Cold

Yes, both of my children have a cold right now. How they got it, I don't know. Isabel got it first, and since Alexander is always kissing his sister - who is constantly slobbering - he has the cold now too. They are both happy, though, until they are in bed. That's when they decide to start wailing. at. the. same. time.

Alexander has also been coming up the stairs to our bedroom on the third floor to "nuggle" with mommy. More like take up all the room on the mattress! I'm seriously considering putting the baby gate in the doorway that leads up to our bedroom... but maybe Alexander will start whining because he can't get up, then that wakes up Isabel too, who starts crying, then I have to walk down those steep steps in the dark and somehow climb over the baby gate without tripping or waking Jeffery up. hmmm. now that's a dilemma!

On Saturday, Jeffery was working the Omni booth at the Peach Festival. We went last year with Alexander, and let me tell you, I will not go again with a child who needs to sit in a stroller. The ground is so bumpy, and our stroller's wheels are about to pop off at any moment, so I would rather not risk it. There are so many people who go there, it's so crowded, it's just that much more difficult with two small children. So our friend Tracey watched the kids at her place while I went to see Jeff at the end of his shift. We walked around, looking at the vendor's booths, talking to a few of them. It was really nice to be out in public with Jeff and no children. no strollers. no whining. Can you tell I need a vacation? lol

But we did pick up a small basket of peaches. Each year I would buy peaches, and they would not be completely ripe yet. So I would let them sit for a while before I would try to use them at all, and they would all be bruised and too-ripe by the time I got to them. But this year, I tried something else. I put the peaches between two towels, not touching, with the stem down, and left them in the corner. Now, they are ripe! Some a bruised, but that's probably from people poking at them. But they mostly are good. So today I will be cutting them up and freezing some and eating some...

Nothing else interesting happened this week. With sick kids, you don't get much done. Jeffery has been working, and I've been run ragged through my days and sleepless nights. The laundry from Saturday is still not folded - well, I folded the kids' laundry yesterday afternoon. Our laundry is still in the baskets in our bedroom. Now all our clothes are wrinkled. oh well, it brings character to your wardrobe, right?

Isabel has been insistent that she learns to walk over the supports that are under the table. She's been crawling to them and trying to climb over them. grr. She has also discovered how to climb the steps. Jeff found her yesterday on the third step, going to the second floor. grr. This girl is going to give me a heart attack!

Oh, yeah, this is funny! I tried to feed a different food to Isabel. I've been giving her just one food at a time (like squash or sweet potatoes, etc.), but I tried to give her potatoes, vegetables and beef the other day. This was the result:

She would eat it, but she would give this face every time. lol  I will have to be creative, I think, when it comes to giving Isabel the rest of the food. I'll probably put in little bits with other food.

Well, that's all. Have a great week, folks!

Back to School

Next week school starts! Alexander will be able to wow everyone with his new words, and Isabel will be fulfilling my prediction by walking along the furniture. Do you have everything you need for school?

You can go here to see the full treasury.

Featured Artist - Sweet Home Boutique

Today's artist is phenomenal! I was really hoping to be doing a product review instead of a feature (which would mean that I have something from this wonderfully tempting shop), but, alas, I do not. So we will have to content ourselves with a feature. But a product review WILL come. eventually.

Rachel, the genius behind Sweet Home Boutique, has always been creating. She lived the first three years of her life in a log cabin that her father built (yeah, I know!); they also lived in an old one room schoolhouse! That's very "Little House on the Prairie", right? Rachel's mother is an artist. So creative juices has always been flowing through her veins. Once you see her work, I am sure you will understand.

Here are just a few my favourites from her shop. If I were to post all of my favourites, I would be showing practically everything in her store! lol

I want to get each of these items, especially the last tunic shirt, I think. I love the empire waist and the sleeves that go down to the elbow (that will hide the flabbies!). And the material Rachel used to make this tunic shirt is gorgeous! The gingham dress in the first picture is also gorgeous - another coveted creation.

You can see/read more about Rachel and her work on her blog and facebook page.

Pop on over to Sweet Home Boutique on Etsy and let me know which is your favourite!

Work-Filled Week

I was quite busy this past week. For The Orange Windmill, I've made at least one book a day, to get my inventory up for the shows that are coming up. My aunt Arlene gave me some leather pieces that she wasn't going to use, and they are great! Thanks again, Arlene! I've made three books from that leather already. I really do love book binding. Here is my favourite:

I love using the natural edge of the leather for the top cover of the books - it looks so rugged and rustic.

