Organizing!

Whew!  It's been a busy couple of weeks getting my boys settled back into the school routine, starting their breakdancing (cute!) and Canskate lessons.... I also participated in an auction over at Jennifer Leah Photography's Facebook page!  It was wonderful to do an auction to benefit charity!  I am always looking for opportunities to give back, so if anyone knows of any charity auctions, etc., please let me know!  Business has been picking up significantly so I haven't had the chance to make as many new creations while dealing with orders, but I should be at adding more art sculpture ribbon clips and headbands shortly!  A new favourite is the stretch velvet headband, so cute and stretchy :)   Current colour choices are light pink, bright pink and black...soon to come are red, brown and white!

Today I took an hour out of my day to reorganize all of my tulle and ribbon.  Unfortunately I don't have a craft room so I have taken up a corner of the family room for the past couple months.  Last weekend I started the daunting task of cleaning out the walk-in closet in the family room to make room for my supplies.  Sweetie Bug decided to help me sort out the tulle:

While searching the web for new tips and tricks I discovered a new way to cut my tulle and "cut" my cutting time by 3/4!!!  Makes creating a tutu much quicker and easier, so I was very excited about that!

Stay tuned for many more ribbon choices, artificial flower and satin rose clips, art sculpture ribbon clips and much more!

Need my Ribbon "Fix"

So...I've been waiting 22 days for my shipment of ribbon - that isn't too long as it is coming form the states and a lot of times things get hung up in customs.  BUT, I am wanting to make whole new batches of clippies for the upcoming fall sales that I will be participating in!  Very frustrating when the creative juices are flowing but the supplies for what I want to do just aren't there!

For those interested, Sweetie Bug will be at "An Evening At the Busy Women's Express Shop" on November 10th from 4-8 p.m. at the Laurel building in downtown Kelowna.  We will also be at the "2nd Annual Westbank Busy Women's Christmas Extravaganza" on November 19th from 10-3 pm, this event takes place at the Westbank Lions Club.  There will be many other amazing vendors, swag bags for the first 50 people through the doors, door prizes and more!  So come on by and do some Christmas shopping and support some local small businesses.

So, while I've been waiting for my shipment of ribbon (and also lots of new tulle colours) I have been making a lot of tutus to prepare for the upcoming sales and to showcase some of what is available for custom order.  Here are a few:

Rock Candy Double Layered Tutu

Pumpkin Tutu

Bewitched Tutu

Angel Double Layered Tutu

I am very tempted to turn the Bewitched Tutu into a double layered.  And, I'm having a difficult time choosing a costume for little Sweetie Bug.  Each tutu I do is a new favourite.  We are wanting her to be a sunflower...so maybe that will be the next one!  

Busy Summer!

Wow!  It's been one busy summer off on mat leave with my 3 wonderful, energetic children!  We were lucky enough to have a couple small trips and lots of fun activities closer to home.  We've been enjoying summer to its fullest but I've also been working on some great things for Fall.  I have been working on some wonderful art sculpture clips, mostly themed for Halloween - and am working also on some Halloween costume tutus.  I am also doing sets of clips and working on some new headbands.  Check out our facebook page for some samples!

It's getting towards that time of year where I am thinking about Christmas and will soon be working on some art sculpture winter themed clips!  Great items for stocking stuffers!  I will be participating in the 2nd Annual Fall Kids Flea Market  on October 15th so come and check us out for some great tutus and hair accessories for the Fall and Winter!  I will also have a table full of newborn - 9 month baby girl items, toddler boys clothes (mostly 3T) and some other wonderful babies and children's items including some gently used cloth diapers!  Come on by and check out all of the other wonderful vendors :)  I will be looking for opportunities for some Christmas craft fairs as well, so stay tuned...

Deluxe/Costume Tutus

My first two deluxe/costume tutus are complete!  I will have to wait until the morning to take some shots in natural light.  I have many, many ideas for more that I would like to do!  These tutus will be a few more dollars than the regular ones, maybe $3.00 - $5.00 or so.  They take a fair bit more time and cost a bit more for supplies.  I will also be working on some new styles of tutus...making them a bit more whimsical and fun!

We have been battling a couple cases of the sickies around our house this week so I haven't had a lot of time to devote to creating, but everyone seems to be on the mend now.  This coming week I should have a bit more time to create! 

I am excited because on Monday we will be going to Wee Piggies And Paws to have something wonderful created by Ilona!  I can't wait to see what she comes up with for us.  It's going to be so awesome to have a keepsake of the kid's hands to enjoy for years to come.  I will be sure to post a pic once it is done!

