Jingle Bash Recap #1

Mom and I had a wonderful time at Jingle Bash. It was unbelievably crowded when we arrived at straight-up 1:00 that we decided to grab lunch before heading in. Neither of us know Dallas well, but we soon determined that the area surrounding the show -- Deep Ellum -- had lots of food offerings. We selected Lemongrass. The food was tasty, but the service was iffy. We ended up waiting more than 15 minutes to order because the waiter struck up a conversation with one of the three other tables there for 10 minutes or more. Not cool, dude.

Anyway, after we finished eating, we made the short drive back to the Sons of Hermann Hall. The place was packed! We each did our part to support handmade this year by buying a few gifts for others and plenty for ourselves, too. I'm going to unleash it on you in small doses. First up is my new purse from the wonderful Rachel Elise. Have I mentioned I'm really into trees lately?

Check out the lovely lining (and proof that I've already put it to use).

Seriously, the tree is just precious.

Next up is my new headband from Enju.

She explained that the embellishment is all-natural, Texas-grown cotton that she hand-dyed. Neat, huh? Of course, this post wouldn't be complete without a silly picture of me modeling the headband, now would it?

And now we have my cute new cardigan embellished by Midnight Snack.

It's partly sunny on my chest today! Wait, does that sound weird? Probably not as weird as I actually am.

I'll send some more your way after I return from Louisiana!

Trading for crafty holiday goods

We all love to give beautiful, unique, handmade goods for the holidays whenever we can. However, it's hard to find the time and energy to make 50 knit sweaters -- plus, does everyone in your family really want a variation on the same item? That's where the amazing, gorgeous gal that is my dear friend Holly of HollyRocks steps in this year with her 2009 Hollyday Tradeoff. Do you want to trade with other crafters for amazing gifts this year? Then head over to her blog post and fill out the requested information. If you want to trade with me, you can comment here or convo me on Etsy.

Let's get trading!

I'm featured!

I was featured recently in a post by Claudia's Burning Ink! Claudia recently ventured into reconstructing clothes, and I bought an adorable tee-turned-tank from her a couple of weeks ago. Wanna see absolutely ridiculous pictures of me modeling it? Check out the blog post to enjoy.

By the way, Claudia's shirt is adorable and fits amazingly well. Keep an eye out for more like it!

Take my poll!

Blue Dome was fun, though it wasn't nearly as profitable as last year according to most sellers. I'm sure the economy -- and Friday's wind-tastic weather -- is mostly to blame, though it's always a little disappointing. For all the gory details, go check out this post by Hollyrocks (whose coverage, by the way, more than rocks.)


Since I'm taking a little craft-showin' break, I'm trying to reevaluate what I sell at these events. What better way, I thought, than to ask all of you? So, if you wouldn't mind taking just a second to respond to the poll at the top right of the page, I'd greatly appreciate it. Bonus: If you respond and then leave me a comment of any kind, I'll enter you in a chance to win some Grey Eye Designs goodies. Ooo! Contest will run now through May 29 at 5 p.m. Happy voting and commenting!

Blue Dome!

It's the start of the big, Blue-Domed weekend. As we speak, my cohorts in the Tulsa Craft Mafia are getting our booth ready to go. I'm headed over on lunch to do some more helping, but I won't be around much today. I still encourage everyone to go out tonight and enjoy the sunshine. If you're the brave, dedicated type, come back tomorrow for shopping in the rain. It'll be a fun, magical experience -- I promise!

After you say hello to us Mafiose in booths 104 and 105, go by booth 55 to see Sara and JD, the Deluxe directors. Make sure to buy lots of goodies from everyone to support the local economy and your favorite indie crafters, too!

I'll see you at 1st and Elgin!