I've also made a new banner for the shop (the picture with the shop name on it - sort of like a shop sign). And I LOVE IT!!! Who knew I could do that?!? I certainly didn't until I did it. Now I want to make shop banners for everyone! lol  So if you have a shop banner you want redone, just let me know! Here's what my original one was:

And here is the new one:

See? Isn't it just WAY better? I think so.

My mom has asked me to make a bunch of decorative paper clips with the Home with a Heart logo on them, so she can use them as freebies for her promotional table. The font fits perfectly with the punch I'm using, so it's all good. My mom has some paper that she wants me to use - a specific colour, I believe, so I'm not going to make any more until I get that. I do have to get another box of paper clips.

I've been busy making bibs. I've made 3 bibs for Isabel, and I'm making bibs for Ken and Anne's babies. That ball of cotton yarn is certainly going a long way! After I'm done the bibs, I am going to make some newborn beanie hats for the babies. Just because. They already have some hats, but I'm going to make some anyway. Just in case their heads get cold. :) But I'm not going to show you any pictures, because if Anne reads this, and sees pictures, then she will know how many she will have. ha! Not like it's going to be a surprise anyway. Oh well.

I'm also busy designing some Christmas cards for this year's Christmas selection in my For Any Occasion shop (and for shows). I just have to make the time to actually make them. They will take some time, since they are not the usual 5.5" x 4.25" card that I make. I'm going all out this year! I can't wait to be able to see them made up - instead of in my head all the time!

Teething!!!

The good news is that Alexander hasn't been waking up at nights anymore, which makes me think that it was just a phase. But now Isabel is constantly getting up at night due to teething! I was up with her on Monday night until around 3:00 a.m.! Having only 4 hours of sleep is not conducive to my alertness. And last night she got up 4 times. I hope her teeth come in soon.

As you may (or may not) know, Jeffery was gone all last week. He went down to Connecticut for work - a convention and training. He enjoyed himself, but I am so very glad that he is home. He took the camera with him, so I don't have a whole lot of pictures for this week.

On Thursday, I took the kids over to Heather's place. My cousin Rachel came as well with her three boys. Heather was minding a friend's child, so there were eight kids there aging from 8 months to 4 years old! GAH! It was so much fun, though. Everyone played nicely, for the most part, and there weren't any catastrophic breakdowns or anything. Alexander certainly didn't want to leave when it came time to go home. But I'm glad that he is becoming more at ease with interacting with other kids his age.

For lunch that day, we had peanut butter and jam sandwiches, yogurt, and peaches. And, boy, does Isabel love peaches! I was worried at first that she would choke, since she was chomping down some pretty large pieces, but she really enjoyed eating them! She was doing a really good job at chewing them really well. That's probably because she stares at us while we eat - sort of creepy, I know. But I can't wait for peach season. We will definitely be canning some (and eating lots!).

We didn't really do a whole lot more for the rest of the week. I was actually rather bored at times. Not when the kids were awake, mind you. I don't know if any of you feel this way sometimes, but every once in a while I think to myself, "If I were still single, I would be able to relax and do nothing - man, I wish I was still single!" Thoughts like that come rarely, and only last about 30 seconds.

But with Jeff gone, and when the kids were down for the night, and I had done all the neatening of the house and made a few crafty things, I was crocheting in the living room, and I was thinking to myself, "Man, I'm so glad that I'm not single. How boring would my life be?" I know that if I were single, I would have a bit of a social life, and perhaps be not so bored. But that was my thought at that moment. Wow, I can't believe I just wrote two whole paragraphs on this subject! lol

Jeff came home on Sunday at around 5:30 p.m. He was due to come home at 10:00 p.m., so it was a completely pleasant surprise for us. Alexander and Isabel both were happy to see dada. so was I.

On Tuesday, we had a visit from my aunt Cathy and cousin Cara. They brought over some clothes for Isabel, and we sat and chatted and watched the kids amuse themselves for the morning. I don't get to see them very often, so it was nice to be able to catch up. They also helped me stay awake that morning too. Having only 4 hours of sleep, I needed help staying awake. And I don't drink coffee (unless my dad makes it), so that's that.

