Creative lull & a hot treasury!

I have been goofing around ALL day today!
Done zilch,nada,a big fat ZERO!
I don't know why,my industrial machine was giving me trouble ,I got it repaired so I should be technically sitting on my machine & sewing away to glory but like I said zilch,nada,a big fat ZERO:(
I am feeling a tremendous inertia to do anything:)
The only thing I feel I have achieved today is one of the treasuries I created today moved from page 4 to 3 & now it's on page 2!!!!
Boy..................it's hot or what;)

You can see it here for a better look

Hopefully I will be up & about tomorrow & get to work!.................Now I am going to get myself out of this damn chair & go breateh in some fresh air!
I have become a cyber addict!

Pink Leather Purse

So I finally attcked the pile of leather I bought!
Made the first one in pretty pretty pink:).....................the leather is ever sooo soft & a pleasure to sew!

 Check out the cute flowers on bow I added to one side................my daughter's eyes lit up seeing this:)

Decided to add a lil funky lining instead of a regular lining.The striped white & pink cotton just jazzes up the purse!

 My industrial machine is troubling me since yesterday so I put in a magnetic snap instead of my usual zippers,but it works out well as it is not a big purse.

Deep Rust Faux Leather Bag

Finished another beautiful big bag yesterday night.This baby is made in deep rust faux leather............ideal choice for vegans:)
I attempted to put an outside pocket for the first time & I am pretty happy with the overall look.What say????

 It is pretty big too.This pic will give you a better idea of the size

 I dunno why but I love twisting the straps:).................so this one too had a twist or two in the straps & I looove the deep rust color !See the pocket...............doesn't it look good???

I love each purse I make ....................& so you are also forced to see all of them:)))
This isn't something rectifiable easily ,not atleast in the near future;)

All new Plaid Oversize bag

I loved the oversize dalmatian bag I made.............so I decided to make another one in the same design:)
Finished this yesterday night.

 I love the plaid & the fact that it is water resistant makes it really cool:)
Have added loads of pockets to it as usual including my evergreen zippered pocket.There are 4 open pockets too alongwith a penslip:)

 And my good ol neighbor very graciously agrees to model my purses................Thank you:)))))

I unfortunately had no more fabric left,I really wanted to make a matching wristlet too!
This goes on sale today evening:)

Indian Crafts.......Incredible!

I am so lost in my own bag making & crafting that I almost forgot that I belong to the land of immensely talented artisans & amazing hand crafts!
I just came across an Indian blog Gaatha which  means rhythmic poetic verse or a phrase in the ancient Indian languages of Prakrit and Sanskrit.Gaatha  means, to speak, sing, recite or extol. Hence gatha can mean either speech, verse or a song.
In their own words-

The ‘Gaatha’ project was conjured to play that key role of storytelling, and therewith bringing social and commercial benefits to the artisan settlements. We desire to become the instrument though which the artisans can directly connect with the global audience, we desire to be the resource which helps craft sell not as objects but stories and ideologies. We are vying to make not just ’sales’ but ‘dialogues’ between the craftsmen and their patrons, encouraging ‘co-creation’ possibilities and a collective growth. We are committed to keeping all the good practices intact and all processes humane, just and ecologically balanced. Above all, we want to identify and recognize the faceless artisan. .................~...................

~Gaatha Team - India~ 

While going through the blog I came upon the label "Handmade"..................& being a sucker for every & any thing handmade I clicked on it.I was overwhelmed by the lovely crafts featured which I have always seen around me but never bothered to observe & realize the beauty of the craft! 

It's probably because I have grown up seeing  women sitting out in the verandas chatting,having a cuppa & knitting away or crocheting without even bothering to follow any pattern or design & churning amazing things!

Almost all the women of my mom's generation can sew,crochet,knit,cook,paint etc etc.............

The handmade revolution has taken the western world by a storm now,but this is something which has always been a part of our world!

But now Indians are blinding aping the west & going for all mass manufactured,cheap "Made in China " stuff............It really really hurts me to see women of my generation shunning handmade things!

My kids are the ONLY ones who wear handmade sweaters..............all others prefer the branded commercially produced ones!

