Making a name...

I'm now deep in the throws of building a website and online store to sell my crafty goods! It is VERY much in the preliminary stages, so I won't release the web address yet, but it is so exciting! So far I've set it up for free, though I do plan on paying for the hosting service soon to get my own unique domain name and to remove ads from the website. Also, with the free service you are limited to 5 items in the online store, and that just simply won't do! (Even though right now I only have 4 items... LOL!) Once I start paying for it, I'll be able to have 30 items, so clearly I've got my work cut out for me to fill those spots! So far I'm focusing on these super cute baby and toddler hats, they are fast to make and the materials are inexpensive. I do also plan on making some pressed flower note cards with the paper I made left over from the books I made two Christmases ago, and hopefully I'll come up with other fun gifty items adults will appreciate (not to say adults don't appreciate cute baby hats, but usually the adults who do appreciate them are the moms of the babies they want the hats for...) ;) (Now how's that for a run-on sentance ending with a preposition?) So far the website is designed with a pre-designed template, though I have replaced the generic photo logo with my own, if not temporary, logo. I'd like to eventually learn html and css so that I could design my own site from scratch, but for now I am actually really liking the predesigned site, and with a little tweaking it has become my own!

And as a teaser preview, here are a couple of the items I have already added to the inventory... Drool away!

I'm working on it, I swear!

As I have posted before, I usually slow down in the summer craftwise... But things are starting to pick up again! My shed is very nearly empty, there are a handful of things left to be dealt with, then I need to cleancleanclean it, decritterify it (there's an unoccupied birdsnest and who knows what else in there), bug bomb it, and then it'll be ready for me to insulate and sheet and install a window! Woohoo! It probably won't be functional until fall, but I'll be sure to take lots of pictures along the way to track the progress! I'm so excited for it! Woohoo!

I've also been thinking hard about setting up a Made in the Mountains online store so that I can sell my crafts. We could certainly use any extra income, and it would be fun! I'm in the research phase of what hosting service and ecommerce service to use, and I need to build up an inventory before I put anything online, but I'm excited about it! I think my biggest item will be my crocheted hats, mostly for babies/toddlers/kids, they are fast and easy to make and the materials are inexpensive. Yay! Keep an eye out for more on the website! :D

I just made this hat for my best highschool friend's new baby girl, and I'm about to make another one for her 2 year old daughter as well (Kate, if you see this, act surprised when they arrive!). This is my first floppy brimmed hat, I totally winged it (no pattern) and I think it came out great! I'm going to add a grosgrain ribbon around the brim so it can be tightened if it's too loose or used as an under chin tie, but here it is thusfar! So cute! (I'm going to use the foam ball it's on later for photographing hats for the website, I only just got it today so I haven't had the chance to put it on the dowel and make it look nice!)

Ok, I just added the ribbon and had to post a picture of it finished, cause it is SO DANG CUTE!