Busy Lil' Bees Designs Craft Blog

Tornadoes & Mom

2011-04-27T21:37:00.005-04:00

This evening I put pencil to paper to draft this blog entry. The local news played in the background, displaying a myriad of bright colors to illustrate the dangerous storm front moving into the area. There was the occasional break in by the National Weather Service updating the surrounding counties under the Tornado Watch. For my Virginia neighbors, you know that we have been experiencing far too many of these damaging storms lately (as evidenced by the heavy damage at Page Middle School and loss of life in Glouceter County).

As the sound of thunder rolled in the distance, I figured I'd play it safe and leave the computer turned off. No sense risking a power surge that could possibly damage it. So after scrounging around for some notebook paper, I set about the task of writing this entry, keeping a wary eye on the conditions out the window and an ear open for those NWS bulletins.

I couldn't help but think back to the tornado my family and I survived when I was about age 7. It was a beautiful day--a hot one though (much like today). My sisters and I were playing in the front yard--hopscotch if memory serves me correctly. We noticed the wind pick up by paid it little mind--oblivious to how green the sky was growing. There was a funny smell in the air as I recall. What I remember the most, aside from the sound of a freight train, was standing there motionless watching the cloud descend. The next thing I kenw, I felt an intense pain in the back of my head as my mother jerked me up by my pony tail. I was so mesmerized by the storm I hadn't heard her screaming my name. We ran into the house and were huddled in the hallway in the center of the house. Mom threw a blanket over the three of us, told us to hang on to one another, and that she loved us. The tornado seemed to bounce back and forth across the street and hit every other house. We were one of the lucky ones. Our house was skipped and left relativelyb unscathed by flying debris.

Thinking back, I don't remember my mother telling me that she loved me very often while I was growing up. I'm sure she did so more often than I actually remember. Buty my sisters and I grew up part of a growing statistic--products of divorced parents. So life wasn't always very easy for us. We weren't a family that shared our emotions with each other. So as an adult, I haven't found it very easy to express those feelings to them now.

Mother's Day always presents a challenge--not so much in terms of what to buy for her but what to say to her in a greeting card. Sappy lines of prose don't really fit. Picturesque description of childhood memories don't often apply. However, this year, things are a little different. See, my mother is beginning to have great difficulty with her memory. As the memory loss worsens, she has begun experiencing high anxiety. She now makes a point to tell me she loves me every time we talk.

So now my focus ha shifted--finding the words to use in a greeting card isn't so much about reminiscing about childhood events. It has become more about letting my mother know that I'm here for her, love her, and want to enjoy the time we have together now. I noticed that she has already started having a hard time calling me by my name, often calling me by one of my sisters'. Keeping this in mind, I created a design based on the premise of a family tree--incorporating all three of our names.

I've framed the print in a floating frame and paired it with a matching card. This design has been made available for sale on our Etsy site. It will be personalized with your own names and your choice of colors. It will be shipped out in Priority Mail, but be sure to order soon to make sure it's received in time for Mother's Day on May 8th (although it would also make a good birthday gift as well).

Whatever you give your mother this year, make sure you're focusing on what is more important--letting her knjow you love her.

Oh, and by the way, 5 tornadoes touched down in our area tonight. The damage reports won't be in until morning and we have another storm line heading to the area later tonight. However, my neighborhood didn't experience the brunt of the storm and I'm grateful. I hope you and your family are also safe. Time to shut down the computer for the next round...

Choosing Handmade

2011-04-04T22:26:00.002-04:00

A fellow Etsy crafter is quoted as saying: “Choosing handmade is choosing a slower way of life, one rooted in tradition and creative expression. Handmade always involves a story that is as much about the maker as it is about the product.”

In the age of mass produced goods, it’s often hard to find handmade items. While the Industrial Revolution brought about a factory system that allowed for mass production of textiles and other goods, hands-on artisan skills shifted to mechanical production in factories in major cities. This mass production brought about a lower cost for goods and an increase in the number of jobs available.

Such advances in technology and energy led to urbanization, an influx of capital that allowed businesses to grow, and a new social class structure. However, today, a significant portion of American companies have found cheaper alternatives to production outside of our borders and failed trade policies with other countries have decimated the manufacturing base in the United States.

Today, we are hard pressed to find items in our own homes that were not manufactured in Bangladesh, China, Honduras, India, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Pakistan, Taiwan, and Thailand. The result of the lack of American-made goods available, unfortunately, has led to a drastically altered structure of our economy. Quality of merchandise and artisan skill has fallen to the wayside when compared to the cost benefit of mass produced items.

However, this cost savings has also cost valuable manufacturing job positions in this country. As a result of our floundering economy, focus is being shifted to the purchase of American-made products. A recent study has shown that if each American spent 1% more each day (just 18¢) on domestic goods, it could produce 200,000 new jobs.

That’s where websites like Etsy come into play. Etsy was formed in 2005 to showcase handmade or vintage items as well as arts and crafts supplies. It has grown significantly to tens of thousands of sellers and five times that amount in buyers. In 2007, Etsy celebrated its one-millionth sale. The site follows in the tradition of open-air craft fairs and allows sellers to have a personal online storefront from which to list their handmade goods for sale. Another rich feature of the online community is the “Buy Local” feature that allows you to search for artisans in your local community. So not only are your purchases helping American-based artisans, but they can also support local craft businesses that in turn help the economy by paying sales taxes.

