Time To Play!

I am so excited about sharing with you one of my new favorite Etsy shops, "Time To Play."  This shop is so cute! Who wouldn't want to play with these scrumptious treats?  I asked the artist to fill us in on her adorable little bakery, so grab a glass of milk and hurry back! Here's what she had to say: 

I'm a stay at home mom to two wonderful little boys who are 2 and 4 months old. I've always loved crafting, and I started making felt food just for fun to see what it would look like. I posted it on a mommy board that I frequent, and from there, my Etsy shop was born! To promote my shop, I visit the promote board on Etsy, and I also have a Facebook Fan page where I offer specials exclusive to my Facebook fans. Here's the link to my Facebook fan page:

http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#/pages/Time-To-Play/225648957285?ref=ts

My favorite things to make are ones that my son love playing with. He's my guninea pig...if I can "bake" something and he can tell me what it is when I hand it to him, I know I've created a realistic looking item that will encourage a little one's imagination.

All of her food is "baked to order" and she happily accepts custom requests! Be sure to visit her shop soon..these would make delicous Valentine's Day gifts!  http://www.etsy.com/shop/TimeToPlay

XOXOXO~
Laura

Lullaby Couture~~Brick & Mortar Style

Having posted endless links to my online boutique, I thought I would share with you some photos of my actual boutique, located on the Downtown Square in Historic Granbury, Texas.  The shop is called "Artefactz", and carries a large variety of boutique items like purses, handmade jewelry, Texas collectibles and children's clothing.  Lullaby Couture does not occupy a very big space, but when you make everything by hand, it can be, well, a handful...  Come on in and take a look around...Let me know what you think! ~~ Laura

Hand Made With Love

I just had to share with you the story of Joyce, a very talented lady that I have had the honor of getting to know recently. About 3 weeks ago, I was looking through Etsy, http://www.etsy.com/, trying to get birthday ideas for my daughter, Brynn. She is about to turn 11, and I wanted to buy her something that she would not only love, but would be able to keep forever and hopefully pass down to her own daughter someday.

I decided that I wanted to buy her a handmade doll. I had no idea what kind, no idea what I was really looking for. The minute that I found Joyce's Etsy shop, Handmade With Love, {www.etsy.com/shop/Twin1656} I knew that I wanted one of her dolls. I contacted her asking about the details and she promptly and thoroughly responded to my message, and together we picked out the perfect doll for my daughter. Within literally a few days, I received an email from Joyce telling me that our doll was on it's way. I cannot stress enough how precious and well made this doll was. As a child, I loved dolls, and when I saw this one, I secretly wanted one for myself!

After we recieved the doll, I asked Joyce if I could feature her in my blog so that my readers could have the opportunity to see her talent. She graciously accepted, and as I requested, sent some information to me about how she started making her adorable "babies."  {This is always how she refers to her dolls, and I just love it.} Her story was so sincere and down to earth that I decided to share it with you in her own words.  I hope you enjoy reading about this lovely lady and encourage you to visit her shop. She is truly one-of-a-kind, just like her babies.  ~~~Laura

P.S.- I couldn't help but laugh at her very last comment about my height. So funny!



Hi Laura,


I am so honored that you want to mention me in your blog. Yes you may mention me and if you want to use any pictures of my babies, feel free to do so. Thank you so much, that is so sweet of you to do this. I have been sewing most of my life. I am the mother of two and grandmother to 3. I started making doll clothes for my daughter when she was little, and during the years when I was an "at home mom", I made clown and bunny dolls to sell at craft fairs. Rudy from the Cosby show has one of my bunny dolls and several years ago when Rudy was maybe a teen or preteen, she was interviewed on a TV program, they showed her home and her bedroom. I was so pleased, because on the front of her bed was sitting Ashley O'Hare, the bunny doll I made her. It must have been her favorite because it was sitting in front of all of her dolls!

When my granddaughter was born, I wanted to make her "safe" baby toys. So two years ago I made my granddaughter a doll, when my grown daughter saw it she wanted one. I just kept getting request for dolls and that is how "Bundles of Joy's" got started. I had never made a soft sculpture doll until I started making them for my granddaughter. The dolls I made when my daughter was little were cloth dolls but they were not sculptured.

If you look at my store banner, you will see the christening dress I made for my granddaughter. I just love to sew, but my favorite thing to do is just to make these little dolls. They are addicting, I just want to sew all the time, thankgoodness I have an understanding husband.

When I first registered on ETSY I was only a buyer. I love old patterns and wanted to add to my collection, especially for clothes for my grandchildren. After I started making my dolls, I realized that ETSY would be the perfect place to start selling them.

Thank you Laura, you are so kind. I looked at your blog, I saw your picture, it looks like you are maybe short like me! I am a twin, and my twin has always been taller than me. But, I married a taller man then she did. My husband is 14 inches taller than me!

Thank you so much, I feel so honored, and I am looking forward to watching your blog.

Joyce

This is my daughter, Brynn, with her new doll! She has named her Katie. Brynn's doll was also the 175th doll that Joyce had made, so she sent her a extra outfit as a surprise!

