Its A Ten

Neglected blog!!

2011-11-06T17:06:00.000-07:00

Its been a long time since I've posted here. I've had a Facebook fan page but I realize that this alone will not be enough. So my plan is to update this blog a couple times a week! Stay tuned!

Fabrics - Pinks, Greens and Blues

2011-01-22T13:52:00.002-07:00

Here are a few more fabric options:

PINKS

BLUES

GREENS

Fabric Selections

2011-01-22T13:35:00.001-07:00

Attached you will find a selection of my current stash of fabrics. I will be posting more as I have some time...being a stay at home mom and working as a Team Beachbody Coach keeps me pretty busy! But sewing is what I love to do in my spare time!!

BLACK/GRAY

BOYS

PURPLES

RED/BROWN

Not a lot of time...

2010-06-17T12:13:00.000-07:00

I haven't had a ton of spare time to work on creating new things, but I do have some pictures of some stuff I've made for my kids that I'll post soon...

Hope to get back to crafting soon.

I couldn't help myself!!

2010-03-14T10:26:00.006-07:00

So while searching on etsy.com a couple weeks ago for some buttons to use on my pouches, I came across a seller who sold some of the exact buttons I needed. But instead of ordering the buttons, the seller had the supplies to make these in her store....wristlet Key Fob keychains!! And now I'm addicted!

After the postman failed to deliver my first order (someone out there is enjoying my supplies...grrrr) the seller agreed to reship my order for the cost of shipping only. Which was awesome! I got my package and away I went...How cool are these?

I can't wait to use mine...it seems like I'm always just carrying around my keys or can't seem to find them buried in my bag. I'll be adding them to my etsy store soon!!

99 Etsy sales on the wall...

2010-02-26T07:31:00.002-07:00

Well yesterday I had someone order one of my tea wallets from my etsy store which was my 99th sale. One more sale and I'll have reached my first milestone....100 sales on etsy!! My first sale was on September 19, 2009 and it took me a couple months to really figure out how to get sales using that site.

Just thought I'd share the news. Hope everyone has a great weekend!

Just a little pouch...

2010-02-17T19:06:00.000-07:00

A friend of mine was looking for a little pouch to hold a stack of store and gift cards that she was holding together with a rubber band so I came up with this...it took me several attempts to get the size right but I think this one came out good. (I know I'm loving this orange and green fabric right now!!)

Its approximately 3"x5" and closes with the same elastic strap and fabric covered button. I found it to be the perfect size for my new Canon Powershot camera which I had been needing to make a case for...only I can't take a picture of my camera in the pouch since I don't have another camera handy! Go figure!

Thoughts??

Tea Wallet Roll

2010-02-15T09:41:00.001-07:00

Yesterday my mother in law came over and had an idea for something to carry your tea bags with you. I thought I'd take the concept of my Crayon Keeper rollups and make one for tea bags. This one will hold 4 tea bags (I even stuffed 8 in there and it still closed just fine) and folds closed to a nice 2 3/4 by 3 3/4 size. Its made with two coordinating cotton fabrics and a matching fabric button with elastic closure.

Hope you like it. I'll be adding it to my etsy store once I have a few completed.

A posible new item for etsy...Love Your Lunch Box Bag

2010-02-13T14:40:00.000-07:00

My friend Susie over at Chinny and Poom suggested that I make a little lunch bag to sell in my etsy shop...she was initially thinking of the kind that roll down like a paper bag but then she came across this pdf pattern on etsy. It is super cute huh? I did some research and didn't see very many that had this shape and since you are allowed to sell items you make with this pattern I purchased it. A lot of times when you purchase patterns you cannot sell them. So I'm glad this one does!!

The bag is called "Love your Lunch Box Bag" by Virginia. (Just click on her name to access her blog which has a link to her etsy shop where she sells several different PDF patterns as well as some adorable stuffed owls.)

I'm going to give this bag a try and see how it goes. I'll post it here when I'm done then decide whether to sell or not!

Stay tuned!!

Sak Saver Baggie Review and Giveaway

2010-02-09T16:01:00.000-07:00

My baggies have been featured and reviewed by Desiree over at the Wee Share blog Head on over there and check it out. You could win a free Sak Saver baggie! Check it out!!

Thanks Desi!

