Michael's Blows

Here's a little story about why I hate Michael's and yet continue to shop there. I purchased one of the new Martha Stewart rotary cutting rulers about a week ago because I broke my old one and liked the colors of the MS one. The tag says it's easily visible on either light or dark fabric, a claim that I strongly dispute, I found it was barely visible on any fabric. So...with receipt in hand, I head to Michael's to return said ruler. To my utter dismay, the bastards refused to return it EVEN WITH A RECEIPT because I didn't have the label EVEN THOUGH I HAD A RECEIPT. So...after making a moderately large scene and asking for the manager and then ultimately his boss, I left sans refund but with a great deal of rage. Of all the places that I regularly shop, Michael's has some of the worst customer service. The employees are rude, argumentative and reluctant to help, which leads me to believe that Michael's isn't the greatest company to work for. I shouldn't be surprised really that my refund was refused. Lucky for me I came home and after some ransacking, found the label and now plan to march back in for my refund. Aholes. So, Jenn, why do you continue to shop at Michael's if the customer service is as awful as you claim, you ask. Well I'll tell you why, better yet, I'll show you...

Because the Leader has put out a line of craft supplies that beats all other craft supplies. Because there are scallops and wood grain and ribbons and glitter and red with aqua packaging and polka dots and cupcake papers and wrapping paper and picture frames and twill tape and so so much more. This is possibly my favorite of all...a kit to make divided treat boxes with scallops and polka dotted parchment!!!

Oh how I love Christmas. I love love love it. I love the sparkles and the colors the lights and the real feeling of magic and sweetness. Christmas makes even Michael's less horrible.

A Special Friend

Every now and then I make a softie that is very hard to part with.
This is one. I hope she goes to a special home...

There have been a few times when I have wanted to refuse adoption of certain stuffies to certain people. I was doing a craft fair some time ago and a very bratty, very spoiled little girl snottily pointed to one of my favorite softies and whined "I want that one". Luckily her mother said "ok, well let's look around some more and then come back" they never did. :)

Weather Friends

Happy November! Sheesh, can you believe it? I've got to get working on my Christmas gifts, merchandise and cards. I always start to feel the Holiday panic setting in around this time.

These little friends will join the shop very soon...
Happy sad weather friends, each one is reversible:


I'm going to try to post more regularly, both here and in the shop.

Happy Halloween

I didn't mean to be gone for so long there. I wish I had more crafting to report but alas, not much crafting has been going on, at least not the Chet and Dot kind. I've made 3.8 million coasters though for Robot Candy. Ok maybe it's not in the millions but it sure feels like it. This time of year is so hard because Robot Candy demands so much of my time, but I really just want to sew.

We did have our annual cupcake decorating party last weekend, which was loads of fun. We kept it to a rather small group due to last year's complete lack of space and huge mess, but it was fun nonetheless. It's great to see what people come up with when seating in front of a tray of candies and frosting. I'm always impressed! Look at Kevin's Gene Simmons Kiss cupcake. This is about as much as I get into Halloween. I didn't celebrate it as a kid so it's never been a big deal, now Christmas, that's a big deal.

I did find a lovely melon colored wool blanket while thrifting last weekend which is what this little sweetie was made from.
So soft and melon-y!

Have a fun and safe Halloween and don't eat too much candy!

Autumn Happenings

My ghostly boo garland was featured on the Decor8 blog last week and I've been selling one after another since. They're fun and relaxing to make and it gives me a chance to do some hand sewing, which is always nice.

I'm working on a some trick or treat bags for the little ones. I hope to have them in the shop this weekend.

I'm still working my way through all of the apples and pears from the farms two weeks ago. So far, I've made apple butter, pear butter, and a dutch apple pie. There are still several pounds left and I'm really not sure what to make next. I thought about canning some apple pie filling, but I don't think I can can (ha!) one more jar. I might make apple dumplings, but that won't use up very many apples. Any ideas? I may need to turn to the leader for help.

Uh Oh

This morning I was contacted by a reader and loyal customer who let me know that someone seems to be copying my sweater softies. I always tend to give people the benefit of the doubt but when I saw this, my heart sank. I do appreciate that people like my creatures and in some cases believe that imitation is flattery, but not when the items are being sold on etsy nonetheless, the same venue I use to sell my own softies.

Imitation Owl Softie
The thing that really gets me with this is that the face is almost identical to my owls, right down to how I make the beak. Not to mention the use of ribbon. It's all so very frustrating as someone who makes their living from selling hand made goods. This is how I support my family. I have spoken to my lawyer friend who agrees that there is enough similarity to pursue some legal action. All of my work is under copyright and is therefore protected against blatant copying.

Genuine Owl Softie
For future reference, in case anyone is wondering, all of my items are original designs and are protected by all applicable copyrights.