Another exciting opportunity has come up as a wonderful woman I know from my middle/high school days is now doing photography!  I am making a tutu for her cute little daughter that she is going to photograph for me - it is going to be really neat to have some professional shots taken of my creations :)  My camera is ok, but definitely not of the caliber I would like.  You can check out Shannen's photography here!

I'm off to place a large order for more tulle - so I can make the visions in my head "come to life"! 

Balance

Life definitely becomes a balancing act when one has children!  I am constantly wondering if I am doing things "right"...spending enough time with each child, making healthy meals and snacks, keeping my home in an acceptable state of order.  It's also the reason why I tend to stay up late each night and write my posts, catch up on emails, do my crafting...it's okay to work on "my own things" when the children are tucked into bed and I can wind down for the night! 

Tonight I worked on setting up my Etsy shop.  Not an easy feat when my internet connection seems to be soooooo slow and I am trying to have several windows open at once so I can multitask.  Oh, and there's sweetie bug, not wanting to be down in her crib ...a new one for us, she's used to the bassinet.  Off I go for a snuggle :)

Too, Too Terrific!

Pictured here is our table at the 2nd Annual Kids Flea Market that we took part in on Saturday.  It was really nice to get out and get a feel for in-person markets and to meet some of the wonderful babies and kids that will wear my creations!  A favourite was the Pink Chocolate tutu, so I will definitely be making more of those!  Also, the fashion doll or BarbieTM tutus were definitely a hit with little girls, and I sold out of my dolly/teddy bear tutus.  I will be sure to create some more in the near future!                                                                             I also met some wonderful women who run some amazing local companies.  You can find all of these on Facebook, including Mommy Jewels (I have one of Kim's wonderful "granite" nursing necklaces, Pretty Little Lids - the cutest owl and monster hats you've ever seen!  Snap Pea Designs make the most wonderful little animals and creatures for little ones.... I am definitely going to have to order some of these soon.  Another great lady from Wee Piggies and Paws Kelowna stopped by my table with her super cute daughter.  They do amazing keepsakes of your little one's hands and feet - I am really looking forward to having my children's done in the very near future!  I encourage you to check out all of these local businesses and let them know that Sweetie Bug Creations sent you :)

I had a nice break today for Mother's Day and my wonderful husband and boys made me breakfast.  Sweetie Bug didn't quite get the memo, so I didn't get to sleep in (breastfeeding does have its disadvantages sometimes!), but we had a nice, relaxing day.  We had lunch with my parents and the did a few quick errands followed by a late afternoon walk up to the resevoir.  It was nice to have some down time without having to do dishes or laundry or cooking!  Back to normal tomorrow :)

Now, if only I could decide what to start on next!  There are so many projects awaiting me and I am not quite sure where to begin....

Pinkalicious!

Here are two views of the new Pinkalicious tutu (inspired by the children's book Pinkalicious by Victoria Kann and Elizabeth Kann).  I wanted to do a very girly girl type of tutu (by the way, I was also thinking of naming it girly girl!).  It turned out even better than I had hoped.  The new shocking pink shimmer tulle is like a bubblegum pink and I love it!  It is the lighter of the two pinks.  I am going to order a whole lot more of it and it will also be featured in the breast cancer fundraiser tutu that I will custom make for the winner. 

I made a new tutu tonight that I haven't yet taken pictures of.  It will be called The Sweetie Bug...and it is red shimmer and black shimmer as a bit of a ladybug look (3x red to 1x black).  It is super pretty.  I may also add black dots to it as I hope to develop it into a bit of a Halloween costume for my Sweetie Bug this fall.  I also want to make a honey bee costume in the near future.  Yes, I am already thinking Halloween...I am just a wee bit of a planner (can you tell?).  I hope to have several costume choices available, which will of course include ballerina, fairy and princess.

I received a wonderful shipment in the mail today...my cute fabric flower appliques that are pink ribbon themed.  So, next week once my new pink grosgrain ribbon arrives I will begin several sets of clippies for the fundraiser.  I may incorporate a few into the tutu as well...we'll see what inspiration hits at the time!  Wow, that's a lot of pink!

Tulle, Breast Cancer Fundraiser & More...

