The Last Week of 2011

Where has this year gone? It seems like only yesterday that I was starting my journey and nervous on how it would go.  So far, I'm so thrilled that Nana G Creations has come as far as it has in such a short period of time. In 2011 we've accomplished:

• Completed the set up of 3 Selling Venues for Nana G Creations, with one that I'm going to be closing down due to overload. 
• Forming and beginning to add product to my new business - Maur Designs by Nana G. This site was created to provide an outlet for my crafty creative side of items not related to babies. Purses, Totes, Accessories, and anything else that I can think of.
• Began using Facebook advertising  (Wow, that was a stretch for me).
• Added an additional 10 products to my website.
• Joined a great organization called "The Artisan Group" who participates in Swag Bag gifting to the stars. So far, I have sent products to Jessica Alba's two daughters, and Hilary Duff for her soon to be little son. I'm also participating in the Swag Bag (my business cards) for the Golden Globe Awards in January, and the Academy Awards in February. I will also be to a gifting for another event coming up in April, 2012, but can't talk about that one yet.  It's going to be exciting though...I'll let you all know what it is when I get the go ahead. For now..mums the word. 
• Had a new Blog designed. How do you like it?
• I'm sure there are more, but these are what stand out right now.

Some plans for 2012 at Nana G Creations:

• Add some exciting new products! I have 4 products that I've been working on in between orders. Some I've posted here just as a show and tell, but haven't been able to list them in the shop. Like these two adorable hand sculptured pillows. 

• Offer some "Just Because Sales" for no reason.
• Start a new monthly or weekly Blog featuring a new Artisan's work. Since there are so many people that love to shop "handmade", I thought by letting you see some really talented people's work, would be great. I personally prefer to shop online with a person that comes with a recommendation or that someone else has purchased from before.  I'm excited about this feature, and hope that you will be too.

Thanks for Listening........
Maureen

Merry Christmas...

It's Christmas Eve., and I finally am able to sit back and relax. I'll be spending the day with some of my children, and Skypeing with those that live out of state. Presents and lots of food... Yippie.

Wishing everyone a Merry Christmas and wonderful Holiday season.

Nana G Creations

Christmas Countdown

It's getting close isn't it... It's a special time of year for us. We are planning on staying home, having the youngest two children, and one grandchild over for Christmas dinner and present exchanges.


It's different when your kids are gone living their lives independent from you. I miss those days when we'd be hurrying kids off to bed, to wrap the last of the presents, quietly get them under the tree, and fall into bed after 1am only to awake by 6am by kids screaming that Santa had made it during the night. Those were the days! Now... I still individually wrap little stocking stuffers (other presents under the tree), and that's what everyone want to open first. They take their stockings, sit next to each other on the floor and compare their goods -lol. I take pictures and they love every minute of it.

Wishing all my friends the Merriest of Christmas'. 

The Heart of an Angel

I want to tell you a story about how an amazing gesture of one woman, and how it sparked the hearts of so many.

On November 11, 2011, Holly with Royal Metals  on Artfire mentioned in an Art Fire forum that she had been thinking about doing something for the poor little children that are in her local hospital.  Her heart was yearning to be able to help these children make a jewelry piece for their moms for Christmas., so she made the call. 

A week later, the hospital contacted her, and agreed to let her come and help the children. The excitement for her thoughtful jesture spread throughout the forum, and other jewelry designers jumped in and began sending her beads, wire, and all kinds of supplies she would need to make sure that each child that was able to leave their rooms would be able to learn how and make their mom a gift. This is being done at her own cost of supplies.  She never asked for help, it was offered in abundance.

 

So, with a new joy in my heart, I want to say how very proud I am of her, and all the wonderful people that joined in on Holly’s goodwill gesture.  This truly was a true Christmas blessing for children and their parents.  I can picture in my mind how excited they were to be able to actually make their mom’s a present that they can cherish for the rest of their lives. 

Holly plans to return to the hospital several more times before the Holiday, and continue her volunteering into 2012.  

So,  is anyone doing a special Christmas Blessing this year?

New Design for New Beginnings

I just had my Blog redesigned, and I can't quite get the hang of things yet.  Hope you'll be patient with me. I am going to try and add back some of the things that are missing, and hopefully add some gadgets that I think will be exciting.

While I'm redesigning, here are some pictures of what I made for my Celebrity Gifts to Jessica Alba and Hilary Duff.

Jessica Alba's Daughter's Gift

 

 

Hilary Duff's Gifts

They are due to be delivered to both on Friday, December 2nd. I'm hoping like crazy that I'll get to see Jessica Alba's daughters using my gifts in a magazine. Wouldn't that be crazy?  Hilary's baby isn't due until March, so I'll have to wait a while for those.

If there is any news from my gifting, I'll be sure to let everyone know.

Thankful Thanksgiving

The day is over, the food is in the frig, and the kitchen is finally clean. I thought I'd share some things I was most thankful for today.

