Any Wild Mamas Out There??

Okay, so you're a MOM... all caps, all love, all heart, right? But, does that mean you HAVE to carry a diaper bag with Pooh on it? Or covered with little pink flowers??

No! Here's my "wild mama" diaper clutch, made JUST for you! :) It's a snazzy little number, all bright organges and blues and reds, complete with a super funky stitch to finish off the edging!

No wilting flower mamas need apply! ;p

What fun!

I found this great pattern for a fun, "3D" ball for babies; even my toddler likes playing with them! I've made several in bright colours but I've only got one posted on Etsy so far!

The balls are great for tummy time because they'll roll, but not TOO far since they're not really "round". They're also great because they're soft enough to be thrown around IN the house (if Mama will allow such things!).

Let me know what you think!

Save your shoulder & sling your baby!

When I was first pregnant with my daughter, the thought of "babywearing" was so foreign to me that I simply couldn't imagine why anyone would want to do it. I mean, WHY would you want to schlep your little one around ON you? Wouldn't that be uncomfortable? Heavy? Cumbersome?

And, in face, with the store-bought carriers out there (Baby Bjorn, etc.), it was. Trying to get all the straps in the right place, buckled, not twisted, tight enough, etc., was simply no fun. As such, I never used ours and just carried my daughter. And, as a result of THAT, I ended up with an unusual condition called Clavicular Osteolysis - my clavicle (collarbone) was dissolving, yes DISSOLVING, because of repetitive use. Hurt like a mother & there's no treatment for it. Thankfully, once you stop using your shoulder (yeah....) it will heal itself, and it has, but it was a MISERABLE two years of not being able to lift my arms above shoulder level.

Then, a friend asked me if I'd ever tried a ring sling. Lightweight, easy to use, endlessly adjustable even WITH the baby in it, and much prettier! And, it would SAVE my shoulder! AND they're big enough that my husband can use it, too! Hmmmm... what is this magical sling you're speaking of? :)

So, I asked my mother to make one for me (this was back before I was sewing). ;p

LOVED IT, LOVED IT, LOVED IT.

When baby #2 came along, I was fully prepared with a 100% silk sling that I'd made myself (like the one in the pic). The silk is such a great medium for slings; SUPER lightweight, breathable (natural fibers), folds up to about a 5" cube for easy transport, and SO stylish & pretty. Silk is also very strong; I can use it to carry my 35 lb., 3.5 year old in it, too! I had Alexander slung almost every time I picked him up; as such, my Clavicular Osteolysis didn't return. Yay!

It's also so great to be able to hold your little ones when they just need some "mama 'nuggle time" and still be able to get stuff done (like cooking, vacuuming, etc.)! :)

Now, I make and sell the slings on my Etsy shoppe. I wish I could give one to every new mama out there so they, too, can understand what a great thing baby wearing is!

Meet & Greet: Twisted Tree Studio

It’s been a while since my last feature of a fellow Etsian, but here goes! I’d like to introduce you all to Twisted Tree Studio; Eclectic Art & Exquisite Leather Work. The dynamic duo of Jen & Pat live in the Colorado Mountains near Pike’s Peak, which towers 14,000 feet over their little town. Pat is a mason my trade while Jen, a painter & muralist, has worked in offices and retail over the years. They make beautiful leather bags together and Jen also paints & sells murals and handles the web store.

Pat & Jen have been selling their bags for about 3 years, though Pat’s been into leatherworking since his 20’s and Jen has studied art her entire life. She studied in Holland and has an Art. Ed. Degree from here in the US. Believe it or not, though, she’s never taking a class on painting!

According to Jen, they pull their inspiration from “forest and the natural qualities of the hides and stunning stones”. In browsing their Etsy shop, Twisted Tree Studio, you’ll find a great contrast of smooth stone with rough leather and products that FEEL natural, not contrived. Check out the incredible quiver they have in their store now; it certainly makes me want to go in search of Legolas!

Twisted Tree Studio came to Etsy after much research into online communities. They have high hopes for their shop, planning to turn it into “a strong business, with customers all over the world, while maintaining our special level of unique one of a kind art and incomparable craftsmanship that will give us a way to create art for many years to come”. Given that they feel that great customer service and unique products are paramount, I’m sure their shop will be immensely successful!