A big fabric bummer...

2010-02-03T13:22:00.001-07:00

Well, I just found out that the place where I was getting my designer fabric at such a great price is no longer offering their end of bolt specials. I have been able to offer such low prices on many of my items because of the awesome deals I was getting.

I will now have to either search for another site where I can get the same great fabrics at less that retail, or start paying full retail - not something I really want to do. And this will most definitely affect my cost of supplies. Therefore, I will have to gradually start raising the prices of the items in my etsy shop to offset this cost. I will still do my best to remain a high quality well made cost effective shop!

Fleece Tie Blanket tips

2010-02-02T09:13:00.001-07:00

Late last year I made my very first one of these blankets for our MOMS Club fundraiser. It wasn't too hard so I decided I would make a couple for Christmas presents. Well a couple turned into 5, then I made 2 additional blankets for gifts. So thats 8 blankets in less than 2 months. Everyone loved their blankets but these would not be something I would make and sell so I wanted to share a few tips and tricks I learned over the course of making some many No Sew Fleece Tie Blankets...this will be somewhat of a tutorial on how I make them. I've never done a tutorial before so bear with me.

First pick 2 pieces of fleece fabric. I generally do a print and solid. To help you decide how much fleece fabric to use: I used a half yard or so of each type of fabric for a baby blanket. A yard of each for a toddler size. A yard and a half for a small child and 2 yards of each fabric for and adult/teenager/almost teenager.

I lay whichever piece is bigger on the bottom and the other on top with right sides facing out. Once is it all lined up I cut off the excess fabric so both pieces are the same size.

I measure out a 4"x4" square from a piece of paper and cut it out. Then use this patter to cut out the corners of the blanket. Repeat for all four corners of your fabric. You are then left with eight little squares. (note: I used a little bit smaller square for the baby blanket. It makes it a bit harder to tie but still doable)

Now I used all those little squares as my guideline for cutting the strips I will be tying. Like this. Just line your paper square with the edge of the fabric and place a fleece square above it. I found this saved a lot of time having to measure how far to cut the strips!

Then start cutting. I used my thumb as a guide for how wide each strip would be. I'd say mine are just about an inch or so. (A special Thank you to my 4 year old for taking this action shot of me cutting!!)

Once I have about half a side cut, I will tie a few knots to hold the blanket in place in case one of my kids come racing by and gets their foot caught on it...(oh no...this has NEVER happened!!)

Here is the tie method I use:

Hold both pieces of fabric like this:

Loop it around and over your index finger

Bring the two pieces up through the center of the circle and pull both ends through

Then pull your knot tight. This way you don't have to double knot your blanket.

Now repeat this for all four sides. Your blanket will look something like this:

Now you are ready gather your unfinished blanket and plant yourself on the couch or favorite chair, turn on some music or the TV and start tying the rest of the knots. I don't use pins or anything because I've tied a few knots on each side to keep it in place. Just make sure as you're tying your knots you align the top of the cuts for each strip.

And VOILA...a No Sew Fleece Tie Blanket that will sure to keep you warm during those cold winter months.

Let me know if you have any questions or feel free to share your own tips and tricks!!

Baby steps...

2010-01-30T18:34:00.000-07:00

Part of my plans for this year are to get more organized in all aspects of my life - including my sewing. So the first stop...all the great fabric that I use to create my stuff.

I used to keep all my fabric in one of those plastic bins - which almost always would inevitably end up like this:I know...crazy huh? But in my defense, I didn't have a dedicated sewing room or storage space. Plus we were preparing for a move. So we've moved and I've basically taken over half of the office. I grabbed this sweater organizer and thought it was the perfect solution for my fabric chaos. I'm very excited to be taking baby steps to getting organized!

Some of my boy & character fabrics

Blues, blacks and oranges

Pinks and browns

Polka dots and stripes

I still have a couple bags and or bins of fabric to go through but this is a start!

Whats lunch without a napkin?

2010-01-28T13:22:00.000-07:00

The past couple times I've taken my kids to the park for a lunch play date, both me and the other mom I went with, forgot napkins. I had all my reusable bags but didn't have a napkin...so I had my daughter use one of the baggies as her napkin. Which gave me an idea...I need to make me some reusable napkins!!

