Black Friday Deals from Craftsy and Creativebug

I can't let a Black Friday weekend pass by without letting you know of the great deals you can score! Two of my favorite websites are having some great deals, so if you are wanting to learn any new skills, now is the time to snag a class and get moving :)

Craftsy has made all of their classes $17.87 or less :) There is even a nice handful of "doorbuster" classes that I can personally vouch for.

• Jacques Torres' Ultimate Box of Chocolates is $15.00 - I have this class and have really enjoyed watching. I've learned so much about chocolate making! Once I get my hands on some molds, I fully plan to make my own fancy chocolates. This is definitely one worth buying if you're at all interested.
• Susy Furrer's Patternmaking Basics: The Bodice Sloper is $15.00 - All of Suzy's classes are wonderful, and this is a great place to start with patternmaking. Once you follow her class, you can make a custom bodice block to make all the designs you like fit you more easily. She's super informative, and this is a fantastic class to have on hand.
• Startup Library: Painting with Watercolors is $17.87 - I watched this class on Labor Day (when you could watch all their classes as much as you wanted) and I can definitely vouch for it being very informative and a great place to start learning about watercolor painting. And you really can't beat that price for something that goes as in depth as this class.

The other doorbuster classes sound great too - I'm particularly tempted by the hand embroidery one :) But even the non-doorbuster classes are up for a great deal at $17.87. If you had your eye on any classes, or even if you don't know what they have to offer, I definitely recommend you head over here and see what will tempt you as this price does not come around often (trust me).

Craftsy is also having a great sale on their supplies - I use these sales as a great opportunity to stock up on some sweater quantities of nice yarn. Case and point:

• Cloudborn Wool Worsted Twist Yarn is $2.99 per skein! I grabbed some of this yarn for a similar price over the summer and just finished knitting my Salal cardigan with it (to be blogged soon). It's springy and woolly and a great yarn for the price. 
• Cloudborn Wool Fingering Twist Yarn is also $2.99 per skein - and that's for 402 yards of yarn! You could technically make a sweater for less than $10 with this stuff. It's the same lovely wool from as the worsted weight, just thinner. This is a seriously good deal.
• Cascade Eco + Ecological Yarn is just $11.88 per skein which is just crazy. There are only 2 colors left to choose from, but this is a fantastic price.
• Cloudborn Merino Alpaca Color Change Lite is a really pretty gradual striping gradient yarn that is marked down to just $8.99 for 274 yards of sport weight. These are just so need to get that gradient or faded look without spending a lot of money.

I've bought so many supplies from Craftsy, I can't even count, lol. They are a great place to get quality supplies when you don't have nicer yarn stores or fabric stores nearby (like me). This sale is a good opportunity to look around and see if anything tempts you :)

My other favorite place to learn is having a deal so crazy I honestly don't know how you couldn't give it a try. From now through 11/29/2017, Creativebug is offering a 3 month subscription for just $1. Seriously. Creativebug has a different structure than Craftsy, but I have learned so much from their classes:

• All of Yao Cheng's Watercolor classes are amazing - believe me, I've watched them all - and if she can teach me how to paint, that is absolute proof of how good her classes are. Beginning Watercolor is a great place to start, and I really enjoyed the 31 Days of Flowers Painting Challenge. If you're wanting to see this for yourself, this is a great time to get signed up for just $1.
• Needle Felting is way fun, and I never would've actually given it a try without this class to show me the ropes. I still plan on making that goldfish someday!
• This Cartwheel Pillow Class is adorable. I recently made one myself (to be blogged soon) and it was so simple but so cute :) 
• Fashion Draping is taught by Mood Fabric's in house instructor and is super informative. This is one of the more difficult techniques Creativebug shows as far as sewing goes, and it's a great way to get your feet wet. The other Mood classes are great too (Fashion Illustration and Understanding Textiles).
• Having made my own Sailor Blouse in the Fancy Tiger Crafts class, I can tell you that having this pattern alone for the $1 would be more than worth the subscription. I love my top and have a few more planned (when I get more free sewing time).

These are just a few of the classes I've enjoyed and learned from in the little over a year I've had a subscription. The glory of Creativebug's set up is that you are able to watch a class on a whim since you have free access to their entire library with a subscription (which is only $5 per month regularly anyway- so worth it) - this is the only reason I even contemplated trying to paint with watercolors. If I'd had to purchase an expensive class from Craftsy not knowing if I would take to it or enjoy painting at all, I would never have spent the money on a class. Just being able to watch things you may be interested in is an awesome concept. I honestly can't recommend their site enough, and what better time to give them a try then when it will only cost you $1 for 3 months?

Hopefully this post isn't too annoying. These are affiliate links, so I get a small percentage if you make a purchase, but I would never post about them if I did not enjoy these sites so much myself. I am always on both of these sites, watching classes, buying supplies, etc. They are great places for inspiration and I've never regretted any of the money I've spent on their products.

Yay for Black Friday!

