improving

I think I managed to get better photographs today (the ones in my last post seem very dark):



I really need either a model, or a tripod, or a photographer.... or preferably all three!

The first two are listed in the shop too!

to do and doing

TO DO

If I actually sat down and wrote a "to do" list of everything I have either on the go, or want/need to get down to, I think I'd probably disappear from sight for a good few days...

The most urgent at the moment are:
- List the white blouse from my last post in my Etsy shop... (others already listed, as well as the first shrug of the season!)
- Write-up about some of the super features Katsai has been getting lately on other friendly blogs... so watch this space ;P
- Post pictures of the "formal" dress - and the hiiiiigh-heel shoes I dared to wear - from the wedding down in Malaga.

Maybe tomorrow I'll find a bit more time to spend online :)


DOING


In the meantime, I've been fine-tuning the latest of my new patterns...

Here's the inspiration:


The Armadillo, or "little armoured one".

And here's the interpretation / application / next-big-thing ;)



Its just the neck-part... an orginial sculpted cowl, or much-needed-cozy-"armour" for when the cold weather hits!

So, what do you think?!

Lined-up

Lined-up a waiting to be listed!



I have the day off work today, so am busy-busy-busy on my "other" work! Just finished shooting these new tops -including the first shrug of the season :) - and will be listing them later today...


It was also a lovely suprise to see that one of my dresses made the Front Page at Etsy this morning!! Yipppeeeee! Thanks Ellembee 's shop-checker for picking it out :)

new month, new listings

To kick off the start of the new month, I just listed two new tops over at the Katsai shop at Etsy!

... maybe you'll recognise one of the fabrics from an earlier post this summer when I went on a fabric-shopping spending spree :) They're always the best...

just need to....

... get the two new tops properly photographed and they'll be listed in the Katsai shop!

Here's a little taster: Jabot-sporting Katsai dandy :)

newities

After quite a quiet time recently I've been updating my shop the last couple of days. Check out the pictures below...

And in the meantime I've been:

- working on new patterns and techniques (watch this space!)

- playing with crochet threads again making up hems and yokes (see halter below)

- shopping more fabric (mmmmm!)

- making a couple of much needed summer pieces for myself (including a super-dooper Katsai summer bag! ...I really SHOULD "treat" myself more ;P)

- and the best of all, doodling sketches and brainstorming ideas sat out at our new balcony table and chairs! Such luxury to have a space in the fresh air... must remember to get a picture to post!!

Bangles are back!

If any of you have visited my shop over at Etsy of late, you'll see that I've started making my fabric bangles again... must just be that time of year! Its warm (if somewhat wet) here, and for me short-sleeves just means bangle-time :)



If you're the curious type, you can read about my trials and tribulations developing the technique in the original "presentation" post way-back-when last year here.

They're so addictive to make, and I just can't wait to see what some of the other new fabrics I've bought since I was last making them will turn-out like when "bangalised" ;P

version dos

I just finished this afternoon another of my new Toile tunics in Blue.


I love the fact that with the toile each one is completley unique, as I never get the same positioning twice... this one is for the "hen enthusiasts"!















It'll be listed tomorrow and is a size medium :)

...continuing with my spring clean

Continuing with my "digital" spring-clean, I've updated my web page to tie-in with the fresh new look.



Its still just a very basic "home" page, basically linking out to my other presences online, but I still have plans to make it into a more complete web presence in itself...











Needless-to-say I haven't figured out how to change this banner on my blog yet. Arrghhh! I really can't remember how I did it the first time around! I can manage to add a new one, but not actually replace (or remove) the one thats up now... I think maybe I found some online tutorial and fiddled with the HTML code :(

When will I ever learn not to tinker with things I don't understand?! Well, I shall persevere I guess.

and this is a first

... first double-post-in-a-day!!!

There really has been lost of goings on since the last day I posted, and this one I think really deserves a post in itself, hence the double-dose today.


Sooooo, what's got me all excited is that I was recently invited to take part in my second ever online interview -and the first one ever in english - and it's just recently been published over at the Heart Handmade blog!


