Yay! New products have arrived! Have I told you how awesome my mom is? These are great! She is getting really good at her watercolor painting. She painted these images, then photocopied them to create the tag for the seed pots. I just love the bunny and the cat (and the frog, too)...
Each pot is one of a kind since she is using found items for the handles and embellishments. I bet she had a lot of fun making these!

Below is a picture of the back of the bunny pot - "Happy Easter" with some vintage buttons holding the tag in place. I photographed it in front of this cute little mouse I have made of faux concrete. I hope buyers understand that the mouse isn't included!


Mmmm, that candy looks good - but it's not for sale either! I'm going to have to make it very clear that one only gets the pot, not the grass and not the Cadbury Mini Eggs. There is a great blog post about Cadbury mini eggs here.

I just love this photo (above) that shows a close-up of the dainty little daffodil silk flowers. Daffodils are one of my favorite flowers. Okay, maybe my *favorite* flower. When I was in highschool, my roommate and I took a paper grocery bag out one night onto the grounds of the campus and just filled it to the brim with daffodils. Which was, technically, not allowed... I mean, they DID have like a MILLION. You couldn't even tell we had picked any.... They smelled so nice in our room, and nothing makes you feel more like spring than a lovely little (or big) bouquet of daffodils.

New stickers hot off the press...

I just listed these tonight - what do you think? I'm just glad to be getting something new up!

We got a picture in the Storque!

Etsy announced today that they have accepted a $27 million investment in this article in the Storque. The Storque is kind of like their newspaper. It's a big announcement, and a lot of people are going to be reading the article. Why is this great news for me? Because at the bottom of the article they list 3 items, and mine is one of them! Check it out



Yay for free publicity!!!!!

New stuff is on its way!

I just talked to my mom on the phone (you know, my silent business partner), and she said she mailed me a package today filled with new goodies for the shop. She has been working in paper this week, and I know she has designed some things for Easter...... SO - check back as I'll post pictures of the goodies soon! How exciting to be having things coming my way that I know will be fabulous, but I haven't even seen yet.

Now I can print like a pro!

My old Epson has been on the fritz lately, giving me fits, throwing up all over perfectly nice paper..... So sorry old buddy, but you had to be replaced! Introducing my new Epson photo printer:

The greatest feature of this model, and the reason I chose this one, is that it can print waterproof ink. Now, I haven't researched it entirely, so I don't know if it is only waterproof when used in combination with Epson papers, or if the ink itself is waterproof. At the very least, the ink is water resistant. Wouldn't it be cool if I could offer washable I Spy Bags? I think that would be wonderful - as a mommy myself. Everything should be washable....
Right now I have a few things in the bags (play money, playing card, etc) that would have to be saved for the original design, but I think I have enough other items that would fare well in the washing machine. Not sure at what temperature those plastic poly pellets melt, so I don't know about the dryer yet... Updates to follow!
But seriously, the REAL reason I bought this printer is because I'd like to get into the paper side of things as well. Maybe I can start by selling some prints of photographs I've taken. Here is an example of a photo that *might* sell:
Or maybe this one I took after an ice storm:
I think it will be fun playing with my new printer! I need to go out and buy some photo paper now.... or maybe some of Epson's fine art papers.

A new era has begun! Momma's got a brand new...

Alas - I have purchased a brand spankin' new sewing machine. It actually makes me want to do work. I. love. it. Ta-da!


So I guess this means that I'm actually taking this business seriously! I'm really getting into it and feeling like a real business woman... whatever that feels like :)

Yes, it has been forever since I posted (okay, not FOREVER, but a long time)... I just don't know what to write about. So I've been reading others' blogs and trying to get an idea of what *I* find interesting. It turns out the most interesting blogs to me are the ones about parenting and crafting.... which I'm not ready to do yet. I'm still a little (okay a lot) hesitant about putting myself out there on the internet for anyone to stumble upon, so I'm *really* not ready to post about my kids. Better to be safe, I say! It is SO hard though, not to talk about them, when every waking moment (and sleeping one, for that matter) is tied to them.

I'm sure I'll get all this figured out eventually! In the meantime, I'll just keep trekking along in my shop and blogging every now and then.

and of course, sewing on my new machine EVERY day :)

Lovin' Democracy

I voted in the presidential primary today. There is something truly empowering about the right to vote. Even though I know a lot of people don't vote because they think - "my vote won't count.." There is something about standing in that little booth and filling in the oval that makes you think - "this is my vote, and it will be counted - my vote, mine"

Yes, I am privileged to live in a democracy, and I exercise my right to choose. Ahem.

Good day...

Well, I was getting ready to post about how I haven't had any sales in about a week, and totally start complaining about it, but then...... I checked Etsy and I have sold FOUR (4) I Spy Bags just in the past few hours! The buyers are OUT spending their holiday cash... and I guess getting ready for Valentine's day and what-not.

Here is what I sold today - a heart, TWO fish, and the spaceship (all the more expensive variety):

So, I guess I better get to work and make some more...

The Christmas tree is finally down!

