Tophatter is Tops

There's a fairly new website that's making its mark as a fresh new way to shop online. Tophatter is a live auction style marketplace where sellers and buyers have an opportunity to engage one another in real time. The site opened in December 2011. I joined in January 2012 when the site was still a newborn infant. I have had the opportunity to see this start-up grow to the gawky teenager it is today.

I sell on the site as LadeeBee, offering mostly jewelry and craft supplies. I have grown a successful little business with the aid of this platform and have had lots of fun doing it! I have almost reached my 1000th sale on the site since I started selling mid February 2012.

A sample of products I offer on Tophatter and in my Etsy shop, LadeeBee Supplies

Tophatter can seem a little intimidating to a new user, however there is now a video tutorial, a help button and the ability for users to chat with a staff person for live support. Also, each auction room has a chat window where you can ask other buyers and sellers for support - everyone in the community is always willing to lend a helping hand.

As a buyer I have found many unique products that I may not have otherwise found. There is also the thrill of bidding and winning your item too. Buyers are also able to choose what gets offered up for auction by placing an opening bid on items in a standby column. 

Below are examples of some unique items you can bid on in the auction rooms on Tophatter. Hope I'll see you around the auction block! Oh yeah, if you'd like me to send you an invitation just place your email in the comments section below and I'll send you an invite through Tophatter. Tophatter will give you a $5 credit to spend on anything you win over $5!

Source: tophatter.com via Melissa on Pinterest

Source: tophatter.com via Melissa on Pinterest

Source: tophatter.com via Melissa on Pinterest

Life as a Full-Time Crafter

Feel I owe you an explanation as to my whereabouts over the last little while. If you follow me on Twitter you'll know I haven't been far away. After about a month of not posting anything on my blog I have been thinking about how neglectful I've been of Close Knit almost daily. Well, I can finally be guilt-free!

About two years ago I quit my job and began working for myself. I haven't got savings or lots of credit, but I have managed to make it work. My partner has a job, not fantastic pay, but he can manage the rent (phew). Crafting for a living is tricky, so I have to wear a lot of hats to make it work. I teach crafty workshops, participate in the odd craft show, do two major craft shows per year, provide childcare for some families in my neighbourhood, keep two online shops, and work at a craft market up the street from my house. It is crazy busy and it means I essentially work all the time - no complaints, I LOVE what I do!

Being a childcare provider is a skill I carry with me from my experience in the workforce. I studied Early Childhood Education and have my degree in psychology. I am intrigued by infants and young children and I am very good with them. I spend snippets of time here and there throughout my week happily getting my baby fix, riding bikes with preschoolers, and crafting with the very young.

My two shops are LadeeBee Supplies and Vintage Baby Revival. LadeeBee is vintage buttons, handspun yarn, and lately a little bit of cheerful jewelry. Vintage Baby focuses on knits for kids 0-4 and knit scarves for women. Running a shop involves photography, listings, updating, promoting, and hopefully filling orders.

Dahlia Ear Blooms
Available at LadeeBee Supplies

LadeeBee Supplies is a like a hobby for me. My hobby is very similar to my actual work. I love to make new things, try new things and test them out on the market. The above Dahlia Ear Blooms have been my latest success. Vintage Baby Revival represents work that has evolved over time into a line of high-end knits for young ones that I am really proud of. 

Hand Knit Wool Poncho
Available at Vintage Baby Revival and the One of a Kind Show and Sale in Toronto

Organic Cotton Tunic and Matching Hat

In addition to my crafty work I have a 15 year old son. He is a wonderful person and I am always inspired by his energetic youth. People think I was a baby when I had my son because I may look younger than I am, but I was 19 (not a baby, but close).

Niagara Falls '08

My home is dusty (from all that fibre!) and chaotically organised. Just about every inch of my home has got one of my projects in various stages of completion (my poor family!). Also, I've got furniture for my big show at the One of a Kind, props, inventory and the like stored in all locations of my two bedroom apartment. 

So that is what I have been up to and that's a bit of what life is like as a full-time crafter. I am bound to drop a ball here and there, but I'll always pick 'em up!

