Deluxe!

Tomorrow is the Deluxe Indie Craft Bazaar in Oklahoma City! Please come find me. I'll be sharing space with the uber-awesome Tulsa Craft Mafia, so you know our booth with be chock-full of goodies. I'm driving up with the wonderful Hollyrocks, which is going to be so fun. Here are the show details once again:

What: Deluxe Indie Craft Bazaar
When: Noon to 6 p.m. Saturday, May 9, 2009
Where: Centennial Building, State Fairgrounds, Oklahoma City
Cost: FREE FREE FREE!
Details: www.deluxeok.net for more info

I better see you all there! :)

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.

Deluxe is TOMORROW!

We are now less than 24 hours from the amazingness that will be the Deluxe Indie Craft Bazaar!

Have you already made plans to attend? If you live any where near OKC, it will be worth the drive -- I promise! The line-up of crafters and artists is phenomenal. Where else can you buy marble rings, wood-burned photo frames, bracelets woven on an inkle loom, and a Keep Tulsa Crafty T-shirt all created by hot, sexy, Okie ladies? Nowhere, I tell you! Nowhere! Make your plans now to be at the Farmers Public Market, 311 S. Klein Ave., sometime between 11 a.m. and 7 p.m. Bring the whole family because there will be something there for everyone.

I'll see you at Deluxe!

The opening

The opening of "Handmade Tales: Gifts and Trinkets by the Tulsa Craft Mafia" was last night. I had such a wonderful time. Now you can enjoy it, too! (Click on photos for a larger view)







Here's the whole set-up. From far left is Holly's section, then mine, Christine's, Amby's, and Tara's. Oh, the cuteness!

Here's a close-up of my section and a glorious photo of me in front of my stuff. The lighting wasn't the best.

Grey made a grumpy face just for fun. I took a picture, and now I will spread it around the Internet. Bwah ha ha! We also enjoyed hot chocolate. Yum!

It was fun to hang with the Mafia ladies, their respective gentlemen, and some of the lovely people who attended. My former boss and an old friend from high school came. It was so nice of them! I certainly didn't expect it. Emily, the boss from my last job, even bought my corn earrings. On my lunch break today, I have to run out there to replace them. Woo hoo!

If you couldn't make the opening last night, you can still check out the show throughout the month of December. Just come by The Collective at 11th and just west of Harvard to get in on the fun!

Handmade Tulsa Weekend Update

Shake off that turkey (or tofurkey) hangover with some wonderful arts activities this Thursday through Sunday! This will be a great weekend for supporting local indie artists. The area is full of great opportunities, so don't miss out!

Thursday
Handmade Tales at The Collective! Come out for the opening reception of "Handmade Tales," a monthlong exhibition and sale of goods produced by the Tulsa Craft Mafia. Five local crafters -- Weather and Noise, HollyRocks, The Knit Owl, My Little Gnomies, and (me) Grey Eye Designs -- will have handmade items on display through the end of December at The Collective, 3148 E. 11th St., across from TU. What a great opportunity to drink great coffee and enjoy some local art!

Black Mesa Vs Live4This! Come to Liggett Studio at 3rd St. and Kenosha Ave. for art "honoring the roots of Tulsa's creative culture." The opening runs from 8 to 11 p.m. tonight, which special guests DJ Moody & Little Chairs providing entertainment. The show will be up throughout the month of December. For more information, go to the Web site.

Friday
Rock City: Portraits of Tulsa Musicians 2007-2008! Tulsa photographer Jeremy Charles will have a showing of his works featuring local musicians, including The Red Alert, Jesse Aycock, Ghosts, American Idol David Cook, (my personal favorite) Annie Ellicott, and tons more. The exhibit will be held at Shades of Brown Coffee & Art, 3302 S. Peoria Ave. Get there between 6 and 7:30 p.m. for the official opening. Jeremy Charles' work has been featured in area publications. To learn more about the artist, go to his Web site.