Etsy has a permanent lab located in DUMBO, Brooklyn (New York), which they call “Etsy Labs”. They are also one of the main members of the Handmade Consortium—a 2007 effort to encourage buying handmade holiday gifts. Etsy keeps their pricing structure simple, charging sellers 20¢ for each item listing plus 3.5% of each sale. It doesn’t cost anything to create a buyer account and get started purchasing handmade goods, vintage items, and supplies.

If you haven’t had a chance to check out the site, click here: www.etsy.com. If you’d like take a look at the handmade items Busy Lil’ Bees Designs has to offer on Etsy, check out our online storefront at www.busylilbees.etsy.com. REMEMBER: Shop local and buy homemade.

Make it a Great Day!

2011-03-25T16:10:00.004-04:00

Make it a great day …or not…the choice is yours!

We often hear the frequently insincere phrase: “Have a Nice Day.” The truth is, it is up to us to determine what sort of day we are going to have. Notice the emphasis on us. While we do not have control over everything that happens to us on a daily basis, we have a choice to control how we react to things. Some days are greater than others—that’s just a fact of life—but every day can be a great day if we choose to make it that way.

Having a positive outlook goes a long way towards creating happiness for ourselves. Don’t wait for someone to make you happy—reach out and grab the happiness for yourself. Alter your state of mind and find the joy in life—even if it is in the little things that seem insignificant.

Attitude is a choice and I want to strive to choose to have a positive one. With this in mind, I want to share with you my plan of action to make this a part of my every day life:

Let go of selfish notions. “It’s not all about me.” Make a plan to help others—go the extra mile and share your gifts and talents. Everyone could use a helping hand—extend yours.
Acknowledge your blessings. Be thankful for what you have, and while you’re being thankful, remember to thank those around you. Thank the bank teller for assisting you, the stranger who held the door, the co-worker who helped you meet that deadline, etc.
Lighten up. Plant a smile on your face, even when the world seems to crumble around your feet. Just the simple act of smiling can improve your mood and those around you. Go the extra mile and throw some laughter into the mix. Don’t take yourself so seriously and look for the humor in every situation.
Let it go. Grudges suck the joy out of life. Everyone hurts someone—we are not perfect. Be the first to apologize and be quick to forgive. We feel better about ourselves the more we learn to accept and give forgiveness.
Live with passion. Envelope your uniqueness and believe in yourself. Don’t let you be the roadblock in your own success. Believe in yourself—the world needs you to do your part.
Look for the good in all things. You are going to face difficult and unpleasant circumstances in life. The key is to use those experiences to learn and grow. Turn negative experiences into positive life lessons. Learn those lessons well or you are doomed to repeat your errors.

I’m putting this plan in action moving forward, starting today. My first step is to create a line of positive, upbeat, and uplifting greeting cards. I plan to donate 50% of the proceeds to the Japan Earthquake and Tsunami Fund. I will post pictures soon and get these uploaded to both our website and Etsy page. Remember to check back soon, and while you are here, don’t forget to sign up as a follower of my blog and leave a comment about what methods you use to stay positive.

Bad, Bad Blogger

2011-03-19T11:25:00.003-04:00

I’ve been a bad, bad blogger. It’s been far too long since I contributed to my blog. While I do enjoy having an online presence, life just has a way of getting in the way—especially in the past few months!!! The bulk of my energy has been taken by a few unexpected projects and events. However, I am working hard to get myself back into the groove of things. So please accept my apologies for my extended absence, and while I am apologizing, let me do so in advance for any future absence that may be required as I struggle to juggle the complexities of the life of a busy crafter.

For those who don’t know me well, let me take a moment to reintroduce myself. I am a 30-something workaholic who stays exceptionally busy as a full time property manager, owner of a medical transcription company, and crafter who is in a joint venture with my sister called Busy Lil’ Bees Designs. I’m also the proud parent of a head-strong (but lovable) 17-year-old who will be graduating this year. I will be celebrating 20 years with my high school sweetheart (and 18 years of marriage). I also have a few health challenges (that’s what I prefer to call them) that tend to complicate things a bit. As you can probably tell, I like to keep busy, and with all the responsibilities I have on a day-to-day basis, that’s not hard to do!

Busy Lil’ Bees is where I get to let my creative juices flow—creating and selling all sorts of gift items (diaper cakes, cupcakes and wreaths; towel cakes; spa gift baskets; fleece blankets; etc.), home décor items (tole painting, cross-stitch, flower arrangements, wreaths, kitchen angels, etc.), and greeting cards. When I am not busy creating, I am working on marketing this craft business by blogging, managing a Facebook presence, maintaining our own website, selling our goods on Etsy, and booking local area craft shows.

I plan to continue to offer FREE paper piecing projects on a regular basis on this blog, as well as to showcase some our most recent products, keep readers informed of upcoming local area craft shows, and maybe even provide some helpful insights to other fellow crafters by way of advice and critiques of products.

So if you are interested in the crazy life of a busy crafter, don’t forget to sign up as a follower of my blog, and hang on for a wild and bumpy ride! If nothing else, I hope this blog can provide a few laughs with the funny stories I share (Confessions of a Cricut Addict or A Crazy Day in the Life of a Crafter) to help you get to know me. Thanks for stopping by!

