Tilly's Bowtique

No, I didn't forget

2009-06-15T12:11:00.001-06:00

Here are some quick pictures of the reversible bandanna overalls. I know I still need to do the "proper" pictures, but I've been a little busy with life. So I at least finally went through my pictures and grabbed out a variety of pictures of the outfit. The pictures of the yellow side are the more recent ones -- I added the eyelet trim to the bottom and stitched it all together so the hem is not loose any more.

Bandanna Pants

2009-06-02T11:53:00.001-06:00

Bandanna Skirt with Tulle Ruffle

2009-05-15T13:46:00.001-06:00

Happy Belated Executive Assistant's Day

2009-05-06T22:13:00.002-06:00

At my hubby's work there is the most fantabulous "executive assistant" (cumbersome title, isn't it?) She has spent hours of time making things work that just don't look like they're gonna work. Long story short: she went to bat for me to let me use an airline credit to visit my sister this weekend.
I was planning to make something for her for EA Day last week, but I didn't get it done... then I had to do more and all that (I can never just stop at one thing, LOL).
Her favorite color is purple, so I made a gift basket with a purple theme -- oil diffuser thingy, lotion, body spray, hanatizer, ribbon wrapped pens, chocolate drizzled caramel popcorn, chocolate covered peanut-butter pretzels, english toffee, and pretty flip flops. I had a lot of fun doing it :)

Proud Mama

2009-04-28T16:46:00.005-06:00

I know it has been a long time, but I've been a little caught up in life :)
I have learned something new and I'm slightly addicted >giggle< I made stencils from photos and created a completely unique shirt for myself. It was quite a bit of work, but it turned out really cool, I think.

Now I really want a cool new toy. It is a little bit like a Cricut, but it connects to your computer so it can cut any shape, not just the expensive cartridge ones. Of course it's not cheap, but I'm gonna keep my eyes open and maybe someday I'll be able to find a good enough deal and scrape together enough change at the same time, LOL.
The Craft Robo
In the mean time, I'm just spending hours with an exacto knife :P

Who needs a Fairy Godmother?!

2009-04-03T18:14:00.005-06:00

Daisy has just finished a fairy tale unit at school so today they got to dress up as their favorite fairy tale character. Of course I thought of this idea after midnight last night. It isn't quite finished. I have some pretty cream colored lacy trim and such for the ball gown side. The jumper is reversible -- servant Cinderella on one side and ballgown Cinderella on the other! Daisy got to slip into the bathroom halfway through the day and flip her jumper inside out and come back all fancy :) She loves it!!!

Loving this one!!!

2009-03-19T13:27:00.002-06:00

I am loving this new set I made for Butterfly! A tie-dress, appliqueed tee, ruffle pants, headband, and bow socks. I would love to find some little flip flops and rag tie those too... There are so many ways to wear this set! In fact, she got it dirty yesterday but this morning when she got dressed she grabbed it out of the hamper and wouldnt' wear anything else, LOL!
I hope to make the same set for the other two girls too. They're thoroughly jealous.
The other night when I was first working on it, DH was heading to bed. I asked if he wanted to see what I was working on, and he politely said that yes, of course he would. The jumper was most of the way done at that point. He LOVES it too! Being rather extensive, this set would probably be offered for $50 to $60.

A couple more monkey friends

2009-03-03T17:24:00.004-07:00

New baby monkey, obviously. Don't wanna leave the baby girls out! And a new candy monkey :)

Up for Adoption

2009-03-01T23:40:00.004-07:00

Here's the new little baby monkey I put in The Quilted Bear yesterday.

This little guy is only a couple of inches tall! He's sitting right by the mug and the cds and he's just tiny!

Reversible!!!

2009-02-22T22:42:00.004-07:00

No, this post isn't reversible. If you turn it inside out I don't think it will look any better :P
Yesterday I made another bandanna jumper, but this one is reversible! The bandanna jumper needs a lining because just one is too see through. I figured if I'm lining it anyway I might as well get some good use out of it! Tomorrow I will be making the tutorial booklet. I'm really happy with how it turned out and Butterfly loves it!

Picture Time

2009-02-21T12:56:00.007-07:00

Here are the pictures of the progress on my booth. I added lots of things, but still have a ways to go. I think it is really improved. Just by looking at things I think that at least one item has already sold, so that's good news. To have sold something with the sorry state things were in before makes me hopeful of my potential now that it looks more interesting!

I am also adding samples of every item I have a booklet on. I printed ribbon with "Display only" across the top, and the name of the book or kit the item came from. The white metal piece holds the small items which are all mounted on a magnet. The basket on the second shelf holds larger items which have the tag attached with a grommet. A ball chain runs through each grommet so they don't wander around, but keep the basket more orderly. I have 3 or 4 more sock monkeys all ready to assemble (cut, sewn, stuffed, just need the time consuming part of hand stitching to assemble) so those will be added soon. I also will be ordering some more materials which will be added on the left side. I need ideas on what can go in baskets or something like that at the bottom to keep it looking full and not... dumb. And ideas? I also printed ribbon labels with a hand stitched onto each money hiney to give them the final professional touch. I really like how those turned out :)

To visit my booth at The Quilted Bear, come to East Bay in Provo just north of Sam's Club on University Avenue. The address is 1221 S. University Avenue Provo, Utah 84601

I'm always open to suggestions or comments!!! Help me make this successful.

My favorite line ever came from my dear Mother in Law, Mommalee (as I call her) who said "Well, I hope you get rich and die." LOL, I know what she meant, but it sure made me giggle! Thanks Mommalee!

More to come

2009-02-20T11:36:00.002-07:00

Today is the day! Since tomorrow is Saturday, this is my last chance to stock more items before the biggest shopping day of the week. I have a whole bunch of bottle cap items, materials, and a few more books and kits that are going to be added. Today I am trying to finish up about half a dozen sock monkeys also. They already have all been cut out and machine sewn, and stuffed -- it's just the time-consuming hand stitching that is left. I have 3 ready to go and 4 more that are still in the works, including one that is the tiniest monkey EVER!
I have made a monkey (well, still have to do the hand -work) out of a pair of newborn sized baby boy socks. It is only about 4 inches tall from head to toe! That little guy is just cute as a button! And speaking of buttons, he is one of my Baby Safe monkeys; meaning that he will have hand-embroidered eyes instead of button eyes so he will be ideal as a gift for a brand new baby.
The last thing I'm setting up today is my sample set. It has a lot to be done too, of course, but I am making up an example of each item I have a book for. The clips and characters are all mounted on magnets with a ribbon tag saying what book they are from attached. Larger items, such as the ribbon leggings, will sit in a basket and have a grommet attached which holds their ribbon tag on and has a ball-chain attaching them to the basket to keep track of them all. I will, of course, take more pictures after tonight stock-o-rama.
One of these days I'll even have some fun new items to share, I'm sure of it, lol.

