Exciting news from Mollie.

Posted on January 10, 2013 by SewTara| Leave a comment

I love patterns and tutorial and instructions to make things. I collect far too many but someday I’ll get to them, someday. I get that you work hard to make something and it’s ‘yours’ in a sense but I super duper love when creators are willing to let you take their project and run with it, make your own and give and sell them. Like this lovely lady, this tutorial turned licensed pattern and now my friend Mollie!

A while back we collaborated on a project and it’s now part of her new commercially licensed products. This means you can take her cute adorable embroidery patterns and put them on things you make and sell them for your own little crafty profit. The commercial license is here as an add on in her shop, if you already own her patterns you just nab it and there’s no need to purchase the patterns again. Sharing the love is great!

You can pick up the pattern for the Make a Memory game here.

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Posted in embroidery, tutorial-ish

Kicking 2013 in the butt.

Posted on January 7, 2013 by SewTara| 4 Comments

I’m seriously focused on learning and growing this year. I made a lot of accidental steps last year in growing myself and SewTara, or things fell upon me, so it only stands to reason that if I get proactive and start chasing and dreaming bigger even better things will come.

So far, even though we’re only a few days into 2013 I’ve signed up for Life is Messy Bootcamp (thanks to the funding of a large order), I’ve read an inspirational book, guess I’ll post about that too, and I have a pile of TO DOs that have been sitting around for a while but I now have a serious plan and commitment to getting them TO DONE.

I’m also going to spend a lot of time on research and online connecting. It’s starting with Oh My Handmade! I feel a bit silly, when I was at Etsy in Brooklyn last spring and everyone was discovering I was “The Canadian” in the room I was asked if I knew Jessika. Not only do I not know her I didn’t know the blog. People were a bit shocked. It’s only recently that I’ve changed that and I can’t believe I was in the dark on this for so long.

I picked up her ebook, Guide to Businessy Goodness (you can set your own price $5-$20 so it’s accessable to even the smallest small business). Now I’ve snagged her Happy Healthy Entrepreneur 2013 Planner. It seems like a good alternative if you’re not ready for the investment of something larger like Life Is Messy Bootcamp.

When you purchase the Happy Healthy Entrepreneur 2013 Planner you get an extra copy to gift to a fellow creative person. Sooooooo anyone want it?

Guess this isn’t really a giveaway but more of a reward for reading this far down in the post. Leave a comment with your email address or blog so I can contact you. If you aren’t the first lucky duck to speak up and get the planner you can leave a comment with some of your 2013 plans for growth.

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Why I need to read magazines the day they come out.

Posted on January 4, 2013 by SewTara| Leave a comment

Last night I caught up on my Gathered by Mollie Makes issues. I found this in last week’s edition.

Sadly, it seems kinda silly to shout it from the roof tops now that today’s issue is out. Which, by the way, I read this morning with a tea lazing on the couch.

Also, I know I’ve said it before, but Gathered and Mollie Makes are ridiculously awesome publications. You MUST subscribe. Yes, must.

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Curve balls and silver linings.

Posted on January 2, 2013 by SewTara| 3 Comments

I got this order for 200 cozies, my biggest order yet. I called the person who taught me how to screen print and asked if she would have time to make the screen for me but she was too busy. I can make screens but I’m not an expert yet, it’s very hit and miss. So I was on my own for the project.
Here are the hurdles I have experienced since starting on them on Saturday.

- Had to run to Fabricland for supplies, red for the interior, ran out of fabric after cutting 98.
- Went to Staples to make the overhead photocopy I needed for screen printing. Had trouble with the copier, which is silly because as a teacher I could have made the 1 copy at school quiet easily. I put 4 designs on it just in case.
- Came back home and set things up, plugged in the halogen light to burn the screen and the bulb blew.
- Trip to Home Depot
- Pulled out a coated screen I’ve had around for a while and burned it, covering some of the images at intervals to make sure at least 1 of them would turn out well.
- Couldn’t rinse the emulsion out of the screen so I tried again.
- Couldn’t rinse the screen.
- Had to strip the screens down to start over but was out of the chemicals, trip to Michael’s at 8:30pm.
- Came home and coated the 2 screens and rigged up a box covered in a blankie to keep them in the dark while they dried.

