Waterloo Arts Fest Wrap Up June 28, 2010

Sunday Afternoon Housewife at the Waterloo Arts Fest, Cleveland, Ohio

This past weekend I participated in my first craft fair in Ohio and spent my first night in Cleveland! It was a lot of fun visiting a part of Ohio I had never been to before. My husband went with me on this trip (thank goodness because we blew a tire on the way home-don’t worry we are a-ok!) and we met up with our  friend Cheryl Andrey. She’s the wonderful person responsible for the Sunday Afternoon Housewife logo, and she and her new husband Andrew took us to a delish restaurant called Melt Bar and Grilled. This place was just featured on Food Network, and so you maybe have heard of it! It was simply amazing food.

On Saturday my husband and I headed over to set up at the Waterloo Arts Fest, which was a really great festival celebrating a wonderful little neighborhood. I met so many new people, and made some great connections with lots of awfully crafty folks! Some of the best news of all to come out of the trip is that the awesome handmade goods store Salty Not Sweet will begin carrying Sunday Afternoon Housewife goods in about 1 week! I’ll update you more about this soon, but now onto the fun photos from the Waterloo Arts Fest!

One of my fave things is the truck that you see that looks all black. This truck was painted entirely in chalkboard paint, and all the kids loved writing all over the truck with chalk.  If I ever have the time (and money!), my truckie better watch out because this is about the coolest idea ever. Another thing I enjoyed very much were the stilt creatures. I really enjoyed watching them walk by my booth and battle it out in the middle of Waterloo. What fun!

Squeaky Queen Soap

Of course there were all sorts of awesome vendors at the fair. I highly suggest you check out Squeaky Queen Soaps for some awesome soap with fantastic packaging. I scored a bar of Beer Soap made with Guinness Stout and a tube of peppermint lip balm. Both items are just fantastic!

If you’d rather your art last a little longer than a few weeks in the shower, you should check out Susan Cross Pots. Her pottery was just fantastic, and I picked up an adorable salt cellar as a bridal shower gift for a friend.

Oceanne

The lovely work of Oceanne made it’s way to Indy for the INDIEana Handicraft Exchange a couple of weeks ago, and thankfully, Anne came down and said hello. It’s always nice to see a familiar face when you are traveling and I can’t wait to see her again next weekend at Bazaar Bizarre! This time I might get a chance to chat a little longer and pick up some of her jewelry!

For a full list of vendors who were at the fair, you can click here. I really enjoyed getting to see some new stuff and meet new artists. Thanks to everyone who stopped by to see me. I’ll be back in Cleveland again this Saturday, July 3rd for the Bazaar Bizarre. I look forward to spending even more time in Cleveland, eating more awesome food, and meeting even more awesome artists.

Hip and Handmade at the Indianapolis International Airport May 20, 2010

For the last couple of weeks or so, I’ve been working really hard to get ready for something very exciting, and last night, this exciting thing finally happened! Last night I went out to the Indianapolis International Airport and set up my display at Hip and Handmade in Indy at the Enroute Spa!

Hip and Handmade in Indy is located inside Enroute Spa on both concourses A and B  of the Indianapolis International Airport.  Erin Humphreys is the owner of Enroute Spa, and she is a huge supporter of artists and crafters who make handmade goods. Last December, I participated in the Hip and Handmade Holiday Craft Fair, which was held in Civic Plaza, and I met Erin. Ever since then, I think I can say we have been on each other’s minds! I’m so happy now to be working with Erin again. She’s such a positive person, and she’s been very encouraging to me over the past few months, and now I’m so happy to say we are working together.

One side of my new display at Hip and Handmade in Indy

Erin’s spa is a beautiful store that offers full range of  services from manicures and pedicures to massages. They also sell their own line of handmade, natural soaps and lotions.

About a dozen crafters are featured at Hip and Handmade in Indy

Lovely displays at Hip and Handmade in Indy

Even more great displays of handmade goods

Next time you are flying in or out of the Indianapolis International Airport, you should stop by Enroute Spa and take a look around, get a massage, and possibly even pick up some handmade jewelry from me or pick up great scarves, headbands, crochet hats, purses, bags, and soaps all made by Indianapolis crafters, sold locally by a great local business!

Announcing Make and Take Jewelry Classes at Mass Ave Wine April 26, 2010

I’m really excited to announce that I’ve partnered with Mass Ave Wine Shoppe for monthly make-and-take jewelry classes for the summer!