Yes, it is mid-January and I am just now getting my fire-hazard Christmas tree out the door. Of course, all the ornaments are packed in their boxes, but THOSE boxes haven't been packed into the Christmas boxes yet, so the room is still littered... I have to say that my husband and I made huge strides today getting it down.

Of course you know that means that I got no crafting done today... But, I finally got the spaceship bag listed, of which I am very proud :)

I have to admit that my mind is elsewhere. My baby, it turns out, is allergic to everything under the sun and I'm in the middle of trying to reverse weaning him from the breast (because the new formula would cost more than my Etsy shop could possibly support), whilst keeping my breastmilk clear of allergens. This means I'm on a new diet that has no soy, no dairy, and no eggs. Try that. That damn 'soy lechithin' is in just about EVERYTHING we humans eat on a daily basis. I digress....

It's just hard to think artsy stuff when all I can think about is what I'm going to be eating (or not eating) for my next meal ;)

I'm sure it will be good for me *wink*

Holy Canoli, we made the front page!!!

Yes, we made the front page! It was only for about 15 minutes, but it was there - I took a screen shot to prove it :)

By a stroke of luck, my mom saw it and called me so I would see it before it went away. How very exciting for us.

Unfortunately, no sales yet, but it was exciting none-the-less...

In another treasury! This one is really pretty...

Okay, I just have to say that the treasury is on steroids... I can hardly get through it to even see if I'm in one! I liked it better when there were fewer - when I get to the bottom of the page and it says "the treasury is full right now" I have to laugh every time. Yes, that is an understatement. Is it EVER not full?

I digress - anyway, mom and I are in this really beautiful treasury right now - maybe even front page worthy??? Thanks to yaelfran for including my mom's totally cool My Favorite Sweater Bag.

Here is a quick screenshot ~

Isn't it pretty? I just love the colors :)

And I really love those monster paws by BadCloud. How fun is that?

Things are slow... maybe that's okay?

Okay, so the 'one sale a day' trend has slowed.... I admittedly haven't produced anything of note or listed any new items. MAYBE that has something to do with it?

I think perhaps that the holidays just ran me ragged. This whole online business thing is more work than I thought it would be, and takes SO much time! I'm ready for a little down time I think. Too bad that you don't get paid for the downtime...

I did, however, finish my spaceship/rocket ship I Spy Bag, which I am very excited about. Here is a preview:

Tomorrow I will photograph it in natural light and hopefully get it listed on my site. That is, if my kids will give me ANY time to myself tomorrow. I have a sitter coming in the morning, but of course I have to use that precious time for pesky things like doctor's appointments... ;)

Not Too Shabby...

Well, so far in 2008 I'm averaging about a sale a day. I think that is pretty great considering the number of items on Etsy! Unfortunately, I haven't had a chance in days to do anything crafty, so the shop is looking a little depleted..... I've been cleaning house and trying to reduce clutter (isn't that what EVERYONE does at the start of the year?). I figure it gives me the rest of the year to creatively re-clutter my house.
Anyway, so I have these great open clean spaces now (read kitchen table) that are just calling to me to get out some art supplies and get to work. But on the other hand, I kind of like seeing no clutter, and I'm reluctant to get everything out again! Now, I know you are wondering "maybe she should get a studio or workspace just for her" - yes, that would be a great idea. Uh, yeah, I already have that, but it is full right now, and besides it just isn't as inviting as the cleared kitchen table. My workroom is a MESS. I think a clutter free art room is an oxymoron, don't you think?

Back to work - even if it IS just doing laundry and keeping the kids alive.

Holy Smokes - It's 2008!

Wow - we had super Christmas sales! I got so busy that I (obviously) let the blog go for awhile (and I was on hiatus for awhile with a sick baby). Hmm, don't think anyone missed me :)

I was selling those darn I Spy Bags so fast that I couldn't even keep up my supplies. I was running out to Michael's and Jo-Ann's almost daily trying to replenish my stock (and paying a premium for trinkets!). Now I'm all set with wholesale accounts for trinkets and for pellets. Now..... all I need is for new year's sales to pick up!

I'm gearing up for Valentine's Day, which is only about 6 weeks away. I already have a heart-shaped I Spy Bag. Now I'm busy making it in several fabrics and trying to promote it! I relist it every night - hopefully worth the 20 cents - to keep it on the first 10 pages of the children's category. It's CRAZY how many items are listed every day!

Since I last posted, we have been featured on several other treasuries - most recently, my heart shaped I Spy Bag was featured simply because it was plaid! Hey - whatever gets me exposure :)

So, I'm thinking of making some Valentines for sale, but I don't know if I'll get around to it or not. If I've learned anything, it is that I have GRAND ideas, and NO time. I'm so busy with this business and my 3 kids that in my list of new year's resolutions I actually wrote "brush my teeth every day..." Of course I do that already, but sometimes it's after noon! And on good days, I'm dressed by then, too. In my stay-at-home-mom uniform...

Well, that's it for now. I must get back to doing something productive. And to think that my husband was so happy last night because I took the sewing machine off the kitchen table. Yeah, that lasted a long time... ah, the woes of being married to one of those Greathouse women.