New Pattern

Meet Shivers, Jack and Frosty Flakes, this snowman trio is a new pattern at Aly's Room. It is available in an E-pattern or paper pattern.

I am so sorry it has taken awhile for me to post. I have been busy with my Etsy shop and keeping items current in it. I also am putting finished items in a local gallery, these things have kept me hopping. I have been posting on my finished product blog.

I have added these cute little snowmansicles as a give away on that blog. Be sure to read the instructions on how to qualify for the drawing. I also posted a tutorial on them so come by and check it out at http://www.theoldcupboarddoorblog.com/

Tutorial on making peppermint candies and sticks.

You will find a tutorial on how to make these peppermint candies and sticks on my finished blog at http://www.theoldcupboarddoorblog.com/ . I also include a brief video on how to shade and high light them. Come check it out.

New Things!

Don't you just love new things? I do. Nick the Geek gave Aly's Room a new make-over and I have to say it looks pretty nice. If you are a regular to Aly's Room, take a moment and adjust, I know how strange things can be when they are different from what you are use to. If you are new to Aly's Room and looking for the patterns you will find the category for them to the left. The newest patterns are listed at the bottom of the page. At the moment I only accept Paypal, check and money orders. If you are interested in finished items, visit me at my Etsy shop at http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=7852060

This is the newest pattern added to Aly's Room. Cold and raw the North Wind doth blow bleak in the morning early. All the hills are covered with snow and winter has now come fairly. Remember this nursery rhyme? It still makes me want to reach for a warm throw when I recite it. This boot was hand painted with a scene of Old Man Winter blowing his snow over a sleepy village. The snowmen are having fun and cheering Old Man Winter on. I added a prim light to this frosty boot, 3 large rusty snowflakes, some greenery, pip berries and moss. I tied it up with a homespun shoe string and added a prim tag to top it off



New things are on the way too. This sweet pilgrim couple is all finished, the pattern packet will be posted next week so stay tuned.

These Jack-o-Lantern pokes are being featured on my OldCupboardDoor blog. It will be a "how to" make them lesson so be sure to check it out. The lesson will be loaded on the blog Monday October 12th. Here's the url: http://theoldcupboarddoorprimcrafting.blogspot.com/

Pattern coming soon.

I love painting on shoes, boots, ice skates.... They always come out so interesting. Last year I painted on a high-heeled ankle boot with a turned down cuff. I painted a Wynter scene and added the words "City side walk, busy side walk..." for the city gals. It was such a neat piece. I did it for a craft show I was doing and sadly I did not take a pic. I so wish I had kept that boot because I can not find another pair of boots like it. I sell what I make thinking I can always make one for myself later but that's not the case this time. I like this sweet little boot too. These childrens boots make the best night-lights, I just love painting them. This one is going on Etsy, as much as I like it, I'll do one for myself later...I hope. This design is original to Aly’s Room and will be added soon as a pattern packet. It won’t be on a shoe though but on a box, I’m also painting it on a board with a slate. Til next time!

Another New Pattern on the Way.

I painted this boot for my Etsy shop and decided to make it into a pattern. I hope to have it listed within the next 2 weeks. Visit me at my Etsy shop http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=7852060

snowman gourd painted from pattern #212

New Pattern on the way

Hey Everyone.

I just finished this new pattern. I'll be posting it in the new pattern section soon so check back.

Finally

I have finished some patterns. They have been sent to Nick the Geek, my webmaster, and hopefully he will be posting them soon. He's also finishing up on the web design. That has been a big adventure! He reports that he has a few more glitches to work out and all will be set. I've been behind schedule but I'm catching up.

Today is Valentine's Day. Think of all the chocolate that will be eaten today. Here's some information and statics for this special day.

One legend has it that Valentine's Day originated to commemorate the anniversary of the death of St. Valentine, a Roman clergyman who was executed on Feb. 14, about 270 A.D., for secretly marrying couples in defiance of the emperor. According to another, the holiday began as a Roman fertility festival. Americans probably began exchanging handmade valentines in the early 1700s. In the 1840s, Esther Howland, a native of Massachusetts, began to sell the nation's first mass-produced valentine cards.

