Rhonda Cooley's blog

Feeling Creative

LilBitSassy — Sun, 14 Jun 2009 23:48:38 UT

I finally finished making all the travel wallets that I had cut out today. To reward myself, I decided to do something new and completely different from my usual type of crafting. I had purchased some adorable sea creature applique patterns from Precious Patterns (you can find them on etsy) and thought "how cute would those look on onesies"! So, I thought I would give it a try.

I decided to do some research and see how what other etsians were selling their appliqued onesies for. There are so many sellers making them! Well, what could I do differently with a onesie to make mine unique? I was in a creative mood, so I came upon an idea: what if I made a dress out of a onesie? How cute would that be? And this is what I made! Isn't it adorable? I just LOVE it! I will definitely be making more of these in the future. And yes, I do plan on selling them. Maybe in several sizes and of course, different themes and fabrics.

Home at Last

LilBitSassy — Tue, 12 May 2009 11:51:33 UT

I've made it back to PA safe and sound! Although the "safe" part of it was a bit sketchy when we flew into Erie. The winds were extremely gusty and they threw that little jet all over the place when we were landing. Talk about white knuckles! The humorous part was the fact that half the people on the plane headed straight for the bathrooms when we deboarded lol.

Although I miss my family, I'm glad to be home. I missed Mike and all my critters. My poor kitties were made to stay outside the whole time I was gone. But, Mama's home now so they can come in the house lol. I really missed my Scooter--she's my little lovey dovey. Although she's not little anymore! Mike had the audacity to let her grow up while I was gone. Now she's the size of Jinx (who weighs 13 lbs). Not quite as heavy, but just as tall and a bit longer.

Except for Saturday (the day I came home), the weather has been pretty nice. A bit cool compared to TN, but sunny. Today and tomorrow will be very nice days. Supposed to get to 65º today and 70º tomorrow. I've heard that it hasn't really warmed up here yet. I believe we'll probably go from winter to summer--no spring weather at all except for rain.

It was nice to see that the trees have gotten their leaves back and flowers are blooming while I was gone. When I left everything was still brown and ugly. The grass is even thick and green. PA is a pretty state when everything is green.

So now that I'm finally home, I'll have to get back to work. I plan to make some new items for my stores: wallet purses, tea pouches, and maybe even some dolls and stuffed animals. I do have two custom orders to work on first, but after that, I plan to get creative!

Christmas Day

LilBitSassy — Sun, 26 Apr 2009 11:48:55 UT

Yesterday afternoon we had a Christmas get together. It was pretty fun and everyone came. Of course, I was basically the only one handing out Christmas presents, but that was ok. It was great to see everyone opening them and they all really liked what I made.

The kids loved their coloring totes and monster dolls. The women really liked their notepad holders, and the guys liked their things as well. I did have to tell them what the litter bags were, but that's ok. I figured I would lol.

I even gave my Dad a gag gift without meaning to. I made him a book weight and when he took it out of the box and held it up it looked like, well, man parts lol. I had to tell him what it really was lol. From then on he called them testes lol. So funny.

I also went to my great nephew Boogie's soccer game yesterday morning. I probably shouldn't have because I paid for it later. It was pretty hot out and we were sitting right in the sun. I got a migraine last night and I think that was the reason. I went to bed around 9:00 last night. I feel better this morning, but I think I should stay out of the sun for a couple of days. Just not used to that--or the heat.

All in all, I'm having a great time. Friday, I'm going to the zoo with two of my nieces and their little ones. It'll be fun. I haven't been to a zoo in years--I love the zoo. I plan to get lots of pictures.

Monsters

LilBitSassy — Sat, 11 Apr 2009 12:59:04 UT

I am very quickly whittling down my sewing list! These little monster dolls were one (or three) of the items I needed to make before I left on my trip. Two of them are belated b-day presents and one is a Christmas present. The pink and green go to a brother and sister (the b-day presents) and the little blue one goes to my 16 month old great nephew.

I think they're too adorable! They are another pattern from Bit of Whimsy Prims. Just love them!

Yearly Trip

LilBitSassy — Sat, 04 Apr 2009 12:43:12 UT

It's that time of year...time for my yearly trip down south to see my family. It's been a bit longer than I intended since my last trip at Christmas in 2007. But, unfortunately, we had a very long winter this year and I wanted to wait until the weather was "safe".