Deluxe weekend

I rose early Saturday morning all full of Deluxe anticipation. I got ready, loaded the car, and awaited the arrival of lovely Miss Holly. We were well on our way to arrive by 10:00 when the rain started. With the rain came the stupids. I was driving the stretch of I-44 around Chandler where the number of lanes goes from two to one. Cars waited until the last minute to get over (not me, of course!), and suddenly the vehicle in front of me slams on his/her brakes. It had been raining just long enough for things to be a nice, slick mess of oil and water, so I was sure I wouldn't stop in time. By some miracle, I managed to slam on my brakes, swerve a little to the right, and stop inches short of Doofus's car. I couldn't believe I hadn't caused an accident. The car behind me followed my lead but swerved slightly left. I sighed. I didn't think I'd get out of that without hitting or being hit. Suddenly, I heard a slam, and then another, and another, and, as I watched the truck that was now behind me still moving, I felt a tap on the left side of my rear bumper. Erg! I was so miffed. I could see him in my rearview mirror not slowing down for whatever reason, but I was sure he'd notice me there at some point. Nope!

I debated whether or not I would stop. I knew that was the right thing to do, but dammit, I wanted to get us to Deluxe! My conscience won over, so I pulled off the right side of the highway at about 9:15. I went back to talk to everyone else, make sure there were no injuries, and piece everything together. Everyone was really nice and understanding, and nobody was hurt, thank goodness. The boy (maybe 17) in the truck that hit me didn't even realize he had. I think he might have been in shock. The truck at the very end was smashed, but the people inside were totally fine. All in all, the accident involved two cars, three pick-up trucks, and a mini-van. Does it surprise anyone that the two of us who managed not to hit anyone were the cars? Anyway, I surveyed my own damage and didn't see enough to worry about, but I decided to wait for the police any way. It took them an hour, I think, to get there. The officer who showed was incredibly nice and told me I didn't need to stay. As we began to leave, my battery wouldn't start! I was a little freaked and totally ticked off at this point. The combination of the cold rain and the hazard lights drained it right down. The wrecker wasn't able to jump me, so we waited another 45 minutes for AAA. Miraculously, the charge box got my car moving again in seconds. That was a huge relief. We then got back on the road and made it to the location at 11:45 -- 15 minutes before the show started!

Photo of our booth, shamelessly stolen from Holly here.

Other than the car debacle of the morning, it was a good day. The show wasn't all that profitable, but it was a lot of fun. I sold my first body scrub, so yay! I also got to meet some sellers I've spoken with online but had never met in person. Also, there is one good thing about a show at which I don't sell very much: I have plenty of stock for my next one! This weekend, I'll be selling at the Blue Dome Arts Festival. I expect December Deluxe this year to be awesome like last year's, so you'll definitely see me there.

I hope your weekend was far less eventful than mine. :)

Featured EtsyBlogger: DesignByNora

The Blogger of the Month for the EtsyBloggers Team is DesignByNora! She is a wonderful team member who is unendingly supportive of the team and each member. Nora took it upon herself to do tons of updates on the team message board, and she's always an active participant.



In addition, she sells some lovely items in her Etsy shop! She makes adorable polymer clay stud earrings. This pair is probably my favorite:

Aren't they sweet? She also sells lovely leather purses and belts made by her uncle.

Now go support Nora by reading her blog and looking through her store!

Eco-friendly goodies

I don't know what it is exactly -- maybe the economy, my increasingly guilty conscience, Swap-O-Rama-Rama, or something else entirely. All I know is that I've been eager to live a more environmentally conscious life lately. I'm a pretty moral shopper. I avoid sweatshop-reliant companies and buy local and handmade when possible. However, I don't recycle, compost, or use too many reusable products. I have (and love!) a Klean Kanteen, clean with baking soda and cider vinegar when possible, and keep a bowl and silverware at work. Otherwise, though, I have Ziplocs, chemical-laden cleaners, and rolls of paper towels in my pantry, and I'm ready to make a change.

As soon as I again have money in my checking account (where does it go?), I want to purchase one of these great lunch kits from Glue and Glitter, an awesome seller out of Atlanta.

It comes with a handmade lunchbag, an aluminum kit, reusable utensils, and cloth napkins.

I also want to switch to reusable snack bags and banish the zipper-top plastic ones forever. Etsy has tons of them. I think this one by BRAIESHA BAGS is too much fun.

