Recent News

Recently, my granddaughter left the USA as an exchange student for her junior year of high school, and it threw me in sort of a funk!  Ever get that way, yourself? We all have.  Well, Kayleigh arrived safely and BTW, changed her FB page to say: "Resides Taipei, Taiwan; From Portland Oregon" Whew!  What a statement at 16!

So thru all this,  I have neglected my blog, and failed to show what I have been working on.  I haven't even shared my exciting news! A bit about that at the end of the post.

I have been working on my inventory for the holiday markets and craft bazaars! (Besides making aprons for my wholesale client, of course!)  Actually I did a post about my new product earlier, just didn't say that it was to be my holiday line.  The post was about how this idea came into being.  You might want to check-it-out here.

Anyway, here is a preview of my new line of Christmas stockings.  I don't know if I will sell it online this year, as they do take quite some time to make with all the handwork; I don't know if I will end up with enough inventory for both the holiday markets and my Etsy shop!  We will see.

So, presenting . . . . hand embroidered and machine quilted Christmas Stockings! In various color combinations!  Traditional Red & Green, currently popular Red and Teal, shabby chic Green and Pink, etc. With more color combinations to come!

Traditional colors

embroidery handiwork

buttons, Venice lace, and bead embellishments

And . . . these will be featured in a new venue (for me, that is).  I auditioned for a juried holiday marketplace back in July and just received notification that I am accepted!!  I have a reserved place in the New Hope Holiday Marketplace!  It is a huge two day affair in November and is highly attended.  My family and I have visited it nearly every year since I moved to the PNW.  I tried out a couple of years back, but only got on the alternate list.  Now I am confirmed, so overjoyed and, of course, busy!!

Tip of the day:  Be sure that you share your most unique product, when auditioning for shows! That was my downfall a few years ago, when I shared product that was too much like everyone else's!  Also, I presented myself , this time, as a textile artist, not just a crafter!  That helped!

What color combinations would you like to see?

Are you preparing for holiday shows?

How is your progress coming along?

Holiday Season!

The holiday season is upon us! In a couple of days, it will be Thanksgiving. Many of us will start our decorating, then the holiday shopping season hits! I'll bet many of you are planning on attending holiday parties! I have a suggestion for you! How about giving a little gift to your hostess? Whether it's a man or a woman, they will love these coaster sets. Or stash a couple sets away for last minute gifting!

Have a look at the assortment in my shop, sure to please anyone! Here's a sneak peek of the variety:

Basketball Fan?

Modern Minimalist? 

Patriot?

Neon Lover?

This is just a little peek.  More styles and colors in my shop. 

Hop on over and take a look~~THANKS!

Holiday Weekend!

In the United States, this weekend is the Labor Day weekend holiday. This holiday was a creation of the labor movement and is dedicated to the social and economic achievements of American workers. Most everyone has Monday off; so, when people get off work on Friday (as early as possible) they head to the mountains to go camping, to the beach for one last day in the sun before school, or make plans to have family and friends over for barbecue! I just wanted to wish everyone a happy holiday, and ask y'all to be safe when traveling the congested roadways! Have fun!

Leave a comment about your plans! I'd like to hear about the differences. It will be fun!

Holiday Plans????

Well, it's the 15th of August and summer is gone here--today it is only 65 degrees outside! I know there will be a few more hot days of summer, but school will be starting soon and then the holiday season will quickly follow! It's caused me to start thinking about my holiday plans!

So . . . I got out my little note book and started jotting down some plans. Some of them involve the family and holiday celebrations; but, of course, some of the plans are of a business nature. I considered doing some cute little lampwork zipper pulls for back to school, but with the CPSIA thing, I have decide to do some more research on the project. For more info on this check out this thread in the etsy forum:

http://www.etsy.com/forums_thread.php?thread_id=6249839

So, I decided to do some zipper pulls for adults! (See them in my design shop.)

Soon I will be posting several of my autumn quilted wall hangings and I am making some autumn table runners.

As for Christmas, I haven't decided if I want to do more items or just list the ones I already have. With the economy like it is, it is hard to make these decisions! Any suggestions? What are you doing with your inventory, if you have an etsy shop?????