12 Weeks of Christmas - Week 10 Reveal

If you are like me, the week before Thanksgiving everything tends to get much busier. You find yourself running around attempting to accomplish last minute things like buying gifts, making cookies, packaging gifts, and cleaning. So when I decided to do this holiday countdown, I knew that the ornaments I wanted near the end of the countdown needed to be simple and quick. What that led me to was creating a few new patterns myself to offer. It wasn't a hard job as I love to create and design new things.

What inspired this pattern was the wreath we created in Week 8 and a few doll hair patterns I have seen. Who doesn't enjoy the thought of bouncy swirls? Okay...maybe there is a few of you. That's why it also doubles as an icicle in an abstract sort of way.

This last weekend has been a bit crazy. Holiday shopping. A Christmas party. Preparing for another Christmas party. In the midst of all that, I forced (without any reluctant behavior) to sit and prepare some of these for my own tree and for my mother. Here are the results:

Simple and to the point, this is a no thought, no focus pattern. What I love about it is that it falls down in a bit of a cascade. Here's some pictures.

This pattern will be used in 2015 for a doll pattern here at Dande Creations. Look for it soon.

We have only 2 weeks left. It's crazy to think that we are only a few weeks away from 2015. Get your hook ready for Week 11 and 12.

12 Weeks of Christmas - Week 10

This week is another simple pattern. It is one that I created and will be making free for the rest of December as a gift to those of you who read my blog or participate on Twitter. It was recently introduced as a new pattern in previous weeks on this blog.

The Swirl Ornament

Please click the Ravelry picture below to be transferred to the free pattern.

This pattern is written fairly simple for all types of crocheters to understand. What I love about this is that when hung on a tree, it looks like icicles hanging down. If you used some white yarn with silver thread in it, it would give that illusion even more dazzle. Had I a craft store closer to me, I would pop to the store and pick up some of that yarn to see. Unfortunately, I am stuck with the colors I have in my house.

Looking forward to reveal,

Sarah

12 Weeks Christmas - Week 2 Reveal

The Week 2 ornament is one of my patterns that includes a cute, easy to make, quick mitten pattern. What I love about small patterns like the stocking and the mitten is that I can fit them into a busy schedule with no problem. Within 5-10 minutes I have a completed ornament that I can give as a gift or add to my overflowing Christmas tree. As the weeks progress, the patterns will get slightly more time needy.

I have used tons of colors of yarn on this ornament and it still looks adorable.

Like last week, I used "Christmas-y" colors to crochet the mitten. Here's the pictures:

Hanging up.

From last year.

In the above pictures you can see two different ways to accomplish the handles. I did one as I was crocheting (the first picture). The second picture was an addition of the handle by adding yarn to one side and attaching it to the other after about 15-20 chains.

What is your favorite type of ornament?

Sarah

12 Weeks Christmas - Week 2

Week 2

Crochet Mitten

(http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/quick-mitten-ornament)

This little pattern is my own pattern that I offer free on my Ravelry page. Despite not being updated yet to the new format of my patterns, it has all the important information like materials and abbreviations. If you have any questions about how this pattern is written or if any instructions are unclear for you, please contact me at dandecreation@gmail.com. I will contact you as soon as I am able to help you!

Project Type: Scrap buster

Skill level: Easy/Beginners

Hook Size: H or I hook (I used H.)

Type of Yarn: Worsted Weight - I used Red Heart in Paddy Green, Cherry Red, Medium Thyme and Burgundy. 

Uses for finished product

• gift
• ornament for tree
• hiding small candies
• hiding a ring

Like the stocking ornament in Week 1, this ornament has an open top that allows you to hide small objects on the tree for a "Hide and Seek" game. Not only does this add a little more fun to your holiday, but after the game is finished, you have a beautiful ornament on your tree.

There are many ways to embellish this pattern. You could sew on sequins or other beads. You could use extra yarn and sew a pattern into the main colored portion.

Look for the reveal on October 13, 2014.

