Grandma Joy's Store

It's been a while...

2011-11-15T18:36:00.000-06:00

It's hard to believe it's been over a year since I last posted. I am working on getting a degree and just left a full time job...so I could continue working on my degree...so I've been rather busy.

The job I had was in Maintenance at a retirement community here in town and there is a lot of things that need to be done before the place opens at 6am. I had to be at work at 4 in the morning. Ugh!

Anyway, landscaping was part of my job. I love working with plants, even in the 115 degree F temperatures. I had the opportunity to bring home old broken locks, branches, the end rolls of paper towels from paper towel dispensers and other odds and ends. One of the things I really love is the branches. I have always found tree rings fascinating. As we trimmed a carob tree the interesting patterning of the bark really caught my attention. I've yet to figure out what to do with it but it's pretty cool looking.

I've been working on jewelry made from the carob branches, as well as a few citrus branches from trees we trimmed in our back yard. I have them listed at my Etsy shop. I've got a branch from a Mesquite tree that I'd like to work on, too.

That's my life in a nutshell at the moment. =)

Yummy Brownies!!!

2010-07-19T10:59:00.003-05:00

I decided to make a batch of the Delicious Healthy Brownies found at Spork or Foon's Blog. The only thing I changed was using Sugar in the Raw (turbinado sugar) instead of white sugar. Since I hadn't made these particular brownies before I didn't know if it changed anything but they were definitely brownie consistancy.

I have to say that these brownies are amazing! They're chocolatey and moist and definitely take care of that sweet tooth!

I'm going to enjoy finding healthy recipes for "Girl's Craft Nite"!

Denim Notebook

2010-07-17T09:22:00.006-05:00

I decided to try making one of the demin notebooks that I mentioned in my last post. I don't have any notebooks on hand so I grabbed one of my composition notebooks and came up with this...

This is made with upcycled denim. It's embellished with some yarn I had laying around and I added a pocket to hold a pencil or pen.

Here is what you need:

composition notebook, any size
fabric
embellishments
white glue
brush for glue
wax paper or plastic wrap
heavy books

Here are the steps:

1. Cut your piece of fabric large enough to cover the entire notebook with a couple of inches to spare around the edges.
2. On a flat surface, place the notebook on the fabric and trace around the edges on the right side of the fabric, top, bottom and at the binding, with a soft pencil. This will help you as you embellish to know where to line everything up.
3. Embellish
4. On a flat surface, place the notebook back on the fabric, lining everything up with the lines you traced.
5. Carefully lift the fabric from just the top of the notebook, spread the glue over the surface of the notebook and brush evenly, leaving 1/4" to 1/2" around the edges. DO NOT APPLY GLUE TO THE BINDING.
6. Smooth the fabric back over the top of the notebook.
7. Very carefully turn the notebook over and repeat steps 5 and 6.
8. Place wax paper on a flat surface, place the notebook on the wax paper then place another piece of wax paper on top of the notebook.
9. Stack your heavy books on top, trying to distribute the weight evenly.
10. Leave it to dry for 5-6 hours or overnight.
11. Carefully trim the edges of the excess fabric and apply glue all the way to the edges.
12. Place wax paper inside the front and back covers (to keep excess glue from seeping onto the pages).
13. Build your "wax paper/notebook/wax paper/books" sandwich again and give it another 5-6 hours to dry.

Things to note, when deciding on which fabric to use, think thick. The white glue will seep through anything too thin. It doesn't appear to have seeped through the denim but anything thinner might be a problem.

You'll probably want to keep your embellishments thin and relatively light weight.

We'll see how the white glue holds up, especially around the edges.

It should be handy for all kinds of note taking. =)

Girls Craft Nite

2010-07-16T00:47:00.013-05:00

So I'm trying to get a Girls Craft Nite started up with some family members. I'd like to kind of do fun things, interesting things, upcycling, and recycling. Along with knitting, crocheting, polymer clay, and jewelry making here are some ideas that are out there on the net that I hope we can try...

Who doesn't have a pair of jeans that they just want to retire but aren't quite ready to give up?

Blue Jeans Denim Bootie Bag Purse at craftbits.com

The Green Macgyver Eco-Friendly Crafts Blue Jean Notebook at Sustainable Scribe

And a great way to hang onto those favorite t-shirts that aren't quite wearable anymore!

Fastest Recycled T-Shirt Tote Bag at Instructables

Giving plastic bags a new purpose!

Recycle Plastic Bags and Make Gift Bows at Creative Jewish Mom's Blog

And some DIY tea bags for all the lovely tea...

Home Made Tea Bags c/o Bonzai Aphrodite's Blog

Hopefully we'll be able to add some healthy snacks to the fun! Here's one I want to try first...

Healthy Brownies at Spork or Foon's Blog. They look scrumptious!

Happy Indenpendence Day, America!

2010-07-03T20:03:00.004-05:00

In celebration of Independence Day, here are some things I love!

Betsy Ross Flag Banner

>

Independence Day Flag - Palette Knife Oil Painting

4th of July Cheesebruger and Fries 1/12 dollhouse miniature

Newest Creations

2010-07-03T19:52:00.004-05:00

Very hot here in AZ, but it's still so wonderfully dry that its great to feel the sunshine!

