Welcome to .....

Counting down to Fair day!

2011-10-27T23:39:00.000-07:00

Thought I'd sneak a quick post in here to catch everyone up on what's happening at the Studio. Firstly, my Studiot looks like it always does at this time of year - like a craft bomb when off! LOL Oh well. I really haven't gone crazy making things this year because I wanted to focus on some new stuff I've been doing.Since I've been paper crafting with Sure Cuts A Lot and my electric cutter for most of the year, I've had the opportunity to try out many cutting files. My favourite company for SVG files by far is SVGCuts. They have the best designs out there in my opinion and you won't believe the things you are able to create with them. This company is all around just excellent and their customer service/support is second to none. They even make videos showing you how to assemble the finished items and the value for the price can't be beat! Check them out for yourself by clicking on the button to the right.Happy Crafting!

Craft Fair season approaching!

2011-10-04T15:43:00.000-07:00

Well, it's that time of year again - Craft Fair season! Actually, when I first started my business 16 years ago, the craft fair season started in September. I was living in Cranbrook, BC then and have moved twice since. Here in Kamloops, the first real craft fair here isn't until NOVEMBER! I'm talking Christmas shows. Not sure why it's so late in the season, it just seems really late to me and I think artisans in Kamloops and the surrounding areas are missing out on a lot of potential selling opportunities by not holding shows starting in September. Believe it or not, I used to sell a LOT of Christmas things at the September show. Look at how early the Christmas stuff hits the stores. And besides Christmas, by having shows from September until December you can also sell items for Thanksgiving and Fall in general and of course, Halloween. Perhaps it's time to start up some new shows in Kamloops. Hmmm....... For this year though, I'll be selling some new things this year. Come check out my booth (#10) at the Royal Inland Hospital Craft-a-Fair in Kamloops, BC on Sunday, November 6th from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm at the Interior Savings Centre on Lorne St.

A big THANK YOU to Vicki at Homespun Hugs and Calico Wishes!!

2011-04-04T10:19:00.001-07:00

I always think it's nice to acknowledge a business that goes out of their way to make their customers happy. So, I'd like to take this opportunity to send a big "THANK YOU" to Vicki at Homespun Hugs and Calico Kisses for her superior customer service!

Here's a little background to this story that even Vicki isn't aware of....

My sister Debbie and I have been trying to find the perfect gift for our family to give to the nurses that took such good care of our Mom before she passed away in February. We looked around and couldn't find anything so I decided that since I'm a craftsperson, I'd just make something special instead. I wanted something with a "nurse" theme so I started searching for a nurse doll pattern and that's how I found Vicki's website Homespun Hugs and Calico Kisses . I have to say that Vicki designs the most adorable dolls. It's really hard to pick just one pattern, but I found just what I was looking for - a Raggedy Nurse Doll named Nurse Nightingale. For some reason I find that I'm really drawn to Primitive Style Raggedy Dolls and this doll was just perfect!

So, I went ahead and ordered that pattern and another one and waited for them to arrive...and waited....and waited...and... nothing showed up in the mail. Now, I realize that shipping from the Texas, USA to British Columbia, Canada can take a little time but I've done it many times before with much larger items (i.e. boxes of wood parts) and it never takes a month, so I contacted Vicki so see if she knew "where" my patterns might be.

Now, I've been operating my craft business for almost 16 years now (where has the time gone)?! In all that time I've been very fortunate to meet so many wonderful people from all areas of this business - wholesalers, distributors and retailers as well as my many fantastic customers and many all the talented craftspeople I've met along the way. The crafting community is filled with terrific people, and Vicki is no exception. I emailed her about the missing order and she got back to me right away and said that she would resend my order - no questions asked. I can't tell you how much I appreciated that offer, especially since it's costing her money to do it. I told her to hold off until April 1st (in the off chance that my patterns might still arrive) and then I'd let her know before she resent my order. Well, April 1st arrived and still no patterns (bummer) so I emailed Vicki (actually, she emailed me first to ask if I'd seen anything yet) and told her that nothing showed up and to go ahead and resend my order. Again, she got back to me right away and offered to send me another pattern (free) with my order to apologize for the inconvenience! I certainly wasn't expecting that - what a wonderful surprise!

So, here's a big "THANK YOU VICKI", for going above and beyond in the customer service department and giving me a "Homespun Hug" with her superior customer service - it was much appreciated! And to anyone out there looking for some fabulous doll patterns, please check out Vicki's website Homespun Hugs and Calico Kisses I highly recommend it!!

PS....Hey Vicki, I will DEFINITELY be back for more patterns soon. The hardest part is chosing which one to get first!!!

Happy Crafting!