P.S. If you have a moment, submit a comment. After all, you never know when I’ll send you a FREE surprise just for fun! I've been busy adding new products to our Etsy site, you can check it out at http://www.busylilbees.etsy.com/. I will be working on updating our website at http://www.busylilbees.com/ where any upcoming craft shows will be posted.

A Crazy Day In The Life of A Crafter

2010-10-05T19:58:00.007-04:00

Looking for a little humor in your life? I know I could sure use some after the day I had yesterday. So I figured I would share my story. If nothing else…hopefully someone will get a good laugh out of it!

The day started off like any other typical gloomy, gray, rainy Monday morning. I had carefully crafted my daily “To Do” list, determined I was going to be able to check off everything on my list by the end of the day, no matter what. Isn’t it funny how life interrupts the plans you have made for yourself?!

I wanted to make sure that I had plenty of time in the afternoon to put together several new autumn card designs I had been formulating in my mind. To ensure this, I decided I would get dinner started in the morning—letting it cook all day so that I would have minimal dinner prep to do before sitting down with the family to eat. So I pulled out my huge stock pot, filling it with yummy ingredients so that we could all enjoy a big pot of Great Northern Beans & Ham for dinner. I got it simmering on the stove and went on with the rest of my day.

Now most of you know that the “Busy Lil’ Bees” name we chose for our craft business truly reflects our schedule. I work as a property manager in addition to operating my own medical transcription company and managing this craft business my sister and I started. Needless to say, I stay on the move constantly and my days can get a bit harried at times. Don’t get me wrong…I’m not complaining…I rather enjoy staying busy. I do, after all, take after my father who hasn’t been able to sit still a day in his life!

So off to work I went, ready to get my day going! Two hours into my work day, I knew it was going to be tough to get everything done on my list. Things just seemed to keep popping up and throwing the rest of my schedule off course. I shrugged it off, however, determined to keep plugging along. I was thankful that I only worked a half-day and would have the whole rest of the day to try to get caught up on my list.

Fast forwarding a bit…I ended up leaving work a half-hour later than expected. That’s just how it works sometimes in this business—you can’t just jump up, shoo everyone from the office and close the door in people’s faces while you flip the sign to “CLOSED.” I finally managed to get home and as I am heading up the walk I can hear my cats crying from inside the house. Keep in mind, that this is pretty strange. My cats rarely meow unless their food bowl is empty, they inadvertently get shut up in a room, or decide they simply cannot go on with their lives if I don’t let them in the bathroom with me. So I fumbled with my keys to get the door open—only to be greeted by a plume of smoke rolling out!!!

I make my way inside, heading to the kitchen with my eyes stinging and my throat burning. Despite being set on simmer, I find that the pot of beans I put on in the morning had boiled over and all the water cooked out leaving a charred mess in the bottom of the stock pot that was smoking profusely at this point.

I said a quick prayer of thanks that I came home when I did—before the whole house could catch fire. Then I set about opening up all the windows and turning on fans to try to get the smoke out. I checked and made sure our pets were okay—soothing two cats that were very vocal in their dislike of the disruption to their daily routine. Luckily, the dog seemed oblivious to all the chaos. In fact, she seemed perfectly content. What a trooper!

A friend, who had volunteered earlier in the day to come and help me get my cards made, showed up during all this and helped me get the kitchen cleaned up. Thank God for wonderful friends! I tried to convince her to go back home so she wouldn’t have to breathe in all the smoke but she insisted on staying. She got my mind off of the smoky mess by herding me into my home office and helping me get my mind back on to creating these autumn cards. She wisely pointed out that I couldn’t do anything more to clear the smoke out any faster so I might as well get to work on something I could get done!

Working together, we created the three cards. I didn’t get around to taking a picture of them yet. I think they turned out pretty good—considering all the chaos around us at the time!

The smoke finally cleared, although the smell still lingered somewhat. After offering repeated thanks for all her help, I sent my friend home and set to work on figuring out what I was going to do about dinner. Serving charred beans didn’t seem like an idea that would have gone over so well. I let the dog in the house only to notice that she had decided to wallow in the muddy yard from our recent rains. Keep in mind that my husband had just given her a bath the night before. I sighed heavily, breathing in the aroma of my charred, disastrous attempt at dinner, and decided at that point it didn’t much matter if she tracked mud into the house; nor did I have the burning desire to give her another bath. Besides, who would notice the mud past the smell of the house?!

My cell phone rang…it was my husband. Turns out he had to work late because he ended up sitting at the dealership several hours that morning waiting for his car to be inspected. This wasn’t bad news for me because it gave me extra time to get dinner taken care of. Then he told me that the car failed inspection and we had to get to get two new tires and a battery. UGH!

He was able to finally make it home a few hours later, we ate dinner, and I settled down for the evening to create my “To Do” list for the following day. I stared at my list for the day. I didn’t know whether to cry or burst out laughing. That’s just the way life works sometimes. I can make a list every day, with the greatest intentions of getting it all done, but there are just going to be days where everything falls apart and the list becomes less and less of a priority. So I decided to throw my list away and skip making a list for today.

