Super Boy Zadyn

Now a day’s my little 2 yr old nephew is not only a pirate but also super boy.

                For the last few weeks he had ran through his house screaming, “SUPER BOY ZADYN” while flying with him arms straight out.  He then started putting towels on his head as a cape.  This was just not expectable. He needed a legit cape! My sister asked him if he wanted me to make him one and he said, “Yes, one with a Z.” 

So there you have it! That’s how this wonderful little cape came to be.  It snaps around his neck so there isn’t any choking hazard. If you can’t tell from the pictures….. HE LOVES IT!

Success J

Have a great day and be creative!

P.S. After I made him the cape my new nickname is Super Girl Millie :)

Ten Dollars Later.....

Thrifting is my favorite thing ever. Period.

                This week I was on a tight financial budget but had to urge to shop.  I decided to visit a local thrift shop.  As you can see by the pictures I had a wonderful thrifting day.   I lucked out and the thrift store had a great crafting section and I latched on to everything I thought I may possibly use.  Everything that is in the picture is from the thrift shop (Except Max!) My favorite find of the day is the wonderful unique zipper and all of the fabric.   The fabric ended up equally over 6 yards.  J

The best part of it all is that it all only cost

$10!!!!

What a Cutie!

And here she is.....

My beautiful niece in her new diaper cover. Handmade by me :)

For Pretty Little Girls

Every little girl needs a few adorable, ruffled diaper covers right?

I think so!  That is what inspired me to make my first diaper cover.

            Since I have a little baby niece, my sister recommended I make her some diaper covers.  I was worried that this would be far too difficult since they look a little tough.  After I found a wonderful tutorial I decided I could do it.  I have made ruffles before so that was not an issue. 

Of course I did have one issue.

My silly sewing machine.

            My machines have recently decided that they want to be difficult and not work properly. This makes me very unhappy.  I have been searching for a new machine and hope to soon have a replacement.  As soon as I do I plan to make a bunch of these little cuties because I think that every pretty little girl needs one J

I hope everyone has had a great Monday!

(Check back tomorrow for a picture of miss Emmy herself rocking her new diaper cover!)

Balancing Work With Work

Nursing vs. Crafting

When I was about to graduate high school I told my parents I wanted to be a fashion designer.  They immediately told me no.

This may sound cruel to crush your child’s dreams when you’re supposed to be able to be whatever you want to do be but this is the single best thing my parents have ever done for me.  After that I entered college blind but soon settled on health care. I wasn’t sure exactly which way I would go with it but then I decided on nursing. I had this great idea in my head that I would graduate college when I was 20 and then be set for life.  O boy if I only understood it all then.

Nursing is hard. Really hard.

When I went from working and going to school to just becoming a full time RN I had a bit of a reality shock.  No longer was I a college student..  (Even though technically I am online) But I was now expected to work long hours and carry a whole lot of responsibility.  I worked… I ate… I sleep.. And then what?   Simply I was lost. Don’t get me wrong I love what I do.  It is rewarding and challenging and ever changing but something was just simply missing. 

Then I figured it out.

After many weeks of my boyfriend recommending I find a hobby I though back to those days when I wanted to create things.  I then decided I would learn to sew.  Of course I had sewn in 4H when I was little and even made a sweet vest in high school but in all reality I had NO idea how to do it.  I got books. Read things online and then received my hand me down sewing machine.  I sew with a 1950 Singer that was given to me by my boyfriends wonderful Grandma.  This machine is a beast! I love it.  It is what got me started.  After finding the manual online I stumbled my way through learning.  I have come a long way.  I have learned a lot but I still have SOOO much to learn. 

In a way it is kind of like nursing to me.  Challenging.

Sewing is a wonderful form of stress relief for me.  I know this sounds crazy because any one that sews knows it can be very frustrating at times.  I think for me it is more of something to focus my mind on.  When I have a hard day at work or something is bugging me I can sew.  It challenges my mind and takes me to a different place.

I think having a hobby is important.  I know for a lot of people it is their children.  Someday I am sure that will be my case.  I am now experiencing a new challenge and that is balancing my time between work and work.  Since I now have my own business and sell things I have time lines on my crafts.  That means even if I am exhausted I must sew.  And even if I am worn out from crafting I must be a nurse.  It keeps me busy though and keeps me on my toes. 

Life is too short to be bored and this is one thing I pledge not to ever be.

                                                                  Have a wonderful day :)

Diaper Holder Success :)

         Recently I have been trying to make things that are functional and things that people actually need.  So many things are over produced and just offer no uniqueness and are actually quite bland.  When my cousin suggested making diaper holders I though this really might be a great idea. 

         Where can you go to find a super cute personalized diaper holder? I know nowhere.   (I must admit I have not looked very hard though.)   I found a wonderful tutorial online and decided to go for it.  It was actually not that hard it just took a while to construct.  I believe the next one will be easier since I think I now have it figured it out.   

       Since this particular one was made with no one in mind I just added the little butterfly.  If I sale them I plan to personalize them with the first letter of the babys name.

                                                       Let me know what you think..

                                                          Have a wonderful day!

Craft Show = Success

     So I would consider my first craft show a success... I did however have a few problems along the way.