In Loving Memory of my Mom - Florence Evelyn Wood

2011-02-14T00:08:00.003-08:00

My precious Mom passed away on February 6th, 2011 at the age of 82. She had struggled over half of her lifetime with the after effects of having Influenza caused Encephalitis 43 years ago. She was then diagnosed with COPD in April of 1999 and it greatly shortened her life. She went into the hospital with pneumonia a week before her death and she seemed to be getting better, but her lungs were just too worn out and it was so hard for her to breathe. Her final gift to us was that she was able to hold on long enough to allow each of my four siblings and me, and our families, to rush to her bedside and be with her in her final days on Earth. She was fully aware of what was happening and knew us all and we were able to talk with her and just be with her until the end. In the early morning hours of February 6th, she quietly went to sleep one last time and reunited with my Dad (who we lost to colon cancer in 1987).

I have no living parents now and it seems really strange to acknowledge that fact. I was not quite 22 when my Dad passed away. He was only 60 years old. I wasn't married yet and had no children at the time and it was terribly hard to get used to not having him in my life anymore. Now, almost 24 years later I still miss him terribly at times but you learn to move forward with your life in honour of them. It's really hard to believe that my Mom is gone now too. I know I will not always feel this terrible ache for her presence in my life because in reality, she is in everything I do every day. My Mom was a creative person herself and most of my skill comes from her. She was such a gift to us all and I am a richer person for having been one of her daughters.

I love you forever Mom.

Cheryl

We're on Facebook!

2011-01-06T14:02:00.000-08:00

Just getting started on Facebook but if you LIKE us you can keep up to date on the happenings around the studio!

Happy Crafting!
Cheryl

Merry Christmas 2010!!

2010-12-28T16:21:00.000-08:00

Well, the big day has come and gone for another year! I was finished my shopping by the end of November - not sure how that happened but it was nice not having to fight the crowds this year - that just ain't my thing! Now we're trying to figure out what to do with turkey left overs - my 5 year old son doesn't eat meat and my 17 year old daughter, my husband and I aren't really fans of turkey either (this is a "cook once a year deal") so I guess I'll be making a big pot of soup. It was only a 7lb turkey, but it had a lot of meat on it!

We decided to get a pal for our older male cat, Buster, so today, we drove out to the North Thompson area (Darfield) and picked up the cutest barn kitten from a family my husband met while doing inspections. (Adam is a Building Inspector for the TNRD - Thompson Nicola Regional District). It's a Calico cat and I believe it's female, but we'll know for sure when we take her to the vet. We've decided to name her Jazmine - Jaz for short. This name will come in handy if "she" turns out to be a "he" - although most Calicos are female, there are occasionally male ones, so we can change it to Jazz or Jazzy. Anyway, she's adorable and if she stops moving long enough I'll post a picture. So far, Buster seems to be ok with the new addition (no hissing or growling) but we're keeping them separated for a few days until they get used to each other's smell. Buster adopted us when we had our other cat, a spayed female named Tigger. She didn't like him at first but they accepted each other soon enough. Tigger died in 2006 (she was 17) and Buster has been without a feline companion since then. We'll see how it goes.

The Benefits of Being Organized!

2010-12-07T23:33:00.000-08:00

I really find that my creativity drags when things are disorganized in my studio. Who feels like creating when you can't find what you're looking for and nothing is where you thought it was? Fortunately, I don't have any more shows lined up for this year so now is a great time to get organized! Unfortunately, I've decided to do a major studio overhaul again so it's turned into a really BIG job!

I'm really excited about the "finished project" though, once I have everything in place again. Of course, while moving things around and around in the studio I keep coming across stuff that I started working on but, for whatever reason, it got put aside at some point and then I forgot about it - oops! Anyway, "cleaning house" is a great way to get your creative juices flowing and I'm feeling revitalized already!

Happy Crafting!
Cheryl

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas around here!

2010-11-23T15:19:00.001-08:00

We've finally had "some" snow here in Kamloops so it's beginning to look more "Christmasy" here but man, I could sure do without the Arctic Outflow wind we have over BC right now. It drops the temperature a good 10 degrees lower than it actually is (they don't call it Wind Chill for nothing) Brrrr..... Makes you extra thankful to have a warm house to live in, that's for sure!

In honour of the upcoming holiday I've also added some "Christmas" flavour to my blog with a new template from Scrappin' Blogs What do you think? The hardest part was deciding which background to choose! Knowing me, I'm sure I'll try out a few more in the coming months. LOL!

Now, I really should get back to working on re-organizing my studio. It should be done by now, but my son was home sick from school all last week and I didn't get around to doing much of that. I did manage to get a second table in there (who doesn't need more workspace) and now I just have to decide if I want to move my sewing table in too - but that means I have to move one of my shelves out. I can do that but there would be a lot more work involved!! LOL I do like the idea of having my work area confined to the same room though i.e. I can leave things in progress and just close the door if necessary. My son was excited to see the extra table in the studio too - now he has a craft spot too! Yes, like his older sister before him, I've turned my son into a crafter - yeah! Just doing my part to keep the craft industry going!

Happy Crafting!
Cheryl

CRAFT SHOW UPDATE, ETC...

2010-11-17T10:00:00.001-08:00

I did my one and only craft show for the year a week ago Sunday and it went well considering the economy right now. I'm not planning to do any more shows this year as I'm really needing a break after dealing with my husband's health crisis over the Summer. I'm happy to report that he's continuing to do really well and he's been back at work full-time now. When you live with a chronic illness (25+ years) you never know what the future holds but we are SO grateful to still have him here with us and thank God for the many blessings we've received, this year especially.

