Tuesday, November 24, 2009

Front Page Feature



I found out some exciting news this evening that I was featured on the front page of Etsy. I was very honored. I have had so much fun making these little forest friend stockings. I worked very hard all weekend to get them made in time for the coming holiday season. I am working on some new purse designs. I plan on working over the Thanksgiving break. I had talked about in an earlier post my awesome metal zippers I recently bought. Okay, the colors or so fun and funky. Bright reds, yellows, and blues. I can't wait to design some handb%ags using these. I have to save some for myself as well, I don't know if I will ever find zippers in these colors again. I am anticipating Hancock fabrics "Jingle Bell" sale that starts next Wednesday. They will be having zippers, buttons, and other such notions 50%. These are the sales that I stock up on all my notions. You really have to get the dates straight for Hancock. They start and stop sales in the middle of the week. They now have available on their site their store add. It makes it so much easier to mark my calendar for the sales. I am serious too, I do mark my calendar, otherwise I will totally forget, and not get my good deals. I hate paying full price for these things. That way I can make my prices not so expensive for my items. I need to start cranking out Christmas gifts her soon. I have such a dilemma with producing items for my shop, and producing items for Christmas gifts. I love to make handmade gifts. I just have to split up my time in the evening. It is fun to sort through my fabric and decide which colors and fabrics suite my family and friends. I love to make gifts so much more personal rather than buying a gift that was mass produced.

Monday, November 23, 2009

Lab Rats Trunk Show

As being a member of Etsy, I am also part of a Etsy team. We promote each others shops, love to attend labs, and love to create and sell on etsy. Today we are having a trunk show on Etsy. You will find all kinds of wonderful gifts for so many different types of people. Not to mention all the wonderful sales that we will be offering as well. Please check it out, here is the link.
LAB RAT TEAM TRUNK SHOW
Looking for some great holiday gifts, along with some holiday sales?
Come to the Etsy Virtual Labs Monday, November 23 at 7pm (EST)
Art, jewelry, baby items, paper goods, crochet, vintage and so much more!
Everyone is welcome!
Look for the Gallery, in black.
http://www.etsy.com/virtual_labs.php

Sunday, November 22, 2009

Crafty Craftiness





I have been getting in the holiday spirit this weekend crafting up all kinds of stockings. I love little forest creatures. What most would call rodents (and technically they are) I think are cute and adorable. I love the idea of little raccoons, skunks , and foxes kissing under mistletoe. I have had alot of fun working on these. I sold my first fox stocking, so I made another one in a citreen color for a change. I just ordered some metal zippers online the other day, and I am so excited to use these for my change purses here soon. You just can't find metal zipper's anymore, and I got 40 zippers for 10 dollars. Not too shabby considering they are almost 2 dollars each at the fabric stores . The colors are very vintage as well. It is amazing that I'm getting giddy about zippers. But crafting is a part of my life. Zippers and all. I plan on getting out my Christmas decor this week. I must climb in the deepest part of my closet. I anticipate boxes falling on my head, the smashed toe and or finger, well chaos. Nothing like the holiday spirit. Really though, I do love the holidays. I absolutely love vintage Christmas decorations. I usually search the thriftstores around this time to find some vintage goodies. Oh yes, I have had this Japanese handbag book for awhile now, and I find much inspiration from this book, considering I don't speak Japanese. I plan on making the bird change purses as gifts this year for the girls in the family. The pictures are such an inspiration. Oh yes I found this other book that I must have "Patchwork Style." This book is Japanese , but is translated in English. The projects have a Scandinavian flare which is seen through the colors in the pictures. From sewing for a few years now, I can look at alot of the diagrams and figure things out, but reading it , well, would make it quite easy to understand. If you have not had much experience with Japanese craft books, the photography alone will get you intrigued. They make sewing so inspiring. Alot of these books you may not be able to find her in the states , unless you live close to a store called Kinokuniya. I do not live close to them, but I call their bookstore and order on the phone. They are so extremely helpful. I have had them order from Japan, books that they didn't have in the store, and their international shipping is very cheap. They can order anything. I love this store.

