Holiday Sampler

This is the picture that is up in the Gallery at The Sampler. Don't they make my Itsy Bitsy Bags look amazing? One of my favorite parts of participating in The Sampler is seeing my items posted on their blog and in the gallery. Makes me feel just a teeny weeny bit famous!

It's Finally Here!

I finally got my tail in gear last night and started listing stuff in our new Etsy shop She Made It. She Made It is a shop that will feature the work of my sister, sister-in-law, my mom and myself. It will have a variety of items. So far, I have listed some cute Christmas Garlands and Crayon Caddies. Both are great items for the holidays.

My sister Jessica makes cute headbands with elastic bottoms so you don't get that weird sticky-outy thing at the back of your hair when you wear them. She also makes the most adorable baby/doll blankets and travel pillow cases.

My sister-in-law Heidi makes security blankets, but she just recently learned how to crochet, and she's good at it! I'm hoping we'll be able to talk her into adding some crochet projects, too.

My mom Dawna can make just about anything, so we'll see what she comes up with! It will be a fun little shop, and I hope you'll check it out! Of course, my fabulous bags will still be available at BeckyKay Designs!

Bringing back the Jane Bag

A while back, I told my sister that I wasn't going to make my Jane Bag anymore. She immediately protested that she has the Jane Bag, and it's her favorite. She likes the fact that it is smaller than my Bronte Bag, but only has one long strap, rather than two like the Thornfield Bag. The truth is that I like making the Jane Bag. It goes together very quickly and I can afford to sell it for only $20.

So, thanks to my sister's encouragement, I am bringing back the Jane Bag. This version, Proud as a Peacock, will be appearing in my Etsy shop very soon!

Start the Holiday Shopping!

Since my 4 year old doesn't read my blog, I guess it's okay to show off one of his Christmas gifts! I ordered this cute little Indian headdress from WorldofWhimm. Isn't it adorable? He is way into dressing up right now, so this will be perfect! Plus, he told me the other day that he needed some Indian stuff to go with his teepee. I asked him what kind of stuff and he said, "Ummm, a feather?" Blue is his favorite color so I'm very excited.

I also bought him a shark costume for 75% off after Halloween. There's a play kitchen in the basement of my office with his name on it, too. My husband thinks I'm silly for buying him a kitchen, but what is so girly about a kitchen? Everyone eats, right? Besides, it's green and tan, not pink and purple! I want to do some searching for play food on Etsy to go with it.

I love Christmas shopping! I'm still in browsing mode, but plan to start doing some ordering very, very soon!

The Holidays are Starting!

Tomorrow is Thanksgiving! I'm most excited about the fact that I won't have to work for four whole days! We'll be spending Thanksgiving Day with my dad's side of the family. He has eight brothers and sisters, so it will be a huge gathering. We haven't attended this gathering in several years, so I'm looking forward to it. We'll probably end up at Mom and Dad's house in the evening for snacks.

On Friday, we're heading up to Kansas City to visit my husband's family. More food, of course! My brother-in-law is a great cook, so I'm sure our meal on Saturday evening will be wonderful. I'm planning to make my favorite chocolate eclair cake. Very easy and very yummy!

Connor is all about the holidays, although I think he's anxious to get past Thanksgiving so we can get on with Christmas! They had their Thanksgiving "feast" at daycare yesterday. I asked him what they had, and he said there was turkey and mashed potatoes. When I asked him if he ate all that, he said, "No, I just played with them." That's my kid!

Hope everyone has a wonderful Thanksgiving Weekend! And, if you plan to brave the Black Friday sales, be careful and have fun! (I think I'm just going to hide away in my in-laws' house and do some embroidery.)

This weekend's craft show

I have to admit that I was totally disappointed with the results of this weekend's craft show. It was supposed to be a huge show, and there were a lot of booths and a lot of people. Unfortunately, they just weren't buying from our booth! But, I did remember to take booth photos this time!

