Catshy Crafts

Catshy Crafts has a New Website!

2013-08-19T15:05:00.001-07:00

I am happy to announce that Catshy Crafts has its very own website! It's been a long time coming. Something I've wanted for a while, but didn't take action on until a few weeks ago. Yes, in the midst of my last giveaway and preparing for my summer vacation and finishing a big custom order, I decided to create a website! Wanna peek? Head on over to CatshyCrafts.com!

What's New?

The new site has everything you need to know about Catshy Crafts - from links to my Shop, my Blog, how to start a Custom Order, how to Subscribe to my mailing list, my Press mentions and more.

It will be my place to share photos of all my creations in one spot. It be another creative outlet for me, where I can design and play. As you may know, I used to LOVE digital scrapbooking and still love Photoshop, so taking a stab at web design has been a fun experience! I'm learning Wordpress as I go. (Wordpress.com - not to be confused with Wordpress.org - is what I used to build my website).

Simple and Pretty

So far I'm keeping it pretty simple, not straying to far from the Wordpress theme, but I did design a new logo! What do you think? You can also see my little favicon on your tabs. It matches the one from my blog, but is now a rosy color.

Any questions?

If you have any questions about my new site (from how I set it up to a specific question about a hoop or wreath you see in a photo), leave me a comment and I'll answer it for you. If it's something I can't answer is a few sentences, I may even write a blog post about it!

Share your site!

And if *you* just created a new website for yourself, I'd love to see it! Post a link so everyone can see!

We Have a Winner! (Actually 2 Winners!)

2013-08-08T14:07:00.000-07:00

My very first Rafflecopter is coming to a close It was a good run with 133 contest entries and 58 new Facebook Likes on the Catshy Crafts Facebook Page over 2 weeks time. The page was hopping with activity with new fans and old.

And now, I have not one, but two winners to announce! (As you may know I added a 2nd winner when I reached 100 contest entries.)

The first name picked (by random.org) is.......Lisa Page! Congrats Lisa! She won a 5-inch custom hoop art with felt flowers and leaves. The name or monogram to be embroidered will be up to her. Can't wait to see what she chooses.

And now for the Grand Prize Winner who takes home a set of felt flowers, a 5-inch custom hoop are with felt flowers and leaves and a 12-inch wreath wrapped in yarn and decorated with felt flowers (a $125 value)! The winner (chosen by random.org) is....... Taylor!

Because Taylor is local - and actually is a friend of mine -- I will invite her over so she can choose some felt colors in person! That will be a fun day!

Congratulations again to Lisa and Taylor!

But wait there's more!

I will be e-mailing each entrant to say thanks and give them a coupon for the shop. The exact discount will be a surprise! Thanks again for playing along. And don't worry, this won't be the last giveaway. It's just the beginning.

Win $125 Worth of Prizes - It's a Catshy Crafts Giveaway!

2013-07-31T20:29:00.000-07:00

We did it! Thanks to my friends on Facebook, my Catshy Crafts Facebook Page has over 500 Likes!

As promised, I'm hosting a giveaway (via Rafflecopter) to win this fabulous set of prizes valued at over $125! Scroll down to the bottom of this post to enter. But first, here's a closer look at the prizes up for grabs!

Prize #1: First up is set of gorgeous hand-made felt flowers. Each bloom is hand-cut and hand-sewn by me. They will be sweetly packaged in a glassine envelope with a kraft cardstock backing. ($12 value)

Prize #2: Next is a custom-made hoop art with felt flowers. The best thing? The lucky winner will be able to customize it with a hand-embroidered name or short message OR a felt monogram! This 5-inch hoop art has a linen background, 3 rolled roses and 3 felt leaves. ($45 value)

Prize #3: Finally, the winner will receive one of my yarn wreaths adorned with hand-made flowers and leaves! This is one of my best-selling designs and was featured in a national magazine! This is a perfect wreath for fall with colors of fuchsia, denim and goldenrod. ($60 value)

A Coupon Code for You!

