Some New Holiday Items in My Etsy Shop

It feels as if my life has been insane, and when things are insane it is hard to find the time to create new things for my shop. I have been decorating my house, making some handmade presents, Christmas shopping, and with my husband off visiting his brother for a couple of days, there is just not enough time during the day. It always makes me kind of sad when I don't have enough time for myself. I did find some time however to make two cute new holiday buckets for a new baby or a babies first Christmas.


Hope you enjoy!

Etsy Feature

Are you looking for the perfect gift for someone special for the holidays? Take a look at the shop Animalicules she offers the cutest softies, which are "knitted or crocheted by hand with lots of love, and they are looking for a loving home." Here is a little more about her and her shop, www.animalicules.etsy.com.

Tell me a little bit about yourself and your work:
I love cute stuff and I've always loved stuffed animals, way past the age when I probably should have. I used to teach little kids because I found it more fun to sing songs and draw than to just be with adults. My softies make great gifts for kids but I think they are just as good companions for grownups who need something to make them smile every now and then. They love to be played with but they also love to perch on mantels and windowsills and spruce up a room by looking cute.

How did you come up with your shop name?
Growing up, my dad always used animalicules as a funny word for animals. I think it's a good word to describe a species of cute little critters.

What is your favorite item in your shop and why?
I think my favorites are the sheep, probably the purple ones since purple is my favorite color. I like the sheep because they were one of the first softies I made up myself, and they look so cute when there's a whole flock of them.

What are your favorite materials to work with?
Yarn because it's so amazing what you can make out of one long piece of string. And buttons because when you turn them into eyes they can give a face a whole different personality. I'm actually obsessed with fabric too, but I'm not as good at sewing as at knit & crochet.

What inspires you?
Anything cute! Real animals, Japanese kawaii stuff, other softies, everything mini. Plus the shapes that you can make from knitting and crocheting because that's the starting point for any softie.

Feel free to check out her etsy shop, Animalicules, to discover more, "softies! Sheep, pigs, owls, and Christmas trees, with more to come. She has lots of ideas for animalicule-themed stuff for the future too." Or you can connect with her through her blog, http://animalicules.blogspot.com/. Have fun shopping!

I think this sums up my day!

Did you ever have a day when you feel as if nothing is going right, or you feel as if you don't have enough time to even brown up some chopped meat for dinner? Well, that is how I felt today as you can see from the picture above. I sometimes feel as if there is not enough time in the day to do anything. Once upon a time my meals would be great, they would be tasty and lovely to look at, and you couldn't wait to eat them. Well now with two kids, my meals are not so spectacular. On this day I was trying to brown up some meat for some meat sauce and spaghetti, but as you can see I totally burnt the meat. I was trying to read some emails, and I totally forgot about what I was doing. The crazy thing is that I still made it. I just scraped up the meat, and continued on cooking my sauce. Oh well, what are you going to do?

In the Holiday Mood

I always love the Holidays, but this year I am super excited. My son, which he just turned 3 is really into it this year. He can't wait till Santa comes, when we bake a lot of fun goodies, and make a gingerbread house. I can't wait for those things either. I can't wait to see my son's face on X-mas morning, and just the excitement of opening up things and hear him screech with glee.

I also would like to start a tradition with him, now that he knows what is going on. I am not sure what we should do though. We always make cookies, because I have a cookie swap every year. We always make a gingerbread house, and we always cut down a tree and decorate it. I want a tradition that really is special. I was thinking maybe doing a crayon quilt. A quilt block square that he colors and decorates, and I will make a quilt out of it. And then I can make it a wall hanging. I will post more on what I found on how to make a crayon technique quilt in a later entry. I don't know, I am still deciding what to do.

What is your family tradition?

Etsy Feature

With the holidays approaching I always think it is great to shop handmade. There is so much passion and effort put into creating products for people, it is just something a little extra every buyer gets, which makes handcrafted so great. I came across this etsy shop that does just that. Her name is Risa, and she has the shop, www.createdbyrisa.etsy.com. She has really beautiful jewelry pieces, which would make the perfect holiday gift for someone special.

Tell me a little bit about yourself and your work:
I'm 47 years old--well 48 in a few weeks. My many roles include mom, new wife, friend, social worker, and last, but not least artist. One way or another, I've been making art most of my life. As a student, I always found a way to take extra art classes. After college I went off to work, but continued to make art in my spare time. Finding that spare time was harder as a single parent. I scrambled to find time and the space to make art. Now my kids are grown, I have an art studio (!) and I spend as much time as I can making art, jewelry, or whatever creative endeavor tickles my fancy.