Make and Take Glass Tile Pendant Class May 15th

The first class will take place on May 15th and we’ll be making glass tile pendants. The one inch glass tile can be customized with any picture brought to class, or there will be lots of fun images to choose from. You’ll make the pendant in class with help from me, and even get a chain with it so you can wear it home! If you’re really nice though, you might decide to make something special for your mom since Mother’s Day is the next day!

Make and Take Button Ring Class June 19th

In June, we’ll be making button rings from vintage buttons. You’ll have tons of buttons to choose from, and you’ll be making a ring you can wear home!

Both classes will include all supplies needed to make the project, I’ll be providing instructions, and you’ll get a glass of wine, all for $15! Mark these dates on your calendar and get ready to learn to make some fun, unique jewelry you can wear yourself or give as a gift!

Friday Is the Best Day April 9, 2010

I really love Fridays. It’s my favorite day of the week for many reasons, but mainly because Friday is MY day. I work for no man and no institution; on Fridays, I only work for myself.

Today has been quite a busy day. I have been running errands most of the day, but those errands have resulted in getting  to go to 4 of my most favorite places: bookstore, craft store, craft store, and the other craft store. Yes, I went to 3 craft stores today (and got something at each one)!

I got a new book today, The Handmade Market Place: How to Sell Your Crafts Locally, Globally, and Online. I started reading as soon as I got in the car (don’t worry, my husband was doing the driving) and I am only about 20 pages in, but I already love it. I can’t wait to finish reading this book!

My new jewelry display stand!

After the book store, I hit the craft stores and got lots of supplies. I got this new-to-me display stand the other day at Midland Arts and Antiques, and it required some gussying-up, so I got what I needed to do that, as well as some other supplies for a super secret project I hope to share later next week, and I also got some other supplies I needed like resin and a new circle hole punch.

officially a craft disaster area

This week my dining room table turned into my favorite place to work. I’m not sure why this happened, but the likely cause is the fact that the craft room has become a total disaster area (again). But this picture is the dining room table. Well, it’s under there somewhere, I swear! I know it looks like a total mess, and it is (yes that is a half-consumed bottle of wine from 2 days ago, an almost fully consumed bag of chocolate Cadburry Mini Eggs, deodorant (why?), but holy craft, I got a lot done this week in this cozy, crafty mess!

More new map inspired bracelets

I had such a great response (sold out!) to my new bracelets last week at the Bloomington Handmade Market that I made more. I also made some other bracelets with circles:

New circle picture bracelets

I’ve been working on some new types of pendants this week too, including these 3/4″ metal pendants which have a vintage picture and then a resin layer:

New metal and resin pendants

And then I’ve also made half a dozen pairs of 1/2″ metal and resin earrings. This picture shows some of the earrings before I added the hang-it-off-your-ear part:

New earrings...

I’ve also spent a lot of time this week working on packaging up these new goodies (see the display picture).  Packaging always takes more time than I think it should. I’m hoping to figure out a way to stream-line this process in the very near future.

A little cherry on the top of the week is that late last night, I got word I have been accepted to attend the Waterloo Arts Fest in Cleveland, Ohio in late June.

The Waterloo Arts Fest News follows news from last week that I was accepted into the East Nashville Arts Festival in Nashville, Tennessee in late May, which means I’ve got to get my suitcase packed because I’m hitting the road the next couple of months! What feels really great is that earlier this year I told myself I wanted to go to at least 2 more states this year for fairs, TN and OH, and now I feel great because I get to go! I’m going to update my goal for the year and hope that I might now be able to add Illinois and either Michigan, Wisconsin or Minnesota to the list for the year. Whew!

Ok, so one last plug:  if you are in the Mooresville area tomorrow, I’ll be at the high school from 9am-3pm for the 26th annual fair there. It should be a fun day- there are raffle prizes, food, and more. Stop by and say hello, but if I don’t see you, have a great weekend!

Handmade in Texas: DFW Edition March 24, 2010

Earlier this month I spent 10 days in Texas, first in Forth Worth, then Dallas, and then Austin. First I was in Fort Worth for the Funky Finds Spring Fling. I had a great time as a vendor at the fair (you can read about my adventure by clicking here), but I also met some really great people at the fair and saw lots of awesome crafty goodness. After I finished my visits in North Texas, I headed down to Austin where I was blown away by the sheer amount of awesome handmade goodness. Today’s blog is dedicated to all that awesome handmade goodness I found while in the DFW area, and tomorrow I’ll write about all the awesomeness I found in Austin!