I am also offering a special coupon code to say thanks to EVERYONE for supporting Catshy Crafts!
A coupon code for 15% off you next order! Please use coupon code 500likes15 when you check out. Coupon expires 8/21/2013.

Please note: Because of the hand-made and custom-made nature of these prizes, it may take up to 4 weeks to receive your prizes. So those are the details! Remember to visit my shop and let me know what your favorite item is! Thanks so much for supporting Catshy Crafts!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Quote Me: Feel Awkward and Uncomfortable

2013-07-23T11:01:00.001-07:00

I often have no problem feeling awkward and uncomfortable on a daily basis. But that's just me. Ha!

But I do have a some new opportunities coming up that will make me even more awkward and uncomfortable. Yay for growth! Yay for new things!

Latest Makes (Summer Edition)

2013-07-22T06:00:00.000-07:00

Summer is in full swing!

In between quick trips to the beach, park and farmers market or hanging out in my backyard, I've been very busy in my studio. With my youngest going to day camp for the first time, I was suddenly blessed with big chunks of time during the day. So, I've been pretty productive - filling orders and working behind the scenes to promote my little handmade business.

******

Would you like to see a peek at what I've been working on?

Here are a few things I've made in the past few weeks which will find their way to the shop really soon. If you see something you want, let me know!

1. "Yay" banner hoop. This 4-inch hoop can be customized with any short message or name! Oh the possibilities!
2. Rainbow bouquet baby name sign. A custom hoop with a rainbow of flowers and the name of baby and birthdate hand-embroidered. What a great baby gift!
3. "Ditto" hoop. I made this one for my hubby on Valentine's Day, but I made a second for the retail shop, So There, which recently started carrying some of my items :)
4. Felt flower pin. A felt flower with a pin sewn on the back. This felt bloom is now easy to attach to a card, a shirt, purse or a fabric headband.
5. Flower cards. This bud's for you! These could be customized with any message - for party favors, gift tags or just because gifts.

Thanks for stopping by today!

p.s I'm trying to reach 500 likes on my Facebook Page by September. Totally do-able, right? I'll be having a giveaway when I reach 500, so I hope you will visit Catshy Crafts' Facebook page and LIKE it if you like what you see :) And if you really want to help, please share my page on your Facebook page, blog, Twitter, Instagram or social medium of your choice. Thanks so much!

Quote Me: Treat Yourself

2013-07-16T12:04:00.000-07:00

I found this quote when I was feeling a bit down on myself a few weeks ago.

How do you treat yourself?

Catshy Crafts Now Sold in Stores....So, There!

2013-07-06T17:58:00.000-07:00

I'm so excited to share this bit of good news with you! Catshy Crafts is now being sold in a brick and mortar shop! Yup, I've gone retail!

I had heard about a new shop that was opening from the wonderful Marlo at the Studio of Awesome Pop-Up of Awesome several weeks ago. It turns out that the owner, Alison, saw my stuff at this show and contacted me. I met with her a few weeks later - I kinda had to psyche myself up to meet her - my shyness getting the best of me. But I did. Alison was super-nice and made the process easy as pie. I also loved her cute shop with hardwood floors, bright open windows and mid-century furnishings.

Located in historic downtown Issaquah, So There sells "clever handmade gifts" from local artists. It reminded me a lot of Portland's Crafty Wonderland, which I visited last year.. So much eye candy and wonderful hand-made items - from cards to jewelry to home decor items and other functional crafts - all from local artists including some familiar names like Slide Sideways and kathyoinspirations. I am so happy to be amongst all these lovely items!

Credit: So There

Last weekend, I attended the Grand Opening of the shop with my two cutie patooties. I took a few photos of the display, but was kinda distracted by the girls who kept going back for more yummy cookies.

But I have a wreath, some hoop art and felt flowers for sale at the shop. And I plan on bringing more felt flowers next week. So if you're local, I hope you will stop by!

And here a peek at a few of things that caught my eye at the grand opening...

Photos by me.

