I have been a bad blogger lately, I know. Part of it is the encroaching holiday madness, part of it is true laziness but, mostly, it's because the only things I've been working on lately are custom orders meant as Christmas gifts, and I don't want to spoil any surprises. I can give you a sneak peek, though:
Any guesses as to what I'm making?
Sorry, folks. I know I promised this to you earlier in the week. Where does all the time go? Well, shut up and get to it already, right? Settle in, it's a long one.
No Coast was, as always, super fun. Part of what I love so much about doing this show and others is the on-the-spot feedback of your work. There was lots of oohing and aahing over the new plush, and people responded really well to the new name and the new logo (props again to Paul for doing such an awesome job!). But the part I love most? My fellow crafters, and all the good loot. :)
For the third year in a row, my booth (shared with Amy) was next to Buttonpom. Katie makes excellent handbags, wallets, and other purse accessories out of the cutest fabrics. I love the shapes she uses, and her color combinations. For those that have seen the perhaps too well-loved handbag I carry around every day, you know how much I love Katie's work. This year, I bought an adorable business-card holder from her. I probably should have bought a new handbag, but my current one isn't ailing too badly yet.
How cute is that little blue squirrel?!
My other neighbor this year was LuSa Organics. I can't rave enough about how much I love their soaps and lip balm. I originally discovered these guys through my CSA and became a customer for life after one try, so I was super excited that they participated in No Coast this year. Honestly, you need to try their soap and healing lip balm. Do it now. I'll wait.
Got your soap? Let's continue the No Coast tour.
Another awesome vendor is My Friend Jess, who is keeping me happily squirrel-skirted for the second year in a row. No picture yet as she was out of my size and I placed a custom order.
And, I would be remiss to talk about No Coast without mentioning the inimitable Adam Turman, an amazing print artist and all-around super nice guy. This year I bought his Eat Locally print:
I can't wait to get this framed and hang it in our yet-to-be-completed reading room.
The last item I bought at No Coast this year was a fancy dog collar from Cosmo's Collars. Not sure yet which dog I'll put it on. . . .
There were, of course, tons of other goodies to be had, but when you're vending, you get precious little time to sneak away and shop for yourself! I had more time for that at Craftsmas this year, which was a smaller event held the next day at the Uptown VFW. This was the first year I participated in this show, coordinated by the lovely ladies from I Like You. I had sooooo much fun (not just because of the whisky! Yes, at this fair, you can drink while you shop. Or vend.), and got a prime booth spot next to the I Like You booth. If you haven't met Angela and Sarah, you need to. They're super fun and hip, and they make great merchandise to boot. I bought a fantastic pair of arm warmers (Sarah makes them out of recycled socks) and some squirrel earrings from them. Go get yourself down to their shop on Nicollet while you still can; they'll be closing their doors after Christmas and reopening in Northeast (yay! my hood!) next Spring.
There were so many little lovelies at this show. Awesome vintage button jewelry from Deux Amis Designs. I bought these two pairs of post earrings:
Fantastic accessories from Nice Designs. I couldn't resist this cute ponytail holder duo:
The most beautiful necklaces from Glamoramapuss. Out of my price range, unfortunately (Santa, are you reading?), but truly original and drool-worthy conversation starters:
But by far the best thing from the show is this guy:
Doesn't he just crack you up? I heart him so much. I traded a giraffe to the very talented Becca Jo of Duckie Uglings for this little guy, who now watches over all my home computer activities.
And that's a wrap! Who was your favorite vendor from the shows?
It has been a crazy weekend/week/month filled with so much crafty goodness! I want to give you guys a show recap soon, but for now, I'll just announce the winners of the pattern giveaway.
In the spirit of the season, I have decided to give a pattern to everyone who left a comment on that post, based on their noted pattern preference. So the breakdown is as follows:
Kitty Vane and Bunny will receive the alpaca pattern.
Joy and Laura will receive the horse pattern.
Jennifer and Erin will receive both patterns.
Congratulations, everyone, and thanks for all the kind comments! Oh, and happy sewing!
No Coast was a blast as usual—thanks to everyone who came out to support local hand crafts! I'll be posting some pictures of the event on Monday, as well as pictures of Craftsmas, which happens tomorrow (I'm sure I'm insane for doing two back-to-back shows like this) at the Uptown VFW. If you're not already crafted out, come on by! Some of the same vendors that were at No Coast will be there, but there will be quite a few different ones as well. And I hear the VFW is offering lots of great drink specials all day, like $2 bloody Marys. Because really, what else goes better with hand crafts than a good stiff drink, right? :) Should be lots of fun!
Don't let the carrot fool you. Nor the bunny ears, bright fur, sweet little paws, or buck teeth. It's all a clever disguise to make you think this guy is sweet. But don't be taken in. He's not a bunny. He's not even an herbivore.
This guy will be available at No Coast on December 5 and 6. But I recommend keeping him in a steel cage with a strong latch!
Here's two more of my latest monsters:
Both monsters have wired and jointed arms for full posability, and both will be available at No Coast on December 5 and 6.
I apologize for the rather lackluster photos lately. It's dark when I get home from work in the evenings, so I've had to make do in my little craft room. Photos can't really do plush justice anyway—half of the experience is tactile. You have to feel the texture of the material and give each critter a squeeze to fully appreciate them. Trust me, though, these guys are great! Mr. Mustachio especially cracks me up.
Stay tuned—more silly monster plush coming your way tomorrow!
