cooking : crafts : organization : gardening : thrifting : going green
All this month I’m having a candle sale at the Family Tree, the yoga studio where I teach Nia. All candles are 25 percent off, including holiday scents (hollyberry, pumpkin spice, cinnamon and praline pecan). Those are in jars, and then I also have regular scents (apple, green tea, white tea & ginger, sage & [...]
Candlemaking has been quite the learning process, especially with my somewhat unorthodox method. Basically, one day Mike and I were driving either to or from Wisconsin and I got this idea that maybe I could melt down old candles that no one wanted anymore and make new ones out of the wax. And what I [...]
So far my best-selling item on Etsy is not what I set out to make (candles) or what was in the Country Living article (gingham thumbtacks), but the vintage fabric thumbtacks. It’s so interesting, what sells and what doesn’t, but I’m glad for anything that does well. Actually thumbtacks generally are a good seller for [...]
When your craft involves making something new out of something old, you get pretty excited over finding the “old” supplies. And for me, that’s the ultra glamorous pile of partially burnt candles. So I got pretty excited when I was at a wedding over the weekend and every other table was covered with flickering white [...]
Need a gift for your sweetie? I have just added some more recycled candles to my Etsy shop, all in V-Day friendly colors, and with adorable fabric lids. They’re also quite affordable gifts, just $6-$10 plus shipping (and if you live locally I’ll knock that off and deliver them to you). Get ‘em while you [...]
I’m having one of those “you like me, you really like me!” moments. Last weekend I added some items to my Etsy shop, thinking I should at least have a bunch in there for holiday shopping time. And here I am, 10 sales later, thinking how awesome all of you are that read my blog, [...]
Yesterday at Craft Saturday I couldn’t leave without visiting the other vendors and picking up a few handmade items. I got this travel jewelry case from Kate i Design. It’s a pretty genius idea — instead of putting your tangled jewelry in a plastic baggie, you zip it into little pouches and slide your rings [...]
This weekend is the event I’ve been most excited for involving my crafts. Craft Saturday is at the 4th St. Theater in Des Moines on Saturday. I’ve been a shopper before, but never a seller. I’ve been crafting like crazy, trying to get as much done as I can so that my table is filled [...]
At long last, I finally have something to show for my hours and hours AND HOURS of boiling water, gluing wicks, shopping, researching, taking photos, etc. etc. It’s an Etsy shop! I do hope you’ll visit and check out my main offerings – recycled candles. A lot of people are making candles out of found [...]
Today I attended my first estate sale. Thanks to super crafty Erin Randolph for tipping me off to one of the best ways to find old candles and jars (whether or not it’s warm outside). Unfortunately I wasn’t able to attend the first part of the sale (on a Friday night??) so I missed out [...]
Two of my crochet patterns — vintage hanger covers and a colorful granny square pillow — have been published in a new book. You can now order So Pretty! Crochet, by my talented friend Amy Palanjian, at Amazon.com. 
