2kutekreations

Five O'clock faces

2012-01-30T17:00:00.001-05:00

Y'all know I am an animal lover. I specially love dogs.
Bambam is my yorkiepoo, my baby, alpha dog in this household. She keeps track of
who is doing what, like Cadmus (tuxedo) and Kenneth (formerly known as Kenny, the cow cat) are up to and she tells me when they are doing something they are not supposed to be doing.
She also stares at me when any alarm in the house goes off, be it the oven timer or the dryer, also if the cell phone rings.
If my son is not home and the cell phone rings she perks up. Why you will ask, well, she somehow knows I am gonna be going out to pick him up and wants to go on a ride.
Something she does every day, no matter what, is to stare at me intently... at 5pm.
She will sit here and stare at me until I get up and feed them all dinner.
I think it is awesome. Sometimes I take pictures so I am gonna share a couple with you guys.

Do you have any stories about your pet??? Please share and...
oh sorry, gotta run, she's staring at me. Now you know what time it is on the East coast.
Be back later as soon as I finish feeding th.... gotta run.

Share the Love - Featured Artisan

2011-10-11T08:14:00.001-04:00

This week's featured artisan is Barbara Rosenzweig - Watercolors by Barbara. Beautiful creations to add to your home! You can find Watercolors by Barbara on:

http://www.watercolorsbybarbara.com/

http://www.etsy.com/shop/barbararosenzweig

http://barbararosenzweig.blogspot.com/

http://barbararosenzweig.wordpress.com/

http://www.twitter.com/barbarasart

http://www.facebook.com/WatercolorsByBarbara?v=wall&ref=pdem

Share the Love - Featured Artisan

2011-09-25T12:44:00.001-04:00

This week's Featured Artisan is Andrea Zimmerman Rogers - Blue Highways. Gorgeous Handbound books and journals. A work of art to keep your thoughts, pics and more! You can find Blue Highways on:

Etsy

Blog

Facebook

I am an animal lover, are you?

2011-09-22T19:02:00.002-04:00

For you guys that know me for some time now and have been following my blog, you know
I am an animal lover. My son and I don't even kill harmless insects and bugs, if they come in the house we catch them and release them outside.
We at the moment have 4 dogs and 2 cats living in our home, they are part of our family. They are our babies.
I really love dogs and I came across this today and wanted to share with you guys.

'I died today. You got tired of me and took me to the shelter. They were overcrowded and I drew an unlucky number. I am in a black plastic bag in a landfill now. Some other puppy will get the barely used leash you left. My collar was dirty and too small, but the lady took it off before she sent me to the Rainbow Bridge . Would I still be at home if I hadn’t chewed your shoe? I didn’t know what it was, but it was leather, and it was on the floor. I was just playing. You forgot to get puppy toys. Would I still be at home if I had been housebroken? Rubbing my nose in what I did only made me ashamed that I had to go at all. There are books and obedience teachers that would have taught you how to teach me to go to the door. Would I still be at home if I hadn’t brought fleas into the house? Without anti-flea medicine, I couldn’t get them off of me after you left me in the yard for days. Would I still be at home if I hadn’t barked? I was only saying, “I’m scared, I’m lonely, I’m here, I’m here! I want to be your best friend ” Would I still be at home if I had made you happy? Hitting me didn’t make me learn how. Would I still be at home if you had taken the time to care for me and to teach manners to me? You didn’t pay attention to me after the first week or so, but I spent all my time waiting for you to love me. I died today. Love, Your dog! ***Please forward this to everyone, its time to stop animal abuse'

Share the Love - Featured Artisan

2011-09-12T08:22:00.002-04:00

This weeks Featured Artisan is Sharri Powell - Most and Mist! Gorgeous creations created with love.

You can find Most and Mist on:

Etsy

Facebook

Twitter

Grab the code for your blog here:

Share the Love - Featured Artisan

2011-08-08T08:27:00.001-04:00

This weeks Featured Artisan is Georgia Groves- Georgiamarbles! Beautiful creations!

You can Find Georgiamarbles on :

Etsy

Facebook

Blog

You can Grab the code for your blog Here:

Share the Love - Featured Artisan

2011-08-01T07:56:00.000-04:00

This weeks featured artisan is Tracy - Braggin' Rights Bath!

Yummy treats to indulge yourself with! You can find

Braggin' Rights Bath on:

Share the Love - Featured Artisan

2011-07-28T09:14:00.000-04:00

This weeks' Featured Artisan is Seb - Knit and Crochet Touches by Seb!

Beautiful and Delicate fashions for you! A Must have for every ladies closet!

You can find SebSurer on:

Etsy

Facebook

Blog

Twitter

Are you On Fire for Handmade? http://www.onfireforhandmade.com

Share the Love - Featured Artisan

2011-07-19T15:35:00.000-04:00

This weeks featured artisan is Mary - Euphoric Charms!

You can find Mary at:

Etsy

Blog

Facebook

Share the Love - Featured Artisan

2011-07-11T09:11:00.002-04:00

This weeks featured artisan is Viviane - Bowquet! Darling bows for your Darlings!

You can find Bowquet on:

Etsy

Facebook

Blog

On Fire for Handmade

Share the Love - Featured Artisan

2011-07-05T10:00:00.001-04:00

This weeks featured artisan is Ruth - RSS Designs in Fiber! Beautiful Creations! You can find

RSS Designs in Fiber on:

Artfire

Etsy

Blog

Facebook

Happy Birthday America!

2011-07-04T08:00:00.001-04:00

"If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land."
II Chronicles 7:14

Wishing everyone a great and safe 4th of July.

Summer

2011-07-03T08:37:00.002-04:00

Summer is in full swing and most of you know, summer and I don't get along very well.
Heat exacerbates most of my health problems. Nonetheless I live in Florida where it's hot and humid most of the year.
I came across this yesterday and thought it was hilarious.

HAVE A SAFE SUMMER!

Share the Love - Featured Artisan

2011-06-26T10:37:00.001-04:00

This weeks featured artisan is Kim - Va Beach Quilter. Kim has a wonderful selection of goodies in her shop. Quilts, table runners, coasters.. the list goes on and on... You can find Va Beach Quilter on:

Share the Love - Featured Artisan

2011-06-19T09:45:00.006-04:00

This weeks featured aritsan is Shelly - Handmade Creations by Shelly! Wonderful creations made by a wonderful lady!

You can find Shelly on:

Etsy

Artfire

Shelly's Knitting

Twitter

Facdebook

Blog

Blogger United Featured Artist

2011-06-09T10:33:00.001-04:00

This weeks Featured Artisan is Allurynn - Creations by Moonlight! Alluryn has wonderful creations in her shop! A Must have for every jewelry box!! You can find Creations by Moonlight on:

Etsy
Website
Twitter
Facebook

Share the love - Bloggers United Featured Artist

2011-06-04T08:39:00.003-04:00

This weeks Featured Artisan is Tali - Tali's Creations! Beautiful creations by a beautiful lady! You can find Tali's Creations at:

Artfire

Facebook Profile

Facebook Page

Lid Holders

2011-05-17T08:45:00.000-04:00

Hello everyone, I am sorry for such a lack of postings.
I have some health issues that cause some memory problem. One of the things that I kept doing to myself was burn my fingers on the lids while cooking. So I found this idea in a book and put my hooks to work. I have a couple in my kitchen. It's a very simple concept. When you are cooking, put the little hat on the lid holder of the pan, tie the bow, make sure the strings are not hanging too low or you might set your stove on fire. Then just continue with your cooking.
Every time you need to lift the lid to stir the contents of the pan, the potholder is already there. You don't need to spend five minutes looking for it all over the counter tops. :o)
I really like my lid holders. I have two so far but that is because if you know me, you know this already, I don't do much cooking :p
They also make a great gift topper for bridal showers or house warming gifts.
Come on over to 2kut e to check them out.

