Ta Ta For Now!

Friday is the big day! We're moving into a new apartment, a slightly nicer apartment, even if it is on THE THIRD FLOOR! Eeesh.
So with all the transferring of cable internet services and electricity providers, I'll not be posting on the blog for a while. Plus I have two days left to pack 90% of our stuff! Yeah, yeah- I know I've had all month to get this done. But it's not exactly easy with a two-year-old running around!
Oh wait... she'll be 3 next week :(

I'll also be spending as much time as I can cuddling my kitty for the next two days. He can't come with us to the new apartment, so custody goes back to the ex-husband. *sigh* That's another post, a tear-jerker for sure.

I'm not putting the shop in vacation mode, because well it's not exactly a happening place lately. I'll just leave a shop announcement about "orders" (haha) on hold, and I plan to not even peek at it for a week. Then when I get all settled in and ready to craft again, I can look at the shop with a fresh eye and hopefully spot some areas to improve. I think after a while you get a little blind to your own shop, especially when you check it every half hour!
At least I'll be in a more creative mood. I have lots of new ideas and I'm hoping my new 100% wool felt will really take me in some new directions!

So anyway, I'll miss you all, and I'll see you in a week or so!

A Custom Order and A Plan

This is a custom order for a mother of two darling little girls, twins! They are about to turn two, so she commissioned these matching flower bracelets:

She sent me a photo of her babies, and they are ridiculously cute. I hope they love them!

Aaand... this gives me an idea- Can you picture one of these as a necklace, with brass chain attached to each end? Or maybe a little cluster of three as a pendant?

This is why I love custom orders- they get the ideas flowin!

Speaking of ideas, I want to get your opinion on kits.
I don't remember where on etsy I saw it, but there was an article about finding ways to expand your business. One of the suggestions was to offer a pattern or a kit for your most popular products.

I can't really say that the coffee cup cozy is a best seller, (I don't really have one of those!) But it's just about the only thing I make that isn't just easy-peasy to whip up.





So here's my idea: What if I made a cup cozy kit that included everything you'd need- felt, thread, beads, and needles. The felt would be uncut squares, and stencils would be included. The instructions would be in a cute little printed booklet, complete with some simple beginner embroidery tips.

So, what do you think?

Should I Offer A Cup Cozy Kit?

Thank you so much for your help!

Doodles

Yesterday I began going through The Craft Closet to sort and organize before packing everything up. Who knew I had like three gigantic boxes stuffed full of fabric?? Fabric I don't even remember buying, fabric I could swear little textile elves came along and deposited when I wasn't looking. I definitely foresee a second shop in my future!
Anyway, I also came across stacks of sketchbooks from when I was in high school. That's pretty much all I ever did in class- doodle. And give my friends "tattoos." I really wanted to be a tattoo artist, but I can't imagine enjoying drawing skulls and naked women.

I definitely had a thing for the art of India, mainly henna designs.

The rest of my family is really good at drawing things as they appear in real life. Give them a beautiful landscape or a still-life and they can draw an accurate representation. Me, not so much. The pencil eye (in the first picture at the top) is really the only thing I've ever done that looks semi-realistic. I'd love to be able to just look at something and replicate it on paper, but it just doesn't work! Anyway, to me drawing is more fun when I go at it unplanned. Just pick a spot in the middle of the page and let it flow from the middle out.

This was a piece I started for my first husband.
See, the center blocks said "I heart U", and I was going to completely cover the page in intricate designs so that the blocks would be a secret hidden message.

But then we got divorced. Sooo... I didn't finish it.

I also liked experimenting with other designs, like folk art, celtic knots, and ancient chinese illustration. Maybe someday I'll start a third (Fourth? Fifth?) shop selling stationery, artwork, and cards?

I haven't drawn in years, and pretty much forgot I ever liked it. Definitely something I'd like to get back into eventually!

Artistic License...

...To draw wherever and on whoever you want!

Favorites Friday: Sweet as Candy

I Heart Mail

Lookie what was in my mailbox today! Pretties from Letterpress Delicacies!


Aren't they gorgeous!?

The packaging was SO cute!
I can't wait to get my own little craft room when we move at the end of the month, these babies are definitely getting framed for the wall!


Oh and by the way, I feel reeeally bad about something from yesterday. When I was making the collage of gifts for photographers, I left out the person with the inspiring item- Heather Kent! Sheesh...
So Heather, here's a whole half a post just for you. :)

Each of these pendants is actually a tiny watercolor painting! So cool. Here are some of my favs:

And of course she does custom orders. So check out her beautiful shop!

I Should Have Known

I sent her to take a nap. I told her she could sleep in my room. All was quiet.



I should have known.








Imagine me pulling back the covers to reveal THIS:

Ahhhh! *Shriek of horror*

And... is that... is that a boobie?

Ok, the bottom of your foot, really?

Isn't it amazing how she can stay perfectly mark-free when she plays with her kids washable markers, but Sharpies must be applied to as many square inches of skin as possible?