Storewide Sale

As I shared before...The Yankee Burrow Co. is heading in a new direction this year with more emphasis on home decor and original artwork.  So I am having a sale...

50% off everything in my shop with the coupon code CLEANHOUSE50.

Another reason for this sale is....

WE ARE MOVING!

Not just into a new house, but a new "old" state.

We are moving back to New York sometime this summer/year to be closer to family,

and while I'm excited, I'm also kind of bummed.  I'm gonna miss NC...the mountains, the sunsets (and sunrises), the HEAT!!! lol

I am also feeling overwhelmed.  While our home is just under 1000 square feet, which is tight for a family of 4, we also have 3 outbuildings...one of them is my art studio...which is full of STUFF.

So please, help me clean my inventory so I don't have to pack it and move it 5 states!

Just a quick click to share this post would help me tremendously!

Here's a few more items you can get...cheap...

Chunky Crochet Square Cowl

A cowl is a great fashion accessory for every season, and the tweed colors of this cowl are warm and beautiful.  This cowl is squared, but we also have a tapered cowl of the same yarn for a tighter fit.

Lilac Beaded Purse

Speaking of fashion accessories...you can never have too many handbags...and this lilac beaded bag is a roomy 12.5" by 10.5" and is lined so no worries about your comb or keys poking through the gorgeous shell pattern of the purse.

There is also much more available...so check out my shop...and don't forget to use the coupon code CLEANHOUSE50 to save you money!

Be blessed,

Debbi

Getting ready for summer? Let me help.

I love to share handmade items here my blog, but they are usually from another shop/seller.  Well, today I'm going to toot my horn a little, and share some items from my shop at The Craft Star for summer. 

How about this Bright Neon Ruffle Scarf for starters? I created this scarf with Red Heart yarn, and I adjusted the pattern a bit so this scarf is long (71") and light and easy to wear in the summer time.  It can be yours for only $20.00.

This small bright yellow crochet handbag is a cute 8-1/2" by 9", just right for the essentials you might need sightseeing. This purse is lined so there are no worries about anything poking through the textured crochet pattern.  Only $35.00.  **if yellow is not your color, I can make this in any color, or size, you desire, just ask.**

Here's a wild and fun way to accent those short shorts, an orange and yellow woven belt, reminiscent of the 60's and 70's.  Groovy, huh? You can read about this creation here.  It can be yours for only $20.00

Lastly, here is a bracelet I created with multi-colored shell pieces.  Each shell was individually attached to a double looped silver plated chain, and closes with silver swivel lobster claw.  It measures 7" long, but I can create one for you in any length you need.  This bracelet sells for $22.00.  I also have a matching pair of earrings for $15.00.

So now I'm done tooting.  If you're in a shopping mood (window or otherwise) check out these items, and other shops, over at The Craft Star.  Remember, when you shop handmade, you're supporting small business and getting quality items.

Be blessed,

Debbi

The Craft Star artist feature - Kristen Perez

You have to see the cool items from this weeks artist feature for 

The Craft Star...

It's Kristen Perez, and she has 2 totally awesome shops there.  The first one is 

Angel Petals.

Here you'll find a great assortment of hair accessories.  And they are so cool...to me they look like fabric origami.  But the craft is called Kanzashi, the Japanese art of fabric folding.  It's amazing.

This Lavender and Ivory haircomb is a perfect example.  Just look at how perfectly Kristen has each layer of each petal.  Amazing.

Here she added peacock feathers to this teal and plum haircomb.  These would be perfect for bridal parties, or any special occasion.

And just in time for Christmas, this Red and Green bow barrette is something every little (and big) girl would love to find in their stocking.  

Tomorrow I'll share Kristen's other shop, Secret Gems, where she offers all her jewelry designs.

Until then, live life and be happy.

Be blessed,

Debbi

It's time to accessorize...check out these purses

I've been on a crochet kick lately, especially purses.  Or as they say down here, handbags. :-)

I have 2 listed on The Craft Star so far...

I had an old pattern cut from a magazine of a large summer beaded bag and about 18 or 20 years ago I had made a red one for me, a white one for my step-daughter, and a brown (I think) one for Amanda.  When I "re"found the pattern, I modified the pattern some to create this lilac beaded handbag.  I shortened the size of the bag, and the strap.  Then I reinforced the strap with a cord inside.  I made the back longer then the front to create the flap, and added a scalloped edge.  Then I lined the bag with pretty light purple cotton fabric to stop anything from poking through the stitches.  This purse is listed in my Craft Star shop.

I found some left over bright yellow yarn in my stash and after a little searching, I found the pattern for this small bag on the Lion Brand website.  But instead of a crochet strap, I used some cool acrylic handles I purchased at Hancock Fabric.  Of course, this one is lined also.

