I'll tell you a secret!

My goodness, I can't believe I have not been on here for this long. I know a lot of things have happened since my last post... but I guess the one thing that stands out is; I have finally separated my Children's designs from my Grown Up designs. So far it has proven a great move, with my Children's one at Saselven Lil Designs and my Grown up one at Saselven Designs, both on Hand-Made Australia. I do not have anything for sale in my Etsy shop at the moment, once the products timed out I didn't relist or add any more. My Madeit Shop is still going but only has some odd stock in it... I will eventually only have Hand-Made and my own site.

I have a big market coming up on the 1st December in Townsville, 126klm NE of us. It is the North Queensland Kids & Baby Market. I have not attended this market before so I am hoping for some new followers of my brand. I will have plenty of business cards and flyers to give out. So, at the moment I am up to my elbows in cut out fabric that is just begging to be sewn. I had thought it a good idea to cut it all out in a couple of days and then spend a couple of more days sewing it all up. Will see how I go. Sun hats, adjustable and/or reversible is what I am hoping to have plenty of as well as some softies.

This is my secret: After years of abusing my body with the wrong food and very minimal exercise, I have decided to do something about it. Both my hubby and I have started to watch what we eat and not exactly counting calories but making informed decisions about what we are eating... our portion sizes have just about been cut in half and we eat off small plates. It seems we are doing the right thing at the moment, as collectively we have lost close to seven kilos in less than a week! Do you have any tips on how to lose weight, something you have tried yourself and it worked! 

Back to what I do best:) I am writing my second free tutorial at the moment. No sew Christmas decorations. I hope you like it and even try it out! I am always looking for these types of crafts that I can do down by the river while my hubby fishes. Anyways, there are a couple of different ways to achieve the no sew Christmas decorations so check back to see if I have put them up yet.

This is a sneak peak of the almost finished Christmas decoration. 

Since the second hand is knocking on the door of midnight, I should be getting some shut eye. Thank you so much for supporting my blog, my store and myself. Cheers Sas.

 

Saselven is having a make-over!

It is time for Saselven to come out of the dark and make an impression on the hand made market. So I have decided on a complete make-over of my name, design and products.


I am so excited to be working with Jen from Smudge Design between us we hope to come up with a new and exciting look for Saselven. A slight name change could also be on the list of things to do, as well as a second store. I am concerned my children's creations are getting lost in with my other lines and they are not getting the attention they deserve. In the doggy dog world of Children's Clothing you really need some kind of edge.


There is a section of the community out there, from Caring Mothers, Excited Aunties and Adoring Grandparents, that like to have the children in their lives to be in matching ensembles. So with that in mind my next step will be, to add to my range, a selection of matching dresses with sun hats, bags, shoes, etc. Vests, shirts, pants, sun hats and backpacks for the boys.


This is what I have put together for a Market night on the 17th August... it will sell for $65... once the market finishes, it will be for sale for $77.

This is the sort of thing I will be doing more of. What do you think? There is an Owl Softie being made now to go with this ensemble as well, it will be sold separately though. 

I have also had a go at designing softies... not as successful as I would like, but I will show you what I came up with never the less.

 
I think I have a little to learn, but I had fun just the same...her legs are a little too far apart. Next one I will correct that... I need to look at some faces and see if I can improve on hers as well... although I do not want them all the same. She is also probably a little large, she stands 66.5cm or 26 1/4" in the old scale. All in all, I have been getting some nice comments about her, so feel as if she is a total failure.

On that note I am off to set up the machine and get ready for a day of sewing tomorrow... Night all, sweet dreams.
Cheers Sas.

Childrens Clothes have been on the agenda lately.

I have been sewing childrens clothes these last few weeks. They are slow to take off though. I think I need to advertise, I am just worried about the cost. It is okay to say you have to spend money to make money but when you are between the bottom rung of rich and the top rung of poor it is hard to find the money.

Several on-line stores doesn't seem to be the answer either. As a matter of fact the fees are quite expensive when you have more than one store. At the moment I have Saselven Aussie Handmade and I also have Saselven on Madeit and Saselven on Hand-made Australia and Saselven on Etsy and Saselven on facebook. So it is not for the lack of trying to be out there and active.

I am always keen to help with donations, although on many occassions once the organisation has the product I very rarely hear what has happened in the end. On that basis I think I will have to think before I answer yes in future. 

Anyways, take a look at what I have on offer and let me know what you think? I am very interested in feedback, whether it be good or bad. On style, quality and price? Also any suggestions on how to boost sales etc. or what has worked for you in the past....

Just a quick note, if you visit my Facebook Page you will see the rest of the clothes I have been sewing... boys and girls clothes.

Many thanks in advance.
Cheers Sas.

What's new at Saselven?

Hello my Lovelies,

I love these few weeks before winter starts, when the air feels fresher and the days are comfotable, not cold and not sweating... perfect! What's new? Well I have a new softie to show off. I haven't priced her yet, most likely somewhere near $25 - $30 + P/H.

