Off and Cutting...

I'm excited to report that I have just received my largest custom order to date. I have 150 muslin and lace wedding favor bags to make for a July bride! This morning I began measuring and cutting fabric for the first 50. I put an old Miss Marple mystery on the computer screen (via Netflix) and spent a pleasurable couple of hours on this project. Have you tried the rotary cutters and "self-healing" cutting mats yet? I've had mine for a little over a year now, and I'm so glad I made the investment. It's been well worth it.

I had mailed some samples to the bride-to-be and her mom, and was thrilled to get this most enthusiastic response:

  "We received the samples. We LOVE all three of them. We decided to go with the wider ecru one. Your work is incredible!! It will be such a pleasure to give out your beautiful pouches to our guests at my daughter's wedding."

That was a real confidence booster, I can tell you!

Speaking of weddings, I've been playing around with an idea for wedding favors.

It's amazing how weddings have changed over the years. When I was a girl and attending my older cousins' weddings, it was a treat to have wedding cake (white, always and only!), cashews, pastel-colored mints, and punch. I don't remember anyone ever hosting the guests to a full-course meal or handing out any favors other than little bags of rice to throw on the fleeing couple as they raced off to the honeymoon. 

Nowadays weddings are major extravaganzas. That being the case, I figure I may as well have some of the action! I've been looking at the various types of wedding favors for sale on Etsy, and I think I can offer something unique.

Remember my magnetic bookmarks? I made a few mock-ups with a wedding slogan instead of my shop info on the front. Here's what I've come up with so far:

 

I'm thinking I could offer these with or without ribbon. The brides could choose the color of ribbon to match their chosen palette.  Or I could, perhaps, let them personalize the message, say any 3- or 4- row sentiment they choose. Pricing is another thing I have to think about. Normally I sell the bookmarks for $3.00, but with a large custom order...  Hmmm....  It will take some pondering. 

What do you think? Any ideas? I also have cat bookmarks. Maybe they could say something like "We're purrfectly suited"? (Yes, I know it's hokey!)

At any rate, it couldn't be worse than some of the dumb things I've come across other Etsians selling... personalized engraved rocks, "upcycled" used paint cans, flowers made of burlap and apparently constructed with the aid of a lawnmower and a wonky food processor...