The idea for these Plush Emoticons popped into my head one day when I was texting a friend!

You can click on the pictures for more information at my Etsy shop.

New Owl Bags and Lower Prices

2010-03-27T21:26:00.003-05:00

Spring seems to finally have sprung...thankfully! I am so ready for trees to bud, flowers to bloom and bees to buzz...okay, maybe the bees can buzz from a distance!

I've just listed the following bags in my Etsy shop. I've lowered the prices of my Owl Bags and many other items in my shop!

And this one...

and an eensy beensy tiny one...

I hope you like them!

And the winner is....

2010-03-07T13:33:00.002-06:00

-drum roll-

shopaholic221

Congratulations!!!

Chosen by random.org.

Thanks for entering everyone! I appreciate your patience with my first giveaway. =)

shopaholic221 if you could please email me at grandmajoys(dot)giveaways(at)gmail(dot)com with your postal address I will be happy to get your prize out to you!

Everyone have a great Sunday!
Joy

Tomorrow's the Big Day

2010-03-06T16:11:00.002-06:00

Yay! I'm really excited about the drawing tomorrow! I wanted to take this time to thank everyone for your wonderfully kind words about the Owl Bag and other items in my Etsy shop. I appreciate your interest and wish you all the best of luck in the drawing tomorrow!

Joy

Two More Days!

2010-03-05T00:16:00.002-06:00

There's only two more days before the drawing for the Brown Owl Bag! Remember, the winner will be announced after 1PM CT on Sunday, March 7th and will need to email their mailing address to me at grandmajoys (dot) giveaways (at) gmail (dot) com.

Good luck!

Building a dress

2010-03-01T01:41:00.003-06:00

I was so excited to get a new sewing machine last week that I'm celebrating by making myself a new dress. It's been a while since I've made clothing so I'm really looking forward to it!

Unfortunately, I've lost the sleeve pattern piece. I'm hoping to be able to use the sleeve piece from a different pattern and make it fit somehow. Definitely going to try it on scrap material. =)

After playing Warcraft for most of the evening, it's time to focus on something else...like sleep. =/

One week until the drawing for the Owl Bag!!!

Nightzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

Spring cleaning...

2010-02-27T23:16:00.003-06:00

I realize it isn't spring yet but I've been kind of reorganizing and getting the house ready for my granddaughters who are moving to MO along with their support crew (Mom and Dad). The oldest is nearly 3 and the baby is 14 months. Lots of stuff going up and out of the reach of little hands.

I've started collecting toys and clothes for playing dress up. I've found some really cool instructions on making tutu's and am looking for other things that I can make or purchase. If anyone has ideas, I'd love to hear them.

I really love these!

Russian Nesting Matryoshka Doll Child Apron

Bunny Pin and my next giveaway...

2010-02-25T21:33:00.006-06:00

While pondering the many nuances of running a successful blog giveaway...most of which seemed to have escaped me today, I looked through the blogger help section and made the changes that seemed most logical so I hope the comment issues have been permanenty fixed.

I decided it was time to do something creative and started up Jamaica Inn, a movie directed by my favorite director, Alfred Hitchcock (I found this movie while scrolling through Netflix and couldn't figure out why I'd never seen it before), grabbed my yarn and began crocheting a cutsy little bunny pin in the midst of shipwrecks, murder and mayhem. I looo-oooved the movie.

Here's the Bunny Pin...

As for my next blog giveaway (oh yeah, there will be another one so you can consider this an announcement, a warning or a pre-disaster apology). I'm thinking about doing things the old fashioned way, though, and just drawing names out of a hat. =) Just kidding.

Thanks for the interest in the giveaway and good luck!!

Unable to comment on the blog

2010-02-25T15:51:00.002-06:00

Hi all,
I've been trying to figure out what the deal is with the comment issues and can only think it's the third party blog template I'm using. I've changed some settings to see if it fixes things. If it doesn't I'll switch to a blogger template until after the contest.

Again, if you've been unable to comment your entries, please feel free to email them to grandmajoys(dot)giveaways(at)gmail(dot)com.

One way or another we'll get you in the drawing for the Owl Bag. =)

Thanks for being so patient!

Joy

Very overwhelming response!

2010-02-25T11:31:00.003-06:00

Hi everyone,
I really am overwhelmed (happily so) by the response to the Brown Owl Bag giveaway! I understand that there have been some problems leaving comments here and want to assure you that my blog is set to accept comments by anyone so I'm not sure what's going on there. Please keep trying, I don't want anyone to miss out on entering.

If you've been unable to comment your entries, please feel free to email them to grandmajoys(dot)giveaways(at)gmail(dot)com.

If you have previously left entry comments on Skunkboy Creatures blog announcement (thank you for your moral and bloggy support, Katie!!!) of this giveaway, never fear! I'll add those comments to the entries as well.

Hopefully everything will straighten out soon...did I mention this was my first giveaway? =)

Thank you, everyone, for your patience!

Joy

Grandma Joy's Blog Giveaway

2010-02-24T12:47:00.014-06:00

I'm really excited about having my first giveaway! In honor of the first anniversary of my Etsy shop I'm giving away a Large Brown Owl Bag that will look similiar to this one.

