Friday, April 29, 2011

Just For Now....

One thing that I love most about only selling my items on Etsy is that I have full control of my shop.

You may or may not have noticed that I've temporarily closed my shop as of today.  I'm hoping to re-open it's doors on Monday, but I have a feeling that it will be closed for a bit longer than that.

I have some much needed catching up to do in almost all aspects of the shop.  Sewing together some items, paperwork and such, this will give me the time to catch up on all of those things.

But most importantly, right now my kiddos need my full attention and the only way I can do this is to close the shop.

So all is fine and I hope to have the doors to the shop opened in the next couple of days!

Cheers,

Thursday, April 28, 2011

Let's Celebrate!

So, today is my birthday and to celebrate, I'm offering you lovely readers a discount in my shop!  You can save 15% on your entire purchase with coupon code: BDAY2011

                                                                              Source: marthastewart.com via Julie on Pinterest


Hooray!  I'm planning on sleeping in, doing a little shopping, getting out for a run, enjoying a yummy sushi dinner, some delicious cake, and ending the day with a nice glass of wine and some max relaxation!

How do you like to celebrate your birthday?

Cheers,

Tuesday, April 26, 2011

Slowly Getting Back To Work....

Hello friends!

I'm back, after taking a break to host visiting family for the Easter long weekend.  Did you all enjoy a lovely Easter?  It was lots of fun here at our house.  The kids enjoyed loads of chocolate and treats and us adults indulged in some delicious baked goods and a few chocolate easter eggs as well.  We were lucky to have some amazing weather which was icing on the cake!  Lots of time spent outdoors and taking in the fresh air and sun.

Taking breaks can be so wonderful, kind of puts things into perspective don't you find?  I have a few projects to finish up this week, must get back on track....but I think I may limit the amount of work I do this week to only what has to be done.  Because really, I still kind of feel like I should be spending a few more days someplace relaxing.   Perhaps on this perfectly situated bench.....

                                                                     Source: wittehuisjes.blogspot.com via Pamela on Pinterest


Cheers,

Monday, April 18, 2011

Tag Them!

I'm a little slow going this morning.  Nothing that a nice hot cup of coffee won't cure, I'm sure.....but I will keep this post short.

I wanted to show you one of the things I was working on this weekend.  I've made some new product tags!  I shared them on twitter, but thought I'd mention them here incase you missed the tweet.


Why am I making these? Well, you'll have to wait a bit longer to find out....

Don't forget to enter the double sequin and ruffle clutch giveaway! Wowza!

I hope you enjoy a lovely Monday!

Cheers,

Saturday, April 16, 2011

Double Clutch Giveaway!

Have you seen that I'm giving away not one, but TWO Sequin and Ruffle Clutches to one lucky winner?  Yes, it's true!  A perfect way to accessorize any outfit.


The lovely K over at the fabulous (and by fabulous, I mean can't be missed and shouldn't be passed by) RikRak Studio blog is kindly hosting the giveaway for me. (thanks love!)

Head on over to K's blog for your chance to win! You can find the post here.


Thanks a bunch for the great feedback on my new business cards, I really love them!

Have an amazing weekend!

Cheers,

Friday, April 15, 2011

Lovin' Chevron

I'm absolutely loving practically everything chevron.  There's just something about those zig zags that make me swoon.

So when Adele, the talented lady behind the fabulous shop Modernemotive, tweeted a pic of a set of gorgeous yellow and grey chevron calling cards that she had made for a client, I instantly knew I had to have a set of my own.

chevron + grey and yellow = heavenly

I sent her a message asking if she could make business cards for me with the same colour combo and chevron design.  She replied immediately saying "yes" and then worked quickly to change the design to suit my needs.

Seriously, they are gorgeous, just to die for!  Take a peek....




It is always such a pleasure to work with Adele.  She's kind, easy going and will work with you to get the exact look you are going for and will settle for nothing less.

What is it I love so much about her work....clean lines, fresh designs and perfectly chosen colours, not to mention Adele uses FSC materials.  Really, you have to check her shop out!

I am also the proud owner of one of her Eco Friendly Notepads.  As you know from yesterday's post, I do love my lists and so I use her notepad to help me organize my shopping list.


Speaking of notepads, they are currently on sale!  You can get your own for $8.50!!! (reg. $10.50). BUT (yes, there's more savings to be had) if you order two or more, you can receive a further 10% off of your order!!! Use coupon code PAD10 when prompted during Etsy checkout to apply the discount.

