As Lilies Sewing Dolls

Looking for a sweet gift to give to a little girl?  Check out Miss. Sarah's store at As Lilies Sewing!

Don't Forget! and Other Notes

Don't forget, I am having a give away until January 31, 2011.  See my post on http://craftersniche.blogspot.com/2011/01/all-moderncom-giveaway.html

I also wanted to mention that I am closing my Etsy Store on-line.  I decided it wasn't worth my time to have it, since I do orders for people I know and word of mouth.  I am currently changing the way my blog will look to show the design styles of the things I do the best.  At the top of the page you will see Home, My Store: Baby Hats, My Store: Canvas Hand Bags.  All you will need to do is click on those headers and you will be able to pull up all the styles of hats and bags that I can do.  There are limitless Color options and styles so I am not set on just one style.  I'll add photos as I do more of them so keep checking back!  I also have other things on hand that I need to sell, so I will add an additional page of things I have In-stock.  Will have to do that another time.  I am also going to offer a 10% referral fee to my customers.  If you refer someone to me, I will give you a 10% discount on a future purchase for your word of mouth referral.

When I first started I wanted to do review for people.  As I come across things I have personal knowledge of I will still post about those.  I find that a lot of fun and love giving people recommendations for others.

As always, thank you for taking time to read my blog!  I do love your comments, even though I am still trying to figure out how to respond to each comment made.  Any suggestions? :)

Sylver Designs Review

I'm always on the look out for a good baby pattern to crochet something cute!  I found Sylver Designs  on Etsy.com a long time ago but never bought a pattern until we had a snow day recently and I wanted something different to do.  I really enjoyed looking at Sylver's patterns and admired how cute they were.  With so many differnt color options out there you can come up with some pretty cute baby booties and not have one alike!

What I like about Sylver Designs was how quickly I go my pattern.  I think I received it within 3-4 hours after paying for it by paypal.  I was eager to get it and try it out!   So I decided to make a pair of booties for someone I know having a baby soon.  Here is my finished product so you can judge for yourself.

Sylver Designs showed her pattern in two tone but I wanted to make

an all pink one to show how dainty the booties really can be!

A cute flower button makes it look even more precious!

I love that the booties will actually stay on the foot instead of slipping off as the baby moves.  You can make various sizes for different baby ages too which is great!

I definitely rate this pattern a A+!

So go ahead and check out her store at http://www.etsy.com/shop/sylver?ref=pr_shop

You will love what she has to offer!

Is Candle Making A Lost Art?

There is just something about candles that bring a warmth to our homes. 

Their scent tickles our nose.... 

The colors add pizazz to our living spaces. 

With so many shapes, sizes, and smells, candles are an affordable way to dress up our homes and show off our home's personality. 

So what do you think of when your see a home made candle?  One of my first memories of candle making takes me back to Silver Dollar City.  I used to love watching their candle makers dip the candles and walked around their shop to admire all the fun shapes they sold.  One of the fun shapes I recall is a Candle Sundae in a glass dish.  It really looked good enough to eat! 

I can't say I know too many people that make their own candles, but I do know at least one person.  My nephew, Caleb, started a candle making business this year and I wanted to make sure I got my hands on one of them.  My past experience with home made candles was disappointing.  I found they didn't have a strong enough scent, but I know my nephew and knew that he would not be in the business if his candles didn't smell just right.  So I decided to buy some from him hoping that I would not be disappointed.  You probably are asking, how did it turn out?  Well, I tested them.  They are perfect.  I am not a person that can handle an over powering scent.  Too strong of a scent makes my allergies flare.  These candles were exactly what I look for when buying candles.

So I decided to help my nephew out and let more people know about him and his product.


As I mentioned before, Caleb is my nephew and is 14 years old.  Caleb started his candle making business September 9, 2010 so that he could earn a little money on the side.  I always like to ask people what they have learned by doing their craft and he said that he has learned how to make votive candles and to get the scent just right.  I think that is a very important part.  No one likes buying a candle that doesn't smell when it is lit.  Caleb also mentioned the most challenging thing he had to learn was how to use the auto wick pins and putting them in just right.  He did a great job doing it.  The tops of the candles are smooth as can be and the centered just perfectly!

So how does he make them?   Here is what he said, "I use a Paraffin Soy Mix Wax, Zinc core wicks, liquid scents and dyes. I measure the wax then I melt it. As it is melting, I prepare the wicks, jars, and molds, scents, and dyes. I then add scents and dyes and stir for three minutes. Next, I pour the wax, add the wick, and let it harden."  It sounds so easy, but I know with any craft a steady hand and attention to detail is very important!


Caleb likes candle making because it is fun to do.  He even got to sell 3 jar candles in a weeks time!  Not bad for starting out!  I know how hard to get a home business going sometimes.   One can wait weeks or months or years before it takes off.  That's why it's important to let people know by word of mouth what you are doing.


I purchased Caleb's Cinnamon Apple Berry in a reddish pink color.  Cinnamon Apple is one of my favorite scents so that is what I ordered when I saw what options I had.  When I brought them home after Christmas, I decided to test it out right away. There are several things I liked about Caleb's candles. 