Years ago when I used to sell scrapbook supplies, my husband made me two of these folding pegboards. They are one of the most useful things I have ever owned!This table holds all the hair accessories that my sister makes. She actually sold quite a few. The banner is one that I made and we just pinned it around the table. (I've made some Christmas ones that will be for sale in our new shop, She Made It, very soon!)These two lovely ladies always get a lot of attention at the shows. Kids are absolutely mesmerized by them. We always wish that we had a video camera in our booth so we could capture all the reactions and comments! I'm a little scared of the one on the left...This rack belongs to my sister and works really well for us. We can adjust the shelves and it comes completely apart for transport. This weekend, we filled it with blankets and pillows.My mom crocheted three of these adorable monkeys for this weekend's show. The other two are in the previous picture. The highlight of the day was when a fellow vendor walked into the booth and wanted to know if the orange monkey was for sale. I assured him it was and ran back to his booth to get money, because he "had to buy it!" He had a pottery booth and said even though he wasn't selling much, finding this monkey made the entire event worthwhile! This was a guy in his thirties, and I loved how thrilled he was with his purchase.

We also had a very nice vendor who sold beautiful jewelry made out of vintage and antique buttons come into our booth and chat for a while. She informed us that the quality of the crowd at this particular show wasn't what it used to be. She also advised us to give a show two years before we give up on it. It was very encouraging to talk to someone who had been doing this for a number of years.

So, we're done with craft shows for this year. I'm going to spend the next few weeks concentrating on my Etsy shops. I'm really hoping for a great Christmas season!

Sampler Contribution Finished!

I just finished stitching up the last Itsy Bitsy Bag for my contribution to the Holiday Sampler. I think they turned out adorable. What do you think?

If I remember correctly, the fabrics are from the Flea Market Fancy and Chocolate Lollipop lines. Instead of using the same fabric for only two or three bags out of my 25 bag contribution, I decided to stick to just a couple fabrics. I found it was much easier to sit down and sew 8-10 of the same bag instead of having to constantly switch thread color and so on.

Again, aren't they cute? The ones in the middle are my favorites!

I've got a few more in my shop available for purchase and several that aren't listed. Just tell me what you're looking for, and I can do custom orders. These little bags are perfect for filling with holiday treats for a fun gift. The bags themselves are just the right size when all you need is your cell phone, id, keys and cash! My sister has even been using hers to carry around her digital camera!

A Passion for Fabric!

Holy moly! I went to Hobby Lobby with my mom yesterday, because I wanted to find some tiny plastic rings that I can sew on my banners to use for hanging them. That was the ONLY thing I needed. Huh! $50 later and guess what I forgot to even look for!

Furthermore, you should see the two big plastic totes full of fabric that are piled in my living room. Not to mention, three more plastic bags full of it sitting next to my desk! I definitely do not need more fabric. I could probably sew for a year without having to buy anything other than lining fabrics, interfacing and thread. But when I saw this bolt, there was no way I could leave without some.

Seriously. How could I pass this up? Not only is it totally retro and fun, but it's red and black, my all time favorite color combo! I bought a yard and a half, so I'm really hoping I can get a large and a small bag out of it. After that, I'll have to decide if I can even part with it!

Some Random Happy

One of the things I love about the modern world is being able to fill up my gas tank and pay for a car wash at the same time. I am absolutely the worst about keeping my car clean. My husband is constantly nagging me about the fact that I need to clean out my car. Look, I have a four year old boy who is a constant passenger in my back seat. He covers the seat with cheese crackers and the floors with papers from daycare. There are random toys all over the place! The front seat is covered with my trash. Things like empty soda cans litter the floor along with discarded MapQuest directions and granola bar wrappers.

Before I found a gas station with an automatic car wash, I would go months and months without washing my car. It drove my dad nuts to see my perfectly nice car covered in a layer of grime. Now, when I fill my tank at my favorite gas station the happy little screen says, "Would you like a car wash?" I push yes, it adds it to my bill, and after filling up, I drive through the automatic wash. (Don't get me wrong, I don't wash my car every single time I fill up, but when it needs washed it sure is handy!)

When I'm planning ahead, I go through the drive-thru at a nearby fastfood chain and enjoy my cheeseburger, while my car is being washed! It's kind of peaceful in there, and I have enough time to eat my lunch while I read. It just makes me happy!

One of those days

Everyone once in a while, you have one of those days where everything just seems perfect. One of those days where you kid actually behaves the way you want him to, and you feel like Super Mom. Today was like that.


