I have been busy and keeping my hands warm as well as my little ones noggin warm too... I meant by knitting... Yep, funny thing is everyday I learn a new skill with a lot of frustration but it worth a ton.

I have been knitting a lot lately mainly little hats for tiny heads... I love using DPN'S, Changing Colors, Making Ribs, Pom Poms, YO' and all that Jazz... I bought this book from Amazon.com about knitting little hats by Amanda Keeys since then I have not been able to place the needles down. Remember my first class and my instructor telling me that I can do more and just need to follow patterns at that moment I thought she was speaking GREEK to me but Yes, I did it... I learned many skills from this book and talking to all the knitters was wonderful... It is amazing how people want to help each other (knitters) I feel like it is an innate drive to help another person. I ran into couple of people they were just wonderful,kind, and very helpful and I thank them very much.

I have utilized all my time and all the electronics to keep my self hooked with knitting... I mean the iPhone comes in handy to record where I am and what I should do next. Internet is a very useful tool to find help...

I need to pick up myself and keep moving to do other crafts as well as to get some exercise for my self. My new year resolution is to learn something new each month while finding a friend each month since we are new to this area. I am done with that for this month finding a friend and a the new thing/skill is binding off with three needles I think that's the BEST thing ever happen to me with knitting...

I am excited and looking forward to 2010... with a fresh view...

Additionally finding time I always face this challenge in my life with all my crafts and spending quality time with children... I have to admit I love to play and be in their world and live in the moment with them no worries just FUN... Why cant we have that life... I wish I could visit my own childhood it would be a lot of FUN too bad the ROLEX company won't make a device like that ha... ha...

It's snowing outside and freezing cold... but it looks gorgeous, very peaceful I have to admit I love the snow and winter... may be I come from a warm country.

Anyway those are my new year resolutions to eat more healthy and exercise, learn something new each month add friends (new friends) while treasure the old... I think I am happy with that Agenda for year 2010...

I love beading, yes I love to make jewelery, I want to say I started this very early on in my life but never had a chance to pursue it. TIME, was a big issue and OBLIGATIONS, COMMITMENTS, and RESPONSIBILITIES...

This is something I taught myself through various media,(also I was beading when I was a teenager) books,projects idea leaflets from craft stores, and mainly Internet. I am telling ya that Google gadget comes in handy many times. When it comes to finding facts. I will be lost without that.

I love making jewelery for many reasons, love to make projects and see the final result, it is a calming activity up until you can't find a way to assemble the project, some has it's own challenges, loves to solve it, make a statement and NOW most of all I have a little one to accessorize that is something priceless.

I was able to finish many of the unfinished projects that was a huge accomplishment on my side. I was able to wear some pieces too. I love to mix media so I mix many different beads together pearl and seed beads and other kind of beads.

Beading is fun until you come to the stage crimping and all that jazz. I am not very good at it but planning to learn more techniques.

I ran into a store that help you with projects. I mean if you are having a problem assembling or putting final touches to your piece they will help you to accomplish your task i thought that was amazing. Yes, I was able to steal some alone time this is a huge thing for me I do and learn things for ME yes, did you get that part it's all about me, satisfying my learning thirst, crafty side, creativity... whatever I was finally able to put these projects together and I was thrilled. I was the last customer at this store I was afraid she might ask me to leave but she didn't. She was working in this store for two years and was very patient with me.

I am so thankful to her and grateful for helping me and introducing me to a gadget called I think double jump ring they are like key rings but it WORKS for my project and here I am walking out of the store with couple of necklace I assemble couple of months ago. The lady at the store bead shop was Gerri, she was so nice stayed back to hep me with the project and not only that she did make sure I knew how to do it. It's hard to find good teachers like that nowadays...

I would like to get my hands around to make little Barrett's to put on little girls heads... may be I should start working on it. Anyway this is the story of my beading another hand made additions to my collection of stuff.

I have to write about this project I have accomplished/ or I would like to say I finally finished with a lot of pain. I really meant it. Remember my knitting experiences and the class. I wanted to practice more, while I was making my first sweater, I did another one with a different color. One of the reason was my instructor told me she will not be having classes till next spring and certainly didn't want to forget what I have learned. Also knitting is a hands on activity more you practice better off you are. So I want to practice my knitting, Purling, casting on, Increasing, and decreasing. New vocabulary with a whole new aspect...

However when I blogged my first knitting project. I took a picture of this sweater with the completed one. This sweater was not assemble. I was able to finish knitting it with so many mistakes on time but could not assemble. How can a person can make so many stupid mistakes I have no idea or a clue.Apparently looks like I am very GOOD at it. ha... ha... My point is taking it apart was very painful but I learned at the class that a good knitter will always take a project apart. I think I was so eager to make two sweaters and mixed two needle sizes that when I finally trying to sew it together it was two different sizes. I have no clue why I did that, I vaguely remember buying another size needle but I cannot remember why I mixed two sizes.

