It's December!

Wow! I can't believe that it's December 1st and it's a gloomy day here in our neck of the woods today.

As usual I've been busy finishing and shipping orders. It's that time of the year! But no complaints I love what I'm doing and I love posting pic of my happy customers.

I recently finished a black and grey shrug.

It took me 6 weeks to finished this and shipped it to Canada.

But so glad I was able to finished it and Maria...my very pretty friend and customer loves it.

Here are some of the photos she send to me. Yay!

Sooo pretty and love the whole outfit...

And here's a close up photo. So gorg Maria!

This shrug is so comfy and thick. And Maria said she received lots of compliments and even Sumo (her cute dog) loves it and cuddled inside of it. LOL! Thank you again Maria.

Yay! One of my favorite quote is from Pete Drucker... "The single most important thing to remember about any enterprise (or business) is that there are no results inside its walls. The result of a business is a satisfied customer."

By the way, I'll be participating again at Somewhat Simple 12 Giveaways of Christmas 2011. So stay tuned...I'll be posting details in few days. =)

And I just added a tab for items I sell here. If you wish to order just email me at anacskie@gmail.com. Thanks and have a great day everyone.

Fingerless Gloves is here to stay...

Yay! It's Tuesday...and few weeks more it will be Thanksgiving. It's getting chilly out here in Nevada so I'm busy trying to finish all my orders for gloves, shrug and scarf... So busy I can not even re-open my Etsy shop.

Anyway...here's my latest creation for my friend. A warm and cozy fingerless gloves.

She lives up in the east coast so she said this gloves is really perfect for her... and I'm so glad she loves it. Below is a pix of my friend modelling her fingerless gloves.

A lot of my friends have been asking me what's the point of wearing fingerless gloves. So what's really the advantage of the fingerless gloves? I decided to search through the web to find some answers and found this perfect answer from WashingtonWahm.com :

"You have the advantage of a glove and also the ability to manipulate small objects together with your fingers and not have to remove your gloves. Whether you’re texting friends and family on the cell phone, digging change out of the dispenser with the market or rummaging through a toolbox trying to find the best size screws, it’s so less difficult to do these tasks when wearing a set of fingerless gloves.

It is easy to know the selling point of these gloves when you examine all these advantages. The sole disadvantage is that if it is, really cold outside. In that case, you can wear some mittens and also you still need not go without your fingerless gloves! With such utility, style and fashion, I’d personally expect these gloves to stay popular for many years."

There you have it...Fingerless gloves is not only fashionable but it's also very useful.

It had been a long time since my last post... but I'm back!!!

And summer is over so it's time to make those knitted and crochet goodies again. =) It's also time to re-open my Etsy Shop.

Anyway, here are pics of my latest project. I call it Wavy Pink Baby Blanket. I made this for my friend who is having a baby girl pretty soon.

Here's a photo of the blanket when it was "worked in progress"...

And here are photos of the finished product...

Oh, one last photo...got to add ribbons and hang tag...now it's ready for the Baby Shower. Yay!

Isn't it so adorable? I ♥ it!

It took me three and a half weeks but I had really fun making it. Now my little boy wants me to make him a red and blue blanket. LOL!

So next in queue is the fingerless gloves and the shrugs. Stay tuned for more... =))

It's April - Spring Shoes

Hi everyone. It had been a long time since my last post. Sorry I had been busy with work and life. But I'm off from work again so I got more time to update my blog.

It's Friday and it's April Fools Day...right? LOL!

I've been busy lately spring cleaning, finishing my projects, decorating my temporary craft room and busy chatting with my fellow shoeaholics friends at Shoe Dazzle, Just Fabulous, Shoe Privee, and Sole Society.

So far...my fav shoe club is Shoe Dazzle and Just Fabulous. These are the shoes I got so far...

Meet Caroline...she's pretty comfy and really cute for Spring and Summer.