Let me know if you need a different color.

Helping with the laundry

2011-05-04T15:09:00.003-04:00

One of the house chores that never ends is laundry. I am so glad I got a good helper.
I don't know what's with cats and fresh laundry, I turned around for a couple of seconds to put my basket away and my good helper was already hard at work. Gotta love those silly creatures.
=^..^=

and I did it again!

2011-04-28T08:40:00.005-04:00

I have always been very good at remembering dates, like special dates. My children's birthdays, anniversaries, even my furry children's birthdays (the ones that are known).
However there is one date that for some reason, my husband always beats me to it. I can never remember.
Yesterday I was even thinking that today is the 28th of April and I was thinking a few things related to the date, like in 3 mos my baby is gonna be 19, but didn't think anything else about the date.
Then this morning, hubs gets up before me like always. When I came tumbling down the hallway trying to make it to the kitchen to get my coffee, he was already outside loading his truck.
I then took Bambam out like every other morning, Ellie was already outside. Then they came in and I fed them.
Then hubs comes in to say bye, hugs me, kisses me and says 'happy anniversary!'
Can y'all believe that I had to stop for a few seconds to figure out what he was saying???
Shame on me!
He NEVER forgets. Thirty years ago today we first kissed.
We had been talking and hanging out together for about 4-6 wks, but until then we hadn't held hands or kissed or anything, just the typical flirting/getting to know each other.
On April 28, 1981 (wow! that was a long time ago), he walked me home from work (we worked next door to each other), even though he had to go out of his way and actually walk past his house to get to mine. Mind you, we lived in a small town and we walked mostly everywhere.
When we were about to turn a corner to get to my place, he stopped to say bye (my mom didn't really know we had been talking), and all of a sudden he kissed me.
Now, we have had a three decade disagreement on what type of kiss that was. I say it was one of those sweet long kisses, he says it was just a short kiss, kinda like a peck on the lips.
I still say I am right because I am telling you, earth stood still and there wasn't anyone else but the two of us and I am sure it was about 2-3 min.
I think we will disagree on that till death do us part. Well, it does not matter, what matters is that 30 years later, lots of ups and downs, good and bad, health and sickness... we are still here.
By the way, three months from that day in April, to the day, we got engaged.
Do you remember when you first kissed your spouse????

Kute findings: she's back

2011-04-25T10:09:00.006-04:00

I love handmade, I love etsy! I spend hours browsing around etsy for unique items.
I also love to chat. Etsy chat rooms are awesome to go talk and have fun with other crafters.
It was there that I met Michelle a couple of years ago.

She makes these awesome tarts. I like when my house smells good.
I also got some of her yogurt lotion. Due to my health issues,
I can't have anything on my skin, it drives me nuts.
Her lotion is perfect because is not greasy.
You should come check her shop out. She is having a SALE until May 1st - 15% off already marked off. You don't need a coupon or wait for a refund.
Go pay Michelle's shop a visit, buy something and then let me know.
You can also like her facebook page to always know when she's having a special ahead of everyone else. Tell her 2kute sent you.

GIVEAWAY: Rubadubbuddies Personalized Towel

2011-04-22T15:33:00.002-04:00

I found this awesome giveaway and wanted to share with you guys.
It's for a personalized bath towel. I think they are extremely cute.
Creative Minds is hosting the giveaway and Rubadubbuddies is the sponsor
and maker of the kutest bath towels.
It's easy and totally worth to enter this giveaway. Go check it out
at Creative Minds.

Kute Findings

2011-04-20T08:47:00.004-04:00

I met this gal on etsy chat the other day. While I crochet myself, I found that her hats are extremely fun and love them.
They are party themed and costume hats. She is great and sweet, so if you or your child is having a party and you would like something like that, Karen is the person you need to contact.
Karen is so sweet that for every new fan she gets on her facebook page you get 10% off your first purchase at her etsy shop.

This is what you have to do to get her 10% off:
1) follow my blog
2) like Karen J Creations page on facebook
3) tag me, 2kutekreations ,(to tag me just type @2kutekreations and it will become a link, that will work only if you like my page) on a post on her page that way she'll know I sent you and you will save money

There is no drawing. Everyone wins. So easy!
Don't forget to check out Karen J Creations on etsy.

Kute Residence - 13:00 hour

2011-04-18T08:58:00.002-04:00

You will notice a trend of what goes on the Kute residence, every day around 1pm.

Ellie stays up standing guard of the front door protecting everyone! She's a hard worker.

Bambam is 10

2011-04-10T12:59:00.003-04:00

Yesterday was Bambam's 10th birthday. I had planned in doing a photo shoot and get new pictures with her but I was sick. I spent the whole day in bed and yeah, you guessed, she was right there with me.
This morning I woke up still sick and after a small breakfast, I had to go back to bed. She went with me of course and just laid by my side while I slept.
When I woke up and decided I could manage to change, she got up with me. I changed and grabbed my laptop. She was so excited when she saw me carrying my laptop. She knows, I know for sure she knows, that when I follow my morning routine of coffee and laptop time I am ok.
She ran for the sofa where we sit in the morning. She just lays by my side while I check my messages.
Yep, she's right here with me now.
She's my little angel in a fur coat. I am so glad we get to spend these many years together.

Wordless Wednesday

2011-04-06T11:44:00.002-04:00

Shopping for supplies

2011-03-28T09:00:00.005-04:00

Today's post is by guest writer Sammi from Chavaneth

I am an avid handmade shopper. I have so many amazing things I have purchased online. This is my most recent treasure. A birthstone necklace from KneadtoPaint that includes birthstones for my kids and me.

I wanted to point out there is a whole other side of online shopping

that a lot of us don’t talk about. Supplies! I’m the first to admit Michael’s and Goodwill both know me on a first name basis. But I get at least 3 packages a week delivered right to my door.

Here are perfect examples. My greeting cards.

The fabrics are from the destash section of DREAMSS UPPLYSHOP and the vintage picture I got from an old children’s book purchased at BOOKISHKIND. We are one big happy handmade family!

There is not enough room to list all of my button purchases on this blog. But on this greeting card I used buttons from The Vintage Pineapple who also had them listed as destash.

Don’t be shy – it’s a great way to support other artisans and get the most original supplies for your work.

Sammi

You can visit Sammi's etsy shop here.

And you can follow Sammi on twitter.

Photography Props

2011-03-25T17:35:00.008-04:00

We over at 2kute have decided to expand our kreations.
Now 2kute offers photography props.
Beautiful hats, crocheted by me, 2kute, for that newborn photo shoot.
I use hand spun, hand dyed merino wool.
This is the first one I made using this yarn.

