NEW LOCATION for Seasons Of Wool Blog!  

Vistit RosyToesDesigns.com for blog and future home of my bags, blankets and luxury fashion accessories!

Custom hats and mittens will remain at SeasonsOfWool.etsy.com!

Come take a look, and let me know what you think! The shop is not up and running yet, but my first blog post is - A PASSION FOR FIBER!

Expected opening date of Rosy Toes Designs is June 1/2012

Visit Rosy Toes Designs!

Giveaway on Caroline G.'s blog - Win a $25 gift certificate for my shop!

Interested in winning a $25 store credit for SEASONS OF WOOL? How about some custom jewelry from CATHERINE's JEWELRY DESIGN ? Or $20 store credit for CATCOPHONY wearable art? Or an awesome package from WICKED WENCH SOAPWORKS ? Or a cool leather cuff from So.Me ?

Go to CAROLINE G'S BLOG AND CHANCE TO WIN!

For the next few weeks, you'll find her highlighting some very talented artisans from The Artisan Group. You won't be disappointed! From soap makers, to jewelry makers, to fiber artists, and print makers.

UPDATE: HERE IS WHAT THE LUCKY WINNER PURCHASED! I HOPE SHE LOVES THEM! FELTED MITTS ARE WARM, TOASTY, ECO-FRIENDLY, WATER RESISTANT AND EVEN ODOR RESISTANT! PERFECT FOR A DAY OF OUTDOOR PLAY.

 The lucky winner purchased them in a mottled light and dark blue. Child's Custom Felted Wool Mittens

I'm Going to the Oscars!

I'm not going to the 84th Academy Awards (otherwise known as The Oscars), but my business cards are! 100 of my business cards will be included in the swag bags that will be given to celebrities at the GBK Luxury Gift Lounge. Never in my wildest, craziest dreams, did I imagine that my product would be going first to the Golden Globes, and then my contact info to the Academy Awards. It's amazing how joining one little organization can make all the difference!

                                                   

CLICK TO READ MORE ABOUT THE ARTISAN GROUP

That organization is The Artisan Group. The Group is an exclusive group of talented artisans that provides handcrafted products to celebrities and the press at Gift Lounges leading up to major hollywood events - The Academy Awards, Primetime Emmy's Golden Globes, MTV Awards, etc. This wonderfully supportive and knowledgeable group spans all sorts of fields - handcrafted jewelry, spa and bath products, children's tutus, apparel, toys, ceramics, purses, hand-poured candles, hand-bound journals, photographs, hand dyed scarves, fine art, handturned wooden pens, and more. It's an amazing source of information on sales, social media, marketing, and public relations.

I've gained a confidence in my craft and learned loads about marketing my work, myself and my business. What we get out of these events is really up to us and the buzz we create surrounding our involvement. I am super excited to see where this road leads!

Want to read my press release regarding the Academy Awards? CLICK TO READ MY PRESS RELEASE!

Cari Cucksey Loves Her RePurposed Sweater Pouch!

I got word today that Cari Cucksey of HGTV's Cash and Cari absolutely loves her new re-purposed sweater pouch! In her words:  "Great color & SO functional. I will definitely use it. Thank you Thank you! Xo". I absolutely loved making this pouch for her, and couldn't be happier!


I will keep you updated on any developments!

In the meantime, I'll be developing a line of smaller pouches based on the design used for Cari's. The colors will be different, but the basic shape and design the same. 

The thing is, I need a name for the line!  

Leave a comment and let me know! I'd love to hear what you think! 

Golden Globe Fun Hunt, Day #2

Did you find it? Did you find the code? Yesterday's code was hidden in the listing for the adult custom earflap hat and was for 25% off your entire purchase.

I know some of you were looking, because traffic jumped. The fun's not over! You can go back and try to find today's coupon for 20% off your purchase (GGFUN20)

Would you like a hint? 

Hint #1 - Come find out more about me as an artist and a person. 

Really, you shouldn't need any more help than this. I made it pretty easy for you. 

Today's code is now hidden (sorry about the lateness, I was having trouble kicking my kids off the computer). 

LINK TO SHOP

Find the Hidden Golden Globe Sale!

The Golden Globe Awards are over for this year, but the fun is not! Somewhere in my shop you will find a special code for 15% - 40% off your entire purchase! That could be $60 off a repurposed lambswool and cashmere sweater blanket, $21 off a custom made felted wool hat, $75 off a handcrafted messenger bag, or $25 off a pair of felted alpaca cuffs like were gifted at the GBK Luxury Gift Lounge at the Golden Globes!

How does it work? Every day at 7:15 am EST, I will hide a code somewhere in my shop. It could be in a listing, it could be in my policies, or my profile. The code will read: GGFUN15 , or GGFUN 20, etc. Basically, GGFUN followed by the percentage off for the day.