This last bag I made when I saw the new neon yarn for sale at Michaels.  And I had a 40% coupon, whoohoo.  I used the same pattern as the beaded bag, but without the beads.  It was a bit of a pain since each row is a different color, so there was a lot of ends to weave it, but I love the finished product.  So much  so that I kept this bag for myself. :-D

If you like these bags, but maybe in a different color, I can do that for you, just let me know.

And because I don't like to hog the limelight all to myself, and I love to promote handmade, here's a few other bags I discovered on my favorite sites, The Craft Star and Handmade Artists.

duct tape handbag

Honolulu vintage clutch

leather handbag

felted sweaters shoulder bag

sunshine and rain bag

mens tie purse

Aren't they all wonderful?  Click on the links in the captions to go and visit the individual shops.
Be blessed,
Debbi

Back to school specials

Yes, I admit, I have circled the date on my calendar and I am counting the days till my girls

GO BACK TO SCHOOL! 

I think, no, I know, I am more excited than they are, lol.  But to help them get excited, I did some shopping for back to school specials and here they are....

For the collage bound student, WhetherBags on Etsy has this daytripper / messenger bag on sale for an amazing 57% off.  This bag is made from vegan-dyed organic cotton canvas with a hemp canvas liner and strap.  There is one inner pocket and it closes with cotton snap tape.  Lisa is retiring this style, and there is only 1 left, so you better get it now.



While this item is not on sale right now, I have to share with you the amazing work of Blue Highways over at Handmadeartists.com.  She makes the most beautiful journals, all hand cut and bound.  The details on these journals, and the fact that Andrea retires the fabric after only 3 books, makes these well worth the money.  You can find a journal in all sizes and for all reasons, lined and unlined.  Any student would love to complete her English essays in a journal like this one.  And this one, with the bright orange butterflies, is by far my favorite.  It even has a name, Unquestionable Peace.

Now, for the little girl in all of us, Sassafras Gifts is having a Back to School Special....20% off hair accessories.  I for one, know that I need to get my girls out of bed early enough that they can change their outfits 5 times, and fix their hair, all before the bus arrives.  Oh, the hard life of a middle schooler, lol.  Now these Zebra Gerber Daisy hair clips are adorable for grammer school, and still fun and funky enough for the older girls.  And with 18 pieces in this set, share time!!!

There is still time to order and receive these items before the first day of school, or click on the links above and check them out today.

Be blessed,

Debbi

Around the world in color!

It's BESTeam Monday and today I am visiting Uruguay, Australia, and my own USA.  I've noticed in my travels, that everyone loves color....and for me, the brighter...the better.  So let's start with the land down under...

Lesley Boretto from BorettoArt calls Australia home.  The land of kangaroos and koala bears.  I remember growing up that my step-mom mentioned that she wanted a koala bear as a pet.  As if 10 kids, dogs, cats, and guinea pigs weren't enough, lol.  But Lesley does not live in the outback, but in the most populous city...Sydney.  My favorite piece at BorettoArt is this Vase of Flowers, an original acrylic on canvas painting.  The colors are so bright and vivid!  You can find more about BorettoArt here.

Etsy / Website / Blog / Facebook / Twitter

Now we're off to South America...to the country of Uruguay...where we will find Marisa, the talent behind Floresdelsur.  Marisa takes felt, fabric, and ribbon, and creates wonderful accessories for craft projects, or your own personal use.  Here she rolled ribbon for a new and funky way to show your love of your country...custom patriotic rolled ribbon rosette pins.  Just convo her with the flag colors of your country, and she'll make one just for you.  And I bet she would make you one in any color combination you would like, these would be cool as boutonnieres for a wedding party!  Convo her and ask..

Etsy / Blog / Facebook / Twitter

And now we're back home in the United States of America.  Maryland to be exact, which is where you will find DeeDeeDzyn, one of our newer members of the BESTeam.  Look at the colors in this awesome Multicolored Tiger Striped design necklace.  Delia has a great "eye" for form and color, and the items she offers in her shop are sure to please every style.  And here's an interesting tidbit, Delia was born and raised in South Africa and you'll see that cultural influence in many of her designs.  Look for her here...

Etsy / Blog

Now a little info for you on the Boosting Etsy Shops Team, or what we loving call the BESTeam.  We are a group of Etsy artisians that help promote and support each other thru our blogs, twitter, facebook, and any other on-line social sites that we have.  And thru this promotion and support, we have also become a great group of friends.  So if you're looking for some new friends, join us!

And I'll see y'all tomorrow.

