Merchandise Monday - Updates to The Little Birdie Shop!

Good moring (er, uh... afternoon) everyone! I just wanted to pop in really quick and update you guys on some new additions to The Little Birdie Shop on Etsy. I've been hard at work getting some of my show merchandise photographed and posted, as well as some items that are brand new to the shop!

There are a few new onesie designs:

And some fun new little baby shower gift sets... some with "Little Birdies" and some with our old friend, "Eli the Elephant" :)

I'm working on getting my little cutie booties listed as well, as I have had MUCH response from last time's Tutorial Tuesday post.

I hope you'll stop by and check out all the new stuff, and I would LOVE to hear your feedback!! :)

Tomorrow I've got a fresh new tutorial for a super fun sewing project, so don't miss out! Have a great Monday, and be sure to check out the linky party tab up top for some of my favorite linky parties happening out in blog land today. Until then, keep creating!


XOXO

Tutorial Tuesday - Cutie Booties!

Hey everyone! Welcome to Tuesday! I am really excited to show you what I've been working on lately. I've been on a roll making baby shoes. :)

It was a pretty big leap for me, but I'm glad I did it. I feel more confident about my sewing and less afraid to try something new/harder. As much as I would love to share this pattern with you, I purchased it from a fellow etsy seller as a "one per person" thing. BUT, I am at work on my own pattern so that I can share it with you and start popping these bad boys into my shop.

Here are the girly ones I did:

And I couldn't forget the boys...

What do you think? I'm pretty proud of myself and looking for some babies to dress now, haha! :)

Now it's your turn to share!

Link up below and let's see what you all have been up to...

XOXO

Tutorial Tuesday- Guest Post: How to throw a meaningful baby shower with Czyka!

Hello all you lovely bloggers!! Welcome once again to Tutorial Tuesday at The Little Birdie, with another great guest poster, Czyka Tumaliuan!

Czyka is a full-time mother, writer, frustrated artist and a foodie. She plays volleyball to keep fit and sees joy in cooking for her family. She works as a writer, specializing in arts, music, literature, food and promotional items.

Professionally, Czyka contributes to this blog: http://blog.branders.com/ and she also has a personal blog: http://pilosophia.tumblr.com/. Go check them out for more fun ideas and crafts! Take it away Czyka!

3 Tips on How to Throw a Meaningful Baby Shower

A baby shower is a milestone in every pregnant woman’s life. It is the time where every person close to her heart officially welcomes her baby by showering her with cute gifts. Traditionally, baby showers were intended to be a time where mothers can share their wisdom on parenthood. For most of us though, it’s the day we announce and shout to the world, “I’m having a baby!” If you are throwing a baby shower sometime soon, here are some tips so that yours will be as meaningful as your pregnancy.

Think Theme.

When I had my baby shower approximately 2 years ago, I had a theme—“life is what you paint it.” I wanted an artistic event where people can express their creativity as they welcome my baby. So I bought blank canvasses and made them table cloths during the shower. People can draw and write anything they want my baby to see on the canvasses while they eat and chat with me. I placed different palettes of paint on each of the tables and lots of brushes, which they can take home as shower souvenirs or party giveaways. Most of my friends are artists and humanities people so the guests had fun! So that’s the key—know who you are and express that in the baby shower, if you are a musician, go for a theme that will echo that part of you. This is your baby shower, so it’s all about you.

Consider Potluck.

A lot of people don’t want to have kids because of they feel that they’re still financially incapable. Really, having a baby can be demanding monetarily. So as much as you can, save, save, save. Ask your friends to bring food and drinks for the baby shower. But the catch is, every food they will give will symbolize something. It’s like your own version of the gift of the Magi. I’m sure your friends will be excited about this idea!

Plan activities.

It will be fun to have games during the shower. Of course, it’s great if the game has something to do with motherhood and babies. The bottom line is to perk up your guests and make them happy. Making your guests happy will make this a memorable experience.

Making your baby shower meaningful and unforgettable is just easy—just let your imagination soar to put your creativity at its peak!

Now it's your turn! So, go ahead... link up, grab yourself a button, and spread the word! :)

<a href="http://www.littlebirdiebaby.blogspot.com" target="_blank"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjybpWehEcQYkr_bcTNwQtjMs-pSV-lbAnKMq0wQAbpkfm8Vn6I1fmUjYtVvzwqfTuazi67qG1Z7SWKRWPfgV3kkRVaYGnhKP7LJ0txiH6AQQj2x8KUcYdEuPtOudXo4oDmxEdFyxqjJ7RO/s800/Tute%20Tues%20LB.png" height="150" width="150" /></a>

XOXO

Just a Reminder!

Just a little reminder that today is the last day to enter 

the Baby Gift Set Giveaway! 

I will be doing the drawing at 5pm central time this evening, so don't wait! :)

Click HERE for details, and to enter!

XOXO

Tutorial Tuesday - Eli the Elephant

Happy Tuesday! Or Happy Tutorial-ing... uh? Not sure if that one works, but in any case I'm happy to have you here this Tuesday. I'm really excited about today's tutorial because it's the first one I've done start to finish without an outside pattern or anything. And he's just so stinkin' cute!

Meet "Eli"

He's an elephant, just waiting to meet your little one. 

