Train

Did you know that cats can be trained? Even if it's only to use the litter box.

Mister (5) made this lovely and very light picture of a train car for this week's theme. He had a blast with his first try at using a compass.

What a novel idea...artwork on what was once my art blog. I have been thinking a lot this week about how "arting", as Mister puts it, has somehow disappeared from our life in the last year. It was gradual and that may be the reason we didn't notice it. So today we are back to illustrationfriday.com for the weekly art challenge.

I forgot how wonderful it feels to just draw. My mind is completely focused when I draw, something I have not had for a while now. I have started to think about it a lot this week. I have been thinking about my Etsy shop as well. Before you think to yourself, "Oh, yes, The Crazy Elephant is a fantastic little pad shop and is providing an ecological choice for women all over the world," that is not the shop I am talking about. If you did not know that this blog was originally started as an art blog, you may also not know that my first start on Etsy was an art shop.

It is a funny thing how other parts of our life sort of take over and some of your favorite things can suddenly be gone. This has been happening to me. I have gotten so focused on homeschooling, homemaking, and missions information that all else has gone by the wayside. It is probably the reason I am becoming a frazzled mess. I some how removed all the fun from my life and started hyper focusing on the things I previously listed. I can tell you it is driving my family nuts and needs to be put to a stop!

I prayed and prayed to know what I needed. Bible reading wasn't doing it, not changing anything wasn't doing it, art is the missing link for me. I never realized how important it is to me till now. It clears my head and helps me to go into other activities with purpose and focus. It is so hard to read and study my Bible when my mind is spinning with other things I need to do. I need a pencil in my hand so that I can use that focus to come closer to my awesome God!

What about that shop I mentioned? I started The Crazy Elephant as a way to support my art. Instead it took over all my time and energy and I sadly dropped the art shop. About 2 years ago I did a huge crayon roll custom order for a birthday party and as I looked at the party pack that was coordinating the rolls, I thought how I would love to do that. Well, that has obviously gone on the back burner, after 2 years you would think it would have burnt by now.

Out of the blue on Monday I woke up thinking about it. It was the only thing I could think about and when I went online to edit a listing at The Crazy Elephant, I saw they set up, this week, the ability to put downloadable files in the listing. To put it simply, the customer can download their files directly from Etsy when they purchase a computer file. That was exactly what I needed to be able to sell printable party packs efficiently whether here, or on mission.

I am still planning things out and of course I have a lot of art to catch up on before I open up said shop. I also have to figure out a name. I am planning to do printable party packs that would include invites, bunting, cupcake toppers, ect. Right now I am thinking something along the lines of Bubble Prints, but I really have no idea at this point. I do know that I am planning to do giveaways as I get the sets together so I can get some feedback and word of mouth started. In the meantime, I'm off to make some art!

Craft Show

We did our last craft show recently. It was a nice day and it was our last mainly because we are going to go pads only in our shop and pads sell great online but not well in small town MN. The big new thing though was that my little guy was selling his confetti at his first show. He even sold his first bag which was incredibly exciting! Below is a photo of our display. His confetti is on top of one of the center boxes.

Holiday Showcase: Our Children's Earth

Today we are visiting Our Children's Earth, enjoy!

 

Where can we find you?Website: www.ourchildrensearth.org
Etsy: www.etsy.com/people/ourchildrensearth
Ethical Community: www.ethicalcommunity.com/shop/our-childrens-earth
Facebook: www.facebook.com/pages/Our-Childrens-Earth/109367279088893
Twitter: twitter.com/#!/rchildrensearth
Blog: ourchildrensearth.wordpress.com/ 
Pintrest: pinterest.com/rchildrensearth/

What is life like in your studio?Our studio is full of a huge variety of items. I like to figure out how to make new things so I am constantly coming up with new creations or gifts. Some days, I want to sew so I make our Recycled Sweater Coats or reusable sandwich bags, some days I want to make jewelry so I make our bottle cap earring or vintage record jewelry, some days (ok most days on this one) I love to shop and find awesome vintage items or supplies at Thrift Stores, Yard sales or from friends. Our shop has become this great eclectic place to find treasures and our studio definitely reflects this.

What is your favorite giftable in your shop?I love our Recycled Crayons. They come in a huge variety of shapes and colors. That way you can give them for any occasion. The thing that is great about them is that children and adults love them.
www.etsy.com/listing/89821868/recycled-heart-crayons-hearts-weddings

Why is handmade important to you?I think that we lose the heart in items when we just make them by machine or from someone who just clocks in to work and does not care about the outcome of the products. There is truly something magical about creating an item from designing it to actually finishing the product. I love to support other artists also since I know how long it can take to make something. The other great thing about homemade is that it gives us a chance to use Eco Friendly products and recycle. Like we only use water based glue in our shop but if it was mass produced I am sure many of products would be made with harmful chemicals.

