Just a new little pair of owls I made recently for a custom order...
Lately I've been knitting little tiny things...like these baby socks/booties (in the most neutral of colors, of course). For the brown pair (left), I followed this pattern and for the other pairs, I loosely followed this pattern (also done here first). 
If I were smart, I would have started knitting tiny socks like those above first, before attempting to knit a pair of socks for myself. I finally finished this pair a month or so ago, after a good year (and then some) of working on them here & there. They were tedious to make, but they fit perfectly...and after all that work, I'm just thankful for that!
I picked up these vintage "cover-your-own" button kits at my local thrift store the other day. I do like old buttons...but to make your own!?! Exciting, right? I know! I can't stop... 
I had just bought some new fabric prior to this with all these little circles filled with cute things like flowers and birds. 
The bird one fit perfectly onto this tiny button. 
And I had a tiny scrap of vintage fabric that I always thought was so sweet...and it was just perfect for making a set of 3 cheery, yellow buttons. Hmm...the crafty ideas are really flying now! 
I have no idea where February went...and the first week of March. Well, I sort of do. But it's been so long since I blogged that I had to really think about what my password was. I think I've just been waiting for Spring, almost holding my breath for it really. And enjoying this quiet time before the baby arrives, trying to finish projects, and imagining how much our life is going to change in just about 3 short months! 
Can one really prepare themself for a baby? I'm trying to accomplish everything and anything before the baby comes. As if I won't ever be able to do anything again after. I know that really isn't the case. But I sure would like to have as much done and organized and squared away as is humanly possible. Is that what they refer to as "nesting?" 
All I know for sure is that this is likely to be the one and only quilt I'll ever make. Potholders seem more up my alley. Maybe even pillows, yes. But another quilt?...don't think so. It's not that I didn't enjoy making it. I did, for the most part. But I learned that working on my sewing machine on bigger things like this makes me very, very nervous and tense. It involved a lot of grumbling with my sewing machine. For me it is not a relaxing hobby. My favorite part was cutting the squares and blindstitching the border on by hand. Perhaps because I had more control over those things. But working with my sewing machine left me a little stressed...although it was mostly due to user error (incompetence) I'm sure. Hub kept me rooted in reality while making it, trying to make me feel better by saying that the baby is just going to leak on it anyway. He's so helpful like that. ;)
Happy Valentine's Day! I didn't do very much in the way of "valentine-ing" this year. Not like last year. Or even the year before now that I look back on it. But Mum came up for a little visit late last week and brought along the sweetest heart punch...ever! This scalloped heart with all sorts of holes & details that punch out of it. So cute! So I borrowed her punch and punched out a variety of colored hearts. There're so many possibilities for this punch beyond just making cards with it... 
And I stuck one under the tiniest little belljar I acquired while Mum and I were out thrifting. The only real "valentine-ing" I will do now today will involve a bit of baking & cooking for my Valentine, Mr. Hub...you know what they say...the way to a man's heart is through his stomach!
Just thought I'd share a few photos of some new gnome & mushroom cake toppers I recently made for a custom order. The glitter on the caps was her idea for a wintry woodland party...and I simply love the added sparkle!
Just a few of my favorite baby things so far...yes, it's beginning! ;) 
I think it's really sweet, but does anyone know Swedish? 
And speaking of "bright birds," secondly, this modern LED blue bird nightlight from Target. They also have an adorable mushroom one too...it was a tough choice.
Finally, my favorite little snapsuit/gown I've bought so far...I found it a cute, new little baby boutique here in Duluth. I also spotted this one and more sweet Baby Chai clothing online right here.
Oftentimes 5 photos per Etsy listing just isn't enough for me...I hem and haw over which photos to use, which ones show my items at their best, highlight specific things like the details on the base of a cake topper or the pattern of paper I've chosen for the base. 
I try to figure out which lighting is best and yet still conveys the true colors of an item. I attempt to have a good variety of close-up shots and distance shots. 
And then of course there are all the different angles! I like to show my work from almost every possible angle...so with all that said, usually 5 photos just isn't enough.
Sometimes I see shops on Etsy that will just use one photo to show their item...oh to have the confidence to allow one picture to stand alone and represent. Nope...can't do it! 
So what can I do when I have more photos that I maybe wanted to use but didn't have room for? Put them here on the blog. So, I present a new pair of Sweetheart Birds!
...and after receiving them, ordered another pair to use as a little centerpiece on their "Love is Sweet, Take a Treat" bar. (A little hard to see but they are way up there at the top of the photo, in the center.) Its always fun for me to see how they were used!