It all started not long ago when New York city blogger and crafter Marichelle contacted me to tell me about this new blog she'd recently launched, focusing on promoting handmade products and artists.

And when she told me that she's also trying to help all the people looking for handmade clothing on Etsy how could I resist the invitation to be a featured artist?!

You can read the full article here.







I'd also highly recommend taking a snoop around the rest of the blog, as there are some great interviews a gorgeous selections of the best of handmade. I also love the look of the blog, and I get the idea that Marichelle really enjoys working on it. She puts together such original and attractive layouts, with great illustrations, that really make browsing through her posts like a breath of fresh air!

And just today Marichelle launched another new feature on Heart Handmade, which is just such a fantastic idea. I think she's really onto a winner here with the Shop & Tell feature...




As if all the work on her blogs wasn't enough, this talented girl also runs her own Etsy shop! And I think I'm busy.....

Here's wishing her "mucho éxito" with this great new blog, and sending thanks for all the time and effort put into the Katsai feature :)

updating

Thats right, been a very busy little worker bee since my last post!

Lots of "updating" has been afoot, not only in my shop...






















But I've also been trying out new packaging ideas... (the jury is still out on this one, not sure that I found the right green, or the right bags, hmmm...)




















...and I finally recived my new business cards! Wooppee!



















Its been a long wait in the end, not nearly as quick as my first order when I first started out with Katsai.

And the poor blokey at the postoffice must be more relieved than I am that they finally arrived, as practically every trip I've made to the postoffice since I ordered them I've had him sifting through the packages to be picked-up, with the hope that they were sat there waiting for me and that the postman had some how forgotten to leave me the notice... ;P



And as you can see...



















.... I think they're quite a photogenic bunch!



















I also want to thank the lovely (and very talented) Danielle and the very talented (and equally lovely) Anuska for their input on my dilemma over updating my blog's banner. You convinced me!
Now lets see if I remember how I fiddled about with it last time to swap-over to the "new look" Katsai here too... gracias chicas!!

nuevo look

Its so exciting! Katsai is getting a little "face lift"...

When I reactivated my shop on Etsy a couple of months ago (after a slight break while looking for and moving into our new home) I updated the shop banner to this one shown below:



I was really pleased with the fresh look, and liked the fact that I'd managed to include pictures of some of my designs too.

The new logo is an adaptation of the design I came up with to print on some white cotton and make into simple totes last year.

However, ever since "debuting" my new banner in the shop I've been trying to come up with a design for reprinting my business cards based on the new logo, and I just couldn't figure out a layout that convinced me. Until now :)

Soooo... I have just now ordered a whole new batch of Katsai cards and can't wait to see them in real life! I know, patience, patience girl (as it should be a week or two until I get them) but I'm just so excited! Good job I don't have a home-printer, really, as I'd probably have just wasted so much paper printing out little pretend business cards just to admire them!

I also ordered some new postcards to be printed too, and so, well, just humour me when I gush all about them and show them off here at some point in the next couple of weeks. Ok? Can't say you weren't warned ;P

Now. Next dilemma: should I update the banner here too? Hmmmmm...

more to come...

Well my blog posts seem to becoming few and far between... sorry about that for anyone who may have wondered where I'd got to: I'm still here!

It's been a fairly busy week, what with family visits (which have been great!) and trips down to the post-office to send my goodies to their new homes, my shop is getting emptyier by the day (so much for my determined attempt to restock ;P).

But, I do just about have two new Militario tops ready to list (just need to hand-sew the strips and buttons onto the 2nd one and thats it!) in my Etsy shop, so hopefully visitors to the store in the next few days won't be too disapointed by the reduced stock?

This has been one of my most popular designs so far, with lots of enquiries and interest, which is really encouraging! I know I've said this before, bu at some point I just HAVE to make one for myself too.... I'd hate to be left without, as it really is one of my faves too ;P

the latest

una docena

Slowly but surely I'm managing to restock my shop... upto a dozen items already (not counting the recent sale)!

