Thank you to all who entered the
Military Brat's Fall Challenge. This had the HIGHEST EVER participation in a team challenge! All of the entries were fantastic and in fact some have already sold their entries! HAPPY DANCE!! The entry that received the most votes was
NCTeddyBearLady's "Speaking of Pumpkins" purse!
NCTeddyBearlady has a pattern for this pouch with two different themes. One is the "
Blossom Pouch" currently for sale in her Etsy
shop. Here's the story behind the purse!
"As it happens, there is a story to that pouch. I have, like so many Etsy artists, a day job. That day job is resident artist and teacher at a bead shop. For me it is a little like having a drunk working in a bar. Every day when I leave for work, my husband is fond of reminding me, "Remember that you are going to sell, not to buy." I don't often listen, I am afraid. Not too long ago, the owner of the shop where I work ordered some seed beads and some pearl cotton from color charts rather than actual samples. Most of the order was wonderful but one box of the pearl cotton and one master hank of beads looked nothing like the caramel color she thought she had ordered. Instead both were pumpkin orange, a color she was absolutely certain she would never be able to sell. Just about then, the Fall Challenge was suggested. Rather than have my boss return the beads and thread and eat the shipping costs plus a restocking fee, I suggested that I take her lemons and make some lemonade or should I say pumpkins. I definitely was not heeding to my husband's words that day. I had already done a blossom pouch that is currently for sale in my Etsy shop. It was only a slight stretch to work up a variation on the theme and turn the blossom into a pumpkin for the challenge. I have a customer who is a fanatic for my bears and pouches. Over the years she has spent well into the thousands on my work. I figured the pumpkin pouch would be a perfect thank you to her for all her purchases over the years. I was right. She loves it. Like so many of my projects, I work on them during my breaks at work. I usually sit in the shop at the work table when I do. As I worked on the pumpkin pouch, it generated a considerable amount of interest, so much so that I drafted a pattern for both the pumpkin and the blossom pouches."
It warmed my heart to see such a great turn out for our interview with Artisans Teams and Groups, with host Lily (http://www.tulipstreasurebox.etsy.com). You were all great both on the air and in chat. Lily's show is on every Saturday at 1:00 Eastern Standard Time. I understand that our sister team HOMEFRONT will be interviewed on Valentine's day, so I hope you will make time to visit Lily's show (Artisan Teams and Groups) again. I've asked Lily to be an "honorary brat" in our group and I hope she will accept the invitation. Also, I know many of you are members of other teams, so I hope you will alert your team leader to this wonderful way to promote! 
