Playdate Baby Quilt - First Low End Quilt for Etsy

Hello everybody,

I need your input today. I have just finished the first baby quilt which is not reversible (first time since I started quilting that I have finished a single sided quilt).

This quilt has a fleece backing in hot pink, which is lovely soft perfect for a baby.



The listing on Etsy: http://www.etsy.com/listing/78850987/playdate-baby-quilt-with-fleece-backing

This is also the first low end quilt for Etsy. It took me a little less time to make, only about 10 days, than the other quilts and as I haven't actually sold a quilt yet I am trying to produce something cheap that I can sell for less than the other quilts.

So my question is

- Did you ever buy a quilt?
- Or do you own a quilt that you didn't make yourself?
- Do you own a quilt that somebody paid money for?
- What kind of quilt and how much did you/they pay for it?

If you don't want to tell online that's fine of course I am just trying to see what other people actually sell quilts for and whether mine are just too expensive (or maybe they're just not good enough to sell.)

It is hard to see on Etsy who actually sells a lot of quilts and what people want and what they are willing to pay for it. Unless I watch other shops really closely to notice when something gets listed and when it sells I just can't see that kind of thing. And often people sell quilts to friends and family and it isn't really any indication of what the market demands.

I would really appreciate your input.

Lots of love,
Nadine xx

PS: Don't forget to enter the GIVEAWAY from the papercrafts shop. The winner will be drawn on Wednesday.

close up:

New Papercrafts shop and a GIVEAWAY

Hello all you lovely people,

I have been busy and want to celebrate the opening of my second Etsy shop with you.

I just opened my papercrafts shop called

Paper Scissors Butterfly Kissers



where I show handmade cards, card sets, stickers, butterflies, paper garlands, etc. etc. and I am hosting a GIVEAWAY to find out what style of cards is most popular. In a way this is a market research exercise for me to find out what sorts of things I should continue making and what I should not bother with so your input is really important to me.

You can win a card of your choice and the winner will be selected at random on Wednesday, 3 July.

You get 3 chances to win, one chance per comment on the blog:

1. Go to the papercrafts shop here have a browse and then come back here to the blog and leave a comment telling me which card you like best.

2. Become a blog follower and leave another comment telling me you are a blog follower.

3. Become a Facebook Fan here and leave me another comment here on the blog telling me you have 'Liked' my Facebook page.

So you get one chance per comment 1 -3 you leave here on this blog post.

I hope you like the shop. I am working on so many things at the moment, quilts, plush toys, advent calendars and papercrafts, so please keep an eye on the blog and the Facebook page because I will keep you posted and might even need your advice and input once in a while.

Let me know what you think.

Lots of love and happy crafting,

Nadine xx

some examples of cards and close ups:

Coming soon...

... as this summer is completely non-existent it's time to prepare for the colder weather. And who could be better prepared for that than this little fella, Peculiar Penguin V.

A little sneak peek at things to come. So wrap up warm.

Love, Nadine

PS: I will soon post about my new papercrafts shop on Etsy and host another giveaway to celebrate. So watch this space.



- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Sweetwater Bridges & Bijoux Garden Quilt

Hello everyone,

me again. Maybe you remember my Amy's Bridges and Fassett Bridges Quilt? Well, I liked that design so much I made another quilt with a similar pattern but a different design on the back. Meet the Sweetwater Bridges & Bijoux Garden Quilt. Very simple design, but I love it.

Fabric: Moda Sunkissed by Sweetwater (top), Heather Bailey Bijoux and some Amy Butler (back)

I quilted in (almost) straight lines, and man, that took me forever, and I did it on the machine. Took me almost as long as it took me to do the other one by hand. But I love the texture, it gives the quilt a very nice feel and drape. Unfortunately, I cannot do any free hand quilting on my machine, no meandering quilting pattern for me :( so I am stuck with straight lines and outline quilting, but I do like the effect and the look it gives the quilt. Very modern.

Close ups of the quilting:





I hope you like it. I am trying to decide whether to sell it on Etsy or not. I always find it hard to part with my quilts, not that it would definitely sell, I haven't sold a quilt yet, but it could, so I need to think about that carefully. Hm, decisions.

Love, Nadine xx

ARTWORK on the Brighter Smudges Blog

Hey everyone,

check out my art blog if you're interested, http://nadinesaupearts.wordpress.com/ I have just posted over there but didn't want to leave you out of the loop of course.

The day is just not long enough, there is so much to do. Now back to work.

Love, Nadine xx

Family photo - a sneak peek

Hello everyone,

What a horrible weekend, but perfect for some crafting. I managed to get the latest additions to the family together for a photoshoot, and look, they are behaving for a change.

And please note: they are sitting on the last quilt I finished this week. I will post about it soon.

Oh no, they're causing havoc again, I better go.

Love, N xx


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Santa's coming - Christmas in July SALE!

Ho ho ho, hello all my craftmonkeys,

Santa's coming ... soon ... and that is reason enough to celebrate Christmas in July with a little SALE in the shop.

