A rose by any other name?

So, I am known to be as indecisive at times about small details as I am most of the time quite the opposite about the big things. I make up my mind about most things quickly, but sometimes I find that dilly-dallying over minutiae can be overwhelming...

For some time I'd been thinking that 'mumum' wasn't really the right name for my etsy shop. Maybe it's all the feminist literature about mothering that I've been reading (kidding, but I have, so maybe!) but I was thinking that naming the shop something that spelled out 'mom' might make folks think that all my stuff was mom-related, and I have many ideas that aren't specifically so... Make any sense to you? Me neither... Also, while it seemed to roll off the tongue both easily and adorably for Cole, it was a bit of a stumbler for me. Mum-mum. Mummmumm. Mu-mum? I dislike annunciation, apparently.

Long and the short of it, I changed the name! The new name is hudsonny.

Whether it's 'better' or not may be up for debate, but I really like it. It's a little weirder and enables me, I think, to branch out a little bit. It's also got some heart, never fear. Hudson is Cole's middle name. And I'm happy to report that he really likes the bunny in the banner - so much so that there might be a smudgy little fingerprint on a particular part of my screen...

I think it's a good sign that after posting stuff to the shop I've seen as many views overnight as I got in a week with the old name... And I made a sale! 'So hot for you' water bottle cozies, I knew you were awesome. ;-)

Changing the name is not actually easy to do on Etsy (technically impossible), for good reason I'm sure. I had to ditch the old shop, which still exists but is empty, and start fresh. Check it out! So far there are the same objects, but more are coming soon... If you do visit, please add me as a 'favourite' - I can't tell you how nice that feels. "They like me, they really like me..."

Update!

New stuff is in the shop! Just a few things so far, but more are in the works. Hope nobody minds me posting these things here, by the way... This blog started out mainly about Cole, but it's also about our daily lives and crafty things are a big part of that.

These bunnies are my new favourite thing. They're called 'pajama bunnies' since I picture their little faces peeking out from head-to-toe pajamas. They're scrappy and fun and not store-bought perfect but I think that's part of their charm.

And the hot water bottle cozies use the Spoonflower fabric that I ordered a million years ago. They have six different sayings related to the fact that bottles are hot and you climb into bed with them. ;-) I kept forgetting to take the photos... The light in our place is really bad but I figured it wouldn't get better for a while so I might as well just go for it...

PS - Canada Post, I dislike thee. Your employees are helpful (and all the women at the central branch love Cole) but the rate for sending parcels in this country is absurd! It costs half as much to send a stuffed bunny to the US than it does to send something to Toronto. Why? Sorry, fellow Canadians. My goal - making things that fit under the 20mm thickness so they can all get sent at cheap letter rates. The bottle cozies fit into that category... I'll make it up to any friends & family who order from me, if the postage is high... ;-)

My hope is to get a bunch of stuff into the shop and then apply for a table at the craft fair someday. Eeek - intimidating!

Starting out...

Finally, I've started adding things to my Etsy shop. It's taken me a lot of naptimes but I'm ready to say that I've started...

If you're interested, check it out over at Etsy: mumum.

So far I have only a few of the things I've made listed - bib sets, drool kerchiefs and a few hot water bottle cozies. I've started with some of our favourite simple things that we use here everyday, but am looking forward to many wintery days of crafting to create new stuff. I have so many sketches in my big note pad for new things. Things that are fun, cool, different and familiar, and things that often require new equipment - I am stoked to do some lino and screen prints, build my own letterpress and so much more. It's been fun to brainstorm...

One of the hard things, I'm finding (aside from the time factor!), is not to be intimidated... There are so many talented folks selling on Etsy it's hard not to feel very homespun, but hopefully with time I can really bust a groove. :-)

Supremely exciting!

OK, so perhaps that is a little exaggerated, but I am really stoked about a big new project. Yes, yes, I do have all those other projects going on. I am a bit wonky, you might say, to be adding new stuff to my list considering that I keep bemoaning the fact that I can't get anything creative done. But, this new thing is super cool.

I'm getting a couple of yards (yes, yards - you Americans and your outdated measurements) of custom fabric printed over at the totally rad Spoonflower. Not finding exactly what you have in mind at the fabric shop? Well, you can design your own fabric and print it for a mere $18 per yard. I'd been stewing for a while about what to print and then BAM - yesterday inspiration struck... I can't say what it is yet, but I think it's hilarious and can't wait to see the fabric and put it all together...

All this is part of a larger plan, to start selling handmade baby & home textiles stuff on Etsy, the online craft marketplace. I've been meaning to for ages, and have a closet full of material (partly sourced for this use!) that I'm finally getting to. Today I spent a few hours sewing a stack of baby bibs as a start - a simple project that I find really relaxing. I also ordered business cards, labels and packaging materials too. I don't know why I'm mentioning all this before I can show anything (NaBloPoMo, that's why!) but in the next couple of weeks once everything arrives I'm going to be sewing like mad. My very own sweatshop! :-)

Wish me luck!