Mother's Day Gifts to Make

 A collection of beauties to make for mum!

Paper Napkin Flowers from HeartMade

love that the flowers will last!

Love & Thanks Card from Eat, Drink, Chic

so charming.

Stamped Cocktail Napkins from Lotta Jansdotter via The Purl Bee

endless stamping possibilities 

Hand Embroidered Portraits from Handmade Home via Country Living

Doorhanger Download from Twig and Thistle

I could use this year round ;) 

Craft Show Booth Display Ideas

Stitching, stitching, stitching! 


Excitedly preparing for the amazing Crafty Wonderland craft show event next weekend. Luckily, I've got my team set in action: husband tackling the signage and credit card situation, little brother constructing my shelves & display tree (can't wait to share that!), family stepping in to watch Jack for the afternoon, and neighbor giving me the much needed extra time.  I hope to post a few sneak peek photos soon! It's been a long time since I had my own craft fair booth so in addition to re-reading the guest post from Kitty Baby Love's Craft Show Tips from last year, I peeked around and found fantastic displays with repurposed items.

Vintage Suitcase display from Needlebook via IndieFixx

Window Shutters from Miniature Rhino via Charlotte's Fancy

Vintage Stand from Something's Hiding Here

Charming Glass Jars from Dwell Deep via Charlotte's Fancy

Vintage Suitcase and Box Display from Lockette

Frame Display via Craft Show Designs

 Repurposed fruit baskets, from Chez Sucre Chez via Charlotte's Fancy

Any craft show tips or booth photos to share? I would really love to see/hear about them, do share!

Tools of the Trade

One of my favorite aspects of creating is using all the little tools - however simple or ordinary.   Here's a little peek into my 'tool box' - the hammer is by far my favorite (maybe because it reminds me of all my wood-working days in high school....).  The little kitty is an adorably disguised tape measure. The corn flakes box? Repurposed as part of a pattern I made.   In fact, I love finding items around the house that can be used in my sewing room- jars, plates, clips...nothing is safe :) 


Would love to hear the niftiest thing in your tool box! 

Tutorial Tuesday - Fabric Leaf Tree

Adore this fun Fabric Leaf Tree Tutorial I stumbled upon over at Two Girls Being Crafty - makes a pretty (and lasting!) arrangement for Mother's Day or dash of color for spring. Thinking of making one as my shower centerpiece in lemony yellows....


Have a tutorial you've made & like to share? Post below! xoxo

{check out more projects on my Tutorial Page}

Celebrating Mistakes in My Etsy Shop

{Papercut image from Super Cool Spy Club}

Lately, I've been doing lots of thinking. Lots. Probably the combination of spring cleaning, being pregnant, working on my book, making improvements to my shop, considering some changes, and yes, being really pregnant. Anyhow, all this thinking has led to lots of introspection - in all areas of life- but especially my whole Etsy shop experience up to this point.  


Really, I am proud of myself (saying that with lots of humility & a little shoulder shrug :) but I do see where I made some poor decisions along the way. Since I'm not the person to hold onto regret, let's call them lessons learned- and plow forward.  But, I do hope sharing these mistakes might be helpful to others along their creative business journey so here they are in all their guts & glory -


Top 5 Mistakes Running My Etsy shop: 


1. Jumped in Blind -   Didn't do a stitch of research and sort of figured out Etsy and everything else along the way. This led to a lot of technical errors, frantic moments, and lost income. 
2. Lacked Vision - I hoped to just sell what I made. I didn't really think through my concept or brand. Thankfully it developed over time, but it would've saved me lots of heartache to think it through in advance. 
3. Confused Brand - I didn't know who I was or what I wanted to make. Luckily, I found my niche but a little bit of discretion and restraint could have helped me arrive to this point a whole lot sooner. 
4. Focused on the Small - Sure, details are essential- but in the grand scheme of things planning out when to answer message, follow up on inquiries, comment on blogs and such should've been better prioritized for efficiency. Oh, the time I lost....
5. Lone Dogged It - Maybe it was just my comfort zone, maybe it was cluelessness - I'm not sure but I know I waited way to long to start connecting- authentic connections- to collaborate, team-up, guest post, and share ideas.  


