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......

It's Been a Wonderful Year! Now It's Time for a Break...Well, Sort of!

The year 2010 is quickly coming to a close. What a wonderful year it has been for me, my family, and my Etsy shop! I reached several milestones this year including my first Etsy anniversary and just recently I reached 200 sales! October through the early part of December were super busy times for my Etsy shop and I am truly grateful to all of my customers for their support this past year! My customers inspire and motivate me every day. Thank you!

I've also made some fantastic new friends along the way and I've been overwhelmed by the positive encouragement and support that I have received from followers of my blog and facebook fan page. It is this encouragement that keeps me moving forward especially on the days when I need that little extra boost of confidence.

So, as this amazing year closes, I look forward to the new year. I believe that 2011 will bring with it another fun and exciting chapter for Two Little Bluebirds. I cannot wait to see what unfolds! And don't worry I have lots of new ideas up my sleeve!

In the meantime, I'm going to take a little break....well, sort of. I'm enjoying some much needed time off from sewing. It's given me a chance to spend some extra quality time with my family and it has given me time to brainstorm new ideas. So, for the month of January and maybe even February, I won't be listing much of anything in my Etsy shop. I will use this time to bring my new ideas to life and to build up inventory.

If you should need anything at all do not hesitate to contact me. I will still be taking custom orders and requests. So, don't be shy!

And here's wishing you all a very happy, healthy, and prosperous New Year!

The Kissing Hand

Summer is slowly ending and although you wouldn't know it by the 90 degree heat that is lingering, there are telltale signs that summer is coming to a close. The pools and parks are nearly empty and the school busses have returned to the neighborhood. Any other year, my daughters and I would watch the kids head out to school or see them standing at the bus stop, but this year is different. This year my oldest daughter started kindergarten. It's been a bittersweet week....mostly for me. My daughter is doing great with the transition. On the second day of class as I was dropping her off outside of her classroom she briefly turned around and said "Bye Mom". I had to coax her into giving me a goodbye hug before she disappeared into the classroom. By the second day, I dropped her off outside of the school building and watched my little girl walk in all on her own....so little, yet so big.

I'll admit that having her at school has afforded me some added quiet at home, but I still have a 2 year-old to keep me company on errands and while doing life's daily activities. Little sister loves to help mom out and I think that she has enjoyed having all of the toys to herself! But, today I looked at my youngest daughter and for a second I was taken back three years to the time when my oldest was two and followed me all around the house. And, in that moment I thought about how quickly time goes. That in a blink of an eye, my daughter has turned from a baby that never wanted to leave my side into a 5 year-old that is embracing her new adventures out into the world. I admit it's a bit hard letting go. So, there you have the bitter part, but the sweet part is how proud I am of her and all of the progress that she has made. She's an amazing kid with an phenomenal spirit and I am honored to be her mom.

Today she came home with a picture that she had colored of a little hand with a pink heart in the middle of it. On the sheet it said "Ask me to tell you about The Kissing Hand". When I asked my daughter about this a smile grew across her face and she began to tell the story of a little raccoon who was beginning school. His mother kissed his hand before he left and the little raccoon could feel the kiss travel up his arm to his heart. All day long the little raccoon could feel his mother's love just by touching his hand to his face. Hearing my sweet little daughter tell this story brought tears to my eyes. I kissed her hand, gave her a hug and off she went to play.

It's not easy letting go, but I know that she feels my love all day long and there is no doubt that I feel hers. So, I kiss my baby's hand, give her her backpack and lunch box, and send her out into the world. I know she'll be alright....as for me I'm still keeping the tissues handy!

Here's hoping you feel the love of someone special in your life all day long!

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! ;)

Frolicking with Fairies

For the past two weeks I have been frolicking with fairies....and cupcakes and flowers. These fun crowns were created for two special little girls.

Every custom order presents me with new and exciting challenges. These crowns were no exception! Sometimes the fairies refused to cooperate and were a bit fussy about how they wanted to be created. I can't tell you how many times I had to re-cut their arms and heads to get them just right. Picky fairies! :)

But in the end, the greatest challenge with this crown was in its final construction. Each piece had to be attached to the crown in just the right order so that the crown came together with a clean and professional look. I don't know if I've ever held my breath so much while making a crown! But in the end it all came together beautifully. Careful planning definitely payed off!

No fairy is complete without a magic wand. I decided that these fairies needed sparkly wands! They are all set to grant lots of wishes!

In order for the girls to be able to tell their crowns apart, I added their first initials to the inside of the crowns.

Two adorable crowns ready for fun and mischievous play! It's going to be hard to see these cuties go, but I know they are headed to a good home! Enjoy little ones....enjoy!

Handmade Pick--Little Lion Designs

It has been awhile since I last featured another crafter/artist, and this time I've chosen a very special shop not just for the beauty of the art, but also for the beauty of the story behind the art. Stephanie with Little Lion Designs creates the most amazing repurposed fabric and textile art. When I first came across her shop she won me over with the fact that she's concerned about the carbon footprint she is leaving on the Earth. She uses scraps of fabric from thrift stores and quilters, makes her own starch, and uses child safe glue. When I hear that someone is trying to keep things out of the landfill and use environmentally friendly products in their art/craft I do a little happy dance! Then I took a look at her shop. I was blown away! See for yourself.

But just looking at her art wasn't enough for me. I had to read her profile too. This is where the story behind her art moved me so deeply that I knew I had to feature her work here. You see, Stephanie lost her infant daughter, just 34 days old, to Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome. As a parent, there is nothing more heartbreaking than reading about the loss of a child. Oftentimes I can't bring myself to read these types of stories because they are so deeply saddening, but this one time I couldn't stop myself from reading on. That's when I came across this very special blog post by Stephanie. It is a tribute to her daughter, Kaia on the one year anniversary of her death--her first angelversary as Stephanie called it. It is truly the most beautiful and touching thing I have read in a very long time.

Stephanie's story is one of a mother who loved and lost and then never stopped loving. And as we all know as mothers, our love for our children is boundless. It was through the death of her daughter that Stephanie was inspired to create again. And her work speaks volumes about the beautiful inspirational spirit behind it. I couldn't make it through Stephanie's tribute without tears streaming down my face and I couldn't keep my eyes dry for hours afterwards. And although I felt deep sadness for Stephanie's loss, I also felt a sense of peace and admiration for the human spirit. Even in the face of tremendous loss peace, beauty, and love can still grow.

I hope that you will take the time to visit Stephanie's Etsy shop and facebook fan page. She is an amazing artist and a true inspiration! Thank you Stephanie for sharing your story.

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!