Spotlight on Two Sellers at Fan Expo

During my adventure at the Fan Expo convention in Toronto I perused through many amazing artists and their creations, all of them full of love and hard work and definitely some very unique and creative ideas. I'd like you to meet two people who were selling items that I just fell in love with.

Introducing the awesome creations of Kuma Crafts from the mind of Mandi :)

Mandi's awesome laser-cut acrylic creations literally stopped me in my tracks. Above is one photo that I took of her display. I'm like a raven sometimes- I can't help but hone in on bright colours and sparkly things. If anything looks good enough to eat, I'm all over it! Mandi's creations were right up my alley. After giving my peepers a visual feast of eye candy...

...I chose something for myself!!

LOOOOOOOVE!!!!!

Then I asked Mandi a few questions.

What's your favourite thing about vending at Fan Expo?
- It's my first time vending here but so far I have loved meeting so many different people and creating a connection. I love developing relationships with my customers.

What inspires you?
- There's definitely a strong Japanese pop-culture influence. I love things that are cute and colourful and kawaii.

What's been your bestselling item during this show? Is it available online?
- Ninja Cat! It can be found in my Etsy shop.

I can see why this item is a bestseller! Especially at a con. Click on the photo or follow this link to see it in her shop:  Ninja Cat from Kuma Crafts

After saying my farewell's and thank-you's to Mandi, I eventually made way to Needlings where I met Heather and her peachy-keen plushies.

 I immediately thought of one of my besties, Amy, who adores owls. Needlings is a shop full of plushies, among them are some bright and colourful, big-eyed owl sweethearts with a penetrating gaze that just makes you want to take them home.

 

Plushies in an assortment of sizes, keychains, snap-pouches, pins, and a variety of other awesome creations can be found in the Needlings Etsy shop and a variety of retail locations. I asked Heather my three questions as well:

What is your favourite thing about vending at Fan Expo?

-Definitely people watching. So many interesting people make their way through this show, and they're not holding anything back!

What inspires you?

- Colour, kids, cartoons, and cute, fun things to name a few.

What has been your bestselling item at this show?

-The Owls!

So adorable! To find some of your own, click on the photo above or follow this link: Needlings Etsy shop

*Maria

Fan Expo Adventures!

You may have noticed a lack of regular posts recently- I've been creating stuff like a possessed crafter in every free moment that I could find in preparation for Fan Expo which I attended as a vendor this past weekend. With attendance of over 70,000 fans it was an amazing experience to finally attend as a vendor. The first time I went was 5 years ago, and it was also my first date with James who is now my beloved fiance and partner in crime and crafting- so this weekend marked our 4-year anniversary, and I can't think of a better way to have celebrated :) . He helped create some comic-themed collage notebooks and sketchbooks which were a hit at the show, and of course, also encouraged me through many a late night and didn't complain about the craft-nado that had struck our small living room. Well, onto some photos of the big weekend!

 

The February Jones table in Artists Alley

 Me and my Partner in Crime and Craft, James

All of those notebooks were sold, save the one on the far left :)

 A close up of the small notebooks, larger journals, and sketchbooks

 

My brother Wesley on the right with his friend and co-conspirator Jason- they are 2 of 3 members of an indie videogame development team. They presented the game in a panel on indie game creation, and it is based on an online web series called Mind's Eye. Check it out here! mindseyeseries.com

 Typical amount of Artist's Alley traffic on the weekend. What a crowd!

Promo spot for a new dance game- great to watch the people testing it out, but with only 5 available songs for the beginner level, and 2 of them very popular... well, lets say that I don't want to hear them again any time soon.

And of course, this convention wouldn't be complete without some amazing costumes.... Unfortunately, I didn't get many photos. I was too busy selling ;)

*Maria

Stacked Button Rings (with tutorial!)

I spent this afternoon making Stacked Button Rings, and I had a ball! They're pretty easy, and I love the end result. I've amassed quite a collection of buttons and have been finding fun ways to use them. You can find buttons at your local sewing shop, sometimes they have discount bins that you can sift through. If you have any dollar stores nearby that have scrapbooking supplies, you might find buttons there as well. It's so much fun to mix and match different colours, and if you have a wide assortment you can make rings to match any outfits, or you can be cute and dorky and make some to match your favourite nail polish colours. *The pink and white ring was my fingernail matching creation :)

Want to make your own? Read on for the tutorial and some accompanying process photos.... Once you have your supplies, this project only takes about 15-20 minutes!