How did you come up with your shop name?
Not too complicated...my name is Risa. I love that my name is unique. It means laughter.

What is your favorite item in your shop and why?
That's really hard, since I fall in love with every piece I make. But if I had to pick one piece close to my heart, I would pick my "Follow Your Heart: Create" necklace (http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=16367935) because it exemplifies my philosophy. It's also the piece I opened my shop with.


Any advice you would give to aspiring designers?
Follow your passion. And you are never too old to do that.

What are your favorite materials to work with?
I enjoy working in a number of different mediums, so it varies. If I'm making jewelry, I love including colorful seed beads and various glass beads. When painting, I choose to paint with acrylics on canvas. And then I have a passion for crafts using tissue paper and modpodge!

You can find her work at www.createdbyrisa.etsy.com, and you can check out her blog at www.createdbyrisa.blogspot.com

This always makes my day

I was featured on, Indie Craft Corner, it is a great blog, "it is a place for people to gather and view a variety of beautiful and creative crafts. Featuring indie craftsters each week along with some crafting tid bits here and there. " Please check them out at, http://indiecraftcorner.blogspot.com/. Thanks again for the feature.

Features

My blog is fairly new, but I am driving traffic to my blog more and more each day. I think being featured is very exciting, and it is great promotion. So I thought it might be nice to feature an etsy artist once a month. If you are interested in being featured please post a comment here. I will be contacting you with questions, if you are selected for the month of December. Thanks so much!

Desperate times call for desperate measures

So I had to do it. I had to bribe my son with lot's of candy for him to wear his halloween costume.


He just didn't want to put it on. This was our conversation:

Me: Can you please put your costume on?
D: No!
Me: I will take your picture
D: No!
Me: You will look so handsome
D: No!
Me: How about a show?
D: No!
Me: How about a treat:
D: (he is thinking)...What kind of treat?
Mom: How about fruit snacks?
D: Ummm, I think I will do it for candy
Mom: What! (shocked that he was negotiating with me, and he totally knew I was desperate) Okay, how about some candy corns
D: Okay, sounds good

I can't believe my son to be three years old can be the best negotiator, but it worked, I gave in. Oh well, what are you going to do. He ate bundles and bundles of candy corns (which now he tells me is his favorite), but I finally got every last article of clothing to make his costume complete, well except for the crown. But he looked so cute anyways. I will have to post pics later.

My stubborn daughter

I never thought when my daughter was born, she would NEVER take a bottle. My son didn't care where the food was coming from, he just wanted to be fed. My daughter on the other hand will NOT take a bottle. She is eight months, and only has taken a bottle twice. I have tried everything, putting fruit in the bottle, putting fruit on the nipple, countless brands of formula, latex and silicone nipples, pumped breast milk, and so on and so on. I am totally up for some suggestions, so please bring it my way. She is the most determined and stubborn girl I have ever met, well not really, that is totally me. You can't make me do anything I don't want to do. She is going to give me a total run for my money.

My nursing cover that I made for myself definitely comes in handy. I feel totally comfortable nursing in public, because I know that I am totally covered up. I have total privacy without me having to find a bathroom, or a dark corner. Here are some nursing covers that I have made.

And here is my newest...


Or on my web site you can be your own designer and select your fabric for your own nursing cover...

They are practical and stylish, and being a nursing mother with a very stubborn daughter I really couldn't live without it.

Every time I need a good laugh I watch this...

I love watching this. I think it is great that he doesn't care what other people think, even if it was staged. I sometimes wish I could have the courage to do that. But I need A LOT of drinks! Happy Friday, Enjoy!

This made my day

If you get a chance please check out...
This was very exciting for me. It is nice to have some exposure! Thanks so much!

In Memory of My Aunt Collette

This Sunday, my Cousins, Aunts, and I are walking in the 2008 Making Stride Against Breast Cancer. Here is a great pic of my Aunt, that just says it all.

Here is a little something I wrote about my Aunt before she passed away.

I guess it is hard to put into words how and why someone has impacted someone else’s life. Or ways to describe how people truly are and the way they are perceived by others. I am sitting here thinking of words that would describe who a person is inside and out, for example, hope, love, strong-willed, exceptional, passionate, powerful, fighter, determined, laid back, and dedicated.

