MY STORY
The first time I retired from teaching elementary school I rewarded myself with a fancy, embroidery sewing machine. I barely knew how to thread it when my daughter-in-law asked me to sew the preschool emblem on my granddaughter's school uniforms. I had to learn to use the machine quickly, but I managed to sew the design on all of the clothing. I only had to replace one shirt...oops!
The second time I retired, I bought myself a Cricut as a retirement gift. I signed up for classes to learn how to use it and experimented with different projects. I liked working with paper so I made a variety of greeting cards for parents of singletons, twins and higher order multiples. I opened my Etsy shop, Grandma B's Studio, in late 2020 with a line of hand-made greeting cards.
I became intrigued by the idea that vinyl could be ironed onto different materials, so I branched out with little plaques for grandparents and flour sack towels for Halloween decor. Eventually I was asked to make baby gifts by an organization that I belong to. I designed a line of burp cloths and bibs, with patterns that I iron on.
When my second grandson was born I decided to pull out the sewing machine and make him a black and white mobile out of felt. Infants cannot see color, but they can focus on black and white images. The mobile was such a hit that I began making them to sell in my Etsy shop.
The third and final time that I retired, I didn't make any big purchases, but I did sign up for another class. This one was to learn how to make printable items to sell in my shop. I learned how to use templates that I modify and personalize to make everything from holiday games to digital planners. These items can also be found in my shop.
After all of my experimenting, I have finally decided to focus on a variety of printables, from coloring pages to holiday games and activities to help adults dealing with memory issues.
Check my shop often, since you never know what my next class will be!