Rules:

1. Follow Grandma Joy's Blog (current blog followers are automatically eligible for this step) = 1 entry

AND/OR

2. Visit Grandma Joy's Etsy shop, ~~comment below~~ about your favorite item and include a link to it = 1 entry

AND/OR

3. Tweet a link to Grandma Joy's Blog Giveaway ( http://grandmajoys.blogspot.com/2010/02/grandma-joys-blog-giveaway.html ), leave your @twittername in the ~~comments below~~ = 1 entry

The winner will be randomnly chosen by random.org by entering each name, (if you do two of the steps you'll have two entries, if you do all three you'll have three entries), your name will be entered twice) whoever is chosen to be #1 will be the winner. The drawing will be held on March 7, 2010 after 1PM CT. Once the winner is announced on Grandma Joy's Blog they will be asked to email their mailing address to grandmajoys(dot)giveaways(at)gmail(dot)com so their prize can be shipped out!

You can also contact me with questions about the giveaway at grandmajoys(dot)giveaways(at)gmail(dot)com .

Feature on Cafe Handmade

2010-02-24T10:11:00.004-06:00

I'm really honored to be featured on Cafe Handmade. It's really an awesome website!

In the Studio with Joy Ritchie

It's not just a place for selling/advertising but a place for communicating with other crafters and artists. It's a whole community. You can set up your own profile, join groups, invite people to be your friends, Twitter can be included in your updates and you can also share your profile to a variety of networking sites. I'm still learning all the things they have there! If you haven't seen it...

Here's my Cafe Handmade Profile

I hope you go check it out! =)

Bunny Bag

2010-02-20T08:54:00.005-06:00

I am soooooooo ready for spring! With the snow we've had it's just seemed like the longest winter. I'm not even sure if we've had more snow than avearge but it just doesn't seem to go away.

Anyway, with spring on my mind I thought I'd try making a Bunny Bag in similar fashion to the Owl Bag's I've been making. It's pretty small and would be great for a little girl, as well as someone young at heart!

White Bunny Bag

I've also listed a large Dark Brown Owl Bag. You can click on the picture to take you to it's Etsy listing.

Purple Scarves

2010-02-17T14:02:00.003-06:00

Pics of my latest Etsy listings. I'm pretty pleased with the outcome of the Vickie Howell yarn. I've used almost every bit of it. I'm kind of sad that I didn't make something for myself but I'll keep that in mind next time I buy yarn! ;)

Purple with Black Flower Cluster Cowl

Long Purple Scarf

2010-02-16T19:57:00.003-06:00

This is such a cool idea!!!

How to Store Seed Beads in Plastic Straws

Some things I love...

2010-02-15T12:37:00.006-06:00

The cold is really getting to me, I've been drawn to items that look nice and warm!

Winter fleece dress

Classic Cream White Pure Cashmere Long Coat

So Many Way Wrap

And last but not least...

Simplicity in Black Canvas

Etsy Listings

2010-02-10T15:33:00.009-06:00

I've added four listings to my Etsy shop.

Brown Owl Bag - Large
Actually this is a relisting of a canceled sale.

Purple Neckwarmer Scarf
Very thick, I used three strands of yarn, so it's a very warm piece.

Ivory Neckwarmer
Quite feminine, a light piece for those of you who don't live in extremely cold places.

Romney Hat
Handspun Romney wool in a thick yarn, makes for a warm hat! In it's natural color of a grayish-tan. Lovely, soft wool.

I hope you like the latest listings to my shop. =)

Have a wonderful day, and stay warm!

Joy

Building Granny Squares - Update

2010-02-10T15:30:00.004-06:00

Here is a picture of the first three granny squares I've finished for Planet Blanket.

My Rusty Flower Scarf was in two Treasuries!

2010-02-09T00:46:00.003-06:00

So exciting! Both Treasuries are beautiful!

Englefelt's Treasury and her Etsy Shop.

tialys' Treasury and her Etsy Shop.

Thank you ladies for including me in your beautiful Treasuries!

Building Granny Squares

2010-02-09T00:31:00.002-06:00

I thought I'd make some granny squares for this...

Planet Blanket

So far I've got three done. I'm working on some items to list on Etsy so my time is a bit divided.

I finished a hat this evening, it's made from some Romney that I spun a few years ago. It should prove to be a very warm hat!

I will also be list a button-up cowl/scarf (still need the buttons) and a neckwarmer that has a bit of a victorian look to it. I'm very pleased with the way it turned out. =)

Tabbouleh...nom nom...

2010-01-27T11:05:00.003-06:00

So yummy! I've been hankering for some Tabbouleh and was sooooo happy to find a recipe with quinoa as the main ingredient! I pretty much used this recipe (I don't measure things so it might not be exact) without the carrots. Scrumptious!

Quinoa Tabbouleh

Spotty Pin Brooch...thing...

2010-01-26T16:03:00.003-06:00

I have noticed more and more large brooches and necklaces, lately. I especially love the necklaces Emily Deschanel wears as Temperance Brennan on "Bones".