As for me, I suppose my immune system was really rundown after the stress of the Summer and the move and everything. Right after my son started Kindergarten in September I got a cold. I then caught another one at the beginning of October (my son too) and I was sick for the entire month! So much for getting any work done! Here it is mid-November and I've still got a lingering little cough that comes and goes. Ugh, I've never been sick for this long in my life and it really put a damper on my creativity, I can tell you. So, lesson learned the hard way, I've decided to take it easy for the rest of the year and just get re-organized and take my time working on all the ideas I want to make for next year.

Every year since I started doing craft shows (14+ years now) I've taken a notebook with me so I could write down my impressions of each show before, during and afterwards. Even if I'm busy I still try to make a point of writing things down. This has proven to be an invaluable tool for my business. It allows me to review the show once I get home so I can go over it and remember "what worked" and "what didn't." I also comment on my set up and how the display worked for me and my customers, any comments I hear, any requests I get or items people are looking for that I don't have. I write down things about my booth location, who was around me selling (often you will have the same sellers around your space year after year so it's good to remind yourself what they had so you don't compete). I write down what I liked and didn't like about the show in general and how things could be improved. I also write down things I don't want to sell (other people have similar stuff) and also, I write ideas for things that I do want to sell next time that I didn't see at the show.

There were quite a few things I wanted to make this year but I just didn't get around to it or I started them and I just didn't get them finished in time. I had two items that no one was selling that I "know" would have gone like hot cakes - if I'd finished them in time! Well, I've got a good leg up on next years sales!

Happy Crafting!
Cheryl

Making a list...or rather, make that list! LOL

2010-11-16T09:51:00.000-08:00

Anyone who knows me well, knows that I'm kind of obsessed with list making and organizing things. I'm really not sure where that comes from, since according to my older sister, Debbie, I was a real slob when I was younger (well,not really, she was just a whole lot "fussier" than me, that's all LOL). I really do like things to be organized though, mainly so I know exactly "what" I have and "where" it's located. It's been challenging keeping organized since we've moved around quite a bit and each time we move I need to pack and unpack and reorganize again. It's a great way to "re-visit" your stuff though! It was providence really that my very first job in the corporate world involved working in a departmental file room of a large municipality - it was a big job with lots and lots of files to keep track of but I loved it!

An example of one of the lists I keep is a database I created that lists every movie my husband and I own (all 680 of them at last count). It's not just an alphabetical listing, but includes whether it's VHS or DVD and if it's original or taped from tv. Then, of course, they are shelved alphabetically and according to type as well so you can find what you are looking for easily.

Of course, since I'm a craftaholic, you can appreciate that after 15+ years of operating a business at home I've accumulated a "few" craft supplies - I won't embarass myself telling you exactly how many craft supplies I do have, lets just say it's "A WHOLE LOT". So in order to keep track of it all I have a database which list all the supplies I've bought, what I paid for them (per item), where I bought them from and how many of each (that reminds me, I need to do another inventory soon). I also have a database for all my sewing patterns (wow, do I really own 348 sewing patterns?) and painting/craft books. I have a spreadsheet type list for giftware I have created that shows how many of each item I have, the price of each item and how many I've sold. It automatically calculates the total value of stock on hand as well as the value of stock sold too, etc. I take this list shows and it helps me keep track of how many things I brought with me, their prices, etc. The "list" of lists goes on and on!

My most extensive craft list would have to be my cross stitch database that I created to keep track of all the cross stitch magazines and books I own. Cross stitch is really the first craft I became obsessed with about 28 years ago now and I still love it. Since that obsession began, I've bought magazines and books over the years with designs I'd love to make. Honestly, I know I'll probably never live long enough to make them all but...who cares! LOL My cross stitch database is the most detailed list as it not only lists each magazine or book but the patterns in each with details about each pattern. This way, if I needed a pattern with say, a heart in it, I can search using "heart" and it would tell me every magazine or book I have that has patterns with a heart in it! That way I don't have to search through as many magazines/books! Not that I don't enjoy looking through all my books, but I tend to get caught up in looking at all the designs and not keeping on track about what I was looking for in the first place. It's not a bad thing really, but a time waster that's ok when you have the time but not very helpful when you're supposed to be doing something else! LOL

C'est la vie (That's life!)

Happy Crafting!
Cheryl

FREE SHIPPING TO USA & CANADA !

2010-11-08T14:55:00.002-08:00

Hi Everyone,

Just a quick note to let you know that we're offering FREE SHIPPING TO THE USA & CANADA for the entire month of November in our Artfire studio! Please drop in and check it out. We'll be adding some new items weekly.

Favourite Things Gift Studio

or shop with our Rapid Cart link:

FavouriteThingsGiftStudio

Unique Gifts

Cheryl

Happy Fall Y'all!

