I'm so very thankful....

I don't often write about my personal life on my blog. I kind of like to keep my little world all to myself. But I can't write about what I'm thankful for without starting with my family. I am blessed beyond my wildest dreams. Each and everyday I wake up with a smile and a heart that is filled with love. I have just about everything a woman could ever want, unless of course you are a women who love shoes. Me, I wouldn't trade my big warm slippers for a pair of high heeled pumps any day of the week.

I have an awesome husband. We were married 2 years ago in a little park near our old home. Our immediate family and friends were there to share our day with us. My little sister became ordained so she could officiate our ceremony. Our mom's were our witnesses. Since both our father's have passed, my sons gave me away. It was wonderful.
Here is a picture of me and my wonderful husband Paul onour wedding day. I love and cherish him and our life together more than I can say.


When I moved a few months ago, I told you that I had a new sewing studio. My hubby just finished my wall to wall, ceiling to floor shelves. They are to die for! I have so much to do, I haven't had to the time to organize my things on them yet. But when I finally have the time to lavish on them, I will be in sewing heaven. Here is an in-progress shot. We just put them up. I am still organizing. I'll give you the money shot once I have everything nicely organized.
Oh...I happy for my shelves, but I'm grateful for my husband Paul. He spoils me rotten and he is an incredible man.


I have a beautiful grand daughter, Brooke. She brings so much love and giggling to my life. How is it that a 2 1/2 year old can turn me upside down and inside out with joy with just her smile. Here she is in her "That's it, Take me to Grandma's!" t-shirt.


I have 2 sons who are all grown up. Jim is married to Ashley. She has such a heart of gold and her smile lights up the room. I can see why Jim adores her. They are so happy and that makes me happy.


Brett is the father of Brookey and Sam is her mom. I always wanted a daughter and now I have 2!

Samantha is an amazing mom and she is a warm and lovely young woman.


My growing family is amazing!

Of course, I cried during grace. I just have way too much to be grateful for this year. I really couldn't ask for anything else.
Paul laughed at me as I cried tears of joy as the door closed yesterday after a day of love and laughter. My heart is happy!

My extended family is big and beautiful. I am one of 7 kids. My mom is truly the best mom that ever was. She taught me that I could do anything with a little imagination. My father, whom I miss more than I can say taught me that with hard work and a tenacious spirit, to never give up to always give my best. Here is my ever-growing family as of last year.


I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving and your Christmas or your respective holiday is joyous.
I am also very thankful to share my work with you!

Thanks for stopping by!

Thank you Elizabeth!

I always say that I meet the best people through my Etsy shop, Fiberluscious. Its amazing how generous they are in spirit, support and in encouragement. In September I met Elizabeth. She is the editor of Needlepoint Now. I felt incredibly honored to have someone who world revolves around stitching ask me to create an embroidered pincushion! One is for herself and the other was for a gift she wanted to give. I was a bit nervous, as I always want to do my best with each new project. She chose my humble little emery strawberry in fabrics from my civil war reproduction prints.

She asked me if I wanted to write a little something for her "What's New" section. I really feel like a beginner most days. I've only been stitching for 5 years and to tell you the truth, so much of my embroidery is freeform. I use about 5 stitches in ways they probably were never designed to be used! I pretty much just follow my heart. How could I pretend to be an expert!

To my great surprise, she went ahead and decided to just feature my strawberries in her December Newsletter and Christmas edition- one of her biggest issues yet!
Find her newsletter here- http://www.needlepointnow.com/wp-content/uploads/NN_NWSLTR_Oct13.pdf

I had no idea. All I knew was that suddenly everyone wanted a strawberry. The orders just kind of began rolling in. I"m currently filling over 15 orders from the last 5 days! Oh my. Its a great thing that I had a few designs in my shop. So I am not only creating berries like Elizabeth's. I'm have a bunch of black wool stumpwork berries to make.

If you want to see many more of my strawberry styles, check out a post I did in February of this year. Just click here.

