This is Halloween...

It is that time of year....my favorite time of year when the weather starts to turn.  The promise that fall is around the corner is brewing.  Crunching leaves, pumpkins, brisk air, bonfires, and my all time favorite...Halloween. 

This holiday is right up there with Christmas in our house.  We have nearly as many decorations (if not more) and it is hard not to add to our stash every year when the stores start shelving their new items of glittery goodness.  So of course, my head is swimming with craft ideas to celebrate the season.  Now I know Halloween is officially two and a half months away, but I usually wait until the last minute to make my goodies and by then it is too late to share.  This year I am determined to be proactive and get some items done and in my Etsy store by the end of the month so others can enjoy them as well.  Who knows, maybe I will throw up a tutorial or two.  So stay tuned because something spooky this way comes!!!

My First Sales!

I launched my Etsy site on July 2, 2012.  I still felt like I was setting things up and have done next to no advertising for it....I haven't even posted it to Facebook for friends and family to see!  Part of this is because I have had a busy summer and between work, vacation, and enjoying time with family, I have not really been home.  So I watched my shop, tweaked listings, and waited.

Last weekend while I was in Missouri to celebrate my grandmother's 90th birthday party I checked my Etsy stats (yes, the app is on my phone!) and I saw 1 sale.  I could hardly believe it!!  I was so excited I told my husband, dad (who was sitting next to me), and texted my sister.  It was an invigorating experience.  That night another sale popped up...I am on a role!

What makes this so exciting for me is that 2 people across the country saw my items out of all the others on Etsy and decided to buy them.  It is affirming in a way, that people are looking for unique toys for their children, and that it is possible to get found on Etsy.

So now with 3 whole sales under my belt, I am pushing forward to see what else I can offer the world!  Thank you so much to my very first customers!!

Breakfast Anyone?

Occasionally for dinner we will have breakfast food which is usually an all time favorite. This felt french toast play set makes me think of great times with my family. My husband is the master french toast maker...to the point I am not allowed to cook it at all. Eggs sunny side up are known as dippy eggs in my family. My husband and girls love them...I personally can't stand them but am more than happy to cook them up on request. Everyone working in the kitchen at once, pans and plates rattling, kids laughing, and the smells that fill the air, this is what makes me happy. From very early in my life cooking has been an important part of our family and I carry that tradition on with my own children. Maybe creating felt meals for my kids is an extension of this tradition. Either way it puts a smile on my face when I watch them pretending to cook and serve it to each other, so I couldn't ask for anything more!

Felt Campfire

I love making felt toys….felt food, houses, dolls, play sets….I don’t know what it is about it but I am addicted!  One of the first play sets that I have created and received great feedback from it my felt campfire.  Pictured above with 2 jumbo marshmallows and roasting sticks, what’s not to love? 

Last Christmas, we decided camping would be the theme for our girls' presents.  In addition to the campfire, we gave them sleeping bags, flashlights, binoculars, and magnifying glasses.  They loved it!  Before we knew it our living room was transformed into an indoor campsite and they spent the rest of the day hanging out by the fire, pretending they were in the woods.  This is what being a kid is all about and I am happy that I could help their imagination run wild!

One step at a time...

I tried to start a business a couple of years back. I decided to try to turn my crafting into a full fledged business and it failed.....but I am ok with that. What happened was I put so much pressure on myself to become successful, spent so much time agonizing over the process, that I never had time to produce anything fruitful. Well, I did....but when it didn't result in hundreds of sales immediately I quit. Not to mention I worked full time, have 2 kids under the age of 6, and work the opposite shift from my husband. So describes the death of Whimsy Cool Studio, my dream of self employment!

Bellybird Designs is my attempt to do what I couldn't with Whimsy Cool Studio....just tweaked a little.  The goal is to share my hobbies, make some fun stuff, and see where it goes from there.  I will be starting an Etsy store, but I am totally removing the pressure I laid out before.  If the store takes off, great!  If not, I am still having fun doing what I love and hopefully entertaining people along the way.

Welcome to Bellybird Designs!

Bellybird Designs is a place for me to write about my crafting, spawn ideas, and hopefully meet some creative and talented people.  This idea here is to share the projects inspired by my kids that I am working on or have planned for the future.  The idea is to have a little fun, make some cool stuff, and see how it goes from there.  So join me as I make an attempt to unleash my creative imaginings upon the world!