Princess Tote

For the little girl who is your Princess...

I was digging through some of my material I had,

and I found this Princess Fabric I had used at a book fair.

Ruffled Ribbon is securely hand stitched to bag.

Black Friday Weekend Sale

Looking for ways to save?

Check back here on Wednesday
 to see your discounts on
all products in my store!

More products to be added
later this week.
Be sure and check back!

Discount does not apply to
custom orders.

Sale Dates:
Friday through Monday,
November 26th through 29th, 2010.

Tote Bag Material Options

Below are the material options for a tote bag or reusable gift bag.



1.  Red Floral

2.  Black and White Floral

3.  Princess Pattern

Listed on Etsy 11/23/10 at http://www.etsy.com/listing/62818271/reusable-gift-bag-or-tote-for-girls

Incredible Totes

Butterfly Kisses Tote

Beautiful Blue Floral Tote {Sold 11/22/10}

I can't think of a young girl who doesn't like to have a purse or bag to keep their precious items in. 
I was inspired this week to make a gift for a special little girl.   This bag is great for bringing fun things along for traveling or just use it as a reusable gift bag.  I love the idea of reusable gift bags!  It's such a neat way to give a gift to someone and they can in turn reuse it for many things.

The tote was so easy to do.  I created my own pattern by cutting a swatch 10 1/2" wide by 8 1/2" high.  I also cut the interfacing and a complimentary liner the same size.  Next, sew up the sides of the outside liner along with the interfacing.  Then, sew up your inside liner and slide it inside your outside liner.  Covering up the top unsewn edge is probably the easiest thing to do either with bias tape or a ribbon.  You can also use part of your inside liner and fold over the top edge to cover up any unsewn edges.  Decorate your bag with ribbons, flowers, bow or buttons.  I also attached 2 ribbon straps to the bag.  Then again, you can use what ever material you want to make the straps out of.  The possiblities are limitless!

If you are looking for a great gift for someone, I am offering a book, for a limited time, with the tote bags in my Etsy Store.  If you opt. out of the book purchase, I will lower the bag price to $15 each.  Shipping and handling will also be less for a tote purchase.

Will be posting upcoming fabric choices soon for my girls tote bags.

Have You Been There?

Have you ever been to a craft fair and as you are looking around you look at the competition to see how your products stack up?  This last summer I was browsing around a local craft fair and was immediately drawn to a booth that crocheted baby hats.  I was really interested in looking them over to get ideas to spark my creativity, but when I browsed through the items, I was really disappointed. 
Why was I disappointed?  I guess when I create an item, I really want to make something that is not just functional, but fashionable as well.  I want people to say, "You made that?" all the while smiling and tell them "Yes, I did."  It's not that I want to be prideful, but I want people know that I CARE what I make and what they look like.  I want people to fall in love with what they buy and continue to be satisfied months down the road.  What I found at the booth made me cringe because it made me feel like they were just knocking out another product and didn't care if it looked good or not.

So... Have you been there?  or am I the only one?  My finished product is important to me.  Call me a perfectionist, but I still believe there are others out there like me me that want things to look just so.  If it doesn't come up to my standards, then I will not sell it.  I want to sell things I would want for myself.  I always make it a policy when buying a gift to buy something I would love to have in the off chance it was given back to me.  Usually with that mind set you can't go wrong in gift giving so I apply it to my creations as well.

So how do I make sure I have products people want?

• Browse the Internet, magazines, or stores to see what color trends there are.
• Ask myself, 'what are people buying?'
• Walk around craft stores to see what cool things are on the self.
• Experiment with different things.
• See how much people are paying for similar items you are making and price it competitively.
• Try, Try, Try again.
• Most importantly DO what you LOVE Doing!  Your love for it will show in your finished product.

Some of my favorite creations, but not limited to what is shown here:

Color Options For Baby Booties

I wanted to post my color options for my bows that go on my Baby Booties/Slippers.

Top, left to right:  Light Blue, Red, Chocolate Velvet

Bottom, left to right:  Pink Velvet, White, Hot Pink

Please refer to those color names when ordering.  I can also get other color options upon request.

Rag Potholder Options

Price of Rag Pot Holder= $8.50
Approximate size will vary 9" X 7"

Discount will apply to quantity of 4 purchased.

What are the Best Color combinations?
Lighter back ground with color added through the use of larger prints.
Smaller and darker prints make it muddied looking.
See below prints for example.

Option 1.  Blue Floral Pattern

Remaining fabric is set aside for a ministry project.

 Option 2.  Red Flower Pattern 

Listed on www.etsy.com/shop/amykempf

Option 3.  Red

Cotton Fabric

Option 4.  Yellow with Red Flowers 

Cotton Fabric 

Option 5.  Blue

Cotton Fabric 

Option 6.  Pale Yellow with Delicate Blue Flowers

Cotton Fabric