Craft Therapy

New!

2012-01-29T20:00:00.000-08:00

A sneak peek at some of new things I have been making lately...

Hand stamped quotes on book pages. These are mounted on tiny canvases.

New literary necklaces. Here is one from a Pride and Prejudice book and would be lovely for Valentine's Day.

And literary quote note cards. I recently finished reading the Hunger Games series and thought that this quote from Mockingjay needed to be on a card.

More to come soon!

Valentine Craftacular!

2012-01-29T07:47:00.000-08:00

I have had a busy couple of months and plan to check in with an update and photos soon so you can see some of the new things I've been making! But first, I want to tell you about my first craft show of 2012!

The Bookish Life will be participating in the Valentine Craftacular on February 4th at the East Side Club in Madison, WI. There will be around 50 artists and crafters, a photo booth and a make & take craft table. Fun for the whole family! Admission is free and the first 50 shoppers will get a free tote bag stuffed with goodies from the vendors.

Here is a sneak peek at some of the shops who will be at the show. You can go to the Valentine Craftacular website for more information and a full vendor list! Hope to see you there!

Hobbity goodness + Cyber Monday

2011-11-27T15:51:00.000-08:00

I hope that everyone had a lovely Thanksgiving holiday! I had a nice, quiet long weekend home with my family. We ate tons of delicious food, spent lots of quality time together and even got to go see The Muppets!

I also spent a lot of time crafting. I have two more shows coming up. On Saturday, December 3rd, you can find me at the Seventh Annual Holiday Craftacular at the East Side Club in Madison. And on December 11th I will be at Wrapping up the Holidays which will be at The Glitter Workshop on the west side of Madison.

Here are some of my newest creations! This bracelet is made with elvish script taken from the beginning of The Fellowship of the Ring. I absolutely love how this turned out. The script is so beautiful. And paired with the antique brass bracelet, it just looks so magical! I made this one for a custom request and have decided to make more for my etsy shop and to bring to our upcoming shows.

I have also been playing with making rings. This is one of the first. Again with script from a Tolkien book. More of these to come soon!

I have also started to make more necklaces with book text. Here's one of the newest. I'll have more of these featuring Harry Potter, Alice in Wonderland and more at our shows and in our etsy shop in the coming weeks!

And finally - Cyber Monday!! I have been keeping my etsy shop as well stocked as possible and would like to offer a little something extra for purchases in our etsy shop on Monday, November 28th. All orders placed from 12:00 a.m. until 11:59 p.m. CST on November 28th, 2011 will receive one free hair pin with purchase. I will choose the hair pin and it will be related to your purchase. So if you buy a Harry Potter bracelet, you might get a "muggle" hair pin. If you purchase a super hero pin pack, you just may get spiderman or batman hair pin! A great way to get a little something extra for yourself or to give as an extra little gift or stocking stuffer! You can see some hair pin examples HERE.

In addition to the free gift with purchase, you can also receive FREE SHIPPING on all orders with coupon code CYBER11 at checkout now through Monday November 28th. Use this coupon code when you place your order and the shipping charges will automatically be removed!

So visit The Bookish Life on etsy on Cyber Monday and knock out some holiday shopping while getting a little extra gift with ANY purchase!

Have a fabulous week, everyone!

The Bookish Life

2011-11-07T09:21:00.000-08:00

Hello friends! I have big news and I am so exicted to share it!

After almost 6 years of selling our handmade wares as Space Oddities, we have decided to change our business name! We loved Space Oddities when we chose it because it was a fun, lighthearted name that we felt fit the randomness of what we were making at the time. Our new name was chosen with our more focused creative path in mind.

Over the years we have created lots of different items, many of them from recycled books and comics with our original art work integrated. We feel that we have finally found our niche and plan to move forward with The Bookish Life in full force!

We have a new collection of literary bracelets, necklaces and hair accessories that we are very excited about in addition to our current bookish items that include art prints on old book pages and mirrors, magnets, cards and pins featuring recycled comics and books. Check out the bookish life etsy shop to see some of our newest creations!

Above is the logo that Chad made for our new shop banner and business cards. We had intended to wait until the new year to move forward with this name change, but once he drew this, I knew I couldn't wait any longer!

We have a few upcoming shows where you will be able to find a large selection of some of our newest items as well as some of our oldies but goodies. Our first show is on Sunday, November 13 in Madison at the Goodman Center. You can find more details about the Crafty Fair on Facebook!

Have a fabulous November!

Andrea

Recycled Book Bracelets!

2011-10-19T06:44:00.000-07:00

Happy October! I have been keeping very busy making lots of new bracelets featuring recycled classic books, fun popular books, vintage sheet music and other goodies. It's my new favorite thing to make! I have a few in my etsy shop and will be adding many more soon. Look for Catcher in the Rye, Chronicles of Narnia, Edgar Allen Poe, Les Miserables and several others in the coming weeks.

You can find Space Oddities and Glitter Workshop wares at the Dane County Farmers' market for a few more Saturdays (as long as the weather holds out!) so stop out and check out our newest creations!

Holiday shows are just around the corner! My first show will be The Crafty Fair, November 13 at the Goodman Center in Madison. Save the date! It's going to be a fantastic show!

1000 etsy sales + autumn love + giveaway!

2011-09-25T17:51:00.000-07:00

I love autumn. I adore the leaves crunching under my feet, the chilly nights, apple orchards, pumpkin patches, scarves, fabulous produce and everything else that comes along with it.

Last week on the first day of autumn, Space Oddities reached 1000 sales in our etsy shop! We are having a giveaway to celebrate. Comment here to tell us your favorite thing about autumn and you'll be entered into a drawing to win a Space Oddities gift package that will include an art print of your choice, an assorted button pack, a pair of hair pins and several other surprises.

I'll choose a winner randomly from posts here and on facebook on Monday October 3rd. Happy autumn!

New things!

2011-08-07T14:03:00.000-07:00

I recently started making big, bold headbands featuring some of our favorite designs. I love how they are turning out!

I'm also continuing to make lots of fun hair pins. These are from a vintage book about bicycles, a vintage dessert cookbook, and an old comic book!

And I have also started making bracelets. Here are a couple of my recent favorites.

Harry Potter!

Vintage cookbook bracelet.

We will continue to be down at the Dane County Farmers' Market on Saturdays through October with all of these goodies and more! You can also check new items in our etsy shop. We are adding new items daily.

Have a wonderful week!

Good things.

2011-08-07T13:37:00.000-07:00

The last couple of months have been a whirlwind. Here are some of the highlights!

xxoo

-andrea

Hello June!

2011-06-03T10:02:00.000-07:00

Wisconsin has decided to skip over spring and head right into summer. It's hot and humid, folks! After a couple of wacky weather months, I'm thrilled to have a decent forecast for the weekend. I'm especially excited because this means nice weather for the Dane County Farmers' Market!

We are excited to be back at the market for our second season. This year we are happy to be sharing a booth with The Glitter Workshop!You can find us at the market every Saturday through October (weather permitting) and we will constantly be adding new products. You can follow Space Oddities on Facebook for more regular updates on new items and market specials!

This week I have been busy printing a few of my favorite designs on kids shirts and bibs. I even convinced my 4 year old to model for me! Here are some new shirts you can find at the market this weekend. These are also available in our etsy shop!

I adore this 'Raining in my heart' design. It's a little retro, a little moody, and a lot cute.

And here is Jette modeling 'My favorite robot.' which I think is perfect for girls or boys.

And this week Naomi has been busy making beatuful garden markers. They are just $8! Come early for the best selection!

We hope to see you out at the market this summer!

Andrea

2011-05-10T20:46:00.000-07:00

Life is good and busy, just how I like it. A quick update on what's up in CraftTherapyLand, yes?

Jette had her first ballet recital last month and it was so adorable I can't even believe it. Here's a photo of the kiddos together just after the recital.

Spring. It's here. The kids are so happy to be able to play outside now that the weather has slowly started to get decent. They are as sweet and willful as ever and make my every day more special.

I have been keeping very busy between my day job, helping out at Glitter Workshop, the kiddos, the farmers' market (which I have not been to much yet...but there is a LOT of the season left!) and everything else that life throws at me. Unfortunately I have not made a lot of new products lately. I have a few new ideas that I have been wanting to try but I just haven't found the time to pull it together.

I have been making more fun hair pins.

And some other assorted goodies. But what I really want to do is get printing some new designs! And old designs. I have been itching to get the Gocco out. Hopefully my next post will be gocco related. And new design related. We shall see what time allows.

Happy spring, friends!!

Literary Hair Pins!

2011-04-01T12:14:00.000-07:00

Something new! Pretty little bobby pins made with itty bitty bits of text from classic and not so classic literature. Great one-of-a-kind gifts for bookish types. I started listing just a few pairs in my etsy shop and there will be many more coming soon!

I'm looking for suggestions on classic books that would make fun bobby pins. Something that you would recognize from just a tiny scrap of text or one word. If you have any suggestions, please do share!

andrea

Red Velvet

2011-03-20T18:13:00.000-07:00

Red velvet sounds as dreamy as it does delicious, doesn't it?

I decided to give red velvet cupcakes a try today. Would you believe me if I told you the recipe I decided on was on the back of the red food coloring I bought at Target? I had already found a couple of recipe possibilities but this one just seemed like it was the one.

I have never made them before and I have to say that they turned out just as red and lovely and yummy as I had hoped. It's really a pretty cupcake!

And even prettier (and tastier!) with cream cheese frosting. The kids each ate one right away...after destroying it with sprinkles, that is. Here is Jette posing with me before the sprinkle attack.

Here is the recipe as found on the back of my Market Pantry red food coloring. I am really happy with it. The cake turned out very moist and flavorful!

Red Velvet Cupcakes

1/2 cup butter, softened

1 cup sugar

2 eggs

1/2 cup sour cream

1/4 cup milk

2 tbsp red food coloring

1 tsp vanilla

1-1/4 cup flour

1/4 cup cocoa

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

Heat oven to 350F. Beat butter and sugar on medium speed until creamy. Beat in eggs until light and fluffy. Beat in sour cream, milk, food coloring and vanilla. Beat in flour, cocoa and soda on low speed just until blended. Spoon batter into 12 muffin cups. Bake 20-25 minutes until toothpick inserted into center comes out clean. Cool completely and frost with your favorite cream cheese frosting..

And here is my favorite cream cheese frosting recipe from my no frills Betty Crocker cookbook!