Come Visit!!!

2009-02-16T19:33:00.006-07:00

In case you are ever in the neighborhood:
I now officially have a booth in The Quilted Bear in Provo, UT!!!
Hopefully by the end of this week I will have it fully --- or at least mostly --- stocked. I only have about 10 of my books and 5 ribbon kits in there so far. They look a little lonely.
I am so thankful for my sweet hubby who has helped me a TON in getting this booth going. He even cleaned up the old booth and got it freshly painted. I did the stenciling and the sign -- but he put up the sign, and the shelves. There is no way I could already have it running without him! Here's a picture of my current progress. More to come!!!

More Dresses

2009-02-13T12:50:00.005-07:00

Here are a bunch of pictures of Sunshine and Daisy in their bandanna dresses. They LOVE them. Daisy is wearing hers to school today for their Valentine's party.

That is snow, not dandruff :P

My Funny Valentines

2009-02-11T00:29:00.005-07:00

I picked up an idea of using bandannas to make a pillowcase style dress. Naturally the next time I went to the store I checked out the $.97 bandannas! I was able to get enough to make two matching dresses for Sunshine and Butterfly and then a coordinating dress for Daisy. I have finished Sunshine's outfit since her preschool Valentine's party is tomorrow. I will take pictures of each of them when they're all done, but here are the pictures of Sunshine's dress, ruffle-bottomed tights, tee shirt, and bow all ready to wear tomorrow!

Sunshine's Complete Outfit!

The jumper is fully lined for modesty:

Accent bows at the straps on the front:

Bows, Bows, Bows!!!

Short, but sweet

2009-02-10T14:22:00.003-07:00

I have all sorts of things I'm making right now, so I can't sit at the computer too long, but I do have some quick good news! Last week I finally submitted a form to be considered for a spot in a local craft mall: The Quilted Bear. They say to wait 7-10 days to hear back. Well, I think that was thursday or friday that I sent it in. This morning I had an email saying that they have space available for me! So it isn't entirely official yet -- I have more details to find out, but it's looking probable.

CPSIA Boogie

2009-01-30T23:24:00.002-07:00

Here's the latest...
We've been given a temporary Stay of Execution! Enforcement of the law will be put off for 1 year, at which point they'll be reconsidering the Stay. It will give them a chance to get things pinned down and clarified. So I am not allowed to dust my children's items with lead powder, but since I know my items are effectively lead-free I don't have to worry about the testing and certification documents for at least a year! Yay!

Official Declaration:

CPSC Grants One Year Stay of Testing and Certification Requirements for Certain Products

WASHINGTON, D.C. - The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission voted unanimously (2-0) to issue a one year stay of enforcement for certain testing and certification requirements for manufacturers and importers of regulated products, including products intended for children 12 years old and younger. These requirements are part of the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act (CPSIA), which added certification and testing requirements for all products subject to CPSC standards or bans.

Significant to makers of children’s products, the vote by the Commission provides limited relief from the testing and certification requirements which go into effect on February 10, 2009 for new total lead content limits (600 ppm), phthalates limits for certain products (1000 ppm), and mandatory toy standards, among other things. Manufacturers and importers – large and small – of children’s products will not need to test or certify to these new requirements, but will need to meet the lead and phthalates limits, mandatory toy standards and other requirements.

The decision by the Commission gives the staff more time to finalize four proposed rules which could relieve certain materials and products from lead testing and to issue more guidance on when testing is required and how it is to be conducted.

The stay will remain in effect until February 10, 2010, at which time a Commission vote will be taken to terminate the stay.

The stay does not apply to:

Four requirements for third-party testing and certification of certain children’s products subject to:

The ban on lead in paint and other surface coatings effective for products made after December 21, 2008;
The standards for full-size and non full-size cribs and pacifiers effective for products made after January 20, 2009;
The ban on small parts effective for products made after February 15, 2009; and
The limits on lead content of metal components of children’s jewelry effective for products made after March 23, 2009.

Certification requirements applicable to ATV’s manufactured after April 13, 2009.

Pre-CPSIA testing and certification requirements, including for: automatic residential garage door openers, bike helmets, candles with metal core wicks, lawnmowers, lighters, mattresses, and swimming pool slides; and

Pool drain cover requirements of the Virginia Graeme Baker Pool & Spa Safety Act.

The stay of enforcement provides some temporary, limited relief to the crafters, children’s garment manufacturers and toy makers who had been subject to the testing and certification required under the CPSIA. These businesses will not need to issue certificates based on testing of their products until additional decisions are issued by the Commission. However, all businesses, including, but not limited to, handmade toy and apparel makers, crafters and home-based small businesses, must still be sure that their products conform to all safety standards and similar requirements, including the lead and phthalates provisions of the CPSIA.

Handmade garment makers are cautioned to know whether the zippers, buttons and other fasteners they are using contain lead. Likewise, handmade toy manufacturers need to know whether their products, if using plastic or soft flexible vinyl, contain phthalates.

The stay of enforcement on testing and certification does not address thrift and second hand stores and small retailers because they are not required to test and certify products under the CPSIA. The products they sell, including those in inventory on February 10, 2009, must not contain more than 600 ppm lead in any accessible part. The Commission is aware that it is difficult to know whether a product meets the lead standard without testing and has issued guidance for these companies that can be found on our web site.

The Commission trusts that State Attorneys General will respect the Commission's judgment that it is necessary to stay certain testing and certification requirements and will focus their own enforcement efforts on other provisions of the law, e.g. the sale of recalled products.

http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prhtml09/09115.html

Perhaps we all became obnoxious enough to make them rethink things! Yay for obnoxiousness! :P

It's a giveaway! Lucky you ;)

2009-01-30T13:49:00.001-07:00

The first five people to respond to this post will get something made by me! My choice. For you. This offer does have some restrictions and limitations:

1. I make no guarantees that you will like what I make!

2. What I create will be just for you.

3. It'll be done this year. {might be a little while}

4. You have no clue what it's going to be. It may be a story. It may be poetry or a song. I may bake you something and mail it to you. Who knows? Not you, that's for sure!

