In between working on my weekly sketchbook pages of animal art illustrations, and trying to create something everyday, I’m also having fun practicing hand lettering combined with watercolor wreaths. I turned these watercolor postcard paintings into new notecards in my Etsy shop.
Drawing all the time makes me happy, so Practice Practice Practice has been my motto this year. It’s also great to be able to add new products to my etsy shop based on my drawings and watercolor paintings.
Terri
I am excited to share lots of shop updates with you today!
First up, I added a whole bunch of sketchbooks to the shop, from reusable moleskin covers to these fun cereal box sketchbooks. They are about 4.5 inches wide by 5.5 inches tall, with 50 sheets of paper in each spiral-bound book. They have been featured here!
Here’s a small sample of fun NEW moleskin covers with handmade sketchbooks included.
The smaller ones fit a 3.5-inch by 5.5inch notebook. The size in the middle is a custom 6-inch square.
By the way, NEW slipcover styles and sets coming soon, so stay tuned!
Then, I started making a couple new party purses over Spring Break (back in March!), which I finally finished and added to my shop.
These are very similar to the purse I’ve been carrying the past couple months – perfect size (7 inches tall by 9 inches wide) for going out!
I also started making prototype of two new purses over spring break, and finished them recently as well.
These purses are also 9 inches wide by 7 inches tall, but they have a 2-inch gusset, making them roomy for carrying more purse stuff.
What a relief to finally have all these new items in my shop!
I put a couple laptop bags on sale (20% off) recently. If you’re in need of a new bag, stop by for a looksy. Speaking of laptops, my Pink Lady laptop bag has been featured in a Summer Pink Treasury!
Next on my list was to finish a custom laptop sleeve ordered by a friend and fellow classmate. I love how it turned out so I can’t wait to deliver it.
Finally, I have decided to offer my products as PDF to Print patterns! I’ve received several requests and encouragement from several other people to offer patterns, so that is the next big step I will be working on.
Hope you are keeping busy with creative fun too!
Amy at Amy’s Creative Side is having a group giveaway this week with goodies from her sponsors.
My shop advertises on Amy’s site, so I included a toile makeup bag in Amy’s giveaway bag.
If you want a chance to win this bag or any of the patterns, fabric or kit from the rest of her sponsors, go to Amy’s post and leave her a comment.
She will select a winner on Monday, February 14.
Good luck, friends!
I managed to keep quite busy over the semester break making several custom orders for my shop. What a relief to have them officially completed and in the mail!
I received a custom order from a customer to make a set of patchwork chair pads for her daughter’s room.
She wanted fabrics from Amy Butler’s Love collection to coordinate with the rest of her decor. I really loved working with these fabrics, both the quilting cotton and home dec weight. I especially loved the home dec fabrics – they have such a soft and fabulously supple feel.
She wanted wide, long ribbon ties so she could have big bows at the backs of the chairs. She also wanted these cushions to be thick, so I used the thickest padding I could find that my sewing machine could handle. It was like sewing through a pillow!
The fun part about this project was imagining what these pads would look like on those little chairs. When we were kids, we had the infamous kids’ table. But ours was painted a bright lime green color, which we loved! It was fun to put together puzzles or have a tea party at that table. This project really made me feel nostalgic!
When I gave you a preview of some new products I made for my shop, my friend Michelle requested a twin version of my star bling handbag.
I made a few improvements to Michelle’s version, such as longer straps (from 22 inches to 30 inches) and moved up the ribbons on the corner so they aren’t so close to the dart.
Michelle asked for a small coin purse to go with her new bag, so I whipped up this little experiment.
How fun knowing we will have twin purses. How fun knowing someone in another country actually wanted to carry a bag just like mine. Silly girls!
My cousin Linda requested a similar bag, but without the bling, and in a size that would fit her MacBook Air computer. For a request for a specific size, I like make a mock-up in cardboard to make sure the dimensions will work for the client’s specifications.
From that same preview, I received a request from Cindy to make her an artist tote.
