Smiley Coasters -- an update

Well, after several attempts, I realized that the idea for a set of four "emoticon" coasters really wouldn't work.

I successfully made a frowny coaster, but the "mad" one didn't look mad, and I couldn't get my head around how to crochet a "surprised" face when the entire coaster is done in the round..... I'm not even sure I can explain why it didn't work. Suffice to say the attempts have been frogged and re-created into more smilies and frownies!

I did list several sets of the coasters today on my Etsy site. They will be available in sets of 4 coasters -- your choice either all 4 smiley, or 2 smiley & 2 frowny.

Earth Hour

The environment has always been a concern of mine. I have recycled in every place I've lived (in college I used to take long walks and collect all the cans I found and bring them to the recycling center). When I visit the shore in NJ, or the beaches in DE, I get really sad because the water isn't quite the blue it should be. And one of my first decisions as I opened Smile Creations Crafts was that I would re-use packaging and boxes when shipping purchases to my customers. Recently, thanks to a program called Just Faith, I have renewed my commitment to preserving the earth and leaving as small a carbon footprint as possible. And that renewed commitment brings me to Earth Hour.

March 29th (next Saturday) from 8-9pm is Earth Hour .....

What is "Earth Hour?"
(taken from the event page) "Earth Hour, run by WWF, the conservation organisation, is a global climate change initiative which calls on individuals and businesses around the world, to turn off their lights for one hour on Saturday March 29 2008 between 8 pm and 9pm.
The aim of the campaign is to express that individual action on a mass scale can help change our planet for the better.
The event itself will clearly demonstrate in participating cities, the connection between energy usage and climate change, showing that we as broader community can address the biggest threat our planet has ever faced."

Earth Hour began in Australia last year; this year it is a truly global event with over 9,000 businesses and 130,000 individuals worldwide signed up to participate. I signed up, and I hope you'll consider doing the same. Turning off our lights for an hour is a small price to pay to try to preserve our world for our childrens' children.....

Please use this link (my personal Earth Hour page) to learn more and sign up. When you sign up, you'll get a page, too, to forward to your friends and colleagues and track the impact that you, as an individual, can have.

Smiling coasters and a new retail opportunity

I have created something totally new... A smiling coaster! Recently I wanted to make something for a friend of mine... something that would make her smile even when her day was rotten. And so I picked up a crochet hook and a skein each of yellow and black cotton, and created a smiley!

Thing was, her smiley turned out a little big (kinda a smiley on steroids). Now that I had calculated out the pattern stitches, I wanted something a little easier to fit on a desk... so I shrunk the smiley just a tad, and now I have a smiley, perfectly sized for a coffee mug or glass of iced tea... (this pic, by the way, is a VERY good example of why you should never take important pics with a cell phone!)

Bad pic aside, I will be adding some of these happy little circles of absorbency to my Etsy site soon (just need a day or two to make some more and take better pics), so stay tuned. Also, my mom suggested that I expand my smiley idea to make an "emotional" set of coasters... four coasters, each with a different expression. The variations may take a bit longer to figure out, but I'm working on it. I think we'll have angry, surprised, and sad to the happy smiley, but who knows? Once I'm happy with the emotional lot, I'll post their pics here, too.

And before I say goodnight, an FYI (that explains the other half of my subject line for today) --- The coasters will make their first "show" debut in June at the Veteran's Administration Hospital in Elsmere, DE. The VA Hospital has set aside a space on the second floor (outside the canteen) where selected vendors can sell their goods. I have been working with the manager for a while now, and just today got confirmation of 5 selling dates (I'm going to try to add more later). As of now, I will set up "shop" at the VA Hospital on the following dates: June 6, October 23 and 24, November 5, and December 18.

It's official....

Stitches with Style, our LYS here in Newark, DE, will be hosting festivities for WWKIP Day! Hope to see lots of you there again this year, and to meet new faces, too!! The fun starts at 10:30am and lasts til 4pm.

Yay!! Thanks Linda!

All you knitters and crocheters, mark your calendars!

Remember World Wide Knit in Public Day from last year? Remember, fellow Newark Delawareans, how much fun it was to gather at Stitches with Style and share projects with friends (and make new friends!), and then to converge on McGlynn's for lunch?

Well, mark your calendars because WWKIP Day is back! And.... the updated website states clearly that WWKIP Day is always the second Saturday in June. So June 14th it is (who's bringing the cake, my birthday is the very next day!?).

My calendar is marked; luckily I am not applying to any craft shows for that weekend so I'll be where ever the party is! Stay tuned; as details (such as whether Stitches will host again this year) become available, I will share them here.

Another show confirmed!

The schedule is growing.... I just received notification today that I've been accepted into Art on the Green, an annual show organized by the New Castle Hundred Lions Club. I will be selling knit toys and wearables, as well as pinecone wreaths (both general and season-specific).

Details:
Location: Battery Park, New Castle, DE
Date/Time: September 27th (it's a Saturday) from 10-5pm. (The rain date is October 4th since it's an all-outdoor show.)
Booth Assignment: I'll be booth # B19.

In other news, I have been hit by the sewing bug. That's right, except for some special-order items (which I will keep knitting until they're completed and delivered), I'm setting aside the knitting needles for awhile to give my sewing machine some love! I think this mood shift was brought on by a spending day with my sister last week, with fabric and notions spread through the house, altering clothing that we no longer wear into fun and funky pieces we WILL wear!

At any rate, keep an eye out, because I've got a couple of cute "quilted" blankets nearly done (that should be appearing on my web site soon), as well as more paperback book covers in new fabrics, and perhaps some new placemat sets for spring......