Crafty Stache Happy Hour Was Great!

I recently met up with some of my favorite Pittsburgh indie crafters from I Made It! Market and the Pittsburgh Craft Collective. The "Crafty Stache Happy Hour" at Lawrencville's Remedy centered around chatting and laughs, yummy drinks, snacks to crunch, and making fun mustaches! Felt, pipe cleaners, glue, glitter, stickers, and other materials were used to make stylin' staches. A great, stachy time was had by all. :)




(left to right) Me (SilentLotus Creations), Vehement Romantic, Jilsy Design, Subu, Inc.

A Long Weekend!

So I had an exhausting, grossly hot and sticky-sweaty weekend vending at SSW. But the long hours and oppressive heat and humidity ended being worth it- it was terrific! Besides pretty good sales (much better than it seemed while they were happening), I had absolutely the best time connecting with my fellow crafters there. It was so wonderful to be with like-minded people for passionate, intelligent conversation, laughter, and letting it all hang out.

I sold some of my favorite pieces, including several new ones, and had some incredible shopper. It's always really cool when your favorite pieces go to one of your favorite customers. :)

Pittsburgh has so many talented artisans. I was able to buy some handmade yoga mat spray in Lavender Vanilla (she has Citrus, too) from Naturally Lela, and some rally cute and unique burp cloths from The Point and Pootinkies for my new niece who may arrive any day now. :) I would have bought so much more if I had had time to shop and didn't spend my very brief intended shop-time chatting instead. :P My goal eventually is to procure (yes, I am on a mission) a fabulous bag from both Wren and Rita and Jilsy Designs in the near future. :)

A big shout out to Carrie and Nina of I Made It! Market for the exhausting hard work put into making this weekend happen!

The highlight of the weekend was drinks and chatting at the Double Wide Grill on the South Side Sunday evening. Yummy salad and seitan BBQ wings, some of my favorite people, and awesome banter- I left feeling high on the glow of the evening, and I'm still there. :) I think I may have gotten so exuberant over the great time that I talked over people a lot. Sorry gang! Thanks for a brilliant night! Check out their Etsy shops: Charmed By Nature, Barker's Herbs & Heirlooms, and Luxe.

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So immediately after the highlight of my weekend was one of the lowest points ever, creating a real emotional roller coaster. Just after dropping a friend off at her home on a quiet country road, I killed a sweet little brown bunny with my car! :( I saw her running toward the road and yelled in my head, "Nooo bunny!" I braked and tried to slow down and hoped I had missed her, but then I felt a tiny bump. It was so dark, 11 at night with few road lights. I stopped to look for her on the road and didn't see her at first, but then noticed the glow on the black road of little white tail. I cried so hard, just petting her and telling her over and over how sorry I was. :'( Then I picked her up and moved to her to the grass to safety. She was so soft and so warm and she was shaking, and all I could do was sob hysterically. When I left her, I cried the whole way home and for a long time after I got there. I haven't cried so hard since I lost my Grammy. ;_;

I hurt that poor little beautiful little bun- I murdered her with a monster of steel! And I had to leave her all alone. What if she had babies??? One second she was jumping and running with bright eyes and freedom, and the next she was "gone". I can't wash the feeling of her hot skin and soft downy fur beneath my hands, shaking and fragile and so vulnerable. I feel terrible. :(

I am going to work on a painting of a sweet bunny in a happy, wild, peaceful place where nothing can hurt her. Maybe she can go there. I'm so sorry, bunny. :(

South Side Works Artists Exposed- Come See Me This Weekend!

Getting all prepped and juiced up for a three-day weekend of crafty vending coming up at the end of this week! Woot! :) Come and check me out there, along with lots of my talented fellow crafters. Hope to see you there!





SouthSide Works Exposed is an outdoor bazaar and music festival celebrating summer and the arts in Pittsburgh. The setting for this event is in and around the Town Square of the SouthSide Works.

More than 70 local artists and craftspeople will be selling handmade wares including ceramics, photography, paintings, jewelry, clothing, nat...ural body products, woodworked games and more.

Each day features food from SouthSide Works restaurants, drinks, music and traveling entertainers – and a dedicated area for kids!

To learn about the excitement and to see a sample of the artisans, visit http://www.imadeitmarket.com/ or http://www.southsideworks.com.

