Love and stuff

Hello friends!
I have been pretty productive lately and it excites me! I made two new clutches, only one of which will be featured in my shop. The other is a blackhawks clutch which I made for myself for the upcoming season! I want to get about five other clutches done by Monday.... ummmm not sure if that will happen.
See Monday my clutches will be featured in the showcase and I would love to have a larger line rather than the three I have now. I have all of them cut out, they just need to be sewn and photographed and uploaded. But I have a TON of homework that I need to get ahead with all the way until the end of October... yikes!
I am featuring a new line in my shop.... memory boxes!!! The wedding one is already up in my shop and I will soon have pet ones available, sports, personal, vacation, etc. I am very excited to be featuring these products!! I love to make them and they look great!!!
Quick entry today, just wanted to give you all a hello and lots of love!! I will keep you updated when I can!
Love, Jessica of Stitches and Spools

dmb AND mraz?!

I have two tickets for sale for the Dave Matthews Band concert tomorrow at Wrigley! The opening act is Jason Mraz (my favorite!) and I know it's gonna be an amazing time, I am so disappointed I can't go. :( Whoever gets these tickets will for sure have a good time! They are general admission in the floor section, so get there early enough and you can have front row! $250 for the pair! Dirt cheap for these tickets on the floor!



http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=260665609734&ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT#ht_720wt_930

Fresh factor

Ah! I have finally caught up with myself (almost). I have been updating my facebook, I just updated my Etsy page with new featured items and a new shop announcement, posted to twitter a few times (I really do have to get better with the tweets), I FINALLY uploaded my pictures to flickr and ..... am I ambitious enough to update MYSPACE tonight as well???!
I am trying to give my shop a facelift. It is in much need of one. I want it to be fresh and I am debating changing my name. It would be so much work to change my name tho. On facebook, etsy, twitter, blogger, flickr, business cards, labels, etc etc! So we will see on that.
I am trying to promote my shop as much as possible because all profits I make from my Etsy shop, now until October 4, 2010 (one month!) I will be donating to my local humane society. I am already a member of the humane society of the US and now I am trying to support my local shelter because I have been visiting there frequently and they really are amazing people and it is a beautiful place for animals to stay until they find their forever home. Of course, I appreciate the fact that it is a no kill animals shelter as well. :)
I am participating in a walk to promote the shelter and therefore all money I make through my Etsy shop will be given to them, because they really deserve it.
If you would like to support me in my walk you can do so by visiting my fundraising page: http://www.firstgiving.com/jessicakarlsson
I would LOVE to be able to raise $250 for them by the time of my walk which is October 17, 2010. So please treat your pet (or yourself) to something in my shop and be treating other animals as well! It doesn't go unnoticed!!
Thanks for reading and I hope you all have an amazing labor day weekend! Relax! You're working too hard ;)
Love, Jessica of Stitches and Spools

School! 9 months and counting....

It has been a busy month or so! I started school a week ago today and it is a definite roller coaster ride! There is a TON on my plate. It is only 15 credit hours but they are ALL upper level courses and degree dependent. With my goal to get all A's this semester, my next few months will only get busier. I should, in fact, be writing a small paper right now and I will get to that right after I am done with this. I also have tomorrow morning/early afternoon to work on it, and it is a small paper.
Bad teacher's never help either. I'm sorry but the materials needed for class should be posted 24 hours before that class time. I got to my night class today to discover notes that were supposed to be brought to class were posted an hour before class..... I am busy all the way up until my class!! I do not have time to check online every hour for notes to bring to class!! And she is organized.... but now I'm just complaining.... ;)
I finished two sets of curtains (DEEP BREATH) and so glad that is something off my shoulders and mind. I am really disappointed because I don't see much time in my future for making tid bits to add to Etsy. :( And that is my favorite sewing to do! Not only do I enjoy doing that, but Etsy is my only source of income while I'm in school.
Next semester though I start my wedding planning program and I am PUMPED!!!! As of May, I will be starting my own personal business and CAREER!!! Hopefully an apartment in my sweet home Chicago as well!
I will maybe post pictures tomorrow of the curtains and clutches that I have here and there. I made a custom purse, contacted the girl who told me she didn't have the money and she would contact me in a week and I still haven't heard from her two weeks later. I might be posting that on Etsy....
Have a good night loves! I am too tired to think of what else to write :)
Love, Jessica of Stitches and Spools