Yes, I painfully took it apart the whole sweater and knitted again with the correct size needle. I took three days to complete it I took it apart one day gave myself a break did you hear that I took a break from knitting because it was too much, getting on my nerve. I guess the size makes a BIG difference.

Any way I am finally letting go my safety blanket and trying new skills. I was able to read the instruction from a knitting book and make a flower. I was so thrilled all about it. So I quickly worked on another flower so both sweaters have flowers now.

I am amazed with a ball of yarn and two sticks what you could make. Time is a big obstacle I constantly battle to finish these projects. But I have always made time for these projects somehow. I have tried many ways to snatch the yarn and knitting needles when kids are sleeping, taking it with me when I am travelling. Hey, even one line adds up for 4 inches.

I thought knitting was hard but I think now it is the most wonderful activity to relax, unwind, and very therapeutic in many ways. I wish I tried this when I was teaching Kindergarten. Kids would have done a pretty good job than me with it.

When I finished this sweater,I also add a flower I didn't have any button I can't believe I was hunting button around the house, I was even tempted to get a button from a dress shirt, I finally found it on one of the cushion's that we are ready to throw out because it had seen better days. I snatched it and gave a whole new life to it by adorning it on this baby sweater. I absolutely love this sweater because it reminds me of SPRING and hard LABOUR of love, all the undoing and finally I am happy with the final product.

Hello, here I am again blogging on hand made items. These are called Grasping Beads... aha, you may wonder what are these. I made these out of wooden balls. These are 1' inch in diameter and allows a newborn baby to grasp which eventually they will... As we all know newborns love to grasp. As we place a finger on an open palm a new born will quickly grasp it. So I made these out of natural wood. It is same as gasping a rattle or any other toy.

Little ones love to grasp these wooden beads I have no idea what is it, I always thought it may be the texture. I have made bunch of these and given them as gifts at baby showers and to new moms and I have always heard good reviews on them.

I have offered many textures for my little one but this is one of the favorites. I still see time to time visiting this toy. My first experience offering this to my newborn was, it was too big but later on it fits exactly and the baby will bring to the mouth and starts to mouth.

This is a great toy for newborn babies and very easy to make, only factor I worry is making sure all the beads are tight, or no bead can slip away from the knots...
Other cool factor is you can rinse this with some soapy water and it is good to go for happy gnawing...

Topponcino/Security Blancket...

Hello my friends and loved ones, I love to blog on items I made. Sometimes I called them goodies. I made this security blanket for my baby when she was kicking inside my tummy I mean it. Yesterday I was at the post office rushing to get the Christmas cards and some other important documents, while I was standing and waiting very patiently in the line which is long all most to the entrance. I know with the budget cutting down they cannot hire enough people to staff the holiday season so no matter what time you show up at the post office it's going to take a while. Well my point is there was a mother with three kids behind me standing on the line with another tiny one kicking inside her... she was explaining to me her baby was very active, this brought back some memories of my pregnancy and what I made...

So I made this for my little one it's called a Topponcino I hope the automated dictionary will accept this because normally Microsoft gives similar words as cappuccino which is what we called it most of the time when we were making them at the Montessori training...

It originated from Italy, with close observation from Montessori philosophy I would like to say. But it is a safe heaven for tiny babies I have used it by myself for my little one, talked to many people who have used this, friends, family, follow Montessori's...

This is made out of 100% layers of cotton batting, and cotton fabric it is very comfortable yet flexible allows the newborn to be in a safe heaven. It works wonders when you have company over to see the new bundle of joy. Specially passing the baby from one person to other and the baby still feels safe from all the coos and ah's. I have to admit older kids feels safe to handle the baby on the Topponcino.
One of the other things we did was we traveled a whole lot after the baby, We would always take the Topponcino with us so even in the most strangest place baby felt comfortable and slept through the night it does make a big difference I have to admit.

I took the liberty to custom make it according to my needs, I chose flannel covers during winter and cotton throughout spring and varied the colors and it did not make a big impact on the baby. It does act like a security blanket for the baby as well as to the adults knowing your baby is going to be fine during nights even if you have to stay away from your home/environment which is the KEY factor for babies...

Let me know what you think about this...

Here I am again, keeping my hands busy in this cold weather. I love sewing and I love to sew little goodies for babies. I found this bib pattern and couldn't’t resist the urge to get my hands on it sew these bibs. I thought which was very cool, chic, and bold. So I did it. I have to admit it was time consuming at the beginning but later on it was a breeze to finish these tiny bibs. I have given the as gifts as well as use them for my little one.

