MINI CHRISTMAS ORNAMENTS

I have gone crazy with making mini Christmas Ornaments this year. I have Mini Stockings, Mini Ski Hats and Mini Basket ornaments.

The Mini Baskets can also have 'snow', berries, poinsettias, a pinecone and leaves in them:

You can find these items for sale at http://grannyscraftattic.etsy.com/

Now all I need is a Mini Christmas Tree (that's coming eventually).

Merry Christmas one and all!

MY SWEET POTATOES ON CRACK

My goodness, where has this year gone???? It's almost Thanksgiving already and I would like to share my most favorite Thanksgiving recipe with you. It's for a sweet potato kind of casserole. These funny pictures are the only ones I have, but if you use your imagination, you can figure out what they look like normally. I have named my pictures "My Sweet Potatoes" and "My Sweet Potatoes on Crack"


















YOU WILL NEED:

2 large cans of sweet potatoes in syrup

1/4 cup margarine

1/4 cup orange juice

1 small can of crushed pineapple

1 cup mini marshmallows

More marshmallows for decoration

DIRECTIONS:

Heat the sweet potatoes to boiling, drain and return the potatoes to the pot.

Mash in the margarine, add the orange juice and the pineapple WITH THE JUICE from the can.

Fold in the cup of marshmallows.

Put it all into a round casserole dish. Mound some potatoes in the middle, making a valley around it for the extra marshmallows later.

Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes.

Remove from the oven and fill the 'valley' with marshmallows and return to oven for about 5 minutes or until the marshmallows are lightly brown.

Enjoy!

HAPPY THANKSGIVING TO YOU ALL!

MINI SKI HAT CHRISTMAS ORNAMENTS

If you don't know by now, I love out of the ordinary items. I've seen crochet patterns for ski hats and said to myself, "Self, why not make a mini ski hat as a Christmas ornament?"



So.......this is my latest posting in my Etsy Shop:

I used Red Heart Shimmer Yarn for them. Since I have TONS of yarn I will be making these in other colors as well.

What do you think of them?

THE GREAT CHANGING THE FLASHLIGHT BATTERY DRAMA

THERE WILL BE NO PICTURES IN THIS POST.

I decided to change the batteries in the flashlight today. Simple enough, right? You unscrew the top from the bottom, take out the old batteries, put in the new batteries and voila! a working flashlight.



For most people, this works....but I'm not most people.



I couldn't unscrew the top from the bottom. I took it over to my neighbor and he couldn't open it either. Then I went to the apartment building office, looking for the maintenance man...he's strong, he can open it. Okay...so he opened the flashlight case.


The batteries were corroded.


Came back and looked on line to find out how to remove corrosion from a flashlight:

"Make a paste of 2 tablespoons baking soda with a little water, take a wire brush and rub the paste on the corrosion. Take a damp cloth, wipe it down and let it dry."

Sounds simple enough, right? You forget, it's me, the maintenance-challenged crafter we're talking about here.

The only brush I could find that I would even want to touch corrosion was an old toothbrush. I dipped it into the baking soda paste and scrubbed away at the corrosion. Now since the case that holds the batteries is smaller than my hand, there was no way I could get inside with a 'damp cloth' and wipe it down. I let a little water into the case and swished it around, and dumped it out really well.

The case is now standing upright air-drying. This might take a few days.

And all I wanted to do was change the batteries in my flashlight.......

The Last Day of August

I can't believe today is the last day of August, 2010. Where is this year going???

I have been tooling around with making crocheted Christmas Ornaments to sell in my Etsy shop....lots of ripping out. I am, however, so proud of myself because I actually created my own pattern for a mini Christmas stocking to hang on the tree:

The red one has a shorter cuff than the green one, and I think I like the larger cuff better.

I would love to have you leave comments on my creation!

LIGHTBULB HOTPADS/POT HOLDERS

The making of these Christmas Lightbulb Hotpads/Pot Holders started with my good friend Cindy....I showed her the picture of them and she wanted 3 sets. She calls me her 'personal crocheter', she's my best customer, a wonderful friend and WE HAVE NEVER MET IN PERSON!! That's all going to change in October.