The Glories of ShopGoodWill.com & How To Get Good Deals There

If you've read this blog for any amount of time, you'll know that I'm pretty cheap. I've been on a strict and shrinking budget for years now, leading to getting pretty creative at times to get things I want. While I'm a fan of getting things on the cheap, I don't like to buy "cheap things" (if that makes sense). I pride myself on knowing things that are worth skimping on as well as knowing where to splurge to get the best value for my money. My biggest hole in that for the past several years has been on handbags. I am notoriously rough on my purses, so I made the switch to buying leather purses as a rule about a decade ago. Back when I used to buy fabric bags or polyurethane bags, I was buying a new one every couple of months because the cheaper material just became tattered beyond repair. I still have the first Coach leather bag I ever bought back in 2004 and while it has a few stains, it's still perfectly wearable and sturdy. I have proved the value of my leather purses time and again. I would always buy them at outlet stores, making them cheaper anyway, and then I carry them forever. I'm not loyal to any brand name, I just want a quality leather item that will last. I haven't purchased any new bags because I really don't "need" a new one when my old ones are still fine, but let's be real - a lady just needs a new purse sometimes, amiright? Since I made several good sales on ebay a little while ago (selling things I no longer need in prep for my big move), I decided to splurge a bit on myself last year, but within reason. Enter ShopGoodWill.com.

ShopGoodWill.com is exactly what it sounds like: it's an online auction site that various Good Will locations around the country put their higher priced donated items on. If it's a fancy name brand, they probably have it on there now and again. I've seen lots of genuine Chanel, Fendi, Dior, Gucci, Coach, Kate Spade, Michael Kors, Cole Haan, Manolo Blahnik, Salvatore Ferragamo and many more names in items like shoes, sunglasses, purses, wallets, jewelry, coats, etc. It's pretty amazing, actually. Now I know you can find similar items and names on ebay with the same auction style format, but since ebay is more heavily trafficked and more of a household name, you are in higher competition for the nicer items and prices get high very quickly there. ShopGoodWill is run through items that were donated, so often the auctions start at around $9.99 no matter what the brand name is (some brands are even cheaper). Granted the fancier names tend to go up pretty fast, but still not like the prices you see on ebay most of the time. 

All that said, I wanted to show off a few of the items I got in my little "splurge" last year.

My first win was this Audrey Brooke silver textured leather bag. The bag arrived looking almost brand new - there is a tiny speck on the front bottom that you can see in the photo, but that was literally the only flaw. Even the metal feet on the bag were not scratched! After a quick vacuum and wipe down with leather cleaner, I filled this baby up and have carried it around ever since. The silver color goes with everything, plus this bag is deceptively large - I'm consistently amazed by how much I can fit inside it. I had never heard of Audrey Brooke before, but again - I don't care about names so long as I like the look of the bag and it's leather. From what I've found online, these bags seem to retail in the $100 to $200 mark for genuine leather, so I'm ridiculously pleased with the $18 I paid for mine including the shipping :)

My second purchase was just a bid on a whim because I figured the price would go up and I would not get it, but I might as well put in a bid just in case. Well, this paid off and I won the auction, lol. All three of these items were sold as one lot (something the Santa Ana, CA Good Will does which is really fun). I got a black and gray leather Cole Haan purse, black patent leather Cole Haan peep toe wedge heels (in my size, 9), and an Anne Klein watch all for $35 shipped. How crazy is that? I've bought Cole Haan purses at the outlets before and paid $100, normal retail being between $200 and $400 for their leather bags. The shoes are at least $100 retail, also genuine leather (and they have gray snake skin on the wedge heels), and Anne Klein watches retail for about $60 - $100 new. I could care less about the watch, and I sold it for $15 on ebay, lol, but I've worn the shoes many times and I love the bag. This bag is the one I mentioned in my Yerdle post (back when Yedrle was still around - so sad) - the bag was in amazing condition, just needing a slight wipe down (because I'm a germophobe) and a vacuum out, except that the shoulder strap was not included. This isn't a deal breaker by any means, but I do prefer carrying my bags on my shoulder, so I was thrilled to find the strap on Yerdle.

Sure, the strap is yellow, but since the bag already has color blocking with the black and gray, I think it looks deliberate and kind of fun :) And if yellow doesn't match my outfit, I can always just un-clip the strap and use the handle. The strap is Coach brand leather by the way (and it cost me like $2, lol).

My final purchase last year was the most fun in my opinion and the one I had to actually fight for. This is another Cole Haan bag with orange leather and some kind of woven material - I love the color and style of this purse, so I was willing to keep bidding to a certain extent. This was my most expensive buy at $39 including shipping, but it's just so springy and cute :) Check out the lining!

Polka Dots! I will confess that this one has a smidge more wear than the other two bags, giving me a little initial disappointment when it arrived, but after cleaning is and vacuuming it out, I was back in love :) How can you not love a purse with a bow? This purse feels the most "me" out of all my purchases, so I'm fine with the price I paid for it.

