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)

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

Minneapolis, ya'll! Part 2: Nimble Fingers

Minneapolis is my former home. It's dear to my heart and it took me far too long (nearly 8 years) to return after moving to North Carolina. I found the city as beautiful as ever with old lovely buildings, charming ancient industrial landscape, creative people doing interesting things...

It was so neat to be able to see the great new stuff happening.

Sew-and-Sew

My gal pal Stephanie and her partner in stitchy crime Leighann have started the Nimble Fingers Sewing School. Here they are meeting in the Mill District Arts Gallery:

This is how I spent my first night in Minneapolis, with this lovely girl gang from way back in the Oak Street Cinema days, talking stitches and working on Chris's embroidered heart project for his wedding present.

a crafty journey, Part 1: Bozeman, Montana

I've just returned from travels to these two most wonderful, completely distinct and uniquely beautiful places. Naturally I checked out all the artsy and crafty things I could, and wanted to share.

Bozeman, Montana : this is a sweet, quiet, and quaint little town surrounded by beautiful mountains and so close to Yellowstone National Park.

At the Coop, I admired a woman's hand-sewn cap and she referred me to the Emerson Cultural Center; an old school converted into gallery/studio/retail art and craft spaces. It has a small screening room and little cafe.

The hat is a creation of the talented Jennifer Hogin/Super Jenny Love, and is similar to this one: Eating a scrumptious caprese sandwich in the sweet herb garden of the Emerson Cultural Center before checking out the art

Junk altar art by JC


Tart is the shop of locally and regionally handmade art & crafts. It has a great variety, and also offers crafting classes; sewing, embroidery, beading, etc.

I fell in love with this ring, made by Sarah Ann of Fleshman Creek Designs

top two prints by Courtney Blazon, bottom four by Annie L. Bailey

report from Acknowledge Me : 2008

On December 6, 2008, a bunch of artists, crafters, DIYers, musicians, activists, ... etc. gathered on a very cold night at the Mohawk.

Thank you Michelle and Johanna who helped me set up and take down, table, kept me company and entertained in the cold !

this guy bought some of my tiny art zines

this nice girl Lani (sp?) traded a wonderful bird screenprinted shirt for a little embroidered hedgehog of mine along with a little polka-dotted tooth plushy. Later, I ran into her at my favorite paper store in Austin, the Paper Place, where she works!

Laura picked out a house collage to take home

Belle & Burger and Blue Mama Crafts

These are two crafty gals I've had the pleasure of connecting with recently, and I wanted to make sure to share their crafty goodness with you! They are Chasity of Belle & Burger and Jen of Blue Mama. The things they make are so lovely and delightful, it's obvious how much sheer joy they get from making things and sharing them. But my very favorite thing about them is that they are both so, so wonderfully sweet and genuinely kind, open ladies.

They both have great crafty blogs - Belle & Burger and Mama Sings The Blues. I got to see them at Maker Faire and also last week at the farmer's market (the Sunset Valley one off 290 in Austin), where they have a very fun booth together. Blue Mama is also on etsy.

Acknowledge Me Fest is coming!

This is definitely one of the best craft fairs I've been a part of; crafts, DIY, zines, music....
mark your calendar and come out and see me! December 6 at Mohawk. woo!

Never too much of a good thing

This weekend, I'm completely immersed in awesomeness: Ladies Rock Camp, which I've been helping organize and doing print publications for, and Maker Faire! I'm pretty much at one place or the other, or if I'm home, I'm working on the roadmap (a resource/reference book) for Ladies Rock Camp, making the program for the ladies rock showcase, oh yeah, and carving some stamps to unwind. some clouds with faces, and a little halloween stamp for the Lovely Letterbox which of course will be a surprise. Hey - if you're local, please come out for the Ladies Rock Camp showcase - it will be a great show! It's tomorrow (Sunday) at the Creekside Lounge, 7pm. Free/donations.

here are some photos from ladies rock camp (taking band photos for the program)

In order to get a free pass for Maker Faire, I volunteered with Ecology Action (the great Austin/area recycling center) for the first few hours, then caught a great presentation by Kathy Cano-Murillo (aka Crafty Chica), and Rachel's (aka Average Jane Crafter) awesome demo on making plushy monsters (from Craft magazine). This is a photo borrowed from her blog she took right before her demo of the audience - look, there I am! I'm looking off somewhere, in the middle, wearing the brown and blue chainring shirt.

More Maker Faire and LRC photos forthcoming! In the meantime, here are a few on my flickr.

postal delights, vp debates, crafting, and cupcakes, oh my!

Sugene/All This is Mine's paper ephemera subscription has been amazing! Get on her mailing list so you can be part of the next round. I have sadly failed to take pictures before but here's the one I got the other day:

my favorite thing in this package!

Last night, I hosted a viewing of the Vice Presidential debate.




see more on my flickr

Tuesday crafting (more photos will be posted after the lovely letterbox subs go out!)

Audra's tattoo (stamp from the Small Object)



crafting with Kristen at Spiderhouse



hair at Toy Joy - doesn't she look fabulous?