Last week I sent out a personal newsletter to my Rags-n-Tags followers. I thought I would share it with all of you here in case you didn’t get the email….

What I’ve Been Up To

If you’ve been with me since the beginning of Rags-n-Tags, you probably have noticed I have been sewing less and less over the past two years. Rags-n-Tags started out as a handmade only shop with all of my designs ready to order. This ran its course until I realized it was too difficult to keep up with all of the orders. I became overwhelmed, and tired of making the same items over and over. So, I then branched off to making patterns for my designs, and selling only limited quantities of my handmade items. Which, was a good idea for a plan, but since I became pregnant with my second child, there has been less and less time available for me to create new primitive designs.

Besides now having a baby in the home (which I guess I could now call her a rambunctious toddler – she just turned two!), I’ve also joined our town’s art league, became an avon representative, began planning for two art shows and a craft show, and have continued my other businesses Peddler Graphics and Crafty Avenue. Not only has my time to sew been diminished, but my wandering soul has started yet again to searching elsewhere for creative outlets.

I have always been, and always will be a wanderer; I have come to realize that. A wanderer in terms of my creativeness. Some of you may not see it in me, because I have been making primitive art a long time – about six years now. It has been my longest commitment yet to any medium or style. If you’ve read my bio, you’d know that I have dabbled in quilting, soap making, candle making, basket making, scrapbooking, graphic design, and more. If you’ve been reading my blog lately, you’d see that I’m now starting to experiment with painting, drawing, and collage work. I know I have a creative spirit, but what I do not know is what this spirit wants to create!

Future Plans

I know there are a lot of you out there who love my patterns, and await new ones; which is why I decided to update you on my personal life. I do not want to stop creating primitives, but I am going to take it slow (as I have been recently) and focus my free time on whatever my creativeness urges me to create – whether primitive or not. If you’d like to follow me on my journey, please subscribe to my blog. I’m trying my best to keep that updated. 

I know I’ve been trying to do too much at once, and I would probably be better off just focusing on one project at a time; but I’m having trouble letting some things go. My “to do” list is two pages long (typed!). I feel sort of lost I guess you’d say… I don’t know; maybe I’m going through a mid-life-crisis at an early age! lol I need to slow down, and figure out what I’d really like to do with my life. My family is most important, I know that much… What comes next, I’m not sure.
 
For Sale, and Upcoming Goodies

With that said, I did find time to create some Candy Apples to add to my etsy shop. They went quick last year, so I figured I’d make some more for those of you who missed out. I also listed two new items on Rags-n-Tags – some Cedar Tips and Dried Orange slices. I love these natural goodies around the holidays to decorate packages, or add to my crafts!

I’m also trying to clear out my craft room to make it more of a haven instead of a clutter room… so, I’m starting to list a few things on ebay. Right now, I have some rusty springs up for sale. Keep checking my ebay account if you want some good deals on craft items!

I have a small craft show coming up this November (which I am still totally unprepared for!). I haven’t decided yet exactly what I’ll be creating, but I know I want to try to make some cute childish stuff because I’ll be doing the show with my eight year old daughter. After the show, I will list anything I have left on etsy (probably under my new TwiddleLee account which will be at TwiddleLee.etsy.com); and hopefully will have a few new patterns too. I probably will not send out a Rags-n-Tags newsletter for this sale, as most of the stuff will be non-primitive; so if you are interested in seeing what I come up with, and photos of the show, be sure to subscribe to my blog! ;0)

I thank you all for your continued support. With out you, I wouldn’t have gotten this far.

Have a great day!
~Kristal
www.rags-n-tags.com