Do You Use a Dress Form?

I love Lifetime's TV show Project Runway. I don't have a lot of time for TV, but Project Runway is one of my little guilty pleasures, as well as dark chocolate!

Every week, I see the designers attaching pieces of fabric to dress forms before fitting their models. They make it look so easy!

In addition to creating handbags, I also like to design and sew outfits for myself. Fit is the critical difference between an outfit being a "WOW" and an "Oh, did you make that?" It's difficult to make adjustments while you're wearing the garment, so I've been thinking about buying a Dress Form to make my garment designing as easy as Project Runway. Well, luckily my design time won't be limited to one day or a specific challenge.

Overstock.com has a few dress forms on sale at very reasonable prices. I've also been to FabulousFit.com, but they are slightly priced out of my budget.

I'd love to hear from you. Does anyone use a dress form? Any tips? 

The Crafty Panda featured on Handmade Spark

Check out The Crafty Panda interview on Handmade Spark. Thanks to Justine Smith for making it happen!

http://handmadespark.com/blog/etsy-parents-the-crafty-panda/

Where In The World....is The Crafty Panda?

WOW, it's true that time flies when you're having fun or just really busy! I can't believe the entire March went without a post.

Here's what has been going on in the fun and busy world of The Crafty Panda.....my studio has been going through a re-design. Thanks to my helpful hubby, we've added a long shelf on one wall that holds a ton of my fabric bolts. It's the first wall I see when I walk into the studio and I love looking up at the beautiful fabrics with bright colors and prints.

On the same wall I have two craft organizers, a bulletin board and a small shelf for a few paint supplies. As you can see from the photo below, I still don't have all the fabrics on the shelf. We're still working on the studio, but it's inspiring to see it coming together.

I've been busy taking inventory of fabrics, zippers, trims, thread and more. I've also uncovered some great vintage fabrics that were given to me years ago but have been packed away since there wasn't space in the studio. I'll post pictures soon!

The kids were on Spring Break and it was the perfect time to head to the beach. We're lucky to live in a state with so many beautiful beaches!

Hope your April is full of creativity and renewal!

Panda Bag Update

Things have been crazy at The Crafty Panda. Orders have been flying in and I am super busy.

Amidst all this craziness, we're also updating my son's room. He has outgrown his Lil' Firefighter theme and now wants a nature theme. My hubby is a city boy all the way, so my son and I are designing and hubby is the muscle/"go to" guy, as in "Honey, could you please run to the hardware store and pick up four of those big hooks?" :)

We're also repainting bathrooms, hallways and the living room/dining room. Don't you just love having more than one project going at a time?

The Panda Bag is now finished, but it's so cute I've decided to keep it! It's perfect for The Crafty Panda.

The bag is getting lots of compliments while I'm out, so I still plan to make a series of Panda purses. I love how this bag can go from a purse to a handbag to a wristlet! There are lots of Panda fans out there, so I'll keep you posted. Let me know what you think.

Not a Panda fan? What would you like to see on a bag?

Girly Girl Wants New Clothes

My little girl loves clothes and accessories. This pint-sized bundle puts together styles worthy of a fashion magazine. Where does she get this talent? Most days, I'm hard at work in jeans and a t-shirt (shoes & jewelry optional).

Designing and sewing for The Crafty Panda limits my design time for this little fashionista. She has a unique, funky style that's hard to find in the children's department of most retailers. Every couple of months, I drop everything and design/sew new outfits in her preferred bright colors (orange, purple or pink).

I found these darling patterns from Pink Fig which will stitch up in no time. So, my girly girl is going to get a couple of new outfits - no design time needed for these - straight to the sewing machine!

The Olivia Top features 3/4 or short sleeve - perfect for any season. Even better yet? The pattern includes sizes 6 months to 10 years. Woohoo! Check out this link for more details and where to purchase: http://pinkfig.typepad.com/my_weblog/2008/05/the-olivia-top.html 

The Bella Pants are so sweet. Love the ruffles! A great way of combining striking fabrics worthy of a junior fashionista. The pants pattern is also sized for 6 months to 10 years. You can find the pattern and details at: http://pinkfig.typepad.com/my_weblog/2008/05/the-bella-pants.html

Tax Time

Starting 2010 with starting your own business? Now is the perfect time to setup an accounting program to track your successes, fix what's not working and pay your taxes so you can sleep at night.