Everything is 10% off in my Etsy shop, yes that includes the quilts and the Odd Owls and the cards too. The 10% will be taken off when you check out using the code

CHRISTMASINJULY2011

That also means that if you get a quilt and you want it personalized you get 10% off the whole thing (except shipping and vat).

So go stock up on Christmas pressies.

... but don't overdo it on the Lebkuchen, in this sort of weather your tummy won't thank you for it.

Lots of love,

Nadine

PS: The SALE will close on the 24th of July.

One for every occasion

Hello all you lovely bloggers and blog readers,

I think I've mentioned it before but I finally went through all my handmade cards (yes, I do that too. I do it all. the only crafty hobby I don't do is pottery. just a matter of time methinks) anyway, I went through my cards and listed a bunch of them on Etsy. I will list a whole lot more because I really need to get back to papercrafting, I have a huge stash and should really use more of it.

So here is the first lot of my cards. You can find lots more images and close ups on the Etsy pages.

Please let me know what you think of them. I really hope I'll sell some, I can't possibly ever use all of my cards, most people have only one birthday per year and Christmas only happens once in 12 months too, unfortunately.














More cards are on the way. So which ones do you like best? I do hope you like them. :)

Love, Nadine xx

Lovely Blog Award

Hello everyone,

the lovely Sunni and Melissa at 'Love Affair with my Brother' gave me the Lovely Blog Award, thanks ladies, I am very honoured. And I will now hand it over to 15 other bloggers.



But I also have to share 7 secrets. I am not good at sharing secrets, so sorry for this half ar*ed attempt, but here goes:

1. I used to be a bit of a (wannabe?) goth/punk in the 80s/90s. still am a bit, actually. I really want bright red hair (like I used to have it in my punky times. it is black now). bright red like in this trailer for Brave, the new Disney Pixar movie: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tYg0VgPy6Uk

2. I am a real geek. I LOVE Science Fiction. I am totally into gadgets and computers. I listen to Science podcasts when I get the time. and I can have a good old rant about politics and pretty much anything.

3. BUT ... I hate Dr Who. can't stand it. despise it with all my heart. Sorry.

4. I am German, East German and grew up behind the Iron Curtain. (not really a secret, but maybe new to some of you.) I am really a bit of a socialist (not delusional enough for being a communist). yes, still. well, a bit of a cynic now too, even though that doesn't really make sense together. hah.

5. I hate ironing, I never NEVER iron clothes, but I do iron my quilts :)

6. I am originally an artist and paint/draw too (here are my painting websites: http://www.nadinesaupeart.tk/ and the currently slightly neglected art blog http://nadinesaupearts.wordpress.com/) and I am planning to sell paintings and prints on Etsy too, hopefully.

7. and last but not least: I have 3 tattoos.

There. maybe not really secrets but you definitely didn't know these thing sbaout me, so I hope that counts.

And here are the 15 brilliant blogs I want to hand the Lovely Blog Award over to.

Lucy and Norman (gorgeous quilts and now a cute baby too)
I'm a Ginger Monkey (katy always has a great Giveaway going)
How About Orange (great tutorials)
Simply Me (lovely website and great papercrafts)
The Quilting Edge (absolutely unique quilting style and great tutes too)
Paper. Scissors. Superheroes (amazing cardmaking)
Retro Mama (creativity explosion!)
Punksy (very cute)
Positively Splendid (so full of ideas)
Art and Sole (gorgeous scrapbooking)
Pez Güzel Seyler (just discovered this breathtaking art blog. just look at the amazing pics)
The Sketchy Easel (lovely art and other stuff too)
Frequent Frenzy (very skilled quilting)
Sew Justine, Sew (local quilter with an amazing range of craftiness)
Make do and Send (LOADS of different stuff, including quilting and art and tutes)

I hope all the award recipients will also blog about 7 secrets and hand the award over to 15 other bloggers. Let's mingle, you lovely people.

Have a wonderful weekend.

Love, Nadine xx

Let's get drawing - New Coloured Pencil Roll

Hello everybody,

I think I mentioned at some point that I am in creative overload, despite having been quite stressed out at work and feeling a bit under the weather too. But I have been making things non-stop and some are finished or about to be finished. Hurrah.

I wanted to make another coloured pencil roll with 20 coloured pencils so the one I have in the shop doesn't feel so lonely, and I have finally finished it. It looks great, very similar to the other pencil roll but obviously with different fabrics and a more colourful pink Amy Butler binding this time. You can find it on Etsy.

I think I want to make more of these but am not so sure about the coloured fabric strip on the outside. I was thinking I should just use a cute kids fabric instead. What do you think? Do you like it?

The outside:





Rolled up and fastened with buttons and elastic band





More coming soon, so stay tuned. Oh, and I have been given the Lovely Blog Award and will have to find some nice blogs to pass it on to, so watch this space. Your blog might just be one of them.

Love, Nadine xxx