This is a big step for my little business. It was one of my goals for this year. I'm so lucky that this shop opened just 15 minutes from me and that I was able to connect with Alison. And I'm tickled that this sweet new store is my first! Thanks Alison!!!

Want to know more about So, There?
Here are a few place to start:
Website | Facebook | Alison's Etsy Shop

And if you have a handmade shop in the Seattle area, please contact Alison to see if you're a good fit. She is still looking for new artists to feature and she is wonderful to work with!

Quote Me: Joy

2013-06-17T17:55:00.002-07:00

hello flowers!

2013-06-15T17:53:00.003-07:00

I'm experimenting with some new flower styles this week. These are a combo of my fringe or loopy flowers with the rolled roses layered around them. I'm in love with aquas and teals, but the possible color combinations are pretty endless. These blooms are available here.

And here's a few more flowers - this time in teal and mustard mixed in.

If you're wondering what you would do with these little blooms, think hair clips, headbands, wreaths, clothing and even paper crafts! If you have a little hot glue, these are easy to attach to basically anything. Or if you're handy with a needle and thread -- you can sew them on directly to fabric or to a pin back or brooch pin.

What would you do them?

oh! And please check back in the shop often -- I'll be adding new flowers soon! (And if you have a color request, leave me a comment and I'll see what I can do :).

Quote Me

2013-06-01T21:17:00.002-07:00

Catshy Crafts' Memorial Day Sale!

2013-05-25T20:17:00.002-07:00

Taking a break from gardening in my backyard before the next rainstorm blows in, I wanted to pop in and let you know about my sale! In case you've had your eye on one of my hoops or wreaths, this is a great time to shop! Hope you have a great Memorial Day weekend!

Click here to start shopping!

new in the shop: I love you infinity (mini)

2013-05-22T17:33:00.000-07:00

I have a new hoop in the shop! By customer request, it's a mini-version of my I Love You Infinity hoop. This little guy is now a made-to-order item now available in my shop!

A sneak peek at my infinity hoop that I shared on Instagram last week.

Let me know what you think in the comments. Thanks for stopping by today!

Introducing My Husband, the Video Game Developer

2013-05-14T20:48:00.000-07:00

Jamie is his office/playroom (see the bird vinyl decal and Ikea kids furniture?) and me in my livingroom/studio.

My husband, Jamie and I are both trying to make a living doing what we love. Me as an indie crafter and him as an indie game developer.

Logo for Happion Labs - my husband's indie game company

Of course, I usually don't post about video games on this blog. But this one is a special one for my entire family. My husband recently launched a Kickstarter for his most recent videogame, Energy Hook. Something he's been working on for the past year or so.

So if you happen to love video games as much as you love crafting or have a husband, boyfriend, girlfriend, family member who loves video games, I hope you will check out his Kickstarter!

Thanks for stopping by!

Pop-Up of Awesome

2013-05-08T20:40:00.000-07:00

I am excited to be a part of the first-ever Pop-Up of Awesome to be held at The Studio of Awesome in Seattle this Friday and Saturday! It will be a unique set-up where 20+ artists will be featured in a boutique-style shop with one central check-out. Which means you get to browse and shop to your heart's content and then only pay ONCE for everything you want to buy! Sweet!

The Pop-Up of Awesome is part of a larger event going on in the Phinney/Greenwood neighborhood -- The PhinneyWood ArtWalk - The Big One. So, if you have a hankering for some handmade goodness, this is your weekend to shop!

Here are a few Instagram peeks of what I will be selling this weekend.

If you're in the Seattle area, I'll hope you'll check it out! And if you're not local and you see something that catches your fancy, please shoot me an email or leave me a comment.

Want to see a list of all the talented local artists that will be at Pop-up of Awesome?

