The Simple Things

Posted on November 28, 2008 by Elaine

Yesterday was Thanksgiving in the US – it was 6 weeks ago here, in Canada, and I didn’t even have to toss leftovers out unseen this time – and today marks the shopping frenzy called Black Friday. There’s even a bit of it here with lots of chains offering special discounts. It’s enough to make slightly shyer folks like me want to hide inside.

I put together simple ornaments yesterday and today. Some already went off to the US for the Fabulous FAM Ornament Swap. One of them is this guy:

I figure I’ll wear it on a ribbon as a pendant because I’m just kooky-artistic enough to do that. But they were made to look cute on your tree, too. I have some slightly pinker ones and these rich red ones.

Tomorrow is the show at the next to closest community to mine. It was probably the first craft sale I did with my grandmother about 15 or so years ago and I’ve done it most of the years since! My daughter even learned her first few Christmas carols to the skipped part in the tape they used to play. The show organizer has it so organized by this point that it is always a pleasure to do this show and, in keeping with recent trends, they’ve begun enforcing a handmade items only participant list.

If you’re in Calgary pop by the Marlborough Community Association show. It’s directly behind the Marlborough Mall and the weather is supposed to be lovely (for Calgary, in November) this weekend. There’s a concession, children’s activities and free babysitting, baked goods and all handmade items.

Tray of Goodies

Posted on November 27, 2008 by Elaine

I’m sure a lot of my Southern neighbours are enjoying less.. plastic… baking today with the American Thanksgiving festivities. Here, I will have to make do with this pan of goodies:

This was the stack of items that require sanding that I referred to in my post yesterday. I doubt they’ll all get sanded up for the weekend shows but I’ve made a good dent despite this silly cold that has crept up on me!

The Chance to Make Stuff

Posted on November 26, 2008 by Elaine

The benefit of selling at craft shows, for me, has been the chance to not have to focus on beads or canes as I usually do for online sales. Not that I don’t LOVE beads and canes and they ship so nicely but sometimes I like to use them..

Of course my first couple of pictures ARE beads:

Then a tealight holder that is similar to my mini bowls:

And a few new ornaments:

I have a stack of vessels (literally) waiting to be sanded and buffed including a new bowl with the Delft patterns I’ve been enjoying the last few weeks. I’ve promised myself that I get to go stroll the two huge shows the next few days if I make a dent in it today.

The Festival of Crafts(at the Roundup Centre) and Art Market Art & Craft Sale(at the Telus Convention Centre) are both running in Calgary from Thursday to Sunday. I have several vendors at each show that I’d love to go see and meet. Wanda Shum, in particular, is a polymer clay and millefiori artist who I’d like to meet and she has a booth at the Art Market show.

Some of the show strolling is also going to be research. I’d like to do one of the very big shows next year but need to do my research!

Pomomama: a Feature

Posted on November 25, 2008 by Elaine

I’ve seen Ebb & Flo pretty much since I joined Etsy – I made a particular effort to look up and keep an eye on Canadian sellers – and she’s a pretty familiar face for forum lurkers like me! So when I found out that I had the perfect chance to dig a little bit more as a result of the Blog-a-Day Giveaway, I was happy. Here’s a little more about the artist who sells as both Ebb and Flo (unique, handcrafted jewelry) and Pomomama (handmade supplies, papercrafts and patterns).

Tell us a little about yourself!
I’m a SAHM who crafts in, around and in spite of her family in an effort to stay sane.

What inspires or influences your work? What themes or motifs do you notice most often?
Quirky shapes and unusual presentations influence my work. I’m also noticing colour a lot more than I used to. Blue/green is my comfort zone but I’m trying to break free. Glass is a favourite medium.

Do you have a favourite piece or series? If so, do you have links to them?
I really like my flotsam pieces as I think these are very unusual, combining wire, metal and fibre with felting. Here are some examples.

Have you done any work specifically for the winter holiday season?
I produced a Fall range in copper wire crochet and metal and have been working on winter ‘bling’ for the party season. These will be available at the craft fairs I attend soon.

What lead you to sell online? What’s the best part? The most challenging?
I had a hobby which made me happy but due to household budgeting I needed to make it self sufficient. ….. and it is now but not solely from selling online.

What are your favourite materials to work with?
Wire, metal, fibre and I love setting pieces of art glass from the amazing Etsy glass makers eg. Willowglass, Lis Kidder and Shoozles

Where can we find you online?
At Pomomama Design – www.pomomamadesign.com

Do you have any specials, promos, or upcoming events you’d like to tell us about?

Ebb & Flo goodies will be at Devil May Wear in Vancouver, BC

If YOU are interested in entering the Blog-a-Day Giveaway, all you need to do is check out the goodies on the site, pick one (or several, you can enter multiple times), and write a post about the person’s shop, pieces, blog or some other related item. Once you have done that, return to the Giveaway page and leave a comment with a link to the post. Voila! You have an entry. You have one entry per comment and the giveaways continue till December 4th.

The Craft Show Lament

Posted on November 24, 2008 by Elaine

If I didn’t love doing the darned things so much… This weekend marked the first effort at a fall show by my local community. It was better than their spring show this year and I did make several times my table fee. And the organizer, this time around, was very open to ideas about improving and making it better.

Next year, alas, I won’t be living in this community! Boo! Hiss! So I’ll miss seeing it evolve.

On the plus side, I had the most amusing situation happen! A complete stranger walked up to me at the show, even before I’ve begun setting up. She introduces herself as Mailled, from Etsy. Now, introducing yourself by your online nickname is not that uncommon to me but it still warrants a bit of a look. So I got to sit and chat with Angela of mailled.etsy.com and her mom of grandmarose.etsy.com For icing on the cake, it turned out that Mailled was my secret Santa in our Alberta Street Team’s gift exchange! I got to pick goodies from them! Woohoo!

I make a lot of simple bead on a cord type pendants and they are good sellers. Shiny, pretty bead on a comfy, casual cord. Win. But my previous necklace board was not inviting people to admiring the masses of them or take them off and play with them. People would touch the few laid on the table around it but not the ones on the display. I needed something a little more casual, fun and inviting! Enter a box of brightly coloured (Christmas light like?) pushpins and one of my old cork board. And a MASS of pendants.

It got people to stop and look which is more than half the battle at shows.