That Crafty Bitch

Tree Necklace

2012-01-26T12:40:00.006-07:00

I've been on a tree kick for a while now, carrying a little nature with me everywhere. My great inspiration has been trees, my favorite finds as well. A friend gave me a tree pendant for my birthday in the fall, I've worn it so much already that the cord is getting thin. I'd been looking to expand my collection of trees. My search has yielded ones that are too big, too heavy, too small, not interesting and then... perfect! But oh, so so expensive.

So the next step for this Craft Bitch is always to just make the damn thing myself. I dug out the bead box and the wire. This is why we can never get rid of supplies, we might need them someday! I shaped the big ring around a spool of thread and started twisting beads on with a very fine wire.
Seed beads are really tiny, word to the wise. I continued my seasonal theme (never too much of a good thing, right?) and made sections of branches with different colors. Spring is the pale buds and pink and lavender flowers. Summer is shimmering green. Autumn a flush of bright reds and yellows.

And winter is the plain silver wires as bare branches. It's always fun to step away from our favorite and most skillful crafts and do some experimenting. My respect for jewelers is reaffirmed, and my desire to shop for more beads has returned as well! I am tempted to make more of these, and perhaps in different colors for different outfits. (Even druids have fashion sense after all).

How have you pushed yourself into new forms of creativity?

Politics...

2012-01-25T10:06:00.003-07:00

Ok, I don't usually broach the tough subjects on this blog. You are here for pictures of knitting projects and garden veggies. But I feel that I'd like to speak up about the current state of social affairs. I'll return to my usual light -hearted craft fluff in the next post.

There are a number of crisis facing the human race right now. We are staring at economic instability and inequality of unprecedented scale. There has been a lot of press recently highlighting the statistics about wealth concentration. There is also an uncomfortable closeness between this ridiculous wealth and the control of our governments. (Not a new phenomenon by any means, but rather extreme for any nation claiming to be a democracy.)

There is also that continuing specter of anthropogenic climate change and environmental degradation. For some reason hundreds of years after the realization that human economic activities can alter and damage ecosystems, we are still unwilling to do anything about it. Perhaps people forget that what we do to our surroundings, we do to ourselves. We have to live here after all.

But what to do? Take to the streets? Write your Representative? Cry and curl yourself in to a ball in the corner? Write and perform subversive street theater? Yes.

There is an interesting feature of modern democracy. Perhaps once a year, at the most, we are called to insert our opinion in a ballot box. A symbolic input into the political and social structure. But everyday we also vote, with our Dollars (or Euros, or Pounds etc.). We who do not have the resources to grease the wheels with extravagant purchases of political favors are still able to buy influence.

With everything we buy (or don't buy!) we speak out about how we want our society to be. Being an educated and responsible consumer is the simplest and most powerful form of social activism. If you want to correct income inequalities, support small businesses and independent proprietors. If you are concerned about the environment start with what you bring into your own home. If you are unhappy with the politics of a company, don't support them. It takes will power and time, but our world greatly needs people who are being conscientious in their lives.

And now, back to the making of things...

Sweater Time

2012-01-21T09:37:00.005-07:00

A while back I picked up Ysolda Teague's sweater book, I couldn't resist the shiny photos any longer. Much more important, it's like a "pick your own adventure" pattern book! There are gauges, measurements, and tips on making a custom sized sweater. So the pattern looks like a more complex version of the patterns I've made for sweaters in the past - "knit for 3 inches, increase to 54 stitches..."
I decided to work the cover pattern first, not because it's on the cover but because I wanted to do some stash busting. The nice thing about patterns, is being able to gauge about how much yarn you need, so you don't worry too much about running out.
I had just barely enough of this vintage sparkle wool for the sweater. However, just to be safe, I'm knitting the sleeves first to ensure that they are long enough, then I'll knit the body to what ever length I have the yarn for. This is my first time following a pattern this big, and there has been some head scratching, but this book really is pretty good at explaining all the techniques. Any of you starting new projects?

Crafting a New Skier...

2012-01-18T09:32:00.003-07:00

I did so make stuff over my vacation... My father and I subjected my boy to four days of skiing, and he learned quick! Great weather makes it much more fun too. I'm going thru photos from the trip, and as always wishing I took more.

I (Heart) Fabric Scraps

2012-01-16T12:15:00.004-07:00

Guess what time of year it is?! That's right, time to pray on the romanticized views of romance and force couples to spend money on each other... I mean... uh. Time to celebrate the season of love! Hearts are starting to pop up just about everywhere.

I shy away from making items that are too specific to a holiday. Who wants to own something they only use one month of the year? Fortunately hearts are universal enough that one can carry a heart covered bag without looking "out-of-season".

And it's a great way to explore color groups and have fun with little bits of fabric. I can use even very small pieces so long as they are a good shape! And if anyone ask about the pile of hearts growing on my cutting table, I'm in love with life or something cheesy like that...

Do you have any special crafts for Valentine's? My heart collection is growing daily...

Winter in the Rockies

2012-01-13T10:52:00.005-07:00

Here in the Teton Valley they appreciate snow, so much that they are dedicating this week to a Snow Fest. From Skijorning (horse racing with skier in tow) to snow sculpting the town is full of enjoying the white stuff. The parking lot of City Hall is full of giant blocks slowly becoming other forms.
The first and most important item is a snow bar, almost ready! But those bartenders look a little young...

There were a myriad of plans, models, systems and tools. from axes and chisels to simple glowed hands. A few of the pros made grids and lines, some just dug right in.
Some folks like to hide inside when it's cold, some folks embrace the snow! What is your favorite winter activity?

Finds - Mountain Vacation

2012-01-07T13:06:00.007-07:00

I'm preparing for a week long snowboard vacation in Teton Valley Idaho, a regular destination for us to visit family and my home for a season. The range there possesses a distinctive geology, and from both sides the Grand Teton (that means big boob in case you're curious) is visible. One never forgets the view of these majestic peaks. Painting by JoeTringall.
Simply but lovely pendant from HattieRex
An unusual piece of art, this scene is skillfully painted on a gourd by GreatGourds.
For the adventurous soul this intrepid gnome from CourtneyGrigg
A distinctive silhouette from Mountainvenbaby
Vintage souvenir plate from NaturalandVintage featuring the iconic range.
Other than knitting in the car there won't be much crafting this week, just sitting in front of the fire and playing in the snow...

New Etsy Shop Coming!

2012-01-04T16:43:00.003-07:00

Today was another marathon day of photographing in preparation for opening a second Etsy shop. I've decided to take my hobby of costume accessories (or everyday accessories for us bold dressers) and present it to the public! I've been creating dozens of cuffs in satin, velvet, and lace for gothic, victorian and steampunk endeavors.

I've been brainstorming and creating design ideas and digging thru the stash for good stuff and pretty shiny things. The holidays were busy but I've been able to spend some time making cuffs.
I'm hoping to have plenty of inventory in time for AnomalyCon in March, but I hope there are enough customers until then that I must work hard to keep up! Check out my shop - Von Klank's Emporium of Design - and be sure to share it.

Eggnog is the Best Nog

2012-01-01T15:45:00.005-07:00

We all have favorite seasonal treats, phefferneusse or pumpkin cookies, latkes, and many people wait impatiently for eggnog. But the store bought stuff barely whets my appetite, I like to splurge on some homemade nog, the boozy kind of course!

It's a simple mix, egg, cream, booze (I like scotch, but there is something to be said for rum, whiskey and brandy.)something to sweeten and a little bit of nutmeg.

Separate the egg, multiple batches can be made but they need to be drank soon after completing them, I drop the yolk directly into the drink glass because I dislike washing dishes. Beat the egg white until white and frothy. (If you're feeling strong whip it up to stiff peaks...)
Add a shot of cream and a shot of booze (generous shots are best!) plus some sweetener and a dash of nutmeg. Mix it up thoroughly.

Add your exquisitely whipped (slightly frothy in my case, I'm lazy and want to get to the drinking! ) egg whites to the yolk, stir in a good bit and sprinkle some more nutmeg. Kick up your feet and don't count calories. If it's a little thick (or you slipped with the booze) add some milk until it's as smooth as you like.
What's your favorite winter beverage?

Progress on Quilt Squares

2011-12-29T11:02:00.003-07:00

Every time I receive a new bag of fabric scraps, I go on a cutting frenzy! Making petals for flowers, leaves for trees, and exactly one square and one triangle for my quilt project.

After my usual sewing is done for the day I often sort squares and sew them into 4.5" squares of similar colors. I try to make the corners match up, but between the differing fabric types and my wonky cutting skills (clothes patterns are easy to cut, perfect squares are not. Who knew?) many squares are a little bit crazy quilt style.

I've made 103 squares, which puts me at about one third of the way done... good thing I'm not even close to running out of scraps!
I keep this rainbow of squares around to remind me that progress is not always fast, but the tower is growing!

A-viking We Shall Go!

2011-12-26T16:27:00.004-07:00

For Yule this year I decided to fix two problems at once. My boyfriend has no hats, and often looks rather cold. Also, there is a terrible lack of raping, raiding and pillaging around the house. Let's make some changes to that ya?!
I started with handspun gray wool, a little nubbly for that rustic look. Starting at the top I made four bands of knit on purl background. The knit bands have large bobbles evenly spaced to look like rivets.

I got to the bottom and added a band of more bobbles, then started the cast off. The front and back bands are extended to a point with an extra bobble to protect the nose... or something like that. There are ear flaps in seed stitch so that Scandinavian winds don't get in. It took a good bit of steam blocking to get the points to behave...

The horns were picked up in a circle, knit for a short while with more bobbles. I then switched to handspun BFL in a creamy white to look like bone. Short rows gave it a curl, and I did all decreases on the same side for more lean. I didn't stuff them, I wanted the hat to not get too heavy and unwieldy, but I might wire the horns to be round.

If only I knew how to read patterns, I might make a pattern for this! Everyone should be able to enjoy their Northern European heritage and go around burning villages... right?

Yule Logs and Sunshine

2011-12-22T10:17:00.003-07:00

Last night was the longest night of the year, about 14 1/2 hours of darkness here in Colorado. Which means it's time to feast, enjoy friends and family, and light candles in the darkness!
A friend in the local Grove made yule logs, and I asked for one that was unadorned so I could decorate it myself. I had plenty of evergreen boughs and holly from my yard - symbols of neverending life, vitality, and general awesomeness. Yes, I am using a staple gun, it works.
We all lit the candles and shared in a meal of winter veggies and roast. We drank late into the night and enjoyed the snow falling outside. This morning the sun returned (not that we can see it, it's dumping snow!) and we can look forward to the cold months getting a little less cold with each passing day. I hope everyone is enjoying their winter holidays and lighting candles in the darkness!

Napkins

2011-12-20T13:37:00.008-07:00

A while back I discovered that my house was very lacking, there was nothing to wipe your face with! I was also on a embroidery binge, and had plenty of left over crewel wool from my wheel of the year project. I had bought several packs of cotton tea towels to dye for use in my kitchen, and instead I set one aside for making napkins.

