Fighting Irish Spirit

Okay, anyone who knows me for very long knows I'm just not into sports. And, thankfully, neither is my husband! I was just asking him today if he knew who won yesterday's ND game, and he didn't know or care! So, this is kind of an odd post for me. But, for all you local ND fans, and there are plenty of them in our area, here's a collection for you:

I had a request for ND bows at my next show, so I delved in. I'm also planning to have a bunch of these at the craft fairs in South Bend. They are kind of cute - puts me in a team spirit - almost makes me want to watch a game... NOT!!!!! =P

Remember, if you're interested in anything I blog about here, let me know. I can invoice people directly through paypal, or work out something else. Lots of these things will also find their way onto the etsy site.

any Christmas ideas??

Okay, since I'm really new at this, I thought I'd ask your opinion on something. I'm thinking about what I'm going to display at the two craft fairs I'll be selling at. Since they'll be just before the holidays, I want to cater to that. So, I'm wondering - what to do?? I know, of course there's the classic red and green - but are those really worn much on girl's clothing? I also keep tabs on the current Gymboree lines - and love their new ones I might add! Check it out here:

http://www.gymboree.com/shop/asst_department.jsp?FOLDER%3C%3Efolder_id=2534374302774671&bmUID=1222484398044

So, I'll do some black/red combos. But, I guess I'm wondering, what styles are going to be popular, and what other colors. So - what's in your little one's closet? Any input would be appreciated!

New etsy listings

I just updated my etsy site with lots of new fall things! I also signed up for a "showcase" slot, which means on a certain day, some of my items will be featured on the front page of whichever section is signed up for. I signed up for October 5th on the children's page. I'm excited to see what happens! So, be sure you check out the etsy site in a couple weeks (next Sunday was already full)!

Bow Party

I'm sure you're wondering what's taking me so long to post about my first bow party. Well, after so many late nights and busy days preparing for it, now that it's over, my body is saying enough. I overslept this morning, and barely got the boys to school on time - with breakfast being a Nutri-Grain bar and banana in the van on the way!! So I ran a few errands, but didn't accomplish much of anything today.

The show was a big success! There were 12 ladies there, and they all seemed excited about the products. I don't have my "presentation" down very well yet; I'm sure a couple more shows should get that solidified. I even got a couple bookings to get that practice! A big thanks to Jenna! (and to David, for babysitting several little ones)

the big day

Today's the day! My first "Bow Show" is tonight! I'm really excited, and a little nervous. I've got a bunch of things I need to do yet, so this will be short. Here's a sneak preview of what's going to be debuting at the show tonight:

New headband colors for fall! I really like them, even though I was hoping for darker colors with the top row. I'm going to try again for Christmas with a different dye and see what happens. I'm really liking the gray too.

New marabou colors too! There's sage, plum, burnt orange, black, purple and brown. I really like the plum. It also has a flower to match:
I made bows in all my "specialty" bow styles to match the headbands, as examples. I was pleased with how it shows off the headbands. Here's a sample:
Well, that's all I've got time for now. Jenna said she's got at least 10 people coming, with 7 more maybes - I need to make some more catalogs!! Definitely not complaining! She even has a booking already! Wow! (she told me matter-of-factly that "she knows how to do parties!) =)

oopsies or not?

Okay, I found this great site for some new bow designs, really great! So, I'm all excited to make them. I dive in, create a tester or two (how do you think Diana's bow collection is so large already?), then start in making them full swing. I'm about 3/4 way through my colors when I realize I'm doing them backwards. Not that it looks bad, just different. They don't look bad - in fact, I really liked them. Until I realized my mistake and made some the correct way - and liked it a lot better. Imagine that. So now I have a bunch of bows made the wrong way, even though they still look good. What do I do?? Well.... I now have TWO new styles of bows!! =) Here's a picture - the first is the oopsey, and the second is the correct.
I call the first one a "butterfly" and the second one by its correct name, "pinwheel". I did these in 1 1/2 inch ribbon, and now I'm working on a smaller version with 7/8 ribbon. I'm really excited about them - I think they'll be really popular. I can also stack a smaller on a larger, creating endless options! So, which do you like better? The "oopsey" or the correct one?

Coming up - Fall!

I'm working of getting a bunch of fall things ready. I already listed a few on etsy, but have so many more to come. I've got some new styles too - cheer bows, pony-O's, tuxedo bows...

My sister-in-law, Jenna, has graciously agreed to host my first "bow show", which will be next Tuesday. I'm really excited, and a bit nervous. I plan to have my fall products in the spotlight there, so I'm working hard on them this week. I even have some new colors of headbands! Check back soon for some pictures of them.

Yay! A blog is born!

Yay! Here's the inaugeral posting of my new blog! This blog is set up specifically for my bow-making obsession. Here's where you'll find out info on what I've been up to. You can also talk back to me - share some of the comments you will inevitably receive when your little one wears them! Be sure to pass along my e-mail address when you do!! =)