It features a flower made using 100% cotton and some boa feathers. I added some beads to the center of it. Wouldn't your baby girl look stunning in her baby pictures?

Then I made a more plain one with a big advantage: it's reversible. Turn it inside out and voila, you have new textures and new mixture of colors.

Today I added a third one to the collection. Again, it's crochet, I made using merino wool, cotton and fancy fur.

I hope you have a minute or two to stop by for a visit at 2kutekreations.

Because not every princess wears a crown!

2011-03-21T08:58:00.003-04:00

This week's guest writer is BOWquet. Let's show her some great support. Thanks!

My name is "E", or rather, that's what I prefer to go by. I've always been a bit of a tomboy, with part girly on the side. lol Black has always been my favorite color, until 2008, when I got pregnant with my daughter. When we found out we were having a girl, I went nuts with the pink. Dresses, dolls, pink, bows, shoes... took over our house! And I did not mind one bit! I knew I wanted a girly girl and I LOVED all the cute girly things. Her room is pink/white and anyone that sees it comments on how "pink" it is. I love it :) And the best part, she loves pink! I'm super excited to be expecting another baby girl, bows will take over our house!

Once my daughter was born, I decided that I wanted to make her own bows. Ideas started flowing and I'd make tons of bows daily. Being that I became a stay at home mom once she was born, I had tons of time to "work" on my bows. When my daughter was about 4-5 months old, BOWquet was born! :) My daughter then became my inspiration for bows. I would never sell anything that I wouldn't put on my daughter. If I end up making something and it does not pass my inspection, I don't sell it. As I've said, if I wouldn't put it on my daughter, then I don't sell it.

I have a "slight" obsession with ribbons. In fact, it's kinda taking over my house. My husband doesn't mind, he loves it when I make new bows. In fact, he is an artist, so we our nights often are spent w/ both of us on the couch, watching our favorite tv shows and creating our art. :) I'm so thankful to have my husband's support. I also have the support of my daughter. Anytime we are getting ready to go out, she asks for a bow. I love that she's my little model. Anytime we go out, she gets compliments on her bows. I love it!

As I've said, my daughter is my true inspiration for BOWquet. I love making bows, more than that, I love seeing my bows on girls. It always makes me happy to have little girls proudly display bows.

Thank you all for your support!

You can find Bowquet shop here.

You can find Bowquet facebook page here.

Crash Course on Twitter

2011-03-14T09:00:00.001-04:00

This is an article written by Anna Pereira with great tips on how to use twitter to promote your shop.

Many of us are on Twitter either for our business, personal or both! (Personally I have a little of everything going on when I tweet)

For all Etsy sellers who are on twitter, you may or may not realize the value of it. It is a great tool to get your shop lots of exposure and lots of views to your items. It is like a big networking party where you shake lots of hand say hello to many people, but at the end of the day may or may not become more 'intimate' friends with other tweeters. I have been very lucky to have become 'real friends' on twitter through Etsy and twitter. What I mean by this is the same relationship you develop in the forums or on the teams - a sense of promoting each other and personal attachment to individuals through getting to know them - CAN happen on twitter :)

Ok let me start out for those who know nothing about it... Basically it's like text messaging for the world to see. However, you need to get people to follow you for you to get exposure or with hashtags or keywords you can be seen.

What's a hashtag? On twitter, commonly searched terms that are used like this #Etsy can be searched boy the globe of twitter users. So your tweet can be seen if you use hashtags. A typical tweet for me to send would be something like:
http://etsy.me/hHGwBv Received lots of views and featured in many treasuries. Would love to see it sold :) #LACWE #Etsynj #fashion #moms
I used #LACWE as it's our team and we can search and RT each other this way, #EtsyNJ my other team #fashion as it's a commonly searched word and #moms as it's commonly searched as well

What is that short link above? Once you set up your twitter and get into it - poke around you can't break it - you will see twitter links are short because best tweets are quick and short (My bad habit is long tweets) But that link leads right to the item I promoted. Tweetdeck automatically shortens my tweets or there are services you can use to shorten your tweet (Search google for these link shortening sites)

Once you have an account, make your profile as human as possible. If you are part of the handmade community, follow other handmade community members. A nice way to start building relationships on twitter is to follow someone, comment on one of their tweets (composed of by them, not a RT or ReTweet) and also RT their tweet. You will almost guarantee a 'follow back' from those Tweeters that have good twitter etiquette.

What is a ReTweet or RT? THIS is the big deal. As you are new to twitter and you are trying to build up your friendships, there is a fine line between shameless self promotion and promoting oneself with taste. Herein lies the golden nugget - You want to make friends on twitter so the established tweeters will ReTweet or RT your tweets giving your tweet exposure to many more people. You will understand better once you are in full twitter mode and start tweeting.

*IMPORTANT* Etiquette : Always thank anyone who has mentioned you or RT'd you. The BEST WAY to thank someone is to RT one of their tweets, their Etsy shop link with a comment or BEST OF ALL a link to a specific item in their store with your little 'Love it!' or something sweet like that. You will gain respect and friends by doing these things.

When people see you are active and have good etiquette, you will gain more followers, views, inclusions in treasuries, and sales. It is a lot of work! But worth it and something you can give as much or as little of your time too.

The numbers go way up for views but sales go up too! You will get many views and more sales but the ratio is skewed for the number of shop visits vs sales via using twitter than if you just let your shop sit on Etsy with no promoting at all. Maybe it takes 400 views to get the sale ... but you got the sale where you may struggle to get 30 views but on the 31st view you sell your item. It's massive exposure, which at the very least will increase sales but not through the numbers alone. Did I make sense there?

How can I make my tweeting life easier? There are services that can help you get organized. I use TweetDeck (Tweetdeck.com to download) You can schedule tweets and make columns to see at a glance important things. For example, I have a column for #LACWE and one for Lacwe team members so if they use the hashtag or not, I will see the members who I have added to my list tweets.

Another great service I use is Twitterfeed.com I have my shop, blog and many friends, who I support and who support me, RSS feed of their Etsy shop on there. ANYTIME they list a new item or relist an item on their shop, the item (usually no more than 2) is sent through that service and tweeted automatically for me!

Do you want to be added to my twitterfeed? Please follow me and I will follow back and DM me on twitter set up TwitterFeed and reciprocate ....

This is just a small taste of twitter. Once you begin, you will see the value. The key things are:
1. Remember, the world sees your tweet! Good OR Bad ... so make sure you say something you wish you could take back later
2. Use twitter to promote yourself as well as build relationships.
3. Thank and reciprocate on twitter will always lead to success
4. Building your account will be slow - FRIDAYS are a great time to pick up lots of followers.
5. Be as real a person as you can!
6. Make it easier by finding new ways to organize and stay social through my suggested links or a number of others.
7. If you shout out to people they will answer you! If you find someone interesting - say Hi! It really is a lot like text messaging on a global scale :)

http://twitter.com/AnnaPereiraEtsy
Follow me I follow back

Anna's shop is here

Meet the Mind Behind The Adventure Shop

2011-03-07T09:00:00.003-05:00

My name is Michael Regina (also 2Kute's son in law!) and I love imagination. As a kid I took the daily after school wars against monsters and aliens very seriously! THANK YOU VERY MUCH! Eventually I channeled that energy into creating comics. It was an obsession that came out in 3rd grade, I started making my own books and spent the last however many years pursuing it...

