Shower Art - Holiday Craft Show Schedule 2011

Doug and I are frantically getting ready for the holiday craft show season that is about to hit. We start getting ready earlier and earlier every year -- and it STILL always takes us by surprise. Sigh.

We have two new products to introduce this year: 

T-Shirts! Oh yeah baby. We turned a popular Shower Art piece into a concept for a t-shirt with the help of Barry Blankenship.

Soap Dishes! We got tired of people always asking, "So this is Shower Art? But what do you DO with it?" Ummmmmm.... NOTHING. You just look at it. Like you do with other art. (I have a bad attitude - that's why Doug does most of the customer service). Now you can have Shower Art in the shape of a functional soap dish. Yes, yes you can.

This year we are participating in three shows: 

EtsyRAIN Handmade Holiday Show - Seattle, WA

Saturday, November 26th and Sunday, November 27th
11:00 - 5:00 both days

Location:
Intiman Theatre
201 Mercer Street
Seattle, WA 98109


Be one of the first 50 people in line each day and receive a swag bag filled with crafty goodness. 




Urban Craft Uprising - Seattle, WA

Saturday, December 3rd and Sunday December 4th
11:00 - 5:00 both days

Location:
Seattle Center Exhibition Hall
305 Harrison Street
Seattle,WA 98109
(the entrance is on Mercer Street)

Be one of the first 100 people in line each day and receive a swag bag filled with crafty goodness. If you want one, plan to get there between 9:00 and 10:00 to wait in line. There's always a line around the block to get these.







 
One of a Kind Show and Sale - Vancouver, Canada

Thursday, 12/8 - 10:00 - 9:00
Friday, 12/9 - 10:00 - 9:00
Saturday, 12/10 - 10:00 - 9:00
Sunday, 12/11 - 10:00 - 5:00

Location:
Vancouver Convention Centre West
1055 Canada Place
Vancouver, BC, V6C 0C3
  
Tickets:
Adults $12.00
Seniors (65+) $6.50
Students (13-17) $6.50
Children (12 and under) Free

If you are around for any of these shows, come on over and say, "Hey!" If you can't make it to any of our events but still want to buy some Shower Art for your friends and family, email me to arrange a private peek in our studio inventory. We'll drink coffee and dig through bins. It'll be awesome.

In closing: We love you.

This Weekend: The Second Best Weekend of the Year

This weekend is the Urban Craft Uprising summer show. It is second in wonderfulness only to the Urban Craft Uprising winter show. Literally: my two favorite weekends of the entire year.

If you're looking for awesome, crafty and innovative gifts for yourself or those you love - you need to go to Urban Craft Uprising.

Am I overselling it? Have I mentioned how much I love Urban Craft Uprising?

No?

Really?
Are you sure?

Because I pretty much think that I did.

Get there early - FREE SWAG BAGS FOR EARLY BIRDS! 

Hot Tip: Get in line about an hour before it opens in order to get a chance at one.

We'll be there selling Shower Arts. Mmmmmmm... waterproof art for your shower.

Urban Craft Uprising, Winter 2010

 

Okay, so to say that I went a little over board at Urban Craft Uprising is putting it lightly. For sure. It can't be helped though. When one sees a bowl supported by ceramic baby arms, one has to purchase it immediately. Kniffin Pottery. They're neat.

I was vending at UCU -  selling Shower Art with Mr. Gale - so I didn't have as much time as I wanted to wander around all the booths. I did make sure that I took several quick passes through everything and that afforded me enough time to at least spend twice what I had budgeted so I guess I actually had more than enough time to look around.

Urban Craft Uprising is my favorite show. Hands down. Crafty Bastards and Crafty Wonderland (next weekend in Portland) are tied for a close second (only because they both involve travel). Oh, wait. But then there's the Renegade shows. Ugh. Okay. They're all so good.

The first day of Urban Craft is my favorite day of the year because it's the day when I know there will be another whole day of Urban Crafting.  Yay~! The second day of Urban Craft is the saddest day of the year because I spend the whole day thinking about how it's almost over. Sniff.

It's a great show in many respects. It's well run and organized. Everyone really seems to sell tons. There are bazillions of people around (9800 this year!). Great vendors are selected through the jury process. Lots of help from volunteers. Crafty book author signings. Crafty demonstrations. And this year - FOOD vendors! Yay!

Normally the concession stand at the Seattle Center Exhibition Hall is open and food sales aren't permitted. This year no concession stand (What? No pretzels and hot dogs? Okay by me!) and instead there were vendors selling awesome soups (5 different kinds each day!), cookies, candies and breads. I had soup from Got Soup? both days - Pumpkin Coconut Thai soup on the first day and Chicken with Wild Rice on the second day. Both delicious!

