Putting My Hobby to Work

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I used to do a lot of embroidery and then I would sell the things I made at Secret Haven (Aaron's Mom's boutique) up in Fruit Heights, Utah, and also at other seasonal boutiques. I loved to stitch and then frame it or sew it into a pillow. It was nice to be able to sell the things that I made with my hands. I made hundreds of pillows / framed embroideries in the few years I was making and selling them. Here are some samples of some of the things I designed and stitched.

These are some of the ones that I kept for myself.

Aaron made me a few frames like this so that I could decorate with some of my embroideries. I switch them out for different seasons. Here are some examples...

I designed the Young Women's values one before they added the value 'virtue'. I guess I need to do another one.

I have also made pillows for all of my nieces and nephews and some of my friend's new babies with their names on them.
Since Aaron passed away, I haven't stitched pillows to sell, I only make the ones for the new babies. I started doing it right after Aaron and i got married and enjoyed stitching while he and I watched TV together. But since he passed away, I just haven't been able to enjoy it like I did back then.
Anyhow, here are the latest ones that I did for the newest nieces and nephews and one friend.

As you can see, I just BARELY got around to making one for Aaron Jr. It only took a little more than 5 years. :) He loves it though.

I wish these photos showed how cute the colors of the fabric are. They look dull in these photos, but they are bright and beautiful.

Putting My Hobby to Work

After Aaron passed away, I began making and selling some of my photos as photo cards at Secret Haven. They sell pretty good, but they are an inexpensive item that doesn't bring in much money. So, I have been wanting to do something more with my photos so that I can make money while having fun with my hobby. I have finally started doing just that...

I have been making these blocks with my photos on them... and I have been selling them.
I have been really excited about it.
It still isn't bringing in that much money, but it has been really helpful in the financial department. What does get brought in is a huge blessing and I am loving putting my hobby to work.

I have almost sold out of my first batch of them, so here is my second batch after getting them all painted and ready to start putting the photos on them...

And here are some of them ready to be wrapped in a ribbon and be taken to the boutique to sell.

I have also started making enlargement prints of a couple of my photos and framing them myself. I have started selling them at the boutique and I hope they sell fast so that I can keep doing it.

I found this frame at a thrift store and loved it, so I framed one for me and it is now hanging on my wall. It is a little bigger than a 16x20.

I am enjoying my hobby more and more as I find ways to be able to sell the fruits of my hobby and my labors. I have been trying to figure out what I can do to be able to still stay at home with Aaron Jr while doing something at home to help make ends meet... and I am hoping this newest venture pans out for us. I am having fun with it.
And...so far, so good.

My next venture is to begin trying to sell prints of my photos and my photo cards online from my photo blog: Pure and Simple Beauty.

We will see how it goes...

but this is what I have been up to a lot lately.

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