Monday Musing - The Rule of My Body...

The #1 rule of my body...

If I'm going to be off work for longer than a weekend..... I GET SICK!!!

And true to "the rule" I'm off work this week and sick! ...it hit on Wednesday, lingered, incubated, progressed all weekend and then yesterday, no voice! ...which may have made my husband happy... remember, I tend to talk a lot!!! :)

I heart... returning customers & custom orders

I had to share this cute little hat with you!

I got an email a couple weeks back from a local photographer (so local she's actually on my way to work!!!), she's got one of my hats already. So this time she was looking for another hat, and a diaper cover. She sent a picture of a had she'd seen and was hoping for something similar, but with a flower in a soft tone.

Once I poured over the picture for a while I figured it was made using 2 yarns held together. Something for a base, maybe with a little texture and a novelty yarn for some fuzz. I'll have to be honest, I usually stear very clear of the novelty yarn, it's just not my genre, however, on this one I'm glad I picked it up. I think the result came out really cute!

It was funny thought, i crocheted the whole thing and realized that the inside was VERY furry.... I uh........... had to give it a haircut :)

Hope you like! :)

Birth Announcements!!!

So does anyone want to know what I've been up to lately?? Here goes...

I've been busy! Orders are coming in more regularly which is fantastic!! Then there's the custom stuff.

Custom Client Project #1 - Hooded mommy wrap - for maternity photography. This is a true labor of love... I'm lovin' it... although it is slow going with the rich cables & lacework!! I will be so happy when I can share the finished product with you!

Custom Client Project #2 - Hanging "bucket" for newborn photography... which I'm just about done, just waiting for the base material to be ready. I must say it was a challenge to figure out what he heck I can use to make a ridgid base that can withstand the "hazards of the industry" if you know what I mean. ;) Hopefully this little number should be finished up within the week, then I just have to send it out for fit testing!

Custom Client Project #3 - Vertical Sling for newborn photography... I whipped up a great upright sling made from this beautifully textured imported yarn, accented with either a pink, blue, or green fishnet style flowered band. This little number is getting fit tested this Friday... YAY, I love having connections!!!

Personal Project - I've been trying to get more photography practice when I can, I'm not a professional, that's for sure, but I'm making improvement and learning from my mistakes! ...and I'm really enjoying getting more practice!!! So I did newborn pictures for my co-worker's daughter... oh, she was such a sweet little one!! Well, once I finished up her pictures I asked her mom if she'd be into some birth announcements. She said yes... then I had some fun! ...I haven't scrapbooked in ages but thought I'd approach this project from a digital scrapbooking angle and I had so much fun! Plus I haven't noticed any styled like that for sale!

I liked doing it so much that I made a corresponding boy announcement, in the same layout... and I posted them to my ETSY shop tonight! I hope everyone likes them as much as I do! I'm planning to design some more layouts and post them to ETSY as well... in between client orders of course!!! :)

so.... wanna see my first two announcements??

Monday Musing - I Never Thought I'd Hear My Daughter Say...

"...daddy (excitedly) ... let's go watch the football game!!!"

oh boy..... now I'm in for it! Two of them like watching sports... ugh!

With Love ...xoxo

Time to introduce you to a brand-new set... the "With Love" set...featuring the The With Love Hat and The I Heart Bottoms!!!

It all started with the bottoms... I whipped up the cute little diaper cover in a soft ivory yarn, accented with a richly colored red heart on the bum ...once I had those done up it hit me... I've seen a ladies hat somewhere in my travels that had hearts for ear flaps... and the lightbulb on ....paired up that would be one sweet little set!

The With Love Set is perfect for newborn photography... and is made of a super-easy care fibre. I'll be posting them to my blog and ETSY shop tonight!!!

Hope you love them as much as I do!!! :)

ps...special thanks to Baby I and her mommy and daddy for lending her to me for test fitting product and taking a few pics... I'll have the pics to you on the weekend!!

"um...I have an unusual request..."

