Etsy Shop is up!!

Woohoo!!! The Etsy shop is officially open! I listed all 7 of the Crinkles I listed below today...hope they find homes soon :-) I'd love for you to check out the site - please let me know if there are any suggestions you may have.

As a thank-you for reading my blog, enjoy the following coupon code for my etsy store - an exclusive one for my blog readers: BLOG15. This code will get you 15% off your order from http://www.sillysweetpea.etsy.com/ and expires August 31, 2011.

New school year equals new crayons!

Being that Art was one of my favorite classes while in school, I absolutely couldn't wait to get new art supplies at the beginning of the school year. Fresh new markers, sharp colored pencils, perfectly pointy crayons. Nothing like new crayons...they color wonderfully, the paper wrappers are clean and beautiful...heck - they even smell great (don't deny it!). Now, it used to be that once those crayons came home, they came out of the package and into one of those plastic pencil holders. A few months would go by and those beautiful new crayons would look so sad - the once perfect points would either be dull or broken from rattling around in that plastic box and the wrappers would have a myriad of colors on them from all the jostling around. Just thinking about it makes me sad!

It's time we start treating those crayons right, ya know what I mean? Wouldn't you know it...I have a solution! You're welcome! I started the first batch of Crayon Keepers that will be sold through my etsy store: http://www.sillysweetpea.etsy.com/ Able to hold 12 standard sized crayons, these Crayon Keepers will keep crayons safe and sound in style! Not only are they perfect for classrooms, but they're great for allowing that inner artist to emerge while on-the-go. No more searching through plastic pencil boxes or dark crayon boxes to find the elusive Cerulean...you'll be able to see all of the colors perfectly, at once!

Ok...enough of me - check 'em out!

The Crayon Keeper lays out flat. See those pretty hearts on the outside??

Every crayon has it's own home.

It rolls up in a handy little package!



Love them!!

But wait, there's more!

I had an early doctor’s appointment this morning, so I was up way earlier than I have been getting up recently. A little bit of sunshine would have helped to wake me up, but this is what I saw outside the window:

Yuck, right? Another dreary day! After seeing the rain (and driving through it…what a mess!), I decided that I somehow needed to bring some sunshine to the day. What comes after a rainstorm when there’s sunshine? A rainbow!! (by the way, if you happen to find that pot of gold, let me know where it is…I’ll be there in no time at all!) A dreary morning turned into a productive afternoon allowing for the creation of 4 more Crinkles…one with a rainbow theme!

Check them out:

This will conclude the making of the Crinkles for now…figuring lucky number seven will be enough to stock the etsy shop for now. Fingers crossed that they will find happy homes! I’m thinking crayon rolls for tomorrow…after yet another doctor’s appointment (of course!).

Aren't these cute??

Got a head start on stocking my new etsy shop today! I'm planning on making a whole bunch of items and then posting them all at the same time so that I have a full shop for the grand opening (keep an eye out for an exclusive coupon code!). The name of my shop is "Silly Sweet Pea." Came up with the "Sweet Pea" part after a board that I frequently post on...the babies that will be born in September have been nicknamed "Sweet Peas." I added the "Silly" part because I figure that Sam will most likely be silly (like me!). Always nice to have a good sense of humor and a positive outlook on life, right?? Anyways, sfter making a few of these little snuggly toys as baby gifts and one for Sam, I managed to make 3 for my shop today. Here's a quick look at them:

The second one is very similar to the one that I made for Sam. All of the Crinkles (that's what I've decided to call them...since they do crinkle...read on!) pictured are an 8"x8" size - perfect for little hands and super easy to throw in a diaper bag or attach to a car seat, stroller, anything with one of those plastic links. As a special education teacher, I am all about sensory items - the more sensory stimulation, the better! The Crinkles pictured have a super soft minky fabric on one side along with a super smooth satin on the other side. At least 8 different kinds of ribbon, with varying textures, were used to make each one. When squished, the Crinkle actually crinkles! There is a super secret layer in between the minky and the satin that allows for this auditory delight. All of the ribbons on the Crinkles have been reinforced to the fabrics by sewing each one *4 times* onto the fabric - super duper tough, huh?

I'm hoping to make some more tomorrow. Also on the list of items to make to stock my shop: key fobs and nursing covers. I am also considering making some crayon rolls and embellished burp cloths...what do you think??

I'm off to bed now, early doctor's appointment in the morning. I have three this week!! Aren't I lucky?? At least I'll get to see my little guy a whole lot this week!