The Crafty Panda has been in business since late 2007 and it seems that I've had a new accounting program every year. I started with an Excel spreadsheet that my techie husband created. It was easy to understand and quick to update in the early days. But, as my business rapidly grew, days went by that I didn't have time to manually update the spreadsheet. Ship out 10 items to waiting customers or update financials? No brainer, every time I chose the customer first. Great for business, not so good for accounting.

My husband spent a month updating everything. It left us both grumpy.

The following year, he bought me an expensive version of QuickBooks. Wow!! Fantastic accounting software with a stellar reputation. What could make my life easier?

I was in way over my head. QuickBooks had too many accounting terms (I barely kept my sanity during an accounting course in college - I'm a creative person and there didn't seem to be much room for creativity in accounting), confusing options and it still seemed like a ton of work and manual entries!

This year I'm with Outright.com (which I heard about on Etsy) and so far, I love it! I have three businesses and they are all set up with Outright. I am easily able to import merchant information, expenses, income and more. It's so fast that I actually don't mind doing financials! I thought that would never happen!!

Outright helps keep track of quarterly tax payments, sends reminders and best of all - it's free. Check it out at http://outright.com/

During my research, these also came up with rave reviews http://www.xero.com/ which is $19 per month for a small business and QuickBooks Online Basic http://search.quickbooksonline.com/bookkeeping-accounting-systems/ which has a 30 day free trial and then $9.95 per month. Very reasonably priced and definitely worth paying to keep your sanity.

Find an accounting program that you understand, one that will grow with you and give you the access to share information with your accountant and the time and resources you save will be all yours!

Get Organized with Stack 'N Store Bobbin Tower

January is always a "get organized" month for me with a fresh start to the New Year. My blogs have been sporadic this month while I'm in this organizing frenzy (sorry!). After the craziness of the holidays and sewing/designing non-stop for the past couple of months, it's time to make sure I'm ready to do it all again this year :)

I have great organizers in my studio for ribbons, trims, beads, zippers, thread and fabric, but my sewing machine bobbins always drive me crazy! I use lots of different colors of thread on my bags - especially when I do freehand machine embroidery. That means lots of spools of thread and lots of bobbins. The bobbins are always scattered across my shelves, on the sewing table, tucked in closed boxes and unraveling everywhere. Frustrated with spending tons of time trying to find the right color, I usually just end up winding a new one.

This month I ran across a perfect storage solution for my bobbins. The Stack 'N Store Bobbin Tower from Clover and Nancy Zieman holds up to 30 bobbins, keeps the end of the threads secure and I can easily see all the colors. It's $15.95 plus shipping. Love it!!

Here's the link in case you want to order one (or more!) for yourself: http://www.clover-usa.com/product/0/9508/_/Stack_%27N_Store_Bobbin_Tower_with_Nancy_Zieman

In future posts look for information on accounting programs if you own a craft business and a sneak peak at the paint color for my hallway and living room!

New Panda Bag Design

After the rush of finishing and sending off bags for the holiday season, I'm finally finding a few moments to work on stitching my new designs. I'm starting off the year with a Panda Bag. How fitting for The Crafty Panda!

I love the way it's turning out. I'm going to make a series of Panda Bags and each one will have unique features and design elements.

Here is the first one on the drafting board....

There's more work to be completed on the Panda and on the bamboo. Once I have the design completed, then I'll stitch the bag, add the zipper and interior pocket. The handle design is a new one and I'm still making modifications to ensure that it is super comfortable to carry and multi-functional. Look for it on Etsy in the next week or two!

I sold a bag today to a customer in Taiwan. I'm fortunate to be shipping bags around the world and excited that we have now reached Taiwan. My little Crafty Panda Cubs love tracking our shipments on the globe (which is a great way for them to learn geography!). This will be a new one for them!

Glad you're sharing in our excitement as The Crafty Panda grows. Have a warm day!

Market Your Handcrafted Business

Happy New Year! Is one of your New Year's resolutions to start your own handcrafted business or grow the one you currently have?

Marketing is a necessary component of any business. In order to be successful, you need to ensure that buyers are familiar with your company name and products.

Marketing does not need to be overwhelming. Some crafters are hesitant in marketing their business because they do not want to feel pushy or too aggressive. Use this easy two-point plan and give yourself a jump start!