I'm VERY excited because I'll be staying for three weeks instead of two like I normally do!! Since I don't really have a job per se to worry about, I can stay a little longer. I'll be leaving on the 18th (just a couple of weeks away!) and staying until the 4th of May. I will have to put my etsy and Artfire shops on vacation mode during the time I'll be gone. No problem!

I have a few sewing projects I need to finish before I leave: three monsters (whose limbs are all sewn & stuffed. Just waiting for chenille to go on sale for bodies), a new purse for myself (which is all cut out and ready to go. Probably work on that today), a camera case (have to figure that one out), and a wallet for my niece (going blind on that one too). But it shouldn't be a problem. Most of them are either a couple hour or one day projects.

Since I'll be going for three weeks this time, I plan to take some sewing projects with me just in case I get bored lol. Might even get my mom or niece to help me sew some things! I've burned a lot of patterns onto a CD to take with me too. I plan to have everyone look through everything so I can get a list together for gifts. This will help me tremendously come Christmas time.

So, all in all, I'm very excited now that I know exactly when I'll be going! Can't wait to see my new great nephew, whom I've never met--he's 16 months old now. My niece will be picking me up at the airport so he'll be there right when I arrive!

Wallet Purse

LilBitSassy — Tue, 31 Mar 2009 12:56:55 UT

Since I plan to make my yearly trip down south next month, I thought that instead of carrying a big, bulky purse, I would make myself a small purse that would just hold my necessities: cell phone, sunglasses, cards, and money. So, this is what I made and I absolutely love it! It was rather easy to put together and I added more pockets than what the pattern called for (one can never have too many pockets).

Inside is a zippered pocket for money (including change), another pocket for receipts and misc items, and eight card wallets (which I won't be using all of those since I only have three cards I take with me).

On the outside back of the purse, I added another pocket that will hold my sunglasses and cell phone. The purse has a front flap and closes with velcro. I may have to make some of these to put in my etsy and artfire shops!

Bookmarks

LilBitSassy — Sat, 28 Mar 2009 16:05:07 UT

I finished making 11 bookmarks last night. They are very pretty if I do say so myself lol. I made them from paper and card stock and then I laminated them this morning. They are listed in both my Etsy store and my Artfire shop.

Please ignore the etsy pictures--they look terrible. I think they changed their sizing or something.

Project Basket Finished

LilBitSassy — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 12:23:43 UT

So, here's what I do. I cut up several projects, put them in ziplocs, and throw them in a basket I have sitting on my cutting table. That way, I can just grab and go. Well, recently (ok a month or more ago) I had decided to use up all my scraps for whatever projects I could. So, I cut a TON of small items (notepad holders, tissue cozies, glasses cases, checkbook covers, cup cozies, coasters, and card wallets) and put them all in ziplocs according to what they were.

At any rate, I finally finished them all!! Yay me! So now I can finish up the rest of my Christmas gifts I hadn't gotten to yet lol. I know that sounds funny, but rather then sending gifts last year, I decided to wait until I went down south for my yearly visit and take them with me. I usually don't go down for Christmas (weather) so I never get to see anyone open their presents from me.

So, the other night, I finished up my SIL's present. I had already made her a purse but I needed to make a matching checkbook cover, cell phone case, and notepad holder. Well, the notepad holder is Tigger because she collects Tigger things (which I understand because I collect Mickey) and I always try to make her something with Tigger.

Today I hope to make a purse for my niece. This is the first time I'll be making this particular purse so I hope it turns out well. The fabric she picked is SO pretty too! I'm rather excited to see how it will turn out.

So there are lots of new things to look at in both my Artfire and Etsy stores!
Artfire Store
Etsy Store

New Online Store

LilBitSassy — Sat, 21 Mar 2009 20:40:42 UT

Well, I haven't posted lately because there hasn't really been much to post about! As far as projects go, I've still been working on my project basket. I hope to finish it off by the end of this weekend if all goes right. Then I will have to make a purse for a niece. Then I have a new idea for kids I want to work on: an activity tote!

