My Lil Etsy Shops

Sleeved Bib made from 2 Washcloths

2011-05-06T18:23:00.000-07:00

If your kids are anything like mine, they take great joy in taking off their bibs... The solution? A bib with sleeves that they can't take off!
My sister in law had a few of these and I always thought they were cool, so I picked up some dishcloths on sale and started playing around until I figured out what I was doing.

(bib is modeled on a child of about 12m and 22lbs...they still fit him fine at 18m and 25lbs, although they do not fit my 4yo who is 40lbs...just for reference)

Materials:

2 washcloths (or one hand towel cut in half could do) (I found washcloths in pairs at the dollar store) From here on in, I'll refer to the sleeves washcloth as 'stripe' and the bib front washcloth as 'red.'
Some bias tape or cotton ribbing, at least 24" long. I cut a 1 1/2 inch strip off the bottom of a t-shirt, and didn't worry about ironing it into proper bias tape, but just rolled/sewed it down. If you're not experienced with bias tape, then using the real stuff will probably be easier. Make sure it's fat, as the washcloths can be a bit bulky.

1~ Cut the stripe washcloth in half from corner to corner. Many washcloths or dishcloths are not quite square--don't worry about that. It's a bib, not a wedding gown. ☺

2~ Take each of the triangles, and serge or hem across the long edge (this is the lower edge of the sleeve)

3~ fold the sleeve in half, right side in, and sew across the corner, about 2 1/2 inches up from the tip. Cut off the pointy bit beyond the seam. Repeat with other sleeve.
Now you have the uncut red washcloth, and two sleeves.

4~ Match up the lower edge of each sleeve (the part where the corner got cut off) with a corner of the red bib front. Sew just the one side of each sleeve to the red washcloth. No need to finish any edges, because they are the edges of the washcloths, so they're already finished.

At this point, if your washcloth wasn't square, you will notice that one sleeve comes higher than the other. Don't worry about it. That happened on every bib I made. It doesn't matter, and it won't be noticeable in the final product.

5 ~ Cut across the corner of the red washcloth, from sleeve top to sleeve top

6 ~ Take the bias tape or ribbing, find the center, and match it with the center of your red washcloth (where you cut it off between the sleeves). Pin it first if you like, or just sew it on. Sew from the center outward on each side, with 1/4" or 3/8" seam allowance. Go over the sleeve seam and catching about 2" of the sleeve front in the tape, then have the tape go off the sleeve.

7a ~ (if you're using a strip of something rather than regular bias tape) Flip the bib over and fold the strip down in half so that the seam allowance and the strip meet in the middle.

7b ~ fold down the tape/strip onto the back of the bib, so that all raw edges are tucked inside. Sew along the edge of the tape, catching both front and back of it in the stitching. When you get out the sides (past the edge of the 2" of sleeve you caught before), then sew the tape to itself, creating a tie.

One of the great perks of using a washcloth as a bib? When the kiddo is done eating, use the bib to wipe up the tray/chair as well! That has proven to be really nice when we are away from home!

Sewing with PUL (a tutorial)

2011-02-21T10:41:00.000-08:00

If you're wanting to make diapers, wetbags, or even snack bags with PUL, you may find that it can be a very sticky hassle to work with. Some people get a walking foot or a teflon foot, but I have never found it necessary to invest in either of those tools. Here are a few tips I DO use for sewing with PUL:

ONE ~ turn it over
Put the sticky side down. If you're working with two fabrics (say, PUL and flannel, as when making a diaper) then just sew all your seams with the flannel against the presser foot, and the sticky-side-down. Basically what this does is that it puts the feed dogs on the sticky side, so they push it on through (and it doesn't have to slide because it is 'walked' by the feed dogs).

TWO ~ force it through
If you are sewing PUL to PUL (as with a wetbag) then you can't just leave the PUL on the bottom. You can just force your fabric through (I grab it from the back and pull). Usually this gives uneven stitching (usually very small stitches since the fabric doesn't want to slide along the foot), and may push one layer of fabric off of the alignment with the other one, leading to the need to unpick (and remember the tiny stitches?!) Yeah, there is potential for much ugly here. It can really make a mess as you're figuring it out, so definitely do a few test runs. However it can be done. Admittedly, this is usually the method I use when making wetbags. (I french seam my wetbags, so I sew with the sticky to the inside first (which makes a nice normal seam, and secures the layers together so that nothing will slip around) and then I turn it inside out and do the second step of the seam with the 'force it through' method.

THREE ~ use a tissue
This is slightly more labor intensive, but is a very easy way to avoid all the problems of the 'force it through' method when you have to have the sticky side up.
First you'll need some kind of light paper. Tissue paper (as in the present-wrapping kind) can be used, or kleenex, or toilet paper... if it's a thicker one then separate the layers so you have nice thin one-ply paper (ideally it's nice to be able to see through it a little).
Do not try to do this with paper paper. It's too thick.

It's best to align the tissue so that it covers where the seam will be, but NOT the edge of the fabric--that way you can still follow the lines to keep your seam allowance even.

Sew right through tissue and fabric

Gently pull away the tissue--it will rip right along the seam

Use a fingernail to scrape the little stuck bits of tissue out of the stitches. If tiny particles remain, they will wash out.

Since this method only uses up the edge half inch or so of the tissue, you can get a LOT of seaming out of a single tissue. I usually use two (or the two halves of one) and just alternate along longer seams.

I'm Hiding I'm Hiding!

2011-02-10T07:07:00.000-08:00

With three sons in the house, we have a lot of camo, so today's treasury is based on that.
(as always, photos link to the listings)

What better way to say "you can't see me" than to breastfeed with a bold camo print! (I ♥ this cover!)

No cloth-diapering houseful of boys would be complete without at least one camo diaper! (Too bad for you, I bought this one and my son is wearing it as I type...but there are others out there!)

How about a nice toasty fleece blanket, perfect for all ages?!

Booties...

Baby legwarmers...

and for the ones who aren't so little anymore...

A belt (do you think this would make my waistline disappear?!)

or the coolest backpack in the school!

Orange Circles

2010-12-16T12:21:00.000-08:00

A couple of years ago, Christmas found us living in the Alaskan bush, without any of our christmas tree ornaments. We made several things, among them orange circles. (You can see the homemade tree here.) They make nice tree ornaments, but where orange circles really hit their stride is as suncatchers! We like to hang them in the window around Winter Solstice.

This is just one orange, spread across a south-facing window

The process is very simple:
Slice an orange (or more than one) across sideways. Discard the very top and bottom parts, since the sun won't shine though them. I made my slices about 1/4 inch thick. Avoid making any extra slits in the peel of the orange, as the peel is the only part that stays very strong, and if it's broken the whole thing may fall apart!
Lay out the oranges on a cookie sheet, baking stone, or pizza rack, and put them in the oven on low (200*F or lower) OR put them in a dehydrator.
Sprinkle them with cinnamon, cinnamon-sugar, cloves, or whatever spices strike your fancy (if desired--it will not change the look really, but will enhance the smell).
Dry them for a couple of hours--just check in on them every 20-30 min after the first hour and see if they look dried out yet.
Take a needle and thread, and poke through the orange flesh just inside the skin (you can catch the white membrane, or just go through the orange pips near the edge), and make a loop of thread. I use a double thread, so the final loop is actually 4 strands.
Use short loops to hang them on the tree, or longer ones to hang in a window... I just use thumbtacks to pin the thread loops to the window frame.
Enjoy!

Of course, it's only fair to mention that if you have little ones (my son is 1), they may steal from you while you're working, and put the orange to a more traditional use...

Cloth Advent Chain Tutorial

2010-11-28T22:14:00.000-08:00

It started with this idea, but I adapted it and did it my own way.

Materials needed:
around a yard of fabric, (or half yard of each of two fabrics), or lots of scraps.
velcro or snaps for closures
interfacing (optional, but better with it)

Skills needed:
cutting a straight line
sewing a straight line

1--Choose your fabrics. I used lots of leftover scraps, so I just divided them into 'reds' and 'greens' however you can do something more than that if you like. If you celebrate St Nicholas Day on Dec 6, then find a fabric that fits (Santa, an angel, religious symbol, etc). If you observe Solstice, perhaps choose a fabric with sunshines. If any of your family members have birthdays during December, make a birthday fabric ring. Our wedding anniversary is in December, so next year I plan to put in a fabric with hearts for that day (I didn't think of it early enough to get it done for this year). I also made a few extra links of an autumnal fabric, which I can use for the last few days of November (since we like to start our Christmas countdown right after Thanksgiving.

2--Cut out the rings. I used the extremely elaborate pattern of an envelope. A regular, legal-size (4x9") envelope. For the 25 days of December, you'll need 12 of one color and 13 of the other color (plus any November links you want, and minus any special other day links you want).

3-- If you want the rings to look nice and crisp, iron on (or sew on) interfacing to the wrong (back) side each piece at this point. I didn't do it because I was building these with a "use what is on hand" mentality, but they would look nicer if I'd done the interfacing.
(Press over seam allowances if desired--see note at step 6)

4--Fold each piece in half lengthwise, right sides together, and sew the ends closed. Use about 1/4" seam allowance (the edge of the presser foot) and then you won't have to trim them. Be sure to backtack at the fabric edges. I recommend just sewing one right after the other, without breaking the thread between. It saves thread, but it also is a lot less work than doing each one separately.

5--Cut apart all the links. Trim the corners of the seam allowances on the folded side of the fabric (no need on the open side). If you don't do interfacing, you can get away with skipping the trimming.

6--Turn each piece right-side-out. Tuck in the raw edges, and topstitch the link closed along that side (again I recommend sewing one after the other, without breaking thread between. You may want to use different colors of thread for different colors of fabric, as this topstitching will show.
Note ~ If you're a somewhat experienced sewer, you can just freehand this. If you're nervous about keeping even-sized seams though, you can iron the seam allowances over back between steps 3 and 4.

So here are a whole bunch of links. If you're smart, you'll iron them at this point. Lazy me didn't...but I should have...

7--Attach the closures. The tutorial I linked at the beginning demonstrates velcro, I used snaps because I have a snap press (or you could handsew snaps or buttons). The type of closure can be whatever you like, the important thing is to remember to make sure that the two sides are faced opposite directions, so that they will meet up in a pretty loop.

8--The next thing to do is get them in order. If you just have one fabric, or two that are alternating, then the ordering is simple. If you are putting in special links, or if you're using scraps like I did, then you'll want to lay out your links and figure out the order.

9--You can put numbers on them if you like. This tutorial for a more traditional advent calender has directions for making nice embroidered numbers. You can also use a fabric pen, applique on the numbers, or leave the chain without numbers. I opted to make little tags, which I can hang to the inside or outside.

Happy Counting!

(and when the baby yanks on this chain, it doesn't break!)

Banana Bottoms on Etsy

2010-08-22T23:46:00.000-07:00

Kristen of Banana Bottoms is a fellow member of the Etsy Cloth Diaper Team, and she asked if I'd be willing to do a review and host a giveaway for her. (Official disclaimer, I did get a free diaper out of it.) I jumped at the chance because I traded her for another diaper a few months ago, and it's a great diaper. ☺

My favorite things about Banana Bottoms diapers:
♥ They are very trim. The photos should give you some idea of this.
♥ The double-layer snap-in doubler is nice and trim, but gives a LOT of absorbency. These are trust-them-for-naps-and-overnights kinds of diapers. That's a rare thing to find in a diaper this trim!

♥ Cuteness factor, of course--lots of cute prints!
♥ Comfort factor--all the diapers have bamboo velour inside (which is just astoundingly soft). I also love that every diaper is turned and topstiched--no serged edges to rub or irritate (this is how I make my own diapers, if that gives you an idea of how much superior I think it is).
♥ One of my favorite features is that the snap placement is closer than on most diapers I've seen--3/4 inch rather than 1inch apart). This gives greater adjustability than the wider placements do. Also the first snap on the wing is right at the edge--no wasted space there.
♥ A second thing about the snap placement is the way she does her crossover snaps--the wing snaps are double spaced (so they snap down with one 'empty' snap socket between them) and that means that they overlap smoothly. I'd only seen this once before and I LOVE it.

In fairness, I will mention the one downside (and it only applies to those in the USA) and that is that Banana Bottoms is based in Canada, so the shipping time can be a little slow because of customs. I think the wait is worth it though. ♥ ☺

Now for the GIVEAWAY!!!

It's being hosted over on my main blog--open Aug 23-29, go here to enter!!

Don't miss it...

2010-08-02T07:52:00.000-07:00

The giveaway over at EtsyClothDiapers is almost over...just two days left. If you haven't been over to make your entries then hurry up!

Since the mandatory entry was to visit the shop and name a favorite item, I thought that people's comments would give me an idea of what people liked best--and what I should make more of. Well, I've read them, and what I am finding is that everybody likes something different. I'm pretty sure that every single diaper in my shop has been mentioned at least once. My one-of-a-kind designer diapers do seem to get more mentions than the others, and interestingly enough my biohazard diaper has gotten several mentions (I consider this interesting because I actually made it over a year ago, and have had it as a featured item in my shop for much of that time, but in spite of over 400 views it has not sold.)

In any case, the designer fitted diapers seem popular, so I will get busy and finish up the two I have in progress. ☺

My Cloth Diaper History

2010-07-29T09:05:00.000-07:00

My mom used cloth diapers. Here you can see me (with my mom, little sister, and my dolly Polly), and there is my cloth diaper.

They were the big cotton flats, 36inches square, layered two or three thick then folded into a trapeziodal shape and pinned on with four pins (one at each hip, one at each leg), and covered with good old gerber plastic pants. They were very bulky. They were all white, and were always soaked in bleach water until laundry day.
I am the oldest of 9 kids, and all of us wore those same cloth diapers (or the same kind at least!), so as you can imagine I had to learn how to change diapers pretty early on. I think I was about 7 when I learned to change a diaper. I had to learn to do it because our babysitters couldn't figure out how to handle the pins. To the best of my memory, I only poked a baby once, but I poked myself a few times.
I hated the pins, I hated the bleach, I hated how bulky they were, I hated the stinky sopping wet diapers (and the idea of the baby feeling wet all the time). I swore I would never ever use cloth diapers.