The Tulsa United Film Festival! The festival opens Friday night at the Circle Cinema, 10 S. Lewis Ave, and runs all weekend. According to the Web site, "The festival’s focus is to bring together talented filmmakers from diverse backgrounds, thus creating a 'United' showcase of creative energy and talent." This will be the sixth year of the film fest. The first showing -- Dirty Country, about Larry Pierce, "America's raunchiest country music singer" -- begins at 7:15. Saturday's showings begin at 8:00 p.m., and Sunday's first film begins at 6:15 p.m. All showings are preceded by short films. An all-access pass getting you into all films is $24, with each movie costing $8 when viewed separately. Day passes are also available. For show times and more ticket information, visit the Web site.

Spexton Jewelry Trunk Show at Dwelling Spaces! Come to Dwelling Spaces, 119 S. Detroit Ave., between 4 and 8 p.m. to check out unique, handmade silver jewelry! Spexton Jewelry is a Tulsa-based company specializing in unique, handmade bracelets, rings, and necklaces. Their store is located at 823 E. 3rd St.

Saturday
Deluxe Indie Craft Bazaar! This totally handmade event will feature crafters from around the state helping to offer you an alternative to the mall. Though the event is in Oklahoma City, it is still the place to be this holiday season for indie, locally produced items. Taking place from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. in Oklahoma City's Farmers Public Market, 311 S. Klein Ave., the show will feature many artists from Tulsa -- including href="http://audreyeclectic.etsy.com">Audrey Eclectic, Gems By Emily M., and four members of the Tulsa Craft Mafia -- as well as the rest of Oklahoma. There will also be photos with Santa from noon to 2 p.m., food to purchase, costume contests, free crafts for kids, and more entertainment options. Plus, admission is free. Check out the Deluxe Web site for more information.

Darnaby Arts & Crafts Show! Can't make it to OKC? There are still handmade goodies to be found in the Tulsa area this weekend. Check out the Darnaby Arts & Crafts Show at Union Intermediate High School, 7616 S. Garnett Road (technically in Broken Arrow). Now in its 27th year, this event will feature 150 booths of local artists and crafters. Three members of the Tulsa Craft Mafia will (wo)man a booth featuring items from all members. Admission is free, and there will be door prizes. Proceeds from booth fees will benefit Darnaby Elementary in the Union district. Stop by the I-High between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. to get it on the goodies.

Carols and Crumpets! If you're staying in Tulsa this weekend, head over to Carols and Crumpets at the Tulsa Garden Center, 2435 S. Peoria Ave. Between 8 a.m. and 3 p.m., guests of the Tulsa Herb Society event can enjoy items created by artists from a four-state area, live caroling from the Renaissance ensemble, and lunch for purchase between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. Handmade items for sale include items for the garden and kitchen, beautiful pottery by Cindy Walker, and body care items. If someone on your list loves gardening and home decor pieces, this is an event not to miss! Admission is free.

Sunday
Cascia Hall Christmas Walk and Holiday Market! Sunday brings a big dose of Christmas thanks to Cascia Hall Preparatory School, 2520 S Yorktown Ave. The walk takes you on a tour of midtown homes decked with boughs of holly. Meanwhile, the school gymnasium will feature handmade items, gift baskets, poinsettias, and more from local vendors. Lunch and performances by the school choir will also take place. Tickets are $10 for the tour and free to attend the holiday market. Come by for the festivities between 11 a.m. and 4 p.m. Tickets are available the day of the event.


As you can see, the weekend is teeming with chances to buy handmade, support local artists, and get in the holiday spirit. I hope you can find time to check out some of these wonderful events! If you know of any other events like these, let me know about it in the comments.

Weekend overview

Well, it was a good -- though bordering on too-long -- weekend. Just because I feel like it, I'll do a backwards update.

Sunday -- I had the All Souls Arts and Crafts Fair in the morning and early afternoon. I was worried that the economic problems would reign in profits, but I was pleasantly surprised. In fact, I made $50 more this year than last year. I owe it in part to my ProPay account. One very nice woman made a good-size order from me using her Visa card. How wonderful! I'll have to be better about advertising my credit-card-taking capabilities in the future. I had fun hanging with Kaity, though she was absolutely silent. Grey and my mom each bought a piece from her, so she walked out with $25. Woo hoo! In the evening, I made more stuff, trimmed and washed the dog, and watched TV.