I was so thankful when my eldest son and his family decided to come to dinner. Living in another State, we don't get to see him very often. My youngest two, came with the littlest Grandson and it made for a wonderful time. We got to Skype with my family in California, so my little (well, not so little) family was actually all together through the technology of the internet for this wonderful Thanksgiving Day.

These are 3 of my kiddo's









 

I'm so thankful that the Lord Blessed me with wonderful children. They are my life.

Nana G Creations goes to Hollywood!

I have been given the opportunity through a wonderful organization called “The Artisan Group” to participate in a Celebrity Gift Bag for not just one star, but two! 

Hilary Duff is expecting her first baby (a little boy), and I will be sending my little “Sweet Baby Boy” 3-pc Receiving Blanket set. I wish I knew what the little guy's name will be so that I could personalize it for her, but I’m hoping that she will love her gift.

Jessica Alba, just had her second daughter in August named Haven. She also has a daughter named Honor, which I won’t forget. I will be custom making Haven my Boutique Pink Butterfly Pocket bib, with a matching personalized pacifier clip. So as not to leave out Big Sister in the gift giving, I am making a custom matching tote/purse that will have her name on it.  Any second time Mom that has had a baby shower knows how important it is to keep the older sibling involved and part of the event.  I’m hoping that my gifts will be welcomed and used. 

So, that’s my wonderful super exciting news. Whew! I’m still shaking all over about it.  I’ll post the finished items for you all to see as soon as I’m through. The Date 11/11/11 sure was a very special day for me.

Oh, and to top it all off... I will also be participating in the Golden Globes AND Academy Awards Celebrity Swag Bags through the Artisan Group. For this year's events I will be including my business card in each swag bag, and I've secured an advertising spot in the gift guide for the Academy Awards. 

See why I'm so excited?

Can a Hippopotamus really turn into a Zebra?

It sure can!  I wanted to make one of those amigurumi zebra's and giraffe's for my grandson, a then if he liked them, add them to my website to be included in a future product line. Anyone that knows me, knows I'm always getting into one thing or another :).

Anyway, I searched my 2 favorite handmade sites for crochet patterns, found 2 that I thought would work, and as a courtesy asked if they would mind if I sold my finished product from their pattern. Unfortunately, I was faced with one saying "no", the other limiting me where I could sell :(.

My ArtFire forum friends were helpful, and told me to check the internet for free patterns. I did, found the giraffe, but my little Zebra friend was no where to be found.  So, I found this little hippo pattern, compared it to a pattern I really loved, and made my own. So YES, a hippo can turn into a Zebra.


Whatcha think?

 This was the little hippo pattern that I found on the internet. I think it's with Lion yarn.

 These are what I ended up with :)

And yes, he's kissing his new little friend. His favorite is the Giraffe!

Introducing Baby Butch and Little Miss Priss

Hi Everyone.  I've been very busy lately, with trying to come up with new idea's for my website http://www.nanagcreations.com/ (shameless plug).  I found this wonderful baby pattern and decided this would be an adorable addition to the family.

I've been reading up on some child development issues regarding boys playing with dolls. So far the pro's definitely out weigh the con's for sure.   Here are just a couple of key points that I totally agree with.

1. It's emotionally healthy for little boys to be able to play with dolls.  They learn how to be gentle and caring in a way they might not learn by playing only with trucks and guns.  Nana's comment: Yep, I agree with this.
2. Your thinking about growing your family, and you need to teach your little boy how to be gentle, loving, and attentive to a new baby. Teaching is visual with children. They will surely learn by responding to a little baby doll, just as you responded to them when they were infants. Nana's comment: Children don't remember the time period when they were infants. They don't remember that you were gentle with their heads, wrapped them up when they were cold, or fed them bottles. You need to teach them, and what a better way to do that then to start with their own little boy baby doll?
3. Your doll playing boy just might grow up to be a pediatrician, a teacher of young children, or enter some other career that reflects his gentle nature. Nana's comment: A parents dream!

These babies aren't quite ready for adoption yet, but they will be real soon. Each one has a little outie belly button, blue, green, or brown eyes, and a cute little pinchable bum. They are all hand sculptured on a high quality fabric that has a peaches and cream feel to it, with ten little toes, ten little fingers, and an adorable little button nose. These two were born on April 15, 2011, but yours will come with a Birth Certificate on a date you choose. Wouldn't it be wonderful to have a baby doll that has the same birthday as the little one your giving this to?

This little boy got his name from what my Grandson calls his Pops (grandpa). We tell him say hi Pop's, and he says "Hi Butch". He's just learning how to talk, so even though Pops laughs and finds it so cute, we're gonna keep practicing. 

Lil Miss Priss? She just looked like a Prissy little girl to me :)

I would love to have your feedback on these little one's. Who knows, maybe one of them will be my first contest give away that I'm planning on doing in the near future.  What do you all think?

