urge... to kill... rising

I have learned a valuable lesson. Its good to reach out on the internet and try and form connections with other crafters. Doing so by calling people bitchy on Twitter is probably not the best way, though sometimes it works out. Here ends the story of how I got my most recent ArtFire sale.

Speaking of ArtFire, I freaking love ArtFire. I get no screaming headaches from it, it doesn't make me want to break stuff, and I don't want to throw my computer out the window in frustration when trying to figure out how and why it does the things it does. I can't say the same for other handmade selling venues - I don't even sell there anymore and I still find my urge to kill rising when I hear about what's going on. Its best for me not to even think about it.

I've been working on some new early stage prototype-type pieces, figuring out patterns and colors and trying to decide what new pieces to start making. I also made a tiny little penguin but I'm giving that sample piece to Elisa since it was her idea and all.

Bacteria plush. Pink one looks kind of like a uterus. Not my intention.



Octopus plush. I love his goofy legs.

I picked up some pieces to use as part of my show table display this weekend. Little step stools to add height, a foot-high shadow box-type wood cube, an oval scalloped wood frame, and some paper mache boxes with pretty scalloped lids. I painted everything white, lime, and turquoise (making a tremendous mess in the process) while watching all of season 2 of Frisky Dingo. I love that show, tasteless jokes and all. I need to work on my table banner next, probably outlining the Heat 'N Bonded fabric letters in black split stitch to make them pop a little more. I also found 2 yards of this tiny felt bunting in lime, turquoise and red for 99 cents. I might have to make some more to dress up the table. Really I should be using this time to make new product, but after checking out pictures of my last show table, I have lots and lots of ideas for improvements.

Now its off to work where hopefully I have a day free of dog bites, humped legs, and Great Dane headbutts.

It is raining, yet again.

It is raining, yet again. Stuck inside with 15 bored and needy dogs is not my ideal way to spend an afternoon. Especially with all the sewing I really really need to get started on, what with at least 5 shows coming up in the next couple months. Its wonderful but a little overwhelming as I have so much to do to get ready, although my goal has always been to do shows full time. Selling online has its perks, but mostly I'm not the world's biggest fan of it. Probably has something to do with the 15 years of retail sales experience, but interacting with real, live customers is my favorite thing in the world (behind actually creating the stuff I'm selling), especially if I'm selling something that I really love and am excited about. Strangely, I never was that excited when I sold shoes for a living.

I joined Handmade Philly yesterday. They have forums and monthly meetups where I can meet other crafters and artists in the area, which is probably the most awesome thing about it. Sometimes it feels like I'm living in a little bubble (aside from the occasional show), so it will be nice to meet some people with common interests and experiences.

So here's kind of a depressing story. The other week I recalled that upon my graduation my beloved high school art teacher gifted me with a copy of Audrey Flack's Art & Soul : Notes on Creating. I knew the book was somewhere at my parent's house, so I drove right over and scoured my old room, then the basement for it and finally found it wedged between some Calvin & Hobbes collections. The reason I suddenly wanted it so badly was that I remember she had written an inspiring and encouraging inscription in it, and I was in dire need of some inspiration and encouragement. I grabbed the book and opened it and... no inscription anywhere. Did I totally make it up? Did she give me a different book? Did someone else give me this book? What the hell happened to my memory? After reading the book again, I find it resonates with me less than it once did since I've sort of moved on from fine art and could seriously give a shit about the "art world." But I am still very disappointed and confused with the memory of that inscription. My many art classes were the only bright spot in an otherwise miserable and painful high school experience. I can't help but feel that bright spot has been somewhat dimmed by this inscriptionless book. It doesn't quite make sense, but there it is.

Sigh. That was depressing.

Um... about a month until Harry Potter comes out. That's a cheerful thought.

CuteBot3000

I've been spending a lot of time lately researching and applying for local craft shows where my stuff will get a better response than just a quizzical glance. What a pain. Its usually hard to find the info unless you get a paid membership to an event listing website. But I have found some in the area, so it will be a busy end of summer and fall for me. And it looks like Indiemade will be back in December, so that's exciting, I love that there's a show like that in Allentown. I'll be posting all the show dates on my Facebook page as they are confirmed.