I’ll just chalk it up to another crazy day in the life of a crafter…

P.S. I haven’t had a chance to take pictures of the card designs we completed. ~~I will put that on my list tomorrow~~. Scratch that…I’ll get around to posting them just as soon as I can! In the meantime, don’t forget to check out our other card designs at www.busylilbees.etsy.com.

National Card Day

2010-10-01T17:38:00.010-04:00

Tomorrow, October 2nd, is National Card Day. In honor of this special day, I've been very busy working on a brand new autumn greeting card design (pictured above).

I figured this was the perfect way excuse to run a contest! Each follower of by blog or a fan on our Facebook page will be entered to win a set of 6 of these cards. To have even more chances to win, refer a friend and you will get one entry per referral! Just have your friends become a fan of our Facebook page (or become one of our blog followers) and send us a message that you referred them. Make sure they tell us who referred them if you want to get credit for the entry!

Have fun and thanks for participating! The winner will be announced October 31st.

Reading Material

2010-09-28T23:23:00.013-04:00

So I have been surfing the net off and on for the past two days trying to help get the creative juices flowing. In my search, I have stumbled across a few websites and blogs that I thought were worth sharing. So grab yourself a cup of coffee and curl up with your laptop somewhere comfortable so you can spend some time perusing through some of these sites. Hope you enjoy them!

www.craftgossip.com is a great source of ideas and information on everything from bath and body products to stamping. It's in the form of a daily blog post. There are even competitions and giveaways.

http://www.etsy.com/storque/ is an Etsy blog that showcases new talent, fresh shops, weird or odd merchandise, sellers tips, links to top posts of the week, instructions on new craft ideas, etc. I can easily spend an entire afternoon reading through everything on this site!

http://confessionsofacraftaddict.com/ is another fun blog to check out when you get a chance.

There are two local photographers that I think are wonderful so I am including links to both of their sites!

Amanda Anderson Photography is located the southside of Richmond. She specializes in children/teens, families, babies, maternities and now weddings. Check out the gallery on her website at www.amandaandersonphotography.com.

Jennifer, of Warthan Family Photography, has a wonderful blog where she shares lots of the incredible photos she takes of life on the farm. She also specializes in wedding and family photography. She offers a unique farm setting in Waverly for her photo sessions. Check her blog out at http://thecottonwife.com/.

The Craft Show Season Is Upon Us!

2010-09-27T15:45:00.007-04:00

With the fall season upon us we are getting geared up for a busy craft show schedule. Below you will find a list of some of the shows we hope to see you at:

Saturday, October 2nd: Craft Bazaar at Christ United Methodist Church (6818 West Grace Street, Richmond, VA). 9 AM – 2 PM. There’s something for the whole family including bake sale, silent auction, children’s activities, Moon Bouncer, pumpkin patch, games, craft show and more.
Saturday, October 23rd: 2010 Fall Harvest Event at St. Bartholomew’s Episcopal Church (10627 Patterson Avenue, Richmond, VA). 9 AM – 3 PM. This family-oriented event will feature artwork from local elementary schools, a bake sale, Christmas and other crafts, hands-on children’s crafts, food collection drive for the Central VA Food Bank, Calyspo Cuban Café, local talent showcase, and pet adoption drive.
Sunday, October 24th: Pumpkin Palooza at Good Shephard United Methodist Church (9155 Hungary Road, Richmond, VA). 2 – 5 PM. Come on by for food, fun and fellowship. There will be bounce houses, live entertainment (“The Taters”), a pumpkin patch, costume contest for kids of all ages, and a craft show.
Saturday, November 13th: Woodlake Arts & Apples Craft Show at Woolridge Elementary School (5401 Timber Bluff Pkwy, Richmond, VA). 9 AM – 3 PM. Crafters from all of the state will be on hand showcasing quality arts and crafts as well as delicious homemade baked goods.

We are checking into additional shows in November and December. Don’t forget to sign up as a “follower” of this blog so you can be updated on all our events and activities. You can also follow Busy Lil’ Bees Designs on Facebook!

As a way to say thank you to our loyal customers, we will extend you a 10% discount on your entire purchase at one of our upcoming craft shows if you mention seing this blog post.

Customized Christmas Cards Now Available

2010-09-25T11:53:00.005-04:00

The countdown to Christmas is on and it's never too early to get a jump start on those Christmas chores--like picking out the greeting cards you plan to send to family and friends. Why not wish them a very merry Christmas with a handmade greeting card? We have six designs to choose from to start and I will be working on additional designs in the coming weeks.

I designed and created all of the cards--with the help of my Cricut and MTC software along with and an extra pair of hands (my wonderful husband who is an excellent help). The cards are available for purchase individually or as a set. We even offer FREE personalization.

Because each card is its own unique creation, please keep in mind that you will need to allow 7 - 10 days for card set orders. That is why we are making these cards available now--to give you plenty of time to get your order in.

The cards have been posted for sale on our Etsy site (www.busylilbees.etsy.com). Check them all out when you get a chance. We will also be adding them to our main website at www.busylilbees.com soon. If you are local to the Richmond, Virginia area, we will waive shipping costs and make arrangements to meet you in person to deliver your card order. If you are interested in this option, please send an email to nhebbe@busylilbees.com.

October is going to be a busy month as we kick off our seasonal craft shows. Don't forget to check back as I will be posting our schedule and even more new products being released soon!

