In the Workroom Recap : Week 233

Before work in the workroom started the week, I started with a trip to Chapters in Ancaster to check on my stock and see my new flipped around spot after the store reorganizing after Easter.

They're already almost in need of some more littles!  I had a few other restocks to finish before I get going on more for Chapters but I plan on stopping in this weekend to check in again. I'm excited they are doing well in such a big store surrounded by a bunch of manufactured plush. Go handmade!

Then, doodling...



I had a few more ideas for doodles this week and wanted to find a way to make use of them. The robot I made to use on my gift wrapping for a robot sale in the shop! I have some more ideas for printed items and tags floating around in my brain.





I'm really enjoying having an extra creative outlet within Needlings. Plus doodling is just fun. I've always done it anyway! My plush usually start out as doodles. 

So after the robot headed out to its future home, I decided to get some of these doodles framed and in the shop! I plan on having them at my next craft show in a couple weeks too!




I'll have to get a few more frames for the rest of them! It was fun to see these silly little drawings all printed out and framed.



Last, but not least, I got started on a batch of Owl Mamas for store number fifteen (!) for Needlings, Little Bird Hamilton, which is a very cute local kids shop.  I'll be dropping of a batch of goodies this coming Thursday which I'm excited about.  

In addition to finishing up and dropping off items at the new store, I'll be trying to get a head start on making enough stuff to fill my own table for my first craft show of the year on May 5th in Waterdown, Ontario!
Lots of stuff on the go as usual.

See you next week, friends.

In the Workroom Recap : Week 232

Hi guys!

I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday last weekend. I didn't take a long weekend away from work myself but still had some holiday fun and a few Easter treats in the midst of Needlings work.




Man, I love pastels! I think I love the look of mini eggs more than I love the taste (though they do taste pretty great). I love bright colours too of course but I've always loved pastels. I remember having some inner turmoil accepting the hypercolours and neons of the nineties after the pastels I enjoyed as a little one in the 80s. That's probably a strange thing for a kid to think about. No wonder. But seriously, it was an adjustment but I've learned to love most shades and strengths of colours now.

So back to work, I had a few things to mail on Tuesday once the holiday was out of the way and the post office re-opened their doors.  I finished up a few ninjas on Monday for an online order while finishing up work on the batch of Owl Mamas that will be sent to White Rabbit in Iowa City.


So off they went!
And then after stocking up on some more stuffing...
The owls were finished!


So these guys will be set aside for a minute as I work on a few more things. I had some tax paperwork to finish up and organize so I had a bit of an office job for a day before I got started on some cell phone sleeves. 
So many receipts...
(These ones are just from shipping things - I guess that's why I know everyone that works at my local post office now)
      
Exhilerating stuff! 

And then on to those cell sleeves to add to White Rabbit's restock batch...



I'm loving my worktable lately...which is really helping me keep it nice and tidy so I have plenty of workspace!

I also got around to some doodling...


And then back to work!


There we go! All finished! Just have to tag and price these and they'll be on their way to White Rabbit in Iowa City!

I have more store restocks to do this coming week and then a personal stock to do something about for my first craft show of the year on May 5th so I'm sure there will be lots of things on the worktable for the next few weeks!

In the Workroom Recap : Week 231

I left off at the end of last week having finished what I thought would be enough to fill up my Needlings shelf over at Chapters in Ancaster.  Well, I went in to check on things and realized I needed to make at least a few more things to fill it up again.  Not complaining, of course - it has been so exciting to see my little guys disappear from Chapters at they rate they have been.

So I whipped up a few more little Owlings...


First I dropped off the big ones:


And as I waited mid-week on the pricetags to get the rest of my little Owlings on the shelf, I worked on a few more things.

If you follow my facebook or flickr you may have noticed that I've been doodling more lately. I did a little Easter bunny card for a little girl who my mom, a nurse, cares for. This was a fun little aside for me so I guess I caught a bit of a doodle-bug in my brain.


Here are a few more I did this week:




I have a few plans hatching for the future but for now, sewing comes first!
So all that sillyness aside, I got back to the "serious business" and dropped the rest of the goodies off at Chapters (forgetting to bring my camera along) and started work on more. Back to work on a restock batch of Owl Mamas for White Rabbit in Iowa City! I'll be finishing these up after Easter and then a batch of Owl Cell Phone Sleeves before sending them off.



I hope everyone has a lovely long weekend or just a regular good weekend. I'll be spending time with family in between some sewing sessions of course. See you next week!


            

Evolution of a Workspace

When I first started sewing Needlings in 2007, it was strictly living room/coffee table work.  This worked for longer than I'd like to admit although slowly taking over other tables and closets throughout the years.

Now I have beautiful big worktable and workspace that I love and a stuffed closet full of extra supplies, fabric, display pieces, etc.  