Well...............back to Gaatha,I  came across this lovely lovely cap I have always seen Bohra men wear.I had never ever wondered what it is made of or how it is made!

Gaatha goes behind the scenes on the creation of this.Imagine it is made with a  plastic or aluminum vessel of the required size as a frame for making this cap!!!

 See the deft hands working on the thread!!!!

I also came across Budni Lacquer Craft   ------ there is a small locality of craftsmen in a place called Budni Ghat in India, who make lacquered wooden articles. 

These are mostly illiterate  poor artisans who work in really appaling conditions like this

  And see what they create!

These hand made goodies are sold for peanuts in India because people prefer the gaudy shiny plastic toys dangerously coated with chemicals for their kids!!!!

My heart literally bleeds for these lovely crafts which are dying very fast in India .................all because of ignorance of my people:(

But with people like Gaatha Team around I am sure something can still be salvaged of the glorious craft culture of my country!

New Dalmatian printed pleated BIG bag

After a day of NO SEWING...............I was soooooo restless yesterday night,I sat & cut fabric for 5 more purses:)
I am going to get at them with a vengeance:)
I had also finished this tote a few days back but hadn't gotten around to clicking pics,did it finally today ..........what do you think???

The pleated detailing is pretty cute & believe me this baby is HUUGE!!
I made the straps from the pile of pure leather I bought a few days back...........its soooo soft:)

Added a matching zippered wristlet too which comes free with the bag.YAY!!!!!

Have added loads of pockets including my fav -zippered pocket.
The bag itself closes with a magnetic snap...............it's shape doesn't allow a zipper!
The wristlet has a sponge batting.....it's turned out to be ever so soft...I am going to add sponge batting to everything now on:)

I wanted to list this today but I want to add a pic of somebody holding it..............the true shape & size will be more prominent then!
Now I am waiting for my neighbor to come back from work so I can grab her & make her pose with my purse:).......................and yeah you can do that in India,we all go to each others house all the time:)

So in all probabilities this darling will be in the shop today evening:)

Bag Making Basics Part 6............Directions to cut Interfacing & Fabric

I have been feeling horrible about neglecting my blog past few days so  I decided today is going to be NO SEWING DAY.....................I am going to continue with my Bag Making Series & add on something which is long pending & due.

And no I am not going to act smart & tell you pick your scissors & cut the interfacing;)

With experience I have learnt a few key secrets which I am going to share with you all...........there is a way of cutting interfacing too!

The first thing you need to know is every fabric has 2 directions.....warp direction & the weft direction!?!

This is what they mean

Warp Direction

 The warp  is the direction along the length of a fabric.It is also called as the machine direction or the lengthwise direction.

Weft Direction 

The weft is the direction transverse to the warp or the width wise direction.

If you cut the fabric & the interfacing the right way,your purse will turn out to be stable & will not loose shape after usage ! See this clutch????

See the lovely shape..............this has only one layer of interfacing & it looks great!

The thing  to remember when cutting the interfacing is that it should be always transverse to the direction of the fabric.he he he................I know I have confused you!

Well...........lets say your outer fabric is 15" by 11". You have cut  15" in the warp direction(lengthwise) & 11" in the weft direction(width wise).................so while cutting interfacing for this outer fabric,you will reverse the warp & weft.

That means you will cut interfacing in 15" weft wise & 11" warp wise.....................I hope this is clear?

So now when you fuse the interfacing to the outer fabric you will have both directions  warp wise which is the secret behind the lovely shape of the clutches & purses you see being sold commercially!

Ain't I great;)

Try this & see the difference:)

New circular canvas tote

I jusr realised that the canvas I had is waterproof!
So I made a cute circular pleated bag out of it yesterday..............love the pumpkin color:)
It is zippered & has a matching zippered coin purse.Cute eh!!

The circular shape is pretty good................I like the pleaty detail too!

have put this up on sale now:)

All new Jute Tote

Keeping in line with my obsession to make matching clutch & tote,I made a tote in the lovely jute I have.What do you think???

