FEATURING: Clackamascrochetchic

I dont know about you, but I am just loving all things crocheted at the moment! I guess I am a little envious as I never been able to knit or crochet, even though i have tried! Lisa from clackamascrochetchic on etsy makes some wonderful crocheted goodies that are really very nicely made and well priced. I simply love the little washcloths (pictured above) and Lisa makes them in a range of gorgeous colours.

Lisa says "I have been crocheting for about 16 years and I love to crochet and that's why I have my shop on etsy. It also allows me to be home more with my 2 daughters who are 2 1/2 and 11 weeks. I love making cute things for people to wear and feel special in. My little girls flower flapper hats have been a big hit for baby shower gifts" ... well i think Lisa's little bags are just as gorgeous ! Lisa also makes womens hats which are lovely as well!


Lisa has offered all Berrylicious Blog readers a special offer: FREE SHIPPING! to make the most of this great offer please select your purchases, proceed to check out and type "Berrylicious Blog" in your message to the seller. Lisa will refund you the shipping price... this offer is for a limited time, so please make the most of it and treat yourself, your littlies or a lucky friend to a beautiful gift!

VISIT LISA's SHOP - CLACKAMASCROCHETCHIC on ETSY: http://clackamascrochetchic.etsy.com/

I have been featured!

I have been featured on this great blog! check it out! http://blog.hand-craftedcreations.com/2009/07/berrylicious-buttons-hair-and-clothing.html
comments????

JUST GORGEOUS Oh la la Felt Flower Hair Accessories

I have just finished making my new felt flower hair accessories. I am starting to make a range of clips and ties that are suitable for littlies fingers (they are also for the big girls too!). These are the first in this new range. The customer can choose whether they are sewn to a clip or a nice sturdy hair elastic and colours are listed for easy choice selection .. hope you like them!

http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=28450623

FEATURING: innerearthsoaps - GORGEOUS handcrafted soaps made in Australia

GORGEOUS HANDMADE SOAPS: http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=6074112

I had been looking for some lovely handmade soaps for my mother in laws birthday when i came across Erin at Innerearthsoaps. I had searched high and low on etsy for soaps by an Australian soap maker (I had, as usual, left it to the last minute to try and source a great gift and had no time to have any shipped from the US)

I finally found Erin after searches and searches and looking through listings and listings! ... and I am so very pleased i did!

The order was sent out promptly and when i received it everything was packaged so very beautifully and carefully - you could tell that Erin strives to treat all her customers well and takes care when packaging things off to customers (not just shoved in a bubble bag without so much as a second thought, as i have experienced on other occassions from OTHER sellers). The box was neatly packaged and each soap packed invidually with a label marking each type and ingredients. All were made with the utmost of care and presented simply but beautifully. They were packed in a box with good fill that ensured they got to me safely and in the same condition they were sent in (i'm very big on presentation and correct packaging - i like my things to arrive just as they have left me too and give the customer a nice little buzz unwrappng their new items!). Erin also included some nice little samples which i am thrilled with as i will not get to use the ones i purchased due to being a gift! I can thoroughly recommend innerearthsoaps, and will definately be back for more!

"Erin is a soapmaker in Bondi Beach who makes hers soaps completely from scratch using the cold process method. She uses the highest quality oils, butters, botanicals, therapeutic clays, essential and fragrance oils in her soaps. They have a silky, bubbly lather that cleanses the skin gently wihtout stripping it of its natural oils. No more dry, tight feeling ... her handmade soap is a world of difference from commercial soap! With well over 300 sales on her Etsy shop and not one unhappy customer, I would definitely recommend checking it out here at http://www.innerearthsoaps.etsy.com/."

OK... Here it is WEEK ONE COMPETITION! Courtesy of TableScapesCompany

Heather of TableScapesCompany is kindly offering these gorgeous napkins as a fantastic prize for this weeks competition!

To enter simply become a follower of this blog (click on follow this blog on top left) OR become a fan on facebook (see box on left for link) and write in 50 words or less why everyone should stop using paper napkins (please email entries to Berryliciousbuttons@gmail.com) The lucky winner will be announced on Friday 7th August and the gorgeous napkins will be sent directly to the winner from Heather. Goodluck!

To view this beautiful prize please visit: http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=25186853

Hand Quilted Wallhanging

This is a recent custom order i have created for a lovely young family with two little girls as a housewarming gift for their new home. They had recently lost everything they owned in the Victorian Bushfires. To me it represented the two little girls I was sewing it for, supporting each other as sisters and felt it was very fitting. It was hand quilted and edges with handmade pure cotton bias with a leafy print. The flowers were embellished with mother of pearl sequin detail. I would happily make another if you like this one, i really enjoyed this project! Comments?

Stay Tuned ..

Later today I will be posting a competiton for you to win a beautiful set of napkins from TableScapesCompany .... be sure to check back for details!

