Leaf Trimmed Wristlets - FREE

I know you've been wondering where has she been. Has she stopped blogging all together, well, no. I've been really, really busy this summer and not counting it has been extremely hot in good ole MO.

I took my son back to school this past Monday and every corn field I passed in KS was burned, dry, golden... maybe a partial green stalk here or there. I don't think this is what was meant by amber waves of grain.

While the grass in my front and back yard were turning a little brown, the tomato plant in my Topsy Turvy struggled to survive, I sat in the ac creating this pattern. It's amazing sometimes how things just come to you. I have so many incomplete items to finish an while finishing hats for the fall, I saw matching wristlets, so I set about to create them.

I've made it a bad habit of seeing creations and not recording them. It's not like I don't have a journal or tape recorder, they just don't seem to come to mind when I'm working. Now if I only had that Dragon thing, that takes dictation I'd be all right, it would certainly make entering patterns into docs easier and also blogging. That's just one of the things on my to get list in the future. Had to purchase a new camera this summer, the other one decided it was tired, the on switch is stuck.

This pattern is versatile. It can either be Wristlets or Fingerless Gloves. The choice is yours. I give directions for both.

I listed the pattern today in my shop on ETSY. If any of my followers are interested please contact me and for the next week I will send you a FREE copy.
This offer is good until August 18, 2011.

I have several other patterns I'm working on and writing to share and sell. They should be ready soon, the kids are back in school, the house is clear, quiet and the computers are free.

Visit often to see what's new. Don't forget to visit my Favorites page to see what's happening at ETSY.

Happy Thanksgiving

I won't be writing much, seeing that it is so close to Holiday's and I know everyone is busy, either doing their list and checking it twice or trying to find that perfect gift for the love ones on your list.

I'd like to take this time and wish everyone a 'Happy Thanksgiving', and may blessings abound.

I will however, post in between the holiday festivities, all fantastic giftables every other day, starting today. My gift ideas and finds will be to your immediate right of this post.

Hope this helps to make your shopping a little easier, there are many many items that are wonderful found on Etsy.

Visit often, for the selections will change regularly.

Happy Shopping!!!!

The Art Of.....

The art of doing something and doing nothing. The art of doing everything and accomplishing nothing. That has been me for the past few months. I moved into a new home this past November, the 15th to be exact and all I've managed to do is basically nothing.

I know I shouldn't be hard on myself, moving is such a large chore, but I don't have any help. Sure there are the kids, they get in the way. Then there's the man and he's in the way too.

Everybody wants to help but no one understands, I don't have a clue. I did do the most important things, I got the bedroom together the first night and slept like a baby, that's when I knew I was home.

I got the kitchen pretty much together, Thanksgiving coming, I had to cook but I'm still trying to figure out where everything goes or should be. The plates, china and seasonings were easy, but what's up with the pots. Some would say I need to downsize, that is until dinner time.

Here's a pic of my new home...

We love the peace and the quiet and the neighbors are nice and the schools are great. The kids actually get up to go without alarms. Now if I could only get some order and back into my creative routine that would be great.

I decided to take a break today from arranging a house, which is all in my mind and join my friends and collegues on Etsy, I needed to catch up and reach out. Get back in the swing of things.

Here are a few of the great things I found and want to share. These are great cards from a very talented person, ones I'd buy and keep, couldn't give away, take a look and please visit her shop for more great items. These are just a few of my favorites by Kitty Kat Kards and just in time for Valentine's Day. Shop early.

If you're in the mood for some delicious soaps Bubbles Up By Bethie B is the place to go. Her soaps will make you hungry for more and I find the humor is teasing the kids and some adults too.

My late husband would have been a sucker for these....and ooohhhhhh to wash out the kids mouths : ), yes we had fun. We had a sense of humor, he believed in laughter and play.

I'll try not to stay away so long, now that I've moved and pretty much settled in, I'll be sharing a little more.

This, I found time to do while sitting in a chair in my bedroom, watching tv...how nice!

You know you can find me at New Day Crochet.

