my favorite colors for spring

spring has sprung! especially here in florida, where it's already getting to 85 degrees F everyday, the fresh air of spring is filling our thirsting lungs :)

so it's time to talk about the best colors for spring. i have to admit, i love PINK! my philosophy: "for every occasion, there is a shade of pink to match". for spring, i love pale pinks and bubble gum pinks.

and to go along with the pink?? why, green of course! but not just any green, grass green. bubble gum pink with grass green just reminds me of a watermelon - juicy :)

that being said, check out my newest kari bag:

and the matching wristlet:

if you can believe it, the striped fabric used to be a pair of pants. that's right, pants. much better when used for handbags, agreed? :)

hope spring is coming around for you!

<3e

Avatar Stratergery

i suppose i should preface this by saying that there are three general schools of thought when choosing an avatar picture for an etsy shop:

1) a picture of myself, ie. the artist, which i have been using for awhile - it might make people click if they think you are pretty, plus you don't have to change it ever, unless you drastically change something about yourself, but then again, how would they know?

2) a picture of my logo - good for cohesion between etsy, blogging, twitter, etc. and my product logo. basically the ultimate way to brand your line - plus you dont need to change it unless you change your logo.

3) a picture of a product i sell - probably will make people click if it is a well-photographed item that is interesting and they want to buy it. the downside is that it really should be something that i sell in my shop, so if i sell that item, i need to change out my avatar, thus causing a break in the cohesion of my avatar over time.

well today decided to take that risk. i changed my avatar on etsy from my black and white profile pic shown above to be a product that i carry in my shop (the ever-popular texas tote):

and now we wait...and see if this causes more clicks from the forums and other places. i know this gem would make me click! what about you?

♥E

Press Alert!

more press, y'all!

mini-mocs has mentioned my Hawaii Holdall on their blog as a fab escape from the winter blues in Michigan, where they are located.

here's a screenshot:


thanks! :)

♥E

Buy Toot Sweet! on Etsy.com

Announcing...online shopping for Toot Sweet products!

I've opened up shop on etsy.com. There, y'all can find all of my products that are currently for sale, as well as request a custom made handbag or other item. Also, go poke around the site and check out the other sellers there - these are really talented crafters and artisans that all have their work for sale.

<3E

A Big Decision

Happy New Year!

Along with all of the rest of my Healthful resolutions, I have made a Big Decision: instead of pursuing the craft fair circuit, I am going to set up shop on Etsy.com. For those of you that don't know, Etsy is basically an online craft fair community. As a seller, I have a webpage (my Etsy shop) where I can list items for sale, and receive requests for custom work through their Alchamy system.

This is going to take me a few days to get set up, but I'll be up and running soon!

<3E

Crafty Christmas: Follow-Up

So here's what I came up with:
This is what I sent for Jamie's family gift swap:

I made a cute make-up bag, and filled it with a bath bomb, yummy soap, eyemask, and shimmer lotion.

These are some of the other gifts I made this year, that I won't put on Flickr since they aren't part of my normal products:

The Cutie Apron, Neck wrap and Eye mask, and the Un-Purse (scarf with pockets!). I MUST give credit to my friend Nate for the Un-Purse idea, as he came up with it about 2 years ago. I am so thrilled to have been able to create his vision (finally) :)

Lastly, this is the messenger bag I created for my cousin, Anneliese, the phenomenal artist:Anneliese gave me a few requirements for her bag as far a dimensions and colors, then said that her fashion asthetic is "organic". I pick some great fabric patterns and tried a new technique for embellishing the flap. I really hope she likes it!!

I also came up with some cute stocking-stuffers: pocket-pack tissue holders! It almost makes it fun to have a runny nose!

<3e

Costa Rica!

Tomorrow, Jamie and I are leaving for Coast Rica for Kathy's wedding! I thought this to be the perfect opportunity to show off (to all!) all of my Toot Sweet accessories!
Behold:

These are my Red Rose carry-on, No-Name handbag, Hawaii handbag catch-all (for personal items 'n such), and Stripey wristlet used as my wallet.

These are my Capri-Sun make-up bag and Limey toiletries case.

We have a weight limit of 27 pounds per person total luggage...I think they even weigh your shoes...since we are flying on a 12-passenger Cessna Caravan for the last leg of our flight. Please pray for our safe travels!

<3e>