Congo Design - "Bitty Fluff"

Here's the new Congo Design - "Bitty Fluff" on Hyena Cart:



I've been working with Jenny from "Jenny's Simply Clean" on a redesign of the "Bitty Fluff" Congo. The Congo itself is such a cute idea; all of the vendors sell things specifically designed for newborns and infants.

Jenny requested an overall theme of "chocolate brown, sage green, blue, and pink", and a design that would reflect the excitement and joy that comes from having a newborn.

I thought a lot about it and the color scheme reminded me of cherry blossoms (our family lived in Maryland when I was in high school and went to the cherry blossom festival in DC every spring).

I found this information about the symbolism of cherry blossoms:
Cherry Blossom info at Wikipedia
Whereas in China the cherry blossom symbolizes feminine beauty, the feminine principle, or love in the language of herbs, in Japan the cherry blossoms are believed to exemplify the transient nature of life, because of their short blooming times.
Sakura, or Cherry Blossom is an omen of good fortune and is also an emblem of love, affection and represents spring. Cherry blossoms are an enduring metaphor for the fleeting nature of life, and as such are frequently depicted in art.
Symbolism of the Cherry Blossom
A cherry blossom is the symbol of spiritual beauty.

It seemed like the perfect symbol for the Congo because infants are only small such a short time and then they grow into silly little toddlers and then preschoolers...and before you know it, they've grown into beautiful people!

I designed "Bitty Fluff" Congo around cherry blossom trees with a blue background. Each of the vendors' shop names buttons is a different arrangement of different-colored cherry blossom flowers.

Here's the new "Bitty Fluff" Congo design:



Here was the original design:



I hope the ladies at Bitty Fluff enjoy the new design as much as I loved creating it!

New Creative Mamas Blog!

Our new Congo leader over at Creative Mamas approached me yesterday about creating a Blog for our Congo. It was a lot of fun to design!

Come check out our new Creative Mamas Blog:



We'll be using the Blog to announce special announcements, stocking news, and free lotteries. :)

WAHM Thread Banner and Animated Banner for "Home Hooked Play Food"

I'm finishing up a trade with Kim from "Home Hooked Play Food"; she's been a lot of fun to work with!

She sells crocheted food items that look scrumptious! I can't wait to get ours. :) She was looking for banners with "bright, earthy colors" so I created a piece of pie with a cartoony, crocheted look and found a font that looked like yarn.

Here is the Banner I created for the top of her WAHM Thread at DiaperSwappers:



And here's her matching animated signature banner for DS:



Kim, thanks for your helpful input on the creation of your logo! Hope you enjoy your new banners. :)

Hyena Cart Design for "Earth Baby Cloth"

Melisa wanted an earthy design to match her beautiful "earth tree" logo.

Completed design for "Earth Baby Cloth":



In exchange, Melisa made two of her beautiful fleece longies and shirts sets, and an embellished prefold. My sons LOVE their "Frosty the Snowman" longies sets!

Thanks for a wonderful trade Melisa. :)

Pics to come soon!

Animated Banner for "Eye Candy Designs"

Erin from "Eye Candy Designs" was looking for a funky banner to match her awesome site. Erin is a fantastic artist who makes hand-painted shirts and other creations. I had a lot of fun with this one!

Here's what I came up with:




Thanks for a great trade Erin!

She sent me a gorgeous "One Fish, Two Fish" shirt in exchange for the banner and some of her fun "glovlies". Pics to come soon!

Hyena Cart Design for "Jenny's Simply Clean"

Jenny has been such a wonderful lady to work with! She was looking for a Hyena Cart design that incorporated the nice greens and browns from her logo, and kept the nice "clean" feeling to set off her awesome laundry soaps.

Finished Design for "Jenny's Simply Clean":



I'm so excited to try out our new detergent when it comes!

Thanks for a wonderful trade Jenny. :)

Animated Banner for "Hippie Made"

Katherine was looking for a catchy banner to announce the Grand Opening of her new shop "Hippie Made" on Hyena Cart. She wanted the words to enter the banner in a unique way.

Here's the final design:



I loved learning how to do a "blurred" effect with the words, and thought it added that something special that Katherine was looking for. :)

Thanks for letting me design your banner Katherine!

Animated Banner for "JB Treasures"

Jessy wanted a "treasure chest on a beach" banner for her shop "JB Treasures" on Hyena Cart.