Featured artists include:
http://Artbynorm.etsy.com/ art and prints
http://BellyofaWhale.com/ bags and purses
http://BunnysBakedGoods.etsy.com/ tea-time housewares
http://CatshyCrafts.etsy.com/ embroidery art
http://CommonObjectJewelry.com/ silver jewelry
http://DianeMacrae.com/ bags and purses
http://facebook.com/OneScrapAtATime cat toys for charity
http://FoamyWader.etsy.com/ gemstone jewelry
http://GlassElements.org/ fused glass jewelry
http://HauteGoat.etsy.com/ cashmere scarves
http://KathyOInspirations.etsy.com/ vintage remake jewelry
http://MagicMakeBelieve.etsy.com/ polymer clay sculptures
http://MatthewPorterArt.com/ art and prints
http://MaxandCoPost.etsy.com/ collectable postcards
http://MayhemHere.etsy.com/ art and prints
http://Moultonology.com/ garden gifts
http://NuetoMe.etsy.com/ recycled t-shirt accessories
http://Oliotto.etsy.com/ bracelets and tea towels
http://OrangeTwist.etsy.com/ screenprinted stationery
http://RainCityForge.etsy.com/ fabricated metal jewelry
http://SarahBakPottery.com/ pottery and housewares
http://ScarfCity.etsy.com/ knit and crochet wear
http://thePlayfulPotter.etsy.com/ pottery and housewares
http://Tote2Go.etsy.com/ repurposed fabric totes
http://TuttaLouPress.com/ letterpress stationery
http://WorldofWhimm.etsy.com/ kids play wear and costumes

Thanks for stopping by today!

My Lovely Stash: Vintage Sewing Box

2013-04-29T20:52:00.000-07:00

Definitely one of my all-time favorite thrifty finds is this vintage wooden accordion-style Singer sewing box. With drawers and a flip-up top and compartments for stowing needles and buttons and thread, this little box is not only functional but a great piece to put on display.

When I was photographing my space for my Etsy Featured Shop interview, I took dozens of photos with this in the background and foreground. It is a perfect prop to represent Catshy Crafts' sensibility.

I store my tags, faux pearls, buttons, business cards and various sewing notions in this beauty. I think it was pretty good find ($12) at my local Goodwill!

p.s. If you missed my post introducing this new photo series, My Lovely Stash, go here.

She (digi) scraps: On My Desk

2013-04-26T17:07:00.000-07:00

My latest scrapbook page using Paislee Press's On My Desk digital kit. Love that mustard yellow with the woodgrain paper! And pretty florals and stripes? Pretty much had to have this kit as soon as I saw it.

Spring is Finally Here (For Real, This Time)

2013-04-22T21:39:00.002-07:00

After weeks of non-stop rain, the sun finally came out today here in Washington. Lunch at The French Bakery and a trip to the park were definitely in order.

His and hers lattes.

Tulips at the mall.

Zara at the park (underneath the play structure).

Happy Zara at the park.

Flowers for Daddy

Featured on Blackburg Belle today!

2013-04-18T08:46:00.000-07:00

Look who's hanging out with April Bowles Olin today on her blog, Blackburg Belle!

You may know April from her creatively dreamy yet super-informative blog or heard her interviews on BlogcastFM.

I've been following April ever since I opened Catshy Crafts and am so happy to be featured on her blog today. She had a call to action on her blog a few week ago, asking for bloggers/creative entrepreneurs who wanted to be featured so of course I e-mailed her right away.

I hope you will click on over and read the interview and leave a comment there and let me know what you think! I talk about how I got started and how I try to balance family and business.

My first feature on Blacksburg Belle!

Thanks so much for stopping by today!

afternoon in seattle

2013-04-12T18:28:00.000-07:00

It's spring break for us, so we've doing little outings this week. Yesterday, we spent a few lovely hours in Seattle yesterday. Zara's preschool class saw Adventures with Spot at Seattle Children's Theater and then we had lunch at Racha Thai.

This is a great example of how Sofia and Zara feel about getting their photos taken.

As you can see, the sun did not put in an appearance. It's been raining all week! Hopefully, we will get luckier this weekend. I want to do some gardening!

she (digi) scraps: creashens, dear lizzy and kitschy digitals

2013-04-09T10:10:00.000-07:00

My latest scraps... all digital!