Use the code when checking out to get the percentage off. Also put in the notes to seller where you found the coupon, so I know you did indeed find it.

You may use and find a new coupon every day, but a coupon available one day will not be available the next. You can not add the amounts up over the course of the week. Each coupon is good for that day only.

The coupon can be used on any item - custom, in stock and made to order.

And as always FREE WORLDWIDE SHIPPING ON EVERY ORDER! Unless you state otherwise, I will be shipping no earlier than the 28th (just in case you play on multiple days). Some custom and made to order items will take longer than a week. If you need a piece by a specific date, please state so when placing your order.

This sale will end Jan 28.

HERE'S A CLUE TO HELP GET YOU STARTED - you'll find today's code within a listing for something designed to help keep you warm.

CLICK HERE TO LOOK FOR THE HIDDEN GOLDEN GLOBE

After the Globes, What's Next?

The hoopla of the Golden Globes is over. Ho hum. And my felted cuffs are in the hands of certain members of the press. I have no idea which ones, but it's exciting to know that they are out there somewhere in the hands of a potentially great source of advertisement or business lead.

I received a partial list of those it could be, ranging from The Huffington Post to Hollywood TV to The Today Show Australia to Momz in the Mix. Obviously, certain venues are more of a fit than others, and to be honest, I really don't know where I hope they end up!

So, I've sent out my follow up e-mails to those I know were there and who might have gotten my gifts. Whoever it is, I hope they love them (or at least know someone who would)! I can't wait to hear what they think! For now, it's a waiting game. I'll be sure to let you know what comes of it.

On other fronts, I am continuing to update the shop  - working on pictures, descriptions, key words, etc. I'm continuing to put my name out there and setting goals for the new year. I'm thinking about new product lines (lined picnic blankets, small recycled sweater pouches similar to Cari Cucksey's gift, and possibly a line of trigger/photography mittens).

And, I've got 100 business cards going to a major Hollywood event in the near future! Any ideas where?

Off to the Golden Globes!

On Jan 13-14 the 2012 Golden Globe Awards extravaganza will take place. And during that time, my lovely little felted alpaca cuffs will be gifted to ten lucky members of the press at the GBK Productions Luxury Gift Lounge. I am beyond excited! And beyond thankful for The Artisan Group for all they do to make opportunities like this possible for artisans around the world. They are simply amazing! It doesn't seem real at this point, and it's been quite the journey. I have no idea what will happen, but my hope is that I'll get increased coverage on my business and make some sales. This really is a wonderful way for me to get my name out there! I've learned a lot. Not the least of which has been to have pride in myself and my talent as an artist.

Here is a little taste of what the press will be getting. And if you ever have the joy of coming up with cute little packaging, my word of advice. Plan it all out before purchasing anything if you can. I spent loads of time an energy and money buying the perfect things. Some I used, some I didn't. I learned along the way, but had I been more efficient, I could have saved some money!

Handmade envelopes from handmade, seeded paper. I didn't make the paper. 

Labels for the envelopes ready to go. They'll help seal the whole thing up. 

My hangtags. It includes material, care and benefits of felt. Usually these get pinned to my product, but I felt it would be better in this case to put them in the envelope. A fellow artist prints the tags. 

uniquefavors on Etsy.

Front and back view of my Bio Card. They'll go in the envelope too.  Thanks Zazzle for some lovely cards!

Front and back of my business cards. I use Zazzle to print off all my cards, except for the hangtags. 

Envelopes folded and partially glued. I used rubber cement on the labels and delphinium flowers only. You only need to tear the labels to open the envelope. 

The back of the envelopes contain info on the product and its special name. Each  cuff type has a different name. 

My lovely collection (from left): Cherry Blossom, Pink Carnation, Swirling Snow, Bittersweet,  Fire and Ice, Bluebells. 

I rolled each pair of cuffs and pinned them so the shape would hold. 

My bags are made from sinamay, an all natural fiber. The "ribbon" is paper.  I love how you can see the pattern of the cuff through the bag. 

10 bags almost ready to go! 

Re-purposed Treasure

I am super excited about an opportunity I've been given through The Artisan Group! Cari Cucksey from Cash and Cari will be receiving a pouch made especially for her by me! It was created from a recycled Italian wool sweater that I shrunk and felted. The lining is from an upholstery fabric remnant. It was designed so it would lie flat against the body.

I just love the colors in this! And apparently Cari likes green and orange too! I tweeted her about her favorite colors and she responded super fast. I may have to make one of these for myself!

What do you think?