And meet Weekend...she's pretty cute flats. She'll look great with jeans and a nice top... what do you think? (please leave comment below)

And ohh one last pic...

And here's the most recent photo of my shoe collection (closet)...I did not take a full shot for it's a work in progress... LOL!

I'll be posting more pics and maybe just maybe a nice gift certificate giveaway so please subscribe and always take a peek... Hopefully...I'll be back next week... =)

Ribbon Flower by Joanne From Craft Passion

Yay! This is my very first guest post...who-hoo!

My first guest is Joanne from Craft Passion. I absolutely love her blog she makes all these beautiful and adorable stuff and have great ideas/tut for sewing, crochet, knitting and everything else...truly inspiring. So I was so thrilled when she agreed to be my very first guest. And here is her tutorial...

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How To Sew Ribbon Flower

Hello, readers of PBF Collection,this is Joanne of Craft Passion. I am so happy (almost fell off the chair, LOL) when Ana wrote to me and invite me to guest post a tutorial on her blog.

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A little about Craft Passion:

I started Craft Passion in end of 2008. At the early stage, Craft Passion is just a personal journal about the handmade I did and found. Surprisingly, with the “vast” (as a newbie that time, thousands of pageviews per month is considered a lot J) responses and feedbacks came back asking me how to do them, since then Craft Passion grew into an e-classroom for distance handicraft learning website, mainly on sewing, crochet and knitting. You would find lots of tutorials and patterns in Craft Passion and they are free. From then on, Craft Passion is growing rapidly with more than hundred of thousands pageviews per month!!!

A little about me:

I love handmade and most of them are either self-taught or pass down from my skillfully mom.

At the age of less than 10, I completed my first handmade, that was a simple crochet thumbler holder where I learned from a book.

Later, when I grew up a little and allow to hold pins and needles, my mom taught me sewing by using her vintage foot paddle sewing machine, I made a few dresses and jammies for myself, and was so proud of myself when I'm wearing them… lol!!!

Since I was small, I admired seeing those actresses knitting in the TV soup operas and I told myself that I am going to pick-up this skill one day. Those days, kntting is a rare handicraft in my country and I can hardly see any people knit in the public. So, my uncle bought me a basic knitting book and a pair of knitting needles from overseas. After many months of trial and error, I finally got a scarf done without any real people help (youtube and google didn’t exist that time) though the tension is just a so-so.

Since then I can’t stop creating … that was more than 30 years ago!!!

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Recently, I made a crochet bead necklace but found that it it too dull with only the beads alone. I decided to make a simple flower that anybody can sew to match with it.

Try to get printed satin ribbon for this flower brooch. The printing make the ribbon flower unique, while the satin gave a glossy shine on it.

Materials:

1. 1” wide ribbon, 12”
2. Button, about ½” Æ
3. Brooch pin
4. Needle and matching color thread
5. Scissor
6. Tealight candle or fray check or Use a tealight flame to slightly melt the raw edges of both ends of the ribbon so that it won’t fray.

   Or

   Drip a few drops of fray check on the raw edge, leave it to dry.

With needle and thread (double strand), sew a row of running stitches near to the long edge of the ribbon.

Pull and tug the thread to gather the ribbon. Pull until the ribbon is fully gather and form a circle.

Overlap both ends a little and sew a few stitches to secure the position. Knot the thread but don’t cut.

Turn to the back, sew the brooch pin on.

Turn to the front, sew the button on the center of the flower.

Done~

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If you are interested in how to crochet the bead necklace I am wearing, click here.

Winner Of October Giveaway

Wow! Since I only have one entry for the October Giveaway. Obviously, the winner for the "Ice Cream Earrings" from Cupcake Princess Jewelry is...

SADE

Congratulations Sade!

Okay, this might be my last giveaway for this year since I'm busy with my Etsy Shop and my part time job. But PBF Collection will have a guest post/tutorial from CraftPassion Joanne this month so stay tuned...

