Saturday 29 December 2012

New Year's Resolutions

Last year, my resolution was to cut down my sugar intake. I think I did okay, considering the sweet tooth I have for chocolate! I have to admit, there may have been a few times that I consumed a large bar of chocolate all by myself within hours. (Large as in 12x4 inches!!!). My other goal was to establish a small craft business, which I did! I am so thankful that I get to create things I love while making some extra money. The main reason I started my business was because I needed an excuse to make more nests! Go here to check it out! www.facebook.com/woodlandowl or woodlandowl.bigcartel.com




This year my resolutions are as follows: 

1. Blog! There are a few reason that I'd like to blog. The first one is so that I can document my crafty adventures. I'd also like to post tutorials of my own or links to tutorials that I stumble upon! My friends often ask me how I make my crafts- hat better way to show them than to blog about it? If my blog becomes popular, I'd love to help other small craft business gain some audience and exposure. :) Another added bonus to having a blog would be additional traffic to my little craft business :)

2. Go to church regularly.

3. Eat more veggies!

4. Focus on the things that are really important, such as relationships and people, no matter how much trivial things may bother me. (A leaky pipe isn't going to harm me, and all I can do is get it fixed).

5. Eat less frozen meals and cook from scratch more often. I know, this one is going to be a tough one- our family loves frozen lasagna! It is so easy to pop in the oven!

6. Make our house feel like a home. And blog about it! We moved into our townhouse last year, and I never got around to decorating or hanging pictures up. I think part of the reason is because I didn't know how to work with the couches we had. But we are getting new couches this January! I picked them out myself, so I know that it'll complement my decor preferences. Those who know me have probably already guessed that they are going to be purple couches. Yes! We are getting purple couches!   I'm going to be getting tons of inspiration from Pinterest! I'll be sure to document projects here!

What were your resolutions last year? Did you accomplish them? What are your New Year's Resolutions this year? I'd love to hear about them! 

Monday 12 November 2012

Upcoming Craft Shows

I'm going to be a busy little bee in the next few weeks! Here are my upcoming craft shows:

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November 15 (Thursday)- 3-9pm - Hillcrest Elementary at 18599 65 Avenue Surrey, BC

November 17 (Saturday)- 11am-4pm -Semiahmoo Secondary  at 1785 148 Street Surrey, BC

November 24 & 25 10am-4pm - Simonds Elementary at 20190 48th Avenue Langley, BC

November 30th (Friday)-  5-9pm - Christmas in Cloverdale at Cloverdale Fairgrounds 6050A- 176 Street Surrey BC in the Shannon Hall

December 1st (Saturday)- 10am-4pm - Christmas in Cloverdale at Cloverdale Fairgrounds 6050A- 176 Street Surrey BC in the Shannon Hall
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I am so excited for these Christmas Craft fairs. I'm excited for the Christmas season- I'll be decorating my house soon and I've even got some ideas to make the house smell like Christmas ;)


Here is a glimpse of the orders I was working on last week


Hope to see you there! Any tips on how to make the house smell like Christmas? Are you planning to go to any craft shows as a vendor or a shopper this year?

Sunday 16 September 2012

It's all in the details

I am super excited to be in a farmer's market this weekend. I have been working on branding my shop, and I have come up with a theme /feel that I am aiming for- a rustic-vintage-cottage-woodlandsy-feminine th em , soft colors, burlap, earthy undertones, and old sheet music. I don't know how to put all that into one word!

Here is a picture of some of my packaging. I am making a bunting out of lacey scrapbook paper. Oh! And the necklace display used to be a plain old white velvety material. I cut up some old music sheets and mod podged it onto the display. Gotta love that mod podge! :)

Please excuse the dark and blurry pictures... I was using my phone for vzythis :p


Hope everyone is having a great weekend :)

Saturday 25 August 2012

Crocheted Gadget Cozy Tutorial

First: A reminder- I am still doing a giveaway of one of my bird's nest necklace! Please go to www.facebook.com/woodlandowl for more details, and to enter through the GIVEAWAY tab! 



This one's pretty simple and straightforward- a crocheted phone cozy. I needed something to protect my phone, and I love crocheting so this happened!




