Etsy Friday: HandmadeKitty

This week on Etsy Frieday: Handmade Kitty!



You might remember a few weeks ago in my 'Best Of' Tuesdays I featured the excellent Lucky Cat amigurumi by HandmadeKitty on Craftster. Well, I found out she has a shop where she sells her wonderful ami patterns! Yay! The Lucky Cat is for sale, aswell as these super cute Russian Matryoshka Nesting Dolls! Such detail! I think I may be buying the Lucky Cat pattern, I really liked it on Craftster and would love to make my own one!

Check out this shop here.

Knit-A-Square

Whilst shopping in HobbyCraft the other day I saw a flyer on the wall near the tills about a charity called Knit-A-Square. I didn't have time to stand and read it but I remembered the name and when I got home I looked it up online.

It turns out Knit-A-Square is a charity dedicated to creating blankets for orphans in South Africa, made from donated squares. Anyone can make and send in squares, be it knitted or crocheted, from any type of yarn, in any colour or style.

The website is Knit-a-Square.com. On there you'll find out all about this fab charity, including patterns and ideas for the squares, info on the project and other ways you can help.

I think this is a great idea, I'm often trying to find something to crochet that doesn't take much brain power and this would be great for those days when you just don't want to concentrate too much. Think I might have to make a few squares!

Best Of...

Craftster


I'm very tempted by Inchies, and these lovely examples by Phizzychick make me want to try them even more! An Inchie is basically just a square of cardboard that's 1'' by 1'', and you just draw/paint/whatever on it to make mini pieces of art. I just wish I could draw lol!

Photo (c) Phizzychick

Deviant Art


I'm a MASSIVE Heroes fan, so naturaly I love these Heroes character cartoons by Eattoast! My fav cartoon here is Peter Petrelli - infact he's my fav character in the show too lol!

Picture (c) Eattoast

Flickr


I love this photo Momiji by Ladybastard_Harajuku over on Flickr! I love the tattoos, the hair, the dress, the shop - everything! I want tattoos like that!

Photo (c) Ladybastard_Harajuku

Ravelry


Loving this Scarecrow Bear by DawnToussaint on Ravelry, so sweet! Beautiful use of colour, and I really like the detail on the hat!

Photo (c) DawnToussaint

Random Photo No. 2

This is a photo I took of my shadow on the beach at Lowestoft, Suffolk this year.

My Dad collects Chinese porcelain, and there's a place up in Norfolk that sells rare pieces, so one Sunday in May my Mum, Dad and I went on the long trip up there so he could check it out.

On the way back down to Essex we had to drive through the county of Suffolk, so we took a de-tour to Lowestoft, which is one of my fav seaside places. It's a typical seaside town on the east coast of England, complete with all the usual seaside-y stuff like a pier, beach and high street.

It was hot that day, so I said I wouldn't mind a paddle in the sea, so my Mum and I took our shoes off and stepped in. It was really cold, but as it was so warm that Sunday it was a welcome change! I thought it'd be interesting if I took a picture of my shadow in the water, and this is the resulting picture.

Etsy Friday: Knitting Dreams

This week on Etsy Friday - Knitting Dreams!


Knitting Dreams are based in Bizkaia, Spain, and make the most sweet amigurumi, sewn and needle felted miniture bears I think I've ever seen! My fav in the shop at the moment is this cutey Ilun! He's only about 3.5'' tall and made of polyester fabric and acrylic yarn. Too sweet!

Check out the shop here.
You can also view Knitted Dream's Flickr Account here.

Best Of...

Craftster


I love these adorable critters by Gekkogirl on Craftster! Although I love amigurumi, I think the sock monkey is my fav! Cute face!

Photo (c) Gekkogirl

Deviant Art



These flowers by Lildevil on DA are so colourful and happy! Do you reckon they're really that colour, or have they been Photoshopped?!

Photo (c) Lildevil

Flickr


More beautiful work by ElizabethD on Flickr! I love the odd shape of the mushroom and the cute flower on the snails head! Super kawaii!

Photo (c) ElizabethD

Ravelry


Wow, check out this scarf by Jialuvsdogs on Ravelry! Look at the yarn! Can you even call that yarn?! I'd have a nightmare trying to crochet with that but it looks really cool!

Photo (c) Jialuvsdogs

Random Photo No. 1

Sometimes I just can't think of anything to blog about. So on those days I thought I'd just post a random photo. Here's No.1:


Whilst on Holiday in Cyprus this year I spotted this little mini church by the turning to our villa. It was really pretty, and everytime we drove past it I wondered what it was.
So one day we stopped and I had a look. Inside were lit candles and bits of paper. I asked one of the local waiters what it was all about and he said it was a kind of shine to lost loved ones.

Etsy Friday: Made By Marta

This week on Etsy Friday: Made By Marta!



Made By Marta are based in Central NC, USA. They make everything small, petite, tiny and mini, including plushies, pins, bags and pencil buddies, including this Green Monster Pencil Buddy! Isn't he cute?!

They take custom orders, and are showing a sneak peek of their Winter 2009 collection in their shop now.

Check out Made By Marta's shop here

Photo (c) Made By Marta

Christmas Card And Discount Giveaway!

No Best Of this week, didn't get time to look through Craftster etc, Instead...


You might remember a few Sunday's ago I launched my Christmas Card Giveaway, well I still have some cards left so I thought I'd update!

This Christmas time I'll be sending out Christmas cards with 20% discounts to spend in my Etsy Shop to anyone who wants one!

All you have to do is email me your mailing address, and around November I'll send your card and discount code off to you. You don't have to be in the UK - you can be anywhere in the world, I mail everywhere!

