Color Me House

I have mentioned a few times that I have been working a temporary, part-time job for the past couple of weeks. I know that today is Monday, time for my project of the week post, but because I have been working so much I haven't had the time to do this week's project (I promise there will be one next week!). However, the company that I have been working for is an incredible mom and pop business, with a fabulous product, and the owners are such fantastic people. I have really enjoyed working for them! So I thought that this week it would be really fun to highlight their product, as it is a fun project for kids, a great gift to give, affordable, recycled, and the money goes to a really great small business.

Color Me House is a cardboard house (or rocket ship!), that kids can color themselves and play in. The houses and the rockets are made of recycled cardboard, with serrated edges so that they are paper-cut free. They are very simple to assemble, and to disassemble for easy storage. Plus, the outside is all white so that children can color/paint/decorate it however they want! No more destroying your kitchen knives trying to cut doors and windows in an old cardboard box, Color Me House is perfect for make-believe play. Check out their website to see pictures, buy one online, and read more about this great little company :)

In the meantime, if you are still yearning for your project of the week, my friend Danielle has a great tutorial on her blog this week, instructing you how to make a cute little decorative box:
Poetic Purl: The Basic Box

Have a great week!

New Supplies and a feature from TinyFig!

Today I was one of the featured Etsy supply sellers on TinyFig's blog! Thank you Tiny Fig!!

It is a busy day, because I am also listing a lot of new supplies, including four new prints of Japanese Washi paper and a super-cool butterfly ephemera kit. You may have also noticed that I have been adding a lot of other great supplies, including scrabble tiles (don't forget to enter my scrabble tile challenge!), wooden disks, Diamond Glaze, gold-toned adjustable rings, and more! Some of these are limited stock items, and others will be continuing inventory. All of them are a lot of fun, though, so come and take a look!

Scrabble Tile Challenge!

By now most of you are probably well aware of the ubiquitous scrabble tile pendant. My friend Ryan of LittlePutBooks covered them in beautiful Italian and Japanese papers and sold them hand over fist in cute little decorated tins. Many other Etsy sellers took up the same idea and ran with it, and Ryan has since sold the scrabble tile business in exchange for some personal down-time.

Still, the cuteness and craft potential of the Scrabble tile has not disappeared! I am now selling the tiles in packages of 100 in my shop. If you want to make your own washi-covered pendants but aren't sure how, Ryan has a fantastic tutorial. I would like to challenge you, however, to make something new and different with these multi-purpose little tiles! Perhaps a different type of jewelry, your own game, even a sculpture or fantastic piece of altered art or collage. Send me your photos of your finished projects, and I will post them here in my blog. At the end of September, one lucky winner will get a $10 gift certificate to be used in either one of my shops. I can't wait to see what you make!

The first entry is from http://LydiaLayne.etsy.com This is her own version of a scrabble tile pendant in which she uses graphics that allow the natural wood of the tile show through:

Weekend Project--Crayons!

This weekend was a blast! Friday night was a great time at the show; I had a most delicious dinner and margaritas cooked by my lovely friend Katie and shared with her husband, Chris; I caught up with my friend Jill; I even managed to spend time with a new friend. I'm not normally such a social butterfly, but it was just what I needed.

Between all of this socializing, I also managed to get some new supplies listed in my shop! I recently added a destash/limited stock section with some really fun stuff. Finally, I did a new and super-fun project--made crayons!!! These whimsical lovelies were given a new, rejuvenated life from Indigo's old broken-up crayon graveyard. I have listed one set of three in my shop--the others will be coming throughout the next couple of days.

Here's to a great week!

Home! Come see me on First Thursday!

Ah, home again and settling back into my life. I was in Denver for 12 days--almost half of July! It was fun, but I am so glad to be back. Now it's time to get ready for both of my shows this week!

Today I am hanging all of my new drawings & paintings at the Show & Tell Gallery downtown. If you are in Portland, be sure to stop by and see me on First Thursday! Check the flier above for info. PLUS there will be poetry & music! For those of you on a budget, much of my work is affordably priced from $20-$60, and I am always willing to take payments for the larger pieces. Even if you are not in the market for artwork, I would still love to see your smiling faces :) This is my first solo show in quite some time, so I am very exited!

Then, on Saturday, is the final Summer Arts & Craft fair in the Portland State University park blocks just North of the Farmer's Market from 8-6. All of my art will still be at the gallery, but I will have giclee prints of my work, plus all of my pocket mirrors, magnets, pendants and a lot of cool craft supplies. Not to mention the other 40 or so vendors with awesome handmade goodies!

Get offline and sell your art locally!

