Returns and Revelations 2014

I won't say I'm not glad 2013 is over and done with. Man was it a roller coaster.

Tumus had another spectacular year, but it was a fight to the finish.

Final count for 2013: 122 ornaments

 Fun Fact: Each dog ornament uses, on average, 5 feet of embroidery thread!

This last batch went out December 17th and some of them weren't delivered till Christmas Eve!

So now that it's over and I've had some much needed down time and I was able to just do some fun stuff for once, on my OWN schedule...

it's back to the grind.

Blogging really does take effort, especially when it comes to uploading pictures and getting them from point A to point B and then posted.  But I've got a plan this year and I hope to stick with it!

Apparently since I was so overwhelmed with New Baby duties I didn't bother making a 2013 Resolution list.  I'm going to assume that my only resolution was to make it to the end of the year and get a few nights of SOLID rest somewhere in the next 365 days.

A short and simple resolution and I'm glad to say it did happen in various degrees.

2014 I'm making lists that are both short, but ambitious.

2014 To Make & Do List

- Getting PDF's up for Tumus's shop revamp

- Getting friendly with my new fancy, schmancy serger

- Finish up my Field Greens Quilt

- Complete Fiona's Twister Stocking 

These are my solid, I'm going to get them done if it kills me, to do's for 2014.

Hope you all had a great Holiday break! And for those readers in the US hope you enjoyed the snow, ice and ridiculous deep freeze of the first week of the New Year. Spring is only 2 months away!

A GRREAT Cause

It's sort of bitter sweet that this is my last year doing personalized ornaments, but at least this year I'm 

going out with a GRREAT fanfare.

GRREAT (Golden Retriever Rescue, Education and Training) is pretty, well, great when it comes to rehoming Golden Retrievers.

 I've been commissioned to help their cause by making up a few batches of ornaments for their seasonal

fundraisers.  It's nice to do something like this in my last year.

They provide so much more than just rescue services for dogs in need and sponsor several fundraisers and meet-ups for Golden enthusiasts.  They are truly a well organized group who love what they do.

30 pieces of handcut felt and 15 embroidered slogans later the GRREAT order is getting packed up.

Gives new meaning to getting the warm fuzzies.

1 + 2 = 3

These dogs are nearing completion.  

I can't begin to describe how much work creating these patterns were.  Both the Huskies (top) and the Kooiker (bottom) were full faced designs from scratch and doing brand new full faces means the amount of detail and time is tripled.  I do think I can iron out the time needed to make them, but when it comes down to it I need to keep in mind that my time is valuable. It's my skill that helps pay the bills.

All 3 of these ornaments are HUGE compared to my others and need to be scaled back imo. They measure in at 5 in wide/ 5.5 in tall for the Huskies and 6.75 in wide/ 5.5 in tall for the Kooiker.  There is room for downsizing a bit.

This over simplifies the creative process of how a picture is turned into an ornament.  I don't use computer software to help create a vector image, instead I take the basic shapes and markings of each dog and create the pattern.  It is time consuming and often times frustrating.  But doing it this way has lent a distinct style to my work which I think is satisfying.  I can look at my sewing and say that's mine, I did that, no one else can make that how I do.

What you don't see are the 11 other sketches crumpled up in the trash bin, the eraser dust, the messed up tracings of the markings and the scattering of felt bits that litter the workspace and floor.  If anyone ever said "art" was a clean process, they were never creating art to begin with.

What's on the board

I had alot going on last week so it's nice to get back into a normal crafting ebb and flow.

Sarah contacted me mid-season last year wanting 3 ornaments for her pups.  She has two sweet and hard working Siberian Huskies (Kooper and Khole Ann) and one Kookerhondje (Duncan).  Kookerhondje's are in a word beautifully awesome.  I've never come across this breed to date so it's rarity is pretty cool.

You can read more about them here.   

But I think this might be a new favorite breed for me.  Just LOOK at those puppy pictures!

I've also been busy sketching out ornament kits for this year and attempting some bag designs for Craft for Hope's newest project though I don't have any pictures of my attempts just yet.  I've discovered that I need to really refine my sewing skills.  I've gotten a bit rusty.

Doggie

 

A couple of weeks back I received an email from a lovely lady looking for a custom ornament.  To be truthful I wasn't taking on any more custom orders since the shop had been so insanely busy already, but I read her request to see what it was she wanted.

