Runs on Coffee and Cream

My first vendor show in years is on April 23rd. I'm so excited but also a little nervous. I always found vendor shows inspired me. I'd be overstimulated and exhausted by the end of the day, but I'd have so many ideas and plans in my head for my next projects and shows. 

I've been sewing at a slower pace than I used to but this is because of 1. kids and 2. avoiding burnout. It's working out though. I enjoy disappearing to my sewing room and creating. I'm also loving finding amazing fabric again. 

Anyone else a Gilmore Girls fan?

It's been ridiculously hard getting back into sewing since Emma arrived. Between being tired, mentally and physically, having less free time, and feeling drained creatively, it's tough to go into the craft room and create things.

So what got me back into the swing of things? How did I sew and prep for my shows this past Summer?

First, just applying for shows (Fan Expo was paid for last year while I was still pregnant so I had no option to back out) lit a fire under me to get sewing. I didn't want to waste money and I didn't want to miss out on the shows I was signed up for. Graphic-con, Harry Potter charity event, and Fan Expo were shows I wanted to be at.

Second, having an amazing husband who would volunteer to be on baby monitor duty in the evening or during naps so I could put on my headphones and zone out while I sewed was a great help. I had no excuse to not try to get some things done.

Third, just doing it. Did I really want to go sew when Emma finally fell asleep for her afternoon nap? Nope. I wanted to sit on the couch with another cup of coffee and read my emails. But forcing my butt in the craft room and starting on projects actually helped me get my creative juices back. Finishing a pouch that I thought turned out great, or finding adorable scrap fabric I forgot I had made me excited for creating again.

All these pouches are for sale in my Etsy shop!

I've realized that for the next couple of years my sewing habits will never be the same as they were pre-baby. I'll have to head to the craft room only during naps, bedtime, or when Adam can help out. I'm going to be extra tired from now on, and some days I'll have to drag myself towards my sewing machine. But that's ok. I've streamlined the shows I want to sell at. My plan for 2019 is definitely low-key on the craft show front. I want to just create for the fun of it and to keep my Etsy shop updated and to gradually build up stock for the biggest show of every year - Fan Expo!

So my goal for the fall season is to get my Etsy shop completely updated. This never happens because I get too busy but with no more craft shows for a while, this is something I should be able to accomplish during daily nap times.

I updated my shop with 8 new pouches this past week and I have loads more to add. Check out my shop and keep an eye on it over the next little while for more new items!

I hope you have a great weekend! And keep an eye on my shop. I'll be updating it with new hobo bags and totes next week.

xo Jen

My goal in November was to get my Etsy shop updated 100% and I'm almost there! We lose sunlight so early in the day now that it's hard to photograph products but I'm finding some tricks and places in the house that work.

Here's just a snippet of what I've added to my Etsy shop:




Since it's now December there's not much more time to place orders to have them arrive in time for Christmas. If you need a special order or faster shipping, send me an email!

xo Jen

It's November and that means the countdown to Christmas is on! Like so many others, I've started my Christmas shopping. I try hard to get things done in November since December is always a blur and I hate squeezing in shopping during then. I'd rather enjoy what free time I have doing festive things.

So to go with the Christmas shopping flow, I have plans to get my Etsy shop 100% updated over the next week. I started with a batch of pouches this week.

I'll be photographing more items today and will be updating almost daily over the next week so keep an eye on my Etsy shop. And if you see a fabric or style you love but want to change something on it, send me an email and we can set up a custom order.

Happy shopping!
xo Jen

Hello! I just wanted to share a quick post with some Etsy updates today since it's my birthday and I don't plan on sticking around home much today...

I added some new pouches to my Etsy shop this morning. Totes and hobo bags will be added soon too! You can see the new updates here.



In the meantime I'll be sewing my butt off getting ready for Fan Expo (it's 50 days away... eeep!).

Have a good day!
xo Jen

This Saturday is Graphic-con here in Sudbury. I'll be in Artist Alley selling my bags, pillowcases, and cat toys. I'm very excited to see how the show is set up this year since it's in a new venue.

As usual I've been super busy sewing like crazy. I have a ton of product to bring with me this weekend.




