A Bit of a Change

There's been a lot of behind-the-scenes planning around here. For a variety of reasons, I've made the decision to discontinue making children's toys. Whatever is still in my shop is the last: magnetic felt fishing games and the memory matching game. The baby shoes will be strictly word-of-mouth sales (I will create a custom Etsy listing by request, though it will not be a standard product anymore), and they will be available at the Ship's Bell at the Naval War College. They're just too cute not to make!

Why? The main 2 reasons are to give my shop/brand more cohesion, and to stay true to the reason I started my business in the first place: providing alternatives to plastic bags.

You may be asking, "What about crayon rolls?" Those I still plan to make and have with me at all of my markets and festivals. They were created to provide a more functional way for parents to carry crayons for their kids (instead of in Ziplock baggies). Knitting needle organizers? Still falls under "alternatives to plastic bags," because so many fiber artists store their needles in Ziplock baggies. Do you notice a trend?

Employment questionnaires, of all things, prompted me to more clearly define my work. I very happily now fill in "self-employed" under occupation. Then what do I say when the dentist asks, "What do you do?" It was difficult to describe. My elevator pitch was a rambling one. Now I confidently respond with, "I own a business designing reusable bags." Oh yes, much better!

You will see some changes to the blog soon as well. Products I no longer intend to sell may very well turn into free sewing tutorials. By being more streamlined and efficient in my production, I hope to have more time for personal projects which I intend to share here in this space (tutorials when I can manage them).

Balance and simplify have been guiding goals for me in 2014. The blog Becoming Minimalist has been a great inspiration. My business was in need of simplification, and narrowing the focus of my shop is the best way to accomplish this. What is my hope for this business? I want to make extremely happy customers who use fewer plastic bags in their everyday lives. There are a lot of great toy makers out there, and I will be more than happy to point you in their direction. Right now, I'm energized and inspired to bring you wonderful solutions to our world's disposable plastic bag problem. There are quite a few new ideas I hope to bring to fruition this year as well.

Scoop up the games while they last!