I know it's going to be interesting when a conversation begins with that :)

One of P's daycare workers approached me a couple months ago telling me she'd seen and loved the baby wraps I make... I was wondering how this was going to tie in with the "unusual request", sincerely hoping she wasn't going to request an adult sized wrap!!! Could you imagine the quantity of yarn that would involve?? funny thing is...I'm sure I have much MORE than enough!!

...so she tells me about her cat Mügz. Now Mügz is a very cuddly fellow... he loves to snuggle with her in the evenings, usually with a blanket. C thought he would love some sort of kitty wrap to cuddle in. We talked a little more about him, what kind of cat he is, what color he is, his size, her expectations. She said there was no rush, whenever I get time.

Fortunately C is a patient woman! ...I was busy filling orders and just got to his wrap about a week ago... Here's a couple pics... Hamilton was my obliging model... in fact he was purring like an engine as soon as I put him in... it could have something to do with his obsession with natural, animal derived fibers... the Mügz wrap is a wool blend...mmmmmmmmm sheep.... I'm sure that's what he's thinking...

Monday Musing - 10 Things I Love About My Girl

1. The way she scrunches up her nose when she smiles!
2. How she says words like "pecause", "am-bull-ance", "plablo" (instead of pablo)
3. Her great manners!
4. She tells me I'm her best mommy!
5. That she won't pick a favorite hotel for vacationing because she wouldn't want to hurt the feelings of the hotel that she didn't choose :)
6. How she'll grab me a granola bar on the way out the door in the morning, in case I get hungry.
7. Baking together in the kitchen.
8. That she runs and jumps into my arms for the biggest hugs when I pick her up from daycare.
9. That she always wants to send hugs and kisses to my "work ladies".
10. How she likes to help me package up and deliver orders!

Monday musing ~ Volume 1

I like to talk...a lot...my report cards in school always said... Lee-Ann is a pleasure to have in class... but is very "social" ...in other words ummmmmmmm.... talks too much! :) so I blabber... about nothing... a lot ...so I thought I'd extend it to you! Really, it shouldn't just be my family and co-workers who have to listen to me!!!

So here goes... my very first Monday musing...

So a couple weeks ago I met Carol for lunch... nowhere special... just the local food court for a quick bite and to trade goodies (pictures and knits...yay), where I overhear the following conversation....

Girl - so yeah, look me up on facebook, we'll get together

Guy - uh.....I don't have Internet at home...

Girl - (said very emphatically, with a gasp of horror and an edge of disbelief) what???? HOW am I supposed to contact you??

.....uh....... ever hear of a phone... you know... they have numbers on them... you dial and oh heavens... actually talk to someone!!

...seriously??

oh my goodness I laughed all afternoon about that one!

a new look for Paper Raisins!!!

Hey all... so I've been working my tail off for weeks now on a new look for Paper Raisins. I got this adorable logo done by Marie. I found her on flickr, filled out a questionnaire, sent her my ideas and she put it all together. I'm really, really excited about my new branding and implementing my super cute logo.

I've still got a bunch of things to put together... it takes a lot of little labor-intensive elements to form one cohesive look... and since I know nothing about HTML it's a serious learning curve to make the adjustments!!! ...I was going to roll out the whole new look at once... but I think I changed my mind... I don't want to hide all this great new stuff anymore... I'm really excited to share! I'll be adding the new and replacing the old one or two things at a time... so hold onto your hats...cause within the next few weeks you can watch my transformation!!!! :)

Luna ~ Autumn Hippie

So... first thing... my vacation was great... swam with P until I didn't think my fingers and toes were ever going to loose their raisin-y texture!

I spent some time puttering (not as much as I'd anticipated...we were having too much fun to work!) and knocked a bunch of projects off of my "no rush list" YAY!!!!!! It's great to shrink the list!

One of my favorites was a sweater set for the mom of one of my models. She needed something special for her new neice (who will be making her debut shortly). I had carte blanche with one tiny stipulation, make it for fall... I immediately knew what I wanted to do... chenille of course, and break into some of those new colors I ordered but haven't had a chance to play with! ...it all came together beautifully and I think I'm in love with Luna - especially the head band with the bead detailing!

