Flutter Buy Gifts

Hello dear blog readers,

Firstly I apologize for the extreme lack of attention I’ve given to this blog. It’s a shame. I’ve found that I’m very good at creating things, but terrible at talking about the creation process!

Right now I’m in the middle of creating four twin sized quilts! They’re time consuming but I’m loving working on these adorable animals. I wanted to show you what I’ve got so far.

Lion:

Cow:

Chicken:

Rabbit:

Pig:

Hippo:

Duck:

Frog:

Elephant:

Cat:

Dog:

Turtle:

Alligator:

Sheep:

Here are some squares of other animals that I’ve made on previous quilts:

Dolphin:

Goldfish:

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When I first started FlutterBuy gifts store I lived in Phoenix AZ. The land where even the winter was hot and toasty. I remember wearing tank tops year round.

In 2008 I moved from Phoenix to NE Washington so I could be closer to my family. I now live in a very tiny town in the middle of the forest. Winter here is deep with snow and is quite cold. Especially for a girl just out of the desert!!!

In order to wear my skirts in the colder months I needed a few more layers. I found some long underwear at the store. They worked, they functioned and suited their purpose but they were so boring and styleless!

That’s when I came up with petti-pants!! (aka: my version of bloomers)

For fall and spring when there’s just a little chill in the air I created muslin petti-pants. They’ve got a fun flair with their eyelet trim and capri length. They peak out from under any knee length or mid-calf length skirt.

For winter I created petti-pants in soft flannel.

They’re also perfect as pajama pants! They’re loose enough to not cling to your skin and allow for easy movement or added warmth of stockings.

These are also great as part of a Halloween costume! Are you dressing in prairiefashion? What about Victorian? Rag doll? These petti-pants would work great with any of those styles! Plus you have the added benefit of their wear-ability afterwards.

I created a page here on this site to easily show the different sizes in a chart. Creating a size chart for my garments has been one of the most difficult things for me, and I’ll talk more about that later this week. I just really wanted to be able to encompass as many body sizes as I could in one chart. That way there is no “plus size” or “petite” there’s just…everyone. I know that my chart likely leaves some sizes out and as I continue to develop my look I’m sure there will be adjustments. I’m just so excited that there’s finally something up.

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Over the weekend I finished a purse and a messenger bag of the same design. I’m so very pleased with how they turned out! Here’s the messenger bag:

I loaded the first purse a week ago and it sold in a few hours! I can admit that I’ve never had anything sell that fast. I quickly made another..and it was bought up before it was done. The messenger bag has been of similar fame.

So this week I’m stocking more bags!

At the beginning of this week “Mocha morning” soap will be loaded into the store and I’m so excited to share that with you.

One day a few years ago I was sitting and brainstorming soap fragrances. I was a little stuck and couldn’t come up with anything new. It was morning and my spouse was making coffee. The smell was so strong and wonderful. I had to have a cup. As  it was a little later in the day I decided I wanted to make it a bit of a treat and added milk as I normally do, and a bit of chocolate to add in some sweetness. Eureka! It hit me. We needed that smell, that feeling…in the shower.

So Mocha morning was born. I have two varieties. The first (which comes out this week) is soap that starts out with a coconut milk base. Then I added in my normal oils which add wonderful moisture for your skin. Top that off with a decadent chocolate coffee fragrance and you’ve got your “cup o’ Joe” for the bath.

The second variety will be ready in a few weeks. It’s not done curing just yet. We took the same recipe but added coffee grounds to it for an ivigorating exfoliating bar of soap.

In the sewing room I’ll be whipping out a few bags (as I mentioned above) and I’m also working on more petti-pants. My hope is to have every size in stock real soon.

I suppose I’d better finish my cup of coffee and get on with my day. Bags aren’t going to sew themselves!

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When I first started selling my wares I knew I needed to look into packaging to ship my items in. My goodness there’s alot out there!! Tissue paper and custom stickers, thank you notes and cards, packing peanuts, styrofoam blocks, and air filled plastic bags. All to keep your item safe and looking good as it ships to your house.

Of course I wanted all of my items to show up at their new home/destination on time and looking sharp! What good is all my hard work if something shows up at your door damaged? However I also wanted to stick to my commitment to be green and create less waste.