The reason I like these bibs are I can custom make them according my needs. I can make them light or super heavy duty. I like them light so I can change them often and enjoy a new bib each time I use them on my little one.

I purposely used these Bold designs and colors instead of the baby prints... I guess I like to think outside the BOX. I love how it helps when it comes to self feeding because it get more stains and bold prints from the little ones food consumption. We try our best to give more natural than the artificial but some fruits can stain them but a little bit scrubbing can lift those stains off.

I also used big snaps to secure the flaps behind and Velcro. At the beginning I thought the snap are the best thing in the world because if the tiny one tug on them it wont come off. It's all about my security and comfort right when it comes to feeding... ha... ha... but as the little ones get older their food pattern and eating schedules tends to change. I noticed when the meal is done little hands can tug the bib and take it off and it was part of communicating saying "I am done stop feeding me" I took this taking bib part pretty serious and listen to the commands life was easy...

So now I loved the Velcro... could be a pain some times but I got use to it. communication through bibs was interesting... and it does definitely takes the feeding to the next level.

I love making these bibs and giving them as gifts... for mother to be and for mothers. It not only saves your child's clothing from stains if you listen and follows the cues it can be a instrument of communication. Who would thought about that?

I love these... tell me what you think about them...

Hi to all my Friends and Readers out there. I have been busy creating again... people I know keep telling me that I don't know how to relax I guess it must be a skill to learn but I don't think I have mastered that skill yet...

Well, I took a class how to knit... when I was taking a walk in the old town... I saw this shop which displayed beautiful unique jewelry, pottery,and knitted clothing... I wanted to take a look but it was closed. so I took down the number in my head same day came home and dialed it was a wrong number. After a while I walked pass this shop this time I tried to memorized it and I did it... ha... ha... I called and a lady answered she was very nice and polite. I was asking her about jewelry... and also asked if she will sell any if I make some... she was not interest in it because she makes most of the jewelry by herself and I have to say she does a wonderful job her Jewelry is breathtaking... but she gave me an invitation to come and take a look at inside the store. she also decorated her store with Birds and Birdbaths which happened to be my other interest... I just loved the feathery friends...

So we met and we talked and we talked a lot things I have to say she was a wonderful listener... with a lot of information... I want to admit I did like her personality... so she showed all the pieces she had knit and I immediately decided to enroll my self. Here I want to look at the store,birds,and jewelry walked out of her store to get knitting supply. I cannot believe myself... but I did. I hurried myself to local Arts and Crafts store and started to buy yarn and browsed through some knitting catalogs but I didn't buy the needles funny right.

I went to my first class met all the other wonderful knitting ladies and started to knit and purl I did that for two weeks from borrowed knitting needles... and on the third week she told me "Today we are going to use your yarn..." That made me jumpy and excited finally I get to start the project... I started to knit this baby sweater it was fun...

There are times I have to admit I said to myself knitting is not meant to be for me... I have no patience to do this and I sucked at it. English was not the second language, it seemed like the tenth language when it came to reading the patterns...
I cursed at it threw the yarn up and down called the instructor many times I can feel she is getting tired of me... but stubborn me didn't want to give up... lost counting the darn rows... some times I would ask what the hell is a row... why do I need to count them and write them too much work... I wanted to quit many times...
But it's worth trying because I can pass this skill to some one I love...

So... here I didn't know how to hold a needle from 5 weeks I was able to produce this. I think that was phenomenal... This is the begging of my knitting story... Also thanks my knitting instructor...

Christmas Cards...

Hi,

I have been very busy creating Christmas cards and greeting cards... Since I am heavily into scrap booking I thought I will give a chance for the creativity side of my brain. I finally took a class how to make cards... it was FUN... I have been on the Internet surfing how to make cards and running to local Michael's for the supplies and was able to create a few cards. The class I took, I have to admit was phenomenal. I was so glad my friend Cathy encourage me to take it... it was a big change because now I know how to use the tools correctly that was a huge achievement for me.

This is whats going on in my life right now. The last batch of cards I bought from Walmart on recycle paper was a while ago. I cannot wait to return those cards now. I love creating these cards with my own hands... most of all the final product is always breath taking. I also feel like it is very special when you make something for some one you love and care with your hands, because you give time to creativity, helps you to think about the person's likes and dislikes... and most of all you get an opportunity to personalized it I thought that was very COOL...

In other words it's different when you cook a meal at home than going to the restaurant to order some thing. You feel proud/accomplished of what you made with your hands and what you have in the pantry... I like what I make at home...

I have slowly start to mail my products to my friends and family. Some times I get GREAT reviews and some times none but I am very happy with what I am creating.

If any of you took some time to see what I have been doing... Please let me know what you think about this I thrive on FEED BACKS...

For all the people out there ENJOY life because you never know what's going to come NEXT!