Cream Cheese Frosting

8 oz. cream cheese, softened

1/4 cup butter, softened

1 tsp vanilla

2 tsp milk

4 cups confectioners sugar

Beat cream cheese, butter, vanilla and milk until blended and fluffy. Add sugar 1 cup at a time until smooth and spreadable. ***I usually use closer to 3 or 3-1/2 cups of sugar because I am not into super sweet frostings!

Enjoy!

I opened this giant bottle of vanilla last week. I had another large bottle that I thought would last forever but have been baking so much lately that it's going fast. I opened the bottle on March 12 and I am going to keep track and see how long it lasts this time! Once this one is gone I will be all out of my fancy, yummy vanilla from Mexico. Maybe when this runs out it'll be time for a vacation?

Iron Cupcake Madison: Marshmallow!

2011-03-16T15:56:00.000-07:00

My sister-in-law and I baked for Sunday's Iron Cupcake challenge at the High Noon Saloon. The theme was marshmallow and we chose the mallo cup (one of my favorite treats!) as inspiration.

I was happy with our yummy creation. It's a chocolate cupcake with homemade marshmallow creme filling and topped with toasted coconut chocolate ganache. Total chocolate overload!

My camera was on the fritz so the above shot is by Jenny Sligh, one of the other bakers at the event who also happens to be a talented photographer. Thanks Jenny!

I have really been enjoying baking lately and just might take on the next iron cupcake challenge as well. The theme is so unique: children's books! Chad is actually considering being a part of this challenge as well. Although he is not interested in baking like I am, he is interested in the creative possibilities of this theme. We are currently thinking about using Coraline or The Wolves in the Walls, both favorites by Neil Gaiman, as inspiration. Luckily the next Challenge isn't until June so we have some time to think about it and lots of time to practice!

bracelet making & cupcake baking

2011-02-25T19:26:00.000-08:00

I made these bracelets the at The Glitter Workshop's crafts & cupcakes night. The French text one is for me and the fairy bracelet is a gift for my 4 year old. I like how they turned out and had such a nice time making them. Glitter is planning to have more drop in craft & cupcake nights so you will have a chance to make your own if you're interested.

I also provided the goodies at the event. Vegan cookies & cream cupcakes and Strawberry Pop Rocks cupcakes. I was happy with both but especially liked how the vegan cupcakes turned out.

I am taking it easy this weekend. I had an unexpected physical wake-up call last night that resulted in me spending a very, very quiet day at home doing nothing today. After one day of nothing I am already tired of doing nothing. But I am going to keep it up for the weekend and get some real, much needed rest so I can get back to the grind on Monday.

Have a fantastic weekend!

andrea

Strawberry Pop Rocks Cupcakes

2011-02-20T14:12:00.000-08:00

It's been a lazy Sunday filled with cupcake baking, catching up on housework and games and movies with the kiddos.

I have been wanting to try a Pop Rocks cupcake and finally made it happen today. The cupcake is made with strawberry soda pop and the frosting is a buttercream with more strawberry soda for flavor and color. I topped it with a sprinkling of Pop Rocks candy. I didn't take the time to fancy frost these but I think they still look pretty yummy (and turned out tasting pretty delish as well!) I love the literal pop of flavor. It's so fun!

Collaborative art wall project: a call to artists!

2011-02-18T20:14:00.000-08:00

The recently opened Glitter Workshop, a lovely crafty shop on the west side of Madison, has a great big room that has a whole lot of wall space to fill. The room is set apart from the retail space and is used for craft and art workshops and classes, trunk shows where artists show and sell their work monthly, and craft parties.

After talking to owner Naomi about creative ideas to fill this space, we have decided that it would be so much fun to showcase YOUR creative work! Are you ready for the challenge? The idea is a collaborative art wall which will feature mediums of all kinds - from drawing, painting and photography to quilting, collage, and screen-printing and everything inbetween. Get creative: the sky's the limit! Anyone is welcome to contribute one or two submissions which will be hung on the wall with love and enjoyed by people in the Madison community during Glitter Workshop's monthly trunk shows, workshops, classes and other events.

If you're interested in contributing, please send your work in an approximately 4" x 6" format (please try to stick to something close to this size, it will make it much easier for us to hang your work and make it jive with everything else) and please keep your work family friendly as there will be children visiting this space.

We hope you will participate! If you know anyone who might like to contribute, please pass this info on to them! We're excited to see what everyone creates and can't wait to see how it all comes together! I plan to post updates here as submissions come in so we can keep track of the progress and see the wall fill up!

Submissions can be mailed to or dropped off at: 6138 Mineral Point Rd., Madison, WI, 53705

For more information about the Glitter Workshop, visit online HERE.

For questions about the project, feel free to comment here or contact me via e-mail at space.odditiesmail@gmail.com

deliciousness

2011-02-13T19:42:00.000-08:00

I baked cupcakes for a little soiree at The Glitter Workshop last night.

Chocolate with raspberry buttercream and a fresh raspberry.

Coconut cupcakes with cream cheese frosting and toasted coconut.

I have really been enjoying baking lately! I feel a little bit like baking is my new crafting to a certain extent these days. At the beginning of the year I made a couple of goals. I want to bake more and write more. The baking I have done in just the past month alone has been such a huge learning experience and step forward for me. I signed up with my sister-in-law to bake at the upcoming Iron Cupcake Madison event coming up in March. The theme is marshmallow and we have a super fun and delish cupcake we can't wait to share with Madison cupcake lovers!

I spent the morning at the Iron Cupcake Milwaukee event and was definitely inspired by some of the creativity and deliciousness there. It was a delightful event. Apparently attendance was over 2000 and they had to turn people away! Who knew cupcakes could draw such a big crowd!

I was also inspired by the time I spent at the Glitter Workshop this weekend. If you haven't been there yet, make time to go soon! The store is overflowing with beautiful handmade things and now there is even an entire vintage boutique with amazing hand picked items. Love!

Speaking of love, have a killer Valentine's day with the people you love, okay?

Enjoy your week and do something awesome!

andrea

2011-01-26T17:30:00.000-08:00

I love crafting up goodies for valentine's day! I haven't had a ton of time so far but have made some collage cards and sweet mirrors over the last couple of weeks. Here are a few of my favorites.

Owly ode to Lloyd Dobbler

2011-01-20T09:57:00.000-08:00

When the lovely Naomi of the Glitter Workshop asked me if I was interested in creating a poster for the upcoming valentine trunk show, I knew immediately what it would look like.

Chad and I worked together to create this fun owly ode to the best scene in one of our very favorite movies. I liked how it turned out and decided to make magnets and prints for the upcoming show.

Here is the illustration on a magnet version which is available in our etsy shop now. We should have prints soon as well! Wouldn't this be a sweet valentine surprise for someone special?

And of course, here is the inspiration just in case you've been living under a rock or are a lot younger than me. :)

andrea

fall in love with handmade!

2011-01-20T09:50:00.000-08:00

Mark your calendar for the upcoming Fall in Love with Handmade trunk show! It's coming up on February 6th at the Glitter Workshop. Join us for a day of handmade shopping and yummy treats (I plan to bring cupcakes to share. Yum!) You can find more info about the event on the Craftacular website. Hope to see you there!

xo
andrea

Iron Cupcake Madison!

2010-12-30T09:56:00.000-08:00

Iron cupcake Madison is coming up SOON!

In case you are not hip to this lovely event, let me fill you in. Here are the basics: 8 bakers create 1 unique cupcake featuring 1 common ingredient or theme. YOU come out and pay six bucks (which is donated to a charity - proceeds from the last event were donated to Porchlight Foundation) and get to taste 8 delicious mini cupcakes and vote for your favorite. It's a seriously delightful experience. I highly recommend it.

Iron Cupcake is a newish event for Madison but the events have been popular in Milwaukee for awhile. The first Madison event took place in October 2010 in Madison at the Washington Hotel Coffee Room. I found out that there was immediately more of a buzz about the event than I expected. I showed up about 2 hours into the event and completely missed out on tasting. All of the cupcakes were gone! By the time the next event rolled around in December I planned ahead and came early so I could be sure to get in on the cupcake tasting/judging fun. The December theme was "filling" and the bakers did an amazing job coming up with some super yummy cupcakes.

The upcoming Iron Cupcake event will be held at the High Noon Saloon and will feature a citrus theme. I am excited to tell you that I have signed up to bake for this one! I am not sure what I will be whipping up just yet but I will be busy testing some recipes over the next few weeks. My sister-in-law and my friend Katie are also baking for this one so it will be triple the cupcake fun! I love love love citrus and can't wait to see what all of the bakers come up with.

The next event is on January 23rd, 1-3 p.m. (this is the correct time! it is no longer starting at 3pm!) at the High Noon Saloon, 701 East Washington in Madison. You can find more information about the event HERE or check out the main Iron Cupcake Madison facebook page. Hope to see you there!

And of course I will leave you with some fabulous cupcake goodies from some of my favorite etsy shops. Enjoy!

Photo Postcard Mystery Pack by SharynShoots

Pink Frosting Upcycled Cupcake Trivet by EKRA

Kawaii Cupcake Cocktail Ring by TheApple

It's the most wonderful time of the year.

2010-12-06T09:46:00.000-08:00

Our last craft show of the season is THIS weekend, Saturday December 11th. Hope you can make it! The Craftacular is always such a fun show. Admission is free and the first 50 shoppers will get a goody bag stuffed with samples, coupons and more from vendors and sponsors!

We will have pocket mirrors, magnets, art prints, clothing for kids and adults and more! Plus tons of goodies from over 40 other awesome vendors. You can see the full list of vendors HERE.

Hope to see you on Saturday!

Thanks for supporting local and independent artists and crafters this holiday season!

Andrea

Make Your Own Stocking Stuffers! Saturday December 4!

2010-12-01T15:10:00.000-08:00

If you're looking for a fun little gift that you can customize, this Saturday, December 4, is your chance! Stop by The Glitter Workshop, 6138 Mineral Point Rd. in Madison anytime between 12-3 to make your own pocket mirrors, magnets or pins while sipping cocoa and snacking on a holiday treat!

We will have pocket mirrors, small and large magnets and buttons available to create with prices ranging from just $1-7! Feel welcome to bring something special to customize your item - a photo (printed on copy paper weight paper,) a fun paper or gift wrap, old magazine or book pages, etc. OR use pre-cut images and papers we'll have available to create something unique on the spot. We'll have everything from vintage comics and classic books to sparkly papers with holiday themes for you to choose from! This is a project that would be suitable for younger kids, as well. You could have the kids customize a gift for a teacher or grandma and grandpa (maybe a magnet from their own drawing?) or make buttons for holiday party favors!

I had such a fun time at the Holiday Craft Lounge last weekend and wanted to offer one more opportunity before the holidays for locals to craft up something special. Hope to see you there!

