Long Live the Dinosaurs!

With the most recent request for a Bronte pillow (this one in purple and grey), I reflected back on the many requests I've had for Bronte in various incarnations.

The original and still most popular is the green on green.  But I love seeing the imaginative ways people envision Bronte - and how they incorporate him into their own special home decor.

Well, that and it warms my heart to know that dinosaurs are still as popular with kiddos as when my guys were little. :)

Hollywood.

Seriously.  Hollywood.

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

Who live in Hollywood.  Seriously.  :)

Listening to the Customer.

When one of my loveliest of customers called last week with a special request I immediately said, "Sure! - What do you need?" (See my previous post re: saying "yes!") In retrospect this was maybe one of those cases where I should have said the "What do you need?" part before the "Sure!" part. But on second thought ~ as always ~ I learned and grew.

My lovely customer is an older woman ~ very creative and imaginative ~ and lucky me, she loves my products. A friend of hers is throwing a baby shower for her daughter and my customer is invited. She decided she wanted one of just about everything I make: a dog (but not a Wee Dog - something else); a knit hat; a Wee Traveler bag; a pillow and a baby blanket for the baby's car seat and stroller. Oh, and none of this pastel-baby-looking stuff; we want dark, strong colors because the baby is a boy. And she loves my little truck applique, so could I please incorporate that somehow. And coordinate them all? Oh, and she needs them all in a week.

Keeping in mind that I was in the throes of preparing for the RAW: Natural Born Artist event at the time and slightly freaking out about that, as well as having many additional orders in the queue, I wondered... what had I gotten myself into?

But she is a dear soul, so I agreed. The dog, the pillow, the hat - snap. Done in a short work day. The bag... I hadn't made one in awhile and it took a couple of runs to get back in the groove, but it finally clicked. And the baby blanket ~ I've been talking about adding Baby Bubby Blankets (small for car seats and strollers) to my line for about a month, but hadn't made a proto-type yet. So it was time to dive in. It was surprisingly easy and I am excited to say I can officially add them to my line.

You see the finished gift set above. Not something I ever would have dreamt up for a baby shower, but now that I see them all complete and together ~ I must give credit where credit is due. My dear sweet soul of a customer had a fantastic idea - unconventional, one-of-a-kind and fun! Now I can't wait to show it all to her!

Once again - lesson learned - to listen to what the customer wants and go with it. Inevitably delightful surprises will result!

Something Very Special... for Someone Very Special

I always say that I welcome special requests.

Some requests are more special than others.

Today I received a request for these two cupcake pillows for a young girl suffering with life-threatening cancer. My customer (a lovely repeat customer) requested they be made with an incredibly soft and comforting fabric as the young girl is now spending most of her time in bed.

So I used the softest super duper fleece I had. (I wish you could reach thru your monitor and smoosh these.)

I was honored to make them. They are on their way now carrying all the love they can possibly hold ~ for sweet Delaney.

New Year ~ New Ideas!

Not one to make New Year's Resolutions, I have always been one to set goals for a new year. Goals seem more positive to me than resolving that I've been doing something wrong. *wink*

And fortunately each new year brings new ideas for projects ~ everything from photography to things around the house to, of course, my designs for little ones. I've been a little obsessed the last couple of days with the thought of personalizing things. (This may eventually involve upgrading my sewing equipment, but we'll have to see how the year goes. *wink*)

Till then, here is my first personalized item ~ a plush pillow with your child's (or your!) initial. Of course I see sets of three for all three initials (first, middle and last name). Or if one wanted to spell out a short name; or a couple's initials on one or two pillows to celebrate a wedding or anniversary. Ack, the possibilities are endless.

And I'm chomping at the bit to get to the sewing machine for the next idea for personalization. So here is to 2011. Bring it on! :)

A Wee Contest ~ Just in Time for the Holidays!

My latest obsession is making wee pillows ~ like Louie here ~ (8" x 8") for toddlers. As mentioned in my previous post, some toddlers drag "blankies" around everywhere with them; some hang onto a little pillow for security and comfort.

