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Today, two items (and those paintings are coming, promise!):
#1. To get blueberry stains out of clothing, pour white vinegar on and blot it off with a paper towel and rinse with hot water. Or soak in white vinegar and pour boiling water over and let sit for a bit. Just, you know, in case you needed to know.
#2. After the success of my half-price print sale, I have decided to make it an official price-lowering for the summer in my Etsy shop and at shows/sales in-person! See it as my version of the economic stimulus, perhaps. Affordable Art for the masses! 8×10’s are now $10 and 4×6’s are $6, plus shipping. These are all printed by me on a lovely gloss photo paper, guaranteed to last a real long time. Probably longer than all of us (not to be morbid or anything).
I have come to this decision in part through my various price experiments. Didn’t you know you were all part of my experiment? I’m a mad scientist! ok, no, but I have spent the past few months travelling around to different shows, and chaning my prices here and there to see how things sell at different price points. And doing the same on Etsy. I think this is an invaluable way of determining prices, but of course in a time when many people don’t have a lot of disposable income, the experiment goes a little haywire. I’ve tried different methods and equations for pricing, and my favorite by far is the secret formula I used to come up with this “affordable art” price. I’m sorry that I cannot share that equation (e-mail me if you reallywanttoknow), but I’m sharing this whole story as a way of possibly helping someone who is in the same place I have been, trying to figure out how to not undersell yourself (or your fellow artists!) but also make a living and sell your butt off. I hope it helps to see that you have to try different things, and your business and business practices must continue to grow and evolve as your product and you grow and evolve. There’s no perfect way of doing it, if there was we’d all be millionaires. I plan on being one soon enough, but right now I’ll make do with selling my butt off. Buy prints here.
Three little birdie sculptures, made mostly from scrap fabric from Marcia’s bags, are up in my Etsy shop now. These made their debut, with a few friends who found new homes, at the Squam Art Fair.
I’m really not sure what it is, but this last week or so I have been having this urgent feeling like I’m forgetting something and there are not enough hours in the day. Or minutes. And then I slow down, remember that this moment is all I have (yeah, a little existential for this mind/crafty lady/blog — but it IS true, right?) and then I relax and enjoy what I’m doing and remember that it will all get done and whatever is happening, is what is happening. Whatever I’m able to accomplish in a day is what I am able to accomplish.
I know I’ve mentioned him here here before, but I think Michael Neill’s books and radio show and overall personality and work have helped me with this — I’m striving toward the idea of “being done for the day” and remembering that no matter how cranky I am and how bad anything seems to any one of us, that usually it is actually all ok. We are not about to be run over by a bus or attacked by a rabid wildebeest. So… like I said, I’m not sure why I’m still having this feeling of not getting it all done, except maybe I’m just realizing that I WANT TO DO IT ALL. This has been a big problem for me my whole life — I’m what some might call a “maximizer” — I want to do it the BEST way, anything must be totally worth it and done just right or I don’t see the point. I’m trying to overcome it, but it’s not easy.
This is all to say I’ve been meaning to come here and tell you all about Twist and how wonderful it was last weekend and how many fantastic artists I met and what wonderful goodies there were for sale and all the yummy beers and tasty tidbits we were fed by the organizers and all the general goodness of Northampton (and on Pride weekend and a gorgous sunny day, at that!) BUT I just haven’t seemed to have the time to tell you about it! So here’s a quick rundown on a handful of my favorite artists there, which is by no means an exclusive list, because I pretty much loved EVERYONE! (click the images to go to their websites)
Alison Tauber, who makes wonderful screen-printed clothing and accesories and who was kind enough to mention my work on her blog this week — I have been drooling over her work since I first saw it at Twist in November. Gorgeous organic shapes and patterns.
Miaow. I am so lucky to have come home with one of thier little stuffed birdies. I couldn’t resist! Mine is orange on orange, which looks fantastic on the top shelf in our green bedroom, where no dog or cat can get hold of it!
I’ve mentioned Maeg of Ranunculae before; a fellow gocco’er who also makes smashing pillows and art prints and pincushions and more!
