So there are quite a few things to celebrate this week here.  We have the Royal Visit starting on the 30th, Canada Day on the 1st and the oh so exciting return of our postal service.  Hooray!

I think that we should celebrate, don't you?  What better way to do so than with a sale?!

Use coupon code: CELEBRATE to save 20% on everything in the shop (sale will run from now until Sunday July 3rd).

Enjoy!

Peonies

Many of you probably already saw this photo yesterday when I posted it on twitter, but I love it so much that I just had to share again!

I love peonies, love, love, love them!  Yesterday I was able to cut a few bunches from the garden and am really enjoying decorating the house with the beautiful flowers.

This beautiful group is sitting on our kitchen table.

How about you....are you a fan of peonies?

Cheers,

Large Clutch!

Hi all!

I'm in the process of adding some new clutches to the shop, exciting, yes!  I have quite a few more to put together and well, after they are done, I'll get working on another batch!

I'm contemplating offering a larger variation of the Skinny Clutch incase people were looking for something a tad bigger.  So I decided to make one to see if it was a hit or miss.  It's actually the same size as the Sequin and Ruffle Strap Clutch, I simply removed the strap:

Large clutch available here!

Cheers,

Summer Clutch Giveaway!

Have you had your eye on one or two, or maybe three of the new summer clutches? Well, here's your chance to win not one, not two, but three of them!

I'm so thrilled to have been interviewed by the lovely Jessika over at Oh My! Handmade Goodness.  Head on over to OMHG to learn a little about myself and what's in store for Elliven and for your chance to win these summer clutches!

Photo from OMHG

Good luck!
Cheers,

Summer Time!

Well, here we go!  I'm finally posting my summer clutch line!  I've been talking a lot about it lately, so it's nice to finally be able to get these listings up.

The line includes bright, bold colours and a nautical theme.

Here you go!

Will there be more? Yes!  A few more colours will be introduced throughout the month and I will be changing the colour combos up a bit.  I will also be adding my signature ruffle & sequin combo to a few clutches.

I'm hoping to have most of these listed by the end of the week!

Cheers,
 

New Listings!

It's been a while, hasn't it?  I shared a picture of some clutches that will be making their way to the shop this week on twitter, thought I'd share it on here as well.

I am now getting started on the summer line!

I hope you are all enjoying a wonderful weekend.  The sun is supposed to return here this week, I am excited about that!

Cheers,

Shop Announcement!

Remember these tags that I shared a peek of a little while ago?

Well, I'm finally sharing what they were for....I'm absolutely thrilled to share this news with you!

You can now purchase elliven accessories at the oh so lovely 

Love, Me Boutique 

in Halifax, Nova Scotia!  

Chara, the owner of the boutique, which carries handmade goods and vintage finds has been an absolute pleasure to work with and I am just tickled pink to be working with her.

She is carrying almost all of the accessories that are available in the shop, including some of the discontinued items!  So if you're in the Halifax area, please be sure to check out the elliven accessories along with all of the other amazing talent at Love, Me Boutique!

Cheers,

Facebook!

So I've done it!  I've gone ahead and created a facebook fanpage and I would absolutely love it if you would "like" me to stay up to date with elliven!

I am planning to post on there quite often about upcoming deals, sneak peeks and anything and everything shop related!

It's currently a work in progress, but I hope to have it all set up in the next few days.

click here to go to the elliven facebook fanpage!

Cheers,

So Long, Farewell....

As you know, I've recently taken the time to re-evaluate all aspects of my little shop and as a result a few changes have been made and a few others are coming.  The changes are all in an effort to keep things manageable for me and to keep the shop running smoothly.

So, I wanted to let you know that I've decided to no longer make a few items that are currently available in the shop.  They include:

Also on the list, but not pictured above are the Receipt/Coupon Holders.

I do enjoy making these items, but I've decided (after a very, very, very long debate) that I'm really wanting to focus on the clutches and ruffled notecards.  It's slightly bittersweet as I've been making some of the items since the day I opened up a shop on Etsy.