My very best friend whom I've known since third grade, moved to Indiana this year. She was home visiting family this weekend, so I crashed their family brunch and got to spend some time with her. I love that Melissa and I can always pick up where we left off, no matter how long it has been since we've talked or seen each other. I also love the way we feel like a part of each other's families.


I took Connor with me, because I knew there would be lots of kids for him to play with. He was so well behaved the entire time. I'm never quite sure what to expect from him, but he did amazing. I kept having to check on him, because he was playing so nicely in the basement.

When we got home from brunch, I made a tail for Connor's Halloween costume. My mom bought him a costume, but it didn't come with a tail, and Connor really wanted a tail. I bought some green fleece, and even though it's not quite the right color of green, I'm pretty proud of how it turned out. I attached the tail to a fleece belt that velcros around his waist so he can easily take it off and put it on. Connor even helped me stuff it with polyfil to give it more shape.

This evening, Connor and I attend our nearby city's Halloween Safe Walk. Once again, Connor was very well behaved and had a great time. People kept saying, "Oh, what a scary alligator!" Connor would say, "No, I'm not! I'm a dinosaur!" Then he'd smack them with his tail. Luckily, he's four and cute and can get away with hitting strangers with his tail.

So, today was pretty much perfect. (Okay, there was a melt down this afternoon when I made him take a nap before trick-or-treating, but otherwise, it was great!)

Meet Moira

Look what I bought yesterday! I have to tell you that I have been coveting this little monster for weeks! I first saw her on LaurenSmash's blog and immediately hearted her when she showed up in the shop. After my craft show this weekend and another wholesale order, I finally felt like I could splurge on this little treat. I absolutely cannot wait for her to get to Kansas!

Here's the cute description from the shop:

"Meet Moira! She is one scary monster. She loves to jump out at people from behind a chair to scare them. She also loves playing pratical jokes on people like leaving fake bugs on their pillows and tacks on their chairs. Moira also loves embroidery, scrapbooking and cotton candy."

See, she's a scrapbooker! Just like me! LOL!

There are several other items in LaurenSmash's shop that I would love to have, as well. Her owls are to die for!

Craft Show Quote of the Weekend

"Let me just see if this is what I think it is," said the lady as she opened one of my purses.

I'd still love to know just exactly what she thought it was...

First Craft Show of the Season!

My sister Jessica and I exhibited at our first craft show of the fall season today. I have to admit, it was definitely not our most successful show, but it certainly wasn't the worst, either! I only sold three bags, but Jessica did a bit better with her hair accessories. Fortunately, we each managed to cover our half of the booth fee, as well as our lunch and expenses. (By "expenses" I mean the stuff from other vendors that we couldn't resist!) On the up side, it was a fun day spent hanging out with my sister and her 8 week old son, who was a total darling the entire day.

Unfortunately, I forgot to take pictures of our booth, but I do think it looked great! The planning we did last weekend definitely paid off. At our show next weekend, we actually bought a double-sized booth, so it will be fun and challenging to fill it. We can hardly wait! We did this show last year and did quite well. The good part about not selling much this week means that I won't have to work my tail off replenishing my stock for next weekend! (See, there's always a bright side!)

Sampler Day!

I was totally surprised to find my very first Sampler on my front porch when I got home from work tonight! Just in time for my birthday tomorrow! I managed to put my purse down and check my phone messages before ripping into the package. Then I leisurely purused the contents on my couch. Here are my very favorite things from the October Sampler that I received!This necklace is by Wabisabi Brooklyn. It's a nice earthy orange color with black smudges. I love the way the pendant sits right at the base of my throat. I'm wracking my brain to figure out what I can wear it with tomorrow! I can definitely see myself becoming a Wabisabi Brooklyn customer.
Aren't these little earrings fabulous! Love the simplicity. These are from Eutectic, and I'm wearing them now. The jewelry on their site is all so elegant! I may have to email my mom a link for Christmas shopping...
I am a huge fan of the lost art of letter writing and 16 Sparrows is all about that! I love these little notecards. I will definitely be placing an order soon. I just can't decide if I want to mail these little cards to a pen pal or use them for journaling boxes in my scrapbooks! I know I want to become a member of the Letter Writers Alliance, though.