I also came home with this gorgeous necklace from Donnabelle Designs. Enameled glass, Gorgeous!
Also enamel, but on copper, is Angela Gerhard’s gorgeous jewelry. She was one of my neighbors at Twist (on my other side was Storey Publishing!) My little green mascot birdie happily went home with her and a few pairs of her fabulous earrings are happily hanging from me and my helper Sarah’s ears!
Directly behind us were the lovely ladies of the Spun Monkey Fiber Shoppe; drapey and colorful felt scarves and yummy yarns. Too bad my knitting hobby is sitting very very still lately, or else I might have allowed myself to take home some of her wonderful yarns!
Erica of Vonica Designs makes funky handbags, wallets and pouches from uniquely textured and often vintage fabrics. Vonica was across from me at the last Design Hive market I attended, a lovely neighbor to have!
RecycleMoe; undefineable (kinda like me!), Moe makes lots of things from lots of things. She recycles plastic bags, fabric, books, board games, sweaters and more into funky fashionable items. Sarah and I both scored coffee cup cozies, and my water bottle is currently sporting it right now, looking very swank.
Just looking at the Twist Vendor list is reminding me of all of the other super splendiferous vendors there; take a look and be prepared to be awed! Thanks also to everyone who came out and bought some of my work. Lots of my cards, tiny needle-felted birds and artwork found great new homes!
this is a real quick update, because I need to get to bed and rest up for tomorrow… because it’s TWIST!!! I’ll be in NoHo for the day tomorrow, setting up in the early afternoon, getting ready for the crafty goodness. I’m so thankful my pal Sarah G. will be joining me, as she’s supremely familiar with the area, since she went to Smith for college, and her fantastic brother Lyon and his girlfriend Alice will be letting us crash at their pad after all the fun tomorrow night; Lyon is part of some amazing bands, so check him out!
I hope you will come visit Northampton tomorrow, Friday May 1 from 5-9 for the opening event and market party — it will be a great time and there will be lots of crafty goodness to enjoy (over 60 vendors!), as well as tasty local beer, and tunes from a live DJ. Or come visit Twist on Saturday May 2 from 10-6 . Pride is also taking over the town, so there will be all kinds of fun shenanigans, I’m sure!
The other thing: I’m holding a special little Sale in my Etsy shop for Mother’s Day: buy one note card, get one free! I’m allowing you to choose any other card listed in my shop (while supplies last!) or if you don’t specify in the “notes to seller” upon checkout, I’ll just send you a second of the same card. What a super deal! This special will be on through Sunday May 10 (but you knew that was Mother’s Day, right?).
yippee! hope to see you at Twist this weekend!
Tina Seamonster tweeted one day recently that she was looking for a Hello Craft podcast submission for an episode sponsored by Readymade Magazine, and since my latest upcycled bird sculpture projects have included scraps that I’ve gathered up from my friends’ craft projects, I thought when better a time to begin my foray into the world of podcasting? You can hear my episode here. {FYI, I recorded it on the (free!) Speakeasy app for my iPhone, then sync’d it to my mac with Speakeasy Connect (also free!), then edited it in GarageBand, hence the less-than-ideal sound quality, perhaps, but hey, a good start, eh? (and I’ll try not to rock the lispy s’s next time… not sure where that came from!?)}
The friends I mention in the podcast are:
Bella Bags by Marcia: Marcia’s bags are beautiful, well constructed and sturdy, as well as being made from the most fantastic selection of colorful and boldly patterned fabrics; I’m using her fabric scraps to construct the birds’ bodies, wings and tail feathers. She sells wristlets, totes, cosmetic bags, sunglass bags, messenger bags, and re-useable lunch bags, as well as accessories such as headbands.
