Designs: More crochet earrings!

Have you ever started working on a (fun) project, and when you finally look up at the clock you notice that hours have passed by while you were engrossed in your thoughts and ideas?

That is how I am with my crochet!

It can be a bit different with larger projects (like blankets), since there is a good chunk of time before I can finish one project and start the next. I am so excited that my 'tiny' projects take so much less time -- I can follow my ideas wherever they lead me without having to wait days upon days first. :-)

Here are a few of the earring designs I have been working on! They are all super light and totally awesome, and can be made in an (almost) endless variety of colors! (And they only cost $18 through my Etsy shop!)

I would absolutely love your feedback and to hear your own design ideas!

I expect to have even more designs to show you over the coming weeks ... I have been bitten by the 'crochet earring' bug! (Now all I need is to remember to buy more earring hooks to connect my crochet pieces to!)

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Do you love to crochet? I have a slowly-growing collection of my own personal patterns in my shop -- just for you! They are inexpensive, and so much fun to crochet. I look forward to sharing them with you!

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Would you like to learn how to crochet? If you are in my area (near Boulder, Colorado, USA), I would absolutely love to get together with you! Teaching is an exciting new part of my crocheting experience -- and I love sharing it!

If you aren't in my area, that is really quite a bummer. However, if you are interested, I would love to try and teach you how to crochet via Skype, AIM, or Google chat!

Comment below if you would like to find out more. :-)

These beauties just need hooks!

Update: I have followed my ideas even further, and love how they turned out!

The crochet diamond measures about 2.25 in vertically

This is such a fun avenue of crochet, and it seems as though the variety of ideas will never end! If you would like to crochet any of these yourself (a few are even good for beginners) please comment below. I am working on making each one into an inexpensive pattern to share the joy of crocheting something fun and wonderful you can use (wear) each day! I will put the most popular via comments at the very top of my Etsy To-Do list!

Have a blessed day!

Life: Struggles and Encouragement

There are so many days that I sit down to write on this blog ... and I simply have no idea what to say.
No words, no thoughts, hardly any ideas rambling through my brain slow enough to be caught and fleshed out.

This past weekend feels like a bit of a blur, to be honest.

I hate admitting this to the world, but I was a bit of an emotional wreck this weekend. I am overwhelmingly thankful for the blessing that my husband is in my life. He's my rock when I forget where to look for God. When it's so dark that I just want to shut my eyes and stop straining them trying to find the Light. He never leaves, and he reminds me that God is the same (to an even greater degree!).

There are so many days that having a disability really stinks ... To be honest, I've considering writing a book titled "Some Days Life Simply Stinks" or some variation thereof. It would be all about how hard life is. How easy it can be to find yourself stuck in a bleak view of the shadows that surround you like a brick wall. How easy it is to forget that the shadows aren't really even there ... and you can walk right through them into the light.

Some people seem to have the notion that becoming a Christian means your life will get easier and happier. It doesn't help that even believers answer each other's "How are you?" questions with big smiles and "I'm good! How are you?" even when it is completely untrue.

That notion is beyond wrong, though. In many ways, choosing to become a Christian means choosing to live a hard life ... possibly even harder than the one you were living before. More trials, more persecution ... more growth. Growing is hard! (ever hear of growing pains?) In the end, though, every form of Christian suffering is completely worth it. Unfortunately, it's easy to lose sight of what's important.

Over the past few months I've been having more pains, more weakness, more struggles ... more exhaustion. Emotional and physical. It really wears on you. There are so many times that I just want to cry out, "Why?!" even though I know I won't get an answer in mere words. Even though I know that there is a reason, and I simply can't see it yet. There is some reason I'm being grown (says the woman who barely reaches 5'0") ... I just need to get through the growing pains.

Sometimes it is nice to be reminded of the promises of God. That they still exist today, and that He still has a plan that surrounds my whole life.

This last weekend a horrible tragedy happened pretty near to my home. Such an unexpected night of horror in the Aurora movie theater. It was even more near to my husband, as one of his childhood friends is recovering in the hospital after a bullet went through her skull. Her name is Petra Anderson, and I would encourage you to read this well-worded blog post from her pastor.

There is nothing more wonderful than knowing that the Creator of all things considers us so well as to orchestrate the tiniest (and largest) details of our lives.

Read, and be encouraged. While times may be hard, God never leaves your side. You might feel too weak to endure your struggles, but always remember His infinite strength ... and how much He has chosen to love you!

Designs: Earrings!

The set is now online!

Every time I get an email from Etsy with tips and helpful hints on how to turn my shop into a better experience for the customer, I seem to find a list of things that simply can't apply to who I am as an artist.

First, it is really hard to price crochet items according to the traditional methods. They are so heavy in the time that I spend! So, almost everything I sell is done at 'wholesale' price, because retail would be way above anything I would be willing to pay -- even for something handmade! (That is partially due to my strange ability to be averse toward spending money...I know everything I make is well-made and valuable!)

Second, they constantly write about making your shop 'cohesive' and focusing in on one thing: jewelry, baby hats, paintings, etc.

A soft and fun scarf for any season!

I suppose my shop is (mostly) focused on one thing: crochet! However, that can lead to a very eclectic shop, as my artistic personality simply loves creating!

For example, the beautiful new earrings that I have crocheted (above). They use a lovely pale green bamboo yarn that I just had to crochet with!

Click on the links below each picture to go straight to their page on Etsy!

The variety in my shop is probably overwhelming to the average customer, but that is how I create. How am I supposed to reconcile my artistic desire to try new techniques (and get a start on my very long Idea List that somehow keeps growing) with a need to make my shop more appealing to the eye of the consumer?


Take a look at these other gems: they are so much fun to create!

A simple vase to decorate your home!

A shawl to keep you warm in Winter and stylish in Fall!