Another treat for a letter writer was the pen pal kit from Wolfie and the Sneak. I am going to have a very hard time deciding who is worthy to receive this super-sized cupcake envelope, and it will be a very special package that gets the Fragile sticker.

Okay, now, I should be sewing! My first craft show of the fall is on Saturday, and I never feel like I have enough done. Did I mention that tomorrow is my birthday?

Pennant Banner

While looking for craft show booth ideas, I ran across several that had super cute pennant banners decorating them. I had to make some for myself! Here's how I did it!

To make two 3 yard long banners, I bought 1/2 yard of 4-5 different fabrics and two packs of double fold bias tape (3 yrds long).


I created a plastic triangle template with a 6 inch base and 10 inch height. Who knew I'd ever use that geometry I learned in high school?

Fold a piece of fabric in half, right sides together, matching the selvedges. If you place the base on the triangle along the bottom edge of the fabric and cut, then turn the template upside down so the point is at the bottom edge and cut, you should be able to cut 10 triangle pairs from a 1/2 yard of fabric. You're cutting through 2 layers of fabric, so you should have two identical triangles. Keep the pair together! 5 different fabrics will leave you with enough extra triangles to start on a third banner. (Sorry, I didn't think to take pictures of this step!)





With right sides together, sew along the long sides of the triangles with a 1/2" seam allowance. Leave the base open. Trim the seams to 1/4" inch. Turn triangle right side out and press. Use a scissor point to get a nice point on the triangle. Repeat for all triangles. (It really doesn't take as long as you might think.)





Starting about 7" from the end of the bias tape, pin the base of the triangle inside the fold of the tape. Pin the next triangle approximately 3/8" - 1/4" from the next one and so on. Stop about 7" from the other end of the bias tape. The first banner I did, used 19 triangles and the second only 16 triangles. It just depends on how you space them.





Stitch along the open edge of the bias tape, removing pins as you go.


Super, super easy! And kind of fun! Can't wait to put these on my tables at my craft shows this fall!

Random Stuff

Holy moly! It's been way too long since I updated this blog! I've had good intentions, just not very good follow through.

The truth is that I have been very busy! My first craft show of the fall season is in two weeks. I have been frantically sewing and sewing and sewing! I want to be absolutely certain that I have enough bags to fill our booth. Last night, I worked on making pennant banners to decorate our table. They are actually turning out very cute and I can't wait to finish them tonight. I'll try to post photos of that project.

My sister and I work together on our craft show booths. Jessica makes adorable headbands and hair accessories, as well as doll/baby blankets and travel pillowcases. Next Saturday, we are going to tape out a booth space on my living room floor and plan out our booths for the three shows we are doing.

I was telling a friend about the shows we have signed up for. This particular friend used to do craft shows and is the organizer for our local craft show. She said that the big show we are doing in November is really good. In fact, she sold out the first year she did it! Talk about throwing us into a panic and a frenzy of sewing!

Anyhoo, my dining room is covered in bits of fabric scraps, and my sewing machine is humming happily along each evening. It's nice to be busy!

One of my favorite things

I absolutely love to go to auctions. I don't go very often, but love to find a good one, especially if it is local. Saturday, I spent the entire day at a local estate auction. So many of the items I wanted went for much higher than I was willing to pay, including this totally amazing red retro chair. It had such a good shape and the red plush upholstery was in great condition. A few years ago, I probably could have bought it for a dollar, but now retro is in, and it sold for $27.50. Still a good deal, but I didn't think my hubby would appreciate me paying that much for an "ugly" chair.

I did end up buying a pair of J A Henckel crane scissors, an old box of thimbles, a six gallon stone crock, a vintage hat, a pair of wooden straight back chairs and a box of blue willow china which I collect. It is absolutely hilarious the way I get such an adrenaline rush from bidding at auctions. At the end of the day, I could barely write my check because my hand was shaking so badly. I was writing like a 90 year old woman! So embarrassing!

I've been playing with my new photo tent this evening. Here are some pictures of the treasures I bought this weekend!

Hubby wants to know what I'm going to use the crock for. Any suggestions?

My latest purchase and new favorite seller!