*Coming Soon - another surprise baby*

Braylon's First Backpack

Hello All,

This is what i have been trying to get done for the last week. The little guy this is for is 19 months old. He is learning how to run and is becoming very independent. He's facinated by putting things into his diaper bag, his mom's purse, laudry baskets, and even enjoys throwing things into the trash. His mom has on occasion had to pull things out of the trash just to find her phone! So, I knew it was time for his first backpack.

When little one's begin walking and carry things around with them, they know one speed...Go Fast.  He's quick and does not like to hold hands for very long. (Let's face it, I don't think I could keep my arm stretched up over my head holding someone's hand without it going numb) which gives you two choices; 1) carry them so they don't run off and 2) run after them and continually turn them around to go in the direction you want them to, right?

So... I decided to make a detachable link to him. He'll never know it's there, and it will keep him very close to his mom and dad when out in a public area. I'm a fanatic about safety, and I've raised enough children to know that if you look away for just 5 seconds, they can be halfway to the moon.

This size is just right for his age through I'd say 3 1/2?  Its about 9 1/2 - 10" long, 10" wide at the bottom, and 7 1/2" wide across the top. It is about 2 1/2" deep, and has 14 1/2-15" straps.  I've lined it with a light blue cotton, and serged the seams. Oh, it also has a little velcro on the flap to keep it closed just incase he over loads it with his toys (he even likes to pack his own diapers and wipes).

Let me know what you all think.

Blogging is Harder than you think.

I've decided that Blogging on a regular basis is harder than I thought it would be.  Hopefully, I'll get to the point when I have a great idea, I can hurry up and post it. For now, I'll keep trying.

Some idea's that I have to help with my writers block are:

1. Keep my pad and pen handy and when I have an idea for a topic, jot it down. Add some key points to the topic that I can refer to when I sit down at the computer.
2. Get inspiration from other Bloggers by reading their blogs and seeing what inspires others, and what topics others would be inspired by.
3. Since I rarely read blogs that are typically "all sales talk", I want to be one that adds personal discussions so that my readers will get to know me, and maybe at some point would think to themselves "hey... I can really associate with her. 
4. Discuss things that are happening with my business in a positive non intrusive manner.
5. Last but not least, try not to be boring. :)

So, I'm going to sleep on this and perhaps I'll think of a good topic and try it out on everyone. What do you think?

Dallas Snow and Ice Storm for the Super Bowl?

Really? It started here Monday evening with freezing rain, and it just keeps going like the Energizer bunny. The roads really are more treacherous than the news is saying, so I'm assuming the players and other party people have the AWD vehicles at their disposal.

Last night we got pounded by 6" of snow which is just about unheard of in this part of the country. We've had some help from neighboring states with snow plows, which have been going non-stop. I really feel sorry for those folks that have spent so much money to get here, and couldn't with cancelled flights and poor driving conditions.  Good News though, tomorrow is suppose to be in the 40's and this stuff will start melting away. 

I thought I'd post a couple pictures i took today.  One of my back patio so that you can see how high the snow is on my patio furniture, and another looking out my front door.  The bare spot in the drive is where Hubby's truck rests at night :)

I know to some of my friends here, this is nothing, and you're probably saying to yourself, "Snow, you call that SNOW. You want to see real snow, come to ___ to see me". Right?  When Dallas just about shuts down because of it...It's a mess to us :)





How I'm Surviving an Ice Day at Home

Today, (well really it started last night) we are totally iced in. It started sleeting and snowing in the early hours of the night, and I woke up to a thick pelting of sleet again my windows. I started off early by making a list of all the things I wanted to get accomplished today (it works for me).

1. Get some new things listed on my website www.nanagcreations.com    =Check
2. List the items in my Art Fire store.  
3. Try to fix the template on my blog. = semi check
4. Work a little while on the Adult Sock Monkey hat I'm making. = Check
5. Start sewing up the new backpack I'm working on
6. Start cutting out fabric for the 2 new tote bags I'm working on
7. Quilt some fabric for the new pattern I have for a laptop carry

Well, better get busy with 3, and 5 through 6!

Stay warm everyone, and if you have some time.. I'd love you to comment on how you like this blog template.  I'm not convinced on it yet.

Please excuse this mess

I should have known better than to attempt changing my blog template on my own.  It appears that my blogger skills leave far too much to be desired.  Off to find someone who can help me!

Exciting Day Today

We needed a diversion this weekend, so we finally started putting together my new sewing studio.  Out with the old furniture and in with the new.  We started by putting together two cabinets, and left it at that.  Hopefully, the room will be completed by this next weekend  Fingers Crossed.

I also introduced two new products on Nana G Creations website. http://www.nanagcreations.com/category_14/Baby-Beanies.htm  They will be listed on my Artfire site soon.

An adorable cloche hat that would make your little girl look like a model, and a super cute Sock Monkey Hat for little boys and girls.  Check it out if you can.

Don't forget, the Newsletter link on the side bar. :)