SALE! SALE! SALE!

Well, Novemberfest has come and gone. Although it went fairly well, I still have a huge inventory! So, I've marked almost everything down! Check it out!
CuddleBaby Boutique

Receiving Blankets w/ free Nursing Blanket converter clips - $8
Onesies - $5
Bib and Burp Cloth Gift Sets - $9
Minky Blankets - $18-$32 (Awesome deals!)

Come take a look!

Christmas Stocking Tutorial

Well, it's done! My newest tutorial - Make your Own Christmas Stockings! I'm pretty excited about it and I hope it will be a hit! They are so quick, easy and fun to make. So, if you are interested, check out this section in my shop to get your pattern today!

Christmas is Around the Corner

I've just opened up a new section in my shop! Christmas Stockings! I only have one listed right now, but I should have a few more soon! However, the thing I am most excited about is the Christmas Stocking tutorial I am working on. I hope to have it available for purchase by November 18th, if not sooner! So, check my shop at the first of next week to see if it is available. Here is a picture of the stocking I have listed right now.

And the Results are In

Well, my first craft show of the Holiday season has come and gone. I did better than I had expected, so I'm quite pleased with the results. It was a fun day too. I got to hang out with my mom and sister and I always love doing events like this. It's a lot of fun to talk to customers. That's the problem with selling online, you never get to meet your buyers. Anyway, I had a good time. I finally sold this quilt. It's been one of my favorites for a long time and I'm glad to see it find a home. I hope the little one that received it enjoys it! It's kind of funny though. Although I did sell a few blankets, the majority of my sales came from Hair clips and accessories. I'm glad I have a wide variety of items for sale. I think people like having a few things to choose from. Anyway...

I just want to thank For the Love of Baby for blogging about my shop this week! You can win a $15 dollar gift certificate from my shop, so take a look at the post!

Tomorrow is the Day!

Don't forget to come to my Craft Show tomorrow! Here is the information again!
Pioneer Valley Lodge
Sat. November 8th, 10-3
2351 North 400 East, Logan, UT

I hope to see you there! Here are a few more pictures of Items that will be available for purchase! To see even more, click here!

Pioneer Valley Lodge Craft Show

Don't forget, this Saturday is my first Craft Show of the Holiday Season!
Pioneer Valley Lodge
Sat. November 8th, 10-3
2351 North 400 East, Logan, UT

Upcoming Craft Shows

November is almost here and thus the time for Holiday Craft Shows! I am signed up here in Logan for 2. The first one is November 8th, from 10-3 at Pioneer Valley Lodge - located at 2351 North 400 East. This is a fairly small Craft Show, but last year there were some awesome vendors! Come take a look. The other Craft Show I'm doing is NOVEMBERFEST! Yes, sigh, I decided to go out on a limb and try it. I'm sweating bullets that it will go. I've never paid such a high entrance fee, but Novemberfest is a big event here in Logan. I'm pretty confident that I will at least make my fees back, although I'm hoping to do awesome! Novemberfest is Friday, November 28th, 10-7 and Sat. November 29th, 10-6 at 195 South 100 West. I believe there is a small entrance fee, maybe a dollar or so. But this is a huge event. Over 100 vendors will be there and I'm sure you'll be find something for everyone on your shopping list. So come and visit me at one or both of these fun holiday events! You are sure to find lots of these there! Minky Blankets!This past month I have been going crazy trying to get ready for these shows. I can't believe how much sewing I've done. I have to admit though that I am getting a little burnt out and will be taking a break after Novemberfest. During the month of November, I won't have anything for sale in my shop that isn't already made and then after Novemberfest, I will just be trying to sell out my inventory. I'm not sure what my plans are for the beginning of next year, but I'm sure I'll still be selling on Etsy.

Another Milestone

Today, I reached 500 Sales on Etsy! WooHoo! A year ago, I never thought I would reach this milestone so quickly! It's been fun getting here. I am still so excited about every single sale. This has been a great experience for me. I've learned a lot of new things and have heightened a lot of my skills along the way. It's been fun. Now, I'm looking forward to the next 500 sales and many more! Thanks to everyone that has helped me out along the way.This is a picture of my 500th item sold! Pink Flamingo Onesie. The last one!

