Queen Anne Artists Trunk Show!

This past weekend at the Bothell Friends and More Holiday Bazaar was FANTASTIC! It was my best show to date! I had lots of friends and family come check out my booth! I got so many wonderful compliements from my customers and made friends with a yarn spinner! More on her next week... :)

THIS WEEKEND! I'm doing another show!! It's the Queen Anne Artists Trunk Show in Seattle.



CLICK HERE FOR THE SHOWS WEBSITE!!

Here's the info from the website...but go check out the actual site for links to the shops of these artists!!

NOVEMBER 21, 2009 :: 11am-4pm :: QUEEN ANNE COMMUNITY CENTER


This show is a family-friendly juried event showcasing the work of top area artisans.
Don't miss this fabulous opportunity to pick up unique, hand-crafted gifts for the holidays!


free admission
free drawings for goods created by show artists
live music
face painting and projects for the kids
art gallery showcasing work by Sweet Pea Cottage preschool students

featuring




Anna Perrone Designs :: Knitwear; handmade glass, vintage lucite, & precious stone jewelry.

Artiful (Lisa Klosowski) :: Whimsical paintings for your child.
Baby Raindrops :: Vintage hangers, appliqued onesies, burp cloths, wipe cases, tutus, & hairbows.
Blackbird Tees :: Hand silkscreened t-shirts & apparel.
Christine Marie Larsen Illustration :: Sweet and sly original paintings, prints, & cards.
C.Lee Design :: Fine silver hammered jewelry.
Dinah Coops Naturally Modern Sustainable Designs :: Hand silkscreened tableware & accessories utilizing sustainable materials.
Estrella Soaps :: Handmade, natural, vegan, & beautiful soap, lip balm, soy candles, & bath fizzies.
Four Letter T-Shirts :: T-shirts with familiar, super cool, silkscreened images.
glamscience :: handmade glitter goods for kids, grownups, & houses.
Go2Girl Design :: Custom aprons for adults & children; entertaining accessories for the kitchen.
ilee paper goods :: Fine letterpress printed calendars & note cards.
Karen Fabiano :: Bottle cap wearable art & accessories.
LuCoo :: Hip, modern kids' clothing with original character designs.
Mama Made It :: 100% natural, gluten-free, dye-free aromatherapeutic play clay; a wholesome addition to playtime.
Marin Made :: Hand-knit & crocheted accessories for all.
Marmalade Originals :: 100% high quality cotton women's bias-cut skirts, little girl's shift dresses & tiered skirts.
Megan Nikiema :: Cards & quilted baby blankets. Tasa Gleason :: Flower brooches & stuffed animals.
Melissa Ludin :: Hammered metal jewelry.
mfrancesdesign :: Beautiful, wearable jewelry pieces made from sterling silver, gold-filled, vintage brass, semi-precious stones, & more.
Pitter Painter Cards :: Handmade paper collage cards, bookish coaster sets, fabric bracelet cuffs, mixed media paintings, magnets, & pins.
Red Delicious :: Pretty & practical bags & accessories handcrafted in limited editions.
Rocket Boy Knits and Friends :: Knit & crocheted toys & accessories for out-of-this-world kids & adults, with a selection of coordinating hand-sewn items.
Running Dog Designs :: One-of-a-kind purses made from 45 records & picture sleeves; map totes.
Semilla Designs :: Seed jewelry that fuses natural materials & urban design.
Starjuice Aromatherapy :: Fun & fresh handcrafted aromatherapy products for holistic wellness of body & environment.
Stephanie Kastner :: Original acrylic & mixed media art on canvas.
Sydney Designs :: Vintage Wallpaper notecards, jewelry, & art.
Teresa DeLeen :: Recycled & upcycled fine silver pendants & typewriter key jewelry.


also featuring
Sweet Pea Cottage Staff Artists:
Julia Evanovich :: Handmade dress-up skirts, mixed media drawings, colorful, fun pieces of cake for play.
Emma Hassett :: Adorable hand-knit sneaky snakes
Monica Gonzalez :: Mixed-media collage of altered photos, watercolor, & printmaking.
Retha Tinker, Jr. & Sr. :: "Perfect" no-slip hand-knit headbands, photos, & cards.
Nicole Hood :: Handmade 1940's style aprons, & fabric flower adornments.
My Loon (Christine Longe & Ricky Coates) :: Whimsical & bright acrylic paintings lovingly created for all ages & imaginations.
ESandra Hollman :: Silver jewelry made from recycled, reused, & vintage materials.


