Don’t Panic : P
I’m in full lock down mode now. My first show is this Friday, and I feel no where near prepared. Then my next show is the following Sunday. And I’m even less prepared for that one. That means no blogging, no listing, just sewing and ironing. This makes me a bad blogger, I’m sure, but I feel safe in my knowledge that there are far worse bloggers out there.
Anyone got a working hot tub they want to lend me on the 10th?
You’ll Have a Blue Christmas…
…without these. I suppose it would be an extra blue Christmas with them, too. At any rate, avoid the mess of stores tomorrow, and do your handmade shopping online at Etsy.
Featured artists today are: dbabcock, brodyshawglass, flutter, TheLolaCollection, MichelleBrusegaard, derisorydesigns, littleput, UNEARTHED, OrangePeelEnamel, leavesofglass, stacyhandmade, livefunky, HCKCrafts, WoodcraftsandCandles, valeriesgalery, and luchaworkshop.
Artist Spotlight: Ceruleanblue
I have no idea how I found myself in Ceruleanblue’s Etsy shop a few days ago, but it was love at first sight. I do know that I was trying to find Christmas gifts for other people and I ended up finding things I wanted to keep all to myself.
Case in point:
Everything about this shop is clean. Her colors are soft and refreshing. The photos are impeccable. The descriptions are concise and to the point. Every item made in her “south-facing sunroom” (jealous!!) makes me wish I had a house to fill with this lovely pottery.
I mean come on:
I have absolutely no use for a spouted pourer… But I need it!
Saving the world, one word at a time…
I stumbled upon a new website this morning, and it’s making it really hard for me to work. The word freak in me embraces this site for the workout it gives my brain. The bleeding heart liberal in me likes it because it’s for a great cause. It’s win, win. And it’s supported by Snopes.
What I’m trying to say is check out FreeRice. I should warn you, though: it’s a little on the addictive side.
On stripping and slouching
As a kid, I spent summer time and winter break religiously watching Aleene’s Creative Living. The genius behind Tacky Glue was my first exposure to Friendly Plastic and the Print Gocco. I remember trying to make a tacky glue and white bread clay to frame a tiger paint by number I made. Trying was the operative word, though Aleene swore it would work. I made jewelry with Friendly Plastic. I still fantasize about the Gocco, but I have no graphic design skills, so I don’t even bother dreaming much anymore (mom always said no… who knows how different I would be now if she’d gotten me one).
But one thing that I still remember Aleene promoting was a posture belt. As a kid I had no idea what spending hours slumped over your craft could do to your back, but I still kept this image in my mind. And now that I have been growing increasingly aware of my humpback over the last few years, this memory is growing more and more prominent in my head. So a couple days ago I decided to do something about it. I bought myself a posture belt. I’m still waiting for it to come in the mail, but I’m really quite excited about it. I hope that it actually works, and doesn’t just leave me uncomfortable. I hope I can wait out the awkward adjustment period, where my muscles get retrained to how they are supposed to rest. I will probably be tempted to wear it everywhere I go. I’m okay with that.
In half-related news (sewing), I have adopted a new technique for batch sewing. It’s a variation on the stripping technique quilters use. Instead of sewing and cutting all my headbands loose from the machine after each one, I have started leaving the thread attached and starting a new headband. What I end up with is this crazy prayer flag looking thing, but I only have to do one big batch of sewing and then one big batch of cutting. It seems so much smoother. So smooth, in fact, that I have to wonder why I didn’t think of this before.
And now, I must iron. I’ve got eight headbands to finish before work.
That’s… what I want!
Okay, the song is about money, and yes, I would like that; but today I’m talking about my favorite Etsy find of the moment. I have started revamping my favorite item list for my new shop, so hopefully there are still some things that haven’t sold! The only thing I really want for Christmas is a website, but I have a new love of screenprinted tees, so I would settle for some of those.
Circularaccessories has long been a favorite printer of mine. I particularly like the simplicity of this design. I feel very attracted to line drawings; they’re clean, uncluttered, pure. Plus, this tee is organic, which is not something I necessarily hunt down, but I can feel good about it when I find it, right?
The week is mixed up: Treasury!
I fell in love with this treasury, called Le Cabinet Noir, by NicsPics the second I saw it.
To be honest… I really didn’t look at the photographs. The treasury as a whole had such an impact. It reminds me of a well organized fabric wall. When the colors blend together to create a rainbow that at once relaxes and excites. It’s bright and colorful, but ordered and contained. It’s all that could be right in the world.
I can’t organize worth shit. But I can put fabric in place according to the color wheel; NicsPics clearly can too. While it seems like it should be easy to “sing a rainbow,” if my coworkers and customers are any indication… It’s not.
Remember.. To view a seller’s work, enter http://%5Busername%5D.etsy.com into your browser.
Artist Spotlight: UglyKitty
“Ugly never looked so good!”
That’s what greets each visitor to UglyKitty’s Etsy shop. I think it’s false advertising. I haven’t seen one ugly thing in her shop–and that includes Quasi, the “ugly kitty” in question.
Quasi helps raise money for shelter cats at Cool Cat’s Rescue Center, a No-Kill adoption center in Annapolis. When you “purchase” a donation from UglyKitty’s shop, you receive an uber cute pin as a thank you.
When Quasi’s mommy (sorry, can’t find a name–anyone?) isn’t saving the world one kitty at a time, she’s making pretty awesome stuff: cards, magnets, jewelry, housewares, pillows… I can’t decide what I like more
OR
Whether you’re looking for a “halo adjustment” (her words), or a file box to keep all your addresses and business cards, UglyKitty’s shop is quite possibly one of the warmest of warm fuzzies on Etsy.
Production Slow Down
There’s nothing quite as disappointing as being very gung ho about sewing, only to break your favorite (and pretty essential) tool on the first item.
For awhile I’ve been singing the praises of Clover’s Easy Loop Turner. Today mine snapped, leaving it completely useless. I love it so much, I have two sets. Unfortunately, I have no idea where my second set is, so I had to use my Dritz Loop Turner. Quite frankly, I have never been quiet about my disdain of Dritz tools and notions. Everything breaks or doesn’t do what it’s supposed to do. The Dritz Loop Turner turns loops… Yes. But not without creating a hole at the edge of your fabric.
Holes in the fabric are all fine and dandy if the edge of the fabric is going to be covered, but let’s face it: sometimes, like in the case of my headbands, it’s not. Now I need to go in search of a third tool–one that doesn’t poke holes, one that doesn’t snap under pressure. Sooner than later–I have quite a few headbands to make, and that’s a lot of turning.
Wow… Just wow…
I’m not sure I should make a list of all the reasons I hate the United States Postal Service. No, hate is way too strong a word. I’m very frustrated on a regular basis with USPS. Tonight I found a reason to be pretty… um… angry with them. I sew. I make things. They are handmade, and they are made in my home, so I consider them homemade.
When I’m in a pinch, I make cards. Normally I buy my cards on Etsy, but I don’t always remember, you know? And when I make these cards, they are very homemade. They often include scribbles made with markers and my really poor handwriting. If the recipient is lucky, they get a stamped image. And you know what? People claim to like them. I don’t care if they’re lying; IT’S A FREAKING CARD. It will get thrown away eventually (if not by the recipient, by whomever has the fortune of dealing with their estate).
But still… A flash ad running on the USPS website has caused an uproar in the Etsy community. I will leave you with the exact image to ponder, but I suggest that if you feel so driven, you should contact USPS and tell them how sucky they are.
Danger Kitty Designs: The Blog 