pay it forward.... crafty style

a friend.... who I have never met (yes, we bloggers know how that happens)...
I call her Ems (although, I don't know if she likes that or not!)
but, Ems had a craftiness pay it forward kinda dealio many months back....
and well, I love her and her talents... so I said "sign me up!" and... then...forgot about it.

last week I was sick, in bed and a beautifully wrapped up package arrived with some great overseas stamps on it...and I knew that within moments my spirits would be lifted.

and they were.
I opened the package and out poured all sorts of crafty fun.
yarn, beads,wood buttons, fabrics, a cute pin, a book (about chickens... a memoir of sorts!) and a lovely book bag.  

lots of handmade beauty...
for me!

and now it is my turn...
my turn to pay it forward...

I need three people to sign up to receive a handmade package from me and in turn they must be willing to pay it forward to three more people when their turn arrives.  You have 365 days to make and send your package and I am looking forward to making some packages over the next year to make someone else just as happy as I was when I received this one.

The first three people to email me at tiffers72"at" msn "dot" com will hear from me in the next week or so and then it will be time for me to start working on my crafty magic.  

When you least expect it... a sweet surprise will be found in your mailbox!  

3 beautiful things

a little mouse friend hosted a birthday blog swap...
and this is her third year.
She asked us to put together three packages of three beautiful things.
As I previously posted...
there is nothing more beautiful than Autumn.
so I put together a package with a autumn photo card I made,
my favorite Apple Chicken Chili
and a pattern for a small knitted pumpkin.
~ and a small little sweet treat from Portland, Or. since all three of my girls are in England.

wrapped them up perfectly~
and sent them on their merry way.
oh happy happy heart.
Swaps are so great~ each time a package comes in the mail~ you cant help but get a little giddy.

Stash Busting Mondays #2 (and giveaway winner)

so, Friday I was suppose to post a giveaway winner for my first Stash Busting Monday post.... and well, opppsies.... I forgot.
so without further adieu.... Drum roll please ( press play on below video... NOW!)


Out of a whopping two participants, I decided to have Odin flip a coin,
Kristin HEADS
and
Chels TAILS

and it was TAILS!
Chels... you are now the proud winner of some sock yarn!!!!
HIp HIp HURRAY!!!!!
I will contact you promptly for all the needed info.

Now onto my #2 stash busting.This time I stash busted with fabric and I made these, much waited for, PJ pants for little B.  B loves the Eric Carle books...well, he loves books period.  But he enjoys the Hungry Caterpillar book A LOT!

we all knew a photo like this would happen!

 And so in September, last year, I bought some of the fabric to go with the story.... and it just sat there. and sat there. and sat there.

Until this weekend.
and now my B has some fun pj's to wear... and I have about an extra inch in my fabric storage.

STASH BUSTING ROCKS!!!!

my sleepy model

Winner!

that is right.... there is a winner....
and that winner is.... #5....

Em, of Mousy Brown's House.
which is funny because I have a package here on my desk... still waiting to get sent out to her for her birthday...(which was in January.).. I am not the most prompt when it comes to shipping things.

but now I can add to her package.... and get this out sooner than later.
Congratulations!

Thanks to all who wrote their little obsessions of sorts... I loved reading all the comments.
Keep posted....
another giveaway will be on the horizon soon!

Giveaway

I love craft books..... it is a bad bad bad thing when I go to bookstores and find books that "i have to have"...
I don't do it often... but when I do....I come home with a few great finds.

I love Scandinavian craft books...  It is even worse worse worse when I find a book that highlights Scandinavian arts and crafts.

I was (honestly) at the bookstore looking for a Dr. Seuss book... (really, I was!) when I came across these three great books (on my way to the children books.... I swear!)... and they were on sale!!!!
so, I flipped through them,
decided they were a great addition to my collection,
and purchased them.... (forgetting I was there to buy a children's book.... oppsies!)

when I got home.... I found that I had already owned one (of course!)
so it is now being given to you!
You, my lucky friend, have the opportunity to gain the same obsession over craft books as I do....

with this book~ Kajso Wikman's Scandinavian Stitches

look at all the fun crafts in it.

this quilted bowl (which sell for mucho dollars on ETSY!)

and this super cute clothesline picture~ which would be a great 

addition to your laundry room or entry space.

 and many more great ideas ( complete with patterns).

You have two ways to win this book.
1. FOLLOW my blog ( just click FOLLOW to the right of this post)
2. answer the question below in the comments section of this post.

"WHAT DO YOU FIND YOU CANNOT PASS UP?"
your answer can be anything... really...from books (like me) to free samples put out for customers.

the winner will be chosen from a random generator at noon on Monday.
I just know~ your gonna love this book!

Winner!

thank you everyone for entering my giveaway~ you made my blogiversary a special one!

I had so much fun reading everyone's answers.....

it was great!

the winner was chosen by RANDOM GENERATOR~ number 9

and the winner is Kristin Brook of

THE BROOK's ESTABLISHED 2004

Kristin, expect an email from me so that I can get your address and mail this out to you!

may these ornaments be merry and bright on your tree this year, and years to come.

the last day

today is the last day to enter the third blogiversary ornament giveaway......

leave a comment HERE.... and cross your fingers.....

good luck!!!!

knit.knit.knit.

