What's New?

     The flowers have bloomed, the trees have leaves, summer is right around the corner. It seems like I was just talking about the constant cold weather and snow. How time flies! I have been busily designing new designs and stitching away. I thought I would take a break and let you know what Jenny Lin Creations is up to.


                                                                        We added quite a few things the last couple weeks. I've been busy designing and hand stitching new cards. We have a Graduation 2014 Card, a Birthday Card, and a 10 pack of Thank You Cards. I also have plans for Father's Day Cards that will be available next week. These cards are unique and fun, and make memorable keepsakes. 

                                     


     
     Along with the cards, I've also been working on a few hoop art ideas and some more onesies. We recently added a Play Ball Sports Theme Hoop for a child's room. I love outline stitching different fabrics and I thought the baseball theme suited this time of year. I also added two Established 2014 onesies. One long sleeve and one short sleeve. I'll be adding a 2015 within the next month or two.




     




      My mom has been busy as well. She has knitted some fabulous organic washcloths that will be added to the shop soon. We will have two, 4 packs of washcloths in various sizes. She has also been working on a project knitting afghans for wounded soldiers. We can only hope these beautiful afghans can provide a little comfort for our American Heroes. 

     In business news, we have recently decided the Made Freshly site isn't for us. So over the next few weeks our inventory from there will be added to our Etsy shop. We have an Oriental Hand Bag and another cute Child's Bag to add, along with a few other fabulous creations.

     We have so many ideas and so little time. I have about a month left with my 2 day a week part time job. I'm looking forward to jumping in even more into the shop and it becoming a full time job for me. I want to spend time at my sewing machine and bring all these ideas I have to life. I want to give more of my time to our fiber shop Little Bit of Heaven Fibers. I'm looking forward to being busy and creative over the next couple of months!

     You can check out our fabulous creations at Jenny Lin Creations and for more frequent update follows us on facebook.com/jennylincreations.

Thanks for visiting!

                                 - Jennifer

   

First Tutorial Make Your Own Needlecraft Valentine's Day Card

     I'm trying out my first tutorial on a Valentine's Day card I made for my husband. Every year since we were teenagers I've made him a card. Usually the kids and I get together and draw and color cards. This will be his first needlecrafted card.

 Materials

• heavy card stock or pre-made blank card
• floss 
• design of your choice
• nice stationary for the inside of card
• glue for paper
• materials for needlecrafting (needle, scissors, etc.)

     I chose card stock and cut it down to 9 1/4 inches by 6 1/4 inches.

  I made my pattern from overlapping a heart I had drawn. You can design something simple, or just write the word love. I used a pencil and drew right on the card. You may want to practice first. Pencil markings tend to show even after using an eraser.                               

After the design is drawn on the card I use the needle I plan to stitch with and puncture holes along the design. Try to space the holes out evenly. 

I stitched the heart in the center first using pink floss and stitching with a back stitch. I then did the purple heart next using the back stitch, but when I came to where the hearts overlap I went under the pink stitch. I did the same for the blue heart.

After I stitched the hearts I used a piece of premium stationary and cut it down to the same size as the card. I then used paper edgers to cut a 1/2 cm off that. 

I then used Rubber Cement and glued the stationary to the seam only. I use Rubber Cement because it doesn't leave any traces of glue. It has a nice finished look without looking goopy or wet where the glue is. I'm sure there are other glues to use, I would test them out first. By using the glue in the seam only the receiver can still see the uniqueness of the card.

Entwined Hearts Card

There you have it! A nice needlecrafted Valentine's Day card made from the heart!

Now my first tutorial is finished. If you have any questions just leave a comment!

                                                      -Jennifer

Busy in the New Year!

     Time really gets away from me. I come up with blog ideas then run out of time to put them together. I really want to keep a better track of blogging. I feel like it's a history of Jenny Lin Creations and down the road it would be nice to look back on it to see where we've been.

     What have we been up to? Well quit a bit. My mom has an Etsy shop, Lil Bit of Heaven Fibers. Her shop carries roving and hand dyed yarn. She took about a year off and is now back. Lil Bit of Heaven Fibers is now an Ashland Bay dealer. My mom and I are reworking her shop and plan to reopen it in February.




     Also my mom and I have opened a second shop for Jenny Lin Creations. You can not only find our creations on Etsy but also at jenny-lin-creations.madefreshly.com. We are excited about having a shop with Made Freshly and new opportunities for Jenny Lin Creations. Neither shop will carry the same creations, so check them both out.

     As for me, I have a few projects in the works. I don't want to say too much about these projects because they are still in the planning phase. In the mean time I've been working on Christmas ornaments. Yes, I know it's January and I'm mentioning Christmas. I'm trying to get a head start during down time while I plan new projects and wait for supplies. I'm trying to be organized and a head of the game. We will see how long it lasts.

     I believe that's everything for now. I'm going to try to post more often. I have some tutorial ideas I'm thinking about along with other post ideas. So, keep warm and thanks for stopping by!

                                                - Jennifer
     

             

Wordless Wednesday

Wordless Wednesday

Looking Ahead in 2014

     Another year has come and gone. Time goes by so fast. As I look back and reflect on Jenny Lin Creations I think of all the things we've learned and all the things we still have to learn. There are so many things we want to improve. We are so excited about the possibilities that 2014 will bring us.

     There are two sides to Jenny Lin Creations, the crafting and the business. On the crafting side we want to expand. I personally want to learn new techniques with fabrics and become stronger in the skills I already have. I want to work with new materials and learn to use a sewing machine. (Yup, I admit, I've only used a sewing machine once and I was in 5th grade.) My mom and I have so many fantastic ideas we can't wait to create and share them with you.