I penciled in swirly designs along the hemmed edge of the towel, using a ruler to make the sides somewhat symmetrical. After using all my left-over greens to edge the entire towel I cut it into fourths.
Now we all know that white things rarely stay that way, particularly if you are encouraging people to wipe their faces and fingers with them. So I tea dyed them to a nice antiqued tan. I put water, black tea bags, and a splash of vinegar on to boil. Added the napkins and kept at a low simmer for a little while (boiling wool tends to shrink it of course). I let it soak overnight, rinsed and hung to dry.
The cotton turned a lovely pale tan color, and some of the lighter greens were also toned a bit. The best part of this, if these become stained, or if the color fades too much, I can easily dye them again.
Growing up my family had a number of napkins hand made by my grandmother, a few even had embroidery and beads on them. It's such a simple easy way to add a little color and flair to your table. Have you ever made napkins, table mats, or tablecloths?

Seasons Changing

2011-12-13T13:56:00.003-07:00

The leaves have long since changed and fallen here. The snow is covering the piles. As we approach the solstice and prepare for the cold nights of winter and return of the sun I like to curl up inside with hot tea and knitting. On the other hand, in my family everyone enjoys some kind of winter sport - skiing, telemark, snowboarding etc. It's the time of year for rich hearty soups and baking bread all day because it's nice to hang out in a warm kitchen. The changing seasons are always hard, either leaving behind a favored time of year or entering a challenging time, it's nice to reflect on the upside that each season offers.

We greet the snow with cookies, big sweaters, and sunglasses (in Colorado cold weather does not always mean clouds!). What is your favorite part of Autumn, that you will miss as the world turns? What are you looking forward to in the dark times?

Finds - Snow Fall

2011-12-09T15:04:00.010-07:00

We had several days of snowfall, and the city is still sitting under a blanket of white. We don't stay home just from the weather here in Colorado, but here's some snow-day picks! Delicate photo by Bomobob.

If you wanted to make your own warm fuzzy, check out this pattern from YarnBlossomBoutique. Protection from the cold rarely looks this cute, and the pattern explains making different sizes for everyone to enjoy!

Snowflake jewelry abounds, but with a hand-painted piece you know that "no two are ever alike". TuckooandMoocow has many wonderful pieces that are just right for a winter's night out.

Fill your alter with light and your home with the scents of the season! ArtisanWitchcrafts has these pure white sparkly gems, and many other fabulous seasonal offerings.

These elegant curls are just twirls of paper, like the delicate ephemeral snowflake it represents (but a little more stable at room temperature). QuillyNilly can outfit a tree, wreath, log, garland etc. with paper snowflakes to bring the winter goodness inside!

How about an elegant handknit shawl to protect you from the cold and snow? DagnyKnit makes these lovely pieces to order, a great combination of delicate beauty and fuzzy functionality.

I hope that everyone is enjoying a little snow to remind us that Winter is almost here!

Dying to Get Some of This!

2011-12-06T10:34:00.003-07:00

While digging thru some papers from the 1880s in my mothers storage I came across this little goodie, a cheaply printed and obviously poorly cut booklet from the Diamond Dye company! This was the early days of aniline (coal tar) dyes, synthasized from chemicals instead of extracted from plants. The dyes were much more reliable and light fast than natural dyes, but were (and to some extent still are!) extremely toxic.
This booklet told the tale of a black cat whose kittens were all pure white - totally unfashionable in the Victorian era. So she buys some dye and plunges them all into a boiling toxic dye bath... and they are magically brilliant black for the rest of their lives!
The booklet suggested using dyes to keep up with the latest fashions by recoloring clothing, to dye rags for carpets, to color ostrich feather tips (sure, I have a closet full of those..) and to keep children's clothing looking new(er). While the glowing reviews seem a little forced, the idea that one could keep altering ones clothing instead of getting new things all the time is refreshing. Would you change the colors of your clothes to keep up with the styles?

Holiday Craft Fairs

2011-12-04T22:19:00.002-07:00

I had the best craft fair this weekend. Not because I sold a lot (tho I did sell plenty), and not because of a magical venue. This was a fair with a central money table. They took %20, which is well worth it when one can leave early to go out to dinner, and not worry about being there in the early morning on a day with a foot of new snow fall. So my friend and I sauntered in a little late, and spent the day doing needlepoint while chatting with customers. I didn't have to do any of the paperwork involved with taking money! Has anyone else done a fair like this? Not the biggest money maker but a very low stress weekend!

Colorado Craft Calendar is Out!

2011-12-01T20:57:00.004-07:00

The Colorado Craft Calendar is off the presses and one is hanging on my wall... This is a neat idea, why not have some cool locally made stuff decorating your kitchen wall? There's also the dates for lots of local craft fairs printed, so you can plan your weekends accordingly! As for me? I'm Miss October, modeling a fine piece in Downtown Denver.
It's a thrilling idea that some of my work will be hanging up, and I'm side by side with many truly talented artisans as well. Oddest promotion I've ever done? Yes. Most fun? Probably!

Harvest Time Cookies

2011-11-28T21:53:00.006-07:00

As part of my lovely Thanksgiving week, I naturally worked hard to move thru the pounds of pumpkin puree in the freezer. There was pies naturally, and a bread or two, but one of the most fun to make was Pumpkin Hazelnut Cookies.
Butter, sugar and honey creamed, then an equal measure of pumpkin. Don't forget all the spices - cinnamon, allspice, cloves, nutmeg and ginger.
Leavening and whole wheat pastry flour, I then sifted the fine bits out of my roasted hazelnuts. Whenever I use my food processor to chop nuts I end up with both nearly whole pieces, and very fine flour. Putting it in the cookies gave a subtle nutty flavor, but kept them from getting lumpy.
I rolled it out pretty thick, I like squishy cookies not burnt ones. And I'm not afraid of big cookie cutters either! I made both oak leaves and these odd turkey (?) shaped ones. No matter how fast I roll I rarely can keep up with the oven...
Have you been making seasonal yummies? Try something new, and it may become a common occurrence...
UPDATE - These cookies were brought to craft night at the local coffee house, and shared with the barista a few weeks ago. Last week he had a special request "it's my birthday next week, will you make me some of those cookies?" This "recipe" is officially part of the repertoire!

Etsy Finds - Shop Local in Denver for the Holidays

2011-11-25T15:52:00.008-07:00

Now we begin the Yule-time season. Don't let winter take all your color tho, no need to hide the brights until spring! Here's a selection of some great items made right here in my hometown. Use the "local items" feature on Etsy search to find amazing things from amazing people in your backyard. JanuaryJonesPrints mapped out my hometown...

A perfect gift for any little one, robots in red! Made by CounterCoutureDesign

A dot of brilliant color for a winter's day, this lovely wreath from KiyaBee

Cheerful and cute card for the Winter Holiday season, by MyJuly

Brighten up the kitchen, or gift to your favorite host! From UrbanBirdandCo

A splash of rich ox-blood red for your ears, from VerreEncore

Small Business Saturday

2011-11-23T13:24:00.005-07:00

Are you ready for Thanksgiving? In my family we have always taken great pains to be sure that the Yule-time holidays don't overshadow the greatest holiday of all. I mean, really... It's a holiday that every American can celebrate. There's no religious undertones, no ethnic history, celebrating questionable history. (Ok yes, the Europeans and the Natives didn't get on all that well ultimately, but it's a celebration of survival and plenty, not conquest.)

But as a business woman I have to recognize the simple fact, this starts a shopping rush. But Black Friday? Is there really anyone who looks forward to lining up in the wee hours of the morning to fight someone for the last Tickle-me-Elmo? To a rushed and harried day of desperately searching sales. To waiting in long checkout lines as miserable clerks run up your credit card debt. Is this really what the Holiday spirit is all about?

Make this year different, make Friday a "Buy Nothing" day, stay home with your family, play in the leaves, enjoy your turkey cranberry sandwiches and some hot cider. Leave the ravenous hordes to fight for scraps.

But if you have shopping to do, consider joining in Small Business Saturday. Go to the little clumps of locally owned boutiques, stroll the street with friends and family, take your time perusing the goods. Often your small local stores have items you just can't find in a Big Box retailer, so you will bring home something unique!

Need more reasons? It's estimated that $0.45 of each dollar you spend in a locally owned shop stays in your community, through the salaries of the workers and the profits of the business, and the fact that these community members often shop local as well! Building strong sustainable communities requires diverse small businesses.
Shopping Local ensures a unique variety of goods is available, and makes every city and nieghborhood different. It makes sure you have options. Also, no local shops I know of are opening at 2 in the morning, their employees get to enjoy Thanksgiving with their families and plenty of sleep.

Crafty Update

2011-11-21T15:44:00.005-07:00

I must apologize for the paucity of post this month, school has hit hard, Winter greeted me with a nice bout of the flu followed by walking pneumonia, and crafting takes precedence over writing about crafting. But here's the update on what's been going on in my house!

Firstly, alpaca socks in the scroll work two color pattern. Oh, wow. These are the softest socks (the inside is full of the carried strands for extra amazing-ness) and the warmest socks I have ever worn. I have been enjoying them as slippers around the house for a week now! And no, the photo isn't fuzzy, the yarn is.

I had a considerable measure of yarn left over, so I decided to make arm warmers for the wonderful professor who brought me this alpaca roving as a gift. Seems fair that she should enjoy the fuzzy bounty.

As for sewing, I've been splitting time between my usual bag making, and a new project. I've made victorian style cuffs before, making use of my copious lace bits and fancy brocade scraps. I've decided the time is ripe for a separate Etsy shop for such pursuits, so I'm building up inventory to have a grand opening!

What are you making lately? Is everyone swamped with handmade gifting projects?

Train Heist!

2011-11-16T09:57:00.007-07:00

There is a place in Golden Colorado where relics from the steam age are not forgotten hunks of rusting iron...
The Colorado Train Museum! Trains ranging from 150 years old, to just a few decades grace the grounds with it's maze of criss-crossing tracks. One can take a ride on a train pioneered by my own Great-Grandfather : The Galloping Goose! (Narrow gauge for you rail geeks out there).
My fellow Victorian time travelers and I were there to arrange a train heist, a good steam engine is essential for steampunk shenanigans.
Naturally we considered the largest driver there, almost two stories high and at least 100ft. long this seemed perfect for hauling time exploration equipment...
There are however some problems relating to sneaking out with such a beast. In fact, the museum had built a special set of temporary tracks to get the train in place.
In the end we settled on a smaller and more manageable piece, let the shenanigans begin!

DISCLAIMER We did not, in fact, steal any trains. Please don't report me to anyone.

Warm Crafting

2011-11-09T09:35:00.004-07:00

It's wool time. It's time for warm fuzzy socks everyday, all day long. So I've been cranking up the winter season crafting!
This striping yarn with sparklies was a cool estate sale find. I got a huge bump of tweedy wool with four different colors laid out next to each other. I ran it thru the carder with mylar sparkles to blend it a bit and make it more fun! This funky yarn in perfect dark colors will make something warm and chunky...
I've been working on my stash of handspun for personal use, so the alpaca socks are finally becoming a reality. Don't let the fancy pattern fool you, these are still a basic sock pattern, the colorwork is not challenging. In fact, it makes the knitting go faster because one is obsessively knitting so that "I can see how the pattern turns out!".
Share the love this season, and knit something warm for your friends and family, or even for a charity that provides warmth to those in need. Everyone deserves to have at least one pair of lovingly hand-knit socks!

