Crafty Mama Creations

Handmade Holidays

2011-12-23T07:37:00.000-08:00

I had grand plans for lots of handmade gifts this year (especially for my girls) but we moved on December 1st which forced me to reevaluate my list. I knew I still wanted to make gifts for the girls' teachers because they get a ton presents and I really wanted ours to be something different. I bought fabric from fabric.com using a great coupon and used Jona's fabulous Shopgirl Apron pattern.

I've used her pattern so many times, I've lost count. It really is easy and I like that it allows for some variation with appliques or special touches. All three teachers loved their aprons and really seemed to appreciate the handmade nature of their gift which was nice.

My girl even got in on the handmade gift giving. She made a ruffled scarf for her BFF. As much as I like teaching her how to sew, the control freak in me can't stand to watch weave all over on her strip of fabric like a drunken seamstress.

I'll have to share pics soon of the new place we call home sweet home. We moved out to the country on three acres and so far, we're all loving it. Really, one of the best decisions we've ever made. Moving right in the middle of the holidays was super stressful but waking up to this view every morning totally makes it worth it.
Satellite reception is spotty and our internet connection is slower which means I've been spending more time sewing. Funny how that works. I've listed a few new dolls in my shop and am working on some chevron stripe bags (that will be really hard to list instead of keep).

New Dolls

2011-11-10T09:16:00.000-08:00

I know, I was supposed to have closed down my shop earlier this year but I miss making dolls and with Christmas rolling around soon, I've been getting a few requests from previous customers.

There are some absolutely adorable patterns out there that must be made. I've long been a fan of Bit of Whimsy Dolls. I purchased my first doll pattern from her several years ago and have purchased many more since. The patterns have detailed instructions and pictures and the shop owner has always answered my questions promptly. But best of all, her terms of service allow me use her pattern to make limited quantities of dolls to sell which I think is awesome. Crafters supporting other crafters is always nice.

My latest pattern purchase was the baby mermaid doll. Could she be any cuter?!

My girls LOVE this doll and are begging to keep her. I have to say, she's definitely one of my favorite dolls ever made. You can find her listed in my shop. Keep checking back as I'll be listing some others soon including owls, boy dolls, ruffle dress babies like I sold last year, and more baby mermaids!

New

2011-11-02T12:14:00.000-07:00

Appliqued flowers in embroidery hoops.

Great alone or as part of a group.

I've been collecting hoops at thrift stores and garage sales and I think the vintage metal ones are my favorite.

Click the pics to go to the listings in my shop.

Fall Mantle

2011-10-27T18:20:00.000-07:00

I really like most things about our tiny rental house but one feature I really wish it had is a mantle. I love seeing people's mantles all decked out for the holidays but I have to use the closest thing I have which is our china cabinet that sits in our living room.

While decorating for fall this year, I tossed out some old cheesy stuff that just isn't my style anymore. Think fake vines and leaves and a plush turkey. I used this mantle I pinned as my inspiration...

Source: tatertotsandjello.com via Kelci on Pinterest

And here's my "mantle"...
I bought the owl at Marshall's for $5. The candle stick and glass jar were $6 and $3 at Marshall's. Some tiny pine cones from Walmart, mini pumpkins from Vons, a new wreath and the look was complete. I bought a plastic pumpkin at a yard sale for $.50 and glittered it myself.
I used to have a HUGE wedding picture hanging above the china cabinet. I decided to switch it out to give me space for more seasonal decorating.
The only thing purchased for my wreath was the burlap ribbon. The felt, feathers, and owl are from my craft stash. The wreath used to be covered in knotted strips of fabric and I just cut them all off so I could reuse it.

I wanted to do a bunting across the front of the china cabinet like in the inspiration picture. My plan was to use clothespins to display the girls' fall art work but the old artwork I had was either lost or torn by Matea and they haven't brought home anything new this year.

What fall projects have you pinned?

Pinterest Dress

2011-10-25T15:25:00.001-07:00

If you're on Pinterest, you've probably seen this dress making the pinning rounds. I thought it was adorable so after a string of super hot days here, I decided to finally make it. I know, it's crazy, some people actually make the things they pin on Pinterest. Truth be told, I've already made a bunch of stuff I've pinned so bonus points for me.

Here's my version...

I screwed up on my first go round. I didn't actually read the tutorial which would have been helpful. So instead of keeping the entire band of elastic on the outside of the dress, I sewed it into the seam which just turned out terrible. Lots of folding and bulk and just bad, bad, bad.

I used an old tank top from Old Navy and some jersey I got from Joann's at 40% off. I think the jersey ended up being a little too heavy. I like the idea of a knit on the bottom but what I bought is definitely heavier than tshirt weight and I think it's just a little too bulky once gathered.

My two big tips are to make sure the tank top fits fairly snuggly. Probably more fitted than you normally are comfortable with. And second, make sure the elastic band is the same size as your empire waist point. Too tight will be uncomfortable and ride up. I initially made mine too loose (along with a too-loose tank top) and that was a disaster too. It ended up looking like the dress was kind of hanging on my body instead of my body wearing it if that makes any sense. Overall, not bad for an $8 project.

Pattern Review: Simplicity 2205 by Sweet Pea Totes

2011-10-05T09:02:00.001-07:00

I hardly ever buy patterns. Partly because I'm cheap and there are so many great free tutorials online and partly because I'm super incompetent when it comes to patterns. But we had a new Joanns open in a neighboring town a few months ago and I picked up this pattern during one of their big pattern sales.

And here's my finished product.

Notice any difference between mine and the picture on the pattern? Yeah, one is upside down. And it's not mine. I think getting the final product photographed in the correct orientation is kind of key, don't you.

The pattern itself was fairly easy to follow but it does require very precise placement of certain pieces and transferring a lot of markings to your cut pieces. These are not my strong suits (I don't really think I have a sewing strength, to be honest). I think the pattern is probably a little too complex for a very beginner seamstress but would be fine for an intermediate seamstress. Honestly, the biggest issue for me was the picture on the pattern package. I kept thinking my clutch wasn't coming together correctly. I even ripped out the interior pocket at the last minute because I realized it would be upside down based on the orientation in the picture. And when it came to the final step of folding and top stitching closed, I just couldn't make it fold up, look like the picture, and be functional. Once I went to Sweet Pea's site and realized the picture was upside down, I was irritated with Simplicity but relieved that I wasn't completely incompetent.

I think the clutch is absolutely adorable and I love the pleated ruffle. I picked up some really cute floral trim at Joann's to use in place of the ruffle and I think lace or crochet trim would be really pretty too. I really like the final product but not for myself. I tend to carry a lot of junk, even when I'm traveling light and I think I need something with a boxed bottom. It took me about an hour and a half to complete the clutch including cutting fabric and stumbling over the upside down picture issue.

A Bit of Sewing

2011-09-30T15:08:00.000-07:00

My blog has been quiet but we've been busy with sewing and crafting around here. Bella got the cutest Hello Kitty Sewing machine from my mom for her birthday. We've worked a little on her biggest sewing issues - not pressing the foot pedal too hard and thus speeding through her sewing, and keeping your fingers out of the needle's path - and she seems to be doing really well. When I quiz her on the different parts of the machine, she knows all of the answers so I can tell she's really interested as opposed to me forcing it on her. Anyway, a few weeks ago I helped her make a ruffled scarf.

She was so excited about it and even wore it to a birthday party she went to later that day. I didn't have the heart to tell her I had actually bought the fabric to make a ruffled scarf for myself!

I'm also working on a new quilt I pinned on Pinterest.

I'm only using scraps and going for sort of a bold, primary-ish color scheme without it looking too rainbow. I started cutting scraps last weekend and already have all of my blocks made:)

And I've also been doing some sewing for my supposed-to-be-closed shop. A few trick or treat bags and some totes and purses here and there. I tried something new with this bag, gathering the bottom section so it has lots of texture and dimension. I'm very happy with the results.

Crafty Girls

2011-09-07T09:47:00.000-07:00

Both of my girls love to do crafts, especially Bella. She can spend an entire Saturday working on an idea she's come up with and the bits and pieces she needs for her idea always end up covering our dining table. I wanted them to have their own crafty space but we definitely couldn't fit it in their room so I decided to give them their own set up in the garage.

I already had the desk on the right. It's actually an old sewing machine desk that I got at a yard sale several years ago. I found the desk on the left at a local thrift store for $20. That's more than I would usually pay for something like this but all of the drawers are in working condition and slide smoothly which is hard to find with something this old. The baskets and supply caddy are from the dollar tree so the whole makeover cost under $25.

The best part is that their new craft station is located right outside the door to the garage and my craft station is right inside the door to the garage so we're only a few feet away from each other when we're working.

And yes, that's now their laptop but trust me, it's no prize. It's been dropped a few times so the screen is damaged, we can't close it, the "u" key is missing and the cd drive doesn't work. Other than that, it's great!

Trick or Treat

2011-08-23T12:20:00.004-07:00

Is it too early to start thinking about Halloween? The planner in me says definitely not! Now that
Back to School is behind us, Halloween is the next big event on my mom calendar. We already picked up Matea's costume a few weekends ago. She saw a Rapunzel costume at Costco that she loved. It was the last one and under $20 so we grabbed it. Of course, now she wants to wear it every day until Halloween which is driving me more and more nuts every day.

I really like more creative and original costumes but force myself to let the girls decide. One of the greatest tragedies of my life was when my mom made me be a hula girl in 3rd grade instead of a punk rocker. She said every other girl was being a punk rocker and I needed to be something different. She scarred me for life...also, I'm sure she'll read this and call me. Ugh, the worst though was when I had to be a strawberry and my sister was a pumpkin. My mom found us green beanies for our stems and we had these huge felt bubble costumes. Looking back now, I appreciate the effort she put in to them and can admit they were cute, but as a first grader in the school Halloween parade, it was awful. I'm sure I'll find other ways to damage my children.

Enough with the therapy session...I'm offering a limited number of trick or treat bags again this year (maybe up to 4-6 in each fabric). I know I get a few emails from past customers every year who want a bag for their new baby that matches older siblings.

I have cute retro kitties, bats, and spider webs available and you can see all fabric choices in my shop.

Lalalots of Fun!

2011-07-30T09:03:00.001-07:00

Last Sunday, my baby turned five. My baby:(

Months before hand, she told me she wanted a Lalaloopsy party so I started shopping around for cheap ideas. And since Lalaloopsy is a relatively new thing, there aren't any themed decorations out there yet so we focused on cheap and easy ways to bring the Lalaloopsy theme to the party.

First cheap idea...evite! I think my mom hates that I don't do paper invites anymore but between the invitation cost and postage, that's at least $15 saved. And I think the likliehood of people rsvp'ing is much better with an evite and I'm a rule folower so I think rsvp's are important.

