Happy Birthday Little Bird!!

this little bird turns 1 today!  I know it's customary to call it an "anniversary" for a shop, but this "shop" is such a piece of me that I feel it's a birthday!  And.... on my birthday, I'm giving you presents!  Starting today through next Thursday, 11/11, I will be giving you a handmade treasure with each purchase from my Etsy shop.  It's going to look something like this:

Felt bird ornament

These felt bird ornaments are my gift to you to say thank you for a year of support and encouragement.  They will be available for purchase beginning 11/15, but for now they are my special gift.  Color combinations will vary but each one will be made with love!

I really can't believe an entire year has gone by and that I'm still at it.  This started almost on a whim as a means of selling the items I was going to sew anyway, because sewing is my therapy, my sanity, me.  It's amazing to think that people out there like what I make so much they want to pay me to have it.  Just crazy, but fantastic.  As I start this new year of adventures, I promise to continue bringing products made with love, care, and quality at a reasonable price.  I promise to continue blogging my adventures and hopefully reaching others and making more friends.

Thanks again to friends, family, customers, complete strangers, and blogging friends!
Cheers,
this little bird

Back to school!

It's that time of year again, where the kids go back to school, the neighborhood morning traffic picks up and school supplies are on sale.  In our house it's when Mr. Bird goes back to work to try and make a good impression on his gang of sixth graders! Bless him.

In the Bird Shop, we've launched a new product in honor of back to school, the pencil bag!  I had been wanting to make some for a while but dimensions always frustrate me. One day I was in Barnes and Noble and saw some pencil bags for sale. As luck would have it the tag included the dimensions.  Easy-peasy after that!

Fun aren't they?! They can all be found in my Etsy shop here.  For those of you paying close attention you might notice the new fancy way of doing the zipper so that the ends don't fold in!  Thanks to Sister In Law who is an avid pinner I found someone willing to explain the technique, yay!

This year I even got to make pencil bags for The Best Nieces and Nephews Ever!  I can't believe that 5 of them are in school now.  Our Youngest Nephew just started first grade! What? He was born 3 days after our wedding, how can this be!  Our Eldest Niece is entering middle school!!! Be still my heart.  Does this mean we are old?  If I can stay on top of it and the trends I hope they will let me make them new ones each year. Hint!

Even this little bird is going back to school!
That's right!  I'm proud to tell you all that I was accepted into the graduate program in History at my Alma Mater.  I'm very excited to be going back, especially because I'm an alumni.  Mr. Bird is a proud alum too.  I start the middle of next month and will be going part time while I continue to work my Day Job and manage my Etsy Shop and herd kitties and post on the blog and strive for world peace!  Hey, all in a days work right?

I hope this back to school season is proving to be a good one for all.  I know you football fans out there (yes you Sister In Law) are happy campers.

Ta ta for now!
this little bird

And suddenly April is upon us!

How we got from January to April I'm just not sure!  A variety of things have happened in the Bird Shop.  Over the next week or so I hope to catch you all up, but for tonight, here is something fun. 

This Little Bird was in a magazine!!!  Woohoo! Happy dance.  Now seriously, I woke up one Sunday in February with a convo from a seller on Etsy who just happens to be the editor of a vegan magazine and who just happened to want to put one of my zipper pouches in their spring product guide.  Thank you vegan community on Etsy!

My famous zippy pouch!

This fairly new vegan quarterly magazine, called Chickpea, is a pretty neat publication.  They have an online version, here, (you will find me on page 72).  We ordered two copies of the print version for posterity, and bragging rights! 

In light of all the recognition I've been getting from the vegan community (thank you again!) I have decided to make my shop vegan! Woohoo again! It's really not a far stretch for me. It means no wool fabrics and I need to find vegan glue (Weldbond!).  Not a bad sacrifice for a good cause.

Coming soon, updates on the craft fair season, Mr. Bird's mom's fight against cancer (she's doing well), and a change to my logo and matching labels!

Happy spring!
Cheers,
this little bird

this little bird's first outing!

On Saturday, November 12th, this little bird had it's first outing at a craft fair at the Oceano Elks Club, hosted by the Sigma Xi sorority.  I had a wonderful time and learned so much about set up, take down, inventory preparation and who our target market it.  Sad to say the patrons of this craft fair were not our target market but I did make some sales and got leads on a few custom orders.  The organizers of the fair were wonderful.  I did meet up with an old friend that day as well which was wonderful.  Here are some photos from the day.

Me, with my new "do", setting up.

My logo, made by Alissa!!

The set-up.

The pumpkins that started it all!



THE runner, yes, the one from THAT post!



Ready to sell, sell, sell!

It really was fun and such a great learning experience.  I'll do some things differently at my next craft fair outing, whenever that will be!  Many of the items at the craft show are not listed in my Etsy shop.  I really need to get on that with all the post-Thanksgiving shopping in the near future.  Mr. Bird was a huge help lugging all the heavy stuff, taking the pictures and even coming back to bring me lunch.  His reward for all his hard work was his favorite BBQ on the way home.

It now officially feels like this little bird is in full swing.  Last night I got my business debit card so I guess I'm official. Good news Mr. Bird, no more craft expenses coming out of our personal account! Score!

Cheers,

this little bird