Celebration

Hello all!
Well my busyness has slowed down and that's good. I'd like to finish my week of summer with dog walks, dates and sox games. And maybe some bonfires, marshmellows and rum runners.
All I have left to do by the 22 is hem a dress (bing bang boom... easy peasy) and curtains. Which, curtains take awhile, but when it's my only project going on, it's alright. I have a ton of clutches waiting for snaps and they will be put up in my shop! I would like to finish the lunch bag and put that up before school begins anddd finish up some dog collars. All of which though, do not NEED to be done by the 22nd.
I discovered "treasury lists" on Etsy. So I made one and wanted to talk about it. I call my list the "Inspiration Station"
http://www.etsy.com/treasury/4c6451c2ed3e8eefb6c59b7c/inspiration-station
Things to celebrate and/or love about life and/or yourself!
1- Small bee hotel: Celebrate bees. They are a declining population which is crucial to our earth. Imagine life without flowers... and lots more! Bees are the bees knees!
2- You are Free to fly: love this about yourself. No matter who you are... i don't care WHO... you are free to fly. Change your life, go where you want to go and do what you want to do. You are in complete control and that's definitely something to love and celebrate
3- Kissing Booth- Celebrate LOVE! ;) Love is the shit. 'Nuff said!
4- Celebrate curiosity- where would ANY of us be or what would ANY of us have if someone back in the day wasn't curious about something.... Imagine if you were never curious, how would your life change? celebrate curiosity!!
5- Good Eats- celebrate good eats. Not only are some people not blessed with food while some of us have plenty. but no one can say a good meal doesn't make them feel good! Celebrate good eats!
6- Love is Freedom - "The worst prison would be a closed heart" Celebrate love... again, but this time, the love we have for everyone. The love we have for humans, trees, animals and water alike. Celebrate simple love. This kind of love is the shit too!
7- you are like no other: celebrate YOURSELF! you are simply badass! NO ONE on this planet can be replaced by another. Every single human on earth is different and you need to love your unique self!
8- Plush microbe: celebrate microbes! we don't think about them often but they help us constantly! celebrate every form of life, big and small. Every life matters.
9- I'm grumpy - celebrate your grumpy self! It takes some old to make it young and it takes some cold to know the sun it takes the one to have the other! without our grumpy moods, there would be no good moods! embrace your grumpy
10- French friends necklace: celebrate your friends. love your friends. Sometimes friends turn into family and much more
11- Transparent purple butterflies - celebrate beauty! we overlook it a lot in our day to day lives but it is everywhere and it should no longer be overlooked!
12- crafty paper cutting box: celebrate giving! Not only is the little guy making a string of hearts for you, but this would be the perfect gift box to celebrate that someone special...
13- little gentlemen onsie- celebrate kids. Seriously, kids are the shit. They are so awesome. The most innocent, curious, amazing little crazy things on earth.
14- big lebowski print set: celebrate laughter. This movie makes me roar with it!
15- little golden air balloon locket: celebrate secrets. I have a locket and I love having pictures that are dear to me close to my heart, with no one knowing what I carry inside! It's my little personal treasure!
16- celebrate organization: I love organization. I do. I'm a fanatic about it! I bought this in-touch clutch and it definitely helped me. Organization is amazing!

So again you can check out this list at:
http://www.etsy.com/treasury/4c6451c2ed3e8eefb6c59b7c/inspiration-station

I would love to hear about some of my fellow etsy-ers and their treasuries! Have a great day guys and don't forget to celebrate life!
Love, Jessica of Stitches and Spools

in case you wanted to know what I'm busy with!

