Holy Crud!

Look at me! I'm blogging two days in a row! Woo-hoo! I managed to squeeze in a small photo shoot yesterday--in between wiping a screaming, snotty, chapped face and promising that, yes, Pinocchio WILL turn back into a boy from a donkey if they'd just GO WATCH THE MOVIE. There are days where some cosmic force is telling you to just give it up. Because now it's raining. WTH? So listing today are little hedgie and donut pincushions. Perfect for stockings or that person who sews and MAKES everything and is so superior about it. Oh wait, that's me.

On a related note (related meaning cynical and crabby), I've just discovered the Knock Knock folks have started a blog. I want to be friends with these people so bad I could stalk them. Personally, I want the entire collection of Self-Hurt books for Christmas. Spread the joy, people.

Post Show Hangover

It was a three day affair at the Davis Art Center Holiday Show--kind of like running a marathon while sitting down. That's how tired and sore I feel. I really can't complain, though. What's not to love about meeting etsy friends in person, making new ones and getting some "grown-up" time to myself? I'd be lying if I said my hubby wasn't a little relieved to head off to work today after having munchkin duty morning to night. As for me, I may or may not get out of my sweats and take a shower. Right now I'm pretty happy eating toffee for breakfast...

I will be listing lots of stuff for the shop this week--ASAP because I know most people are finishing up their holiday shopping (well, some of us haven't really started). Lots of small handmade love to round out your list.

Thanks again for the booth kudos at DAC (I'll be back next year!) and a big holla out to my in-laws and hubby for the food, potty breaks, caffeine and endless kid trips to the park in the bitter cold. You guys are so rad. Now, back to the toffee.

Get Made & Fall Thrifting

Hello...yes, it's been a while. I know that after about a week, most people just quit checking my blog. And that's okay..I'm down with it. Maybe they'll stumble upon it later and be pleasantly surprised. I am not a great photographer. And it doesn't even occur to me to take pictures when I'm outside. I figure that most people are a little weary of the perfectly lit Fall blog pictures or photos of what's for breakfast. Okay, maybe it's just me. I'll leave those up to someone else with a better eye and a much better camera.

But if you're in the mood for pictures of *stuff*, then here we are. My booth at Get Made Holiday--absolutely stacked, stuffed and over-flowing. Too bad the rain discouraged most people from coming. We had fun standing around (no room for chairs!) and chatting the night away. I had sore legs for about 4 days. Serious retail sales floor flashbacks. Later in the weekend, I got to chat it up with Melissa and Claire over stew. Delicious, perfectly scrumptious stew. All in all, it was a swell weekend.

On the way home from preschool, I ducked in the neighborhood thrift store and found a fun Fall-ish mushroom pitcher. It's way too grody for potable liquids, so it will have new life as a vase. The mushroom lid cracks me up. $4! Yay! There was a matching canister set, but alas, counterspace is at a premium in our house. Yes, the camera flash was on. I'm crazy like that.

Stocking up for Fall...

Handmade Parade was a great time. The weather was so perfectly Fall--not too hot or cold--with the light settling down so beautifully on all of us. Claire--you rock! What a great event! I was a little panicked because I, uh, thought it was on Sunday not Saturday--a very spacey mom-moment. My life is full of them these days. But I had a few hours to get my act together and a wonderful hubby to pick up the slack at home. My girls *adored* the stamp demo and came home with foam stamps and prints...hmm...I'm thinking Fall/Christmas cards. Kids' art is a perfect solution to any crafting dilemma. Thank you, Jen.

I managed to sell some things but have oodles left over for the Get Made Holiday show Nov. 10. It will be the perfect place to put a dent in your holiday shopping. All kinds of crafty and live music. Stop by!

I've been working on cards to accompany my sewn items at my upcoming shows. Up until now, I've only had a few selections in my goody-goody shop (it's pitiful!) but I busted out the lino cutter and got down to business. It feels good to switch gears every once and a while. Above are my little tags, all lined up and ready to be packaged. So cute, so quiet, so obedient. The perfect children...

I have been wanting to put up a picture of my studio space (space meaning the 4X6' area I carved out of the toy room) but it's never looking Martha. I give up--here it is in all it's crafting glory. As you can tell, I'm very good at making fabric stacks. Putting together yummy sandwiches to be turned into dollies, bags, scarves, aprons and the like. Sometimes I just stack them for no reason other than to look at them. Yes, I am that odd. When people come to visit, they refuse to stay in this room for fear an avalanche of fabric will fall on them while they sleep. If it were me, I would die happy, the last words from my mouth: "Heather Ross, Denyse Schmidt...Superbuzzy..."

Well, off to do some thrifting. A cup of coffee and a thrift store on a Fall day. Heaven.

Everyone Loves a Parade

Come one, come all! It's going to be such fun. There are going to be great demos and kit classes offered by fellow Craft Mafia gals. We were laughing up a storm at last night's meeting. For two hours, I felt like a giggly, silly high-schooler again. Wish I could bottle that stuff...sometimes being a responsible adult isn't freaking fun. I enjoyed chatting with Melissa, who I probably sat next to in college but didn't know it and the uber-talented Missy who knows my close friend Cheryl. Sometimes this world seems so small and cozy! Pass on the Handmade Parade info and you could win a darling little giveaway from Claire, our wonderful event organizer. I need to go find more batteries for my wireless mouse..sometimes technology can be a drag!

Have a great day, wherever you are.

Aaah...now that's good reading

Hi there. It's here--my IKEA 2008 catalog. Eye candy that lowers my blood pressure by just flipping through its pages. Yes, most of the items haven't changed, but I don't care. It's colorful. Happy. Clean. It inspires me to pare down, think creatively and makes me believe my house can be anything I want, even on a budget. And the little walking hobo screw guy on their website? I could watch him all day, he's so cute. My husband said "Aha! Now I know where all the missing screws go." I guess his reputation proceeds him. Poor little guy. I'd run away, too. Find some nice flathead friends...

nice people finish first

It's been ages since I've blogged. I took a little break for personal reasons--things in life seemed to be shaking, cracking and falling apart. But after a rough two weeks and a few good crying sessions (the kind where your diaphram hurts the next day), I feel like poking my head back out of my cave. And what do I find? My dear friend Cheryl nominated me for a nice award! She's such a sweetie..a REAL nice person herself--honest, loyal and romantic. She once made me trudge back through the huge Target parking lot with her because she was UNDER-charged for something (I believe we were both pregnant at the time). She's that good. If anyone could bring me out of my funk, it's her. Thanks, hon!

Now I need to give myself a good, stiff slap across the face and get moving! I'm very excited to be a part of this year's Handmade Parade in Sacramento. It will be filled to the brim with cuteness, must-haves and crafty demos. I can't wait to make new stuffies to go with my wee mice (which are now gone..but they'll be multiplying). I was super-ecstatic-happy to have made the etsy home page over the weekend. Thank you to those kind souls that informed me of such, since weekends are usually spent far away from the computer. The oodles of convos in my inbox should have given me a clue!

Thank you for reading. And I hope you have a great day, wherever you are.