make time to make.

Sunday, November 30, 2008

what a day!


notre bombe mirror
Originally uploaded by space oddities

I had big plans to print a big batch of tote bags, a small batch of onesies and finish a custom order that includes 3" buttons. Well, I literally couldn't find ANYthing I needed to finish any of those projects. I was missing the right color of ink for the onesies, can't find where I tucked away the tote bags to print on, and I've managed to misplace the mylar covering needed to make the buttons. Grrr! Things are just not coming up Andrea tonight.

Instead of scrapping my crafty day entirely I decided to give up tearing apart my house to find the needed crafty stuff and work on different projects. I decoupaged 3 pretty frames, listed a few new things including this french text mirror in my etsy shop, and finished up the items I'm using for the swag bags for upcoming shows.

So it all worked out okay. But...I seriously need to get organized. How many times have I said that on this blog? A lot.

But for serious this time.

Tuesday, November 25, 2008

Quick update

We were at DIY Trunk show on Saturday and it was great! The show was really well organized and well attended. We had good sales and met lots of awesome people. Yay!

And as usual...every time Chad and I go to Chicago we end up wanting to move there. EVERY time. One of these days we might just do it. It's such a great city!

It's going to be a busy couple of weeks! Our next show is the Craftacular on December 6. I'm going to try to get a few things restocked before then but I also have a ton of things to do at home and don't have any time off from my day job. There is not enough time in the day. Gaaah!

Have a lovely holiday! Oh! And if you have a fantastic banana cake recipe please share…I am looking for a perfect birthday cake to make for a Thanksgiving/Birthday surprise.

xo
andrea

Monday, November 17, 2008

a whole lot of printing.

I spent a few hours printing like crazy today.

First I finished up a small batch of adult VIVA LA VINYL t-shirts. We sold almost completely out of them after our last couple of shows and needed to restock. While I was at it I decided to print some hoodies that I had been holding on to for ages. I just wanted to have fun with it and decided to give these a fun, messy, mixed up look. It feels a little bit like graffiti and a little bit like a kid made it by themselves. I'm really happy with how these turned out!























Next I printed some RAD DAD t-shirts. I have had several requests for these and since I had some shirts on hand I decided to make a few for upcoming shows. These are also listed in my etsy shop.

















Early in the day I was waiting on the mail in hopes that the gocco ink I ordered would arrive today. It never came so I didn't finish all of the bibs I planned to print. I did make these cupcake bibs, though:






















and I'll be printing another batch of owls later this week when the ink arrives. I also hope to find time to print more tote bags before the weekend. The question is: can I heat set ALL of this stuff by Saturday morning? Ha!

Oh! So even though I didn't get my gocco supplies in the mail it was still a super exciting mail day. I received a package stuffed full of goodies from Bare Tree. They sent some seriously awesome items for the WIST Trunk Show swag bags. You're not going to want to miss out! Mark your calendars for December 13 and come early!

Well, I'm exhausted. It's back to my day job tomorrow but I know I'm going to have some late nights between now and then. I'm so excited for all of the shows coming up! If only I had it in me to plan better. I have just never been much of a planner. I don't know how all of you organized crafty ladies do it. Kudos to you!

xo
andrea

Thursday, November 13, 2008

goodbye autumn


sweet thank you card
Originally uploaded by space oddities

I made this little card the other day. It's simple and makes me smile. The brown and the tree print make this have a definite autumn feel so I guess I'm not exactly on the ball if I'm trying to be seasonal.

Fall is too brief. So sad.

Wednesday, November 12, 2008

time to get busy.


mix it up magnet set
Originally uploaded by space oddities

This 'mix it up' magnet set is my reminder that I need to stop mixing up my priorities this week and get busy! The messy house and random projects can wait, it's time to kick out the craft!

