I lined the inside in chocolate brown cotton and added three little wooden buttons as embellishments. (The booties actually close with velcro, how easy!)
For those that that sell handmade goods, it is difficult (at least for me) to completely track all my expenses. Of course I get excited when I make a sale and record all the information, deduct fees and shipping...but what about all the supplies I purchase? Ad space? Seminars or classes? Somehow I *forget* to write down everything I buy and there are two reasons for this: 1. I get lazy and 2. I'm scared to see how much I REALLY spend.
I promised myself last year that I would keep a better record of things, and I have...... of sales. Supplies though? Not so much. After about March I just stopped recording things. Next year I promise to try harder! Is record keeping as hard for everyone else as it is for me?
And for buyers of handmade goods (that includes us sellers too!): Buy less, spend more! Try to go all handmade and make gifts more personal. Not only will you search for the 'perfect' gift for the recipient, but you will also be supporting an independent artist rather than the children in china making plastic toys for $2/month.
As for myself, the majority of gifts I'm giving this year are handmade by independent artists (or by me) and just a couple of them are store bought. It's hard to go completely handmade (I want to meet the person who builds TVs from scratch AND keeps them at a reasonable cost!) but I definitely did try my hardest!
This post was inspired by The Long Thread
So, while in school, all I kept thinking about was re-vamping the two PDF patterns I have listed in my shop plus making more! I know many of you out there are DIYers and would love to make your own items. I decided that I would make the patterns of my bags available to others and also allow you to sell them (as long as you respect my requests!) I have made a new pattern called the Grab and Go Bag. It's small enough to be used as a child's bag (who think she's an adult) or for an adult who just wants something small to carry around.
Now about the giveaway!
I was finally able to attend my first festival October 1-4 this year. I was nervous and excited and had no idea what to expect. Where I live people are more into primitive, country style items and I was scared I would be too "modern" for this audience! I definitely got some mixed reviews! Some people loved my work and said I charged too little while others literally would gasp in front of me and roll their eyes when I would tell them my prices. All in all though, I think I did pretty well. And if I say so myself, I think my booth looked adorable!
Another thing I absolutely love are journals. And the only thing better than regular journals are handmade journals! I have a mini collection of Renate's journals - 4 of them to be exact. Her journals are just stunning. The covers are made out of leather, suede, fabric or a mix of them, sewn onto felt. The pages are hand torn and painted with acrylic paints, complimenting the cover of the journal.
gifts, but now that I have them I can't bare to part with them. My family is even jealous of me and my little sister asks if she can have one every time she sees them. I make lists like crazy or sometimes some sewing ideas pop into my head and I have to get them down on paper. These journals are perfect for just that and are so much more beautiful and personal than a notebook you would buy at an office store.
Not only are the journals beautiful, but Renate is a pleasure to deal with. She is so kind, always responds quickly to conversations and sends her packages carefully packaged and wrapped. Even with her being in Austria, her packages go all over the world quickly and safely! I would highly recommend her shop and think her journals are the best on Etsy.
I have purchased quite a few tutorials & patterns on Etsy myself, so I thought maybe I should make one too! I love handmade patterns and tutorials because they are completely original. You know that someone put a lot of time and work into their project and it shows through their work. I also like the step by step with color pictures along the way and the ability to email the author with questions or comments about the pattern. It's so personal! Being an advanced, but self taught seamstress, I sometimes find that I do not know certain 'tricks' or techniques that many have learned through conventional ways. That is one of the main reasons why I also by handmade tutorials, so that I can learn these tricks and techniques to better my skill set.
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