Novemberfest

Well, I've decided to go out on a limb and do a big Craft Show! Novemberfest is probably the biggest of the year in Cache Valley and I know a lot of people come from all over to it. It's a scary thing to do since the entry fee was so expensive, but I'm really excited about it. So, I'm going to be very busy the next couple of months building up my inventory. I have supplies for a ton of different projects, not I just need to get them made. I think after Novemberfest, I'll probably take a break and only offer already made items in my shop, so I don't have to do too much work during December. Anyway, I'm really excited about Novemberfest. It's the Friday and Saturday after Thanksgiving, here in Logan, so save the date! I'll post more about it later!

On another note, I wanted to show this new blanket that I made. It's a double-sided Minky blanket and is probably one of my favorites! It's so soft and cuddly. I appliqued a heart to the corner for an added touch. I actually sold it last night, but I created a new listing in my shop where a buyer can create their own double-Minky blanket. I have pictures posted of the different Minky colors I have in stock and the different applique's they can have put on the blanket. This way, the buyer gets to choose their own favorite colors and design. I'm also going to just start making a bunch more of the blanket to sell at upcoming craft boutiques.

Wow!

September has been an awesome month for me on Etsy! I've had a large number of sales, largely contributed to my Tutorials. My blanket tutorial has done great and I also finished another one for making hair clips. Now I'm just trying to come up with more ideas. The tutorials are great. When someone purchases it, all I have to do is email it to them. I don't have any cost for supplies, shipping, not storing items. It's great. I think at some point I want to convert my shop entirely over to PDF patterns, perhaps even open up another shop since I don't know if I will do all baby/kid patterns. I love making the blankets and other items, but it continues to get more difficult as my kids are getting older, sleeping less during the day and overall taking up more of my time. Anyway... So, if you have any great pattern ideas, let me know!
Needless to say, I've enjoyed September on Etsy and I just hope it continues! I keep having to readjust my goals. I make them so that I think there is no way I'm going to achieve them, then something happens to make me have to reevaluate them again. No complaints though, it's great.

My first Tutorial - Self-Binding Blankets

I just finished writing my first tutorial and am selling it in PDF format on my Etsy website. It is for a Self-Binding Blanket. They have been my favorite item to make ever since I first learned how. I've had several people ask me how to make them and I found it was pretty difficult to explain, so I thought I would do a tutorial so that people can see how they are made. The tutorial has photographs throughout it to show the different steps. It is easy to follow and would be great for a beginner. It was definitely a different experience going from making the blankets to teaching how they are made. I hope it goes over well in my etsy shop.

Etsy-Versary GiveAway!!!!!!

On August 3rd, I will have been in Etsy for 1 year. When I first started, I had a goal of making 5 sales a month. I've had to change that several times as my shop grew and in February I made the goal of 300 items sold at my one year mark. It was pretty out of reach at that point and I didn't think I would make it, but I passed 300 sales just a week ago. It's been a fun year.

To celebrate, I'm running a promotion where you could win a $25 dollar Gift certificate in Bath and Body products from Country Heart Gifts! She's got all kinds of yummy soaps, lotions, bath items, lip balms and more! Check out her shop! For every item you purchase from my shop during August 1st and August 31st, you get entered into a drawing. On September 1st, I'll draw out the winner and post their name. I hope this will be a great month! Thank you to everyone for a wonderful 1st year on Etsy!

Fantastic Day at the Market

I've really not been keeping up with this blog lately. Life has been so hectic - with new carpet and painting the house. Plus, I have been very busy with the business. This months has been the best I've had so far. I've been selling at the Gardener's market and the past few weeks have been fairly dismal. Not awful, but not great. That is, until today. I sold 3 of my more pricier items. It was great. Here are pics of the blankets to leave my store.

I sold a lot of hair clips and hair clip holders and even have a Custom Order for a minky blanket. I'm surprised that my Receiving Blankets haven't done real well at the market. They are my biggest seller online. Oh well. It was nice to have a day like today!