Bonjour mes amis!!
Je suis tres tres fatigue!
I cannot believe how exhausted I am right now, and with so much still left to do! I have to complete two sets of curtains, make a bag, do some hemming, make a clutch, a lunch bag and hopefully some little things to add to my shop. All of this needs to be done by August 21 and time keeps ticking!
On top of all my sewing I have decided I'm going to start adding homemade dog treats into my shop so I have been making dog treats galore and passing them out to get some ratings. :) I have been baking baking baking and sewing sewing sewing.
And on top of THAT I am making a scrapbook gift that ALSO has to be done by August 21! Whew, just thinking about it makes me tired!
I am finishing up summer school this week and then will be dog sitting for two weeks, so this is all going to be one hell of a time!
I am very very excited though, I bought some fabric yesterday and I cannot WAIT until it's shipped and in my hands!! Who knows if I'll have time to do something with it soon, but eventually that time will come to make adorable trinkets to feature in my shop!
I did put ONE new trinket up yesterday in my shop. It's a wine bottle holder with coasters. It's make out of cork fabric and I love it! I made my wine-loving mother one for her birthday as well (though for hers I still have to finish the coasters).
I'm hoping a little later today, after a LOT of sewing, I will be able to put the pictures up on flickr and that way they will pop up here, in my slide show. Until then you can visit my facebook site www.facebook.com/stitchesandspools and check out all my new products!
I should get to making a huge pot of coffee and start my sewing!! It's so strange because yesterday I started sewing but it was SO HOT! I couldn't continue because of how uncomfortably hot it was in my house (but it was nice outside?) So today it feels nice in this home (and it's gorgeous outside!) So I am going to try finish the one set of curtains, do the hemming and make the bag today. Wish me luck lovelies!!
Love, Jessica of stitches and spools

Adoring my Peers

So I figured every time I'm lacking in the blogger world I will post about a store I "heart" on Etsy. I love celebrating others creativity and talent, especially when it's well deserved. Meaning, they have gone above and beyond my expectations of a great seller. Today I will be talking about Lucky Kaeru Fabric and Supplies.
This shop can be found here: www.luckykaerufabric.etsy.com
This is great for all you fellow sewers out there! This store has featured the cutest fabric I've seen! They never fail to grab my attention and then for me to grab my card... and buy away! I have bought from this store twelve different times, which is why I am confident in recommending this seller to any fabric buyers who are interested. One time was a custom order in which I requested more yardage then what was being sold. It was posted very quickly.
Almost all of the fabrics I've purchased I've made items with. MOST (not all.. yet) of the items are posted on my flickr page. You can see them featured there.
The fabrics really put a personality to my products which is why I adore them!
And never.... have I EVER waited more than 3 days for my fabric to arrive. I ALWAYS get my fabrics before I expect them. Who doesn't love fast shipping??!
Some of the fabrics that are for sale right now that I just ADORE are
"Metro Cafe" Collection by Monaluna for Robert Kaufman (the toaster fabric especially!)
"Animal Party" Collection by Amy Schimler for Robert Kaufman (I've purchased a couple yards of this collection! Featured in my doggie toy bag on flickr)
"Lightning Bugs and Other Mysteries" Collection by Heather Ross from Free Spirit (I ADORE this one! It's a little pricey because it's out of print but it didn't stop me from purchasing both the swimming goldfish and the bagged goldfish! I might even buy some more. That is how much I love it!)
"Frolic" Collection by Wendy Slotboom (I bought the Treasure Map fabric and love it!)
"The Very Series" Collection by Eric Carle for Andover (bought the Very Hungry Caterpillar)
...............and more and more!!!
Visit Lucky Kaeru Shop for all your fabric needs! 56 pages of unique fabrics sure to tickle your fancy!
Again, the URL is www.luckykaerufabric.etsy.com
I love this store and this seller! I will continue to buy confidently with this shop!
Love, Jessica of Stitches and Spools