Big news!

Last month I submitted a few applications to participate in area craft fairs. I got news this week that I have been accepted into the first (and most recent one)!!

I have already shifted gears and am planning and figuring everything out.

In preparation for it I have been making and finding stuff to be used at this fair and any others I am part of.

I bought a few things that will help tend to the finance end of things. I also made a bow holder. Lots of fabric and ribbon on that one.

So excited to be growing my business.

The whole "appearing at a craft fair" thing is amazing and baffling!! Even if I sell nothing, the fact that so many people will pass by (and browse) my booth and see my name is hard to grasp. It's blowing my mind that all this isn't taking too much time or effort.

Excited yet scared at what's going on and how quickly it's happening.

DIY days

So for the last couple days I've been tackling a few DIY (do it yourself) projects as prep for our vacation next week.

I have an 18 month old who is getting way more active and needs a little more effort put into keeping her entertained then she did a year ago.

That's not to say the fact we'll be flying and going through airports and planes won't keep her occupied. But if I plan to keep her from trying to explore every last inch of said airports and planes I need toys she loves and new stuff to put before her and try to distract her.

So far, I have tackled 4 DIY projects in the last 24-48 hours. And surprisingly, they've all been super easy and come out pretty darn cool.

The 1st is a dry-erase coloring book. I bought a folder that could hold clear plastic paper protectors (?) and the paper protectors. I combined the 2 and put coloring pages I printed off the internet into the protectors. Now all I need are some dry-erase crayons and I'm all set.

The 2nd is a "wacky sack". Think homemade stress ball. I put play doh in a balloon and tied the balloon off. Simple, easy, but such a good idea. My daughter was already trying to steal it, that's how cool it is.

The 3rd are some "building sticks". I took Popsicle sticks and stuck some Velcro on either end. Now she can attach them together and make any shape she wants. Only thing I think I'll do different next time is painting them first. Give them a little color.

#4 is a fun felt coloring book. I sewed 2 pieces of felt together and made a crayon holder on one side and a spot for paper on the other. It Velcro's shut. And it's very portable.

The best part of all this is that it only cost me the cost of the materials to make it which came to about $15. If I had bought this stuff on Etsy or at a store somewhere it would easily have cost me $50, cuz most places include labor in their sale price. Definitely worth the effort required to make it myself. Another great benefit is that none if this takes up much room. I can take all of it plus other small toys she already has that I'm planning on bringing.

Love unique, custom made stuff.

And now I have stuff I can use on flights. And in car rides. I can use all this stuff for the next few years.

Plans to go forward

Recently I had a discussion with a friend about growing my business. And how Etsy is great for maintaining a business you've already jump started, but not so great for trying to jump start a business. As we talked she suggested participating in fairs. The whole "gotta spend some money to make money" logic. Which definitely makes sense. No one has ever started what becomes a multimillion dollar business without putting in a lot of time, effort, and money from their own pocket.

I proceeded to spend the next few days hunting for fairs that weren't too over the top price wise and not too far from home.

As a result I have applied to be part of a few fairs this year. And am looking into a few more. There is one in Western Mass and two in the Boston area that I would love to be a part of.

I will definitely share the good (or bad) news with you once I have answers.

Here's to hoping someone accepts my application.

Valentine's cuteness for kids

So Valentine's Day is almost upon us. So, I have been creating cute stuff for the kiddos.

So far I have made cute red and pink hair bows. Perfect for putting a little ones (or even an elementary school age kids) hair up in a ponytail. You can find it at the following link:

https://www.etsy.com/listing/221236435/valentines-hair-bow

The other just as cute item I made are leg warmers. Perfect for infants and babies up to 18 months. They are perfect for valentine's day. I love to put them on my daughter. It makes diaper changes easier.  No pants to remove and put back on. All it takes is unsnapping the onesie they are wearing. Very convenient. And no worries about cold legs. And it protects their knees if they're crawling. They also look adorable paired with cloth diapers. These you can find at the following 2 links. There are 2 different color schemes/patterns:

https://www.etsy.com/listing/220808890/baby-leg-warmers

https://www.etsy.com/listing/220810367/baby-leg-warmers

I love the cuteness of stuff for kids. Especially around holidays like Valentine's Day. All the cute pink and red stuff some with hearts.

Always working

I always have something in the works. Whether it's searching for a good tutorial or pattern for an idea I have, finding the right material to use, or actually making things, I am always working on something.

This past week I found a tutorial and made bibs.

I don't know why but this stuff comes easy to me. My mom is always telling me that she's impressed by the stuff I make, but I can't figure out why. You just read the instructions and follow them. And I guarantee that if you don't know how to do something specific within the tutorial, you can find a video or something on the internet that explains how to do it. Isn't it this easy for everyone??

But anyway, back to this past week. I took my daughter (who is 1) with me to pick out fabric to use. (Craft stores will one day be the death of me, cuz I can't just go in and get one thing and leave, I have to browse through the whole store.) She loves touching everything. She tries to grab stuff off the shelves. This time I had to get snaps so I could finish making these bibs. She chewed on the packaging all the way through purchasing them and all the way home.

I also bought more fabric so I could make more bibs. I made a bunch of pink and purple girlie bibs. I now have a bunch of boyish fabric that is all cut out in the shape of bibs. I just have to sew them and add the snaps.

Here's the link to the cuteness that I made last week:

www.etsy.com/listing/220010151/cute-bibs-for-baby-2-pack

Who and why

I make baby items for the precious bundles in our lives. Receiving blankets, burp cloths, and hats to name a few.

I will be using this blog to keep you up on news concerning my shop on Etsy, "MaddiesNotions".

And also to let you know of any coupon codes (current one is MLK25) that I won't be sharing about by way of my shop.

I will also post here about new stuff I have in the works. So instead of hinting at what's coming (like I will on the Facebook page), I will use this blog to tell you exactly what I'm working on. I may even post pictures.

In other words, if you follow this blog you will be in on stuff that people who don't follow the blog won't have any idea about.