Her only specification was an orange lining. How fun to use this fabulous print from the fabulous Innocent Crush collection as my inspiration. Then I pulled warm, fun colors from my stash to create the crazy patch block for the front.
I also used the coolest heather grey suiting fabric for the back, gusset and strap.
I enjoy custom orders because they are challenging to work on, but I always worry about satisfying the customer’s expectations. Hope these goodies are well loved!
I haven’t had time to sit at my sewing machine for two weeks, yet I have been holding back on you! I finally finished adding some new one-of-a-kind bags to my shop, so now they can all be found in the New Products section.
Some are meant to be functional and practical, like these Artist Totes below. (my sister has already claimed the one with the blue lining)
Others are fun because they are impractical, like these patchwork party clutches below! (Update: I sold the one in the middle at my craft show, but I can always make another if someone has a custom request.)
Some of these new patchwork handbags could be carried for daytime running around (pink and grey version listed here and maroon and grey version listed here) or
They could complement a trendier look for a girls’ night out. (Update: I sold the middle wristlet below at my craft show, but I plan to make another since I really love that city scape print.)
I have been wanting to try a new messenger bag/laptop bag with a flap in a more modern romance look. Check out the link to that laptop bag – it has the coolest newsprint fabric inside the flap! (Note: I also made myself a funky new handbag, shown below, out of plaid suiting with lace, sequin and stud accents.)
I am happy to offer all of these styles as custom designs, in addition to what I patch and piece together based on my own inspirations. I provided more details in the descriptions in my shop, if you’re interested in more specifics.
Sorry for the bag overload today! I’m super excited about all these one-of-a-kind designs. I’m hoping to develop most of these patterns into a collection, so this is a preview of a regular series of goodies to come. Thanks for hanging out with me today!
Who doesn’t love rick rack?! (humor me if you don’t love it!)
How cool to see my Charming Yellow Makeup Bag included in this Rick Rack Treasury?! (third row down, first item)
Don’t know what a Treasury is? A Treasury is a member-curated shopping gallery comprised of 16 items chosen by the curator, items selected based on a theme or whatever the curator likes. Any Etsy shop owner can create a Treasury. It’s not intended for self-promotion, but instead to acknowledge and share cool things for sale on Etsy. I have an idea for a theme, so I really want to curate a Treasury one of these days.
Go check out all the other rick rack goodies too!
If you’re in the neighborhood on Sunday, November 28, I will be selling my handmade goods at the Local Products Expo! Local art, edibles and gifts will be taking center stage at the University of Wisconsin-Arboretum Visitor Center, celebrating local enterprise and creativity and giving shoppers an opportunity to support the local economy.
I’m excited to have this new banner to display in front of my booth. I uploaded my logo for my shop to Spoonflower in the largest size possible without comprising the image. I requested it be printed to fill a fat quarter (18 inches by 22), which I squared up. Then I added the green and blue borders, and quilted it just a tad.
I am planning to have lots of new products to reveal, a drawing to win something, and treats to share. Wish me luck!
I listed some new gift bags in my shop this week that make great time savers, so I thought it would be fun to share the idea with you.
Save yourself some time this gift-giving season by giving a pretty handmade gift bag. They can provide you with that last-minute solution to gift wrapping.
Here’s what I do: put the gift inside a handmade drawstring bag instead of wrapping it in paper that will just get thrown in the trash. Then I offer the recipient suggestions for further use of the bag, such as a knitting project or keeping dirty clothes or shoes separate in your suitcase.
I always make my drawstring bags fully lined so they are more sturdy and have a more finished look.
They measure 9.5 inches square, so they are big enough to gift a paperback, a CD, luxurious soap, cooking gadgets, even gift cards. You can also use reusable bags to carry snacks, your camera, or other odds and ends that tend to fall to the bottom of your large tote.
I also made stuff sacks which are modeled after Stuff Sacks used by backpackers, with a drawstring closure and a flat bottom.
I put flannel in between the fabric layers and added piping around the flat bottom, making them more sturdy and giving them a more finished look too.
Hope that gives you some inspiration for more give-making and gift-giving ideas!
Terri's Notebook 