2010-10-02T09:17:00.000-07:00

Well, here it is October already and the Christmas craft fair season is just around the corner. The weather here in Kamloops has been really weird lately - all year really - but we're having a little heat wave again. My air conditioner kicked in last night too, it was that warm in the house!

Fall really signals a change, so that's what I've decided to do this year when I closed my own domain website and started moving my giftware over to an ArtFire Studio. I'm really excited about this and I'm slowly getting things uploaded there. I also found a bunch of things that I need to photograph so I'll be doing that in the coming weeks and then uploading them to my studio.

As time permits, I'm also developing a whole new line of giftware items. Watch for the new stuff....coming soon!

Enjoy the changing of the seasons and Happy Crafting!

Cheryl

Check out my ArtFire Studio!

2010-09-27T12:00:00.000-07:00

Well, we're changing things up a bit here at Favourite Things Gift Studio. After a lot of consideration, I've decided to close my domain website and move all of my giftware items into an ArtFire Studio. This is the best venue for me right now, and I'm really excited to get everything uploaded and ready for the upcoming holiday shopping season! Please be sure to change your bookmarks to the new website for Favourite Things Gift Studio.

Changes coming....

2010-09-24T15:25:00.002-07:00

Well, it's been a long time since I've posted any updates. Unfortunately, at the end of June, my husband had a major health emergency (due to a chronic health issue he's had for 25 years). We almost lost him twice and he had to spend three weeks in the hospital, so my business has been on the back burner up until now. Fortunately, by the grace of God, all the wonderful health care professionals in our community and major prayers from so many people, he made it through and is recovering quite nicely. He's just started back to work last week and it's going well. We're so grateful for all the blessings we've received.

Now that I've got the time, I've decided to make some changes to my website. I'm not going to say "specifically" what those changes will be, but I'm hoping that everyone will enjoy the changes I'm making. Watch for a new and exciting venue for all my customers to shop from - with more of the things you love and some new and exciting things too!

Stay tuned!

Cheryl

Updated look for my blog!

2010-06-18T15:18:00.000-07:00

Well, if you've visited by blog before you might notice that I've changed something....the background colour has gone from black to beige! I love the look of the black but I always wondered if some people might find it hard to read - white writing on black background is a little hard on the eyes, I must admit. So I'll try this for a while until I get sick of it too and change to something new - I'm a Gemini, what can I say!!

Happy Crafting!

Cheryl

What craft supplies are YOU looking for?

2010-05-27T01:09:00.000-07:00

I mentioned in a previous post that I've been searching for craft supplies so I can create some new items I want to make. When I started my business back in 1995 (good grief, was it really that long ago?!), it used to be quite easy to find suppliers for everything I needed. Now it's really become difficult in the past seven years - especially if you're looking for a Canadian Supplier. And you think you're annoyed at the retail stores when you can't get something?! LOL It often isn't much better at the wholesaler level either.

I used to have two really good wholesale suppliers for wood - which I'm sure you can appreciate I use a LOT of in the production of my ornaments. Between the two of them, I could basically get everything I needed and it was great. Unfortunately, they both closed within a year of each other - actually, one was bought by another company and no longer carries craft supplies and the other one was bought by a company in the USA and moved their operations south. UGH! This severely threw a wrench in my business and has forced me to re-think what I'm doing. I now have to decide whether or not I still want to continue using wood.

I have no problem buying from the USA - I've done it off and on over the years when I wanted something that I couldn't get in Canada yet. Even paying the exchange rate/shipping/duty, I could still get supplies cheaper than I could in Canada - retail price in the USA is basically the wholesale price in Canada. Now, you'd think that today, with the Canadian dollar at par (or almost) with the US Dollar, it would be an even better deal importing from the USA. There's one big problem now - SHIPPING COSTS!! Wood is heavy, but regardless of that, I can't justify buying $200 worth of product and paying $100+ to ship it to Canada!! Ouch!! It's not the suppliers fault - it's the "extras" that shippers add to things. Like fuel surcharges. I know the price of gas has gone up, but when you're charging the same "surcharge" on every package you ship, you can't tell me they aren't making a killing with a truck load of items to deliver.

Anyway, I'm really considering changing the medium I work with to something more readily available in Canada. Either that or I'll become a wood wholesaler myself!!

Happy Crafting!

Cheryl

Is it April already?!!!

2010-04-14T15:55:00.000-07:00

....that can't be right?! I really don't know where the time goes anymore. It's so easy to get caught up in creating and family and life in general that before you know it half a month has flown by!

I've been busy, so I haven't updated as recently as I would have liked to. I always have "a lot of irons in the fire." Maybe that's a Gemini thing or insanity or just me, I don't know! Since I wear almost all the hats at Favourite Things Gift Studio as well as looking after my family (including homeschooling my teenage daughter), I often don't get to everything on my TO DO list as quickly as I'd like. At least I don't have to do the bookkeeping anymore. No offense to anyone who enjoys playing with numbers but bookkeeping is so boring to me. I can do it, but there's nothing creative about it so it's just another chore for me - one I gladly passed on to my husband Adam, who's also my business partner. He has to have something else to do besides schlepp my stock to shows! Poor man.

