Spring things!

Even though I'm a Winter baby, I have found myself tired of slush and the terrible drops in temperature this year. I decided to buy some new fabrics for items for Spring and chose these from FabricWorm:



I am especially excited by the 2nd, 3rd and 5th prints in that stack.

And I also bought these:



I think the woodgrain is super cute. I can't wait to make lots of makeup bags and coin purses and things out of these fabrics!

Be on the lookout! Lots of new things coming in the next week or two! I also made two new pillows, one I am listing in my shop tonight, the other I am photographing tomorrow and listing before work if possible.

Oh, as for things I have purchased? I'm an Etsy addict recently! I bought two vintage things from JollyPollyPickins.

The first is a vintage owl coffee container and matching mug for my old roommates Dorian & Becky who just got engaged, so it's their engagement/housewarming gift.



The second was an impulse buy. It's a vintage Circus container that spins! I thought it would make a cute spot for candy or something on my coffee table in my livingroom. It reminds me of this circus train toy set I had when I was a child.



I can't wait until they come! I thought I'd buy some nice coffee to put into the coffee container for D&B.

<3 Always,
--Taina

I bought a fabric pantry!

I know most people do Spring cleaning and it's August. I'd been going through a tough time recently and am on the upswing from it, creating this immediate and important urge to purge all things I don't need in my home. ALL of them. I want to go minimalist in my home. Now, usually these feelings are fleeting, so I think that I should follow suit this one time and see where it leads me.

All of you who make things by hand probably know how easy it is to feel the need to buy as many supplies as possible. I have gone through these weird crafty phases, a sort of handmade Attention Deficit Disorder.

Since stumbling upon Etsy, I have knit and collected tons and tons of different types of yarn, needles, and notions.

I then decided I wanted to get into paper goods and I bought envelope templates and fancy papers and envelope glue and made envelopes and flatcards.

Then I saw a show on TV on how easy stained glass is and decided to try my hand at stained glass. Enter cabochons, 30+ stained glass squares and rectangles, glass cutters, oil, solder, soldering iron, copper tape, wire and suction cups. Okay, stained glass? Not easy at all! I have the solder scars to prove it.

I then took a pillow making class and started collecting fabrics, threads, and pillow inserts. Then makeup bags and coin purses, add to my collection of fabrics and threads, I now have tons of canvas, interfacing, zippers, felt squares, pinking shears, and fancy fabric scissors. Let's not count the numerous measuring tapes, rulers, yardsticks, sewing machine needles, fabric tags, googly eyes, fabric paints.

Now, picture me in a large (by NYC standards) 2BR apt, with a roommate, two sewing machines, a full-sized ironing board and two bookcases of craft books.

HOLY COW. Crafts have taken over my LIFE!

I have plastic Sterilite, Muji, and Rubbermaid bins for everything, so it's all organized within them, including ones for my completed projects, but I've always wanted to have my fabrics out so they remind me to get cracking at the machine.

I have 3 days off this week (today through Saturday) and am using the time to organize it all into a 5ft x 2ft x 1.5ft wooden pantry with doors that I purchased from Target today. Once I get it all organized in one space, I can use all the plastic bins to decide what books, clothes, dvds and other things to donate or list on Freecycle, making a happier, more organized, creative minimal space where everything has a place and that place isn't in every room in my apartment.

I cannot wait! I am thinking of how to decorate this very boring beech-colored cabinet. I was thinking maybe stencils. I will post the project once completed. I can't wait!

<3 Always,
--Taina

She's back!

Good Afternoon!!

After a very crazy/hectic/chaotic week, it's Tuesday of a new week and I'm feeling great!

I received a letter from my Etsy Penpal yesterday. She's such an inspiration. Not only is Nadine attending grad school AND training guide dogs, but she makes a tremendous amount of new items in her spare time and is selling tons! I came home and sat in front of my sewing machine and made two new makeup bags. Including one out of the Fishy fabric I purchased from FabricStash! So exciting!



I have paypal $ burning a hole in my creative pocket. I "hearted" at least 4 listings of FabricStash's today. If I sell one more makeup bag, I will be able to place a nice order for fabric AND buy more fusible interfacing. STOKED!

The second item I made? Another pink bird makeup bag, I have yet to photograph it, though.

As usual, all photos are clickable for more info. I'm off to work and then home to make MORE THINGS! Hooray!

<3 Always,
--Taina

Leap Year!

Hello friends!

So as many of you know, I have Friday/Saturday off from my fulltime job. I'm also 8 behind my 20/month self-imposed quota of items to make for Etsy. I couldn't be more thankful for a Leap Day this month!

Today, Etsy will be on Martha! It's so exciting! I try to watch Martha whenever I can, which is usually once a week at most. I love all of the recipes of hers that I've tried. Especially the Irish Soda Bread, to die for!

So the plan is to make 8 things today and list as many as possible. Then I will be going to my friend Jenny's Leap Year party. I'm still trying to think of a good hostess gift for her and her roommate. My last party, she brought a "Hostess Platter", which was a nice plate covered in Twinkies, DingDongs and HoHo's. It was really cute. She joked that we are in competition because she spent "so much time" working on her gift to me. I was thinking of maybe making a jar of hand-dipped chocolate covered pretzels. We'll see!

Here is item 12/20:


(Click photo for more info.)

A tried & true fabric, hopefully it will sell once again! This time I lined it with blue fabric I picked up at Mood. I hope my new order of fabric from FabricStash arrives today! I can't wait to make things out of the new prints.

It's 9:24am and even though my throat is slightly sore, I'm ready to start my day! I think today is an oatmeal & an organic navel orange day.

<3 Always,
--Taina