T.........a Da!

February Goal Update:

So far, I'm doing well with my February goals. A final update will be given next week. As some of you may remember, one of my goals was to introduce at least one new product. Well, here it is!!

Friends have been testing these new, heavy duty scrubbies and the results have been a resounding thumbs up! They have two layers of netting and for that reason are thicker and sturdier than ever. Just like their cousins, the single ply scrubbies, they have multiple uses: dish scrubbing, pot scrubbing, glass cleaning, wind shield and car hood and grille cleaning, and heel exfoliating to name a few.


They also wash up in the dishwasher or in a bag in the washer and air dry, so they're eco friendly. They're made from nyon netting that is kind to fine dishes and glasses, but tough on stuck on food. They come in a variety of colors. More will be introduced later.

Now here is the best part....a giveaway!! Anyone who follow my blog or elects to follow my blog, can submit a new use for these heavy duty scrubbies. The person we feel comes up with the best use that is not already listed, will receive a set of these!

So enter as often as you like by posting a comment here (or notifying me personally) through Friday, March 5. The winner will be announced on March 6. Good luck!!

A..........lmost Wordless Wednesday 3

Not to be outdone by her "brother", Katydid shows how she copes with the Wisconsin winter!

C.........elebrate Family!

Each year, to celebrate birthdays of family members and close friends, I try to design a new birthday card that can be made in various colors for them all. This year, using a balloon punch, these "bouquets" of balloons are personalized. One of these is shown below. But the one that to me is most special is the one (to the left) that I made for my great nephew, a Marine serving in Afghanistan. The balloons are punched from camouflage paper and tied with a discreet sheer, gray ribbon. What do you do special for folks who serve in the military?

A..........lmost Wordless Wednesday 2

How Kirby copes with the long Wisconsin winter:

A..........pplesauce

One of my fellow Etsy Bloggers, Mystic Wynd, inspired me to create in a non-crafting way and blog about it today. You can find her shop at http://mysticwynd.etsy.com/ She is doing a series about our five senses and her post today was about smells. So off to the kitchen I went for some McIntosh apples, a paring knife, cutting board and our slow cooker. In about 20 minutes I had the apples pared, cored and chopped and into the water. After draining the apples, I added 1/4 cup of sugar (which for those of you with greater will power could omit), some cinnamon and 1/4 cup of water.

Then the slow cooking, (on low) began. Within a couple of hours, the most fabulous smell was emanating throughout the house, bringing back so many memories of my mom's and grandma's kitchens. After a couple more hours and a stirring or two, it was ready to make a great warm dessert for dinner.

Why not try some yourself? You won't be disappointed! It doesn't take long, and it's s.........ooo much better than store bought applesauce! Other types of apples, especially baking apples, work well too. This makes 4-6 servings and really doesn't take that much time to make. It's heart healthy as well...especially if you add very little or no sugar.

In the first picture, you might have noticed in the upper portion a small part of our wonderful lazy susan. This is from another wonderful Etsy shop: http://woodmosaics.etsy.com/ If you're in the market for one, you can't go wrong with Robin's intricate work!

A..........lmost Wordless Wednesday

If our neighbor's birdhouse and storage shed don't say "Wisconsin", I don't know what does!

P.........resenting: TiLT Creations

Bags, bags, bags...from backpacks to wristlets, clutches to totes, the place to shop for them is: TiLT creations, http://tiltcreations.etsy.com I've chosen to show you a mini duffel bag not only sewn and designed by her, but hand painted with a tree of life! The leaves are fabric and sequins which provide just the right touch of "splash". It is 21" long and 5 1/2" in diameter, a perfect size when you want to avoid a large, bulky bag. It would be so easy to carry! Of course I thought of knitting projects. It would hold all kinds of needles! But it would also work for a shopping trip or a quick visit to the gym. You would certainly never see another like it. She also makes use of fabulous, rich fabrics in her designs and just visiting her shop is a treat. Congratulations to TiLT, our Etsy Blogger of the month!

F.........ebruary Heart Health (and update)

There's not too much more important to us than our health, and as dh and I age, we realize it more and more and are grateful for our opportunities to stay healthy. One of the Esty Bloggers Carnival topics this month is our health and how we maintain it, so we're looking forward to all the tips. We try to remain active: dh with his golf, gardening and exercise bicycle and I with workouts at least five times a week at our nearby Kohler Sports Core.

Eating healthy has become much easier for us since I started working at an organic farm and bringing home tons of veggies. From early June until late November we are treated to a wide variety of very fresh produce, some of which I weigh and package in exchange for a large box of veggies twice a month. What we can't eat, I try to freeze and we're still enjoying much of summer's goodness. I keep a couple of my dish scrubbies (like those shown above)aside, just to clean them! Our favorite way to enjoy these vegetables is to stir fry them in a bit of olive oil. Almost any combination will do and we never seem to tire of them. Using fresh herbs from the farm helps as well and each time is a new adventure. We wish you all heart health!

The February Experiment continues. Around here it's a great time to revamp my shop and I'm almost half way complete. More updates will follow!