The Luna - Autumn Hippie set (in a 4 to 6-ish month size) will soon be added to my repitoire. I'll also be offering the Luna Headband on it's own which is very forgiving and will fit anywhere from 6 months to about 6 years!

Enjoy!

sweet, sweet relief!!!!!!!!!!

Oh...I'm soooooooooo excited... giddy almost... :)

...no I'm not heading to a tropical beach... anyone who knows me well knows that would not be my ideal... the heat... the hives from the sun... ugh.... nope, not for me....

So, my excitement is that as of this evening, I'm officially on vaction... from my day job... For a whole week!!! ...usually I don't take more than a couple days off in a row so I'm totally stoked that I booked the whole week off! Looking forward to lots of fun, fun, fun... and a little rest! ...and I've got a few tricks up my sleeve to surprise P... it's going to be a great week!

...oh, and I'm very-much looking forward to catching up on some of my "no-rush" projects...

Have a great week all!!!!! xo

a bowl of cherries...

So I thought I'd give you a little peek at another one of my loves... it's not only yarn, sticks and hooks that I enjoy playing with....

I also love fabric and needles!!! ...I really enjoy designing occasion wear for little girls... I've usually got a pencil and paper handy to sketch out the ideas that come at the most unusual times... I've put my skills to work for more than a few friends...and also for the odd wedding project! ...As with my knitting etc, I like the unexpected, colors, details, quality workmanship, exquisite materials, well thought out design...

Here's a small taste of that!

I whipped up this dress for my girlfriend's daughter... I came up with a design concept, sketched it out... sourced out the materials that I'd need, made the pattern and brought it to life. About 20+ hours were spent hand-painting the cherries onto the shantung and that was before I actually put it together. The dress was trimmed with red satin backed crepe piping and red tulle peeking out at the bottom of the full skirt. All seams were professionally finished and the garment was fully lined. Red panties and an ivory (with red trim) hat went along to finish off the ensemble.

B was a challenging fit...she's tiny! ...tiny.... so it was exciting for me to create something for her that complimented her tiny size and pixie features!

Dreams for the future.... to expand my Paper Raisins line to include custom tailored occasion wear for little girls! :)

New-ool-o-pho'bi-a

Newoolophobia (new-ool-o-pho'bi-a) [G. newwool - new type of wool + phobia - fear]

1. The illogical fear of a new, never before used type of wool, yarn or fibre.
   
2. Characteristics include fixation, gentle caressing and obsessive contemplation over the fibre's possible uses. It is typically stored in a prominent area, carefully protected in plastic, yet clearly visible, mocking you with its presence.


3. Newoolophobia can only be overcome by taking a few deep cleansing breaths and jumping in with both feet, needles or hook in hand.
   
4. Overcoming newoolophobia is undeniably rewarding, resulting in new, wonderful creations and a corresponding boost to self esteem.

I was recently afflicted with a serious case of newoolophobia. I had a request from a client, Gloria for some custom work, a beautiful wrap and hat set that appeared soft and light as a fluffy cloud. I unsuccessfully tried to source out some yarn around home.

I'm hesitant to buy yarn over the Internet...because, unless I've worked with it before I don't know how its going to feel. It could look stunning in a picture, but it could feel crunchy, scratchy or synthetic in my hands. Well...I took the plunge and found this gorgeous hand-spun merino wool from The Fiber Denn on Etsy. I was thrilled when it arrived, it's wonderful...it's soft...it varies drastically in thickness...so great texture...and its a beautiful natural ivory tone... LOVE IT!!!

Then came the newoolophobia...oh, boy... what if I mess this up??? The creation of this yarn was someone else's time, effort and art... it was costly... what if it doesn't turn out how Gloria was expecting... oh the stresses I can impose on myself...

Well, after a few weeks of mulling it over... with the yarn... in it's prominent position... mocking me..... I took the deep breath... and I'm so glad I did... I love how it came out... check it out! :)

...it's in the bag baby!!!

