A Look Back at 2017 with Sher's Creative Space

What a year it was! So many exciting things happened at Sher's Creative Space this past year. The first thing I want to say is THANK YOU! My customers and my followers are my kind and creative friends. Thank you for all those who have sent me photos of the finished items that started out with one of my patterns. Keep them coming because I do love to see them! I've met a lot of great people at the creative facebook groups. You are all so talented and amazing. And of course, I must thank my testers. You ladies have been a lifesaver! Some of you started with me when I first started the embroidery business, thank you for sticking with me. When I think of the very first patterns I sent you, uggh! But you are all so patient and honest. And there are those testers that have helped me in a pinch at the last minute. I have the best testers anywhere! Thank you!

I learned a lot this year. I even added digitizing to my business. That was a huge step for me, but well worth it. And I love, love, love it! It took a lot of time and energy, but now that it's up and running, I can create that balance between embroidery and the PDF pattern business. My only regret is why did it take me so long to get into embroidery? It's so much fun!

Last fall I started my weekend feebies and you guys love it! I have given away thousands and thousands of patterns since starting it. Since you love it so much, I will keep it going! If you aren't a regular follower of this blog or my newsletter, you might want to sign up because that's where you will find info on when and where to grab these freebies.

Another thing that happened is that my facebook following and newsletter following has increased immensely! I will continue to work really hard so I don't disappoint you.

In my personal and professional life, I have just become quite fond of the idea of going mostly paperless. I started in July with my business receipts. They are all now in JPEG or PDF format. No more printing them at the end of the month! What a huge waste that was! I like that idea so much that I'm gradually working that effort into my personal life. I have become quite the scanner maniac, and I'm not even close to getting it all done.

PHOTO ABOVE: For the past twenty-five years it has been a Christmas tradition to give everyone at my house (during our Christmas celebration) lottery scratch off tickets. This year I added a new twist. I filled the above scratch off  holders (pattern available at In the Hoop by Sher website) and passed them out. I told everyone that if they want them refilled next year, they had to put them back into the basket. Well, they didn't want to give up their little holder ornaments, and they wanted to take them home. So it looks like I have to design more for next year!

I have so many great things planned for next year, but that will be another blog post.

Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas from Sher's Creative Space!

Wishing all my friends out there a wonderful Christmas. Enjoy this time with friends and family. And do eat dessert, after all, it's Christmas!

Most importantly, love one another, and be safe.

Christmas Tutorials for Last Minute Gift Ideas

For my new readers, you may not know that there are some really fun and fast tutorials all organized, nice and neat on a Pinterest board. The little baking mix bags would make a great hostess gift. The wine glass shades take just minutes. You can add festive touches to any room!

Here's a little tip about the wine glass lamps....I painted the stems with enamel paint, then washed it off after Christmas! You have to do it within a few days of painting, and you can't bake the glasses or you'll never get it off. Also, it's important to use flameless tealight candles in them. And if you ever wondered if the "flickering flameless" tealights look real, check out the video at the bottom of that page.

Here are the links to the tutorials pictured above.

Wine Glass Lamps

Baking Mix Gift Bags

Hobby Horse Candy Cane Holders

Lollipop Ornaments

Tutorial Board at Pinterest

Little Spike and My New Images

As many of you have probably already noticed, I have fresh new images to represent my embroidery business and my PDF pattern business. What made it most difficult is that I wanted to tie in the two different businesses with very similar images. My social media sites such as Google Plus, Facebook,  Instagram, Pinterest, and this blog represent both of my businesses. So, how to make them each work alone, and together has been a challenge for me. I have it figured out! 

What ties it all together are two different elements, colors and Little Spike (the dog). 

Yes, the dog has a name! This past January I lost my little Yorkie due to serious medical reasons. I'm getting closer and closer to being ready for another one. All I know for sure is I would love another small dog, fluffy, and we will get him or her from a local rescue or the humane society. So when referring to my future dog, I call him Little Spike. On another note, this dog in my logo also resembles my sweet Bubba that passed away. So, adding Little Spike to my logo has a very special meaning to me.

Let me know what you think about my new images!

How About Creating A New Christmas Tradition This Year!

Our family is big on Christmas traditions and has always been. Now that we have a granddaughter, I thought it would be fun to start some new ones that she will always remember. Last year we started the tradition of opening our gifts while skyping with our daughter who lives 2,000 miles away. It was so much fun, I wonder why we never thought of it before. After the gift opening, and before we say goodbye, we all have a toast to celebrate the upcoming year. Those of us who don't drink, have a glass of sparkling wine.

We also have traditions the we are still carrying on from years ago, but this year I'm adding another tradition for Christmas Eve. We are going to have a hot cocoa bar. The cocoa will be cooking in the slow cooker. The house will smell fabulous! I have a beautiful wooden tray that I got from my mother. I'll place a red napkin inside along with colorful (battery operated) lights wrapped with a piece of evergreen garland cut to fit the inside edges. I'll use mason jars to hold things such as candy canes, marshmallows, rolled wafers, and chocolate chips. And we must not forget the Christmas sprinkles! This tray will be in our bay window, in the dining room, where our granddaughter can reach it herself. Many years down the road, she will always remember the hot cocoa bar at Nana's on Christmas Eve. I'll share a picture after the holidays.

Have you thought about starting a new Christmas tradition? They don't have to be elaborate or expensive, just something that will be memorable and fun. If you need some ideas, a lot can be found right here.

In The Hoop is Ready!

It has been several months in the making, but it's finally ready! Most of you were requesting the mug rug patterns to be In The Hoop, so we started there first. The most popular of the bunch are ready and waiting to be stitched up. They've all been tested, and retested. There are a lot more things to convert over to digital embroidery files, but it all takes time. There will also be individual designs and some fun little vinyl projects. Some are ready to go, just need to get them photographed and listed.

You can find the new line right HERE!

Machine Applique - Adjusting the Size of Your Applique Templates

One of the questions I get asked a lot is if my mug rug patterns can be made smaller or bigger for place mats and other things. Just because I put these appliques on a mug rug doesn’t mean that you have to make a mug rug. For me, they are the perfect size to use for decoration either on a wall, bookshelf, or in a china hutch. Since most people use them for decoration, maybe they’d like a bigger display for their wall or for a quilt. In any case, it’s very easy to adjust the size of the appliques.

Machine Applique - Tips and Tricks - Part 2

Last week we focused on supplies that will make your machine applique life easier. Today I’m going to share some of the tips and techniques that I’ve learned through the years. If you missed last week’s article, you can find it HERE. So, let’s begin on the next article. 

Machine Applique - Tools and Tips to Make the Job Easier - Part 1

By far, the biggest sellers in my pattern shops are my applique templates and mug rug patterns. Judging by the feedback I get from my customers, most of them use the machine applique method. I’ll admit, it’s my favorite way as well. When I first started designing them I used the hand applique technique, but once I discovered how fast these go together when using the sewing machine, I changed my method quickly! I’ve learned a lot during my four or so years of designing mug rugs. I’ve always known how to machine applique, but I’ve learned a lot of tricks and tips along the way that will give excellent results.