Right about now,

Wow, the last 2 weeks or so has been a bit of a blur – craft show prep, steady Etsy sales, general SewTara stuff, my kids, my job . . . life!  Now I’ve gotten the show out of the way and a few nights of good sleeps I can get back in the swing of things.  I’m not a morning person at all but sometimes I think it would be better if I worked mornings at school and not afternoons.  It would get us up and out and then I’d have the whole rest of the day instead of this broken up day I have.  I usually start our lunches at about 11, so I can walk the kids to the sitter for 11:45, then I have to get to work for my 12:15 yard duty.  It’s still a pretty sweet gig considering school ends at 3:10 and I’m usually back home with my kids by 4.  Not a lot of people get this much time with their kids.

Hrm, I seem to have babbled a bit!  I was posting to share my awesome happytownUSA print that just arrived moments ago.  I love, love, love it!  It’s so silly and fun.  Can’t wait to find a spot for it in my craft space.  She also included 2 fun little postcard prints which was a nice bonus.

Ok, 11:30, I’d better get moving!

It’s chilly out there!

There are some snow flakes blowing around too!

It’s a big day today, lots going on. It’s Mollie’s bday and blog party fun is happening in celebration! So happy birthday to her and hello if you’re popping over from her lovely site. Also, in her shop today it’s the 3rd Annual Mollie’s Turning 29 Sale! EVERYTHING is 29% off when you use coupon code MOLLIE29. Just enter the code at checkout, a fun new feature from Etsy. It’s a big weekend in the US and I’ve got my craft sale tomorrow so I’m rushing around like mad!

Getting in sync with the holiday season I whipped up a cute little gingerbread cup cozy.

I also have another nerdy one, with black rimmed glasses but I haven’t had a chance to get to the photo and posting bit yet.

I made some pouches . . .

just a few.

It’s getting closer to my craft sale on Saturday and so I’m continuing my campaign of avoiding the work I *have* to do and choosing to do other things (still productive things but just messing with the priorities).  With the help of my friend Tabatha, who managed to figure out how to make these cute little pouches with the hole on the inside, the slip stitching doesn’t show as much!  Turns out I’m not very good at that step, despite Keyka Lou’s wonderful tips on how to do it. Instead I went on a mission to try and hide it on the inside.

I’ve also got some orders to fill from the weekend. Usually I like to create everything all weekend and ship on Monday but I was feeling a little under the weather over the weekend and the orders were steady so I’ve got a little ‘to do’ pile now!

Cozy break for a keychain pouch!

Made this last night as a way of productively procrastinating. I have to make even more cozies than I thought now that I have to replace the load I took to Cup of Tea. I’ve also got some orders in the last few days to fill. I needed a creative break.

So I turned to my favourite pattern maker and whipped something up.

I added the button, which I’m not too sure about. I wasn’t entirely sold on the velcro idea but I guess there’s a reason Keyka Lou is the pattern maker and I just sew stuff!

I’m such a creature of habit, doesn’t it look familiar?

Random awesomeness

Today I did something I’ve been meaning to do for a while. There’s a great little tea shop near where I live, Cup of Tea Bakery and Cafe. They do loose teas, organic and gluten free baking and free trade coffees. My friend Joanna displays her photography there from time to time and ages ago she had suggested I take some cup cozies over and see if they’d sell them in the shop. Today I finally did just that.

Since I’ve been building stock for my shop and upcoming shows, and the whole madness of being linked numerous times in September has worn off I actually have a nice little stash of product ready to go. I ran over straight from work, regretting on the way that I was in my ‘gym teacher’ outfit. I started my little pitch and pulled out my stash of cozies and Nichole immediately started sifting through them. Then she said, “How about I buy 12 of them from you right now?”. I was a bit shocked, I was expecting to show them to her and then we’d work something out and I’d come back with them later, maybe all nicely tagged. Instead there I was as she made a little pile of 12 that she liked. In my shock I said “Oh” instead of something much more savvy. But then she explained that with the holidays coming they’d be a great stocking stuffer, and I couldn’t argue with that. I feel so great that I can do some local business, get my cozies out there and help the earth a little.

My new awesome bag!

I bought this Reisenthel bag today at Solutions.

It folds right up into practically nothing! Another good feature if I should happen to sell loads of stuff. Then I can put the things back into the large suitcase and only have to wheel 1 thing out. It will also make a great crafting on the go, overnight, or taking a lot of stuff to work bag.

I have 2 craft shows to go to in the next little while and I carry my stock in our large suitcase but I find I’m always scrambling to keep the little things organized, my business cards, tissue paper, bags, signs, cash box . . .  So rather than have to carry in a ton of things I figured I’d be able to wheel in just 2 things and be done.  Oh other than carrying in my 2 display units.

Losing steam?

I think I may have upset some thing in my universe. All that work over the weekend was awesome! So much was accomplished, and I know it’s only 4 days later but I feel like I haven’t done a thing. Aside from updating the shop Monday night. I need to find that momentum again.

I added this fun little gem to the shop tonight, I’m loving the possibilities of this cup cozy.

There’s a pile of things to finish up and I seem to be procrastinating by doing other less important tasks. Perhaps the reality of a craft show about 2 weeks is sinking in. Here’s my pledge to be at least just as productive as last weekend over these next 4 days, if not even more!!!

Etsy shop update!

My screen was ready at about 7pm on Saturday night and I managed to print and make most of my new designs by Sunday night!  I was so excited to finally be able to create them.  So here’s a sneak at some of my new listings, minus the one in the middle that’s for something special and the gleeky one that’s for a friend.

My productive weekend, filled with cup cozies and such.

Some how this weekend I manged to find time to create just over 20 cup cozies, 4 crayon cozies and a few tea/sweetener holders (minus the snaps)!!

I also watched 4 or 5 movies on Netflix while doing all this creating. So that said, there’s a shop update in the works while I watch TV.

And the winner is . . . .

I just decided to play with stickers on Picnik, capsule can you tell?