So what am I doing today?! Working on a couple flyers, business cards, and website updates for a few different sites. Call me today if I missed you in the past few days. I’m in a great working mood and will keep it going through the evening. And again, thank you all for your support.

Have a wonderful Valentine’s Day with your family and loved ones!

So I have been thinking about whether or not I should stop doing graphic and web design and focus more on my crafting. Since I do LOVE to do everything I know how to do, I just can’t decide what to focus on.

PROS:

Graphic and web design does bring in a good income as opposed to scrap-booking or crochet. Although during the colder months, crochet is my biggest form of income.

With working from home, I set my own hours, and usually have plenty of time on weekends to go to church and have more family time than I used to when I was working full time.

CONS:

Working at home  come along with risks like more distractions, more distractions, and MORE distractions. I think that is my biggest problem. Luckily I have moved my office into the spare bedroom and away from the tv. So that makes for one less distraction to worry about.

Easily sidetracked by other personal projects. Yes, when at home, all my other projects also tend to draw attention towards them. Although most of these should inspire my creativity, I tend to get stuck on my work due to maybe way to much going on in my mind.

I need some pointers from others that also work at home. Please, help me. How can I make working at home flow a lot nicer than it has been?

Spring is near and it’s time to stop with the hats, scarfs, and mittens in order to welcome the season with bags and shrugs! Last week, I made three different styles of bags and a shrug for my niece. I have made one knit bag but I find crochet to be must faster for me. Although, I have been watching speed knitting videos on YouTube, and can’t wait until I am able to knit like that.

The fluffiest, rounded bottom bag in a pinkish color is my very first hobo bag. I like how soft and light it is. I also added a cell phone pocket on the side but I’m thinking of adding a flap on the pocket so that the phone doesn’t slide out. Just to be safe. Either that or a button. Anything that will keep my phone or camera secure.

The pink and tan bag was my pattern practice bag, which is why it turned out wider at the bottom. I was trying a v-stitch, and two different shell patterns. The strap, like all three bags, are done with a single stitch to keep it from stretching out too much.

The brown and tan bag was the beginning of a granny square afghan, but since I decided to go with a giant granny square instead, I used two large granny squares for the sides of the bag. First I added the strap, and then the triangular flap. This bag is very sturdy. The thing at the bottom of the flap was an attempt at a flower, which I did not like at all, so I folded the thing in half and placed it on the tip of the flap. Thus, becoming my second experiment bag.

I love learning to crochet and knit! I must say, that even though I learned to crochet when I was very young, I am finally experimenting and having fun with different shapes and patterns in lots of different projects. My ultimate goal is to learn how to knit, and I WILL reach my goal by summer! I love the way knitting looks like tiny chains. I simply must master this skill. I will…

One night, as I looked for my lost glove for hours, I realized, I was never going to find it. So, I took out a ball of yarn, and decided I should learn how to make mittens. So I did! They’re a little uneven, but at least they match. I’m glad I learned how to make them though. They are a lot warmer than the ones I lost.

I also learned how to make a chain knit scarf. Well, it sort of looks like what I wanted, but my next one will be a lot better. I do like it though. It’s very wide and warm. Now that I feel like a scarf-making pro…I think my next project will be a shawl, or something wide like that. Maybe even a blanket. It will take me a few months, but I would love to make one.

I would love to learn to knit and crochet new patterns this year. These are two new things for this month, so, I think I can try to learn two new things each month. Wish me luck!

Let's celebrate the new year!

2010 was a great year for me. I began my website in January, and never imagined it would take off the way it did. We moved to a new city, Chicago, in the spring. My husband and I celebrated our 5th year wedding anniversary in August, and my grandparents celebrated their 45th year as husband and wife. We met a great friend at a family get together, and lost him a few weeks later. 2010 – a year of great joys and few sorrows, but then again, that’s life.

My website went through several transformation before becoming what it is today. I love my website! It completely displays my personality in it’s colors and transparent elements. I especially love the way you can interact with my image gallery. If you haven’t seen it it’s at http://lucygraphics.com

In April, we made the best decision we could have ever made this year, and that was to move to Chicago. Within the first week, my husband and I both got great jobs. We moved into a great place. Where we later celebrated our 5th year wedding anniversary in August.