Share a handmade gift anyone can make.I love our Button Hair Accessories:
www.etsy.com/transaction/59306119
These are fun and easy to make. 
1. Get a hair barrette from the craft store.
2. Find some great vintage buttons or use old buttons off shirts that you can't wear anymore
3. Take your glue gun and glue the buttons onto the barrette. Becareful not to burn yourself and do this over newspaper incase the glue drips off the barrette.
4. To add something fun you can also glue material or ribbon on the barrette to create some fun designs.

Is there anything else you would like to share?We can all make a difference in the world. It can be little or big, it is up to us to make the world the way we dream it should be.

Fischer Images Introduction

I love a new etsy shop and today I am going to feature one! Fischer Images is run by Linda Fischer (my aunt) and is full of stunning photography. Below are some of my favorites. I will let the artwork speak for itself today and leave you with the link to her shop: fischerimages.etsy.com

Great nature pics of flowers and birds!

Gotta love the playful shots!

Lots of interesting still lifes and abstract work!

May Crayon Roll of the Month

I realize that this is later than normal, but I still can't believe it isn't April any more. So, better late than never. This month's crayon roll is How Your Garden Grows and is great for spring gardening season, which is just getting started here in Minnesota.

Advice to an Etsy Newbie

I have helped a number of people get their Esty start over the last year. I love helping people get started. It just feels good knowing that I am doing something for someone else. I had another contact today about getting help starting up and thought it was high time to do a post for everyone with some great starting out advise. Here are the answers to some of the questions I get the most...

How long does it take to get sales?

It depends, on a lot! Don't expect to take off right away. Some shops get going quickly and some are slow going for a while. It took me about 3 weeks to get my first sale and about 3 months before the first sale from someone I didn't know. My sales didn't truly take off till I stopped working to be a stay at home mom and they have grown quite a bit since. My advise for gaining sales is to work hard. You will get out of it what you put into it. If you aren't working you aren't selling. I was down and out with a cold for a week this month and my sales plummeted only to be regained when I came back full force. It takes a lot of work, so don't think you are signing up for the easy life.

How does one get the shipping price correct?

Serious trial and error. I have changed my shipping prices several times over the the nearly 3 years years ago. It depends on how the items are packaged,what they weigh, and where they are going. It is definitely worth making the effort to place international prices too. It is so much easier than you would think and it is just fun to ship all over the world.

How long did it take for you to feel that your etsy business was making a decent profit?
For me it was in January, this year, after 2 1/2 years of work. Something clicked for our shop and we are just keeping it going. Just make sure your items are priced competitively while still leaving a profit margin. This is another trial and error area.

How do you get traffic?

Well, if you are reading this, you know one way. I use my blog, Facebook, Twitter (linked to my FB), and pintrest to spread the word. I am also a member of a handful of fantastic teams. Treasuries are great too. This is where a good portion of the work comes in. Etsy is great for search, but being able to truly connect with your customers is wonderful. They will let you know what they like and what they want and they will be able to see the new things you have in stock and sales that you are running.

One last tip is about listings. Use all 5 of your photos if possible. Make sure your photos are amazing! They are what is going to sell your item. I just started using fotofuze.com to get that super white background and it helps so much. Make sure you have an interesting description and as many tags as you can think of. You can put 3 words in each tag and each of them will work separately in searches.

That is about all I can think of at the moment. I love to help, so feel free to ask more questions or share your own advise!

PoM Club is Here

The pad of the month club is here! You can join the fun here.

Here is the info...

The first week of each month we will ship a new pad to you. It will come in a mystery color or print so it will be very exciting to see what will come each month. At the end of th year you will have 3 panty liners, 3 medium short pads, 2 of each of our other pads, and 2 panty liner packs for when you are on the go.

 

Here is what you get and when:

Month 1 - Pantiliner with pack

Month 2 - Medium absorb short pad
Month 3 - Mediun absorb long pad
Month 4 - Heavy absorb short pad
Month 5 - Heavy absorb long pad
Month 6 - Pantiliner with pack
Month 7 - Medium absorb short pad
Month 8 - Mediun absorb long pad
Month 9 - Heavy absorb short pad
Month 10 - Heavy absorb long pad
Month 11 - Pantiliner
Month 12 - Medium absorb short pad

This is a fun way to either build or add to your stash. Plus who doesn't like a little surprise in the mail each month. Your first pad will come the month after you order (example: Order in May, first pad in June).