My daughter suggested that it was possible to put bobby pins on the Spotty Pin Brooch and wear it in your hair. I think that would look pretty cool!

Spotty Scarf

2010-01-26T12:18:00.004-06:00

I've been trying to watch all of the past episodes of "Lost" since I didn't catch them the first time around. I'm at the end of season two. I can't watch T.V. without keeping my hands busy with knitting or crochet. So the Spotty Scarf was created last night while trying to figure out what's happening on that strange island.

Lopsided Flower Garden Scarf

2010-01-25T00:28:00.002-06:00

I hadn't planned on making anything else this weekend but the idea of this scarf kind of just popped into my head. I hope you love it!

Another Owl Bag

2010-01-24T16:37:00.003-06:00

I just finished, and listed, one more owl bag. This is one of the larger ones.

Brown Owl Bag - Large

Red Cable Hat

2010-01-24T16:33:00.004-06:00

I really like this hat. It's made from super duper chunky acrylic yarn. It's extremely soft and warm! I just put one cable up the front to give it a bit of interest.

Red Cable Hat

Some things I love...

2010-01-24T00:27:00.008-06:00

This would be awesome! I would love one with my kids' names and one my grandkids' names.

Domed Tiers 3 layers

Burgundy Red Messenger Bag

I think I could almost write something wonderful in a journal like this!

Miniature Journal

What a lovely surprise!!!

2010-01-23T14:12:00.005-06:00

I was so excited...and surprised...to receive this little beauty from her creator as a Christmas gift! I absolutely love Skunkboy Creatures and have often contemplated purchasing one but I can't ever decide on which Creature I wanted to bring home with me. Katie made it easy by gifting me with an adorable owl.

She's quite mischievous and often finds her way mysteriously around the house, sometimes hiding near my knitting needles. I think she's just wanting a little attention.

Above, she's perched under my Charlie Brown Christmas Tree. Just between you and me, she's just trying to get a better view of my lappy. I was watching "Lost". I think she's addicted to the show, though she won't admit it.

The coolest thing about the Skunkboy Creatures is that they totally reflect the adorable quirkiness of their creator!

Newest shop items...

2010-01-23T13:46:00.005-06:00

I just added a few things to my Etsy shop. I love these colors!!!

Handstitched Beanie Hat

Rusty Flower Scarf

Christmas Wish List

2009-12-08T09:39:00.006-06:00

Fabric Designer Woven - Ballad Bouquet

Vintage 40's Coat

I'd love the sheepie but I'll settle for the Whole Icelandic Fleece - Raw Skirted

Malabrigo Worsted-Rhodesian

Russet - Merino Top

Leather Journal

Little Brown Owl Brooch

2009-11-21T12:55:00.004-06:00

I think he's so sweet!!!

Little Brown Owl Brooch

My newest listing

2009-11-13T16:08:00.010-06:00

A dear friend asked me to build her a bag that looked like an owl. This is kind of the Owl Bag version 2.0. I'm hoping people will like it as much as the one I made for Katie. She's such a unique person, I don't want to make exact duplicates of her idea. =)

I will be adding a few more owl bags to my Etsy Shop over the next week...I'm still building them.

Good evening to all!

I found my tea cups!

2009-11-09T14:12:00.009-06:00

When we moved to our new place 10 years ago I lost half the square footage of my home so lots of things that weren't necessary had to go into the shed. My pretty tea cups were stored safely away and I haven't seen them since.

This weekend I decided to change that and my hubby and I went through the shed and I've been reunited with the tiny collection. It was a fun...albeit, dusty...adventure. I came across the first rattle my now 28 year old son had, a stuffed pony I made my 23 year old son when he was a toddler and several of my daughter's baby outfits.

Anyway, these are my tea cups. Some are sets, some are loners, but I love them all and maybe it's just me but tea just tastes better when drinking from them. =)

The mark on the bottom of the saucer says "Egersund Flint Norway".

The one above is from Czechoslovakia.

I love the flowers on this one, it's stamped "Theodore Haviland, Limoges, France" then under that, "Burley & Company, Chicago".

This tiny yellow set is also from Czechoslovakia and has an interesting mark on the back of the saucer. They're tiny so I'm wondering if they are a demitasse set.

Busy, busy!

2009-11-08T17:35:00.007-06:00

One thing I like about the cold is the fact that I get to make things for family members to help keep them warm. I just made some felted slippers for my niece and grand-nephew and am now making hats for her family. I'll also be making more felted slippers for other family members.

A very dear friend asked me to make her an owl handbag, it was so much fun to make and she seemed to like it when I gave it to her today. I have some top secret projects in the offing so I'll be very busy for a while. That's pretty unusual for me. =)

These are my daughter's latest creations, they're absolutely adorable! She's crazy about meteorology. =)

Angry Cloud, Happy Cloud tree ornaments

A visitor...

2009-10-30T15:27:00.004-05:00

Living in the forest has it's ups and downs...ticks and chiggers are definitely a down thing. This little guy, however, I find very cool! We found him just inside our front door, I suspect he was trying to get out of the gusts of wind. He blends in rather nicely. =) Walking sticks are just another reason I love October!

My first Treasury!!!