If you have specific questions about this drop-in workshop, please feel free to comment here or contact me at space.odditiesmail@gmail.com.

Next up: Holiday Craft Lounge!

2010-11-22T13:41:00.000-08:00

I am back from a lovely Chicago weekend spent with my fantastic sister-in-law! We had a great time at the DIY Trunk Show, visited the awesome Bleeding Heart Bakery, ate some yummy Thai food and other assorted goodies and had lots of time to chat and chill in the big city and the 'burbs. Such a nice weekend! Serious thank-yous are in order to my sister-in-law for helping me with the show and to the trunk show organizers and volunteers for thinking of every detail and making the show so smooth!

My next show is coming up on Saturday, November 27, right here in Madison! The Holiday Craft Lounge is the perfect spot to find or create the perfect handmade gift! I will have a craft table where you can make your own custom pocket mirrors and/or small (1") or large (3") magnets or buttons. Feel welcome to bring something special to customize your item - a photo (printed on copy paper weight paper,) a fun paper or gift wrap, old magazine or newspaper clipping, etc. Or use pre-cut images and papers we'll have available to create something unique at the event. This is a project that would be suitable for younger kids, as well. You could have the kids customize a gift for grandma and grandpa (maybe a magnet from their own drawing?) or make buttons for holiday party favors!

There will be lots of other crafting options - paper star ornaments, crochet scarves from t-shirts, and crayon pendants to name JUST a few! You'll also be able to shop handmade from lots of local crafters. Find more details on Anthology's website. Come out and make something with us!

Holiday Craft Lounge
Saturday, November 27, 10 AM - 3 PM
Downtown Madison Holiday Open House
Overture Center, 201 State St.

Admission is a can of food or a $1 donation for the Second Harvest Foodbank.

2010-11-16T23:05:00.000-08:00

It's all happening! I feel like I don't even know which way is up lately but I am mostly good busy so I can't complain. This week I am in frantic pre-craft-show panic trying to get things made and ready to go before we leave for Chicago on Friday.

These pendants are one of the projects I've been working on this week. Now I just have to decide on a display so I can actually take these with me!

I've also been working on new cards and magnet sets for this weekend and will be adding new items to my etsy shop often as well. If you're in the Chicago area this weekend, stop by and visit us the DIY Trunk Show!

vinyl wallets: take one!

2010-10-24T08:44:00.000-07:00

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?

andrea

Holiday Craft Shows!

2010-10-21T23:27:00.000-07:00

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.

Hello handmade Christmas!

2010-10-04T21:31:00.000-07:00

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!

sweater weather

2010-10-03T07:37:00.000-07:00

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!

HEY SEXY!

2010-09-16T06:45:00.001-07:00

HEY SEXY pocket mirror
Originally uploaded by space oddities

My dad likes thrift store shopping and checking out garage sales as much as me. He brought me a few random old books and magazines awhile back and I just starting digging into them. One particular magazine, a very frail looking movie magazine from the 1940s, is absolutely full of amazing images. So I made lots of new mirrors this week full of sexy ladies circa 1940 something! You can see more of them in my shop and at the Dane county farmers' market this wekeend.

Happy crafting!

xo
andrea

little dear

2010-09-11T21:51:00.001-07:00

Our latest! Your little one would look so dear in this shirt!

xo
andrea

school days + craftacular

2010-09-06T07:00:00.000-07:00

After a super crazy week last week, I have managed to have the most mellow weekend of the entire summer. We have been having some quality family time and catching up on things around our house. I could use a few more days, but man, it has been nice.

Last week my little man started kindergarten. I'm so excited to see what this year brings. He's an amazing kid and watching him grow and learn is the best. And my daughter starts preschool and ballet class this week. It's all happening!

Aside from all of the school craziness, we have been busy this week working on a new design for the Sixth Annual Holiday Craftacular. It seems early to be thinking about a holiday event, but if you're a local crafter, the time to apply has already arrived!

I have also been working on getting some new inventory ready for the farmers' market. It's been very slow going. The only thing I really want to make lately is pendants. We also have a sweet new kids' t-shirt design coming soon. Before this weekend's market, that is (I hope!)

Have a fantastic week!

Cheepie

2010-08-17T18:51:00.000-07:00

My kids have been so creative lately. Jette illustrated an entire book and bound it with tape last week all on her own. Lars is constantly building new inventions out of anything and everything he finds around the house. And they both love to draw and paint every day. Here is one of my favorite drawings of the day from Lars. He calls this sweet bird "Cheepie."

xoxo

Life is Sweet

2010-08-17T18:05:00.000-07:00

What a crazy weekend! Saturday we celebrated Jette's 4th birthday and got to spend time with family and friends who we hadn't seen in a long time. It ended up being a super crazy day so I am really glad that we skipped the farmers' market in the morning. It was the best call we could have possibly made. I am pretty sure that we would have both been a wreck if we had tried to pull off everything we had planned to!

Saturday night we had some time to focus on last minute Craftacular details (and catch up on True Blood) while our little ones were off with grandma and grandpa. Chad finished up some original paintings and I worked on signage and finishing up some pendants. We stayed up insanely late but felt very ready for the show on Sunday, yay!

Sunday we got up bright and early and planned to be at the Craftacular setting up by 8:00. As usual, we ended up running a little late and then got stopped by a lovely small town cop for not making a complete stop at a stop sign...what? So yeah, we were our typical unfashionably late selves as usual. It all worked out fine, though. Here is a partial shot of our booth at the show.

We had such an excellent day! The venue was perfect and there were so many fabulous vendors at the show. I came home with some great craft show loot including an amazing apron for my daughter from rustbelt fiberwerks, fun hair accessories from Confectionique and The Glitter Workshop, and THIS super rad monster print from Jimbot. Oh! I was also lucky enough to go home with a super nice tote bag commemorating the whole event stuffed with some goodies from the vendors. And last but definitely not least, Chad and I both scored caramel apples from Kim's Crafty Apple! Serious YUM!!!

We met so many great people and chatted with old friends. We sold lots of our wares and heard some really great feedback from return customers and kind words from new customers. We even had some friends that we hadn't seen in years that were visiting town stop in to say hi. It was really just the perfect day. To top it off, Chad and I were also celebrating our 12 year anniversary. It was so nice to be able to spend the day together!

I am feeling so grateful for my life lately. Yes, it is insanely chaotic and most days I forget which way is up. I spend a lot of time just trying to figure out what do do next and struggle with priorities. But these things are so trivial. I have a loving family and amazing friends. I have a job that pays the bills and leaves my nights and weekends free for time with my loved ones and my crafty ventures. Kids who make me laugh every day. Friends who are always there for me, no matter what. A husband who is my soul mate and can finish my thoughts. All of these things make the lack of cable tv and home repair skills, kiddos bordering on sassy and perpetual mountain of laundry seem like a dream.

Life is sweet.

Pendant Display

2010-08-08T10:14:00.000-07:00

I needed a way to display pendants at shows. I actually have NOT been bringing these to the farmers' market because I just hadn't found a good way to show them. I searched for a simple DIY tutorial and found THIS one which I ended up using as a guide.

I actually made mine even more simple than the tutorial suggested by just using the backing of a picture frame for my base (the easel back part.) I wrapped it in pretty paper, cut small slits where the ribbon would slide through on the sides and then secured the ribbon on the board. The one thing about the tutorial I found that didn't make sense is how you would remove individual pendants when one sold. I decided to tie each one on a small ribbon that can easily be tied or untied from the main ribbon. I am happy with how it turned out!

Yes, it's a little loud with the dots and the floral, but i kind of love it. Loud is sort of my thing. I plan to make one or two more so I have space to show off lots of goodies.

Yay! I'm excited to debut lots of new pendants at the Craftacular next weekend!

How much art can you take?

2010-08-04T19:12:00.000-07:00

Another summer weekend jam packed with crafty goodness!

Have you been to Confectionique market in Middleton yet? This weekend is your chance! Jessica and Anastasia will be showcasing beautiful handmade goodies made by themselves and several other local artists Saturday AND Sunday, August 7 & 8. Get ready for a treat! These ladies are always crafting up something new and reinvent their beautiful store space for each market.

Also on Saturday AND Sunday (August 7 & 8) is Art Fest at Greenway Station in Madison. Here you'll find lots and lots of local arts and crafts vendors - jewelry, glass, photography, sculpture, painting, wood and more will be represented. Plus live music and free activities for the little ones!

And don't forget, you can find Space Oddities and lots of other vendors peddling delightful handmade wares Saturday at the Dane county farmers' market . Craft vendors are at the top of State street extending onto Mifflin street and our tent is usually somewhere close to Taste of India.

If you're looking for a special gift this weekend, you know where to go! Support local businesses and find something handcrafted and unique. We are so lucky to live in a city where the big box stores are not our only options!

xoxo
andrea

new pretties!

2010-08-04T16:30:00.000-07:00

I stayed up late making these fun collage pendants last night.

I love making these little mini collages. It's great therapy! What have you been making lately?

Summer, Sewing, Swag...

2010-08-01T11:51:00.000-07:00

Hope you are enjoying your summer! It is moving so quickly. Somehow my oldest will be starting kindergarten in a month. I don't know how this is possible...it feels like he was just born!

It was another busy week, starting with a fantastic t-ball game (Lars is doing better every week!) I also got to spend some time with the lovely Jenny of The Painted Daisy who is helping me learn some sewing basics. I managed to finish this bag with a lot of help. I really love the vintage ribbon accents. See, without Jenny's direction, i seriously would have just used the ribbon FOR the handles. I'm excited to start learning to sew and hope to make the time to take a consistent class in the fall. I really want to be able to feel comfortable sewing so that I can do my own thing!

Saturday Chad vended solo at the market while the kids and I visited Naomi of Glitter Workshop and her sweet family to celebrate a special 2 year old's birthday. We had such a nice time and my kids didn't have any major freak outs, so that is good. It was also fun to see Naomi's current sewing projects (she's learning, too...and is tackling a way more advanced project which is inspiring!) and crafty work space. I also (finally!) managed to get hair cuts for both of my kiddos this weekend. They are looking pretty sharp for the time being so I had better get some photos before they get shaggy again.

The farmers' market has been a little slow lately but we are still enjoying it. I have to admit that Chad and I are both looking forward to autumn and the last few farmers' markets so that we can have a few more Saturdays free. Our schedules are already jam packed so vending at the market is a big commitment for us. We're not completely sure if it's something we'll do again next year or not. Only time will tell! As for this season, we plan to vend Saturdays right up until October 23, weather permitting. We are calling it quits a couple of weeks early (the market runs up through the first weekend of November!) as we have a fun mini-vacation planned at House on the Rock for Halloween weekend. We're going to the Neil Gaiman American Gods event! I'm super excited!

