Thursday, June 7, 2012

A Fresh New Look




There has been lots of new changes over the past few weeks here at Smalltown Dreams. With a fresh new look I am so excited to continue on with Smalltown Dreamz. Coming up you will start to see new creations of mine and updates on whats going on with the other site I write for. KiKi Love Creations will now be featuring all our crafting, family stories, and so much more. Included below are our brand new blog buttons. Thank you to everyone for all your support I look forward to a great year.






Smalltown Dreamz
<a href="http://smalltowndreamz.blogspot.com/" target="_blank"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg32GRiV0_lGoTSchpjf639D96jZu9reezs4JluRv61X-yUfUFKbehrwk2OddYg71Lcv4QswGnVUSGp0s9vv4Y3Er5Aruunr5WzoWrBirLV3LHzc2kBEg9JOgvSnNWlecQiwZLwaUu7UwI/s1600/sdcbtn.jpg" alt="YSmalltowndreamz" width="150" height="150" /></a>



 Featured on Smalltown Dreamz
<a href="http://smalltowndreamz.blogspot.com/" target="_blank"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN3QLfr-QXdv7mZt0pgLSJhou0D_NVA_7QwuSRXbuBApS0PWh0QA2Il1AJlP6qI3C7ioM5JJ70Z1n5R7zYxvxOTvUtwxKIJ47WvJNEhDmCXslzqt3gWsyTrrhto6J10xEb4HgScV1xD3s/s1600/sdcfeaturedbtn.jpg" alt="YSmalltowndreamz" width="150" height="150" /></a>


I would love to hear what you think of the new look!

Monday, June 4, 2012

National Potty Training Month

June is packed full of special holidays and celebrations. 
Included in these would be National Potty Training Month. 


If you would like to read our latest post on our favorite potty training tips and my experiance with potty training my son, then click on the link below. 

It is posted on our new crafting, mommy, and more blog site called KiKi Love Creations

Tuesday, May 29, 2012

Our Huge Announcement

Ok all you Smalltown Dream Fans

Here is our big announcement. All our DIY crafting has moved to our new blog page  Smalltown Dreamz is staying right where it is, however it will return to being just my blog. Photo Jewels and I decided that we wanted something that was a part of both of us.I would like to present to you KiKi Love Creations.




There is so many great things to come for KiKi Love Creations and Smalltown Dreamz so don't leave me but please go check out our new Blog Page and go fan our new FB page.


For those of you that may be wondering what will happen with Smalltown Dreamz well I will be using it to share my patterns and items that I make for my shop. I will still add my personal stories and some other fun things. I am so please with this new adventure and I hope that you will all join us on the ride.

Until next time Happy Crafting.






Also just a reminder to everyone we still have the Blanket Drive for the children at Children's Hospital for more information Click Here.

Monday, May 28, 2012

KAYLA'S KREATIONS: Wonderful Homemade Kards

Kayla's Kreations


You have to check out these homemade KARDS!! This girl has some talent when it comes to making custom designed cards for every occasion. You can also go fan her Facebook Page


Here

Sunday, May 20, 2012

Mushroom Pattern is officially on sale


Pattern Sale 30% Off

In celebration of our newest pattern being launched
All crochet patterns are 30% off through Sunday May 27th at Midnight.

Coupon Code - MUSHROOM



 
You can purchase this pattern at the following shops

ETSY - Buy Now           Ravelry - Buy Now





              Happy Crafting

Friday, May 11, 2012

Lets Celebrate

Come Celebrate with me. I launched my first crochet pattern for sale this week. 



You can get it now at 50% off until 5-13-2012


Use coupon code - CELEBRATE

Buy Pattern - ETSY

Buy Pattern - Ravelry





Happy Crafting!!

Tuesday, May 8, 2012

Adding Some Fun in Your Wallet

So on any normal day I usually would never share or even write about this, However this is one of those things that after doing it and making sure everything is legit...Now I just have to share.

Some of my followers know that over the past couple years I got sick and was no longer able to work. So like many households across America we are now living as a one income family. Well this also means that my crafting allowance has gone out the window lol. Don't get me wrong I had no problem giving up my allowance to make sure my family was putting food in their mouths. I just would feel wrong asking the hubby for money unless it was a necessity.