One tradition we do with our girls is the Birthday Fairy. On the night before their birthday, after they go to sleep, the birthday fairy decorates the livingroom with streamers and balloons and piles all of their presents up on the couch. Matea's new pink scooter is hidden under the quilt and you can see her pinata in the background. I found some pictures of really cool Lalaloopsy pinatas but realistically, I knew I didn't have the time or talent to make one. So we bought this pink and blue pinata for $15 from Walmart and covered it Lalaloopsy images I bought from an Etsy seller. And directly behind Tatey, you can see a Lalaloopsy mini garland I made. I used one of my scrapbook punches to punch several scalloped circles in bright colors, stitched them together, glued on more Lalaloopsy bottle cap images and then hung the garland on the food table.
Here's a super easy way to save money...get your cake from Costco! It's huge (and yummy) and only around $18. Since none of their designs fit our theme. I just had them write "Happy Birthday Matea" in the center and I spent $3 to buy some pre-colored tubes of frosting. I added polka dots and a bunch of Lalaloopsy figurines from the girls' collection. So cute and reasonably priced!
Family picture (minus Bella). We always forget to do this at the girls' parties so this year, I remembered to do it before the party. The blue hair? Yeah, that was an idea gone wrong. The night before the party, the girls and I decided that it would be fun to curl their hair in ringlets and spray it a bright color like Lalaloopsy's for the party. Because we live at the beach, there was a lot of moisture in the air that morning so while the kids helped us set up for the party, their cute ringlets quickly disappeared.

And the bounce house killed the Lalaloopsy blue hair. All that jumping made the color jump right off. Budget tip for a bounce house...get your father-in-law to buy one and borrow his:)
I'm not really into getting all of the themed plates, napkins, cups, etc. since they just end up in the trash but my mom and I found these polka dot cake plates at the Dollar Tree. They definitely weren't sturdy enough for lunch, but worked fine for snacks and cake. We got plates in bright blue polka dots and napkins in green polka dots. We also picked up a few plastic polka dot serving trays and bowls that went perfectly with our bright and fun theme but can also work with lots of other themes at future parties.
Super cute Lalaloopsy birthday dress that Grandma bought from this Etsy seller...Night Owl.
Cheap decor stuff...bright colored table cloths from The Dollar Tree, Lalaloopsy dolls from our collection, and a huge bunch of purple flowers from Costco for $8.99 which we split into three vases that we already owned. I also re-used my fabric Happy Birthday banner and spent 3 dollars on 6 paper lanterns from The Dollar Tree which we hung at the entrance to our yard. Each table also had a bright mini metal pail filled with candy. I found the pails at Target when Easter stuff was 75% off so I got them for $.50 each and have been using them for storage in my sewing area.
I think Tatey LOVED her party and I loved all of the bright colors. It was so fun to see our little front yard transformed into party central for a few hours.

A few new things...

2011-07-15T20:06:00.000-07:00

I know I closed my Etsy shop in March, but I just listed this new bag...

After cleaning up my sewing area this week and seeing all of the great fabrics I have, I guess I got the itch to make something. I love the bag and didn't really have a plan for where it would end up but decided to list it in my (former) shop and see what happens.

I definitely don't want to open up a fully stocked shop again but it's nice to be able to use the stock of materials I have and make something that's my own design. I'm working almost 20 hours a week now sewing for someone else's business and while I'm very grateful for the work-at-home opportunity, I definitely miss being the one who pairs the fabrics and decides on the design.

I also recently made a new wreath for my front door. I totally copied the idea from a friend but of course, hers is sophisticated and understated in black, white, and red and mine is loud and funky with lots of bright colors.

Our house is a very drab faded tan so I try to get the brightest colors I can with my flower pots, door mat, and now, my new wreath:)

Update

2011-06-19T08:52:00.001-07:00

Just a quick note to say surgery went well and I was able to come home Friday night. The incisions are healing well (I think - I need to take off the tape today) and I'm not in too much pain except for the pain the air is causing. I guess they have to pump a bunch of air into your abdomen to move organs around and make enough space to work in and not only does some of that air get trapped in your body, it also irritates all of the nerves. I think I over did it a bit yesterday so I'm going to try and relax a little more today - that's what Father's Day is all about, right? Mama being waited on.

Wishing I would have gotten together an embroidery project to work on or something. I mean, I love tv and movies but even I can only log so many dozens of hours in a row.

Surgery

2011-06-15T20:55:00.001-07:00

Gallbladder removal is this Friday. Less than 48 hours away. I check in at 1:30 and hopefully, if all goes well, I'll be home to kiss my babies before they go to bed that night. I've been feeling on edge about it all week so I'm really ready to put it behind me and fast foward to feeling better.

In preparation for post-surgery life, I met with a nutritionist to set up a low fat/high fiber diet. Maybe the best $75 I've ever spent. She was so easy to talk to and really broke things down for me in a way I can understand. She kept everything really simple and easy to maintain and I walked away feeling really optimistic about a healthy future. We went through the typical meals and snacks I eat now and she just told me how to tweak them to increase the protein and fiber and reduce the fat. And we talked a lot about bloating and bowel movements. Did I mention her daughter is in Bella's class. So yeah, come August, I'll be standing outside the classroom at pickup time along side her with the knowledge that she knows all the graphic details of my bathroom habits. Good times.

On a happier note, at my pre-op appointment today, the nurse let me know it's ok to take anxiety medication on surgery day. In fact she encouraged me to take it and said, "Take one when you wake up and one when you leave for the hospital." Thank you Nurse Melissa, I wanted to hug you but successfully resisted the urge.

So, think good thoughts for me. I really, really want to come home Friday night versus having to stay in the hospital due to pain or nausea (or because it ends up having to be an open surgery). I'm high maintenance emotionally and want to be home in my own bed with my husband and babies nearby.

Hello There!

2011-05-27T16:31:00.000-07:00

It's been a loooong time since I've posted anything. I really haven't had anything creative or crafty to post. It's been sort of a rough three or four months here with health issues but after 6 doctor appointments, lab work, an ultrasound, endoscopy, ER trip, HIDA scan, and 5 prescriptions, I finally have an answer for why I've been feeling so crappy most of the time...an abnormally functioning gallbladder. So, I see a surgeon next week and will have my gallbladder removed soon after that and will hopefully be feeling much better (and more creative and motivated!). Keep your fingers crossed for a safe and successful surgery and quick recovery.

On the crafty front, I finally finished my newest quilt! I had been struggling with what to do on the back and finally decided on white with one pieced strip across the bottom.
Yeah, that's not a white back, is it? I went to Joann's last week to buy the fabric but couldn't find the right white and realized I wasn't even sure of the correct name for the Kona Cotton white I used on the front. I knew the front wasn't white-white and it wasn't off-white either and nothing seemed to be the shade I was looking for.
The back isn't nearly as smooth as this picture makes it look. There are tons of creases and puckers but that's part of the charm (and proof!) of quilting it myself, right?
I came across this teal blue fabric that I've used in projects for my boss recently, saw it was 30% off and was sold!
I went back and forth between free motion quilting and stitching in the ditch but decided to stick with stippling because I really like the crinkly look it makes and I think stitching in the ditch just sounds stupid:)
The binding is made from various lime green fabrics I had in my stash.
I'm really happy with how it turned out and it was nice to be reminded of how good it feels to make something for myself. Next up is a new summer tote bag, new pillows for the living room and possibly some vintage sheet patchwork shams for the master bedroom. What are your summer sewing projects?

Handmade Gifts

2011-03-28T10:16:00.000-07:00

As I've mentioned way too many times before, I really like giving handmade gifts but I've learned through lots of experience that not everyone appreciates getting them (which still baffles me). Yesterday was our good friend, Luke's 4th birthday party and he was definitely deserving of some one of a kind gifts. Lucky for me, he's not super into toys so I can still get away with giving clothes:)

First I made Luke and his new sister Grace matching towels... Why haven't I made these for my girls?! They're so cute and inexpensive, I have no reason not to spoil my girls with one of these. I used my Cricut to cut the letters which makes the whole project super easy.

Next I made him some preppy tie outfits. Luke's mom's taste is more preppy and classic than mine but I think these are a good balance between the two of us - not that it matters much what I like since he's not my kid, but if I'm making it, my rule is that I have to like it.

I finished my quilt top on Friday and love how it turned out. If I add one more row, it would fit on our bed. Hmmmm, decisions decisions.

Moving On

2011-03-22T11:20:00.000-07:00

Do things look a little different around here? I officially closed my shop today and shipped my last package. I removed my business-y banner from my blog and Etsy and also got rid of a few business-y things on the side bar. I also need to work on updating my faves that are listed in the side bar because I don't think I've done that in a few years!

I spent several hours working on my quilt over the weekend and I have three rows finished. Only two more to go!
The blocks are large - about 16" - so they come together quickly and all of the progress is great for keeping me motivated.

Now I need to start thinking about the back and binding. I love the look of a pieced back but I'm fairly confident I can't get everything lined up correctly and my lines between pieces won't be straight. Does that make sense? I'm considering an all white back with some kind of patterned applique or maybe a big cluster of rolled roses. Any ideas?

I'm dreading the step I think everyone hates...pinning together all of the layers. The hardest part for me is that we live in a tiny old house with small, chopped up rooms so there isn't really a spot for me to lay everything out. I tried using basting adhesive with my last quilt and that was a DISASTER! I ended up in tears with quilt pieces stuck to my feet!

2011-03-12T16:30:00.000-08:00

Has it really been almost two weeks since I last posted? I wish I had more to show for it. I decided to make a new quilt for cuddling up on the couch and looked at patterns on several different websites but couldn't quite find what I was looking for. I wanted something with lots of white background and blocks made from scraps. Oh, and something fairly easy since I'm impatient (I first typed "INpatient"-it's funny because it's true) and not extremely competent.

I eventually ended up in someone's flickr stream and saw this quilt posted.

Lucky for me, she posted a brief tutorial on her blog and I immediately got to work cutting scraps. I spent several hours cutting and piecing yesterday and thought I had made a good dent. When I counted, I only had 25 pieced scrap strips and I need 80. Yikes! Not even close. Luckily, I have tons of fabric so I sliced into a bunch more this morning and I'm now up to 55.

I'm loving the scrappy, random look and I think it's going to look great against the white. I also think vintage sheets would be an excellent choice for the strips but of course I didn't think of that until I had made 30 or so strips.

See my portable dvd player in the background of the picture? I think I mentioned before that I always watch something while I sew. Yeah, I already watch plenty of tv but trust me, 20 hours a week at the sewing machine would get lonely. So, I've been watching "Seinfeld" from beginning to end and am currently on Season 7 so it's coming to an end soon. Any other ideas for a long running series I could watch from start to finish? I was considering the "Gilmore Girls" but I really hated the last season.

In other news, I only have a few things left in my shop and am just about ready to close things up. I just reduced prices on what's remaining so take another peek and see if there's something you must have.

A New Day

2011-02-28T16:08:00.000-08:00

I have to admit that I shed a quick tear or two last night after posting this. But, it was so nice to wake up this morning and know that I only have to put in 4 hours for my work at home job and then the rest of the day is mine (I mean, rest of the day minus getting kids ready, making meals, running errands, doing dishes, doing laundry, cleaning the bathroom...so like one hour of the day is mine).

I've been wanting to try Jona's pillowcase tutorial since she posted it ummmmm, 2 1/2 years ago! So, I made each of the girls a bright and fun and funky new pillowcase this morning!

And then promptly ran to Walmart to get them new pillows.

Crafty Papa and I have been saying for quite awhile that we all need new pillows but it became very clear today was the day once I put their puny pillows in these beautiful new cases and you almost couldn't tell there was a pillow inside!

They're both totally happy and I love that I used some of my favorite fabrics that I would normally hang on to for projects for my shop. No more! Now we get the "good stuff" too:)

Oh, and you're probably wondering how on earth these pillow cases match their room...or their bedding. They don't! Their room doesn't really have a theme, just lots of bright colors and lots of patterns so their new pillowcases work perfectly.