Oh! also finally finished a little something for the Craftacular goody bags this weekend! I'm looking forward to this event but can't believe it's already just 2 weeks away! I was definitely hoping to have more new things made before now. As usual, I will probably wait until 2 days before the show and then I'll begin to freak out and make last minute arrangements. It's kind of my thing. And it usually works out okay so I guess I will just roll with it. The Craftaculars are always such great events so no mater what I have or don't have to sell, at least I know it'll be totally fun! If you're near Madison, stop by to check it out on August 15. The first 50 shoppers will get free goody bags stuffed with awesome swag from the vendors!

And because I keep forgetting, I want to mention now that I have a couple talented friends who have recently opened etsy shops! You can now find beautiful photography prints by the very talented Sharyn Morrow at Sharyn Shoots. And if you're looking for super fun gift soaps (pac-man, owl, retro/mod designs to name a few) you should check out Little Sparrow Soap.

Okay I am off to check out this splash park that my kids keep talking about. Have a fantastic week!

Isn't summer the best?

2010-07-15T21:41:00.000-07:00

2010-06-30T21:26:00.000-07:00

Our etsy shop has been updated with some brand new mirrors and magnets. And more will be coming soon!

Chad has been working on some bold, colorful paintings that will be perfect for childrens' room decor. I can't wait to debut this new artwork at the farmers' market!

The kiddos are with their grandparents for a few days. Which means I have a lot more free time than I'm used to. Where do I begin? Every little thing I accomplish feels so epic. In just a few hours tonight I finished a mixtape and an art journal I've been putting off forever. I also managed to take pictures and post items in the etsy shop and meet Chad for dinner. AMAZING. A little focused time can go a long way!

craft therapy: make time to make.

2010-06-24T20:00:00.000-07:00

The feel of textured papers between my fingers.

Ripping those papers into pieces and assembling them with my own hands into something beautiful and then getting my fingers sticky with glue when I attach the pieces one by one onto a card or a collage

Ink on my fingers

Film in my Holga.

Taking a stab at sewing and gardening

Cutting and pasting

Photoshopping

Attempting to make a lemon meringue pie

Writing a book

Sketching even if it's terrible

Writing a letter with a fancy pen

Doing all of things SLOWLY so I can soak up every experience.

My blog is called Craft Therapy. I have never really talked much this title or why I chose it but I think about it often. After writing this blog for a few years now, I thought it was about time to dedicate a post to this subject.

The tag line "make time to make" is a piece of advice I take very seriously. Okay, not so seriously that I would decoupage a picture frame instead of taking my son to t-ball. But maybe so seriously that I would come home from a long day at work, make a quick dinner so we can make it to t-ball, and then get the kids to bed and skip the laundry and dishes so I can spend some quality time with my gocco.

Some days, making time to make can be a really tough thing to pull off. Some I you won't pull it off. But if it's what makes you whole, you will find the time. Whether it means getting a babysitter so that you can take that class you've been putting off forever; Becoming just a little sleep deprived so that you can make the time to follow your passion (I am a firm believer that the best ideas are thought of only after a little sleep deprivation;) Knitting on your lunch break; Crafting with your kiddos; The list goes on. Like anything else, if it means a lot to you, you will make the time to make.

When I was pregnant with my first child, I was so excited to be home with him after he was born. I imagined days full of mother and baby bonding, books, baby massage, play dates. Once he was born, and after a few difficult months, I realized that while some days would be very full and satisfying with just being a mom, I needed something ELSE. I thought that starting back at my day job would change things. It definitely changed things, but it didn't change that feeling that I had that something else was missing. Shortly before my son was born, I had started to get really into making collages. It was such a slow, soothing process for me. After a few months of full time mom and a few more months of full time job + full time mom, a funny thing happened: I suddenly felt like I really wanted to make more time for my collages. I felt like I NEEDED to. And then I realized that this is what was missing. I needed to make time to make.

I have always enjoyed creating things but it wasn't until I became a mother that I understood how much it meant to me. Funny how that works.

About half of the people who visit this blog find it by searching the keywords "craft therapy," "craft as therapy," or "what is craft therapy."

Well, now you know what craft therapy means to me.

What does it mean to you?

old, new, revamped.

2010-06-16T19:51:00.000-07:00

I visited my dad last weekend and picked up this beautiful sewing machine while I was at his place. Isn't it dreamy? It used to be my grandmother's and I am so thrilled that it has been passed on to me. I have been wanting to learn to sew for a long time and have tried my hand at some small projects without much success throughout the years. This time I will be armed with a new (old) machine that inspires me just looking at it. I can't help but imagine the hours and hours that my grandmother spent at this machine. She loved to reupholster furniture and made so many gorgeous things with this lovely piece of equipment over the years. I hope that I can create something nearly as awesome! Thankfully I have a sweet, talented friend who is willing to show me the basics and get started the right way. Thanks Jenny! You rule! I cannot wait for sewing 101.

On to the new! We have been making lots of new goodies to try out at the farmers market lately. These "My Favorite Robot" prints debuted at the market a few weeks ago and have finally been added to our etsy shop. We have used bright, bold colors and fun printed papers to screen print this fun robot print on. I love the results! These framed prints would be so fun in a kid's room!

I also printed some new shirts this week. Well, the design is an oldie but a goodie. I've just changed up the color scheme a little bit. I love our cupcake shirts but was ready for something other than the "cherry vanilla" pink and white on brown. The new, revamped version of this shirt is called "berry vanilla" and features a new mixup of colors. These shirts are available in our etsy shop now!

Have a great week! If you're in the Madison area, don't forget to visit us at the Dane County Farmers' Market on Saturday! We still have RAD DAD buttons and t-shirts along with lots of other unique gift ideas for father's day (think star wars magnets, lord of the rings inspired prints and robot t-shirts!) that you can pick up while you're downtown!

andrea

busy June.

2010-06-09T18:20:00.000-07:00

It's been a busy week! We had a fantastic Saturday at the farmer's market. The weather was gorgeous and there were lots of people at the market. We sold out of our raining hearts t-shirt design and our RAD DAD shirts were also popular with father's day coming up soon. Now I must find some time to print...and it's time for some new designs. I'm trying to decide if I will do another run of the raining hearts shirts or not. I really love the design but I feel like it's time for something new. Chad and I have something in mind for a new womens' shirt design so hopefully we can get that together and printed SOON! It's going to be lovely, I can't wait!

Here are the new Rad Dad shirts. This run is a little different and is printed on blue and grey t-shirts. I really like how they turned out. We will have these available at the farmers' market and etsy shop. We also sent a small batch to i like you in Minneapolis!

Aside from the printing, I have also been working on some graphic design for the upcoming Summer Craftacular this week. Chad created the artwork and I have been working to put it all together to make into promotional items for the show. The craftacular is an indie art/craft fair in Madison, Wisconsin. This is the sixth annual summer event and it looks like it's going to be a great one! Handmade items from over 70 vendors! It's sure to be an excellent and super fun show. If you're a crafter, you still have time to apply for the show. The deadline is June 13, so don't wait! You can apply right HERE.

Today was a special day. We finally took the training wheels off of my son's bike. I have been kind of paranoid about this but it turns out he was totally ready. Without any fear or instruction, Lars hopped on that bike and rode off into the wind. I am so proud! It's such a cool moment! I can't believe how fast he is growing up. He'll be in kindergarten before I know it!

And then there is my sweet girl. She was cheering Lars on with the bicycling shenanigans today and was also hunting gnomes. What a goofy lady. Okay I am determined to get LOTS done tonight after I get these sweet kiddos to bed. It's all happening! Have a fantastic week!

RAD DAD T-shirt giveaway

2010-06-05T11:04:00.001-07:00

I'm giving away a t-shirt over at girly girl giveaways this week! Stop on over for your chance to win it right HERE and don't forget to check out all of the other fantastic giveaways as well.

I just printed a new batch of these shirts last night using new colors/new font. I love how they turned out and will snap some photos/add these to my shop soon!

xo andrea

Nuit Blanche Market

2010-05-25T06:34:00.000-07:00

Confectionique is having an evening market this week! Join Jessica and Anastasia for their first Nuit Blanche Market in their beautiful shopping space! You can find lovely treasures while you sip wine and listen to vinyl on the stereo. It doesn't get much better than that!

Hope you can make it! More info HERE.

Dinosaurs, Robots and Esoteric Creatures

2010-05-01T14:53:00.000-07:00

We finally put together some coloring books! This is a project that Chad and I have been talking about for a long time. Our kids love coloring and it's not often that you find a really unique coloring book that both kids and parents can appreciate. This first book - dinosaurs, robots and esoteric creatures - is a fun combination of some of Chad's favorite illustrations. We plan to create several more books with fun themes that we think kids and adults with both enjoy. These coloring books will be featured in Chad's etsy shop and at our local shows including the Dane County Farmers' Market. We're hoping to enlighten Madison kids on the subject of trilobites, griffins, and of course goofy robots and lots of other awesome creatures!

xo
andrea

a whole lotta craft

2010-04-20T20:57:00.000-07:00

I am so glad to live in a city that is bursting with handmade goodness everywhere I turn. This weekend is stuffed to the brim with opportunities to kick out the craft!! Just in case these aren't already on your radar...

Join crafting sisters Jessica and Anastasia for their first Confectionique market on Saturday April 24. This monthly craft market showcases their own work as well as treasures created by other local artists/crafters. The very first Confectionique market will be from 10AM -4PM at 8300 Airport Road, Middleton. Check it out!

Also on Saturday is the Spring Fling Craftacular! Yes, you read it right! Naomi at Glitter Workshop has decided to hold the craftacular events more frequently so we can enjoy the crafty goodness all year long. Really, who wants to wait an entire year between craftaculars? Not this lady. As always, get there early (doors open at 10AM) to snag the swag! First 25 shoppers get the goods!

And if you feel like visiting us, we'll be at the Dane county farmers' market where you will find delicious locally grown produce AND an awesome handmade market. Last week was the first market of the season. This week it just might be rainy. We're hoping it's not but I suppose if it is, at least we'll have more time to check out the other amazing events that are taking place all around our lovely city!

If you do make it downtown, I would also recommend Anthology for a dreamy craft fix. Easily one of the most inspiring stores in the city, this place always has new treasures waiting to be discovered. It's also Altered Clothing month at Anthology! "Bring your own skirt, shirt...and select from an assortment of fabrics. Make your own iron-on patches, and stitch around the edges for added decoration." What fun!!