Recommended yarn weight: Worsted
Recommended crochet hook size: 4.5-5mm

Row 1: Crochet a chain that is as long as your cellphone or gadget. (For me, this was about 9 chains).
Row 2: single crochet across chain, making 3 sc in the last chain. Do NOT turn.
Row 3: continue sc across the opposite side of the chain, making 3 sc in the last chain. Do not turn.

Continue sc into each sc, and keep going until the cozy is as long as your cellphone!  You will basically single crochet into a spiral as it builds the length of the cozy.

When you have reached the desired length, stop in the middle and chain about 6-7 to form a loop that will be part of the button enclosure. Continue along with your single crochets as normal.

This is a quick, easy little project that you can do in front of the TV, yet fun enough to keep your hands busy.

Tuesday 14 August 2012

Bird Nest Necklace Giveaway!

 I just love making these bird nest necklaces! When I reach 50 likes on my facebook page (Woodland Owl Trinkets) I will be doing a giveaway :) Go to www.facebook.com/WoodlandOwl :)

    



  









Friday 10 August 2012

Dahlia Coaster Pattern

I recently crocheted some colorful coasters for a friend's bridal shower, and I thought I would share the pattern! Please note- this is the first pattern I have written, and may have lots of kinks in it. Let me know if you find any discrepancies. I don't know proper pattern writing etiquette, so I just made it sound like something I would read off a pattern! Enjoy!






UPDATE: I am doing a giveaway of one of my birds nest necklaces at 50 likes....so far only 12 away! Go to www.facebook.com/woodlandowl :)

Dahlia Coaster Pattern: 

Hook size: 4.5mm or 5.0mm (4.0 will do if you want a smaller and tighter coaster).
Gauge: Not required.

Notes: Unfinished DC: YO, insert hook, pull up a loop, YO, pull through 2 loops. Keep remaining loops on hook, and continue until the unfinished dc in petal. You may have more than 2 loops on your hook depending on how many unfinished DC you have already completed in your petal.

Basically, to make an unfinished DC, ignore the last (YO, pull through 2 loops) and leave the loops on the hook instead. To close it, YO, pull through all loops.


To begin: Make a magic circle, chain 1.

Row 1: 7 sc into magic circle, join with a slip stitch

Row 2: Ch3. (Make 2 unfinished DC, pulling through all loops at the end of the last unfinished DC) into the same stitch as slip stitch. Chain 3. *3 unfinished DC into the next stitch, pulling through all loops at the end of the 3 unfinished DC. Chain 3* Repeat * to * 6 more times. 8 petals total. End row with a slip stitch into the top of the first petal.

Row 3: Chain 3. (Make 2 unfinished DC, pulling through all loops at the end of the last unfinished DC) into the first chain 3 space. Chain 3. *3 unfinished DC into the same chain 3 space, pulling through all loops at the end of the 3 unfinished DC. Chain 3* Repeat * to * twice into each of the remaining chain 3 spaces. (16 petals total in this row, 2 in each chain 3 space). Slip stitch into the top of the first petal of this round.

Row 4: chain 2. 3 hdc in the first chain 3 space. 4 hdc into the remaining chain 3 spaces. Slip stitch at the top of the beginning chain 2.

Row 5: Sip stitch into each hdc, bind off. (This makes the coaster sturdy, nice and neat)








This pattern is for personal use only.  Please do not sell this pattern or items made from this pattern. Thank you :)

Monday 14 May 2012

Covered Button Tutorial!


A bunch of my friends have said that they really liked the earring so have been making so I decided to post a tutorial! I am thinking about putting these on Etsy as well :)




You will need:
-Scrap fabric
-Scissors
-Some sort of strong glue
-Cover button front and backs
-Cover button tools (The mold is used to hold the button and the pusher helps with securing the back of the button) I found these at Walmart for 2 bucks. 
-Earring posts



Step 1: Cut out a circle from the fabric slightly larger than the button. Make sure the design is in the middle!





Step 2: Place the fabric right side down into the button mold, making sure the design stays in the middle. Then, put the button upside down in the mold, it'll feel tight.





Step 3: take the back of the button and place it on top of everything! Then, use the pusher to push the back of the button into the button. You might have to push really hard, especially if the fabric is thicker. 


Step 4: My fav part.... pop it out of the mold!


Step 5: Glue the posts on and you have earrings!




You can get really creative with these... Make earrings, rings, necklaces, anything you want really!