little shop update

etsy shop update this morning!

last night i listed a bunch of fun wrapping supply kits - bits n pieces of crafty goodness

yarns, twines, ribbons, lace, papers (mostly vintage) all packed nice & neat into boxes and bags

i love to scour rummage sales during the warmer months 

(which aren't very long here) (this winter has just about killed me) (SanDiego here i come)

i look for awesome supplies, fabrics, papers... 

really just about anything that's vintage or just plain pretty. 

i have a few secret places i like to visit regularly, where i find lots of good stuff too.

some of the supplies i find gets used as packaging for my shop ...

the rest gets put into pretty milk glass or baskets waiting to be put in grab boxes

like the ones listed in my shop now

i have family that comes to my rescue

when the washing ironing folding stuffing packing winding and wrapping 

all gets to be too much for just me :)

my craft room becomes a sunny place where we eat lunch, laugh, do homework or play trivia crack.  

it's my happy place ♥

each one of these boxes comes with small amounts of mostly what you see here in these photos

but you can read the listing description for the specifics...

there are a few left if you love bits & pieces of little pretty things

craft, wrap and create to your little hearts content ♥

happy friday!

a little shop update ♥

hello :) just dropping in for a minute ... i'm excited

so many of you were asking about my Stitching the States map pattern that i sell in my etsy shop, and i've gotten such great feedback, and lots of peeps are sharing their progress on instagram by using the hashtag #stitchingthestates

it's been so fun to see everyone's work! 

don't forget to use the hash if you are on instagram, and if you purchased my pattern

i got a bunch of requests for some type of project kit ...

something that would have everything you'd need to complete the project, 

all together in one box, wrapped up and delivered right to a doorstep.

so here it is! listed in my shop here

i'll be putting these together over the next few weeks and shipping them out no later than december 12th ... so hurry on over if you're dying to get one of these in your mailbox... 

not sure how long they'll last!

would be an awesome Christmas gift too ... for grandma, mom or your best crafty girl.

just sayin.

 i shared this project at whatever craft weekend last month

i have pictures to share with you from that too ...

hopefully i'll be back in a couple days with a little insta-friday to get you up to speed.

much love ♥

a little shop update ♥ stitch the states US map pattern

summer's officially over here.

sad.

but some happy news!

that pattern i talked about a bunch of weeks ago??

that giant US map pattern??

i finally finished it and it's listed 

in my shop as an instant download here!

as in as soon as you purchase it, you download it, you print it and you start! 

yay no waiting!

i've had a few questions about the pattern and some how-to's once it's downloaded ...

this pattern is only for the outline of the map and each individual state just like the picture, and it's to be made as you would make a counted cross-stitch. the actual stitch you are using is called a back stitch 

you can watch a video tutorial here 

... it's really simple.

i recommend making it on 14 count Aida cross-stitch material, that can be purchased at most craft stores. you can make it on smaller or larger count fabrics, but i cannot tell you what the dimensions would be (smaller count would actually make the finished piece bigger - larger count would make it smaller, think opposite) the finished piece on 14 count fabric is approx. 14" wide x 10" high and fits nicely into a large oval quilting hoop (that can be found in the quilting section at joanns)

as fas as how to "fill in" the states, that's completely up to you... get creative!!

i filled them in using a simple straight stitch all the way across from one end to the other over & over until i got to the bottom of each state, that's it. 

or you could could fill them in with just regular cross-stitch

the floss i used is called variegated pearl cottom floss by DMC that i also found at Joanns.

the DMC website has a color chart and a really cool video on how this specific floss is made in France, it's pretty cool ... but that has nothing to do with the pattern :)

just sayin. if you're bored. an wanna watch it.

the pattern is also very large so it's easier to see.

it's spread out over 9 pages of counted cross stitch graph paper. once printed all nine pieces can be pieced together to get an idea of the layout... the arrows on the pattern make it easy to keep stitching when moving onto the next page while working on your canvas.

i think that's it!

if you think of any other questions please feel free to leave them in the comments below 

and i'll answer them as best i can! 

find me (@raisinguprubies) on instagram and you can keep up with my progress too!

and be sure to share your ig photos with me by using the #stitchingthestates hashtag!

hurry get started now! can't wait to see all your work!

a little shop update ♥

the travel pillows i mentioned in my post last week?!?! 

they are listed in my etsy shop!

they have handles

and pockets for stuffed animals & books...

or both :)

i'm so excited about these!

hop on over and take a peek ♥

happy thursday!

summer's here ♥

this is the last week of school for my girls.

so summer's officially here

wow

that flew by. feels like we just started the year

i'm so glad summer is here.

i'm so glad the past is behind. we had a tough winter/spring.

we're going on a few vacations and i'm really really really excited.

really.

 i'm looking forward to the next few months filled with time with my husband and my girls
... and some spray paint
are you spray painting all the things too?

we're headed to the beach in a few weeks
so excited to take my Project Life stuff with me and get it started
all i need to do is print my pictures before we go!
if you've never heard of it, just spend some time at the link above
and i have a whole pinterest board full of free printable journaling cards
and layout ideas ... it's the new, easy, non-stressful way to record memories and keep pictures

 then we ate this.
(recipe here)

and then i got these.

teacher gifts!

(from my girl Becky's shop here)

i still need to get pictures of our family room ... 

it's all done! just need to show you already.

this is such a happy corner. 

let's call it happiness in a corner

:)

i'm such a weirdo.

i love to bake. do you? well really i just love cookies. 

that's all. that's really the truth. i just love the cookies.

i made these for my dad and i'm addicted ... recipe is here

i put a few new hoops into the shop last week 
which you might know already if you follow me on instagram 

the mini state hoops are back in the shop too

available to order ... they ship out in 10 days or so 

aaaaand there's a little coupon code up in the shop today & tomorrow 

for 20% off your entire purchase

use the code SUMMERTIME20

so what big plans do you have for the summertime??

tell me in the comments! i'll pick a name later in the week

and send the winner a state hoop (with the state of their choice of course :)

happy start of summer ♥