It turns out Emily wanted an ornament made of her son's favorite stuffed toy, Doggie. Each year Emily and her family set out to find an ornament for Collin, their little boy who sadly had passed away in May 2010 from complications of the treatment of cancer, he was 2.  Immediately I changed my perspective on Emily's request.  It's not everyday these types of requests come thru.  It is after all, hard to say no to something with this much meaning, but it's also intimidating.  

Would I be able to live up to Emily's hopes of giving her an ornament to help her family remember her little boy?

 

I told her I would try.  And one night I cleared off my worktable and set out free forming Collin's Doggie.

I didn't make a paper pattern to help guide me along.  This had to be one-of-a-kind and something that I wouldn't make again because it would always belong to Collin and his family.

 

I didn't stop working on it.  I didn't want to over do it.

 

And then Doggie was done.

 

I haven't heard back from Emily yet to know what she thought of the ornament, but I don't think it's something that I'll need to wonder.  Some things you just know inside your heart and head already.

 

Tumus Going on Holiday

If you have something favorited in my Tumus shop you'd better get there quick!

I'm closing up for the Holidays tonight December 12th at midnight EST.

All orders will ship out by Saturday December 17th at the latest.  After that I plan on vegging out, drinking hot chocolate, finishing my Holiday shopping and visiting with family.  I'm sure there will also be lots of sleeping in, video games and pajama lounging in there as well.

And I will finally be baking the cookies I've been craving since Thanksgiving.

A Smattering of Ornaments

There's a small comfort that this week is Thanksgiving here in the States.  While I'm looking forward to having an excuse to bake in the middle of my busiest November ever, I keep wondering how on earth I'm going to actually manage to even get the rolls started.  I'm guessing it'll be the last thing I do before I go to bed on T-Day Eve.  It wouldn't be the first time I went to bed covered in flour.

Still I half wonder if my Tumus dog ornament will make another unexpected appearance around Black Friday and Cyber Monday.  If it does I'll probably be done for the season earlier than expected, but right now it's all a matter of chance.  It's got so busy that I had to reorder more business cards. 

Somewhere in all this mess I have to figure out when I will be able to get out and dig around in what is now mud in my flower beds.  My bulbs have arrived, with the exception of my Day Lilies, and are in need of planting.  I really don't think I'd ask for more "hours in the day" because I'm sure whatever it would be filled with would be more urgent than planting flowers.

Seeing a Horizon....sorta

I've dug out from the pile of orders I received almost two weeks ago and I'm down to the last 4 from that batch.  I feel like I fell behind and I could not get caught up.  I really don't know what it was this time around because normally in November I'm right on schedule with everything.  I dunno I guess life just sorta head butted me into the prone position and I felt too old to get up that fast.

But I'm not really "old".  I think I just needed some nice words and some reassurance that what I was doing was appreciated.  It hasn't been easy.  There have been some strange ups and downs with custom orders lately.  People deciding that after they received their ornament that it wasn't what they wanted after all even though it was exactly what they ordered.  But Chris says, don't let it get to you.  He's right. I can think that all my hard work will be rewarded with kind words, but we all know what happens when we assume.  Still thank you to everyone whose enjoyed their ornaments, both happily and some half-heartedly.  Your feedback helps me grow and move on.

Windfall

I had a very unexpected bit of luck last Friday.  I got a rather big "spot" on the Etsy Holiday promotion page for Personalization, which has since rotated to feature another category as of Monday at midnight.  In fact it was so big it's practically buried me in orders.  While there's alot to do and so much to get in line I have to make sure that I'm keeping my wits about me these days.  I'll admit it's hard.  I am, afterall, very much human and the Holiday rush can be overwhelming when you don't foresee lucky windfalls.

When the unexpected happens it's usually human nature to spaz out, which I did in spades on Saturday.  It's not easy to accept a windfall when you strive so very hard to forge your own path.  I work so hard to uphold extraordinary customer service in a business that's personalized down to the last detail and make sure that each ornament I create is something I, personally, would be proud to place on my tree.

I need to reaffirm to myself that I can do this.  That I can uphold the quality that I place in my products. 

I may be a bit absent in the next few weeks, but I'll try and update as much as humanly possible.