         To start off my wonderful day I woke up an hour late! This automatically put me into panic mode... which those of you that know me know this is not good. I did however make it to set up my table in time; I just neglected my appearance (which may have deterred some buyers). 
My booth was stuck back in the corner and not really in the best spot which did not make me all that happy but I was not going to let it ruin my day.  I made my table look just as I expected it would in my head and then I was ready to sale!  I soon realized that I forget chairs and decided it would not be wise to stand all day and sent my boyfriend on a chair run.

          The buyers came slowly but I did have some.  I had a lot of positive comments about my stuff and many people seemed interested which means more to me then sales at this point. 

      
       The day was a long and hot but all in all it was a good experience.  I was lucky to have my family there to help me and support me.  I plan on doing many more in the future :)

Easy.... I think not!

A group of owls that I will be selling at the craft show this Saturday (May, 28)

               

                                                              Getting This All Started

                So since I am new to selling my crafts I thought I would allow everyone to understand some of the inside stuff that is required.  I must admit that it is more challenging and in depth than I ever thought it would be. 

                It all started with this wonderful idea that it would be fun! I could just create and sell and that is all there would be to it.  O boy was I wrong.  First I realized that to sell things you needed a business license… A business license? What is the world is that, I wondered.  Well after a great deal of research and phone calls to state tax people I figured it out and eventually became legal and got my license.  (Which I must say I was really excited about!) Then I realized I would have to keep track of every item bought and everything I sold for tax purposes. This would be easier if I was more organized but I am getting a little better… slowly.  Then when I got all of the legal stuff figured out it would be easy.. Right? WRONG

                I set up my own email and then off to start an Etsy store.  Etsy is a wonderful place but for me setting up a great store was not the easiest task.  I have joined teams and read many articles.  I have even had a critique of my store to make it better but it still needs some work. Then you have all these other issues arise like who ever thought postage could be so difficult? Well they sure do not make it the easiest thing especially when you have no Idea where in the world the people that will buy from you will be from. .

 Then you get your first sale.  J I must say with each sale I am like a small child and get overly excited. Then it’s a rush to package and ship it and then I still constantly worry about the product hoping that the buyer loves it as much as I do and that it makes it to them in one piece.  During all the madness of starting up my Etsy store I also started a facebook page.  Getting fans is like pulling teeth.  You can have like 1000 friends on facebook so why do only 10 of them like your page? All of these worries and thoughts go through your head and then you second guess your creations all together.  What if not one likes them? Or What if they are just not good enough? Then luckily you have wonderful people that purchase something and express how great it is and how much they love it and you feel all warm and bubbly all over again. 

            It is kind of like a roller coaster.  That is the best was I can describe it.  With my first craft show coming up this weekend my nerves have been running high! I must say that I am excited and glad that I have decided to sell my goodies but for anyone thinking about doing the same just prepare for the unexpected J  Nothing this fun can ever go completely smooth and the best help for me has been reading how other crafters handle situations and do things. 

A big thanks to all of my supporters :)

Puppy Love

                                                                 

My puppy Max... O what would I do without him? 

 He keeps me on my toes and maintains a smile on my face.  When I am feeling down he gives me a big wet kiss and then everything is once again okay. Today I created a treasury list on Etsy full of dog related items.  All of the shops and items featured below have wonderful products that are worth checking out. 

I hope you enjoy my treasury. Now I am off to snuggle with Max :)

                             

 

 

     'Puppy Love' by MilsMakings

My puppy is my best friend and my inspiration behind this treasury!

Puppy love Hand sta... HammeringRedhe... $35.00	The Swan Leash 6 ... TheModDog $14.00	CAN'T CONTROL M... PoochyCouture $10.00	50 Brown Puppy Dog ... Mariapalito $3.80
Homemade dog treats... gigibarkery $6.00	Lil Dragon Bulldog ... AfricanGrey $5.50	Seersucker Custom B... pecanpiepuppie... $24.00	Ready to Ship Sitti... designsbyhayle... $250.00
Dog House Vinyl Wal... graphicspaces $50.00	Yellow Lab Bodysuit... thelab $15.00	Simon the Sorrowful threeredtrees $46.00	NEW - Infant Puppy ... sassafrass2 $22.00
soft sole baby leat... wildcubs $17.99	Puppy Dog - Fabric ... HMCdesigns $6.80	Companion Stone - P... sjengraving $20.00	Rusty Brown polymer... CharlenesButto... $3.50

Treasury tool by Red Row Studio.

New Start

   Today I have decided to redo and restart my blog.  I started one a while back and then with building my Etsy store I became distracted and it was left deserted. 
   On this blog I want to provide my followers with my inspirations and motivations behind what I create. I also want to share the wonderful finds that I discover from other crafters in the crafting world. This is a world that many do not yet frequent but really should begin to do so.  Crafting and buying from other crafters is really a great experience.  Not only is it rewarding to create something all on your own but when you buy things that are unique and handmade you have a since of achievement.  I believe the movement of buying handmade is a wonderful movement and hope through my blog others are inspired to do the same. 

 Stop by and check out my Etsy store and if your a follower you can enter IFOLLOWYOU when you checkout and recieve 15% off your purchase.  

Have a wonderful day!