too sweet

I'm making a special request for a customer who is having a lollipop themed first birthday party for her daughter. I didn't realize how hard it would be to turn a lollipop swirl into felt when I first started! Lots of trial and error but the end design is super cute. At the customers request I will be switching to a pink onesie and replacing the pink parts with light purple in the lollipop. I like the sprinkles around the lollipop and am tempted to add the design to my shop as a regular item.

Rock On!

I just added a new design to the shop. A cherry red, white and black electric guitar. I was talking with a friend this weekend who has a 1 year old boy and she was lamenting about the very typical designs she finds in the stores. So I thought I would make something a bit different for little boys with my new design. I need to put it on a toddler tee now. I like the gray background. Next up is a gender neutral rubber duck sitting in bubbles that has the option of saying JUST above the ducky.

thank you cards

About a month ago I revamped my packing and shipping methods. I used to ship my items in little cardboard boxes that once held house paint samples. Recently I received about 100 manila envelopes that were in perfect condition except the sticky part that makes the flap stick down doesn't stick. It is easy for me to tape down the flaps so I happily took the envelopes to give them a second life. When I started using the envelopes the weight of my items dropped and shipping cost a lit less, so I decided to put that money back into my packaging. First I went and got some colorful tissue paper and ribbions to wrap my items in. I have always included a little thank you note with each order but I wanted to get better thank you cards, something that people would like but was unique. I was inspired by a lesson I am teaching in my classroom this spring where my students are doing lino cuts of birds. I decided to turn one of my desgins into a lino cut to stamp thank you cards with. I choose my black brid fly desgin because it was more adult and the thank you cards are for the ADULTS that buy the kids stuff.
So here is the orginal desgin template I made and the lino carving


and a close up of the lino cut

and a shot of a row of thank you cards that have been stamped up and are ready to go


no one has mentioned if they like the cards or not, but I feel good each time I see one go out and I think it shows another handmade touch.

Suzanne

106 orders

wow as of toady I have received 106 orders for over 130 items! I've averaging a sale a day and off days are being balanced by multiple purchase from orders. I wonder if this will keep up into the spring...if it will get even better or what. I'm a bit frustrated because people keep ordering the same four designs and I'm getting a bit tired of stitching them. At least St. Patty's day and Easter bunny's are breaking up the constant stream of birds, giraffes and rocket ships. I'd really like to see one of the Apple of My Eye onesies sell again! I know people buy what they see other people have bought so it is a bit of a catch 22. I've had several people buy my baby rosette headbands but no sales on the adult ones. I should probably load my adult one's into the second shop that I set up and just link the two shops. I thought that people would be more likely to buy if they saw my other sales but I can also see how having them in the baby shop may be hurting me. People see me only selling baby items and go looking elsewhere for adult items. I made a elastic stretch headband for a special order and I think I could put them on Sarah and Jo Jo and sell them to young girls.
Tomorrow I plan on putting the baby boys train onesie in the shop for the first time. I would also like to get the electric guitar on the gray onesies I have sitting around into the shop, along with a very hungry caterpillar on the green onesies and a butterfly on the purple ones. For now here are some photos of my girls stretch headbands and some single rosettes on a book background.

more custom orders

I've been working on this custom order set for a very nice women for about a month. She had me turn a few of my designs into boy's tee shirts for her son. I really need to work on getting more toddler tee's into my shop. I converted the giraffe into a tee for her and then did a matching set of the train for boy and baby (I really like how the train onesie worked out...it is going into the shop) and last but not least, she had me desgin a jersey cow for her son's farm theme birthday. The cow took a bit of work and I learned that udders don't translate well on felt children's items...hence no udders. However, I am very pleased with the end result. Not so pleased with my photos as I took them on my non fancy camera and the light was going down. Regardles here they are: