Crafty Bastards - The Vendor Edition #1

So by now we're all familiar with the wonder that is Crafty Bastards in Washington D.C. but let's get to know the handful of vendors that I was able to talk to while I was there.

#1 Let's talk about Caitlin at Rebound Designs. I put out a call on Twitter to see if anyone had an extra table I could borrow and she was kind enough to answer my plea.

Thanks Caitlin! You have to be a special kind of nice to drag an extra table to a craft show.

Caitlin invented the Book Purse - which is - exactly what it sounds like: a purse made out of a book. I can't think of a better way to create a memorial to your favorite book that might be fallin' apart.

#2 McBitterson's - Tasteless Wares. They were our awesome booth-mates (who also have a really awesome website). Sadly, it was so busy that we didn't really get much of a chance to talk - but it was obvious to me - even without much convo - that we share a similar sense of humor.

McBitterson's makes fantastically sarcastic things with paper and plush.

The giant plush cigarettes with little frowny faces were a big hit. "He's sad cause he's a carcinogen!"Bah-ha-ha!

Figured out while we were there that I had actually seen them at another craft show -- in Madison, WI at the Sixth Annual Summer Craftacular. Neither of us live there. How weird is that?

Jennifer Cooke and I must have shared some sort of florescent pink day-dream obsession. I saw her booth out of the corner of my eye while I was trapped in mine taking everyone's money (mmmwwwahahahahahahah!)

The show was almost over when I HAD to bolt over there and check out her stuff. She prints in multiple colors (one of them florescent pink) which makes for an effect that I personally love. I ended up with a shirt and a bag (I almost had to fight another woman for the bag).

Check out r a e b u r n  i n k if you have also been dreaming in florescent pink.

Also, if you're into making stuff yourself, check out her book Design Your Own Tees and try out some of the printing methods.

I love my purse. So do others. People comment on it where ever I go. So go get your own and quit eyeing mine.

And thus concludes the first edition of the Crafty Bastards vendor highlights. Look forward to edition #2 coming 'round the bend.

Crafty Bastards. Lived it. Loved it. Can't Wait to Go Back.

Dear 10 people who read my blog: If you do nothing else in your little lives, please make a point to go to Crafty Bastards in Washington D.C. at some point.
It's amazing.

It's live changing.

You'll love it.

You'll weep.

From happiness.

Normally I review shows and talk about the things they did right and give some pointers for what they could do better next time. With Crafty Bastards I am hard pressed to find anything they could improve. It is honestly a HUGE, huge, huge and really well run show.

Let me give you an example: we were in a shared booth. You get a booth-mate, a tent, two tables and four chairs with the booth fee. When we arrived at the crack of dawn to set up, we didn't have any of those things in our booth space. Doug asked one of the volunteers and in 15 minutes we had all of the above along with a visit from the festival organizer who apologized said she hates it when anything goes wrong. Super smooth.

So we set up, 30,000 people arrived and handed us money and then we tore down. It went by so quickly that it was just a big blur. I guess my only wish is that I had been able to meet some more of the vendors. It was just too busy to talk to anyone for more than 30 seconds. Crafty Bastards does have some vendor events, but they are earlier in the process and don't work for traveling folk like me. If there was an event for vendors either the day before or the day after the festival then traveling folks could attend. That's it. That's all I can think of that would improve this event.

Crafty Bastards is pretty much perfect. There is also still time to vote for Ugly Baby (me) in the Craftiest Bastard contest. Today is the very last day. Do it.

Location:Valley Ave E,Sumner,United States

New Obsession: Swap-bot.com

I like getting stuff in the mail. I like mailing stuff through the post office. I like stamping things. I like putting things in envelopes. I like writing crazy things on paper and sending it to people. I like the mail. I like everything about it.

I also like crafts. I like making crafts. I like seeing what crafts other people make. I like it when other people give me crafts.

I especially like it when people make crafts and then send them to me in the mail. 

So you can imagine my delight when I discovered Swap-bot.com. It's a website filled with Swaps that you can sign up for. You send someone something. Someone sends you something. A swap. It's magical.

I registered right away and then signed up for a newbie swap. You have to build up your swap cred a little bit as many swaps require you to have already swapped a minimum number of times. This weeds out the folks who won't follow through on their swap obligations. (shakes fist at the dumb monkeys who mess up the swaps!)

The swap I signed up for is right up my alley: Big, Fat, Stuffed Envelope Swap. Oh yes. Oh, yes. I can't wait to get it! I'll do a post later that shows ya what I got (and if I've really got it together -- what I gave). In the meantime, sign up for Swap-bot.

This is what 24 hours worth of movies in one weekend will get you

I'm sick. It started with a sore throat that I started feeling moments before beginning an hour long trampoline aerobics class. After an hour of bouncing around...well...I didn't feel any better. Woke up the next day with a brain cloud, and now finally, I'm at the booger stage. It's been a long weekend. I've watched no less than 8 movies. Pretty much in a row. The only conversation my husband and I have had consists of me whining, "I don't feel so good." and "I'm dying." Over and over. I try to alternate them so it's not too repetitive, but I can tell it's wearing on him. In any case, during my 20 or so hours of marathon couch time, I've managed to create this: Yes, I multi-task even while sick. It's a curse. The pattern is from Sublime Stitching. It's artist series #10 Tara McPherson. If you know anything at all about the Indie Craft Movement, you know that Jenny Hart, owner of Sublime Stitching is a true inspiration. She is one of the first folks I think of when I try to pin down who started the craft revolution. In short: she rules.

What Do Bacon Do?

At the last I Heart Rummage I noticed a vendor I had never seen before, "What Do Bacon Do." She makes little bacons. That's right -- LITTLE BACONS! In outfits. And costumes. I love them.

Doug and I make a Shower Art with a little pig on it that says, "When I Grow Up I Want to be Bacon." We recently made postcards of some of our favorite Shower Arts and the bacon one happened to be one of them. I brought one over because I thought she needed to have one. Then, when I was leaving, she gave me a little bacon ornament. Super freaking awesome. Not only bacon -- but FREE. My two favorite things.

I took it home and after reading the super cute packaging, I realized there is a whole separate part of this project where you can send in pictures of your bacon doing different things in different locations and she will post them on her blog.

Freaking Awesome!

Check it out if you like bacon and fun projects.

Eight Weird Things

My Girl Crush on Betsy

The cutest lady in the world just traded me "Lord Bratnose" for the Glitter Cats. Betsy cans things. She cooks. She's adorable. She sews the most amazing skirts. She has a super cute blog. She has a super cute Etsy shop. And another super cute Etsy shop. She embroiders things with scary twin ladies who can explode birds with their minds. See. Cute. Cute. Cute. If Doug and I ever considered Polygamy -- I think Betsy would be one of our top choices for second wife. What? So anyway, here's the crazy beaded eagle on black velvet that Betsy-face traded me for bARTer Sauce. Did I mention Betsy named him Lord Bratnose? I have no idea why. What's bARTer Sauce? It's an experiment in trading for art and odd objects. Whatever I get -- I trade for something else and everyone I trade with has to tell me a story. I document it all on my website: http://www.bartersauce.com. And now -- we have a Facebook Fan Page. "Who doesn't," you say? Well, yeah, that's a good point.

New Shower Arts...

Some new Shower Arts for your viewing pleasure. Go ahead: waste your Friday. Waste it.

My New Favorite Shower Art

Urban Craft Uprising is coming....

This weekend Urban Craft Uprising takes over the Seattle Center...well, part of it at least. The part under the ballet. Yeah, I know -- that WHOLE part.

They cram over 100 indie vendors and crafty authors and well...YOU into a two day show that start 8/1 at 11 a.m.

Be there.

Be there early and get a bag of swag.

SWAG!

Swag=free stuff.

You like free stuff.

We all do.

It's exciting.

And romantic?

Come to Urban Craft Uprising or live to regret it.

And check out Estrella Soaps while you're there.

They make the best soap in the whole world.

Pinky swear.

Renegade in San Francisco - I want to marry you

Okay, I knew Renegade in San Francisco was going to be good. I knew that. But seriously, I had no idea just how good. It was so good that I would very much like to go back and re-live that weekend several times at least and perhaps over and over forever if you really want to get technical about it.

We sold Shower Arts there and shared a booth with our long-time booth-mate Miss. Tara Smith from Revival Ink.  

I kept telling Doug (seen left in the Arkham Fire Department T Shirt) that he shouldn't let me out of his sight. That I would walk around and single-handedly wipe out every penny of our savings. He didn't listen... and here's what happened.

I found this stationary from Letter Writers Alliance right away but Donovan doesn't take credit cards and I didn't have any cash (my pitiful attempt to prevent myself from spending our life savings) so I left. Then, I sat and thought about that stationary all day until I finally got up, walked about 3/4 of a mile to Safeway where I purchased a pack of gum and got cash back so I could purchase quite possibly the best stationary I've ever seen. 

People always say you have to take credit cards in order to make sales. But I guess Donovan just proved that if you have the coolest product in the world, even lazy people will find a way to purchase said product. My stationary came with a membership card. I am member number 000534. Take that!

Check out her Etsy shop: DonovanBeeson

And if you ever wondered how you could build your own card rack display -- stop - she'll tell you how. 

If you know me at all, you know I'm a sucker for socks. My favorite website of pretty much all time: Sock Dreams. I ordered socks from them once at midnight on my birthday while drunk. I highly recommend it.

Anyway, I was walking along, trying to mind my own business when these ruffled leg warmers from Super Sugar Ray Ray caught my eye. And you're right, they're not socks .... exactly.... but close enough to stop my heart for a moment.

I loved them at first glance.

Here's Rachel. The genius behind the ruffled leg warmers. 

And now I just have to find something to wear with them... comment below with your recommendations and you just might win a super fantastic prize of some sort. 

Here's Cathy from Bossa Nova Baby. She's from Portland and I've been at shows with her a couple of times in the past. And I always have to buy something because it's just impossible not to. She prints on thrifted sweaters and sews the best skirts in the world. I have a couple of the sweaters already, so this time I opted for a skirt. With a deer printed on it and little green lines sewed around it like grass. 

Visit Cathy's Etsy shop or read her blog, Stitch and Destroy.

Awwwwwwwwwhhhhhhhh

It's also my favorite color of green.

And it has a little pocket.

And I love, love, love it. 

And this is Amy from AC Clothing and Bags. She probably thinks I'm a stalker because I went to her booth about 50 times, but I had to look at every single thing that I thought might possibly fit me. 

Her dresses are stunning. And affordable. And stunning. Did I mention stunning?

You should become a fan on Facebook or visit Amy's Etsy shop. 

Here's the dress I got from Amy.

Yes, my neck was itchy in this picture - but sadly this is still the best one in the bunch. I like to ruin nice pictures by making stupid faces and then I live to regret it when I actually want to use a picture that looks like a regular woman instead of a puffed out space alien. Oh well. The dress is pretty.

I got this tote back from The Black Apple so I could haul around all my awesome finds. Emily is the best example I've seen of someone who really knows how to write a good blog. Plus, she's an incredible artist. Plus, she likes socks...so I already know she's good peoples. 

And then there was the fighting chipmunks sweater from Stella Neptune. Yes, for reals. Fighting chipmunks on a sweater. How could you NOT buy that?

It's impossible. 

So here's mine. In my favorite color green. Ahhhhhh....

I saw my pretty friend Jessie from Cakespy at Renegade too. Her cupcake art is so adorable. And when she combined it with bacon on a greeting card, me and my $2 said, "YES YES YES!"

But we said it quieter. 

Doug told me about this t-shirt at the beginning of the weekend. He had seen it while strolling around and thought it was hilarious. 

I walked all over trying to find it so I could buy it for him. Then, we discovered that it was in the booth right next to us, Big Stone Head. Dur!

We also bought this Abe Lincoln pillow from Big Stone Head for our house sitter, Lizzy. We've decided that she likes all things Abe Lincoln and I'm not really sure how that started. What I am sure of is that I'm not ruining the surprise since no one reads this blog. Snort. 

Have a great weekend all. And if there's a Renegade near you. Run. Quickly. Toward it.

Balderdash Makes Kathy Martin a Winner!

Last week I hosted a Balderdash contest where people had to give a synopsis of the movie title "Wide Open Faces." The funniest one gets a surprise package of indie craft goodness from....me! This week the winner is from Kathy Martin Studios. Here's her entry: 

"Wide Open Faces is a rags to riches tale. The casting director of an online reality show is challenged to get the least likely contestant ever to go on "Last Chef Stirring". The direct must chose a bum off of the streets and turn him into a gourmet pro fast! The challenge that decides it all: The Open Faced Turkey Sandwich Face Off! ....now if they can only get the guy to wash his hands after he visits to bathroom we'll be in business!"

Ha! Nice work. Very nice work. 

I'm going to take a week off from contests and devise something really, really clever. Or just enjoy the nice sunshine.

I'm off to the studio later this afternoon for my latest bARTer Sauce trade. EeeeeeeeeeEEE! I'm so excited! 

Balderdash Winner & New Contest

Last week I ran a contest for the funniest definition for the word Zazzera. Kayla from The Eclectic Element  made me laugh very hard with her answer: 

Zazzera: Noun,

1. A popular new wave of dance moves where you thrust your butt into the air and sidestep like the north american crab.

Warning: Best not used under the influence.

Ex. I walked into the club and when the music came on, I made like a crab and did the Zazzera.

Congratulations Kayla! You'll be getting a cool surprise package from me in the mail.

Now for a new contest. This is from the last game I played with a group of friends. I'll give you all of our answers for inspiration. Then, you leave your own answer as a comment to this post. The funniest one gets a surprise package of indie craft goodness from me.

This one is a movie called Wide Open Faces. I googled for images with the phrase "Wide Open Faces" and got the one above. Enjoy.: 

1. A big, mouthed soda jerk takes on gangsters at a vacation resort.

2. An unintentional comedy, Wide Open Faces, consists mainly of people yelling, "Spaces or Faces?" "Places or Faces?" and "What?". It went straight to dvd. 

3. A circus movie about deformed performers who travel the world. 

4. A documentary about the world of competitive eating.

5. The horror of dental malpractice is exposed.

6. A quack surgeon attempts to make a face wide enough to be carried on the wind.

Now it's your turn. Leave your comment on this post with the synopsis for the movie, "Wide Open Faces" and the funniest one will hear from me next Friday.

Now, remember to check out Shower Art - waterproof art you can hang in your shower with a suction cup - and bARTer Sauce - and experiment in trading for art and odd objects. You'll probably be glad you did. And if you're not .... well ... um ... who cares.

Happy Friday.

What do you get when you put Urban Craft Uprising and Comedy Underground together?

The Art of Comedy that's what. Urban Craft Uprisingand the Comedy Underground are teaming up to bring you the Art of Comedy. When the Comedy Underground decided to open it's doors to local artists who use humor and beguiling sensibilities in their work, they called on Urban Craft Uprising, organizers of the largest indie craft show in the Pacific Northwest. Twelve of the funniest indie crafters and artists in the city will be showing off their talent in the Comedy Underground lobby located at 109 S. Washington St. (at Occidental), followed by a full night of comedians bringing the funny. Please join us during the First Thursday Art Walk for our first curated event, March 5th from 6:00 to 9:00 pm. At 9:00 the funny continues with headliner John Roy. John has appeared on Comedy Central's "Premium Blend" in the 2005-2006 season, and a November 2005 episode of CBS' "The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson." John appeared in several episodes of NBC's "Last Comic Standing" where he advanced to the semifinals of the reality show/ competition. In January, 2008 John made his debut performance on "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno." Tickets for the comedy show can be purchased in advance at http://www.ticketweb.com/snl/VenueListings.action?venueId=underground. Come for the Crafty, stay for the Comedy. http://www.urbancraftuprising.com/ http://www.comedyunderground.com/

Hang Art in Your Shower

with our help.... New Shower Arts:

Not Sure What I Was Thinking...

When I said I was going to post blogs about the special vendors I met at Urban Craft Uprising. I did manage to sneak away from my booth for about 10 minutes to walk around, but only because Doug was around too. Otherwise, it was jam packed with folks pretty much constantly.

If you're a vendor and you're ever wondering whether to do a UCU show. You should. It was the best show we've ever done after an hour and a half. And we do some really good shows so the bar is already pretty high!

Now I know why when you talk to other vendors who have done it, they get a big smile on their face and tears well up in their eyes. I know you can't see me right now, but there are tears. For sure.

I'll have to hold on my post about the cool folks I met but I'll be posting some pictures soon.

Now I've got to run to get ready for Day Two!

Urban Craft Uprising This Weekend

It's finally here: Urban Craft Uprising!

This weekend at the Seattle Center Exhibition Hall, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.

If they have wifi, I'll be posting pictures of our booth and all the nice vendors I meet. So you'll feel like you've been there even if you can't make it. Although -- I don't know why I'm doing you any favors if you don't go to this show. Actually, I think by not going to this show, you're punishing yourself enough so I won't add to your distress.

Doug & I will be there selling Shower Art - waterproof art you can hang in your shower with a suction cup AND Franken-Scarves - upcycled scarves made from t-shirts and jersey top sheets and finished off with some free motion embroidery.

Craft Show Sunday

You know you want to go.

I know you want to go.

My cat, Karma, knows you want to go.

Why don't you just go?

The first 50 people in line get a super fantastic swag bag FILLED with great stuff. And I DO mean great stuff -- I do not mean stacks of business cards -- I mean awesome stuff that would probably take care of lots of your holiday shopping.

UCU - Cool

Applications are being accepted now for Urban Craft Uprising. If you make cool stuff you should totally apply. I've never done the show myself, but I've heard great things from vendors who have. I've got my application in -- do you?

Balderdash is Back

I Heart Balderdash so much. So much in fact, that I save the answers from every game we play so that you can read the funny things my friends come up with. And you can play along! What do I do? First, read our funny answers...one is the real one. If you want, you can try and guess which one is real. But you don't get anything for that. And I'll probably never tell you whether or not you were right, so it probably won't be very fulfilling for you. Second, make up a funny answer of your own and post it here as a comment. I'll assign numbers to each comment and pull one out of a hat (or other container to be determined by me). If I pull out the number I assigned to your comment, you get this tater tot themed greeting card: Yes, it does have the word anus in it. Honestly, it might not be for everyone. Let's begin. The word: Piloerection (we pronounced it - Pile o' erection -- I bet you can see where we're gonna go with the definitions) Our Answers: 1. When a hang glider's wing turn upright for landing. 2. The process for installing pilings under a bridge. 3. The official term for when dough rises. 4. Hair standing on end caused by fright. 5. The name of a phenomenon where atoms spontaneously combine into complex molecules. 6. A large mound of stimulated male sex organs (you knew it would happen, right? I'm just surprised there was only one like this) Now it's your turn. And if you're lucky you just might win the only tater tot themed greeting card with the word "anus" in it. CONGRATULATIONS! And when you're done, check out some Shower Art (waterproof art you can hang in your shower with a suction cup) and bARTer Sauce (my trading experiement for art and odd objects. Trade me something!)