So... I carry my knit/crochet with me ALL the time... but you knew that about me already! ...usually I carry an "eco-friendly" reusable grocery store bag with all my goods stuffed inside... not so glamorous ...somewhat utilitarian... does the job... I can live with that...

Well...after a whole lot of "window shopping" it was time for a treat! ...I first saw Jordana Paige knitting bags in, you guessed it, a knitting magazine...and I was in love! ...they're great... they've got all these special knitter-oriented packages and pockets... oh, they're awesome!

So... I finally ordered one! :) ...yay for me! :)

whatcha think?? ...I love the color, red-faux croc! ...so the next time I brought out my knitting at the in-laws they told me this was SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO MUCH better... apparently the grocery store bag wasn't workin' for them! LOL...

hoppity hop.... star struck bunny!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The baby bunny hat has became a favorite to many before it hit the market, thanks to this beautiful picture that Carol posted on her blog!! ...then with this week's Prop Insanity review ...so many people are asking...where's that bunny??

well...here it is... freshly posted to paperraisins.ca

The specs - 100% Acrylic (super-soft), ears lined with a cotton/polyester blend, trimmed with bows. Currently available in newborn size only... perfect as a photography prop, or as a gift to a new mommy!!! The baby bunny retails for $26.00. Available in tan (shown) or mottled tones. This bunny's star struck with the following fabric options, please let me know which one you choose at the time of ordering.... yellow, teal, blue or green

Hope you love the baby bunny as much as I do!!!

...come find me!!

What kind of day is it today?? .....hmmmmmmmmmmmm.... how about a GREAT one!!!

Yesterday I was featured on Prop Insanity... a fantastic resource for photographers to connect with people who make photography props... I owe a huge thanks to Tracy who contacted me a while back. She'd seen some of my work and wondered if I'd be up for her doing a product review etc... I jumped readily on that bandwagon and sent her two of my favorite things... :) ...you'll have to check out the website to see which products they were!

So pop over, check out Prop Insanity... and the sweet pics Tracy took using my props!!!!

.........shhhhhhhhhh....whisper please....

I was on this mini-roll with a post a week... but then I fell off the wagon ...I've been plugging along steadily with orders, which is great!!! What isn't happening though is stock isn't getting made... always a goal...to have stock ready for immediate shipment... I keep trying!!!

I'm totally excited because on June 29th the blog at Prop Insanity is doing a review and feature on a couple of my items... you'll have to check it out then to see which ones!! ...It's great exposure for me so I'm totally stoked! :)

And ....for the latest item... The Whisper Wrap - photography prop! The whisper wrap is worked up in this fantastic soft acrylic/nylon/mohair blend in a loose crochet so lots of skin will show! It's a scarf-style wrap. Hope you like! :)

Well...tomorrow morning we're off to Pembina, North Dakota... just a hop, skip and a jump away... picking up some parcels... a fantastic Jordana Paige knitting bag I very excitedly ordered, it's red faux croc... and some new yarn... trying out a new supplier!!! ...why I can't get some things shipped to Canada I'll never know!

ooooooooohh.... maybe I can convince the family to drive the extra hour and have Paradiso for lunch?? ;)

the button sling...........photography prop!!!

After much deliberation.... and a bunch of emails inquiring about it ...I've decided to finally...........finally.........post the button sling!!! It was really tempting to torture you some more and make you wait a bit longer... but I give... :) I know you want to hear all about it... and since I hate to disappoint... :)


A while back I saw a gorgeous picture done by Kelley Ryden - her sister had made a sling for her - it was amazing! So, I thought I'd take a stab at it, and I'm so glad I did! ...I'm really excited about the sling! Here's my version... What do you think???





The button sling will be available in 4 colors (brown/ivory, limes, green/tan (as above), blues), has a wood button detail and will retail for $90. There will be limited availability - I bought the store out of the yarn it takes to make this!!! :)



So I'm totally stoked in two other areas... Carol finished editing the images from our product shoot and I'm just in the process of picking out what I want... which so far is um............ everything!!?? ...she does such amazing work it's hard to choose... I'm blown away by the shots she got, seriously can there be too many product shots? :)

The second thing I'm stoked about is that I'm finally working on my "space"... my husband would call it the yarn room... but I prefer to give it a little more prestigious title... my studio!!!