Sarah

12 Weeks of Christmas - Week 1 Reveal

If you are like me, the weeks leading up to the holidays equals tons of stress and busyness. So, my plan has been to create one thing for each week leading up to Christmas in hopes to have something done. I do have a large family who loves receiving homemade ornaments, so my focus is usually geared toward that. In Week 1, I provided the pattern for a cute little Christmas stocking from Daisy & Her Things as a way to kick off the 12 Week Countdown. It is an easy pattern that eases everyone into Christmas making mode. Boy did it deliver.

Great factors

• Easy pattern to follow
• Quick project
• Scrap buster with no purchases required (only due to having yarn already)
• Serves multiple purposes (gift, hiding small gifts, and ornament)
• In U.S. Terminology

Bad factors

• The pattern does not give many instructions for beginner crocheters. Some may not know how to read a pattern.

Are you ready to see the finished product?

Here you go!

Not hanging up

Hanging up, but not on the tree.

Obviously, it is much too early to put them on the tree for photos in October. As it gets closer to Christmas, I will take some photos of them on the tree and update photos.

How did you enjoy this Week's ornament?

Sarah

12 Weeks of Christmas - Week 1

Week 1

Stocking Ornament

(http://daisyandherthings.wordpress.com/2011/10/05/free-pattern-little-christmas-stockings/)

As I attempted to create a balanced list of ornaments that represented the holidays for me, I came across this 2011 pattern by Daisy & Her Things - a cute little Christmas stocking! How could you not fall in love with this little guy or girl if you like? I am sure I made it previously, so I can be sure that this pattern is easy for all levels of skill.

Project Type: Scrap buster

Skill level: Easy/Beginners

Hook Size: G or H hook (I used H.)

Type of Yarn: Worsted Weight - I used Red Heart in Paddy Green, Cherry Red, Medium Thyme and Burgundy. 

Uses for finished product

• a small gift holder
• an ornament
• for small candies
• hiding candies on the tree
• a gift for someone special

This is a quick pattern that can be used to hide candies or other small trinkets on the Christmas tree. My mother in law use to do this with her sons when they were young. I have no experience with it as a child, but my husband has told me stories of finding tiny kisses and other things hidden on the tree almost like an Advent calendar activity.

Please check back on Monday to see the finished product. If you want to participate in this activity and submit a picture, please email them to dandecreation@gmail.com with a name and a photo. I will add them to the blog to share.

Sarah

12 Week Countdown to Christmas

Hello blog readers! If you are reading this, you may be searching for the perfect holiday craft to create for someone you love or for yourself. I know that as the days tick by and creep closer to Christmas that I begin loosing days I can craft toward my goal - a true homemade Christmas. Perhaps I inherited the gene, but sometimes I end up too stressed or busy to accomplish the goals I set each year regarding gifts and purchase some in the weeks leading up to the holidays. This year, I am preparing!

Beginning October 2nd, I will be posting a new ornament to crochet that should be usable by any skill level. The patterns I choose may be free and some may not be; however, the respective owners need to receive all credits. Please respect everyone and keep the patterns free by not copying and giving credit to the people who deserve it.

Throughout the weeks, this blog post will be updated to include every week of the countdown for an easy way to view the entire list. I will also label every post with Christmas Countdown. This new event will replace both the Make it Monday posts and the Throwback Thursdays posts.

I am so excited to be able to bring this countdown to you.

Here's how it works

• On Thursday, I will be providing a post that includes a link to the pattern and my goals for the end result. This will include a list of all materials necessary to complete the product.
• On Monday, I will post a picture of the finished product and my thoughts on the pattern or any changes or embellishments I did.

If you happen to want to participate by sending in photos, please do so by sending them to dandecreation@gmail.com. Remember to post a good photo and the name you want to be known by. I will post the pictures on my blog to show!

It is that simple! I post the pattern. I make the product. And I am one step closer (and you) to giving them as gifts around Christmas.

Planning on participating?

Sarah

Throwback Thursday - Custom Order Viking Helmet

This one...yep this one was trouble! I remember struggling on how to create the horns in a way that matched what a Viking helm may look like. Obviously, it is not a true representation. Yet, it does give a nice nod. Yes, that is a crocheted blanket to the right of the photo, but I did not crochet it. It was a gift. That woman is me though! Unfortunately, I did not write this pattern down as it was just free hand. I might be tempted in creating the pattern in the future if there is interest....

