The Holiday Rush

Good Morning!

It is the first day of December and the holiday rush has already hit Caustic Threads.

I love the hustle and bustle of the holiday season, and am ready to turn on some Christmas music to keep me going while I work late nights to get orders out as quickly as possible.

I wanted to take a moment to share one of my newest items.

This awesome bird hoodie can be found here





Happy Holidays !

I hope to drop in again soon!

♥Erica

Weekend Recap

Happy Monday!

This weekend was nice. Friday Adam
and I watched a back episode of Antiques Roadshow-Why yes, we are nerdy- and worked out together for about an hour. Adam usually goes climbing on Fridays (and I go also if we happen to have a babysitter for the kids) but the climbing gym is expanding and moving to a new location.

Saturday I got to bike to practice for the first time this season. It was actually pretty chilly, but I was moving at a decent speed so it kept me comfortable.

Sunday was a relaxed day.  We did our chores and I got to do a photo shoot for my shop with a friend and fellow Roller Derby skater.

I am not trying to move away from my current model (also a skater and friend) but I wanted to have more variety in faces and body types in my shop.

I am hoping that when I lose some of this weight I will feel comfortable modeling some of my own clothes. I am not sure how I will feel about it, I am not a huge fan of having my photo taken.


I also enjoyed working on some custom art. I had a special request for a Camel design, and soon one (or both) of these will be offered in my shop:

My Nutritional Ketosis is going great. I am looking forward to weighing myself on Tuesday to see if I have made any progress. Lately I have been feeling pretty awesome.

Take Care!

♥Erica

NEW in Caustic Threads

A friend that helps me out with my shop tasks likes bears. I'd been wanting to do a bear design for a while, but I was inspired and motivated to do it when she mentioned it in conversation. I love how it turned out. This photo is just a preview, the item will be available later this week. 

I also finally started offering polo shirts in Caustic Threads. I have been making these for my husband since he can't wear t-shirts at work, and he gets frequent compliments on the screen-printed  polo tees he wears to work. This can be ordered now at causticthreads.com

So, What is next? Well, spring is right around the corner. I may cuddle with my little ones and that frog and toad story to see if I can conjure some inspiration. 

♥ Erica

Falling For Blythe.

I have seen Blythe dolls around for quite some time and been vaguely amused but unsure where one can buy one. Recently my interest has been rejuvenated.

 I have always loved dolls, and honestly, never really outgrew them. I am lucky enough to have two super cute daughters to share my obsession with... but Blythe dolls are expensive and if I choose to collect them I will need to also keep my 2 and 5 year old children away.

Blythe dolls were originally by Kenner and Released in the United States. They were not very popular and were only produced during 1972. In 2001 She was revived. Blythe is licensed by Takara now.  

More information on Blythe can be found here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blythe_(doll)

I have found that I can purchase one on ebay, a custom one on etsy,  or directly from Takara. Now for the hard part... choosing one...

A Handmade Cranberry Treats.

• 
  Hand Knit Hat Womens Hat - Pixie Hat in Red Cranberry - Chunky Knit Wi...

  pixiebell

  $50.00 USD
• 
  IN LOVE...again... Burgundy Fingerless Gloves, Wool Mittens, Arm Warme...

  Rumina

  $27.00 USD
• 
  Cranberry Dark Ruby Red Chunky Crochet Cowl Neckwarmer Scarf with Wood...

  DiddleyDooCrochet

  $20.00

• 
  Burgundy Plum Rustic Eco Dress Women's Clothing Winter Fashion Pat...

  BrokenGhostClothing

  $79.70 USD
• 
  Burgundy Red Rose Crown - Holiday Flower Crown, Christmas Hair Accesso...

  BloomDesignStudio

  $40.00 USD
• 
  Wine Burgundy Over knee socks Thigh high Boot socks Leg warmer Preppy ...

  boksilboksil

  $19.50 US

Friday Feature: Krystal from Random Wishes

For today's feature I got to interview Krystal. Her shop is called Random Wishes, here is a link: 

http://www.etsy.com/shop/kryslew1987  Krystal has many interests and talents, and her shop features an eclectic mix of beautiful candles, art and jewelry. 