After you've packed as much craft into your days as you possibly can, here are some more killer events of note to look forward to this weekend...

Highway 18 Drive-In. It's open! Alice in Wonderland under the stars!

and

Roller Derby! Bout 5! Saturday Morning Cartoon theme!

Maybe we will cross paths this fine weekend? See you around!

xo
andrea

It's all happening!

2010-04-12T09:55:00.000-07:00

Happy spring! We have been busy making lots of goodies for the upcoming Dane County Farmers' Market. It starts THIS WEEKEND, April 17, and will be happening Saturdays through the beginning of November. We are not used to vending every week and it's going to be a learning experience for sure. I can't wait! I'm hoping for sunshine and lots of people out enjoying the day. I am also excited for SPICY CHEESE BREAD.

Here are some of our latest creations. First, this is Chad's answer to "what should we make for mothers' day?"

And as always, lots of fun with recycled images. I've been tearing up comic books and an old Loteria set this week.

Hope you are enjoying spring. Happy crafting!

2010-03-23T19:58:00.000-07:00

I was in the basement doing laundry this evening and got distracted looking through a box of old crafting goodies before returning upstairs. The box was full of things I hadn't touched or thought about in many years. The theme seemed to be ALMOST finished projects. I found magazine pages torn out intended for collages, a tea towel that I nearly finished embroidering, some small collages that looked very inspired but seemed to have a little something missing.

And then I found a simple wooden frame with a blank canvas inside. When I turned it over I saw that it had a heavy piece of cardboard behind the canvas. I opened up the frame, separated the cardboard from the canvas, and out spilled a flurry of small paper pieces. As I started to look through the paper scraps, I couldn't figure out what these random images would have been for. Tiny butterflies, flowers, a picture of an old woman and a young girl. It seemed very random.

Then I started to see strips of text.

And suddenly I remembered what this project was for.

Grandma.

How could I forget? How could I have let myself tuck this in a box for all of these years and never finish it?

The text, which was cut into many pieces, was my grandmother's favorite poem:

To laugh often and much
to win the respect of intelligent people
and the affection of children;
to earn the appreciation of honest critics
and endure the betrayal of false friends;
to appreciate beauty;
to find the best in others;
to leave the world a bit better,
whether by a healthy child,
a garden patch
or a redeemed social condition;
to know even one life has breathed easier
because you have lived.
This is to have succeeded.
-Ralph Waldo Emerson

Many years ago when I was visiting her at her home in La Crosse, she randomly took a paper with this poem on it out of her purse and told me that she loved it so much and wanted me to read it. She wondered if I could frame it for her to put somewhere in her house. I said "no problem!" and told her I'd bring it back next time I came by. When I thought about how to frame it, I decided that I would surprise her with a nice collage to accompany the poem. I apparently managed to pick all of the images for the collage, find a frame and cut the pieces of the text. But I never finished and managed to completely forget about this almost finished project sitting in a box in my basement - through at least two moves and many years.

Tonight, even though my grandma has been gone for more than a year, I finished framing her poem. Lars, my 5 year old, helped me cut and paste the pieces and made a collage of his own (with the same poem) for his room as well. He was so proud of himself and asked "would grandma great be proud of me?" Aren't five year olds the best?

So, I would like to say "better late than never," but it makes me sad to think that it took me this long to finish such a simple task that would have made my grandma so happy. It makes me realize how fast life flies by, how the big picture can so easily get lost when you're caught up in day to day junk, and how important it is to make time for friends and family.

The poem pretty much says it all.

I can understand why it was my grandma's favorite. It really simplifies things. This is the kind of success that I want.

So, better late than never, I guess.

As for all of the other unfinished projects, those might have to wait. I'm pretty sure the kiddos are going to be keeping me outside 24/7 while the weather is nice. It's just as well. Maybe I will finally plant a garden.

mom's the bomb

2010-03-05T10:04:00.001-08:00

mom's the bomb
Originally uploaded by space oddities

Mom's the Bomb onesies are here! I printed these by request for a friend who was looking for a fun gift for a baby shower. Instead of the usual pale pinks and blue shades I decided to go with these bold colors and prints that I came across. I like how they turned out and I'm planning to print on adult t-shirts for all of you cool moms soon as well!

xoxo
andrea

Pendants!

2010-02-26T09:43:00.000-08:00

March is almost here and I am THRILLED. When I left for work this morning the sun was shining, the sky was blue...what a perfect day.

So I have been working on making pendants for awhile now and want to share them with you. The images are saved from old magazines and storybooks and make these necklaces truly unique. It took me awhile to get comfortable with making these as jewelry making in general is a very new medium for me, but now I am in love!

My last show is the first time I offered these for sale and I got a good response from shoppers. Right now I only have a few for sale in my etsy shop but plan to add more. I love these pendants because they are BIG and bold and such a fun shape. I'm offering the pendant only or pendant on an adjustable 18" necklace. I also think these would look gorgeous worn with a ribbon.

This weekend is going to be full of cleaning, playing and hopefully some crafting.

I promise to make time to make if you do?

xoxo
andrea

Cupcakes & Crafts!

2010-02-18T20:18:00.000-08:00

Discover unique handmade items made locally.

Meet the artists.

Treat yourself to something sweet!

Check out our next event at Daisy Cupcakery in Madison on Sunday March 14, 4pm - 8pm.

Here are some of the artists who will be showing their work:
Storyline Design
Glitter Workshop
Prettifications
Whimsy House
The Painted Daisy
Little Dandelion Studio
Space Oddities
The Apple
Helen Mary Beck
Bare Tree Apparel
Haley Studio
Bernie's Girl
Odd Stuff by Xanthe
Daisy Petal Designs

Click here for more info and to RSVP to the event on facebook.

Hope to see you there!

2010-02-07T06:35:00.000-08:00

Well I think I'm officially over winter. It seems like I always get to a point around February or March where I just can't handle the season any more. This year the crazy is apparently coming early for me. The cold and snow are not my favorite but those things aren't what bother me. It's the lack of light. The grey days. Such minimal sun. I am so glad that the days are getting longer because I am totally done with it being dark when I leave for work in the morning and having something like an hour of daylight when I get home. This lady is looking forward to spring!!

We have a couple of shows coming up! If you're in the Madison area, please stop by the Valentine Craftacular at the High Noon Saloon on February 13. Free goody bags for the first 25 shoppers! We'll also be showing off our goodies on March 14 at the Daisy Cafe and Cupcakery from 4-8pm. Hope you can make it!

I love Valentine's Day. I especially love Valentine's Day crafting. It's a good thing that I got started early this year because I think I have hit a wall with creating for the holiday. I made some fun cards and goofy buttons and printed some old favorites. One of last year's designs was featured on geeksugar.com along with several other great geeky valentine cards. Awesome!

Hope you are enjoying February! Or at least tolerating it. Spring will be here soon!

xo
andrea

We're having a SALE.

2010-01-27T09:52:00.000-08:00

We're having a 3 day sale on EVERYTHING in our etsy shop. 40% off of all items! That means $9 t-shirts and tote bags, $4 pocket mirrors and great prices on handmade greeting cards to name a few deals. Sale begins today 1/27/10 and will end on Friday 1/29/10 at midnight. Please see my shop announcement for more details. Stop by our shop to find some goodies for yourself, your family and friends, and strangers. You can click the link above or click below to be directed to certain items.

Enjoy your week!

xoxo
andrea

cupcakes & bangs

2010-01-18T07:21:00.000-08:00

Jette got a hair cut. Up until now her hair has been all one length. Actually, I think that her grandma cut bangs on her when she was just about a year but since she didn't have much hair to begin with it wasn't so dramatic. She looks like a little lady to me now! It's cute. It's just hard to get used to!

I was home alone over the weekend while Chad was in Ilinois visiting his family with the kids. I got a lot accomplished around the house and did a little bit of crafting, too. The one fun new thing that i made is these cupcake cards. They're printed with metallic gold ink and adorned with little cut out hearts. I made them in the wee hours of the morning when all of my best work is done. I really like how they turned out. The shimmery ink is hard to see in these photos but it's very pretty!

I am off work for a few days this week. We have friends from out of town visiting for a few days so we will just be spending a few mellow days with them. Hope this slightly warmer weather sticks around for awhile!

Have a great week!

I have a paper problem.

2010-01-11T09:57:00.000-08:00

I went paper crazy this weekend! I started sorting through tons of paper scraps that have been aquired over the years. I have a long way to go but got through a lot and along the way I started to cut paper hearts for valentine making and assemble some paper scrap packs to sell in my shop and possibly at Anthology (thanks for the suggestion, Laura!) So all in all it was a success. I plan to go through lots more this weekend. The plan is to get organized and STAY organized. That's possible, right?

I also FINALLY finished up the art journal I have been holding onto for way too long. The theme is 'healing' and this is what I came up with.

Have an excellent week! Happy Crafting!

two thousand and what?

2010-01-07T06:46:00.001-08:00

IMG_7887
Originally uploaded by space oddities

Happy New Year! I spent my New Year's Eve with my sweet kiddos having a ballons/movies/popcorn party followed by the most mellow New Year's day ever. We stayed home ALL day, made Swedish pancakes for breakfast and didn't get out of our jammies until, well LATE. It was lovely. My only goal on New Year's day was not to spend any money. I figured that not going out would make that easy. And so it was. Excellent!

2010 has been decent so far. I've been busy making valentines and have listed some new things in the etsy shop. Catching up on things around the house and thinking about getting my taxes done. Looking forward to a visit from dear friends later this month. And planning a crafty get-together to make valentines.

I hope your new year is off to a great start!

xo
andrea

my favorite movies of the decade.

2009-12-30T13:42:00.000-08:00

10. Home Movie
9. Ironman
8. O Brother Where Art Thou?
7. Napoleon Dynamite
6. The School of Rock
5. Up
4. Amelie
3. Royal Tennenbaums
2. Lord of the Rings Triology (okay that's technically 3 movies)
1. Almost Famous

And my favorite scene from my favorite movie of the decade!

As for the year, I loved 500 Days of Summer, Star Trek, Whip It and Up. The movies I enjoy most are the ones that make me laugh and cry and all of these did it for me.

What are your favorites?

2009-12-28T17:01:00.000-08:00

Hope you're enjoying the holidays! I had a nice mellow, relaxing few days with my family. I took a break from my shop and let myself get a little more disconnected with things than I have in awhile. I had to go back to work today but I am somehow back in chill out mood tonight. It's great! I'm looking forward to another long weekend coming up with not a whole lot on the agenda. We probably won't do much but a family movie night on New Year's eve but I'm looking forward to it for sure!