I've had it planned for so long and it's finally going to come together... I got this fantastic EQ3 storage piece in a glossy brown color...and the inside of the drawers are lime green...i think i'm in love! ...the lady at the store suggested that for a work surface I go to our local Habitat Re-Store (they sell stuff that has been salvaged from buildings etc) ...they did however have some brand-spankin'-in-the-box-stuff.... so i got two shiny...shiny red EQ3 tabletops...and fantastic brushed metal legs.... oh, my goodness to actually have enough room to work! ....plus we're in the process of hanging two long narrow cabinets with sliding doors above the work surface area... I'm all about the storage... and i bought a great lamp...and I've got a chair & ottoman to re-upholster after i pick out the fabric.... YAY!!! ...i finally see a light at the end of the tunnel! I will be sure to post pics once it's all together! I should have taken a before shot... boxes of yarn piled up to the ceiling!!!


Well - hope you enjoy the button sling...and stay tuned for more things to come... still more new products to showcase! :)

the feathered nest.... photography prop!!!

UPDATE - sand (shown) is now sold out... but we still have sage and water available...

Well, I'm totally excited to add the feathered nest to my repitoire of newborn photography props!

The yarn is this great stuff I found at my local yarn shop, and it was even on clearance!!! ...it was fantastic, there's so many things I like about it, it's more of a ribbon than a yarn, it has a couple rows of stitching running the length (made me think of pin stripes) and then there's the fine fuzzy strand that's attached, what's not to love???? ...although I didn't know exactly what I'd do with it at first (which is also why I suspected it was on clearance - obviously others didn't know what they'd do with it either), I knew I had to have it! ...I bought all that they had in stock! :)

Once I thought on it for a while I decided it would lend itself perfectly for a photography prop, especially since it's sooooooooooooo soft and dreamy looking... I think you're going to love it!! ...this one will have limited availability, once I run out of this fantastic yarn it's done, great for those who purchase them because you'll know it's not something that you'll be seeing a lot of people using. :)

The colors are sand, sage & water - and the feathered nest retails for $35.

Enjoy...

OH.... PS... the horizontal button sling will be coming up soon, I promise!!! ...just trying to decide if I should post it next OR ...leave you "hanging" for a little longer... whatcha think? :)

earthen hive - photography prop!!

Well...I'm super excited that I'm able to offer some new photography props... and some new colors for existing props!

I had a fantastic product shoot with Carol last weekend! ....did I mention FANTASTIC?? :) It was so amazing to watch her in action... she's like a non-addictive sedative for babies... I often wondered how she got such amazing shots... all sleepy and bendy and now I know!!! She's got an amazing gift...that's for sure! We had a great time... and it didn't hurt that our two models were ADORABLE!!! ...great big thanks to their moms (and dads) for lending them to us!

The earthen hive is a variation on the hive wrap that I already offer. The yarn is new and available in such great colors!! Hope you love them as much as I do! The colors from bottom left across and then up are : pumpkin, deciduous, water, garden, cave, middle earth & surface.


Tips: The hive wrap is intended for newborns - within their first couple weeks. Their legs should be tight against their body, not extended. Scrunch the wrap down like you would when you put on a sock. It's best to put their bottom into position and then ease the wrap up around their legs, midsecton, shoulders and up over the head. Don't be afraid to stretch it a bit - should fit very snug with lots of skin showing through!

Things to come - stay close because in the next few weeks I'll have several new things coming! I've got a great horizontal button sling that's upcoming...it was based on a Tracy Raver design and it's already creating buzz!! ...I'm really eager to get that one up!!

Enjoy! :)

love....hate...

Do I start with the LOVE... or the HATE??