I'm working on a few new things for this year. Finding suppliers for what I need is a big hassle though. I'm sure most crafters can relate to finding something you want to create but you can't find the supplies you need. Or worse, you can only find some things. It's so annoying - and I have access to wholesale! UGH! I finally got an Import number, so I may try to solve this problem myself and not rely on wholesale distributers anymore. I'll keep you posted.

Back to the studio!

Cheryl

Reorganizing the Studio.....Again!!!

2010-02-19T15:23:00.005-08:00

I guess I must be a glutton for punishment because I'm reorganizing my studio space AGAIN!!! Actually, I really do like to organize things (yeah, I'm weird) and after working in my new studio set up last Fall I realized that I'd like to make some changes. Sometimes, you don't know if you will like a space until you work in it!

I'm really not doing anything major, just shifting a few things around to make the space more efficient and workable for me - for now. Being a Gemini though, I know I'll change it around again to something else once I get tired of the "new" set up. I just can't help it.

Happy Crafting!
Cheryl

If you're into Sure Cuts a Lot software....

2010-02-06T16:26:00.003-08:00

be sure to check out the great SVG files at:

Lots of free files too!

Happy Crafting!

Cheryl

My First Show in my new Hometown

2009-09-02T10:45:00.003-07:00

I just got confirmation....I'll be participating in my first craft show in Kamloops, BC - the Royal Inland Hospital Christmas Craft-a-Fair! Can't wait to attend and it's a fundraiser for a good cause too!

Happy Crafting!

Cheryl

Let the Craft Fairs Begin!

2009-08-18T15:51:00.020-07:00

It's September (yeah, already) and soon the Fall/Christmas craft fair season will be here. For those of us who take our creations to shows and sell directly to our customers, it's an exciting time and a scary time too. It's exciting because you get to see first hand how your new creations are received (or not) by your customers. It can also be scary, because even if you've participated in the same show for a few years and you already "know" what to expect, after you've done this a few years you discover that you really never know what to expect! LOL

I started selling at craft fairs in 1996. Since I make mostly Christmas items, my main selling season usually runs from September until the end of November. After all these years of selling at shows, I've been really fortunate to have had only two really terrible shows i.e. poor attendance/low sales. Not bad for 14 year in business!

Now that we've moved family and business for the second time in 14 years, it's really like starting my business all over again from scratch. I've never been to any shows/fairs here in Kamloops so I have no idea what to expect. I only know of one show here so far and I applied to get into it, but I don't know which shows are good and which ones to avoid. I have no idea who my competition is here, if I have competition here, and I don't know what sells well here and what doesn't. Hmmm.....this is going to be interesting! LOL

Happy Crafting!
Cheryl

I'm selling on Ebay - finally!!

2009-08-15T15:59:00.005-07:00

Well, I finally got up enough courage to post some giftware auctions on Ebay! I've toyed with it off and on many years now (try 8) and I just thought - go for it! Check them out here:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=280385719290&ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT

I posted 5 auctions a week ago and one actually sold! Yeah! I may try an Ebay store too, since it's free for the first month and it's cheaper than my current site. Yes, there are fees to selling on Ebay, but I figure that's a small price to pay for all the extra advertising they do and the traffic they get, which is much more than my website gets. I'm finding that there are things that I'd like to be able to do on my site that I can't because it's a "built" site. Good to start with but now I want more!

I don't really have the time to do my own site from scratch right now though. I'm currently home schooling my 16 year old daughter and I have a 4 year old son at home too, so time is at a premium. In case you are wondering...that's a 12 year gap between kids and yes, my husband and I are the birth parents of both kids. It's really a very funny story about two miracles, but I'll leave that one for another post! LOL

But I digress....back to the craft table!!!

Happy Crafting!

Cheryl

Doing my part to support artistic endeavours!

2009-08-05T19:26:00.015-07:00

I have to admit that I don't always work on my craft projects "in" my studio. Of course, that's the ideal place for creating, because it's all set up again and everything I need (hopefully) is in there. Also, having a dedicated studio space means I can just shut the door when I'm finished and leave everything where it is and return to it later (this is a definite bonus!!)

Sometimes though, I do like to sit in front of the tv and paint (prep, sand, etc). One of my favourite shows is "So You Think You Can Dance" (season finale started last night) and "So You Think You Can Dance Canada." I just love this show and I must say that the calibre of dancers this season has been phenomenal - what a tough competition this year! I even got my husband hooked on it so we've both been watching this time around.

Obviously, being a craftsperson, I'm all in favour of supporting artistic endeavours, whatever they may be. What I truly love about this show, other than I find it terrifically entertaining, is that the judges are so supportive of the dancers while they are critiquing them. With all the so called "reality shows" on now and the emphasis on shock value, drama and controversy, I find it refreshing and wonderful to see professionals provide constructive commentary to hopefully help these dancers improve and flourish. This is an incredible learning opportunity for them. Whether they make it to the final and ultimately win or not doesn't really matter in the end. The whole season of dancing is like a visual resume for each one of them and these dancers will definitely find work after the show is over!

