New In The Shop

I have been busy making bracelets so that I can stick up my Etsy shop, but I am also preparing for an art show that I will be selling at in June. I will say that Etsy is a fabulous place, but there are so many people on there that it is easy for your products to get lost in the mix. I have sold way more off of Etsy than I have on it.

I am working hard on coming up with new items. So bare with me as I grow. I plan to take a jewelry making class soon, so that I can learn to make the bracelets with the toggle clasps. Love those!

Here are a few of the bracelets I have made recently. Check out my shop for all my bracelets. A couple of the ones that I am getting ready to post aren’t up yet, but will be tonight.

I made this one for the fellas. A stone cross with black and gold beads.

I will have another giveaway in March, so stay tuned for that, as well as new bracelets!

Peace and blessings,
Michelle

 

Still Creating

I have been really busy with school, but I am still trying to continue my projects. I have been knitting, crocheting and making bracelets. yesterday I received an email from the Northside Arts group. They are going to have a craft fair in the park in June, and they invited me to come and sell my goods! Of course I will be there. So, I need to kick my creativity into overdrive.

Here are a few of the things that I am working on.

My friend Molly asked me to make her a Newsboy Cap two years ago, and I have FINALLY started it. I hope to have it completed soon.

I have been making new bracelets. If you would like to purchase bracelets check out my shop . If you want something that isn’t my shop email me at infinitefaithjewels@gmail.com.

Please don’t forget to enter the Valentine’s Day giveaway here on my blog. You can win two of my bracelets.

Peace and blessings,
Michelle

 

The Day Has Finally Arrived!

 

The day that I have been waiting for has finally arrived! I just finished listing the bracelets that I made onto Etsy. I am officially open for business. Here is the link! Above is my temporary banner on Etsy. My twitter friend Jeanee is making my logo as well as designing my business cards and package labels.

I entered the bracelets that I have made so far. I ordered new beads from eBay, and most of them are shipping from Hong Kong and China, so it might take a minute for me to receive them. But, please keep checking back for more (festive) colors and styles.

So, that leads me to the other reason for this post. As a kick off to my shop opening, I am having a giveaway here on my blog and on facebook. In order to win, all you have to do is comment on this post. It is a Valentine’s Day giveaway and it will start now, and end on February 6th at midnight. Both bracelets are 7 inches.

Good luck to all those who enter.

THIS GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED!

Peace and blessings,

 

Giveaway

Lately I have been doing a lot of knitting and crocheting. I have so many patterns that I want to start that it isn’t even funny. So, I am going through my binders and making the things that I have wanted to make for a long time. Currently I have two projects going…a knit bias blanket and a Slouchy Tuva hat. I plan to start another slouch hat for my cousin J.S. in the next day or two.

So, getting to today’s giveaway. I bought this pattern from Ravelry last year and I wanted to test it out. I bought this pretty Rust colored yarn and set out to make the smallest size (newborn to three months) to test the pattern. I don’t know anyone in my life who is currently pregnant, so I am giving this cardigan away here on my blog. This cardigan is meant to be worn with a long sleeve tee under it, so it would be best for a baby born during cooler weather.

As an added bonus, I am throwing in this card that I made last year. It would be a wonderful card to accompany the gift.

This is how the giveaway will work. The giveaway starts today, January 8th and will end on January 15th. In order to enter, just leave a comment on this post. I will pick a winner from the comments.

So, if you know of someone who is having a baby girl, feel free to enter. Good luck everyone.

Peace and blessings,
Michelle

THIS GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED.

 

Making a list & checking it twice

I have a couple friends on my Christmas list that I have been trying to decide what to get for them. I want some, if not all of my gifts to be handmade this year. Not necessarily by me, but I love the fact that I can give a gift made with care.

So, these friends are each fashionably trendy in their own way. I have recently fallen in love with the Cowl trend, and I think I want to get Cowls for each of them.

I went to my usual spot for handmade items….Etsy
I found quite a few to choose from. Now I have to decide in enough time to have them sent.

infinity eternity cowl

charcoal grey infinity cowl

green infinity scarf

infinity eternity cowl

I purchased this one for myself.

rasta cowl

If you were the recipient, which one would you choose?

Peace and blessings,
Michelle

 

Wrapped In Tender Loving Care

When my niece Christian was born in May I wanted to make a blanket for her…something that she would have for years. I thought she would be like Linus, carrying it wherever she goes.
I have yet to make the blanket, but when my nephew Jonathan was born I thought more about blankets. So, my goal is to make a blanket for both babies while I am on break from school.

If the rain stops by the time I get off work I plan to swing by Joann’s to get some Cotton Ease yarn for both blankets so that I can get started while I am motivated.

In thinking about the blankets I knew that I would need something fast and easy. So, I went to Ravelry and started looking for blankets. I came up with four choices and I have somewhat made my decision, but I would like to know what you would choose.

Basket Weave

Ripple

Bias Blanket

Broken Rib Blanket

 

New Entryway

I found TRUECONNECTION on Etsy who makes tables from reclaimed wood. As soon as I saw the table on her page I knew that I had to have it for my entryway. My entryway space is very small. It is 32 inches wide, but only 8 inches deep. So, I had to find the perfect table to put in the space. I put the table together the night before I left to go to Connecticut for Thanksgiving. Although I love the fact that the table is made from reclaimed wood, I did not like the look of the wood. Here is a photo of the table before I jazzed it up.