I loved creating the perfect background to showcase her creations:



Thanks for working with me on your banner Jessy!

Hyena Cart Design for "Zabi Baby"

Glorimar from "Zabi Baby" is one of the kindest ladies I've worked with. She sells diapers and covers at her Hyena Cart shop. She was looking for a nice, earthy design with leaves and branches to match her pretty logo.

Here's her finished Hyena Cart design:



In exchange, she made me some beautiful bamboo velour prefolds and a wonderful cover. (Pics coming soon!) Thanks for a fantastic trade Glorimar!

Dolls :)

I made these little dolls based on a pattern my Mom had in her collection from the 80s. Next time I would do the faces a bit differently, but I was pleased with how they turned out.

Click images to view larger:

Hyena Cart Design for "Somapants"

I really enjoyed working with Eevaleena on the design for her "Somapants" Hyena Cart. She makes knit longies and her work is just stunning!

She was looking for a design with "longies hanging on a clothesline with grass in front and maybe some bees or butterflies". I had so much fun creating this Hyena Cart; it's one of my very favorite designs!

"Somapants" Hyena Cart Design:



Thanks for your helpful input concerning your HC design Eevaleena!

Hyena Cart Design for "Dimpled Derriere Designs"

Kate had a lot of wonderful ideas for her Hyena Cart shop "Dimpled Derriere Designs". She makes felt food that is mouth-watering!

She sent me several sample images from different clipart collections and we purchased a special collection with cute baby images for her design.

"Dimpled Derriere Designs" Finished Hyena Cart design:



Thanks for your input on your HC design Kate! We can't wait to get the felt food for our boys. :)

Hyena Cart Design for "Northwoods Toys"

I loved working with Jen on her husband's new Hyena Cart design! Jen does hand-painted shirts and totebags; her husband makes hand-crafted wooden toys. Their work is so gorgeous!

They were looking for a woodsy-type feel to match their logo and the items he creates. My favorite part about working on this design with them was drooling over their creations every time I updated their Hyena Cart. :)

"Northwoods Toys" Hyena Cart Design:



In exchange, Jen made 4 beautiful shirts for our boys. A turtle and train for AJ (he's 2), and an elephant and a firetruck for K3 (he's 4). Pics coming soon!

Thanks for such a lovely trade Jen!

Hyena Cart Design for "Howling Wolf Knits"

Deanna was such a pleasure to work with. She knits longies and hats and her work is just lovely.

She was looking for a design that included "a wolf howling at the moon; either cartoon-ish or real images". This was the first design (besides my own shop) where I was able to create all of the images from scratch. I LOVED working on it and am so pleased with how it turned out.

"Howling Wolf Knits" Hyena Cart Design:



Thanks for letting me work with you on your HC design Deanna!

WAHM of the Week: Tree Hugger!

First Name
Crystal

Business Name
Tree Hugger

Business url
http://hyenacart.com/TreeHugger

How did you decide on your Business name?
My husband started calling me a Tree Hugger when I started "greening up" our house. He used to joke about it but when it came to naming my store he said it suited me perfectly!

Tell us a little about yourself!
I am a married stay-at-home/work-at-home Mom to 2 kids. Emma is 4 years old and Liam just turned 1. They keep me busy during the day but they go to bed early and the evenings are when I get to relax and do some sewing. I love to sew and truly enjoy making items that are good for the environment and will really make a difference to the people that use them.

Why did you decide to become a WAHM?
When I had first heard of cloth menstrual pads I wasn't sure I could handle washing them and didn't think I was up to the challenge. After hearing more reviews and great things that people had to say about cloth I decided to get a couple to try. They were super easy to care for and 10x more comfortable then disposable if not more! I loved not having to spend money every month on paper products and I loved not having a bag of dirty pads to throw out every month. After the first couple I had bought I had noticed certain things about them that I didn't like. I found for myself that they HAD to have wings to stay in place and wrap around wings bunched for me so smaller wings were a better fit. I also liked luxurious fabrics such as Minkee and Bamboo Velour and I found that PUL felt too hot so I preferred fleece backed. I also hated the serged pads that I had as I found the rough serging rubbed and wasn't very comfortable. From what I had decided I liked best I designed my own pattern and started sewing my own. I wanted a great variety of colors to make every month a little more fun so I had to buy many colors of fabric. Once I was done sewing for myself I decided to use the left over fabric to make extras for friends and family. They were all a huge hit and converted many people so I decided to open my own online store.