Three Rivers Art Fest- IMI and Crafty Kids

This past Friday, I was lucky enough to work with I Made It! Market (IMI) at the Creativity Zone at the 2010 Three Rivers Arts Fest in downtown Pittsburgh! Local crafters were invited by IMI to plan and offer a crafty project to kids attending the fest as part of the free activities going on. Doing so would not only help IMI continue to establish itself as the best nomadic indie crafts market around, but also expose children to handmade and the arts. As a bonus, those crafters who participated were able to sell our wares to the Three Rivers Arts Fest crowd. Yay! :)

The crafty project I chose for the kiddos involved using fabric from vintage fabric sample books (found at Creative Reuse Pittsburgh) to make DIY journals. The fabric was used as the cover, and the kids chose paper to be stapled inside.



Fabric pieces from vintage fabric sample books were used as journal covers.


I brought vintage sequins and beads, foam shapes, and plenty O glitter for them to decorate their covers. Despite my nervousness that the local kids' scene would be tough on me, they loved it! :)



I made a few journals as samples.


This was also my first experience selling at Three Rivers, and I was thrilled at how receptive the crowds were. It was a fabulous day, despite sunburn. :/ A huge thank you to Carrie of IMI, who was so kind and sweet as to encourage me to sell to customers while she took over my craft project. Carrie, you are a rock star! *HUG* :)



Craft table at the Arts Fest IMI Tent, all ready to go (pre-glitter disaster).




Kiddos DIY.




Word of the day? Sparkle!

Hitting the Craft Shows! Visit Me at Local Indie Handmade Events!

I am super excited to be returning to the craft show scene after almost 6 months away! Having taken a much-needed hiatus to refocus and get motivated, I'll be introducing art prints, pandants, and magnets using images from my original brush paintings! As well, look for my new line of jewelry upcycled from entirely vintage components! :D

Gearing up for three nifty handmade shopping extravaganzas coming up at which I will vend my wares. :) Come and visit me at the following indie crafty events, fill your holiday shopping baskets, and support local businesses and hard-working independent artisans!

WYEP Holiday Shoppe, Sunday, November 28th, 10-2 pm at The WYEP Community Broadcast Center, 67 Bedford Sq, Pittsburgh.

I Made It! Market for the Holidays, Saturday, December 5th, 12-5pm at the Union Project, Pittsburgh.

Cleveland Handmade Last Minute Market & Open Studio, Saturday, December 19th, 10-6pm at The Screw Factory in Lakewood, OH.

America Unchained! Support and Celebrate Local Businesses and Artisans!

As the holidays and shopping madness fast approach, consider purchasing local handmade gifts for everyone on your list. Not only will your giftee receive a one-of-kind, well made treasure, but your economy will get a boost!


On Saturday, November 21st, 2009, take part in America & Canada Unchained, a campaign by the American Business Alliance (AMIBA) in which everyone in the US & Canada (everyone else, too) is encouraged to support only locally-owned independent businesses for the entire day! This is a great opportunity to build awareness of indie artisans and crafters in your local economy, as well as any other non-chain businesses. Whether shopping, eating out, or doing other business for this entire day, AMIBA says, can "maximize the impact of your dollars and inject potentially millions more into the local economy!

Did you know that local independent businesses create about three and a half times the local economic activity as chains do?! AMIBA director Jennifer Rocke explains that indie biz "pays local employees, use the goods and services of other local indie biz, and give back to the community far more than chains." According to Rockne, independents generate 70% more local economic impact per square foot than chain stores! Pledging to buy only handmade for the holidays (or anytime) can give a huge boost to your neighborhood's economic well-being. Check out upcoming local indie craft fairs near you, and meet and support area vendors peddling their unique handmade wares!

The choice of what businesses to patronize can have huge and lasting consequences. Take America Unchained on the 21st as a chance to spread the word that small indie businesses like artisans and crafters are critical parts of your cities' cultural, social, and economic impact. Supporting them is better for us and for the community's health and prosperity! You'll have the perfect opportunity to do so at Pittsburgh's I Made It! for the Holidays at the Union Project on December 5th, when 50 crafty area vendors will gather to vend their handmade goodies! See you there! :)

Thanks to Karen Holsopple of Pittsburgh's East End Food Co-op for her article that inspired this one!