I received a shipment of tulle today: mint, shocking pink shimmer, black shimmer, red shimmer and turquoise shimmer.  I am working on a gift tutu for a birthday party my son is going to this weekend....it is fuchsia and shocking pink shimmers and so far is looking so pretty!  Very girly and I think I may have to call in Pinkalicious or something of the like!  :)  I have several new colour combos planned but have not had the opportunity to play around with them yet.  With my first ever sale coming up this Saturday and being a very new "vendor" (as in first table ever at an event) I have a lot to get ready.  My wonderful husband took my youngest two children out for a few hours this morning so I managed to get lots done!  As things are now I have several items to put out and will just start there.  I have so many ideas and plans for things to get started but they are on hold until after the weekend.  Once the sale is over I can concentrate on the creative process again and not just the mass production I have been doing.  I am on the lookout for craft fairs or other markets to participate in, but want to see how this one goes first.  I can then also concentrate on setting up my etsy shop, which is something that has been in the back of my mind since before I started Sweetie Bug about 6 weeks ago...can't wait to get that started!

I will also work on a little fundraiser after the weekend.  A friend of a friend has been diagnosed with breast cancer in her early 30's so I would like to do a little to help her out and also raise some money to donate to the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation.  I am going to do a very pink tutu as well as many sets of hair clips.  I am not sure yet if the best fundraiser is a raffle or a silent auction of the items.  I think they would be so perfect for a participant of the Run For The Cure or for a Halloween costume or child's dress up item.  I will donate 100% of the proceeds to the cause!  If anyone has any input or more ideas for me on this matter I would love to hear from you!

Clippies

I received my new shipment of double pronged alligator clips in the mail this past week so I got started on a new fresh batch!  I found a new supplier and these clips are "salon professional grade" and are a bit higher quality.  I want to be sure that what I make will last and work well.  I also heat-seal all the ends of the ribbon - no fraying here.  I will also provide non-slip grip upon request, but I have found that with the better quality clip the grip really isn't necessary - they provide a nice snug fit!  Tonight's batch I had a big emphasis on some tiny gems...I had originally purchased them when I was doing my gel nail business, and these leftovers provide a super-cute accent on the clippies.  I haven't taken any pics of my latest and greatest as I am busy working on things for the table at the kids flea market.  I'll try to take some soon and get them up.  The tiny gems are time-consuming to glue, but they are worth it.  I am a bit of a perfectionist but I have fun with these things.  I had a great time for my close friend's wedding last September when I hand glued tiny gems onto each first and last name on the placecards I created for her reception tables.  That is another business I would love to get into, but one thing at a time :) 

I still have a lot to do to get ready for the sale (and in the business start-up in general).  But, I'll work with what I get done and lots more time in the future for new products/designs, etc.  I have an etsy shop on hold until I get a few things ahead...but will let you know when it is up and running!  Lots of wonderful things to come!!!

Ribbon Addict

Well, I think I am officially addicted to ribbon!  If I had enough hours in a day to myself to create I think I would be beside myself with happiness!  I have a bunch of wonderful new patterned grosgrain ribbons coming, and I cannot wait to make some new clips with them!  Tonight I made some that have little cute bugs, ice cream/popsicles, "big sister", a fuzzy black/white animal print (cow maybe?), and a purple/black zebra pattern.  I also have some ladybugs, cupcakes and more to work with and the ones I ordered are also some cute patterns...My little sweetiebug is going to have clippies for life!  And, for my wonderful friends....just guess what your little ones will be getting for their birthdays/Christmas! lol!

Wow!

I have been finishing off lots of clips and barettes that I had started and wow!  are there ever a lot of them!  It has been a lot of work preparing an inventory for samples and for the upcoming kids flea market on May 7th.  I have way more ideas than time at the moment and am finding that frustrating, but will get it all done a little bit at a time :)   I want to do some super colorful rainbow tutus and also some that incorporate black.  Am still awaiting shipments for pacifier/toy clips, more tutu colors, more hair clips...  Have yet to begin the taggie blankets and other projects!  I am super excited for all that is to come! 

My little sweetie bug modelled a tutu for me this weekend and it was just too cute!  Had some beautiful 18C weather and took advantage by getting outside and snapping some shots of her!  I was in a bit of a hurry to get outside and take the photos, so this headband is not one of my creations, but it does match pretty well!  I call this tutu "fluffy chick" so it was perfect for Easter! 

I am going to work on getting some shots taken of some other "models" for my creations in the next while.  I have had some wonderful friends offer up their children for me to use for models and as the weather warms up I will have to do some photo shoots!  I need more time to figure out all the features on my camera and editing software!  I'm getting there slowly! 

Well, that's it for now...just wanted to post that I am working on lots more items and selection and am constantly creating or brainstorming new creations :)  Stay tuned for many more fun items in the near future!

Technical Difficulties

Something is up with our internet explorer...things are coming up funny and then when I try to do a blog post none of the text shows up...so, I'll see what happens here....

