Hippity Hop

Hop on over to my Etsy shop where it's all bunnies all the time.  Well, except for the tigers and raccoons and dinosaurs and owls and mice ~ oh, you get the idea.

But there are a lot of bunnies.  My Etsy shop and all of the fabulous brick 'n mortar shops I work with are excited to see Easter and Spring just around the corner!

So if you are in New York City, check out Stoopher & Boots; if you are in Chicago, stop by hanger 18; lots of shopping opportunities in Denver ~ Caboodle, Show of Hands Gallery and I Heart Denver; traveling to the San Francisco Bay area ~ pop into Modern Mouse in the East Bay, Alameda and if you are looking for sun and surf and great gifts, travel down to Hapa Collective in Seal Beach, California!

Hippity hop!

Bunnies. They're Not Just for Easter Anymore.

Bunny season is typically in the Spring and near Easter for me.   I've discovered something recently as bunnies - both BIG (about 13") and small like the guys above (about 6") - have been selling on a regular basis.  Go figure.

Then it was brought to my attention by a couple of customers that in some cases these bunnies are acting as "security blankets" -- or "security bunnies" if you will -- for little ones.   In fact some little guys become so attached to their bunny Mom is ordering a "back up" bunny, just in case the original goes missing.  Moms have told me they are just the right size to tuck into a diaper bag or a purse and they won't leave home without them.

I think that is the sweetest compliment I could receive!  You can be sure these and other "security bunnies" will be in stock at all times.

Hollywood.

Seriously.  Hollywood.

That's where these pillows and bunnies are headed.  To join a sweet set of twins.

Who live in Hollywood.  Seriously.  :)

Bunny Love

Meet Romeo and Juliet ~ Valentine sweethearts. Romeo enjoys golf, grilling and reading historical novels. Juliet likes to crochet, bake cupcakes and play Solitaire on her iPad (presumably while Romeo is golfing).

They are sweethearts and best friends. Just what everyone should have on Valentine's Day...

New Kids on the Block

The Wee Ones have been multiplying over the weekend! I knew bunnies are expected to do that; just don't know how that cat snuck in...

The countdown is on to Easter - if you don't have your basket full yet, get busy! :) Stop by and pick up a bunny or two. Or five. *wink*

Happy Sunday!

Easter is A Week and A Day Away!

Easter is only a week and a day away - can you believe it?! So the countdown is on to fill those Easter Baskets! The trio here are on their way to New Mexico to do just that! Peaches, Harvey and Whiskers will be winging their way south on Monday.

I'm featured in a Showcase in the Toy category today and I've got many more lovable critters in my shop - both big and small (or "Wee Ones" as I call them) - in all price ranges! I'll be working in my studio all day, so new ones will be popping into the shop all day long. Be sure to stop by my shop often today to see what's new!

(Did you know Mother's Day is only 6 weeks away?! Stay tuned to my blog and my shop as items for Mom are added! Here is a sneak peek of what is to come! :)

Happy Weekend, everyone!

New (Recycled) Ideas ~ New Challenges ~ New Rewards

January and February offered up a few quiet weeks - a good time to clean and organize my studio and fabric closet. In the blur that was November and December, fabric piles grew in corners; boxes were stacked wherever they fell; ribbons normally organized by color were strewn everywhere; patterns were misplaced.

And then there was the matter of the fabric remnants. You know - those pieces of leftover fabric that were too large to toss (I might need that someday!), but too small to really do much with. I was raised by a wonderful, but frugal Mother who taught me to recycle from an early age. Although it wasn't called "recycling" back then; it was more like "don't be wasteful."

So as I looked at all these perfectly good remnants I knew I couldn't throw them out - they don't decompose in a landfill and besides - I paid good money for that fabric! :) So I found 4 large clear storage boxes and organized my remnants by size and color and stacked them in my fabric closet. And wonder of wonders ~~ I am actually using my remnants! I have patterns for smaller animals; but better than that, always mindful to use remnants has spurred me on to creating some original designs. Granted, this is really new territory for me; but I'm finding it not only challenging, but very rewarding. I'm not a sketch artist by any means, but I'm finding I can draw some basic outlines and create some fun little guys. And I keep in mind that they don't have to be perfect (a new concept for me!) -- that a little quirkiness just adds to their personalities.

So stop by ~ and see what's new. Original critters are popping - or should I say hopping - into the shop more each day!

All Bunnies All the Time. :)

I am the first to admit that the business side of what I do plays a distant second to the creative aspect. Much like my Mom would rather be sewing or baking as opposed to cleaning the house; I would much rather be sewing or sketching a new design than running numbers.