Meanwhile, I did open another online shop. It's on Artfire-another fantastic place to sell and buy handmade goods! They were having a GREAT deal for the first 5,000 sellers to sign up and I couldn't pass it! I do have a few things listed: java jackets, bookmarks, tissue cozies, checkbook covers, glasses cases. I'll be working on the inventory in that asap.

And those are my updates!
New Store

Wonderful Comment

LilBitSassy — Thu, 05 Mar 2009 20:12:24 UT

I recently had a repeat customer convo me to leave a very nice comment. It's these types of comments that really make a person feel good about themselves. I for one, truly appreciate them also. I was just so touched by it, that I decided to post it so everyone can see what she had to say:

"I must tell you that you are the type of seller that makes buying and selling on Etsy a pleasure. It's such a comfort to know that I'm dealing with someone who is honest and also a good friend.
My best to you,
Leslie"

Isn't that sweet?

Crafting Ideas

LilBitSassy — Wed, 04 Mar 2009 21:42:27 UT

I was straightening up my computer room upstairs when I came across some old craft ideas I had cut out of some old Workbasket magazines. There were some neat ideas that could still be used today, so I thought I would type them up and just save them onto my computer. So that's what I did and I thought I would share w/the rest of the world, so here they are. I hope you enjoy them!

Thimble Pin Cushion
Materials:
Thimble
Polyfill
Velvet
Stuff thimble w/polyfill.
Cut a piece of velvet ½” larger than diameter of thimble.
Tuck securely around polyfill.

Sewing Boxes
Materials:
Cigar box
Batting
Fabric
Glue two thicknesses of batting on outside top of lid.
Glue fabric to entire box.

Potpourri Heart
Materials:
Lace
Heart Shaped Cookie Cutter
Ribbon
Glue lace around cookie cutter
Fill with potpourri
Glue ribbon around edges
Make a loop w/ribbon and glue to top for hanging

Note Holder
Materials:
Rat Trap
Paint
Sharpie
Remove bait holder, trigger, and staple from trap
Spray paint
Paint or glue picture of mouse
Write “Notes” across top &
“Not for mice
Not for cheese
Leave a note
If you please” on bottom
Glue magnet or hanging bracket on back

Water Bracelets
Materials:
Aquarium tubing
Lighter
Pencil
Food Coloring
Sequins
Measure tubing around wrist. Add 1”
Heat and seal one end of tube using lighter
Heat other end and insert pencil ½”
Fill tube w/colored water
Add sparkles
Insert sealed end into open end.
Heat and seal.

Doll House Sofa Set
Materials:
Sponge
Glue
Fabric scraps
Cut four pieces of sponge for sofa back, seat, and arms
Glue fabric onto pieces
Assemble and glue couch together
Cover small piece of sponge for ottoman

Greeting Card Bookmarks
Materials:
Card
Glue
Hole punch
Crochet thread
Cut picture from card
Punch hole ¼” from bottom
Using 15- 8” lengths of crochet thread, make a tassel
Attach tassel to punched hole.

Greeting Cards
Materials:
Heavy Interfacing
Iron on transfer
Paints or chalk
Cut interfacing to fit envelopes
Apply transfer to interfacing
Color background w/paints or chalks
Christmas Tags
Materials:
Cards
Colored paper
White paper
Glue
Cut pictures from cards w/decorative scissors
Cut piece of colored paper slightly larger than picture
Cut a slightly larger piece from white
Glue together.

Storage Cubes
Materials:
Cardboard Boxes
Glue
Fabric, Wallpaper, or contact paper
Select boxes for size and durability
Remove top flaps and trim edges straight
Cover outside with choice of covering
Arrange as needed

New Projects

LilBitSassy — Thu, 26 Feb 2009 13:44:36 UT

I have been working on some new projects for the past two days. For some odd reason, I
felt like working with paper. I have tons and tons of scrapbook paper (haven't scrapbooked in five yrs), so decided I should do something with it. So I started making mini envelopes. They're so cute!! They're just big enough to hold a gift card, money, or a business card.
Or you could punch a hole in them and use them as gift tags! I'm making them in an assortment of colors and styles.

I also tried my hand at making corner bookmarks. They came out pretty nicely with not too much muss or fuss lol. They just slip onto your book's page corner so your place is marked nicely.
I will be selling both of these items in my etsy store so be sure to check them out! I also posted pics of both in my Misc album here. I can make either of these items in colors or styles of your choosing (i.e. animal, colors, elegant, fun, etc.).

