Introducing.....

Here she is! She came with the name Happy. James and I decided if we could find a name that fit better we would go with it, so we were looking on one of the baby names sites yesterday, and when James mentioned Abbey, she came running in from the front and sat next him very alert. staring at him and the computer. So, Abbey it is. She responds to it almost more than Happy. So, welcome Abbey.




She got dropped off yesterday, and had one stressful day. She didn't sleep from noon when she got here, until about 9:30pm. But, then she passed out, and slept right through the scary lightning storm we had at 5am this morning. She has been much more relaxed today, and sitting and cuddling, and napping all morning.

She is a rescue dog, and her foster family was in Auburn. We went to meet her sunday, and totally fell in love with her. It makes me so sad, she is a year and a half, and started in a shelter, was adopted, brought back to a shelter, adopted again, brought back to a shelter again, and then was in foster with Joan and Fred. Now she is with us, and this is where she will stay.

So, there you go. We have been looking for a dog for awhile, and having her come right before christmas is the best gift we could have ever received.

So, now we have a permanent shop dog- come on down and see her if you are in Bellingham!

Christmas is so close, I can't believe it! We have pretty much finished all the custom orders for this year, and are just selling what we have in stock now ( since I would be insane before christmas if I did anymore....). We are looking forward to the week after christmas, since I know y'all will get christmas money, and we are a great place to spend it! We are always super busy the week after christmas, so we are resting now.

All the christmas presents are bought, and wrapped, and we are ready to go. Now we get to sit and read, and relax, and greet last-minute shoppers.

And finally, so everyone knows, we will be closed Christmas (monday the 25th) and the day after (Tuesday the 26th), and open normal hours again Wednesday the 27th, from 11-6pm.

Just a quick note!

Hi All! Just a speedy note to let everyone know we have a new employee- she is about 18 pounds, a foot and a half high, and a tail that wont stop wagging. But, the digital camera batteries are dead, so I will keep y'all guessing until tomorrow!

'Tis the Season

You're not seeing things....That is a six foot five man standing next to a six foot five stack of boxes. And that was just yesterday! Phew, what a week! I just got finally caught up on the custom orders this morning, so I have even more boxes going out today. I figured that as I set those last snaps, topstitched those last bags, and set the final strap, I would come out to the computer and have another order. I think I am glad that that wasn't the case.....

I would say it's been great, and we get to relax this week, but as internet sales have slowed down, our shop sales are exploding. I think the whole week will be like that. And the week after christmas has been historically our busiest week of the year. Then January we can breath, right? Nope, time to get the new line out! I need a nap.

It hasn't just been busy on the internet either, here's our special order pickup coat tree in the shop:


It has been so full it is about ready to tip over!

Everyday I keep thinking, "oh it will slow down today, and I will work on bears." But no, just bags for now. This afternoon though is all bear time. I have managed to get many done anyway:




And here is my new display in the shop window:



James told me I was crazy to put up a christmas tree a week and a half before christmas, but then told me how darling it looks. Some people just don't have the vision...............

So I have a laundry basket full of bear sweaters that just need to be cut and sewn. Now, if I could just get my christmas shopping done, we'll be set!

A likely prediction of cute for christmas

So, I am suppose to be sewing bags, but this pile of bear scraps has been calling to me for a long time. And, James is doing all the cutting of vinyl, so I have to wait until he's done to get started on bags, right?

I have a bunch of perfectly good pieces of sweater that aren't big enough for my bears, so voila:



Are these little guys cute?! I just had to show them off. I put the original-sized (green) one in to show the small sizes. I don't even have their faces on yet, or closed bodies, or proper ribbon, and I am already in love...... Come get them at I Heart Rummage on Sunday. The littlest one would be a perfect stocking stuffer.....

Alright, off to make the ENTIRE pile of scraps into little cutie pies!

Oh, and in my bear excitement I totally forgot: check these out:

Here

And Here (right in the middle of this one!)

What day is it?

Holy cow, what a month. We are SO busy. We had a dolly full like this friday too. The orders are coming in like mad on the internet, I am still trying to keep up with ones from the shop and sales, and I am trying to restock the store and allied arts. And make more bears, they're selling too, and I made a goal to bring some to sell at I heart rummage this sunday.

Here's our christmas display in part of the shop:



I guess that is the first picture of the shop. Wow, and we've been in here almost a month. It has just been so busy......

I got tons of sweaters for bear materials today, I think I'll wash them all this evening, and then get stitching. I finished ten over the weekend. I just wasn't feeling excited about them for awhile, but when I got started, it went really fast. I really love doing them, such a nice change of pace from the bags. But, I have bag orders coming out my ears, so I should probably focus on them for now.

Alright, off to organize the order slips into need to be done soonest. I had to buy more clipboards today to hold all the orders! I think I might try and take a nice relaxing bath this evening......

Darn you Christmas!

I am swamped with custom orders right now, lots of people ordering lovely gifts for their loved ones. And there are some really, really cute bags coming out. BUT, I don't feel like I can post any pictures on here because then someone might see their christmas present early......darn christmas! So, I think I will take a few pictures now, and post them all the week after christmas so you all can see them.

So, life is hectic around here- gallery walk in bellingham tomorrow, as well as the home sale with Three Stars Inc jewelry in monroe. Saturday we have more monroe homesale plus project bham in the evening. Sunday I am selling at the tractor tavern in Ballard holiday sale. And, standing on concrete for 4-5 hours last night at crave has thrown my back out and I have been gimping around all day. Lovely.

Apparrently I messed up on my mailer- the address is 18387 LongmirE street, not longmira like I wrote. Duh. Sorry Brandy! So google map Longmire, not longmira.

Alright! Off to pick up a chair, return movies, go to joann's for bear button eyes, office max for boxes, and costco for snackies for the gallery walk and project bham (and pizza for a quick dinner tonight =)!). And then maybe a nice hot bath for my back. I hope to see you all in Monroe or Bellingham this weekend!

December, Already?!

Holy cow, where is this year going?! I haven't posted in weeks. It has been so super busy around the persnickity designs shop.

We did urban craft uprising over the weekend. Tomorrow we have the Crave Party from 5-9 pm at the Fremont Studios. Friday I am doing a sale in Monroe with Three Stars In Jewelry, from 5-9pm, and again on Saturday from 11-6pm. Saturday night in the shop we are participating in the next installment of Project Bham- Haute for the Holidays. We will have appetizers, and a special event discount. Sunday, we are at the Tractor Tavern Sale. And that's just this week!

We are all set up in the new shop, and we love it. We were without internet for the first week and a half, part of why there have been no posts....

I am working on more bears- I got a particularly cute black and white sweater, that has made some super cuties. They are sitting on the couch across from me, mostly without eyes or noses(actually rather creepy).

That's about all there is to report here. We are doing tons of sales, so make sure to come check us out somewhere! We will be closed tomorrow, as we are both going to crave. I am really looking forward to this one.

Gosh, talk about overtime! I am still working at 11:30 at night. Oh well, I must be self-employed!

More pictures of the new shop later! Hope your december is going well!