I am very excited, because this adorable little hat arrived on my doorstep yesterday. I purchased it from BKM Hattitude late last week. I can't believe how quickly it arrived and how cute it is! I adore hats, but don't wear them very often. Hats aren't exactly popular here in Kansas unless they are baseball hats advertising your favorite sports team or tractor company. However, I couldn't resist this little beauty, and I believe I will be back for more. Now, I just need to track down the perfect coat to pair this with!

A couple more hats I'd love to have from BKM!

P.S. The photo tent arrived yesterday. I'm hoping to play with it a bit tonight!

How much of a dork am I?

In our family, we get a lot of say in what we receive for birthday and Christmas presents. Quite often, I will be out shopping with my mom and see something I like, and she will say, "Is that something you would want for Christmas or your birthday?" If I say yes, then she will usually buy it. It may not sound like fun to those of you who likes surprises, but it's awfully nice to know I am getting something that I will definitely use. Besides, we always get surprise gifts, too. My husband and brother-in-law think it's great. They joke that you have to be careful about what you say you want, because you'll probably get it!

Anyway, for my birthday this year I am getting a postage scale and a photo tent. I am very excited! In fact, the postage scale is already at my house, but I haven't opened it yet. (My birthday is in October.) The photo tent is supposed to arrive tomorrow. We found it on Ebay, and I'm even the one who bid on it and sent the payment for it! (Mom doesn't have an Ebay or Paypal account.)

But, seriously, what kind of dork gets excited about postage scales and photo tents for their birthday?

Not another fabric website!

In case my fabric addiction wasn't bad enough, one of my customers introduced me to fabric.com, yesterday. They were having a 20% off sale, so, needless to say, I spent a chunk of change there before the sale ended last night! Got some great stuff and can't wait for it to get here. In the meantime, I made another stop at my local quilt shop. Truly, this is becoming at least a weekly visit. I should probably get help!

Yesterday, the first issue of my new subscription to Adorn arrived. Love that magazine! Very inspiring and full of fun ideas! Can't wait to sit down and read it cover to cover.

Sampler Contribution - DONE!

My contribution to the October Sampler is complete! I will be sending these 25 Itsy Bitsy Bags off for distribution in a few days. I just need to make some tags for them.

I was pleasantly surprised at how easy it was for me to get all 25 of them done in plenty of time for the September 20th deadline. However, I can honestly say that 25 was enough of a commitment! I'll be sending the same amount for the December Sampler, so I guess it's time to get started on those. Actually, I just cut the Itsy Bitsy Bags out of the leftover fabric anytime I cut out a full size bag. I can stitch them up along with the full size bag without having to change thread. It really makes it easy to get a lot of them finished in a short amount of time.

Occupational Hazard

Who would have known that handbag creation could be such a dangerous occupation! My poor right hand is a complete mess. I've been doing a lot of hand sewing to complete the flowers that I've been adding to some of my bags. Last Friday, I shoved a needle under my thumbnail. And, I'm not talking about the small sharp end. I mean the large dull eye of the needle. By the time I went to bed on Friday night, it was throbbing! I had to take a couple ibuprofen so I could fall asleep!

Yesterday I poked a hole in the tip of my thumb. I didn't even notice until I found a spot of blood on the button I was sewing on. Had to scrap the button, find a band-aid and make a new one. Today I found a sore spot on my middle finger, too.

Note to self: Buy a freakin' thimble!!

Featured Seller: Sweet Bonny

I've been meaning to post about one of my favorite Etsy sellers for a few days now and haven't gotten it done. So, I scrolled through my past purchases and found Sweet Bonny. I bought these cards a while back and love, love, love them!Unfortunately, I only have one left! So, I've been stalking the Sweet Bonny shop for days trying to decide what I want next. Here are some of my favorites:

And, no matter what cards I get, I am definitely adding on a peacock bookmark!

I just love the artwork on all her things, and I'm all about the bright, bold colors. How am I going to decide?

I've been tagged!

I was tagged by JessiLynn for this fun little blurb. I'm going to play even though I hate to reveal my middle name!