What have you crocheted freehand?

Sarah

Throwback Thursday - Oh Snap

Hello friends!

Here is another week of firsts.....

Hair Snaps

These cute little hair snaps was my first try of making some. I had no buyer. Again, this was just attempting to expand what I could accomplish. I used small 1 and 1/2 inch hair snaps, e6000, and 4 - 6 petal flowers in pink. They did turn out cute. And perhaps I will expand my product line to include them further.

I would like to know if you have any ideas on displaying them. I could never find a great way.

Snap!

Sarah

Throwback Thursday - Dangling

Hello friends! Another week of firsts.

First earrings to sell

As you can see, there are two different kinds. My little sister requested me to make two sets of these earrings for her in-laws Christmas gifts. I had given her a pair of each a few weeks earlier for her Christmas gift. The red five petal flower ones actually have some gold thread weaved in. The other pair is some pale blue snowflakes.

I actually enjoyed crocheting these. I thought about adding them into my product line-up; however, there were no bites to purchase. So I did not continue.

Would you like to see a pattern for these?

Sarah

Throwback Thursday - Reading what?

Hello friends!

Today is the day that I share some exploits of the past...and by exploits, I mean craft/crochet that I did. In the coming weeks, I am going to share some of my "firsts." By that, I mean that I am going to share with you the first time I completed a certain type of item. The horrible, the improved, and the best, in essence.

This week's share: My first designed kindle cover - Love Themed

I created this cover around Valentine's day as a product in my Etsy shop. It was never purchased. I am thinking about creating the pattern to sell on my Ravelry and Craftsy pattern stores. I have some ideas for a technology set. We shall see how that goes.

What was your first cover like?

Sarah

It's been three weeks since my last......blog post....lol

You know those moments in time where you are so busy that you can hardly see straight and the stress is almost too much to take? Well, that has been me in the last three weeks. I had an unfortunate encounter with a woman bent on making my life horrible for the last three weeks. Don't worry. I am not going to vent here! I just wanted to clarify. I am in college, attempting to get a BA in English. I am just 3 classes away from finishing. So you can imagine my frustration at being teamed up with someone who cares little for anyone but herself.

Now that I am finally rid of her, I can get back to my stress-free programming! I.E. pattern making, preparing for autumn craft fairs, crocheting, and my writing. It has been too stressful to even think about any of that.

If you notice, I did a Share it Saturday late last night to show what I was up to - now free from stressful, uncaring people.

What I really am up to is something very tedious, but necessary. Any crafter who attempts to sell their product will understand. Since I had the opportunity to join a juried show with my crochet with shows in November and December, I thought I would do ornaments.

1. I LOVE crocheting ornaments.
2. I LOVE Christmas.
3. I LOVE imagining my ornaments on other people's tree or given as gifts.
4. It is extremely easy to decorate a booth for Christmas.

What more could I ask for?

So, tonight I am doing two things - making a list of ornaments that I could potentially make and making them while timing myself.

Timing myself, you ask?

Yep! Timing myself. I am not the type of crafter (anymore) who wants to forget the time aspect of crochet. I believe that there are many undervalued crochet products being sold with no one the wiser. 3x the cost of the material is okay for someone who just randomly sells things; however, for someone wanting to be in a juried show that requires true value, no sales, and representing the actual product - well it is not okay.

This is my formula.

7.25 (federally mandated minimum wage in the U.S.) (divided) / how many I can make in an hour = total for just 1 of those items.

Total of 1 item + (material costs x 3) + packaging costs + taxes = true value of the item

Take the pine cone for example. The small version allows me to get 4 done in an hour. When dividing 7.25 by 4, I get $1.81 for making them just as a wage. I have not weighed the item or found the proper packaging, but I can assume that my price would be between 5-8 dollars per pine cone.

That is the true value. That is what my work is worth. And that is an uncompromising price and value for my work.

As you can see, it is a busy evening and week for myself. I hope that you are still around to view more future posts.

Sarah

Share it Saturday - Pine Cone Ornament

This week's Share it Saturday is a quick little project that will end up as a pattern in the future. I love the look of them; however, I think there should be some changes made to it.