My two-point plan consists of what I refer to as "mega" and "micro" portions. Each point, or portion, is cost effective and works for either a start-up business or an early stager looking to grow. The first point is "mega" - reaching as many potential customers as possible with a broad sweep.

You can reach many potential customers with free social networking sites such as Twitter or Facebook. With a little research for tips in setting up your free accounts and a daily investment in your time for maintenance, contacts are easily made. Also use Flickr (online photo management) to upload photos of your products. You'll be amazed at the different people you meet. Some may just be online to socialize, but others are editors and writers for publications and blogs that may be interested in showcasing you and your work or buyers for boutiques on the lookout for new and unique items.

The second point in the plan is what I consider "micro" marketing. Marketing to your friends, family, neighbors and acquaintances. For those that are shy, this can seem difficult but I have a few tips to make it painless and profitable :)

First, if at all possible, have samples of your handcrafted items with you at all times. Since I design bags, I only carry my own. That way when someone tells me they "love" my bag, it's the perfect conversation starter to talk about The Crafty Panda. I change my bag often and it's a great way to test new designs. If I carry a bag to several different places and receive no comments, I know it's back to the drawing board. My big sellers always receive comments wherever I go :)

I have a friend that designs jewelry. She was wearing one of her bracelets when she went into a boutique that specializes in handmade paper. The owner loved the bracelet, bought one for herself and referred her to an owner of an upscale jewelry store. The owner is now purchasing wholesale from my friend. Not bad for a day that started with shopping for a few handmade cards!

When a gift giving occasion arises, I like to give a gift from The Crafty Panda. I design and handcraft something special for the recipient. The teachers at my children's school received bags from The Crafty Panda for Christmas. Inside the bags I tucked my business card and received several custom orders for additional bags from teachers and parents.

Three of the six bags that were delivered to the teachers for Christmas!

Need marketing ideas? Want to share a tip that has worked for you? Let me know. Marketing can be stress-free, economical and profitable!

Sunshine Strawberry Punch

Happy New Year's Eve! Do you have big plans for this evening?

We're staying home this year and planning a fun party. The little ones are excited and attempting to stay awake until midnight for the first time. This afternoon has been a flurry of crafting as they are creating hats for the kids, party favors and games.

I'm including one of our favorite non-alcoholic punch recipes. Fast, easy and the kids (adults, too) love it!

1 (2 ltr.) bottle of Strawberry Soda

8 oz. Pineapple Juice

1 can (16-oz.) frozen Orange Juice concentrate; thawed (I've also made this with fresh OJ)

1/2 gallon of slightly softened vanilla ice cream

Fresh Strawberries, Pineapple and Orange Slices for garnish

Mix the first four ingredients in a large punch bowl. Add garnish on the side of the bowl and float a few slices in the bowl. Voila!!

Happy New Year!

Organize Your Fabric

Whewwww, what a hectic holiday season! All orders were completed and delivered by Christmas. Thank you to all the wonderful customers that made The Crafty Panda a part of their holidays!

Now that the New Year is rapidly approaching, I'm determined to reorganize my studio to make working on new bag designs a little easier.

I purchase most of my fabric by the bolt and it arrives neatly wrapped on cardboard forms. However, there are times when I come across a beautiful piece of fabric in a yard or two or have small amounts remaining from projects or upcycling. I need a handy way to store these fabric pieces on my shelves.

If you're like me and inspired by seeing your beautiful fabric neatly displayed, check out these fabric organizers.

These organizers are made from durable corrugated plastic. The large size can hold from 1/2 to several yards; the small size is perfect for smaller yardages, strips and fat quarters. Each organizer is made of a lightweight, acid-free plastic and includes tabs to hold the fabric. They easily fit on a standard book shelf, plastic bin or in a file-cabinet drawer.

Purchase them direct from  http://www.thefabricorganizer.com/ and start the New Year admiring your beautiful and organized rows of fabric. It's almost like having your own mini-fabric store and no more searching for scraps, trims and more!

Do you have a great idea for organizing fabric? Please share. I'd love to hear your ideas!

Crunch Time

Happy holidays to all! I'm sewing day and night to complete all orders by Friday, Dec. 18. It's a wonderful, crazy and hectic life.

Next week should be slightly saner. Of course, the kids will be out of school for Christmas break so the fun and craziness will continue :)

I'm sketching new designs and will share these in the next couple of weeks. Next week, I will have new posts on tips for storing fabric and marketing your craft or art business.