5. I reserve the right to do something extremely strange.

**The catch? Oh, the catch is that you must repost this on your blog and offer the same to the first 5 people who do the same on your blog. The first 5 people to do so and leave a comment telling me they did win a FAB-U-LOUS homemade gift by me!

I'm gonna need an address to send you your spleniferific item. If you don't want to leave it in the "comment" section (and I don't blame ya for that) send me an email at tilly_sue@tillysbowtique.com with name and address if you're one of the first five.

Progress!!! Finally!!!

2009-01-27T23:41:00.005-07:00

I *think* I just finished setting up a shopping cart on http://www.tillysbowtique.com ! It has taken months, but I finally got it done. I still have some tweaking to do to make sure I have the shipping set up right on all the buttons (I think I left it off on a few -- act now and you may be free shipping, lol), but the prices and images seem to all be correct now. I even made up a button of my own -- since you all know I can't settle for the easy way to do anything, LOL.

Monkey Mama

2009-01-26T16:11:00.003-07:00

You knew there were going to be more sock monkeys. It's inevitable :)

Here's my latest pair. The monkey baby again has embroidered eyes so she is baby-safe. Monkey Mama is not baby safe -- she has button eyes and magnets inside her hands so she can hug that sweet baby. I discovered that the ceramic disc magnets just aren't strong enough for a good hold. If she is posed sitting still her hands will stay put, but not with any resistance on them. I'm going to get some stronger magnets and try again on the huggy monkeys.

Monkeys sold separately.
Mama Monkey: $10.00, $14.50 shipped
Baby Monkey: $10.50, $15.00 shipped

Valentines trinkets

2009-01-21T12:43:00.007-07:00

Do you want to give the coolest valentines ever? Here are the valentine's themed bottle caps I have made. I plan to make bottle cap clippies for all the girls in Daisy's 1st grade class.

Three metallic valentine images:

Flower and heart images:
(the dark blotch on the heart image is not intentional and will not appear on any finished caps)

As-is, Retail $.1.00 WS $.75
pendant, Retail $1.50 WS $1.12
keychain, Retail $3.50 WS $2.62
magnet back, Retail $1.50 WS $1.12
earrings (pair), Retail $5.00 WS $3.75
pin back, Retail $1.50 WS $1.12

Monkey Babies

2009-01-20T23:39:00.004-07:00

Announcing the newest member of the Sock Monkey family! This monkey is made from a pair of toddler-sized socks. I'm excited to try making a family set: Mama, Papa, and the three little girls :) Of course I can make boy monkeys too, we just don't have boy monkeys in our family!

Sock monkeys, large: $10.00 Wholesale (5+) $7.50
Sock monkeys, small: $9.00 Wholesale (5+) $6.75
for embroidered eyes (to remove choking risk of button eyes) add $1.50

Bottlecap Bonanza!

2009-01-16T20:29:00.006-07:00

I found a great pack of High School Musical stickers at the store the other day. They worked perfectly with my punch even! So I made a whole batch of High School Musical bottle caps. In fact, it's amazing what you can do on a treadmill.

It took me a little longer than usual and I didn't do as fast a walk as usual, but I glazed all of these while doing my evening exercise the other night! I made up for the speed by pumping up the incline. Trust me, my heart rate went plenty high, LOL.

Uses for bottle caps:
mount on a bow or on a pony-o to put in hair
add a jump ring to make necklace pendant
add to key chain (such as the BYU keychain in previous post)
add magnets to the back and use on the fridge, filing cabinet, locker, magnet board, etc.
add earring wires to create unique earrings
add a filler and a pin back to pin to a jacket, purse, backpack, scarf, etc.

As-is, Retail $.1.00 WS $.75
pendant, Retail $1.50 WS $1.12
keychain, Retail $3.50 WS $2.62
magnet back, Retail $1.50 WS $1.12
earrings (pair), Retail $5.00 WS $3.75
pin back, Retail $1.50 WS $1.12

Wholesale minimum: 10

BYU bottlecap keychain. You know it isn't from a beer bottle ;)

2009-01-16T00:13:00.006-07:00

Perhaps the most "notoriously sober" college campuses just needed a bottle cap keychain. So I made it. I managed to find a scrapbook paper which had the BYU Cougar mascot on it (meaning that this keychain abides by all copyright laws). I now have a couple of little plastic boxes full of BYU Cougar paper punch-outs! One of these days I'll make them up on bottle caps and sell them so I can actually get something more done. I'm needing supply money these days, so I guess some income is called for :P

Retail price: $3.50
Wholesale (minimum 10) $2.62

A return to cuteness

2009-01-11T21:43:00.004-07:00

Okie Dokie, I'm getting back on track finally:

One of my nephews celebrated his 1st birthday two days ago.
For the record: since I keep mentioning nieces and nephews: on my husband's side of the family there are 19 grandchildren presently. On my side of the family there are 26-28 (one passed away as an infant and one is expected in August). So if you take out my kids they have a total of 39 cousins to play with! But I digress...

So, birthday party on Saturday: My husband's sister and her husband have recently opened Saratoga Tool Rental and Fire and Ice Dance Studio in Saratoga Springs, UT. The party was held there and everyone had a great time.

Since I have only daughters, I was momentarily stumped on what to do for a little boy's birthday. Besides that, since we're still on the first paycheck after Christmas, I didn't have any money to spend :") So, after some consideration and consulting other crafters for their ideas, I decided to stick with what I first thought of: An "Eye Spy Bag".

This isn't just any Eye Spy Bag: it's Eye Spy: Family Edition. I made the bag of white cotton (two layers for strength) and use iron on transfer paper to put a picture of the extended family on the back, and a cropped picture of "Bubber's" family on the front above the viewing window. Inside I used short grain rice as a filler and included 19 bottle caps, each with a picture of one of the grandchildren on that side of the famly, and 1 more with a picture of the two favorite aunts. The bottlecaps are all glazed and finished.

Hopefully the bag will be a fun thing to play with even as he grows up. In the mean time, his sister seemed to enjoy trying to find herself. (She's 3 years old). Happy Birthday "Bubbers!"

Sorry the pictures are not the greatest.
I quickly took them in the car on the way to the party just before I wrapped it up >g<

Okay, I know I'm getting B-O-R-I-N-G... but one more thing

2009-01-08T23:29:00.002-07:00

This is what you get for reading the blog of an opinionated woman :)

Here's a Press Release I finally discovered today (thanks to another concerned crafter) that has to do with the certification requirements. Now, I might be reading this optimistically, but I think this might be good. See what you think:

(Reference: http://cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prhtml09/09042.html)

CPSC Clarifies Certification Requirements
Agency Staff to Focus on Compliance with Safety Rules

WASHINGTON, D. C. – On Monday, November 10, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) issued a final rule (pdf) by unanimous vote, addressing the conformity certification required for consumer products subject to safety rules under CPSC jurisdiction.

