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Aug, 12The Prototype
Prototypes have become a key part of my creative process. Although I don’t create one for every project, I do for the more detailed and elaborate ideas. Have you had a “great idea” only to find out after you cut enough pieces for a lifetime, that it wasn’t going to work, because you didn’t make a prototype first? Sheesh. I have and lesson learned. Owning and operating a small creative business, means that I need to think about each step carefully so that I don’t cost myself more money or waste too much time. Now I create prototypes before setting up the assembly line, which allows me to play and adjust before diving in too deep.
The first step that I take to building a prototype is to sketch my idea and write out the details. This makes it much easier for me to see the big picture and what I’m working with. Do I have all of the materials, or do I need to go buy some? How long do I think this will take? This step allows me to pick the size, colors, shapes, etc., and gives me the chance to make the first set of adjustments. The second step is where I gather everything that I need and start to measure and piece it together. Here is where I can start to tell if it’s going to work or not. Once put together I can lastly make any final tweaks and determine the cost and time that went into making that piece. Then I ask myself, can I afford to make a collection of them? Can I make several in a short time or is it going to take more time than I can spare? These are all things that I need to consider.
If everything works out as planned, I’ll usually make a small collection of them and test the market. Do they sell? Do people like them? If people like them, then I can set up a small assembly line to produce batches. If they aren’t successful, that’s okay, because I only created a small collection to start with and I’m not out a whole lot.
Like I mentioned before, I don’t feel the need to create a prototype for every idea that I have, but I do for the larger and more detailed ones. Some ideas have worked and some have not, and that’s okay. A perk of having the idea written in my ideabook, is that I can look back on it later with fresh eyes, and who knows, maybe recreate it into something successful!
The past couple of weeks I’ve been creating prototypes and can’t wait to let you in on what I’ve been working on! I’ll have a shop update on Saturday Sept. 1st to kick off Fall, so I’ll keep you posted! ♥R
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Aug, 12Accessories, Accessories, Accessories
It wasn’t until recently that I started to really want to wear more accessories. I mean, I’ve always worn earrings, because, as my mom has always told me, “they brighten your face.” And I agree! I’ve also always worn my “nice” jewelry that has sentimental value to me. Like the necklace Ron gave me for Valentine’s one year, or the jewelry my parents gave me for birthdays. Those are all my favorites and I wear those all of the time, but I’m talking about playful accessories that you buy for yourself just for looks and fun. I’ve never been into lots of pieces at once, but recently I’ve been having a lot of fun layering necklaces and mixing in funky rings just because I can. I went through my jewelry boxes and found all sorts of old costume pieces that I forgot I even had!! Jackpot! It’s such a great feeling to find an old piece of jewelry from 198? that you used to wear as a kid. So special. As a creative, I like to think of myself as a very visual person, so I’m sort of surprised that I didn’t notice (or really care) how a few key accessories could really pull an outfit together. Accessories help polish a look, and if done right, can take a blah outfit to the next level. It took me how long to realize this?! I mean, I’ve seen other people do it and have thought, “that looks nice” but never thought more about it after that. So, now I’m on the lookout for fun and unique pieces and I can’t wait to see what I find next! What’s your favorite accessory? ♥R
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Jul, 12Thinking About Fall
Fall is my absolute favorite season (and not just because it’s my Birthday Season – but it helps!) and lately it seems like that’s all I can think about. I love Summer too, but since our boat has been in the shop for so long, I think that’s why I’m thinking so much about what to make and do this Fall. It’s been sad that we haven’t spent almost every weekend at the lake like we used to, but the shop can’t seem to figure out the issue. So we are left to find other ways to occupy our time, hahaha.
Fall is beautiful here in Colorado, and if you’ve never seen the trees change here, add it to your bucket list, because it’s breathtaking. People come from all over to the mountains to see the spectacle, and I think it’s just as beautiful in our own neighborhood. I love the cool chill in the air paired with gloomy days where I can bundle up in one of my many pea coats and a cup of hot coco. Bliss. Another favorite part of Fall is Halloween! One of my absolute favorite holidays! This is where my sketchbook is bursting at the seams, because I have filled it with many fun DIY projects to share. I can’t wait! Since I won’t be doing any craft shows this August and September, I’ll be working on those and I’m pretty excited!