When I was a newlywed I met some mamas who used new cloth--I think a FuzziBunz may have been my introduction to things like PUL and shaped diapers with elastic (elastic!!! How brilliant!) I thought they were pretty cool--and pretty cute. I saw how trim they were, and the fact that they were all one piece rather than needing those awful plastic pants.
Around the same time I started using cloth pads for myself, and the difference in comfort between cloth and the paper/plastic disposable pads was enormous. It made me consider cloth for the pure comfort of it.
When I was pregnant, I started researching cloth diapers. I learned about dry pails and I was sold. One day I approached my husband about it, and he said "well, let's be honest, you'll probably do most of the changing anyway [since I was a stay-at-home-mom and he worked full time], so if you want to do it let's go for it." I read reviews of various brands and started doing price comparisons, and realized that if I was going to buy them I'd pay $15 each for pocket diapers, but that I could make them for $4 each. So I bought fabric and started sewing my own.

I happened to mention to a friend what I was doing, and she commissioned me to make 6 diapers for her. Then she asked if I could do 6 in the next size... Then (after two months of buying disposables) my sister decided to switch to cloth and hired me to make them for her since she doesn't sew. So I opened shop!

Etsy: Your place to buy & sell all things handmade
lilbees.etsy.com

Giveaways!!

2010-07-28T09:21:00.000-07:00

I am sponsoring the "Fluff a Rump on Hump Day" giveaway over at the Etsy Cloth Diaper Team this week (winner drawn on Aug 4). I'm giving away a custom AIO (all-in-one) diaper, with the winner's choice of fabrics, size, and closure (snaps or touchtape). They can choose from something in stock, or I will make a custom diaper.
You can enter at the team blog (link above), and get extra entries for following that blog, following this blog, liking my facebook page, liking the team facebook page, twittering about the giveaway, or blogging about it! A purchase from my shop during this time will earn you FIVE extra entries, just leave a note to the seller (me) when you check out and I'll get your entries put in!

Keep an eye out, because in a couple of weeks I'll be sponsoring another giveaway at 3am Cloth Diapers, No Pins Needed. She is doing a big "Made in the USA" event, with multiple reviews and giveaways of cloth diapers made by work-at-home-moms in the USA. Check it out! (I'll be sure to let you know when the giveaway goes live, but in the meantime, the same kinds of things that are worth extra entries on the other giveaway will be good for this one too--follow her or my FB page, follow our blogs, twitter, blog, etc). ☺

And after both of those, if my facebook page gets up to enough fans, I'll do a third giveaway there--this time for a gift certificate, which would be good for any item in either of my shops (not just cloth diapers).

Beatles inspired diapers

2010-07-28T09:11:00.000-07:00

A couple of months ago I made this diaper:

As I looked at it, and tried to decide what to title it in the listing, the thought came to me to call it Strawberry Fields Forever. I admit that I did not know very many Beatles songs before I got married. I knew who the Beatles were of course, but I only knew a few songs, and not well enough to sing along to any of them. Then I met my future husband (who owned every Beatles album) and his three-year-old son (who could sing most of "Hey Jude" even before he knew "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star"). Obviously my life has changed a little since then!
So I decided that a line of Beatles-themed products was in order, and last night I listed the next in the series:

Here Comes the Sun Little Darlin

So, the great question is, what other Beatles' songs are begging to be artistically rendered as diapers?!

Trading Frenzy

2010-06-03T07:21:00.000-07:00

I have four (yes FOUR!) trades going on right now.

1) Giving diapers and wetbags ---> from SweethavenArts getting several pairs of knitted socks (she has a sock knitting machine, which may be about the coolest thing I've ever seen!)

2) Giving nursing pads ---> from SevenAcreWoods getting handmade soap and alpaca fiber (from an appaloosa alpaca named Houdini!)

3) Giving a diaper ---> from BananaBottoms getting this diaper (because in a houseful of boys, obviously, I need all things camo!) --------->

4) Giving diapers, covers, and wetbags --->from Silverstarflower getting earrings and silver hair barrette (my earrings are this style but in silver and with a green stone)

Tuesday Tips: Trading on Etsy

2010-05-25T04:04:00.000-07:00

A lot of etsians--including myself--like trading. It's fun to swap goods rather than money, and in my view both etsians get a better deal out of a trade than they do from a sale, because there is nothing lost to paypal fees and no 'income' to report, yet you've each gained something you wanted or needed.
When I see an item that I like, I often approach the seller about whether they would be interested in trading. I simply send them a convo and ask. Sometimes they say no, and sometimes they say yes, but no one has ever been rude about it. Sometimes people approach me--and I go and look at their shop and if there's something I like then I trade, and if they don't have anything I want then I say no thanks. Sometimes when I don't trade, a purchase is made (by me or from me), and sometimes it isn't. There is no pressure either way.

Once you have decided to trade, and decided what to trade, there are several ways to carry out the transaction:

A
After agreeing to trade, each person looks through the other shop and selects the item(s) that they want, and then 'buys' them, but does not send any money. (Equal values or specific items are determined via convos.)
Pros: no paypal fees, leave feedback for each item 'bought' and 'sold,' no editing of listings/making new listings, easy to see if your purchases from each other are equal, and if for some reason the other person falls through you can warn others via negative feedback.
Cons: you still pay full 'sale price' etsy fees in spite of not making any money

B
Agree on the items via convo, exchange mailing addresses via convo, then unlist the items and trade "off the books."
Pros: no fees at all (paypal or etsy).
Cons: no feedback (good or bad) for either of you, no official record of the transaction, may require more convos than method A.

C
Agree on the items via convo, then each edit your listings to create reserved listings for each other (it could be one listing per shop or several). Change the price of the listing(s) to be $0.20, which is etsy's minimum price (it covers the listing price, but will not charge any seller fees). Mark the title of each listing as "reserved for trade with ___" so that no one else swipes it. Then each person buys the appropriate listing(s) but does not send any money.
Pros: have official transaction record including addresses, able to leave feedback (good or bad), no paypal fees, only the listing fee on etsy (no sale price fees)--I figure this is fair because etsy helped us find each other, but we didn't make any money, so I'll pay the listing fee but not a sale fee.
Cons: time and effort to edit listings or make special listings

Personally, my preferred method is C, because I want to have the official transaction and the ability to leave feedback, just in case I get burned I feel that this "covers my tail" so to speak. Also, editing a listing only takes a minute or two, and I like saving the fees. ☺

Have you traded on etsy? Do you use one of these methods or do something else? What do you prefer? (Are there other pros or cons that I missed?)

Custom Solarveil Hats

2010-04-26T16:04:00.000-07:00

These babies are in demand! I am working on getting more ready-made ones stocked, but in the last three weeks I have had four custom orders for solarveil hats, so I've set up some custom listings that show the fabrics I have available so that people can order directly without having the extra steps of my having to show the photos to everyone individually. (The hat bands are made from scrap fabric mostly, and much of it is already cut out so that I could maximize the available space, so not every print is available in every size.)

In the meantime, I've also started listing plain cotton sun hats, which are a little cheaper.

Tuesday Tip: EtsyHacks Greasemonkey addons

2010-04-20T08:39:00.000-07:00

Etsy has a lot of nice features, but many of the tech-savvy etsians out there have thought of additional nice features--things like "copy a listing" which allows you to make a new listing, but starting with a copy of an existing one (so you can just edit photos, change the title, etc...or post a second listing for an identical item!).

There is a wide selection of add-ons, available at EtsyHacks.com. In order to use them, you will first need to download and install Greasemonkey (then close and restart Firefox). Then you can intall whichever add-ons you want. Then you'll need to restart again to get them all to install/take effect. It's that simple.
The add-ons are technically free, although EtsyHacks does request that if you like the product, that you consider making a donation. I would second that--these are some nice add-ons that some nice people have taken time to write up and then been kind enough to share with us, it's only fair that we share a little something in return. (And since I can't write a pretty add-on for them to post on their page, money is the way to go!)

These add-ons will only work with Firefox at the present time, however the EtsyHacks page says they are working on making them compatable with Chrome, Safari, Internet Explorer, and Opera, so if you're really attached to one of those browsers just wait a little while and then you can have some of these groovy add-ons too.

LePetitOwlet's "Little Owl" Diapers

2010-03-09T20:09:00.000-08:00

I recently made a custom order of 3 medium size Little Owls fitted diapers from LePetitOwlet. I have a lot of diapers that I love, but wow, these are definitely my favorites right now.

First of all, just look at the cuteness! Like many sellers, she has a variety of fabrics to choose from for both the inner and outer of these diapers.

Secondly, I love the trim fit. My kids are skinny, and I’ve had trouble with some diaper styles being very bulky, or leaking at the legs. These diapers do not have either of those problems.

Third is my most favorite thing of all—a very very smart snap layout. (More experienced cloth diaperers will probably be able to tell just from the photos, but I’ll try to explain it too.) Most diapers with crossover snaps have the top snaps (studs) facing in at every inch (to match the sockets on the diaper front), and then the crossover sockets are put between them. The downside to this arrangement is that the crossover sockets are then offset from the other sockets, so the diaper gets bunched up if the tab is snapped to one diaper-front socket and one crossover socket. Jessica got smart though and did away with all that hassle. She spaced her wing (stud) snaps to match every other socket, so that the crossover socket is then spaced evenly with the front panel sockets, and there is no bunching or pulling, it all lays nice and flat. Furthermore, the wider placement of the studs means no wing droop (or gaping legs)! I have never seen snaps spaced this way before, but I certainly intend to start doing it with my diapers, because it’s brilliant!

The only thing I can think of that some people might feel as a negative is that the snap-in doubler is attached with only one snap, whereas most other diapers I’ve seen have two. Diapers with snap-in doublers tend to wear faster at the snap points, so fewer snaps could potentially mean a longer life. On the other hand, more snaps might distribute the wear better, so fewer snaps might mean a shorter life…I don’t know! I don’t really have enough experience with snap-in doublers yet to have a preference either way.

Little Owl Fitted Diapers (and the WAHM behind them) definitely get two thumbs up from me!

Lil Bees

2010-02-26T09:58:00.000-08:00

Sooner or later I had to do a treasury of lil bees, and when I saw the first item below I knew this was the time. Every bee item today is either little, or it is for a little one (or both!)

As usual, all item's are linked to the item listings.

WinkyDinks fleece diaper cover

HandKnitsbyElena baby hat

msbinks baby bee toy

(msbinks is a brand new shop--no sales yet--go check it out!)

PleasantlyPlumpKnits baby bee booties

BetterBeadItDesigns bee stitch markers

MadeByMoe honeybee necklace

SublimeThreads boxer briefs

2010-02-19T10:10:00.000-08:00

Last spring I bought my oldest son a trio of boxer briefs from SublimeThreads. As many etsians do, she offers custom listings--so I bought a generic "3 boxer briefs sz 18m-8yrs" listing, then selected my fabrics from her flickr page...or rather, I let my 8yo son select the fabrics...guess what he likes?!

Oh yeah, let's hear it for camo!
I can see that they are well made, with non-irritating professionally finished edges. He tells me that these are very comfortable, and based on how often they go through the wash, he seems to be inclined to grab them first if they are in his drawer.
So here are two thumbs up for SublimeThreads' custom boxer briefs!

Tuesday Tip: Etsy Pricing Calculator

2010-02-16T08:16:00.000-08:00

I posted some time ago with a list of tips about setting prices. One important thing to take into account is that your prices need to cover not just your supplies and profit margin, but also your fees for etsy and paypal. I was just introduced to this Etsy Fee Calculator recently. It works two ways--on one side you can enter the profit you want to make, and it will tell you how much you'll need to charge to make that profit (the fee percentages are already built in). On the other side you can enter what you are paying for materials and shipping, as well as what you are charging for your items (both item price and shipping charge) and it will figure in the other fees and tell you how much you are actually making.
I thought it was very helpful (I was also pleased to find that I have been setting my prices right where they should be to make the profit that I feel is fair for my products!)

Blueberry stuffable all-in-one diapers

2010-02-13T15:52:00.000-08:00

When my first cloth diapered child was a toddler he discovered something cool about velcro--it's easy to undo. As many cloth diapering mothers have learned, snapping diapers are nice for smart toddlers, because it's the only way to keep the diapers ON the kids. Some precocious children figure out how to open snaps too, so some precocious mommy out there figured out to put the snaps on the side of the diaper, where they were harder for the child to see or reach.
As my toddler was learning how to open velcro, I decided that I needed some snapping diapers, but I didn't yet own a snap press, so I decided to buy some. I bought some WAHM diapers on etsy of course, but then I heard about a one-day sale from one of the bigger websites where I could get some side-snapping diapers on sale and with free shipping. Since I live in Alaska and shipping often costs as much as the item itself, I decided to jump on it.
So I bought 4 Blueberry side-snapping stuffable-AIOs.

Here are my thoughts on these diapers:

They are super cute
They are very trim (see photo below)
They are well made--none of the stitching came undone in a year of regular use
They have the convenience of an AIO (all-in-one) diaper, but with the opening in the back so that one can add extra stuffing as well. In my experience, the included stuffing was not a whole lot--especially for a toddler just one pee would fill it up, and a second would make it leak. This might have been different for a younger baby of course, but my experience was with a toddler. (If I added an extra insert then they lasted longer, but having to add the extra insert made them basically like pockets...yet they still had the longer dry time of AIOs...) I felt that they were fine for around the house but I didn't like to use one when going out because I didn't know how long it would last.
I really liked them for potty-learning because they were easy to get on and off, and their 'one-wet' capacity was fine because we were getting to the toilet most of the time anyway. So ironically my favorite way to use these diapers was as training pants.

Solarveil Hats

2010-02-11T12:52:00.000-08:00

Introducing another new product, this time at BrightBlack: Solarveil Sun Hats for babies and children (click link to see the hat section in the shop, click icon at left to go to shop home)
Solarveil is a lightweight, breathable fabric that provides UV protection, so you get the ease of a hat and the protection of sunscreen, but without sweaty heads, messy lotions, or allergic reactions!

Each hat is made with a double layer of solarveil on the crown and brim, and has a decorative cotton band (a variety of band fabrics are available). I have just stocked a couple so far, but I'll be adding more as the weather warms up!

(baby not included with hat purchase ☺)

Tests on the double layer of solarveil have shown that it blocks 92-95% of harmful UV rays (approximately equal to using SPF 30 sunscreen). Learn more about solarveil and it's unique properties here.