All of our pads are easy to care for, just toss them in the wash and wear them again. The edges are cut with a pinking shears and will fray. This leaves less bulk than sewing the edges under and makes them more comfortable as well as helping to conform to your body.

All our products are made in a smokeless home. Our fabrics are pre-washed before sewing.

Our absorbency levels:
Light - Panty liner for very light flow/spotting
Medium - pad for everyday/normal flow
Heavy - pad for heavier flow days

Looking for absorbency information? You can learn more at http://morganbubble.blogspot.com/2012/02/pad-absorbancy.html

Bowtacular!

The bows are here! It didn't take long for me to develop a passion for bows, but I did and now they are available for everyone! I am really excited about my new bow line. I am starting off with 2 styles of bow, each with a large and small version. They are made with eco-fi felt which means they are ultimately made of plastic bottles. Each one has a lined alligator clip on the back with heat sealed edges on the ribbon and a grip strip to keep the bow in your (or your little one's) hair.

The Alice bow is my personal favorite. I named it for Alice from alice in wonderland. The tails really make this one and it is super girly. It makes up the majority of my collection and I pretty much wear them everywhere. You can find the Alice bows here.

Style number 2 is the Junie bow. It is named for June Cleaver, some of you might know who that is. This bow is great for a suble touch of girliness. This is a good where anywhere bow. I use this one a lot when I am cleaning the house and want that girly feeling back. The Junie would also be great for girls who want a bow, but don't want to go as far as the Alice bow. Sometimes simple is just good. You can find the Junie bows here.

Currently we have pink, yellow, blue, and green. Latter this week and next I will have hot pink, neon green, light gray, and cotton candy pink available. You can find all of our bows, and so much more, at thecrazyelephantboutique.com.

Heavy Absorb Pads

The trial run of the heavy absorbency pads are all but sold out and I have already taken custom orders for them. The line was asked for by some of my heavier flow customers and has really taken off, and a lot faster than I expected at that. With a new line comes another installment of pad info for all those who have questions about them.

The heavy absorbency pads are made with 2 layers of flannel, 1 layer of Zorb, and a layer of fleece. The fleece is super soft on your body, comes in very fun prints or neutrals, and is absorbent. The soft zorb is super absorbent. The fleece backing on the heavy pad is brown, making it easy to tell the difference between your medium absorbency pads and heavy pads. They come in both the short length (roughly 10 inches long, 3.5 inches across at the widest point and 2.75 inches across the narrowest point) and long length (roughly 12 inches long, 3.75 inches across at the widest point and 3 inches across the narrowest point).

The new heavy pads are a little bulkier than the original or medium absorb pads. They still feel very soft an cozy though and are not a distraction at all. The only other difference is that the heavy pads can hold twice as much fluid. This makes them great for heavy days.

You can expect to see more heavy pads available soon and feel free to contact me for custom orders. Let me know if you have any questions and I will make sure to answer them!

Find all of our pads at thecrazyelephantboutique.com

Marble Mazes

We have new mazes in our shop! For spring I have designed 3 new mazes...

The egg shape is just in time for easter and is a little more difficult, acording to our 4 year old.

The mini maze is extra portable and great for the littlest hands.

The regular rectangle mazes now have a new layout so you can add maze variety.

March Roll

It is march and that means it is time for the crayon roll of the month! This one is "bow"rific and the color shown is only available once! That is a one of a kind there. You can find all of my crayon rolls at thecrazyelephantboutique.com!

Made with eco felt so your kiddos can play and keep the earth clean!

I have been going bow crazy and I think it worked out great.

Mini Tags

I got these super cute mini tags from Paper Creations by Deb on Etsy. I came up with a great tool for restocking my pads with it...

Here is how it works...
Each card is for one fabric and lists the pad sizes. When one sells I mark it with a clip. When sewing day comes around I have all the items marked that need to be sewn and relisted. Plus I can keep reusing them instead of trying to organize a pile of sticky note. Cool, huh?

Pad Absorbancy

Today I set up pad absorbency testing. The idea was to add 2 more levels for higher absorbency using single and double layers of Zorb. Here is how it worked, and bear in mind that blood does not react the same way as water as it is thicker.

Each pad got it's own plate and sits on top of 2 squares of toilet paper because it shows moisture the most. They are all made with 2 layers of flannel on top and a layer of fleece on the bottom for moisture wicking. What is different about each is what's on the inside. The tea cup pad has 2 puffy layers of Zorb. The polka dot pad has 1 layer of Zorb. The floral has cotton terry cloth inside. The pantie liner, in space print, has nothing in the middle. Time to see what happened during the experiment.