Here are the rules:1. You have to post these rules before you give the facts.2. Players, you must list one fact that is somehow relevant to your life for each letter of their middle name. If you don’t have a middle name, use the middle name you would have liked to have had.3. At the end of your blog-post, you need to choose one person for each letter of your middle name to tag.

Introverted - Now, people who know me really well would probably not say that I'm shy, however, I am truly an introvert. In fact, my personality test results prove it! I am horrible at small talk and am not one to initiate conversation with a stranger. I'm working to improve on that! But, once you get to know me -- watch out! You can't get me to shut up!

Loyal - When I make a friend, they are usually a friend for life. I still remember many of the good friends I had as a kid in elementary school and love to find out what they have been up to. I am also quick to defend people or companies or places that I feel a connection to.

Easily-amused - It doesn't take much to make me smile. That is probably why I love playing with my son's Webkinz. (Okay, I admit that I have one of my own, too!) It also explains why I bought this for my sister's new baby!

Nerdy - I am a total bookworm and all around nerd. I'm interested in some of the silliest things that other people just don't get.

Energetic - I truly cannot sit still. It is impossible for me to just sit and watch television. I have to keep my hands busy with sewing or reading or some other project.

So, there you have it! My middle name is "Ilene". I am going to tag:

Brandi
Sweet Spice
Knitstyle
MJDBoutique
SimplyShell

Preparing for craft shows

I am planning to sell at three craft shows this fall - Berean Country Fair on October 13, Halstead Fine Arts & Crafts Festival on October 20 and See 'N Sell on November 17. My sister will be joining me at most if not all of the shows, and we are really looking forward to each of them.

Our goal for this year is to make our booth look more professional and eye-catching. All three shows are indoors, so, fortunately, we don't need to worry about a tent. We have been discussing and buying all sorts of display items.

One of the main things we wanted was table cloths that all matched! I searched and searched for heavy duty polyester knit fabric to use. I found a couple resources, but then on Saturday, my mom and I were shopping at Sam's. We found packs of three restaurant style table cloths for about $22! These were huge cloths, too, so they were a great deal. I also bought some dark pink knit fabric at JoAnn's to use for draping on our display.

I've been seeing the neatest pennant banners on people's booths and decided that I want to make my own. I bought about five different coordinating print fabrics and some bias tape at JoAnn's this weekend. I'm hoping to get to that project before October!

Hobby Lobby had floral stems on sale last week for 50% off, so I bought a handful of bright colored long-stemmed Gerbera daisies to use for additional decoration.

Probably the thing I am most excited about is that I have signed up for Propay so I can accept credit cards at the shows. I am very curious to see how much this will help our sales.

Hopefully, I am planning far enough ahead, for once! I'm sure I will still be scrambling at the last minute!

My new nephew!

Introducing nephew #5 for me! Layton Todd was born last night (8/16) at 10:21 pm. He weighed in at 8 lbs 6 oz and measured 19.5 inches long. He such a little angel!

Although his aunt told him he could call his new cousin L.T., my son insists that he is going to call him "Happy Feet".

Book Review

Last weekend I finished The Crafts Business Answer Book by Barbara Brabec. I was really pleased with the information that I was able to gather from this book. It is set up as a reference book. Every topic is listed in alphabetical order, so it's quite easy to go through and find information on a particular topice. However, it is also a book that can be read from cover to cover, which is what I did. (I will admit to skipping over some topics that didn't pertain to my situation.)

Brabec's style is quite conversational, and she provides a lot of practical advice for anyone who is getting started in the craft business. The book covers topics ranging from marketing to accounting to legal issues to pricing and shipping. There is a lot of general advice, but she does provide many resources so that a reader can further investigate various topics on her own.

I had several "a-ha!" moments as I read this book, and it prompted me to take several actions to make my business more professional. I would recommend this book for someone who is getting started in the craft business. Many of the questions answered were questions I didn't even know I had!

Happy Mail Day!

I am a complete mail junkie! There is nothing I love more than getting mail. I get excited about all kinds of mail - email, junk mail, voice mail (except work ones). My favorite though is definitely snail mail! I got four packages today. Including one I'd almost forgotten I ordered.These knitted baby booties arrived from Knit Style. They are absolutely so adorable and soft. My sister is scheduled to be induced on Thursday, so I'm expecting my new nephew soon. These are going to look so sweet on those teeny tiny feet!

