The NorthWesternBelle

Buy this vase now on Etsy . Welcome! This little vase is too beautiful not to share. It is the first one in my Sea Life series that got a straight glaze dip for decoration, and I gotta say; it slays. This was the first Sea Life piece that got a straight glaze dip for decoration. Since then (early 2019), I've dipped a few more Sea Life pieces in this particular glaze simply because it is so perfect. It's called Spearmint, and it is made by local pottery genius and my friend, Clay Liston. Yes, his name really is Clay, and he's been doing pottery for 30+ years. He makes amazing pots and even more amazing mid-fire glazes in Utah. Check him out on Instagram @claliston . Anyway, Spearmint is particularly perfect for my Sea Life pieces because it pools blue where it is thick and stays a lovely translucent green where it is thinner. The green is reminiscent of a cone 10 Celedon, except there is much more depth and variety in this particular mid-fire glaze than ...

Hand-drawn mandala designs are my favorite way to decorate clay Hey, y'all! My first batch of mandala plates came out of the kiln last week, and I am so pleased with them. There were seven dishes and two ring cones in this latest batch, and they are all for sale! As of the original publishing of this post (Feb 2018), I haven't listed them on Etsy yet, but that'll happen soon. So, if you want to scoop one or more of  these beauties up for $18 a piece* beforehand (free domestic shipping!), details about ordering are at the end of this post. Rings not included. Blue #1: *This one is $15, due to the lack of mandala design Blue #2 Blue #3, deeper than the other two. The Celedon blue turned out really well on all three of these dishes this go round. It has been very thin lately, so I was careful to get two solid coats on, and well into those carving lines. Clear #1 Clear #2 Simple clear glaze never fails to disappoint on these hand-carved mandala...

Time is running out to get 25% off all pre-made capes on Etsy with Coupon Code CAPEDWONDER! We've sold a few over the last couple of weeks, but there are plenty more to be had! Check them out: The blood-stained model: two of these available, both extra long with button and loop closures.  There's one of these wrinkle-free, light-gray polyester capes with black ribbon tie remaining in stock! Measures 45" from neckline. Two collared black capes in stock, perfect for any Vampire costume! One long (pictured), one short. One of these beautiful apricot hooded capes left in stock! Lace detail and white ribbon tie closure. All of these lovely capes and more are available on Etsy , courtesy of our lovely and talented seamstress, Taiza P. She is so great. So great, in fact, that she makes custom capes, too! There's still time to order a custom-made cape or cloak in time for Halloween! In fact, I'll be blogging about our most recent cust...

Got an order last night for one of the PILLOW sized Death Stars! I am probably going to have to buy more dark gray yarn. Which means a trip to the craft store :) I am totally excited to make another one! I think this time I'll actually use a smaller hook on the super laser so that it is the right size proportionally. This one is still awesome, with its SUPER size super laser. The next one is going to be even better :) So, I'm off to get started on it! Have a fabulous Monday =D Thanks for looking, Loves! Always Yours, The NWB

I love October. I do! It's true. I love it a lot because it means that a) I can start wearing comfy sweaters again and b) HALLOWEEN is coming! And this October I've got a new reason to love it: sales! On Tuesday of last week (September 30) I told Taiza P. that the first pre-made cape would sell on Etsy before the end of the week. And I was right! It's like I've got ESPN or something. We actually sold two capes; this lovely sheer striped one that Taiz made a few years back: And the custom Skeletor cape was paid for and shipped out. I might love this picture of my hot hubby modeling it for us too much. He was pretty stoked that we were making a Skeletor cape. Also, I ended up making TWO (yes, TWO) mini Death Star Plushes last week. I really love making them, and can pretty much get one completed in a day (granted my three year old can be persuaded to entertain himself). On my first mini death star I stitched the trench in with the details. On the one ab...

The lovely and very talented Taiza P. has created a whole lot of handmade costume capes for the NWB's Halloween inventory ! They are each unique and there are many styles available. Lined & Hooded Cloak in Gold-Threaded Burlap Black Cape with Straight Collar - Two Available! All of these and more are available now on Etsy! Sheer Black with Hood , 3 available! Wrinkle-free Gray Polyester with Hood , 2 available! Apricot & Lace Hooded Cape , 2 available! Blood-Stained Gray Hooded Cloak , 2 available! Silver Lame Hooded Cape with Black Stitching , extra long Silver Lame Hooded Cape Reversible Silver Lame and White Lace Hooded Cape Sheer Pinstriped Hooded Cape We also do custom capes! In fact, we made one over the weekend for a Skeletor costume. Stay tuned for the post about that project! Thanks for looking, Loves! Always Yours, The NWB