I believe that people don’t buy my creations so that they can get a shiny new box. So I have decided to reuse as much as I possibly can. I can proudly say that I’ve never bought any packing peanuts or other items to keep your items safe while shipping. I have bought boxes and large envolopes, though I try to re-use boxes as well.

I’ve commited myself to only buying supplies as locally as I can. That means that all the things I buy come from local shops, or when necisarry are shipped from within the state of Washington and Oregon. Any boxes that I recieve, and all packing gets reused. I still have packing peanuts saved back from years of ordering soap supplies.

So when you order something from FlutterBuy Gifts you know that the paper strips that keeps your soap safe is re purposed catalogs that get sent to my house. Any packing peanuts that are sent along have been reused. Clothing items or bags are sent without any packing because they are soft and aren’t going to be damaged if treated roughly by postal workers.

Again it is my strongest desire for your items to show up promptly, with the least shipping charged to you, and with the most environmentally sound packaging.

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This week was spent designing and executing a messenger bag. I’m really pleased with how it’s turned out. It can double as a laptop bag as well! It’s a simple enough design but I went through a few different ideas trying to find out just what I needed and wanted for a nice, simple, and functional bag. I created pockets that can be used for many different purposes and an internal space that’s big enough for a laptop or whatever you might need. Books, wallet, a few groceries, just whatever! The outside is black corduroy and the inside is a bright colorful batik. Here’s the outside of the bag:

Under that front flap is the colorful batik. Here you can see two pockets. One that is large and open for a cell phone, iPod, portable mouse or whatever you like and the other is smaller and has Velcro closure to keep change, flash drives or other important small items.

I’ll be “testing” out this first bag hehehe ok ok I just like it too much to give it up! Though I will have replicas in the store soon. I’m so happy with how it turned out.

This weekend will be a very busy one for me. Come Monday I should have two pairs of petti-pants to show you as well as four new types of soap that will ready to start curing. Our house should smell lovely by the end of Monday!

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Hello dear readers!

It’s a busy week here at Flutterbuy Gifts. The winds are changing and bringing the chilly weather along with it. My thoughts have turned to spice rum, mulled apple cider and pumpkin pie. The more I think about it…the more I’d like to bring those wonderful scents to the bathroom.

So this week I’ve got a few pounds of soap to make so I can round out my new line of soaps. I can’t wait to unveil all these wonderful soaps!! Good soap takes patience though, so while I’m making things now…they won’t be ready for four more weeks. However! I do have some soap that will be ready soon. Next week at the earliest.

I’ve finished the Elemental series skirt-Fire and will be listing it for sale today! I’m so happy about that. It turned out really really great. Would you agree?

So that puts three of the Elemental hippie skirts in the store so far! Earth, Fire, and Water. Now my thoughts turn to Air and Spirit to complete the series. I’m also working on putting matching bags into the store. Not everyone is the skirt sort, but the bags really come out looking so very nice. I’ve finished the Fire inspired bag and I’m so pleased with how it turned out. I wanted to keep it for myself!!

I’ve got more soap on the “to-do” list. Some nice cooler weather scents as well as some of my standard scents.

I’m also going to be bringing out the bloomers! I’m so excited about these. I absolutely love bloomers. I’ve been working on getting the bugs out of different sizing and I think I’ve got it, so it’s time to add those to the store. Especially considering the weather.

I’m so excited that the store is gaining traffic. I had a record number of sales last week and hope I can meet or beat that record this week. So of course I’ve left some space on my calendar for incoming orders.

I suppose I should get off the computer and into my craft space! I used my “day off” yesterday to organize. It feels nice and clean out there now. Have to love a well organized space!

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Hi all!

In my early adulthood (and still currently…) I was/am considered “plus sized”. When I tried to find clothes that were my style and that would make me happy to wear…I couldn’t! All I could find was bland dark clothes. (let me say that now plus sized clothes have improved vastly!!! But 5+ years ago…not so much.)

My aesthetic has always been…quirky. I like to think of it as…”hippie meets old world country”. Fusion!! If you will. Traditional fashion has never really been a strong point of mine, nor was it anything I cared much about! I don’t like the idea that clothes can only last a few washes before they lose shape or are no longer “in style”. I wanted to step outside of that. I wanted clothes that would be tough, that would be well made, and that would last.I wanted color!! Lots of color! I wanted to pull clothes out of my closet that would make me feel comfortable in my skin and my shape and bring a smile to my face.