Well, this is why I haven't written for you in such a long time. I'm so busy making beautiful things for my beautiful clients. I miss our chats as I always get such uplifting and fun comments from you all. It can be kind of lonely here without you all!

I have to tell you that I am a sucker for anyone who wants to give handmade for a gift. I think there is nothing more personal than something created specifically and lovingly for someone you love. Don't you agree? If so, you may use this coupon code for 10% off this holiday season- FiberJoy10. Its good till January 1st, 2014. It can be applied to your entire order. I even will provide a gift box if you tell me you need one. (I think I may be a distant descendent of Santa, That is if he is Polish and Irish!)

I do have a wonderful surprise for my next post!
I am working with a customer of mine who also has a beautiful shop on Etsy. Her name is Cynthia Crane and she has a shop featuring ceramics. So how do you mix a potter and a stitcher? Well, that's easy. She makes adorable buttons. We will be creating a project together! Click on her name, Cynthia Crane, to see her adorable Etsy shop.
Here is a peek at a few of her items.
Here is a cute little ornament. I ordered a mug for myself!



This is a mug much like the one I ordered. Isn't it adorable! I originally thought it would make a great gift, but it will be tough to let it go!

here is her website- Cynthia Cranes Art and Gardening Its so sweet and she has a free desktop calendar for you to download!


She is sending me a few buttons to stitch onto one of my pincushions. She also promises to offer a set of buttons for a giveaway! (I kind of felt like Oprah there)

So watch for our giveaway. I'll be creating a pincushion adorned with one of her buttons. She will be giving away buttons for you to adorn your own project!
Sign up for my newsletter if you don't want to miss it!
Until then- happy sewing!

The Amazings!

I just discovered a really lovely blog and website called The Amazings (https://www.theamazings.com/#_=_)

They love how craft is taught from one generation to another. So they have set up on line classes you can purchase. You will learn from a grandmother, grand daughter team, a mom and daughter team, or a mix of all generations. I was taught everything I know from my grandma and my mom. My mom was an artist and crafter. My grandma and mom both sewed as well. I moved on to quilting on my own, but these amazing women taught me that if you can imagine it, you can create it. Thank you for those beautiful blessings!


This technique is taught by Gilda. She teaches how to create beautiful fiber jewelry using free motion embroidery. So you can see, age does not mean aged or out dated. These women are happening!

I hope you stop by and check them out. I am so swamped, so this post will be just a teaser.
Click on the link above and see how amazing this site really is.
You can also find them on Facebook Here.

See you all soon!

One more thing about Etsy's new policies and then back to the fun stuff. I promise.

I was contacted by MarketWatch and I was so lucky to have had an opportunity to voice my concerns where millions can weigh in.
Here is the link-
http://www.marketwatch.com/story/do-etsys-changes-risk-making-it-like-ebay-2013-10-03?pagenumber=2

Today, ABC, Today and The Guardian also addressed this change. You can read here.

"Etsy's 'handmade' policy will let sellers hire staff, use manufacturers"
www.today.com/money/etsys-handmade-policy-will-let-sellers-hire-sta...


"Etsy to Let Sellers Hire Staff, Use Manufacturers"
abcnews.go.com/Technology/wireStory/etsy-sellers-hire-staff-manufac...

"Etsy tests definition of 'handmade' with policy change allowing factory use"
www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2013/oct/01/etsy-handmade-policy-c...

I would also encourage buyers to contact Etsy's administration and weigh in.
You can reach them here- guidelines@etsy.com.

Thank you for all of your support!

New Etsy Policies- Tell me what you think.

Hello all,
I really hate to use my blog as a forum because I want to stay positive. However, Etsy has just announced that it is changing it's policies. They will allow shops that come up with an idea, but have others make it...no limit to how many others, maybe thousands (Ikea?) and multiple shipping locations to do business on Etsy. I feel that little handmade item makers, like myself will be lost in the big business crowd.

I'd love to know if people truly value "real handmade" as much as I hope they do. I know they they are willing to invest in my best pincushions. I thank you from the bottom of my heart for allowing me to indulge in lavish items. Its nice to spend real time to make really beautiful things. If it was about me churning out lots of easy stuff, I would never feel as good as I do about my Etsy shop.