Creating Stacked Button Rings

-Flat nosed pliers
-Wire cutters
-3 buttons of different sizes that will stack atop one another
-Ring blanks for as many rings as you want to make
-About 12" of 24 gauge beading or jewellery wire

 1) Measure about 4" from one end of your wire and bend nearly in half.

2) Stack your buttons.

3) Thread the wire through 2 opposite holes from the smallest button to the largest button (ie insert wire at the top of the stack). Both ends of your wire should be coming out the bottom of the stack.

4) Using the longer wire, thread it back through the holes that the shorter wire is coming out of. Your longer wire should come out the top of your button stack. Pull tight!

5) With the longer wire again, thread it through the opposite holes back to the bottom. Pull tight to secure the stack!

6) This is how the bottom of your stack should look after securing the buttons together.

7) This is how the top of your stack should look after securing the buttons together. Pull the wires tight again to make sure the buttons are securely stacked.

8) Place your ring blank between the two wires and thread each wire through the ring, pulling tight again to secure.

9) Wrap the shorter wire around the ring, beneath the button. Thread it through the ring again to secure it more if you like. Do the same with the longer wire. Cut the shorter wire and use the flat nosed pliers to push the cut end towards the middle of your wrappings (see image 11 for a detail of that step).

10) Wrap longer wire around a few times, always pulling tight.

11) Push in the wire with the piers, toward the center of your wire wrapping. Thanks basically it folks!

You now have a super-cute, endearingly dorky accessory customized to your colour wishes!

I'd love to hear what you think about this tutorial. Please leave any thoughts or feedback in the comments :)

Plannophobic?

The way that I see it now, the present and the future are the same thing. See, I just realized that I've had this sort of fear about planning the future- making decisions that mean if I do something, it will be at the expense of something else. There is always a trade off- if you want to be in a specific place in 5 years, you will have to make some sacrifices to make that happen, and part of making sure that you get to where you want to be is planning for it. I've always had a tendency to find ways to do all of the things that I wanted and make as few sacrifices or choices as possible. But it can't go on forever. After contemplating all of this for a while, I came to a new perspective.

The present is the now that you're stuck with, you can't change it, it is what it is. You can only change your present by planning for your future. If you don't plan for your future, you'll end up in a present that might not be exactly what you want. On the other hand, if you make plans and decide where in life you'd like to be in one year, or 5 years, and take appropriate steps to make that happen, you will see that eventually the present moment in which you find yourself is pretty darn close to that future you'd been planning. My point is, quite simply, you can't complain about where you find yourself in the present moment if you didn't plan well enough in the past to manifest the present you'd been hoping for. If you suffer from 'future-planning-phobia' like I do, it might help you to realize this as well:

Planning for the future is simply planning your present in advance.

I wish you the best of luck in designing your life! I'm going to go and try to take care of some of that now.... ;)

*Maria

A Workshop Wednesday

What's been keeping my fingers busy these days? A cupcake scarf!! I've had such fun making this, and I'm finally in the home stretch. I have 4 more cherries to add, and then one more full cupcake (I made one too many to begin with and didn't notice until I saw that the sides were uneven so I've gotta balance it out).

I know summer isn't exactly the time of year for crocheting scarves, but this project was just so delicious that I couldn't resist! Sometimes you just have to take a break from creating for others and create something for yourself.

You can find the 'recipe' for yummy cupcakes like this by following this link to Rock 'n' Roll Bride! You'll see the pattern for the cupcakes, but also instructions on how to turn it into a garland! Fun stuff!!

What's on your worktable this Wednesday? I'd love it if you shared in the comments :)

*Maria

DIY Jewellery Frame

This DIY jewellery frame project has been making its rounds of the blogosphere and the internets, so I finally broke down and gave it a try myself. Until now, I had been storing my jewellery in a very classic three-tiered jewellery box, cream coloured on the outside, red velvet inside. I'd had enough of it taking up two-thirds of my dresser space and getting this project done was part of an initiative to create the same sort of bedroom space that I'd enjoyed as a teenager- you know what I mean... the place where it's safe to dream and write in your journal about your hearts deepest desires- where your mind and spirit are free to roam and adventure and you don't have to answer to anyone else. So here we go!