On a more positive note, I made a couple more not so spooky ghosts for the shop.

Woolen Love Affair

I didn't think it was possible for me to love wool anymore than I already did but this past week I've fallen for it all over again. I picked up needle felting. I've been sick, and needle felting is the perfect craft for laying around in bed, watching tv. A couple of years ago I bought the supplies for it but didn't really get into it, until now.

I rely greatly upon subtlety in my creations. I prefer to use small bits of Japanese fabrics and pair them with rich, classic fabrics like linen and wool. I think it highlights the cuteness of the fabrics in a way that you don't get when you use them on their own. I feel that I do the same with my animals. I'm often amazed that it's possible to take a rectangle, tweak it a little bit and have it become an owl. It's the same with the needle felting. It's also surprising how quick needle felting is even though you are just poking wool with a small needle.

First Week

So remember how like an hour ago I was posting about it being the first week of September? Yeah, well somehow it's now a full month later.

We spent Sunday afternoon in Hood River picking apples and pears. We found a farm that was selling several varieties of apples and pears for 30 cents per pound! Considering you can't find an apple for under $1.50 per pound in Portland, those prices seem ludicrous. We got huge apples and tiny apples, red and green apples, apples for pies and apples for eating. Oh and the pears. This pear amazes me every time I look at it. I had no idea there was such a thing as a striped pear. It's huge too, quite possibly the largest pear I've ever seen.

I'll be doing some major canning this week. I love the idea of stocking up for the year and then going back to the farms and starting again. I always thought that canning was a huge undertaking. Mostly thanks to my mom, she makes it seem like digging trenches would be a picnic compared to canning. I don't know where she gets that. It takes some time, but it's definitely worth it and fun too. Plus, when you can your own foods, you always have a gift on hand.

We also visited an alpaca farm yesterday. I had no idea alpacas were so very soft. The fiber is amazing and spins the softest yarn. It was like cashmere. I fed this guy some alpaca pellets which he seemed to enjoy.

Here is a preview of the Halloween treat I referred to previously, a wooly Boo garland!
I'll be adding a couple to the shop this week. There are some crocheted acorns in the shop too.

Boo!

This wooly little ghost is one of a few that will be haunting my shop very soon. Along with some other spooky treats.

A couple of you have inquired about tomatillos. Well, they are sort of like tomatoes with a paper husk on the outside. They are mostly used for salsa verde which is what I'll be using them for. They have a really good flavor and are a little bit sticky when you peel off the husk.
They can be a bit hard to find but should be in any Mexican food market or tienda.

Thanks to those of you who voted in my poll. I have listed some prints without the frames since that's what the people want.

I'm off to IKEA. Yes, thank you, maybe I will move there.

Harvest

Hey everyone, look! My tomatillos are ripe. I really couldn't be more excited about these. They are not only delicious but beautiful.

I'm still getting tons of cherry tomatoes and a few regular tomatoes. And even a few strawberries. These berries are amazing. The plants produce fruit from June through October and are some of the best I've had. Big, perfectly shaped red berries perfect for munching on while picking walnuts off the ground. So. Many. Walnuts.

Here is a rather crummy picture of yesterday's walnut harvest

Happy October 1st

I found some lovely fabrics while out thrifting the other day. The one on top is some really nice wool that I think will become bunny stuffies. The bottom is about 2 yards of nice, grey linen that has already made it's way into all sorts of projects.
These messenger bags are some of those projects. I love the way the charcoal grey pairs with the brighter colors in the patchwork strips.

These are in the shop.

On another note, I'm pretty sure I will die if I don't get these and these. Have you seen the Martha Stewart (also referred to by me as the Leader), line at Macy's? It's all so beautiful. Better than that cheap garbage at Kmart. Just kidding, I have a lot of the Kmart stuff and I still like it. But Macy's now that's a real classy joint. I've had my eye on these sprinkles for a couple of months now, but just couldn't justify spending $20 on sanding sugar even if it is the most beautiful sanding sugar on earth. I see that they are on sale. I wonder if I should hold out for the Christmas baking delights that will surely not disappoint. I wonder why it took the Leader so long to start selling us craft supplies and cake sprinkles.

Ok, that's a good glimpse into the insanity I live with daily, happy October friends!

To Frame or Not to Frame

I've added a new print to the shop. It's called Picnic in Polka Dot Forest.


I'm a little bit unsure about something so I thought I'd poll you, dear readers. Are you more likely to buy art if it's unframed and less expensive or would you prefer the framing be done for you? I'm totally undecided on this. I personally like to buy prints that aren't framed because I have all sorts of frames laying around that I can use. This may just be an excuse to use the poll feature on blogger, by the way. I'm having some trouble getting the poll to show up in this post, so...it's on the sidebar for now.