This one too is zippered............I am not comfy with bags with just a magnetic snap which can pop open anytime!
It's OK with clutches,but bags & purses.........nah!!!!
I am super stingy when it comes to fabric,can't waste even a scrap of fabric & this beautiful jute!!!!............noways...I was just left with a small rectangle which I had no utility for but then my super stingy  brain kicked in & I just lined it,folded it up & added ............what else,a zipper;)
And this cutey pie pouch was made!
I added a pretty bracelet to the zip pull so it can be used as a wristlet  or can be attached to the key fob!
This goes free with the bag:)

I love love the bright pumpkin lining:)
I am going to buy more of this lovely jute & churn out some more bags & purses:)

101 treasuries:)

Remember I has posted the pic of beautiful beautiful Indian jute I had bought?
I finally got around to making it & I made one in my signature clutch design.Here it is

Now I am making a matching pleated tote from this jute.
It's biggest asset is its Eco- friendliness & since jute is manufactured in India,there is such a lovely variety available!
I am going to make many many more :)
I also entered the three digits in treasuries!
Yup.............I am currently on 101 treasuries:)))...................along with two FP appearances.
I am having a lazy Sunday morning & esp with Yash gone for 3 weeks,I have lot of time on my hands & loads of responsibilities:(
So I guess I am going to finish a few clutches I have started on..................they are scattered all over the house!
I don't know how a obsessive-compulsive cleaner like me has become so scatter brained!
Thanx to Etsy I am all day on the computer!
Time to clean up the things a bit & get on with the pending work!
See you all soon:)

Am on Front Page of Etsy AGAIN!!!

Logged on to see myself on FP once again!!!!!
Being on FP within a fortnight is just WOW....................& I have been on Etsy for barely a month!
I am soooooo excited!

have a look

All new revised pdf pattern

I have woken up today with an aching left shoulder & neck.Good Ole spondylitis is going to pay a visit:(
Yash is leaving tomorrow & he will be out for 20 days......Oh God...............I just hope I don't get vertigo attack as well!

I am not going to dwell on my pains & aches now,it will just make them worse!
On the brighter side,I have revised my pdf pattern & pretty happy with how it has turned out.Earlier I had not incluses pattern pieces as I felt it is very simple but then not everybody is comfy cutting curves so I have introduced full size printable patterns .
Now my pdf includes pattern pieces & instructions for 2 sizes regular & mini.
I have also added 3 types of pleats with instruction.
This pattern includes the option to sew the straps or rivet it..................so I am pretty happy with the all new revised pattern:)

This is on sale now .You can buy it from here.

Etsy Friday!

I was sooooo busy last friday with 2 sales that I just didn't have time for featuring new finds!
But today I am going to do that while it's bright & sunny:)
So here we start:)
On my quest to find new & undiscovered shops I came across this ammmazing shop Ayelet Shachar Accessories.Etsy is a great platform for international sellers,so keeping in line with that,Ayelet is from Tel Aviv!
her leather belts are to die for:)..............Only if I had a waist:(

I feature her belts in most of my treasuries too:) She has necklaces & headbands too in leather.
I just saw in her profile she is my age (so cool) & has  a bachelors degree in Art and Design from the Academy of Art and Design in Jerusalem - Bezalel
No wonder her creatioons are so professional looking.You can't guess they are all handmade!
Do head over to her shop to buy the Waist Candy;)

Next I want to feature somebody who creates beautiful beautiful home decor items:)
This is Danielle's store,merriweathercouncil.Have a look at these darling lil fabric wall art

Isn't it one of a kind?..............The idea to put them in the embroidery hoops is so simple but has it ever crossed your minds?????........................Not mine,this shows her tremendous creativity  & her shop is testimony to that:)
She has loads of hand embroidered patches,coaster,pins & buntings,so festive....................right for the upcoming holiday season.Pay her shop a visit .

I will leave you all to explore with lovely lovely shops now:)
Have a good Friday!

Find how your customer found you!

 Hello all

 I wanted to share a business tip with you guys.Whenever I have a sale in my shop I really want to find out how did the customer find my shop!

I don't want to bother the buyer by mailing & asking so I always wanted to have an option of somehow asking that in the checkout process  .

So while fiddling on my paypal account I found out a convenient way to do that!

This is how you can do it too.

1.Log in to your paypal account.

2.Under My Account you can see Profile at the end.Click on it.

