Too busy!

I've been super busy with work and haven't actually had time to finish my first apron. I was hoping to finish it before I left to meet with some friends, but it isn't happening. So hopefully tonight and I will list it tomorrow.

In other news, I've sold 5 items so far this month. This means sales are picking up! I'm super excited about this! I just need to keep the momentum going.

I need to pre-wash all the fabric I received recently from FabricWorm so I can get cracking on some super adorable and very girly things.



I also was asked to custom make a dress for my boss's niece's 2 year birthday in May. We picked out the fabric (see above) and I sketched out a design I think would be super cute and my boss agreed.

I want to make it with a cute empire waist sash. I think it will be adorable and cant' wait for the fabric to get to me!

Okay, gotta get ready to head out. Later, bloggers!

<3 Always,
--Taina

I heart custom orders!

A few weeks ago, a former coworker of mine asked me if I could make a makeup bag for her friend's birthday. I was so excited! She picked out the fabric (Alexander Henry's 2D Zoo in Sage), and said she'd love turquoise or yellow for lining and zipper. Well, I thought turquoise and yellow might be a bit much, so I used a white zipper and turquoise canvas for the lining and I love how the finished product turned out! I will have to make more of these for my shop.



Today? I'm off to drop the bag off at work even though it's my day off. Cara doesn't work with me anymore, she works in a different department in the same Museum. Then I'm off to Mood to buy some muslin and a 20" zipper for the dress I want to make and then to my parents' place, as my cousin Andy is home on leave from Afghanistan and I want to give him a huge hug before he goes back.

<3 Always,
--Taina

Happy Birthday to me!

It's been almost a week since I last updated. Not much has happened in my handmade world. Let's see...

I made cornbread and baked ziti. I put together a new ikea bookcase for all my craft and art books.

On Wednesday, I attended my first Marketing class. The instructor was sick, so she was low-energy and had very little of a voice. The homework is interesting. I'm supposed to answer questions abour promotion, price, product and profit. I was so thrilled to have homework that I did all of it on the subway ride home. I hope next week has better energy.

One of the students is a jewelry designer who has sold to a few celebrities, all by word of mouth, doesn't have anything online. I don't even think she has business cards. I will talk to her about Etsy next week, I think, she seemed interested in how I use the online world to my advantage.

I haven't listed anything new! And the makeup bag is becoming the bane of my existance. It needs to be able to support heavy normal-sized shampoo and conditioner bottles along with other such things. It's not terribly to my liking, so I will try again today.

And yes, today is my birthday. I'm putting together my new dresser for my bedroom and working (once again) on the custom order makeup case. And Dorian and her girlfriend have invited themselves over to watch the Oscars. I'm hoping they don't kill me, I really just want to sew. Hopefully they will not catch an attitude with my sewing at the kitchen table while they watch the show in the livingroom.

A perfect relaxing birthday? Sewing, cleaning, putting together my dresser and taking my old one apart, and maybe making a bday cake for myself out of the Magnolia cookbook.

<3 Always,
--Taina

How do I ship this?

I am so glad I have today off, even though I would have gotten overtime pay for working it. It's rainy and cold outside, which makes it a perfect day to stay in and figure out how I will be shipping the massive makeup bag that was custom ordered. Seriously, it's huge. 20" across, 16" tall, with a 6" gusset? It's taking me forever, as I am triple-stitching everything.

The problem is that it's so sturdy that I don't know how it will fit in an envelope or box. I will be taking it to the P.O. tomorrow to see if they have any suggestions. I also want to make sure I know exactly how much my buyer will be paying for shipping. I really hope it's not terribly expensive. The normal size makeup bags I sell only cost $4 to ship overseas, and that's including the padded envelope that's made of recycled fibers and tissue paper. Because I won't be able to fold the bag in half, I will have to ship it flat in a gigantic envelope. Do they even make envelopes larger than 16x20? I'm nervous.

I washed all of my new fabric when I reorganized everything yesterday. I'm excited with the fabric I bought at Mood. I made a coin purse out of it late last night:


(Click photo for more info)

Well, I'm off to try to figure out this bag and make some more things. I haven't counted how many items I've made for Etsy this month yet, but I have a feeling I may be behind schedule. Here's to my goal of 20 again! So glad I have this week off!

<3 Always,
--Taina

Fifty items!

So I got to finish 18 items of the 20 goal before passing out last night at a little after midnight. My body needed the sleep. Tonight I will make the remaining two of the 20, but they won't be listed until February (tomorrow!)

I will try harder next month. I have never made 18 items for Etsy in one month, it's pretty exciting. I'm photographing items 17 and 18 this morning before work and listing them for sale on my Etsy shop.

When I listed item #17 last night, I reached an all-time high of items in my shop, FIFTY items! I've never had 50 items in my shop before. It's pretty exciting.

a few days ago I was contacted by a new Etsy buyer in Australia for a custom order. She wants two makeup bags, one like the ones I've started listing tons of and a much much larger one to hold her large bottles of shampoo and such. The larger one? 16" across and about 12" tall with a 6" gusseted bottom. She wanted it in my black & white disco dot fabric.

Because I like ordering supplies on Etsy, I ordered the fabric from my buddy Liz @ CheapThreads and hopefully it will be shipped today. I will either get it Sat or Monday. I also ordered more of the turquoise sugar skull fabric, since it's the fabric I sell the most items out of and I'm almost out after making the coin purse I listed a few days ago.

I love custom orders, but I always wonder if the buyer will back out after I spend money and time on the items. Until I have the money in my paypal account and the buyer is satisfied with items in hand, I am a bit nervous.

Item #16 of 18:


<3 Always,
--Taina

Long Week...

I work a fulltime job and am also a Union Representative. Sometimes I get caught up in my work outside of creating things and my creativity has to be put on hold. That's what this week was, a whole lot of non-handmade work.

I did finish the tattoo pillow order. So exciting. I think they came out really well.

Today I am going to the BUST Craftacular on 18th betw. 6th and 7th Aves. I'm super stoked. I'm hoping it will inspire me to come home and make lots more things for my shop.

I purchased some custom fragrances from Luca from Lollibomb and am excited for those to arrive in the mail. I bought Apricot Coconut for my mom and Vanilla Chai & White X-mas (light minty scent) for myself.

I love receiving packages in the mail! Now that I have $ in my paypal acct again, I can continue to purchase presents on Etsy.

I am off to get ready for the Craftacular!

<3 Always,
--Taina

Custom Orders - I HEART them!

I was contacted last weekend asking if it was possible to make four tattoo pillows like this one:



I was THRILLED. I figured I'd head over to cheapthreads.etsy.com and purchase the fabric from her. She's super friendly and reliable and packages from her come in 2-3 days.

So I contact her and she says she's completely out of the tattoo fabric in black! eek! What am I to do? So I searched Etsy and contacted another fabric seller. I explained that I was willing to pay Priority Shipping and apologized for the last minute order. She was super friendly and hopefully I will have my fabric today.

So if anyone is interested, my two favorite etsy fabric sellers are:
Liz @ Cheapthreads
Tiffany @ LuckyKaeruFabric

Now I'm debating whether I should go out to NYU's ArtMart or stay home and wait for the postal carrier to deliver my fabric. Decisions Decisions!


<3 Always,
--Taina