I found some acorns yesterday in a parking lot and later learned something about myself. I am VERY skilled at matching acorns with tops. I don't mean to brag but it's true. See...


Early Autumn is the best.

Autumn Crafting

Is it getting chilly where you are? It's so cold here today that I broke out the space heater in the craft room. I have a rule that I won't turn the heat on until October 1, but I made an exception for the space heater today.

The house is a disaster right now. We've been rearranging for days. Rearranging around here is a big deal. It almost always involves removing everything from the walls and moving furniture. I find myself wanting to do cleaning and purging more in the fall than the spring. I think I feel the need to get the house ready for the cold months when I just want to be cozy and warm.
Look at this mess:

and this one::

Some rooms are coming together nicely though, see::



Some new Sewing Kits and Pin Cushions are in the shop:




There is a definite fall color scheme happening here. The dining room is getting some of it too. It's been pink and pastel for a few years and now it's getting a nice warm makeover. Browns and oranges are so welcome right now. I think I may go on an acorn hunt this afternoon. I've been wanting to fill bowls with acorns all around the house. Which reminds me that I've got a new etsy shop called Little Acorn Vintage and Thrift. It's been great having a place to sell some of the little treats we've had laying around.
Have a lovely Fall afternoon!

Happy Autumn!

I really didn't mean to be gone for so long. I guess I haven't had much crafting news to report. I've been up to my ears in coasters and that's about it lately. We just completed and delivered a huge order so I have some of my life back, at least for now.

The animal party has made an appearance on yet another medium, kraft and pink wrapping paper. These are in the shop.


I'm so very excited about fall. It's showing up everywhere here in Portland, chilly nights, falling leaves and walnuts all over the ground. It seems like we just harvested a metric shit ton (thanks for the phrase, Tom) of walnuts and here it is time to do it again. I've managed so far to keep up with my late arriving tomatoes, but I feel that they are getting ready to overwhelm. I think I'll be canning soon.

Prints

I spent most of yesterday carving linoleum blocks for some art prints.

This is Snow Bear Takes a Walk::

and this is Feeding Time::

These have both been framed and are in the shop.

I went to IKEA (I know, weird right?) last night hoping to find some nice black frames, but wasn't happy with the selection. Not to worry though, IKEA did have some other items to offer, like a $2 lamp and pretty pink napkins. I ended up finding the frames I wanted at Michael's for a most reasonable price. Simple black frames can be so nice.


I've got approximately one gazillion coasters to make for holiday orders so I'll say goodbye for now, have a great weekend!

Tables, Parties and Winners

I've been eyeing this table at IKEA for awhile now and happened to find one in the As Is department the other day with a considerably lower price tag, so...here it is in all of it's glory, well most of it. It's missing the leaf, though it's so long that I'm not sure it would fit in the dining room with the leaf in. Have I mentioned that I LOVE having an IKEA 10 minutes from home? Well, I do! I'm a little embarrassed to say that I've been there 8 times.

Up next, new chairs. Can't wait for that.

I just finished a rather large party package for a customer and thought this would be the perfect time to get it all photographed so that I can get them some in the shop. Here they are.

They include paper bags, napkins, stickers and invitations, all block printed. These little animals look so adorable in their party hats, don't you think?

The numbers have been chosen, randomly, of course, for the winners of the surprise package! They are 2 and 7! Royaloaker and Ivey Handcrafted, send me your addresses and I'll get your treats packed up. Yay! That was fun, let's do it again soon! I loved reading your lists, it's a great way to learn about you blog readers and how you spend your time.

First Week

Happy First week of September!
This is what I've been up to this week::
::dinner with friends
::working
::back to school shopping with picky teenager
::dinner with friend
::very last minute back to school shopping with ultra picky and now grumpy teenager
::learning to use adobe illustrator
::falling in love with illustrator
::taking teenager to first day of high school
::wondering how I got to be the parent of high school student
::more work
::dinner and game night at a friends house (where I drank too much and learned that I don't really care for games anymore)
::falling out of love with illustrator (temporarily, I'm sure)
::gluing, resin-ing and designing coasters and light switch plates
::taking, filling and delivering orders
::wishing I had time to sew
::trying to adjust to new back to school schedule (not very successfully, why must school start so early?)
::getting excited about autumn
::being thankful that tomorrow is saturday
It's been a busy week
How about you? What have you been up to? Leave me your list of first week of September activities in the comments section and I'll draw a name, for a super awesome, I'm cleaning out my merchandise bins surprise package. Actually, I'll draw two names. Double the fun!

Office Guy

Everyone, meet Office Guy, Office Guy this is everyone.

Now aquaint yourselves while I make cannoli for dessert.