pumpkin stuffies

New pumpkin stuffies! I put one up in the shop today. I will put the others up soon.

And I am officially on the wagon for spending any more money until I start to sell. I have enough supplies to last me for whatever I need to make... although I was eyeing some recycled paper cardstock at Paper Zone the last time I was there. Not as nice as the two color Memory Box cards I always get, but probably easier on the wallet.

Still, unless things start to sell, I really can't afford to buy any more supplies.

not kate spade

I'm on the hunt for the perfect handbag. Has to have enough room to dump my stuff, but not too big that everything gets lost in the void. Has to have some pockets for the Frequently Used Items like lip balm, keys, pens, and phone. The list of FUI changes from time to time, but I always need quick access to keys and phone, so that's a must.


I made a couple of bags, but I'm really bad with following patterns and get measurements all messed up. Did a rounded bottom bag based on a pattern I eyeballed off Craftster.org (which is an awesome site). The "pattern" did not have any measurements, so I literally just made it up as I went along.

The result was a nicely shaped bag, but too shallow (this is the purple striped bag). It doesn't close over my stuff. I carry around little notebooks, my fat wallet, phone, and a myriad of smallish objects that collect in the bottom (moms with kids who don't carry their own toys/food/stuff know what I mean). The cream colored bag is a basic square bottomed bag I wish I had used a magnetic clasp instead of a button closure. It's a bit too deep, but otherwise a nice bag.

I think I really just need to start experimenting with zippers and learn to put them in the tops. And maybe start measuring.

idea

In my walk around Borders last night, I also saw some small stuffed plushy things attached to small lobster claw clips. I could do that with the pocket stuffies, but I'd have to make a new batch and make sure I sewed a loop at their heads with a split ring as the attachment for the lobsterclaw clip. Or some other kind of clip.

Borders was selling these things for about $6, I think.

new cards

I put two new sets of cards in the shop. They look rather simple, but I'm still trying to figure out a balance between cost of materials for me, price a customer is willing to pay for something they can't touch, labor, and time. I really don't want to spend hours and materials on a card, price the card at $8.95 (I saw a few mass-produced cards at Borders Books yesterday with this price that looked no differently, design-wise, than all the other DiY stuff) and then never sell any.

It's a little difficult to know what to do--I've seen lots of successful cardmakers out there who print their unique designs (not illustrated, but layout/graphic design) and price them around $15.00 for a set of 6-8. There are more expensive letterpress and screenprinted cardmakers out there, but that labor is just worth the money. A true letterpress is done individually, so my goodness, I can see how a letterpress set can cost around $25.

Thoughts? (*taptap* Is this thing on?)

pretzels

My three-year-old son and I made pretzels. They were pretty good, but not exactly like either the mall pretzels (as the recipe claimed) or the NYC cart pretzels I really love. Makes me want to experiment with different doughs. And make my own bagels.

I miss bagels and lox.

pocket stuffies

The mini versions of the stuffies are multiplying. I seem to go through an evening flurry of pocket-stuffy-making, and then my son squirrels them away. Of course, I also hand them to him and we have them go off on adventures in the shoe-car or the pumpkin ride... or we use them to torture daddy.

I'm wondering if anyone would want to pay money for them--would they be nice as pins? I guess I could always make a few with less stuffing and throw them up in the shop. I think they'd make super cute gift toppers or attached to zipper pulls on book bags.

They seem to like to travel around in pockets and have their own little adventures.

Cool Mom Picks

Cool Mom Picks is a site that collects information about really neat things for moms, tots, and the kid in all of us. They showcase some really cool stuff, so I'm happy to be included. Click on the Cool Mom Picks icon to see the article.

new stuffies

I got a custom order for three stuffies, and here's the result.



I also made a really deep slice to the inside of my left thumb knuckle on my very new and very sharp Olfa rotary cutter. It's not horrible, but I'm a weenie when it comes to anything more than a little cut or scrape. I thought I'd done enough damage to warrant an emergency room visit, but it doesn't look that bad. At least I don't think it's that bad.

Either way, learning to do things without the thumb is really amusing in a geez-no-wonder-thumbs-are-so-special way.

stuffies

Stuffie in the making.
I usually begin with matching front and back shapes, but this was made from two pieces of material that were cut for something that didn't quite work out. I then make the arms and legs. Sometimes they are squarish and sometimes they are longish. It all depends on the material and how late at night it is.



Thai is the one on the right, made awhile ago, but only now in the shop. Willow, the blue with leaf print arms and legs, is new. I should have waited to sew the button eyes on after she was stuffed, like I usually do, but I wanted to see how it would look. Still, I'm pretty happy with the leaf applique, but I think I'll make the next one smaller.

So cute!

Go see this super cute little site called Orisinal. Prepare to spend a little bit of time there.

adventures with fabric

Joann's Fabrics is having a sale this weekend, so I decided to pick up a rotary cutter for fabric since I'm challenged... I can't cut straight without a ruler or exacto knife to guide me. Even if I chalk a line on the fabric, I still somehow manage to goof up.


I wandered back to the quilting section and found some really neat quarter flats! And yeah, they remind me of paper patterns, too. Joann's isn't the best place to purchase fabrics, but for the minimal sewing I do, it works out okay for me.


I tried making something for someone's birthday tomorrow, but I didn't allow enough extra fabric and so the stitches missed and it unraveled at the base of a pocket. The second try with more forgiving fabric isn't perfect, so I might try once again and make another one just to perfect it.

Salutations

Welcome to the SLC Studio blog where I'll talk about the silly little creations I make. I'm not sure how often I'll post, but we'll take it day by day. Thanks for stopping by.