We added water to the middle of each pad one teaspoon at a time with a dropper. They would likely hold more overall, but my period doesn't usually cover the entirety of the pad, so we focused the "flow" to one small spot.

First is the lightweight pantie liner. Adam adds water to the middle. We wait for about 30-60 seconds between each teaspoon in an effort to simulate a natural "flow".

The pantie liner held 2 teaspoons but soaked through before the third could be added. What we noticed at the end of the experiment was that the whole liner was wet, meaning it really soaked up all it could and spread across the whole cloth to do it.

Next up is the medium absorbency pad. This is the pad that we started the pad line with (not including the liners). This pad held 3 teaspoons (or 1 Tablespoon, or .5 oz) and then it was done. It is better than the pantyliner for holding liquid, but not by much. Here is where it gets better. The pad stayed mostly dry. The water did not absorb much into other areas. The benefit here is that you have 1 Tablespoon of absorbency in several places, so as your flow moves across the top of the pad you will continue to have absorbency.

Now we get into the new pads. The last 2 I am talking about are brand new, as in I made them today. It takes a bit for a brand new pad to draw water, so it took a little bit for the water to soak in from the first dropper full. The single layer of Zorb was the best by far and will be joining our inventory. It held twice as much as the terry variation with a whopping 2 Tablespoons (or 1 oz, or 6t). It did come out damp across the whole top so you know it won't let you down till it has nothing left to give.

Last and not quite least is the double layer of Zorb. The neat thing about this pad was that you could see how the inside stitching did in fact stop the "flow" from going right off the edge. It was also this pad's down fall. The water soaked through the stitching at only 5 teaspoons, 1 less than the single layer. The water stayed centralized and the rest of the pad was dry as the desert, which means it still has more to give. But with it's flat out bulkiness and less than great absorbency, it will not be joining the inventory till it has a serious redesign, if at all.

So, now that that is done, it is time to order more Zorb and get sewing. If you want to buy pads from The Crazy Elephant, check out thecrazyelephantboutique.com. Do you want to be the first to know when the single layer Zorb pads are available? Follow us on Facebook (facebook.com/thecrazyelephant) or drop me a line in the comments section!

Spring 2012 Color Swatches

One big change I am making at The Crazy Elephant this spring is to do large runs of fewer colors. It means that you will be able to get larger quantity of the fabric colors you love and there will be fabric on hand for custom orders as well. Up until now I would buy a very small amount of a fabric and sewit all up to list. The problem is that in the last couple of months I have had many requests for custom orders out of fabrics that are no longer available. I will still pop in a few randoms from time to time but the color swatches below are my spring colors and are available for custom orders. There are 16 and I will post in the comments when one is no longer available.

Love and Peace, Aqua Clouds, Red Clouds, Pirate Sketches

Tan Clouds, Craftaholic, Tea Party, Magenta Clouds

Green Dots, Toon Frog, Toads on Blue, Lime Clouds

Blue Dots, Pink Dots, Blue Clouds, Biking Monkeys

Discontinuing

It happens every so often, something has to be discontinued. I have spent a lot of time tracking my sales and what is being sold. It is important to me so that I can spend more time working on the items everyone loves and not waste time on the ones that are less popular. So, below are the lines that are going by the wayside. Once the listings expire, they won't be back (except at live shows). So, if you have been eyeing one of these item categories, you should get them before they are gone!

Burp Cloths

Owie Fixers

Mini Crayon Rolls



You can click the links under each picture to take a peek at what there is, or stock up before they are gone. I am still completely open to doing these items as custom orders any time. You can drop me a line in my etsy shop thecrazyelephantboutique.com

I Heart Feedback

I have been getting some really great feedback at thecrazyelephantboutique.com and I though I ought to share some. Here we go...

Arrived very quickly, the pads are nicely made and thinner than I anticipated, which is nice. Thank you! - Pad Starter set

Whoa, I received the package of goodies today! What speedy delivery :) I'll be back for more very soon...my son adores the marble maze and the tissues. - Mazes and Tissues

Great product!! I love the fabrics and the pads are nice and thin and comfortable! I love them! - Pads

tried several other styles, and like these best. very soft, not too bulky, and actually stay in place. I've already placed another order. Thank you! - Pads

I realize that they are pretty pad heavy, but I have been sewing and shipping pads like a maniac! Thank you to everyone that leaves feedback on their orders! It makes me feel so good to hear how much you like my products and to hear ways you would like to see them perfected. It is my fantastic customers that help me to make my shop excelent for everyone!

