The Latest on Etsy

I have lots more recent Luke pictures to post, so don't worry, I'll get to them soon. But, I just went back through ALL of my blog posts to add a "me" tag to the posts that have a picture of me in them. For some reason, I never had a tag for myself, but there have been several times when I have thought that would come in handy. In any case, having looked back at all I've blogged about, I noticed two things that have been omitted lately:

1) Posts about spiritual lessons or encouraging thoughts. I am challenged by the lack of these lately. I am reading my Bible regularly, and am in the middle of reading "Feminine Appeal" by Carolyn Mahaney. So, I really have no reason to not be sharing with you what I'm learning or what I'm impacted by, other than a lack of time. Hopefully, I can bring some of those thoughts your way a little more often, now. :)

2) Posts about what I'm making for my Etsy shop! I used to periodically include a picture of my recent project for selling on Etsy, but I noticed that I stopped doing that on this blog also. That has probably happened because I've signed up for Twitter as a way to "promote" my Etsy shop, so new listings and such get posted on there instead. But, I don't want to neglect to share my crafty side with you, my faithful few. I like feedback/encouragement/constructive criticism about these items. And, who knows, I might inspire you to create also - or buy something of mine! :P So, here are a few pictures of my more recent items completed:

"Footprints in the Sand" completed cross stitch. My original one sold on Etsy in a matter of hours. This new one was on Etsy about a month, but ended up selling also! Yeah! I'm currently working on finishing a "Lavender & Lace" brand Bride cross stitch (pretty dress!) that I started & stopped several years ago, that I hope to have up soon. I definitely have incentive to complete more of the large projects I have in my stash, because even though small items like cards & bibs are quicker to make and help fill my shop, it's the larger projects that are actually selling! Works for me - I just have to stitch faster! Thankfully, I have about 45 minutes every day when I can stitch while Luke watches cartoons after his nap. :)

I made three "Baby's 1st" bibs this year to complete my holiday series. These haven't been selling all that well, so I don't know if I'll continue to replace them if one sells. It's nice to have a set of something, but only if it's worthwhile to put the time into making them.

I made three new cards this year also. The last one is a new way of completing the card, and I think I like it better - it displays the medium of cross-stitch a little more than when I just use a photo card.

I added matching shoes to 5 doll dresses that I had already made to help use up some fabric, one of which has already sold.

Then, I made two pink dresses - one of which has matching shoes.

Most recently, I made this light blue dress, and I hope to make several more dresses with ribbon and fabric stripes on the skirt. I have enough fabric to make one more dress with these colors of fabric (with more ribbons on the skirt), and then a few other fabrics I can do. I'm hoping to sell one soon as an indicator of whether they are a worthwhile style to continue to pursue. I like the quick, simple construction of the dresses I've been making, even though the fancier ones are fun, too - they just take longer to make! Maybe I'll get around to making a few more "princess" or fancy dresses before Christmas shopping time comes in earnest. :) Stay tuned!