Be sure to watch the finale tonight!! Since I'm in Canada I can't vote, but if I could, my vote would go for Jeanine!!! (Well, I like the other three finalists too, but she's my favourite dancer!!)

Here's to more support for the arts!!

Happy Crafting!!

Cheryl

Christmas in July!!

2009-07-13T23:25:00.009-07:00

I really love decorating for Christmas, and being a craftsperson who makes items mainly for the Christmas season, it's really looks like Christmas in my Studio all year long! It's not unusual for me to be making snowmen when it's hot outside either.

For the past 15 years we've lived in the East Kootenays (Cranbrook and Golden, BC). While it would get hot in the summer at times, being at higher elevations and in or near the mountains it usually cools off at night, which is nice. Now that we're here in Kamloops, BC, it gets REALLY hot in the summertime (this is semi-arid desert country here) and often doesn't really cool off much at night either (22 degrees Celcius (71.6F) at 7:00 am isn't cooled off in my book!) Lately we've had temperatures in the high 30's - like 38 degrees Celcius every day. That's 100 degrees Fahrenheit by the way! Ugh!

While I don't know if I'll ever get used to the heat here (opening the door to go outside is like walking into a blast furnace at that temperature!), at least our new home has central air conditioning. So it's always nice inside the house even if it's stinkin' hot outside! So, while I've been working away creating snowmen and other winter items this summer, I haven't been melting while I'm doing it! I'm really spoiled now!

Happy Crafting!

Cheryl

STUDIO SETUP IS COMPLETE!!

2009-06-15T14:19:00.041-07:00

Well, I'm finally finished setting up my studio and now I can get back to work creating my giftware again! It's amazing the amount of tools and supplies a person can accumulate over the course of 14 years of operating a business. Yes, I do have a LOT of stuff, and I couldn't get everything into my new studio because it's actually a smaller space than I had before, but I think I did a pretty good job. It's still a work in progress though and as I work in there I'll move things around if I need to. And even if I don't really need to, I know I will move it around anyway because I like change!

Now that I've gotten to this point, there is still work to do. There are boxes to re-label and new stock lists to create. And then there's the dreaded inventory to take - but at least I know where everything is now! Hey, I even found things I forgot I had, so even though it's been a lot of work moving all this stuff, it's been helpful too. Nothing like a move to make you get organized!

Trying to fit all this stuff into a smaller workspace was a challenge. Some of the storage items I've used in the past just wouldn't work in here, so I had to improvise. That's probably what took the longest getting this space set up - having to keep changing things around because my original set up idea had to be modified a few times. I even changed rooms after I got started because this room was a bit larger! Ugh! Now that I've finished it I think this will work out good for now though, but I guess time will tell!

HAPPY CRAFTING!!

Mission Accomplished...Move is Complete!

2009-03-12T09:40:00.008-07:00

Our move went well and we're settling in nicely here in Kamloops, BC. It is very strange to be living here after spending the last 15 years in the Kootenays, but we are finding that although the "mountains" here don't compare to anything where we used to live, they do possess have their own special beauty.

My studio space is coming along nicely as well (although slowly) and it will be great to get back to creating again, which I haven't been able to do for the past nine months now since we started this newest moving adventure! I also have a LOT of things to re-organize and put away right now but once that's finished I can get back at it!

We are loving our new house so far - it's the newest and largest home we've ever owned (and this is home #5 since 1989). We were really lucky to find it! It is nice to have studio space "in" the house again too. My last space was built in the back of our detached garage and although it was a nice, large, heated space with it's own entrance, I found it hard to be working out there and constantly running back and forth to the house - seems I can't remove the "Mom" hat for even a few minutes! I still have a dedicated room for my studio, but this set up should be more convenient for all of us and I can still close the door and not have to pack my work up when I'm done!

If you've ever moved, you know how challenging it can be. Getting settled in (especially if you have kids), finding where everything is (inside your house and in your new hometown), meeting new people, changing services, etc. When you have a business to move as well, it does set you back a bit, especially when you change cities, because you almost always lose most if not all of your local customers (fair/sale shoppers you've gotten to know). It's really like starting a new business all over again, which can be good or bad depending on how you look at things. I'm a "glass half full" type of person however, so change doesn't scare me. Besides, I'm a Gemini too so I'm changing all the time!! Let's see what changes this move brings!

Happy Crafting!
Cheryl

Ready, Set....MOVE!!!

2009-02-07T12:21:00.009-08:00

Well, my studio is all packed up are we are ready for the movers to come pick up our things in another week and move us all to Kamloops, BC. I can't wait to get into my new home and my new studio space and get organized again! I'm a bit of an organization freak so I'm just itching to get all my stuff re-organized - hopefully it doesn't take too long!

Packing up my business after 5+ years in Golden has been a real eye opener...boy, have I accumulated a LOT of stuff in those 5+ years!! Not only supplies but shelving, props, equipment and adding a son to our family almost 12 years after having our daughter!