The Commission addressed three major issues: 1) who should supply the certificate; 2) how the certificate can be filed; and 3) CPSC enforcement of general certification.

First, the certification process will now be streamlined, by limiting the number of parties who must issue conformity certifications unless a preexisting Commission product standard requires otherwise. The Commission determined that for imported products, only the importer needs to issue the conformity certificate.

Foreign manufacturers and private labelers of imported products do not need to issue certificates, and they do not need to be listed as parties on certificates. For products manufactured in the United States, only the domestic manufacturer needs to issue the certificate. Private labelers do not need to issue certificates, and do not need to be listed as parties on certificates.

Second, the rule confirms that electronic means can be used to meet the certification requirement in the Consumer Product Safety Improvements Act of 2008 (CPSIA) and that conformity certifications can accompany the product and be furnished to distributors and retailers by a variety of electronic means. Electronic certificates can also be posted on a website for inspection or included with other electronic documents accompanying shipments through Customs, so long as the certificates can be produced immediately for inspection.

Finally, the agency intends to focus its enforcement efforts on a product’s compliance with our safety requirements. While the Commission recognizes that every company is expected to make its best efforts to comply promptly with the new certificate requirements, the agency intends initially to focus more on compliance with the safety rules underlying the certificate, rather than on the certificate or form of the certificate itself. For addition information and a copy of the rule, go to www.cpsc.gov

My Interpretation:
As a "private labeler" I am not personally responsible for testing my materials. Manufacturers and importers are responsible for testing to make sure lead and other metals fall within the new standards. (Sound like a rant you've read anywhere nearby?) They are responsible for providing certification that their items have been tested and are within standards.
The hiccup -- I cannot necessarily continue using my current suppliers. Ribbon, alligator style hair clips, etc. are not automatically required to be tested unless the item itself qualifies as a children's item. I will still have to make sure that my suppliers have conformity certificates and that my final products will be safe for children. I'm okay with that. I have been doing a lot of research (obviously -- otherwise I wouldn't bore y'all so much) and have started finding suppliers that are already preparing for the full implementation of this law. My costs will probably go up, but I will be able to stand by my product as being safe and legal as far as I understand the law.

I think I'm done boring you now. I PROMISE that my next post will be cute, fun, and full of pictures :) Stay tuned!

My Lead Research

2009-01-08T23:20:00.000-07:00

Okay, I am sure none of you really care to see all this, but after doing all the research I want to share anyway. So either just pretend to pay attention or move on to the next post ;)

I decided to do a little research on the incidence of lead poisoning in the US, and where the offending items are coming from. I take my information from the Center for Disease Control, or "CDC" (http://www.cdc.gov/nceh/lead/default.htm). I looked through all items recalled due to higher-than-allowable levels of lead since January of 1977 (http://www.cdc.gov/nceh/lead/Recalls/default.htm) From 1977 through the end of 2004 I count 60 items which were recalled due to high lead levels. From 2005 through the end of 2008 there have been 213 additional entries. Many entries prior to 2005 do not include the place of manufacture, but all entries since then do. Here is a list of all the countries that have created toys found to have higher than allowed levels of lead:

China (by FAR the largest contributor -- perhaps just due to volume, though)
Indonesia
Hong Kong
India
Vietnam
South Korea
Taiwan
Peru
Korea
Mexico (only one or two since 2005, but several prior)
The following each had just one incidence prior to 2005:
Thailand
Russia
Bangladesh
Israel
Sri Lanka
Hungary
and yes... one toy batch was recalled that was made in the USA in the year 1992.
Each recall report includes whether there have been any known as a result of the defect. Through all 263 entries there were 4 known incidents, I *think* I recall that they were exclusively from metals (such as jewelry / key chains) that were sucked on or swallowed. There was one fatality. The recall list covers more years than I've even been alive!
Considering the numbers, (found here: http://www.cdc.gov/nceh/lead/surv/stats.htm) in the year 2006, the most recent year there is data for, 1.21% of all children who were tested for lead tested positive. That's .001% of the childhood population below 72 months (6 years). Of those children, only 17% of those tested with high enough levels (>or= 20ug/dL) to be considered lead poisoning. That is .0002% of the childhood population below 6 years old.
Compare this to this chart: http://apps.nccd.cdc.gov/uscs/Table.aspx?Group=TableChild&Year=2004&Display=n which reports childhood cancer. In the age group of children up to 9 years old (that is how they break down the age groups) the percentage is the very same: .0002%. As many children suffer from lead poisoning as suffer from cancer.
The big difference is that lead poisoning is environmental. Of children who suffer from lead poisoning a vast majority (couldn't find any solid numbers) is caused by lead paint. Lead paint was done away with in 1978, but old homes build prior to the ban still have the problems. Until the walls have been stripped to the timbers and re-sheetrocked / finished there is still a risk of lead poisoning from the paint. As the old paint flakes and deteriorates the lead remains as it ever was -- and sits around in the form of lead laden dust. Children under 6 are the most likely to have trouble with this since their bodies are still developing so quickly and they are more likely to be in close proximity to the floor (read: lead dust) and more likely to put their fingers in their mouths. The lead does need to be ingested in order to get into the blood stream. Paint (since everything but the lead will break down over time) is the biggest threat for lead poisoning.
Rates of lead poisoning are more likely to show up in impoverished families since they are more likely to live in old homes where lead abounds in the paint -- and in pipes. Most lead pipes or lead welded pipes are long gone, but in very poor areas that isn't necessarily true.
In the year 1997 the incidence of positive lead ratings per the population under 6 was .005% and has steadily declined over the years. In 2006 it was down to .001%. Lead paint on walls and yes, occasionall on toys and clothing, seems to be the biggest factor.
This is one more good reference: http://www.cdc.gov/nceh/lead/faq/about.htm
It gives a lot of info on exposure, risk, and prevention of lead poisoning. This bit seems particularly significant:

"The major source of lead exposure among U.S. children is lead-based paint and lead-contaminated dust found in deteriorating buildings. Lead-based paints were banned for use in housing in 1978. However, approximately 24 million housing units in the United States have deteriorated leaded paint and elevated levels of lead-contaminated house dust. More than 4 million of these dwellings are homes to one or more young children."Other sources of lead poisoning are related to:

hobbies (making stained-glass windows)
work (recycling or making automobile batteries)
drinking water (lead pipes, solder, brass fixtures, valves can all leach lead)
home health remedies (azarcon and greta, which are used for upset stomach or indigestion; pay-loo-ah, which is used for rash or fever)."