I carried each of these bags for months with no problems. They held up great, and still look lovely :) I've recently found a thrift store that has their purses for $2 each no matter if they are expensive brands or not (?!) so I've switched my purse again, lol. But I still love to look at ShopGoodWill on occasion to see if there is anything I can't live without.

Tips for shopping the site:
ShopGoodWill.com has its ups and downs just like any other site, and after spending a good amount of time there of late I figured I would share a few things I've learned.

1. Always check the shipping costs! Sure, that Coach bag sounds like a steal of a deal at just $20 ... until you buy it and find out that the shipping is another $25. Some Good Will locations add on heavy "handling fees" on top of the shipping, or deliberately charge the shipping price for a 4 lb item when your item only weighs 0.5 lbs. It's not a deal breaker by any means if the price is right on the auction itself, but it's definitely something to keep in mind. Before I place a bid, I always check the shipping cost.
2. Look over everything and read the full descriptions - Some photos can be deceptive of an item's condition because you can't blow them up very big like other sites. I thought my orange Cole Haan bag looked just as pristine as my first two bag purchases, only to find it had wear to the corners on the leather that I didn't notice in the photos. Again, not a deal breaker, but in the end you have no one to blame but yourself if you end up with an item in much worse condition then you hoped.
3. Believe the listing about the item's color - The people listing these items are not necessarily good photographers with editing or lighting equipment, so be sure to read what they say the color is. I purchased a Fossil bag on the site 2 years ago thinking it was coral only to have it arrive a bright red. I was naturally bummed, but when I read the listing again it did say the bag was red, so totally my fault. I've seen bags that say they are black, but the photos look gray, or even white bags that look almost black due to bad lighting in the main photo. Just pay attention to what they say about the piece before you bid and don't like what you end up with.
4. Cross-check prices before you get into a bidding war - This kind of goes without saying on any auction site, but I always like to mention it. It can be really easy to set your sites on an item and just keep bidding even though you could technically get it cheaper on ebay. I saw a Louis Vuitton bag sell for over $1000 on this site, no joke. Certainly the bag was technically worth that price, but seriously? $1000 for a used purse? No thank you. I've had my eye on several cute Kate Spade bags, but that seems to be a very in-demand name right now so these bags get above $60 most every time no matter the condition. That's all well and good for those who have more money to spend and feel that's a still a good deal - I just like to keep my cut off point to about $40 on a used purse. It's a personal decision, of course, but don't get caught in the thrill of the bid and feel duped later.
5. Remember: You can always check back later if your item goes too high - This kind of goes along with #4, but I've had to remind myself of it several times. I bid on a Moschino wallet last week that got much higher than I wanted very quickly and I was tempted to just keep going. Sure, the wallet was certainly worth the bidding price, but it was over my budget so I let it go. There will be more wallets in the future. There are plenty of other items that have yet to be donated or listed, so I don't need to break my bank on this one item when realistically I will probably want another wallet the next time I search the site too, lol. Just know - it's ok to let it go :)
6. Search not just for the name brand, but also a generic description of what you want - Some of the people listing these items don't seem to really know much about what they are selling. I've come across name brand bags that did not list the name in the listing title, meaning that bag did not show up when I just searched for  "Cole Haan Purse". Since I was on a purse quest, I just typed in "handbag" or "purse" since most listings use only one or the other, sometimes I add "leather" to my search, but I frequently find leather bags that don't say they are leather in their title, so again they don't show up under that search keyword. I've seen brands misspelled too, so by just looking through the generic categories, you are much more likely to find a hidden gem that others looking for those key names won't be aware of.

I'm sure there are other things to keep in mind, but those will certainly get you started. I also just want to say that I am not affiliated with ShopGoodWill in any way - I don't get any kick back at all for mentioning it here. I just have really loved my little treasure trove so far and wanted to share :) Good luck!

Craftsy Winter Clearance Sale Alert

So it's one of those awesome times of year when Craftsy runs an amazing sale on supplies and kits. I've sung their praises before with these seasonal sales, but I just had to share again because this time it's filled with fantastic things to grab on the cheap (and if you know anything about me by now, it's that I'm cheap, lol).

Case and point: This dress pictured above is the Essential Linen Shirt Dress Kit. The kit includes the pattern (McCall's 1870) as well as enough Robert Kaufman Brussels Washer Linen to make it in your size (4 yards of 4.75 yards).At the moment they only have this kit in black, but how can you go wrong with a black linen? The kit is on sale for $20.97. Now, if you were to go to their fabric by the yard section, you can buy the same linen and pay $24.97 for just the 4 yards. So not only is this pattern cheaper per yard on a great linen fabric, you also get the pattern thrown in. How great is that?!

Another great example is the Sewaholic Yaletown Dress Kit. This kit includes a paper copy of the Yaletown pattern ($14.78 plus shipping from Sewaholic) as well as 4 yards of a drapey polyster print fabric to make it with - all for $28.78. If you factor the price of the pattern, it's like paying $15 for that fabric. I personally think this is really cute, but even if you didn't want to pair this fabric with this pattern it's a great price for it all. 