Fun Facts
Favourite Colour: Purple/Blue
Favourite Food: Jen – Italian, Pat – Spicy, Hot Mexian
Favourite Drink: Coffee, or whiskey & Coke!
Favourite Travels: Jen’s in love with the UK but loves travelling anywhere (a gypsy at heart). They also want to explore jungles and Africa someday!

Here's What I'm Not

So, it occurred to me the other day that everyone can spout off thousands of words to describe what they are, who they are, why they are, where they are, etc., but ask them what they're NOT and you'll give them a few seconds pause. :)

As such, I've decided to start a new blog, Here's What I'm Not, that will take me on a 365 day journey of self-realization to help me discover who I AM by understanding what I'm NOT.

I'd love you to join me on this trip; you may even learn a few new words along the way!

http://hereswhatimnot.blogspot.com/

Clock Chimes

Okay, so my father got us this beautiful (I think) wall clock that ticks & tocks & chimes... it's great and the chime is so pretty. However, the chime is also LOUD and with our small house we don't want it to chime the hours (and keep us & the kids up at night).

Dad promised me that the chime would wind down, too, and need to be re-wound to work. There are two separate winding pegs, one for the clock & one for the chime. We've had this thing running for about 6 months and it's STILL chiming... Does anyone have a pendulum clock like this?? Is it EVER going to wind down?? :)

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Eco-Friendly Lunchbox

So, today I tried out a new pattern and made up this super-cute, eco-friendly reusable lunchbox! you can find it at my Etsy shoppe!

This great, reusable lunchbox is perfect for kids or adults! The adorable chicken fabric is very cute and pretty apropos!

It includes a great interior space for holding lunch and/or snacks and has 2 exterior pockets, one flat (ideal for silverware) and one gusseted (would hold a small water bottle, like an Aquapod). The bag closes with velcro on the front flap and has a small handle for carrying!

The whole bag is lined with a light blue fabric and all pieces are lined & interfaced for strength, durability, and a touch of insulation.

Could double as a day/diaper bag, too!

Dimensions: 8" x 8" x 3"
Machine Washable

When you're sick.... STAY HOME!

Okay, so my husband came home last week complaining that several of his coworkers were in the office even though they were fighting off this stomach bug that's going around. Well, needless to say HE caught it and was out of commission for 2 days last week. I thought that the kids & I had avoided it (yay for Lysol!), but sure enough, last night around 12:30AM my 3.5 year old daughter wakes up wailing & flailing. After about 10 minutes of crying, she gives me the most pitiful look as says, "Mama, I'm gonna throw up". I grab her trash basket & just in time she vomits right into it.

So, she & I were up all night, with her throwing up every 30 minutes or so until about 3AM. Then it slowed down to once an hour until 6. Then, she threw up at 7:30AM and, thankfully, that seems to have been the end of it. It's now almost noon and she hasn't vomited since. The poor thing is so hungry & thirsty, but we're limiting her intake to a sip of water every 15 minutes. Crappy, but it seems to be working. I'm staving off food, though, until after her nap (if she'll let me!).

Anyway, the moral of this story is that IF YOU'RE SICK, STAY HOME. No, you're NOT so important at your office that they can't live without you for a day or two. I PROMISE, corporate America is NOT going to fall apart without you. WASH your hands a LOT, too!

Valentine Wishes

Happy Valentine's Day to all my followers! I hope you all are surrounded with love on this day and every day! :)

My first Etsy *Main* treasury!!

So, today I was able to snag my first Etsy treasury - the MAIN treasury, not the West one! I was inspired by the colours rust & teal and decided to see what I could find with those colors if I searched for the word "dirt".

Here's what I found!

Etsy Treasury

Diaper clutch w/ Built In Changing Pad

Okay, so by now you've all seen my beautiful & unique diaper clutch with built in changing pad, right?? This copyrighted design is a great item for chic moms on the go! It holds a 2 - 4 diapers, a wipe case, and a small bottle of powder or bum creme. There are also pockets on the front to slip in some cash or cards, which makes it great for quick trips to the park or the store!

It closes with velcro and some 'models' also come with a beautiful sash to tie around it. It looks like a gorgeous clutch when it's closed and no one would guess it's true purpose! Open it up, though, and it becomes a 12" x 20" changing pad, just the right size for protecting your little one's tush from foreign surfaces. I still use mine for my toddler!