Slipping Up

2011-11-07T10:52:00.005-07:00

It's cold weather season. A cup of tea can warm hands and faces, but not do much for your feet. How about some fuzzy woolen slippers?
I happened to have a bag of sweaters which had met an unfortunate fate in a too-hot washing machine, and this child's sweater is a pathetic little blob of thick wool. Perfect for keeping toes cuddly!
I traced my feet a little big (these are for my boy, his feet are big!) onto faux suede then pinned that to the sweater as a template. I then cut the top front, slightly wider than the bottoms. The rest of the sweater yielded short strips to go around the back of the heel.
I cut a dart out of the top fronts, and sewed that up to make it three-dimensional. I then layered everything ("right" sides together) to start sewing! The suede is sitting in the middle because it will be the bottom. One could also use real leather, recycled denim, or any tough and not-too-slippery material for your base. I whip stitched all the way around joining the heel strips to the sides of my toe covers.
Turn them right side out and check your seams. I used quilting thread, and put a sturdy knot in every inch or so for longevity. Put them on and enjoy toasty feet!
Winter is a great time to upcycle any "oops I put that in a hot wash" wool goods. Have you made any warm things out of old sweaters?

All Hallows' Eve Leftovers...

2011-11-03T16:10:00.005-06:00

It's the morning after, only the crummy candy is left at the bottom of the bowl. But there are bags of it on sale at the local store, so the sugar high needn't stop just yet! If however, you wanted to have some real food without losing the spirit of the season, one need only look at the front porch!

I carved two curcubits this year, a traditional orange pumpkin and a gray skinned Hubbard squash. So the day after Halloween I let out some anger. Poor Jack-o-lanterns! They were mercilessly hacked to pieces in order to bake, peel and puree...
This is the Hubbard, very thick skinned, but firm enough to chunk up for freezing and cooking. The pumpkin was all pureed, I've already had pumpkin pancakes, pumpkin bread, pumpkin scones, pumpkin chai... there was in all about 14 pounds of puree off a single pumpkin! And the Hubbard squash took about 5 cake pans full to be all chunked up and cooked.

But this bounty has already made it's way to the table as well! I will have to carefully sneak pumpkin ans squash into dishes for several weeks, after this holiday orgy of giant squash carving! I suspect there will be plenty ready to go for Thanksgiving for sure.

The ultimate winter food is soup. Which is also convenient to make in huge batches and freeze any survivors! Curried squash soup, spicy pumpkin soup, creamy Hubbard soup... Winter is not so bad right?

A good bit of the squash became mixed with bread and veggies for baked stuffing. It's the best in cold weather comfort food, and it taste even better the second day so make a big batch! My largest cake pan is barely enough...

It Be-hooves One..

2011-10-30T11:12:00.008-06:00

AKA How to Turn Your Boyfriend into a Goat.

Well, kinda... For a group costume with some friends of mine, we settled on A Midsummer's Night Dream. We had Titania and Oberon, Queen Mab, I chose to be a fairy (cobweb is best for the season!) and it was decided to make him Pan. (Decided without asking him of course!)

For hooves I started with a pair of his tall boots, covered the bottom with plastic and started layering paper maché. I put a small armature of cardboard underneath to make them less foot shaped, and of course a wicked goat needs cloven hooves...

For the maché mix I simply used flour and hot water. I put it in the fridge overnight while waiting for layers to dry. It's somewhat magical how sturdy paper fiber and flour can be!
I cut off the plastic above and below, and used tape to clean up the edges. There were several coats of black and brown spray paint to seal things and make them shiny, then I added some bone texture with acrylic paint.

Just add fake fur! Lots of fake fur, and ears and horns made from stage latex. Attach a fairy to him and enjoy an evening of Shakespearean cavorting! I hope everyone is enjoying the Halloween costume season, I've been sewing everyday for two weeks to get things ready...

Samhain Time is Here!

2011-10-27T10:00:00.008-06:00

Welcome to the dark half of the year! Some of you are rejoicing, the long nights and warm fires are your cup of tea (pun intended). Some of you will bundle up and soldier thru, waiting for the melting snows of spring. The winter time has it's own joys, cold toes are balanced by hot cocoa...

Samhain (say it Sow-ann) is an ancient harvest fest, the third and final harvest of the year. It's a fire festival, and peoples believed that the divide between the dead and living was lifted, and the spirits and gods were able to come among us. It is a time to honor ancestors, to celebrate the bounty of the year, and to prepare for cold months ahead.

Before pumpkins were introduced in the new world, the Celts would carve turnips into faced lanterns to scare off wicked spirits (must have been some awfully big turnips!) People would dress in disguise to hide from ill meaning beings. The hearth would be extinguished and re-lit from a communal bonfire (so called because after a feast, the bones were tossed in the fire as a blessing to the fertility of livestock, "bonefires").

As for today? I feel this is a very important time of year, the blessings of a good harvest are often lost on us in an era of grocery stores. Consider the fruits of a backyard garden if you have one, visit a local farm, go out to the country to see the tractors pulling in this years crops. We must not forget that many hands work to keep us fed!

And weather or not you believe that All Souls Day is a time to commune with the dead, it is a time to remember them. Our ancestors gave us the world we have today (for better or for worse!) and this is a good opportunity to remember their work and lives.

Keep it simple, this card from HeadCasePress is the true spirit of the season!
The sight of a harvest moon always makes me nostalgic, photo be ItsElemental.
A wonderful embroidered cloth from RainFeather13, use it on an alter, use it on a feast table, use it on a shrine, or just admire the beauty!
Illuminate an alter or just a room, this is a changeable lantern from Vermorlian.
Ritual candles from Whitemagic, a lovely color, and just imagine that Dragon Blood scent!

I hope you all enjoy the third harvest. Dress oddly, eat candy, light candles, and enjoy the changing season!

Seeds You Need

2011-10-19T23:07:00.003-06:00

Need inspiration for next year's garden? Perhaps a gift for the veggie lover in your life? Want to support heirloom seed preservation and a 225 year old company? My attention has been drawn to the current plight of the D.Landreth Seed Company...
The company changed hands 7 years ago, and was returned to a profitable sustainable business, however to acquire the company the current owners had to borrow. Their debts were called in recently, and they are struggling to face down the sum. In order to keep the company running they are hoping to sell catalogs, and in turn those catalogs will lead to future sales!
Why should we care? First off, small seed companies help keep things competitive and put seeds into the hands of home and small-plot gardeners. Secondly, unusual varieties and regionally adapted cultivars and increasingly difficult to find, companies like this work to maintain biodiversity in our food stocks. Take a moment to read their predicament, spend $5.45 on some excellent garden porn, and perhaps discover a new favorite for your own garden! Or click on the "Chip in" link and toss a few dollars towards them, your mouth may thank you later!

Costume Season

2011-10-18T16:06:00.006-06:00

Isn't it always costume season? It is for me, but I do use Halloween as a time to debut new cosplay pieces, and I often find myself proffering costume help to others.This year I gave this dress another try. Last Halloween I did this dress in turquoise and yellow, but the finished product was not quite as I envisioned it. In fact there was a lot of cursing involved with the sewing process.
So this year I started from scratch - totally new concept drawing, fresh measurements, and cotton broadcloth instead of fussy poly satins. There are two layers, the yellow being entirely structural and shaping the dress; the fuchsia is overlay to create the two-tone design.

There were a few little road blocks, but the finished product is pretty solid! 4-ish hours of cutting and sewing to produce, and I think it will get plenty of wear. One costume down, three to go!
What are you making for Halloween?

Tie One On!

2011-10-13T16:11:00.002-06:00

Estate sale find of the week - colorful vintage ties! I was in a house with literal barrels of ties. I pulled out the more colorful and interesting, and cut my self off at 32... The simplicity of using these for straps makes them a bargain at any price!
Anyone else found anything cool at a yard sale recently?

It's Gettin' Chili Here...

2011-10-12T09:33:00.002-06:00

I recently was cooking for a crowd at the house, and I dug into the freezer for some prepared chili, put up a few weeks back. I did a quick survey of the freezer, and realized *gasp* there's no way I had enough green chili to last the winter!

While driving to the fabric store, I happened upon a roadside chili stand, swerved across two lanes of traffic, and victoriously brought home a bushel of fragrant roasted goodness! Warning - a bushel of chili is a lot. Like, filled up the sink a lot.
So we start the processing, and packing, and freezing. But this may last me a little while this winter. What summer yummies are you stocking up on for the cold months?

Finds - Squashed

2011-10-08T17:01:00.007-06:00

It's that time of year, the produce section begins to feature items that are not for eating, but for decorating. I would rather that all delicious curcubits be served on plates, so here's some alternatives for celebrating this fine food! Pillow by JJMIllustration.

If you need to accouter your table, shy away from the pie pumpkins (they are best used for, yaknow making pie) and consider some non-perishable decor. CatnipStudioToo has a cornucopia of fabulous colorful gourds just right for a feasting centerpiece.

Is there anything lovelier than the gentle golds and rich greens of an acorn squash? Well, perhaps the nutty flavor... This yarn from OtterMoonPatterns captures the tones of a fall meal but with added sparkle. It's a soft wool so don't eat it, just knit with it.

Bedeck your table, and fill a cold set of hands! This wonderful teapot from TerraKiTeaware has nice muted colors, an elegant design, and it will warm your belly in the winter months.

Of course it's not too early to plan for next year, when you've set aside space for hills of Curcubita be sure to mark them with cute signs from CampPineNeedle. It's better than waiting for all your vines to make fruit so you can tell them apart...

Art by Craft

2011-10-06T20:36:00.003-06:00

Hey locals! This is my last fair of the summer! It's also an amazing collection of local craft goodies paired up with a display of art that pushes the boundaries on defining "craft". Gonna be awesome!

Wheels a' Turnin'

2011-10-04T16:44:00.002-06:00

The last few weeks have been wild around here, so sorry for the lack of updates! I've been traveling and having family and friends visit, I saw three new states, met lots of new family (there was a wedding!) and have been frantically putting up the last of the harvest.
So to tide you over until I return to normal activity here's some lovely wind turbines in a corn field in Iowa. The Midwest seems to be replete with fields of wind farms, turning slowly in the wind. Is there any better way to capture the energy? The fields here are not diminished by the occasional break for a base, and the spinning arms give a serene touch to the rolling landscape. I am thrilled to see the embrace of sustainable electricity sprawling across the plains!

Money and Action

2011-09-20T15:49:00.003-06:00

The past several days the canvassers have been around campus, their clipboards say Environment Colorado and the question they have - "Do you have a moment for the environment?" The answer to that question should be obvious "Yes, everyday I have several moments for the environment."
The truth is I avoid them, I walk on the far side of the walkways and stare at the lawns. The truth is they are not asking for moments, they are asking for money. The moment they have with you will not be used to mitigate your environmental impact, or change public policy, or assist in lifestyle change; that moment is for them to pay their salaries, and to fund the lobbiest group they represent.

I will not insult these people, nor those who give them that moment (and a small donation, tax-deductible). But this is a case of people giving money as proxy, changing your lifestyle is difficult and requires great awareness, handing someone five dollars and signing a paper is quick and painless.
But what about the rest of those moments? I have never felt that my lifestyle is difficult. I have never felt that living in an eco-conscious way is painful, or expensive, or punitive. In fact, my life feels every bit as rewarding and easy as I imagine it should be. But everyday I take a moment (well many dozen moments truthfully) and consider "What is the impact this has? - on me, on the air and water, on the biosphere, on other creatures, on other humans etc..."

So if a person takes a moment to hold a young idealist' clipboard and dig into their pockets, how can we convince that person to take a moment to look at their own actions? What sort of moments do you take in your life to look at the full impact of your life?