Gardener's Market

Wow, I haven't posted on here for over a month! Yikes! I have been so busy. We've had a lot going on this past month and I have been really busy trying to get ready for the Gardener's Market. It actually started last weekend, but it was my daughter's 3rd birthday, so we chose to play instead. So, tomorrow will be my first time there this year. I'm very excited, but also kind of nervous. I always worry that I've gone to all this work and then no one will buy anything. Anyway, I've been working on all kinds of new things and I hope that they do well. I will try to keep the upper right corner of my blog up to date on when I will be attending the Gardener's Market. It's held every Saturday, but I'll probably only go every other Saturday. I want to spend those nice summer days with my family.
Anyway, come visit me if you are in the area. I hope to see you there!

Featured Seller #4 - CoconutPalmDesigns

In her own words, the owner of Coconut Palm Designs is a Canadian living in Belize, Central America and also a graphic designer. Woodworking and sign design is my newest crafting passion but art has been in my blood since birth.

Sign making has turned into a great outlet for my creative energies and finally I am using my graphic design training for something exciting.

I was excited to stumble upon this Etsy shop because my husband served part of his LDS mission in Honduras and Belize. Anyway, CoconutPalmDesigns has a variety of signs and ACEO art cards available in her shop. Take a look. There are some beautiful water coloring paintings and some fun signs.
Shop: www. CoconutPalmDesigns.etsy.com
Blog: www.coconutpalmdesigns.blogspot.com

Featured Seller #3 - SoandSewCrafty

The owner of SoandSewCrafty, Karen Copeland, states "Sewing in my passion." And if you take a look at her shop, you can see that she means it! Sewing and crafting has been a big part of her life and now that her 4 children are grown, she has been able to turn her hobby into a business. Take a look at her shop for a variety of Baby and Toddler items, Quilts, Stuffed Animals, bags and more. I first came across this shop through Etsybaby, which we are both members of. I really admired her cute stuffed animals. So, visit her shop today!
www.soandsewcrafty.etsy.com
And her blog:
http://soandsewcrafty.blogspot.com/

Featured Seller #2 - Ellebelleonetsy

Elle Belle is the place to find handmade, boutique quality baby items that make being a Mom easier and more fun! That's what it says in their profile and by the look of the shop, there are a lot of great items for baby!Besides the usual needed baby items such as blankets, clothing and diaper wipe cases, you'll also find shopping cart covers. This is such a great idea! I'm sure the shopping carts at the local grocery store never get cleaned and who wants there sweet little baby touching all those germs? You can also find slings. Baby wearing seems to be a really hot trend right now. I've not done it with my two kids, but I wish that I could have tried it. I'll have to get a sling with my next one, whenever that day may come. There are also several items that you can have personalized. That would make a great unique baby gift! Check out this shop. There's lots of fun baby stuff!

Featured Seller - Sweet Irie

There are a group of people on Etsy that are blogging about each others shops. I found out about it and thought it would be a fun thing to do. They are trying to get 90 shops to blog about each other. So, check back as I learn more about these fun shops and what they make. I'm sure there will be some great finds that I wouldn't have otherwise found out about.

Featured Seller #1 - Sweet Irie

The owner of Sweet Irie is a an art student going to the Art Institute of Pittsburgh Online. She came up with the name Sweet Irie because of her new kitten, named Irie. Irie, meaning supreme joy, use to help out with Sweet Irie's jewelry making, although she wasn't too much of a help. Sweet Irie makes all kinds of jewelry items including, bracelets, anklets, rings, earrings, necklaces and more. I think her shop has a nice variety of colors and styles and the prices are very reasonable. Check it out! You might find something you like! Here are pictures of my two favorite items from her shop.

Two in One Day

Ok, so I know I've already blogged here today, but I found this awesome shop tonight and just had to share it! SuzanneGlass is owned by Suzanne Ayala from Daytona Beach. She is completely self taught and makes these amazing lampwork glass pendants and figurines. They are amazing. This turtle is my favorite, because I love turtles. She also has beautiful pendants, figurines, sculptures and more! Check it out! It's probably one of the coolest shops I've seen on Etsy so far.