Saturday -- We set up for the show at 10 a.m. Everything looked lovely. I forgot my camera, so you'll have to take my word for it. After, Grey and I had lunch at Ri Le -- yum! I can't ever turn that place down. It's the best Vietnamese food I've ever had, and it might be Tulsa's tastiest treat. Later, my mom came over, and we chitchatted for a while. I was fairly early to bed that night.

Friday -- The day brought Part II of his family's visit. They are such lovely people. I enjoy being with Grey's relatives because they lack my family's crazy factor. They are normal. It's so weird. :) Anyway, we celebrated his dad and little sister's birthdays with pizza, eggnog cake (which I artfully avoided), and a few games of dominoes. The best part was watching his impatient grandmother bang on his aunt's door with rollers in her hair. Most excellent.

Thursday -- Feast Day, so they say. After a Thanksgiving-related meltdown, I pulled myself together well enough to enjoy Part I of his family. I ate a decent amount, but I've found that being vegetarian forces me to limit myself somewhat. I did enjoy Grey's vegetarian stuffing/dressing, the broccoli-cheese dish, and rolls, of course. His goofy family doesn't do pumpkin pie, though, so I've yet to eat any this year. Later in the evening, we whipped everyone else at Trivial Pursuit. We are no longer allowed to be on the same team. Too bad.

So that was my time off from work. It was not relaxing, but it was largely enjoyable. Now I am back in high gear to prepare for Saturday's Deluxe Indie Craft Bazaar. As much as I love craft shows, I can't wait to have relaxation time come December 7!

How was your long weekend?

Publicity!

Check out this great article in the City Sentinel Online about the Deluxe Indie Craft Bazaar coming your way December 6. Yours truly, in addition to about 40 other amazing vendors, will be there a-sellin'. It's going to be the handmade event of December, so be there!

While we're on the subject, I'm doing a show at my church on Sunday. Yep, it's the first show I ever did, so this weekend will mark my first anniversary on the craft-fair circuit. How fun. My stepsister, Kaity, will be there with me selling a few jewelry items she has. If you're in the area, come to All Souls Unitarian Church, 2952 S. Peoria Ave., between 9 a.m. and 2 p.m. to buy some fantastic handmade goods. The artists who sell there are spectacular. There will only be about 20 or so, but I've been to far larger shows with nowhere near the quality of this show. If you can, come. If not, there will be pictures, so fret not.

Oh, and Happy Thanksgiving to you all! I have family plans in about four hours, but until them, I'm PJed out and enjoying the quiet apartment. :)

Weak weekend

Last Saturday was a craft fair at Centennial Middle School in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma. This was the worst show for us Craft Mafia ladies to date -- at least since I've been involved. Sales were really bad, and there weren't even very many lookers. The people who did the best were the multi-level marketing folks with the Silpada, Avon, etc. Too bad. I thought our booth looked great. See?

Everything, minus Tara's clothes rack, which went against the table on the far left. Here's my stuff:

Do you see the cuteness of the banner? Crazy people not buying our awesome wares. I'm sure our show was affected by An Affair of the Heart that was happening in Tulsa. For those readers not from Oklahoma, An Affair of the Heart is one of those country-kitschy shows that takes place in our expo center/fairgrounds. Most stuff -- probably 90% -- is not handmade, though shoppers tend to assume it is. It's basically the bane of most local artists' existences. I've even heard stories of friends picking up stuff from the show called handmade that had a big ol' "made in China" sticker on the bottom. Not cool, bro. I don't detract from the show itself, but I hate that people think it's handmade.

Anyway, the show was still fun because I got to hang out with some lovely ladies plus Tara's beautiful baby boy. He's my best friend now. Plus, I cheered myself up Sunday with this amazing $.50 ring. Bask in its glory:

Will you Mary me? (I can hear you laughing!)

Handmade Tulsa Weekend Update

Good morning, fellow Tulsans!

I know everyone is starting to gear up for the holiday season, so I wanted to share some great ways to spend more of your dollars locally and on handmade goods. Buying locally produced goods allows you to give one-of-a-kind gifts, stimulate the local economy, and help the environment by eliminating the long commute mass-produced items make to get to you. For more information on the benefits of buying handmade, click here.

The Tulsa community has tons of great opportunities to support local, independent artists this season, and you have several chances this weekend.