Finds - Harvest

2011-09-16T20:51:00.008-06:00

Sorry for a lack of updates blog friends, changes are in the air with the crisp Autumn wind! And much of my "free" time (free? ha!) is used processing and bringing in the harvest! Here's a quick pick of my favorite goods for the season...
An excellent piece from Bomobob
Fabulous decor for any window, by WhirlGirlGlass
Fine hair decor by Nomsa
A delicate accoutrement from CreationsByEileen
For your Mabon enjoyment (any many other harvest rituals) from WhiteMagic
Lovely napkins, perfect for tucking in to your favorite Autumn dish! From NapkinLapkin.

Celtic Fun at the Highlands' Fest

2011-09-13T12:14:00.007-06:00

This weekend we hit the Highlands' Fest in Estes Park, it was a lovely day in the mountains! Pipes and drums, plaid everywhere, men tossing heavy things, fully contact professional jousting, cute scotty dogs, and men in kilts as far as the eye can see! Sadly there was a serious lack of decent beer, next year we'll have to bring our own...

End of Summer

2011-09-07T09:30:00.002-06:00

Summer is drawing to a close, and so too is my summer section of my wheel of the year project! I've completed the tree and added a vine around the outer edge. I need to go back to the needlework shop for one more color, as I decided to add the names of the high days to the wheel.
In a few weeks when the autumn equinox hits I'll be starting the Fall tree in a new set of colors! I was pleasantly surprised at how quickly this went, which bodes well for completing each section in it's allotted season. It's quite relaxing to know I have a year to do this, and there's no rushing! Perhaps all my craft projects should have laid back time lines?

Salsa!

2011-09-05T10:11:00.002-06:00

It's harvest season here, my peppers are ripening, the green beans are everywhere, and the tomatoes never end! Twice a week I've been making chili, pasta sauce, tomato soup etc. and freezing several quarts of it; and every day more tomatoes come in off the plants. My mother has even been dumping more tomatoes on me, as her stomach can only handle so much acid foods...

A friend gave my a large bunch of fresh local cilantro from her farm share, so salsa is the tomato solution of the week. But frozen salsa is not so useful! Fortunately my canning gear is handy for such things! The salsa is chopped tomatoes, diced cilantro, onions and poblanos from the garden, with a touch of salt and pepper. I like to keep my flavors simple!

Even tho we tend to eat tomatoes with savory food, and thus consider them vegetables, they are in fact fruit. They also happen to be high acid fruits, and therefore I can use simple water bath canning methods instead of pressure cooking for precise amounts of time (made more complicated by the altitude here.) I wanted to make lots of little jars, just enough for one sitting of chips and salsa, but I ran out of the small ones. We can call the tall jars "party size" right?

Ready to be labeled and put away... I guess I need to run to the store for some chips right? Behind the salsa is my spicy bread and butter pickles (made with apple cider vinegar and honey). The plums will be ripening soon, and I expect to make plum jam again! What are you putting up for the cold winter months ahead?

Closet Check

2011-09-02T14:47:00.004-06:00

Now I don't consider myself a fashionista, but I do love fabulous clothes. I've been enjoying The Good Closet blog and several post on the Etsy Blog by Elizabeth. She is challenging readers to examine their clothing habits and environmental impact. Fact of the matter is, we cannot go nekkid around our society, and the ways that we costume ourselves has changed hugely over the years. Most changes seem to push away from simple sustainable coverings, and towards disposable (but not biodegradable!) clothing.
So I thought I'd jump in, what's in my closet? Well to start with, I haven't a closet proper, just a hanging rod for dresses, shirts and coats. But even this is an interesting cross-section of my clothing habits. First, 16 dresses, 8 button up shirts, 8 dress coats. Secondly, 10 are handmade (one by my mother, the rest by me); 11 are vintage, 8 were bought used from a thrift store, 3 were bought new. I've owned (as in, possessed in my household) each piece for an average of 5 years; the oldest was about 12 years old, the most recent dress was made less than a month ago.

But that's all just a bunch of numbers right? Well, when you consider the amount of textiles that are discarded everyday in the U.S. there's more to this picture. Have you ever stood in the back room of a charity thrift store and watched boxes pile up full of old clothes? Not all of it will make the shelves, some may be thrown away if it looks beat-up or undesirable. Some will go to outlets to be picked over by opportunity shoppers. Much of that is bailed and shipped to the developing world, dumping last years styles on the world's poor.

And what of it's final destination? Even an old-fashioned mender such as myself finds things may eventually go to a landfill. Cotton, linen, silk, wool and such natural fibers may breakdown eventually, tho the anaerobic environs in a dump aren't conducive to that sort of decay. Synthetics however, are forever. Even as the plastic polymers crumble, the molecules rarely breakdown into base components. Synthetic fabrics such as nylon, rayon, polyester, spandex and the like will never truly return to being organic material.

So what does that have to do with one's closet? Buying less, keeping it longer, and reusing the textiles can help reduce the environmental impact we all have, and it can be done without sacrificing much style! What's in your closet? Check out The Good Closet to read more about Elizabeth's research, and to get more ideas about how your fashion sense can become more eco-friendly.

Bike invasion!

2011-08-28T19:01:00.002-06:00

This morning my Father came by and we went to see the final laps of the USA Pro Cycling Challenge, as the racers rode circles in downtown. This was the sixth day of hard riding, from mountain passes like Monarch to scenic routes like the Lariat Loop and Garden of the Gods these guys have been wearing a hole in their spankies. Firstly, these guys at the end of a long tough ride are still riding 25 miles an hour! Then packs of sag cars and motorcycles are shadowing them, with so much fast moving wheels it's a marvel that there aren't more accidents, I guess that's what makes these guys pros. And while it wasn't sweltering, it was pretty dang hot today, intense stuff for these competitors.
Before and after it was an amazing sight as well, with a major set of streets and intersections closed to cars people were swarming the area on bikes, refreshing to see so many two-wheelers in fact. And I'll never again get to ride down the center of Speer boulevard, unless I have a death wish. Perfect end of summer day!

Crafting Makes People Happy!

2011-08-24T12:39:00.002-06:00

So on my recent trip I helped my hostess with her sewing machine. It needed some tension adjustments and a little bit of the seamstress touch. In order to be sure it was working fully I suggested we make a project. Drawers of fabric were dug thru, and this gem appeared...
Together we made a pillowcase from Cowboy Beefcake fabric as a going away present for her roommate. That folks, is a smile of joy created by a little time and effort with a sewing machine. What have you made as a gift recently?

Decay

2011-08-22T12:24:00.008-06:00

Lurking around an abandoned factory in Milwaukee...

Finds - Industrial City

2011-08-19T09:46:00.007-06:00

So as I've been vacationing in Milwaukee I've been wandering around and enjoying the old industrial buildings. This was a factory town, and everything here is older than the west (euro-americans having been settled here for much longer) Here's some sweet local flavors with a little focus on the sleek gray of the city, starting with this killer photo from SophiLoreen.

Enjoy a business classic re-purposed for modern business needs! (I can never do a "Finds" post without something eco-friendly people.) Put your fancy ipad in a pouch from MyGreenMonkeyDesigns to protect it, and to accessorize yourself!...

Hard metal edges and polished shine, this has the appeal of an industrial tool with the soft shapes of fine jewelry. PsyFiJewelry makes futuristic pieces with exciting metals and interesting stones.

The locals here have some crazy state pride. But if tattoos are a bit much for you grab an embroidered piece of wonderful from Lulumisu. Still involves needles and bright colors, but you can move elsewhere and still get a job.

Check out this series of cute robot letters from Jimbot, I mean squeeee!! how cute! And useful for spelling out your plans for mechanically fueled world domination... or something.

Milwaukee Maker Space

2011-08-18T11:20:00.007-06:00

I'm visiting friends here in Milwaukee, and they took me to the local hacker/tinker co-op - Milwaukee Makerspace. It's an old industrial building being used to make really cool stuff! There's folks taking cars and making them electric, and taking power wheels and powering them up.
There are boxes of tools and parts, and many old pieces to be taken apart for the goodies inside.

They even have an embroidery machine, a wood die cutter and lots of machinist...erm machines
There were many amazing things being made around there, fire and electricity abounds! I am always very impressed with people who make things that I cannot. These people do the hard goods and metal tinkering that I can only dream of, but we all must stick with our strengths.

Another Fabric Sale, Another Dress

2011-08-15T06:06:00.006-06:00

My local craft shop Fancy Tiger had a huge sale this weekend, and I couldn't help myself with this lovely Moda print - I got it in two colorways! And some contrasting solids to make cute dresses with, I never seem to get tired of this pattern.
I made slight alterations in the shape of the dress, so I always outline all my cuts before I make any to be sure it all fits and there is little waste.
To avoid using a seam ripper I lay out pieces in order to make sure they will all be facing the right way and fitting together. It's the first time the fabric starts to look like something wearable...
I make all my seams doubled, so first I have to ignore my sewing training and sew things together with the wrong sides facing! Then I trim the edge and sew it together the right way. I makes it sturdy and keeps the inside looking neat.
The contrast fabric is for the halter neck, I lost the pieces for the neckline (little things bah!) So I used the drawings on the package and measuring tape to recreate them. I then sewed the wrong edge >.<
Putting the final touches on - it seems I picked fabrics that match my sewing machine very well. Add seven vintage buttons up the back and voíla! It's a dress! A great way to spend a Saturday afternoon after some fabric shopping. And I have more fabric to go!

Changing it up...

2011-08-09T17:15:00.003-06:00

I recently changed up the way I sew my handles on to my bags, earth-shattering I know. But the new way is every bit as sturdy, and looks a bit neater. Not to mention it doesn't involve changing the stitch length or direction anywhere so it's more uniform. Why do I feel the need to share this on my blog?
I think very often we get into ruts, habits we cling to for no reason. Why is it I always sew my handles on the old way? Because that's how I'd done it for some 5 years, and I was accustomed to it. Perhaps we should take a moment every now and then to pause and question, why is it like this? Am I doing things this way for a reason? Perhaps there are more things I can change-up to make my craft better... What about you?

Yummies...

2011-08-08T16:02:00.003-06:00

Now I have always regarded my mother as a master cookie baker. She can easily turn out 10 dozen delicious pieces in a single evening, and her toffee bars are legendary. As I have entered upon my Journeyman stage in baking training (where one goes out into the world to try it without support from your master) I was delighted when we found a cookie press at an estate sale - now I can make the family favorite Spritz cookies!
My mother always relied on her perfect cookies to speak for themselves and does little to dress them up besides a sparkle of colored sugar, but I was less optimistic. I made three different flavors, the green is Macha, the Pink are Sesame, and the middle ones are plain dotted with a little bit of apricot jam. Not quite the masterpieces of my childhood, but my roommates have already devoured most of them so they must be good enough...

Summer Spice!

2011-08-05T13:46:00.006-06:00

Ripening fruit is arriving from the garden, it's the days of the "First Harvest" so we may as well eat fresh! I've been pulling big juicy tomatoes in, sweet and flavorful. As the season goes along my harvest will become tomato sauce and tomato soups, but right now I want to savor the raw tastes.

I diced the tomatoes coarsely, you can't chop juicy things very small! I then diced up some hot hungarian wax peppers. The picture shows two, but after sampling a bite of this one I decided that one would be enough! I like spice, but I wanted to still taste the other ingredients.