2009-10-29T00:50:00.002-05:00

I just made my first Etsy treasury!!! My subject was "storm" because we're supposed to be in the midst of a storm today (Thurs) and I love storms.

storm Etsy Treasury

Just purchased some tea...

2009-10-28T04:29:00.004-05:00

From Teaman's Shop. I'm anxious to give it a try! Still on the lookout for the perfect teacup to drink it from! =)

It's Just like Night and Day

2009-10-28T02:04:00.003-05:00

These earrings are adorable, what a neat idea!!! You can find more information on them at exclamation's shop.

So beautiful!

2009-10-28T00:45:00.003-05:00

These earrings are so beautiful, very feminine. I love the color of the glass flowers and the leaf bead caps are adorable! They very quickly went into my favorites list.

Purple flower posy drop earrings

Up to my armpits...

2009-10-27T01:39:00.009-05:00

Well, not *my* armpits, exactly. I'm making a vest and up to this point I've been knitting in the round, I've reached the arm holes and will start shaping it...as well as knitting back and forth.

I'm using some yarn I purchased from crochetgal's shop.

The vest as it is now, on the circular needles...

A close-up of the cable.

I'm hoping to get it finished and listed on Etsy very soon!

New listing - Arm Warmers

2009-10-26T22:41:00.007-05:00

I am having so much fun knitting! This is the latest addition to my Etsy shop. I'm really enjoying working with the Cascade Yarns Eco. The color is beautiful and it's a pleasure to work with. I'm going to have to make another trip to the yarn store to pick up some more. Yay!!! A trip to the yarn store! =)

Green Arm Warmers

Cup of tea anyone?

2009-10-26T19:18:00.000-05:00

It's the time of year when one starts consuming enormous amounts of hot tea, wouldn't this be perfect to drink it from?

You can find it at Victoria & Charlotte Vintage Shoppe.

I love Autumn!

2009-10-25T17:59:00.022-05:00

Autumn is my favorite time of year, the cool, crisp weather, the thought of hot spiced cider and carving pumpkins...it all brings back childhood memories of getting ready for the holidays that grace this season. But more than anything, I love autumn colors. I plan on eventually making my living room permanently autumn but until then I have to decorate in small spurts for the season.

One change I made is to the valances in my kitchen. I'm not an extremely fancy person when it comes to the decor in my home. This is the main focal point in my kitchen...

...more closely...

And no, these are not up because of Halloween, these are permanent decorations in my kitchen. I've never really found a *style* in which I'd like to commit. Instead, colors are what I like to concentrate on.

My kitchen is relatively new and I'm pleased with it (even with my daughter's drums in place of a kitchen table) but I wanted to bring some signs of the season into the room.

I bought place mats from a dollar store (did I mention that I'm cheap?) that look like this...

And altered them by cutting the top quarter-ish off, turning it so the raw edge is up and sewing it about 3/4" from the raw edge of the larger piece.

Then taking my valance (a plain cream valance to which I added a string of beads)...

...I attached two place mats under the bit of ruffle along the top of the valance and ended up with...

And...

Not the most brilliant ideas for home decor but for me it's just right. The colors are beautiful and it will be easy to remove when it's time to decorate for Christmas.

Purple Ear Warmers

2009-10-25T16:01:00.006-05:00

Yay...it's done!!! =) I hope it goes somewhere happy. Aran knitting...cables and such...is one of my favorite things to do. I love working on pieces that make me think about what I'm doing.

Purple Ear Warmers

Now...to go "autumn" up my kitchen a bit.

So cuuute!!!

2009-10-24T19:08:00.002-05:00

This is one of those things I was talking about a few posts ago...how cute are these? So much creativity and imagination!

sweet puppet designs by stayawake

Earl Grey...hot

2009-10-24T18:59:00.003-05:00

A lot of people might not get the ST:TNG reference in the title but Jean-Luc Picard orders it from the replicator on the Enterprise quite frequently and I find it quite yummy! So I'm a wee bit geeky. It had to come out sooner or later. =)

It's a cool evening and after a day of cooking I thought it might be nice to have a cup of hot tea and some relaxing moments catching up on the blogs I subscribe to.

I'm working on a head warmer at the moment, too, it's wool and a gorgeous color of purple!

So much creativity!!!

2009-10-24T02:00:00.003-05:00

I'm continually amazed at all of the really artistic people that sell things on Etsy. Not just the fact that they make really neat things, but because of the imagination it takes to come up with the ideas. I often wonder about the thought process a person goes through when going from idea to creation...the many trials and errors before they come to the point where they are happy with their finished product.

I love to try different crafts, I want to learn them all! I'm finding tho, that when I try to move into various directions in the world of "handmade" I lose the true direction in which I should be going. I need to stick to my strengths and concentrate on the few things I can do and not spread myself too thin...mentally and financially...by trying everything. It seems like the more things I have to do, the less I get done because I can never decide what to work on first. =)

I love this!

2009-10-23T20:39:00.002-05:00

I don't know if it's because I'm a Gma, but I love this necklace!

Love for Your Grandmother Necklace

Winter's on it's way...