3.Go to Selling Preferences  & click on Custom Payment Pages( it's third from the bottom).

4.Click on Options .

5.You can add a gift option which I think is really nice & professional touch!

6. Next you can add the Customer Service Survey Under Merchant Service Options

I have added the question as  How did you find "Arm Candy For You" instead of me or my shop.Again I feel its more professional.You can set up any question.

There are 5 answer options,the  options I chose are

Ad on some site

Friends/Family

My Blog

Etsy /Google

Other

I just wish there were more options!.............But it's OK.

7.You can also offer promotional emails ,offer promotional information like sale announcements or newsletters.I have a newsletter,so it's great that I have this option! But remember that if you choose this option, you also need to offer an unsubscribe service.

So go ahead & find out what you always wanted to know:)

Clutch mania

Yay Yay Yay  Ya Ya:)))))
Ok .............I am acting crazy I know...............but I have a reason to!
The new pdf pattern I listed yesterday SOLD!!!!
Boy..............am I happy or what:)
Both the patterns I made were sold within 24 hrs!
I have relisted them ofcourse.....................next pdf is for this along with the clutch

 I loooooove the warm bone color,I have half a mind to keep this for myself:)
Its such an amazing color & the handles look sooo stylish:)
But i can not keep hoarding all the bags:(
Have put a holiday offer in my Artfire Store............you can see the widget on the right,go over & have a look:)

My guest post on Handmade Spark

Handmade Spark is a  marketing service that helps Etsy sellers get more visibility across the web through search engine optimization  .Its a new site but growing by leaps & bounds. I did a guest post for them today.........here it is:)   Guest Post-Arm Candy For You

I am really not happy with the fact that I am not able to do more blogging:(
But I am soooo occupied right now...........I am going to share with you all ,what i have been up to  past few days.I finished the pdf pattern for my zippered pleated clutch finally & listed it:)

 Making pdf's pattern takes lot of time!.........but I am glad I did it:)
Also made another pdf pattern for my signature clutch with wooden handles but this one is with inverted pleats:)

Made this one in bone colored faux leather too:).............next I am working on making a top fold bag along with its pdf....so you see  I AM busy!
Other than making Arm Candy I have been up to few other things too.I have joined this wonderfully innovative team  called Etsy TeamDiscovery- A team on a quest to discover the hidden gems of Etsy.
Members curate treasuries featuring undiscovered stores (less than 20 sales), creating promotion threads in the forums and promoting through social networking while simultaneously offering the same support to the  team members. It's really cool!
I am currently on 72 treasuries none of them curated by me:)
Well.............I do curate treasuries,but I do not feature myself:)
Here is my latest treasury...............go have a look.
I am loving  making new friends & getting to know other etsians. Now I am off to finish my new pdf pattern & will catch you all soon with some new bag making goodies:)

A fruitful weekend,some work some fun & games!

Oh yes.............this weekend turned out to be good:)
Started off with 2 sales & a  very productive Saturday .............I finished a clutch & a wrist let yesterday:)
Today we had a friendly cricket match in our brigade.........I was not really keen on going,wanted to laze around on Sunday morning,but then wanted to support hubby too & kids would have had fun..............so I got ready a tad reluctantly..........but I am glad I went,it turned out to be so much fun!
I had NO idea that Yash could play cricket ,let alone so well:)
He was adjudged the "Man of the Match" too....................he literally drove his team to victory:)
Sasha was very quick to claim papa's prize as hers & immediately put it in her bag:)
 The cherry on the icing was the game of Bingo.............i won 700 bucks!!!!!!!
Now you see why I named this post fruitful;)
And I didn't have to cook lunch...............boy ,can a Sunday be any  better:)

So after we came home,everybody went off to sleep & I worked on making pdf pattern for the wristlet I made yesterday & finally it is ready:)

This wristlet alongwith the pattern will be on sale tomorrow morning my time:)
This clutch too will be listed so it is going to be a pinkilicious Monday;)

It's late now & I am reallllly tired but happy:)
So now I am OFF.................will catch ya all tomorrow!