Medium Pine Cone Ornament

Small Pine Cone Ornament

As you can see, they are so cute! I can see these on a tree. What about you?

Sarah

Throwback Thursday - A Rose by any other name....

This week, in honor of Mother's day, I am sharing with you my first crocheted rose. I inserted a pipe cleaner and wrapped it in a green yarn to create the stem. If I had to do it over again, I would probably use a wooden dowel instead of a pipe cleaner. It would be sturdy.

As you can see the pipe cleaner shows. I used Caron Simply Soft and that might have caused it. It wasn't wrapping very well!

Happy Mother's Day to All the Mother's out there

Sarah

Make It Monday - 2 Autumn Cards

Were you excited when you saw the preview on Saturday? I couldn't believe how cute they turned out. I plan on sharing another card I made using a Jack N Jill set soon. The goal of my Make it Mondays is simply to work on increasing my stock or other business ventures for the upcoming fair/sale season. Feel free to use the search bar to the right to search for my previous Make it Monday posts.

Before I go any further, please be aware that I am not a professional card maker. I am not a consultant. I make cards because I like to and as a beginner. This tutorial is at a beginner level.

This week is 2 in one! Yep, using the same stamps and same paper I am creating two different looks. Here's the preview: 

Material List

• White cardstock
• Brown cardstock
• Cream cardstock
• Colorbok Luxe Designer Paper
• Jack N Jill Stamp set - by Prima Marketing
• Autumn Sentiment stamp set - by Inkadinkado
• StazOn Ink pad in Timber Brown
• Tim Holtz Distress Ink pad in Walnut Stain
• Pop Dots
• Snail glue - or whatever adhesive you want to use
• Gold Glitter Ribbon
• Scotch tape

As you can see in the photo above, there are two different sizes of cards. I will post the dimensions for each card.

Card one - Side Open

Dimensions of card cut and folded - 5 1/2 x 4

Mat in brown - 5 1/4 x 3 3/4

Designer paper mat - 5 x 3 1/2

(This card was cut in half on the long side. Almost, I do not have a cutter that breaks down further than 1/4.)

Card two - Top Open

Dimensions of card cut and folded - 5 1/2 x 4 1/4

Mat in brown - 5 1/4 x 4

Designer paper mat - 5 x 3 3/4

(This card was cut in half on the short side.)

Stamp Mats In brown

For Jill - 3 1/4 x 1 1/2

Sentiment - 1 1/4 x 2 1/2

Stamp Mats in cream

For Jill - 3 x 1 1/4

Sentiment - 1 x 2 1/4

First, I gathered all the materials together so I did not have to struggle to find something. I cut the cards and mats at the same time. 

*Note: My cutter is a little weird and leaves fibers on the sides of the cuts, so I trim when I see issues. My dimensions do change when I trim. 

After cutting the mats, Cut the ribbon and used two pieces of tape and attached the ribbon to the side open card.

You can see how I accomplished that in this photo.

Add the designer paper to the brown cardstock mats by using snail glue.

Not pictured: Stamp the images to the cream cardstock and attached them with snail glue to their respective mats.

In this photo, I was attempting to figure out where I wanted the images to sit. You can change the layout to fit what you want.

Attach the backings to the card base.

Add pop dots to each of the stamped images.

Place them in the correct position.

Stamp a secondary sentiment inside the card. This is optional, but I think it matches the card.

I did not notice until afterwards that the sentiment inside matches the choice of ribbon, but it goes well together!

 

What do you think of this week's Make it Monday?

Card making is so versatile! I found it easy to create two similar cards with one set of materials. Yet, they look different and appeal to a different set of people. I would love to see any photos or creations you make from this tutorial. You can share them via email at smchatton.writer@gmail.com or on my Facebook page - https://www.facebook.com/DandeCreations. Who knows! You may find your creation (with your permission of course) on the Share it Saturday post.

Happy Crafting!