New Stuff

Ok, So this is mostly an excuse to show off my adorable baby. I've started making pillowcase-like dresses and skirts with onesies. I think they are really cute, especially modeled on my little one, Alexys. I've found the most adorable fabric to make them out of and I hope they fly out of my store. If not, my kids are going to be looking good for a long time to come! :-)

Changes

So, I've decided that I enjoy blogging more about other people's Etsy shops than my own. I think that from now on, I'm going to mostly spotlight shops from Etsy that have really cool items. If I work on something new, I'll stick that in also, but there are so many great Etsy sellers out there, that I think I'll enjoy this more.

So, for my next spotlight, take a look at this shop! CreationsInGlass creates amazing Stained glass items. I came across this shop quite a while ago. It caught my attention because of these two items pictured. I thought they were amazing. I think they are absolutely beautiful - if only I had more money! It's always amazing to me the many things that people are able to create. The owners of CreationsInGlass are from Idaho, where making custom Stained Glass items started as a hobby in 2000. And the most amazing thing is that they can work with you to make a custom order and create your own one-of-a-kind item. Cool, huh? They have jewelry items, nightlights, wind chimes and more. Check it out!

Need to Clean Up A bit?

Not only do I sell on Etsy, but I also buy on Etsy. Not as much as I would like, but I've splurged a few times. The thing I'm most interested in is the Bath and Body items. I think that handmade soaps are so much better than those commercially made. They smell fantastic, they are mild and rinse off really well. My first purchase of handmade soap came from a shop called Cypress Lake Soaps. This shop was new to Etsy and I was one of their first purchases. I bought the Rosemary-Mint soap. I was so excited when it came with 2 smaller bars of "extra" soap, Peppermint and Patchouli. Although they were all great, my favorite was the Peppermint. CypressLake Soap is a family business. In their search for milder, safer and more environmentally safe soap, they began using only natural ingredients. They make their soap in small batches and they are cured for up to 6 weeks. I didn't know that soap had to be "cured." Anyway, I love this soap! Check out Etsy for more great Handmade items!

♥♥Etsybaby Weekend Showcase #5♥♥

Here are the wonderful shops from the Weekend Showcase for March 8&9. Check them out, they are awesome!

Infantile:
http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=8904395

JJandMe:
http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=6367376

Jkalea:
http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=9236970

Joeyandaleethea:
http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=8331022

JujuW:
http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=7857374

Justjillblankets:
http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=9043807

KarenMary:
http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=7128547

KateEmersonDesigns:
http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=9612905

KeikiBoutique:
http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=9848696

KikisKlippies:
http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=8744145

Klymyshyndesign:
http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=10012089

Knitstyle:
http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=8664828

SALE! SALE! SALE!

During the week of March 3-9th, I am having a huge sale on all of my Onesies! All onesies are only $6 dollars! You can even pick out what size you want it made in. This is a fantastic bargain. I just want to make room in my shop for some new items. Shipping is $2.50 for each purchase. So buy as many as you want and you'll never pay more than $2.50 in shipping. Click on this Link to visit my store!

EtsyBaby Weekend Showcase

Every weekend, Etsybaby showcases 12 of their members shops. That means, the entire weekend is devoted to all of Etsybaby promoting those stores. Well, this weekend, it's my turn. So, come take a look at my Etsy shop, Cuddlebaby. Ok, shameless promotion, I know. Well, now I want to introduce you to the other 11 shops being showcased this weekend. Hopefully, I can start doing this every weekend. There are some very incredible shops out there on Etsy!

Chocolatelollipop Boutique has the most adorable monster bibs you have ever seen! The owner resides in Canada and claims to be a fabric addict. I can relate! She also carries bibs, burp cloths, blankets and more.

Bundles of Joy, AKA CindyJoy is the promo queen on Etsybaby lately. She's all over the promotion thread to keep it going. She's selling the cutest onesies with art done by her own son! You can also find blankets, onesies and lots of great sales in her shop!

If your little one needs headgear, check out CiteFuzz. The owner is a mom of three girls and how she finds time to make all of those awesome items in her shop, I'll never know. Her knit hats are adorable! She also sells blankets, bibs, burp cloths and gifts sets in her shop.