These make great baby shower and Mother's Day gifts, too! I use only high-end designer fabrics, including Amy Butler, Michael Miller, Alexander Henry, and Heather Bailey. If there's a special fabric or colour combination you'd like, please don't hesitate to let me know!!

New Design!

I wanted to post my newest design in my lip balm holder line; it has a flap that closes with a snap to ensure the "safety" of your balm! While not necessary for normal use, people who are rough with their keys will certainly appreciate this modification!!

I'd love to hear what you think!

Only the Best of Etsy Sample Packages GUEST GIVEAWAY!!!!

Only the Best of Etsy Sample Packages GUEST GIVEAWAY!!!!

Crafting with Kids

So, today we had a Kids Craft playgroup at my house & we felted soap for the kids to use in their baths! The kiddos (aged 3 - 6) wrapped their soap themselves in 2 - 3 layers of fleece. I did a very tiny bit of needle felting to hold the fleece ON the soap during the wet felting. Then, we put the soap in small zip-loc bags, added a bit of hot water, and set the kids to work.

A few of them actually felted their soap themselves, but some of them also got tired of rubbing a bar of soap and Mama had to step in. It actually worked out great because the moms had a great time, too, felting by hand!

All told, each child went home with his or her very own bar of soap and one mama took home one, too! I sure hope they have fun with them!

Scrub a dub!

New Key Fobs!

So, I'm listing a bunch of new key fobs and lip balm key fobs today... Joel Dewberry, Alexander Henry, Amy Butler... :) If you need one, or know someone who does, head over over to my sister shop, Key Fob Fairy at Etsy!

Meet & Greet: WinterCrochet

Okay, I always knew it’s a small world, but this is starting to get a little crazy… I randomly chose my 2nd fellow Etsian to interview and, in reading her answers, discovered that she, TOO lives in MA, about 30 minutes away. Apparently New Englanders are drawn to each other! She loves living here and revels in the culture; museums, sports, nature – it’s all here.

I’d like to introduce you to Margaret of WinterCrochet. A cubicle dweller by day, in her off-hours she uses yarn to make hats that literally look good enough to eat. This Mint Chocolate hat nearly had me drooling! Margaret came to crochet by way of soap making, after the smell of soap starting to get to her. As the daughter of a soap maker myself, I can definitely understand the sentiment! She was taught by her mother, who still lives close by, and crochet is a craft that “runs in the family”.

Margaret pulls her inspiration from a variety of places, people and even materials. She says, “Sometimes a certain color or texture of yarn will scream to be made into something very specific.” I think a lot of fellow artisans can relate to that experience. Something else a lot of us can understand is her studio goal – to keep it clean enough to at least be able to see SOME of the floor! :)

She has a great attitude towards entrepreneurship, and, I bet, life in general: always keep learning & growing. She says of her shop, “…a year from now I still want to be learning new things about entrepreneurship and community markets.” She values her experience in running her shop, having made both personal and professional connections in the few short months she’s been selling on Etsy.

In closing, I’m going to just copy & paste her quote on the import of buying & selling handmade goods – I couldn’t write it any better myself!

“When people make and sell and buy handmade goods, I feel that it brings us back to a place where everyone knew their neighbors and you could trust in quality craftsmanship, and also in the people around you. We're so disconnected these days from the dinner parties, and knitting circle type activities that brought communities to be proud and tightly woven; [communities] that worked hard to do what was right and help each other. I feel the community ties we make are the most invaluable outcome of handmade communities.”

Fun Facts:
Favourite Colour: Earthy, Mossy Green
Favourte Food: All of it (“I'm a food maniac! I'm one of those live to eat people and not the eat to live type”)
Favouirte Drink: Alcoholic: margarita (on the rocks, no salt) Non alcoholic: nice pink lemonade in the summer.
Favourite Travels: Her parents’ house (how sweet is that?)

Hearts for Haiti Donation, SOLD!

So, the tattoo-inspired "LOVE" key fob that I donated to the Hearts for Haiti cause on Etsy just yesterday, sold TODAY! Yay!! There's $5.99 more for the cause! And I hope the buyer loves the fob!