Hat Size Chart:
XXS - up to 17" (43cm) head (about 0-6m)
XS - up to 18.5" (47cm) head (about 6-12m)
Small - up to 20" (51cm) head (usually toddler/preschool age)
I can also make hats to fit a 21" or 22" head via custom order--just convo me!

BundlesOfJoy product review

2010-02-10T18:00:00.000-08:00

I've decided that I need to start doing something new on this blog--in addition to talking about shops and sellers that I love, I will be posting some reviews of fine etsy products that I've purchased!

Today I'm starting with BundlesOfJoy's fitted diapers and longies. It seems fitting to start with Joy, because my very first etsy purchase was a pair of longies from her three years ago for my last baby! She went on to start the EtsyClothDiapers Team, and so I started to get to know her. Then I moved to Alaska (she's Alaskan as well) and I even got to meet her! We have negotiated a couple of trades and additional sales, and I now have a nice stock of wool longies from her. In addition, we have become good friends, and when my baby was born this fall she sent me a pair of fitted diapers as a gift (really, don't I have the best friends?!)
SO, without further ado, here are my reviews.

Recyled Wool Longies

(Can you see, these brown ones on the right have pockets!!)

These are sooo soft. Joy says right in her listings that she will "bypass the scratchy wool sweaters and use only the soft ones," and that's exactly right. If she feels the sweater isn't quite soft enough, she lines the longies with lambswool or cashmere! I have felt longies from several other sellers, but honestly I'm not inclined to buy them because nobody has longies as soft as Joy's. They are nice and roomy through the toosh, and built with a crotch gusset to allow free movement. I find that the legs are sometimes a little long on my kiddos, but my kids tend to be all torso with short legs. I just roll over the cuffs for a walker, or leave them down over their toes for a baby (I figure it keeps him toastier than falling-off socks!)

The one thing I have noticed is that the sizing (S/M/L) runs a little different than my diapers--so while my baby is currently moving into medium diapers he still fits the small longies. There is often sizing variance from one diaper maker to another though, so most cloth diaperers are used to checking that. Joy has good sizing information in her listings, so as long as you pay attention you shouldn't have any trouble getting something that fits properly. And you can always convo her with your kiddo's measurements and she will help you figure out which size will be best.☺

Velour Pocket Fitted Diapers

As with any velour diaper, this is marvelously soft, and since it's a pocket the absorbability can be customized. It looks the same size as the towel diaper (below), but I found that it didn't fit quite the same way--probably because it's a stretchy fabric whereas the other is not. My baby didn't grow into this small until he was probably 11lbs. It would have fit him in the waist before that, but he has really skinny legs and this diaper has a roomier leg opening than the other (you can see in the photo that they're still not super snug at 13lbs). If I were to order one in the future I would have it customized with snugger legs for my chicken-legged baby, but otherwise it's a darling diaper. For a chunkier kid, it would be perfect.

Towel Diapers (Fitteds)
In a fit of genius, Joy started making diapers out of soft old towels. (She's a master of upcycling things.) In her own words she is "allergic to long dry times" so she makes it with double snap-in soakers so that it washes thoroughly and dries quickly. (Forgive me, I forgot to rotate these photos, but you can still see how it works!)

Here again, she is very picky about softness--some towels are rough, but if it's one of Joy's towel diapers you can bet that it's a soft one. This diaper is terry but it feels almost like velour, and it has become one of my very favorite diapers. Actually I'm seriously contemplating buying a few more even though I don't really need more diapers! I love the sustainability and affordability of recycling old towels and bathrobes as well as the old sweaters. Plus, if there is anything a towel is good for, it's absorbing! This diaper holds up great for naps (especially when combined with some nice wool longies *wink* ) If you don't need as much absorbancy it's easy to leave one of the doublers off (I did that when my baby was still tiny), but with both of them in it would probably be great at night too.
These diapers have a separate casing which 1--keeps the bulky part of the diaper narrow and trim and 2--serves like a gusset to keep messes in. I've never had a leak with this diaper. Here is my baby in the small towel diaper when he was about 2 weeks old (9lbs). I love that it's so trim (especially for a baby that size). He's 13lbs now and it still fits him well, and I estimate it will last at least a couple more pounds before he outgrows it.

a postscript...
as I was writing I found that I kept using exclamation points...not just a few, but everywhere. Even as I tried to edit them into control, I still just seemed to need a lot of them. I guess that alone says something about how I feel about these diapers and longies, doesn't it?!

NEW! Adjustable newborn-to-small AIO

2010-01-26T15:55:00.000-08:00

My primary frustration with newborn size diapers is that the baby grows out of them so fast. But small diapers can be bulky on a newborn, and may end up leaking since a newborn's legs are usually quite skinny. Fitted diapers are often made adjustable with a fold-down front for their extra row of snaps, but an AIO (all-in-one) diaper cannot have a fold-down or it would leak.
So what's a mama to do?!
This diaper is the solution I came up with for my own son: A small AIO diaper with an extra row of snaps so that it can be done up tighter (and with a shorter rise) during those first days or weeks. The inside layer is soft (either velour or flannel) so it will not irritate that tender belly button even though it will cover it.

This photo shows my son wearing this design at about 8lbs (dark blue) and 13 lbs (light blue).

I've just stocked my first of these at LilBees, and plan to stock more in the coming couple of weeks.

Facebook Fan Page

2010-01-16T00:46:00.000-08:00

I now have a Facebook Fan page...I am still learning how to use it, but it's there, and I'd love to have you be my fan there too. Come join up, everybody's doing it! ☺

Looking for knitting pattern testers

2010-01-11T13:05:00.001-08:00

Calling all knitters!!

Fire and Smoke

What do you think, do you like it?

Purple Rain

This is the Swizzle Hat, a pattern I developed when I was learning stranding. It's a nice beginner pattern because the carries are usually just 2 stitches wide (occasionally 3) so it's not too hard to keep the tension even.

The two hats pictured were the ones I did as I developed the pattern...they both have flaws so I have kept them for my family rather than sell them, however I do want to sell the pattern (along with future hats). I think I have all the kinks worked out and that the pattern is written clearly, but I would like to have a couple of people test it for me before I start selling it.

If you would be interested in testing it, I would send you the pattern (free) and in return I would like you to give me the following:

Any feedback you have on the pattern--mistakes, confusing parts, etc
Let me know what needle size/yarn weight you used, and how many stitches you CO for that gauge (this is a simple repeating pattern so can be easily adapted to different gauges) I'd like to be able to include tips for multiple gauges on the pattern, and thus far I have only knitted it in sport weight.
Send me a photo of your completed hat that I can use in my pattern listing
If you choose to sell hats made from the pattern (and you're welcome to do so!), please give me pattern credit in the listing

I would like to find at least two people to test this pattern. So what do you think, will one of those people be you?! Leave me a comment (with a way to contact you) if you are interested!

My latest project...

2009-11-26T13:14:00.000-08:00

...completed on November 12 at 8:03am after 40 weeks, 1 day, and 5ish hours of labor.
Son #3
He was born at home, in the water, into daddy's hands.
8lbs even, 20 3/4in long

Tools of the Trade

2009-10-29T15:40:00.000-07:00

So I might as well admit it: I'm a little bit of a Bernina Snob.
Yes, I've used other sewing machines, but Bernina is definitely my favorite. When we were first married and I was getting ready to buy my own machine, I considered buying a cheaper brand, (with the knowledge that I'd replace it with a Bernina a few years down the road). However we were given some money for our wedding and the Bernina was on an after-Christmas sale, so we went ahead and got it. I've never regretted it--that machine earned back every penny within the year.
Why am I so stuck on Berninas? Well, first of all, they're Swiss. Yeah, those guys that are famous for making good watches? they also make really good sewing machines. My mother's Bernina is over 25 years old and going strong. My grandmother finally replaced her Bernina after 45 years--not because it was dead, but because one piece needed to be replaced and they no longer made the piece! In other words, these machines, though expensive, are a good investment. Berninas are also work horses. I've worked in two professional costume shops and one bridal shop, and all three used Berninas. For someone who just does a little sewing, a cheaper brand will probably suffice; but for someone who sews professionally, Berninas are where it's at!
When I was comparison shopping for sergers, a shop owner told me this: "I repair all kinds of machines, but I only sell Berninas, and you know why? Because I almost never have to see them for repairs!"

Now do you wanna see my sweet machines?

This is my sewing machine: The Bernina 1008. It's the most simple (and, at $600, the least expensive) of the Bernina machines. I prefer a simpler machine because they are easier to understand and less likely to break down. It's got a buttonhole-helper and 24 stitches--who really needs more than that?!
This is my serger: The Bernina 700D. It too is a simple, manual machine--no computerized junk. The more automatic parts there are, the more there is to malfunction, and sergers are finiky creatures to begin with. So I keep it simple. (I would not have purchased a serger on my own, although I do find them nice, but they are expensive and not really necessary...I do use mine, but there are other ways to do things, you know? Anyway, I got this one through my employer--at a discount--because they required me to have one in order to sew for them.)

Goods 4 Girls

2009-09-25T13:04:00.000-07:00

I confess that I am annoyed every time I hear the perky woman on the kotex ad say "have a happy period!" because you know, I sure never did when I used their products. I am offended when Always brand boasts that they are donating to poor girls in Africa who are missing school because of their periods. How nice of them, they donate and help a girl once...but how long does one package of disposable pads last? And then that girl is back where she started: out of school during her period.

Enter Goods 4 Girls:

(click on the picture to go directly to their site)

Now you can donate CLOTH pads to girls in Africa! Of course some areas do not have sufficient water available to be able to wash the pads, so the organization does their research and only donates pads in areas where there is an adequate water supply.

LilBees is joining with many other etsians in donating to G4G, and now you can participate! For every pad you purchase to donate, I will not only ship it directly, I will also give you 10% off any other item in my shop. Karma really does come back around!

G4G also accepts monetary donations (information is available on their site).

My Samples are Here!

2009-09-01T11:38:00.001-07:00

Remember how my next 25 orders get a free sample of LilBees honey soap? Well, the samples are here, so that special starts today! When I picked them up yesterday they made my whole car smell good--even before I got the envelope open!

You know you want one!

And remember that the first person to buy a full-size bar of LilBees soap from Heathen's Hearth on etsy will receive a $10 gift certificate to LilBees...just convo me with the link to the transaction report and let me know what you want from my shop! (The soap is not quite ready to be listed yet I guess, but I will post as soon as it is!)

Eco Tip Feature on Cloth Pads

2009-08-31T14:14:00.002-07:00

I wrote a guest post for Team Eco Etsy this weekend about using cloth pads and other reusable menstrual products. Go check it out!

Something is coming...

2009-08-18T18:19:00.000-07:00

Last winter I discovered HeathensHearth when I met one of the shopkeepers in an etsy chatroom (I actually still don't know whether it was Amy or Misty!) and we worked out a special order for some soaps which I gave as Christmas gifts. I ♥ their soap, so a few months later I tried out their body frosting (lotions) and I ♥ those. With the body frosting they included a sample of their sugar scrub and (shocker) I ♥ it as well. I loved it all so much that I even did a giveaway (featuring HH) on my blog this summer when I celebrated my birthday.

But the best is yet to come!

You see, last March Amy and Misty came up with a brilliant idea. They started "Etsy Inspirations" which is a line of soaps inspired by other etsians (or their shops). There's a woody one inspired by a woodworker, a neopolitan-ice-cream one inspired by a sweet shoppe, and so on. They had so much fun with it that they held a contest to choose a few final shops upon which to base a soap...and (you've guessed it) yours truly was one of the winners! Ironically all this happened just before I moved, so my soap got put on hold for the summer. However, we're all up and rolling again, and the LilBees Etsy Inspirations soap will be released next Tuesday (Aug 25). To celebrate, I am doing two things:

1--I have made a special order of 25 sample-size LilBees soaps, so starting with the official release next week, my first 25 orders at LilBees will each receive a free soap in with their order (and I'm telling you, this is awesome soap!)

2--The first person to purchase a full-size bar of LilBees soap from HeathensHearth will get a $10 gift certificate to LilBees (just send me a convo with a link to the transaction page and let me know what you want!)

I'll post again next week with a photo of the finished product, but I thought I'd let you know in advance what is coming.

And since I know you're curious, I'll tell you what the soap will be like! It's honey-scented, layered in black and yellow (of course), and has a honeycomb pattern in the top. (The sample sizes won't have the honeycomb due to their being smaller...but they'll still be striped!)

LilBees features StarDust Creations

2009-05-16T19:35:00.000-07:00

This summer I am moving, and all my stock and supplies will be in storage for a couple of months. However a friend of mine has been thinking about starting up an etsy shop, so we talked and she is going to try out etsy via my shop this summer. (She has been on Hyena Cart for a while, but is new to etsy.) This means that LilBees will not be empty this summer, but it will have her StarDust Creations diapers instead of my LilBees ones. She makes adorable diapers, including some with embroidery! All the diapers shown in this post are her work:

I will be checking in periodically and can still respond to questions about my products or about orders for when I return, but Tiffani also has full access to the shop, so you can convo her about anything regarding her stock. All of her products will be in their own section, so that even when I get back it will be easy to tell what is whose. ☺

(I will be re-stocking my own diapers, pads, wetbags, etc when I get settled into my new home in mid-August. BrightBlack will be empty until that time.)

Baby Frog Boutique

2009-05-15T07:39:00.000-07:00

Today I want to show off the shop of a friend of mine: Baby Frog Boutique
She is just starting off on etsy, but she crochets darling little hats and booties, as well as making 'frog legs' baby leggings. I'm already negotiating a trade with her, and I hope you'll be interested in checking out her shop too! (By the way, when she says baby frogs, she's not just being cute...her last name is actually Frogly. And as for babies, well, she has had three so far, and is now expecting twins!)

Etsy
Buy Handmade
BabyFrogBoutique

the Good Nights are back!

2009-04-23T15:33:00.000-07:00

About a year ago I posted here about my new Good Nights deluxe fitted nighttime diapers. I sold several that spring, but then got busy and haven't sewn up any more in quite a while. Well, with our nighttime theme of Twinkle Twinkle Little Star this month, I knew this was my chance to get them back in the shop. It may be the end of the month, but they are finally here!

It may look like a fairly normal fitted diaper, but look again! The attached doubler makes it extremely absorbent yet keeps it trim, and now that I have a snap press, I'm offering these diapers (and most others) with your choice of touchtape (velcro) or snaps! And, since they fall into the theme of the month (for one more week!) purchase a Good Nights diaper and get a 25% discount on your second item!

