Free Handmade Basket!

*****BASKET GIVEAWAY***FREE BASKET***

YUP! I am giving away one of my handmade Baskets for those who are basket and craft lovers! I am new to blogging and looking for followers , not just so you can read my blog, but in hopes that I can receive constructive critiques and helpful advise of my works and blog entries. I love blogs and follow quite a few and they all have been so helpful and entertaining at the same time! So, for everyone that follows me till June 15th, will get an entry towards winning this basket! This basket is a nice size to use as a crafting caddy/garden tool caddy. 12 inches long, 9 inches wide and 8 inches tall.

Just Join my blog and you are entered! Let me know if you tweeted and facebooked my blog and I will give you an extra entry!

So today I had decided to reopen my Bonanza store. Bonanza is a selling place similar to Ebay and has now been chosen as the number one market place voted by buyers like us! They ranked above Ebay, Etsy, and even Amazon! Bonanza has a great format, great customer service and many different tiers depending on how you want to market your crafts or any other items you wish to sell.. from free (like I use) to commercial Pro.. They even have a chat service that allows me to see when someone is in my store real time and I can say hello, let them know I am here to answer questions! That is a fantastic function, and in the past has actually landed me a couple of sales! The customers can also offer a price that the seller can accept or decline .. It is an over all great place with lots to offer, and is much different then all the other site Market places. Here is a link below to my Bonanza shop if you want to check it out, or sign up and sell your own handmade items. It is free. You can put as many items in your store from unwanted garage sale items to brand new items.. they have over the years become very Handmade friendly as well. I started with Bonanza when they first came out and they have done very well..I just didn't not take my store very serious there (was focusing full time on Etsy)

Bubble Trubble... Cold and Flu

Bubbles! Who doesn't like bubbles? They say that the act of blowing bubbles and watching them as they gracefully dance in the air does good for our health by relaxation. Great stress relief right?

   Not today.

Today bubbles gave this Grandma stress! NO way you say! yesssss.. stress.

    I live in North eastern lower Michigan.. winter seems to last for 5 months here most years and today was 21 degrees with a wind chill of 9. That is much too cold for a three year old to have play time outside! So Grandma got out the bubbles.

    Lovely colored bottles filled with beautiful soap and a collection of wands and a three year old squealing with joy!  One would think it was summer in my dinning room!  Of course Ollie the dog and Boomer the cat had to join in on the bubble popping fun.  I am blowing as many bubbles as fast as I can to make as many bubbles as possible.. because that is what my Grandson likes.. "millinz bubble gandma!"

    Then Grandma had to stop.. to blow her nose. Leo, my grandson waits and asks me if I "get the boogers out?... little ones are precious!

      The sheer horror hit me... I have a bit of a cold coming on.. slight soar throat, sinuses completely plugged one minute.. draining the next...

     We all know what to do in order to not spread a cold...cover our mouth when we sneeze and cough.. hand sanitizers .. disinfectants are used on door knobs, phones and the such...you know.. we have all seen those clorox clean-up commercials...and I have been taking allllllll the preventative measures because the one thing that can make an adult feel COMPLETELY helpless.. it is a little one that is sick.. and I didn't want the joy of my life sick.. nope no no no!

   but...

      What about bubbles? They are soap.. germs don't like soap right?... bubbles are filled with the air directly from my congested chest.. germy mouth .. and these bubbles are getting popped as fast as I can blow them!

    I felt HORRIFIED!... of course the disinfectant came out..and the floor mopped... and sadly the usually calming and fun activity was a total bust.........I sure hope he doesn't catch my cold!

Ok.. so here it goes, I am 50 years old and can pick up a chain saw and cut down a tree.. NO problem.. doesn't scare me a bit... but Blogging... scares the crappers out of me! Why is that?  Do I fear no one will read... or that my blog will actually get read... .. or is it the commitment ?.. I have not a clue and have thought long and hard about it. ...... for years, and years.. logging in... staring at the blank blog.. thinking... only to log out and lay in bed at night wondering what my dang issue is.
    So... Hell with it... I won't know unless I try it right? They say blogging helps anxiety.. so what helps blogging anxiety?  I might have a propbem!

Anyways.. The Blogging for Dummies says to have subject matter.. a main focus . I am an artist and crafter and DIY'er.. So... that is what you will find here at Northern Pine Studio. Hopefully my bantering about crafts, art and do it yourself projects will be inspiring as well as amusing to those who read.

Basket Weaving  is one of the main crafts that I do.

You can find my baskets on Etsy  as well as my other shop here on Etsy.