I'm Still Here!!!

Hello, My Name Is: Sarah.....

And I've neglected this blog for wayyyy too long!!!

My shop is dusty and empty at the moment as I am adjusting to new circumstances.

My crafting life has been slow, but I have been puttering with a few things, mostly things that include paper. I think I had to take a break from fabric for a bit and try out some new things to keep me sane. I have sewed a few things for my boys, but that's really it since Spring!

Here's a spin around my current crafting area:

My first Charm Pack! Neco from Moda. I just love the colorways and funky 70's vibe of this Japanese fabric. Not sure if I am going to use them for a quilt or a bag....I picked this out for myself as a recent birthday present. :D

Hedgies!!!

Kitties!

Stamp/washi supplies. Only a small bit because the rest is in storage! Ack!

Paper craft supplies

Watercolor painting/papercrafting. I found this clear divider thing for free and it works great for this stuff.

Scrapbook paper hiding my machine!! Poor thing!

I am obsessed with making these little tabs out of pretty scrapbook paper. These are for my journal. They are a bit rough because I am using a single hole puncher for the edges, but I will get better. lol

I would love to be inspired to make some little homemadey things for the shop for holiday shoppers, but am not sure I will accomplish this. I am quite sick of making bags and wouldn't mind making some random items that have nothing to do with them! We shall see! 

Thanks for bearing with me over this long hiatus...

Begging You to Go No 'Poo!

My sad, grown out haircut after 3.5 months! But look how red and shiny!

I have been going without traditional shampoo for 2 months and I am hooked! I want to tell you about it since it is so much healthier for your body, and hey, it is kind of crafty--you are mixing things together and...ok, this has no place on this blog!

The chemicals they put into storebought shampoos are toxic and have an effect on our immune systems, fertility, and many other things, and should never be sold on the market to unsuspecting customers. If you research your own personal beauty products here, you will find disturbing information that will hopefully spur you on to going all natural. I am not the eco-friendly, green, hippie type, but I do want to use things that are already useful and available through nature. For one thing, they are CHEAP! I am all about cutting costs wherever I can. Why do they go and create something that will hurt people in the long run when there are natural remedies that work? Money, that's why! The corporations and labs are making hand over fist pumping out promises in these toxic bottles that are only bringing people health problems in the end! And I have never had much success with shampoos, conditioners, styling products, etc! It just caused me to buy more and more and waste $$$ for nothing.

That was my rant...

I am using a baking soda+water paste for a cleanser and apple cider vinegar+water rinse for conditioner. These two ingredients, when used in conjunction, will balance out the pH of your hair. They do not strip your hair like chemical shampoos do. Those shampoos will cause your scalp to over-produce oil and gunk as your head tries to balance out its own pH. What you end up with is oily scalp and dry ends. The story of my life. (a little dramatic there...)

Everyone has different hair types, which means you want to adjust your no 'poo formula just a bit depending on your type.

Basically:

Thick, dry hair: less baking soda, more ACV
Thin, oily hair: more baking soda, less ACV (avoid putting it on the roots)

My formula is:

1 TBS baking soda + very little water (until it is pasty)
3 TBS ACV + 2 cups water

I massage the paste into my scalp and don't touch the ends. The flow of water from the shower will naturally send it downstream. Then I rinse it really well. Next, I pour the ACV mix over my hair starting at the roots/top and work it down to the ends. I rub it in to make sure it is saturated. You can leave it on for a little or rinse it right out. Rinse it well!

I follow up with a tiny amount of this organic coconut conditioner I got at the health food store. I like to add that because I have super dry hair. I noticed that the conditioner is working better on my pH balanced hair compared to when I used to use it after a traditional shampoo.

My husband even noticed that my  hair looks thicker, shiner, and less dry since I've been doing this. That is a big deal for me! Also, ACV is known to bring out natural red highlights. Who doesn't want that?

And let's talk about cost savings! What is it, .60 cents for a box of baking soda and $1-something for a bottle of ACV? These will last for at least a few months!

That's the other thing--I only have to wash my hair about once a week because my scalp is not producing mass amounts of oil like it used to. It stays looking and feeling clean for at least 5 days now. Great for mommies!