They would be good for a couple reasons...the first, well they're good for the environment. Second, they won't blow away. I don't know about you, but I can't even count the number of times that my paper napkins have went sailing when there's a gust of wind. They will also be fashionable and absorbent!

After giving it some thought and looking through my fabric stash, I decided I wanted mine to be 2 ply. Use a designer type cotton fabric backed with some type of fabric. Today I picked up a few different types of backing and washed them. I didn't like the way the white flannel washed so I ditched that. The thick white fabric was pretty soft on one side but I felt it would be too thick once another layer of fabric were added. And so the third choice was a white sort of muslin type fabric that said it was oil and stain resistant...I didn't get the name of it but it seemed to fit the bill. So with that...I will introduce Paper Saver Napkins. (ok there is a theme here....) I had my oldest daughter pick the fabrics since these are going to be the ones we try out for awhile before I start offering them in my etsy shop. I will keep you posted.

This picture shows the front (brown) and back(white)

These are the 3 designs I made for our use...they are the size of a regular square paper napkin when folded like this.

When unfolded, they are 12"x12" The fork and spoon will give you an idea of the size...

This was the fabric my oldest daughter chose for her napkin. She picked the pink and purple for her sister!

Let me know your thoughts! Thanks.

Goal setting

2010-01-27T08:56:00.000-07:00

So with the start of the new year I've been evaluating the things I want to accomplish. I know the best way to do this is through setting goals and writing stuff down.

Right now I currently have 2 hobbies...sewing and working out...yes, exercise. Both of these things have been something I've interested in for a long time and that I enjoy. I've been dabbling in both of these things for a couple years...but haven't taken either seriously as a business - they've both been a hobby.

So my goal is to turn both of these things which I truly enjoy into legitimate businesses over the next two years so that when its time for my youngest to go to kindergarten I will not have to go back to a 9 to 5 job. I want to be able to take my kids to school, pick them up, stay home with them if they get sick and not have to send them to daycare after school. With that said, I've invested in a Franklin Covey day planner and away we go. I have written down my yearly goals, and each month I have monthly goals/tasks to accomplish that will bring me closer to my ultimate goals.

This blog is specifically for my sewing "hobby", Its A Ten Specialty Creations. (I will be updating my fitness blog and getting my Beachbody coaching business going as well.)

So here are just two of my goals for Its a TEN...

List items on etsy (relist or add new) at least 5 times per week
Every month, add a brand new product to etsy shop

So in January I added these to my shop...Table Saver Reversible CoastersStay tuned for more...

A review and giveaway...

2009-11-11T11:23:00.000-07:00

My Sak Saver baggies have been featured by Cindy on Izzie Mac & Me. Check it out! Thanks a bunch Cindy!

A success!!

2009-11-06T11:26:00.000-07:00

I was invited to set up a table with my crafts and other business Beachbody at the Mothers of Preschoolers Home Business show yesterday. I wasn't sure how it was going to go but I had been wanting to check out MOPS so I thought it would be the perfect opportunity for me. I'm glad I did. I sold quite a bit of stuff including lots of Sak Saver Baggies, several Crayon Keeper Rollups as well as some Zippered wristlets.

It was great to be able to tell people that "yes I made that". Everyone was very friendly and both my girls did great in their respective childcare rooms.

Two thumbs up for MOPS Home Business show!!

Thanks for inviting me Sarah!

Refashion a childs favorite skirt

2009-10-25T06:47:00.000-07:00

So my oldest daughter K, age 4, absolutely LOVED this little denim princess skirt. Not for any other reason than it has Disney princesses on it. The other day she put it on and seriously it wouldn't cover her little bottom. She wears legging under almost every dress or skirt so I let her wear it that day.

But while she was napping I added this cute Alexander Henry Striped fabric and made it into a skirt that she can actually wear! Now she loves it even more...but I have to say that the first thing she did when she saw it was make sure that the princesses were still on it. Gotta love a girly girl!

A NO go...

2009-10-18T18:18:00.000-07:00

I made the decision today to not go to the craft show this Thursday. While I would've really liked to go, I had to look at the economics of the situation. Since our family is still in Flagstaff, any money I would've made selling my stuff would probably not have covered the amount we would have spent in gas, food and lodging to go to Phoenix for the one night.

