I went to bed on the last day of January with a whole big list of Things. To. Get. Done. i planned on starting off my February (and my week) right by having a really productive Monday.
So I was pleasantly surprised to wake up today and discover that Etsy was helping to give me a little boost by featuring one of my best-loved products in their daily Etsy Finds newsletter, which goes out to oodles of Etsians all over the world. It made me feel all warm-and-fuzzy, which is a given, considering that today’s theme was all about getting the perfect Valentine’s gift for your significant other.
And the Secret of the Chromastone stitch markers, which were featured as a fabulous crafty gift for him or her, are of course tickled that they got featured as well. I was actually working on making some more of these joyful little color-changing markers this weekend, so I have a bunch of them sitting on my desk waiting to be packaged up. They just look so cheerful and pretty and I confess I’ve been holding them and watching them change into my favorite colors of blue and green while I’ve been working.
As soon as I heard about this month’s Phat Fiber Sampler Box theme, Rust and Roses, I immediately knew what I was going to do. I have so many ideas rattling around in my head, and it’s hard to find the time to raise these inspirations out of the dark. So thank you, Phat Fiber, for giving me the opportunity to bring another beauty into the light.
This design began by pairing together the colors of rust – copper – and a sweet, unusual color akin to copper and topaz blended with bittersweet melon:
Now, I’ve never really been a fan of the traditional red rose. It always bored me, quite frankly, and growing up I was usually attracted to the more unusual varieties of flowers, like hibiscus, orchids or calla lilies. As I have grown into adulthood, however, I’ve become more aware of the roses that exist beyond the grocery store florist – like the wild rose, with it’s gorgeous knock-out blooms, or unusual heirloom varieties with colors like smokey bronze, chocolate-red, rusty apple-orange or spiky green. Wow. I want a whole garden full of unusual roses!
So without further ado, here are my brand new La Vie En Rose stitch markers, gold-dusted pink topaz rosebud Czech beads paired with gorgeous copper accents to create a look so realistic it’s like you are knitting with miniature roses.
The name was inspired by the haunting cabaret melody of the same name, which was written by the famous French singer Edith Piaf in 1945. It’s a melancholy post-war tune that is as much a classic as Moon River, and very evocative of the time period. Here’s a modern rendition of it that I find absolutely gorgeous:
Don’t forget, if you purchase anything in my store from Nov. 19 – Dec. 20 you are eligible for the Phat Fiber Superbox Giveaway! To win this month’s Phat Incentive, which includes the contents of this month’s Video (aka The Superbox) AND a $100 Gift Certificate to one of the participating shops, you need to join the Phat Fiber group on Ravelry and then post what you’ve purchased in the Rust and Roses incentive thread.
Want to know how you can get one of these boxes? For a Phat Fiber community edited guide to snagging a box, visit this thread in the Ravelry group. The cost of the box is $36 including shipping. Good luck!
Enjoy the new design, which is up in the Exchanging Fire shop!
Exchanging Fire 