And don't worry - I won't use your address to send you junk mail, and I won't be passing it on to 3rd parties - I'm not like that! I'm just doing this because I love sending mail!

So if you'd like a card and discount code this Christmas, email your mailing address to me at Esshaych@hotmail.co.uk, and I'll add you to the list!

Thankies!

Bunnys, Russell Brand and Journals

Hope everyone had a nice weekend!

I didn't get up to much (as usual...); my Nan came round on Saturday, which is always nice though.

On Sunday I got an email from the lovely Slingmomma from Craftster.org saying she'd finished pattern testing my Petal The Bunny ami pattern! I love seeing the ami's people make from my patterns! If my testers send me pictures after they've made their ami's I always save them onto my computer, I love looking back at them!

Slingmomma said I could use the pictures on my blog, so here she is!



Cute, a?! She's gonna be sent off in a swap; I hope Slingmomma's swap partner loves her as much as I do!

And OMG, guess what I got at the weekend?! Finally, tickets to see Russell Brand! Yay! He's been promising to do another gig in London since August, now it's finally been anounsed! It's gonna be at The Royal Albert Hall - posh! I've seen him once before - earlier this year at the O2. That gig is gonna be out on DVD in November! I better not be on it - I would be so embarrassed!

I'm thinking of starting a journal. I already have a diary but I don't write in it that often. I was looking around Craftster on Sunday evening and found a thread about what people write in their journals, it was very inspiring! Think I might do one in list format and keep my normal diary too. If you have a journal, what do you write about? I need more inspiration lol!

New Shop Listing!

Today I listed my Laura The Wekeshi Doll pattern in my shop!

Laura is a fun and easy amigurumi doll, inspired by the Kokeshi Dolls of Japan. I called these dolls Wekeshi as they're a Western take on the Kokeshi Doll, hence 'We-Keshi' lol!

The pattern is available in PDF format, and is 8 pages long. Also included in the pattern are instructiuons on how to attach amigurumi hair, change colour and how to make mini pom poms. And of course you get the pattern for her cute hat and scarf too :D

You'll only need the basic crochet stitches to complete Laura, including single crochet, slip stitch, increase and decrease stitches.

The pattern is for sale at $2.50, which is about £1.57 (according to Google!). You can find her in my Etsy Shop.

Hope you have a nice weekend! :D

Etsy Friday: Elishacopeland

This week on Etsy Friday: Elishacopeland!



Elishacopeland are based in Sherman, TX. They make kawaii items such as amigurumi, amigurumi patterns, necklaces, hair accessories and much more. I love this amigurumi - Big Betty The Bunny! I really like the colours used for her t shirt!

My fav items are, of course, the ami's! There's loads of them, and they're all really cute! From pears to rainbows, cupcakes to mushrooms.

Check out this cute shop here
There's also a blog at www.elishacopeland.blogspot.com

Photo (c) Elishacopeland

Best Of...

It took a while, but I think I've got the missing picture situation sorted. So here's Tuesdays Best Of...

Craftster



I like anything Japanese, so naturally I love this crocheted Maneki Neko, or Lucky Cat by HandmadeKitty! The Maneki Neko is ment to bring good fortune and luck to the owner and they're very collectable. I have a plastic silver one sitting on my desk right now!

Photo (c) HandMadeKitty

Deviant Art



Can you believe this Butterfly Pendant by AndreaZstyle on DA is made of fimo/polymer clay?!! It's so pretty, and such an original design.

Photo (c) AndreaZstyle

Flickr



This is Snowbert, the jointed Snow Bear ami by CindySickler on Flickr! How cute is he?!! So kawaii!

Photo (c) Cindy Sickler

Ravelry



Check out this fab Spiral Play Hat by Woolly Wormhead on Ravelry! It's made up of lots of different sized circles all sewn together. There's even a pattern for it so you can make your own! Yay!

Photo (C) Woolly Wormhead

And Just Because....



I was looking around online the other week to try and find something I can do with my hair as it's getting a bit long and boring, and I came across this photo! Look at this girls hair, I think it's brilliant! I'm a massive fan of bright hair - I've dyed my hair every colour (except blond), the best being bright (and I mean BRIGHT) red afew years back. I'd love to dye my hair again, but I bet this type of colour job is a bugger to look after! Imagine all them colours running together?!

Late Nights

One of my problems is my sleep pattern. It's not so much of a problem for me, as just a bit weird.
My sleep pattern is reversed, I sleep for alot of the day and am awake for most of the night. It's got that way over the years, since I got ill in 2001, and it's just slipped out of control.
I don't mind too much, as it means I have the house to myself in the hours whilst everyone's asleep. I like my own company lol! I do alot of crocheting in the small hours, and with no one around it means I get quite alot done.
Last night was one of those times. I finished a scarf I've been making for a swap on Craftster (I'm not gonna post pictures incase my partner sees it...), I wrote a pattern for and made 3 chapstick cosys (I'm thinking of posting the pattern on this blog next week) and I completed the octopus I was telling you about. I finally got to the town on Friday to buy some more yarn, so I could finish off his legs. Here he is...


He doesn't have a name yet. Any suggestions?! And I'm thinking of making him some friends.

So yeah, that's what I do whilst everyones asleep. It's not too bad, just it gets annoying when there's places I want to go during the day! I'm like a bat lol

Etsy Friday: Sock Safari

This week on Etsy Friday: Sock Safari!



Sock Safari make cute little sock monkeys out of cool socks. Based in Los Angeles, all the lovely monkeys in this shop have different personalities, including this little guy Albert The Baby Sock Monkey! Too cute! I love his little face!

Check out this wonderful shop here
There's also a blog at www.socksafari.blogspot.com

Photo (c) Sock Safari