First, as I mentioned, I was at Funky Finds in Fort Worth. One of the first vendors to catch my eye was The Curious Cake Shoppe. I talked with Tania of the The Curious Cake Shoppe for quite a while. She was such a super sweet gal, and I wished I had the need to buy up a cake right then! I told her I can’t wait for someone I know to get preggers so I can order up one of her awesome diaper cakes.

Diaper Cake by The Curious Cake Shoppe

Tania whips up these diaper cakes with ingredients like Luvs baby diapers, bibs, stuffed toys, onsies, washcloths, pacifiers, and receiving blankets. These would make a great shower gifts for any one who is expecting a wee one. You can check out all sorts of her adorable creations on her Flickr page and you can order a pre-made or custom order diaper cake right from her site at http://www.curiouscakeshoppe.com/

Another vendor I saw at Funky Finds who really grabbed my attention was aplcreations.  Her handmade reclaimed paper journals are both super cool and environmentally friendly.

Upcycyled Paper Journals by APL Designs

These journals are just the right size to keep in your purse or on your kitchen counter for jotting down needed grocery items. You can order these upcycled journals from aplcreations Etsy shop.

2enju was another eye-catching vendor. She had tons of adorable, well made handbags for sale. I loved all of her patterns and especially was fond of the bags that had the longer over-the-shoulder straps.

Hobo Handbag by 2enju

She doesn’t have many of those longer strap bags on her Etsy, but you can see a lot of the awesome hobo style bags as well as gorgeous dresses and headbands.

At Funky Finds I was very lucky to be situated right across the aisle from Le Pippin. All of their cute totes were staring me in the face all day long. Lucky, at the end of the day the ladies of Le Pippin came over to shop my booth and I suggested we make a trade.

The awesome and functional tote I got from Le Pippin.

I got this super functional, well made purse. It was perfectly sized for carrying around only the essentials while I was on the rest of my trip. I really love my new purse and if you check out the Le Pippin Portfolio you’ll see that they make all kinds of other awesome stuff from key fobs to darling wrap-style dresses.

While not a specific vendor, Etsy Fort Worth was a sponsor of the Spring Fling and they did have a booth where they were selling goods from their members to support a local food pantry. I was really impressed with the Etsy Fort Worth team’s organization. They had an awesome scavenger-hunt type promo going on during the event and all their members had team member buttons on. They have a very impressive list of members which you should take time to check out!

While I did spend most of my time in Fort Worth at the Funky Finds, I had time to walk around downtown the evening before in Sundance Square. I checked out a couple of really cute shops there. One was called Earth Bones and the other, Vessels. Both had fun general merchandise, and they both also had some really nice handmade jewelry. At Vessels, I saw some nice jewelry by Karen Nellen of KKDesignz, and actually found that Karen was working behind the counter, so we chatted for a while. Right now her website is under construction, but hopefully soon you’ll be able to see some of the great jewelry I saw at Vessels.

So, that is my DFW area handmade goods round up! I hope you’ll take the time to check out these awesome handmade artists and also that you’ll check back tomorrow for the Austin edition of Handmade in Texas.

Funky Finds Spring Fling: Texas Day 2 March 14, 2010

Today was the Funky Finds Spring Fling in Fort Worth, Texas.  It was an awesome fun time! I got to me tons of great people and see lots and lots of cool handmade goodies! I arrived at the Spring Fling bright and early at 7:15 am, and got my booth all set up:

I had a great morning meeting some fellow vendors as well as Jessica, the organizer. Jessica is such a super nice Texas gal with fantastic organization skills. This fair was awesome with balloons, full color maps, free buttons, free ink pens, and so much more! There were swag bags for the first 50 customers, and I couldn’t believe that people were lined up out the door waiting to get in for their swag bags and to get their shopping on! I had one lady tell me she had spent $100 at the Spring Fling and I was so happy to hear that. I told her how wonderful it was for her to put all that money right back into her local economy and support handmade crafters. The fair was packed most of the day:

The Crowds at the Spring Fling

One of the best parts of the day was when my good friend Marci showed up to help me with my booth. Marci and I haven’t seen each other for two years, so we got to spend the afternoon catching up and snacking and talking about everything!

Marci!

Over all it was a great day at the Funky Finds Spring Fling, and a wonderful couple of days in Fort Worth. I’m up in Sherman now at Marci’s for a couple of days. We’re going to take a trip to the Dallas Zoo on Tuesday during the day, and then I’ll be leaving from Dallas to Austin on Tuesday later in the day for SXSW. Check back for Zoo day updates and SXSW updates. Don’t forget to follow me on Twitter. I’m using hash tag #SAH  and #sxsw once I get to Austin Tuesday.

