Fast Scrapbooking Tips and Hints

To me, any day when I get to scrapbook is a good day. Sometimes (most times!) I don’t have hours to spend on a layout; instead, it’s a process of squeezing in a few minutes here and a few minutes there. I’ve discovered by breaking my scrapbooking tasks into smaller chunks, I can take advantage of the small blocks of time I do have. They add up, and before I know it, I have a layout completed. Full Article

Making Small Changes to Your Cross Stitch Pattern Or Cross Stitch Kit For a Big Difference

Sometimes you pick up a cross stitch chart or even a cross stitch kit and even though you love the design you just want to make a few changes to it or give it a bit of your own pizzazz! I don’t think I’ve personally ever stitched anything exactly to the charted key, I always add some little something, whether it’s a floss change, a bit of blending filament, or maybe a few beads here and there for texture just to give it that little extra bit of me. Full Article

Top 3 Mistakes That Most Cross Stitch Enthusiasts Make

There are a handful of mistakes I see a lot of cross stitch enthusiasts making from newbies or novices. I’m not a super picky stitcher by any means, but these few things can make a huge difference in your finished project and if you’re mindful of them while stitching your next project I think you’ll be happy with the results. Full Article

The Importance of Spending Time with Your Children

How many times a day do you catch yourself saying, “not now” or “I don’t have time”?  Now, how many times a day do you catch yourself saying this to your children?  Too many times we, as busy moms, get caught up in the daily grind of our family’s lives and trying to get everything done that needs to be done, but we forget the real reasons why we’re trying to bake 4 dozen cookies, schedule a doctor’s appointment, make out a grocery list and go to the store, make sure our child’s soccer jersey is clean and ready to go for the game that is scheduled at 5 p.m., have dinner ready before leaving for said soccer game, and squeeze in homework – all before putting our children to bed.  Then, we take the next few hours to get caught up on housework such as dishes, laundry, and general tidying up when one of our children, or even your spouse, comes up and reminds you that you have a family get-together the next day that you are supposed to cook 3 dishes for!  So, you stay up half the night preparing for the next day knowing that you are going to be completely exhausted but expected to put on a happy face. Full Article

How to Keep Your Children Occupied Once School Is Out

I do know that I am very fortunate to be able to work from home and, in turn, be home with my children and not have to worry about childcare. I am very blessed to be able to be involved in my children’s lives on a daily basis like I am. However, they are still kids and will still “get bored” and “have nothing to do”. But, I do not plan to let boredom turn into watching TV all day or playing on the computer/Wii all day while they are home from school. I do not allow that during the school year and I definitely will not allow it during the summer months. So, what do I do to keep my children occupied? We do have season passes to a local amusement park and a local aquarium, but we do not plan on spending all of our time inside. Full Article

Sell Your Crafts Online

If you love to make crafts, you might already be selling your creations at local markets and to friends. But have you thought about taking your craft business online? Doing so can give you more exposure, greater visibility, and bring in a lot more sales. Local shoppers will visit to learn more about you. You can also sell your crafts to people all across the country.

Gifts For Crocheters Under $10

I, myself, love to crochet, as does my oldest daughter.  But, it can be a very expensive habit hobby to have.  I would love it if someone were to give me a gift that would help me support my habit hobby.   It’s one of those hobbies that I find very relaxing, and I can take it with me just about anywhere.  So, I thought I would share with you some of the things that I would enjoy receiving as a gift that you might give the crocheter on your gift list this year. Full Article

How to Find Free Cross Stitching Patterns Online

If you’re a fan of free cross stitch patterns but you’re not all exactly an online guru or a technical computer genius, then there’s no need to worry. The internet is a wonderful place and literally you can find anything you want on there if you know where to look and how to look for it. You must also be careful though, because a lot of websites out there were designed to harm your computer or steal information from you, but they’re not hard to spot. Full Article

5 Ways to Enhance Your Cross Stitch Project With Different Floss and Fibers

The basic design element of any cross stitch project is the embroidery floss used to create the pattern itself. The DMC and Anchor cotton floss lines provide a beautiful palette of colors to work with, and most designers are, of course, going to use these. But, sometimes you want a little something special in your project, maybe an added touch or two to make your piece different from everyone else’s. Full Article

