Salutations Sunday with Acts of Craftiness

Well today I not only ask you to welcome my featured Etsy shop and artist Jen...I am asking you to also leave her HAPPY BIRTHDAY wishes in the comments!!! Today is her birthday!!! Happy, happy birthday Jen!!! Let's discover her Etsy shop, Acts of Craftiness

What is the first creative memory you have?

I don’t know if this is my first creative memory, but it is definitely an early one. I was visiting my grandmother and I begged her to show me how to crochet. She handed me a ball of thick brown nylon yarn and a jumbo crochet hook and showed me how to do single crochet. I got started and eventually ended up with a lopsided, concave “thing.” I was so excited to give my parents my new creation! When I presented them with my gift, they asked what it was. I had no clue, but blurted out, “It’s a bread basket.” They loved it (of course!) and that bread basket was used for years. It has since mysteriously disappeared though.



Rainbow rain cloud embroidered hoop art

What or whom began your creative journey on Etsy?

I have always been a crafty person, and I viewed Etsy as a place where I could share my creations with others and possibly make enough money to keep up with my crafting habit. Like many other shop owners, I wanted to open an Etsy shop for a long before I finally did it. There never seemed to be enough time to work my day job, make products, and get a shop set up.

After I had my son, I quit my day job so I could stay home with him. During the first few (sleep-deprived) months, I started sketching up some designs, learned more about Etsy, and researched the market. In February of 2012, my shop was ready for its debut.

How did you come up with your shop name?

When I was working full time, I didn’t really craft very much. I was a teacher, so even when I got to go home at the end of the day or was lounging on the couch on the weekend, I was always working on new assignments or grading. So, when I decided to stay home with my son, I was really excited to have more time for crafting. My goal was to do something crafty every day, even if it was only a small project or a bit of a larger project. I thought of it as my “daily acts of craftiness.” When I was trying to come up with a name for my shop, I had this idea stuck in my head, so I took it and shortened to just Acts of Craftiness.

Describe what creations you have in your shop

My shop features cross stitch patterns, cross stitch kits, hand-embroidered hoop art, and hand-embroidered jewelry.

Custom conversation heart cross stitch pattern

What inspires you?

While all of my designs are of things I love, most of them are inspired by my family, friends, nerdiness, pop culture, and things I loved while growing up.

What do you listen to or watch while creating?

I love to read, but it’s hard to read and create at the same time since I need my hands for both! So, I often listen to audio books while I work. I love mysteries.

I am also a little addicted to TV. I will watch almost anything. I’ve been getting caught up on all the shows I didn’t have time to watch before staying home with my son (and the ones my husband would laugh at me for watching). Most recently, I got caught up on The Glades, and I just rewatched every episode of Psych.



Personalized QR code embroidery art hoop

Please share a favorite recipe

Bacon-Wrapped Potato Bites With Spicy Sour Cream Dipping Sauce

For the potatoes:
1 lb small or medium red potatoes (one-bite sized potatoes would be even better)
1 1/2 tsp chopped, fresh rosemary
1 Tbsp olive oil
1/2 tsp salt
freshly ground pepper
12-16 oz bacon
toothpicks

For the dipping sauce:
1 cup (8 oz) sour cream
1 tsp hot sauce - or to taste (Any brand you like will do. I've used Tabasco and an Asian chili garlic sauce, and both were great.)
salt and pepper

Directions:
• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
• Wash and dry the potatoes. Chop them into 1-inch pieces, keeping the chunks roughly the same size. Put the potatoes in a medium pot, cover them with cold water, and salt the water.
• Bring the water to a boil. Let it boil for about 3 to 4 minutes, until you can stick a fork into the potatoes without too much resistance. You want the potatoes to be almost, but not fully, cooked so they don't fall apart while being wrapped.
• Drain the potatoes and put them in a large bowl. Add the rosemary, olive oil, salt, and a few grinds of pepper. Toss until the potatoes are evenly coated.
• Cut the bacon strips in half. Wrap each piece of potato in a half-strip of bacon, securing it with a toothpick.
• Put the potatoes on a foil or parchment-lined baking sheet. You may need to cook the potatoes in two batches so the baking sheet isn't too crowded.
• Bake the potatoes for 15 minutes, and then flip each piece. Bake them for another 10 to 15 minutes, until the bacon is cooked through and crisp.
• Mix the sour cream and hot sauce in a small bowl. Season with salt and pepper.
• Pile the potato bites on a plate and serve them alongside the dip
• Eat more than you probably should! :)

Where else can we find you?

Etsy: ActsofCraftiness.etsy.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/ActsofCraftiness
Twitter: ActsofCraftines
Blog: ActsofCraftiness.blogspot.com

Tetris heart embroidery art hoop