Spring Colour Blast

I've been on the lookout for a fun bright leather clutch and thought I'd share a few Etsy shops I've had my eye on. Now to decide which one to buy!

Love this green cutie from JennyDesign

Another one I love that probably won't last long from The Leather Store

These are also fabulous and come in so many colours it's a good thing they aren't very expensive as I may need to get a couple of them! Fantastic find from Bambina

To Grandmother's House We Go

My latest treasury was inspired by the fantastic artwork of Little Black Apple. I love their Etsy shop and their book is on my wish list!

'Through the woods' by SlitelyAskew

Little Red and Wolfboy ... theblackapple $14.00	Little Red Riding Hood ... papernoodle $20.00
Red riding hood - 6x8 c... atpalicis $10.00	Little Red Riding Hood. elsita $7.00
Little Red Riding Hood ... inkyeverafter $2.80	Print - Wolf & Little R... fashionfucsia $12.00
Mini Red and Tan Little... DayDreamerDoll... $15.00	Vintage Little Red Ridi... thevintagesupp... $50.00
Big, Bad Wolf Journal StoneburnerBoo... $20.00	Little Red Riding Hood ... malam $102.00
Small Zipper Pouch--Lit... mintlane $8.50	Vintage Red Riding Hood... TheRitzyMeow $14.00
Little Red Riding Hood ... CABfayre $25.00	Wooden Hair Stick - Hai... OutNumberedNov... $36.00
Werewolf Wolf cuff link... grigio $15.00	RESERVED for Dottie - M... EnlightenedPla... $588.00

Treasury tool is sponsored by Lazzia.com A/B image testing.

Celebrate National Craft Month

Get crafty this month! Start by visiting the Craft Place for inspiration and ideas for how to celebrate all month long.

Last month I decided to teach myself how to crochet granny squares and it has been going pretty well. So, I'm going to dedicate March to my granny square afghan endeavors! I'm also going to finally get around to sewing my first pattern and possibly start on the doll project I've been meaning to get going since January 1st!

What are you working on this month?

So Much to Make...So Little Time

I've been gathering supplies and patterns like some sort of crafting maniac in the hopes to use them to make some sweet creations. However, that pesky thing known as a full time job keeps getting in the way. At this rate, I think I'd need a full month off just to get started on everything I want to make. Needless to say, I'm still gathering and still planning so that every chance I get I've got something fun to work on.

These are just a few of the things I've been gathering and planning:

LOVE LOVE LOVE this yarn! The colours available are so great and I just adore bamboo!

 

I'm hoping to use the bamboo yarn to make these beauties. I bought this pattern from Spilly Jane Knits. She has fantastic colour knitting patterns and it was so hard to pick just one! 

I found this fantastic Amy Butler fabric in a local quilting shop. I also bought some coordinating Kona Solids in pale yellow, sage green, and coral. 

 

I bought this pattern a few weeks ago and I can't wait to use my Amy Butler fabric to stitch up a few of these. I love Keyka Lou's etsy shop! I want to try all of her patterns!

I can't wait to get started on these! Now to find the time...

Firsts

 

My first blog post of 2011, I got my first sewing machine recently, I made my first treasury of 2011 today, I completed my first sewing project in 20 years just last week, and my Etsy shop will mark its first year of existence in a couple weeks!

I hope 2011 holds many other firsts!

Sew Wonderful

Santa brought me some fantastic sewing books and a superb sewing machine! I wanted to get a head start on supplies knowing that I would soon have my very own sewing machine so I did some pre-Christmas Etsy purchasing and got this great doll pattern from Dolls and Daydreams.

Then I purchased some adorable fabric from Fabric Shoppe I can't wait for it to arrive so I can start sewing!

Happy Holidays

Wishing everyone a happy and healthy holiday season!

I'm working today and then looking forward to three days off. I know that I have a sewing machine waiting for me under the tree and I'm eagerly awating some adorable fabric to arrive after the holidays so I can start sewing like its 1991 (the last time I sewed anything of substance)

Cheers!

Success by the number

In mid-January my Etsy shop will celebrate one year! It started slowly and I definitely still need a day job but I'm pretty proud of the momentum I was able to gain.

Here is my success in number form:
January: 3 sales
February: 1 sale
March: 2 sales
April: 5 sales
May: 15 sales
June: 9 sales
July: 8 sales
August: 12 sales
September: 9 sales
October: 39 sales
November: 25 sales

In there was a wholesale order for 50 argyle cozies, a bulk order for 45 argyle cozies, and a bulk order for 12 argyle cozies.

Needless to say, I'm running low on stock and looking forward to creating some new designs. I'm also playing with the idea of buying locally sourced hand spun wool and dyeing it myself without harsh chemical dyes. If I could replace commercial yarn with this then I'd be really happy. Just trying to figure out if the added expense of high quality local wool will pay off in terms of sales.

I'm looking forward to what the next year holds and I'll definitely be better prepared for next year's holiday season. This year I was invited to about 6 different local holiday craft shows that I had to turn down because I didn't have enough stock and am trying to work full time in addition to running my etsy shop. I participated in one online holiday craft show but it yielded only a few sales. Honestly, I was just glad to get some more exposure and wasn't looking for a mass amount of sales. This past week I was contacted by RealSimple.com asking me to submit a couple cozies for an upcoming web feature on their site. Sadly, I couldn't get my cozies shipped to New York in time for the deadline and I'm missing out on that opportunity. Either way, I'm super happy with my first year and looking forward to the next one!

Thanks to all who have supported my shop either through browsing or buying or "following" or "hearting". Each and every visitor to my shop has made a difference!