A Trip to Fort Worth, Texas: Day 1 March 13, 2010

You always know you're in Texas when there are free-standing Lone Stars for no apparent reason.

Whew! I made it to Forth Worth, Texas. Yesterday I left Indianapolis, IN at 4:30 pm on a bus and arrived about 3pm today in Fort Worth. The bus trip was not the worst thing ever. I heard some horror stories from others that made me check under the bus for my luggage at every stop, and sleep with my feet wrapped around my carry on. All was well though- a few highlights include the attempted proselytization  by some 22 year old “non-denominational” preacher who I told straight out could not sit by me on the bus, a pair of Aussies sitting in front of me on the way to Memphis, and a short walk around Dallas to a McDonalds with a man who told be I shouldn’t be scared of him even though he’s Muslim (I wasn’t scared anyway…).

I was very happy to arrive in Downtown Fort Worth, and got to take a walk to my hotel which was only about 2 blocks from the bus stop. I did some catching up on the internet, talked on the phone with my husband, and then took the longest shower I may have every taken. It took a lot of soap to wash off 24 hours worth of bus riding grime!

I was going to take a nap, but my growling stomach reminded me I had only eaten once in the last 24 hours, so I put on my tank top (YAY SUNSHINE!) and went out and ate at the closest Tex-Mex place I could find, which happened to be Mi Cocinas. I ate some delicious fish tacos, then went out for a stroll along Main Street. I stumbled across some cool shops and passed out some post cards for the Spring Fling tomorrow, made it down to the court house, and headed back to the hotel.

Tarrant County Building

I just couldn’t get over the blue skies on my way back and there was a lot of wind downtown this evening, but I still decided to stroll slowing and stop and read some interesting markers along Main Street.

More wonderful buildings and blue skies

Interesting Marker about Butch Cassidy and the Sundace Kid

Cool Information Marker Photo

So, now I’m back at the hotel. It’s not that late, but I’m considering sleeping for the next 11 hours straight. I have to get up bright and early for the Funky Finds Spring Fling. I was happy to see dfw.com listed the Spring Fling in it’s Dirty Dozen. I’m looking forward to meeting and talking to a boat load of Texans tomorrow! See you there!

Sneak Peek at New Pendants for Upcoming Fairs March 3, 2010

I have already mentioned a couple times this week that I am pretty busy getting ready for my first fairs of the year and for my trip Texas (7 days away!). I have been working on pendants all winter of course, but I just got some new designs and also made new pendants out of some popular favorite older designs. I’m pretty short on time this week, but I thought I would take just a minute to share a few new pendants.

I'll have a large variety of Hedgehog Pendants just because hedgehogs are so darn cute!

This Saturday, March 6 will be my first fair of the year at Monrovia Elementary School. It’s their second annual craft fair, and I’m looking forward to the event so I can get back in the habit so to speak before I head down to Texas for the Funky Finds Spring Fling on March 13th and the Standard Recording Company SXSW Day Party on March 18th.  I have a feeling the hedgehogs will be popular at all the fairs, but I really think these new Mr. Moustache Pendants are going to be a hit in Texas.

Mr. Moustache necklaces will make their debut in Texas at the Spring Fling!

I have a few more plans for Mr. Moustache, including some earrings and rings, but you’ll have to check back later for those!

Handmade Monday: Bottle Cap Magnets March 1, 2010

Happy Handmade Monday! I must admit I’m pretty busy this week. It’s midterms this week at school and I also have several classes that are ending this week, which means I have a lot of grading to do! Top that off with the facts that I have  fair this Saturday (first of the year!) and next Saturday is my 2nd fair of the year, all the way in Fort Worth, TX, and you might understand why I’m feeling a little frazzled today! I still wanted to take time though to check in with the blogosphere and put up a little something for Handmade Monday, so I thought today I would share with you some bottle cap magnets I am making to take down to the Funky Finds Spring Fling in Fort Worth on the 13th.

I really enjoy making bottle cap magnets. It’s a pretty easy process where I use a 1″ hole puncher and stamp out the circles, the glue them into the bottle caps with enormous amounts of ModPodge, let it dry thoroughly and then pour in a thick layer of epoxy resin. After the resin is totally dy, about 24 hours later, I glue on a super strong neodymium Rare Earth magnet on the back with E-6000 glue and, ta-da, bottle cap magnets. They are super easy to make and a really fun intro to using resin, plus they really enhance the front of your fridge!