There are several kits that you can grab for a steal with this sale. Just look over here for yourself if you don't believe me.

If yarn is more your thing, you should take a look at their sale on Lion Brand Cotton-Ease. Normally the cheapest I can get this yarn at Joann's or big box stores is about $5.50 per skein (unless I only want 1 skein and I can use the 40% off coupon, but I never just need one skein and I want my dye lots to match). Craftsy has this yarn marked down to just $2.46 per skein! That is a crazy price. I purchased this yarn from Craftsy back in December of 2014 because I thought it was a great deal at just over $3 a skein - now they've even beat that. I used this yarn on my Sunshower Cardigan this year and I really like it, so I will be grabbing a sweater's worth of this yarn for sure this weekend.

This is just one of the yarn deals to be had - click here to see more.

I know this is a total sale pitch post, but it's actually more of a personal shopping list. Yes the links are affiliate links, but I would never post about items that I wouldn't be willing to (or going to) purchase myself with my own money. I've shopped with Craftsy countless times over the years and I've been really happy with the supplies I've received from them. So, consider this a public service announcement, lol.

If you'd like to check out the full sale, head over here. The sale is only going on this weekend (it ends 2/29/16 at midnight), so hurry and grab the good stuff before it's gone!

*All opinions expressed are 100% my own and items are being purchased out of my own pocket. I just really love Craftsy sales.

FreshStitches: 31% Off Sale for Stacey's Birthday!

It's a fantastic day in the world of crocheted amigurumi - Stacey Trock's 31st birthday! To celebrate, she has put out a sale code to get 31% off all patterns! This is more than generous or her, and I always make it a point to get a pattern or two each year :) You can use the code on the FreshStitches website or on her Ravelry Store. Keep in mind it's only on the individually sold patterns - not any of her published books. It does include the ebooks though - I grabbed the Rainbow Amigurumi book last year :)

Just pick the patterns you want and use code STACEYS31ST at checkout to get them for 31% off! This code is only valid for 24 hours, so make your purchase before midnight EST!

Craftsy Black Friday Sale! All Classes $19.99 Or Less!

It's that time again! The annual Black Friday Craftsy Sale! This is always a fantastic opportunity to grab any classes you've had your eye on as they all are $19.99 or less :) This is ALL of their classes - even brand new ones that are regular price $50 or so. If you're a regular reader, I don't need to tell you how much I love Craftsy classes. They are so worth the price, especially since they are so marked down.

This sale also includes their yarn and fabric selections :) The yarn is up to 80% off and the fabric is up to 65% off - how great is that? You can grab a few of the deals I got a few weeks ago - the yarns are so lovely. I can't wait to use mine!

The sale is going on this whole weekend until midnight on 12/2! So you have all weekend to deliberate over your choices. This is usually the best sale of the year, so I highly recommend you go here while you can!

Craftsy Supplies Sale: Up To 85% Off (And My Own Deals)

This morning I woke up to find Craftsy is having a big sale on their supplies. They have their usual discounted prices even lower and some yarns are as low as 85% off! I took this great opportunity to grab a few new yarns for some projects I've planned and snagged a new project too :)

The first thing I grabbed was the Blue Angel Shawl Knit-Along :) This is a pretty shawl pattern that comes with the yarn to make it and it is marked down 75%. The yarn is Cascade Heritage in Como Blue and with the discount you get the pattern and the yarn for less than just a skein of the yarn would cost. Pretty sweet deal if you ask me :) 

I'm on a bit of a shawl kick now that I finished my Hope Shawlette. Shawls are pretty and add a nice touch of luxury to you day (at least I feel that way). I've been watching the Mastering Lace Shawls class on Craftsy lately and it has me very excited to knit the patterns that came with the class. I have quite a big yarn stash, but it doesn't include much lace or fingering weight yarn and the little it does is just cheapo stuff. Since shawls take a big chunk of time for me to make and they will touch my face and neck, I wanted to get some "fancy" yarn to make my class projects with. This sale was a great opportunity for that :) I grabbed 2 skeins of FIlatura di Crosa Nirvana yarn in the Cove Grey colorway for $5.36 each. This yarn is 100% merino wool that is mercerized, so not only is it soft like cashmere but it has a nice sheen too :) One skein wouldn't be quite enough for a shawl, so I got two just to be sure.

I also grabbed 2 skeins of Cascade Alpaca Lace for $4.68 each. This yarn is 100% baby alpaca - I've never worked with alpaca before, but this yarn is very highly rated by Ravelry users so I'm excited to give it a try. I got one skein in the Provence colorway (which is the burnt orange color) and one skein in Black.

I'm still not sure which shawl will be which color yet, but I'm excited to have some options now :) If you want to grab some nice yarns at a great price, head over here and look around. They have some yarns as low as $1.49 each! And let me know what you get!

ModCloth 24 Hour Gift Sale - Great for Christmas Gifts!

