Austin Crafternoon • Recap

Crafternoon was last weekend and it was a blast!  This is the first event I've ever really planned and hosted and I was beyond nervous at how things were going to turn out.  I worried that no one would show up or that folks would think it was lame and that I was totally boring.  Which made it that much more amazing when people actually showed up and enjoyed themselves!  The venue I chose was an airbnb that I'd been just waiting for a reason to visit.  Mid-century styling with dino posters everywhere?  Yes.  

Jamie and I spent a couple of hours rearranging the space and setting up all the little stations for our different activities.  The counter space in the house was absolutely perfect for displaying all her Umba wares and the dining and living spaces were so cozy, it seemed like they were just made for a small get together like ours.  There was even a perfect spot for the photo booth right by a window!

All my apprehensions started to melt away when folks started trickling in and we all sat down and just started talking.  The thing about Texans is that we love to just hang out and visit.  The group at Crafternoon loved all things DIY and we got to geek out about yarn and talk about the difficulties of navigating pricing for handmade goods.  It was so nice to meet a group of people that were really into making stuff.  And one of my good friends from Blogcademy came by to play!  It was so wonderful to catch up and hear all about her bakery business and talk to the others about blogging.

Everyone took a moment to take photos in the photo booth ^_^  I'm really happy with how it came out and will be doing a tutorial on how to make a comically large embroidered backdrop or art piece like this one, soon.  Working on a large scale is one of my favorite things when I'm planning any art project.  Blowing up the scale can make an ordinary piece really command the space.  For this particular backdrop, I wanted to showcase embroidery because that was the focus of the make-and-takes for the event.  Each line going down the fabric is a different type of stitch.  But more on that later!

I'll also be sharing the treats I served (and some yummy, unexpected treats that showed up during!) in future posts.  I take a different approach to party food than some other folks and I'm interested to know what kinds of things you like to prepare for get togethers.

The Umba set up was absolutely gorgeous on the custom penny counter that was in the space.  I might have picked up a little something for our place ^_^ More photos of their products and lots more gushing about their company to come!

This first Austin Crafternoon made me step out of my comfort zone and try something totally foreign to me.  2014 is all about going out on a limb and really creating my own opportunities and I think this event embodies those goals. It set an incredibly fun tone for the year!  Needless to say, I'd love to do another one!  Maybe something in the spring ^_^  What do you think?