Hope you are enjoying the magic of the season!

White sand is as close as we get to a "White Christmas" in southern Florida!

Do you have a craft business?

If you have a craft business, this can be your busiest time of the year. Clients are purchasing items for holiday gifts, craft shows are every weekend and you may have a long list of items to handcraft for your personal gift list.

Juggling your business and your personal life will keep you up late into the night - especially this time of the year. It's also a great time of the year to look at your accomplishments for the past year and create goals for the New Year.

There's a great blog from a fellow Etsian, Justine, which includes wonderful ideas for managing and growing your craft business. Take a look at http://etsyselling.com/. Justine is also offering a "Massive Craft Biz Giveaway". Get in on the fun!

Beginning to Look Like Christmas?

My studio sure looks like Santa's Workshop. The rush of finishing bags for customers and the special projects I'm making for friends and family have fabrics, trims and paints spread out on every surface!

Outside, southern Florida doesn't look like the typical Christmas card scene. These are plants on my porch, still in full bloom and showing no signs of slowing down.

Look at the interesting blue bug that landed on this plant. Only stuck around long enough for me to take a quick photo.

A friend emailed me that snow flakes were falling in Minnesota! My little ones are eager to build a snowman. One of these years we'll need to venture north of Florida for a winter vacation. Brrrrrr!!

This week my design projects are to finish a wristlet bag with a teacher theme in a gorgeous shade of red; work on a new handle design that will work as a wristlet and purse handle; and complete a tote with an adorable owl. Look for pictures later this week!

How are your handmade holiday projects coming along?

Gift Ideas with Something For Everyone

I'm still behind on my gift buying/making for friends and family, but I've found some favorites on Etsy. These great items will help me give the perfect, unique handmade gifts for under the tree, or in the mail, just in time for Christmas!

Know any movie fans or new parents on your gift list? Check out this Movie Night Party Pack - Printable Download PDF Party/Photo invitations from Typewink. Also includes instructions on how to make those adorable Popcorn Cupcakes! My brother and sister-in-law had their first baby Oct. 30 and everyone is clamoring for photos and baby time. This party pack will make it easy to host a wonderful night!

Check out this great package at http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=35823631

Living in Florida, we love the natural colors here - blues from the ocean, greens from all the tropical foliage and NorthernFleeceWeaver has a gorgeous rug perfect for that beach house look!

And guess what? It's made from Polar Fleece! Soft and can be cleaned in the washer - doesn't get any better than that! It's at http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=31095811

I have a few "tween" girls on my holiday list. Wow - girls now seem more mature than I was at that age. I found Natural Lip Gloss in Remarkably Raisin at BellissimaMinerals http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=32202975

The makeup they crave, with natural ingredients that I feel safe in giving. BellissimaMinerals Tinted Lip Gloss recently appeared in the international publication Styl  http://www.stylmagazine.com/about.html

Well, in all this happy shopping on Etsy, I spotted another gift idea for me. Hubby has received the message :)

HappyCloudMoments has a beautiful necklace in ruby (my birthstone). Passionate Gifted Necklace with Swarovski Crystal Pendant is full of charm.

Need a different chain or color, go to http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=34270895 Let them know it's a gift and it will ship with matching gift box for free! Love it!!!

Hope you are having fun and enjoying the season!

Decorating for Christmas

This is our favorite time of the year! The holiday decorating, baking and family traditions are all highlights and create wonderful memories every season.

We decorate inside and outside for Christmas. My little ones are old enough this year to hang all the ornaments on the tree, much to their delight. Of course, the ornaments are only placed as high as they can reach on tip toes, but that bottom 2/3 of the tree is gorgeous!

Every year the manager of a local store gives away store holiday decorations from the previous year, since each year he decorates with a new theme. We happened to be in "the right place, at the right time" for these darling decorations.

Can you tell that last year's Christmas theme at the store was "Baking Homemade Memories"?

There are twenty, or so, ceramic ornaments that look like cupcakes, cookies, fancy desserts and candies. They are adorable. My daughter is fascinated by these and wants to use them after Christmas in her doll house.

We also received candles that look as if they were rolled in gum balls, shaped in giant candy canes and more. There are small, glass ornaments in shades of green and silver that look beautiful on a holiday topiary tree.