I then added diced cilantro, salt and lime; Spooned the juicy chunks onto chips and sipped a margarita! I ended up with lots of extra juice at the bottom of the bowl, and threw that in rice for dinner. Any idea how to keep salsa from getting too liquid?

Horseshoe Market This Saturday!

2011-08-03T14:22:00.004-06:00

Just wound up the County Fair, and it's already time for another! I'm looking forward to the Horseshoe this Saturday on Tennyson from 9am to 4pm. It's always a good crowd at the fair, with food and activities as well! It's looking to be nice weather this weekend, and not too hot, but there will be frozen treats and a misting tent to make things even nicer.
There are about 100 vendors, with awesome vintage finds and the best local handmade greatness. Expect to need plenty of time to see all we have to offer, and don't go home empty handed! I love summertime, because I get to spend every weekend at places like this. (Heck, sometimes I even make a little money..) See you locals there!

Long Weekend... Fun Times at the Fair!

2011-08-01T13:42:00.004-06:00

Whew, I'm still recuperating from the Denver County Fair. It was great weekend! Between speed crafting, steampunks, cute critters and live music there was non-stop fun.
My mother helped me gather the best of our vintage crafting collection to spread the love around (and make space for more estate sale finds...)
I had prepared an entire herd of pincushions for the event, many went home to be someone's new crafting buddy, but many more will be going up in my Etsy shop soon!
It's easy to forget that a ten foot square is really not that big, but I managed to have lots and lots of bags displayed so people could easily find their favorite.
I have some brand new signs, but my old racks are starting to lean dangerously, so that's on my list of wants for the business. It's a little more stressful to be figuring out a set-up for four full days! I wanted it to be the best possible, so naturally I was tweaking and moving things the whole time... It was a good crowd, and I sold enough to cover the booth fee. I'm already looking forward to next year! Has anyone else been having a good time at local fairs?

Set-up at the Fair!

2011-07-27T21:51:00.003-06:00

The Denver County Fair is invading the National Western Stockshow Grounds, I got there early to be able to drive right in and toss things from the car directly into my booth!
I fiddled with the layout for quite a while, I'll be using the booth for four days so I need to make sure it's just right! My tables and racks are laid out, so I can go right in tomorrow and start hanging bags. I'm looking forward to an exciting weekend, and it will all be inside in the coolness...

Unflattering Portraits

2011-07-25T12:28:00.002-06:00

So I've been wanting to share this with you guys for a while, but I had to work up to courage! At a local First Friday event there was an artist doing "Unflattering Portraits". Like a caricature only you know how bad it's going to be from the get-go! So here it is, courtesy of the Misanthrope Specialty Co, fine art meets that awkward photograph. Check out the site to see all the horrific wonders!

Finds - County Fair

2011-07-22T15:45:00.009-06:00

It's almost time for the Denver County Fair! It's the first time this fair has been held for several decades and it promises to be huge. There will be everything from arts and crafts, to a circus and great foods. Come by the National Western Stockshow Grounds July 28-31st to check out all that the Mile High City has to offer. I will be there peddling my wares, along with many of my crafty friends and the Denver Handmade Alliance. It's the height of summer, so it's time for summer fun! Not much has changed since this photo, from Maclancy.

We could all hope for some blue ribbons, like this pig from WanderingWhimsies!

What's your favorite carnival ride? UrbanDesign's great pendant makes me want to hop on...

Adoreable sheep pincushions from BossysFeltworks, so cute!

A permanent set of festival yummies? Make your own with this pattern from UmeCrafts

Heeere piggy piggy... such bright colors! Brooch by TheClimbingViolet

Saddle Bags

2011-07-21T14:54:00.002-06:00

My leather-working kick has not worn off yet. The feel of supple skin and the challenge of the medium combine with the sweet smell of hide. Today I made a side bag that can be attached to a belt or similar costume piece. All the sewing was done by hand, with each hole punched by hand awl.
Some vintage strap stays from a bag of old notions grace the front. I left it otherwise unadorned so that it can be used equally with steampunk, fantasy and everyday garb. I may however devise a system of interchangeable accessories to give it more flair. I could make a pair and feel even more like a pack mule...
It's nice to have a small break from my usual sewing from time to time!

Muppet Skins

2011-07-18T18:03:00.002-06:00

That's what I call dyed wool fleeces, hanging on the line they seem to be fluffy colorful remains from a stuffed critter. But when I stack them on the dining room table and set up the drum carder they become a curiosity magnet...
One of my roommates became fascinated with the workings of the carder, so I showed her how to use it. 24 hours later she has carded all the prepared fleece I have... I swear this is not slave labor! I didn't even get out the horse whip!

Finds - Full Moon

2011-07-15T15:53:00.008-06:00

Last night's full moon passed thru glowing cloud banks to bathe my yard in it's pale cold light. Even tho it comes once a month I never feel like the illumination last long enough. As the cycle turns I can only wave at the moon goddess knowing she'll return in 4 weeks...

I don't know how one paints on a feather, but ConjourUp does. I am impressed and enthralled... a delicate medium for an ethereal subject?

If you find yourself missing the light at the moon wanes enjoy this hand-sculpted silver cast pendant from Bronzegirl1. The slightly polished surface is a good parallel to the pockmarked moon.

Werewolves beware, one could wear the moons bright face on a shirt and bring it out into the world in broad daylight! This sweet shirt from BlackBirdTees has the detail and contrast to make people howl...

Reflecting light dancing across water, this stained glass piece from DianesGlassWork seems illuminated from within. The soft swirl of colors is captivating, imagine filling a room with this scene by hanging this piece in a window!

The glow of that satellite preserved in wonderful woodgrain. JoshuaRutherford has wonderful wood plaques highlighting the phases of the moon and the arc of the sun, all in native hardwoods with natural finishes.

Am I the only one drawn to that bright light? Seems not... These lovely cards from ScarlettDesign with a large graceful moth using the moon for navigation remind me that other creatures of the woods love the soft glow of moonlight.

Garden Update

2011-07-13T10:34:00.003-06:00

Now, for your viewing pleasure, some garden veggies thriving in the combination of wet and heat we've been having. My kitchen will soon be full of fresh foods every day!

How does your garden grow?

To Yarn or Not to Yarn...

2011-07-11T17:31:00.002-06:00

Shouldn't be that hard a question right? But it is right now... I've done a consignment of yarns to Fabric Bliss here in Denver to see if they can sell any there. So far feedback has been good! But then the hard question - can I spin enough to supply a shop and carry it myself online? If sales go well there I may let them become my exclusive outlet, but then I've got the "all-your-eggs-in-one-basket" scenario. I guess we simply must keep crafting and let the fates decide! No matter what the answer will still be "Yarn"...

Tinkering

2011-07-10T16:58:00.003-06:00

Firstly let me tell all you readers, my family has an addiction. We cannot, will not, ever, throw away stuff that might possibly be useful. We are borderline hoarders. On the upside, the garage and basement have always had boxes of fabulous old junk to dig thru.

So I decided to pit some of this crap (ahem, I mean interesting junk) to good use and create a non-functioning gadget. Sure I'd love to invent a functioning gadget, but frankly my mastery of space-time concepts doesn't get much past black hole event horizons...
The main object here is a simple wooden box, bought at a hobby shop. I did have to tighten up the corners and all the screws ("Made in China" you get what you paid for) before starting. I stained it with mahogany oil stain and finished it with linseed oil. This is the messy part!

I then cut some decorative parts out of brass sheeting. The metal is fairly easy to work with, but it dulls both razors and scissors fast so always cut metal with junk shears. I created a symbol with a large gear cog and wings - I've decided this is the emblem of "The Royal Exploration Society" and I will wood burn that into the side.

I then hinged a second piece of wood into the top, added handles (from old windows) and a hook set to keep things open. The dial is an old barometer scavenged from my parents' house.
I will continue to add dials, switches, wires and parts as I find them around the house and at estate sales. I will need to antique the new brass so it matches the old brass a little better. I have debated antiquing the entire contraption when it is done, but it makes more sense for me that is has traveled time, and thus despite being made in the 1880's it is only a few years old... right?

I'll post more pictures as it comes together, then we have to decide what it actually does... If you could build an invention what would it do?

Craft Fair Round Up

2011-07-06T15:44:00.004-06:00

There are a plethora of crafty happenings this month, so I better see all you Denver handmade lovers out on the town!
On July 9th there is the Handmade Homemade Market. I won't be selling there, but expect to see me bartering for local goodies!

July 11th - the Denver Handmade Alliance round table talk about wholesaling. Bring your expertise and your questions to Hooked on Colfax at 6:30.

July 16th - the fifth anniversary of Fancy Tiger. The Craft store will have super sweet fat quarters of their custom printed fabric to give away with purchases!

July 17th - the Lucky Pearl Bazaar will be happening all morning on Old South Pearl! Come check out handmade and vintage amazingness.

July 28th-31st - The Denver County Fair! This is four days of crafts, food, animals, eco-friendly living, competitions, music and art. Plan to be there at least one day, but a four day pass might be needed to take it all in...

August 6th - the Horseshoe Craft and Flea market will have lots of fabulous local finds as well.

Looking forward to a busy month, I'm hoping to get some camping and a few trips to the Ren Fest in as well. Somehow I always find time to make stuff too...

Talkin' Trash

2011-07-03T10:38:00.004-06:00

Sunday is trash night in my neighborhood. Everyone sets out their bags and bins for collection, I take a stroll to look for good pickings, and marvel at the piles of refuse we consign to the heap each week.

Many of the houses around me are piled every Monday morning with three or four big black trash bags, each and every week the people that live there manage to create that much waste! I can't tell you how to fill those bags, it's a mystery to me, but I do know the things I do around my household to reduce waste...

The most important, as always, is to reduce what comes into the house! When shopping I (of course!) use cloth market bags. But I also use cloth bags for bulk foods and produce, or reuse old plastic bags. Buying bulk foods not only saves on a lot of packaging, it reduces wasted food. One buys what their household needs, and never too much.

If you focus on eating foods that can be bought in bulk or reusable packaging you also see a change in your diet. Avoiding excess packaging often means avoiding processed foods as well.

Naturally, not everything you want to buy comes in reusable packaging. From food to clothing to household goods almost everything has some kind of wrapping nowadays.

When you're shopping you can however consider the fate of the packing material. Is it cardboard? Paper? Annoying hard plastic blister packs that require bolt cutters to open? When you can pick the item that has minimal packaging, and is recyclable. While it's better to not create the waste in the first place, if you have to try and recycle it!

Ready for the really hippy-dippy stuff? Compost. Seriously. If you have even a small yard or garden the soil enrichment is priceless. There are many styles of bins, turners and boxes - or you can just pile stuff in a corner. It assuages some of the guilt of a ruined dish if you know it's being composted into next years garden. Separating out all the food waste will also keep your garbage from smelling!

I keep a small flip top trash can in the kitchen to collect funky food, my parents always kept a yogurt container. You need something with a cover for inside, then empty it regularly. The pile shouldn't ever smell outside, after dumping kitchen scraps just toss a little dirt or leaves on top to keep away flies.

There are also options for the yard-less. Under-counter vermiculture bins are perfect for apartments or small houses. Some progressive cities are creating municipal compost programs with curbside collection bins. If there's a community garden in your neighborhood they will often have a compost pile you can contribute to.

