Huckleberry Friends

Sonoma Artisan Faire - Happy Meetings

I never wrote about the Sonoma Artisan Faire that happened last weekend. I had a ton of fun and my prediction came true - I met some really great fellow crafters. But the high point was meeting my Etsy hero, Dennis Anderson. Dennis and his fiancee Brandy make their living from selling on Etsy and are able to stay at home with their children. I have some serious crafty envy! I had been convoing Dennis the night before the show, getting his advice on marketing my shop, so it was such a delight and total surprise to actually meet him. They are a very sweet couple and didn't act at all like the rock stars I expected them to be. Now I'm really excited about the Petaluma Craft Mafia show in 2 weeks. Oh and Dennis, I'm following your promotion advice and really appreciate your taking the time to help me out!

I love the Etsy community!

Thankful

Happy Thanksgiving to everyone in cyber-land.

I am so thankful for my husband and daughter, to be living close to my awesome mom again, and to have such a supportive community out there. I would not be attempting this creative venture without all of you. Thank you family and friends (and pooch).

New Items & Holiday Sale

I have new items in the shop - coasters. I'm very excited about these. I often hear that people love my work, but do not have children to buy for. We all like a little champagne (or beer or scotch), so I decided to make something that anyone can use and enjoy, but in keeping with the fabric style of the shop. I'll see how these do over the holidays and perhaps continue them into the new year. I think these make a great hostess gift, stocking stuffer, or something special for yourself!

I'm having a HUGE sale in the shop. Everything is 35% off and free shipping on all baby items from Black Friday until Cyber Monday. This brings my prices down to nearly wholesale. Anything ordered now will ship on December 2nd, as I am out of town. Happy shopping!

Sonoma Artisan Faire ... Tomorrow

The Sonoma Artisan Faire is tomorrow and I'm really excited to be participating. I expect sales to be low as the economy had everyone feeling rather frugal, but I love being around other crafters and talking about our work. I also like Sonoma County a lot and would push to live around there if Hubby's career did not require us to be near a largish city.

I've been hard at work on a couple of new products: coasters and a memory game (more about these when the photos are done). The coasters are going very well, but the game is not working at all. I planned and designed, but the actual sewing did not pan out. The idea is good (Isabel took the coasters, started playing with them and I had that a-ha moment that I live for), but I need to step back and rework the details. I'll know more soon, I hope.

Off to bed.

Trunkt Showcase

I'm having a lot of fun with Trunkt. The Handmade Kids Group now numbers 4 and I'm really excited to figure out what we are going to do to help each other.

I've also just curated a Showcase called Handmade Kids. I got to go through other shops and see what I liked. I wanted a color theme, so I picked white, red and brown, colors I often dress Isabel in. Using that color scheme was tricky because it meant that a lot of designers I like are not featured. But I'll just have to do a different showcase later!

Now I'm off to do more sewing for the Sonoma Artisan Faire this Sunday. Busy me while Isabel naps!

Trunkt Group - Handmade Kids

I don't know if I am overextending myself, but I have created a group on Trunkt called Handmade Kids. I'm really excited about the possibilities of working with others who hand-make goods for children. I would love to do some kind of local craft fair for this. Who knows what will happen when people join the group and ideas start flowing. Please follow the link to the Handmade Kids page to join the group and get involved.

Cheers!

Pricing, Redux

 

I'm a big fan of the Bazaar Bizarre blog and today was a very eloquent post about craft pricing. I encourage all buyers and sellers of handmade goods to read this article as it explains why handmade has to cost more than mass produced goods, and why undercutting your own handmade wares only hurts the rest of us.

Cheers!

Etsy Profiles - First Feature

I am having so much fun with my new gig at etsyprofiles.blogspot.com. I get to peruse Etsy shops and make sellers happy by asking if they want to be featured on the blog. Everyone loves some positive feedback, right?

The first shop I am featuring is Carla Sonheim. She is a really talented artist and I could see a very pretty nursery with her artwork all over the walls. She just came out with a super cute coloring book that is selling like crazy. Check out her shop and make her day by buying something! BTW, you can see this post on etsyprofiles.blogspot.com on November 19th, so please check it out.

I hate you ... give me that camera (and I'm missing my bike / child-less self)

Toddlers are just like teenagers, but without the hormones.

Isabel is learning to use a spoon, but insists on scooping up her food and then upending the spoon to get the contents into her mouth. Of course, the spoon fits better when it is upside down because it conforms to the tongue, but the food gets everywhere. I try to show her the correct way, but she insists on her way. The trouble is, she gives me this really smug 13-year-old look when she scoops food in upside down, as if to say: "see, I know the RIGHT way to do this." All the while, I am holding the bowl under her mouth to catch the food she spills.

I have this clear vision into the future (when she is a teen) of the same look on her face as she "proves" that she is right again about something. I realize that my role as her mother is to empower her ability to control her life, all while holding the bowl under her mouth to catch her food. I hope I can always be there to help her learn and figure out her messes.

I took the photo as she was scooping upside down, but as soon as she saw the camera, she started crying for it. When I put it away, she recommenced eating. Such a toddler!

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If my writing is illegible in any way, it is because I have had over 1/2 bottle of wine, which is a lot for me. I am so sad that I finally sold my bike, Daisy, today. I sold it to a very nice couple from Mill Valley, and she will be ridden, but I miss her so much. She reminds me of what I miss most about NYC - my commute along the Hudson River Parkway. One of the most beautiful commutes in the world. I know Northern CA is very beautiful, but you do not have the architecture mixed with nature on your bike paths. I'm feeling very sad for my lost time alone on a bike that I love. So, I am listening to the songs I used to listen to on my daily rides and feeling very lonely for that bit of myself that got lost when I became a mother. Songs like this on the stereo now ... "Barracuda" ... how can a mother listen to that like a single woman would? With a little bit of jealousy of that single woman, that's how. Oh, if I could only live my 20's and early 30's over again!

I can't believe I had to sell my bike - I feel like I sold myself.

Dog Diaries

My mom and a friend drove Isabel and I to see an apartment for rent in Sausalito yesterday. The price people can charge for what is so unappealing. A bedroom without a window? Is that even legal (not in NYC). Very depressing housing situation.

We drove on to San Anselmo where my very dear friend, Lauri Luck, had an artist reception of some of her dog paintings. It was so great to see her and her family - her sister and mum came up from LA to see the show. Isabel has a huge crush on Lauri's twin boys, so everyone had a fun reason for the trip.

When I first met Lauri on Potrero Hill in SF many many years ago, she was drawing dogs with pastels. Life came along and she drifted in and out of her creative life. There was marriage, work, raising two little boys on a sailboat. She always strives to reconnect with her art and, it seems, always in a new way (first pastels and now painting). She is an inspiration to me that the process of creating can be much more important that the final product. She is a real artist - someone who cannot live without her art. I am privileged to call her my friend and have her be so supportive of my creative life.