Lot of mess & my pink treasury

My blog is in a mess!
The template I was using got all its pic deleted by photobucket & you can imagine the chaos it created here!
I am going crazy!!!!
I ahve uploaded a new template now,but all the features I had added by coding are POOF!!!
Grrrr...................I am really really pissed.........it had taken me months to add all the applications as I wanted & now I just do not have the time to do all that again:(
I guess my blog will limp back to normal in some time.
Meanwhile , to cheer me up...........as I have often mentioned my daughter's love for all things PINK..............I made a treasury with all pinkilacious goodies:)................Check these out,they are lovely.
None of the items are mine so this is NOT self promotion:))))
Presenting to you my PINK IS THE NEW BLACK treasury

Listed,Sold,Relisted:)

Remember I listed my pdf pattern for clutch yesterday????
I sold  it & the cherry on the cake is that it is bought by one of my followers:)
YAY............I am kinda happy:)
It feels great to have followers & make friends with them........I hope she enjoys making it:)
Have relisted it,you can buy it from here
http://www.etsy.com/listing/55971820/pdf-pattern-pleated-clutch-wood-handles

Also.......one of my friends used my toddler pants tutorial to make for her niece...here it is.Ain't it cute?Thanx Hema:) I hope your niece enjoys it.I love the cute lil appliques you have added to the pockets!

Hey.............my clutch with wooden handles too sold just now!!!!!
Wow....what a morning:)
Catch you all later:)

pdf pattern for clutch on sale now

I finally listed my pdf pattern:)
I was struggling on the pricing .................had decided on 6$,but then I saw on Etsy most of the clutches are priced at 7$ & above so I decided to give a price advantage to my customers & have finally listed it at 5.5$.I think its a good deal:)
You can see the details here.

 Wish me luck!

My first pdf clutch pattern

I have decided to make pdf patterns too along with purses & bags.I have come up with  pdf pattern for my pleated clutch with wood handles.

My pdf includes 9 page instructions with color pics for EACH step:)
Yup..........it's so much easier to understand visually rather than reading pages after pages of text.Honestly my eyes start to glaze over after 1st page!
I am almost done,just a few last minute edits remaining.............will be listed by today evening:)
Am Happy!!!

My 100th Post:)

Yay...............this is a teeny tiny milestone for my blog.Have reached my 100th post in 3 month & 5 days:)
Not bad !.............................This has been a lovely lovely journey along with  some new & some old friends:)
Had a happy start when I saw one of the treasuries I was featured on has been featured on a lovely blog called
http://sandoproductions.blogspot.com/.
She does a regular feature called treasury Tuesday where she features  Elite Eight.............eight wonderful treasuries NOT curated by her.....so it's impartial :)

This  treasury is called"Cinnamon and Vanilla" curated by hiyapapaya ,one of the lovely sellers on Etsy. She has mixed my fav flavors!. Very Indian cinnamon  swirled with yum vanilla create the most awe inspiring aroma flying you on its wings to Autumnland. Wow.........

See my faux leather bone colored purse there?

My current treasury count is 47:)
....& hopefully rising!

New Teal Tote

Remember the cute lil pleated clutch I made with the printed Teal?
I made a matching tote too:)
Here it is

 I just loved the pleats & the Pure Leather Straps...............though Yash (my hubby) feels it's too bright but I loved it! The yellow straps bring out the autumn/fall season......don't they???

Love the pleats too:)See that teeny tiny thing ???.......That is the zip pull:)
Yup...........its actually a beaded purse!.......I cut out the regular zip tab & added this,so much more fun opening & closing the bag:)

Ain't it super duper cute???
And as usual I have added loads of pockets:).............3 open pockets ,a BIG zippered pockets.what would I do without zippers?.........a penslip & a key fob.The burst of color the lining provides is so WOW!

I have decided to keep this one for myself:).............have made one more for the shop..........you can buy it here.

My son is 7!!!!!

Time flies.............I feel it was yesterday when I held this tiny lil mite in my palms(not even hands) & now he's telling me who hits the hardest in the WWE matches while nonchalantly singing "Waka Waka"!!!!!
Time does fly:)
We celebrated our son's 7th birthday yesterday:)
Here are my brats............mwah mwah:)

Kids loved the Mickey Mouse cake.Was super yum!

We loved the candle even better than the cake!