Purchasing a Cross Stitch Kit Versus Purchasing Chart & Supplies Separately

Many new cross stitchers wonder what the difference is between purchasing a cross stitch kit and purchasing the chart and supplies separately. Many cross stitch designs come in both kit and chart only forms. There are several things to consider for this popular stitcher’s dilemma. Full Article

The Power of Portable Projects

As I sit here in a conference room waiting for my next meeting (in 90 minutes), I am brought back to this article. It has been on my list of articles to write for some time now. It just seems that it gets pushed a little lower on the priority list as the days pass. But, here I am with a perfect opportunity to capture those thoughts and put them together. Full Article

The Scarf

Boredom and Frustration – A Knitter’s Friend

Written by Lisa Akers | 0 Comments

It seems a bit unusual to consider boredom and frustration to be a knitter’s best friend. I know that it wasn’t my friend when I began to knit. It’s that feeling that makes you want to give up in the middle of a project or makes you want to stab your needles in your leg. After you knit for a while and learn to enjoy the process of making stitch after stitch into beautiful fabric, you’ll come to see why boredom and frustration can be your friends. Full Article

Knitting isn’t Skydiving

Written by Lisa Akers | 0 Comments

You know, one of the most wonderful things I’ve heard lately is that knitting isn’t like skydiving. There’s very little that you can do when you’re knitting that you can’t take back or even accept as a flaw and move on. Skydiving, on the other hand, has some very grave consequences for mistakes. For those of you who skydive (or those who’ve watched it on TV), you know that every move is critical. That’s why you practice so much. Knitting has some critical moves, too. Fortunately, each mistake you make is an opportunity to learn a new skill and to learn something new about yourself. Full Article

How do you know if you need to take time to be still?

Written by Lisa Akers | 0 Comments

We’re living in an outcome-based society. If what you’re doing isn’t producing a result, chances are you’re going to quit doing it. We’re just too busy to keep doing things that don’t make something happen. When you started pruning your to-do list, I would bet that one of the first things you quit doing was taking time for you. It could be that you quit reading for fun or that you quit a hobby that you enjoyed. You may have quit spending time alone and watching the sunrise over a cup of coffee. You may have quit taking a long bubble bath. Looking back on that choice, has it served you well? What have you lost as a result of not pampering yourself for a few minutes each day? You may not know, but you should think about it. Full Article

The Benefits of Knitting Circles

Written by Lisa Akers | 0 Comments

I was reading Stephen Covey’s The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People and was struck by something very powerful. He said that our growing fear and insecurity about work, finances, the future, and the vulnerability that comes with that fear is really paralyzing our society. Our response to fear is to focus inward – to focus on our own performance and our own concerns with the hope that we will be ok. That was a real scary thought for me, as I see more and more of that in myself and others. Can you imagine what happens to society if we all become hermits? Full Article

Patience is a Great Teacher

Written by Lisa Akers | 0 Comments

I had an interesting experience last month. I was invited to teach a Girl Scout troop how to knit. I’ve taught kids before and had great success with it, but this was the first time I’ve taught a large group of kids at once. I was humbled by the experience and am giving thanks to all those fifth grade teachers out there who do this every day. Full Article

Prayer Shawls

Written by Lisa Akers | 0 Comments

Knitters and crocheters all over the world are hard at work making prayer shawls. Have you heard of them? These are the most amazing garments I have ever seen. It’s not because they are complex or because they use fantastic colors or stitches. It is because they are so simple, yet so powerful. Full Article

Building A Successful Craft Show Booth

Written by Lisa Akers | 0 Comments

If you attend craft shows as a vendor, you’ve probably experienced this: people walk by your booth, take a peek inside, and then walk on. Even if you do your best to greet them and invite them to browse, they smile politely and keep moving. How frustrating! I know that I’ve been there myself. I know I have great products, if people would just take a moment to come in, I know I could make a sale! Full Article

Easy Cookie Bouquets

Written by Rachel Paxton | 0 Comments

Surprise a friend (or your mom) with an easy-to-make cookie bouquet. Use your imagination to create a gift that special someone will really enjoy. Full Article