First Day of Fall

2010-09-22T11:46:00.006-04:00

Today is the first day of the fall season. It is probably my most favorite time of the year. I love how Albert Camus, a French author, philosopher, journalist and Nobel Prize winner, described the season: “Autumn is a second spring where every leaf is a flower.”

September brings the sounds of school bells ringing at the start of a new year, tailgate parties signaling a new football season, local activity calendars are chock-full of fall bazaars and craft shows, apple trees become ripe for the picking, days grow shorter, and cooler temperatures are enjoyed (at least traditionally). It’s a wonderful time of the year to make a daylong trip to the nearby Shenandoah Valley to do some “leaf peeping.” Seeing all those majestic trees, with their leaves boasting every autumn color in full display, is such a welcome sight.

I feel most creative at this time of the year. The last several days have been spent working on creating several Christmas greeting card designs. I hope to have these all wrapped up and ready to display by the end of the week so that we can begin taking orders. So don’t forget to keep an eye on my blog and our websites.

In the meantime, I couldn’t help but take a break to create a free paper piecing project to celebrate the season. You can download the file here. Feel free to use it for your own special projects and don’t forget to take a picture and email it to me (nhebbe@busylilbees.com). I will post it on my blog for all to see!

I will also be listing our upcoming fall craft show schedule by the week’s end. We hope to see you there. If you mention you saw the show advertised on our blog, we’ll give you 10% off your entire purchase.

New Updates

2010-09-20T15:46:00.005-04:00

I feel like I am finally getting back into my creative groove! I was able to complete a few personal card projects over the weekend.

I also took some time to create a Facebook page for Busy Lil’ Bees Designs. Don’t forget to “like” us so that you can automatically receive updates on upcoming craft shows, new products, promotions, etc.

Speaking of promotions…within the next few weeks, we are going to be running a promotion for followers of both our blog and our Facebook page to win free gifts. Keep checking back for more information.

We will also be updating both of our websites (www.busylilbees.com and www.busylilbees.etsy.com) so don’t forget to take a moment and check those out as well.

Finally, I will be feverishly working this week on several Christmas greeting card designs. I know you may think it is a little early to be thinking about Christmas already, but it’s only 95 days away. If you want to get a head start on ordering your holiday greeting cards before they are all gone, make sure to either follow this blog, our Facebook page, or visit our websites frequently!

Wedding Madness

2010-09-16T10:12:00.009-04:00

Well, it’s been 26 days since my last blog entry. UGH! I had such high hopes for keeping up with my blogging, but alas, life always seems to throw a few curveballs in there that knock you completely off the plate! With my baby sister’s announcement that she was getting married (in four weeks) and needed my help in putting her magical day together, I became quickly overwhelmed…suffering what I call “wedding madness.”

Now that the wedding day has come and gone (and went off with only a hitch or two), I have now been able to actually get some sleep so that I can regroup and get my head back into the game. So I am making the time to update my blog today. I wish I had a whole host of freebie paper piecing projects to offer, but as you can imagine…if there was no time to blog—there was no time to create!

Instead, I will share some photos of the designs I created for my sister’s wedding. I’m considering adding them to the line of products we carry on our own website (www.busylilbees.com) and on our Etsy site (www.busylilbees.etsy.com). Just keep in mind that I haven’t been able to update either of those two sites during my wedding madness, so plan on checking back in a week or two and you will see the latest products we are offering then. In the meantime, I will keep plugging along and plan to have a few free paper piecing projects to share in my next entry. Until then...

New Exclusive Products

2010-08-21T23:17:00.010-04:00

The past 2+ weeks have been CRAZY! I have all sorts of irons in the fire and very little time to get it all accomplished in. I simply haven't been able to squeeze in enough time to even update my blog. So this weekend, while out of town, and away from the typical craziness that surrounds me back home, I made my mind up to finally sit down and finish at least one entry. So here goes...

These three newly handcrafted diaper wreaths are available exclusively at Kid’s Grow in Lakeside. Click here for directions.

We are also running a promotion for our new diaper cupcakes: Receive 1 FREE diaper cupcake with the purchase of any diaper cake, diaper wreath or Daddy’s Diaper Pail at Kids Grow! You can also purchase 3 diaper cupcakes and get the 4th one FREE. Again, this offer is exclusively for those purchased through Kids Grow!

If you are looking for a custom-designed diaper gift, send me an email with your color/theme preference and other pertinent information. Don’t forget…we now offer personalization in the form of the child’s name or initial(s) on our diaper cakes and wreaths.

Hope you have a great weekend! I am hopeful that life will settle back to normal in about two weeks or so and then I will be able to wrap up some projects to share with you then.

2010-08-04T11:35:00.004-04:00

I have wrapped up a few more paper piecing projects using MTC and I am offering them, along with the others I have completed, free to anyone who wants to use them. The only thing I ask is that you read and adhere to the Terms of Use. To download the projects, click here.

Shop Local!

2010-08-02T23:23:00.003-04:00

Pardon me for a moment or two while I step up on my soap box! We all know that the failing economy is hurting everyone. Who among you haven’t noticed the empty store fronts with “For Lease” signs plastered everywhere? If you want the economy in your area to start to pick back up, the power is in your hands! SHOP LOCAL!!!