On that note I hit the Internet. I started signing up like so many others out there for all the giveaways and contests and up-cycled anything I could. In my ventures I met a person via the Internet and she told me about a site that she was making money by doing nothing but pressing a fun little button everyday. Me being the sceptic that I am told her," Making money can't come that easy, let alone free and went on to say that I wouldn't do those silly offers or surveys or anything like that. I don't have time for that nor do I think they are legit. She promised me I wouldn't have to do anything of the sort. HHMMM well I told her to send me the link and that I would check it out. Worse case scenario it could be what I thought and just decline to sign up.

I have to say I was very surprised. To this day I thank her for sending me this link. Yup that's right, She was telling the truth 100%. I signed up mid January of this year. So everyday I go to the site and press this cool button 100 times a day and each press of the button will give you a chance to win points, anywhere between 1-50 pts. There are absolutely no special offer to complete,surveys to fill out, or anything else that is pesky and annoyingg. Its exactly what she said," nothing but pressing a button daily". I don't know one person that couldn't use a little extra money. If you are already surfing the web then why not spend a couple minutes a day pressing a button to earn some money. Also in terms of safety this is a private members site so they can verify you are a legitimate person. This saves from those nasty viruses,spam, and other Internet dangers.

 What you do with your points is exchange your points for either gift cards or cash in your pay pal account. Their are a couple other prizes like an XBOX 360 and things of that nature, However I either get the amazon gift cards or the cash in my pay pal account. Another awesome thing about Superpoints is that 1pt = 1 cent. So that means 500 points actually equals to $5.00. Since my first cash in the last week in January I have made almost $70. This is physical money that I have cashed out and spent to date. I am usually able to cash out every 8-10 days. I cash out for $5.00 every time and then save it in my pay pal account until I have save enough for what I want. This has truly been a fun and exciting way to make money for my crafting habits with absolutely no string attached. Did I mention that signing up for the site is FREE!! You won't have to enter in any sort of credit card information or anything like that.

Here is the link if you are interested. The site is called Superpoints


One more way that I add a little bit of money into my hobby fund is becoming a Bing rewards member. I earn points just for surfing the web. This is the easiest way to make free money and not have to go to any separate websites. All you need is Bing as your default browser and look up stuff on Bing like you would any  other search engine. With Bing points differ a bit from Superpoints 275 pts = $2.50 in Bing but in my eyes free money is free money. Here is a quick link to learn more about Bing Rewards


This has been the best way to keep crafting for me without having to spend any of my husbands money. Between the 2 sites since the beginning of 2012 I have made roughly over $100 by doing nothing but surfing the web and pressing a button. For something that takes me literally 15-20 minutes a day I don't think that is bad money. As I stated in the beginning of the post, I would never usually write about something like this. However this is one of those things that I think people can benefit from. I have a family member that does this and she is saving all her points until Christmas time and will cash out and use the money to help with the Christmas funds. I always off to give the money to my husband to add it to the family funds, but he keeps telling me to keep it and that I deserve it. I just love him to pieces.

I hope that this information can help you the same way that it helped me save my crafting funds


Happy Crafting












Sunday, May 6, 2012

Another Mario Pattern

Well I finished another mario pattern. I love the little mario mushrooms so it was only fitting to remake this and do my own pattern for it. This little mushroom was very easy to make. My family has asked me to continue and make the rest of the mario characters for them. So in between all my other projects I will sneak in some time to work on the rest of the characters.

 My mom fell in love with this little guy and has asked me to make her one so that she can travel with it on her vacations and she is going to take pictures of the mini mushroom on her ventures. I will share her photos from her traveling mini mushroom adventures as they go. I think its a nifty little idea that I might just have to do with my lil guy on our adventures.

Well anyway the pattern for this guy will go into testing this week and as soon as I get it back the pattern will be available in my ETSY Shop. If you are a follower and saw the bomb-omb post last week. That guy is supposed to be out of testing this week and the pattern will be posted in my shop following a good review from the testers.

On another note I am looking for more crochet testers for patterns that I will have coming up if you are interested please email me or contact me on my Facebook page for more information.



Happy Crafting!!



Wednesday, May 2, 2012

Sewing a crochet hook holder


 Sewing a crochet hook holder....






So recently I have been trying out making some smaller items with the sewing machine. I decided that I needed a holder for all my crochet hooks. I started looking through my small little stash of fabric and realized I just loved this black and white butterfly print.

 I played around with a few test pieces until I figured out how I wanted to design it. I made a couple as gifts for a few of my crochet friends as well. This was a great way to practice my strait lines, which proved to be alot harder than anticipated.

