What's Hookin' Good Lookin'? {Scare away those boo boos!}

I pinned THIS pattern from Crafty is Cool a while back and I finally got around to making some!

I have a few started up in turquoise, hot pink and hot green so far. I made them a little differently. For the bottom I made a little loop at the end and sewed it on about 3/4 of the way to form a little pocket that will button closed. I just ordered some reusable ice cubes and these little guys are going to scare away some boo boos {I'm hoping}.

Here is the turquoise one I have almost done. 

I just need to get some black embroidery thread to finish the face. I think she's pretty cute! I can't wait to finish up the rest and make more! They are so quick and easy to work up and I just can't stop! Good thing, because there are 16 reusable ice cubes in the pack I ordered so that sounds like a good amount to make!

These are the cubes I ordered. They were $7.99 with free shipping and came with 16!

{These are now in my shop if you want one but can't crochet 'em - in the accessories section}

What's on your hook today?

{Buy Handmade} Fall/Halloween - Why do you love handmade?

Have you noticed the "{Buy Handmade} Fall/Halloween" tab on the top of my page? It's full of handmade items for the Fall and Halloween! I'd love for you to stop on by and check out all the wonderful items. 

{source}

I don't know about you, but I love buying handmade...especially for Bug. 90% of the time we are wearing something handmade we get tons of compliments. Know why? Probably because no one has ever seen it in stores! That is my favorite reason to buy handmade. I know what I am purchasing is unique! 

If you have never heard of Etsy you should take a look around. It is a site full of handmade items. It's the one I use to sell my crochet work and I love it!  

Why do you love to buy handmade?

{Freebie Friday} Win a Bib from BrooksBoutique

Giveaway Closed.

Happy Freebie Friday! This week went by so quickly for me since I had lots of crocheting to get done. 

Today I would like to introduce Amy of Brooks Boutique. Her shop is full of accessories for you and your little one. Today, she is giving you a chance to win one of her bibs! First, I'd love for you to get to know Amy...

Tell us a bit about yourself. 

I am married to my best friend and the greatest man in the world! He is so supportive of my business and I truly could not do all this without him. I have 3 kids- the loves of my life. I love sewing and absolutely love fabric- I am really a fabricaholic! :)

What made you want to become an artist? 

I had my first daughter and saw all these cute baby items in the expensive boutique shops but couldn't afford them. I decided to try and make them myself. A few friends and family members started asking for the items and thus Brooks Boutique was created!

What is your favorite item to create? 
I love to make the baby bibs and burp cloths. 
  

What advice would you give to new artists on Etsy? 

To list your items ALL THE TIME! I have noticed such a difference when I list throughout the day.

How do you promote your work? 

I have a booth at several craft shows throughout the year and also give out business cards wherever and whenever I can! 

Do you have any websites connected to your shop?

My facebook page is www.facebook.com/pages/Brooks-Boutique/158507521188 

and my twitter page is twitter.com/#!/brooksboutique

You have a chance to win this fun, funky bib from Brooks Boutique!

{be sure to read all the rules and complete the mandatory entry first}

Here's how to enter:

Mandatory Entry:

{please do this first before any other entries}

Visit Brooks Boutique and comment 

your favorite item in her shop.

Extra Entries:

1} Heart Brooks Boutique on Etsy.

2} Follow Brooks Boutique's RSS Shop Feed.

3} Follow Brooks Boutique on Twitter.

4} "Like" Brooks Boutique on Facebook.

5} Become a follower of this blog {or let me know if you already are}

6} Enter in another giveaway on this blog and let me know which you entered.

7} Blog (with a link to this giveaway), tweet (please tag using @tutusteaparties & @brooksboutique), or post on Facebook (please tag using @Tutus & Tea Parties & @Brooks-Boutique) and leave a link where we can see it. 

Be sure to leave your email address with each entry.

