every little thing

All the Rage

*First, I have to take a little side-bar here and do a "Thank You" speech.  I don't know what most people would consider "success" in the small on line business world.  I'm not sure how the little shops I run in my corner of the Internet would rate in the big scheme of things.  I do know though, that when I'm packing orders, and seeing the same names and familiar people over and over....it's very humbling.  So many repeat customers, I can hardly believe it.  Thank you.  I'm so grateful to able to do this, I can't really express it in words.  Being at home, doing something on my own and not completely failing at it.   Pretty amazing.  I also realize that a lot of my customers probably don't read my blog, so I have been brainstorming some special "thank you" gifts to add to outgoing orders.  I have some pretty good ideas, hopefully I'll have them ready in a few weeks. 

Alright, enough of the sap.  On to some photos of recent completed (or almost completed) projects:

I found a very pretty, vintage book with loads of flower illustrations, perfect for card and tag making.

 

Why not?  Everyone else is doing it.   I still think the circles should be a bit closer together, but when I do that they just look too cluttered to me.  Also, this picture isn't very good, you can't really see the scale of the space (the room has very tall ceilings.)

I've been saving that vintage pom pom trim just for these pillows.  Can you see that the curtains above are polka dotted?  I'm quite happy how this all turned out.  I assume that you are supposed to sew the band of trim inside the seam, but I liked it better having it on the outside, I thought it was more visually appealing.  (and they are my pillows, so I can make  them however I want, so there.)

Not even March yet and I'm already talking garden.  I can't help it, I'm so ready to get my hands in the dirt this year.  My 2006 garden was fabulous.  Last year?  Let's just say that I'm not the best multitasker.  I was completely over-scheduled with my business stuff, and the garden was severely neglected.  I don't think you could even call it a garden, it was more of a wildlife refuge.  NOT THIS YEAR.  And I'll say it again, NOT THIS YEAR!  I missed it so much, I can't let that happen again.  Mike made me these super neato cold frames out of old, salvaged windows we found on the side of the road.  Guess what's going in there in a few weeks?  Spinach and lettuce.  Oh yeah.  Maybe a few radishes, just because.   I can't wait.

Max is feeling much better this week.  I'm almost caught up with the laundry.  It will be Yard Sale season again soon.  Tom Petty is touring this Summer.

Things are looking up.

Shop Talk

Today's Update is complete!!!  Check  it out.   

Red on Red

(Cute because you can see my Cindy Crawford beauty mark.  Not so cute, because I have a double chin. I blame the raisin bread)

I put on my little rose pin with my red to shirt to get into the Valentine's spirit.  Not my most favorite pretend-holiday of all time, but still a great excuse to put up cute decorations, and make glittery cards, and bake cupcakes with pink sprinkles.  Hard to complain about that.  There will also be a tiny V-Day inspired shop update in the Studio tomorrow.

I have seven of these special edition Valentine Sweater Creatures. In lieu of the felt hearts, they wear a pink heart-shaped pin with images from an actual vintage atlas.  Sort of like little clues to where they came from.  The pin is removable, so you could wear is too! 

Oh, they are sweet!  I love them so!  I'm not sure what else I might have to list, it depends on what I'm productive enough to finish today, but the creatures for sure.  I hope to have everything listed by Wednesday evening, right here in the shop.

See you tomorrow!

Peppermint Poppies and a Holiday Meltdown

At 10:43 pm last night, I was seconds away from complete mental breakdown.  So close to finishing up my packaging  for the  season, and everything was going wrong.  There  were three separate landslides: a fabric avalanche, a shipping box avalanche, and I accidentally tipped over a miniature container and 144 plastic pumpkins went flying through the air (almost as if it were snowing.  Snowing point-ended cupcake toppers, that is.)  I had just finished the last strawberry scented sachet set, and the whole house smelled like the eraser section at Sanrio.  (Which may sound fun at first, but after a while, that  candy-strawberry smell makes me just really nauseous.)   It was not a pretty sight, people.  I did the only thing I could think of:  I stopped everything I was doing and made cupcake liner flowers, from the how-to by Miss Martha.  I didn't have a reason, or a purpose for making them.  It only took 15 minutes, but somehow it grounded me.  I was able to relax, regroup and return to my work.   I was saved from crafting....by crafting.  You figure that one out.      

