A new platter

So, I got a few things for Christmas that were too small, so I took them back and got a few other things and some money left over. Well, I am trying very hard to help out the economy, so I went shopping with the left over money.

We are looking for shops to put in the NickAnny Soap line and a friend suggested that the shop, Enchanted Cottage, in Newcastle, OK would be a great place to look. So I went there on Monday to see what they have. And I found a lot of stuff I wanted, but I ended up buying this platter because it's gorgeous. I love the red color. And it's made of metal. So, I think I will end up putting it on the table with fruit or other cutesy stuff. And maybe even taking it to a show for displaying soaps.

So, as you can see, I spent the rest of my Christmas money on the house. But I am in love with this platter, and I think everyone who comes over will notice it and love it too.

My Latest Bag Creation

Ok, so I took some advice from a friend and made a clean/dirty laundry bags. They are for your lingerie to take on trips. She suggested I could make matching bags for people to put their clean underwear, bras, etc in when they go on a trip to keep them separated. Then, when you wear them, you would put them in the dirty bag. If you have ever traveled, you know that it's hard to remember which of the undergarments are "dirty" and which are clean unless it's completely obvious! Gross...
So, I lined the dirty bag with a vinyl liner that looks like lace, and used my stamps and paint to label the bags. As you can see, it's a little faint on the labels. I think I might need to use the stencils, and possibly buy some fabric markers. The vinyl lining material is not easy to work with, so I am buying some vinyl that you can iron on. The vinyl I used is made for table cloths and did not like the iron. So, it would make it tough for a customer to wash and iron the bag. (Always thinking of the customer).
My thoughts on this bag are that I will make the dirty bag only. I am not sure that the clean bag is necessary, as the assumption is that the other clothes are clean. I am hoping that the iron on vinyl will wash well, I should get it in the mail this week or next week. I am going to make a few colors, since it's a fun bag. I am going to try a draw string version and keep the zipper version. Stay posted, I am going to make a bag that guys would buy as well.

Visits and Thoughts

I just got home from KS visiting family and I think we made it in the nick of time. From what I heard, the roads were turning to ice behind us. We left about 8:30 am today and I am glad we did because with 5 people it's not fun to be stuck somewhere. But we had lots of fun, and the kids got some presents. They got a race track they love and puzzles they have put together a million times. And I am sitting here wrapped up in my turquoise crocheted blanket so warm and cozy.

But most of all, I was inspired by my sister in law, Kim. She is so crafty with scrapbooking stuff. She made the cutest letter/sayings for decor in her house, and now I think I am going to do a few for my craft show in March and see how they go over. Just regular sayings like "Believe" or "Princess" so that they are universal, but if I think of something Easter related it would work. I officially signed up for my first craft show, March 14 in Stillwater, OK. My sister is going to do it with me. I have been buying a few display items so that I can make a really interesting booth that people will like. I will put up some idea pictures when I get the stuff in. I also bought a mannequin type body form so that I don't have to rely on my sister to pose for the handbags. And a foam head for the beanie caps I make.

So, Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays. I am looking forward to sewing and whipping up a few new soap recipes. Then in January, I am going to start working on placing my soaps in stores. So, if you own a shop and want to sell handmade soap, let me know!

It's a start

It's a couple of days before Christmas and I am starting something new. My brother has been raving about blogging and I think I should do something. I have an Etsy and an Artfire shop, and I have been working on getting new ideas so I can just test them out and other people can comment. My shops are www.nickanny.etsy.com and www.nickanny.artfire.com
I have been working on ideas for the spring shows that I will be attending and how to take new pictures for my items in the shops and other brilliant things. I will just share them out loud, and you can tell me if I am crazy or not.