Debbi

I'm ready for summer

Now, I am not one to complain (much), and while the weather here has been wonderful for winter, I am sooo ready for summer.  And to that end, let me share with you some past summer days with the kids, and some shops with great summer items.  Now first, at the end of last summer, we found an amazing water park right here in Statesville.  We have lived here for just over 12 years and never knew about this place, the Statesville Leisure Pool.  It's part of the cities parks and recreation, and for only $6.00 per person, it is a very affordable all day mini-vacation with your family.  Bring your own coolers with food to eat (outside the park) or purchase something at the snack bar.  There are chairs and tables and umbrellas, sprinklers for the little ones to run thru, and a tubing area and bigger slide for the bigger kids.  We had a ball, and Owen loved it.  We learned about this place on the last day it was open, so this summer we plan to go several times.  While we have our own pool for daily fun, sometimes it's nice to just go out!

I did a search on Etsy for children, water, and summer, and on the first page I found these very cute Water Balloon Flip Flops from the shop Debbiefife.  You can't go wrong purchasing from a Debbi, lol.

I myself have several embellished flip flops for sale in my Handmadeartistsshop, so let's see what else we can find amongst the talented artists there...(how's that for a tie-in, oh I'm good :~D )

These Faith, Family, and Love Flip Flops from the HAS shop lilybluedesigns were created for a wonderful cause, 25% of the proceeds from the sale of these flip flops go to help Robert the Great, a young boy fighting lukemia.  There are also other charms in this shop to help support this family in their fight for life.

And since I'm not above a little self-promotion...

you'll find my Rainbow flip flops in our very own HAS shop, aptly named, Ourhometoyours! hahaha.  Now the water balloon flip flips are listed as girls size 12 - 13, and mine are listed as 8 1/2 ", I'm sure they all can be made in the perfect size for you, just let us know what you need!  So, start planning your summer days, and don't forget your summer wardrobes!

Debbi

Saturday Shopping Link Up - country trips

I love me some John Denver....YEEEHAAA!

This weeks party theme is country life and/or motorcycle trip.  If you're wondering why, read yesterdays post here.  Now Chuck didn't come home with the tractor, yet, so we still have time to save my vacation...and when we do I think I'll wear this...

I love this Pink Dots Western Jumper Halter dress! But I just discovered that it's a child's dress, so I can't wear it, hahahaha. I wonder if the creator behind the Lil' Bug Clothing shop could enlarge this pattern....a lot!  Probably not...so I'll just have to order it for one of my great-granddaughters.

I now have a shop on the HandmadeArtistsShop site as well as on Etsy, and it was there that I found this great Leather Handbag in the shop of Woods Saddlery.  This handbag (or purse as us yankees would call it) would not only look great when I go sightseeing in Baton Rouge, but the style is just enough to let every one know that I'm just a country girl at heart.

And since I want to take this trip on our motorcycle, (haha no room for children) I had to add a bikers touch to this post, so I vroomed over to Zibbet (I have an empty shop there, lol) to see what I could find, and I found this Coat Rack Silhouette by Cabin Hollow.  I like this one because this is pretty close to what our bike looks like, plus I can hang my new handbag / purse on it. :~D

OK, now it's your turn, link up your choice of blog and/or shop item, and please feel free to link up more than one.  Be sure to share this party with your friends, because the more the merrier!!!!

Have a wonderful weekend, and I'll see y'all Monday!
Debbi

The BESTeam outfit for your holiday party

This week, as part of my BESTeam commitment, I am sharing 3 wonderful Etsy shops today.  Joy Flower, Creativity Bugs, and Stitch Princess.  While browsing thru their shops, I decided to put together the perfect holiday outfit.  It was great fun, come and see what I found to wear.

First up...the dress.  Look at what Faith has to offer in her shop, Stitch Princess.  This formal gown with a gathered bodice is shown in gorgeous gold, but can be made in any color or length you wish.  Faith has several different gowns and dresses to choose from, and you can also find aprons, purses, and beautiful photographic artwork.  Here are all Faith's links.

Etsy / Blog / Facebook

Just picture yourself dancing the night away, but as the sun goes down, you feel a little chill on your shoulders, Joy from JoyFlower has you covered with some real beautiful hand painted silk scarves.  Like this one, Earthsong handpainted Silk Ruana.  The following is a direct quote from the items page.  "A ruana is similar to a cape, but more versatile, very wearable. Open on the sides, so many ways to drape and wrap."  The colors are just....wow!  You can find Joy here.

Etsy / Blog / Facebook / Flickr / Twitter

Now I am not the most serious person, I like to be different.  So I would definitely use this fun and flirty handbag from Creativity Bugs.  Sandy and Sue are the 2 sisters behind Creativity Bugs, and they started out with cards and paper crafts, but now you can find cool photo cubes, party favors, and great handbags like this one.  Their shop literally EXPLODES with color.  Follow them here.