The tutorial was super quick and easy. I think it only took about 30 minutes for both of the pillowcases. And wouldn't this make a great gift with the recipient's name embroidered on the edge. Or maybe I'll embroider "Keep your booty in bed and don't even think of getting up again" on Matea's.

Party's Over

2011-02-27T19:18:00.001-08:00

After several weeks of thought and lots of discussion with Crafty Papa, I've decided to close up the Crafty Mama Creations shop. I've been making and selling bags and such for almost 6 years and also working part-time for the last two. As I'm sure many moms reading this will understand, it's all just too hard to balance.

Something about having an Etsy shop makes me feel guilty about sewing stuff for myself. I have no idea why, but any time I'm at my sewing machine I feel like I need to be sewing for my "real" job or making something for Etsy. I have an opportunity for more hours with my work at home job and Crafty Papa and I agree that it would be best for the family for me to get in my part-time hours every week and then know that any extra sewing time can be for me (fun) and not my shop.

Big thanks to everyone who has supported my shop over the years - especially those of you who followed me from Ebay to Etsy way back when! I'll be updating my shop in the next few days with clearance prices and also removing a few items to save for gifts. I'm hoping to post on the blog more often now because I'll have more fun personal projects to share. Thanks again!

-Crafty Mama

Lets Get the Party Started!

2011-02-25T09:37:00.000-08:00

My shop's 4th Etsy Birthday Sale has begun! All bags have been marked down to $20, $25 or $30. I'm also offering 30% off my entire shop with coupon code "birthday4". And, when you spend $50 or more, you'll get a free zippered pouch!

I'll be adding new items today and throughout the weekend so keep checking back!

Happy 4th Birthday!

2011-02-22T13:07:00.000-08:00

This Sunday is my 4 year Etsy Birthday! Visit my blog or Etsy shop later this week to hear about special discounts and freebies in celebration!

All Things Vintage

2011-02-21T15:46:00.000-08:00

We live in an old (1940's) and funky little house so I think it's sort of natural to be attracted to things that are vintage and funky. The majority of our furniture is from yard sales and thrift stores and is older than we are. Partly because we like the idea of recycling, partly because we usually only have money for used, and partly because old and weird is just our taste.

I'm sure it's no surprise that we frequent thrift stores. We're lucky that we have 7 thrift stores within about 3 miles of our house! Over the last few months I've been collecting vintage sheets with the intention of making sundresses for the girls.

Some of these sheets are HUGE. I could probably make sundresses for the whole family including Crafty Papa! Since I knew I'd have plenty of fabric, I decided to use some of the sheets to make some sweet tote bags. They're extra large so they'll hold a ton of stuff and I just love the ruffle down the front.

My current favorite thrift store purchase is our new dining set.

I know it's not everyone's taste. Hell, even Crafty Papa doesn't like it! But it works perfectly in our multi-purpose sewing/dining/homeworking/playing room and it's in excellent condition. There are 7 chairs and the vinyl is in excellent condition on all of them and there are two leaves for the table. The best part? I got all of it for only $75!

Now I just need to sell the two dining tables and 4 chairs that I already own!

Valentine's Day Sale

2011-02-11T18:39:00.000-08:00

***Valentine's Day Special: 15% off your purchase with coupon code LOVE11.*** Just make your purchase, enter "LOVE11" in the coupon field and see your discount immediately! Good through February 14th, 2011.

www.craftymamacreations.etsy.com

Valentine's Day

2011-01-07T17:06:00.000-08:00

Like everyone else, the last few weeks have been super busy for me. Last minute Christmas gift sewing, extra work hours for my part-time job, holiday traveling and a mini vacation, and planning for Bella's 7th birthday have sucked up every minute of every day.

With school restarting next week and trying to get back to our normal routine, I've finally had time to make a few new dolls. Can you believe Valentine's Day is just over a month away?! Something about having kids just makes time move so much faster.

I have a few different Valentine's Day heart dolls listed in my shop now and a few more on the way.

I've been experimenting with different hair styles and updated the pigtails and buns so they're made from two layers of felt sewn together for extra durability.

Check back in the next few days for even more Valentine sweeties!

Winner!

2010-12-20T16:04:00.001-08:00

The winner of the Bella Bunny is commenter #2, Bailey!
Email me your address and I'll get it shipped out asap (craftymamacreations@gmail.com)

The Bella Bunny...Win One!

2010-12-16T11:59:00.001-08:00

In the last six months or so, the girls and I have become obsessed with getting a bunny. We pop in the pet shop any time we're near and check out all of the sweet little bunnies. And I always take a picture of our favorite bunny and text it to Crafty Papa in an attempt to guilt him into agreeing to get one. Here's the cutie I texted him last week...

So, the bunny obsession led me to create a bunny doll. And because Bella is always making bunny related crafts (while I was sick she made me the cutest paper bunny in a shoe box!), I've named this new doll "The Bella Bunny".

Her head and body shape are basically the same as the dolls in my shop. But her arms and legs have been altered to be more bunny like and instead of felt hair, she has big bunny ears.

The ears are lightly stuffed and quilted so they stand up but aren't stiff and are still soft enough to flop. They're backed with a super soft textured (think terry cloth) fabric so they're as soft as a real bunny's ears!

She has a sweet embroidered bunny face and is wearing a tiny removable dress.

Of course, there was some trial and error in coming up with the pattern...especially those big ears. I'm giving away my test version of Bella Bunny to one lucky reader. Her ears are a little (or a lot) wonky, and her limbs vary from what I ended up with in the final product but she's still totally lovable.

To win the bunny above, simply leave me a comment here telling me what gift you're most excited to give this holiday season. I'll pick a winner on Sunday and announce it on the blog.

The gift I'm most excited to give this year are the dolls I'm making for my girls. They've been begging for one since I started making them but I've been in "shop mode" so they've had to wait. We do a fairly modest Christmas and I like for their gift from us to be handmade if possible. So, they're each getting a doll that looks like them and a ruffled tshirt that matches their doll's dress.

Gift Guide or Gift Grab?

2010-12-15T09:21:00.001-08:00

If you read even a handful of craft-related blogs, you know that holiday gift guides are "the thing" right now. Crafty Papa and I went to dinner (alone!) a few nights ago and started discussing the fine line between a gift guide and a gift grab. I know, I know, not exactly the kind of romantic conversation you expect for a once-every-three-months or so date night but we both had strong opinions on the subject and actually were in agreement which almost never happens.

So, here's my opinion - and it may not be popular, but I'd really love to hear your opinion too...

I think in general, far too many craft blogs have sacrificed meaningful posts for PR and marketing. It's all sponsors and giveaways and free stuff...and I don't think all blog authors are totally honest about how they stumbled on the product they're reviewing. Buying something on Etsy that you end up loving so much you feel compelled to share about it is very different from someone paying you to review their product or sending you a freebie in exchange for you saying nice things. I'm opinionated...very opinionated...and I like to hear real opinions and feedback. How honest and meaningful can an opinion be when it's accompanied by cash or product?

I got several requests in my Etsy inbox from people wanting a freebie from my shop in exchange for a review or feature in their gift guide. I opted not to do any of them. I'd much rather have someone buy one of my dolls or bags, love it, and genuinely want to share about my shop with no strings attached. Sure, some of the blogs could have been good marketing for me but I guess it's not the style of marketing I'm interested in. And I couldn't help but question how many of these requests came about because the person wanted to give one of my dolls or bags as a gift but didn't have the budget to buy it.

I've seen a few gift guides this season that are so blatantly a gift grab, I couldn't believe crafters actually responded. Literally, "Everyone send me a bunch of stuff, I'll decide what to blog about and what not to blog about, and then I'll give everything to my friends and family and even tell you on my blog who I'm giving it to." If you're truly doing the gift guide to support artisans and not yourself, why not donate the items to charity? Or give some away to the readers who support you and your blog?

As I said, I know my opinion won't be popular with everyone and I really would love to hear what other crafters think. And speaking of gift guides, I'd like to share a few Christmas gifts I've recently purchased on Etsy that I love. Not paid sponsors or freebies, just well made items that I'm excited about giving.

Mini I Spy Bags
I bought these to go in the girls' stockings and they're just too cute! I love the small size, making them easy to throw in my purse or keep in the car. And even though they're tiny, there's still a long list of treasures for the girls to find.

Pippy Scarf
Ok, I bought this for myself and I've already worn it. And I live in California, at the beach no less, so I don't really need a scarf. But this one is so lightweight and definitely more of an accessory. I love all of the colors in it and definitely plan to get another one in a different color scheme.

Donut and Cupcake Soaps
We're giving these to my grandma for Christmas. Random, huh? She has some ball and heart shaped soaps in her bathroom that the girls love. Every time we visit Matea talks about wanting to use the ball soap. So I let each of the girls pick a fun novelty soap for great grandma's bathroom and they look so realistic, I think grandma's going to be confused!

How I spent my weekend

2010-12-06T13:43:00.000-08:00

I was sick all weekend.
Unable-to-get-off-the-couch sick.

Apparently Etsy shoppers were feeling well because this is what my doorstep looks like this morning after a weekend of orders.

THANK YOU!

I wonder if my mailman appreciates picking up packages from stuffed holiday decorations?

Week Wrap-up

2010-12-03T10:43:00.000-08:00

This week has been CRAZY. Getting back into the groove of things after having all of last week off has been hard. I wasn't really sleeping in last week, but having the option of staying in bed for an extra 20 minutes was nice. Only two more weeks of school and then three weeks of mornings of luxury!

I was also frantically preparing all week for The Stitch Market Boutique last night. Then I woke up sick yesterday morning...like room spinning kind of sick...and thought I might not make it to the event. Lots of Tylenol, rest, and Gatorade later, I was feeling better and looking forward to seeing some of my sweet baby dolls find new homes.

I didn't take any pictures during the boutique but trust me, the house was packed! Lindsey's holiday decorations were super fun and cute and I think my dolls looked adorable all lined up together, if I do say so myself.

This morning I've been working on lots of updates in my shop.
All bags have been marked down 25%!
No coupon code or calculating needed, prices have been updated within the listings to reflect the discount.
I've also been adding new dolls including these two cuties.

I have a few more babies to list but my eyes are tired and my head is pounding so I'm going to take a break from the computer. Check back over the weekend for more dolls and don't forget to take advantage of the awesome bag sale!

Attention, attention!

2010-12-01T17:11:00.001-08:00

Tomorrow night I'll be participating in The Stitch Market Boutique in San Luis Obispo. That means I'll be closing my Etsy shop sometime tomorrow afternoon and reopening on Friday. So fair warning, if there's something you love, you should buy it now:)

I've been working on lots and lots of new dolls including some new hair styles...a short pixie cut a la Crafty Mama herself and a cute little bob like my sweet (not really) girls have. Oooo, and also some dark skinned dolls that are beyond adorable! My hope would be to sell every single one of them tomorrow night but realistically, you'll probably see some new little cuties in my shop on Friday.

I've been really lucky to have tons of custom orders this holiday season but that also means I've been totally swamped, working about 25-30 hours a week in addition to my full-time mom duties. Needless to say, I'm looking forward to January:) I'll be taking custom orders through December 8th and then I'll politely have to say, "No soup for you!". Have I mentioned while I sew I've been watching Seinfeld from beginning to end?

If you're local, stop by and see me tomorrow night at The Stitch Market Boutique (email me for the address). The hostess has a beautiful home and there are several talented vendors participating.