2009-10-23T08:57:00.005-05:00

...and I'm starting on warm clothing accessories to put in my Etsy shop. This set is made from Cascade Eco, it's 100% Peruvian Highland wool. Very soft and should be great for fighting off the cold weather.

Hat and Scarf Set

Made it home...

2009-09-09T00:59:00.003-05:00

After 4.5 weeks I'm home from vacation and more ready than ever to get back to making things to sell online.

Getting back into humid MO after spending 3 weeks in "but it's a dry heat" AZ is a bit unpleasant. I really *do* like the dry heat over the humidity any day.

But it was a great trip and got to visit family in OH and AZ and that's the most important thing!

A baby dragon is born...

2009-07-19T22:26:00.002-05:00

I just listed him, I love him!!!

Little Blue Dragon

Christmas in July at Etsy

2009-07-16T17:09:00.002-05:00

We're celebrating Christmas in July! If you purchase an item in my shop you get a second item ~of equal or lesser value~ for 50% OFF. You will be refunded via PayPal, either to your PayPal account or your Credit Card account, after payment has been received.

Happy Shopping!!!

What I'm building...

2009-07-14T11:09:00.002-05:00

I've started on this Tunic. I don't know if I'll make it quite as long but we'll see.

Rainy days...

2009-07-14T11:00:00.002-05:00

I love rainy, cloudy, thundery days. I like to get out my knitting and pop in old movies and just have a nice relaxing day. I'm surrounded by forest, the trees seem to take on different personalities when the skies are dark and dreary. I swear there's even an Ent or two roaming around keeping an eye on things. =)

My yarn arrived!!!

2009-07-12T00:54:00.003-05:00

I received my Vickie Howell Collection "Rock" yarn! It's soysilk fibers, fine wool and hemp. Very very soft! The color is Siouxsie, a lovely purple.

I'm still not sure what to make! I was thinking of making a shrug or something along the lines of this Knit Tunic. I love that site, BTW!!! I used to spend hours browsing through it before they started to translate the patterns into English. And they're free, how cool is that?

Leather Wrist Cuff

2009-07-10T13:59:00.003-05:00

I made a few of these from upcycled leather last night. This is the Leather and Pink Cuff, the other is the Leather and Blue Cuff.

Company!!!

2009-07-09T11:33:00.003-05:00

We've had a few visitors over the past couple of days. Aren't they beautiful?

Need to create...

2009-07-09T00:01:00.003-05:00

I've been so busy Twittering, Facebooking (is anyone else addicted to Farkle?) and Etsy and Artfire tending that I haven't done anything creative today. I've been pondering over some ideas so I guess it's time to get to work. Yay!!!

Earrings are finished!

2009-07-07T03:07:00.004-05:00

Insomnia again. -sigh- Well, it's not been a complete waste of time.

Earrings - Purple with Black Buttons

Purple Crocheted Bracelet

2009-07-07T01:42:00.003-05:00

I just finished, and listed, a new bracelet. I think this kind of jewelry is fun and I love black and purple together!

Bracelet - Purple with Black Buttons

I might try to figure out how to make some earrings that incorporate the same materials.

Free Pattern - Purple Scarf

2009-07-06T11:47:00.015-05:00

I've never really written a pattern before, except for my own use. Let me know if I've missed anything or if anything is unclear.

Purple Scarf

This is the very simple pattern I used to make the purple scarf, it's sort of an Old Shale pattern. I used just under one skein of Plymouth Yarns Fantasy Naturale. It's 100% mercerized cotton, 140 yds, 100g. Gauge isn't important, it's a scarf. But I ended up with a 64.5" x 3" scarf using size 10.5 US needles.

Abbreviations:
sl = slip stitch
inc = increase
k2tog = knit two stitches together
dec = decrease

Cast on 11 sts.
Rows 1-4: Slipping every first st, knit in garter stitch (knit every row) for 4 rows.
Row 5: sl 1, k1, inc in next st, k to last 2 sts, inc in next st, k last st (13 sts).
Row 6: sl 1, knit across
Row 7: sl 1, purl across
Row 8: sl 1, (k2tog) two times, (yo, k1) four times, (k2tog) two times.
Row 9: sl 1, purl across
Repeat Rows 6-9 til scarf is desired length.
Next row: sl 1, knit across, dec 1 st on each end (11 sts).
Work 4 rows of garter stitch.
Finish off.

More pics of this scarf can be seen at: Purple Scarf

If you use this scarf pattern, I'd love to see it. Send me a pic and I'll post it here.

Free Radio!

2009-07-06T01:24:00.002-05:00

I love listening to music, all kinds of music, so this will quickly become one of my favorite websites.

Free Radio Stations

Another Treasury!!!

2009-07-06T00:27:00.002-05:00

KimsCraftyApple got herself another Treasury on Etsy Sweet Matryoshka, it's just incredibly adorable. She must have magical powers!!!

I shouldn't have done it...

2009-07-05T23:32:00.002-05:00

But I did. I just bought 10 balls of yarn.

Vickie Howell's Rock - Wool, Soy and Hemp Yarn in Dark Purple

I couldn't resist Crochetgal's prices tho!!!

Now to search for just the perfect pattern!!!

