Spotted Tuesday: Easter 2014

Two years ago, I took my little guy to Easter Eggs Hunt event. He was 4. 

This year, we just did a little bit of crafting with whatever we can find at home.

Inspired by his Easter creations, here are some handmade picks found at Artfire.

Golden mustard crocheted baby hat with multicolor flowers, 3-6 months by StampsPlusMore

Wooden Spoon -one- Folk Art Sheep Americana Primitive Kitchen Rustic Decor Mustard Colonial Blue Brick Red Plaid Fabric Made in USA by Tjo MakeDoMercantile

Mustard color silk yarn wrapped bangle with copper focal bead by MartieRocco

Mustard Yellow Handmade Lampwork Glass Bead Etched Ochre Silver by Covergirlbeads

Newborn HAMMOCK and HANGING POD Photography Prop In Mustard Yellow Gol by PhylPhil

Czech Hyacinth Crystal Carnival Heart Beadwoven Niobium Earrings by KatsAllThat

Easter Bunny Hanging Kitchen Towel With Hand Knit Topper and Ties by hollyknittercreations

Feel free to share this using your social media. Leaving a comment will make my day! Thank you for stopping by!

Giveaway from Unique Creations by Tracy: Owl Pillow

Do you love owls? I certainly do! 
Would you like to win this adorable Owl Pillow?
Tracy of Unique Creations by Tracy is giving away one custom Owl Pillow to one lucky winner.

Cute owl pillows that are a great addition to a baby or child's room as a decoration, or any room in your house. Size approx: 11" tall by 7" wide. They can be made in your color choice

Learn more about Tracy, the artist behind this great shop, here on yesterday's Saturday Artisan post. 



a Rafflecopter giveaway


NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. Contest starts now and ends on May 6, 2014. Contest opens to Worldwide (Free shipping to US Only, Canadian and winner from other countries will pay for shipping, mailed via USPS). Open to Legal Residents (18years of age or older). Don't forget to leave me a way to contact you. Entries without contact information will be disqualified. Entries that do not follow the rules will be disqualified. Contest winner will be drawn on May 7th. Winner will be selected by Random.org and be notified by e-mail. Adorebynat is not responsible for sponsors that do not fulfill their prizes. I have represented each sponsor with the expectation they will fulfill their prizes and in a timely manner. Winner must respond within 48 hours after being contacted otherwise another winner will be randomly selected. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED.

Would you like to be featured as a Saturday Artisan and sponsor a giveaway?

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Saturday Artisan: Unique Creations by Tracy

Meet Tracy, our Saturday Artisan! She is the proud owner and artist of Unique Creations by Tracy Storenvy shop. 

Stopping by at her shop will definitely make you smile. You will see adorable crocheted animals, each made with love.

Tracy creations are great for your kids, grandchildren, nieces and nephews, and even yourself who is young at heart. 

Tell us a bit about yourself and what arts/ crafts that you make?

My name is Tracy and I am a SAHM of two kids. Before staying home I was a pre-k teacher and love to teach and do fun activities with my kids at home. I have always loved to craft things for my house or kids. A couple years ago I decided I wanted to learn to crochet so taught myself using you tube videos. Two months later I was sharing what I made and my friends and family started asking me to make them items. Then it was suggested I should open my own shop to sell what I was making and now I am getting ready to celebrate my stores second anniversary.

 

What is the story behind your shop name?  

My store is named Unique Creations by Tracy. When I originally opened my shop I was not sure if I would only sell my crochet pieces, so I wanted a name that would cover any handmade items I would make and sell. 

 

Who is your target market?

My target market is for moms with children. I make a lot of stuffed animals that are great for baby rooms or as gifts for kids. Also, the new baskets I am making that are child themed to keep things organized. 

 

For us who love to travel, could you share a bit about your beautiful town/ city?

I live outside of St. Louis, Missouri. The home of the Arch, St. Louis Cardinals and Forest Park the home of the 1904 World's Fair. It is a very family oriented area with lots of attractions for families like the St. Louis Zoo, Science Center, Magic House, Missouri Botanical Gardens, Butterfly House, and much more.

 

What is your best seller?

My best seller would be my owls, which are also my favorite to make. Originally, I only sold them in one size but since then have added additional sizes.

 

How does your day go in general?

My day starts off getting my kids and myself ready for the day, and off to school if it is a school day. Then I usually hop online and check my email, facebook, twitter, and other sites to see if there is anything I need to respond to and then do a bit of marketing for my shop and other handmade artists. Once that is all completed I grab my crochet hooks and yarn and start working on orders or new products for the shop. In the afternoon, I take a bit of break for myself rather it be working out or something else just for me. Then it is time for the kids to come home and I focus on them until they go to bed. After the kids are in bed then I will pull out my work again and crochet or work online if needed.

 

How do you balance your personal and work life?

Balancing personal and work life has been one of my biggest struggles. I can easily get in the groove with crocheting and lose track of time. Setting alarms to go off to remind me that it is time to take care of things in my personal life has seemed to help me.

 

What inspires you?

My 5 year old son and 6 year old daughter are my inspiration. They are always asking me to make them animals, princesses, toys, and more. Many of the items I now offer were originally made for my kids.

 

What is your goal for 2014?  

My goal for 2014 was to work on organizing my house, and I am doing that by working on a line of organization baskets that can help me around the house.

 

Any advice for others running their on-line shop?

My first piece of advice is it takes time so don't give up. It takes a lot of work to get your shop up and going, and then you will need to do lots of marketing. Also, make sure you love to make what you make. If you don't love it you will burn out quickly. 

 

What is your favorite quote, song, or movie?

 Make Life Beautiful

 

Where could we find Unique Creations by Tracy?

Facebook
Twitter 
Instagram 
Blog

Would you like to be featured as a Saturday Artisan and sponsor a giveaway?

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Tutorial by VioletsBuds: Ruched Zinnia Flower

I'm amazed by how pretty VioletsBuds' creations are. She makes beautiful handmade accessories and home decors. Her flowers are simply adorable! They are beautifully made and her design is fabulous.

Want to learn how to make a runched Zinnia flower? Well, Melanie from VioletsBuds generously shares a tutorial on how to make one.

The Zinnia Ribbon flower is one of my favorites, but I don't make it very often. It can be quite time consuming, but it makes a fun, unique flower. I find it easiest to use a 7/8" or 1" wide ribbon, but other sizes can be used as well.

Starting at the bottom corner, make a running stitch at a 45*   angle. Count the number of stitches it takes to make the first pass. (I like to use an even number). You will want to use the same number of stitches for each pass so that your petals all look even.

Once you get to the edge, make a 90* turn and stitch to the   next edge. (If  you like, you can draw lines at 90* angles down the strip (zig zag). I   skipped this step and just eyeballed the angle while I stitched.) After making a few passes you can start pulling the thread taut and make the ruched petals.

When your ruched ribbon is as long as you want it, knot & cut the thread. Next, start curling the ribbon in a circle to form a flower. You can secure it with thread, sewing it in place. Or, you can use a hot glue gun to glue the flower down to a piece of felt.

The finished flower should look like this. It can be attached to a headband or clip to wear as a hair accessory, or put on a lapel pin, or to adorn a handbag. I used a blue zinnia in this hair fascinator and love the added texture it brings.

April Showers fascinator

If you make a ruched ribbon zinnia, we would love to see your work! Let us know what you think of the tutorial too.