I know it seems like such a simplistic answer, but think about it: When you shop local, you invest in you community, your neighbors and in yourselves. The best return on investment is in local businesses. It is estimated that for every dollar you spend, twice as much will be reinvested in the community by a local store when compared to a national store.

Here are some more statistics for you to ponder: Small, local businesses are the largest employer nationally. Local businesses are owned by people who live in this community who are more invested in the community’s future. To ensure innovation and low prices long-term, small businesses serve as a marketplace of tens of thousands of vendors who offer their own unique items. Because locally owned businesses can make independent decisions regarding its name and look, as well as business purchasing practices and distribution, it means they are better able to be “green” businesses by keeping their money invested in other local businesses—reducing transportation costs and pollution. Data in some areas show that even non-profit organizations benefit from local businesses, receiving on average 350% greater support from them than from non-locally owned businesses.

So if you want to play a part in helping the economy in your community get back up on its feet, start looking to the small “mom and pop” shops right inside your own community. There are farmer’s markets in downtown Richmond, Lakeside, Ashland, and the west end—just to name a few. Communities like Ashland, Carytown and Lakeside offer eclectic shops with a variety of wares for just about anyone’s tastes. You can even shop by location online through www.Etsy.com.

Thanks for taking the time to keep local businesses in mind when you are out and about on your shopping excursions.

The Gift of Pampering

2010-07-31T14:01:00.005-04:00

I don’t know of too many women who wouldn’t agree that every once in a while, a little pampering goes a long way! Whether it is a pleasant scent, a relaxing bath, a quick pedicure or something similar, we could use a quick “pick-me-up” on occasion. As a woman, I can assure you that after a long, stressful day of work, I would love to come home to an unexpected surprise meant to pamper me.

With that in mind, Busy Lil’ Bees Designs is now carrying a Spa Cake line of products. What better way to tell your mom, sister, wife, or friend how much she means to you? These are perfect for Mother’s Day, birthdays, anniversaries, or just any time you want to show your appreciation for all the hard work the woman in your life does.

From luxurious bath towels to scented candles, bath fizzies to scented lotions, and everything in between, our Spa Cakes are chockfull of wonderful little surprises meant to pamper your loved one. So if you are looking for a unique and thoughtful gift, click here to purchase one of our new Spa Cake designs. We also carry a line of Kitchen Towel Cakes that are perfect for housewarming or wedding shower gifts.

If you are looking for something more personalized, we love custom orders. Send me an email and let me know what colors (or theme) and what items you would like to see in your Spa Cake. Would you like to include a gift certificate to a local nail salon or masseuse—maybe a gift certificate to a candle, cosmetic or similar store? Let us know and we will take care of picking up the gift certificate and including it in your custom creation.

Don’t forget the expectant mothers in your life. They could certainly use a little pampering during their pregnancy too! Super soft, comfortable slippers, cocoa butter lotions, Preggie Pops™, crackers, Ginger Ale, and massage oils can all be packaged in a lovely basket that they can reuse in the baby’s nursery or even a footbath to soak their swollen feet in and relax.

We can even include relaxing herbal teas, chocolates, or other delicious surprises!

Personalized Diaper Cakes

2010-07-26T23:27:00.007-04:00

The afternoon/evening has been spent working on a catalog for Busy Lil’ Bees Designs’ diaper gifts line. As mentioned in the previous blog entry, our diaper gifts are being featured at a Lakeside shop called Kids Grow! I’m scheduled to drop off more product tomorrow morning, so I have been feverishly working on completing the catalog that is to be displayed with our goods.

We always love receiving custom orders from our clients. Now we are going to be adding Personalized Diaper Cakes to our line. We can cut the expectant mom’s (or child’s) name out of color-coordinated scrapbook paper that is mounted on cardstock. As an alternative, we can even personalize the custom diaper cake with the baby’s initial(s). We use a wooden initial, measuring approximately 5” tall, decorated to match the cake’s color scheme. Either the name or initial(s) can be re-used as a nursery decoration.

So if you know someone who is expecting a new bundle of joy soon, don’t forget to check us out at Kids Grow! or check out our website.

Kids Grow! To Feature Busy Lil' Bees Designs

2010-07-23T23:17:00.003-04:00

Another week has gone by and I have found it nearly impossible to find the time to get my blog entries done. Phew! It has been a busy week but a productive one none-the-less.

I’m excited to announce that Kids Grow! will now be featuring our diaper gifts. Kids Grow! is Richmond’s friendly place for gently loved children’s clothes, toys and crafts. Bring the kids while you shop, there’s lots for them to play with, while staying cool in the AC.

Kids Grow! is located just off Lakeside Avenue next to Domino’s Pizza—half mile from Lewis Ginter Botanical Gardens. They can be reached at (804) 402-1627. Don’t forget to check them out on Facebook too! Store hours are Tuesday – Friday 9 – 6 and Saturday 10 – 5.

New Paper Piecing Files

2010-07-16T15:59:00.008-04:00

Wow! This week seems to have flown by so quickly. I still have a lot more on my “To Do” List so today’s blog entry will be quite short. However, it contains freebies, so that should more than make up for it!

I’ve been working on some new paper piecing files with my MTC software. I have decided to offer these designs as free downloads. The only thing that I ask is that you make sure to give credit where credit is due. See my TERMS OF USE for more information.