Runt

Here they are, the fresh batch of sweater creatures , all fluffed up, big-eye and button-eared!    These little bits of sweetness feature vintage seam binding collars with tag,  and a  little jingle bell.  (This makes them easier to find when they are hopping around the house.)  You can see  them all now over in the Studio.  Well, all except this tiny fellow:

The runt of the litter, there always is one.  We named  him Peanut  (for obvious reasons) but he actually has a severe peanut allergy.  And he's lactose intolerant.  And he has an acute, irrational fear of mittens.  Basically, he is a  special-needs creature , and is  far too delicate to be listed over in the  shop.  He needs a home immediately, with loving people who are willing to take of him, feed him soy milk, and play Pearl Jam albums  for him (his current favorite band, and only thing that will calm  him down for a nap.)  If you are up for the challenge, please leave a note in the comments and I will choose a random winner this Thursday!  Just make sure that you leave an email link so I can get in touch with you if you are the lucky winner. (Everyone is welcome to join in!  International, family, friends, etc.)    That's right, this is a  giveaway! (And far overdue, too.) ***I'll be doing the drawing later tonight, around 8pm, so keep the comments coming!~

Good luck, and happy Tuesday!

Time Management

....is not my strong point.  Plus, I totally missed the window of good light for picture taking.  The update just isn't gonna fly today, but I  do have 10 creatures, 15 tissue cozies, 5 cards sets (and a partridge in a pear tree.)  I'll get them up on the website this weekend.  I swear. 

Why doesn't it feel like Friday today?  Is it just  me?

Here are some awesomely goofy on line Christmas games to distract you from my lameness.

North Pole Dancing   

Shake The Globe

Don't shoot Your Eye Out

strawberry fields FOREVER

...and ever, and ever with no end in site.  {Stop being so dramatic!}  Ok, so I have actually made a sizable dent in the berry orders, after a weekend flurry and a 4am all-nighter yesterday. 

After I tie that piece of jute and wrap them in tissue,  it's a pretty darn good feeling. 

There are still pints to go before I sleep, but I am now in the position to take a DAY OFF tomorrow and head up to Williamsburg with my mum and the Maxter for some serious Holiday shopping, browsing, playing, eating, frolicking, etc.  So excited!   And despite my better sense, I still really want to do that final, small Studio update with the creatures and such.  That is set for Friday the 7th.

Starting to decorate around the house now, and it was so cold and blustery today.  Almost convinced me that it really is December.

Norfolk Floral, which never fails to amaze me, has a huge  refrigerated  room of live wreaths and garlands.  I bought this boxwood wreath there, and I just love it.  It doesn't even need a bow.  I also adored  the juniper wreaths too, and the prices were pretty reasonable, the quality is excellent.  I even splurged on a few flowers for the dining table, too.

The colors are very, "Spring", no?  Oh well, I was just so drawn to them.  Besides, it's my house and I can do whatever I want.  So there.

Ooop.  Never too busy for a bit of thrifting!

 

It was a really good haul too, this is just a smattering of the goods.  Most will go to the Emporium, but not till 2008.  I'm keeping the gingham shakers though.  Maybe. 

Do check back in later this week, as the adorable runt of the creature litter will be part of a blog giveaway I have planned!  I'm so overdo for a giveaway.  Be there.

Kitsch, and Stars and Creatures (?)

Remember these mosaic star ornaments?  My mom made a  bunch for Handmade Parade this year, and there are only four left.  I listed them over in the Studio, if anyone is looking for a lovely, nautical holiday decoration!

   

Also, for any of you who may not be Etsy inclined, I am offering my Holiday Kitsch Samplers available for purchase right here on the blog.  Just click here .  (Or follow the link on the sidebar.)  If you have any questions, feel free to email me!

The never-ending strawberry orders (for which I'm immensely grateful!) are taking a huge toll on my  crafting time, and  hope for a big Holiday update at the Studio is dwindling fast.  However, I am going to make the time to finish up some Winter Creatures by this weekend.  I have a good many of them half finished, and it just kills me to see them lying there, unstuffed and pitiful.  I can't pin down a specific time that I'll have them ready, but if you'd like to be alerted when they are up for grabs, just send me an email and I'll be happy to oblige.   Remember the Pink-Eyed-Polka creatures?  They will definitely be in the bunch!