She measure approx; 12" x 7"

I also have another softie in production, he is a gangerly dog named Chester. I am having a hard time making up my mind how to attach his arms and legs. And I want to have him sorted and made for the big Handmade Expo in Townsville in September.

Designer bags are my best selling item at the moment and I have handcrafted a few more this week. $35 + P/H.

My second best sellers are Nappy Wallets / Pouches. I have also handcrafted some more of these this week. I was up pretty late last night attaching the snaps to bags above and the two green ones below. $32 + P/H

Don't know what happened there, too many photos maybe... any of these can be purchased through my site; Saselven Aussie Handmade which uses the well known PayPal system. I have my products in a few online stores now, so it is a juggling act when something is sold.

Tomorrow I am starting on some felt pens (which is what we call them in Qld) and book wallets for your little ones, to keep them amused on a trip or boring appointments. I have made some coloured pencil rolls and they do well.

Guess I should think about going to bed. I want to be up fairly early tomorrow. Would so love you to leave a comment so I know I am not talking to myself!

Cheers Sas.













I've been sewing!

Well how unusual for me...NOT! I got these patterns off a lady on Etsy and I can't believe how simple they are in there design and use. Just wonderful... Anyways I got to and made a couple of pieces up from them although I still have two patterns to try...

Bubble Romper with matching Hat. Size 3 - 6 months.

Just adorable!

A-Line Dress in a Size 4/5

 A-Line Dress in a size 2/3

Gathered at the waist and Ruffled Sleeves

Size 3 and below is a Size 4.

I have a couple of Peasant tops cut out, and more of the above. I have an order for two A-Line Dresses will have them done by the weekend.

My overworked widdle bwain has been in a state of chaos for days. How the heck I keep doing this to myself is beyond me, but I am good at it...lol... I think I need to sit and decide what products I am going to carry as I have lots of different things I do... one I really want to keep doing are these childrens clothes... I love doing the handbags and wallets  as well as many other things. But it is getting increasingly harder to set up my stall with so many different sections.

My ultimate goal is not to have do the markets anymore... would love to be able to sell all my gear on FaceBook, Madeit, Etsy and my site is up and running... Here is the link to my new site: www.saselvenaussiehandmade.com Take a look and tell me what you think, I am still adding products and not as quickly as I would like to be....

Well it is now 37 minutes past midnight so I had better climb into bed. Have a great week and I'll chat again soon. Cheers!

Happy Easter to all...

Happy Easter to all, we here at Saselven hope that you all enjoy good company, great food and most of all, love and hugs from those you love.

I have my family here with me at the moment and am enjoying every tearful, silly, grumpy, halarious one of them. If Variety is the spice of life, I have been well seasoned this last couple of weeks. And I will be sad to see them go, especially my lil Sis, she has been a fantabulous helping hand while here.

Great News!
My new site is up and running and I am slowly adding products to it. I can imagine that I will be constantly tweeking for the first few weeks, seeing what works and what doesn't work.

Saselven Aussie Handmade



Please pass the site around for me. Any ideas on how to promote the site other than facebook (which I am doing) would be a great helping hand. I was originally going to only put kids clothes and accessories on the site, but I am about more than that, so I have decided to add all that I do.

Well folks, another family member has just turned up so will go and get more hugs and kisses... love it!

Cheers Sas.



Silly of me I know....

It is silly of me I know to keep putting up posts when no one reads them. I guess I am a compulsive talker and need an outlet... anyways, one day someone might say hello... and hopefully when my new site is up and running I will more traffic through and someone out there might be interested in what I have to say...lol... You gotta have dreams...
Cheers Sas.

Taking the plunge!

I have taken the plunge, I have got myself a domain name and a website, all in the processing mode at the moment, should be ready for use in a few days... Web address is: www.saselvenaussiehandmade.com (won't work just yet) I am quitely excited about the venture, hoping I am doing the right thing. What do they say, 'nothing ventured, nothing gained'...

At the moment, I am thinking that the site will only be for my childrens lines, clothes and hair accessories, handbags, softies and a few essentials, with a small section for boys. Sizes at the moment start at size 1 - 4, will add larger sizes as I go along. Here is a sneak peek at some of the hairclips I will be selling on my new site only.

These are the non-slip variety for babies who have really fine hair.

Let me know what you think, always up for critisism, good or bad... Feedback is the only way I am going to know if I am doing it right or not, and receive more ideas. Must admit, photography is an art form that I am not the best at, but I do try hard...lol...

Anyways, it is past midnight again, so I better head off to bed. Sweet dreams and I will catch you again soon.

Cheers Sas.



Market Group up and Running!

Good morning all, well I did it. I started the market group page on facebook and to date I have 49 members. I have a couple regular posters the others are side line sitters, which is fine, as long as I get the word out there to start using your local markets. If you want to have a look it is: Charters Towers Markets Info and Chat. The site has been quite useful so far for pre-ordering cooking and asking what is for sale. We need more stall holders at two of the markets, but all three would be benificial to all. Have been thinking to stir the pot a bit and get people looking into their cupboards for those treasures that have outgrown their use... bundle them up, grab and stall and make some pocket money....