On a good note though, my etsy shop is doing really good and I now have over 20 sales in one month mainly due to my Sak Saver Baggies! A big thank you everyone that has made a purchase. I am continuing to add more baggies in different fabrics so please check it out. These would made great gifts for birthdays and the holidays! My baggies are not the most expensive reusable bags on etsy but I feel they are very comparable in quality and design! I've gotten great reviews on them!

So with that...I'm off to get the kiddos ready for bed and guess what....make more baggies!!

All for now.
Tami

Starting small...

2009-10-02T08:49:00.000-07:00

Later this month, on the 22nd, I'm heading down to Phoenix to a small craft fair at my sisters corporate office (Dept of Public Safety). I've been doing some research on craft businesses and it says to always start with small craft fairs that don't cost a lot of money before moving on to the larger, more expensive ones. Also, it says that when you're starting out to aim to cover your cost of your table and don't expect for everything to sell out! Its all about getting the word out!

Sewing is something I enjoy and can do while my kids are playing or after they've gone to bed at night. Its also something that I can easily stop what I'm doing to help them when they need me. Making a few extra dollars here and there, doing something I love is awesome and I hope to keep it going. In addition to the sales to my friends and family, I've made a couple sales in my etsy.com shop which is very exciting!

While I've been sewing for over 15 years, selling my stuff is all very new to me! I take great pride in my sewing creations and will always do my best to make great quality stuff!

Thanks to all of you who have supported me in my crafting journey so far!!

Some girl fabric I have...

2009-09-18T08:38:00.000-07:00

This fabric is in addition to the other fabric that I currently have Sak Saver Baggies made from...

A Name and payment options

2009-09-11T11:35:00.001-07:00

So finally decided on a name for my reusable bags....

Sak Saver Baggies

Also, I do have a couple options if you want to pay by debit/credit card: I can either email you an invoice for the cost of the baggies and you can pay via a secure website (propay.com) OR you can purchase via my online etsy store www.itsaten.etsy.com If you don't see exactly what you want in my store, just let me know what fabric you like and I can make them and create a Reserved listing for you on etsy.

Thanks!!!

More than I thought...

2009-09-04T10:02:00.000-07:00

Well I guess I had more boy fabric than I thought...

Fabric descriptions: top left orange and yellow have octopus/squid looking things on them, the black has motorcycles, the grey striped has dirt bicyles and says "all terrain" on it, tan one has monkeys and trees, the bottom left has black bears/trees, middle is old fashioned airplanes, the light blue onthe right has large pirates and boats and then there's the red sports fabric on the bottom right.

Thanks!

Boy designs and a name??

2009-09-04T09:24:00.000-07:00

Here are some reusable bags geared towards boys...I have some other fabric that could work for them as well (airplane, light blue with pirates and red sports fabric) - just haven't made any from those yet. Maybe I'll just take a picture of the fabric and post it for now and if you like any of those better you can let me know and I can make you whatever size you want from that fabric.

These are the Sandwich size Baggies I have made...(the sports one pictured is the only one I have for that design...it was a small scrap of fabric)
These are the mini size Snack Baggies I have made...

I'm also trying to come up with a catchy name for the bags....I've seen them called Reusies, Lunchkins, Snack Taxi...among other things.

Let me know what name you like or if you can think of something else!!

Snack Eater Baggies (Kendall's suggestion)

ReUseIts!

Trying out Etsy.com

2009-09-03T18:19:00.000-07:00

I have opened an Etsy.com shop and have posted a few things. I'm still trying to figure out how it works so it may take me awhile to really get the hang of it. Etsy.com just gives me a way to reach a larger audience, have people pay with credit/debit cards or Paypal and sell to people that live in another city/state! I will try and keep that site updated with what I have!

http://www.itsaten.etsy.com/

Thanks!!!

New size and more fabric choices...

2009-09-01T10:32:00.001-07:00

Hi there...I spent some time this morning putting some more bags together and also came up with a bit smaller snack size bag. So here they are.

Mini Snack size (approx 4"x 7 1/2")

Just 3 fabric designs of the Mini snack size right now

Below are the designs I have done in the Small Sandwich size (approx 6" x 7 1/2")

More Small Sandwich size bagsAnd I just have 3 of the larger Quart size bags (approx 8"x 7 1/2")

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle...reusable bags!

2009-08-31T15:17:00.000-07:00

I had seen these reusable bags before but had always wondered what people were lining them with to make them suitable for food storage...that is until a friend of mine showed me one that her husband had purchased online. I just took a quick look at it the other day and made some mental notes. Got the fabric and velcro I needed while I was down in Phoenix over the weekend and I made a test one last night...which I won't post.

But then I made a few more today...I was able to come up with a design based on some purse like bags I had made for the girls...

I made them in two sizes, 7"x5.5" and 7"x8.5" (a bit bigger than regular ziploc disposable snack and sandwich size bags) I intend to really only use these for the girls snacks (crackers, fruit, sandwiches etc) as the nylon fabric is only water resistant, not waterproof. These would not be suitable for extremely wet items plus the top just seals with velcro which would not keep items fresh for extended periods of time - like for more than a day I would guess.

But just think about how many plastic ziploc bags you go through with kids or if you take your lunch/snacks to work every day. If you had a handful of these around, you wouldn't go through quite so many!

I'll be posting more designs as I get them completed. I'm still trying to figure out pricing so check back soon for more info!

Crayon Keeper Rollups-Girl Designs

2009-08-09T16:20:00.000-07:00

Here are the Girl Designs of Crayon Keeper rollups that I have available to ship. The # in ( ) represents the # I have of that design...Cost is $6 per rollup (shipping costs extra and depends upon method of shipping requested)

1. Light Blue Barbie (2)
2. Light Blue Tweety bird (3)
3. Pastel house, mountain, floral (3)
4. Polka dot (2)
5. Red Violet Daisy (3)
6. Striped Daisy (1)
7. Pink/green frog (3)
8. Pink/green dots & stripes (3)
9. Light Pink floral (1)

Crayon Keeper Rollups...Boy Designs in stock

2009-08-09T15:56:00.000-07:00

Here is a picture of the "Boy" designs I have complete and ready to ship...the number in italics represents the # I have available...Cost is $6 per rollup (shipping costs extra and depends upon method of shipping requested)

1. Black motorcycle (1)

2. Tan camoflauge (6)

3. Black/gray All-Terrain bicycle (1)

4. Royal Blue Sports (2)

5. Dark Blue Football (3)

6. Multi color Sports (1)

7. Boy Tropical/Luau (7)

8. NBA Basketball, multi team (2)

9. Construction (1)

Water Bottle Carriers

2009-07-10T07:16:00.000-07:00

I found this tutorial over on a website called Pink Chalk Studio http://pinkchalkstudio.com/blog/ and thought it was super cute. I altered mine a bit by making them bigger and I also made the strap instead of using ribbon/twill. I think these will make great gifts!

Fair update and wristlet bags

2009-06-29T14:51:00.000-07:00

Wow...its been awhile since I posted anything here. The pseudo craft fair that I made all those crayon holders for was a bit of a bust. It wasn't actually a "craft fair" so to speak but more like vendors set up on the St Joseph's bridge trying to sell stuff to passerby's. Not the easiest thing to do. Plus, St Joseph's encourages employees to NOT carry cash...so I probably would've sold a handful more had people had cash on them...but its ok. It was fun anyway and everyone seemed to like them! I do plan on going to an "actual" craft fair as we get closer to the holiday season..

Anyway, the newest thing I started making is these wristlet bags. They measure about 7"wide by 5" high and have a handle that is about 10" long. Each bag is lined with a coordinating fabric and have interfacing to help them hold their shape. I've been selling them to friends/family for $10. They make a great, unique gift!

Here are a few pictures...

First Tote bag

2009-06-20T07:29:00.000-07:00

I made this bag to give away as a raffle for our MOMS Club banquet. I used a McCalls pattern I had and just modified it a little bit.

The theme of the banquet was "Vegas" so I lined it with Robert Kaufmann card fabric. It turned out pretty good but I think I'd use a different type of interfacing the next time I make a bag as this craft stuff I used wasn't the best stuff and wouldn't iron on very well.

Anxious to make different things...

2009-04-28T20:27:00.000-07:00

While I'm still busy making Crayon Keeper Rollups for the craft fair (which is in about a week) I am really wanting to start making other stuff. I want to try a water bottle holder as well as a CD/DVD case for all the girls music CD's I have in the car. I've also gotten some really cute fabric over the last month or two that I want to perhaps make the girls a couple summer dresses. (I made one for Kendall a few weeks ago...I'll have to take a picture of her in it and post it...the pic I thought I had was on my cell phone.)

I haven't spent any time making any more belts or headbands (other than a couple I made to order) so it looks like my craft fair table will be primarily the Crayon Keepers. I do have about 70 of them...I'm gonna shoot to have 80 for the fair. I figure any that I don't sell I may post on Etsy.com, sell to friends or whatever. If I have time I'll make some headbands and belts...we'll see.

So thats all for now...

Prepping for Craft Fair

2009-03-13T07:55:00.000-07:00

So I'm taking my stuff to my first craft fair! I'll be selling my crayon keepers, belts and headbands at a craft fair my mother in law told me about on May 7th. Its down in Phoenix on the 3rd Ave bridge by St Joseph's hospital (she works right next to it) . She thinks that I could sell a bunch of crayon things so I'm going to do make as many as I can. My goal is to have about 100 crayon things (my mother in laws suggestion), 20 belts and however many headbands I can do by then. I should have enough fabric to do most of the crayon keepers, but might need to get some more "boy" type fabric...but we'll see.

So far I have 27 crayon keepers and 4 belts...

Scrappy Belts...

2009-02-28T21:20:00.000-07:00

So here they are...Scrappy Belts!! The best part is that no two belts will ever be the same and with a variety of fabrics and colors in each one, you're sure to be able to wear these belts with many different outfits AND they are reversible so you're getting two looks in one belt! The price for these belts will be $15. (The buckles turned out to be more expensive than I originally thought since I order them online I have to pay shipping.) I've worn mine (the very first one I made) a couple times and have gotten great compliments!

These are size Medium (approx 42"-43")

These are a size Large (Approx 45-46")

Have tons of scraps just ready to be made into belts. So let me know if you want a custom belt...

New style and belts

2009-02-22T13:39:00.000-07:00

So I decided to try a new style of headband and think that I like it better than the first. It adds a couple steps to the process but still isn't too time consuming.

Then at our Fit Club on Wednesday, my friend had on a cute belt that she got a boutique downtown and paid like $20 for. After looking at it I thought it was something I could do. So decided I would try to create one. I've made 2 so far but haven't finished them yet. Yesterday I went to find some belt buckle sliders and after 3 different stores I gave up...after doing some research online, I ended up ordering about 10 last night. Hopefully they will work and I can keep making my scrap fabric belts! (I'll post my finished product once I get it completed!) These take a bit longer to make so I'm trying to figure out a good price...J thinks $15 - but we'll see how the buckles turn out. In the photo, mine are the ones on the outer edges...the one from the boutique is in the middle.

Headbands

2009-02-15T21:37:00.000-07:00

Today I made a few headbands for my girls...very simple concept. Fabric pieces are stitched together and the bottom of the headband is held together with a simple ponytail holder. Think I"ll be using up some of my scrap fabric for these!

Crayon Keepers

2009-02-15T21:23:00.000-07:00

So here is my first "creation" for Its a TEN Specialty Creations...oh and in case you didn't know, TEN are my initials (Tami E Nicholson) so everything on this site will be things that I have made myself...but not necessarily thought of. There are soooo many websites out there that offer step by step tutorials on how to make things. Those are quite helpful in getting ideas...then I usually make slight variations.

Crayon Keepers

These handy little holders will hold 16 regular size crayons and roll up nicely to fit in a diaper bag or purse. They measure approximately 16"x 5" unrolled with either a ribbon tie or elastic closure. No more loose crayons marking up the inside of your bags...plus your child will love being able to pull each crayon out of their pocket, color and then put them back in their spot. Great for restaurants, airports or anywhere your child needs to be entertained!

Cost $5, plus shipping (without crayons) - if you'd like crayons the cost is $6 plus extra shipping charges. Below is a small sampling of the current fabrics I have. Check back for more...

Blogging my creations...

2009-02-15T21:11:00.000-07:00

So I wanted a place where I could post the different things that I make without having to purchase a website so I thought a blog would be the perfect answer. I will do my best to keep it updated. Please feel free to ask whatever questions you might have!