In college I discovered painting and pursued it in the most traditional sense. I studied portraits and landscapes and all of the good things we're supposed to when learning to make art and be a good student. I really enjoyed it! But it seems that lifelong love for imagination... well... it's still an obsession.

I think I get more excited to go to Disney World more than my daughter does. I like going to museums because it reminds me of all of the adventure out there. The Lord of the Rings may as well be true and so help me, show me a starry sky and I spend all of my time pondering the greatness of the universe. I love adventure. I love imagination... because it let's the world be what it's supposed to be before everything got all messed up...

That's where the idea for The Adventure Shop came in. I finally started channeling all of that traditional painting experience into taking people on a great conceptual adventure. My paintings are there to remind us of a world and time we all once loved...And to remember there's still room for it in our lives today. The Adventure Shop is the embodiment of all of my passion and mind. It's just starting, but the journey is underway. And as Bilbo says in Tolkien's great classic: "It's a dangerous business, going out of your door. You step into the Road, and if you don't keep your feet, there is no knowing where you might be swept off to. "

Thanks for reading. And I hope you enjoy my shop! :-)

Thanks Michael for such a great article!
You can see more of Michael's work here.
Michael has a facebook page and a twitter profile.

Spring Line of Baby Hats

2011-03-05T09:41:00.007-05:00

Spring is just around the corner. I felt such a need to work with colors. I had been working with
gray, brown, black since last October.
So I decided to get my bright colors and start to design some pretty hats for wee little ones in colors that will be perfect for Spring/Easter.
I crochet using 100% cotton. What that means is that cotton is a natural fiber and it's not as warm as acrylic, which makes the hats lighter and more appropriate for the warmer weather.
You can wash them in your machine, using cold water and staying away from bleach. They will last longer if you just lay them flat on a bath towel to dry.

I had to start with yellow. Such a vibrant color. I would like to thank Photography by A Dennette
for this way 2kute picture.

Then I had to try some bright pink. I just love pink.

Of course I then decided to flip the colors around.

And I love blue. So I thought this color combo would look rather kute also.

I am still working on more, so just keep an eye out. These hats so far are available in two sizes, newborn to 3 mos and 3 to 6 mos. More sizes will be available soon.

Guest Writers

2011-02-28T09:00:00.006-05:00

We have decided to offer everyone an opportunity to promote their handmade items on our blog.
If you would like to submit an article to be posted and promoted for free on our blog, please read the rules below.

Rules to be a guest writer in 2kute's blog:

* you need to follow 2kute's blog
* you need to follow 2kute's facebook page
* you article MUST be related to handmade items, you can write about:
1) your online shop (any venue or your own website),
2) a tutorial,
3) about someone you know who is an artist or crafter,
4) historical facts about your craft (for example, where did crochet come from)

* articles will be subject to 2kute's administration approval
* no obscenities, sexual wording or pictures, no politics, racial or religious related wording or mention
*no mature items, no mass made items,
* the only links allowed will be to websites related to handmade items
* you can have up to 3 pics displayed, make sure the pictures are yours and there are no copyright holds on said pictures by anyone
* the writer will be responsible to promote the blog in any of the social
networks (tweeter, facebook, stumbleupon etc) once daily for the time the article is the top post (about 3 days)

2kute's administration:
*will reserve the right to turn your article down if any of the rules
is not followed
*will accept one article per week and the article will remain the top post for a minimum of 3 days and a maximum of 7.
*will promote the blog on twitter and facebook several times a day creating more exposure

how it will be done:
you will write the article and email it to 2kute's administration
articles can be anywhere between 3-4 paragraphs
include in your article, in the place you would like the related pictures to be posted, the link to said pictures
2kute's administration will save those pictures and post them
Articles will go live every Monday morning at 9am, US Eastern time

Email us with any questions or your article for approval
2kuteadm@gmail.com

These are the members of 2kute administration:
2kute, Bowquet, Creative Minds

My fun earflap hats

2011-01-27T10:52:00.006-05:00

Most everyone knows by now that I love crafting, specially crochet. I started to crochet in my early teens but then life happened and I was always too busy to crochet.
Then life happened again and I became ill in 2003. In 2004, being unable to do anything that requires any physical effort, I became extremely depressed. I decided to buy some yarn and a couple of hooks to try and become productive in some way.
I can tell you that crochet has kept me from depression most of the time.
Back in 2008 I finally decided to take the plunge and that is how 2kute came to be.
This winter I have been having loads of fun with my hats.

This is my best seller. Made using a very soft acrylic yarn, the combination of gray and
pink is a big hit.

Gray also goes very well with other colors.

And of course, we need to have the classic black.

Come on over my shop and browse around. You might find that you need a elegant and fun way to stay warm this winter. If you don't see the color or size you would like to have, just contact me, I will make it happen.

The 20 Days of Christmas

2010-12-03T08:22:00.002-05:00

We at 2kutekreations, will be promoting online shopping these next 20 days, from 12/1 thru 12/20.
Why the 20th? That is the date USPS has given us for the cut off date for domestic shipping.

We would like to have as many as possible to participate in order to get to know each other and hopefully sell tons.

...Here is how it will work out:
every morning, at 8am, Eastern Standard Time, I, 2kute, will post a theme on 2kutekreations wall.
Themes will vary from day to day and will go from items for the home to baby to your pets.

Rules:

1) you can participate every day but only one link/photo/item per day

2) link should take to the item not to your shop

3) items need to pertain to theme of the day (don't post an adult hat if the theme is babies)

4) NO MATURE, obscene, sexy, nudity will be accepted.

5) help promote yourself and others by 'sharing' a post on your profile

6) tweet about it

7) blog about it

8) if you are not in the USA and would like to participate, you are more than welcome to, please post your mailing cut off date

Let's have some fun and make some sales!
YAY for a handmade Christmas.

All this fun will be happening at our page
2kutekreations

Today's theme is GRANDMA GOT RAN OVER BY A REINDEER!

Turkey Day

2010-11-25T05:35:00.000-05:00

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!!!

Enjoy your family and eat lots of turkey! :)

Thanksgiving fun

2010-11-23T05:33:00.000-05:00

Thought this was cute!

Thanksgiving

2010-11-22T05:25:00.000-05:00

One of my favorite holidays is Thanksgiving. I love the food, time with family, the cool weather, but most of all, the history behind Thanksgiving and what it means.

I also love focusing that time on things that I'm thankful for. There is so much to be thankful for, my family, my pets, shelter, food, too much to name. :) Take this week and think about all you have to be thankful for. It helps to put things into perspective.

Keeping busy!

2010-11-20T05:22:00.000-05:00

I always have patterns, yarns, hooking on my mind. I love coming up with new ideas that everyone will love.

This is my latest creation, what do you think?

Click here to see this hat... And visit 2kute for more stuff!

Best Friends

2010-11-18T11:20:00.001-05:00

Miss BamBam and Cadmus are the best of friends. The best thing is to find them cuddled together on the couch. It usually means naptime, and I am very happy to join them. :)

Dressed up Puppy

2010-11-01T08:00:00.001-04:00

Bam Bam got all ready for Halloween. :) I got this cute ghost bow from Bowquet. She makes such adorable bows I figured Bam Bam needed to dress up for the weekend. Bowquet also makes Thanksgiving and Christmas bows. I already placed my order for Bam Bam. :)
Her bows are actually for little girls, but why can't my puppy wear them? After all, she is my prissy baby. ;) Go get your bow from Bowquet! Tell her 2Kute sent ya.

