oh, there you are

Hello, blog.

Much as I would like to say that I have been, oh, sleeping, or otherwise something very restful lo these many days since last we met, mostly I have been doing the usual stuff, except the tired post-show pre-holiday version.

I didn't mean to leave in the middle of a cliffhanger for so annoyingly long, like Lost, though now that I am reaching for a hyperbolic Lost comparison I realize that it has been SO long since that show was on that I don't even remember what was last happening, whereas I have only been out for a little over a week, plus it's a pretty safe bet that I was, have been, & will continue to be, elbow-deep in glitter & little bits of fabric while trying not to make the one time-management misstep that will cause my entire life to instantly unravel, so it's not hard to catch up.

ANYWAY.  First thing that happened was Urban Craft Uprising, which was mighty fine as ever this year.  Being way off to the side meant that I never got the huge crush of people that I saw in past years, but it also meant that there was never such a huge crush of people at my table that I couldn't confidently leave my husband there while I wandered around shopping, so I picked up some great stuff from people like Double M Ranch (she's doing wrapping paper now, so great), Fused Glass House (excellent modern fused glass),  Ilee (such lovely letterpress work!), Red Boots Design (screenprint tees, love the espresso & pedal designs), Starjuice Aromatherapy (mmm bath salts), Texture (yes, another skirt), Torus Leather (reclaimed leather wristbands, v. excellent for the vegetarian who happens to enjoy a big leather cuff bracelet, ahem), Vintage Creations (reconstructed cashmere sweaters!), Uzura (organic screenprinted tee), Hansigurumi (ridiculously awesome knitting patterns), & Die at the Helm (the screenprint tees never end at these shows).  That is an embarrassingly long list, much more stuff than I usually come away with, but like I said, there was time to walk around, & there was also some excellent vendor trading happening.

This is the only picture I managed to take all weekend, pre-opening on Saturday, & it cracks me up because my booth is so forlorn looking, all under-the-stairs gloomy at the far reaches of the show.   That spotlight shining directly down on my glitter was pretty handy, though, &, really, in the end I realized that the show only felt mellower to me, since this year was even more successful than last.

The next weekend we packed the kids into the car & headed north (snow!  ice!) to give a show in Bellingham a whirl.  It was a slow day, but I met some nice people & we were well-supplied with tiny peanut butter crackers & our drawing pads, so I actually thought it was kind of relaxing.  (My husband, being in charge of the packing of us plus also the driving on the icy roads, was somewhat less relaxed.)

 

There is a gift project soon to be in the works around here, so my girl & I were talking about what makes a house a house.  Her answer seems to be a lot of windows.

One benefit of a slow show is that I finally have a chance to really stock up the etsy shop. 

Trying to take advantage of scant natural light for the pictures is slowing me down some, but I'll be listing a few new things daily through the weekend.  Pillows, pouches, rings, dot necklaces, bobby pins, & my new little charms.  Megan over at not martha is putting them on her sweaters (also note:  I have seen one of her sweaters in person, & it really is a great pattern), & another customer of mine has ordered some to put on her boot zippers, which she may not thank me for spreading all over the internet but I totally think is a genius idea, thus:

(That's my girl's boot, which photographs far more daintily than my own exponentially larger ones.)

So this week I'm working on etsy & on stocking up my local stores (speaking of which, locals can find my bobby pins in Pioneer Square at Violette now too), & then next week I am going to turn my focus to the gift-making.  I have a short, but significant to-make list this year, & suddenly here it is, mid-month.  The cry of crafters around the blogosphere, hm?

 

Comments

[mamabrico]

hey! love reading your updates with all their crafty deliciousness. am astonished to discover myself lusting after boots that belong to your daughter. how hip she must be?

email me!

i miss you. despite our periods of non-correspondence, i think of you all the time and miss you. like crazy. i never stop being homesick. sheesh. come visit!

speaking of visiting, we are almost definitely coming to seattle for 2 weeks in early-mid july. woo!

[Kathleen]

Your location was refreshing for us shoppers, as it provided a bit of breathing room! I was there specifically to get more bobby pins for my teenage nieces, turning left instead of right "forced" me to see the whole show before I got to you! I only managed to splurge on some silk/merino yarn from Spincycle Yarns, but I could have done some serious damage if I'd been buying for myself!

[blair]

HI D! Your little bits of glitter have cheered me up on this very dreary day (lamps on all day really gets me cranky. I left us hanging on coffee, everything is randomly scheduled these days, hence making me crazy, does that make sense? Let me get it all together and I'll be in touch. xo

[Marilee]

all this and you got me my stuff in such a timely way. you are amazing. I've never lusted after a pair of children's boots before, but I WANT THOSE BOOTS!

[Carrie]

Congratulations on the show. Have you ever considered coming down to Olympia for Duck the Malls--I bet your stuff would sell like hotcakes!

I am seriously struggling with the poor NW lighting for my photo taking, too. Your pillows look great though!

Ditto on the boots...and I'm not a boot wearing person.

[Kirsten]

Booth looks great - nice to have that well placed light. Love the kids drawings of houses, almost all my drawings as a kid were of houses (foreshadowing). Looking forward to seeing you guys tomorrow.

[Ravenhill]

Thank you so much for sharing how it went at your two shows! It was so much fun to read about it and hear that it went well. It must be lovely fun to sell all that glitter and the gorgeous pillows!

[meg]

Your pillows are great. I can't believe how well made they look. The color and & pattern combinations are amazing!

[pandora armband]

Thank you ,it's really useful.