What types of items do you sell?
I sell cloth menstrual pads (mama cloth) as well as non-paper towel/wipes/family cloth.

What is your funniest/most embarrassing moment as a WAHM?
I would say my most embararssing moment as a WAHM is when people ask for pics of my personal collection that I use. Yes, people do ask! The pads I use are all my very first attempts and multiple tries at different patterns. The sewing isn't always straight and they really aren't pretty. I very rarely keep nice ones for myself.

What was your favorite thing about working with Christina from JoyfulRose?
Christina is so friendly and she did everything she could to design exactly what I wanted. Communication was excellent and she was so fast!

Is there anything else you'd like your customers to know about you or your business?
I love working at home so I am always here when my kids need me. I also love having a reason to go fabric shopping!

Which item is your favorite to make?
I love making mama cloth!




Note: If you are a WAHM who would like to be featured here please email me with your name, business name, business url, and forum feedback and I'll contact you. Thanks!

WAHM of the Week: JoyfulRose!

Each week JoyfulRose will feature a WAHM (Work at Home Mom) of the week. We have many wonderful upcoming WAHMs of the week, including Crystal from Tree Hugger, Tanya from Personal Photo Art, and Mollie from Amelia & Macie's Boutique.

WAHM of the Week: JoyfulRose!



First Name
Christina, though I mostly go by Tina online because it's faster to type, especially when I'm holding one of my kiddos. :)

Business Name
JoyfulRose

Business url
http://hyenacart.com/joyfulrose/index.php

How did you decide on your Business name?
Our family was going through a very difficult time. One day I looked at my eldest son Keith III (he was just over 1 year at the time) and thought about how much joy he brings me. I decided that rather than tough circumstances get me down, I would focus on how much joy I can have with my family. I decided to be joyful!

I am named after my grandmother Roseann, and thought that Rose would be a fitting addition to the Joyful part of my business name.

Hence, JoyfulRose!

Tell us a little about yourself!
I am eternally married to my sweetheart Keith. We were married in 2002 in Nauvoo, Illinois on a beautiful, hot summer day! We have two incredible children: Keith III (K3) - born in 2004, and Adam (AJ) - born in 2006. They keep us busy and happy.

When I'm not sewing or working with Photoshop or html coding I enjoy spending time with my family, reading, singing, doing family history (genealogy), watching movies, and going scuba diving.

I graduated in 2003 from BYU in Family History - Genealogy with a British Emphasis. I did my 4-week full-time internship in Exeter and Plymouth in Devon, England. I absolutely LOVED it! I hope to go back again soon to visit and do more genealogy.

My 4 sisters and I have started our own singing group, Galesong, and enjoyed auditioning in LA in the summer of 2008. We enjoy practicing together and having fun. Our MySpace page is: MySpace Profile for GaleSong

Why did you decide to become a WAHM?
Our eldest son was born in 2004 and wanted to be held constantly. I loved holding him but was struggling to find a way to do chores around the house. I discovered slings from the Maya website and made my own using their pattern. The sling was a great idea but it wasn't as comfortable as I'd hoped.

My husband and I spent several days folding fabrics, measuring shoulder widths, testing fabric lengths, etc. until we came up with a design that was perfect for me!

I used that blue batik-patterned sling constantly and had so many friends and family comment on it that I opened my first website in the fall of 2004 with the name "CuddleBugSlings". I developed a small customer base through that site and enjoyed writing up instructions and taking pictures to help others learn how to use their slings.

When our second son was born in 2006 I discovered the world of cloth diapering, "mama cloth" (cloth menstrual pads), washable nursing pads, longies, etc. I was hooked! I loved the idea of cloth that felt nicer than disposable products and could be reused. I created patterns and started making cloth diapers and trainers for my sons, mama cloth and nursing pads for me, Find-it Bag toys, clothing, art, design, and more!

I opened my new shop "JoyfulRose" in the winter of 2006 and started selling on Hyena Cart the next year. In learning how to do the html code for my HC I discovered that I had a passion for using Photoshop and coding. I've enjoyed helping other WAHMs set up their beautiful new shop designs and seeing their success!