And here is a parting shot from the CDC: http://www.cdc.gov/nceh/lead/faq/about.htm

"What is CDC’s approach?
CDC recommends designing, implementing, and evaluating primary prevention strategies that prevent childhood exposure to lead. The essential elements of primary prevention for childhood lead poisoning are as follows:

The first is to focus on lead paint in housing as the most important source of lead for young children.

The system to identify high-risk housing and to make these units lead safe is in place. After 10 years of widespread blood lead testing and data collection by CDC-supported state and local partners, the specific addresses of housing units where children have been repeatedly poisoned are known to local officials. Systematic reduction of lead sources, particularly in old, poorly maintained housing combined with periodic maintenance monitoring will prevent children from being exposed to lead in these units in the future. Good evidence exits that those communities with the largest percent of children with very high blood lead levels, are also the communities that have the largest percent of children whose blood lead levels are lower but still well above the national average. This evidence also indicates the importance of primary prevention and the need to target those communities where the risk for exposure to lead is highest. Primary prevention in these communities would be expected to benefit all children who live in the highest risk communities.
The second is to restrict or eliminate nonessential uses of lead particularly in toys, eating and drinking utensils, cosmetics and traditional medicines whether manufactured in the United States or imported.

In some areas of the United States as many as 35% of children identified with elevated lead levels are reported to have been exposed to items decorated with or made of lead. In most cases, the hazardous product is only identified after a child is lead poisoned. CDC, the Environmental Protection Agency and other federal agencies are working to better identify hazardous products before they are in use."

So, do with this information what you will. Sorry this is so long, but I wanted to make sure I was basing my information on reliable sources. I feel like I'm back in school, LOL. I've just spent the last two hours researching lead and writing this informative blurb complete with references :P I don't think you need to worry much about your crafts tainting your children. If, for example, you buy bottle caps or other items pre-painted you may want to be cautious, also your clips - if you're afraid they will be put in mouths. Ribbon is very unlikely to contain lead unless it has been printed and the ink in the print process contains lead. Buying US made products may reduce the risk of tainted products versus buying imported products, particularly from the far east.
There will be a decision made sometime tomorrow, I believe (1/5/2009) about whether some items will be exempt from the testing because they cannot possibly contain lead. This is items such as sapphires, untreated wood, and natural fibers like cotton. I don't remember what else was on that "possibles" list but there should be decisions made sometime tomorrow, so we'll see.

National Bankruptcy Day

2009-01-06T13:19:00.000-07:00

Nope, it's not a Joke or even one of my super catchy titles ;) That is the name that has been attached to February 10, 2009.
Here is the actual law (section 101 is the one I am referencing)
Here are some FAQ's from the Toy Industry Association.

All children's items will be affected by this new law. I'm talking everything from diapers to books including clothing and yes, hair accessories. Blankets, wood cars, bottles... absolutely everything. This is for children under 12 and a simple "not intended for children under 12" will not suffice. Any product that would be reasonably considered to be used by children under 12 must fit the standards.

The CPSIA requires ALL children's items to be tested by the final creator of the item for lead. I don't manufacture ribbon or clips, hot glue or thread. I don't even manufacture my own bottlecaps :P However, since I assemble these items into something that could reasonably considered children's items, I am the one who has to handle the lead testing. Not just any testing will do. Labs have to be certified by the US Government to do this testing. (As an aside: the lead alarms that lead up to this law were entirely foreign based, yet at least half of the labs approved to do this testing are foreign. Does that make anyone else giggle?)

Every individual batch has to be tested (every roll of ribbon, pack of hot glue sticks, spool of thread... etc. is a separate batch) and the estimated cost is around $2,000 to $4,000 per test. Also, the labs are not interested in testing for small businesses. So, if I wanted to up my thread cost from $1.50 to $2,001.50 I would probably still have a hard time getting it in for testing. Not to mention the fact that the thread will be destroyed in the testing process.... Do you see a problem here?

Basically, the cost will be a minor annoyance for huge companies. For anyone smaller than the mega toy, clothing, etc. companies that churn out millions of products, this is a death knell.

Here is another write up on the CPSIA on www.change.org. You can vote for up to 10 items on this site. The top 10 issues will be brought to the Obama administration on January 16th for his consideration. Currently the CPSIA is in position #8.

As it stands, the future is bleak in the boutique, handmade, specialty or custom items world. We will let the huge corporations (who created the problem) take over the industry completely while the stay at home or work at home mothers (to mention a portion of the people affected by this law) all lose their employ and either have to enter the already saturated workforce, leaving their children at home or in daycare, or apply for assistance from the government.

I have done extensive research on lead poisoning: where does it come from? is it common? how could this affect my children? etc. I may post my lead "essay" as another post if anyone is interested. Just comment and ask for it and I'll post it. I was certainly surprised by some of my findings. Let me put it this way: I didn't feel any greater need for this law after my research.

My Opinion: (yes, people are allowed to disagree with my opinion, that's why I call it "My Opinion".) Require all goods imported or manufactured in the USA to stay within lead limitations. One case of lead poisoning was in a child mouthing a cheap imported decorative keyring which contained excessive lead. A keyring, from what I understand, would not be considered a children's item, and would not be subject to this law at all! Meaning that this law would not have saved that child. Why not just plain limit the lead used in manufacturing? Period. Children are most susceptible to lead, and more likely to ingest it, but that doesn't mean it's good for adults! If lead is not allowed in products manufactured in the USA and any products being imported into the USA are required to include a certificate stating that the products have been tested and do not contain lead in excess of the standards, don't you think that would do the trick? It may increase costs slightly, but these manufacturers are already producing huge batches at once so the cost difference would be minimal. (Consider this: testing one batch that will produce 1 million products. If the test costs $4,000 that still leaves the cost increase per products at 4 tenths of a cent.) Test those batches so that if you buy ribbon, yarn, bottlecaps, fabric... anything in the USA you have the comfort of knowing it is safe. Isn't that supposed to be the point anyway?

Snuggle Monkey

2008-12-28T19:21:00.000-07:00

Butterfly woke up in the middle of the night with a bad dream. I came and talked to her for a while and she settled down with her sock monkey cuddled up with her. I just had to take a picture of her, she was so cute and forlorn! Then I noticed that Sunshine was perfectly cuddled with her monkey too. Daisy was disappointed that I didn't take a picture of her sleeping too... but that will have to wait for another night.