I digress.....here is a picture of the finished set:

I have decided to add these Christmas Lightbulb Hotpads/Pot Holders to my Etsy shop.

They can be made in other colors but the only colors with the metalic running through the yarn are red, green and white.

They work up really fast, so if you would like a set, please visit my Etsy shop: http://grannyscraftattic.etsy.com

And thank you !!!

ANOTHER FAVECRAFT CONTEST

I love give-away contests, and one of my favorite sites for free patterns, Fave Crafts, is giving away a VHS to DVD converter. If I blog about it, I get an extra entry, so blog blog blog I go.

Here is a picture of the prize I could win:

I must have at least a gazillion movies on VHS tapes and wouldn't I just love to convert them to DVD's! Since I sit in front of my computer while I craft items to sell in Granny's Craft Attic on Etsy.com, I would be in hog heaven.

I would keep my fingers crossed but then it would be rather difficult to crochet.....so you cross your fingers for me...thank you :)

A CHEAP BLUE TOOTH

I love thinking out of the box and playing around with words and their meanings.

It all began when I found this adorable Tooth Fairy Pattern at Jaybird Designs on Etsy. I have already sold three of these little cuties.

This is when my warped mind began to go into action and I came up with the CHEAP BLUE TOOTH idea. I figured, why should people spend lots of money on something when I can make it for them and they can hang it on their wall? It will never break down or have to be sent back to the factory.......and it's a great companion as well.....you can talk to it and it will never turn a deaf ear, nor will it leave you. And he is always smiling!

I would love your comments about this.

See ya soon!

COASTERS

I have a really good friend who calls me her 'personal crafter' because as she says, "you make awesome stuff!!"

My latest venture for her are these coaster sets made from plastic canvas. I am making 11 sets of these for her to give out as Christmas presents this year.

The colors are way more vibrant than how they came out in the picture but she said she loved how they turned out anyway....she's such a good friend!

If you would like a set of these coasters with the holder, please let me know. The price for this set is $12.50 plus shipping.

NOTHING TO SNEEZE AT

I love things that are out of the ordinary, and when I found this pattern for a tissue box cover in the shape of a couch I went nuts!!! Not only is it a crocheted miniature couch, it is also a tissue box cover. I made up my own pattern for the two little pillows that are sewn on, because I thought this navy was too dark to have the pillows stand out using the same yarn throughout. I made the actual pillow using the navy but then crocheted a little flower applique using a 3-ply yarn in an ombre shade. I think it turned out not too bad, although I might try a different brand of 4-ply yarn next time.

I can make this couch tissue box cover in any color that would match your decor. If you would like one, please leave a comment or visit my Etsy shop http://grannyscraftattic.etsy.com/ and convo me.

MY JOURNEY INTO THE WAFFLE STITCH

A couple of weeks ago I was looking at a site's sale books on crochet, and came across a book teaching how to do the Waffle Stitch. Being retired and poor, I didn't have the money to buy the book. My brain kicked into gear and I hopped on over to Youtube and searched out 'Waffle Stitch", watched a video and began work on another crocheted baby afghan COMPLETELY WITHOUT reading a pattern. This was a first for me because, although I consider myself creative, I have never really been able to create something without reading instructions....so I am really proud of how this "Mint Waffle Baby Afghan" turned out.

I would love to have your comments about this pattern! Please give honest feedback.

CROCHETED GIFT BAGS

I just sold a set of 5 of these adorable mini gift bags to a customer on Etsy.

It's always nice to give a gift packaged 'out of the box', so why not give it in one of these cute mini crocheted gift bags? They are crocheted using a soft 3-ply baby yarn in an ombre color...Giggle! Additionally they have a white ribbon tie and measure approximately 2: wide x 1.75" high...perfect for holding a pair of earrings, or even some BIG cash.

I purchased this pattern from Melbangel on Etsy...she has some really cute PDF patterns...and so great that you can download them right from the email she sends you upon receiving payment. Her instructions are awesome!

