What the Flock I've been up to...

I've been busy needle-felting!

I've made up a bunch of "Bubbles" and "Hugs" to fill orders from my on-line store,  "Sheep Hugs & Soap Suds".  Bubbles is the one with the curls (bubbles) on top of her head and Hugs has the  heart on her side.  They both are  needle felted around a bar of homemade goat milk soap!  Sales have been going VERY well.  I'll be mailing out a bunch of orders on Monday, so if you've ordered something from me, you can expect to receive it, this coming week.

I spent a wonderful Thanksgiving with my daughter, Pam, and her husband and boys.  While visiting with Pam & her in-laws, I finished needle-felting an adorable PIG.  It turned out so cute!  I'll post photos soon.  I have to get it listed in my store later today.  I have to think of a name for her as well.  She is also needle-felted around a bar of homemade goat milk soap.  Can you tell I'm having fun with those? 

;-)

OH-CUTE!! 

I just took the pork-princess's tail off of the knitting needle that I had wrapped it around to make it curl and it turned out so adorable!  I have to go put it on her...

Name suggestions are welcomed!

Pictures later!

DREAM says...

"A PIG?"

"WHY???"

Because they're CUTE, Dreamer!

You don't own the patent on cute, you know...

"Hmmpffft!"



My business has a Name and a Logo!

My regular blog readers know that I have been struggling to come up with a name for my home-based business.  I've conducted polls, asked friends and family and other business people.  Nothing seemed to fit quite right.  Until the other night. 

I was looking through some of my "Hug A Sheep" photos and thinking about how much I enjoy sheep hugs.  All of a sudden, a name "came" to me: 

 "Sheep Hugs & Soap Suds".

At last, I have a name.  Now I can think about having business cards made up and start building my new website!  But first, I need a logo.  I tried drawing cute sheep.  I discovered that I can NOT draw cute sheep!  So I started searching the web for graphic artists who's sheep graphics I liked.  I finally found Donna, at "Gone Country Graphics".

I told Donna what my business was about (selling all things sheep related ~ wool, roving, batts, homespun yarn, knitted and felted items & collectibles, as well as  chickens & eggs and home made goat milk soap.

This is what Donna came up with:

I LOVE IT!

Isn't it adorable?

And I love my name.  I think it's catchy.

Plus, it describes what I have to offer.

Here's the design I'll have on my business cards:

My only concern with the name was that it might be too 'cutesy' for the other aspect of my business that I hope to develop.  That of teaching spinning, knitting, felting and soap making lessons and even motivational speaking.  I honestly hope to be able to speak before groups of people who are struggling through difficult times in their lives.  Whether it be loosing their job, getting divorced or just feeling lost and hopeless.  I hope that by sharing my story and how I've managed to hang on and even find joy, in spite of all the setbacks I have faced, I can help others to see that things aren't really hopeless ~ that the situation that they find themselves in doesn't have to be the end ~ it can be a new beginning!

I debated as to whether the name and logo were too cutesy for that aspect of my business.  But, when I thought about public speaking ~ especially to the groups I plan on speaking to ~ I realized:  I'm a hugger!  I give hugs.  If people come up to me before or after I speak, I'm sure I'll give them hugs.  So, the name sticks.

Now to print business cards and build a website.

I have a booth at a craft sale tomorrow...

;-)

DREAM says...

"I like the name and the logo is cute, but I don't understand why you didn't use ME as the model for your logo!  What's with that primitive carTOON character???"

Oh Dreamer!  I wanted to use you for my logo. 

But then I realized that I would never find ANYone who could do justice to your beauty and charm when creating a logo.  So, I just had to go with a cartoon sheep...

(I sure hope she buys that!)



Sometimes ~ Dreams really DO come true!

Stop the presses!

Mom's got some really exciting  news that she wants to share with you,

her blogger friends who have stood by her through some pretty dicey ups and downs, over the years...

As you probably know, Mom has been out of work since November of last year.

Things have been a little rough, but Dream kept assuring Mom that everything would work out okay.

The problem is:  Mom really LIKED being home all the time.

She got a lot done and kept herself very busy.

She really hated the idea of going back to work, forty hours every week.

We hated that idea too!

Mom says that somebody "up there" must really love her because today she found out that she has been accepted into the State of Minnesota's Small Business Development Program., formally called "Project GATE II"

(whatever THAT means!)

All I know is it means that Mom is REALLY happy.

She said that those Project Gate people are going to help her set up and run her own, home-based business.  I think that means that she gets to stay home and spin and felt and knit and teach classes on those things.  She also said she's going to be selling the two different kinds of spinning wheels that she owns and will be teaching lessons on.  Something about "once they learn how to spin, they'll need a wheel!".  And of course, then they'll need our WOOL!

It sounds like a pretty good idea to ME.

I guess Mom really likes making her homemade, goat milk soap

So she'll be selling that and even teaching other people how to make their own! 

Mom sure is going to be busy! 

  She even said she wants to help other moms start up their own home based business too...

DREAM says...

"I knew it all along." 

"I'm real glad that Mom is happy and will get to stay at home but I sure hope that she has time to  keep these stupid chickens out of my pasture!!!"

I'll do my best, Dreamer!  My orientation into the program is on October 27.  I'll go to school to learn about all sorts of "business things" , like  creating a business plan, accounting and bookkeeping, taxes, insurance, marketing and all sorts of other things!  The  program will work with me for the first year of my business to make sure that I'm solidly on my feet and up and running before I'm on my own.

I feel like the luckiest woman in the WORLD!

Boy!  That Dreamer sure is SMART!

I'm gonna be smart like her when I  grow up!

Yes you will, Sizzle.

I know you will!

;-)