I guess now that Joe and I are having our first child I don’t want them to be just one word, I want them to be all the words that I described. You need to be balanced in life ready for everything, like Collette. You need to be strong in life and always have to remember that things can be tough and difficult, but you have to remember that you never can give up no matter what it is. Maybe applying for college but didn’t have the grades, but still applied to first choice schools anyways, or maybe they will try out for the varsity team, but they know that they are not the top player. Hopefully, they will understand that the most important thing is that they tried and didn’t let life pass them by, because they were scared to try and fight for what they wanted. Or they are true to themselves and wasn’t someone else, they were who they were no matter what other people said about them, like Collette. They honored themselves, by doing what came from their heart, which is the most admirable thing a person can do, it doesn’t matter if they made the team. The thing is no one can take away the fact that they tried. You have to be multi layered, you have to exhibit more than one emotion, and you have to be true.

I believe that is what Collette has taught me and Joe. She is literally fighting for survival. I admire such will and determination she has exhibited. I only wish that I could be as strong as she has been. Kara asked Joe and I to describe a specific event or encounter with Collette. I guess that was hard for me to do, not because I didn’t have such great times with her, or done some really crazy things with her, or didn’t have some wonderful memories of her. But I think my greatest experiences with her, is her just being her. She is who she is; she is everything I have described above but so much more. She doesn’t have children of her own, but I think she viewed all the cousins as her children, which made me see that family is extremely important, top of the list before friends. I think the most important and valuable thing to give to someone else is not money, gifts, etc, it is the integrity, and the way you live your life, also to maybe learn from their mistakes so you could avoid them. I believe that is what she has given me and Joe. Life lessons. I truly believe everything, and everyone that you encounter, maybe your neighbor, your teacher, or that special Aunt, like Collette, shapes you. I believe you have shaped us, you have taught us to laugh, live up life, be true to ourselves, shoot off a firework, put on a production for the family during Christmas, and just getting the cousins together for an outing just for the heck of it, and in turn Joe and I will teach our child all those things, okay maybe not shoot off a firework. And, honestly I can say to you that we are going to be hopeful, lovers, strong-willed, exceptional, passionate, powerful, fighters, determined and dedicated. And you definitely had something to do with that, which in my mind is the best gift you have given us and for our newest edition to the family, our precious baby. For that we want to thank you and we ever so grateful.

Be apart of a giveaway!

I am currently taking part in a giveaway on the Handmade Showcase Blog. I donated a $25 gift certificate for the lucky winner. All you do is leave a comment on the handmade showcase blog, and you are entered into the drawing. Go check it out, and good luck!

Fall is in the air

This is one of my favorite pics of my son.


It really makes me think of Fall time. He looks so sweet and innocent. I love Fall, the crisp air, the colors, baking, apple picking, and hay rides. It is one reason that I could never leave New England. I just love a cool crisp day, and wearing a bulky sweater. I love craft shows and festivals, and getting a hot chocolate.

I always go to the local nursery and pick lots of pumpkins, and select a massive amount of mums for my porch and garden.


Now that my son is a little older he really enjoys picking out his own pumpkin. He wants the biggest pumpkin he can find. I was amazed when he was walking around and he could actually tell me which pumpkin he wanted. Because just last year he was in his stroller, not to sure what to make out of all the pumpkins. Boy, does time fly! Where did my baby go??

I was featured!

I am so very excited to be featured on Stylelist.com http://www.stylelist.com/blog/2008/10/03/indie-designer-interviews-dragonfly-fine-designs/. I have always been kind of shy regarding myself and my crafting, so this is kind of a big deal for me. I totally put myself out there. The interview talks about me and how I started Dragonfly Fine Designs. It was really fun seeing my work on a blog where they get a lot of views a day. I have to say when I saw the article up on the blog it totally made my day! If you get a chance, check it out.

So, what is in your diaper bag?

As everyone knows I have two children, a toddler and a little baby. When my son was born, I brought EVERYTHING with me, I think even including the kitchen sink. I brought a lot of outfits, bottles, diapers, toys, burp cloths, wipes, etc, etc. Fast forward two years later, my daughter was born. I just threw some diapers and wipes in there and I was ready to go. I was more selective in what I brought. So here are the things that are in my diaper bag:

1. Diapers and Wipes
2. My nursing cover3. Toys for my son and daughter
4. Treats for my son, they always come in handy when he is getting restless in the store
5. My wallet
6. Cell phone

Now the problem I was having was that nothing was organized. I couldn't find my diapers or wipes. Everything would be buried at the bottom of my bag, with crumbs all over it. So I decided I need to make something that would hold my diapers and wipes, and I could just pull it out really quick out of my diaper bag, and everything would be there.


So here is one of my diaper and wipe carriers. It is great, this carrier has a hook and loop closure and can fit up to 2-3 diapers and wipes.