Happy Halloween!!!

2010-10-29T08:00:00.002-04:00

Just wanted to say Happy Halloween!!! Be safe, enjoy and eat lots of candy! ;)

No Monkeying Around

2010-10-26T15:23:00.002-04:00

I made this super cute sock monkey hat! Do you think? My daughter ordered some sock monkeys from etsy the other day and I go inspired! :) Ever since that cute car commercial with the sock monkey came out, they have become so popular. I can't wait to see a baby wearing this. How cute would that be? So, whoever purchases this hat can take a picture of their baby wearing it and I will use it in my shop. Your baby can be a model for 2kute. ;)

Pink Hat

2010-10-12T15:50:00.001-04:00

What do you think of this pink and brown hat? This hat is perfect for that special baby girl in your life. And now that the weather is getting cooler, this is just what she needs to keep her head warm and stay in style! :) Check out this hat and many others in my Etsy store.

Scooby DOO

2010-10-04T09:00:00.002-04:00

Do you guy remember the old school cartoons? My favorite of all time has been and will always be Scooby Doo! I love putting the TV on the cartoon network and watching Scooby Doo.

Iam also teaching my grandkids to love Scooby. :) My grandson is the oldest and he already knows all about Scooby. I often buy scooby doo gummies and share with him. YES, I share. Can you believe it? lol

I did notice that there are new Scooby cartoons and I am not a big fan. I like the old episodes so much more!

What is your favorite cartoon?

Navy Blue Beret

2010-09-30T09:00:00.002-04:00

Have you seen my newest listing? This is my first Beret. I LOVE it. It's totally different than anything I've ever made. The yarn used is 97% wool and 7% polyamide. Check out this hat and many others in my store here.

Introducing...

2010-09-27T09:00:00.000-04:00

As many of you know I am a big sucker for animals. We have 2 dogs and a cat inside the house. Then we have 2 other dogs outside. All these precious creatures are rescues. The cat was a Christmas gift to my son. Well, my husband and son are a bigger sucker than I am. They were at a job and found this poor starving cat on the brink of death. They came home telling me about the cat and they wanted to bring him home to be an outside cat. So I went for it. The next day they brought the poor soul home. We bathed him and fed him. Since then he has yet to set foot, rather, a paw outside. 0_0 He has taken rule and reign over the house. We took him to vet for a check up and he is fine. We named him Kenny. And he is now our newest addition to the family. What do you think?

He took over the house right away...

You think he is comfy here? ;)

2kute treasury feature

2010-09-23T13:42:00.002-04:00

2kute has been featured in a treasury. What do you think? Click here to see the treasury and leave a comment. :) I am so excited and thankful for this feature. I just love treasuries. :)

Black Crochet Hat

2010-09-22T20:28:00.002-04:00

Presenting My Latest Creation...

I just fell in love with this retro hat. I LOVE the black with pink accent. Every girl needs a little pink in her wardrobe. ;) Picture a cold winter day, you are getting dressed in your jeans, a black sweater and boots. This hat will be the PERFECT touch to finish off your look.

Check out this hat and more of my 2kute kreations here!

Fall Hats

2010-09-15T08:00:00.000-04:00

Fall is just around the corner. Are you ready? These cute hats are perfect for the fall weather. And the colors match with a lot of your fall wardrobe. I'm actually getting ready to make one like this for my youngest grandson. He's going to look very stylish in it. Check out this hat and more here.

Gently down the stream...

2010-09-13T08:00:00.002-04:00

You know what my FAVORITE thing to do is? Sit on a rock, take my shoes off, hike up my pants, and stick my feet in a creek. Hubby recently took me there for our 29th wedding anniversary for a couple of days and I got to do that. Everytime we drove around and saw a creek or river, he would stop and let me sit and enjoy myself a bit. He was so sweet!

Coffee Goodness

2010-09-10T08:00:00.000-04:00

I LOVE COFFEE. It is something we have to have in our house at all times. Hubby even bought me one of those coffee makers with a timer so I can get it all set up the night before and have it ready when I wake up.

Well, being that we are on a budget, hubby bought the cheap coffee that was on sale at the grocery store. It's drinkable, but NOTHING like my Starbucks coffee. :/ Last saturday morning I went to my daughter's house and she made me a cup of Starbucks coffee and a belgium waffle for breakfast. It is a HUGE difference drinking Starbucks coffee compared to the cheap stuff. :/ I may have to re-do our budget so I can buy my Starbucks coffee. lol

Happy Birthday Hun!

2010-09-08T08:00:00.001-04:00

Today is my husband's birthday! Time sure does go by fast. I am so thankful that I get to be his wife and mother of his children. He is my best friend and I love him! We have been through a lot together. We have fulfilled many dreams and goals together - from getting married, having children, making a big move, going through school, changing careers, marrying off our daughters, having grandchildren and so much more! Hunny, Happy Birthday. Thank you for being such a great husband, father, and grandfather! I love you!

Heaven on Earth

2010-09-07T11:12:00.002-04:00

Isn't this breathtaking? I LOVE the smokies. I absolutely love going to North Carolina and one dream of retiring there - me, hubby, and the furry babies. That's all I need. I can't wait til that day. In the mean time, I will sit, plan, dream and look at pictures of this amazing place!

I Voted!

2010-08-24T17:16:00.002-04:00

Look what I did!!!!

That's right! My dream of voting is this wonderful country came true today. I got to vote for the first time today. I got to become a citizen of this AMAZING country in May, so now I can vote! WOOOHOO! It was an amazing feeling. I love being an American and don't take any minute of it for granted. I am so grateful to be part of the USA.

Puppy Pampering

2010-08-22T20:19:00.002-04:00

My girls were long overdue for a haircut. Poor things had hair all over the place. So the hubby and I finally had room in the budget to take them to the groomers. Their haircut costs more than mine! I have to take them together because they are both TERRIFIED of being left alone at the groomers. So Bam Bam and Ellie keep each other company. When we got there Bam Bam grabbed on to me and started shaking and poor Ellie put her tail in between her legs and hid between my legs. It was a long day for both girls and me because I sure missed them. But it was totally worth it because they look adorable.

Here is my prissy girl with her bow - Doesn't she look cute?

And here is Ellie's haircut. I think she looks a little like Scooby Doo. :)

Fall Tags

2010-08-16T08:00:00.001-04:00

“Every leaf speaks bliss to me, fluttering from the autumn tree"
- Emily Bronte

Can you believe fall is just around the corner? To me it can't come soon enough - I sure am ready for the fall weather!!!

I made these cute pumpkin hang tags that are just PERFECT for all your fall needs. Check them and more of my tags out here.

Happy Birthday Girls!

2010-08-13T08:00:00.003-04:00

This weekend my twin daughters are having a birthday! Aren't they pretty? Well, of course, they look like me. :)

Yep, I got 2 at once. I had double the load of laundry, double dirty diapers, double bottles, double crying and screaming, double spankings, double fighting, double of everything! Talk about double trouble! But in all that I also got double the blessing. After my husband, my daughters are my best friends. They are always there for me. And they blessed me with 3 of the sweetest grandkids!