So, it's that time again - Christmas shopping time. I'm constantly stuck with what to buy for each person on my list that they will love but also won't break the bank. Lucky for folks like me, ModCloth is having a 24 hour sale today - save 20% off gifts! I'm never one to pass up a sale, especially one at a store I love, so I've compiled a list of a few of my favs here just to give you a taste.

My Favs:

Seriously, how cute is this 2014 Corgi Desk Calender?! I mean ... it's a corgi! We actually have a tradition in our house that we always have a corgi calendar. Yes, we're weird, but this will definitely fit the bill for next year :)

These Every Sizzle Day Oven Mitts would certainly make my husband happy. He would make mitts out of real bacon if it was heat protective.

Oh my gosh, they have the Knit Your Own Dog book and it is on sale! This would probably be a gift more for me than anyone else on my list, but I'm sure I could scrounge up a fellow knitter who would love it too :)

Here's another one for the husband/me. We've been talking about starting back up with our film photography lately at least once a month. This is the Lomography Konstructor camera - you build it in a kit :) And then use it!

This one has my sister's name all over it - it's a moon ... lamp! I got her a constellation lamp a long time ago and she loved it. I think she would appreciate this and it would look cool in her son's Star Wars room :)

How cute are these? They are the Stroke of Genius flats and my sister in Japan would absolutely love them :)

So, all of the items I have listed here are $35 or under - totally do-able for Christmas gifts :) Also, you can't forget ModCloth's super cute dresses and other unique clothes. I don't think I've ever met anyone who didn't love ModCloth's selection, so you really can't lose here.

So, head over here for the 20% off Gifts Sale at Modcloth! The sale is only 24 hours and ends Friday at 10am PST.

Latest Acquisitions - Awesome Yarn and Needles!

I've had a few projects planned that needed specific colors or types of yarn to complete. I've been putting off finding them, but as the time is fast approaching for at least one project deadline, I decided to take the plunge and buy some yarn. Big sacrifice, I know lol. Since I was making an online order already, I had to look at the clearance yarn too, right? These are the latest additions to my stash!

This first set came from WEBS (yarn.com). I have always looked around on their site and longed for their beautiful yarns, but never actually made an order til now. I am really happy with them :) I received the yarn within just a few days and their customer service was great - I highly recommend trying them out. Even better than all that were their prices. When looking through their clearance yarns I came across a few I just had to snag.

• The purple and beige yarns are SMC Northern Worsted with Wool. These are 100g balls that are 75% acrylic and 25% wool. I grabbed 2 skeins in lilac (for an upcoming project) and 2 skeins in Taupe for only $2.79 each. The taupe was a bit of a gamble - I was hoping it was more of a skin color that I could make a baby doll with. It's a little darker than I wanted, but it will still work. 
• The 2 coral skeins are Debbie Bliss Cashmerino. They are 50 gram balls of a merino wool and cashmere blend and they were $4.79 each because this is a discontinued color. I've always wanted to try this stuff out and I do love coral right now, so it was just meant to be. This stuff is so wonderfully soft! I'm not 100% sure if I will make a scarf or a hat or something, but I'm leaning toward the scarf so it's nice and soft on my neck and face. 
• The last thing I have in this photo is a nice pile of Cascade Sierra. I noticed that the Sierra was super on sale because it has been discontinued - it must have happened recently because WEBS still has a ton of colors left. I knew one of the sweaters I liked from Andi Satterlund recommended using this yarn, so I looked through her patterns only to find out it is the Miette which has been on my to-make list pretty much since I learned to knit. I very rarely use the recommended yarn with the pattern because it's generally very expensive and I just don't have the funds, but in this case it is only $5.49 per hank! That's almost half price which is a huge discount for such a quality yarn. Since it was so marked down, I was able to get 5 skeins (enough to make my own Miette) in the Water Lily colorway. I am seriously so excited about the minty color of this yarn. It was one of those colors that looked like it might have been a bit more blue, but I was hoping for a true mint green and that's exactly what I got. This is 80% pima cotton and 20% wool and I'm looking forward to knitting with it. My only other experience with cotton has been in crocheting and I wasn't a big fan then, but people really seem to love it in knitting so hopefully this will come out fun and pretty. Also since it's cotton it should be a little cooler to wear than the wool, meaning I would get more wear out of it here in Florida.