I've been working on a few things, but am still waiting for a couple of elusive shipments of tulle and ribbon and some other goodies.  Also just ordered some more shimmer tulle...think I will make more shimmer tutus because the turn out so pretty!  I spent the morning this morning sorting out my crafting area...Sweetie Bug's bedroom is what used to be my office, so I am now confined to a corner of the dining room!  I think I've now got it all sorted :)

I want to make birthday parties a bit of a specialty so I am going to make favour packages...8 hair clippies for $10.00 (all of same pattern/colour) and also 6 fairy wands for $22.00.  I will work on some more things as well, but that is where I will begin.  I am waiting for my new cricut cartridge to work on a banner for when I do craft shows and I would also like to do a sample Happy Birthday banner as well.  I am trying to continually grow and expand without branching off too far and doing too many things.

I am also offering a $10.00 gift certificate on a giveaway at Mommies Who Love Freebies.  There are all kinds of goodies to be found there, so you may want to head on over and check it out...let them know that Sweetie Bug Creations sent you!

Well, that is all for now.  I'm off to work on a few things :)

Fun....

Shopping :)

I love shopping for fresh supplies...currently that consists of a lot of ribbon!  I am having fun coming up with new ideas and colour combinations.  Will be making some new corker clippies today if Miss Sweetie Bug lets me and will also be making some new satin roses.  Once I drop the boys off at school I think I will stop by the craft store to buy a couple of items.  I am still waiting for a couple orders of tulle and other supplies from online - one I need to make a custom order and also to work on my new colour combinations!  I am going to have a table for the 2nd Annual Spring Kids Flea Market so I need to have a few samples of my tutus as well as some wares for sale.  I also want to make a photo gallery of my creations - a collection of my own colour/style combinations, as well as all of the options for custom tutu orders.  I purchased a few more supplies yesterday for my headbands and made a couple more satin roses.  I was pretty stoked about a couple cute ones made out of glittery polka dot satin ribbon - can't show you yet as I haven't taken any pictures...but they've got me wondering what other neat designs I can use for a cute effect!  I think Miss Sweetie Bug and I will do a teeny bit of crafty shopping and some grocery shopping after we drop her brothers off at school this morning...gotta get it done while I can...much easier to take one child shopping than three! 

Handmade Satin Roses

New today, I am handcrafting satin roses. They are a lot of fun to create and look great in hair or on a tutu (or headband!) I will be adding lots of colour selections and will custom make in any colour as long as I can find it for you. These are mounted onto an alligator clip and come in sizes 1.75" (Medium) and 1.25" (Small). I will be working on size large as well, once my headband and hairband supplies come in the mail. The Medium are mounted on an unlined clip, but can be lined upon request. The small come on a matching ribbon (or coordinating ribbon) lined clip as the rose is slightly smaller than the clip and it just looks nicer that way! I'm a bit of a perfectionist :) Medium on unlined clip is $3.00 and Small on a lined clip is also $3.00. These look amazing in hair and would be wonderful for matching mother/daughter or sisters and for Easter photos. Our facebook page shows the colours currently in stock. I could make these all day long (if Sweetie Bug would let me) because they really are fun to make! If you want a custom tutu and to have these permanently affixed then I would charge $2.50 per rose...really adds a nice finishing touch. We also have in some pastel glitter butterflies that are wonderful for hair/tutus/headbands. I can't wait for Sweetie Bug to have just a little big more hair, though her little tuft at the back is sure cute!

So Many Ideas!!!

Oooohhh! I just have so many tutu and hair accessory ideas rattling around in my head right now! I have ordered so many supplies that I am just waiting on so that I can get creating! Lots of new ribbon choices, tulle, gems, and other goodies! Can you tell I am excited? It truly is a passion of mine! I have many ideas for other items as well...thinking of items for boys. As a mother of 2 boys I can really appreciate that there just isn't the selection of cute items out there for them. While boys don't require quite the "accessorizing" that girls can, it would still be nice to find more items for boys!

I went to the Babies In Bloom baby fair today and had some fun! There were some interesting booths set up and a couple were my favourites. I purchased a Mommy Jewel's nursing necklace, which is something I have been wanting for awhile. Sweetie Bug likes to scratch at her head while nursing and I need something to distract her. I'm hoping that this necklace will do the trick. I purchased the "granite" style pictured to the left and I love it! I really recommend these!

The other item I purchased was a fuzzibunz one-sized pocket diaper from Booty Boutique...I have one other of these and they are so soft and cute that I couldn't resist another. Cloth diapering is becoming an obsession! I wish I had discovered it with my first child!

