Etsy!

I finally got my Etsy shop set up:

http://InTheRedwoods.etsy.com

And there's stuff in it! It's a start at least, just testing the waters. I did read somewhere that it takes an average of 6 months for the first sale. Plus I have no feedback yet, so I'm sure it'll be slow starting.

Christmas, Lemon Curd, and Beads

I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas. I finished all my gifts but three. Two of them I gave anyway, with an IOU to finish. One was my dad's fingerless gloves, and I'm glad I did, because they weren't going to fit right if I had finished without him trying them on. Then my husband's gift I didn't finish and didn't show him yet. I ran into some modifications needed, and I realized that it'd be best if he waited to see it. Pictures of everything will be for the next post.

I always associate lemon curd with Christmas. I had tried making some lime curd from this recipe, and I think it turned out well. But it wasn't until yesterday I finally got around to making the lemon curd. The dozen or so lemons I picked from my mom's place had been staring at me every time I passed the kitchen.

There's something extremely satisfying about enjoying lemon curd on homemade bread. I haven't made bread in awhile, and this turned out a little dense, but not bad. I didn't realize that I was running out of white flour, so it turned out to be about 1/2 whole wheat, instead of the 1/4 I was going for.

I decorated my office cube a little bit. I always put up this bit of greenery with wooden beads, and this year I added tiny stockings with my team members' initials on them. I tried to keep them well-stocked with chocolate goodness.

A friend had a Christmas open house, and I made her these little wine tags. I had fun picking out the charms to match the seed beads. I realized after I got home that the red was a bigger bead, but I think it looks alright. I want to try making more of these someday.

Speaking of beads, a friend has inspired me with her jewelry-making. I have been really enjoying browsing through Fire Mountain Gems, and I've placed two orders with them so far. I just realized that their quantity discounts don't apply only to a single item, but are accumulated. That's dangerous to know :) For inspiration, check out their gallery. Wow.

Gift Update

Here's a quick update on the Christmas gifts. I know this would be much more interesting with pictures, but you'll have to wait :) And of course some items are more involved than others.

Finished: 2

In progress: 5
90%
95%
10%
5%
5% - started last night :)

And two more left to start, possibly 3 more still. Some of those I don't mind too much if they're given in January.

I also get distracted with non-Christmas gifts, one of which I'll be finishing and showing off this coming weekend. I'm also doing a general holiday thing, which I prepped this weekend and hope to get out next week sometime.

If I make everything again next year, I think I'll start in April...

Green for Groceries

First off, I've finished TWO Christmas presents, and I have one more at about 75%. Woohoo!

Secondly, here are two fantastic sewing ideas:

A simple, yet pretty-looking market bag. I've been searching for the perfect re-usable grocery bag to make. I've tried crochet- too thick and bulky to carry many at a time, and I've tried the fabric version cut out from a pattern of the original plastic ones, and that worked alright, but didn't pack nicely. I think I'll try this basic idea. And it's reversible!

Next, from the same site we have the reusable produce bags. These I'm very excited about. We've been using so much plastic since we've been eating more fruits and vegetables. And now I know what to do with the leftover 50+ yards of tulle from our wedding, even after I make a petticoat or two. Not to mention the spools of ribbon! My favorite projects are things I already have ingredients for :)

I'm wondering how either of these might work as gifts... too practical? Anyone have suggestions/thoughts? As a receiver I would be ecstatic, and the author talks about giving them away often. Maybe I'll try a couple for myself and see how well I like them.