If you're in the business of creating things to sell you really need to have your supplies and work space available 24/7 so that you can create when the ideas strike you - and you never know when that will happen. There's nothing worse than having an idea pop into your head and you can't find the supplies you need to make it!!

This is actually the second time I've moved my business since we started it back in 1995 (goodness, has it been that long already?!). I know it's a lot of work to re-establish a business in a new city, but I always find that having to re-organize my space makes me so much more creative. I think that "re-connecting" with all my supplies while I'm putting things away just seems to spark so many ideas. I'm really looking forward to the changes!

Don't forget that our website is still open if you want to check out some of the items we carry - just remember that we won't be filling any orders until March 1st. Until then....

Happy Crafting!

Cheryl

WE ARE FINALLY MOVING!!

2009-01-25T19:16:00.007-08:00

Well, I can't believe I posted this information back in September last year and we're now near the end of January 2009 but yes, we are FINALLY moving!

Wouldn't you know it, the global economy takes a nose dive just when we listed our house for sale! That doesn't exactly inspire confidence in home buyers does it? Anyway, we are now happily sold and will be heading to the sunnier climes of Kamloops, BC in mid-February (about 3 weeks from now - Ahhhhh!

There are actually two really good things that have come from waiting all this time. Firstly, while our prices did drop a bit here in Golden, they dropped a lot more in Kamloops, so we were able to find a really great house at a cheaper price than when we first started looking. Secondly, although it was hard having my husband working in Kamloops during the week (home late Friday night, four hour drive minimum, and then heading back after lunch on Sundays) while I stayed behind in Golden with the kids, the cat and the house, I did manage to get a lot of things packed already. So, even though we will be leaving soon, there really isn't a lot of packing left to do now!

Since we will be moving soon and I have no idea how long it will take me to reassemble my studio at our new location, I have decided not to accept any orders for the month of February. Our website is still open but any orders placed during the month of February will not be filled until March 1, 2009 when we will be back to business. Thanks for your understanding!

Happy Crafting!
Cheryl Bux, Owner/Designer
Favourite Things Gift Studio

WHERE'S THE WOOD...UPDATE!!

2008-09-05T09:39:00.005-07:00

If you've checked our Blog in the past few months you may have wondered...well, where's the wood?

The simple answer is, it's "still" coming!

Right as we announced we would be adding a wood parts section to our website, our favourite wholesale supplier here in Canada decided to move their warehouse to the USA and we thought we might not be able to get the supplies we use. Now, things have started to get back on track with them, but now we are now facing a new change - WE'RE MOVING TOO!!!

Yes, FAVOURITE THINGS GIFT STUDIO, and indeed our whole family is packing up and will be heading west to sunny KAMLOOPS, BC in the next month or so - gotta sell our house first though!! It will be a big change for us all but change is good and it will bring us closer to family and friends and provide more opportunities for the future - for both our family and our business!

So, the wood section and indeed the whole website somewhat on hold for a bit right now until we move and get settled in our new location - once we have a new location that is! I really hate this house selling stuff! LOL Keep checking back for updates!

Coming Attractions!!

2008-04-26T17:34:00.007-07:00

What most people who are not familiar with our business don't know, is that Favourite Things Gift Studio has actually been in business since August 1995!! Yes, we are entering our 13th year of business already. Things have changed quite a bit since we started, but one thing that hasn't changed is people always ask us where we get our wood parts from.

I always intended to offer unpainted wood parts for sale along side our finished items, but I just never got around to it - it was always on the "TO DO" list. Well, we are working on adding a whole new section to our website filled with all kinds of wood parts. We have yet to see anyone who carries the selection that we are able to offer our customers.

Happy Crafting!

Cheryl

OUR NEW WEBSITE IS OPEN FOR BUSINESS!!

2008-04-02T23:46:00.009-07:00

I'm happy to announce that our new website has finally gone live!! After so many months of saying "Coming Soon" it's really out there now and Favourite Things Gift Studio is open for business!

Creating a website takes a lot of time...and it really never ends once you get started either! From creating products to sell to taking pictures and writing copy, the work is ongoing. It's been exciting work, at times both frustrating and fun too, and although I'm sure there will be changes to make, I'm happy to have gotten this far!!

I still have lots of new items to get uploaded - I have a whole bunch of new Christmas items that I've already completed. I will also be adding craft supplies to the site, especially wood parts for the make-it-yourself crafters out there. I know here in Canada it's really difficult to find some of the unique wood parts I carry, so keep checking my website for new items and improvements.

Thanks for stopping by!

Cheryl

Cabin Fever...Anxiously Awaiting Spring!

2008-02-18T22:28:00.019-08:00

As I write this the sun is shining gloriously and the sky is the most wonderful shade of azure blue. Spring is finally coming...although it's hard to believe when I look out the window at a yard still full of snow! Living in a valley between two mountain ranges usually means we are destined to have a fair amount of snow over the winter so it's not unexpected. By February the pile in the yard from shovelling is well over 5 feet high - and there is no where to go but up! It still amazes me every year that it will eventually all melt away and the green grass will be there...well, it won't be green just yet, but once the sun gets to it, it will get some life in it again!