I have other shades of baby ombre yarn and will be making up more sets real soon...so if you like these and have a color preference, please convo me at http://grannyscraftattic.etsy.com

POWELL'S SWEET SHOPPE

My Grandson turned 10 on Monday and we went up to Chico, CA for the weekend to help celebrate his birthday. The party was held in the most charming candy shop I have ever seen: Powell's Sweet Shoppe.

Powell's is an old time candy store with candy from when I was a little girl and probably way before. Their motto is "Remember Yesterday, Today". I found a package of Chicklets Chewing Gum in the yellow package like the one my Grandma ALWAYS had in her purse. And I found SEN-SEN....for those of you who do not know what Sen-Sen is, they are itsy bitsy pieces of very strong licorice candy designed to freshen your breath (and send smoke out of your ears at the same time). They have more than 5,000 varieties of candy!!!

Besides all the wonderful candy they sell, Powell's also provides a Birthday Party Room. Each child gets to go on a scavenger hunt and are given a huge bucket and a list of candy to look for (they get to keep the candy),and a helping of any flavor gelato they would like. The birthday child gets a Happy Birthday Hat.

Powell's is also extremely civic minded and has two marvelous programs: Sweet Rewards and Sweet Donations. SWEET REWARDS is designed to get kids to do good. They also offer achievement awards for doing chores, homework and reading, citizenship, sportsmanship and being a good patient. The child gets to choose one of the candy items which appear at the bottom of each certificate. It's Powell's way of saying "GOOD JOB!".

SWEET DONATIONS is a fundraising program for organizations, individuals and causes to raise funds while enjoying purchases at Powell's Sweet Shoppe. Through this program they have helped raise thousands of dollars for many organizations. For information on each of these programs please visit them at http://www.powellssweetshoppe.com/

If you are ever in Chico, CA please make sure you get to visit Powell's Sweet Shoppe at 121 W. Third Street, Chico, CA My Grandson and his friends and our family all had a wonderful time! Thank you Powell's for allowing me to take pictures of your shop for this blog!

STELLARRELICS, STELLAR LADY!

In my traipsings through Etsy, I have found StellarRelics...a wonderful shop with the most adorable earrings, altered art and vintage goodies!

StellarRelics is a single Mom who not only designs the most beautiful jewelry I have ever seen, but she is also finishing up her Bachelors in Business Administration next month, and will start on her MBA in the Fall...talk about multi-tasking!

Being the Mom of an adorable little girl has taken her imagination into jewelry making almost a fantasy craft...she has bunnies, birdies and bows dangling from ear wires...she takes broken jewelry and gives it new life.

Here are a few samples of what you will find at StellarRelics:

This is "Calla Lilly in White Gold"....I think these are awesome!

This one is called "Loteria Pill Box in El Sol"..I would use it to hold treasures, not pills!

This last one is entitled "Upcycled Turquoise Post and Ring Set"...so beautiful!

Not only does she design these lovlies but she doesn't charge an arm and a leg for them....they are priced just right!

So come on....head on over to http://stellarrelics.etsy.com/ to see more of this Stellar Lady's STELLARRELICS!

MY FIRST INTERNATIONAL ORDER

I am so excited about this....a very nice lady from Germany convo'd me about these craft books that I had listed. We had some chat about the shipping cost which are really ridiculous for shipping overseas; however she really wanted these three books and agreed to pay the shipping charge that I searched out for her on usps.com.

Having never shipped anything internationally I was at a loss, and kept filling in the customs form incorrectly...how do I know I was doing it wrong? Well, every time I hit 'next' the same page would come up telling me i had too many words in the description ('craft books' is too many words?). Well, when I finally redid the page for the umpteenth time, it kept telling me that the weight did not match the original weight. I FINALLY figured out what I was doing wrong, over and over and over....the purchase was for 3 craft books and in the 'amount' column I kept putting the number 3. My brain finally kicked into gear and I changed it to '1'. VOILA!!!!! It worked!!!

Well tomorrow I will hand the package to the mailman and hope it gets to Germany before the year is up. Wish me luck :)

YOYO MAMA

A while back, before I got consumed by crocheting, I made a bunch of fabric yoyos....172 of them in small, medium and large sizes. Then I put them into a plastic bag and they got forgotten...

