Beatha

I have decided I wanted to start doing painting again. I hadn't used acrylics in several years; instead, I had been using watercolors. I felt it was time for a punch of color! The word "Beatha" is Gaelic for "Life", and that's what this painting celebrates---especially new life.
I still need to buy a frame for this but wanted to post it here anyway!

One Little Pink Girly Sweater, Coming Up!

IT IS FINISHED! :-)
The little newborn pink sweater is finally done! See for yourself:

The back, complete with little sleevies!

The embroidery was the most fun part :)

Even the little buttons are pink flowers. Cute!

I love the yarn used here---Dreambaby DK is one of the softest baby yarns I know of. That's the white yarn. The pink and green are both a different brand, but soft too. Overall I am very happy with the way it turned out. I had one mishap with the sweater---I ironed the back a little too hot and have some ever-so-slightly crispy spots. Arrgh! But, lesson learned, and this one is to keep anyway, so I know better now for the next one.

Roses are Pink

Another project is in the works! A baby girl sweater this time with embroidery on the back. There will be embroidery on the front, too, I just haven't gotten to that point yet. Here's what I have so far:

A little closer.

Hopefully I will finish this tonight after my son goes to bed! Can't wait to see how it turns out! I'll post more pics after I get it completed. 

Until then, my fellow viewers!

The Alligator Sweater

This tiny baby sweater was made with a fingering weight mercerized cotton yarn. It was a delight to work with! The yarn was very soft and had a slight sheen, giving it a lustrous look. Nice!

Here, I've added sewing implements for scale. 

And with flash to show off the sheen of the yarn.

The back of the sweater.

You might notice it looks suspiciously similar to the cabled color-block sweater pictured at right. That was on purpose! My upstairs neighbor saw that particular sweater on my son and wanted me to make one just like it for her friend who is due to deliver soon. I did want it to be a unique creation, so I changed up the color and the fiber content of the yarn. My son's sweater is made from acrylic yarn, however 100% cotton yarn is so nice for newborns, as it both breathes and keeps them warm and comfortable. I remember when my little guy was just a tiny baby, he actually slept better if he was dressed in all cotton. And don't you know sleep is precious when they're that tiny!
My next project is a baby girl sweater, in white, bright pink, and green. Looking forward to showing it to you!
Thanks for visiting!
~Joy

Felted Slippers

 I'm so excited to share--I have my first sale to a happy customer! My friend Erika commissioned me to make her a pair of warm slippers to keep her feet happy while walking around on her wood floors at home. And they came out just perfect! She called me today to let me know she received them.

 These slippers are knitted with an alpaca boucle yarn, then felted to make them nice and soft. The alpaca makes them warm, but not heavy at all; in fact they are light & airy. Once they are felted the crocheted flower accent is added to give them just a little distinction. 


 For any viewers who would like a pair to call their own, I'd be happy to custom-make you some as well. I can find you any color or color combination you'd like, and embellish (or not) however you wish. For example, if you'd like a ribbon accent instead of the flower, no problem. Or no decoration at all--simply au naturale. They can be funky, subdued, outrageous, elegant, or anything in between.

Email me--everyday_joy@verizon.net--if you'd like to call a pair your own, or use the "Buy Now" button below and include special instructions to the seller to tell me your color preferences. Also I will need your shoe size, as well as the measurement from heel to toe to make sure I get these just right during the felting process.

Shipping cost is $5.95. 

Quantity

1 pair slippers $30.00 2 pair $60.00

Tiny Teddy

For Valentine's Day, why not give a gift hand-made with love? Tiny Teddy sits 5 inches tall and his hand-stitched grin is sure to capture your heart! 

Made from 100% acrylic yarn. Tiny Teddy can be washed and will not shrink, but because of the hand-stitching and applique I would recommend spot clean only.

Price: $8.00 USD
S&H: $1.50 (for one Teddy; multiple orders, see * below)

Please choose quantity:

1- $8.00 2- $16.00 3- $24.00 4- $32.00

As of right now I only have one Tiny Teddy made up, but he is a quick project and can be made in about a day. Feel free to order as many as you like! Since Tiny Teddy is hand-made, each one will vary slightly from the photo, but will very, very similar. Also, I would like to offer the option of special-requesting Tiny Teddy in a different color or with different accessories. Please email me if you would like to request this.


 * Ordering multiple Teddies:

Two Teddies: S&H still $1.50
Three or four Teddies: $3.50
Five or more Teddies: $5.50

I Heart You

Love is definitely in the air this month...
I think Valentine's Day is a fun holiday, what with all the pinks and reds and hearts floating around. (What can I say? I am a girly girl deep down, after all.)
Guys may see Valentine's Day roll around and cringe, but us girls love being pampered. And any excuse to expect a cute teddy bear or bouquet of pretty flowers is good, right? It doesn't hurt to have an reason to farm out the kids for a couple of hours and go on a date, either.
Keep an eye on my home page, and pretty soon you'll be seeing red!