Lucky Charm by Dear Lizzy @ AC Digitals

Everything by Creashens: Go Grid Papers, 100% Flairs No. 1, Griddy Alphabet, Carried Away @ Pixels and Company

Everything from Kitschy Digitals: Dutch Love Digital Kit by Danielle Thompson, Fun Fun Camp by Minitoko, Pretty Kit by Minitoko, Crafty Characters by Wild Olive, Black and White Digital Kit by Kate Gabrielle

Latest Makes

2013-04-06T17:27:00.001-07:00

Here are some of my latest makes in the past month or so. Hoops with bunting, wreaths in progress, custom orders and more.

My mini bunting hoops.

Wreath before assembly.

A custom order.

Matching wreaths for one customer.

The "Marilyn" wreath - this was for my daughter's preschool teacher.

On this week, all my orders were custom and started with a "b"!

Made this as a Valentine's Day gift for my hubby!

Felt flowers in custom colors.

If you follow me on Facebook or Instagram, you may recognize them. Many of these are custom orders and not in the shop yet. If you see something you like, please let me know!

Thanks for stopping by today!

My Lovely Stash

2013-04-05T06:00:00.000-07:00

If you missed my post introducing this new photo series, My Lovely Stash, go here.

By far, scrapbooking supplies (from paper to embellishments to tools) are the most represented items in my stash.

If you haven't scrapbooked before or stepped into a scrapbook store (in real life or online) in a long time, you may not have seen the gorgeous supplies available today.

One of my favorite scrapbook designers is Elizabeth Kartchner: her style is young, trendy and oh-so-lovely!

Gold sequin trim, striped clothespin

Check out this gold sequin trim.

And these printed chipboard pieces. Love the hand-drawn fonts and the modern color scheme.

Printed chipboard by Dear Lizzy (Lucky Charms Collection), leaf stickpin, mini Instagram.
Bone china tea cup saucer and kamani wood tray (thrifted).

I will always love scrapbooking and taking photos. And so, I will probably always be buying more scrapbook supplies to add to my lovely stash.

Thanks for stopping by today!

New! Monogram Pink Ombre Felt Hot Air Balloon Hoop Art

2013-04-04T06:50:00.000-07:00

I love when I get custom orders. I love when a customer knows what she wants! At my first-ever craft show, I met a new customer who not only bought one of hoop art, but came back with a friend to buy even more! Plus, she contacted after the show to create a custom-made, personalized hoop art. After several convos back and forth, we finally created something that we were both happy with. It was my first hot air balloon hoop art!

Custom hoop in progress that inspired the new design!

And so it was from this design, that I created this brand-new design!

As you can see there are some differences: Aside from the felt colors, the hoop is a different shape, size and material. I used a monogram instead of embroidering the name and I have 3 clouds instead of one. But, at its heart, it is the same sweet design: a whimsical hot air balloon with 3 layers of scalloped felt floating in the sky.

If you like what you see, please head over to the shop for more details.
Or if you have any questions about the hoop, please leave me a comment and I'll get back to you right away!

Two Ways to Save

And because I love this little hoop art so much, I want to give you two special ways to save!

Newsletter Subscribers

As always, newsletter subscribers get a 10% Coupon Code when they subscribe. You can use the code for your first purchase, including this new monogrammed hot air balloon hoop art!

Facebook Fans

I have an awesome deal at the Catshy Crafts Fan Page right now. So you might want to head over there :) Just sayin'. (And please Like Me when you get there!)

Thanks for stopping by today!

Coming to the Shop

2013-04-01T05:00:00.000-07:00

Hot air balloons are so romantic, aren't they? The words whimsical, dreamy and adventurous come to mind. Also a super-popular motif in kids' decor and even scrapbooking.

via LilSugar.com

I created my first hot air balloon embroidery hoop art as a customer request a few months ago. But I knew it would not be my last.

Here's a sneak peek of the new design. What do you think?

The full reveal will take place in a few days so I hope you will come back to see it.

As always, thanks for stopping by today. And I hope you had a wonderful Easter!

2013-03-31T11:45:00.002-07:00