To download any of these files, please click on the link below to be redirected to our website. I hope you enjoy and don’t forget to give me some feedback. If you use one of my designs in your creation, send me a photo and I will include it in one of my upcoming blogs. Have fun!

You can download these freebies here.

Finding Inspiration

2010-07-14T09:27:00.008-04:00

Some days I am hopelessly clueless when it comes to thinking up new designs. I get into a rut of sorts. I feel like I need to step outside the box and do something new or funky—something completely different. But I keep running head first into the brick wall in my mind—unable to come up with anything!
Other days, I have so many ideas swirling around inside my head that I feel a little manic! The frustration tends to escalate on those days because I never seem to come up with those really cool ideas on the days where I actually have plenty of time to sit down and put them to use. Ahh…the life of a crafter!

I find inspiration lurking around every corner. Whether it is something I’ve seen on the internet or in my daily travels, there’s usually something out there that peaks my interest and gets my creative juices flowing so to speak. The problem is putting those ideas to work. Am I the only one who has a perfect image in their head of how I want something to look (or act) but have simply no idea how to make that image a reality?

Some of my best ideas come to me in the shower. Perhaps it is because it is the only place where I’m not interrupted by ringing phones, emails, Facebook, work or other activities. The time spent in the shower is “my” time—a time I don’t have to share or interact with anyone else. Some days I wish I could just live in there!

So while taking a shower recently, I came up with the ribbon storage idea (see “Time Well Spent”) as well as a new idea to organize my leftover scraps of scrapbooking paper. I cleaned out a file cabinet and now I plan to label hanging file folders by color (in alphabetical order to satisfy my OCD). I will then store my scraps in these folders, arranged by color. This should certainly make it much easier to locate what I need a lot quicker. This, in turn, should make me more productive. Now if I can only find the time to put my plan in to action! I have set a goal…it will be done by the end of the week. I’ll keep you updated on my progress.

In the meantime, while thumbing through my box of hundreds of pieces of “scraps,” I found myself getting lost in creative thought—thinking about all the different projects I could use these scraps on. So instead of working on getting my filing cabinet set up, I couldn’t help but jump on my Cricut and whip up a few card projects:

Oh well, there’s always tomorrow, right?

Time Well Spent

2010-07-12T22:16:00.004-04:00

I didn’t really get an opportunity to keep up with my blog this week. So much going on! Between work and home life and a host of health challenges currently, I have barely found time to sleep—let alone anything else! It’s a new week; however, and I am getting into the full swing of things—feeling a bit refreshed and renewed.

I spent some time organizing my craft space. If you are like me, it is awfully hard to get the creative juices flowing when you can’t find anything or don’t have a single 12x12” space available to even work on a project! I decided to tackle my overflowing spools of ribbon, enlisting the help of my husband, to create a more functional storage solution.

I purchased café rod brackets with a 2” clearance and 3/8” wooden dowels from the local super center. My husband cut the dowels to fit the space and mounted the brackets. Total cost for this storage solution: $22.11 (including tax). I will still need to add on a few more rows to accommodate all of my ribbon stock, but it is certainly a lot cheaper that some of the pre-made storage solutions I found online. If you are looking for a more portable solution or simply don’t have the wall space, check out my friend’s ribbon organizer:

http://www.etsy.com/listing/41832926/unique-gift-for-crafty-friend-mom-mother

Any Day Can Be A Holiday!

2010-07-06T09:44:00.004-04:00

Okay, so you are all now well acquainted with my Cricut addiction. Ever since finding MTC software that allows me to create my own designs and cut them on Cricut, my mind has gone on overload! I am constantly thinking about new designs! I look for any reason to sit in front of my computer and design a new card to be cut on my Cricut and pieced together. I find myself wanting to create a new card to send out just about every day. Why wait for someone to have a birthday, welcome a new bundle of joy, retire from their job or celebrate an anniversary? I even made a card to give to our dog groomer!

This got me to thinking…what other obscure holidays are there that I could create cards for? To the internet I went! Here’s a list of just some of the ones I could find for the month of July:

National Blueberry Month
National Anti-Boredom Month
Unlucky Month for Weddings
National Cell Phone Courtesy Month
National Hot Dog Month
National Ice Cream Month
July 1st: International Joke Day
July 2nd: World UFO Day
July 3rd: Compliment Your Mirror Day
July 4th: Independence Day (duh!)
July 5th: Work-a-holics Day
July 6th: National Fried Chicken Day
July 7th: Chocolate Day
July 8th: Video Games Day
July 9th: National Sugar Cookie Day
July 10th: Teddy Bear Picnic Day

The list goes on and on! Check out the complete list at: http://holidayinsights.com/moreholidays/index.htm

You know what this means, don’t you? Now I can find a holiday to celebrate with a handmade greeting card nearly every day of the year! I guess it’s time to head to the post office and stock up on those “forever” stamps. I also need to stop procrastinating and get my address book updated. Looks like I’ll have a lot of creating to do…

Confessions of a Cricut Addict

2010-06-30T00:04:00.001-04:00

Many are familiar with the 12-step programs out there for those suffering with alcohol or other addictions. For my paper crafting buddies, I am sure you have at some point along the way, come to the realization that you could quite possibly be addicted to anything from acid free papers to the Xyron® “Create-a-Sticker” maker. There are so many fun tools and accessories out there to make our addiction to card making (or scrapbooking) difficult to get a handle on!