The photo above is a day after it's been washed and dried with a hot air brush. Usually heat appliances cause my hair to become super frizzy and puffy, but not now. Love it!

Think about it! :) Let me know if you have any questions or want to share your experience here.

Adjusting to a Different Kind of Crafty Life

Hello! This morning I want to take you on a little tour of what's going on around my sewing space. I am not going to beat a dead horse (too much) and talk about the shop closing. All I can say is it is the end of one era and the start of a new one for the way I approach sewing and what I sew for. No longer am I sewing for the sake of money, but for creating gifts for others and items that I can use every day in my own life. It is such a weird feeling to be able to do that now, but I must say it feels pretty good. I will admit I have always dreamed of the day when I could sew whatever I wanted for whomever I wanted without that nagging feeling of needing to sell it in the shop. There is quite a bit more freedom in this. I never sewed NOT for money. It started out that way, but I shall not end that way! :)

So, that being said, here's what's going on in my world:

This is a basket of fabric waiting to be made into things. I have a 1/2 completed clutch, some baby gifts, and handbags that I am going to make. There is also a charm pack of squares waiting for a baby quilt to be made.

This is my latest crafting book that I purchased with some leftover birthday money on Amazon. Oh, how I love Amazon's cheap book prices! I went to B&N to check them out there and they were at least 40-50% more expensive off the shelf. 

This book is total eye candy and has some fun projects I'd like to try. The colorways inspire me because they are a tad different than what I am used to but I love how she uses all warm tones.

My crafting notebook. This is a list of things I want/need to get done by the end of December. I keep adding to it! I need to stop!

Here is what I ended up purchasing at Target to hold my patterns. I didn't get the fancy schmancy one because it was pretty but not functional for what I need. It would only hold a certain amount and I needed more space. I fit more than 21 patterns in this thing, though!

As you can see, there are many shoved in there. This is perfect and will be easy to store. When will I ever stop? A girl can never have too many patterns. :) 

I think that after Christmas I will try to share pics of what I have actually been sewing. I just have to wait until they are given out to people so I don't ruin the surprise. I'd like to do posts where you craft along with me on projects, so maybe that will be a goal for 2013!

Sad News

Today is a day with a sad post. I have closed my shop down for personal reasons that I do not wish to go into, but I hope that you all understand. I have SO enjoyed sewing and selling and do not regret a moment of it! But for the time being, I cannot run my shop. I hope someday to make this a certified, real deal small business, but right now it is not possible to go to that level.

I am finishing up custom orders that have already been placed, so no worries there. I honor my commitments and do not want to leave anyone hanging. Please e-mail me at mattsarahhyde@gmail.com if you have any questions.

I am going to keep my Facebook page running and this is definitely not the end of my sewing hobby! I have tons of fabric and materials to use (and patterns), and I will still sew for pleasure and gifts. I will keep sharing about projects for those who enjoy hearing about it. If you have no interest in staying a fan of "Sweet Sparrow", I understand if you want to remove yourself from the fan list.

Oh, this is bittersweet!! But it is for the best and I will have more free time to sew for gifts and home, which is a good thing. I am trying to find good things about this, but it is hard!

I am going to change the name of this blog to "Sarah's Craft Blog" to keep it consistent with what's going on. The web address will stay the same. 

Thank you, ALL, for your support and business, and I will never forget what you've done for me by buying my handmade crafts! It has been so wonderful and life-changing, really, to have an Etsy shop for 5 years.

God bless,
Sarah

My goodness I have not been posting much about my crafting lately! I have been busy and new things are in the works. I have not been sewing as much as before, but still have managed to get some home projects in as well as gifts for friends and a few custom orders.

Here's some stuff I have done lately if you are not on my Facebook page where I usually post everything:

Patchwork Pouch

Pleated Purse custom order

Cinnamon Lacework floral iPhone/Gadget pouch (in shop)

Some other items to get done are a tote for my mom, a handbag for a customer, and I am plotting a fall bag for myself. I found some yummy "tobacco soil" colored 100% linen and a bird's egg print that would go nicely together in shades of brown for fall. I am in the mood for earth tones for myself lately. Not sure when I'll get to it but I will let it gel in my head for a bit to get the design the way I want it. I can't believe I am already talking fall! It is only August!