My question is, what is in your diaper bag? And what is one thing that you couldn't live without?

My first charity donation from my business

My cousins' friend Theresa is running the New York ING Marathon to support the Boston Children's Hospital. She had a fundraiser event last Friday night, and I donated a door prize.
Here is a link to her web site... I wish her the best of luck!

How Dragonfly Fine Designs was Born

I think even before I had children, I loved walking around the baby sections at the stores. I don't know, there is something about baby items and clothing that is so precious. Maybe because they are so small and cute. And it is so hard to fathom that you were once a baby, and that you could have gotten away with wearing ruffled bloomers or a shirt that said, "I love dirt". I guess that is the beauty of baby clothes.

My husband and I struggled to have children, and we were over the moon thrilled when I found out I was pregnant in 2005. I was so excited to just be pregnant, and most importantly that I was going to be a mom. I tried to enjoy every second of being pregnant, which sometimes was hard when I felt so sick that I couldn't get out of bed. I loved registering, and looking at all the gadgets and fun things out there. My mother was in awe of all the new things that had developed a good twenty years after she had children.

I think when I found out I was having a boy, I started going into "mommy mode". I started sewing for my son, and thinking about what can I make for him next. I wanted to make him outfits, blankets, bibs, hats, it was insane how obsessed I became.

After he was born, it was a big adjustment for me. I guess I didn't realize how different my life would be. I thought I was prepared but I totally wasn't. I felt like I couldn't take anytime for myself, so the things I was doing before like sewing, going out with friends, fell kind of by the waste side. I worked full time, but my husband and I decided together, that once our little boy arrived I would be a stay at home mom. I thought staying home was going to be a piece of cake, boy was I wrong. I always worked, and not working outside the home was tough for me. Being a new mother I felt kind of isolated. My son was born in November so I didn't really take him out much, in fear of him catching something. So I was home a lot. I felt kind of disconnected from the world. He was NOT a good sleeper, so I was adjusting to getting little or no sleep. I thought loving him, and wanting him so bad would be enough to get me through being a new mother, quickly I discovered that wasn't the case for me. I need a creative outlet, I needed other people around, and most importantly I needed time for myself. So I started scrapbooking, joined a MOMS club, and took some sewing classes. I was creating some "me" time again. I started learning that being a mother was just one piece of the puzzle to my make up. It might be a huge piece of the puzzle, but there are other pieces that are just screaming to be put together.

So when my daughter was born in 2008, I said to myself that I wasn't going to make the same mistake twice. I took time for myself, and I continued doing the things I loved. Like designing and creating. Also, I am more of a relaxed mother. I go with the flow more. I stress less. There is less of a schedule. And that is okay. I am okay. And my children are okay. And most importantly happy.

So when I turned the big 3-0 I decided I was going to do what I always dreamed of doing, open my own shop. I put my fears and anxieties aside and I did it. And in May 2008 Dragonfly Fine Designs was born.

Decided to jump into the blog world

I am still totally shocked at myself that I am starting a blog. I would describe myself as somewhat as a private person. Don't get me wrong, you can ask me anything about my life and you can't get me to shut up. But I guess someone has to ask, and I have to know you on some level. Here in the virtual world, I feel like everybody can see me, and they can judge. That is kind of scary, but I turned 30 this year, and I decided that I am not going to be afraid anymore. I decided to put myself out there, and most importantly put my work out there. I recently opened up shop, Dragonfly Fine Designs on etsy, and also started my own web site.

As long as I can remember I was always creating and developing things at a very young age. I remember putting on plays and concerts with my brother and cousins. We would come up with these elaborate productions, with costumes, props and all. As far back as I can remember I was always painting, baking, decorating, or anything else creative I could get my hands on. My mother being a self taught artist herself and my father being an incredible woodworker has had a great influence on the designer I am today. She was always painting and designing truly magical art. She always taught me the importance of art and creating in ones’ life. I can only hope that I can bring the same passion and love of art into both my kids lives.

It has been a challenge balancing myself, being a mother, a wife, and now a business owner. It is tough, and a lot of hard work. I don't think I really fully understood how hard it would be. But I am doing it. I think partly it is working because my husband has been there for me and he is my biggest cheerleader. Don't get me wrong, he still leaves his crap around the house, and has never cleaned a bathroom, as long as I have known him. But I don't think I could have done it without him. And with that, I say thank you to him....

So, my goals are:
1. I am hoping to post often, and talk about Dragonfly fine designs, the ups and downs of motherhood, and life in general.
2. Not be afraid and worry what other people say.
3. Most importantly have fun with this.