make time to make.

Sunday, October 24, 2010

vinyl wallets: take one!

I wanted to try making some vinyl wallets using old comics and book covers. I prepped a few of them up to the point where I needed to stitch and because I am not very sewing machine savvy, I decided to hand stitch the first one. The sheer pain that came along with stitching through 2 layers of vinyl, cardstock and paper quickly made me realize that the sewing machine is really the way to go.

So yes, this is a very rough first wallet/card holder. It was made in a flurry of excitement and determination and although it's not perfect and sort of looks like my 4 year old made it, it makes me happy! I am having sewing machine issues but as soon as I figure it out, I plan to attempt to finish the rest of the wallets I started. Looking forward to sharing the next (hopefully much more awesome looking) wallet project with you!
Chad doesn't seem to mind that this thing is as rough as it is. He's already making good use of it. I had to steal it out of his pocket to sneak these photos!

Sometimes just making something new, regardless of how fantastic or ridiculous it turns out, is so rewarding and inspiring. 

What new projects are you working on? Is there something you've been wanting to try for a long time that you've been putting off? 

xo
andrea

Thursday, October 21, 2010

Holiday Craft Shows!



Apparently the time for making time to make is RIGHT NOW, because holiday shows are coming up FAST! We are participating in several events in November and December and while I was (and still am) tempted to apply for a couple more shows, I just know that it would be too much. I am already trying to figure out how on earth I am going to be able to be ready for one show or get a batch of inventory ready for one shop. It will all come together, though. It always does, right?

So here are the shows you can find Space Oddities at for the rest of 2010! 

November 20 we will be heading to Chicago for the DIY Trunk Show! The event is at Pulaski Park Auditorium from 10AM to 5PM and will feature close to 100 artists and crafters from the Chicago area and beyond. We participated in this event in 2008 and absolutely loved it. We met so many fantastic people and had a great show. I'm really looking forward to this one and I'm sure it'll be a great first show of the season! 

On the same weekend, November 19 & 20, while we'll physically be in Chicago, we'll also have some items for sale at Lapacek's Orchard in Poynette where Kim from Kim's Crafty Apple will be hosting her annual Handcrafted Hoedown for the Holidays event. There will be items for sale from several local artisans as well as a mini quilt shop, freshly baked goodies from Lapacek's Orchard and fun tarot card readings from Sass Mama Arts on Friday November 19th. Another great chance to shop handmade for the holidays! 

The following weekend we will be back in Madison at the Holiday Craft Lounge hosted by Anthology. This super fun event will be held downtown Madison at the Overture center on Saturday, November 27 from 10AM - 4PM. You can stop in and find make & take craft activities, demonstrations and handmade items for sale from local crafters. We are planning to have a make & take button/magnet/mirror table (personalize a gift or make something special for yourself!) and will also be selling our wares. Actually, this one will be all me. Chad is sitting this show out and I am dragging a friend along. Total girly craft day!  
 And finally, on December 11 we will be at the Sixth Annual Holiday Craftacular! This show is very special to me because my first real show was a Valentine Craftacular in 2007. The energy of this local show is one of the things that got me so excited about crafting when I was first starting and that is still true today. This event will be held at the East Side Club, which is a new location from the past couple of holiday shows. 

We have been working with the fantastic Naomi of Glitter Workshop to design this year's Craftacular posters/postcards/etc. I hope you like the design! 
 
Okay, seriously: Time to focus, Andrea! I truly do not know where to begin. My lack of time combined with my distraction with all things crafty is making it difficult for me to build inventory. I plan to do some supply ordering this week so that I will have what I need to get as much ready as I can in the coming weeks. Wish me luck! 

And as always: Make time to make! I will, too. I really will.

Monday, October 4, 2010

Hello handmade Christmas!

I know it's way early to be saying "Christmas" out loud, but as a person who is always late (anyone who knows me can confirm it!) I am going to take a chance and try to start early for a change!

I strive to buy handmade or local when I can, but when our family budget gets tight it feels like it becomes more and more difficult to do so. I have been thinking about the upcoming holidays and how to stretch our budget while still giving nice, meaningful gifts instead of compromising with last minute impulse purchases from big box stores.

Hello handmade Christmas.

This year I am going to try to be organized and proactive with my Christmas list. I always have good intentions but rarely start actually shopping until the very last minute. That makes it hard to come up with the thoughtful gifts I'd like to give and just leaves me desperate and trying to find something that will work. I love Christmas shopping, crafting, baking, wrapping...so this year I want to really enjoy it instead of giving in to the last minute rush.

I'm hoping that writing this all down will make it easier for me to stick to it. It's a nice theory, right? Here are the things I want to do:

1. MAKE some sort of gift for everyone on my list. Whether it ends up being baked goods, tree ornaments, a card or a t-shirt.

2. Fill our Christmas tree with handmade ornaments. My kids love making ornaments. I love making ornaments! I remember making strings of popcorn garland with my family when I was a kid. I love this tradition and it's about time to start it with my kids!

2. Spend extra time wrapping gifts. I love love love to wrap gifts and for the last several years, I always end up wrapping super fast around the holidays, using whatever I have and making it work. I love using recycled materials, leftover ribbon, fun stickers, etc. to make every package unique. If possible, I would love to just put aside one special night just dedicated to wrapping.

3. If I can't come up with a thoughtful, fun handmade gift that I can make myself, I want to make an effort to buy something handmade from someone else. I will be attending several craft shows, live in a city with tons of shops that sell beautiful handmade items at affordable prices, and have access to etsy and other handmade marketplaces online. Now I just need to make the TIME to find the right thing.

4. I would like to stick to a reasonable budget. This is the part that always takes a lot of creativity. I know that gift giving is not the reason or even an important part of Christmas, but I really enjoy exchanging gifts with family and friends and just like to make it special. I know that it's possible without spending a lot of money, but again, it involves TIME (something that I am constantly short of) and planning (something I am famously not great at.) I believe it can be done, though.

5. I'm not going to beat myself up about it if I totally fail.

That's all I've got for now.

Are you planning YOUR handmade Christmas? I would love to hear what projects or ideas you have in the works to make your holidays special!

Sunday, October 3, 2010

sweater weather

I think October is my favorite month of the year. I love the sweater weather and leaves crunching under my feet. It's been a beautiful weekend and I'm looking forward to the rest of the season! We have decided to wrap it up at the farmers' market for the year and plan to enjoy some family Saturdays this fall before the busy holiday show season starts.

Last weekend my little man turned six. I can't believe my kiddos are 4 and 6 already. We had an outdoor movie party for him complete with box cars, popcorn, and blankets and warm drinks to keep us cozy on a brisk September night. It was a really nice time. I made these "popcorn" cupcakes for the occasion.

Speaking of cupcakes, the first Iron Cupcake Madison event was on Friday night. I was super excited for this event but ended up coming a little too late to taste/vote. Boo! Next time I will know to show up early. It looks like such a fun event and I'm sure it'll only be more awesome next time!

I'm off to start some black bean soup in the slow cooker and make some corn bread muffins with the little ones. Enjoy your week!