I also attempted at using the monogramming stitching on the sewing machine. That is pretty interesting but I think there are so many more possibilities when you hand stitch the lettering onto something.

I think it would be nice to make a couple more and put them up for sale in my ETSY shop. I had another friend that said they would make a great makeup brush carrier. So that is on my next todo list. I am going to make her one since she like the idea. She is coming up for a visit with her brand new baby and I have to say I am super excited to get me some baby and much needed quality friend time in.

Anyway I also did this one in a cute lady bug fabric. I can only show you part of it as I have decided to gift this one. lol.




Happy Crafting





PS just a reminder that we will be collecting blankets untill Nov 15 for the Blanket drive for the Children at Children's Hospital for more information click on the link here. Thank you to everyone who have supported us through this.







Tuesday, May 1, 2012

My very first crochet pattern


My husband and I grew up to love Mario so to my surprise our favorite past time character made a comeback just in time for my son to hop on the Mario train. I have to admit I was a little excited. Anyway my son loves to use his imagination and I will never be one to stop that. So I wanted to make him a couple Mario Items. So I made him a couple of the Mario mushrooms. He loved them. I used a free pattern for the mushrooms from amiamour.com and then all the sudden my Husband who I think is still a kid at heart asked me if I would make him the Mario bombomb. I sat there for a minute figured it couldn't be that hard and started from scratch.

This was my very first attempt at making my own pattern from looking at a box on our mario game at home. It took me a total of 8 hours but I finished it. I am so pleased with the way it turned out. The pattern will go into testing within the next couple weeks and then it will be available for a great price on my ETSY shop. If you end up purchasing the pattern I hope you enjoy it as much as I have. I think it would be cool to make the whole Mario family for my boys lol.

POST UPDATE *** This pattern is now for sale in my ETSY shop found below or in on Ravelry buy now


Happy crafting!!








Sunday, April 15, 2012

Children's Hospital Homemade Blanket Drive


This is going to be Smalltown Dreamz's first ever Homemade Blanket Drive. So first I would like to give the reason for this Homemade Blanket Drive.

When my son was about 3 months old I thought something was wrong and of course me being a first time mom thought it was something way worse than what it was and packed up my baby and had my husband rush us to the hospital. They put him in a gown and took some blood.  If I recall they put a catheter in him also to get a urine sample. Anyway turns out he was just constipated lol.
In the meantime of getting his test results and such the nurse had me sit in a rocking chair and try to calm Jesse down. Another nurse than brought me this beautiful handmade baby quilt to wrap my lil guy in. At that moment I realized why it was that my grandma spent so much of her life donating time to the hospitals family center. It was to give moms like me a sense of love and comfort during an emotional time. I remember the feeling of love when the nurse gave me that quilt that someone I didn't even know made a quilt so that I could wrap up my baby and hold him close to me in that time of need.

I have also had many friends that have had some very scary moments and had to take the children to Children's Hospital for surgeries amongst other things. I have had 2 family members that spent a good portion of their toddler and infant years in and out of Children's Hospital. This Hospital has done so much to save our babies lives and they truly try to accommodate the families as well as they can and make sure they have all the support that the families can get.

I would like to give other families the feeling I got when I took my baby to the hospital. The feeling of love and a sense of comfort when things are stressed.
This Blanket Drive will run from April 15th 2012 through November 15 2012.

We are looking for Blankets that are Crocheted, Knitted, Quilts, or even if you are not into crafts we will accept Brand New Blankets. However we prefer Homemade because you know they are made from the heart.  Blanket sizes should be no larger than 50x60 and no smaller than 30x40. The reason I say 50x60 is so that the older kids can get a blanket also.

Also please DON'T WASH the blankets. There are allergies to detergents. Also if you could send a note with what material each blanket is made from, this is for the safety of fabric allergies. There are many kids that are in this hospital day in and day out. Many of them with little visitors. I want them to know that people care and are thinking about them everyday.

If you have any questions feel free to leave them in the comments section or you can email me at friendsofsmalltowndreamz@gmail.com

Here is the address that you can send your homemade blankets to.

Comfort for Kids
Attn: Stephanie Jennings
PO box 452
Slinger WI 53086


We will be collecting them and putting them in storage containers until the delivery date. This way they stay safe. On Nov 24th 2012 my Co-Writer and I will be taking all the blankets and donating them to Children's Hospital.

Happy Crafting!










Looking Forward.....

As I sit here and dust off the cobwebs to my tiny ghost town of a blog, I am excited to make a fresh start and slowly get back to what...