In this blistery drizzly season, I thought it would be fun to show the process of creating the latest Bob sticker. For those that do not know already, Bob is my support hippo and the logo for my small business Custom Little Beasties. The plan is to add these stickers to orders for purchase as well as include random ones with purchases. Currently Bob has three outfits: a King, anAstronaut and the Duckie Rain Coat. He really brings me joy so I hope that this little doodle brings a smile to your face as well. In the video below is the speed up process I used in Procreate to create his rainy day look. If you enjoyed this time-lapse drawing, please let me know. Also, what other outfits should I create for Bob ?
After making a couple of items myself sewing and crochet it left me thinking about tagging the things I make. Many tags can be annoying, itchy or add to the overall item. The purpose however is to never forget where the item was purchased. Without tags people inevitably forget where they purchased the item and it can even make an item appear “cheap”. A tag is like a finishing touch which is why after researching them I decided it was time to experiment and create my own.
While you could order custom made tags from another small business or a large one I wanted to try it on my own first. They can be pricey and the idea of not having complete control over the process made me feel a bit iffy about purchasing some. Not to mention I do not believe I have gained “enough” sales to deem it appropriate to order a bunch of tags either. Since I do both sewing and crochet I wanted tags that could work for both while adding to the items rather than hindering them with a giant tag. There are many different ways to put your shop logo on items such as ribbon, fabric, leather, faux leather and more. Either way I knew I wanted something that was washable, simple and aesthetically pleasing.
Since receiving the mini stamp I starting thinking that it was around the perfect size for logo labels. However, it is not as simple as stamping the item itself, it would have to be on another medium. Also, upon brainstorming I started to question if this would simply be a mock up as stamp ink, I assumed, would wash out. After realizing I did not like the look of white ribbon labels I decided to work with what I had that was close to faux leather, faux suede by Cricut. The Cricut part is important since the material is only slightly thicker than paper. Plus if it worked it would mean that I could use the Cricut machine to cut out multiple tags for me because the holes are a bit of a pain to cut/stab out by hand. I am happy to report that diy was successful and I will be making many more in the future! The mini stamp accident has turned out to be one of my favorite small shop items. The only disclaimer I want to give is that the ink I used was the one from No Issue that came with the stamp. I am not sure if that is why the ink stayed on or if other stamp inks would also have a similar result. Watch the tutorial below to see how I created my first label and the tests I put it through.
New Years is often referred to as a time to reset: goals, expectations, habits and also to get organized. One part of getting organized is to clean my shoes which is why I thought it would be the perfect opportunity to share an update on my KURU shoes. Yes, I did do an initial review but now that it has been about two years I thought it would be helpful to show how they have held up thus far. The reason I am only highlighting the Roam pair is because they have been my go-to pair. Since these are my daily shoes they are also extremely dirty which is why I am showing how/if they can be saved. In other words will they be yard shoes or continued daily wear shoes. Currently they are an eye sore so I am hoping they can be revived to an almost new appearance in the best case scenario.
Physically the structure of the shoes are good, they still provide arch support as they did when they were new. The two main “issues” which are honestly mostly user created flaws encompass the part of the shoe that you put on and off. In the first review I mentioned that the sides of the leather were rubbing off near the top part of the shoes which has gotten a little worse. The other issue is the back of the shoe has been defected from putting on and off my shoes by simply stepping into them instead of putting them on properly. This caused the back of the heel to get smooshed making it feel weird when walking at times. To see this issue on the shoe watch the video below and I will point it out. Both of these issues are not necessarily the shoes fault, however, I have yet to have a heel get crushed like these did.
Also in this video is an in-depth cleaning of these shoes with a little asmr too. There are three methods I use to clean white shoes so hopefully they help someone else revive their icky shoes too. I personally believe that all three of them combined create the best results when your shoes are to the point of looking like yard shoes. However, if you clean them monthly using a simple baby wipe should be enough to get them back to looking presentable.
Cleaning Steps
Water Based Baby Wipes
Mr. Clean Magic Eraser
White Mixture: Water, Baking Soda and Tooth Paste
Shoe Lace Cleaning Tips
When it comes to cleaning shoes often people throw out the laces and buy new ones which never measure up to the original ones. Instead of simply throwing them in the washing machine try this hack instead. Fill up the bathroom sink with enough water to cover the laces. Sprinkle baking soda and soap into the water. Swirl around the mixture and let them soak for about 20 minutes. Rinse and hang them up to dry.
For the holidays I had a lot of content planned and per usual they fell short. I could say I was too busy, however that was not the case. For some reason my mind gets stuck on certain projects and it is hard for me to pivot before they are 100% complete. Bouncing back and fourth has never been a strong suit of mine and is something I need to work on.