This past Saturday night, Meghan, from Pleasantly Plump Knits, and I had a craft night together. We had such a great time each making a tote out of scrap fabric. We ended up chatting more than sewing, and we are finding out that we have a lot in common. I “met” Meghan back in December of last year on Instagram and found out that she was moving to Colorado with her hubby and two puggies. Once she moved and got settled we met up for coffee + tea (at Starbucks of course) and immediately hit it off! It was like I had known her for a long time and we just chatted about everything. Since then, we’ve found out that our husbands have a lot in common, too, which makes it even better! In fact, the fellas had a game night together while we crafted on Saturday. So cute.
Meghan and I chatted about Fall and some projects that we’d like to work on, which inspired me even more. I can’t wait for her to see the trees change, it’s truly beautiful. But until then, I’ll soak up as much sun as I can and hope that our boat is fixed in time to go out at least once on the lake before Fall. ♥rl
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Jul, 12inspired
Daydreaming is a wonderful thing and I do it a lot! I’ve been so inspired these past couple of days that I’ve been in constant daydream mode, seriously. I’m filling up my sketchbook so quickly that I’m about ready to start a new one (which I’m extremely excited about by the way, because my brother bought me a new one with little birdies on it!) You know when I’m in major daydream mode when I don’t have any music, TV, or anything on as I move about the studio, house or wherever I am. It can be sort of dangerous having this much inspiration running through my head, because I don’t remember what I was doing while in such deep thought… kind of scary! I’m just soaking it all in right now and prepping for the Summer Horseshoe Market this Saturday. It’s going to be a fun day with my mom and hopefully I’ll see some of you there.
I’ve also been inspired outside of the studio, too! Secret – I’m the only one in my family that doesn’t have a pastry or culinary bone in my body, but I love to try new recipes! They don’t always turn out as intended, but I have fun and I’m learning. This past week, however, I surprised myself and actually turned out three great recipes that even looked somewhat like the photographs! Nice, right?! I feel like I want to be a master of all things creative and I won’t stop until I get there. So, I’m riding this welcomed wave of inspiration and I’ll see where it takes me next.
What inspires you? Does it send you into deep thought leaving you almost exhausted at the end? Yup! Me too! Have a great night and I’ll see you tomorrow! ♥r
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Jul, 12{Featured Sponsor} July
Happy July 1st! July 4th is right around the corner for us here in the USA so things are getting pretty exciting! This month I wanted to feature one of my Sponsors, Daina. You might know her from New York State of Mind, where she shares all of her adventures in New York. She is such a sweet and kind person and you can get to know a little more about her right now, so enjoy!
1. What is your favorite hobby?
2. What is a current goal that you have made?
3. What are you most thankful for? Why?
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Jun, 12Making it Personal with Inspirational Quotes
I was excited to hear that Danica, over at The Nerdy Penguin, shared how she was inspired by my Inspirational Quotes post. She took a few of her favorite quotes and used pens and magazines that she had lying around to create her own version of this project. Check it out here and if you do your own version of this project, feel free to share it! I’d love to see! Thanks Danica! ♥RobbieLee
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Jun, 12{a list of…} my favorite inspirational quotes
{This one is my latest favorite, but I don’t know who said it. If you know, please share with me so I can give credit where credit is due. Thanks!}
As a creative, I find that I’m easily inspired by visual things, like photographs, paintings, sculptures, etc. But, once in a while something written will truly inspire me in the same way. I love when that happens! These are a few of my favorite inspirational quotes, what are your favorites?
