1/9/11 - Why you do what you do...

So, has anyone ever just sat and thought about why you do what you do?  I was sitting here thinking of a good blog to write today and the first thing that I thought of was to tell everyone how I came into making collars and bags.

The collars came into being because as most everyone knows I have a Great Dane girl named Ximmy.  When we first got her we just put her in a generic collar and I was always getting, "Oh, what a pretty boy!"  and I would always correct them and tell them that she is a girl.  We also got "my, that is a tall Labrador" but that is a different blog all together!
Well, I ordered a collar for her and it was expensive. Once I got it tho, I looked at how it was made and I thought, "I can do that!" I went online, ordered enough parts to make 5 collars, and a business was born.  I enjoyed making them for Xim, but if I kept them all, she would have over 30 collars already, plus a lot of the fabric I found I really liked, but it didn't show up against her black coat.  So I sold a few to some people I knew from Great Danes Online who seemed interested after I posted pics of Ximmy's new collars, and then someone told me about etsy.  I went on that night and posted my first collar.
But as you can imagine, there are only so many people out there that have danes or other large necked dogs, so I wasn't selling too many collars.  And if I'm not selling them, I really had to quit making them because I was spending a fortune and not getting much back.
In November my aunt visited and wanted a new purse, I told her I would make her one.  We went to the fabric store, bought material and handles and so forth and I made my first "tote" bag (it was more of an envelope style but the idea stuck with me"
A few months later I decided to try to make real tote bags and so I bought fabric and made the first 3 tote bags, within 1 week I sold 2 of them.  Now I'm hooked.
Well, that is how CollarCraze came  into being.  and now I have to go cook dinner. so, peace, love, grapefruit!
~Lynsie

New Year

So most everyone I know is ready for the new year to start.  Well so am I.  and here are a few of what I'm hoping for in the new year.
1. More sales at my etsy shop - www.collarcraze.etsy.com
2. Better health for my family.
3. For my Great Dane, Ximmy, to maybe calm down just a little bit.
 What are your New Year's wishes?

Things I've accomplished this year.
1. I have been Smoke-free for almost 2 years,
2. I have become Senior Pharmacy technician.
3. I got my Great Dane, Ximmy, in March.

Well, I have started making reversible tote bags and I think they have turned out pretty cool.  I have 3 of them up right now in the etsy store, so you should go check them out.

you should check out my treasuries!  Well, gotta go now.  Hopefully I'll check in more often and post more.  Who knows!

New collars are up!

Just put up 4 new collars, 3 of which are from the new Christmas collection.
http://www.etsy.com/listing/61809126/the-elegant-collection-purple-paisley
http://www.etsy.com/listing/61822650/christmas-collection-gold-on-burgundy
http://www.etsy.com/listing/61823618/christmas-collection-red-and-green-plaid
http://www.etsy.com/listing/61824320/christmas-collection-gold-sequins-on-red

I am loving the new elegant collection I am making.  They are made with pretty sari and brocade fabrics.  I can't wait till I get some more hardware in so I can finish making some more.

Hope some people will start buying some collars for christmas presents.  I really love making them but I'm gonna be broke if I keep buying things and no one is buying the collars. oh well. Guess I will go sew some more!