As with most of us, my time to devote to the shop is limited.  I want to keep things fresh and new, so reducing the variety of items available will help me reach this goal.  It will also allow me to have a quicker turn around time and it will simplify things for me behind the scenes here at elliven.

So, with that being said, the items listed above will be in the shop until they sell, but once they are gone, that will be it.

To be very honest, I am unsure if this is a temporary change.  I may start making them once I have more time to devote to elliven and  I'm thinking that I may offer them during the Christmas Holidays, but I haven't committed to that yet.

Cheers,

Just For Now....

One thing that I love most about only selling my items on Etsy is that I have full control of my shop.

You may or may not have noticed that I've temporarily closed my shop as of today.  I'm hoping to re-open it's doors on Monday, but I have a feeling that it will be closed for a bit longer than that.

I have some much needed catching up to do in almost all aspects of the shop.  Sewing together some items, paperwork and such, this will give me the time to catch up on all of those things.

But most importantly, right now my kiddos need my full attention and the only way I can do this is to close the shop.

So all is fine and I hope to have the doors to the shop opened in the next couple of days!

Cheers,

Tag Them!

I'm a little slow going this morning.  Nothing that a nice hot cup of coffee won't cure, I'm sure.....but I will keep this post short.

I wanted to show you one of the things I was working on this weekend.  I've made some new product tags!  I shared them on twitter, but thought I'd mention them here incase you missed the tweet.

Why am I making these? Well, you'll have to wait a bit longer to find out....

Don't forget to enter the double sequin and ruffle clutch giveaway! Wowza!

I hope you enjoy a lovely Monday!

Cheers,

Double Clutch Giveaway!

Have you seen that I'm giving away not one, but TWO Sequin and Ruffle Clutches to one lucky winner?  Yes, it's true!  A perfect way to accessorize any outfit.

The lovely K over at the fabulous (and by fabulous, I mean can't be missed and shouldn't be passed by) RikRak Studio blog is kindly hosting the giveaway for me. (thanks love!)

Head on over to K's blog for your chance to win! You can find the post here.


Thanks a bunch for the great feedback on my new business cards, I really love them!

Have an amazing weekend!

Cheers,

My Creative Process

I thought I'd do a post sharing a little bit of how the elliven designs come to life!  I find it interesting to see how people get work done and such, since everyone does things so differently.

First off, I'm a very visual person.  I picture things and can see them clearly, but sometimes have a tough time trying to explain my vision to others....perhaps I need to learn how to do this.

I'm inspired by so many different things.  Pictures, nature, paintings, fashion....it's amazing where you can find inspiration don't you find?  And for that reason,  I always have a pen and paper nearby.  I have three notepads for the shop (yes, really).  One that I write my "to do" list on, and the other two are for sketching ideas and for jotting down measurements, etc.

My lists can be messy and probably only make sense to me.  Sometimes I'll look back on a list or sketch I've written and wonder what the heck I was thinking, but whatever works right?!

Here's a peek at the lists I have going right now....

I sometimes have a clear idea of what colours/fabrics I want to use before I begin sketching out a design.  Other times I sketch the design and then think of which colours I think would work best.

I'm beginning to use solid fabrics more and more.  For those I'll come up with the colour combos and then I'll begin searching for the fabrics either online or in local shops.  Crossing my fingers that I'll find what I'm looking for.  I'll sometimes find other shades/colours that I hadn't intended on using, but love them so much that I need to work them into my designs.

For printed fabrics, I usually choose the ones that catch my eye, ones that I absolutely love and want to work with.  So for those, I scour online shops and local stores to see what's new and available.  I sometimes have a main colour that I'm looking for, but for the most part, it's just whatever catches my eye.

Once I've done my searching I then pair the fabrics to make sure that the colour combos will work.  It's one thing to picture them in your head and another to have them in hand.  The shades may not work well together, or I may not be able to find the exact shade I'm looking for (that's never fun).