New additions include: a new version of the Militario top...












...and this new bag featuring fabric with a particulary laborious printed design I made recently.

I love the mix again of elaborate and geometric!

sweet Militario

The in-the-works top of the last post is finished!

I did the button-shopping mentioned, and found these really cool dark blue ones that are just perfect. Its a shame there were only these six left... as I'm desperately fighting the urge to make myself one just like this!

Also, thanks to this latest project I now know the lady who runs the local "merceria" (sewing shop?) too, which is great, as I have a feeling I'm going to be popping down to visit her a fair bit now we're properly settled in the neighbourhood. Great to know theres a shop-load of buttons, threads, zips and other goodies just round the corner ;P

EDIT: sold! ... To say I'm thrilled is an understatement!

this next

This is what i've been working on today. Its still just the front piece, and pinned together, but hopefully you get the idea?



Its another new pattern idea that I've been toying around with of late, mixing contrasting styles: military with the baby-doll, or harsh geometric with soft flowy, etc.

We'll see how it turns out!

Hmmm, may need to do some button-shopping in it's honour ... What d'ya think?

Congrats to TortillaGirl, fellow European Street Teamer!

Well, that what I said!
Becky, the hands and heart behind Tortillagirl, made Etsy stardom just recently as the Featured Seller on the Etsy front page! Great stuff! Read the full interview here ... and where do I leave my vote for the currency-converter on Etsy too?!

You can check out more fantastic European shops by visiting the EST (European Street Team) Blog here.


As for Katsai, I'm not managing the item-a-day I'd hoped to be listing on my return, but the shop is slowly but surely filling up again :) This dress is the latest addition.

stocking up.... after a little hiccup

Well the first few items are now up for sale in my shop!

Its been so long since I last listed anything that I'd forgotten half the steps and info needed on Etsy ...and also how really BAD i am at the descriptions!

Aside from from re-listing a couple of my old favourites, I also added a brand new tote and another version of my Urban Chic jacket.







The "little hiccup" mentioned was being left without internet AGAIN for a few days. The new router broke, can you believe it? And after only like 3 or 4 days of use... Maybe, in our desperation after such a long wait, we burned it out! Luckily we've still got the old router from the last ISP/flat, so we've hooked that up until they get round to replacing the "new" one.

Its at times like this that I'm pleased I hang on to so much clutter...

getting organised!

Its been a while since I updated, and a while that has brought many changes as far as both Katsai and the rest of my life are concerned. Unfortunately this has meant that i've been really busy with things other than making new items for the shop, but hopefully now I have a much better organised base to work from, making the most of my now more limited time and enjoying the whole process so much more!

To start with i organised my work space, classifying fabrics, notions, paperwork, the ever growing collection of notebooks, original patterns, threads, etc. A BIG job but extremely satisfying to have a bit of order around me as I work :)

In this mosaic you can meet "the ladies"! (my loyal aged industrial machine, the Singer tabletop sat next to her, and my hardworking serger).
I also couldn't resist showing-off a quick storage system for some of the cones of thread I made one afternoon out of plastic water bottles and good ol' celotape... not perfect (next time i'll cut them slightly slanted, so the "pockets" are tilted holding in the cones better)... but it does a wonderful job for now ;P



I also took time out to get my "data" organised and set-up a new database collection in my beloved Filemaker.
Now i can easily keep track of production, pieces, materials, listings, time and contact management etc. and in just a short time this proving to be extremely useful and much more practical than relying on the My SHop section of Etsy for tracking many of these things...







What else? Ah yes!!!
My first ever interview was published just this last weekend on the superb Spanish design and craft orientated web page Handmadecrafts/Todo Artesanias.

A big BIG thankyou to Myrna and IxcheL for all the encouragement and enthusiasm and helping to get the word out about Katsai in the Spanish speaking world!! Besos guapas!!!

(click on the link above to read the whole article.... and be sure to check out the rest of the web too, these girls do an excellent job!)