Evelyn Fields also makes some adorable ones. Check out the Paris-themed cuties.

My toiletries, well, are still a work in progress. I recently switched to Deva Care Low-Poo Cleanser and Desert Essence Thoroughly Clean Face Wash, but I know I can do better. On Green Upgrader, Becky of Glue and Glitter did a post on making your own dry shampoo. I have pretty oily hair, so this is something I've been a little scared to try. However, I think I'll give it a go this weekend. We'll see how I do!

My other big project forthcoming is container gardening. I've done herbs once before, but I'm branching out this year into veggies as well. The plan for the moment is a few pots with combinations of basil, thyme, parsley, two kinds of tomatoes (cherries and something larger), carrots, radishes, leaf lettuce, and possibly squash, strawberries and/or green beans. It will partly depend on what's available (and affordable) at Herb Day on Brookside. I can't wait to get started!

Crafty crush

One of the topics on the current EtsyBloggers Blog Carnival is to share with everyone an item from someone else's shop you love so much that you wish you'd thought of it first. I run across stuff on Etsy all the time I wish I could make, so I'm going to share with you all three things on my "Wish I'd Done That!" list. Since I make jewelry, I've decided to confine the list to that category. First is this wonderful Layered Keepsake Necklace from my friend GemsByEm:

This is such a great wedding or anniversary gift! I love how delicate and classic everything looks with the small silver discs and the old-style typeface. Next up is my friend Hollyrocks' way-too-awesome Rainbow bubbles pendant:

I don't even work with polymer clay, but this piece always makes me wish I did. It's so simple yet totally stunning. Someday, this will be mine! And finally, there is the whimsical, elegant work of LieblingDesigns. Her Bonita Necklace in particular caught my eye recently:

I love that the design is simple but still gorgeous and totally unique.

So now you know a few of my crafty crushes. Who are some of yours?

Blogger of the Month: donnapool

This month's featured EtsyBlogger is longtime member and all-around pile of awesome donnapool!

She is a multitalented artist and crafter. In her shop, you will find buttons, original photography, plush toys, and a few other things, too. Her love of vintage images and her beautiful eye for light and angles is evident in her unique creations.

In addition to being a talented lady, I'm also convinced she must be a juggler! In addition to being a great asset to the EtsyBloggers team, she also maintains her own blog and is a member of EtsyMoms, EtsyCREST, and CafeMom Etsy Moms! That's a lot on her plate. Donna is a wonderful member of the EtsyBloggers Team, and we're all grateful to have her around. She's always excellent at promoting the team and hanging out with us.

Thank you, donnapool, for all you do!

Rarr!!

I've decided to embrace the silliness and giddiness as much as I can today. Whenever possible, I'm not going to focus on my unemployed father and friends, my boyfriend's aunt's surgery, or the way the apartment complex is being bastardly to us. Instead, I'm going to think about yetis. Now you can, too.

The economy strikes again

The bad: Our local newspaper -- the one who laid me off almost a year ago with 17 of my colleagues -- just let 28 employees go, including my father. I still haven't found out about the rest of my friends in the newsroom. My dad was there more than 10 years. I hope he can find enough freelance gigs to add up to something. I also really, really hope they can afford health coverage for my siblings, both of whom need it.

The good: I found my perfect wedding band! Click here to bask in its beauty. Of course, I have no need for it at this time. I am madly in love with it, though. Maybe I should marry it!

Today, the bad wins, but hopefully tomorrow will be better.

All I want for Christmas ...

is peace, love, understanding, and all those goodies. Failing that, anything from this Etsy mini would be just lovely:





Have a safe and happy holiday to everyone, no matter what you celebrate!

My head is a garden

There's another flower perched lovingly atop my head today, and once again it came from Miss Sweetheartville.

See how festive this one is? I know you all love the goofy faces. :)

I just spent the last couple of hours preparing for our agency's holiday party. The food should arrive in 45 minutes. Woo hoo! We get out early today, too, so once I'm done chowing down, I'll be off to buy more gifts.

