New blog style, FREE background!

Welcome, how do you like my new bloggy style? I decided it needed a fresh new vibe, since I love to play with design. I found a great blog and artist who offers free downloads for your personal blogs and use.

went from this ^^^ 

to this ^^^

Yes that's my bunny I crafted (not for sale) and my own picture with the spool & thread. I wanted something brighter and more colorful. Now, the background image on my blog and the pretty watercolor flowers are from Angie Makes. She has a page dedicated to the free downloads with beautiful watercolor works. 

She also has an Etsy shop, offering more custom work and digital downloads. So if you enjoy her work, please show your support by visiting her shop! 

I hope to perhaps start to offer altered and handmade clothes in my Etsy shop. I've always enjoyed altering clothing and it can be a lot of fun to let loose. I intend on using thrift store purchases as well as new purchases to alter. As for handmade clothing I have plenty of fabrics to pick from and use, such as cottons or linens. 

I hope you take the time to visit me on Instagram, I'm sharing little things about my days. From adorable silly pet photos, short videos and what projects I am working on. Hope your start to the summer is great! 

Instagram & baby gift!

Hi everyone, how is your June starting off? Mine has welcomed weather of summer settling in. I've also recently heard the song of the cicada outside by the woods. I've been busy and I always like to share what I'm up to.
First off, have you visited me on Instagram? I'm there about once a day, sharing photos of my time spent crafting & such. I love to share about my adorable pets, if I head out to something fun and nature.

I am on Instagram as CraftinessbyB

I've been also sharing photos of food. I can't help it, I love food! Since I do not have a garden this year I'm trying to share locally bought produce and such. Or if I am making something yummy (often dairy-free) and how it came out. I visited a farmer's market over the weekend and just wanted to buy all the homemade, locally farmed foods! If you want to make an impact, support your local farmer's, bakers and artisans. You'd be surprised what you can buy and at such good prices!

locally grown produce

naturally, I bought strawberries!

Now, onto the baby gift I made! A friend is expecting in about a months time. She is having a boy and I wanted to make her something handmade. Even if she never puts them on the baby, she can display them in the nursery as a decoration. I found a darling book all about felt crafting and gifts. It has these 'Hermes' baby booties to make. I made mine out of blue and took my time making the stitches even. I hope to offer a video shortly of the stitching for this craft, called the blanket stitch. 

I decided to 'wrap' the gift in a fabric cloth bag. I bought a fat quarter of fabric and only used half of it for the bag. I simply picked a matching ribbon and wooden bead for it's closure. It's a pretty way to present a handmade gift without having to actually spend money on wrapping paper. And really now, it's so much more special this way!
I hope everyone is having a great start to their summer. What are you going to craft this season? Pop on over to follow me on Instagram and leave me some comments if you like! I tend to follow back people whom follow me. 

May Spring SALE ~ 15% off!

It's spring time and you know what? I decided, let's have a SALE! Visit my Etsy shop, open 'announcements' to view coupon code & details. From today to the end of May the sale is going on - so come browse my quality, hand made, artisan gifts for sale.

When you buy handmade you support your local communities. You are encouraging artists to continue their skilled crafts and workmanship. Each time you purchase from a small business you help support the local economy as well. Buying handmade has never felt so good!

My Etsy shop: Craftiness by B 

May Day, Fabrics and Floral Crowns

Happy Spring to you! How is it where you live? Here it's been warming up slowly. The geese are vocal on most days, the robins are hopping around in the yard and grass has grown back. Trees are alive with new buds on them and flowers are just barley poking up from the ground.

our dog enjoying a warm day

I have designed and ordered my 2nd fabric design for Spoonflower. If you haven't checked it out yet, I have a shop there now, it's CraftinessbyB on Spoonflower. Once my 2nd design arrives by mail, I photograph it and the listing will be public. That means it will be available for purchase as a fabric, wallpaper or gift wrap! My first design came out so pretty and I've even tried it on at Sprout, where you place your own design (how cool is that?!) on their virtual patterns before buying!

my design on the Zipper Pouch Baggie pattern

Both designs are from hand drawn artwork I made. I then scan it into my computer, adjust it (such as add a solid background color) and then post it to Spoonflower. I hope to one day offer full sized patterns on either 1/2 or 1 yard pieces of fabric. That way you can purchase it, simply cut out the pieces then sew it at home! What would interest you in a hand drawn pattern? Plush/soft toys, bags or something else?

And since it is nearly May now (my, how time flies this year!) I am working on a floral crown for May Day. I love to dress up for festivals and enjoy making my own accessories. The past few years I've shared two other crowns I made, one for summer/autumn, the other (with deer antlers) for winter. This one I'm including ribbon on the back that is about 1 foot or more in length.

May Day (Beltane) floral crown

I hope you are enjoying Spring in all it's green glory. Stay posted on my going on's on my:

 Google+ page, 

Pinterest page

and of course visiting my Etsy shop. 

❀*:.✿:*Have a sunny weekend everyone! ❀*:.✿:*

Spoonflower fabric ARRIVES!

It arrived, after about 10 days from purchase, shipping to me. I am so ecstatic to see my hand drawn design on fabric!

It is water color floral, tiny flowers design. I hand painted this, then inked it, then scanned into my computer to do final touch up's. It should now be available for purchase in my Spoonflower CraftinessbyB shop. This was on cotton, the colors came out as I hoped in almost pastels but still bold.