     On the business side, we want to expand here too. We plan to attend several craft shows in the area. My mom and I are working on another project ( more on this later ) that includes my mom's original Etsy shop. I've read books, magazine articles, blogs, forums, anything I can get my hands on dealing with Etsy and small businesses. I still feel like I have lots to learn. The two words, small and business, should never be put together. A small business is a huge undertaking. I know 2014 will bring more learning opportunities and challenges for both my mom and myself, but we are looking forward to it.

     A new year feels like a fresh start. You can clean the cob webs off of the past year and get a new perspective. My mom and I are really looking forward to the next year and all the possibilities for Jenny Lin Creations. We can't wait to share whatever those possibilities bring with all of you!

     What are your possibilities for 2014? Will this be your best year ever?

   

     

Wordless Wednesday!

Current Project

Future Project

New Projects!

     I love the Holidays.  It is so easy to find inspiration.  From Halloween to New Years there are so many fun things all around us.  The project ideas just pour out of us and it's hard to pick one creation at a time to craft.

Cozy Socks Medium Size 8

     I know my mom is working on a cute stuffed bunny and she always has socks on her knitting needles.  With the recent cold blast I've gotten out a pair my mom has knitted for me and I love them.  They are great to slip on while I'm stitching or reading a book with the kids.  I love how comfy and cozy her socks are!

Snowman Hoop

     I am crafting a new Snowman Hoop for our Etsy shop.  I am so excited about this hoop.  I can't wait to see his button eyes and nose on him.  I loved drawing him and picking the colors for him.  I felt a light blue floss for the scarf would look great with the snow.  I hope to have him finished in the next few days.

           
                   



       We hope all of you are getting ready for the holidays too.  Leave a comment and let us know what exciting craft you are working on.  We look forward to hearing from you.  Thanks for stopping by!
     

                                             

In Holiday Mode

New colors for new hoops.

     We are officially in Holiday Mode.  My mom and I have some great ideas for our Holiday Creations.  I'm working on festive, decorative hoops and a set of Christmas Tree Ornaments.  I'll be adding an Autumn Hoop and a Winter Hoop to our shop soon.  I also have plans for a snowman hoop.  I know my mom is planning some stuffed animals, possibly a cuddly bunny.  I have felt the material for the stuffed animals and it's amazingly soft. We are so excited and happy to be helping out gift givers everywhere with fun creations!

     To kick off the Holiday Season Bowling Green, VA is having it's 24th Annual Harvest Festival this Saturday, October 19th, starting at 9:00 a.m.  There will be fun activities and a chance to get started on your holiday shopping.  We hope you will stop by Cindy's Corner and check out the local crafters including creations from us, Jenny Lin Creations.  We have beautiful hand dyed yarn, one of a kind handbags, a Halloween tote, and so much more!

      Have a great weekend and thanks for stopping by!

Autumn Hoop and Holidays

Autumn Hoop

     I finished the Autumn Hoop.  I love how it turned out.  The backing was a bit difficult.  I had a few ideas on how I wanted the back to look.  After a lot of trial and error I settled on using matting board and covering it with material, then fitting it in place.  I am happy with how it looks.  It was important to me that it looked nice and not just thrown together because it was the back.  I am excited that I found a way to do the back of hoops because I was fretting over it quit a bit.  I also stained the hoop.  I like the way stain brings out the wood and makes it more then a hoop.  The Autumn Hoop is going to Cindy's Corner in Bowling Green, VA.  I am planning an Autumn Hoop for Etsy too.

Autumn Hoop Back

               I spent today drawing designs for Holiday Creations.  I have ideas for a snowman hoop, a winter tree, a set of three ornaments, a Christmas tree hoop, and a stocking.  I know my mom was thinking of making bears for Etsy.  We both have tons of ideas and are very excited about the upcoming Holidays.  Check back soon for more updates.

      Thanks for stopping by and we hope you will visit us at Jenny Lin Creations.

                                          - Jennifer            

Crafting and Creating!

     I've been thinking on lots of ideas for projects and have a few going on at the moment.  I figured out an idea for my snail.  I picked out a few colors and you will have to wait and see what I make with him.  I love his smile and can't wait to work with him.

Lady Skeleton with a bouquet

      I really enjoy stitching on printed fabric.  With different colors and stitches I can bring a scrap piece of fabric to life.  Lady Skeleton will be a hoop piece and is the most detailed I've done in a while.









   

     This is a design from a finished project.  I drew the present to be stitched on a card.  It came out great and will be added soon to Jenny Lin Creations.





     My mom is working on a patriotic afghan.  The red, white, and blue colors look great together and hopefully I will have pictures of her progress soon.

     We are always crafting and creating, you never know what you will find at Jenny Lin Creations!

           

Floss and Ideas

     I hope everyone had a great holiday weekend.  I know we did with a nice cookout and fireworks.  In between the hamburgers, hot-dogs, potato salad, and fireworks I was able to pick up some new floss colors for some project ideas I have.

     When I choose new floss colors I usually already have an idea in mind, otherwise standing in front of a wall of colors can be daunting.  These colors are for a few trees, some birds, and a snail, none of which are together in the same project.  The brown, for trees, will be in a hanging piece I'm working on.  For the birds, I'm working on a brightly colored, group hanging piece.  And the snail, I'm not sure yet.  I have a few ideas for him.





                                                                                         



                                   
                                                                       
                                                                            Jenny