I'll leave you with a little more Modernemotive lovelieness....



You can also read more about Adele over at her blog.

Cheers,
  

Thursday, April 14, 2011

My Creative Process

I thought I'd do a post sharing a little bit of how the elliven designs come to life!  I find it interesting to see how people get work done and such, since everyone does things so differently.

First off, I'm a very visual person.  I picture things and can see them clearly, but sometimes have a tough time trying to explain my vision to others....perhaps I need to learn how to do this.

I'm inspired by so many different things.  Pictures, nature, paintings, fashion....it's amazing where you can find inspiration don't you find?  And for that reason,  I always have a pen and paper nearby.  I have three notepads for the shop (yes, really).  One that I write my "to do" list on, and the other two are for sketching ideas and for jotting down measurements, etc.

My lists can be messy and probably only make sense to me.  Sometimes I'll look back on a list or sketch I've written and wonder what the heck I was thinking, but whatever works right?!

Here's a peek at the lists I have going right now....



I sometimes have a clear idea of what colours/fabrics I want to use before I begin sketching out a design.  Other times I sketch the design and then think of which colours I think would work best.

I'm beginning to use solid fabrics more and more.  For those I'll come up with the colour combos and then I'll begin searching for the fabrics either online or in local shops.  Crossing my fingers that I'll find what I'm looking for.  I'll sometimes find other shades/colours that I hadn't intended on using, but love them so much that I need to work them into my designs.

For printed fabrics, I usually choose the ones that catch my eye, ones that I absolutely love and want to work with.  So for those, I scour online shops and local stores to see what's new and available.  I sometimes have a main colour that I'm looking for, but for the most part, it's just whatever catches my eye.

Once I've done my searching I then pair the fabrics to make sure that the colour combos will work.  It's one thing to picture them in your head and another to have them in hand.  The shades may not work well together, or I may not be able to find the exact shade I'm looking for (that's never fun).

Here are a few of the combos I've recently put together:

you're already familiar with these combos

a peek at what's to come

it's not too early to think about fall is it?

Now, I can't show you everything...otherwise it wouldn't be a surprise!  I not only think about the fabrics I'll be using, but the embellishments and zippers are key factors in the overall look as well.  I have a slew of gorgeous zippers that I can't wait to put to use!  It's so awesome when you see everything side by side, and so fun when you're design ideas work just as you had hoped!

I'm really beginning to focus on having seasonal lines to make things easier.  The spring line was the beginning of my new design plan and I'm loving it!

The summer line is next and I can't wait to share it with you (I know, I keep saying this, but it's so true!).

I will only be offering a limited amount of each line, so make sure that you snatch the ones you like up before they are gone!

That's it! I hope you enjoyed this little peek at my creative process!

Cheers,

Wednesday, April 13, 2011

Shop Update - Upcoming Changes

Hello friends!

So yesterday I mentioned that I had some shop news to share with you, and so here it is.

After a very long debate and many calculations, I have come to realize that things in regards to pricing in my shop are going to have to change.  I've tried to figure out a way to not have to do this, but unfortunately, if I want my shop to succeed (which I do) and if I want it to grow (I do) and if I want to continue to make quality items (absolutely) there really is no other way to go.

This truly isn't easy for me, but I have come to accept that it is something that needs to be done.  Costs of supplies and materials have unfortunately increased over the past couple of months.

My goal has always been to make affordable pieces, and will continue to be, but I also want the shop to survive.

The price increase won't come into effect until May 1st.  I wanted to give you a heads up rather than one day just raising the prices out of the blue.

Cheers,

Tuesday, April 12, 2011

And.....Breathe

Wow, what a whirlwind last week and the beginning of this week has been!  I've been plugging away, trying to get all of the group listing colour combos made and listed.  I'm so excited to be listing the finally grouping today! although I think I will be making at least one more

So without further ado....here they are!






Look for single listings of these colour combos in the next little bit!

Time to put my feet up for a few minutes.....

In other shop news, I do have another bit of info to share with you.  Will probably post about it later this week or first thing next week.

Cheers,

Sunday, April 10, 2011

Bloggers Give Back

I'm really excited to share this with you!

