Happy New Year!

Whew!  We made it through the end of 2015 and I am so excited to get this new year started.  I thought I would round up my favorite items I customized for clients this holiday season.  Enjoy!

Christmas jumper!

LOVE the navy gingham and kelly green combo.  LOVE!

Classic white thread on the white hemstitched towel. 

How cool is this camo and orange monogram??  I need to use this font more often!  

Black on red, great contrast for this koozie.

Royal blue appliqué in the "Fretwork" monogram style

White embroidery on navy towels, so crisp and clean

Two color "Barbour" monogram in brown and royal blue

Metallic gold and black - so sparkly!

I adore blue for baby girls!  This appliqué is the hot pink on navy gingham.

My clients have the most creative minds out there!  I love making their unique items.

New Stuff and a Shop Update

It's no secret that this blog as well as my Etsy shop have been vacationing for quite a while now, but no worries, I shall return, and with that return new products will arrive!  My new plan is to reopen the shop early this fall with a new streamlined look and more focused products.  While Etsy makes it a little difficult to customize your shop online, I've decided to dive deep into photographing my products and learn a little more about my camera and the process that makes good product photos really great.

I've also been shopping for new products and taking a hard look at the sales data from these past couple of years.  Studying your customers is a great way to improve business, and my customers love shopping for babies and their own weddings.  So needless to say, there will be many more items in both of those categories.  It's hard to set yourself apart from all the millions of shopping options out there, and price is a huge reason a customer may pick you (or not), and now more than ever it's hard to decide how much my time is worth.

I'm hopeful that beautiful products plus good great photography and fair pricing will put me back in the retail game I once had.  Here are a few things to come...

Soft cotton plaid baby blankets

Cotton flannel receiving blankets with soft oatmeal dots - one of my favs!

In love with these cotton herringbone blankets in soft hues.

New thread colors!  I'm really pumped for the neons.

New 2 initial monogram.  Ready to do this one with some bright colors!

I'm loving traditional letters with fun borders.  Hand towels, definitely embroidering this on hand towels. 

Baby Clothes!

Sorry for no posts, between being pregnant (and having a baby a month early!) and thus being easily distracted from getting actual work done, I have had little time for anything else.  But when I wasn't working or snoozing or now racing around trying to do laundry (babies go thru a ton of laundry!) I whipped up these little numbers for my baby girl.  The sizing is a little off, but at least she can grow into them.  I am hoping to do a couple of tutorials on these little dresses, but until then, here they are!

The front - monogram in french blue thread.

Pink gingham with bow back.

White Pique with Taupe Appliqué Monogram.

Close-up of monogram.

Purple gingham with pink ruffles.

And the back with a big bow.

Latest creation with the help of Spoonflower and some leftover Lilly lace.

These designs may find their way into my Etsy shop just as soon as I get this whole sizing thing figured out…grow baby grow!

CBG Creative Studio!

Why no posts?  I’ve been slammed.  Slammed with orders from my online shop and preparing for a wonderful opportunity coming this November – the CBG Creative Studio at ADAC here in Atlanta.  I’m still surprised I was asked to join the other 50 small businesses from the area, all-specializing in handmade goods, but I am pumped and constantly working on new ideas and products for the show.

If you would like to know more, check out the Craft Box Girls on Facebook and their event website.  They’re constantly uploading videos about each of the businesses that will be at the studio so you can do a little pre-shop beforehand.  Tickets are a reasonable $10 and include a gift bag as well as admission to a bunch of creative workshops, demo’s and of course, shopping!  I’m pretty sure there will be snacks as well.  The show is November 8-9 from noon until 6 pm.  Come check it out! 

New Dog Bed Inspiration

Since Pearl the pup has decided that current bed is no longer acceptable, I have decided to make her one.  This may or may not completely blow up in my face, and I will scream and yell if she destroys it, but she is my fur baby and I love her and want to make her something.

Poor thing...all alone and mushed into a corner.

 Her bed must have offended her, judging how she drags it around and simply leaves it in strange places.  I’m almost positive her attitude towards it would sound like this:  “Ugh, you nasty bed.  How dare you make me drag you around, rip out your insides and leave you in places where I would never sleep.  And you have the NERVE to show back up in my spot??  That’s it! Grrrr!”  And then I look up from my desk, find the pitiful, lumpy bed askew in the corner of my office with piles of olive green stuffing everywhere.  How is there so much stuffing in one bed?  I’ve been picking it up for weeks now.

Anyways, the new bed will be constructed with love and much more durable fabric.  But alas, what design to go with?  There are so many cute DIY’s and tutorials out there, but I think the one I like the most (because I love piping!) will be from Design Sponge.

Box Cushion Tutorial from Design Sponge

 See – adorable right??  And that sweet puppy would never eat that pretty bed, no way.

Love this one.  I love stripes (obvi) and labs, and it gives me a little glimmer of hope of the tranquility that may exist in my house once her perfect little cushion is made.   Thanks Elle Décor for the false sense of serenity.  Maybe in 5 years…

Love the size and squishiness of this one.  I may try to do this while still using a box cover pattern.  This exact bed can be purchased at BaxterBoo.

I love pugs.  But I can tell you I have never known a pug that would sleep on its own bed all alone.  This bed is similar in shape to the one above and is available through the Pampered Puppy.

Alright, got some ideas, and fabric has been ordered – I went with Premier Prints Flynn in navy blue.  I love navy, and I have a yellow dog, so that wasn’t the smartest decision I’ve made today, but hey, I’m only human.  I’m thinking some bright contrasting piping will definitely be necessary, unless that will attract the little puppy teeth even more…

Any spoiled pampered pooches in your home?