My Local Yarn Store

2009-07-05T15:16:00.003-05:00

They'll be celebrating their two-year anniversary soon!!!

The Yarn Basket

Grats to the Trio of Cardinals!!!

2009-07-05T14:40:00.005-05:00

Yadier Molina, Albert Pujols, and Ryan Franklin...going to the All-Star Game! Way to go guys!

Trio of Cards!!!

Finished!!!

2009-07-05T02:57:00.010-05:00

Finally finished my purple scarf and listed it on Etsy.

Handknit Purple Scarf

2009-07-04T00:05:00.003-05:00

Woooooooot!!!!!

Way to go Albert!

Spinning wool

2009-07-03T23:59:00.003-05:00

I was fortunate enough to find a bit of wool roving at my LYS. I haven't spun wool in several years and didn't realize how much I'd missed it!!!

I'm not sure what breed of sheep it's from but I hope to find out from the LYS owner soon. It's very soft and spins up pretty nicely. Can't wait to get more!

Purple Cotton Scarf

2009-07-03T02:15:00.008-05:00

I just started a purple scarf with Plymouth Yarn Fantasy Naturale. It's a rich, deep purple...absolutely beautiful color! I've been looking for a quality cotton yarn. Something that holds up in the washing machine...not to mention everyday use. Something that doesn't split, pill or look generally scruffy as soon as you wear or wash it. Fingers crossed!

I'm knitting in a kind of Old Shale Pattern that seems to be working well. I may add shimmery things at each end, prolly some sort of glass beads, if they look okay with the scarf.

I'm in an Etsy Treasury!!!

2009-06-30T15:03:00.008-05:00

I'm so excited, my Slithering Lavender Green Snake was chosen to be in a Treasury! Thank you KimsCraftyApple!!!

Building Jewelry

2009-06-28T02:12:00.007-05:00

I've been spending the evening building and listing new jewelry on my Etsy page while watching Alfred Hitchcock movies on TCM. I love his movies!!!

I ended up making 10 pieces tonight and now have 48 things on my Etsy page.

Grandma Joy's Store on Etsy

I have been having lots of fun making jewelry but think I'll be concentrating on other things this next week.

I love these!!!

2009-06-24T12:11:00.005-05:00

I'm so excited that one of Chevelle's new releases is online...If you get the "We're sorry but this media appears to be unavailable" message, just click okay and it will pop up. The new song is "Jars" and is just as awesome as all of Chevelle's music. I know I won't be disappointed when I get the new LP.

New Release by Chevelle - Jars

And... New Sherlock Holmes movie!!!

How cool is that?????

Christmas seems a long way away!

Bridal Chokers

2009-06-24T01:16:00.009-05:00

I've listed a few bridal chokers into my Art Fire shop. I've had them on Etsy but thought I'd try my luck there as well. I think they're so sweet, kind of Victorian lacy.

Grandma Joy's Art Fire Shop

My Etsy Jewelry Section

I really think it would be cool for someone to wear one of these on the most important day of their life...very cool.

I've included a picture of the white one above, the cream one is just like it...except cream. =)

Bridal Chokers

2009-06-24T01:08:00.004-05:00

I've got a few crocheted bridal chokers on my Etsy and Art Fire pages. I really love them, I think they're so sweet and Victorian lacy looking.

<----This is the white one, the cream one is just like it...except cream in color. =)

http://www.artfire.com/users/grandmajoys

I think it would be really cool if they were purchased by brides, to think of being even the tiniest part of the most important day in someones life...that's pretty cool!

Craft Corp

2009-06-23T16:29:00.002-05:00

Yaaaaayyyy!!!

2009-06-22T11:25:00.006-05:00

I'm so excited! I used to watch TechTV religiously until they changed it to G4. I've ran across a few of the personalities that kept me glued to the screen and their online shows.

Systm

Tekzilla

TWiT.TV

Woot!!! I can get my computer geekiness fix again!

New earrings...

2009-06-22T11:23:00.009-05:00

I put a few pairs of earrings in my Etsy shop... .

Getting More Organized

2009-06-21T21:14:00.005-05:00

Last night I had the house to myself, it's not unusual for me to be home alone during the day but for some reason it's different being home alone at night. I bought some cheese and crackers for a snack and decided to devote the evening to watching all of "The Office" episodes we have recorded and working on items to put in my shop. Well...I ended up doing 2 out of 3 as well as talking to one of my children on the phone for some time. But, I have so many different things going on...so many different things that I want to do...new crafts I want to try...that I couldn't focus. I ended up making myself a skirt and some earrings.

I'm not really bothered by the outcome, I could always use more clothes, but I realized that I do need to organize my thoughts and projects better and to make my time more productive. I made a Do-Si-Do Book when I first started Etsy, one side is devoted to notes from Etsy Virtual Labs or info I find on the Forums, the other side is devoted to drawings and ideas I have for things to make.

I'm wondering what the best way would be to organize my time to creating things vs. learning the business vs. learning new crafts. I think I'll make a schedule of sorts and see where that takes me.

Free Shipping!!!

2009-06-21T00:58:00.003-05:00

I've decided to go with free shipping at my shops:

Etsy

Art Fire

My First Steampunk Choker

2009-06-18T20:52:00.005-05:00

I worked on this for three days before I could decide on how to finish it but...it's finished!!!