These adorable decorations have inspired me. Felt food is very popular right now. I think some darling felt ornaments that look like the baked goods we give to neighbors and friends would be perfect to go along with our goodies. I'll wrap the cookies and candies on special plates with clear gift wrap, tie it up with beautiful bows and add a few of the felt food ornaments for a unique gift.

We are having so much fun decorating this year. How's your holiday decorating going?

I'm Back!

The house is so quiet today. The kids are back at school and hubby is at work.

We had a whirlwind vacation and a wonderful time. Now it's back to work since I need to catch up on my offline orders and start my handmade Christmas gifts for family and friends.

It's been such a busy year for The Crafty Panda that I have not had as much time to devote to creating things for my family. The little ones added an extra special request to their Christmas lists for Mommy to make them two new stuffed animals. This week I'm sketching out designs for a spider and for a large teddy bear.

Last year, I designed a 6 foot lizard to the squealing delight of my son. This year, he has requested a "friendly", but "real looking" spider. I'm up for the challenge!

Lizzie the Lizard - too long to fit in this photo!

My youngest wants a large black teddy bear with orange details. This week I purchased lots of anti-pill fleece (easy to work with and is better for our allergies than the faux fur) and stuffing!

Hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving weekend! A special thanks to my Mama and Papa for hosting an outstanding dinner, letting the kids rake leaves and jump in the piles (a dream come true for the little ones since in southern Florida we never have enough leaves to rake) and much needed relaxation for us at the "resort".

Back to gift guides this week and new designs!

Great Gift Ideas Part 2

What's your gift giving look like this year? Has the economy changed your holiday budget?

Like many, we are cutting down a bit on our gift giving this year. My Christmas budget has me thinking more and looking harder for that special gift. Luckily, Etsy.com is making it easier!

I had so much fun yesterday, starting my Christmas list and looking for great items on Etsy, that I'm doing a Part 2 today.

Here are three more items that caught my eye. Beautiful to look at, special and unique....isn't that what makes a perfect gift?

This is Lucky in Love, a clear resin and real 4 leaf clover pendant necklace handmade by isewcute.

Who couldn't use a little extra luck? This necklace is beautiful and definitely gets the nod from my Irish heritage!

See it at http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=27997872

Have someone that is special on your list, but they have just about everything? Take a look at this unique Keepsake Journal.

Lots of details and beautiful embellishments went into this functional piece of art. Perfect for gathering dreams, memories and wishes. Go to http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=30815977

I'm sitting at my desk writing this post in shorts from sunny Florida. Daytime highs are still in the 80s, but this fun and fuzzy hat have me longing for snow (well, almost!).

The colors are beautiful! Even if you live in the land of sunshine and orange juice, you may know someone battling blizzards in January and wouldn't they look so cute in this hat?!! http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=34401376

Looking forward to a thankful Thanksgiving Day! Thanks to family, friends and the wonderful supporters and fans of The Crafty Panda.

Great Gift Ideas

Usually, I have my Christmas shopping finished by now, but this year has been so busy at The Crafty Panda, I haven't even started! Argggghh!!

Last night, I was poking around on Etsy.com (a great place for handmade and unique gifts) and found some wonderful items that I just had to share with you.

Take a look at these beautiful Pinot Noir Earrings from californiablue.

Click here for more details on these earrings and beautiful jewelry: http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=34873844

So tempting!!

If you are dreading cold weather and looking for a bit of the tropics, check out this great bag from fortheloveofpete at http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=27974799 

Pina Colada anyone?

And, if your Christmas list includes girls obsessed by 18" Dolls (think American Girl, Madame Alexander, etc.) take a look at the adorable pajamas by mamastwinsees at http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=34630081

Too cute and perfect for the holiday season!

How's your Christmas shopping coming along this year? Anyone finished or are you starting this week like me?

New Design Earth Wise Owl

I finished the Earth Wise Owl Clutch with Handle last night. It's so cute!

This bag was a lot of fun to design. It has a wide, flat bottom so it conveniently stands on its own. There is a smart and environmentally friendly owl made from upcycled materials - wool, buttons, cotton fabric, floss on the front. Earth wise owl is holding our planet on his wing.

There is a vertical handle on the back with lots of topstitching in brown and black threads to resemble tree bark. This handle makes the bag super easy to carry. Just slide your hand all the way through and now it's hands-free.

If you want to see more photos, this bag is listed on Etsy and includes additional design details. What do you think?

Next on the design board is a wristlet bag for teacher! Hope you have a wonderful weekend.