Featuring: Heather from TableScapesCompany on etsy

"I create handmade, cotton coth napkins. I have always loved fabrics, and started making napkins about 2 years ago when I became fed up at how many paper towels and paper napkins my little family of 3 was using. One day, I bought some cotton fabric, made 4 napkins, and have never bought another roll of paper towels or a package of paper napkins since! I decided to start selling them on Etsy, because I loved creating (hopefully) one-of-a-kind looks, and I wanted to convince people to give up paper towels and napkins. I've been on Etsy about 3 months, and have only had 4 sales, but I'm still creating and listing, and trying to promote like crazy!I try to find fabrics that remind me of something in my life; just today, I happened to come across some fabric in a discount store that just filled me with images of my beloved grandmother, who passed away a few years ago. It's unusual fabric...it's kind of a deep robin's egg blue with cardinals, finches and bluebirds on it. I hope to have it listed soon, and I hope it touches someone else as it has touched me. Plus I hope to convince one more person to at least give cloth napkins a try! :)

The item i would like to feature today is: Cloth Napkins, 4 in a Set, Cowboy Americana Print with Yellow Backing http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=27193121- Adorable cowboy design reminiscent of American decorating in the fifties and sixties. I think these are just gorgeous and would love to pack them in my picnic basket!

"This cloth napkin set is a great accessory for those who like to decorate in the "Mad Men" style! Size is approximately 14 x 14, and can be folded in a variety of ways for a formal dinner or luncheon, or a casual get together. Also great for use everyday....use instead of paper towels and paper napkins to save money and the environment!All TableScapeCompany cloth napkins are made double layers for added strength, durability and a more polished look. These are not like the less expensive single-layer napkins you may find in discount stores. My double-layer napkins will last much longer! The yellow fabric that serves as the backing on this napkin is made with a cotton blend...not sure of the exact material, since I "saved" it from being thrown away!These make great birthday gifts for moms, grandmothers, aunts, girlfriends! Also makes a creative and thoughtful wedding or bridal shower gift!"

SEE ALL OF TableScapesCompany's GORGEOUS ITEMS AT: http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=7219812

Featuring Gorgeous Things!

Over the last couple of days I have come to the decision that i would like to feature some of my favourite etsy sellers and their lovely handmade wares in my blog. I am so overwhelmed by how many gorgeous things i come across on etsy and would like to keep a record of the items (and people!) that come my way for various reasons.

I am hoping to be able to offer a few freebies in the way of competitions, so stay tuned in order to win some lovely handmade goodies!

If you would like to be featured on my blog please contact me for further details!

Today has been wonderful - I have spent a truly lovely day with my little one that i can hardly believe turned eleven years old today. It only seems like yesterday that he was born, and although I am happy he is maturing and turning into a responsible and sensitive young man i cannot help but feel sadness that he is no longer a baby and alot of the innocence of childhood are no longer there.

This year we had a very low key event and it almost seemed strange not to be catering for hords of children and making the usual party food fare.

This year his presents were different than usual and i wanted to test the waters on how he accepts both child like gifts and mature presents. I was very rapt to be one of the lucky people to have managed to purchase a lovely rabbit called Roger from Julie of Little Cotton Rabbits ihttp://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=7065742&ga_search_query=LCR&ga_search_type=seller_usernames in the UK. He is so well made and a true delight. I have had this gift tucked away for a little time and i was delighted to see the sheer glee in Joshuas eyes when he opened him. He has taken him to bed now and tucked him under his chin. It is lovely to see that he still has such innocence - being a eleven year old boy these days seems to not allow innocence by others.

The other was a handmade journal (pictured above) from a lady in the US called Bindingbee http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=6032235 . Her work is very unusual .. but very much the type of thing that i had in mind when i set out on the journey of finding "just the right" journal for Josh. I hope that this book becomes very much his personal space of freedom and somewhere he may be able to loose himself in. Its a lovely leather covered handmade book with handmade paper and Meg glued in some old envelopes for his special bits and bobs to be put in, together with some photo corners and some other treasures. I am hoping this book becomes something he can reflect back on to as he grows. If it seems fit i may even write some little things into it for him to read to lift his spirits after i am gone for times he feels lonely or abandoned or perhaps words that i would have liked to say to him at the time when his first child is born, or the day he may be married or what have you. We will see where this goes and will work together under Josh's direction for what this is to become. It is quite the "merlin" book with an old handstitched rusted washer on the cover and an antique key hanging as a book marker. The message in the insode of the cover reads "This is the key to your mothers heart, the key that only you will ever hold"

Tomorrow is a new day, we will see what it brings.

Phew .. a sunday and no work!

Well... it has been a nice change just doing some family things today. It has been a while since i have had a "lazy" Sunday!

Berrylicious is doing nicely and i am happy with the way it is going so far. I have completed some really nice custom orders and last week made a whopping 20 pony tail holder sets with printed logos for House of Dance (Tas) .. they were all handsewn because the logos needed to be centred on each of the 60 buttons... a huge job but very rewarding to see the end result.

It has become very cold here and i think perhaps the coldest winter i have know for some time. The chooks are loving being outside all day fosiking in the garden for nice little grubs and worms.

I discovered that we have a "resident" bunny in the vegetable garden today. I feel a little like Mr McGregor and scatting him away everytime i see him, but i feel there must not be too much to eat for him elsewhere at the moment, as he continues to risk his life to put his little nose back in my garden and doesnt bother too much when he sees me now. He has thoroughly enjoyed all my little carrots and taken the top clean off my silverbeet. ... oh well... at least he is not hungry!