Meet & Greet: Studio Seventy Five

Since I’ve run out of daily fodder to chat about, I decided to run a series of “getting to know you” posts featuring other Etsy artists. I love meeting other creative people and finding out what makes them tick. I hope you enjoy reading about these great crafts(wo)men & collectors. :)

The first Etsian that I’d like to introduce you all to is Jennifer of Studio Seventy Five. In conducting the interview, we discovered that we live only about 20 miles from each other and that she grew up in the same town that my entire family is from (Franklin, MA). I guess it truly is a small world! She loves living in New England and can’t imagine living anywhere else.

Jennifer is a stay-at-home-mom to two boys (ages 12 and 6) and has been married to her husband for 16 years. She discovered her passion for jewelry making when she took a beading class a few years ago and it quickly snowballed into a desire to learn several different techniques. Having sold to family & friends, she decided to open an Etsy shop in September of 2009. In this short time she’s had over 50 sales! Her jewelry is classic, clean and reasonably priced, so it’s no wonder she’s doing so well.

Asked where she gets her inspiration, Jennifer replied, “I always have ideas swirling in my head. I get inspiration from nature, magazines, current jewelry trends”. She prefers buying and selling handmade products, supporting local artists, and knowing that what she’s purchased (and sold) is unique and not available at the large box stores.

Jennifer is working on growing her business and plans on showcasing her beautiful jewelry at several craft fairs this year. Her advice to other new Etsy sellers is great customer service & great pictures! The first can be easy, the latter, as many of us know, can be very tricky! Keep your eye out for Studio Seventy Five!

Quick facts:
Favourite Color: Aqua
Favourite Food: All of it!
Favourite Drink: Midori Sour (when she partakes)
Favourite Travels: Hawaii

Lip Balm holder being featured on another blog!

I'm so honoured that Kira Ann Designs (http://www.etsy.com/shop/kiraanndesigns) has featured on of my lip balms as her Etsy Find of the Day. The lip balms can be found at my "sister" shop, the Key Fob Fairy. Check it out!

http://kiraanndesigns.blogspot.com/

Thank you so much!!

OMG, 100 hearts!!

LOL! So I hit a huge milestone today (for me) and received my 100th "heart" on Etsy!

Wow... now, to hit 100 sales! ;)

Sock Monkeys, anyone??

So, today I finished an adorable baby set made with Moda's Funky Monkey fabric... so darn cute. The set was a baby blanket, 2 sets of bibs (2 monkeys, 1 Dick & Jane & 1 Merryville), and 2 sets of burp cloths (2 monkeys, 2 merryville). I hope the soon-to-be parents love it!!

Testing out the crumple zone...

So, we had a long, slow snow/ice storm last week and after dropping DD off at preschool, I promptly slid right into the back of a, brace yourself...

school bus.

Yup.

After specifically going a DIFFERENT, less hilly way, just so I WOULD NOT get into an accident, I hit a patch of black ice and slid for about 50' at about 1 mph right into the steel bumper of a bus. If I'd hit anything else, there would not have been any damage to either car. However, given what I hit, my bumper & hood are goners... yay...

So, the insurance guy is out front looking at it now - It makes me sick to think of having to pay the $500 deductible. Blech.

Fabric, sweet fabric...

So, after I dropped my daughter off at preschool this morning, I chucked my son in the car & headed down to the best local fabric store we have; The Mill Store in Franklin, MA. They're the only "local" (40 minutes away) store that sells designer fabric like Amy Butler, Kaffe Fassett, Joel Dewberry, Alexander Henry, Heather Bailey, etc., etc., etc...

I was feeling REALLY drawn to oranges today, and had to keep putting fabric back on the shelves and reminding myself to branch out a bit! I picked up some gorgeous Amy Butler orange floral (Lotus line), my favourite Joel Dewberry Azure (Deer Valley line), some Sandi Henderson Pear (Meadowsweet line) and some Alexander Henry Mod Dots... Great stuff!!

I can't wait to make up some chic diaper clutches and key fobs with this stuff - it's in the washing machine right now!!

New Layout!!

Okay, so if you see this, please let me know what you think of my new layout! I actually did most of it myself (hence the silly little errors here & there). I've got to learn more HTML!

Busy Saturday with the kiddos

So, today my husband had to go into work at *gasp* 5:30AM... UGH. He normally works just 9-5, M-F, so this was a stretch for him. Rolling out some sort of thing at work.

