Changes in Feature Me Friday

Something that has always been important to me since I started blogging was the power of networking and having a close knit blogging community. When I first started Feature Me Friday I had the idea of letting other blogs share their yarn or fabric projects and have the ability to link back to share the more detailed version of your feature.

Over the past 2 months I have gone on the adventure of looking to fill up these spots by finding some stories to share with you. As much as I would like to continue this, I feel that I am taking a lot of extra time away from my family and my own projects. I would still like to feature other writers and makers, but it will just have to be when one of you request to do a spot.

So on that note for now on we will have "Special" Feature Me Fridays.
A Feature Me Friday Post may consist of:

•   a tutorial
•  a newly finished item
•  a pattern release
• giveaway
•  sales  

If you have one of these coming up or recently posted one of the above and would like to be featured here on Feature Me Friday's than please send me: a small description about yourself, a description of what you would like featured.  Please also include a link to your blog post and any other links you would like added like Facebook Fan Pages or Shop Pages. Email them to smalltowndreamz@gmail.com   subject: Feature Me Friday

I truly wish I could continue on the way I have been but when I started to blog I promised that it would not cut into my family life and with my little one getting bigger and more active we now have sports and other activities that will take up more of our time and I still want to be able to share my own projects and adventures. 

I hope that you will understand. 


Happy Crafting,

Stephanie 

Feature Me Friday ~ Week 7

This week on Feature me Friday I wanted to give a special shout out to someone that I look up to in the crochet blogging world. Not only does she have an amazing talent when it comes to her hook and yarn but she does a lot to help promote other "handmade" shops. As a matter of fact today ends another one of her Amazing multi vendor Giveaways. I would like to give a big warm welcome to Charissa from Mad Mad Me

" I am the proud mother of 3 creative children and married to an adorable man who loves me more than coffee. My blog is filled with the Madness of our home, our lives, our hands, and our Love for each other. All toil is for my family, whom I love more than chocolate.

Once in awhile I like to run giveaways that highlight handmade items. Why? Well I feel it’s my mission in life to promote the Little Guy (being a Little Guy myself), to create until my hands are crippled, to appreciate the handiwork of others and to eat as much chocolate as is humanly possible. And what an adventure this quest has been! I’ve met some very kindred spirits in these giveaway times and been introduced to so much concentrated talent that I am humbled by human creativity (I’ve also eaten obscene amount of chocolate)."


I owe a huge Thank you to Charissa for the time she takes to help promote the small homemade community out there. For just over this past week, being involved her her latest 7777 Fan Giveaway I have more than doubled my Facebook Fan Base.  I have always believed that by teaming up and helping each other out we will all once reach a common goal. I had to take a moment to give Charissa the spotlight because I know how much work goes into trying to promote your own business let alone a 100 other small businesses. The giveaways are a lot of work to maintain and organize not to let alone what she does for her Mad Mad Makers at the Mad Makers Marketplace. So a big THANK YOU from the bottom of my heart for everything that you do.

If you wish to see some of Charissa work over at Mad Mad Me you can follow her on her blog or on her Facebook Fan Page.


Happy Crafting,

Stephanie 

Feature Me Friday ~ Week 6

This week I am excited to share with you the very first crochet blog that I started following.  She was also the one that helped me get my first big fan rush on Facebook when I entered into a giveaway of hers as a vendor.  I have learned a lot since I started following her and really look up to her as an yarn artist. This past  December she did an a post on adding labels to finished crocheted items that you sell in your shops. I found it to be so interesting and I can't wait to do this for myself.  So lets give a big warm welcome to Tanya from

Adventures in Label Making!

"For those of you that might not be aware, crocheters (or really anyone for that matter) who creates items designed for children are expected (by US law) to label them. The law actually went into effect August 14, 2009 and basically says:

…manufacturers…have (to affix) a tracking label or other distinguishing permanent mark on any consumer product primarily intended for children twelve and younger. The tracking label must contain certain basic information, including the source of the product, the date of manufacture and more detailed information on the manufacturing process such as a batch or run number. The scope of this provision is quite broad in that it applies to all children’s products, including, but not limited to, items such as clothing or shoes not just toys and other regulated products.