Top Ways to Celebrate Valentine's Day

Household participation rates

Greeting Cards		65%		Plush	21%
Date Night		44%		Other Gifts	17%
Candy		38%		Perfume/Cologne	12%
Flowers		32%		Jewelry	11%
Gift Cards		29%

85% of all Valentine cards are bought by women.

73% of flowers

are bought by men, and only 27% are by women.

Chocolate and candy sales reach profits of $1,011 billion during Valentines

Happy Valentine's Day! willa

A set back

I was on a roll for new patterns but have had a setback. I have hearts cut out, bunnies and gingers, most of them in different stages of painting and finishing. But…..before Christmas my Dear Mom went into the hospital. She was diagnosed with renal failure. After Christmas my husband and I went to visit (she lives in Alabama, we live in Virginia). She was home and starting to make some improvement. We stayed a few days and then came home. January 14^th, one of my sisters called to let me know our loving, generous, compassionate mom passed away. She turned 86 years old on Dec 13^th. Mom did not want a traditional funeral service so in lieu of this we are having a "Remembrance" of her Jan 25^th. We will share stories of her life and swap pictures. When I return home I will do my best to finish the projects I have started and put them on my website. I'm not sure yet how all this will affect me, I do know that painting is a therapeutic outlet for me so hopefully I will not have a stall. Please be patient as I go through this time of grief and keep checking back for new patterns.

Aaaah! Do you feel that?

It's the slowing pace after a hectic, busy holiday season. It seems that from Thanksgiving through New Year's Day, the pace of life picks up and moves forward at a break-neck speed. But now, with the holidays behind us, maybe we can all refocus and start planning for the New Year ahead.

I have already been planning a few things for this New Year, at least in the way of new patterns. At the moment I am working on rabbits, sheep and gingers. I love the gingerbread theme and I never seem to make enough of them. So this year, you will be seeing some new gingerbread patterns on my site. I have a pattern for a snow family marshmallow roast half done. It was interrupted when I agreed to do a small craft show in our community. I'm just now getting back to it. That will be posted soon. My basement is filling up with all kinds of thrift store finds that I will be painting on and developing into patterns. I love the prim lights so lots of designs on my sketch pad for those. I am leaving up one of my alpine trees as an all season tree so you will be seeing new ornaments for the seasons….Valentines, Easter, Spring, Americana, Autumn and of course Christmas. I have many friends who have an all season tree and have trouble finding ornaments for them. Soooo….why not make them yourself?

That's what I am up to this next month. What about you? Also, I wonder what kind of patterns my customers would like to see at Aly's Room. Why not send an email and let me know. Til next time, willa

Happy New Year

Happy New Year from Aly's Room.

I can't believe I am finally blogging. Thanks Nick the Geek for setting me up.

There is something to be said about "new beginnings" that is how I feel about this New Year. There are so many new ideas popping into my head, things I can't wait to start on. Aly's Room will be going through a new transformation sometime this year, a new beginning. I also plan to open an Etsy account for those finished items that keep gathering in my basement, another new beginning. Aly's Room will be offering a free pattern from time to time. They will be posted for a limited amount of time so pick them up as quickly as possible….another new beginning. My Sweetie bought me a new sewing machine for Christmas, who knows what that will produce…a new beginning. Blogging, a new beginning for me. I hope to submit a few projects to a couple of magazines for publishing, a new beginning. New beginnings can be awesome if you approach them with an adventurous attitude and I feel adventurous this year. I hope you do too.

Please join me weekly to read my blogs and add your comments. I will be posting some of the items I am currently working on, tips on crafting and painting. I'll try to answer any questions you have about my patterns. Hopefully Nick the Geek will set my website up for a few give aways now and then (don't you just love free stuff?), and a demo video every once in a while.

Happy New Year and Blessings for '09.

Willa @ Aly's Room