{even if your "little one" is a dog, it's still a fun project!}

OK, here's what you need:

12"x12" fabric of your choice

needle & thread or sewing machine {I used to be a needle & thread-er, I feel ya guys!}

coordinating piece of felt, or felt scraps

polyfill

Start by pressing out your fabric so it's nice and smooth...

Then, fold your fabric in half with the right sides facing each other.

Draw your elephant shape. He doesn't have to be perfect, he's plush!

Next, sew all around your outline. 

I used the wonky looking zig zag, but I like to see the thread on the outside all "rustic style."

I would suggest pinning your fabric together so everything stays straight.

 {I didn't pin but I used flannel, and it sticks to itself pretty well.}

Be sure to leave an opening to turn inside out. {see pin}

I like to use the space at the bottom because it's less noticeable when you have to sew it back up.

Now cut out your shape! 

I use pinking shears to keep things from fraying {just in case}, 

aaaaand I like the way the little zig-zaggy edges look. Never said I wasn't a dork!

Now get to turning!

{I find that it helps to start by pushing the trunk out first, since it's furthest from the hole.}

Now it's time to stuff him! 

I got this little chopstick-y thing in a bag of polyfil, I'm pretty sure they all come with one, but you can use a chopstick or even a pencil to help get the stuffing in all the little corners and crannies.

Ta DA! All stuffed and ready to sew. I don't usually stuff them too full, just because little baby hands can grab on and chew on it a little better when it's not sooooo full.

I don't know if this stitch has a name, but I stitch in kind of an X pattern. 

It's easy, sturdy, keeps the fabric flat when I'm finished, and goes along with my other rustic edges.

Now for the ears...

Cut ears from your scrap of coordinating felt. 

Mine are about 2 inches long, and just kind of floppy looking and oval shaped.

You can sew these on and they'll turn out great. 

However, I do something a little different...I use embroidery floss 

{because it's heavier duty and you won't run the risk of those sweet little baby hands pulling an ear off} Loop it all the way through the elephant to the other side so his ears are "tufted" to his head like a pillow.

Just pin both ears down to it's head, and it will be easy-peasy.

And here you are! A little Eli the Elephant of your very own. 

{Of course, you can always make him girly and name her Ellie. I don't mind. :) }

OH wait!! 

And if you partner him up with a matching burpie, bib, and jingle block, 

you've got yourself a rockin' baby shower gift set in no time flat! ;)

I hope you all enjoyed this week's tutorial! If anyone makes their own Eli/Ellie, be sure to show me! I love seeing what everyone's adaptations are. :)

Come link up your projects for the week below, I can't wait to see what you've been working on!! Feel free to grab a button if you're linking up!

XOXO

I'm linking up here this week:

Not Just a Housewife - Show Me What You Got #13

Tuesday's Treasures @ My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia

Amaze Me Mondays @ Dittle Dattle

Sundae Scoop @ I {heart} Naptime

Take a Look Tuesdays @ Sugar Bee Craft Edition

Get Your Craft On @ Today's Creative Blog
We Did It Wednesday @ Sew Much Ado
Make it Yours Day {56} @ My Backyard Eden
Whatever Goes Wednesday @ Someday Crafts
Hoo's Got Talent @ Night Owl Crafting
Ten Buck Tuesday @ Young Nester
Weekend Wrap Up Party @ Tatertots & Jello

Merchandise Monday - The Animal Line

Well it's no secret that I have a little girl. She's everywhere! She's also our first child (with no immediate plans for another) so she's always on the brain. When I opened my shop, I was pretty proud of the fact that I had so much to list. However, it was only a matter of time before someone asked about "boy" designs. That I was no so prepared for. I guess it's just difficult to be inspired to design for a boy when you don't have one.

Baby A has such a personality that even thoughts of a baby boy have trouble creeping in. Enter my good friend Sarah. Her sister was expecting this fall, and expecting a boy... and as my friend, she had to be the one to light the fire under me to get me going on some boy designs for her sis!

When she contacted me, I had already been trying to roll some ideas around on the sketch pad, but wasn't getting very far. I had an idea for an "animal" line but nothing tangible. As luck would have it, Sarah and sis were planning a jungle theme for the baby shower- I had an idea!

...and the "Animal" line of boy's styles was born! Sea Turtle, Monkey, 2-sided Elephant, and Lion

     

     

These are hands down some of the shop favorites. People LOVE the sea turtle! Not that I can blame them, he's precious! Little Sea Turtle has been featured in 10+ etsy treasuries, and I'm even working on a special charity partnership for him. (But that's for another time...)

Anyway, so I did these designs and sent them to Sarah, and this is what I got back!

They decorated with them!! What a fun idea!! If you look closely, you can even see that they were so nice as to stick my business cards out the top! What great girls! And you can see the gorgeous mom-to-be above. I can't wait to see pics of her little man in these onesies.

Of course, animals are fun for everyone so they're perfect for that mom-to-be who doesn't know the gender of her baby yet as well. I've even designed some specifically for little girls...

This is the beautiful Miss Isabella, who's nursery is also a jungle theme. Her aunt ordered the monkey onesie in purple for her! I just love the way it turned out! I even added some little squiggles around the sleeves to "girly" it up a little bit. :)

{sigh} I love my job.

So that's the story of the animal line! By the way... I'm a collector of fan photos... so if you have pics of your little one wearing something I've made for him/her, send them to me! I'd love to feature your little darling on my site!


XOXO