The best part of reflecting and realizing mistakes is celebrating all that has been achieved and worked through. So hooray for mistakes....and learning from them! 


If you're up for baring your soul, I'd love to hear any mistakes you've made in your journey!


{ps. if you're up for more creative business advice, check out my Business Bits page and also look for my e-book coming soon!}

Happy Day

Wishes for a happy Easter & a lovely day! 

Blue Sky

Been nothing but blue skies here in Portland...we've all waited so long I can hardly focus on anything else! 


I did buckle down a bit and made so much progress on my book, am finishing up custom bridal orders, and busily planning for the the Crafty Wonderland show....oh and enjoying my last two months of pregnancy :)  Look forward to sharing lots more next week.


Enjoy the weekend! 

Let's Be Happy

{from the amazingly talented cheska annielliese}

10 Things That Make Me Happy...right now

1. sunshine in the morning

2. cereal in a mug

3. baby flutters

4. any word Jack writes

5. messages from friends

6. our cat acting like a kitten again

7. soccer 'practice' with Jack

8. anticipation of farmer's markets

9. looking at baby's quilt fabric

10. hope

what's bringing you happiness?

Tutorial Tuesday - Easter Cupcakes

 So this isn't quite a tutorial, but they are just too cute not to share! Yesterday, the little one and I made these Easter inspired cupcakes.  Took our usual, no fail (vegan) vanilla cupcake recipe, topped with vanilla frosting and then sprinkled with green colored coconut.  Then the best part- we hid little Jelly Belly "eggs" in the "grass."  While I'm not a huge fan of food coloring, I figured a few drops was worth it for something so spring-like & cheery.  Jack enjoyed decorating ...and we all enjoyed eating them! 


{ps. posted an Easter tutorial round-up yesterday and you can check out my tutorials for Easter Basket and Fabric Easter Egg Card }

Easter Tutorial Round-Up

It's time for all things happy & bunny-ful! I just can't resist egg hunts or (vegan) marshmallow peeps.  Lasso'd up this collection of spring projects to brighten up your space!  {ps. check out my tutorials for Easter Basket and Quilted Easter Egg Card }

Patchwork Easter Eggs from Purl Bee

Easter Bunny Basket from Distressed

Plush Bunnies from Betz White

Fabric Covered Eggs by V. and Co.

Bunny Pocket from Martha Stewart

(made from paper envelopes!)

Have a favorite tutorial or an Easter project of your own? I'd love to see, so post below :) 

Lessons for Creative Business - Thinking Like a Buyer

{image by The Colours of Life}

Oh how I love online shopping. It means that in the wee hours of the morning, before the house awakes,  I can browse, wish, and purchase. I can shop in my slippers & eat cereal from my mug. It also means I don't need to cart around the little one, braving the rain and crazy parking lots.  I'm actually not really a big shopper to begin with, I'd rather make or do....but this week I've done lots of browsing for gifts, baby showers items, and supplies.  What I found gave me lots of inspiration...but also taught me a lot about my own shop in terms of thinking like a buyer. 


Here's a few lessons learned while buying: 

• Welcome Me:  I love shopping on sites where I feel welcomed- maybe it's the phrases, the story, the images, the extra services.... something to make me feel like I'm not just sitting at home in my kitty pajamas at 4:30 in the morning, but the little bits to make me want to stick around and browse. 
• Spell it out:  All those details are important...and I need to find them fast & quick. Please don't make me search & hunt around to find shipping costs, measurements, and ingredients. Think about your specific items and what shoppers would most likely ask about (e.g. do you sell delicious jelly candies? Please tell me the ingredients, a bit about the kitchen they are made in, and how they ship...)
• Short & Sweet: I love clever descriptions and catchy lines to rope me in... buuuuttt...please avoid going on & on and telling the story before even getting to the good stuff- the product! 
• Explain Yourself:  I ran across a few items that seemed to have mysteries attached...one had crazy high shipping - which I am ok with, IF you tell me why (priority rates, large sturdy box, heavy weight). 
• Show off the Goods: Many items I perused were marketed as gifts...however, only a a few showed the packaging. This makes a big difference- I'm more likely to purchase something that arrives all cute with a tag and tied in ribbon than just a tossed in a mailer.  