I hope you all have a loverly Friday!

I'm blooming!

I'm wearing a wonderful hair ornament made by Holly of Sweetheartville today. Isn't it the cutest?

She traded me it and a couple more for a pair of custom earrings. We had the Tulsa Craft Mafia holiday party last night, and Holly was one of our lovely guests. It looks like our group may be expanding. I think that sounds lovely.

Tonight I'm painting faces at a party for kids being thrown by my day job. I can make jewelry, but paint or draw? Not so much. I hope there won't be any mirrors for the kids to see themselves!

Handmade Tulsa Weekend Update

I dont have time for a big, full update this week, but there is one event I wanted to promote.



That's all I have time for this week. As always, if you know of any events promoting local artists and crafters, leave a comment with the info. Please make an effort to make at least some of your gifts locally made this year!

Come down to Ida Red, 3346 S. Peoria Ave., this Saturday between 3 and 11 p.m. for a wonderful holiday market! The event was organized by the store and Amby Barnes of The Knit Owl. Several local crafters will have items available for purchase, including gemstone and stamped jewelry by Gems By Emily M., fragrant soy candles by Such Pretty Things, adorable printed onesies by Klover Studio, rockin' jewelry by Holly Rocks, and wonderful bath products by Blue Turtle Soap. Of course, Ida Red's unique product line will also be available, including Tom's shoes, a billion flavors of soda pop, rock n' roll merchandise, and lots more. Local sirens Erin Austin, Joy & Day, and Fiawna Forte will provide wonderful, live entertainment starting at 8 p.m. For more information, call the store at 949-6950 or check out this Tulsa World article. Take a trip out to Brookside this weekend -- you won't be disappointed!

That's all I have time for this week. As always, if you know of any events promoting local artists and crafters, leave a comment with the info. Please make an effort to make at least some of your gifts locally made this year!

Luxe Deluxe

Deluxe was a big, wonderful, exciting success! I can't remember the last time I've had so much fun with fellow crafters, and it was certainly the best paced show I've ever done. I stayed incredibly busy, so this is the only photo I have. It's of my booth.

I would like a new tablecloth, but otherwise, I thought everything came together nicely. Behind me you can see Miss Sweetheartville herself and part of her booth. She won the best display award, which she totally deserved. If I could give an award for best personal styling, she'd get it, too. Can you see the awesomeness of her hair and outfit?

I feel lame that I have no other photos to present, but I seriously had no opportunity. The show went so well, and though I spent plenty of time chatting up booth neighbors Gems By Emily M., Claudias Burning Ink, and Klover Studio, wandering around was not much of an option. My mom came at one point, but she only relived me for about 15 minutes, at which time I did some shopping. I bought a gorgeous painting by Audrey Eclectic, a yeti from StelaBird, and holiday gifts from Chaos Into Art, Paper Lotus, and Weather and Noise.

Thank you to everyone who came to the show! Those who missed it can look forward to another installment in 2009. The directors are hoping to do a spring version. Check out the MySpace page for more information.

I'll do another update later announcing the winner of my giveaway, so check back soon.

Etsy finds

Happy Tofurkey Eve!

In honor of my favorite holiday friend, the pumpkin pie, here is an Etsy Mini of some wonderful handmade finds. They all have me excited to chow down on the sweet, spicy goodness!

Everything's coming up roses

...and other assorted plant life.

Yep, the cold weather has me down again. Be like me and choose to ignore it! You can have your very own spring with these bloomin' good items.

Twitter feature

If any of you are on Twitter (Twitterers? Twits? Twitterpated?), YarnCoture chose me as her featured Etsy seller of the day. Follow her here to see the updates, which will run sometime between noon and 1 p.m. today, Central time. If you miss them, you can still click on her profile to see what pieces in my shop she highlighted.

YarnCoture is such a sweetheart to do these weekday features. I'm so excited to be chosen for today. Check out her Etsy shop for unique crocheted and knitted items. Check out her hats in particular, modeled by one of her adorable children!

Thank you again, YarnCoture!