REMINDER:: the giveaway ends this Friday, so visit here... to be added to the hat!

as I have shared... many times before..... I am not a quick knitter... and I throw my stitches (which in the world of knitting is kinda a silly way to knit)....

but, that is me.... the "self taught lover of knitting".

but with that.... comes, what I have self diagnosed as "wool rash" on my thumb.

(secretly I know my mom would lecture me on the picking on my fingers... a habit that I have had since I was 10...but, I am chalking it up to "wool rash")

what is "wool rash" you ask?

well, it is the dryness found on the sides of my thumbs due to the wool yarn rubbing on it. The more I knit, the more rubbing that happens.... and the dryness then gets raw....little raw spots appear on the outsides of my thumbs, and sometimes can bleed (out of no where... mom, really!! out of no where!).

so... what does one do with such an annoyance of sorts.....

we wear band-aids!!!!

I sometimes can have band-aids on at least 5 of my fingers... due to the spread of "wool rash" (mom, it really does spread!) and this month I have gone through three packages of band-aids...

I must pursue on with my knitting for the better good of mankind..... because of the quote "there is no telling how many miles you will have to run to chase a dream"~ Author Unknown

but I must rephrase that to "there is no telling how many band-aids you will have to use to complete a scarf" Author Tif

so today, I bid you many days of happy knitting.... no matter how many band-aids you must wear!

Three.

Tis the season~

of when I started my blog.

Three years ago, I posted stories of our "big snowfalls" during December for friends and family in California (where snow is a novelty).....

who knew that this blog would grow and become one of my favorite things...

it has encouraged me to start crafting again.

it has given me a place to share my ideas for simple living.

it has shaped some unique friendships ("whoot whoot" to my fellow bloggers!).

it has given me a voice when at times I didnt think I had one.

it has been a saving grace in many ways.

with three being one of my favorite numbers....

although~ who knows why we have favorite numbers?????

I have a giveaway for you.

I have some handmade ornaments.

all in my favorite things....

buttons.

felt.

circles.

red.

and simple.

all you have to do is answer these three questions

1. what is the first word that comes to mind when you hear the word "three"?

2. what are three of your simple favorite things?

and

3. what is your favorite number?

leave your 3 answer to these questions in the comments by Friday the 9th (midnight)...... and the lucky winner will have these on their tree for the holiday.....

three cheers for blogiversaries!

hip-hip-hurray!

hip-hip-hurray!

hip-hip-hurray!

my swap gift

as I have mentioned previously...

I am a swapping kinda girl.

and last month I was part of a "mouse swap" to celebrate a fellow blogger's (and friend) blogiversary.....

Well, my package was well received....

and loved.

she tells me she wears the cowl all the time.... visit her blog... and you can see how perfect it is on her! Her blog is full of great color and ideas. You can't help but smile when you visit. I am so grateful to have made something for her~ and that she likes it!

so, I got her package.... this weekend. and yes... it was FULL of color~ and things that I LOVE!

look at these magnets- perfect for my cupcake and coffee fixes!

and this adorable little mouse- all dressed in red~ now sits above my kitchen sink... watching and waiting for some crumbs to grab! Every so often he squeaks out some helpful cooking hints....

of course, I wish he would make my kitchen "squeaky" clean.

this painted dish- holds all my stray pins...

(you know- the ones that dont make it back into the pin cushion!)

and I have framed one of the cards- already!!!

and this lovely whimsical flower pin~ looks fab on my cute denim jacket!

what a gift..... what a treat... a little smile in a box... sent from miles away, has made my day!

thanks a bunch.....

thanks!

a winner!

I had a winner....

who in turn never contacted me back.

so in the spirit of giving this pillow away- I had another drawing.

so, now....

I have another winner... picked randomly by Odin with names in a hat.

and I am not surprised....

Meg Sager....

come on down, your the next contestant on the... (oh wait.... my bad..... this is not a game show!)

Miss Meg- I have your info, and the pillow is on its way.

thanks to all the people who showed interest....

this was fun!

I think I will be doing it again.

~400th~

I am so excited today.....

about so many things.....

~this is my 400th post.

~today is Earth Day.

~and I have the giveaway for you!

I know my friend is gonna give me a talking to..... but I sometimes cant help it.

She says I always make things for other people, and not for myself.

But- I dont need anything....

and I love to craft.

so what does one do....

she gives it away!

I found this embroidery project and wanted to make it.... but also knew, I didn't want to keep it.

so... the whole time I worked on it~ I got more and more excited to give it away.

so....

here it is....

just for you!

a small 10 inch hand embroidered pillow

"little by little,

day by day,

friends and flowers

grow that way"

There are two ways to enter.

ONE- just post a comment below. (be sure that I have access to your email~ in case you win)

TWO- click "FOLLOW ME" on the side of the blog.

the winner will be chosen from both listings on Tuesday, April 26th at 11:00am (PST).

have fun and

good luck!

a teaser.....

the giveaway is coming this Friday.....

be ready.

but for your viewing pleasure.....

you can see the back of it.

pretty sneaky...eh?

a tender moment.....

not just for the little,

but for the sunshine as well.

while cleaning the garage we can across some sidewalk chalk.....

the next was inevitable.

Spring Break is here.....

I have three college girls visiting from Colorado. Gosh, I miss working with kids/adults this age. Having the best time showing them the city, the coast and the gorge. The boys are enjoying entertaining them ( or in O's case "flirting with them").

so.... post 400 is coming near.....

and there is a little surprise giveaway in store.

If you want to take part~ "follow" me so that when the time comes....

you will be ready to enter.

"this is fun!"