It may take 50 hours to create an embroidered pincushion. That's about 10 cents an hour for me in wages. I do this out of love not money. I think Etsy forgets that most of its original makers feel this way. We want to make and share beautiful things. If it weren't for my Etsy shop, I couldn't buy so many lovely materials. I would have piles of creations in my closet. I would not meet so many wonderful customers, who often become so instrumental in the success of my shop and the happiness I feel.

Here is how I built my shop, which in Etsy terms is probably average. I am an entrepreneur at heart. I love to share my creativity. I originally had about 10 fat quarters of material and about 15 colors of embroidery floss. As I sold items, (it took me 3 months to get my first sale), I was able to invest in more materials. The more I sold, the more I was able to grow my visibility on Etsy. It costs money to do that. The more money you have, the more views you can buy. Well, eventually I had piles of fabric and lots of floss and perle cotton. Its taken me over 4 years to get to the point where I have more than one sale a week. For the first 2 years I had one sale a month! I now am blessed with a shop that does well. Summers are lean and scary but the holidays are wonderful and very busy. I cannot support myself with this income, but it feeds my creative spirit. Of course, I'd love to do better.

I could never "Quit my Day Job" as they advertise. But I do make enough to buy groceries, put gas in my car, build my shop and occasionally treat my husband to a dinner out here and there. Sellers like myself built Etsy into a billion dollar business. They are doing quite well. They make many hundreds and millions of dollars from the fees and advertising shop owners pay.

If I was a big business, I could literally over shadow a new shop so they never have a chance. Most businesses grows by its capitol and man power. Ebay, Amazon and many other venues support those big businesses. If I had a factory, I would should sell on Ebay. That is where businesses do business.

Etsy was built on the idea of the little maker handmaking beautiful things. Its about empowering any one and every one to support their families and contribute to their communities and to the economy. Etsy features many lovely stories about couples working together in their spare room. They show how a poor person can turn recycled items into profit. They do write ups on how artisans dedicate themselves to quality and originality. You won't find any pictures of sweatshops on Etsy. Its about shop owners like me.

It was just announced today that Etsy will allow businesses to build shops on Etsy as long as a person makes the product. Before, if you didn't make your item, you couldn't sell it on Etsy. You just have to know who's making your stuff and take responsibility for it. As long as you don't hire robots on an assembly line, you qualify for a shop on Etsy. You can have your idea manufactured in China, as long as people create it. Thats the bottom line. They will examine your application for a shop for your happy intents, but Etsy has rarely policed shops. There are a lot rip offs on Etsy. But, for the most part, most Etsy shops are wonderfully handmade. For now. I think they are adhering to the word "handmade" without honoring the spirit of the word.

I am feeling a bit worried about the future of my Etsy shop. I'm worried that I will be lost among giants who will overwhelm the Etsy site with big capitol. Etsy will grow by leaps and bounds. Handmade will suffer. Does that matter? That is what I would like to know from you.

What do you think? Would you be upset if you found out that your pincushion was made by a person in a "factory" instead of here, by my hands? Is there still a place in America where true originality and craftsmanship matter? Does a website that empowers individuals still important?

I don't need reassurance. You already are so kind in your comments. I just would love to know how you feel about shops like mine and websites like Etsy.

Thanks for your time!

Fiberluscious on Etsy So Many Ways to Save!

Order from my shop, Fiberluscious, and you become a part of my Fiberluscious Family!

I love my customers. I strive to spoil you all rotten from your 1st order to your 50th!

I will put my heart and soul into your creations because I love what I do and I am so happy that you chose my shop and my item over the many thousands, perhaps millions or items and shops on Etsy. That is a high compliment indeed and I'm grateful.

I only have one chance to wow you... to welcome you into my fun fiber family. If you like the experience, I hope you come back again and again. If I had to guess, I'd say that 40% of my business is return customers. That makes me so darn proud and lucky. I have fun getting to know your likes, your favorites and how to make things you love and want to share.