Fat Quarters

LilBitSassy — Sun, 15 Feb 2009 13:28:22 UT

For me, fat quarters are hard to resist--especially when they go on sale--because they come in the most wonderful and fun designs! Most of the time you can't buy that particular fabric off the bolt either. Plus, they're great for making smaller projects.

So, after much debating whether or not I should upload all my fat quarters onto my fabric albums site, I decided to go ahead and do it. I have a total of 92 lol. Wow. I guess I've been "collecting" them. Maybe someone out there will see a fat quarter they like and will HAVE to have something made with it

You can see all my fat quarters, along with all my other fabrics here: http://lilbitsassyfabrics.shutterfly.com/

A Little Early Spring Cleaning

LilBitSassy — Thu, 12 Feb 2009 13:25:53 UT

Yesterday I decided to take a break from sewing and do a little spring cleaning. Since Mike wasn't coming home for lunch, I took advantage. I cleaned out and rearranged my kitchen cabinets.

I started with the two small cabinets that we keep glasses and cups in. Way too many!! We don't get many visitors, so I thought I would weed all the glasses and cups we didn't use out. I packed them in newspaper and put them in two (good sized) boxes and put them in the attic. That left me with two empty shelves once I got the glasses and cups I decided to keep back in the cabinet. So, I put my potatoes, onions , and chips (which were on the baker's rack in the dining room) on one shelf, and some smaller appliances (coffee grinder, coffee press, tea brewer) on the bottom shelf.

After that, I rearranged my baker's rack and put my Cuisinart processor attachments on it, my crockpot, and the toaster. So now I had some extra counterspace! Which I happened to be complaining about the other night while trying to fix dinner and no room to work! Now the trick will be to keep Mike from filling in that extra space! He's like his mother and thinks there should be something in every corner and nook and cranny--no empty spaces! It's annoying because I don't like clutter.

Then I went on to rearrange my cabinets a bit. I got all of my saucepans and pots in one cabinet! I also put all my baking pans on one shelf. So now everything is basically together and I don't have to open three different cabinets just to cook dinner. I still have two more cabinets to straighten out, but those won't take very long.

But I feel so much better now that my kitchen is a little more user friendly--not to mention a bit cleaner lol. Now if I could just get that bookcase out of the hallway......

Feeling Accomplished

LilBitSassy — Wed, 11 Feb 2009 00:29:07 UT

I've been feeling very accomplished this week! On Sunday, I decided to start cutting out my interfacing for all those scrap projects so all I would have to do would be to grab a project and make it. It really cuts back on time if your prep work is done ahead of time. It didn't take as long as I thought it would either--so that was a bonus!

By cutting out all my interfacing, I've been able to get more projects made this week! So far, I've made two coaster sets (plus an extra for a free gift), eight Java Jackets, four tissue packs, three checkbook covers, two notepad holder, two glasses cases, two card wallets, and one pouch. Whew! Not too bad for a week's work!

Most of these are being listed in my Sassy store, but some are going to be free gifts and others I may keep to either list in another online store or hold onto in case I decided to do any craft fairs this year.

Java Jackets

LilBitSassy — Fri, 06 Feb 2009 18:40:11 UT

Here are my Java Jackets! I'm so excited by these. I did a little research to see the different varieties that people make and came up with my own unique idea: there is a tab on the back with velcro that attaches to the cup. I also added a pocket on the front of the jacket for money or gift cards! I will be making several more of these so look for them in my shop!

Card Wallets

LilBitSassy — Wed, 04 Feb 2009 02:50:31 UT

I have just listed some cute little card wallets in my store today. These are great for cash, credit cards, coins, or receipts. They are small enough to fit in a jacket pocket or even the back pocket of your jeans.

These are one of the items that I'm considering giving away as promotional items when a purchase is made from my pattern store. I'm hoping it will encourage folks to stop and take a look at what handmade items I have to offer.

Using Up Scraps

LilBitSassy — Tue, 03 Feb 2009 12:57:36 UT

Yesterday afternoon I decided that I would use up my smaller pieces of scrap fabrics. I had a drawer full of them. So, I brought out a few at a time and started cutting them into some smaller projects. I'll try to cut the rest today. I have quite a few things to work on now.