Esty / Blog / Facebook

The name BESTeam stands for Boosting Etsy Shops Team, and that is exactly what we do, thru blog features, twitter, facebook, the team blog, and treasuries.  So if you have an Etsy shop and a blog, and are looking for a great and supportive network of friends, come and see us.

Debbi

The Best of Black

Black is a great color (or a great color void of color, heehee).  Think about it...it's the great all around color that goes with anything, rarely shows dirt (except for white chalk), and my favorite...it makes you look thinner!  Black is the common theme I found in my 4 BESTeam shop features for this week.  So slip on your favorite little black dress and let me show you what I found.

Isn't this black butterfly simply gorgeous?  You can find this in the shop of the 3 totally talented women that make up Poison Garden.  You'll also find some really fantastic jewelry.  This piece is so feminine and yet so dark and Gothic, but they also have necklaces that are light and colorful too.  Check out their shop and other links here.
Etsy / Blog / Facebook / Twitter

Every necklace needs a bracelet, and you'll find this black and silver bracelet in the shop of BeaderBubbe.  Pretty black beads with silver spacers are strung on memory wire, to fit any size.  And it has a cute little silver charm attached.  You can find Agnes's awesome links here.
Etsy / Blog / Facebook / Twitter

Now, I know that many women don't wear hats anymore, and that's a shame.  A great hat just adds to any outfit, and this wonderfully feminine vintage black wool hat is just the ticket to top off your new look.  At only $15, you better hurry before someone else runs to Redemption Art and snags it before you.  Check out the rest of Connie's on-line places here.
Etsy / Blog / Facebook / Twitter / Pinterest

Now, you may be wondering, "what am I going to do with this black mini leather journal when I'm all dressed up?"  Well, it's to jot down the phone numbers of all the men that will be giving you foolish pick up lines all night long. hahaha.  Shirley makes the coolest journals at The Orange Windmill.  Big ones, little ones, and all the colors of the rainbow.  Yellow, orange, turquoise, and they look so soft.  You could get lost writing your life story in one of these.  Here are her links.
Etsy / Blog / Facebook / Twitter / Pinterest / Stumbleupon / Tumblr
Now let me also tell you a little about the BESTeam.  We are a group of Etsy artisans that help to promote each other thru our blogs and other social media outlets.  We also share tips on our private team page and on our own team blog.  If you would like to be a part of the besteam on Etsy, just click on either link above. 
Now I'll see you all here again tomorrow.  Until then, be good.  If you can't be good, don't call me for bail money. hahaha

Debbi

don't forget your Thanksgiving decorations

Yesterday, Amanda told me that they had started playing Christmas music at Walmart, and I've seen the commercials already starting, and it makes me want to say....WHOA!  Did Thanksgiving just disappear?  Why do we rush our lives like that?  Or is it the large retail stores that rush the seasons so they can make more money?  Well, I say, STOP.  Life is short enough as it is, let's enjoy every season and holiday.  Thanksgiving is an important date in American history, for a very important reason, the first settlers were thankful to our Mighty God for caring for them that first year here in our new country, just as He still is doing today.  So let's celebrate God's hand on this country, and on our lives, and thank Him for another year to live, and to love.

And on that thought, I want to share some wonderful items to decorate your home and to remember to give thanks when you're chowing down with your loved one.

Wits End Designs (from the Capsteam) has this wonderful cross stitch towel to remind us as we cook, how blessed we are for what we have been given.

And BusybeeHolidays (also from the Capsteam) has this delightful straw broom with cornhusk doll.

Here's a great reminder of why we give thanks, a simple painted wood wall hanging.  Sometimes less is more and I particularly like how DawnsPainting kept this simple to match any home decor style. Or how about using this handpainted card from EmptyOnTheInside to invite someone special to share the day with you?

Here's a great Thankful jar from CreationsFromMyHands. As your guests arrive, have them each add a slip of paper to the jar listing what they are thankful for.  My wonderful niece keeps a jar all year long, and when something wonderful happens, they put it in the jar.  Then at dinnertime, they can read how God blessed them all thru the year.  And don't forget to decorate your food with this cupcake decorating kit from Primpmycupcakeshop.  Cupcakes are an easy dessert the children can help make, and this kit makes it even easier for little ones to help decorate.  And then there is our home decor items.

There's still plenty of time before Thanksgiving to order any of these items to help you enjoy your Thanksgiving holiday.  And please, shop homemade or your local small business this holiday season, you won't be disappointed.

Debbi

And before I forget, tomorrow's linky party theme will be, giving thanks!  Or Thanksgiving. <3