First, I'd like to offer you a few enticements and steer you into ways that further enhance your experience with Fiberluscious on Etsy.

Coupon codes are lovely little number and letter combinations that magically transform the total payment for your items. Here are just a few you may use.

PayPal is my preferred method of payment. First time buyers can use the coupon code FiberPP5 and receive a 5% discount on your first order! How easy is that?

"Why?" you ask... Well, PayPal allows me instant access to the money I make on Etsy. Etsy likes to hold onto all credit card dollars for 3 to 5 days, even longer on a holiday weekend. I think if anyone should be collecting interest on my earnings, it should be me. I'm kind of funny that way. So to all of my customers, please use PayPal whenever possible. If you prefer not to use PayPal, I will still like you. Who am I to tell you how to spend your money? Please note, I don't have a deal with PayPal. I just like the way they do business.

Preferred Customer 10% Code
All returning customers receive a 10% off discount for each and every order for as long as I have my shop. Yes, you heard that right. I do it because I value your business. Chances are, you will be ordering for your sewing friends and family. You know how much I love presents! So come back and make it often. Heck, don't have an order, just drop me a line. I love to hear from you.
If you have ever ordered from Fiberluscious, you know the code. Its our little secret, but if you forget it, just send me a line and I'll remind you of it.

Cyber Monday, which is the Internet's version of Black Friday, except for its on Monday. Why Monday..well its the busiest shopping day on the internet. Use the code, CyberFiber10 on Monday, December 2, 2013 and receive 10% off. (Please note that you can only use one coupon code per order.)

You will find awesome holiday sales with most holidays. I offer a number of coupon codes before Christmas. Get 10% off your first order any Friday in the month of December. Just use the coupon code, FiberFriday10. Any customer may use this code in December.

Moms are Awesome! Use the coupon code, FiberMom15 for a 15% off discount on any gift for mom. This coupon code is only valid April 1st through May 12, 2014. That should give you plenty of time to request a custom item for your special mom. I have the best mom in the world so this code is extra special.

I offer other discounts during the year, sometimes for no reason at all. Watch my shop introduction, (on the top of my Etsy home page.) My announcements are easy to see. I'll remind you of the codes listed above in that spot, but it wouldn't hurt to put them on your calendar.

Gift Giving Made Easy and Beautiful!

I adore presents. I love making them, giving them and of course, its fun to get them as well! If you tell me your item is a gift, I'll add a little extra love into it's creation.

I'll send along a free gift box if I can. Your item automatically comes in pretty tissue with a tulle bow. I want you to feel like your order is a present for you! Reuse the wrapping and save a tree. Its all happy and good!

I'll ship your item directly to the recipient if you like. Just give me their address. I'll be sure not to send them an invoice. I will send them a little note if you like, or add a gift tag with your name. I really don't mind. Please ask if this makes your life easier, or if we are running short on time. Don't forget to tell me if we need to rush your order. I'll try my best to meet most deadlines. I do recommend a 2-3 week window to create any custom items. Don't forget to allow for shipping time as well.

If you would like a deluxe wrapping joy, which is almost a work of art in itself, I'll create a custom wrap using fabric, vintage brooches, buttons, ribbons... you name it! Here are just a few examples. Purchase this deluxe wrapping here. I will add a gift tag as well, holiday themed when appropriate. I love a great presentation. I think if you wrap a lump of coal the right way, it can be the best present ever!

Well, I hope I have given you a few reasons to give Fiberluscious a try. I promise to make you feel like it was the best idea you ever had!

My new beginning just begun!

Well, my hubby and I are officially moved. We decided to do a slow move, taking our time...doing it ourselves. After all is said and done, I'm not sure I would do it again. It may be easier to do it all at once, kind of like ripping off a bandage. It hurts like heck, but it's over in a flash and you can move on.

Its been 2 weeks since I picked up a needle. They are so much lighter than a box of belongings! I miss my art, I miss my colors, I miss the feel of a fine fabric in my hand. When I can finally start working again I will be the happiest stitcher on planet earth! Just a few more boxes to unpack. Now where is my sewing machine?