Here's my one piece of constructive criticism: The food was on one side of the room. The tables were on the other side of the room. The soup bowl was really full. I had to walk my soup through the crowd to get to a table. Dangerous. I made it - but not without yelling, "Hey, I've got soup here. Watch it!" a couple of times. Luckily it's a problem easily solved by either moving the food or filling the soup bowls less full. One of those solutions has to be devoid of red tape and bureaucracy. All that said, there were probably tables right next to the soup that I just didn't see. Let's not remove that from the realm of possibility, okay.

Our two days were filled with inspiring, creative vendors and the nicest customers ever. A friend of mine came by the booth and exclaimed, "People are waiting in line to buy art!" Pretty cool. Pretty darn cool.

Some Stuff I Bought:

Oh my. I got a handful of these "You Shitty Cat" cards. How could anyone resist? Well, anyone with a cat anyway. Especially my cat.

I plan to give them to my cat for every holiday. (and if you're looking for a really loud, annoying cat - please do let me know!)

These are made by Kyle of Power and Light Press. She is in the process of raising money on Kickstarter to build a mobile print shop in the back of an old delivery truck. Help her out.

My awesomely hilarious friend Moxie  (who is also the President of Urban Craft Uprising) wrote this book, I Felt Awesome.

It's super Funny. Perhaps - and I do not say this lightly - the funniest craft tutorial book ever written.

Moxie is not the most excited about shameless self-promotion which is why it was super fun to buy her book and wait in line to make her autograph it. Bbwwwwwahahaahahahahah! Squirm!

Awesome!

This is Moxie.

She is obsessed with needle felting. For reals. She makes fantastic needle felt sculptures and sells kits so you can learn how to needle felt too.

It's like she's sort of the needle felting champion of the world.
If that kind of thing existed.








More Stuffs I Bought and People I Met: 

Emily from Tako Fibers: http://www.takofibers.com/	Texture Clothing: http://www.textureclothing.com/	Tender Loving Empire: http://www.tenderlovingempire.com Tiny Boat Sculpture by www.cartoonmonster.etsy.com
Old School Stationers letterpress calendar: http://www.oldschoolstationers.com/	MeMe Cosmetics: http://www.memecosmetics.net/	Bag from Xobruno (who inspired me to start framing my embroidered doodles) http://www.xobruno.com/ and my new Urban Craft Uprising apron.
This is for reals the best soap in the world. Estrella: http://www.estrellasoap.com/	Awesome headband from Schmancy: http://www.schmancytoys.com/	Vegetable bag from Wonder Thunder: http://www.wonder-thunder.com/, Truffle Sea Salt by Secret Stash Sea Salts: http://www.secretsalts.com/ and Crewel embroidery kit from Tako Fibers: http://www.takofibers.com

Urban Craft Uprising ....it's air conditioned

If you're in Seattle right now, you know one thing: it's freakin' hot. It's hot. Super hot.

So cool off this weekend at Urban Craft Uprising. Over 100 indie vendors in one giant, air-conditioned place.

It's gonna rule. Plus it's free. Plus, if you get there early enough, you'll get a swag bag filled with awesome stuffs.

The Art of Comedy -- First Thursday Art Walk in June

The Comedy Underground and Urban Craft Uprising joined forces to bring you The Art of Comedy. This gallery show takes place in the lobby of the world-famous Comedy Underground and features artwork that is either humorous in nature, or made by stand up comedians.

This month we feature the artwork of Jenna Colby.

“Bubbles popping and bare feet.” Ask Washington-state artist Jenna Colby to describe her work, and you don’t just get a string of adjectives; instead, you get a lovely little “word picture” that lets you know just how her art feels.

"Blue Ruin Gallery. Pittsburgh, PA"

View Jenna's work at: http://www.soopajdelux.com/ and soopajdelux.etsy.com

And as always, a barrel-full o the funniest indie crafters this side of the Factoria Mall join us in the lobby of The Comedy Underground to show off their hilarious wares. Support us by supporting them. And they'll support you. Or something. Someone will do something to support someone else. Or everyone will. Or we'll all just have a beer and pay for it ourselves and then go our separate ways. One of those things will happen.