I do want to share one fun bit of news with you. I'm featured along with 2 other local artists in an article called "crafting a business on etsy" in January's issue of Wisconsin Woman magazine. You can read it online HERE (link will be on the left of their home page) or pick it up at several local grocery stores/gas stations/libraries in the Madison area. Very fun!

Well, I am off for a night of chutes & ladders and brownies & ice cream. Enjoy your week!

xo
andrea

hello winter.

2009-12-17T17:52:00.000-08:00

Cupcakes!

2009-12-17T15:28:00.000-08:00

Yesterday I featured some gift ideas for men. Today I thought I would show you something we have to offer in our etsy shop that's a little more girly. Cupcakes! Y U M. Here are a few things we think you might like! Great gifts for the baking enthusiast, girly girl or maybe just for yourself!

1. The Cupcake Mirror Includes organza carrying bag. $7

2. Cherry Vanilla Cupcake T-Shirt printed on Organic Alternative Apparel. $21

3. The Cupcake Tote includes 3 removable "cherry" buttons! $15

If you're in the U.S. there is still time to order in time for Christmas. We're upgrading to priority mail on all orders over $15 through 12/21! And if you're in the Madison, Wisconsin area we are happy to meet you right up until 12/24 locally to pick up orders. Happy Holidays!

Gift ideas for men

2009-12-16T12:05:00.000-08:00

It can be hard to find good gifts for the men in your life! Here are some ideas from our shops. There is still time left to shop online! We will upgrade to priority shipping for no additional charge when you spend $15 or more from now through December 21. Happy holidays!

Smoking Gandalf Gocco Print. This is printed on an original page from a vintage copy of Fellowship of the Ring!

Star Trek Magnet featuring Spock. One of a kind, made from recycled comic book page!

Robot Party T-shirt. Boys like robots. It's not an opinion.

Star Wars pins and magnets made from old comic books. Great stocking stuffer for your boyfriend or your son!

VIVA LA VINYL t-shirt for the guy who appreciates is LPs more than is MP3 player.

things to do in Madison this weekend!

2009-12-11T13:35:00.001-08:00

On Saturday December 12 from 10am-5pm, Buy Handmade for the Holidays at PointyKitty Studios on the northeast side of Madison where more than a dozen Wisconsin artists will be showcasing their handmade goodies. We'll be there with lots of fun items and will be having a $2 card sale as well. ALL of our screen printed and one of a kind cards will be just $2/each! Click the link above for more details on the show!

Saturday night don't miss the Found Footage Festival at the Orpheum. It's a super fun event showcasing clips of found video footage. I went to this event several years back and it was a blast. HILARIOUS and awesome. DO NOT MISS. December 12 at 7pm and 9pm.

And if you're feeling crafty stop by Anthology on State Street for a craftivity! They have several different craft projects you can drop in and enjoy and they change up the activities almost weekly. This week you can stop in to make your own stamped charm necklace or paper stars. Click above to learn more! I was in with a group of friends to make stamped pendants last night and had a great time! Take a break while you're out shopping this weekend and make time to make!

Enjoy your weekend and stay warm!

xoxo
andrea

still time to shop!

2009-12-04T09:58:00.000-08:00

Just wanted to post quick to let you know that we have just one more upcoming holiday show on December 12 in Madison but there's still time to shop online in order to receive gifts in time for the holidays!

Our Star Wars magnet and pin sets made from vintage comics have been popular this year and we have lots of other items - mirrors, magnets, clothing in baby through adult sizes and more - that would make unique gifts or stocking stuffers! Please stop by the shop here or click on items below to be directed to our etsy shop. Chad also has some great gift items in his shop including a really awesome LOTR Gandalf gocco print. Check it out!

xoxo
andrea

2009-12-03T09:57:00.001-08:00

Thanks to everyone who came out to the Craftacular last weekend! It was a really fantastic show. I spent the day with my fabulous sister-in-law and since it was busy almost the whole day, I really don't know what I would have done without her. Thanks Elizabeth! A big thanks also goes out to Laura and Sachi at Anthology and Naomi and Jerome at Glitter Workshop for organizing this awesome event. What a fun day! And thanks to everyone who stopped by our table to visit! It was great to see some familiar faces and meet lots of new people, too!

Our next show will be on December 12 at PointyKitty Studios on the northeast side of Madison. The show is called Buy Handmade for the Holidays and features more than a dozen artists. If you're in the Madison area please stop by!

I have been under the weather this week and haven't had time to do much of anything. I am focusing on keeping up with orders in my etsy shop but hope to make at least a few new things before next week's show. Our womens' owls in love & raining in my heart shirts were popular at the craftacular and I wish I had time to make more of those! I might just have to wait until after the holidays, though. Boo!

Hope you are having a magical holiday season! Enjoy the snow!

2009-11-23T06:32:00.000-08:00

Somewhere between last year's winter shows and this year's summer shows I managed to lose my banner. It was simple but functional and I liked it. But it's gone. I have been thinking about what I would like for a new banner and shopping around a little considering having one made. But of course now it's late November and I have 2 upcoming shows. I would rather not have NO banner for my show this weekend. So the kids helped me whip up a new, simple banner yesterday.

It turned out lovely. Lars helped me cut the pieces. It was the most mellow thing we did all weekend.

new ornaments

2009-11-07T07:37:00.001-08:00

new ornaments
Originally uploaded by space oddities

I've been having fun finding pretty images to fill these huge, pretty bezels with. I am hoping to have a few pendants for necklaces ready and listed in my etsy shop soon but also decided to use some of the bezels to make Christmas ornaments. I finished this set last night. The images are from a 1970s childrens' magazine. So perfect for the holidays!

It's a lovely day in Wisconsin. I have a lot of busywork and things around the house to accomplish this morning but I am determined to enjoy the weather outside with the kids this afternoon. Hope you can, too! Have a great weekend!

2009-10-28T12:18:00.001-07:00

IMG_7367
Originally uploaded by space oddities

Chad took the kids to visit his parents this weekend so I got lots of crafting done! I made and packaged lots and lots of magnet sets and mirrors, screen-printed onesies and started playing with new pendants. My sweet father visited and insisted on helping me out a little which was so nice. We managed to also find time for Indian buffet and and a movie. Not bad for one weekend!

The cards you see here are also new, but not quite as new as the other new stuff. They are old-new. I made them a couple of weeks ago but wanted to share.

Are you enjoying autumn? It makes me so happy.

Enjoy your Halloween!

xo
andrea

I'm sweet on autumn.

2009-10-28T12:12:00.001-07:00

IMG_7399
Originally uploaded by space oddities

Craftacular!

2009-10-12T20:59:00.001-07:00

craftacular postcard
Originally uploaded by space oddities

It's almost Craftacular time! Chad and I are excited to be sponsoring this awesome event again this year. It's organized by Laura & Sachi from Anthology and Naomi & Jerome of Glitter Workshop and it's an event worth marking your calendar for! Over 60 artists and crafters will be selling their unique crafty wares all in one place on November 28. You can find more info here.

Chad and I created the postcard design for the show. Last year we made the forest critters cutting out snowflakes. This year they are giving knitting a try. This is one bunch of crafty forest friends! We're still working on some details but the postcards and posters will be finished and printed soon.

If you're in the Madison area please mark your calendar for this event and spread the word!

xo
andrea

2009-09-29T01:37:00.000-07:00

It's finally autumn in Wisconsin! The weather has cooled down a little and it feels like fall is really here. I love this time of year so much! I'm looking forward to picking pumpkins this weekend out at our CSA farm and maybe making one more trip to the apple orchard if we can find time. Also hoping to take the kids out to fly kites soon since the birthday kite flying didn't work out.

Speaking of birthdays...Lars turned five last week. He had a nice party with friends and family. Thanks to everyone who sent birthday wishes and gifts. Lars keeps talking about this birthday and how he had SO much fun and it makes him SO HAPPY. I love it. This photo shows him blowing out candles on the teeny tiny birthday cake he made himself in his brand new easy bake oven from grandma and grandpa.

It's been another busy week. I'm trying to get my craft area organized and get some etsy orders and consignment packages sent off so I can get to making some new things. I'm also working on the poster for the Holiday Craftacular in Madison. It's almost done! I'll show you when it's ready!

One more fun thing: our Raining in my Heart print was featured on the Save Gocco blog last week. How cool is that!

2009-09-22T23:36:00.000-07:00

It was the first weekend in awhile that I've had very little on my agenda and it was SO nice. I relaxed at home, took the kids to the park, went berry picking with Chad and the kids and their cousins and even squeezed in a movie at the theater (go see 500 Days of Summer, it's beautiful!)

This week I'm working on posting some new things to the etsy shop. I have some fun mirrors, cards and more to add to the shop but it's a little slow going getting photos ready. I love the vintage camera mirrors and magnets I've been making. Aren't old cameras the best? I'll have to scope out more vintage national geographics soon!

I'm also planning a birthday party for Lars this weekend. He's turning five! We're having a kite flying party at the park. Time to find a cake recipe!

Hope your week is most excellent

xo
andrea

2009-09-15T19:47:00.000-07:00

Chad and I had a lovely weekend in Chicago at the Renegade Craft Fair! We had a successful show, beautiful weather and got to meet so many awesome people. We shared a booth with Daniele and Bryon from My Lavaliere. They were fantastic and friendly - we couldn't have asked for more awesome people to share a tent with.

Unfortunately I didn't get a great shot of our booth. I got a couple of quick shots just before my camera battery died. You're not missing anything though - it was not so great! This is the second outdoor show I've ever done and also the first time that we've had a large amount of clothing to show. We were just not prepared and didn't have the time to do a mock set-up before the show. The first day we had our display all wrong - we set it up to basically make it impossible for anyone to get inside our booth. Long story - but we fixed it before the show started on Sunday and it made a big difference. Our sales on Sunday far exceeded Saturday. It's crazy how much difference a display can make!

We made time to check out some of the other vendors and even dropped by the etsy booth - Chad had someone snap his photo with Matt Stinchcomb and also got to chat with several other vendors. You can read more about it and see some photos at his blog.

In the end we had a great show and even made out with lots of awesome handmade goodness! I found some super cute clothes for both of my kiddos from Charlie and Sarah and bought myself a hoodie from them as well. I also got a couple of gorgeous headbands from My Lavaliere. Here I am modeling some of my renegade loot! Chad also got some great t-shirts and art prints. So many great things to choose from!