This next order contains the real reason (a.k.a. justification) for shopping online at all. I'm making a cute baby hat and the recipient specifically requested it be in the same colors as the pattern example photo, which meant needed Cascade 220 Superwash in Strawberry Pink and Salmon to make it. I looked on WEBS for this first, but they didn't have these colorways and I was worried my monitor wasn't calibrated correctly and I would pick the wrong colors if they were under different names. So, I turned to the next online yarn shop I could think of: Jimmy Bean's Wool. This is my first time ordering through this site as well and I am again extremely pleased. The order came in without a hitch and it only took a couple of days to arrive - how great is that?! They had both colors I needed and then I had to glance through their clearance yarn :) Here is what I got:

• The two pink skeins are Cascade 220 Superwash in Salmon (the lighter color) and Strawberry Pink. These are just lovely as always - I really love this yarn, for real. I just want to squish the skeins all the time :)
• The other 4 skeins are all Stitch Nation's Bamboo Ewe. This whole line has been discontinued so there is a very limited amount of colors left and Jimmy Bean's is the only online source you can still get any from. I've never worked with it, but I felt it back when Hobby Lobby carried it and I knew it was nice and soft. The red is called Geranium and the blue is Periwinkle and they cost $3.43 each. These are 100g skeins that are 55% bamboo viscose and 45% wool. I'm not completely sure what I want to make with them, but I'm excited to entertain ideas!

I've been on a toy/baby knitting roll lately. This means I've been using a lot of patterns that call for smaller double pointed needles. I have quite a few sets of metal dpns that my friend Tara got at a yard sale, but lately the holes in my collection have been showing themselves. For example, the Itty-Bitty Giraffe was knit on size 7 dpns - 3 that were 7" long and 1 that was 10" long because I didn't have a full set of 4 that were the same length. That doesn't sound like too big a deal, but if you've ever tried this you will understand how annoying it is. It made the toy take longer a lot than it would have otherwise. I've been eyeing these Stitchberry needle sets on Amazon for a few months now and finally decided it was time to buy some. Stitchberry makes bamboo knitting needles and they actually make all kinds - dpns, straight and circular. They sell their needles in complete sets, as in all sizes come together for one price. 

I have really grown to love the shorter needles for all the small toy pieces I've been making, so I opted for the 6" set of dpns and it was only $19.99 for 15 sets of 5 needles each! That's an incredible price considering that Clover Takumi bamboo needles sell for $6 and up for each individual set! I read the reviews thoroughly before buying these because the price makes them seem a little too good to be true. The reviews were mixed, but most of the average ones said they were great for the money but not always so sharp. The best reviews also included that you could just sand them down at the tip to make them sharper and then rub them with wax paper - done and done! I'm really happy with my set. I noticed a few needles that had some bumpy spots, but seriously a few swipes with a fine grade sand paper and you would never know they weren't always perfect. I used these to make my latest toy (to be revealed tomorrow!) and I am really happy :) Now I have a complete set of 6" dpns for any and all my toy making adventures!

So, thanks for letting me brag about my latest buys :) If you want to grab any of these deals yourself, just follow the links in my post and look around. I can't wait to make beautiful items with all these fantastic yarns - here's hoping I can do them justice!

Craftsy Summer Sale - Up To 75% Off Classes!

Starting today, Craftsy is having their Summer Sale :) From today (7/18) through Sunday (7/21), they will have different classes on sale each day for up to 75% off. This means that many of their classes will be at their lowest available prices - Hooray!

I just did a glance through and there are a few classes that I can personally attest to that are only $9.99 each - Design and Sew and A-Line Skirt, Wee Ones Knitted Toys, and Knit Lab: Hats Four Ways. I already have these 3 classes and I love them all. And for $9.99 you really can't go wrong! So, head over here each day this weekend and glance around to see if the class you want goes on sale!

Groupon: Fandango Movie Ticket Just $6! Hurry!

Groupon has a great offer today that I always snag when it comes around. They are offering a Fandango movie ticket for only $6! This is half off and is only valid to use online through Fandango. The ticket is good until November 30, 2013 so you have plenty of time to use it. Just go here to see this deal and grab one for yourself - But hurry! They are only selling a certain number of this deal and when they're gone, they're gone!

Not a member of Groupon? Go here to sign up!

Blurb Designer Photo Book Review (And 20% Off For You!)

I know I've mentioned it on occasion before, but I don't think I've really made anything about it on my blog - I used to have a photography business. I say "used to" because we no longer do large jobs (like weddings), though I do still do the odd job here and there for family pics and whatnot. Back when Shimer Photography was up and running, my husband and I prided ourselves on finding great products at a great price for our customers. When it came to photo books, we always used Blurb.com. 

Blurb is a wonderful book printing company. I have used them several times in the past and I have always been impressed with the quality of their printing. I was thrilled when they contacted me a few weeks ago to see if I would like to try out their new Designer Book software to create a book for myself and blog about it :) I mean, who wouldn't like a company that you love anyway to offer you something for free just to test it out? Right?! 

I made the 7" size Designer Book and used it as an opportunity to finally print some of my favorite shots from when I used to do experimental film photography (my obsession during college and how I met my husband). I used the Geneva template in the Designer Book category - I've always been a big fan of photos on a black background.

Some of my light shots.

The designer template made the creating process so easy! I've made Blurb books before and spent hours editing all the pages and setting up the templates how I wanted. The designer templates all have set page layouts that you just drag and drop your photos onto. Also, what made this even easier was that I uploaded all the photos from my Flickr account - no need to find each one on my hard drive! This was a serious selling feature and saved me LOADS of time as it's been years since I accessed the files on my computer. All I Had to do was plug in my Flickr name and password et voilà! All the photos I wanted were on Blurb and ready for me to place in the book.