Sarah

Preview - Make it Monday

Well, Monday is almost upon us and that means another "Make it Monday!" This week, I had to think of what I could use around the house to make something that would be useful for my upcoming fair/sale season. As I have been really interested in making a) cards, b) crochet, or c) wooden sleds, I decided to choose A for the upcoming Monday. So, for the first time I am posting a semi-okay card tutorial - on Monday of course. Today, I am just providing a quick preview.

Aren't they just cute? I just purchased both of these stamp sets on Ebay and couldn't wait to try them. For the longest time, the only sentiment sets I had were Christmas. I am very glad to now have some new Autumn type sentiments. Also, look at the little girl! She is part of the Jack and Jill line. I just found it and fell in love immediately.

(Forgot to post when published)

Materials List

• white cardstock
• brown cardstock - mat
• Colorbok Luxe Designer Paper
• Jack N Jill Stamp set - Prima Marketing
• Autumn Sentiment - Inkadinkado
• Cream cardstock
• StazOn Timber Brown Ink pad
• Tim Holtz Distress Ink in Walnut Stain
• Pop dots
• Snail adhesive (or whatever you want to use)
• Gold glitter ribbon
• Scotch tape

Have a wonderful day!

Sarah

Share it Saturday - African Flower

While the day has been brilliantly bright with sun and color, our little home has been filled with miserable and highly frustrated allergy suffers! Our little town is situated at the base of the Smoky Mountains, so each Spring we are faced with waves and waves of pollen. I am not sure why I started to crochet African Flower Motifs, but I did.

This beautiful motif has been worked into many different shapes, but these colors scream out to me to be the sweetest and pinkest baby blanket! I have a two and a half year old niece that is going through some troubling times, so I might just create a toddler version and give it to her.

It is always surprising that I declared yesterday that today would be a lazy day, but I have worked on so much it cannot be constituted as a "lazy" day. I still have to step out into the cloud of pollen to water my veggies. At least the pollen has not kept away tourists. Gatlinburg is humming again!

What are you doing with your weekend?

Sarah

Throwback Thursday

Don't judge, but I am apparently on a Christmas kick. Yes...by the end of the year I will be entirely tired of Christmas and spent about 3-4 months not thinking about it until the realization that I am a) a crafter and b) me and thus, start working on projects, gifts, and products so I will be done early. I know! Exhausting.  But any good craft can tell you that getting things done early is better than scrambling last minute to accomplish a huge goal. My goals for Christmas? HUGE! Thanks to a large family. LOL!

Well, this week I wanted to share with you something that I really enjoyed doing and the story behind it. My mother LOVES handmade gifts. What mother doesn't? I know without a doubt that I can spent an afternoon or a weekend creating a handmade ornament in the first experimental phase with my mother loving it from the moment she sees it. Maybe it is a mother just bolstering her child. I highly doubt it though. Two years ago it was crocheted snowman ornaments. Last year, it was medallion ornaments.

When my husband left the Navy in 2010, we ended up staying with my parents for around 4 months as we had to move states and such. It was Christmas in July (crafter's paradise) and I wanted to start on my gifts. This was before I was selling. As a stress relief, I chose to make my mother something special. Since as long as I could remember, my mother would use a plastic tree skirt that would threaten to fall apart every year. Tradition yes, practicality, no. So that was my goal - a crocheted tree skirt.

Before that time, I had never made one. So I spent a few hours searching for a pattern that was simple, within my skill range of the time, and would be finished in time. Without fail, I found a good single crochet tree skirt that I could change the colors on (Red, Green, and White). I would stay in the room we were staying in attempting to crochet on this tree skirt without notice. Once I heard someone coming, I would scramble to put it away fast enough so the gift would be a surprise. The smile on her face was the best present of all.

I unfortunately cannot find the picture of it finished and around the tree; however, I have a picture of it almost finished.

Last year, I finally created a tree skirt for my own family in deep red, dark green, and white. It was a great experience. Slowly, we are moving away from commercialized gifts and products to handmade and local!

Do you have a similar story?