So I decided to create my own clothes. Hippie, colorful, patterned and comfortable!! Things I can wash in the machine rather than dry clean. Things that have a bit of whimsy and would be great to play in!

When I’m in a bad mood, or having a rough day…I will often say that it’s not *me* that’s having a bad day…it must be my clothes!! So I’ll rush to the bedroom, pull out the first thing that catches my eye and makes me smile and change into it. Without fail that will put a smile on my face. (see? I said I was quirky!!)

Once I felt like I “mastered” my style (not that I *am* a master..still have plenty to learn!! I learn every day) I wanted to share. I couldn’t possibly be the only one who likes effortless, colorful, quirky, hippie clothes!!

It turns out that I’m not the only one. I’ve been embraced by many people on facebook and people who’ve stumbled onto my Etsy store. My skirts look good on all sizes of people. If your super tall with a long torso, my skirts will look nice on you. If your voluptuous my skirts will suit you well. If your more on the petite side of the scale my skirts will have a great twirl and suit you.

My aim; in sharing my clothes is to bring color and smiles to everyone. All women, of all shapes and sizes deserve comfortable clothes!

The greatest thing I can think of is layering. I love to layer. That’s what I love so much about my petticoats. I’m also thinking of bringing back bloomers!! A pair of bloomers under a petticoat and topped off with a colorful skirt is just so fun.

I really hope that you enjoy my skirts as much as I do. They truly are a labor of love.

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With the changing of the seasons I’ve been able to bring out the warmer fabrics and start to think about layers and comfort. While it’s important for clothes to look nice, I really think that clothes should hold up, be well made to last and keep out the elements.

I received my first order this season for a purple stripe skirt. This picture shows the five fabrics I’ve chosen for this skirt. The stripe skirts are some of my most favorite. Bright colors and lovely prints lined with muslin so that it’s warm, colorful and comfortable. Most of the seams are hidden between the outer fabric and the inner muslin lining so you don’t notice or feel the seams. Of course we can’t leave out my trademark wide bottom hem that allows for dancing, twirling, bouncing and easy moving. It also gives you plenty of room for a petticoat underneath or a pair of tights to keep you warm. Hippie skirt lovers will enjoy the colors, but I’ve worn mine to the office paired with a simple blouse which makes this skirt very versatile. Top it off with two deep pockets to hold all your goodies and your golden!

I have enough of these fabrics for one, maybe two more of these skirts so get yours fast before we’ve run out for the season! Each skirt is custom made to your waist and height measurements so it’s guaranteed to fit. You can view the item and full description over on Etsy. Click here

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I have had a home based business since 2005. This business has been through a few incarnations. I started as a crafter with little skill in sales. I had to take a few extended vacations though out the years due to family emergencies and illness related issues.

Life has turned in a direction where I’ve been able to focus and really give the attention the business needs. I sell all my items through Etsy currently and I’ve been getting some great updates, suggestions and business related blogs. One of the new success tools being offered is the “Etsy Success Holiday Boot Camp”. After some thought I’ve decided to join the challenge. Here is my pledge.

“I, Sevan Bussell, pledge to participate in the Etsy Success Holiday Boot Camp to the best of my abilities. I vow to check in every week, do my homework and support my fellow Holiday Boot Campers!  I will read the weekly newsletters and blog posts, check in on the weekly forum thread, read the weekly blog post, check off the checklists and salute the mascot. I promise to share what I’ve learned with those who need it, support my fellow Etsy indiepreneurs and, most of all, have a positive and persistent attitude. I understand that together we can spread the word about our handmade and vintage goods, making this holiday season a more unique and meaningful one to gift givers and give-ees everywhere!”

I think this could be an oppertunity for Flutterbuy Gifts to really become a success!

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Our newest bag design has been added to the store! Click hereto see the item in the Etsy store.

This bag is covered in lovely shades of reds, oranges and yellows and emblazoned with the mantra to “Shine!”

Under the front flap is a few easily accessible pockets. One that’s large and perfect for a phone, MP3 player or keys. The smaller pocket with a Velcro flap is perfect for coins. The coin purse has just has a touch of flames in a flannel print.

This bag was inspired by the four elements-Earth, Air, Fire and Water. Soon we will have bags for all four elements. This bag was inspired by Fire. I’m so pleased to present this bag to you. Always shine your light to the world!

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