Year end wrap up and looking towards 2014

Hello Dear Reader!

I can not believe that 2013 is almost over, Christmas is almost here (10 days away!) and 2014 is just over the horizon!

As the year is coming to a close, I am really re-thinking my businesses. I spent a grand portion of this year doing wholesale and while it has been fun and profitable, I have really neglected my Etsy store, I have been unable to really devote the time I need to expand my on line presence, grow my Etsy customer base and expand and grow like I thought I would when I first contemplated adding a second shop and focusing on wholesale at the end of last year and the beginning of this year. I have discovered that taking orders and working very hard to fill orders has taken some unexpected tolls on  my family and I have stepped back and am rethinking my move forward. One thing I am looking at is doing just cash and carry. Basically, that is making 2 dozen widgets, let's say, and I offer those as cash and carry--basically when they are paid for, they are shipped. If I focus on doing C&C, I can devote more time to my family, if I want to take a day off, I can without the guilt of orders not being filled, and I can play with my son without the same worry. Of course, there is the concern of not having anything to sell without the 'sew, sew, sew' of having orders to be filled, so I am going to be looking at quotas, so I am making enough items. I am also looking at checking out craft fairs as well as expanding my Etsy store into more day to day items rather than just chasing holidays, and FINALLY opening my kids store! Something I have wanted to be able to do for the past year and haven't been able to get to! So, instead of the Christmas grand opening, I am now looking at an Easter or Spring grand opening--just in time FOR Easter!

So, to that goal, I am looking at closing my shop for the Christmas Holidays--I was going to close today, and then I got a sale! **squee** and had I closed my shop, I would have missed it! Sooo... I am looking at maybe from Christmas Eve or maybe the 22nd thru January 1st at least, possibly thru January 15th. I would like to clean up my shop, take new pictures, have new, fresh offerings and just spruce the place up, ya know?!?

So I hope that all of you have a splendid, blessed Christmas and a very Happy New Year and I hope to live up to another goal for 2014 ~~ touching base with all of you on a more regular basis, and Mr.Buttons has suggested a photo gallery of my reworking of my Etsy store and Crafting Room--it would probably be really good for my revamped Etsy About page too!

Talk to you soon! Happy crafting and until next time~~

Karen 

WIP's

Hello Dear Readers!

I can NOT believe that October is just about over! I have been so busy sewing, stuffing and painting goodies for sales both on Etsy and for my wholesale clients I don't know what day it is! Add in a VERY busy 2 year old and well, the days just FLY! I have orders for in excess of 350 of my Christmas Crows as well as a 100 of a Cardinal variation and I have requests for more of the Ruddette Reindeer ornies. I am working on basic dolls in-between orders, as well as other holiday items.  Add in some Etsy orders and busy, busy, busy!! is the name of the game!

Here is my Christmas Crow!  I can NOT believe how popular this little guy is this year! He started out his life last year when I designed him to be part of a set of Halloween plant pokes, and while cute, I thought about how he could be cuter! So I started playing around with hats and different things and the Christmas Crow was born! He sports a stocking hat made of various stripes/plaids/holiday prints and is finished off with a rusty bell. He has quilted wings on both sides and his eyes are glass beads. Very sweet! He is made of stained Osnaburg and then painted, sanded and stained again!

A few weeks ago, the crows all got together and said they needed a new friend so I came up with my Christmas Cardinal and I am very happy with how he turned out! He was created using the same pattern as I used for my crow, and is also made from stained/painted/sanded Osnaburg. I really like this fabric--very much reminds me of a coarsely woven linen. He has 2 wings as well, and has the distinctive black markings that are such a familiar sight with wild cardinals. I have the cardinals sporting a green stocking cap instead of the red like the crows. I thought it was a good contrast. The hats are made of various green prints/stripes and plaids.



Right now, the crows are available in a set of 3 on Etsy, but I will be adding the cardinals, and will also be selling them as a set of 2 and as singles!

Well, dear reader, I can hear my sewing machine calling my name! Must get back to work--but I will be back soon! If you have any questions about the birds, please don't hesitate to comment below!

Till next time~~
Happy Crafting!

April Ponderings

Good morning Dear Reader!

First off, I hope everyone had a wonderful Easter yesterday! Ours was nice and quiet! Little Man convinced Papa to pullout ALL the Thomas the Tank Engine wooden track and they spent the day doing various layouts in the front room! Much fun! :-)

This year, for Easter Dinner, instead of the traditional Ham or Lamb for dinner, I found a really yummy pork roast recipe for Roasted Garlic and Herb Pork Loin--we had steamed veggies with it and I am thinking about having a salad out of the left over roast for dinner tonight.

Talking about Little Man, I can NOT believe that he is 2! We celebrated his 2nd birthday with Grandpa and Omi and all his cousins and THAT was a lot of fun! It was a Thomas the Tank Engine day all the way around and again this year, his cup cake toppers were provided by Tami of SugarArtByTami. She is wonderful to work with and I can't sing her praises enough! She modified the trains so we could have  Thomas,  James and  Percy. Here is a picture of Little Man and his cupcake!

And as we celebrate my youngest's 2nd birthday, my oldest is preparing for Prom, graduation and college just around the corner--truly, where has the time gone?

On the crafting side of life, be on the look out for many new items! I am working on a myriad of prim flowers--daisies, black eyed susans, sunflowers, wild flowers, and roses as well as new dolls and fun summer items!

The top picture is a box of various prim blossoms waiting for stuffing--I sewed up well over 100 blossoms this past weekend!!-- faces to be sewn on as well as stems and leaves added. Bottom box is a picture of a bouquet of black eyed susans and daisies, with roses and wild flowers to come! 

And less I forget! Be sure to stop by The Olde Primitive Peddler to see my newest offering--

 (A Primitive Posy Candle Mat) 

and view all the other wonderful creations to be found there! 

Well, Dear Reader, I should get back to finishing up those flowers, so I shall end for now! 

Take care, and Happy Crafting! 

Till next time, 

Karen 

Back in the swing of things!

WOW! It is ALREADY March 15th??? Truly where has the time gone?? Spring is getting ready to .... spring! lol and I am starting to work on Patriotic items for both my Etsy shop, selling blog AND for my wholesale clients. I am already thinking about getting a head start on my Christmas items as well, since the wholesale groups I am in as well as Etsy do Christmas in July specials, and I want to make sure I am well prepared for them! Thinking about a bunch more of my prim candy canes, my crows and cardinals as well as snow men, snow men and more snowmen and elves too! I want to try my hand at door hangers and wreaths too!

I am also in the process of revamping Buttons appearance with new headers and brand new graphics as well as a re do of my shop!

For those of you who are interested in child friendly items, I am just about ready to open my new Etsy shop! It looks like opening day will be right around April 15th! Very excited about this new venture! Stay tuned for more on that!

On the home front, my Little Man is almost 2!! I can't believe how time has flown! We are using cup cake toppers from Sugar Art By Tami again this year. LM has gotten sooo into Thomas the Tank Engine in the past few months -- and playing with the trains and cars too -- that we decided to do a Thomas themed birthday and Tami was wonderful to work with in making that come true! She made engines in red, blue and green on white discs and we will probably get blue frosted cup cakes for his big day. I am sure I will be posting pictures just like last year!

Well, I hear my sewing machine calling my name, so I should get back at it!

Happy crafting!

Karen