Onto Sunday when we had a plans with friends all day.
- Cut the batting fabric I had on hand, only had enough for 102.
- Checked my label inventory, I have 187.
- Massaged my sore forearm muscle while visiting with our friends.
- Came home exhausted and not feeling very well at 11:30pm but burned a screen.
- Washed it out successfully!!! <- a good thing

Monday
- Screen was dried and ready to go but had some spots I needed to fill, trip to the art store.
- Cut the fabric for screen printing, ran out at 119!

Tuesday
- Everything is closed!!!!

Sooooo it’s all manageable but my oh my it’s been a bit of a challenge to get this done. But it’ll be worth it for my cozies going into the hands of 200 people!

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Life is messy, I know eh?

Posted on December 31, 2012 by SewTara| 2 Comments

As I sit here covered in ink and massaging my very sore forearm muscle from all this fabric cutting I am proof life is messy. As we move into 2013 I’ve decided to take the plunge and finally sign up for something I’ve debated for a while. Click image to find out what it’s all about.

Ad

Mayi Carles has come great advice and wisdom to share about growing your own business. If you click around her Heartmade blog there’s lots of resources and information about focusing, and learning, and expanding your business and well, a whole ton of things.

As 2013 starts and many people launch into setting goals and reflecting on 2012 I loved her post about realistic goal setting. Basically, she says set little tiny goals for each day so that you can achieve them easily (and go beyond) and not end up beating yourself up as you fall asleep for letting yourself down (haven’t we all been there?). She mentions if you’re a writer committing to writing 1 word a day, which is ridiculously easy to check off your to do list, but I know if that was my goal I’d want to write 1000 times that just to feel super excited about how awesome I am.

I figure if her free advice is that useful and speaks to me so well, her bootcamp can only get better.

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Posted in online class stuff

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The breath in-between.

Posted on December 30, 2012 by SewTara| Leave a comment

Well are you all done with the Christmas and holiday fun? Gearing up for the New Year celebrations?

It’s been hectic over here with all the family things and Nate’s birthday and that Christmas thing . . . it’s nice to still have a week off before it’s back to school time. I plan on using it quietly and creatively.

Oh and finish up this 200 cup cozy order I’ve got on the go. My forearm muscles are already tender from the cutting I’ve been doing, and I’ve only got half of it cut. Once again, I need minions.

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Giveaway over there.

Posted on December 27, 2012 by SewTara| Leave a comment

I’m taking part in a giveaway hosted by Caitlin over at Fierce and Fabulous! Here’s her post and a chance to enter to win some ad spaces for January.

I am honored to present some fabulous bloggers who I not only swoon over but have generously offered to give a few ad spaces to their blog! If you’re looking for some more traffic to your blog then this Giveaway is for you!

You will be disappointed if you miss out!


2 Month latte spot from Brunch with Amber
Good luck everyone! 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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A new journey.

Posted on December 26, 2012 by SewTara| 1 Comment

I finally got around to reading Making an Impression by Geninne Zlatkis. I took it with me to my overnight spa trip. So it was prefaced with a few hours quiet time, then I laid in bed with some music on, on a belly, in my jammies and read the book with my shiny new sketchbook right beside me.

I’m dying to get into stamping and printing my own fabrics, I’m collecting ideas on this Pinterest board. I’m making an effort to work hard at researching techniques and gathering ideas and inspiration.

It didn’t take long to flip through the book and soak up all the lovely images. In about an hour I filled the first page of my sketchbook with doodles of possible stamps, designs for fabric and new cup cozies! I really have to make more time in my busy life to do this again.

If you’re looking to get inspired along the same lines visit Geninne’s blog for some great ideas and pretty, pretty images.

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Posted in crafty books

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Hey wanna swap ads?

Posted on December 19, 2012 by SewTara| 1 Comment

I’ve been a terrible slacker with running any sort of ‘sponsor’ program. I haven’t pushed it really. Mostly because I thought I wasn’t giving people the time and effort they should have for paying for an ad. So let’s kick off 2013 with some ad swapping!

180 x 180 square ads and 180 x 100 rectangle ads are available. Just click here choose your ad size and enter the promo code SWAPSIES on Passionfruits site. There are 3 square ads and 6 rectangle ads available, ads will run for 30 days starting January 1st.

I’ll have a chance to go and approve your ad and you can either email me or I’ll track you down and we can work out my ad for your blog.

It’s important to share the love.

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