I must admit that in the past I have had a very hard time selling my work in person--that is, sales make me gut-wrenchingly nervous. Just the idea of approaching galleries or local shops to show my work makes my stomach hide somewhere in my throat, so I've never done it before. I have shown in coffee shops and a couple of small galleries that felt more approachable, but it has been a long time even for that. Until this week.

Heidi Steeves is a mom at Buckman Elementary, where my daughter goes to school, as well as co-owner of Union Rose, a cool boutique on MLK that sells hand-crafted goods made by local artisans. I was introduced to her during the last school year and she asked me to come in to the shop with some of my things, but I was still very nervous and didn't feel like I had a good selection at the time. After stocking up for the summer's craft shows, however, and running into her several times over the past few months, I finally felt comfortable enough to go in. Heidi was so friendly, as usual, and took a number of my pendants, magnet sets, greeting cards, and bobby pin/ring sets on consignment. Yay!

I am definitely not over my fear of sales. Not even close. But as time goes on I am getting better and better. If you have a hard time with it as well, read on for a few things that have helped me:

1. Get all of your ducks in a row. Warning--do NOT use this as a procrastination technique (*guilty!*)!!! However, if you have a few things ready before you get out there it can help you feel more comfortable. For me, it was having my website in presentable condition because I am constantly being asked if I am online and I didn't want to send people to my crappy old site.
I also put together a simple portfolio involving about 15 images of my work, a printable slide list, a link to a blog interview, my resume and my artist statement. I burned it onto several cd's so that I have something to give to local venues--that way all they have to do is slip the disk into their computer rather than handing them a business card and hoping that they will get around to looking at my website. Of course, you should also have business cards. If you are well-prepared you will come off as being professional, even if you don't really feel like you are.

2. Think about everyone you know--do any of them own or know someone who owns a local gallery or shop? Chances are you do if you are active in your art community. Approaching people you know is a heck of a lot easier than approaching strangers! I know it can still be scary, but as I've learned two times this week, it can really pay off! In addition to getting some of my crafty items in Union Rose, I also approached a friend earlier in the week about showing my work in her gallery and I have a show there next month.

3. If you are not connected, get connected! When I first opened my etsy shop, it had been several years since I had graduated from Portland State, and as a single mom working a lot of crap jobs to make ends meet I had distanced myself from the local art & craft communities. I joined the PDX Etsy Street Team and met a lot of great crafty ladies, talked to other parents at Buckman (it is an Arts Magnet school so a lot of the parents are artists), made coffee dates with some old friends from my art classes, and started going to local art walks. Other things you could do are take art or craft classes, go onto craigslist to find art events, and contact your local arts council online and see what they have to offer.

4. This one is a jump-in-head-first tip: Do some local craft fairs. I know that this can seem extraordinarily daunting, but I cannot even tell you how much it has helped me. Having a booth-partner helped calm my nerves when I was brand-new to it. Being approached by one person after the next all day long made me realize that it's just people, and they are fun to watch as well as talk to. It also has given me some much-needed practice in talking about my work in a more casual setting than a gallery.

5. If you are a fine artist, go to some local coffee shops and talk to the owners about showing your work. They are usually FAR more approachable than galleries, rarely take a commission (and if they do it's usually small), and are usually grateful to find some work to spruce up their shop for a month or two. Obviously go in during a slower time of day when they are almost always up for a chat.

6. Take several deep breaths, make some goofy faces at yourself in the mirror, and get your butt out the door! Someone once gave me a great piece of advice when it comes to motivation. When do you feel motivated--before you do something, or when you are actually doing it? Not until you are actually doing it, and once you are knee-deep in it you are building momentum until suddenly, it's done.

If you have more tips or advice for either the uninitiated and/or terrible anxious, leave a comment! I'd love to hear them.

This is my Brain on Craft

It appears to be my dining table (yes, I swear it's under there somewhere), but it mirrors the state of my brain. On craft. Here are 10 easy steps to having a brain just like mine:

1. Wake up early, at least 6am, and make the strongest pot of coffee you can stomach. Feed the cat and then stare into space like a zombie while the coffee is brewing.

2. Draw for awhile, forgetting about the cup of coffee. Suddenly remember that you have coffee only to realize that it is now cold. Start to walk into the kitchen to heat it up, turning on the computer on your way.

3. Sit at the computer and check your etsy shops and email. Be so distracted that you don't hear the microwave ding. Suddenly realize that you forgot the coffee again. Pull it out of the microwave only to find that it is, once again, quite cold.