Fun Blue, Cream, and Brown Bottle Cap Magnets

You can find lots of images on Etsy for creating these magnets. There are several sellers, like Piddix for example, who have the circles ready for you to print off your computer and punch out with your 1″ hole punch.

Funny Cats Doing Funny People Things

If bottle caps aren’t your thing, you can also make really fun magnets with glass baubles (I don’t really know what to call them). These baubles I got ages ago from Paper Source and the images came, again, from Etsy. All you need to do to make these magnets are to cut your images to shape, glue on with ModPodge (put a couple thick layers on the back) and then glue on your magnets.

Fun Cats Doing Normal Cat Things

So, if you need to dress up your fridge, here are two easy options. Let me know if you’ve every made bottle cap magnets before. Also let me know if you’ve ever pinched your fingers with those strong rare Earth magents- Ouch! I hope you have a Happy Handmade Monday!

Handmade Monday: Flower and Friend Inspired Rings February 8, 2010

This week on Handmade Monday I want to share with you a new set of rings I have made. These rings were made to remind me that spring is right around the corner and that bright colors are very welcome on snowy winter days! It’s also meant to remind me of all the strong women in my life who have way more on their plates to handle than I do, but somehow still manage to always be there with help, encouragement, or a kind word when I need it most. The names for this set of rings are inspired by the names of some of my best friends who are housewives as well mothers, crafters, kid taxi drivers, cooks, maids, and so much more! Right now there are 8 new rings to share.

All rings are on lead and nickle free adjustable ring backs. You can see how the “back” of a few of the rings look at the bottom of the post.

The first 4 are a bit unique because they have a small flower charm in either pink or purple which closely dangles from the ring.

The LYDIA, named after my wonderful Aunt Lydia, is a small fleur-de-lis and spade shape inspired ring with a small pink rose which dangles closely by to remind us of being strong and a little sweet at the same time:

Super special and a life-long lover of flowers, the CLAUDIA is named after my mother. This ring is an abstract flower also with a small pink rose inspired charm hanging close by as a reminder that someone special is always closer by than you might think:

Next is the REBECCA, named for my sister-in-law who is very strong and very beautiful. This ring has a daisy inspired center and a small purple flower charm attached. Always a helping hand, this ring shows the strength and beauty of a very special person:

The RACHEL is inspired by my other sister-in-law (there are only 2, in case you are wondering).  This ring is a little complicated and a little sweet. A small circular pattern with a star represents my sister-in-law Rachel, my nieces Natalie and Lydia, her husband, and the soon-to-arrive any day now nephew! Rachel is about to have the largest family in my extended family and I hope she knows this ring is inspired by her and her strength to support an ever growing family!

Next up is a ring I would like to call the HEATHER as a tribute to one of the most professional and sweetest girlfriends I have. Heather is a writer, a mother of one, a crafter, and a super sweet friend, just like this super sweet ring made of  out of an adorable charm and a sweet flower charm:

Next up is the BRANDY, named for my darling younger sister, who happens to be a fantastic mother, hard worker, and the best sister a gal like me could ask for. The BRANDY is kind of simple- a beautiful orange metal flower with a smaller purple rose charm set in the middle. It shows her love of flowers but also her simple and easy going outlook on life:

Up next is the JEN. My friend Jen is not only a mother, hard worker, crafter, and super business lady, but also my constant booth mate at all craft fairs both odd and cool. Without Jen by my side at times I might go crazy and I certainly would be able to take far fewer breaks at craft fairs! The JEN is a little funky, but mainly sweet- very colorful, but also work- friendly, just what a mom-on-the-go like Jen needs!

Last up in the new line of rings is the JESS. Jess is a great graphic designer, mother of two, wife, hard worker, and fabulous friend. I strongly hope Jess will agree that this ring is a good representation of her- both strong and funky as well as sweet and unique:

As I mentioned, all of these rings are lead free and nickle free and on adjustable ring backs and they will fit sizes 8- about an 11. As they look right now, the ring itself is about 1/4″ wide and closed at the back, you can adjust to your desired size. This is how the ring back looks on all 8 rings:

I really hope you like my new rings! Your purchase is your vote on these. If you visit my Etsy shop and purchase a ring, that means I will make more! So, leave a comment here and tell me what you think, or head on over to my Etsy and pick one up before it is gone! Each ring is unique, and right now you can only get the one that is pictured, so don’t wait! If you do, it might be gone!