Here are a few of the combos I've recently put together:

you're already familiar with these combos

a peek at what's to come

it's not too early to think about fall is it?

Now, I can't show you everything...otherwise it wouldn't be a surprise!  I not only think about the fabrics I'll be using, but the embellishments and zippers are key factors in the overall look as well.  I have a slew of gorgeous zippers that I can't wait to put to use!  It's so awesome when you see everything side by side, and so fun when you're design ideas work just as you had hoped!

I'm really beginning to focus on having seasonal lines to make things easier.  The spring line was the beginning of my new design plan and I'm loving it!

The summer line is next and I can't wait to share it with you (I know, I keep saying this, but it's so true!).

I will only be offering a limited amount of each line, so make sure that you snatch the ones you like up before they are gone!

That's it! I hope you enjoyed this little peek at my creative process!

Cheers,

Shop Update - Upcoming Changes

Hello friends!

So yesterday I mentioned that I had some shop news to share with you, and so here it is.

After a very long debate and many calculations, I have come to realize that things in regards to pricing in my shop are going to have to change.  I've tried to figure out a way to not have to do this, but unfortunately, if I want my shop to succeed (which I do) and if I want it to grow (I do) and if I want to continue to make quality items (absolutely) there really is no other way to go.

This truly isn't easy for me, but I have come to accept that it is something that needs to be done.  Costs of supplies and materials have unfortunately increased over the past couple of months.

My goal has always been to make affordable pieces, and will continue to be, but I also want the shop to survive.

The price increase won't come into effect until May 1st.  I wanted to give you a heads up rather than one day just raising the prices out of the blue.

Cheers,

And.....Breathe

Wow, what a whirlwind last week and the beginning of this week has been!  I've been plugging away, trying to get all of the group listing colour combos made and listed.  I'm so excited to be listing the finally grouping today! although I think I will be making at least one more

So without further ado....here they are!

Look for single listings of these colour combos in the next little bit!

Time to put my feet up for a few minutes.....

In other shop news, I do have another bit of info to share with you.  Will probably post about it later this week or first thing next week.

Cheers,

Lovely Pink!

Just a quick post to show you the 2nd colour combo for the group listings!  I'm happy with how they turned out and have to say that I'm totally excited to see all of my design ideas come to life!

I just returned from the store with new shipping supplies, and stopped in at the post office yesterday to get accurate shipping costs.  Which means.....the first two group listings should be up either today or tomorrow!

There are three more colour combos to come....a little more hot pink and some lovely lavender!  Stay tuned, I'll be sure to show you a peek of them all here!

Incase you were wondering, I will be offering single listings of these colour combos once I have all of the group listings up.  

I'm anxiously awaiting putting together the summer colour combos, oh they are so fun!  Look for them sometime next month!

It's absolutely gorgeous out today!  I'm hoping to get out for a run and to get the kids out on their bikes!

Cheers,

Yummy Yellow!

Hello lovely friends! How was your weekend?  We enjoyed a quiet weekend after a lovely March break.  What a treat it was to not have to rush out the door in the morning to get to school.  I have to admit, it's tough getting back into it!  I sure am tired this morning.

So last week I put together the first colour combo for the clutch group listings!  I'm really excited about offering this!  I just have to get to the Post Office to get an accurate shipping rate before I can list these beauties.  I'm hoping to have them listed mid week.  Here's a look:

Don't they just scream summer fun?!

I've also started using a group of new fabrics I received a little while ago.  I'm hoping to get a few clutches made with those before I get into making the rest of the group listings (four more colour combos) and then move onto the summer line!  Oy!  Lots to do.

I have sketched out an idea for a new product (which I'm totally excited about, crossing my fingers it works), but alas, it will have to wait as I have yet to get the boxed pouches design finalized.  So needless to say, the next few weeks will be quite busy as I try to get the shop stocked with all of these yummy goodies!