F.........ebruary Experiment: Day 7

As winter rages on in our part of the country as well as others, it's even more important to keep our little ones warm. This sweet panda afghan was cross stitched on a "canvas" of single crochet so it's extra warm. It also took about twice as long to do, but I think it's worth it. It comes from a pattern by J.A.M.I.

The February Experiment is still going strong. Of course, every time I do one thing a couple more seem to pop up saying, "take care of me next"! It's never boring!

F.........ebruary Experiment: Day 6

This is the time of year to cuddle up in something warm and dream of summer! One of my favorite afghans allows me to do both. Perhaps my favorite afghan ever is of an afghan called "Grandma's Flower Garden", based on the quilt patterns of the same name. This pattern is particularly dear to me, because my own grandmother had several of these delightful quilts. The "flowers" are actually crocheted motifs...hundreds of them in greens, pinks, orchids and blues which are assembled to form the "garden".

Experiment update: I'm continuing to relist and renew as well as edit the shop. Today was additionally pleasant as I took the time to read and comment on several blogs. I learn so much from other bloggers! And now, it's time to get ready to head downtown for an evening with the local Symphony Orchestra. Tonight they're featuring Brahms, which is always a treat!

F.........ebruary Experiment: Day 5

Much to my surprise, this little bonnet has been a best seller. I designed it originally to go with a Christening gown, and it's a good thing it was listed separately in my Etsy shop. Several folks have kind enough to buy it to go with a family or antique Christening gown. It's done in fine crochet cotton, and features shells, the symbol of baptism. The ribbon ties make it adjustable.

It was less of a surprise to find it was my first sale in February as well. I'm not sure if it was the result of the February experiment that I'm doing, but it's possible. Yesterday I rewrote and edited almost a quarter of my listings and posted in several forums. This weekend there will be a massive rewrite and editing. Stay tuned for updates the rest of the month!

F.........ebruary Experiment: Day 4

It seems that more and more young parents are favoring cotton materials for children's' clothing. So for the first time, I've created a baby sweater using a new cotton yarn called Cottontots and I'm most pleased with the results. This white cotton sweater would fit babies from about 6 to 18 months. It's appropriate for Christenings and almost any occasion, because it's completely washable. New colors will be coming soon to my Etsy shop at http://peacoxcreations.etsy.com

Experiment update: About one-fourth of my shop listings have been updated and I'm continuing to list and renew every day. It actually feel good to be making progress!

F.........ebruary Experiment: Day 3

If I could send all of you who are following my blog a personal "Thank You", this is how I would do it! Your comments really keep me going at it.

Day three of my February experiment is well underway. Yesterday I accomplished the following goals: blogged, listed two more items, finished deleting the latest photos, worked on a baby afghan and my new product, edited four shop items, read and commented on several blogs, and posted in all three team forums. DH thought I was glued to the computer, but it gave me a good feeling. Again, my shop got quite a few views and there were more comments than usual on my blog posts. There still have been no February sales, but it's still early in the month.

Today my shop attention will be abbreviated because I have to go out for lunch and play mah jongg this afternoon (poor me, right?) Hope you all have a fulfilling day!

F.........ebruary Experiment: Day 2

Lest you think that the only thing that's going on at our house is Etsy experiments, we thought you might enjoy seeing more of winter in Wisconsin. Last Saturday our village celebrated "A taste of the Alps" along with many winter activities.
One of the highlights was snow sculpture. My fav is shown on the right. It is called "Amadeus: the Requiem" and is about 10' high. Below is a "snow fireplace" (unlit, of course), and the beginnings of a fantastic castle.
You might also note a large open water area in front of the ice skaters being guarded by markers, ropes, and a very frosty guard. This area was for some of our local "polar bears" (or crazies, depending on how you look at it) who took a plunge a little later in the day. Brrrrrrr........!!!!!!!!!
Also featured were dog sled demonstrations, curling demonstrations, children's activities from our local wildlife park, sleigh rides and soup and chili cook-offs with samples! What a great winter activity!

Now back to the Etsy Shop experiment. Yesterday I blogged, listed two items, took about 50 photos, edited half of them, started working on a brand new project, continued working on a WIP (work in progress), edited three shop items and posted in two team forums. This took a total of about five hours. There were no sales, but views were certainly up from the days before. It didn't hurt that I was featured in a treasury as well. Stay tuned for tomorrow's update!

F.........ebruary Experiment

You are invited to celebrate the month of February with me as I show a little love to my Etsy shop with an experiment. Although my sales were OK in January, I'd like to see those figures improve and know there are things I can be doing to promo Peacox Creations. I'd be delighted if you would follow along with me as I try these techniques:

1. Blog every day with an update on what I did the day before.

2. List or renew at least two items every day.

3. Take new photos and edit them at least once a week, even though I know on this old, slow computer, that will be a challenge.

4. Introduce at least one completely new product.

5. Edit the present items in my shop with better tags, titles an descriptions.

6. Be active with at least one team I'm on a day, posting in the team forums, reading others' blogs, or perhaps making treasuries.

There must have been a method to my madness for choosing the shortest month of the year!

One of the new items I'm posting today is this set of crocheted cotton dishcloths/facecloths knit from a yarn that makes its own stripes. They arrive tied with a matching ribbon, so they are quickly ready to tuck in a gift, or untie for immediate use!