I'll start with the hate and get that over with!! ...I hate having to tell a client that something is out of stock! ...sometimes I get fantastic yarns, clean out the store of it and then can't get it in again... once i've used it up, it's gone... that makes me sad... and I hate having to tell someone they can't have what they really want... okay, so I guess there might be one positive thing though, for the people who do get those products... they are getting something unique!

now that i've vented... let's talk about the LOVE.... or rather i'll talk... :)

I love when clients LOVE their stuff... I love when they're so excited to get their items that they can't wait until I've left to open them up... or so excited that they ask me to ship overnight so they can see it right away... which has happened 3 times this weekend!!! ...makes me very happy!!! :)

I really enjoy being able to provide a client with a product that exceeds their expectation... A loves hats but has a challenging head size.......... uh......... she has to shop in the kids department for hats!! ...so finding a "grown-up" style...not to mention finding something that looks "grown-up" AND stylish in the retail market... seems to be too much to ask! ...i've now made 4 hats for A...and she's just requested a 5th... for her it's great because she's getting what she wants and not comprimising on fit.... for me, it's fun... she loves her stuff enough to keep coming back for more...could there be a bigger compliment than that?

I took A out for some pictures on a lunch break (from the "day" job).... still trying to get the hang of taking pictures...and I ended up with a few that i'm quite proud of... yay!! We had a great agreement...she'd be patient with me because i'm no photographer...and i'd be patient with her because she's no model... :) iIve included a few of the pics from that day thoughout today's post...

Well...i'm off... that was more long winded than I anticipated... as you can imagine I talk a lot in person too!!! ...i've got lots of stuff to make for next week's newborn product shoot... i'm super excited about that!! ..i'll keep you posted!

...anyone want to play with Paper Raisins?

Carol and I are partnering up for a product shoot!!! I've got some great newborn photography props and hats I'm dying to have tried out!!! ...and taking stills just doesn't do them justice.

SO.............here's the thing... we're going to be needing some models! Specifically newborns (with their mommies only) and they will need to be under 14 days old on the day of the shoot.

The Date - April 4th @ 10am.

The Location - Carol's home in LaSalle (just south of the south perimeter...not far at all!!!)

The Info - the session will run 3-4 hours with lots of breaks.

What's in it for you? - You will receive a $40 Paper Raisins gift certificate, the session free and a beautiful 11x14 print of your little one!

What do we require? - You will need to sign a model release form to allow Paper Raisins & Freckle Face Photography to use the images for marketing purposes.

If you or someone you know has had a baby in the last couple days or will be having one in the next few days and would like to come and play with us, contact me @ lee-ann@paperraisins.ca.

props baby...

Well, i've been up to my armpits in paint! Our living room is well on it's way to looking fabulous!!! ...I am soooo excited... :) ...and new carpet will be be coming soon too!! ....thanks to a horrible paint/dog/stairs incident and the great insurance company replacing it...

I've been working on some photography props for Carol and I'm finally able to offer a few of them on my website! Yay!

The Orginal Cocoon Wrap - a Marta Locklear design - is currently offered in 4 colors, surf, heather, fire & thunder. Wrap shown in surf, other colors below.

The Mummy Wrap - a Paper Raisins orginal! Offered in spring, summer, fall & winter.

The Gourd Hat - a Paper Raisins original! Offered in surf, heather, fire & thunder.

The Hive - a Paper Raisins original! Offered in Orange as shown, white, raspberry & hot blue.

The new wraps can be found on the "for fun" section of the galleries on http://www.paperraisins.ca/.

And lastly, for now the Trumpet Lily hat (named for the way it looks unworn and uncuffed. This one is made from a beautiful wool/soy blend. There are some truly stunning colors, uniquely blended and vibrant.

The new hats can be found on the "for baby" section of the galleris on http://www.paperraisins.ca/.

Enjoy the new stuff!!! :)

...humph...

...here's a shot that didn't make paperraisins.ca... it's a variation of the shot that I added to the "for mom" section. I posted this one...briefly, but decided to swap it out for one that looks more fresh and fun... since this one wasn't in keeping with my theme.... uh, thanks for pointing that out Aunt Les.... :P

I wanted to share it anyway because I really like how it came out... just not for my website...