Thursday
Knit with The Knit Owl at Ida Red! Whether you're an accomplished knitter or a total novice, come by Ida Red Boutique, 3346 S. Peoria Ave., tonight at 7:30. Amby of The Knit Owl will be there to craft alongside others and even teach newbies the basics. It's totally free, and there will be cupcakes! Come make a holiday present of your own, and while you're there, check out some of the great, handmade goods for sale at the boutique.

Friday
Autumn Arts Fest! Riverfield Country Day School, 2433 W. 61st St., will host local crafters from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. during its family preview day. There is a small admission fee to benefit the school. Shop for great things made by local crafters, including Christine of Weather and Noise and Such Pretty Things.

Saturday
Centennial Middle School Arts & Crafts Fair! Come browse booths full of handmade goodies at Centennial Middle School, 225 E. Omaha in Broken Arrow. The festivities will run from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., and admission is free. Come check out the Tulsa Craft Mafia booth while you're there. Proceeds from the booth fees will benefit the Centennial PTA.

The Holiday Market at Battle Creek! While you're in Broken Arrow, come by the Church at Battle Creek, 3025 N. Aspen Ave., between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. for another craft fair. There will be lots of handmade goods here as well.

Champagne and Chocolate Invitational Holiday Art Sale! Living Arts of Tulsa will hold this annual celebration of art from 6 to 10 p.m. Saturday evening. Tickets are $10 and include champagne, chocolate, hors d'ouevres, and the chance to purchase amazing art produced in the Tulsa area. Come see the works of artists Nicole Moan (Ceramic Corsets), Susan Barnard, Lisa Regan, and more than 60 others. Click here for a full list of artists, ticket purchases, and more information.


There are five excuses to shop local and handmade this weekend. If you know of any other events this Thursday through Friday, please leave it in the comments.

Garage Sale Recap

Well, Saturday's Holiday Rock N' Roll Garage Sale was not a huge financial success for me, but it was fun -- and LOUD! The last band, Colourmusic, was quite awesome, and I had a good time hanging out with JD, Stela, Claudia, my new friend Heather, and of course my beloved man. Here are a few shots:







(Click on photos for a larger view. I'm trying not to overwhelm my readers with giant photos!) The first one is Grey being a sexy salesman. He's actually really good at getting me sales. On the right is me. Check out my displays in action. I'm really happy with them.








Here's a fun side view of my teeny table. On the right is the display I "made" for my Yo Yo Pendants, rings, and barrettes. It's the little trunk I got from Hobby Lobby filled with white rice. I love it! The best part is that everything gets a little jumbled in transport, so you get to dig for buried treasure trying to set things up. :)







On the left is the lovely JD getting things set up. I love her little Christmas tree and, of course, her gorgeous displays. She was right across from me. On the right is Heather of To the 9's, my neighbor to the left. She's a relative newbie to the craft-selling scene, and I think she's off to a great start!







Here's Claudia with her table. I didn't manage to get a shot of her Green Line bags, but they are lovely -- little bags made from T-shirts. So environmentally friendly! On the right, she's burning wood. It gave off such a nice smell, and I swear I felt warmer when she had the burner out! Unfortunately, I didn't get any photos of Stela, but you can see her recap on her blog.

And lastly, I give you the absolute coolest sale attendee -- this tiny child dressed as Winnie the Pooh. I don't know who he/she is, but he/she is my hero! (EDIT: I've just been informed that this adorable wee one is the daughter of Nicole Moan of Ceramic Corsets by Nicole Moan. That explains her awesomeness!)

All in all, I guess the garage sale wasn't really my venue. I did sell one of my favorite pieces -- the Gilded Leaves Necklace -- and hand out a good number of business cards. I definitely enjoyed hanging out with my Oklahomies and meeting new people. I didn't end up selling any rings or rosaries, but they got by far the most compliments. I'll have to list more of them soon.

Attention Tulsans!

If you live in the Tulsa area, come out to The Collective tonight for Audrey Eclectic's opening. If you can't come tonight, just make sure to swing by at some point to see her stuff. I fell in love with her whimsical, achingly beautiful art at Indie Emporium this year, and I bet you'll love it, too. I hope to see you out there!