My First Custom Order

I have only done one custom order online before the bridal party from my last post.

The bag for that one turned out beautiful, but there are some things I would do differently. I now know to ask more questions and send out pictures as I go through the process. There was one thing she wanted that was miscommunicated. I made the inset she wanted and sent it out to her as quick as I could. I wanted to make sure she was totally happy with everything, and I believe she was. This is the bag and insert I made for her. She will be using the bag as both a purse and diaper bag, so the insert is for the diapers and wipes. Originally she was thinking of a zippered pocket attached inside to act as a divider. But in the end, a removeable pouch seemed the way to go.

The smaller zip pouch in the picture was made for my etsy shop -
I just put it in the picture with the larger bag
and keyring to maybe use for marketing.

I think I will make this extra large zip pouch more often. I tried one out for me and loved it. It was large enough to hold my travel art or embroidery stuff inside my large tote. Made for a quick and easy find when I was waiting in the doctor's office - no riffling through the tote needed. I am about to make one with a thin strap or loop for my son's Legos - with a felt applique of a Lego creation on the outside. That should be fun.

Custom Bride

I am so excited. I get to make clutches for a bridal party! The bride is a total NON-bridezilla - so very fun. The color theme is primarily chocolate brown, the girl's dresses are hot pink and there are apple green accents. We spent some time looking through fabric. She had some ideas initially that she sent me, more to give me a feel of what she was thinking than the exact fabric. I went out and bought some that I thought fit the idea. I figured it did not matter if she did not choose them because I loved them anyway and would use them later.

These are mock ups of the bags. I simply took a picture of each fabric with the frame holding the fabric. Each girl gets a different fabric. The bride wanted them each to have one that fit their style so it could be used after the wedding too. The wedding itself sounds fun - nice and relaxed...the way a wedding should be.

Etsybloggers Trunk Show

YOU are INVITED!! Come see a LIVE virtual TRUNK SHOW this Friday night!! On Friday Jan. 30th @ 9PM EST, where twenty-six talented Etsy shops from all over the world will be showcasing a select few of their items ONLINE in the GALLERY of the EtsyLabs! Sales and special offers will apply only to the EtsyBloggers TRUNK SHOW attendees!

Everyone is welcome to attend, so come and join the fun here
on Friday Jan. 30th @ 9:PM EST.

In addition, the below 26 participating shops are having a SALE in their shops on Friday night in honor of the EtsyBloggers TRUNK SHOW!

Leakymouth
Specials for trunk show - 10% off

SpottedCowSoaps
20% off Valentines Section 1/30/09 ~ mention "Trunk Show" to receive discount
Handcrafted soaps, toiletries and crochet bath accessories

DorsetHillBeads
FREE U.S. SHIPPING
One of a kind handmade lampwork beads

tiltcreations
Free US Shipping
Handmade handbags and accessories

TulipsTreasureBox
10% discount and free USA shipping on any item $50 and up
Handmade Women's Jewelry

NicoDesigns
15% Off, valid 1/30/09
Mention "Trunk Show" in note to seller for discount
Messenger Bags and Accessories

NatureManipulated
10% OFF and FREE SHIPPING.
Visual, wearable and practical art

aliciemaeprints
10% off all prints, valid 1/30 only
Photography

miesmama
handmade felted bags, bowls and other goodies!
For free US Shipping and surprise gift! Just quote "trunk show" on 1/30 only.

memoriesforlifesb
10 % off everything in my shop!
Memories for Life Scrapbooks-Scrapbooks and More

Panoptica
10% OFF before shipping
Eclectic accessories and vintage goods

beckykazana
Free shipping on orders of $40 or more
Cards, prints and one of a kind gifts from Becky Kazana!

DevineDesignsJewelry
15% off every item in shop, and with purchase, you will receive a coupon for 10% off next purchase. Buyer please put "TRUNK SHOW" in notes to seller.

MamasMagicStudio
10% Off and Free U.S. Shipping
"Fraternal Earrings" and other beautiful beadwork

StormyDesigns
10% OFF with code "trunk show", valid 1/30 only
Hand-crafted jewelry, decor & more. Many OOAK.

abracapocus
10% off
Digital Art, Photography and Note Cards

impawsibletoresist
10% off
Doll Clothes and ACEOs

feltartistic
I will be offering Free gift with purchase - when mentioning "Trunk Show" in note to seller.

peacoxcreations
Two free apple scrubbies with any order!

AKeepersJackpot
Free shipping worldwide on any item from 1/29/09 through 2/1/09
Put TRUNK SHOW in the message to the seller to get the free shipping.