Hope you have a wonderful week!

Cheers,

Tunes

I love music, there is absolutely no denying it.  Music is priceless and such a gift.

Did you watch Grey's Anatomy last night?  I loved it, the music just struck a cord with me.  I've been humming this song since the show ended:

Have a lovely weekend!

Cheers,

Clutch Giveaway!

Hi friends!

Thanks a bunch for your lovely comments & feedback on the new drapes!  I'm really happy with how they turned out and thrilled to hear that you like them as well!

I wanted to also let you know that the beautiful and talented Anna from In Honor of Design is hosting a giveaway for an elliven Sequin and Ruffle Clutch!  Head on over to her blog to enter and for your chance to win!

It's an absolutely gorgeous day here in the Peg, going to go out and enjoy it!

Cheers,

The Drapes!

So if you've been reading here for a while, or if you follow me on twitter, then you've probably heard me speaking about our living room drapes.  I decided that I was going to attempt to convert them from grommet to pinch pleat.  I'm a huge fan of Sarah Richardson.  She has done some amazing things with pinch pleated drapes, making me want to have some for our living room more than ever before!

I thought that perhaps this would be a fun project to tackle myself.  I sourced out the supplies and figured out that it would be much, much, much cheaper to convert our current drapes to pinch pleat than to buy new ones.

What was my plan?  I wanted to turn the curtains upside down, attach the pinch pleat tape to the original bottom, now top of the curtains and then to fold up the original top of the curtains (with the grommets) to cover the grommets and stitch to make it the bottom (still following?).  I always knew that I wanted to buy a new, thicker curtain rod and to move it higher up on the wall.  So when I hemmed the curtains, I simply folded up the bottom rather than cutting it, this proved to be key when it came to my plan because once all was said and done, the curtains would be the perfect length!

The idea sounded easy enough.  But!  I wasn't sure if my plan would work, and the fear of failing/ruining the curtains was really daunting and holding me back from trying my plan out.

Fear can be quite the pain in the you know what, can't it?!

I finally decided to go ahead and test out my plan on one panel, so I set off to the fabric store to purchase supplies.  This ended up being the toughest part of the entire project!   I hadn't ever seen the hardware to make pinch pleats and so I wasn't sure which size of this or that I needed.  I spent probably a good 30 mins looking at all of the options until I finally left the store with what I *thought* I needed!

So here we go....lots pictures to show you just what/how I did it!

the drapes in their original condition

for some reason I couldn't for the life of me find the hardware I wanted in black....so I did the next best thing!  Bought them in white (at an amazing discounted price, 7 rings for $2) and spray painted them black 

pinch pleat tape, bought by the metre/yard at your local fabric store (found in a box) 

I did a lot of seam ripping with this project! Had to undo the bottom hem that I put in and then I had to take out the original bottom hem (now the top of the drapes) stitching because the pleat tape was wider than it.  So if I didn't take it out, I would have had two lines of stitching at the new top.

stitching pleat tape into place

I then folded up the new bottom of the drapes (original top) twice to hide the grommets

stitching the new bottom

so these are the little guys that gave me trouble...trying to decide which size to buy! who knew there were so many options!

they just slide into the little sleeves!  I love how you can make as many or as little pleats as you want.  they have some with several prongs, which will give you more of a pinch pleated look

and voila! the end result (sorry for the poor pic)!

I was really excited about the end result of this project.  As I mentioned in the beginning, I only did one drape at first.  I nearly cried once I hung it up to see how it looked.  I just couldn't believe that I did this on my own.  It was my own idea, I sourced everything out on my own and made the decisions on my own and the end result was exactly what I had pictured in my head.

So here's to trying ideas out, and even if they don't turn out the way you had hoped, it's so worth trying.  Because you really and truly won't know unless you do!

I'll be adding some of these pics to the Project Make It Flickr Pool!

Cheers,