Happy Halloween from a T-Rex, a mad scientist, and Ruth Bader Ginsburg. We get hundreds of trick-or-treaters so we have to load up on candy. And I’ll be wearing a chicken mask when I greet them all. Should be a fun night! ++++ On a totally different subject, this week I’ve gotten several really wonderful…
Archives for October 2014
Where Do Bloggers Fit Among Established Sewing and Crafting Institutions
The Craft and Hobby Association (CHA) announced last week that they’ve added a new membership category specifically for bloggers. Founded in 2004, CHA is an international, not-for-profit trade association consisting of thousands of member companies engaged in the design, manufacture, distribution and retail sales of products in the nearly $30 billion U.S. craft and hobby…
Why a Long-Time Blogger Stops Blogging
Cathy Callahan spent a good portion of her professional career as a window dresser for indie boutiques in Los Angeles and the surrounding area. Often when it was time for her window displays to come down, customers and passersby would want to purchase the things she’s made for display. Those requests sparked an indie…
Naming Your Competition
In the spring I hired a designer to create my new WordPress site. Once I’d signed the contract and paid the deposit, she sent me an in-depth survey to help us both drill down to how I really wanted my new website to function. Some parts of the survey were fun, like telling the story…
Awesome Handmade Toys: Jenny Maj of Fluffmonger
Jenny Maj is an artist and plush maker living in Greensboro, North Carolina. She is a member of my private Facebook group for soft toy designers and earlier this month announced that she’d opened a shop on Etsy called Fluffmonger to sell her plush toys. When I saw the images Jenny had created for her…
Podcast Episode #33: Jess Brown
Today on the podcast I’m talking to renowned rag doll maker, Jess Brown. I first encountered Jess’s dolls in the February 2012 issue of Martha Stewart Living. I poured over this article, carefully examining every photo. Since then I’ve seen Jess Brown dolls everywhere. Jess has built her business over the course 16 years. Each…
Studio Update
I have lots of fun and interesting things to share with you so I figured it was time for a studio update. Turtle progress on Friday morning. Turtle stack on Friday afternoon. Last Tuesday I got an email from the props director of the television show, The Flash. She needed two toy turtles for a…
Sweepstakers vs. Sewing Bloggers: A Look at Online Culture
Stephanie Woodson is a sewing blogger. She moderates a Facebook group for sewing bloggers, she’s guest posted on Sew Mama Sew, and most recently she’s had a tutorial published in Stitch magazine. It’s safe to say she’s an active participant in the online sewing community. This isn’t the first online community that Stephanie has…
Podcast Episode #32: Kathy Mack of Pink Chalk Studio and Kristin Link of Sew Mama Sew
Kristin Link and Kathy Mack This podcast episode began with my desire to know more about Sew Mama Sew. When I think of the nexus of the online sewing world, the site that brings everyone together, I think of Sew Mama Sew. I read it every day and I think many of you do, too….
Halloween Cuties – New Pattern on Sale Now
My sister, Rachel, and I always send each other something for Halloween. It started when I left for college. She’s six years younger than me and I missed being at home to help her along as she went through junior high and high school. She was the last of us kids at home and I…