Something New

Now that I have a fabric stash to speak of I figured it was time to stop hoarding it and put it to good use. It is so difficult to cut into that stuff, particularly the nice little folded fat quarters, so pretty and neat. But I tore into my stash the other day and got down to designing a crochet hook keeper. I wanted something that would make me happy (ie hooks don't fall out and onto the floor) and pretty. Here are some photos of the results of an afternoon of work.

Earlier in this blog I talked about buying some fabric at a quilt shop in Ft McMurray, Alberta and I gave you a tour of that shop. Well, I opened up those FQs and put them to work!

needles stay put in this case!

The green version.

I am very happy with the results and I have offered them up for sale in my shop at LadeeBee Supplies. I'll be making more, so stay tuned. This month I'll be debuting these needle keepers at Wise Daughters Craft Market Yarn Party and you are invited!

Come and Join Button Fanatics!

Not another Facebook group!
Oh yes indeed. This one is for fans of buttons or otherwise known as "Button Fanatics". Check out our group and share your photos of buttons, your projects with buttons, and especially any projects you've completed with LadeeBee Supplies buttons!

Currently LadeeBee Supplies is undergoing a little bit of a transformation and the site is being updated daily with new listings. LadeeBee's buttons are also available at Wise Daughters Craft Market in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

Take a look at what I've just sent to Wise Daughters:

 multi-packs are great for many crafting projects

who said all of your buttons need to match?

 Delicious buttons in blue!

 I adore these buttons pictured above. They are made out of nice quality vintage plastic. Chunky and bold!

 These clear buttons pictured above are so cool with the green gems set right inside the plastic. 

Here they are all together, the button family. Available this week at Wise Daughters. This just barely scratches the surface of my ever growing vintage button collection.

Japanese Paper Pendants On Zibbet

Hello Craft Fans!
My Japanese paper under glass tile pendants are now available online in my Zibbet shop! This shop has been rededicated to handmade goods unrelated to the Vintage Baby Revival line. I have been bringing these fantastic little necklaces to shows with me for some time and they have been wildly popular. Affordable handmade now at your fingertips! Each pendant was carefully crafted with durability and maximum beauty in mind. Playing with Japanese paper is so much fun, and I won't be stopping any time soon, so look for more pendants to arrive each week!
--LadeeBee

Athabasca Spring Scarf Knitting Pattern

This lightweight spring/summer scarf is named for the Athabasca River, which can be seen clearly from the air as one arrives to the well-known oil town, Fort McMurray, Alberta. I began knitting this scarf just before my journey up to the northern Alberta town and completed it while there visiting my mother. The colours that appear in these sumptuous yarns remind me of hues of green and blue that can be seen from the airplane window high above the town. It is beautifully stunning countryside!

Materials
Yarn A: 1 skein of Punta Cotton Hand Paint  Colour Hp10 (100 % cotton/ 214 meters, 235 yards/ 100 grams)
Yarn B: 1 skein of Nuna by Mirasol Shade 1017 (40% wool, 40% silk, 20% bamboo/175 meters, 191 yards/ 50 grams) 
1 pair of 6mm knitting needles


Notes
This pattern is really all about the yarn. If you choose beautiful yarns, your scarf will look amazing! This pattern is very simple and is great for beginners or experienced knitters that want a great pattern to sit and relax with.
Yarn B will be carried along the side when you knit the rows of yarn A. Just simply wrap A and B around one another when you carry B so that yarn B is hugged more tightly to the edge of the scarf thus diminishing the appearance of a loop.

Instructions
With A CO 47 sts
Row 1-3: k
Row 4: With B *k1, yo twice, k1* repeat to end
Row 5: continuing with B *k1, slip 2 yo off needle, k1* repeat to end
Row 6-9: with A k 4 rows
Row 10: with B *k1, yo, k1* repeat to end
Row 11: continuing with B *k1, slip yo off needle, k1* repeat to end
Repeat Rows 1-11 until your yarn is nearly finished. End with 3 knit rows in yarn A. BO loosely and weave in ends.