Far, Far Away in the Cousin Nativity

2008-12-28T19:07:00.003-07:00

Christmas Eve the kids all took part in a Nativity play with a batch of their cousins. Sunshine and Butterfly were both assigned parts as angels. I realized at the last minute that I needed to have costumes for them! I had my husband pick up some white pillowcases while he was out and about and I whipped up these cute little white pillowcase dresses. They took me maybe 10 minutes each (though taking a little longer would look better, lol)

Little Sunshine talking with Grandma before the Nativity play.

Standing by the Christmas tree. The girls chose their own clothes to wear with the dress, and I didn't have time to re-vamp anything. Otherwise there might have been some pretty white shirts instead of bright tees.

Oh, the Weather Outside is Frightful!

2008-12-28T18:42:00.001-07:00

Waiting at the bus stop on a wintry morning is... less than comfy. So I started working on a scarf for Daisy while I was walking on the treadmill. Just last night I finished off the hat. For working without a pattern, mostly while I was on the treadmill, I think it worked out pretty well! She wore it all day -- even with her pretty dress at church! She tried it out in the backyard this afternoon and it worked great. Her favorite features are the hat brim and ear flaps (she has been jealous of my ear muffs) and, of course, the tassels.

(This picture was taken just after she came in from playing outside. She wore her sister's sweatshirt so it's a little small. And she got snow down the front of her jacket so it got all wet.)

Some real Monkey Business

2008-12-22T20:06:00.000-07:00

This afternoon I got to have three of my nieces come over for a crafting party. (In case someone hadn't noticed: I have LOTS of nieces. And nephews.) They brought some socks and two of them made sock monkeys for their two younger brothers and the third one made three hair bows for some friends of hers. They did such a good job! I ran the sewing machine and the hot glue gun, but they pretty much did everything else. I even tweaked the "North Pole Boutique" cards to make them custom from my niece as a finishing touch. We ran out of time a bit, but we were really close to finishing. The monkeys still need eyes and one went home with an arm or two pinned on, LOL, but the girls know what they're doing now and they won't have any trouble finishing them I'm sure.

SJ with her three hair bows. I walked through the first one but she put the other two together pretty much by herself!

RJ with her nearly-completed sock monkey. All he needs now is eyes! They're hoping to make up some clothes too.

JJ curled up on the couch stitching away on the other sock monkey.

Finishing Details

2008-12-22T14:02:00.000-07:00

After making a bunch of clips and things for my nieces, I decided they definitely need somewhere to keep them. So I made these two bow holders and sent them along in the package.
As a final touch, since these things are all from Santa and I'm just helping him out, I made special cards to mount the bows on instead of my usual Tilly's Bowtique cards. These Christmas items come specially mounted on North Pole Boutique cards, complete with a gmail account. :)
Oopsie! I forgot to include the pic of my North Pole Boutique cards. Now It's on here :)

In a whole different area of crafting

2008-12-22T13:56:00.000-07:00

Before I started with ribbons and bows I was making lots of jewelry. Mostly I made wire wrapped jewelry with sterling silver or gold rolled wire. It is beautiful, unique, and more expensive to make than bows, LOL. I still love jewelry, but I just can't do it as often as I wish.
I made this jewelry set for a mother of 4. What mother couldn't use something fun for herself? Unfortunately I am out of wire right now, so I wasn't able to do wire wrapped jewelry for her. I make this jewelry set out of wood, tigereye, mother of pearl, and freshwater pearls.

Tool Time -- but a litte more fun.

2008-12-22T13:52:00.000-07:00

I made these tool-belt style aprons for two boys for Christmas. The 8yo loves Hot Wheels so his belt has 6 pockets made to fit Hot Wheels cars. The 5yo loves art, so his belt has 12 pockets to fit crayons. Each belt rolls up easily to tuck into a bag for a trip to the doctor's office or a long drive in the car. I made these out of navy blue duck cloth -- a heavy weight fabric with velcro closure so they'll fit for a long time.

We LOVE teachers :)

2008-12-22T13:27:00.001-07:00

Last week was the end of school for the year (the 2008 year, not the school year :)) so I wanted to send some gifts to the wonderful teachers and helpers in our lives.
I made ribbon-wrapped pens in pairs for each gift. I also made some teacher themed bottlecaps which I made into magnets. They turned out REALLY cute and the teachers absolutely loved them.
We gave gifts to all 4 of Sunshine's preschool teachers, Daisy's bus driver (who has been really great and helped out with a bullying problem), and Daisy's teacher. Sunshine goes to a preschool done by the school district that is particularly for special needs children. They also take non-special needs children, but they don't get to ride the bus and they pay tuition. Sunshine is actually the only tuition paying child in her class. It has been wonderful for her, though, since there is a teacher for about every 3 children and she gets to be the leader and the example a lot -- good for a middle child. I mention all that to explain one of the caps I made particularly for those teachers:
"All children are gifted, some just open their package sooner than others." (purple)
the other say:
"Teachers Rule" (yellow)
"When's Recess?" (gray)
"Discover Wildlife: be a teacher" (orange)
and
"Every time the bell rings a teacher gets her wings" (green)

The bus driver got two pens and a key chain made with a bottle cap I made using the school mascot and "Tiger Pride 2008-09"
The 1st grade teacher got magnets, two pens, and a key chain too.

I hate to brag.... but it's so true.

2008-12-22T13:14:00.002-07:00

My girls are just the cutest things ever!

Last January I happened in to KMart -- I never go to KMart! But I dropped in for some reason and came across a cute Christmas dress for only $2. It has been in the top of the closet for most of a year. So I got some marabou and made marabou-edged leggings and a cute matching pair of bows for my little Daisy. She was just darling! I let her wear it to school on Friday for their Christmas Celebration, then to church on Sunday and a family party that evening.

When Miss Daisy came home from school I asked if anyone had liked her outfit. She said that one girl in her class stopped dead in her tracks with her mouth hanging open cause she loved it just so much (In Daisy's words).

Snack Break...

2008-12-22T10:57:00.000-07:00

Well, I do have several creations to post, but I'm taking a little break to share some great tasty ways to gain 50 lbs. this holiday season :) These recipes are absolute favorites wherever I've taken them -- when they make it out of the house, that is!