I am having so much fun creating the designs for the appliqued pillows and actually have so many ideas I don't know which to do next! I've got ideas for lambs, pigs, ponies, cows, zebras, hippos, dogs, cats, cupcakes, ice cream cones, monsters ~~ and on and on. You get the idea.

I would love to hear what you would choose for your little one. Leave me a comment with your choice (one of mine or one of yours) by Wednesday, December 1. If your suggestion is selected you will win your choice of a Wee Pillow or Wee One from my Etsy shop!

Finding Direction

When I opened my Etsy Shop about 18 months ago it was a mixed bag of photography, knit hats, note cards, dog treats and stuffed animals. Initially I thought ~ wow, what an opportunity to showcase all my interests!

Three months in (after a thoughtful hike along the East Bay in San Francisco/Berkeley) I made the decision to narrow down what I offered in my shop. I felt that the wide array of items offered were perhaps working against me ~ that maybe potential customers were confused when they entered my shop. Was I a photographer? A seamstress? A baker? A knitter? I was confused; I can only imagine what visitors thought.

On this early morning walk along the San Francisco Bay, watching the sun rise and reflect off the city skyline I thought about two things: (1) Considering all my interests, which offered me the most satisfaction and the most happiness? and (2) Considering all my interests, which presented the opportunity to actually make some money?

Although photography was, and will always be, a passion, it is an extremely competitive market. I have always had an affinity for stuffed animals, so I decided to focus on that.

So I did. And sales picked up. Within six months I began designing my own stuffed animals and developed a line of one-of-a-kind "Wee Ones." Sales hit an all time high at that point. A few shops across the country began to approach me interested in consignment possibilities.

Wanting to stretch my imagination and creativity a bit (because I have to admit I like creating new things) I recently expanded into applique plush pillows and applique baby bibs. And then I remembered ~ oh yeah, I know how to make knit beanies/hats. It is fun to go from one line to another ~ to mix it up a bit. But this time, I realized I had unconsciously created a new focus.

While at a networking social the other night a few people inevitably asked, "So what do you do?" I instinctively handed them a business card and said, "I make stuff for kids." They knew immediately what I do.

And with that, I realized ~ I have a direction. I have a demographic I can focus on; I have a market I can cater to. I know what shops to contact; I know how to promote my business. Everything makes sense now. :)

Direction. It makes all the difference.

Certain Things. Like the Tooth Fairy.

Three things are certain. Death (sorry to tell ya'); taxes (again, my sympathies); and kids will lose their baby teeth.

In Ireland and Great Britain, children used to bury baby teeth. In some Asian countries, children throw their lost tooth off the roof or into the space below the floor (depending on where the tooth was located in the mouth). In Japan, children throw the tooth straight down or straight up in the air (again depending on where the tooth was located in the mouth). *

And in America, of course, children leave their woebegone tooth under their pillows or in a "safer" (for the Tooth Fairy) place such as a Tooth Fairy pillow in hopes they will receive a reward (usually monetary). In my day it was a nickel; I am scared to think what it is today... But that's neither here nor there ~ the need still exists!

So the new addition in my Etsy shop cmh design are Tooth Fairy pillows.
Of course. ;-)

*Source - Wikipedia

Pillows. They're Not Just for Kids Anymore.

When I began designing pillows a few weeks ago, the first designs definitely had a "kid-friendly" feel and that was the direction in which I thought I would go.

Not so fast. ;-) I soon began getting requests from some big kids (aka adults). My sister-in-law from the Great White North wanted a few in Canadian themes ~ thinking snowflakes for the coming winter; my son wanted a dragon for his wife, a student in Chinese Medical School; a friend wanted a sailboat befitting his New England home.

So, although the majority of the designs I come up with will most likely be centered around kids, I'm always open to requests from those big kids, too. Because as my friend Jeff says, "Pillows are just stuffed animals for men." And apparently, women, too. :)

(Check out the possibilities @ cmh design. Just go to "Shop" page to find the links to all my venues! Or got directly to my Etsy shop cmh design.)