 Nothing beats wearing a bowtie while you're crafting ;)

Supplies:
-wooden frame; any size you like. You won't need the glass or the backing so don't spend lots of money on an expensive frame. Check out dollar stores, garage sales, flea markets, and second hand stores like Value Village or a Salvation Army. *The thicker the frame is the better so you have some flex room with your aluminum mesh and won't have to worry about any of your screws going right through the wood*
-crafters acrylic paint and a brush or spray paint if you want to co-ordinate the frame with your room, etc. Mine was already gold.
-small screw hooks, I used 5 along the bottom for my necklaces
-2 small closed loop screws (to hang the frame)
-aluminum mesh/screen, of dimensions a little larger than your frame
-staple gun
-wire cutters or strong exacto knife (the dude at the hardware cut my section with an exacto knife)

Time Required:
About 20 minutes to put it all together, and then it took me around a half hour to get my jewellery transferred on to it. Don't forget to include drying time if you choose to paint your frame.

What to do:
1. Measure the size of the frame around the outside perimeter and cut your aluminum mesh to approximately that size.
2. If you want to paint your frame, this is the time to do it! Let it dry completely, according to instructions on your paint or spray paint.
3. Starting at a corner, use the staple gun to attach the aluminum mesh to the back of the frame. Make sure the mesh is taught, you don't want any big folds showing up in the middle.

I'm screwing in the necklace hooks!

4. Once the mesh is attached, screw in the hooks that you want for your necklaces along the bottom of the frame. You can screw them so that they are pointing down, or so that they are at  right angle to the frame and pointing outwards. Mine point down because there was a stylish bump around the front of the frame. Space them equally, whether you are using, 2, 3, or 5.
5. Add the two closed loop screws to the top of the frame, to use to hang it on your wall. When you're ready to hang it, you can either put hooks in  your wall, small nails, or even a length of wire between the two loops to hang it from the center.
6. Hang it on the wall and add your jewellery!

*Maria

Pinterest Pleasures

I live in an area that enjoys all seasons and most standard weather types that go along with it. We had a wicked thunderstorm last night that came along with tornado warnings, and I woke to a lot of debris in the streets and many downed trees. So today I thought I'd share with you some tranquil places that I would have loved to have woken up in this morning. Enjoy!

*sigh* wishful thinking! Happy Wednesday!

*Maria

What About Today?

Some of you may have noticed that nothing has been posted here in a while. For this, and the lack of explanation I sincerely apologize. So I thought I'd provide that now.

In April I applied to a self-employment program offered by the government and administered by regional business centers. It has pretty strict restrictions about qualifications and disqualifications, and to get in one of the main things is not having done anything in the way of starting a business yet. So after I applied, I stopped listing new items in my etsy shop, put my blog posts on hold, and stopped giving updates on my facebook fanpage. I was thisclose to getting into the program, but in the end the presence of an etsy shop with sales disqualified me. :(

During the time that I was going through all of this, I was also reviewing just what it is that I'm trying to do with February Jones, got a part-time job, starting taking my step-daughter to her first season of house league soccer games and practices, began planning my life over the next few months because my fiancee will begin collecting employment insurance and using the next year to plan out his dreams and fins something that he loves to do... So as it turns out, I really needed that time-out to prepare for more changes that are on their way in my life.

Some people are completely paralyzed by the prospect of living a life with less security- no drug or dental plans, no mainstream career path, no regular 9-5 job, and a fluctuating income. But I think that sometimes people put too much emphasis on working away their hours and days just so that they can have a safety net for the future. What about today? What's the point in ensuring that your future is taken care of if you don't ever get the opportunity to enjoy the present moment in which you find yourself? There's nothing wrong with eschewing an all-work-and-no-play career path in favor of working at your local coffee shop, or in my case local lighting fixture store. It means that I have a low pressure flexible job that provides me with the mental serenity to continue exploring my interests and developing those passions which make me truly come alive. And that's what life is about... Living.

"We worry about what a child will become tomorrow, yet we forget that he is someone today."

-The Buddha

Invest in your todays so that you have something worthwhile to bring into your tomorrows.

