Good bye 2018 - Hello 2019!

As we say so long to this year and welcome a new one, I want to take the time to express appreciation and gratefulness to all our clients.  If we have done work for you, please know that it was our great pleasure to serve you.  If you are considering having us do something in the future, we look forward to hearing from you!  It is only because of our customers that we are able to have a job that allows us to do what we love.

If you haven't been to our new website, we invite you to check it out.  www.eStudio60.com

There's a big sale happening this weekend, so now would be a good time to give us a look.  Our website was launched in November and so far we have had a lot of visitors and one sale related to that.  We look forward to many more.  Although we are not closing our Etsy shop, we are trying to move most of our traffic to the new website.  Hopefully, that will allow us to save our customers a little bit of money.

So, Happy New Year!  We pray blessings on you and yours!

New website

Launched today!!

www.eStudio60.com

This is a work in progress so you'll want to keep checking that site to see what's new.

Brag vests

Several years ago, a friend approached me with a request.  His son was active in a nationally recognized boys' group and they needed a red brag vest to display his earned patches.  They had looked at vests offered by that organization but were not eager to purchase a vest made of felt for a young boy.  They weren't sure it would hold up to the general wear and tear from an active little boy nor did they think it would launder well.  Knowing that I was a seamstress they asked me if I could make one.

So, I looked at the website they mentioned and also looked at a vest one of my boys had acquired through participation in a group at our church.  Between the two resources, I came up with a pattern for that vest and made one for my friend.  Little did I know that would become one of our bestselling products once it was introduced in our Etsy shop.  We have now sold around 100 of those vests in various sizes for children, adults, and troop leaders. We have even made them in various colors for other organizations.

We currently offer a discount for troops that want to order vests in bulk. 

These can be found in the Cousin Camp section of our Etsy shop.  www.etsy.com/listing/220537226

Changes are coming!

As we approach the end of another year, I look back and see that once again, I'm way behind on blogging and keeping you up-to-date on happenings with eStudio60.  We've been active on Etsy for over 5 years now, and will soon be launching our own website.  (More on that later.)

We are also in the process of revitalizing this blog, hoping to stay more abreast of keeping you current on our activities.

Thank you for these past few years of allowing us to do what we love and serving you in the process!

What we do and what's new

Just shared our second Facebook Live video!  If you haven't seen it yet, hop on over to our Facebook page and give it a view.  Here's the link: www.Facebook.com/Studio60

I've been going through the process of answering some of our FAQ's.  Today's topic was "What kinds of products do you make?"  I don't know that I can give a specific answer for that.  Our product line and inventory evolves constantly.  When a customer sends me a photo or an idea, and says, "Can you do this?" I seldom say no.  I'm always up for a challenge and always on the look for new product ideas.

Although we started with just sewing and crocheting items for babies and homes, we now sew costumes, patio cushions, shower curtains and a plethora of other goods.  We also crochet everything from baby booties and blankets to scarves and toys.

Hairbows for all occasions

This set is called "Cross My Heart"

Hairbows and jewelry are a couple of our newer endeavors.  I find creating jewelry opens a whole new avenue for creative juices to flow!  Picking bead colors, unique clasps, and creating new designs can be a challenge but also very self-rewarding.  I take pride in making unique pieces, never duplicating a jewelry piece.  And, of course, custom requests are always welcome!

Send us your product ideas and let us see if we can fill your need.  We like to say, "You dream it up and we will try to make it happen!"

Looking back at 2017; Looking ahead to 2018

I have been so remiss in blogging!  Why?  I don't know.  I have never been a person to keep a daily diary or journal, I just write occasionally when I have something to say and no one nearby to listen.

2017 was quite a year.  It was my third full year being self-employed.  Although, I still have not achieved the income I someday hope to attain, 2017 still showed an increase in my bottom line.  But to omit the fact that I am happier in my chosen vocation now than ever would be a drastic mistake.  I do love what I do!  I jokingly tell people this is the best job I've ever had because my boss makes me coffee every morning and lets me wear pj's to work, if I choose.

I did increase my product line quite a bit in 2017 and already have plans for a few more new items in 2018. I also scheduled one day each month for "Staff Development."  That forced me to take some much needed time to plan and create.  I used those days to step away from filling orders and think about new ideas and learn new techniques.  Those were beneficial, not only from the creative aspect, but also gave me time to step away from a few projects that I found tedious or stressful.  Typically, sewing/crocheting/crafting is my happy place, but there are those times that I struggle producing items for my shop.  Sometimes that's a picky customer and sometimes it just because of a difficult pattern or material with which I'm working.  Staff Development gave me a breather in those moments and subsequently inspired me to tackle those difficult things with more gusto.

2017 also gave me the opportunity to participate in some craft shows.  I started with just two in the fall and focused mainly on Christmas gift type items.  Because I do so much custom work, I'm not sure that craft shows will be a focal point for me.  It's hard to know what kind of inventory is going to be in demand season to season.  Producing several items and then having them not sell is not good for the bottom line - or the psyche.  

Besides the fact that I've never been a diary-keeper, I've also shied away from New Year's Resolutions.  So, this year, I have goals - not resolutions.  One major goal is increasing my social media contact with customers.  I plan to do more videos on Facebook, more tweeting and more blogging.  I also have a goal of presenting some products here for purchase.  I don't know exactly how that will look just yet.  (If you have suggestions, I would love to hear them!)

I hope 2018 looks as exciting for you as I am anticipating for eStudio60!  Best wishes and contact us if you have any custom craft needs!