Tutorial Tuesday- Paper Wall Flowers

Found this lovely paper flower tutorial over at MADE and just had to share. Can you believe these gorgeous wall flowers are made from paper napkins?! Perfect for tying in the exact colors for a party...or using up those random unused napkins left over from an event.  

I love them strung on a garland...and the ones sitting on top of the mantle remind me of lillies in a pond! 

{psst. check out my Tutorials Page for more projects!}

Remember

{via pinterest}

Teacher Appreciation DIY Gifts

Last week I shared lovely teacher gift finds all set & ready to order. But, maybe you're feeling a little crafty? We know teachers appreciate handmade....so here's a little round-up of sweet do-it-yourself projects to show your teachers just how much you appreciate them! 


{left to right}
1. Milk & Cookies Printable Set from Spring Dandee
2. Map Magnets from How About Orange (hello, geography!)
3. Repurposed Book Apple from Cheeky Magpie
4. Refurbished Tins via Creature Comforts
5. Flower Clips (add a brooch pin for teacher!) via Alphamom
6. Personalized Gift Card Holder from Spring Dandee

Down Home

{image via pinterest}

I saw this photo and thought, this is me. This is my little heavenly, loving place. This is the scene my dreams are made of.  


I love it when that happens. When someone you don't even know snaps a photo and you stumble upon it and think, "I belong in this picture." 


The farmhouse, the truck, the evening light, the quilt, the rugged hills. That's me. 

Candy Pouch Party Favors

Just a little glimpse of the candy pouch favors I made for the baby shower this weekend....totally inspired by the ones at ISLY. I will admit, I was in a bit of a last minute jam (seems like this always happens in my party preparations!) and would've preferred sweet patterned paper but the theme was lemons so I uh, made lemonade, and I found some lovely yellow in my cardstock stash instead. I think they turned our pretty cute anyway and were super easy & fast to make.  Perfect for a kid's party too! 

Easy Envelope Style Pillow Cover

Pillow covers are such a fun way to change things up around the house....and they are super easy and fast to make. I whipped up a couple last week to bring some color to our living room and thought I'd share the process in a tutorial. 

{ps. I'm actually not happy with this print on a pillow...so good thing it's easy to make more!}

Supplies: 

Pillow Form: (I used a 16" square)

Front Fabric: 17" square (or one inch larger than your form) 

Back Panels: two 17" x 11"  (wide enough so that it overlaps your front piece)

1. Fold over one long edge of each panel twice, about 3/8" so that it creates a nice finish. Sew in place, close to folded edge. 

2. Lay one panel down on top of pillow front, right sides together. Pin in place. (I don't pin all the way to the edge since it will be overlapped).

3. Lay second back panel piece down, right sides together, overlapping first panel. Pin in place.

4. Sew around entire edge, with a 3/8" seam allowance. Clip corners diagonally to make for neat corners. 

{if you are a lucky one with a serger, you could serge the seams here, making them stronger}

5. Fold your pillow cover right side out. 

6. Press, press, press. You'll want the seams nice & crisp. 

(I even use a ruler and a little poky thing to push out all the edges & to ensure the seams are nice and straight)

Stuff your pillow form inside. May take a bit of adjusting :) 

Voila! 

 {Please let me know if you have any questions or see anything that needs clarification...and check out my Tutorials Page for more projects}

Sunshine

Happy Monday! Just popping with a little hello & happiness! I really love this quote...it's such a reminder that our mindset really has an impact on our day...and on those around us.  

{busy finishing up the baby quilt and a tutorial to share tomorrow!}

{print from Penny Wishes}

Teacher Appreciation Gift Picks

A little gathering of lovelies- all perfect to show appreciation to our teachers. I taught for seven years before deciding to stay home and raise my son....I can truly say that just hearing the words, "thank -you" was all I needed. But, of course, a little something extra melted my heart as well! 


So, what do teachers love? Tokens of thoughtfulness and that little precious something they might never purchase themselves....such as these beauties:   


{left to right}
1. "Wonder" embroidery by Merriweather Council
2. Personalized Stationery from Le Papier Studio
3. Honey Cookies from Whimsy and Spice
4. Screen Printed Tea Towel from Sweet Harvey
5. Shea Butter Soap from Sweet Petula
6. Set of Wood Flowers from Uncommon


ps. let's not forget to include a little note or signature from our little student as well!

