A Fresh Look and a Craftsy Opportunity

Greetings!
I started my blog two and a half years ago and oh how things have changed!  If you take a peek at my first post (below) you'll see I didn't have much of a plan. Post by post I found my voice, and to my delight you've been listening! 

Crocheting and knitting are my passion and writing about it is one way I share the joy it brings me. To go with my renewed blogging ambition I decided it's time for a new look.  Nothing major, kind of like getting a haircut and adding a few highlights to brighten things up.  I took one of my favorite granny square pictures and turned it into a new logo, changed the background and text colors, picked new fonts and chose a simple header with clean lines. It feels bright and fresh. I couldn't be happier.  One thing that I didn't change is my motto:

laugh, learn, create & share

When deciding on my name and designing the logo I  chose Crochet Nirvana because it captures the feelings of peace, bliss and contentment that crocheting brings to me. (Not because of an obsession with Kurt Cobain and his 90's grunge band as some have asked.)  I added "laugh, learn, create & share" to make sure that everyone who stops by knows what to expect from me and the blog.  Learning new things, creating beautiful, fun, unique projects, and sharing everything with you - all with a sense of humor.

Making my place in the community

Along with my fiber obsession, I am a bibliophile. In fact, books are my first love. I wasn't sure how I would combine the two, but thankfully when opportunity knocked I was home to answer the door. A review I wrote for book called How I Came to Sparkle Again led to being contacted by St. Martin's Press. Initially I was reviewing fiction for them.  It was an easy progression to add me as a reviewer for the crafting category and start sending new titles on crocheting and knitting.  Your response to the reviews and giveaways is always fantastic and is one of my favorite parts of blogging. This has led to relationships with various publishers looking to have their books and authors introduced to the crafting community. Of course I am happy to oblige! This is the perfect way to combine my favorite activities, and has helped establish my place in the blogging community.

Guess what's happening next?

Do you know about Craftsy? It is an online community devoted to providing the education and tools to "bring your creativity to life"!  They offer interactive video tutorials and downloadable workshops for everything from knitting and photography to cake decorating and woodworking. Instruction is offered by the experts in each field. You can find patterns and recipes as well as supplies.  They offer resources for free as well as paid courses.  With more than 5 million members Craftsy is a leader in craft education.

Imagine my surprise (and delight) when the folks at Craftsy asked me to write for their crochet blog!  How exciting!!  To be honest I was a little scared.  I talked it over with John, and decided that this is an opportunity I don't want to miss!  And so my friends. today I launch my updated look - and my first article appears on the Craftsy web site.  It's called Understanding Crochet Diagrams: The Key to Breaking the Code, and I hope that you'll pop over and take a look.  

Life is full of twists and and turns.  You never know where the path will lead or what adventures you'll have along the way.  If you had asked me three years ago about my future I never would have imagined I'd be where I am.  This is such a thrill,  I'm so thankful for your support and encouragement. If it weren't for you, none of this would be possible. I hope that you'll visit often and continue to join me in my creative escapades - who knows what will happen next!

Thanks so much for stopping by and spending a bit of your day with me!
Until next time friends,
Be blessed & stitch with love!