Austin Crafternoon • Umba

Along with the making and swapping that was going on at Crafternoon, Jamie, our Austin representative for Umba was there with all of their handmade goodies.  Umba is a company that's all about handmade.  They curate monthly boxes of mystery products, called UmbaBox, and also have hosts, called Umbassadors, all across the country that sell they're products in homes.  They've got a great eye for choosing indie designers and all of the products they pick really reflect Umba's branding.

Jamie was so fun and super creative with her set up and made this adorable display to welcome everyone in.

The space I rented for Crafternoon had this gorgeous penny bar with shelves underneath that we used to their full potential.  

How adorable are those bitty moccasins?!

I thought Jamie did an amazing job with her displays.  The penny bar and handmade goods together just felt so fun and Austin ^_^

I actually had the chance to meet Lauren Thorp, the founder and CEO of Umba when she visited my booth at Crafty Bastards a couple of years ago.  We've talked about handmade on the steps of the National Portrait Gallery and she's given me wonderful advice about starting new businesses after I moved to Texas.  Lauren's the real deal and so is her company!  I'm always about supporting handmade and indie businesses and so glad that Umba could be a part of Crafternoon!

PS: I love the tea towels that I bought ^_^  

Austin Crafternoon • Surrounded by Creativity

The whole point of Crafternoon was to get together with creative folks and make stuff together.  Today, I'm sharing a little bit about what we did and the benefits of surrounding yourself with creative people.  It's so easy to get stuck in your own bubble of creativity.  Making a point to brainstorm and spend time with folks that challenge you can help you grow personally and in your craft.

I work from home on my blog, graphic design, illustration work, and crochet scarves so a lot of my day is spent sitting at the computer or on the couch blasting Neko Case and Mazzy Star while my cats knock stuff off of my shelves.  It's really easy to spend the whole day in yoga pants and sweatshirt (that I may or may not be wearing while writing this) and just not leave.  Luckily I have a ridiculously creative husband who always pushes me, but my day to day can get stagnant.  It's just a symptom of working from home.  That kind of stagnation can seep into my work and I end up writing boring articles and not pushing myself in my designs or illustrations.

But by introducing another person, with their own creative ideas, the pot begins to be stirred and your creative juices start flowing again.  Take the above photo.  April and her daughter Lucy came by Crafternoon and started working on projects that were totally different from what I brought.  Alaina, one of the other attendees brought beads to swap and April and Lucy started making necklaces from them.  We all brought different things to mix: I brought the people, Alaina brought the beads and April brought her ideas.  You never know what kind of inspirations will pop up by just gathering with folks.

When I was managing a photo team, I tried to build a team with diverse backgrounds and perspectives to bring as many new ideas and skill sets to the team as possible.  The same should be true in life and was absolutely true for Crafternoon.  We had bakers and crocheters and stitchers and lovers of handmade.  It made for fun conversation, the spark of creative inspiration and lots of laughs!  The best part of the day was the people who showed up.  Surround yourself with people who know more than you.  Get together and be inspired by things you could never have dreamt up on your own!

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?

Crafternoon is Today!

Today is the day!!!

Come swing by the most fabulous airbnb I could find in Austin and join us for an afternoon of crafting and fun!

Check out this post for all the info you could possibly need, this post to get a sneak peek at the make-and-take embroidery projects and this post for details on the trunk show we'll be having.

I hope to see you there!  And if you can't make it, be sure to check out the tag #austincrafternoon on instagram to see the action ^_^  Eep!!!

Crafternoon Countdown and Update

The Austin Crafternoon is just a week away!  I shared the make-and-takes last week and I have fun new addition to the day to announce!  Jaime, from Umba will be there to host a handmade trunk show with us.  She's what they call an Umbassador (you know I love a good pun!) and she'll be bringing some of Umba's curated handmade goods from indie artist all over the country.  

I've know Umba's founder and CEO, Lauren Thorp,  since we met at Crafty Bastards a couple of years ago and she's been such an inspiration and great source of advice for me and I'm so glad to work with her company for this fun event!

Don't forget to sign up on eventbrite, it's not a requirement for coming to the event but it gives me a good idea of how many folks to plan for.

I hope to see you there!!!

Austin Crafternoon • Make and Takes

I've been busy getting things ready for Austin Crafternoon and just finished makings samples of the embroidery make-and-takes.  There will be four designs to choose from: Hand Made, a ball of yarn (which I looove in the round frame), a kitten and Texas with a little Austin love.  I thought they would be perfect for the event and, I mean, I couldn't not have a kitten.

There will be different colored fabrics (plus the fabric you trade!) to stitch up and lots of floss to choose from.  I'm also giving away a free crochet pattern to make one of my most popular cowls.

Hooray for free stuff!

Check out this post for more info about Austin Crafternoon and I hope to see you there!

Austin Crafternoon!

I'm so excited to announce a super fun crafty event I've been planning!  The first Austin Crafternoon will be held on January 26th! 

SWAP!

Bring your extra supplies, you know that box of yarn that you haven't opened in the last 2 years, or that shelf full of fabric that you're totally going to make something out of like never, and trade them for stuff you'll actually use.  I'm bring said box(es) of yarn, plenty of fabric, embroidery floss, and lord knows what else I can find in the bottomless pit of my craft stash.  If you're wracking your brain for what to bring, I'm secretly hoping for more printmaking ink and lino cut scraps...just sayin'.  And don't forget about tchotchskes and paper scraps for mixed-media art.

 If you're swapping, please try and come by a little earlier to drop of your stuff so we can organize it a little.  The bnb I've rented is close to South 1st street and there's some fun shopping around there, too.  Amelia's, New BROhemia and Ragalicious are all near by and have Sunday hours ^_^ 

CRAFT!

I'm making up three new embroidery patterns just for this event if you'd like to hang out and do some stitching.  I'll also have a free scarf pattern you can hang out and make there with your newly swapped yarn, or take it home to make there.  If you've never embroidered or crocheted before, I'll be there to help with some basic instruction.

Oh!  And of course there will be a photo booth to show off your new creations or just get a little silly!

SEE YOU THERE!

I can't wait to see you there!  If you don't mind, if you're know you're coming, please sign up here, just so I can get an idea of how many folks are showing up.  If there's anything crazy with signing up, please let me know.  This is my first time hosting an even like this, so it's a learning experience for me ^_^ You don't need to bring a ticket, just bring yourself.  And if you don't sign up, that's totally fine.  The more the merrier!