Contest closes at 11:59 p.m. on Friday, September 30, 2011. Sunday, August 2, 2011 a winner will be randomly drawn from eligible entrants and notified by e-mail, and the winner's name will also be posted here. If no email is listed I will choose another winner. Winner has one week to respond to my email to claim his/her prize after initial contact.  I am not responsible for the shipping of this prize.

Contest open to US only.

A Pinteresting {Linky} Party - #3

Woo hoo for the weekend! I hope everyone enjoys it! Come join me for a Pinteresting Party and link up your blog post/shop for others to see and pin! The rules are posted below. I am so addicted to Pinterest and if you have not joined yet, you should! 

Last week we had 4 link ups! I hope some more come to link up your blog posts so we can all discover new blogs and help promote each other!

I love these boots that were linked up at last weeks party:

{source}

On to the party for this week! All are invited to link up. Please spread the word.

Here are the rules:

• Add a direct link to a blog post you would like pinned along with it's title {not the title of your blog}.
• Two links per blog please. 
• Pin at least 2 other blogger's posts. {if you are one of the first 2, come back and pin please}
• Not required, but I'd love for you to spread the word and post my Pinteresting Party Button on your blog. {& be sure to follow my blog to see when the next party is & if you were featured the following week} :)

Want to know how to check if you were pinned? 
Copy this link into your browser and add your blog URL {does not work for Etsy shops}:

http://pinterest.com/source/YOURURLHERE

Get pinned on Pinterest by linking up!

{Thursday Thoughts} DIY Scratch Off Tickets

I was browsing on a site called IShareCrafts the other day when I came across this awesome tutorial on how to make your own scratch off tickets! You would not believe how easy it is! 

You can see the whole tutorial here on the blog Oh the Lovely Things. While you are there, browse around...her blog is great!

As much as I love the printable files she posted to download, I decided to do a little something for my shop with these. I took a piece of scrapbook paper and cut a small square of card stock for the scratch off part to put in the middle. I do not have access to a laminating machine and I am too lazy to get it laminated from a store so I used packing tape to cover the card stock square after I wrote on it and it came out just fine!

I usually mail a thank you card or note with my orders with a coupon code to use for their next purchase. I saw this and thought it would be a cute idea to include a scratch off containing a code for my customers to use on their next purchase. Here is how it came out...

This is what it looks like unscratched. I just used a color that matched my scrapbook paper instead of silver.

This is what it looks like after it is scratched. It was a little messy so for the ones I send out I will probably make them a little smaller since this one was pretty big!

 Doesn't it look awesome?! You know you want to try it! Hop on over to the tutorial and let me know if you try it and how it went. It would be nice to say hello to Clémence {the author of Oh the Lovely Things} and let her know what an awesome tutorial she posted! 

Happy crafting!

A Pinteresting {Linky} Party

I don't know about you, but I love Pinterest! I have become an addict over the past few weeks and to tell you the truth, have been slacking with my crocheting because I am too busy pinning!Each week I will feature a couple of my faves from the linky. :)

I am always looking for new ideas to pin so I decided to have a little pinning party! I will try it out for a few weeks and see how it goes. Depending on the amount of party-ers, I will either continue or save it for a later time when I have more of a following. 


Here are the rules:

• Add a direct link to a blog post you would like pinned along with it's title {not the title of your blog}.


• Pin at least 2 other blogger's posts. {if you are one of the first 2, come back and pin}


• Not required, but I'd love for you to spread the word and post my Pinteresting Party Button on your blog. {& be sure to follow my blog to see when the next party is} :)

Here's a helpful hint I also learned from a fellow blogger over at Sweeter than Sweets:

to find out who has pinned you, copy this link with your blog url

http://pinterest.com/source/yourblogurlhere

{for example, here is mine: http://pinterest.com/source/tutusandteaparties.blogspot.com}

Enter your link here:

{Thursday Thoughts} Bug's 15 minutes of Fame

Bug has her first 15 minutes of fame that is not from me, her mother! She is being featured over at {CoolKids} blog today! Please stop on by her post and check out Bugs pictures, fun facts about her, and B's fashion picks for her!