If you're in the area, I definitely recommend checking out the convention this weekend. It should be a fun event!


xo Jen

Hello! Since my last Etsy update I've been busy taking more pictures and posting new products up on Etsy. Pouches and totes are filled up in my shop!

It's been a while since I did any sewing or craft-related things. I needed to take a small break after getting ready for Toronto ComiCon last month to rest my hand and wrist. But a sunny day last week had me pulling out my camera to take pictures of my leftover stock for Etsy.

I updated my Etsy shop with some new pouches this past weekend and there's still more to add. So keep an eye on my shop.



My next convention won't be until the Summer so I'll be updating Etsy more regularly over the next couple of months. And if you're looking for a custom order, feel free to contact me! Not until the Fall will I be too busy to get any custom orders done.

xo Jen

I believe I was always a geek. Growing up with two brothers who I was pretty close with opened my world up to more video games, action figures, cartoons, and movies than I think I would have been exposed to if I didn't have brothers. Honestly, they actually introduced me to some of the fandoms I'm still into today.

This Friday is Toronto ComiCon. I'll be in Artist Alley again and I'm so excited! I have a ton of product ready for this show and I can't wait to get set up and check out all the booths and other artists there.


I've been incredibly busy sewing up new products for the show. My last craft show of 2015 left me pretty bare so I had a lot to make. These are the last few items I sewed up recently:





I'm so in love with the fabrics I got for my shows this year. I'm pretty sure I'll be making myself a Star Wars: The Force Awakens bag for myself after this weekend.

If you're heading to the show, come say hi! I'll be at Table A255 in Artist Alley!

xo Jen

Today is the 20th anniversary of Pokémon! How crazy is it that Pokémon has been around for 20 years and it's still going strong with awesome games and toys!?

I was a child of Pokémon. I grew up with it. I had two younger brothers who became obsessed with the card game and the Pokémon handheld games. As for myself, I loved the television show, anything to do with Squirtle, and the console games - Pokémon Snap, Stadium, and Puzzle League. To this day I will pull out Pokémon Snap from time to time to beat it in one sitting and I have a hard time beating Adam in any rounds of Pokémon Puzzle League.


To celebrate Pokémon Day, I made Pokémon starter cupcakes - water, fire, and grass.


The water ones are my favourite, which isn't just because of my love for Squirtle. I love how the little waves turned out!



These are some of our newest perler bead creations too - Squirtle, Charmander, and Bulbasaur. They're the perfect accessory for my cupcake photos.

How are you celebrating Pokémon Day?
xo Jen

What happens when you find an unopened container of Perler Beads at the thrift store? You buy them and spend numerous hours making designs with them. This also includes cursing when you accidentally bump your peg board and knock over beads or spending way too much time than you'd like to admit searching and sorting colours. It's been fun and addictive and sometimes a little frustrating.


So what are Perler Beads?

"Perler beads (as known as Hama beads or Nabbi beads) are plastic fusible beads. These colorful beads are usually arranged on plastic pegboards to form patterns and then fused together with a clothes iron."
Thank you Perlest for the easy description.

Let me show you some of our finished designs.  



I'm so in love with how everything turned out! I've turned most of these into magnets. We have a few more designs resting on our bookshelf that I haven't photographed or glued magnets to yet.

There are a lot more designs I want to try, especially a black cat (I can't just make an orange Seymore, I need to make Logan too). But we're running low on black beads so until we pick up more, we have to make more colourful designs.

Have you used perler beads before? They're fun but they require patience. And steady hands.

xo Jen

Hello! I hope your weekend is going great! I'm here to share with you my fandom favourites that I'm loving this week.

1. TeeTurtle just released the cutest Toothless t-shirt design. It makes my heart melt.

3. Dooney and Bourke released their Star Wars: The Force Awakens bags for Disney and, oh my, I want them all!



5. Lego Star Wars: The Force Awakens game has been announced and arrives in stores this June. I love the Lego games and since I loved The Force Awakens so much, I cannot wait for this game!


What fandom news are you loving this week?
xo Jen

I've been trying to use up scraps that I have all over my craft room for pouches and cat toys. At this point, I almost need to order more zippers. I sold so many pouches last year and I have some major restocking to do.