we haven’t had a white christmas in soo long- the forecast however is teasing us this year! we woke up to a few inches of snow this morning with 100% chance for the rest of the day and 40% chance all the way through monday! it’s a little early to tell i know- but there’s another 40% chance of snow for christmas eve and christmas day (YAY!) so i’m keeping my fingers crossed! do you think you’ll have a white christmas?
on another note- i can’t believe it’s a week from today. are you ready? my shopping is done but i haven’t wrapped a single present. and, i’m certainly not done with the gifts i’m making this year- so it’s going to be a busy busy week! hope you have a productive and wonderful weekend- what will you be doing? i hope to see you back here on monday!
hi dearies! we have some of our dear friends visiting today- so i’m signing off for the rest of the day. before i leave though- i wanted to point you over to creature comforts where you can find instructions on how to download these adorable (and perfect) holiday gift cards! we’re off for a hike and some hot chocolate, see you tomorrow!
making a banner for your etsy shop can be a bit of an overwhelming task at first- but after this post (hopefully!) you’ll be able to make one with ease! before we get to the nitty gritty- let me show you some of my favorite banners first.
katy daisy does a great job here with the wheatfield by setting the tone for her shop. her banner coordinates with the shop and gives you a sneak peek of what’s to come!
lorasea intrigues the viewer with this banner. not giving too much information but just enough to get you curious and clicking for more!
rust belt threads gives you bold and bright- and it certainly catches the eye.
lost and fawned’s banner is straightforward and simple. simplicity in itself can sometimes be the most intriguing- leaving you wanting more.
be happy now gives you insight into their shop and what you can expect. a great way to show off your best work and let the people know what’s coming!
finding a photo or scanning one in and then cropping it to fit (760 x 100 pixels) can be an easy way to get the look you want- without much hassle. {shop :: photographic artwork}
the house of hearts did a wonderful job with their fun banner. banner’s that change with the season and/or annoucnes a sale you have is eye catching, fun and a wonderful marketing technique.
simply taking a picture and then cropping it to size can be a useful, easy, and fun way to get exactly what you’re looking for in a banner. {shop :: miniature rhino}
no matter how you get your banner- it can be an important step in setting up you shop. your avatar is just as important as well- because it’s seen on every page of your shop as well in the forums, workshops and the like. your banner is also shown on your facebook page if you use the my etsy facebook application.
here’s a quick tutorial that you can use to make an easy (and free) shop banner- as well as an avatar!
aviary - web-based photo editing with lots of fun tools
gimp – free image editor, alternative to photoshop
last but not least! if you still don’t feel comfortable creating your own- do a simple search for ‘etsy shop banners‘ on etsy to find tons of designers that will make one for you!
hope this helps! please share any advice or extra links you have in the comments!
i had so much fun picking out these gifts for travelers! probably because i got to travel all over the world- right from my computer! do get to travel much? we really haven’t been able to get out of the states much- but would really love to one day. where is the best place you’ve been able to travel to?
hi lovelies! here’s another one of my holiday diy projects! first of all, please excuse the not-so-great photos- my camera is getting worked on right now so i’m having to ‘make do’!
i used wool felt for this project- i love felt because it doesn’t fray and it’s so easy to work with! i cut out three stockings by tracing the outline of an older stocking i had lying around.
next, i cut out the embellishments. the first is the most difficult so i explain that one a bit more below.
-cut the toe and heel by tracing from the coordinating stockings so they match up.
-cut the bone or other applique in contrasting fabric (i traced mine from the computer screen after searching for ‘dog bone’).
-to make the ruffles: cut four white strips 2″ x 10″ each. pin each of the four strips in ruffles, by folding and pinning, folding and pinning. once pinned in place, sewing one line at the top is quick and easy!
for the snow stocking- i cut the snow pattern out by hand. i didn’t use a pattern, but rather just went with whatever felt right! after the cutting is complete, pin it to the wrong sides of your stocking (bottom left picture). after you sew it to the top (bottom right picture), you’ll sew around your stocking and then fold the snow down and over the top.
to sew the stockings, i just top stitched around both the toe and heel as well as the stocking itself, so no inside out and turning to mess with!
does all this make sense? sorry if my instructions are a little haphazard! leave any questions in the comment area and i’ll be sure to help!
welcome lovelies! my name is bonnie and this is where i roost. i hope you'll grab a cup of tea and make yourself comfy- we look forward to getting to know you! you can learn more about me and why i love to blog here.
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welcome lovelies! my name is bonnie and this is where i roost. i hope you'll grab a cup of tea and make yourself comfy- we look forward to getting to know you! you can learn more about me and why i love to blog 
