Finally!

My Etsy Shop has been updated with stock including Christmas stockings and ornaments! I know it's late but if you order. . . I promise to get you're stuff to you before Santa slides down your chimney (or through your mail slot. . . or breaks into your house or however he gets into places without chimneys and mail slots. . .).

Other news! New baby!!! Not me. . . oh no. . . imaginary boyfriends aren't exactly the knocking you up type. . . one of the perks. . . anyway. . . back on topic. . . New baby! My wonderful, beautiful, super awesome friends Becca and Joe had a wonderful, beautiful, super awesome baby a few weeks back. Here's a picture of him in his Tick ensemble crafted for him by his loving Aunt Erika!



Isn't he just 10 pounds of cute in a 5 pound bag!?!?!

Also. . . more shows!!! December 8th - NYC - Bust Holiday Craftacular! This will be my 3 year doing the Craftacular and I'm so super excited. The Craftacular was my first show ever and It's always been one of my best.

December 15th - San Francisco - Bazaar Bizarre! My first BazBiz!!! Woo Hoo! And my last show of the season. What a wonderful send off!

Then it's a bit of a break for me and the boyfriend. . . gonna hang out with Becca and Joe and the baby and decompress from this hectic season. Worry not, though, faithful reader, I will be posting. . . perhaps more than ever!

Well. . . back to the felt mills. . .

hearts and puppies,
erika

Renegade Craft Fair this weekend!

So, yeah, another show. . . Renegade Craft Fair. . . this weekend. . .

I must admit, I'm feeling a little gun shy from the show 2 weeks ago, but I know, you just gotta let that stuff roll of the back. . . be the duck, Erika, be the duck. . .

If you're around you should try to come by. Here's the details. . .

What: Renegade Craft Fair Brooklyn
When: June 16th & 17th, 11 am to 6 pm
Where: Brooklyn's best empty swimming pool, McCarren Park Pool on Lorimer btw Driggs and Bayard
Who: erika and my imaginary boyfriend, the New York City Craft Mafia, and over 200 other super talented craftspeople
Why: Because you love me and art and indie crafts and you really need some new, hip clothing, bags, and housewares
How: Come by train or car! Here's directions!

my imaginary boyfriend's booth is booth number 191, right next to the NYC Craft Mafia tent at 192, right in the deep end of the pool because we don't mess around with the shallow end.

Guess that's all, hope to see you there!

Thanks for your time, here are some trees I made:


hearts and puppies,
erika

Report from the Art Star Craft Bazaar

Philly Art Star Craft Bazaar - day one, so sunny!


Philly Art Star Craft Bazaar - day two, so not sunny! Had to move everything in due to rain (but I think I like this set-up better).

Back from Philly! The show was. . . well. . . lets just say I met a lot of nice people and made a lot of people smile with my silly little felt things, funny name, and Tiger Beat photo of '80's era Matt Dillon. As for sales. . . yeah. . . I didn't do so well. Lots of people came by and said they loved my stuff but it seems Philly just didn't want to go steady with the boyfriend.

This was how bad it was. . . I only made $82 the first day. Now that's an outcome that can really knock a girl down a few pegs. . . a few hundred pegs. Maybe I've gotten cocky. . . but seriously, everything I make is freaking handmade! Appliqued by hand! Embroidered by hand! Painted by hand! Not only that, the work is impeccable! And my prices. . . my prices are not out of line. The way they are now I'm bairly getting paid for my work!

Sigh. . . anyway. . .

On the plus side I met some great people and the girls who run the Art Star Gallery are beyond great, that's the thing I have to focus on. . . lots of nice people. . . and the Northern Liberties area of Philly is just lovely. . . and I didn't get sunburned (and most everyone got sunburned on Saturday). . . that's something. . .

Hopefully Renegade Craft Fair will be more profitable. If it's not, I just don't know what I'll do with myself.

hearts and puppies,
erika

I should be sleeping. . .

I leave for Philly in 5 hours and 40 minutes.

I am not sleeping.

ggggrrrrrrrggggghhhhhh.

Art Star Craft Bazaar this weekend!!!!

