Only 8 days left till the Etsy store launch!! Eeeee! It's very exciting for me as you know I've been hoping to do this for a really long time. I've been sewing up a storm - every day I come up from my basement workspace with bits of linen and thread in my sweater and hair. I've ordered more fabric and I'm hoping it gets here soon! I'm especially excited about the 100% wool felt that should be arriving today or tomorrow. It's nice and thick and will make great bags and totes and phone covers.

Things I'd like to get done before the shop opens?

• make more items!
• create a better About page
• write a meaningful manusmade manifesto! (cuz I have a message! And it's not all about me (hint: it includes you too))
• set up a subscription process on the blog - I want people to feel like that they belong to the manusmade tribe, (it's how I feel about you!), and I want to give people who send me love some extra attention. It will be a great community of support with great content, contests, and discounts too! As I create tutorials and bonus products (like helping people "get out of their heads and into their hands") those bonuses will go out to people who have subscribed.
• and again, make more items!

So, last week I told you about one of the lines of products that will be introduced in the shop - the Textural line. These are household goodies that play with texture, shape, and patterns. The second line that will be in the shop is the Text line.

The Text line is a line of goodies for your home that, you guessed it, play with Text. Words and phrases will be blockprinted onto tea towels, aprons, pillows, coasters, etc. I am really excited about this line as it lets me play in a different way - it lets me be flirty and dorky at the same time.

I've always loved a good pun, especially one that involves a little bedroom humour (*blush*). I crack up at the silliest play on words. I bust a gut laughing at my own jokes. And I know there are lots of you out there who are like this too. This line is for you.

These goodies will be story-driven. The descriptions in the shop will be very short narratives (ie, one paragraph) that tell you the back story for the phrase that appears on the pillow or apron. You'll meet the characters, you'll get to see them interact, they'll flirt a bit, you'll blush, and basically everyone will have fun enjoying those little moments in life that shine.

There will also be a group of items under this line that are perfect for those who are new to housekeeping. I like to think of these as the "instructional" line, as they do just that - they help a domestically-challenged soul figure it all out in one easy step: "This is a coaster"; "This is an apron"; "This is a napkin". You get the point, and hopefully, so will they! For example, you will want to give these to:

• a university student - you are so proud of your son for getting that engineering scholarship! But, you also know that he has No Clue when it comes to Being In The Kitchen. This line will help him out.
• someone moving out of the nest - you love your dear daughter! You're so happy she's moving out for the first time! But, you also understand that she needs a little help in the domestic arts. This line will help her out.
• a divorcé - Poor Joe across the road. His wife just left him. What a sad sap. Maybe one of the reasons she left is because he didn't help out around the house? Give him a head start in his new relationship by guiding him through the stuff he'll now be using every day.

What do you think? Are you as excited as I am? I hope so!