HOPE TO SEE YOU THERE!!

My Friends and Family Show

I'm back!! For those who don't know, I spent the last week doing some job training in Texas. So, no blogging for that week. I did work on some penguin hats a little while I was there, but not a lot of time for much else than "real" work.

This Saturday is my first craft show of the season, and I'd like to take this opportunity to personally invite you all!! :)

www.craftybug.com has all the details...but here is the run down

My Friends & More Holiday Bazaar

Saturday, November 14, 2009

Location:
The International Union of Operating Engineer's Hall
18701 120th Ave NE Bothell, WA 98011
A beautiful facility just off exit 24 from I-405.

Santa arrives at 1:00!
Parents, bring your camera for FREE photos with Santa!
Pets also welcome!
FREE Children's craft & play area provided!
Free Refreshments!

FREE Admission!
FREE Parking!
Full wheel chair and stroller access!

Shopping hours are 10:00am to 5:00 pm

Bring Your PETS!! Bring Your Friends!!


From the NORTH:

From I-405, take Exit 24

Turn LEFT onto NE 195th St

Turn Right at 120th AV NE

Union Hall is about ½ mile, on the right


From the SOUTH:

From I-405, take Exit 24

Turn Right onto NE 195th St

Turn Right at 120th AV NE

Union Hall is about ½ mile, on the right


We'll see you there!


Attention non-profits! Apply today for a FREE booth for 2009!
Spaces are limited, and go quickly, don't delay!
Click on the Vendor link below for application and information.

Penguins!

As I prevoiusly posted, a friend of mine had a brilliant suggestion of making penguin hats! She ordered two from me, and had so much fun making them, I whipped up a few more! Another friend grabbed one for her 6 year old, and a coworker for his almost 2 year old!

One of my favorite parts about kids orders is they usually come back with great pics! Here's the most recent:




My parents neighbors just recently became grandparents. My mom ordered a gray newborn earflap hat to give them as a gift. The parents loved it so much, that grandma promptly placed another order for the next size up! Here's the little cutie sportin his new hat!



And finally, a very near and dear friend to me, ordered pumpkin hats a while back for her self and her preggers friend. She also ordered a onsie with a crocheted pumpkin applique. Here's that precious newborn in his little October outfit!




Thanks again to the parents for sending me these great pics!! I'm busy busy working on more kids stuff for my upcoming shows! I just wish I had some little ones around to model for me too!

Halloween is coming!

Halloween is coming...do you know what you're going to be yet? I had some amazing ideas for this year...but then life kicked in with it's financial ups and downs (more of the latter this month) and of course the medical junk, and now I'm just not really sure what I'm going to be. I'll probably end up dragging something out of the little costume box in the laundry room.

But, I was reading my morning blogs and came across this little adorable pair of boys, and had to share!!





too cute!! I actually giggled outloud :)

to get those juices goin'

Not that I need any more inspiration to add to the list of projects I have in my mind...but I thought it would be fun to just share some pics and collages with gorgeous colors and textures today! Enjoy!

hats hats everywhere!!

YAY! I kept my promise!! Blog today with pictures!!! :D

Yesterday was a long long Friday at work. After work I met up with my daddy for an early dinner, he was passing through on his way back home. After that, it was home to the couch - watched the bf play some video games (the best time to get crocheting done!) and then we watched some Season 5 Desperate Housewives....

the result of my evening on the couch:


NINE new Newsboy hats for ages 2-5!!! That's right, NINE! I just looked at the pile today and was like, holy cow, I'm a crocheting fool! Granted, it was a later evening than usual- but I was quite pleased with how much I got done!! And made a good dent in my half used skeins bin!! :)

All the while, this little angel kept trying to curl up on my lap - on the couch she's not supposed to be on!



