Moving

This will be the last post here at wordpress because I have moved my blog over to squarespace and I love it! Won’t you please come on over and check it out?

www.doeandmouse.com

It’s going to be great!

Thank you!

It has been a busy couple of months leading up to the Brooklyn Lyceum Craft Market last week and Christmas in general. Thanks to everyone who came out to the craft fair and everyone who has supported my little shop! It’s amazing to think that people actually want to buy and use something that you have created. It makes me so happy.

It was my first time selling at a craft fair and it was awesome. There were lots of people attending, even when it was snowing one day and raining the next.

As an added bonus for my taste buds, the Brooklyn Lyceum sold delicious coffee, warm chocolate chip cookies, and some very tasty beer. It was a great weekend and I would definitely do it again.

There was also some amazing surprises and support from Etsy as well. On Cyber Monday I was featured in the Etsy Storque for free shipping. This lead to lots of views and a bunch of unexpected sales as I was trying to stock up for the craft fair.

And then suddenly this week, I found my russian doll coffee sleeve in the Etsy “Environmentally Friendly” Gift Guide. I was so surprised and elated. I couldn’t believe it! Etsy rotates the gift guides on the front page and I happened to get this shot of it (my coffee sleeve is in the upper left hand corner).

I am so grateful to Etsy and to everyone who I met at the craft fair! It’s been an exciting month.

Thank you so much!!

Delicious & Cute Giveaway

Do you like coffee? Of course you do.  And it’s even better when it’s free!

Head over to Sarahcentric, where you can enter to win some delicious and hard to find Graham Cracker coffee and one of my cute coffee sleeves  in honor of Sarahcentric’s new blog design. She will be selecting two winners and giving you extra special ways to enter more than once. 

Believe me, I’ve had this Graham Cracker coffee and it’s sooo very good. I beg Sarah to bring me some every time she goes upstate. Even my boyfriend, who hates flavored coffee, loves it.

So, please head over to Sarahcentric now to enter!!

New Fabric Styles

I have started adding some new fabric styles in the shop. Here’s a little peek. If you don’t see them in the shop yet, the rest will be up by end of day today. And remember, the thanksgiving special of Free shipping continues all weekend. Thanks!

Hydrangeas in black with rings

Hydrangeas in blue with red polka dots

professor “slight red stripe” cozy

Straw flowers with yellow polka dots

Hydrangeas in blue with yellow polka dots

the Doe & the Mouse – Free Shipping This Weekend

Hello!

I’ll be having a little Thanksgiving special this weekend in my Etsy Shop. From Black Friday (12/28) to Cyber Monday (12/1) I will be offering FREE SHIPPING on all items in the shop.

All listings will be updated to include this special during that time. I hope you can pop in and take a look. I’ll be adding some new items to the shop this weekend as well, so keep an eye out.

 

Thanks!

Kim

Photography for Etsy

More coffee sleeves cut out and ready to flip.

I’ve been having a tough time this weekend trying to figure out the best kind of photography for my Etsy shop. You can see here that when I photograph the coffee sleeves on the table against the green wall, the light and texture looks so good. But I have learned that using background colors different from the item itself discourages people from using these types of photos in Treasuries, collection that are sometimes chosen for the front page of Etsy.

I don’t have a white or neutral colored wall in the room with the most light, so I decided to try a white curtain for the background. I don’t think it’s working out, though. The photo then becomes bleached out somehow. Or maybe my camera is just off.

Anyway, I’ll be experimenting more. I hope this doesn’t affect item views!

Procrastination Inspiration

Mental dialogue last night…

Left Brain: Just what do you think you are doing, young lady?

Right Brain: Well, uh… You see I had these fabric squares. And I just thought maybe they would make cute coasters. I mean, everybody needs coasters.

Left Brain: Yeah, but nobody needs coasters when there are 130 coffee sleeves to make – right now. Focus!

 

I am a notorious procrastinator. I was born this way. I’ve gotten better, though, especially when things that I need to do are items that are paid for already. Yesterday, I was doing so well. I had 65 coffee sleeves cut out and sewn together (about the half way point to being done).

 

 

But somehow, things went awry. Suddenly I find myself matching up fabric squares and making 22 coasters.

 

“Procrastination Inspiration” has hit. That’s when you feel inspired to create something RIGHT THIS VERY SECOND… when you really should be doing something else.

I guess it’s okay, though. I still got a lot of work done.

Cozy Crazy

Hi. It’s been a while now, but I make a promise to you, right here and now, that I will be posting much more often. Just thought you should know.

 
I have been super busy making tons of cozies/coffee sleeves these last two weekends. Christmas time is close at hand and I have got to get a head start this year. I’ve got to stockpile. Last year, I had so many friends and co-workers order them in the last couple weeks leading up to christmas that I was surviving on six hours of sleep a night. That’s torture to me. I love sleep too much! 

So, friends, take a look at my Etsy shop if you get a chance. They make awesome stocking stuffers, thoughtful eco-friendly gifts, and are great for small tokens of appreciation to teachers, neighbors and co-workers.

Meanwhile, I’ll be right here in the sewing room.

 

 

 

But at least I have some company…

 

Zooey, the cat: always available to sleep somewhere nearby, anytime of day.

Fall Look

Fall seems closer than it should be. Last weekend I realized that I needed to get down to business. I need to make lots and lots of coffee sleeves and scarves for fall, but also so that I can stock pile some for winter when people are looking for stocking stuffers.

That got me thinking about how I actually sold my own scarf to someone last winter, so I’ll need to make a new one for myself. The scarves I sold were made out of fabric from used men’s suits and paired with silk kimono pieces. 

Professor Cozy was born out of the same suit pieces and some old button down work shirts.

As I started to work on some more coffee sleeves I decided to combine the suit pieces with some of my pretty new fabrics. I think the combination is great!

I think I might steer the Doe and the Mouse in this direction for fall. I really like the way it’s going.

Done

Two items checked off the To Do list this weekend. And I made a whole bunch of other coffee sleeves as well.

I’m on a roll. Must be The Sorcerer’s Stone on my ipod keeping me company. I just can’t get enough of harry.

DONE – 1. Hem AG’s two skirts before her trip.

DONE – 2. Make ten girlie cozies for T. – The bright pink one is the reversible inside of the cozies.