Today I listed them for sale in my Etsy shop. Do you yoyo? Do you use yoyos for making embellishments, or toys? Well why not stroll over to http://grannyscraftattic.etsy.com/ and take a look?

EVERYTHING E-DIRECTORY

I've joined a new group...Everything E-Directory. Here you can find a plethora of handmade items, how-to's, e-books, free patterns...you name it, it's there! I hope you check it out...look for her 'button' on the right hand side of this page. You will find a wealth of information that will take you ten lifetimes to check out!

CONNECTIVITY

I feel it is important to connect with my readers and my customers, soooooooo.....



What types of items would you like to see listed in my Etsy shop? What, that I can make, do YOU like? What types of items would you be interested in purchasing?



I await your responses....



And now back to the workshop :)

CREATIVE CONNECTIONS

I have joined a wonderful group called Creative Connections....a network for people who create things for love or money.....where you can meet crafters from all walks of life. There a few pictures of my creations there....just look for Judi O'Sullivan...that's me....

Please let me know what you think of that site!

Have a wonderful Tuesday!

STITCH MARKERS

I just recently read something that said bobby pins would make a great stitch marker while crocheting in the round.

For those of you who do not crochet, crocheting in the round means you just keep doing single crochet stitches round and round, without joining at the end of each round. However, you do need to know which row you are on, and this is where a stitch marker comes in handy...you just attach it to the last stitch on each round as you go.

Now....I am too cheap to buy those expensive stitch market sets....I don't need 'a set' of them, I only need ONE. I started using safety pins but kept sticking myself every time I opened and closed them. Then the other day I read somewhere that a bobby pin makes a great stitch marker and I have to agree.

I just wish I could remember where I read it so I can give someone the credit for coming up with this fantastic idea.

PINK RIBBON BOUTIQUE TISSUE BOX COVER

Well, here's the latest item for sale at Granny's Craft Attic....

In the Fall of 1991, the Susan B. Koman Foundation handed out pink ribbons to participants in it's New York City race for breast cancer survivors. I found this Pink Ribbon pattern and thought that there are people who would want to have this item to express support for women (and men) who are diagnosed with breast cancer, and for survivors of the disease.

It is made with plastic canvas and will fit a standard boutique tissue box.....

Well, onward and upward to my next project...hope you are all safe no matter where you are...

PASTEL PARFAIT AFGHAN

I am feeling so good right now...I just finished my latest creation and am calling it "Pastel Parfait Baby Afghan" The yarn is just so soft! I wish you could put your hand through the picture here and feel it for yourself.

Although the picture doesn't pick it up, there are shades of peach and lavender in this yarn as well as the pink and blue.

It would make a wonderful baby shower gift. There's a matching item in my shop...Pastel Parfait Hat and Booties Set, and if you purchase them together I will take 10% off the price.

So come on....head on over to Granny's Craft Attic http://grannyscraftattic.etsy.com and see all that I have for sale!

'Til next time.....:)

THE LADY OF THE SOAPS

Today I would like to tell you about the most intriguing shop that I found while trolling through Etsy.com (and you thought I was going to talk about "All My Children" lol).

This most intriguing shop is called "LoveLeeSoaps". Talk about innovative! This lady makes soaps in the most wonderful and amusing shapes. Her soaps run the gammut from cute little buttons to gummy worms (yes, those are soaps in both pictures above). This is a must see...you can find her shop at http://loveleesoaps.etsy.com/ They are perfect for gifts for just about anybody....friends, relatives, kids, teachers....you name it, there's someone who would just love to receive these soaps as a gift. I know if I received them I would put them out for show...they are way too pretty to use.

Well, hope you get the chance to visit LoveLeeSoaps....that's all for today :)

TWO ANNOUNCEMENTS!

I have some great news to share with you today! First off, I have joined a WONDERFUL crafters' community called"HANDMADE SPARK". Their main goal is to introduce crafters to one another; they also want to showcase the handmade community and educate the public about the latest trends. I am really very excited about this new avenue of promoting my handmade crafts.