I really hope to take some time and apply these lessons to my own shop soon.  Have something to add to this list? Do tell! 

Lemon Love Baby Shower

Excitedly planning the baby shower...all things lemon and yellow and happy! 


Thought I'd share the mood board I'm working from: 

Vegan Cupakes from Sabjimata 

Lemon Notecards from Shortgrass Designs

Tissue Poms from Party Poms

Fabric Bunting from Jaime Mancilla

Lemonade Bottles via Emmaline Bride

Pinwheels from Elizabeth St

Screen Printed Tea Towels from De Mocca

Tutorial Tuesday- Cozy Blanket from the Purl Bee

In keeping with all things baby around here, I found this adorable little blanket tutorial at The Purl Bee. It looks so quick and easy and would make a perfect gift- but honestly, I just love this photo! 

{{see some of my own springful projects on the tutorials page}}

Busyness vs. Business

{image from the lovely Sweet Harvey}

I've been hustling around trying to get my business all ship-shape...I've got a big craft show coming up, orders to fill, an e-book to complete, and oh, yes! a baby to coming in June. Amidst all the craziness of answering inquiries and checking off my daily to-do list, it dawned on me that I was up to my eyeballs in busyness not business.


Whatever do I mean? 


Well, as the captain of my own boat called small business, it's easy to lose sight of the long-term vision, the bigger dream we've all dreamed up, and instead focus only on the nitty gritty.  Not to say the daily grind and details aren't super important (oh they are!) but it's important to stay mindful of the direction we're headed and think of the big picture. 


If we're continually refocused on the bigger picture of our business then our daily grind has purpose, we're fulfilling those tasks in harmony with our vision, and our brand is being reinforced and strengthened.


Making daily decisions & staying busy without sight of our vision leads to chaos, confused brands, and an empty feeling of not accomplishing something bigger.  It's tempting to just stay busy - it makes us feel productive- but it's important to defrost the goggles and look beyond the to-do list. 


A few ways to avoid busyness and refocus on business:

• Post your vision big and proud - maybe above your work area, computer, entering your studio...
• Stop! Take a break from all the little tasks and just sit and think - ponder, imagine, dream, define
• Write down some long-term goals (here's my handy goal tracking sheet) and refer to them again & again
• Allocate time each week to review your business and marketing plans (easy steps to creating a marketing strategy)
• Step back from it all and just enjoy what you've created! 

How do you avoid busyness and refocus on business?

{read more businessy tips from my Business Bits page}

Inspiration Boards

So I've fallen in love with Pinterest. I avoided it for awhile...like I need another site addiction? But, just like I knew I would- I adore it. Lovely way to collect things as you browse your way through the internet and perfect for creating mood boards. 

a few glimpses of my "Living" boards...

{love to see your collections! post below & I'll take a peek} 

Wishes

{from Lauren Makes}

Stumbled upon this lovely little wish card -collecting wishes for baby. I've printed one to include in baby's journal and am making more to have at the baby shower- what a sweet way to enter the world, with tons of wishes waiting for you! 

A few wishes for baby o' mine: 

I hope that you cherish your own spark

I hope you love fearlessly

I hope you respect yourself

I hope you laugh out loud

I hope you never forget home

I hope you grow in wide open spaces

Ready, Set, Quilt!

So excited to be starting a few new projects...baby and big brother quilts. Over the last 6 months, Jack has selected various orange fabrics he likes (his favorite is the houndstooth since it has two shares)  and pregnant me has been indecisive as ever over just what colors to use for baby's quilt. We're waiting to be surprised whether baby is a little lad or lassie, and I finally decided on solids in yellows, a few grays, and a shock of aqua- perfect for either, I think! (though I'm nervous, with this being my first solids quilt!) I'm going to use the Charm Squares Tutorial from Oh, Frannson posted on Sew Mama Sew for both quilts- mostly because Jack already wants baby to match him in so many ways.  With just over two months to go I better get sewing! 