Cottontail claims that her business is her 3rd child, after her two girls. One of the most creative things I've seen is her Burp Cloth Bouquet. Check out her shop for burp cloths, clothing, shoes, toys and more.

If you go to Customdesignsbymimi, you'll find her shop "closed" because she's expecting her own little one any day now. Congratulations! But don't worry, if you in need of an adorable tag blanket, it's Ready to ship, as are all of the items in her shop right now, including burp cloths and blankets.

Cutifruity hails from Australia, which I hope to some day visit! She likes to make things for family members. I'm sure the little ones love items like these adorable baby booties. You can also find bibs, aprons, skirts, pants and other accessories for the little one.

DolceBaci Boutique, which is Italian for Sweet Kisses, started as a hobby making clothing for her two kids. Now, you can find this most adorable plush toy in her shop. Check out her store for blankets, bibs, burp cloths and clothing for your little one.

Read EdibleBaby's profile and you can see where she came up with the name and theme for her shop. Who wouldn't go bananas over this adorable onesie? Check out her shop for all things yummy! And she was even featured on CNN.com by InStyle Magazine. Congratulations!

CrawlerCovers and More, AKA FateGoddess has probably one of the most successful shop on Etsybaby. Take one look at these adorable Crawler Covers and it's not hard to see why. I actually purchased a couple from her recently and they are amazing. She also carries Doll diapers, tutus and clips.

GirlieMomma's Baby Gifts Shop started out of making things for her own two little ones. You can find these adorable non-slip socks in her shop! What a unique idea. Look for car seat strap covers, blankets, wash cloths, gift sets and other items in her shop.

And finally, GoldtoneDesigns, our fearless leader! As the co-leader and founder of Etsybaby, I don't know how she finds time to make any of her amazing Baby pillows. She has an awesome shop and above all, we here at Etsybaby all appreciate everything that she has done to keep this team moving! Thanks for everything!


Well, that was a lot of fun! It was great to be able to learn more about everyones shop and the people behind them. So, go check them all out. There are some amazing things on Etsy!

It's been so nice to be busy with business the past 2 months! I've really enjoyed it. I recently sold two of my quilts and I just finished another one. It's my favorite, but has so far not had many views on Etsy. I decided to name it Early Spring.
I'm working on putting together crib bedding sets. I'm really excited about this new project. Hopefully in the next week or so, I'll have one done to post. I'm hoping that I can mostly do the bedding sets as Custom Orders, since i don't have a lot of space to have inventory just sitting around.
Also, my sister, Breanne, just opened up her own Etsy shop. I've had a few of her items listed on my site, but now she's ready to have them on her own. So, check her out! www.calicorose2.etsy.com

My New Toy!

After all the hard work the past few months, I finally decided it was time to take my business up a notch. I purchased a new Serger! The one I've been using was a mini-serger that didn't do much more than edges and with all the work I've been doing lately, I needed something that was a little more heavy-duty. I just received it in the mail today. I'm a little intimidated! It's much more complicated than the little one I've been using. However, it came with a couple of instructional dvds and a big instruction book. Hopefully I'll be up and running soon!

My Dilemma

I keep finding myself in a dilemma. I keep coming up with more and more fun ideas of things to make and post in my shop. The frustrating thing is that they aren't leaving my shop as quickly as I'm putting more things in there. Oh well. I keep telling myself I should wait to do more projects until after I've sold a few things, but I'm just too impatient. So, here it is, my newest project. I guess it's not exactly a new idea, but I've just jumped on it. I went through all my leftover/scrap fabric and cut out cute designs and am going to be putting them on onesies. I've set it up so that the buyer can pick out what size they want. I think they turn out really cute. I have over 40 different designs to list, so it's keeping me busy right now. Etsy has become so competitive though lately. When I first started back in August, if I did a search for Baby Blankets, about 3000 items came up. Now almost 8000 items show up. Wow! I don't know if that'll taper off, but it seems like it's just continuing to grow. It's hard to be seen without renewing or listing constantly. But, I'm still enjoying it. Anyway, I shouldn't complain. I feel like I've been doing pretty well lately. It was so fun in the beginning of January though, when I had orders almost every day. I miss that. So, we'll see how this new project goes. Here are some pics.