We will have fun celebrating this weekend with dinner and of course, birthday cake! YUM!

Happy Birthday girls! I love you!

Happy Birthday Dad

2010-08-03T18:09:00.002-04:00

Today is my dad's birthday. HAPPY BIRTHDAY DAD! He lives far away from me and I don't get to see him often. I did get to spend a lot of time with him last year when he came to visit. It was great. I love my dad and am so grateful for him. He's an amazing man with a HUGE heart. I am sure blessed to be his daughter!

HOT DAYS

2010-08-02T20:12:00.002-04:00

Will this heat ever end? Sometimes I feel like I am in a desert. lol

Yesterday it was over 100 degrees outside. That is WAY too hot for any normal person but it sure make me super miserable. I feel much better when the weather is cooler. So I have to stay indoors and just try to keep cool. Which is hard when I have house chores and lots of crafts I want to work on. There are days I just want to stick my body in my fridge. Too bad I don't fit. lol There are days that not even the doggies want to go out to do their business. What do you guys do to cool off on a super hot day?

My baby is 18

2010-07-29T16:41:00.003-04:00

My baby turned 18 this week. I still remember the day that he was born. I just cannot believe it. I am so proud of him and love him very much! He is going to be starting college this fall and has some great goals! I encourage him every step of the way and can't wait to see what the future holds for him.

I had a house full of family and some of his friends to celebrate his 18th birthday. As always we had so much fun! There were dogs, cats and little kids running around. Lots of laughter and yummy cake! The birthday boy asked for Chinese food so that's what we had! YUMMY! We all ate way too much. :)

They had to pack up all the food I ordered in a box. It was all so yummy

My favorite part of any birthday - THE CAKE!!! :)

2Kute Cake

2010-07-28T11:26:00.005-04:00

I made a pair of baby shoes and matching baby hat for a sweet lady. And she made a gorgeous diaper cake and included my items. How cool is that? She even took the time to send me pictures. I really love seeing my kreations being used! I make all these items with such love and care and it's neat to see what people do with them. Check out my other kreations here.

Isn't this little bear styling in my kreations? lol

Diaper cake by Wrappers De-Lite

PROUD TO BE AN AMERICAN!!!

2010-07-04T09:26:00.004-04:00

There are no words to express the pride that is filling my heart today.
I am proud to be an American, not by birth, but by choice.
Never take our great nation for granted.
Be proud of her.

Wordless Wednesday

2010-06-02T15:19:00.002-04:00

A thief amongs us!

2010-05-23T20:40:00.004-04:00

Where's grandpa? Not here.... puuuurrrfect!

I can channel surf all I want. The remote control is mine. Now, where is Animal Planet again?

Uh oh, there is grandpa. I am in trouble.

Purrrrfect hiding spot. Grandpa will never find me here.

My Newest Creations

2010-05-02T18:53:00.002-04:00

As many of you may know I am getting things ready for my 3rd grandchild to be born next month. My daughter had a baby shower this past weekend and I had so much fun making some of her presents! I spent a lot of time planning and getting everything perfect for her little boy. She loved every present and couldn't believe how cute my newest items were! Of course it got passed around in the shower and everyone loved them too! As always I had a lot of fun making these and am excited to see my grandson wearing them.

These 2 items will soon be available for sale at 2Kute Kreations. Keep a look out for it!!!

Baby Crocs! Several colors available upon request.

Super cool hat!

Pretty Birthday Girl!!!

2010-04-09T23:14:00.002-04:00

HAPPY BIRTHDAY BAMBAM.

Mommy loves you!!! You have been a blessing to me since you became my baby.

I'm a Proud Wife!

2010-04-08T10:00:00.002-04:00

My husband is a hard worker and very dedicated to his job. He is a contractor and is very talented. He pretty much remodeled our house from top to bottom. It's still a work in progress though. He also helps our daughters with their house. He's done a lot of work for them - from painting, to installing tile and hardwood floors, to installing crown molding and so forth. But his favorite project that he is super proud of is the grandchildren's nurseries. The first nusery he painted was for our first grandson. He spent 2 days on it - he put up custom shelves, chair rails and then painted the walls blue. He then worked in our secong grandchild's room - this time he got to paint it pink! He also put up chair rails and updated her closet. It looked great! Now he just completed the 3rd grandchild's room - another boy. This time he did a beautiful job with installing crown molding and he painted the walls green. He was very proud of his work and so am I! I am so thankful that my husband is so talented and takes the time to help out our daughters with getting the nurseries ready. We are very excited about the arrival of our 3rd grandchild.

He even put our grandson to work!

My man hard at work!
The crown molding

We think the room looks great!!!

Spring is here!!!

2010-04-05T14:37:00.002-04:00

Spring time is here. It's a great time to plant flowers, do yard work, a little spring cleaning, and more! I've been working on some new flower appliques. These appliques are ideal for sprucing up your jeans, purses, bookbags, jackets, pillow cases, headbands, dresses, hats, shirts, and SO much more! Check them out here and see for yourself! The possibilities are endless. What would you use these flowers for?

Crochet Flowers Applique - $4.00

Crochet Flowers Applique - $4.00

Crochet Flowers Applique - $2.50

If you prefer a different color, just convo me and I can work with you!

BOWQUET GRAND REOPENING

2010-03-17T11:00:00.001-04:00

Hello everyone.
I am here today to bring some news. A great etsy shop has been closed for a couple of weeks for renovations.
Well, today is the big day. Bowquet is gonna have this big reopening with lots of goodies.
Come visit her shop today and take a look around to see all the great and cute things that will be available.
Most importantly, come support handmade. We need to support our artisans and crafters in this mass produced ridden economy of ours.
Enough talking, here is a sample of what Bowquet has in store for us. Enjoy!

My little garden

2010-02-23T09:53:00.004-05:00

Spring has arrived at 2kutekreations. I love making these tiny flowers. You can use them in so many different projects. I use them on my cards. You can also use them for scrapbooking, t-shirts, jeans, pillow cases, bath towels, jewelry, ... oh the possibilities are endless
How would you use them? If you purchase my flowers and make a project and list in your shop, please let me know and I will feature your shop here.
You can use them in any product to sell online or local. All I ask is that you mention 2kutekreations.

Butterfly Kisses

2010-02-10T18:30:00.003-05:00

Just added a new baby girl set. Click here for more details. What do you think? Did I do a good job? :o)

Baby Sets

2010-02-07T11:43:00.001-05:00

I am so excited to be working on new baby items.
Come see all I have been up to this past week.
Let me know what you think.

Yummy Surprise

2009-12-21T15:11:00.003-05:00

Bambam and Cadmus had a vet visit this morning.
When Nate and I got back home, the mail had arrived. I had one of those small flat rate boxes in my mail box. It was from Santa.
I got so excited when I saw 'santa' last name, because I knew who had sent me a nice surprise and I had an idea of what was inside the box.
Well, I ran in and got the box open with Nate hovering over my shoulder.
And look at what my dear etsy friend sent me and go ahead and drool.
She included a sweet Christmas card with very specific instructions for me NOT to share any of it.
Being that I am a good girl, I will follow Santa's instructions and I will eat it all by myself.