I am a big believer in the fact that there is no right way to do anything and work needs, craft rooms, workspaces, studios are no exception.  I use what works for me and am constantly changing things around to see fit.  As a result, my "In the Workroom" photos have had a lot of variations over the years.  Through some hardcore picture folder research and organizing - I found some examples to share of variations of workspace looks.


This was my "storage table" for finished goodies, paperwork, and extra supplies in December of 2007 only a few months in to Needlings.  Because most of my work in the past few years has been stocking stores, very rarely do I have this many finished Needlings goodies to store before they have to be shipped out! 
       

June 2008


*2009 seems to be the dark ages as far as workspace photos goes.  

March 2010 (with work snacks)


October 2010


April 2011


September 2011


January 2012


And today!


It's an ever evolving mess of scraps, supplies, and paperwork but I try to keep it tidy with lots of room for cutting and thinking. It's also fun to see the evolution of my work itself. And photo quality.

Do you have a studio or craft space? Where do you work? I'd love to see it!

Events : Toronto OOAK Spring Show

This was not an event that Needlings participated in but instead one I took the 45 minute drive in to Toronto for.  

A last minute decision today to go check out the One of A Kind Spring Show at the Direct Energy Centre in Toronto. It was a fun little shopping venture at which I bought nothing but saw lots of great handmade things from people all over Canada.




I found out near the end that I wasn't allowed to take pictures but lucky us, I did get a few of the inside before my error was brought to my attention.  






I also visited with my friend Paula of Orange Octopus who was doing the show for the first time this year.  Her booth looked awesome!  Her husband built it and her tattoo artist did the painting.



I picked up a couple programs and a few cards from some places I want to check out again. It's so overwhelming walking through - there is so much to see and everyone does an amazing job on their displays!



And here's what I wore!  My new dress from Old Navy that I'm in love with at the moment. I also popped on a Needlings Owl Baby pin before heading out because a girl has got to represent, as they say. Or something.

In the Workroom Recap : Week 230

Well, I left off last week having almost finished a batch of Owl Mamas for Kid Culture in Toronto.  In between some workspace redecorating and reorganizing, I finished them up and started work on more!

New ribbon storage!


Off they went!


On to a bunch more for Chapters! This time littles as well as Owl Mamas.





I finished what I thought was going to be enough to restock my shelf at Chapters Ancaster but after I went in to check on things earlier today, I’ll have to make double as many big owls and a few more littles to fill it up completely! So that's first on the list for tomorrow! I'm really excited they are doing so well there so I won't complain about making more.

This next week will be another owl-filled one as I move on to work on a restock of Owl Mamas and Owl Cell Sleeves for White Rabbit in Iowa City (one of my favourite cities that is near and dear to me).

I'll leave you with a quick doodle I did this week to round out a fully owl covered week.

                                   

Some weeks are owl-ier than others!

See you for the next one!

Favourites : More Etsy Favourites

So as I said in my first Etsy handmade favourites post a few weeks back - I have thousands of items "hearted" on etsy with more being added everyday. There are just so many talented makers all over the world and I'll never run out of favourites to share.

Here are a few more:


If you know much about Etsy then you have heard of The Black Apple.  Emily Martin is one of Etsy's first sellers and a wonderful illustrator. She just so happens to be the first seller I purchased from on Etsy way back in 2005 when Etsy was created. And then multiple times since then, a bag, a doll, some prints, postcards, etc. She has written and illustrated her first children's book called Oddfellow's Orphanage and I need to remind myself to get a copy. How sweet does this look?


It's no secret that etsy is my favourite place to find special accessories.  Whenever I get a compliment on a necklace, earrings, bag, hair pin, etc., my answer is usually, "THANKS! I got it on etsy." (And I'm not even lying) I love these fabric detailed pendants from The Whirlwind. I think the only reason I don't own one yet is because I just can't pick a favourite.


Ashley G is another one of my favourite Etsy illustrators. Another shop that it's hard for me to pick a favourite. I love all her pretty little girls with forlorn looks and sketchy bangs.


I caught this Beetlejuice Terrarium by Rachel Bishop on the front page of Etsy a couple weeks ago and thought it was too cool not to bookmark. Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice.


I was initially introduced to Misala Handmade through Dots & Loops' facebook page as they posted pictures of their store opening in Lunenburg. As I was watching for photos of my Needlings to arrive at their beautiful store, I came across these adorable creative little change purses; bunnies, whales, strawberries, elephants, etc.  I thought this little orange umbrella was super cute.


Last but not least, an amazing Furry Hatted Rabbit from one of my favourite plush artists, Cat-Rabbit. I hope to add one of her amazing little guys to my handmade plush collection sometime soon.

So there you go, a few more amazing handmade goodies.  Let me know if you have any suggestions for me!