Sooooo, about the bags...

2010-11-22T12:04:00.001-08:00

You may have noticed that I've switched gears in my shop and have been listing doll after doll and nothing in the way of bags. I started preparing for a boutique a few weeks ago, focusing on dolls because I already had a good back stock of bags. And the boutique hostess specifically mentioned that she thought dolls might be a good seller at the boutique. Now I've become totally addicted and don't really have any desire to go back to bags so I need to think about the future of Crafty Mama Creations.

I've been making and selling my bags for almost 6 years. Damn, I hadn't really thought about it until I typed that sentence and didn't realize I had been "Crafty Mama" for so long. Back when I first started on Ebay (where I "met" Jona!), there was far less competition and dare I say less crappy, under-priced product out there. I love Etsy and it provides a great part-time income for me but it's so over-saturated by bag makers now, it's really hard to make and sell something original.

Making dolls seems to be working a lot better for my family's lifestyle. I already spend 10-15 hours a week at my sewing desk for my other work at home job, it's nice to be able to work on something more portable than bags. I can cut and stuff doll bits and pieces in my yard while watching the girls play or on the couch at night while watching "Modern Family" with Crafty Pops (I just re-watched Mitch's flash mob this morning:) ). My girls have gotten involved with the doll-making process too, helping me choose hair color and outfits.

So, I'll be doing a lot of thinking over the holiday week and trying to determine where I see Crafty Mama Creations going. I have an excitement and enthusiasm for these dolls that I just don't really have for bags anymore. I mean, who wouldn't want dozens of these smiling faces in their craft room?

Scenes from our yard today

2010-11-16T13:02:00.000-08:00

Hanging out
Enjoying our awesome beach weather
Cutting bits and pieces for more dolls
Playing "store" with Matea

He's Rockabilly, Baby!

2010-11-14T14:21:00.000-08:00

Is the whole rockabilly thing popular all over the country or is it mainly a California thing? I mean, I'm totally young and cool and know all of the trends everywhere, I'm just wondering if you do:)

My in laws are way into the car show scene and the rockabilly thing is huge. On the rare occasion that Crafty Papa can convince me to attend a show with him, I mainly people watch and check out all of the rockabilly outfits, hair and makeup. Some people are really, really serious about the look and go all out.

Anyway, here's a little rockabilly baby boy who I think is just adorable (and he looks a little like Crafty Pop's without the goatee).

I made him using Wee Wonderful's Eddie pattern and discovered that he's smaller than the girl doll pattern which is a bummer. If I put the two of them next to each other, she kind of looks like she's going to lean over and take a bite out of his head. I'm totally seeing some girl-boy pairs in the future so I'm working on making my own boy clothes patterns to fit a larger doll. Then I'll have to make myself and Crafty Papa into dolls and set them on our bed. He'll be creeped out but it's just the kind of cheesiness I love.

I've been getting lots of emails for info. on custom dolls, especially for Christmas gifts. I love all of the awesome feedback and am really happy customers are finding the dolls just as adorable as I do. Thanks!

Crafty Mama Featured in Etsy Treasuries:)

2010-11-12T20:09:00.000-08:00

'A Handmade Doll For Christmas' by OhSewNice

Thinking of my daughters who want baby dolls for Christmas!

Fairy in Pink handmade ... SugarAndSpice $32.00	Girl Doll, Cute Dress, ... cimmerii $42.00	Hearts O Plenty Pink Pi... craftymamacrea... $25.00	Anna the Gnome GigglyBaby $75.00
Lulu the Dollie aprilfoss $65.00	Tooth Guardian Angel Ke... giftsdefine $42.00	Organic Sleepy Bunny in... auntiejill $75.00	Custom Hand Painted Woo... Pegged $48.00
Organic Waldorf Doll 10... pingvini $38.00	The Pearl Girl SweetMarch $55.00	Toy Pouch Sling Baby Do... SnuggyBaby $13.00	Security Blanket Lovie ... mabelise $30.00
Mitsie the New Modder D... thewhimsypatch $52.50	Garden time Annie Doll SunshineAnnied... $36.00	My Little Dolly - Blond... CookYouSomeNoo... $25.00	Jonesy the Pirate kiddlebug $38.00

Generated using Treasury HTML code generator by Whale Shark Websites.

'Candy Canes for Kids - minus the cane!' by BBsForBabies

Let your kids enjoy everything about candy canes - without the sugar!

Santa's Helper Mons... BBsForBabies $35.00	Candy Cane Ribbon Woven... leahslittlebow... $6.00	Red and White Candy Can... SocktopusCreat... $11.99	Pair of layered red and... PolkaTods $9.00
Handmade plush polar be... strawberrykitt... $35.00	Candy Cane Stripe Chris... josiekatstrunk $48.50	MINI Boutique Doubled L... SOUTHERNBABYBO... $12.95	Vintage Cowboy Baby Boo... outofthepinksk... $28.00
red and white check pea... rachel777lynn $40.00	Santas Little Helper St... knitrgal $21.00	Baby brogue - white / ... LousShoes $26.00	BABY n RED...vintage re... trucksanddolls $10.00
Candy Cane Christmas Do... craftymamacrea... $25.00	red white striped baby ... optic $42.50	NEW Merry the Christmas... blackbirdfashi... $26.00	2 to 4 years Childs Sco... BallOfYarnToo $20.00

Generated using Treasury HTML code generator by Whale Shark Websites.

Blood, sweat, tears and...

2010-11-12T12:48:00.001-08:00

skin in every bag?

Yeah, it's gross but I seem to have a habit of burning myself badly on the iron. I burned the top of my hand today and it bubbled and blistered within an hour. My new battle wound is just a few inches away from this summer's burn scar on my wrist.Crafty Papa says I need to start wearing protective gear when I sew.

In other news, it just occurred to me this week that I actually need to make the handmade gifts I'm giving this holiday season. Funny how that works. I made this funky Christmas wreath today for a gift. It might be too funky for the recipient since I added a few feathers but I just couldn't help myself.

I wish my front door wasn't so ugly so I could hang a huge, funky wreath. Unfortunately, it would just draw attention to weathered paint and splintered wood.

Recipes please!

2010-11-08T10:19:00.000-08:00

This weekend we went out of town to visit family and steal their home-grown produce.

My Grandma has three apple trees with tons and tons of fruit and a sad little pear tree that isn't producing much. We picked as many apples as we could carry which ended up being almost 20 pounds! Crafty Papa kept telling me to stop and that I was taking more than we can eat so now I have to prove him wrong. Maybe he thinks apples spoil quickly?

So now I'm on the hunt for some yummy apple recipes. Bonus points if it's low calorie and triple points if it uses pomegranates too. Why? Because we also took 8 huge pomegranates from my in laws.
Any tips for getting the seeds out without splattering red juice all over my tiny kitchen?

I'm determined to get my Grandma's pear tree producing so we're going to do some online research about pruning, pests, etc. And don't feel bad for my family, we have our own garden so we can trade with them. We've harvested an entire dozen pinto beans that we accidentally planted so we can give my Grandma and inlaws three each. If they save their beans, they may end up with a whole serving in a year!

Friday Freebie

2010-11-05T09:12:00.001-07:00

Who doesn't love free stuff?!

All orders placed in my shop by midnight tonight will receive a free mini zippy wallet!

Mini zipper wallets area a new product I'm offering. Great for times when you don't want to carry your purse and the perfect size for children too. Buy them as stocking stuffers or give them with gift cards tucked inside at Christmas (that's what I'm doing for my niece).

The main pocket is closed with a zipper and intended to hold cash and change. The front pocket is secured with a snap and holds your drivers license and other cards. You can find more details here.

I'll be listing lots more of these today but please note that I cannot take any fabric requests for the freebie. Happy shopping!

Babies

2010-11-02T09:41:00.000-07:00

I am so loving making all of these dolls.

The possibilities are endless...pink hair, little buns, piggies sticking up, piggies hanging down, striped legs, polka dot dress...I could go on and on. I have a stack of dolls all cut out and waiting to be sewn this week. There's one little lady with bright teal wool felt hair - the color is called "peacock". Meow!

Call me crazy but I think these little babies have so much personality. Lately, I've been stuffing them at night while watching tv and then Crafty Papa and I end up with a row of leg-less, naked flannel babies on the couch with us. The other night I said to him, "Look at them all sitting there. Don't they all look so different, like they have their own personalities?". I was surprised when he agreed. Maybe we're both a little kooky?

For Christmas, each of my girls is getting a doll that looks like them and an embellished tshirt to match their baby. Handmade. One of a kind. Made with love by mama. I do take custom orders so feel free to email me if you'd like to order something similar for your little lady.

After my next batch of baby ladies is finished, I'm going to work on some little boy dolls and some kitties! I'm doing an event next month and hope to sell a bunch of these sweeties so if you have your eye on one, don't wait to buy it. Check back soon!

Happy Halloween!

2010-11-01T07:31:00.000-07:00

Hope everyone had a happy and safe Halloween!

Super Girl and Cat Woman were royal turds for most of the day, but then they put on their costumes and looked too cute to be naughty (almost).

Check my shop later today for new dolls. Super cute new dolls. Think Christmas with candy cane striped legs and fire engine red hair.

Fall Sale

2010-10-27T10:44:00.001-07:00

How dare she!

2010-10-26T14:17:00.001-07:00

Since I have new business cards and hang tags (to match my cute new banner), I was letting the girls use some of my old cards. I swear, it doesn't matter what it is, if it belongs to me or is in my trash can, the girls must have it.

Anyway, look what my little competitor had the nerve to do!

She scratched out "Mama"and wrote "Bella", scribbled out my tag line on the bottom, and drew in a little birdie because apparently, the card was too plain for her taste.

Totally unrelated, I'm really loving yellow right now. I'm wearing this bright yellow cardigan today

with this super ruffly tank

It's one of my favorite outfits (lucky I have it in gray too!). It feels so happy and feminine. This bag I just listed this morning would go perfectly with it but I'm exercising self restraint...for a few days. I may have to make it mine if it's not gone by the end of the week.

Two prints or not two prints, that is the question

2010-10-25T09:05:00.000-07:00

I'm getting ready to order some new fabrics and I'm leaning toward bold prints with coordinating solids rather than the two pattern bags that I usually make.

So, what do you prefer?

Bold print with a solid coordinate?
(How fabulous is this bag?  I just listed it last night despite really wanting to keep it for myself.  I'm really loving the big solid colored ruffle - thus, today's question.)

Two prints?

Or a print with a pseudo-solid like these stripes?

Competition

2010-10-21T20:27:00.001-07:00

I'm not the only crafter in the family.

Bella is obsessed with crafts of any kind. Many days, she comes home from school and works on crafts until bed time. Our dining table is constantly covered with markers, bits of paper, and yards of ribbon. It sometimes drives me crazy but her teacher says she's a gifted artist so I'll go along with it.

This week's big project was Butterfly Girls Spy Club necklaces. All I know is that I gave her a box of my old scrapbooking ribbon and two hours later, she had made little paper tags for a bunch of her friends and was giving me instructions on how to attach them to ribbon to turn them into necklaces. She was totally irritated with me for not finishing them before she went to bed and every time I walked by her room, she would ask me if they were finished yet.

Sadly, my work did not live up to her standards and we're now remaking all of the necklaces. Working for someone so much like myself isn't really going well.

Wee Wonderfuls

2010-10-19T12:48:00.000-07:00

Is this not the cutest doll ever?!