Today

{courtesy Den 10 Studio}

Craft Show Tips (that work for your shop too!)

Earlier this month I was a vendor at Portland's super awesome Crafty Wonderland Spring Event. It was such a positive experience & I'm so thankful I took a leap of faith to try it out. Though it really took a lot of time to recover- being 8 months pregnant and all ;)  I've really thought about my experience & wanted to share some tips...most of which can be applied beyond a craft show, and to your shop as well!

Prepare for the worst: Ok, so that's probably a little dramatic. But at craft fairs, little things can feel like catastrophes. Like walking in all excited for my cute yellow & gray booth only to find the vendor behind me was using a 80's neon green tarp that inadvertently became my backdrop. Although I almost had a little meltdown over this discovery, I gathered my wits and realized I had an extra matching gray table cloth we could cut, adjust, and hang to cover up the electric greenness. Whew. Disaster avoided.  


Be Active: I'm not the best saleswoman. I realized this long ago during my stint as a department store sales associate (I will be the first to tell you not to buy a dress if it's unflattering). I discovered though, that actually making things at the booth was a great way to show off my products & break the ice. I finished tons of felt poppy flowers while there and people enjoyed seeing my work in progress. It felt wonderful to focus on connecting rather than selling. 


Listen to what people to say:  Throughout the day I answered tons of questions about my products & it made me realize- these are probably the same questions folks have when they visit my shop- I better address them in my descriptions! Also, people were so forthcoming with new ideas as to what they'd like to see me make...I discovered that my organizers are also fabulous Kindle holders!


Don't listen to what people say: Some comments can be hurtful or annoying or just plain off the mark. Instead of stewing about them see if you can weed through it and find some constructive bits....and if not, just throw it out the window and move on! 


Vary price points: You may know your market really well. Something to consider though, is that people attending a craft show may only be a fraction of your market...so offering items at a variety of price points allows people to own one of your fantastic products- at a price they are comfortable with.  Thinking about myself, for example, I tend to buy only small items like cards, earrings, mini sets, etc. at craft fairs just because I usually need a lot of time to think before I make bigger purchases- so I often return to a shop later online and buy more then. 


Accept credit cards: Drawing from the advice of many other sellers and considering my own habit of never carrying cash (because if I do, I lose it) I decided to accept credit card payments. We used a handy little gadget from Square and it really couldn't have been any easier. I was nervous at first, but just offering this service allowed my buyers more options and increased my sales a lot (judging from the comments like "oh good, you take Visa! I spent all my cash already").

Whew! So even though this show was a tremendous success, if there is a next time, I'll plan for a little bigger of a table area, I'll mingle with other vendors a bit more, and I'll ask a friend to join me at the booth!

{more craft show tips from Kitty Baby Love}

Tutorial Tuesday- Succulent Wreath

How beautiful is this?! I've been thinking about this succulent wreath since I first spotted it via Pinterest....I want so badly to make one....and looky here - the tutorial from Prudent Baby.


I adore succulents and this is just a gorgeous way to enjoy them!


....working on a few tutorials of my own & hope to share soon! If you haven't checked out my clutch giveaway, come on over & enter :) 

Bits of Newness

Adding a bunch of new lovelies to my shop! Lots of bags and clutches.....everything listed is ready to ship throughout the month of May. I'll then be putting things on hold a bit to welcome baby!

Clutch in Chambray with Olive Ruffle

this is my new favorite fabric to work with, so summery!

 Wood Handle Bag in Yellow & Gray Magnolia

keeping one of these beauties for myself ;) 

Wood Handle Bag in Black Diamond

this is the most charming print up close

Kisslock Handbag in Retro Cherry Floral

love the vintage feel.... 

Wood Handle Bag in Navy Chambray

more chambray goodness 

Hoop Handle Bag in Aqua Garden Party

leaves me dreaming of vacation.....

Hoop Handle Bag in Paradise Garden

bliss. 

