We've moved!

Our blog has moved to www.thosegreathousewomen.com.

A new branch!

Introducing Vintage Fig, a place for all things vintage and new things created from old things. We have been working on this for several weeks (along with boosting High Pie - from 13 items for sale to over 170!)... Vintage Fig is finally here and we are working like crazy to keep the listings coming. Check out a few of the treasures you might find there:

Treasury Tuesday - a tribute to my supply shop

High Pie Supply was lucky to be featured in today's treasuries. Check out my glass slippers and lion beads!

A handmade monster themed birthday party!

Kids have always had a love/hate relationship with monsters. As an adult, I find that I have a love/hate relationship with birthdays!  Don't let the stress of planning the perfect birthday party get under your skin.  A monster theme works for girls or boys, and is appropriate for first birthdays and sweet sixteens alike!  Adding a touch of scary will add just the right amount of excitement to your party :)

Start by sending the perfect invitations.  I love these gender neutral ones from Pink Pickle Studios, where you can also get bag toppers and cute stickers to match!

Don't forget to crown the birthday queen or king!  Those Greathouse Women can also make custom birthday crowns with enough notice...

Dress the part with this shirt from The  Rocking Pony.

 When your guests depart filled with cake and memories, don't forget to send home a little monster happiness.  We love these soft handmade finger puppets by Wee Knit.

There is much more monstery goodness to be had on Etsy. Enjoy!

Treasury Tuesday!

Jack Frost was here.

 

As my kids say, he came upon a winter's night and painted all my windows white. It was a nice morning to remember the Waldorf school we left behind when we moved here, and to share in some sparkly morning magic.

Children are quiet sometimes, too.

linen pant by scandeez

I have three kids. I work in the children's retail market. I've seen my fair share of brightly colored loud children's items. I've enjoyed many loud moments with my children (who have often been described as "loud" by family and friends). But sometimes, sometimes, all is quiet. Can you hear that? No? It's beautiful this silence, softness.

As a visual artist, my mind sometimes craves quietude. My eyes enjoy a place to rest. In this spirit, I gave myself a challenge.

felted baby shoes by thecleverkitty

My challenge: Create a quiet children's treasury to promote EtsyKids. You may know that I am a member of an Etsy team (a community of artists with similar products or interests) called the EtsyKids Team. I find it necessary and inspiring to be part of a community of artists dedicated to creating things just for children, but I find it tiresome to be bombarded with pop POW "zing!" - sometimes I want to celebrate the quiet.


There are many wonderful kids' items created by my team members, and it was difficult to choose just the right level of "noise."  I loved the process of making a treasury. Items that I snatched up right away slowly got shoved to the back as I found a new direction.  I am pleased. I hope you love what I have created here - may your eyes find some rest.



To find handmade items just for kids, search for the term "etsykids" using Etsy's search engine and you will see thousands of options.

Treasury Tuesday - Blue is the color of the week!

Shades of blue bring me peace.  It's also my daughter's favorite color at the moment. Apparently, many other Etsyians are thinking about blue right now, as every new treasury featuring me this week centered around blue.  Enjoy these beautiful, peaceful collections!

And so it begins. 2011, that is.

a place for everything, and everything in its place

There is something about this time of year that makes me want to clear my mind and clear my work space.  During the rush of the holiday season, my mind is cluttered with shipping deadlines, product stock, custom orders, and lots and lots of emails.  In past years, I have woken up after this chaos to a mountain of fabric scraps, shipping label sticker backs,  and a very fuzz-filled sewing machine.

This year is different: my first professional holiday season living near my mom. She is a great studio manager, and takes care of those things that I often put off; She refolds fabric after cutting it (what?), sweeps nearly every day after she is finished working (what is that?), and organizes all those little trinkets that my children like to mix up.  Best of all, she keeps me company and makes "going to work everyday" something to which I really look forward. Unfortunately, she left last weekend for Key West, where she will live on a sailboat for a good part of the winter.  Aghh!  What's a girl to do? 

