r-anne-dom : a place for me (anne) to leave random blog posts.
Such as:
..knitting, sewing, and other random activities pursued
..Girl Guides of Canada : yep, Guiding Lives Here
..the 4 shops on Etsy : one features quality handmade items; the second has lots of patterns, & crafting supplies; the third is stocked with Vintage; and the fourth is guiding flowers.
Enjoy the r-anne-domness!

November 28, 2013

Black Friday to Cyber Monday SALE at PatternsAndSuch on Etsy!

Black Friday to Cyber Monday SALE at PatternsAndSuch on Etsy!

Coupon Code HOLIDAY will get you
20% off
 anything in my PatternsAndSuch shop on Etsy 
Nov.29 to Dec.2
for
Black Friday through Cyber Monday

Thanksgiving: Canada vs USA - what's the difference?

Thanksgiving: Canada vs USA - what's the difference?


 
Thanks to Shoppers Voice for the above information!

November 26, 2013

Canada Post Online Shopping Deadlines

Are you shopping online?

Pay attention to these deadlines - and pay for specialty shipping if you NEED that item to arrive in time!


Shop handmade and support small business: shop ennadoolf on etsy.


November 22, 2013

Handmade Monday - Nov.25


What is Handmade Monday?

It is a nationwide movement to set aside the Monday before the US Thanksgiving to Buy Handmade.
This year it falls on November 25.
 

Please visit my ennadoolf shop full of handmade gifts and accessories!

November 18, 2013

Shop Local: KnitStitch


There is a new shop for knitters and crocheters and all yarn lovers: KnitStitch

Delightful soft yarn.  Skeins of loveliness.

Needles and hooks and stitch markers and more!

Drop in to see Suzanne at 609 Richmond Street in London Ontario.


November 14, 2013

Labels for Sewing and Knitting Projects - BellaMental on Etsy

Labels for Sewing and Knitting Projects - BellaMental on Etsy


I ordered labels to sew into my projects from a lovely shop on Etsy - BellaMental - the labels are exactly what I needed!  I ♥love♥ them. 

BellaMental ships to Canada and the order arrived quickly and well packaged.

Thank you Lisa at BellaMental!  She has reasonable shipping fees!  And her labels are great!!










I'd previously ordered from another Etsy shop - back in 2012 - and when I needed more and returned to that other shop, the shipping rates in that other shop had gone up from $3.75 up to $7.35 - making them more pricey than I'd budgeted for. So no order for that other shop!  That's when I went searching for someone else.  :)  Thank goodnes for BellaMental!  There when I needed her!


Watch your shipping costs on Etsy - and remember, there's usually another shop with comparable products just waiting to provide you with what you're looking for!


http://www.etsy.com/shop/BellaMental

November 09, 2013

Shop Local: e-patches and crests

Looking for a great badge? Patch? Crest? 

Check out e-patchesandcrests.com - a great Canadian company with badges, patches and crests to suit your every need! 
Our Pathfinders still do Gold Camp.

But Girl Guides of Canada no longer provides the Gold Camp badge.


Thank goodness for e-patchesandcrests.com !!! 
We asked them. 
They created it. 
We ordered it. 
And now its available for you, too! 

November 07, 2013

Shop Local: AnyBoxToday.com - great boxes!

AnyBoxToday.com - great boxes!

Usually I don't respond to emails, but I got one from AnyBoxToday.com and I checked out their website and they looked legit, so I took them up on their offer of free samples.

They have GREAT boxes that will fit the "slot of doom" - that size restriction that Canada Post uses to determine if you can ship by lettermail or parcel. 

And they have several sizes that FIT!!!

NOTE:  Keep in mind, what's inside your box may result in shipping as a parcel depending on where you are shipping (eg. USA you can only ship paper via lettermail).

Check out their website at AnyBoxToday.com and look for them on facebook too.

Give them a try!

November 04, 2013

Shop Local: Phantastica Oddities & Curiosities


A new shop has opened in downtown London - Phantastica Oddities & Curiosities, London's Oddity & Curiosity Shop.

















Blog: phantasticacanada.wordpress.com
facebook: PhantasticaCanada
Twitter: PhantasticCA
Tumblr: PhantasticaOddities

















Curious?  Check it out at 232 Dundas Street, London, Ontario

November 02, 2013

Time to Turn Back the Clocks!

Well, it’s that time of year again — time to “fall back” one hour!

I ♥love♥ the extra hour of sleep.


So, remember there is the time change Sunday a.m. and you'll need to set your clocks back an hour.

Enjoy the “extra” hour of sleep!


October 14, 2013

October 12, 2013

Selling on Etsy: Tales of Success

Yes! There are tales of success of shops on Etsy! 

Read about them - including me! - here at Consider Your Story!


Thanks so much for including my story!

It was such a thrill to be featured in Canadian House & Home!

October 11, 2013

It's I LOVE YARN day! ♥

It's I love yarn day!

What better way to celebrate than to share with you a woman who loves her yarn!


And if anyone knows where I can locate a yarn like that pictured below, please let me know - my sister has run out and would love some more. 

I ♥ Yarn!

September 26, 2013

Pet Peeve - Rotten Potatoes

I hate rotten potatoes.

And I hate paying good money for a bag of pototoes that just doesn't last.

I store them in a cool dry place.

I make sure the open part of the bag is "down" just like it tells you to.

And still, they go bad.