If you would like your little one featured all you have to do is shoot B. an email (which is at the bottom her Real Life Cool Kids post). 

Also, today only, all crochet hats/beanies are $10 (+ shipping)! Please email me at totshop728@yahoo.com if you would like to place an order. Any hat/beanie in my shop is customizable with your color choice(s). Visit my shop to check them out. :)

Mug Cozy Winner and Something New

Thank you to all who entered in my Mug Cozy giveaway! It was so nice to read all the great comments and see what you all liked from my shop! :)

On to the winner...

I used random.org to choose the winning comment number.

Congrats Brendina! I will be sending you an email shortly. Please check your junk mail if you don't see it. {totshop728 at yahoo dot com}


Now for my newest listing:

Remember that Crochet Party Hat I made? Well...I sent it off to Laura Herr Photography here on the Island and she did a wonderful job with the pictures! It was so nice to have someone local to work with. Visit her website, blog and Facebook to check out her amazing work! Her daughter was just the perfect little model! Isn't she gorgeous?!

After seeing these photos I just couldn't wait to list it in my Etsy shop! Here it is if you'd like to check it out.

{Thursday Thoughts} Addicted

Hi, my name is Lauren and I am addicted to crafting.

I had to run to the craft store today to grab one thing and guess what...I walked out with more than one thing! There is no way I can go to Michaels without having to look up and down every single isle. Of course since Bug came with, and was such a good girl, she got to pick out a toy from the $1 section {even though she really wanted the ball that was in the $4 bin!}

So I got what I needed plus I picked up some flowers, cardstock, and of course some yarn! I wanted to buy the whole store, but it was pouring here and I only ran in with $10 in my back pocket!

Here is what I came home and made:

They are all attached to a clippie and I'd love to put some in my shop but as you can see my camera + the bad lighting in this apartment = terrible photos! Maybe if it ever stops raining I can get some decent ones taken outside!

I am also so excited to let you know that these party hats will be added to my shop soon! I am planning on sending one out to be photographed. Tara {from Easy Makes Me Happy} gave me the ok to sell these that I made from her free pattern which you can find on her blog here.

{If you are interested in these clips or hats you can email me at totshop728@yahoo.com}

{Tutorial Tuesdays} Party Hat

Holy smokes is Easy Makes Me Happy a great blog! I just love all of Tara's great ideas and tutorials! When I saw this pattern for a purple party hat I knew I just had to make one for Bug! Her birthday is at the end of July and this is perfect! I must say I was a little intimidated when I glanced at the pattern but when Bug was off to sleep at night I decided to give it a shot. Boy was it an easy to follow pattern {hence the name of her blog}. Stop in over to make it and leave Tara some love. Check out all her other great patterns and tutorials while you are there...you won't be sorry!

Crochet Party Hat

Here is how mine came out. Bug hasn't wanted to wear it yet...but I will soon convince her to. 

Just so you know...it took me forever to make a decent looking pom pom. I must be a total spaz because I had to have looked at a million tutorials before I made an ok looking one and I made a huge mess of the living room!

*I bribed Bug with cookies to try it on and she kept it on for quite some time! How cute is this hat...I mean really?! (Don't mine the crumb on the front from her cookie fingers)*

PS- I am linking up to this blog hop today! :) Check out some great blogs over there: 

 

Sent from CuddleCanvas!

I just wanted to share this great Etsy shop with you all! I just got these two pairs of legwarmers for my Bug and they are so stinkin' cute! See for yourself...

 I got them from CuddleCanvas! Lots of cute things in this shop! (not just for baby...go shop for yourself too!)

Calling All Etsy Sellers!

I found this blog in the Etsy forums and I am so thankful that I did. The seller from Earthy Habitat is writing this 30 Day Etsy challenge full of tips and info to get more success on Etsy!

She is only on day 3 so you have time to catch up! Here is her blog link. I hope you find it as helpful as I do!

http://30daysetsychallenge.blogspot.com/