Hilarious Indie Crafters of the Moment: 

Ceramics by Urbana

Decapitated Dollies by Scary White Girl Designs

T's by Midairdesign

Underwear by Shesho Designs

Shower Art by Ugly Baby

Shirts, Buttons and Pillows by Man Made Monsters

The exhibit will be followed at 9 PM by an evening starring two of my personal favorite stand up comics -- Feature: Hari Kondabolu and Headliner: Gabriel Rutledge. You may have seen Hari on Jimmy Kimmel Live or Comedy Central's Live at Gotham and Gabriel was the winner of the 2005 Seattle International Comedy Competition. 

Jenna Colby - Biography

http://www.soopajdelux.com/

soopajdelux.etsy.com

Jenna Colby is a self taught artist who has always been creative through different mediums, but decided to focus on painting three years ago. Originally from Ohio, Jenna has traveled and lived in both Pittsburgh and Philadelphia, but has called Seattle home since 1999. Growing up in a small town Colby was always fascinated with cities and has been influenced by her travels and the people she has met and observed. “I make it a point to take note and assign a story to the passer by, giving each moment in time purpose and creating color.” After developing and beginning to show her work, Jenna came into contact with the work of artists like Mark Ryden and Yoshimoto Nara. Thinking back, she says, “Their work really moved me. It made me nervous, giddy . . . I’m not sure if there is a word for it. But after experiencing that feeling, I decided that is what I want to do to others. I want to make other people feel that way.”

"Art Star Gallery. Philadelphia,PA"

Jenna Colby's work is clearly reminiscent of Mark Ryden and Yoshimoto Nara--anyway, that's what I thought as soon as I saw it--but is sweeter and more ethereal.

"Urban Craft Uprising. Seattle,WA"

“Bubbles popping and bare feet.” Ask Washington-state artist Jenna Colby to describe her work, and you don’t just get a string of adjectives; instead, you get a lovely little “word picture” that lets you know just how her art feels. Jenna seems to know a thing or two about states of mind. Even her exhibit title—It’s Not Real: Dream Diaries, Secret Messages, and Other Clues from Far Far Away—lets you know you’re in for something special when you view her work. Delicate, ethereal, sweet, Jenna’s paintings capture a curious personality in a brief moment of time ready to take you on an internal voyage. Her take on it is this: “A random passerby on a random day in a random moment has a story to tell, a history, a set of beliefs and intentions, all happening, all true and real, but unnoticed by most.” It is these moments that Jenna freezes in her colorful yet airy portraits of characters who are twiggy in form but bursting with emotion, sensation, and moodiness. That is her intent—to communicate the language of mood. “I make it a point to take note and assign stories to the passerby, giving each moment in time purpose and creating color within supersaturated environments even if the color exists only inside.” Now residing in Bremerton, Washington, Jenna once made Pittsburgh her home for a period of three years: “Pittsburgh woke me up and started me on my way. I have carried the lessons learned in that town with me and although I just lived there for a few years, I feel like I am from Pittsburgh.” And so she’d like to share her work with its residents with the help of Blue Ruin Gallery. Enter into the charmed world of Jenna Colby’s airy, emotional portraits.

"Blue Ruin Gallery. Pittsburgh, PA"

The Art of Comedy

The Comedy Underground and Urban Craft Uprising present: The Art of Comedy Thursday April 2, 2009 6-9 PM The Comedy Underground 109 S. Washington St. (in Occidental Park) Seattle WA 98104 The Comedy Underground and Urban Craft Uprising joined forces last month to bring you the first ever Art of Comedy show during the First Thursday Art Walk. The Art of Comedy features artwork that is either humorous in nature, or made by stand up comedians. Last month, our hilarious featured artists were joined by the funniest indie crafters this side of Tukwila. This month we’re back with featured artist, Kelly Lyles, who is sure to make you giggle with her pun based animal paintings. The indie crafters are back as well – and one of them has embroidered some not so nice things on pillows especially for you. Look out. The exhibit will be followed at 9 PM by an evening of stand-up comedy, with headliner SEAN KENT ("Last Comic Standing"). KELLY LYLES - Biography This series features whimsical paintings of animals with 'all-American' household products (i.e., SPAM-STER, MICE-A-RONI, BENSON & HEDGEHOGS, STAR-DUCKS coffee, etc). In these, there are subliminal messages regarding "mass-media, marketing and consumerism.” Kelly’s studio, home & art cars have been featured in innumerable television shows and magazine/newspaper articles including Artcars by Harrod Blank, Weird Washington, Travel Channel, Discovery, HGTV, Canada’s Weird Wheels, NorthWest Afternoon, Evening Magazine, Public Radio, Woman’s World and the NY Times. http://www.comedyunderground.com http://urbancraftuprising.com/ http://www.kellyspot.com/

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.

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?