When I returned from Connecticut, my first goal was to stain the table. I planned to go to the store to pick up some stain, but decided to check around the house to see if I had any. I found some mahogany Minwax stain and got to work. I only had to put one coat on, then I sealed it with acrylic to give it a little shine. I love the way it looks now.

I am looking for a white 11×14 frame for the “Love Lives Cozy Here” poster. I wish I could get something big enough to cover the panel box. All in all I am very happy with the look. Now I can move on to my next project…getting the living room ready for Christmas.

How have you jazzed up your entryway?

Peace and blessings,

 

 

Big Cartel…A Shoppers Paradise

I stumbled across Big Cartel a few years ago, but at that time I was caught up in the Etsy craze, so I really didn’t pay it much attention. Well, I stumbled upon it again last night while doing my evening wind down web surfing.

Big Cartel has everything that you can imagine, from hair products to socks and everything in between. Here are a few things that I came across and plan to purchase.

I used to buy Avocado Shea butter from Alex when she sold on Etsy. Now I must support her move over to Big Cartel. You can find her shop at Safi Hair Care

I came across the Live to Love shop and automatically fell in love with their product…so much so that I bought this scarf last night for $10. I am really starting to get a thing for scarves.

I plan to purchase an iPad for myself, so when I saw this iPad bag over at Stash I knew I wanted it!

I do have a 13″ MacBook and I would love a messenger bag to carry it in, instead of dropping it into my backpack when heading to class. This messenger bag from Stash would fit the bill perfectly!

My cousin W.S. is really into photography, and is currently studying it. I might spring for this camera bag from Stash for her birthday or Christmas. I am sure she would love it!

So, there are a few of my favorites from Big Cartel. If you are looking for some early Christmas gifts head on over there!

Peace and Blessings,
Michelle

 

Knit Scarf Delight…

First of all, let me apologize to all my readers who have left comments and did not get a response. I have been using my iPhone to post my blogs, and the app didn’t tell me that I had comments pending. I am so sorry, and it will never happen again. For a moment there, I thought my readers had stopped coming by.

Lately I have been noticing that there are knit scarves everywhere. I went into Forever 21 yesterday and saw the cutesy multi-colored knit scarf. Rather than buy it I made up in my mind that I would make it.
I also have some other scarves on my radar. The one that I am most excited about is the Rainbow Coalition scarf. I will show my lgbt pride with this one!

I had to change the pattern because I keep ending up with one extra stitch.Once I get that figured out I will make it the way it looks in the picture. I will post a pic of mine when I make a little more progress on it.

I found the next two scarves on Ravelry. I think they are cute. I need to find the right yarn and I will be ready to go!!!

What is your scarf preference? Bulky or thin? Handmade or store bought? My preference is handmade, and between bulky and thin. I need to hurry up and complete my scarf because it’s really cold here in Ohio!!!

Peace and Blessings!

Michelle

 

Paper Crafts and Home Decor

Lately I have really been in a creative mood. I am constantly being inspired by so many things around me.  This constant inspiration has led to my plate being overly full. I have so many items on my “to knit” and “to crochet” list that it isn’t even funny. I have plans to learn how to sew. I am working on ideas to amp up sales in both of my shops, so I am trying to do some creative marketing.

I love Etsy and the community environment that it offers, but with so many people selling their wares on there, it’s kind of hard to be “found”. So, I am trying to push my products, and get them known in my circles, and hopefully word of mouth will help me sell more.

Another area that I have been working on is packaging. When people receive my products, I want them to enjoy the entire process. Not just opening a brown box. One of the things that I created is a personalized thank you card. I want to write a note to each customer. I printed out flat cards, but I think I will have them professionally done.

I really had fun creating this notecard, and I think it’s so cute! Can’t wait to get my next purchase so that I can use it. Now that the thank you card is made, I am currently looking for some cute boxes to ship items in. I love the flat ones that look like Chinese food takeout boxes, but they’re flatter and wider. I need to find out where I can purchase those. I am also in the process of getting a stamp made for the shop, and creating some hang tags. So, it will be a process to get everything ready, but I am up for the challenge.

I found a new stationery store that does custom printing, and I was so excited about it! The name is M. Hopple & Co. We went to the store yesterday to see what they had to offer. I ordered some personal stationery with my name on it. It takes a week to print. I think I am going to have some items professionally printed for Maleia’s Closet . I will post pictures of my items when they come back. In the meantime, here are some pictures of the samples in the store. One of the ones that I purchased is the “Kelly” card in the left upperhand corner of the second photo.

On the decor note, I am currently trying to do something new with our guest bedroom. I will post pictures of the current state in my next post. I recently moved the bedroom around, and I like the look, but I think a few more things need to be added. I am thinking of adding a desk, and putting shelves on the wall above the desk. This will give me added storage. So, I found two photos online where the bed is facing the same way as the guest bed, and the amount of space left seems to be what I have in the guest bedroom. Here are the pictures of my options.

I love the look of this desk! I don’t need a double seater in the room, but I think the size of the desk balances the length of the shelves. This is definitely an option.

If you were choosing, would you do a double seater, or choose the one below. Let me know your thoughts.

Peace and blessings,

Michelle