NEW LOOK FOR GLENNA'S GARDEN BLOG

I changed my blog layout and some pictures. The mistake I made was I deleted some pictures from Picasa that were tied into my blog. So now I have a bunch of blank pictures. I made so much more work for myself. My shop is so much more organized. Check out Glenna's Garden at http://www.gnormyle.etsy.com/

Amazon Associate

I have become an Amazon associate. Just a bit ago I saved another book to my wishlist at www.amazon.com It was related to running an online business. I will have to check the name of it so I can pass it along to you. It looks like it has a good recommendation.

Another great challenge I made to myself make something you have never made before. I looked at the following tutorial for help http://www.ehow.com/how_4823133_sew-fabric-yoyos.html I am getting hooked to it, making fabric yo yos. What a wonderfully easy project with cute results every time. I started with the yellow fruit fabric first and made yo yos yesterday. Last night I cut out the lady bugs and tiny green leaf print circles for the next set of yo yos. Too cute!! So this morning I am hand stitching the ladybug yo yos. I thought I would share some pictures here. I am willing to sell these if anybody wants them just let me know. I will be making a few more sets I am sure and selling them in my shop for much more. As always you get a sneak peek at behind the scenes in my studio. Please visit Glenna's Garden for many more great gifts, supplies and vintage items plus my art. Highlight and paste in your browser http://www.gnormyle.etsy.com Thanks for stopping by!

RAINY DAYS AND TUESDAYS

NEXT FIRSTFRIDAYARTWALK AT ETSY IS ON APRIL 2, 2010


It is cool and rainy today up here in NH. The kind of day that every light is on in the studio. I have some red felt and my challenge to myself today is to do something with it. I was thinking create ahead of time and make some flowers possibly for Christmas 2010. Yesterday I worked on SEO search engine optimization with my shop at www.gnormyle.etsy.com I am always pushing myself to learn more. SEO involves the use of proper tag words so you can be found. My business challenge for the today is to rearrange my shop online. I think I am pretty good at doing this and love to rearrange Glenna's Garden often. So this is just basically something I always have been doing since I started a year ago.

TRY SOMETHING NEW

Over this past weekend I was challenged to create something I had never made before. All day long I couldn't come up with any ideas. I have been creating for so long that my choices seemed to be slim. Of course they really are not. There are many things I have not created ever before. So I was looking through the ETSY site at other shops.....shopping for supplies when I came accross some felt bunny peeps someone had made. I thought to myself I can make those. I even have all of the materials I need right here in my studio. So I got started later in the evening last night to making some bunny peeps. I first had to make a pattern of a bunny shape on paper, a couple of trys and I made one I liked. Next I had to gather all of my supplies. I had leftover black felt, I have tons of embroidery thread in all different colors, so I picked out the pastels and a silver grey. I cut my first bunny two pieces cut one at a time and did him in blue. You take one piece of felt and from the back of it you embroider the eyes and nose/mouth, simple could be as fancy as you want though. Then you handstitch with a contrasting embroidery thread color almost all the way around stitching the two felt bunny pieces together. You leave a small opening, big enough to stuff the little bunnies with polyfill. I used I pencil to gently push the polyfill up into the ears of each bunny. I continued stuffing enough but not overfill and then when I got to the end and the bunny was full I was left with a small opening. Again I hand stiched in contrasting embroidery thread the hole closed, on the outside. The next one I made was pink and the last was purple. Then as I was looking at my hardwork and admiring my little peep bunnies. I thought to myself these little bunnies need something else. So I looked through my huge assortment of ribbons, fibers and such. I found three perfect ribbons to use. I tied on the blue fiber ribbon and then I used a teeny,tiny amount of hot glue to attach the other ribbons(pink and purple)together in the back.

ONE SUNNY SATURDAY

It is finally warming up here in Manchester, NH. Yesterday I was able to get a lot of my photography done for my shop. Now I have to list everything. Love it between my arts and crafts and running an online shop at ETSY I stay very busy. The indoor garden here in the studio is thriving. All of the plants have new growth on them which is a great sign. The poinsettia is in full bloom. Twice now it has missed Christmas. That's ok it is still beautiful. The windows are open and I hear the birds again. Spring is just around the corner. I have a new plan for 2010. I want to use my art and photography as prints on cards. Nice box sets. I also feel a pull towards expanding some more into offering more supplies. I want to sew but I can't figure out the sewing machine I have. I have tons of fabric ready to go. I don't want to go overboard but I would love to expand on the vintage items I have listed in my shop as well. If you are reading this the link to Glenna's Garden shop is www.gnormyle.etsy.com These are just some rambling thoughts this morning. Being that it is only me to do everything I find myself having to play many roles. The duckling picture is a collage done by me. The picture itself came from a vintage children's book. Really pretty illustration. Something I love to do is preserve the past.

MARCH ON INTO SPRING

The Beta fish is my latest ACEO art created for you to purchase at Glenna's Garden please visit www.gnormyle.etsy.com to see many unique items from original art to vintage