Some panoramas from my trip to NYC.

I love that I was able to quickly make a book that I had always intended to make: just a small something so I can show my work when I don't have internet access (or don't want to be all ghetto and show them on my phone). I was honestly able to make this book in about 30 minutes - that's impressive, if I do say so myself.

Me being artsy in Paris.

(To see more of my book I made, go here)

I was thrilled to come in to work and find my book waiting for me and actually get to see all the photos together in print. It's a silly thing, but you can't help but feel proud when you see all your work together bound in a very professional looking book. The printing quality is fantastic and the pages are nice and thick with a satin finish-style lustre. There's a slight sheen, but no gloss so it feels more like I'm looking at a book I bought at a bookstore as opposed to a bunch of photos printed on glossy photo paper and bound together (I hate those! Sorry, just my pet peeve).

I really can't recommend Blurb's new Designer Books enough! The process was quick and easy and the results are professional looking and something I can be proud to show around :)

So in honor of launching their new Designer Books, Blurb is offering 20% OFF to my readers! Just go here to make your book with one of their designer templates and use promo code DESIGNMYBOOK at checkout to save 20%. Easy, right? This is a great opportunity to save  money but still get a lovely product you can be proud to showcase your photos with. But hurry! This offer code expires 3/31/13, so be sure to get yours before then :)

*I received a 7" Designer Book for Free from Blurb.com to facilitate my review, but all opinions expressed are 100% my own!

*Expired* Enter To Win Free Prescription Glasses from Firmoo!

I am so happy about my post today :) I was contacted by Firmoo to see if I wanted to host a giveaway on my blog for a Free pair of prescription glasses! Of course, I jumped at the chance, especially since I have been so happy with my pair from them.

If you've read my blog for any amount of time, you may remember the pair of prescription sunglasses I received from them back in September.

This photo was just after I got them, but I still use these no joke everyday and I don't know how I ever functioned without them. Especially in the Florida sun! And it's not even summer yet! Anyway, Firmoo is a wonderful company that provides designer quality glasses for a fraction of the cost. They offer prescription and regular glasses, sunglasses or clear, all forms of lens coatings ... you name it and they have it and all for so much cheaper than you can find in a store. Like I said, I wear my sunglasses EVERYDAY and they have still held up and look just as good as when I got them :)

I also love their designs. I'll admit that I was hesitant at first when I learned about Firmoo since their glasses are their own brand (not usual brand names you find in a store), but now that I have held them in my hot little hands, I am a believer. Their styles are so cute :)

Check out the temples on these!

And these are so sophisticated looking :)

They have many more styles too - don't let my affinity for plastic frames make you think that's all they carry :)  They have men's, women's and unisex designs. You really just have to go here to see their selection for yourself to take it all in :)

Also, if you've never ordered glasses online before, I have a few tips for you to make sure you will love what you get.

1. You will need not only your prescription, but also your pupilary distance (PD) to make an order. Your print out from the eye doctor will not include the PD, so you will need to ask for that in particular. Any place that sells glasses can tell you what it is - it's why they have you look into that little machine.
2. To know the size of the glasses I was looking at (to make sure they weren't too small for my face, etc), I used a millimeter gauge to measure all the main areas. Firmoo's item description will list the mm lengths for the glasses you are looking at buying so it's nice to have a visual comparison you can hold and try on just to make sure you will like them.

Those are just my own little processes to make things easier :)

So, how would you like to win your own pair of glasses from Firmoo?
I have 1 voucher for a Free pair of their standard glasses (to be selected from here). Designer glasses and sunglasses do not apply. And I also have a few vouchers for $30 off their new Designer Eyeglasses to some other winners!

To enter:
*Mandatory* - Leave a comment on this post saying which pair of their glasses you would love to have! Please make sure I can reach you through your comment to let you know if you won. If you are not a normal blogger user, just leave your email in the comment.

*Optional* Additional Entries:

• 'Like' Firmoo on Facebook and leave an additional comment to say that you did.
• Free entry for Firmoo site users - just comment with your email associated with your account.
• Share, Re-Blog, or Tweet about this giveaway and leave a comment with the link to your post.

The Fine Print:

This giveaway will remain open until Sunday, March 10th at Midnight EST. Only one entry per method per person - this will be verified. The grand prize winner will be emailed a voucher for a free pair of glasses from Firmoo. If the giveaway reaches over 60 entries, this will also include the shipping; if there are less than 60 entries, the winner will be responsible for the shipping costs. 3 second prize winners will receive a voucher for $30 off any pair of Firmoo's Designer Glasses. The vouchers will be good for 2 months from the launch of this giveaway. This giveaway is valid worldwide as long as Firmoo ships to your country. Go here to make sure that your country is included.

So, leave a comment here by Sunday, March 10th at Midnight EST to enter!

Good Luck, Everyone!