Finally, listen to what the customers are saying about LilBees Good Nights!

"Wow! Baby wears these all night long, with no leaks (he often leaks by morning in other diapers). He is quite comfortable too. I'm impressed--they're worth every penny!"

"My son could soak through anything, and I was using so many inserts and doublers that the resulting enormous diaper looked terribly uncomfortable...the first night he used one of these he didn't even get the outside layer wet. I am so impressed, I don't know how I lived without it!"

Come visit LilBees for all in ones, OOAK (one-of-a-kind) designer fitteds, and Good Nights nighttime diapers!
Also, coming next month, StarDustCreations embroidered diapers (I'll post more about those as it gets closer!)

Brazillian Booties!

2009-04-21T16:18:00.001-07:00

My sister and her husband both served as missionaries in Brazil (in fact, that's where they met) so when I heard that they were expecting their second child, well, an idea came to me that I just had to follow up on. My friend Sherry at DeebleDdo did the embroidery for me, and I made a pair of matching diapers for big brother and little sister.

Here is the final result!

(I love the way big brother is grinning at lil sister in this shot!)

Cutest booties on the block, don't you think?!

More Free Stuff!

2009-04-17T14:16:00.001-07:00

A couple of weeks ago I posted about a giveaway from one of my etsy teams...well, this week it's the other half of the giveaway: this one geared to moms with babies (whereas the last one was geared toward older kids).

Nursing pads (from me!), a nursing necklace, a diaper bag, a Guatemalan sling, a soft jingle-belly ball, a large playsilk, organic garden seeds, soothing foot soak...
click the photo to go enter (you can get one entry just for commenting on the post, and additional ones for posting about it on your blog!)
The giveaway is open until the end of the month.

EtsyBloggers April 13 Carnival

2009-04-13T04:00:00.000-07:00

Welcome to the April 13, 2009 edition of etsybloggers.

Ebony presents It isn't easy being green posted at Off The Peg.

Kraken presents Go green posted at Kraken Mosaics - Where Art & Inspiration Collide.

Ela Steel presents Spring Garden Photos! posted at Ela Steel - Lowbrow Art and Pop Surrealism.

maryeb presents Easin' Into Green posted at Colorless Green Ideas.

CREATEaTHOUGHT presents Green is super COOL posted at CREATEaTHOUGHT.

MagdaleneJewels presents Carnival: Going Green posted at MagdaleneJewels's Blogs.

HomeMadeOriginals presents Going Green for Earth Day and Every Day posted at Home Made Originals.

Vanessa presents Go Green posted at Designs by Vanessa.

Linda B presents Going Green - Recycle posted at Linda B's Blog.

Becky presents Happy Earth Day! posted at The Fab Miss B.

Rainy presents April 10 Blog Carnival- Going Green posted at RainyDayArt.

Elayne Teitelbaum presents ChezChani: April posted at ChezChani.

Two Zany Zebras presents Go Green! posted at Two Zany Zebras.

UberArt presents Go Green! posted at UberArt Shop.

storybeader presents Etsybloggers Carnival - April 10, 2009 posted at Stroll Through Storyland.

Terronda Clarke presents Etsybloggers - Let's Go Green! posted at ~Unique Commodities~.

miesmama presents I ? green posted at miesmama.

FaerieRebecca presents Earth Day ~ Naturally posted at FaerieRebecca's Workbench.

Lily Wrey presents etsyBloggers Team April 10th Blog Carnival posted at TuLips Talking.

Mommy Bee presents April Blog Carnival: Green for Earth Day! posted at My Lil Etsy Shops:.

Athena Workman presents April 10th Etsybloggers Blog Carnival: Green, Baby, Green! posted at the weblog of artist athena workman.

Melinda Beatty presents Green Breaking Out All Over posted at My Aphrodite Jewelry.

Sumiko Shop presents GREEN ? Blog Carnival ? posted at Sumiko*Handmade Creations*.

Elise presents Mixed blessings posted at Inside Betani's Bureau.

wearewedges presents Etsy Bloggers Blog Carnival: A little bit of green posted at WE ARE WEDGES.

curlymonkeyandco presents Let's go green! posted at curlymonkeyandco2.

PurrPrints presents Going greener--anyone have tips? posted at PurrPrints: Art, Cats, and Randomness

Melissa Sinisgalli presents Earth Day Sale! posted at Made By Melissa.

Erika presents Let's Go Green! posted at NICO* Designs.

Patti presents G..........oing Green posted at peacoxcreations.

Jen presents Etsyblogger Carnival -- Green! posted at Mama's Magic.

agoodwitchtoo presents The Copper Cauldron Soaps: Little Green Steps posted at The Copper Cauldron.

Alicia Mae presents Earth Day posted at Crafts and Cooking.

Kelly Drill presents Stuff I Love - Green Edition posted at Macaroni and Glue.

Sassa Lynne presents Let's Go Green posted at Sassa's Blog Carnival

Five O'Clock Somewhere presents Blog Carnival - Going Green! posted at Five O'Clock Somewhere.

kuartzo presents | Etsy Bloggers Team | 10 April Blog Carnival posted at kuartzo | shop

Jo Hoffacker presents Vermiculture posted at DogmawBlog.

A Keeper's Jackpot presents Earth Hour posted at A Keeper's Jackpot.

shellmitchell presents Going Green - My top 3 tips posted at Shell Mitchell Accessories and Design.

Quirky presents Going Green ...............Again! posted at Bonding Moms & Daughters To Navigate Our Crazy World ..........Oh Yeah AND Crafts!!!.

Nora Demirjian presents Going Green... posted at Nora's Blog.

Anitra Cameron presents HOW GREEN IS MY SHOP posted at Coffee Pot People

Now let's go visit our teammates blogs and read this edition of the EtsyBloggers Blog Carnival!

Technorati tags: etsybloggers, blog carnival.

April Blog Carnival: Green for Earth Day!

2009-04-07T10:28:00.000-07:00

I'm so excited, this is my first time hosting a blog carnival--yep, that means I thought of the topics, so even though I've been morning sick and not posting much, you betcha I'm gonna manage to get this post written!!!

Since April 22 is Earth Day... Let's Go Green!
1) What is green in your shop? (this can be something literally green in color, or something eco-friendly) -OR-
2) What do you do (or what can you do!) to make your etsy business or home a little bit greener?

I'm going to touch on both topics actually.
I carry a lot of eco-friendly products!

My main items are cloth diapers, menstrual pads, nursing pads, and wetbags, but I also make fabric gift bags.

As for my business practices, it starts with the fact that I've diversified my stock in order to make better use of my materials. I started out making diapers for my own baby, and then using the smaller pieces of fabric from between the diapers to make pads to sell. After I had enough diapers for my son I started selling diapers too. Then I figured out that I could make nursing pads with the smaller scraps, and what can I say, I hate to waste fabric, so I love that I'm able to make so many things from the same materials! It's not just green, it's also very economical--and the savings for me in materials cost is something that I'm able to pass on to my customers, and they seem to appreciate it too. ☺
Another thing I do is that I use mostly recycled packaging for my products. Fabric goods are not fragile, so I don't need to pad them very much. I also prefer to avoid boxes because they are heavier to mail (since my products are lightweight, I was literally paying to ship the box, not the product!). I often re-use envelopes that I have received items in, but I also use plain brown packing paper, as well as cereal boxes turned inside out. I decorate my packages with some awesome rubber stamps that I also got on etsy, and they are green and cute! Recycling saves me on packaging costs, and using the lightweight options of paper or cereal boxes saves on shipping costs, all of which translates to low shipping costs for my customers as well. ☺

Honestly, all the products that I sell (the diapers, menstrual pads, gift bags, etc) are things that I used for my family before I ever thought of selling them. So yeah, I guess we're a bunch of hippies out here. On the other hand, it's so economical to be green, and if being green can save some green, doesn't it sound like something we should all try?!

Win Free Stuff from the MDC Moms Team!

2009-04-01T11:37:00.000-07:00

Everybody loves free, right?! Well, during the month April, The MDC Moms team is holding a Spring Fling double giveaway--during the first half of the month we have a gift basket full of goodies for moms and bigger kids, and during the second half of the month there will be a basket geared towards moms and babies. You can even enter both giveaways if you want! And with imagination-friendly toys, earth-friendly housegoods, jewelry, and bath goods, why would you not want to enter?! (The full list of the first basket's contents is here, as well as complete directions for how to enter. My own contribution will be in the mama/baby basket, which debuts mid-month.)

Here is a sneak peek of some of the goodies in the first basket...

YOU CANNOT ENTER FROM THIS POST! (That's why comments are turned off!) You have to go over to the MDC team blog and enter there. You get one entry just for commenting there on the post, more entries if you'll blog about us, and more and more entries for every purchase from a participating shop. So no purchase is necessary, but it sure can boost your chances of winning

Here Comes the Sun Little Darlin!

2009-03-19T09:40:00.000-07:00

Spirals are a common symbol for the sun, as well as for eternity, the cycles of life, or the passage of time. The idea for this treasury actually came to me 3 months ago at Winter Solstice, but I was doing other things and so the spiral treasury got pushed back to Equinox. The timing feels appropriate up here in Alaska though, because we are just now beginning to see the first hints of spring. The long dark of winter has gone, and the long light of summer is coming.

(as always, click a photo to see the listing)

Sunshine and Spirals
(they just make me feel all springy!)

I love these triple-spiral buttons.
Triple spirals, also called triskele, are common in ancient Celtic designs, and are thought to represent a variety of things, including fertility (the months of pregnancy), the three realms (land, sea, sky), and several tri-fold Gods/Goddesses.

If one spiral is good and three is better, how about a dozen?!

Handmade glass beads ~ aren't they gorgeous? She makes several colors and I had a hard time picking which one to show here!

What a neat crochet dishcloth
(the listing is actually for the pattern, but the picture was too pretty to pass up)

Speaking of pretty pictures, these notecards capture some of the awesome spirals provided by nature!

Welcome Spring!!

Tuesday Tip: What's in a Name?

2009-03-17T10:45:00.000-07:00

Of course it's important to have a good product, and good photos can be very helpful in guiding potential customers to your shop, but another thing that grabs buyers' attention is a catchy title.

A year or so ago I made this diaper.
All black, inside, outside, velcro, etc...all black. I could have posted it as a "black diaper" but instead I posted it as a "Ninja Diaper" and what do you know, it got a LOT of views and sold quite quickly.

Recently I've been posting a lot of animal-print fabrics for my "It's a Jungle Out There" collection. I could use titles like "Green Monkey Print Cloth Diaper" or "Leopard Print Diaper" but instead I'm using "Sweet Little Monkey" and "Tarzan Tushie" because they are more catchy. (C'mon, you know you want to see the Tarzan diaper, don't you?!)

A few weeks ago I posted about MagdaleneJewels and her valentines collection. She did a valentines collection with lots of red and hearts, but instead of naming things "Red Heart Necklace" or "Valentines Bracelet" she gave them names like "Juliet Necklace" or "Venus Bracelet." Much catchier, aren't they?

Have you ever seen a title that when you saw it you just had to go look at the listing? What was it? What are some of the best titles you've thought of in your own shop?

Featured EtsyBlogger of the month: DesignByNora

2009-03-13T11:02:00.000-07:00

This month's featured EtsyBlogger is Nora of DesignByNora. She blogs here.
I actually found Nora when I was a brand new member of the team. I was browsing through listings with the team tag (just trying to get to know my new teammates) and I stumbled across Nora's little flower stud earrings.

Aren't they precious?! She makes them in a variety of colors, but these are some of my favorites. She makes star studs as well, and this month (while shes the featured seller) she is offering free shipping on all her stud earrings, so right now is the time to get them!

Swirly Twirly Skirts

2009-03-12T06:15:00.000-07:00

I love skirts, but not all skirts. I like them long, and I like them full. Here are few I've drooled over lately: enough variety to keep me skirted in every season!

(click photos to see listings)

Recycled fabrics and a swirly design from LovePeaceAndDye

Eco-friendly hemp from JenniferJoyCreations

Satin Circle Skirts (with a very unique yoke) from VigilanteLabs

Earthy Twirly Paneled A-line from GBella

Hand-dyed silk in a full circle from RoundAboutDancewear

Now if only I could afford them all!

Wild Thing, You Make My Heart Sing

2009-03-11T11:29:00.000-07:00

I mentioned that leopard print inspires me....
So I switched the machine to black thread yesterday and look at what I've just listed!

Velour-lined diaper with a side-snapping design (great for toddlers who have figured out how to undo velcro/snaps on the front!)

Nursing pads (because you know you wanted nursing pads to match your leopard-print bra!)

Pantiliners...because every woman deserves to to walk on the wild side

All of them are part of my "It's a Jungle Out There" promotion for March: Buy any item from the themed section (including all those shown above), and get 25% off another item in the store. See shop announcement for details.

Tuesday Tip: Reusing Item Descriptions for Faster Listings

2009-03-10T09:16:00.000-07:00

Aside from actually creating the product, writing item descriptions can be one of the most time-consuming parts of being a seller on Etsy. This is a tip that won't work for everyone, but if you list a lot of similar items then take note!

I sell a lot of things that are similar. For example, I sell lots of cloth diapers--the diapers come in different sizes and fabrics, but every medium diaper has the same measurements as every other medium diaper, the washing instructions for one knitted hat are the same as the next, and the properties of cotton velour are the same whether I use it on a diaper or a menstrual pad. My teams are the same, no matter which item I'm listing (and I always try to list my my teams at the end of the description for the sake of searches).
SO, I write up the description in a word document, and then I just copy and paste the parts I need for each listing. It saves me a lot of time when making listings. Click, click, click, and voila, the description is written and ready to go.
The only thing that is faster is when I use the 'relist' feature to list a new item that is very similar to an old item. I can make little edits to the title or description, but then I only have to change a few tags rather than re-typing all of them, and then just change out the photos. Easy peasy!

I don't pretend to be an expert on anything, but if there is an etsy-related topic that you are curious about or would like a tip on, please let me know in the comments and I will try to address it in a future tuesday tip!

Kreativ Time

2009-03-09T10:23:00.000-07:00

Well, I've been nominated for this twice now, so I guess I'd best get on the ball about it, eh?

