I would never call myself crafty or creative and honestly, I have little  knowledge about was go into the craft of crochet, but I can tell you that my friend Ace, from Life in Dutch, makes the cutest stuff! And what’s even better? She lives in the Netherlands so for all of us expats overseas, that means easier shipping and shipping costs (hopefully). I asked her to write up a little post so that I could share her new Etsy store with all of you because (1) I am super excited for her, (2) Expats should support other expats, and (3) She makes THE CUTEST stuff! For those of you that follow Sarah over at Chasing the Donkey, you may remember this cute little guy, Donkimir:

Ace made him for her and that is when I knew I had to have her make something for me, however, at the time, she didn’t have a store. Now she does and I have already placed my custom order for a Henry Hugglemonster for my son!

Here’s a little information about Ace and how her love of crochet began. She has also included a special discount for C2C customers for the month of March!

Enjoy and if you buy something, share photos with us and support your fellow expat. 

xx Deanna

♥

My relationship with crochet started over 20 years ago. My grandmother always produced gorgeous knit and crocheted hats, mittens, and blankets; and she decided to teach me her tricks. My first few attempts at knitting were so abysmal that Ma soon decided to scrap the knitting lessons altogether and just stick to crochet. I liked the feel of the crochet hook in my hand and took pride in the few lumpy rows that managed to make – to me it was something special that Ma had always done for others, and now I was learning to do it too. But I would stop crocheting for a while and forget everything. Ma would teach me again, I’d keep up for a little while, then stop, and forget again. This cycle continued for a while, but eventually I would abandon any of my own efforts and continue to admire everything Ma would make.

 A few years ago, I found Ma’s crochet hook case. She had passed away a few years before, but as I looked at all 16 hooks still sitting in their places, the memories of Ma teaching me to crochet came back. Hooks in hand, I decided it was time to take up crochet for real and got to work. I retaught myself everything Ma had showed me and started learning new techniques as I found new projects and brought new ideas to life. Every time I pick up those old hooks, or even the newer hooks I’ve bought for myself, I think of Ma and keep her close while I make something new.

That’s what has brought me to where I am today. I recently opened up my Etsy store, arcBcrafts, so that I can share my love of crochet with others. Each item that I make is made with love, just as Ma showed me, to bring a little smile to every customer. I make a range of items for babies, kids, adults, and the home, and the options are growing every week. Please pop over and take a look!

**And just for From Casinos to Castles readers I’m running a special offer! Until 31 March 2014, receive 15% off your order of 15 euros or more when you use the FC2CPROMO discount code at checkout, just for being a loyal reader! Please note that the 15% cannot be applied to shipping costs. 

A few pictures of the items in the store:

Ace is an American expat living in the Netherlands with her husband, son, and two cats. Her new Etsy store, arcBcrafts is up and running to share her love of crochet and handmade items with others. She also blogs at Life in Dutch to share her experiences as an expat, traveler, and parent, and whatever else comes to mind. When she isn’t blogging, crocheting, or planning planning the next adventure, she’s learning the Dutch language or making a mess of the kitchen. You can follow her exploits on Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, and Bloglovin’.