3rexesjewelry
Free Priority Shipping Upgrade & Valentine's Gift Wrapping..... Upon Request Please!
Mention Trunk Show in customer comment box.

storybeader
Free US shipping, and I'm offering 10% off on Jan. 30th
one-of-a-kind jewelry and original haiku with each necklace

lilbees
free shipping with code "trunk show", valid 1/30 only

brightblack
free shipping with code "trunk show", valid 1/30 only

quirkydolls
free shipping with " trunk show" code in order

Sort: check

Phew! Finally got through all my fabric. I have quite a bit that are not right for bags or only as decoration on bags. I decided that I will put them up for sale on my 2nd Etsy shop Tilt Too (which I have not yet opened, so don't try looking yet). I hope to list them this weekend.


Those are the various boxes they were in...there are smaller boxes inside the larger ones. There was even a silver garbage can that held fabric too - unused for anything but fabric of course. I used it as a side table by putting a round lid on top. It made for nice & easy access.

Seeing the fabric laid out on the table made me wonder why I needed so many boxes. Now I just need to put them away in their new home.... after I take pictures of each and catalog what I have & how much each costs. It may sound a tad anal, but it will help in the long run. Now when I make a new bag, all I have to do is go to the computer to find the price...no more flipping through various notebooks! Plus, the picture of the fabric will already be stored in case I forget before I start cutting.


Once that is all done, maybe I can get back to creating without all the frustration of finding what I need. On the down side - I can't use it as an excuse for procrastinating.

I even went through all my patterns, many to go to destash as well, and all the other odds 'n ends in the drawers by my table. Yeah me! :) *pats self on back & smiles until realizes must now start getting back to work*

How Should I Fix This?

I really like this bag - it is just so fun with the sparkly pink kitties. The only problem is how badly I flubbed the handle area. I tried a pink felt overlay...it did not work! So I experimented with more stitching. I figured why not, I was gong to cut it out anyway.
So my question is this: Do I try to salvage the design and recut the handle or take hours to remove the felt & resew another overlay or just chop off the top portion along the bottom curve of the handle and put on straps?
Any other ideas are greatly appreciated.

Addition: After reading some comments that were asking what was wrong because they didn't see the problem...I decided to add these last two pics. And yes, I know I can be a tad picky...aren't we all about our own work? But it's just uneven & kinda shoddy. I have been thinking that I may try to cover it once more with a solid piece & think of the felt as padding or interface :) Worst case - I am back to where I started. And I like the PIF idea if I can't get it the way I like.

This was the first handle of this sort I have tried and the many instructions I have read for this type were all confusing and contradictory. If anyone has seen a clear tutorial please let me know.

Thanks again to all those who responded.

I Need to Paint More

...and not just my walls.

I used to paint all the time. I moved out of mom & dad's and in with hubby...guess it is something you have to do once married :) Our place was only 800 sq feet...with 3 people and a dog. There was no room left for painting. We moved into our current home 6 years ago...but I still have yet to set up an area. We have a basement in this one and I think I have it cleaned up enough to make a mess of with my painting.
So I have set a goal to paint at least once a week. And I plan to post here to help keep myself on goal and hopefully to provide you with some art..or at least a good chuckle. Keep in mind - I enjoy more than I am good at it...but I won't let that stop me :)

I do plan to take pics of more - they are in storage right now. I have some ideas of ways to rework/reuse them.

But for now...here are some of my older works:

Team Challenge Creation

I am part of the etsy team Big Damn Crafters. It is for fans of Firefly and Serenity...TV show and movie by Joss Whedon. Last month we had a Secret Santa serenity challenge and my character was Wash, the pilot. He loves to play with his plastic dinosaurs and wears Hawaiin shirts. So I created this messenger bag for him to discreetly carry his dinosaurs while camouflaged with a Hawaiin floral print.

I did not take a lot of before and during pictures because I had started the bag before this blog. But since it was my first bag completed since starting this blog, I decided to post what I have.

This first picture is of the bag's exterior. Denim was used for the bag so it would be sturdy. I had used an old Hawaiin shirt of my dad's for the "camouflage" aspect of the bag. This was the first time I had upcycled an article of clothing for one of my bags.


The lining I added was a simple navy and white striped cotton. I put a denim pocket on the back wall...I tend to put pockets in all my bags that are large enough for one. There are pockets on the exterior sides and under the flap as well. I would normally line the pockets, but being denim I felt this was not necessary. I did use turquoise bias tape to cover the raw edges. The side pockets turned out to be a perfect size for the small plastic dinosaurs. You can see them in all the "after" pictures below. There is even a pocket on the flap...the original pocket from the shirt :)




This bag is for sale in my Etsy shop if you are interested.

Welcome

Hello & welcome to my newest blog.
I am still under construction and hope to post my introduction post later this week. I just wanted to grab this URL while I still could.
What will be here in the future?
Works in progress
Tutorials: sewing and other arts & crafts
Reviews on craft related tools and sites
Finalized projects
....and more