You can read more about the law here: Tracking Labels for Children’s Products

Now, a lot of people might look at that and shy away from it because basically–everything you make that is intended for young kids HAS to be labeled…and that can get expensive. But it really doesn’t have to be! If you have access to a printer, a graphic program (you can use paid ones like Photoshop or free ones like GIMP, or Sumopaint), some plain white ribbon, T-shirt transfer paper, and a hot iron–you’re set!"

To see the actual process on how Tanya created her handmade labels hop on over to her Blog Page to get the details. You can also follow her on her Facebook Page. 


If you would like to be featured here on Feature Me Friday's than please send me a few good quality photos, a description about yourself, your item you would like featured and what inspired you to make it. Also include a link to your blog post and any other links you would like added.
 Email them to smalltowndreamz@gmail.com   subject: Feature Me Friday



Happy Crafting,
Stephanie

Feature Me Friday Week 5

So the past couple of weeks I have been featuring a lot of crochet sites but yarn is not my only favorite fiber. I love fabric and this year I am on a mission to do a lot more sewing. One goal I had set for myself was to try Free Motion Quilting. I am just in aw when I see the beautiful work that I see all over using this technique and I just have to try it.

Just this week I was asking around where I could find a good free motion quilting tutorial and then low and behold I open up an email and and my quilting prayers had been answered. I want to give an awesome warm welcome to Alyssa with

This month she started an AMAZING series called Skill Builder Block of the Month.  This week she did a very informational lesson on Free Motion Quilting. 

She gives a breakdown from your quilting feet to how to design your path you will take while FMQ. I can't even tell you how ecstatic I was when I saw this in my email. 

Included in the post are 7 videos showing you various steps and tips to help you along the way. I am a fairly new fan of the Pile o Fabric website but I know now that I am most likely a lifer. I can't wait to keep following this series. I know I will end up learning a lot from Alyssa and I definitely look forward to seeing more of her work. 

If you haven't already stop on over at Pile O' Fabric and take a look around, I can almost guarantee that you will find something you like. She really is nothing less than amazing. 

You can also follow Alyssa on her Facebook Fan Page

Happy Crafting

Stephanie

Feature Me Friday - Week 4

In the handmade world we ask ourselves all the time, How do we start a home business from this? What do I charge for my handmade items? Well this week I was so excited to meet this awesome person from one of the crochet groups I belong to on Facebook. She wrote an awesome book, sharing her tips on how to figure out those very questions. I would like to welcome Sedie from Yarn Obsession

" I'm a crochet designing mommy who works as a small business marketer by day and a crochet designer, instructor by night. I am blessed to have my own business which allows me to be flexible in my schedule and enjoy my friends and family more than ever before. 

When I realized that the number one question most people were asking when they started or were into their crochet business was "how much should I charge" 

I decided someone needed to take the time to answer that question with specific formulas. That's when "Pricing Crochet Fairly for Maximum Profit" was born. My goal is to help the crochet small business community understand that we only get as much as we think we deserve. The more time we put into thinking about our audience, the better we can build our businesses fairly, not just for our customers, but for ourselves.

In this book, “Pricing Crochet Fairly for Maximum Profit“, are formulas that will help put you on a solid path to pricing yourself properly.

Here’s what you’ll learn:

• How to determine who your audience is
• How to calculate a wholesale price that provides you with a profit
• How to calculate a “Suggested Retail Price” that will entice a buyer to purchase your items
• How to calculate a price for family and friends
• Why you should never go below your wholesale price
• The only instance I will ever suggest you go below a wholesale price you’ve calculated
• The various ways you can monetize your crochet skills

This book has a mission and a purpose.

It will help crochet business people get on the right track when it comes to pricing their art and their skill. When more people are pricing their crochet in a way that works for their audience and for their businesses, then the crochet market will begin to see a shift. It is my mission to help bring that change along one crocheter at a time"

I know I can't wait to get my hands on a copy of this book.  If you purchase this book within the next 24 hours use coupon code "SMALLTOWN123" on her Etsy site to get the book for 30% off. 