Tutorial Tuesday- Painted Lavender Sachets

Created these painted lavender sachets just in time for spring and mother's day. I used leaves and flowers to 'stamp' images on fabric and not only do they smell lovely, they turned out to be a beautiful way to use up fabric scraps.  I also enlisted the help of my three year-old son - he loved painting the leaves and creating his own designs. These could also be easily personalized with alphabet stamps or hand painted letters. 

Supplies:

- Fabric squares: (4” or 5” square is good) pieces in solid  linens, muslin or cottons

- Fabric scraps: slightly larger than the square pieces

- Fabric Paints or Inks (I used the type that dries soft)

- Lavender: approximately 3-4 tbls per sachet

- Various Leaves, Flowers, Stamps, & Paintbrushes

Steps:

1.  Gather supplies (it can get a wee bit messy so having everything together helps).

2. Paint your leaves and flowers  or stamps with fabric paint

3. Gently but firmly press/stamp onto your fabric squares.

4. Carefully remove leaves/stamps and allow paint to dry

5. Collect your paintings and trim if necessary to adjust stamp placement

6. Choose backing for sachets and cut slightly larger than your painted fabric squares
7. Place fabric backs and painted squares right sides together, pin in place.
8. With a ⅜” or ½’ seam allowance, stitch around the squares. *Be sure to leave a 1-2” opening, backstitching at each seam ending. Trim corners diagonally.
9. Turn right side out & press with warm iron. Carefully tuck opening & follow ironing directions for your paint.
10. Using a funnel or spoon, fill each sachet with the dried lavender through opening left in seam.  Be mindful not to fill it too full or you’ll have a tough time stitching it close.

I think they look pretty stacked together, tied with ribbon, and given as a gift. Let me know if you have any questions or need clarification. Happy creating!

{Looking for more projects? Check out my Tutorial Page}

What's Not Broken

{print by Blancucha}

I really love fixing things. My shop. Things around the house. Myself. Relationships.  New handbag designs. My son's Lego creations in need of repair.  It feels so good to make improvements. However, sometimes it seems like a habit to focus on what needs work...what things we need to change. I realized last week, that for me, it's probably just as important to recognize what is already working.  Like, what things am I already doing well? Either in regards to our businesses, our shops, or our personal lives -it's kind of refreshing to stop and think, "wow, I'm already doing this part pretty darn good."  {well, you might say it with a little more grammatical finesse, but you get the point}


So I thought I'd share a few things that for me don't need much tinkering....and I'd love to hear what's working for you. 

• I've found my voice. And I like it :)
• A balance of orders, new items, and special projects that feels right.
• I (finally) like how my shop looks. 
• My schedule is both structured and flexible-- and it works. 
• There is a lot of depth and meaning to my friendships these days. 
• Motherhood feels so good. 
• My shop is growing in the direction I had hoped for. 

Coming up with this list was surprisingly difficult! I found myself saying, "well, almost." or "except for totally messing up the other day," or "I wish I could say that works."  But, in the end, it's quite freeing. And while everything in my nature screams to find something to do better, I think maybe the one thing to work on right now is just to enjoy what's not broken. 

- c'mon, do share! Tell me what kind of goodness you've got right now!

Finding Inspiration - Spring Treasures

We had our first officially warm(ish) day here yesterday...and with the robin out my window and the wildflowers in bloom, it looks like spring has finally arrived! 

So much to love about this time of year:

Garden

{Party Favors by Imeondesign}

 Romance

{Wood Notepad by Quotes and Notes}

Celebrations

{Cake Stand by Vessels and Wares}

Scenery

{Paper Mobile by Royal Buffet}

Blooms

{Necklace by Brittany Chavers}

aren't these lovely? what spring treasures have you found recently?