Anyway, so it's just me and the kids today! We spent the morning catching up on laundry & cleaning - it's so hard to get that stuff done during the week with all the running around! My 3.5 year old likes to "help" and she's learning - she puts all the books away and knows to put the little toys in the bins. We're getting there. My 16 month old, not so much. As fast as my daughter is putting books IN the basket, he's taking them OUT. :)

Still, though, we had a productive morning and I do love watching them together!

Diaper clutch with built-in changing pad

I'm thrilled to see that I sold one of my incredible diaper clutches to a lovely lady in Missouri! My first sale to that fine state. It's the same beautiful mustard & chocolate clutch that is the background of my banner; except this one has a beautiful leaf shaped brown button instead of a tie. If you're looking for gorgeous, one of a kind, baby and manma gifts, please check out my shop at Etsy.com!

New Background!

Okay, so after poking around for what felt like hours, I finally found a background that I like! How great is it that it almost matches the clutch in my banner! It's actually a lot of fun poking around and changing it up. I have to find a layout that I like next, but I'm still so new to this that THAT might take me a while!

Dirty Clean Fun for Two!

Want some naughty clean fun? Hop in the shower with your sweetie with this yummy felted soap - no need for a washcloth here! Just wet, lather, and enjoy. :)

The larger soap is a bar of Yardley's Lavender that has been hand-felted (by me!) with 100% wool. The smaller soap is just a cute heart shaped soap I found that smells like blueberry pie; also hand felted with 100% wool.

Felted soap works like this: an entire bar of soap is carefully wrapped in 100% wool fibers (off the sheep, folks) and then gently "felted" by wetting and rubbing, rubbing, rubbing, etc... The bar of soap remains intact inside the felt "pouch". To use it, you just wet it, rub it a bit to get the lather through the wool, and scrub away! The wool is a gentle exfoliator, too.

Head over to the Woolly Blue Yonder to pick up this great Valentine's Day gift!

Mailing, mailing, and more mailing!

We were able to dig ourselves out of the newest snowfall today and get to the post office! I mailed out three key fobs and one beautiful Apples & Pears baby blanket! I can't wait to get feedback from the buyers so I can see what they think! I love my stuff, obviously, and I can only hope they love it, too!

Diaper Clutch in a spotlight by another blogger!

So, my diaper clutch is being featured on another blog by Melissa at The Speckled Pear. She's done a great compilation of mustard & brown objects and my clutch made the list! This copyrighted design is a great gift for new and veteran moms! It's all I use to change the diapers of my 1 and 3 year olds! Please check out Melissa's blog to see all the other great products she found, too!

Lip Balm Holder, sale!

So, I just got notification that I sold a beautiful lip balm holder made with Joel Dewberry's Deer Valley line to a great buyer from "across the pond"! This is my 2nd sale in as many weeks to a Brit! Funny! Since s/he's the first one to buy the lip balm key fob, I think I'll send a special gift, too! Maybe a matching, regular, key fob!

How to Felt Soap...

So, today I decided I would felt up a bar of my mother's luscious Goat's Milk & Honey soap to try my hand at it. What a hoot! First, I shaved off the corners & edges to make a more rounded bar. Then, I wrapped the bar 4 times (alternating directions) in layers of 100% wool roving. Finally, I sprinkled it with warm water & a little extra dish soap and rubbed, rubbed, rubbed for about 10 minutes. I ended up with this beautiful bar of felted soap! Perfect for the shower tonight!!

15% off for Followers! Great Mother's Day gifts!!

So, in order to see who's looking for sales & good deals on baby and mama products, I'll be offering 15% off all my products (through Etsy or Artfire) to anyone who's a follower of my blog!!

Etsy

If you're one of the few folks who haven't heard of or checked out Etsy.com, you need to get your behind over there and do it NOW. What a great one-stop-shop for handmade and vintage items! We have a shop there as do about a billion other artists. Use the search feature at the top to find exactly what you're looking for and you'll be thrilled with the results!

Let's hear it for handmade!

Naps...

Okay, so how many times have you had to wake your poor children up from their naps only to find out that what you woke them up for was cancelled!? Happened to us today and it was awful! Wokd up the kiddos to take DD (darling daughter) to ballet only to discover that it was cancelled becuase they'd had power outages earlier in the day! :(

New to blogging!

So, I've decided to *finally* start a blog... Please bear with me while I get it up & running! I'm hoping to "feature" some of my favourite Etsy & ArtFire sellers here and try to get some exposure for the great artists that are out there!