I made her using a pattern in the Wee Wonderfuls book. I've never really purchased crafting books but after some recommendations from a friend (and an Amazon birthday gift card!), I've been on a mini book-buying streak.
The book is really, really good with lots of fabulous projects and great pictures and directions to go along with them. I think there's a great range of projects for the less skilled to expert seamstress. I've found that the author is a big fan of hand stitching. I am not. I don't have the skill or the patience and for something like the cute little doll above, I really prefer a durable machine stitch for the really important parts like attaching her arms and legs.

I also made this tiny mermaid doll. She definitely needs some work (deciding where to machine stitch rather than hand stitch) but Matea loves her and has been swimming her around the house all morning.
The pigtail cutie at the top of the post is available in my shop. Just click on her picture and she'll take you to the listing.

New

2010-10-14T10:10:00.000-07:00

I was in the mood to sew yesterday but wanted to do something different. I had stumbled upon some old baby pictures of Matea in the morning and I think they induced some very temporary baby fever.

So, instead of bags, I decided to work on some baby gift sets. I wanted to do something more fun than the usual single fabric so I made patchwork bibs that I free motion quilted.

I LOVE how they turned out! The patchwork definitely took longer but I think the end result is worth it. Imagine giving one of these sets to a pregnant coworker or friend. They get a beautiful handmade item for their baby and have no idea you only spent $15!

I definitely see more of these in my shop soon. I already have piles of scraps sorted and new bibs pieced that just need quilting.

On a different note, Friday, October 15th is the last day to order trick or treat bags for this Halloween. And if you've already placed an order with me, I'm finishing up your bag this week and it will ship no later than Monday, October 18th. Thanks!

Pumpkin Spice Latte

2010-10-11T08:50:00.001-07:00

I think it sounds horrible as a drink...

but fabulous as an outfit.

Inspired by

2010-10-06T18:34:00.001-07:00

You don't have to be a fashionista to know that ruffles are EVERYWHERE this season. Tops, bags, shoes, jewelry...ruffles are definitely the latest trend.

I was recently lucky enough to get some generous birthday gifts (money:) ) and I spent almost all of it on new clothes. Our weather is really mild here at the beach, mostly 60-80 degrees year round, so lightweight layering pieces are key.

I bought several bright cardigans and these ruffle tank tops from Old Navy in four different colors.

I think they're feminine and sweet without being Victorian or too young looking. Crafty Papa did mention the Seinfeld puffy shirt episode but I quickly shot him the death stare and said, "Really? Are you really comparing my tank top with four ruffles to THE puffy shirt?!".

The ruffle tank tops definitely inspired today's bag. I think the end result is great and I hope you do too. The brown is a super soft upholstery weight fabric with lots of texture. Perfect for fall.

Trick or Treat Bags

2010-10-04T10:53:00.001-07:00

Have you ordered yours yet?
Shop here.

Bunch o Random

2010-09-22T17:20:00.000-07:00

There's just no way to tie together the topics in this post so I won't even try.

1. I got a new necklace from Rachel at Moonlight Doodles and it's fabulous! I got to design it myself which was really fun. Hammer that! Dome the flower! I'm great at giving out orders.

It's a longer length chain which I really like and it's a lighter weight than my other stamped necklace from Rachel. This one has more of a charm necklace, casual feel to it and just like a little girl, I like the way it clinks together when I move. Really, it's like I'm 6 years old.

I know I've said it before, but you really should visit her shop. She's great to work with and has really high quality standards. And because Rachel thinks I'm so awesome (she didn't say it, but I know that's how she feels), she's offering my blog readers 10% off through September 30th. Just mention to her that you saw this offer on my blog (and tell her how awesome I am).

2. I'm growing my hair out a little and sometimes, it's just too crazy to tame. It was extra crazy this morning so I borrowed the rolled rose idea from my new bags and made a headband. I may looked pissed, but I really do like it. People will notice the beautiful rose and not my shaggy hair, right?

3. You need to buy the Pillsbury Best of the Bake Off Cookbook. It's by far my favorite cookbook and has the most realistic and manageable recipes. I flipped through it today looking for something fall-ish to make for a cake walk at Bella's school on Friday and I decided on the Apple Crunch Coffee Cake. Like any good baker, I had to do a test run today. Isn't it extra yummy looking?
I'll let you know how it tastes after I eat half of it tonight.

Classic and Chic

2010-09-14T15:19:00.000-07:00

Not what you usually see from Crafty Mama Creations?

I definitely tend to go for a more funky look with bold color and lots of pattern. But I know some people like a more sophisticated and classic look and thus, this new design was born.

And I like it a whole lot more than I even expected I would. Yes, it's classic, but I think the roses add a bit of funkiness.

A few things that are different than my usual listings...
-This won't be a one of a kind item, I'll be making a limited number.
-It's customizable, customer can choose rose color from 5 options.
-Because it's a custom item, it won't ship as quickly since I'll actually need time to sew it. I've indicated a 2 week turnaround time in the listing.

The bag and zippered wristlet are available separately and I'll also be creating a listing to purchase them together and save money. Also, look for listings soon in brown damask with the same flower color options.

I really, really love these new items and hope you do too. I'd love to hear your feedback!

New

2010-09-10T15:38:00.000-07:00

Zippered hip bag featuring a handy front pocket.

Rolled fabric roses. You'll have to keep checking in to see how I use them:)

Sample Sale

2010-09-09T13:38:00.001-07:00

The trick or treat bags I used as samples for my listings are now for sale in my shop for only $10 each!

I think they'd be great for holding candy at your desk to share with coworkers. Or maybe an inexpensive something special for your child's teacher or a favorite friend.

I've also added a few new bags to the sale section. And remember, everything in the sale section is currently 25% off. There are some really, really great deals to be had so it's a perfect time for early Christmas shopping or a special treat for yourself:)

Meadowsweet 2

2010-09-07T11:40:00.000-07:00

Have you seen Sandi Henderson's Meadowsweet2 collection?

I'm really itching to get it. But I currently have way too much fabric and can't justify breaking my budget. I mean, feed my family vs. indulge my fabric addiction...should be an easy decision, right? But honestly, every time I see a picture of the new color scheme, my heart says it belongs on a quilt in my living room.

For now, I've been using up every last piece of the original Meadowsweet that I have in my stash. The colors are perfect for transitioning to fall. Here are some of my new Meadowsweet listings...

What's your favorite new fabric collection right now? If I decide to let my family eat Saltines for dinner all week in favor of buying fabric, I really want to go all out and get all of the fabulous new stuff.

Once a Month Freezer Cooking

2010-08-31T16:10:00.001-07:00

It's my new obsession.

Does anyone out there do it?

Realistically, I know I can't do a month at a time. While we do have a spare fridge/freezer in the garage, the freezer really isn't that big and my kitchen is the tiniest ever. Do you ever see those kitchens on "House Hunters International" where it looks like you can just spin in a circle and touch the entire kitchen? That's mine. It's a galley kitchen where the fridge door almost touches the opposite counter when it's open. Anyway, that's my excuse for not doing a full month. Oh wait! And I don't have a dish washer. Even better excuse!

So, I'm hoping to do my first batch of cooking this weekend but first I need to get another casserole dish or two (mine randomly exploded in the oven months ago). And next time I'm at my Grandma's I need to ask her for her crockpot. Mine is too small and hers has been sitting in her kitchen looking brand new for about 5 years.

Here's what's on the menu...7 meals, two batches of each, frozen separately so we don't have to eat them right in a row...

marinated flank steak
veggie and cheese stuff pasta shells
lime chicken
chicken parmigiana
chicken enchiladas
chicken tortilla soup
beef stir fry

I'd love to hear recipe recommendations and any tips for freezing.

My new dining chairs....

2010-08-28T11:27:00.000-07:00

make a great background for photos.

They're bright. And very blue.

And I love them.

I've only finished two of the four but will share pics of the whole set as soon as I'm finished.

Clearance Sale

2010-08-27T13:21:00.000-07:00

Take an additional 25% off all items in my sale section (new items just added).

Confirm purchase through Etsy and I'll promptly email you a modified invoice reflecting the discount. Happy shopping!

They're Baa-aaaaaack!

2010-08-26T13:53:00.000-07:00

Personalized Trick or Treat Bags.

One of my biggest sellers ever.

They're back in my shop this year in cuter (is that a word?) than ever fabrics. I love the retro kitties but the spider webs are so cute too. And I think any of the fabrics would work well for a girl or boy which is always a bonus.

Life has been extra busy here lately with Bella returning to school, household projects (I'm painting my dining chairs turquoise!), and extra hours for my work at home job. Things should be settling down in the next week or two and I'll be listing more regularly. I'm working on some more ideas for personalized items since I finally got my embroidery machine working again.

Hope to be back soon with more new products to share!

Coming Soon

2010-08-12T10:15:00.001-07:00

Maybe?

Feather Headbands

2010-08-06T13:45:00.000-07:00

Bella and I have been obsessed with feather headbands for a few weeks. We've spent hours sitting together looking at feather creations on Etsy. I love something like this...

Bella loves something like this (I'm not exaggerating either, this is her favorite)...

She's been begging me to buy her one but since I'm cheap, I thought we'd make them ourselves. We got a bunch of different feathers at Beverly's (our local craft store), some black felt, and headbands from Walmart. We watched a few youtube tutorials together, heated the glue gun and got to work. Here are our creations...
We're both really happy with how they came out. We're keeping the ones we're wearing and the others are going to be gifts. Now we're on the hunt for different kinds of feathers and of course, outfits to coordinate with each of the headbands:)

(Actually, I'm wearing one tomorrow for my in-laws' anniversary luau. I know peacock fathers don't really fit the Hawaiian theme but a feather headband is the perfect accessory for my otherwise boring outfit.)

New Zippered Pouches

2010-07-31T15:54:00.000-07:00

Features:
-Rounded top..which I love! I think it makes a plain pouch a lot more sweet and feminine.
-Zipper closure
-Shabby frayed edge flower accent

Only $12 in my shop. And my Christmas in July sale is good through the end of the day so you'll get free shipping AND 10% off.

I'm enjoying a quiet weekend at home with my family. We have lots of cleaning, organizing, and household projects to do but instead I'm sewing like crazy and Crafty Papa's working on a wiring harness (whatever that is!). I'm hoping to list a few more of these new pouches during the weekend and really want to take advantage of Jona's big Fabritopia sale...but I'll have to check my bank account first:)

Coraline Gourd

2010-07-25T19:02:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was Matea's 4th birthday and Crafty Papa and I gave her this amazing Coraline gourd painted by Lena.

Doesn't it look exactly like Coraline?

Matea was so excited.  "Coraline" is her favorite movie and I caught her hanging on the couch with Coraline watching tv.  She wanted to sleep with her too but I convinced her that might get uncomfortable.

I can't tell you how detailed and truly amazing Lena's work is in person.  You can check out her gourds in her Etsy shop here.  I've given them as gifts to my mom, mother-in-law and now Matea and they've always been a hit.

Handmade Gifts

2010-07-20T08:45:00.000-07:00

I love them.

I do not love when the recipient responds to my handmade gift the same way he/she would respond to a clearance Walmart item. Crafters, I know you know what I'm talking about.

I treasure my handmade gifts. I'm giving Matea the most amazing handmade gift for her birthday this weekend and can't wait to share it here. Unfortunately, I didn't make it, Lena did, so I don't get to bask in the glory of its awesomeness.