And the games were the main attraction for the kiddos

I made noodles(no kiddy party of mine is complete without them),mac 'n' cheese,the yum samosa,veg patties,few more snacks & the cake of course.The kids were soooo tired after playing so many games the younger ones especially,they plonked themselves in front of the TV.............Adi (my son) knew Mom wouldn't say anything in front of his friends;)

The poor waiter was so confused !!!!!
I am finally gearing up to the fact that my son is growing up & I saw his expressions when the kids sang out "Many girlfriends to you":)....................It won't be long before he actually gets his first girlfriend home!
The idea of a growing up son just reinforces the fact that I am growing up (old) too:(
Well...............here's to many more birthday's for my darling & much success 'n' happiness with each passing  year.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY ADI

New finds on Etsy

Today is Friday & guess what is scheduled...............Etsy Friday!!!!
Yup..........I will be showcasing a few great shops on etsy some discovered,some undiscovered:)

As a mom of two,I am forever scouring for ideas to make or buy something unique for my brats & that quest has led to me this awesome awesome shop.I LOVVVVE knitting ,yes I do !
I just can not resist anything that shows even a hint of knitty goodies:)
So I had to stop & admire when I came across this.

Ohhhhh..............Look at that lil devil cap.... .mwah mwah:)
I found this on this amazing little shoppee called Baruchslullaby.The owner of this wondershop is from Alaska......no wonder!!!!!
She has 185 knitted goodies in her shop & she ships internationally too:)....................Go & have a look here & stock up on your winter shopping NOW:)

Pleated wristlet in blue velvet

I told you all about the blue printed velvet I got...........I was itching to try my hand on it.I cut 2 pieces out of it.........as you may have realized if you see my shop I always make 1 big purse & a smaller clutch to go with it:)
I decided to make the smaller one first.I do not understand my fascination with pleats!!!!!!.................But I love making pleated anything!
It's not rocket science after all;)................but I did not want to make regular pleats on this one & I was experimenting last night & came up with this design.

I liked the side pleats.................thought of calling it Eastern Sunrise...............coz sun rises in the east & my pleats are fanning like sun rays coming from the east:)............he he ,I think its quite a good idea but I won't be using it,its not SEO friendly!!!!!
Well..............I finished it just now & this is what it looks like.

This has a recessed zipper closure.................again my weird fascination for zips!!!!!!
If I also make all of them with magnetic snaps like most of them on Etsy I would save so much of time!!!
This is the inside

 Now I am off to list it..............chk it out on my etsy shop here  for details :)

Deciphering Etsy Listing Time

I have been on etsy now for almost a month & one question that very frequently crops up is "What is the ideal Listing time"???
I haven't found the answer to that.............but I have learnt & realised a few things which I would like to share with my fellow etsians.
I always wondered if I could know the exact time at which I got maximum visitors to my shop!!!!
Wishful thinking eh??????.................not really,we CAN know that thanks to Google Analytics!

I am sure everybody has GA attached to their etsy shops,if not this is how to do it.Firstly sign up for GA here.It's free & pretty simple! Once you do that click on "Add a new profile".You will get to a page where you have to select a domain.............write your shop URL there,fill up other details like country ,time etc.Once you click on continue you will get some giant huge codes which you will have no idea what to do with!!!


Relax..........just ignore that & see a code written there which starts with UA-(followed by some number).That is your GA tracking code,copy that &go to your etsy shop .Click on "Web Analytics"under Shop Setup.Simply paste the code there & your GA tracking is done,as simple as that:)
But give it at least 24 hours to start collating the data!
 OK .......so now have installed GA you have to know when did you get max visitors,log in to your account,this is what it will look like.....

See the VISITORS I have encircled,click there.This is what you will get

Now click on the Visitor Trending encircled by me.You will see VISITS under it,click & it will give you this page.

There is this clock symbol on the right side next to Graph,click on it & Voila..................see when you get maximum visitors.This is what I got for my shop.

So basically I get max views at 6 pm!
I think I will be doing all my listings,re listings,renewals at 6 pm now:)
You go figure yours:)
I am not claiming that this will lead to sales or views but as an engineer this is what my logical brain tells me!
Just my 2 cents!
Wish all of us loads of sales:)