4. Fast forward a little to later morning, work time. Start a custom painting. Decide that you are not sure what to do next with it. Set it aside. Pull out a canvas and put a neutral-toned wash on it for another custom painting. Set it aside to dry. Start making magnets. Realize that the glue needs to dry and set them aside (all of this is happening on a 3 x 3 foot table--very important!).

5. Go get more of your damn cold coffee out of the damn microwave.

6. Check both etsy shops, your email, myspace, twitter, facebook, linkedin, squidoo, flickr, deviantart, craigslist, myspace again, email again, and both etsy shops again.

7. Realize that shipping tomorrow will be much easier if you put together all of the washi paper scrap packs today. Squeeze all of your other projects, coffee cups, vitamins, and housekeys to the perimeter of the table and make a little assembly line of paper packs. Yay paper packs!

8. Put the paper away and finish the 1st painting, then the magnets and tins for the magnets. Clean it all up.

9. Decide you need more coffee. Repeat the early morning process minus the blank zombie stare.

10. Finally, and most importantly, during this entire day, throughout the projects, lukewarm coffee, and obsessive computer checking, scribble notes containing thoughts, ideas, projects, things that need to get done and things that need to be ordered, errands to run, goals, life plans, budgets and more on little scraps of paper and leave them all over the apartment, wherever you happen to be sitting at the time.

Viola! You have now entered the Brain of Lea. Now to figure out how to get out again...I'm sure it's written down here somewhere...maybe on that scrap under my empty coffee cup???

Mark you calendars, People!

Good morning everyone! Maybe I've just had too much coffee this morning, but I don't think that is affecting just how exited I am about the amazing Crafty Wonderland Super Colossal Holiday Sale!!!

I will be vending there along with over 100 other crafty vendors, so mark your calendars for December 16th! Stop by to keep me company, do your last minute holiday shopping, and feel great about supporting local artists and artisans! And don't forget to have your afternoon cocktail at the Horny Troll Bar after you do some diy gift wrapping with SCRAP.

Please note, the location is Norse Hall on 11th & Couch, a few blocks away from Crafty's usual location at the Doug Fir. See you there!

New York City, Baby!!!

Holy Cow! In only 4 days, I'm flying to Brooklyn for the PDX Etsy Trunk Show, the Brooklyn Indie Market, and Etsy's Halloween Party/Sale! I am practically dancing right out of my pants I'm so exited!!! (If you checked the links, you will notice that at the 3rd event there will be local NYC television stations, Adorn Magazine and Make Magazine there--very big deal!)

I am also hoping to get in touch with my cousin, who lives in Manhattan and who I have not seen in at least 15 years, since we were kids! And if there's still time in there somewhere, it would be fabulous to make it to an art museum or two..... I am staying at the Etsy Labs along with most of the other ladies that are going. We shipped our sleeping bags, air mattresses, and display stuff for the shows a few days ago, in preparation for what may just be the craftiest slumber party EVER! :)

Oh! And do not let me forget, there is an opportunity for YOU to win a bag of very cool PDX (Portland) Etsy swag, by entering this contest.

Finally, if you are ready to do some shopping and want a great deal, many of the PDX Street Team gals that aren't going (and a couple that are) are helping promote the trunk show by offering a limited time discount in their shops. Check this link for participating vendors.

Wish me luck, fun, adventure, new friends, and LOTS of sales!!!!

So, How'd it Go?

Yikes! Almost a week since the PDX Etsy sale and I haven't written about it yet! So, how'd it go? It was awesome!!

My super-sweet tent-mate was the fabulous Miss Purl (Danielle), who couldn't have been a better person to share with. She makes gorgeous jewelery! And she made the best etsy banners for our booth:
My very good friend, the Awesome Mary came and hung out with us for most of the day. It is always good to have lots of company! My pendants looked super cute in their new boxes, and people got a kick out of my moveable ACEO's. It was so much fun to hear their reactions. I sold some pendants (two even to a lady buying for Christmas! Talk about planning ahead!!), and a bunch of buttons and my friend John bought some ACEO's. Steve even managed to come by for a bit in the middle of his 8-hour-pinhole-photography class. Sweetie :)

The weather was PERFECT, I got to enjoy a fantastic breakfast burrito and the best peach ever from the Farmer's Market, and I had so much fun people watching and chatting with everyone. Yay etsy show!!!

Come see LeaKarts at the PDX etsy show Aug. 11th!

I had a dream last night that I sold a gazillion pendants at the show. Premonition?!? I hope so! Either way, come see my cute pendants and super-fun ACEO's in person, not to mention lil' ol' me! :) Plus a ton of other fantastic Portland etsy-ers and their fan-tabulous crafts!!

See you there!