Well, I'm working. Hard. Usually January brings with it a slower pace.  Sales slow down, special orders are not as urgent, and people are generally calm and less chatty.  This year, however, something is in the air!  I received a wholesale order last week that I'm rushing to finish and ship to Australia. The Mississippi Children's Museum has me working on some new goodies.  I've been asked to make some adjustments to several felt crowns so they will fit adults (who knew?), and Nickelodeon's ParentsConnect asked me to run a special promotion this month for their readers (bring on the sales, people).  No breaks for me!

Sooo.... my resolutions this January:
Remember to sweep.
Remember to sleep.
Remember to call my mother.

Pinky Pink Birthday Party - A new variety just for the girls!

This new assortment of Ultimate Party Favors is just what every little girl wants to give to her guests at an over-the-top birthday party. The parents will thank you, too.  Psst: Don't forget to give your princess a  crown!

Treasury Tuesday: for teachers and for spring

It looks like buyers are beginning to think about spring!  We've been thinking about spring here in the workshop for weeks, and we are ready!  Today as I post this, there are 13 turkeys outside my window scratching around in the leftover snow. I think they are ready for spring, too.

Merry Christmas!

Wishing all of our readers a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! Thank you to our loyal customers, new and returning, for making 2010 a fabulous year :)

This farmhouse is where we, Those Greathouse Women, create. The studio is on the left, with the little stairway leading up to it. This is the house where I grew up, where my mother has always created, and where my children can now be inspired to create. Merry Christmas!

Sharing Awesome Collections just got a lot easier!

Etsy is cool. Yes, most of us know that, but really it cannot be said enough. One of those neat things that makes Etsy unique is a feature called the Treasuries. The creation and execution of a treasury has morphed over the years, but the anatomy remains the same: member-curated collections of awesomeness. Treasuries used to be hard to create, as there were only allowed to be a limited number at any given time. Back in those days, it was very exciting to learn that one of your items was featured - equaling free advertising and exposure. These days, there is an unlimited number of Treasuries (meaning your chances are improved of having an item chosen to share space in one), but I still get excited when it happens to me :)



A website called CraftCult has now made it easy for me to share with you every time I am featured in a treasury. They create a pretty little linkable widget that I can post in my blog to share with my readers! Thank you to CraftCult, an incredibly useful site for Etsy sellers.

CraftCult reports that Those Greathouse Women has an item featured in 81 treasuries at the moment. Enjoy the few I have shared with you here, and have a very Merry Christmas this weekend!

So many ideas, so little time!

I come up with about 10 new ideas every day, but only a few make it all the way to the end of the production line... Here are a few of the lucky ones:

A beautiful butterfly! Inspired by the fabric and beginning to think about spring, my mom and I collaborated to create this stunning 3D insect! The wings are sewn, turned, quilted, and securely sewn to the base of the window. Don't worry (safety first!), the window is a separate sewing stage, so the integrity of the window is intact (no matter how hard your child pulls on the wings). I love this new design! Check out the butterfly listing on Etsy to see more photos.

Bright eyed and bushy tailed! This cute little grey squirrel has been in my mind for weeks. He has an extra large viewing window and is really soft. I made the pattern awhile ago, but I couldn't find the right fabric. I'm not sure the grey is perfect (a little boring?), but I knew he needed to be fully realized whether I had it all figured out or not. I'll keep my eye out for the right fabric next time. Squirrels are very often brown where I come from (southern Indiana), but in Michigan (where I lived for many years until recently) they were often black. I know that grey squirrels are pretty common elsewhere.... maybe I should make mine pink or something just to cover all my bases? You can see more pictures of my little grey squirrel here on Etsy.

Sly cuddly fox! Isn't he cute? The tail is an appliqued piece of ivory fleece, and I free-styled with my machine the embroidery for his head and face. Perhaps I will make his nose a bit smaller on the next version, but I'm pretty happy overall. I've had this particular fabric for years - it took awhile to speak to me (thanks, mom!).

Hoot owls! One in brights, the other in naturals (well, if you consider plaid natural). I've sold a couple of pink owls so far, and have it listed again on Etsy. The original plaid owl sold, and I haven't yet remade it because I think the pattern needs some tweaking. Don't you think he would be cuter a little fatter? Oh yes. Fat is naturally cuter than skinny. Did I just say that? Hoot!