Craftsy: Up to 75% Off With Valentine's Sale!

Craftsy is having a big Valentine's Sale this weekend :) You can get up to 75% off their crafting classes from now until Sunday at Midnight. I always love announcing their sales since it's a great opportunity for everyone to try something new!

For example, the Knit Lab class (Beginning Knitting), Not So Itty-Bitty Giraffe, Amigurumi Woodland Animals, and Design Your Own Monster classes are all just $9.99 each! This is the lowest these classes get, so it's your chance to take up knitting or crocheting if you have yet to learn how, or even if you just want to learn toy making techniques. I'm enrolled in all of these classes and I can tell you they are absolutely fantastic!

So, hurry over here to see what your new hobby could be :)

Amazon Local: $10 Credit to Audible.com for Free

Awesome :) Amazon Local is offering up a Free voucher to Audible.com worth $10! Just go here and select Florida and Orlando and then complete the checkout. Your total will be $0.00 :) This voucher is good until January 18th, 2013 so head over there and see what book you want!

Zoya: 3 Free Nail Polishes - Just Pay Shipping!

Zoya has a great offer today for their fans. You can get 3 nail polishes of your choice for FREE, you just have to pay $10 shipping :) I'm a huge fan of Zoya and this is a very good deal. To get them for a little over $3 is a steal.

To get this deal for yourself, just go here and select your 3 colors, then use promo code ZOYA2013 to get the total down to $0.00. Like I said, you will have to pay $10 for the shipping, but that's a great buy :) Hurry while this lasts!

FreshStitches: 36% Off Birthday Sale!

Since I've talked so much about my cute little crocheted animals, I wanted to let you all in on this great sale :) December 31st is Stacey Trock's 30th birthday and to celebrate she is offering 36% off all her patterns on FreshStitches.com! Woo Hoo! Stacey is the designer of all of the cute little animals I've made (except for Marisa's piggy) and there are so many great designs on her blog that I've never mentioned or attempted before.

Nelson the Owl - Stacey's most popular pattern and trademark of FreshStitches :) 

To get this deal, just go here and choose the patterns you want, then use promo code STACEYS30TH at checkout to get 36% off :) This is valid only on December 31st, so make sure you grab yours while you can!

Come back and let us know which ones you got!

Here's what I got:  I went a little crazy I guess (mostly when you consider how many patterns I have already), but I just had to grab these guys since a sale is so rare for these patterns. Here are the ones I couldn't pass up!

Forrest the Gnome

Russ the Chick in an Egg

Alvin the Turkey

 Stuart the Clam Hand Puppet

Sanford the Giant Squid

When it came down to it, all of these use techniques that I would like to figure out. I've been eyeing them for quite a while and just had to snap them up. The clam I got specifically for a long standing joke with one of my good friends from high school :) And who wouldn't love that turkey? I'm seeing thanksgiving gifts for family members in the future. I'm so excited - I wish I could crochet faster!

Epic Craftsy Sale = Great Last Minute Gifts!

Since Christmas is just a few days away, I'm sure if you are like me you have a few people that you just haven't found what to get them yet. I have a few people on my list that are always difficult to buy for and now I have found a great solution - Craftsy classes! What better thing could you give than the gift of knowledge :)

Well, if you need gifts (or just want to gift yourself), you're in luck! Craftsy is having a huge sale this weekend! From now until midnight on Monday, Dec 24th, ALL of their classes are priced $9.99 to $24.99!

Also Craftsy makes it really easy to purchase their classes as gifts. Just click on the class you want  and choose the Buy As A Gift option (just below the Add To Cart button). Then go through checkout and you're good to go!

If it's a gift for someone I don't know is crafty already, I like to stick with the basic classes. I've singled a few out that I recommend.

First is Knit Lab with Stefanie Japel - this is how i learned to knit earlier this year and I can't recommend it enough! Seriously - if you have a friend who has always wanted to learn, this is the class you should get them. And its only $9.99!

Crochet Lab is another great class. I've watched the whole thing and it really gives a great foundation for any crochet project you could want to make. This class is only $9.99!

And if you've followed my blog for any amount of time, you will have seen my cute results from the Amigurumi Woodland Animals class :) This one is only $9.99! There's also the Design Your Own Monster class that is taught by Stacey Trock and it's only $9.99!

There are so many more fantastic classes to choose from! If you aren't sure what kind of class your friend would like to take, you can always go with a Craftsy Gift Card. You just choose the price level you want to spend (1 class for $30, 2 classes for $55 or 3 classes for $75) and then your friend can choose any of the classes available with their unique code! How cool is that! This makes a great option for a friend who is into Crafting already or even someone who you just aren't sure what they would like to learn. This is a guaranteed win :)

I'm sure you know by now that I'm a HUGE Craftsy fan - I can't say enough good things about the classes I have. I've taken quite a few now and I'm getting more all the time. I'm an addict :) So, I just wanted to let you all know about the great gifting potential of one of my favorite sites! Happy Gifting!