Anne also popped over on Tuesday afternoon. She had a few minutes after work before she had to head home. It was very nice to see her. She is my favourite older sister, you know. :)

We also experienced an earthquake yesterday! (it was an eventful day!) It was the 5.9 earthquake that was centered in Richmond, VA, and was felt at the White House and in New York. That's one big earthquake! I was sitting at the dining room table, and I could feel the whole house rocking. I knew that it was either an earthquake, or the house was about to fall over. I'm glad it was an earthquake. I wouldn't want our house to fall over when we have my uncle's dining room table and chairs. They are too beautiful to get wrecked!

Jeffery was playing golf on Tuesday with his co-workers. It was a thank-you from the owner for the great month that June was - it was a record-breaking month; the most sales in one month in the history of the company. I think it's really great for Omni to have reached that milestone; I know they had been working on it for a long time. I just can't help but wish that it was a record-breaking month for us too. It was not, though, and that's okay. God is providing for us, and I'm content with that.

Anyhoo. That's all. Cheerio!

Collections

For those of you who have collections. Or want to start one!

Go here to see the full treasury.

Enjoy!

Featured Artist - The Cat's Pajamas

I was stumbled across Lesley's shop, The Cat's Pajamas, in the etsy forums. The fact that she lives here in Hamilton is the bee's knees! I love finding great local shops!

Lesley creates with polymer clay, and I've got to tell you, they are the cutest I've ever seen (no offense to any other polymer clay artists out there). Lesley makes cake toppers (many of them for wedding cakes), and Christmas ornaments.

I contacted Lesley, in hopes that she would answer a few questions for you. She was so quick in responding, and such a sweet woman too! Here's our interview:


1. What made you decide to start this creative business?

It all started in November of 2009, when I realized (last minute, of course) that I needed a cake topper of my very own. I was getting married, and wanted to find a unique cake topper to adorn my super scrumptious cupcake tree. Unable to find a topper that suited my fancy, I took on the challenge of making my very own. I had so much fun working with polymer clay, so I took my work “to the streets” and the rest is history.

2. What does a creative day look like for you?

Creative moments move sporadically in and out of my daily routine. When I’m not working my day job, hanging out at my mother’s pool (I can’t resist), or spending time with the pets (husband included), you can find me in the office sketching out new designs, or crafting orders. Being creative is both an enjoyable and relaxing process for me, so I fit it into as many open moments throughout the day as I possibly can.

3. What inspires you to create?

An easier question to answer would be what doesn’t inspire me to create! Pets, food, music, people – everything feeds into and contributes to my creative process. 

4. What goals do you have for your business?

I love where my business is right now on Etsy, but I am starting to dabble into other channels of exposure, such as showcasing my work at local festivals, or partnering up with some local vendors. It’s all in the works! Eventually, I would love to be my own boss, and live exclusively off of the work I create. 

5. List 5 random things about you.

1. A recent addition to my family is a Bull/English Mastiff – Linus. He likes apples, and told me yesterday that I’m his best friend. My husband is jealous.


2. When there is a Spelling Bee Competition on television, I cannot look away. I am glued to that box until the very end.


3. My favourite animal is the giraffe. I seriously believe that this animal is the strangest looking animal to walk our planet. Yes folks, stranger than the platypus.


4. I hate oranges, but love orange chocolate.


5. I have a comfort book: Good Omens, by Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett. Read it - it’s hilarious.


Here are a few of my favourites from The Cat's Pajamas:

I think the peas in a pod cake toppers are SO adorable, and if I were ever to get married again, I would get those!

New Blog Title : treeshides.blogspot.com

I've decided that since I have more than one creative business, I'm going to change the name of my blog URL.

I'm going to change it to http://www.treeshides.blogspot.com.

So if you are following me, you won't see any more posts from me on your dashboard's reading list.

If you wish to continue following me, I would be really appreciative. Here are the ways you can do this:
1. Click on the "Follow" button on the sidebar of my blog where it says "Followers"
2. Copy the new URL (http://www.treeshides.blogspot.com) and go to your Dashboard under "Reading List" and click "ADD" and paste the URL into the text box.
3. You can now follow via email if you like! On the sidebar of the blog, you can add your email in the text box.

Thank you so much for following me! I look forward to reading your comments!

Scarf

I have finally finished Jeff's scarf! YAY! I finished it late last night. The scarf is about 7" wide and 5' 6" long, which is pretty good, I think. I just used up the remaining ball of yarn to make this scarf. I think Jeff was hoping that the scarf would be 6', but it's pretty close, I think.