Marble Mazes

I thought it was high time I did another product information post! Today I am going to tell you all about my marble mazes. We use ours in the car, during church, and at the grocery store. It is small enough to pop into any mom sized purse. It is all one piece, so there are no little things to pack up when it is time to head out. Just grab and go. The marble is sewn inside and all the lines are double stitched for durability. There is no start and end so that your kiddo can chose a new marble destination every time. Our little elephant likes to play "I got it here, now you put it there" and take turns. When he is done with it I play with it as much as he does. It is a great way to keep your hands busy and works on fine motor skills. This is a toy that once picked up is played with at any age! Here are some of the commonly asked questions...

Why do you use fleece?
The fleece is soft and durable. It also stretches around the marble allowing for more detail in the maze design.

How does the fleece fit in with your "grow your family green" motto?
The fleece that I use for the marble mazes is being kept from the landfill! A local physical therapy office uses fleece to do occupational therapy by making tied pillows with the patients. Instead of throwing away the scraps, they get sent my way and they get made into our marble mazes and freezie sleeves.

Why don't you make them bigger?

Little hands can only reach so far across the fabric. They are made with little hands in mind. Even for me, the smaller size is just right.

Do you make other maze layouts?
Right now it is just the 1 rectangle and 1 heart design. I plan to create more designs as time goes by, but it is still a little way down the road.

Are there any other benefits to the mazes?
Absolutely! The marble mazes work on fine motor skills. It is a great way to prepare your little ones for holding pencils in school. It is also great for grown ups that need to work their hand muscles.

I am always open to custom orders, so if you want a special maze for a special someone feel free to convo me on etsy!

Find all of our marble mazes at: thecrazyelephantboutique.com

February Crayon Roll

It is time for another crayon roll of the month design! This month is all about the mustache and I even did a fun color combo for St. Patrick's day. You can find all of our crayon rolls at thecrazyelephantboutique.com!

A sharp blue and black

Perfect combo for Paddy's day! Plus it is so fun to get your mustache on in such a bright way.

Holiday Gifts at The Crazy Elephant

The holidays are quickly approaching and it is time to think day after thanksgiving shopping! We are doing a special at The Crazy Elephant Boutique, type in this coupon code, thanksgiving15, and you will save 15% on your order the day after thanksgiving through cyber monday. I am also giving the first 8 people who place an order a free copy of our DVD, Morgan Media Animated, that has our 8 animated shorts (may not work in older dvd players). So, what are you going to find when you stop on by? We have all of our normal goodies like lunch bags, mommy essentials, and burp cloths. The 3 that really stand out for the holidays are these... Toy rolls are a great hit! We carry car rolls and super hero (batman) rolls. They are individualized for your child, so you will want to place your order well in advance to make sure you get it in time for your gift unwrapping. They are made with eco felt that is made of 100% recycled bottles. So, you can feel good knowing that your child's toys are being toted around in an eco friendly roll.

 The checkerboard roll is brand new this year. It is personalized also, so get your order in early. It comes with all the pieces and storage for them too. It is a great family game, get your monogram on the back, and you can take it with you where ever you go, all year long. This one is also made with eco felt. I love using the felt because it keeps the bottles out of the trash. Plus the colors really pop!

Another new item this year are the marble mazes. The marble is encased inside the maze and your little one can push it where ever they like in the maze. This has been very popular since I made them 2 weeks ago and will not stick around long. We love that it is all one self contained item. It is small enough to toss in your purse, so you will have it ready to go when you need a quiet shopping moment or to keep the kids occupied on the car ride to all the holiday celebrations.

There is more to explore on our site, so make sure to check it out! http://thecrazyelephantboutique.com

Holiday Showcase: Too Tutu Cute

Today's holiday showcase is with Bethanie from Too Tutu Cute. Let's get started...

What kinds of fabulous goodies to you carry?

I carry embroidered shirts, tutus, and accessories for the little ones.

What inspires your work?
My 2 beautiful girls inspire my work!

Why is handmade important to you?

Handmade is important to me because it's one of s kind, no two things are exactly a like. I'm able to customize my items just how the individual would want it and make it your very own. It's unique.

Where can we find you?

On Etsy: http://TooTutuCute.etsy.com
On Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Bethanies-Boutique-Too-Tutu-Cute/271900402836430

Lastly, is there anything else you would like to share about you or your shop?

I am a stay at home mom for 2 beautiful little girls and love every minute with them. I'm having so much fun creating these items for them!