Just Around the Corner ~ Colleen's Custom Sewing

"Just Around the Corner" will be a monthly feature highlighting a local shop for your shopping pleasure! There are so many hidden treasures to be found locally and I can't wait to unearth them all!
Whether you are a crafter yourself or just enjoy shopping for unique handmade gifts you are sure to find a treasure you enjoy at Colleen’s Custom Sewing. Located at 2 Cameron Street @ Laidlaw (behind the Village Bulk Foods store) in beautiful Cannington, Colleen’s store is your one stop shop for alterations, handmade gifts, fabric, buttons, notions and more! Colleen is extremely excited to announce that she will begin carrying Gutermann all purpose sewing thread starting in March. On a recent visit I was astounded at the treasure trove of buttons that she has begun to display and couldn’t resist bringing a couple home to use in my own projects. Not local to the area? Never fear, Colleen also has an online Etsy shop where she showcases a selection of her handmade items and supplies. Sometimes the greatest finds are “just around the corner!”

Hanging out with a crafty friend!

I took advantage of the fact that we were lucky enough to escape the snow and went and visited my friend Colleen today. She owns an alterations shop in Cannington, 2 Cameron Street @Laidlaw, and also showcases her handmade goods. She also has an Etsy shop and had some questions for me.

Keep in mind that I currently don't have anything listed in Kawartha Beads but do have experience with Bijoux Designs For You and Rouge River Beads. When we spoke on the phone this morning I mentioned that I had been doing a lot of promotion yesterday for Rouge River Beads and she said she didn't have the faintest clue where to begin.

I thought it might be helpful to share a couple of little pointers that are part of my daily routine. She found them helpful and I hope you will too:
*Did you know that you can search the Etsy forums? Click on forums and then type in key words such as "looking to buy", "looking to feature", etc. If you are busy mom this saves you having to wade through oodles of posts to try and find people in search of products or looking to feature shops on their blogs. I also type "twitter" in the search function to find new and fun people to follow.
* We also built a light box. Yep, the poor mans version but WHAT A DIFFERENCE. Find a cardboard box, cut a big rectangle in the top, cover the rectangle with a double layer of white tissue paper or even wax paper if you are stuck. Place light source above opening and click away. I love the way Colleen's Flower Hair Doodle turned out!

I'll save some more tips for tomorrow including a little bit about Project Wonderful. Most of all, we both felt rejuvinated and inspired! Take some time today to share a moment with a crafty friend or leave a comment here for all of us to enjoy!