Sunday, April 22, 2012

the 'Burgh

i wanted to post a few non crafty type Pittsburgh pics just because....
this is a fountain on the Pitt campus along one of my regular running routes.

cathedral of learning building behind schenley plaza (Pitt campus)...another running route pic.

fleur de lis in PA!  this is the top of the green house on the Frick museum grounds.

i was happily overwhelmed by all the tulips everywhere!!

Fort Pitt tunnel shot-yes i was driving when i took this...shhhhh.

i've always loved the view of the city coming out of that tunnel--it was a gray day on my arrival but it's still pretty cool!

Tuesday, April 17, 2012

BEST business trip EVER!

i don't even know where to start....it was quite the successful trip to Pittsburgh!  other than getting really lost trying to find the home ec building in south park (again!!) because there is no official address for it- things went really well!  my friend Christine was my official assistant buyer at the fabric sale so that meant 4 hands grabbing fabric.  AMAZING!!  i need to start from the beginning.  we got there and of course there was a line.  this is where we waiting in pure anticipation glaring through the windows inside....
 the first steps inside of fabric heaven/ MAYHEM!!!!
digging through the fat quarters boxes--this section was sold by the pound.
final haul laid out on Christine's dining table.

check out the old school Syracuse fabric--crazy that we found it in the 'burgh!



i didn't add up the total yardage yet--i had to ship most of the fabric home because my bag weighed 75 pounds...oops.  it should get here by thursday.  i can't wait!!!!

the I Made It!  Market was really amazing as well!  even with the rain people still came out in full force to shop which made me so very happy.  here's my make shift set up with my borrowed table cover and baskets.
it was so great to see my friends and fellow artists and meet new ones!  i'm thinking there needs to be a repeat next year minus the getting lost part!  xoxo <3 u PITTSBURGH!

Thursday, April 12, 2012

pittsburgh!!!!!

SO excited for my trip!

friday morning i will be dropping this order off at Wild Card!


saturday morning is the Salvation Army Fabric Sale...i hope i find as much good stuff as i did last year!

saturday afternoon is the I Made It! Market...looking forward to seeing friends and the people of the 'burgh!
this is my suitcase BEFORE adding in the Wild Card order or my clothes....ummmm problem!  i didn't even take all my bags!!  gonna have a tim gunn moment and "make it work".

Tuesday, April 10, 2012

getting ready for the 'burgh

i have been sewing like crazy to get ready for this weekend's show in Pittsburgh!!!! it is the first time i have ever traveled for a show so it should be interesting.  obviously, my display will not be very pretty but i'm gonna try and stuff as much merchandise into my suitcase as possible.  this is what i got made today, so far!
e-reader cases

ipad cases
i have an appointment tomorrow and have to finish my business taxes with chris after he gets home from work (yuck) so i'm not sure how much sewing time i'll have.  i'm going to try and keep going tonight but i am getting antsy looking outside at how nice it is!!  also need to pack and get organized! 

wow, i just realized this is my 6th weekend straight of craft shows/festivals...no wonder i'm feeling antsy from being in this room.  hmmmm maybe a cocktail will solve that! 

here's the info for the I Made It! Market on saturday.
hope to see you there!!!!

Friday, April 6, 2012

on a roll...

SO thankful that the shipment got canceled yesterday and i got to take off work today since no mannequins need to be updated!  YAYYYYYYYY!!!!

got the last handbag made last night and have been working on custom orders and collages today. i got two orders for vendor aprons at the last show after they saw mine. 
this one includes a matching money pouch

this order is also getting a cross body bag that i still need to make
then i got busy on replacing the collages i sold last week...these are always SO fun to make since i never really go into it with any ideas.  i love the organic creative process!
these are usually made strictly from my scrap basket but i couldn't resist using this new green grocery fabric i just got this week.  the "please with pork" is a cover of a vintage cook book.  what carnivore doesn't love pork?? 



this collage uses another great estate sale find--a parts pamphlet of tvs from 1951.  i made this one a little more "manly" thinking it'd be great in a den or something. 

i guess i need to clean up my hot mess of a studio now and start working on price tags for the market tomorrow.  hope you get a chance to stop by!

Wednesday, April 4, 2012

gettin' er done

LOVE when i have a productive kick ass day!!! today was definitely one of them.  working on getting ready for Freret Fest this weekend, filling an order for Wild Card, and filling in my inventory for what i sold last weekend at Algiers Festival.

today i got 22 zipper pouches made along with three handbags!!!!! i cut everything out yesterday so it was all sewing. i was getting what i refer to as "sewing head" (kinda like museum head--another form of overload from doing something i love) so i took a break at 2:00 and went for a five mile run.  as a side bar i just want to say i am getting more and more used to running in this humidity and i'm kinda proud of that because it's just a fact of life (do you hear that show's song in your head right now??? "you take the good, you take the bad, you take 'em all and there you have the facts of life" ok, you can tell i do...) down here in new orleans.  i've even embraced my big hair--and when someone asks me if i got a perm i say proudly- no, it's natural!!

here are the zipper pouches i made....
funny....to look at this pic i wouldn't say the sewing time was 6 hours but yeah, it was.  then i made this custom order bag for Judy from Judy DiGeorge Designs.  she asked me to make this bag for her out of her own vintage fabric.  i was honored that she would pick me (trust me!) to make this bag that she's wanted for so many years!!  it's a BEAUTIFUL bark cloth fabric.  i can't wait to give it to her at the festival on saturday!!!  she hasn't seen it yet so i can't wait to see her face...it feels like christmas just a little.

and then i made two cross body bags to replace the two i sold this weekend.

i have to work at my other job tomorrow so hopefully i will have enough energy left to make the final large bag i have cut out.  i need to replace some artwork too but that may not happen...there's still price tags to make and other market prep that needs to happen on friday.  did i mention that i'm excited for this market???  i'm in booth 1014 if you come by--right next to ElleDeeNOLA--and you have to see her awesome jewelry and pedestals!!!