            

(Today's mantra:  I think I can, I think I can, I think I can.....)

Thanks

Great  Thanksgiving, huh?  Seriously.  I had a great time, at least.  It was sad that my mom, dad, brother and sister where out of town, and I did miss them, but I had turkey and all the trimmings to help fill the void.  Worked like a charm.  Plus, I came in THIRD place in the  5th Annual Turkey Shoot this year.  Four bulls eyes, one near miss.  (This is a BB gun, mind you, shot at a turkey drawn onto foam board.  Very humane, so don't get yourself all in a tizzy.)   Good  times.  Since Mike is home for the long weekend (hooray!) we are pretty much laying low, enjoying togetherness, and I'm trying to get as much work done as I can to keep myself form getting too far behind.  I really wasn't prepared for the holiday rush at all.  This is actually my first online holiday season (last year I  listed my first items on December 13th, so I didn't get the full effect of the Christmas buying craze.)  It doesn't hurt that I was lucky enough to be featured in the Parent's Magazine Holiday Gift Guide.

Those are my little Strawberry Sachets down in the corner.  What an honor!  Many thanks to Homegrown Market, whose press kits made it all possible.  I guess I underestimated the exposure I would get from having a small blurb in such a popular magazine.  I've definitely received a good number of orders from the magazine, not to mention the steady increase of orders on my Etsy shop (which is so bare now, it's sad.)  And don't forget  The Emporium.  It's poppin' over there too.  I'm literally up to my eyeballs in strawberry orders (they are custom, so I can't really make  them ahead of time, I have to do them as I receive orders.)  I'm probably a half dozen orders away form having to hang the "Sold Out" sign.  I hate to do that, but I'm barely going to make it by the skin of my teeth as it is.  Oh, and I nearly forgot to mention that I made some special, giant berries for the Sampler Select, Pins and Needles Edition.

I was contact by The Sampler team months ago and asked to participate in this new idea of theirs.  I then procrastinated till the last possible second, shipped all 53 berries out just in time, and now I'm so very happy to have been a part of this!  It looks like a terrific collection of items, and you can find out more about them here. 

Despite all the bustle around here, I really I hope I don't come off as whiny and ungrateful.  I'm utterly shocked and completely humbled my tiny brush with success this year.  I'm still trying to find a balance, and am making baby steps in the right direction.  I told myself this time last November, that I would commit to all of this  for one year and then decide if I wanted to continue.  There were many moments  this past year when I seriously thought that the final decision would be "no."  I didn't know what I was doing, I was taking on too much, I was spending too much time on the computer, the house was trashed, I  was doing everything wrong,  I was making mistakes (and so on.)  Even though my "success"  is minute, in the grand scheme of things, it's meant a lot to me.  I really couldn't be more shocked at where my life is right now.  I'm just so damn grateful to be home, and being able to make money, and for actually challenging  myself to do something out of my comfort zone.  Major patting-of-my-own-back going on, I know.  Sorry about that.  I'm just thankful, is all.

Back to Strawberryville for me!  I hope you all spent a wonderful Thanksgivings with the ones you love!

Are you over it yet?

All the Handmade Parade jazz, I mean.  Well that's too bad, 'cause I'm not finished yet!  Here is a lovely eight-minute video from the event, filmed by Amber and edited by yours truly.  I'm new to the video-editing software, so please, don't expect much, and  the not-so-bright lighting coupled with our cheap-o video camera, amplified by youtube uploading created a pretty gritty looking motion picture.  Very Blair Witch Project-esq.  So grab your popcorn and a cozy blanket, and get ready to enjoy Handmade Parade 2007:

Two thumbs up?  Eh?

The background audio is track one from The Best of Curtis Mayfield.  I chose it for the marching band/parade float quality it evokes.  Plus I just really like it.

I actually had lots of fun playing around with this video.  I used Roxio Easy Media Creator, and it's very a very idiot-proof program (perfect for moi.)  I plan to order the headlight attachment for our video cam, that will help with the dark, indoor shots.  You can lighten them in Roxio, but then you just get a washed out effect (as you saw here.)  If you shoot in natural sunlight, it looks much better.  Yes, natural light and a tripod would help a lot.  Hopefully I will get better at all of this, and be able to make cute video tutorials for the blog.  Maybe even the sweater felting tutorial...that would be so fun, wouldn't it?