My First Steampunk Choker

I will definitely be hitting the thrift stores again this weekend to look for more watches to take apart!!!

July 4th at Etsy

2009-06-17T17:25:00.001-05:00

I've started making items for July 4th. I love this holiday!! Not only because it is the U.S.A.'s birthday but because we spend time with family! We have a cookout, watermelon, ice cold beverages and fireworks!!! Where we live we can legally have our own fireworks display. We just have to keep them away from my brother-in-law! ;)

One year I was in my house and I heard the strangest sound outside, like someone running past our house (very quickly) running a stick along the side of our home. When I looked through our bay window a huge fireworks display lit up right in front of me. Apparently my BIL had put some sort of rocket in a bottle, the bottle tipped over and headed straight for our home. It was beautiful!!! Various bright red and white flashes in our front window. I told him not to do that anymore. =)

Huge storm on it's way...

2009-06-15T23:59:00.000-05:00

It's going to be here soon. I thought I'd get some work done on some items I'm making. I started on a steampunk piece and am pretty happy with it so far. It's really fun because I'm kind of imagining that I'm making something that really works...out of watch pieces...so that when I put it together each part looks as if it's there for a reason.

I absolutely love storms! I prefer them in the daytime so I can see the dark clouds and the rain falling. I especially love to watch the sky when we have tornado watches/warning. At night there's lots of lightening and if the power goes off...darkness.

It's starting to rain. Woot!

Jewelry in my Etsy shop

2009-06-15T02:18:00.004-05:00

I decided to make a few pieces of jewelry for my Etsy shop. I will probably make more, I'd forgotten how much I enjoy making jewelry.

My Jewelry Section on Etsy

I want to work on steampunk things but I'm researching it a bit more. I would hate to do it a disservice! I took several watches apart and found some really cool things to use!

Steampunk parts

2009-06-14T15:51:00.003-05:00

I've been taking apart some old watches I found in a thrift store. Oh my goodness, I never thought it would be such a difficult task but prying them apart has been quite a chore! Once I finally got them apart, I had to get a screwdriver made for repairing eyeglasses and file it down even more to take the screws out of the inside of the watch.

I'm hoping to try my hand at making some steampunk items, I am *so* intrigued by them. I love this shop...

Catherinette Rings

...they really inspired me to look into steampunk.

Last Day of the Yart Sale

2009-06-14T15:50:00.002-05:00

I can't believe it's the last day of the sale already!!! I have been offering free shipping on all purchases at my shop.

Making creatures

2009-06-12T01:34:00.003-05:00

It seems that my Crocheted Garden Snake has the most hits on my Etsy shop so far. I've been working on designing more snakes. The variegated yarns make some neat patterns for snakes!

I wouldn't mind making some jewelry to put in my shop but I want to find reeeeeallly good materials.

My favorite Etsy sellers

2009-06-10T01:15:00.002-05:00

I love this one...I want all of the Skunkboy Creatures

And TogIncognito's Dragon Scale Choker is massively cool...

Picture Perfect Photos Lab

2009-06-10T01:12:00.001-05:00

I learned a fair amount of information at the Etsy lab today. There's some pretty cool software out there that lets you adjust minor things like lighting and sharpness, it really helps images stand out better.

We were having a pretty bad thunderstorm so I was also tending to a very frightened puppy, as well. I felt really bad because she shivered so much and I couldn't do anything to comfort her enough to calm her.

Etsy Yart Sale

2009-06-10T01:09:00.000-05:00

It has begun! This is my first Etsy Yart Sale, it's sponsored by Team ESST. Yart = Yard + Art. Sellers may participate if they wish to. Sellers may offer discounts, free gifts...I'm offering free shipping.

Fingers crossed that the sale goes well for all involved!

Father's Day Bookmarks

2009-06-07T23:23:00.003-05:00

I'm pretty happy with the way these bookmarks have turned out. I really like the necktie bookmarks the best Grandma Joy's Store - Bookmarks .

I think I'll be moving on to July 4th and Geekness day items. I found some blue fabric with red and white stars in the remnant bin at Walmart, I'd like to use it for a table runner with some accessories but I'm still on the look out for the accessories part.

Making bookmarks

2009-06-06T01:31:00.002-05:00

I finally got my sewing machine in working order, yay! I spent all evening making a football bookmark for Father's Day but it didn't turn out as I hoped it would. The fabric for it is perfect, kind of an old school leathery looking synthetic, but I need to definitely work on the shape and the technique of the lacing on the ball. It will get there.

Coming up with new ideas

2009-06-04T00:36:00.000-05:00

It would be really cool to come up with something that would really sell on Etsy. Something original, something beautiful and/or useful. Mainly something that people would just look at and go crazy over it. =)

Etsy Virtual Lab

2009-06-02T17:33:00.003-05:00

Just finished listening to the owner of Soap Making Supplies | Bramble Berry . She was very informative and had great tips on customer service. I hope to put some of what I learned into practice ASAP.

For my newly started...very tiny...Etsy Shop...

Grandma Joy's Store on Etsy