Tell me about yourself.


I grew up in the country on a farm. I learned from both my mother and my grandmother how to do crafty things. As a child I always wanted to be an artist. I would draw pictures for my family members and they would proudly display them in their homes. During High School I took all the art classes I possibly could. I absolutely loved it. I wish I had gone to college for art, instead I went for Culinary Arts and Baking and Pastry. I do have a degree in both. I currently work in Cooper's Seafood House in Scranton, Pennsylvania. 

Tell me about your store.

I started my store about a year ago. I was not sure on how I was going to do it, but asked around to different people and they showed me what to do and how to make things better. I have to say my store has improved in the last couple of months. I got a new camera which made my pictures better, and I have developed my skills a bit better and my items have sold more. I sell mostly jewelry, but I just started doing custom candles. I love doing candles, while making them they make my house smell so great and it lingers for hours. I also do paintings and knitted items. The knitted items will be in more as the weather gets cooler.

What inspires you?

The world inspires me. I grew up in the country and learned to appreciate the little things. I see a lot if not all things as art. I twist things to become my own and create something wonderful. My art teacher once told me the world is your canvas us it to your full advantage.  My family also inspires me. They tell me what they like and I tend to put my own twist into it and it becomes a great work of art.

Do you have a strong support system? Who is your biggest cheerleader?

My family has always been there for me no matter what. My mom is my biggest fan. She is always asking what I have that is new. My Aunt Ann is always wondering what I have in candle scents and my father is 100% behind finding me a physical place to sell my items. I have a wonderful boyfriend who encourages everything I do. He is always telling me how great I am doing and telling me to never give up no matter how much stress I am under. My support system is very large and I am very grateful to have them.

What is your favorite food?

 

Well I went to School to be a chef.  My pallet has developed a lot since I was 18. My favorite food used to be anything Italian. I loved Fettuccine Alfredo and Spaghetti. at least once a week I would eat one or the other. Now though I love sushi. I love to get a spicy kani salad or calamari salad with a rainbow roll and edema-me. I love trying new things.

How would you describe your style?

I would say that I am very random. I try to do different things all the time. Hence the name Random Wishes. I like to do a number of different things. I paint, I make candles, I make jewelry, and so much more. This way I never get bored and I always have someone to make smile.

Please visit Krystal's shop! You can get there by clicking on any of the photos in this post! 

Have a great weekend! 

♥Erica

Thursday Treasuries

New Items !

I finally bought replacement bearings for all of the wheels that were pillaged  from my derby skates while they were idle during my pregnancy.  Which reminds me, anyone who has used up skate bearings, please contact me, I will trade Caustic Threads merchandise for them. I plan to have them in time to get to go to a fellow duke city derby skaters birthday skate party this weekend. I am looking forward to getting back on skates, and I have a lot of weight to loose so I am looking forward to the exercise. In a few more months Penelope will be big enough to ride in a bike trailer and I can start biking with both of my girls, and my husband got a new used bike so we can enjoy weekend bike trips again. 

I have several new items in my shop:

now I carry children's long sleeved tee shirts

This is a new shirt design, a Plymouth fury

I also recently started carrying v-neck tee shirts

This motorcycle is also a new design, and it has been popular with our friends. 

There are other new designs, but I will leave it at that and try to post my other new stuff next week. I also recently purchased some fabric markers... something that I had always thought were pretty uncool... until I had the idea to color in my screen printed designs. The result is really pretty, so here is a preview...

This is my daughter, wearing a hand dyed and printed Rose tank top (this is also a new screen design) that also hand colored with my new fabric markers and embellished with rhinestones. I really love how it turned out. 

I still have a tutorial to post... I would not have guessed that I would drag my feet this much with that... I will also be featuring another etsian this Friday. 

Take care for now :) 

♥Erica