UNTIL NOW!!!!!

I saw a few of these packets of silica gel in a box I was about to throw out and I realized that the silica gel keeps moisture at bay.

It keeps things dry.

So I added a couple to the basket of potatoes.

AND IT WORKED!!!!!

No rotten potatoes!!!!!!

Who Deserves a Second Chance?

Doesn't everyone deserve a second chance?

Yes!

And today it is Vanna's Choice yarn.

I bought some a year or so ago - and began knitting with the first ball - and came across knots.

The only thing I hate more than running out of bobbin thread in a sewing machine, is knots in a skein of yarn.

Especially a skein I paid full price for!

In my opinion, the machines that make the skeins should know when there are knots and those skeins should be marked as "seconds" and sold as such - at a lower cost and with full disclosure to customers.

Not sold for full price with the nasty knots hidden from view.

And I vowed to never knit with that yarn again.

But Lion Brand wants a second chance - and who am I to deny that!

So I received replacement yarn and now I need to come up with a project for this yarn so that I can knit it up.

And there better not be knots!

Keep an eye on this blog for future updates!
I've got my fingers crossed that this yarn is better than the first impression.

Wish me well!

September 12, 2013

National Sewing Month!

Celebrate National Sewing Month!

I'm working on a sewing project of Hobo Bags!

Here are a few photos of the first one I completed!


August 21, 2013

August 20, 2013

Teams on Tuesday - Etsyknitters - Lise Solvang Designs

Teams on Tuesday - Etsyknitters

Lise Solvang Designs

What is your shop name?
Lise Solvang Designs

What is your blog name?

What inspired you to start this blog?
I want to share how ALL aspects of my life have knitting in it. My whole Life is Knitted Together by My own Hands.

When did you learn to knit?
8 years old

Who taught you to knit?
My Mom

What or who inspires your projects?
Nature……it's Beauty and it's Play and Harmony of Color

What is your favourite thing to knit?
Gowns

Are there yarns/wools you love?
I love the challenge of creating Beauty with any and all kinds of Yarn

Are there yarns/wools you don't like to work with?
No……for the reason stated above.

What would you like to say about your creations?
Play

What other fiber arts do you enjoy?
Crocheting, Weaving, YarnBombing:-)

Is there another fiber art you'd like to learn?
Spinning will be my next endeavor!

August 13, 2013

Teams on Tuesday - Etsyknitters - Sarandipity Handmade

Teams on Tuesday - Etsyknitters - Sarandipity Handmade


What is your shop name?
Sarandipity Handmade - SarandipityHandmade.etsy.com – I make handspun yarns, blankets for babies through adults, baby bibs, hats, scarves, mittens, socks and more!

What is your blog name?

What inspired you to start this blog?
I started my first blog years ago when I wanted a place to keep a diary of sorts and share pictures of my kids (and now my yarn & projects). Now I use it mostly for big updates, like visiting the Sheep and Wool Festival in Rhinebeck or my trip in June to Colorado to the Estes Park Wool Market, which will be up, hopefully, soon. I also use my blog to post about my food allergies as well as my kids and of course yarn activities.

When did you learn to knit?
I first learned to crochet when I was young. My mom taught me. I didn’t do much with it until after my oldest son was born in 2005. I made some hats, scarves a couple baby sweaters and a few toys. It was shortly after that that my husband expressed interest in a fisherman knit type sweater. At the time, I couldn’t see spending over $100 for a sweater and thought I could crochet one just as easily. After 3 failed attempts I decided the only way he was going to get his sweater would be if I learned to knit. That was in late 2009. I’ve been a knitting fiend ever since…and yes, my husband did, finally, get his sweater, thought it wasn’t a true fisherman knit sweater. He still wears it to family get-togethers in the winter holidays, which makes me incredibly happy! Recently I added spinning to my list of fiber hobbies, I love this as much as knitting!

Who taught you to knit?
I pretty much learned to knit from one of those teach yourself to knit book, watching videos on You Tube and a little help when I got super stuck from my friend Rose, who is an awesome fiber artist!

What or who inspires your projects?
I guess it depends on the project as to where I get my inspiration. Sometimes I’ll just see a yarn and know the right project for it. Sometimes I’ll incorporate things from favorite tv shows or what I know about the recipient.

What is your favourite thing to knit?
Right now I love to knit socks. I love that they are portable and simple. I mostly make plain vanilla socks with a short row heel and let the yarn colors do all the work to make some colorful, toasty feet!

Are there yarns/wools you love?
I’m very tactile so I love to touch things. I’m in love with 15.5 micron merino wool that I can spin into yarn. It’s so soft and amazing. I want to get some more of this wool to spin and list for sale in my shop. I also think I want to make a scarf or something to wear next to the skin from it for this winter in upstate NY.


Are there yarns/wools you don't like to work with?
Anything scratchy or soy based. What would you like to say about your creations? Everything I make I make with love. I love the craft I do and want other to feel that love in the items I create, be it a simple sewn blanket, pair of baby socks or a huge twin size, crocheted hexagon blanket.

What other fiber arts do you enjoy?
In addition to knitting, I crochet and spin yarn, as well as sew fleece tag baby blankets. Is there another fiber art you'd like to learn? I think the next fiber art I’m going to learn is fiber preparation before spinning. I recently ordered a set of hand carders and some Shetland wool and plan to learn the step by step process of going from fleece to yarn.