I live each day with heart and enthusiasm and my hours are filled with laughter, love, smiles, and passion. When I go to bed exhausted it is because I have worked hard day following a dream that makes me feel fulfilled, or because I have been busy all day making sure that my family has what it needs to be a happy one (whether that entails slicing up a massive watermelon, scrubbing the kitchen floors, hanging the laundry out to dry, or planning out our expenses so that we can afford a day trip to take 11-year-old Abigail somewhere she's never been before).

A happy life requires more than just money and 2 weeks of vacation to recharge. I encourage you to find more ways to ensure your enjoyment of life in the the present, and I hope you'll stop by the blog every now and then to peek in on my adventures. What do you do to make sure that you enjoy and invest in your todays? I'd love to hear about it in the comments :)

*Maria

Giveaway!

Just a little post to let you about a February Jones Giveaway that is being hosted by Adore By Nat. I'll be providing a pair of Silver/Gold Quantum Squiggle earrings for this giveaway, as featured in the photo. Follow this link (Adore By Nat Giveaway) or click on the photo to get to Adore By Nat's blog and enter. And while you're over there, go ahead and read my interview for the Saturday Artisan which is also a regular feature on Nat's blog.

Good luck to those of you who enter!
*Maria

Custom Order Adventure!

Who doesn't love getting something UNIQUE that's JUST WHAT THEY WANTED? That's why I love creating custom orders so much. It's awesome to be able to provide for something exactly what they're looking for and to be able to do it in a way that really makes their request one of a kind (or OOAK in many handcrafting circles).

I'd like to share with you one particular custom adventure that I went on recently.

An Etsy shopper contacted me about putting together a custom set of "The Spirit" Bubble Danglers for her. She loved the characters Denny Colt (The Spirit) and Ellen Dolan and was hoping that I could create 4 pairs of earrings for her- 2 pairs featuring Denny, and 2 pairs featuring Ellen. She wanted to be able to create lots of mix and match combinations with them. After coming up dry for source material at my local comic shop The Dragon (the only Spirit comics available were really collector items and not what we needed for this project) my customer checked hers and found some imagery that she really liked so she shipped the comic my way. I set up a custom listing on Etsy that my customer could use to check up on the progress of her order- every time there were new images or something for her to approve, I updated her listing and sent her a message ('convo' if you're an Etsy user). Two weeks later (such is life with shipments that have to cross the US/Canada border) I had the comic in my hands and was ready to get to work!

I managed to find 4 pairs of co-ordinating images, got them prepped and updated the listing.

My customer's approval showed up quickly in the form of...

"Omg those are so great! I'm all excited now! Total yes on them all!"

So I proceeded to bond them to my glass stones, finish all of the backs, and add the jewelry findings to turn them into earrings. I sent her a process update during this phase, and the last photo to be uploaded in the listing was the finished product:

(Bubble Danglers are terribly hard to photograph because they are so round and shiny!)

Being able to create things like this is one of the things that I love about being a member of the handmade community. Sometimes it simply doesn't matter how many places you check for an item you're looking for, and instead you have to start shopping for a creator who can bring your idea to life. I love the opportunity to connect with people that comes from being able to offer customizable options in a way that big manufacturer's can't.

The next time you're trying to find the perfect gift for someone, or even the perfect something for yourself, remember there are tons of talented people out there who would probably love the chance to make your dream item- and who'd do a darn good job of it too. And hey! I'm one of 'em! :)

*Maria

Pinterest!

If you haven't discovered the website "Pinterest" I highly recommend that you check it out! This is what it looks like:

The basic idea is that you can create different 'Pinboards' which act just like a bulletin board you might have in your home office or studio. As you surf the internet and come across things that you might want to remember, instead of bookmarking the page and losing it in whatever bookmarking system you have (verbal descriptions in bookmarks just didn't cut it for me) you can 'pin' the page and select an image that will appear on your chosen 'pinboard' for easy access to the page. You can use this system to organize gifts that you want to purchase for people, to keep track of creative DIY yourself projects that you want to try, inspiration for your home, ideas for an upcoming event like a wedding... basically anything that you want! Each time that you pin something, you can tag it for easy searching and include a comment/description/reason you've pinned the image. Other users can also leave comments on the images that you've pinned, or if they like what they see they can 'repin' it to their own pinboard. Cool beans!!

If you're an Etsy user and like making treasuries, this place is like heaven! Every pinboard is a treasury with no limit on how many things you can put in it.