So what’s the first step? Admitting you have a problem. That’s right, folks! I AM ADDICTED TO CRICUT. From the first time I saw this die cutting machine demonstrated on an infomercial, during one of my many sleepless nights, I knew this was the machine for me! I rationalized with my husband the fact that I would be able to save us so much money by making my own cards rather than purchasing them at the local supercenter.

With credit card info in hand, I ordered my Cricut Expression and anxiously awaited its arrival. I must have tracked my shipment online at least twice a day so that I would know exactly when to expect it on my doorstep! The day it finally arrived, I resisted the urge to rip open the packaging with the furor of a child on Christmas morning. I delicately removed each piece, grabbed the enclosed DVDs and headed straight to the television set so that I could explore the most up-to-date methods on using my new Cricut and the many, many project ideas and demonstrations the DVDs had to offer.

It didn’t take me long to get up and running, creating my own special projects. The problem, as I am sure my husband can attest to, was actually getting me off the machine so that I could do those other “frivolous” activities like eating, sleeping, cleaning, etc. My first accessory purchases for my Cricut was the tool kit, Cricut Pens and extra cutting mats (of course!). I spent hours online at www.cricut.com exploring the many cartridges they had available, picking out the ones that I felt I could get the most creative with. After carefully selecting my cartridges, however, it was when I looked at the total in my “shopping cart” that I realized how dangerous my new addiction could be on our family budget. With cartridges that range from $39.99 - $89.99, I was disheartened by the fact that my budget was the stumbling block in my creativity. I’m sure I am not the only one who has had to face this reality!

Being the frugal shopper that I am, I began to check eBay and Craigslist in the hopes that I might find the cartridges I wanted at a cheaper price. I was disappointed that eBay didn’t have much to offer in the way of deeply discounted pricing. I was able to find a cartridge or two on Craigslist that met my budget. However, it is not often that you come across a posting for cartridges only. Most are posted along with a Cricut machine, and I couldn’t justify purchasing multiple machines just to get the cartridges I wanted. Feeling stymied, I relegated myself to constantly checking the local supercenter for cartridges on clearance since the weekly 40% off coupons offered at Michaels® expressly state they cannot be used on any Cricut-licensed products (bummer!).

It wasn’t long afterwards that I discovered the Cricut Design Studio® and found myself getting very excited. I rushed home from Michaels and immediately got online to research this software that enabled you to connect the Cricut to your computer. Being a desktop publisher for quite a few years, the thought of being able to create my own designs was thrilling! Alas, the excitement was short-lived when I discovered that you couldn’t really “create” your own designs; rather modify the designs on the cartridges you had on hand. UGH!

In frustration, I typed in my Google Search® bar, the following: cricut software. That is when I was introduced to two software programs that could be used in conjunction with the Cricut machine. I did quite a bit of research comparing the Sure Cuts A Lot® and Make The Cut® software packages and was amazed that both of these truly allowed me to create my own images and designs and send them to my Cricut like a printer command so the machine could cut them. In the end, I chose Make The Cut (MTC). This software allowed for free updates to the software for as long as you own it and seemed to be a lot easier to use than Sure Cuts A Lot (SCAL). So I purchased MTC for less than what I would have spent on a Cricut cartridge and got to work.

The end result? I have now pushed my addiction to Cricut to the edge! I think about new design ideas at every available opportunity, sketching them out on paper or adding a memo on my Blackberry so that I don’t forget the idea before I can get back home and start designing. I think of new designs while I am in the shower, washing dishes, vacuuming the floor…basically any time my mind has even the slightest opportunity to wander. My creativity has been revived!

Just as soon as I can figure out how, I will be posting a free SVG file on this blog that can be used with any SVG-compatible die cutting machine. So don’t forget to visit again soon!

A New Adventure!

2010-06-28T08:23:00.000-04:00

So I’ve decided to start blogging…really? Never thought I’d see myself adding this to my list of “to-do’s” but here I sit trying to figure out how to get this whole thing started! So let me begin by telling you a little bit about Busy Lil’ Bees Designs.

My sister and I started BLBD in a small shop in Ashland (and when I say small I mean really, really small). We quickly outgrew this space and found ourselves doing more and more weekend craft shows. Feeling totally claustrophobic, we decided to close the shop and concentrate on the shows.

We also created www.BusyLilBees.com to help garner additional sales. After multiple design changes, we finally settled on the one we have now—but it is truly a work in progress.

Last year, we were introduced to Etsy. For those of you who don’t already know, this is the place to buy and sell all things handmade or vintage. So we’ve now added www.BusyLilBees.Etsy.com as the second website we need to maintain!

I don’t claim to be a professional website designer, by any means. I am still very new to this whole thing and constantly trying to incorporate the new things I learn into our sites. I must admit, though, I love the challenge!

Due to some medical issues this year, we haven’t being doing the craft show circuit. This has given me more time to explore things like…blogging! So this will be the beginning of yet a new adventure. I would like to use this blog to share marketing ideas, craft show tips, and even new products we are working on. So take a moment to bookmark our site, leave a comment or two, and check back frequently!