Weekend Updates!!

A while back I posted about a bag swap I was Hosting. Ended up swapping with two people (odd number of swappers). One of the bags came this week. I got this beautiful bag (and extra material) from Krystal at Sol Sisters. The bag is amazing!! The fabrics are wonderful (I love green!) and it's the perfect size. The sewing is just perfect, can you tell I love it? Krystal has a wonderful shop on Etsy with many different types of bags. Please have a look at her shop! Here are some pics of my bag.





I sold my first "Surprise Package"!! Someone purchased the $2.50 package, her favorite color is blue, so this is what I made and sent her.






Mother's Day
Tomorrow is Mother's Day. Don't you think we should get a long weekend? We've earned it!! I was supposed to come up with something for us to do. Our oldest is not home this weekend, the closest ATV derby is 2 hours away, so I am at a loss as to what we should do. What are you doing for Mother's Day?

Fridays Finds and Fun Stuff

Ok - first I have to tell you about this wonderful blog and shop I've come across. The shop is Kim's Country Cottage. Kim has the most amazing afghans, candles, doilies, graphic designs, and totes. This shop is a must see!! You would not believe what she is giving away on her BLOG!!

That's right, the afghan in the above picture! Isn't it amazing? She is giving this away to promote the opening of her Etsy shop!! This is what she writes about the afghan: "Created with soft white yarn and adorned with mauve rosebuds and frosty green leaves, this afghan is the perfect size for a single, twin size bed, or as an adornment for your favorite chair."

The contest is open until the 15th of June and the rules for entering are really easy!!

Now for my Fantastic Finds!! More really great shops. I've decided to add 3 brand new shops (no sales or very few sales) to my fantastic finds. After all, this blog is about helping other crafters by promoting their products/shops. Please check out these amazing shops! Just click on the picture.

1) Agrafina 2) Busy Bead Lady 3) CS Paper and Beads
4) Robin Zebley 5) Lil Sticks Woodworking
6) Sensoria Design 7) The Curious Rabbit
8) Venezie Bags 9) The New Dawn

Soap Samples

Hi. My name is Audrey and I'm a Soapaholic! Yes - I'm addicted to handmade soap. Just before Christmas I did a trade with Bovine Bubbles & Hog Wash and that's what got me started. Over the last many years I've tried all the different types of soaps that you can buy at the store. (Hubby thinks Zest is the best.) But after trying Cara's soap I realized that my skin doesn't have to feel so dry (like it's going to crack) after a shower!! So since then I've tried quite a few different soap shops on Etsy.


One day while blogging I came across Dragon's Den a wonderful blog that belongs to Amanda. She was offering soap samples on her blog!! Well you know I had to try them. These are the three samples I received: Rose Ribbon, Oatmeal Honey, and Honey Almond. I've used the Honey Almond one - it's wonderful!!



Amanda still has the link up on her blog to get samples. She has some others that you can try. It only costs $1/sample!! One sample last for a couple of washings, and it's worth trying!! Amanda also has a wonderful shop on Etsy - Dragon's Den. Please check out her shop and blog!
Another shop I've purchased samples from is Burnt Mill. Misty has the coolest looking soap and when I saw I could get 10 - 1 oz. samples for only $6.50 (plus shipping) , I had to try them!! These are 8 of the ones I got. I've already used two of them: Strawberry Cheesecake and Summer Medley. These soaps are also really great!! Please check out her shop too.






So I started thinking - what other shops would have soap samples? You would not believe how many there are!!! Craziness. There is no way I can try them all in what's left of my life time! I'm beginning to think doing a post on soap samples might not have been such a good idea. I want to try them all!!! LOL


The samples seem to come in all shapes, sizes, weights and prices. I went through a lot of the shops, and these are some of the ones that I found that have the most for your money. I'm sure I missed some and I appologize for that. Please check them out - the pictures link to the shop!

1) Adelaides 2) Ak Photo N Crafts

3) Bellissima Minerals 4) Carvel Country Soaps

5) Country Heart Gifts 6) Lippincott Soap Co.

7) Lost River Rags 8) Magic Hands

9) Motherhues 10) Simple Soaps and Basic Bags

Apiary Designs

Apiary Designs is a wonderful shop on Etsy. Megan and Nancy have bags, aprons, cat activity mats, pouches etc, made from amazing fabrics. There is so much color in this shop - I love it!! Megan and Nancy are from Rhode Island and have been on Etsy for 1 year now!



#1. How did you decide on your shop name?
Megan's husband calls her the "busy bee" because she's always got a million projects in process. The word apiary means a place where bees and beehives are kept, especially a place where bees are raised for their honey. So in this context, Nancy and I are the bees, and our handmade creations are the honey for all of you to harvest!


#2. When did you start crafting?
Nancy has been sewing since she was a child and has been a strong supporter of the Knit and Sew table at her church bazaar for many years. Megan has been crocheting, knitting, and sewing for a few years now. We began concentrating on sewing for Apiary Designs about a year ago, and celebrated our one year Etsy-versary on April 21, 2009.


#3. Are there other crafts you would like to try?
Megan is also a knitter when she can fit in a few rows and would love to try quilting. Both her grandmother and grandfather are avid quilters and she loves displaying their creations on all the beds in the house!



#4. What or who inspires you?
The fabrics we choose inspire us. We try to choose simple designs that will showcase the bright prints we select to the best advantage. That being said, we have definite weaknesses for flowers, fruits, and geometrics!


#5. Do you have a day job?
Yes, we both have day jobs in our family business - an industrial heating equipment sales and service business. Megan is the General Manager and Nancy is the Controller. As you can imagine, Apiary Designs is our creative outlet!


#6. What is the item in your shop you enjoyed making the most and why?
One of our favorite products is the catnip activity mats - cat tested and approved by Megan's two furballs. But our favorite pieces change about as quickly as we can sew! Right now we're busy making a new batch of aprons...