These burpcloths also arrived today from jr designs. Also a gift for the little guy! My sister already has a little girl, but I know she needs some stuff that isn't pink. These will be perfect!

My other two packages contained three back issues of Adorn Magazine which I've already flipped through, Sew Easy Bags by Linda Lee and the newest Jasper Fforde book, First Among Sequels. So, I've definitely got some reading to do!

I'm still waiting on a couple more packages from Etsians that I ordered late last week. It should be a good mail week!

Purse Posies

Here's how I've been spending most of my lunch hours lately! Stitching and watching HGTV. These cute little flowers all have pins on the back so they can be used to embellish anything from purses to sweaters to denim jackets. There's a Purse Posy on each of my Villette Bags, but I thought it would be fun to make individual ones, as well.

I'm planning to have these available at the craft shows I'm doing this fall. I may also be contributing some to The Sampler in the future.

Introducing.... Cheeto!

I have a little tiny baby perched on my lap as I type. He was rescued off the interstate yesterday and is our newest family member. He spent the night at the animal hospital, but is doing great today, and I got to bring him home! My son has named him Cheeto, and I am totally in love. He is just so miniature!

Updates coming...

I haven't updated all week, and I'm feeling a bit guilty.

In an attempt to efficiently work a fulltime "regular" job and grow my purse business, I've been trying to work on "fun" business during my lunch hour. I've been sewing little "purse posies" while I sit in our break room at work and watch HGTV. I'm going to post some pictures, but I keep forgetting to take the photos! (I am adding this to my to-do list.)

My co-worker found a kitten on the interstate yesterday, and I agreed to keep him. He's been at the vet since 8:30 yesterday morning. We were a bit concerned that he wasn't going to live, but this morning, the vet said I could take him home today. (More pictures to take.)

I'm currently reading The Craft Business Answer Book by Barbara Brabec. It's been really helpful, and I'll be posting a review when I'm done.

My sister and I are planning to do two craft shows this fall. We've done shows in the past, but we are focusing on our booth presentation this year. My plan for my lunch hour today is go to the local second hand and antique stores and try to find some inspiring pieces to use for our display. (Will post pictures if I find something.)

So, there are lots of good things coming to purse-onality, I've just got to get them done!

Featured Seller: Sugar and Spice

Sugar and Spice is one of my favorite sellers on Etsy. Christine creates the most adorable vintage look ragdolls and the quality is absolutely top-notch! Each little beauty is handmade and just too sweet for words!

My first purchase from Sugar and Spice was a doll for my niece Reese's second birthday. I was completely impressed by the quality and the fast shipping! Reese's doll is going to be a very special keepsake.

I'm very tempted to add one of her Halloween dolls to my collection of Halloween decorations. I only have a son, so I get pretty excited about an excuse to buy dolls!

I also just saw this adorable sock monkey pillow on her site. I may need to get that for my nephew who will be arriving in the next couple of weeks!

The Sampler

So, I recently found out about The Sampler, and I am soooo excited! What an incredible concept. Why can't I ever come up with one of those totally amazing ideas?

Anyhoo, despite (or perhaps in spite of) some skepticism from the hubby, I am jumping in with both feet and have commited to contribute at least 25 of my Itsy Bitsy Bags for the October Sampler and the same amount for the Holiday Sampler. Now, like I told Alison at The Sampler, if I get crazy industrious, I may send more.

So far, I'm not having any problem getting these little babies cranked out. I just hate to commit to more than I know I can do. Whenever I start getting behind on my deadlines, I have these horrible nightmares where I'm back in high school or college and have a major paper due in 15 minutes that I haven't started on. Anyone who knew me when I was in school will totally understand how horrifying that thought is to me.

In my mailbox

I love being a part of the Willow Fabric Co-op! Yesterday a priority mail box full of these very fabulous fabrics showed up on my front porch!

I'm already thinking about what kind of bag each one needs to be made into!





They are sitting in a very delicious pile on my table waiting to be matched with lining fabric and cut up into pieces! The hardest thing for me is that I get so much fabric, that I can't keep up with the influx! I really need to use up what I have before I buy more, but where is the fun in that?