cherishables

Wednesday, July 11, 2012

Somewhere over the rainbow....

I've been playing around with rainbow colors. Loving Mr. Roy G. Biv. So much fun! And cheerful!

I like making rainbows with embroidery floss. It comes in hundreds of colors, so you can always find what you want. Plus it's so soft and comfy to wear.

I actually made the cuff bracelet on the right first, from embroidery floss in my stash. They're still rainbow shades, but not your traditional colors. Hence the name "country rainbow." In order to make sure all the colors are equally represented, I wanted to do 2 rows in each color. This resulted in a wide bracelet, so the cuff kind of made itself. I think the wooden button is a perfect addition to a country rainbow.

From the bottom: brick red, pumpkin, gold, dark green, light blue, steel blue (for indigo) and lilac (for violet.)

Watching the cuff come together was so much fun I just knew I would have to make another, more traditional, rainbow. I thought it would be fun in a key fob but knew I couldn't make it as wide or it wouldn't fit into the snap clasp. So the one on the left has one row per color. I love how it came out. So much fun and it's so comfy to wear! As a child of the 80s, this one reminds me of sheets I had when I was a teen. Rainbows and unicorns. Every girl's dream.... <sigh> :-)

The more traditional red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, violet.

I have to confess, crocheting with embroidery floss can by trying. You need to use a small hook (I believe I used a 1.5mm hook for these.) I also used all 6 strands of floss for each color, which means it wanted to split. So you have to be careful that you have all the strands when you complete the stitch. I had to unravel a few stitches to re-do them. A lot. But don't let that stop you from trying a project with the floss. The colors alone make it worthwhile! If you do crochet with floss, please send a pic. I would love to see your project!

Happy crafting!
Cherish

Friday, July 6, 2012

Watermelon!

There's something about summer that just begs for a more relaxed outlook. Both on life & fashion. Must be the heat (and if you're in NJ like me, the humidity!) In the summer, it's expected that your wardrobe will be a little more "fun."

To me, nothing screams summer fun more than watermelon. Pink watermelon! Ripe watermelon! I love it all!!

I've been a little obsessed lately...watermelon purses, watermelon key fobs, even a watermelon bracelet. Care to see how far my obsession goes? Here's a peek into some of the new items listed in my Etsy shop.

Felted key fobs inspired by a pattern by KnotSewCute.
Beaded bracelet and key chain (top & bottom) are my own design.

Yup. Just a little obsessed.

If you're looking to add a little fun to your wardrobe, there's still time. The watermelon purses, especially, makes a fab gift for someone with a summer birthday. The key chains and bracelet make terrific favors too. I am currently accepting orders for bracelets and key chains for late-July and August parties, showers and weddings. Just email me at cherishablesnj@gmail.com.

What about you? What are you crafting this summer?

Happy crafting!

Cherish

Thursday, June 28, 2012

I'm just a tweet away!

Cherishables is now on Twitter!

Click the button on the main page of the blog to follow me @cherishablesnj for product announcements and coupon codes -- including Twitter-only coupon codes -- one is coming soon.

Happy crafting!
Cherish

Friday, June 22, 2012

Next! (Pink Granny Tote 1)

I'm jonesing for a new project. That's not to say I haven't been crocheting and otherwise crafting. I've been making key fobs and beaded bracelets like mad! I also made a 4th of July wreath for my front door. But what I really want is a project. Maybe another purse.

Then I saw this on Pinterest:

Photo by Machteld M.

Granny squares! Pink! Pink granny squares! I'm in love....But (and this is a big but) I don't make afghans. Nope. I don't like to wait months for a completed project. I like stuff I can finish in, at most, a few weeks. That's why I make purses and accessories. That's also why I crochet. It's faster than knitting. I digress...

You may recall, I've recently made a couple of granny square purses. Mine are framed in white. I just love the idea of all the granny square goodness surrounded by pink. So sweet and feminine and utterly summery.

So, I'm using this granny square pattern by Purl Bee.

I'll use what I have in my stash -- mainly white, off white, yellow, 2 shades of green, aqua, light blue, deep pink, you get the idea. Very summery. The first three rounds will be squares of all kinds of combos from the yarn listed above. Round 4 will be in pink.

Then I'll put the squares together to make this purse shape:

By Facile Cecile

Now that I see this pic again, I can see I will need more rounds. This bag was made using granny squares of 6 rounds. So I think what I'll do is use pattern above, but make a bigger square. So what I'll do is make 5 rounds of different color combos. Round #6 will always be pink.

This may also be the perfect time to try out this technique for handles:

Instructions by clothogancho.

If you're keeping track, that's 4 different people/blogs for inspiration and one person who will try to pull it all together. Check back in a week or so to see how, or if, it's all coming together.

Happy crafting!
Cherish

Wednesday, June 20, 2012

Summer Stripe Tote

New item listed in my Etsy shop -- the Summer Stripe Tote!

This is a fun tote for summer. It's big enough to take to the beach, yet comfortable enough to carry every day. Look at all the stuff I fit in there, and I didn't even touch the pockets!

Made from cotton and cotton-blend yarns, this one can be spot cleaned or put in the machine on a gentle cycle.

Don't forget, you can use the coupon code "herecomesthebride" (without quotes) for 10% off through June 30th.

Happy crafting!
Cherish

Friday, June 15, 2012

New Item Announcement and Coupon Code

They're here! Wristlet key chains are now in my Etsy shop. There's a great assortment -- something for everyone!

Preppy -- Remember when we used to wear two golf shirts? (You know you did it too!) I put these same colors together in the wristlets -- eggplant and leaf green, light blue and red...Bringing back the 80s!

Patriotic -- All red, white & blue. Each one is made in a different color pattern. Perfect for 4th of July and Olympic pride!

Watermelon -- A summer staple. I make these in light & dark pink. Beads are on the outside only, so they're very comfy to wear.

Girlie -- A little thinner than the other wristlets, each is made with two colors that every girl will love!

See something you like, but would prefer a different color? Just email me for a custom order. Custom key chains will ship in 4-5 days.

Don't forget to use the coupon code "herecomesthebride" (without quotes) when checking out for 10% off your order. (Coupon good through June 30th.)

Happy crafting!
Cherish

Thursday, June 14, 2012

Paying It Forward

It always means so much to me when someone appreciates my work. From comments when I'm out and about (though my Mom gets way more comments than I do! lol) to friendly nods on the interwebs.

What really tickles me is when my item is featured either in an Etsy treasury list or, as happened for the first time today, on a blog. That's really something! Someone found my item and thought enough of it to tell people "you should look at this." Very humbling.

Today I pay it forward and thank the folks who have recently featured my creations in their blogs.

First up is Paper + Lace from New Zealand wedding planner Jax Sutton. Jax posted about crochet wedding trends and included my bobble clutch. Jax has found some really fabulous stuff including a stunning crochet wedding dress, the sweetest slippers you ever saw, and a beautiful caplet. Check out the full post here.

A little earlier this week Creative Atelier featured my Rose Garden purse in an Etsy treasury full of rainbow colored goodness. You can't help but get a smile on your face when looking at this collection. See the treasury at the link above or on Etsy.

If you're on Etsy, you can look through other people's treasuries or create one of your own. It's a great way to highlight your finds and catalog items you may wish to revisit later. Here are a couple I've created:

Beachy Keen -- bringing a bit of the beach to home decor
Three Cheers for the Red White & Blue -- a sampling of patriotic items
In Memory of Crash -- a treasury I created when Crash passed and it's full of items I know he would love

Have you created an Etsy treasury? Please do share so we can admire and spread the love.

Happy crafting!
Cherish