New Style!

Introducing two new styles today. I'm not 100% sure what I'm going to name these yet, but I do know they're pretty cute!

This one can be made with either grosgrain or satin ribbon for the base. Hmm, just thought - I could also use velvet - what a great one for Christmas!
This is a little gem:
I could also make this with satin or velvet. The sheer really gives it a lovely sheen, don't you think?

p.s. - I've decided to call them after another pair of sisters - Olivia and Ashlyn.

Tips - what happens if I wash my bows??

I've had some questions about how to clean the bows. Since I wanted to be sure I was giving good advice, I decided to do some experimenting. For this experiment, I wanted to find out what happens if the bows go through the laundry (it happens, after all, we're busy moms). So, I took some styles that are very popular, and I thought would be a good representative of many of my bows. Here they are before the wash:

Here we have a Rufflie, mini korker, medium basic, marabou puff and a pinwheel. These are in their normal, ready-to-sell state. Remember that the korker and medium basic are sprayed to keep their nice shape. So far, so good.

So, I put them in my washer (it's a front-loader, so it's supposed to be more gentle on items, but I don't think it would change the results, really) with a normal, warm load, and then through the dryer on high - just like they accidentally went through with the laundry.

Here they are just after they came through:

Believe it or not, but I think the marabou puff was even softer and fluffier! The rufflie came through like a trooper too. And the pinwheel also (it's a very stable bow, so I really wasn't worried about it). However, the poor little medium basic and korker weren't so lucky.

This is after I "fussed" over them a bit. The medium basic bow pretty much refuses to go back to a decent shape. For the korker, I was able to re-arrange and fluff it back up, so except for not having any stiffness, it's not in too bad a shape.

So, to conclude: I would definitely not recommend machine washing your bows. If it happens, however, don't worry - most will come through fine, except for the basics.

The way I do recommend washing your bows is with a little water and dish detergent or Woolite, and either with your fingers or a rag, just dab it.

Back to School

School bells are ringing! Here are some bows in a "school uniform" theme:

This is a variation of the "Tails-Down" bow.

Mini Korkers

Spikey Bow - aren't these cute?!?

Butterflies

Don't you just love to see a butterfly? They're like little floating flowers! I can't help but pause and admire how lovely and delicate they are. Surely God smiled when He made them.

Diana has this cute little skirt with butterflies on it, so I came up with this bow to go with it.

August Special - FREE SHIPPING!!

The August newsletter is in the works, but here's a quick heads-up:

The Special of the Month is free shipping!! All orders over $15, online or e-mail, will have free shipping! I'm hoping to get some fresh listings up, too, so keep checking back!

Another Amazing Etsy Artisan

I just found another amazingly talented etsy artisan, and had to share it with you. This lady makes gorgeous hair pieces for ladies. Isn't this just so pretty?

It's just so lovely to look at, like eating a rich dessert! And her site is filled with even more. Check it out here: http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=6048800

Tea Time - in New York??

A couple new Gymboree collections -

Tea for Two

A twist on the Loopy Bow - two layers of loops with spikes behind them!

And New York Girl/Puppy School

Sparkly Gem Slides

Here's something new - lovely sparkly gem slides! Add a bit of "bling" to your bows! These are available in circle (shown), oval, heart, star and apple.

Garage Sale Deals!!

Hey, all you garage salers out there! This is a special deal for you!

I've pretty much given up sending out a newsletter this month, because time keeps slipping away. I've been working on the garage sale that's coming up - tomorrow!! Aghh!! Actually, I'm rather calm. I've done these so many times, it just keeps getting easier. Not having kids around tonight also helps my calm. =)

But, to get back to my point....

I'm having a garage sale starting tomorrow, through Saturday. Saturday is also the local community garage sale day, which is kind of a big deal in a little town. Sad, I know.... And of course, not one to miss out on a chance to display my bows, I'm going to have them set up for sale. And to encourage sales, I have a great sale planned - everything in stock is 25% off! This is just during the garage sale, so hurry on out, and check it out!

Oh yeah, here's the directions:

I'm on County Road 38, just north of Wakarusa, between S.R. 19 and C.R. 3 (closer to 3). Look for the sign out front advertising popsicles and lemonade. =) Yeah, my kids love it when we have a garage sale!

Drum Roll Please...

Okay, are you ready?

Presenting: Monogramming!!

Okay, so maybe a little too much drama, but I can't help it! This is something I'm really excited to show you! It's been a while in the works, and I'm really pleased to have it ready for it's debut!

The biggest news is a new product line. These are my "Initial Buttons." They are made with a fabric-covered button, and mounted on a ponytail holder.

I currently have 29 fabric choices, with special requests available with approval. I've focused these fabrics around polka dots - sure to be a hit with any girl!

This is the font that is available at this time. Other fonts may be available in the future, or by special request.

The next big news - monogramming for bows! I can add an initial to most any bow made with the 1 1/2 inch ribbon. Doesn't it really make it look so personal?

Another option in personalization - sparkly letters! These are available for almost any size bow, as they are a smaller letter. Available in white crystals, pink crystals and pearl.

So, what do you think??