So I had a delightful surprise the other day when I took some time to check my Etsy stats. March has been my biggest selling month (by volume) on Etsy since I began this venture almost a year ago. November and December were very busy months for me, but a lot of those sales were local and word-of-mouth. So to see that Etsy sales have now out-numbered any other method of sales makes me extremely happy - and gives me hope that perhaps I'm beginning to find a niche in that vast expanse of talented artisans.

Easter and Spring-time have brought many orders for bunnies - all shapes and all sizes. And I've had so much fun making them! The other day I had a special request for a group of sextuplets - the white rabbits I've come to refer to as "The Bunnettes" ~ you know, like the Rockettes. :)

That was the first thing that came to mind when I lined them up. They looked like a chorus line to me!

I'm really cautious about any choking hazards for little ones, but knowing that this line up is going to adults - a group of girlfriends (how cute is that?) -- I added a little something in the end. *wink*

A huge thank you to each and every one of you for your support! It means the world to me ~ and my friends!

Making Shopping Affordable for Everyone

Tip for the Day (and no, I won't have one every day - I just happened to have two in a row this weekend) :)

Offer a variety of price options in your shop.

That thought occurred to me recently when I was doing an inventory of things in my shop, preparing for the Easter holiday. I realized that a lot of what I was offering at the time were larger animals and a bit on the pricey side ($29.99). That can be expensive for a lot of people. I mean, face it. In today's economy buying a stuffed animal , whether it be for your child, yourself or a gift, is kind of luxury. It's not considered a necessity. And with a lot of people barely hanging on, I started to re-think what I offer.

Easter was a perfect time to re-introduce my line of "Wee Ones" ~ small, 7" animals (a lot of them bunnies right now) that I can make from remnants of fabric and charge a reasonable price for. My Mom always taught me to make the most of the fabric I have, right down to the smallest scrap. And priced reasonably (they are all between $7.99-$9.99), they have turned out to be big sellers! It's a win-win!!! Most of them are bunnies now (Easter), but I will be adding more animals (some of my original designs finally!) in the next couple of weeks. In fact, I've been brainstorming with some very creative minds and have some exciting concepts to develop soon!

But my tip for today is remember to keep a variety of items in your shop. Everyone has different sized pocketbooks and it's important to remember that everyone likes and deserves to have something special ~ even if it is a little something. You can find a sampling of my "Wee Ones" here ~ and many, many more will be popping in over the next few weeks.

{Pictured here - Koji (which means small child), The White Rabbit (think "Alice in Wonderland") and Samantha Rose. Koji and Samantha Rose are designed to be safe for babies - the faces are all hand-embroidered and present no choking hazards; The White Rabbit is recommended for ages 3 + Up because of the black plastic eyes.}

Marketing - An Old School Alternative

So here's my tip for the day:

Remember that not everyone has a computer. And even if they have one, they may not log on to Etsy every day.

I forget that sometimes because my world would not exist without technology. But it is important to remember. So about four times a year I design a brochure with pictures of my most recent little guys, their prices, and some fun facts and updates on my business. I mail them to past customers, friends and family.


And it is surprising how it pays off. These little guys are on their way to Hawaii, purchased by a previous customer I've not heard from in six months. Another little Irish puppy is on his way across the street to my neighbor, a delightful woman in her 80's who wouldn't know how to turn on a computer if one bit her. After studying my brochure, my sweet mom-in-law will check into my little workshop (literally - she comes over) to see and touch what is new and orders from there.

The brochures take time to design, print and are a little more costly to mail; so alternately I send a simple postcard every now and then to the same group of people. It's just a gentle reminder that Freckles (me) and Friends (my little critters) are still around and we just want to say "hi!"

So hello to you, too. Stop by and visit when you can! :)

It's All About Chenille...

I have a love/hate relationship with chenille.

I love how soft it is. I love how just about any animal I make with chenille turns out to make me smile a little broader than any other. I love how chenille evokes memories for just about everyone. Memories of snuggling under chenille bedspreads at Grandma's house (or in my case my own house growing up!); or memories of a childhood toy. I love how the soft pastels make me think of the innocence of little babes.

So what's to hate (or strongly dislike) you might ask? Chenille is very messy to work with. It sheds like crazy. When I am making something with chenille I have tiny bits of "lint" everywhere - on the floor, on my work table, on my black pants (I inevitably wear black pants on chenille days), in my hair, up my nose (making me sneeze continually), on my cat (which doesn't seem to bother her) ~~ you get the picture.

But it is a small price to pay for the happiness and smiles a little chenille bunny or lamb brings.

You can see these critters (with more to come - I'm off to the fabric store today!) in my shop freckles & friends

Have a wonderful weekend ~ we are a couple of days closer to Spring! :)

The Return of the Wee Ones!

