on what I thought was a purchase of something for $40.00. Panic sets in. ( If you have ever been a victim of ID theft or an attempted ID theft, you know that sickening feeling), it is also the one you get when you think you are about to bounce your account for big Bucks!
The second notice confirmed the first. I then scrolled down to see what it was I purchased......

It was MY Market / Tote bags that I crocheted. What the? Go back and reread.... Congratulations ..YEA I SOLD 3 Bags....HAHAHA PANIC GONE! Thank You Jesus.




Then it clouds up again and thunder rolls in.... DOWN POUR! SPLASH DOWN!

NOW I was recently at the rental office telling the girl there that the Roofers DID NOT clean the gutters in my building. IN fact I didn't even see them up on a ladder in my bldg, just bldg #3. SHE insisted they did..... WELL you tell me....


NO THEY DIDN'T! See that downpour in the front there? ( it was a lot worse, this was the tail end) It is like that everytime it rains. And off course this time IT RAINED in my apt.

As it did last yr and before I moved in. I can where they had replaced part of the ceiling and patched.




What was worse then this? OK Maybe NOT worse then but definetly bad...I had my yarn remnants that I was trying to use up in a mesh bag on top of some totes I had Under the spot it rained...You guess it, they got soaked! Sent my dau. to the laundrymat to dry them and they came back tangled.
I tried to untangle them I sat there for 2 days and managed to save 3 small balls. Then yesterday ( day 2) I noticed a small part on the far end of that mess was still wet, ( after they went in the dryer and came home it was only damp on that end), then I noticed a familiar smell...
You guessed it didn't you? YEA Chloe girl aka Fatty Mckitty ( 17 lbs of cat) Decided to tinkle on it... I am thinking I wasn't meant to use that yarn.