Monday, November 16, 2009

Crafting throughout the ages



I love finding old craft books at the thriftstores that show the craft of the time. You find macrame, bulky knits, bright colors and felt throughout the 60's and 70's. The 50's brought woodburning kits, paint by number sets (which I still love), key chain making kits .Quilting, embroidery, knitting, and rugg making, are found in the 20's. I find myself very much interested in "Little House on the Praire" times. Last year a came across a book called "The Praire Girl's Guide to Life," by author Jennifer Worick. The book takes you back in time to discover crafts prairie girls were doing at the time and detailed instructions on how to recreate these items. The book even gives recipes, how to do dances of the time, and some history behind the techniques they used. I love this book! I have been a fan of Jane Austen's books for a few years now. I recently was introduced to a book called "Jane Austens Sewing Box," by Jennifer Forest. I got all excited inside! Crafts from the 18th century. It incorporates history, talk of her literature, and don't forget the crafts (18 to be exact). This book is definitly on my Christmas wishlist. I would love to learn crafts that have been forgotten over the ages. I need to get started on my Christmas gifts to friends and family here soon. I have been working on my shop lately. Speaking of the holidays, I usually make a different themed stocking for my kids each year. They request the theme and I usually embroider them. I love to use fleece. It is a very forgiving fabric and is so fun to work with. I just created one for my etsy team winter theme. I will share photos when I get a chance to take pics. I use pinking shears for the edges so that I can sew up the sides in a jiffy, and it really adds a quick and easy touch. Best Regards...

Wednesday, November 11, 2009

All the items you will need to craft your gift decorations

The items you will need to make your holly and berry decorations for gifts are:
Green felt
Red yarn
Scissors
Clover pom-pom maker (instructions as needed)
A embroidery needle with a decent size eye
Your wonderful gift to give

Put a cut template on the green felt to cut

I just used a random piece of paper to make a template. Then I carefully cut around the template on green felt.

Make three pom-poms with the clover pom pom maker with red yarn

Follow your pom-pom instructions. When you tie a knot around the middle of your pom-pom, be sure to leave a longer string so that you can easily attach your berries to the holly leaves and your gift.

Cut a small slit in the holly leaf


Pom-Poms and holly leaves

These are the items you will now attach to each other.

The yarn can easily be pushed through the felt with the eye of the needle.

I used an embroidery needle eye to push through the slit in the leaves.

This is how the poms look when attached to the holly


Tie the yarn to the item

Guesstemate how much yarn you might need to wrap like a package around you item. Then, knot in the middle.

The End Product


The End Product
Originally uploaded by woundupladybug
Now your can knot the three strands of yarn that come from the yarn berries to the yarn you tied around your item. All done! Now your ready to send to friends and family.

Ready to Mail


Ready to Mail
Originally uploaded by woundupladybug

Tuesday, November 10, 2009

Ideas for the holidays


I recently was reading a post by fellow blogger Danielle and she has been working on a pom pom wreath since 2007. Well I'm sure not the whole time, but, I was excited to see this! She is amazing with colors so her's is super cute. I want to translate the pom poms to maybe a Holly and Berry wreath. Last year I made pom-pom garland with different bright colors. It was fun to make. The clover pom- pom makers are a must. We have the store Hobby Lobby here and I always check their sales for items like these. I had so much fun last year and I can wait to make some more this year. I plan on creating some cute holiday tags for my etsy items when they are sent out on the holidays with the same holly and berry theme. I have been eying this rug for my kids for awile. I first saw the idea on Grosgrain Fabulous other blog post. I don't know how to hook a rug, but I have a feeling this might be something I will learn next. These looks so fun and easy and inventive to make. I could design so many different types of buildings and ideas! I'm getting so excited! I need to read up more to get an idea of what I would need to put into this, but it sure sounds fun! Well have a wonderful day!