What types of items do you sell?
- Graphic/HC Design (Headers, Animated Banners, Buttons, Business Cards, Labels, Product Diagrams, etc.)
- Ditto Daddy Gear (Trainers, Jammies, etc.)
- Slings for adults, children, and fashion dolls/action figures
- Find-it Bags (poly-bead filled beanbags with an opening to see hidden trinkets)
- Mama Cloth and Nursing Pads
- Cloth Diapers, Wetbags, and Fleece Sets
- the "Hold-it Bag" Pattern and "Hold-it Bags" (for holding plastic grocery bags, cloth wipes, mama cloth, etc.)
- "Tree of Life" images for printing and iron-on transfers
- Other eco-friendly items that seem like fun projects to me!

Which item is your favorite to make?
Lately my favorite has been designing Hyena Carts for other WAHMs. There's something very satisfying about taking a blank page and creating images and text to transform it into a gorgeous shop worthy of showing off their items.

What is your funniest/most embarrassing moment as a WAHM?
I was working on some HC designs for 2 different clients. I forgot that I was still logged into the first's HC setup page and pasted the new coding for the other's page into the first one. I refreshed the second's page a few times and couldn't figure out why the new coding wasn't showing up!

I finally realized what I had done, switched the coding so it was correct, refreshed the page and everything was fine. Luckily it was done at 2 in the morning so I don't think anyone noticed, but I was very embarrassed!

JoyfulRose Discount Code for Hyena Cart:
Thank you for reading about me!

Please use this code for 10% off anything in my shop for the next week: JRBlog10

JoyfulRose Favorite Item to Make:

Hyena Cart Designs!




Note: If you are a WAHM who would like to be featured here please email me with your name, business name, business url, and forum feedback and I'll contact you. Thanks!

Featured WAHM of the Week! Coming Soon. :)

Join us every Thursday at noon as JoyfulRose lists our featured WAHM of the Week here at: the JoyfulRose Blog!!!

We'll be showing off their websites/hyena carts/etsy shops and one of their favorite items. We've also asked our WAHMs to let us know a little more about their business, how they came up with their business name, what is their favorite item to make, and even their funniest/most embarrassing moments as a WAHM!

We hope to see you Thursday!

Customs List Progress

Current Customs (Payment/Trade Received):

"Buff Organics" Blog Design

"A Ray of Stitches" Animated Banners Trio

"lili lutu" Hyena Cart Design

"SweetieBird Fashions" Label Design

Current Wait Time for Customs List: 1-2 weeks

Thanks!
Tina :)

JoyfulRose Fabrics Pics Now Posted!

We've created a new page for all of our beautiful knit fabrics. See them here: JoyfulRose Fabrics

New JoyfulRose Customs List!

I've added a Customs List to my right sidebar so that customers can see where they are in my lineup. :)

If you see something in my shop that you'd like me to custom-make for you, please email me and I'll convo you with information about my Customs List.

Please include the following in your email: name, item(s) you'd like, pertinent details (size, type of fabric or graphics, etc.), and how you found me.

Current waiting time: 2-3 weeks from payment received.

I look forward to working with you!

Tina :)

Custom Ditto Daddy Trainers for Jen!

I finished these up today for Jen (Kylie&Logan'sMommy) and am so pleased with how they turned out! I love the fabrics she chose. :)

Inserts:

Closeup of Fish in the Sea:

Ready for shipping:

Details:
Ditto Daddy Trainers - size 2T
Outter: print knit
Inserts: top layer Malden Mills microfleece, middle double-layered microfiber, bottom hemp terry

The inserts all have snaps matching their respective trainers (although they're all the same size, so it doesn't really matter if they get mixed up!)

Jen, I've really enjoyed working with you as we've created these boxers for your son. I hope you both love them!

Tina :)

Recipe: JoyfulRose Natural Lotion Deodorant

Freebie for today: My natural lotion deodorant recipe for sensitive skin!
I've been trying lots of different recipes for deodorant and finally perfected my recipe. Hope you enjoy it as much as I do!

This is made to print out on a 3x5-sized recipe card.

Welcome to the JoyfulRose Blog!

Thanks for visiting our Blog! We're excited to have a place to share pictures of our latest projects and special stockings.

Our main website is JoyfulRose on Hyena Cart:

We've also joined a very talented group of ladies at the Creative Mamas Congo and we stock there every other Friday at noon:

We hope you enjoy your visit!

Christina