fantasy art and tree chatter of aquariann

EDIT: Giveaway is officially over. Congratulations to Kirsty Fox for submitting the randomly chosen 104th entry. It is a shame I didn't shimmy over to the Golden Hands Design Etsy shop sooner - I would have loved to show off a pair of Cathy's barefoot sandals at the Art of the Belly dance festival 2013 this weekend. But if you're lucky, your feet could wear these unique handmade accessories for free in time for warm weather! Cathy is giving away a $25 gift card credit to one winner. Choose wisely and you could even pick out two pairs! Or add some money of your own and dance away with one of her amazing crochet shawls, slouch hats or bohemian tops for women. Cathy's mom taught her to knit and crochet when she was just a teen. As she grew older, she learned to quilt, cook and craft anything under the sun. Her hands always seemed to be into a new project, which prompted her eighty-year-old Italian grandmother to tell her, "Now ... you have the Golden Hands....

EDIT: Giveaway is officially closed. Congratulations to the randomly chosen 28th commenter, Berendina Dykema! Just the thought of winter makes me shiver, and the solstice is still more than a month away! One lucky lady will get to stay warm and stylish for free this coming season. Lily of MyHobbyShop is giving away a custom crochet hat, embellished with a removable flower pin. The beautiful beanie above is crocheted with red and silver yarn for Christmas, but the winner will get to choose her own colors. Lily is a busy woman, so it's a miracle she has time for hobbies. Not only does she work full time while pursuing Bachelors & Masters degrees, but she has a high school sweetheart, three active teenagers and an adorable miniature dachshund named Princess Olivia at home. Her mother taught her to crochet when she was barely a teenager herself and she has had a healthy case of yarn obsession ever since. In addition to hats, she designs unique crocheted scarves, hair accessories, ...

EDIT: Giveaway is officially closed. Congratulations to the randomly chosen 309th commenter, Megan! You would not believe how many patterned tights I have snagged or stabbed holes into by trying to contort the delicate nylon over my curves. Thank the fashion goddesses for Renae of Mademoiselle Mermaid - her modern leg warmer designs have improved upon the trend from the 80's and kicked them back into style. They're a much more comfortable way to decorate your legs than with pantyhose. The black and white striped leg warmers above are custom made to order, so one winner will get a pair crocheted to their very measurements. Although these leg warmers would look super sexy with a Wizard of Oz or Alice in Wonderland costume, they can also add whimsy to everyday outfits. Renae creates fabulous clothes and accessories that will light up a room, just like she does. I met Renae freshman year of college and we became fast friends - she was as outgoing as I was shy. The memories of our ...

EDIT: Giveaway is officially over! Congratulations to the randomly chosen 15th commenter, Cathy of The Total Book Nerd . Who says you can't sport scarves in warm weather? Annie Dee's Designs carries cool crochet chain necklaces that are light weight. Annie is giving away the fun accessory above to brighten up one reader's spring wardrobe. It's crocheted with super soft yarn in several shades of green, white, yellow, and orange. The multiple chains of various lengths are secured on the side and can be worn laying freely or twisted to add extra depth. The chains measure 26 inches (66 cm) around with a 13 inch drop. A delicately pretty organza and tulle flower, adorned with 3 orange glass beads, blooms as the focal point. Annie also creates a multitude of hair accessories for women, children, and babies, including headbands, hair clips, bobby pin sets and fascinators. Most of them feature whimsical flowers, grown from high quality chiffon, satin, and organza fabrics. How ...

My garden of prizes from handmade giveaways keeps growing! Last month I won a custom crocheted hat by Kimberly of the Cotton Corner from the good. the bad. and the internet. blog. Isn't it adorable? Kimberly's had a lot of practice with cute - she's mom to six children! Her hats are popular among kids, but she also makes them in adult sizes. She has designs that feature flowers, stripes, polka dots, snowmen, even a football - and they can be created in any color of the rainbow. After weeding through the possibilities, I finally chose her flower earflap beanie in gray to match my wool jacket and two shades of blue because my legs practically live in embellished jeans. The hat sprouted from my mailbox the same day as I received the Winter Fairy bag from another Etsyian named Kimberly like the two accessories were meant to be worn together.

Wow, it's only been a little over a month since I cawed out my 100th blog follower and another 100 have fluttered after her. Debbie of Debs Crochet is my 200th blog follower! Debbie has 30 years experience in crocheting, and it certainly shows. Dish towels and rag rugs are her specialty, but she can crochet almost anything. You must check out her etsy shop below, if only to see the adorable penguin in her avatar.