1.  The vibrant colors are so pretty.  
2.  The scents were strong enough and not overpowering.
3.  After burning the candle, the hot wax was not hot to the touch and would not burn little fingers that might get into them.
4.  You can mix and match your scent to the color.  You could definitely fool someone by having a vanilla scent to a green or reddish-pink color!

All three of those things were important to me and I am a very satisfied customer!

Here are some options for Caleb's Candles:

Scents:
Pomegranate Cider, Mulled Cider, Vanilla Macadamia Nut Coffee, and Cinnamon Apple Berry

Colors:
Reddish-pink, Apple Green, Brown, and Spiced Pumpkin

Price: {does not include shipping and handling}
14 OZ Jar with Candle= $8
2 OZ Candle= $1.30
Candle Votive Jar for 2 OZ candle= $0.75

If you or someone else would like to order a candle, you can contact Caleb by leaving a comment on his blog with your candle choice and address.   Tell them Amy sent you!

http://www.wolfbreath.blogspot.com 

Future Post:  Soap Making

Langley Metal Works Showcase

Recently I read an article about supporting your local businesses this year for Christmas.  While I love to do that, I usually don't find out about neat shops that not well known.  Today I wanted to give a shout out for a small business that deserves to be found.  My husband, Patrick, was recently looking for a gift idea for "someone" and found this unique shop.  Best part is... they were a local company that not too many people know about.  Or at least we didn't and some of the people Patrick works with didn't either.  I wanted to tell everyone about it because they have resonable cost items for someone that is looking for a unique gift.  They have a shop on etsy, http://www.etsy.com/shop/langleymetalworks?ref=pr_profile and also a personal web-site.  We purchased the above metal sign for $30 and just got it today.  The turn around time on this item was quick!  It is fabulous!  Go ahead and visit their personal web-site at http://langleymetalworks.com/mizzou-shop.html.  Let me know what you think.  Here is the picture of the finished product and we are thrilled with it!



My Designer Girl

Who is My Designer Girl? 
What does she do?

Awel Prince is the owner and creator of My Designer Girl.  It is probably got to be one of my favorite hang out spots.  I find her designs beautiful and serene.  She has a way of connecting with her audience and knowing what they like.  She also has the ability to give you a design that was better then you had imagined.  Ok... maybe I am a tad bit biased because she is my niece, but I will let you make that decision for yourself. 





Take some time to visit her web-site at http://www.mydesignergirl.com/  and browse around to see some of the services that Awel has to offer.  Awel has tutorials on how to do design it yourself, free designs, a Quick Question Chat Box, and reasonable priced design packages to help those who may be computer challenged, like myself.

When I contacted Awel at My Designer Girl, I asked her if she would be willing to share some more information about herself so that others can get to know her.  Here are some of the things she had to say:


1.  Please introduce yourself to me. 

"My name is Awel Prince and I'm a young Christian girl who likes to laugh, talk, read, blog, write, and design. There's not much to me, I'm pretty average, except for the exuberant amount of time I spend reading and writing. And I have a hard time talking about myself. *laughs*"

2.  Tell me why or how you got started in your craft?

"Um...let's see. I started fiddlin' with graphics designing just to create wallpapers and such. Then little by little I began doing bits and pieces for my blog and about two years ago a friend gave me the idea to use my designing for a business and so I started My Designer Girl."

3.  How long have you been doing this?

"Just a little over 2 years now. :)"

4.  What have you learned since you started?

"Don't give up when you can't get something to work and take a break when you get frustrated. :) Also, you can do anything if you work hard enough at it. :) And Patience, Patience, PATIENCE!"

5.  What would you considered your greatest accomplishment?

"Actually selling my work. :)"

6.  What is your favorite thing to do with your craft?

"Making something the customer absolutely loves. That's always the best part. :)"

7.  What is the most challenging thing you had to learn?

"That things don't always work the first time and that I've got to have patience especially when I want to make my work look "amazing" and have that "wow factor.""

8.  Where do you hope to go with your craft?

"I hope My Designer Girl continues to grow and that I'd be able to supplement any income in my future. I hope to establish myself with a reputation for great designs and great customer service. Because with me, the most important factor of my designs are the customers. If the customer ain't happy, ain't nobody happy. :)"

9.  What inspires your craft designs or creations?

"Mostly my own imagination, fiddling around with scrapbooking elements, and doing "weird things" in Paintshop Pro. Also wallpapers and forum signatures/avatars. I know that last bit's crazy, but they do some pretty amazing typography on signatures."

10.  Please provide me with a picture of a project you would like show-cased.

"It's the spring design for my personal blog. Yeah, I like to plan ahead. :)"

11.   Name a Crafter that you would like show-cased.

"Lana of Lana0Crystal @ http://www.etsy.com/shop/Lana0Crystal She's a beautiful jewelry maker and deserves a shout-out! :)"

Thank you Awel for your part in today's post.  I hope all my readers will take a minute to check out Awel's web site at http://www.mydesignergirl.com/.  If you have a question that I didn't ask, head on over to My Designer Girl and check it out for yourself.  I assure you.  You will not be disappointed!

Remember... if you know of someone with a beautiful talent, let me know.  Maybe they will be on a future post!