A Quick Peek

at what I made today.... This is an order that I finished at the request of my dear friend, Stephanie. She always tells me "just make whatever you want to make" when she orders a shower gift. It's good to know she trusts me.. :)  This is from the Riley Blake collection of fabrics and I just love how it all turned out! Let me know what you think... ~~~ Laura

So Many Ideas, So Little Time!

Ask my husband, Gavin. I have no self control. Cut me loose in a fabric store, a flea market, antique shop or even a garage sale, and I am a dangerous woman. I've learned that the things that I love the most in life, {other than my family, of course}, are the things that have been brought to life with my own two hands, or even better, a loved ones hands. Perhaps this is why I take so much pride in the clothing that I make. Perhaps it's why I can never leave my home alone....I am always sweet talking my hubby into tweaking, moving, painting or rearranging something.

I have yards and yards of fabric that I have yet to do anything with, even though I am constantly sewing something. I simply cannot go by Houston St. Mercantile, our local old-fashioned fabric emporium, without looking through every single bin of fabric and chatting with the wonderful ladies there. I always buy something when I am there. My philosophy is that if I find something I love, I buy it. I can worry about what to do with it later. I have a studio filled to the brim with things that I will find a use for one day. I get so excited the minute I think of a way to improve on something that I have found, or even better, make something completely new and different. It gnaws at me until I attempt it, the ideas dancing around in my head at the most inconvienent times.

Currently, I am digging through magazines, books and catalogs to find ideas on how to decorate our newest project, a brand new studio/office that we are having added to our home. I simply cannot wait for it to be finished so that I can start messing with the decor. I want to blend the beauty of southern charm with industrial warehouse style accessories, I just haven't figured out how yet. But I will. So far, the construction has only gotten as far as removing the existing shrubs and grass from our lawn, but weather permitting, they are pouring concrete tomorrow. I will post pictures as we make progress!

Cupid is on the loose...

in my studio! It's about a month from Valentine's Day and I am so excited! For me, when January rolls around, my cabin fever rolls in. I am tired of the dead, crunchy, brown foliage. Long gone are the pretty oranges, reds & yellows that you see in Fall. I am over Christmas by this time, having sweet talked the hubby into hoisting those huge awkard boxes back up the ladder and into the attic, and daring any forgotten decoration to show it's face.

Yes, this is Mid-January. Which means we are on the cusp of February, and with that comes something to look forward to! Roses, candy conversation hearts, sweethearts delivering heart-shaped boxes of chocolates, & those cute shoe boxes that our kids decorate for their cards. But in my studio, Valentine's Day brings mounds and mounds of red tulle, red & pink ribbons, and all the other makings of my tutus! Take a peek at one of my favorites! ~~ Laura

Beautiful photos courtesy of Davis & Ashley at http://www.delodigital.com/ They are my photography heroes!

A Cup of Coffee & a $99 Sewing Machine

Well, I survived my first blog post!  I must admit that I was a bit nervous about starting a blog. What would I write about? Who would read it? Who would care about the goings on of my day? Not to mention that I never really even understood the purpose of a blog..... until now. I put it out there and it was FUN!

Here's where the coffee and $99 come in. How in the world did a girl like me go from not having one single hobby, other than gardening, to realizing my dream?  On a whim I decided that I wanted a sewing machine. Why? No real reason. I figured I could make a sofa pillow or maybe some doll clothes for my daughter. I bought the cutest machine that Sears had...A $99 Singer Inspiration. Then I ran over to a fabric store and bought some supplies. For kicks I grabbed a pattern for baby bibs. To this day I cannot tell you why I bought that particular pattern. My kids were getting big and they had no use for baby bibs. Looking back I am convinced that it must have been fate.

The next morning I woke up early, 5am, and immediately started thinking about that machine. What did all those buttons and knobs do? Having used my Mom's old machine when I was a little girl, I wondered if it would all come back to me, like riding a bicycle? What in the world would I make first?

I got up and poured a cup of coffee, picked up the pattern and proceeded to attempt to make the bib. And make it I did. I'd say that my Singer Inspiration did just what its name suggested. It inspired me.

I must be CRAZY to think...

that I could even set up a blog, much less find the time to write, manage and promote one. But here I am. It's almost midnight, and I've been curled up by the fire for literally hours, navigating my way through the blogging world. My husband, a ultra computer savvy kind of guy, must be very proud. I didn't have to ask him for help with anything. {Yet}

So, I guess I will learn what to do as I go. With any luck, some of the random thoughts that bounce around in my head will find their way to this blog, and someone, somewhere, will find it a worthwhile read. 

My desire to start a blog started about 2 weeks ago, when I made a New Year's Resolution to do whatever it would take to get my little shop, http://www.lullabycouture.etsy.com/, off the ground enough that I could leave my job of nearly 12 years and design and create full-time. I've read numerous things about how to go about this... Start a blog, do a Flikr page, Tweet it on Twitter, take excellent photos, list, list and relist..

With the start of this blog, I have officially tackled all of that, and will continue to peruse through anything I can get my hands on to be successful.

So, that said, I am going to sign off for the night, and will be back tomorrow to continue my mission. Thanks for the company!