Bella went to a birthday party this weekend for Lena's daughter, Hannah. Hannah was Bella's first ever BFF when they were only 2 1/2 years old. I wanted to make something for the birthday girl but my skills are not nearly as interesting as Lena's. I settled on a personalized fabric banner for her room because what girl doesn't like to see their name everywhere like they're princess-level important? (Wait, are all girls like that or just Bella?)
Lena did an excellent job of faux-gushing over it and talking about how special it was. I know it's more my taste than hers but I think the birthday girl liked it. This was handmade gift giving gone right. Doesn't it suck when it goes wrong?

Christmas in July Sale

2010-07-16T15:19:00.000-07:00

***CHRISTMAS IN JULY SALE!***
-Free Shipping
-Take 10% off all items

Just make your purchase and wait for a revised invoice from me that reflects the discounts. Discounts good through the end of July. Happy Shopping!

Also, I'm currently accepting customer orders so feel free to contact me for details. Have a look through the sold items in my shop for some great ideas.

Poppy

2010-07-15T11:19:00.000-07:00

LOVE this collection from Laura Gunn and I don't think it's what I usually gravitate toward.

This fabric is GORGEOUS in person. Really, one of the most vibrant fabric collections I've ever seen. I think I may need to buy some more and maybe get the fall-ish color scheme. (Yeah, because did I mention I'm already looking forward to fall and the start of school? Ok, I'll mention it again.)

And I really like the size and shape of this bag. It's definitely big enough for carrying some mama essentials...snacks, little toys, spare undies (for the kid, not me)...but doesn't look like the typical boxy mommy tote.

You can see all of the specs and details in the listing in my shop and also check out the bargain listings in the sale section.

Dumpster Divers

2010-07-14T15:37:00.000-07:00

Am I the only crafter who has a problem with my children constantly digging through my sewing studio trash? I was just telling friends that at least once a day, I walk by my sewing area and it looks like raccoons have been in my trash can.

The girls have an amazing craft supply stash with lots of fun stuff. There's no reason at all for them to be hunting for treasure in my trash. Crafty Papa says I need to put my trash in the kitchen trash can. Say what? I'm supposed to walk through our weird maze-of-a-house to throw away every stray thread and teeny tiny scrap of fabric? I don't think so.

Remind me again when school starts? I was really looking forward to this summer but the reality hasn't been quite as fun as the dream. We've been busy every single freaking weekend with one event or another to attend. The girls are at each other's throats and I'm still trying to figure out how to balance working from home with my stay at home mom duties. The girls are watching more tv these days than I would like but I believe that may be what's keeping us all from killing each other. They start swim lessons next week and I could almost pee myself thinking about having 45 minutes straight without having to tend to children.

I'm missing sewing for Crafty Mama Creations and really wish I could list more frequently (and actually sell something now and then!). I'm currently working 15ish hours a week sewing for my employer and a lady can only sit at her sewing machine for so long, you know?

Free Motion Quilting

2010-07-11T16:34:00.000-07:00

I think I could become addicted to it.

Not sewing in a straight line or aiming for perfection is just perfect for me.

My new friend, Rachel came over a few weeks ago to ask a few questions about free motion quilting.  Apparently, some incredibly crappy stippling on three quilts and a few quilted bags makes me an expert.  Now I can't stop thinking about free motion quilting ideas.  My Pfaff machine was made for this kind of thing.  I'm aiming to do a lot of handmade gifts this Christmas and am on the hunt for any great free motion quilting projects.  Any suggestions?

Tie Dye Fun

2010-07-08T16:16:00.000-07:00

For some reason, I love tie dying. And I love tie dye shirts. Is it acceptable for a grown woman to wear one in public? Seriously. Is it? I'm not talking bright rainbow with a peace sign in the middle. Something far more understated...tie dye chic.

Anyway, I've been dying to tie dye all summer. Haha! Dying to tie dye. The girls have been far less interested than I am so I finally had to get serious this morning about talking it up, showing them lots of pictures on the internet.

I decided to go with Rit Dye rather than a tie dye kit because I'm cheap. Unfortunately, my Walmart had fairly limited color choices so we got pink, yellow, and blue and combined colors to make purple and green (purple totally didn't work out for us and the green is kind of murky).

Crafty Papa came home in the middle of the process and I was so excited for him to see how organized I was. Usually, I jump into a project like this and am totally bummed out later when half my house and clothing are ruined. I actually planned today's project and even said to Pops, "Aren't you so proud of me? Look! I'm wearing gloves and put down a trash back to protect the concrete! And I have on an apron! Do you see me?!". Apparently he wasn't nearly as impressed with me as I was.

Anyway, here are our finished shirts. I made one more for myself but because I washed it in warm water (per Rit's instructions), it's now practically a midrift. Damn my father and his tall genes! I'll save it to wear to bed. Nothing says sexy time like gray yoga pants that are too big and a too small tie dye tshirt.
In other news, I'm moderating comments now. There's only one way to say it...I'm a dumb shit. I honestly didn't realize those Chinese comments were links to Asian porn sites! I kept clicking on the commenter's name and would be taken to an empty but legitamate blog. After researching (and freaking clicking!), I found out that clicking on the "........." in the comment takes you to a porn site. That's great. Nothing goes with crafting more than Asian porn (or any kind of porn for that matter). I'm trying to see how many times I can say "porn" in this post. I think I'm done now. Anyhow, apparently it's a widespread issue on Blogger and they're not doing anything about it so I had to resort to moderating.

Lastly, I finally listed a new bag in my shop! It's bright and cheery and gorgeous, if I do say so myself. Also, be sure to check out the sale section for new additions.

Should I?

2010-07-05T18:29:00.000-07:00

I own an insane amount of scrapbooking stuff. Especially for someone who hasn't scrapbooked in a year and a half. I keep going back and forth on giving up traditional scrapbooking and switching to digital. I think digital makes more sense for me. In the long run, it's definitely cheaper and a major bonus is that it takes up far less space. Our house is less than 1000 sq ft and even though we have a garage with lots of storage, I realize I have way more crafting stuff than is reasonable. I just can't seem to part with it though.

Even though I can't find the motivation to scrapbook photos anymore, I still really like making cards. When I redid my sewing space a few months ago, I lost my scrapbooking space in the garage and now all of my supplies are just shoved into boxes. I hauled out some of my junk today and made a few cards that I really like. And a huge mess that I hated cleaning up.

Any digital scrapbookers out there with feedback or opinions on making the switch? I know I'd like to keep some minimal supplies for making cards and definitely my Cricut. What are the best digital shops and how do you organize your computer files? And mostly importantly, Shanna, will you still be my friend if I convert? :)

Are you as skilled as an 11 year old?

2010-07-02T15:26:00.000-07:00

Because FYI, I am.

I easily completed my pattern for tweens (I don't know why I italicized "easily"). Apparently, being three times as old as the target age range is helpful.

I actually really like this pattern and will definitely use it again. I did two separate fabrics for the top and bottom. Maybe because I thought that was more fun. Maybe because I'm cheap and only wanted to use fabric from my stash and I didn't have enough of either fabric. I guess you'll never know. And I did the fabric casing on the outside instead of the inside like the pattern called for. I was inspired by the dress I got for Bella from Blue Corduroy and you know I like to cram as much pattern as possible into one outfit. Definitely more of these in Bella's future and I might try to draft a pattern for myself since I like the style so much.

I'm having a girls night with my babies tonight because Crafty Papa has to be out of town for a family emergency-ish (on his 33rd birthday-poor Papa). Wanna know a secret? I'm very much not in need of a girls night with my babies. I have been with them every waking minute for way too many days in a row. So much fighting, whining, and screaming. We're working on putting pavers in the backyard so the girls can play there while I work inside and that project can't be completed soon enough. I wanted to sew after they go to bed tonight but I think I'll just sit alone in my livingroom and watch a movie without having to tune out Bella's high pitched singing and Matea's shrieking.

Handmade Father's Day

2010-06-24T08:43:00.001-07:00

We unintentionally had a handmade Father's Day this year. For months, Steve had been asking for a peg person of The Stig. Anyone else know who The Stig is? I ordered from a local friend, Lena, who painted our peg family a few years ago. I was completely blown away with the finished product. Way more detailed than I was expecting and so three dimensional looking.

Here's a comparison of the "real" Stig to the wooden version...

Pretty impressive, huh? Now he lives with the rest of the family on our china cabinet. Not really where I thought he'd make his home. Kind of a weird little group here.

Then I also went to Rachel of Moonlight Doodles to order a custom keychain. It says "Papa" in the middle (that's what the girls call Steve) and "loved by Bella & Matea" around the edge. Rachel literally lives just two streets up from me so you can't beat the convenience of this one of a kind gift!

You may have noticed that I haven't listed anything new in my shop for a while. I've been working from home part-time for a few months now and just recently had the opportunity to increase my hours. While I'd love to keep sewing for Crafty Mama Creations' shop, Etsy sales are low and my other job is a guaranteed income. I may list something once in a while but I'm really taking the pressure off of myself to list regularly and I'm going to actually use some of my beautiful fabric stash on projects for my own family.

I picked up these patterns yesterday to make some things for Bella. They say "Learn to sew: Pattern & Instructions ideal for tweens". I'm almost 32 so these should work for me, right? Let the record reflect that if you never see finished projects posted for these patterns, it's because I failed miserably and don't want you to know I am less skilled than a 12 year old.

Why?

2010-06-19T09:40:00.000-07:00

Why all the Chinese comments all of the sudden? About a month ago, I randomly started getting comments in Chinese on several posts. I have the word verification feature set up for comments so it can't be spammers, right? Any ideas?

SALE

2010-06-16T18:08:00.001-07:00

Zippers!

2010-06-14T14:38:00.000-07:00

Two bags this weekend with zipper closures!
And to think, just a short time ago, I thought zippers were only for the skilled seamstress. I'm about as unskilled as you can get!

I've had that black Michael Miller fabric forever. After my trip to Ikea and organizing my stash, I realized I have yard after yard of brown fabric and hardly any black. I'm thinking I'll definitely have to include some black damask in my next fabric order.

I love the bright orange and turquoise on the second bag and just might have to keep it for myself. I really like the size of that bag style and how feminine the shape is.

Today marks day one of our summer vacation. I took the girls to the park this morning and got them to clean their room so I think I'll mark today as a success. I'm kind of anti-social and have a tendency to hang out a lot at home but I know the girls will gouge each other's eyes out if we don't get out of the house this summer. Drive-in tonight to see "Shrek", strawberry picking tomorrow, free movie on Wednesday, and working on a garden on Thursday...that should be enough activity for the whole summer, right?

Local Ladies

2010-06-11T16:19:00.000-07:00

Today, my big girl graduated from kindergarten.

I don't think Bella's ever looked more grown up and beautiful.

It's like she aged over night. And I cried about it on the way to buy her cinnamon rolls this morning. I feel like she was just a newborn and tomorrow I'm going to wake up and be sending her off to college and wonder where the time went. I love seeing my girls grow up and am so happy I get to spend so much time with them as a work at home mom, but it just feels like time is moving way too quickly.

Bella definitely had a special day today with lots of attention and surprises (Grandma, Great-Grandma, and Auntie Devin surprised her at graduation!). Two of her most special gifts were some items made by local moms.

The cheery dress came from Emily at Blue Corduroy. She makes dresses using a combination of vintage sheets and new fabrics. This dress was absolutely perfect for Bella's personality and so well made. I love it!