I have to give credit to a good friend J. Jarvis for the Caramel Corn recipe. The marshmallow recipe comes from my Grandmother -- and I remember making these occasionally with my mother, usually at Easter time. The Spudnut recipe I *think* came from my other Grandmother. She was not a recipe sharer, so she's probably rolling in her grave right now, but it's just too good to keep to oneself!

Caramel Corn:
popped popcorn*
1 cube margarine (I usually use only 6 Tbsp. That makes it less oily and slightly healthier, LOL)
1 c. brown sugar
1/4 c. light corn syrup
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp soda
1 tsp. vanilla

Put margarine, sugar, corn syrup, and salt, in a medium sized microwave safe bowl. Microwave about 3 minutes, or until it has boiled about 1 1/2 to 2 minutes.
Stir in soda and vanilla.
Put popped corn in a large microwave safe bowl, or into a large paper grocery bag (make sure you don't have any receipts left over in there ;)) Fold over the top of the bag.
Pour the caramel over the popcorn and stir well.
Microwave on regular power for 1 1/2 minutes. Stir well.
Microwave an additional 1 1/2 minutes. Stir again.
Let cool so you don't burn your tongue! **

*Pour over a batch of plain popped corn. I use 1/2 c. kernels, popped on the stove. Air popped works well too. I even know some people like "light butter" microwave popcorn.

**For a festive or special twist I spread the finished caramel corn on a couple of cookie sheets (it's easier to clean up if you put waxed or parchment paper on the sheets before spreading out the caramel corn). Then put a few handfuls of you favorite strength of chocolate chips (I like Special Dark) in a freezer zip-top bag. Microwave, squishing the bag every 15 seconds, until they are melted. Then clip one small corner off the bag and squeeze out over the popcorn. If you have some available, then use white chips or white almond bark and do the same thing.

Homemade Marshmallows:
1 envelope unflavored gelatin (knox brand is by the Jell-o at the grocery store)
1/4 c. cold water
1 c. sugar
1/3 c. hot water
1 egg white

Soften gelatin in cold water and set aside.
Combine sugar and hot water. Cook to 240 F. (soft ball)
While sugar syrup cools slightly, beat egg whites till stiff.
Slowly add syrup to beaten egg whites beating all the time.
Add softened gelatin and continue beating till marshmallow starts to hold its shape.
Pour into molds* and let set.
Dip in chocolate**
Eat as is -- or float one on top of your hot chocolate!

*Fill two 9x13 pans about halfway with flour or cornstarch.
Using some shape (an egg in the shell, a christmas tree ornament... any simple shape that will leave an impression in the powder) make impressions in the flour or cornstarch. This makes your molds. I used a star shaped ornament off the Christmas tree (washed and dried, of course)
And easy and tidier way to fill the molds is to spoon the marshmallow into a large freezer zip-top bag. Cut the corner off so you have about a 1/2" or so opening. Squeeze the marshmallow into the molds.

**Marshmallow shapes will be easier to dip if they have set in a cool place up to 2 days. They may be dipped in regular dipping chocolate, or in melted chocolate chips thinned with paraffin wax to a dipping consistency.

Spudnuts:
1/4 c. shortening
1 1/3 tsp. yeast
1 lg. egg
1/2 tsp. mace (or you can use lemon extract)
1/4 c. sugar
1/2 c. prepared mashed potatoes (this is what gives the incredible texture)
1 c. lukewarm milk
3/4 tsp. salt
3 c. flour

Mix into soft dough. Let rise, punch down, the let rise again (double in size each time). Roll out to about 1/2" thick. Cut with a donut cutter -- or a ring from a quart jar, or whatever you have on hand. Either cut out a donut hole in the center or just make a slit with a knife and stretch slightly to leave a hole in the center.
Rise until fluffy and light.
Drop into hot oil, raised side down. Dip in glaze while still warm.

Glaze:
1 lb. powdered sugar (2 1/2 - 3 c.)
1 Tbsp. butter
little vanilla if desired
enough water to make a thin paste

- The dough can be prepared in a bread maker. Makes about 2 1/2 dozen.

Here I go again!

2008-12-16T13:23:00.000-07:00

Yes, I do realize I have posted several times today, I just have so many new things!
My niece will turn 8 tomorrow and is being baptized on Saturday. As requested, I made a Pin Pal for her. Yes, she does have spectacular red curly hair. It's really gorgeous! (At least it is in pictures -- they live in Vermont and we live in Utah so I haven't actually seen her in real life for 6 years). Hopefully someday soon!

Oh the tangled headbands we weave...

2008-12-16T13:00:00.000-07:00

This is only my third woven headband, but I'm very happy with it. I just need to get more headbands to make! They're a lot of fun for even those girls who feel too "mature" to wear bows. One fun thing about the woven headband is that you can slide clips into the weave and clip onto a ribbon to embellish the headband. The daisy clips are going the same place as the headband and at least three of those match the headband too. I am very fond of the butterfly on the headband. I can't wait to see pictures of how it looks! I do plan to add some velcro (the hook side) so it will stay put. I just haven't done the finish work yet. Oh yes, I also made a bottlecap clippie which matches also. I used a shiny sticker for the bottlecap, then added the glaze. It is very "bling-ey"!

Scarf it down

2008-12-16T12:46:00.000-07:00

Why not branch out and do a little of everything this week?! I made this scarf for the daddy of the girls getting the ribbon tees. Once I got back in the crocheting groove, I couldn't put it down! I was exercising on the treadmill while watching a show with my DH and since I can only walk right now (back injury) I made a lot of progress on the scarf while walking! It does take a little coordination to do it that way, though, LOL. I wish I had been able to make it a bit longer, but I was running out of yarn. I was wishing it was mine while standing at the school bus stop this morning in a snow storm!

There's a Monkey on my Back!

2008-12-16T12:41:00.000-07:00

I still don't have the right buttons for eyes yet. I need to remember to take the monkeys with me next time I go to the store. But here are the three fuzzy sock monkeys that just might end up in my girls' stockings this Christmas. Do a Google search for Sock Monkey Tutorial (or Instructions) and it's not a hard project! I have had lots of fun making these banana-lovers!

Ring Around the...Daisies!

2008-12-16T12:37:00.000-07:00

While I was making a bunch of daisy clips for Christmas I kept clipping them onto a handy plate to keep them all together. In the end I liked how they looked, so I took the pics of them on the plate too. Simple to make and great for accessorizing, the daisies are a whimsical twist on a classic clippie.

Oopsie!