&
Crispina ffrench: Crispina is a master recycler in her own right, and I’m constantly learning from her amazingly sustainable business practices and strong eco-warrior convictions. She makes gorgeous rugs, pillows and blankets as well as clothing and soft sculptures from repurposed knitwear. She collects sweaters, washes them until felted and cuts and sews them into all sorts of shapes. The scraps from the work she produces are available at her studio for $5/lb, and you can choose your own colors! Using these scraps is kind of like a twice-baked potato, only, er, twice-recyled? I’m using these scraps for the little leaves on the metal trees.
I so love everything about Hello Craft (who’s tagline is “the future of making is in your hands” and who’s podcast is entirely listener generated!) and I sooo wish I could make it this weekend to the Summit of Awesome and Show of Awesome (um, crafts, music and cake?! count me in!), but alas, I will be bringing my crafty goodness to another wonderful crafty opportunity, TWIST!
Twist is a “fresh kind of fair” in Northampton, MA at the Northampton Center for the Arts at 17 New South Street on Friday May 1 from 5-9 for a spcial opening party, and on Saturday May 2 from 10-5. There will be over 60 amazing vendors; see the vendor list with links here. Come visit and get yourself (or your moms? it’s Mother’s Day NEXT WEEKEND May 10!) some crafty goodness!
ok, well, the warm weather has officially begun today (80s here in South Lee today, possibly warmer around the greater Berkshires), but I had to share this blog feature; fellow BerkshireMade‘er Stephanie Gravalese has featured me and my work on her blog, Atomsatwork.blogspot.com in a post titled “Crafty Goodness to prepare for warm weather”! (Thanks for the wonderful feature, Steph!)
Stephanie is a fantastic artisan in her own right, putting together wonderful creations from vintage buttons, such as earrings, necklaces, barrettes and more that she sells at fairs and on Etsy at atomsatwork.etsy.com. She’s recently started making wall-art collages which I just love, being a wall-art junkie myself. She also made some wonderful glass ornaments for the holidays with buttons floating inside. Fantastico! (oh, and check out her avatar glamour shot by Deb, complete with laser background. Oh the 80s glory!)
I’ve been selling my crafty goodness on Etsy for just over two years and boy is it fantastic! If for some reason you live under a rock and have not yet gotten yourself a (free!) Etsy account, get on over there and sign up so you can start buying handmade, wouldjya? Happy Etsy Day! (currently an impromptu holiday, but hopefully by next year it will be a national day of recognition for all things handmade! represent!)
I made the little painting above in recognition of Etsy Day, it’s a love letter to Etsy, distilled to its basic essence surrounded by a collection of some of my hand-making-tools. yum.
New prints are up in my Etsy shop, a series of four prints from original watercolors of hand-illustrated type and sweet little birdies:
Available as 8″x10″ high-quality archival giclee prints (slightly smaller than the original paintings in these photos) for $15 each in my Etsy shop. Each print will only be available in a limited edition of 50; contact me for info on the originals.
I’m hoping to include at least one of these originals in the “Vision of Squam” art show at Artstream Gallery in Rochester, NH in September, along with one of my birdies on a branch. This series was no doubt inspired by my trip to Squam Art Workshops in September, if you remember all the soul searching that it spurred in me and other attendees. [btw there's still room to join me (and my pal Sarah G.!) at the June session -- register now!]
I think these prints would make lovely gifties for a speical friend, or maybe even your sweet mama? Mother’s day is right around the corner, May 10! I’d be happy to expidite shipping to you if you need it for Mother’s Day, just let me know in the “notes to seller” section upon checkout.
I hesitate to post this because I don’t want you to ruin my chances of winning (kidding!): Kathleen at Twig and Thistle (one of my new favorite blogs) is having a giveaway for a sweet adorable li’l tweet stitch kit (in any of four colors). Go on over and join the fun, and look through her other fantastic goodies for sale in her Etsy shop while you’re there!
As inspired by the previously mentioned Michael Pollen and Michael Bittman, and perhaps a bit of spring fever, I have just finished a new series of paintings, entitled “Eat More Veg!” — I’m hoping this will help remind all of us of this simple idea?
Five veggie-themed prints from original watercolors are available in my shop now, as well as the title print, “Eat More Veg.” Enjoy!