This was a fun little project, it actually would make for a great {diy}. All you need is some pretty pretty magazine pages (I used some from Harper’s Bazaar), some markers and your favorite quotes. They came out so pretty that they are almost frame-able, eh? Note: For a few of the quotes, I was unable to find who said them, so if you know, please let me know! Thanks! ♥rl
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Jun, 12a mother + daughter outing
Holy cow! I just found this cute little post in my “drafts” folder!!! Sheesh! Well, the photos are fun and the day was magical, so enjoy…
Saturday, April 21st, my mom and I went to the 2nd annual Firefly Handmade Market in beautiful Boulder, CO. This craft fair was so sweet and magical, because it was set up at the base of the Flatiron Mountains in the Chautauqua Community House. There were about 60+ handmade vendors there all sharing what they do best, and it was nice to be a customer for a day. In addition to the lovely creatives and their crafts, they also had a photo booth, which as you can see, we spent a lot of time in… haha!
Oh, and we did end the day with some light shopping in Boulder and coffee. Perfect!
Spending the day up there with my momma was a lot of fun, now we have to get back to work and prep for our two upcoming craft shows! Yikes! One in May (past), and one in July. I hope you enjoyed peeking at our photos. Have a great day! ♥RobbieLee
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Apr, 12{studio sunday} with Lady Like
Today we have the two lovely ladies of Lady Like sharing their unique studio space. As you know, my momma and I love to craft together, so it’s always nice to see family working together towards the same dream. I hope you enjoy this feature as much as I do!
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1. Who are you and what do you do?
Hi! Our names are Diana and Kristy and we’re Lady Like. We’re a mother-daughter duo who create knitted and crocheted headbands, scarves, and cowls for women, children, and infants. Kristy’s a professional photographer and blog designer; she handles product design and inspiration and the technical side of the business. I’m the creator of the products in our Etsy shop. We love to brainstorm on colors, fibers, and new ideas.
2. Where is your studio located?
This is the hardest question to answer! Seriously, my studio these days is the couch! Did I just say that out loud? From the time I remember knitting and crocheting, I had my little corner of the couch and there I created. With the need to have a space to keep most of our yarn, threads, fabric, pre-made headbands and cowl, our spare bedroom became a studio–all our yarn inventory, sewing supplies, shipping items within fingertip reach. We also have a craft room where we stock our inventory and supplies. It’s a sunny room to work in when the couch just won’t do. Another part of our studio is at various locations for photo shoots. That’s where Kristy’s able to capture such beautiful pictures of our models wearing our products.
3. How long have you had your current “studio” space?
We’ve been using this space for about two years.
4. What is your favorite part of your “studio?”
Although we have a designated craft room, I enjoy the comforts of working on the couch, watching favorite shows On Demand while my needles and hooks are clicking away. I also like being in the studio space where I sew our fabric bags that we ship all our products in. The sun shines so brightly through the front window and I get to watch the seasons change before my eyes.
5. Approx. how many hours do you spend in the “studio?”
Most of my time is spent in my creative spaces working with the yarn fibers. I probably knit and crochet 3 to 4 hours a day. I probably sew about 3 hours a week when I need to make our gift fabric bags. I really do love being in both places.
6. Do you have future plans for the space?
I have reworked the craft room space many times and each time it gets better. I’m sure it’ll be time to revamp it again soon. I have plans to add some photography to the walls that my daughter Kristy has taken from all over the world for inspiration. The craft room is a sunny space with a big window to enjoy the beautiful outdoors here in Oregon. It’s almost as pretty as working outside when you have a view like that.
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Apr, 12{a list of…} pretty patterns
I love patterns of all kinds, these are just a few of my recent favorites. Bold patterns can be great alone, but I think they are best when paired together. What are your favorite patterns these days? ♥RobbieLee
1. Chevron is very popular these days and for good reason, too. It’s bold and can be worn in many colors to offer that “look at me” affect. {image via pacific atlantic}
2. Floral prints are oh-so-girly and perfect for Spring! I love big and bold floral prints best these days. {image via tumbler}
3. Stripes are so super sweet, because they can also be worn in any color, thickness and angle (yes, even horizontally) {image via the pretty haze}
4. Gingham is very prim and proper and perfect for a wedding, baby shower or brunch with the girls. It’s so classic. {image via pacific atlantic}
5. Spots! Big or small, this pattern can be worn anytime, anywhere, because they’re so fun! {image via pinterest …original source not known}