Kisslock Purse in Navy Watercolor

impressionist painting anyone? 

Spring Goodness - A Few Lovely Finds

A few spring finds...all things round & lovely! 

Paper Mobile from LilSproutCreations
Watercolor Lemonade Print from JooJoo
Vintage Button Candies from Andies Specialty Sweets
Recycled Levi Statement Necklace from Love and Dream
Succulent Plant from Succulent Designs
Ranunculas Nesting Bowls from Whitney Smith 

Craft Show Booth Peek

Hooray! This weekend's craft show was a huge success! I am so amazed at all the wonderful people who stopped by and the online friends I got to meet in person like Branch and Birdie, ImeonDesign, and Michele Maule. Lucky for me, my booth was right next to the charming Prost to the Host! And if this crafty world isn't small enough already...I learned a friend from high school is behind the awesome site, Meylah!  I'm still processing all that I learned from this little craft show experiment (and will be posting some reflections/tips soon!) but wanted to share a few photos of the day. (of course, I wish I would've gotten more and snapped other vendors as well...but got lost in the whirlwind of it all!)

proud me and the little booth

 display tree and paper garland

 table flower bouquet (thanks to the hubby!)

pregnant me trying out my best customer service ;) 

 behind the scenes mess: starbucks hot chocolate + hand lotion not to be forgotten 

zipper bags!

Poppy brooches- sold them separately this time....good idea!

Process credit card payments with app from Square. Clever little thing...worked like a charm! 

A Daughter and a Mom

Mother's Day has always been a little difficult for me to celebrate. My mom had me young and raised me on her own for awhile. She faced a tough life and brought me along for most of it. For many years I thought that everything I had become was thanks to my many wonderful teachers and friends. But after becoming a mother myself I've since realized that much of my spirit came out of the relationship with my mom, though rocky and often heart-breaking...and I wouldn't change a single thing.  
I now appreciate that every single moment of laughter and praise I can offer my son will dwell somewhere in his heart and each life lesson I let him learn will strengthen his character. 

{a rare photo of me & my mom}

A Few Things I Learned from My Mom:

1. Be nice to everyone. Really. 

2. Resourcefulness can get you a long way. 

3. A strong work ethic can be the best skill you have.

4. Don't complain. It doesn't really help. 

5. When down in the dumps, stop whining and make a plan. 

6. Give. 

Happy wishes to all the moms and women who enrich our lives. xo

Oh So Crafty!

Hooray! Today's the big day for the Crafty Wonderland Colossal Spring Sale - I am so excited...and *gasp* prepared?! It's been a busy time and I already have a list of "things I would do differently next time" but overall I'm really proud of my booth, details, and bags!  Just busting at the seams to get on going today...and look forward to posting more photos next week of the show and all the other awesome vendors!

 {hoop handle bags above- one stack of many...}

Card Case mania

added zipper pockets to many of my hoop handle bags, look forward to introducing this snappy little detail!

Poppy Flower Galore! 

{ps. will be adding this to the shop to be purchased separately soon }

Happy Weekend everyone! xoxo

Craft Show Sneak Peek

Gasp.
That's me coming up for air! It's been a busy and exciting week of Mother's Day Teas, gift making, sunshine enjoying, creating new designs for the shop, and preparing for the huge show, Crafty Wonderland, coming up this weekend. Practically up to my eyeballs in handbags and clutches...but so thankful my family has really pitched in to help! 


Here's a little peek at some of the booth details: 
{the paper circles above will be a sweet little stitched garland....}

Display stand that I designed, my little brother built, and my husband stained - a lovely natural yellow color. "Honeydew" to be exact ;)  Hoping my handbags display gorgeously from this one of a kind tree!

More compliments to my little construction-worker brother and his building skills and to my husband for painting this beauty of a shelf unit!

My official sign. So excited for this! I love how it turned out...again- all thanks to my husband - without him I probably would've resorted to hand-embroidering my name on the table cloth or something....

And...a little yellow bowl of business cards! 

Alright, I'm off to finish the last of the hoop handle bags and enjoy the last remaining minutes of my little one's nap :)