TiLT and Heathen's Hearth both nominated me as a "creative blogger" (yeah, one who just can't stand the misspelling, being a former English teacher and all) ☺

The amusing thing is that each tag came with different rules. One said I should just tag 7 new people, but the other said to list 7 of my favorite things and then tag 7 people...well, as usual, I'm going to do this my own way.

SO, I'm going to list off 7 things the feed my creative inspiration!

My family. So much of what I create is developed because I see a need and then make something to fill it...and then I end up making more to sell.
A love of pretty things. I know it's just a diaper, but it might as well look good, right?
Leopard Print. Need we say more?!
Getting orders in the mail. Whether it's new fabric or something I purchased from another crafter, seeing new stuff always gets me in a crafty mood.
My customers. Every time someone tells me they love what I made, it inspires me to go make more.
The income. Sorry if that's lame, but honestly every time I make a sale I think whoa, that was fun, I want to do that again!
My teams. I love browsing through the blogs or shops of my teammates and seeing the awesome things they have made.

As for the 7 people I'm tagging...
If you like doing this kind of thing, consider yourself tagged, please! I have no idea which of my friends have already been tagged on this, and I'm not going to name folks who aren't going to want to do it, so if you don't want to do it, you are not tagged, but if you DO like memes, then by all means, I tag YOU!!

I got featured today!

2009-03-08T17:53:00.000-07:00

Ms Moo of SpottedCowSoaps (a fellow EtsyBlogger) is expecting her first grandchild any day now, so she made a baby-themed treasury this morning, and I'm in it! yay!!
You can click here to see it.
(The red diaper in the bottom right corner is mine)

Checking In...

2009-03-07T10:36:00.000-08:00

It's EtsyBlogger carnival time again!
Here is the topic for this month:
We are already on March!! What have you accomplished this year in real life or on Etsy?? Have you followed your New Year's resolutions? What are your plans for the rest of 2009?

(My goals are listed there on the left sidebar)

Well, I got the new designs for my shop banners and blog, woohoo! I love them so much! And PolkaDotPixels was SO great to work with. When I was struggling with figuring out how to do the text for all my little sidebar bees, she offered to just do it for me! I gratefully accepted (although I insisted on paying her for it) and I just get all happy inside every time I see my awesome blog!

My goal of making/posting two items every week has been a little sporadic...I've made enough items total to match the weeks in the year, but there was one week that I posted a dozen things and other weeks I haven't done any... I've had several large custom orders though so if I count those in them I'm doing a bit better.

I'm off to a good start on introducing new products, and if my sales thus far are indicative of how the year will go, then I think I'm set for earning more than last year. ☺

Something I had not specifically made a plan of, but which is going well (so far) is that I joined entrecard. It's certainly brought a lot of traffic to my site, and while I don't know yet if any of my sales are a direct product of it, it has been a lot of fun.

As for my ongoing plans, well, we will be moving this summer, so I'll have to take at least a couple of weeks off for that, and I've just learned that I'm expecting a baby in November, so I probably won't be getting in on any holiday selling this year. Between those two things, my main goals are to use up stock/materials that I have on hand (so that I don't have to pack as much stuff when we move), and also to try take full advantage of sales and promotions that my teams are doing early in the year, so that I can make sales now and it will be ok to close for a while when I take my maternity leave!

Speedy Little Monkeys!!

2009-03-06T22:20:00.000-08:00

This morning I sewed up a pair of these little newborn diapers to go along with the EtsyClothDiaper team's "It's a Jungle Out There" theme for March.
This afternoon I listed them in my shop.
Tonight they were sold, just like that (along with another diaper duo!)

Wow, I wish more items sold that fast!

I have a few other themed items in stock, and there are a dozen more on my sewing desk just waiting for me to finish them up and get them listed. Buy any item from the theme of the month section in my shop and get another item (equal or lessor value) for 25% off! The themes change monthly, so get them while the getting's hot! (click on the pictures below to see the listings)

Friday Feature: MopeyCantSwim

2009-03-06T09:43:00.000-08:00

Last weekend in chat I met the owner of the darling little shop Mopey Can't Swim. Since I live literally within feet of the ocean, I was enchanted by the little plushie toys that fill this shop:

"What is a Mopey, you ask? A Mopey is a type a starfish! They are fuzzy, cute, and affectionate, but unfortunately they cannot swim. (That's where you come in!) Since this little guy can't stay in the ocean, he would love for you to share your home with him!"

MCS has recently discovered some other little monsters, and will soon be introducing Mopeys in other sizes as well. MCS blogs here. ☺

Vikings!

2009-03-05T04:15:00.000-08:00

My husband is a viking at heart, so with him in mind, today it's a viking treasury!
(click photos to see item listings)

for baby vikings

for vikings who no longer put everything in their mouths
Thor's Hammer in cast pewter

for dirty vikings
Black celtic sandalwood soap (earthy, manly, and BLACK!)

for REALLY dirty vikings
Pine Tar Soap (the vikings used it for their ships, why not themselves?!)

for intellectual vikings
Norse Runes chessboard

for naked vikings
(cuz you know you want this t-shirt too!)

Knitting a Stretchy Bind-off

2009-03-04T07:57:00.000-08:00

I recently finished knitting my first project that required a bind-off. Don't laugh, all my prior projects had been hats which just decrease away to nothing!! But I made a sweater for my toddler, and so I not only needed a bind-off, but I needed something that would be a bit stretchy. I googled around a bit and found this fabulous tutorial for a stretchy bind-off (I love WoolyWonder.com!) I found several sites that explained it, but this was the only one with pictures good enough that I could actually understand what was going on!!
And the sweater may be imperfect (it's my first one) but the bind-off came out great! And it is VERY stretchy! (My son loves the sweater, especially the pocket. He would wear it every day if I let him)

(yes, I swear he IS wearing a diaper in this photo, LOL!)

Tuesday Tip: Speedy Dropping for Entrecard

2009-03-03T09:04:00.000-08:00

A couple of weeks ago I posted a tuesday tip about using entrecard to promote your blog (and therefore your shop). Today I want to revisit that topic by talking about some add-ons that can help you use entrecard efficiently.
Obviously it can be quite a slow process to open blog after blog and drop entrecards, even if you know which ones have the card! Here are a few tips that can speed things up.

(Thanks to this blog post for a lot of this help! And thanks to Unique Commodities for giving me the link in the first place!)

1) Use firefox. Download the 'no-script' add-on (which will block a lot of sidebar content and allow pages to load faster). You will need to configure noscript to enable entrecard content for this to work--see this page and this page for details on how to do this (it's not hard). This page also has some helpful screenshots.☺

2) When you visit a site that you want to drop on regularly, mark it as a favorite. (Click on the 'E' on their card and it will take you directly to their entrecard profile. On the right side of the profile is a box with options including "mark as favorite.") I mark fellow etsians because that is who I advertise, and usually who I place my ads with.

3) Look in your inbox (in your entrecard account) and see who is dropping on you. Return the favor and drop back on them! If you like the site, add them to your favorites.

4) If you join a ring, they usually have a homepage where you can click one button and it will open up a row of tabs with new sites...this is a nice way to find new favorites if you don't know where to start. Here are a few of those pages I have found/used: Arts/Crafts/Fashion/Hobbies links ~ LivingBotanical ~ The Entrecard Credit Generator (this one isn't choosy about site content like the others are, but it can get you a lot of drops)

5) Download the entrecard toolbar (which also requires firefox). Once it is up on your browser, you can login or switch between cards (if you have more than one) with one click. When you are ready to go dropping, you can select for it to open 10 pages (in tabs) selected from your favorites or from whichever category you choose. With many pages at once plus the no-script to help them load quickly, you can drop drop drop and be on your way!

6) Make sure you have good virus/malware blockers. A lot of them sneak in via scripts, so blocking scripts can help, but especially since you will be hopping around to lots of unfamiliar sites, it's important to have good protection! (That first blog post has some links to good free programs.)

A note about why you want to drop on the same pages over and over: because then you can be a top dropper, get listed on other peoples blogs, and get more traffic!!!
And you get credits for dropping. Lots and lots and lots of credits. Up to 300/day!

Where to buy diaper/pad materials

2009-03-02T14:33:00.000-08:00

A while ago I posted about the various kinds of diaper/pad making materials, but didn't go much into where to get them. So today I'm going to remedy that!
(I will update this post if/when I find new sources)

There are two main sources for getting materials (unless you are ordering hundreds of yards and can afford to order directly from the manufacturer): online retail shops, and co-ops.

Retail shops have things in stock, and will send it to you right away. Selection varies by shop, but I'm usually able to find one shop that has everything I need (although it's not always the same shop as last time). The downside is that they sell at retail prices. However, if you're just getting a few yards of something, I think this is the way to go.
Online Co-ops are formed when groups of buyers get together to purchase fabrics in bulk at wholesale price (usually around 60% of retail). It is typical for an order to take 2-6months, depending on the size of the order and the efficiency of the co-op leader. Be aware that when ordering through a co-op, you will usually also pay cut fees (about $1/5 yards, to cover the leader’s time to sort/ship your fabric), as well as paying your portion shipping to the leader, and then shipping to you. I find that co-ops are cheaper if I want over 5 yards of fabric, and don’t mind waiting a while.

Some abbreviations:
DC = Diaper cut (enough fabric to make one diaper). Usually about 20x20 inches. Please note that not all diaper patterns will quite fit on this size of cut!
FOE = fold over elastic
MM = maldon mills (the best microfleece and fleece)
PUL = polyurithane laminate. It's made by fabrite and they require a minimum order of 50 yards per color. (There is an off-brand PUL with fewer and slightly different colors but it seems to be equal quality and is cheaper.)
OBV = organic bamboo velour

Types of elastic:
polybraid = traditional looking white elastic (hereafter referred to as 'elastic')
lastin = clear plastic elastic, commonly seen in swimwear--popular because it's supposed to last a long time
FOE = used to elasticize and bind in one step. There are two types--one is narrow, one is wider and soft ('plush') The wider one costs a little more but is much better. Available in many colors and even prints.

Types of closures:
touchtape = hook/loop ('velcro'), available in many colors, very strong, inexpensive, a little stiff
aplix = another hook/loop option, softer and more expensive than touchtape, available only in white.
resin snaps = these come in two forms, and require a press or special snap pliers to apply. There are two types "KAM" and something else that's not KAM. KAM is more widely available. Both types look about the same, but it's generally agreed that they are not compatible.

Shop	Fabric	Notions
Kids in the Garden http://kidsinthegarden.com/shop/ monthly sales on selected items	1ml PUL (by the yard, inch, or DC) in prints and solids, microfleece, microfiber, suedecloth, organic hemp, organic bamboo	touchtape, FOE, elastic, size tags, threads, needles, patterns
Very Baby http://verybaby.com/	1ml PUL (yard), flannel, birdseye, terry, jersey, cotton velour, hemp knit, microfiber, wool jersey & interlock, some organics	touchtape, aplix, FOE, elastic, lastin, threads, needles, size tags, snap press & snaps (non-KAM), patterns
Celtic Cloths http://www.celticclothswholesale.com offers full rolls at discount	2 ml PUL (yard or DC), hemp, bamboo, cotton, suedecloth, organics, microfiber	touchtape, aplix, elastic, FOE (all by the inch) size tags
Sew Many Diapers http://sewmanydiapers.com/ seems to be sold out of many items	Sandwich PUL, cotton velour, flannel, sherpa, birdseye, microfiber, hemp fleece, bamboo fleece & velour	FOE, elastic, lasting, KAM snaps, size labels, some touchtape, thread, patterns
FOE Your Diaper http://www.foeyourdiaper.com	FOE (wide variety of colors/prints, the good soft stuff)	FOE (solid or print), matching thread
WAHM Supply http://wahmsupply.com/shop/	Suedecloth, PUL (yard or DC)	touchtape
Wazoodle http://www.wazoodle.com/ very user friendly site very good prices	Everything I’ve ever heard of, both regular and organics, in lots of colors and prints including camo!	Here again, everything (snaps are KAM brand)
Sew Shoppe http://www.sewshoppe.com/	1 and 2ml PUL, flannel, french terry, cotton velour & interlock, bamboo velour & fleece, sherpa, wool, minkee, MM fleece,	Patterns, wool wash, rotary cutters
SewZanne’s Fabrics http://www.sewzannesfabrics.com/	1 & 2ml PUL, hemp fleece & jersey, cotton velour, flannel, Lots of NON-diaper stuff too.	FOE, elastic, lasting, aplix, needles, non-snap-press snaps (may not be good for dipes)
The Fabric Fairy http://www.thefabricfairy.com/	Organics, bamboo, hemp, fleece, sherpa, velour (lots of NON diaper fabric too though) Also DCs	Size tags (this elastic is not appropriate for diapers)

Co-op	Items offered (varies)	Notes
Cloth Thoughts http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ClothThoughts/	Sherpa, cotton velour, MM microfleece, lastin, touchtape	Speed is the goal—4-6wk turnaround maximum LOVE IT
PUL Purchase Power http://groups.yahoo.com/group/PULPurchasePower/	1ml and 2ml PUL (5-6 colors at a time, rotating each month)	Fine (some delays if colors don’t fill)
Fantastic Flannels http://groups.yahoo.com/group/fantasticflannels/	Cotton velour, microfleece, flannel, PUL, maxilock thread	Good
This-End-Up http://groups.yahoo.com/group/This-End-Up/	Velour, hemp, FOE, sherpa, terry, bamboo, PUL, elastics, wools, designer fabrics, etc	I’ve found this one to be very slow and pricy on shipping
Notion Supply http://groups.yahoo.com/group/notionsupply/	KAM snap presses, KAM snaps, size labels, some other notions	Ships from china, but is GREAT
Crazee Creations http://groups.yahoo.com/group/crazee_creations/	Variety of fabrics	No personal experience
Diaper Fabrics Coop http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Diaperfabricscoop/	MM microfleece, aplix, elastic, PUL, organic cotton, gutterman thread, organic velour, scissors/cutters,	no personal experience
Stork Preorders http://groups.yahoo.com/group/storkpreorders	Hemp, other diaper making supplies (not specific in announcement)	no personal experience
Momufactured Deals http://groups.yahoo.com/group/MomufacturedDeals/	Killington flannel, OBV, etc	no personal experience

Guest posting on Eco Etsy Blog today

2009-03-01T10:00:00.000-08:00

I wrote a guest post "eco tip" for Team Eco Etsy about cloth diapering, and they posted it this morning.