I'm still hoping to get about 11 more of these done by the end of the weekend. Then I might try to get a few more adult ones done as well. Busy Busy, I just can't belive how quickly the November shows are approaching!!

Catching up

I hope you all will forgive me for what a bad little blogger I've been lately. I know the last couple posts have started that way. I have been keeping busy, just not so good with keeping you up to date!!

I'm so so so inpsired right now! Fall does that though I think. Stormy windy days make snuggling on the couch in a fleece blanket with hooks or needles oh so inviting. Plus, the way my health has been lately, the couch or bed is a very comforting place :). The last couple weeks I've been scouring my books and the internet for Christmas present patterns. I'm very pleased with the results, and can't wait to get working!

However, I do still have two shows coming up next month, so I'm going to try to put the Christmas things out of sight and out of mind until then! One show I'm gearing more to the adult crowd, I did the show two years ago, and there weren't too many kids. Actually, I did really bad at that show, lol. I only had 2 sales (One was to my lovely grandma) and I did a trade with a neighboring vendor. I walked away discouraged, but have since changed my show game plan. Now I go and I stand the whole time, I smile at everyone and make small talk if they are close enough. I saw amazing results with this strategy last year. Granted, I'm exhausted by the end of the day - but it makes it all worht it.

Back on track - that show is mostly an adult crowd, I think. I've gained variety in that now I have men's items as well, which I think gives me an edge in the craft show world. However, there were SEVERAL knitters and crocheters there two years ago, so I really have to work up some clever display ideas! Something to really drag people in. It would be fantastic to get a spot along a wall, so that I could really open up and use more space, but we'll see.

The second show I'm doing is a week later in Queen Anne. It's a show at a preschool. It's kind of a whole holiday festival thing, with face painting, a bake sale, raffles, and other activities. Since the main purpose of the show is to raise funds for the school, I'm expecting lots and lots and lots of parents of children 2-5. So....I need to bulk up the shop for it!! I sent off all the ordered penguin hats, and and planning on working up at least 6-8 more for this show. I was also thinking of snowman beanies and little santa hats. Today, I'm going to sit down for a few hours with my scrap bin and try to work up a dozen or so kid's sized newsboy hats. Ambitious, I know, but hopefully I'll be back tomorrow with a pic of the progress!!

In personal knitting news - I pulled out a seater that my mom got me to work on for Christmas two years ago. It was the biggest thing I'd ever taken on at the time. The pattern was thick reading for me, and I'm just not sure my technique (or attention span) was quite there. Last year, I worked up the whole back peice, then started on a sleeve, only to get frustrated and put it back away. I pulled it out a couple weeks ago and reviewed my work and the pattern. I worked both pockets, then started in on one side of the front peice...I knit about 6 inches into it, realized that the pattern I was knitting had a ribbed edge, then switched to garter stitch for the rest, looked at the picture, yup, that looks right, looked at the back peice that I spent hours on last year....CRAP!! I knit the WHOLE back peice in the ribbed pattern!!!! noooo!! It can't be!! I was too broken hearted in the moment to rip it out. I think I'm going to work up the rest of the sweater, then go back and re-do the back, then assemble. It was so so so sad. I am hoping (time allowing) to have this done to wear for Christmas this year. But, like I said, big shows to get ready for and lots of presents to do...so it may be more of a Valentine's day sweater when all is said and done!

I've enlisted the help of my sister to do some handsewing of the applique type things I made. She was down last weekend and while I worked on penguin hats, she sewed flowers to onsies. :) I don't have the patience to hand stitch, so I'm glad she's here to help. Hopefully by the time the shows come, we'll have 12-24 onsies done as well.

Ok, well, that's a lot more typing then I normally do. I promise next time there will be pictures!!

Cheers!