the revamping of my Etsy shop

As I have slowly worked through plans for what remains of the year and goals for the new year coming,  I have found myself coming back frequently to the question of what I want to do with my Etsy Shop. 

While I had been getting a fair number of views and favorites from those that follow me, I haven't had a sale in some time. Which, led me to thinking that the shop has become stale.

With all the designing I have been doing, there just isn't enough time to create new embroidered pieces for the shop. And so, I took a look at what I have done in the past with my shop-- what was successful, what was not. I thought about the time spent to make items, and how I felt about making things, and what I find myself drawn to now.  

Earlier this month I made the decision to pull back a bit on the "Tidbits", my crocheted flowers that I have been offering on my website.  While most will be going into hibernation, I think I will still put something together each month and add it to the monthly specials. Other than that, I need to free up the time for designing and stitching and figuring out new techniques and surprises for those who are working my designs.

What I have found, however, is that I still really, really, *want* to crochet and create embellishments. It is  love that runs a very close second to my designing. So, what do I do? 

 I always have scraps-- orts. Those bits and lengths of thread and floss that have been tossed into plastic bags. Lengths of fiber that I have rescued from abandoned needlework kits at this thrift store or that. I won't even comment on the stacks of fabric and pre-cut quilt blocks and jars of beads from deconstructed jewelry.

And so I have mulled. How can I pull all of this together? How do I create fresh, fun, and beautiful things  in my needlework designing and still find a way to satisfy my want to explore other fiber and sewing ventures?

Think, think. Think, think.

It was a light bulb moment. Not anything with a huge wattage. More like a table lamp light bulb moment because I still need to sort some of it out-- okay, *a lot* of it still needs to be sorted.

I am working on a lot of embellished designs that include flowers and beads and buttons, and I am always trying to find new things to work into my designing, more now than I ever have. 

Came to a conclusion, albeit a fuzzy one. 

There *is* a place for my crochet embellishments, my trims and my sewn flowers and all those other things I experiment with. I need to approach it from a 'one of a kind' way of thinking. I think part of what had me feeling boxed in and a bit stymied was that the flowers had started to take on this mass-produced feel. I loved making them, but it was starting to feel a bit monotonous. No surprises. That's one of the reasons why I love special orders.  It breaks things up a bit. 

Clear as mud, yeah?

So I have given my shop a face lift. It will now showcase one of a kind fiber goodies, be it crocheted art yarn, trims, sewn flowers, crocheted flowers. I am going to give myself one day a week to just flat out play and create and explore. Denying myself that opportunity really only stifles my other creative projects. I know this from experience.

At the end of the month, the Tidbits (other than the embellishment packs for designs) will be coming down from the website, and my Etsy Shop will be the place to find the new, one of a kind things that have been dancing around in my head. A chance to tap into those things I really want to try and to fashion new fun from those things that others may have left behind.

End of ramble.

Shoo, off with you.

Time to play.

the flowers always break through

Okay, so sometimes it really pays not to give up on a piece.  I was ready to set this one aside for a little while until my daughter looked at it and commented that she thought it was really cool. Now, my daughter has always been very supportive of my work, but mind you, I usually have to give her a "Hey, Mol, what do you think of this?"  When she picked this up even before the second bit of stitching and commented, I figured that was my sign.

I started putting down the second layer of random stitching, and suddenly the flower beneath was kind of peeking through. I added another bit of deep grape stitching and I found myself thinking about how all those green things find their way through just about anything; cracks in the pavement or the hard, dry earth. 

When I was painting in college, a lot of my work was like this.  Some of it made no sense to anyone other than me.  After this piece, I'm thinking that I might revisit that space.  Think a little more (but not too hard!) about things breaking and birth and how the two do co-exist. 

Now off to blow up my printer with round two of  'gotta get to the post office yet'!

hoopin

New freeform art hoops that I just put up in my Etsy Shop, fuzzystitches. Am finding that these little bits of art are quick to stitch, and incredibly addicting. I also think others are doing the same as I rarely find the hoops in the thrift shops anymore!

handpainted threads

Handpainted Cotton Floss

Another trio of handpainted floss.

Just a couple of examples of what I hope to get better images of tomorrow when the light is better. We were out shopping earlier today, as the kids had Christmas money they wanted to spend, so we did not get back to house in time to catch the sun before it had found its way over the house...to the side without the good windows!  But I am quite pleased with the way these threads painted.  I will be putting some in my Etsy shop very soon. 

Right now I am trying to get caught up with printing for Hoffman, and I keep running into snags. Thought I had more paper, then I run out of bags, and the ink I got was faulty. Something that rarely if ever happens to me, but it meant another trip out to the office supply store. 

I have done all I can do today, so I think its time for some chai and stitching to wind back down.

wool for felting & other randomness

So I have this image in my head combining my love of needle felting and needlework in general. I ordered some wool from a wonderful shop, Headley Grange , and it arrived today!

(Image from Headley Grange Etsy Shop)

It is just yummy and the colors are beautiful. It is going to work perfectly with what I have in mind. 

More to come as I get working! 

Almost finished up Of Mice & Snowmen , the next in the Snowballz Again series, and I finally got all the things beside my Stitching Chair sorted.  Feels much better, although I still need to get all my floss sorted so I know what I need to pick up besides the usual white, winter white, black and brown-black! 

There are also some new Kreinik threads that I simply need to order, and I have come to realize that my fabric stash has become seriously depleted! Time to trot off to the Wichelt site and put an order together!

Happiness lies in the joy of achievement and the thrill of creative effort.
Franklin D. Roosevelt

fabrics and fibers

Today's fabric painting adventures

All painted on cotton muslin scraps from The St. Peter Woolen Mill. 

And a few experimental crochet bracelet/cuffs I have been playing with the last couple of days using recycled wools and found buttons...

I have "revamped" my Artfire studio. (See link on side) It had previously been all scrapbooky grapic stuff like my Leaf & Dirt Papers shop on Etsy (which I am going to eventually phase out as well, or maybe just leave it there as it is without adding anything else!) Now, the Artfire Studio will contain finished pieces, mostly accessories such as jewelry and scarves, made from the same recycled and found things that I use in my Fuzzy Stitches shop on Etsy.  (Did you get all that?) 

So...what ultimately will be left standing once the smoke clears...

Fuzzy Stitches on Etsy

Leaf & Dirt on Artfire

and of course CM Designs where you will always find all my cross stitch and needlepoint designs and news!

More needle weaving and a trip to the thrift shop...

I have continued to work on this piece and it is starting to build up a bit. It has been fun so far, and a nice departure from my structured needlework.  Finally, a place to use up so many bits of this and that, fibers that are too small to use in other work but couch nicely in this. More as we go!  

I mad a trip to the thrift shop this morning as well. It was on the way home from the post office after all!

I found a few sweaters to pull apart, some of which were wool and others a blend. I found a few cotton linens as well that will be ripped up for more of the fabric yarn.

Yesterday was spent merging my two Etsy shops. This is something I had thought about doing for some time, but just wasn't sure if I should. After a lot of consideration, I thought it would be easier for people to find my things if they are all in one shop.  fuzzystitches is now the one stop shop for my fabrics and recycled fun.

CM Designs still operates under its own website, www.carolynmanningdesigns.com 

New Etsy Store Headers

I have been working on revamping my Etsy shops as I intend to really dig into handwork after graduation. 

Fuzzy Stitches is my original shop, and I am now working on items for Leaf & Dirt, a shop that will feature nothing but fabrics that I have created myself by painting, dyeing, de-constructing and reconstructing. I've got a lot of ideas in my head that may or may not work, but half the fun is trying!