There are a lot of small things you can do to reduce your environmental impact, and managing your waste stream is a good place to start. Consuming with the thought in mind "how much garbage is this going to make?" shows companies that we care about packaging. Recycling everything that you can preserves natural resources. It's easy to have a much smaller bag on the street corner on Garbage Day!

Finds - Cool Breeze

2011-07-01T15:21:00.007-06:00

The summer heat has finally come to Denver, I've been hiding inside as even the shady porch gets too warm by mid afternoon. Can I get a cool breeze please?
Lovely photograph by Gbrosseau

Colorful yarn from TheyToldMeSew
Cute pin for accessorizing by VanCocoaDesigns
Classic earrings from BlueBeadStudio
Cute repurposed necklace from SweetEllaBean
Adorable skirt from Vickytzo

New Project, New Craft

2011-06-30T17:37:00.004-06:00

Ok, not entirely new. Ever since learning how to sew when I was a smidgen kid I've known how to embroider. But it's rare that I do. A sewing machine is a speedy satisfaction device. But now I am un-expertly picking away at a piece of nice hand-dyed linen with a chunky needle.
There's more to this project tho. A little over a year ago I moved back into a house after several years of apartment living. Making a large garden and yard has helped to put me back into the rhythms of the outside world. The plants need watering at certain times, when it's planting season or harvest time you cannot simply put off the work.
I began to realize how out of touch with the Earth I'd become. It sounds cheesy as hell, but I was a long way from the kid who dug bare feet into the mud summers ago. So as I began to readjust to the cycles of growing things I also renewed my interest in Earth-based spiritualities. I've been meeting with several local pagan groups, celebrating things like the full moons and the solstice. Marking the passage of the seasons. Even when I'm meeting people with healing crystals and too much patchouli I still feel more whole.

So back to the embroidery hoop... since the beginning of civilization people have made circles representing the cycle of the seasons - the wheel of the year. (Picture credit here) I am creating a circular work, a mandala of sorts, that will take me a year to stitch. I intend to finish the summer tree over the next few months, and then wait for the Autumnal Equinox to begin the next segment. A craft project that ties my creativity into the changing seasons. I'll post updates as each segment is complete.
Many of us craft for the seasons - making warm fuzzies in the winter and light airy clothes in the summer, have you ever had your creativity fueled by the time of year?

Camping

2011-06-28T10:10:00.005-06:00

It's a little late but I thought I'd throw up some photos from my camping trip last week. I never miss a chance to show off how awesome Colorado is! My sister and I camped at Cottonwood Lake up Cottonwood Pass
And I was knitting in the woods, this should surprise no one...

We went to an old pegmatite quarry so my sister could rock hound. She and her rock hammer did a lot of "speeding up erosion"
And after I had found a pretty rock for me I practiced my archery skills. I'm getting better, but thank goodness no one is depending on me to feed them with a bow!

Come on Out to the Sweet Williams Market!

2011-06-23T22:43:00.003-06:00

This Saturday from 9AM-2PM come enjoy the Sweet Williams Market in Stapleton. It's one part sweet local crafters, one part vintage flea market, one part yummy food trucks... There's music and lush green grass to hang out on too!

Itty-Bitty Cherry Pie Committee

2011-06-22T10:37:00.008-06:00

It's that time again! The cherries on my parent's tree are ripening up and I'm picking them by the handful. These are not tart pie sherries, but they aren't super sweet either. We eat a lot of them raw, but I like them with just a little bit of sweet added. So first I sit on the porch during the longest day of the year and use that diabolical looking tool to shoot the pits out into the yard!

I then made a pie crust, just a simple butter and flour action. If you let your crust sit a while in the fridge it will let the gluten relax so you get less stringy bread-like crust and more flaky pastry crust. I have used the food processor to pulse the butter and flour, but it's never as good as hand chopped!

I coarsely chopped the cherries and put them on a low stove with a drizzle of honey and some flour and corn starch. It took about an hour to thicken up, you'ld be amazed at how much juice those firm little fruits have in them!

I rolled out my crust and used a muffin cup as a template to cut little circles. I didn't worry about them being perfectly round, as the act of pushing them down into the cups fixes any unevenness. This is a teflon no-stick cupcake pan (bullshit, I only tried using it for cupcakes with no cups once, it was awful); but with a regular pan I would grease if first to ensure they come out.

I baked them at a lower temp than most pies - 350F - since they were small. I could tell they were ready when the crust flaked and separated getting just a tiny bit brown on the edge. I used a cake spatula to peel them out, and they didn't give me too much trouble. They are messy and delicious to eat! Not a single one survived the night! Fortunately there are many many more cherries that still need to be picked...

Finds - Summer Solstice

2011-06-20T09:23:00.010-06:00

The longest days of the year are upon us, the wheel turns, and solstice is more than just a feature of astronomy. This time of year we celebrate the beginning of summer harvest and the greening of the world. The Green Man and the Earthmother are busy providing for all of us, and we are busy working hard to keep up. This lovely card from EmilyBalivet features the Oak King - bringer of Litha and this fine weather we are all enjoying.

The blazing sun is the other focus of the solstice. The longest days of the year with the noonday sun climbing high and lingering long. This is when the crops flourish and nature hits her peak. This beautiful mosaic piece from DoMosaics combines bright sunshine and mottled greenery, and I bet it glints in the sun.

The light this time of year is special as the sun angles high in the mid-day and takes it's sweet time waiting to set. This photo from AnnWilkinson beautifully captures to lush greenery and the soft light. If this doesn't bring you a warm fuzzy feeling you might be a robot!

We're having a gray day here, so I might need to have some artificial sunshine to brighten the room. This window hanging in lovely yellow from HarvestMoonByHand is both intricately made and simply beautiful. Try not to get lost staring at it...

Bring color and warmth to an outfit year-round with this necklace from 13thStreetJewelry. Lush olive green with little bits of sunshine, just right for the midsummer. But you can brighten your life in the winter with it too.

Some yarn for you crafty folks, fiber sunshine! This cheery yellow from SweetBasilFibreWorks in perfect for summer months. Get some colorful needles out and get knitting! Make something light and lofty - tho in these parts summer still has those chilly days...

So to celebrate the summer months and the Green Man be sure to get outside! And you can bring a little bit of outside in... This sweet mask from MythicalDesigns is colorful enough to hang on the wall when you aren't wearing it out to your local solstice party. No parties you know of? Then get your crew together and make your own!

So I decided to start doing millinery ...

2011-06-15T22:19:00.011-06:00

One day while at the fabric store I got a crazy idea, why look around for the perfect hat to match an outfit when I could make one? So I found an absurdly stiff interfacing and brought home a yard of it. I naturally had piled of black sateen and maroon lace just sitting around gathering dust... ( Doesn't everyone?)

I determined a head shape and made a paper mock up to try on, then cut out my interfacing. So far it looks like it might actually work. It also reminds you that these are sometimes called stovepipe hats.

I carefully layered the lace over the black to cover the pieces. I didn't end up fusing the interfacing, I simply held it in place with good top stitching. This is the first place I started to doubt that this was going to work.

More and more pieces coming together. Slight headache. My doubt increases. I take the project to my mother's house to make use of her machine. The Green Meany (my Bernina) is a flat plate machine, not good for cuff hemming, and hat sewing it would seem.

After fighting my mother's sewing machine for a bit, some cursing and some creative presser foot shenanigans, the hat is in one piece. I use the inside layer of black to make an inside hem and cover up all my madness.

Some shaping and accessories make for a serviceable hat. I don't imagine I'll be heading into the hat making business, but I am already plotting ways to better this design!

A Time Travel Adventure to the Renissance Festival

2011-06-12T22:42:00.010-06:00

For the opening weekend of the Faire a large contingent of Victorian adventurers boarded time travel devices and ventured into the far past to explore.
Within the walls of this Medieval village a plethora of festival goers milled about in their finery.
Music included these fine gentlemen wearing fabulous kilts. I find this sort of attire quite fetching, and future time travel expeditions may include a trip to Celtic lands.
A large variety of entertainment abounds - animal acts, slight of hand, acrobatics, comedy and wandering minstrels.
The King of the realm called for a competition of some sort. This "jousting" seemed to be a mix of mock warfare and insult trading. It seems unclear if the purpose of this act is to injure the opponent, and the participants seemed equally confused.
The dashing "Knights in Shining Armor" did carry on an impressive display of horsemanship. They seem to have a system of address and cover their items in symbols with cryptic meanings.
Our day was filled with fruitful observation on the odd customs of the past era, the costumes were varied and colorful, the food was unusual. This historical research will be helpful in future expeditions, and in understanding the past.
The locals still however seem to regard us warily.

Lucky Pearl Bazaar Tomorrow!

2011-06-11T21:05:00.002-06:00

If you're in South Denver tomorrow morning be sure to swing by and check out both the Pearl Street Farmer's Market and the Lucky Pearl Bazaar! There will be lots of locally grown and made food, and great craft vendors. We'll be down there from 9am -2pm On Pearl Street in the blocks around 1500 south. Hope to see some folks there!

Finds - Greening Up

2011-06-10T12:09:00.012-06:00

As the garden has been thriving, and all the plants are enjoying the early rains we got, outside has become a shade of green so saturated I can hardly describe it. The bright and brilliant greens are almost tropical (unusual for Colorado) and I'm loving it! Just like this silk scarf from Essiewb you can wrap yourself in these great shades of green!

I think this should be me motto, like go big or go home right? The bright chartreuse cozy is as much a pick-you-up as whatever is in the cup. And a not so gentle reminder that you need to be doing wonderful things doesn't hurt. Knotworkshop wants to make your morning!

If you like to dress for the season, or you just enjoy bright colors, this necklace from SilverLiningDecor is cute and colorful. With brilliant greens that remind me of the foliage and yellow blooms this piece screams summer fun. And it's not fussy so you can dress it up or wear it with something casual!

Just what the procrastinating seamstress needs, something to remind her that she's hungry... This adorable green felt pincushion from Shmugusta is based on a yummy tomato. Oddly enough my attempts to stab real tomatoes with pins and needles just make a mess...

I am always in awe of woodworkers, they use big dangerous looking tools and bring out the natural beauty of the materials! This bowl from Makye77 is no exception, the smooth bright green interior contrast with the grainy black outside. The rough and cracking edges are a nice reminder of neighborhood trees, so fun to see the origin of items.

Perhaps you would care to enjoy a spectrum of brilliant greens year round? This sassy modern quilt from PeaceLoveandQuilts has greens front and back to bring color into your house. The tan background makes the colors pop that much more, and makes it work with many color schemes.

Shortenin' Bread!

2011-06-08T10:16:00.003-06:00

Actually, shortbread cookies...
These classic flaky pieces of yum are quick and easy, I combined them with homemade jam for super yummy amazingness. Take 1 cup butter and beat until soft, add 1/2 cup sugar and cream together until really soft and smooth. Add 1 and 1/2 cups flour (I mixed whole wheat pastry and whole wheat bread flour). You can also add spices like nutmeg or allspice at this point. Mix until just past sticky, you may need to add a little more flour...
Let the dough chill in the fridge for an hour. Heat oven to 350F. Drop little piles in a baking sheet and press them flat. A nice rocks glass dipped flour is perfect, but be sure it's not the glass you have your drink in. (You are sipping a lovely cocktail while you work right?). The cookies will spread a bit so space them generously.