When I started my freckles & friends shop 9 months ago, one of my first series of animals were ones I coined "Wee Ones." For some reason I stopped making them. So yesterday while thinking about what to stock the shop with for Easter (which is just about a month away!), I remembered the Wee Ones. At 7" tall they are perfect for little Easter baskets. So Whiskers, Sunny and Dorothy (Dottie for short) came to life. (Whiskers sold last night but I have re-listed his "clone") :)

Another reason I wanted to re-introduce the Wee Ones is that in this economy, not everyone can spend a lot on non-essentials. So, priced at $7.99 (with only $3.00 for shipping) the Wee Ones offer a reasonable alternative for a little gift - for your child, your friend, your Mom or yourself!

Along those same lines, I have created two new categories in my shop: Under 10 Bucks and Under 20 Bucks. I am going to focus on those categories - I want to make shopping in my shop affordable for everyone!!

So the Wee Ones are my feature today. Stay tuned for more Easter/Spring babies to come! Welcome to March! Have a great week!!

Bunnies!

With Easter and Spring just around the corner, I thought it appropriate to feature some of the bunnies in my shop. So here are Finn (who is Irish and St. Patty's day is coming up, too!); Thaddeus (who thinks he is the REAL Easter Bunny); and Caroline (who is in love with Kipp).

Check in on us at freckles & friends often because you know how bunnies multiply... *wink*

The Skinny

Two new additions in the shop today ~ two skinny rabbits, Kipp and Caroline. They are smaller than my large loppy-eared rabbits, but similar. They sit 8" tall and are cute as can be. They are actually a little Easter preview.

But I figure bunnies are good any time of year. :)

For the Ladies of Cedar Place.

This is the cutest story ever.

In September my Mom turned 91. For her birthday I, of course, sent her a freckles & friends long-eared bunny. I mean, what else would you give a 91 year old? My Mom has been a coffee-lover her entire life so I found some fabric that would suit her taste ~

Mom lives in a lovely retirement community. Apparently she loved the bunny (dubbed Coco) so much she carried it to her afternoon coffee with the girls. And then to a birthday party. And then to Bingo the next day. You get the idea ~ Mom's a great saleswoman.

It only took about 10 days before she sent me a little slip of handwritten orders for 17 animals ~ all different shapes and sizes and breeds and colors and designs.

I have since sent my Mom business cards that say "Vice President of Sales, Midwestern Region."

It took awhile to complete the project (especially because my 35 y o sewing machine died mid-production), but they were all bagged (gift bags), tagged (named and a little story about each one) and shipped last Friday. Following the tracking numbers, I do believe they arrived today.

I cannot wait to hear their reaction...

Hope the Bunny is a TV Star!

I can't thank Kim and Kirk and 9News, NBC in Denver enough for featuring one of my "Breast Cancer Comfort Friends" on their 4 o'clock news Friday, October 2. You're the best!

Take a peek at Hope the Bunny's television debut here

And her friends are awaiting adoption here!

Thank You 9News!

Hope, a Breast Cancer Comfort Bunny, was

featured on 9News NBC Denver yesterday! (Video to follow!) Pretty cool seeing one of my little guys on TV ~ and they were very generous to post my Etsy shop address, too! Thank you, 9News!

Hope is part of my month-long campaign to raise awareness (and a couple of buckaroos) for breast cancer. 20% of each sale of one of my breast cancer comfort friends will go to Susan G Komen for the Cure.

Many of these little guys are highlighted in my showcase today in the gift guide, so stop on by and get a hug. :)

Gigi and Emma

Because so many of our Breast Cancer Comfort Friends have been leaving us, two new ones joined the freckles & friends shop today. Gigi the cat (above) is feisty and has a bit of a 'tude. She's spunky and full of spit 'n vinegar ~ just the kind of friend you want by your side when you're fighting cancer!

Emma the bunny is a more gentle friend, but will be be your side all the way thru, too. She's a quiet bunny full of love and hugs.

Bye Bye Bunnies!

This little sweetie pie (a special order) left me today for Florida. His name is Séamus and he is really hoping there is air-conditioning in Boca Raton... :)

And Stuart (below) is on his way to Illinois. He's hoping it doesn't snow too much there or his camouflage is blown!

Blessings...

On a day when I'm not feeling too well ~ a headache woke me at 6:30 am and has kept me company all day ~ I'm feeling otherwise all warm and fuzzy. Four sales today ~ and all are Breast Cancer Comfort Friends. Rosy and Annie are going to Iowa; Molly and Chloe are going to Alaksa. I hope they bring comfort and smiles along with the hugs they will be bringing!

And I guess it's a good thing I ordered more fabric yesterday... :) Thank you, Universe.