And here's the adorable necklace I mentioned in a recent post.

Bella was so happy to have her own personalized necklace. Even though it's "grown up jewelry", it still looks dainty and sweet on her little 6 year old body. I love working with Rachel at Moonlight Doodles and can't say enough about how nice she is.

I hope your summer has gotten off to a great start. I'm looking forward to a relaxing weekend with lots of sewing and maybe a trip or two to the beach.

New Style

2010-06-08T12:59:00.000-07:00

Most important bit of info....zipper closure.

I used the Pretty Pinafore pattern from U-handbag.

I really like the end result but found the pattern a little hard to follow. I think I'm use to pdf patterns that treat me like I'm 6 years old and sewing my first item. I like that. I think I need that.

This pattern definitely assumes some sewing knowledge. Knowledge that I don't have. But I was mostly hoping to learn a few new skills and I did (like the super easy zipper!). So, I think I'll modify a few things and definitely use the pattern again. It's listed in my shop for $45:)

Just Because It Makes Me Laugh

2010-06-07T14:17:00.000-07:00

It's like she's a 15 year old sad Emo kid with jet black hair who thinks her parents are stupid and is bored by everything.

Except she's really an almost four year old brown eyed cutie modeling a sweet little apron for her mama who she really, really loves.

Sew Mama Sew-New Winner

2010-06-07T12:01:00.000-07:00

Well, I never heard from Carol so I used random.org to choose a new winner this morning. The new winner of the Katie Bag is...

audrey said...

The favorite thing I've ever made was my pinwheel quilt. Great giveaway!

May 17, 2010 10:34 AM

Audrey, please email me you address by Wednesday or I'll pick yet another winner. You can find my email address over there -----> in the side bar.

Paso Robles Baby and Childrens Fair

2010-06-05T17:57:00.000-07:00

Today was my first time doing this event. I did the San Luis Obispo Birth and Baby Fair two years ago and was fairly successful so at the last minute (just a week and a half ago) I decided to give this event a try. Not as successful.

It wasn't a total bust but I noticed a few things. First, for a baby and children specific event, there really weren't very many babies and kids there. Also, very few activities for kids even though it was promoted as a very kid-oriented event. Traffic was super light all day, maybe because it was 100 freakin degrees. I had anticipated feeling near death for most of the day but really, only the last hour was sweltering.

So, at the end of the day, I hadn't sold one bag. Not one! I sold lots of toddler aprons (thanks for the fabulous pattern, Jona!), some hair clips, and all of the dolls. I got so many compliments on my bags and lots of "almost" purchases but no takers. It was kind of weird. But, that means I have 5 or 6 new bags to list in my shop tomorrow (look closely at the pictures and you might spot a few of them).

I also successfully did a trade with a local mom and ordered Bella a beautiful necklace for her kindergarten graduation gift next week. Rachel is super nice, great to work with, and has fabulous big, curly, red hair. Bella's getting a necklace with a circle charm, her name and a tiara stamped on it, and a pink crystal. She'll love it! You should definitely check out Rachel's shop, she has some really cute stuff.

Be sure to check my shop later tonight or tomorrow for new items. Now that today's event is behind me, I'll be back to listing more regularly and looking for the next event that may be a good fit for Crafty Mama.

Hey Carol!

2010-06-03T07:46:00.000-07:00

You won the Sew Mama Sew Giveaway but I still haven't gotten an email from you with your shipping address. Please email me by the end of the weekend or I'll be picking a new winner. Thanks!

15 minute altered t-shirt

2010-06-01T10:00:00.000-07:00

I saw Anthropologie linked on three different blogs this week (literally). Believe it or not, I had never looked at the site and have never been to the store so I didn't get what all the fuss is about. Then, I got sucked into all of the ruffles, pleats, flowers and other feminine details and started planning my dream wardrobe.

So, on Sunday morning, before meeting friends for breaky, I did a 15 minute Anthro-inspired ruffle alteration.

Started with a nice Lands End tshirt that I never wear even though I like the color a lot. I cut a 1 1/2" wide strip of fabric and serged the edges, ruffled it up and then just sewed onto the tshirt with the strips getting shorter in length as I worked my way down. Here's a close up...

I really like the way it turned out and plan to alter a few more shirts. I think it looks a lot more special than a plain ole tshirt (like I'm wearing today) but not hokey handmade. There's a fine line, you know.

This week is super duper crazy at Crafty Mama Creations. I'm busy preparing for a Baby and Children's Fair this Saturday in addition to my regular sewing for my part-time job. Of course, I also have to make sure everyone has clean underwear and at least gets Lucky Charms or something similar for dinner (that's for you Beth H.!). I've been whipping up lots of new inventory and will share pics later this week. Of course, anything that doesn't sell on Saturday will be added to the shop by Sunday so definitely check in this weekend.

Major Makeover

2010-05-25T11:36:00.000-07:00

Now that I'm sewing as my part-time job, Crafty Papa and I agreed that my sewing space could use a big makeover. I had been storing all of my fabric in a dresser...and the dresser ended up looking like my kids' drawers with stuff thrown all over. Big disaster. My sewing desk was actually a display fixture from one of the local outlet clothing stores that closed a few years ago. Great for storage but not so great for actually working at. It was counter top height so I had to sit on a stool and sew which wasn't great for my back. Geez, that makes me feel old.

So, here's the sorta before (after I had cleaned off the table)...

And here's the after...

We went to Ikea this weekend and got new sewing tables, a drawer unit, a new desk chair, and the cubbies.

Isn't it fabulous?! So much more functional than my old setup. I love how the fabric looks all stacked up nice and pretty and now instead of facing the wall, I can look out the window while I sew.
There are still a few improvements left including planting something pretty on that ugly fence outside and getting a few baskets or bins for the ugly fabric in the bottom of the cubbies. I realized I have a bunch of bulky fabric like flannel and upholstery weights that I either need to use or part with because it's not easy to store. I see lots of flannel pj pants for the girls in my future:)

In other makeover news, I accidentally died my hair black last night. For realz. I have no idea what happened! I color my hair regularly at home and have never had a problem. I don't think it looks bad, in fact, Crafty Pops LOVES it, but it wasn't what I was expecting. I get my hair cut later this week and something tells me my hair lady won't be expecting me to have black hair either!

We Have a Winner!

2010-05-20T19:26:00.000-07:00

The winner of the Katie Bag for Sew Mama Sew's May Giveaway Day is....Carol!

Carol said...

Love those colors! I made a pouch sling for my little one.

May 17, 2010 1:35 PM

Carol, email your address to me at craftymamacreations@gmail.com and I'll get your new bag out to you. Congratulations!

Favorites

2010-05-18T18:18:00.000-07:00

I'm blown away by all of the entries on my Sew Mama Sew Giveaway post! Thank you so much to everyone who has stopped by to visit my blog.

I've been doing lots of sewing this week. I've always made one bag at a time but I'm shifting toward a little more production line style, making two or three at a time. I'm still making only one of a kind bags, but cutting and ironing a few at a time, sewing, ironing again, etc. seems to save a little time. Crafty Papa is working late tonight and the girls seem to have excess energy but I was able to finish two bags this afternoon.Shabby Ruffle Bag, Laura Gunn Poppy (click the pic for the listing)

The Katie Bag, Sandi Henderson Meadowsweet (click the pic for the listing)

I really, really love both of them. I think Sandi Henderson's Meadowsweet Collection just may be one of my favorites of all time. And did you see she's coming out with an updated color scheme?! I can't wait for that to hit stores! (you listening Jona?!)

Sunday was my last day at Carters and surprisingly, I was a lot more sad about it than I thought I would be. I actually got a little teary as I said goodbye to everyone. Working out of the home part-time was really my only adult interaction so I'm going to have to be much better about forcing myself to get out with girlfriends now. I'm really excited about having more time with Crafty Papa and may even be able to talk him into going on a date with me once in a while (he's even more neurotic about leaving the girls than I am!).

Mostly though, it will be really nice to have weekends back to do things as a family. To celebrate, we're hitting three of our favorite spots this weekend...Ikea, PF Changs, and Disneyland! The girls don't know we're going to Disneyland and keeping the secret is killing me. They know we're going to Ikea but then we're just going to drive over to Disneyland and let them figure out the surprise for themselves. I can't wait to see their reaction!

Giveaway Day!

2010-05-16T23:15:00.000-07:00

Monday is giveaway day on the Sew Mama Sew Blog and for the first time, I'm participating!

I'll be giving away this Katie Bag to one lucky winner.

To enter, please leave a comment on this post telling me your favorite thing you've ever made (could be sewn, baked, painted, etc.). I'll randomly pick a winner and announce the lucky entry on my blog on Friday, May 21st.

Visit the Sew Mama Sew Blog to see a looooong list of other blogs participating in give away day and be sure to spread the word about my giveaway.

Sorry, only entries within the U.S. please:)

New Nicey Jane Clutches

2010-05-13T15:55:00.000-07:00

All cut, ironed, and awaiting zippers. 

All of the zippers I have are an inch too short.  I wish I could remember what I bought them for or why I didn't design the clutches to work with them.  Question...should I do wrist straps on these or not?

Random Fact:  I eat popcorn almost every day.  Literally.  At least 5 out of seven days a week.   When I make my weekly grocery list, I have all of the usual staples like milk, bread, juice, apples and then randomly, popcorn.
There are several rules for popcorn in our house.  Must be air popped, only real butter, and light on the salt.  Crafty Papa seems to be unable to follow these rules so he's on popcorn making probation.  Acceptable additions to the bowl are cinnamon sugar, m&m's, and chocolate chips.

Necklace to Match the Bag

2010-05-11T09:49:00.001-07:00

Now I'm off to work on some sewing while I watch "Freaks and Geeks" on our old desk top computer. I don't remember watching the series when it was on tv but apparently I did because it's all vaguely familiar. And very, very funny.

2010-05-10T15:34:00.000-07:00

After working all day Saturday, I came home to a big box of fabric that I had ordered online earlier in the week. Getting new fabric is one of my favorite things but unfortunately, I was wiped out from working all day and had a custom order to finish so all I could do was stare at the stack of fabric and think about everything I wanted to make.

It's been a while since I've made a major fabric purchase and there are some really beautiful new collections out right now. Check out all of the gorgeous colors in this stack!

I busted my booty this morning to get the house cleaned and grocery shop so I could make something with my new fabric this afternoon. Very nice, if I do say so myself!

I was feeling so productive, I hung up a vintage shelf I got at a yard sale last weekend for $2.

It's the perfect spot for a mini Crafty Mama Creations shop so when I have an order to ship, most of my products are right above my fabric dresser, ready to go.

I'm hoping to list one item per day this week so definitely check my shop often!

Happy Mother's Day!

2010-05-08T07:25:00.001-07:00

Happy Mother's Day!Me with my bubbas last year on Mother's Day.

To celebrate mom, take 20% off my entire shop through Sunday, May 9th.

You can either purchase the items(s) and wait for a revised invoice from me or go ahead and pay through payal and I'll refund your discount within 24 hours.

Spring Boutique

2010-05-06T14:58:00.000-07:00

Crafty Mama Creations is quickly getting back to business! I ordered yards and yards of new fabric yesterday and will be part of a spring boutique tomorrow night. My first event in about a year and a half!