When I was a kid my mom used cloth diapers. They were huge things that had to be folded, pinned, and covered with plastic pants. After they were used they had to be dunked and swished in the toilet, then put into a pail with water and bleach...the whole process was disgusting, and I swore I would be using disposables when I had children of my own.

But there have been some remarkable advancements in cloth diapers since then...

Click here to read the rest of the post.

Weekend Purchase

2009-02-28T20:39:00.000-08:00

I just got these two stamps from Terbear Collectables:

I've been using recycled packaging for ages, and in the past I've used stickers to brighten things up, but I'm running out of stickers, and this is greener anyway!

And, well, I just needed this one--ah, my brown paper packages will be plain no more!

February Top Droppers

2009-02-28T19:53:00.000-08:00

Many thanks to my entrecard top droppers for February! I apologize I have not been a very good dropper this month (my Hubby had my laptop on a business trip, so I was without my entrecard toolbar and that makes it hard to do much dropping!)

Stroll Through Storyland ~ unique jewelry for individuals ~ Story has dropped on me EVERY DAY!! Thank you!
NICO Designs ~ small business, handbags, and going green
Altered Events ~ Unique Costume Fantasy Accessories
Rose Works Jewelry Blog ~ Beautiful Things for Beautiful Women
Spotted Cow Soaps ~ Handcrafted Soaps & Toiletries
Lenox Knits ~ a knitter and a handmade advocate
One ~ We only have One Earth, One Life and One Chance ~ a fellow ecocarder, as you might guess!
You've Got Maille ~ Unique Chainmaille & Wire
Beaded Tail ~ making tails wag one bead at a time! ~ all sales benefit animal charities
Three Fates Design - Beaded Jewelry ~ Handmade Beaded Jewelry and Lampwork Beads

So entrecarders, run drop on my friends today! Who knows, maybe one of them will be on your top dropper list for next month!

Cow Island

2009-02-27T06:39:00.000-08:00

This week I was hanging out in Etsy Chat and met a gentleman named Steve who is the artist behind Cow Island. I went to take a look at the shop, and as soon as I read the announcement I started laughing. Why? Well, here is CowIsland's shop announcement:

So what's with all these cartoon cows? Well they were living in my head and it was getting crowded. So I gave them their own Island and left them there. Then they pointed out that they kept having adventures and people might want to know about them. So now they write a blog, six days a week, and I draw a picture for them.

Just between ourselves, he adds in his profile, ...this was all their idea.

The item descriptions are as funny as the shop announcement ("...Why? I only draw these things, don't look to me for answers!")
The cows even have their own myspace page (that's where they blog--and they are SO funny!) Honestly I'm greatly tempted to just keep copying and pasting quotes from them ("We are six cartoon cows. We live on an island. It's called Cow Island and it's ours and we don't have a mortgage,") except if I keep doing that then I won't have any space left to show you what's in the shop! And you must see what's in the shop:

Etsy: Your place to buy & sell all things handmade
CowIsland.etsy.com

So go visit Cow Island on Etsy!

Alaskan Etsians

2009-02-26T06:32:00.000-08:00

This week I've decided to feature some fellow Alaskans. There are many others of course, but these are a few whom I've befriended in etsy chat or whose shops really jumped out at me. ☺
(click the photos to see the listings)

fun and funky dog collars, leashes, and even 2-dog leashes from AlaskaLeash

"Arctic Berry" roving from NorthernLightsFiberCo

cozy blankets from CootiePants

handmade jewelry from CelticRavenz

very original notecards from SmackofJellyfish, who offers a series of blank notecards printed with the collective nouns of 26 animals, one for each letter of the alphabet (and also some fun snarky cards with missives such as "I hope you get hit by a truck")

Shop Alaskan!

Tuesday Tip: Taking Good Photos

2009-02-24T01:35:00.000-08:00

I am no expert in this, but I recently found a post on another blog that has LOTS of information about how to take good photos--along with examples of the results of each method.
so here it is: LiciaPots Licia Beads Licia Knits: ooo, nice pictures--how do you do that?

Her tips:

know your camera (and what settings it offers)
use natural light (or a camera setting that adjusts for indoor lighting)
pay attention to the white scale
pay attention to focus
use a solid, lint-free background
avoid extra props (they are distracting)
edit as necessary to have a good photo
show your item in use (wearing a necklace for example--obviously this doesn't work for all items, but for my diaper listings I often include a picture of my son wearing a diaper of the same style, so they can get an idea of the fit)

My own tips to add:

use all 5 of the photo slots
Make every shot different--at least one full item, one close-up of some detail, one that is 'interesting' (a unique angle or fun prop)
remember that the first photo needs to catch attention, not necessarily show everything. So pay attention to the order of the photos as well.

Girly Pockets for Shepremiers

2009-02-17T10:20:00.000-08:00

I have just finished sewing up some adorable girly pocket diapers for shepremiers. She wanted them with stay-dry inners, but I was low on microfleece so we did a little microfleece, some suedecloth, and one with velour (which is not a true 'wicking' fabric, but the pile/fuzz helps the baby feel dry even when they aren't).

pink PUL, lavender cotton velour, purple snaps
yellow PUL, green suedecloth, white snaps with pin embossing
pink PUL, black suedecloth, black snaps
red PUL, white microfleece, pink snaps with pin embossing

Here is a closeup of the embossing that is on the snaps of two diapers, (I LOVE those embossed snaps!)
And at the right here is a picture demonstrating how pocket diapers work (the absorbent core is removable, so when it's put together the diaper is easy to use, but everything comes apart for thorough washing, and it's also possible to put in double inserts for extra absorbency such as at night).

Special Sellers on Etsy

2009-02-15T00:03:00.000-08:00

Recently I have felt moved to post about some very special sellers on Etsy: sellers who are making items for those with special needs.

(click on any picture to see the item listing)

I met Suzanne of Suzannes Special Kids about a year ago when I joined the cloth diaper team. She has two children with special needs: one has aspergers and the other has medical conditions that keep him in a wheelchair, require him to use a g-tube (for feeding directly into the stomach), and have left him needing diapers well past toddlerhood. She decided that her son deserved to wear cloth for as long as he needed them, so she makes cloth diapers all the way up to adult sizes. "We wear cloth undies," she explains, "so why shouldn't our special family members?!" She labels them as "absorbent underwear" and offers many of them in pull-on styles because, as she points out, "disabled people aren't babies. They are simply differently-abled." She's adapted her patterns to be higher in the back so that kids who get around by scooting will still be coverd in back, and she also makes weighted blankets and cloth g-tube pads.

Linda at FashionGreenTBags, a fellow member of Team Eco Etsy recently shared this story and new item with me:
I met an amazing woman at a wedding recently. We chatted the usual "wedding chat" (We'd never met until then.) She has an older teenaged son who needs to wear bibs when he goes out to eat but finding bibs that are not "babyish" has been a challenge for this mom. So Linda designed the "Digni-bib" which is "a dignified way to keep clothing clean but look like a shirt while doing so."

It blends in by looking like regular clothing, and doesn't call attention to the wearer or their special needs. She upcycles them from shirts, and is working on refining the design to add a liquid barrier on the back side. I have seen other adult sized bibs, but this is the first that doesn't scream "BIB," and I have to agree that that is a wonderful and dignified thing! (Apparently other people think so too, because she's only had time to make one so far, and it has already sold! But don't worry, she told me she's already gone shopping to get a lot more shirts!)

There are other etsians working hard to fill the needs of our differently-abled friends and family members.
TheSensoryShoppe makes custom weighted blankets and lap pads--both of which are helpful for those who have sensory issues (the weight gives them input and helps them calm down and focus).
AKayCreations make custom wheelchair bags, and they sure look roomy and sturdy to me!
Astrid, owner of SafetyThird, has a son who has Down's Syndrome, so she carries a variety of products inspired by him. He models for many of her listings (like this one). In addition to the awareness shirts shown below (Down's Syndrome aka Trisomy 21= a third chromosome on the 21st pair), she also offers onesies up to size 4, since special needs kids often potty train at an older age.
and RockNBauble carries a selection of awareness jewelry, such as this autism awareness necklace. Because one of the most important things we can do to help those with special needs is to learn to understand them. ☺

EtsyBlogger of the Month: DonnaPool

2009-02-13T10:57:00.000-08:00

Meet this month's EtsyBlogger of the month: DonnaPool! (She also blogs, of course!)
Her shop has a lot of funky vintage stuff, which is not so much my cup of tea...but she also has some awesome keychains, fridge magnets, buttons, and super-adorable hand-stiched flannel teddy bears (see above), so I thought I'd share a few of those!

First of all, as a cat-lover herself, Donna has items to fulfill the wishes of your favorite cat-lover

Ahh, now that's just what I've been looking for!

And how can you not need one of these. I mean, really?!

♥
Happy Valentine's Day!

I ♥ EtsyBloggers

2009-02-12T10:19:00.000-08:00

Today (with more Valentine-y love running around) I'm featuring some of my EtsyBloggers teammates!
(as always, click the picture to see the listing)

AKeepersJackpot presents these lovely (sparkly!) sculpted polymer clay earrings

III Rexes Jewelry makes this awesome sterling silver/22k gold ring

StoryBeader offers this sweet keychain

and StormyDesigns pairs handmade hearts with dragonflies for this bracelet

I ♥ TeamEcoEtsy

2009-02-11T06:41:00.000-08:00

Since it's Valentines this week, I thought I'd celebrate the season of love by featuring some of my EcoEtsy teammates!
(as always, click the picture to see the listing)

A carved stone necklace from SteppingStones

I ♥ Recycling fridge magnet from earthlore, made with recycled cardboard!

Happy Valentines Day cloth pads from LilBees
(yes, I totally featured one of my own items...I do that occasionally!)

"Love is Everywhere" (hearts in nature)
featured on notecards by HeartOfNature

and LakeErieBeachGlass presents these delicate earrings, made with tiny pieces of found sea glass!

CPSIA Updates...

2009-02-10T17:03:00.000-08:00

Quoting from the new Storque article, published today:

Q. Do I need to have my goods tested by a third party testing facility?

At this point, manufacturers do not need to have third party testing or lead-free certification for their products, but are liable if their products contain more than the legal limit of lead or phthalates. This remains the case until February 10th, 2010. We are not yet sure what will happen one year from now. (Keep the pressure on!)

Q. Ok, I understand that my products do not need to have third party testing or certification at this point, but I know that I am also still liable. I want to make sure my items are safe for children because this is the right thing to do! How can I assure that my products do not have lead in them?

A.

Work in materials that you know are lead free.
Avoid zippers and other fasteners that may contain lead. Instead, use wood buttons or other natural materials.
Look to less expensive home testing technologies, especially XRF. Pool resources with other sellers in your area and test together to save money.

Q. What materials are recognized as lead-free by the CPSC?

The following materials are known by the CPSC to be inherently lead-free or are exempt, and can be used in their untreated/unpainted state without any risk of sanction or penalties by the Commission.

Precious gemstones: diamond, ruby, sapphire or emeralds
Semiprecious stones provided that the mineral or material is not based on lead and is not associated with any mineral based on lead
Natural or cultured pearls
Wood
Other natural materials including coral, amber, feathers, fur, and untreated leather
Surgical steel
Gold, of at least 10 karats
Silver, at least 925/1000 pure
Platinum, palladium, rhodium, osmium, iridium, and ruthenium
Yarn, dyed or undyed
Dyed or undyed textiles (cotton, wool, hemp, nylon, etc.), including children’s fabric products, such as baby blankets, and non‐metallic thread and trim. This does not include products that have rhinestones or other ornaments that may contain lead or that have fasteners with possible lead content (such as buttons, metal snaps, zippers or grommets).
Children’s books printed after 1985 that are conventionally printed and intended to be read, as opposed to used for play
Certain educational materials, such as chemistry sets

The Commission has also provided limited exclusions for products containing component parts that contain lead in excess of the 600ppm limit, specifically:

Components that are not accessible, that is cannot be reached by a small child’s finger or tongue. Paint and other coatings or electroplating are not considered barriers that make a component inaccessible.
Components of electronics devices intended for children that cannot be made inaccessible and cannot currently be made with a lead level that meets the limit.

All textiles are inherently lead-free, and I do not use any metal components. While I have not yet been able to verify the safety of my elastic (it's lead-free but may contain phthalates), it is completely contained inside the diapers, and therefore I believe falls under the 'inaccessible' clause.
If you have concerns about any of my products or materials, please feel free to contact me, or to refer to my compliance information post. ☺

Tuesday Tip: Entrecard

2009-02-10T08:48:00.000-08:00

I've recently been introduced to the world of entrecard...I'm not sure how I found it or why I tried it...but somebody had it on their blog and I thought I'd give it a whirl. I vaguely remember that they mentioned in their blog post that they got a lot of traffic from it...well, I've had mine for just a couple of weeks now and already I have to say that YES, I get a LOT of traffic from it! More than twitter, more than facebook, more than them both combined actually!

So, what is entrecard? Well, it's something like an electronic business card and an ad rolled into one.
See there on the left sidebar? That's my card spot. If you have entrecard, you can 'drop' on my spot to let me know you were here. You can do that once a day, every day. Every time you drop, you earn entrecard points.
Every time someone drops on you, you can see who it was--and you have the option to bookmark them (within your entrecard account), to drop on their site, etc.
You can't see my actual card on my own site, what you see is someone elses card that I have agreed to display today--they have paid entrecard credits to advertise with me. Depending how many drops I get in a day, the cost to advertise with me varies--higher for more drops. It's more expensive to advertise on a blog that gets a lot of traffic...but then again, it's all entrecard points, which are free.
Actually, you can also buy entrecard points for cash if you want to--I'm not messing with that at this point though. I'm focusing on dropping. ☺
So where is my card? Well, I drop it on other people of course (and they can see who has dropped on them, and hopefully will come back to visit me and drop their card for me), but also I can place ads with other people. I can browse through entrecard and choose who I want to place my ad with. Some sites cost just a few credits, some cost over 400...it just depends on how busy the site is. Once I choose someone, they get a message saying that I've applied to advertise on their site. They then approve or decline my ad--if they decline, then I can take my credits and go elsewhere. If they approve me, then my ad shows on their site for one day (24 hours). Of course the same applies in reverse--if someone wants to advertise with me, I have the choice to accept or decline them. That's nice because it means that I never have to allow content that I don't want on my site.
I also get credits every time someone clicks on my ad (on someone elses site), every time I feature someone elses ad on my site, and every time I make a blog post!