Sarah

Make it Monday - Sled Ornament

I announced this pattern on Saturday as part of my "Share it Saturday" routine! But first things first, here is the material list again:

• glue gun
• glue sticks
• popsicle sticks (9 - 8 for sled and 1 just in case)
• sturdy scissors
• paint color of choice
• scrap paper or newspaper
• paint brush
• yarn/twine/ribbon

 While this is a REALLY early Christmas ornament, I am preparing my booth with products for Autumn shows. The goal I have is to have many choices to purchase and have fun while I make them. I saw pictures of a similar sled on Pinterest and developed my own.

*Note: While this is a somewhat kid friendly project, I would remind everyone to use safety goggles and allow an adult to deal with the hot glue.

*Note: Although this project is pretty quick, you must leave time to dry.

1. Plug in glue gun to heat up. Be sure to place it on a piece of scrap paper to catch any dripping glue.

2. Cut one stick into two equal parts with a small overage. Two of these parts will fit across the bulk of the sled.

3. Place 5 popsicle sticks next to each other with the middle stick the highest, the next layer down just slightly, and the last two down further.

4. Using hot glue, place a small line of glue near the upper part of the sled and place 1 of the support beams from step 2 on top. I squished mine down to create a better hold. Repeat further down the sled.

5. Place a small bead of glue on each support beams at the very end and place the runner, holding in place until the glue hardens. Repeat for opposite side.

6. Allow time to dry.

7. Using paint brush, paint the sled on one side. Let dry. Repeat on opposite side. Let dry.

8. After cutting the ribbon/twine/yarn to the desired length for the hanger, place a small bead of hot glue next to the top support brace on the underside of the sled. Quickly place one end of your hanger into the glue. Repeat on opposite side.

You can obviously embellish this sled how you want. I have ideas to put names and the year on the sled so that whoever receives the ornament will have a date for memories in the future. I would love to see any projects you do with this tutorial. You can send the photos to smchatton.writer@gmail.com or visit my Facebook page, Dande Creations, to share.

I found packages of popsicle sticks at my local Dollar General on sale 25% off. I bought 5 packs for $3.75. I did pick up a new pack of glue sticks a few weeks ago, but you hardly use half a stick for just one sled. I also had crochet thread to create the hanger; however, the price is very low with the amount you use. Paint was also relatively cheap. For me, it was free. I had purchased paint samples at Lowes when we painted our kitchen and it was the perfect time to use them. The beautiful, deep blue was a perfect winter-y/Christmas-y color.

Costs

8 Popsicle sticks - $0.08 on sale
Hot glue stick - $0.16
Thread - Free
Paint - $0.10
-------------

$0.34 per sled
Round up to $0.40 for thread (generous)

So for 40 cents, you have a sled.

My packs of sticks had 80 sticks so I can get 10 sleds from one pack! What a great, frugal way to make gifts for the holidays, crafts for the kids, or products to add to your holiday craft booth!

Happy Crafting,

Sarah

Share it Saturday - Upcoming project

This week I thought I would give a preview of what I will be doing for my next Make it Monday project. I saw this idea on Pinterest recently and wanted to give it a try. For a few years, I have been a big supporter of giving ornaments for Christmas. Last year I gave mittens and my Medallion ornament to most of my family members as a handmade sentiment for the season. This year, I do have similar plans to provide handmade ornaments; however, I have not decided quite what I want to do.

As I prepare for Fall, I know that I need and want to add Christmas ornaments to the roster. (The list gets longer each day.) When I saw this pin, I thought...well that is a relatively easy project that looks adorable in the tree. So, I tried it. The pin did not include a tutorial as the blog just contained multiple pictures. So going with a rough idea, I created a cute version.

Here's the preview!

Can you guess what it is?

Now, I wanted to provide a material list.

• glue gun
• glue sticks
• popsicle sticks - at least 9 (8 for sled and 1 just in case)
• scissors
• paint of choice - I am going to use some brown I have sitting aside
• paint brush
• scrap paper or newspaper
• twine/yarn/ribbon

I have not decided what I am going to use for hanging, but I will decide before Monday. One thing I have seen is that this project is easily transformed so children can join in. Instead of hot glue, you could use Elmer's or similar glue. The drying time would just be greater.

The goal for me was a quick, simple project that make a good end product and obviously, a great ornament. I hope you visit on Monday to see how to put this together!

What are your crafting plans this weekend?

Sarah