I will be starting a part-time job this week (2 days per week) and am excited for this new chapter of my life!

MEMO: Big Changes

If you have been following me on Facebook you may or may not have noticed that Sweet Sparrow's FB presence is kaput right now. I deactivated my account for several personal reasons. I did not mean to abruptly sever my relationship with my beloved customers, but that is exactly what happened. But I am hoping many people will come over here to the blog to see what is going on if they are interested to know.

I am rearranging my life a bit right now and have to reign waaay back on the sewing. It was eating up too much of my personal time with my family, our money, and space. I have been trying to make it work here in our new lifestyle, but you can't make a silk purse out of a sow's ear, as they say. It just ain't working. There has been times in my life where Etsy selling flows smoothly, custom orders flow smoothly, and life is great on that side of things. But right now, I am not called to keep that portion of my life afloat, especially not at the expense of my family's well-being!

SO. I am going to try and sell a lot of my supplies and materials that are sitting around eating up real estate. I have a LOT of fabric I need to sell that, face it, I LOVE but am never going to get around to using up. My loss is someone else's gain, and I am glad to sell it to someone who will use it.

Time to sew may occur here and there, but additions to the shop may be scarce. There is so much I need to sew for home that I have a big list backed up! It is amazing how much you can make for your home to save money, if you have the time.

I hope you all understand where I'm coming from (or at least where I'm trying to go). I'm sorry to pull a fast one on everyone and I have been so blessed by everyone's support. I am not saying this is the end of Sweet Sparrow, but it may be a long hiatus until her gears are turning smoothly again.

I still want to use this blog to post crafting ideas or things that I sew for my home. I like having a place to dump my creative juices. :o)

God bless!

Great Advice

What tool or technique has been the most effective in getting buyers to your shop?

• Create something unique: even if you’re afraid of being too niche, there are people looking for just that niche item.

-Interview with Etsy Seller

This is something that stood out to me because one thing I do not want to do is become too "cookie cutter" as a crafter and Etsy seller. There is money to be made in making the same item over and over again in the same materials, but there is also money and joy to be had in making something thoroughly unique and creative. It is taking that risk to believe that someone would want to own something you dreamed up from your head and took a risk on making. That's what makes it the most rewarding. :)

What Does Handmade Mean to Me?

 "Handmade is subjective...it’s a process where a piece is designed and intimately constructed by the artisan...Often it shows the mark of being handcrafted in being “perfectly imperfect"." — Chris Hughes, Artifact Bag Co.

I couldn't have said this better myself! So I won't!

But I will try to dig deeper...it is creating something that emerges from the artist's brain and is inspired by something or someone, whether it be a single object or something as huge as God Himself, and takes on imperfect qualities since the artist is imperfect. Perfection does not come from imperfection. But that is exactly what handmade buyers love about hand-crafted items. They are not made with a machine that is set to make things over and over again, exactly to certain specifications. That is what makes handmade unique--no two pieces are the same, and they should not be expected to come that way.

To own something and use something that you know was thought up, designed, constructed, and carefully evaluated before going out for sale is really a neat concept. Going to a superstore and buying a cheap, uninspiring, unimaginative hunk of material that was mass-produced in a sweat shop is not a neat concept. Especially when you are looking for a gift for someone. Hands down, people love to receive handmade gifts over store-bought 9 times out of 10.

Handmade also means enjoying the God-given creativity in each of us. For me, it is jumping into my sewing room when I have a spare moment, and scanning through all my materials till several of them jump out at me and come together to make a project. Other times, I will purchase a specific set of materials to create an item that I have thought up in my head or seen examples of in a book or magazine or online. It means cutting, measuring, ripping, tearing out stitches, re-stitching, ironing, basting, gluing, poking, prodding, fusing, and the list goes on! There is a lot that goes into handmade, and each process is worth it when you can make something beautiful or useful, or both!

What does handmade mean to you?

“For better or worse, I never let go of the uninhibited feeling a child has when they imagine and create.” — Chris Hughes