Inside of the pouch before sewing

outside of the pouch before sewing

long enough to be worn across the body

love the strap!

fabric covered button - I heard somewhere that she loves buttons!

flap up

back of the purse

Craftsyble Feature

Thanks to Betty Miller over at Craftsyble.com , my involvement in the GBK Production Gift Lounge at the Golden Globes has been featured! You rock Betty! link to feature

   

How I Made My Felted Alpaca Cuffs for the GBK Gift Lounge at the 2012 Golden Globes

The holidays, craft shows and family business has gotten in the way of posting. Really, I've had the best of intentions! I've got a minute, so I thought I'd put the first post up concerning the process of making my lightweight felted alpaca cuffs that are being gifted to members of the press at the GBK Gift Lounge at the 2012 Golden Globes. I can't believe it's right around the corner!

Felting, or more technically fulling, is a process where a piece is knit from animal fiber and then shrunk to form a tight fabric. It is durable, water resistant, warm, and can be cut without fraying. Felted wool is also odor resistant, resists wrinkles and is hypoallergenic. It's amazing what a little heat, friction, and water can do!

I started by knitting the cuffs flat. I found that I was able to do so on my lovely knitting machine (I've got a Silver Reed LK150). Love that machine! It's my first knitting machine. It's pretty basic, but a wonderfully sturdy and easy to use tool. It has also sped up the knitting of anything knit in a stockinette stitch (knit one round, purl the next).

I used a lace-weight yarn, and knit the cuffs about 2-3 times as large as they were to end up.

Because they are not knit in the round, I have to then sew them up the side. Most of this seem disappears during the felting process, if I am careful when sewing them up.

Then I threw them in the wash. For my first attempt, I used hot water. Big mistake. The two parts of the cuff sealed together, and I had to pry and snip them apart. I found warm worked better until the cuffs actually started to felt.

The cuffs were stretched and pulled into shape and left to dry.

Next step - needle felting!

Here it is! The big reveal!

So, I'm sure you've all been waiting with baited breath for the big reveal of the actual items that I'll be gifting to members of the press at the GBK Productions Luxury Gift Lounge for the 2012 Golden Globe Awards! It's been an up and down journey. From packaging dilemas, to time changes, to just a plain inability of me to make a final decision!

I finally decided on 100% alpaca felted cuffs, embellished with elements inspired by nature. They are lightweight, so good for a variety of climes. They are perfect standing alone, or under gloves/mittens for extra warmth. I wear mine when texting, driving, typing, or when I just need that extra little bit of warmth. I really wouldn't want to do without them fall, winter and spring. There are six different styles.

Over the next few weeks, I'll explore the process used to create these cuffs, as well as what I finally decided on for the packaging. For now, here are the pictures of the final product. You can order your own through my shop! http://www.seasonsofwool.etsy.com

Can you guess the title of each cuff?

The Artisan Group Gift Guide

If you are looking for some wonderful handmade gifts this holiday season, you need look no further than this guide on pinterest! The Artisan Group has a guide that showcases some of the best gift giving ideas for the holidays. You'll find all items priced from low to high, for all ages, men and women. You won't be disappointed!

http://a3.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/s320x320/294820_10150365798243604_775178603_8248440_1879315359_n.jpg

Renewed Determination and Energy

Some BIG news at the end of this post!

So, I've been gone for awhile. As in, over a year. I had gotten to the point where blogging, if I'm being totally honest, seemed like a bit of a waste of time. Yes, everyone was doing it, but I had very few followers and it was taking time away from things I needed to be doing (creating, working a part time job, taking care of my family, volunteering at the school, getting my business where I wanted it to be, and all the other things in daily life). Well, none of that has changed. All those things are still there (except for the part time job). What has changed is that with the support of my family, I've decided to take that leap and make this hobby a business.

I spend most of all days creating, marketing, getting my name out there, bookkeeping, etc. I still do all those things around the house and with the family too. I miss my other part time job (teaching environmental education preshcool) at times, but I had to make a choice. Something had to give. I decided to put my efforts into making my business a business.

It has not been easy. I see other adults less (I've really got to work on this, and plan on joining a knitting group in the near future). There are days when I have to really push myself to get things done. But that's the case with any job. It's still fun. I still enjoy it.

I think one of the biggest things that has helped propel me forward, is a wonderfully supportive group, The Artisan Group. They are great people to bounce ideas off of. And are a wonderful source of inspiration. This exclusive group connects its members with the GBK Gift Lounges for high class events such as the Emmy's, Golden Globes, Oscars, etc. Members can gift to the press, celebrities, provide gift cards, etc.

The big news: I will be gifting to lucky members of the press at the GBK Gift Lounge for the Golden Globes, January 2012! 


I can't tell you what yet. Well, I could, but I won't. You'll have to check in later to find out. There will be the option to buy through my shop.