Happy Holidays!

Happy Holidays, my very few – and mostly spammer- blog readers.

I made these orange slice ornaments the other day, and they’re just gorgeous. They look like stained glass when in front of a light. I followed these directions, just in case you’re wondering. Mine only took an hour to dry, and they’re still a bit too toasty.

December has been an absolute flurry of activity, cowl sales have far exceeded my expectations, and I’m extremely thankful. You’ve made my family’s holidays much happier and comfortable. Also, as per the entry below, I bought myself an early 30th birthday present.

I should really be slowing down now with the fabric buying, but on my days off from my regular day job I go shopping. And I always find some gems. It took me THREE HOURS on Sunday morning to organize my fabrics, since I work on the floor at all times, and it tends to spread from one end of my house to the other, and here’s about HALF of what I have in stock:

And would you believe that I actually still sit on this chair and sew, perched on the edge? I hope to make all of these cut pieces of fabric into actual cowls over the holidays. Starting tomorrow at 2pm until January 2 at 10am I am on vacation! Horah! I have the best employer I could ask for (outside of myself, of course)!

Happy Holidays, all!

Oh, hello…

So, I bought a motorcycle today. I’ve never driven a motorcycle. Hell, I didn’t even SIT on this before buying it. But, the dream to own a motorcycle is about 30 years old. I don’t remember a time when I didn’t want a motorcycle, and I have been promising myself that I’d buy one for years and years and years. This is an early 30th birthday present to myself.

And I have Etsy to thank. And hours and hours and hours and hours and hours and hours of sewing cowls.

I can’t wait until spring!!!

Pip Robins is on DOOCE.

I am so excited I’m absolutely spinning. See her entry on Holiday for Her: Accessories and Clothing gift guide!

http://www.etsy.com/shop/piprobins

Things Have Been, Well, Busy

Right now I’m featured in a whopping SEVEN treasuries. And another one as an Alt. I am so amazingly flattered, I cannot even tell you. YOU LOVE ME, YOU REALLY LOVE ME!

Thank you, thank you for your support and for your love, it does not go unnoticed.

http://www.etsy.com/treasury_list.php?room_id=97641
http://www.etsy.com/treasury_list.php?room_id=98096
http://www.etsy.com/treasury_list_west.php?room_id=77787
http://www.etsy.com/treasury_list_west.php?room_id=77792
http://www.etsy.com/treasury_list_west.php?room_id=78038
http://www.etsy.com/treasury_list_west.php?room_id=78042
http://www.etsy.com/treasury_list_west.php?room_id=78050

I have even been fully featured in an Etsy Storque article!

http://www.etsy.com//storque/spotlight/etsy-finds-adventures-in-manland-6324/

Front Page November 20!

Oh, How Times Have Changed

Tonight I finished up my sister’s website, which I’ve been doing for years. This is the fourth time we’ve designed it, and this is by far the most simple. I’ve been developing websites since 1999, graduated top of my class from a IT college in 2002, and have been doing IT related jobs basically ever since. I had an enormous passion for it, that is, until my child was born and found a new meaning to life and have focused a lot of attention on natural parenting methods. Being a stay at home mom for 18 months I finally grew tired of surfing the internet and watching television during nap times, and my crafty side emerged after 27 years of never having it. Seriously, I was not crafty in the slightest for my entire life until my late twenties.

I’ve always loved to sew, and dabbled here and there. When I was a raver in the late 90s I made my own (totally and absolutely humiliating) phat pants (PHAT with a PH!) and a handbag or accessory here or there, but nothing like what I’m doing now.

When I decided to start experimenting, I knew I wasn’t going to go out and buy new fabrics when there was so much out there already. It became a mission- to really never have to enter a fabric store for anything other than thread. Why would I contribute to pollution the ocean with dyes used for new fabric construction, or the use of pesticides on cotton? Or the amount of oil that goes into producing new textiles? 99% of the fabrics I use are remnants from bolts of fabrics, or pieces of fabrics that were donated by someone that had no use for them anymore. This ensures they’re not in a landfill either!

It’s a lot of work to find good fabric, but my family and I make a day out of it every week, and we have a good time. I take all of that fabric home and wash it and often I can hardly sleep because of the excitement of working with it.

I’m proud of the things I’ve made with reclaimed fabrics. If you couldn’t already tell from this blog!

A Flurry of Activity!

Thank you to everyone who has been keeping me busy with sales! It’s very, very appreciated- especially those of you who I either know in real life or follow my blog.

For close to a week I was featured in a couple of gift guides, bringing a lot of new and welcomed traffic to my Etsy page. I’ve been in a few treasuries as well recently, so there’s been a real surge in interest! Wonderful!

RocketScienceStyle put together this treasury called “beautiful creams and blues”. Just stunning. Thank you!

Earlier in the week, I was featured in another treasury called “Finally!” (because the demand for treasury spots is so high!) by huismus.

***

It was a wonderful to be kind of featured in a Storque article and two gift guides at the same time. Like I said, a LOT of traffic and record-breaking hearts for the items featured.

And the last treasury printscreen that I’ll bore you with is from a while ago. It was made by Decorate the Diva.

Wishful thinking

I woke up this morning to see that my “Ice Queen” cowl (which is so much better in real life) was featured in a new treasury called “Wishful thinking” by dbvictoria.

And here’s a print screen of a treasury called A Bit of Happy (by Friendly Fairies) from last week that I was in but never had a chance to link:

OOAK Gift Guide!!

One of my goals of November was to make it into a gift guide on Etsy. I wanted to make it into the “Gifts Under $25″ but instead I made it into Etsy’s One of a Kind Gift Guide, which is A-OK with me!

(if that doesn’t show my cowl, here’s a print screen)

Etsy Front Page November 6

Pip Robins was featured on Etsy’s front page this morning. I notice that teal and white are often a colour combo on the front page, and my teal and gray contrasting cowl was among the other similarly coloured chosen items.