One Year Celebration

April marks my one year anniversary of opening my shop on Etsy - there's still plenty to learn, but having this shop has been so rewarding. I really am at my happiest when I'm working with fabrics to make something new, or wrapping wire around stones to make a piece of jewelry. It all started out as a hobby to take my mind off other things going on around me, and blossomed into a thriving little online shop.

I'm so grateful for my customers :) In celebration of my shop anniversary, all purchases this month will include a scratch off ticket, good for prizes that can be redeemed in my shop. The prizes include discounts off a future purchase, free earrings, and the Grand Prize is a $25 credit on anything in the shop! It's a great way to win a little something for yourself while you shop for a birthday gift or Mother's Day gift.

In other shop news, I got some new business cards from Moo -

 I adore the complimentary storage box!

I opted to use my own images, using items from my shop along with fabric patterns and cute logos

I really love the quality of Moo cards - they make regular business cards as well, and just released their Luxe line. The cards feel really nice, and the images are saturated with color. They occasionally offer discounts, but in all honesty, the cards are worth every penny you spend.

If anyone happens to be in Philadelphia next month, I'll be selling my crafts for the first time at the Punk Rock Flea Market. It will be my first time selling at the PRFM, as well as selling at any sort of fair/craft show, so I'm a bit nervous and excited at the same time. I also plan to sell some gluten free pumpkin roll, as a sweet treat alternative to all the vegan baked goods that are sold there. Hopefully it will go well!

My kitty Minos would also like to let you know that he plays an important role during the fabrication process - he serves as Quality Control Inspector, to make sure that I don't miss any stitches and keep everything in line -

Traveling in Style

Although I don't have big travel plans this year, some of you may have plans to do a little globetrotting through 2012. What better way to keep your travel documents organized and show off some style than with a handmade organizer?

sturdy cotton fabrics, treated with Scotchgard 

for extra protection against spills and stains

3 interior pockets to hold your passport, boarding pass, and ID/cash/receipts

magnetic snap closure to make sure everything stays where it should

also available in bold chevron prints, with the option of 

button closure - or even adding a decorative button to a magnetic clasp!

teal pockets here, paired with the chartreuse/lime and white print

I also have chevron fabrics in black and white, grey and white, and hot pink and white, 

if green isn't your cuppa tea.

Sewing Projects

This month has been kind of busy for me, in the best sense - I'm always so happy when I see that someone purchases something from my shop, and more so when requests come in!

Whenever I get an idea for a piece of jewelry or something new to sew, I end up doodling on whatever paper I have nearby. It helps to jot down ideas while the memory is fresh, but I often found that having my notes and sketches on different papers didn't do much to keep things organized. Early in the year I went to the store and bought some Moleskine notebooks, aiming to keep all my ideas in one place.

Then I found that I was always looking around for a pen or a pencil, even though I'm the queen of office supplies....so I did a little searching and found a way to keep a pen/pencil with my notebook at all times...

I sewed some fabric to a thick piece of elastic, and voila - it keeps my notebooks together and I'll always have something to write with!

Working on some new things for the shop, especially with spring on the way...I added this little bow pouch recently:

Hopefully I'll find more time to work on some new jewelry ideas over the next couple of weeks!

New Shop Items for February

As the title says, there are some new items that will be popping up in my shop window for February -

planning to travel this year? Keep your passport fashionable
and easy to find with a pretty passport cover!

If you're traveling with family, use different patterns for each person

Store your own business cards in a handy fabric card holder, or keep other business cards in one place

~ these also add a nice personal touch if you want to give someone a gift card ~

it's kind of hard to see it in the photo above, but I'll be adding some tote bags with cute bow accents to my shop - padded to keep any valuable items safe inside
Large enough to keep a notebook/netbook/ipad and small necessities all together, with an inner pocket

Valentine's Day is coming up, and if you're not a huge fan of all the pink and red decorations, these dangly earrings would be perfect - Swarovski crystal hearts in dark colors will leave you looking more glam than girly :)

If you ARE a fan of the pink and red and cute little hearts all around, I also have some adorable button earrings available - I used a really cute Valentine's Day fabric that I found last month 

Sweet little stud earrings for yourself or a friend, they also make a suitable gift for a young girl!

If you happen to know anyone with a February birthday that loves wearing amethyst jewelry, I'm also offering free shipping on all items featuring the gorgeous gemstone for the entire month.

National Hot Tea Month

A little late in the game to make that statement, but January is National Hot Tea month, and if you or anyone you know loves tea, send them over to my shop to check out some cute little tea wallets :)

Drinking tea is really good for you, since it contains all kinds of flavonoids that help maintain healthy cells and tissues. It's a more subtle dose of caffeine if you need a boost during the day, and helps you wind down at night if you sip on a cup of something herbal. While the weather is cold and our immune systems are more susceptible to cold and flu viruses, drinking 20 ounces of black tea a day helps to produce 5 times the amount of germ-fighting immune cells, compared to drinking 20 ounces of coffee.

If you're not a fan of green or black, or even white teas, there's the option of herbal teas - caffeine free and made with all kinds of fruit combinations. You can drink them hot or iced, and they're a good alternative to water to stay hydrated - as long as you don't go overboard with milk, sugar/agave.

Obviously I'm a big fan of tea...my pantry is stocked with at least a dozen different varieties, but I like to make sure that I always have some Earl Grey (or Lady Grey) and herbal tea on hand. Be sure to have a cuppa - or two, or five - this month to keep warm and boost that immune system!