If you want taste some of the best buckeyes ever you can find them here at Hillside Bakery.
Maybe you are the kind that would prefer fudge which can be found here.

Lisa, thank you so much for the goodies.
That was awesome :)
Geez I am drooling only thinking about them.

Halloween

2009-10-31T18:16:00.003-04:00

Every year I tell my husband that I am gonna leave the porch light off. But he is a big kid when it comes to Halloween and I think he has more fun than the kids.
He is the one who goes out and gets all the candy. This year he asked me for some bags, so I helped him and this is the result of our team effort, all ready waiting for the kids.

Gotta love them pets!!!

2009-10-14T20:23:00.003-04:00

So my dear husband left his athletic shorts over here on the sofa in the family room.
Cadmus came and knock them off the back and started to play with them, kind of weird I know, but I let them do it to see what would happen.
Well, see for yourself...

My Craft Room

2009-09-02T08:33:00.003-04:00

I had intended in posting these pics here last week. But then, you know, life happens. I got sick again, could not start cleaning it so I ended up not posting.
Never too late, here they are today. These are before pictures, so keep that in mind. This is not going to be an easy task so I need help from you guys. Motivational speeches are always welcome.
You can even use the 'soap box' that is fine with me heheheh.
I am really hoping that by next week I can post the 'after' pictures. Also hoping that the room will be at least a bit more organized. I can clean very well, but I lack on the organizational skills.

This is the closet area. As you can see, right now it's impossible to get to the closet, unless you step in some boxes and climb over that big chair.

This is my shipping station. Here is where I have all my mailing supplies, scale and so forth. It's very difficult to package my items to be shipped unless something gets dumped on the floor or in the drawers.

These next two photos are of my 7' table where I actually craft. Well I try to. Right now it takes me forever to find anything. I know it's there, but it's buried under paper, stamps, ink, embossing powder. Give me a change will you? Please :P I know I am bad but then again too much organization dries up your creative juices.

I forgot to take a pic of my "photo shoot" station by the window. But believe me it's a mess also.
Keep checking back for updates. Ideas on how to go about this are also welcome.

Hard Life

2009-08-28T09:44:00.002-04:00

Life sometimes can be really hard on a cat.

Nuff said. ^_^

2009-08-03T08:22:00.001-04:00

Etsy is a wonderful community where one can make new friends all the time. A couple months ago I was in the chat room and met LCJTREE. She is such a nice lady. Well, we started to talk and she told me how much she liked my soap savers. By now, everyone here knows how much I like handmade soaps. So we struck a deal. Not going into details of our deal, I sent her what she liked from my shop. She sent me my choices, I was expecting a couple bars of soap, but LCJTREE did much more than that. I was so surprised when I got this basket in the mail.

Just take a look at this wonderful basket filled with goodies: peach soap, chamomile soap and other little yummy things.
LCJTREE's soaps are wonderful and very well packaged, perfect for your own use or for gift giving.

2kutekards

2009-07-18T19:28:00.003-04:00

Well, fellow bloggers, etsians and visitors, after having my 2kute shop over at Etsy, I decided to expand and open a second shop for my card... I mean, kards LOL

So, on July 6, 2009, 2kutekards came to be.
I have a few cards listed and more to come.

Some are perfect to add a quick thanks to your customers, others are perfect to put in with 'his' lunch or in his car.

Stop by 2kutekards for a visit. And remember, I will be adding more often.

Cadmus

2009-06-16T11:37:00.002-04:00

This is Cadmus. He belongs to my son Nate, or Nate belongs to him. I really am not sure how it goes.
Cadmus was born in Sept of 2006 and we adopted him from the humane society in December of that same year. We got him as a present for Nate.
As you can see from the pics, Cadmus is a very spoiled furry one. I think furry ones should always be spoiled.

Our Garden at Night

2009-06-04T20:02:00.004-04:00

So Nate loves to do garden work and he has a green thumb too.

The other night we went outside with Ellie and Bambam so they could use the facilities before going to bed, and of course, Cadmus had to come too, otherwise he just sits by the window meowing and crying.

It was a beautiful night and the irises are beautiful, so Nate took these pics of a night view.

And then he found a visitor. Mr. Toad was enjoying the irises too.

Mother's Day

2009-05-09T14:56:00.004-04:00

Well, I am a mother of three. My twin girls are married and mothers themselves.
I still have a teen son at home. He went thru some troubled couple yrs with all the teen changes but he is a lot better now.
He gave me flowers for mother's day. It is an orchid. Very beautiful. He is going to learn how to take care of it.
Isn't my orchid beautiful?
Btw, he paid for it with his own money. Aint that cute?

Hat by 2kute and BOWquet

2009-04-27T16:29:00.002-04:00

Etsy is absolute great. Such a wonderful community where crafters and artists come together to show their talents.
Sometimes, an etsyan works on a project with another etsyan and an item like this cute hat emerges out of their imagination and creativity.
The hat is red and fits a child from 12-24 mos old. Made with good quality, very soft 100% cotton, it can be used in any season.
The bow features ribbons twisted in some fashion that I would not know how to do, sitting on a fully lined alligator clip.
You can use the hat with or without the bow. You can use the bow with or without the hat. So you actually are getting two items in one.

Hat by 2kute and bow by BOWquet.

Visit our stores for more wonderful items.

Suds, suds, suds

2009-03-03T16:50:00.009-05:00

So, do not even try to deny it, I know you are hooked on the amazing handmade soaps sold all over ETSY.

I tried to resist. I did. But after a few months of opening my shop, I just had to try one of those handmade soaps. Yes, just like all of you, it took only one for me to give up on those mass produced soaps.

It is so comforting knowing that the soap you are using was made by someone who cares about one by one production.

You guys know I crochet, I do not make soaps, but I decided to improve the use of those soaps using my crochet skills.

So here they are, my soap savers!!!! You can use your soap to the last sud with these. Even when the soap is almost gone and breaks, they do not go down the drain, they stay stuck in the fibers of these and you can just use them as you would a washcloth.

Earth tones

Pink and white.

For the blue lovers.

Oh, this one reminds me of chocolate. Yum!

And of course, the classic white.

Come on over my shop. If you do not find a color you like, contact me thru etsy or my blog and I will custom make one for you.

For great soaps visit:

HeathensHearth.etsy.com

mbell34.etsy.com

Baby stuff

2009-02-22T17:23:00.006-05:00

This past weekend I was very sick. In addition to all my health issues, my dear hubby brought home some nasty rhino virus, so I got this awful cold.

Well, needless to say I was sick and bored, unable to do much. But, however, :o) etsy does not stop. Isn't that great?

So one of my colleagues (we are entrepeneurs), friends, customer... asked me if I could crochet something like a hat and a pair of matching shoes so she could take to a baby shower today. Her request came last Saturday, in case you got lost on the timeline.

Well, I said yes, and then she added a little sweater for the chilly evenings up north (she lives in a blessed area where the nights get chilly), so I came up with this.

Now I would love to know what YOU think? Do you like it?

Michelle owner of Michelle's Unique Gifts and Creations loved it.