Another beautiful vintage blanket sold over the weekend, this time on Etsy! So pretty and soft! That makes three Etsy sales in one month, plus five on eBay. Eight sales in the month of August means that another inventory trip is in order. Hopefully I'll get to do that this weekend. I really hope the trend continues, and that it's only a matter of days before my first handmade crochet item is purchased. Good things do come to those who work their asses off! Thanks for looking, Loves! Always Yours, The NWB

Two Etsy sales and one eBay sale (plus a bid on an auction that ends next week) is a record for this part-time crafter! It's probably not very much to be excited about, but hey, just let me have this moment, okay? Thanks :) On Saturday I woke up to an order for vintage buttons. Last night, possibly the most gorgeous vintage afghan in my inventory was snatched up by a lucky Etsy shopper. If every week were like this week I'd really be okay with it! Hopefully now that we're headed into the colder months I'll be selling more of these vintage beauties on the regular. It also tells me that my prices are finally in the range that they should be. It only took me about six months to figure THAT out. It's an ongoing struggle, obviously, seeing as I'm still trying to sell something I made myself. I think that I've got some Halloween things coming soon that will bridge that gap. Thanks for looking, Loves! Always Yours, The NWB

It's no secret that I LOVE COTTON a lot. Also, I'm actively counting down the days until Halloween (80 as of today, in case you were wondering). Halloween is my holiday; every other holiday is basically "meh." I'm starting to ramp up my Halloween inventory, starting first with this four piece set of crochet coasters/scrubbies: These things make for the best coasters ever! 100% cotton is absorbent and soft, so they're good for protecting table and countertops from the dreaded cup ring. They also work to clean up an errant ring before it causes any damage! In fact, these four-inch pads are great as scrubbies, too, and they work on even the most sensitive of skin. Get them on Etsy here . As my hubby (bless his heart) has pointed out to me before, I have a serious yarn problem. I tend to buy yarn when it's on sale without having any sort of plan for what to do with it. I know I'm not the only one (can I get an AMEN, fellow yarn addicts?). Cotton y...

When I go hunting for pieces to add to my Vintage Crochet Inventory I look for pieces that were well constructed and have been well cared for. Of course, I'm not going to spill any secrets about where I find these lovely pieces of fiber art, but I will say that I have a favorite that never lets me down. This week I had the chance to stop in while my husband was at an appointment. I came out with an armload of amazing, vintage, handmade afghans which have been freshly laundered and listed for sale. Check them out! This popcorn stitch baby afghan is seriously beautiful! The Hubs kept saying it looks like Fruit Loops in milk...and I can't argue! Shades of pink, blue, green and yellow with white variegated acrylic yarn. So bright, soft and in excellent condition. No pilling, stains, tears, holes or pulls. Get it on Etsy or make a bid on eBay . Believe it or not, I actually bought a KNIT blanket. I know, I know. How could I? Well, just look at it! Pastel yellow with such an...

The biggest, in fact! When I showed the latest crocodile handbag to a purse expert (a friend from work; she knows her stuff!), she suggested that I take the design to the next level with a shoulder bag. Not one to turn down good advice, I did as I was told. This is the result: Pretty awesome, eh? I'm seriously tempted to keep it! Here's the back: As with all my bags, the scales were constructed separately from the bag and attached to the one-piece bag. This one is seriously hefty: it measures 14.5 inches at the base, and the main compartment is a full 12 inches tall. The strap's inner perimeter measures 26 inches from one end to the other, and it's finished with a reverse single crochet that adds strength & wearability.  The flower appliques were the finishing touch.  Being that it's so tall, I felt the bag doesn't really need any type of closure. I figure it's going to hold your tablet, phone, wallet, notebook, pens, sk...

So, you may recall that I made Crocodile Stitch Bag last week, intending to sell it, but it ended up being a gift to the BFF (she fell in love immediately...how was I going to tell her no?). I'm in love this this pattern and the color combination, though, so it's probably not surprising that I've produced another one. It's for sale now on Etsy ! Went with a single strap on this one, and the rose button closure pictured below. The bag is made separately from the scales, so it's fully enclosed and won't leak! This particular one measures approximately 8 inches across at the base and 6.5 inches tall. Perfectly sized for holding the essentials! I figure these bags are great for every day use, but would be totally appropriate for a special occasion of any sort! I can just see this pink & green one being the talk of the town after the Homecoming dance. More are on the way, including a new variation on the design: messenger style shoulder bag. ...