My first holiday show is next weekend and I'm super excited. I'm hoping to finish up some more inventory before then but time is short so I'm going to try to keep it to a handful of projects: printing bibs, printing more 'i'm totally into' bags, making and packaging one more batch of magnets/magnet sets. This along with all of the heat setting/tagging/packaging should keep me plenty busy in the next week!! I'm even thinking of taking a day off from my regular job just to have a relaxed day of crafting before next Friday. Hmmmm. There is just not enough time!

Have a lovely Wednesday everyone!

Monday, November 10, 2008

dark side


star wars pin set - dark side
Originally uploaded by space oddities

I am feeling my dark and brooding winter blues coming on already and I'm trying like hell to fight it. I had a long talk with my BFF jessi today and sometimes just talking to someone and reallllly venting makes a big big difference. I actually feel better having spilled all of my random frustrations to her. Thank goodness for good friends.

Luckily I've been too busy with etsy orders and preparing for upcoming shows to get myself in too much of a funk. Tonight I packaged a few orders and got my packing supplies organized in preparation for the (hopefully) busy upcoming holiday season. I really need to get printing this week so I have a decent amount of inventory for the shows coming up. I made Chad promise me that he'll help me print and heat set tomorrow. We have a show next weekend already, gaaah!

Oh! My cupcake tote was featured on cuteable today. Yay!

Okay that's all I've got.

Friday, November 7, 2008

Christmas Owls


IMG_5319
Originally uploaded by space oddities

I scored these adorable vintage owl figurines at the thrift store yesterday. Aren't they sweet?

I also spent literally an hour cleaning two gocco screens last night (it's tough when you let them sit in the fridge too long, ugh) and printed a small batch of cupcake onesies and a small batch of owl onesies. This weekend and early next week I plan to print tote bags, bibs and possibly new shirts. Then I will be all gocco-d out and ready to send some items off to consignment shops and hopefully be closer to being ready for upcoming shows.

That's the plan. I'm sticking to it.

Have a lovely weekend everyone!

Wednesday, November 5, 2008

cupcake magnet


cupcake magnet
Originally uploaded by space oddities

I know the picture isn't the greatest, but isn't it CUTE? I colorized Chad's cupcake design that we used for the tote bags and made it into a sweet BIG magnet. It's available in my etsy shop along new star wars pins and other fun stuff.

I really can't believe that our first winter show is in just over 2 weeks. Does that mean it's going to start feeling like winter soon? So crazy. Well, I am going to try to get my supplies taken care of this weekend so I can make make make up until the DIY Trunk Show on the 22nd. I don't have much for inventory now so I'm planning to make LOTS over the next couple of weeks. Wish me luck!

Monday, November 3, 2008

A few things

1. Space Oddities was featured on the isthmus online last week! The article is HERE if you'd like to read it.

2. My grandmother passed away last week. I gets easier with time, right? I know it's only been a week but now that I'm back in town and the funeral and everything is over I am way more emotional. I wish I wasn't such an emotional person. I feel like I can't function and can't handle anyone asking me about her. I feel wrecked when I think about it.

3. I kept hearing about TWITTER while chatting in the etsy forums. Twitter this, tweet that. I vowed not to even look (just like I wasn't going to join indiepublic or flickr or facebook...) but of course curiousity took over and I checked it out and joined today. If you have also taken the plunge, please, come follow me! I pretty much have no idea what I'm doing yet. But it's apparent that it is quite addictive!

4. I am excited for winter shows! But I have not been motivated to make much. I'm going to try to get back in the groove of making new things this week. Instead of making new stuff I've been trying to clean and organize my house and have been taking pictures for my vintage shop. I listed this vintage french song book over the weekend. It's prettier on the inside. You can see it up close HERE. :)
























5. It's seventy degrees in Wisconsin today.

xo
andrea

Saturday, November 1, 2008

handmade?!?!


handmade?!?!
Originally uploaded by space oddities

This picture is from a national geographic ad from the early 1940s. The ad was about the manufacturing boom and why manufactured is better than handmade. The text and goofy picture totally crack me up. Enjoy!