It's certainly taking longer than I'd planned but our new site is almost ready to launch. Lots of unexpected things have worked against us to delay the launch but we're almost ready and hopefully you will find it worth the wait.

New Website Coming Soon!

2008-01-23T11:22:00.001-08:00

Just thought I'd post a quick note to remind everyone to watch for my new improved website...COMING SOON!

I've been very busy working on the new site and adding lots of new products to it daily. Along with the new giftware items from our studio, I will be adding lots of wood parts for the do-it-yourself crafter. In addition, I'm thrilled to be offering some of the wonderful giftware lines from BLOSSOM BUCKET. I know you will just love their wonderfully whimsical designs featuring artists like Barbara Lloyd and Suzi Skoglund.

Please bookmark us and check back often!

Cheryl
Favourite Things Gift Studio

Happy New Year!

2008-01-03T10:38:00.001-08:00

Well, here we are in 2008! I really don't know where the time goes...just hang on tight and go with the flow I guess!

There are some exciting new changes coming to Favourite Things Gift Studio this year. I'm doing a total revamp of my website - a different layout which will allow more functionality regarding inventory control and a built in shopping cart with real time shipping rates. I'll also be adding lots of new products to help fill your special holiday gift giving needs all year round!

Be sure to visit my website often and see these exciting new changes going on at Favourite Things Gift Studio

Till next time...

Cheryl

The Spirit of Christmas

2007-10-19T11:32:00.001-07:00

Yes, admittedly I am obsessed with Christmas decorating. Although I do make items that are not Christmas things, the majority of my handcrafted giftware does tend to capture the Spirit of Christmas - the fun, whimsical side that includes Santas and Snowmen as well as the more serious side that includes Angels (although they often have a touch of whimsy too!)

I blame the christmas decorating obsession on well...my Mom! Mom's get blamed for everything anyway, right?! My mom has always loved Christmas, and at age 79 (hopefully she never sees this) she still does. I am the youngest of 5 children. When I was a child, my Mom would always decorate our house to the rafters, not with store bought things so much as little creative touches she would add here and there that really made Christmas come alive in our house. For many years she would even paint a Christmas scene on the livingroom window (you know..."if it's not moving paint it")! When we were younger, our tree had all the usual "handmade" crafts that kids make for their parents on it, but as we got older and stopped making those things, the tree evolved into a "themed" tree with all these Disney ornaments that my Mom had bought. Following the "if it's not moving..." theme, my Mom would roughly cover the fireplace mantle with tin foil and then she'd put apples and oranges, all kinds of shelled nuts and candy along the length of it. There was always a candy wreath on the door (inside of course so you could "cut" a candy off to eat - remember those?) Every year she would also make a candy house - not the little kit ones you can make from gingerbread but a large, multi-roomed dollhouse type creation made out of cardboard. It was just loaded with candies that she'd "glue" on with some kind of meringue-type glue. Honestly, I'm not a big "candy" fan, so I really didn't eat much from the house. Besides, it was so pretty it seemed a shame to eat the decorations on it!

As I grew up and got married and began my own family, I've steadily obtained or created items to display in my own home. Obviously, I love handcrafted ornaments, which is one of the reasons why I started creating my own and eventually started selling them in my business. One can never have enough places to display (a la Mom), so over the years I've "aquired" 6 Christmas trees and can easily fill every nook and cranny in my own home if I want to. It still amazes me what some paint and can become!

Happy Holidays!

Cheryl

How it all began....

2007-10-06T10:13:00.001-07:00

Who would have thought that some wood parts and a few bottles of paint would turn into an obsession - and a business opportunity?!

Well, that's exactly what happened to me in August 1995. I have always loved crafting and considered myself a sort of "craftaholic" because I enjoyed doing so many different kinds of crafts. What I never considered was that I could actually start my own business doing something that I loved to do as a hobby. At that time, I was a stay-at-home mom of a two year old daughter. I'd just turned "the big 30" and I really felt like I needed to find an outlet for my creativity.

Completely by accident I came across a craft book that featured wood parts that were assembled and painted to create these really cute figures. Being the "craftaholic" that I am, I was excited to see these new ideas but quickly became frustrated that I couldn't find the wood parts I needed to make the projects. So...that led to searching out sources for those wood parts and well - the rest is history! After creating so many items, I wondered if anyone might be interested in buying some of the things I had created. So, I took a leap of faith and rented a booth at a local Christmas craft fair. Needless to say, it went so well that I decided that I would start my own business manufacturing giftware - and Favourite Things Gift Studio was born!!

Now, as I write this over 12 years later, I'm still obsessed with those wood parts and paints, along with all the other craft embellishments that go with them! I'm still a stay-at-home mom and a home-based business owner. My daughter is now 14 years old and I actually still have a 2 year old at home - my son, born in 2005! (yes, my children were born 12 years apart and yes, they even have the same parents, but that's an interesting story I'll leave for another post!)

Hmmmm....I wonder if this "obsession" will ever fade....but I seriously doubt it!!