My second tidbit of news is for a give-away I've entered from Favecrafts Quick and Crafty newsletter.....it's for a Sweetheart Rose Maker....their link is http://www.favecraft.com/sweeps/Sweetheart-Rose-maker-giveaway I just love give-aways!

I may post more later today...but for now...have a wonderful day and don't forget to read my blog!

A NEW DAY....A NEW PATTERN

Happy Thursday everyone!

I gave up on the entrelac pattern and started a new baby afghan using a variegated yarn in soft baby colors...pink/blue/yellow/green/white all shmooshed together. There is a hat/bootie set in my shop using the same yarn....might put it all together to sell as one item...not sure yet.

I am hoping that you will give some thought to the question, "what types of items would you like to see for sale at Granny's Craft Attic?" and let me know....YOU are the customer and I aim to please my customers :).

Well, it's going to be in the 50's here in Sparks, NV for the next few days....I sure feel sorry for the folks back east. Having grown up in Brooklyn, NY, I do remember those horrendous snowstorms.

Have a good day no matter where you are!

TRYING SOMETHING NEW

I have this how-to for what is called "Entrelac Crochet". It is somewhat like the afghan stitch but is done in little diamonds. You are constantly cutting the yarn and adding a new color...which means eventually having millions of ends to weave in...but the concept and the pattern is very intriguing to me so I will now start a second row of diamonds and see how it looks...I might even post a picture now and then of my progress!

GOTTA GET MY ACT TOGETHER

I have been lolly-gagging around the last few days and need to get some fresh blood into my Etsy shop. I guess there are just too many patterns here for me to choose from.......but then again, my motto has always been "Too much of a good thing is wonderful."

THE PIZZA LADY

Well on Sunday there I was, chatting with a friend on line, THAT GAME had just started and I was so craving a pizza. Friend and I started talking about food and I mentioned that I sure would love to have a pizza to snack on. Then we started chatting about something else.

About an hour or so later, there's a knock at my door. I look out the peephole and there is this pizza guy out there with a pizza. I didn't order a pizza...this was very puzzling to me. Maybe he had the wrong apartment...or even the wrong apartment complex. Nonetheless, and curious, I opened the door and told him that I didn't order a pizza. "Oh yes", he said, "look here at the order slip". So I look at the order slip and what I read on there just about knocked me out. The slip said, "This is a surprise for my friend Judi because I owe her a pizza."

This friend I had been chatting with (who shall remain nameless but YOU know who you are) ordered a pizza for me on line. I mean, we have never met in person...oh yeah we get chatty on the phone once in a while, but it has been mainly chatting on line.

The kindness of people we know but have never met in person can be so overwhelming....and this kindness from an unmet friend has done that to me.....and believe me it takes A LOT to impress me. This kindness will be returned....ha ha ha nameless person.....but who knows when it will happen?

Thank you!!!

The Super Bowl

It never ceases to amaze me, year after year......when they have the myriad of sports discussions over what it's gonna take to win...they analyze upside down and inside out. Hey guys...get a clue...WHAT IT'S GONNA TAKE IS THAT ONE TEAM SCORES MORE POINTS THAN THE OTHER TEAM BY THE END OF THE GAME!!!

And that is my take on the Super Bowl!

MY FIRST POST!

This is my first post....and (lol) I have no clue what to put here.

I am currently working on 2 projects, one a gift for my niece and the other, an item to sell in my shop at Etsy. BTW, the link to my Etsy shop is http://grannyscraftattic.etsy.com This is very important to know if you are going to look at my creations and, more importantly, BUY SOMETHING.

I am one of those hoarders who MUST have EVERY pattern ever published for any given craft. My teeny tiny studio apartment has hardly any walk space because of all the bags of yarn strewn here and there. I really must learn the high jump! My best friend Linda and I have had this contest going on for 30+ years now.....the one who dies first with the most stuff wins....and it has become an extremely close contest. My teeny tiny studio apartment has really become the warehouse for Ben Franklin's, with an annex in my rented storage unit :)

Well, um, I don't know what else to say other than that today is Super Bowl Sunday and I need to get dressed....two totally unrelated topics but I thought I would throw that in anyway. As for me, I watch it for the commercials.

Happy crafting to you all...catch ya next time.