Okay...i'm done pouting now :)

the schoolbus driver...

Here's a variation on a new syle...thought I'd try it with buttons and a band, and I'm LOVING how it came out! It was so much fun...I got this box of crafting odds and ends from a friend and was so excited to sift through literally hundreds of buttons.... now I'm trying to come up with anything that I can do with buttons!!! ...It's great becasue of the one-of type work that I enjoy doing, the trimmings can vary, depending on what I can find in this box of many buttons!!! The sizing options so far are 18", 20", 22".

Pype enjoyed her first trip on a transit bus to the public library. I'm ashamed to say that it's taken me 3 1/2 years to take her there, usually I just pick up my reads on lunch from work. She was in awe when she realized that the building we were standing across from was the library, and even more awed when she saw how many books were there, I believe it was a slow, deliberate, "hooooolllyyyyyy cow!" that came out!

On the bus is where I got this shot...and I promise I will have this added to the gallery on my website this weekend!!! ....there will be lots of color options upon request!

new hats!!!!

Hooray for new yarn and new hats!!! ...i'm still working on the size ranges for these ones, but should have them up on the website shortly!!

I've had this pattern for a newsboy style cap for a while now and just hadn't done anything with it... found this great soy/wool blend and thought i'd give it a shot. Of course I found things that I wanted to adjust... so I'm still working on improving the pattern...

The first one is a cotton newsboy, super-cute and i'll have several colors to choose from once I get my act together!

The second is the wool/soy newsboy...which I plan to adjust (from what you see in the picture) ...I plan to line it with jersey fabric and make a double-layered brim for more structure... but I loved doing the flower pattern, they're all shell-type buttons and jewelery beads...

Unfortunately, the pic turned out WAY too dark... but you get the idea on the hat anyway!!

and the winner was....

Tasha from Life's Little Treasures Photography (http://lifeslittletreasuresphotography.blogspot.com/) ...but what did she win?? Carol (http://www.frecklefacephotography.com/) hosted a contest a few months back and Tasha won a Paper Raisins gift certificate!!!

Tasha shot me an email and just wasn't sure what exactly she wanted, she liked one of the hats I'd done recently but wanted something a little more neutral...so after a few emails back and forth and a couple trips to the yarn shop we had a winner...

I put together this brown and ivory tassled hat... complete with a couple detachable purple flowers for a little punch! ...oh, and I couldn't resist making a scarf to match...so I threw that in too... sometimes I just can't stop... must keep crocheting... :)

I was excited when I received this pic of her little girl in the set... It makes me so happy to get feedback, especially to find out that I've nailed it, and made exactly what they didn't know they were looking for!

Tomorrow I'm heading out to take some pics of Pype, in the new hat I whipped up for her... hopefully they turn out!!!

yarn & stuff

Well... I made it through the holiday rush... yay for me!!! :)

I got a new camera...it's really fancy!!! ...and I'm really hoping to develop some skills... me, skills and camera are somewhat questionable together, but i've always been intrigued by photography and thought there's no time like the present to jump in with both feet... and if I can get Pyper to stop making faces for more than 2 minutes at a time, i'll have an in-house model!!!

I picked up a bunch of yarn a little while ago...I saw this one and had to have it...it was stunning. I don't think I quite captured the colors of it, i'm going to have to play some more... it's this beautiful lime and aqua with silver accents... it is intended for a scarf... there was this great lady at my work who retired, she was a blast and I gave her a "pick whatever you want" gift certificate... once I came across this, I knew it had to be for her!!!



I've got a bunch of little projects in the works, and again many new styles that are on the horizon... tried to get some shots of my girlfriend's baby in a few, but I just couldn't get what I was after... got some great pics of her little guy, just none that showcased my merchandise...

I just signed up on flickr - you can check me out there too... hopefully you'll be seeing progressively better shots... more pressure to succeed if I know someone's keeping an eye on the progress!!! ...check it out at ww.flickr.com/photos/paper_raisins

...i'm off... hope you're all keeping warm...it was -49 with the wind chill today... brrrrrrrrrrrrr