Last week, I saw a tweet mentioning how a wonderful group of bloggers who have joined forces to transform a garden for the George Herman House in Toronto were looking for items to auction.  I clicked the link for more information and as soon as I saw the blog, I knew that I wanted to donate an item from my shop.
I absolutely love to garden, it's one of my favourite pastimes during the spring/summer months.  I not only enjoy working in my garden, I truly enjoy sitting on the deck and simply looking at all of the beauty that the gardens hold.

It's relaxing, rejuvenating, refreshing......


The work that these bloggers are doing is simply invaluable and truly amazing, and I'm very excited to be taking part.


I will be offering a Sequin and Ruffle Clutch in gray and lavender.


You can read more about who is involved and the latest happenings, including the auction over at the Bloggers Give Back blog which can be found here.


Cheers,

Saturday, April 9, 2011

Such a Surprise!

This morning I woke up to a lovely email letting me know that my shop is the "shop of the day" over at Papernstitch!


I have to admit, I'm pretty excited! This is such a treat, thank you Brittni!

If you haven't already taken at peek at this months exhibition, you really should.  There are some amazing shops taking part.

Also, the papernstitch blog is not to be missed.  Full of inspiration, decor ideas and amazing handmade goods!  This recent post is definitely a must read.

Hope you're weekend is off to a great start!

Cheers,

Friday, April 8, 2011

Buttery Yellow

Really loving this buttery yellow treasury that includes my yellow + grey clutch set!


You can view it here.

Cheers,

MS Awareness Auction

One of the things that I absolutely love about owning my own little shop is being able to donate items to help others.  A lovely local artist Emily is holding an online auction to raise funds and awareness for MS.

I'm beyond thrilled to have donated a Wristlet with Removable Strap as an auction item!





If you'd like to bid on this lovely Wristlet, please feel free to check out the auction here.

Be sure to take a peek at Emily's Etsy shops for beautiful and fashionable jewelry pieces!

Cheers,

P.S. I have one more auction that I'm really excited to share with you! Will post about it in the upcoming days!

Wednesday, April 6, 2011

Lovely Pink!

Just a quick post to show you the 2nd colour combo for the group listings!  I'm happy with how they turned out and have to say that I'm totally excited to see all of my design ideas come to life!



I just returned from the store with new shipping supplies, and stopped in at the post office yesterday to get accurate shipping costs.  Which means.....the first two group listings should be up either today or tomorrow!

There are three more colour combos to come....a little more hot pink and some lovely lavender!  Stay tuned, I'll be sure to show you a peek of them all here!

Incase you were wondering, I will be offering single listings of these colour combos once I have all of the group listings up.  

I'm anxiously awaiting putting together the summer colour combos, oh they are so fun!  Look for them sometime next month!

It's absolutely gorgeous out today!  I'm hoping to get out for a run and to get the kids out on their bikes!

Cheers,

Tuesday, April 5, 2011

Lovely Clusters Spring 2011 Catalogue


Did you see that the Lovely Clusters Spring 2011 Catalogue is out?  It's absolutely gorgeous!  Full of lovely items.  I am so thrilled to have a few of my accessories featured, what a treat!

You can view the entire catalogue here.

Enjoy!

Cheers,

Monday, April 4, 2011

Yummy Yellow!

Hello lovely friends! How was your weekend?  We enjoyed a quiet weekend after a lovely March break.  What a treat it was to not have to rush out the door in the morning to get to school.  I have to admit, it's tough getting back into it!  I sure am tired this morning.

So last week I put together the first colour combo for the clutch group listings!  I'm really excited about offering this!  I just have to get to the Post Office to get an accurate shipping rate before I can list these beauties.  I'm hoping to have them listed mid week.  Here's a look:


Don't they just scream summer fun?!

I've also started using a group of new fabrics I received a little while ago.  I'm hoping to get a few clutches made with those before I get into making the rest of the group listings (four more colour combos) and then move onto the summer line!  Oy!  Lots to do.

I have sketched out an idea for a new product (which I'm totally excited about, crossing my fingers it works), but alas, it will have to wait as I have yet to get the boxed pouches design finalized.  So needless to say, the next few weeks will be quite busy as I try to get the shop stocked with all of these yummy goodies!

Hope you have a wonderful week!

Cheers,

Saturday, April 2, 2011

A Lovely Surprise

Saw this this morning and it made me smile....


That's my Small Sequin and Ruffle Pouch on the front page!  I'm thankful, so very thankful...

Happy Saturday!

Cheers,
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