Pinterest is still in beta, so you have to wait a little bit to receive your invite once you request it, but it's worth it! And you can browse what other users have pinned without having an account yourself so you can still have fun while you're waiting. It's the coolest system that I've seen for organizing and sharing information that you find online. There's also a social aspect to the site, but since I've only been using it for a few days I'm still learning.

Are any of you Pinterest users? What do you use it for? What sort of themes might people find if they check out your pinboards? Let us know in the comments.

Try it out, and happy pinning!

*Maria

[Insert Cliche Good/Bad Idiom Here]

I vended at a show this past Sunday, and my high hopes and excitement were chipped away at all day until the show ended and I closed my cash box having made only 2 sales.... About 350 people had come through the show. Needless to say, I was disappointed. But I could have been much more upset, and interestingly, (because I have a consistently positive outlook) I kinda wanted to be an angry sourpuss, lamenting all of the things that hadn't gone my way that day. But no matter how hard I tried to be a Debbie Downer, the good things about my day kept creeping up on me which made it very difficult to maintain the negative attitude that I so wanted to enshroud myself in.

"Every cloud has a silver lining"

"There are two sides to every coin"

"Take the bad with the good"

"Don't throw the baby out with the bath water"

No matter how hard I tried to focus on the failures of the day...

- "350 people and I only sold 2 items?! To the SAME person!" 

- "Why didn't the vendor who was supposed to be beside me show up? Now there's just a void there and its negative energy is tainting my vending space!" 

- "I want to grab some food, but what if I miss the ONLY other sale I might get today?"

- "Those people giving away free cupcake samples right in front of me are making everyone miss my table!"

...they just didn't really seem to matter when stacked up against the good things that occurred...

-I gave out lots of business cards!

-People always enjoy seeing those Beastly Baby Booties, and it makes me feel great to create something that generates such an instant and positive response.

-I met another Etsy friend! It was her first show, and her table setup looked AMAZING! I was so happy to meet her in person.

-Someone was browsing through my creations and after discovering that I made each and every one told me that I was 'just amazing'. :)

-The vendor behind me was super-friendly and let me know about a job opportunity (I'm currently seeking outside employment until my business starts generating millions) and told me how personable I was. Then she kept giving me chocolate squares. Mmmmm.... chocolate...

-I received tons of compliments on the work that I create and could talk about how some of my items were developed.

-I was photographed for the local 'Snap!' newspaper!

-The journalist who was shooting pictures was looking at a pair of Quantum Teardrops, when I said they were inspired by quantum physics, she said "Oh I get it, like this is sort of like an atom and these represent the orbits..." I get thrilled when people can see the inspiration translated into the design.

-Another Etsy friend came to the show to say hi and check out everyone's presentation (she's getting ready to attend her first show) and happened to bring along with her my one customer for the day...

There's more that I could add to that list, but I think I've made my point. Even though I was really upset that this particular show experience was a bit of a loss on paper (when you factor in table costs, transportation, etc- and weigh that against the meager sales I achieved...) it was still a great day no matter how hard I tried to perceive it as a really really bad one.

Some people say it's easier to think negative thoughts, or believe negative things- but I discovered that it's only easier to do that if you're in the habit of doing it anyway and you've already been consistently ignoring the good stuff in your life. But I'm not like that, and for as long as I can remember I have always been taught to "look on the bright side" and "not let it get you down" and to "seek the positives". It has become such a regular practice for me that it's basically impossible for me wallow in the world of pessimism. EVEN WHEN THAT'S THE ONLY THING I WANT TO DO.

So my advice to you is to really foster a positive outlook and learn to find the things that are great about unsavory situations. With a little practice and metal stick-to-it-iveness, you too can save yourself from being your own worst enemy ;)

*Maria

Crocodile Stitch Statement Necklace

I have been seeing this crocodile crochet stitch everywhere! I love the way that it looks, it reminds me of dragon scales (other people say fish scales or flower petals, but that's not nearly as much fun as dragon scales). One of my favourite occurences of this stitch is in Dainty Loops Etsy shop- she makes necklaces like this one that are smaller and more delicate and absolutely stunning. I've been wanting to try making my own for a long while. Mine turned out bigger (statement sized) because I used size 4 worsted weight yarn- not exactly your most chic and delicate kind, rather closer to the opposite. But it was what I had lying around, and this morning I decided it was time to learn this stitch. So a few mock ups, rip-aparts, grumbles and adaptations later, I had this chunky and delightful new piece to wear.

