My new favorite blog

There are times when I am wasting time on the computer and I stumble across some wonderful blogs with fabulous ideas. www.purlbee.com is one of those websites.
It is full of luscious fabrics and patterns for sewing, knitting, embroidering. I have to admit that I own a number of the books she has highlighted, but owning a book and actually making the projects in it are something entirely different. It is always me intention at make the wonderful ideas out of a my humongous stash of vintage fabrics. I just need more uninterrupted hours in a day. Check out her blog and tell me what you think!

Handmade NW Portland Arts Bazaar

I was a vendor at the Portland Arts Bazaar at Pioneer Courthouse Square on November 29th in the heart of downtown Portland. What a fun event! It was a cold but, sunny winter's day for this outdoor sale. My recycled sweater mittens were a hit for the holiday shoppers who were looking for holiday gifts or to stay warm. I got to spend the day with Betsy and her husband of Betsy & Iya Jewelry (betsyandiya.com) who were my tent mates for the day. We both had a successful day of sharing our handmade items with the shoppers of Portland. The highlight of the day was the 75' Christmas Tree that created a wonderful centerpiece to the cold night.

Recycled Magazine Gift Bows

Just in time for the holidays. I discovered how to make my own gift bows from magazine pages. What I love about these, it that they are so easy to make and they are all different colors and designs. Hopefully I will be able to create my first tutorial, but unfortunately, that will have to wait until after the holidays. Life is a little too hectic with the holiday quickly approaching.

Parents.com

Yeah! My diaper cover can be found on Parents.com in their holiday collection of "Our Favorite Etsy Gifts for Baby" Below is the link to get to the items that are featured. Mine is number #15 in a list of 24 items.

http://www.parents.com/fun/toys/baby-toys/our-favorite-etsy-gifts-for-baby/?page=23

Master Recycler

I am proud to announce that I am now a certified Master Recycler. I recently graduated with the first class in the Columbia Gorge in the Master Recycler program. We are a group of 13 who are passionate about recycling and who will do our best to educate the community and make healthy changes in our communities. We are each required to give back 30 hours in our community and I am hoping to spend much of my time in my daughter's school, helping it become an Oregon Green School.

As you may have been able to tell, I am also passionate about diverting waste and finding a new purpose for materials that may otherwise be at the end of it's life. I love using recycled sweaters to make new items and an currently working on a hat pattern that will hopefully soon be perfected.

With my craft business, I am also doing my best to be a no-waste business. I make my diaper covers with new materials, but use every bit of those materials so that none of it is thrown away. The scraps from the PUL (poly urethane laminate), used as the waterproof layer of the diaper covers, is used to make reusable sandwich bags. I also use scrap fabric along with fabric from my extensive stash in the reusable sandwich bags. The cotton scraps from the diaper covers are used to make a variety of crafts; headbands, stuffed animals, a quilt... whatever I can make! The small scraps from all of my projects are given to a friend who uses them as stuffing for pillows.

My wonderful family surprised me with this great sign of congratulations made from what they could find in our home recycling bin. Aren't they creative!

Holiday Sales

Come see me in Oregon for a number of holiday sales:

November 14th, Saturday
Oregon City High School Bazaar
Oregon City, OR

November 21st, Saturday
St. Peter's Altar Society Bazaar
St. Mary's Academy
The Dalles, Oregon

November 29th, Sunday
Handmade NW Portland Arts Bazaar
Pioneer Courthouse Square
701 SW 6th Avenue
Portland, OR 97205
11-6pm

December 4th, Thursday
3 Rivers Holiday Sale
Hood River, Oregon

December 6th, Sunday
Handmade NW Formal Holiday Sale
Chelsea Ballroom
1510 SE 9th (SE Hawthorne at 9th)
Portland, Oregon
11-6pm

December 12th, Saturday
Hip Happening Holiday Sale
Sellwood Masonic Lodge
Portland, Oregon
11-6pm

Blogs

I have fortunate to be included in many blog featuring my cloth diaper covers or as a give away for the cloth diaper covers. Check out some of these great blogs.

Carlson News:
My blue and green dots diaper cover is modeled by her daughter Leah.
http://cavanjenleah.blogspot.com/2009/10/prefolds.html

Confessions of a First Time Mom:
In December she is going to host a Ditching Disposable Diaper Event and one of my covers will be included in the giveaway.
http://myconfessionsasafirsttimemom.blogspot.com/

Sweet CuddleCakes:
Check out her "un-be-LEAVE-ably cute" entry to find my organic cotton/bamboo diaper cover.
http://www.sweetcuddlecakes.blogspot.com

The Penny Pinching Mama
My diaper cover will be featured as a giveaway in the near future. Keep checking back. She hosts great give-aways often.
http://thepennypinchingmama.blogspot.com/

SproutStyle
Check out the blog entry from April 13, 2009 for cute pictures and a review of the diaper cover.
http://www.sproutstyleblog.com

Our Life Upstate
There is a review on ther April 2, 2009 post with a picture of the Lemons diaper cover and a reusable snack/sandwich bag.
http://ourlifeupstate.com