It's a super warm scarf, though. My neck was starting to sweat by the time I got the picture taken.

I've started on crocheting some bibs for Isabel (and for Ken & Anne's twins, if they want some). I'm going to use the cotton yarn my mom gave me to make the bibs; I'm just going to keep going until the yarn is gone. Cotton yarn is great! After the bibs are done, I plan to get some dark brown 100% cotton yarn (maybe wool?) so I can make some winter hats. I am also interested in trying to make a cowl - a sort of scarf that is more of a circle than a strip. It would be great for those people who have to constantly rearrange their scarf. I already have a great scarf for winter, so I think it will be a gift... for who?

I've made a few more items for For Any Occasion. I am in the process of designing and making more items for the Christmas category in my shop - and the upcoming shows I'm going to be in.

I've also made a few more journals for The Orange Windmill. I have enough leather lace (the closure) for only one more journal, so I'm going to have to find another way to close the journals. I have two ideas, so keep an eye out for those!

POOP!!!

So it seems blogger has a limit on how many photos you can upload onto your blog for free. Then you have to pay for more. I have apparently no more space, since I'm at the end of the limit. What to do, what to do. On one hand, I could upload no more photos, and have a really visually unappealing blog. Or I could pay the $5.00 a year for 20x the amount of photo space. hmmm. That is a tricky one.

Amp Up Your Business

Here is another inspiring and instructive post I stumbled across in the etsy forums the other day. You can go here for the entire thread.

I thought in celebration of my 3000th sale, I'd post my $0.02 on why my shop works and what it takes to really sell on Etsy. Why do some shops have a huge number of sales while other shops sell almost nothing? What makes a shop successful?

HAVE A PRODUCT THAT PEOPLE WANT TO BUY, AND ONE THAT THEY CAN'T FIND ELSEWHERE

I know this sounds like common sense, but you'd be surprised how many people haven't really thought about this. To sell online, you need to find a niche. It doesn't have to be a huge niche - you don't need to invent a new miracle drug - but it needs to be an *unoccupied* niche.

If you start a new shop selling beaded necklaces, you'll be competing with the 10,000 other shops on here selling beaded necklaces. It's going to be pretty hard to make your shop stand out. But if you start a shop selling something really cool and new, or something that people are looking for and can't find, you're definitely going to stand out. 

Is there something that you make for yourself because you can't find it anywhere? Do your friends and coworkers keep asking you where you got it and if they can buy one from you? Then you may be onto something great! Is there something that you've looked for on Etsy or elsewhere on the Web and been really frustrated because you couldn't find it? Is that something you can make? Why not start a shop?

PHOTOGRAPHY, PHOTOGRAPHY, PHOTOGRAPHY

I say this to people all the time - it's all about the photography. You need to sell that piece visually. Your customers can't pick up your designs, feel them, smell them, taste them, or try them on. You need to sell them with your photography. Your photos need to be clear and bright and in focus. But they also need to have some mystery, some sex appeal, something that grabs people and pulls them into your shop. Think billboards and glossy magazine ads.

You can have the best products in the world, but if your photos are crappy, you look unprofessional and unappealing. And if you look unprofessional and unappealing, you're not going to be selling much. 

If your photography skills aren’t up to snuff and you can’t afford to hire a professional photographer, why not take a photography class? You may find one at your local community college, and it’s a great way to invest in your Etsy shop not to mention your family photo album.

HAVE A HIGH QUALITY PRODUCT

I list this third not because it's the third most important thing, but because people aren't going to know how good the quality of your product is until they pull it out of the package. Unless you have a desirable product and great photography, no one will ever know how good your quality is, because no one will ever buy anything from your shop. But once you start selling your customers need to love your products, or they're not going to leave nice Feedback for you. And Feedback is the lifeblood of your shop.

Pay attention to the details. Your product needs to be fabulous in every way. No sharp corners, dangling strings, or burnt edges.

PROVIDE FANTASTIC CUSTOMER SERVICE

The easiest customer to get is a return customer. Every new customer is a sale, and that's fantastic. But they're also potential future sales, and that's even better. Treat every customer like they're the most important person you'll talk to that day, because they are. Without customers, all you have is a hobby with an online portfolio.