Well, off to bed for some more creating!!!

Newborn Photo Prop Tutus!

Here is Sweetie Bug in one of my photo-prop tutus that I make for newborns. These really add a cute touch to a newborn photoshoot! The newborn tutus I make on ribbon so that they can be tied rather than an elastic waist. This makes it easy to simply drape them over a sleeping infant or to simply tuck in around them in any position they are in. These tutus are 6" in length with a waist of about 15" - again tied onto ribbon rather than elastic. The cost for these tutus is $10 (shipping extra). The waist is not wrapped in satin ribbon but it can be added for an additional $1. Sweetie Bug was having a great time playing with the tulle!

To order in the colour of your choice email sweetiebugcreations@gmail.com

Cloth Diapering Passion!

(Please note:my hand is hovering just out of frame to catch this little sweetie bug in case she rolls, she hasn't learned that yet as she is only 3 months, but we can never be too careful) A look at part of my fluff stash of cloth diapers!

A topic completely unrelated to my crafting or Sweetie Bug Creations is cloth diapering...something I've really gotten into over the past 3 months. Although this is my 3rd child, she is the first that I have cloth diapered. I was extremely apprehensive about it and assumed (incorrectly) that it would be difficult and time consuming. I was pleasantly surprised to find that not only is it easy - it is also actually fun! It's fun to collect a stash of all of the cute different covers that are out there. I am on a fairly tight budget so I am primarily using prefolds and covers, but I have been able to snap a few pocket diapers and some fitteds. I am using several different brands including Thirsties, Bummies, G-Diapers, Fuzzibunz and Ecobumz. I have found all of them to be wonderful! I use a wet bucket method - a flip-lid garbarge can from Walmart filled with 6-12" of water (so that the first day's worth of diapers get a good soaking before I launder every 2-3 days). Then I can remove the plastic tub of the garbage can and tip right into the washer without having to touch anything nasty! A rinse cycle, a hot whites cycle with a tiny bit of Tide Free and Clear and then an additional rinse cycle are all it takes. They also only take about 5 mintues to fold and put away! A breeze! I don't really know why I was so intimidated but I am very glad that I decided to change from disposable diapering. I am saving a lot of money and maybe doing some good for the environment as well. I encourage others to give it a shot.

I came across this article today http://clothdiapers.blogspot.com/2011/04/almost-free-diapers-how-to-diaper-your.html that gives several options for cloth diapering for super cheap (like $20!).

Also, if you have a bit more of a budget you can sometimes snag wonderful cloth diapers on the one-a-day deal sites such as www.babyhalfoff.com, www.babysteals.com and www.mamabargains.com - I also got several very gently used on a local online classified site.

I love crafting of all types, but one of my favourite is cardmaking and scrapbooking. Unfortunately I don't get as much time to do it as I would like...I usually do more scrapbooks for gifts than for myself and actually, the last time I scrapbooked for myself was for my oldest son's first Hallowe'en - 5.5 YEARS ago! Anyway, that being said, I also love to shop for scrapbooking and papercrafting supplies! A great online site that posts a deal a day is http://www.scrapbooksteals.com/ - this is a sister site to the baby steals site that I also love to check daily (among many others). What are your favourite crafting sites?

First Post!

Hello and welcome to the Sweetie Bug Creations blog! I've been stewing over selling my creations for years now but it has finally come to fruition! Every time I give one of my handmade cards or gifts someone says to me "you should sell these!" and, well, now I am! So, I am starting this blog as an addition to my facebook page and also as another creative outlet! I am a mother of 3 children ages 6 and under and am currently off work after the birth of the daughter, ages 3 months, who is the inspiration behind Sweetie Bug. That is my little name for her. She has a cute little tuft of hair at the back that sticks straight up and was the inspiration for my newest craft of hair clippies. They are super fun to make and I am crafting them to also match tutus (another new crafting passion!). I made several for Christmas gifts and I got "the bug" so to speak! It's hard to find time to craft and to build up any inventory to sell when I have a busy household to manage, but I hope to add more variety to my offerings over time. Over the past several years I have enjoyed making handmade greeting cards for those close to me, and for my children have made party invitations, birthday banners, and other fun paper-crafty things. I would like to offer some up for sale in the near future.

I am just in the midst of getting everything up and running on my "Sweetie Bug Creations" facebook page and figuring out how to get a start at all this selling business. I hope to be able to attend a craft fair or two and to sell online. In the meantime I have set up an e-mail sweetiebugcreations@gmail.com to field any custom order requests or ordering inquiries. I really look forward to getting going!!!