Happy Halloween from Biscuit & Me!

Biscuit is all dressed up this year and so am I. We won't be going out trick or treating though, as we have kids coming to our house!



We still have fun though watching the Halloween Classic, "It's the Big Pumpkin Charlie Brown." I have the movie on DVD so we can pause and answer the door when the kids come a calling. We also watch Garfield's Halloween as I have that on my DVD, too. I never watched it when I was a kid because they never aired it on TV. And, the TV channels really hack into the videos now to post so many commercials!!!! It is very frustrating. At least we get to watch the whole episode now. :)



But, back to Halloween goodies. We usually make popcorn at my house and make popcorn balls. I don't eat the candy that we buy at the store and hand out as it isn't gluten free and Biscuit can't have chocolate. So, it all has to go!



That is when I was told about the Teal Pumpkin Project by Food Allergy Research & Education (FARE). It is a nationwide initiative to encourage people to leave non-food treats for kids who can't eat candy because of various allergies and intolerances including gluten.



Watch my video to see my special trick or treat table I came up with this year and what Biscuit is wearing for Halloween...

If you are interested in seeing the second part of this video to learn how to set up a candy bar like the one shown, I posted it to my other YouTube channel here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BXmyWSGFqW0



If you want to learn more about FARE and the Teal Pumpkin Project visit their website here http://www.foodallergy.org/teal-pumpkin-project



Have a safe and happy Halloween everyone!

How to Sew Liberty Jane Clothing's Free Tank Top Pattern

I love free patterns and I found another one to share with you that I have made time and time again. It is a free pattern from Liberty Jane Clothing and can be downloaded from the Pixie Faire website. Here is the link to get your copy so you can make some doll clothes too!http://www.libertyjanepatterns.com/2010/03/free-pattern-for-american-girl-dolls-trendy-tank-top.html





This pattern is very easy to make if you are a beginner. And, if you have some other tools like I mention in my video tutorial, it can go even faster. So let's begin!

 

If you want to see the finished top on my doll you can see a picture at this link: https://www.etsy.com/listing/245068778/3-piece-autumn-outfit-american-girl-doll?ref=shop_home_active_4

 

This is the perfect top to have on hand as it goes with many different outfits and is easy to accessorize with. This fall print I made it in goes perfectly with a fall wrap or denim jacket! Make one in many colors and you will quickly expand your dolls wardrobe!

 

Please let me know if you have any questions by leaving a comment below. Thanks for watching and have a great day!

A Minute of Biscuit #8 - Farm Dog Loves Riding the John Deere Gator

It is fall and that means the leaves are falling! We have a huge grove at our place and the leaves are too thick for our grass to grow. So, we have to rake them up.



We bring out the heavy tools to get this done. Mainly a rake, snow shovel, and of course Biscuit's favorite, the John Deere Gator. We use the Gator to haul the leaves from one part of our farm to the other without having to bag them.



Just look at how excited she gets when she knows we are going to go for a ride!

We were trying to get her to jump into the pile of leaves for this segment, but she kept an eye on the Gator at all times! As soon as we turned towards it she ran and was ready to jump on the seat.



Of course, she always tries to go for the drivers seat first. I guess I will have to teach her to drive it. :) If she knew how, she would drive it every single day!



I hope you liked a minute with biscuit and if you are curious to know just what we do with all those leaves, watch my second part of the video on my other YouTube channel Missy R. https://www.youtube.com/user/meliannrobe

Thanks for watching and have a great day!

The Holidays are Just Around the Corner

I have been busy working and sewing this past week for the holidays. Yes, I know that Halloween is this weekend, but they already started playing the Christmas music in the stores and pushing the sale of holiday décor. In short, I got to thinking about upcoming sales for the holidays and needed to do something special.



I also thought that it would be a good idea to share a little more about how my packages are shipped. Here is a picture of when I wrapped a package this morning that will be shipped out this next week (I am still waiting for the shipping address, so that is why I am delayed from shipping it out today!)

