Cross Promotion

Below is a list of Etsy sellers that are working to cross-promote each other. Check them out!

aBreathofFrenchair
http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5166007

knotsntangles
http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5248577

NarikosNest
http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5240514

keytothedusypages
http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5353835

winemakerssister
http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5329225

4paws
http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5309590

Morsbags

I love the idea of Morsbags. They're homemade bags used for shopping. The idea is to use them to replace the nasty plastic shopping bags you get almost everywhere.

I'd love to make a bunch of Morsbags.... sew all day long and churn out a pile of them. But I know that's probably not going to happen. For one thing, I never have a day that's completely open like that. But I've joined two Swap-Bot swaps (one completed, one just beginning) for them. And... knowing how fixated I am on deadlines... that has really helped me sit down and make some.

For the first swap I made six. Less than I was hoping for, but my sewing machine started making nasty noises toward the end of the 6th bag. And that was the end of my sewing until it returned from the repair shop. The ones pictured (above left) with Henry are some of the first I made.

Since the first swap closed, I've made three more. Any time there's a swap where I think my partner would like one, I make another. The purple one is one of my most recent bags.

Now I just need to make a few for myself!

Etsy, Etsy, and More Etsy

I've been working to get some stock into the new Etsy shop. For now, it's primarily notecards and Hogwarts (Harry Potter) bracelets. I had a request for Christmas cards, so I put together three different themes/colorways. They were very fun to do!

The cards on the left are probably my favorites. I like the fusion of 21st century and mid-century (1950s) colors and shapes.

I have lots of ideas of what to try -- and have no idea what will sell. I've paid to be in the main Showcase this Sunday and the following Friday, so I need to get the shop stocked up as much as possible!

Take the Handmade Pledge

Fight the Big Box syndrome -- take the Handmade Pledge this holiday season.

The pledge says: "I pledge to buy handmade this holiday season, and request that others do the same for me." I am hoping to make a lot of gifts myself, but also plan on doing some fun shopping.

Of course, there probably needs to be an exception for the teenager in my life. Unless I can figure out how to knit a gas gift card, that is.

Etsy!

Well, I've done it. I've started a shop on Etsy. The official address is winemakerssister.etsy.com.

I set it up a few weeks ago and finally added my first items this morning. I'm really overwhelmed with swaps right now and won't have time to do much more right away, but hope to add more items soon.

So far I've added some wine-related notecards (sewing on paper), my infamous Hogwarts/Harry Potter bracelets, and a one-of-a-kind pumpkin bracelet.

Stop by and visit soon!

Lucky Parcels

I love making these little packets! They're regular swaps with the FAA (Fabric Addicts Anonymous) group on Flickr. The idea is to make up parcels for three swap partners based on the current theme. Sometimes the theme is a color, sometimes a subject. As you might suspect, the theme for the top photo is Apples. Usually I use opaque plastic Asian takeout containers (from Target). They're cute, inexpensive, and lightweight. However, I found the little baskets and thought they'd be appropriate for the Apple swap. The baskets contain fabric, a button card I made with apple buttons, apple-scented goodies (candle, lip gloss, etc), and wooden apples (most are hollow).

This is more typical of my usual "Lucky Parcels" (I love the name -- makes me think of a dessert at a Chinese banquet.) The theme was "Black & White." The parcels include fabric, ribbon, buttons, and a bunch of other fabric-related notions.

What I find so fun is the way the parcel itself is the best part of the swap -- everyone does them differently but they're always cute and clever.

And now a word from our sponsors....

Every once in a while, reality breaks through.... and right now it's harvest time at the winery. That means more than just harvesting grapes and making wine. It also means that everyone starts thinking about wineries. So we're busier in the wine cellar and busier in the tasting room. ...and it doesn't help that I've opened our seasonal tasting room in the Dexter Cider Mill. Whew!

The photo above is from our Dexter tasting room.

Cute Hats!

I started this hat last week while staying at the Grand Hotel on Mackinac Island. I'm on the board of a nonprofit and was there for their annual conference. I had imagined myself sitting on one of the rockers on the front porch, knitting away. Unfortunately, I had to spend a great deal of my time working and only knitted on the porch for about an hour on the last day. But it was lovely...

Anyway, I thought I'd get more knitting done (I want to make some Christmas gifts) and only got this one mostly completed. It's a cute hat and very easy. I made it from double strands of a lovely alpaca yarn I purchased in Grand Rapids a few weeks ago. The pattern is from Hip Knit Hats (there are quite a few hats in the book that I'd like to make).

Perfect for situations when you don't want to have to think much about what you're knitting.

This one's for the October Coloriffic swap -- the theme is Orange & Blue. I hope my partner likes it....

My Yarn Stash

I love hoarding things, and knitting and sewing seem to exacerbate my condition. It's just lovely to look at a mound of gorgeous yarn waiting for me to find the perfect project... Here is a photo of the organized part of my stash -- the stuff that's appropriate for the public to see.

Of course there's also the seamy underbelly to my stash -- odds (some are very odd) and ends scattered about the house. Many that I'll probably not use again... Although my nieces (Lani & Pauline) want to learn to knit. Some of those odd bits of yarn might be perfect for that use...

The fabulous packages keep on coming...

I'm involved in two "secret pal" swaps right now -- one connected with the Art Techniques Yahoo group and the other, SP11, a knitting secret pal swap. Both of my pals were busy shopping and shipping this week, and I'm the lucky recipient!

On Wednesday, I received this adorable packet of goodies (right) from "Freaky" (as she calls herself). She does such a lovely job of finding wonderful treats!

My SP11's package came the next day -- more gorgeous evergreen-colored yarn, this time Peruvian wool. Enough to make a nice-sized project. The cute little Vogue felting book I've been lusting after for so long. And an adorable tea infuser decorated with a little bee (perfect!).

Thanks so much, ladies. I feel so spoiled!

Spell with Flickr

I love this little tool! You can spell any word you wish, then click on each letter to select other options (if you'd like a different version of a particular letter). The letters are all images from Flickr artists.

Have fun!

Felt

I love felt... all sorts. I like making little hand-sewn doo-dads with wool felt yardage, I like felting old sweaters and using the fabric to make stuff, and I like knitting and then felting bags and other goodies.

Recently I finished a cute little felted bag for my partner in the August Bag Ladies swap. The theme was brown + a color. The photos here show before and after felting.

I've made this bag before, in fact I made several for my nieces for Christmas two years ago. It goes pretty fast, has some nice details, and is a good size.I hope my partner likes it!