CREATE MEMORABLE PACKAGING

When your customer opens your package, they should feel like they're opening a present. They've treated themselves by buying something from you - make their experience feel like a treat! I've bought and sold many things here on Etsy, and the packaging really does make a difference.

Your packaging should be beautiful, original, classy, quirky - something that speaks to your own design sense and the design of the things that you sell. Are you selling sleek sophisticated clothes? Have sleek sophisticated packaging. Do you hand-knit cozy, homey pieces? Have cozy, homey packaging. Are you a quirky illustrator? Consider picking one of your small quirky illustrations and adding that to your packaging.

Your packaging should also be branded in some way to your shop and include your web address and/or your business card. This is useful both for your customers and also for those receiving your pieces as gifts. How will they know where to get another one if you don't brand your packing and/or your pieces? I can't tell you how many sales I get *after* Christmas to new customers who received one of my designs as a gift and fell in love with it.

******

These four things should get you started and well on your way to a successful shop. Here are a few more tips to send you on your way:

- Price accurately (Not too high, but not too low, either. Too high and you'll never sell anything. Too low and you look cheap and low quality, plus you'll never be able to afford to stay in business.)

- Communicate with your customers immediately after they purchase and again when you ship

- Reply to customer inquiries as soon as possible 

- Have a lively Profile. Your customers are buying handmade - they want to know something about *you*.

- Have comprehensive Policies. Stating your policies clearly up front prevents misunderstandings at a later date. And happy customers become repeat customers. (And leave good Feedback, too!)

******

Good luck to you all! And many thanks to Etsy for making *my* dreams come true by allowing me make a living by doing what I love.

This post was really well written, easy to understand, and gave lists that online shops can look over and check off.

It's really great to have a community where the more seasoned sellers are available to help the newer sellers. I love etsy.

-Shirley

These Ants Are Driving Me Crazy!

So, the tiny ants are no longer wandering around our kitchen, which is nice. But the big, juicy black ants are still coming in. And they are FAST!!! They are also getting into the office, which is on the second floor. Maybe they are coming in through the window, which is directly above the back door, which is where the ants are coming in through to the kitchen. I do take a lot of pleasure in squishing them. I'm even showing Alexander, so that he might squish any that he sees, but my son is not all that observant yet.

I killed the biggest one I've seen so far, so hopefully that was their commander, and now they will leave. (yeah right!) As soon as we can save up for it, though, I want to take the door up and block up the wall. It is something we want to get done eventually anyway, it would just be done a bit sooner than anticipated.

Jeffery left for Connecticut this morning. Every year in August, Basement Systems holds a convention for all of their "franchises" all over North America. Jeff will be gone until Sunday. boo-hoo. I'll be here all by myself. But I won't be bored, not with two children! But perhaps I'll get a visitor or two? *hint, hint*

This morning I took Alexander to the dermatologist for the eczema he had on his body for a year and a half. But he doesn't have it now. I think he just grew out of it. I'm sort of expecting Isabel to get it too, since all three of us have had eczema sometime in our lives. And it wasn't a completely wasted visit. Since the dermatologist has finally seen Alexander, if the eczema ever flares up again, there won't be a 7 month wait! BONUS!!!

Last Thursday was Anne's baby shower. I had so much fun! I talked about it a bit on Friday's post, but only to show what I made for the shower. There were 50 women there (not including Anne or any babies). I think, all in all, it was a great success. Heather was a great host, and she did a wonderful job coordinating all the games, giving all the instructions clearly and succinctly.

We played lots of games (the baby clothespin game, baby bingo, twin scramble, baby animals, and guessing the girth units). There was lots of food (though, we could have had more, considering all those who came!) and punch. All in all, it was a great evening. Everyone I spoke to said they enjoyed themselves.

That evening, my youngest sister, Karen, told me that she and Aaron GOT ENGAGED!!! They're getting married! I'm so very thrilled for them. Connor and Mary (Aaron's kids) are excited too, which is great. There is no specific date set yet, as far as I know, but they are planning on sometime next fall, or sometime around then. I wish I had gotten a better picture of Karen that night, but I didn't.

Isabel has learned this week how to walked along the furniture! She doesn't do it very well yet, but she's going to master the technique pretty soon, I think! She's also put it in her mind that once she's standing up, she can walk around, like her big brother. So she gets up and tries to walk away from what she's holding on to! There were a few times where she wobbled for about 3 seconds before she fell, but fall she does. I really do need a helmet for this kid!