Needless to say, there will be some new items in my etsy store very soon! Glasses cases, checkbook covers, tissue packs, cup cozies, card wallets, and coasters just to name a few. They will all be unique because I had quite a few interesting fabrics lol.

Sample Box

LilBitSassy — Sun, 01 Feb 2009 14:01:34 UT

I am thinking of selling sample boxes in my etsy store. The box would have three to five samples of smaller items in it. These may or may not be items in my store . I came upon this idea because I had participated in The Spotted Box (www.TheSpottedBox.com). I didn't seem to get any orders from that, so I decided what if I made my own sample box with my own items instead? Customers could see a sampling of my handiwork before they actually purchased an item.

Also, I'm thinking of giving away a free sample of my work to those that purchase from my Lots O' Patterns shop. Maybe draw them to my Sassy store that way. I just need to find some way of promoting my Sassy store a bit more so I can draw some business there.

Moved Fabric Albums

LilBitSassy — Mon, 26 Jan 2009 20:20:16 UT

After having difficulties with Photobucket, I have decided to move my fabric albums to another site. So, I chose Shutterfly. I really love it! Very easy to use and it has a couple of features that I really needed. I can make folders and then have categories in each folder. For example, I have my main folder "Fabrics" and in that folder there are my subcategories: animal, floral, novelty, babies & children, and misc.

I also like the website feature. After you download your pictures, you can then get your own website on which to feature them. It's so easy to use too because you can either download a picture at a time, or your whole album! Then you can rearrange them however you want.

It's really great for my fabric albums. Hopefully this site will make it a lot easier for my customers to browse through. If you're wondering why I have albums of all my fabrics--it's for custom orders. Sometimes a customer will see a product they like but would like it in a certain fabric. With pictures of all the fabrics I have in stock, they can see what I have and choose what they'd like. It's just a bit more convenient for the customers as well as myself.

If you'd like to check out my new album site, here is the link: Fabric Site

What a Month!

LilBitSassy — Sat, 24 Jan 2009 13:16:04 UT

It's been quite a month! I had gallbladder surgery on the 14th and it has just stopped me dead in my tracks! People were telling me that I would be feeling great either a couple of days after--or the next day. What lies!!! I was down for about a week. I'm just now feeling better. Well, ok that's a fib. I was feeling better on Thursday but I messed up and did way too much (vacuumed, laundry, changed the sheets on the bed, took out trash, cleaned the bathroom) and put myself down for another day.

To top it off, I feel really bad because I forgot about my parents' b-days (they were on the 18th & 20th) and two nieces whose b-days are the 29th and 30th. Ugh! Not like I knew what to get/make them, but that's not the point--I forgot them completely.

Plus the surgery has really put me behind in my sewing. I'm the type of person who HATES to get behind because I feel as if I can never catch up! Thank goodness I didn't have any custom orders waiting to be finished. Now I will drive myself crazy (and trust me, that's not really a far drive) trying to get things made. And of course at this point, I don't even know what I want to make so I don't know why I'm so wound up about it lol.

But hopefully in a week or two, there will be some new projects to post on my blog and in my etsy store.

Valentine Coasters

LilBitSassy — Wed, 14 Jan 2009 00:16:00 UT

I managed to list the coasters I made for Valentine's in my etsy shop today. Two different sets of wine coasters--both made from organic felt--and three sets of "regular" coasters made from V-day fabrics. Very cute all.

Ideas Needed

LilBitSassy — Sat, 10 Jan 2009 13:18:43 UT

My niece has asked me to send some Valentine's items to sell in her massage shop. I'm not sure what to make. So far, I've only gotten as far as coasters. If anyone has any ideas, I'd be happy to hear them! If you give me an idea I decide to use--I'll even send you something as a Thank You!

Appliques

LilBitSassy — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 01:47:34 UT

I have decided to make iron-on appliques out of some fabrics that I have. Most of the fabrics I am using have bigger prints on them like dogs, Disney, kids' things, etc. It's a great way for me to downsize some of my fabric stash, while making something useful for crafters. You can use these for any number of crafting projects: totes, purses, clothing, jackets, etc. These will be for sale in my etsy store.