Sorry I've been so absent lately but I've been frantically getting ready for the Art Star show this weekend. Add to that a freak avocado injury last Friday leaving my left hand a little on the useless side and my friend's sudden appendicitis (the same day!!!) and you can see why I've been away!

As for the show. . . I think I'm ready. I've got a fair amount made, lots of pillows and bags. It's not every thing I wanted to have done, but it never is. . . I think I could make enough pillows and bags to fill a swimming pool and I'd think it's not enough! I'm pretty happy with my show set up too. I've been collecting and making display items for the past month and I bought a brand-spanking-new tent! To go with the new digs, I made a new banner last Monday. It's very cute. I hope it holds up if the expected rain comes. . .

We'll see. . . I pick up my rental car tonight and motor off to Philly first thing in the morning.

As for the hand. . . it's much better. I cut myself at the junction of my left middle finger and hand. It was a deep cut but small so no stitches were needed. It's now all closed up but the hand is still pretty bruised, swollen and sore. I wish it looked worse than it does. . . because it hurts like mad sometimes and I'd like people to know I'm not being a big baby!

As for the friend. . . she's much better too and might be joining me for the show!

Well, that's all for now. . .

hearts and puppies!
erika

OH! I promised pictures last time. . . well. . . I haven't taken any but here's one of me acting goofy at the NYC Craft Mafia Swap!

At the begining of "craft lockdown" I'm stuck for ideas. . .

With show season fast approaching, I've come to the time I call "craft lockdown" where I sit at home and sew, paint, embellish, and sew some more for 15 to 20 hours a day in preparation for the sales to come. Craft lockdown is just that, I don't really leave the house unless it's an absolute necessity, I loose touch with friends and family and I only shower when I start to gross myself out (I know eeewww, over share!). It's the time of year I'm super thankful I have an understanding, supportive roommate. Because, honestly, I get a little crazy during lockdown. . . okay. . . a lot crazy. . . but it does seem to work for me and I always seem to get things done.

That is until now. . .

I have such a killer design block right now! Nothing new seems to be coming out. I could do what I've done before just to have stuff to sell, but I don't really want to do that. I feel like there's progress to be made, that there's ideas in there. I have them during the day, I even write them down but when I try to execute them, they fall flat. Like this bag I just made. Blech. A big ugly, pleated mess. It's so discouraging.

And now I ask myself, am I pushing myself too far? Should I just go back to what I'm good at which is the embellishment, the applique, the embroidery, and leave the fancy bag shapes and fabrics to the people who can actually make patterns and sew them up all pretty like? Should I just stick to basic shapes like the sewing remedial I am?

BAH. I hate feeling like this. It's been going on for a while (notice my almost empty etsy shop) but I was hoping that, if i just let it be, it would pass. But it hasn't passed and I can't wait any longer! I need ideas that work and I need them now. If I can't come up with anything I'm gonna have to trot out the same old deer and birds and I really don't want to do that.

Sigh.

hearts and puppies,
erika

OH! I forgot to post this! Diorama Lodge!?!?!

So I missed this yesterday because I had some sewing to do but my, oh my do I want to go next month! Who wants to go with me? Come on y'all!

Diorama Lodge

8:00 - 11:00 DIORAMA LODGE: Got a hankering for liquor-fueled arts and crafts?Are you one of those people who relished those assignments in elementary school that required you to create a diorama? Do you see a shoe box as the setting for a whole new world? Do you miss the taste of paste - or are you a hot shot with a glue gun? Do you save boxes of junk in case someday you might 'make something' out it.The theme will be announced on the night of... and there will be one first prize, voted on by all the creators (and drinkers) that show up. Bring your own shoebox plus glue, found objects, foil, toothpicks, craft store doo-dads, string, cotton balls, cake toppers, general junk, and inspiration. Bring stuff for your own diorama - but you are also strongly encouraged to bring stuff to share with the communal stew of diorama ingredients. (Note: We will be required to clean up after ourselves.) Arrive at 8pm for 8:15 start. (8-11:00pm), Held on the first Tuesday of every month after...http://www.friendster.com/dioramalodge
dioramalodge@yahoo.com