I'm excited to have a weekend at home without too much on my agenda. We need to get caught up with things around our house and plan a birthday party for Lars. He'll be 5 next week!

In the coming weeks I also plan to get my etsy shop ready for the holidays and get my ducks in a row so I'm ready for winter shows. I'll also be working with the ladies at Anthology and Naomi from Glitter Workshop to design a poster for the Holiday Craftacular. I guess I should chill out this weekend while I can because this little bit of downtime won't last long!

2009-09-10T00:37:00.000-07:00

A few random things!

rare bird finds featured our new robot bibs last week! Very fun. It's a fantastic blog and we're thrilled that they noticed one of our items!

We've had a few obscenely late nights but I think we'll be ready for Renegade! Well, as ready as is possible when you work full time, have two children under five and craft late at night until you're delirious. Chad and I are totally excited to show our work, meet lots of awesome people and hopefully even SHOP.

I'm kind of sad that we won't be making it to Chicago in time for the Thursday night etsy meet up but there is just not enough time. Luckily our booth at renegade is super close to etsy so we can walk over and bug them lots.

That's all I've got for now. My attention span is very short when I am on this self-induced sleep deprivation schedule.

turpentine club cat

2009-09-09T09:34:00.000-07:00

I was digging through files on my computer and found one that was just these words

Sweet smoky fresh air crackle burn slick summer sandals liquor kid candy cotton hang on let go swim in a sea of swill soft sordid apples black blue-black wasted gone never drink turpentine club cat cool mellow minded made mush swallow sin child clay orange pink blinded by the light star studded laser looker nevermind the snow slide speckled square bore aviator navigator hot car junk van plush popcorn satin lavendar licorice baby breath lemonade sleepy eyes handmade cloudy sweeping soothing unshaven wrapped warped sunny sweater thrift race sweaty sleazy going gone dusty broken branded red vodka martini madness mambo master dreaming transmit end transmission acid trap trip seeking Saturday endless faster go like hell icy inside karate mute corded texture curtain coins inspire love fame friend sparkle possibility patience power optimism smile smack swift sour sentence magical miracle kitty blackula chocolate crayons pineapple martini blast noise liquor swallow dove raspberry twist and shout cocoa sunshine quicksand clouds candyapples can you feel the love in this room sideburns pants sideburns pants sideburns pants if you shave again i’ll die tattooed neck happy eyes pink sunrise bulldozer crane flashing lights flashy nights smooth talker despair graceland wasteland

It hadn't been opened since 2002. I had forgotten until now but I used to get in a mood and just write and write words (and later type words) like crazy in a delirious stream of consciousness, hoping to find something poetic in the mix. It was my writing equivalent of craft therapy.

Reading this now makes me smile. I especially like the line "sideburns pants sideburns pants if you shave again I'll die."

xo
andrea

Renegade + Raining in my Heart

2009-09-05T13:10:00.000-07:00

We have been busy this weekend preparing for our next show. We hope you can make it to Renegade Craft Fair in Chicago next weekend - September 12 & 13 on Division St. I'm sharing a booth with My Lavaliere who makes gorgeous jewelry. There will be nearly 300 vendors, food, music and crafty activities. If you're in the Chicago area please stop by to say hello to Chad and I! We will be giving away a limited amount of goodies bags at our booth from some Madison area artists, crafters and more for the early birds!

Before I go back to packaging mirrors I'm going to share our newest shirt with you. We printed our raining in my heart
design on slate blue organic cotton tees and I like how they turned out. I decided to add a sprinkle of hearts on one sleeve just for fun. My friend Jessi thought a big heart or a sprinkle of hearts on just one sleeve would be cute and after testing it out a little I thought that the smattering was the most flattering.

Have a lovely holiday weekend! We'll be at home crafting and just maybe maybe we'll make it to the drive-in.
xo
andrea

2009-09-03T15:01:00.000-07:00

I knocked out a few things that have been on my list for a loooong time today! First, I finally figured out what to do for a display for my next show. I have never had a very cohesive display and had considered spray painting all of my display things silver and using just black and silver everything. I was brain storming yesterday and it occurred to me that it would be kind of cool to make my display match my Space Oddities logo and website. I went out and bought brown, pink and blue table coverings to layer and bought a new cupcake tin to use as a display for small buttons and magnets. I already had some silver tiered cake stand thingies which work well for mirrors and I thought they jived well with what I have going on. I played just a little with the setup today and this is what I came up with. I'm hoping to get a banner that matches everything else in the near future. I have been using the same banner that I made years ago for my very first craft show for years. It's really worn out but it'll have to do for at least one more show!

I also printed some shirts today. I printed a new cupcake shirt and I am happy with the end result. I mixed pink and white ink to make a 'cherry vanilla' cupcake on these soft chocolate brown shirts. I also printed a small batch of owls in love tees - an oldie but a goodie!

More printing is in store tonight! I am hoping to get started with the 'raining in my heart' design but I am having a hard time deciding what colors to use and how to place the images. I may have to wait until it's late and I'm delirious to make a decision.

Wish me luck.

xo
andrea

Lots of WIN!

2009-09-01T10:35:00.000-07:00

And the t-shirt winners are.......

Bubbashelby
Lisa
metalicious
Derek
80sMom

I'll be contacting everyone today to find out where to send your "An American Exchange Student in Paris" shirt. Enjoy!

Thanks to everyone who commented!

printing printing printing

2009-08-30T22:09:00.000-07:00

Some new goodies we made this week! Robots and owls for the little ones. I foresee a heat setting party in the near future.

new website!

2009-08-30T22:04:00.000-07:00

Our new website is now live. Check it out here !

My brother Hank designed the site for me and I love it. If you're looking for someone to make a lovely website for you, check out no alarm media. You won't be disappointed!

2009-08-30T16:02:00.001-07:00

I just got my first shipment of alternative apparel
t-shirts to print on tonight. I have been looking for a company to buy my shirts from for a long time and finally decided to go with them. I am very happy with the quality (100% organic cotton, so nice and soft!) and I'm excited to get printing! But not tonight. I must get some sleep!

xo
Andrea

2009-08-30T16:01:00.000-07:00

I've also been up insanely late every night working on making lots of goodies for Renegade. Last night I made a run of adult robot t-shirts and also made these bibs.

xo
andrea

2009-08-26T23:50:00.000-07:00

The Thorson household has been busy this week! Chad's birthday was on Monday so the kids and I painted a fun happy birthday sign for him and made a lovely cake. Isn't it pretty? The kids went kind of crazy with the sugar and sprinkles. It was perfect.

xo
andrea

An American exchange student in Paris giveaway!

2009-08-25T09:03:00.000-07:00

Love robots? Love screwed up Engrish-French? Then you'll love this shirt!

We have a limited number of robot t-shirts that we are giving away for absolutely FREE. Just leave a comment on this post and make sure there is some sort of obvious way for me to contact you if you are a winner.

We will choose 5-10 winners randomly on Tuesday September 1st at noon. Winners will have a choice in t-shirt size (some kid sizes available, too!) based on availability.

Please share this giveaway on your blog, twitter, facebook, or anywhere else where you have friends who like fun stuff for free! And visit our etsy shop for more fun t-shirt designs and other goodies.

Thanks for playing!

xo
andrea

lots of awesome!

2009-08-24T15:02:00.001-07:00

Lots of fun new things to share this week!

I had a custom stamp made to use for the back of cards and for some packaging. I love how it turned out! A big thank you to Tickled Pink Paper & Ink on etsy!

Okay, are these shirts the cutest thing ever or what? One of my favorite etsy sellers, heatherjeany has started to print some of her designs on kid shirts. I love all of the designs so I decided to let my kids pick out which one they wanted instead of choosing for them. LOVE these shirts!

In other news, we have been gearing up for Renegade! Did I mention that we will be vending at Renegade Craft Fair Chicago in September?! Very fun! We are working on making lots of new goodies. I'm not sure how much can be accomplished in the next few weeks but we are hoping to bust out one or two new designs before the show. More on that soon!

Busy busy busy lately! Today is Chad's birthday so we are off for a fun night out in just a bit.

Have a lovely week!

xo
andrea

another stab at stamp carving

2009-08-12T20:57:00.000-07:00

I have been tearing my house apart for the last few days looking for my favorite bird stamps. I gave up but didn't want to go out and buy more, especially since I have all kind of supplies for stamp making. I busted it all out tonight and tried carving a few birds. None of them turned out quite as I imagined but this one made me happy.

I made this card with it right away.

And I'm not giving up yet! My goal is to create at least 3 or 4 pretty bird stamps so I have a fun variety for my cards and other projects. This is a very slow process for me. My guess is that as soon as I finish my last stamp I will magically find the stamps that were missing in the first place.

Right?

Right.

That is how it works, I guess.

xo
andrea

the cupcakes!

2009-08-11T19:57:00.001-07:00

Aside from the very sweet frosting, the mint cookie cupcake experiment turned out okay! I left half of them unfrosted and tried one with ice cream earlier. YUM.

My husband's birthday is in 2 weeks and I'm thinking about making some sort of key lime cake or cupcake. He loves key lime pie but I kind of want to mix it up a little. Does anyone have recipe suggestions?

Happy Birthday baby Jette!

2009-08-11T19:42:00.001-07:00

My little girl is three today.

awesome people, places and things

2009-08-09T22:58:00.000-07:00

Back from a family mini-vacation in the twin cities!

I have to say that I love Minneapolis/Saint Paul more every time we visit. There are so many fantastic people, so many awesome shops and restaurants, and lots and lots of great things to keep the kids busy.

We had lots of fantastic meals in Mpls but my favorite requires me to admit that I allowed my kids to eat cupcakes for breakfast. Yes. It's true. We had bananas and coffee before the cupcakes but the cupcakes were the main course. We started our Saturday at Mitrebox, a lovely framing shop with an amazing card selection, for CUPCAKE SATURDAY which features amazing fresh baked cupcakes by the lovely Sheela of miel y leche. The four of us walked through the pouring rain to get our cupcakes and it was absolutely worth it. We tried all three flavors that were offered -- vegan peach with mint, buttercream
limoncello, and chocolate curry with lemongrass coconut buttercream. All three were divine but my favorite was the chocolate curry. The flavor combination was perfect and the frosting was to die for. If you're in the Minneapolis check out miel y leche! Quick!

We also made visits to lots of our favorite shops and went to a few new ones. After many stops we managed to find the perfect cherry pitter, lots of great used books, new bed sheets, and an amazing print by Adam Turman among other goodies.

