Giveaway Results

Your odds were good on this giveaway! Based on the random number generator, here are the winners.

For the pink shoe the winner was number 2 or The Harris Family who said, "How cute! Those came out great :)" So, Mary just go ahead and email me (or Tristan) with your address and your shoes will be on the way.

For the purple shoe the winner was Deb (number 4) who said, "Those are absolutely darling! Seriously, you are way talented!!" Deb, I have your address. Be on the lookout. I am trying out new packaging.

Thank you for all who played. Keep on the lookout for more giveaways.

Baby Rattles

Christmas is here and the presents are unwrapped. My baby is 11 months old so for Christmas we made him rattles. They were so easy and even better, they were free! I saved all of the pill bottles from my prenatal vitamins (for this purpose) and we filled them up with random things from around the house (beans, rice, bells, poly balls that I took from a dying stuffed toy, beads, paper clips...). To decorate the bottles we used Mod-Podge, glitter, and tissue paper. Then to finish it all off my husband glued the tops on with Gorilla Glue. They turned out really great! And best of all, our son LOVES them. He wasn't really into opening the packages but he loved to shake them wrapped or not.

The giveaway is still going on so be sure to post a comment! Who can turn down free?

Giraffe Scarf

I am done with Christmas presents! We didn't get the kids much but I made almost everything myself so it was a long process. I was way ahead of things before Thanksgiving but then Thanksgiving happened and I was suddenly way behind... I don't know what happened there.

For my baby I made a giraffe scarf. This I am very proud of (bear with me, I may say that about all of the stuff I made - it was a good year) because I came up with it all by myself. The only giraffe scarf I was able to find a picture of was totally different than what I was thinking so I just went for it. I crocheted the whole body with cotton yarn. For the spots I cut out random shapes from felt and sewed them on with embroidery floss. I made both sides the same so it was easier to sew the shapes on. Isn't it adorable!?

Sleeping Bag

I have a lot of half finished Christmas presents but this is the first one that I have finished this year.













This sleeping bag is for my 7-year old step-daughter to replace her pink Princess sleeping bag that was transformed into wigs - by my son. How does a 4-year old even think of cutting open a sleeping bag, removing the stuffing, and squishing it together into wigs? Wigs!

I was able to use my seam ripper, the greatest tool ever, to save the zipper. To make the new one I bought a butterfly print fleece and a coordinating solid purple flannel (2 yards each). I didn't worry about stuffing it because it can't get that cold in Portland. I decided to dress it up a bit by adding a purple strip to the top. It didn't take very long once I gathered the courage to start (I was deathly afraid I would screw up because straight lines and I don't always mesh). I hope she likes it!

Cute Card Delivery!

I won my first giveaway and it made my day! I signed up on my friend Deb's blog Mumbo Jumbo to win a set of her delightful handmade birdie cards and I won! Deb is super amazing, especially with papercrafting. If you're jealous or just looking for some great cards, check out her shop. Get ready to be amazed.

Also, don't forget to check out my baby shoe giveaway! It ends at midnight (Pacific Time) on December 28th.

My First Giveaway

Welcome to the first ever MetroBoutique Giveaway! There are so many great giveaways (like this one from Design Mom) that I figured I could share the wealth. I am very excited to give two lucky winners each a pair of handmade (by me) newborn baby shoes. These are cute little girly shoes each with a soft cotton flannel lining. They are machine washable and dryable preshrunk cotton. They also have elastic around the ankles so they stay on. Here they are:

This pair is pink with white eyelet overlaid on te top and sides and solid pink on the soles.







This pair has little hearts on the top and sides with a coordinating purple sole.








To enter, just leave a comment. The Giveaway ends on Sunday, December 28th at midnight Pacific Time. I will use the random number generator to select two winners. The first number drawn will get the pink shoes, the second will get the hearts.

Check out my shop for other great handmade things!

Merry Christmas!

I just finished my Christmas cards - making them that is. I am not much of a paper crafter although I would love to be. I was looking for something simple so I planned to use this pattern but I couldn't find a nice Christmas paper with something on both sides. What's the deal with that? So, after searching (not too hard mind you) I gave up and used things I already had. I like how they turned out. I bought two packs of blank cards and envelopes last year with the intention of using them to make cards but the motivation was not there so it didn't happen. This year, however, after moving half way across the country I forced myself to make some nice Christmas cards. This is what I came up with. I cut white cardstock down to 3.5" x 5" pieces, stamped & embossed them (the red and green stamps are glittery and the gold is smooth and shiny), and stuck them on the folded cards. Voila! See, I told you they were simple. I cut the paper yesterday while watching House on the internet (8 days after airing...) and I did the rest today while reading blogs and emailing my husband. Cheap, simple, and cute. That should be my personal motto...they could write that on my tombstone.










I haven't been blogging a lot lately but soon you will see why. I am in the middle of like 3 projects that I can't wait to finish and post! Check back, and tell your friends!

Craft Fair

Today was my craft fair and I have to admit I am a bit disappointed. I didn't sell anything. There was a lot of ooohing and aaahing but no buying. I think a big part of the problem was that I didn't have a big selection of shoes and hats. I had three hats - one neutral and two for girls (now listed on my Etsy site) - and three pair of baby shoes - two girl and one boy (soon to be listed). The craft fair was in a hospital so by the afternoon I had people coming down and saying, "These are the ones they were talking about..." and "Oh, how adorable!" In addition, I was able to crochet one and a half hats so it wasn't a total loss. I missed being home with the boys, near my computer but it was quite nice to get away for a time and be able to just sit and crochet.

Next to me was a man selling pottery that he threw and fired himself. It was really great. He had mugs, bowls, vases, pitchers, bird houses, and lots of other fun little things. One of the things I considered buying was one of his small mugs. I thought it would be the perfect size for my five year old's hot chocolate. I decided that I would not buy one unless I made some money. That didn't happen but as I was leaving I just wanted to see how much they cost so perhaps I could buy one later. I picked it up to look at it and he gave it to me. And the one that matched it. I couldn't believe it! They are so great. The man's name is Bradley and he sells through Bradley Ceramics in Newberg, OR. If you are in the area, he has sales at his house twice a year.

So, overall the craft fair was fun and well worth the time and effort. I was able to hand out my card to a decent number of people and I was motivated to get some stuff finished and posted on Etsy.

Baby Bibs

I can't believe how long it has been since I last posted.













Here is my latest creation: Flannel Baby Bibs. I love them! My son has one and I use it the most often because it is the perfect size. They are made with 100% cotton flannel on the front and back and I used Velcro for the closure. I have had them made with the exception of the Velcro closure for a week now. They are basic and simple, which is probably a big reason why I like them.











I went shopping the Friday after Thanksgiving, which I never do because the very thought terrifies me. Anyhoo, I bought some really cute owl and farm animal prints that I can't wait to use. I will probably just make more bibs.

In addition, I am very excited because this Friday I am going to have a booth at a craft fair through my husband's work. It will be my first booth (and potentially my very first sale). I can't wait but at the same time I am nervous because, well, what if nobody is interested? That would be a big bummer. But, what ever is left over will be heading to Etsy.