 

 

All my sales are wrapped in white tissue paper and either wrapped in jute string or ribbon. I include a gift tag like the one on this package or a note card seen on the bottom of this photo at no extra charge! All you have to do is let me know who the package is for and from. I can also write a little message in the card if you wish!

 

I love making all my sales a special surprise whether it is for a birthday, holiday, special occasion, or just because. The package is also wrapped for the buyer so they can feel that extra special glee of opening a present. After all, who doesn't like opening up a gift on any day of the year?

 

I also made a video for those of you who are curious to know how I wrap and ship my packages for my Etsy store. This can be applied to other online stores as well such as Amazon, eBay, or a business website that you run and manage. No matter what you may be selling, a personal wrapped gift is always appreciated. Check out my video below!

 

 

If you have any questions, please leave them in the comment field below.

 

Remember to be creative and have fun this holiday season! Hope you have a great day!





Walking the Dog for Dolls - How to Crochet the Puppy Dog 3 Part Tutorial

Yes! The last video of the crochet series has been posted to my YouTube account! It is in three parts so make sure you watch each one to complete your dog, leash, and collar.





I think this project turned out so cute. I had a few issues completing it though as I wanted to make sure everything was just perfect for you guys that are watching and crocheting along with me. I did find some errors in the pattern by Red Heart Yarn. But, they weren't something I couldn't reread and figure out. The one thing that left me confused was how they wanted the leash to be attached to the collar. However you end up doing it is fine by me. I just slipped stitched it around the entire collar so it looks like it is attached by a ring. It turned out to be just fine.





So, let's get started. Parts 1 through 3 are listed below in order.

 

 

If you missed the pattern for the dog or any of the doll clothes we made. Here is the link http://www.redheart.com/free-patterns/walking-dog-dolls. The pattern is a .pdf file so you can either view it on a tablet computer or print it off.

 

Let me know what you guys think of this tutorial and if you would be interested on me doing another one. (A shorter one next time would be great!) I don't think I want to tackle this long of a pattern again for a long while. I did it because I wanted to make this outfit and dog for myself and to sell on my Etsy store. But, it was a very tricky process for me to video tape all the stitching and create a quality video that you guys could follow along with. It was a learning process for sure!

 

Also, if you have finished this project, I would love to see it! Post it and send me a link in the comment section below or share it via one of my social media sites. I am on Pinterest, Twitter, Google+, Facebook, and Instagram.

 

Have a great week!

Etsy Shop Tip #2

So, you here about branding a lot. And branding on Etsy usually takes the form of a digital icon with a matching store banner at the minimum. But, there is an important piece of branding that many shop owners overlook. It's business cards!

Yes, I know we are running an online shop. And, many online shops typically don't feature a brick and mortar store when they are small business run by a sole owner or a partnership. Usually they are run in the studio or office of a house. But, besides spending time marketing online to your customers, you also need to think about the potential customers you run into at the grocery store, at the park, or even in church! (I personally have a thing against doing business in a place of public worship from my Christian background so I don't target people at church, but boy does the subject come up unexpectedly from someone else sitting next to me!)

Please watch my latest video on how I make my own business cards and more reasons on why if you don't have a business card, you should get one fast!

 

Spreading My Joy & Melinda's Closet Finds Partnered Giveaway!

I am so excited and honored to be a part of Allie D's Giveaway on her blog Spreading My Joy! Yes, I have partnered with her to giveaway one of my outfits from my Etsy Shop.

 

Yes, I am giving away this 3-piece outfit! The pleated denim skirt, fall print top, and brown crocheted shawl goes to one lucky winner who enters the giveaway on Allie D's blog.

Here is the link to enter the contest: http://spreadingmyjoy.blogspot.com/2015/10/another-giveaway-with.html



The contest started yesterday, October 15th, and ends on October 31st.

And, please make sure to subscribe to Spreading My Joy as Allie has put together an awesome blog!