Bake 10 or so minutes, they shouldn't be left to get brown at all, so once the shine is starting to disappear pull them out! Let them cool 10 minutes or so. They should slide easily off the sheet and be still a little soft, so lay them flat.

Add a good layer of yummy jam, sandwiched between two cookies. If you're stacking them put a layer of paper between your cookie pairs (learn from my mistake!). Take them to craft night, and watch them disappear! Magic...
If these aren't decadent enough, follow my mother's lead and dip one half of the sandwich in chocolate!

Treasury Feature - Reclaimed, Recycled and Repurposed

2011-06-07T15:35:00.001-06:00

A nice treasury feature with some awesome colors in it! Thanks Mmstein.

Strap-ons

2011-06-04T15:40:00.006-06:00

Ha! Made you look! Today I'm sharing with you all my process for adding some leather strap details to clothing. I'm using the finished object for steampunk cosplay, and the straps are not only aesthetically pleasing but useful for attaching tools and such. Some things of note...
1. Do not use your good fabric scissors to cut leather. Ever.
2. Tools like a good awl and a leather hole punch make life easy.
3. you can use normal sewing notions, go for big needles and heavy thread like button or quilting cord. Really large needles will be tough to pass thru the leather tho.

I purchased leather already cut into long strips for this project. After determining the placement of my straps I cut them a little longer than the distance they are to span. Add quite a bit extra if you think you will want to use them for securing large objects. Using a few layers of cardboard I punched sewing holes in the send of all my straps. A piece of scrap wood also works well for this, but don't use an awl directly on a table or your leg...

I hand stitched the straps in place using the punched holes and button cord. If you're having trouble finding a hole from the backside of the leather use a second needle to show you where it is. I doubled back on the holes so that all of them have thread going from both sides. Not only does it look neater to have a continuous line of thread, but it makes it a bit sturdier.
I bought commercial buckles for this project. One can also make your own from some hardware store pieces (D-rings and heavy gauge wire in case you really want to punk it up). I took strips of fabric, doubled them over for strength, and poked a hole in them. The middle bar goes thru the hole and the two sides of the fabric strip are sewn down. Then I used the leather punch to create a row of holes. You can also use an awl if your buckle is small, but a punch makes nice clean holes.
I added these to a corset I made, but any garment could use them. Leather straps would also work well on bags and purses, even some household sewing! I've made friends with the local leather warehouse, and the possibilities are endless!

See My Bloomers?

2011-06-01T14:41:00.004-06:00

The cycles of spring are turning- tulips are long gone, lilacs have faded... so it's time for irises! I am fortunate enough to have moved into a house with lovely purple iris plants all around the beds, from small pale lavender to big bold plum purples. Enough for my to bring some inside so I can enjoy the scent all the time, and still have dozens out in the yard. Perhaps some day I will even weed the flower beds...

Also - Radishes! Crisp and spicy, put the bottoms in salads and eat the fuzzy tops steamed with a little butter, the upside to the cold wet weather is how lovely my cool weather crops are this spring.

Finds - Rainy Days

2011-05-31T10:48:00.010-06:00

Today we have finally moved past spring showers. For several weeks the rain has been almost constant, lasting all day and hanging over night. The garden is thriving, but my spirits are a little low. Colorado is famous for it's sunshine, so I have to remember the beauty of the rain.
Perhaps glancing at this calm dark photo from AlanMogensen will help the mood...

Who says that needlework has to be old-fashioned and stodgy? This adorable little wall hanging from GooseandTrisser is sleek and modern. The fine colors of the thread on a bold blue backdrop are stunning, and perfect for decorating. A little bit of the storm to have around the house...

These earrings from TheAdornedArticle sparkle like raindrops. I love the shimmery blue color, matching the tones of a cloudy day. These would do well with a bright day too, but the elegant shape will always make you think of rain.

For some rainy day knitting (the best thing to do when you're feeling stuck inside) this lovely colorway from KnittinWolf. Put some tea on the stove and get out your crafting sticks, make something that will keep you warm while you're staying warm, the soft blues and grays will remind you of dark clouds and blue skies.

And what if gray days are your style...? LePtitPapillon has rain clouds for everyone, even in some bright not-so-rainy-day colors. That cute fluffy cloud is waiting to be hung on your wall to remind you that life is not all sunshine, and that's why it's awesome!

Shamanism and Creativity

2011-05-27T16:21:00.002-06:00

Last night I had the pleasure of attending a workshop on Shamanism and creativity. For those who are unfamiliar, Shamanism is generally defined as using repetitive drumming to enter a trance-like or meditative state; and in that state one can recieve input from spirits and natural forces. The presenter describer her experiences, and we combined visual arts and drumming. An interesting discussion but not exactly earth-shaking right?
But I had a small epiphany today, while spinning on the front porch. The smooth hum a gentle whir of the wheel are a rhythmic patterning, and I have always found activities like knitting and crochet to be relaxing. In some ways the meditative state of calmly crafting could be spiritual.
Now, the presenter pointed out, usually drumming is done to create an altered mind state, and then the creative activity takes place. She felt that her artwork was a collaborative effort between her and guiding spirits. But perhaps many of the repetitive activities we do can have a similar effect of helping us tune into a deeper world? Can the act of making be meditative, and further enhance ones creativity? Are there spiritual practices others use to harness or drive the act of creation? I know I feel rejuvanated after an evening knitting with friends, but perhaps that is just the wine....

Sweaters in Summer

2011-05-26T10:29:00.002-06:00

It seems that every year sweater projects end up being finished in the summer. Fortunately it's been cold enough here that my think woolens haven't gone into summer storage yet. This sweater is a long time coming, but as with all large projects it suddenly passes the point of "stuff it in your purse" size and I stop working on it for a while...

I had nearly finished the body when it went dormant, and so I had to figure out a pattern for the sleeves. I'm doing a simple eyelet lace with the hopes that it will make the yarn stretch farther. This is my own hand-dyed wool, so what I've got is the end of it, and I'll just have to knit on both sleeves until it's gone. So far it's looking like it will be 3/4 sleeves, which would make a pretty good summer sweater...

Super Secret Quilt Blocks...

2011-05-23T12:08:00.002-06:00

I've been doing a seriously clear out of fabric scraps, cutting them into leaves and flower petals left and right, using the tiniest leftovers to stuff turtles. And cutting little squares and triangles for a special quilt project... Why is it secret? Because if something goes horribly wrong I'll stuff it in to the back of the craft closet underneath the yarn stash and never speak of it again! (I don't think it'll come to that, but it's early so we'll see)

Oh my... look at the time!

2011-05-21T17:10:00.001-06:00

Due to an odd clerical mistake in heaven, Pink was raptured today. We expect to have this whole mess cleared up once we find her Pagan membership card... when she's back she'll have to get to finishing that yarn!

Robots are Invading!

2011-05-19T16:36:00.002-06:00

Again! I've been on a monsters and robots buzz, my inner geek exploding on my sewing machine. Look for that section of my shop to have lots of new offerings, fuzzy and mechanical. Is there any better way to use up buttons than to make google eyes?

Crafty Ballyhoo 2011

2011-05-16T16:59:00.004-06:00

Yesterday was the Crafty Ballyhoo, part of a Create Denver Week event, and despite it being a little cold and rainy it was a blast! There were a bunch of great local crafters hanging out in the basement of the historic Grant-Humphrys mansion.
Outside was out Up-and-Coming Vendor showcase. These 7 businesses just did a series of workshops to get them ready for Craft Shows and hopefully quit-your-day-job success! They all had awesome products, and did pretty well despite the cold.
The main floor of the building was Fashion Denver's space, and they didn't disappoint with cool goods from local designers and several fashion shows.
And upstairs was an even more rockin' time... interactive fun with craft making for all ages! Just in case people were so inspired by all the handmade goodness that they had to jump in themselves. An awesome event as always, looking forward to more Ballyhoos!

Finds - Enchanted Forest

2011-05-14T16:11:00.007-06:00

This time of year is always green, but due to some much needed but surprisingly heavy rains Colorado is starting to look so damn green it's... almost like magic?
This week we're traveling thru an enchanted forest, just like the one captured here by SeeShellsPhotography. In the north-west these sorts of vistas may be common place, but here in the high desert a grove this lush is downright supernatural!

And what good forest setting is lacking in cute (tho possibly dangerous) little mushrooms? These hair pins from GardenVibe can add a hippy touch to an outfit, or simply hold your hair back while you're running about the woods.

For the pixie in your life, or your own inner pixie, get some woodsy fun from TheFaerieMarket. With hair pieces and other accessories in a myriad of different leaf shapes this shop is awash with earthy colors and fun textures. It is easy being green...

Some magic sparkles for a romp thru the woods, this fun piece from MorningGloryDesigns adds some earthy shine to any outfit. There's a whole collection of forest themed jewelry in this shop, for those who love to accessorize!

And for us crafty folks, some truly yummy sparkle-tastic yarn! Handspun by Autumnrose this great thick and thin wool yarn would add magic to any project, fae knitting and otherwise...

Vintage Quilts

2011-05-13T16:16:00.002-06:00

Nothing better than good estate sale finds! This week I stumbled upon a pile of hand-stitched quilt "squares" in the flower garden pattern. Judging by slightly yellowed muslin and the colors and prints my Mother and I agree that these are likely pre-war! Some hexagons show the stitching or seams of reused clothing, patchwork in the oldest traditions of the craft.
I've decided to Incorporate some of the pieces into bags, but most are going to be finished into quilts. I started with some of my own hand-stitching and it certainly gives you appreciation for a sewing machine!

What a Weekend!

2011-05-09T09:33:00.002-06:00

I spent most of the weekend in Fort Collins for the Dwell Fair. It was held in a super cool old church with lots of funky nooks and crannies full of fun crafts. And I got to hang out with my friends who live up there! Who knew that this land-locked state actually has some awesome sushi... Thanks to everyone who came out to the fair, met some interesting vendors from up there, and some folks who also made the trek from Denver.
Then on Sunday we had the final workshop for the up-and-coming vendors! You locals will be able to see the neat booth they've created (and all the goods they make of course) at the Crafty Ballyhoo this coming Sunday! ...and if I survive finals, I'll be there selling too.

Look Out Fort Collins!

2011-05-06T09:41:00.000-06:00

Pricing 101

2011-05-05T19:34:00.003-06:00

This is the sheet I handed out at a recent pricing workshop, I wanted to share some ideas about pricing craft products as part of running a crafty business. There are dozens of different systems to use for pricing, but I wanted to share an overview of the process behind setting your numbers!

There are several important aspects of determining your price, your cost basis, your market, and the value of your items. Cost basis is the easiest to determine, and usually a large portion of the price. Your market and perceived value depend on the type of item you make, and your branding.

Cost

Has three main components - Materials, labor, business expenses. The addition of all these things creates your cost, charging less than cost means you are losing money! Here's an example worksheet

Yarn prices, per batch. (For this example it's a batch of 5 2oz. 100yd. skeins)

Cost of fiber - $2.00 per ounce. For 10 ounce batch__________ $20.00.

Cost of dyes and materials - three dye baths, $.50 each ________$1.50

Labor - $7.50 per hour. 2.66 hours spinning, 3 hours dying _____$42.45

Total $64.00 (yes, I rounded)

Divide that by 5, and each skein has a cost basis of $12.80

But wait! What about other business cost?

