Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Just a quick post to say that I hope everybody had a wonderful holiday and is looking forward to a great new year. Looking forward to 2009 I already have so much to look forward to. With my recent success at BazBiz I am looking forward to a few more craft shows this year. I have a few weddings for friends and family that I know of, a new niece who just joined the family and a new second cousin on the way. I have a lot to be thankful for from the last year and a lot to look forward to in the year to come. I wish the same to all of you and I will be spending the next week thinking of my new years resolutions and goals for the new year, personally and professionally. More to come on those subjects soon...

Book Review - Simple Sewing by Lotta Jansdotter

My first book review is on Simple Sewing by Lotta Jansdotter. I bought this book right after it came out. I love Lotta's design, they are often very simple but her colors and patterns are always fun. This book has 24 projects broken down into 4 chapters: Cook, Go, Nest and Organize.

Of course I am drawn to the "Go" chapter that has a few tote projects. My favorite is the all-day tote. It is a pretty simple bag with great pockets and easy to make.

Some of my other favorite projects include the picnic placemat and the magazine holder. I have seen placemats and organizers before but her designs are a little unique and when she makes the items in her own fabric it makes me want it even more.

I love Lotta's style, from the small pencil drawings throughout the book to the font she uses for her title. I enjoyed looking through the book almost as much as I enjoyed making the projects. The book includes step-by-step instruction for each project, pattern templates, a fun list of resources and some general sewing tips, and it is spiral bound so it lays flat when you have it open to make a project, a big plus in my book.

Overall I enjoyed this book and it has some great ideas. I would say 3.5 out of 4 stars.

*photographs by Meiko Arquillos*

Success at Baz Biz!

I have been way overdue on a post but I have been super busy getting ready for and attending Bazaar Bizarre. I have been working into all hours of the night for the past few weeks getting ready for the show. I got a lot done and I must say I am a little proud of myself for getting so much accomplished. The show was this past Saturday and Sunday up in Cleveland, OH at an old studio. The building was great and we got there early on Friday so we got a great table by one of the windows so we had good light and a little ventilation when the room got too hot.

Overall the show was a success. We sold lots of the little items which were good for stocking stuffers and little holiday gifts. I sold some of my bigger items and purses, not all of them but I did sell a few which made me very happy. Some articles that I have read say that a good show is when you make ten times your booth fee and a great show is when you make 20 times your booth fee. We didn't quite make the 20 times our table but we were in the middle so I am very happy for my first show.

I met some great people, including Shanon from Stitch Cleveland who put the whole show together, and some of the other crafters around me. I learned a lot and had a great time. The show was a success on all sides so I am happy to say we will be looking into more shows next year. Here are a few pictures of my table, we changed it around a little as the show went on to see what items would sell better.

My favorite part of the show was hearing the compliments from people looking at my stuff. Even if they didn't buy something many people still took the time to say that the bags were pretty or some of my items were great ideas. Many people even asked if I was "the artist" I never really look at myself in that way but it is nice to find people who appreciate what I do and understand what it takes to get one of these shows together. All of this made me very proud of my little craft show table and made me want to continue with shows and this little business of mine.

If you are visiting my site because you saw me at the show please let me know how the show was for you and any feedback is always appreciated. We are working on updating the etsy shop so check back in soon for updates.

Obsession Confession: Craft Books

Here we go with confession number two. I am addicted to craft books. I love books in general but I have about 65 books that are just crafting books. They cover various topics from sewing to crochet, from purse projects to print making and of course a few general craft books. There are tons of books out there on knitting and crochet or scrapbooking and paper crafts but I find it can be hard to find new sewing craft books (maybe that's just because I already have them all).

I love looking through the books to get inspiration or try a pattern. I love using the basic idea of a project and then transforming it into something of my own creation. You can often find me in a book store or library (I can't get enough of the smell of a book store, you know what I'm talking about and you probably love it too, don't try to deny it). I love heading out to Barnes and Noble, picking up a stack of craft books and finding a chair or a corner to look through them all. Half the time I don't buy anything but I have an ongoing wish list on amazon of some of my favorites that I have seen.

My favorites, of course, are sewing crafts and purse pattern books, but I also enjoy the books written about the craft culture and individual crafters. A little peak inside their worlds always interests me, especially if there are pictures of their studios! I love hearing their stories about how they got started, what niche they found to work with and how they balance their artistic, work lives with their families and sometimes their "day job." Hearing these stories is always an inspiration and makes me think that it all could really work out someday.

Since I have this addiction and as long as there are new craft books coming out I don't think I will stop buying them anytime soon, I figured I can use it as a benefit. I am going to start doing reviews of all the books I have, I will try to do at least one or two a month. If you have any specifics you have seen out there and you want to know about them please let me know and I will check my personal library to see if I can give you my thoughts on it.