A tip about using entrecard--put your card near the top of your page. That way it will load first--if you have a lot of stuff on your page, other people may not see the card, or may not wait long enough for it to load (especially if they have a slower connection). If you put your card at the top of your page, they will see it, AND it will load so they will be able to drop on it!!!

Also, you might consider joining a ring (I joined the green ring with eco-conscience blogs, but there are a lot of rings--just look next to other people's cards and see what they've got, then click the link!)

Click here to see my tuesday tip about speedy dropping (or, how to earn a lot of credits fast!)

Friday Feature: MagdaleneJewels

2009-02-06T05:59:00.000-08:00

I found this fellow EtsyBlogger's shop this week, and she has such fabulous Valentines items that I simply had to feature her! I love that she has love-related names for them, such as Juliet and Venus--I always try to be clever with my listing titles but I pale next to this. I also think it's great that even with a cliche holiday like valentines, she has kept things fresh by using things like black hearts! Her jewelry speaks for itself, so rather than try to talk about it any more I am just posting pictures (I used the bigger photos for her mini so you can really see these pieces--they are so lovely!)
Go ahead, drool a bit, you know you want to!

Etsy: Your place to buy & sell all things handmade
MagdaleneJewels.etsy.com

Tuesday Tip: Increase your traffic

2009-02-03T14:16:00.000-08:00

This guy at TimothyAdamDesigns has lots of tips for increasing blog/shop traffic, so rather than try to tell you about them, I'll just send you over to his site. ☺

(I should give credit to Suzanne at Bliss Candles who linked him from her post, and that's how I found him in the first place!)

Perfect Bows Every Time

2009-02-02T15:39:00.000-08:00

This month for the EtsyBloggers carnival we were asked to share a tutorial about something. In the spirit of Valentines, I thought I'd share a tutorial of how to tie a perfect bow...so they will always look like this

Not like this

(It was easiest to do it with a video, so here goes!)

A CPSIA Victory!

2009-02-01T17:39:00.001-08:00

It's not complete, but it's definitely a step in the right direction! Look what etsy published on the storque this week!

"CPSA has voted for a "Stay of Enforcement of Certain Testing and Certification Requirements of CPSIA" — which means that they are proposing a 1 year suspension of the burden of lead testing and certification while they take more time to review the rules and plan enforcement! " [link]

I intend to continue pursuing component testing for my products, but I am relieved to know that I do not need to throw away any of my current stock. Textiles (which includes everything I make/sell) are inherently free from lead, so even though I do not have testing information about all of my materials yet, my customers can feel assured that my products are safe. ☺

Snowflakes

2009-01-29T13:40:00.000-08:00

Our snow had been melting, but this week we got another storm, so it's white everywhere again, and it's inspired me to do a treasury of snowflakes.

as always, each photo links to the listing

Urging Component Testing

2009-01-28T11:25:00.000-08:00

If you go here, you can fill in the blanks to urge our legislators to amend the law to require component testing rather than finished-product testing. I personally feel that this is a logical solution.
Here is what I wrote:

As a small-business owner at http://lilbees.etsy.com , I am doing my best to contact original manufacturers and ensure that the compents of my products have been tested. Many of these companies say that they are not making their material for children, so it's not their problem, and they are not testing. I beg to differ--a product such as elastic could be used in clothing for a person of any age! Testing is much easier at the earliest stages--if the elastic is safe, then it is safe for everyone. If it is not safe, then does anyone over 12 really want to be using it anyway?!

Adopting component level testing and certification would significantly strengthen the consumer product safety system and lead to cost effective compliance, especially for small businesses. I use the same few fabrics and supplies to make a variety of items--if I can know that all my supplies are safe, then I can know that all of my cloth diapers are safe--even if I make different sizes or styles of diapers.
Do you realize that, as the law now stands, I can make two diapers out of the SAME PIECE of fabric, but if one is a size large and one is a size small then they are considered different products and subject to separate testing? That is illogical to the extreme. That is why I urge you to amend the law for component testing rather than final-product testing.

Component level testing and certification leads to a more sustainable product safety regime. With component testing, Safety can be engineered into children’s products from the beginning. The safest products are those designed with safe components and not those where safety is verified as an afterthought.

Tuesday Tip: It's in the Tag

2009-01-27T08:37:00.000-08:00

What's this tag thing anyway? I see there's space for 14 of them, but 14? How am I supposed to come up with 14 keywords about my item?

The default search option on etsy is to search "Item titles and tags," so that means that any word that appears in the title is already being searched, so you don't need to repeat it in your tags. But what should you put in your tags?

Additional words that describe your item: red, blue, squares, hearts, monkeys, strips
Words that describe who the item is for: baby, mother, boy, gender neutral
Words that describe purposes for the item: baby shower, bridal, wedding, stocking stuffer
Words that describe characteristics of the item: eco friendly, upcycled
Words that describe categories your item fits into: shabby chic, romantic, rustic
Team tags

I especially recommend using team tags, because many team members like to buy from and/or feature their teammates in treasuries, so if you use the team tag they will be able to find you! Most teams have a standard tag--if you are not sure what yours is, ask! Etsy has asked that teams use the word 'team' in their tag to make it clear that it is a team tag. As examples, here are the tags for some of my teams: 'mdc team' and 'etsybloggers team' and 'teamecoetsy'

Do your best to fill up all 14 tags, because every tag you use increases your chances of being found in a search! If you don't know what tags to use, try the critiques forum!

By the way, do not use a tag that does not apply specifically to your item. You can be flagged for doing so, and frankly it's just rude because then your non-applicable listing will turn up in other searches and annoy people who are looking for something else. For example, I am a member of the etsyclothdiapers team, but I do not use the diaper team tag for my non-diapering items--it just isn't appropriate.

CPSIA certificates of compliance

2009-01-26T09:44:00.000-08:00

So, beginning February 10th, I can continue to sell my products if I can show CPSIA compliance for each of my components (materials--fabric, snaps, etc). As of August I will have to have finished-item testing as well, and I cannot possibly do that, however I have high hopes that the law will be changed by then.
Here are a couple of helpful sources for other people looking for information about their supplies:

CPSIA Compliant Suppliers blog
It's possible to get individual MSDS (material data safety sheet)s here
Etsy forum thread where etsians are sharing their supplier testing info
TipTopSpot's blog post "Suppliers That Test" (compiled from the info on the etsy thread)

In the meantime, I am using this post as a place to post information about which materials I have certificates for, as well as the dates/test ID numbers. I can email you a copy of the actual certificate if you would like to see it.

I will continue to update this post as I acquire the certificates!
Please note that I am working on getting information for all my materials, but those items marked in red are the only ones that I actually use for children's products. I will not be listing diapers with anything for which I don't have testing info. I will continue to use untested materials on menstrual pads, nursing pads, wetbags, knit hats, and other adult-use items.

Fabrite 1ml PUL (nursing pads, most diapers and pads)
Test Date: December 11, 2008
Test ID: 081211-1 thru 081211-5

Fabrite 2ml PUL (wetbags, pads, and some diapers)
Test Date: December 11, 2008
Test ID: 081211-11 thru 081211-15

KAM resin snaps (pads and diapers)
Test Date: October 10, 2008
Test ID: SHAO 032340
Tester: TESTEX Zurich

Touchtape (aka velcro) (diapers)

Stretchrite Elastic (inside diapers)
Rhode Island Textile Company
PO Box 999
Pawtucket, RI 02862
Toll Free: (800) 556-6488
Email: ritextile@ritextile.com

FOE (fold-over-elastic) (wetbags)
manufacturer verifies it's lead-free

A&E Maxi-Lock thread (all products)
certificate of compliance from consumer.homepage@amefird.com
John Eapan sent the certificate (VP of Environmental, Health and Safety)

JoAnn Fabrics Cotton Flannel (pads, nursing pads, and fitted diapers)
all children's section fabrics have been tested--Bob Isman (personal email)
(this means juvenile prints are safe, as are many flannels...I'm continuing to look into this to make sure that my fabrics are within this group) More details available on their website http://www.joann.com

JoAnn Fabrics Polyester Fleece (nursing pads and pantyliners)
Apparently, each store has MSDS sheets for each fabric on file...How helpful these MSDS sheets will be I don't know, but I think they will say whether the fabric contains lead or not. I guess you have to go in in person and ask to see them
If you have your receipts look at the number next to the fabric. If it starts with a 4000, then you can call and get a sheet emailed or faxed to you. The number to call is: 1-800-451-8346
Polartec brand fleece IS tested...so that might be an alternative...

Cotton Velour (diapers and pads)

Suedecloth (diapers and pads)
lead-free according to manufacturer

Microfleece (diapers and pads)

PowderDry (diapers--particularly nighttime ones)

Undyed Hemp Fleece (diapers)

Undyed Cotton Sherpa (diapers)

Undyed Bamboo Velour (diapers and pads)

Hand-Dyed Bamboo Velour (pads only)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Knit Picks Wool Yarn (knitted items)

Enter my One World One Heart Giveaway!

2009-01-25T09:45:00.000-08:00

It's posted on my other blog--comments here will not count, so you have to go over there.

Here's what I'm giving!
A pink hearts cloth menstrual pad!
Pink because it's my favorite color
Something earth-friendly for the 'one world' part
And hearts for the 'one heart' part

I got blogged!

2009-01-24T23:22:00.000-08:00

Fellow EtsyBlogger Panoptica linked me this weekend in her blogosphere review (how cool is she?!)
Click the screenshot below to see her original post!

Green Dragon

2009-01-22T08:50:00.000-08:00

this is a close-up of the screen print that appears on the t-shirt that I got my husband for Christmas!

My husband's birthday is today (yes, we have a lot of January birthdays around here!) so I thought I'd do a treasury for him... you may recall that our sons are Wolf and Bear...well, they decided that daddy needed something too, so he became Daddy Dragon... His favorite color is green, so today's treasury is full of green dragons!
as always in my treasuries, sellers have given permission to use their photos, and each photo links to the item listing

OOAK (one-of-a-kind) carved jade necklace
"Water Dragon" by WhatNots

(This particular listing is for a pattern to make your own little green dragon...CUTE!
If the dragon itself were for sale it would be endangered by CPSIA)

this fridge magnet has my Hubby's name all over it...he loves cheese!

That's got to be one of the best coat racks I've ever seen

Even a cloth diaper (from a fellow member of the EtsyClothDiapers team!)
This item is endangered by CPSIA

Tuesday Tip: Google Analytics for your Etsy Shop

2009-01-20T09:49:00.000-08:00

Yes, that's right, you can now utilize google analytics for your etsy shop! You can see what routes people are taking in to your shop (ie, how they are finding you), and which items they spend the most time looking at. Neato!
I could write out the process of getting set up (it's pretty simple, especially if you already have google analytics set up), but somebody else already posted the directions, so I decided I'd just direct you to him instead. ☺
That same blogger (TimothyAdamDesigns) also has a great little article about how to use google analytics to discover what times of day you are getting the most traffic, so that you can make listings/relistings and do your promoting at the time of day that will be most beneficial for you!

If you don't want to watch his video, here's the short version:
Assuming you have google analytics already set up, add your etsy url as a new site. Then it will give you a little alpha-numeric code. Copy that code...
Go to your 'my etsy' page, and look on the left-side menu near the bottom. It now has the option of 'web analytics.' Just open that link, and paste your google analytics code into the provided space.
Voila, you're ready to go!

Goodies for ME!

2009-01-19T14:30:00.000-08:00

Remember the OBV pads I posted the other day? Well, I made them for a trade...and now you can see what I'm getting out of it: two fabulously awesome embroidered diapers! (well, actually one diaper and one cover) I'm so excited for them.
Thanks Sherry!

"Ai-pane" & "Hey-cock-er"

2009-01-19T10:31:00.000-08:00

That's how my 2year old son pronounces the names of the toys I got him for his birthday.
I found these darling wooden toys at Banished on etsy. (His name is because his wife banished him to the garage when he kept taking up her kitchen table to make the toys!) He started by making these things for his own five children (so they've had real-world testing!), and now he makes them for others. Both are plain wood, and polished with a mild, food-safe, mineral oil.

These are safe and wonderful toys, but both of these items are endangered by CPSIA. If you want to be able to get items like this for your children, contact your legislators--this battle is far from over!

Makeover!

2009-01-18T10:06:00.000-08:00

If you're a regular visitor here, then you have probably noticed some changes happening in the last few days. That's right, I've had a bloggy makeover! I hired Emily at PolkaDotPixels to create a new look for me.

She made me new banners/avatars for BOTH of my shops (go see them here and here!), and then created a blog layout that combined them. When she emailed me the images, she also sent a text document with wonderful, detailed, easy-to-follow directions for how to install all the blog features.
Not only are her prices very reasonable, but she cheerfully edited and re-edited and made tiny changes until I was completely satisfied. I ♥ all my new graphics! And if you're ever in the market for some design work, I highly recommend PolkaDotPixels!

DeebleDDo

2009-01-16T12:53:00.000-08:00

Your organic bamboo velour pads are ready!Sherry asked if I could make her some cloth menstrual pads out of scraps of her beautifully hand-dyed OBV. She wanted fleece backing rather than PUL, and I used the smaller pieces of OBV (rather than my usual flannel) to make the pockets.Bamboo is exquisitely soft, and these dyes are so pretty! (She even sent me some extra scraps, so be watching for some more of these at LilBees soon!)
I hope you love them Sherry!

Born Again Purses

2009-01-16T10:11:00.000-08:00

This Friday I'm featuring another seller that I met over the holidays in etsy chat: BornAgainPurses. Being the treehugger that I am, I love that these ladies take old wool sweaters, felt them, and turn them into purses, bags, cup-cozies, and mittens! They do their best to use every scrap of the sweater, and have some really cute things listed!
Check them out!

Etsy
Buy Handmade
BornAgainPurses

I've been blogged!

2009-01-16T09:54:00.003-08:00

I was featured today on Green Earth Journey, a blog that features eco-friendly artists! ♥ Go check out my interview! ☺

Brother Bear

2009-01-15T07:39:00.000-08:00

After showing off all those neat wolf listings a few weeks ago, I figured I should come back and show the bear stuff for my other son. ☺ (He'll be 2 years old tomorrow!)

all items shown with permission from the creators
~
all photos link to the item listing

(I love my Bear!)