Under construction

2009-02-10T18:45:00.001-05:00

Hello there. I am sorry for the mess.
I am playing around with the Html codes and trying to make my blog a more fun place to hang out.
I thank you in advance for you patience.
I will get there eventually :P

CPSIA and handmade items

2009-01-27T18:07:00.003-05:00

As parents and concerned citizens I’m sure most of us at one time or another have been confronted with the question of lead poisoning. But have you asked yourself what your government is doing to protect your children from lead contained in toys? The answer? They're banning toys, taking books from schools and libraries, hurting low income families, killing entrepreneurial spirit and risking putting the economy in an even greater depression than we've seen in decades.

I'd like to introduce you to their solution: the CPSIA.Do you know about the CPSIA? No? Then I ask you to take a few minutes to find out about it.The CPSIA stands for Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act, a new set of laws that will come into effect on 10 February, 2009 and will impact many, many people in a negative way. Make no mistake, this is very real. View it for yourself. If Forbes, the American Library Association and numerous other media are paying attention, perhaps you should too.

How will these new laws affect you? Well, here are a few examples:

To the Parents of Young Students:Due to the new law, expect to see the cost of school supplies sky rocket. While those paper clips weren't originally intended for your student to use, they will need to be tested now that your 11-year-old needs them for his school project. This law applies to any and all school supplies (textbooks, pencils, crayons, paper, etc.) being used by children under 12.To the Avid Reader:Due to the new law, all children's books will be pulled from library and school shelves, as there is no exemption for them. That’s okay though, there's always television. Our children don’t need to learn the love of reading after all.Article from the American Library Association http://www.wo.ala.org/districtdispatch/?p=1322

To the Lover of All Things Handmade:Due to the new law, you will now be given a cotton ball and an instruction manual so you can make it yourself since that blanket you originally had your eye on for $50 will now cost you around $1,000 after it's passed testing. It won't even be the one-of-a-kind blanket you were hoping for. Items are destroyed in the testing process making one-of-a-kind items virtually impossible. So that gorgeous hand-knit hat you bought your child this past winter won’t be available next winter.

To the Environmentalist:Due to the new law, all items in non-compliance will now be dumped into our already overflowing landfills. Imagine not just products from the small business owners, but the Big Box Stores as well. You can't sell it so you must toss it. Or be potentially sued for selling it. You can't even give them away. If you are caught, it is still a violation.

To the Second-Hand Shopper:Due to the new law, you will now need to spend $20 for that brand new pair of jeans for your 2-year old, rather than shop at the Goodwill for second hand. Many resale shops are eliminating children's items all together to avoid future lawsuits.

To the Entrepreneur:Due to this new law, you will be forced to adhere to strict testing of your unique products or discontinue to make and/or sell them. Small businesses will be likely to be unable to afford the cost of testing and be forced to close up shop. Due to the current economic state, you'll have to hope for the best when it comes to finding a new job in Corporate America.

To the Antique Toy Collector:Due to the new law, you'd better start buying now because it's all going to private collection and will no longer be available to purchase. “Because the new rules apply retroactively, toys and clothes already on the shelf will have to be thrown out if they aren't certified as safe.” http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123189645948879745.html

To the American Economy:Already struggling under an economy that hasn’t been this weak in decades, the American economy will be hit harder with the inevitable loss of jobs and revenues from suppliers, small businesses and consumers. The required testing is far too costly and restrictive for small businesses or individuals to undertake.

To the Worldwide Economy:Due to this new law, many foreign manufacturers have already pulled out of the US market. You can imagine the impact of this on their businesses. If you think this is exaggerating, here is a recent article from Forbeshttp://www.forbes.com/2009/01/16/cpsia-safety-toys-oped-cx_wo_0116olson.html

And for those of you prepared to be stupefied and boggled, The New Lawhttp://www.cpsc.gov/about/cpsia/cpsia.html

Did you know? If this upsets or alarms you, please react.

Late nite snack with Nathan

2008-08-25T15:01:00.003-04:00

So, Nathan and I had this late snack the other nite. We were actually fighting over the cookies, but then we settled and had lots of fun with a glass of cold milk.

These is what memories are made of:

the monster oreos...

My new video

2008-08-18T12:18:00.009-04:00

Check out the video my daughter made for me!

More Kards

2008-07-16T18:56:00.007-04:00

Just wanted to show y'all a couple more cards that I have made. They are birthday cards featuring a Bible verse.

Thanks for looking.

Baby Boy Blanket

2008-07-09T17:10:00.007-04:00

Beautiful baby boy blanket. Ripple blanket made with baby yarn.
One of my latest kreations.

Thanks for looking.

Kold, kold go away

2008-07-05T16:30:00.004-04:00

My husband is a very giving person. But he really shouldn't have given me his cold. He should have kept his cooties to himself. LOL
I have been fighting this nasty cold for a wk now.
Finally today I found the energy to come to the puter and list my newest kreation.
I present you, my Thank You Tags.
Hope you like. If you do, do you know where to find them? Right here.

More kards

2008-06-23T18:15:00.008-04:00

So I have created a couple more cards.
The first one is a more masculine card. It features some wire, heat embossing in gold in a black background. Blank inside so you can add your own message.

This one is a very feminine way to say "Thank you" to someone special.

Come on over and take a look at some more of my kreations.

Cards,cards, cards

2008-06-19T19:43:00.012-04:00

Cards. I am sure you love to receive a beautiful card in the mail. Nowadays it's so much technology that ppl have forgotten the art of snail mail.

It's so much easier to text msg, email, IM and so forth.

But don't forget to send a nice card once in a while to a loved one. I am sure it will make his/her day.

I love making, receiving and sending them.

Garden Kreations

2008-06-19T19:10:00.009-04:00

These are some of my latest kreations.

Furryghans

2008-06-13T20:17:00.006-04:00

I made some more furryghans. These ones instead of taking straight to the humane society, I am listing them at my 2kute kreations shop. The profits from the sales will be donate in cash to the humane society.
I am honoring some pets we have had in the past and are, for one reason or another, already in heaven waiting for us. We miss them.
The first one is Tiger. He was a sweet orange tabby that one day just vanished. We suspect a neighbor got rid of him.

This one is for Charlie. Same fate that Tiger encountered, so did Charlie. Also an orange tabby, he had more white than Tiger who was his brother.

Charlie was a wild one. Big hunter. We found many birds, lizards and other "gifts" for us by the front door.

More kreations

2008-05-31T15:56:00.010-04:00

I know I haven't been around in a while. I have been sick. Sorry for not posting for so long.

I have managed to make a few more things for my 2kute kreations store.

I made some tags. They are wonderful for scrapbooking or just a gift tag.

This set is perfect to gift a new mother of a baby boy.

A girly burp cloth is also one of my new kreations.

Spot's Blanket

2008-05-08T20:12:00.000-04:00

For April, our monthly charity at Crocheville, was to make snuggles for Spot's Blanket.

They are a foundation in honor of their beloved furry child that was killed last year.

I made three snuggles.

"Chocoberry"

"Chocomint"

"Cornfield"

Etsy

2008-04-25T08:36:00.000-04:00

These are new items I added to my etsy store today.
Nathan uploaded the pics to the puter and I did the posting on the store all by myself. I am so proud of myself.

This is a binky holder that I came up with when Viv asked to do

something about the ribbon that the plastics loops come with.

Dishcloth, gotta love them.

Another dishcloth. You can never have enough.