It's being hosted by Lindsey of The Pleated Poppy. She'll have several different handmade vendors there including jewelry, hats, fabric bowls, and more. Stop by for some shopping and a nice ladies night out. If nothing else, come see Lindsey's BEAUTIFUL house and meet some new moms. Email me for directions.

I'm frantically finishing up a custom order and preparing for tomorrow's boutique with the very limited inventory I have right now. Only six more shifts left at Carters and then Crafty Mama's gonna kick it into high gear!

The Katie Bag

2010-05-05T19:41:00.000-07:00

Named for my coworker, Katie, who's even kookier than I am. She's one of the best parts of working at Carters and always makes me laugh. She's fun and funny and I'll really miss her once I leave so I named this new bag after her so I'll think about her every time I make one.

The Katie Bag is a simple boxy tote with feminine side ties for added interest and detail. It's a versatile size, great for use as a large purse, small diaper bag, or everyday tote.

Updates Galore

2010-05-04T17:03:00.000-07:00

First, just updated my shop with this sweet little doll.

It's been so long since I've made one, but I had a custom order for a doll and decided to make a second one for my shop. So glad I did because she's super sweet and now I definitely have the itch to make more.

Next update...I'm leaving my job at Carters. As awesome as my boss has been about working with my schedule and respecting the fact that I'm a stay at home mom first, it's just been getting increasingly difficult to feel like I'm being the best mom and wife I can be while working nights and weekends. As the girls get older, they're getting involved in more activities and the school Bella will attend next year has lots more for kids and parents to be involved in than her current school. I was lucky enough to have an opportunity to work from home present itself so I'll have a lot more flexibility with my schedule and not have to completely give up my part-time income.

The change in employment also means that I'll be able to focus on Crafty Mama Creations more and really work on growing my business. I'm open for custom orders now and will be listing new creations a lot more frequently once I'm done at Carters in a few weeks.

I created a Facebook Fan Page for Crafty Mama Creations so be sure to check it out and "like" me. I'm going to stop sending out newsletters for sales, new products, etc. and instead just post updates on Crafty Mama Creations' Facebook page. Once I get 50 "friends", I'll do a fabulous giveaway so be sure to suggest the page to your friends.

I love gnomes

2010-04-28T16:38:00.000-07:00

If I were single, I think I'd decorate my house in gnomes, mushrooms, polka dots, and little birdies. I suppose I could go with that decorating scheme while married but I probably wouldn't be married for long. I think the aqua and red polka dot bedroom makeover pushed Crafty Papa right to his limit.

Last week I decided I needed a new bag and as a treat for myself, I'd actually pick out fabric and a design just for me instead of taking a reject or defect bag. Here's what my heart settled on.

Need a closer look?

I'm guessing about 95% of you are barfing right about now. It definitely takes a "special" person to carry a gnome bag and I think that "special" person is me. I told Crafty Papa I think it says, "I'm just crazy enough that you should probably back off."

I couldn't be happier with it. I think my friend, Lena, is the only other person in the world I can imagine who might like it too but she has a bag with frogs and spiders so there you go. I got the fabric from Jona at Fabritopia and she's recently lowered prices so you should definitely check her out.

Gnomes not your taste? Here's a more "subtle" bag I listed today.

New Necklaces

2010-04-27T11:18:00.000-07:00

I know I'm being redundant, but I really, really love these necklaces. I promise I'll post about something else someday.

I encounter a lot of different types of people at work from all over the world really and get compliments from a wide variety (although strangely, none from a certain locale about two hours away that loves fake nails, rhinestones, platform flip flops and velour jogging suits-I could go on but I'll stop).

I have more to list in my shop later today or tomorrow but I had to try on this one with my outfit just to prove 1. How cute it is. And 2. That I should be keeping it because it matches me perfectly today.

Jona's Apron Pattern

2010-04-24T08:16:00.000-07:00

I believe I've referenced her pattern about a dozen times but never actually reviewed it here or shared the most adorable pictures of Tatey in her apron:) This is Jona's Shop Girl Apron pattern and it's fabulous! I had the privilege of testing the pattern before it was released a few months ago. I was a bit hesitant at first because of the bias tape. Bias tape was my enemy. So much so that I had never even attempted a pattern with bias tape.

But Jona's pattern was seriously easy. In fact, making Matea's apron took just under an hour and a half and that included reading through the pattern for the first time and just getting familiar with things. I thought the pattern was very clear, even for a beginner and Jona's illlustrations are great. She's always helpful about answering questions.

I think the Shopgirl Apron pattern is a must buy for ay seamstress. It's perfect for gifts and can be easily tweaked to personalize it a bit (for instance, I added a shabby ruffle to the top of the pocket on Bella's apron and a shabby flower to the pocket on my boss' apron). Best of all, it's on sale right now for only $4.80. $4.80! Such a steal.

2010-04-24T08:02:00.000-07:00

Wow, has it really been two weeks since I've posted? As you might have guessed, things have been busy. I been working extra hours at Carters and I also picked up a little work from home job doing some sewing for a local seamstress with a successful business making accessories and some items for the home. All this workin' hasn't left a lot of time for blogging or making stuff for myself or shop but I did manage to fit in two handmade gifts.

First, an apron for my boss at Carters. She's picky and our tastes are usually completely opposite. I stressed so much over this. I initially picked out some fabrics from Sandi Herderson's Meadowsweet collection in lime, teal, and orange and then thought that may be too much for her so I scratched that and went with Amy Butler. Her mom got her a teal and orange kitchen rug that matches my initial idea so now she wants to see the other apron too. Go figure!

I couldn't resist adding a shabby flower to the pocket. I know it's more me than my boss but since I made the gift, it's ok for it to be a little me, right?

Next I made this sweet little outfit for Matea's friend, "School Bella". To be completely honest, it was made out of necessity. I had a lot of birthday gifts to get this month and no extra budget so I had to be resourceful and make things when I could. I had a bunch of this Amy Butler fabric and got the cotton tank top for $3 at Walmart. So for about an hour of my time and just $3, an adorable, one of a kind little girls' outfit. Her mom loved it and I can't wait to see her in it!

I'm going to be spring cleaning my shop this morning and adding a few more items to the clearance category so be sure to check out the updates!

New Necklaces

2010-04-08T08:32:00.000-07:00

I've had a few requests for more shabby flowers necklaces (emails and real live people:) ). So, since yesterday was an absolutely perfect day here, I gathered up my jewelry supplies and camped out in the front yard making necklaces while the girls played.

In the end, I decided two things. 1. I really, really love these necklaces. I know I've said it before but I'll say it again, I wear mine all the time. I wore it to work yesterday. And the day before. And two days before that. Shameful. I probably should keep at least one of these new ones so I can work something new into the rotation but mama needs a jogging stroller so in the shop they go. Oh and 2. We really need a tree in our front yard.

For your purchasing pleasure (at only $18 each!)...

I really hope to continue listing new things every week. Sales have actually picked up a little and I'm having fun trying things other than bags. Only another week and a half of crazy Carters work hours and then I'll be back to my regular manageable schedule and will have some more time to be creative. Or more time to stay on top of housework.

Two posts in one day!

2010-03-31T15:42:00.000-07:00

I'm pretending like I'm posting to share this new bag that I finally finished and just listed...

In reality, I wanted an excuse to share these wedding dresses I found on Etsy.

I'm not getting married so I have no idea why I was looking at wedding dresses. I stumbled upon these a few days ago when the strep throat had me feeling really crappy so maybe it was fever induced confusion or something.

Anyhow, I think these dresses are so fun, they have me planning a mini wedding in my head. I seriously don't know what's wrong with me. I want to go back 10 years (almost!) to our wedding day and switch out my dress for one of these. My dress wasn't bad at all. Just so plain and boring that it couldn't really be bad or good. I wonder if I could get Crafty Papa to divorce me and then remarry me again right away so I can wear one of these. I guess I should find out first whether I have to be tattooed to wear the dress. This is all sorts of wrong.

New

2010-03-31T11:47:00.000-07:00

I'm alive.

Illness hit again. I got an insanely painful sore throat at the end of last week, felt terrible all weekend, and found out on Monday that it was strep. Two days of antibiotics later, I'm feeling better but not totally well yet. But, on the up side, I can swallow without getting teary eyed from pain so I guess I have that going for me.

Anyhow, enough whining. I have a new addition to my shop. Shabby flower hair clips!

I made one for Bella and got lots of compliments on it so I decided to list a few in my shop and see how they do.

They look great alone or with crochet headbands and hats.

I have several different color schemes listed and they're only $6 each!

Big Sale!

2010-03-23T19:35:00.001-07:00

All clearance items are buy one get one half off through April 15th.

Please purchase and pay for your items through Paypal and I'll promptly refund your discount.  Or, you can contact me before paying and I can send you a custom invoice.

Clearance - $10 and under
Clearance - $20 and under

Happy Shopping:)

Meet Caroline

2010-03-22T10:33:00.000-07:00

Caroline Jones.

We adopted her this weekend. Her name comes from the movie "Coraline". My girls LOVE that movie and get so irritated when the characters call her Caroline instead of Coraline. So being the good mother that I am, I named our new daughter Caroline Jones to spite them.

You can see the newly listed necklaces by clicking on the pictures. I wear my necklace all the time, probably too often, and always get compliments on it. The really liven up a plain tshirt and if you're like me, tshirt and jeans is your mom uniform.

I do have some more new listings in the works for this week. Between my girls and I, someone has been sick for the last two weeks so all creativity and productivity has been at a stand still. I will be updating the clearance sections of my shop this week as well so be sure to check those out.

Crafty Mama Creations

Handmade Holidays

New Dolls

New

Fall Mantle

Pinterest Dress

Pattern Review: Simplicity 2205 by Sweet Pea Totes

A Bit of Sewing

Crafty Girls

Trick or Treat

Lalalots of Fun!

A few new things...

Update

Surgery

Hello There!

Handmade Gifts

Moving On

A New Day

Party's Over

Lets Get the Party Started!

Happy 4th Birthday!

All Things Vintage

Valentine's Day Sale

Valentine's Day

Winner!

The Bella Bunny...Win One!

Gift Guide or Gift Grab?

How I spent my weekend

Week Wrap-up

Attention, attention!

Sooooo, about the bags...

Scenes from our yard today

He's Rockabilly, Baby!

Crafty Mama Featured in Etsy Treasuries:)

'A Handmade Doll For Christmas' by OhSewNice

Thinking of my daughters who want baby dolls for Christmas!

'Candy Canes for Kids - minus the cane!' by BBsForBabies

Let your kids enjoy everything about candy canes - without the sugar!

Blood, sweat, tears and...

Recipes please!

Friday Freebie

Babies

Happy Halloween!

Fall Sale

How dare she!

Two prints or not two prints, that is the question

Competition

Wee Wonderfuls

*New*

Pumpkin Spice Latte

Inspired by

Trick or Treat Bags

Bunch o Random

Classic and Chic

*New*

Sample Sale

Meadowsweet 2

Once a Month Freezer Cooking

My new dining chairs....

Clearance Sale

They're Baa-aaaaaack!

Coming Soon

Feather Headbands

New Zippered Pouches

Coraline Gourd

Handmade Gifts

Christmas in July Sale

Poppy

Dumpster Divers

Free Motion Quilting

Tie Dye Fun

Should I?

Are you as skilled as an 11 year old?

Handmade Father's Day

Why?

SALE

Zippers!

Local Ladies

New Style

Just Because It Makes Me Laugh

New

New

New