follow me to my new blog!

I've moved to tumblr! I find it much easier to work with and manage. Please follow me there!

New little cross-stitched pieces on etsy!

I just put a collection of small cross stitch pieces (plus one embroidered piece) up in my etsy shop.
I love making these - creating patterns, finding inspirations and adjusting or translating them to x-stitch, and this is definitely my relaxing break activity these days. There is so much more cross-stitch I want to do!

new round of the Lovely Letterbox!

I'm ready for a new round of The Lovely Letterbox, a mail subscription service. Are you??!

The Lovely Letterbox is : a mail subscription service that offers special packages and items handmade and assembled by me arriving in your mailbox each month for six months!

I learned a lot from the first round I did, the wonderful participants I had, and the folks from that round who did their own mail subscription projects. I've realized I need to make the project more manageable, to make it cost effective by charging for actual shipping and planning in advance what I will spend on shipping, and also figured out what I think will be a good way to offer this to international folks, too!

I will be limited the number of participants again, on a first come first serve basis (signup/sending funds) so please sign up soon!

Your mail treats will be loosely themed around the following: mail art, crafts, and zines. Supplies and ephemera, zines from my archive, and items that I create specifically for the Lovely Letterbox will be included. Check out some examples of past packages (of course, this round will be full of all new items)!

** PLEASE NOTE ** There are three separate listings in my Etsy shop, for U.S., International 6-month, and International 2-month. If it's a gift, please choose the listing for the recipient's location and specifiy in the notes section that it is a gift and when you want it to start.

Here's how it works:

Schedule

The 1st, 3rd, and 5th month will be a larger package in a flat rate priority envelope. The 2nd, 4th, and 6th months will be a smaller item, closer to first rate letter-size/weight, paired theme-wise with the previous month.

Month 1 : Mail Art stash (flat rate envelope full of supplies, ephemera, etc.)

Month 2 : Mail Art (card, letter, mail art, a letter-sized item in the mail to you)

Month 3 : Craft stash (flat rate envelope full of supplies - fabric pieces, trim, buttons, notions, etc.)

Month 4 : Craft project (a small craft project I prepare for you to make - instructions and supplies included)

Month 5 : Zines! (flat rate envelope full of zines from friends and from my personal archives)

Month 6 : Zine for Lovely Letterbox (a zine created specifically for the Lovely Letterbox, that will be first seen here, in your subscription)

Signing Up

- Your subscription will start with October or November, depending on when you sign up. Early bird/Halloween subscriptions received by next Monday, October 5, will be sent out by the week of October 19. They *will include Halloween items!!*

- Late signup - after October 5, deadline is by Monday, October 19 - will be sent out the week of November 16.

- final option is a gift subscription! This would be a fun surprise for a lover of mail or a crafty friend that's far away. This can be sent out starting as early as the first round (Halloween), or can start in December as a holiday gift and will include a card and tasteful holiday packaging.
You must sign up by Oct. 5 for Halloween, or by October 19 for November OR December. If you have any questions about this, please convo or e-mail me!

Price Breakdown:

for U.S. participants
3 months @ 4.95 (flat rate priority envelope) = $14.85
3 months at $1.50 (first class mail) = $4.50
$16 for supply costs
------
$35

International 6-month
3 months @ 10.95 = $32.85
3 months @ $3 = $9
$16 for supply costs
----------
$58

International 2-month
1 month @ 10.95
1 month @ $3
$6 supply costs
--------
$20

community + coffee art show

submit your creations to this show I'm putting together at the starbucks where I work! for Austin folks, whatever media, the selected entries will be displayed for the month of September and we're going to have a fabulous opening reception on Saturday, September 5th. Tell your friends!
(x-posted)

July shop update

Cross stitch design Crafty and Sew Crafty t-shirts, silkscreened using print gocco - on etsy

plus hand printed postcard sets!

fun skirts, tutu, and dress designed and hand stitched with love



Zine history, compilation/collection books leaving my collection

Part 4: out-and-about in Minneapolis

Holly's vintage tray collection


City Salvage

word bricks, Birchwood Cafe

car outside Crafty Planet



Karen made earrings out of her teeth

hand sculpture


Spyhouse (my favorite coffeeshop)

Leighann's apartment, full of art and sewing supplies

hey Minneapolis! Part 3: crafty supply shopping

In either of these shops, I could live forever and die happy.

Paper Source
This is my favorite paper shop of all time, and there are more branches opening up around the country. You can order online if too far away but is definitely worth the trip.
I collected many treasures and lots of inspiration for making art zines and mail art!

my loot from Paper Source:



Crafty Planet, this is easily the most fabulous fabric store I've been in. It reminds me of a big sister to our local Austin (and sorely missed) Craft-o-rama.

what I brought home