Our last shopping stop before we started to wind down to leave town was i like you in Minneapolis. It's an lovely handmade boutique that has the feel of a playground (including astroturf and oversized swing!) and is filled with gorgeous handmade pretties. Such an inspiring shop! I'm excited to say that select Space Oddities gocco prints are now available at i like you and you'll be able to find more of our goodies there in the future.

Other highlights of the weekend include rock out session with our friends Kelly and Greg (can you believe that Lars was rocking out until one in the morning? he even sang blitzkrieg bop!), a fun trip to the aquarium in the mall of America, and a great hangout brunch with Sheela.

Well, I'm off to make MORE cupcakes! This time for the birthday girl, Jette, who is turning 3 tomorrow. I have half a package of mint oreos leftover so I am going to try to whip up something acceptable. I'll report back to let you know how that goes.

xo
andrea

summer is slipping away.

2009-08-02T20:36:00.001-07:00

IMG_6706
Originally uploaded by space oddities

Is it really August? I've found myself racing to do all of the last gasp of summer things I can handle these past few weeks. We finally made it to the drive-in. We went to the last night of Concerts of the Square downtown Madison. Family reunion. Roasting marshmallows by the campfire...

I'm hoping I can squeeze in a few more fun things.

This is supposed to be my summer of rock.

Perhaps it'll be autumn of rock.

When did time start to fly like this? I am getting old.

xo
andrea

P.S. We'll be in Minneapolis this weekend. What are your favorite restaurants and shops in the area?

daily affirmations

2009-07-17T22:14:00.001-07:00

fancy
Originally uploaded by space oddities

New pocket mirrors!

Daily affirmations.

Fancy. Hot. All That....

Sachi from Anthology encouraged me to make mirrors with silly "affirmation" type messages quite awhile back. I thought it was a fun idea but hadn't gotten around to it. I got inspired tonight and went crazy making mirror after mirror. Once I started I couldn't stop. I love how they turned out!

I'll be adding some of these to my etsy shop soon. The rest will be sent off for consignment.

Have a great weekend! We spent our Friday night at the fair. It was so lovely...cotton candy, pony rides, ferris wheel. It doesn't get better than that.

xo
andrea

2009-07-09T05:45:00.000-07:00

It's been a lovely week. We got to spend time with Chad's family near Chicago, had a lovely visit with our friends from New Mexico, and a quick visit with friend from Los Angeles, too. All in one week!

The rest of the week I plan to spend getting a few things ready for a trunk show on Saturday. I'll be at the Frequency (121 W. Main St in Madison) with other etsy artists and crafters from 12-5. It's a great weekend for it since Art Fair on the Square is happening at the same time. If you're in the area, come down and do both! Hope to see you there.

After the trunk show Chad and I are doing dinner and going to see Frank Black. It's my special birthday thing…I am turning 31 on Monday.

So there you have it. Summer is busy. Good busy. And I love it.

xo
andrea

Stuff I've made lately.

2009-06-29T15:47:00.000-07:00

1. Triple Berry Cobbler. Recipe HERE. I used raspberries, blackberries , strawberries.

T-shirts Gocco Printed using my 6 year old nephews design. He cut the little heart shape with a spiral cut into it all on his own. It was so adorable that my sister-in-law decided to turn the design into shirts! We had a fun night printing. Love how they turned out.

More food! Puffy Oven Pancakes, also known as panakuken.

I made the apple variation:

2 Tbsp butter
2 large eggs
1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup milk
1/4 tsp salt
lemon juice and powdered sugar

1.heat oven to 400. melt butter in pie plate in oven and brush butter on side of pie plate.

2. Sprinkle 2 tbsp packed brown sugar and 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon evenly over melted butter in pie plate. Arrange 1 cup thinly sliced peeled baking apples (1 medium) over the sugar.

3. beat eggs slightly in medium bowl w/ wire whisk. Beat in remaining ingredients except lemon juice/powdered sugar.

4. Pour batter over apples. Bake 30-35 minutes. Immediately loosen edge of pancake and turn upside down onto heatproof serving plate.

Serve immediately sprinkled with lemon juice and powdered sugar if desired.

---or omit step 2 and cut baking time by 5-10 minutes to make this without apples

Gocco on wood.

2009-06-23T05:11:00.001-07:00

raining in my heart print on maple wood veneer
Originally uploaded by space oddities

I decided to experiment with printing on wood veneer last night. I stopped by a specialty wood store and found this pretty maple wood veneer and then gocco printed Chad's "raining in my heart" illustration on it. The prints turned out really crisp. We already have one sitting on our mantle and it's so pretty.

While I was at the wood store I was also convinced to take a class to learn how to build an acoustic guitar (it didn't take much convincing.) I have no idea when I will have the time or money to do this but it is officially on my list of things to learn!

xo
andrea

Where do I begin?

2009-06-18T17:16:00.000-07:00

First off, the cable for my camera has been missing since we moved over a month ago. Now that I finally have a way to upload photos, I have a ton to show you! Time to catch up!!

We moved at the beginning of May. Our lease was going to be up at our duplex and we were dreading the idea of continuing to rent. All of the great incentives for first time home buyers along with a lot of encouragement from my family made us decide to go ahead and buy. We found a great townhouse style condo in Verona, just on the edge of Madison/Verona and actually even a little closer to work than we were before. Here are a few photos.

We have a lot of work to do to get the place the way we want it. Nothing huge - just lots of small projects. A few big ones, I guess. I will be happy just to finish painting the living room. The pink/aqua dining room makes me happy. It's really hard for me to not paint EVERYthing that color.

Moving on: Gratuitous photos of my kids:

We've been having so much fun this spring. We've visited Wisconsin Dells a couple of times - once for a couple days at Kalahari (they LOVED the waterpark) and once for a day trip to visit friends and Robot World (I don't care if it's called Tommy Bartlett Exploratory now...I'm still calling it Robot World.) We have been spending lots of time outside - bikes, parks, water fights, parades, fireworks, hikes, zoo, picnics, walks to the library and everywhere else - I so love this nice weather. Chad has been absolutely wearing the kids out during the days. It's great! :)

Oh! Our CSA shares started last week. Here is a photo of our first box. Lots of greens! Big salads at the Thorson household this week. Week 2 was about the same except they added some chives to the mix. YUM. I can't wait for berries. Lars can't wait for broccoli. :)

Finally, we haven't been making a lot of new things just yet but we have ideas brewing. I have been working on an art journal project just for fun. Chad and I have been coming up with some ideas for new post cards and possibly shirts. As soon as I can carve out a bit of time to make these ideas reality, we'll have some new things to show you! In the meantime, I have been adding a few new things here and there into my etsy shop and have listed some oldies but goodies as well. I also started a facebook page for Space Oddities - you can visit us and become a fan by clicking HERE!

xo
andrea

art journal fun

2009-06-05T22:08:00.000-07:00

I'm participating in an art journal swap that Laura
is organizing on Facebook. Each person will choose a theme and start their book before passing it on to the next person. I'm super excited about this project! It's probably not a huge surprise to you that theme I chose is: love notes. I am addicted to valentines and love text in my work so there you have it. Here are the first few pages of my book.

I'm planning to bring it to Anthology this weekend for Laura to add to and pass on. Yay!

recycled book cover magnets and a THANK YOU!

2009-05-27T22:30:00.000-07:00

First, a huge thank you to my wonderful, loyal customers, some who have put up with many weeks of confusion and some delay while my family moved. I have finally gotten back into the swing of things. Thanks for all of the well wishes and patience with custom orders.

I spent my first night in weeks crafting tonight! I found a goldmine of old books/book covers and cut tons of great images from old national geographic magazines. The ones pictured here are all from old Lord of the Rings/Tolkien books and some will be available in my shop soon. I will have lots of other new magnets listed this week as well! Sleazy seventies, fifties sci-fi, lots more.

I have had a insanely busy (but great!) week and I'm so glad to be home. I'm even happier that I forced myself to find time to make something new! I feel a creative kick coming on. Life is good.

xo
andrea

Please Standby

2009-05-15T08:14:00.000-07:00

Just checking in to say hello! I have been very detached from everything that doesn't involve packing, moving, painting, cleaning and calling various utilities and insurances, etcetera these days. We are moved in our new place and have a long way to go before we'll feel settled. But we love it! The kids adore having their own rooms, all of the neighbors seem fantastic so far and I don't even mind the smaller kitchen, especially since the trade off is much bigger bedrooms and a full basement. Yay!

I plan to re-open my etsy shop next week and hope to begin taking custom orders again early in June.

Hope all is well in your world!
xo
andrea

A good mail day

2009-04-15T05:33:00.001-07:00

IMG_6191
Originally uploaded by space oddities

I was super thrilled to find a mailbox full of goodies when I got home from work yesterday! There was a facebook thing going around where you sign up to make something for 5 people/and can sign up to have people make something for you. I was lucky enough to snag a spot to have Laura AND Emily make something for me. So yesterday SURPRISE! I received this amazing collage made by Laura. It's perfect! I especially love the silly text and the birds. I asked Lars what he thought of the collage when we opened it yesterday and he said "It's pretty mama, I like the birds. Are they flying with me?" and Jette said "It's baby Jette and her brother?" So sweet. This will have a special place on the walls of our new home!

I also received this awesome cupcake trivet made by Emily.

She said this is the first one she's made and is going to be introducing them into her line. Isn't it perfect? This will also have a special place in our kitchen when we move. So exicted! If you have to have one of your own you can take a look at Emily's shop.

In addition to all of the great handmade goodies I ALSO got a car adapter for my MP3 player from my dear friend Jessi in the mail yesterday. Now I can listen to all of my favorite music in the car. Excellent! Thanks Jessi!!

Well, I have not made anything new lately. I will probably be the last one to MAKE stuff for the facebook making stuff deal and I haven't made anything new for my etsy shop for weeks. Chad and I have been working on cleaning out our garage and packing so that we can hopefully rent our place ASAP and save on a couple months of extra rent. As long as everything goes smoothly we are moving in just 3 weeks!

It's looking gorgeous outside today and it sounds like it's going to be beautiful outside the next few days. Chad and I plan to take the kids bright and early to the first day of the famer's market downtown on Saturday. No, we are not vending…we decided to give it another year since we anticipated this spring/summer to be a busy one with our move. But we loooove the market…so we'll see you there!

xo
andrea

Hello Spring!

2009-03-26T13:38:00.000-07:00

Two things:

1. We are in the thick of the home buying process and things are kind of nuts.

2. I wish someone wouldn't have told me that there is snow in the forecast this weekend. I avoid the news for a reason!

3. I have been neglecting my blog quite a lot lately. If you're wondering what I'm up to these days, please feel free to stalk me on twitter.

xo
andrea