(bear paw charms from BellaRylie)

(hand-carved wooden toys...CPSIA would make them a thing of the past)

(A whole new take on 'bear feet'!)
(both these booties and shoes will be banned by CPSIA)

Moks by Scandeez (she's got so many cute ones!)

(hey, was somebody peeking at my little bear? cuz he does this...)
☺

Finally some legal action

2009-01-13T15:00:00.000-08:00

A class action suit is being filed over CPSIA by those who make handmade childrens items. To join the suit, or just to get more information, go here.

Another plea

2009-01-12T17:30:00.000-08:00

to save handmade

http://shalomscottagehome.com/Assets/Special%20Graphics/save%20handmade_book.pdf

(I was not involved with the creation of this little book, but I think it's nicely done, and want to help it get out to the masses!)

January Featured EtsyBlogger: RoseWorksJewelry

2009-01-09T15:58:00.000-08:00

This month I have the pleasure of featuring Ruthie of RoseWorksJewelry. I'm extra excited to feature her because she featured me on her treasury blog way back when I was a brand new EtsyBlogger. So I kinda feel like she was my first EB friend. ☺ Her treasury blog was also my inspiration to start posting regular treasuries of my own! She also keeps a regular blog, of course, and the shop... She recently opened a brand new shop too: Kindred Spirit Treasures.
Ruthie lives and creates in western Washington--which is where I grew up. Once a Washingtonian, always a Washingtonian, you know? So even though I'm now in Alaska, we're sortof like neighbors. See, toldya I was excited to feature her!
The best way I know to show a sampling of someones stuff is to post their etsy mini, so here are Ruthie's:

Etsy
Buy Handmade
RoseWorksJewelry

Etsy
Buy Handmade
KSTreasures

Treasury of Sisters

2009-01-08T08:46:00.000-08:00

I have a sister who is 18 months younger than I am. Throughout childhood and most of our teen years we shared a bedroom. We were even roommates for a semester at college!
Today is her birthday, so I thought I'd share a treasury of sisterhood...

(photos link to listings)

This could have been us--
although my hair was curly, and she was never bald... ☺

scrabble pendant from HappyHaven

because I do

artwork by EmilyBalivet

artwork from KarenKayArtworks

and I am glad that WE are sisters K!

CPSIA's flaws blow the mind!

2009-01-07T11:38:00.000-08:00

I've got some more CPSIA links for you.
Here are a few consequences that I think the government forgot to consider...

Astronomy will be out of curriculum--telescopes cost too much to test ($24,050 each).
No more microscopes in schools--the light bulbs have lead in the solder point on the base.
Kindergarten is in trouble--over $6000 to test existing classroom materials per room. Special needs/accessible goods will be extra. Oh wait, aren't those required in all schools? Um...

(links courtesy of NationalBankruptcyDay)

Incidentally, if you didn't do it yet, here is a place where you can go to contact all your legislators at once. Yup, just write your message, then fill in your address, and the system will automatically find your congresspeople and send the email to them.
The form puts some default text at the beginning and end of your letter, but you can put whatever you want in the middle portion... here is what I wrote:

As your constituent (and someone who voted for you), I am writing with the hope that you will take this matter seriously, and work to edit this bill. As a mother I appreciate the concern for our children's safety, but this bill is badly written and MUST be changed. For economic and ecological reasons, I like to buy second-hand goods--CPSIA will end that. I like to support work-at-home-moms and small businesses--CPSIA will end that too.
I work part time from home as a seamstress, making childrens blankets, clothing, and cloth diapers which I sell on www.etsy.com. I will be put out of business by this legislation, because there is no way I can afford this testing. The legislation NEEDS to include exclusions for small businesses, and for second-hand goods.

I agree with the need to protect our consumers, and to make sure they know exactly what they are getting. I would be more than willing to attach tags to each of my items which read "As a small business, [this company] is excluded from CPSIA testing requirements. These items have not been tested for lead content or phthalates." My customers can then make an informed choice--are they willing to take a risk on me or do they prefer to stick with the big companies who can afford to prove that their items are safe. I suspect that millions of people--like myself--will be more than willing to continue to buy handmade and second-hand goods.

EtsyBlogger Carnivals

2009-01-05T17:42:00.000-08:00

So, every month the EtsyBloggers team has two carnivals--each member (eg: me) participates in one of them. So once a month my link gets published out there somewhere, and it (hypothetically) brings me traffic. In my first few months as a member of EB I didn't visit many other blogger's links, but what goes around comes around, so I figure if i want to invite the karma (and the traffic) then I should get out there!
I'm proud to announce that for this carnival, I visited every single post, and commented on at least 1/3 of them. ☺ I don't know how well I'll keep it up in future months, but I intend to at least try!

Wishing You a PEACEful New Year

2009-01-01T10:30:00.000-08:00

(as always, each photo links to the listing)

What better way to begin a new year than with a declaration of peace?!

in Sanskrit
Chinese
Hebrew
English
(yes, it's soap!)
and the universal symbol

My hope and prayer for 2009 is that more of us will seek to spread peace within the microcosm of our daily lives, and to promote it wherever we touch the larger world.

May Peace Prevail on Earth!

All we are saying is give peace a chance!
~John Lennon

Why you should care about CPSIA

2008-12-31T01:16:00.000-08:00

Unless you've been living in a cave somewhere, you've heard about the many toy recalls in the last year--toys made with lead-based paint or other hazardous materials or methods. Toys that were unsafe for our children. These recalls have led many parents to start thinking about what they buy for their children, and that has been GREAT for the handmade movement! After all, buying a handmade toy from a real person is bound to be safer than buying something machine-made in China, right?
Well, some of those same concerned parents talked to their legislators (which is good), and the legislators decided they should pass laws requiring better safety testing for all children's products (which also sounds good to me!). So they wrote the Consumer Products Safety Improvement Act, which requires lots of elaborate (and expensive) safety testing. Let me clarify this for you--as of Feb 10, 2009, each item I make for a child (say, a cloth diaper) must be tested by a third party. If I make a diaper with a different fabric, or a different size, or snaps instead of velcro, or even a different color of snaps, then it is considered a new item, and must also be tested. The testing costs $150-4000 per item. You see, they neglected to make an exception for handmade products, or (from what I understand) even for second-hand items. So that sweet little children's consignment shop down the street? Illegal. My etsy shop? Closed. Thousands of other small-time work-at-home-parents just like me? Out of business.

(clicking this image will take you to a site that is full of links and information--I highly recommend it!)

I want to clarify that I do not think this legislation is a bad idea! Not at all! I'm thrilled to see someone finally stepping in and insisting on safer products for our children! I just think that somebody needs to make some edits to the bill! ,I for one, would be completely happy to attach a card to each of my items that says "this product was made by hand and has not been tested for lead content or potential carcinogens." People who buy handmade products know what they are getting, and they are comfortable with it. They will not be deterred by a card like that, and yet I can clear myself of liability by stating that I did not do the fancy testing. It's a win-win solution, don't you think?

So what can you do?

Contact your senators and representatives and tell them that this legislation needs to be amended! Here is a sample letter (but please don't just cut and paste it, they pay more attention to the ones that are unique!) I hear they also pay more attention to letters than to emails, and more to phone calls than to letters...
Help spread the word by joining facebook groups, ning, twittering, and blogging about it!
Sign the petition at ipetitions
Sign the petition at change.org (the causes that get the most votes will be presented to President Obama)
Post widgets (like the ones in this post) on your blog or webpage.
Submit your endangered handmade items to Endangered Whimsy (submission info on the sidebar)

Here are some more links:
Open letter from Etsy about CPSIA
The Handmade Toy Alliance

Tuesday Tips: Make Connections

2008-12-30T03:25:00.000-08:00

A lot of etsians offer great products, yet their shops go unnoticed. This is the final entry in a six-week series of tuesday tips about ways to improve your etsy karma... These are ways I have found to get people into my shop. And the more people go through my shop, the more likely I am to make a sale!

It's all about the personal connections. Joining teams, giving hearts, chatting, and joining BNRs or other threads in the forums can all help you connect with other etsians. Obviously you can advertise on blogs and message boards, put your shop link in your email signature, or even send out newsletters, but this post is focusing specifically on making connections within etsy. ☺
Last Friday I posted a featured etsian whom I met in chat one night, and subsequently bought some soap from. There are dozens, even hundreds, of people selling soap on etsy--so why did I choose her? Because I was sitting there, talking with her; I mentioned that I thought one of her soaps was pretty, and she offered me a deal on it. And that was that!
If you don't know how to find the forums or the live chat, just go to the etsy community (the 'community' tab at the top of the etsy homepage).

Merry CHRISTmas

2008-12-25T04:23:00.000-08:00

As a Christian, I do want to share a very special treasury today: a treasury of nativities.
(click the photo to see the listing)

Happy Holidays!

2008-12-20T14:59:00.000-08:00

I will not be making my regular posts this week. Have some happy holidays with your loved ones, and I'll see you next week!

Stars and Lights of Hanukkah

2008-12-18T09:23:00.000-08:00

ceramic menorah

Hanukkah begins on Dec 21 at sundown, so I thought it would be appropriate to share a Judica/Hanukkah-themed treasury this week.
(as always, all photos link to the actual listing)

child's knitted scarf

kitchen towel

designer kippah

soaps!

charm bracelet

and for the little Jew in your life!

Tuesday Tips: Street Teams!

2008-12-16T11:27:00.000-08:00

Sorry this post is a day late going up! It's been a wild week. ☺

A lot of etsians offer great products, yet their shops go unnoticed. This is the fifth entry in a six-week series of tuesday tips about ways to improve your etsy karma... These are ways I have found to get people into my shop. And the more people go through my shop, the more likely I am to make a sale!

What is a street team? Oh I'm so glad you asked!!
A street team is a group of etsians who have something in common--location, type of craft (eg: jewelers or web designers), lifestyle (eg: religious groups or parents), business practices (eco-friendly), or shared market (eg: baby items or knitting supplies).
Different teams do different things and require different levels of involvment. Some teams will add you to their link list and that's all there is to it...other teams require regular participation in blog carnivals or posting to team threads. So be sure to read the team profile before joining, and make sure that 1--you are qualified to join, and 2--that you are willing to do whatever is required for that team.
Why be on a team? Well, one person can only advertise so many places, and can only make so many contacts...but twenty people can reach twenty times as many people and places, and eighty people can reach...well, you get the idea!
Additionally, many team members prefer to buy from their fellow team members if they can; they often will feature each other in treasuries and blogs; and, oh yeah, they just get to know each other, and give each other ♥s!!!

I am on several teams, so I thought I'd share a little about each one (see my sidebar for links!)

Etsy Cloth Diaper team (for etsians who sell cloth diapers). It's pretty self explanatory really! We all sell cloth diapers! We have a team blog and along with featuring our products, many of us are contributing to an ongoing series of posts with a wealth of cloth diapering information. We also have a separate website with and a team forum for members.
Mothering team (for members of mothering.com forums). Mothering.com is a natural parenting forum, so many of us have products that pertain to that group, however some of us carry mainstream items too. We have a blog and a yahoo group, and are currently working on doing a team banner ad on the mothering forums--expensive for one person, but affordable when shared by a whole team!
Team Eco Etsy (for etsians who are green in their business practices). I just joined this team this month, so I haven't had a chance to do much with them yet. I like that they have a lot of great ideas on the blog for how to run a greener business through things like recycled packaging and minimal paper usage.
EtsyBloggers (for etsians who blog). This team requires regular participation--at least two posts per month have to relate back to the team, and there are regular team threads, blog carnivals, featured members, and team-wide sales.There is a team message board and flickr group, as well as groups on facebook, twitter, ning, and a public blog.
the Alaskan Team (for any etsian in Alaska) goes in together to buy tables at craft fairs, but since I'm rural I have not been able to participate with them in any of that yet. So I'm listed as a team member (so other Alaskans can find a more 'local' seller and save on shipping), but otherwise it's a very laid back team.

Heathen's Hearth

2008-12-12T08:36:00.000-08:00

Hmm, it's been a soapy week!

A few weeks ago I was in the etsy chat, trying to promote my shop and make some personal connections with people... I was looking through the shops of the other chatters and found Heathen's Hearth. What a neat shop--and even more, what neat ladies running it! Misty and Amy run the shop and have a fun blog too. I'm actually not sure which of them I talked with on chat that night, but she helped me figure out which soaps would be perfect for my family with our skin types and scent preferences. For example, I really liked the look of "Yuletide" (which I posted in a treasury earlier this week), but upon discussion realized that it would be too strong a scent for me. So I got peppermint frosting instead...and oooo do I love the peppermint frosting! (It smells good enough to eat, really!)
She made a special custom listing for me with reduced shipping for my multi-soap order (so kind of her!) They also put in some cute little samples--not just little cuts, but darling molded mini-soaps! This is the kind of service that makes life-long customers. ☺
(just like with my treasuries, you can click on any picture to go see that specific listing)

This is Chocolate Mousse whipped body frosting (doesn't that just sound awesome!) It's shea butter lotion that's positively luxurious (on the blog she said she wanted to lick herself after putting some on!) If even the maker is that impressed, well, I'm sure you will be too! There's a whole series of body frostings

Here are a couple of other soaps from the shop: Lemongrass Thyme Goat's Milk soap and Blueberry Cobbler Creamy Goat's Milk Soap (with oatmeal! I adore oatmeal!)

And I just have to finish up with what I think may be the coolest soap I've ever ever seen: Christmas Candy!

Northern Lights

2008-12-11T14:38:00.000-08:00

Aurora Borealis necklace

As an Alaskan, the northern lights remind me of two things: the long dark nights, and the solstice (which of course signals the returning light). With the dark nights upon us, and solstice just around the corner, I thought I'd share a treasury of the Northern Lights...

(as always, click on the photo to see the listing!)

Aurora Beauty necklace

droplets stitch markers

Midnight Stars quilt

Northern Lights neon diaper duo
(yes, it's one of my own listings...but it's the reason I thought to do a Northern Lights treasury in the first place!)

Northern Lights earrings

felted scarf

In my searching, I found an artist who has numerous lovely paintings of the Aurora...so I wanted to make a special link right to his shop: Hayward Art
Here are a couple of my favorites of his pieces: