Christmas 2010

Christmas was more fun this year than it has been in the past. I've been super busy, which means I'm super happy, which means things are great!

Here are some Christmas Coasters I made for my mom. They are 3.75" square and have little quilty lines all over them. Each one is different!


And here are our Christmas stockings! I made one for all nine of us! My parents, brothers, their wives and then the three of us. It was a lot of work, but it was totally worth it! They were a hit!



Another view, before opening gifts:



And after the gifts:



And no Christmas would be complete without the Red Ryder BB Gun:


He hasn't shot his eye out yet, thank goodness!

I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas!

Quilted Christmas Placemats

I made these placemats for my friend Stephanie's mom for Christmas. I couldn't post earlier because she is my friend on Facebook and might read my blog, so I kept the photos to myself until now!

I used Michael Miller's Holiday Trees in Red and a layer of fleece interfacing. I made them like I make potholders. I am quite thrilled with my non-expert quilting on these! Even though I have an even-feed walking foot, my fabric always feeds unevenly. Not on these babies!!! I pinned the heck out of these so that the fabric wouldn't move. Fantastic!

All the Best Things are Handmade

I have long had a love for handmade things. Knowing it was made by a person and that there probably aren't a whole lot of something makes me happy. When I shop, I like to find the things that no one else would have. Here are a couple of photos of handmade ornaments on my tree:


I spent ages playing softball (and I still play on a couple of teams). This is an ornament my mom got for me in 1992 from a vendor at the Yellow Daisy Festival.


As a kid, I went to a very small private school and we always got to go on the coolest field trips. We went to Frabel, a glass blowing workshop here in Atlanta. I have been smitten by their pieces since I was young. My mom got me this ornament a few years ago. She also got me one of their floral pieces for my college graduation. (Be jealous!)

And this post would not be complete without a photo of what's going on in my kitchen right now:


Yes, I am making cinnamon rolls from scratch. Again, be jealous! Or just come by and have a cinnamon roll with me!

"My Clearance Section" or "Please Buy These"

I don't know what's wrong with these Christmas Aprons & Towels. Did I make bad color/fabric choices? Did people stop liking holiday-themed items? Who knows? All I know is that they didn't sell this season and that I've marked them down by 40%.

Here's a sneak peek! Just click on the photo to go to the clearance section :

Christmas Ordering Deadlines

Here they are!

CHRISTMAS ORDERING DEADLINES:

• 11/26--African, Central and South American orders, will ship by 12/3
• 12/1--ALL Other International Orders, will ship by 12/10
• 12/9--Custom Orders, will ship by 12/21 via Priority Mail
• 12/13--Regular Orders, shipping by December 21 via Priority Mail
• 12/15--Regular Orders that you wish to pick up, must be picked up by 2pm on 12/21 (I will put it in the mail if you can't make it by then)
• 12/21, before 2pm--Ready to Ship Items, will ship 12/21 Priority Mail

Thank You!

Happy Thanksgiving! I am very thankful for my customers who pay me to do what I love! I get to work when I want, in my PJs with my music at whatever unreasonable level I choose. For that, I thank you! To express my gratitude, I have cooked up a few deal options for you:

For every purchase of $25 (does not include shipping or tax), you will get a free key wristlet! Use code 2010FREEWRISTLET when ordering. I will include it in your order when I ship it!

OR

For every apron purchase, you can get a free monogram! Use code 2010FREEMONOGRAM when ordering. Make sure to include your font choices (see them here: http://forsheedesigns.blogspot.com/p/embroidery-fonts-designs-pricing.html ) and your text choice.

These offers cannot be combined, you must choose one or the other. Offer is good from Nov 25-Nov 29 at 11:59pm. You must include code to get the offer.

You can go through Etsy (there is a spot for the coupon code when checking out) or you can email me to order! aprilforshee {at!} gmail {dot!} com

Next, I will be posting my Christmas ordering deadlines. It's coming more quickly than you think!

And, as always, let me know if you have any questions!

I Did It! 200 Sales as of Today!

Well, it happened overnight. I got my 200th sale in my Etsy shop.

It was much less exciting than I thought, but I am happy with my sales number being nice and even at the moment. I'm sure it will change to 201, 202, 203....soon (actually it just changed to 201 as I am writing this!). After all, it is Christmas gift buying season and I am already busy!

No one guessed November 15th for their date in my 200th Sale Pool, so sad! I took the entrants' names and put them in alphabetical order:

Amy
Brandi
Elizabeth
Erica
Ginger
Janimal
Karen
Kathy
Kelly
Lana
Melanie
Rebecca

And chose a random number between 1 and 12. It was:


The winner, Kelly, will receive a large zippered pouch! I had to give something away! Thanks to all those who entered!

Be sure to go over to the shop and check out the new items I listed in the past week. I have camera strap covers, key wristlets and lots of new aprons. There are also a couple of new Buttercup Bags. Most of these items are ready to ship!