Isabel is also beginning to crawl on top of short boxes to get to something. She crawled onto Alexander's potty to get something from the coffee table (they are right beside each other) that she couldn't reach while standing on the floor! I really have to keep my eyes open with this one!

Alexander LOVED the leftover cupcakes from the shower.

I remember when Anne was in grade 6, she had Mr. DeHaan for her teacher. Then I had Mr DeHaan the next year. (I'm not sure why, but the spelling looks off to me. I'm sorry if I spelled his last name incorrectly.) And he had no idea that we were sisters until the end of the year, when he asked me why Anne and I had the same last name. I don't think anyone would have an issue figuring out that these two are siblings. And yes, Alexander the 3 year old, is sitting in the exersaucer.

That's all for now!

Autumn

I can't wait for autumn! The cooler days and nights, the changing of the colours, playing in the newly raked piles of leaves, beginning of hot chocolate and rosy cheeks . . .  mmm . . .

It's going to be great!

Featured Artist - WaterInMyPaint

Residing in Toronto, Deidre has a tiny studio where she paints with watercolour.

I asked Deidre a few questions about her and her work, and she graciously answered them all:


What made you decide to become an artist?
I started drawing in Fashion School - fashion illustration being an essential skill after all. I stopped for a few years but picked it up again when the frustrations of a career in fashion became too much. Now I can't stop drawing and painting!!!

What does a creative day look like for you?
Up early to walk my 2 dogs and feed my 4 mouthy cats. Then it's a strong cup of tea or I can't even begin to get creative. I pack orders and answer emails first. I also have a stencil business so I split the rest of my day between designing and cutting stencils and drawing and painting watercolours. Plus there's more tea and giving of pet treats sprinkled throughout the day.

What inspires you to create?
I can't imagine NOT creating, to be honest. I've been making things since I was teeny tiny, everything from painting to sewing to cutting up my parents' good set of bed sheet (ooppss...) My watercolours are inspired by my 6 pets, no question. They're always up to something that makes me laugh and that comes out in my work. If I'm having a bad day, I just have to sit and paint an animal and all is right with the world again.

What are the goals you have for your business?
I envision a day when I'm able to live strictly off my painting. For now the plan is to continue to paint new images, expand my product line and grow, grow, grow. Stationary and limited edition prints are already in the works and I have many other wild and crazy ideas (he, I'm an artist, after all!)


Here are a few of my favourites from WaterInMyPaint:

I want to get the eye painting SO BAD, it's so beautiful! All I can say is, I hope Deidre is selling that item as a print as well as an original!

Deidre has two other shops on etsy: DeidreWicks - Craft Patterns and Supplies and StencilMeBrightly.

Yellow!!

I've been busy this week making things for Anne's shower, which was last night. We had a lot of fun! Anyhoo.

I made 30 "thank you" cards as a present for Anne. But I forgot to take any pictures of them. :( I also made some confetti for the cake table - yellow 3D paper flowers and tiny hearts.

I also made cupcake toppers. I had made them red because yellow would be harder to see. I wish I had been able to do them yellow (that way everything would have matched!), but I couldn't.

The diaper cakes were absolutely GORGEOUS!!!! Seeing that my mom made them (there were two), perhaps that's where I got my creativity.

Not only does my mom make a gorgeous diaper cake, she also makes the best chocolate covered peanut butter balls IN THE WORLD!!!

I've also made a few more journals to add to my etsy shop for The Orange Windmill.

And I've finished crocheting some leg warmers. You know in the winter, sometimes you get the cold going between your socks and pants? Well, I made some leg warmers to keep that from happening! They look pretty stupid, but they were my first try, and they were done without a pattern. And they are only for me, and no one will really see them (unless they are peering up the legs of my pants), so I don't really care!

And yes, my right foot is really that much smaller than my left. It's kind of creepy, actually.

I am using the same yarn (100% cotton) to make Jeff's scarf. The one he has is thin and small and it sucks. So he asked me to make one for him. I would make one from acrylic yarn, but I find that it makes my skin really itchy, so I will make it with cotton. Which also means I have to make new fingerless gloves, since my first ones were made with acrylic yarn. I had them on one day, and my skin got really itchy. At least I can crochet another pair with more confidence.

Anyhoo. That was my week, creatively. What about you?

-Shirley