The February That Flew Right By!

February may be a short month, but I sure did manage to pack a lot in! It's been a month of custom orders and special requests one right after the other. In fact I never had time to make anything else for my shop! So, I thought I would give you a visual tour of the February that flew right by!

Phew, no wonder I'm tired! I hope you all had a wonderful month. I wonder what's in store for March......

New and Improved Pirate Set!

I've finally had a chance to update an old favorite in my shop. For several months now I have been working to add a treasure map to my Pirate Hat and Playset. Well, I'm happy to say that it's finally finished and is now a part of this fun set for little pirates. Arrrrh!

So now the set comes with a felt pirate hat, an eye patch, a red felt treasure bag, five gold coins, AND a treasure map!

In order to find the treasure your little one will have to wind through palm trees, green hills, an alligator pit (Yikes!), and steep mountains! But that's no problem because little pirates are BRAVE!

One of my favorite features of the map is that it's designed to be rolled up. I added a red ribbon to secure it while your little pirate travels to far off lands in search of treasure!

I want to thank Amy with Amy Jos Creations for giving me the inspiration and motivation to create this treasure map. I also need to thank my wonderful husband and daughter who designed the graphics on the map! Without my 5 year-old there would be no alligator pit! Boy are kids creative! ;)

A Memorable Year

(The very first crown I sold on Etsy)

So, my official first Etsy Anniversary has come and gone. This past year has been amazing, fun, and exhausting all rolled up into one. If you had asked me 15 years ago what I would be doing today, I most certainly would have never guessed that I would be making felt crowns! But, I'm here and I'm so very grateful for it. Really crafting has been a part of my life since I was a small girl. I remember sitting down with a big box of craft supplies and fabric scraps and just creating whatever my heart told me to create. Later, I became fascinated with embroidery, and in high school I focused on drawing and painting. I took a long break from doing anything crafty through college and during my early career as a Physical Therapist and later a stay-at-home mom. It was such a long break that I nearly forgot how good it feels to be creative. So, when I really think about it the journey to this day has been in the works all along. I know that not everybody believes in fate or destiny, but I can't help feeling that all along I was meant to be right where I am.

Taking pieces of felt and bits of thread and turning them into something beautiful and fun brings me joy and inner peace. There is no greater feeling than creating with my hands and then stepping back to look at a finished crown....always in amazement. It's a moment when a smile spreads across my face and I let out a little sigh. I think to myself, "I created that and it will soon bring joy to someone else". "How cool is that!" And it's not just anyone it's bringing joy to....it's bringing joy to the most amazing creatures on Earth--kids.

So why do I stay up until the wee hours of the morning? Why to I push myself to create the very best product I can? It's because I love what I do, I have the very best customers on Earth, and all along I have been destined to be right where I am.

It's been an incredible year. I've learned more than I ever thought possible, I've made more friends than I ever imagined, and I've grown my love for all things handmade twofold (maybe threefold!). I have to thank my husband and daughters for their amazing support and encouragement. They are my source of inspiration....along with my color and design consultants! Thank you also to all of my fans, friends, and supporters. You keep me going and spur me to continue creating.

Here's to a great first year! I hope to bring you many more fantastic crowns and products for kids during my next year on Etsy!