Artist For the Month of October

Sorry this GIVEAWAY is closed.

Our artist for the month of October is also from Las Vegas. Kelly Marshall is one of the artist that I met through Handmade In Vegas Etsy Group. She's the talented artist behind Cupcake Princess Jewelry. Checked out her beautiful shop at Etsy... Cupcake Princess Jewelry. She's selling this cute Kawaii Accessories that are simply adorable and looks delicious at the same time.

I had an opportunity to review one of her adorable product the "cupcake necklace". I absolutely love it!!! The packaging was great and the necklace itself is perfect for your cute little girls or for yourself too. Here are some photos I took of the item...

So to get to know Kelly better and to know more about Cupcake Princess Jewelry I had a chance to have a little interview with Kelly and here it is...

Tell us a bit about yourself?

I live in wonderful Las Vegas with my husband and am currently a stay at home 'mom' to my Toy Poodle and 2 Chinese Crested's. I am originally from Orange County, CA and have been living here in Las Vegas for the past 2 years. I went to school at the University of CA- Irvine, and received a Bachelors Degree in Political Science. After that, I spent a few years working out in the corporate world, but I am now lucky enough to be able to design and create jewelry full time.

Besides creating and designing, what else do you like to do?

I guess I am a true girly girl at heart, as my favorite thing to do is go shopping!! I love spending time with my dogs, and going out and having a good time. I also love cleaning my house, it's a funny quirk about me, but I am a complete neat freak. I also love to travel, and have 2 large trips planned for next year.

What first made you want to become an artist?

I don't know that I ever 'became' one, as I believe I have always been one. I have always loved creating things and admiring them, even as a young child. However, due to a hectic schedule and the regular happenings of life, I spent several years not being able to express my creativity the way I needed to. As soon as life really began to fall into place for me, I began creating again. I began to make such wonderful things that I truly loved and were an expression of myself and my creativity. It wasn't long before I saw that my designs were making others happy as well. That's when I decided to open my Etsy shop, Cupcake Princess Jewelry.

Please describe a bit about your creative inspirations.

I'd have to say my biggest inspiration is anything 'cute'. Sometimes I still feel like a child at heart, looking at toys and miniatures and thinking of unique ways to wear them as jewelry, or make into a piece that I can display in my home. I have always gone crazy for Japanese street fashion. I love how you will see just these completely over the top outfits and accessories. I believe that it's not just fashion, but an art as well. Another of my creative inspirations (as well as one of my personal obsessions) is Marie Antoinette. I am completely fascinated with her and the life she led.

What advise can you give to inspiring artist?

The best advice I can give is to stay true to yourself and continue to create with your own unique style in mind. Don't give up and don't get discouraged. There is a lot of competition out there, and it is easy to be let down when things don't go as expected. I always like to create meaningful experiences and I think it will make you stand out and more likely to be remembered.

Where do you see yourself in ten years?

In ten years I would love to own my own boutique where I sell my jewelry alongside trendy designer clothing. It has always been my dream to own my own store.

Kelly will be giving away this beautiful "ice cream earrings" to a lucky subscribers of my blog.

Here are the entry rules for the Cupcake Princess Jewelry "Ice Cream Earrings" giveaway:

1. (This is the mandatory entry) You'll receive 1 entry for visiting Cupcake Princess Jewelry and telling me what your favorite item is! Make sure you leave your EMAIL address in this entry.

2. You'll receive 2 entries for adding Cupcake Princess Jewelry in your Etsy favorites.

3. You'll receive 5 entries for following our blog and telling us that you do. Leave a comment with your username.

4. You'll receive 2 entries for adding/liking us in ourPBF Collection Fan Page.

Please remember that the more entries you have the better chances you'll have in winning this giveaway.

All entries must be received before 11:59 on Sunday - October 31, 2010. A winner will be drawn using a random number generator and I will send her an e-mail. The winner will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be choosen.