Company is Coming!

The holiday season is upon us. In fact next week is Thanksgiving - are you ready yet? Ack, I'm not! It's so early this year. But it's not too late to add those special touches to your activities that will make memories of the season last for a lifetime. There's an artist on Etsy that has items that fit that bill nicely, I would think, for those interested in making the season special. At Mommy and Me Boutique the specialty is adult and toddler aprons; fun, funky, traditional, vintage. Just perfect for those holiday baking and cooking activities, and turning what could be a mundane chore into an "event" and a memory cherished for a lifetime - "when Mommy and me made cookies together." These aprons are designed for today's mother and child to show off their own sense of style; you can be sure "these are not your mother "s aprons."


Other passions at Mommy and Me involve creating toddler skirts and baby items and she enjoy sworking with designer fabric and ribbons. Loving care and personal expression are put into each one. All work is done in a pet free and smoke free environment, so you can be assured your fabric items will arrive allergen-free, and ready for making memories.

See more of her lovelies, as "every little girl likes something special" at her Etsy shop and her blog. Now, back to planning for next week!

Kuddly Warmth for Your Babes

Toni Anderson from Fairbanks, Alaska, is a new Etsy shop owner, joining only this September, but is already up and running with 21 sales! She heard about Etsy from her college roommate, who is a photographer in Minneapolis. Overall, Toni has been creating her items for one year, and when she was deciding on a name for her shop, she wanted to pick a name that would reflect both what she makes and had a personal meaning to her. Kuddle Bugz Threadz is inspired from her 16-month-old twins, Tori and Trista, her true “KuddleBugz”. With the need in Fairbanks for warm baby items, she felt a tug at her heart to use her talents to help other mom's keep their "kuddle bugz" warm, too!


Toni works in fleece and flannel, and her first project was last year for Christmas when she made her boyfriend a Washington Huskies fleece blanket. Her favorite item in her shop is this Purple Paisley Infant Car Seat Cover. Mine, of course, is the cute burp cloth at the end of this post. Although she considers her first job is to be a "Mommy to two beautiful little twin girls," she promotes her business by handing out business cards, putting up flyers around town, word of mouth referrals, emailing family/friends, and participating in forums on Etsy. Her advice to other indie craft artists is "Don’t give up! Keep giving it 110% because it will pay off!"


Her future plans include to continue making sales, adding new items each week. Toni hopes that it will make enough profit so that she will be able to say at home with her girls! So for keeping your little ones warm and cozy this winter, check out Kuddle Bugz Threadz shop, and find out more about Toni and her cute little Kuddle Bugz on her blog.

Make it Personal

So many different opportunities exist for crafters on Etsy. Although sometimes it seems as if there are only jewelry artists there, the real fact of the matter is that all sorts of handcrafted items are posted there by people who want to share their love of handmade. Personality Plus Boutique had been customizing gifts for those she loved, so she thought it might be fun to see who else might love her ideas, and her shop on Etsy was born. Her claim is that she is dedicated to bringing her customers unique, quality embroidered gifts at an unbeatable price! She loves to customize orders so if you want something specific, just let her know and she will let you know what she can do. All of her orders are completed in a smoke free, pet free home where she will give your items her highest quality treatments!


She also offers bulk pricing, so if you have a group that want the same product (it still can be personalized with their name!) then let her know and she'll get you a quote. Think about a Lamaze class (personalized burp cloths!), family or class reunions (matching embroidered T-shirts for all the band geeks at the reunion!), bridal parties for the rehearsal..... you get the idea.

Check out her blog for her MANY options on what you can do with her products.

Oooooh, sparkles.......

I don't know why sparkly things are so attractive to many of us, well, many of us of the female persuasion, but there it is. That little bit of light that catches our eye, and when we spy the object that cast the spark, we pick it up, we smile, and then we say, "Ooooh, sparkles."

I think fellow Texan SparklyStrandz knows exactly what I'm talking about. In fact, here's what she says in her own words:

"I've had a love for crafts, especially crochet for over 25 years ever since my grandmother taught me at age 5. It was probably the best thing she could have done for my parents because it would keep me busy for hours. During college, i developed a love for beads--not just because they're sparkly, but because beads have such a rich history to them from around the world, and can be made from almost anything imaginable. Also, as an occupational therapist, I am able to use a variety of crafts and activities in my therapy to make it more fun!

I combined my love for crochet and beads and began making jewelry, baby onesies, hats, and all sorts of gift items about 10 years ago. "Sparkly Strandz" is an online store that you can visit and create your own jewelry by choosing the right color bead, wire, and length you want for that perfect piece!!"

But not only does she understand sparkly, she definitely has a handle on cute! What Texas baby should not have these? So much the better to start learning the two-step as soon as they're walking, don't you think?









And despite recent performances which will not be mentioned here, nor will comments be allowed that disparage my alma mater in any way.....Hook 'em!

Do check out all the fun and sparkly things at SparklyStrandz and find out about her views on the world at her blog. I know you'll be glad you did.