Last but not least - this clever little lady bug inspired by a dear friend's request for her ladybug birthday girl. The wings completely open to reveal the viewing window underneath. She even has little legs sewn into the seams. I have yet to make another one, but I'm sure I'll get around to it before spring is in full swing. Until then, you can see more pictures of it by viewing the sold listing on Etsy.

What is in the works, you ask? Well, I'm working out the kinks on a turtle for spring, and of course my pink and chocolate bunnies will be reappearing as we near Easter in just a few short months...

The Mississippi Children's Museum - revisited

The past 8 weeks have been filled with red fleece.  My sewing machine is literally stained pink!  Why? The story begins several years ago when the Mississippi Children's Museum approached me about designing a custom I Spy Bag as a fundraising tool. I happily obliged by creating an incredible rocket ship modeled after the museum's logo.  The label was customized with their information and each trinket inside represented a different exhibit at the museum.  After several years of planning and development, the museum has become a reality and will be celebrating its grand opening this fall!  The museum ordered enough I Spy Bags to present one to every guest at their grand opening reception this week.  What an honor, and what a relief to have such a large order under my belt and out the door.

A very special thanks to the Mississippi Children's Museum!

And Miles To Go Before I Sleep.

I often think of this poem by Robert Frost as I sew into the late hours long after my children have snuggled into bed. This time of year is especially filled with large wholesale orders and custom requests, and I tire of sewing the same thing over and over and over again.  My machine catches and I realize that once again my thread has run out and I wonder how many miles my needle has traveled across the fabric.

Etsy Success Holiday Boot Camp

I, Jaime of Those Greathouse Women, pledge to participate in the Etsy Success Holiday Boot Camp to the best of my abilities. I vow to check in every week, do my homework and support my fellow Holiday Boot Campers. I will read the weekly newsletters and blog posts, check in on the weekly forum thread, read the weekly blog post, check off the checklists and salute the mascot. I promise to share what I've learned with those who need it, support my fellow Etsy indiepreneurs and, most of all, have a positive and persistent attitude. I understand that together we can spread the word about our handmade and vintage goods, making this holiday season a more unique and meaningful one to gift givers and give-ees everywhere!

Waiting... and the blackbirds have arrived!

Agh!  I'm still waiting to receive a new cord for my camera so that I can download pictures to my computer.  I can't list anything new!  Since Halloween is upon us, I decided to use my iPhone to take photographs of my blackbird I Spy Bags so they could go ahead and make an appearance.  The photographs have been edited to an inch within their lives in Photoshop, but I think it gets the idea across.  As soon as my new cord arrives, I'll take new beautiful pictures, I promise!


In the meantime, check 'em out!  Any thoughts?

Now we're cookin'!

Those Greathouse Women's studio is in full swing!  Dedicated shipping area, check. Dedicated photographing area, check. Dedicated sewing table, check. Dedicated cutting table, check!  There is even a dedicated counter for sorting trinkets and a computer desk.  Wow!  It sounds bigger and better than it actually is, but my mom and I have made creative use of the space and left no area unused. We probably won't be featured in Where Women Create, but at least we will be able to get A LOT of work done and have some elbow room to dance around if we wish.  You never know when the fancy might strike.

Unfortunately, I am unable at the moment to find the cable that connects my camera to my computer, so we are out of luck on pictures.   Hmph.

Coming along slowly but still moving

I'm up to FIVE items posted now. The best news is they are actually out of the box and ready to ship to you. I had a sale yesterday. It blows my mind that I already had a sale literally hours after my shop re-opened, and I didn't even "relist" to get to the top of the pile! Today, I reactivated a few that were about to expire, so I went ahead and relisted them. POW! I've already had views and more hearts on those items. Etsy has better traffic than I remember... has something changed? Whatever it is, I am thrilled and it motivates me to keep moving and unpacking.

Three boxes made it to the unpacking floor today. It was mostly fabric that went straight into my refinished shelves, but I did find some more trinkets (I have more?) and some vintage flowers. I suspect the flowers will make their way to eBay shortly... Maybe a few on Etsy, but they seem to sell better on eBay. I also found my lightbox (yippee!), but my dedicated photographing space is filled up with boxes right now... Another day, another day...