So keep me in your thoughts and prayers because each year it seems that I'm given more opportunities to prove that I am capable of taking the heat and giving back to my patrons.  Without my customers I would truly be nothing and that means so much in a world that's so focused on mass produced quality.

p.s. My parents are so very proud of me for being able to do what I do and love it.

A Doodle with Tea

I received a second custom order request last week from a wonderful girl in NY.  She'd already purchase a custom Bulldog ornament the week before and asked if I could design an ornament for her Labradoodle, Lani.  I'd never done a 'Doodle before so I set to work researching the breed a bit, looking over Lani's picture and sketching out possible patterns.  New dog breeds are always a challenge to scale down properly.  The original drawing was extremely huge compared to my other ornaments, but it turned out really lovely once the size was adjusted.

The ornament could not have been timed better because the rain had just set in for the week.  It also allowed me to break in my new Totoro teacup I'd brought back from Japan, Epcot while on vacation.  I love how dainty it is.  If I'd had the money and wasn't afraid they'd break on the trip back I would've bought the other 3 designs they had in the display.

Sipping tea from this cup makes me feel very girlish and happy ^_^

Hushed

I know I've been very quiet this week and it's all because I've been working, working, working. Here's a new limited edition ornament that'll be popping into the shop tomorrow.  This little guy will be my FIRST ready to ship ornament and of course he's only here for this Holiday season!

I've been working on orders and prepping for the Holiday season, but the most exciting work is getting ready for an appointment with a local shop to discuss selling wholesale to them.  

This has me unbelievably psyched up mostly because I've been dragging my feet for two years about asking this shop in particular.  But I did it and I'm totally going to nail it, I know I am.  Even if I don't get the business I'm incredibly proud of myself that I actually asked, presented my work, set up the meeting and am following thru.

Some times it just takes bullying thru the doldrums to get where you need and want to be.

Of Crafty Thangs & Business Pangs

Earlier in the year you may remember the Log Cabin quilt I made for my niece Abby

and then came along Project 14 for Craft for Hope: Christmas in Dixie

I forced myself to work from my stash when making those stockings and they were the first I've ever made, but I caught the sewing fever again.  This means two things. 1) That what I was hoping to do with Pinpinn as it closes down from selling pincushions feels even more right.  2) I have an excuse to buy more fabric.  Seriously though it's exciting.

I've noticed that as this year draws to a close the changes that Etsy has launched has really made the whole site feel much like a closed loop or a very confined circle.  It's becoming harder to push people towards my shops for various reasons and it's discouraging.  There are a few personal factors hanging around with my decision about Pinpinn and also the urge to really become a business and meet potential customers.  In other words I'd like to start selling at craft shows, just a few.  Etsy has me feeling very stuck and the longer I'm there the more claustrophobic I feel.  Because Tumus is set up on a "made to order" basis I can't really sell at shows, but I've reached out to a few local places to advertise at this year.  

The idea I have for Pinpinn though has potential, the kind that makes my tummy kind of flip and my brain go into overload when I try to sleep. It's funny when you have those kinds of ideas.  I don't know how well it will go or what kind of reaction I'll get or even if it's something people will want, but it feels good and I know my area and what people buy around here so it's very possible.  So possible it's scary.

Still Stitching

It's raining and cloudy outside today which means two things.  It will cool off for a bit and I will get alot of sewing done!  Here's another preview of the new ornaments for 2011.

I'm really stoked about these and I hope you guys are too!  I'm working on getting the monkey put together today as well as the first Limited Edition one.  I am aiming to get the ones that I have ready photographed for the shop by at least Sunday evening so I can start updating by Monday.

On a side note, I hope that this stubborn high pressure will break soon.  I don't preach alot about my views on climate change and how I feel about the environment, but this year's weather pattern really is proof that the earth is definitely cycling thru some big changes. Will there be another Dust Bowl?  Seems like it.  I also wonder what it was like before so much pavement was in our towns and cities.  What was it like before heat indexes?

Back In The Saddle Again

While Tumus' been a bit slow even with the Christmas in July sale, I've been able to really get some work done.  It seems that my creative spurt cycles around summertime because it's usually when I start to really bust out ideas.  I mean remember these sketches? I made these up this past Winter. Yeah, it's been a while.

Well, they're finally coming alive in felt.

