Day 7 Giveaway: Crochet Tools

If you like to crochet or have a friend or family member that does, then you need to enter today's giveaway. There are four vintage crochet booklets and two new foam crochet hook covers that makes holding the hook more comfortable.

One book has patterns for both knitting and crochet. The projects range from clothing items or afghans, and hats and scarves. A fun little packet for anyone that has some extra yarn and a hook or two with time to create. You could make one of the patterns, and use it to start your own 29 Day Giving Challenge.

click picture to enlarge it

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**RULES**

• This one is open World Wide
  
• Giveaway ends March 9, 2010 at 12(noon) CST
• Winners will be chosen via Random.Org., and contacted by email
• Winners will have 48 hours to respond to the email, or another winner will be chosen
• I will post winners weekly instead of daily
  

Handy Handbag

A relatively new friend of mine, and I love her dearly (you know who you are), said she needed a small purse. Just big enough to carry keys, debit card, cigs and lighter. So I made her one. I had been crocheting baskets or birds nest and figured by altering my pattern a bit I could make her a purse. I used a purple heart shaped button for the closure, so I embellished it with small heart shaped charms on both the front and back of the purse. I used glass and wire beads on the fringe, and lined it with a colorful fabric. I had a lot of fun making this for her and may try my hand at making another one soon in a different color and different yarn.

back side of purse

close-up of front side

full view

My Crocheted Candy Dish

I decided to make myself a candy dish that was un-breakable, non-scratching (to furniture), washable, and pretty to look at. I love it! I currently have some miniature candy bars in it and it has been working perfectly. I love the colors, and I love to handle it as it is soft, yet strong.

Baby Animal Nest

If you have been following my blog, you might have read my past two posts (here and here), about the animal nest that I have been making for rescued baby animals.

These are more nest that have been shipped out for use.

I have made over 4o of these so far in various sizes just using scrap yarn. I have heard that they are in use and I am still waiting for pictures, so that I can show them to you all.

I have one more batch to ship out, I just hope it's not too late and that they can still put them to use this year. But if not, they can hold on to them until they need them.

With Summer getting near and the weather warming up, I will be glad to put the yarn away for a while and let my poor hands have a rest.
But should the rescue agencies need any more of these nest, I hope that they will contact me as it would be my pleasure to make more for them.

Nest for Wild Life Rescue

Here are more crocheted nest that I made for the wild life rescue agencies. I mailed more off to North Carolina on Friday. The first batch was received and they were tickled to have them. They will send me some pictures when they get them taken. And I wills hare them with you. Can't wait to see the baby animals using the nest that I so lovingly made for them.

I can usually get one large or x-large nest made in a day or several of the small or medium nest. I just use scrap yarn, 3 strands, because the animals do not care what colors their nest are. But most of the nest actually turn out to be pretty colors that work well together. The animals are just happy to have a soft, warm, and clean place to sleep. By using 3 strands to crochet with, they really hold their shape well. The bottom of the nest range in size from 4 inches to 10 inches. And they use the larger nest for squirrels and opossums, whereas birds are in the smaller nest.

I think these nest would even make wonderful candy dishes on a coffee table or desk. If it got knocked over, it would not break and it is also washable. I plan on making them for Christmas gifts next year to match the recipients decor, actually this year... 2009. I can see storing all sorts of items in them. Loose beads, paper clips, rubber bands, jewelry, candy, and so much more.

And this is a small, medium, and large nest.

These are both x-large nest, with the bottoms measuring 9-10"

This is a large nest. I absolutely love the colors of this nest.
almost kept it for myself, but I didn't. I gave it to the sweet animals.

Day 9 of 29-Day Giving Challenge

Do you make dolls? Do you like to use body parts in your collage work? Do you like to work with clay (polymer clay, that is)? Have you ever wanted to try polymer clay?
If you answered yes to any of these questions, then you need to sign up for today's give-a-way. Today we have a polymer clay mold and clay. I didn't show the clay as it will be a surprise. But there will be at least 4 packages of clay to go with the hand mold, and maybe another surprise or two!

This hand mold was designed my Maureen Carlson in 1993. She is an excellent polymer clay artist, as is Christi Friesen, who has recently started working with polymer clay and mixed media together, with some amazing results. Maureen has several books out and they are all wonderful. I personally own a couple of them.

Anyhow, if you are interesteed leave a comment on this post to be intered to win. And spread the word..... this 29-Day Giving Challenge is awesome and I would love to see it grow even more. I orignally found out about this via Chrysti's blog, Art by Chrysti. Check it out, she is still in the process of her give-a-way.

And now for a few updates.

• Day 1: I gave a friend some food items that she needed to make dinner for her and her Daughter. She was hungry for potato salad and I had the fixins' for it and this prevented her from having the go to the grocery store.
• Day 2: I got on eBay some cutting mats for my oldest Sisters Cricut machine.
• Day 4: Helped my Grandson with his homework.
• Mailed off one dozen hand made birds nest for wildlife rescue of baby birds and rabbits.
• Let my cleaning lady leave early.
• Helped a friend search for a mannequin on eBay.
• Working on an afghan for my Sister for her Daughter who is due to have a baby in July.
• Mailed off crocheted nest to North Carolina. These are for squirrels and opossums.
• Still working on making more nest. I try to get one x-large one done a day or several smaller ones.
• Mailed a very good friend a birthday card.
• Visited a friend I had not seen for a while.
• Called a friend in Alaska.
• E-mailed my Brother.
• Sent a Congratulations card to my friend for her new Grandson.
• I sent a 'thank you' card to a church that helped me a few weeks ago with food.

And in return, I have received:

• My lower denture broke and my Sister paid to have it fixed.
• I won 7 gifts during the One World-One Heart Event.
• I won a bracelet from Danica, at Harmony Jewelry Designs.
• I've received a beautiful red lace heart and Valentine card in the mail yesterday.
• A dear friend called me yesterday.
• When I thought I was out of money this month for groceries, I received some money that was owed to me. So I was able to buy more groceries.

So you see, the 29-Day Giving Challenge does work! Give it a try!

Birds Nest for the Wee Birdies and Baby Bunnies

These are some of the nest that I have been crocheting to donate to the several Wild Life Rescue Agencies in NC, NJ, and VA. These are the three basic sizes that I make and am now working on one that it even larger as one place needs them for baby squirrels and baby opossums. I found out about these from a blog that I visit, but for the life of me i can not seem to locate the blog at the moment.

The next two pictures are of the one mailed out last week. These are the dozen that I sent off to New Jersey last week. I hope they are the correct sizes that they need.

You can read more about these nest at Bevs Country Cottage Blog (this is not the blog where I originally heard about these though) were she also has a pattern for the nest. I don't personally use a pattern. they are easy to make and I can make several of the small one in a night and usually one of the large ones.

The day I went to the dentist and spent 2 hours on the road each way, I was able to create one of the medium one on the way down and another on the way back home. And even while sitting and waiting (you know how doctors and dentist are .....they love to make you wait)..... I was able to create 2 small nest. So it ended up being a very productive day, nest wise.

I just use scrap yarn (the wee birds and other animals don't care what color they are) and 3 strands at a time..... so the nest will be strong and stand up on their own. I crochet them very tightly, so their little feet don't get caught in them. Some of them really turn out pretty though with the mixture of yarn colors.