I had a nice feature of some of my animal-themed goodies in a very cute blog. Libertydoll has these really cute mini Moo card holders with a keychain attached in her Artfire shop, and I seriously am considering getting the cards (or making some myself) just so I can get the card holder! This is the way my shopping mind works. See how cute though? I love these colors.



Have to mention this - went to a family graduation picnic this past weekend and saw this band Revelation. To be perfectly honest, nobody really expected much from a bunch of unassuming 13 and 14 year olds... but then they launch into this set of almost note-perfect classic and hard rock covers, with a lead guitarist who tears through these complex solos (including Enter Sandman) looking as casual and bored as if he's standing in line for something. And any group of 13 year old boys who can get into Heart's Barracuda is cool with me. Check them out on MySpace:

Now its time to take Odie to the vet for his millionth skin scraping. If those mites aren't gone by now I'm going to scream. Most expensive free dog ever!

I very much like bees

Made a couple ads today for Handmade News and a few other sites. Considering selling at the Popped! music fest in Philly since I missed out on a table for the Punk Rock Flea Market (kicking myself repeatedly over that one for sure). Debating whether or not to invest in a pop up tent when the spring/summer season is already half over. I'll probably wait until next year and stick to indoor shows for the time being. I have a couple other show ideas in the works too, including the Philly Independent Craft Market later this month, and also hosting a little mini craft fair/flea market in our enormous back yard... gotta work on getting the husband to approve that one first.

Artfire unveiled their new home page today - I happened to be refreshing Twitter the second they announced it and hopped right over to look. I wasn't immediately sold on the green and orange, but its grown on me. I really do like it. I guess I'm an Artfire cheerleader now.

The adorable story I was going to post pics with? I was so excited to get the thing shipped out to its new owner that I forgot all about the pictures. I will tell the story eventually, I just want to see if he likes it or not first haha!

all Odie's fault

Is anyone else all excited for this new Artfire home page that debuts today? I keep refreshing but it hasn't shown up yet (I'm so impatient). I loved the sample version they posted (I'd link it but I can't find it for some reason) so I'm excited to see the finished version. Artfire just keeps getting better and better!

The dogs (ok, it was probably all Odie's fault) have been having a field day today, chewing first the case to a Playstation game, then the box that Peter's Nintendo DS came in, then unravelling and chewing up a 50 yard ball of hemp twine all over the living room. No pictures as evidence because I was too busy scolding them while picking up the mess! So here's a springy cute one of Odie:

Speaking of pictures, something is wonky with the card in my camera, so I have to figure out how to use Peter's Olympus for some new product shots to add to Artfire. I don't have the best photo set up in the studio (ok, I don't have any set up - I plunk down a 12x12" piece of white scrapbook cardstock on my desk, turn the macro setting and flash on, and shoot away. Everything gets fixed in Photoshop or Gimp. Kinda cheating, I know, but I never had the patience for dragging out a light box and big set up every time I want to shoot. One of these days I'll come up with something that works better, but for now its all I got!

Fun With Widgets!

Revamped Artfire studio with over 100 new items added! I'm loving the new fusion studio options. I added flash widgets for my blog, flickr, and twitter and I've been having fun tweaking them and playing around with all the options. No sales yet, but I'm still really happy with Artfire and really glad I switched. Joined the Northeast Network of Independent Artists Guild too.

I'm trying to keep on top of all my internets stuff - I tend to neglect it all and get into a rut of just refreshing my personal Facebook page 50 times a day and not really doing anything productive. Case in point: this blog. But I'm trying!

I've crafted a few new things in the past few weeks, my favorite being these:

They worked up pretty quickly and I love the little touch of the black bow and trim. I really like working with the pencil on muslin, I'm currently dreaming up more ways I can utilize that technique.

I'm off for more Fun With Widgets, but here's a pic of my new hair. Peter seems to really like it, my mom, not so much. 32 isn't too old for blue hair, is it?