If you miss the sale or are not a ETSY user don't worry you can still purchase her new Book by going directly to her site Yarn Obsession. You can also follow Sedie at her Facebook Fan Page

If you would like to be featured here on Feature Me Friday's than please send me a few good quality photos, a description about yourself, your item you would like featured and what inspired you to make it. Also include a link to your blog post and any other links you would like added. Email them to smalltowndreamz@gmail.com   subject: Feature Me Friday

See you next week

Feature Me Friday Week 2

There are so many types of crochet stitches out there and I always think to myself it would be so cool if one day I could somehow create my own crochet stitch. I think no matter what I would call my stitch the dream stitch or something along that line. Anyway this week we are going to meet someone that actually did get a chance to create her own stitch. Lets give a big warm welcome to Candy from

" One day when I was sick and making a slouch hat and single crocheting in a daze. Not looking at what I was doing until I noticed my flow had stopped. I looked down and couldn't figure out what I had done, so I ripped out the stitch slowly paying a attention so I could repeat it. Once I figured it out I kept repeating it just to see what it would look like, and I noticed what looked like bows and on further inspection I saw the butterflies! I was so amazed I ripped out what I has done on my hat so far and started to do it with this new stitch instead. As soon as I finished the hat I filmed this video sharing what I had just done. (You can see the video here.) and started on a pattern and project right away to share it! I hope that all who sees it will get inspired and think of all kinds of things that can be made with this stitch"

I just love this stitch and I can't wait to try it out perhaps on the pair of wrist warmers that I have been wanting to make myself. You can find more great tutorials and awesome work done by Candy at her website Meladora's Creations. You can also follow her on Facebook on her Fan Page

If you would like to be featured here on Feature Me Friday's than please send me a few good quality photos, a description about yourself, your item you would like featured and what inspired you to make it. Also include a link to your blog post and any other links you would like added. Email them to smalltowndreamz@gmail.com   subject: Feature Me Friday

See you next week

Feature Me Friday Week 1

Welcome to the first week of Feature Me Friday.

I Love Yarn and anything that you can make with it. I have been on the search for some crochet blogs and sites and for the longest time I just couldn't find them. Thankfully a dear friend of mine pointed me in the right direction and I have been on cloud 9 ever since.

I personally have been a crocheter for going on 25 years this year. Although I didn't start getting real heavy into it until just a couple years ago. Anyway while I was finding all these amazing crochet blogs I came across one that I really fell in love with. So I would like to kick off the first Feature Me Friday by visiting Lorene over at...

"Hello, my name is Lorene and I am a crochet-a-holic.  I’m also a craft-a-holic, but crochet is by far my biggest obsession.  I love creating new designs and making homemade treasures for my family and friends.

Until recently I never followed a pattern.  I just looked and created what I saw, lots of times having to rip out most of my work and start over.  As I got better and better with creating designs in my head I got pretty good at crocheting.  I decided to try my hand at following a pattern.  It was all down hill from there.  I started to create my own patterns and designs.  Blogging was a natural progression for me.  I love being able to share my FREE patterns and designs with fellow hookers.

I would like to share a Newborn Blanket that I recently had made.I love animal print, especially zebra print and I really love the way it looks with hot pink.  I have a friend who is expecting her first girl any day now and she is also really into zebra print so I created this lovely blanket for her soon to be bundle of joy.  It is VERY easy to work up and unlike some zebra prints I have seen it is varied in design.  I hope you enjoy creating this cuddly Zebra Newborn Blanket for someone in your life."

 Lorene offers this pattern for free for you to use on her site you can view the pattern here. You can also find her stuff for sale at her ETSY SHOP. You can follow her on Facebook as well. 





If you would like to be featured here on Feature Me Friday's than please send me a few good quality photos, a discription about yourself, your item you would like featured and what inspired you to make it. Also include a link to your blog post and any other links you would like added. Email them to smalltowndreamz@gmail.com   subject: Feature Me Friday

See you next week