I have 5 new ornaments that are in their hardline pattern forms, cut out, stitched up and nearly ready to be photographed and listed.  But the lion and monkey are just the tip of the iceberg. I'm also whipping up 2 new limited edition ornaments on top of the 5 regular ones.  I might even manage to put out 3 additional dog breeds (Airedale, Beagle, and a Basset Hound)  and maybe even a Siberian Husky full face ornament. This year feels like another busy one for me. I'm super excited because I'll be at over 20 products and it's been such a rare thing for me to have that much UNIQUE and individual selection in my store. Of course with more selection can come more sales and being as these are all personalized ornaments I could be setting myself up for one heck of another season. Still, I can't wait to introduce these in the shop!

Recovery

This wedding was almost more work than my own.  I kid you not.  I have to admit that I'm very glad it's finally over and done with as is my mom, my dad and pretty much most of my immediate family.  It was a ridiculous amount of work even after the wedding was over.  So now we're in recovery and enjoying the peace and respite that comes after working one's ass off.

Finally having the wedding over means I can work on Tumus more, who by the way is having it's annual Christmas in July sale from now until July 31st.  If you have a specific breed or ornament in mind now is the time to order!

Pinpinn Sale

I've been giving Pinpinn alot of thought lately.  Mostly that it's not really "doing it" for me anymore. And if I've learned anything after selling online these past few years it's that you have to learn to cut your losses and run.

 So Pinpinn, will be liquidating it's remaining inventory and closing up by the end August.  While this hurts, supply-wise I'll be able to use a good majority of my leftover felt for new ornaments in Tumus.  It also means I can focus all of my attention on that shop.  To be a business person you just have to realize that some ideas just aren't as grand as you once thought they were and to be frank I have not been investing any time into Pinpinn like I used to when it first opened. 

It's been fun while it lasted, but I think I've found my true calling with the personalized ornaments and that's a comfort if nothing else :)

Haven't Been Sewing Much

(new design rough sketch for Tumus)

I have been drawing and sketching for Tumus.

But alot of my energy has been on brainstorming and pondering new ideas for Pinpinn. It might be headed in a direction I never even imagined. How weird is that? But it feels right and it would give me more creative freedom. I've also been contemplating if Etsy is a good venue for how I'd like to set up and market Pinpinn's new idea. Lately I've felt a little drowned in the Etsy "economy" and I'm not alone, but it is a good site for all it's up's and down's and it does have many things other sites don't.

I'm not going anywhere yet and the idea may fizzle out. I tend to have a bad case of ADD in the Winter. My mind goes stir crazy and I can't seem to get any sort of organization to my thoughts.

So to help I ordered some vegetable seeds and plotted and planned new plants for the newest backyard flowerbed. Girl's gotta have hobbies, right?

The Start of Something Different

Everyone is breaking down their 2010 year. Looking back on it there weren't many small things that happened. Every event of importance was a big deal.

Aaron (brother) came home from Iraq.

Sarah (sister) graduated from college...
surprised us with her announcement that she was pregnant...
Then she moved to Virginia with her husband.

Saw my in-laws in AZ and learned more
about immigration laws and immigrants
than I ever figured I'd learn.

I was laid off from a rather stressful and much loathed job.

Rachel (sister) got engaged...

Then moved an hour away.

I re-opened Tumus and had an incredibly successful season
along with a heck of an opportunity on HGTV's Handmade Holidays.

I spent my first Christmas Day not seeing my family
and cried all morning.

The hubby and I decided that we could make
this year (2011)work even if I stay home and have a baby.

2011 might turn out to be bigger than planned after all.

A Public Service Announcement

Tumus officially closed for the season on Monday December 13th.

I worked up until Friday December 17th, 8:30pm finishing out orders.
I can now tend to this cold with some well deserved R&R. The prospect of sleep
and birthday presents makes me even happier.


Guinness would also like to remind you to not eat the "yellow" snow.

Hope everyone has a great Christmas!

4 months is a heck of a long time

Alot has changed in 4 months.

I now work from home.
I had a really successful garage sale.
I threw my youngest sister a Baby Shower (I feel old).
I had an INCREDIBLE November on Tumus.
I planted 100 bulbs and still have leftovers :(
I baked 4 pies and 2 cobblers for Thanksgiving.
I was featured on HGTV the day after Thanksgiving for their Handmade Holiday special for my Doxie ornament.
I've grown in confidence about keeping my shop going and have faith that things will continue to happen when I need them too.

But some things will always stay the same.
I still make a heck of a lot of dogs and I'm okay with that.