So many memories came and went in 2010. This coming year, 2011, I have set a goal for myself to expand my horizons and push myself to achieve bigger and better things. Reach new clients, learn new things, and live life to it’s fullest. No more stress, no more anxiety, no more depression! Life is full of joy and happiness, and that is what I want for 2011. I will exercise more and devote more time to my family. Thanks 2010 for giving me hopes and dreams for the new year to come!

I’m averaging one scarf a day! Well, about a half day since that’s about as much time as I have when I’m not working. I just sit in front of the tv to watch my favorites shows and knit during commercials.I am so glad I learned to knit! It seems I can make scarves a lot faster that way. I don’t know may patterns yet but I’ll learn. I was even thinking of taking my needles and yarn with this holiday weekend to learn from true experts back home.

I have two aunts who love to crochet and knit. They know so many different patterns. The only ones I know I learned from my mom about 12 years ago and I’m glad I still remember most of them. I don’t even know the names of the patterns, I just call them by their shape. Like the green scarf I made could either be the zig zag weave or the sloped stitch. I do remember how to do a pattern that looks like flowers. I think I’ll put up an example later on today. I’ll just have to remember how to start it. Yet, I still prefer the look of the simplest patterns and stitches.

I love using chunky yarn for warm thick scarves. But the thinner soft yarn looks very nice for intricate patterns. Living in Chicago has inspired me to create warm fluffy scarves for freezing temperatures. Last year, when it was -30 degrees, I did not have a thick fluffy scarf at hand. I had a thin store-bought scarf that just didn’t cut it. Especially when the car didn’t start and we had to stand outside to jump start the battery. So that’s why, this year, I decided not to suffer through this winter without a scarf, and to warm up the season for my friends and family as well.

Happy Holidays!

What a day!

Why is it that when you turn the house upside down to look for something, it’s nowhere to be found?!

I lost something in the house the day I made my cute green scarf with pom poms. I know where I always put it, so that’s the first place I looked, but it wasn’t there. I looked everywhere. Usually, once I tidy up and put everything back where it goes, it magically reappears in the weirdest place. I hope I find it soon.

Although I’m upset about not finding it, I’m glad I did because otherwise the house wouldn’t be sparkling clean in every nook and cranny. I even re-decorated! At least my day hasn’t been too bad.

I don’t know what it is but this past week, I spent around 6 hours just crocheting and weaving different things. I considered myself to be a crafty person, but this year, I have decided to make my gifts very personal and useful. Although I do love the idea of giving out gift cards so that you may choose a gift of your liking, this year, I will try to make, decorate, or personalize most of my gifts.

These first creations were part of my own refresher course on crocheting and weaving. The black hat and scarf are crocheted and the green scarf was hand woven. Also know as finger knitting. I created four strands and added pom-pom to the ends of each strand. Then, using a large sewing needle, I strung them together using the same yarn.

I honestly thought the finger weaving would have taken me forever, but I think it only took me a total of about 2 hours to make the green scarf. The black one must have taken me at least twice as long. I’m trying to find other variations on the finger weaving method to see what else can be made this way. Please let me know if you find anything.

1. Wacom Tablet – Bamboo Pen & Touch : Bamboo Pen & Touch combines the benefits of Multi-Touch with the comfort and precision of Wacom’s ergonomically-designed pen. Check out the website here http://www.wacom.com/bamboo/bamboo_pen_touch.php

2. Amazon Kindle 2 : This e-reader is perfect for me! I love to read and would love to be able to download my books into this device instead of buying the paperback version. Details are here http://www.amazon.com/Kindle-Wireless-Reading-Display-Generation/dp/B0015T963C/ref=dp_ob_title_def

3. Subscription to PRINT : I would love a subscription toPRINT: America’s Graphic Design Magazine filled with trends, commentary, reporting and ideas.

4. The Book BEYOND TREND : Information can be found here http://www.mydesignshop.com/product/beyond-trend/Creativity-DesignTrends

5. Wii Fit : No more Super Mario Bros! The Wii Fit will really get me to take advantage of any free time I may have. Here’s the link http://wiifit.com/buy-now/?sku=bundle

Ok, I had to add this one to the list:

6. Before & After Magazine Subscription: It’s a graphic design magazine online that I’ve been following that I like. Here’s the link http://www.bamagazine.com/ProductDetails.asp?ProductCode=B018