I've been slowly getting things made for my Etsy store, which is how this next week will be spent.  My granddaughter Anna just arrived last night and will spend another summer with us, so she will be helping in whatever way she can (and wants to) with some of my Etsy items.  Steve has a temporary construction job, which is helping to give me time to finish my separates the way I originally wanted to.

I will be sure to send out a web notice when I have my new summer stock listed on Etsy.  All website members will get that notice.  You can also access my Etsy store directly from my site by clicking on the Etsy link under the "Sales" menu tab on my web pages.

I've lost 25 lbs. so far, and am delighted to be making good progress at this stage of my life.  Getting healthy is still my main focus right now, but do expect to see some one-of-a-kind work again in the near future.

Happy Memorial Weekend coming up!

Karen 

Previously unsold web store items have been moved to eBay as of 4/17/12.  If you would like to check them out, simply click on the eBay link under the "Sales" tab of my menu above.

I am continuing to work on some crochet items, separates like summer tops & bottoms, and simpler items along these lines.  I am focusing mostly right now on getting my health back in order and have lost 14 lbs. so far.  My dolls will take a partial back seat to my efforts to feel better again, so doll creations may not be put out as quickly as I've tried to in the past.  Then again, maybe the renewed energy I feel after a few months on my regime will enable me to work even faster (or so that's my hope).

My 3 girls Layla, Nyssa, and Hope are sitting side by side waiting for me to model some things on them again soon.  They continue to be the most fun size of doll I have ever owned, and therefore, still get the most attention.  I still have plans for Ellowyne again soon, though, as well as some of my other bjd's.  My bigger 18" AG and ALOF girls will be used again, but not until I feel like I can get myself back into a nice sewing rhythm for all of the different sizes I still own.

Thanks for checking my BLOG and stay tuned! 

I've added some Kish dolls that will not be used for modeling to my Butterflies Boutique, as well as some Ann Estelle shoes that had been reserved for my 12" Kish Bethany.

I have also put my "Waiting for Hope" sundresses on sale from my web store only.  (They are available at Etsy, too, but only at the original $45 selling price). 

For more information about any of these items, simply visit my web store here:

http://www.buttonsandbutterfliesbykaren.com/apps/webstore/

Thanks for looking!! 

I'll be unreachable from tomorrow afternoon until Sunday night.  Any emails I get during that time will be answered on Monday, April 9.  My apologies for any inconvenience.  Any purchases made from my web store would not be mailed until that Monday, as well.

I will not be listing anything for sale during that time frame, either, and am unsure when my next outfit will be posted.  I may or may not be working on some faceups next week.

I'll be sure to send out notices when another item is ready for purchase.  Until then, enjoy the rest of your week and HAPPY APRIL! 

The Buy Now Button for Hope's LE sundress is going to be added to my Excusive Sales page tonight at 9 PM EST.  I will be adding more photos of this dress during the late afternoon to give you a closer look with more item description. 

You will need to log in to your member account to access the Exclusive page, found in the menu tab in the Sales column above.  Please email ahead of time with any questions to avoid confusion.  This is the first time I am selling 24 dresses at once, and from my website only.

Limit 1 sundress per customer.  Price is $50 (plus applicable tax for TN residents), which includes First Class shipping.  This applies to both domestic and international purchases.

I will move any leftover dresses to my Butteflies Boutique web store (also found in the Sales tab above) for public access by tomorrow evening, and then they will be publicized at the Resin Cafe.  Items purchased after 2 PM Friday (3-23) may not get mailed until Saturday.

Thanks for looking and have a wonderful evening! 

We drove Anna back home on Friday and just got back late last night.  My progress on the LE sundresses is coming along nicely.  All I have left to do is attach the skirts to the bodices, hand-stitch the linings, and add snaps.  I've been working on them in assembly line fashion to be sure I get them all done at the same time.  I am hoping to have them ready to put up for sale by Wednesday or Thursday.