I have a spinning wheel, dye pots, skills and experience, electricity and other utilities at my studio space (also known as the living room). And that's just the cost of making stuff. You can build these cost into your cost basis using complected algorithms, or you can be like most small business owners and estimate. Often people use a added percentage (cost x 1.25, or adding %25), but depending on the materials cost this may not be accurate. If you do have a studio space, or equipment that you rent, you can determine how many hours you use them for each item, and add the cost that way.

Note, we still haven't touched the other parts of your business!

As small business owners we are doing many other things besides creating. We package and present our products, often taking photos and/or modeling them. We market and promote, this may be just talking our items up around town, it might be buying advertising. We seek out venues for our product, and often staff craft fair booths or retail co-ops. These are hours we spend selling our products, and we need to be paid for them. There are also the cost of packaging, labeling, storing etc.

The price you came up with in your cost basis, is generally going to be your wholesale price. And most people double that to determine their retail price. If I determine my cost basis to be $15.00, then my yarn should be retailing for $30.00.

WHAT!?

No really, that's the math. If you don't believe it, count it a different way. Keep track of all the time you spend in a week working on your business. Figure out how much you actually produced in that same week. Now determine your cost in a way that adds that in. For example, If I made only yarn, and had made only that one batch of yarn in a week, but I spent an hour a day doing some kind of business activity, that's $52.50. If you think you couldn't spend an hour a day trying to sell 5 measly skeins of yarn...

So we've done that math, and our cost basis is $127.50 that's $25.50 per skein. Not too far off. Depending on your overhead and promotions you might find that way of calculating gives you a bigger number!

Reality Check

Now the question must be asked, is anyone going to buy that yarn for $30? or $25.50? Would I buy that yarn for that much? Now we have the issues of market, and perceived value. One thing to remember - Not everyone is a crafter. We have the bad habit of undervaluing our work, because "hey, I could make that". If you make something, and it's amazing, and it's well made from quality materials, there are people who are willing to pay what it is really worth.

But the yarn? In my pricing I've had to be mindful of other crafters and my market. I am not interested in being the cheapest yarn out there, there are too may people undervaluing themselves for that. I'm not interested in being the most expensive either, for some brands and products that's the goal, but not mine. When balancing the cost and value, I settled on selling my yarn for slightly above cost basis. Not because I don't like money, but because that's the most that many people are willing to pay for it.

That leads to the last aspect, Value.

Value is different that cost. Cost is concrete, based on the amount you pay for materials, and the amount of labor. Value is created by branding, promotion, packaging, utility, beauty etc. When a certain person finds a certain item, and it resonates with them - Price becomes no object. Sadly we do not have dozens of these people clamoring for our good at all times, so we must create a price that is with the range of perceived value for our target market. If your market is wealthy fashionistas, they will see an increased price as increased value. If your market is young mothers they will be more concerned with the utility to price ratio. If you don't think your market will buy your product, you need to try and raise the value of it in their eyes.

Or, reduce your cost.

If you find yourself doing these calculations and you're getting numbers that seem totally untenable, try to adjust the input numbers. For my example, I can try to source wool roving for cheaper. I can try to do larger batches so that the dying time is split amongst more product. I can try to spin faster. Note that I came up with a hourly labor cost, the amount I pay myself. It's somewhat arbitrary, but it's what I was making at most of the jobs I had before I started my business. I didn't think it seemed right to pay myself less than other people had paid me (even if I have the perk of working for an amazing boss).

*Can your materials be sourced for less without sacrificing quality?

*Can you make things in a more efficient manner?

*Can you outsource something?

*Is your labor cost realistic?

*Can you make a simpler product?

Do not, ever, for any reason, sell your goods under cost. This is tough, but if you lose money doing something it's a hobby not a business. You may find that your price doesn't cover all the hours you spend on your business, work to decrease your cost, or to do more with less time. Don't make a business plan that involves selling hundreds of items to turn a profit, let Walmart do that. Some of your items may be break evens, and some may be very profitable, but you should not price with the intention of it being profitable "someday".

Treasuries Ahoy!

2011-05-03T10:52:00.005-06:00

And for anyone who's ready for some warm weather - Walking on Sunshine - by TheSomedayHouse

A sampling of some of the wonderful things that can be seen at the Dwell Downtown show this weekend in Fort Collins! By Brittany'sBest

And last but not least, some locally made goodies - Shopping My Beautiful Colorado - by Day Dog Designs.

Beltane Fires

2011-04-30T17:17:00.003-06:00

The wheel of the year just keeps turning! This weekend marks Beltane, a transition between spring and summer. In many traditions this is a time to hang out all night around a huge bonfire dancing and singing and carrying on. That's right, partying all night is a spiritual event for some pagans, makes you want to play right? Top to Bottom - Beltane greeting cards (even more fun if you have über-conservative relatives) by FifthRealmPress. Camp never looked like this! Handsewn Alter cloth honoring the element of fire, from Linemor of Sweden. Fine silver reproduction of a Scythian Deer Brooch from those crazy Germans of Albae. Check out their full collection of metalsmithed goods based on anchient artifacts and techniques!

Beltane was a very important Celtic celebration, and a precursor to Mayday. The maypole and ribbon dance are traced back to it. Purifying and cleansing with the fires and ashes prepare one for the new life that summer brings!
Lovely yarn (with a hint of magic!) from SolsticeYarns in the colors of hot coals. A finely formed and well painted leather owl mask from Teonova, if you want to party all night in style. A bright and lively limited run print from NtheGroove called "Flame of the Dryads" reflecting the energy of the bonfire. Even if you don't enjoy the Beltane tradition, we can all rejoice in the growing blooms and coming summer months. Cheers!

Craft Fair Booths!

2011-04-29T17:07:00.002-06:00

Well, I don't usually re-post things, it's not my style. But This post from the blog of the famous Renegade Craft Fairs is pretty much as good as it gets. I could have tried to write a big thing on it, and not quite pinned it down. Go look at their ideas for unique fair set-ups, and hopefully get some ideas for what to do with your own 10x10!

Kicking Off the Season

2011-04-26T15:07:00.002-06:00

Nice to get things rolling! Last weekend was the first craft fair of the year for me. I spent a few days before it getting everything tagged and labeled, priced and sorted, clean and ready for showing! Now I just get to keep making stuff...
I'm hoping to have a busy fair season, Dwell market in Fort Collins, The Crafty Ballyhoo, Lucky Pearl Bazaar, The Boulder County Farmer's markets in Boulder and Longmont, Denver County Fair, Horseshoe Market, and Denver Handmade Homemade. Whew! I better get back to the sewing machine...

Find Crafting Bliss!

2011-04-21T11:16:00.003-06:00

If you're on the Front Range consider coming out to my first fair this year! Operation Re-scrap will be all weekend with classes, demonstrations, used craft supplies and handmade goods! Thursday 5pm – 9pm Opening Festivities, Friday 9am – 7pm, Saturday 9am – 3pm at The Ranch First National Bank Exhibition South Hall
5280 Arena CircleLoveland, CO 80538 (Exit 259 off I-25, located next door to the Budweiser Event Center) Hope to see lots of crafty folks and have a good time!

And then I created water and land...

2011-04-19T15:03:00.001-06:00

Finished up the Earth applique! plenty of hours and plenty of pin pricks, but I'm temped to make more...

Special Bag Project...

2011-04-18T09:50:00.007-06:00

If you don't know, I'm a member of the Carried Away Bag Makers Team on Etsy. We have team challenges from time to time, it's a great exercise in pushing our craft, and it allows us to interact with each other. I'm often feeling too busy to participate, but I had to jump in on an Earth Day theme!

Since all of my work is eco-friendly I felt like I had to kick it up a notch! I'm doing an applique of the world pieced from lots of little bits of recycled fabric scraps. This is a bit new for me, instead of cutting large pieces into shapes I get to put it together like a crazy puzzle.

The toughest part was pinning everything down, I think I used every pin in y craft room! And then I had to be very careful not to grab too many pins in my hand while I was appliqueing, only a few pricks happened...

Voilá! Finished the ocean sections, tomorrow I will go in and fill the land with browns and greens. And with the time this has taken, I think I may just keep this bag for myself.

Treasury Feature - Earth Day

2011-04-16T23:40:00.001-06:00

Another great treasury, this time the theme is Earth Friendly and it is just in time for Earth Day! Check out these great finds in this collection by YellowBearStudios.

Why Dying Yarn Can Take A While

2011-04-14T15:10:00.006-06:00

When it's dying day at my house it's a full day's affair. I wait until I have several hundred yards of yarn spun up and ready to dye, then I have to skein it! For some of my yarns I do a long skein method which allows you to fit more colors and makes for less pooling on the finished item. My fancy shmancy device for this... is a pair of shovels set several yards apart.

This batch had a skein length of 14ft, which gives me plenty of room for slow color changes. I did three dye baths - green yellow and orange - to make this yarn. While the pot is going I also wash and dye some raw wool fleece in the same colors to use for blending. So in one day that was 6 different dye sets.

Once dried the long skeins show the color variation you can achieve this way! I then skein it back into standard two yard skeins, demonstrating the way the colors will look together when knit up. This was an organic Merino roving, and despite being handled so much it is still heavenly soft!

I worked up a few samples with my leftovers, the knit does indeed have a slow beautiful stripe; but the crocheted cuffs I made really let the colors play together and makes it truly look like a field of tulips! This yarn really has gotten me in the spirit of spring and I can't wait to get things rolling in the garden.

Artsy Fartsy

2011-04-11T09:20:00.002-06:00

So this semester I'm taking a drawing class at the local community college. Not because I wanted a drawing class perse, but because it's required in the list on onerous pre-reqs for printmaking (whine). That said, it has been an enjoyable class, even when you've done something for a log time it's nice to have someone pushing you to try new techniques, mediums, and do do things you normally wouldn't. This is the first piece I received back, a still life of random objects. I think that doing an art form with other people opens your mind to new possibilities, have you taken classes or joined groups to push the limits of your craft?

Finds - Mother of Invention

2011-04-08T16:15:00.008-06:00

We all have good ideas, but some people have ideas so good it changes the world! This week's Finds is dedicated to those Inventors who are dreaming big and making messes. And to inspire those bright thoughts, how about this nice bulb print from TheBigHarumph to sit in your creative space?

Want to walk the line between brilliant and absolutely stark raving mad? (What? You aren't already?) Nikola Tesla schooled Edison on running electricity to light bulbs, and then went a little overboard y trying to fill the entire atmosphere with enough electricity to power electrical appliances... safer to stick with wearing this neat buttons from Pinstop...

And how could I do a post without a bicycle? Although, this is not a simple safety bike... This digitally altered ink drawing from BarkingMadArts celebrates inventions, calculations, and thinking on the go! And in causes me to want to try and build such a thing... But best to leave such things to a Victorian Inventor.

Here's to dubious ideas! Who knows what this guy is doing with his walking cart contraption, but he must be enjoying it because he's got his pipe out... Hand embroidered by Waterrose and fitting with decor that is sleek and simple, or the clutter of an inventor's workshop.

Here's a celebration of a communication pioneer and his fabulous mutton chops (that's the facial hair folks). An Alexander Graham Bell doll from UneekDollDesigns pays homage to the father of the telephone and is a neat miniature that almost begs to have a miniature workshop built for it!

And of course, a place for inventions of your own! Because any thing put in a book like this will automatically become a good idea...right? This wonderful handmade tome from GILDBookbinders is sturdy and timeless, perfect for a journal or sketchbook to hold those brilliant thoughts.