Where it all began

When I first ventured in to the world of selling handcrafted items 7 years ago, I designed and created my own line of scarves and reversible hats and hit the small show circuit. Customers flocked to see my product, and I sold more than I could possibly have imagined. It was such a wonderful way to start out, knowing that my idea was so well received. Every single year since that first one, my scarf and hat sales have increased.

Recently I learned that my major fabric supplier is closing for good. I buy their fabric at about 1/3 of the cost of getting the very same thing elsewhere. So, I stocked up , and have enough now for about a year, but after that I will either have to drastically raise my prices on these items or stop creating them all together. Neither option sounds good to me.

I understand that nothing lasts forever; it's just sad that so many good, local businesses are fading away. They take the time to get to know their customers, and provide the best customer service around. And, like a good friend, we count on them to always be there. So, goodbye my friend, this long time customer will miss you!

Celebrate!

It's here! Time for the OFG Winter Holiday Celebration! Wow, there are SO many items for this celebration, and they are so unique and beautiful. Find them all by typing WHCOFG into the search bar on Etsy.com. I have put together a collection from the celebration on this treasury this morning: http://www.etsy.com/treasury/4cbc6a5856068eef347bed6b/santa-baby-hurry-down-the-chimney. Hope you'll take a peek! There is so much incredible talent in this group!

Stitch 'n snore

Gosh, it's been a while since my last post. I've been stitch'n away the hours in preparation for an upcoming craft show and OFG celebration. These pics are just a few of the items I've been working on. It doesn't take much time to get them done; however, when you're making several of the same thing, it can feel like it takes forever!

It's such a wonderful time of year with the autumn leaves changing, cool crisp mornings, and the rain. Oh yes, the rain! I love those days, as I don't feel too guilty about hibernating in my sewing sanctuary with a wonderful apple spice candle flickering about, hot coffee, the pup snoring on his bed, and the hum of my sewing machine in action!

That is, until someone wakes up refreshed and ready to play! Hope you have an enjoyable week, and keep checking in my shop for new items. I'm listing something every other day, and these will all be new items never seen before at Happy Valley!