My childrens clothes have been moving along which is great, and if I want to be truly honest, it wouldn't be too good if I sold them all out in one market, cause I can't quite sew quick enough to replenish stocks. I am going to stick to a handful of designs only and add embellishments for variety. I have not made any boys clothes to day, only because they take more time to make. I will have to get my head around this and start, because I have been asked alreay, do you make boys clothes... The biggest news here is, I have a Fantabulous artist who is at this very moment drawing my new tags for the clothing, think I may have to add a fee just for the original tags. And they will be, all original drawings, no photocopies or prints. I am so excited to get my first batch, Thank You Karen from Sugarbird.

Foolishly or not, I have also added to my stock with my one size fits all

Coffee Cup Cozies: $12ea.

Fabric Trays in a smaller (10in) size: $10ea. 

Trays lay flat for storage, and snap together at corners when you

are ready to use them. They are fully washable!

Pencil Rolls for Boys and Girls: $15ea.

Holds 19 pencils, but comes with 12 different colours.

And last, but in no way least, a Super Nappy Bag / Tote.

With six internal pockets and two outside, this is a great bag,

and a fantabulous price at: $45.99ea.



I have also been dabbling in headbands, hair clips and hair ties, with the odd brooch for my dresses. I reckon here at Saselven I am too creative for my own good..lol.. Always wanting to do something new instead of building up what I have. That is the naughty side of me I am afraid:))

Now that you have found my weekness I will sign off and get back to an order I have to have finished by Sundays market. Take Care, and Stay Safe.

Cheers Sas. 





Charters Towers Showground Markets

First market for the year has been and gone. We had a great time and did very well. I would like to thank the people of Charters Towers for their support today. Without them taking the time to come out we would not have a markets to show off our talents. And a big thank you to the other stall holders who made the effort to get up early and have everything ship shape by Seven. We should all pat ourselves on the back, for without us, there would be no markets either...lol...

Well today I tried something a little different, instead of overwhelming everyone, I only put out Handbags, Wallets, Coin Purses, some Baby Pouches and a few softies...

I think it worked. Everything went quite smoothly and we sold enough to make the morning worthwhile. I have been playing with the idea of only taking certain merchandise to each market. Most people know me now and I do have photo books of what I make. The CWA Hall may well be a good launching pad for my collection of childrens clothes... which means that is all I would sell there... baby and childrens essentials.

My mind has been working overtime today, thought I might also start up a group for the markets, not sure what I want just yet, need to think it through and talk to the organises of the three we have here in town.

Anyways guys, that is it for me today, I am off to cut out some dresses...

Cheers Sas.





Tropical Breeze Collection out soon!

My gosh, the days, weeks and now months are flying by. "What happened to, Stop and Smell the Roses, Mr Time?" Guess he doesn't care for Mother Nature...

Well I know I said I was thinking of putting 'Saselven' out there on Etsy, when I had prepared myself.... welllll, I am on. I had cut out a heap of designer handbags before we went on holidays (check out My Journeys Page) and hadn't gotten them done. So, I have been sewing my little heart out and now they are proudly displayed in My Etsy Shop in all there fantabulous glory. I also have some Nappy/Diaper Pouches on and a few wallets. I am getting on average 10 - 20 hits a day, not really knowing if this is good or not. No purchases yet, early days though so I am not panicking. I have a new line of childrens clothing which will be added to my My Etsy Shop as soon as I have added the finishing touches to them. I have started with sizes 1 through 4 at the moment, see how they go and then may do larger sizes later... A sneak peak below:

Two Piece Set, fully lined (top can be reversable)- Size 1 - $30.00 + postage.

I will have six outfits in my debut 'Tropical Breeze' Collection. Which will be on sale in the very near future... I will introduce the collection in My Etsy Shop and on my Facebook Page Saselven when it is avaiable for purchase.

That's all for now, I hope each and every one of you are striving to make a difference in this crazy mixed up world of ours.

Cheers Sas.

2012 Here we come....

Arvo to all,

Need a break as I have been sewing and my eyes are getting cranky...lol... The markets here in the Towers start up again in February so I have been trying to restock after the Christmas markets late last year. And I have just come back from a three weeks holiday which was fabulous, read all about it on Our Journeys page if you like, once I have posted it up, still working on the photos for it.

This year I am going to add Childrens Clothing to my stall. I have played with the idea for some time and feel now is the right time to give it a go. The preparation is long and tedious when you have to trace out four different sizes from each pattern. But, once it is done, they are there for all time... so to speak.

Before we went on holidays I cut out a lot of bags and softies (soft toys) to sew when I was bored. Yes, I took my sewing machine on holidays...I know I am sad...lol... well the thing is, I didn't get bored! So now I have a lot of sewing to catch up on.

Don't forget to jump over to Saselven on Madeit and check out what I have been creating. I did close the store down while I was away, but I am full steam ahead once again.

Best Wishes to you all for 2012, Sas.