I'd love to share the pattern, but...
a) I don't know how to explain exactly what I did,
b) It is practically impossible to find written out instructions for this stitch online, and
c) I don't want to step on Dainty Loops toes.

So here's what I do have for you.

If you want a necklace like this of your own, please visit Dainty Loops Etsy shop here: Dainty Loops on Etsy where you'll find tons of different colours and other amazing crocheted wonders.

If you want to try this stitch out for yourself and play with it, these were the resources that I used:
- Teresa's video on her Art of Crochet blog
- Jennifer's Crocodile Stitch 2 part video on YouTube: Part 1 and Part 2

I'd love to hear about your experiences trying it out, or even if you just love things created with this stitch :)

*Maria

Crochet Rainbow Fingerless Gloves - Free Pattern

Last night I decided that it was time for another pair of fingerless gloves, or armwarmers, or gauntlets... Every now and then you have to make something just for you- it's kind of like an insurance policy against losing interest in your favourite crafts. If I'm constantly making things for other people it can start to feel like only work, and the last thing a creative entrepreneur needs is to get sick of the things you want to make for a living. You also need to try stuff out to see if it might become a new item in your shop :)

I've always had issues with fingerless gloves- I have very small wrists so sometimes things that I buy are too big, and things that I make for myself are too small for others. These fingerless gloves measure about 8" in circumference at their narrowest point around the wrist. If you follow this free pattern look for the stars that mark the places where I decrease to get this wrist size. You may choose to include the decrease or not- the nice thing about this pattern is that it's pretty intuitive, and you can try these on as you're creating them and alter them as you think you need to. The decreases occur around the thumb as it connects to the wrist. There is also a portion of the pattern that includes increases as your arm gets wider. Again, these can be included or not- just judge based on how the glove fits you as you proceed.

Alright! Here we go!

Striped (Rainbow) Fingerless Gloves

Supplies:
-at least 2 balls (contrasting colours) of size 4 medium worsted weight yarn (I've used Lion Brand Vanna's Choice in 6 colours, 3.5 oz (100 g), 170 yards (156 m) )
-size I (size 9 or 5.5mm) crochet hook
-scissors
-darning needle

*Colour change tip: When I change colours, I yarn over with both threads and complete the stitch with only the new thread. Holding on to the old colour and the tail of the new colour, crochet underneath those two threads and complete the stitch above those two colours. This way, the yarn gets woven into the back of the stitch and saves you from having to weave in the ends when you are finished the glove.

Ch 26, join with slst to first ch.
Round 1: Ch 1, sc 26. Add marker if you like to see precisely where the round begins/ends, because you will now work in the round (no more slst to the beginning of the round, you'll just continue with sc)
Round 2: Sc 26.
Round 3-5: Repeat round 2.
Round 6: Sc in next 2 sts, ch 7, skip 2 sts and sc in 3rd and every st until end of round.
Round 7-8: Sc

Round 9: Change colour, sc in back loop only for whole round.
Round 10: Sc
Round 11: Sc2tog twice*, sc in next 6 sts, sc2tog twice*, sc rest of round.
Round 12: Sc
Round 13: Sc2tog twice*, sc in next 3 sts, sc2tog twice*, sc rest of round.
Round 14: Sc
Round 15: Sc2tog twice*, sc rest of round
Round 16: Sc

Round 17: Change colour, sc in back loop only for whole round.
Round 18-23: Sc
Round 24: (Sc in next 5 sts, 2sc in next st*) repeat to end of round.
Round 25: Sc

Round 26: Change colour, sc in back loop only or whole round.
Round 27: Sc
Round 28: (Sc 7, 2sc in next st*) repeat once, then sc to end of round.
Round 29-33: Sc

Round 34: Change colour, sc in back loop only for whole round.
Round 35-40: Sc

Round 41: Change colour, sc in back loop only for whole round.
Round 42-47: Sc

You can make the last colour longer if you like, but these ones reach about a half inch below my elbow, and I have long arms. If you try out this pattern I'd love to hear how it goes! Please let me know if you share it, or leave a link if you blog about a pair you tried out! If it works out nicely for you and you want to sell them, please credit my blog with the pattern.

Happy crafting!

*Maria