Let's Congratulate CraftyStitchez, this week's winner!

You voted, and this week Ida of Crafty Stitchez is the winner! Check out her winning treasury, Timeless Wisdom.

I asked Ida about herself and her Etsy shop.

'For as long as I can remember I have had a love for arts and crafts. Both of my parents have an artistic eye [and my creative talents] were encouraged in my childhood household. My mother was always pedaling away at her sewing machine making beautiful creations and my father has an amazing talent for shaping pieces of wood into gorgeous furniture.'

'When I was a little girl, my mother taught me some of the basics of crochet. I never had the patience to finish any large projects as a child- I only ever pieced together a few doll sized blankets. It wasn’t until recently that I decided to get my hook working again.'

'I have a little one, and during the winter I grew frustrated with the poor quality of winter hats in all of the stores. My daughter had a beanie that was purchased at our local [big box store] and it was constantly falling off her head. After the Nth time that her hat fell off her sweet head, a light bulb went off in my brain. I turned to my husband and said, “I should just try to crochet her a winter hat.” My husband loved the idea. Not only would our child have a decent hat, I would have a creative outlet.'

Ida's shop of crocheted creations was born from this DIY project. 'My daughter had a cute winter hat that fit properly and kept her ears covered, and I found a hobby that [allowed me to] unleash my creative powers. Before long, I was improving my skills at the hook and building a lovely stash of items that were begging for a home.'

'...I like to use colors that are often found together in nature.' Ida is captivated by the beautiful arrays of colours found in sunrises, sunsets, waterfalls, and flowers. She tries to capture these naturally beautiful combinations in her work.

'I love my family. I have a supportive husband who encourages me to use my creative skills. My husband is a bit of a perfectionist when it comes to certain things, and the quality of goods is one of them. He personally inspects each of my items before I post it online. He is not only my best friend and the love of my life, but also a very good business partner.'

Selling her crochet work online fits in well with Ida's current occupation of motherhood. 'I love being a stay at home mommy. I am able to sit on the floor with my daughter as she plays and work on a project at the same time. It is a hobby and a job that I can easily set aside when she toddles over with her favorite book and wants me to read to her. I love that I can work on a project without being [separated] from my family. I can sit with them after a long day, relax, and chat, [all while] weaving fantastic creations.'

Check out Ida's crochet creations in her online shop, Crafty Stitchez.

Want to be featured next week? Make sure you play with us on Wednesday when the theme will be May Flowers.