The only thing that keeps me going is that I will finally have a sewing studio of my very own. No sharing with children's twin beds and no more quilting on the dining room table!!! Yippee!
Here I am at the dining room table. It really wasn't bad. It was right in front of my patio doors which let in copious rays of lovely sunlight and cool evening breezes.

I'll post a few pictures tomorrow. I managed to snap a few before all the boxes came pouring into the room. I have some great ideas for fabric storage. All my colors, fabrics and crafty goodness has been sorted. All I need now are shelves to put them on. Here are a few ideas I found on Pinterest. I have to apologize for not providing links to the artists and bloggers where these images originated from. I tried to pick pictures that had the website printed on the picture. However, many of these great ideas came from Flicker. A great image site, but not so great when it comes to giving credit where credit is due.

I find that organizing thread spools and bobbins is nearly impossible to do in a way that does not involve tangled threads. While moving I found many frames from my painting days. I can't wait to give these ideas a try!



Of course, dreaming is wonderful, but in the end you have what you have and some dreams are just that...dreams.
I have 2 matching bookcases similar to these in a lovely warm wood tone. Now, I can't see using a lazy susan as I can just picture placing my work table between the shelves, but I love how they used the sides to add even more storage!


I really love this idea! Using bookcases as supports for a roomy work surface is a great two for one deal!


My wonderful husband promises that he will build me shelves just like these! I can't wait. He is very handy and spoils me rotten. I'm one lucky gal.


I have a nice computer desk which wraps around one corner of the room. I may put my sewing machine on one side to see if there is enough room. If not, it can go onto the work surface. I kind of wanted that a bit higher, so cutting fabric is easy on the back. I guess its all just one more creative journey. I can't wait to show you how it turns out...that is just before it becomes one big pile of overflowing, crafty, goodness!

Here are some pictures of day one. That is, right before mountains of my boxes of fabric and other craft supplies arrived.


By the way, the birds didn't stay long enough to start a new family at the old place. I think they figured something was up. (It was for the best.) I'm going to put up a bird feeder here and see what happens. Our old place was in a small town and our apartment was high on a hill surrounded by trees, grass and gardens. Here...well, we have grass and big trees. Its a bit noisy and the sky is not filled with a thousand stars, (that you can see that is). I'm sure there up there, just can't find them in the city lights. I'm curious to see how this change affects my art. Hmmmmm. You just never know!

While I know I will miss my sunshine and the universe of stars at my fingertips, I believe that attitude is absolutely everything. We chose this place for so many good reasons but its not home. Its a stepping stone to a house. We may be here for years and time is much too short to waste on waiting for the ideal situation. If I want it to be great, that is a choice I make now. I choose to create a "home" and a studio that inspires beauty. Its funny. My next door neighbor always imagined my apartment to be a showcase. In reality, it was homey but not what she imagined. She always saw the flowers I grew and the paintings though my open windows and it was her imagination that made it beautiful. Life is like that...and that is a wonderful thing.

One more thing....
Its funny. I always thought that beautiful work had to come from a beautiful workspace. You know, like in the magazines and blogs. For many years I worked in my living areas. I kind of felt like I wasn't a real artist until I had a studio. In the end, it all really just came down to having a place to put my pins and sharp things where my grand daughter (2 1/2 yrs) wouldn't get hurt.
I've seen the beauty that comes from you all. I was so wrong.
Beauty comes from the hand and from the heart- not from a space.

I have more doves today!

I was having my coffee this morning and heard my favorite cooing sound. Just as I was missing my babies, a new pair of doves came to roost in my planters. Because they chose a new spot where the plants are healthy and bushy, I couldn't get a good picture. I promise not to put you through more baby pictures. Yes, I am one of those kinds of parents. I'll see if I can sneak a picture soon. I hope they will lay their eggs and the new babies will be gone before the 1st of October. New tenants will be in this apartment. I just so happy to have them back. I was missing them. A person can get used to all the beauty.