2008-12-08T23:39:00.002-07:00

Okay, my darling SIL emailed me tonight and told me that my comments thingy isn't working! So... after a little work... I fixed it! Yay! I may yet figure out this whole Blogger thing.
Why is it that while I'm normally more than competent on a computer, Blogger just gives me a headache?! When my DH can't figure something out on the compy or can't find something online he asks me for help -- and he does web programming so he's on the computer all the time! Yet Blogger and me... not so much :P

Ribbon tees

2008-12-08T21:23:00.002-07:00

This is the second time I've tried my had at ribbon tees. I just love the way they look! These are actually for two little girls I don't know for Christmas. I sure hope they like them! The older one is 3 years old, the younger is 9 months. I made a matching hairbow for each of them. I also made an interchangeable headband for the little one. I don't know how much hair she has, so they each have a no-slip lined alligator clip and hers can go on the headband as an option. What do ya think? I won't even get to see how the girls like them, so I have my fingers crossed on this one!
(In case you can't see in this picture, there are little lady bugs on the ribbon.)

And she's back....

2008-12-06T23:31:00.002-07:00

Well, I'm starting to feel better and I had to make something I saw out in the big wide web. They are the most adorable ribbon trimmed leggings! I have only made simple ones so far, but I have visions in my head of super fun ones with double layers of ribbons and ridiculous things like that. Oh what fun!!!I made the first pair for little "Butterfly" while my "Sunshine" was at preschool. When she got home she saw them and started begging for her own! She even went through her drawer of tights and brought me some that she would "let me use". I had to make sure all the scissors were hidden cause she was going to start all by herself!Finally the next day I was at WalMart and I bought a new pair of tights for her and made her own pair of ribbon leggings. They aren't exactly "leggings" per se, since they're made from tights. They need something covering the bum like a skirt or shorts or something. BUT, made from thick cotton tights they're warm and make a great modesty cover for a 3 or 4 year old trying to remember how to wear a skirt without flashing the undies!Just tonight I finished a tutorial for how you can make your own "Ribbon Leggings", part of my "Mommy Made It!!!" line of instruction booklets. Lots of pictures, very descriptive text. One day I might even get around to listing it for sale somewhere, lol. You can always contact me if you are interested in buying something I've featured here! LOL

Slow Week

2008-12-02T15:58:00.000-07:00

Well, I have had a slow week of crafting. I've been really sick with a UTI that just won't go away! I have almost finished three more sock monkeys -- to send to Santa so he can put them in the DD's stockings. When I've made it to the store to find perfect buttons for eyes I'll take pics of them to post here. I used fuzzy slipper-type socks this time and they are really cute!

We finally reached a new stage with 6yo "Daisy". The other day she told me a friend at school told her that Santa isn't real and that her parents do the Santa stuff instead. Gulp! Then she asked me: So is she right? Is it just her parents who have to do Santa? Or do you play Santa too?
Well, I wasn't going to lie to her. I told her that "Santa" is really a game that people love to play. It is a fun way to show love for eachother and to celebrate sharing with others. Then I asked her if she wanted to help play the game by not telling anyone else what the game really is. She was really excited and said that she could do that. She still wants to play the game, so she is pretending that Santa is real, even though she knows I do all the work. Phew!

Monkey Trouble

2008-11-26T01:18:00.001-07:00

This week I have been having lots of fun making sock monkeys! I have finished two that I can take photos of. They are just so fun to make! My three young darlings participate in a gift exchange with cousins. Two of the names drawn were for very little ones -- under 2 years old. Thus, the sock monkeys! After making the first two I decided I ought to make some for my girls' stockings on Christmas morning. I found some fuzzy-wuzzy socks to use for my babies. Tonight I got all the pieces sewn but I ran out of stuffing before I could finish. All three bodies are stuffed and sewn shut, but I need to buy a new bag of stuffing to do all of the arms, tails, ears, and noses. New shopping list for tomorrow!

Interchangeable Bottle cap Necklace

2008-11-21T15:04:00.001-07:00

My 6 year old has a birthday party to go to this afternoon. Without having to go to the store I decided to try my hand at a bottlecap necklace. I am so happy with how it turned out! I was even smart this time and made an extra for my 'Daisy' to keep. She was really happy to hear that :) I used a plastic tubing to make the necklace part so it is a little stretchy. I used a lobster clasp on the necklace and put split rings on the bottlecaps so you can just clip on your choice of pendant. It even comes with two necklaces: black and brown. They'll be the most fashionable girls on the playground ;). The way these necklaces are put together if you pull hard on them it will pull apart. There is a small hard plastic bit that holds it together. I considered using something different, then decided that I was more comfortable with this method. If the necklace gets caught on something, the necklace will give way before serious damage can be done. It adds a little peace of mind for those overly anxious mommies (like me!).

Modeled by my little "Sunshine"

New Items for WInter!

2008-11-18T16:32:00.002-07:00

Here they are! I have finished designing my 2008 winter line ;) I will add pictures of them, though I haven't done the "pro" pictures yet. These pictures are of the clips still clipped to my working notebook. I should be ready to deliver my order to the Lindon Kid to Kid hopefully tomorrow afternoon. I just need to finish a few last figures and get some more display cards printed up. I can't believe how fast I go through those! (I also did poinsettia clips, but I didnt' photograph them yet.)

Winter Designs

2008-11-12T19:19:00.000-07:00

I have been given an order for "a bunch" of hair clips, including Christmas and winter styles. I have decided on my plans, but the design process can be time consuming! Never mind the fact that then I have something really particular in mind for materials and the local shops don't carry it! I have been looking for red and white twisted cord to use for the "wrapped candy" but all I can find is red and gold. It looks like the peppermint candies this year will be red and gold. Next year I will have to plan ahead further to order my cording online.
I am currently designing / making:
snowman
Santa
snowflake (with bling!)
wrapped candy
poinsettias

And speaking of next year... I suppose I should start thinking of Spring designs now, so I can order and design before it's time to stock the shops! Wow. Any ideas?

Perfection Never Got Anything Done... in my house at least

2008-11-03T23:47:00.000-07:00

So I set up this blog several weeks ago. I had to have the PERFECT background. Then I wanted the PERFECT way to display pictures. Then I needed a PERFECT first post.... and here we are now!
Moral of the story: I'm a defunked perfectionist. I want things perfect but I also expect myself to come up with something new and different at the same time. I think I'm going to try giving myself room for practice. I'm starting my blog without a cute background. I don't have any pictures posted as of this moment. This is hardly a whiz-bang of a beginning post. But... I started.
Okay, now my first post is done and I can go on to share my methods of creation for Tilly's Bowtique.
:)