Love You Guys, be good and please have a Joyous New Year everyday. Remember what ever it is, ' This too, shall past.'

Fond Regards,

Sherryl

http://www.newdaycrochet.etsy.com/

I Hate 'Goodbyes'

I was just informed by Renee, a fellow Etsian, that she will be leaving us for a while. It's sad when we lose a great person, friend and artist if only for a moment. I have truly enjoyed her work and I've shown several of her pieces on blog out of shear enjoyment and respect for the natural portrayal of life.

I do however understand that life deals a bad hand from time to time and we must step away in order to take a closer look, to regroup, to see other options.

I am so happy to have been fortunate enough to have crossed her path and experience her work first hand.

I'm hoping that she will take the time to drop us a line from time to time and let us know how she's doing or just to say 'Hello.'

Renee, "I'll miss you, see you later. Be good, be well and most of all be kind. You mean a lot to me and to others, we will miss you."

Let's take this time together and wish her all the best. Stop by her shop LittleSun, leave a convo pick up an item or two before we will no longer have this opportunity. She also has a blog, it's fun to read, the features are nice and you can leave her a message there, DrawingsbyRenee.

Sherryl

Negatives Into Positives

Now that I have explained the title of my page, I think it’s time to get down to business. Being virtually new to this blog thing, I’ve found that it does get easier the more you do it. It can even be fun.

I spend a lot of time online when I’m not crocheting or watching old movies, re-runs of some of favorite family sitcoms hoping for a hint of inspiration. Sometimes I find so much inspiration, I get lost, as I would venture to think most creative minds do. I’m constantly asking what do I do next or now. What colors do I feel the need to work with or what pattern turns me on.

Crochet has come a long ways since its meager beginnings. We can now imitate knit and confuse the public; I like that…even though I always wanted to learn to knit. This year I accomplished that goal. My car was stolen; I was going crazy, wondering what am I going to do now. I wasn’t prepared for a car note and all the other things that come along with it. I wondered what kind of person would come into one’s driveway and take what didn’t belong to them without a single thought of how this would affect the owners. Sure, I left the keys in ignition, sure the motor was running, it’s cold outside and I was sure I had locked the door. Well, to get on with the story, I took that time, worry, and turned it into something positive. I learned to knit. Sure, it took 38 years, but I can now cast on and bind off. I knew it wasn’t hard, it was timing. It was time to learn.

We sometimes have a habit of wanting things, to happen when we want them to happen. I’ve found that the universe just does not work that way. Things happen for us when it’s time. We must learn to enjoy our place in life for the moment we are there, appreciate it all that it holds for us at that moment, so we may benefit more when we move on. There are lessons to learn everyday, in everything we do. Until those lessons are learned, moving on would be fruitless.
I, like most want to be a success. I wish that everything I touched would turn into gold, but I’ve come to a point in my life that I know it’s not as easy for some as it is others. We would like to skip some steps to get to where we want to be, but you can’t. You can’t skip steps until you know all the steps. Make sure that everyday what ever it is you do, you do it proudly and to the best of your ability. If it doesn’t work now doesn’t mean it won’t work at all.

Disappointments, failures are learning experiences. Use them wisely, keep pressing forward. You know what you left behind; take the past into the future as a torch to light the way. Never be afraid of pressing on, be afraid of being left behind. We are all bright shining stars in life, in someone else’s life, in our own eyes.

I haven’t become a Super Seller on Etsy so far, I’ve only been at it a year. My work hasn’t paid my bills yet, but it will. What I do is time consuming to say the least. I don’t let this bother me, I spend hours looking at other shops and stats and think, I can do that. Nothing is impossible, highly improbable, but not impossible.

By the way I got my car back about two weeks later, undamaged and about a half of a tank of gas in it. That was nice. I gave it away once; I don’t plan to do that again. You see, I learned something. I also knitted about 10 pairs of gloves during the time my car was missing. Something good can come out of something bad. Keep a positive attitude, always look for the good. Look hard enough with open eyes and heart, you will find it.

Talk to me, comment, or as usual ‘Communicate.’

Sherryl