Remember, these dresses will be available to website members first, exclusively, and not to the general public.  If you want to be a part of this "first" sale, just sign up for my mailing list from my Home page.  Whatever doesn't sell by the weekend will then be advertised at the Resin Cafe and will be available in my Web Store.

Have a great and beautiful week ahead! 

Anna (my 11-year-old granddaughter) is with me this week on her school Spring Break.  I'm teaching her to sew by letting her work the straight seams on the double skirts of the LE sundresses I will be putting up for sale soon.  We are working adjacent each other on my sewing table, while she uses my older machine.  We even listened to some classical music yesterday while sewing.  Once she got past the aggravation of learning to work around the 'quirks' of machines, she is now having some fun.  I think I will make this a regular occurance for the 2 of us when she stays with us in the summer, too.  Working on mutliple dresses at the same time gives her a chance to learn the easier stuff, and me the chance to finish them more quickly while working on areas that need more expertise.  It is a bit daunting to think of finishing so many of the same dress before I get bored, a first for me since I started my doll business.  And don't worry, she is earning an income from her labor, plus free sewing lessons.

These sundresses will hopefully be offered no later than the end of next week, depending on how much Anna and I get done in the next few days.  We take her back to Nashville on Friday, and I'll be back by Monday to resume whatever work needs finishing.  They will all be put up at once on my Exclusive Sales page, which is for members only and requires password entrance.  Whatever is left of the 24 dresses after a few days will then be advertised at the Resin Cafe for sale.   I am keeping one dress for myself in anticipation of Hope's arrival in April.  She was a charity doll; her proceeds were donated to rescuing sexually abused children around the world.  Her sundress also comes with a special poem I wrote entitled "Waiting for Hope".

These are very cute for Hope and even have her name on them.  I'll let the rest be a "visual" when you can finally preview them.  Cost is still undetermined but will be no more than $50 and will be shipped FREE worldwide by First Class Mail.  No additional postage required.

Also, don't forget to check out the "Tulip Affection" outfit for Nyssa currently on eBay!  She is so cute as a little Dutch girl, complete with my first handmade flowers.  It ends this week on Thursday night.

Thanks for checking in and have a wonderful day! 

I haven't cut out my LE dresses yet, and got the urge last night to make a gorgeous bonnet for my Layla.  She now stands waiting for her dress to be finished, as well as a painted basket to hold her springtime goodies.  I swear it is so hard for me to put down my Kaye Wiggs dolls.  They seem to be the perfect sewing size, and of course, have such cute faces.

Her new "Daffodils" outfit will be comprised mostly of yellow and lilac, with some other spring colors thrown in for accent.  I can't wait to see it all finished.  I will list this one to eBay because I do need to have at least one item up each week for publicity until I cut some of my ties with them in June.

Hope to have it listed within the next few days, so have fun taking a peek when it's up.  I'll be sure to send out a web notice! 

I'm back from my trip to Nashville, and am trying to get back into a sewing mode.  My next project will most likely be some LE sundresses I have slotted for "Hope" when she arrives.  There should be about 20 dresses available, but I will specify the exact count when I have finished preparing them all for sewing.

These LE dresses will be sold in my Web Store.  They will not be put up on eBay or Etsy.  As mentioned on my Home page, eBay is starting to get very cutthroat with its policies for sellers, now making it unfeasible for me to do constant business over there after May.  Hopefully, sales from here and Etsy will prove to be viable enough to reserve eBay only for special "auction" formats.

After these are finished, I will be pulling out my Ellowynes again, and possibly a few of my larger 18" play dolls.  Do stay tuned.

Take care and enjoy the rest of your week!  

My Nyssa and Layla have just come back from the Country Fair and are delighted with their "finds".  Check them out tonight on eBay.  Their respective outfits are for sale separately and will run for 5 days. 

I may be unavailable for questions this weekend thru Monday, but will be sure to answer any emails as promptly as I can.

Auctions are viewable from my eBay link in my Sales menu.