So… instead of creating a half hearted holiday post, I wanted to share a project I actually worked on for a Christmas gift this year. Although I cannot share the pattern with you as it is not my own and not available online, I thought it would be fun to watch me work through the project in a sort of time lapsed video with some holiday instrumental music. I tend to like watching people work on projects this time of year so hopefully you all will too.
Crochet is a new hobby I have picked up and am just now starting to fall completely in love with it. If you have been wanting to pick up a new craft I highly recommend crochet, it’s relaxing and fun to create something out of a little ball of yarn. Plus, unlike machine embroidery it is something that can be done anywhere and travels easily. No inconveniencing the house with loud noises of machines either. Yes, it can be frustrating to try new crafts but it is also part of the fun of learning new ways to be creative. There are so many stitches and I am by no means an expert, so go easy on me if you do crochet as I am still very much a newbie.
Did you make any Christmas gifts this year? If so I’d love to hear all about them.
The fall weather has finally hit California which means its sweater weather. On dreary days we still take out the pups to walk as long as it is not a major down pour. After getting ready for our first sprinkling walk, my little nephew literally shook off his coat. In other words, he went without as it would have been more of a hinderance than anything else. Once the walk was over I wanted to fix his little jacket since hopefully there will be more dreary walks in this desert this season.
First, I want to preference that he is a size medium according to his weight, but sometimes the medium seems like a joke with the size jump from the small. It’s like Goldilocks: one’s too small, one’s too big, except in this case there is not a just right option. Auntie to the rescue! Time to put those crafty powers to work and make some alterations.
This is an extremely basic tailoring project that you can do with a basic sewing machine or even sew by hand during a Christmas movie. Materials needed are velcro, pins, needle and thread. A tape measure can be used however, keep in mind to leave room for two fingers. Also if you are more experienced you could cut and move the straps entirely but I did not want to alter the entirety of the coat. Follow the tutorial below to see how I altered the coat without any major construction changes.
Over the past year I have tried my hand at reselling clothes and various items. Currently, I’ve sold over sixty items! As time has progressed so have my strategies of creating quality listings. Below are my top tips for creating listings that leave viewers with all the information they need in order to purchase your items with confidence. One thing I would not recommend wasting your time with is creating a fluffy description. Instead fill the description section with essential information. I have created a cheat sheet list down below of what I recommend putting in the description section. Also use these tips to up your photography skills for flat lays and more. If you would like to see how I edit my photos for listings please let me know. (:
Since it has been awhile, I thought a life update was well over due. A lot has happened or rather not happened depending on your perspective. Whenever I start to compare my progress to others my age or just in general it can be a real downer since the expectations I’ve put on myself are based on societial guidelines that ,have yet to be met. You can’t be too far ahead or too far behind and it’s a constant battle that is impossible to win. Perhaps everyone feels this way yet from the outside it looks like others have it all figured out. Let me know in the comments if you feel like you’re on track or if you’ve never thought about it? Not sure how you couldn’t think about it as people question when you’ll get married, when you’ll have a kid and the list goes on and on.
Ever since I was little I have been obsessed with ballet. No, I was not a tiny tot in barre classes, in fact my first ballet class wasn’t until college. Once my fiancé gave me Bob (little hippo) I knew he needed a tutu so after watching some tutorial I decided to give it a try. While this technically is not the first tutu I’ve made, it is the first time using this method and on my own. The only other tutu I made was assisting my mom by pulling thread to create endless gathers for a Disneyland run with friends, we vowed never again.
Organizing is one of my favorite things which may seem weird but it’s true. Every time I saw an acrylic case I always thought it was too expensive or too impractical until now. Let me explain the impractical side first; when it comes to acrylic it can easily scratch and always needs to be tidy if it is clear. Perhaps not always but for myself it honestly needs to have a system rather than just throwing items into drawers as it becomes a decor piece for the room it sits in. Once I was fed up with the way I was storing my items I decided it was time to try out the acrylic case, use up more vertical space and stop with the endless display of bags and boxes.
During this time of solitude I have taken the time to experiment and take on new crafts, one being hand embroidery. Once I completed my first project I was struck with the realization that my hoop’s life would forever be with this project leaving me to purchase a new one per project. Although it is an esthetic look to use embroidery hoops as frames for decor, I wanted something different. Yes, I could frame is but it often is bulky and pricey. Instead of opting in I headed towards the craft closet and decided on creating an embroidery frame hanger. Switch up the ribbon texture and ties to fit any room’s esthetic. This is a beginner level sewing project that is simple and fast to create.
MaddieAutumn 